MEXICO: Artists Push ‘Other’ Bicentennial Viewpoint

"The homeland is not the flag / the anthem is not the country / that is just the varnish / that adorns the outside," states a poem written in Spanish by artist Enrique Cisneros in reference to Mexico's ongoing bicentennial celebrations.

SINGAPORE: Films Show Other Side Of Migrant Workers

Migrant workers may be what one filmmaker calls a "socio- political hot potato" in Singapore, but that is precisely why a film festival opted to showcase the plight of workers who often remain faceless although they are vital to the city- state’s everyday life and economy.

JAMAICA: Broadcast Ban Forces Cleanup of “Murder Music”

A government-led crackdown on violent and explicit sexual lyrics seems to have stalled reggae music's 20-year slide into what has been dubbed "murder music".

Biking Across the Americas, Spotlight on Children

Damián López, of Argentina, has been riding his bicycle the length of the Americas for the past three years. His mission? In addition to completing the long journey, he wants to shine the spotlight on children who are at risk due to violence or abandonment.

FILM-CUBA: “I Fought for This, But Not Just to Be a Housewife”

Mavi Susel, the first transsexual in Cuba to undergo sex reassignment surgery, back in 1988, has found herself trapped in the traditionally assigned gender role of a housewife.

SPAIN: Puppet Marathon for Building School in Bolivia

The 17th Titirilandia (Puppetland) Festival will conclude with a marathon puppet show, to be held Sunday Aug. 29 in Spain's capital city in aid of a school in the remote Bolivian mining province of Potosí.

CULTURE-CHINA: Now Showing – Independent Films

While Hollywood blockbusters and state-funded historical epics continue to dominate China’s box office, a vibrant independent film scene is quietly growing.

MEXICO: The Voice of the Community Faces Numerous Threats

The Jenpoj ("winds of fire) community radio station in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, which plays an important role in keeping the Mixe indigenous community informed, has had its equipment confiscated and has fought and won a court case to get a broadcast license.

CHILE: Another Bicentennial – But This One’s for the People

A bicentennial celebration for ordinary people, envisioned as the start of a process of social reflection, is being prepared by over 100 organisations and public personalities in Chile as a response to the official commemoration of the 200th anniversary of independence from Spain.

CULTURE-SINGAPORE: Ghost Festival Far From Dying

Like a seasoned star, Ting Ting pranced around on the stage in an energetic dance routine as she delivered a pitch-perfect rendition of a high-tempo Chinese ballad. Enthralled, the 500- strong crowd surged forward, eager to catch a closer look at the svelte 25-year-old artiste, dressed in a bright pink top – and a skirt that ends too many inches above her knees.

Independent Theatre Flourishing in Buenos Aires

Independent theatre productions are mushrooming in basements, small theatres, garages or private residences throughout the Argentine capital, and sometimes even making it big across borders.

Arab-Israeli Orchestra Spreads Message of Peace in Latin America

"The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra has proved that music can break down barriers previously considered insurmountable," its Argentine-Israeli conductor, Daniel Barenboim, told IPS on a visit to Ecuador.

U.N. Salutes Indigenous Filmmakers

The United Nations celebrated the International Day of the World's Indigenous People this week by showcasing award- winning short films produced by indigenous filmmakers and reaffirming indigenous rights and cultural treasures.

ARGENTINA: Transvestite Magazine Fights Media Stereotypes

The magazine El Teje, which is published in the Argentine capital and presents itself as "the first transvestite publication in Latin America," has been fighting the stigmatisation of the trans community for nearly three years.

The Novelist at Sixteen

At first glance, Sara Samarasinghe's website could be any teenager's: cheerful pink text scrawled against a black background, blog entries about summer clothing sales, and lists of favourites: music (Kelly Clarkson), movies (10 Things I Hate About You), and quotes (Jennifer Aniston, J. K. Rowling).

CUBA-US: Milestone Theatre Production Breaches Cultural Blockade

"When time starts to change, no one can stop it," says a character in "El canto del pozo ciego" (Blind Mouth Singing), a play that is reviving the cultural exchange between Cuba and the United States, which has been virtually nonexistent over the past 10 years.

ARTS: Walking in the Shoes of a Muslim in New York

A woman waits on a subway platform, head bowed, pretending to ignore the insults. Perched on bar stools, a group of friends listen to racist jokes, suppressing giggles. Kneeling, a young war veteran tells his fiancée of his decision to return to combat. Two men wait expectantly at a job interview. An old man and a young graffiti artist sit together on a bench, discussing the power of language.

FILM: Music for a New Abolitionist Movement

Musician Justin Dillon had been reading about human trafficking before he went on tour to Eastern Europe. In Russia, his young female translator told him about offers she was receiving to move west for jobs that seemed too good to be true - and with no paperwork to back them up.

ARGENTINA: Poorest First Served with Free Digital TV

In contrast to what has happened in most countries that have switched from analogue to digital television, in Argentina the technological leap has begun with the poorest households.

FILM: One West Bank Town’s “Unarmed Courage”

Ayed Morrar is just one man. A quiet man, of small stature, whose kind but intense eyes look out from behind wire-rimmed glasses. But he is a man who has become the face of the Palestinian non-violent resistance movement.

LITERATURE-CUBA: ‘Forbidden Stories’ by Sonia Rivera-Valdes

Lázara wakes up every morning in her home in New York, has a cup of coffee and, with the same passion with which she takes a stand for or against every cause, she turns on the radio, hoping to hear the news that she has been waiting for most of her life: the demise of former Cuban president Fidel Castro.