Stories about Culture
Belarus banned from 2021 Eurovision contest for controversial song lyrics
The European Broadcasting Union found Belarus to be "in breach of the rules of the competition that ensure the Contest is not instrumentalized or brought into disrepute."
North Macedonia forced to re-edit Eurovision music video following nationalist rage
North Macedonia's nationalists have weighed a campaign against singer Vasil Garvanliev for "spreading Bulgarian propaganda" -- as two frames in the original video showed an artwork with the colors of...
Cancellation of conference on 50th anniversary of the Bangladesh War of Liberation sparks criticism
The organisers gave no reason for the cancellation, but some see it as a worrying sign of the erosion of intellectual freedom.
Rape case involving major film star and senior politician reignites Serbia's #MeToo movement
The scandal comes on the heels of a similar development that sparked a new #MeToo movement in Serbia in January 2021.
The Laz people's mission to save their language from extinction
There could be anything between 30,000 to 200,000 speakers of Lazuri, the language of the modern Laz people. The majority of them still live in the historical region of Rize, in...
Biru Terong Initiative: Using the power of video for social change in Indonesia
"We use video to capture the social-economic reality of marginalised groups of society and use that footage to stimulate dialogue and learning."
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?”
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
Virtual exhibit commemorates 1971 ‘Diliman Commune’ protests in The Philippines
A virtual exhibit features a student-led uprising at The Philippines' top university 50 years ago that has become a symbol of resistance to dictatorial rule and oppression.
Trinidadian activist and writer Colin Robinson, who did the ‘work of social history,’ has died
"Imagination is as critical to social justice as power. Unless we imagine more just futures and how we get there, change won’t come."
Press freedom in Jammu and Kashmir: An interview with journalist Anuradha Bhasin
VideoVolunteers community correspondent Basharat Amin interviews Anuradha Bhasin, executive editor of the Daily Kashmir Times newspaper, to understand the present situation of freedom of the press in Jammu and Kashmir.
Reggae icon Bunny Wailer, last of the original ‘Wailers,’ passes away
"We remember with great pride how Bunny, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh took Reggae music to the four corners of the earth."
The misty beauty of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains captured on camera
The Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, recently designated a UNESCO world heritage site, celebrated its 28th anniversary with a photography competition. Here's a look at the winning entries.
Myanmar illustrators unite to distribute protest art for free
"Like all other Myanmar citizens, artists want to contribute to the national struggle... artists can assist other protesters with our artworks..."
Philippines’ ‘Paradis Island’ has a message for ‘Attack on Titan’ fans
"We are an innocent island in a lake in Laguna and we have nothing to do with Titans."
Guatemala's ‘La Llorona’ fuses horror and politics to tell a haunting tale of the civil war
"La Llorona" is the first Central American film to ever be shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the Golden Globes, which will be held on February 28.
Updating Uyghur: The power of online discussions for language preservation
Though spoken by over 10 million people, the Uyghur language is struggling to adapt to modern life and overcome heavy censorship and language elimination in China
Prominent Harvard professor pilloried for peddling revisionist history about wartime ‘comfort women’
Historians familiar with wartime sexual slavery perpetrated by Japanese armed forces point out that the professor, J. Mark Ramseyer, has long championed historical revisionism.
Downtown Kingston’s new murals brighten Jamaica’s COVID-19 gloom
Jamaica's creative sector, which had begun to show many 'green shoots' prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, has been particularly hard hit — but it is forging ahead in novel ways.
