Stories about Human Rights from February, 2009
Estonia: WWII History
Itching for Eestimaa writes about the history of WWII and the Holocaust in Estonia.
Saudi Arabia: Moving to a modern society?
“Is Saudi Arabia moving closer to a modern society?,” asks Sabria S. Jawhar in her new blog post.
Maghreb: UN Western Sahara Envoy Holds Talks with Polisario
Yesterday, Christopher Ross, the UN Special Envoy to the disputed Western Sahara, arrived in Algeria to hold talks with the Polisario Front, according to AFP. Jillian York rounds up blogger reactions from the Maghreb region on this latest development.
Bahamas: Say “No” to Violence vs. Women
“One in three women on this side of the world will experience violence in her lifetime”: Womanish Words says that the woman’s right to live a life free of violence will only become important to the Bahamian government “when we demand it.”
Jamaica: The Power of Words
“Everybody who has felt the need to prove their Jamaican-ness has said it: gays and lesbians ought to be expelled from the national body…”: Long Bench has had enough of that kind of talk, saying, “maybe we are ready to start acting like we live in a democracy, where every...
Zimbabwe: Images From Durban Picket
Sokwanele blog has images from a picket held in Durban, South Africa calling for the release of political prisoners in Zimbabwe.
Brazil: Blogging from riverside communities in the Amazon
Encouraged by the NGO Saúde e Alegria, youngters from 31 riverside communities in the Amazon are learning the benefits of blogging. Armed with media kits – sound equipment, editorial desks, video equipment and an Internet connection – they have started to show their faces to the world.
Kenya: Activists Arrested and Beaten
Gukira writes about the arrest and beating of Kenyan activists who were standing outside Parliament in Nairobi. They were hoping to plead with government minister to act swiftly to prevent more deaths from starvation.
Russia: “Poverty” Photos
LJ user kunstkamera (RUS) posts photos of “poverty in Russia” – and portraits of people posing next to their most expensive possessions.
Cuba: “Boring Home”
The book Boring Home, which was banned at the 2009 Havana International Book Fair, is now available on the Internet. Cuban bloggers talk about it here, here and here.
China: Religious demography and house churches
Last November (21-22, Nov 2008), the China State Council Development Research Center organized a seminar on “Christianity and Social Harmony — Special Session on House Church”. This is the first of its kind organized by a Chinese governmental sector. However, soon after the seminar, the Ministry of Civil Affairs issued...
Kazakhstan: Three years after the assassination
Zhanna Zhukova writes that it has been 3 years since brutal assassination of the democratic politician in Kazakhstan, and reports on the recent actions of the opposition in this regard.
Cambodia: Reactions as Duch opens Khmer Rouge Tribunal
Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, stands trial today at the UN-supported Khmer Rouge Genocide Tribunal in Phnom Penh for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Duch headed the infamous Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh, where over 12,000 people died, according to the Guardian. KI-Media leads with a story...
Former Soviet Union: The Legacy of Afghanistan
Window on Eurasia writes that across the former Soviet Union, “a debate is raging between those who believe the Soviet intervention [in Afghanistan] led to the demise of the Soviet Union and those who are convinced that the decision to withdraw [20 years ago] had precisely that effect.”
Hungary: Attitudes Toward Gypsies
Hungarian Spectrum writes that “it seems that anti-Gypsy prejudice is at least three hundred years old” in Hungary.
Afghanistan: “Copyright on God’s Words”
Amila Bosnae reacts to the news of a death sentence given to two Afghans who “translated the Quran into one of their country’s languages.”
Belarus: Feb. 14 Peaceful Protest
Belarusan American Blog writes about the dispersal of the Feb. 14 peaceful protest in Minsk.
Iran: A new competition for bloggers
Ghomar Asheghaneh,an Iran based blogger, writes[fa] that a group called “Human Rights Activists in Iran” has organised a competition for Iranian bloggers who cover human righst issues.
Bermuda: Stem Cell Research
As news breaks that a stem cell research facility will be allowed to operate under “guidelines” from the Ministry of Health, Vexed Bermoothes says: “Stem cell research and treatments are a sensitive field in health care. Bermuda should only allow their use in our jurisdiction once proper regulations are in...
China: “Stay away!” Vice president Xi warned in Mexico
Xi Jinping (习近平）, the Chinese vice president, is widely predicted as the next chairman of China, the successor of Hu Jintao. On Feb 11, during his visit to Mexico, he gave a speech to overseas Chinese there. His address includes a passage as a harsh criticism against foreign intervention, which...
Japan: Jerusalem Prize to writer Haruki Murakami
Mojimoji praises [jp] a speech given by writer Haruki Murakami (村上春樹), who received the Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society on Sunday Feb. 15th. The blogger also remarks on how, in his opinion, Japanese media intentionally avoided giving weight to Murakami's words, which should be read...
