Karina Pandya

The world is becoming a complex place and in almost every part of the world great geopolitical blocks are being created. What was once at the heart of an economic and trade project, the European Union (EU) has helped to bring peace and stability to Europe. 2016 has certainly been a year of political upheavals with the election of Donald Trump and the surprising vote for Brexit to leave the European Union. In a bitterly contested referendum, the UK decided to leave the European Union, soon after which British Prime Minister –David Cameron announced his resignation. This phenomenon is known by the nickname Brexit, which means the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Kingdom. It is the merging of the words Britain and exit to get Brexit. For many people the message behind the Brexit vote is simple and that is to be a state; be an autocrat.    Trump’s political case was very similar to the pro-Brexit campaign that ...

Today we live in a world where all it takes is a few taps on a cold, lifeless screen to change a person’s life: i.e. the power of social media. Social media is the millennial way to make friends, keep tabs on their lives and update friends and/or family about your life. Social media websites are known for the tremendous impact that it has on our culture, business and world at large. The most popular social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat and Messaging Apps. In fact, these sites are the most popular ‘haunts’ that can be found on the Internet. However, despite the number of benefits; it is also important to bear in mind the flip side of the story. Social Media is known to lead to high levels of loneliness, anxiety, depression, envy, narcissism and decreased social skills. There are many introverts and socially reclusive people who place too much emphasis on virtual interaction and ignore the fact that there is a real world th...

Happiness, it seems to be the biggest business happening right now and nothing can come in its way. During times where more is never enough but just escalates, there is a plethora of ways to keep oneself happy: vision boards, affirmations, the power of positive thinking, etc.   Who doesn’t want to be happy? However, this ‘cult of optimism’, which is in fact a well-intentioned ‘self-help’ movement, cannot even escape the glisten of snake oil. You cannot run around and chase happiness to the ground exclaiming ‘gotcha’. You just cant! Having the latest mobile or laptop is an indicator of how ‘cool’ you are in the society. Moreover, with the constant disdain in the media, youngsters too are caught in the game. The goalposts of aspiration and living are constantly changing and each and every one of us is guilty of being part of this. There was a time when happiness had a very simple meaning. It just referred to a state of mind, a sense of feeling good, a mood or fee...

Can you imagine living your life every day in fear and desolation, with no sense of home, but a constant sense of being trapped?  Such is the plight of tens and thousands of people living across the Middle East and in countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Columbia, Myanmar, Jordon, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Hungary. Confusion and disorder are just a few of the many problems that are faced by such people. As our world progresses in many avenues, there are yet people who are forced to leave their homes because it’s no longer safe for them to live. They are pushed out of their homes for reasons such as their race, religion, nationality; belonging to a particular social group or for even having a particular political opinion. Where is the freedom of speech or the basic freedom of human dignity? Silence! No questions can be asked! As we bicker and crib over the little things in life, there are refugees – adult and child who are not even given ...