Easter Recap: Argentina’s jaguars return, first woman to lead the WTO, Senegal’s male doulas
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Photo: Nickbar/ Pixabay (CC0)
To mark the Easter holidays, we’re excited to present you with a compilation of our favourite stories from this year’s Squirrel News issues.
Jaguars return to Argentina’s Iberá Wetlands after 70 years
The big cat reintroduction programme aims to gradually reestablish a healthy and genetically diverse jaguar population in Gran Iberá Park.
Source: Mongabay
Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will be the first African and first woman to lead the WTO
The move means a Black woman will be one of the most powerful figures in the post-pandemic global economic recovery.
Source: CNN
Senegal’s male doulas set example for gender equality
Known as “Nijaayu Gox” or “godfathers”, these Senegalese men set out to shatter social norms by educating themselves on pregnancy and in turn reducing maternal mortality rates.
Source: Euronews
Cuba will allow small private businesses to operate in most fields
The measure will expand to include over 2,000 new activities, signalling economic reform on the Caribbean island.
Source: Thomson Reuters News Foundation
Congo Basin’s community ownership plan preserves rainforest and alleviates poverty
In the world’s second largest rainforest, a bold forest management scheme involves communities to support livelihoods and protect the environment.
Source: BBC
Spanish government agrees to trial run of four-day working week
The proposal made by the left wing party Más País will effectively run over the course of the next three years, with no loss of salary for the workers involved.
Source: The Guardian
“We see huge benefits”: firms adopt four-day week in pandemic crisis
Rishi Sunak could prevent steep rise in unemployment if he supports the move, says thinktank.
Source: The Guardian
Autism in India: how a pioneering jobs scheme is opening up opportunities
Company says adapting recruitment processes for neurodiverse groups disproportionately affected by unemployment has led to increased innovation.
Source: The Guardian
Electric cars rise to record 54% market share in Norway
The Nordic country becomes first in the world where electric car sales outstrip those powered by other means.
Source: The Guardian
Tiny forest in Bristol marks the start of nationwide initiative in UK
In order to bring nature back into urban areas, a 600-tree-forest the size of a tennis court will be planted in the Southmead district of Bristol, with many other cities set to follow suit.
Source: The Guardian
Somalia’s female taxi drivers are challenging gender stereotypes
An increasing number of women are taking control of their own livelihoods and challenging traditional gender perceptions by embarking on new careers as taxi drivers.
Source: Africa News
Churches in Black communities are preaching the benefits of mental health care
The move marks a substantial shift in the narrative surrounding psychological treatment in certain churches, in which congregations were advised to “pray away” conditions.
Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful
Outdoor therapy to be prescribed to veterans instead of pharmaceuticals
A new programme aims to offer outdoor activities as treatment to those suffering from PTSD, standing as an alternative to traditional medicine-based approaches to mental health care.
Source: NPR
Calabrian cooking school offers alternative to the mafia
Arturo Pratticò’s cooking academy offers alternative employment opportunities for young people in Calabria, a region known for the crime syndicate Ndrangheta.
Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful
Kenya’s Tiwi Turtle Police are helping green turtle populations to rebound
The conservation initiative spearheaded by local fishermen is resulting in a baby boom along Kenya’s southern shores.
Source: Africa News
A coast-to-coast bike trail is being built in the US
The Great American Rail-Trail will cross 12 states and cover approximately 6,000km, and is being built on former railway tracks.
Source: EcoWatch
Porpoise population returns after banning of gill nets in California
27 years after the ban was put in place, the number of porpoises returning to the area is at unprecedented levels – with a host of other marine species also benefiting from the legislation.