· April, 2012

Stories about Governance from April, 2012

Guinea-Bissau: International Reactions to the Military Coup

  30 April 2012

Following the military coup in Guinea-Bissau, on April 12, Angolan Foreign Policy Professor Belarmino Van-Dúnem wrote an analysis [pt] on the roles of the Armed Forces and the international community. ECOWAS talks to restore civilian rule during the weekend resulted on the decision to impose sanctions on the military junta....

Martinique: Where has Creole gone?

  30 April 2012

On Martinican collective blog Montray Kreyol, a recent post [Fr/Fr Cr] wonders why Martinique 1ère [Fr], which is the local relay of the French National Broadcast Network, Fance Television [En], has almost no Creole language spoken on air.

Côte d'Ivoire: Regarding Free Medical Care

  29 April 2012

Suy Kahofi writes [fr] on Africa Vox about free medical care in  Cote d'Ivoire : “The completely free care has, certainly, relieved the people, but it has been marred by problems : shortages in the supply of drugs, lack of nursing staff… The health professionals themselves  do not seem to...

India: Protests Against the New IT Rules

  28 April 2012

In April 2011 the Indian government quietly issued amendments to the IT rules restricting web content that are designated as “disparaging,” “harassing,” “blasphemous” or “hateful.” The Indian netizens are campaigning against it online and are organizing street protests.

Philippines: Demolition of Urban Poor Village Sparks Indignation

  28 April 2012

At least one person was killed and scores were injured after police forces fired on protesting residents of Silverio Compound in Paranaque City, south of Manila, who were defending their homes from being demolished. The violent demolition has sparked a wave of indignation online.

Panama: New Law Establishes Ministry of Culture

  26 April 2012

On April 24, 2012, the National Assembly of Panama approved yesterday the "Law of Culture", which among other things elevates the National Institute of Culture to the Ministry of Culture. The main sponsor of the law, Deputy Jose Blandon announced it yesterday on Twitter, which became a reflection of the Panamanians that approved the bill.

Accused of Molesting Children, Iranian Diplomat Leaves Brazil

  25 April 2012

An Iranian diplomat based in the capital of Brazil, Brasilia, was accused of molesting underage girls at a swimming pool on April 14, 2012. While Iran's embassy denied the allegations, and said they were the result of a "cultural misunderstanding", netizens both from Iran and Brazil didn't take long to react.

Madagascar: Rare Deposit-Rich Land Sold to French-German Group

  25 April 2012

French group Rhodia and German company Tantalus announced the signing of a Letter of Intent to exploit a 300 km-long region filled with rare deposits [fr] in the Ampasindava peninsula in the North-West of Madagascar. The group expects to produce 15,000 tons a year within the next 18 months, a total...

Portugal: Citizens Prepare Peaceful Protests for April 25

  24 April 2012

Though peaceful protests are scheduled for April 25 throughout Portugal (a national holiday that marks the end of dictatorship in 1974), mainstream media reported [pt] that “police prepares zero tolerance”. For Miguel Cardima from the blog Arrastão, the news intends [pt] to “insufflate fear” and to “justify violence in anticipation”. In...