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Rafael Mitchell

@rafaelmitchell.bsky.social
608 followers 588 following 77 posts

Senior Lecturer in Comparative and International Education, University of Bristol | Co-Director of CIRE | BAICE | Schooling in Africa, democratising knowledge in education

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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Zecharias Zelalem @zekuzelalem.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
As I pointed out yesterday, communications have been severed across much of Tigray. The UN and HRW were for now, able to contact sources and obtain data for their reports, but things will become much more difficult going forward. There is great reason to be afraid for civilians.
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Zecharias Zelalem @zekuzelalem.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
RE: AIRSTRIKES Two reports highlighting aerial crimes vis a vis the new conflict in Ethiopia were published today. First, @hrw.org looked at visual evidence into the Aug 20th Ethiopian airstrike that injured a dozen civilians in the city of Mekele and found no valid military targets.
hrw.org
Ethiopia: Indiscriminate Airstrike in Tigray
An apparent Ethiopian government airstrike on a residential compound in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region on August 20, 2026, should be investigated as a possible war crime, Human Rights Watch said to...
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Yonas Nigussie @yonigussie.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
‘Probe Ethiopia’s Tigray Airstrike as War Crime,’ HRW An apparent #Ethiopian airstrike on a residential compound in #Tigray on Aug 20, should be investigated as a possible war crime, Human Rights Watch said today. The attack wounded 13 civilians, inc seven children. 🖇️ www.hrw.org/news/2026/09...
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
NetBlocks @netblocks.org · 24/09/2026
⚠️ Confirmed: Network data indicate a subnational internet disruption in northern #Ethiopia corresponding to reports of a telecoms blackout in #Tigray. The incident comes amid escalating conflict between Tigrayan forces and the national army 📉
Graph from NetBlocks showing network connectivity in Ethiopia from September 18, 2026, to September 24, 2026. The y-axis represents normalized connectivity from 0% to 100%, and the x-axis represents dates. A green line represents Ethiopia's connectivity, remaining stable throughout most of the period, before dropping on the night of September 24. The disruption corresponds to a regional blackout in Tigray implamented by the government.The minimum and current connectivity levels are shown as 82% and 82%, respectively. The chart has a dark background with a red circle highlighting the decline at the end of the period, and the NetBlocks logo in the lower left corner with the Mapping Internet Freedom slogan.
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Today, power & internet down across Tigray, and there is a return to fighting between federal and regional forces. Estimated 600,000 died in the 2020-2022 civil war, and pubic services, welfare and industry never recovered.
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Electricity has been turned off in Tigray
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Yonas Nigussie @yonigussie.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
UN Voices Concern Over Rising Insecurity, Drone Strikes In Ethiopia Stéphane Dujarric: “We’re deeply concerned by the worsening security situation and recent developments in #Ethiopia, including the formation of a new coalition of armed groups and reports of continued insecurity and drone strikes.”
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Digital Scholarship @ British Library @bldigischol.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Here you are! www.bl.uk/stories/news...
bl.uk
EThOS records restored
We are pleased to share that EThOS (E-Theses Online Service) is now available again following restoration work after the cyber-attack.
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
There is limited international awareness of the crisis affecting over 6 mill people in #Tigray, Ethiopia. The Civil War led to economic collapse, mass displacement and widespread trauma and hardship across the region. The impact on education has been catastrophic. www.ukfiet.org/2026/restori...
ukfiet.org
Restoring the right to education: Research for post-war reconstruction in Tigray, Ethiopia
There is very limited international awareness of the crisis affecting over 6 million people in Tigray, Ethiopia. The Civil War (2020-2022) has led to economic collapse…
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
There is limited international awareness of the crisis affecting over 6 mill people in #Tigray, Ethiopia. The Civil War led to economic collapse, mass displacement and widespread trauma and hardship across the region. The impact on education has been catastrophic. www.ukfiet.org/2026/restori...
ukfiet.org
Restoring the right to education: Research for post-war reconstruction in Tigray, Ethiopia
There is very limited international awareness of the crisis affecting over 6 million people in Tigray, Ethiopia. The Civil War (2020-2022) has led to economic collapse…
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
There is very limited international awareness of the crisis affecting over 6 million people in #Tigray, Ethiopia. The Civil War (2020-2022) has led to economic collapse, mass displacement and widespread trauma and hardship across the region. www.ukfiet.org/2026/restori...
ukfiet.org
Restoring the right to education: Research for post-war reconstruction in Tigray, Ethiopia
There is very limited international awareness of the crisis affecting over 6 million people in Tigray, Ethiopia. The Civil War (2020-2022) has led to economic collapse…
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
#Tigray Teachers' Association says unpaid salaries pushing teachers into severe hardship, urges national body to intervene addisstandard.com/tigray-teach...
addisstandard.com
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
"Any future political project in Tigray will ultimately depend not only on institutions and borders but also on whether water continues to flow, soils remain productive, electricity functions, and landscapes sustain human life." Jan Nyssen in Addis Standard addisstandard.com/between-resi...
addisstandard.com
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
What are the Government, police and security services doing about the people who are quite clearly in the pay of a hostile foreign state, and using their platforms to whip up actual pogroms on our streets? This is a major national security issue and absolutely nothing seems to be happening about it
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
New Open Access article by colleagues at Mekelle University reveals the devastation of the school system in #Tigray, Ethiopia caused by the Civil War, and the role of local researchers in post-war recovery. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Policy–research partnerships for post-war reconstruction of education in Tigray, Ethiopia: the role of local university-based researchers
This article draws on the experiences of university-based researchers involved in the post-war reconstruction of education in Tigray, Ethiopia. Based on experiences following the 2020–2022 civil wa...
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Million Haileselassie @millionh.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
As Ethiopia is heading to the polls, the #Tigray region won't be participating in the vote for the second time, with tensions simmering on. www.dw.com/en/ethiopia-...
dw.com
Ethiopia election 2026: Tigray excluded and on edge
As Ethiopia is heading to the polls, the Tigray region won't be participating in the vote for the second time, with tensions simmering on. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his Prosperity Party meanwhile ...
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
New Open Access article by colleagues at Mekelle University reveals the devastation of the school system in #Tigray, Ethiopia caused by the Civil War, and the role of local researchers in post-war recovery. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Policy–research partnerships for post-war reconstruction of education in Tigray, Ethiopia: the role of local university-based researchers
This article draws on the experiences of university-based researchers involved in the post-war reconstruction of education in Tigray, Ethiopia. Based on experiences following the 2020–2022 civil wa...
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Yonas Nigussie @yonigussie.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Ethiopia Heads to the Polls, But Not Everyone Can Vote Ethiopia’s general election takes place on Monday as conflict rages in parts of the country, meaning many people will not be able to vote. In fact, the whole northern region of #Tigray, has been totally excluded from the poll.
bbc.com
Ethiopia election: The country heads to the polls, but not everyone can vote
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's party is expected to dominate the election as conflicts overshadow the vote.
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
TG42Birder🇵🇸 @tg42birder.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
The BBC goes with “slapped” and “hit” as a sub-headline, choosing to ignore “15 cases of sexual assaults, including rape. Shot with rubber bullets at close range. Tens of people's bones broken." www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Gaza flotilla activists allege abuse by Israeli forces while detained
The detainees say they were slapped, hit, humiliated and even subjected to sexual violence, but Israel's prison service says the allegations are false.
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Teklehaymanot G. Weldemichel @tekgw.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
We talk about not only the violence inflicted on Tigrayans, but also the politics of visibility, silence, and international response in the face of mass atrocity and genocide. Listen to the full episode here: soundcloud.com/niod_rewind_...
soundcloud.com
NIOD Rewind Episode 48 - Genocide in Tigray: Assault on the Womb, Starvation and Censorship
What is happening in Tigray? In this episode Anne van Mourik speaks with Teklehaymanot (Tekle) Weldemichael (University of Manchester) about the strong evidence that Ethiopia committed genocide in Tig
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
English and Media Centre @engmediacentre.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Are we teaching English if students are silent + not allowed to articulate ideas? This blog shares one teacher's experience of a curriculum imposed from above. EMC view: English this ain't! @warwickmansell.bsky.social @natecommunity.bsky.social @englishassociation.bsky.social tinyurl.com/5a9anapp
englishandmedia.co.uk
How English pupils are being silenced in lessons
An English teacher sets out how he is required to teach by his senior leaders - and what it is doing to students
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Dr. Genevieve Guenther (she/they) @doctorvive.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Think using a chatbot makes your work better? Think again. 1/3
t7 Lydia Polgreen reposted
Elara Grace
@ElaraGr...•1d
Just IN: If you've used ChatGPT for writing or brainstorming in the last 6 months, your creative ability may already be permanently damaged.
A controlled experiment just proved the effect doesn't reverse when you stop using it.
3,302 creative ideas. 61 people. 30
days of tracking.
Researchers split students into two groups. Half used ChatGPT for creative tasks. Half worked alone.
For five days, the ChatGPT group outperformed on every metric.
Higher scores. More ideas. Better output. Al was making them better.
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
It's my understanding that many rural schools in Tigray have now closed because they can't pay their staff. The Ethiopian government suspended the budget to Tigray back in October 2025. addisstandard.com/news-tigray-...
addisstandard.com
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Study by health researchers in 2024 found that starvation was the leading cause of death in Tigray, Ethiopia after the 2022 ceasefire link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Starvation remains the leading cause of death in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, after the Pretoria deal: a call for expedited action - BMC Public Health
Background People in war-affected areas are more likely to experience excess mortality with hunger. However, information on the causes of death associated with hunger is often nonexistent. The purpose...
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Yonas Nigussie @yonigussie.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Why Tigray’s Industrial Heart Has Failed to Restart Three years after the Pretoria Agreement, the expected ‘peace dividend’ has vanished. Trapped between a liquidity crisis and political deadlock, #Tigray’s economy is not just stalling – it is disintegrating.
theafricareport.com
Ethiopia: Why Tigray’s industrial heart has failed to restart
Three years after the Pretoria Agreement, the expected ‘peace dividend’ has vanished. Trapped between a liquidity crisis and political deadlock, Tigray’s economy is not just stalling – it is disintegr...
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Melissa Chemam @melissaontheroad.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
Meanwhile, in the Horn of Africa: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said his country does not want war, even as regional Tigray authorities say federal forces are massing around the northern region, raising fears of renewed conflict.
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Teklehaymanot G. Weldemichel @tekgw.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
How did Ethiopia get away with the mass murder of close to a million Tigrayans? In my latest piece for @theconversation.com, I examine the tactics the Ethiopian regime and its allies used to conceal the genocide in Tigray, and evade accountability. theconversation.com/how-to-get-a...
theconversation.com
How to get away with mass murder: 4 tactics Ethiopia used to hide Tigray atrocities from the world
The violence in Tigray was structured, targeted and sustained.
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Global Development Institute @globaldevinst.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
The Tigray crisis remains largely invisible to the world. "Factors such as race and the peripherality of the region made the Tigray conflict a blind spot in global geopolitics. But these explanations are not sufficient." In @uk.theconversation.com by @tekgw.bsky.social: bit.ly/4qvJzux
bit.ly
How to get away with mass murder: 4 tactics Ethiopia used to hide Tigray atrocities from the world
The violence in Tigray was structured, targeted and sustained.
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Yonas Nigussie @yonigussie.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
UN Rights Chief Calls for Urgent De‑escalation In #Tigray Volker Türk: “The situation remains highly volatile, and we fear it will further deteriorate. There must be concerted and sustained efforts by all parties, with the help of the int’l community, to de-escalate tensions before it is too late.”
ohchr.org
Ethiopia: Türk urges restraint and steps towards de-escalation amid volatility in Tigray
GENEVA – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday called on all parties to take urgent steps towards de-escalation, amid the precarious situation in the Tigray region.Recent fighti...
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Yonas Nigussie @yonigussie.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Tigray Calls on AU for Immediate Action to Avert War The #Tigray interim administration, in a letter addressed to the AU, called for “immediate action to avoid an imminent war. The repercussions of a new conflict would be catastrophic and irreversible” and “plunge the region into a wider conflict.”
rfi.fr
Éthiopie: regain de tension au Tigré, les craintes d'une reprise de la guerre dans la région se multiplient
Alors que de violents combats ont opposé les forces tigréennes à l'armée fédérale éthiopienne dans l'ouest du Tigré ces derniers jours, la population et l'administration intérimaire locales s'inquiète...
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Zecharias Zelalem @zekuzelalem.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
UPDATE: according to reports from Tigray regional state television, drone strikes targeted trucks in two north-east Tigray towns at 4AM local time. A driver was killed, another is injured. These would be the first civilian casualties of drone strikes in Tigray, since the Tigray war ended in 2022.
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Michael O' 🇮🇪🇺🇲🇨🇦 @socratesxxx.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
BBC News - Ethiopian Airlines cancels flights to Tigray as fears mount of renewed conflict - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Ethiopian Airlines cancels flights to Tigray as fears mount of renewed conflict
Passengers received a text message about the cancellation of flights, citing
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Please spread this far and wide, as stories don't get much bigger than this. When the government blocks even the intelligence services from telling us we're heading for environmental catastrophe, you know we have a problem. A very big problem. Thank you. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The UK government didn't want you to see this report on ecosystem collapse. I'm not surprised | George Monbiot
It took an FOI request to bring this national security assessment to light. For ‘doomsayers’ like us, it is the ultimate vindication, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Gurpinder Singh Lalli @gurpinderlalli.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Published today! Teaching comparative and international education (CIE) www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... pleasure working with great colleagues Leanne Cameron @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social Martin Preston @bristoluni.bsky.social @wlvuni.bsky.social #BAICE #SES
tandfonline.com
Teaching comparative and international education (CIE) in UK universities: coverage, omissions and orientations
This article examines the teaching of comparative and international education (CIE) in undergraduate and master’s programmes in 30 UK universities via bibliometric and content analysis of the handb...
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Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
@hebagowayed.bsky.social on Trump’s rhetoric and policy of ethnic cleansing.
theguardian.com
The ethnic cleansing of the US will destroy it | Heba Gowayed
Trump’s racist remarks on Ilhan Omar and Somali immigrants reveals his vision for the US as a white Christian nation
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
**Post-war reconstruction of education in Tigray, Ethiopia** What was the plan for re-opening schools in Tigray after the devastating 2020-2022 civil war? Who was involved in decision-making, and what evidence did they draw on? What were the results?
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Today is UN's Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide Here's an incredibly powerful book containing life-history accounts of 20 everyday people #Mekelle #Tigray during the civil war & its aftermath (2020-2023) - books.openedition.org/cfee/3812
books.openedition.org
Mekelle Stories: Life in Time of War
On the night of 3 to 4 November 2020, war broke out in Tigray. Soon after Mekelle was bombed, people were stunned: should they leave the city? How to protect their loved ones? Where to get supplies? F...
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Yonas Nigussie @yonigussie.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
“The #Tigray population have been through hell on earth. If people can name it, it’s a genocide at best…in a country where over a million lives are lost and a horrific number of gender violence and mutilated young people, people destroyed as families, infrastructure.” — Bishop Tesfasellassie Medhin
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
"Confronting the politics of race, ethnicity and nation in schooling: evidence from school practices around the world" Call for papers! #EduSky @edusky.bsky.social www.journals.uchicago.edu/journals/cer...
journals.uchicago.edu
Comparative Education Review: Call for papers - Confronting the politics of race, ethnicity and nation in schooling
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folukeifejola @folukeifejola.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
This post is an open letter to everyone who wants to participate in FACE. Please read, reflect, and share widely. Tag people. Subscribe to the mailing list. Join our conversations, participate in our programmes, and share ideas. Stand with us. Let us work together. folukeafrica.com/forever-afri...
folukeafrica.com
Forever Africa: A redesigned vision and an invitation
Read, share, join in a vision for flourishing futures.
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folukeifejola @folukeifejola.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
"Forever Africa Conference and Events (FACE) is a Pan-African collective, established in 2017 and brought together by staff and students at the University of Bristol. Our focus was and still remains to creatively find ways to cultivate knowledge for, by and of African and African-descended people."
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
For anyone wondering what life was like in Mekelle during the civil war and its aftermath, this open access book contains the personal accounts of 20 civilians - everyday people, mostly from from the lower middle classes books.openedition.org/cfee/3812
books.openedition.org
Mekelle Stories: Life in Time of War
On the night of 3 to 4 November 2020, war broke out in Tigray. Soon after Mekelle was bombed, people were stunned: should they leave the city? How to protect their loved ones? Where to get supplies? F...
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
"Confronting the politics of race, ethnicity and nation in schooling: evidence from school practices around the world" Call for papers! #EduSky @edusky.bsky.social www.journals.uchicago.edu/journals/cer...
journals.uchicago.edu
Comparative Education Review: Call for papers - Confronting the politics of race, ethnicity and nation in schooling
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
For anyone wondering what life was like in Mekelle during the civil war and its aftermath, this open access book contains the personal accounts of 20 civilians - everyday people, mostly from from the lower middle classes books.openedition.org/cfee/3812
books.openedition.org
Mekelle Stories: Life in Time of War
On the night of 3 to 4 November 2020, war broke out in Tigray. Soon after Mekelle was bombed, people were stunned: should they leave the city? How to protect their loved ones? Where to get supplies? F...
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Reposted by Rafael Mitchell
Emma Lewis @petchary.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
“Today, Tigray is broken. Its leaders are divided. Another war looms, one that could pit Tigrayans against each other. I fought once to defend my people; I will not fight again in a war that will destroy what remains. That is why I left.” An incredibly sad account. open.substack.com/pub/continen...
open.substack.com
The exodus out of Tigray
Young people are leaving en masse – and don’t know if they’ll ever come back.
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Yonas Nigussie @yonigussie.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
Weaponized Starvation: How Ethiopia Created Famine In Tigray The famine in #Tigray was not an outcome of war. It was the result of deliberate policies—a siege, economic blockade and obstruction of aid by #Ethiopia and its allies—designed to destroy civilian life. theconversation.com/starvation-a...
theconversation.com
Starvation as a weapon of war: how Ethiopia created a famine in Tigray
Famine was weaponised as part of a broader campaign of destruction in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
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Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
We hear a lot about AI in education in the US on here, so can I just tell you about how it's working out in the schools sector in England? It's interesting! It's about data consultants, private education outfits and think tanks. Slow thread...
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Looks like @mottmacdonald.bsky.social is *closing* Cambridge Education with implications for education in Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan & West Africa This a few months after MM reported record growth, with global revenue reaching £2.5bn for the first time
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alula @alula.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
Famine in Tigray: Hunger and Humiliation worldpeacefoundation.org/publication/...
worldpeacefoundation.org
Famine in Tigray: Hunger and Humiliation - World Peace Foundation
Famine in Tigray was not only about biological deprivation but also about humiliation and dehumanization, including Tigray's middle class.
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Rafael Mitchell @rafaelmitchell.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
New report on conditions in Tigray, Ethiopia www.researchgate.net/publication/...
researchgate.net
(PDF) Famine in Tigray: Hunger and Humiliation
PDF | The Tigray war, famine and genocide are almost forgotten or invisible in international discourse. Despite the enormous scale of suffering and the... | Find, read and cite all the research you ne...
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