It's been a heck of a week – while the protection of our planet has been at the centre of it, the world got struck by the mass murder of 50 Muslims in New Zealand, the deadliest terror attack the country has experienced in recent history. Welcome back to FairPlanet's weekly roundup newsletter, where we give you another chance to catch up with some of the articles on FairPlanet, while shedding insight into global progress and some harsh facts that remind us we can never stop fighting for the good. Read, Debate: Engage with FairPlanet.
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It's been a heck of a week – while the protection of our planet has been at the centre of it, the world got struck by the mass murder of 50 Muslims in New Zealand, the deadliest terror attack the country has experienced in recent history.

Welcome back to FairPlanet's weekly roundup newsletter, where we give you another chance to catch up with some of the articles on FairPlanet, while shedding insight into global progress and some harsh facts that remind us we can never stop fighting for the good.

Read, Debate: Engage with FairPlanet.
The good
People protested for climate action across the world
Melbourne School Strike for Climate Action Credit: Julian Meehan

While Greta Thunberg has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize, March 15 saw 24-hours of climate action across the world, with protests, marches and debates in city and town centres and young people joining the call to action.

According to The Guardian, over 1 million students skipped school to march, picket signs at hand, and demanded global leaders to make palpable policy changes for a green future. 2,000 protests in 125 countries took place.

The bad
Marching students have been criticised for lacking scientific knowledge

As students took to the streets to protest climate change, some public figures have criticised them for lacking scientific knowledge – something that is as dangerous as it is ignorant.

However, to support their action, a group of German-speaking scientists launched a petition titled Scientists for Future.

It is these children's future which is primarily at stake – and it's great that scientists from another generation close the ranks!

Scientists for Future back Youth 4 Climate’s strike in recent petition

by Yair Oded

Scientists for Future are backing up Youth 4 Climate's strike in recent petition.
Meanwhile

The Christchurch carnage and our illusion with terrorism

by Shadi Khan Saif

The terrorist attack on worshipers in Christchurch shall not go down in history as an isolated criminal offence by some detached individuals.

47 years after "Bloody Sunday", the chance for some justice

by Gurmeet Singh

In 1972, British soldiers opened fire on civil rights protestors in Derry, Northern Ireland. Now one of those soldiers has been charged with murder.

Why the world should pay more attention to the UN Environment Assembly

by Bob Koigi

The global chemical industry continues to dominate virtually every sphere of our lives now more than ever.
Country focus
Kenya

The East African nation is tucked between 5 neighbouring countries, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. With a population of 45 million, Kenya has the largest economy in East Africa, with many tech and innovation startups beginning to sprout in its capital of Nairobi, and like many emerging countries, Kenya’s rapid urbanisation means that by 2050, 50% of its population will be living in cities.

The country is known for its Matatu transportation, privately owned minibuses that arose after its independence in 1963, and finally provided a way for citizens to be mobilised across the country. Despite its rich natural resources, high education levels and private sectors, it is said that 95% of the population in Kenya’s rural areas fall beneath the poverty line. Kenya’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and with that, the country is a melting pot of Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikh.

May we introduce
Bob Koigi
Bob Koigi

Bob and FairPlanet share a long history, having recently celebrated our 5-year collaboration. Over these years, Bob has been responsible for the coverage of exciting stories, especially from the East African region – quite often about topics rarely heard of.

Bob has won several awards for his high quality and engaged multi-media journalism. Alongside his engagement with FairPlanet, he is the East Africa Editor-in-Chief for Africa Business Communities and works as an editor and columnist for local and international media outlets. When Bob isn't the focal point of his next story, he is also seen as a media consultant for CBOs and grassroots organisations, or teaching journalists and media students. If you want to know about the "real Africa" read his stories.

Bob, what are the current challenges journalists are facing in today's media landscape?

Sources are the heart of any story, and as journalists, we need them to add that extra meat to our work. But I have lost count of how many times I have tried to reach a source to either verify a claim or give me extra information in vain. For a profession that operates on deadlines, an unreliable source not only interferes with your story filling schedule, but is a career killer.

Relying on the internet for secondary research has become extremely dangerous for a journalist like me
myself, who embraces the tenets of fairness, objectivity and accuracy. You do not know whether what you have picked is actually true, as fake news increasingly penetrate even secondary sources of information that were traditionally credible, including news sites and research papers. It therefore calls for two layers of verification which include extra research online to authenticate or calling a source in that field to clarify the authenticity of the information you have gathered.

Follow Bob Koigi on Twitter: @Koigibob