World in Progress

For decades, the ancient city of Jerusalem and its Temple Mount have been flashpoints in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Tensions flared again this summer, after Israeli police rolled up new security measures for those wanting to goup to the Al Aqsa mosque. Mass prayers and protests and violent clashes followed. The crisis deepend the divide and also changed the dynamics in Jerusalem.

Topics: Treating clubfoot in Tanzania and helping kids to walk - Regulating traditional healers in Senegal - Chile: fishermen learn to adapt to new lifestyles

This week, we'll talk about hunger - over 800 million people worldwide are going hungry every day. Hunger is fueled by war and conflict, among other things. Where there's fighting, people can't work their fields or go to the market. Attacks in Somalia and Nigeria by terror groups al-Shabab and Boko Haram, respectively, have driven people off their lands.

In this edition: India's cash crisis hits the informal economy and slows economic growth - China's maoist village attracts nostalgic tourists - A heaven for book lovers in Oregon - Analphabetism in Nigeria - Online TV stations in Zimbabwe fear crackdown

This week, we'll talk about the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, a country formerly known as Burma. More than half a million Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh over the last weeks after a military crackdown.

Topics this week: Violence on the rise in Brazil- Land Reform in South Africa - Slum dwellers are putting themselves on the map - Christmas all year round in China

We meet people trying to build a democratic society from the ground up, find out what's needed to keep a democracy healthy and learn what elves and trolls have to do with it all.

Topics: Dealing with terrorist attacks in urban areas - Reducing insecurities and violence for poor citydwellers - Why so many apartment buildings in Nairobi, Kenya collapse - Improving Chile's schools 

On this week’s show, we look at issues surrounding menstruation. In Uganda, many girls are dropping out of school because they skip class when they’re on their periods. And in the UK, “period poverty” is on the rise. We’ll check out what’s facing Haiti as the UN prepares to withdraw its stabilization mission. And what is left in the wake of the Burning Man festival?

In this edition: Mobile Money in Kenya - Mobile Money and Development - Living in Tepito, Mexico City - How the dwindling Parsi community in India hopes to survive

On this show: Living in a Tower Mansion in Tokio - The harsh life of beach hawkers - Flip Flop recycling in Kenya - Reviving old cinemas in Lebanon - The Queen of the Chinese Instruments

Transportation special: How road rage galvanized cycling activism in Latin America - Braving traffic jams in Jakarta - Pushing green mobility in Kabul - Bicycles and big data in China.

Today, the legendary Koh-I-Noor diamond is part of the UK's Crown Jewels. The story of the diamond mirrors the history if South Asia. First discovered in medieval India, the diamond went on a chequered journey across countries and continents. It's a thrilling story of wars and wealth, treason and secrets - and about a curse, that's said to strike all male owners of the Koh-I- Noor.

Press Freedom in the West Bank - India Media Divide - Ecuador's indigenous fear mining projects - Hair theft in South Africa

Topics: Spanish enclave in North Africa attracts thousands of African migrants - In Miami, musicians battle the dangers of gun violence - drug clinic in Dakar helps people fight addiction -  A heaven for classic beetles and other VW cars in a backyard of Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

This week it's all about art and the struggles artists often face. We hear from musicians in India whose craft is on the brink of extinction, how ballet teaches girls in the slums of Kenya so much more than just how to dance and what it's like to work as a singer for Japan's tough J-Pop industry.

Canada marks its 150th birthday with a party this week, but many indigenous people are not in the mood to celebrate. We go to the Colombian jungle where coca plants - the base for cocaine - are still thriving despite the peace deal with FARC rebels. We'll also hear about blind baseball fans in South Korea who put together a popular podcast about their favorite sport.

In time for World Refugee Day, find out just how difficult it is for refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo to be accepted in Canada, a country that's been praised for its open-door policy. Meet one of the only Syrian refugees who has managed to take refuge in Japan. And get to know Mohammad, a boy who's had to grow up in a refugee camp.

In this edition: Pioneering women in the IT industry - Schoolgirls in India help bust a trafficking ring - An all female orchestra in Canada - and what's so special about Brazil's female soccer players? Tune in to find out!

Jewish settlers and Arab refugees 50 years after the six day war of 1967 - US budget cuts to UN's development efforts - Moroccan textile industry becoming more important for Europe.

Bright prospects: How a new city constructed on the Red Sea could serve as a model for Saudi Arabia's future without oil - And: and unusual school provides bright prospects for kids from underprivileged backgrounds in India

We go to the world's first refugee camp that's powered by solar energy - some refugees helped build the plant! We also hear how Beirut's LGBT community is doing after they've received threats for putting on the first gay pride event in the Arab world. And have you tried camel milk? We also talk about how Australia's First Nations people are faring today.

This week, we'll hear from people who've overcome all sorts of struggles in their lives: We meet a woman in Australia who was taken from her Aboriginal family decades ago and put in a foster home, a pastor with a criminal past who's helping kids survive in Mexico and women in Tanzania who marry other women to secure their future after their husbands have died. And: attacks on human rights.

Getting power to the poor - why teachers in Argentina are protesting - cooperatives help feed Venezuela's people - Hard times for journalists in Syria

Teaching coding to young women in Chile - Palestinian musician takes on gender roles - Transgender school in India - Arts project encouraging dialogue