Review of 2021 (part 1)

We began 2021 with some good news. People were given Covid vaccines in Brazil, which stopped many deaths. London had a Covid-safe art exhibition. A museum used augmented reality to make the river Thames a gallery.

Daniel Birbaum: "One of the, you know, ideas has been to democratise art - to, to, to, in a way, make art visible in places where normally it's not visible."

Political problems increased in the USA. Some people didn't like the election result and they attacked the US Capitol. They tried to change the result, but they were stopped. Joe Biden became US president, and we focused on new opportunities.

Amanda Gorman: "For there is always light if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it."

Many groups went into the streets. Indian farmers wanted a fair deal. People wanted the Russian government to stop killing politicians. People tried to stop Myanmar's army taking control.

There were also other positive moves. Pope Francis and Grand Ayatollah Sistani met together, and Singapore used solar energy on water. And Dubai built the world's tallest swing ride.

Milton D'Souza: "Standing at 460 feet tall, Bollywood Skyflyer is the tallest swing ride. So right now, this is as tall as the Pyramid of Giza."

Covid-19 was still everywhere, with cities and offices empty. We created new memorials to remember the dead. The situation in Lebanon continued to get worse and was too much for its hard-working doctors.

Nour al-Jalbout: "I mean, we're known for our resilience, it's kind of, of a double-edged sword. Like, the Lebanese resilience, I'm like fed up of being resilient. I don't want to live this life anymore, you know."

Events were organised to remember the tsunami which hit Japan in 2011. South Africa's Zulu people came together in sadness when their king died this year.

Gugulethu Chonco: "It is important to me 'cause that is where I found my, my identity as a Zulu woman. This is where I've learned about my culture."

2021 saw more issues for the environment. Sinkholes destroyed farmers' land in Turkey where too much underground water was taken. Avocado farms in Kenya took land away from elephants. In Malaysia, city bees were found new homes.

People made changes too. Wheelchair users in China wanted support. Hazara women learned karate in Pakistan. And 100 years after Black people were killed in Tulsa, President Biden spoke about the violence.

President Biden: "This was not a riot. This was a massacre."

We found new solutions for important problems. Salt therapy became a treatment for long-Covid patients. And Djibouti women found work as money changers. They help the country's economy to function.

Medina: "When you sit here, you have a cash flow. You don't need to beg from anyone working on your own."

Solar-powered, driverless boats sailed across the Atlantic. And technology was used to help increase ocean coral. Environmentalists also educated the next generation.

Louis Hadjioannou: "Our aim is to primarily educate children, they are the future. They are the ones who are going to become the future conservationists."

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