Stories about English from December, 2012
Shahzeb Khan – Symbol of Hope Against Pakistan's Powerful Feudals
Through social media, the face of 20-year-old Shahzeb Khan has become a symbol of hope against Pakistan's powerful Feudal-elites, who live with impunity, above the law.
All About Grassroots Change Movements
Gaurav Mishra analyzes the dynamics of grassroots change movements and how they work to make an impact in the mainstream using social media.
Dhaka Will Soon Have A Crowdsourced Bus Map
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and home to millions, but the megacity doesn’t have a bus map.
Japan's Kanji of the Year 2012
The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation has announced the kanji of the year 2012 is gold (金) on December 12, 2012. How do netizens conceive this announcement and how do they look back this year?
Most Read Stories on Global Voices in 2012
This year we've seen both successes and setbacks for online social movements, wars, injustice and tragedy - but also countless stories of human bravery and survival to give us high hopes for the future.
From Indigenous Protests to Online Preaching, Portuguese Language Countries in 2012
As the last day of the calendar approaches, we select a few glimpses of citizen media from the action and imagination of the Portuguese-speaking online world.
Cambodia: Major Events of 2012
Albeiro Rodas reviews the major events and issues in Cambodia in the year 2012. He mentions the passing away of King Norodom Sihanouk as the most important event in Cambodia in the past year.
State of Freedom of Speech in Tunisia in 2012
In 2012, the battle for freedom of expression continued in Tunisia. Though the internet remained uncensored, free speech advocates voiced concerns over the use of religion as a pretext to curb free speech. Meanwhile, a legal void has characterized the Tunisian media landscape as the government continues to ignore a new press law that protects journalists and limits government interference in media.
Cambodia: Timeline of Human Rights Violations
Sithi provides a timeline of human rights violations in Cambodia from 1993 up to the present. This documentation project also highlights the rise of human right abuses involving land ownership.
Thailand's ‘Skype Doctors’
“Virtual ER”, launched in 2011, serves as a direct means of communication between BNH Hospital's Emergency Room and patients via Skype…Patients or helpers can speak to and see the nurses in the ER from wherever they are with simple tools including internet connection, a computer, a tablet PC or a...
A Memorable 2012 for Myanmar
Burma has experienced a lot of political and social turbulence throughout the past year. Like a dilapidated taxi driving in torrential rain, the country is still moving forward but things looks risky. We can only hope that 2013 sees better weather ahead. Writing for The Irrawaddy, Kyaw Zwa Moe reviews...
Sri Lanka's Judiciary-Executive clash
Law and Other Things has updates on the proceedings that were initiated in the Sri Lankan Parliament to impeach the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, Dr Shirani Bandaranayake.
Delhi Gang Rape Victim's Death Prompts Vigils Across India
The victim of the Delhi gang-rape on a bus incident died yesterday in a hospital in Singapore. Protests and vigils were held across India to mourn the death of the 23 year old girl. Lakshmi Sarah attended one vigil in Mumbai and writes about it.
New GV e-book: African Voices of Hope and Change
"African Voices of Hope and Change," gives you an intimate perspective into the stories and people of Africa's Sub-Saharan region, through our best English-language posts from 2012 - a perfect gift to salute the new year.
Japan's Independent Film Theaters are Disappearing
One after the other, independent movie theaters are going out of business in Japan. The wave of closing theaters has changed Tokyo's street scenes, people who gathered and spent their time at these old theaters, have lost their place.
China's Biggest Criminal Cases of 2012
Barry van Wyk from Danwei has written a round-up summary of the top ten biggest criminal cases in China in 2012.
YouTube Blocked, Unblocked and Blocked Again in Pakistan
After three months of a government imposed ban on YouTube, Pakistanis could finally access the video sharing site on December 29, 2012. But the relief was short-lived.
Mauritanians Find a Voice Online in 2012
Few people know about Mauritania, that African state. Even fewer know that it is a member of the Arab League, thus part of the Arab World. But too much has happened in 2012 in Mauritania. Despite the low rate of internet penetration, young people and activists are resorting to social media platforms in an attempt to say: We exist and to draw the world's attention to their country.
Yemen: A Year of Assassinations, Explosions and Drones
After a long year of revolution in Yemen, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh was "toppled" and replaced by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi on February 27, 2012, through a one-man-election. Nevertheless, Yemen witnessed a year of instability and violence. The year 2012 was a year of unprecedented numbers of suicide bombs, explosive cars, targeted killings, explosions of gas pipelines and electricity cables, besides the constant and frequent US drone attacks.
A Light in Syria’s Internet Blackout
Patrick Hilsman sheds light on in Syria’s internet blackout, which cut off the country from the rest of the world on November 29, 2012. The 29-year-old New York native landed in Aleppo to report on the conflict from the rebel-held section of the city, one of the city’s hardest hit neighborhoods. While he was online, reporting on the escalation in regime strikes, Syria’s internet blackout was taking hold across the rest of the country. Syria cut off access to internet service, isolating the country from the worldwide web.
MENA: Acclaimed Authors’ Favorites of 2012
M. Lynx Qualey, blogger, who is interested in Arab and Arabic literature, wrote a series of posts introducing acclaimed Arab poets, novelists, and short-story writers’ favorite Arab reads of 2012. She started with a list of nonfiction books, then followed by a list for poetry [En] and fiction [En].