Jose Venancio stands in a parking lot, waiting for someone to offer him work. He’s surrounded by about 20 other Brazilian men, all in paint-splattered work clothes. Venancio is here illegally and has been for the last 17 years. That hasn’t stopped him from filling out U.S. census forms when they arrive in the mail.

During a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), ICFJ’s 2009 Knight International Journalism Award Winner called for a non-partisan security force to end sexual violence in the conflict-torn region.

Chouchou Namegabe also pleaded for more protection for the DRC’s media, which she said are vulnerable to government closures. Namegabe was among a group of people who battle sexual and gender-based violence that met with Clinton on Aug.

Dozens of people helped mark the grand opening of the brand-spanking new Regional Media House in Baucau on August 19. After speeches from a variety of folks including donors, a government official, the Media House coordinator and an ICFJ staffer, there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony. After which ICFJ’s Chuck Rice gave everyone a tour.

Beyond the Border participant Alejandro Dominguez's produced a story on immigration for La Raza del Noroeste, a newspaper in Seattle, Washington.