Stories about Ideas from May, 2009
Jamaica: Look Behind
Jamaican diaspora blogger Labrish takes us to Cockpit Country, “The Land of Look Behind”.
Palestine: Family Fun?
In the West Bank, Samuel Nichols notes: “Parents taking a Friday afternoon walk carrying their newborn is cute. Parents taking a Friday afternoon walk carrying their newborn (with an M-16 slung over the father's shoulder while intimidating Palestinian farmers) is disconcerting and scary.”
Jamaica: Discussing Human Rights
“Traditionally, the discussion of human rights in Jamaica has been conducted in what may be considered ‘the privileged voice'”: Raw Politics…Jamaica Style! questions the value of this norm.
Trinidad & Tobago: Internet Killed the TV Star?
“The one media outlet that best serves the fat, the dumb, the happy, is one that is in for a wild roller coaster ride as people around the world tune out so that they can tune in on the Internet”: Blogging from Trinidad and Tobago, KnowProSE.com thinks that television has...
Iran: In presidential race, ex-revolutionary guard leader uses internet least
Former leader of the Revolutionary Guard in Iran, Mohsen Rezai, was among the lucky four candidates selected by the Council of Guardians to run in the presidential elections on June 12. Rezai's digital campaign is lightweight compared to that of his three rivals, but he has listed the names of bloggers who support him on his campaign website.
Taiwan: LiveCast and music for saving rural livelihood
Citizen journalists, activists and artists use different forms of media - LiveCast, written reports and musics- to save rural livelihood and Taiwan's agriculture from destructive government rural policies.
Cuba: Blossoming Blogosphere
“A lot has changed in the ‘Made in Cuba’ blogosphere,” reports Generation Y, for whom there is “no greater happiness than to see the rise of so many plural, different and free spaces.”
Dominica: Brain Drain
“When are we going to realize that knowledge is a wealth-creating asset to our country’s development?”: Dominica Weekly is concerned about the island's brain drain.
Barbados: Budget Speech Reactions
Barbadian bloggers weigh in on the Prime Minister's much anticipated 2009 Budget Speech.
Guyana, Cuba: Day Against Homophobia
“What did it mean that there were no openly lesbian women where I lived in Guyana, a little over 20 years ago?” asks Signifyin’ Guyana, as she acknowledges the recent International Day Against Homophobia; Repeating Islands, meanwhile, notes that the occasion was recognized in Havana.
USA: National Ethnic Media Awards Winners 2009
New America Media in the United States announces the winners of the 2009 Ethnic Media Awards. Pro-migrant blog The Sanctuary takes best ethnic blogger award.
Caribbean: Bloggers React to Walcott's Withdrawal
St. Lucian-born Derek Walcott is truly a West Indian man. He has been embraced by literature lovers of countless other regional territories who identify with his writing and see the nuances of the Caribbean come alive in his work. Which was why his Nobel Prize win for Literature in 1992 seemed like a regional victory - and why his withdrawal from the tight race for the coveted position of Oxford Professor of Poetry has left a bad taste in many bloggers' mouths.
Trindad & Tobago: Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
Trinidadian bloggers This Beach Called Life and Jumbie's Watch take issue with the President's “apology” over the Integrity Commission debacle.
Barbados: Budget Speech
Barbados Underground says that expectations are high for the Prime Minister's 2009 Budget Speech, adding: “There are times when political partisanship should give way to bi-partisanship in the interest of the national self. This is such a time.”
Guyana: Prayer Calling
“It is an injustice being blatantly perpetrated upon thousands and thousands of Guyanese on a daily basis and one against which many feel helpless”: Imran Khan takes issue with the custom of amplified calls to prayer, calling it “noise pollution”.
China: Thoughts on how to do “small” business
Maryannodonnell blogs her conversation with her tea vendor on the ethics of small business.
Mexico: Using the Word “Joven”
Mexicans use the word “joven” when they want a waiter's attention. Even though the word means “young person” no matter the age, it took Lesley Téllez of the Mija Chronicles a little getting used to.
Bloggers raise funds for Brunei Special Olympics Team
In providing support to the Brunei Special Olympics team, local bloggers are creating awareness on the team’s forthcoming participation in the World Special Olympics in Athens in 2011. Major fundraising activities were held last May 3: a walkathon and bazaar.
Bahrain: Shameless Cruelty to Animals
Back to blogging after a long hiatus, Bahraini Mahmood Al Yousif lashes out at the way ‘poor unfortunate birds’ and animals are treated in his country. Click on the link to find out why Al Yousif's blood “is still boiling.”
Jamaica, Dominican Republic: Whale Watching
“Most well meaning individuals who seek out whale watching and other ecotourism activities are not aware of the potential danger that wildlife watching can cause”: Jamaican diaspora blogger Labrish expains.
Japan: ‘Yoshiharu Habu and Modern Shogi’, an Open Translation Project
A volunteer translation project sprang up and translated all of Mochio Umeda's book "Watching Shogi from Silicon Valley - Habu Yoshiharu and Modern Times" into English in under a week.