Stories about Citizen Media from September, 2015
The Enormous Mural That Made a Mexican Neighborhood ‘Magical’
Germen Crew, an independent collective, painted a colorful mural stretching across 200 homes in Las Palmitas neighborhood. The "magical" project helped strengthen the community in the process.
When Online Kremlin Propaganda Leaves the Web, It Looks Like This
"Material Evidence" is one of few pro-Putin Internet projects connected to Russia's "troll factories" with a significant offline trail. Because of this, we can trace its operations unusually well.
Kazakhstani Textbooks Send Local Patriots and Ukraine into a Tantrum (Clue: It's About Crimea)
"People are working for the promotion of Putin's "Russian World" into the minds of Kazakh children. In my opinion, this is ideological sabotage."
Vladimir Putin's UN General Assembly Speech: Beyond Hashtags
RuNet Echo showcases what about Putin's speech in New York seemed to resonate best with Russian-speaking Twitter users.
Six Ways Pro-Government Forces Went After Hong Kong's Occupy Movement
"The [Occupy Central] movement suggests that both the Internet and Hong Kong are at a crossroads, that both cannot take its freedoms for granted," writes Lokman Tsui.
Spartathlon, Where the Noble Spirit of Athleticism Humbly Prevails
Once a year, long-distance athletes from all over the world run 246 kilometers from Athens to Sparta, participating in what is considered the world's "most grueling race"—the Spartathlon.
Text-to-Speech Software Teaches How to Pronounce Words in Quechua on Social Media
Hinantin is a project aiming to develop Quechua-related software that spreads the indigenous language online through various social networks.
Pussy Riot Performance in Banksy's Dismaland Highlights Plight of Refugees
Russian punk musicians and political activists Pussy Riot raised awareness of the cause of refugees in Europe with a violent and loud performance at Banksy's Dismaland park in London.
Global Voices Series Dispatches From Syria Wins Online Journalism Award
According to the judges who selected "Dispatches in Syria" as category winner, Marcell Shehwaro's “intensely personal writing found the gray areas in a war usually told from polar extremes.”
Latin American Authors ‘Help’ to Rescue Andean Indigenous Languages
Works by Latin American writers, including Mario Vargas Llosa and Gabriel García Márquez, will now be available in Quechua, an Andean indigenous language, thanks to a government initiative in Cusco.
Greece’s Latest Transport Deputy Minister Was Too Racist, Homophobic, and Anti-Semitic to Keep His Job
The reason for the sudden ouster were revelations that, over the past two years, Kammenos published on a now-deactivated Twitter account, @portaporta ("door-to-door"), several racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic remarks.
Ayotzinapa: Nine Possible Answers to Questions Remaining One Year After the Disappearance of 43 Students
One year after the disappearance of 43 students from the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers’ College in Iguala, there are still many unanswered questions about what actually happened.
Reflections on the One-Year Anniversary of the Disappearance of Students in Ayotzinapa
"For us, the night of September 26 hasn't ended," says one survivor of the Ayotzinapa tragedy. "They thought that over time they could defeat us. But that's not the case."
Maternal Infanticides, Attempted Suicides Highlight Heavy Burden on Tajik Women
'All this happens because there is no social protection for the population. There is an agency to carry out this function, but it is completely useless.'
A Series of Outrageous Events Fuels Catalans’ Distrust Before Historic Election on Independence
The Catalan people's distrust towards the Spanish government has been exacerbated by several unfortunate public faux-pas in the weeks prior to Catalonia's regional "independence" election on September 27.
Welcome to India’s War on Malnutrition
Several Indian states have been battling malnutrition for decades now. While new official data show improvement and testify that multiple programs seem to be working, there remains much to do.
Social Media Cries Copywrong After American Rapper Lifts Trinidadian Photographer's Work
"All people are saying is that this is someone's intellectual property. When it was pointed out to you, all you had to do was apologise..."
The Story of Raiza Ruiz, Declared Dead While Very Much Alive
Raiza Ruiz was declared dead after being in a plane crash in the Amazon. Upon being discovered alive after several days, she found herself in an unusual legal position.
New Mobile App Noema Wants to Capture the ‘Underutilized’ Power of Human Voice
"Listening to someone from another part of the world talk about her experiences and most valued thoughts is incredibly awe-inducing," says 19-year-old co-founder Asad Jamal Malik from Pakistan.
‘With the Support of the Lord': On the Campaign Trail in Ex-Soviet Central Asia's Only Democracy
Campaigning ahead of Kyrgyzstan's October 4 parliamentary vote proves that democracy is a messy business.
How School Lunch Plays a Central Role in Education in Japan
Cafeteria Culture (CafCu) has produced an engaging informative video that provides great insight into how school lunches are a fundamental part of learning in Japan's schools.
