Stories about Youth from March, 2014
Why Learning Italian Still Makes Sense
As Italian publishing company Alma Edizioni was busy organizing an event about the Italian language in Rome, they received an unexpected letter [it] from someone who defined himself as a “disappointed student”: Why? What's the point of studying Italian today? […] No one wants to study a language that no...
Putin Brings Back Soviet-era Civil Defense Certification
Bringing back "Readiness to Labor and Defense" would "pay homage to [Russia's] national historical traditions."
How Police Have Turned Rio de Janeiro's Maré Favela Into a Battlefield
Thirteen residents of Maré, the largest favela complex in Rio de Janeiro, died during a police operation there in June 2013.
The Spanish Newspaper ABC Takes a Beating on Twitter after Publishing an Article against Masturbation
The article was published by a group of experts from the University of Navarra, which belongs to Opus Dei.
750 Million People Expected to Speak French by 2050
Countering the assertion by John McWhorter at the New republic that learning French is pointless, Pascal Emmanuel Gobry writes on his Forbes blog that French might just be the language of the future: French isn’t mostly spoken by French people, and hasn’t been for a long time now. The language is...
Sifting Through Conflicting Versions of India and Pakistan's Shared Past
The History Project compiles narratives from Pakistani and Indian history books to expose biases in the treatment of the 1947 Partition of India.
Taiwan's #CongressOccupied Protest, Translated
Hundreds of translators have organized themselves through Facebook to translate stories about protesters' occupation of Taiwan's legislature following the ruling party's passage of a controversial trade agreement with China.
Macedonian Students Demanding Better Living Conditions Called ‘Unpatriotic’
While most have supported Macedonian university students' online campaign to raise awareness about the unlivable conditions of dormitories in Skopje, one columnist called their efforts "unpatriotic".
Haitian-American Filmmakers’ Web Series Invites Women to Live, Laugh, Love (Part 1)
Haitian-born, U.S.-based director Francesca Andre has a new web series in the making, which has a lot to say about young women making their way in today's world.
The Appeal of WeChat and Self-Media in China
Tencent’s WeChat, semi-private messaging service has replaced Twitter-like Sina Weibo as a leading channel of alternative information. Tea Leaf Nation has explained the appeal of WeChat and “self-media” in general to young Chinese generation, and the implication of the sudden crackdown.
What Vybz Kartel's Conviction Says About Jamaican Justice & Dancehall
Since the Vybz Kartel murder conviction, Jamaica has been divided on the verdict, with upset fans maintaining his innocence and others feeling reassured about the workings of Jamaica's justice system.
The Underground Football Scene In Bangladesh
Football was once popular in Bangladesh and then cricket took over in the late nineteen nineties. However the appeal has not died. Padya Paramita digs into the Bangladeshi underground football scene: At the moment, the underground scene is very competitive, (as well as popular) and attracts large crowds with each...
Should Trinidad & Tobago Have Let Lev Tahor Through?
Earlier this month, Trinidad and Tobago sent members of a Jewish sect back to Canada to face child protection charges. Most netizens agree, but one blogger challenges the decision.
Academics and Experts to Discuss Digital Discrimination in Barcelona
The ICUD International Conference: Digital Discrimination and Social Networks takes place on March 13 and 14, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. It will be a discussion space for academics, researchers, Internet and sns experts, NGOs, knowledge providers, and anyone interested in the issues surrounding discrimination on the Internet, especially in regards...
Macedonian Students Campaign Against Unlivable Conditions in Dormitories
Macedonian students demanding better life conditions in public university dormitories published a blog entitled “Operacija studentski” [mk] (“Operation Dorm”) displaying photos of everyday life in the facilities and urging students to contribute. Many of the photos show highly inadequate living conditions in the student dormitories. The blog and photos have...
Philippines’ Makati City is Selfie Capital of the World
Makati City, the financial district of the Philippines, was tagged by TIME Magazine as the ‘selfie capital’ of the world. Curiously, it was listed alongside Pasig, an eastern suburb of Manila.
Our Berlin Wall in Syria
"Syrian Students for a better future" is a blog by Syrian scholarship students, who share their homesickness, hopes, doubts, worries, optimism and wishes for a better Syria.
New Macedonian Public Service Campaign Calls Drug Users “Mules”
Over the last seven years, the Government of the Republic of Macedonia has spent undisclosed amounts of taxpayers money to produce and air public service campaigns against drug use and drug trafficking. A new campaign has been launched by the government, calling drug users “mules”. Artist Ines Efremova tweeted: Слоганот...
South Korea: 6th Grader's ‘Frozen’ Tribute Video
Disney's Oscar-winning animated film ‘Frozen’ is immensely popular in South Korea; it has become the second most-watched foreign film as of last weekend by crossing 10 million admissions. Korean fans have posted lots of parody images, as well as Korean artists who have chimed in by singing the movie's catchy hit song...
Young Activists Battle Bad Parking Habits in Kazakhstan
A group of young activists in Pavlodar, a city in northeastern Kazakhstan, have founded a movement aimed at teaching manners to drivers. The young people confront motorists who park on sidewalks or in other improper places and ask them to move the vehicles to designated parking spots. The movement coordinates its...
VIDEO: Fashion Resistance to Militarism
The “Fashion Resistance to Militarism” [ja], a fashion show organized by Asian Women’s Association, a non-profit women's right organization to call attention to the issue of violence against women, took place on December 1, 2013. The full video is now available here.
