Displaced persons at the Darfur border in Sudan. Screenshot from theFrance24 YouTube Channel For the victims of Sudan’s civil war, a humanitarian crisis and human rights violations have become part of their everyday lives. In the Republic of Sudan, there is an ongoing civil war between two opposing military factions: the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under General Abdel Fattah al Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (FSR) under General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti. This war stems from the country’s dark past and chaotic governance under former president Omar al-Bashir from 1989 to ...
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People in downtown Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul's capital, after the city was invaded by the Guaíba River's waters, this May 5, 2024. Photo by Gustavo Mansur/ Palácio Piratini, used under licenseCC BY-NC 2.0. On April 27, MetSul, a meteorology agency, posted on X (former Twitter) a warning about a cold front, heavy rain, gales, and hail, and risks of severe weather in parts of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil's southernmost state. This is the same state that endured three climate disasters in 2023 alone, with 80 people confirmed dead and many cities hit. The following day, the agency posted anothe...
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Journalists discuss the state of media in the Solomon Islands. Screenshot from the YouTube video of MASI: Media Association of Solomon Islands posted in May 2022. Fair use. Media groups, heads of state, and free speech advocates across the Pacific marked World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) on May 3, by emphasizing the role of upholding the right to information in addressing the impact of the climate crisis in the region. The theme of WPFD this year, “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis,” resonates with the work being done by media groups in the Pacific. The st...
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Screenshot from Taiwan Plus News YouTube channel. In an era where traditional diplomatic norms face challenges, Taiwan and Somaliland, two de facto states not recognized by the UN and a majority of countries, are pioneering a unique approach toward international relations. Through people-to-people diplomacy, they navigate the complexities of non-recognition, forging meaningful connections that transcend conventional state boundaries. The 1961 Vienna Convention establishes a comprehensive framework for initiating, sustaining, and concluding diplomatic relations, based on mutual consent among so...
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Alberto holding a copy of this translation from Chi Ta-wei's book ”膜“ (”Membranes“ in the official English version). Photo used with permission. Taiwanese literature is finally getting international recognition after years of often being presented as a branch of Chinese literature in global book fairs and publishing house catalogues. This is mostly thanks to a combined effort of Taiwanese cultural institutions, and to a new generation of translators who focus on Taiwanese literature. The result is the emergence of a number of Taiwanese literature collections in non-Taiwanese publishing houses,...
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Bassirou Diomaye Faye, president of the Republic of Senegal. Screenshot from the Senegal7 YouTube Channel. Fair use. On March 24, 2024, Bassirou Diomaye Faye became the youngest elected president in the history of Senegal at just 44 years of age. Faye subsequently entered office on his birthday on March 25. This story is truly remarkable, given that just six months ago, Faye was still in the shadow of his former mentor, opposition leader and former presidential candidate, Ousmane Sonko. First career in state institutionsIn 2000, Faye graduated from Lycée Demba Diop in Mbour, a coastal town 80 ...
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Illustration by Minority Africa, used with permission. This story was written by Mzizi Dawa and originally published by Minority Africa on April 22, 2024, and an edited version is republished on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement. Sabel, a gay man living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, uses pseudonyms to engage with other LGBTQ+ people online. Despite feeling somewhat anonymous, the fear of being arrested is ever-present. “Online, we are free to express our identities under anonymous names, but people have and are still being arrested, so a Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides ...
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Screenshot from YouTube video by Abhi and Niyu via Zoom.Earth. April 7, 2024. Fair use. A scorching heatwave is ravaging South and Southeast Asia, impacting hundreds of millions with its intense heat. With April temperatures shattering previous records, the region is witnessing extreme weather patterns, wildfires, and tragic heat-related deaths. Schools have been forced to close, agricultural production and storage of perishable foods have been disrupted, and the risk of heatstroke and other health problems has risen significantly. Climate scientist Roxy Koll tweeted: The entire Indo-Pacific i...
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Jazz May Festival. Author: Donatas Dapkus. CC BY-SA 3.0 International Jazz Day is celebrated on April 30. The date has been chosen at the initiative of UNESCO and celebrated since 2011, under the premise that this musical genre is capable of ‘promoting peace, dialogue, and mutual understanding.’ Independent media outlet ‘Novaya Vkladka’ examined the jazz festivals in different regions of Russia and their fate. Some projects ceased to exist after the start of the Russian war with Ukraine, while others continue to be held, albeit often dependent on local authorities and state grants. Global Voic...
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Alicia Bowen-McCulskie, founder and executive director of Circle of Care Jamaica. Photo by Bokeh Clicks Fotos, used with permission. “Don’t tell your mother because she will beat you.” Not only did those words stay with Alicia Bowen-McCulskie, the founder and executive director of Circle of Care Jamaica, from the age of five; they also impacted how she has lived her life. The threat had come from her first abuser who, by instilling fear in his victim, secured a lifetime of secrecy and ultimately, his own protection. The weight of the secret, however, scarred Bowen-McCulskie until 2022, when sh...
Global Voices
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