Culture | Meer

Illustration by Paola Bilancieri

Robert F. Kennedy: a luminous life cut short

The controversy surrounding Robert F. Kennedy's assassination

Toy soldiers aiming rifles on battlefield outdoors

Militarised masculinities

An analysis of Duncanson’s "Masculinities, war and militarism"

The essence of success with a stunning silhouette photo featuring a man on a cliff during a breathtaking sunset

Redefining success: from materialism to global peace

Embracing personal growth and acts of kindness in the pursuit of a peaceful world

Celebrating her university graduation with exuberance, an African American woman joyfully throws confetti, marking the culmination of her academic journey and the beginning of a new chapter in her life

The road ahead, from segregation to empowerment

Navigating challenges as a colored girl in the 1960s

The Case di Giulietta in Verona, Italy is a reminder of the individuality and integration that comes with meaningful encounters

Maintenance and transformation

Everything repeats, everything is different

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER (9M-MRO) taking off at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG) in France

MH370: UFO encounter mystery videos

New expert analysis could bring a paradigm shift in how we view the UFO phenomenon

Two cups of drinks stand on a white background

A delicate brew dilemma

Serene tranquility of a lush green forest, where a winding path invites contemplative walks amidst the enchanting beauty of nature

The evolution of consciousness

How and why consciousness evolves through densities

The Massacre of the Innocents is the subject of two paintings by Peter Paul Rubens depicting the episode of the biblical Massacre of the Innocents of Bethlehem, as related in the Gospel of Matthew

Rediscovering Dr. John Moore's "Zeluco"

Unearthing morality, religion, and irony in the 18th-century novel

Located in Kudanshita, Tokyo, Kudan House is a private members club based in the historical mansion, home of the late Mankichi Yamaguchi and his family, photo by © Kudan House

The legacy of Kudan House

Preserving Japanese artistic and cultural heritage

A gun pointed at the observer-violence begets violence

Humans: scientific giants, political morons, moral jerks

The aftermaths of deep-seated social deformations

The open pages of a book with words tumbling out, representing the questionable nature of modern education

The light of hope for humanity

A new underlying philosophy of education

King Charles coronation crown illustration

Perception shift: how does the UK see King Charles?

Exploring the Monarchy's popularity amidst challenges and the generational divide

Yin yang symbol

The seed of suffering

From two paths, two new species will arise

In the ongoing biosociotechnological evolution, AI has the potential to guide data-driven technology towards nurturing our true potential, fostering love through devoted attention to latent possibilities within us for effective planetary self-regulation

Eternal tech or the embodiment of Gaia?

New philosophical visioning on evolution of intelligence

In a visual representation of the profound significance of communication, friends engage with each other, their meaningful gaze accompanied by a chat bubble, highlighting the essential role of interpersonal connection in fostering understanding and building strong relationships

The power of communication

The backbone of social systems and social entities

Exquisite castle architecture seamlessly blends oriental influences, effortlessly bridging the gap between East and West in a captivating display of cultural harmony

Edward Said, a possible reading of “Orientalism”

Exploration of power, representation, and the west-east relationship

Three alien silhouettes

Ancient aliens spotlight

Terrifying encounters of the past

Diving into the contemporary identity crisis, it illustrates the profound societal shift from a predetermined existence rooted in fixed identities to the individualized struggle of defining oneself in an era dominated by the age of narcissism and consumerism

From "How" to "Who"

Contemporary identity crisis and the age of narcissism

Masked figures holding placards to demand the truth

Lies, damned lies, and statistics?

Some reflections on building realities and facts, truths and meanings

Happy and positive woman looking in the mirror

Motivational mechanism of choice

How to move beyond self-imposed limitations

From left to right: Charles, Count of Artois, Louis XVIII, Marie Caroline, Duchesse of Berry, Marie Thérèse, Duchesse of Angoulême, Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême and Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry

Frances Burney's Evelina, 18th century male manners

Gentility, gender, and gallantry, unraveling the tapestry of social conduct

As the sun dips below the horizon in Accra, located in the picturesque Greater Accra Region of Ghana, the warm hues of the sunset illuminate the scene, casting a captivating glow on a woman immersed in the tranquil beauty of the moment

Jamaica and Ghana: bridging cultures through shared heritage

Journey across continents

Women's march, political rally image

The new feminism

Gender equality or women's supremacy?

Teacher points to the globe in the classroom

Swahili, a bridge between cultures

The enchanting language weaving across continents

Connected hands representing humankind's unity

Why save humanity?

The eternal and immaterial nature of human beings

A person sat at a table using social media on a mobile phone

The impact of mobiles and social-media

Bridging the distance but keeping people apart

Silhouette of a woman stretching her hands to the sky, believing and wishing

Definitions and belief in them

How man has become the master of limitation

A giant mask on the grass

Masked realities

Intricate drama of characters and the essence of existence

Mother and child statue, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine

Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, a place I once called home

Memories, changes, and the longing within

A woman and her daughter sitting on grass

Empowering lessons for a colored girl

What I learned during the era of Jim Crow

skater Margielyn Didal shows respect to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at Malacañan Palace, Manila, Philippines, 2018

Filipinos and the 'mano'

Crafting connections through timeless gestures

A hand holding a leaf turns green

Introduction to Neohumanism

Rediscovering humanity amidst the civilization's mask of indifference

A hypothetical image of a giant UFO flying over a lush green field

Possible locations of a giant UFO

Giant UFOs might be a reality and there might be a place where they could be found

A woman trying to focus, think, be awake

The importance of choice for evolution

Choosing service to self or service to others

The article explores the contrasting gender roles and societal expectations placed on men and women in the 18th century, focusing on the character Evelina's innocence and naivety

Frances Burney’s Evelina, female propriety and a reputation

Journey through gender roles, naivety, and the comic pitfalls of London society in Burney's novel

The most beautiful features of the Himalayas – the indigenous folks

Faces of the Himalayas: tribute to the tribes

An ode to humanity

A view from the town of Assisi in Italy

Assisi's heroes: Gary Krupp and Vincent LeVien

A lesser known story during the Holocaust

A placard with the word love written on it

Is oxytocin the answer?

Maybe the answer to world challenges lies in our bodies

An African American woman shedding red tears from her eyes

Whiteness and cultural appropriation

Unpacking supremacist ideology

Not just with other animals, but with plants too, we can enter into these moments if we are open to them

Eternity in a second

What a touching moment can teach us about kinship beyond humans

Dialogues take centre stage during the Cortona Week, participants are encouraged to build meaningful connections

Interdisciplinary education and experience

The need for an overhaul of the traditional educational system

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci, C.1490

The Da Vinci Code phenomenon

Reflections twenty years after publication

Scaling life's peaks metaphorically, the arduous climb reflects the challenges of achieving success and wealth, mirroring the uphill struggle toward prosperity

The end of 6,000 years

Enter modern-day decadence

A view of Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

A misunderstood nation, Papua New Guinea

A country preserving treasures from thousands of years of human history and culture

A digital artwork depicting the UFO sightings by the commoners

The overlooked stories of UAP encounters

Unveiling the unheard stories of silent witnesses

A cheerful and radiant woman sits on the sandy beach, wearing a smile that brightens the surroundings

Paradoxes need to be synthesized

Why things, objects, or people appear different and what connects and unites them

Clarissa Harlowe by Samuel Richardson

Richardson’s Pamela

A tale of moral virtue

A book in a dark room. Books can provide an understanding of Stoicism and communicate valuable life lessons

The path to stoic wisdom

Five essential books to explore in 2023

Capitoline hill Campidoglio is one of the Seven Hills of Rome Italy. Rome-architecture and landmark. View of the Capitoline Hill

The Drowned, October 16, 1943

Capitoline Museums in collaboration with the Jewish Museum of Rome

Our consciousness mirrors the cosmos, competing for attention in our lives and experiences

Quantum conversations and cerebral neuroplasticity

The keys to rewiring the mind & the art of speaking with the universe

Oscar Wilde was an extraordinary figure not only for his promising prospects, but also for his quick wit, his use of language, and how he dressed

The genius of Oscar Wilde

How Wilde became the western modern man

Expanding the idea of Cortona Week to a European and international level is a powerful concept. Imagine not just one, but one hundred or even one thousand Cortona Weeks taking place annually, involving people worldwide. With a fresh wave of political and economic leaders emerging from these events, we might see positive changes in our world

Interview with Pier Luigi Luisi

Cortona Week, today and tomorrow

A british royal guard marching on the crowning day of King Charles III

The white man cometh

Colonialism knows no bounds yet some of us are moving beyond

Graduation day's speech from the valedictorian: how academic innovation could solve the educational and formation issues and prevent world crisis

Princonser and University

Woman imagining her future

The place we are, want to be, and belong

The present connects us with the reality that will become

Muriel Spark the artistic literary bohemoth

The wicked art of Muriel Spark

Commemorating the gifted author

A sleek fountain pen glides across the black lined paper, leaving behind elegant strokes of ink

The women of literature

Do they exist only between the pages?

Buddha statue near trees in Tokyo, Japan

Barbara Demick: Eat the Buddha

'Life and death in a Tibetan town’

A dragon statue in London, United Kingdom

Thirteen dragons in the city of London

The story of the UK capital

A poet working at his desk. Marcel Detienne teaches of the poet, diviner and king in his book

The poet, the diviner and the king

Discovery, belief and realization

Teacher reflecting on his practice

Reflective teaching

A necessary tool for professional growth and development

A variety of illicit substances scattered upon a coffee table

My year of rest and relaxation

The correlation between loss and mental health, and how the glamorization of pill popping is an elitist habit

The woman with black hair pondered her reflection, contemplating the "Principle of Correspondence" that links inner thoughts to the external world

The principle of correspondence

Why we can’t build context from the content of the world

Budapest, Hungary

Zastrozzi: a Gothic pastiche

How the Gothic was built on the novels of the past?

Two individuals utilizing mobile phones and technology

Cultural preservation in the digital age

Balancing authenticity and accessibility

The bride and groom's first dance and dialoguing to the language of love

Dialogue as a form of dance

How we all create art

Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States by Howard Chandler Christy (1940), showing the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on the day of its official signing – September 17, 1787, this painting is among the best known images in the U.S. Capitol: it was to this group of delegates that Jonas Philips of Mikveh Israel addressed his letter asking for religious freedom to be enshrined in American law

Unveiling Sephardic history with Dr. Isaac Amon

From ancient roots to modern resilience

Woman in a green outfit standing on stone stairs

Reinterpretation of "Lihaaf" ("The Quilt")

A short story written in Urdu by Ismat Chugtai in 1941

The full moon reflecting on the waters of the sea/ocean

The spiritual journey of the full moon

Embracing completion and new beginnings

Church and Charterhouse of San Pietro in Pontignano, territory of Castelnuovo Berardenga, (Siena), Tuscany, Italy

An immersive experience in the works of the 2023 Summer School

People working on laptops and paper to complete university work

Sharing knowledge

University as a commons

Nawab Wajid Ali Shah,The Last King of Awadh of India.
Nawab was a celebrated poet, playwright and musician in his own right

Remembering Nawab Wajid Ali Shah

The Last King of Awadh

Portolan chart of the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the coasts of western Europe and North America, with Madeira and the Canary Islands and part of the Baltic Sea by Olives, Jaume, active 1550-1566

Unity and disunity in the Mediterranean

Historical approaches to the sea

Leaves change colours as autumn begins

A reflective ritual

A blonde woman in a field reading a novel written by either Virginia Woolf

Mrs. Woolf and Miss Brown

Reaching their singular truth

Two hands hold each other with a rainbow passing through

A recognition of the oneness of life

A wedding band removed

Do prenups kill romance?

Considerations for whether to obtain a prenuptial agreement

A young Franco Di Tizio at his desk composing one his literary masterpieces

Franco Di Tizio: a tribute to the literary career

A deep dive into the Italian's craft

People, society and intelligence tests

Intelligence tests

Acting intelligent, and the horror of exclusion

A scientist in a laboratory using robotics

It is interesting how fear shapes the world

Has power and money taken over our basic needs?

Tapa cloth from the 1890's, Wellington, Samoa

Bark and beauty

Tapa cloth of Oro, Papua New Guinea

Teenage girl lying on the grass in a yellow sundress with a novel on her chest

My dark Vanessa: a novel

The complexities of victimhood, challenging the notion of a perfect victim, and the potential for self sabotage during the process of healing

Writer, poet, novelist, D.H. Lawrence

D. H. Lawrence, vitality and the Etruscans

A memorable visit

Two men strolling down the street

Polarity and duality

Why we need to polarize in the direction of more growth, wellbeing, and wealth for all

Irving Kahn is getting ready to blow out his birthday candles for the 106th time

Aging is a beautiful part of life

The 'Thinking Man' statue portrays a deeply reflective individual, poised in contemplation

The 14th Dialectical Symposium, Athens 2023

Philosophy in the service of peace, a tool for rapprochement

Dr. Isaac Amon, Director of Academic Research, Jewish Heritage Alliance

Dr. Isaac Amon explores the Sephardic legacy

A journey through history and culture

Snow White slumbers upon the bed, while the Seven Dwarfs patiently await her awakening

Ancient wisdom or political agenda?

George Speck, later known as George Crum and long thought to be the inventor of the potato chip, was born on July 15, 1824, in Saratoga Country, New York, USA

The potato chip principle

How to personalise your writing for maximum impact

Monk gazes into the distance

How is it that God “thinks in man”?

Can we live as custodians and creative contributors to the divine?

Kim Chi Pho, photo by Aura Constantin

Racial profiling

I object to Mr. Dean's rooftop satellite dish for his mistress's chingchangchong channels

1695 by Gerard and Leonard Valck, "Mare mediterraneum"

Historical approaches to the Mediterranean

Navigating the shores of history

A man poised beneath a spotlight's glow, capturing a moment of dramatic intensity

Gaps of disconnection

Limiting beliefs about love and desire

Open half a lemon and "they will weep in the grain of the table" as goes the poem by Padriag Regan

The art in the meaning

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