For “Frontline” filmmaker Olly Lambert, what began as an interview with a Syrian rebel commander quickly transformed into an unprecedented encounter with the immediate aftermath of a bombing run by government jets. The resulting documentary provides what is possibly the most immersive account of the brutal Syrian civil war ever recorded, and is a must-watch…
It’s not exactly something you can learn in under five minutes, but this video will definitely give you a taste of what’s going on in Iraq right now. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQPlREDW-Ro?rel=0&wmode=transparent&showinfo=0&controls=1&enablejsapi=1&rel=0&version=3&color=white&w=560&h=315] Read more: http://upworthy.com/explaining-the-situation-in-iraq-in-under-5-minutes
Here’s Ezra Klein with a brief history of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), the group formerly known as al-Qaeda in Iraq. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ034SvB16E?wmode=transparent&showinfo=0&controls=1&enablejsapi=1&rel=0&version=3&color=white] Learn more: 16 Things About ISIS and Iraq You Need to Know Read more: http://upworthy.com/theres-no-sugarcoating-theyre-in-the-news-theyre-terrifying-and-we-should-know-who-they-are
Meet four incredibly tough women journalists in a town once called the “murder capital” of the world. They describe their work, and also why they keep doing it. Fair warning: The video contains very graphic footage of the aftermath of violence. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8XTdN9VTGk?rel=0&wmode=transparent&showinfo=0&controls=1&enablejsapi=1&rel=0&version=3&color=white&w=560&h=315] The scene is set starting at 3:10, when one journalist describes what…
“When you are fighting the enemy, any option is open.” This quote perfectly sums up someone trying to win a war by any means necessary. Imagine a sickeningly powerful government operating by these rules, and you’ve just imagined the premise of “Dirty Wars.” You’ll get ’em next time, Tom Clancy. http://www.youtube.com/embed/gdDdaahMRuo?wmode=transparent&showinfo=0&controls=1&enablejsapi=1&rel=0&version=3&color=white Read more: http://upworthy.com/if-you-like-mission-impossible-youll-love-this-movie-the-problem-is-this-one-isnt-fiction-3
This view puts a distant war in closer perspective. Gaza has 1.8 million people living in only 139 square miles. That’s a lot of people in a small area, so when bombs fall, they make a big impact. To get a sense of what the area containing 1.8 million people looks like in your city…
Watch victims expose decades of police brutality and questionable legal practices in Northern Ireland. Be sure to pay attention at 4:00 for a firsthand account of the brutality that led one victim to attempt suicide, only to be laughed at by his abusers. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCVSWro6rEM?wmode=transparent&showinfo=0&controls=1&enablejsapi=1&rel=0&version=3&color=white&w=810&h=456] Read more: http://upworthy.com/when-is-a-confession-not-a-confession-when-someone-holds-a-lighter-to-your-private-parts
There is a ton of information about Syria’s ongoing conflict floating around on the Internet these days, but very little that lays out the basic facts for those of us who aren’t experts on the Middle East. Here’s a terrific two-minute video that’ll give you some sorely needed context for what you’ll be seeing in…
War is paid for with lives and tax dollars, while the profits go straight to companies that manufacture the tools of death and destruction. Like and share this if you think it’s gross for war profiteers to make millions off of people who make the ultimate sacrifice in our so-called quest for peace. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XEDH5xBmP0?wmode=transparent&showinfo=0&controls=1&enablejsapi=1&rel=0&version=3&color=white&w=776&h=424]…
It really should be this simple. Read more: http://upworthy.com/the-rest-of-the-world-could-learn-a-thing-or-two-from-this-girls-parents
Whether or not you think the U.S. should intervene in Syria’s bloody, protracted conflict, I guarantee that you’ll appreciate this measured, well-reasoned take. My favorite part? When he challenges the folks who agree with him at 3:10. //www.youtube.com/embed/0si9uWNaxE0?wmode=transparent&showinfo=0&controls=1&enablejsapi=1&rel=0&version=3&color=white Read more: http://upworthy.com/no-matter-what-you-think-about-intervening-in-syria-here-s-one-voice-you-should-hear-out-4
There’s soft power and hard power, diplomacy and peace talks. But nothing talks like blood. In Israel and Palestine, we’re used to one kind of bloodshed. Here’s a project using blood in a different way to make peace. Read more: http://upworthy.com/could-you-hurt-someone-with-your-blood-running-through-them-5
Karim Delgado just spent six months as a videographer with U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan. When he got home to New York he made this video of how he experienced the war from behind his camera. It’s a film Karim feels the rest of us should see. For security reasons I can’t tell you the…