In Lamu, Kenya, a UNESCO cultural heritage site, local women, farmers, environmental activists, and civil society organisations protested plans to construct a coal-fired power plant and went to court to halt the project. The construction was halted following a court ruling, which came after many years of struggle. The cultural heritage of Lamu was protected.

In Glasgow, Scotland, when the police raided a house and put two migrants in a van to deport them, they were met with backlash from the residents of the neighbourhood. A crowd of protesters surrounded the van and one person lied under the van to stop it from driving away. Following protests staged by Glaswegians and the neighbourhood residents, who were united against discriminatory policies towards migrants, the deportation procedures against the two migrants were suspended.

In Istanbul, following the appointment of a trustee by the President of the Republic as rector of Istanbul’s Boğaziçi University, students, academics, and graduates called for the university rector to step down in defense of the principles of the university and academic and administrative autonomy. When their call went unheeded, they then proceeded to stage peaceful protests to draw attention to the two faculties established overnight in contravention of the laws, and how these developments and impositions damage the life at the university. The trustee rector was dismissed through a presidential decree, after which his deputy took over the role of rector. Students, academics, and graduates are continuing to call for democratic elections to be held to determine the next rector.

In Myanmar, the army, not happy with the election results, took over the administration on the pretext that the election had been rigged. Many politicians were detained, and a state of emergency was declared. Following the military coup, despite armed intervention and the detention of thousands of individuals, the people continued to protest in large numbers and did not abandon their call for democracy.

In Antep, Kırkayak Culture, Arts, and Nature Association is continuing to fight prejudice and discrimination against migrants, refugees, and other disadvantaged groups within the community through artistic activities. By the way of the film festivals, exhibitions, and plays it organises, the association promotes solidarity, engagement, and diversity.

In the United States of America, following Donald Trump’s discriminatory rhetoric against Asians in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, hate speech and attacks against Asians are on the rise. The ‘Stop Asian Hate’ protests, which began following an armed attack targeting eight people including six Asians, had repercussions all around the world.

In İkizdere, Rize, the local population, primarily women and environmental activists launched protests against plans to construct a quarry on the coast. The protesters aim to draw attention to the destructive force of the construction and the quarry on the natural habitat and wildlife. They are continuing to resist despite the crackdown.

In India, a group of women from the Dalit class who are considered to be apart from and below the caste system, set up a news agency that is entirely staffed by women. The agency creates news reports about incidents of gender-based violence as well as the problems, injustices, and the pressure witnessed in a wide range of areas from national government to the position of women in the household.

In Belarus, people took to the streets following the re-election of Alexandre Lukashenko in 2020 after 27 years in power. Staging mass protests, they called for fair and equitable elections. An unjust tax reform introduced in Colombia against the backdrop of deepening poverty sparked mass protests including those organised by trade unions. In Russia, many cities, including the capital Moscow, saw large protests following the detention of the opposition leader Navalny. In all these protests, which took place in different cities in three different countries, large groups of protesters called for democracy, efforts to fight corruption, justice, and human rights. They did not yield even after law enforcement responded with a violent crackdown and hundreds were detained.

Following Poland’s and Turkey’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention and Hungary’s announcement that it will not ratify the Convention, the streets were filled with protests from women’s rights and LGBTI+ groups. The governments may have abandoned the convention, yet large groups are expressing, on every occasion, their resolve to continue this struggle in defense of gender equality and against all forms of violence and patriarchy.

In 2021, large fires broke out and lasted for days in many places around the world from Northern and Southern America to Russia, Southern Europe, Africa, and Australia. The wildfires also ravaged Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. Thousands joined hands in volunteering to help all living beings that once inhabited the forests destroyed by the fires, as well as people who had to leave their homes. As we witness the striking consequences of the global climate crisis, we are calling for urgent measures to be introduced around the world.