Culture
The ‘Say Hi’ campaign in Sweden is helping to combat loneliness
Åsa Koski, a social strategist with the Luleå municipality in northern Sweden, started the Säg hej! (“Say hi!”) campaign to try and get people to interact more with each other to combat widespread loneliness.
A conversation with Russian protest group Pussy Riot
'A link with my ancestors': Britons reconnect with Jewish roots for EU passports
New book taps into the cultural history of eyeliner
Thanksgiving stories gloss over the history of US settlement on Native lands
The popular version of the “first Thanksgiving” story frequently portrays happy colonists and Native Americans feasting together. But it hides the realities of what many historians and activists call “settler colonialism.”
'Existing and resisting': Black quilombo communities fight for land, rights in Brazil
Monday is Black Consciousness Day in Brazil. It falls on day of death of Zumbi dos Palmares, the leader of Palmares Quilombo, a community of runaway slaves and their descendants, in 1695. There are still thousands of quilombos across Brazil, and many continue to fight for their land and their rights.
A food writer celebrates the tastes of her hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
New York Times food writer Yewande Komolafe grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. When she moved to the US in her late teens, she recreated her favorite dishes by memory. Now she celebrates her home town's cuisine in her new book: "My Everyday Lagos: Nigerian Cooking at Home and in the Diaspora." Host Marco Werman speaks to Komolafe about what inspired her book.
College football hype can be lost in translation for international students
If you're not from the US, football and its traditions can be bewildering. To help their international students, many universities now offer a crash course in the rules, scoring and, of course, fight songs. Shannon Young reports from football-crazed Boulder, Colorado, that the classes aren't just to help international students understand football but American culture.
In Argentina, ‘Swifties Don’t Vote For Milei’
Just days before the presidential elections in Argentina, Taylor Swift fans wanted to make sure their voices were heard. Pink posters with the caption: "Swifties Don't Vote for Milei” were spotted all around the country’s biggest stadium, where the pop star recently performed three sold-out concerts. Javier Milei is a far-right libertarian candidate who has proposed radical changes if elected.
American World War II doctor in Italy captures scenes of wartime beyond the front lines
Lt. Col. Manuel E. Lichtenstein was a doctor in southern Italy during World War II. He met with top generals and won prestigious awards. Stories about his three harrowing years there were passed down in his family. But an old box of photos he took — of simple moments with everyday people — reveal a different view of life during wartime, away from the front lines.
Saving Ukraine’s cultural heritage with a click
Since the beginning of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has been bombing uniquely Ukrainian cultural sites. Preservationists are using "photogrammetry" — the act of deriving precise measurements from taking overlapping photos and rendering them in three dimensions. Dina Temple-Raston, the host of "Click Here," was recently in Ukraine and met those working to preserve the country's heritage — on their phones.
Roman Catholic Church remains inconclusive about reforms for women, LGBTQ after monthlong meeting wraps
More than 450 church leaders from around the world came to the Vatican in early October to debate this and other questions during the latest synod, a monthlong meeting to discuss the church’s future. Their conclusion: more research is needed.
Spanish musician María José Llergo turns roots into wings with ‘Ultrabelleza’
The Spanish artist María José Llergo has just released her first full-length album, called “Ultrabelleza.” Her voice carries the legacy of flamenco, the traditional music of her homeland, but on this new record, her roots have turned into wings, allowing her to explore other genres.
Zimbabwe's stone sculptors struggle to keep carving
International art collectors purchased many of Zimbabwe's massive stone carvings. But buyers stopped coming in 2000 after conflict over land reform policies led to violence. Some sculptors are still trying to keep their art alive.