Stories about Culture
30 September 2016
Pakistani Actors in Bollywood Receive Hate as the India-Pakistan Diplomatic Tussle Escalates
"...culture and art and sport should be without boundaries and borders. These are the two areas which bring people together and encourage understanding of other cultures."
French Diversity Raises an Eyebrow at Nicolas Sarkozy’s ‘Our Ancestors Are the Gauls’ Declaration
"When you're six years old and you read that your ancestors were Gauls, with fair hair and blue eyes... it wasn't only us who giggled, it was the teacher, too.”
28 September 2016
Russian TV Airs ‘Separatist Coca-Cola’ Prank Video As Real News Footage
A practical joke published on YouTube has made it to network television in Russia, where it was aired as real footage of ethnic tension in Ukraine.
‘When Your Palms Itch, You Will Receive Money’, and Other African Myths
Africans are sharing common myths they've heard on Twitter under the hashtag #100AfricanMyths.
A Lavish Iranian TV Series Revises the History of the 1953 Coup for the Post-Nuclear Deal Age
Iran's 1953 coup d'état is widely depicted as a rupture in the modern history of Iran. It is also a Pandora’s box filled with contested narratives.
27 September 2016
Uzbekistan's Late President Islam Karimov Leaves an Enduring and Terrifying Legacy
Unlike his regional counterparts he didn't build a cult of personality, but while in power Uzbekistan's Islam Karimov exercised an iron-fisted control over his citizens—and over narratives about the country.
Artist Draws Attention to the Plight of Child Laborers and Young Women in Myanmar
"Art becomes more important for the people to see and feel the reality, and motivate them to make changes in society."
‘No Embarrassment’ Photo Exhibition in Moscow Ends Early Under Pressure From Conservative Activists
Conservative activists pressured the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography in Moscow to close Jock Sturges' photo exhibition, arguing that his work violated Russia's laws against child pornography.
26 September 2016
What Will Happen to Colombia's Youth in the Aftermath of War?
"I'm a direct victim of war and armed conflict. Yet if I have to give my hand to the murderers, I'm ready to do so because I believe in forgiveness."
This Soviet Cartoon Was Too Much for Romania’s Communist Censors
According to the documentary "Chuck Norris vs Communism," Romania's state censorship board actually banned scenes from an episode of the classic Soviet cartoon "Nu Pogodi."
25 September 2016
The Beginning Autumn Gives Japanese People a Great Excuse to Post to Social Media
It's that time of year when pictures of flowers, food, and cats are washing over Twitter in Japan.
23 September 2016
A Specially Designed Keyboard Allows Yorùbá and Igbo Speakers to Type Their Languages
"With this keyboard, we are addressing technical barriers to the use of Yorùbá and Igbo online."
22 September 2016
In Bulgaria, an Example of How Refugees Need Not Be a Problem, but a Solution
Refugees can help solve shortages of workers—if they're given the chance.
A Toxic Mix of Illegal Logging and Corruption Is Devastating Europe’s Last Primeval Forests
The documentary film “Clear Cut Crime” shows the toxic effects of collusion between illegal logging and politicians in Romania and Ukraine.
21 September 2016
Life in Russia After Porn
A week after Russian censors banned two of the most popular pornography websites around, ordinary Web users are firing back with an online flashmob that mixes satire and protest.
Theatre Helps Heal Wounds After Ecuador's Devastating Earthquake
Ecuadorians have found a way to heal from the damage caused by the strongest earthquake in the country's history: art, laughter, and solidarity.
19 September 2016
There's a Premier Dinosaur Museum in Japan's Oft-Overlooked Fukui Prefecture
The Fukui Dinosaur Museum is one of the top tourism attractions in Japan, allowing visitors to get an up-close look at fossil remains from millennia gone by.
18 September 2016
‘Convenient Outrage’ in Trinidad & Tobago Over Demolition of Dance Pioneer Beryl McBurnie's House
"What's the point of outrage now if you didn't actually give any thought to the deterioration of this historical building over the years?"
Iron Maiden and Turkish Folk Music? That's What Inspires This Cretan Musician.
The island of Crete is a crossroads for migrants and refugees. It's there that musician Stelios Petrakis finds his inspiration.
