Stories from August, 2022
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Russia
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Russia is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
A mother confesses to killing her child in Trinidad & Tobago, prompting discussion on violence, depression, poverty and mental health
"There is a lot of speculation [with] blame on state agencies [but] no one, unless familiar with the situation should be making any judgement."
How to solve nonprofit organisations’ ‘work-for-free’ dilemma?
"As college costs rise, students have more need than ever for money-earning jobs to help finance their education. Yet, nonprofits in the US allow these debt-ridden students to work for free."
A crowdsourced map in Turkey targeting stray dogs leads to public outcry
Havrita was launched in May 2022, but a spike in the number of poisoned stray dogs has brought the website under scrutiny in recent days.
Esperanto: Can the language of idealism face reality?
"By justifying the neutral stance it holds, the Esperantist community fails to criticize any unequal status within the world in which we live"
Are Carnival revellers in Trinidad & Tobago getting their money's worth?
Some say, "They cannot be serious." Others maintain, "You can't put a price on memories."
Chinese police detains a woman wearing Japanese Kimono, sparking outrage on social media
A police officer from Suzhou city in Jiangsu province, China, arrested a woman for wearing a traditional Japanese Kimono while taking photos on Huaihai street, a Japanese cuisine district.
The ‘war on drugs’ probe faces a setback as the Philippines refuses to rejoin the ICC
"Marcos' premise is incorrect - there is no genuine investigation in the Philippines into the government policy or pattern of activities that has led to crimes against humanity."
Undertones: Anti-war activity is not over in Russia, says Russian researcher
"It's hard to know all that is being done, because journalism is nearly dead, even though there is still a lot going on in spite of circumstances."
Rap battles in São Paulo seek to strengthen marginalized culture and identity
The events bet on expansion, with the number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 growing in Brazil and with a widening social media presence.
Myanmar detains Japanese journalist who covered protest
"We call for freedom of expression and the protection of journalists in Myanmar and abroad."
As part of a beloved square is cordoned off for construction, Trinidadians defend their right to green space
Those involved in the project say they have conducted consultations, but stakeholders seem blindsided — and of the opinion that any such efforts were as weak and desultory as past iterations.
We must question colonialism in legal discourse, says Colombian lawyer
"I believe that we need a legal system that takes into account the land that we share with multiple beings (...) and that includes in the legal analysis the knowledge of the ancestral peoples."
Climate change threatens Indigenous farming and cultures in the Brazilian Amazon
These changes jeopardize the food and ways of life of the Indigenous peoples who cultivate crops following traditional farming practices in the region of São Gabriel in Brazil's northwest Amazonas state
Unfreedom Monitor Report: India
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in India is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
After US House Speaker Pelosi’s visit, fake news flooded Taiwan's social media
The fake news circulated in Taiwan days surrounding Pelosi's visit mainly aimed at insulting Pelosi, showing off China's military power in the drills, belittling Taiwan's status.
A voice from the islands: Grenada’s environment minister appointed UN climate change chief
Commentators made it clear that Simon Stiell would have plenty of work on his plate, suggesting that there are specific, daunting and complex issues to be addressed.
In Brazil and India we are seeing an increase in tensions between platforms and states
Research from the Unfreedom Monitor uncovers a pattern in the way that social media and tech platforms engage with states that practise digital authoritarianism.
Uzbekistan’s cancelled Silk Road Literary Festival reveals leftover Karimov mindset
The Uzbek Union of Writers' grievances against the Silk Road Festival Committee speak to the institution's continuing need to exercise a monopoly on the definition of Uzbek literature.
Rising sea levels in Bangladesh are driving women to take the pill to stop menstruating
Many girls and women in the coastal areas of Bangladesh who don't have access to fresh water are taking birth control pills, often stolen from married women to stop their periods.
Taiwan withdraws from hosting WorldPride 2025 over naming controversy
The WorldPride 2025 Taiwan Preparation Committee withdrew from hosting the global LGBTQ+ event as the organizer, InterPride, insisted on changing the title of the event from WorldPride Taiwan 2025” to “WorldPride Kaohsiung 2025."