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Welcome to Kawan—our vibrant community of data heads and storytellers. We’re all about improving data literacy and sharing nuanced stories about Asia. Come hang!
Unlearning what we know — issue #58
“I have learned the names of all the bushes, but I have yet to learn their songs.” These past months, the Kontinentalist team has been deep in learning and reflection. We started our “Decolonial Reading Club”: bi-monthly sessions breaking down coloniality, knowledge, and being. This quote from Braiding Sweetgrass, recounting
On Palestine: Covering culture in a time of genocide
What does Gaza require from those who bear witness? The team behind our latest story on Palestine shares their process, thoughts, and feelings while highlighting the beauty of life in Gaza amid the profound loss of Palestinian heritage and cultural identity. Zafirah (Writer): I came across an Instagram post by
The stories behind the missing: Reporting on enforced disappearances in Balochistan
Our latest piece, written by freelance journalist Somaiyah Hafeez, highlights the silent epidemic of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. A stealthy, routine occurrence across Pakistan, disappearances are particularly rife in the country’s marginalised province. In this inside look at the story, Somaiyah shares her experiences covering this issue as a
Dataviz in Asia (Jan 24')
Asia has a long history of impactful political and protest movements, a legacy that continues to unfold today. As we navigate through 2024, the biggest election year yet with at least 64 countries set to cast their votes, this month’s Dataviz in Asia spotlights data stories that are helping
Dataviz in Asia (Nov 23')
This month in Dataviz in Asia, we're diving into stories that show us how data visualisations are powerful mediums used to tell important environmental stories in Asia. Our first highlight is an infographic by Ganesh B Varakale for India In Pixels, spotlighting the alarming levels of untreated sewage
Girlmossing 101: A Beginner’s Guide
The term “girlmossing” may have surfaced on the internet just a couple of years ago, but I’ve been embracing this lifestyle long before it had a name. Girlmossing, which is a play on the word “girlbossing”, refers to women making intentional time and space for rest, joy, and self
What role does data play in death?
Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen my social media feeds and television screens flooded with rapidly rising death tolls as a result of the heavy bombardment in Palestine, notably being one of deadliest years since 2005 for those living in the West Bank. As of today, over 8,
Meet the Community: Patchar Duangklad (Fai)
Patchar Duangklad (Fai) is the co-founder and business developer at Punch Up, a Bangkok-based data storytelling studio that creates meaningful conversations with data, design, and stories. Coming from a background in public policy and media, Fai shares her journey in setting up Punch Up, as well as WeVis, a civic
Dataviz in Asia (Oct '23)
Amidst a landscape of misinformation and conflicting reports, making sense of the current humanitarian crisis in Palestine and Israel can be quite challenging. Data has become especially critical in this context. This month we want to highlight some visualisations that are helping us to contextualise the recent happenings, and sieve
Meet the Community: Poojil Tiwari
Poojil Tiwari is currently a Communications Associate at the Council of Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) where she creates data stories and visualisations on India’s environmental challenges. She was previously a Data Journalist Fellow at Newslaundry and India Data Portal at Bharti School of Public Policy. A classically-trained Bharatanatyam
How do we lay roots in shifting soil: Reflections from Creating Narratives for Change Festival
I’ve been watching a lot of TV shows lately, my recent favourites being Insecure and Abbott Elementary. Both shows take place in predominantly Black neighbourhoods in the United States, forming the backdrops for these characters as they explore their own relationships to their work, friendships, and homes. Their neighbourhoods
Dataviz in Asia (September 23')
In a world inundated with data, making sense of it can feel overwhelming. In this month’s Dataviz in Asia, we look at projects that cut through the noise using striking and immersive data vizzes to reveal important social and cultural undercurrents in the region. South Korean daily newspaper Kyunghyang
Meet the Community: Aghnia Adzkia
First of all, I want to ask—how and why did you make the decision to incorporate more data into your usual journalistic practice? Data can strengthen the argument within a story. When you say something with data, it becomes more powerful, [especially in] this era of misinformation, where you
Connecting the dots: How does Singapore relate to its SEA neighbours?
The myth of Singapore’s transformation from a humble fishing village to a bustling economic hub is finally unravelling. Long before its economic surge in the 1960s and 1970s, there were clear threads of Singapore’s cosmopolitanism and interconnectedness in the region. In fact, there is evidence that by the
