Stories about Ethnicity & Race from August, 2011
The Balkans, Norway: Anders Breivik and Srđa Trifković
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia writes about the Balkan dimension of the July 22 terrorist attacks in Norway: “[…] [Anders Breivik] has the revelation that his path to violent idiocy began with his shock at the Kosovo bombing campaign in 1999. So to the other sets of concerns he understands...
Trinidad & Tobago: Fork in the Road for England
“Just as there are two exits in Clapham Junction station, there are two paths for England. One takes us down the road of xenophobic, society-crushing finger pointing and name-calling. The other path is to a society we all feel a part of”: Outlish posts an interesting youth perspective on the...
Haiti: Right, Wrong & the London Riots
“Of course the world is a racist, exclusionary, unfair place but there are enough people who know right from wrong…excusing violent behavior based on social class is just as bad as blaming violent behavior based on social class”: When it comes to the London riots, Haitian diaspora blogger CURRENTS BETWEEN...
Mauritania: Discrimination Plagues Census
adrar-info.net publishes an article on Mauritanian demonstrations in Paris and Mauritania, related to the current population census in Mauritania. Black Mauritanians apparently have a difficult time getting their name registered [fr]. According to Haimout Ba, the Paris based representative of UFP (Union of Forces of Progress, an opposition party), “they...
Colombia: Indigenous People March On Antioquia's Independence Day
Today, August 11, is independence day in Antioquia. More than one thousand Indigenous people are marching through the streets [es] of Medellín to reach [es] the Alpujarra [es] where the local government is located. They are calling for the right to life because in less than 3 months 16 of...
China: Tweets Didn't Start the Fire
China's main state television station has launched a second offensive against microbloggers and users of other social media, this time on the back of the recent British riots. The attack has left netizens guessing at the true motivation at play.
United States: Race Still Matters to Young People
Colorlines conducted focus group interviews with 80 young people in Los Angeles, California to find out whether race and racism is still an issue in their lives. Their detailed study is shared here: “Don’t Call Them “Post-Racial”—How Young People Actually Think About Race”.
MENA: Can a Hashtag Spread Hatred?
Over the past few days, more than 250,000 Israelis have protested in the streets of Tel Aviv and other cities over the rising costs of housing and food. Tarek Amr examines how a derogatory hashtag used by Arab Twitter users to comment on the protests in Israel has sparked debate on both sides.
The Balkans: History, Politics and Ethnic Identities
At OpenDemocracy.net, Milan Marinkovic writes about history, politics and ethnic identities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At Balkan Anarchist, Alan Jakšić writes about his own Croatian Serb identity and some of the political issues related to it.
United Kingdom: Making Sense of the London Riots
London woke up to a wave of destruction on Tuesday morning, following another night of anarchic rioting and looting. As communities clear the damage and brace themselves for more unrest, the country is trying to make sense of the events, which have highlighted deep tensions in the relationship between political leaders, the police and the communities they aim to serve.
United Kingdom: Time for #RiotCleanup in London?
After extensive looting and rioting across London and other cities in the United Kingdom since Saturday night, ordinary citizens are now looking for ways to help their cities heal. On Tuesday morning the hashtags #prayforlondon and #riotcleanup have overtaken #londonriots on Twitter.
Japan: Perspective on London Riots scale in relation to Tokyo
To get perspective on the geographical scale of the London Riots, @c50cub96 mapped a comparison to the greater Tokyo area.
United Kingdom: London Burning (Videos)
Anger over the police killing of a 29-year old man in Tottenham, north London on August 4, 2011 fueled by racial tension, has spiralled into rioting and looting by youth across London and other cities in the United Kingdom.
Trinidad & Tobago: Love, Freedom & Humanity
“The real tragedy is people who have no one to love them. I can hardly imagine how long it’s been since anyone has reassured them, you are real. You are important. You are loved. If you don’t have this then food and money and life mean nothing. That is why it...
Serbia, Kosovo, Russia: A Letter to Putin
Eric Gordy re-launches his East Ethnia blog, taking a close look, in one of the first posts, at the letter to the Russian PM Vladimir Putin, written by 21 Serbian “intellectuals”, who are asking “Russia to propose a resolution in the Security Council on the condition of Serbs of Kosovo.”
Armenia: Pagan tradition and Soviet entertainment
Ianyan features two special reports accompanied by photographs on the traditional annual water fight at the pagan temple of Garni and an old Soviet-era games arcade that remains intact and in use in the country's second largest city of Gyumri.
Bahamas: The Reality of Squatter Communities
“The deeper we delve into the so-called ‘Haitian problem’, the more we come face to face with ourselves”: Bahama Pundit‘s Larry Smith examines the squatter situation on the island, saying: “The reality is that squatters include indigenous Bahamians, Haitian-Bahamians, immigrants with work permits and illegal immigrants. But these one-dimensional labels...
Jamaica: “Emancipendence”
Jamaican bloggers discuss the country's “Emancipendence”, here and here.
Azerbaijan: Facebook hate campaign for ‘consorting’ with the ‘enemy?’
Angered by a photograph of Aynishan Guliyeva, a contestant in this year's national selection for Eurovision, standing next to an Armenian competitor during a recent regional music festival, some youth in Azerbaijan have launched a hate campaign against the singer on the popular social networking site. Created on Monday, the...
Moldova: Attack on Journalist Causes Online Debate on “Language Issue”
An incident of violence against a Moldovan journalist has brought about active online discussions regarding the long-protracted animosities between the Moldovan majority and the small Russian minority in the country.
Brazil: The Heterossexual Pride Day is Announced
Brazilian activist Alessandra Nane (@Lessinha_nane) informs [pt] that the City Council of São Paulo has just approved the Heterosexual Pride Day, a project led by evangelical leaders, to take place on the third Sunday of December. Nane ironically wonders when the “White Awareness Day”, among others, will also be approved.
