As the first African country to transition from a dictatorship to a democracy, Benin has been hailed as a "beacon of democracy" by the British Broadcasting Corp. and has attracted admirers worldwide. The Beninese have former President Mathieu Kerekou to thank for that. Kerekou, who assumed power in 1972 and governed for more than 20 years, became a Muslim, a born-again Christian, changed his name

Many youths in America take for granted the options they have after completing high school. College, vocational schools and jobs are a few of the choices students may select. In Israel, though, high school graduates don't have such choices. Israeli 18-year-olds must enter a mandatory draft for the Israeli Defense Force. Y-Press recently interviewed four Israeli soldiers who have been through the p

Standing on a street corner in the United States, you might hear music reverberating out of a nearby car window or see someone listening to a song on headphones. If you asked a teen what music is, the response probably would be that it is a form of entertainment. In Brazil, you are likely to see groups of kids on the streets using their hands as drumsticks to keep the beat on tables and chairs. If

Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan and first woman ever elected to head an Islamic state, once said, "The ethos of Islam is equality, equality between the sexes. There is no religion on earth that, in its writings and teachings, is more respectful of the role of women in society than Islam." Evidence of fair treatment of women in Muslim countries, however, is rarely seen in the West

In Favela Calabar, 10 people live in a two-room house -- one room heaped with blankets and sheets, the other mired under pots and pans. A tattered curtain separates the two. In an upscale neighborhood, three people live in a two-story mansion surrounded by a gate. The grounds contain a swimming pool, a nearly full-sized soccer field and a tennis court. Brazil is a land of disparities. Where you li

When hundreds of street children stormed the Brazilian Congress in 1987, they didn't know that their actions would make a difference. Three years later, Brazil enacted the Child and Adolescent Statute guaranteeing that the state, the family and society would provide Brazil's children with full human rights of life and health, while safeguarding them from discrimination and abuse. But when Y-Press

In late June, six Y-Press news bureau members traveled to Hong Kong. The purpose was to interview young people about the 3-year-old hand-over of the region from Great Britain to Communist China. During this 10-day trip, the team interviewed 105 young people and six adults who shared their opinions on nationality, politics, lifestyle, freedoms and their future under the Chinese government. When the

Geography Location: Southeast Asia. Hong Kong is divided into four main areas - Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, The new Territories and the 236 outlying islands. Hong Kong Island is the largest and most densely populated area in the South China Sea. Total land area: 414 square miles, six times the size of Washington, D.C. Climate: tropical monsoon. Winter is chilly, windy and frequesntly cloudy. It is

The Opium War, fought between Great Britain and China, ended in 1842 . It was waged because of China's discontent with the British sale of opium to an increasingly addicted Chinese population. The victor received Hong Kong. But the British, who prevailed, were hardly overwhelmed by the spoils. British Foreign Secretary Henry John Temple Palmerston III called Hong Kong "a barren island with hardly

When the People's Republic of China took control of Hong Kong on July 1, 1997 , emotions in the former British colony ran the gamut from dread to resignation to optimism. And while China has not imposed any drastic changes so far, Hong Kong, controlled by Great Britain for more than 150 years but with a population largely of Chinese descent, is in a state of flux. Its youths seem largely uncertain

While in Hong Kong, Y-Press interviewed many young people living there, most of whom spoke English. Here, five students from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of perspectives share their views on the territory's transition from British to Chinese control. Jessica Lam Kwok Yiu , 19, is from Tsuen Wan, New Territories. She was attending a YMCA leadership camp when interviewed. Jessica's mo

In late June, six Y-Press news bureau members traveled to Hong Kong. The purpose was to interview young people about the 3-year-old hand-over of the region from Great Britain to Communist China. During this 10-day trip, the team interviewed 105 young people and six adults who shared their opinions on nationality, politics, lifestyle, freedoms and their future under the Chinese government. When the

Han Dong-fang is one of Chinese workers' biggest supporters. Still, he is not well-known among the people who have the most to gain from his work. "Han Dong-fang . . . I'm not familiar. Just heard of him,'' said Ken Chen, 16, a student from the southeastern Chinese city of Shenzhen. During the summer, a Y-Press team traveled to Hong Kong, where it interviewed Han. Also this summer, Y-Press reporte

T he movie "Hotel Rwanda" tells the story of a 100-day genocide in an African country that few Americans had heard about. The story, set in 1994, is told from the viewpoint of Paul Rusesabagina, manager of a four-star hotel in Kigali, the capital. Before 1994, Rwanda's population of 6 million was largely composed of two tribes -- Hutus, who made up about 85 percent, and the minority Tutsis. The Tu