IPS story “Alberta’s oil sands bring jobs, services and despair” republished

While the expansion of the tar sands of Athabasca, Alberta, Canada has brought jobs and economic stability to the indigenous community of Fort Chipewyan, development has also brought cultural crisis and despair.

The community has witnessed its local caribou herds threatened with extinction, a decline in the number of migratory birds, and the increase of certain types of cancer. There has also been an increase in drug abuse and alcoholism among residents of the isolated town who work for the oil industry which, critics say, is a reaction to the destruction of the Athabasca land and heritage.

This troubling story was republished by The Big Issue in the North (UK).

The article can still be downloaded here.



Der IPS-Artikel „Albertas Ölsande bringen Jobs, Services und Verzweiflung“ wiederveröffentlicht

Die Ausbreitung der Athabasca-Ölsande in der kanadischen Provinz Alberta hat der indigenen Gemeinde Fort Chipewyan Arbeitsplätze und wirtschaftliche Stabilität gebracht. Diese Entwicklung ist aber gleichzeitig für eine kulturelle Krise und viel Verzweiflung verantwortlich.

Die Gemeinde musste erleben, wie die örtlichen Karibuherden fast ausgerottet wurden, und die Zahl der Zugvögel zurückging. Dafür häuften sich bestimmte Krebsarten. Außerdem wuchs die Zahl der Fälle von Drogen- und Alkoholmissbrauch unter den Bewohnern der isolierten Stadt, die für die Ölindustrie arbeiten. Laut Kritikern ist das eine Reaktion auf die Zerstörung des Athabasca-Landes und des kulturellen Erbes.

Dieser verstörende Artikel erschien im Big Issue in the North (UK).

Die Geschichte steht hier immer noch zum Download bereit. 

IPS story “From slum girl to world chess prodigy” republished in The Big Issue in the North and around the world.

Phiona Mutesi was a desperate nine-year-old foraging for food in Uganda’s biggest slum, Katwe, when she first discovered the game of chess.

Now aged 17, she’s developed into one of the world’s most promising young players and recently spoke at the Women in the World summit in New York, USA, attended by Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey. In the US, Mutesi has played chess with her hero, grandmaster, Garry Kasparov, and Disney is producing a movie about her life.

This heart-warming story, written by IPS’s Amy Fallon, was picked up and republished by The Big Issue in the North (UK) and also by Portuguese street paper, CAIS, Franco-Canadian street paper, L’Itinéraire, and Streetvibes in the US.

The article can still be downloaded here.



Der IPS-Artikel „Vom Slum-Mädchen zum Schach-Genie“ erscheint in „The Big Issue in the North“ und andere Zeitungen auf der ganzen Welt

Phiona Mutesi war ein verzweifeltes neunjähriges Mädchen, das in Katwe, dem größten Slum Ugandas, nach Essen suchte – dann entdeckte sie das Schach-Spiel.

Jetzt, mit 17 Jahren, ist Phiona eine der vielversprechendsten jungen Schachspieler der Welt. Vor kurzem sprach sie auf dem „Women in the World“-Gipfel in New York, den auch Hillary Clinton und Oprah Winfrey besuchten. In den USA hat sie auch schon gegen ihren Helden, den Schach-Großmeister Garry Kasparov, gespielt. Disney dreht gerade einen Film über ihr Leben.

Diese herzerwärmende Geschichte, die Amy Fallon von IPS geschrieben hat, wurde vom Big Issue in the North aus dem Vereinigten Königreich genauso aufgenommen wie vom portugiesischen Straßenmagazin CAIS und der francokanadischen Zeitung L’Itinéraire. Auch Streetvibes aus den USA brachte die Story.

Den Artikel können Sie hier immer noch herunterladen.  

INSP story “Theatre challenges Europe’s last dictatorship” republished

Belarus has been described as Europe’s last dictatorship. A landlocked nation in Eastern Europe that became independent in 1991 following the collapse of the USSR, the nation is ruled with an iron fist by President Aljaksandr Lukaschenka, a dictator criticised for his appalling human rights record.

Belarus is Europe’s dark corner, a place where elections are rigged and opponents of the government are wrongly imprisoned and tortured. Dissent is brutally oppressed but human rights defenders are fighting back using the power of theatre.

This hard-hitting story by INSP’s Katrin Schmoll was republished in the Big Issue in the North and also as far afield as the Big Issue japan.

The article can still be downloaded here.

Wiederveröffentlichung des INSP-Artikels „Theater fordert Europas letzte Diktatur heraus“

Weißrussland gilt als Europas letzte Diktatur. Das Land in Osteuropa wurde 1991 nach dem Zusammenbruch der UdSSR unabhängig. Jetzt herrscht Präsident Aljaksandr Lukaschenko dort mit eiserner Faust – ein Diktator, der wegen seiner erschreckenden Missachtung der Menschenrechte kritisiert wird.

Weißrussland ist Europas dunkle Ecke, ein Ort, in dem Wahlen manipuliert und Regierungsgegner grundlos eingesperrt und gefoltert werden. Jede Art von Widerstand wird brutal unterdrückt. Menschenrechtsaktivisten aber schlagen zurück – mit der Macht des Theaters.

Diese kraftvolle Geschichte von unserer INSP-Praktikantin Katrin Schmoll erschien im Big Issue in the North und auch im Big Issue Japan.

Den Artikel können Sie hier immer noch herunterladen.

Staff and board changes at INSP

INSP Executive Director, Lisa Maclean will be moving on from INSP on the 9th August after 10 years with the organisation. At our conference in Munich last week, the board and members thanked Lisa for all her hard work and dedication to INSP and street papers over the years, and wished her well in the future.

• A message from Lisa to INSP members can be found here. 
• A message from Lisa to INSP supporters can be found here.

Maree Aldam (currently Development Manager) will take over as General Manager of INSP in the interim period, supported by the board and former INSP President, Mel Young who is based in Scotland. An open recruitment process for the Director’s position will take place later in the year and will be managed by the board and supported by INSP partners in Scotland.

Board of Directors

During our AGM in Munich last week, board members Gabi Koch (Hinz&Kunzt, Germany) and Arkady Tyurin (Put Domoi, Russia) stepped down from the INSP board of Directors. Members voted Fay Selvan (The Big Issue in the North / The Big Life Group) and Paola Gallo (Surprise, Switzerland) on to the INSP board. Read more about the current board here.

Message from Lisa Maclean to colleagues & INSP supporters

Dear colleagues and INSP supporters,

After 10 fantastic years with Big Issue and INSP I’m moving on from INSP on the 9th August.

It has been a wonderful experience to work for INSP and street papers. I believe in street papers and it has been inspiring to have the opportunity to work alongside our street paper members and to see the amazing work they do every day that changes lives. 123 papers, 28,000 vendors working every year, 6 million readers reached every edition- this is one special network. Thank you for being part of our network and for supporting us on our journey so far.

It feels like an appropriate time to move on; we have a really a supportive board, a committed, experienced staff team, and wonderful partners behind us. INSP is in great shape.

I am moving on to take up an international entrepreneurship Fellowship with The Saltire Foundation, and as the first social enterprise leader to be offered a place, I will put all of my INSP experiences to really good use.

Our Development Manager, Maree Aldam, will be stepping up to a General Manager’s role in the interim period, supported by former INSP President and Big Issue Scotland co-founder Mel Young who is based in Scotland. Maree is passionate about street papers and will do a great job. The board will manage an open recruitment process for the INSP Director’s position later in the year and everyone will be kept informed about this as we move forward.

What the street papers movement does is to give people a chance to take control, to change their lives, to move on. As I stand here poised to do that in a small way in my own life, I am reminded of how powerful and important a gift that is. If moving on from a decade of the good things I’ve had at INSP is so profound and affecting for me, imagine how infinitely more extraordinary it is when one of our 14,000 vendors can make a positive change in their lives.

Thank you all again for all you have given to INSP- I hope we can continue to count on you as the organisation moves forward. I look forward to seeing INSP continue to grow and thrive, supporting street papers and vendors everywhere.

With thanks and best wishes,

Lisa

Future contact: lisamaclean77(at)googlemail.com