Every year Shia Muslims worldwide celebrate the Day of Ashura, their most important holy day. It falls on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Husain ibn Ali who was brutally killed during the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD in present day Iraq. Husain is recognized by the Shiites as the third Imam, the rightful successor of his grandfather Muhammad and the greatest hero of Shiite Muslims. Husain ibn Ali is the epitome of resistance, the martyr who fought tyranny and died for his religion and his people. Shiites believe the Battle of Karbala was between the good and evil and was fought to keep the Muslim religion untainted of any corruptions. The death of Husain led to the split into Shia and Sunni Islam.
An-Nabatiya, a town of some 120,000 inhabitants located 10km of the Israeli border in southern Lebanon is one of the few places in the world where Ashura celebrations are still conducted in the so called ,,traditional” way which includes self-injuring.

Copyright Aleksander Bochenek / Babel Images

Mitrovica (serb. Kosovska Mitrovica) - the city in north Kosovo divided between Serbs and Albanians. The river Ibar which floats through the city is de facto the border between Serbia and Kosovo. There, in 2004 started ‘the march riots’ which later spread all over the country. Mitrovica is the Kosovo in a nutshell.

Copyright Mieszko Stanislawski / Babel Images

With 60 per cent of people being less than 26 years of age Cambodia has the youngest population in Southeast Asia and one of the youngest in the World. Same time more than 3/4 of the society live in exceedingly dominant rural areas, employed in outdated and inefficient agriculture. Other sectors of the economy are also underdeveloped, limited and concentrated in few urban centres. Phnom Penh - the Capital - is the only big city in the country.
Despite declining general poverty rate, inequalities within the society have raised sharply over past ten years making landlessness a significant problem as the poorest sell their property to repay debts. And then they become even poorer. Such an ‘errant loop’ spreads to nearly every aspect of Cambodian people life including education, health care, employment, work and life skills as well as gender status and participation in socio-cultural life. And young people are always the first ones who are impacted.

Copyright Grzegorz Ostrega / Babel Images

In the strict centre of serbian capital, under the biggest Belgrade bridge Gazela there is a huge slum settelment called Cardboard city (ser. Karton siti). Nearly one thousand Roma people, refugees from south Serbia and Kosovo live here in the houses built from cardboard or some other non-building materials, like plywood or nylon bags. They don’t have running water, sewage and electricity. Among them there is about 300 children which don’t have any perspectives and chances for better future.

Copyright Michal Kowalski / Babel Images

The Philippines, Manila, 2009. Overpopulation in southwestern Asia is a very well know problem. There are about 16 million people living in Manila. Many Filipinos decide to leave their poor provinces, and move to the ‘rich’ capital to start a new life. They usually manage to find a job but their salary, of about two dollars, doesn’t allow for anything but a very simple meal. They live on the streets and all they own is a couple of plastic bags. In such system children are the ones who suffer the most. They spend all their time on the streets and eventually get into alcohol, drugs and prostitution.

Copyright Adam Kokot / Babel Images

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