Xtreme Tech Challenge is the largest startup competition in the world, and it’s founded by two Asian men. Young Sohn and Bill Tai defied parental and societal expectations to become successful venture capitalists that are now funding the next generation of tech entrepreneurs. Every year, XTC receives nearly 5,000 applications ranging from Silicon Valley and Mumbai to Singapore, Dubai and Berlin. This community is made for people building tech innovations that will impact the world for greater good–and since 2015, there has been over $3.5B in funding raised for finalists. But Young and Bill fought to get here. In fact, Young’s mother raised him to understand that while Asians could be engineers, their bosses would be white men. And when Bill dropped out of Princeton, bypassed Harvard, and drove to California to work for a startup, his father told him he didn’t know what he was doing. These two visionaries care most to show people that innovative ideas can come from anywhere, and there are no boundaries–something they’ve both proven.

Did you know that the average amount of times we wear clothing before throwing it away is 7? American saviorism deludes us to believe that “people in need will wear my old clothes” but what’s actually happening is the Global South becomes the dumping ground for the lifestyle and convenience of the Global North. This exploitation has turned Asia into a garment dump. So what can we actually do? Prioritize consuming less, elongating the lives of the clothes we have by repairing and mending, wearing hand-me-downs, buying used, and repurposing old clothes. Donating our clothes isn’t superior thinking disguised as a good deed. And outside of making changes to our own wardrobe, here’s how we can hold the perpetrators of waste colonialism accountable.

Pabrik garmen tersebar di seluruh penjuru Indonesia dan negara-negara Asia lainnya, dan di dalamnya ribuan pakaian diproduksi tiap hari untuk memenuhi permintaan konsumtif dari seluruh dunia karena siklus fashion yang cepat sekali. Bagi produsen besar seperti Shein, hanya butuh waktu satu minggu untuk mengubah desain menjadi produk jadi. Tentu di tengah-tengah industri raksasa ini terdapat nasib-nasib buruh yang terpinggirkan dan dampak ke perubahan iklim.

In Indonesia, the government-appointed position of 'Spiritual Guardian' tends to Mount Merapi volcano both physically and spiritually. That’s because Mount Merapi is believed to be more than a volcano–it’s a creature of God. Mbah Asih is the Spiritual Guardian of Mount Merapi. The role of the spiritual guardian is to carry forth the traditions of ancestors, especially the culture of treating a volcano as a sacred site. Before him, Asih’s father was the spiritual guardian until he died in the historic 2010 volcano eruption that killed 37 people and left 300,000 displaced. Instead of seeing Merapi’s eruption as a disastrous event, Indonesians believe that it is “tidying up”. It wants things as they ought to be–clean and protected. When society litters and villages damage the natural environment, nature revitalizes. Asih reminds us that mankind is powerless, and able to survive only when we live in harmony with nature—in their context, with their sacred volcano, Merapi.

Looking for music from people that looked like him or grew up like him, Ginger Root (AKA Cameron Lew) fell in love with Japanese pop music. When he started making music,he would perform to audiences of 8 people–max. Today, he’s sold out Tokyo Liquidroom and hit milestones he didn’t even know existed. A reminder that music doesn't have borders, this Chinese kid from Huntington Beach, California plays music inspired by Japan that was inspired by America. Also a filmmaker, Ginger Root’s visuals are as good as his music.

Violent protests are unfolding in Pakistan on the heels of former PM Imran Khan’s arrest. Khan, a controversial figure, has been arrested before but even non-Khan supporters are condemning how paramilitary troops arrested him. Here’s how it’s affecting the rest of the country. Imran Khan has a long history of activism and opposition to the government, both as a politician and as a social activist. When he was ousted from government in 2022, mass protests and unrest took place. Today, Khan supporters have stormed military bases and officials’ homes, leading to violence between civilians and police. Khan claims his arrest is politically motivated to keep him from re-election. Many fear this will delay elections, or worse prompt a military coup and martial law. Schools have been closed indefinitely, with major nationwide exams also put on hold. Access to social media platforms are being banned, with some regions facing total internet shutdown.