|
We are showing support for Ghana's LGBTQ+ community – Naomi Campbell and Idris Elba, too
|
|
Ghana's LGBTQ+ community is in danger right now. Last week, a community centre for LGBTQ+ people in the west African country closed its doors. Why? Religious (like the Catholic church in the country) and anti-gay organisations were like, 'close it down. We do not accept homosexuality in Ghana.' And the police was like, 'yep, get the f*ck out.' and closed down the centre.
Why this matters: Same-sex relationships are illegal in Ghana. The community centre was supposed to be a safe space for LGBTQ+ people in the capital Accra, Ghana. It opened last month. Ever since, the people working there have been abused online and gotten death threats.
What now?
Now, 67 famous people, including Idris Elba and Naomi Campbell, (most of them are originally from Ghana but do not live there anymore) are like, 'we cannot believe this happened. President Nana Akufo-Addo, you have to protect them. How can you let this happen?' in a letter addressed to him.
Any response?
Not yet.
I want to read more about why homosexuality in Ghana is so taboo.
Okay, start with this 2019 study. Angela A. Gyasi-Gyamerah, Christopher M. Amissah, Samuel A. Danquah look at how, maybe, people in Ghana could become a little more supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. They even did tests at universities. My personal take-away: A lot more teaching people that homosexuality is rational. And nothing that's irrational.
Then educate yourself on the connection between British colonialism and the criminalization of homosexuality. Joseph O'Mahoney and Enze Han wrote about this in 2014. Because, before the Europeans came to Africa, the continent was like, 'so what, homosexuality is normal'. Uganda even had a gay king, King Mwanga II.
Or just watch this VICE 5-min documentary with Zing Tsjeng.
|
|
|
We are at a very critical point in the anti-government protests in Myanmar
|
|
Thousands of people across the country (some news outlets even say, 'tens of thousands') are protesting the now-military government in Myanmar, 'You need to free our former leader Aung San Suu Kyi from jail and respect the last election results. You didn't win. It's only fair.'
More than 50 protesters (38 of them alone last Wednesday) have been killed since the military took over the government on February 1. And over 1,700 people have been arrested so far. The situation looks tense. Plus, people decided not to do their jobs anymore. This is why hospitals have closed, ministry offices are empty and banks cannot operate normally.
WION (somewhat balanced news station based in New Delhi, India) caught some disturbing pictures:
|
|
What now?
'If you do not go back to work, you will be fired. Starting today,' said the government. Also, it doesn't show any sign of listening to 'hey, stop this right now' from the international community.
Wait, China, too?
Yes and no. Myanmar's neighbour said yesterday that it was 'ready to talk' but it is not taking sides. Yet. If China says, 'you need to step down' to the military government, then maybe, perhaps, it could very well influence what's happening in Myanmar.
I want to help. But how?
Mimi Aye (who also wrote this amazing Burmese food book in 2019) put together this extremely helpful list of small things you could do to help. Start by donating to the Civil Disobedience Movement Myanmar if you can or, especially if you are a journalist, read Frontier Myanmar to stay updated.
|
|
|
We are fed up with Haiti's president because he is basically becoming a dictator
|
|
Thousands of people across Haiti are protesting that there are so many kidnappings in the country (they don't feel safe at all) and that the president is becoming more and more of a dictator.
Tell me more
Last Sunday, a 63-year-old doctor was murdered in front of his clinic. Nobody knows by whom but witnesses say, his murderers tried to kidnap him. This was the tipping point for many. 'Enough is enough. We cannot live like this anymore.'
Did you know that kidnapping people for ransom has become a 'thing' in Haiti? In 2019, 'only' 39 people were kidnapped. In 2020, around 200. This is a huge problem for both rich and poor people.
Why this matters: Some 11 million people live here. 60% of the population in this Caribbean country are extremely poor. Plus, according to this United Nations Security Council report from last year, the human rights situation isn't exactly what you'd call inviting.
What about the president?
Well, President Jovenel Moïse isn't technically president anymore. As of last Sunday, that is. He has been ruling by decree (which means that nobody from the parliament said 'yes ok you can') for a year now. But now, he plans to stay until February 2022. Also, the country right now doesn't have a parliament anyway and only a third of its senators are in office. Elections should have taken place in 2018 but... were... delayed.
This recent Washington Post opinion article agrees with the protesters: 'yes, the president must resign. He's the source of the problem.'
|
|
|
We are all throwing away more food than we can eat
|
|
A new United Nations report last week said that we throw out 900 million tonnes of perfectly good food every year.
Why this matters: Rich countries and people buy more food than they can eat, yes. This new report says: People waste food in poorer countries, too. We don't know yet whether or not we waste that food on purpose or because we have designed systems and picked up habits to waste food 'involuntary' – which is the same thing, in my opinion. And: wasted food is responsible for 8-11% of greenhouse emissions.
Tell me more
17% of the food that we can buy at the supermarket, eat at restaurants or at home go directly into the trash bin. 60% of all that waste happens right at home.
- Btw, ever heard about Refettorio in Paris, France? It's a community kitchen that was created by Italian (three Michelin stars) chef Massimo Bottura to cook the most delicious meals for the most vulnerable in Paris while also fighting food waste.
That's pretty bad, right?
Yes, it is. There's some light at the end of the tunnel though: We wasted less food last year because of the coronavirus. It looks like we planned our shopping and our meals much more carefully since the pandemic began.
Okay, I want to stop wasting food. Where do I start?
Yay! This case study by Davide Tonini, Paola Federica Albizzati and Thomas Fruergaard Astrup from 2018 on the United Kingdom says, 'we have to start at home. That's where we waste most of our food.' Here we go:
|
|
|
We are finally talking a lot about the transgender community in South Korea – because of one brave woman
|
|
Last week, South Korea’s first openly transgender soldier was found dead in her home after she was kicked out of the military for getting gender reassignment surgery. We still don’t know how she died.
Tell me more
Her name was Byun Hui-su and she was 23 yeas old. She was in the military since 2017 and in 2019, she decided to get gender reassignment surgery. She hoped they would let her stay and serve but they decided to ‘discharge her’ anyways because they said not having ‘male genitals’ anymore is a ‘mental and physical handicap.’ She even took it to court but lost. So, in a seriously brave move, she went in front of the press and begged the military to 'give me a chance.'
- Did you know all young men in South Korea have to be part of the military for at least two years (just in case they ever have to go to war with North Korea)? Women, however, don’t get ‘drafted’ but they can sign up if they want to (and won’t actually go to the front lines like male soldiers). Some women say this is unfair.
Why this matters: The entire country of South Korea is now talking about how they treat people in the LGBTQ+ community inside and outside the military. The country is pretty strict about sexual and gender identity, meaning same-sex marriage is not allowed but you can do whatever you want in your own home. They even have an annual Seoul Pride Parade. They also don’t have any laws that protect people from discrimination.
|
|
|
We are still protesting farm laws 100 days on, talking about freedom and dealing with honour killings in India
|
|
A lot happened last week in India. First, the farmers’ protest turned 100 days old, a democracy research institute downgraded India’s ‘freedom ranking’ and a 17-year-old girl was brutally murdered by her father for being in a relationship.
About the farmers’ protest… 248 people have died since the protests against the new farm laws started on November 25 last year aka 100 days ago. Cause of death? Some have died because of health issues and tough conditions at the protest camps (a lot of the farmers are elders) and some have died by suicide.
- Refresher: The Indian government introduced new farm ‘laws’ without talking to the farmers first. Why? ‘The farming industry needs to innovate,’ says the government. But the farmers are like, ‘we’re afraid this is going to financially destroy our lives. We wish you asked us first.’ You can dive deeper with this 8-minute Vox explainer or this Indian Express timeline.
- Why this matters: It’s the biggest protest the world has ever seen and it’s still growing. Also, India’s farmers make up over 40 percent of India’s working people; so, this affects a lot of people and the entire economy.
- Did you know that suicide is really common among farmers in India? In 2019, at least 10,281 farmers died by suicide. That’s 28 suicides every day.
About the ‘freedom ranking’... The democracy research institute Freedom House downgraded India from a ‘free’ country to only ‘partly free’ under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this recent report. They say they’re becoming a little too ‘authoritarian.’ Why? For example, too many journalists are being arrested, the country is not exactly a safe space for Muslims and the government keeps messing with the legal system.
- Why this matters: Because India is the biggest democracy in the world with over 1.3 billion people living there. Now that India has been bumped down, only 20 percent of people in the world live in ‘free countries.’
- FYI, Freedom House is a United States-based NGO that ranks democratic countries on a scale of 1 to 100 on how free they are compared to others. They’re looking at factors like human rights, freedom of press etc.
Warning: Graphic content, violence against women.
About the 17-year-old girl… She was beheaded by her dad in northern India after he saw her with a man who looked like he was her boyfriend. He carried her head to the police station and confessed. Since his arrest, people have been calling on the Indian government to do something about honour killings.
- Why this matters: Thousands of women and girls are killed in South Asia and the Middle East by their family members who say they’re doing it in the name of ‘family honour.’
- Did you know that there were at least 24 honour killings in India in 2019 (that we know of -- the real number could be much higher). The last honour killing was last month, when a woman was burned alive by her family for loving a Muslim man.
- Want to know more about honour killings in the region? Read ‘In the Name of Honour’ by Pakistan’s human rights activist Mukhtar Mai.
|
|
|
There is a lake in Kosovo that has two names. Serbs call it Gazivoda (it's right there at the border to Serbia) and Albanians call it Ujman. Former United States ambassador Richard Grenell suggested it (as a joke) to give it a new name: Lake Trump. The name almost stuck because both countries wanted to kiss American ass. Now, that Donald Trump is no longer president, both countries agreed (maybe for the first time ever on anything?) that they will stop calling it that 'ridiculous name'.
- Good to know: Most things in Kosovo have two names and that is not usually a big deal. The two communities, the Serbs and the Albanians, are really suspicious of one another – because of ethnicity, language and history. They disagree on just about everything, especially on the status of the land they share.
|
|
|
|
