Stories about LANGUAGES from November, 2011
Iran: British Embassy in Tehran Attacked
On 29 November, a crowd of about 1,000 people demonstrated near the British embassy in Tehran after Britain cut all financial ties with Iran over concerns about its nuclear program. The gathering was peaceful, before some participants stormed the building.
Peru: Conga Mining Project Suspended in Wake of Public Pressure
Protesting residents have managed to temporarily suspend operations of the Conga gold mining project, but protests continue all the same in support of the project's definitive cancellation. At the heart of the conflict is the defense of some 20 lagoons and their ecosystems, which would be seriously degraded by the execution of this mining project.
Latin America: A Conversation With Santiago Hoerth about Open Technology
Juan Arellano chats with Santiago Hoerth, founder and coordinator of Código Sur, about his organization, issues related to neutral Internet exchange points (IXP) and free networks, and the current state of free software in Latin America.
Iran: “Police brutality toward the protesters”
Hamid Darvishi, a pro-regime student who was among those who raided UK compounds in Tehran, describes [Fa] police brutality toward the protesters: “Our wild brothers in police were beating us in our heads. A soldiers asked us how much we were paid to raid the compound here?”
Malaysia: Netizens React to ‘Peaceful Assembly Bill’
The Malaysian Parliament has approved the Peaceful Assembly Bill which gives police broad powers to control and even ban street assemblies and protests. Activists described the measure as an attack on civil liberties and freedom of speech. Using the hashtags #walk4freedom and #PA2011, netizens reacted to the quick passage of the bill
Myanmar: Meeting Aung San Suu Kyi
dawn_1o9 from Myanmar narrates her memorable meeting with global democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
Clinton's Visit to Myanmar
US Campaign 4 Burma gathers news stories and other online reports on the historic visit US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Myanmar.
Myanmar, Thailand: Mong Kok Coal Project
A special report was published by Shanland about the devastating impact of a coal mining project in Mong Kok. The project will affect several communities in Thailand and Myanmar.
Indonesia: Social Media Situation
Indonesian netizen @donnybu posts on Slideshare a presentation about the social media situation in Indonesia, including the challenges faced by internet users as they campaign for greater internet freedom
Russia: Creators of Election Violation Map Come Under Attack
With a week to go until Russia's parliamentary elections, the Golos election monitoring association has been experiencing unprecedented pressure, including a break-in by a television team, accusatory articles in major newspapers, and a call for the organization's closure signed by three parliament deputies.
Cambodia: Law on Prison Labor
Human Rights Watch is opposed to the proposed law in Cambodia that would permit prison labor to be used by private companies.
Bolivia Holds its First ‘PressCamp’
The first PressCamp Bolivia [es] will be held on December 3, 2011 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. With a similar dynamic to BarCamp conferences, participants at PressCamp Bolivia will discuss online journalism, creative commons, and citizen journalism, among other subjects. Hugo Miranda provides more information in his blog [es].
Chile: Mapuche Protest Militarization and Project to Build Airport
On November 23, Mapuche protested against the militarization of their communities and a project to build an airport south of Temuco, in southern Chile, in a territory they claim as their ancestral land. Montserrat Nicolas, from the blog Curvas Políticas, shares a video [es] with speeches and testimonies by Mapuche...
South Africa: Sci-Fi Novel “Zoo City” to Get Film Adaptation
South African science fiction novel “Zoo City” will soon be a movie: “After winning several literary awards and garnering global acclaim for its clever originality, South African author Lauren Beukes’ science-fiction novel, Zoo City, recently saw its film rights awarded to producer Helena Spring (Red Dust, Yesterday, The First Grader),...
Colombia: Internally Displaced People Tell Blogger their Stories
According to the Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES) Colombia has 5.2 million internally displaced people. Mike Ceaser talked “to several of the displaced people who've been demonstrating daily in Plaza Bolivar [in Bogota], demanding that the government give them land and other benefits.” Read some of their stories...
Egypt: Tear Gas Shipment Raises Questions About the US
A new tear gas shipment to Egypt from the United States leaves netizens confused. Is the United States a friend of Arab revolutions or a supporter of Arab tyrants?
Cuba: Under “Survey-lance”
“As far as many Cubans here are concerned, it is not necessary to have survey results to verify the high levels of discontent and uncertainty we live under”: Without Evasion explains why she's sceptical of surveys.
Trinidad & Tobago: Impressed with Miss Miles
Dingolay reviews the new play about Gene Miles (a whistleblower for a political corruption scandal in the 1960s, who subsequently became a social outcast), admitting she was “a bit chilled by the fact that what happened to Gene Miles could happen again today, woman PM or no.”
Barbados: The Pride of Independence
Barbadian bloggers post their Independence Day greetings, here, here, here and here.
Bermuda: Public Debate about Crime Reduction Methods?
Respice Finem examines the sensitive issue of the Bermuda police's “stop and search” policy as part of their crime reduction arsenal, saying that the concern of “those advocating caution…is that in our quest to significantly reduce crime…we do not sacrifice the liberties so many fought for for so long.”
Jamaica: First Afro Chess Grandmaster
Diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp republishes an interview with Maurice Ashley, “the Jamaica-born Grandmaster of Chess”.
