I wanted to dispel preconceived notions about women in Africa. Three goddesses capture the strength of African women and celebrate blackness. “Uungu” My short film is a joint collaboration with makeup artist Fatima Yunusa that presents three African...
What do we say about women who have their lives cut short because of violence? Why should we live in fear of what could happen to us as women? A woman demonstrates against gender violence, Johannesburg, South Africa, 13 September 2019 (EPA-EFE/KIM LUDBROOK) This poem...
By Alexandra Gray More than 30 insightful, articulate and entrepreneurial young people have stepped up to the plate to lead teams of students who are eager to tackle big issues and connect with youth across the globe. They are News-Decoder’s Student Ambassadors for...
Are the frustrations and joys of New York’s subway unique to my home city? A summer criss-crossing Paris in its metro answered my question. As a New Yorker, I am familiar with the dirt and delays that can define a commuter’s experience in a city where 5.4...
Canadian newspapers and schools do little to foster interest in journalism among youth. Hong Kong has taken a radically different approach. Students talk during an editorial board meeting at a student-run newspaper. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) If you’re a Canadian...
Chinese immigrants form a growing community in France. Two manicurists gave me insight into challenges facing workers in Paris’s beauty industry. Finding a good nail salon in a new city can be a challenge. After roaming the streets of Paris’ 14th arrondissement...
A trip to Hong Kong taught me why Cantonese opera and ca trù singing, which I once thought boring, are so important to cultural identity. Like many young people, I used to consider ancient art forms to be boring and old-fashioned. A recent trip to Hong Kong changed...
In Afghanistan, people love to express themselves on their cars. The messages range from the personal to political to philosophical. In Afghanistan, people love to write messages on their cars. Messages about all sorts of things — love, politics, philosophy, you...
Two non-profits are joining forces for youth around the world. A podcast highlights News-Decoder and the International Congress of Youth Voices. A U.S. podcast is featuring News-Decoder and its new partner, the International Congress of Youth Voices (ICYV), in an...
By Kaitlyn-Lee Mun It was a Sunday afternoon in early June at Hong Kong’s Kowloon Park. Cicadas buzzed incessantly, delivering a deafening chorus. On this humid day, the air like soup, people gathered to watch a weekly Kung Fu performance. I was in the crowd,...