· June, 2009

Stories about Ideas from June, 2009

Puerto Rico: For Shame!

  30 June 2009

Litter mars one of Gil the Jenius‘ favorite Puerto Rican beaches, causing him to comment: “Every piece of garbage–every one of the thousands of pieces of garbage–indicts Us with its clear message of unconcern, of consumerism, of brainlessness, of herd mentality, of disdain, short-sightedness and sheer incompetence.”

Guyana: Man in the Mirror

  30 June 2009

Guyana-Gyal thinks there just might be a little bit of Michael Jackson in all of us: “We might colour that bit a different shade, call it another name, but there it is…only difference is, between he and most o’ we, is that he coulda transcend the pain and sorrow of...

Cuba: Fear of Change?

  29 June 2009

“Like the seemingly never ending US blockade that attacks Cuba’s economy from without, from the inside a corrosion process is gradually eating away at the relatively young 50-year revolution”: From Havana, Circles Robinson says that “there is a conservative political class of managers at most workplaces and government offices who...

Jamaica: Bloggers on Jackson

  29 June 2009

Michael Jackson's death has Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp ruminating on the meaning of life, while Annie Paul says: “the mainstream media has limited credibility for me now [post Jackson's death] particularly in the wake of the Iraq War which they triumphantly and confidently led us into.”

Palestine: Learn From Palestinians

In the West Bank, Samuel Nichols describes visiting a Palestinian family: “These people don't need to learn about modern economics, democracy, or the peace process. The opposite is true, we all need to learn from them. The graciousness, kindness, and love of their hospitality is something that could change the...

Israel/Palestine: Human Rights Activist Reports on Mission

Reporting from Israel, human rights activist Rae Abileah reflects on her recent Gaza solidarity mission. “It felt really powerful to be taking a stand against occupation in this very tangible way.” She adds, “While I know that we enjoy the privileges of these fun-filled actions, there is an ever-present awareness...

Preetam Rai interview

  27 June 2009

GV author Preetam Rai was interviewed by Syed Syahrul Zarizi of Malaysia about his online projects and his thoughts on blogging and travel.

Japan: Chinese Translation of 2channel

  27 June 2009

Takeshi Yamaya links to 2ch Kan Riben (2ch看日本), a blog that posts Chinese translations of interesting threads from the Japanese Internet forum 2channel. He appreciates the thoughtful observations made by their commenters.

Cuba: Unanswered Questions

  25 June 2009

“I am waiting for a clarification about why he hasn’t accepted Obama’s proposal for U.S. telecommunications companies to provide Internet to the Cuban people. I demand, like many around me, a convincing argument for why we are not going to join the OAS…”: Generation Y says that “the list of...

Israel: 7th Most Internet Connected Country in World

Israel is the world's 7th most internet connected society, reports Lirun of East Med Sea Peace. “It means many things,” he writes: “Freedom of information, freedom of expression, freedom of e-activism, freedom of e-entrepreneurship, freedom of media verification, freedom of online association and congregation. It's unlimited…”

Israel: Bedouin Village Relies on Green Energy

The Bedouin village of Darajat is gaining acclaim for its focus on clean energy. The Green Prophet reports: “Most residents have solar water heaters and electric systems, the school is powered by wind and sun, and students learn hands-on about alternative energy by reading the power meters in their classrooms....

Israel: Music Videos Unite Jewish & Arab Youth

Windows for Peace, a nonprofit based in Tel Aviv, Israel, is waging practical solutions for peace. This summer, Jewish and Arab Israeli teens will unite to create short music videos that represent their ideals. According to Israelity, the project's goal is “showing young people in the region that communication with...

Bahamas: Rally Call

  24 June 2009

Womanish Words says that “the city of Nassau…looks as bad as we feel”, adding: “We have to rally. We have to restore Nassau so that we can restore ourselves.”

Dominica, Venezuela: The Motherland?

  24 June 2009

Following Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's visit to the island, Dominica Weekly says: “Many Dominicans have focused narrowly on the lavish developmental aid of Chavez than focusing on the fundamental issue at hand: do we support Chavez’s ideology and his vision of the motherhood of Latin American and the Caribbean.”

Bahrain: A Plea For Less Drama

Bahraini blogger Hala is tired with the commenters on her blog When it Beeps: “I’m beginning to feel that I encounter more Drama in the blogosphere than in my real life, and since I’m doing a great job of blocking the drama out of my real life, maybe I should...