Stories about Ideas from January, 2010
Bahamas, Haiti: Where is the Love?
“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
“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.
Jamaica: Big Guns
Jamaica Salt reports on the number of guns being smuggled into the island.
Martinique, French Guiana: “No” To More Autonomy
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’
XNepali blog argues that the ‘Nepalese’ should be addressed as ‘Nepali’. The blogger also created a Facebook group titled “Say no to ‘Nepalese’”.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Dear PM
From St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Abeni writes a letter to her Prime Minister.
Trinidad & Tobago: Discussing Homophobia
Trinidad and Tobago's gspottt thinks that “2010 is off to a promising start” thanks to sociologist Linden Lewis’ addressing of the issue of homophobia in the Caribbean.
Cuba: Bloggers’ Risk
“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
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
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.”
China: Eight characteristics of fake “patriots”
C Custer from ChinaGeeks translated a post by Zhou Weilu on eight characteristics of fake “patriots” on the Internet.
Trinidad & Tobago: Cobo ‘Mas
Pleasure focuses on the “strange developments” in Trinidadian artist Ashraph's studio, in preparation for this year's Carnival celebrations.
Barbados: Anti-Terrorism Measures
“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
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
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
“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.
Jordan: Teaching Jordanians To Laugh At Themselves?
The second Amman Stand-Up Comedy Festival was held in December, with comics mostly from North America. The New York Times published an article about the festival entitled "Jordanians Can Take a Joke, Comics Find" – but some bloggers did not appreciate its tone.
Puerto Rico: The Crime of Corruption
“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.
Kenya: video of bicycle repair man with home made tools
At the Afrigadget blog they share a video of a bicycle repair man showing and explaining the use of his home made tools as he does his work in a Nairobi market.
Venezuela: BlogaCine Attracts Fellow Film Fans
BlogaCine is a blog in which Carlos Caridad-Montero, a Venezuelan filmmaker and fan, passionately writes about local cinema, and which in turn attracts fellow film fans to take part in this new way of film critique.