The right is on a roll

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Right and right and far

Milkshakes Against the far-right

From Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson the far-right activist and independent candidate for North West England in the European parliamentary elections to Carl Benjamin, a prospective candidate for UKIP party, milkshakes are becoming the weapon of choice against the far-right uprising in the U.K., and potentially beyond?

Last week, the EU elections brought Europe closer to the far-right than it has been in decades, while India has re-elected what Time magazine has crowned its 'Divider in Chief', prime minister Narendra Modi, who has been in power since 2014, leading the Indian right-wing BJP (The People's Party). Following his re-election, Trump took to his favourite medium and nonchalantly tweeted "He is a great man and leader for the people of India - they are lucky to have him!"

Welcome back to FairPlanet's weekly roundup, and this week we're looking at the continued rise of right-wing extremism across the globe and the glimmers of hope for progress it brings with it.

Read. Debate: and always, Engage.

The good

Record breaking turnout for EU elections

Okay so while the European elections are no cause for celebration, particularly as Nigel Farage's Brexit Party in the U.K., Marine la Penn's NR party and Italy's Lega swept seats and beat all other parties, it has been the largest turnout for a European Parliament election across all member states since 1994, with an average 50 percent voter turnout.

We are currently going through a policial and social shift – where it seems that darker forces that negate our belief for a future where human equality prevails beyond nationalism, hate and violence prevail. However, the high numbers of voters who cast their vote – and the large numbers of those who voted for parties and candidates who believe in a united Europe – shows that there is hope, and it is just around the corner.

The bad

Pride is still tainted by corporate agenda

In response to the growing tokenism of LGBTQI+ rights and the continued marginalisation of queer people under the rise of the far-right across the world, the Reclaim Pride Coalition (RPC) has organised an alternative Pride in NYC in June, at the same time as the official Pride celebrations.

According to a study conducted by the European Bank, despite the legalisation of same-sex marriage and the rise in LGBTQI+ rights across numerous Western countries, on average, gay men in the United States earn 11 percent less than heterosexual men. Join the alternative Pride march to demand that Pride represents more than just a celebration of the progress we have done so far, but true action for a future of equality and safety for everyone across the globe who identifies as LGBTQI+.

Join Reclaim Pride Coalition’s alternative pride march in NYC this June

by Yair Oded

Offering an alternative to the corporate and highly policed Pride March, Reclaim Pride Coalition will conduct their own parade in NYC on June 30, 2019.

Support

Nationalism continues

	India’s Elections Were A Referendum on Nationalism by Tish Sanghera Prime Minister Modi is back for a second term following a resounding victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party coalition. Read

	The far-right looks to take over Europe in EU elections by Gurmeet Singh It's election season the world over. While Israel and India lurch to the right, the EU begins its own descent into the unknown. Read

	"White supremacy is an experience of ignorance" by Neelo Aysha Scholz FairPlanet recently spoke with New Zealand academic, Rachel Jane Liebert, whose letter to her home country a day after the Christchurch attacks caught our attention. In it, she pleads with New Zealand to take this opportunity to wake up to their colonial DNA. Liebert uncoils the cord between colonialism and white supremacy. Read

Country focus

India

Known for its vibrant colours, a hotpot of religions and languages, Gandhi's peaceful 1920 protests that led to its Independence from British rule, as well as endless flavours and spices, India is the world's largest democracy. Spanning over 1.2 million square miles, the country currently has a vast population of 1.3 billion citizens. According to projections made by the UN, by 2028 India will outweigh China to become the single most populous country in the world.

India is a fast growing economic powerhouse, and a nuclear-powered state. While struggling with its own vast economic divide, where some 239 million people are still without electricity, India has made some serious steps towards implementing green solutions for its quickly developing nation. The currently leading BJP, spearheaded by Narendra Modi, is a far-right party that, in 2014, had witnessed the first time in 30 years that a single party had won a clear parliamentary majority.

All stories about India

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