host: welclcome to globabal 3! this week we find out about the effects of our apparently insatiable appetite for raw materials, on the land and the people who live there. we visit a school in chihina, where surveillance is just a part of daily life. but first we go to iran, whehee u.s. sanctions are posing real challenges for local people. in 2015, the five permanent members of the u.n. security

council plus germany agreed on a nuclear deal with iran. iran pledged to reduce its uranium stocks and allow regular inspections of its nuclear facicilities. in return, western c countries relaxed sanctions, allowing urgent supplies back into the country. then, in 2018, the u.s. unilaterally withdrew from the deal and reinstated its sanctions. in response, iran has threatened to close the strait of hormus, a key oil route out of the persian gulf, a move that could worsen the crisis in the region and make life even harder for iranians. reporter: behzad veladi is 40 years old and has already been involved in a variety of enterprises. at the moment he deals in ceramic tiles. an expensive load of high-quality wall tiles is currently on the way to the iraqi border. suddenly his phone rings. the shipment is stuck at the border because of a truck driver strike. behzad is shocked.

his client in n iraq has alreay paid for the order and resold it. >> [translated] that means i can't fulfill the contract and that of course will hurt our business relations. the iraqis will probably stop doing business with us. it wouldn't be the first time that happened. reporter: tabriz, a city with almost 2 million residents, is the largest commercial hub in western iran. before launching his tile business, behzad sold mineral water he imported from turkey. but the introduction of u.s. sanctions sent the value of iran's currency tumbling. the turkish water became too expensive and his business failed. food prices, in general, are rising. [translated] >> my wife and i both work and we have e just oe child. but i imagine how it is r

families with a lot of children. they have to buy groceries and pay rent. they're really struggling. may god help us. reporter: behzad's wife bahar is a senior physician at a hospital, where she heads the maternity ward. it's a secure, well-paid job. she currently earns around 200 euros per month. but she's worried about the future of her three-year-old son diako. [translated] >> my husband is an entrepreneur. every day i see how hard it is for him to run his own business in this country. i don't want my son to face the same difficulties. and that's why i'm considering leaving iran. the sanctions are just making everything worse.

reporter: bahar's parents drop by for lunch. her father bought the young family's apartment. the economic crisis means many members of the younger generation have little job security. the parents understand why behzad and bahar want to go abroad with their child. behzad's sister saeideh tries to respond with humor. [translated] >> i'll l stay here and take ce of our parents. reporter: behzad takes us with him to a technology exhibition. an acquaintance of his has caused quite a stir in iran. in just four years, masoud has managed to create a replica of his favorite car, a lamborghini. in a country plagued by shortages of many goods and where few can afford imported luxury cars, some people are building their own dream cars. ♪ [translated]

>> i apologize to lamborghini fofor copying their idea and design. but the italians are really to blame because ththey are simpy the best. [translated] >> the sanctions are f forcings to come up with new approaches. masoud built the car only with iranian parts. that motivates me. everybody has to find their own path. reporter: the japanese engine packs only half as much horsepower as the original. the yellow sports car made in iran looks like a lamborghini, even though it isn't onene. it exudes boboth pride and defiance -- look, somehow we can do it alone. 40 years after the islamic revolution, iran remains isolated. the u.s. sanctions are weighing heavily on the economy. but most iranians blame their own government for squandering huge sums on military conflicts in yemen and syria. discontent is growing, as is the

pressure for iranians to be creative to make ends meet. behzad also has a new business idea. he meets a friend in the city center. they plan to import coffee beans from turkey, then roast, package and sell the product in iran, initially. [translated] >> first we want to prododuce r the domestic m market. but in the long term, we want to export coffee to armenia, georgia, azerbaijan, turkey, and iraq. reporter: but the e valuef iran's rial continues to fall, making it unlikely that behzad's latest business idea will succeed. it seems he'll have no choice but to follow in his brother's footsteps, who has been living abroad for years. [translated] >> my brother says he becomes homesick as soon as he sees a map of iran. he misses his homeland. living abroad isn't easy for him. it will probably be the same for me, but i have to think about ty

future and i'm responsible for my child. reporter: 40 years after the revolution, many iranians don't believe in a future in the islamic republic. people like behzad, his wife bahar, and their son diako. the young family now wants to try its luck elsewhere. ♪ host: we're depleting our planet's resources at a startling rate. since 1970, the amount of raw materials extracted has tripled. in 2017 it was 92 billion tons per year. over the next 40 years, that's set to doublble, to 190 billin tons. large stretches of land have already become desert. and in many areas, the water, air, and soil have become toxic, poisoning those who live there.

reporter: looking at these children, you'd have no idea how much poison is hidden inside them. the director of cerro de pasco elementary school says the first signs are learning and concentration deficits. [translated] >> blog often comes out of -- blood often comes out of their nose when they sneeze. they can't pay attention for long. i'm sure it's to do with the lead in their blood. reporter: the elementary school is located right next to a place that dominates the town of cerro de pasco, a gigantic open pit mine in the central andes. zinc, silver, and lead are extracted here for the world market. the owner is british-swiss commodities giant glencore, who recently bought the mine for several hundred million dollars. the price that locals pay with their health is undoubtedly higher. cerro de pasco is at an elevation of 4,300 meters. anyone who lives here consumes heavy metals through the tap

water for their whole lives. [translated] >> the lead makes us tired. it affects our children most of all. >> i have stomach aches and headaches. >> if i ask my children n to soe a problem, they get tired so quickly. reporter: next door, the health center displays a "lead campaign" poster. anyone can go here to get tested for heavy metals. [translated] >> we see raised levels of all heavy metals -- lead, cadmium, potassium, and mercury. every resident is well above the limits set by the world health organization. reporter: peruvian journalists have documented the worst cases

-- children with four times the safe level of lead, who use wheelchairs. scars left by surgeries. on the mountains, it's said there's a one centimeter-thick layer of toxic particles due to a nearby metal smelter. a chimney in the town of la oroya emits sulphur dioxide, lead, and arsenic into the air, but less than it used to, says yolanda. a few years ago, production was a lot higher. [translated] >> for us it was normal. we have always lived here. we never left la oroya. we thought it looked like this everywhere. reporter: the consequences of air pollution continue to haunt

the inhabitants. many have chronic diseases. also four times the permitted level of lead in their blood. together with fellow activists like pablito, yolanda has fought for better environmental standards, mostly without success. [translated] >> at first we were called traitors. that never bothered me, because we also had supporters like yolanda. the catholic church and overseas organizations helped us. after years, the peruvian state finally recognized that we were being poisoned and that we were being made sick. reporter: the smelter of la oroya has scaled back its output, but it has not been shut down completely. the area is still suffering the effects of heavy metals. the future of the smelter is a sensitive issue in la oroya. some want to reactivate the aging complex.

ultimately there are jobs depending on it. this is the kind of question that can divide families. [translated] >> you need to look for a balance, of course. obviously the smelter needs a better filter so pollution can decline. >> the thing i worry about most is the health of my children. i even argue with my husband about this. just like him, i also worked in the mine. but i want the operators to be more responsible. reporter: one person who has always stood by the victims is pedro barreto, a cardinal who comes from the region. over the years he has seen how many deaths have been caused by the ruruthless exploitation of mineral resources, often by foreign commodity companies. [translated] >> the church is not against the mimining industry.

but we do not support an irresponsible form of mining, where peru as a state allows foreign firms to reap enormous profits, while at the same time our people and the environment suffer such devastating consequences. reporter: the mining company glencore did not respond to our request for an interview. nor did the peruvian government. the state is profiting from the wealth buried under the earth -- as do the commodity companies. it's the local people who pay the price. [translated] >> we feel forgotten. compared to other cities, wewe have given a lot to peru and our government, but we have been given nothing in return. we are in a worse positition tn other cities.

reporter: a place caught in the chokehold of global greed for raw materials, where excavators devour the earth and poisons run through people's veins. host: for almost 70 years, the communist party has ruled china with an iron fist -- political dissent can bebe downright dangerous. the government has promised prosperity to its 1.4 billion citizens. the state is in charge of economic growth and job creation. luxury goods are produced and imported for an ever-expanding middle class. but the rewards come at a high price. the judiciary is subject to state ideology and the internet is censored, and in china's megacities, intense surveillance is part of everyday life, as it is for many schoolchildren, too. reporter: when 16-year-old meng jinyang goes to get lunch at

school, she just has to show her face to get a serving of pork with eggs and vegetables. facial recognition technology can tell which dish the students ordered in advance. the price is deducted automatically from their lunch accounts. previously, everyone had to produce a card. it's still possible to pay like that, but it's easy to forget or mislay cards. meng jinyang finds the new way of paying more convenient. [translated] >> i've already used t the sysm many times. it's easier. there used to o be long lines because e everybody had d to e their cards. now the kitchen staff doesn't have to press any more keys. reporter: teachers say the new system is also healthier. a report shows when somebody's only been eating hot dogs or hamburgers rather than vegetables. [translated] >> after each order, the data is collected.

after a certain time, we canan draw some conclusions and parents also receive the information. we can see how much protein, carbohydrates, and fried food the children are eating each month. reporter: monitoring, checking, and analyzing. high school number 11 in the city of hangzhou is more than a century old. it has already received much nationwide recognition for its achievements, and it's stitill trailblazing. principal zhang guanchao is aiming to create a smart school of thehe future. [translated] >> we considered how we could use technology to make the lives of our students here more pleasant and help teachers improve their efficiencycy. then we thought about a more comprehensive use of big data, the internet, and artificial intelligence. reporter: the schoolol says al the data it gathers is harnessed exclusively for internal purposes. students can also use the facial recognition technology to borrow library books atat any time of e day. [translated]

>> we collect the data so we know who borrowed which books and how many. that allows us to purchase books that are better suited to the interests of the students. reporter: meng jingyang has got used to the cameras now. [translated] >> on the one hand, i feel that i'm undeder surveillance to soe extent, but it also helps us to learn, which is our top priority. overall, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. reporter: the school is bristling with cctv cameras with facial recognition technology. this monitor shows whether boarding school students have returned to their rooms punctually. the school says the technology is aimed at optimizing the students' achievements -- by identifying each pupil's strengths, deficits, and interests. smart cameras in the classrooms were intended to analyze facial expressions, to show whether students were concentrated,

bored, or happy. but they've been turned off. some parents and even state media thought the system raised too many ethical issues. the school authorities are examining those concerns. but the principal is keen to turn the cameras back on soon -- and go even further. [translated] >> artificial intelligence can monitor eye movements, brain waves, facacial expressions, concentration, andnd behavior. do we e need all this technoloy in our school? we have to see how it can help us. then we can introduce the relevant technology to our campus. reporter: very little goes unnoticed at high school number 11. at the entrance, there is also fafacial recognition technolog. after school begins, the main gate is locked. then everyone has to pass through here. that's bad news for late risers. all teachers get smartphone messages telling them who is late.

st: combating represession, and inspiring g others. on dw women,n, our new facacek channel, y you'll find stories about women who are fighting for equality and self-determination. dw women gives a a voice to te women of our world. this week in g global ideas, e look at a plant native to the rainforests of central america. the vanilla orchid is a climbing plant, and its fruit, the vanilla bean, hahas become a popular ingredient in cooking around the w world. our rereporter carololine chiy traveled to westerern mexico. there she met farmers who are working hard to restore local biodiversity. [translated] >> "coutaguilollan" means fertile mountain.

farmers hahave been here for centuries. e residenthere have ways relied on riculture make a living. "c"coutaguollan" also o means didiversity. there are bees, and pepppper, giant pumpkikins, and manyny or crops growow here year r round. caroline: : this diversisity is important for the nahuat and totonaindidigeno peoplple ving here. mayolo h hernandez is s a cocoordinator fofor the mexicacn environmental foundation bioma ransnslate >> this biodiversity is part of the nahuat and totanac culture. it incncludes vanilllla. caroline: vanilla a originat in ththisegion. it's a very sensitive plant, which only grows in an ecologically rich environment.

[translated] >> it's s like frogs and bees. it providedes clues about hohow hehealthy a habibitat is. whenever i'mutside in nature, likeere,e, and see f fro and no tadpoles, then n i know tht humansns have intervrvened andd a lolot of chemicacals. caroline: ththat'sncreasasiny the case i in this regioion, my due toto monocultureres and the increasing use of fertizizer and pesticides.. and cattttle farmers a are cleg morere and more foforested ars after cognizinthe probm, the mexin governnt launcd a progm to enhan biodiversity.. the e german develelopment organisatition, giz, supupporte initiativeve. in the commutyty of ayoxcoco, the project is supporting ee cultltivatn of v vanilla plant. vavanilla is thehe second mostst expepensive spice e in the wo,

after saffron. e kikilo cos up toto 6 eurosos on the global l market. mariela momoras is i in chargef the e vanilla project at t mexin enenvironmental foundation bioma.a. [translateded] >> the proje focuses on ensuringng the svivaval vaninilla, but it alalso offers farmers anan economic alalterna. you u uld say it has twospects -- agricicultural prodoductiond nature conseservation. > hi, baby, y you look wondn. you've fininally bloomeded. caroline: thblblossoms open n r jujust a single e day, which ie only p period in w which they ce pollinated.. nine m months later, i it has td into a g green vanillala po. [translateted] >> i have toto really payy attention and cocome here very early evevery day. if we had d natural popollinat,

they would do the wo for us.s. caroroline: there e still aret very many vanilla blossoms. but once it begins, swift action is neededed. ththere is very y little timeo pollinate thousands of flowe by hd. that's whyhy it's necessssaryo hire assisistance, and t that s moneney. be a and wasps usesed to take ce of the pollination. [translated] >> unfortunately, many farmers sprayed d too many chehemicaln their fielelds, so the p pollins grgradually disasappeared. caroliline: a few momonths agoy brbrought in somome bees that y live in n this region.n. [translated] >> we were t told that theheses would popollinate the e bloss. but when we tried outut, nonoced that i it wasn't worki.

caroline: but now they have some honey that they can also sell. with t the help of the giz, thy wantnt to arn whwhich insects e interesteded in pollinatatinge vavanilla blosossoms. even though the pollinatorarare soso sma, they arehe mosost important actors in all ecosystems worldwide, he i in otoxoxco, o, as s the are mama disadvantatages to havining hn pollinators.s. [translatede] >> if the pollination is done handwe s speak of "self-pollllination." that meaeans the pollelen is transferrered to theamame plan it isis sk, this information will be passed on genecacally. if the transnsfer is done amag the plants, , there is moroe didiversity. caroline: the sear f for t appropriate pollators s far om over, but there's a glimmer of hop

at e emilio riverara's farm, te arare also wild d vanilla plas growing among the bana, , orange anand coee trerees ininstead of polollinating by , he's relyiying on biologogal diversity. [translated] > it grew allll by itsel. caroroline: there e are still e naturaral pollinatorors of vana blsomsms. thisis is what vanilla podlolos likefter t theve beenn harvested and left to dry in t n fofor seral dadays. it's a spipice with its s rootn meco t that cient t mecan cucultures also o treasured. the rediscovery of vanilla in the region will not only protect an impmportant plantnt, but ao local identity. host: and that's all from global 3000 this time. we're back next week! in the meantime, don't forget to

send us your feedback. our email address is global3000@dw.com, and we're also on facebook, dw women. bye for now! [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

05/31/19 05/31/19 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy y now! >> it is our finding that shows all the symptoms of a peperson o has been exposed to psychological torture for prolonged period of time. we wilill be speaking about seve stress anand constant s stress, chronic anxiety, severe psychological trauma. amy: the u.n. special rapporteur on torture has concluded that wikileaks founder julian assange is suffering from the effects of