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Day: April 8, 2018

Why Spring Brings Both Joy and Pain to Afghanistan

Bridge Agents

(GV) – For many living in the part of Eurasia where Persian and Turkic languages dominate, the festivities of Nawruz beginning March 21 mark not just the start of spring, but New Year itself. In Afghanistan, however, the occasion is not universally celebrated, and the holiday’s pagan roots are a point of conjecture between different groups. Moreover, the warmer weather also brings with it a traditional uptick insurgent violence. This year, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has attempted to check the onslaught with a renewed and emboldened offer of peace to…

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Drug Use Can Have Social Benefits, and Acknowledging This Could Improve Rehabilitation

Bridge Agents

World (TD) – Illicit drug use is often framed in terms of risk and antisocial or criminal behaviour. But drug use is often a highly social activity. For many people, the pleasure of using drugs is about social connection as much as it is about the physical effects. A new study aiming to understanding the social benefits of drug use may help us to improve responses to risky or harmful drug taking. Pleasure is not just physical Pleasure is an obvious part of drug use and the short-term physical benefits are well known. Drugs can produce a…

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Unprecedented Collaring Effort Aims to Protect Tanzania’s Threatened Elephants

Bridge Agents

Tanzania (WWF) – In Tanzania, the government, with support from WWF, has launched the country’s largest ever elephant collaring effort to protect its dwindling elephant population. With almost 90 per cent of the elephants lost over the last 40 years in the Selous Game Reserve, a World Heritage site, enhancing rangers’ ability to guard the remaining ones from poaching is essential to rebuilding the population. In a project spanning 12 months, 60 elephants are expected to be collared in and surrounding the Elephant Collaring. Credit_ Joakim Odelberg WWF Selous. This will…

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