Humanity
Nestor Barchuk on Ukrainian POW Torture, Azov Captives, and Russia’s Red Lines
Nestor Barchuk is a Ukrainian lawyer, serviceman, and international advocacy specialist with the 1st Corps Azov of Ukraine’s National Guard. He works on securing the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war and advancing investigations into the Olenivka prison-colony massacre. Before joining Azov, Barchuk served as a legal expert and international relations manager at DEJURE Foundation, a Ukrainian rule-of-law NGO focused on judicial reform and anti-corruption accountability after the Revolution of Dignity and democratic legal standards. Interview conducted after the event “Anatomy of Torture” of the Center for Civil Liberties.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen3 months ago in Interview
Alpha Innovative Solutions and the Mission to Transform How First Responders Handle Autism: Interview with Christopher Diaz
The call came in like any other. Officers responded to a report of a child found walking alone near a roadway. When they arrived, they found a young boy, avoiding eye contact, not responding to questions. The responding officer, trained to identify threats and gather information quickly, saw a child who wouldn't cooperate. What he didn't see was a child who was terrified, overwhelmed, and unable to process the commands being thrown at him.
By Laurens Tijssen4 months ago in Interview
Mike Wilson: Marine Veteran Building Ukraine’s Cowboy Culture
Mike Wilson is a United States Marine Corps veteran, skilled tradesman, entrepreneur, and founder of the Association of Ukrainian Cowboys. After service as a body repair mechanic, he built businesses, raised five sons, and developed a lasting attachment to Ukraine. Since 2015, he has supported Ukrainians through marksmanship training, veterans’ engagement, ministry, and community-building, including Kyiv’s Western Saloon, a cultural project bringing American cowboy music, hospitality, and fellowship to wartime Ukraine with resilience and warmth.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen4 months ago in Interview
Dr. Umar Johnson SNAPS: The Karmelo Anthony Case, Self-Defense, Race, and Whether Black Teens Can Ever Defend Themselves in America
Have you ever watched a high-profile case unfold and felt that deep, uncomfortable sense that something bigger than the courtroom was really on trial? Not just one teenager’s actions, but an entire system, history, and the question of who gets to claim self-defense in America.
By KWAO LEARNER WINFRED4 months ago in Interview
The AI Interview That Changed My Career
For nearly a year, my job search felt like an endless cycle of hope and disappointment. I would spend hours tailoring my resume, researching companies, and submitting applications. Occasionally, I would receive an interview invitation, which felt like a small victory.
By Farooq Hashmi4 months ago in Interview
Why No One Is Seating You in Italy, and the One Phrase That Fixes It. AI-Generated.
You walk into a café in Italy on a hot afternoon. The tables are half full. A waiter passes you carrying four espressos and does not look up. You wait. You catch nobody's eye. A minute goes by, then two, and a quiet panic sets in. Did you do something wrong? Are they ignoring you on purpose? Is this place just rude?
By Andrea Zanon4 months ago in Interview
Melanie Trecek-King on Operation INFEKTION, AIDS Disinformation, and Critical Thinking
Melanie Trecek-King is a science educator, speaker, and writer focused on critical thinking, science literacy, and misinformation. She is the creator of Thinking Is Power, Associate Professor of Biology at Massasoit Community College, Education Director for the Mental Immunity Project, and a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Her forthcoming book, A Field Guide to Spotting Misinformation, extends her public-education work by helping readers navigate falsehoods more effectively in today’s crowded digital information environment.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen5 months ago in Interview
Golda Vynogradska on Maidan, War, and Fashion as Ukrainian Cultural Diplomacy
Golda Vynogradska is a Ukrainian fashion designer, founder and project manager of FashionGlobusUkraine, head of the National Sectoral Partnership in the Light Industry of Ukraine, vice president of the Confederation of Designers and Stylists of Ukraine, and a postgraduate researcher at the Institute of Vocational Education of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine. Her work spans design, industry development, education, cultural diplomacy, public advocacy, and international representation for Ukrainian fashion and light industry sectors.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen5 months ago in Interview
Shreshtha Das on Online Hate Against Racialized Migrant Women and 2SLGBTQI+ People in Canada
Shreshtha Das is a Researcher/Advisor on Gender with Amnesty International, focusing on gender, racial justice, refugees, and migrants’ rights. In this interview, they discuss Amnesty International’s research on xenophobic technology-facilitated gender-based violence against racialized migrant women and 2SLGBTQI+ people in Canada. Das analyzes online hate narratives, “great replacement” conspiracies, platform dynamics, anonymity, dehumanization, self-censorship, and the links between digital abuse, public participation, and offline safety.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen5 months ago in Interview
Mariia Shakula on Ukrainian Identity in Berlin
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Mariia Shakula (Translator, English-Ukrainian) Mariia Shakula is a Ukrainian-born, Berlin-based multidisciplinary artist and integration consultant for Otivas. She relocated to Germany following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Her creative work spans photography, graphic design, music. Alongside her artistic practice, she contributes to a coaching and consulting initiative supporting Ukrainian newcomers navigating German bureaucracy, employment, and cultural adaptation, drawing on her own lived experience of migration.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen5 months ago in Interview
Oleksandra Yamshchikova on Ukrainian Entrepreneurs Rebuilding in Germany
Oleksandra Yamshchikova is a Ukrainian entrepreneur based in Germany who built businesses in Ukraine before the war disrupted her company's European labour-placements. After relocating to Germany, she founded communities, a nonprofit, and a business club to help Ukrainian entrepreneurs integrate, find clients, and grow. Her programs support founders from early-stage ventures to established firms, including youth entrepreneurship through Genius, acceleration, mentoring, networking, German market entry, and cross-border diaspora collaboration.
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen5 months ago in Interview
