Stories about English from September, 2017
Africans in Solidarity Online With Rohingya People Over Their Persecution in Myanmar (Burma)
"Silence is consent. Our silence is troubling. We need to speak out about this, we need to get angry, we need to help them."
On Telegram, Russian Politics and Memes Translate Into Big Bucks
One of the most popular Telegram channels made the headlines in the Russian press in September 2017 when it was sold for 5.5 million rubles (US$95,000).
If You Want To Understand Brazil, You Should Check out Its Memes
"Brazilians don't care if you don't understand their language and their jokes, they will talk to you — or Katy Perry, or Nicki Minaj — as if you were Brazilian”
Saudi Women Activists Win Driving Victory in Shadow of Guardianship System and Wave of Arrests
Saudi women may soon be able to drive. However, they continue to face discriminatory barriers under the kingdom's male guardianship system.
Sri Lanka Condemns Mob Attack Against Rohingya Refugees by Buddhist Monks
"I condemn these actions as a Buddhist who is very proud of the fact that Buddhism is a religion of non-violence & compassion."
A Pro-Environmental Campaign Pushes the Jamaican Prime Minister’s Public Petition Page Into the Limelight
Cockpit Country is an ecological gem, under threat from bauxite mining. As an online petition to save the area attracts support, Jamaicans find a new way to engage their government.
Malaysia Detained Turkish Scholar Mustafa Akyol for ‘Unauthorized Teaching’ of Religion
"By policing religion, authorities are not really protecting it. They are only enfeebling their societies, raising hypocrites and causing many people to lose their faith in or respect for Islam."
Nigeria's Youth Are Rallying for the ‘Not Too Young to Run’ Bill
"The world is WATCHING The 8th National Assembly. Vote 'Yes' to remove age barrier as it would reduce inequality"
The Unsung Heroes of the 2017 Floods in Mumbai, India
"...I want to ask this government, is the cleanliness of the streets the only important thing? What about the people who do this work?”
#WhereIsMySchool? Parents Fight for Proper Education for Children with Disabilities in Bosnia
"More and more parents...refuse to accept the social stigma that comes with developmental difficulties, and reject the misguided notion that they have to carry all the weight themselves."
Clapping Back Against Online Xenophobia, Trinidad & Tobago Citizens Continue to Help Hurricane-Ravaged Dominica
"I apologise for our having here persons who are less charitable and more ungracious in your time of trouble. They do not represent the majority of us."
‘Immigrants, We Get The Job Done’ Music Video Spotlights Injustice in the US and Beyond
The song and video depicts an ignored working class, living in the shadows often victims of war crimes, police brutality, labor exploitation, anti-immigrant violence and senseless death.
Despite Censorship, a Former Chinese Soldier Brags of His War Crimes Online
On WeChat, Zhang boasted of killing a woman and raping her teenage daughter in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
After Years of Cultural Appropriation, Mayan Weavers Want Legal Protection for Their Heritage
“...our work is not being valued [...] Rather, there has been an appropriation and a commodification of the culture and the designs.”
Purple March Unites a Thousand Malaysian Women Against ‘Toxic Politics’
"It was quite a sight to behold. 1,000 people does not sound like a lot, but in Malaysia...protesting is not looked upon kindly..."
As Italy and Egypt Strengthen Diplomatic Ties, Will Giulio Regeni’s Murder Case See Justice?
Did Italy give up on the quest for Giulio Regeni's killers so Egypt would help Italy block migration to Europe?
Myanmar Government Vows to Address Refugee Crisis in Rakhine State, but Avoids Saying ‘Rohingya’
"Aung San Suu Kyi today demonstrated that she and her government are still burying their heads in the sand over the horrors unfolding in Rakhine State."
Is Ex-Soviet Georgia Backsliding on Justice?
While Georgia still scores respectably in international rule of law rankings, public confidence in the justice system is dipping.
Saudi Arabia Eases Restrictions on Messaging Apps, But WhatsApp and Viber Are Still Blocked
Since 2013, the Saudi government has partially or fully blocked chat and call applications including WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger and FaceTime.
Criticism of Trinidad & Tobago's State Enterprise System Follows Fraud Allegation Against Oil Supplier
"The State enterprise system is the vehicle by which the unholy facilitations are carried out [...] It has been destructive of honesty, accountability and transparency."
Are Hazardous Vapors Seeping Into Basements Across the United States?
The movement of underground contaminants into buildings is attracting increased scrutiny from health experts, advocates and agencies.
