Stories from May, 2023
The Caribbean mourns resilient rock and roll legend Tina Turner
Her decision to go public about her abuse made Turner even more relatable. This was especially true in the Caribbean, which struggles with high rates of domestic violence and femicide.
New report uncovers the first documented case of Pegasus spyware used in an international war context
"This investigation is key to understanding the full scope of harms of invasive Pegasus spyware and the entire industry which has been operating with little to no oversight for years."
How the school massacre in Serbia played out on TikTok
Comments demanding the release of the detained teenager who committed the school shooting in Belgrade were common on TikTok videos, expressing “love” for him as a “hero” and a “legend”.
Investigators in Guyana allege that tragic dorm fire was set by disgruntled student over a confiscated phone
The blaze began in the bathrooms, where the teenager was thought to have sprayed insecticide on a curtain, then lit a match. The fire quickly spread through the building.
‘Central Asian literature exists regionally only in Russian': Interview with Russophone Uyghur writer Ramil Niyazov-Adyldzhyan
While the majority of Uyghur people live in China, a large Uyghur diaspora lives in Central Asia, including in Kazakhstan, where they are freer to express themselves.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Venezuela
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Venezuela is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Kenya and the fallacy of trading individual privacy for national security
When the right to privacy is fractured on a national scale by actions such as surveillance, a myriad of other human rights suffer in a sort of domino effect.
Mongolian film ‘If Only I Could Hibernate’ reaches historic milestone at the Cannes Film Festival
The film’s success is poised to kickstart a new era in Mongolia's filmmaking industry. And the government is ready to contribute.
Protests break out in Georgia as Russia flight routes resume
Flights between Georgia and Russia have been banned since 2019, on President Putin's orders, following Russian lawmaker Sergey Gavrilov's visit to the country in June 2019. They just reopened to much controversy.
Journalists from Serbian KRIK convicted for criticizing SLAPP suits against newsroom
"The judgement clearly indicates that SLAPP lawsuits have become the main tool of the regime for closing down the few independent media left," stated Stevan Dojčinović, editor-in-chief of the Serbian investigative outlet KRIK.
Human activities are adversely affecting Barbados’ gullies
Being a predominantly limestone island, gullies form an integral part of Barbados' culture, heritage, and biodiversity — but unsustainable human-influenced activities are leading to their degradation.
What we're aiming to achieve with our fundraising bicycle ride—and the details of the route
As we cycle the route of the 1966 Farmworkers March, we'll be interweaving history with the stories of people who are shaping the future of California's Central Valley today.
‘Post at your own risk': An interview with Indian journalist Srishti Jaswal
Global Voices conducted a telephonic interview with Srishti Jaswal, an award-winning journalist from India who became the target of online harassment from right-wing trolls, receiving thousands of threats.
Sanctions against violators of women’s rights: A political lens
Emphasizing humanitarian aid and empowering women's self-determination and autonomy might be a better approach to creating meaningful change for women and girls than sanctions as a sole strategy.
Taiwan denied access to the World Health Assembly: Interview with Taiwan representative Chen Hsin-Hsin
As the World Health Organization holds its annual World Health Assembly, Taiwan continues to be refused entry to key discussions about global public health in an post-pandemic world.
The Democratic Republic of Congo braces for December 2023 elections amidst a challenging security environment
Amidst a backdrop of partial civil war, the Democratic Republic of Congo is gearing up for major elections on December 20, 2023.
‘Deliberately set’ dormitory fire that killed 19 plunges Guyana into mourning
Most of the victims were teen girls who came from surrounding Indigenous communities.
Teaching Afro-Brazilian history still faces challenges, despite 20 years as law
A law which makes teaching about African-Brazilian history mandatory is now 20 years old, but a lack of training for teachers and superficial content in textbooks hinder its implementation in practice.
Mapping a different kind of bicycle tour
Bicycle tours tend to prioritize exquisite landscapes, but since our ride is also a journalistic exercise, we needed to adopt a different philosophy of route-making.
Jamaica ‘celebrates’ the 75th anniversary of Windrush, but should it?
"My mother and father-in-law, with great expectations, went to an inhospitable UK to help fill its need for cheap labour to rebuild the country after the war ... it's personal."
WHO claims to serve all but repeatedly excludes 23 million Taiwanese
The WHO meets in Geneva, claiming to focus on public health at a global level, yet it denies the right of over 23 million Taiwanese to be included and protected
