Stories about Citizen Media from December, 2016
Explore the Lesser Known Part of Madagascar: The Amber Mountain National Park
Amber Mountain National Park lies 40 kilometres from Diego Suarez, in the north of Madagascar. Its humid rainforest covers 23.000 hectors.
The Best of Latin American Info-Activism in 2016 (Part 1)
The best of Latin American info-activism did not fit into one post, so this will be the first of two articles discussing initiatives that sparked online fire throughout the region.
Central Asia in 2016: The More Things Change…?
"Why do they mess about? They should just appoint themselves immortals and pass a law banning death from visiting them."
A Year of Violence in Bangladesh
Groups linked to ISIS, Ansar Al Islam or Ansarullah Bangla Team have claimed responsibility for violent attacks on intellectuals and regular citizens. What does this mean for the future?
This Was Also the Year of Citizen Heroes in Latin America
Global Voices reviews the Latin American stories in 2016 that taught us about fighting back.
In the Social Media Age, How Should Jamaica’s Head of Government Communicate?
"Jamaica’s Prime Minister [uses] social media. To imply that the press is asking hard-hitting questions that only they are capable of asking, is negating the opinions of the public."
In 2016, These YouTube Channels From India Offered Meaningful Content
YouTube India is not all songs, pranks or cat videos.
‘Learning to Live with the Narco in Mexico’, Stories from Survivors of the War on Organized Crime
"We must urgently portray the faces of those who face fear."
Homeless People Outside Tehran Are Taking Refuge in Empty Graves
Images of homeless people in Iran taking refuge in empty graves outside Tehran have been sweeping Persian social media.
Five Things Tearing Afghanistan Apart and the Local Proverbs That Help Explain Them
"The goat worries about his life, the butcher worries about the fat.”
Syria's War May be the Most Documented Ever—And Yet We Know So Little.
With the end of the devastating siege of eastern Aleppo, the world watches, parses and argues over the meaning of the media messages being shared by those remaining within it.
Open Letter From Diaspora Iranians to Trump Causes Upset Inside Iran
"Don't recognize 25 of the 30 names who wrote to #Trump to bash Obama & #Iran Deal. Fox News calls them 'Influential Iranians dissidents'"
Breaking a Four-Century Custom That Denied Women Temple Entry in India
"If we all have equal rights and freedom then why such restrictions on women?"
2016: The Year the Caribbean Was Forced to Confront Its Attitude Towards Women
"We do not talk truthfully among ourselves about [...] harassment. Verbal innuendo and unwanted remarks are part of the culture we do not want to get rid of."
Watch TED Fellow Bektour Iskender's Talk on the ‘Mega Force’ of Youth Journalism in Kyrgyzstan
In the era of fake news and 'information warfare', the story of Kloop.kg is one that both inspires and reassures.
Macedonia's Ruling Party Lashes Out at Civil Society After Contested Elections
Flyers naming civil society members (so-called “traitors”) were distributed in the mailboxes and under windshield wipers throughout the capital, Skopje. Others were targeted on social media.
In India, Moviegoers Are Expected to Stand for the National Anthem—Or Else
"I go to cinema to relax and amuse myself, not to show my patriotism to my fellow countrymen. People who question my patriotism can come to my house."
Kazakh TV Channel Famed for Fake News in Hot Water after Fake Interview
The interview with a self-promoting Kazakh news presenter that never happened was quickly disowned by the purported interviewer.
Domestic-Murder Spree Clouds Christmas in Jamaica
"The system of patriarchy continues to socialize men into a false belief that they have the right to control women. Consequently, gender-based violence [...] seems almost ‘normal.'"
Remembering Castro’s Commitment to Healthcare and Beating Ebola in Africa
Political leaders and citizens worldwide have reacted in different ways to the recent passing Fidel Castro, and Cuba and Africa were closest on healthcare.
That Fake U.S. Embassy in Ghana Issued Real Visas for a Decade
For ten years, a U.S. embassy operated quietly in Accra, the capital of the West African country of Ghana. But the embassy wasn't an embassy at all.
