Explains

Bahasa-bahasa asli di berbagai daerah di Asia sudah mulai punah, termasuk di Indonesia. Alasan fenomena ini banyak; salah sekiannya adalah politik, ekonomi, dan budaya. Salah satu contohnya adalah Indonesia, di mana penggunaan Bahasa Indonesia dipakai sebagai agenda nasionalistik. Padahal, bahasa-bahasa asli masih memiliki tempat yang sangat penting di tengah masyarakat modern. Salah satunya adalah preservasi budaya dan pengetahuan-pengetahuan yang tertuang dalam bahasa-bahasa tersebut. Saat ini, puluhan bahasa daerah telah hilang di Indonesia dan setiap dua minggu sekali, diperkirakan satu bahasa di dunia hilang. #BahasaDaerah #BahasaAsli #Adat #Kebudayaan

In October, 400 people in Asia died from crowd-related disasters. Why does Asia experience so many of these incidents and how does it relate to government leadership? And how can you stay safe and protect others in an overpopulated space? Crowd crushes can happen when too many people push into a confined space, above 5 people per square meter. In many Asian countries, regulations around crowds are non-existent unless it’s an officially organized event. Even if officials know that people will gather en masse, no one might take charge of crowd control - and in some cases, it’s the government that makes bad situations deadly. So from assessing the density of a crowd to listening to cries of discomfort around you, here’s how you can stay safe in a crowd.

South Koreans drink more than any other country. In countries like South Korea, Japan and China, alcohol has been considered a “gift from the gods”. Historically, warriors drank before battles and after victories, and masculinity was tied to ability to drink copious amounts of alcohol. But what does drinking culture expose today? If you’re drinking a bottle of Soju, a can of sake, or a glass of Baijiu, you’re likely partaking in a drinking culture that is steeped in tradition and history. Alcohol can represent hospitality, vulnerability and openness–and it used to come with guidelines to ensure it was a healthy ritual. Today, excessive drinking can uphold workplace patriarchy, undue pressures on employees, and toxic masculinity. South Koreans, the most hardcore drinkers in the world, intake 13.7 shots of alcohol on average weekly. With the negative, life-threatening effects of excessive drinking, it’s time to reexamine our relationship with drinking.

Western news outlets have reduced the story of China’s protests to the youth fighting for democracy. But what’s happening in China has more to do with COVID, and how China’s strict policies over the past few years have impacted people’s lives. In China, frustration has built-up over years of zero COVID policy. While the policy has worked, and China’s COVID death toll is far lower than other countries, it’s come at a cost. From suicide rates spiking to an economy declining, what’s happening is not a cry for democracy but a frustration over how things have been handled when it comes to COVID. As people speak out against insufferable conditions, including years of social isolation, they are now protesting an end to the brutal lockdowns. The apartment fire that killed 10 people in Urumqi was the catalyst to what we are seeing now. Chinese citizens, tired and angry with increasing heavy police presence and now arrests of protestors, are starting to see China loosen COVID restrictions.

Since Sep 2022, we have seen people take to the streets globally to protest the oppressive Iranian regime. But how clear is it what Iranians are fighting for versus what Western media is narrating? And does the West understand the difference between solidarity and intervention? After the death of 22 year old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Zhina Amini, many Iranians have fought for an end to the Islamic Republic. They’re tired of the rampant corruption, the economic mismanagement, high inflation, water shortage, and 40 years of repression and systematic human rights violations. Iranians want a free, secular, democratic society and a political infrastructure that protects and guarantees it. But this isn’t the clear story Western media portrays of Iran–or any Middle Eastern country. Instead, we’re fed dichotomies like “free vs. oppressed” and “civilized vs. fanatical”. This leaves Iranians and many others as victims and with little to no agency. Reform is no longer enough in Iran today, and Iranian people are asking for support–not saviors. Will the international community listen–or will they continue to dehumanize this country as they have many others?

How did Malaysians abroad make sure their voices were heard in Malaysia’s latest election? While those in power worked to place bottlenecks in their way, tens of thousands of Malaysians began organizing an intricate and global plan to get their ballots cast. Usually with elections, most citizens abroad can vote at their local consulates. Sometimes, they’re even welcomed with treats. Malaysia, on the contrary, not only sent ballots too late, they also determined that each voter needed a Malaysian witness. No shipping labels were provided, leaving voters to foot high shipping costs on their own. On platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, Malaysians across the world galvanized their counterparts into action. What ended up looking like voluntary travelers with bags filled with ballots and runners at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport picking up ballots–from hundreds of cities. Here’s what happens when crisis meets creativity.