Stories about Governance from April, 2011
East Timor: Tourism potential
EngageMedia uploads a video which features the tourism potential of Dili, East Timor and the problems of the tourism sector in the country.
Serbia: Bloggers Discuss Plans to Erect Monument to Late Azeri President
One of Belgrade's nicest parks has recently got renovated - thanks, partially, to a donation of 2 million euros by the Azerbaijani government. The news that has been stirring controversy these past few weeks among Serbian bloggers is the condition for this gift: in return for the donation, a monument to Heydar Aliyev, the former president of Azerbaijan, will have to be erected in the park.
Cuba: Reflection on the Communist Party Congress
Blogger and journalist Elaine Díaz reflects [es]on the VI Congress of the Communist Party: “[…] The future Cuba should be built ‘by all and for the good of all’ from a horizontal and open relationship between the historical avant-garde that made possible the 1959 triumph and the new generation of...
Barbados: Barrow's Beach
Mullins Bay Blog wonders how one of the country's national heroes “would…have graded his heirs and successors, …who sat idly by and did nothing as the sand disappeared and coconut trees were unearthed and toppled at Kings Beach.”
North Korea: Rumors and Superstitions Surrounding Former US President Carter
Former US President Carter visited the North Korea to resolve the country's nuclear issues, but failed to meet North Korea's reclusive leader, Kim Jong-il. A North Korean insider report, Open Radio for North Korea wrote about superstitions surrounding Carter and how he gained “an inauspicious individual” status in the North.
Peru: Second Electoral Round Kicks Off
A few weeks before the second round of elections in Peru, the choice between candidates Ollanta Humala and Keiko Fujimori, the growing polarisation in Peruvian society, and ultimately from the electorate, is as notable in the press as it is on social networks.
Iran: Islamist bloggers divided over Ahmadinejad-Khamenei rift
It appears from Iranian Islamist blogs that the honeymoon between Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Islamic Republic's Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is finally over. Some reject Ahmadinejad is favor of the Supreme Leader while others show unwavering support for Ahmadinejad.
Honduras to Implement ‘One Laptop Per Child’ Program
RNS in Honduras Politics and Culture says that the plan to give one XO laptop to every child in Honduras “would be ideal for deployment in Honduras.” However, the blogger shows some skepticism: “At the actual cost [$199], the original $3 million investment would buy 15075 XO laptops, not the...
Cuba: Bloggers Reflect on Reforms at Communist Party Congress
The sixth congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), which was recently held in Havana, may have marked a major turning point for the Cuban economic system, and for Cuban society at large. Bloggers in Cuba, and those who follow Cuba from other parts of the world, offered a diverse range of reactions.
Poland: Decrease of corruption
Michael Dembinski of W-wa Jeziorki notes that corruption in Poland continues to decrease in contrast to many other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, according to a recent article in The Economist.
Russia: New round in the TNK-BP row
Streetwise Professor points to the parallel buyout of a partner in TNK-BP oil company by the Russian state oil company Rosneft and British Petroleum, with the abolition of a tax release, possibly resulting in decreased company value for the upcoming sale.
Ukraine: Memories and Photos of Chernobyl in August 1986
Aleksandr Strannik (LJ user av-strannik) arrived at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in mid-August of 1986, some four months after the April 26 blast at Reactor #4, to assist in the clean-up effort. Twenty-five years later, he is sharing some of his memories and photos from that time.
Zimbabwe: Bloggers Discuss President Mugabe's Legacy
Zimbabwe is a country where public discussion about the President's health or a future without him can land one into jail. Blogs have become the only forum where "sensitive" political issues can be discussed by Zimbabwean netizens.
Ukraine: “Twenty-five years ago – Chornobyl – Where were you?”
uaMuzik and Nash Holos blog about the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe.
Hungary: Hungarian-Roma Tensions Result in Clash in Gyöngyöspata
Last night, four people were injured in a clash between ethnic Hungarian members of the far-right group Véderő and members of the Roma community in the village of Gyöngyöspata. Contradictory accounts have been published in the Hungarian media about how exactly the fight started - and neither of the communities has taken responsibility for the clash.
Madagascar: Here We Go Again with Land Grabbing, minus the Outrage
Tananews reports that the government of Madagascar leases out land for 50 or more years at prices as low as $15 per acre a year (fr) to Indian farmers (via the IndiaTimes). The blog wonders why such stories fail to stir up the same outrage at the national and international...
Macedonia: New Laws to Have an Adverse Impact on Cultural Heritage
An archaeologist blogger reacts to the new legislation that legalizes illegal construction in Macedonia, including buildings that destroy historical heritage sites.
India: Deabating The Draft Internet Control Rules
Nikhil Pahwa at Medianama debates the changes in the cyber law in India which is waiting to be passed soon. In his opinion “these rules give the Indian government the ability to gag free speech, and block any website it deems fit, without publicly disclosing” who did it or why...
South Sudan: Taking Prevention Message to Times Square
According to Sally Smith South Sudan takes its message to Times Square: “As we inch closer to July 9, the date when South Sudan will become the world's newest independent country, the Sudan Now campaign is working hard to remind everyone – from average citizens to world leaders – that...
Russia: Regions Reduce Digital Divide
More than 90 percent of new users are not from Moscow or Saint-Petersburg, Yandex regional Internet development report says [ru]. Authors note a significant increase in Internet use nation-wide, 30-60 percent decrease in broadband prices, 10 percent raise of everyday user share. The report, quite optimistically forecasts that country's Internet...
Hungary: For Gyöngyöspata's Roma, Evacuation – or an Easter Excursion?
First, there were the rumors of a right-wing paramilitary group's plans to hold training in the village of Gyöngyöspata. Then came the local mayor's resignation. Then on April 22, some 300 Roma women and children left the village. While media used the word 'evacuation' to describe what happened, government officials claimed the Roma had been taken on an Easter weekend holiday trip.
