The Chinese civil rights activist Chen Guangcheng has become an icon in representing the fight against the repression and torment frequently employed on dissidents against the country’s authoritarian regime. The blind activist – often referred to as a “barefoot lawyer,” a term used to describe self-taught legal representatives in the country – became embroiled in [...]

A modern day slave trade may seem unimaginable, but it is in fact all around us. Two and a half million people just this year have fallen victim to this $32 billion industry. The United Nations reports that 80 percent of these exploited persons were involved in sexual services. Human trafficking and the sex work [...]

The exploration for new sustainable energy sources is in a way an effort to regain harmony with our natural world. If this is the case, it only makes sense to look at the organic mysteries that have been under our collective nose all along. Recently, scientists have been studying the elegant wings of butterflies – [...]

The annual Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is part of a series of international rugby tournaments hosted under the IRB Sevens World Series. The 3-day event, held during the last weekend of March every year, was first established in 1976 and took place in the city this past weekend. Sponsored by HSBC and coordinated by the [...]

The world’s media has recently shone considerable spotlight on the developments at the Apple Foxconn manufacturers in China, regarding the inhumane treatment of workers and the brutal conditions they are forced to endure. Recently, the radio programme This American Life broadcasted a monologue titled The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs; it featured Mike [...]

The phenomenon of globalization has interconnected the world in ways never before experienced by mankind, yet there remains a distinct lack of empathetic human connection. This is especially true in the western world where out of sight and out of mind are the wars waged, the natural resources pillaged, and the human hands that piece [...]

There is no love lost between Hong Kong and their neighbours who hail from China. Popularly referred to as Mainlanders, which has since become a negative connotation in its own right, visitors from north of the Hong Kong border are often stereotypically portrayed by the media as being inherently rude and obnoxious. The aforementioned characteristics [...]

The joyous holiday season has become less jolly after the discovery of the untimely death of James Rizzi, one of Brooklyn’s finest artists. He was found on December 26th in his SoHo apartment, resting peacefully in his sleep. The curious artist was 61 years young. If your ears are not familiar with his name, then [...]

After years of corruption and cronyism from the oppressive regime of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian people have risen up as a part of the Arab Awakening only to face a brutal backlash. The United Nations’ official estimate of the death toll has now surpassed 5,000, with 400 lives being taken just last month. There are [...]

A so-called last minute deal at the COP17 Climate Talks in Durban, South Africa has led politicians and some media outlets to laud the cooperation of diplomats to come to an agreement to ultimately curb anthropogenic carbon emissions. Environmentalist are largely left bewildered by the cheers. Under the veneer of supposed progress, all that one [...]

The UN treaty on climate change — our best hope for action — expires next year. But a greedy US-led coalition of oil-captured countries is trying to kill it forever. It’s staggeringly difficult to believe: they are trading short term profits for the survival of our natural world. The EU, Brazil and China are all [...]

Ai Weiwei remains unapologetic and defiant, while continuing to be an inspiration to those who care about human rights and social justice. Although he was released from secret detention in September, the Chinese authorities continue to strong arm the artist. The government has had a particularly difficult time muting Ai due to his huge international [...]

We want to take you on a trip to the other side of the world to get brief updates on global issues that we have covered in the past. Feel free to click on each title to go back to past coverage of each topic, and follow the links within each section to learn more. [...]

Despite political stagnation, everyday people continue to seek solutions to our climate crisis. Ryan Hrejac, of Ontario, Canada, began his mission to battle global water shortages in developing nations through direct action, education, and inspiration, all beginning at the age of six. Hrejac launched his mission after hearing a jaunting tale from his elementary school [...]

“For a man imprisoned and conditionally released, neither neighbors nor strangers nor Beijing’s officials nor courts can be trusted.” Artist, subversive dissident, and freedom fighter Ai Weiwei was released from his secret detention earlier this summer, but he is far from a free man. His conditions for release were reportedly a ban on the use [...]

Chinese artist and political activist Ai Weiwei has been released on bail by the Chinese government. A state news agency announced that the release came as Weiwei admitted to tax evasion, as well as citing a health condition that he suffers from along with good behavior while under detention. Since Weiwei’s state kidnapping, a hand [...]

Art cannot be erased. Music cannot be silenced. Culture cannot be contained, even by the most authoritarian governments. Despite widespread censorship from the Politburo, underground electronic music in Shanghai, China is burgeoning and transmitting to your local internet stream. Shanghai, the most populous metropolis in China is home to 23 million people. The cosmopolitan city [...]