· January, 2010

Stories about Ideas from January, 2010

Bahamas, Haiti: Where is the Love?

  14 January 2010

“The headlines of our foremost newspapers…rather than forcing us Bahamians to shake our deep, deep prejudices against our closest neighbours…instead reinforce our prejudices and our fears”: Nicolette Bethel says that some of her compatriots are not demonstrating enough compassion for Haiti.

Bahamas: Investing in Culture

  13 January 2010

“The call for some thought to be given to an investment in Bahamian art and culture, is not about tourism at all. It is about finding, and reminding us of, ourselves”: Nicolette Bethel clarifies the purpose of The Day of Absence.

Martinique, French Guiana: “No” To More Autonomy

  13 January 2010

The referendum which took place on Sunday, January 10th 2010, in the French Overseas Regions of Martinique and French Guiana to vote for either more autonomy from France or to keep the same status, was along awaited and its results have left bloggers with mixed feelings. The following is a roundup of some Martinican blogs and their insight on what took place.

‘Nepali’ not ‘Nepalese’

  12 January 2010

XNepali blog argues that the ‘Nepalese’ should be addressed as ‘Nepali’. The blogger also created a Facebook group titled “Say no to ‘Nepalese’”.

Cuba: Bloggers’ Risk

  12 January 2010

“Some years ago I read a study by the UN International Labor Organization in which they reported the profession of journalist as the second riskiest in the entire world…the study was done in the nineties, when there were, as yet, no bloggers”: Generation Y reports from Cuba.

Caucasus: Society, sex and the dating game

  12 January 2010

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, hopes that new freedoms would quickly replace the old have often been dashed by the re-emergence of traditional practices. Largely kept suppressed by the communist system, gender and issues of sexuality were particularly affected. Slowly, however, discussion is starting to take place online.

Bermuda: The Family Unit

  11 January 2010

Vexed Bermoothes suggests that the soaring crime rate might just have something to do with “Bermuda’s low marriage rate and the large number of children that are raised in lone parent households.”

Trinidad & Tobago: Cobo ‘Mas

  11 January 2010

Pleasure focuses on the “strange developments” in Trinidadian artist Ashraph's studio, in preparation for this year's Carnival celebrations.

Barbados: Anti-Terrorism Measures

  11 January 2010

“The series of terror events in the USA in recent months is a vivid reminder that people who are determined to do wrong or evil are not easy to stop”: Living in Barbados thinks that the government “needs to be vigilant too and to have in place mechanisms that do...

Puerto Rico: Three Kings Day

  8 January 2010

Gil the Jenius is disheartened that “on Three Kings Day, the traditional Puerto Rican day for sharing gifts and celebrating the (extended) joy of Christmas, the death toll by murder on My Island this year stands at 19.”

Bahamas, U.S.A.: Same Old Story

  8 January 2010

The Bahamas’ The Gaulin Wife “wasn’t fooled” by the new film Avatar: “The story is clichéd, dangerously so, because while it appears to call into question colonialism’s devastating effects on the colonized, it ultimately reinforces a colonial worldview…”

Bermuda: Violent Start to Year

  7 January 2010

“Well that didn’t take long. Just days into 2010 and we already have a road fatality and an execution style murder”: Vexed Bermoothes reports from Bermuda.

Egypt: “Have a Voice” Campaign

As Egypt gears up for its 2011 presidential elections, a group of bloggers have launched a new campaign to make people believe that they can usher in change and make their voices heard through voting. Eman AbdElRahman rounds up reactions from the Egyptian blogosphere in this post.

Puerto Rico: The Crime of Corruption

  5 January 2010

“Most people, when confronted with the topic of corruption in government spheres, tend to shrug it off, like it's a death in a distant neighbor's family, a common occurrence not worth thinking about”: Puerto Rico's Gil the Jenius takes a closer look.