Donny Osmond, a teenage heartthrob and member of The Osmonds, talks about the collapse of a balcony at Heathrow caused by fans. Also, the podcast covers the first peace walk in Cambodia, the birth of Lagos Fashion Week, and the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh.
Lagos Fashion Week put Nigerian design on the global map, showcasing the talent of African designers.
Cambodia's first peace walk in 1992 united Cambodian refugees and locals, healing wounds from the Khmer Rouge regime.
Deep dives
Legos Fashion Week: From Idea to Reality
Omor Yemi Akereli, founder of Legos Fashion Week, recounts the challenges and triumphs of bringing her dream event to life. Despite facing resistance from other fashion platforms, she rallied designers around her vision. The first season of Legos Fashion Week was marked by logistical hurdles, from delays in setting up venues to last-minute changes in exhibition spaces. However, despite the obstacles, the event showcased the talent and creativity of African designers, putting Nigerian style on the international map.
The Cambodian Peace Walk: Healing a Nation
In 1992, in an effort to heal the wounds caused by the Khmer Rouge regime, a peace walk called Dhammayatra was organized in Cambodia. The walk aimed to unite Cambodian refugees who had fled to Thailand and Cambodians who remained in the country. Led by a revered Buddhist monk, the pilgrimage of truth covered 415 kilometers, with participants finding common ground and reestablishing connections that had been lost during years of conflict.
Rana Plaza: A Tragic Industrial Disaster
In 2013, the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh, which housed several garment factories, collapsed, resulting in the deaths of over a thousand people. The disaster highlighted the poor safety conditions and lack of regulations in the country's garment industry. The building's owner had illegally constructed additional floors, exacerbating the structural instability. Despite a compensation fund being established, many survivors continue to face challenges, both physically and economically.
The Disappearance of Women in Ciudad Juarez
In the 1990s, hundreds of young women began disappearing in the border town of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Most of the victims were kidnapped, assaulted, and brutally murdered. The local authorities' lack of interest and corruption hindered the investigations, perpetuating a climate of fear and impunity. The families of the victims fought for justice and raised awareness about the issue, shedding light on the violence and challenging the perception that the victims were solely sex workers.
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.
We hear about Osmondmania! The moment in 1973 when teenage fans of American heartthrobs, The Osmonds, caused a balcony at Heathrow to collapse.
Also, we find out about the first peace walk in Cambodia and how it united a country torn apart by war.
Plus, the birth of Lagos Fashion Week and how it put Nigerian design on the global map.
Contributors:
Donny Osmond.
Josephine McDermott, BBC producer and presenter.
Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, organiser of Cambodia’s first peace walk.
Parul Akhter, a sewing machinist who survived the Rana Plaza building collapse.
Oscar Maynez, a forensic scientist who used to work in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juarez where hundreds of young women were kidnapped or killed.
Paula Flores, the mother of one of the murdered girls.
Omoyemi Akerele who organised the first Lagos Fashion Week.
(Photo: Donny Osmond greets fans at Heathrow airport. Credit: George Stroud/Express/Hulton Archive via Getty Images)
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