Stories about Citizen Media from December, 2013
Blood on Camera: 18-year-old Syrian Dies Covering the War for Reuters
Molhem Barakat, a freelance photographer working for Reuters, was reportedly killed while covering a fight between and Bashar Al-Assad’s forces and rebels in Aleppo’s Al-Kindi Hospital. He was 18.
South Korean Military Bans ‘Arirang’, Country's Iconic and Beloved Song
South Korean Military is infamous for banning books, films and songs which they find ‘controversial’ or ‘subversive’ and their recent decision to ban the nation's most beloved and historically important songs, ‘Arirang’ (which even has the famed nickname of ‘unofficial national anthem of Korea‘) met with fierce backlash. The military explains it...
Podcast: Contemporary Art in China
Sinica podcast discusses contemporary art scene in China, including what it means to be a Chinese artist in today's China and how different things have changed in the past 20 years.
China’s Environmental News in 2013
chinadialogue looks back at the major Chinese environmental news stories from 2013: toxic water in China's northern city Handan, thousands of dead pigs in Shanghai River, and the severe air pollution. They also explored why the year of 2013 is an environmental disaster for China.
Video:Mo Money, Mo Fazhan
Laowai Style's Jesse Appell addresses the question about China's economic development with his new rap song “Mo Money, Mo Fazhan(Development)”. The rap cover topics ranging from urbanization, to hukou reform, SOEs, and tainted milk powder. Watch the video below.
PHOTOS: Brutal Crackdown by 4,000 South Korean Police is Epic Failure
Over 4,000 South Korean riot police broke into the headquarter of the nation's 2nd largest trade union center without a search warrant, angering South Korean net users.
Search Engine Suggests Kazakhstan is a “Satan's Den”
Popular web search engines often have bizarre autocomplete suggestions. Kazakhstani blogger Fyodor Kovalyov writes [ru]: Сейчас решил узнать о наиболее значимых событиях уходящего года, произошедших в разных городах Казахстана, и пришёл в тихий ужас – если верить поисковой системе Yandex.kz, то мы живём, как минимум, в логове сатаны! I have just...
DIY Galaksija Computer, Bedrock of Serbia's IT Industry, Turns 30
Thirty years ago in Yugoslavia, young inventor Voja Antonić and his team created a personal computer that users could build at home, using tools and parts readily available in stores.
#Lobbytweet, a Push for More Transparency in Germany's Politics
The initiative #Lobbytweet wants to bring more transparency into politics. With the hashtag #Lobbytweet, politicians can make their meetings with lobbyists public.
Chat is a Dirty Word in Iran? WeChat Blocked
A popular smart phone application that enables access to social media is now blocked in Iran.
Chinese University Professor Quits to Seek Academic Freedom
"I want to be responsible for my own life. The only thing you can change is yourself."
Sri Lanka's Census On War Dead – A Step Towards Transparency and Reconciliation
The Government of Sri Lanka has started a census on the deaths, missing people and damage to property in the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam affecting the Tamil minorities from 1983 to 2009. Serendipity blog hopes that the counting would be done properly: Whilst the press and...
10 Global Haiyan Relief Efforts That Touched Filipino Hearts
Small and big acts of kindness around the world have inspired typhoon survivors in the Philippines
Will Pussy Riot Fight Putin's Amnesty and Remain in Prison?
The manner in which Mikhail Khodorkovsky was freed seems to differ from what awaits Pussy Riot's Tolokonnikova and Alekhina, who have signaled some unwillingness to leave prison early.
World Forum for Democracy 2013: Connecting Citizens and Institutions
Everything you need to know about the World Forum for Democracy 2013 in Strasbourg, with some personal impressions.
Innovation: A Spell Checker for Bambara Language
Fasokan in Mali reports on the creation of an app to help spell check texts in Bambara [fr] : Il est disponible sur les traitements de texte et outils bureautiques libres et gratuit : Open Office, Libre Office, Néo Office, et sur les ordinateurs Windows, Mac, et Linux. Qu’est-ce qui...
Bangladesh Breaks Human Flag, National Anthem World Records on Victory Day
27,117 volunteers stood with red and green placards to form the Bangladesh flag. More than 300,000 people sang the national anthem.
The Challenges of Family Healthcare in Apatou, French Guiana
Henri Dumoulin, Global Voices contributor, recalls his stay in Apatou, French Guiana, located in the heart of the Amazon Forest. He explains how, as the physician of Mother and Child Health Protection programme there, he had to rely on the informal colloboration with the Suriname health system and navigate the...
38 Million Chinese Abandon Pension Insurance
The falling number of people with insurance has revealed serous problems in China’s pension system.
Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill Would Jail Gays and Lesbians for Life
The bill would also jail anyone who did not report gay people to authorities.
PHOTOS: Protesting South Korea's Election Manipulation in New York, Paris, London
South Koreans living abroad held candlelight vigils in New York, Paris and London this weekend, accusing the government bodies' manipulation of the latest presidential election