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Brazil's Karipuna fighting for their forest

July 20, 2022

On this show: In Brazil, the Karipuna people are threatened by criminal gangs as they try to protect their ancient forest from destruction, despite death threats ++ From her exile in the US, a journalist from Iran is fighting for women's rights ++ Nigerian tiktok star uses humour to expose people's strange ideas about Africa

https://p.dw.com/p/4EPZv

Tiktok Africa

"Do you have cell phones?" "Do you all live in huts?" " Are there even cars in Africa?" These are the kind of questions people ask in the comments on Charity Ekezie's TikTok channel. So this Nigerian woman decided to answer these prejudiced and sometimes racist questions about Africans with humorous TikToks.  Air conditioners in Africa? of course, it's elephants flapping their ears, she claims. Using sarcasm, she clears up the strange ideas some people have about her continent. 
 
(Author: Johan Gallwity/ presenter: Elliot Douglas)

 
Iran Women's Freedom Fighter Masih Ahlinejad  

Journalist and activist Masih Ahlinejad had to leave her home country Iran when the threats against her became too violent. She had started a campaign protesting against laws requiring women to wear the veil in Iran. Women across the country joined her protest and posted pictures of themselves unveiled or wearing white on Wednesdays. Ahlinedjad now lives in the U.S. – and continues her struggle online.

(Report: Bastian Hartig/ presenter: Ineke Mules) 

 
Report: Karipuna Brazil Guarding their ancient forest against loggers and miners

Indigenous communities are the guardians of the Amazon Forest. In Brazil, their lands are legally protected. But since President Jair Bolsonaro came to power, that's of little help anymore. Deforestation in the Amazon has reached record levels. Loggers, miners, ranchers and other land grabbers are taking what they want, with no concern about indigenous people and their reserves.
 
They’re also encroaching on the protected territory of the Karipuna people. But despite receiving death threats, the community is fighting back to protect its forest.

(Report: Vanessa Fischer/ presenter: Evelyn McClafferty)

Anke Rasper
Anke Rasper Anke is a senior editor with DW's environment team.