Untold Stories | حكاية ما انحكت

Facing severe droughts and the overexploitation of groundwater in Tunisia—now at 139%—farmers like Nizar Al-Hajam are planting carob trees, a drought-resistant crop requiring minimal irrigation and chemical inputs. These initiatives aim to regenerate degraded soils, counter deforestation, and restore biodiversity. Agroforestry, which integrates tree planting with diverse crops and livestock, is proving to be a sustainable alternative to Tunisia’s failing industrial farming model. With groundwater levels plummeting and monoculture-driven salinization worsening, initiatives like these are crucial. However, the battle is not just ecological. It is also political—against agribusiness giants that dominate markets and exploit natural resources, often under the guise of “green” solutions. While the European Union promotes agroforestry through programs like ReForest, it also finances corporations linked to deforestation. Tunisia’s bottom-up agroecology movement stands in stark contrast to this extractivist model, prioritizing small farmers and local ecosystems. Read this powerful story by Nadia Addezio on #UntoldMag about the struggle to reclaim land, water, and sovereignty in the face of an escalating climate crisis. #environment #agroecology #agroforestry #Tunisia #water

More than four years after the mass uprising that shook Iraq’s political system, what remains of the movement that once filled Iraq’s streets with demands for change?  From the first chants of "I’m going out to take my rights" to the months-long sit-ins at Baghdad's Tahrir Square, the Tishreenis embodied a new wave of political activism—one that rejected sectarianism and corruption. Yet, internal divisions, lack of organization, and confrontations with both state forces and powerful political forces led to their decline. In this in-depth retrospective, some of the revolution's leaders and those who took to the streets in Iraq reflect on the movement’s trajectory and the lessons that can be drawn from Tishreen for the country’s future Read the full article on #UntoldMag #Iraq #Protest #Tishreen #Politics #Analysis

Read our latest investigation in collaboration with The New Arab and Statewatch on how the EU-backed deportation machine operates—and what it means for refugees’ futures: For years, Cyprus detained Syrians in dire conditions, denying them asylum and pushing them to leave. Now, with the EU’s financial backing, the island is running a deportation program disguised as ‘voluntary returns,’ despite risks and legal protections. Syrians are offered €1,500 and a one-way ticket, but many say they face coercion, detention, and legal limbo. Our Investigation reveals Syrians locked up under vague security accusations, pressured to sign return agreements, and left with no real choice but deportation. The European Commission and Frontex support and promote this system championing it as a blueprint for EU-wide deportations, despite international law prohibiting forced returns to Syria. With over 1 million Syrian refugees in Europe, what happens next could redefine asylum rights across the continent, with refugee once again left to pay a hefty price for policies that prioritise exclusion over protection. For Syrians, the choice to return is far from voluntary - our investigation shows it is shaped by hostile state practices that want to dispose of asylum seekers as inexpensively as possible. #Syria #Cyprus #Migration #Europe #Frontex #HumanRights #Refugees #Investigation #EU

What’s the true cost of Saudi Arabia’s trillion-dollar ambitions? Read our latest investigation on #UntoldMag Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) was once a financial reserve—now, under Mohammed bin Salman, it’s a tool for power consolidation, repression, and global influence. This trillion-dollar fund fuels controversial mega-projects like NEOM, while forcing mass displacements, labor exploitation, and systemic human rights abuses. Beyond its borders, PIF bankrolls sportswashing strategies—from Newcastle United to the 2034 FIFA World Cup bid—to sanitize Saudi Arabia’s image while avoiding real scrutiny. It secures tech partnerships with Google, boosts its stake in Saudi Aramco, and raises billions in secretive credit deals, but transparency remains nonexistent. Despite international watchdogs raising alarms, MBS’s unchecked control over Saudi’s economy and politics continues to grow. As global institutions engage with PIF, they risk normalizing authoritarian rule in exchange for investments. #SaudiArabia #investigation #humanrights #finance

Read this powerful story by Jasmin Lilian Diab on #UntoldMag about the people in the South of Lebanon in the aftermath of a fragile ceasefire: The act of rebuilding is deeply symbolic. In the face of destruction, it serves as a defiant assertion of belonging and resilience, even when assurances of safety are absent. #Lebanon #Israel #War #Reconstruction

From underground beats to revolutionary anthems, Sudanese rap is now carrying the weight of war and narrating stories of displacement and dreams of return. Aya El Sammani takes us on journey into the rich political history of this music genre in Sudan, with a collection of rare and powerful songs that have followed and continue to follow the country's transformations, crisis, wars, and revolutions. Read and listen on #UntoldMag! #Sudan #Music #Rap #Politics #Revolution

Merle Henriette Klemm, a rare and courageous voice from Germany speaks about how Germans remember the Shoah with guilt, but refuse to confront their complicity in a present-day genocide. What does 'never again' truly mean? Read this powerful, personal and political text on #UntoldMag "How many of us have realized that it is not the past that should cause us the gravest guilt, but our own, continuous fear to stand against the stream of political agenda in the present? Because unfortunately we are not any better than our great-grandparents who knew everything but closed their eyes. No, in fact, we are worse. Because we risk comparatively nothing when protesting our government’s funding of Israel‘s genocide against Palestinians and the appalling crimes committed by the Israeli army." #Germany #Genocide #Palestine #Israel #Solidarity #Gaza

A law deeming the UN agency a ‘terror group’ raises global concerns over humanitarian missions. Israel’s legislative ban on UNRWA can be seen as a reflection of a systemic disregard for international law. By enabling Israel’s continuous antagonism toward the UN, the global community risks weakening the institutions meant to preserve order and justice, reducing their power to act — even symbolically — in future conflicts. Read this analysis by Walid El Houri on #UntoldMag and Global Voices

A conversation with Iranian feminist activist Firoozeh Farvardin on the false binaries imposed on Iranian women's acts of protest on #UntoldMag #Iran #Protest #Gender #Feminism #Orientalism #Racism

Humaira Bilkis’ documentary exposes the neglected stories of Bangladesh's tea workers, whose colonial past and exclusion from recent revolutionary changes reveal deep, systemic inequalities. Read this film review on #UntoldMag by Priyanka Hutschenreiter. BAGANIYA is available for global streaming on Cinelogue – a collaboratively curated streaming platform dedicated to cinema by the Global Majority. #Bangladesh #Cinema #Review #Labor #Colonialism