Perspective

A new way of ensuring everyone on the planet has access to glasses is being pushed by a global NGO that has just launched in France. A machine has been developed that can make glasses anywhere on the planet for just one single dollar. This as it is estimated that up to 950 million people across the globe are unable to have access to glasses or cannot afford them. That means that many people are born – or become – unable to do any skilled work. In Perspective, we spoke to the executive director of GoodVision France, Maryline Ehlermann.

A man who spent 14 years in prison without charge in Guantanamo Bay until his release in 2016 has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his experience of suffering torture there. Mohamedou Ould Slahi is an engineer from Mauritania who was accused by the US of recruiting for and providing other support for al Qaeda in Afghanistan and even of being involved in organising the 9/11 attacks. While in Guantanamo he says he was subjected to a range of torture methods – from sleep deprivation, to isolation, to beatings. His story was documented in his memoir, "Guantanamo Diary", and was turned into a star-studded 2021 film, "The Mauritanian", which tells the story of him and his lawyer who succeeded in obtaining his release. He spoke to us in Perspective.

The mother of an Israeli hostage still being held by Hamas in Gaza has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the plight of the hostages, 626 days after they were first taken by Hamas. Viki Cohen is the mother of Nimrod Cohen, who was taken from his tank by Hamas when he was just 19 years old. He turns 21 next month. There has been no news of him since March, when he was seen in a Hamas video. She says Israel must stop the war in Gaza to bring the hostages back. She spoke to us in Perspective.

A British surgeon who has been traveling to and from Gaza to provide medical aid has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her frustration that the situation there is not fully recognised globally. Doctor Victoria Rose has completed several block stints in hospitals in Gaza, working to save lives. She says that what she witnessed is often suppressed or dismissed as fake news, but in reality, she has seen the indiscriminate bombing of the entire population. She spoke to us in Perspective.

The leaders of an Australian delegation visiting the world's largest refugee camp have spoken to FRANCE 24 about the plight of the Rohingya community there. The group, in conjunction with the Refugee Council of Australia, have travelled to the Cox's Bazar camp in Bangladesh in a bid to raise awareness. It's been almost eight years since hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled violence in Myanmar, with no prospect of returning home. In Perspective, we spoke to Noor Azizah, herself a former Rohingya refugee, who is now co-executive director of The Rohingya Maiyafuinor Collaborative Network; as well as prominent human rights advocate and former Socceroo (Australian international football) star player Craig Foster.

The Bhopal gas tragedy, which happened over 40 years ago, continues to kill people even today. That's the message brought to France this week by two leading activists who continue to push for justice. The initial leak, which is still considered the world's worst industrial accident, killed over 3,500 people within days in the central Indian city of Bhopal in December 1984, after they breathed in poisonous gas leaked from a Union Carbide pesticide factory. According to government estimates, more than 15,000 people have died in the years since, although activists say the figures are in reality far higher. In Perspective, we spoke to Rachna Dhingra, coordinator of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal; and Satinath Sarangi, founder of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action.

For those suffering from mental health problems, the internet can be a door to getting help and finding a community, but it can also open a user to extremely damaging content that encourages self-harm. Adele Zeynep Walton is campaigning for a safer digital world after her sister Aimee took her own life in 2022, having spent time on a pro-suicide forum. Walton's book "Logging Off: The Human Cost of Our Digital World" draws attention to a growing, insidious phenomenon.

The head of Stop Ecocide International has spoke to FRANCE 24 from the UN Ocean Conference in the south of France about the need to legally recognise crimes against the environment as serious crimes. Jojo Mehta jointly founded the organisation back in 2017 with the aim of using the law to make destructive practices illegal. She says we don't take damage to the environment seriously enough, and that her aim is to be able to hold individuals accountable for their environmental crimes. She spoke to us in Perspective.

One of the world's leading climbers and photographers has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his passions and his mental health struggles. Cory Richards grew up with a perfect early childhood living in the Rocky Mountains. But when things went wrong, he ended up institutionalised, then on the street. He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and still struggles with his mental health. His new book in English "The Color of Everything: A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within" has just been translated into French as "Les brûlures de glace" or "Ice Burns". He spoke to us in Perspective.

One of the world’s leading cancer specialists has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the need to detect cancer early and prevent it from ever taking hold, rather than having to treat people later. Professor Alexandra Leary is an oncology specialist in gynaecological cancers and deputy director of the oncological department of the Gustave Roussy cancer research hospital outside Paris. She is just back from a major gathering of the world's top cancer specialists in Chicago. She spoke to us in Perspective.