Explore Audio Stories

Besides writing down their stories, our correspondents sometimes also send us an audio recording of them telling their story. We believe this is a great way to learn even more about the people behind the stories, so we encourage you to have a listen!

> United States
Forty-Three Years

A story by Y-Danair Niehrah

They believed each other to be dead. 43 years later, childhood friends discovered they had survived war.
> Read the Story

> Indonesia
The Balinese Genocide Through the Eyes of I Made Susantha Balian and his Granddaughter

A story by I Made Susantha Balian

Veronica recently found out that her grandfather had witnessed a historical genocide in Bali, Indonesia, when he was a teenager. Her family encouraged her to interview him. This is his story.
> Read the Story

> Netherlands
Period Problems (or Lack Thereof)

A story by Tara Rane Mandemaker

By the time I turned 16 and still hadn’t gotten my first period, I had a suspicion that my body wasn’t like that of other girls.
> Read the Story

Piyush Dhawan
> India
We Can’t Breathe: Story of a Pollution Migrant

A story by Piyush Dhawan

We have lost the right to breathe fresh air. We must transform all the elements of the take-make-waste system to build thriving cities.
> Read the Story

> Mainland China
Chinese Countrysides May Be Prepared for Sex-Ed

A story by Zhihao Zhong

Is it possible to deliver sex education to every student in a village school? You may be surprised how it can be done.
> Read the Story

> Australia
Memoir of a Beauty Queen

A story by Jemina Shrestha

Was I really going to fight to get validated for being the most worthy? The answer came in a big "NO."
> Read the Story

> Ukraine
Ask, not tell: how government should engage communities on climate change

A story by Illia Yeremenko

Communities and local NGOs know better than the government about environment policies. Communities should lead the energy transition in Ukraine.
> Read the Story

> United States
Gender-based Hiring in Engineering: Insulting Today, Inspiring Tomorrow

A story by Izzy Bauman

I have been fortunate to be shaped by incredible women in my field, and it is my conviction that with time, my experience will be less of an anomaly.
> Read the Story

> Australia
Pariah Down Under

A story by Jemina Shrestha

My extroverted-self begged me to initiate conversations, but, for the most part, I stayed quiet.
> Read the Story

> United States
Connecting through Food

A story by Sidra Kennedy

Food bonds people together. Studying abroad in Tecpan, Guatemala, I encounter an emphasis on home-cooked meals and local foods that I never experienced in the United States.
> Read the Story

> United States
The Birth of Understanding One’s Privilege

A story by Sidra Kennedy

There were 9 of us on the program, a group of white, North American and European 18- and 19-year-olds. And once we stepped into the clinic, all people saw was that we were white.
> Read the Story

> Indonesia
When Your Country is a Case Study: Being an Indonesian Environmentalist at Yale

A story by Brurce Mecca

My experience and knowledge, and the experiences of all minorities, matter, even when those perspectives feel insignificant because of all the extra effort to make people understand.
> Read the Story

> Netherlands
Two Migrations Within Four Generations: Identity Crisis Yet?

A story by Shakila Dhauntal

Despite the conflicts that two migrations within four generations have caused, for me personally the advantages of being bicultural outweighs the disadvantages.
> Read the Story

> Chile
Being a Migrant in Chile

A story by Juan Carlos Pérez Jerez

To be an immigrant in Chile means that you migrate all day, every day.
> Read the Story

> South Korea
An Alien From the Same Planet

A story by Veronica Burgstaller

It has to be remembered that through all these moving places, I stayed the same person, I had my Austrian passport, I was half Austrian and half Indonesian: yet in Indonesia, I may have been an expat, in England an immigrant, in Korea - a constant struggle to become somewhat included. It is clear that the power as to who I am is not in my hands.
> Read the Story

Fortunat Miarintsoa Andrianimanana
> Madagascar
Every Passport Has A Story

A story by Fortunat Miarintsoa Andrianimanana

Despite this huge unfairness, because nobody chooses a particular passport at birth, some people have to go through it.
> Read the Story

> Hong Kong
To Wear a Mask or Not

A story by Kate Tang

If your country does not promote wearing masks as a public safety protocol, I feel okay about it and respect that. But why the choice of wearing one is not respected? We are now in the fourth month dealing with the virus. More and more people are starting to understand that Coronavirus is not just common flu.
> Read the Story

> Germany
COVID-19 And the Discussion it Brings

A story by Mira Kinn

Apparently there are differences in the preferences country-wise of “hamstering”, a verb that has become most prominent these days, describing the built-up stock of commodities, food, and beverages. Rumour has it, that France is now short on condoms and wine for example, whereas in Germany it is definitely pasta and…wait for it…toilet paper. I am not sure what this tells about the different mentalities but let it be open to imagination.
> Read the Story

> Netherlands
Corona in Amsterdam - an Experience From a 24-year Old

A story by Joost Backer

I suddenly find myself going on strolls through the park with friends, doing board games at home, or talking to my neighbours almost every morning from our balconies. It’s a weird situation. But thankfully for me, not necessarily a bad situation.
> Read the Story

> South Korea
Corona Tidings from Seoul

A story by Veronica Burgstaller

South Korean wear masks because of the high-pollution levels, when they have a cold, or for the simple vain reason to hide their swollen faces after a beauty surgery. Then one day came the news of a novel virus breaking out in Wuhan, China. The unexpected seriousness of this virus only hit me, when I looked for a mask but none could be found.
> Read the Story

Vision

At Correspondents of the World, we want to contribute to a better understanding of one another in a world that seems to get smaller by the day - but somehow neglects to bring people closer together as well. We think that one of the most frequent reasons for misunderstanding and unnecessarily heated debates is that we don't really understand how each of us is affected differently by global issues.

Our aim is to change that with every personal story we share.

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Although we started just over a year ago, Correspondents of the World has a quickly growing community of correspondents - and a dedicated team of editors, translators and country managers.

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112

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56

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433

Translations

Share your story

Every story we share is another perspective on a complex topic like migration, gender and sexuality or liberation. We believe that these personal stories are important to better understand what's going on in our globalised society - and to better understand each other. That's because we are convinced that the more we understand about each other, the easier it will be for us to really talk to one another, to get closer - and to maybe find solutions for the issues that affect us all. 

Do you want to share your story? Then have a look here for more info.

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