DDRN.dk

DDRN was formed with the purpose to enhance cross-sectoral North-South collaboration and coordination of research for development.

Supported by a network of Global South sciencie journalists, DDRN publishes 4-5 new articles every month.

08/05/2026

What happens when a country begins to disappear beneath the sea?

In her latest article, Sofia Kiryttopoulou explores one of the most urgent and overlooked consequences of climate change: the risk of state extinction.

For low-lying island states such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Maldives, rising sea levels are not a distant threat but a present reality. As coastlines erode and land becomes uninhabitable, international law faces a question it was never designed to answer: can a state continue to exist if it loses its territory?

The article examines how climate change challenges traditional definitions of sovereignty and statehood, while exploring the survival strategies vulnerable states are pursuing — from artificial islands and climate-resilient infrastructure to planned migration and new legal frameworks designed to preserve sovereignty without territory.

It also highlights the growing legal gap surrounding climate displacement, where people forced to flee environmental collapse still lack formal recognition and protection under international refugee law.

💬 “The central question may not simply be whether certain territories will disappear, but whether international law can evolve quickly enough to ensure that the states and populations affected are not erased from the global order.”

📖 Read more via the link in bio

07/05/2026

Perfectly edible food is being discarded every day — from farms in Latin America to supermarket shelves in Europe.

In her latest article, Sofia Kiryttopoulou examines how the global food system creates waste at every stage of the supply chain: crops rejected for cosmetic imperfections, supermarkets overstocking shelves for appearance, and edible products thrown away because of labeling policies.

The result? Millions of tonnes of wasted food, water, energy, and labor — all within a system designed around profit, selectivity, and overproduction.

From Peru’s water-stressed agricultural regions to retail practices in Europe, this article explores how food waste is not accidental, but structural.

💬 “Each discarded item represents lost labor, water, energy, and land.”

📖 Read more via the link in bio

07/05/2026

History does not disappear just because it is ignored.

In his latest article, William Odinga Balikuddembe revisits the 1986 Namokora massacre in northern Uganda — a tragedy that claimed 68 lives and left generations carrying unanswered questions, trauma, and demands for justice.

Through survivor testimonies, historical analysis, and ongoing research at Gulu University, the article explores how political violence, ethnicity, memory, and state accountability continue to shape Uganda’s post-conflict reality nearly four decades later.

For years, the story of Namokora remained buried beneath war, displacement, and silence. Today, survivors and families of victims are fighting to preserve the historical record and push for recognition and reparations.

💬 “The passage of time has not erased the memory of what happened — only the urgency of addressing it.”

📖 Read more via the link in bio

07/05/2026

Can humor exist in the middle of war, displacement, and political violence?

In her latest article, Manar Sadkou explores how humor in the Global South becomes much more than entertainment — it becomes survival, resistance, identity, and even political power.

From Palestinian black comedy to Brazilian political memes, this piece dives into how laughter can challenge oppression, cope with trauma, and reshape narratives often ignored in mainstream discourse.

Featuring insights from Palestinian writer Ahmed Masoud and recent research from the European Journal of Humor Research, the article asks an important question:
👉 Who gets to define what humor means — and whose humor gets taken seriously?

📖 Read more via the link in bio

07/05/2026

🌏 Do ethnic Chinese Malaysians actually speak “Chinese”?

In this fascinating article, Francesco Biancalana explores the complex linguistic reality of Malaysian Chinese communities — where Mandarin increasingly dominates, while heritage varieties like Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew, and Foochow slowly decline.

But is this simply language loss? Or is Malaysian Mandarin becoming a new form of cultural identity rooted in local history and experience?

From colonial legacies and racial politics to family language choices and generational change, this piece examines how language shapes belonging, identity, and culture in modern Malaysia.

👉 Read More via the link in bio

29/04/2026

The Arctic was once seen as distant and untouched. Today, it’s at the center of global politics.

In this piece, Florin-Madalin Nicu explores how a century of cooperation—from environmental agreements to Indigenous inclusion—is now being tested by geopolitical tensions.

Can collaboration survive in a time of conflict? And what does that mean for climate action?

👉 Read more to explore why the future of Arctic governance matters far beyond the region itself.

29/04/2026

Who really gets to decide the future of the Arctic? 🌍❄️

In this article, Florin-Madalin Nicu explores how Indigenous communities are shaping regional policy through the Arctic Council—and where their influence still falls short. From the concept of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) to the role of Permanent Participants, this piece dives into the balance between consultation and real power.

As climate change accelerates and geopolitical tensions rise, Indigenous knowledge isn’t just valuable—it’s essential.

👉 Read more to understand why inclusive governance matters in one of the world’s most fragile regions.

21/03/2026

🌿 What if sustainability wasn’t a trend—but a way of life?

Deep in the Kendeng Mountains of Indonesia lives the Baduy community—a society that doesn’t talk about sustainability… they live it.

No plastic.
No overconsumption.
No endless extraction.

Instead:
🌱 Farming without chemicals
🏡 Homes built from natural materials
💧 Living in rhythm with rivers and forests
⏳ Food systems designed to last generations

Guided by ancestral rules (pikukuh), the Baduy follow a simple but powerful philosophy:
👉 Take only what you need. Change nothing unnecessarily.

While the modern world debates “green solutions,” the Baduy quietly practice them—proving that sustainability isn’t innovation, it’s remembering.

But their way of life is fragile.
Tourism, misunderstanding, and outside pressures threaten a system built on balance, respect, and restraint.

And maybe that’s the biggest takeaway:
They are not “left behind.” They’ve simply chosen a different path.

📖 Read the full article by Rostya Putri

20/03/2026

🌍 Who really leads humanitarian aid?

Only 23% of global humanitarian funding needs were met in 2025. Behind that number are millions of people left without support — and a bigger question:

👉 Who controls aid, and who gets to decide how it’s used?

For decades, international development has been shaped by top-down systems, where funding and decision-making stay in the Global North — even when crises happen elsewhere.

But a shift is happening. It’s called localization.

💡 Instead of outside actors designing solutions, localization puts local communities, NGOs, and leaders at the center
🤝 It’s about moving from “consultation” to real ownership and decision-making power
📍 Because those closest to the crisis often know best how to respond

Organizations like Street Child are already showing what this looks like in practice — supporting local partners in places like Uganda and South Sudan to lead programs, access funding, and build long-term resilience.

At its core, this isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about power, trust, and whose knowledge counts.

📖 Read the full article by Daniela Padilla

18/03/2026

AI is smart. But is it sustainable?

We often talk about generative AI as the future — faster, smarter, more efficient. But what if this innovation comes with a hidden environmental cost we’re not paying attention to?

In this article, Celia Rhodes unpacks the reality behind tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and others — and the massive infrastructure powering them.

⚡ Training a single AI model can produce emissions equal to 5 petrol cars over their lifetime
💧 Data centers consume huge amounts of water — in a world where 1.1 billion people lack access to clean water
⛏️ Minerals like cobalt and coltan, essential for AI tech, are extracted at high environmental and human cost — especially in the Global South

And here’s the uncomfortable truth:
While the Global North drives AI demand, the environmental consequences — from water scarcity to mining damage and climate vulnerability — are disproportionately felt elsewhere.

AI is often framed as a solution to climate change. But in its current form, it may also be accelerating the very crisis it claims to solve.

So the real question is:
Who benefits from AI — and who pays the price?

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