Journalism Archive
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A Tale of Two Bolivias
A geographic rift between rich and poor is making waves in Bolivian politics. The interests of wealthy landowners in the lowlands are diametrically opposed to those of the powerful indigenous-based social movements. Civic and business groups from the lowland "media luna" region, which is the crescent or "half-moon" shaped region comprising the northern, southern and eastern lowlands of the country, are at the forefront of this drive to challenge the indigenous movements' supremacy as the nation's most active political force.
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AfroReggae: Brazil's Drumbeat
If Brazil's pulse were audible, it would be a drumbeat. Undoubtedly, music breathes life into many of the country's traditions: there's the percussive twang in the martial arts dance of capoeira, the batucada drumming in the soccer stadiums, and the world-famous samba of carnival. But Rio de Janeiro's Grupo Cultural AfroReggae takes the concept of creating life through music to new heights.
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The Beautiful Game? Race and Class in Brazilian Soccer
Soccer has become so rooted in Brazil that it's hard to believe that when the ball first rolled upon the fields of the country only a small elite played the game. By the start of the 20th century, as the English mingled with the upper rungs of Brazilian "high society" in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, they began teaching the basics of the sport to the most aristocratic of Brazilians.
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Globalizing Resistance in Cancún
As the World Trade Organization's Fifth Ministerial Meeting was kicked-off September 10 in Cancún, Mexico, the battle on the streets began. Demonstrators and police in full riot gear exchanged blows with sticks and batons as large jagged chunks of pavement and rocks were being hurled at the police line.
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Cuba: Crackdown on Dissidents
Cuban courts handed down heavy sentences of up to 28 years in the first weeks of April, after authorities arrested scores of government critics in a crackdown on what they deemed subversive activities.