· April, 2009

Stories about Citizen Media from April, 2009

Liberians Are Talking, Are You Listening?

"Liberia's national image has been defined by parachute foreign correspondents for nearly its entire history, since it was first founded as an independent republic by freed Black slaves from the United States in 1847. Today, Liberians are able to tell their own stories to an international audience by taking advantage of participatory media tools like blogs and photo-sharing sites," writes David Sasaki following a blogging workshop he ran last year at the American Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia.

30 April 2009

Fiji: New rule creates thousands of retirees

A recent government decree in Fiji orders all civil servants 55 years and older must retire Thursday, April 30. The new rules affect any person working within Fiji’s government, police force and prisons service. Previously, those workers would be employed until turning 60.

28 April 2009

Indian Elections 2009: God and Country

The ongoing elections in India have exposed deep fractures in the country's religious landscape. Blogs are buzzing with allegations and counter allegations of religious persecutions in the land where you can...

28 April 2009

Japan: The Trouble with ‘Free’ Money

As part of an economic stimulus package, the Japanese government is spending two trillion JPY for cash handouts to boost consumer spending. To put it simply, all Japanese citizens and those registered as residents will receive 12,000 JPY, or 20,000 JPY for those under 18 or over 65, once they've lodged their application forms.

27 April 2009

Cambodia: Doubts over the Khmer Rouge Tribunal

The Khmer Rouge Tribunal is now weeks into its first trial with the prosecution of Duch for crimes against humanity and war crimes. But as the trial continues, many wonder how effective the Tribunal will be in achieving national reconciliation in Cambodia.

25 April 2009

Australians divided by Durban II boycott

The decision by the Rudd government of Australia to boycott the United Nations Conference on Racism in Durban was a controversial one. GV author Kevin Rennie gathers reactions of Australian bloggers.

23 April 2009

Brazil: Judicial decisions, a growing threat to online freedom

When it comes to freedom on the Internet, Brazil is a free country according to recent report. However, bloggers face a growing threat from judicial decisions leading to content censorship and the risk of prosecution for libel and defamation. News of blogs being closed down, bloggers having to delete posts or receiving threats abound, appearing on a near monthly basis.

22 April 2009

Rwanda: The unresolved FDLR issue

Last January the conflict in North Kivu shifted once again with the arrest of CNDP rebel group leader Laurent Nkunda in Rwanda and the entry of the Rwandan national army (RDF) into the DR Congo to root out the FDLR rebel group in joint operations with the national Congolese army (FARDC). As Rebecca Feeley of the Enough Said blog explains, the Congolese Minister of Defense, Charles Mwando Nsimba, even went so far as to say that the FDLR threat had been “neutralized.”

22 April 2009

Global Recession: The world is talking. Are we listening?

There is no lack of online articles about the various aspects of the global economic crisis. Many of them are written by economic experts and policymakers. What about the perspectives of ordinary bloggers? This global roundup of blogs gathers stories of people around the world who are struggling to survive the economic downturn.

18 April 2009

Zimbabwe: Was the ministerial retreat necessary?

Zimbabwe coalition government officials went for a Ministerial Retereat recently at Victoria Falls whose aim was for them to come up with a 100 day Action Plan for the implementation of the Short Term Emergency Economic Recovery Programme (STERP). Was the retreat a waste of public money or a necessary step in healing the nation?

18 April 2009

Australia: Playing Political Bingo with Boat People

An upturn in the arrival of refugees to Australia by boat has brought tragedy and controversy. The issue of border protection that dominated the 2001 Federal election has re-emerged with extra venom. A refugee boat has exploded off the north west coast.Three people are dead, two are missing and more than thirty have been injured, some with very serious burns.

17 April 2009

Martinique: Homage to Aimé Césaire

Today, Martinique celebrates its greatest personality, the self-entitled “Nègre Fondamental”: the late author and politican, Aimé Césaire. Montray Kréyol [Fr] publishes three posts about his life, accomplishments and homages paid...

17 April 2009

Paraguay: President Lugo Admits Fathering a Child as Bishop

Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo recently admitted that he fathered a child when he was still a Roman Catholic bishop. This news is causing quite a stir amongst politicians, the media, and bloggers who write about the disappointment in their current leader, but also how there are much more serious problems to worry about and the comparison to acts committed by other politicians.

17 April 2009