Identity

Speaker of Ghana Parliament Alban Sumana Bagbin speaks at the Parliament House in Accra, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

‘What crime have we committed?’ Ghana’s LGBTQ community braces as anti-LGBTQ bill may turn into law

Lawmakers in Ghana recently passed a bill that could lead to a severe crackdown on LGBTQ activities that have many people worried. Ghana's president is under pressure domestically to sign the bill into law, but could face economic consequences if he does. 

‘What crime have we committed?’ Ghana’s LGBTQ community braces as anti-LGBTQ bill may turn into law
city scape drawing

Can endangered languages be saved? This new book may have the answer.

Can endangered languages be saved? This new book may have the answer.
"I'll Have What She's Having" is an exhibit that explores the history of Jewish delis in America.

Jewish American delis: A story of culture, community and survival

Jewish American delis: A story of culture, community and survival
A woman in a black shirt holds up her arm on which there is a tattooed number.

Why some descendants of Holocaust survivors choose to replicate a loved one’s Auschwitz tattoo

Why some descendants of Holocaust survivors choose to replicate a loved one’s Auschwitz tattoo
Tens of thousands of demonstrators fill Munich’s Ludwigstraße, one of the cities main boulevards, in protest against recent revelations about a meeting between members of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

‘I’m here to fight for democracy’: Tens of thousands protest against the far-right in Germany

‘I’m here to fight for democracy’: Tens of thousands protest against the far-right in Germany
Turkish breakfasts are elaborate and offer a wide variety of options eaten over the course of an hour or two. Diners are not expected to eat everything on the table. 

In Istanbul, the classic ‘Turkish breakfast’ comes under fire for food waste

Turkey is famous for its elaborate breakfasts, featuring a huge spread of a wide variety of foods that can take hours to eat. Critics say the traditional breakfast is indulgent and leads to food waste. Others say it’s part of the culture and here to stay.

In Istanbul, the classic ‘Turkish breakfast’ comes under fire for food waste
seniors on the street

New York City's older Chinese American population faces increasing housing challenges, poverty

In the Chinese American community in New York City, almost half of older adults are living in poverty, and paying rent is tough. Particularly given the gentrification of New York City's traditional Chinatown in lower Manhattan. Some agencies are trying to help them.

New York City's older Chinese American population faces increasing housing challenges, poverty
Uganda Women Birders tackles limiting gender taboos by giving women the experience and resources they need to prove they can do the job.

‘Birds are everywhere!’ Women bird guides in Uganda set a global example

Birdwatching is a rapidly growing and lucrative part of the tourism sector worldwide, but women make up a very small minority of professional guides. Uganda Women Birders, a bird guide club, is revolutionizing the industry by encouraging and supporting women who want to get into the business. Anita Elash reports from the town of Entebbe, Uganda.

‘Birds are everywhere!’ Women bird guides in Uganda set a global example
Sea-level rise and storms made stronger by climate change threaten communities across coastal Bangladesh.

‘They forgot about me’: People with disabilities in Bangladesh face increased risk during natural disasters

Millions of people have migrated from villages in coastal Bangladesh to escape climate-related disasters, but people with disabilities often stay behind. This puts their lives in even greater danger as weather conditions become more severe, advocates say.

‘They forgot about me’: People with disabilities in Bangladesh face increased risk during natural disasters
sanctuary

‘I just got completely blasted by love’: People in the UK attest to the ways that spirituality is evolving 

In the United Kingdom, 7 in 10 people under the age of 30 say they don’t identify with any particular religion. The World met with clergy members, pagans, atheists, Muslims and others to hear about how they look at religion today in the UK.

‘I just got completely blasted by love’: People in the UK attest to the ways that spirituality is evolving 
Clarissa Bitar plays the oud, a classic string instrument.

How the oud brought this Palestinian American musician closer to their culture, family and history

For Palestinians in the diaspora, staying connected to their ancestral home and making sense of the politics in the region has long been a challenge. Meklit Hadero, host of “Movement,” a series on music and migration, spoke with Clarissa Bitar, a Palestinian American who found that a musical instrument could bridge history and great distance.

How the oud brought this Palestinian American musician closer to their culture, family and history
The exterior of the Ancient Church of the East in Baghdad, Iraq, Aug. 27, 2023.

A newly launched news channel in Iraq tries to preserve the ancient Syriac language

Al-Iraqiya news recently started a Syriac-language broadcast in an attempt to preserve the ancient language, which derives from Aramaic, the original language of the Bible and Jesus. They are based in Baghdad. People at the network and in the Iraqi Christian community talk about what this means for them.

A newly launched news channel in Iraq tries to preserve the ancient Syriac language
Relatives attend the funeral of Palestinians who were killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit a church, in Gaza City, Oct. 20, 2023.

Christians in Gaza fear for their tiny community amid strikes on churches

Christians make up about 1,000 of the roughly 2 million people in Gaza but they have deep connections to the land. So far, 2% of the Christian population has been killed; and members of the community worry this could be the end of Christian presence in Gaza.

Christians in Gaza fear for their tiny community amid strikes on churches
Men sit at a cafe at the Baqa'a refugee camp, north of the capital Amman, Dec. 12, 2023.

Stateless Palestinians in Jordan struggle to make a future

Palestinian refugees from Gaza live in a state of limbo in Jordan. Despite having lived in the country for decades — and even being born there — Jordan hasn’t granted them citizenship. The World’s Shirin Jaafari reports from Amman, Jordan.

Stateless Palestinians in Jordan struggle to make a future
People gather during the Kanua film festival in Ecuador.

Film festival makes its way through Ecuador's Amazon by boat

For the past few weeks, a floating film festival has been plying the waters of Ecuador's Amazon region. The films are transported aboard a solar-powered boat. It stops in Indigenous communities along the rivers, sets up a projector, and shows films by and about Indigenous people around the globe.

Film festival makes its way through Ecuador's Amazon by boat