Stories about Governance from February, 2011
Armenia: Homophobia as propaganda?
Unzipped: Gay Armenia, one of two blogs written by Mika Artyan, comments on remarks by a major opposition politician linking emigration to homosexuality ahead of this week's rally to call for regime change. The activist blogger, one of the most prominent covering the 2008 presidential election in Armenia as well...
Bahrain: Minor Ministerial Changes
Ministerial changes were announced in Bahrain last night to appease protesters calling for reforms since February 14. Here are reactions to the changes, which are yet to be officially announced.
Russia: Internet Freedom As Cold War 2.0
Gregory Asmolov analyzes bloggers' reactions to the Internet Freedom speech by Hillary Clinton.
Armenia: Apathy or revolution?
Footprints compares the situation in Armenia with that in Egypt, but says that despite the problems it is unlikely a similar uprising will occur. In particular, the blog blames apathy among the youth and a fractured opposition.
Egypt: Revolution's Not Over, Army Attacks Protestors
One month after a revolution began to demand political reform, Cairo's Tahrir Square was again the scene for bloody violence as the Egyptian army moved to quash continued protests for civilian rule. Two weeks since the ouster of dictator Hosni Mubarak, Egypt remains grappled in a tug of war between protestor demands for immediate democratic reform and a potent military refusing to cede power.
Haiti: Challenges & Hopes
Kevin Fortuna at Concern Blogs visits Haiti and writes about his experience.
Yemen: “Our blood is not cheap” (Videos)
Tens of thousands of protesters across Yemen rallied for and against President Ali Abdullah Saleh after Friday prayers. Two protesters were shot dead in Yemen's second-largest city Aden on Friday, February 25, in what appears to be confrontations between anti-Saleh groups and police. At least 34 others have been wounded, mostly by live gunfire.
Trinidad & Tobago: Political Developments
Jumbie's Watch mulls over a few political developments, saying: “The more things change, the more they remain the same, not so?”
Kenya: #KenyaFeb28: Online Call to Nationalism
Monday 28, February 2011 seems to be significant for Kenya's netizens. Kenyans have been using Twitter, Facebook and even email to discuss whether they should use the twitter hashtag #KenyaFeb28 to marshal protest over political issues or whether the same platform should be utilized to spur a sense of nationalism.
Côte d'Ivoire: The Difficult Legacy of Houphouët-Boigny
To better understand the origins of the current political crisis in Côte d'Ivoire, it is necessary to place recent events in their post-colonial context. Anna Gueye traces the history of the Ivorian political crisis and the reactions of bloggers in the face of the latest news.
East Timor: Recruitment of soldiers
East Timor officials claim that young people who want to join the Defense force are on the rise.
Macedonia: Reactions to Government’s Anti-Abortion Campaign
The Macedonian government’s campaign for “explaining the consequences of abortion,” re-started during the winter holidays, incited reactions by bloggers and civil society organizations, which mainly interpret it as an attempt to take Macedonia back to the Middle Ages.
USA: From Utah to Egypt, Ideas for the Net
In Utah, the blog Etopianews encourages U.S. secretary of state Hilary Clinton consider how to involve citizens more actively in democratic governance using the internet, rather than merely offering support for online social movements in places like Tunisia and Egypt.
Peru: Controversy Over Removal of Anonymity in Electoral Polls
A new policy preventing opinion polls from being conducted anonymously caused a storm in the press and on social networking sites. Finally, faced with a barrage of questions from the public and the press over its conduct, the National Jury of Elections was forced to retract the regulation.
Turks & Caicos: The Courage to Protest
The tcipost wonders if protests in the Bahamas might serve to “wake the people of Turks and Caicos up”.
Yemen: At the Boiling Point? (Video)
President Saleh of Yemen has begun offering concessions to opposition protesters, ordering security forces to protect demonstrators. But most people don't appear ready to take the ruler at his word. Meanwhile, large anti-government protests continue to take place. The government's goodwill could be tested in a planned pro-government march on the nation's capital on Friday.
Cuba: What do the Cables from Havana Say? (Part III)
In the last part of a series on WikiLeaks and Cuba, author Elaine Díaz analyzes the content of cables regarding the Cuban opposition and the role of bloggers.
Iran: Heavy security deployment in Tehran
Here is a short video showing very heavy security deployment in Tehran on Thursday.
China: The Risk of Shutting Up Sina Weibo is Zero!?
The reaction of the Chinese government towards the anonymous “Jasmine Revolution” message circulated around overseas dissident websites and Twitter has alerted investment banks’ analysts to cut the rating of Sina's stock value. Some banks apparently anticipate an increase in the risk of the Chinese government tightening regulations on social media,...
Saudi Arabia: The Return of King Abdullah
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz returned home on Wednesday 23 February, 2011, after a three month period abroad for medical treatment. Anticipation of serious political and economic reforms filled the air upon his arrival. Here is a snapshot of the reactions of Saudi netizens.
Bhutan: In His Majesty's Service
Dorji Wangchuk describes what is it like to be in the service of His Majesty the King of Bhutan.
