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Feb. 24 marks the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war has left thousands dead, forced many more to flee their homes and caused significant destruction.
Many around the world have been calling for peace, including politicians, activists and media personalities. But while those calls for peace are laudable, they do not necessarily consider the challenges that stand in the way.
Today, in The Conversation Canada, Oleksa Drachewych of Western University talks about some of the major obstacles getting in the way of peace in Ukraine. While the war has dragged on for months, neither side has more to gain from going to the negotiating table now. Ukrainian officials adamantly refuse to surrender any parts of the country while Russia is determined to keep the territory it controls. “Tough decisions will need to be made in negotiations.” Drachewych writes. “That moment has not yet come.”
Also today:
All the best.
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A Ukrainian mother sobs at the funeral of her son in Irpin, near Kyiv, on Feb. 14, 2023. He was a civilian who was a volunteer in the armed forces of Ukraine and died fighting in the Bakhmut area of the country.
(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Oleksa Drachewych, Western University
Calls for peace that suggest Ukraine should give up territory simply to end the war will condemn some Ukrainians to unspeakable horrors and provide a precarious foundation for lasting peace.
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To improve its ranking and return on innovation investment, Canada needs to update its outdated research and development model to attract more social scientists.
(Shutterstock)
Angele Beausoleil, University of Toronto
Canada’s innovation problem stems from an outdated research and development model. It is time to redesign the research department to include more social scientists and fewer technocrats.
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Canada needs to revitalize its scientific mojo, and to do so must improve research funding.
(Shutterstock)
Stephen L Archer, Queen's University, Ontario
Researchers are key to Canada’s capacity to create a high-tech economy, build the biomedical sector and seed entrepreneurial activity, but they can’t do it without research funding.
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L'industrie du café de spécialité privilégie le travail manuel et l'authenticité à la recherche du profit.
(Austin Park/Unsplash)
Pierre-Yann Dolbec, Concordia University
La demande des consommateurs pour des produits et des expériences authentiques fabriqués à la main a permis d’élever le cachet culturel de professions telles que les baristas et créateurs de cocktails.
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Podcasts
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Nehal El-Hadi, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation
Public health measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic meant that many people experienced social isolation. But the pandemic didn’t invent loneliness, and its impacts on our health are growing.
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Arts
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Phillip M. Carter, Florida International University
When a country changes its name or requests changes to the spelling of its name, there are almost always political motives.
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Politics
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Florent Parmentier, Sciences Po ; Cyrille Bret, Sciences Po
Political scientists weigh in the factors that could see a Ukrainian or Russian win. The war could also become protracted.
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Science + Tech
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Eugene Bergh, North-West University
Fossils aren’t just pieces of the past that allow scientists to look backwards. They can play a role in modern policy decision-making, too.
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