Stories from Quick Reads and Video
Weapon of Mass Destruction in Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution
Mainland Chinese state-run media has been running editorials and opinion pieces to criticize the Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong, with emphasis on the destruction the street occupations have brought to ordinary people. The Umbrella Revolution has also been labeled as “Color Revolution” backed up by foreign forces, in particular, the...
Security Risks Exposed at Amusement Park in Dhaka
During the Eid holidays, Carnival Park at Jamuna Future park welcomed a large number of visitors. On October 7, 2014, one of its attractions, the 360-degree shuffle ride, stopped in the middle of a ride. Everyone on-board was stuck in their seats for about an hour. The ride had no emergency...
African Animators Defying All Odds
Njeri Wangari highlights 9 amazing animation videos for African children: 1. Jungle Beat Jungle Beat is a fun, family friendly series of CGI animated self-contained, dialogue-free, 5 minute episodes focusing on different animals and the bizarre situations they encounter in nature. From the firefly who is afraid of the dark...
Talking Heads Project Showcases What is Extraordinary About People in Africa
Talking Heads is a project of the Africa Centre, a non-profit cultural organisation based in Cape Town, South Africa. Talking Heads produces audio casts and short films, which are freely available on YouTube and iTunes: The Africa Centre has designed an approach that identifies, showcases and creates opportunities for African...
Colombia: No to Sex Tourism in Medellín
By mid July 2014, the Facebook page No to sex tourist was created, with the purpose of create awareness about sex tourism in Colombia. Wikipedia lo define como: … una forma de turismo con el propósito de mantener relaciones sexuales, normalmente de varones con prostitutas hembras, pero también, aunque menos,...
Building Sustainable Peace in The Central African Republic
As the UN launchs its peace keeping mission with the arrival of 1,500 troops in the Central African Republic (CAR), a few observers were wondering why it took so long given the extent of the casualties. Les Cercles nationaux de Réflexion sur la Jeunesse (CNRJ) is an NGO in Bangui, CAR that...
Fashion Trends in Trinidad's Capital
The way people dress offers a glimpse into the culture of a place; Maya Cozier manages to capture the urban vibe of Trinidad's capital city in a short video which interviews several fashion forward young people who live and work in and around Port of Spain. Blogger Ceola Belix is...
Eerie Similarities in Deaths Provoked by Police Brutality in Staten Island and Paris
Eric Garner was a 44-year-old African-American man who died following an attempted arrest by the NY Police Department. On July 17, 2014, when police officers attempted to arrest Garner, he had broken up a fight. Garner who suffered from asthma was wrestled to the ground. Medical examiners concluded chokehold and...
VIDEO: Is the IDF Glorifying Its Air Bombings of Gaza?
Israeli blogger Elizabeth Tsurkov challenges the IDF to make an English version of a video it had released in Hebrew, which she describes as “glorifying air bombings of Gaza.” She tweets: Hey, @IDFSpokesperson, why didn't you make an English version of this snazzy video glorifying air bombings of Gaza? http://t.co/R651aWr0uC...
Video: Listen to Nairobi Coffee Shop Entrepreneur
Meet Peter Owiti, coffee shop entrepreneur in Nairobi, Kenya: The story of Peter Owiti, the brains behind Pete’s Coffee shop, speaks volumes of the great deal of effort that is spent when setting up a successful business. In the brief video below, Pete, who is a father of three, talks...
On Being Young, Black and Queer in South Africa
Leila Dee Dougan shares a music video from the latest album by the South African artist Umlilo: Umlilo (previously profiled on Africa is a Country here) continues to push societal boundaries, crushing the norms of sexuality and gender roles with ‘Magic Man’, a track from his latest album, which will...
Online Networks Help Relief Flood-Plagued Côte d'Ivoire
Abidjan and other regions of Côte d'Ivoire have been plagued by heavy downpour and floods for the past weeks [fr]. Local residents got organized on social networks to bring relief to stranded citizens. On twitter and facebook, #CIVSOCIAL is the hashtag for emergency humanitarian reliefs. It was created in 2011...
Revenge from the “Disgrace of Gijón” as Algeria and Germany Face Up Again at the World Cup
Algeria and Germany national teams are set to face up on June 30 in Porto Alegre in the knock-out round of the FIFA World Cup. The match will revive plenty of strong emotions from both sides because of their previous game in 1982 at the World Cup in Spain. In their...
Meet Valentin Agon, Pioneer of Local Cures Against Infectious Diseases in Benin
Valentin Agon is the creator of the Api-Palu pill, a locally produced remedy based on endemic plants. He was just awarded [fr] the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Award for his new product against malaria. Pascal Hounkpatin reports for La Presse du Jour: De la cueillette des feuilles au produit fini (gélules...
Heartbreak for Ibrahim and Djouma in the Central African Republic
Djouma and Amadou Moussa are Ibrahim's parents. Djouma and Ibahim are the two lone survivors of an incredibly violent attack by militiamen that took the lives of 5 of Ibrahim's siblings in the Central African Republic, near the border with Cameroon. The militiamen came while Amadou Moussa was away. Djouma, 30, recalls...
Video: Brazil's Military Police Assaults Subway Workers on Strike
The Brazilian independent media collective Midia Ninja posted a video and a news report [pt] on Youtube that expose the violence of the Military Police of São Paulo against subway workers on a peaceful strike in the early hours of June 5, 2014. The video shows riot police officers charging against workers...
China: Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Another documentary about Chinese dissent artist Ai Weiwei has been released, following Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012). Beijing Cream has Hilary Chassé's review on the upcoming – Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case.
Hong Kong Public Libraries Ignore Biggest Minorities’ Need
As government funded libraries in Hong Kong fail to serve domestic workers’ need, they have to set up mobile libraries during public holidays across the city. Tom Grundy has the story in Hong Wrong. Below is a video taken by Stories Beyond the Borders showing one of the mobile libraries...
A Low-cost Solution to Heal Cataract in Sub Saharan Countries
One of the main causes of blindness in sub saharan countries are cataracts. A group of french physicians has developed a surgical kit called “Phacokit” to treat at low-cost individuals suffering from cataract and help them recover their eyesight [fr]: Pour vaincre la cataracte, principale cause de cécité, notamment dans les pays pauvres,...
VIDEO: “Same But Different” Kids With Disabilities Tell Their Stories
Eight British children with disabilities and medical conditions tell their stories in Same But Different, an award-winning documentary by David Barnes. It is a collection of short portraits of children who describe their lives, their strengths and weaknesses.
Music Collective Beirut Open Stage Launches Online Platform
“To further its vision of showcasing and promoting as best as it can the local talent”, the Musical Collective “Beirut Open Stage” has launched its online platform. Their new website, which compliments their YouTube channel, allows live viewing of performances as well as staying up to date with their latest...