· December, 2008

Stories about Freedom of Speech from December, 2008

Uganda: Being a journalist is unpredictable

  31 December 2008

Daniel Kalinaki, an editor at the Ugandan daily The Monitor, explains that being a journalist in Uganda is an unpredictable profession: this week the paper has received a letter to “present ourselves at the Criminal Investigations Directorate to assist the police investigations that a story we published in the paper...

Iran: Two bloggers in jail

  31 December 2008

Iranian judicial authorities announced that Hossein Derakhshan was being held in prison in connection with his comments about key figures of the Shiite faith.In the same time several bloggers such as Freedomvatan reported [fa] that Esmail Jafari, a journalist and blogger ‘was arrested by Iranian security agents’.

Cuba: Subsidies

  30 December 2008

As “Raúl Castro reaffirmed the idea of ending subsidies”, Generation Y observes: “Between the symbolic price of a pound of rationed rice, and the enormous ‘slice’ of our salaries taken by those who govern us, we are more the givers than the receivers of subsidies.”

Israel: Perspectives on Gaza Operation Cast Lead

  30 December 2008

The Israeli blogosphere has been massively reacting to the attacks in Gaza and the growing number of Israeli cities under rocket fire attack. Many supporting, many against and many claim that Israel ¨has no choice¨. Below are a number of different perspectives written by Israelis in the past two days....

Cuba: Waiting for Cable

  29 December 2008

The submarine cable linking Cuba and Venezuela has “a vague completion date” of 2011, but Generation Y is clear about “what this projected umbilical cord should bring us.”

Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba: City of Contradictions

  29 December 2008

Trinidadian blogger Tattoo spends Christmas in Havana and comes away with the impression that “the revolution has not achieved a new equilibrium. Instead, it has re-appropriated the inequalities inherent in any capitalist society and ensured that those in power are the haves as opposed to the have nots. And this...

Iran Review 2008

  28 December 2008

According to the Berkman Center for Internet and Society there are around 60,000 active Iranian blogs. In 2008 they have been creative, dynamic and active in their diverse fields of interest. Here are a few of them.

Turkey: Apology Shakes Apologia over Armenian Genocide

  28 December 2008

Challenging 90 years of institutionalized denial of the massacre and deportation of the Ottoman Empire's indigenous Armenian community during WWI, tens of thousands of Turkish intellectuals, academics, writers, journalists and dissidents have apologized online for the "Great Catastrophe."

2008: A turbulent year for South Asia

  27 December 2008

Looking back on the events that rocked South Asia in the year 2008 we see that terrorism took the center stage in many places in this region. This was also a year of crucial and decisive elections in many South Asian countries. The Global Voices coverages of the blogospheres of...

Northeast Asia: 2008 Review

  27 December 2008

The northeast Asia region is becoming more integrated politically, economically and socially. State leaders from China, Japan and South Korea recently signed a Joint Statement for Tripartite Partnership to address the serious challenges in the global economy and the financial markets. Peace talk between North and South Korea continues, while...

Ukraine: “A Democratic Question”

  27 December 2008

Ukrainiana writes about president Yushchenko's answer to the question that got over 85,000 online votes: “A straight question needs a straight answer. Instead, we got a rambling lecture, replete with peripheral thinking.”

Russia: The New York Times’ LJ is One Year Old

  26 December 2008

The New York Times‘ Clifford J. Levy writes on The Lede about the first anniversary of the paper's interactive Russian-language LJ blog: “The results far exceeded my expectations. The blog has received more than 26,000 comments, and has become an important tool for the newspaper to better understand and explain...

Egyptian and Tunisian Bloggers against Censorship

  26 December 2008

In December 2006 frustrated Tunisian bloggers launched the "Action Blank Post" initiative in defense of freedom of speech. Supporting bloggers from all over the world posted a blank on their blogs on the 25th of December, and now bloggers have united again in this anti-censorship tradition, as Marwa Rakha shows.

Southeast Asia: Newsmakers of 2008

  26 December 2008

For Southeast Asia, 2008 was a year of terrible disasters, both natural and man-made. Rice consumption was reduced, milk products were contaminated with melamine, jobs were lost, bloggers were arrested, and homes were destroyed. But the situation is not hopeless.

Zimbabwe: Update on Jestina Mukoko's abduction

  25 December 2008

Denford Magora's Zimbabwe Blog posted some photos of human rights activist Jestina Mukoko (who was abducted a couple of weeks ago) appearing in court yesterday accused of recruiting insurgents to topple Mugabe. A few hours later he reported that “although not being freed, it looks as though the abductees will...

Caucasus: 2008 Blog Review

  25 December 2008

Last year ended with a state of emergency declared in Georgia, but few could imagine that the events of 2008 would eclipse those of 2007. Three presidential elections, a war, and yet another state of emergency defined the South Caucasus this year, and bloggers were there to document events from...