There are four types of traditional Chinese ink paintings: people paintings, landscape paintings, flower and bird paintings, and calligraphy. All four of these styles make use of the color black, which, according to master ink brush painter Zeng Laide, is “the synthesis of all colors.” This conception of black as more important than color is different from how many western cultures conceive of it, allowing multiple layers of meaning to be derived from a few simple brushstrokes. This video explores how the tradition of ink painting came to be, examining its cultural and spiritual influences, as well as exploring the multitude of different painting styles. Ink painting’s rich history is honored here, as are those who continue to teach and refine its practice today.
Belgium’s Centuries-Old Procession of the Holy Blood Suspends its March
For over 700 years, Catholics have been gathering in Belgium to watch the Procession of the Holy Blood. The event features reenactments of biblical stories and centers around a holy relic, a scrap of cloth said to be stained with the blood of Christ.
Each spring, thousands gather in the streets of Bruges, Belgium, to witness the Procession of the Holy Blood. The procession centers around a vial containing an ancient cloth said to be stained with the blood of Christ, which is paraded through the streets by more than 1,700 religious leaders who sing, dance and act out biblical scenes.
The “Relic of the Holy Blood,” as the cloth is known, has been kept in Bruges’ Basilica of the Holy Blood since the 1200s. According to legend, the blood liquefies on Fridays, the day of the crucifixion. The church is open on Fridays for believers to come through and worship. Once a year, the relic is removed from the church and paraded through the streets.
The Procession of the Holy Blood takes place 40 days after Easter, on Ascension Day, which is marked by Christians as the day that Christ ascended to heaven before his disciples. The first Procession of the Holy Blood took place in 1304, and the story of the relic itself dates back even further, to when the cloth stained with Christ’s blood is said to have come to Bruges.
According to the story, Joseph of Arimathea used a cloth to wipe drops of blood from Christ’s body at the crucifixion. During the Second Crusade, Count Thierry of Flanders came into possession of the bloodstained cloth and brought it back to Bruges in around 1150. There is no record of the relic until the mid-1200s, however, leading some to believe that it actually came to Bruges following the sack of Constantinople by the army of Count Baldwin IX. Regardless of how the relic made its way to Bruges, it has become the heart of an annual procession for over 700 years.
In modern times, the Procession of the Holy Blood is divided into four parts, intended to tell the story of the holy relic to observers. First, volunteers perform stories from the Old Testament, then from the New Testament. The third part of the procession details how the holy blood came to Bruges. Finally, at the end of the procession comes the Relic of the Holy Blood itself, held in a shrine and accompanied by the members of the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood.
Though the subject matter of the procession is somewhat somber, the event itself is a festive one, with costumes and music reminiscent of medieval times. The Procession of the Holy Blood draws anywhere from 30,000 to 45,000 spectators from around the world eager to catch a glimpse of an important religious relic. In 2009, the procession was added to the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
In 2021, for the second consecutive year, the centuries-old Procession of the Holy Blood did not take place. Though the event was initially scheduled for May 13, it was canceled due to the ongoing pandemic and the large crowds the procession typically attracts. The last time the procession was unable to proceed for more than a year at a time was during World War II.
Rachel Lynch
Rachel is a student at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY currently taking a semester off. She plans to study Writing and Child Development. Rachel loves to travel and is inspired by the places she’s been and everywhere she wants to go. She hopes to educate people on social justice issues and the history and culture of travel destinations through her writing.
Chernobyl Becomes a Symbol of Resilience, 35 Years After Disaster
Time and time again, humans have been ravaged by disaster, only to successfully prove their resilience. Thirty-five years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Ukrainians appear eager to rewrite their story.
The abandoned streets of Chernobyl, Ukraine. Pedro Moura Pinheiro. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 marked chaos for the Soviet Union and still influences modern-day Ukraine. The accident was caused by a series of technical faults, resulting in a nuclear explosion that spewed radioactive substances into the air. Chernobyl stands as the most devastating nuclear incident to have ever occurred, with 31 deaths as a direct result of the meltdown, 4,000 cancer deaths from exposure to radiation and millions affected in various other ways.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Chernobyl will now function as a nuclear waste site.
Now, at the 35th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, Ukrainians are determined to move forward. Life has slowly begun to return to the area; the “exclusion zone” stands as a prime example of the resilience of nature. What was once a deadly zone, marked as a no man’s land, now abounds with life. Radiation levels in the area have decreased over the years, creating a nature preserve of sorts—elk, deer and other wildlife graze throughout the empty space.
As frightening as Chernobyl may seem, locals have moved back. Elderly residents have returned to the surrounding area despite being advised against it; for them, the comfort of home outweighs the peril of living in the region. These residents stand as a reminder of the power—and the risks—that follow one’s determination.
Officials in Ukraine hope that Chernobyl will be added as a World Heritage Site, as many residents believe that the outsize influence of the site merits its inclusion.
Once wholly abandoned, Chernobyl and the nearby town of Pripyat allow visitors today. Travelers come to the site and find an unconventional experience; the disaster has created a reflective tone, as Chernobyl’s tragic history sheds light on the lows of human struggle and the highs of human triumph.
On April 26, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Chernobyl will now function as a nuclear waste site. It is projected that the nuclear waste site will save Ukraine about $200 million per year.
Zelenskyy also promised to “transform the exclusion zone, as Chernobyl is referred to, into a revival zone.” While it won’t be easy, Ukraine intends to move on from the past and head toward a stronger future.
As time passes, many tragic incidents of history dissolve from the spotlight. With revival on the horizon, Ukraine hopes for a triumph at Chernobyl.
Ella Nguyen
Ella is an undergraduate student at Vassar College pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies. She wants to assist in the field of immigration law and hopes to utilize Spanish in her future projects. In her free time she enjoys cooking, writing poetry, and learning about cosmetics.
COVID-19 Slows Africa’s Progress Against Poaching
Poaching is a last resort for villagers who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Conservationists now struggle to preserve endangered species.
A valuable commodity. valentinastorti. CC BY-NC 2.0.
They march through the field with chainsaws, the rhinos sedated. What follows is no gruesome act of poaching. It’s the exact opposite. Workers at the Spioenkop Nature Reserve in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province rev their chainsaws and go to work sawing off the rhino horns. “It has a face mask put on it to cover its vision, it has earplugs put into its ears [...] so that reduces trauma to the animal,” says Mark Gerrard of Wildlife ACT, a nonprofit that protects African wildlife. “We’ve got to remind ourselves that this [a rhino’s horn] is just keratin—this is really just fingernails.”
These rhinos’ horns will grow back in 18 to 24 months, but in the meantime, poachers won’t hunt them for the priceless commodity. Armed with only chainsaws and sedatives, the conservationists at the reserve are combating Africa’s interminable poaching problem. If a rhino has no horns, poachers have no reason to kill it. This fact doesn’t make the job any easier. “It is a traumatic experience for us,” Gerrard says, “not for the rhino.”
Spioenkop Nature Reserve has fared unusually well in its fight against poaching. Out of 15,600 rhinos in South Africa, 1,175 were killed by poachers in 2014. In 2015, the country began dehorning rhinos to considerable success. By 2019, the number of dead rhinos had fallen to 594. By 2020, it was 394. Nevertheless, Gerrard defines a truly successful dehorning effort as “zero animals poached.”
Two big cats, two big trophies. DappleRose. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
It will be a hard goal to reach. After COVID-19 effectively shut down international travel, tourism revenue in Africa plummeted, leaving conservationists cash-strapped in their anti-poaching campaigns. Spioenkop Nature Reserve has struggled to patrol its vast territory, but the issue goes beyond just South Africa. Wildlife tourism generates $29 billion each year and employs 3.6 million workers across Africa. The lack of sufficient funds for anti-poaching efforts is a continent-wide problem.
In Zambia’s Kafue National Park, poaching takes place at the edges of the park, where patrols have been cut back. In 2020, the park reported a 170% increase in snares, which snag wild cats. That same year, two lions were killed while none had been slain the year before. More disconcerting, patrollers increasingly find poached animals gored for “buck meat.” Poor local villagers, desperate from COVID-19 lockdowns, have joined poachers in the hunt to earn a living and put food on the table.
By and large, however, poaching is the work of international crime syndicates working in the black market. Some conservationists advocate legalizing the sale of poached items such as rhino horns and ivory to lower the market value, reducing profits for poachers. In Kenya, courts have buffed up their prosecution efforts, leading to a precipitous drop in poaching. Dedicated legal teams actively pursue convictions for poaching, and those caught red-handed face long prison sentences and fines of up to $200,000. Still, the black market provides lucrative opportunities for locals willing to break the law in hopes of amassing a fortune. A 35-pound black rhino horn can be worth up to $2 million. For poor Africans, the opportunity is often irresistible.
Confiscated rhino horns. USFWS Headquarters. CC BY 2.0.
At Mpala, a research center in central Kenya, patrols have adopted a digital approach to combat rampant poaching. They use the SMART app (spatial monitoring and reporting tool) to track every animal a patrol encounters—alive or dead. It also allows them to track people seen infiltrating the parks. Conservationists are attempting to make up in brainpower what they lack in manpower; less tourism revenue led to slashed budgets, which meant fewer patrols. However, park managers agree that addressing the root cause of poaching, poverty, is the best solution to the problem. In this regard, nobody seems to have an answer.
So the traumatic work of sawing off rhino horns in Spioenkop continues. “We cannot let our guard down,” says Elise Serfontein of the organization Stop Rhino Poaching. “The kingpins and illicit markets are still out there, and even losing one rhino a day means that they are chipping away at what’s left of our national herd.” With one rhino’s horn sheared to a nub, the team moves on to the next. The rhino sleeps in the field as they approach. One member revs the chainsaw and begins cutting. White flakes flutter through the air like dust.
Michael McCarthy
Michael is an undergraduate student at Haverford College, dodging the pandemic by taking a gap year. He writes in a variety of genres, and his time in high school debate renders political writing an inevitable fascination. Writing at Catalyst and the Bi-Co News, a student-run newspaper, provides an outlet for this passion. In the future, he intends to keep writing in mediums both informative and creative.
A view of Nevado Sajama in Bolivia. Pierre Doyen. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
6 Mountains to Hike that You May Have Never Heard of
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U.S. Army medical researchers taking part in World Malaria Day 2010 in Kenya. U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa. CC BY 2.0.
77% Effective Malaria Vaccine Could Pave Way for Eradication of the Disease
A recently concluded clinical trial of a new malaria vaccine has shown a promising efficacy rate in the fight against the mosquito-borne disease. Conducted by researchers from Oxford University and the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro, the new R21/MM vaccine showed an efficacy rate of 77% during a yearlong clinical trial of 450 children in Burkina Faso. The new shot boasts the highest efficacy rate of any malaria vaccine thus far.
One of the reasons why malaria remains such a prevalent disease in sub-Saharan Africa is because the nature of the disease makes it difficult to vaccinate against. Unlike smallpox, polio and COVID-19, all of which are viruses, malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite, which is spread through mosquitoes. Parasites are much more complex than viruses because they are living organisms, which makes them more difficult to target due to multiple life stages.
Worldwide, malaria infects over 200 million people annually
That said, R21/MM is unique in that it is a pre-erythrocytic vaccine, a type of vaccine which targets the Plasmodium parasite in its earliest stages of development. This means that R21/MM intervenes before the parasite multiplies in the liver and reaches the bloodstream, a stage in the parasite’s life cycle when no symptoms yet occur.
While R21/MM’s 77% efficacy rate is far lower than that of other vaccines—the smallpox vaccine is 95% effective, the polio vaccine is 90% effective in two doses and all three approved COVID-19 vaccines in the United States are at least 86% effective or higher in preventing severe cases of COVID-19—the new malaria vaccine retains the highest efficacy rate of any options to date.
The most widely used malaria vaccine, RTS,S, which has been used since 2016, only has an initial efficacy rate of 55% and requires booster shots. According to Vox, RTS,S requires four shots to be fully vaccinated initially, whereas the R21/MM vaccine only requires three, plus a booster shot the following year. While numerous required shots makes vaccine rollout difficult, the fact that the new malaria vaccine is significantly more effective than RTS,S and requires one less shot makes it a noteworthy breakthrough in the fight against malaria.
While malaria has been largely eradicated from much of the world, with the U.S. eliminating the disease by 1951 through the application of DDT to the interior surfaces of rural homes, the draining of wetlands and other mosquito breeding sites and the spraying of insecticides, sub-Saharan Africa has continued to be plagued by the disease. Worldwide, malaria infects over 200 million people annually and kills an average of 400,000, with 94% of global malaria cases in 2019 occurring in Africa.
While COVID-19 remains the most pressing global health issue for most countries, in Africa it is malaria which remains most serious.
A December 2020 report by The BMJ estimated that malaria deaths in Africa throughout 2020 would dwarf those caused by COVID-19. As of May 10, 2021, the entire continent of Africa has reported 124,715 deaths due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, in comparison with the 386,000 deaths reported from malaria in 2019. As a result, malaria vaccines of any efficacy rate are desperately needed in most of sub-Saharan Africa.
According to Al-Jazeera, the researchers of the R21/MM vaccine plan to conduct final stage trials in about 4,800 children between the ages of five months and three years old in four malaria-prone African countries. Should the efficacy rate from the clinical trials remain consistent, R21/MM could finally begin the hard work of eradicating malaria.
Jacob Sutherland
Jacob is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego where he majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish Language Studies. He previously served as the News Editor for The UCSD Guardian, and hopes to shed light on social justice issues in his work.
8 Destinations at Risk From Climate Change
Stunning destinations around the world are at risk from climate change. We have all heard about Venice, but did you know the Rhone Valley, France, Glacier National Park in Montana, even NYC’s Statue of Liberty are in jeopardy—the Great Barrier Reef and the Amazon as well? Learn more about how long each of these 7 spots have.
Read MoreMud Madness: Getting Down and Dirty at South Korea’s Mud Festival
South Korea’s Boryeong Mud Festival is popularly known for the mud’s enriching properties for skin, resulting in a messy yet enjoyable experience for all its visitors.
Giant mud bath at the Boryeong Mud Festival. Hypnotica Studios Infinite. CC BY 2.0
Although South Korea is widely renowned for its frenetic cities and for birthing K-pop, many people may not know that it's also home to many unusual festivals, from body painting to bullfighting to ice fishing. However, among them all, the Boryeong Mud Festival, better known as the “Mudfest,” stands out as one of the most popular.
This festival was first established in 1998, when it was meant to spread awareness about the unique qualities of the mud at Daecheon Beach. Although initially intended to promote beneficial skin care products made from the mud, the festival’s mission soon transitioned from a marketing scheme to a more pleasurable and exciting experience.
Inflatable playground at the mud festival. Hypnotica Studios Infinite. CC BY 2.0
The mudfest takes place in the city of Boryeong on the western coast of South Korea, and can be experienced across two weeks in mid-July. With an amusement park-like vibe, visitors can purchase a one-day ticket where they can experience everything: “mud pits, mud fountains, mud pools, mud massage zones and even a mud prison.” On top of this, attendees can enjoy obstacle courses, mudslides and races, and even inflatable playgrounds. In the mud self-massage zone, visitors apply mud on themselves and wash it off after 10 minutes once the mud turns white. Applying the mud onto one’s body is believed to result in more radiant and clean skin. The mudslide, on the other hand, provides visitors with a thrilling experience which can be accentuated by applying mud on one’s body beforehand to increase speed.
For those looking to further show off their athleticism, the Beach Mud Football Competition is an event held at the Citizen’s Tower beach on a specific day every July, where one can put their soccer skills to the test while fighting through the mud. However, as a break from all this mud madness, visitors can also enjoy the beautiful fireworks show and live performances during the festival’s opening and closing ceremonies.
Swati Agarwal
Swati is a sophomore at University of California, San Diego, where she is studying Environmental Sciences and Theatre. Although born in India, she was raised in Tokyo, which gave her the opportunity to interact with diverse people from distinct cultures. She is passionate about writing, and hopes to inspire others by spreading awareness about social justice issues and highlighting the uniqueness of the world.
A Look at Germany’s Quirky but Quaint Ore Mountains
Germany’s Ore Mountains offer bucolic scenery and countless Christmas traditions, all wrapped up into one charming package.
Seiffen, Germany. abejorro34. CC BY-NC 2.0.
Along the German-Czech border lie the Ore Mountains, one of nature’s grand masterpieces. Stretching over 100 miles, the Ore Mountains appear like a scene out of Narnia: long strips of deep woods sit sprinkled among patches of bright wildflowers, often blanketed in thick snow. The area’s splendid scenery presents itself as the ideal inspiration for painters in search of inspiration.
The history of the region is just as fascinating. Up until their expulsion after World War II, German miners worked the mountain range for its many minerals such as copper, silver and lead. Thus, the range gained its name: the Ore Mountains. After World War II, the small towns that peppered the range lost most of their German populations. These towns were later filled by Czech residents who developed uranium and coal mining. Now, the range’s travel industry has brought much attention to the quaint lifestyle found today in these small towns.
For guests eager for a gorgeous view or photographers looking for the perfect shot, Fichtelberg Mountain stands as one of the Ore Mountains’ top stops. Fichtelberg Mountain is the second-tallest peak of the Ore Mountains; it sits in the middle of the range and stands nearly 4,000 feet tall. The icy conditions found in the winter attract throngs of alpine skiers, bobsledders and other snow sporters. When the weather warms toward summer, the crowds of snow sporters are replaced by hikers and photographers; trails through patches of woods make for calm hiking opportunities, while the peak itself provides a 360-degree view of the surrounding mountain range.
Snow in the Ore Mountains. VicunaR. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Another destination sure to pique anyone’s interest is the small town of Seiffen, Germany. Seiffen holds only around 3,000 people, but its influence as a stronghold of local culture makes up for it. The town is famous for its role in the toymaking industry, with over 100 craftsmen living in it alone. Seiffen often appears like something out of Christmastime folklore, as it is known for its top-notch toymaking and stellar artisan Christmas decorations. For the woodmakers of this town, their craft is far more than just a profession. It is common that the artisans of Seiffen pass their craft down from generation to generation, making their work not just a form of income, but a lifestyle.
Although at first glance the Ore Mountains may appear to be just another mountain range, the wide variety of activities and rich history make it a fascinating spot to explore.
Ella Nguyen
Ella is an undergraduate student at Vassar College pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies. She wants to assist in the field of immigration law and hopes to utilize Spanish in her future projects. In her free time she enjoys cooking, writing poetry, and learning about cosmetics.
A man walks down a street during a coronavirus lockdown in Bnei Brak, just outside of Tel Aviv, Israel. Flickr. Amir Appel. CC BY 2.0
Palestinians Left Behind as Israel’s Vaccination Campaign Finds Success
As countries around the world continue to grapple with public health crises due to the coronavirus, Israel stands as a positive outlier. Israel has the second-highest proportion of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the world, with 56% having received two doses. A speedy vaccination rollout is already bolstering the Israeli post-coronavirus recovery process, with economists predicting that the country may experience almost 5% growth this year. It seems that, at least for Israel, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Yet, for the 5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the fight for equal access to COVID-19 vaccines is just beginning. According to Doctors Without Borders, only 2% of Palestinians have been vaccinated against the virus as of March 24. A slow vaccination campaign couldn’t come at a worse time as the region grapples with another deadly wave of the coronavirus. The Gaza Strip is now reporting up to 1,000 new infections daily, while a positivity rate of 21% is being seen in the West Bank.
The Palestinian territories are once again grappling with a deadly surge in coronavirus cases, even as global vaccinations reached 1.18 billion worldwide as of May 4. Yet for Palestinians, as in many developing countries, vaccinations have been difficult to come by. The Palestinian health care system is dangerously underequipped to handle the weight of the pandemic. In December, public health officials declared that the Gaza Strip had run out of coronavirus testing kits.
The global vaccine rollout remains the best hope for bringing the pandemic to an end in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. However, ongoing conflict with Israel continues to delay inocolulations. Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have yet to receive many vaccine doses from the Israeli government. Israeli citizens living in the occupied territories and Palestinians living in Jerusalem are eligible for the vaccine, though. According to Amnesty International, the failure of the Israeli government to provide coronavirus vaccine access to Palestinians living under military occupation is in direct violation of international law.
Other countries have since tried to supply Palestinians with the vaccine through international aid. In March, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. Agency for International Development will supply $15 million in aid to Palestine to support its fight against the coronavirus. Other countries are also stepping up to provide aid. China has donated 100,000 doses of its coronavirus vaccine to Palestine, joining efforts begun by Russia and the United Arab Emirates. The international vaccine sharing initiative COVAX has also supplied over 61,000 doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, with the goal of inoculating about 1 million Palestinians.
Even with aid from the international community, the Palestinian territories continue to lag behind in vaccinations. The Israeli government’s discriminatory policies against Palestinians remain a key barrier against equitable vaccine access. As the world slowly inches closer to the end of the pandemic and a return to normal, the Palestinian people have once again been left behind.
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Aerex Narvasa
Aerex is a current student at Occidental College majoring in Diplomacy and World Affairs with a minor in East Asian Studies. He is passionate about sharing people’s stories through writing, and always strives to learn about new places and cultures. Aerex loves finding new music and exploring his hometown of Los Angeles in his free time.
Social Action Muralist
Social justice can take many forms, and the arts are one way to spread activism into mainstream media. This video showcases the work of one such artist, Joel Bergner, who creates street murals in low-income or at-risk areas to highlight certain social issues. Many of his projects engage local youth, exposing them to both activist and artistic worlds they can stay involved even later in life.
His most recent project was in a Jordanian Syrian refugee camp, in which he invited camp residents to take part in the murals — just one example of how Bergner aspires to give a voice to those he makes art for. Blending traditional themes of mythology with current issues, Bergner’s art has and will continue to make an impact in not just local communities, but the wider world of social action.
LGBTQ+ Intolerance in Ghana Reaches Boiling Point
Tensions within the West African country have risen following the recent restriction of LGBTQ+ rights, resurfacing the decades long discussion regarding the criminalization of same-sex conduct.
Pride flag waving in the sky. Tim Bieler. Unsplash.
The newly established office of nonprofit organization LGBT+ Rights Ghana was raided and searched by police last month, endangering one of the only safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people in the country. This raid came mere days after Ghanaian journalist Ignatius Annor came out as gay on live television, and many have speculated that the raid was in retaliation of that moment.
Given Ghana’s criminalization of same-sex conduct, it is not a stretch to say that homophobia runs rampant and unchecked, especially when considering the widespread opposition from both government officials and religious figures regarding the construction of the center for LGBT+ Rights Ghana.
The building has been under scrutiny since it first opened back in January. Only three weeks after opening its doors to the public, the organization had to temporarily close in order to protect its staff and visitors from angry protesters. The director of the organization, Alex Kofi Donkor, explained how the community “expected some homophobic organizations would use the opportunity to exploit the situation and stoke tensions against the community, but the anti-gay hateful reaction has been unprecedented.”
This unprovoked suppression of basic freedoms indicates that LGBTQ+ intolerance in Ghana has reached a boiling point and is about to bubble over.
Aerial shot of Accra, Ghana. Virgyl Sowah. Unsplash.
News of the situation reached a handful of high-profile celebrities such as Idris Elba and Naomi Campbell, who joined 64 other public figures in publishing an open letter of solidarity with the Ghanaian LGBTQ+ community using #GhanaSupportsEquality. While prejudice has only recently garnered public attention due to the letter, blatant and widespread homophobia in Ghana has run rampant for years.
According to a study conducted by the Human Rights Watch in 2017, hate crimes and assault due to one's sexual identity are regular occurrences in Ghana. Dozens of people have been attacked by mobs and even family members out of mere speculation that they were gay. Furthermore, the study found that for women, much of this aggressive homophobia was happening behind closed doors through the pressures of coerced marriage.
Consider 24-year-old Khadija, who identifies as lesbian and will soon begin pursuing relationships with men due to the societal pressure for women to marry. Or 21-year-old Aisha, who was exiled by her family and sent to a “deliverance” church camp after she was outed as lesbian.
Marriage pressures and intolerances are certainly prevalent in other countries as well, even in those often deemed progressive. The big difference is that in many countries, homophobic beliefs are slowly becoming less and less common. In Ghana, it seems as though these sentiments are normalized and held by the majority of people.
The precedent for discrimination based on sexual orientation was set as early as 2011, when former Western Region minister Paul Evans Aidoo called for the immediate arrest of LGBTQ+ people in the area. The stigma that actions like this produced in Ghana have only been amplified over time when coupled with religious and cultural tensions.
A rainbow forms above a home in Kumasi, Ghana. Ritchie. Unsplash.
Many victims of hate crimes or abuse in Ghana reported that because of the codified homophobia in the country, they are unable to report their experiences to local authorities without putting themselves in danger. As a result, LGBTQ+ Ghanaians find themselves stuck in a perpetual cycle of making slight progress just for higher authorities to snatch it away.
There have been countless opportunities for legalized discrimination to be addressed, and ever since current Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo assumed office in 2017, he has been under immense pressure to announce his official position on homosexuality. Four years later, he has still not done so.
Instead of embracing the shift toward more inclusive policies supported by LGBT+ Rights Ghana, the Ghanaian government appears to be succumbing to public pressures in an attempt to keep peace. What it fails to realize is that sweeping inequalities under the carpet doesn’t make them go away. It actually does quite the opposite. It heightens inequalities until they become absolutely impossible to avoid. Celebrity involvement in dismantling Ghana’s current system has caused quite the public reaction. It may end up being the spark that causes the Ghanaian government to reconsider its policies and begin to offer LGBTQ+ people the respect and protection they deserve.
Zara Irshad
Zara is a third year Communication student at the University of California, San Diego. Her passion for journalism comes from her love of storytelling and desire to learn about others. In addition to writing at CATALYST, she is an Opinion Writer for the UCSD Guardian, which allows her to incorporate various perspectives into her work.
Angola: A Video of Culture, Diversity, and the Lasting Legacy of Civil War
Having been ravaged by civil war from 1975-2002, Angola is a country still reckoning with its complex history. This legacy of colonization means that Angola has had to rely largely on raw natural resources for economic development. However, it’s been slowly stabilizing for the past decade, recovering from its past and getting ready to face the world of today. Although there has been significant strides in modernization, Angola retains much of its cultural and geographic diversity, boasting both crowded cities and remote salt flats and sea cliffs. This video takes you through many different regions of the country, showing the diversity present in both the people and their environment while giving information about the nation’s history. Each group of people interact differently with their surroundings and cultural influences, emphasizing something westerners often forget: Angola, and Africa itself, is far from a monolith.
Pretty in Pink: Australia’s Mysterious and Vibrant Lake Hillier
Australia’s Lake Hillier is a vibrant shade of pink enticing adventurous travelers. But to this day there has been no solidified scientific explanation why its color is so intense and it remains a great mystery.
Read More7 of the World’s Most Beautiful Libraries
These libraries demonstrate some of the world’s most jaw-dropping examples of architecture, ranging from Gothic and Renaissance to contemporary.
Libraries are havens of information. They are key in preserving the written history, culture and heritage of an area, and are often intricately designed, with architecture that is sure to impress visitors. Libraries are sometimes just as impressive from an architectural standpoint as they are from a literary one, and these seven libraries provide prime examples of stunning architecture. They are all widely different, some dating to medieval times and some opening as recently as the early 2000s. Each one, though, has a style that will make patrons eager to get lost in the stacks, from translucent floors and floating shelves to ancient frescoes and sustainable construction.
1. Biblioteca Vasconcelos, Mexico
Mexico City’s Biblioteca Vasconcelos spans over 400,000 square feet and has a unique, whimsical design that mimics the feeling of being lost in a book. Photographer James Florio described Biblioteca Vasconcelos as “like entering an alternate universe.” The library, which opened in 2006, features translucent walls and floors, multistory windows, mismatched levels, and a labyrinth of balconies and pathways that seem to float above the ground level. Often referred to as a “megalibrary,” Biblioteca Vasconcelos holds hundreds of thousands of titles. In addition to the stunning interior architecture and endless books to browse, the grounds of Biblioteca Vasconcelos are home to an extensive botanical garden. Architect Alberto Kalach designed the building and grounds to promote ecological regeneration, turning a barren plot of land into one overflowing with plants and information.
2. The Library of El Escorial, Spain
The Library of El Escorial is located within the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a vast building complex located about 30 miles from Madrid. The complex, which includes a monastery, church, royal palace, college and library, was conceived by King Philip II and built during the mid-to-late 1500s. Each building in the complex reflects the ornate architecture of the Spanish Renaissance, and the interiors are decorated with sprawling frescoes, paintings and sculptures by notable Spanish and Italian artists from the 16th and 17th centuries, like El Greco. The library itself, also known as the Royal Library, is made up of many rooms, but today only the Main Hall is open to visitors. The Main Hall is 177 feet long, 30 feet wide and 33 feet high, and gives visitors a good look at the stunning frescoes, woodwork and ancient books. El Escorial Library holds more than 40,000 printed books, as well as 4,700 manuscripts, many dating back to the era when the library was constructed. El Escorial was the first library to do away with book bays, instead placing bookshelves up against the walls where the collection could better be admired.
3. Tama Art University Library, Japan
In the Tokyo suburbs, on the campus of Tama Art University, is the Tama Art University Library, a two-story building with massive arches and floor-to-ceiling windows. These arches are made of steel but coated in pure concrete, offering up a unique look developed by the building’s designer, Toyo Ito. Inside, the library is mostly one continuous space on each floor, with the only divisions between areas coming from shelves, study desks, glass partitions and more arches. This way, the library is divided into sections in a way that doesn’t interrupt the flow of the room. The windows allow library patrons to gaze out over one of the campus’s lush gardens, and the library is full of reference books for the university’s students. It was added to the campus in 2007 as a common space.
4. Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading, Brazil
The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading is located in the center of Rio de Janeiro and contains the largest collection of Portuguese books outside of Portugal, with over 350,000 titles. Three towering stories of books rise above the library’s open floor, leading to a stained-glass dome overhead. The library was built in the 1880s, after a group of 43 Portuguese immigrants and political refugees living in Brazil decided they wanted a way to preserve their written culture and heritage. Statues of important Portuguese figures, including writers and explorers, are placed throughout the library. The exterior of the building similarly preserves Portuguese history; Rafael da Silva e Castro, the library’s architect, designed the building in the style of 16th-century Portuguese architecture, and the library’s facade is made of Lisbon stone brought to Rio de Janeiro by ship. The library is open for visitors, publishes a journal on Portuguese literature and culture, and offers college-level courses on literature, history, anthropology, the arts and the Portuguese language.
5. Bodleian Old Library, England
The Bodleian Libraries are a group of 28 libraries across Oxford, England, that are all part of the Oxford University system. Bodleian Old Library is the principal university library and the oldest of the group, having been in use since the 1300s. Bodleian Old Library houses over 12 million printed works, including first editions of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” and Jane Austen’s “Emma.” The historic library looks like a castle, with magnificent, grand-scale Gothic architecture that has been featured in films like the “Harry Potter” series. As well as housing a jaw-dropping number of books, Bodleian Old Library contains the Divinity School, Oxford’s oldest teaching and examination room. Visitors to the library need to purchase tickets for a tour, where they will see the Divinity School, Duke Humfrey’s medieval library, and the library’s stunning Upper and Lower Reading Rooms.
6. Beitou Public Library, Taiwan
The Beitou Public Library in Taipei, Taiwan, was the island’s first certified “green building,” constructed in 2006. The library is on the grounds of the Beitou Park, which is famous for its hot springs, and was designed to look like a large treehouse. It is built mainly of wood, boasts large French windows and fits seamlessly into its surrounding environment. Beitou Public Library qualifies as a green building under Taiwan’s “Ecology, Energy Saving, Waste Reduction and Health” (EEWH) certification system, which aims to reduce the impact of buildings on the natural environment. The wood used for the library was harvested from managed forests rather than primary rainforests, the windows allow for natural lighting and cooling, part of the roof is covered in solar panels, another section is covered in a layer of soil to improve thermal insulation, and the roof’s slope allows for runoff from rain to be collected and used in the library’s plumbing. Views from the Beitou Public Library are gorgeous, as it looks out onto Beitou Park, and the library contains over 20,000 English and Chinese titles.
7. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt
Billed as the “New Library of Alexandria,” Bibliotheca Alexandrina sits along the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt, and contains six specialized libraries, 12 academic research centers, a planetarium and several museums. The library opened in 2002 and aspires to “recapture the spirit of the original library of Alexandria,” which was destroyed centuries ago. The complex receives about 1.5 million visitors each year, all flocking to experience the incredible volume of knowledge the library offers and to admire the beauty of the complex itself. The library stands 11 stories high and is notable for its circular and tilted shape, as well as its surrounding reflecting pool. Bibliotheca Alexandrina mixes a contemporary exterior design with an interior that holds thousands of years of knowledge.
Rachel Lynch
Rachel is a student at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY currently taking a semester off. She plans to study Writing and Child Development. Rachel loves to travel and is inspired by the places she’s been and everywhere she wants to go. She hopes to educate people on social justice issues and the history and culture of travel destinations through her writing.
Looking out at a courtyard in the Grand Mosque of Paris. Gwenael Piaser. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Countries Around the Globe Continue to Legalize Islamophobia
At the beginning of March, independent rights expert Ahmed Shaheed addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council, underscoring the rise in anti-Muslim hate globally and urging member-states to take action immediately. Shaheed noted that in 2018 and 2019, four in 10 Europeans held a negative view of Muslims, and in 2017 30% of Americans held the same negative view.
But in the following weeks, Islamophobic legislation—laws which seek to discriminate against Muslims—were proposed or enacted in countries like France and Sri Lanka, showing just how widespread the situation remains.
France has a long-standing history of Islamophobia. The country, with a Muslim community of 4.4 million, or 8.8% of the country’s population, maintains the largest Muslim community of any Western nation. Over the past decade, the country banned the wearing of niqabs, veils which cover one’s face, in public, several coastal cities banned burkinis, a form of swimwear, and more recently, the French Senate voted to ban anyone under the age of 18 from wearing a hijab.
While protests have met each of these pieces of legislation, with the recently proposed hijab ban seeing demonstrators take to the streets around the country, Islamophobia has been disturbingly commonplace. The number of Islamophobic attacks in France increased by 53% in 2020.
Sri Lanka, a South Asian country whose Muslim community constitutes 9.7% of its population, has had a more recent problem with Islamophobia. While several one-off Islamophobic attacks took place throughout the 2010s, the government only recently began to write Islamophobia into law. In March, the country banned the wearing of the burqa and closed over 1,000 Islamic schools.
The United States is also no stranger to Islamophobia. Throughout the 2010s, states ranging from Arizona to Florida to South Dakota passed 22 anti-Muslim laws. At the federal level, the Trump administration authorized several Muslim travel bans and used Twitter to perpetuate an equivalency between Islam and terrorism.
While bigotry against any religion has existed since the beginning of religion itself, Islam has increasingly been the target of xenophobia globally due to the Sept. 11 attacks, the rise of the Islamic State group in the Middle East and other terror attacks in the West carried out by Islamic extremists.
Regardless of its origins, Islamophobia remains one of the most pressing social justice issues to address in the 21st century. As U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a March 2021 video commemorating the International Day to Combat Islamophobia: “We must continue to push for policies that fully respect human rights and religious, cultural and unique human identity … As the Holy Quran reminds us: nations and tribes were created to know one another.”
To Get Involved:
To raise awareness about the recently proposed French hijab ban, sign “Hijab Ban France,” a petition urging the French government to revoke the ban, by clicking here.
To find out about more opportunities globally and locally to get involved in the fight against Islamophobia, check out the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the European Network Against Racism, both organizations taking intersectional approaches to combat Islamophobia through legislative and social means.
Jacob Sutherland
Jacob is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego where he majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish Language Studies. He previously served as the News Editor for The UCSD Guardian, and hopes to shed light on social justice issues in his work.
In 2020, Femicide Rates Rose Around the Globe
Last year, the U.N. reported a significant increase in domestic violence against women and girls worldwide. Rates of femicide, the murder of women because they are women, have increased greatly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, countries around the world saw protests decrying the increase of violence against women. A number of these protests were sparked by femicides that made headlines, like the murders of Vanessa Guillen in the United States, Pinar Gultekin in Turkey and Tshegofatso Pule in South Africa. Guillen, an Army private, is believed to have been killed by another service member who likely also sexually assaulted her, and Gultekin and Pule both died at the hands of a current or former boyfriend. These women were only three of a reported 50,000 women who die as a result of domestic violence each year.
In 2020, that number increased further. The U.N. reported that reports of domestic violence as a whole dramatically increased, with 243 million women around the world being subjected to sexual and/or physical violence within the year. That figure only includes women and girls aged 15 to 49, so the real total worldwide is even higher, since women outside that age range experience violence as well. 64-year-old Justina Galo Urtecho, who was raped and strangled to death in her home in Costa Rica, stands as a prominent example. The rise in violence against women, especially domestic violence, is directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns over security, health and money, as well as the series of lockdowns in many countries, have all contributed to an increase in cases of domestic violence. Due to the pandemic, women and girls worldwide found themselves stuck at home in abusive situations.
Since France’s March 17, 2020, lockdown, cases of domestic violence have increased 30%. Emergency calls to domestic violence helplines in Argentina, Cyprus and Singapore increased 25%, 30% and 33%, respectively, after the countries instituted lockdowns.
Many women who were victims of domestic violence ended up dead. During the first two months of its lockdown, Brazil saw a 22% increase in femicides from the same time last year. In Mexico, at least 987 women and girls were murdered in the first four months of 2020 alone.
At the same time that the pandemic led to an increase in violence against women, it also compromised the care that women facing domestic violence had access to. With health care providers and governments overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases, the U.N. report suggests that support for women who experienced violence slipped through the cracks.
The United Nations has dubbed the increase of domestic violence and femicide that followed the COVID-19 pandemic “the Shadow Pandemic,” and urges that national responses to COVID-19 include services to address violence against women and girls. The U.N. Shadow Pandemic Campaign recommends that countries follow five steps to combat the increase of violence against women:
Allocate resources in COVID-19 response plans to addressing violence against women.
Strengthen support services for women who experience violence by treating them as essential services.
Increase the capacity of key support services.
Put women at the center of policy reform.
Collect data on the phenomenon to inform governments’ responses.
Violence against women is an ongoing issue around the world. It did not start when the pandemic did; it simply increased. Similarly, violence against women will not end when the pandemic does. Reports suggest that the most effective way to prevent femicide is to end intimate partner violence, which necessitates addressing global gender inequality and power imbalances as a whole.
To Get Involved:
A list of ways to take action with the U.N.’s Shadow Pandemic Campaign can be found here.
Rachel Lynch
Rachel is a student at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY currently taking a semester off. She plans to study Writing and Child Development. Rachel loves to travel and is inspired by the places she’s been and everywhere she wants to go. She hopes to educate people on social justice issues and the history and culture of travel destinations through her writing.
Altered Photos of Cambodian Genocide Victims Spark Outrage
Too often history is viewed as an element of the past—chains of unchangeable events that can be analyzed and nothing more. However, it is important that victims of past atrocities are honored, a lesson in which modern media has fallen short.
Unaltered photos of Khmer Rouge genocide victims at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Christian Haugen. CC BY 2.0.
With the advancements of the digital age, the culture of media has grown ever more rapid, often leading to negative consequences. In a recent incident, history itself took center stage as one photographer’s actions sparked massive outrage among victims of the Khmer Rouge genocide, which led to the deaths of more than 2 million Cambodians in the late 1970s.
Vice published the work of photographer Matt Loughrey, who edited photos of victims from the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh taken minutes before their executions. Loughrey has been accused of editing the photos so that they show smiling faces, creating waves of backlash for the photographer.
Torture room. Timoluege. CC BY-NC 2.0.
Upset relatives of the photographed victims stated that Loughrey’s work was of horrible judgment, citing his acts as degrading the dignity of the victims. Cambodian officials too were outraged upon seeing the photos; the country’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts threatened legal action. In addition to insensitive alterations of the photos, the Vice article misidentified one of the victims, publishing incorrect personal details.
Victims’ skulls. istolethetv. CC BY 2.0.
Others have declared the actions of Loughrey to be crimes against history itself, stating the alterations to be offensive to truth.
VICE has since removed the photos, citing errors in the company’s editorial process.
The Bigger Picture
Beyond the first waves of anger resulting from this incident, larger lessons have been learned by all involved. Primarily, the incident has brought to light a flaw in the way people view history; although history is an analysis of past events, it must be equally weighted against potential consequences for the victims themselves. Second, it highlights that history is not always entirely of the past—there are still over 5 million Khmer Rouge victims living, along with millions of other descendants and close community members. Third, it brings up the question of what should be considered acceptable when it comes to altering representations of history. Is there wiggle room for subjectivity, or should all journalistic representations be as objective as possible?
Amid the turmoil and animosity between the opposing sides of this conflict, some light still remains. The incident stands as a crucial reminder for everyone that the analysis of history can be as much a weapon as a tool. It remains up to the media, and their audiences, to use the past appropriately.
Ella Nguyen
Ella is an undergraduate student at Vassar College pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies. She wants to assist in the field of immigration law and hopes to utilize Spanish in her future projects. In her free time she enjoys cooking, writing poetry, and learning about cosmetics.
High Schools in Rome Increase Support for Transgender Students
In the Roman Catholic stronghold of Italy, Rome’s high school students have sped up the city’s journey toward acceptance of transgender individuals.
Transgender flag. User:torbakhopper. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the high school community of Rome has been making strides toward the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights. Recently, a handful of high schools in the city have decided to allow transgender students the right to go by their chosen name. This is a stark change from the previous method of using a transgender person’s name given at birth, known as their “dead” name. The high schools that have made this change lag behind the city’s universities, with some colleges already having given transgender students the right.
Although the act itself seems small, it is a substantial gesture within the context of the transgender community. Upon hearing the news, students have expressed great relief; many see this step as a beacon of hope toward full transgender visibility in Italy. The country’s LGBTQ+ community currently deals with hate crimes, some of which have been so violent that victims have required reconstructive surgery. For Italy, the flaw is in the law; there is a law prohibiting crimes based on religion and race, but none exists for acts based on gender or sexual orientation. The largest change benefiting the transgender community occurred in 1982, when the Sex Reassignment Act legalized that procedure.
School officials in Rome believe that this change will help to protect students by creating a sense of security and peace in their learning environment. The first students to experience the change in rules hope that they will pave the way for an easier education for future transgender individuals, many of whom face large-scale bullying.
In a study on LGBTQ+ tolerance conducted by the Williams Institute, Italy fell quite far behind some of its European counterparts. Italy sat at 30th place in the ranking while Iceland and the Netherlands snagged the first two slots. The prevalence of the Roman Catholic Church, which does not condone LGBTQ+ behavior, has much to do with the country’s lower score.
This step has been a significant one for Italy, but much work remains to be done. With a smoother education now in store, these students hope that they are just the group to bring about further change.
Ella Nguyen
Ella is an undergraduate student at Vassar College pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies. She wants to assist in the field of immigration law and hopes to utilize Spanish in her future projects. In her free time she enjoys cooking, writing poetry, and learning about cosmetics.
A Canvas of Colors: Chile’s Majestic Marble Caves
Mother Nature is often mentioned causing destructive hurricanes, explosive volcanic eruptions and other Earth-shattering natural disasters. Just as easily as she causes destruction, though, she creates unparalleled beauty.
The Marble Caves in Chile. Javier Vieras. CC BY 2.0.
In every region of the world lies some kind of cave system; they range from the awfully eerie such as Hellhole Cave in West Virginia to the wholly tantalizing psychedelic salt mines of Russia. Although all are beautiful in their own way, few turn heads quite like one such cave system in Chilean Patagonia. Situated along one lake is a particularly artistic cavern system called the Marble Caves.
At the Argentina-Chile border lies the majestic General Carrera Lake. The lake is the largest in Chile, with a town called Chile Chico resting on its southern shore. Although the town itself is a quaint and quiet getaway, the treasures of the lake draw most visitors to the area; the massive lake boasts a dynamic palette of mesmerizing shades of sapphire and cobalt. The lake is an incredibly remote glacial lake, making it quite the journey to reach. The lake is surrounded by grand forestry, and enjoys a calm backdrop of snowcapped mountains against an expansive sky. In order to get to General Carrera Lake, visitors must depart from the city of Santiago, then embark on a string of drives totaling about 1,000 miles. From there, visitors can only visit the cave system by boat or kayak.
General Carrera Lake. Dan Lundberg. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Far from the coast of the lake stands a gargantuan block of calcium carbonate from which the caves formed. For over 6,000 years, the lapping waves of the lake eroded the calcium carbonate, slowly but gracefully constructing the Marble Caves. The mineral-rich location is protected from potential mining projects.
The caves earned their name from the masterfully striped walls; the reflection of the waters below create a cerulean painting on them, with complementary hints of yellow, turquoise, black and white. The caves house different cuts and textures due to the patterns of the eroding waves; some parts are rounded while other areas display sharp rocky points. In addition, the open layout of the cave serves it well, providing ample light for the various hues to stay in the spotlight.
The vast range of the cave’s colors is ever changing. In spring, the lower water levels provide a sparkly turquoise-green shade, while the summertime gifts the walls a splendidly deep royal blue.
Time and time again, travelers have found that Mother Nature can create just about any magnificent work of art. The local residents of the lake and any visitor bold enough to endure the journey to it can certainly attest that the Marble Caves are no exception.
Ella Nguyen
Ella is an undergraduate student at Vassar College pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies. She wants to assist in the field of immigration law and hopes to utilize Spanish in her future projects. In her free time she enjoys cooking, writing poetry, and learning about cosmetics.