Stories about Human Rights from November, 2008
Czech Republic: Anniversary of Peaceful Revolution
The Czech Daily Word writes about the time when “Czechs and Slovaks got rid of the Communist regime” 19 years ago – and about those who “still vote for ‘the new communists’.”
Philippines: Video tribute for young martyr
A short video pays tribute to a young activist and nursing graduate who was killed while attending to the heath needs of a rural town in the Philippines.
Nepal Jumps Ahead on Gay and Transgender Rights
After California voters passed the proposition to ban gay marriage in the state, gay and transgender rights is back on the headlines in America. While the debate rages on there, Nepal – a faraway country, much smaller and often ignored on the world stage is now being looked upon as...
Tunisia: Yes, they can. No, we can't!
The week of the US election coincided with the 21st anniversary of 'change' in Tunisia. But while Americans went to the polls to elect their 44th president, in its 50 years of independence, Tunisia has had just two presidents. Tunisian bloggers mark Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's 21st year as president with a call for change.
Bermuda: Identify Yourself
More on the Bermudian Expat ID card issue here and here.
Ukraine: Harm Reduction and Law Enforcement, Part 2
Last month, Ukrainian blogger mazay wrote about his attempt to educate a group of Kyiv police officers on harm reduction programs. Although many in the audience did not seem as interested in this not-yet-popular approach to dealing with drug addiction as they were in obtaining free condoms from the activists, judging from this follow-up post by mazay, the talk did after all bear some positive fruit.
Russia: “Different Family” Photo Project
"These people may have no home, no jobs. They may be doing drugs, their neighbors may hate them, and they may be banned from entering a theater because of their inappropriate looks. But within such families, love and caring relationship still reign." This is how photographer Irina Popova describes the subjects of her "Different Family" project, currently on exhibit in St. Petersburg. But since the series is centered as much on a toddler named Anfisa, the daughter of Popova's marginal adult subjects, the photographer's interpretation of her own work has caused harsh criticism.
Egypt: Internet Freedom in Egypt
Tunisian blogger, Sami Ben Gharbia, published a video explaining the role of the Egyptian blogsphere in exposing human rights abuses and the role of the social-networking website Facebook and the micro-blogging platform.
Pakistan: GEO TV News Blocked?
Teeth Maestro is reporting that the transmission of Geo News, a Dubai based Pakistani news channel and other channels of the GEO TV network have been blocked in most parts of Karachi.
Saudi Arabia: Marriage Restrictions
Saudi Jeans is annoyed his country's 150-member Shura (consultative) Council rejected a law to simplify the regulations of Saudi marriages to foreigners. “I do not understand the harsh restrictions enforced on citizens who want to marry foreigners. Why should the government bother with who one chooses to marry?” he asks.
China: Checking IDs
Mutant Palm blogs about the Identity card verification system recently launched in China. The blogger points out that the Chinese system of local registration and documentation has been far less comprehensive, or effective, than Western societies.
Bahamas: Censorship
Simon at Bahama Pundit blogs about “the sensitive issue of censorship.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Accountability
“More than three years have passed already since the Saturday morning in October 2005 when thousands of Trinidadians marched through the streets of Port of Spain to protest the Manning government's failure to deal with spiralling murder and kidnapping rates, widespread public anxiety, and the profound social inequalities behind these”:...
Jamaica: Schoolboy Murdered
A Jamaican schoolboy is sodomized and murdered, prompting Carlos King at Abeng News Magazine to write an open letter to the Prime Minister and Long Bench to address the issue of “the sexism and deep-seated and destructive hatred of homosexuality that pervades this society” with “people pandering to the notion...
Armenia: Violence against Women
The world’s oldest Christian nation may have many things to be proud about, but when it comes to women’s rights the ex-Soviet Armenia is possibly in denial. With widespread human trafficking as its worst manifestation, violence against women in Armenia is alarming the world. Will a recent Amnesty International report detailing domestic abuse and government inaction bring about change? Bloggers react.
Malaysia: Are the police being too brutal?
A peaceful rally in Malaysia was violently dispersed by the police. Civil society groups have condemned the dispersal, especially the use of force, the repression of assembly and expression, and Malaysian bloggers are up in arms on the whole episode.
Myanmar: Long prison terms for dissidents
Myanmar’s Junta continues to shock the world. This week, dissidents who joined street protests were sentenced to 65 years. A blogger and young entrepreneur was sentenced to 20 years for keeping defaced images of national leaders in his email inbox. A journalist faces a two-year prison term for writing about the deadly cyclone which hit Myanmar last May.
Egypt: Blogger Blocks Nawara's Blog
It seems that it is not only third world regimes who block people's blogs. Apparently, Google's Blogspot has decided to join the bandwagon, and has blocked Nawara Negm's Blog (Tahyees [Ar]), without specifying any reasons. Ahmed Shokeir writes here about the incident in Arabic.
DR Congo: Video call for action
The crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has flared up once again: 10 years of tension, on-and-off warfare and violence have taken their toll on the population, who are being displaced yet one more time. More than 5 million people have died during this warfare, thousands of women have been raped, and thousands of children have been recruited as children soldiers. On the following videos we bring you calls for action from the DRC citizens pleading with us to take a stand to stop the humanitarian crisis in the DRC.
Haiti: Dire Situation
Konbit Pou Ayiti says that “although most of the world has moved on from the tragic stories of the four powerful storms that thrashed Haiti in August and September, Haitians certainly have not. In Gonaives, people are still living on the roofs of homes that are covered in mud. In...
Cuba: Castro's New Book
Fidel Castro's new book has not escaped the notice of El Cafe Cubano or Guyanese blogger Propaganda Press.
