around the globe. in brazil, being poor drastically limits your chances of moving up the social ladder. in nepal, women from the lowest caste are destined to a life of discrimination and poverty. but that is starting to change. but first we go to the united states, where the less privileged are increasingly speaking up for their rights. mass protests in the u.s. in january 2017, millions of

women hit the streets, calling for their rights, and voicing their anger over donald trump's election victory. in march 2018, hundrededs of thousasands of studedents caller changes s to u.s. weon l laws. now a new movement is giving the country's struggling citizens a voice. in the u.s., 140 million people are considered low-income, and of them, 40 million live below the poverty line. reporter: pastors liz theoharis and william barber are leading the campaign. now thousands are heeding their call for civil disobedience. >> you're illegally taking a street. up on the sidewalk. this is your first warning. reporter: people who are poor, sick or disenfranchised are determined to have their voices heard.

liz: there's a f fire raging n our sociciety and we're willingo ignonore the red lights of the current sysystem until that emerergency is solveved. reporter: it's sundaday eveningn the heart of washington. the people here are warming up for the mass rally. many have come a long way, from michigan, alabama, even alaska. the campaign is financed with donations. otherwise, many couldn't afford the journey. >> this country is a mess. this is not a great country. when we have over 140 million people that are in poverty. >> we are real people and we matter. reporter: the original poor peoplele's campaign was launchd by dr. martin luther king in 1968. according to liz theoharis, since then, the gap between rich and poor has grown. she believes that with donald trump as president, the situation is only growing worse.

and she insists that something must be done. liz: take away our poverty, not our children. take away y this injustice! reportrter: theohaharis has spe0 years working with grassroots anti-poverty groups. she had long wanted to launch a campaign. liz: if we do hear about the poor, it's to race bait people, it's t to divide people, it's o blame immigrants for the problems that everyone is having, and it's t tsay that popoor people are lazy, crazy,yd undeserving. when, you know, again, 80% of americans at some popoint in or lives will experience hardship. so, you know, are all of us lazy, crazy and good for nothing? reporter: the next morning on capitol hill.

theoharis and her group want to pressure congress to finally take action. they're demanding higher minimum wages, health insurance for all, and affordable housing. the initiators of the campaign say they won't get anywhere unless they shake up the nation. all of their demonstrations include personal stories, like ththat of callllie greer. five years ago her daughter died of cancer. callie greer says her daughter's treatment was delayed because she wasn't insured, and then it was too late. callie: oh, lord! william:m: that's what the natn ought to hear. these policies are killing people, and mothers.

break this country's heart, so it can be put back together. reporter: the personal stories are the most moving and unsettling moments. callie: it's happening all of the time. and it's like we're disposable people, we'r're invisible peop, and i ne for t those peoplple o come out a and add their voiceo this campaign. and add their wailing to mine, so that there e is a continuig echo in this place, so that it breaks these people's hearts. reporter: the campaign takes to the streets week after week, hoping to shock and galvanize people into action. >> you will be placed under arrest. this is your second warning. reporter: they're peaceful, but determined and well-organized.

the demonstrators know they're likely to be confronted by police. liz: we are living in a a time where real change is absolutely needed. and so i think the fact that, in 35 states and in washington dc, people are willing, , week aftr week, to put themselves out there and to risk arrest and to engage in non-violent civil disosobedience, shows the kindf urgency of now. reporter: every week hundreds are detained, and every week there are new headlines. liz theoharis says too many are suffering. and the time is ripe for a mass movement. host: around a billion people worldwide have a physical or mental disability. that's 15% of the world's population. 80% live in developing countries. and many experience severe social disadvantages.

people with disabilities are less likely to finish school, and often end up unemployed. that means they're more likely to live in poverty than people without disabilities. down syndrome affects around six million people worldwide. down syndrome a genetic disorder which in most cases is caused by trisomy 21. that's when a baby has three copies of chromososome 21. he or she is born with mental and physical disabilities of varying degrees. but as one dynamic theatre company in berlin proves, people with down syndrome can indeed in berlin. actors with and without down syndrome bring herman melville's novel to the stage. it deals with death, insanity, and an elusive white whale.

jakob hohne is the theater's director. his brother moritz, who has down syndrome, is among the stars of the theater, which was founded in 1990. down syndrome is a congenital condition, which comes with varying degrees of physical and cognitive effects. jakob: the main point is that people with down syndrome have their own forms of artistic exexession. the way they convey a character is different from the way i might do it. they have different timing and different ideas. i might use language to convey something, while actors with a disability do it with movement. reporter: what begins as an ordinary whaling expedition turns into a fatal quest for revenge.

jonas sippel has been with the group since 2015. jonas: acting is a strength that's very important to people with down syndrome. there are people in the theater that have difficulties speaking and are speech-impaired. they can only communicate by acting it out. reporter: in germany there are few opportunities for people with down syndrome to live like other young adults. there aren't many shared living options. jonas sippel was lucky. jonas: i'm the type of person who reaches out to people, enjoys talking, doing things with them. i'm a very sociable person, who likes writing poetry.

i'm also interested in acting and art. we definitely have to fight to make it clear that not everybody's the same. otheherwise there won't be any diversity. we also have rights. reporter: rambazamba has been bringing together people with from other ensembles. boris: i figured i'd drop by and watch a rehearsal. in the morning i watched and in the afternoon i joined in. what really drew me in was the amazing energy. it feels unmediated, free of

the theater brought in two choreographers from spain. they say they can learn quite a lot from their colleagues with disabilities. sara: they didn't have some filters that we have. like we have so many, like, i cannot do this, because it's like -- and they are more free. they feel so much freedom. and it really, like, it gives you that freedom of trying things or getting a little bit more deeper into some things. like, it's much easier, actually, but yeah, they are so professional. reporter: the theater has gained international acclaim. a japanese television network is filming a documentary about rambazamba. jakob: we see ourselves as an ensemble of the future, as a city theater of the future. we bring in other kinds of

people. the minority becomes the majority. reporter: the path to a more inclusive society is a long one, but rambazamba is staying the course. host: this week on global ideas we're off to nepal. the mountainous cocountry is he to 3.5 million dalits, members of hinduism's lowest caste. for dalits, , life is often vey challenging. and that's especially true for women. but as our reporter kilian schutze found out, some courageous women are breaking with tradition. reporter: sobha achhami has never had it easy. she lives in a 1 10 or 15 square-m-meter corrugated iron t with her husband and son near kathmandu. every now and then she works as a day laborer at construction

sites or in the fields, earning the equivalent of three or four euros. but she sees no need to complain, and says she's happy. the only thing that really bothers her is discrimination. sobha: as a dalit woman, i face many problems living here. i'm a day laborer. when i work for someone in an upper caste house, they usually don't give me food. i have to go to a cafe. at the cafe they ask me to eat my meal outside, and rinse off my dishes myself. reporter: dalits are traditionally considered impmpu. in the caste system they are the lowest of the low. that often means being denied access to education and jobs, and above all, a lack of respect. the centuries-old d caste systm is rootetein hininduism.

many believe t that their r owne is deterermined by desestiny,d with good kakarma their sosoul t be rebororn into a higheher ca. many nepalese are deeply religious, espspecially in rurl areas, high in the himalayan mountains. the village of raviopi is a two-hour drive from kathmandu. its slopes are steep, the soil is dry, and now the monsoon season is about to begin. bimala tolange belongs to the mijar caste, the mountain dalits. she faces even more hurdles. due to a lack of well-paid jobs, her r husband has left the country. now he works in malaysia's oil industry, but bimala doesn't know exactly what he does. last summer he left for at least

three years. he's never seen their young daughter. bimala: it would be so much better if my husband could stay here in nepal. if he'd found a job in farming, or some other kind of job. he would be a helping hand. he could take the children too schohool, or help when s someos sick. but we have no choice. reporter: thanks to her husband's earnings, bimala tolange has some livestock. her house is larger than some of the others here. she used to mainly tend to the household, and work from time to time as a day laborer. but then her life took an unexpected turn. the international climate protection and development organization icimod began providing agricultural training to women in the region, giving priority to those whose husbands have left to find work.

a project coordinator from a local ngo pays regular visits. today he's showing the women the correct way to plant tomatoes. roshan: we gather them in an area where we practically teach how to grow the plantsts, or hw they can change the chemical pesticides to the bio pesticides. so it's not about teaching them, it's about organizing demonstration projects, practicacal training, , organig field schools. so this is how we are training these womens. bimala: before, i wasn't all that interested in agriculture. and i only used traditional farming methods, which don't provide much income. after the first people left to find work, the ones left behind just sat idle. but now we understand agriculture, and we can put our time to good use. reporter: for many local dalits, the program has been a boon. the district administration believes that giving

opportunities to the lowest caste is long overdue. ashkok: the caste systemem in nepal fofollows a centuries-sd philosophy. it divides society into four castes, with dalits at the bottom. dalits have long been part of our labor force, supporting development and improving society. now our society is undergoing very rapid change. it's's becoming more incnclus. this o old caste-based way of thinking will be eradicated very soon. reporter: dalits aren't so optimistic. they fear the longstanding discrimination they face won't change anytime soon. yet many nepalalese, especialy the younger generation, dream of a country without a caste system. the village of kalchebesi, where icimod has launched its training program, shows what this future might look like. the local women, many of them dalits, have joined forces. their farming operation is thriving. they've invented a new kind of organic fertilizer, made of

plants, cow dung, microorganisms and water, which they spray on their fields. these cucumbers and pumpkins are grown organically, the women tell us. every few days traders come by to pick up the vegetables and then sell them at markets. the project originally aimed to prepare local women for ththe impact of climate change, including drought and erosion. but the women soon took charge themselves, ignoring caste distinctions in the process. nand kishor agrawal helped get the project off the ground. nand: we tried to work with people to find outut what is te simple thing they can do themselves to improve their conditions, to improve their, say, livelihood, or to manage the e change. at that time we did not even imagine that it would go to the extent that it would really spread and people will themselves start doing lot of things. reportrter: sobha achhami, frm the suburb of kathmandu, has

also taken matters into her own hands. she's building a larger house. progress is slow, because she always has to save up the money for the next step. but she's patient and determined. and she's no longer willing to accept discrimination for being a dalit. sobha: people don't understand, we're all the same. they think i'm weak, butut i'm not. i'm strong enough to fight being treated like that. if some in the community don't want to see it that way, that's their problem. i don't want to be treated like i'm inferior to others. i'll fight that, h however longt takes. reporter: for sobha achhami and others, it's a fight for dignity and respect. and a future in which nepal is finally free of its caste system.

host: in many countries, education is athing but gigiven. araround 264 milillion childred young people worldwide havnono accecess tit. anand st 45% o o 15-to-17-y-year-olds actually fini theheir soolingng. in developoping countrieies, y around a a quarter off 12-to-17-y-year-olds havave eva basic knowleledge of mathsh, reading g and writing.g. brazazil is one ofof the counts taking parart in a studydy into ededucation stanandards beig conducteted by the orgrganizan for ececonomic coopeperation d development. and that's shown that kids there are struggliling. reporter: on the road in his hometown. claudio sassaki lives and works in sao paulo, the business and finance capital of brazil. the social differences here are especially extreme. claudio: i feel anger, for sure.

i feel that we cannot wait for government to do anything to solve, because it's not a matter of having the resources, i its how you deploy those resources, and clearly y resources have nt been deployed well in the education sector. just look at the outcomes. reporter: schools in brazil are often poorly equipped, teaching materials out-of-date. only private schools, such as the colegio humboldt in sao paulo, are different. those who have enough money, just a small portion of the population, do not send their kids to state schools. claudio: brazil is a country in which the drop-out rate in high schoolol is roughly 50%. ouout of those who f finish hh school, about 10% learned the basics in portuguese and math. so the uneven access to high-quality education is the worsrst problem we have as a country. rereporter: clclaudio sassakis four children himself and wants

to make education accessible for all with his digital learning programs. that's why he founded geekie, a digital platform that has already been used by millions of pupils in brazil. the lessons are presented in a more exciting and entertaining way than in classrooms. every pupil can test his or her performance. access costs no more than ten reals, or two euros 50 per momonth. sassaki is already working with many schools, both private and state-run. talita: we need to change our teaching methods and present topics differently. what might interest the pupils about a subject? how do we transmit knowledge they need for life, and show the pupils what they can do with it, in everyday life, and as citizens.

karina: these programs are very importanant. they are much better than always just books and worksheets. and we can work on our mobile phones and computers. we are always connected via the internet. reporter: a good education helps overcome social imbalances. sassaki is convinced of that, and he has experienced it himself. claudio: my grandparents came fromom japan to brazil to wowon coffee plantntations. it was really almost like slave labor, in a way. and their visision to improvove their lives was toto provide thr kikids access to good educatat. so that's how my parenents wee raised, and my mother, s she waa teacheher in privatete schoolsd pupublic schchools. rereporterer: claudio sassakas one of the best students in his class.

he went on to work in the u.s. for major investment banks. then he returned with his family to brazil in order to revolutionize education in his homeland. six years ago, he started his company in sao paulo. education and digital technology come together in a playful way. modules can be personalized for every student, and they are fun. geekie now has a staff of about 300. bubut things were not always ea. there was often a lack of resources, and thehe founder hd to do a lot of convincing to persuade good people t to come d work for him. claudio: to find people who know how to work with machine learning, artificialal intelligence, applied to education, it's very unique. so we are constantly fighting for resourceces and tale agagainst, like, google,

microsoft, facebook, not only in brazil, but from overseas. reporter: sassaki is angry about all the poverty he sees every day in brazil. latin america's largest country is actually rich in resources, but they are unequally distributed. poverty equals poor education equals a lack of opportunities. for many brazilians, that's reality. claudio: we are never going to be able to be competitive asas cocountry if we don't educatatr people to hahave the skilllls t they need to be able to be more productitive, to be momore effit in whatever work they do. reporter: sassaki's learning programs are now being used across brazil. the next step, he says, is to we're e back again n next week. and inin the meantime, send us your feedback, we love hearing from you.

write to us at global3000@dw.com and check out our facebook page, dw global society. bye for now. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

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t link narratotor: on thisis episode of "earth focus," h how can wee manage, , protect, a and nourisr natural resources while meeting the growing global demand for food? a model of local control along the coast of madagascar provide a blueprint for ocean sustainability and community building, while in san diego, scscalability is the goaoal as researchers work to build the first open-ocean fish farm in the ununed states.s. [film advance clicking]