Juneteenth (19 June) marks the day when the most distant part of the United States received news of the end of slavery. On 19 June 1865, the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas finally discovered that Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had actually freed them two-and-a-half years earlier. As of 17 June 2021, it will be a … Continue reading “Juneteenth Becomes a Federal Holiday”
This giant sculpture has been installed as a message to the G7 leaders meeting for a summit in Cornwall, England. It’s made entirely of electronic waste and is designed to draw attention to the environmental problems caused by the 53 million tonnes of phones, tablets, computers and other electronic devices discarded every year. The sculpture, … Continue reading “Mount Recyclemore”
A quick rundown on Euro 2020 in six essential questions. When? 11 June to 11 July 2021. Where? In 11 cities around Europe: Amsterdam (Netherlands), Baku (Azerbaijan), Bilbao (Spain), Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Copenhagen (Denmark), Glasgow (Scotland), London (England), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy), Saint Petersburg (Russia). The semi-finals and final will be at Wembley Stadium in … Continue reading “Euro 2020 in Six Questions”
The Design Museum in London has announced the winners of the 2020 Beazley Designs of the Year, honouring see-saws connecting children on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, improvised brick arches created by Hong Kong protesters and vegan burgers. The Beazley awards don’t only consider aesthetics and user experience. They look at the bigger picture … Continue reading “Design as Activism Honoured in Beazley Awards”
This worksheet guides pupils to explore the online version of an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York. “Activist New York” looks at the history of protest movements in the city from the 17th Century to today, fights for workers’ rights, civil rights, votes for women or free speech. The “Political and … Continue reading “Activist New York”
Hong Kong citizens have been protesting for weeks against a law they say would stifle political opposition by allowing activists to be extradited to mainland China for trial. In the face of surveillance, activists in the former British colony are turning to web apps to anonymously organise protests, or even vote on their next actions. … Continue reading “Digital Democracy in Hong Kong Protests”
Language is constantly changing and every year British dictionary publishers Collins likes to look back and see which words have dominated the national conversation. Not necessarily new words, but ones that have come to the fore. The Word of the Year 2018 is… “single-use”. It’s been in the news as more and more campaigners have … Continue reading “Word of the Year: Single-Use”
On 10 December, the Nobel Committee is presenting the 2018 Nobel Prize for Peace to a woman and a man fighting against the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Nadia Murad and Dr Denis Mukwege come from different parts of the world, and took different paths to advocacy. But both fight to … Continue reading “Fighting for Women’s Rights”
Australian water activist Mina Guli has undertaken a gruelling physical challenge to draw attention to the growing global water crisis. From November till February she is attempting to run 100 marathons in 100 days. The United Nations estimates that there will be a 40% shortfall between demand and supply for water globally by 2030. Increasing … Continue reading “Running Dry”
The silent protest of two African American athletes on the podium at the 1968 Mexico Olympics was an iconic moment in civil-rights history. We’ve selected some teaching tools for language classes on the Black Power protest. In 2016, the prestigious Smithsonian opened a new, and long-awaited museum, the National Museum of African American History and … Continue reading “Mexico Olympics Black Power Protest Video”