Stories about Western Europe from March, 2018
How English-Language Pronouns Are Taught Around the World
Globally, close to 1 billion people are learning English as a Foreign Language and all of them encounter binary gender pronouns from the earliest lessons.
Top Manta: A Brand and a Victory in the Fight of Street Vendors of Barcelona
With Top Manta's creation, Spain's informal workers open the door to new possibilities and recognize a victory in their daily confrontation against police violence and European authorities' institutional racism.
A Romanian in the UK: On the Thin Line Between ‘Undesirable Migrant’ and ‘Welcomed Contributor’
"No more "bad migrant"-"good migrant" division games. People's lives do not fit in a tickbox. Politicians should listen to more real migrant stories to understand."
The Dystopian Reality of Being an ‘Accidental American’
"In this dystopian world, you occupy a special place... You've never had any relationship or communication with the US authorities. You don’t have any US paper except your birth certificate."
Hitting a Low Point in the Low Countries
"But I’ve also become Dutch in more insidious ways."
Homages to Stephen Hawking in Latin America's Media Show How Mourning for the Scientist Transcends Borders
"Everybody knew about Stephen Hawking's cosmic brilliance, but few understood it. Not even first-class astronomers."
What Were Global Voices’ Readers up to Last Week?
During the week of March 12-18, 2018, our stories and translations attracted readers from the majority of the world's countries. Number 99 on the list? Ghana. And number 20? Madagascar.
Anti-Islam TV Spot in the Netherlands Has Dutch Calling for More Love, Less Hate
"Everyday we need to tell each other that their hatred will be defeated by the intrinsic need for peace; to live together; not to hate each other; but to love."
Why Did Women Journalists Strike in Spain?
"...it only took a few women initiating the movement for all of us to dive in headfirst, because the inequalities we face are the same."
From Graffiti to Politics, Anti-Semitic and Neo-Nazi Speech Is Becoming More Visible in Eastern Europe
Activists in the region have been sounding the alarm about increasingly emboldened hate speech against Jewish people and apology for perpetrators of the Holocaust.
Millions of People Take to the Streets in the Largest Show of Support for the Feminist Struggle in Spain's History
Almost six million people joined the international strike on March 8, and hundreds of thousands took to the streets to demand firm measures against gender discrimination and sexist violence.
What Were Global Voices’ Readers up to Last Week?
During the week of March 5-11, 2018, our stories and translations attracted readers from 208 countries. Number 159 on the list? Guyana. And number 15? Kazakhstan.
Can Germany's ‘Lex Facebook’ Be Saved? A Business and Human Rights Analysis
Germany's NetzDG forces companies to police hate speech or face astronomical fines for persistent violations of up to 50 million Euro. Is this a good way to solve the problem?
Finland's Reindeer-Herding Sámi Women Fight Climate Change
“We are born to be reindeer herders; it's part of our identity...It's hard to think about your life without it.”
How Greek Anti-Nationalist Satire Was Misunderstood as Hate Speech in Macedonian Media
"...the problem is we are so alienated from each other as peoples and as individuals that we are prepared to expect the worst in each other..."
Is France Finally Facing up to Its Homelessness Problem?
"I'm #SDF [no fixed abode] but I'm also a human being and full citizen...I have the right to protest about situations which disgust me"
What Were Global Voices’ Readers up to Last Week?
During the week of February 26-March 4, 2018, our stories and translations attracted readers from 204 countries. Number 129 on the list? Martinique. And number 13? Taiwan.
10,000 Belgians March for Migrants’ Rights in Brussels
Demonstrators are protesting a proposed law that grants police the right to raid homes in their search for undocumented people, something they fear is becoming all too common.
An Interactive ‘Garden’ Lets You Travel the World Through Radio Broadcasts
Since late 2016, the interactive Radio Garden project has allowed users to explore the world through radio broadcasts.
Idrissa Diallo: From an Unmarked Grave to the Symbol of Migrant Struggle in Spain
Idrissa Diallo died in policy custody in Barcelona. Today, the city is mobilising to pay tribute to his life and asking for his name to be given to a square.