Stories about Governance from February, 2014
Hong Kong Protesters Target Shopping Mainland Chinese Tourists
Though the huge number of tourists has contributed to economic growth, it has generated a number of social problems.
Assessing Myanmar's Democratic Transition
Tomás Ojea Quintana, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, concluded his mission by assessing the country's democratic transition: For the time being, the military retains a prevailing role in the life and institutions of Myanmar. State institutions in general remain unaccountable and the judiciary is not...
Follow the Escalation of Ukraine's #Euromaidan Protests Live
Protests took a deadly turn on February 18, and Ukraine is now the scene of a tense stand-off between hundreds of thousands of citizens and government forces.
Empty Office Buildings in Trinidad's Capital
The huge potential supply of State-built, unfinished office buildings in our capital is the ‘Elephant in the Room‘. Afra Raymond confronts it in an effort to address “the viability of the long-term and large-scale investments which have been made in Port-of-Spain by private and public capital.”
Photographers Snap Over Online Accreditation for Trinidad Carnival
Social media has taken the enjoyment of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival to a new level - but photographers are being told that their 2014 accreditation fees won't cover online use.
New Lebanese Government met with Skepticism
When Lebanese politicians announced their new government, Lebanon's online community responded with indifference, mockery and skepticism.
Shadow of Olympics Evictions Looms Over Tokyo
Japan has already seen people evicted from their homes and homeless people evicted from parks for past mega-events.
The Millenium Development Goal for Safe Water Is Still Beyond Reach for Many African Countries
Virgil HOUESSOU, a Benin-based reporter for the African association for clean water, is pessimistic about the Millenium Development Goal with respect to safe water. He writes on the collective blog Wash Journalists [fr]: A quelques mois de l’échéance de la réalisation des OMD [Objectifs du millénaire pour le développement], beaucoup de défis...
Algerian Cartoonist Faces 18 Months in Jail for Mocking President
Djamel Ghanem faces prison for an unpublished cartoon that compares Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's possible fourth term to baby diapers.
Ex-South Korean Skater Viktor Ahn Wins Two Medals at Sochi for Russia
Star speed-skater Viktor Ahn, formerly a South Korean, runs as a Russian player and won two medals in Sochi Olympics so far. Koreans seem happy for this under-appreciated star's success.
As a Federal State, Yemen Marks the Third Anniversary of Its Revolution
February 11th marked the third anniversary of Yemen's revolution. Noon Arabia sums up reactions as the country is divided into a six-region federation state
Ending Illegal Logging and Launching Forest Carbon Credits in Madagascar
The new administration in Madagascar is seemingly making a concerted effort to curb down deforestation in Madagascar. First, new president Hery Rajaonarimampianina has made ending illegal logging of Madagascar rosewood a priority at his first executive meeting[fr]. Second, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced that the Government of Madagascar has approved...
What Does Civil Society Engagement Really Mean?
Is civil society really being heard by inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) such as the United Nations, World Bank, or World Trade Organization? CIVICUS, the world alliance for citizen participation, is polling all civil society organizations (CSOs) who have ever engaged with an IGO to get a clear picture. Eventually they wish...
Examining the Post-Colonial Evolution of Francophone and Anglophone Africa
The topic of the post-colonial evolution of francophone versus anglophone African states has always a fodder for intense debate. Cheidozié Dike, from Nigeria, brings a new perspective to the subject : While the French Loi Cadre system was mostly about integration, the British colonial system sought only exploitation. Creating an...
Bosnian Protesters Demand Bread, Social Justice and Freedom of Speech
When the citizens of Bosnia’s second largest city, Tuzla, went out to protest on February 4, 2014, few expected to witness the countrywide unrest that erupted a week later.
What Guinea Needs Now is Peace and Stability
Serge Lamah reports on his blog[fr] that Oyé Guilavogui, the communication minister has pointed out the pressing needs for Guinea today : Vous vous rappelez, en 2011, les avions en direction de Conakry ne désemplissaient pas. Les hôtels étaient pleins à tout moment, aujourd’hui, allez-y, il y a de la place...
Controversial Sindh Festival Accused of Risking Ancient Ruins for Flashy Kickoff
The festival celebrating the rich and vast cultural heritage of Sindh drew ire from some for its decision to hold the theatrical opening ceremony at the ancient ruins of Mohenjo-daro.
China: Cleaning Up The Yellow
扫黄 pic.twitter.com/GuCIkzcRF3 — 变态辣椒 (@remonwangxt) February 11, 2014 In Chinese language, the color yellow also signifies sex and pornography. The crackdown of sex industry and pornographic materials is termed as “cleaning-up the yellow”. Political cartoonist @remonwangxt's latest work is about the “Cleaning-up yellow” campaign in China.
Calls to #FreeIranianSoldiers Abducted at Iran-Pakistan Border
The Baloch Sunni-muslim insurgent group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) claimed responsibility and published a photo of the abducted soldiers through social media .
Iran: “Less” anti-U.S. Atmosphere
Iran celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Islamic revolution on Tuesday.Some netizens wrote about what hardliners reported after the celebration.Hadi Nili tweeted Some hardliner #Iran'ian users in social networks shown disappointment about "less" anti-US atmosphere in the annual march of revolution. — Hadi Nili (@HadiNili) February 11, 2014
International Open Data Day Set for February 22
Bloggers, hackers and others interested in Open Data and Transparency will gather for the International Open Data Day on February 22. Find out how you can get involved.
