It was Saturday night, the sun was setting over the ancient towers and porticoes in Bologna, and Italians were filling outdoor terraces for their evening caffè.

Just north of the city, I sat in a room full of frustrated immigrants who had gathered to listen to promises made by Cécile...

I was backpacking in central China in the spring of 2011 when I felt sick to my stomach. It was just a month or so after Japan was struck by a powerful earthquake -- the largest in the country's recorded history -- triggering tsunami waves over 40 metres tall.

What a spectacle we were. The enormous bus roared down the highway, then slowed and pulled to the side of the road, kicking up gravel in its wake. When the dust settled, 47 of us stepped down from the bus, flashlights in hand. Some of us strapped on LED lights...