· June, 2012

Stories about Ideas from June, 2012

Tajikistan: The Role of Intellectuals in Running a Country

Should poets have a bigger say in how the countries they live in are run? Adash Istad writes [tj] that Tajik intellectuals have stayed out of government affairs too long. The blogger argues that it is time for intellectuals to understand that they have a particular ‘mission’ which consists of educating...

Ecuador: #LoxaEsMas, Ideas that Generate Change

  29 June 2012

#LoxaEsMas ("Loja is more") is an initiative that intends to create new ways to report problems in Loja, Ecuador, by using technology as the main tool. This initiative also strives to find practical solutions to improve the city.

Myanmar: Netizens Celebrate Aung San Suu Kyi's Birthday

  19 June 2012

Myanmar netizens sent online birthday greetings to opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi who is in Europe for her first foreign trip after two decades. Netizens are wondering why state media networks didn't report the Nobel Peace Prize lecture which Suu Kyi recently delivered

Bahrain: Cursing Neutrality

“I think that it’s not only the killer that should be held responsible for his crime for silence isn’t any lesser of a crime, and that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality,” writes Bahraini blogger Mohammed Hassan.

Guyana: Shared Humanity

  14 June 2012

“I do not believe that the response to human savagery and the solution to banditry should be vulgar violence and the public glorification of the defilement of a human being”: A powerful post by Imran Khan about humanity, society and intelligent thinking.

Brazil: Online Impressions of Brazilian Identity

  13 June 2012

Since the declaration of Brazil as an independent nation in 1822, Brazilian identity has gone through several changes spurred by economic, social and cultural transformations. But is there a common Brazilian identity for every citizen? Fernando Sapelli reports some online impressions of what it means to be Brazilian.

Egypt: Recognising Catastrophe

Writing from Egypt, Maryanne Stroud Gabbani shares her thoughts on the Egyptian presidential elections here. “I wish I could really say that I've gained some understanding of what is happening in Egypt right now, of what we can expect, but I can't,” she confesses.

Cuba: Economic Deja Vu?

  7 June 2012

A few Cuban bloggers have been voicing their economic concerns - and wondering whether the island's recent reforms, some of which include a more open approach to self-employment - could translate into political change as well.

Kenya: Urban Gardening Taking Root

  6 June 2012

In Kenya, city dwellers are learning different techniques to grow food for consumption and sale even in reduced spaces. For people with low or no income, urban gardening may be the key to food security. These videos show how food can be grown in containers and using limited space and resources.