Saturday, June 14

Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing

We are now accepting submissions of personal essays. These include stories of travel, migration, working, and studying abroad. Stories that connect the human heart from distant places are welcome.

For travel stories, remember that travel is about more than the places you go! It’s about culture, history and the people who live there.

Travel writing is an essential part of Mohr Media’s mission. It reminds us that life is more than politics and policy. A good story and good travel experiences connect the human heart, reminding us of the essence of universal love.

Poem: “Fragrance of Memory”
25May By Ali AltawilNo Comments
Human rights, Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing, WAR: Dispatches & Dialogue

Poem: “Fragrance of Memory”

'Tell Your Children About Us,' Doctor In Gaza Writes Photo by Ali Altawil Copyright @alialtawil By Ali Altawil, M.D. Tell your children about us,That we cherish lifefar more than our enemy cherishes our demise,That we dance with joywhen a certain song graces our ears,That we delight in raising cats,That our souls glowin the presence of jasmine flowers,AndThat we walk barefoot in the rain,So the memory of the land may cleanse us,Returning us to the place where we belong,Scented with its sacred soil. Ali Altawil, M.D. is a general practitioner and writer bearing witness to and shedding light on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, capturing lived realities with a poetic voice. He works at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the heart of Gaza, where he and his family endure the same strug...
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In Gaza, A Medical Doctor Writes of Endurance Amid Indifference
20May By Ali AltawilNo Comments
Human rights, Middle East, Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing

In Gaza, A Medical Doctor Writes of Endurance Amid Indifference

“We must not live only in the shadow” May 20, 2025—First in a series of essays and poems Ali Altawil, M.D. Altawil is a general practitioner and writer bearing witness to and shedding light on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, capturing lived realities with a poetic voice. He works at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the heart of Gaza, where he and his family endure the same struggles as the people he serves. Through his profession and his words, he resists oppression and holds on to the hope of a better tomorrow. If you'd like to support his work, visit his GoFundMe page. “They carry dreams as small as the sun” April 15, 2025: In Gaza, Children walk barefoot on their wounds, Carrying bags of clouds, Filled with verses of survival, And dreams as small as the sun. “We must not liv...
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Commentary: The Ironic Case of the ICE Agent Avenger Anti-Hero
24Mar By Guest WriterNo Comments
Migration, Immigration, Borders, Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing, Types of News: Analysis

Commentary: The Ironic Case of the ICE Agent Avenger Anti-Hero

Editor’s Note: On Saturday, March 8, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate of Columbia University and a lead negotiator on behalf of student activists who protested during the 2023-2024 school year. The controversial detention of Khalil, a green card holder and legal resident, is at the center of attention in the United States as the Trump Administration challenges foreign students based on speech. The commentary below examines the incident from a more profound human-interest perspective. Writer Matt Mikalatos notes the irony that the lead ICE agent is wearing a T-shirt promoting superheroes from the Marvel Pictures Avengers series. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hxC_LpyW4Gc By Matt Mikalatos One of the odd and ironic things about th...
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Seeing The Value Of Journalism In The Context Of War
23Apr By Jacob DavenportNo Comments
Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing

Seeing The Value Of Journalism In The Context Of War

Student Essay By Jacob Davenport April 23, 2022—When starting an internship with Mohr Media in January, I thought I already had a good understanding of journalism. I thought of it as reporting on the facts of a given situation and covering major events. As I progressed in my internship, I really began to see the importance of journalism. Specifically, I learned to core tenants of news reporting: Neutrality,In-depth research,Clarity,Organization, andRespectfulness. When researching for stories to find the facts and the truth, I found that the task was more challenging than anticipated. Witnessing Information Wars Towards the end of February, the world watched Russia invade Ukraine. It became clear how much the use of misinformation by the Russian Federation factored into the ...
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Australia Has Ruled, And It’s A Grand-Slam Crackdown On Speech
16Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Democracy, Domestic Politics, Migration, Immigration, Borders, Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing, Types of News: Analysis

Australia Has Ruled, And It’s A Grand-Slam Crackdown On Speech

Three-Panel Judge Backs Immigration Official's Right to Make Personal Decision over Visa Status January 16, 2022—A three-judge panel made a decision today in the case of Novak Djokovic versus an immigration minister, and the decision is final. The 20-time-Grand Slam title champion lost his appeal to stay in the country; the government's deportation order stood, and Novak Djokovic left the country. Game over. What Happened? The troubling part of the story is the legal reasoning behind the decision. The court order on January 16 said, "reasons to be published at a later date." Ruling by three-judge panel that gave the final word in the Novak Djokovic visa case. In short, it was not because of Djokovic's vaccination status or visa status. Either one of those issues, if they ...
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ESSAYS: History Is Cyclical, And Humans Are Migratory
31Aug By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments
Migration, Immigration, Borders, Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing

ESSAYS: History Is Cyclical, And Humans Are Migratory

Ernesto Rodriguez moved to Madrid, Spain in 2019, escaping the political and economic crises in Venezuela. History doesn’t repeat itself exactly, but it does rhyme. Immigrant. It’s a loaded word. Honestly, it took a few months for me to assume it as mine. Its three syllables need to cover a crisis, a trauma, and a common name for more than 5 million Venezuelans. But it’s not just attributed to us. It’s also the reality of my grandparents, who had to leave Spain due to the economic crisis after the Spanish civil war. It's also true of for millions of displaced refugees from the Middle East, or even of a young person moving to Los Angeles to try his or her hand at showbiz. As the Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler sings, “Somos una especie en viaje.” We are a species of trave...
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An American in Cuba: History & People
4Nov By Patti MohrNo Comments
Communism, Dictatorship, Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing

An American in Cuba: History & People

It was the first full day of the trip. I awoke early, ate breakfast and met my tour guide Rose and travel companions in the hotel lobby. It would be a full day touring by foot and bus. We were eight adventurers--George and Barbara, a couple who ran a family furniture business in Florida, Mike and Ana, a couple living in the Pacific Northwest who were just months away from expecting their first baby, Joel, a man in his 30s or 40s from California, two women from Alaska, and me. Clouds over head kept the air cool as we walked around Havana. Back at the Plaza de Armas, the story of Cuba unfolded. Christopher Columbus had landed there in 1492, declaring the island to be "the most beautiful land human have ever seen." Twenty years later, the Spanish took it as their own, using mostly un...
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Cuba: First Encounters
27Oct By Patti Mohr2 Comments
Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing

Cuba: First Encounters

I ventured out into the streets of Old Havana as soon as I could change money, store my cash in the room safe and change clothes. It was just after 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, and I wanted to make the most of the daylight. Taxi drivers in classic U.S. cars from the 1940s and 1950s circled the area outside the hotel. I opted to walk as it seemed the best way to experience the city. I headed down Cuba Street, a cobblestone lane shared by pedestrians and cars that cuts all the way across Old Havana, from the Male?on to the far side of the old port. Residents stood in their doorways watching people come and go. Locals and tourists shared the narrow sidewalks, stepping on and off to pass each other by as taxis, pedicabs and food carts accelerated down the street. On a side street, children pla...
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Cuba: Hello Havana
22Oct By Patti Mohr1 Comment
Communism, Dictatorship, Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing

Cuba: Hello Havana

It takes less than an hour to reach Cuba from Tampa, Florida by airplane. Simple, really. And yet it is still hard to see that Cuba is just 90 miles from the United States. The island has been forbidden land for most law-abiding Americans for so long. For the most part, it is still not legal to travel there unless you book, like I did, an educational tour through one of the roughly 100 organizations certified by the State Department to run people-to-people cultural tours. The U.S. government allows travel to Cuba for up to 12 different reasons. Tourism isn't one of them. So while the Canadians head straight for the beaches and stay there, Americans visit senior-center projects, organic farms, child care centers, artistic sites and museums. For most, it's a pretty packed schedule. Get...
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