Stories about Ideas from July, 2009
Barbados: Dark Day for Windies
Diaspora blogger Jdid is disheartened by the direction of West Indies cricket, saying: “Thank you WIPA and WICB for killing our cricket. You're both doing a bang up job!”, while compatriot Barbados Underground adds: “In light of the illogical decisions in recent years exhibited by the WIBC and WIPA, the...
Dominica: Tourism Development?
“The issue of sustainable development has been a troublesome issue…and the Caribbean is no exception; as the pace of development has begun and in some cases has already outstripped the rate at which our valuable and fragile ecosystem can replenish itself”: Dominica Weekly advocates approaching tourism development with caution.
Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados: Farce Meets Abject
“West Indies cricket is not a compass for but a barometer of the West Indian nation. The status and performance of the team does not point us in a new direction; it merely reflects where we are as a people. And we’re in a mess”: From Barbados, B.C. Pires examines...
Bahamas: Strong Institutions
“Our whole political campaign in 2007 was an exercise in time-wasting; because I believe with all my heart that, like Africa, what The Bahamas needs is not strong men, but strong institutions”: Nicolette Bethel explains.
Jamaica: KOTE '09
Annie Paul reviews Kingston on the Edge 2009 – Jamaica's up-and-coming urban art festival.
Saudi Arabia: Above the Law
Saudi blogger Najla [Ar] writes a sarcastic post in which she suggests the authorities draft two laws – one for ordinary citizens and another one for those with influence or who think they are above the law.
Hungary: Elections of extremity
Hungarian Spectrum compares the 2009 European Parliamentary elections with the 1939 national elections, finding similarities in their strong support for the extreme right in the country.
Arab World: Stories in Pictures
Armed with their cameras, two bloggers in the region took pictures of habits and things which caught their attention and commented on them. Here are their stories from Syria and Kuwait.
Bahrain: Having Respect For Yourself
Rick Beeman, an American based in Bahrain, is back in the USA for a visit – and wonders about the behaviour of certain Americans: “These people didn’t seem to have any self-respect and that was the sad part. While the people I'm with over in Bahrain…the laborers, have an incredible...
Russia: Trenches of Russophile-Russophobe ecclecticism
Sublime Oblivion takes on the complex problem of Russophilia vs. Russophobia, with a very interesting and thoughtful discussion, attempting to schematically categorize bloggers and analysts, but in the process – possibly – raises more questions than providing answers, due to the very ecclectical character of the issue on various practical...
Bermuda: PATI On The Cards
The Bermudian Premier has announced that Public Access To Information legislation “will be one of the first topics on the parliamentary schedule in November” – Vexed Bermoothes thinks that “the complete law must be exposed to the public in an advance consultation, and advice solicited from outside experts in freedom...
Jamaica: Women Needed
In the context of the West Indies Cricket Team's strike, Jamaica's Girl With a Purpose humbly suggests that “the West Indies Cricket Board needs to include at least three women, who are prudent, business and financially savvy, with guts, and who can get things done.”
Guyana: Writing's Purpose
From Guyana, The Intellectual Elite finds himself “preoccupied with the purpose of writing.”
India: Gogola.in
Dina Mehta at Conversation with Dina posts a picture of an advertisement in Bandra, Mumbai. The ad of Gola (ice slush) is styled as an imitation of the Google Homepage and logo: “the search bar says ‘Golas made from mineral water ice'; the address bar ‘httt://www.gogola.in/’. Even the status bar...
Russia: Do you want to live in such a country?
Inspired by Obama's view that states serving its peoples, and not rulers serving their own interests, tend to survive and flourish in the long run, LJ user agitator mass posts [RUS] a poll with the question: “Do you want to live in such a country?”
Ukraine: Peculiar pornography prohibition
Natalia Antonova ridicules new Ukrainian legislation outlawing pornography without defining its meaning, and exempting possession for medical purposes.
Blogger of the Week: Gabriela García-Calderón
Gabriela García Calderón may be the star translator of Global Voices in Spanish. She translates on a daily basis for our publications, and as if that weren't enough, she still has time for writing in her personal blog, Seis de enero (January 6th). Juan Arellano met with Gabriela for an interview - here are the results.
Dominica, U.S.A.: Learning from the “King of Pop”
“President Barack Obama did prove that content of character transcends race. In Michael Jackson’s case it was star power”: Dominica Weekly thinks there are lessons to be learned from Jackson's life.
Barbados: Making Sugar Cane King
“No one with the authority seems to want to make a definitive decision as to how to progress the sugar cane industry”: Barbados Underground is convinced that “the value is no longer in the sugar but now in the sugar cane” – especially bio fuels and bio plastics.
Guyana: The CARICOM Circus
Guyana-Gyal says that CARICOM is “just a free lunch”.
Brunei freeze
Almost 200 young Bruneians participated in the country’s first “freeze pose” event in a mall which was also intended to raise awareness on the Influenza A(H1N1) virus. Watch a video about the event.
