Stories about Ethnicity & Race from March, 2010
Ukraine: “Bandera Bashing Déjà Vu”
On Feb. 25, the European Parliament adopted a resolution, in which, among other things, it called on “the new Ukrainian leadership” to “reconsider” the posthumous award granted to Stepan Bandera a month earlier. In a post titled “Bandera Bashing Déjà vu,” Stepan Bandera's grandson – Steve Bandera of Kyiv Scoop...
Haiti: Two Months Later
Today marks two months since the January 12 earthquake devastated Haiti - and even in the midst of other natural disasters, bloggers still seem to be struggling to come to grips with what this tragedy actually means for the people of a nation that is often referred to as "the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere."
Jamaica: Remembering Watson
The blog of the National Gallery of Jamaica pays tribute to the late painter and sculptor Osmond Watson.
Liberia: Confusion about the cause of violence in Lofa County
Violence erupted in the towns of Voinjama and Zorzor in Liberia last week. There are conflicting reports about the cause of the conflict in which four people died. While the mainstream media reports seem to attribute the violence to religious tensions, blogger Johnny Dwyer disagrees.
Taiwan: Construction of ethnic identity
Taiwan in Cycles comments on how a man's choice to identify himself by saying, “I am not an Aborigine!” reveals about the construction of ethnic identities in Taiwan.
Azerbaijan: Youth, human rights and the Blogosphere
HumanRightsUN posts a video of part of the presentation made by Ruslan Asadov, co-founder of the OL! Azerbaijani Youth Movement [AZ/EN], at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights, Tolerance and Democracy. One of the other co-founders of OL!, video blogging youth activist Adnan Hajizade, is currently in prison on what...
Armenia: International Women's Day
Ianyan marks International Women's Day with an extended post reflecting on gender in Armenia and its Diaspora. The blogger examines several issues related to Armenian women including marriage, education, work, and sex.
Armenia-Turkey: Response to U.S. Genocide Resolution
Following last week's resolution urging the US government to recognize the 1915 massacre and deportation of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as Genocide, reaction in the blogosphere appears to be muted. However, other alternative voices are making their voices heard.
Kyrgyzstan: Who needs Kurultai of Harmony
Kyrgyz blogger writes that the government of Kyrgyzstan is planning to hold the “Kurultai of Harmony” (a mass congress of community representatives from all over the country) to be chaired by the president, but many people are wondering — does the country really need it?
USA: March 4 Day of Action to Defend Education
The March 4 National Day of Action to Defend Education is underway at several United States universities. Students are protesting against tuition fee hikes and racism, and for free publicly-funded education.
Caucasus: Women's rights
Security, in the Caucasus and beyond… prepares for International Women's Day by chronicling key developments in women's rights in the region. However, with many traditional practices slow to die out, the blog says that changes in societal values brought about during the Soviet years have been overturned since independence. In...
Sri Lanka: Rebuilding The Country
Devanesan Nesiah at Groundviews asks: “can we in Sri Lanka not find ways to bridge our much more modest but yet widening ethnic divides?”
Trinidad & Tobago: Holi
Repeating Islands reports on the celebration of Holi in Trinidad and Tobago.
Cambodia: Yuon, a racist term?
Erik W Davis discusses whether the Khmer term ‘Yuon’ has a racist connotation.
Bulgaria: A Debate on Islam
On Feb. 26, some 40 people attended a debate titled "Islam as a threat - again in fashion?", held in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Ruslan Trad translates some of the blog notes on the issues discussed.