

I was in Colombia in January. Incredible country. A month was not enough. Here is a report I did for @VICENews on the complicated politics of coffee farming and climate change. Please with the photos for this one: https://www.vice.com/en/article/889d7g/colombias-national-coffee-organization-profits-off-climate-change-denial
I reported on a centuries-old habit of ant-eating in the Santander region for the @BBC. During mating season, there is a crazy event where everyone downs tools, leaves their jobs, and goes to collect the hormigas culonas ("juicy butt ants"): http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200708-could-eating-ants-help-us-live-longer
I also spent some time with the graffiti artists of BogotĂĄ for @HUCKmagazine, which is bound up political thought and popular movements. Really stunning work everywhere: https://www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/art-2/bogotas-street-artists-are-rewriting-the-state-narrative/
Before the pandemic arrived, I was very happy to get the chance to do some visual arts writing again. Really enjoyed it. Here's one of several pieces I wrote for @AnOtherMagazine: https://www.anothermanmag.com/life-culture/11125/barbican-masculinity-liberation-through-photography-exhibition-review
Then, as a newly-minted @pulitzercenter grantee I made my way over to the Democratic Republic of Congo to do some reporting deep in the rainforest. Here's a story I did for @latimes I did on an experiment that is giving power back to small communities: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-12-07/congo-rainforest
After I flew to Goma, in the east of DRC, everything shut down. Domestic and international flights (including my return that @FlyingBrussels still hasn't paid me for!). But I was the last visitor to see the endangered mountain gorillas of @gorillacd: https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/africa/drc-s-mountain-gorillas-enter-lockdown-over-fears-coronavirus-could-wipe-out-population-1.1002720
I was happy to be able to do lots of meaningful reporting there though. COVID arrives. I thought, why not go report on Ebola? I did my first-ever radio segment for the @BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000h7bv
There's plenty other bits from the DRC, but I'll just keep it to this one. For @AJEnglish, I did a series of article on the impact of COVID-19, including this look at rocketing food prices and the impact of health measures on the poorest: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2020/4/17/life-now-is-so-difficult-food-prices-rocket-amid-drc-lockdown
Once finally home, I started writing a series of pieces looking at how COVID is changing society and the innovations that are coming out of it. In this wide-ranging piece for Bloomberg's @CityLab I reported on cities making their own money: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-07/a-depression-era-idea-gets-a-new-look-local-money
There was also some time in Greece, looking at how the refugee crisis has developed over time. The conditions are as bad as ever. For @VICENews I reported on how a law is forcing recognised refugees to sleep on the streets: https://www.vice.com/en/article/935mga/a-change-in-greek-law-has-left-thousands-of-refugees-homeless
Still in Athens, I teamed up with a local photographer to work an assignment for @TheFaceMagazine on the anarchist neighbourhood of Exarchia and the brutal police crackdown going on: https://theface.com/life/athens-exarchia-anarchism-political-activism-refugees-gaza-strip
I then went off to Lesbos and spent a long time on this investigation for @guardian into illegal "pushbacks" - when Greece forces asylum seekers that have arrived on its territory back out of it. Some heartbreaking stories but it's still going on: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/sep/27/catastrophe-for-human-rights-as-greece-steps-up-refugee-pushbacks
I also broke news for @AJEnglish that thousands of refugees, including pregnant women and young children, could be at risk of lead poisoning. The new camp on Lesbos is on a former firing range. This led to a Human Rights Watch report: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/2/lead-poisoning-greece
Then it was back to my spiritual homeland, Paris. I tried to see the positive side for @guardian with the opportunity that citizens' conventions bring to democracy: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/20/it-gave-me-hope-in-democracy-how-french-citizens-are-embracing-people-power
I also really enjoyed speaking to French Muslims about the current state of affairs for @AJEnglish and taking their portraits. They were so grateful to have the [rare] opportunity, although their thoughts were quite depressing: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/12/10/a-walk-in-paris-how-are-muslims-feeling-about-frances-policies
There was also this fascinating story for @thedailybeast on anti-vaxxers in France, the anti-vaxxer capital of the world. How did it come to this? https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-the-worlds-covid-anti-vaxxer-epicenter?ref=topic
Ok I'm pushing my luck. That's enough for this thread. 2020 has been interesting and tough. 2020 is also the year I told editors who treat me badly where to go (hooray!). Peace and love to you all.