Stories about LANGUAGES from November, 2014
As Turkish Women Struggle for Freedom from Violence, Their President Tells Them: Give up on Equality
2014 has been another horrendous year for violence against women in Turkey. In this context, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's suggestion women should seek "equivalence" instead of equality has disappointed many.
Internet Trolls Use ISIS to Write About Eastern Ukraine
Some believe the strange videos and images are the work of pro-Kyiv activists trying to smear Ukrainian rebels with ISIS affiliations. Or is it the other way around?
China Touts Local Ground Rules for the Global Internet
While attendees at last week's World Internet Conference in China enjoyed relatively open Internet access, thousands of websites were blocked throughout much of the country.
Meet Global Voices Contributor and Free Spirit María Angélica Marín
Volunteer María Angélica Marín has translated more than 1,300 stories. Juan Arellano asks her about her experiences with Global Voices and beyond.
Venezuela: Draft Law Would Criminalize Online Protest, Remove Checks on Surveillance
Under the law, a person using digital media to “promote or attack the constitutional order” or “disrupt public peace” could face between one and five years behind bars.
Another Celebrity Wants to Help Africa, And He's No ‘Band Aid’
When it comes to helping Africa, there is Bob Geldof's approach with "Band Aid," and then there is Akon's.
Experiences After Working at a Youth Hostel
Queralt Castillo Cerezuela describes herself as a ‘wanderer’, natural born nomadic and, of course, journalist. That's possibly the origin of her blog's name, Errabundus. On one of her posts, this globetrotter tries to report about her time working at a youth hostel in the Southern Alps and lists six things...
Victims Reveal Culture of Rape and Silence at Brazil's Top University
Two female students accuse University of São Paulo's medical college of pressuring them to not report the incidents to protect the school's reputation.
In Putin's Russia, Hell Is Other Liberals
The speed and vigor with which Russia’s intelligentsia turned on Alexey Venediktov in such a short time would be nothing short of amazing, were it anything unusual in Moscow.
Strong Earthquake in Japan's Nagano Injures Dozens, Topples Homes
Forty-one people were injured during the magnitude 6.8 temblor, but no deaths were reported. Twitter users snapped photos of public transportation gone dark and disheveled supermarkets.
Young Independent Candidates Are Shaking Up Taiwan's Local Elections
Many young activists are throwing their name into the pool of candidates for local village chiefs in an effort to combat the "rotten" culture of community politics.
‘Humour Is a Sharp Weapon Challenging an Authoritarian Regime’
Chinese political cartoonist Biantailajiao, who now lives in Japan after being labeled a traitor in mainland press, says dictators have no sense of humour.
11-Year-Old Girl Starts Petition Calling for Mexican President's Resignation
An 11 year-old Mexican girl decided to collect signatures calling for the resignation of the president of her country, Enrique Peña Nieto, due to his handling of the disappearance of 43 trainee school teachers.
Using Your Reflex Camera From Your Cellphone? Lumera!
Yes, now it's possible! Thanks to Lumera, after two years of hard work as a result of a project by Open Hardware, from Hackbo, Bogota's hackerspace. It's all about a small device that gets integrated into your reflex photographic camera, transforming it into a “smart camera”. Using Lumera, you can...
Greenpeace Activist Injured in Confrontation with Spanish Navy
Environmental activist suffers serious injuries after an armed assault by the Spanish Navy on a Greenpeace boat protesting oil exploration in Spain's Canary Islands.
Communicators Profession: Reinventing Itself Day by Day
After talking with a colleague, Cintia Oliva reflects on a reality known by many communicators: [Mi colega] me decía que con esto de las tecnologías, el periodismo como carrera estaba en decadencia. Ella, una excelente reportera y entrevistadora, contaba que cada vez le costaba más meter su pauta o que...
Colombian Economic Deceleration, Is the Government Aware of This Situation?
On a review of what is going on with Colombian economy, Daniel Bustos writes on his blog Trayectoria Económica an analysis of what he calls ‘skinny cows’ or lean times. Although the economy is still standing thanks to public and private investment and the construction industry, the oil barrel price...
Opposition Representatives Propose “Freedom from Fear” Law in Serbia
Nineteen representatives of the Serbian National Assembly filed a proposal for a new law that would guarantee Serbian citizens freedom from fear. While freedom from fear is allegedly a right guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, some ruling politicians in Serbia have brought it into question in...
How the Tunisian Electoral Authority Robbed Me of the Right to Vote
On the eve of her country's presidential elections, one Tunisian expatriate suspects politics are at the root of at a rule-change by the electoral authority that prevents her from voting.
Over 2000 Macedonian Students Celebrated International Student Day in Protest
Over 2000 students went into the streets of Macedonian capital Skopje on November 17 to march against the decision of the government to impose external testing in the country's universities.
Japan's Snap Elections Overshadow a Faltering Economy
While some commentators are calling Abe's move "self-serving", others think Abe is facing political oblivion anyway and that the snap elections may be the spark that reignites Japan's moribund opposition.
