Stories about Citizen Media from November, 2008
Guyana: On Being Authentic
“I spent the first 19 years of my life in Guyana. I have now lived away from Guyana for a longer time than I lived there. Does that make me...
Peru: After-Effects of Mercury Spill in Choropampa
Silvio of Lapicero Digital [es] writes about the lack of news in the Peruvian media about deaths caused by mercury contamination in Choropampa. The recent death of the Mayor of...
Serbia: Does Barack Obama Mean Hospitality for the World?
Ljubisa Bojic reviews what Serbian bloggers think of Barack Obama's chances of changing the U.S. policy towards Serbia.
India: Terror stalks Kolkata
Recently, Kolkata (or Calcutta, as it is still referred to by some) woke up one morning and its heart skipped a beat as it read the headlines of the day...
Japan: Japanese Language in the Age of English
The Fall of the Japanese Language in the Age of English, the latest book by Japanese novelist and essayist Minae Mizumura, roused debate among many Japanese bloggers recently over the fate of their national language. Some wondered whether their country would one day adopt English as the mother tongue, and what that would mean for their national identity.
Japan: A girl in the Pro Baseball League
Yuko Shimonakamura at Yuko no Jinsei to Tigers [勇皇の人生とタイガース] comments with enthusiasm [jp] on the birth of a new baseball heroine, Eri Yoshida, the 16 y.o. high school student who...
Argentina: Wordcamp 2008 in Buenos Aires
The second edition of Wordcamp Argentina recently took place in Buenos Aires, and which again featured the presence of Matt Mullenweg, Wordpress' main developer. Here he previewed the changes in store for the latest edition of the blogging platform and also provided his thoughts on the recent talk regarding the "death of blogs." In addition, bloggers discussed ways to earn money, get blog advertising, and also how to develop corporate blogs.
Poland: Racist Flyers Given to Children in a Catholic Church
One of the Catholic churches in Poznań, Poland's fifth largest city, generated a lot of online buzz yesterday, when the media published articles about a religious flyer printed by a Catholic weekly Mały Gość Niedzielny and distributed to children. On the flyer's cover, there is a quote from the Bible - “A lamp without oil is dark, a human without a prayer, too.” Right above it is a drawing of a black child, who is saying: “What a pity that the prayer does not brighten the skin.” Sylwia Presley reviews the buzz.
Japan: Street View and the Burakumin
The Internet, many would argue, has created the possibility for anyone to express their opinions freely. Recently, however, some have worried about an increase in the number of racist and denigrative comments against minorities spreading across the web. In Japan, the advent of Google's new Street View service has led some bloggers to discuss the relationship between areas photographed and discriminated communities.
Serbia: Reflections of a Bosnian Refugee
27-year-old Amila Jašarević fled Bosnia & Herzegovina in 1993 and has since been living in Denmark. On her blog, Amila Bosnae, she describes her first visit to Serbia: “Although our...
Japan: Children and mobile phones
At Kyô mo Aruku [ja], Shigeru Kurokawa casts doubts [ja] on the propriety of a report [ja], published by the government Discussion Group for Education Rebuilding, which urges mobile phone...
Trinidad & Tobago: Manning & the Media
The furor surrounding the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister's recent radio station visit has not abated.
China: Different Interpretation of Taiwan Politics
A well-known Chinese blogger WU Jiaxiang （吳稼祥）argues the “riot” that happened at Taipei Hotel November 6 is in fact part of the rampant “political kidnapping” in Taiwan [zh]. The blogger...
Syria: Bloggers Unite to Read
For the first time in the Syrian blogosphere, local Syrian bloggers have came up with a refreshing idea; forming an online book club in which they decide on reading a...
Jordan: Poor and Backward
Being poor and backward go hand in hand, according to Jordanian blogger Muoffaq Qabbani, who brings us this story about how poor people insist on having more and more children.
Trinidad & Tobago: “Radio Raid” Reactions
The fallout over the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister's visit to a radio station to complain about critical comments made against him during a newscast appears to have only just begun. Local mainstream media continue to apply pressure, although in typical Trinbagonian fashion, some of the coverage is peppered with humour - but bloggers see nothing funny about what many of them consider to be the Prime Minister's attempts to muzzle free speech.
DR Congo: Fighting Continues
As the world celebrated Obama's electoral victory, fighting in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has continued in spite of the ceasefire announced by the CNDP rebel group last week. Displacement, killing and lootings haven't stopped, and while regional African leaders met in Nairobi and the world is wondering how to keep the peace in the country, the Ushahidi software has been deployed to the DRC for documentation purposes.
Haiti: School Collapses
The fact that Haiti didn't need another tragedy didn't stop one from striking. This time, it was a school collapse in Pétionville, which left scores of children dead and countless others injured. Haitian bloggers were quick to offer online empathy and support.
Cuba: Hurricane Paloma
In the latest installment of the chronicles of the 2008 hurricane season, Hurricane Paloma struck Cuba, destroying hundreds of homes in the process and compounding the damage and economic losses...
Trinidad & Tobago: 007
“I didn’t recognize him at first since he had changed so many times over the years. What eventually gave him away was the use of his precise British accent to...
New Zealand: Time for Change As Well?
On November 8, New Zealand held a general election with opposition coalition winning a majority in Parliament. Is this a time for change? Bloggers have different opinions.
