Stories about Ideas from March, 2007
Jordan: Facebook and Bloggers
Jordan-based blogger Shaden Abdul-Rahman says it seemed like all Jordanian bloggers woke up one morning and signed onto Facebook en masse. “So it seemed like Jordanians woke up one day and decided to group sign-up for Facebook accounts. It’s funny how almost everyone from JB signed up for an account...
Guatemala: Community Radio
Tom Allan has posted his reflections on community radio in rural Guatemala on Indymedia.
Kuwait: Motorcycle Crashes
Kuwait-based blogger Mark is obsessed with videos of motorcycle crashes and links to some of them here. (Warning: Not for the faint of heart)
Israel: Where is My Gas Mask?
Israeli blogger Yael K is looking for her gas mask. “This is actually a good question and I don’t have the answer –in some cabinet or drawer or under something or another, perhaps the bed, hmmm. Not that I’m expecting to need it for anything any time soon but as...
Tunisia: Unwanted Baggage
“We carry so much useless and unwanted baggage that is passed on to us from the previous generations, and implicitly it just weighs us down, stifles our chances to be creative and imposes illogical limits on our lives, choices and freedom,” writes Tunisian blogger Subzero Blue. He advice is not...
Bermuda: Blogging vs. Journalism
Christian Dunleavy at Politics.bm explores the concept of political blogging versus traditional journalism: “…while I certainly come at things from a specific angle, my potential biases are declared, whereas those in the traditional media can be much more subtle and undeclared…”
Barbados: Traditional Architecture
“I have a thing for old buildings,” writes Gallimaufry. “But it must be more than an appreciation of traditional Bajan architecture that moves me so, that causes me to feel a sudden rush of tenderness toward these abandoned structures.” Some perceptive musings on what makes a house a home.
Trinidad & Tobago: Farewell, Lloyd Best
Nicholas Laughlin pays tribute to Caribbean intellectual Lloyd Best, who passed away on March 19: “We will desperately miss–because we desperately need, now more than ever–his hard-won but lightly worn knowledge, his insight, his optimism, his humour, his integrity. No one has understood the Caribbean better, and few have lived...
Egypt: The Burqini Question
Issandr Al Amrani still has a few unanswered questions about the Islamic bikini – burqini. “I’m not trying to make fun of this — people can wear what they want — but why call it burqini? A burqa is a rather extreme form of fundamentalist gear that is not found...
Arabisc: A Pictorial Tour of the Middle East
When I first saw these pictures. I thought to myself sheep = New Zealand. How wrong was I! A closer look will show you that the donkey was familiar, the grass not that green and palm trees in the background. It was closer to home than I thought. We kick...
Bahrain: Creative Conference a Hit
Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif has just returned from a conference on the Creative Use of the Media for Tolerance and Understanding and shares his thoughts with us here.
Yemen: No Gangs in Mukalla
Yemeni blogger Omar Barsawad compares the seaside Yemeni town of Mukalla to Rio de Janeiro . “Mukalla is utterly free of gangs, criminals or thugs. Of a violent kind. As are all urban centers in Yemen. But there is a striking likeness between Mukalla and Rio De Janeiro, the Marvelous...
Central Asia: Local Democracy
Tolkun Umaraliev agrees with the new Turkmen president's views on democracy — namely that it cannot simply be imported ready-made, but that it instead has to be adapted to local traditions and culture.
Bahrain: A Kite in My Heart!
Bahrain-based blogger Bint Battuta attended a kite demonstration , at a time when she is actually feeling like there a kite in her heart. “I feel like I have a kite flying inside me right now! Yesterday was my last day at work – in full-time work, that is, as...
Oman: Splashing Water
Omani Blogger Umm Qusay is moved by water splashing on rocks. Read this to know why.
Electronic arts scene mingles with marginalized communities in Colombia
Take electronic media, a community with a violent history and music, and you have the necessary ingredients to make a Pixelazo. “Pixelazo is the new Colombian node in the Pixelache festival network. The first Pixelazo event will be organised by Intermundos.org in collaboration with Pixelache Helsinki and several Colombian collaborators.”...
Libya: The Adventures of Mr Behi
Iranian blogger Mr Behi has moved to Tripoli, Libya, and tells us about life without his life, a computer on life-support and the importance of credit and debit cards. “I received my first salary in Tripoli but the money is in the bank, my debit card is in my hand...
China: Neighbors talking on the Net
Things are looking slightly better for China's property owners, but the right to vote has yet to reach the cities. Over the past few years property owners have done their best to pick up the slack, but sometimes have to resort to violence to get their needs met. Do Chinese...
Arabisc: Sorting Through Arabic Blogs
With thousands of posts on blogs written in Arabic daily, do you realise how difficult it is to pick a handful for translation for Global Voices Online twice a week? Moroccan blogger Mohammed Saeed Hjiouij seems to be suffering from the same problem. He is at a loss on which...
Dubai: Racist Car Sales Ad
Dubai-based blogger Sans feels there is a hint of racism in a car sale ad.
Qatar: Weblog Awards a Let Down
Qatar-based blogger Morad Rayyan isn't impressed with the results of the Seventh Annual Weblog Awards. “Though I refuse to acknowledge the list of winners since they have scratched my blog from the list of nominees due to discrimination towards Koreans and Jordanians and blah blah… but since I have a...
