Perspective

An Israeli trauma and therapy expert, who himself has refused to continue serving in the Israeli military, has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the pain that the region is suffering. Doctor Tuly Flint says that when a society does not stop to contemplate, it blindly goes on using force so that it feels nothing. A few months into his service in the military, he signed a refusal letter stating that he refused to "blindly serve a government that sends its army to fight a war that has become needless". He spoke to us in Perspective.

One of Europe's leading oncologists has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how huge advances in technology are helping women who have and are recovering from breast cancer. Doctor Joana Ribeiro from the Gustave Roussy Institute says that, for example, a new AI-based tool is allowing more personalised treatment. She says that despite the advances, there is still so much still to learn about breast cancer. She spoke to us in Perspective.

A Ukrainian soldier has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her life in the Ukrainian trenches, and why writing poetry has helped her get through the war. Yaryna Chornohuz's poetry book that she wrote on the front line won the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine for Literature in 2024. It has now been translated into English as "Dasein: In Defence of Presence", or in French "C'est ainsi que nous demeurons libres". This Monday evening, she is also appearing in Paris at the Theatre de la Ville, in association with the Ukrainian Institute in France. "Art is a kind of therapy and a way to save the truth of humanity," she told us in Perspective.

A Palestinian artist who left her home in Gaza shortly before the October 7 attacks to pursue a masters in fine art in London has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her work. Malak Mattar became the first Palestinian artist to ever have a solo show at the world-renowned Central Saint Martins arts and design college. She says with her exhibition "Falasteen", the Arabic name for Palestine, she channels rage, love and hope into her paintings. She told us the exhibition was a call for "life, equality and dignity". Mattar is also author of the book "Sitti's Bird: A Gaza Story". She spoke to us in Perspective.

Some 1,200 people have been killed in Syria and many others injured by landmines or improvised explosive devices since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad almost a year ago. Now the NGO Handicap International is trying to prevent more deaths, and help those already injured. We spoke to Noor Bimbashi, Senior Advocacy and Policy Officer for the NGO. She has just returned from three weeks in Syria. She told us in Perspective that the people of Syria are one of the most hopeful she's ever met.

The UN's Special Rapporteur on Palestine has told FRANCE 24 that France's recognition of a Palestinian state marks a real shift in European policy. Francesca Albanese points out that only a few European countries have now not recognised the state. However, she also said she is concerned that the recognition distracts attention "from what is needed" amid the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Albanese adds that "we cannot use Hamas as an excuse to hijack the Palestinians' self-determination". She spoke to us in Perspective.

The author of a new book which tells the story of the troubles in Northern Ireland that spanned three decades has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how his aim was to create a microhistory of the period by homing in on his own parish. More than 20 people died in the few square kilometres where Martin Doyle grew up. Doyle has spoken to people from both sides of the divide to document what happened to them in his book "Dirty Linen: The Troubles in My Home Place". He is also currently artist in residence at the Irish Cultural Centre in Paris. He spoke to us in Perspective.

The co-founders of a wildlife photography project that aims to raise $2.5 million for conservation have spoke to FRANCE 24 about how they hope the project will send a "message of hope" to the world. The Prints for Wildlife project brings together over 375 wildlife photographers who have donated their pictures to be sold on the group’s website. The co-founders say the initiative has developed an incredible sense of community amongst their colleagues, adding that art always carries us through times of anxiety and despair. Marion Payr and Pie Aerts are the co-founders of Prints for Wildlife. They spoke to us in Perspective.

"No Country for Love", now translated into French as "Ce pays qui n'aimait pas l'amour" is a novel based on real events written by Yaroslav Trofimov, who is also chief foreign-affairs correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. Trofimov, who was born in Kyiv, features a lead character based on his grandmother who grew up in Ukraine during the Holodomor – the famine imposed on the country in the 1930s that killed millions – and then the outbreak of World War II. For Trofimov, the book covers one of the most terrifying moments of the 20th century and also explains why the spirit of "never again" animates Ukraine in its fight today. He spoke to us in Perspective.

The director and producer of a new television series here in France has spoken of her delight at being able to feature France's LGBTQ+ community in a place where they feel safe. Amandine Gay is the woman behind "Ballroom" – a series that features the artistic competition of New York's ballroom culture, where the LGBTQ community combines fashion, dance and self-expression. She says the series shows how people get to know themselves and decide who they are going to be. She spoke to us in Perspective.