Children play to explore and learn. But that does not mean that adults are less playful. As we celebrate June 11, the first International Day of Play, Worldcrunch’s Irene Caselli considers what play means for kids and adults alike.
Author: Irene Caselli
Irene Caselli is a multimedia reporter and writer, with two decades of experience in radio, TV and print, now focusing on early childhood, caregivers, and reproductive rights. She is also a senior advisor for The Early Childhood Reporting Initiative at the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. For a decade, she was a foreign correspondent in Latin America, reporting for the BBC and others. At Worldcrunch, she works as a senior editor and translator, putting to use the six and a quarter languages she speaks.
Similarities have been drawn between the cases of New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Porto Alegre, which last month the worst flooding in 80 years. But the U.S. reconstruction was an enormous failure, and Brazil should not look at it for solutions.
The latest online uproar involves a baby taken to Taylor Swift’s concert in Paris, and photographed on a blanket on the floor. We thought the Swifties were supposed to know how to talk to each other…
There have been countless graphic images circulating of the brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the seven months of bloody retribution on the people of Gaza. Yet an image where you can’t see the victim has been recognized as the Photo of the Year.
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Assigned Mario At Birth, Monique At Jail
A patient runs into our Naples-based psychiatrist and has a few questions about his/her identity.
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To Be Or Not To Be Citizen By Birth
A rude woman causes our Naples-based psychiatrist to get lost in thoughts of birthright and citizenship.
The author was at university with the future monarch, who was evidently an object of fascination for many on campus, and a seemingly decent person. It’s also where he met Kate Middleton, as recently portrayed in the final episodes of “The Crown.”
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Burnout, Lies And Capitalism
The writer hits a professional wall the year after the birth of her second child. It’s a reminder of the limits of our modern uber competitive economy.
A patient tells our Naples-based psychiatrist about his questionable plans for Christmas dinner.
In the Ukraine war, Russia’s military spending is as high as ever. Now the West is alarmed because the Kremlin leader is indirectly hinting at a possible attack on Latvia, a NATO member. It is a reminder of a growing danger to Europe.
After the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian oligarchs and other rich individuals turned to the real estate markets in Dubai and Turkey. Now Russian buyers are back in Europe. Three EU countries in particular are attracting buyers for their controversial “golden visa” program.
The simmering UK-Greece dispute over the Elgin Marbles shines a light on the worldwide efforts to push Western powers, often with colonial pasts, to give back looted artistic and historical artifacts.
International support for Kyiv is waning and calls for negotiations are growing louder. But Ukraine has now managed to establish a bridgehead on the other side of the Dnipro River. From there, its troops could advance to Crimea — and turn the tide of the war.
Can Europe play a role in the current conflict in the Middle East? During the recent visit to the region by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, it appeared clear that Gulf States are in a much better position to negotiate a possible solution.
As the war in Gaza grows bloodier by the day, the search for potential mediators in the region is crucial. Jordan is uniquely situated with a special relationship with the Palestinians, decades of peace with Israel, and the nation’s king with a historic standing in the Muslim world.
The Turkish president praises the Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters” and NATO says nothing. This is a snapshot of realpolitik at 360 degrees — starting with Erdogan.
It’s difficult to take a breath in the middle of all of the parenting chaos — but if we aren’t able to tell when happy moments are unfolding, we risk missing them altogether.
As his son grows older, Argentine journalist Ignacio Pereyra wonders when a father is no longer necessary.
The West is deceiving itself if it hopes for a quick end to the Ukraine war. Above all, it must consistently implement an energy transition — otherwise, it will remain at Putin’s mercy, writes prominent Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, in German daily Die Welt.
In 2021, Belarus strongman Lukashenko triggered a migration crisis when he actively drove asylum seekers to the EU. According to the German government, those numbers are on the rise again.
Ukraine has compiled a blacklist of companies it says are “sponsoring” war by still doing business with Russia. The list is causing a stir within the European Union, which is currently working on its 11th round of sanctions.
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Of Earthquakes And Men
“Oh, to sleep as soundly as a man,” marvels our Naples-based psychiatrist.
As we wait for Ukraine’s looming counteroffensive, analysts are already looking ahead and asking what will happen after this decisive summer. After brutal battles, a general weariness risks setting in, that could push Ukraine to accept a ceasefire.
As he is faced by questions about death from his 4-year-old son during a family visit to Argentina, Recalculating author Ignacio Pereyra replies honestly. “I can only tell him the truth, at least the little truth that I know…”
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No Smoking When The Dottoré Is In
Our Naples-based Dottoré puts out an argument with patients during a night shift at a psychiatric ward.
Germany is returning looted Benin bronzes back to Nigeria. But there are now concerns that they will now disappear into private ownership or that they will be threatened with damage or loss
In a small town in southern Brazil, photos of Nazi flags and Hitler supporters are displayed in the entrance hall of a publish building. An investigation by independent media Agência Pública looks into how the Santa Catarina state, a bastion of support of former president Jair Bolsonaro, has a long history of extremist groups and hate speech.
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Beautiful Game, Sweet Dreams
Sometimes, a soccer win is all that a troubled mind needs.
The West has been eagerly awaiting Ukraine’s counteroffensive, but is mistakenly convinced it will be a major tank assault. Kyiv has already launched the first actions, as it also tries to lower its allies’ expectations of rapid victory.
The Arab League has readmitted Syria, ending the regime’s ten-year isolation. This is a defeat for the West — and an admission by the Arab states that there is no way around Assad.
Visiting family in Argentina for the first time since the pandemic, Greece-based Argentine journalist Ignacio Pereyra sends some thoughts, from across the ocean, on raising children far from a family and community support network.
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Take It As A Neapolitan Compliment
One woman’s Neapolitan insult is another woman’s compliment.
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They Grow Up So Fast
Our Neapolitan psychiatrist on Italy’s eternal “mammoni” …
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All Insurance Scam Roads Lead To Turin
Of financial hardship, staged accidents — and calcio rivalry.
Why do we get so embarrassed about dancing? A fleeting thing that happened to me when I was younger haunts me more than I thought it would.
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The Problem With Easter
Not all holidays are celebrated equal. Why’s that? wonders our Neapolitan psychiatrist.
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The Sea Beyond, The Sea Within
“Everything has a cost, and even rights have to be paid for — and I’m tired of that.”
From ballet to opera to classic literature, Russia has turned its culture into an instrument for its own expansion. The West must fight back, Ukraine’s culture minister Oleksandr Tkachenko writes in an op-ed in German daily Die Welt. It’s time to stop supporting Russian artists and seek out Ukrainians instead.
Thousands of foreign soldiers are fighting alongside Ukraine. German daily Die Welt met a Chechen battalion to find out why they are fighting.
Near the embattled city of Vuhledar, Ukrainian artillery reconnaissance units detect enemy positions. They work with drones, tablets and satellite internet — and they are often the last line of defense from a Russian onslaught.