· April, 2009

Stories about Citizen Media from April, 2009

Liberians Are Talking, Are You Listening?

  30 April 2009

"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.

Fiji: New rule creates thousands of retirees

  28 April 2009

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.

Indian Elections 2009: God and Country

  28 April 2009

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 find devotee of every major religion in the world. Persecution of Christians is a hot topic among Indian and foreign...

Japan: The Trouble with ‘Free’ Money

  27 April 2009

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.

Read Your Way Around the World: Book Challenge Roundup

  25 April 2009

In order to show our loyalty to traditional forms of writing, at the end of March the Global Voices team proposed a challenge around UNESCO Word Book Day. We have asked our contributors and readers to pick and read a book representing a country whose literature they did not know...

Cambodia: Doubts over the Khmer Rouge Tribunal

  25 April 2009

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.

Australians divided by Durban II boycott

  23 April 2009

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.

Brazil: Judicial decisions, a growing threat to online freedom

  22 April 2009

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.

Rwanda: The unresolved FDLR issue

  22 April 2009

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.”

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

  18 April 2009

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.

Zimbabwe: Was the ministerial retreat necessary?

  18 April 2009

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?

Australia: Playing Political Bingo with Boat People

  17 April 2009

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.

Martinique: Homage to Aimé Césaire

  17 April 2009

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 to him.

FMC Meets with Conservationists in Nairobi over Furadan

  17 April 2009

On Wednesday, 15 April 2009, two representatives FMC, the Philadelphia-based manufacturer of the controversial pesticide that is at the centre of lion poisoning in Kenya, Furadan, met with conservationists that WildlifeDirect had gathered for that purpose. The conservationists had high hopes following FMC's announcement that they had withdrawn the deadly...

Paraguay: President Lugo Admits Fathering a Child as Bishop

  17 April 2009

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.