Stories about Education from May, 2008
Videos: Creativity in facing the water crisis
With two very recent natural disasters in mind: the cyclone in Myanmar and the Earthquake in Sichuan, China, the topic of getting pure and drinkable water to needy populations has come back into the conversation. Following, several videos which propose different solutions to supply clean water or at least make it easier for people to have a healthful liquid to drink.
South Korea: Teachers as Part-time Cops
CINA comments on the South Korean government education authority's move in mobilizing 800 teachers to disperse student protesters in the anti-U.S beef rally.
China: Listing Collapsed School Building
Myscnu, a teacher discussion board, tried to put together a list of collapsed school buildings in the Sichuan earthquake. So far there are about 40 in the list.
Brunei: Public and private schools
Local Freakonomics wonders why many Bruneians think private schools are better than public schools.
Trinidad & Tobago: Failed State?
Jumbie's Watch links to an article in the Trinidad Guardian which makes reference to the twin island republic as one of 96 countries “in danger of becoming a failed state”, adding: “Much work is needed in 4 areas…security, health, education, and in the judicial system.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Masquerade
“There is so much to do in Trinidad and Tobago, not just to make it a “developed” nation…but to keep it civilised, to protect what is left of its humanist traditions. And so little of the work is being done: crassness, violence, corruption and neglect are slowly but surely eating...
Cuba: International Day vs. Homophobia
“It'd be churlish to criticise Ms Castro's work on behalf of one of the most marginalised minorities in Cuba. But her ability to essentially whitewash the atrocious treatment of Cuban homosexuals over the past 50 years…is, well, breath-taking”: Child of the Revolution blogs about recent celebrations in Havana to mark...
Blogger of the Week: Jillian York
Today's Blogger of the Week celebrates the work of Jillian C York, our Morocco author, and a regular contributor to Voices without Votes. A freelance writer, blogger, and author of a guidebook to Morocco, Jillian currently lives in Boston, US, after spending two memorable years in Meknes, Morocco.
Serbia: International Day Against Homophobia
On the International Day Against Homophobia, Serbian political activist and writer Jasmina Tesanovic re-posted a statement from Labris, a Serbian lesbian human rights organization, on her blog. Sinisa Boljanovic has translated the statement.
Diaspora: Armenian-American Homophobia
Writing on its blog, The Armenian Gay & Lesbian Association of New York reports on a recent anti-homophobic event at a Glendale school and the ensuing battle of words that materialized in the local press between ethnic Armenians living in the United States.
Kuwait: Zero Hour for Elections
Kuwait is all set for its National Assembly elections on Saturday (May 17). A total of 246 male candidates and 27 female candidates are running for 50 seats in the hotly contested elections. Abdullatif AlOmar brings us a selection of posts on the elections and other matters from the Kuwaiti blogosphere.
Caucasus: Creative Commons
Social Science in the Caucasus posts more details, including a video, on Creative Commons and comments on the importance of introducing the licensing concept to the South Caucasus. My Caucasus Knot also weighs in on the significance of promoting Creative Commons in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Jamaica, Barbados: Human Rights
Jamaican Geoffrey Philp is joining in Bloggers Unite‘s awareness campaign for human rights, “especially in Jamaica where the rights of our gay men and women are denied almost daily”…while Barbados Underground chooses to “highlight the plight of many women in our own backyard.”
Guyana, USA: Speaking With Soul
Signifyin’ Guyana is enjoying reading a book about Ebonics, but says: “If I ketch any one of my students writing that way, he or she gon get a straight up F.”
Chile: Meeting with Ministry of Planning for One Computer Per Child Project
Luis Ramírez of Audentes Fortuna Luva [es] writes about his meeting with the Chilean Minister of Planning regarding the One Computer Per Child project. Ramírez writes that it was suggested that the Ministry establish “technological policies for equality.”
Paraguay: Universities for Change in the Country
“The universities should become an important pillar for president-elect Fernando Lugo on his quest to bring about change in the country,” writes Viviana Benítez Yambay of Panambi News [es]. She writes that the new Paraguayan president, as a former professor himself, should recognize the importance of higher education and provide...
Jamaica: Alluding to the Fact
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp explores the question of how to use allusions in creative writing.
Kuwait: The Elections and Phd Holders
Purgatory, from Kuwait, notes that many of those running for seats in the May 17 parliamentary elections hold Phds and high degrees.
Uruguay: Community Meeting for OLPC Information
Fernando da Rosa was in Guichón, Uruguay where the community assembled to discuss the Ceibal Project [es], and which will be one of the sites to receive the OLPC laptops. The meeting was to exchange information and to answer any questions from the excited public.
PangeaDay: Impressions from Brazil
Pangea day took place this Saturday, May 10 2008, and the world watched together a selection of films broadcast via the internet and TV simultaneously to every corner of the planet and with live broadcast in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro. See here a comprehensive wrap up: PangeaDay as seen by a Brazilian blogger.
China: Nationalism vs. nationalism in Korea
It feels like trampling on an already well-trampled Chinese flag at this point as millions have begun their Olympic host celebrations on the mainland, but carrying on from an earlier post, here is how discussion over the actions of a few Chinese students who resorted to violence as the torch...