The best of 2012
The best: the 10 New Internationalist articles that people read most in 2012
by Amy Hall
1) ‘I was the fall guy’: Julian Assange in his own words
Before he went to London’s Ecuadorian Embassy, the founder of Wikileaks spoke to New Internationalist’s Jamie Kelsey-Fry about the government and media watching us and Cablegate. http://www.newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2012/04/01/julian-assange/
2) The NHS is dead – and we should all be ashamed
In March, Alan Hughes warned that Britain would have many problems as the public health service is cut. http://www.newint.org/blog/2012/03/20/the-nhs-is-dead/
Richard Stallman in NYC mecredis
3) Richard Stallman: ‘Apple has tightest digital handcuffs in history’
In December, co-editor Hazel Healy spoke to the leader of the free software movement about Anonymous, licensing and digital freedoms. http://www.newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2012/12/05/richard-stallman-interview/
4) Norway snatches Indian children from their parents
Mari Marcel Thekaekara wrote about the two young children taken into care because their mother fed them with her fingers. http://www.newint.org/blog/2012/01/23/indian-child-norwy/
5) The flip side to Bill Gates' charity billions
The former CEO of Microsoft has made huge donations to global health programmes – but Andrew Bowman, in April, wrote about some negative side-effects of this. http://www.newint.org/features/2012/04/01/bill-gates-charitable-giving-ethics/ - Easier English: http://eewiki.newint.org/index.php/The_best_of_2012:_The_other_side_of_Bill_Gates%E2%80%99_charity_billions
6) Legalize drugs - all of them!
The war on drugs costs millions of lives and billions of dollars. New Internationalist co- editor Vanessa Baird explained why this is the only good option. http://www.newint.org/features/2012/09/01/illegal-drugs/ - Easier English: http://eewiki.newint.org/index.php/Make_drugs_legal
No violence against women madaboutasia
7) A bride burnt every hour: the horror of dowry deaths
Mari Marcel Thekaekara wrote about violence against women. She asked why more people in India don’t fight against this. http://www.newint.org/blog/majority/2012/02/07/dowry-deaths-in-india/
8) India’s whitening obsession goes vaginal
Mari Marcel Thekaekara also wrote about the horror of encouraging women to bleach their genital area; people all over the world want lighter skin. http://www.newint.org/blog/2012/07/06/india-whitening-obsession/
9) Why American Jews are falling out of love with Israel
Peace may be possible in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and American Jews may make this happen. Hazel Healy interviewed Norman Finkelstein who said Israel goes too far for liberal Jews. http://www.newint.org/features/2012/06/01/american-jews-israel/
10) ‘The victims need to be the subject of a campaign, not Kony’
The Kony 2012 story is so well-known, but how do people inside the country feel about it? Georgiana Keate spoke to Victor Ochen, who made the film in northern Uganda. http://www.newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2012/03/16/kony-2012-victor-ochen-interview/