Perspective

A Nigerian activist who as a child walked for miles in the search for water has spoken to FRANCE 24 about that injustice and how it inspired him to take action. As a young adult, Wilson Atumeyi set up the NGO WaterWide, which aims to provide clean water supplies to all. He joined us for Perspective to tell us more about fighting against corruption to achieve his goals and the role that young people can play.

Three months after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we spoke to French historian Antoine Arjakovsky, a specialist on Ukraine and Russia. He told us that the conflict is a "war of civilisation" between two different visions of the world: Russia, a state that wants to become a "21st-century empire", and the "nation state" of Ukraine. Back before the Russian invasion, when Moscow already controlled Crimea, Arjakovsky gathered with 200 experts. They produced a report in 2019 explaining their fears that Russia would indeed invade the rest of Ukraine – but this warning fell on deaf ears in the West.

The apocalyptic idea of computer-run robots turning against the human race and taking over the planet is not something we should dismiss, but for now we should be celebrating and embracing the positive side of artificial intelligence (AI). That's the view of Professor Anthony Elliott, the author of a new book entitled "Making Sense of AI". He says AI currently does a lot of good, helping us for example in the fields of industrial robots and self-driving cars, as well as providing vital information for fighting pandemics such as Covid-19. However, he admits that with AI, "to some extent, we lose control over decision-making".

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has upended its education system. Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have shelled over 1,000 schools, fully destroying nearly 100 of them. Not even educational facilities serving as emergency shelters have been spared. Still, teachers across the country are doing what they can to continue to offer a safe education. Among them is Zoya Lytvyn, a Ukrainian entrepreneur and education expert. She joined us for Perspective.

They say life imitates art. But in the case of Volodymyr Zelensky, art seemingly predicted life. He went from an acting role as Ukranian leader to a highly admired, real-life wartime president. How to explain such widespread appeal? What does he have that other leaders seem to lack? Régis Genté and Stéphane Siohan are the authors of one of the first French biographies of Volodymyr Zelensky. They joined us for Perspective.

Sri Lanka is in the grip of its worst economic crisis in decades, facing depleted petrol reserves, food shortages and a chronic lack of medical supplies. More than a month of mainly peaceful protests against the government's handling of the economy turned deadly last week when supporters of the former prime minister stormed an anti-government protest site in the commercial capital Colombo. We discuss the depth of protesters’ grievances, as well as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s chances of weathering the storm, with Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and activist Bhavani Fonseka.

Earlier this month, a leaked draft majority opinion suggested that the US Supreme Court was set to strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which affirmed the legality of a woman's right to an abortion under the US Constitution. The news sparked protests in cities across the United States, with hundreds of demonstrations taking place again over the weekend. Gail Sredanovic, a member of the Raging Grannies activist organisation, joined us on Perspective to express her concerns.

The "Maghreb-Orient des livres" book festival takes place in Paris this weekend, focusing on literature from north Africa and the Middle East. One of those taking part is Jérémie Dres, the author of the graphic novel "The day I met bin Laden". It features the story of two young French men who travelled from France to Afghanistan in the spring of 2001, just months before the 9/11 terror attacks. The pair then found themselves trapped in Afghanistan and were later sent to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. The author joined us for Perspective to tell us more.

Thousands of West African soldiers fought for France against the Nazis in World War II. But on December 1, 1944, as many as 400 of them were murdered in cold blood: not by the Germans, but by the very French forces they fought alongside. The massacre near the Senegalese capital Dakar was swept under the rug for decades, preventing victims and their relatives from any form of closure or recognition. Marie Thomas-Penette and François-Xavier Destors' new documentary "Thiaroye 44" is one of the first to explore this dark chapter of France's colonial past. The directors joined us for Perspective.

Since 2006, France has commemorated the national day of the abolition of slavery on May 10. France is the only country to have a national day dedicated to remembering the horrors of slavery and the first and only country to have declared slavery a crime against humanity. However, the way this history is taught in schools and addressed in public spaces suggests that it remains something of a taboo. Historian and political scientist Françoise Vergès joined us for Perspective to tell us more.