Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from December, 2015
The Tragic Rise of Child Abduction as a Business in Madagascar in 2015
"I would not wish such a nightmare on my worst enemy. The Malagasy population feels completely helpless in the face of this wave of children kidnapping."
Is It Not Democracy If Voters in Rwanda Want a ‘Life President'?
After 98% of Rwandans voted to change the constitution to allow President Kagama to run for a third term in 2017, some hit back at Western criticism of the results.
32 Stories That Capture the Happiness, Heartache and Resilience of 2015
Global Voices’ community-driven newsroom worked hard this year to build understanding across borders. Take a look back at some of the people and places we learned about in 2015.
The Best Stories of 2015, Handpicked by the Global Voices Community
We asked our editors, authors and translators from around the world which stories published on our site in 2015 were their favorites. Here's what they said.
Ethiopia Censors Satellite TV Channels as Student Protests Draw Global Media Attention
"If the regime thinks it can cut our audience off from receiving OMN news and programs, they are too dumb to understand what we are made of."
The Gambia Turns Talk Into Action, Passes Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Bill
After President Jammeh announced an executive ban on the practice hardly a month ago, lawmakers made good on the sentiment.
The Francophone World's Uplifting Stories in 2015
We collect collects a few of the happy events you might have missed while distracted by so much of the gloom in 2015.
The 7 Most-Read Stories of 2015 on Global Voices
The following seven stories received the most attention from audiences and also received hundreds of shares, likes and comments on social media and our site.
Christmas Around the World in 17 Photos
Many thanks to the Global Voices members who shared photos from their celebrations and Christmas dinner tables.
Advox by the Numbers: 2015 in Digital Rights
In 2015, Turkey blocked 166 websites for publishing one controversial image, Thai activists knocked 5 government websites offline in a virtual "sit-in", and Mexico spent $6.3 million on surveillance software.
Countries Declare States of Emergency in the Face of El Niño
“This El Niño and human-induced climate change may interact and modify each other in ways which we have never before experienced. El Niño is turning up the heat even further.”
In Kenya, So Much Depends on the Orange Flesh Sweet Potato
Women in Kenya often don't go for prenatal visits, but now there's one way to get them to the clinic: sweet potatoes they grow for their families and to sell.
Ethiopia Faces Famine Despite ‘Unprecedented’ Economic Growth
"According to some inside Ethiopia, NGO’s are being warned not to use the words “famine, starvation or death” in their food appeals."
How Maasai Women in Kenya Are Helping to Make Lush Brand Cosmetics
Women are making money growing aloe, and selling the leaves to the British cosmetics company Lush. They’re also harvesting honey, growing food and raising goats. It’s a sustainable ecosystem.
Mapping for Niger, as Told by One of the Project's Volunteers
The project faces limited logistical, financial, and human resources as well as a general ignorance of Open Data, making each activity realized a feat of volunteer passion and activism.
Netizen Report: Tales of Torture from Ethiopia’s Jails
Netizens give chilling account of inhumane treatment in Ethiopia's prison system. Meanwhlie, sedition laws levy strict penalties for netizens in Thailand, Malaysia.
The Complexities of Adapting to Climate Change in Benin
Poverty, practicalities and lack of awareness can complicate efforts to do so, experts at a conference on development and climate change in Benin concluded.
Ethiopian Netizens Defend Themselves in Court After 525 Days of Detention
Left to defend themselves in court, Ethiopian netizens reject charges of anti-government activity and describe torture and ethnic discrimination in prison.
Nigerian Lawmakers May Criminalize ‘Abusive’ and Anti-Government Messages Online
Nigeria's social media landscape is poised for dramatic changes, if lawmakers get their way with a new bill that would make it possible to sentence Internet bullies to prison time.
Climate Change Could Already Be Displacing More People Than War
"We see a narrative of sustained suffering and sustained adaptation until a tipping point is reached and then a decision to migrate is taken.”
How Culturally Sensitive Mental Healthcare Helped One Somali-American Teenager Stay Resilient
She survived hunger and homelessness. Then she had to figure out her identity.
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