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Showing 9 of 385 news items in Culture & Community

Culture & CommunityJuly 7, 2025

Squashing the gender gap: How Ynys Môn Squash Club is changing the game for girls

When Shaun Sullivan first set up Ynys Môn Squash Club in 2018, just two of the 38 members were women. That’s just five per cent. But Shaun had a vision. A vision where women and girls were just as visible on court as the men. And thanks to support from the National Lottery via Sport Wales, that vision is now becoming a reality. Fast forward to 2025, and nearly 40 per cent of the club’s members are female. In junior sessions, the girls now even outnumber the boys. Shaun has been coaching since he was 13 years old. But it was the birth of his daughter in 2021 that gave him the push to make squash more inclusive at Ynys Mon. He once again applied for the National Lottery funding and this time to run free coaching sessions just for women and girls. It worked. Word spread quickly. Girls brought their friends. Mums joined in too, grabbing a bit of well-deserved “me time” each week. Many had never picked up a racket before. But with expert, friendly coaching, nerves gave way to confidence.

Culture & CommunityJuly 7, 2025

Saba celebrates Emancipation Day

Photo credit: [The Daily Herald](https://www.thedailyherald.sx/images/page12d031.jpg) Dr. Gregory Richardson presented Saba Heritage Center Board President Vito Charles with a copy of his book “Sweet Breakaway” during the pre-Emancipation Day celebration at Saba Heritage Center on Monday evening. SABA–Saba celebrated Emancipation Day 2025 under the theme “We know because they spoke, generations remember”. Dr. Gregory Richardson presented Saba Heritage Center Director Sharifa Balfour with a copy of his book “Sweet Breakaway” during the pre-Emancipation Day celebration at Saba Heritage Center on Monday evening.

Culture & CommunityJuly 1, 2025

Malaysia’s Dayaks mark rice harvest end with colourful parade

The Gawai Dayak 2025 Parade in state capital Kuching is the only annual gathering by representatives of around 11 of Sarawak’s main Dayak groups — which participants said helps to keep alive a unique part of the Southeast Asian nation’s culture. Marchers gathered from early Saturday under the blistering tropical sun, many of them travelling long distances by bus to walk in the parade along the banks of the Sarawak River. “This gathering is something that is very important to me,” said Joel Zacchaeus Anak Ebi, sporting the traditional Iban headgear worn by one of Borneo’s best-known tribes.

Culture & CommunityJuly 1, 2025

Why Puerto Rico should be your next food destination

More than 500 years of complex history shines through in Puerto Rico’s cuisine — a dynamic mix of Spanish, African and Indigenous culinary traditions. Many of Puerto Rico’s most famous dishes focus on hearty starches, like plantain and yuca, infused with the herby flavours of the island’s favourite condiment, sofrito. Restaurants across the historic capital, San Juan, give a fine-dining twist to classic dishes such as tostones (fried green plantains) and sorrullos (corn fritters). On the coast, no-frills kiosks churn out crispy arepas and spiced alcapurrias fritters. And although it’s tempting to fly in and flop on Puerto Rico’s numerous beaches, you’d be missing much of the island’s raw beauty — it’s well worth winding your way up into the mountainous centre, where you’ll find traditional haciendas growing and serving impeccable coffee.

Culture & CommunityJuly 1, 2025

Nusumetu Community Conservation Site (Vanuatu): Where Myth, Culture and Conservation Intertwine

Photo credit: [SPREP](https://www.sprep.org/sites/default/files/styles/image_detai_670_400_/public/images/news/DSC01619.JPG?itok=KRuR1sA_) In the Pacific, Melanesian communities such as those in Nusumetu, nestled in Green Hills of North Tanna in Vanuatu, myths are not just stories, they are maps of identity, land rights, and spiritual connection. The yam myth of Nusumetu is centred on why the land and forests must be respected and preserved. Nusumetu was a taboo area, before being merged with Tipinime as a joint conservation area. It is traditionally protected for the remnant forest and the stones of the area following local beliefs regarding the traditional myth of yam with ‘white spots’ or Nusumetu as in north Tanna dialect. Tipinime is a community conservation area in North Tanna and is part of a conservation initiative alongside Nusumetu. These areas are managed by local communities in the Naka region and are officially recognised under Vanuatu’s Environmental Protection and Conservation Act. The merging of Nusumetu with Tipinime into a joint conservation brings to recognition both ecological and cultural values, integrating traditional knowledge and modern conservation as a best practice in environmental stewardship.

Culture & CommunityJuly 1, 2025

How LGBTIQ+ communities are bridging divides in Cyprus and Kosovo

Many peacekeeping missions operate in environments where LGBTIQ+ people face stigma, discrimination, or legal barriers. Despite these challenges, missions are finding context-sensitive ways to support rights-based inclusion without jeopardizing their impartiality or host country relations. For the UN peacekeeping missions in Kosovo** and Cyprus, advancing the rights of LGBTIQ+ people has become not only a human rights imperative but a concrete strategy for building trust, strengthening social cohesion, and preventing conflict. Building bridges between communities in Cyprus On the island of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots live on either side of a UN-administered [buffer zone](https://unficyp.unmissions.org/about-buffer-zone). Although Cyprus became independent in 1960 with a constitution intended to balance the interests of both communities, a series of constitutional crises led to the outbreak of violence in 1963. A UN peacekeeping mission, [UNFICYP](https://unficyp.unmissions.org/about), was subsequently established and today helps maintain peace along the buffer zone.

Culture & CommunityJune 24, 2025

Delving into Ireland’s past at Bealtaine Fire Festival

Photographer [Conor Clinch](https://wepresent.wetransfer.com/artists/conor-clinch) was born and raised in Dublin, but by the time he turned 18, he couldn’t wait to leave, and quickly moved to London to begin his career. This year, he returned to capture the Bealtaine Fire Festival on the Hill of Uisneach which, according to Irish mythology, has long marked the beginning of summer. He tells Bruno Bayley that he saw the festival as an opportunity not only to spotlight the history and traditions of the country, but also as a way to reignite his own connection to his homeland. The Hill of Uisneach stands in County Westmeath, at the point where ancient Ireland’s five provinces—Ulster, Meath, Leinster, Munster, Connaught—met. Uisneach is woven into the nation’s history and mythology and has been a place of gathering and celebration for thousands of years; it’s the reputed burial site of the mythical Tuatha Dé Danann, the seat of the Kings of Mide, and a sacred site linked with druidic gatherings, rites and ceremonial fires. The latter, usually lit in late spring, marked the end of winter and welcomed summer, signalling the return of livestock to the fields. Analogous to May Day, such events are intertwined with the ancient pagan festival of Bealtaine, celebrated throughout the celtic world, where these fires served as focal points for ritual cleansing of cattle, feasting, recitals, games and performance.

Culture & CommunityJune 24, 2025

Technology transforms intangible cultural heritages in south China’s Hainan Province

In the past, discussions about intangible cultural heritage invariably centered around words like “endangered” and “highly difficult.” However, a new wave driven by technology and creativity is gradually breaking down these stereotypes. With a simple click of the mouse, designers can now produce Li brocade patterns that blend classic elegance with contemporary fashion. Meanwhile, 3D printing technology has opened up new possibilities for cultural and creative products derived from intangible cultural heritages.

Culture & CommunityJune 10, 2025

Tasmanian Aboriginal resistance warriors battled against overwhelming power, but have no recognition

Tasmania was the scene of the most organised and violent attempt to destroy Aboriginal culture, but there is no recognition of those who resisted the overwhelming colonial power. Figures like the warrior Tongerlongeter who led resistance, and Walyer who was among the many women kidnapped by sealers, are among those who have no physical recognition in Tasmania. The Tasmanian government has abandoned efforts to formulate a treaty with Aboriginal people, instead committing to a truth-telling process.