Tags

Putin is fighting in the Ukraine for the right to an equal dialogue with the West

Unlike in the West, people in the East still believe in the future, says Xiaolu Guo. The author and director, who commutes between Europe and China

The old order is breaking down: historian Anne Applebaum reflects on the profound changes of our time

In Europe and the USA, right-wing parties are increasingly gaining influence, while resistance to them is waning. Anthropologist Arjun Appadurai diagnoses a collective democratic fatigue

In his digital travel miniatures, New York photographer Sam Youkilis documents the decline of our analog culture

The rapper Kasidech Saengjan voices the struggles of people in Thai slums. In this playlist, he gives his personal soundtrack to day-to-day life in Khlong Toei

Informal settlements in particular can benefit from nature-based solutions. Researchers Darryn McEvoy and Mittul Vahanvati explain how planting the right grasses is helping a community in the Pacific region

Favelas are a hotbed of innovation. This is where the Expo Favela business trade fair comes in, working to showcase companies from Brazil's informal settlements

The writer Helon Habila grew up in Nigeria, later moved to the UK and now lives in the USA. In his books he revisits the people, places and politics he has experienced first-hand

The Ugandan director and producer Isaac Nabwana has made a name for himself with his bloody and humorous action films. His films are made on a tight budget in Wakaliga, a slum in the capital Kampala, is also known as Wakaliwood in a nod to Hollywood

Some 300,000 people live in Cité Soleil, the slum in Port-au-Prince in Haiti, a place of gangs, evangelical zealots and abject poverty. An essay by Lyonel Trouillot about the neighbourhood's history and the multitude of lives that have unfolded there

After coming to power in 2015, the Polish PiS transformed public television in Poland into a propaganda machine. In 2023, the new Prime Minister Donald Tusk immediately set about restoring the independence of the state media. But the dismantling of democratic controls had been thorough

Impoverished and criminal, that's the stereotype of favelas. But in reality, they are enormous business hubs. The Expo Favela trade fair is working to promote start ups from Brazil's informal settlements

For the first time, ‘The Queer Arab Glossary’ is a compilation of Arabic slang from the scene - from affectionate to derogatory. A conversation with the editor

Many people think of informal settlements as something that only exists in the Global South - but there are also slums in Europe. Geoscientist Monika Kuffer maps these areas all over the world, making the invisible visible

Arun Chaudhary made a name for himself as Barack Obama's ‘First Cameraman’. Today, he advises political parties in many countries on their digital strategies. A conversation about the fine line between authenticity and spectacle

For ten years, Boko Haram has been kidnapping people in northern Nigeria, including countless schoolchildren. But why are authorities so powerless?

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

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

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

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

A complex civil war with international involvement has been raging in Yemen for years. It is extremely dangerous for journalists to pursue their profession, Yemeni journalists still pay a heavy price for the civil war. Many have left the country and young reporters with no training are taking their place

Or Levy was abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023. In this interview, his brother Michael discusses his family’s experience over the last twelve months, his hopes and fears for the future, and the ongoing campaign to free Or from captivity

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

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?

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

The iconic axelotl has fascinated Aztecs, scientists and became a meme. But is that enough to bring it back from the brink of extinction?

For a very long time, the Netherlands had no national memorial to the victims of the Shoah. For the recently opened National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam, the team led by director Emile Schrijver developed a new approach to commemorating the genocide

With “Tender Photo”, Nigerian author Emmanuel Iduma has created a lively platform for visual art from around the continent

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

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

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

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?

Brutal violence against women is not uncommon in Mexico. The writer Gabriela Jauregui has collected quotes from perpetrators in court, creating a harrowing poem

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

Things are getting tight for small farmers in Indonesia’s capital. The rapid growth of the infrastructure makes them fear for their fields

Vietnamese club culture has long been dominated by expats and tourists. But in recent years, local collectives and DJs have increasingly become involved in the scene - and their engagement goes beyond music and parties

Slovakian author Katarína Kucbelová spent two years visiting the seamstress Iľka in a remote village. Her episodic novel “The Bonnet” talks about tradition and village life, hidden racism and the social exclusion of Roma people

Francesca Ekwuyasi is a Nigerian writer whose debut novel “Butter, Honey, Pig, Bread” follows three women on a journey of love, reconciliation, and food. In an interview, she talks about living in the diaspora and writing about queerness and faith.

Tunisian musician Emel Mathlouthi moves between genres and languages. Recently she has published an album exclusively produced by women. A conversation about metal, feminism and the Arabic language

For the first time in history Mexico voted for a female president. Following Claudia Sheinbaum’s landslide win, the writer Gabriela Jauregui lists her demands for the new Presidenta

Women working from home are an important economic factor in Pakistan, but they are often isolated and deprived of their rights. The Home Based Women Workers Federation campaigns for change

The pressure of social media can quickly become overwhelming. But fitness doesn’t have to be expensive, complicated or perfect

Coober Pedy in the Australian outback is considered the world capital of opals. That does not make it a glamorous place, though

The East Asian country has a demographic problem: its population is ageing rapidly but many women have no desire to have children

In Europe, critics consider the Monobloc to be tasteless plastic rubbish. But for many people around the world, it’s the only affordable chair that is actually comfortable

New Plymouth is on New Zealand’s North Island, where the Māori community of Te Ātiawa have lived since long before the British arrived. Now, finally, they are shaping the cityscape again

The artist Shirin Neshat has long been concerned with the role of women in Iran. Her work has never been as topical as it is today

Colombia’s capital is home to a vibrant and political rap scene which reaches a large audience with its powerful lyrics

The Australian architect Kevin O’Brien fuses indigenous and colonial legacies to create buildings that reflect the culture and climate of their locations. A conversation about Torres Straits Islanders’ beach huts, clichés about modernism and loving Australia

French photographer Marvin Bonheur grew up in the banlieue of Paris. Today, he works internationally as a documentary photographer and in advertising. In both fields, he is aiming to portray those who are most often overlooked

Norway spent decades trying to force the Saami to assimilate. The activist Ida Helene Benonisen is fighting for indigenous rights – in the tradition of her forefathers

Futuristic films such as “Dune” often feature desert peoples reminiscent of the Amazigh culture of North Africa — without acknowledging their influence. British-Moroccan filmmaker and designer Elias Riadi, in contrast, is building on the Amazigh tradition of his ancestors to create his very own version of an „indigenous futurism“

Young indigenous women skateboard through Cochabamba wearing traditional dress. Daniela Santiváñez explains what sparked them to form the collective ImillaSkate and how they stop their hats from flying off in the wind

Maori, Inuit or Maasai: What connects indigenous people worldwide? Kenyan activist Mali Ole Kaunga talks about the power of international networking and the political space it opens up

Raucous vocals, nature-loving lyrics, love songs or simply some proper rock: the Inuit playlist by Canadian musician Elisapie Isaac

The Brazilian filmmaker Karim Aïnouz has always been drawn to distant horizons. From Brazil via New York, he found his way to Berlin

Doctor and author, Ma Thida, spent a long time in prison as a result of fighting for democracy in Myanmar. Regardless, she hopes to return to her country soon

In northern Canada, the indigenous population has always lived in balance with nature - but then Europeans found their way to the icy desert. The newcomers harvested its raw materials. A personal story about life on the periphery of North America

It is well known that algorithms have a way of reinforcing social prejudices, but what can be done about it? Scholar Alex D. Ketchum takes a feminist look at the issue

In Uganda, even the dancefloor is politically contentious. The Nyege Nyege Festival and the Hakuna Kulala label provide the soundtrack for cosmopolitan Africa

With their sweeping horizons and emptiness, deserts have inspired religions, myths and inner-reflection. But ever since last year’s violence, Israel’s Negev desert has been linked to new and devastating images

Lima is one of the largest desert cities in the world. Of its inhabitants, 635,000 have no access to water. Climate change may make the situation in the Peruvian capital even worse

Michael Running Wolf worked as a software engineer on the virtual voice assistant Alexa. Now he is revitalising indigenous languages with AI

How Susan Murabana inspires Kenya’s children with astrophysics and the wonders of the starry sky

Why are deserts increasing worldwide? An interview with the Romanian meteorologist Roxana Bojariu

Born into a Tuareg family, Ibrahim al-Koni has written about his birthplace for half a century. On why the desert won't let him go and why words can never do it justice

Working long hours and being part of the rat race are part of everyday life in China. But lots of young people are opting out - and talking about it on social media. Photographer Ziyi Le takes portraits of a disillusioned generation

Oasis ecosystems are perfectly adapted to the harsh desert environment. Today, many are threatened by drought and mismanagement. Photographer M’hammed Kilito zooms in on the people working to save them

Every year at the beginning of March, extreme sports enthusiasts gather on Lake Baikal to take part in the “Winteriade”. Here, the athletes can also try their hand at disciplines such as ice fishing or ice golf

For people who cross Africa from south to north, the Sahara is often unavoidable. A look at Niger, where the desert becomes a grave for many

As a young woman, Robyn Davidson travelled alone through the Australian desert. Over the decades, she's returned again and again. A conversation about the fascination of extreme places

From the airport to the Sahara: author Saïd Khatibi travelled to the Algerian oasis town of Timimoun. A text about the lure of the desert and the inspiration of emptiness

Songs about camels, sandstorms and minerals: The Gobi Desert is a rich source of inspiration for the Mongolian music scene. A playlist

“The Red Book of Farewells” by Pirkko Saisio is a creative big bang. It explores love and loss in Finland in the seventies

The web project “Black Med” is a diverse sound archive of the Mediterranean region. It shows how European culture has been influenced by Africa and Asia for thousands of years

The beat booms and the lyrics are radically intimate. The rap music of the French-African duo Triplego is created in the space between the Maghreb and the banlieue

In his coming-of-age novel “The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa”, Stephen Buoro shows how pop culture imported from the West reinforces post-colonial trauma. A conversation

Between fiction and beats, between Africa and Europe: as an author and musician, Kalaf Epalanga is always travelling between worlds

When screenwriter Cem Kaya reflects on his childhood, he remembers the long car journeys from Germany to Turkey - and the music of the “Aşiks”. On the travelling singers of Anatolia and their links to pop music by immigrant workers in Germany

Speaking Irish has long been controversial. But now the Gaelic language is making a comeback. What’s going on in Ireland?

Anyone who is socially active in Brazil can earn themselves “Muda” tokens. But how does the alternative currency really work? A quick look

What is the most threatening about artificial intelligence? Author Rebecca Giblin points out where the dangers lie. A commentary

In the Georgian capital Tbilisi, there’s a house on a leafy street corner that is like a museum. A visit

Smashing stereotypes: Young women in traditional dress meet to skateboard in the Pacata Alta neighbourhood in the north of Cochabamba

Chinese migrant workers are often denied official residency. Many parents leave their children behind in the villages. Photographer Tami Xiang visited some of them. A conversation

The Siddi ethnic group migrated to India from East Africa centuries ago. Since then, their communities have cultivated their very own culture

For decades, indigenous children in Canada were sent to Christian boarding schools for re-education, where many experienced abuse. Journalist Michel Jean has written about this trauma

Years ago, the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca resettled hundreds of Roma - next to a huge garbage dump. Some families fought back and managed to attract international attention

Politicians, the military, investors: in Sudan, key players are fighting over power and money. On how violence is flaring up again in a state that just won’t settle down

Valeriu Pocitari and Valeria Pocitari live over a thousand kilometres apart yet they chat almost daily. A father / daughter conversation between Moldova and Greece.

A Paris flat, three daughters and at least as many chosen relatives: The family of 63-year-old widower Mouss Ould Kaci redefines family ties. A visit to France

Since he can remember, there has been a deep rift between Daljit Nagra and his parents. He is ashamed of their narrow-mindedness; they despise his transformation into a “white man”. Memories of a difficult childhood

In her graphic novels, illustrator Liv Strömquist explores the everyday absurdities of being a mother — and the funny side of parenthood