Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) 

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) is a disaggregated data collection, analysis, and crisis mapping project. ACLED collects information on the dates, actors, locations, fatalities, and types of all reported political violence and protest events around the world. The ACLED team conducts analysis to describe, explore, and test conflict scenarios, and makes both data …

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Nature-dependent people: Mapping human direct use of nature for basic needs across the tropics (Giacomo Fedele, Camila I. Donatti, Ivan Bornacelly, David G. Hole)

Understanding where people depend the most on natural resources for their basic human needs is crucial for planning conservation and development interventions. For some people, nature is a direct source of food, clean water, and energy through subsistence uses. However, a high direct dependency on nature for basic needs makes people particularly sensitive to changes …

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Democracy Index 2023 (The Economist)

The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index provides a snapshot of the state of democracy in 165 independent states and two territories. This covers almost the entire population of the world and the vast majority of the world’s states (microstates are excluded). Scored on a 0-10 scale, the Democracy Index is based on five categories: electoral …

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The Prehistoric Ages: How Humans Lived Before Written Records (Lesley Kennedy)

Earth’s beginnings can be traced back 4.5 billion years, but human evolution only counts for a tiny speck of its history. The Prehistoric Period—or when there was human life before records documented human activity—roughly dates from 2.5 million years ago to 1,200 B.C. It is generally categorized in three archaeological periods: the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. …

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The Basic Law of Human Stupidity: Unraveling the Dark Force Hindering Human Welfare and Happiness (Abia, Agustina Viani, Jayanti Silaen, Jessie Anggraini, and Wahyu Hidayattulloh)

“The Basic Law of Human Stupidity” explores the deplorable state of human affairs throughout history and identifies a powerful yet unorganized group within the human race that perpetuates unnecessary troubles and miseries. This group, operating without leadership or regulations, functions in perfect unison, amplifying the detrimental effects of each member’s actions. This book seeks to …

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The new fascism (Paul Mason, Prospect)

Ithink the protests are great,” the far-right influencer James Goddard told subscribers to his Telegram channel, in a video the day after the Sunderland riot. “But we need to clean up the optics… Number one, please stay away from religious buildings, places of worship, mosques, Islamic centres. Just stay away from them. You’re going to …

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A New Era of Conflict and Violence (UN)

The nature of conflict and violence has transformed substantially since the UN was founded 75 years ago. Conflicts now tend to be less deadly and often waged between domestic groups rather than states. Homicides are becoming more frequent in some parts of the world, while gender-based attacks are increasing globally. The long-term impact on development …

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