· December, 2007

Stories about Citizen Media from December, 2007

Caucasus: 2007 Blog Review

  31 December 2007

With 2008 less than a day away at time of writing, it seems only appropriate to take a look back at the blogging highlights in the Caucasus for 2007. Certainly, although blogging is still largely underdeveloped, the year has seen some major highlights, especially with regards to stories that also...

Francophone Morocco on Eid Mubarak Said

  28 December 2007

Last week, Morocco celebrated Aid el-Kebir (“Big Eid”), a festival commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and God's mercy in sparing him. Family members visit each other over the largest meals they can afford, exchange gifts (often clothing), give alms (zakat, one of the five Pillars of Islam)...

Pakistan: Why Bhutto, and what now for Pakistan?

  28 December 2007

More reactions are pouring out in the Pakistani blogosphere and elsewhere as it settles in that a very strong and capable leader is no more. Some bloggers are concerned about the law and order situation, providing personal accounts of the violence on the streets. There is also a lot of...

Armenia: Action Puts Bloggers In Media Spotlight

  21 December 2007

In countries such as Armenia where the mainstream broadcast media is firmly under the control of government-connected businessmen and/or officials, while the traditional print and online media largely reflects the opposition in the country, there is no doubt that blogs have an important role to play in the dissemination of...

Korea: Drama and Politics

  18 December 2007

With time running out before Wednesday’s presidential election, the event has turned more dramatic. Following a chaotic and physical fight between members of the Grand National Party and the United New Democratic Party at the National Assembly, Lee Myung Bak’s supporters broke into the National Assembly to protest the request...

Taiwan: Migrant Worker Rally-“I want my day off!!”

  15 December 2007

On International Human Rights Day, the dogfighting politics of the two major parties still occupied the front pages in Taiwan's mass media. The politicians consume the terms “democracy” and “freedom” for their own political odds while neglect basic rights of underprivileged communities. GVO Taiwan team would cover some important human...

Lusosphere: Are you hetero?

  8 December 2007

Earlier this week, Global Voices published an article about an advertising campaign in Guatemala which had raised a few eyebrows among local bloggers. More or less at the same time of this publication, some other bloggers in Portugal were celebrating a victory: the day on which a beer company gave...

Japan: In the shadows of influence

  7 December 2007

A scandal that had been brewing for months came to a head last week when former Vice Defense Minster Moriya Takemasa and his wife Sachiko were arrested by authorities in Tokyo, suspected of having received millions of yen in bribes from former defense equipment trader Miyazaki Motonobu of Yamada Corporation. Many bloggers were surprised, and some dug deeper into the problem of behind-the-scenes maneuvering in Japanese politics.