Stories about Culture
15 November 2019
Malaysian writer faces probe after publishing a book about her decision to not wear a hijab
"It is important for us to remind the government that freedom of expression is not a crime and freedom of religious beliefs is not an insult to Islam."
9 November 2019
What the door knockers in Colombia's Cartagena de Indias tell us about the city's history
Add beautiful door knockers to your list of reasons to visit Cartagena de Indias in Colombia.
8 November 2019
Was this Nigerian English language film too English for an Oscar nomination?
Lionheart, Nigeria's first-ever Oscar submission for best international feature film was disqualified by award organizers because it has too much dialogue in English.
7 November 2019
‘Hypersensitive’ or ‘horror'? Trinidad church mired in fashion show controversy
"Even though the church might promote the positive aspects of the culture [...] due care must be taken to ensure that participants do not cross the line into negativity and...
6 November 2019
#iamrabipirzada campaign supports Pakistani actress Rabi Pirzada after nude photos leaked
The Rabi Pirzada incident shows how people are personally attacked for their freedom of expression in Pakistan.
3 November 2019
Will collective farming by artists save one of Manila's remaining urban fields?
"As peasant advocates aiming at promoting agroecology, we want to participate in agricultural production."
‘Everybody is looking for authenticity': A conversation with South African artist Siwa Mgoboza
South African multidisciplinary visual artist Siwa Mgoboza is one of the most dynamic emerging artists in the African art scene.
2 November 2019
For the first time ever, a doctoral dissertation was defended in the Quechua language in Peru
"In 468 years, no one had defended a doctoral dissertation in any indigenous language in our country. Roxana Quispe did it this year. She wants promote Quechua in academia."
1 November 2019
Celebrating “Mundane Halloween” in Japan
"Mundane Halloween" has become an October tradition in Japan.
30 October 2019
Zanzibar zooms in on the future of visual arts in Africa
Visual Arts Festival Zanzibar brought together artists from Zanzibar and across Africa for a week of conversations, workshops and panels on the current state of visual arts.
28 October 2019
DreamWorks’ ‘Abominable’ film banned in Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines for showing China’s claim over disputed seas
"We have to engage with them, and they are sensible people...They are just being misled."
26 October 2019
One of the few certainties of the Chilean crisis is the shadow of the past
In the midst of the turmoil in Chile, there's one point on which both the radical right and radical left concur: that this moment has overtones of the 1973 coup...
Yugoslavia wasn't a Soviet ally—so why does that misconception persist in Western media?
The Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia's independence from both the Eastern and the Western blocs was a key feature of its national identity.
25 October 2019
The struggle of the Bolivian feminist chola is now online
Yolanda Mamani, a feminist chola who started fighting for her rights as a child domestic worker, now take her talkative style to her radio show, blog and YouTube channel.
24 October 2019
Kanye West's use of Jamaican symbols sparks national dialogue on ‘branding’
"Successive political administrations have never fully appreciated the economic value of the brand ‘Jamaica’ nor the symbols that [represent] that brand including its flag and its coat of arms..."
Portuguese rapper causes controversy for portraying domestic violence in music video
Dozens of women's rights associations criticized the rapper Valete, who responded saying the controversy was "empty".
22 October 2019
Remains of Trinidad and Tobago's First Peoples returned to resting place
The remains of 60 indigenous ancestors were reinterred in a ceremony to properly honour the dead and recognise the importance of the local First Peoples community.
Hong Kong political scientist likens Hongkongers to a stateless nation
'... to balance the interests of China, the US and HK people, the city needs a truly democratic self-government that can represent HK people's interests and understand the complexity of...
21 October 2019
First Thai female Theravada monk named one of BBC’s 100 most influential women
Dhammananda’s efforts to re-establish the Theravada bhikkhuni (female monastic) lineage in Thailand have been met with resistance from both the laity and monks who are against ordaining women.
20 October 2019
Tweeting South Asian art
“Positive representation of Desi artists is incredibly necessary to create a progressive, culturally evolving society.”
