Stories about International Relations from March, 2011
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Towards Partition
At OpenDemocracy.net, Bedrudin Brljavac writes about the situation in Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Fifteen years since the end of the war, ethno-nationalist leaders continue to pursue political agendas leading to the partitioning of Bosnia rather than membership of a united Europe. And yet, without the prospect of the EU, it is...
Jamaica: The Sea & Radioactivity
“The news out of Japan gets grimmer by the day”: Labrish Jamaica is concerned.
Haiti: Monsanto's Agenda
Haiti Grassroots Watch takes “a closer look” at Monsanto's seed distribution in the wake of last year's devastating earthquake.
Cuba: Meeting Carter
The Cuban Triangle summarizes former President Jimmy Carter's visit to Cuba, while Generation Y blogs about their meeting and the symbolic gift she gave him “in the name of several bloggers and other Cubans.”
Communities in Limbo on Honduran-Salvadoran Border
Voices from El Salvador's Weblog writes about the communities affected by an ongoing dispute on the Honduran-Salvadoran border, and argues that the governments from both countries “must take immediate action to ensure that those residents in limbo are granted citizenship so that they may have the rights that everyone else...
Tensions Between Korea and Japan Intensified Over Territorial Conflict
South Koreans have expressed deep regret over the Japanese government’s decision to endorse middle school textbooks that defined Dokdo island as part of its territory. Reflecting people's anger, Korea's power Twitterer and bestselling novelist, Lee Oi-soo (@oisoo) harshly condemned [ko] Japanese government for approving the new textbooks.
Debate about China Model
The China Media Project has translated two articles written by Zhang Weiwei, a CCP think tank and Yang Jisheng, an experience retired reporter on their understanding of China Model.
Macedonia, Bulgaria: Facing Hate Speech
Two NGOs, from Macedonia and from Bulgaria, have published an analysis of the Macedonian-Bulgarian hate speech in the traditional and new media.
Bangladesh: Is USA Doing Excess On Yunus Issue?
US Astt. Secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs Mr. Roger Blake recently visited Bangladesh and discussed with government about the recent disputes with the Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus. An Ordinary Citizen wonders whether USA is playing excess on this issue.
Bangladesh: Online Payment Options
In Bangladesh, Paypal is not available and international online payment/receipt via credit card is restricted, which is a problem for the startups who want to sell products from Bangladesh and receive payment. T solve this problem Hasin at “The Storyteller” writes about merchant account providers, who helps users to charge...
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Receives Press Freedom Award in Argentina
In response to the recent press freedom award given to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in Argentina, Greg Weeks at Two Weeks Notice writes: “I would like to propose that governments impose a moratorium on granting awards to people from other countries, particularly when those people show evidence of doing the...
China: Disappearance of human rights activists
As the world’s attention is focusing on the Middle East and North Africa, crackdown on human rights activists in China is continuing unabated following online calls for ‘Jasmine Revolution’. C. Custer at ChinaGeeks documented a list of people who have disappeared last month, and Geng He, wife of missing lawyer...
Serbia: Gaddafi's Cyber Army Oppose Rebels and NATO
A Facebook page entitled "Support for Muammar al-Gaddafi from the people of Serbia" has become a show of support for the controversial Libyan leader, with over 62,500 members. Libyan opposition activists have also reported cyber attacks on opposition websites coming from Serbia. Sasa Milosevic reports on the online support for Muammar al-Gaddafi in Serbia.
Bolivia’s Conflicting Stance With the USA on Coca Chewing
The 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs ordered the elimination of chewing coca leaves within 25 years of the treaty going into effect. Bolivia has again resurfaced as a proponent to eliminate this UN ban. The US moved to block Bolivia’s request, further citing that an amendment to the article shows Bolivia’s lack of cooperation in the fight against the drug trade.
Haiti: Not Like Japan
Toussaint on Haiti has been avoiding news of the Japan earthquake for fear of “triggering sad memories”, noting that stories of recovery there “really b[ring] home…the dysfunction that exists in Haiti.”
Cuba: More on Carter
Cuban bloggers continue to comment on former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's visit.
South Korea: Application for Radiation Levels Checkup
As minuscule amounts of radioactive iodine and cesium have been detected in South Korean atmosphere, intensifying the already heightened fear over Japan's nuclear crisis, South Korean web developers debuted an Android application enabling citizen to check updated information on radiation levels in the country. Wiki Tree posted [ko] screenshot images...
Afghanistan: Leaked Photos Unveil “Repugnancies” Committed by US Army
On March 21, 2011, the German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel released three horrific photos of Afghan civilians killed by a group of United States soldiers. Bloggers have reacted to the photos with shock and indignation.
Poland, Lithuania: “The End of the Romance”
Polandian offers “a quick review” of the Polish-Lithuanian relationship over the centuries and notes on the recent changes.
Cuba: Carter's Visit
Cuban bloggers weigh in on former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's visit to the island.
El Salvador: Online and Street Protests During Obama's Visit
Tim in Tim's El Salvador Blog reports that, “not everyone was happy to see Barack Obama on Salvadoran soil. Protesters in the streets of San Salvador and in cyberspace raised their voices against a variety of aspects of US policy impacting this tiny country in Central America.”
