In Haiti, a pastor helps his shattered community heal

Sacred Nation

Gang violence in Haiti has forced almost 1.3 million people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. One pastor in Katye Mouren has taken on the mission of helping them relocate and rebuild their lives.

Colombia churches push for dialogue in the wake of renewed political violence

Sacred Spaces

Some Russians push back against a church building spree in Moscow

Sacred Nation

This family in Syria has kept the centuries-old tradition of Sufi whirling dervishes alive

Sacred Nation

Once marginalized, Mexico City’s sonidero parties draw crowds across social divides

Culture

Latin American students consider options as visas are on hold

US officials have suspended visa interviews for all international students looking to study in the United States. They say they’re revamping policies to include the vetting of applicants’ social media accounts. The US has long been the top destination for students from Latin America. Many Latin American leaders have been educated in the country. But as Michael Fox reports from Quito, Ecuador, that trajectory could suddenly shift.

As Canada burns, author of ‘Fire Weather’ sees the nation’s hotter future

Climate Change

More than 30,000 people in Canada have been evacuated due to wildfires, and millions of acres have burned — and it’s only the start of the fire season. John Vaillant, author of “Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World,” said climate change is making conditions ideal for stronger, more frequent fires.

First Nations evacuate thousands from remote areas in Manitoba due to wildfire threat

Environment

First Nations Chiefs criticized the Canadian government’s initial response to the wildfires, which have forced thousands of people to evacuate in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

One of the best examples of ‘soft power’ is on the chopping block, experts say

Since the end of World War II, the Fulbright Program has been one of America’s most prestigious tools of diplomacy — sending scholars abroad, welcoming researchers in and building soft power through education. But today, this flagship exchange program is under existential threat — from the State Department that runs it. As the World’s Joshua Coe learned, it could take decades to see the repercussions.

Recycled whirligigs remain a fixture in the Japanese countryside

Out of Eden Walk

A constant fixture of National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek’s journey through rural Japan was the whirligig, or as he called them, “seismic scarecrows.” Gardeners he spoke to use these contraptions to scare away crop pests like mice and foxes. Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Salopek about the whirligigs, rural Japanese architectural aesthetics and how he got aboard a cargo ship to cross to North America.

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