Stories about Ideas from September, 2012
35 Million Escape Poverty – But Can Brazil Overcome Inequality?
The United Nations campaign to end poverty in 2015 is finding results in Brazil, home to 194 million people. Some 35 million Brazilians have escaped poverty over the last decade, but questions are nevertheless being raised concerning the government's effort to overcome inequality.
Jordan: Inkitab Group to Hold Second Used Book Fair
After the success of their first event, the Inkitab Group which works to promote reading, will hold their second used book fair in the Jordanian capital Amman on October 1, 2012.
Jamaica: Storm Saulter on Film & New Media in the Caribbean
The 2012 Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival continues this week and one of the most high-profile regional attendees is Storm Saulter, the Jamaican director whose first feature film, Better Mus’ Come, received critical acclaim upon its release in late 2010. In this post, he talks about his new offering, filmmaking in the Caribbean and how new media is helping to change the landscape.
Will China Fall Prey to the ‘Skyscraper Curse'?
By 2022, the number of skyscrapers in China will reach 1,318 compared to 563 in the United States. But according to one theory, the world's tallest buildings often rise on the eve of economic downturns...
Jamaica: In Whose Image?
Whose conception of Jamaican identity resulted in the decision to market our country in this colour-coded way? Why are we still rubbing out black people from the big picture? Or,...
Chile: Interview with Poderopedia Founder
Jessica Weiss from IJNet interviewed Miguel Paz, founder of Poderopedia [es], a data journalism project which seeks to reveal links among members of Chile's elite: Poderopedia's team will collect and...
Bahrain: Can Democracy and Islam Co-Exist?
Can democracy exist in Islamic societies? This was the topic of conversation between Bahraini bloggers today.
Tunisia: Civil Society and the Sharia State
Tunisian blogger Lina Ben Mhenni argues that belonging to any religion or culture is a “product of chance.” She says: And when, together with bloggers from my country, we attempted...
Saudi Arabia: Celebrating National Day in Style
Saudi Arabia marks its National Day today [Sept 24] and young Saudis are celebrating the day in style. On Twitter, the day's events are tagged with a special hash tag #اليوم_الوطني, which translates to National Day. According to accounts on social media, young men took to the streets to celebrate the day, with dancing and street parades in their cars.
Philippines: TEDxDiliman Trends on Twitter
More than 100 attendees trooped to the University of Philippines campus in Diliman to witness TEDxDiliman 2012. Several recognizable personalities were invited as this year's speakers. Meanwhile, on the internet, netizens eagerly followed the event via livestream. The hashtag #tedxdiliman quickly became a local trending topic.
Brazil: Reflections of a Country Searching for Peace
Brazil is 83rd among 158 ranked nations in 2012's edition of the Global Peace Index, having fallen nine places since last year's. In the wake of International Peace Day Global Voices shares reflections and initiatives by Brazilian bloggers on the subject.
Video: Mini-Documentaries Showcase Venezuelan Artists
Through their YouTube account, the creative team Mostro Contenidos has released a documentary series called 'Memorabilia', where they present a collection of short interviews with Venezuelan personalities who have stood out -nationally and internationally- in film, entertainment, and the arts.
Bullying in a Networked Era: A Literature Review
A new report aims to help parents, educators, caregivers find answers.
China: Return of Maoists in Anti-Japan Protests Brings Anxiety
Maoist protesters in China's recent anti-Japan rallies - and a street fight between a Maoist professor and an 80-year-old man - has brought back people's memories of Chinese political history.
Mozambique: Photos of Bike-Taxis in Quelimane
A photo album by António Silva on Sapo illustrates the widespread use of bicycles as taxis in the flat city of Quelimane, in Mozambique, a place where there the lack...
Japan: Imagining Future Japanese-Korean Relations with ‘Free Hugs’
A "free hugs" video filmed in Korea by a young Japanese man attracted another round of attention this summer. The creator's intent was to "prove that there is hope for the future of Japan and South Korea". The deterioration in international relations between the two countries, reported upon daily in the media, has been causing a stir recently.
Jamaica: The Modern Sonnet
Jamaican diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp interviews author Pamela Mordecai about her new work, ” Subversive Sonnets”.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: International Day of Peace
Following an increase in tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, locked as they are in a bitter stalemate over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, Mountains of Peace looks ahead to...
Iran: “Civil Society” Charter for Iran
A group of Iranian intellectuals including Ramin Jahanbegloo wrote a new charter that aims to unite the Iranian people around a common human rights and civic agenda. Charter 91 has...
