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When Governments Show Their Cards
Some subjects are hard to look at. This is one of them. The moments before repression rarely feel like the ones that come after; they unfold slowly, politely, even bureaucratically. Yet when we study history closely, we find that governments often reveal their intentions long before the violence begins. They show their cards in budgets, in weapons orders, in “security reorganizations” announced in calm language. This isn’t about fear, it’s about honesty. Facing how militariza

Jillian Aurora
Oct 254 min read


Facing Hard Truths with the Light of the Hearth
This topic may feel heavy—perhaps even offensive to some. The word genocide carries a weight that most minds instinctively turn from. But there is wisdom in facing difficult truths with courage. To study how such atrocities unfold is not to dwell in darkness—it is to learn how to keep light. When we understand the machinery of hatred, we are less likely to become its gears. When we can see the pattern, we have a chance to interrupt it. Genocide does not begin with mass grave

Jillian Aurora
Oct 56 min read


Lessons from the Fires: Witch Trials and the Survival of Women
When we think of the witch trials, we often imagine bonfires, shadowy figures in courts, and whispered accusations passed over fences. Yet beneath the drama of superstition and fire lies a deeper story: how societies under strain weaponized fear, how political and religious divisions fueled suspicion, and how women—so often the target—found ways to endure. The witch trials were not about witches. Most of the accused had no connection to pagan practices or secret rituals. They

Jillian Aurora
Oct 23 min read


Who Is at Risk in Times of Political Unrest?
In every era of upheaval, there is a temptation to believe that danger belongs to someone else. That it will pass us by. That only “those people” will be targeted. History warns us otherwise. Political unrest rarely unfolds in clean, predictable lines. It spreads like fire — sometimes slowly, sometimes all at once — catching groups who thought they were safe until the flames licked at their door. Those Who Speak Out Journalists, writers, clergy, teachers, artists - voices of

Jillian Aurora
Sep 233 min read
HearthFinder: Building safe futures, one hearth at a time.
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