Stories about Citizen Media from January, 2010
Global Voices in Haiti: Litmus Test
Georgia Popplewell, on the ground in post-earthquake Haiti, looks into reports of "tear gas" being used at a food distribution point, and visits the Carrefour area of Port-au-Prince. The second in a series of special reports.
Malawi's President to formally declare new love on Valentine's Day
Malawians are digesting news that the country's president Dr Bingu wa Mutharika will engage his former tourism minister Callister Chimombo on Valenetine's Day 14 February. A couple of bloggers have wished the president well in his new found love following the death of his wife Ethel three years ago.
Video: Call for Aid in the Peruvian South due to Flooding
The state of emergency the city of Cusco and surrounding areas has moved many locals to make videos and upload them to the web, trying to get mass media to pay attention to the drama lived by villagers throughout the area who are now homeless, isolated and without food, water or electricity.
Brazil: The National Program for Human Rights – Part 1
Controversy has erupted following the proposal of a legislative reform package that decriminalises abortion and criminalises homophobia, bans religious symbols from public spaces and calls for a truth commission.
Global Voices Online Nominated for Game Changer Award
Global Voices Online was recently nominated as a Community Choice Finalist for the 2010 We Media Game Changer Award. Please consider voting for GVO, as winners will be selected through an online vote.
Peru: The Loss of Local Rock Radio Stations
Peruvian radio stations catering to fans of rock music are being taken off the air, with business reasons often cited as the reason. However, many bloggers say there is still a market for the music.
Africa Cup of Nations: David knows kung fu and he’s Googled you!
"David knows kung fu and he’s Googled you!," begins a post by Thomas Mlambo about suprises at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations where Malawi was able to destroy Fifa 2010 World Cup qualifier Algeria 3-0 on the second day of the tournament.
Nepal: Renewed Focus On Indo-Nepal Relations
Following two high profile visits from New Delhi-Foreign Minister S.M Krishna and Army Chief Deepak Kapoor, the India Nepal relation is being discussed with renewed vigor in both Indian and Nepali blogs.
Nigeria: Bloggers discuss the massacre in Jos
On January 17th, violence erupted in the central Nigerian city of Jos. In the following hours, reports of the conflict spread as witnesses reported mobs armed with knives and machetes roving among burning houses, mosques, and churches. The conflict is ostensibly sectarian: Jos is a major city along Nigeria's “Middle Belt” – the fault line which divides the country's Christian-majority south from its Muslim-majority north.
Graffiti and Urban Art: Voices from Latin American Streets III
Graffiti and urban art on the streets of Latin America is celebrated on the Internet by artists and fans alike. This is the third in a 3-part series on this movement across the region.
Costa Rica: Charges of Plagiarism in Presidential Campaign
With the Costa Rican presidential campaign well underway, many bloggers are noticing that some of the candidates' campaign ads and campaign proposals appear to be too familiar.
Kenya: Abdullah al-Faisal stirs confrontation
As on Thursday 21st Jan, the government of Kenya was at its nerves end trying to raise over US$,400,000 in a bid to deport Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal to his home country, Jamaica using a hired plane. This was one of the many failed attempts to get al-Faisal out of the country due to his terrorist nature which was deemed a risk to the East African Country, Kenya.
Ghana: Regional Minister, Kofi Opoku-Manu, Going Under?
Ashanti Regional Minister, Kofi Opoku-Manu, has recently taken great heat for remarks he made during a speech to supporters of the ruling party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) on January 6th. According to Ghana’s Ato-Kwamena Dadzie, Opoku-Manu “urged party supporters to resort to violence to resolve their differences.”
China’s Orwellian Future
John Chan (陳冠中), an author from Hong Kong who is currently living in Beijing, has written a novel entitled The Fat Years: China, 2013 (盛世 – 中國, 2013). The story...
Guatemala: United for Haiti After Earthquake
In 1976, an earthquake killed nearly 23,000 people in Guatemala. Now, 34 years later, Guatemalans are united to help Haitians with their own earthquake tragedy, through a wide variety of fundraising efforts and other signs of solidarity.
Russian Blogger Harassed For Marrying Chinese
Maria Gromakova became a victim of comprehensive virtual attacks of Russian extreme nationalists. Online harassment eventually turned into a real-life nightmare forcing Maria and her family to leave Russia. She tells her story to GVO.
Russian Spam Tycoon Shares His Methods And Targets
Russian “spam tycoon” Petr Ivanenko said [RUS] in an interview that his main targets were the U.S., Great Britain, Australia, Spain and Italy. He explained his new spam methods and...
Azerbaijan: Demonstrations in London and Paris for imprisoned video blogging youth activists
On the same day that an appeal court hearing for imprisoned blogging youth activists Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli was adjourned, supporters of the two men protested outside the Embassies of Azerbaijan in London and Paris.
Japan: Differing viewpoints on the US base relocation issue
The southern Japanese island of Okinawa, the first colony of Japan in the 19th century and the site of one of the bloodiest battles in the WW2, has become in...
Russia: Yandex Released Most Popular Search Queries in 2009
Russia's most popular search engine Yandex.ru published [RUS] top 10 search queries in 2009. Those are “New Year”, “Eurovision 2009″, “homework”, “GTA 4″, “High School Diploma exam”, “International Women's Day”,...
Azerbaijan: 20th anniversary of Baku pogrom and Black January
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Black January, the day when the fledgling independence movement in Azerbaijan was brutally suppressed by Soviet troops ostensibly to curtail inter-ethnic tensions in the capital, Baku. Bloggers in Armenia and Azerbaijan, however, remember the date differently.