The Writing Maven

There's something about the way we consume the news that has been bothering me for a long time. Some wars become impossible to ignore. They're on our phones when we wake up, on television during dinner, and all over social media. We see the same images every day. We learn the names of cities, recognise the faces of leaders and start to feel like we're watching history unfold in real time. Then there are wars happening at the same moment that barely get a mention. And I keep asking myself why. According to the Uppsala Conflict Data Program, the world recorded 61 active armed conflicts involving at least one state in 2024, the highest number since its records began in 1946. Eleven of those conflicts reached the threshold of war, meaning at least 1,000 battle-related deaths in a year. Nearly 160,000 people died in organised violence during 2024. <Cite refs={["turn458724search2"]}/> That's a staggering amount of suffering. Yet most of us couldn't name ev...