Stories about Governance from February, 2013
Burundi: Violent Suppression of Demonstration Support for Imprisoned Journalist
The Court of Burundi revised the life sentence for journalist and Radio France International correspondent Hassan Ruvakuki on appeal, reducing his sentence to three years imprisonment. Media professionals demonstrated in sympathy weekly outside the Bujumbura Court building since the sentence was handed down until violent suppression of a march by the authorities.
Zambian Opposition Lobby for Suspension from the Commonwealth
Zambia’s opposition parties travelled to South Africa to call upon the Commonwealth to suspend the country amid claims of a deteriorating political environment.
Squatters Call Venezuela's Highrises Home
In Margarita Island, there’s Corocoro, an unfinished apartment block which was under the control of FOGADE (the State’s entity in charge of taking over assets from failed banks) until June 2009 when it was invaded. Right now, there are a thousand people living there. In Caracas Chronicles, Gustavo Hernandez Acevedo...
What India Can Learn From #Shahbag
Sandip Roy writes why India should be paying attention to its neighbors #Shahbag uprising as there is a conversation happening there which matters to everyone in South Asia.
Jailed Iranian Blogger Up for Award
Reporters Without Borders and Google announced the name of the nominees for the 2013 Netizen Prize. Shiva Nazar Ahari, Iranian female human rights activist and blogger is among the nominees. Read more about Shiva here.
Pakistan's Darkest Night On Social Media
A massive power breakdown rocked Pakistan at 11:45 pm on Sunday, 24 February 2013, plunging 70 percent of the country into darkness for 14 hours. People turned to humor on social media to make life easy during the blackout.
Brazil: Cable Car Goes Up, Houses Come Down for World Cup
The construction of a cable car for tourists in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in the Morro da Providência favela in Rio de Janeiro is kicking residents out. Demolished houses are being traded for a stipend of 400 reais (200 US dollars), and many families have been unable find a place to live.
Weary of Austerity, Portugal Sings a Song of Revolution
Thousands of Portuguese people have promised a massive anti-austerity protest on March 2, 2013. Leading up to the date, demonstrators have led a campaign to interrupt government ministers during their public appearances by singing a historic song used by revolutionaries who toppled the country's dictatorship in 1974.
A Monologue of Blood and Bullets Precedes Yemen's National Dialogue
Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi finally payed a long overdue visit to Aden on Sunday evening, February 24th, after four days of ongoing bloody clashes, which erupted between police and pro-independence demonstrators on Thursday. How will this effect the National Dialogue, scheduled to take place on March 18? Netizens weigh in as more violence shakes the country.
A Futile Gagging Order for the ‘Prisoner X’ Scandal
For a whole day, Israeli media were forbidden from reporting on the Prisoner X story, even as it was making headlines worldwide and Israelis disseminated the news in social media and blogs.
Brazil: Citizen Journalists Expose City's Unfinished Works
Project Amigos de Januária has shed light on the failure of a local Brazilian government, marred by a legacy of administrative wrongdoing and poor accountability, to complete public works projects on time.
Bulgarian Government Quits, But Protests Continue
The protests in Bulgaria continue: on Sunday, in Sofia and other cities, tens of thousands of people marched against corruption, high utility bills and poverty. Ruslan Trad reports from the Bulgarian capital.
As Japan's Star Fades, Many Struggle for Hope
As Japan's economic growth continues to shrink each year, the Japanese, who find themselves more and more disconnected from their families and friends thanks to grueling works days and the Internet's erosion of personal relationships, are finding it difficult to put on a happy face.
The Worst Companies of the Year
Here were the nominees for the Public Eye Awards, a contest listing the worst companies of the year, was published by the website Public Eye. Organized by the Berne Declaration and Pro Natura, since 2000, the awards is a counter-summit critique of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum...
Bolivia's President to Seek a Second (or Third?) Term
After Bolivia's ruling party announced that President Evo Morales will seek re-election in the next president contest scheduled for December 2014, debate ensued over whether his current term counts as his first or second, and whether the country's four-year-old constitution would allow him to run again.
Evacuate the Children of Fukushima
Parents, residents and lawyers are taking to the streets demanding that their children by evacuated from Japan's Fukushima region, where they claim radiation levels continue to be high.
Indonesia’s New Law on Mass Organizations Ignites Protest
The Indonesian Parliament is set to approve a bill that would amend the law governing mass organizations but human rights groups and experts have warned against its repressive provisions.
Senegal Balks as President Recycles Predecessor's Pal
The president of Senegal's decision to appoint a local architect, renowned for his work but notorious for his political schmoozing with previous regimes, as the head of a proposed Senegalese cultural house in New York has come under fire.
Honduran President vs. Freedom of the Press
We make no claim that the Honduran press is exceptionally reliable, or lacking in bias. But Lobo Sosa wants to stop the press from doing anything that makes his government uncomfortable, even though part of the role of a free press is just that: making the powerful uncomfortable. RNS from...
The Spanish Government's ‘Obscene’ Hashtag Makes Waves on Twitter
The Spanish governing party launched the hashtag #QuelaenseñeRubalcaba [#ShowyoursRubalcaba] in order to urge the leader of the opposition to publish his income tax return. The hashtag has been received with great furore on Twitter and became a Top Trend within a few hours. In this article we've collected some of the wittiest tweets, as well as numerous images which surfers have been uploading on the social network. [All links lead to Spanish language pages unless otherwise stated]
President Correa, “Citizens Must Control Technology”
It is increasingly important that citizens control technology. That is why we must expand the use of these open tools in our society. The Free Software Association of Ecuador has published an open letter [es] to the recently re-elected president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, encouraging him to take action and...
