Stories about Citizen Media from April, 2017
Two Mozambican Universities Want to Ban Short Skirts and Dreadlocks
"If the students follow these rules, it is because they don’t have the balls to assert their human rights, and they deserve the university where they study".
Venezuelan Migrants Face Prejudice and Bureaucracy in Northern Brazil
Economic crisis and food shortages in Venezuela have sparked a wave of migrants into Brazil, which is now struggling to respond and meet humanitarian needs.
Bend It Like Poonam: Teen Girls Challenge India's Patriarchy on the Football Field
Mahila Swarojgar Samiti is helping teenage girls in Varanasi shape their identity and find more confidence in their sexuality through football.
Are Trinidad & Tobago Police Actively Investigating the President's Housing Allowance Like They Said They Would?
One netizen asks if there's a link between the country's top cop and the president, whether the police began their promised investigation and if so, can its findings be trusted?
Vietnamese Continue to Demand Justice a Year After Toxic Waste Spill That Caused Massive Fish Kill
"Formosa must accept full responsibility and make efforts in returning the clean environment to our country, our people and central Vietnam before leaving Vietnam."
Fed Up With Local Government, Siberian Environmentalists Beg Leonardo DiCaprio for Help

In Krasnoyarsk, the third largest city in Siberia, local environmentalists have found their savior: Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio.
In Madagascar, People Remember One of the Deadliest French Colonial Wars in History
"...I would just like to spare a thought for all the families who know that they paid a price in spilled blood for the country..."
Sisi's Visit to the White House Met with Controversial Reactions in Egypt
On the chessboard of Egyptian politics, Sisi's relations with the United States is no small matter. But how are Egyptians reacting?
News Website Cameraman Arrested While Broadcasting Protests in Venezuela

"Almost 30,000 people were watching the VPITV broadcast on YouTube when the Bolivarian National Police took the cameraman."
In Venezuela, Activists Document Protests and Share Protection Tactics

"Human rights violations don't have a time limit...Record for the future, when there will be democracy."
‘Security Without War’ Campaign Opposes Militarization in Mexico Because ‘Bullets Are Killing Us, Not Drugs’
"The army and the police are not interchangeable. The military forces are trained to use force against an armed enemy and defeat it."
Jamaican Prime Minister Apologizes to Rastafarian Community for 1963 Killings
On April 12, 1963, eight Rastafarians were killed in a state-sanctioned attack; over 100 more were rounded up, beaten and humiliated by having their dreadlocks forcibly cut.
One Day They Stole Me: True Story Animations Spotlight Kyrgyzstan's Bride Kidnapping Scourge
Tatyana Zelenskaya's powerful drawings tell the story of five kidnapped women, each with a very different destiny.
Protests and Fraud Allegations Follow Ecuador's Presidential Election
"Dividing the country into two irreconciliable parts with a 50% split : Rafael Correa Delgado's greatest achievement."
After Moving Servers to Russia, LiveJournal Bans ‘Political Solicitation’

LiveJournal releases a new user agreement, revealing what steps it's taking to adjust to its new existence as a blogging platform in full compliance with Russia’s stifling Internet laws
Indian Techies Work to Detect Fake WhatsApp and Facebook Messages

Many of the new users do not yet know how to differentiate between authentic sources and fake or malicious ones.
Ecuadorian Elections Marked by Website Outages, Twitter Suspensions

Along with pro-opposition websites, some media rights groups saw a sharp decline in traffic on the evening of the election.
Ugandan Races in Jamaican Competition, Raising Questions About Patriotism, Team Loyalty
A Ugandan born runner, now living in Jamaica, was allowed to compete in the country's long-standing and highly lauded 'Champs' secondary schools meet, sparking much debate in the Jamaican blogosphere.
Criminal Case Against Indian Poet Provokes Controversy Over Speech Rights

The poem was posted on Facebook on World Poetry Day — but its verses were not welcomed by everyone.