Now forty years into Solomon Islands' existence as an independent democracy, its people have had their say at the ballot with both their present context and deep cultural roots informing their choices.

Jeremiah Manele has emerged as the country’s new prime minister in a result that surprised even the closest observers of the archipelagoes politics.

In this episode, you’ll meet a journalist who covers this new political reality and a musician who has taken his ancient culture around the world.

Special thanks to Charles Maimarosia for allowing the use of his music throughout this episode.

From the 15th to the 17th of March Russian voters will head to a ballot box and make their choice on who they’d like to see lead the world’s largest country over the next six years.

However unlike other democracies, the validity of this so-called ‘choice’, has over the course of two decades been slowly ground down into a foregone conclusion, designed to cloak the authoritarian intentions of Vladimir Putin.

In this episode, you’ll hear from someone whose home and family has been torn apart by this agenda and a young voter who is holding on to hope despite it all.

Indonesians will head to the polls on February 14th in a race that has been shaped by modern messaging and an attempt to shake an uncomfortable past.

In this episode, you’ll hear from a former punk rocker turned academic and an early career journalist about what matters to them.