English

Counting democracy
In Myanmar and around the world, democracy has become the buzzword of the day. Central to democracy is the ability to vote - and have your vote count. Rop Gonggrijp is the spokesperson and one of the original founders of We Don't Trust Voting Computers Committee in Holland. He tells host Jonathan Groubert about one of the threats to voting in modern democracies.

Followed by this week's Human Rights News

Last Wednesday was World Mental Health Day, so this week The State We're In looks at mental health around the world.

Walking the Black Dog
Writer Andrew Solomon suffered from severe depression for years. In an effort to understand this mental illness, he travelled the world and saw how different cultures treated depression, mostly with traditional methods. His journey culminated in the book 'The Noonday Demon, an Atlas of Depression'.

Click the audio icon to listen to the full interview with Andrew Solomon.

Traditional beliefs versus modern methods
Mental illness is an issue around the world, but that doesn't mean it's treated the same the world over. To find out more, host Jonathan Groubert speaks to Dr Michele Funk, Coordinator of Mental Health Policy and Development for the World Health Organisation.

According to Dr Funk, many people with mental illness in the developing world are believed to have been affected by witchcraft or sorcery, but she thinks this only delays their access to modern methods of treatment.

Mental Health in the Gaza Strip
Life is the Gaza strip isn't easy and that has consequences on its residents' mental health. Dr Eyad el Sarraj is the Director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program in Gaza City. He says people feel hopeless, but he says there's help for people who ask....more

Bomb disposal in Basra
Chris Hunter did one of the most dangerous jobs in the world - he was a bomb disposal technician in Iraq. He's back - in one piece - and tells us how he's dealing with normal life.