My World: Global Issues
War. Climate change. Gender inequality. Our students are inheriting a world with problems. But knowledge is power. In this grade 6-12 unit, students explore major global issues, so they’ll be better equipped to think critically, engage in meaningful discussions, and propose solutions.What Is Youth Activism?
In Student Activism: Taking It to the Streets, host Radzi Chinyanganya discusses the power of youth activism and how young people are leading movements for social change. The video highlights youth-led protests and demonstrations on issues such as climate change, racial equality, and gender rights. It explores how activism takes different forms, from in-person demonstrations to digital campaigns. A key focus is on Fridays for Future, a movement started by Greta Thunberg in 2018, and how activist Xiye Bastida takes part by striking every Friday to demand action on climate change. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In All Things Being Equal, host Radzi Chinyanganya introduces 16-year-old Pallavi from Chennai, India, who shares her personal experience with gender inequality. She reflects on broader issues like sexism and violence against women while also highlighting the everyday discrimination she faces, such as the lower expectations placed on her in her karate lessons, despite achieving a black belt ranking. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Frontsiding to Help Others, host Radzi Chinyanganya introduces Sky Brown, a young skateboarder from California who is using her passion for skateboarding to make a difference in the lives of children, including Sokly, a girl in Cambodia. The video highlights how organizations like Skateistan, a non-governmental organization (NGO), use sports and education to improve the quality of life for children in underserved communities. Through Sky’s efforts, students see how hobbies can be a powerful tool for helping others and creating positive change. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Student Activism: Taking It to the Streets, host Radzi Chinyanganya discusses the power of youth activism and how young people are leading movements for social change. The video highlights youth-led protests and demonstrations on issues such as climate change, racial equality, and gender rights. It explores how activism takes different forms, from in-person demonstrations to digital campaigns. A key focus is on Fridays for Future, a movement started by Greta Thunberg in 2018, and how activist Xiye Bastida takes part by striking every Friday to demand action on climate change. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In All Things Being Equal, host Radzi Chinyanganya introduces 16-year-old Pallavi from Chennai, India, who shares her personal experience with gender inequality. She reflects on broader issues like sexism and violence against women while also highlighting the everyday discrimination she faces, such as the lower expectations placed on her in her karate lessons, despite achieving a black belt ranking. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Frontsiding to Help Others, host Radzi Chinyanganya introduces Sky Brown, a young skateboarder from California who is using her passion for skateboarding to make a difference in the lives of children, including Sokly, a girl in Cambodia. The video highlights how organizations like Skateistan, a non-governmental organization (NGO), use sports and education to improve the quality of life for children in underserved communities. Through Sky’s efforts, students see how hobbies can be a powerful tool for helping others and creating positive change. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
Confronting Climate Change
In Three Trillion Trees: The Importance of Forests, host Radzi Chinyanganya discusses the importance of forests in regulating the planet’s climate by absorbing CO₂ and producing oxygen. The video explores how deforestation and climate change are interconnected, highlighting the role of trees as the "lungs of the Earth." Learn about the impact of human activities on forests and how protecting these ecosystems can help reduce CO₂ emissions. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Wildfires: A Growing Threat, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights the devastating impact of wildfires around the globe, with a focus on Australia. The segment provides an in-depth look at the causes, local impact, and the global spread of wildfires, highlighting how changes in weather patterns, human activity, and environmental factors are exacerbating this crisis. The episode also covers how the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) contributes to the conditions that make wildfires more likely in regions like Australia. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Protecting the World’s Smallest Islands, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights the efforts of children in Palau, a small Pacific Island nation, as they fight to protect their environment from the effects of climate change. These young activists are taking action to preserve their island’s natural beauty and ecosystem, which are being threatened by rising sea levels and extreme weather patterns. Through their activism, they are calling for greater global attention to the vulnerabilities of small island nations and their urgent need for climate action. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Three Trillion Trees: The Importance of Forests, host Radzi Chinyanganya discusses the importance of forests in regulating the planet’s climate by absorbing CO₂ and producing oxygen. The video explores how deforestation and climate change are interconnected, highlighting the role of trees as the "lungs of the Earth." Learn about the impact of human activities on forests and how protecting these ecosystems can help reduce CO₂ emissions. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Wildfires: A Growing Threat, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights the devastating impact of wildfires around the globe, with a focus on Australia. The segment provides an in-depth look at the causes, local impact, and the global spread of wildfires, highlighting how changes in weather patterns, human activity, and environmental factors are exacerbating this crisis. The episode also covers how the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) contributes to the conditions that make wildfires more likely in regions like Australia. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Protecting the World’s Smallest Islands, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights the efforts of children in Palau, a small Pacific Island nation, as they fight to protect their environment from the effects of climate change. These young activists are taking action to preserve their island’s natural beauty and ecosystem, which are being threatened by rising sea levels and extreme weather patterns. Through their activism, they are calling for greater global attention to the vulnerabilities of small island nations and their urgent need for climate action. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
Showing Resilience
In Going to School in a War Zone, host Radzi Chinyanganya uncovers harsh realities of living and going to school in Afghanistan, a country that has been embroiled in conflict for decades. This video focuses on the impact of the war on students' education, with a special emphasis on Mohammad's account of life in a war zone where the sound of gunfire and the presence of tanks are a daily occurrence. The episode explores the challenges students face, including the dangers they encounter at school, the fear of being caught in crossfire, and the emotional toll of attending school in such conditions. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Defection: Escape From North Korea, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights the story of a young person from North Korea who leaves this reclusive and secretive nation. North Korea is known for its totalitarian government and its strict control over its citizens' lives, including their thoughts, actions, and access to information. Through the eyes of the young defector, gain insight into the harsh realities of life under such a regime, the hope for escape, and the pursuit of freedom in a world where surveillance and propaganda are constant. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Life Without Freedom: Incarcerated Children, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights how child inmates in Madagascar make up part of the 1.5 million children who are currently imprisoned, held in immigration detention, or placed in institutions around the world. The episode delves into the harsh realities these children face and explores how their lack of freedom impacts their lives and futures. It raises important questions about justice, human rights, and the impact of systemic issues on young lives. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Sisters in a Refugee Camp: Rapping and Forward Thinking, host Radzi Chinyanganya introduces Hiba and Rama, two sisters who live in the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan. The sisters use rap as a creative outlet to express their struggles, dreams, and experiences of growing up in a refugee camp. Their music addresses the challenges they face as refugees, including the loss of their home, displacement, and the lack of education. The video also highlights their aspirations for the future and the power of youth empowerment through creativity. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Going to School in a War Zone, host Radzi Chinyanganya uncovers harsh realities of living and going to school in Afghanistan, a country that has been embroiled in conflict for decades. This video focuses on the impact of the war on students' education, with a special emphasis on Mohammad's account of life in a war zone where the sound of gunfire and the presence of tanks are a daily occurrence. The episode explores the challenges students face, including the dangers they encounter at school, the fear of being caught in crossfire, and the emotional toll of attending school in such conditions. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Defection: Escape From North Korea, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights the story of a young person from North Korea who leaves this reclusive and secretive nation. North Korea is known for its totalitarian government and its strict control over its citizens' lives, including their thoughts, actions, and access to information. Through the eyes of the young defector, gain insight into the harsh realities of life under such a regime, the hope for escape, and the pursuit of freedom in a world where surveillance and propaganda are constant. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Life Without Freedom: Incarcerated Children, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights how child inmates in Madagascar make up part of the 1.5 million children who are currently imprisoned, held in immigration detention, or placed in institutions around the world. The episode delves into the harsh realities these children face and explores how their lack of freedom impacts their lives and futures. It raises important questions about justice, human rights, and the impact of systemic issues on young lives. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Sisters in a Refugee Camp: Rapping and Forward Thinking, host Radzi Chinyanganya introduces Hiba and Rama, two sisters who live in the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan. The sisters use rap as a creative outlet to express their struggles, dreams, and experiences of growing up in a refugee camp. Their music addresses the challenges they face as refugees, including the loss of their home, displacement, and the lack of education. The video also highlights their aspirations for the future and the power of youth empowerment through creativity. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
Protecting the Amazon
In A Threatened Global Treasure, host Radzi Chinyanganya follows journalist Nomia Iqbal as she travels through Brazil to investigate the threats facing the Amazon rainforest. The video focuses on the alarming increase in forest fires in 2019, largely driven by changes in government policies as well as the issue of illegal logging. Can the Amazon survive? This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Mother to Indigenous Youth, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights Indigenous Arara youth and their connection to the Amazon Rainforest, which they consider their "mother." This video highlights the struggles of Indigenous communities, such as Maristela's, as they fight for the preservation of their culture and environment. Maristela expresses deep concern for the loss of their sacred forest, emphasizing how integral it is to their identity and survival. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In The Effects of Deregulation, host Radzi Chinyanganya explains how Brazil's deregulation policies have led to rapid deforestation in the Amazon. The government’s decision to lift restrictions on land use has allowed for the clearing of forests for agricultural expansion, logging, mining, and ranching. This video highlights the environmental consequences of this deregulation, focusing on the struggle between different groups, such as ranchers seeking land for cattle grazing and Indigenous populations fighting to protect their ancestral forests. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In The Heart and Lungs of the World, learn how the Amazon rainforest plays a critical role in regulating the Earth's climate by recycling water from the trees into the atmosphere. The Amazon takes in and pumps out water, which creates moisture that forms clouds and produces rain. With 400 billion trees cycling water, this process significantly influences global weather patterns, including rainfall in regions far from the rainforest itself, such as the United States’ Midwest. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In A Threatened Global Treasure, host Radzi Chinyanganya follows journalist Nomia Iqbal as she travels through Brazil to investigate the threats facing the Amazon rainforest. The video focuses on the alarming increase in forest fires in 2019, largely driven by changes in government policies as well as the issue of illegal logging. Can the Amazon survive? This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Mother to Indigenous Youth, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights Indigenous Arara youth and their connection to the Amazon Rainforest, which they consider their "mother." This video highlights the struggles of Indigenous communities, such as Maristela's, as they fight for the preservation of their culture and environment. Maristela expresses deep concern for the loss of their sacred forest, emphasizing how integral it is to their identity and survival. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In The Effects of Deregulation, host Radzi Chinyanganya explains how Brazil's deregulation policies have led to rapid deforestation in the Amazon. The government’s decision to lift restrictions on land use has allowed for the clearing of forests for agricultural expansion, logging, mining, and ranching. This video highlights the environmental consequences of this deregulation, focusing on the struggle between different groups, such as ranchers seeking land for cattle grazing and Indigenous populations fighting to protect their ancestral forests. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In The Heart and Lungs of the World, learn how the Amazon rainforest plays a critical role in regulating the Earth's climate by recycling water from the trees into the atmosphere. The Amazon takes in and pumps out water, which creates moisture that forms clouds and produces rain. With 400 billion trees cycling water, this process significantly influences global weather patterns, including rainfall in regions far from the rainforest itself, such as the United States’ Midwest. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
Asking Big Questions
In Old Enough to Vote?, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores the global discussion surrounding the voting age, focusing on the differences in voting age laws between countries. This video highlights how 16-year-olds in some countries, like Austria and Brazil, are eligible to vote, whereas in others, the voting age remains higher, like in the United Arab Emirates, where the voting age is set at 25. It also encourages a critical examination of the current age requirements for voting and whether they are still suitable in modern democracies. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Is Digital Media Reliable?, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores the emerging technology of deep fakes and its implications for the media, politics, and society. This video explains how deep fake videos, which use artificial intelligence to manipulate images and sound, can create realistic yet entirely fabricated content. Learn how deep fakes are made, discuss their potential uses (both harmful and harmless), and examine the dangers they pose in spreading misinformation. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Can Cigarettes be Banned?, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores the debate surrounding the legality of cigarettes and smoking. This video discusses why cigarettes have not been banned despite the known health risks, and how governments use disincentives (policies that discourage certain behaviors) to regulate their use. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Can We Overcome the Stigma Around Mental Health?, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights initiatives aimed at addressing mental health in schools in Nigeria and New Zealand. These countries have made strides in encouraging open conversations about mental health, a topic that has historically been stigmatized in both regions. In Nigeria, mental health issues were often overlooked or suppressed, and in New Zealand, a high youth suicide rate prompted the need for action. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Old Enough to Vote?, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores the global discussion surrounding the voting age, focusing on the differences in voting age laws between countries. This video highlights how 16-year-olds in some countries, like Austria and Brazil, are eligible to vote, whereas in others, the voting age remains higher, like in the United Arab Emirates, where the voting age is set at 25. It also encourages a critical examination of the current age requirements for voting and whether they are still suitable in modern democracies. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Is Digital Media Reliable?, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores the emerging technology of deep fakes and its implications for the media, politics, and society. This video explains how deep fake videos, which use artificial intelligence to manipulate images and sound, can create realistic yet entirely fabricated content. Learn how deep fakes are made, discuss their potential uses (both harmful and harmless), and examine the dangers they pose in spreading misinformation. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Can Cigarettes be Banned?, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores the debate surrounding the legality of cigarettes and smoking. This video discusses why cigarettes have not been banned despite the known health risks, and how governments use disincentives (policies that discourage certain behaviors) to regulate their use. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Can We Overcome the Stigma Around Mental Health?, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights initiatives aimed at addressing mental health in schools in Nigeria and New Zealand. These countries have made strides in encouraging open conversations about mental health, a topic that has historically been stigmatized in both regions. In Nigeria, mental health issues were often overlooked or suppressed, and in New Zealand, a high youth suicide rate prompted the need for action. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
Working Toward Gender Equality
In Violence Against Women, host Radzi Chinyanganya discusses the disturbing reality of violence against women, specifically femicide. Explore the case of Marielle Franco, a Brazilian feminist and legislator who was murdered in 2018, and the high rates of femicide in Brazil and other parts of the world. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Ending Period Poverty, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights the issue of women and girls who lack access to affordable, clean, and safe menstrual products. This video explores how this issue impacts young women, particularly in lower-income communities, where the inability to afford menstruation products can cause them to miss school and social activities. It also addresses the stigma and shame surrounding menstruation, which exacerbates the challenge of accessing necessary products. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In From Refugee to Presidential Candidate: Fadumo Dayib, host Radzi Chinyanganya introduces Fadumo Dayib, a refugee who overcame adversity to become a presidential candidate in Somalia. Fadumo reflects on her journey, how her background shaped her mindset, and how she visualized a better future for herself as a young girl. Fadumo’s story serves as an example of how believing in oneself can lead to transformative success. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Women in Politics, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores the current state of gender representation in global politics. At present, 25% of politicians worldwide are women. This video delves into the importance of gender quotas, which aim to ensure more female representation in governments and help level the playing field in leadership positions. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Violence Against Women, host Radzi Chinyanganya discusses the disturbing reality of violence against women, specifically femicide. Explore the case of Marielle Franco, a Brazilian feminist and legislator who was murdered in 2018, and the high rates of femicide in Brazil and other parts of the world. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Ending Period Poverty, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights the issue of women and girls who lack access to affordable, clean, and safe menstrual products. This video explores how this issue impacts young women, particularly in lower-income communities, where the inability to afford menstruation products can cause them to miss school and social activities. It also addresses the stigma and shame surrounding menstruation, which exacerbates the challenge of accessing necessary products. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In From Refugee to Presidential Candidate: Fadumo Dayib, host Radzi Chinyanganya introduces Fadumo Dayib, a refugee who overcame adversity to become a presidential candidate in Somalia. Fadumo reflects on her journey, how her background shaped her mindset, and how she visualized a better future for herself as a young girl. Fadumo’s story serves as an example of how believing in oneself can lead to transformative success. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Women in Politics, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores the current state of gender representation in global politics. At present, 25% of politicians worldwide are women. This video delves into the importance of gender quotas, which aim to ensure more female representation in governments and help level the playing field in leadership positions. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.