Stories about Citizen Media from April, 2014
Kyrgyz Parliament Considers Anti-Gay Law
The parliament of Kyrgyzstan is considering a bill that criminalizes any activity seen as promoting “a positive attitude toward non-traditional sexual relations”. Very similar to Russia's anti-gay propaganda law, the bill is expected to become law soon. Meanwhile, a Kyrgyz blogger argues [ru] that the bill which is targeting the...
Bektau-Ata, Kazakhstan's “Kingdom of Unearthly Beauty”
A group of Kazakhstani bloggers recently returned from a trip to Bektau-Ata mountain tract which has been described as “a kingdom of unearthly beauty, full of grandeur and freedom”. One of the bloggers has posted a video depicting the breathtaking scenery of Bektau-Ata: Detailed photo reports from the trip can be seen...
Army Drafters “Do Not Give a Damn About the President” in Tajikistan
In mid-February 2014, the president of Tajikistan ordered [ru] that recruitment offices stop using “illegal practices” in drafting young men into the army. Blogger Rustam Gulov who has written much about illegal drafting techniques in Tajikistan suggests [ru] that the president's order has not really changed anything: A lot of...
Trinidad & Tobago: The Implications of Style
When you see your reflection, are you seeing you or an amalgamation of your racial, historical and social complications? Tillah Willah blogs about the “self-schism that exists [and the] ways that this affects [her] as a black woman living in the west.”
‘I Saw You On The Train': Falling in Love on Portugal's Public Transport
A Facebook page called Vi-te No Comboio [pt] (I Saw You On The Train) aims to gather and share the stories of anonymous people who meet on the train and take an interest in the passenger next to them. The stories are sent to the social network's administrators who then post them...
Does Kyrgyzstan Need A Putin?
There is only one Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, but does a fledgling democracy like Kyrgyzstan need its own version?
YouTube Video Series ‘Argumentos’ Offers Insight Into Venezuelan Conflict
'Arguments' is a series of videos on YouTube that offers insights across Venezuelan society through the opinions of various personalities who know about the reality of the country.
Fighting “Breast Ironing” in Cameroon
Josiane Kouagheu wrote a passionated blog post [fr] against breast ironing [fr] practice in Cameroon: Je n’ai jamais voulu parler de ce sujet trop sensible. Il me touche. Dans tous les sens, j’ai trop de victimes autour de moi. J’ai voulu me taire. Mais, que faire quand autour de toi, la télé, Internet,...
When Will Impunity End for Slave Traders in Mauritania ?
A protest coordinated by several Mauritanian civil society organizations and political parties was held on April 29, 2014 in Nouakchott. The protest was initiatied by members of Haratin tribe who demand more rights and the enforcement of existing laws. This protest marks the first anniversary of the Haratin Manifesto [fr]. The...
Does the Caribbean Sanction Violence against Children?
A blog that discusses issues of violence, sexual assault and child abuse is infuriated at Caribbean governments' response to recent allegations of child exploitation in some state institutions.
Robert Antoni Wins 2014 Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature
Jamaican diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp reports that Robert Antoni, author of “As Flies to Whatless Boys”, has won the 2014 One Caribbean Media Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, while Repeating Islands republishes a review of his novel, here.
The Subway: The Arteries of New York City
Bringing together art, culture, and urban legends, New York City's subway system inspires mixed feelings in its customers.
The Kremlin’s Internet Annexation
For some reason, lawmakers in Russia today continue to add new powers to the state’s censorship utility-belt, as though the current panoply of Internet controls weren’t enough.
Fans in Skopje Gather to Exchange Football Stickers
Hundreds of people gathered on Sunday afternoon in a downtown park in Skopje to exchange stickers of the official Football FIFA World Cup album on April 28, 2014. In Macedonia, as in other countries of the former Yugoslavia, the tradition of collecting stickers is decades long, dating back at least...
Spare the Rod, 10 Tips From a Peaceful Parent
After people applauded the discipline in a viral video of a mother hitting her child in Trinidad, our Caribbean editor felt compelled to share her thoughts on peaceful parenting.
Activists Battle Religion, Tradition in Gambia's Female Genital Mutilation Fight
Aja Babung Sidibeh followed cultural tradition and became a female genital mutilation (FGM) practitioner after the death of her parents years ago in her native Janjangbureh in the Central River Region of The Gambia. But she has since “dropped the knife” and taken up the fight against the practice. “What I...
South Koreans Accuse Government of Botching Ferry Response
It's been 14 days since the Sewol ferry capsized, and 205 people are confirmed dead. Politicians taking advantage of the calamity and media inaccuracy have fueled anger in South Korea.
Protesting in Venezuela Will Require Authorization
(All links are in Spanish otherwise noted as [en] for English) As the protests [en] in Venezuela draw upon 100 continuous days of demonstrations, the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice's recent verdict rules that the right to protest “is not an absolute right.” In order to carry out any type of demonstration, one needs to...
From Igor Sechin to Dick Cheney: the End of Russia's Zuckerberg
In February, Vkontakte's CEO joked in public that nothing would reverse Facebook’s “slow death.” What’s died instead, it seems, is Durov’s opposition to the world’s largest social network.
Bangladeshis Are Not Happy With India's Bharatya Janata Party
Subramanian Swamy said Bangladesh should compensate India for its undocumented migrants there by giving the country one-third of its land. A Bangladeshi hacker group hacked 300 government websites in retaliation.
Collaborative Economy Visionaries Gather at OuiShare Fest 2014 in Paris
The OuiShare Fest 2014 will gather thousands of activists for a conference on collaborative economy from May 5 -7 in Paris, France. The objective of the festival is to exchange on a common vision of an economy relying on horizontal networks and communities. Here is a video presenting the festival: