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Lies or Cultural Misunderstandings? An Everyday Story from the Philippines
I recently read a post in Philippines Expats by an American living in Manila. He had left his headphones at a restaurant and returned shortly afterward to ask if they had been found. A polite young employee told him, “Sorry, sir, we already looked—we don’t have them.” The American was…
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The Philippines – Open Arms in a Closed Region
While many Asian countries are tightening their refugee policies, the Philippines continues to keep its doors open. Here, compassion is not just an ideal; it is a tradition. The story of the Philippines’ open-door policy begins in earnest in the 1930s. As Jews in Europe faced persecution and most countries…
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How Life Is Crushed
There are universal truths, experiences that humanity has passed down from generation to generation. Yet we struggle to follow them. Every child born must be re-educated. Here lies a challenge we have not yet been able to solve collectively, and which now threatens us with destruction of biblical dimensions. A…
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Rodrigo Duterte: From President of The Philippines to Detainee in The Hague
The former President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested on March 11 this year and flown to The Hague, charged with crimes against humanity. The arrest can be seen as a goodwill gesture toward the West by the current President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as well as a strategic attempt…
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A Minor Procedure, a Memorable Stay in Marrakech
Spain’s public healthcare system is excellent, especially regarding serious diagnoses that must be addressed quickly. That was certainly the case when my husband, Eldar, was diagnosed with cancer and received immediate, high-quality care — something he has written about here. But getting help can take time for less urgent conditions.…
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The Bible, Depth Psychology, and Economics: Can an Old Vision Save Us From Ourselves?
The Norwegian social reformer Bertram Dybwad Brochmann (1881–1956) was a passionate visionary with an unshakable belief in humanity’s ability to renew itself and society. He began as a gardener but became one of Norway’s most original social critics during the interwar years. As a public lecturer, author, and Member of…
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Path to Peace: A Drawing for Our Time
My father, the caricaturist Odd Einarson, created socially critical drawings in the mid-20th century that have not been forgotten. In 2016, my wife, Grace, wrote a feature titled “A Master of Satire and Caricatures”, covering one of several exhibitions of his work. Among his drawings, there is one I believe…
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The Art of Loving: What Erich Fromm Taught Us Long Ago
As a boy, probably around 1960, I read Erich Fromm’s book The Art of Loving in Norwegian. It had been translated from English by Amund Hønningstad, one of the few independent thinkers in Norway, according to my father, who had received a copy as a gift. He passed it on…
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What Do We Do When the Obvious Becomes Impossible?
I recently read a Facebook post by the Norwegian film director, Vibeke Løkkeberg, in which she turns her gaze toward war, power, and the absence of women at the decision-making table. She questions why the very women who give birth to the state’s soldiers are excluded from decisions about war,…
