Stories about Citizen Media from September, 2011
Videos: Homeless But Not Voiceless
We explore different initiatives that aim to bring to the foreground the plight of those who are forgotten: children, indigenous people, immigrants and the transgender community.
Cameroon: What if We Did Not Vote on October 9?
In Cameroon, the October 9 presidential election does not seem to be generating much interest amongst the general public. For many Cameroonians, this election has no real stake and voters don't see casting their ballot as worth the trouble, since the outcome is already in favor of incumbent President Paul Biya.
CIVICUS: Reflections on the Power of Civil Society
For three days several civil society representatives met in Montreal for the CIVICUS World Assembly. The subjects were diverse: from civil movements, social equality, and the effects of new technologies, to climate justice. Here are some blog posts that covered the assembly.
Zambia: Wikileaks Cables Not As Toxic
Almost a year after the WikiLeaks diplomatic cables' release, Zambia’s tranche of the documents have recently surfaced. As it turns out, nothing drastic has been disclosed by the leaks, which have proved so toxic in other countries.
Guatemala: A Look at the Candidates for November's Runoff Election
“So come the 6th November, Guatemalans should they vote, will have a choice between a former military and a business man – each with their own murky backgrounds and each who wield considerable power and influence among those who rule Guatemala”: Kevin D in his blog at Guatemala Solidarity Network...
Ecuador: Victims of Domestic Violence Ignored by Media and Society
Lunas Azules [es] argues that victims of domestic violence are often ignored by the media and by society because of their “little political weight” and because their aggressor is not usually labeled as a criminal.
Comoros: Reactions of the Comoran Community to Minister's Accusation
After the French Interior Ministry stated that Comorian Community is to blame for some of the violence in Marseille[fr], the governing body of the Comoros Union is denouncing such stigmatization of their community[fr], it encourages Comoran to stay calm and fight back violence only via legal means.
Colombia: Politics in Street Art
LatAm Communiqué posts pictures of political posters, graffiti, and murals in Bogotá, Zipaquirá, Popayán, and Medellín.
Argentina: Government Returns Land to Indigenous Communities
“On Saturday, September 10th, the Argentinian government returned 9,475 hectares (more than 23,000 acres) of land to the Tehuelche and Mapuche communities living new in Las Heras (located in the northern portion of the Santa Cruz province)”, Ryan Seelau at Indigenous News reports.
Bolivia: Journalist Receives Death Threats
Tania Lara from the Knight Center's Journalism in the Americas Blog highlights the case of Mónica Oblitas, a Bolivian journalist who recently reveled on her personal blog [es] that she has received death threats. Tania explains: “‘Your days are numbered,’ was one of several telephone and e-mail messages she received...
Cameroon: Women Must Vote During Presidential Election
Le journal du Cameroun notes that “civil society organizations are rallying to encourage women to vote [fr] during the upcoming Cameroon presidential election, on October 9″.
Russia: To Vote or Not To Vote?
As the Russian parliamentary election approaches, the Internet is fast becoming the main stage for the debate on the election strategy that the Russian opposition should take. Alexey Sidorenko reports.
Brazil: American Rapper uses classic samba cover without credit
American Rapper Curren$y is being criticized by Brazilian bloggers [pt] for using Cartola’s classic cover “Verde Que Te Quero Verde” for his new work without mentioning or giving credit to one of the most important figures of Samba and Brazilian Music.
Central African Republic: ‘Letter to the Person Sending Me Death Threats’
Central African Republic blogger, Blogmandebangos, has posted a letter to the person sending him death threats [fr] for his blogging: “The truth is that I just want to be the painter of my society, a good testimony, I only write about things that happen here…I talk about the daily life we all...
Colombia: “New York Hurts More”
@RedMujeresC, the Twitter account of Red Mujeres Ciudadanas – Colombia, quotes Mare Nubium on the massacres perpetrated by illegally armed groups in Colombia [es]. The author manifests her indignation because, in her opinion, some Colombians seem to care more about the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States than...
Mexico: Mexico City Mayor and His Online Interaction with Citizens
Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubon is the mayor of the Federal District (Mexico City), headquarters of the union powers and capital city of the United Mexican States. He is becoming known for his interactions online with netizens about their claims and doubts.
Morocco: Multiple Arrests Against Activists
There has been a sudden surge in arrests among pro-democracy activists and online campaigners in Morocco in recent days. Three have occurred in the past week alone. Little has been reported in the press and it took bloggers to report on the arrests for the mainstream media in Morocco to pick up on the stories.
India, Bangladesh: Agreements Between Both The Countries
Kanak Banrman provides links to the recent agreements between Bangladesh and India which were signed during the state visit of Mr. Manmohan Singh, Indian prime Minister, to Bangladesh.
Guatemala: Following the General Election
Today, September 11, 2011, Guatemalan citizens will elect local, municipal, legislative and executive authorities. Hundreds are working from early in the morning until midnight to make democracy a reality. Although Guatemalans living abroad cannot vote, thousands of people around the world will be closely following the event using new technologies.
South Korea: Google Raided Over Alleged Antitrust Violations
Google's South Korea offices have been raided by Korean regulators for a third time on September 6, 2011, over alleged antitrust violations. The raid has reignited numerous debates online about whether it was a fair decision and what motives lie behind such harsh action.
United States: Latino Perspectives on the Anniversary of 9/11
This year marks the 10th anniversay of the attacks on New York and Washington that changed the course of history. While the media remembers the victims and this decisive moment in history, we find that the Latino blogosphere in the United States focused on the famous conspiracies theories.
