My world: The homecoming
Follow the story of Gemma Tracee Apiku, a former refugee who spent her teenage years in the camps of Sudan, as she returns to Africa to become a relief worker herself.
May 22, 2009•22 min
The Documentary Podcast: Archive 2009
The BBC World Service's wide range of documentaries from 2009.
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Episodes
Assignment - The Bad Samaritan
Until the end of last year Bernard Madoff was a highly respected financial guru and long time advisor to America's rich and famous. Then on Thursday the twelfth December 2008 he was exposed as a major crook. His 'Ponzi' scheme is probably the largest ever pyramid fraud in US history. Amongst his victims there were not only individuals and banks but also charities. For Assignment, James Coomarasamy looks at the damage he has done to two charities in particular - The JEHT Foundation and the Picowe...
May 21, 2009•23 min
The Lost Voices of Tiananmen Square - part one
James Miles, the BBC's China correspondent in 1989, was an eye-witness to the events leading up to the Tiananmen Square protests.
May 19, 2009•23 min
Freedom from Slavery in Mauritania
Mauritania is a country with a tradition of slavery, but in August 2007 owning slaves became a criminal act. David Gutnick visits Mauritania and finds out how entrenched the master/slave relationship still is.
May 18, 2009•23 min
On the brink - part 2
Continuing his award-winning reports for the BBC World Service, Michael Robinson looks at the increasingly desperate efforts to stave off a global economic slump and depression. He visits Europe and Asia to identify the dangers that lie ahead and investigates how the present bail-out packages devised by leaders in rich countries will hit newly emerging nations.
May 13, 2009•23 min
My World - The Infidelity Agency
Vivek Kumar runs India's number one detective agency and business - investigating marital infidelities - is booming.
May 12, 2009•23 min
West African Journeys - Part Four
In the last of this four part series, Sorious Samura is in a fishing village near Freetown in Sierra Leone.
May 11, 2009•24 min
Friday Documentary: The Library Cart
Exploring the world of an extraordinary individual. This week, we travel to Colombia to experience a day in the life of Cartagena’s Martin Murrillo – mobile cart librarian and self-taught teacher.
May 08, 2009•24 min
On the brink - part 1
Continuing his award-winning reports for the BBC World Service, Michael Robinson looks at the increasingly desperate efforts to stave off a global economic slump and depression. He visits Europe and Asia to identify the dangers that lie ahead and investigates how the present bail-out packages devised by leaders in rich countries will hit newly emerging nations.
May 05, 2009•22 min
West African Journeys - part three
Award-winning journalist Sorious Samura heads back to his native West Africa for a trip through his homeland of Sierra Leone and other neighbouring countries. In part three Sorious returns to Liberia to follow the journey of a 26-year old woman called ‘Black Diamond’ as she travels hundreds of miles across Liberia in search of the daughter she calls ‘Beloved’. The child was born after Diamond, then aged 15, was raped by government soldiers. During the rape her parents tried to defend her and wer...
May 01, 2009•23 min
Assignment - The Rich in Retreat
Just one year ago Wall Street bankers enjoyed widespread regard, even veneration, in American public life, respected as people who understood the world of money and finance. Twelve months on the story is very different with many of those bankers having experienced a meterioric fall from grace. So what's happened to our respect for the financial whizz-kids? And how do they now see the world, now that the world has disowned them? For Assignment, Ed Butler travels to Wall Street to hear their stori...
May 01, 2009•23 min
The Secret Scientists part three
Professor Jim Al-Khalili looks at the legacy of scientists from the Islamic world. In part three of The Secret Scientists, he talks about the work of Abu Rayhan Biruni, who calculated the Earth's circumference with an incredible degree of accuracy. Jim explores how the Christian Crusades, the invasion of the Mongols, the fall of the Abbasid dynasty and the discovery of the New World may have contributed to the decline of great scholarship in the 13th century. Finally he explores the status of sc...
Apr 29, 2009•22 min
The Secret Scientists part two
Jim Al-Khalili looks at the scientists from the Islamic world who created a legacy for scientists in the European renaissance.
Apr 21, 2009•22 min
West African Journeys Part One
Sorious Samura takes four journeys that explore the challenges and contradictions of life in modern West Africa. In Part One, we hear about Cletus Anaaya and his efforts to stop the widespread killing of so-called 'spirit children' in northern Ghana.
Apr 20, 2009•24 min
The Secret Scientists
Jim Al-Khalili looks at the scientists from the Islamic world who created a legacy for scientists in the European renaissance.
Apr 17, 2009•22 min
Escape from Eritrea Assignment
The Eritrean government is turning its country into a giant prison, according to new report released by Human Rights Watch. For this week's Assignment Pascale Harter travels to Sicily, where thousands of Eritrean refugees arrive every year, to ask why they're fleeing their country.
Apr 16, 2009•23 min
The Atrocity Archives part two
In Guatemala four years ago, 80 million documents were discovered. They contained evidence of police atrocities during Guatemala's civil war. In programme 2 of this series, Gerry Northam continues his tour of the archives.
Apr 13, 2009•31 min
The Atrocity Archives part two
In Guatemala four years ago, 80 million documents were discovered. They contained evidence of police atrocities during Guatemala's civil war. In programme 2 of this series, Gerry Northam continues his tour of the archives.
Apr 13, 2009•31 min
Keeping the Peace part one
In 2003 peace was declared between the Liberian government and rebel groups.
Apr 10, 2009•23 min
Keeping the Peace part one
In 2003 peace was declared between the Liberian government and rebel groups.
Apr 10, 2009•23 min
Kosovo's Disappeared
Ten years after the war in Kosovo, Michael Montgomery returns to the region for Assignment. He investigates allegations of torture, kidnap and murder by the Kosovo Liberation Army both during and after the war.
Apr 08, 2009•23 min
Kosovo's Disappeared
Ten years after the war in Kosovo, Michael Montgomery returns to the region for Assignment. He investigates allegations of torture, kidnap and murder by the Kosovo Liberation Army both during and after the war.
Apr 08, 2009•23 min
The Atrocity Archives part one
In Guatemala four years ago, 80 million documents were discovered in a warehouse. They contain evidence of police atrocities during Guatemala's 36 year long civil war. Gerry Northam investigates the story of the archive’s chance discovery.
Apr 06, 2009•23 min
The Atrocity Archives part one
In Guatemala four years ago, 80 million documents were discovered in a warehouse. They contain evidence of police atrocities during Guatemala's 36 year long civil war. Gerry Northam investigates the story of the archive’s chance discovery.
Apr 06, 2009•23 min
Culture Not Colour
Jared Thomas is an Aboriginal Australian. Born of mixed race parents. We follow his search for the nature of identity and see how it relates to a generation of young Aboriginal Australian men.
Apr 03, 2009•22 min
Culture Not Colour
Jared Thomas is an Aboriginal Australian. Born of mixed race parents. We follow his search for the nature of identity and see how it relates to a generation of young Aboriginal Australian men.
Apr 03, 2009•22 min
Assignment Turkey's Dirty War
For twenty five years, Turkey fought a dirty war with Kurdish separatist insurgents. Atrocities were committed on both sides but most of the 40 000 people killed were Kurds. Many thousands of deaths remain unexplained. But now a high profile trial of suspected members of an alleged ultra nationalist gang has led some Kurds to believe there may finally be a chance for justice. Sarah Rainsford reports for Assignment.
Apr 02, 2009•23 min
Assignment Turkey's Dirty War
For twenty five years, Turkey fought a dirty war with Kurdish separatist insurgents. Atrocities were committed on both sides but most of the 40 000 people killed were Kurds. Many thousands of deaths remain unexplained. But now a high profile trial of suspected members of an alleged ultra nationalist gang has led some Kurds to believe there may finally be a chance for justice. Sarah Rainsford reports for Assignment.
Apr 02, 2009•23 min
Obama's Pentagon
Mark Urban asks if Barack Obama's presidency will see substantial reform at the Pentagon.
Mar 30, 2009•23 min
Obama's Pentagon
Mark Urban asks if Barack Obama's presidency will see substantial reform at the Pentagon.
Mar 30, 2009•23 min
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