Stories from July, 2022
Umasoye: A language activist who uses technology to make learning Ekpeye fun
Umasoye is a digital language activist from Nigeria that is using media tools to make the preservation and teaching of the Ekpeye language fun and engaging for younger generations.
Curbing noise pollution in Trinidad & Tobago: Whose job is it, anyway?
The Summary Offences Act “clearly states that the police have the primary jurisdiction when it comes to noise, especially from the [music] trucks."
Why has Swahili not become Africa’s unifying language?
Despite all of these countries' strong intentions to make Kiswahili their motherland's lingua franca, geo-political differences and foreign influence remain as some of the obstacles that jeopardize its success.
Turkish football fans chant ‘Vladimir Putin’ during match against Kyiv
Aggravated Turkish football fans chanted "Vladimir Putin" during a match again the Ukrainian Dynamo Kyiv team, in a reference to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. International scandal followed.
Exploring Nigeria’s Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Arts
The Pan-Atlantic University, Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Arts — Nigeria's first university museum — by hosting the ‘Invisible Hands’ exhibition, provided a counter-narrative to the historical erasure of Nigerian women artists.
How this Tunisian island brings Muslims and Jews together
“Djerba remains a melting pot of civilizations and a land of peace and tolerance for all, from which emanates a message of love and peace.”
Azerbaijan and EU energy deal prioritizes energy over human rights
Azerbaijan and EU sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the capital Baku outlining the plans for a strategic energy deal. Critics view the new deal with skepticism.
War in Ukraine is fundamentally changing the relationship between the internet and geopolitics
Russia's invasion of Ukraine confirmed what internet and war scholars have long predicted: the line between civil and military reality is being erased, further fracturing the world along "sovereign internets."
Sri Lanka: The evolution of the Gotagogama protest site and its periphery, in photos
Sri Lankan photographer Sandesh Bartlett captures how the peaceful occupy protest against the Rajapaksa government at Galle Face Green in the capital Colombo materialized, from March to July 2022.
Will US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visit Taiwan, despite China’s ‘forceful’ warning?
The US House and Taiwan support the visit. China threatened "forceful measures" if Pelosi proceeds and the US military said "it's not a good idea." Will Pelosi make it to Taiwan?
World Cup theme songs through the ages
World Cup Theme Songs: A Sneak Peek into the Past to the Present
Georgia’s ruling party antagonizes Western officials amid EU bid
Since October 2020, Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party has dragged the country into political uncertainty. The party's decision to apply for candidacy into the EU has been stalled amid international tensions.
Two abortion controversies expose the hypocrisy of ‘pro-life’ defenders in Brazil
Two public cases raised questions about abortion access in Brazil. One in which an 11-year-old faced difficulties to access legal abortion, and another over adoption after rape.
Why visa privilege is a press freedom issue
Being able to leave your country is an indispensable professional necessity for journalists — wherever they are based.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Brazil
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Brazil is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Digital authoritarianism in Bangladesh: Weaponising a draconian law to silence dissent in the pandemic era
The COVID-19 pandemic provided the government with a pretext to censor free speech, harass critics, and effectively curb dissent – accelerating what has been an ongoing turn towards authoritarianism in Bangladesh.
Mother of jailed Egyptian ex-lawmaker turns to social media in her quest for justice
“All that mattered was to express the pain brewing inside me, and to keep alerting people to the arrest of prisoners of conscience who do not deserve being arrested”.
Activist Emre Pshigusa talks about his work revitalizing the Circassian-Kabardian language
Through his research of the Circassian-Kabardian language at Ohio State University, Emre has been motivated to promote the language in digital spaces for its preservation.
Superstar wrestler jailed for murder as high crime rate alarms Mongolians
The court of the Khan-Uul district of the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar sentenced the champion judoka and the former president of the Mongolian National Olympic Committee Tüvshinbayar to 16 years in jail
In a blow to regional unity, Kiribati leaves the Pacific Islands Forum
"It is meant to be a reminder to us all that our solidarity and unity as a region is dependent on how we treat each other with respect and understanding."
Digital connectivity projects reduce climate change impacts in Gran Chaco, South America
Connectivity and access to technology allow the Gran Chaco communities to organize, communicate and react in a more timely manner to climatic emergencies.
