World in Progress

Coffee farming in Kenya, a taste for homegrown coffee in Guatemala, and Brazil's accordion revival.

Topics this week: Norway has the toughest immigration laws in Europe. We find out how that affects refugees and those who work with them. And: a refugee fact check - what's going on in Europe?

Cape Town's building boom pushes people out of their homes in the city center to shacks in so-called resettlement camps. We'll also hear how old cars from Europe are polluting roads in Africa and how Egypt's new capital is shaping up.

The #MeToo movement has caused shockwaves in the USA and Europe, but in many countries, the discussion about the taboo topic of sexual violence has met much more resistance. In Japan, one woman changed the debate when she wrote a book about being raped by a high-ranking journalist. And in Africa, female filmmakers are setting out to change things through film.

This week on the show: South Korea's automation craze is taking a toll on employees. Former gang members in El Salvador are struggling to reintegrate into the workforce because their tattoos mark them for life. And how are Haitians in Miami's Little Haiti coping after US President Donald Trump ended their temporary protected status that allowed them to legally live and work in the United States?

China's president Xi Jinping dreams of a strong China elevated to a world power. The giant empire is expanding its influence on all continents, including Europe. China's economic interests have been steadily expanding abroad. And after decades of mainly focusing on internal affairs, Chinese foreign policy is moving in a new direction as well.

This week on World in Progress: How teaching kids how to swim can prevent the silent killer of drowning. A former prison inmate now helps other inmates in Kenya to get an education. A children's dream park in Japan tries to help kids who couldn't cope with school. And: the importance of reading in South Africa and French lessons at Quran schools in Senegal.

This week, we'll talk about culture: In India, a group of people have come together to compile a dictionary which they say helps preserve the language of Gondi. We hear how a ballet dancer in Peru is helping kids turn away from gang violence. And: Stories about Morocco's dying movie theaters and animated films made in Burkina Faso.

The "Smart cities" of the future will be digital and connected, using smart technology to improve the transport network, cutting down on resource consumption, and connecting people. The Kalasatama quarter in Helsinki for instance has become a lab for Smart City experiments. And not just for the hip and young - senior citizens too are at the cutting edge of smart technology,

World in Progress is a 30-minute radio show that connects the dots in a globalized era.