Stories about Governance from April, 2012
China: Crackdown on Large Dogs Again
The city of Harbin in northeastern Heilongjing province in China has enforced a new regulation that prohibits residents from raising dogs which are over 50 cm tall and 70 cm long. Many dog owners in Harbin have tied signs reading SOS around their pets’ necks to protest the ban. (More...
Argentina: Bloggers React to Announcement of Nationalization of Oil Company YPF
The announcement of the nationalization of the oil company YPF, controlled by Spain's Repsol, and the transfer of 51% of its shares to the Argentinean government, sparked many reaction on the Argentinean blogosphere. Jorge Gobbi shares some of these opinions, which in general, are divided between those in favor and those opposed to the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
Brazil: Aquarium Project Sparks Transparency Debate
In Fortaleza, the fifth largest city in Brazil, the recent start of construction on an aquarium has prompted discussions over public resources, state government priorities and the city's future, as well as some creative forms of protest.
Sweden: Culture Minister in ‘Racist Cake’ Art Controversy
The Swedish Culture Minister's tasting of the controversial 'Painful Cake', representing the body of an African woman, at an art exhibition preview in Stockholm has provoked online reactions over alleged racism. Julie Owono reports.
Macedonia: Ethnic Tensions Rise Following Murders at Smiljkovci
At TOL's East of Center, Barbara Frye writes about the situation in Macedonia, following the recent murder of five men outside the capital Skopje.
Honduras: Campesinos Reclaim Land on International Day of Peasant's Struggles
On April 17, the International Day of Peasant's Struggles, Adrienne Pine reports: “campesinos from all over Honduras are reclaiming land that was stolen and/or illegally taken from them in contravention of the stipulations and spirit of Agrarian Reform. One of those actions is happening right now in San Manuel, Cortés....
Nigeria: Was Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's Candidacy Symbolic?
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the only African and woman running for the World Bank presidency, has lost the race to Dr. Jim Yong Kim, a Korean-American physician. Should this have been the time for global governance values to triumph over the long-standing tradition of an American leading the institution?
Mali: New Interim PM and Microsoft Corp's Chairman for Africa C. Diarra's Thoughts on Crisis
As Mali names Microsoft Africa chief Cheick Modibo Diarra as interim prime minister, here are his latest thoughts (fr) on his personal website (also in Bambara) regarding the political crisis in Mali. Meanwhile, the military junta have arrested several members of the former government of ousted President Amadou Toumani Toure.
Zambia: On the Ban of Popular Cheap Spirit ‘Sachets’
Two years ago, a blogger called for the banning of the sale of very potent alcoholic spirits packaged in 60 ml sachets which have come to be known as “tujilijili”. Whether government officials saw the blogger’s appeal or not, at least the Minister of Local Government and Housing, Professor Nkandu Luo on March 15, 2012 did just that. Zambian netizens weigh in on the government's decision.
Indonesia: Popular Minister Starts His Twitter Account
Dahlan Iskan, the popular State Enterprises Minister of Indonesia, has caused another hype in the virtual world after starting his Twitter account. In the past week, some netizens were able to express their concerns directly to the Minister through Twitter.
Serbia: May 6 Parliamentary Vote Roundup
Bill Kralovec posts a short roundup on the upcoming parliamentary elections in Serbia, scheduled for May 6, and shares his “political platform,” asking Serbian readers to help him “match which party most resonates with [his] opinions.”
Russia: An Interview With Two Astrakhan Protesters
At OpenDemocracy.net, a translation [en] of Svetlana Reiter's Esquire.ru interviews [ru] with two activists who have spent the past month hungerstriking in Astrakhan, protesting the results of the disputed mayoral election together with ex-candidate Oleg Shein. (An earlier GV text is here.)
Iran's “Electronic Curtain” Animated by U.S. State Department
The U.S. Department of State's Bureau for International Information Programs has released a short animation about Iran's "electronic curtain" on YouTube.
Spain: Faces of the victims of the economic crisis
Al bloc "Els nous pobres" es recullen testimonis de persones que s'han vist afectades per la crisi, que ha limitat considerablement les seves possibilitats econòmiques i personals.
Armenia: The mob rules
Unzipped again comments on last week's cancelled festival of Azerbaijani films in Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri. The blog concludes that the campaign and demonstration against local peace activist Georgi Vanyan illustrated that the ‘mob rules’ and “state structures in Armenia failed to protect constitutional rights and freedom of...
Guinea-Bissau: Military Attack Citizens in Demonstration
According to Simão Mendes National Hospital [pt], the military attacked citizens in a demonstration this morning, April 15, in front of the National Parliament of Guinea-Bissau. On Facebook they have posted a picture of a stabbed patient who arrived at the hospital, “before they [the military] come and take our...
Spain: King Juan Carlos and the Elephant in Botswana
Days after Felipe Juan Froilan accidentally shot himself in the foot during shooting practice, his grandfather, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, fell while he was hunting and broke his pelvis. This would have been minor news, had it not been for the fact that he was hunting elephants in Botswana on...
Guinea-Bissau: Hospital Suffers “Collateral Damages” from Coup d'Etat
Simão Mendes National Hospital employees have been posting photos and reports [pt] on their Facebook profile [pt] which illustrate “collateral damages” from the coup d'état that took place on April 12 in Guinea-Bissau. Power cuts, lack of medicine and fuel shortage for ambulances jeopardize the work of doctors, whose moves...
United Kingdom: Cases of Child Malnutrition on the Rise
El col·laborador del portal Kaoesenlared, Charlie Cooper, va publicar el 13 de març un article sobre l'augment dels casos de malnutrició infantil al Regne Unit.
Russia: Proposed NATO Hub in Ulyanovsk Sparks Protests
A wave of online indignation has since spread to the streets, leading to hunger strikes and anti-NATO marches in Ulyanovsk and Moscow, in response to a transport hub that will be based on an airfield in Ulyanovsk, a medium sized city on the Volga River, and the birthplace of Vladimir Lenin.
Russia: Ilya Varlamov, Omsk's Blogger-Mayor?
In the city of Omsk, a local activist group has arranged online primaries for opposition candidates, in order to nominate one for the city's June mayoral election. Popular Muscovite photoblogger Ilya Varlamov has emerged as the contest's front runner, but what impact could his candidacy have on regional politics?
