Stories about Ideas from December, 2009
Caribbean: 2009 Regional Roundup
As Global Voices celebrates its fifth anniversary, the occasion has given us all an opportunity to reflect on why we do what we do and how our work makes a difference. As my colleague Jillian York so succinctly put it, “We spread stories. We spread words.” We manage to do...
Dominica: OECS
Chris at Dominica Weekly shares his thoughts on the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States’ Economic Union.
Japan: Things just got worse
“Japanese OO got worse in 2009″. Umeten gives a list [ja] of all the things that got worse in Japan this year, from economy to music magazines to baseball … A link to other blogs or websites for each item.
Japan: Spread the message, translate it
A video interview [en] of Kyo Kageura, head of the project Minna no Honyaku (みんなの翻訳, Translation for all) [ja], a new translation platform that helps NGOs and NPOs to spread their messages thanks to volunteer translators. Global Voices Japan asked him about the challenge of Minna no Honyaku [en], the...
Bahamas, Jamaica: Jonkonnu & Christmas
“We tend to forget — or, more probably, we don’t know — that Junkanoo in the Bahamas is not unique”: Nicolette Bethel provides “a taste of what happens in Jamaica at Christmas…”
Brazil: 100-year-old grandma realises parachute dream
It is never too late to achieve a dream, and a Brazilian granny has proved the cliché true. At the age of 100, she enjoys dancing, swimming, running, playing volleyball, basketball, football and now, parachute jumping.
Japan: And the kanji of 2009 is …
Blogger fenetre39 comments [ja] on the kanji, or chinese character, chosen by the Kanji Kentei Foundation as representative of 2009. The kanji is 新 (ara or shin), meaning “new”. In the blogger`s opinion, the reason of the choice [ja] is mainly due to the “new” government that took power in August.
Barbados: Facilitating Crime
“Like any social secret the criminal persists because of the facilitators. So, our challenge should be to deal with the facilitators”: Living in Barbados examines “the crime of crime” in the Caribbean.
Vietnam: Training restaurant for street kids
Michael Brosowski blogs about the establishment in Vietnam of a training restaurant for disadvantaged youth managed by Streets International
Malaysia: Blogopshere Social Responsiblity
The Malaysian blog, Blogopshere Social Responsiblity, publishes stories of people around Malaysia who are in need of financial support. The blog wants to promote “a new culture in the Malaysian blogosphere which centres upon the idea of social responsibility.”
Israel: Micro-Giving Campaign Seeks to Raise $250K
The One Million Drops Jewish Charity Initiative hopes to drive funds to 275 different Israeli nonprofits and spur micro-giving in Israel, Jewlicious reports.
Bahamas: Culture Change
Bahamian Nicolette Bethel delves into the history of Stilton cheese to make a point about culture: “I’m going to argue…that culture does not just happen. Culture changes — like what is happening I write to the indigenous Junkanoo beat (which is being swallowed up by a hip-hop rhythm that is...
Puerto Rico: Tourism Enigma
“For me, nothing describes the enigma of Puerto Rico better than its sorted relationship with tourism”: Dondequiera explains.
Israel: Dreaming of a Utopic Middle East
An Italian born gentile living in Jerusalem, Shiksa's Laura Chiesa dreams of a utopic Middle East. “Call me naive, but I caught myself more than once daydreaming about the time were people (including me) will travel freely in the Middle East – how about an afternoon hibiscus tea in Damascus,...
Israel: Separate But Equal?
Promised Land's Noam Sheizaf provides a comprehensive breakdown of the history and potential future of a new amendment to Israel's Basic Law on Human Dignity and Freedom, that, he says, “might officially turn Israel into a democracy for Jews only.”
Israel: Reflections on Patience
Savta Dotty reflects on savlanut, the Hebrew word for “patience” and how her view of it changed over her lifetime.
Cuba: Proceeding With Caution?
Generation Y comments on Raul Castro’s speech in the Cuban National Assembly.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Political Climate
Discuss SVG shares her take on the island's political situation: “I believe this is how our leaders want us to feel…powerless so they can be strengthened…”
China: Grassroots wisdom website
Husunzi from China Study Group introduced a Chinese website on grassroots wisdom.
Azerbaijan: Education, free thought and development
Following a previous post from Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines on European concerns with the situation of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, and especially following the imprisonment of video blogging youth activists Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, the blog comments on remarks made by the country's Minister of Education. The...
Japan: Peace picture books
The pacifist association called Peace Picture Books [ja, en] published online their last story titled Evil & Punishment: psychology of punishment [en]. On the same website it`s possible to read picture books by different illustrators.
