· February, 2012

Stories about Ethnicity & Race from February, 2012

Armenia: Sumgait Pogrom Anniversary

  29 February 2012

The Armenian Observer posts the harrowing details of at least 26 ethnic Armenian victims of the Sumgait pogrom which took place on 27 February 1988 and which seriously escalated the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. Six Azerbaijanis were also killed in the inter-ethnic...

Azerbaijan: Khojaly Massacre Anniversary

  29 February 2012

As Azerbaijanis worldwide, as well as Turks in Istanbul, commemorated the 20th Anniversary of the Khojaly massacre, the most serious during the fighting with Armenia in Nagorno Karabakh during the early 1990s which left 613 civilians dead, Tamada Tales comments on the release of the full transcript of an interview...

Video Highlights: Defending Human Rights

  28 February 2012

A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories on video advocacy including indigenous rights and recent news from Latin America, East Asia, Western Europe and Sub Saharan Africa selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.

Cameroon : Say No To Tribalism

  24 February 2012

Princess Akeelah talks on her blog [fr] about an online campaign launched to fight against Tribalism in Cameroon. In a country where it is estimated that 280 different ethnic groups live together, she explains that this diversity is a wealth and should be “the foundation of a National Union”.

Brazil: Quilombo Community in Bahia About to Be Evicted

  22 February 2012

One of the oldest slave descendent communities in Brazil, Quilombo Rio dos Macacos, has a date for its eviction: March 4, 2012. The claim for the land comes from the Navy of Brazil, that intends to broaden a condo for its officers in that territory, in the state of Bahia.

Guatemala: Speaking Out on the Genocide of Indigenous Women

  22 February 2012

The 36 year civil war (1960-1996) that ravaged Guatemala left more than 200,000 people dead and at least 100,000 women raped: most of the victims were Mayan. Finally, the sexual violence perpetrated against Mayan women is being investigated as part of the genocide proceedings taking place in Spanish tribunals.

Kuwait: Struggle of the Bedoon Takes Root Online

  22 February 2012

Since the beginning of the so-called Arab Spring, that has brought to the forefront the atrocities Arabs face at the hands of their ruling clans, Kuwait's stateless population, which numbers more than 120,000, has been struggling to make its voice heard. Stateless blogger Mona Kareem has taken the struggle online.

China: Tibetan Matches

  22 February 2012

A satirical cartoon on the self-immolation of Tibetans and the conflict situation in Tibet. By Gianfranco Uber at Cartoon Movement.

Peru: New Racism Incident Ignites Debate on Social Networks

  21 February 2012

A movie theater in Lima became the scene of a case that public opinion quickly deemed another example of the ongoing problem of racism in Peru: a 13-year-old boy uttered racist insults at a couple who had asked him and his friends, who were kicking up a fuss, to be quiet. The attitude of the boy and what came to pass afterward have let loose numerous online reactions.

United States: Another Assault on Immigrant Culture

  20 February 2012

The decision to eliminate the Mexican-American studies program from the curriculum of schools has caused outrage. Yarisa Colón covers several initiatives that have been launched to stop this act of censorship against the culture of immigrants in the United States.

Azerbaijan: Sari Gelin

  20 February 2012

Əli Novruzovun bloqu [AZ] writes a review on a new novel penned by Ali Akbar, author of “Artush and Zaur,” the controversial tale of a homosexual love affair between an Armenian and Azerbaijani. In his new book, “Sari Gelin, Akbar takes his readers on the complicated journey of a young girl...

France: Racial Profiling by Police Officers

  15 February 2012

The Local blog posts a Human Rights Watch report that states : “French police use broad powers to conduct abusive identity checks on black and Arab young men and boys despite the absence of any evidence of wrongdoing, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.”

Martinique: All together around Creole

  15 February 2012

The Creole language in the Caribbean and the cooperation between islands were recently discussed during the Creole-speaking Regions Days, as explained in this post on Tous Créoles [Fr Cr/Fr]. One of the most debated issues was a visa waiving program between the French Caribbean islands and the rest of the...