Fall 2011 Episodes

Play!

Children's circus participants laugh at a magic trick in Kabul Afghanistan. Courtesy of Zach Warren.

Hunger, disease, and disasters often bring the biggest headlines. Governments and individuals offer help as they can. But all around the world, people—and children in particular—are already working to make their lives a little bit better, by having fun.  With childhood toys, jokes passed from friend to friend, and soccer games in the alleyway, humans take on the seriousness of life with play. On this episode of Latitudes, we look at how we play, where we play, and why play is so important.

Down the Tubes

Toilets are a basic necessity.  But some 2.6 billion people don’t have them. Every year, more than a million people die from sanitation related diseases. This week Latitudes looks at efforts to improve access to clean water and clean toilets around the globe.

We also mark the 10-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, and visit a Colombian gold mining community. 

Global Catwalk

Sneakerhead collection in Mexico City. Courtesy of Grant Fuller.

From high fashion to high-tops, on this week’s episode we talk about how the world creates, sells and wears clothes.  What’s stylish in the Middle East? We’ll hear about lingerie in Saudi Arabia and an up and coming Iraqi designer—but we’ll also hear about suffering in the name of fashion and beauty in Ghana and in Turkey. On this episode of Latitudes, we’ll take you on a global catwalk, talking about fashion and style in all corners of the world.

Energy

Oil from a tree in the Philippines may provide a new source of energy. Courtesy of Tina Pamintuan.

On Latitudes this week, we're looking at pure energy—the power that doesn’t come from oil.  More and more, people around the world are inspired to tune in and turn on to alternative energy sources. They're reaching for the sun, for unexpected bounties on earth and, more often than not, for each other to power the planet.  

We’ll hear from the Middle East, the Philippines, Burma, and South Africa—tune in for a burst of energy...