Stories about Citizen Media from January, 2014
Qaraqalpaqstan, the ‘Forgotten Stan’ of Central Asia
Qaraqalpaqstan (or Karakalpakstan) is one of the least-known “stans” of Central Asia. Part of Uzbekistan, this region is a true gem for a curious traveler. On the Caravanistan blog, Steven writes about this “forgotten stan”: …Living under the shadow cast by the desiccation of the Aral Sea, this little-known stan has gotten...
Trinidad & Tobago: Evading Exercise
Diaspora blogger Afrobella lists “the dumbest excuses we make to avoid exercising.”
“There Are No Other Problems” in Tajikistan Besides Name Games
More than a week after Tajikistan's Prosecutor General made a controversial statement about “unpatriotic” surnames, Internet users in the country continue debating whether the ending of one's surname is a good measure of the person's level of patriotism. Many netizens, however, are angry about the fact that the Prosecutor General...
Ukrainian #DigitalMaidan Activism Takes Twitter's Trending Topics by Storm
As Euromaidan protests enter their third month, Ukrainian social media users and activists are finding new ways of using Internet tools to explain their plight and seek international support.
Russian Conspiracy Theories about Maidan's First Blood
Given the lack of eyewitnesses, the murder of Serhiy Nigoyan, Maidan’s first shooting fatality, has naturally attracted lots of speculation about who was responsible.
Nine Questions for Arien Chang Castán, a Photographer from Havana
"This damned Havana is a double-edged sword, which I thank for who I am and what I do," says Arien Chang Castán.
What Does Climate Change Mean to You? Documentary Competition
Young filmmakers from all over the world are invited to produce and submit a 1-12 minute video documentary telling a story about climate change. What the #Action4Climate video challenge wants to know is: How is climate change impacting your community? What are you doing about it? What needs to be done to...
Tunisia's Constituent Assembly Adopts New Constitution
It was a historic day for Tunisia, which voted in favour of a new constitution, three years after the ousting of its dictator, at the beginning of the Arab revolutions.
Nicaraguan Micro-Fiction by Alberto Sánchez Arguello
Blogger Mildred Largaespada of 1001 Trópicos [es] writes about Alberto Sánchez Arguello, a Nicaraguan writer who shares his micro-stories through his Twitter account @7tojil [es]. “He is definitely an outstanding representative of Central American writers 2.0 who use new formats and genres”, she writes. Mildred also shares two micro-stories written...
Journalism, Cuban Style
Iván's File Cabinet shares some of the must-haves if you want to be a journalist in Cuba.
Jamaicans Deserve Details About Proposed Logistics Hub
You are being manipulated. Jamaicans are effectively begging and paying their government for vital information about their country. How can we accept this? Talk of developing an environmentally protected area of Jamaica as a major logistics hub has Cucumber Juice up in arms, as she says key information is not...
Skepticism and Expectation Ahead of Ruling on Maritime Boundary Between Chile and Peru
On January 27, 2014, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague will announce a decision on the dispute about maritime delimitation between Peru and Chile.
Outdoor Air pollution in Bhopal
Proloy Bagchi reports that outdoor air pollution in Bhopal, the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, has risen to an alarming proportion mainly from the emission of the transports. The blogger slams at the inaction of the state government and stresses the importance of reducing this pollution. According...
The Other Side of Social Media
That’s Twitter – it makes a joke out of serious issues and takes jokes seriously. - comments blogger Purba Ray while discussing Sunanda Pushkar’s sudden death who underwent a Twitter spat with a Pakistani journalist. The unusual death of the wife of Indian minister Shashi Tharoor has created a lot...
Cries of Discrimination as Israel Detains Undocumented African Immigrants
Many have fled their home countries for Israel and are seeking refugee status. The detentions have unleashed a wave of demonstrations in Tel-Aviv.
Bangladesh Gets Its First LGBT Magazine, ‘Roopbaan’
"Finally Bangladesh is prospering. I had to leave Bangladesh for being gay, now I feel like going back and do[ing] something there."
Four Biggest Misconceptions About #Euromaidan Protests in Ukraine
Ucrainica Marginalis published an overview of the four largest misconceptions about #Euromaidan, written by scholars Sofiya Grachova & Stephen A. Walsh. What this overview points out is the vast gap between how international media and outside spectators view what is happening and the message that Ukrainians involved in Euromaidan protests...
Online Mapping of Spreading Unrest After Killing of Protesters in Ukraine
During violent clashes between Euromaidan protesters in Kyiv and police, two protesters were killed. Mass anti-government protests erupted in several regions of Ukraine and spread quickly through the country.
Independent Ukrainian Filmmakers Create #Euromaidan Documentaries
In Ukraine, several filmmakers united to produce a video chronology of the events that came to be known as the Euromaidan protests. “BABYLON'13”, named after a bar in which the filmmakers came up with the idea for the project, is a collection of short documentaries reflecting the development of the...
Brazil's Evolving Relationship With Refugees
The number of refugees accepted into Brazil practically tripled from 2012 to 2013.
Chinese-Style ‘Tiger’ Parenting Triggers Complaints Among Younger Generation
"[They] kill innocence during children's’ childhoods, kill our romance during adolescence and kill our will during our youth."
