>> w welcome to global 3000! south africa's townships are waging war on illegal garbage dumps we find out more. we meet a monk in tokyo, who believes that t ddha would approve of his individual lifestyle. but first: homophobia is on the rise in poland. much of it sanctioned by both the state and the church. the stonewall inn, new york city. 51 years ago, on june 28th, 1969, this bar, popular with manhattan's gay and lesbian

community, was raided by police an event which led to days of angry protests against the state-endorsed persecution of homosexuals. today, annual gay pride marches take place worldwide in honor of that uprising. many countries have now recognized the rights of homosexuals. but there's still a long way to go. in poland, for example, homophobia is on the rise. >> a road sign designed to name and shame. it's a protest against nearly a hundred polish municipalities that have declared themselves free of what they call lgbt ideology. >> i post these photos online to show exactly which communities have opted to be lgbt-free zones. >> filmmaker bart staszewski is himself gay. he travels to the towns where people like him aren't welcome. >> we want to use these signs to trigger a debate over lgbt.

the photos are emotive, designed to make people think about whether these resolutions are necessary. >> bart has published a map highlighting the zone where gays and lesbians aren't welcome, it covers nearly one third of poland. five out of the country's sixteen regions. the resolutions passed by the towns aren't actually binding. but it's clear, there's no room here for rainbow colors. >> it's a good idea. we don't need degenerate behavior or sexual abnormalities. >> this is a catholic christian area. lgbt or whatever you call it is the jungle. what will we have next, pedophiles? >> homophobia is especially entrenched in poland's conservative southeast. but even in worldly warsaw, scenes like this one are highly unusual.

two women holding hands in public. emilia and agata are a couple and don't want to hide it but living openly as homosexuals isn't easy, even here in the capital. >> we always feel afraid. but i think as women, it's a little bit easier for us. we're not safe either. but men holding hands is completely out of the question in poland. >> they got married in berlin. but in poland they're still considered single. equal rights for homosexuals are now an even more distant dreream in polan. homophobia is officially encouraged. both in the parliamentary electitions lalast fall and nor the presidential elections. >> everyday we have to be brave. we have toto come out again ad again and again.

>> i love emi and she happens to be a woman. and she loves me, i'm a woman. that's enough to be a second class citizen here. >> one time i even had someone set their dog on me, he gave me an evil look and said insulting things. >> angry residents in the city of plozk shout in protest at a march supporting homosexuals. such marches are becoming more common. polish society is divided. >> if they kiss in front of me and show it in public it bothers me. as long as i don't see it, i couldn't give a toss. they just shouldn't do it in public. poland will never be a tolerant country. >> how can i tell a child that two men kissing is something normal? >> 15 year old jakub confronts the protesters. he's been hailed as a hero online by those who oppose homosexuality. he says a prayer against what he feels is evil. all the whwhile there's a mamav police preresence.

>> christ died for sin and they are insulting this christ. >> it doesn't matter whether it's here in plock, warsaw or gdansk, in our opinion these kinds of excesses should be banned. >> czestochowa is one of the biggest places of catholic pilgrimage in poland. at this gathering, pilgrims are praying for their family values to be upheld. >> homosexuals need to recognize their weakness and either get treated or pray for healing. >> people just want to justify themselves, to justify sin. and it is a sin, right? so to me defending these people would be justifying sin. >> that alleged sin is embodied by couples like emilia and agata. one is a lawyer the other a

journalist. they want to live openly as lesbians but they don't always manage it. >> i was recently in a store and i wanted to say that my wife had sent me to go shopping. but then i think am i allowed to say "my wife"? anyone else wouldndn't even think about it. >> they have made one decision. they plan to stay in poland and fight for their rights and for greater tolerance. but they say thahat many of thr homosexual friends have already given up the fight they say, and left poland behind. >> and now, for our next report, we lived poland -- leave poland t to meet a a monn japan. he proves that i it is possibe to remain true to oneself even when living in a largely conformist society. >> walking in heels is just one of his many talents.

here in the bustling district of shibuya i in tokyo, kodoo niimura isisnown for ststrutting his s stuff. but there's a whole lot more to his story than meets the eye: >> "nobody should be in awe of me just because i'm a monk. i don't need to hide the fact that i'm lgbtq. however you look, whatever your personality or your job is, we are all people. but only those who respect themselves are respected by others." >> for him, buddhism is about thehe universal, not e narrowly defined. no matter what your identity is, he believes a life filled with light and love isis for eryone. kodo nishimumura is a buddddht monk. . as a child, , he realize didn't't fit into a neat definitition of gender. plagued with doubt about his

identity, he soughght spiritul guguidance. >> "i used to associate monks with traditional images but as i embarked on a learning process, that changed. i can be who i am. one of the high-up monks told me: buddhism wants to free all people in the same way. just as the moon sheds light on all who look up." >> now, this monk has fully embraced who he is. combining his spiritual duties with his job as a makeup artisi. it doesn't stop therere. kodo nishimura is also an lgbtq activivist, knowing from childhood what it t feels like not to fit in. >> "as a kid i would dress up as a princess. i wore my mom's mini skirt, a shawl around my neck and danced to music from beauty and the beast. kodo is a girl, i used

to say. the idea of shaving my head was the exact opposite of what i wanted to do!" >> his parents have always supported him. after completing school in japan, he moved to the united states, where he studied art. he didn't feel he could live authentically in japan fearing he would have to sweep who he really was under the carpet. that said, in recent times, more japanese are starting to question traditiononal gender stereotypepes. > "many people in japapan sl can'n't accept it.t. but speaking so openly about your sexuality does help to challenge backward thinking." >> "i like the fact that he does his own thing. i may be over 80 but honestly, it's high time."

>> having perfected his skills in new york and los angeles, he's even allowed to do his mother's makeup. >> a true pro. as a child, nishimura could have inherited the position of buddhist priest from his father. but it wasn't until he was in his mid-20s that he had any desire to do so. so he chose to undergo official buddhist training. in the uted d stes, nishimura wawas filly frfr to embrace his love of makeup. for him, it offered a chance to address s e full dimension of his identity. >> "even as a kid i wanted to have bigger eyes. that's how i got into makeup. it allows you to be a different person.

it gives you courage and fills you with hope e about whatat is possible." >> he knew early on that he was different to other peoplple. traditional color classifications like blue for boys and pink seemed strange to him. he expressed himself through illustrations. >> "someone ononce told me tht homosexuality wasn't natural. that made me question why i even exist. but the very fact that i am m different makes me- lilike a missising puzzle pieca part of a whole. and diversity of this kind is just nice." >> these days as he moves through shibuy he feels ee, noonger filled with she.

this journey towards self-lo is t sububjectf a bobooke is working on at the moment. but his message of tolerance has not yet spread everywhere in japan. >> "i don't think japan is ready to accept this kind of lifestyle. but i personally think it's really good that there are people like him." >> makeup extraordinaire and buddhist priest. for him, life is about having the courage to accept who you are and finding pleasure and meaning in earthly as well as spiritual pursuits. >> everyone has the right to accept themselves for who they are. our facebk page, dwomen, you n find me storieabout people w are staing up f their rights - and inspiring others to do the same. dw women gives a voice to women, everywhere.

our planet is home to around a billion sheep. most of them live in asia, followed by africa and australia and new zealand. one of the most important products our shaggy friends give us is their wool. in 2019, the total global refined around 1.1 million tons of refined wool were produced globally. the leading producers are australia, china, the us and new zealand. together they make up around 70 percent of the global market and they all boast vast herds of thousands of sheep. germany can't compete with that. its sheep farming industry is declining. and its herds are getting smaller. >> a flock of sheep lazing in the shade. the first lambs of the year have arrived and so shepherd

florian preis has brought his animals to rest in a green patch between warehouses and factories in the industrial ruhr area in western germany. normally, he keeps his flock on the move. he's one of the few shepherds left in the country. >> "there are around a thousand professional shepherds left in germany. that's not so many, really. i don't know many young people who want to do it. i'll continue to do it with passion until i have to step down. it's certainly a dying profession that nobody wants to do. you don't make much money. you just don't get rich doing it." >> the sheep are eventually sold for their meat but municipalities also pay shepherds to have their flocks graze on public land. but wool has become a losing business these days. sales don't even cover the costs of having the sheep sheared.

i have merino sheep. they still have the best quality wool. i get over a euro per kilo. cocolleagues of mine whoho have other breeeeds get a lot less. they get 45 to 65 cents per kilo. some of them don't sell it anymore, choosing to burn the wool or toss it instead." >> preis' wool goes to china, where it is processed and ends up in bedding, upholstery, carpets and other textile products. some of these end up back in the european market, where they are sold at high prices. that makes brigitte pappe furious. >> "it's totally absurd. buyers here purchase the wool and send it all the way to china for washing. then it's sent to

paris where it's packaged, and suddenly everybody wants it." >> brigitte pappe is a self-taught tailor. she initially trained to be a dental assistant. nonow she's a businesswoman wih a passion for wool. she calls her product "mosel tweed." >> i'm a fan of harris tweed, which is also wool. so i wonderered whether the wol frfrom the sheep in our region was also suitable for a fabric and it turns out that it is very suitablele for cloth. and at that point i totold mysf that i would do my best to save local wool." >> the cloth is made in germany, s solely from wool out of the regigion. she e already has ababout 10 meters in stock.k. the company produces v vests, caps and sport coats from the material. >> pappe receives support from the wagegenfeld spinning mill. in a globalized textile market, producing fabric regionally is

difficult. the production costs are too high, the quantities too low. her wool is processed here dyed and spun into yarn. wool from german sheep barely plays a role in the international market. > "we get our wool from all over the world frfrom new zealand, australia and south america also from england. depending on the requirements we have to meet, we get our wool from everywhere." >> this mill receives only about 10 tons of wool from germany each month. compare that to the 220 tons it gets from new zealand. wool from down under is purer than wool from other places. it is softer and cheaper too, because it is produced very efficiently. the wagenfeld spinning mill believes in promoting local wool, but has no illusions about the future of wool from germany. >> sadly, consumerers today ae not willing to pay higher prices

at the retail level. they are more interested in getting new products, faster. they want to see trends and changes in fashion. so the cost has to be low. it would be nice if people could change their priorities a bit. >> brigitte pappe remains enthusiastic about her woolen fabric, it may be expensive,e, but demamand from high-quality sustainable fashion is growing. her mission isis to eventually prproduce quantities approacacg 10,000 meters of her m mosel tweed. >> "my first goal is to find imitators. i don't want to earn millions. i want satisfied employees. to know that i have enough to live on at thehe end of the mon. and i'd like everyone in the value chain, those who are helping out to enjoy working with me and to feel like they're being paid fairly for their contribution." >> this week in global ideas, we look at the e mountains of trah

which are becoming a thorn i i the siside of pretty much evey corner of our plplanet. in south africa's s nelson mandela bay, piles of rubbish are a blight on the poorest districts in particular. but people there have come up with some great solutions. our reporter stefan möhl headed there to find out more. >> xolelwa mqawy and nomthandazo rwayibana are grieving for their children. the four youngsters died at the start of this year while playing at an illegal garbage dump, like all the children here do. they live in the township of motherwell near poport elizabe. the women believe their children were poisoned by toxic substances in the garbage. for years, local people have been asking the authorities to address the problem. >> "itit's so painful. we alwayays try y to stop other kids frorom playing in this area. but there's no wayay of keepig the chilildren safe. none of the parents can do anything about this s place.

it's the municipalitity's faul. they've failed us. even after our loss, they have failed to at least do what they promised to do." >> more than a quarter of a century has passed since apartheid ended but the south african government still hasn't managed to equip all the townships with power, running water and a functioning waste disposal and sanitation system. the local authorities are well aware of the problem but they're chronically underfunded. two years ago they declared a "war on waste". 50 illegal waste dumps were transformed into parks and playgrounds, like this one. but the spokesman for the municipal authority mthubanzi mniki says local residents also have a role to play.

>> it's a fact that we're having a challenge with illegal dumping. where we are trying so hard is awareness, pushing messages that talk to our communities - to make them understand that you own your own neighborhoods. neighborhoods are not government property per se. it's a partnership between us and you to take care of your own neighborhood. it can't work for us if yoyou don't work with us. >> the nearby walmer township, home to 60 thousand people, offers one example of what can be done. here gardener xolani siwa launched the lim'uphile project. with the help of a nonprprofit organization, he transformed an illegal garbage dump into a vegetable garden. the income from sales allows siwa to employ five local men as garardeners. the vegetablbles sell well in e neighborhood.

>> first of all this garden helps to keep the environment clean, because people no longer dump garbage here. but it also helps the community by providing jobs. in order for the garden to grow and succeed i need people to help. now the garden provides a source of income and food. a number of community-based initiatives are working with local people in walmer to prevent the township from drowning in rubbish. one of them is re-trade. this social empowerment project works with waste pickers like khusta moko to recycle trash. he and 60 other residents from walmer collect up recyclable waste from around the township. every friday they bring it to the re-trade recycling store. every full sack earns moko points, which he can exchange for food, clothing and other items. maria deangelo grewar founded the project as a way of helping the community. >> so people think that thrown away means that it just goes

away. but we have a lot of people living in those away places where they live close to tips and places where garbage collects. and that isn't a fair living condition for anyone. so in south africa we are really trying to change that because our informal housing is close to those areas. so we want them to be the best areas they can be if people are going to live in them. >> re-trade gives the waste reclaimers much more than what the commercial recycling firms offer. the project is financed by private donations and the sale of the recyclable waste. >> people around me, my neighbors tell me, wilson you must carry on doing that job of yours. you are alright like that. so is why i look after this business of this recycle. it is helping me too much.

>> back at the garden in walmer, siwa is packing up vegetables for 150 families. the coronavirus pandemic has left many in the township without a source of income. so now they're dependent on food aid. the food packages are being funded and distributed by an association called masifunde. it's a joint german-south african initiative that normally works to assist young people in walmer by offering training programs. the association has also helped siwa to develop the garden. now in the pandemic it's taking on a new role. masifunde social worker valencia twalo says the cooperation with lim'uphile is a success because it benefits everyone in the neighborhood. >> we as masifunde feel that we actually need to utilize the people in our community. it's not about just giving people. but it is s part of a bigger picture and it's being part of a change agent to make sure that our people at least function at a level whereby they are actually well

respected and dignified at the end of the day. >> the municipal authorities are supposed to ensure that health and hygiene standards are adhered to in the garden. they say their agriculture department is working to support and monitor urban vegetable gardens. siwa says they did provide him with garden tools. but they have yet to check whether the ground of the former garbage tip and the vegetables planted here contain n any toxins. but the war on waste continues. the municipal authorities have pledged to invest seven million euros in the cause by 2022. >> that's all fromom global 300 this week. thanks for watching! do you have any comments or feedback? do write to us:

global3000@dw.com and check out our facebook page: dw women. see you soon! take care!

announcer: many people enjoy the anonymity city living provides, but this also creates s dangers for people like ththe homeless d the elderly.y. in malaysia, an organization feeds the needy, paying particular attention to those living on the streets. in tokyo, a community for senior citizens helps them cope with the issues they encounter in their newly-independent