It has been more than a year since the former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan became Pakistan's prime minister. During his campaign, Khan promised to turn his county's economy around. But the fight to ease inflation has not been easy. The Pakistani rupee lost 35 percent of its value during Khan's first year in office. And despite some encouraging news from the International Monetary Fund, many are still struggling as a result of the country's weak economy. Pakistan's location brings a lot of opportunity as well as challenges. A lot of hope has been placed on its agreement with China to set up an economic corridor. But it is not clear if the ambitious project will benefit both sides. Relations with its other neighbour, India, have been strained in recent months after New Delhi revoked the autonomy of Indian-administered Kashmir. There has also been tension over India's controversial citizenship law that many say discriminates against Muslims. Elsewhere, Islamabad will also be looking to see how the recently signed deal between the US and Afghanistan's Taliban will affect its policies. We discuss all this and more with Pakistan's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

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Pakistan FM Qureshi: US and Taliban must honour their agreement | Talk to Al Jazeera

After nearly two decades of the longest-running US war - the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban have signed an historic agreement. With the potential to end the war in Afghanistan, the long-awaited agreement includes: a timeline of 14 months for all US and NATO troops to withdraw a Taliban guarantee that Afghan soil will not be used to threaten US security and negotiations with the Afghan government by March 10; leading to a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire. Years of shuttle diplomacy were behind the signing and Qatar played a central role in the negotiations. It hosted the months-long discussions between representatives of the Taliban and US officials in its capital, Doha. Now, with an agreement in place to stop the fighting and the impending withdrawal of foreign troops, can Afghans negotiate a deal among themselves? Can peace finally come to Afghanistan? Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani, Qatar's special envoy for counterterrorism and mediation of conflict resolution, talks to Al Jazeera. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

US-Taliban deal: Can peace finally come to Afghanistan? | Talk to Al Jazeera

Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated in early January after US President Donald Trump ordered the killing of top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani. The attack also killed Iraq's Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). In response, Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at two US bases. All of that was happening on Iraqi soil, a nation once again caught up between a regional giant and a military superpower. Trump is adamant that the attack was "self-defence" and that Soleimani posed an imminent threat - which was contradicted by Iran and the Iraqi prime minister. And Iran says it's delivered "a slap in the face" with a missile strike which will usher in the end of US presence in the Middle East. So is the latest US-Iran crisis really over? Will the US heed calls for its forces to leave Iraq? Al Jazeera was given rare access to the sprawling Ain al-Assad base after the Iranian strike. We asked the US-led coalition if the threats from Iran-backed militias still loom. And in a rare TV appearance, Mohammad Mohie, spokesman of the Iran-backed Shia paramilitary group Kataib Hezbollah, talks to Al Jazeera. Asked about the US government calling Kataib Hezbollah a threat to Iraq's peace and security, Mohie says: "We are Iraqis and from Iraqi soil. We have confronted US troops; they were occupation troops according to the UN. After 2003, the US troops were occupation troops so it was the right of the Iraqi people to resist. And with our joint efforts we expelled US troops. So the return of the US troops to this area is stirring problems by inciting violence and supporting terrorist groups and Takfiris. Those groups threaten the security of the region, this is the main reason for instability in the Middle East and it is the main threat to everyone’s security. We are the sons of this area, we have the right to defend it, to live in it peacefully." - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Iraq: In the shadow of US-Iran tensions | Talk to Al Jazeera In the Field

Haiti was the first black republic in the 19th century, created by a revolution that overthrew slavery maintained by French colonial rule. But independence came at a cost, and Haiti had to pay billions in compensation which left the country bankrupt since its creation. Added to the nation's bankruptcy, high levels of inequality and poverty have persisted over the years, and political attempts to fight corruption have not ended well. Jean Bertrand Aristide, the country's first democratically-elected president in 1994, was removed from office twice when he confronted the country's elite. In 2010, a powerful 7.0 earthquake left the country destroyed and killed between 200,000 and 300,000 people. The earthquake left over 1.5 million people displaced and the international community saw the disaster as an opportunity to rethink foreign aid. But little has changed in Haiti, a decade after the devastating earthquake. Haiti's President Jovenel Moise talks to Al Jazeera about reconstruction efforts and what is next for the country. "We must not confuse the post-earthquake crisis with the socio-economic crisis that we are currently going through in Haiti. The socio-economic crisis is a permanent crisis.The state we have today is a predatory state that is governed by a few corrupt oligarchs who seek to control the key areas of development," Moise explains. Over $13bn were pledged to help Haiti recover from the earthquake. But only half of that money was released, according to the UN, and Haitians only received half of the money they were promised by donors led by the United States. Much of the funds were spent on short-term programmes to assist people with food, water and healthcare. "This money should have been spent on building villages around Port-au-Prince, villages which would provide homes for I would say, tens of thousands of families. In terms of results, no reconstruction has actually taken place and I am someone who believes in lasting structural development," says Moise. Last year thousands took to the streets to protest against corruption, demanding the resignation of President Jovenel Moise. "Today it is as if I am being crucified, people are shouting: 'Crucify him! Crucify him! Crucify him!'," Moise says arguing that he has been fighting against corruption despite the accusations from protesters. Moise was mentioned in a corruption scandal involving the PetroCaribe fund, a strategic oil alliance signed with Venezuela where Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, bought subsidised oil from Venezuela. The Haitian government was supposed to use the extra money for social programmes and to advance the economy. But billions from the fund were embezzled by those in charge and President Moise was mentioned in a 600-page investigation. "I was placed on a cross and I descended from it to talk to the people to tell them that is was not my aim to work against them and now the people are beginning to understand," he says. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

President Jovenel Moise: What is next for Haiti? | Talk to Al Jazeera

With Libya's civil war now in its sixth year, world leaders gathered at a summit in Berlin in an attempt to restore stability and peace to Libya. The summit was aimed at a stronger commitment from world powers and regional actors to non-interference in the oil-rich North African state and to genuinely support a fragile ceasefire. All participating parties pledged to respect a UN-imposed arms embargo that has so far failed to stop an influx of troops, money and weapons to the country. Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, who leads the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli, and renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, who heads the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), attended the talks, but not in the same room. "The main cause of the Libyan crisis is the hostile foreign interventions," Fayez al-Sarraj told Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview. "Violations to the arms embargo have been taking place for years. This is what led the opposition to believe that they have military power and pushed them away from finding a political solution. This is because of its excessive military and security support." Al-Sarraj says a political solution is the only way to end the conflict and that they don't want to become "another Syria or a source of conflict or a proxy war on Libyan soil". "We know that some countries, including Russia, have interests and ambitions in Libya ... We wonder why the UAE is building a military base in eastern Libya, sending its planes and supporting one side at the expense of the other ... It is not correct to recognise a party and then support the other party the way they are doing it." "Libya, in its current situation, leads to security problems and terrorism, uncontrolled borders and violence. This can impact neighbouring countries, too," he warned. "Everyone is now talking about stopping the flow of arms to Libya. We hope that this will be the last conference. And hopefully, the Libyan crisis will finally be resolved." Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj talks to Al Jazeera about the Berlin summit, foreign interference in Libya and his hopes for the future. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Fayez al-Sarraj on arms, war and peace in Libya | Talk to Al Jazeera

For years, private armies have provided services to governments around the world. They are often secretive and operate in the shadows. Blackwater - now known as Academi - is one of the most well-known private armies. It has provided troops and other services to the US government in different conflicts, including the Iraq war. But it is not always clear how these private armies are formed, where they operate, or even what their missions consist of. Eeben Barlow is chairman of 'Specialised Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection International' - a private army that - according to Barlow - has operated throughout Africa and beyond. He was also behind another similar company that shut down in 1998 - called Executive Outcomes. And while many argue private armies are mercenaries doing the jobs governments do not want to do - Barlow insists his operations are legitimate and follow international law. So who makes sure these armies are indeed following international law? How do they operate? And is there accountability? Eeben Barlow provides an insight into the world of private military contractors as he talks to Al Jazeera about his company's role in fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria, the LRA in Uganda and other conflicts across Africa. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Eeben Barlow: Inside the world of private military contractors - Part 2 | Talk to Al Jazeera

For years, private armies have provided services to governments around the world. They are often secretive and operate in the shadows. Blackwater - now known as Academi - is one of the most well-known private armies. It has provided troops and other services to the US government in different conflicts, including the Iraq war. But it is not always clear how these private armies are formed, where they operate, or even what their missions consist of. Eeben Barlow is chairman of 'Specialised Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection International' - a private army that - according to Barlow - has operated throughout Africa and beyond. He was also behind another similar company that shut down in 1998 - called Executive Outcomes. And while many argue private armies are mercenaries doing the jobs governments do not want to do - Barlow insists his operations are legitimate and follow international law. "We don't see ourselves as mercenaries. We are first of all contracted by a national government. We become part of their armed forces, we wear their uniforms, we follow their procedures and guidelines, we fall under the legal regulations of that country. So, in other words, we serve the country that contracts us. And yes, we get paid for it, but we certainly don't get paid to run around and cause chaos," says Barlow. Some private military contractors have been accused of prolonging conflicts instead of ending them, but Barlow believes that "there is a fine line between moral and immoral". "But that really goes back to the people that are involved ... We've never prolonged a conflict, in fact, we've ended them despite them carrying on for decades and decades. We've ended them in a very short space of time. But I am aware of companies that do not mind if the conflict continues because that's the goose that lays the golden egg, and they certainly don't want to stop it," says Barlow. He stresses the importance of cultural understanding and expertise needed to end conflicts across Africa. "We are after all Africans that work in Africa. But I do think there is a major concern that Africans can actually end African conflicts," says Barlow. "We look at all these private military companies going into Africa, they are just charging, they don't understand the environment they are in, they don't understand the area of operation, they don't understand the people and very quickly, they offend people ... If they are not going to add value and bring about ... stability and peace, then they shouldn't be there. But unfortunately, this has been allowed to drag on." So who makes sure these armies are indeed following international law? How do they operate? And is there accountability? Eeben Barlow provides an insight into the world of private military contractors as he talks to Al Jazeera about his company's role in fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria, the LRA in Uganda and other conflicts across Africa. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Eeben Barlow: Inside the world of private military contractors | Talk to Al Jazeera

Since the 1990s, globalisation gave the impression that emerging markets were and could converge with developed nations. The BRICS and Next 11 became the latest investment craze. Hundreds of millions were lifted out of poverty and millions more climbed the social escalator into the middle class. But something has gone wrong. The end of the commodity supercycle and easy money came long before populism and the threat to globalisation. And it can be argued that most emerging market growth was attributable to China and India. To dissect what countries really want from globalisation and more importantly Foreign Direct Investment, our panel at the Doha Forum 2019 is at the cutting edge of policymaking. Panel: Arancha Gonzalez - executive director of the International Trade Centre Murat Emirdag - chief executive of Hepsiburada Ali Alwaleed Al Thani - chief executive of the Investment Promotion Agency Qatar Issam Abousleiman - regional director for the GCC at the World Bank - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

What is the future of investing in emerging markets? A Counting the Cost special

Lebanon has been engulfed by nationwide anti-government protests which began in October. People are demanding an end to corruption, a change in the political system and better management of the economy. As a result, Prime Minister Saad Hariri handed in his resignation in late October. But protesters say that is not enough and have been calling for a complete overhaul of Lebanon's political system - and its sect-based power-sharing agreement. And as people chant in the streets against politicians, the one name that seems to be singled out often is Gebran Bassil, Lebanon's foreign minister. Bassil is President Michel Aoun's son-in-law and has previously held other ministerial positions without being an elected member of parliament. Many consider him to be one of the most divisive figures in their country. But Bassil says protesters are wrong to single him out and stresses that "the priority is to save the country". "We are paying the price of 30 years of wrong policies and corruption ... The country is at the verge of collapsing ... Our economy has all the ingredients to rise up again. This is the priority right now. And later on, justice will prevail, truth will be apparent to everybody," he says. "Lebanon is a country that is worth to survive. It is a model of diversity, pluralism and tolerance that is worth to preserve. We need Lebanon to be on its feet again to be that model of co-existence. If Lebanon vanishes it can only see extremism and terrorism in our region. So it's worth fighting for." Bassil believes that the one thing Lebanon needs is an efficient government. "We have a failed system but we don't want to have a failed state. The only salvation for Lebanon is a civil state. We are not there yet unfortunately, but we will fight for this first." He explains that they are working on a series of anti-corruption laws and believes that "with the people rising we have an exceptional opportunity to pass these laws". "This (the fight against corruption) is what's uniting us despite our political and religious differences. So we should seize the opportunity and unite all together," says Bassil. "The republic is in danger," he warns. "Lebanon is a country that is paying for the mistakes of everybody around us. And we are paying a lot, but I think Lebanon should be saved by its friends. And the first thing to do is to stop the external interventions in our country, and not to allow the Lebanese to intervene in others' affairs." At the 2019 Doha Forum, Lebanon's Foreign Minister, Gebran Bassil, talks to Al Jazeera about the uprising, the challenges facing Lebanon, his role in government, corruption and the best way to address the protesters' demands. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Lebanon FM Gebran Bassil on protests, corruption and reform | Talk To Al Jazeera

Football moves masses and generates billions of dollars around the world. The United Nations is now using the popular sport as a new way of diplomacy. "Football for Peace", an initiative established in 2006 by FIFA and Chilean legend Elias Figueroa, wants to create a better understanding among people, communities, and governments. It was revamped six years ago by Kashif Siddiqi, a British footballer of Ugandan and Pakistani-Indian decent. Siddiqi wants to use his multi-ethnic background and experience to draw the world's attention to a cause dear to his heart: Kashmir - an issue that has pitted India against Pakistan for more than 70 years. "My personal mission is against extremism and terrorism ... For me it's advocating the power of football, Siddiqi says. "As much as I am a footballer playing on the pitch, outside of it I carry a message of peace. And if I can bring that to the youth of Kashmir that need it at such hard times ... I hope that me playing in Kashmir will send a really strong message to everyone." The 33-year-old footballer even decided to leave his team, Oxford United, and join Real Kashmir - carrying a message of peace to a region in conflict. "Many people have asked me over the past couple of weeks. They have said to me: Are you naive? Are you stupid? What are you doing? You know what my answer is: 'anyone who is trying to change the world, is a little bit stupid.'" Footballer Kashif Siddiqi talks to Al Jazeera about his upbringing, his career and the challenges he faced, Football for Peace and his decision to play for Real Kashmir. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Kashif Siddiqi: Kashmir and the power of football | Talk to Al Jazeera

Robert Kyagulanyi - a pop star-turned-politician who is known by the stage name Bobi Wine - is recognised as the new face of Uganda's opposition. But his rise to prominence has not been without its challenges. Bobi Wine's popularity is considered a threat to President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in office for more than 30 years. "I have never realistically experienced a Uganda with another president. And it is more than 80 percent of Ugandans that are in the same situation," Bobi Wine tells Al Jazeera. "That really gets us disturbed. We have been denied an opportunity to contribute to our country. We have been excluded as a new generation. And we desire to contribute to building our country, which we know we are going to live in." "Certainly, the people making decisions for us are not going to be there to either benefit or suffer from the decisions - which are evidently wrong - that they are making for us." The Ugandan government has arrested and prosecuted Bobi Wine several times, and the opposition figure has accused security forces of torturing him. But the 37-year-old is not holding back his ambitions. In fact, he is now directly challenging President Museveni in elections expected to be held in 2021. "We know that Museveni is planning to rig the election, he has done it in the past ... But we are banking on overwhelming him because a vote can easily be rigged if it's not overwhelming," says Bobi Wine. "And ultimately, if President Museveni tries to rig the election ... the people of Uganda will rise up and they will stop it ... They are tired of this operation and they are tired and they will not take it any longer." But Wine stresses that he does not believe in violence and that they are using and will continue to use "all legitimate and legal ways of defending our voice." "We are looking at breaking a dictatorship and having Uganda under civilian rule, which has never happened before." So, will his popularity be enough to get him elected? And what are his plans for the way forward? Bobi Wine talks to Al Jazeera. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Bobi Wine: The people of Uganda will rise up if Museveni rigs vote | Talk to Al Jazeera

On August 6, 1945, a US B-29 bomber dropped the first-ever atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. At least 140,000 people were killed in the attack and tens of thousands more died later because of the effects of radiation. Ever since the end of the World War II, there's been an international consensus and effort to contain the spread of nuclear weapons. The global community has created several organisations and signed treaties to prevent potential nuclear attacks. "I think today, we are now facing the same situation as if we were the day after the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, because today, still the most crucial political, moral and social challenge is how to stop nuclear explosion from happening on this planet again," the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Lassina Zerbo tells Al Jazeera. As of today, nine countries have admitted to possessing nuclear weapons. But only five - the US, Russia, the UK, France and China - are part of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which calls on its signatories to open their doors for inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA is one of the organisations promoting the peaceful use of nuclear technology - while a 1996 treaty, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty banned all nuclear tests for civilian and military purposes. But there are 12 states which have neither signed nor ratified that treaty. Among them are three with nuclear weapons: North Korea, India, and Pakistan. With North Korea launching missiles and the growing conflict between India and Pakistan, can the world prevent a nuclear attack? "When I hear the word 'pushing the button', it frightens me. My biggest hope is that when we get close to any catastrophe, we come to our sense somehow," says Zerbo. "I think I see no way in this civilised world, no way in this 21st century any decent government or decent political leader thinking about pushing the button of the nuclear weapon because they know how devastating that could be. Because it's not a war that anyone can win. It's for all of us to lose." The Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization Lassina Zerbo talks to Al Jazeera about North Korea, the collapsing Iran nuclear deal, Saudi Arabia's nuclear programme, India-Pakistan tensions, a new nuclear arms race, and the global threat of nuclear war. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Can the world prevent a nuclear attack? An interview with Lassina Zerbo | Talk to Al Jazeera

In the coming years, Chile is expected to host 70 percent of global astronomical infrastructure. In the Atacama Desert, the world's two largest telescopes - the ELT and the Giant Magellan - are under construction. When complete, they will provide direct views of planets in other solar systems. This will be an astronomical first. Celestial objects have been observed and studied since the beginning of time. The planets and stars have helped human beings understand the cosmos, the way it functions, and its impact on our lives. Since Galileo Galilei became the first astronomer to use a telescope for his observations in the 17th century, humanity has devised newer and better ways to study the universe. But what will these new facilities help us to discover? How will they change the way we look at our universe? And will they help answer the one question many are curious about: Is there extraterrestrial life? "Life is there, potentially, in the whole universe. And when it arrives in a place where you know it's comfortable and can be developed, it does," says Chilean astrophysicist Dr Maria Teresa Ruiz. "Although we have no evidence, I would find it very, extremely strange that we would be the only ones in the universe. There are so many, so many stars, so many planets around them. I'm sure there could be life in many of them." Ruiz is known for discovering the brown dwarf star system named Kelu-1, a sub star located in constellation Hydra, approximately 61 light-years away from earth. She is a pioneer, the first woman to have received a doctorate from Princeton University, and the first woman to receive Chile's national prize for exact sciences. She says the advanced telescopes will help study the atmospheres of distant planets, to search for traces of oxygen or other indicators of life. "When you see the universe through these big eyes, you are going to see something nobody else has seen before ... Often the case is what you see, the unknown, is the most interesting thing; something you cannot predict. It's like opening a window to the unknown," she says. Dr Jose Maza Sancho also believes in the possibility of extraterrestrial life, even if not necessarily always intelligent life. "There are eight million forms of life on earth. Most of them are bacteria, but bacteria is a form of life," he says. "My suspicion is that at the very least there are 100 billion places in the universe with life." However, he adds: "But from one galaxy to the next, [for example] a big galaxy like the Andromeda galaxy, the distance is more than two million light-years. If you say 'hello, are you there?' in two million years your message will reach Andromeda. And if they say 'yes, we're here, what do you want?' another two million years for the message to return." Sancho is a bold exponent of a number of extraordinary theories, including humanity landing on Mars and developing into a multi-planetary society as soon as possible. "The next challenge, the next intellectual challenge, is to go to Mars," he says, "because it is possible". "When we went to the moon, all technology got an improvement, enormously. Our life - you or mine, and everybody's life - changed forever because of the dream to go to the moon. The only way to survive in Mars is to have another technology. And if we develop the technology for a few of us to live on Mars, that technology is going to change our life on earth forever." "It's a big challenge, but if we are able to develop the atmosphere in Mars, we will be able to clean our atmosphere. If we develop big machines like that to survive in Mars, those machines applied massively on earth, we could be taking out of the atmosphere as much carbon dioxide as we are putting in." This week two of Chile's top astronomers, Dr Maria Teresa Ruiz and Dr Jose Maza Sancho, talk to Al Jazeera. - - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Chilean astrophysicists on alien life, Mars and space exploration | Talk to Al Jazeera

Isaac Hernandez has an ambitious dream: He hopes to help change his country through the medium of dance. As the first Mexican to hold the prestigious role of lead principal dancer at the English National Ballet, the 29-year-old has already achieved a great deal. Two years ago he was named Best Male Dancer at ballet's equivalent of the Oscars. "I consider [dance] a human right," he tells Al Jazeera, "something that is an instinct that we all have." Along with his 10 brothers and sisters, Hernandez was taught dance at an early age in the back yard of their home in Guadalajara by parents who were also dancers. "Ballet has been so exciting at different points in my life," he says. "Because when I was just starting to dance it was purely recreational. But when I started to understand the mechanics and the techniques behind it, and started realising how that was pushing my physical ability to the limit and to discover new limits, that was just pure excitement. And the moment that I felt that on stage, then I understood what freedom meant." Despite living and performing around the world since he was 13, his heart remains in Mexico. "There are realities about Mexico that, no matter how high I jump and how many turns I do, we cannot ignore; really there are real issues in my country that need to be addressed. For a very long time now, it's been very violent, it's been very corrupt," he says. "But I have always been hopeful for my country because I recognise an essence in its people that gives me hope, that made me go back and say there's people here that are worth working for. And we need to be able to do it well." Hernandez emphasises the need to do things without a political agenda, and for the wellbeing of individuals and the future of the country. He set up a project to bring world-class dancers to Mexico to perform, teach in workshops, and inspire young dancers there. But government funding for the project has faced hurdles. "One of the most popular sayings in Mexico is, if you are an artist you are going to starve, and the other one is that boys don't do ballet, and that ballet is a hobby, not a serious profession. So based on those three main issues that get passed through generations, I understood that the first thing that needs to happen is to change the mind of the parents for them to feel like their kids' passion could be a profession." He believes that promoting the value of the arts could also be a way to help build Mexico's economy. "I saw a huge potential in Mexico that was not being considered in that sense," he says. "So I started to promote a different way of seeing arts; not only as a tool for education, but as a tool for social mobility, so that a kid who starts dancing in a backyard can make a living, can improve his life, and by consequence improve a whole country." On Talk to Al Jazeera, Hernandez discusses the joy of dance, why the arts urgently need government support in Mexico, and how young people should have the chance to realise their dreams. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Interview with ballet dancer Isaac Hernandez: Changing Mexico through the arts | Talk to Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera journalists sit down with top newsmakers from around the world.

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