David Jankovic has been working as a Liceulice vendor for 10 years. During that time, he has won the hearts of readers with his cheerful spirit and friendly manner. Here, he reflects on his childhood, his work as a Liceulice vendor and the happiness he has found in life.

In 1999, Debbie Nichols held a prominent job and was an active member in her community, but an abusive relationship and a drug addiction set her down a troubling path. Luckily, Nichols found street paper Real Change, which she said made a positive impact in helping her find her way back to her normal routines.

Nakanishi Hitoshi currently sells The Big Issue Japan in Kumamoto City, on the Japanese island of Kyushu, a pitch that has existed for almost nine years. He credits the public’s support with keeping him going. Although life can be emotionally tough, it is vital to keep overcoming hardships and finding a way through.

Taoufik Narati, 59, came to Europe from Tunisia many years ago. He contracted polio asa young child and underwent many operations to ease his condition; however, as a young man, he realised that there would be few opportunities in Tunisia for someone with his condition. He has built himself a happy life in Switzerland and feels thankful for his work, selling the national street paper Surprise, and loving family life.

Vicky Tauli-Corpuz (of the Kankanaey Igorot community) went from organising Indigenous people in the Philippines to working with the UN to set up a framework for protecting Indigenous rights globally. A former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, she spoke to INSP about Indigenous sovereignty, environmental conservation, and what gives her hope as the struggle continues. Also on the board of directors of Indigenous guardianship advocacy group Nia Tero, she recently featured in a poster campaign profiling female Indigenous leaders from communities across the world.

Memphis’s The Bridge is unique within the street paper network as it is entirely student run. Founded in 2013 by three Rhodes College students, it was inspired by nearby Nashville’s own street paper The Contributor. Here, the two collide, as The Contributor’s Maggie Youngs chatted to The Bridge executive team member Emma Figarsky about how it all works.

‘Empowering The Poor: Street Newspapers and their Global Impact’ was panel hosted by the Society of Journalists on Wednesday 18 August. Moderated by founder of Real Change and INSP board member Tim Harris, the discussion included members of staff from INSP and its associated member publications. Watch the panel again here.

INSP has partnered with Nia Tero, a non-profit which works with Indigenous communities to promote their work and culture, and social art and design lab Amplifier to make available posters profiling a group of female Indigenous leaders from communities across the world. The campaign launches today to mark International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

This year’s Olympics arrives in Tokyo despite an ongoing pandemic and outrage from some of the city’s residents. Often those at the fringes of society are forgotten about when mammoth sporting events like this begin. The Big Issue Japan asked some of its vendors to share their thoughts on the approaching games and also their own personal sporting memories and achievements.

Sea, sun, fun and solidarity. Shedia’s new venture, the summer English-edition of the Greek street paper, is hitting the streets of Athens, offering – among other things – visitors a unique guide to responsible tourism in Greece.

Portland street paper vendor Chris Drake discusses misconceptions about trans people and what visibility means to him.

Nový Prostor has a recurring feature where vendors talk about their pitch allows readers to discover the hidden stories of the places you pass by every day. Here, vendor Dagmar shares her experience of selling between the Lužiny and Luka metro stations in Prague and her life as a woman on the street.