You are here: Homepage Results Current status of poll Question asked: Which subjects most interest you? 33.3 % I prefer your editions on individual countries! 44.4 % More burning debates, please! 22.2 % Be more creative! Latest Photo: Ole Witt for KULTURAUSTAUSCH Personal history | North Korea Fleeing North Korea Choi Song Hui served as a loyal soldier in North Korea’s army, but then fled across the border river. She now lives in Seoul where she continues to fight for human rights in her home country By Choi Song Hui 11/04/2024 Photo: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images Pop culture | Mexico The Peso Pluma phenomenon Peso Pluma fills stadiums with a mix of traditional Mexican sounds and international pop. His songs about drug violence and love trigger strong emotions among fans and critics alike By Dahlia de la Cerda 11/01/2024 Photo: Axel Javier Sulzbacher Environment | Mexico Avocados: The green gold rush The global appetite for avocados is generating big bucks in Michoacán. Behind the scenes, criminal groups illegally clear forests and steal municipal water for cultivation. The risks are large but the benefits remain in the hands of a few By Heriberto Paredes Coronel 10/28/2024 Photo: Jemima Yong / Barbican Art Gallery Art l International A show of powerful textile art in Amsterdam For a long time, textile art was belittled as a women’s craft. A new exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam shows the subversive potential of this art form By Helen Jennings 10/27/2024 Photo: Arlene Mejorado Gender roles | Mexico “It’s okay to be flamboyant if you’re macho” The Texan Mexican artist José Villalobos focuses on the clothing of Mexican Norteño culture. It’s extravagant and camp but is also seen as the epitome of masculinity Interview with José Villalobos 09/14/2024 Photo: Ali Ghandtschi Shared society | Israel “How do you keep a vision of peace without sounding naïve?” Avital Benshalom runs the Hagar School in Be’er Sheva, where Jewish and Arab children learn together. How did the school continue its work after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza? Interview with Avital Benshalom 09/12/2024 Photo: Ali Ghandtschi Shared society | Israel “I don’t want coexistence if I don’t have equality” In Israel, the Jewish and Arab populations share a common everyday life, but currently the peaceful coexistence could escalate any moment. Mohammad Darawshe, Strategy Director of Israeli peace organization Givat Haviva, talks about emergency programs and damage limitation Interview with Mohammad Darawshe 09/12/2024 Collage: Julia Neller, Photos: Getty Images Biodiversity | Mexico The incredible transformation of the axolotl The iconic axelotl has fascinated Aztecs, scientists and became a meme. But is that enough to bring it back from the brink of extinction? By Andrés Cota Hiriart 09/11/2024 Photo: El Rey de Aragón Pop culture | Mexico The sound of Mexico Paulina Sotomayor sang in a mariachi band for years, but today she mixes electro with Mexican folk music, cumbia, conga and afrobeats. This is her personal playlist to celebrate female empowerment By Paulina Sotomayor 09/07/2024 Illustration: Daniel Barreto Notes and observations | Mexico A journey into the heart of Mexico City The average “chilango”, or resident of Mexico City, spends around one and a half hours a day on public transport. An essay on public and semi-public transport in the Mexican capital By Mateo García Elizondo 09/07/2024 Photo: Mauricio Sierra Indigenous rights | Mexico “We need to be loud every day” Born into a rural Indigenous community, Eufrosina Mendoza Cruz was hardly destined to pursue a political career. Yet, she championed the rights of Mexican Indigenous women, becoming both an activist and a member of parliament. A conversation about self-determination and perseverance Interview with Eufrosina Cruz Mendoza 09/07/2024 Illustration: Victoria Villasana Women’s rights | Mexico Women’s rights on the agenda In Mexico, there’s often a gap between women’s rights on paper and in reality: Violence against women is rampant, many girls fall pregnant, unpaid care work is mostly on women’s shoulders. Five feminist activists take stock: what has improved, what still needs to be done? 09/07/2024 Illustration: Victoria Villasana Women’s rights | Mexico He said, she Brutal violence against women is not uncommon in Mexico. The writer Gabriela Jauregui has collected quotes from perpetrators in court, creating a harrowing poem By Gabriela Jauregui 09/07/2024 Photo: Miguel Tovar for KULTURAUSTAUSCH Vox pop | Mexico Mexico’s fourth transformation Mexico’s outgoing president launched extensive social reforms, and his successor Claudia Sheinbaum promises to continue his work. What has changed so far? A snapshot of the prevailing mood in Mexico City By Paula Mónaco Felipe 09/07/2024 Photo: Atikah Zata Flying visit | Indonesia Spinach or football? Things are getting tight for small farmers in Indonesia’s capital. The rapid growth of the infrastructure makes them fear for their fields By Atikah Zata 09/07/2024
Photo: Ole Witt for KULTURAUSTAUSCH Personal history | North Korea Fleeing North Korea Choi Song Hui served as a loyal soldier in North Korea’s army, but then fled across the border river. She now lives in Seoul where she continues to fight for human rights in her home country By Choi Song Hui 11/04/2024
Photo: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images Pop culture | Mexico The Peso Pluma phenomenon Peso Pluma fills stadiums with a mix of traditional Mexican sounds and international pop. His songs about drug violence and love trigger strong emotions among fans and critics alike By Dahlia de la Cerda 11/01/2024
Photo: Axel Javier Sulzbacher Environment | Mexico Avocados: The green gold rush The global appetite for avocados is generating big bucks in Michoacán. Behind the scenes, criminal groups illegally clear forests and steal municipal water for cultivation. The risks are large but the benefits remain in the hands of a few By Heriberto Paredes Coronel 10/28/2024
Photo: Jemima Yong / Barbican Art Gallery Art l International A show of powerful textile art in Amsterdam For a long time, textile art was belittled as a women’s craft. A new exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam shows the subversive potential of this art form By Helen Jennings 10/27/2024
Photo: Arlene Mejorado Gender roles | Mexico “It’s okay to be flamboyant if you’re macho” The Texan Mexican artist José Villalobos focuses on the clothing of Mexican Norteño culture. It’s extravagant and camp but is also seen as the epitome of masculinity Interview with José Villalobos 09/14/2024
Photo: Ali Ghandtschi Shared society | Israel “How do you keep a vision of peace without sounding naïve?” Avital Benshalom runs the Hagar School in Be’er Sheva, where Jewish and Arab children learn together. How did the school continue its work after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza? Interview with Avital Benshalom 09/12/2024
Photo: Ali Ghandtschi Shared society | Israel “I don’t want coexistence if I don’t have equality” In Israel, the Jewish and Arab populations share a common everyday life, but currently the peaceful coexistence could escalate any moment. Mohammad Darawshe, Strategy Director of Israeli peace organization Givat Haviva, talks about emergency programs and damage limitation Interview with Mohammad Darawshe 09/12/2024
Collage: Julia Neller, Photos: Getty Images Biodiversity | Mexico The incredible transformation of the axolotl The iconic axelotl has fascinated Aztecs, scientists and became a meme. But is that enough to bring it back from the brink of extinction? By Andrés Cota Hiriart 09/11/2024
Photo: El Rey de Aragón Pop culture | Mexico The sound of Mexico Paulina Sotomayor sang in a mariachi band for years, but today she mixes electro with Mexican folk music, cumbia, conga and afrobeats. This is her personal playlist to celebrate female empowerment By Paulina Sotomayor 09/07/2024
Illustration: Daniel Barreto Notes and observations | Mexico A journey into the heart of Mexico City The average “chilango”, or resident of Mexico City, spends around one and a half hours a day on public transport. An essay on public and semi-public transport in the Mexican capital By Mateo García Elizondo 09/07/2024
Photo: Mauricio Sierra Indigenous rights | Mexico “We need to be loud every day” Born into a rural Indigenous community, Eufrosina Mendoza Cruz was hardly destined to pursue a political career. Yet, she championed the rights of Mexican Indigenous women, becoming both an activist and a member of parliament. A conversation about self-determination and perseverance Interview with Eufrosina Cruz Mendoza 09/07/2024
Illustration: Victoria Villasana Women’s rights | Mexico Women’s rights on the agenda In Mexico, there’s often a gap between women’s rights on paper and in reality: Violence against women is rampant, many girls fall pregnant, unpaid care work is mostly on women’s shoulders. Five feminist activists take stock: what has improved, what still needs to be done? 09/07/2024
Illustration: Victoria Villasana Women’s rights | Mexico He said, she Brutal violence against women is not uncommon in Mexico. The writer Gabriela Jauregui has collected quotes from perpetrators in court, creating a harrowing poem By Gabriela Jauregui 09/07/2024
Photo: Miguel Tovar for KULTURAUSTAUSCH Vox pop | Mexico Mexico’s fourth transformation Mexico’s outgoing president launched extensive social reforms, and his successor Claudia Sheinbaum promises to continue his work. What has changed so far? A snapshot of the prevailing mood in Mexico City By Paula Mónaco Felipe 09/07/2024
Photo: Atikah Zata Flying visit | Indonesia Spinach or football? Things are getting tight for small farmers in Indonesia’s capital. The rapid growth of the infrastructure makes them fear for their fields By Atikah Zata 09/07/2024