Issues and Analysis
News and views on the people, places and topics of concern to Community Supported Film and its project partners
Recent Posts
ON MIGRATION | A Cuban asylum seeker’s dangerous odyssey
Record numbers are attempting the treacherous continent-crossing route through the Darién Gap to the United States. Here’s one person’s story.
ON AFGHANITAN | Taliban order Afghan women to wear burqa in public
Afghanistan’s supreme leader and Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada imposed some of the harshest restrictions on Afghanistan’s women since they seized power, ordering them to cover fully in public, ideally with the traditional burqa.
ON HAITI, ON THE MEDIA | Haiti: Covering a chaotic nation, with deadly consequences
“‘Haiti is a minefield,’ said Harold Isaac, a journalist based in Port-au-Prince who works for the Associated Press. ‘The minute you start reporting news, there are so many threats, because it casts light on people that don’t necessarily enjoy that.’”
ON AFGHANISTAN | Surge in Violence Against Civilians, Women in 2022
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project Afghanistan (ACLED) reported that the rate of violence against women and civilians has surged in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate denied the report.
ON THE MEDIA | Online violence against women journalists
Online violence against female journalists has become a “silent epidemic.” A 2021 UNESCO global survey indicates that nearly three quarters of female journalists have experienced online harassment.
ON AFGHANISTAN | Locked out of classrooms, Afghan girls are taking drastic measures as country slides into civil war
When Heela came out tops in her 9th grade school grades last year, the 14-year-old girl ran home full of excitement, bursting to tell her family the happy news. … Now, almost eight months into the Taliban take-over, which dramatically changed education for girls, that day seems like a distant dream for Heela’s family. Last week, the young girl attempted to end her life by taking over 20 sleeping pills.
On the Media
ON HAITI, ON THE MEDIA | Haiti: Covering a chaotic nation, with deadly consequences
“‘Haiti is a minefield,’ said Harold Isaac, a journalist based in Port-au-Prince who works for the Associated Press. ‘The minute you start reporting news, there are so many threats, because it casts light on people that don’t necessarily enjoy that.’”
ON THE MEDIA | Online violence against women journalists
Online violence against female journalists has become a “silent epidemic.” A 2021 UNESCO global survey indicates that nearly three quarters of female journalists have experienced online harassment.
ON THE MEDIA | Somalia’s first all-women media team puts women journalists in control of the news agenda
“For too long, Somali women journalists have been treated as second class citizens and Somali news has ignored the stories and voices of half the population;
ON THE MEDIA | Fake news has always existed, but quality journalism has a history of survival
Fake news is not new, but it is inevitable and inescapable – which is why we need uncomfortable, critical and truthful journalism to prevail.
ON THE MEDIA | International Journalism 2022: what we learnt about the future of news
“Diversity is not only about who is telling the story, but about how and to whom you are telling the story,”
ON THE MEDIA, ON MIGRATION | How talking about ‘humanity’ and not ‘crisis’ can aid all refugees right now
Creating a stronger culture of welcome is the only way to replace narratives and policies of cruelty and indifference towards people on the move.
On Economic and Social Development
ON DEVELOPMENT | Beyond Ukraine: Eight more humanitarian disasters that demand your attention
While the Russian invasion sucks in media attention (and donations for Ukrainians), many other large-scale crises are quietly getting worse.
ON MIGRATION, ON DEVELOPMENT | Why the conversation about climate change and migration needs to change
Climate change is not driving mass migration to the Global North. That doesn’t mean those most affected don’t need help.
ON HAITI, ON DEVELOPMENT | Can Haiti rebuild a food system broken by disaster, historical injustice, and neglect?
Years of political unrest, under-investment in agriculture, and repeated earthquakes and storms have left 4.3 million people facing acute hunger.
ON HAITI, ON DEVELOPMENT | Have the lessons of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake been learned?
“Build back better” became a guiding mantra after the earthquake struck in 2010, but Haiti has struggled to follow it and prepare for future disasters.
ON DEVELOPMENT | It’s time for the global North to look South
“In the face of climate collapse, it’s time for the North to start looking South — and learn from its people and journalists.”
ON AFGHANISTAN, ON DEVELOPMENT | ‘Afghanistan heading for chaos unless action taken immediately’ – Islamic nations
‘Afghanistan heading for chaos unless action taken immediately’ – Islamic nations
On Migration
ON MIGRATION | A Cuban asylum seeker’s dangerous odyssey
Record numbers are attempting the treacherous continent-crossing route through the Darién Gap to the United States. Here’s one person’s story.
ON MIGRATION | Europe Sweeps Away More Refugees, Asylum Seekers – Part I: UK, Greece
Greek security forces are employing third country nationals … “to force [migrants] onto small boats, take them to the middle of the Evros River, and force them into the frigid water, making them wade to the riverbank on the Turkish side. None are apparently being properly registered in Greece or allowed to lodge asylum claims.”
ON THE MEDIA, ON MIGRATION | How talking about ‘humanity’ and not ‘crisis’ can aid all refugees right now
Creating a stronger culture of welcome is the only way to replace narratives and policies of cruelty and indifference towards people on the move.
ON MIGRATION | Why did we have to freeze in the forest?
“Because of my own experiences, I feel the pain and suffering of Ukrainian refugees more than most. But when people started to come to Poland from Ukraine, and I saw how enthusiastically Polish society welcomed them, it hurt so much.”
ON MIGRATION, ON DEVELOPMENT | Why the conversation about climate change and migration needs to change
Climate change is not driving mass migration to the Global North. That doesn’t mean those most affected don’t need help.
ON MIGRATION | Give refugees a voice on our own futures
Including the views of refugees in efforts to reform the global refugee system is not yet the norm. It desperately needs to be.
On Afghanistan
ON AFGHANITAN | Taliban order Afghan women to wear burqa in public
Afghanistan’s supreme leader and Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada imposed some of the harshest restrictions on Afghanistan’s women since they seized power, ordering them to cover fully in public, ideally with the traditional burqa.
ON AFGHANISTAN | Surge in Violence Against Civilians, Women in 2022
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project Afghanistan (ACLED) reported that the rate of violence against women and civilians has surged in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate denied the report.
ON AFGHANISTAN | Locked out of classrooms, Afghan girls are taking drastic measures as country slides into civil war
When Heela came out tops in her 9th grade school grades last year, the 14-year-old girl ran home full of excitement, bursting to tell her family the happy news. … Now, almost eight months into the Taliban take-over, which dramatically changed education for girls, that day seems like a distant dream for Heela’s family. Last week, the young girl attempted to end her life by taking over 20 sleeping pills.
ON AFGHANISTAN | Where taking the wheel is a protest
Some Afghan women are quietly pushing to keep professional and personal freedoms under Taliban rule.
ON AFGHANISTAN | ‘Unprecedented’ Number of Afghans Suffering, Gallup Poll Says
A chaotic U.S. withdrawal has led to “unprecedented” suffering among Afghans. According to a Gallup poll, 94% of Afghans “rated their lives poorly enough to be considered suffering.”
Why some Afghan evacuees are still in US military bases six months on
With a decimated refugee support system in the US, efforts to integrate Afghan evacuees face an uphill struggle.
On Haiti
ON HAITI, ON THE MEDIA | Haiti: Covering a chaotic nation, with deadly consequences
“‘Haiti is a minefield,’ said Harold Isaac, a journalist based in Port-au-Prince who works for the Associated Press. ‘The minute you start reporting news, there are so many threats, because it casts light on people that don’t necessarily enjoy that.’”
ON HAITI, ON DEVELOPMENT | Can Haiti rebuild a food system broken by disaster, historical injustice, and neglect?
Years of political unrest, under-investment in agriculture, and repeated earthquakes and storms have left 4.3 million people facing acute hunger.
ON HAITI, ON DEVELOPMENT | Have the lessons of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake been learned?
“Build back better” became a guiding mantra after the earthquake struck in 2010, but Haiti has struggled to follow it and prepare for future disasters.
ON HAITI | ‘Criminal and barbaric’: Two Haitian journalists killed by gang
Two Haitian journalists killed by gang members on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince on Thursday.
ON HAITI | ‘On the Streets, We Are Prey’
https://globalpressjournal.com/americas/haiti/on-the-streets-we-are-prey/
ON MIGRATION, ON HAITI | Texas: thousands of migrants, mostly Haitian, gather under border bridge in squalid makeshift camp
Thousands of mostly Haitian asylum seekers have gathered under the bridge that connects Del Rio in Texas and Mexico’s Ciudad Acuña, creating a makeshift camp with few basic services in intense heat. More than 50 Democratic lawmakers urged the Biden administration to halt deportations to Haiti.
Background Information
Background information on the places and topics CSFilm has covered:
Download our Immigration Facts PDF
US immigration facts
- Facts on U.S. Immigrants, 2017: Statistical portrait of the foreign-born population in the United States (Pew Research Center)
- The Facts on Immigration Today, 2017: US foreign-born population and its impact on the economy, current immigration policy, and voting power of new Americans (Center for American Progress)
- Immigration Data Guide, 2018: links to the most credible, high-quality data on immigrants and immigration in the United States and internationally. (Migration Policy Institute)
- Facts about Immigration – Learn about demographics, economics, laws, crime rates, citizenship requirements and factors that drive immigration (JustFacts)
Immigration information and research
- How the U.S. Legal Immigration System Works (Migration Policy Institute)
- Mini Course on US Immigration five short email lessons on US immigration (Pew Research Center)
- Immigration Research Library (The Immigrant Learning Center)
- Frequently Asked Questions on Immigrants and Immigration in the US (Migration Policy Institute)
- Ten Myths About Immigration – information to help you and your students separate fact from fear. (Teaching Tolerance)
Refugees in the US
- Refugees in America – about refugee resettlement in the US (International Rescue Committee)
Perceptions and communications about immigrants and refugees in the US
- Out of Many, One: A Defining Moment for American Integration – attitudes that shape perceptions of immigration in the US (a report by the National Immigration Forum)
- When Facts Don’t Matter: How to Communicate More Effectively about Immigration’s Costs and Benefits (Migration Policy Institute)
- Defusing Hate: A Strategic Communication Guide to Counteract Dangerous Speech (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
- The Hidden Tribes of America – a project to better understand the forces that drive political polarization and tribalism in the United States, 2018 (More in Common)
Employment, the economy and US immigration
- Immigrants and the economy in the US (PDF)
- Immigrants and the American economy (New American Economy)
- Undocumented Immigrants’ State and Local Tax Contributions (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy)
- Work in the United States, Introduction to Sociology (Lumin Learning)
Immigration and refugee policy, undocumented immigrants, and DACA
- The Debate Over Immigration Policy Reform (Council on Foreign Relations)
- 5 Tips for Talking About DACA – the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (The Opportunity Agenda)
- Trump administration’s proposed changes to family-based immigration and refugee admissions (Pew Research Center)
- Crime and Undocumented Immigrants (New York Times)
- The Criminalization of Immigration in the United States (American Immigration Council)
- Gender Bias and Immigration Policy (Legal Momentum, The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund)
Assimilation and acculturation of US immigrants
- What Does It Take to ‘Assimilate’ in America? (New York Times Magazine)
- Assimilation and Integration of US Immigrants and Their Descendants (Cato Institute)
- Should Immigration Require Assimilation? (The Atlantic Monthly)
- Acculturation, Development and Adaptation of Youth and Young Adults (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
Faith and US immigrants
- Immigrants and Religion – data on the religious composition of immigrants (Pew Research Lab)
Women and Immigration
- Immigrant Women and Girls in the United States (Migration Policy Institute)
- New Beginnings: Immigrant Women and The American Experience (National Women’s History Museum)
- Gender Bias and Immigration Policy (Legal Momentum, The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund)
- For Immigrant Women, Crossing the Border Doesn’t End Their Struggle (The Nation)
Politics and Immigration
- Immigrants have a long history of taking their issues to the people — as political candidates (PRI-The World)
- Immigrants in US Congress, (Pew Research Center)
Points-of-view on US Immigration
- The 14 Most Common Arguments Against Immigration and Why They’re Wrong (Cato Institute)
- The Real Problem with Immigration… and the Real Solution (The Heritage Foundation)
- Immigrants Have Enriched American Culture and Enhanced Our Influence in the World (Cato Institute)
- 5 Ways Immigration Actually Enhances a Country’s Culture (Global Citizen)
Other websites with immigrant stories
- We Are America Project – high school students define via video what they think it means to be American;
- USAHello-Voices – immigrant and refugee stories of integration and overcoming resettlement obstacles
- I Am An Immigrant – stories demonstrating how immigration benefits our communities, economy, and country
- Newest Americans – a glimpse into the world of the newest Americans and a vision of our demographic future (Rutgers University-Newark, VII Photo and Talking Eyes Media)
Resources and Information for Immigrants and Refugees
- USAHello – the resources and information newcomers need to build successful lives for themselves and their families in the US
Background
- Afghanistan’s 36 Years of Turmoil in Review
- Afghanistan’s Conflict Timeline
- Links to Information on Aid, Human Rights and Conflict
- BBC- Afghanistan Country Profile
- United States Institute of Peace
- Afghanistan’s position in the balance of world power
- The Cost of War: Afghan Experiences of Conflict, 1978-2009 (PDF)
Aid and Economic Growth
- Afghanistan National Development Strategy 2010 – 2013
- The World Bank Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund
- Feinstein International Center – “Winning Hearts and Minds?”
- Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit – “Aiding the State?”
- Provincial Reconstruction Teams and Military – Humanitarian Relations in Afghanistan
- Preventing Corruption in Humanitarian Operations: A Handbook of Good Practices
Lessons From Development and Conflict Elsewhere
- PBS Frontline- Nation Building in Bosnia
- Assessing the Kecamatan Development Project, Indonesia (PDF)
- Community-Based Reconstruction in East Timor and Rwanda (PDF)
- Prospects for Community Driven Development in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone (PDF)
- What Everyone Should Know About Filming (And Sharing) Injustice on Social Media (PDF)
US Politics and Afghanistan Current Events
Background
- At a Glance: Haiti (UNICEF)
- Background Notes: Haiti (US Department of State)
- BBC – Haiti Country Profile
Aid and Economic Growth
- Cacophonies of Aid, Failed State Building and NGOs in Haiti: setting the stage for disaster, envisioning the future
- Haiti: the US and Military Aid in Times of Natural Disaster
- Moving Mountains: Challenges in Contemporary U.S. Foreign Aid in the Context of Post-Disaster Haiti
- A Rational Foreign Policy Toward Haiti and How the Media Shapes Public Perception of Haiti
- Ruptures, rights, and repair: The political economy of trauma in Haiti
Lessons From Development and Conflict Elsewhere
- The post-Cold War American interventions into Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia and Kosovo
- The Crucial Role of Civil Society in Disaster Recovery and Japan’s Preparedness for Emergencies
- What Everyone Should Know About Filming (And Sharing) Injustice on Social Media (PDF)
US Politics and Haiti Current Events