Stories about Ethnicity & Race from September, 2012
Czech Republic: Roma Resist Evictions in Ostrava
This summer, Přednádraží, a small neighborhood in Ostrava, has been the site of an intense struggle against unlawful evictions of the predominantly Roma residents. Daniela Kantorova reports on the history of the area and ongoing struggle of its residents.
Jamaica: In Whose Image?
Whose conception of Jamaican identity resulted in the decision to market our country in this colour-coded way? Why are we still rubbing out black people from the big picture? Or, at best, downplaying blackness? Which Jamaica are we selling? And who to? Professor Carolyn Cooper writes about class, colorism, branding...
Why Mali's Army is Hesitant about Foreign Intervention in the North
Tiékorobani goes to great length explaining why Captain Sanogo and the Malian Army are hesitant about foreign intervention [fr] in Northern Mali. He argues that Sanogo fears that he will lose control the global military operations and that in turn, his officers might rebel against him because of his loss of...
Ukraine: Localized ‘Yes-butno’ Meme Highlights ‘Most Popular Stereotypes’
The Yes-butno meme "created to break assumptions and stereotypes that everyone makes about various cultures, genders, sexualities, etc", has gone viral on the Ukrainian segment of Facebook, thanks to Lviv-based Rost Tatomyr and his selection of the nine "most popular stereotypes about Ukraine."
Mauritania: March to Commemorate the Passing of Rights Activist
Civil rights organisation Touche pas à ma nationalité TPMN ( in English: Do not interfere with my citizenship) has called for a large march to commemorate the passing of anti-racism activist Lamine Mangane, killed a year ago by authorities in the town of Maghama during protests against a census that marginalized black citizens of Mauritania.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Hatred in the Caucasus
Murad Gassanly, an activist in exile, comments on the case of Ramil Safarov, a soldier convicted of murder in Hungary and recently pardoned in Azerbaijan, by examining how and why ethnic hatred has come to define society in both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan: Political Forces United on Pardoned Axe Murderer
In Mutatione Fortitudo says that the two main opposition parties in Azerbaijan have united behind the government in its criticism of a European Parliament ruling condemning the 31 August pardon, release, and promotion of an Azerbaijani soldier who axed to death a sleeping Armenian counterpart on a NATO Partnership for...
Guinea: Fightings Between Peuls and Malinkes Erupt in Conakry
Guinée TV1 reports that clashes between Peuls and Malinkes [fr], two of the largest ethnic groups in Guinea erupted in Madina, a borough of Conakry. Protesters blocked Conakry’s main bridge and barricaded other roadways, according to witnesses, who said security forces were deployed but did not intervene right away.
Senegal: ‘Completely White’ Whitening Cream Stirs Outrage
Lightening the skin is a common practice in Africa where the sale of skin lightening products is legal in many countries. In Senegal, a product named 'Khess Petch' is creating controversy on the web, as its name means 'complete whitenesss'.
Mauritania: The Burden of Being Black
How is it not to know what it is like to be free? To have your every waking, sleeping and living moment and your whole life and destiny in the hands of another that owns you? [..] this is not about history or a hypothetical question, but the here and now:...
United States: Spanish Stands Out in Political Conventions
In the race for the White House, the political conventions held at the end of August and beginning of September served as a showcase for the Republican and Democratic parties. This year, the conventions demonstrated the continuously growing importance of the Spanish language.
Russia: Protest Movement Struggles with Keeping Itself Democratic
Maksim Martsinkevich, who goes by the nickname Tesak (Machete), gained notoriety on the RuNet between 2005 and 2007. A white-supremacist who later spent several years in prison for inciting ethnic and religious hatred, Tesak has returned to public life and is now trying to gain access to the protest movement's internal elections.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: International Day of Peace
Following an increase in tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, locked as they are in a bitter stalemate over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, Mountains of Peace looks ahead to the International Day of Peace. […] enough is enough. It is time to make a stance, time to speak out,...
Hungary: Armenian Singer Condemns Diplomatic Failure
It seems that to some politicians money means more than the honour of their own country or their relations with other countries. This case could affect the stability of the whole region. Lángoló Gitárok, a Hungarian music blog, has published an interview [hu] with Gaya Arutyunyan, a Hungary-based singer of...
Guinea: Acts of Torture, Symptoms of a Country Still Divided
Guinea's transition from the notorious military regime of Moussa Dadis Camara towards a democratic political system has not gone smoothly. The country is still experiencing strong internal divisions as indicated by the attempted coup d'etat against the president. The rule of law is still under construction and there are numerous accounts of torture within the military.
Hollister Models Clown Koreans Via Twitter, Offending Asians
It is not the first time clothing brand Hollister went under fire for its racial gaffes. Recently, its male models tweeted several racial messages making fun of South Koreans, including photos of model posing with “Asian squinty eyes”. Korea Bang quoted a comment that read : People talk about how Hollister’s...
Madagascar: Killings Between Villagers and Gangsters Rock the Southern Region
If the rebellion in the South is not quickly resolved, we risk to see the conflict extend farther and a scenario like the partition in Mali would become a distinct possibility. Fijery opines on the current fighting [fr] in the Southern region of Madagascar. More than 100 people were killed the...
Kosovo: “Cinematic Darkness Knows No Nation”
At Kosovo 2.0 blog, Belgrade-based journalist Dušan Komarčević writes – here and here – about his July 2012 trip to Prizren, Kosovo, to attend the DOKUFEST International Documentary and Short Film Festival: […] The cinemas were filled with movie lovers from Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia,...
Zambia: Tonga Terror Claim – Real or Fake?
An apparent Zambian terror group, 'Tongas under Oath' have claimed on television to have killed three Northern Province Bemba people, including a baby. But this soon came under suspicion following state-owned newspaper coverage.
Kyrgyzstan: Two Years After the Conflict
Much like physical marks the conflict left on the city, the damage left in individual lives and on the city as a community is healing in many places—and where it doesn’t heal, it seems at least to fade into the background of other scars, other challenges. Noah Tucker on Registan.net...
Tajikistan: Xenophobia on Facebook
[O]ur society – to be more exact, that part of our society which has internet access and actively uses social networks – is increasingly witnessing the expansion and strengthening of unhealthy nationalist beliefs. Blogger Harsavor ponders [ru] the rise of xenophobia in Tajikistan, particularly among the country's Facebook users.
