Stories about Citizen Media from February, 2012
Bermuda: Economic Debate
“This Friday parliamentarians will hold the annual economic debate against the backdrop of a sustained global recession and two competing views about how to get out of it”: Respice Finem debates the value of austerity measures as opposed to economic stimulus.
Cuba: Worry about Hunger Striker
Uncommon Sense hopes that political prisoner Ernesto Borges’ fate will not go the way of so many other hunger strikers, saying: “He needs you to learn his story and to spread it so that his life can be saved.”
Venezuela: Singer Onechot Becomes Victim of Violence He Decried
Onechot was wounded by a bullet to the head. The Venezuelan reggae singer sang of the violence in the city of Caracas as being completely crazy. In 2011 there were more than 19 thousand murders. Onechot's case is a symbol of the irony that not even the peacemakers are safe.
Macedonia: Skopje's Pollution Monitoring Saga Continues
NGO Greenbox is compensating for the lack of web interface for the air pollution measuring system in Skopje by posting photos of the display on their blog. Filip Stojanovski writes about the initiative.
Russia: Great Lent Has Begun
Citizen media outlets have captured the multidimensional essence of the Russian Orthodox Lenten season, which began on Monday, including issues such the religiosity of post-USSR Russia, the liturgical calendar, the peculiarities of the Orthodox traditions and fasting rituals compared to those observed in the West, and the public statements made by prominent church officials.
Slovakia: Chuck Norris Bridge
In the situation when the U.S. action film star Chuck Norris leads in the public vote for the name of the bridge across the Morava River into Austria [en], blogger Ondrej Horváth recommends [sk] asking Mr. Norris before making the final decision, because otherwise it is possible that the bridge...
Bangladesh: Boycotting Indian Products to Protest Brutality at Border
Indian Border Security Forces have killed more than 1,000 Bangladeshis in the last ten years. Some bloggers have started a campaign to boycott Indian products and services on March 1, 2012, to protest.
Brazil: Dispute Over the Falklands Opens Debate on Economic Perspectives
The 30th anniversary of the start of the Falklands War and the recent public statements by Argentine President Cristina Kirchner cause us to evaluate those events from new perspectives, including their current implications for Brazil as the largest economy of Mercosur.
Costa Rica: Turning to Facebook to Fund TV Show
Sürrealista is a media producer in Costa Rica that has worked with many local bands. Now they want to have a 30 minute TV Show and to make that happen[es], they are asking for people to watch their pilot show online, give it a “like” on facebook and share it.
Zambia: Ban Ki-moon Calls on Nation to Respect Gay Rights
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Zambia on 24 February; he addressed parliament, met key political figures and visited the Victoria Falls. None of these events have made as much news as his call on the nation to respect gay rights.
Trinidad & Tobago: Battle with Media
Afra Raymond outlines what he believes is a “sinister pattern” towards the media in Trinidad & Tobago, since the People's Partnership has been in government. According to Raymond, who elaborated on his views in an accompanying webcast, “…given the boundless nature of the new technology, we are going to see...
Puerto Rico: March Against the Pipeline
Hundreds of people joined the "National March: Puerto Rico stands firm against the Pipeline" led by the organization Casa Pueblo. Photojournalist Ricardo Alcaraz shares some of his pictures of the protest in San Juan.
International Mother Language Day in Francophone Regions
February 21st is International Mother Language Day. Discussion of the origins of this celebration, and a brief review of current developments in French language and new technologies.
Russia: An Overview of the Pre-Election Anglophone Blogging
Below is a quick overview of what some of the Anglophone Russia bloggers have been writing during the busy pre-election month of February.
Uruguay: Scenes From the Longest Carnival in the World
Every year, Uruguayans celebrate the longest carnival in the world. Percussionists, dancers and musical and theatrical performers take center stage for over 40 days. Sites and blogs dedicated to the event keep netizens around the world informed on the different aspects of carnival, while bloggers share photos, videos, and thoughts on this celebration of culture and heritage.
Cuba, USA: Blogger Perspectives on the Embargo's 50th Anniversary (Part 1)
The United States' economic embargo against Cuba has been in existence for 50 years. To mark the occasion, Global Voices interviews two bloggers about the blockade and what it has (or hasn't) accomplished. This is Part 1, in which Cuban diaspora blogger Alberto de la Cruz shares his views.
Trinidad & Tobago: Carnival is My Time
“In an attempt to imitate art…culture in T&T seems to have perverted itself and in trying to become something else, may have succeeded all too well; the business model of Tribe and the other new ‘Rio’ styled bands seems to be built on encouraging excess for profit”: Plain Talk suggests...
Video Highlights: Defending Human Rights
A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories on video advocacy including indigenous rights and recent news from Latin America, East Asia, Western Europe and Sub Saharan Africa selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.
Cuba: Dialogue with the Opposition?
“It might be paranoia. In totalitarian states, suspicion and the absurd become habit. But it isn’t insane to think that to give the dissidents a space if circumstances force their hand, could become a part of the island’s mandarin’s calculus”: Iván's File Cabinet puts forward a compelling theory.
Jamaica: Inmate Beatings
Following reports that several high-profile inmates are being beaten, Active Voice wants to know “what’s going down at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre”, which seems to be “a virtual Guantanamo Bay.”
St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago: Priestly Poetry & A New Literature Partnership
Caribbean Book Blog interviews priest and poet Fr. Lambert St Rose, while Bocas Lit Fest announces “a new partnership that will work towards enhancing the Caribbean literary scene and help kick-start an infrastructure to support writers, writing, and publishing.”
