Under the former communist regime, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) was suppressed, its properties confiscated and its followers harassed and imprisoned. This was until a Messiah came along.

Written in stone There are thousands of religions in the world today and many thousands more have come and gone. Many of these claim or have claimed a monopoly on truth relating to the divine and the moral, as well as to the rituals necessary to accompany a devout life.

As the Human Right Series of the Gordian comes to its eighth issue, we sincerely thank all of our readers and authors for their generous support and contributions. It is because of you that The Gordian Magazine has developed into its current form and has become a platform for members to express their thoughts and ideas.

Africa 02.01.21: Niger. Scores of villagers were slaughtered by suspected Islamist terrorists in coordinated attacks on two villages near the border with Mali.

How can the UN achieve its sacred mission without the shackles of obsolete structures and bullying superpowers? This is how!

Anwar Sadat Swaka declared as the winner of the 2020 UN-aligned photo competition.

People with bigotted or selfish agendas have always tried to hijack religion. Many of them claim a monopoly on truth relating to the divine and the moral. Today however, we know that religion cannot be used as an excuse for indifference, oppression or injustice of any kind, whether it be to fellow humans, to animals or to the planet itself. In this issue of The Gordian we highlight why it is important to put human rights before religious rights. This issue contains exclusive reports by Alex Liberto, Jonna Lappalainen and Aryan Yekrangi.

Cultivated meat will present a futuristic alternative to the callous, unwieldy and unnecessarily wasteful way animals are farmed today.

Nasrin Sotoudeh is an Iranian human rights lawyer who has been in and out of prison since 2010 for no other reason than defending men, women and children who suffered under the oppressive Iranian regime. Her clients included opposition politicians, journalists, abused women and children, women who were arrested for not wearing the hijab and prisoners on death row for crimes they allegedly committed when they were minors.

As Veganuary approaches, more and more people are looking to find ideas for healthier, more environment-friendly, and really yummy vegan recipes. To support your efforts The Gordian Magazine has decided to regularly include new recipes in our monthly publication.

This year has been difficult for everyone. We have all had to adapt to new changes and the impact COVID-19 has had worldwide.

If you’ve pondered veganism but haven’t yet followed through, it may be that you are put off by the myth of the diet being restricted. As with any lifestyle change, slow and steady tends to lead to longevity. It is much better to gradually cut animal products from your diet permanently than trying to be a strict vegan for a month, falling off the wagon, and being put off enough to never try it again.

Founded in Spain in 2006, Animal Equality is now a global leader in defending farmed animals, using investigations, corporate reform and public action to expose cruelty and drive lasting change.

2020 has certainly been an Annus Horribilis, but it wasn’t all bad.

Africa 03.12.20: Central African Republic. The top court rejected former President François Bozizé’s bid to run for president in the December 27 election against incumbent President Faustin-Archange Touadéra.

Factory farming causes animals to live and die in great pain each year. So far, our response has been almost total indifference and inaction. For this reason, we have decided to dedicate this issue to animal rights and animal welfare. In the spirit of Veganuary, we have a number of articles dedicated to the topic, including: reports, interviews, poetry and even food recipes. We will also discuss UN-aligned's achievements in 2020 and how we plan to take the leap to 2021. This issue contains exclusive reports by Animal Equality Italia, Andrea Piccinelli, Anahita Ahmadi, Jonna Lappalainen and other UN-aligned members.