Welcome to The Youth Journal, a non-partisan and not-for-profit online platform created by and for young writers from around the world.
Latest Articles
A Writer’s Guide to Coping with COVID-19
Canada has been dealing with the COVID-19 epidemic for nearly four months now. Our first recorded case of infection occurred on January 15, 2020. As of April 4, 2020 Canada has 13,912 confirmed cases, with 231 deaths and 2,595 recoveries. This is a trying time, but we will get through it together. We need to […]
Opinion: How the Ontario Government is Ignoring an Accessible Housing Crisis
As the cold weather sets in, shelters fill up and more people are inclined to help the homeless. Though Premier Doug Ford has ceased homelessness enumeration reports, it is suspected that the number of homeless people in Ontario has continued to grow. Yet, within this crisis, there is a far bleaker one that is not […]
Does reality TV have real consequences?
As Canada approaches the mid-way point of the summer, seasonal reality TV programming is well underway. Most prominently, the introduction of the hit reality series “Love Island” to Canadians started on July 9, which originally was created in the U.K., but whose overwhelming success prompted international copies in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Australia, Norway, and Sweden. […]
A Colombian Bishop Planned a “Helicopter Exorcism” To Rid a City of Violence. Should Religion Influence Politics?
Rival factions and criminal groups fight for control over the poorest areas of Buenaventura. For decades, Colombia’s main Pacific port, an imperative gateway to the commerce of the Pacific, is plagued with a perpetual terrorism brought upon by waring gangs. Acting as a major route for drug trafficking, parts of the city exist under a […]
For Indigenous Peoples, the Fight for Reproductive Justice is a Constant Battle
Reproductive autonomy has paid a farewell in several U.S. states. Following Alabama’s near-total ban on the procedure along with five states having passed the heartbeat bill, one’s freedom to obtain safe abortion in parts the U.S. has been significantly undermined, and is also a great loss for survivors and non-survivors of sexual assault. North of […]
The Significance of Treasury Yields
Treasury note yields are important economic indicators that are often overlooked during times of economic expansion. Treasury notes are important to the economy because, in contrast with equities, they have little risk – they are backed by the US economy. When investors believe economic contraction is on the horizon, they will be more interested in […]
Opinion
Opinion | Trump is No “Chaotic Good,” He’s A Tool of the US Establishment
In the tabletop fantasy role playing game Dungeons and Dragons, there is something called The Alignment System. This outlines how an individual player is able to categorize their particular character within the game. For example, a character that operates within the bounds of a fictitious law whilst simultaneously lacking in moral character, is labelled “Lawful […]
The Dangers of a Shortening News Cycle: Opinion
On November 8, 2016, the day that Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, Ohio pig farmer Erik Hagerman decided to stop reading the news. In a modern-day experiment reminiscent of Henry David Thoreau’s retreat to Walden Pond, Hagerman meticulously stripped all his connections to politics and other current events, gaining the label […]
University of Warwick Scandal Exposes Student Activists as Hypocrites
On February 4, the University of Warwick campus burst into a hive of activity as hundreds of members of the student body, as well as numerous dedicated staff and alumni congregated to demonstrate against the University’s handling over what was dubbed the “group chat scandal” by a writer for Warwick’s student newspaper, The Boar. In […]
Policy Analysis
The Evolution of Consulate Diplomacy and International Law
Humans, by nature, have always felt the need to communicate. This started with the need to communicate with those in the local vicinity, which then progressed to those in neighbouring regions. And as humans came together and formed groups, societies grew over time and nation-states developed. As these nations became gradually more sophisticated, they needed […]
The Belt and Road Initiative: China’s Blueprint for Global Domination
The Silk Road was a network of ancient trade routes that spanned Eurasia, enabling the flow of goods, ideas, and people between the East and the West. Named after the Chinese silk that was traded along the route, the Silk Road fostered trade between ancient civilizations and established long – lasting political, economic and cultural […]
What do Recent Abortion Laws Mean for the Future of Women in America?
Throughout different historical periods female sexual desire has often been perceived as inherently evil; an attribute that must be repressed at all costs. However, opinions regarding female sexuality have fluctuated as social customs and fashions have fundamentally changed over time. Significantly, in the past century the struggle for female emancipation has been frequently discussed and […]
Editor’s Blog
1000+ Ontario Teachers Receive “Surplus” Letters in One Day
According to the Toronto Star, more than 3,000 full-time teaching jobs are estimated to be cut from Ontario schools within the next four years. This leaked information may have already seemed extreme and devastating for teachers, students, and families across the province, but the bad news as of April 5th, 2019, seems to be much […]
Happy New Year, from The Youth Journal
Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year from everybody here at The Youth Journal! Over the course of the past nine months, we’ve published almost 200 articles, and attracted nearly 9,000 viewers from across the globe. One of the most remarkable things that I’ve noticed in all this is that if you look at the map, […]
Corporations Are Stripping Americans’ Legal Rights As Congress Deregulates
On October 27th, 2017, the Starbucks Corporation changed its Terms of Use policy for its customers in the United States. Under the new Terms of Use, by using any Starbucks services, you automatically forfeit your right to join class-action lawsuits and consolidated proceedings. By simply using any of their services, customers of the coffee chain instantly forfeit […]
Environment & Climate
Corporate Responsibility in the Climate Crisis
In Seattle, Washington, there was a ban placed on plastic straws and utensils in 2018. This ban disallowed the use of plastic straws in local businesses, with a plan to phase them out and to encourage consumers to purchase reusable metal straws to use as a replacement. In Seattle, there is also a tax on […]
Organizing Activism for Climate Justice: A Handbook
11 years. That’s how long the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suspects we have before temperatures could be raised an estimated 1.5ºC higher than they are today. By the time children beginning kindergarten this year reach their high school graduation date, the Earth’s climate could be catastrophically different from the one we live […]
Cyclone Idai: A Reminder that Climate Change is Already on our Doorstep
In the wake of devastating Cyclone Idai sweeping across Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, the issue of climate change is again being brought front and centre, specifically for those on the African continent. Since its landfall on March 15, Cyclone Idai is said to be “the deadliest tropical cyclone to hit (Southern) Africa” and has left […]
War and Conflict
The Fall of Baghuz and the Territorial Defeat of ISIS
Al-Baghuz Fawqani, sometimes referred to as Baghuz, is a small city of about ten thousand people near the Iraqi border which had been, since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, under the control of the Islamic State. That was, until the 23rd of March, 2019. The US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared a […]
Exclusive: Remembering the Child Victims of War and Exploitation
History is the witness of this fact that whenever there had been any war be it a civil war or world war or any ethnic war or riots, the most troublesome population affected by this aid are children. Even a small fight witnessed by a kid leaves a strong impact on her mind, and when […]
Millions in the Line of Fire: The Responsibility to Protect in Yemen
In Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, there has been a civil war raging since Houthis rebels took over the country’s capital in 2014. After the president was ousted in 2011, the country became unstable and progressed towards war. With the Houthis being ideologically opposed to many of Yemen’s neighbors, the surrounding countries […]
South Sudan’s Seemingly Unending War
South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July 2011 to become an independent, sovereign nation. However two years later, in December 2013, disagreements between two former rebel leaders Riek Machar and President Salvar Kirr plunged the nation into what would become a seemingly unending civil war. South Sudan has two main sides of political divide: SPLM, […]
Science & Technology
Edible Ethics: Extending Life’s Longevity, and Its Limitations
Imagine living forever. Imagine never fearing age, sickness, infirmity, or death. It makes sense to want to live forever. We humans have a primal need for self-preservation, which entails seeking our own survival, no matter the cost. This desire to be immortal has long been an unattainable sci-fi fantasy. However, with developing technologies, having eternal […]
Edible Ethics: Revamping How We Approach Disease, and its Downfalls
Gene editing has become a paragon of innovation in the scientific community. Specifically, the use of CRISPR-Cas9, has triggered an abundance of different applications. However, it has also triggered just as many ethical concerns. These ethical concerns are often not made clear to the public; only those involved in highly technical communities are made aware […]
SLS: NASA’s New Launch Vehicle may be Too Little, Too Late
“We choose to go to the moon in this decade, and to do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we […]
Google Proposes a Plan to Make Toronto Smarter
Google intends to ‘fix’ Toronto, the fourth largest city in North America. But, this is not the reason as to why Google picked Toronto as their first Smart Innovative City. The reason might not be something Toronto fans look forward to reading about. It is not unpleasant but it is a true focal point for […]
Fintech: The Future of Finance
The term financial technology, which evolved by the end of the first decade of the 21st century, refers to any technological innovation in the financial sector. This includes automation softwares in the financial industry such as trading, investing, and retail banking, and mobile technologies that facilitate people’s everyday lives. New financial technologies have just started […]
Health
The Importance of Self-Care in our own Self-Development
Over the past few years, the perception of wellness has shifted from a focus on physical health to a holistic approach that includes both psychological and physical well-being. Notably, the term “self-care” has been widely used. It is important to note that wellness carries different meanings to not only different cultures, but even individuals within […]
A Writer’s Take on Navigating Hardship, Grief, and Depression
Today, this article will focus on something that we are all familiar with but are often largely blind to, despite the fact that it affects us all: hardship, depression, and grief. In this article I intend to share some beliefs, strategies, and stories that I believe may positively impact those who have, will, or are […]
Escaping the After Laughter: Our Battle Against Mental Illness
For the pop-punk niche, this title may strike a chord. Yes, it is a reference to the most recent Paramore album. However, this is not a criticism of it. Rather, it is a reference to an article published by Paper Magazine, which I believe provides a refreshing take on mental health. On May 30th, 2018 Paramore’s lead […]
