Heartening news from Russia and Botswana gives cause for hope in the face of social oppression

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

In easygoing democracies it is natural to take basic liberties for granted: the freedom to say or write what you want, to be who you are, the right to privacy, to live a life generally untroubled by the tools of the state.

There are, of course, dozens of countries where these civilised rules do not apply, so it was heartening to note a small flurry of cases this week in which individual freedom defeated social oppression.

First, Russia, a country where it is easy to find justice spiralling away from you if you fall foul of the wrong people. The journalist Ivan Golunov looked like becoming the latest victim – until a rare national outpouring of solidarity reminded the authorities that injustice can be dangerous for those who mete it out too.

Botswana has little in common with Russia, apart from a lot of diamonds and a lingering prejudice against homosexuality. But this week, as Jason Burke reported, judges ruled that laws criminalising same-sex relations should be struck down.

And while we are talking about LGBT rights, Ecuador legalised same-sex marriage, and Amrit Dhillon caught up with the inspiring Indian Olympian blazing a trail for homosexuality in a conservative country.

It is not all plain sailing, however, as the situations in Hong Kong, Hungary, Sudan and Ethiopia demonstrated this week …



Lucky numbers

There were more encouraging environment statistics showing the UK used less fossil fuel than ever to power its energy grid this winter.

And a big Thomson Reuters report found growing numbers of people are moving to trustworthy news brands because of concerns about information bandits, charlatans and fakers.

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) People worry about online fakery, and over 1/4 say they've started relying on more reputable sources as a result (plus another 1/4 saying they've stopped using dubious sources). While this will help some publishers, often low trust in news underlines it will not help everyone 5/7 pic.twitter.com/W9HKFL9fP7

What we liked

The marathon runner saved by strangers on the finishing line.

And also on the subject of rescuing people, the simple school multiple choice questionnaire that saved vulnerable children.

What we heard

There was a flurry of responses to Stephen Burgen’s article about the Spanish restaurant served exclusively by people with disabilities.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Service with a smile ... Alejandro Giménez from the Universo Santi restaurant. Photograph: Universo Santi

Leslie Yerington pointed out the work of the Lucy Foundation, a social enterprise – named after a false leg - that tries to empower and include people with all kinds of disabilities.

Georgie Cottini wrote about the work of Beresford Street Kitchen in Jersey, which provides training and employment for people with learning disabilities and autism.

We have a cafe, print shop and catering outlet in Jersey Channel Islands doing exactly the same thing! In your article you mentioned other places in Europe doing similar things so it would be great to mention one in this country!

Paul De Maeyer wrote from Rome to point out a chocolate shop in Campania, Italy, that employs people with Down’s syndrome (this article is in Italian).

The villa in which the chocolate laboratory ‘Dulcis in fundo’ is situated, was seized from the Camorra (local mafia).

Where was the Upside?

In Buckfastleigh, Devon, where locals have mounted a quiet, very English sort of revolution.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Feels like Devon Photograph: Jim Wileman/The Guardian

Also, on public transport across the UK, where a BBC-inspired movement sought to get strangers to talk to each other to combat polarisation and isolation.

If you have a thought, comment, criticism or suggestion for story ideas or subjects, please email us at theupside@theguardian.com. Which global crisis might best benefit from some Upside treatment?



