Stories about Digital Activism from February, 2009
Cuba: “Boring Home”
The book Boring Home, which was banned at the 2009 Havana International Book Fair, is now available on the Internet. Cuban bloggers talk about it here, here and here.
Trinidad & Tobago: Eyes Wide Shut
Although Slacker says that Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is an intrinsic part of him, he cannot, in all good conscience, participate in the national festival: “Not when the murder toll as at yesterday stood at 84…a rate of 1.75 a day; not when press freedom and freedom of expression is...
Puerto Rico: Declining Economy
Dondequiera lists ten reasons that Puerto Rico's economy will continue to decline.
Trinidad & Tobago: Facing Down Facebook
“While I have a tendency to be critical of social networks and the companies that run them, it appears Facebook – at the least – is listening”: Trinidadian blogger Taran Rampersad is back on Facebook after learning that its Terms of Service have been changed back to what they were...
Caribbean: Economic Effects
Keith in Trinidad says that “it is troubling that we seem so oblivious to the meltdown that's occurring” in Martinique and Guadeloupe, while Living Guyana cites the many examples of regional economic discord to add weight to his question of whether “Guyana's tenuous economy will be negatively affected.”
Jamaica, Spain: Considering the Environment
As the King and Queen of Spain visit Jamaica, Snailwriter is concerned about what an alliance between the two countries could mean for the environment: “‘Spanish hotels have become part of the geography of Jamaica and they are here to stay.’ And that is the tragedy. When the economic downturn...
Egypt: Bloggers Take on the “Sons of Zion”
The bombs on Gaza may have stopped falling, but a fierce cyber battle continues, with bloggers on both sides of the fence mobilising their troops to 'obliterate' the presence of the other - at least online. Marwa Rakha taps into the Egyptian blogosphere to present to us another facet of this war.
Kazakhstan: A Kazakh Video Tube
On St. Valentine’s Day, February 14, a Kazakh video hosting project Kaztube.kz came to life. Dozens of videos with congratulations from celebrities and government officials had been uploaded for the opening of the website. Even the prime minister congratulated on the opening of new service — such PR is unheard...
Argentina: Justice for Daniel Jadra
The family of Daniel Jadra has a blog calling for justice [es] in his unsolved murder. Jadra was killed in a robbery attempt in Nequén.
Russia, EU: “Policy-Media Interaction” and Blogging
Vilhelm Konnander posts his reflections on Russia-focused blogging and “policy-media interaction”: “So, by the end of the day, there is little room for deviance as the public policy-media discourse evolves. When one, to the contrary, gets one's message across, there is no saying how it will be processed by its...
Belarus: Feb. 14 Peaceful Protest
Belarusan American Blog writes about the dispersal of the Feb. 14 peaceful protest in Minsk.
French Caribbean: Strikers Bloggers
Nowadays, no mass movement can ignore the importance of public relations and the social crisis in Martinique and Guadeloupe is no exception, according to Collectif5février [Fr, Martinique] and LKP and Elie Domota [Fr, Guadeloupe].
Iran: Mapping change of Iranian blogosphere
Discover a new mapping of Iranian blogosphere thanks to Bruce Etling and John Kelly.
Iran: A new competition for bloggers
Ghomar Asheghaneh,an Iran based blogger, writes[fa] that a group called “Human Rights Activists in Iran” has organised a competition for Iranian bloggers who cover human righst issues.
Caribbean: WICB Woes
Caribbean bloggers continue to be humiliated by the incredible faux pas by the West Indies Cricket Board and are calling for some key figures to resign.
Barbados: Anti-Money Laundering Authority
“I can find little evidence to suggest that AMLA is ‘fully operational’ or even that it exists”: Barbados Money Laundering Advisory has more questions than answers about the Barbados Anti-Money Laundering Authority.
Anguilla: What Rubbish!
Corruption-free Anguilla takes a scenic drive around the island and is appalled by what he sees.
Bermuda: Stem Cell Research
As news breaks that a stem cell research facility will be allowed to operate under “guidelines” from the Ministry of Health, Vexed Bermoothes says: “Stem cell research and treatments are a sensitive field in health care. Bermuda should only allow their use in our jurisdiction once proper regulations are in...
Guyana: Cabinet Carbon Credits?
“How hypocritical is it for President Bharrat Jagdeo to fly around the globe with his begging cup in hand for carbon credits when he and his Cabinet are setting no example whatsoever here at home?”: Living Guyana says that “when President Jagdeo orders his entire Cabinet to dispose of their...
Japan: Hetalia Axis Powers and the limits of parody
Hetalia, a satirical manga set mainly during the Second World War and featuring national protagonists of that era, has attracted attention among both domestic and international audiences for its caricature of world nations. In this post, read reactions in translation from bloggers in both Japan, where the manga originated, and in Italy, the country most strongly ridiculed.
USA: Native Americans, “Yes we can”
Kept invisible for centuries, Native Americans in the United States are increasingly using blogs and online citizen media to promote and preserve their rights and traditional ways of life. With the election of President Awe Kooda Bilaxpak Kuuxshish (Barack Obama’s adopted Crow Tribe name) indigenous peoples see new reasons to be optimistic.
