Stories about Citizen Media from March, 2015
Bus Users Fight Over Seat in Peruvian Bus and You Can't Imagine How This Ends
A video posted on Facebook by user PeruRec show two men almost coming to blows over a seat in a bus of the Metropolitano, Peruvian capital public transportation system. At one point, the stockier guy sits over the other guy, while other bus users laugh out loud. Immersed as they...
Ecuadorians Take to the Streets to Protest Government
Despite the rain, on March 19 citizens participated in a protest in Loja, Ecuador, which spread over seven blocks, to express their discontent of the current government. Labor code reforms, extended reelections, free access to education, and the recent exchange rate safeguards on imports were some of the issues that...
Bringing the Muisca Language Back from Extinction, One Word at a Time
Even though the indigenous language Muisca is extinct, a group of Colombians are using wikis, mobile apps, and social media to breathe new life into the language.
Russian Girls Show Conservative Beauty Contest Just How ‘Modest’ They Can Be
Almost immediately after the contest was announced, VKontakte users began criticizing the Parliamentary League’s decision to make modesty and headscarves the focus of its contest.
Lights Out! In Many Global Cities, Power Outages Are Part of Everyday Life
"When it comes to power outages in Nigeria, I was born into it and the way things are going, I'll die without seeing an uninterrupted 24 hours supply of electricity."
The Media's Role in Mexico's ‘Warped’ Democracy
Blogger Fernando Vázquez Rigada reflects on the role of the media in Mexico, a country where he says democracy is “warped” because it only works on a formal level, and society isn't adequately represented by the political institutions. He adds that Mexican media bear a huge responsibility in this issue....
Eerie Similarities Between Germanwings Tragedy and Argentinian-Spanish Film ‘Wild Tales’
More than once, screenwriters have found inspiration in reality for their fiction. This time, it seems reality was inspired by fiction. The news that the co-pilot of German airline Germanwings‘ Flight 9525 is suspected of intentionally crashing the plane, taking the lives of 149 people with him, seems to be one of...
German Company's Videos Imagine Modern Women as Passive and Dependent
Women in Germany are outraged over one insurance company's videos explaining different types of policies, in which women are described as passive and naive — a role more in line with the expectations of the 1950s than 2015. Birte Vogel writes on her blog Thea – Frauen in Sprache, Medien und Gesellschaft (Thea –...
Omani Blogger Muawiyah Alrawahi Disappeared At UAE Border
Omani blogger Muawiyah Alrawahi was detained while attempting to enter the United Arab Emirates by car from Oman, according to a statement released by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Who to Follow on Yemen on the Second Day of Saudi-Led Air Strikes
Yemeni journalists, bloggers and activists are covering the current war in Yemen. Abir Ghattas takes a look at what they are saying
Trinidad & Tobago's Politics Hits New Low With ‘Product of Rape’ Mudslinging
"Vernella has offended every victim of rape and sexual abuse, every child born out of rape and incest...As a woman, she should know better. I am appalled and disgusted."
The Arduous Journey of Colombian Migrants Headed for Chile
Global Voices, in collaboration with Connectas, Agenda Propia, Útero.pe, Vice and El Mercurio de Antofagasta, explored the challenges and history of migration in Latin America during a Google Hangout.
Inaccurate Reports of ‘ISIS Taking Over Star Wars Set’ Anger Tunisians
Tunisians are responding with mockery to media reports claiming that the Star Wars filming location in the south of the country has come under the siege of ISIS.
Prisoner of Conscience Pedro Canché's Letter to Journalist Carmen Aristegui
From jail, Pedro Canché wrote a letter to fellow journalist Carmen Aristegui after her recent and controversial exit from media group MVS. This letter was published on his Tumblr blog “Diary of a prisoner of conscience“. 15 de marzo de 2015 Carta a Carmen AristeguiA propósito del consumado golpe al equipo de investigación de MVS, en...
How Can Solar Energy Make Life in Tajikistan's Mountains More Sustainable?
"A solar kitchen can greatly reduce the consumption of firewood and other fuels, even if you use it only once a day,” says Tohirbekov
Balloons Released in Brussels in Support of Jailed Iranian Student Hamid Babaei
Ever since the tribulations of Hamid Babaei and his wife began, his classmates at Liège and in Brussels have shown them unrelenting solidarity.
Belarus Tightens Grip on Internet With New Data Retention Decree
The new data retention demands are just the latest in a string of restrictive Internet measures employed by Belarus in the wake of the next presidential election.
‘Diner en Blanc’ Fans the Flames of Jamaica's Social and Economic Divide
'Diner en Blanc' is a worldwide phenomenon - but staging it in economically challenged Jamaica, with its ever-widening gap between the haves and have nots, has left a bitter taste.
A Trinidadian Falls in Love with Jamaica
Trindadian diaspora fashion blogger, Afrobella, grew up “steeped in reggae music and [with] a love for Jamaican culture” – so why did it take her so long to actually visit the island? She's not sure she can answer that question, considering that her first impression was that “Jamaica is an...
Defiant Tunisia Hosts the World Social Forum
Less than a week after the deadly attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis, the World Social Forum kicked off on Tuesday with an anti-terror march.
Cameroonians Aren't Happy With Le Monde's Coverage of Their President's Health
Cameroonians skewered the French newspaper's coverage, which reported that President Biya's trip to Europe was health-related. Some said it was an invasion of privacy or an attempt to destabilize Cameroon.
