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What holds you back?

#goodbye

Long live Life Links!

The next year will bring a lot of new beginnings, but before that we need to end something: a big "something" that is Life Links. Time to say goodbye - and thank you.

Above you can explore our Life Links videos by region. You can also visit our webisodes page: dw.com/lifelinks-webisodes to explore our story universe by theme. And below you'll find the team's 'best of' selection across a whole year of storytelling.

#gettingsome

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12:30 mins.

#gettingsome: Making love when you can't really move

This woman and her fiance need help to move but that doesn't mean they can't have an amazing sex life.

#gettingsome

Having sex with HIV

Photo: Unused orange condom with blue background.

People living with HIV still face stigma, something that makes it more difficult to find sexual partner or to have a relationship. Two men from different continents share how their HIV status has changed their lives.

More #gettingsome stories

#climatechange

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14:00 mins.

Seeing #climatechange with my own eyes

"I feel scared because the rise in sea level is quicker than before," says Tinaai on the drowning island Kiribati.

More #climatechange stories

#Readytofight

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31:36 mins.

readytofight

#readytofight: Don't let them win - full episode

An imam, an ex-Salafist, a former US Marine - they are all united in the fight against radicalism and "Islamic State".

#readytofight

Tweets as weapons: How 'Islamic State' is fighting its battles... digitally

Symbolbild Islamischer Staat und Social Media

Terrorist organization "Islamic State" is more than just simply savvy when it comes to using the internet as a propaganda tool. But what can be used to fight against such a profound social media strategy and smart users?

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03:24 mins.

Female peshmerga fighters against 'Islamic State'

Shiwa left her home country Iran to fight against "IS". She feels it's her duty to try to stop them.

More #readytofight stories

#lovelinks

Songs that tug at our heartstrings

Music is like a time machine for our emotions - especially the highs and lows of love. We've each picked one song that takes us back to past romances, cheats, break-up woes (sob!) and finding The One. What's yours?

Watch video 03:02

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03:02 mins.

Life Links

'Did we just solve the secrets of love?'

Golden advice from Jerusalem love therapist Micki Lavin-Pell, who specializes in singles.

#lovelinks

The lives and loves of Tinderella

Online editor Caroline tried out Tinder and between the overweight weirdos, the drug addicts and the shy nerds, life (and love) happened.

More #lovelinks stories

#endFGM

#ENDFGM

Your stories: 'They say it's the victim's fault'

Bildergalerie Afrika Genitalverstümmelung

At age 13 Halimatu was forcibly cut, together with her two sisters. She is the only one who survived. Now she's gone back to the place where it happened - not only to face her past, but also to raise awareness for FGM.

#endFGM

#endFGM: The scope of the problem in graphics and numbers

Infografik Life Links Female genital mutilation pro contra

It's considered a violation of human rights, nonetheless two million girls undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) each year - adding up to 140 million cases. This graphic series shows the scope of the problem.

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11:45 mins.

endFGM

'We speak out to #endFGM'

In Gundo's village in Senegal it was normal for girls to be cut. But the women made the choice to #endFGM.

How to become a woman, without being cut

On the way to becoming a woman

The transformation to womanhood for these Maasai girls in Kajiado, Kenya, used to happen in a three day ritual, during which girls were also cut. Today, that ceremony still exists: all the rites and celebrations, songs and dances still take place - without the cutting.
How to become a woman, without being cut

Instead of silence, education

With cutting, women endured a horrific rite of passage and suffered in silence. Now, the three-day ritual is about open communication and education. They get training on sexual and and reproductive rights while their mothers cook and care for them.
How to become a woman, without being cut

Learning about bodies

This new rite of passage involves teaching girls about how the female body looks and works. This basic information - including conversations about FGM - is key in fighting against the continuation of the practice. The workshops are sponsored by NGOs like Amref Health Africa.
How to become a woman, without being cut

A girl's get-together

Beyond the educational part, girls prepare performances for their community. In the night before the actual rite of passage, the girls gather in a so-called "candle night", where they perform their dances and songs the first time.
How to become a woman, without being cut

The role of men

The young Maasai men who might become the community leaders - known as Morans - gather before the cultural events start. The men play a crucial role accepting the alternative rite of passage.
How to become a woman, without being cut

The freedom to choose

Nice Lengete was the first one not being cut. Instead, Nice learned in a workshop about sexual health rights and today, she educates the women in her village. To do so, she sought support from village elders. "And amazingly they listened. To me - Nice!" she said. "I helped [them] understand the need for using condoms, going for treatment for sexually transmitted infections and taking HIV tests."
How to become a woman, without being cut

Different colors, different meanings

For the rite of passage, the girls dress up for the celebrations: they wear special necklaces and clothes. Depending on the Maasai community, the colors have symbolism behind them, from bravery to sustenance to fertility.
How to become a woman, without being cut

Protecting girls from bad omens

Each community has special rites that form the cultural part of the three-day retreat. Women may shave their heads or have their faces painted. The paintings are meant to protect the girls from bad omens.
How to become a woman, without being cut

Creating individual rituals

Preserving long-held cultural rituals in the new alternative rite of passage is crucial to acceptance by village elders. In one community, a ritual that involves pouring a mix of milk and water over the girl's head was maintained. Each community creates their own customs, gives them meaning and adapts it to new circumstances if necessary.
How to become a woman, without being cut

The final day

On the final day, there are speeches and dance performances. It's all part of blessing the girls and moving from one part of life to another. As part of that, the women walk underneath sticks that other community members hold over their heads.
How to become a woman, without being cut

Mission accomplished

The alternative rite of passage ends with each girl being blessed and receiving a certificate of completion in the educational workshop. Since the introduction of the alternative rite of passage in 2009, more than 7,000 Maasai girls have taken part and been saved from cutting.

More #endFGM stories

About us

Life Links: What holds you back?

Though divided by geography, the lives of young people across the world are linked. Many face similar problems, be it poverty, struggling with an addiction, feeling rejected by society, or searching for a sense of self. Overcoming these obstacles is the challenge we share.
We cover the issues in depth with video documentaries, multimedia articles and open up the conversation to hear your thoughts and find out what matters to you. Our reporters were traveling the globe to connect the dots and tell your story, too. From October 2014 to December 2015, we produced 17 webisodes, each one giving a new answer to the question "What holds you back?"

#WhoAmI

If the world were 100 people - and you were one of them

10.2014 DW Life Links If the world were 100 people Pictureteaser

If the world were not made up of seven billion, but 100 people instead - which languages would be spoken? Where would these people live? How old would they be? And how would you fit in? Life Links’ graphic shows you.

Watch video 09:27

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09:27 mins.

#WhoAmI: Across the border from North to South Korea

Ka-yeon escaped from North to South Korea. But she says being identified as a refugee is tough.

South Koreans: “Peace is what we need”

Two countries, one people - no peace

There is still no official peace between North and South Korea, despite the Korean War ending more than 60 years ago. Citizens remain separated by the “demilitarized zone” (DMZ), one of the most heavily armed borders in the world. Around 600,000 South Korean and 28,500 US troops face off against an estimated 770,000 North Korean soldiers stationed within 80 kilometers of the DMZ.
South Koreans: “Peace is what we need”

Cold War relic

North Korea was founded as a communist country with support from both the Soviet Union and China, but over the years North Korea’s government has shifted away from the tradition of Marx and Lenin. Now, Juche or “self-reliance” and a “military first” policy are the guiding principles of the Kim dynasty.
South Koreans: “Peace is what we need”

Families divided

The forced separation of the Korean people split up many families. More than six decades on, some of those connections are starting to fade. Still, there are more than 70,000 people waiting to take part in government-backed family reunions.
South Koreans: “Peace is what we need”

A legacy of human rights abuses

Observers, including the UN and Human Rights Watch, have roundly criticized North Korea for human rights abuses including mass imprisonment, murder and enslavement. But, North Korea claims its citizens “enjoy genuine human rights”. The reclusive country argues human rights exist for the good of the state and say the rights of the individual could never replace the rights of the collective.
South Koreans: “Peace is what we need”

Cut off from the world

In North Korea, all media is closely controlled and possessing foreign books and music or listening to broadcasts from across the border can result in prison sentences. People also have a skewed view of western culture - hamburgers were invented by Kim Jong Il in 2009.
South Koreans: “Peace is what we need”

A country suffering

While South Korea has turned itself into a technological superpower, North Korea’s government has struggled to supply its citizens with even basic foodstuffs. The UN estimates that more than a quarter of children under five show signs of chronic malnutrition.
South Koreans: “Peace is what we need”

Missed opportunities

Some had hoped that when western-educated Kim Jong Un took over in Pyongyang in 2011 it would usher in a new era in relations between the North and the South. But those hopes were soon dashed as Kim continued the restrictive policies of his father.
South Koreans: “Peace is what we need”

Hope for the future

But despite the continuing state of war, many of the South Koreans we spoke to expressed their hope that relations would get better one day. The best future for many would be a reunited Korea.

Author: Aaron Tilton

More #WhoAmI stories

#headabovewater

Watch video 08:22

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08:22 mins.

Bangladesh: Breaking bodies, one ship at a time

Alamgir dismantles ships with his bare hands and a blowtorch. It’s one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

#goodbye

Long live Life Links!

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#gettingsome: Making love when you can't really move

#gettingsome: Making love when you can't really move

#gettingsome

Having sex with HIV

More #gettingsome stories

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Seeing #climatechange with my own eyes

Seeing #climatechange with my own eyes