Charity ballet story crosses Africa

An article from The Big Issue South Africa about the non-profit Dance for All has been republished by The Big Issue Lagos. Over a beautifully designed two-page spread, the article 'Steps that make dreams come true' explores how the charity has changed hundreds of young South Africans' lives through the magic of movement.

Co-founder and former principal dancer Phillip Boyd believes the programme has been such a success because, "the discipline an artistic life requires is a strong way of taking children from the streets and keeping them away from drugs and violence. Dance is hope and that's what we provide."

A two page spread in The Big Issue Lagos

To see how The Big Issue Lagos republished the article, view the clipping here.

Ein Artikel aus dem Big Issue South Africa über das Projekt "Dance for All" wurde auch vom Big Issue Lagos gedruckt. Auf einer wunderschön gestalteten Doppelseite zeigte der Artikel "Schritte, die Träume wahr machen", wie die Wohltätigkeitsorganisation das Leben Hunderter junger Südafrikaner durch die Magie der Bewegung verändert hat.

Der Mitbegründer und ehemalige Tänzer Phillip Boyd ist fest davon überzeugt dass das Programm so erfolgreich ist weil "die Disziplin, die ein Leben für den Tanz erfordert, einen erfolgreichen Weg zeigt, wie man Kinder von der Straße holt und von Drogen und Gewalt fernhält. Tanzen ist Hoffnung, und genau die können wir geben."

Die Version des Big Issue Lagos sehen Sie hier.

Mystery disease report republished on four continents

Our report about the mystery disease killing Uganda's children got republished on four continents.

In Asia, The Big Issue Japan republished it, in America it was picked up by Street Zine, in Europe by Liceulice in Serbia and in Africa by The Big Issue South Africa and The Big Issue Malawi.

INSP's report in The Big Issue Malawi

The report shows how thousands of children in Uganda are suffering from a mysterious illness that manifests itself in victims through the nodding of the head. So far 200 children have died from the disease in northern Uganda, but government health workers and NGOs remain in the dark about both its cause and cure.

You can see the clipping of The Big Issue Malawi here.

Unsere Reportage über die mysteriöse Krankheit, die Ugandas Kinder tötet, wurde auf vier Kontinenten veröffentlicht.

In Asien konnte man die Geschichte im Big Issue Japan lesen, in Amerika wurde sie von Street Zine aufgegriffen, in Europa von Liceulice aus Serbien und in Afrika von The Big Issue South Africa und The Big Issue Malawi.

Die Reportage zeigt, dass Tausende Kinder in Uganda an einer geheimnisvollen Krankheit leiden, die sich durch ständiges Kopfnicken äußert. Bis jetzt sind 200 Kinder in Nord-Uganda an dieser Krankheit gestorben. Gesundheitsbeamte der Regierung und Nichtregierungsorganisationen tappen über den Auslöser weiter im Dunkeln. Ein Heilmittel konnte bis jetzt nicht gefunden werden.

Den Ausschnitt aus dem Big Issue Malawi sehen Sie hier.

Megaphone vendor to throw out first pitch at baseball game

On Tuesday, July 24th Megaphone vendor Kris Cronk will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Vancouver Canadians baseball game.

Kris was the winner of Megaphone's 'Sales Pitch Contest', which asked vendors to submit the best sales pitch they use to attract customers. It was close, but Kris' "Megaphone: Often imitated, never duplicated" was voted by vendors as the winner.

Originally from Turkey Point, Ontario, Kris was a member of the Vittoria Peewees that won the Ontario Rural Softball Association Peewee C Provincial championships in 1975 and was inducted into the Norfolk Sports Hall of Recognition.

Kris has been selling Megaphone at Dunsmuir and Seymour for almost two years and says the magazine has transformed him "into a person who is self confident, open, trusting and willing to take a chance again." Kris is currently homeless but will be moving into housing at the end of the month.

We'd like to thank the Vancouver Canadians for giving Kris this wonderful opportunity.

Sugunamma's brave story of survival reaches Europe and USA

Sugunamma's brave story of survival inspired readers in Europe and America.

Featuring in Germany's Draussenseiter

CAIS, Portugal

Just a two hour drive from Bangalore, Yeluvahalli is a far cry from the glass panelled, steel framed offices and ice white mega malls that have come to dominate the city during India's technology boom. Surrounded by acres of rice fields, coconut trees and rock formations, nothing gives away the village's proximity to one of the world's most famous icons of globalisation. Last year's census showed although the urban population has almost doubled in the past 60 years, rural communities still make up almost 70 per cent of the total. In rural areas surrounding the city, life for some women -including Sugunamma- is a nightmare, rather than a dream.

In Ireland's Big Issue

Street paper CAIS in Portugal, Ireland's Big Issue, Street Speech USA and German papers Draussenzeiter, fiftyfifty and bodo all ran the feature story, which was produced by INSP Editor Danielle Batist during a trip to rural India earlier this year.

CAIS spread it out over six pages, with images by photographer Simon Murphy. Various street papers in Germany also ran the story, as did Ireland's Big Issue.

 Die Überlebensgeschichte der tapferen Sugunamma beeindruckte Leser in Europa und Amerika.
Yeluvahalli ist nur zwei Stunden Fahrt von Bangalore entfernt, aber die Stadt könnte sich trotzdem nicht mehr von den gläsernen, mit Stahl eingefassten Büros und den weißen Mega-Malls, die die City seit dem Technologie-Boom in Indien dominieren, unterscheiden. In dem Dorf, das von Reisfeldern, Kokosnusspalmen und Steinformationen umgeben ist, zeugt nichts von seiner Nähe zu einer der berühmtesten Ikonen der Globalisierung. Eine im vergangenen Jahr durchgeführte Volkszählung zeigt, dass ländliche Kommunen noch immer 70 Prozent ausmachen, während sich die urbane Bevölkerung in den vergangenen 60 Jahren fast verdoppelt hat. In den ländlichen Gebieten, die die Städte umgeben, bleibt das Leben für Frauen wie Sugunamma ein Alptraum statt des versprochenen Traums.

Die Straßenzeitungen CAIS aus Portugal, Ireland's Big Issue, Street Speech USA, aus Norwegen und die deutschen Zeitungen Freiebürger, Draussenzeiter, fiftyfifty und bodo brachten die Reportage, die die INSP-Redakteurin Danielle Batist Anfang des Jahres während einer Reise ins ländliche Indien produziert hatte. 

CAIS brachte den Artikel auf über sechs Seiten, mit Fotos des Fotografen Simon Murphy.

Big smiles for SA vendors

Five vendors of The Big Issue South Africa have a lot to smile about after being announced as the winners of a competition to promote their new blue uniforms.



Big Issue readers were asked to submit photos of their favourite vendors in the new blue uniforms over a period of three weeks. The winning readers received prizes and the vendors in the winning photographs each won a R500 grocery voucher.

12th anniversary for Hecho en Bs As

Since its launch in 2000, Hecho en Bs As has helped over 3,300 people homeless to earn an income. To celebrate its 12th anniversary, HBA asked 12 vendors what the project means to them.

1. HBA allows me to work and be responsible for myself and I like that. ~ José María, 47
2. My life has changed since I began selling HBA: For the first time I can rent a place to stay. ~ Claudia, 42 
3. To me, the most important thing is the social side of selling HBA - the environment, the reality and the people. ~ Horacio, 40
4. What I like is the contact with people. I like creating a good atmosphere and having good conversations. ~ Mariano, 26
5. I always thank the magazine for getting me off the street. ~ Jorge, 51
6. The readers are all very friendly. I always praise the magazine to my customers, but most already appreciate how good it is and that I do very important work. ~ Mirta, 43
7. Being HBA vendor improved my quality of life - it helps me pay the rent, buy food and clothes, and look after myself. ~ David, 31
8. HBA has made ​​me appreciate everything I have. ~ Pablo, 27
9. Selling HBA gives you joy - you're doing something useful for you and for others. ~ María Rosa, 49
10. The HBA magazine means that I feel part of a useful project. ~ Cristian, 31
11. I was in a really bad placebefore, but since I started selling the magazine I have been much better. I love selling HBA - I feel free. ~ Amadeo, 47
12. It's very interesting to be a part of this project, it teaches you to value things, to have discipline and order, and it also gives you freedom. ~ Luis, 27

Curious what the Dalai Lama had to say? Get your local street paper copy now!

INSP's exclusive interview with the Dalai Lama will get republished in street papers worldwide. So far, 57 publications in 27 countries are running the interview and volunteers helped translate the story into 13 languages, including Japanese, German, Danish, Norwegian, Slovak, and Portuguese. Vendors on all continents are benefiting from extra sales due to the cover star.

You can get your copy from a local street paper vendor near you:

=Oslo, in Oslo, Fredrikstad, Sarpsborg, Drammen, Tønsberg, Horten, Hamar, Gjøvik, Lillehammer and Kongsvinger, Norway, from July 30th

Apropos, in Salzburg, Wien and Innsbruck, Austria, from July 27th

Asphalt, in Hannover, Bremen, Oldenburg, Hildesheim, Emden, Leer, Celle, Delmenhorst, Neustadt a.R., Nienburg, Hameln, Wilhelmshaven, Wunstorf, Stadthagen and Nordenham, Germany

BISS, in Munich and surrounding areas, Germany

bodo, in Dortmund, Bochum, Hattingen, Witten, Herne, Unna and Lünen, Germany, from August

CAIS, in Lisbon, Oporto, Braga, Coimbra, Setubal and Almada, Portugal

Denver Voice, in Denver, Boulder, Westminster and Englewood, North America, from September

Die Jerusalëmmer, in Neumünster, Germany

Donaustrudl, in Regensberg, Germany, from August

Draussenseiter, in Cologne, Germany

Eibisch-Zuckerl, in Wiener Neustadt, Neunkirchen, Baden, Mödling, Mattersburg and Eisenstadt, Austria, from August

Gazeta Uliczna, in Poznań, Warsaw and Krakow, Poland, from July

Haags Straatnieuws, in The Hague, the Netherlands

Hempels, in Kiel, Lübeck, Flensburg, Schleswig, Husum, Rendsburg, Eckernförde and Heide, Germany

Hecho en Buenos Aires, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from August

Hinz&Kunzt, in Hamburg, Germany

Hus Forbi, in Copenhagen, Zealand, Aarhus, Aalborg, Arhus, Esbjerg and Odense, Denmark

Ireland's Big Issue, in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Belfast, Athlone and Sligo, Ireland, from July 25th

Klar, in Stavanger, Sandnes, Haugesund, Egeresund and Sola, Norway

Liceulice, in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Backa Topola, Serbia, from September

L'itineraire, in Montreal, Canada

Macadam, in Paris, Lyon, Rennes and Brest, France, from September

Megafon, in Bergen, Flora and Voss, Norway, from July 30th

Megaphon, in Graz, Bruck, Leoben, Deutschlandsberg, Fernitz, Fürstenfeld, Gleisdorf, Gratkorn, Gratwein, Hartberg, Kalsdorf, Köflach, Lannach, Leibnitz, Feldbach, Raaba, Radkersburg, St. Michael, Knittelfeld, Liezen, Stainz, Trofaiach, Voitsberg and Weiz, Austria, from July 27th

Nota Bene, in Slovakia from September

One Step Away, in Philadelphia and Wilmington, North America

Prosto Neba, in Lviv, Ukraine

Shedia, in Athens, Greece

Situation Stockholm, in Visby, Stockholm, Södertälje, Uppsala, Örebro, Västerås, Linköping and Nässjö, Sweden

Sorgenfri, in Trondheim, Norway

Straatjournaal, in Haarlem and the surrounding areas, the Netherlands, from 31st July

Straatnieuws, in Utrecht, the Netherlands, from July 13th

Strassenfeger, in Berlin, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Cottbuss, Neuruppin, Wittstock, Wittenberge, Frankfurt and Eberswalde, Germany, from July 15th

Strassenkreuzer, in Nürnberg, Fürth and Erlangen, Germany

Street Roots, in Oregon, North America, from July 20th

StreetWise, in Chicago, North America

Surprise, in Basel, Bern, Luzern, Zürich, Thun, Zug, Liestal, Aarau, Chur, St. Gallen and Frauenfeld, Switzerland

Terre di Mezzo, in Italy, including Milan, Rome, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Naples, Bologna and Florence.

The Big Issue Australia, in Melbourne, Mildura, Wangaratta, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Sydney, Brisbane, Yeppoon, Cabolture, Ipswich, Canberra, Adelaide, Mt. Gambier, Whyalla, Glenelg, Willunga, Perth, Bunbury and Margaret River, Australia

The Big Issue in the North, in Carlisle, Preston, Lancaster, Liverpool, Chester, Manchester, Salford, Sheffield, Leeds, Wakefield, York, Hull, Bradford and Ripon, England, from July 2nd

The Big Issue Japan, in Sapporo, Sendai, Chiba, Funabashi, Tokyo metropolitan area, Mitaka,Musashino, Kokubunji, Hachio-ji, Fuchu, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Saitama, Nagoya, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka Mertopolitan area, Takatsuki, Hirakata, Ibaraki, Toyonnaka, Sakai, Moriguchi, Kobe, Kawanishi, Nishinomiya, Amagasaki, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, Japan, from August 15th

The Big Issue Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, from August

The Big Issue Malawi, in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Zomba and Mzuzu, Malawi

The Big Issue South Africa, in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, from July 22nd

The Big Issue, in the UK from July 2nd

The Jeepney, in the Philippines from September

Whats Up Magazine, in St. Louis, Missouri, North America, from early August

WSPAK, in Warsaw, Krakow, Gdynia, Gdansk and Łódź, Poland

ZET, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from August

The Big Issue's Australia's Big Idea Kicks Off

The Big Issue Australia has launched a social enterprise competition for university students, inviting them to develop a concept and business plan that could become the next 'Big Idea'. The winners of The Big Idea will have an opportunity to work with Australia's most influential business leaders and have the opportunity to develop a life changing social initiative and see it implemented.

Dalai Lama on covers of street papers worldwide

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama stars on the cover of street papers worldwide from today. His exclusive interview is expected to bring in tens of thousands of extra pounds for homeless people who sell the publications.

The first covers of street papers in the UK and Austria. 

The now 76-year old Dalai Lama gave the interview and rare photo shoot to the International Network of Street Papers, an umbrella organisation for street papers in 40 countries. He praises the street paper model, which empowers homeless vendors who buy magazines at half price and sell them on the streets at the cover price. He also recognises the role of free press and states that "independent media are extremely important" in today's society.

In the exclusive interview, which took place during his recent UK tour themed 'Be the Change', the Dalai Lama says he identifies with homeless street paper vendors: "On some level, I am also homeless."

Commenting on the global financial crisis and austerity measures affecting innocent citizens, he says: "The real causes of the present difficulties started with the past governments and some companies. I think, without a proper plan in place, they are simply concerned about immediate profit and are not concerned about the long-term consequences. […] The results now are due to their own actions. Either way, for thousands of people, their livelihood is almost zero, which is really very, very sad."

Regarding censorship by totalitarian regimes, including China, he says: "The 1.3 billion Chinese people have every right to know the reality. And once they know the reality of their situation, they also have the ability to judge what is right and what is wrong. That is why censorship is immoral."In the interview, he also expresses his concerns about a lack of moral ethics, particularly among the youth, following last year's UK riots: "When I first heard that through the BBC, I was shocked. I considered people in the UK to be more mature and more peaceful."

INSP's news agency distributed the story to its 122 street papers in 10 languages. The story will reach over 1 million readers worldwide.

INSP Editor Danielle Batist said: "To have an exclusive interview with the Dalai Lama is an extraordinary achievement for INSP and our street papers. The setting, a Scottish castle outside Inverness, was great for the photo shoot as well. The fact that our 12,000 vendors will directly benefit from this interview really helped us to secure it, and we are immensely grateful to His Holiness for his support."

"He talked very openly about many issues, including the global recession, media censorship in China, climate change and homelessness. As a bonus, he posed for some special cover photos and even agreed to some rare shots of himself without his glasses on. I urge readers around the world to go and buy a copy from their local street paper vendor today."