Global Us: What connects us all

Medellín used to be the most dangerous city in the world. It was terrorized by drug gangs, and its infrastructure was in tatters. But things are changing for the better.A crackdown on crime has worked, and new transport infrastructure has helped bring disparate neighborhoods together and made life easier for hillside residents. The city recently hosted a conference of the Global Shapers network of young people who want to help make the world a better place.

Shakoys are twisted doughnuts and buchis are pastries filled with coconut. They are much favored snacks in the Philippines. Leliosa Redira has been making and selling them at her stall for more than four decades.

The African penguin is an endangered species. Conservationists in South Africa are trying to protect the birds and help the populations recover. Overfishing means penguins have to work hard to find enough to eat.

Medellín used to be the most dangerous city in the world, terrorized by drug gangs. Things are looking up. A crackdown on crime and new infrastructure are making life better.

Shakoys and buchis are very popular in the Philippines. They are two kinds of deep-fried doughnut. Leliosa Redira has been making and selling them at her stall for 45 years.

On 9 July 20111 a dream came true for people in South Sudan. Its declared independence marked the beginning of a new era that promised an ecomomic upswing and an end to famine and poverty. But the hopes for a better future have been dashed.

A violent civil war is raging between the two major ethnic groups over control of this young country. Fifty thousand people have died in the conflict. And to make things even worse, the entire region is suffering acute water shortages.

During the monsoon in July 2015 more than 30 people in Nepal's Kaski District were killed in landslides. Climate change brings torrential rains more and more often. People are using protective walls and drainage ditches to protect themselves. But one new hope is a plant: amriso, commonly known as broom grass.

Its roots anchor soil very effectively, store water and curb the floodwaters plunging into the valleys. In this way, amriso raises the chances of survival for the people living in the extremely steep, partially deforested Himalayan region. It's hoped the fast-growing plant will better protect the traditional terraced fields and the roads and houses carved into the mountains from mudslides. And it has even more advantages: using broom grass saves firewood and women can sell home-made amriso brooms to top up the family income. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is maintaining small experimental fields, but there has already been success with cultivating amriso on large slopes at risk of erosion.

Megan is 15 and loves music. She plays guitar and piano and likes to learn songs she's found on the internet. But she's also a team player - on her school's volleyball team. On the playing court, she says, she gives her all and enjoys posing difficulties for her opponents as a setter. Like many Australians, Megan also has roots abroad.

Her parents come from the Philippines. That's why she and her family often spend their holidays there.

During the 2015 monsoon, more than 30 people in Nepal's Kaski district were killed in landslides. People are preparing for the future with protective walls and drainage ditches, but the latest hope is a plant: broom grass, known locally as amriso.

Megan is 15 and loves music. She plays guitar and piano and likes to learn songs she's found on the internet, and she also plays on her school's volleyball team.