Stories about English from April, 2012
Ethiopia: Netizens Outraged as Ethiopia Steps Up Internet Censorship
Ethiopian bloggers are outraged and expressing their concern on different social media platforms as the Ethiopian government increasingly engages in blocking and surveillance of selected websites, blogs and Facebook pages.
Bangladesh: Citizen's Voice, A Citizen Watchdog for Public Services
Citizen’s Voice (Nagorikkontho.org) is an online project to empower Bangladeshi citizens by having their voices heard regarding feedback on public services.
Trinidad & Tobago: Grammatically Correct
“I know that I would really judge someone who couldn’t construct a sentence properly. I write for a living. Can you blame me if I think that great grammar skills are sexy?” Karel McIntosh, writing at Outlish, says that “if a guy has poor grammar skills, that’s a deal breaker.”
Haiti: Death by “Clairin”
“In early 2011, a dozen people died after drinking ‘clairin’ – a traditional Haitian alcohol drink – made with methanol in the Fond Baptiste region, north of the capital. Another 20 or so were blinded or paralyzed”: Haiti Grassroots Watch learns that “judicial, health and commerce authorities have not investigated...
Jamaica: Of Art & Literature
Nadine, Unscripted, notes that there are three Jamaican writers who have made the shortlists for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize, while ART:Jamaica blogs about an exciting new local space for art.
Australia: What Would Change Your Mind on Climate?
'I Can Change Your Mind'. The scenario is simple. A wily conservative ex-politician and a young climate activist visit their ‘experts’ around the globe together. It’s a futile and inevitably failed attempt to change each other’s mind.
Taiwan: Travel with Art
Blogger and artists Lovingpure(黃愛淳) uses contemporary paintings about Taiwan from distinguished painters to create this video as the ultimate travel guide for foreign tourists.
Trinidad & Tobago: Talking Common Sense
The Lloyd Best Institute of the West Indies, based in Trinidad & Tobago, has posted video of the presentations from one of its Common Sense Convois series, “Food First: Building An Economy From the Kitchen to the World”: Roger Pulwarty, climate scientist, and Sam Dowlath, former CEO of the National...
Trinidad and Tobago: Watching Crime & Dangerous Dogs
Two controversial topics are grabbing the attention of bloggers from Trinidad and Tobago: the recent arrest of the host of “Crime Watch”, a popular local television show and the proposed legislation against dangerous dogs.
Chinese blind lawyer and activist Chen Guangcheng flees house arrest
Chinese blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng has reportedly escaped from his well-guarded house in Dongshigu (Shandong) after more than a year of house arrest. Sources report he entered the US embassy in Beijing. He has put out a video denouncing corruption, exposing abuses and expressing “extreme concern” about the consequences...
Russia: Putin Proposes Contentious State Power Grab in Siberia
On April 20, 'Kommersant' revealed an ongoing legislative project to create a state company to oversee the economic development of Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. The schism at the heart of the RuNet's response to this issue reveals certain fundamental apprehensions that shape online Russian civil society.
Russia: Dombrovsky and Molotov
The Faculty of Useless Knowledge tells a story of writer Yuri Dombrovsky‘s brief encounter with Vyacheslav Molotov, and shares a link to a documentary [ru] about Dombrovsky's life.
Indonesia: New General Election Law
Colson discusses the possible political impact of Indonesia's new General Election law.
Estonia: Places to Eat Out in Tallinn
Nami-Nami recommends places to eat out in Tallinn in Spring 2012.
Ukraine: Update on Yulia Tymoshenko's Case
Foreign Notes comments on “the latest twists and turns” in ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko's case.
Russia: Julian Assange's Debut on RT
Mark Adomanis criticizes the critics of Julian Assange's debut on RT (Russia Today) last week.
India: The Hand Drawn Rickshaws in Kolkata
Debolina Raja Gupta notes that although the West Bengal Government In India had decided to take the hand drawn rickshaws off by 2005-2006 they are still plying in Kolkata roads.
Bangladesh: Voices from the Korail slum
Michelle Chaplin at BRAC Blog posts a video (with subtitles), which shares the initial reactions of some of the people who lost their homes in the recent Korail slum eviction in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Kenya: Four Young African Men Stand Up to Hollywood Stereotypes
After watching a video featuring a 9 year old boy retelling the movie Commando, 4 young men from Kenya approached MamaHope wanting to make their own retelling of Hollywood movies: in their case, the stereotypes around how movies portray African men.
South Africa: Urban Road E-Tolling Looms Despite Public Resistance
Despite public outcry, legal challenges and protest actions from civic organisations and labour unions, urban road e-tolling is set to go ahead in Gauteng province in South Africa. This is a roundup of what South African netizens are saying about the cashless payment system for road operators.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Attitudes to Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution
Caucasus Conflict Voices posts early data from a 2011 household survey by the Caucasus Resource Research Centers revealing attitudes to the long-running conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh.