It has been 10 years since Côte d’Ivoire, with the help of the United Nations, commenced a process of building peace after a nine-year war. The process involves a disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration exercise as well as a transitional justice programme. Although the country has not returned to war, elections in 2018 and 2020 were marred by violence and many Ivorians say more needs to be done to unite the country. Jessica Moody unpacks why many are dissatisfied with both types of post-conflict programme.

When we hear the acronym ADHD, many parents and teachers have long-held stereotypes of a disruptive boy who struggles to stay still and keep on-task. But it’s important to know ADHD — attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — affects girls too. And as Rachael Murrihy explains, it can affect them differently.

Wale Fatade

Commissioning Editor: Nigeria

Social reintegration and personal reconciliation should be paramount in post-conflict Cote d'Ivoire Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images

Peacebuilding in Côte d’Ivoire: why it’s hard to reintegrate combatants and achieve justice

Jessica Moody, King's College London

Based on the Cote d'Ivoire experience, the United Nations must reconsider its emphasis on coordinating reintegration and transitional justice irrespective of the post-war context.

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ADHD affects girls too, and it can present differently to the way it does in boys. Here’s what to look out for

Rachael Murrihy, University of Technology Sydney

A better understanding of ADHD in girls will enable earlier recognition, diagnosis and, importantly, treatment for girls, than currently exists.

Environment + Energy

Climate change: how bad could the future be if we do nothing?

Mark Maslin, UCL

A future of heat and strife or humanity’s finest hour – our response to climate change today will define the 21st century.

Wildfires are contaminating drinking water systems, and it’s more widespread than people realize

Andrew J. Whelton, Purdue University

An increasing number of communities are discovering dangerous contamination in their water systems weeks or months after fires.

Health + Medicine

US-backed vaccine patent waiver: pros and cons explained

Farasat Bokhari, University of East Anglia

It's not clear whether the TRIPS agreement is what's getting in the way of vaccine supply, and waiving intellectual property rights may stifle future innovation.

Are chemicals shrinking your penis and depleting your sperm? Here’s what the evidence really says

Tim Moss, Monash University

Warnings of an end to human sperm production have been making headlines recently, now with the added threat of shrinking penises. Is this science or sensationalism?

Politics + Society

What the US can learn from Africa about slavery reparations

Kwasi Konadu, Colgate University

As the US debates reparations for descendants of slavery, cases in Africa help illustrate the limits of programs focused solely in financial restitution.

A return to the archives sheds light on German spies in South Africa during WWII

Evert Kleynhans, Stellenbosch University

Following the war, the South African authorities were anxious to charge known war criminals, traitors and collaborators. But nothing came of it.

En Français

Conversation avec Mircea Sofonea : « En France, le contrôle de l’épidémie est encore fragile »

Mircea T. Sofonea, Université de Montpellier

Alors que la première phase du troisième déconfinement est entamée, à quoi faut-il s’attendre dans les semaines et mois à venir, en matière de tension hospitalière notamment ?

Des terrains d'aventure pour redessiner la place des enfants en ville

Sylvain Wagnon, Université de Montpellier; Delphine Patry, Université de Caen Normandie; Mathieu DEPOIL, Université Paul Valéry – Montpellier III

C'est dans les années 1930 que l'idée du terrain d'aventure pour enfants a émergé, en opposition avec l'aire de jeux classique. Une nouvelle vague d'initiatives fleurit aujourd'hui.

En español

¿Qué va a pasar tras el fin del estado de alarma?

Salvador Peiró, Fisabio

La respuesta es simple: no lo sabemos. Estamos en una carrera de velocidad entre la vacunación y un posible repunte. Y el resultado es incierto. Ahora el mayor riesgo es que los mayores contagien a los jóvenes.

La salud de las mujeres y la de los hombres son distintas, pero se tratan igual

Bárbara Luque Salas, Universidad de Córdoba; Carmen Tabernero Urbieta, Universidad de Salamanca; Naima Z. Farhane Medina, Universidad de Córdoba; Rosario Castillo-Mayén, Universidad de Córdoba

La investigación médica ha mirado a las mujeres "como si fueran hombres" ignorando sus problemas y enfermedades específicas, para centrar casi exclusivamente el estudio en la salud reproductiva.