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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!
Our connected futures — issue #73
Our climates and futures are linked across borders to one another. From the turbulent climate crisis rocking Southeast Asia to the data centre boom reshaping our world, we are reminded that our connections are not a choice, and that no one is spared from our rapidly changing world.
The Global South, AI, and journalism
“I’m a sceptic.” I declared this to a room full of media practitioners who had come to listen to a panel about AI and journalism. I heard a few nervous titters, spotted some smiles. But I also sensed a collective metaphorical groaning, and imagined a few people internally rolling
Biggest highlights of the year (so far): The Kontinentalist mid-year review
Launching our own membership programme has been a longstanding goal of ours and now that we’ve finally created this little community of our own, we can’t help but feel a little nostalgic about how far we’ve come! 2023 has been very kind to us folks here at
Migrant workers: Where would we be without them? — issue #43
When the pandemic hit Singapore’s shores, there was an outbreak of cases within the dormitories where migrant workers lived. While there were lockdowns for the general public, there was a sense that the migrant worker community was separate from the locals. Their cases became outliers, not counted as part
For the love of animals — issue #42
I was always more of a people person. A friend now jokingly calls me an animal activist because of all the animal content I send her on Instagram (and the occasional rant on the welfare of stray cats). I am far from being an activist, but I can definitely say
What if we centred women's joy & leisure? — issue #41
I have a confession to make. I am obsessed with true crime. I listen to podcasts about murders and other violent crimes while on the bus, out for my Hot Girl Walks, and even when I’m brushing my teeth. (My Spotify Wrapped was way more macabre than I wish
Live, Love, Lepak: How We Do Leisure at Kontinentalist
We just put out a story called A Woman’s World, where we explore women’s access to public spaces, and specifically how it facilitates their…
How does land shape us? — issue #40
I was having dinner with my family one day when the topic of ghosts came up. By then, it had been almost two years since I migrated to Dubai to be with my parents. My uncle and aunt were visiting from Singapore, and my dad and his brother found themselves
How has your community helped you in 2022? — issue #39
As we enter December, it’s a good time to reflect on the past year. Kontinentalist has grown a lot in 2022, and our progress was highlighted by a busy November—winning two awards, receiving invitations to DataFest Tbilisi and other summits, and hosting workshops at major events such as
Meet the Community! Julia Janicki, data visualisation designer/ developer and data journalist
Julia Janicki is an award-winning data visualisation developer and data journalist currently based in Paris, where she works at the Agence…
How do we learn? When will we learn? — issue #38
Recently, I travelled to Christmas Island to learn more about the Malay community there. I spoke to islanders whose ancestors hailed from all over the Malay archipelago—people whose culture, language, and traditions are an amalgamation of their diverse roots. I left feeling more informed, my insights both supplementing and
Humans of Kontinentalist: Nabilah Said
Nabilah joined Kontinentalist in June 2022 as our new Editorial Lead. Over the past few months, she’s written a micro-story on Mystical…
What are the spaces where you feel safest? — issue #37
In school, I was always considered the smart kid who could do no wrong. While this sounds like a cliché, the cardinal rule at my all-girls Catholic high school was to never stray from this label assigned to me. “Stick to the status quo”, as dictated by one of the
The silent crises in our hands —issue #36
To me, it is a country whose brilliance sometimes casts a shadow on its untold stories. We may be attractive and glamorous from the outside à la Crazy Rich Asians, but what’s less talked about is how our society and its systems can often, intentionally or not, overlook the