Stories about Digital Activism from December, 2007
Jordan: Debut Post
Jordanian Mohammad Azraq announces his debut post covering the Jordanian blogosphere at Global Voices Online here.
Kuwaiti Publisher in Court
The Kuwait authorities levied charges of libel against Dr. Saad bin Tifla [translate], the publisher of the first online newspaper in the Gulf – Alaan – citing their Press & Publications Law of 2006, reports Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif.
Dominica: Bhutto's Son
Living Dominica is touched by the words of Benazir Bhutto's son and wonders “what the world would be like today if American leaders had spoken words like this in the wake of 9-11″.
Barbados: Homophobia
“In the Caribbean we are confused and hypocritical in our attitudes toward sex in general”: Living in Barbados blogs about the region's lack of tolerance for homosexuality.
Hong Kong: Top News in 2007 Blogosphere
As the year end is approaching, local blogger sidekick has her picks of "Top News in Hong Kong 2007 Blogosphere". She also calls for more comments and suggestions for the year end round up. Below is a translation of her selection:
Antigua: Fixing Crime
Talk Antigua thinks that crime is destroying the country “and no one seems to be doing anything about it.”
Barbados: Retired Immigration Chief Shot Dead
Both Barbados Free Press and Barbados Underground report on the murder of former Chief Immigration Officer Kenrick Hutson.
Lithuania: Blogger-Politician
Lituanica links to an English-language blog of “one of the most PR conscious Lithuanian politicians, ex-Vilnius Mayor Artūras Zuokas.”
Israel: Journalists Face Possible Jail Time for Visits to Enemy States
Three Israeli journalists who visited Lebanon and Syria are facing possible jail time for visiting nations that the government terms “enemy states.” Lisa Goldman, Ron Ben-Yishai, and Tsur Shezaf have been investigated and will spend a maximum of four years in jail if found guilty. Here's the reaction from Israel's English speaking blogs.
Puerto Rico: Prayer for Bhutto
“What a great lost to the world is the assassination of this heroic woman who sought only to bring peace to her people”: The Voice of the Taino People calls for “a minute of prayer” in memory of Benazir Bhutto.
Trinidad & Tobago: Permaculture
Sharon Millar at My Chutney Garden interviews Johnny Stollmeyer – “a conceptual artist/deep ecologist working on issues of sustainability.”
Jamaica: Qualified Unemployment?
Francis Wade republishes a letter to the editor by a returning Jamaican national who can't get a job in order to make a point about why educated Jamaicans remain abroad.
Trinidad & Tobago: Stop the Traffic
“How can an island of 2 million people with an area the size of London have major traffic problems?”: Seldo.com blogs about the gridlock in Trinidad's capital city.
Barbados: Issues with LIAT
“Considering the massive investment the Barbadian taxpayer has made in LIAT, its difficult to understand why our Minister of Tourism does not represent ‘our’ interests on the board”: A reader writes in to Barbados Underground, drawing attention to the inefficiencies with one of the major regional carriers.
Kazakhstan: Faster Internet
Arseny reports on the prospected new requirements for ISPs in Kazakhstan and opines on the possible changes in their tariffs.
China: 1Bao Blocked
In Dec 26, 1bao was blocked again, Zhai Minglei said he would continue to write and wait for the blog to be unblocked again (zh).
Bolivia: Just Say Yes to the New Constitution
Like the political crisis in Bolivia, blogs have also taken a break for the Christmas and New Year holidays. After the new year has passed, debate regarding the new Constitution and regional autonomies may find itself on the new collective blog site called El Taparaku, which has pledged to support the new document and campaign for a Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum.
The Balkans: B92 and Milošević
In a somewhat roundabout way, Alan Jakšić of Balkan Anarchist tells of how B92 radio, site and blogs have helped him to change his mind about Slobodan Milošević.
Trinidad & Tobago: Remembering Bhutto
“While she was far from perfect, and her government was plagued by corruption, I will always remember her as she was when she first came to power in the late 1980s, as a symbol of hope and democracy”: Further Thoughts pays tribute to Benazir Bhutto.
Bahamas: Theatre and Democracy
Nicolette Bethel agrees with artistic director Oskar Eustis that “The same emotion that is required for theatre to work is the emotion that is required for democracy to work — the idea we need to care about each other’s experience.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Slang
Jumbie's Watch responds to a Letter to the Editor that he finds “doltish”.
