When most people think of Mexican food, the first thing that comes to mind may be chili peppers and fiery hot dishes that threaten their taste buds. Although chilis are essential in Mexican cuisine throughout the country, they are not necessarily added for spiciness. More often than not they are used to enhance flavour. Many…
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Illegal logging and deforestation for agriculture and livestock activities are destroying the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve. The Bosawas Biosphere Reserve in north-eastern Nicaragua, the largest forest reserve in Central America, covers an area of 2,420,000 hectares and constitutes a key element in the Mesoamerican biological corridor connecting protected areas of Belize, Costa Rica, Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,…
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It is now almost five years since the coup d’état that took place in Thailand on 22 May 2014. This year on 24 March, it will hold elections which could have serious consequences for the Country of the Smile, now grim and uncertain, led formally by civil institutions but inflexibly guided by the National Council…
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The definition of The Maritime Silk Road seems never ending. The initial interest of the Chinese government in their South-East Asian neighbours is being gradually concretised in the form of a series of projects. Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar are the countries most involved. Since its announcement in 2013, the Chinese Maritime Silk Road (MSR) initiative,…
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China is present and active in almost all countries of Africa. In 2015 China invested about 35 billion Dollars in Africa and so has surpassed Europe or the US as Africa’s main trading partner. The China-Africa Summit of 2018 further demonstrated the growing importance of China in Africa. During the Summit President Xi Jinping offered…
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Ethiopia is Africa’s second largest refugee hosting country with more than 800,000 of them in its territory. They are victims of wars, persecutions or natural disasters. There is just one centre for refugees in Addis Ababa and it represents the microcosm of some of the problems that affect the African continent. The large outdoor patio…
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Bangkok seems to be a champion of futuristic architecture but its lights simply overwhelm without removing either its own multiple dark areas or the darkening shadows of the country. The present contingency, with the creation of a speculation bubble, the flight of capital, failed investments, populist policies and the rigidity of a self-referential system which…
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The Bribris are a native people of about 11,500 in total, established in Costa Rica for centuries, some think for 5,000 years. They live on the Indian reserves of Salitre and Cabagra and speak the only indigenous language of Costa Rica taught at the university. They practice a form of religion related to shamanism and…
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All over the world, gender inequality makes and keeps women poor, depriving them of basic rights and opportunities for well-being. The root of this discrimination is in the way of considering women as non-existent on their own as full human beings but as always attached to someone else: a daughter or a wife to someone.…
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Long ago and far away there was a wealthy man who had several wives. Of a sudden, this man learned that his town was to be invaded by men from another tribe. Fearing for his life and the lives of those in his family, the man thought long about what he must do to save…
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Thailand is now witnessing the disappearance of its myth as a ‘Teflon Country’, unmoved by any crisis and capable of regaining its solidity after temporary setbacks. Officially, such things are never due to internal reasons but only to international contingencies. Apparently immune to what it sees as from outside, Thailand is occupied solely with presenting…
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The 30 December presidential and parliamentary elections have ended up in a farce. Monitoring group and several international partners have called for a recount. After 12 days of internet black-out, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), whose chairman Corneille Nangaa, was appointed by the outgoing President Joseph Kabila, announced on the 10 January the victory…
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She is a leading voice among Brazil’s Indigenous youth. Her message is simple: Indigenous people must be involved in decision-making processes relating to the measures…
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Once upon a time, there was a potter, honest and diligent, who made jars of excellent quality and many sizes. He was also a very religious…
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The official anthem of World Youth Day is entitled “There's a Rush in the Air!”. We talk about it with Father João Paulo Vaz, author of the…
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