Stories about Disaster from November, 2012
40,000 Syrian Lives Lost in 20 Months
According to human rights organizations, more than 40,000 Syrians have been killed during the 20 months conflict in Syria. The violence in Syria has caused rapid deterioration of the humanitarian...
Deadly Factory Fire in Bangladesh Raises Questions of Worker Exploitation
The recent tragic fire at a clothing factory building in Ashulia, near Bangladesh Capital Dhaka, that killed more than 110 garments workers, has raised many questions. Bangladeshis are expressing their...
Bangladesh Protests Against Open Pit Coal Mining in Phulbari
In Phulbari, 350 kilometers northwest of the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, local communities have come together to raise their voices against the proposed Phulbari open pit coal mining project. If implemented,...
Coming out of the Water Closet: Haiti on World Toilet Day
Today is World Toilet Day. Of a global population of 7 billion, a staggering 2.5 billion people have no access to clean toilet facilities - that's about 1 in 3...
What is the Role of the Army in Africa Today?
The army has often played a determining but ambiguous role in the African political process. Between 1950 and 2000, 53 African countries were subject to military coups leading to regime...
Blogging the Earthquake's Aftermath from Huitán, Guatemala
The blog for the community library Mi Nuevo Mundo (My new world) from the Huitán village has been sharing photos and reports of the aftermath of the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that...
Russia's Volunteer Aid Capacity, On Vivid Display in Krymsk, Is Absent in Dagestan
In the aftermath of flood in Krymsk, Russia saw an outpouring of volunteer efforts, with civil society and representatives of different political fractions coming together to aid Krymsk's citizens. Perhaps...
Red Alert in Guatemala After 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake
Reports on the damages caused by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit off Champerico on the Pacific coast of Guatemala are coming in quickly on Twitter. Netizens are sharing photos...
A Mauritanian Blogging Week Against Foreign Mining
For a week, Mauritanian bloggers took part in a campaign entitled "Against foreign mining companies." Ahmed Ben Jedou shares with us blog posts and tweets from the campaign, which aimed...
Talking About Hurricane Sandy on Social Networks
After slamming the Caribbean, Hurricane Sandy came to the east coast of the United States on October 29, bringing with it rainfall and even snowfall in its path. As expected,...
Saudi Arabia: First Reactions to the Riyadh Explosion
A huge explosion rocked eastern Riyadh this morning, sparking a discussion on mainstream media coverage and praising Twitter for being a source of instant news. Initial reports said that a...
