Stories about Governance from June, 2011
Spain: Manuel Castells at #AcampadaBCN
Ivan Chaar-López posts the videos of sociologist and communications scholar Manuel Castells [es] speech on “Communications, Power and Democracy” which he offered during his visit to activists in Barcelona, Spain.
East Timor: UN agencies directed to use Tetum language
To enhance its national identity, East Timor's Council of Ministers has directed all international agencies working in the country, including UN institutions, to use the Tetum language in their transactions with the government.
Azerbaijan: A military show of strength or rhetoric for domestic consumption?
Etiraz comments on this weekend's annual Army day in Azerbaijan, questioning its country's massive expenditure on military hardware. With a defense budget at least equal to, or reportedly greater than, Armenia's entire state expenditure, the Azerbaijani blog says that the conflict with its neighbor over the disputed territory is more about retaining...
China: The politics of hydroelectricity
Sinologistical Violoncellist has a guest post by Kristiana Henderson of Pacific Lutheran University which addresses the politics of hydroelectricity projects in Tibet by looking into the history of conflicts between indigenous Sami community with the Norwegian government since 1850s.
China: Lawyers for Murder Suspects Detained Under Controversial Law
After four defense attorneys were recently detained for challenging confessions to a murder in Guangxi province which their clients are presumed to have given following the use of police force, a legal dream team has assembled and flown in from across the country to defend their colleagues.
Tanzania: Tanzania 2011 Scorecard
Dar Es Salaam signwriters at Kigamboni Market have put together the concise overview of Tanzania in 2011. See their work here.
Africa: 11 Ways For African Revolutionaries to Get Around Internet Blockades
Willemien Groot's Guide for African Revolutionaries: 11 Ways to get around internet blockades: “Internet blockades are more the rule than the exception in non-democratic countries. But there are ways to get round them, even though no censorship circumvention tool is 100 percent safe. Rule number 1: you’re clever, but the...
Africa: Thoughts of Africa 2.0
Tolu's thoughts on Africa 2.0: “The point is this: in the emerging Africa it is harder for the government to carry on as though the people didn’t exist, or as though they existed to be deceived, because the citizens are losing the fear that once held them down. And then...
Peru: Residents of Puno Resume Protests
Once again the inhabitants of the Puno region have taken to the streets in protests, this time against the contamination caused by the mining of minerals. Six people died as a result of the protests on the day when Peru celebrates the Day of the Peasant.
China: Update on the Independent Candidate Campaigns
The spokesperson for the Commission on Legislative Affairs of the National People’s Congress stated [zh] on June 8 2011 that no legal basis exists for independent candidacy in grassroots people's congress elections. To be a candidate in grassroots representative elections, he said, one has to first be endorsed by a...
Barbados: The Warner Effect
Barbados Underground comments on Jack Warner's FIFA resignation: “Warner is generating ‘heat’ which is not doing T&T and the wider Caribbean any favour in the international arena. All the world waits to hear if the sordid details arising from the Fifa Ethics Report will be leaked to the media. Worrying...
Trinidad & Tobago: The CL Financial Letter
Afra Raymond posts a copy of “the CL Financial letter of 13th January 2009″, which he finally has in his possession after “three applications for this document under the Freedom of Information Act.”
Mozambique: The Controversial Basket Against Poverty
In Mozambique, one of the measures proposed by the Government to mitigate the impact of the increases in the cost of living for Mozambicans has generated controversy with citizens. In spite of all expectations, the Basic Needs Basket Subsidy “abortion" was pronounced on June 16.
Colombia: Video Mapping the City to Hip Hop
In just four days, a creative cast of characters got together in the city of Medellin, Colombia, where they set out to produce videos and place them on a map of the city to reflect topics that affect their communities: militarization, poverty, forced displacement, crimes of state, resistance movements and more.
Europe: “Greek Drama Doesn't Transcend Hellenic Borders”
Luboš Motl of The Reference Frame writes about the current economic situation in Greece and how it affects (or doesn't affect) other countries: “All the hysteria is man-made and unjustifiable by the real data. The Greek default will be just a formality because in practice, it has occurred a long...
Balkans: Ratko Mladic and Justice
Posts on the capture of Ratko Mladic and justice being done (or not) – by Katharine Engelhart and Ozren Jungic at OpenDemocracy.net, by Blogging Balkanistan/The Daily Seyahatname, and by Marko Attila Hoare and David Pettigrew at Greater Surbiton.
Croatia: EU Membership Approval
On June 10, 2011, Croatia was cleared to become the newest member state of the European Union. There is still a long road before Croatians are officially a part of the EU, and the timing at the moment is, at best, precarious, creating many skeptics. Miquel Hudin reports.
Macedonia: How the Protests Started
Tamara Atanasoska posts a personal account of the beginning of the protests against police brutality in Skopje, Macedonia: “We were walking, a handful of people, […] not knowing each other, hitting the streets to get attention. We just wanted an answer, someone to say what happened. We knew for sure...
Haiti: The Other Side of the Martelly Story
Wadner Pierre refers to a mainstream media article about Haiti's new president, saying that the story fails to mention “the illegitimacy of the way in which he was elected, and the ongoing destruction of earthquake camps that his government is helping to facilitate.”
Slovakia, Poland: (Mis)Understanding the Euro Experience
According to a recent poll, the majority of Poles are against joining the Eurozone. One of the reasons may be their (mis)understanding of the Slovak experience.
Spain: Massive Demonstrations on June 19
The blog #Acampadasol, launched during the days of massive demonstrations in Madrid last May, chronicles [es] the most recent protests that flooded the streets of many cities in Spain last Sunday June 19.