Stories about Citizen Media from February, 2015
Remembering Ukraine's ‘Heavenly Hundred’
"It's dangerous and frightening, and today one must be [in the east], like one had to be in Kyiv a year ago. Maidan has moved. It's now at the frontline."
‘Ministry of Truth’ Recruits Ukrainians for ‘Internet Army’
Ukrainian Ministry of Information Policy has launched a website to recruit Ukrainian social media users for a government-run "Internet Army."
Trinidad & Tobago Has ‘Carnival Mentality’. Is That Necessarily a Bad Thing?
Carnival mentality refers to the carefree attitude on display at Trinidad and Tobago's biggest party. Some argue the term should represent industriousness -- Carnival takes a lot of work.
South Korea's Young Workers Earn ‘Passion Wages’, Meaning Hardly Anything at All
The buzzword "passion wage" reflects harsh conditions young South Korean people face nowadays in the workforce -- low or no pay to pursue their passion.
Here Is What You Can Do in Kyiv if You Have One Dollar
What can a dollar buy you in Kyiv, Ukraine? Quite a few things, actually! An enterprising social media user collected the most interesting ideas in a blog post.
Cameroon Bloggers Rally Behind #StopBokoHaram Campaign
"My words, my pen, and the ease with which I express my feelings, choices and ideas in my writings, are my weapons."
The Campaign Against Gender-Based Violence in Reggaeton Lyrics: Phase 2
The campaign recently released new images, posted on its Facebook page, that—very graphically—showcase the violence described in the lyrics of several very popular songs that are often performed in public.
The Dress Rehearsal for the Belarusian Crackdown
"Belaruskaya Pravda" chief editor Yuri Dubina says the recent crackdown in Belarus on independent online media is only "the dress rehearsal" before the presidential election this November.
Read First-Hand Accounts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings, Translated to English
August 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Tanzanian Schools Will Teach Students in Swahili, Not English
President Jakaya Kikwete launched a new education system in Tanzania last week that, among other changes, will introduce Swahili as the language of instruction in schools.
Indigenous Tweets Highlight International Mother Language Day in Australia
Wamut,aka @kriolkantri on Twitter, and blogger of ten years, shared indigenous tweets on Storify: “February 21 is International Mother Language Day and this year, Australians showed off Aboriginal and Islander languages in a spectacular way and highlighted the amazing-yet-fragile linguistic diversity found across the continent”. Happy International #MotherLanguage Day! We're...
Rio's Carnival Cozied Up to Equatorial Guinea's Brutal Dictator. But Why is Everyone Surprised?
Outrage followed revelations that the winning samba school, whose parade theme was Equatorial Guinea, reportedly received 3.5 million euros from the country's President Obiang.
Arrival of Yellow Dust Marks Start of Spring Headaches for Japan
Fukuoka in Japan is experiencing its first "yellow dust" day of the season, three months early.
‘Birdman’ Director Puts Mexico Front and Center at Oscars
The "Birdman" director electrified Twitter with his acceptance speech at the Oscars, discussing the Mexican government and the situation of Mexican immigrants in the United States.
Iranian Classroom Condemns Anti-Afghan Discrimination With ‘We Are Ashamed’ Campaign
Afghan refugees in Iran often face widespread discrimination and experience racist treatment from Iranians. The #ashamed campaign has more than 20,000 likes on Facebook.
Egyptian Blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah Sentenced to Five Years in Jail
Prominent Egyptian activist and blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah, an icon of the Egyptian revolution, was sentenced to five years in prison today.
Spanish Mayor's 'Pearls' Inspire a Thousand Lame Excuses for Failing Class
The mayor of a small town in Spain made the dubious claim that the head of alternative party Podemos failed her in university three times "for wearing pearls."
High Hopes and Mixed Feelings About Russia's Oscar Nominee
Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev’s film "Leviathan" has been a critical darling abroad and a key Oscars contender, but in Russia, it has generated a polarizing national discussion.
Happy Chinese New Year… From Peru!
Tasty food and a significant population of tusán, or 'local-born' Chinese are just two reasons for Peruvians to celebrate Chinese New Year with gusto.
US Government Eases Sanctions to Allow Export of Personal Communications Tools to Sudan
The US government has issued a general license amending sanctions on Sudan to allow the export of certain personal communications technologies.
Can #Panzagar ‘Flower Speech’ Facebook Stickers End Hate Speech in Myanmar?
Facebook has added new stickers called 'Speak Panzagar' in support of the 'Flower Speech' movement to combat hate speech in Myanmar.
