Seeker Stories

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Earth & Conservation

Irish Travellers are a nomadic ethnic group living throughout Ireland, the U.S. and the U.K.

How The Persecuted Irish Travellers Survive The Modern World

Irish Travellers are a nomadic ethnic group living throughout Ireland, the U.S. and the U.K. Traveller communities move in caravans, living in encampments alongside roadways. The groups traditionally live in insular trailer communities, avoiding contact the outside world. Due to this unique way of life, Travellers often face marginalization and discrimination in the United Kingdom. Travellers are often unpopular among settled communities, as they are stereotyped as unclean and uneducated.In 2011, tensions between travellers and local government led to the eviction of an Irish Traveller community, Dale Farm, near Essex. Seeker Stories partners with Marie Turner, a professional photographer who got to know the Irish Travellers of Dale Farm, to understand the fundamental role traveling roadside plays in Irish Traveller culture.

Known as the "Emperor's stone" in China, jade is not only prized for its beauty and durability, but is also seen as a reflection of health and strength, purity and virtue.

The Devastating Human Costs Of Jade

Known as the "Emperor's stone" in China, jade is not only prized for its beauty and durability, but is also seen as a reflection of health and strength, purity and virtue. For over 9000 years, the milky green gem has been deeply ingrained in Chinese art and culture. To the Chinese, jade is worth more than its monetary value. One popular saying goes, "Gold is valuable, but jade is priceless."Nowadays, a single green amulet can fetch tens of thousands of dollars or more. Jade remains a cherished gemstone in China, and the country's demand for it is booming. While jade mines in China have long-been depleted, the country has sought the treasured stone in other places, turning primarily to Myanmar. While jade represents luxury, luck and well-being for the Chinese, for the impoverished jade miners in Myanmar, the ornamental stone possesses a much darker underbelly. Jade exports account for half of Myanmar's GDP, but the mining system is corrupt and freelance miners suffer due to lack of safety measures, few profits and exposure to drugs and hardship. Seeker Stories partners with Minzayar Oo, a photojournalist who has been documenting the issue for three years, to understand more of the dark realities surrounding jade, showing that sometimes luxury comes with hidden costs - costs paid for by others.

In Chile, a secret conflict known as the Arauco War between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people has been on-going for almost 500 years.

The 500-year Secret Conflict In Chile

In Chile, a secret conflict known as the Arauco War between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people has been on-going for almost 500 years. The war started in the 1500s when the Spaniards sought to take control of Araucanía, which at the time had been the homeland of many indigenous people groups, including the Mapuche. At the end of the first 280 year battle, the Chilean military succeeded in taking control of Araucanía. Since then, the Chilean and Mapuche people have continuously clashed over land, which has led to many brutal and violent encounters between the two groups. Seeker Stories reporter Kyle Thiermann traveled with Nicolas Rios, a Chilean journalist to the heart of the conflict, to learn how the centuries-long war has affected the Mapuche people and the nation as a whole.

Five years ago, Julie and Andrew Puckett were working in the theater industry in Chicago when they realized they weren't happy with their living situation.

This Couple Lives In A Bus To Escape Chicago's High Cost Of Living

Five years ago, Julie and Andrew Puckett were working in the theater industry in Chicago when they realized they weren't happy with their living situation. They were both working long hours every week but they still weren't earning enough to make a comfortable living.Rather than look for higher paying jobs, they took their life savings, bought a bus and started traveling the country. Watch today's Seeker Stories video to get a glimpse inside this couple's nomadic lifestyle and find out more about the simpler life that so many people around the world are choosing for themselves today.

Mike Basich left competitive snowboarding behind to make his dream of living off the grid a reality.

Living Off The Grid In A Snowboarder’s Tiny Cabin (360 Video)

History

Michael Collins is one of three astronauts that were aboard the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

NASA’s 'Forgotten Astronaut'

Russia and the U.S. own about 90% of the world's supply of nuclear weapons.

Where Did The USSR Secretly Test Nuclear Weapons?

In western culture, the idea of forbidden intimacy before marriage seems pretty antiquated, but for young adults in India it's the reality they face everyday.

Why India's Youth Are Dating In Secret

In western culture, the idea of forbidden intimacy before marriage seems pretty antiquated, but for young adults in India it's the reality they face everyday. While not technically illegal, being physically intimate before marriage is <a href="http://qz.com/655949/in-conservative-india-a-startup-is-helping-unmarried-couples-find-a-room-and-taking-on-moral-policing/" target="_blank">considered immoral</a> by many Indians, and public displays of affection often result in verbal and <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-india-intolerance-idUKMOL34834320070523" target="_blank">sometimes physical attacks.</a>Young couples are forced to jump through hoops just to get a few hours of privacy. "Making love, in our country specifically, has to be very much planned," a young Indian man, who wished to remain anonymous, told Seeker. "You have to pick out a day, you have to pick those four or five hours of the night, cook up a story, like you're going to your friend's place." He and his girlfriend have experienced first hand the headache of trying to get some alone time amongst India's very conservative society.<a href="http://skr.cm/2b2bf6y" target="_blank">RELATED: What Are India's Human Rights Violations?</a>The country has seen many instances of self-proclaimed "guardians of Indian culture" carrying out attacks of <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/11/the-politics-of-pda-in-india-kiss-protest/382877/" target="_blank">vandalism in defiance of PDA,</a> and just last year <a href="http://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-couples-picked-up-from-hotel-rooms-charged-with-public-indecency/16437186" target="_blank">Mulwani police raided a hotel</a> and took more than 40 couples down to the police station. The couples weren't doing anything illegal so they couldn't be arrested, but they were verbally harassed by officers and some of the younger ones were forced to call their parents and explain what they had done.Sanchit Sethi, a young entrepreneur from Delhi, decided something needed to change. He saw an opportunity to help these couples by creating a full-fledged business. Along with co-founders Blaze Arizanov and Nand Kr. Singh, <a href="http://www.stayuncle.com/" target="_blank">StayUncle</a> became a reality in 2015. The website connects unmarried couples with hotels that allow them to rent a room in total confidentiality and without risking their safety.Contrary to what the "moral police" in India want, the founders of StayUncle are trying to make India a place where everyone is free to make their own personal choices. "I prefer living in a society wherein people are doing what they want so it creates a whole kind of happy ecosystem," Sethi told Seeker.<a href="http://skr.cm/2b2bNJA" target="_blank">RELATED: Should Foreigners Be Allowed To Hire Surrogates In India?</a>CMO Blaze Arizanov added that the motivation to start the company really came from hearing all the stories of couples trying to conduct relationships in secret and risking their safety. "The courage came when we saw those almost horror stories which our couples were sharing with us, how they were denied hotel stays at 2 o'clock," he said. "How girls used to cry on the reception window, sleepy receptionists used to ask them, 'Are you a prostitute?' How they were left outside to wander in the middle of the night on dangerous streets because of stupid, silly reasons. We just had to do something about it."Although StayUncle is doing well, getting the company off the ground was no easy feat. The whole concept goes against the cultural norm of the country, which resulted in a lot of hesitation from hotels at the beginning. Back in April, Sethi <a href="http://qz.com/655949/in-conservative-india-a-startup-is-helping-unmarried-couples-find-a-room-and-taking-on-moral-policing/" target="_blank">told Quartz,</a> "Out of 10 hotels we speak to, only two or three eventually sign up." Luckily, the business opportunity became too good for most hotels to refuse. Ajit Pandey, manager of Hotel Gera, told Seeker he now gets 3-4 bookings daily from StayUncle. "We were hesitant here at first when StayUncle approached us, but we weren't worried that we were doing something illegal. So, the next day we called them back and told them that we were ready to work with them," he said.<a href="http://skr.cm/2b2c2V9" target="_blank">RELATED: Why Aren't Millennials Having Sex?</a>But StayUncle isn't totally free of public disapproval yet. There are still many critics who believe they are promoting indecency. Chandra Prakash is the president of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, one of the oldest political parties in India, and he is very opposed to the idea of physical intimacy before marriage."They [StayUncle] have basically turned into a sex industry. There is no love there. You can't call that love. It's just sex. If you love me and I love you, we can just go sit at our home and talk to each other in front of our parents.... If you are truly in love, then get married first," he told Seeker.It's not so black and white for many unmarried Indian couples, and the success of StayUncle shows that attitudes towards dating are changing in the country. "Romance is all about physical intimacy after a certain level [...] you can be all romantic, but you have to express it, and cards and gestures, you know, there's only so much they can do. So yeah, the physical intimacy is very important," the young Indian man told Seeker.Although the morality of StayUncle will continue to be debated for the foreseeable future, the service they provide is important for one pretty big reason: safety. They offer a safe place for couples to go without the risk of harassment or shame, and overall that's the biggest concern for couples, hotels and everyone involved in StayUncle.-- <a href="http://www.seeker.com/community/Molly_Fosco">Molly Fosco</a>

More often than not, we hear news stories of hunger, disease and war in Africa, and while these are very real issues in certain parts of the continent, there is also a growing middle class here.

What the West Gets Wrong About Africa’s Middle Class

Osuna, Spain is a picture perfect village with sunny skies, rows of traditional Spanish homes and cobblestone streets.

The Town Every Game of Thrones Fan Needs To Visit

Osuna, Spain is a picture perfect village with sunny skies, rows of traditional Spanish homes and cobblestone streets. It also has a massive bull ring that was built in 1904 and has been perfectly preserved with all of its original stone. This is why it was the perfect location to film a major action scene in Season five of HBO's Game of Thrones. Seeker Stories traveled to Osuna to get a look inside this iconic little town.When Game of Thrones came to Osuna, it changed the lives of many residents here -- not because they were star struck (many had never seen the show) but because of the employment opportunities and tourism it brought. After the global economic crisis of 2008, Osuna's <a href="http://www.gq.com/story/game-of-thrones-city-osuna-spain">unemployment rate skyrocketed to 35%</a>, the highest of any region in Spain. When GOT was filming here, that all changed.<a href="http://skr.cm/28Oyf75">RELATED: What Are The Most Visited Countries?</a>The population of Osuna is only 18,000, so when the show's cast and crew showed up it was pretty noticeable. The show also brought news trucks from across Spain, fans who came to try and watch filming, and thousands of people from around the country and the rest of Europe that applied to be extras on the show. In total, over 86,000 people applied to appear on the show.Everyone in the town expected things to go back to normal after the production left, but surprisingly, the boost to Osuna's economy has lasted much longer. Tourists continue to come and see the Plaza de Toros, the bullring which served as Daznak's Pit in Season five, episode nine. If you watch the show you'll remember this as the scene where Khaleesi watches Jorah Mormont battle for his life, but the fight is interrupted by assassins in golden masks that have come to kill the queen.<a href="http://skr.cm/28OyrDu">RELATED: Game of Thrones Dire Wolves Were Real!</a>Osuna's tourism division decided to take advantage of their new status as the "Game of Thrones town." They installed a Game of Thrones exhibit at the Osuna Museum that includes replicas of show props, statues, weapons, shields, and helmets. There is also an art exhibit with paintings and sculptures of the show's characters, created by talented artists who are also big fans of the show. The museum changes the exhibit every 2 - 3 months so people can come back and see different things every time.When the show was filming in Osuna, a local restaurant, Casa Curro, created <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/game-of-thrones/11181710/Game-of-Thrones-boosts-Spanish-towns-economy.html">an entire Game of Thrones themed menu</a>, which you can still order from today. For example, The Khaleesi is a spinach salad with avocado, berries, and honey dressing, and The Joffrey is trout with bacon and mulled wine. Emilia Clarke who plays Daenerys Targaryen (Khaleesi) even celebrated her birthday here during filming.The entire scene that was filmed in Osuna turned out to be 17 minutes long. For just 17 minutes of television, Osuna's economy has been restored. You can even view the Plaza de Toros (aka Daznak's Pit) on Google Street View, in this no longer invisible Spanish town.-- <a href="http://www.seeker.com/community/Molly_Fosco">Molly Fosco</a>

Seeker Stories’s Recent Articles

How The Persecuted Irish Travellers Survive The Modern World

What happens to Irish Travellers when they are forced to adapt to modern life?

The Devastating Human Costs Of Jade

In China, jade has long-been prized for its durability and beauty, but what are the hidden dark realities surrounding the milky green gem?

The 500-year Secret Conflict In Chile

The world is unaware of a violent turf war happening in Chile. How are the Mapuche, a group of indigenous people, involved in the conflict?

The 500-year Secret Conflict In Chile

The world is unaware of a violent turf war happening in Chile. How are the Mapuche, a group of indigenous people, involved in the conflict?

This Couple Lives In A Bus To Escape Chicago's High Cost Of Living

Rising costs of living in the U.S. are causing people to get creative when it comes to finding affordable housing.

Living Off The Grid In A Snowboarder’s Tiny Cabin (360 Video)

Tour a snowboarder's tiny home in this off the grid winter wonderland.

NASA’s 'Forgotten Astronaut'

Neil Armstrong may have been the first person to walk on the moon, but he wasn't the only astronaut on the Apollo 11 mission; someone had to stay onboard the ship.

Where Did The USSR Secretly Test Nuclear Weapons?

As the Cold War began to heat up, the Soviet Union & U.S. conducted secret nuclear tests. What are the forgotten sites of the atomic age?

Why India's Youth Are Dating In Secret

In India, it's not easy for young couples to be physically intimate. One company is trying to change that.

Why India's Youth Are Dating In Secret

In India, it's not easy for young couples to be physically intimate. One company is trying to change that.

What the West Gets Wrong About Africa’s Middle Class

The media often focuses on issues like war and famine in Africa, ignoring the middle class. What is life really like for middle class Africans?

The Town Every Game of Thrones Fan Needs To Visit

Osuna is a small Spanish village most people had never heard of, but now it's become a tourist destination thanks to Game of Thrones.