Special Coverage

On these pages we summarize more extensive Global Voices coverage of major news events through blogs and citizen media worldwide. If you have suggestions for new special coverage pages, please email us.

Women’s participation in this election year, whether through advocating for policies that benefit women and girls, turning out to vote, or running for office, can create significant and meaningful change.

As Rwandans prepare to head to the polls to elect a new president this year, its historical and contemporary factors will influence its political trajectory and the welfare of its citizens.

February 24, 2023, marks the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This special coverage explores how the war has unfolded over the last two years and what to expect going forward.

This special coverage focuses on Navalny’s death and its aftermath but also on the many other voices inside and outside of Russia speaking out against authoritarianism.

Food serves as a universal language, often transcending cultural, social, and geographical boundaries. In this special coverage, we explore the intricate web of culinary traditions in our communities and beyond.

Zambia's history is devoid of a modern war or significant socio-political conflict. This peaceful coexistence has become an integral part of Zambian lifestyle and existence today.

As the country is having two rounds of elections on November 16 and December 20, Global Voices offers special coverage of major issues: politics, economics, environmental issues, music and literature.

In recent years, Zimbabwe has faced a series of economic and political challenges that have destabilized the country. Learn about Zimbabwe's historical context and future prospects in our special coverage.

Upon his election in 2016, Uzbekistan’s president Shavkat Mirziyoyev promised to build a “New Uzbekistan” free of corruption and oppression. But is this promise coming to pass?

Following an attack by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the Israeli government officially declared war against the group, putting those living in the Gaza strip in peril and leading to widespread death, injuries, and displacement.

Two years after the Taliban retook Afghanistan in August 2021, citizens’ rights and freedoms have deteriorated significantly — particularly for women and LGBTQ+ people. Even so, local resistance groups continue to struggle.

Global Voices published a series of essays and stories written by Ukrainian artists who decided to remain in the country after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. 

In most societies today, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals (LGBTQ+) face added societal challenges from homophobia to state oppression and hostility to ingrained bigotry and institutional failures.

While it’s garnered a reputation as being “kitschy” or cheesy due to its incredibly dramatic and often “out there” performances Eurovision is more than just a song competition.

While many countries saw the erosion of media freedoms over the last year, others are approaching a tipping point that will decide whether media freedoms and democracy will prevail over authoritarian regimes. 

This International Women’s Day, Global Voices will be highlighting women's achievement and obstacles to gender inequality over the last year.

The country has been rocked by seismic political turmoil ahead of its May election, largely due to increased corruption and inadequate government response to the deadly earthquake in February.

After a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19, Trindiad & Tobago is once again celebrating Carnival. This special coverage will dive deep to understand what makes Carnival so special in the region.

This special coverage series explores how our diverse global newsroom of journalists, activists, researchers, and editors uses social media.

Despite Beijing’s efforts to deny its genocide against the Uyghur people and silence critics, the Uyghur community and its supporters refuse to be stifled.

Protests have erupted across China in response to the government's strict zero-COVID policies, shrinking spaces for free speech and expression, and increasing authoritarianism. Follow our special coverage here.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup has been marked by allegations of human rights abuses, anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, deadly and inhumane working conditions, and forced labor, sparking global criticism and boycotts.

The world's biggest annual environmental conference is occurring in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt this year and is already rife with allegations of greenwashing and human rights violations.

After 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in Iranian police custody, Iranian women have taken to the streets to lead protests against a repressive government regime, inspiring waves of support around the world.

Ukrainian is spoken by around 40 million people globally. Here is a selection of Global Voices’ reporting on the Ukrainian language and its presence in literature, music, and humor.

Since Brazil's October 2022 election, tensions have been boiling between pro-democracy Lula supporters and far-right Bolsonaro supporters. In January 2023, this led to nationwide riots, violence, and terrorist episodes.

Ecotourism aims to promote “responsible travel” that aids in the conservation of the ecological, social, and cultural aspects of a destination. However, this does not mean that all ecotourism is sustainable or accessible.

Women, trans people, and those with non-conforming gender identities have faced a barrage of attacks this year as conservative institutions try to control and police their bodies.

For the next 100 days, Global Voices will publish news stories, opinion pieces, and studies documenting the presidency of Marcos Jr., the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

This series of stories, written by young Nigerian undergraduate journalism students, covers an array of topics, including human interest, digital rights, and the tragi-comic complexities of daily life in Lagos.

Increasing global conservatism is infringing on the LGBTQ+ community's hard-won rights. But the community is fighting back as individuals and allies take to the streets to resist authoritarianism and oppression.

This series interrogates the evolution of contemporary music genres, the sampling of music from African greats, the impact of African music on the global stage, and its consumption on the continent.

Sri Lanka is in crisis after protests against the nation's Rajapaksa government intensified at the end of March 2022 over economic and social issues. Officials are violently cracking down on dissenters.

We are a collective of environmentally focused journalists, translators, and stakeholders who seek to use our global perspective to raise awareness about environmental issues and those affected by them.

The past few years have presented unprecedented challenges for journalists and others working in media as they were increasingly targeted for repression, arrested, silenced, threatened, and more. 

Russia's brazen invasion of Ukraine marks a dangerous new phase in the history of Eastern Europe, with serious implications for the post-Cold War international order.

To celebrate the stories of music that seeks to change the world, the Music Club meets on a monthly basis to discuss music-related stories, plan our coverage, and share songs.

Music can be used to both trigger emotional responses and sway public opinion, which has led some governments to censor music on the basis of political, religious, or ethical disagreements.

As we mark the 30th anniversary of the end of the USSR, this special coverage seeks to explore Soviet heritage, its relevance today, and its enduring legacy around the world.

The effects of this crisis will spread farther than Afghanistan and are already having global consequences. In our special coverage, we explore how the cataclysm in Afghanistan is affecting communities worldwide.

We look at sports from the perspective of people who are not historically the main subjects of sporting focus or success, to consider their achievements, their struggles, the injustices they face.

Myanmar’s “Spring Revolution” aims to unite the country’s citizens in strong rejection of the February 1 military coup, civil resistance, and a call for the return of democratic rule.

Women are highly underrepresented in research: They make up less than 30 percent of the world's scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians. And women of color are less represented still.

What started in Colombia as demonstrations against a tax reform transformed into a rallying call for more equality and less military and police violence.

Belarus is undergoing perhaps its most serious political crisis since independence.

The Eurovision Song Contest—and the reactions it evokes—provides a compelling lens through which to regard contemporary Europe, its politics, its self-image and its presumed values.

Myanmar’s general election is scheduled for November 8. Around 7,000 candidates from over 90 parties are competing for 1,171 legislative seats. This election is considered crucial to the consolidation of Myanmar’s democratic transition.