Perspective

Recently discovered oil is transforming Guyana's fortunes. But neighbouring Venezuela has suddenly rekindled old claims of territorial ownership. Official Venezuelan maps now incorporate the disputed Essequibo region that covers two-thirds of Guyana, and Venezuelan oil companies have been ordered to start extraction. In a December 3 non-binding referendum, Venezuelan voters backed Caracas's claim to Essequibo, despite low turnout. Later this week, the two countries' leaders are due to meet for talks. In Perspective, Christopher Sabatini, a Latin America expert at the Chatham House institute, explains what's at stake to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee.

Are there reasons to be cheerful from the COP28 climate change summit in Dubai? The Kenyan environmental activist Wanjira Mathai says one area where there's growing hope is in the international movement to stop deforestation. She spoke to FRANCE 24 about her own story of activism and continuing the Green Belt Movement founded by her late mother, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning environmentalist Wangari Maathai. The movement has seen 51 million trees planted in Kenya since 1977.

They cover 70 percent of the planet, with over 3 billion people relying on them for their livelihoods. Oceans should be a major priority when it comes to addressing climate action. But they are in the unique position of being among the biggest victims of global warming and also offering possible solutions. Anne-Sophie Roux is an ocean activist and the Deep Sea Mining Europe lead at the Sustainable Ocean Alliance. She joined us for Perspective to tell us more.

A woman who was forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) as a young child in her native Somalia has told FRANCE 24 how she managed to turn her life around and transform her horrific experience into a force for good. Shamsa Araweelo has received around 70 million views of her TikTok videos, in which she explains using rubber models exactly what FGM does to a woman. Now based in the UK, she's campaigning to help those affected and to try to end the dangerous practice. She spoke to us in Perspective.

The UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories has urged UN member states to intervene in the crisis in Gaza, accusing the international community of being "paralysed" in its reaction to the tragedy. Speaking to FRANCE 24, Francesca Albanese said she stands by her earlier comments, when the death toll in Gaza was half what it is now, that there is a "serious risk of genocide". According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 15,890 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza since October 7. Albanese accused Israel of aiming to destroy not just Hamas, but also Gaza itself. She joined us for Perspective.

An expert on post-traumatic stress disorder has told FRANCE 24 how the effects of the Israel-Hamas war will be felt by those affected by it for years to come. Whether they are traumatised by the October 7 Hamas attacks, by the hostage situation or by the air strikes on Gaza, it can be very difficult for people to recover. In Perspective, we spoke to Dr Walter Busuttil, Director of Research and Training at Combat Stress, an organisation that helps veterans with their mental health.

This week, the British prime minister was accused of "losing his marbles" by the opposition for refusing to talk to his Greek counterpart. Rishi Sunak cancelled a planned meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis because the Greek prime minister had told a reporter he wanted to discuss the possibility of Britain giving back the Ancient Greek sculptures, known as the both the Parthenon Marbles and the Elgin Marbles. Setting out both sides of the argument is our Perspective guest, Alexander Herman. He's the author of "The Parthenon Marbles Dispute" and director of the Institute of Art and Law. He spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee.

As the COP28 summit gets underway in Dubai, the United Nations has warned that one of the biggest challenges in tackling climate change is the rise in disinformation about the issue. The UN is backing a campaign by Indian teenage environmental activist Sagarika Sriram, whose mission is to make climate change studies compulsory in schools worldwide. She spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee from Dubai.

In this edition of Perspective, we look at the tireless work going on behind the frontlines of the war in Ukraine; specifically, the people helping children traumatised by conflict. Olena Rozvadovska co-founded the charity "Voices of Children" to provide psychological support to those in greatest need. It has grown to a team of around 100 psychologists across 14 centres in Ukraine. She has just been recognised as one of the most inspiring women of 2023, according to a BBC poll. She spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee.

Qatar has been praised for its role in brokering the Gaza truce and mediating the continuing, complex negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. But what's in it for the government in Doha? Professor Melanie Garson is a trained negotiator and conflict resolution expert. She spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee.