Stories about English from March, 2021
Kenya police turn to Twitter PR as the arrest of a blogger goes against public opinion
“Somehow, the [Directorate of Criminal Investigations] believes that PR, and specifically ‘live-tweeting,’ will change Kenyans' perception without bringing about the much needed reforms within the force.”
Myanmar's anti-coup protesters include DIY shields, women’s sarongs in their defensive arsenal
Myanmar's security forces have become more brutal in suppressing the anti-coup movement but protesters have devised creative and unusual tactics to survive and avoid the riot police.
How a youth movement is challenging the political old guard in Namibia
Job Amupanda, university teacher and leader of the Affirmative Repositioning movement went from advocating for land reform to being elected as mayor of Namibia's capital city, Windhoek.
The ‘tree of life’ that's under threat in Trinidad
Naturally occurring moriche palm populations exist in only six locations in Trinidad, but are under threat, predominantly because of unregulated human impact.
Women ‘don’t have to fit themselves into someone else's perception,’ says Turkish aerospace engineer
An interview Gökçin Çınar, a 30-year-old aerospace engineering researcher from Turkey working at Georgia Tech, in the United States.
Exiled activists launch the ‘2021 Hong Kong Charter,’ a vision for the future of the pro-democracy movement
"Hongkongers, whether in Hong Kong or overseas, are capable of overriding the script written by the state and instead write their own story."
An interview with a blogger who connects Myanmar and Hong Kong's dream for democracy
"Exchanges among activists could help reflect on the inadequacy of local protests and develop a wider horizon in understanding the significance of the pro-democracy movement in Asia."
How India's new internet regulations will change social media, online news and video streaming
If failing to comply, social media platforms could lose intermediary immunity, which means they could be prosecuted for content posted by its users.
The Caribbean's foremost literary festival has released its 2021 longlist; Trinidad & Tobago writers dominate
“Where else would you find Trinidadian street food in the same volume as an appraisal of Thom Gunn's poetry, or Dylan Thomas rubbing shoulders with soca?”
Sunday's death toll rises to 71 in crackdown on anti-coup protesters in Myanmar
"These shooting[s] are totally unacceptable. They are not dispersing the protests. They are just murdering the people with violence."
Could the Venezuelan oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea still pose an environmental threat?
Nearly five months after the initial October 2020 inspection, Trinidad and Tobago officials have not yet conducted a follow-up, despite their own recommendation that one should be done within a month.
Sri Lanka reverses decision to bury COVID-19 victims on remote island after protests
Iranaithivu islanders objected to the Sri Lankan government’s decision to allow the burial of COVID-19 victims, following the reversal of a ban on cremations that affected Muslim and Christian communities
‘Aurat March’ 2021 presents feminist healthcare manifesto in Pakistan
Saying that COVID-19 enabled a "Pandemic of Patriarchy," the marchers demanded the government increase the health budget to 5 per cent of GDP so that women may get better healthcare.
In the streets and online, Myanmar's citizens unite in creative opposition to the military junta
"The protests have also been highly inclusive, welcoming people representing a diversity of professions and identities, including people from a range of religious faiths and from the LGBTQ community."
Trinidad & Tobago minister declares ‘safest time for sea turtles’ despite spike in poaching
Leatherback turtle nesting season is well underway, but conservation groups are up in arms over COVID-19 restrictions, which currently block them from doing nightly beach patrols to protect the turtles.
Jamaica's first vaccination day brings optimism, though COVID-19 numbers continue to soar
"As more people get vaccinated, share their experiences, and the effects of fewer [...] severe cases of disease are documented, more people who are currently hesitant about [vaccination] will become willing."
How COVID-19 ramped up a simmering hostility between Brazil and China
While governments around the world scrambled to secure vials of the COVID-19 vaccine, Bolsonaro refused to negotiate with drug companies, especially the Chinese ones.
Baloch protests in Iran underscore repression against the ethnic minority
Sandwiched between borders of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, the Baloch population is a disenfranchised minority relegated to the fringes of society, provided little economic opportunity, and systematically targeted by state violence.
Called a prostitute by the prime minister, a Slovenian journalist tells her story
"The space for civil society and media in Slovenia has been in decline since Prime Minister Janez Janša’s government came into power in March 2020."
Scenes from Myanmar’s deadliest week as coup enters second month
"They are so determined to see the death of the military dictatorship, there is simply no way their movement can die."
On International Women's Day, Trinidad & Tobago citizens #ChooseToChallenge gender-based violence
In the wake of two recent high-profile murders, Trinbagonians advocated for tangible steps to be taken to protect women.