Featured stories about Ideas
Stories about Ideas
How one Hindu devotee is using Trinidad & Tobago Carnival's ‘Jab Jab’ character to invoke sacred, feminine power
[S]he is bringing a diasporic consciousness of Jab Jab mas as descended from India [...] defying indenture-descended, male religious prerogative over when and how she can be Indian, woman and Hindu.
Biodynamic agripreneurs are set to trigger an organic farming trend in Nepal
A new wave of organic farming using biodynamic composts is becoming popular in Nepal. It is helping to revive the soil and also providing better harvests and yield.
Celebrating the ex-Yugoslav music scene, hall of fame style
Inspired by the Musicians Hall of Fame, American expat Will Richard set up the EX-Yugo Rock Center (EYRC) in Sarajevo, celebrating its legacy and impact during the last decades of the 20th century.
2022 was a bittersweet year for European comics
European comics creators and fans experienced some particular wins and losses during 2022. Some of them are presented in this non extensive listicle.
BBC Bangla issues its final broadcast after 81 years
BBC Bangla radio was a source of impartial and credible news during crises in Bangladesh over the decades. The closure of its radio broadcasts marks the end of an era.
Artists reimagine Jamaica’s Nanny of the Maroons as much more than a warrior queen
Jamaica's only woman National Hero, “Grandie Nanny,” as she is called, is commonly portrayed as a fierce warrior, but a new art exhibition tries to paint a more comprehensive picture.
Simple, seldom and sad — the weight of anniversaries
" ... the thing I have with Old Year’s Day comes from a childhood enchantment, a simple act that infused a sense that magical things were possible."
Self-taught Trinidadian photographer Jason C. Audain pushes boundaries with the use of AI
While some photographers may rue the day AI had such an impact, autodidact Jason C. Audain, known for his images of traditional Trinidad and Tobago Carnival characters, thinks otherwise.
Classical dance pushes the bounds of traditional gender identities in Cambodia
"The act of performing is constantly crossing lines of gender, time, space and even species."
Cartoonist Kianoush Ramazani: Hope in Iran during turbulent times
Award-winning political cartoonist and activist Kianoush Ramazani offers his thoughts on the Iranian people's resilience during the current demonstrations and the place of political cartoons among other forms of expression.
The journey of Trinidad's parang music, in one informative podcast
"Parang is not just a music of joy at the birth of Christ, but also tells part of the story of conquest and conversion."
Colmena: an open source media platform connecting Indigenous and rural communities
"The name 'Colmena', for me, represents a commitment to diversity."
First Balkan female analog astronaut Martina Dimoska talks about Mars exploration and space experiments
Young scientist and innovator Martina Dimoska from North Macedonia shares her experience while participating in an analog space mission in North Dakota, USA.
Anti-war Russians find a new home in Turkey
It is not entirely clear how many Russians have arrived thus far to Turkey since Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Explaining the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China: A new era
After five years, Xi Jinping's new era seems more characterized by authoritarianism, as reflected in its zero-COVID policies, the 2019 crackdown in Hong Kong and military drills across the Taiwan straits.
Queen Elizabeth II and British capitalism: The role of tropes and distractions
"[T]here are serious things to say about Queen Elizabeth II and her passing, but most of this will not be said, or will not be readily debated within the routine cultures of civil society."
‘A girl with a Hindu heart’
"I have what I have, which is as much as so many daughters and sons and children of Lakshmi have in the diaspora [when] they lack community ... I have my heart."
Klinika Bernardo pioneers, innovates community health care for HIV patients in the Philippines
"I thought my life had become meaningless. But here I am, helping others live on."
How the hot chilli pepper ‘Akabare’ came to tickle the taste-buds of Nepali noodle lovers
Nepal’s indigenous round-shaped hot chilli pepper, locally known as ‘Akabare’, has taken the Nepali noodle industry by storm and is forging ahead to the international markets.
In the face of stubborn adherence to outdated dress codes, one Trinidadian citizen gets creative
Allison Skinner-Bacchus, who had travelled quite a distance to cash a cheque and was denied entry because of her sleeveless attire, created a unique style to get her business done.
Is the ‘water machine of Bengal’ preventing more flood disasters in Bangladesh?
A recent study shows that pumping groundwater to irrigate agricultural lands in Bangladesh can create available subsurface storage for excess floodwater to be stored during the next monsoon.
