Stories about Citizen Media from October, 2013
PHOTOS: Muralists ‘Paint Resistance’ in Toribío, Colombia
From October 19 to 26, a 'minga' - collective work done in favor of a community - united over 60 artists from Colombia and other parts of Latin America.
An Overview of Volgograd Bombing Anglophone Blogging
Misinformation disseminated online about the Volgograd bus bombing (which left at least six people dead on October 21) has raised the suspicions of Russia bloggers both Russophone and Anglophone.
Legendary Indian Playback Singer Manna Dey Dies
Dey recorded more than 4,000 songs between 1942 and 2013, and was famous for his playback work recording songs for hundreds of movies for actors to lip sync to.
Council of Europe Condemns Deterioration of Human Rights in Spain
The Council of Europe denounces the serious situation of human rights in Spain, largely as a result of social spending cuts, and disproportionate police violence.
Mapping Recent Reports Of Dengue Fever In India
Vidyut at Aam Janata blog has created a map of the Dengue outbreak in India from various reports published in print media in the last couple of months.
Hungarian Student Bloggers Win Lawsuit Against University
Bloggers of Átlátszó Oktatás (Transparent Education) sued the largest Hungarian university ELTE's Law Faculty in winter 2012, in order to obtain documents on how state scholarships and bonus payments were distributed by the members of the faculty's student union. Because the university is entirely state-funded, the students demanded through a...
Iranian Student Leader Majid Tavakoli Is Out on Bail
After 4 years in jail, an influential Iranian student leader was welcomed home by his family and supporters.
Venezuela Creates a ‘Vice Ministry of Supreme Happiness’
The Vice Ministry's objective is to coordinate more than 30 social missions. On Twitter the reaction to this measure has been a mixture of scepticism, mockery and sarcasm.
Journalists Fear Japan's Proposed Secret Information Protection Act
The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a bill [ja] on October 25, 2013 to impose tougher penalties on civil servants, lawmakers and others who leak national secrets and harm national security. The so-called Secret Information Protection Act has been unpopular among Japanese press, human rights advocates, and citizens...
High Voter Turnout Reframes Trinidad Election Story
First reports indicated low voter turnout for Local Government Elections, but the reality was the total opposite, confirming some netizens' suspicions that the electorate is anything but apathetic.
Grenada: Remembering the Revolution
Thirty years ago this month, former Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was executed by a firing squad. It was the beginning of the end of the People's Revolutionary Government in Grenada.
A Muslim Schoolgirl and the Volgograd Suicide Bombing
In the wake of the Volgograd bus bombing, a Muslim girl wrote a letter to the anonymous blogger hardingush. We chose to translate it in its entirety.
Race Against Time for Ill Former Samsung Workers in South Korea
Samsung employees suffering from work-related illnesses face an uphill legal battle for recognition and compensation. Recently, there has been some positive developments.
Wearing Putin's Insult as the Badge of Honor
The Greenpeace activists locked up in Murmansk may be suffering the worst luck of anyone in the ongoing scandal surrounding Russia's Arctic drilling, but they aren't the only ones hurting.
Bahrain: More Tear Gas Than People
With a total population of 1.3 million, Bahrain plans to purchase 1.6m canisters of tear gas. Here's how a group of activists plan to stop the shipment from South Korea.
After Lampedusa Shipwreck, Italy Considers Decriminalizing Illegal Immigration
The tragedy, in which 350 or so African migrants were killed, has renewed debate about illegal immigration in Italy, which is a destination for many African migrants.
Madagascar Goes to the Polls, Four Years after the Coup
Tomorrow, Madagascar is set to hold elections, four years after a coup plunged the country into political, economical and social turmoil: Thirty-three candidates are competing tomorrow to replace Rajoelina, who deposed President Marc Ravalomanana almost five years ago, causing the African Union to suspend the country and donors including the...
One Month Until Honduras’ General Election
Mike Allison from the blog Central American Politics shares links to English-language posts on the November 2013 elections in Honduras. Mike recommends blogger Hermano Juancito's post “about the breakdown of the two-party system”; a post from the blog Honduras Culture and Politics on the newest poll results; and a post...
Central Asia's Presidents: Political Stalwarts and Musical Softies
Some presidents in Central Asian countries sing, dance, and play musical instruments. When they fail to impress their populations, however, people sing against them.
This Weekend at Developing Latin America 2013 Apps Challenge (Part II)
This past weekend has been very productive for Developing Latin America Apps Challenge. Here we bring you the second part of the compendium of what happened.
Brazilian Police Seize Activists’ ‘Subversive’ Books
"The warrant makes it clear that police are investigating the political organizations that are somehow embedded in this year's protests, trying to identify (read: forge) a conspiracy."