Stories about Governance from December, 2013
Human Trafficking in Southeast Asia
The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development has published a policy briefer that tackled the extent of human trafficking in Southeast Asia. Many Southeast Asian countries are at the bottom of a lot of the world's supply chains, including for food, garments, and technology. Yet few countries in...
South Korean Pres. Vows Pre-emptive Strikes on Social Media Rumors
Is South Korea government gearing up toward social media censorship? The latest official remark by President Park (full transcript [ko]) had Korean net users worried. Park, addressing “those rumors spreading via social media”, said “if the government let these things happen, it will bring chaos nationwide” and added “bear in mind that...
The Amazon, a Story of Destruction in the Name of Development
On December 2013, Agência Pública news agency launched 'Public Amazon', its first book of journalistic reports in Portuguese, with a debate to discuss the region's dilemmas.
Contemplating Nelson Mandela's Legacy in South Asia
"Nepali leaders have a lot to learn from Mandela's statesmanship, integrity, and lack of political ambition."
9 Things the Russian Government Says Are “Gay Propaganda”
Russian state censors have revised the criteria for identifying information online that supposedly endangers minors. One new report tries to clarify the definition of "gay propaganda."
An Open Letter to Arvind Kejriwal
Satire blog AmreekanDesi writes an open letter to the newly elected chief minister of Delhi, anti-corruption crusader Arvind Kejriwal: Now that you’ve given us this hope, please don’t let us down. Please don’t become another party that goes giddy with the prospect of power. Please don’t become a party that...
What It's Like Growing Up In The Maldives?
Journalist and blogger Hilath Rasheed shares a Maldivian's thoughts in Facebook on “How is it like growing up in Male'/Maldives”: From Ibrahim Lirar: The most honest answer I can give now is that “it is scary and constricting”. Information was so tightly control until recently. Very few among us grew...
Vladimir Milov “On Khodorkovsky”
Vladimir Milov is an energy sector expert and former Deputy Energy Minister of the Russian Federation. RuNet Echo translates his reaction to Mikhail Khodorkovsky's release from prison last week.
Brazilian Ruralists Hold ‘Auction for Resistance’ Against Indigenous Land Claims
An auction in Mato Grosso do Sul raised one million Brazilian reals for armed security on farms "against indigenous occupations. Ruralists claimed the funds would not finance a militia.
IMF Silent on Corruption in Cambodia?
Jessica Evans of the Human Rights Watch criticized International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde for being silent about Cambodian's corruption problem when the IMF leader visited the country early this month: Lagarde missed a major opportunity in Cambodia to highlight governance problems, but she can right this by speaking out...
Killing of Two Demolition Officials by Chinese Veteran Farmer Wins Public Sympathy
The arrest of an old farmer for killing two men sent to evict his family in the east China city of Suzhou has provoked outcry on China’s social media.
Victim of China's One-Child-Policy, 7-year-old Boy Plans Revenge
As a result of one-child policy, many children do not have proper government-issued identification and documentation and are deprived of rights to free education and other social services. A recent report on the problem of undocumented children included an interview with a 7-year-old boy who said when he grows up...
Impact Of Social Media In The Delhi Elections
Prior to the Delhi Legislative Assembly election (4 December 2013) the Delhi Election Commission vowed to monitor the social media for political campaigns looking for breach of model code of conduct by the candidates. However the commission later said that there were loopholes in monitoring and it is virtually “impossible”...
7 Rallies that Rocked Southeast Asia in 2013
Several Southeast Asian governments were confronted with big street protests in 2013. In Thailand, street protesters are still actively pushing for the ouster of the incumbent government
Emptying Russia's Prisons to Fill the Seats at Sochi 2014
Many Russian bloggers believe that the 2014 Olympics in Sochi played a major role in the early release of both Greenpeace activists and Pussy Riot, as well as Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Iran: Revolutionary Guards “Hacked” Opposition Sites
Revolutionary Guards in Kerman province claims its cyber forces hacked nine opposition sites. A few weeks ago, several netizens were arrested in Kerman,accused of acting against national security and collaborating with foreign networks, providing content for counter-revolutionary sites.
Former Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko Officially Supports #Euromaidan Movement
According to her official website, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has officially joined the Maidan Civil Movement, a newly formed civilian organization stemming from the Euromaidan movement, just as the protest that began in Ukraine in November 2013 enters its second month. Tymoshenko, jailed in 2011 for allegedly “exceeding...
Sri Lanka's Census On War Dead – A Step Towards Transparency and Reconciliation
The Government of Sri Lanka has started a census on the deaths, missing people and damage to property in the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam affecting the Tamil minorities from 1983 to 2009. Serendipity blog hopes that the counting would be done properly: Whilst the press and...
World Forum for Democracy 2013: Connecting Citizens and Institutions
Everything you need to know about the World Forum for Democracy 2013 in Strasbourg, with some personal impressions.
The Challenges of Family Healthcare in Apatou, French Guiana
Henri Dumoulin, Global Voices contributor, recalls his stay in Apatou, French Guiana, located in the heart of the Amazon Forest. He explains how, as the physician of Mother and Child Health Protection programme there, he had to rely on the informal colloboration with the Suriname health system and navigate the...
Despite Passage of India's Anti-Corruption Lokpal Bill, Public Mistrust Remains
The bill in its current form is disputed as toothless and has serious loopholes, which puts the complainant in a disadvantageous position.
