NELLY CARRILLO WRITES — Earlier this year, the Borgen Project, a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating poverty and hunger, published an article on the harmful effects of fast fashion. What is fast fashion and why is it a harmful way of thinking about garment manufacturing? Fast Fashion is defined as “an…
NAWAF AL-SABAH WRITES- Although Colombia is the world’s top source of illicit drugs, traffickers have now made Asia a hub for both transportation and consumption. Interestingly, a few years ago, South Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka became vulnerable regions for human trafficking due…
AASHNA MALPANI WRITES– Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, victims of Myanmar’s ethnic cleansing, are packed into refugee camps just 20 miles from the city of Cox’s Bazar, in Bangladesh. Their everyday life is riddled with little access to education and restricted cellular reception. And they are social pariahs. “The average…
KAISARA WALTON WRITES — Bangladesh’s government recently enacted a controversial new law, the Digital Security Act, invoking sections of the colonial era 1989 Official Secrets Act, which included restrictions in freedom of the press. Press releases from other entities such as the US, the EU, and human rights activists have…
DELANEY DEWHURST WRITES–Paying for Facebook–a thought that probably hasn’t crossed most people’s minds. It’s a given that you log on at no cost to connect with family and friends by sharing photos, videos and updates on your life. Yet across the globe in Bangladesh, talks are underway about putting a…
BETH MCLAUGHLIN WRITES – Most people are by now familiar with “Humans of New York” —photojournalist Brandon Stanton’s project of interviewing ordinary, anonymous New Yorkers about whatever is on their minds. Stanton has a wide audience that goes beyond his Facebook page. With two best-selling books, 20 million followers across…
BETH MCLAUGHLIN WRITES – Oh, Myanmar––until recently, a symbol of hope, but the once-pariah state has fallen again. In 2010, the country had shaken off its military leadership and was charting a path towards democracy. Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her work as…
CLEMENTINE TODOROV WRITES — Whether they live in the Global North or South, climate change is affecting the way of life for everyone. While people of the Western world seems to be more concerned about their abnormal weather changes, they are less aware and empathetic towards countries like Bangladesh, whose…
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – Interns at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) apparently left their posts recently just long enough to beat up approximately 10 journalists, leaving one critically injured. What would Hippocrates say? On April 22, The Daily Star reported that police had been escorting journalists into the hospital the previous Sunday…
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – On February 18, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladeshi Police force, arrested 21-year-old Rasel Bin Sattar Khan for circulating an audiovisual message online. According to The Hindu, the message is believed to be from al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri who…
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – Three Bangladeshi journalists were arrested January 16 for publishing what Information Minister Hansanul Huq Inu called a “baseless” story. The story in question was a report in the online and print editions of the pro-opposition Daily Inqilab that Indian security forces had helped Bangladeshi officials contain…
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – Internet technology and Twitter join forces to spread awareness of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. The Accord is an independent, legally-binging agreement signed by over 100 apparel corporations, several Bangladeshi Unions, two global trade unions, and nineteen countries from Europe, North America,…
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – The Bangladeshi garment industry is no stranger to inspection in recent months, but the spotlight is now shifting from cloth to hide. The industry has been under a microscope ever since 1,129 people died earlier this year in the collapse of Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial…
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – In the hopes of promoting a well rounded education, Bangladesh is turning to the media to showcase its first ever, nation wide quiz. Launched by the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star and the e-learning portal champs21.com, the quiz tested kids from classes VI to X…
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – The hard-working women of Bangladesh were honored recently in an art exhibition just as beautiful as they are, with the added bonus of the art being reusable for housing insulation later! On September 13 a public art exhibition opened in the Korail slum, the largest in…
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – Ladies clad in pink and blue uniforms on bikes are appearing in Bangladesh’s remote villages, bearing the gift of the Internet. These women, called “info ladies” ride their bikes across the countryside with laptops ready to hold Internet sessions for the disconnected. The Guardian newspaper reports…
