In this edition of The State We're In: The right to borrow money (4 October 2009) The right to smile (11 April 2009). Plus, Italian doctors and illegal migrants.

The right to borrow money:

Can't get a loan in America
Jonathan talks with Clifford Wynne, whose bank won't loan him money to buy a house in Freeport, Illinois, until he sells his old house 150 miles away.
 
Can get a loan in Kenya
Jonathan talks with Amleset Tewodros, regional director of HelpAge International in Nairobi, Kenya. Her organization gives loans to older Kenyans who would be considered ‘bad risk' in other parts of the world - and makes a real difference in their community.
 
Not a human right
Jonathan talks with Clemens Kool, professor of finance at the University of Utrecht, about whether borrowing should be considered a human right.
 
The right to smile:

Other ways to smile
Henrietta Spalding (see photo below) was born with a rare condition which has left her unable to make any facial expression. She talks to Jonathan Groubert about living with this disorder and how she's learnt to interact with others without smiling.
 
A new smile
The Smile Train was set up to help the hundreds of thousands of children around the world with a cleft lip and palate. Many are ostracised and hidden away but a relatively short operation can transform their lives. We go to Gertrude's Children's Hospital in Nairobi (photo below) where baby Peter is just about to have the operation.
 
No smiling at the terminal
Rana Qumsiyeh (photo below) is a Palestinian woman who must queue up at the Israeli/West Bank checkpoint every day in order to get to work. One disturbing episode recently prompted her to write about it. She reads this piece and talks to Jonathan Groubert about life queuing at the terminal.
 
Don't smile please
If you are applying for a new British passport the form states that the passport photo must be a neutral expression with your mouth closed, no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows. A commentary by Chris Chambers laments the ban on smiling as he attempts to renew his own passport. 

More... 
Italian doctors "not spies"
In Bologna, Italy, many Italian doctors are protesting a change in law which would allow them to report illegal immigrants who seek medical treatment.