· May, 2013

Stories about Citizen Media from May, 2013

VIDEO: Journalist Who Fled Mexico Speaks

“I abandoned my investigative work. I will never go back to investigative reporting because of the lack of protection by the Mexican state, which should guarantee my family’s safety and...

28 May 2013

García and Toledo: Two Former Peruvian Presidents in Trouble

In recent weeks, former Peruvian presidents Alan García and Alejandro Toledo have been accused of being involved in cases of illicit enrichment and corruption. However, some believe that these accusations are meant to push them away from the political scene and prevent their participation in the upcoming presidential election.

28 May 2013

Coffee Art Goes 3D in Japan

In Japan where green tea remains the hot beverage of choice, latte art is growing phenomenon, whether it be 3D foamy creations or a vending machine that serves cappuccino with a woman's face.

28 May 2013

From Guinea to Italy to France and Back: An Interview with Blogger Abdoulaye Bah

Global Voices author and translator Abdoulaye Bah, originally from Guinea, is a retired Italian citizen who has worked for the United Nations. He now splits his time between Rome and Nice. We spoke with Bah about his life, from his experience hiding in a bathroom to enter Italy without the proper papers, to his marriage in the Vatican, from his blog to his multi-belief family.

27 May 2013

YouTube Blocked in Tajikistan After Video of President Dancing Goes Viral

As tensions surrounding elections slated for November continue to poison the political mood in Tajikistan, a video of President Emomali Rahmon singing and dancing at his son's wedding has gone viral, giving opposition figures yet another reason to criticize the excesses of the ruling family and the Tajik authorities yet another reason to block the video-sharing platform YouTube. The wedding took place in 2007, but the video was uploaded to YouTube on May 18, 2013.

27 May 2013

Yemen: Two Men Killed for Overtaking a Sheikh's Wedding Convoy

Two young Yemeni men were killed last week for bypassing a wedding procession of a Sheikh (tribal leader) in Yemen's capital Sanaa. Khalid Al-Khateeb and his friend Hassan Aman were driving in their car when they came across a tribal wedding procession and were shot to death for over-taking the convoy. The wedding convoy belonged to Sheikh Ali Abd Rabo Al-Awadhi, a member in Yemen's Islah party and a member of the National Dialogue. The murder sparked an outrage among netizens and activists.

27 May 2013

Chinese Social Web Defends US Vice President Biden

United States Vice President Joe Biden has faced a firestorm of criticism from Chinese international students after he referred to China as a nation that cannot "think different" or "breathe freely" during his commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania. But mainland Chinese Web users have hit back, reproaching the students abroad for their behavior and defending Biden's speech as worthy of reflection.

26 May 2013

Jamaica's Blog Action Day: What Police Can Do

Jamaican bloggers marked their own version of Blog Action Day (dubbed JA Blog Day), on May 23. Netizens discussed the disturbing issue of police brutality, state security abuses and extra judicial killings - particularly fitting as the date for the event was the third anniversary of the "Tivoli Gardens Massacre", which took place during the country's state of emergency in 2010.

26 May 2013