· May, 2011

Stories about Ideas from May, 2011

Jamaica: Garvey's Good Name

  31 May 2011

Diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp has begun an online movement to clear Marcus Garvey's name – his aim is “to get 10,000 signatures and to deliver the petition to President Barack Obama.”

Pakistan: TEDx Karachi Inspires Pakistanis

  27 May 2011

The second TEDx Karachi event took place on the 27 May, 2011, and it included speakers like Mukhtaran Mai, Raja Sabri Khan, Fasi Zaka and Imran Khan. Pakistani netizens share their opinions about the event which inspires to 'Make the Impossible Possible'.

Cuba: Any True Democracy?

  27 May 2011

“When Castro says that Cuba is the most democratic country in the world, I am uncertain if he is being serious or it is black humor”: Iván García says that he will only “believe in the Socialist democracy, as advocated by the regime in Havana, when you see a negative...

Guyana: Dreaming of Utopia

  26 May 2011

“One day, we gon discard that box, push aside the ol’ habits, and think in ways that make the whole place sparkle”: Guyana-Gyal has a dream.

Cuba: Students Need Internet

  24 May 2011

“The more often I read about the internet from the Cuban government perspective the more I feel like we need to do a better job of explaining to them why the internet is necessary”: Graham Sowa, blogging at Havana Times, makes a case for why the Internet is a critical...

Brazil: Crowdfunding Potential

  24 May 2011

Interest in crowdfunding, a form of online fundraising, has exploded in recent months in Brazil. We survey the scene and the potential of crowd fundraising in a country known for world-renowned social organizing, and creativity.

Cuba: Cultural Center Closed

  23 May 2011

Generation Y blogs about “the shock of the correctives” in the form of “the closure of the cultural center run by the painter Pedro Pablo Oliva”.

China: “We Chinese”

  23 May 2011

Scott Brauer introduces a project, “We Chinese”, which aims to develop a portrait of the country by looking at the individual people that make it up.

Japan: Video Haiku

  23 May 2011

Vimeo user Stephen Niebauer presents a project called Video Haiku. A haiku is a short form of Japanese poetry that usually consists of three verses of 5,7 and 5 morae. “So, for this project, your video structure should be like this: 5 second shot, 7 second shot, 5 second shot.”

U.S.V.I.: “The Caribbean Writer”

  19 May 2011

A Nation or Nobody is enjoying his new copy of The Caribbean Writer: “The topics…rang[e] from the Virgin Islands’ place in the Caribbean community to concerns over the homicide rate in the territory…”

Trinidad & Tobago: Dangerous Dogs & the Bigger Picture

  17 May 2011

Globewriter posts an interview he did with the President of the T&T Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Against the backdrop of a recent spate of dog attacks, they discuss the existing law as it pertains to dangerous dogs, as well as responsible pet ownership, animal welfare and...

India: Taxi Cab For Women In Delhi

  14 May 2011

Shital Shah at Think Change India writes that an innovative start up in Delhi, which is training women to drive taxi cabs to provide abuse free transport for women.

Interview with Cati Restrepo, Global Voices Contributor

  14 May 2011

Cati Restrepo was the natural leader and most public face of the project financed by Rising Voices: Hiperbarrio, a project which she left one year ago. Cati was also the winner of the Miss Talent prize in the city of Medellín, which led her to front her own project known as “Women and Digital Inclusion”. In addition to being an active Global Voices collaborator she is also currently involved in many other things. I would therefore like to invite you to get to know her a little more.

China: Red Culture Fever

  12 May 2011

2011 is turning out to be a year for 'red culture' revival, mocked fiercely online but taken seriously by courts, prisons, universities, television stations and police departments in a growing number of areas throughout the country. Is it all for political show, or does it signal a pending culture war in China?

Bolivia: Recycling Water for Irrigation

  12 May 2011

Roberto Laserna describes [es] how he recycles water that he later uses for irrigation. He lists some of his errors in constructing the recycling system and suggests ways to avoid common mistakes.