Stories that show more than conflict
The international desk at the Monitor is frequently covering conflict. From Iran to Gaza, from Ukraine to Cuba, our reporters are working to keep readers informed of news from the world鈥檚 hot spots. But as this week鈥檚 magazine shows, they are also doing something else: shining light on the humanity in these places.
In our piece from Havana, for instance, reporters Whitney聽Eulich and Rudy Cabrera Arcia share Cubans鈥� hopes for their country in those individuals鈥� own voices. It鈥檚 an approach that gives readers an intimate view of the situation facing the island as it runs out of oil, and also the resilience of the people who live there.
鈥淚 want to see Cuba return to its full potential: a joyful, vibrant community with a zest for life,鈥� one great-grandmother tells them.
Why We Wrote This
The international desk at the Monitor is frequently covering conflict. From Iran to Gaza, from Ukraine to Cuba, our reporters are working to keep readers informed of news from the world鈥檚 hot spots. But as this week鈥檚 magazine shows, they are also doing something else: shining light on the humanity in these places.
When I asked International Editor Sara Miller Llana about this piece,聽she explained that these 鈥渁s told to鈥澛爒ignettes help readers understand that hardships do not define the people who live in troubled parts of the world.
鈥淎ll we ever hear about is how Cuba is on the brink of disaster,鈥� she told me. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not that we want to ignore that, because it鈥檚 an incredibly difficult situation. But if you hear people in their own words鈥� 鈥� not filtered through our own angles or narratives 鈥� 鈥渋t can show the agency that people have.鈥�
That ties in to staff writer Howard LaFranchi鈥檚 piece from Ukraine. His story chronicles a young woman who decided to write a book about her experiences in the war there.
Sometimes, Sara says, readers can tune out those living in war because the situation is too difficult for those outside to try to understand. But individuals like Anastasia Fomitchova, who was a university student in Paris when she decided to join the fight against Russia for her native Ukraine, counter that inclination.
鈥淪he鈥檚 clear-eyed and calm,鈥� Sara says, 鈥渁nd determined.鈥�
Other stories this week take a similarly global and nuanced approach. Fred Weir, who regularly helps Western audiences understand life in Vladimir Putin鈥檚 Russia, writes a counternarrative about the adaptability of Russians amid what Western leaders describe as 鈥渢he most intense sanctions regime in history.鈥� And Ghada Abdulfattah shows how in conflict-torn Gaza, a quest to save books can bring hope to a community.
