· January, 2010

Stories about Governance from January, 2010

Bhutan, China: Of Cyber And Border Wars

  22 January 2010

With quiet diplomacy and tact the tiny Himalayan state Bhutan took on giant China over encroachment and border issues recently. The Bhutanese officials and netizens are usually cautious to protest these issues with China, the powerful neighbor, but some netizens are voicing their dissent anonymously or under pseudonyms.

Haiti: “We’re all eight days old”

  21 January 2010

Bloggers and Twitter users on the ground in Haiti continue to provide news on efforts to recover from the disastrous earthquake of 12 January, and comment on "aid politics" — who gets helped by whom.

Japan: Differing viewpoints on the US base relocation issue

  21 January 2010

The southern Japanese island of Okinawa, the first colony of Japan in the 19th century and the site of one of the bloodiest battles in the WW2, has become in the past months both the symbol and the object of a diplomatic dispute between Japan and the U.S. It began...

Ukraine: Bloggers Discuss Presidential Election

  20 January 2010

Ukrainians went to the polls on Jan. 17 to choose their president from the 18 candidates running for the post this year. Opposition leader Victor Yanukovich received 35.32% of the vote; prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko is in second place, with 25.05%. As neither won 50% of the vote, they face a runoff vote on Feb. 7. Below are some of the reactions from the Ukrainian blogosphere.

Announcing the Technology for Transparency Network

  19 January 2010

Rising Voices, the outreach and citizen media training initiative of Global Voices Online, has launched a new interactive website and global network of researchers to map online technology projects that aim to promote transparency, political accountability, and civic engagement.

USA: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

  19 January 2010

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 and became arguably the American Civil Rights Movement's most prominent advocate and speaker. In the United States, he is honored by a national holiday, observed the third Monday in January of each year. Today, many bloggers in the United States are honoring his memory with dedicated posts, linking his legacy of social justice with issues of today, demonstrating that 42 years after King's assassination, his words are just as relevant.

UK: Twitter joke led to Terror Act arrest

  18 January 2010

Sharpe's Opinion reacts sarcastically to the news of the first arrest in the United Kingdom over a Twitter joke:  “Round of applause of the police there. Keeping us safe from those dangerous terrorists who go round advertising their intentions on public social networking websites.”

Haiti: Waiting for water

  17 January 2010

Nearly six days after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, a severe shortage of drinking water in Port-au-Prince hampers relief efforts. Pleas for water issued via Twitter and other media highlight the severity of the situation.

Japan: For Haiti it may be too little, too late

  17 January 2010

In an odd twist of fate, the worst earthquake to hit Haiti in two hundred years has erupted within days of the 15th anniversary of Japan's worst earthquake since the second world war: the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. Given the timing of the catastrophe, one might have expected a strong Japanese presence in Haiti. To the frustration of many in Japan, the opposite was in fact the case.

Haiti: Renowned Haitians announced dead

  15 January 2010

Though communicating inside and outside Haiti has been a huge challenge and most people have not been able to have reliable -if any - information concerning their relatives and friends, news has come, interestingly enough, from bloggers outside of Haiti, about famous people missing or already declared dead.

Egypt: Bloggers arrested over Naga Hammady Visit

  15 January 2010

Egypt today arrested 20 bloggers who were visiting Naga Hammady in Upper Egypt to pass their respects to those killed in a sectarian outburst on January 7. Seven people were shot dead and several injured when an assailant gunned down Christian Copts leaving a church after the Christmas mass. The bloggers visit was to show a united front against sectarianism.

Bangladesh: Traffic Jam And The Prime Minister

  14 January 2010

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh saw a huge traffic jam as many roads were closed because the Prime Minister was greeted by supporters as she returned from her India trip. Nazrul Islam at Sachalayatan says [bn] “Dear Prime Minister, if paralyzing the city is the measure of your popularity then...