RCI viva : Radio Canada International

17-year-old Roya Shams won the heart of thousands of Canadians after The Toronto Star newspaper first told her story in 2010, and then chronicled its efforts to help her pursue her studies, first in Afghanistan and now in Canada. We speak with the Star's Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Paul Watson who escorted Roya out of Kandahar last month and arranged for her to attend Ottawa's Ashbury College. Roya Shams is now getting the education she needs to take up her assassinated father's torch and fulfil his, and now her, dream of bringing democracy to Afghanistan.

Three Afghan-Canadians have been convicted of murdering four other family members in what the judge called a "twisted concept of honour." But for many Muslim families, the tragedy of the Shafia family represents much more. We explore the discussion over domestic violence within the Muslim community as The Link's Ottawa correspondent, Amanda Pfeffer brings us her conversation with Muslim families in the nation’s capital.

South Sudan is the world’s youngest nation after gaining independence from Sudan last July. Now, the country’s long awaited independence and stability are being threatened by tribal violence that has left dozens of people dead and more than 120,000 others homeless in Jonglei state and Warrap. The Link’s Africa page editor Awa Dlodlo has spoken with John Schram, a former Canadian Ambassador to Sudan who says Canada should be more involved in making sure that the new country can build a stable foundation.

Raymond Desmarteau, the host of our sister programme Tam Tam Canada, drops by to share some more French Canadian music. This week he introduces us to the work of Ivan "IVY" Bielinski.

People from the Democratic Republic of Congo want to sue a mining company with offices in Canada, for its alleged role in a 2004 massacre. Advocacy groups working on their behalf are asking the Supreme Court of Canada to rule whether the case against Anvil Mining can go ahead in Canada. The Link’s Lynn Desjardins looks into why the case could be tried in Canada and the implications it might have for companies operating in developing countries.

Amputee mixed-martial artist Mike Rousselle of Cranbrook, B.C. tells us about his newfound celebrity after a video of his "superman punch" was featured on Georges St-Pierre's Facebook page. Mike is now looking to enter the upcoming Extremity Games, an extreme sports event for athletes with amputations and spinal cord injuries.
 

This week: art dealer/philanthropist Frederick Mulder is @World.ca For more than 50 years, Mulder has been helping others with unprecedented acts of kindness. The philanthropic world has undergone radical change, but Mulder's message has been consistent: you do not need to be rich to be charitable.