Stories about Governance from January, 2014
Russia’s Parliament Prepares New “Anti-Terrorist” Laws for Internet
Another Internet crackdown looms in Russia, where the Duma is reviewing three new pieces of “anti-terror” legislation that could place hefty restrictions on the activities of websites and civil society.
Haiti, Four Years After
Four years after this tragedy, what have we done to change the living conditions of the people who are still living under makeshifts tents? What we have done to effectively rebuild a better country? Wadner Pierre reflects on the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and considers the best way forward.
Jamaica: Measuring the Effect of Shaggy's Charity Concert
Jamaicans got a good show with this year's edition of Shaggy and Friends, but Cucumber Juice wants measurability: This applies to any organization, but especially to charities and public organizations. It’s called transparency.
China's Train Ticket Website Sparks Fury Again
As millions go online to buy train tickets home for Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan 30 this year, users are shocked again at how inconvenient and inefficient the site is. Many have been complaining about the site since its debut in 2010, but it hasn't been improved. Many have...
Fighting Corruption in Comoros, Cameroon and Madagascar
The people of Comoros, Cameroon and Madagascar haven't got much faith in the honesty and integrity of the public sector, according to Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index.
Guyana Spurns USAID Democracy Project
Guyanese blogger, Sara Bharrat, writes an open letter to Roger F. Luncheon, Head of the Presidential Secretariat in Guyana, concerning the Guyana's decision to pull out of a USAID project to support local elections and political participation due to “lack of consultation.” …why should the US have to come into...
The Ripple Effect Of Rote-Learning In Pakistan
Muhammad Taseer Hussain at Pak Tea House criticizes the quality of education system in Pakistan. Lack of good teachers encourages some students to adopt rote-learning, which is more like a mechanical task of repeating what to be learned and does not require much of reasoning or inference. the blogger adds:...
French Restaurant In Pakistan Closed For Not Allowing Pakistanis
Blogger Farzana Versey from Mumbai weighs on the hypocrisy regarding alcohol consumption by Pakistanis while reporting on a recent incident: La Maison, run by Frenchman Philippe Lafforgue, in a part of his house at an upscale area of the capital Islamabad, has been forced to shut down after there was...
37 Million Students Start New Year with Free Textbooks in Bangladesh
"This is the kind of Bangladesh we would like to see...Children happy with new books seeking knowledge....not children with gun powder learning to make human BBQ"
Iran: “City Councillor Lost Post Over Facebook Account”
Azamolsadat Hosseini says she lost her post in Behshahr‘s City Council over her Facebook account. Several Iranian officials use Facebook and Twitter to communicate their message but these sites and many other ones are filtered in country.
Iran: Jailed Blogger Needs Specialized Medical Treatment
Amnesty International says “the health of jailed Iranian blogger Mohammad Reza Pourshajari,a prisoner of conscience,is worsening. He is in urgent need of specialized medical treatment.” Mohammad Reza Pourshajari(aka Siamak Mehr) was arrested in September 2010.In his blog, Iran Land's Report, he would criticize the Islamic Republic and Islam with strong...
Chinese Professor Crawls Like A Dog For Losing Bet on Reform
Earlier in 2013 Chinese scholar Fan Zhongxin publicly wagered that the Chinese government would tackle the problem of official corruption by compelling them to disclose their income and holdings to the public by the end of the year. The punishment would be for him to crawl like a dog for...
Monitoring the Russian Internet for Big Bucks
The Russian Federal Protective Service is asking software developers to design a system that automatically monitors the country’s news and social media, producing reports that study netizens’ political attitudes.
Why a 64-Year-Old Brazilian Indigenous Leader Spent 26 Hours in a Tree
José Urutau Guajajara endured 26 hours at the top of a tree in protest against the eviction of Rio's Maracanã Village, a place once home to the Indian Museum.
Iran Voices: New Site Polls Citizens on Local Government
What do citizens expect from their city officials? A new site polls Iranians about their views and shares results with decision-makers.
7 Theories of Why Putin Freed Khodorkovsky
Illarionov has devoted special attention to Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s unexpected release from prison last December, and his most recent piece on the subject itemizes several different explanations for Putin’s sudden decision.
South Korea: Political Revenge on Whistleblower?
Kwon Eun-hee, a policewoman and ex-chief investigator at Seoul Suseo Police station, revealed last summer that her team had received pressures and ‘unreasonable orders’ from superiors to reduce the scope of an investigation into the spy agency election manipulation scandal. Although net users lauded Kwon, her bold act seems to...
Hindus Attacked in Bangladesh for ‘Crime’ of Voting
"Wasn't the election for everybody? So why are Hindus being targeted? Or did only Hindus vote? So are they not free to exercise their rights?"
Prominent Russian Actor Asks Putin to Recriminalize Sodomy
A prominent Russian actor, Ivan Okhlobystin, is making headlines for his latest homophobic act: a public letter addressed to Vladimir Putin, asking the President to recriminalize sodomy in Russia.
Reason for President of Central African Republic Djotodia Imminent Resignation
Multiple sources report [fr] that Michel Djotodia, Interim President of Central African Republic (CAR) will step down tomorrow (January 9) as his country is rocked by violent inter-community conflicts. Although the minister of Communication denied [fr] the president's resignation earlier, Simon Koitoua in Bangui, CAR opines that it was bound to happen because of...
A Russian Sex Slave's Suicide in Astrakhan
No one saw Galia Borisenko for until New Year's, when she appeared at her grandmother’s, gaunt and disoriented, and claiming to have survived almost 6 months as a sex slave.
