the 1st time since 2019 tens of millions of travel to their rural home towns. but they are concerned is that the recent surgeon infections could spread to the countryside. katrina, you is in beijing with more. the previously new year was the year of the tiger. and according to the chinese zodiac, the qualities of year the tiger were restlessness and disruption. and that certainly ran true for many people here in china because of cove and 0 policies. we had huge disruptions to income to ability and to health, especially at the end of the year when those restrictions was suddenly lifted. and millions of people are estimated to have gotten sick with the virus and at least 60000 people died. and now we have this new year this year of the rabbit, which according to the zodiac, is supposed to have qualities of peace and posterity. so many people are coming here, crowds people lining up to the temple and they will be praying for a more positive year. ahead and certainly a better year than the previous one. broken of fossils military rulers have given french troops one month to leave the country according to st. media, anti french demonstrations as being held in the capital one or 2 who against the french military presence. men say, the former colonial power has failed to improve security. according to the un, thousands of people have been killed in book in a fossil since 2015 and nearly 3000000 displaced in violence links to armed groups . brazil's president lewis enact yoletta silver has fired the chief of the army. he suspects security forces were involved in the storming of congress earlier this month. general julius, his are their order had been commander of the army since december. the popular march of b to a tourist site in peru has been closed indefinitely. as protests against the president spread rescue teams of evacuated hundreds of toys who had been stranded at the base of the inca ruins in the town of august caliente. in the u. s. and new search of president joe biden's residence as uncovered 6 more classified documents . biden's lawyers agreed to the search and they say they are helping federal investigators. around 30 documents have been discovered since our 1st batch was found in november. those are the headlines on al jazeera up next talk to al jazeera . how do you state controlled information? moscow is one of the most chill bay of the case in the world. a has an incredible facial recognition technology. how did the narrative improve public opinion better? no walker. how is citizen jim? listen, we're bringing the story. the video spread like wildfire, they do not do practice or in the ukraine. the listening close dissects the media. we don't cover the news. we cover the way the news is covered with architecture is defined as the art and technique of designing and building and the words of one of the greatest architects of all time. antonio. gov dean. nothing as art. if it doesn't come from nature. frances cortez spent most of his childhood days trying to secure food and water alongside his rural community and working a fast. so he was born in 1965 and grew up with no clean water or electricity. yet he was inspired by the limited natural resources that most people around him had taken for granted. leading him on a journey that will make him one of the world's most renowned architects, the mud bricks, strong roots, and wouldn't structures correct, grew up with help them develop his exceptional ability to design and create a statics. francis korea was a 1st person from a village of condo to attend school, where he understood not only the importance of education, but the impact of physical space on students. at the age of 20 career, went to germany, unable cation carpentry, scholarship, learning to make roof and furniture while attending secondary school. he was eventually awarded a scholarship at a university in berlin, graduating in 2004 with an advanced degree in architecture. the working up, the architect understood how privileged he was and was eager to share his experiences with his community back home. his 1st project gondo primary school, was hand crafted with local materials by the whole community. just like in the old days. but career talent expanded beyond schools and local communities. his famous designs have popped up from what i do go to puerto novel and beyond the african continent to denmark, germany, italy, switzerland, united kingdom, and the united states. this way became the 1st african and the 1st black person to win the most prestigious award in architecture. the prince could prize. it's given to those whose work demonstrates a combination of talent, vision and commitment, along with a significant contribution to humanity. pisca prize winner architect france's career talks to al jazeera award winning architect, frances carrie, thank you for talking to al jazeera, congratulations on your award. you join an elite club of vision. res did you ever imagine you'd be in this position at thank you for the congrats and no, not at all. never in my dream i have ever dreamed to see must have indies a group of very high quality professionals. no, no. i never dream about it. never so i feel like, wow, do you come from a family of designers? i mean, where does your flapper architecture and design come from? no, i have no family member connected to architecture. neither design. no. i'm coming from arb sanity. let's say a farming family ah, in africa in burkina faso, esa kits, a hub being going through architecture, let's say basically scott classroom, that was so dark on hot. so i grew up in there. oh that one day, if i have a chance to do designing, i will make things better for people. and this is where really the force of my imagination is coming from. you touched on your early schooling, just give us an idea of what your schooling was like, because you were the eldest son. i believe all of the local you might say village chief or community. and that had in itself some sort of status. but in turn, over the years he's managed to influence many young people from your community, but what was school life really like the how difficult was it? how when i was a child, there was no clean drinking water. um and a village there was no electricity. and there was no school. so for this reason, my father, i wanted me to learn how to write under an, an, an unread. in that way he sent me away from the village. so esa kits a had to lead to leave my village, my parents, my community to be able to learn how to ride on rate. and so this is my child would and then are being forced to leave. so early i was leaving in their low component of a relative um and then i was attending school and d school. it was dark, very hot inside. and we were about one over 100 kids sitting next to each other. can you imagine like sitting in a bench or a chair on if you just move like days names are coming out to nate that or if you know, there to fix the share together will will also make a hole in your bob. and so this is how i grew up on that sink in my self. i grew the ed year and the ambition that one day if i have a chance, i should make better places for kids to stay and, and learn how to read on. right. and not to sit in the classroom like i experience as a kids. is that those early years of being in the school room, those issues of light and ventilation obviously lingered with you for a very long time. so when was the, you might say the light bulb moment when you realized, ah, being an architect is something that would benefit me and could help my community. when did you realize that i am and i realize that being an architect can help my community a little bit later when our graphs are scholarship to come to germany and to be food at turned train esa carpenter because i at the school i've got another scholarship in book, you know, fossil to be trained as a carpenter. and so at the sheil wood was a i saw the impact of light and then i saw in the darkness when we were sitting and there was just a glimpse light and, and we are surrounding sitting on does light to listen to story of the gram matter by den or being a quarter point a later, i want to know how to lay a breaks so that i can create comfortable classrooms myself. and so this is the story of how as tucked to become architect. and then as an architect, i recall all of these memory of my child would, how light will entering a dark place and just change how these place will be on also ventilation i was sitting in places. would that were so hot, you know, more than you will be able to, to learn to concentrate, to be focus. so i want to change all of these. indeed, i really love how light impact people live in the room. and that also i would cite architecture and the designs that you accomplish, certainly on the continent have been practical, useful, an incredibly important in communities that don't have the money to actually build . you might say, the type of establishment that we would assume are schools in western culture. how important has it been to make sure that using local supplies and local manpower empowers the community to be proud of what they have produced through your design. first of all, to make it short, i am convinced that every one deserve comfort, every one, not just doors that can afford, and i and my community couldn't effort. so now do i need it to grow ideas. how i can create architecture that respond to the climate conditions, the social economic conditions, and then also thinking about material. so i came across getting the community be part of it. and so these being, it have to save resources, or let's say it helped me to do more with less create a bigger space, a very complex structure, very high quality structure for my people, introducing less resources by the team. that indeed is to create a sort of identity paper was part of the process and i feel proud about what happened. so if you could see these as like a again changing method, then i did it. it was so important to do it because i was totally convinced that i was present age. i was privileged because i could attend education and i could go to germany and become architect. and for me, what do you do with this privilege? i want to use it for the source, for the benefit of my community. and now i am that i am there where i am today entity to bringing the community on board is very important across the continent. but working in africa cannot be easy because you have different locations. there is civil war, there's political instability, climate change issues, a variety of armed groups, in some places. how carefully do you have to assess the project you're working on? and you might say the agreement with regional national authorities to actually produce the types of buildings that would benefit the community. is it a difficult process to negotiate that with various political ah, bodies? indeed, the thing is, you know, we cannot say that our word is safe to day and to, i think, even with everything that we know about it, it is important to keep creating every one should contribute to create the better word. and me as architecture coming from brooklyn, of fossil in a very rich from a reverted remote village with all of the problems that we know, scar, city, instability. i want to contribute because it's my community. it is my country. if i say it's travel is not working, that is nothing who will do it honestly for me, no one, let be clear. so, beside the conflict africa is going true. we need to have young people from these continent who would take studiously all there, sat injures and transform it to something that benefit the communities. this is the only way i think we will create. this is the neighbor. um, choose a neighbor conditions of leaving in the continent. this is i am totally convinced about it. and me as architect, it was for me clear. i have to use the available material, but also in the very smart way to quit spaces that are inspiring to, for my community, for the country. and that is what i could do. this is how we should just consider working into continent, but not to be afraid about all of these tragedies is if you did with it, that how you will grow and you make the difference. and that what i have done without knowing that i was doing something that will have a big impact. and of course, you managed to solve that problem of making the school environment and the school experience a very enriching one. for many children on the african continent to you see africa as an opportunity to progress the issue and the beauty of architecture. why do you think that the west itself sometimes sees africa as more of a problem than actually seeing it as actually an opportunity to not totally and honestly, africa is a big b opportunity. that is a lot that we can't do there. and it's, yeah, it's a pity that the western world see it's in the conflict and rather than in, in some and something that can contribute to, to the world, to the wealth of the word africa. it's young. let me say these way. and then i see the continent, so the way that talent is equally distributed around the world. what is missing often is opportunities. and if to give these young people opportunities, then you will see that africa is up a basin of talent that can contribute to the growth of the world. well, and rather than to see it as a problem, as c, s a big opportunity, you know, people are so open to new things. people are so positive, optimistic look at the youth, how full of energy there are. if we consider these s being something that is positive, then africa count can contribute to create better architecture for our people, but also is pairing architecture for the rest of the world. in terms of some of your projects, i just like to focus in a wan, which is actually in a it was in the u. k. the 2nd time pavilion in the u. k. it's one of my studying bits of architecture i've seen and has a, has a really interesting, i think, story behind it for our viewers. i mean, not all your design is about the educational experience. it's about the communication experience as well. absolutely. your am the serpent pines, pavilion still ring among my projects is so it, by the way it's going to be um a library. ah, and then a museum in quite a rumble. it is a now it's permanently in store there. no. with this project, what i want to tell to my work, and especially the serpent pavilion is to so the read narrative on africa. it is a place where you can learn a lot from nature, but also how people can go to daily life, which scarcity, and just accept it. and so, and one thing that is important for me is like a tree. and so in london, i just wanted to create inside this beautiful park, hyde park, a kind of huge cannot be a tree, but not just mimicking latree, but creating a design idea how you can collect water to re needs water. london is very rich, but why i don't showed to the people in london that even a wealthy, a rich country should save energy, should save resources by creating a pavilion that has the capacity to collect water. so my approach sometime is playfully batch, then it has a narrative. if you show people ways how architecture can, can do more beside the functional issues, then re adding a higher value to architecture. and that what i'm trying to do always yeah. what is the reaction to your designs from your fellow architect community where they are able to see the practicality of something like a school that you built in 2017, helped to build la lacey scores, secondary school and became a fast so you know, an amazing structure which was simple to construct, but yes, has attracted children from far and wide to come and study. there yet is it is another school project, but again, built by the community for the community. i have to say again. i mean, i was lucky to be able to do this project. i don't know how i'd argue to think about it. but you know, if you like me coming from dc background, that is more than just a privilege and you cray it in your own community. cool. wit in the community and with the community and you see the reaction, the positive reaction of your people. you know, sometimes the men from daniel with, respectfully demand from that is demand from a gamble. it's mean, wow, he'd be something that is extra ordinary. and so i am just so happy about it. i can just say, i feel i being digging into darkness. i felt light. that is even minute in many, many other people. this is what i can say. and that is true. you know, i want to have more opportunities around the world to give and create something that is inspiring to people. what i'm doing, winning the print surprise does actually elevate you into a group of very distinguished architects. but it also raises the profile as, as we know, as being the 1st african to actually win the prize. and highlight the fact that when we think of high art or high architecture, we don't have to look to the west. do you think people now have to re look at the way african artists and architects are perceived in western culture? those, those, the glass ceiling has been broken? i'm happy if i could contribute to that and very happy i went to say colonial architecture has something that we have to say something very strong. if you look at it has lot of qualities. what is missing to my knee? what are what i see to how i see things it, we have been given a structure, but not the brain which has had an object but not to knowledge how to do it. and so for a long time, these kind of structure is good. it is strong, but it, it didn't really consider or taking truly on the account or local knowledge or local conditions, especially the social conditions. how do you really integrate all of these to create a building that become an added identification for people? and so let's say they have been great project, but the narrative has being give to object, but not the way how people should do it themselves. and that is the thing that i miss. but if i can like me and try to deal with the reality of the site ah, of people and create something that is being seen by many as a game changer. hey, you know, i'm so happy and lucky to be able to contribute before you one the pritzky. and how difficult was it to you might say pitch the idea or sell the idea that this will work. and it will make a difference whether it be a classroom or a library, or housing development or, or, or a structure in a, in a major park. before you big wouldn't this award, life must have been slightly difficult because architecture is a, is a difficult industry to, to pitch and to be successful in hub, being doing this work. it, since i was a student, the truth is really when i got the chance to start to study in germany, i decided after 2 years studying it must be something compare to bachelor level or even less. i decided to stop to study by then to do research around berlin and brandenburg which is the the state around the lien to learn our technique. how buildings have been dan. busy before the industrial era, which make europe becoming the leading force in the world, you know? so i went back to my home to tree really tried to find a yes. how i can create something that is like different to what i knew in the west, but also a book, enough answer. so i didn't sit on the desk and imagine to really come with the prototype that will make the big difference. but i try to go through a process to study and it was a struggle to do that because 1st he was student. and then you get a negative people just say, you know, you are too young to do that and i didn't have my reality. so i keep pushing, and at the end of the day, i faced the reality that out there was no fun, there was no resources to do that. so what i did is to create a letter foundation today still exists at that time it quarter. she'll bout 9 of for gander, a fall which a german, a means an association of a sort of 4 brick stone for the school in candle. now we call it k foundation because with the awareness on my work, friends who wanted to connect the association name with my architect our success. so that in the beginning he was now light days. it was very, very difficult to convince in bull keena community, but also in the west, people were shock. why u. s. a student, are you going to build a school and not a government? oh, no powerful european institution. why you, why you, why me, it is my responsibility to form a community and being aware that i have a community and i want to contribute when i didn't needed to wait to become known or to become rich to do that is what you need to force and the energy to sustain and to go through all the difficult moment. and i'm telling you, i am so happy that i took this decision. if and now you've student that how, how i had been call at the beginning in the west, in germany. he's naive or but his graduate you know, i just went to do it and that was the best decision in my life. some of the most unassuming people when major awards, whether it's a nobel peace prize, or whether in your case it's the print. sco is, is being recognized by a western award system, slightly annoying that it's taken the award for you to be perhaps better known to a wider audience and that you couldn't have been recognised it on the global community even without the award. the the award is certainly highlighted who you are. would you like to have been highlighted without the award before? you've got it? what i have been doing. it was like i did it because i feel i had a duty to my people and loved my people. my community, that is what every one day everyone is connected to a community. and then i was just one or 2 had to be honest, i've even thought about award by doing these. by the way, when i 1st bid it for school, i didn't want to end my study because i never expect someone to high m u. s. an architect. i want to gain knowledge to go back to tina and start to to improve architecture. i have to say what pisca has awarded me is courage, and then recombination of what i have been doing, which is so great. and then ah, the impact is visible, more people know me nowadays than will not see me without the price. and then the good thing is now many, many young people in africa now they don't need to wait to become politician. ought to become a genera with a lot of weapon and go and take over a power to have visibility, but they can't dig into dirt like are being doing again. word visibility, did that what i did, and then i would have helped me in are these way. so it brings me neatly really to my final question, mr. kara e. we have an active and a vibrant audience that watch al jazeera and you have an opportunity now to perhaps give advice to a generation of young and suzy aspect africans who might not have the means or the opportunity or the finances to achieve what they want to achieve right here, right now, what's your advice to them wanting that i can say is that is important to believe in yourself, really in yourself. you may be as a young man, a younger you may be dealing and a topic where it's difficult to you. but the only thing you need to know it is you have to believe in yourself and, and to believe in that what you're doing at because it potentially a new feeder. no one knows about it. i start to build schools out of mud. and now it's here, i'm talking to a bigger audience. that is an aspect in what are you doing that the word needs. it's not being seen yet. and, and you, which has come out with something that no one knew before, that will make a big difference. then you will be very successful is what i will give to everyone as an out of ice. francis kara, he 2022 pritzky architecture prize winner. thank you for joining us on talk to al jazeera. thank you very much. thank you. i can unlock my phone with my face, you can access your bank account with your voice unique algorithmic measurements of us that are revolutionizing the process of identification. but biometrics are far from perfect. vic, convenience and seeming infallibility comes at across most crucially, our privacy. in the 4th of a 5 part series ali re addresses the appropriation of our most personal characteristics, all hail the algorithm on just a year. from the al jazeera london broadcast center to people in thoughtful conversation, generally whenever you talk about race races, then people like to play with no host and no limitations. our society has structural racism built into it. part one of pfizer, shaheen and adam rather fed low paid people tend to be migrant. labor disproportionately women and tear. what ultimately comes down to prejudice. studio b, unscripted on al jazeera, our coverage of africa is what i'm most proud of. every time i travel back, whether it's east or west africa, people stop me and tell me how much they appreciate our coverage. and our focus is not just on their suffering, but also on the more uplifting and inspiring story. people trust on to tell them what's happening in their communities in a clear and unbiased and as an african, i couldn't be more proud to be part of it all. ah ah, china rings in its 1st lunar new year.