Stories about International Relations from August, 2010
Afghanistan: State Dept Terrorism Report makes bleak reading
Nick Fielding reviews new report by the U.S. State Department on Afghanistan, noting that Taliban attacks increased over 2008 amid diminished direct influence of al-Qaeda, whilst the anti-government insurgency remained a capable, determined, and resilient threat to stability.
Southeast Asia: ASEAN Day
Thai Intelligent News uploads two articles that reflect on the celebration of the ASEAN Day today. ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Voices of Young African Leaders Heard at Obama's Forum
The President's Forum with Young African Leaders took place in Washington, DC from August 3-5 2010. Delegates from Sub Saharan Africa were invited to exchange ideas on development in their countries as many were celebrating their 50 years of independence.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Overcoming negative stereotypes in the South Caucasus
This guest post for the World Bank's World Development Report 2011 is the first in a series on "New Media and Conflict" which explores the affect of new communication technologies on issues of conflict and development.
Pakistan: Stereotyping Hindus
The blogger at The life and times of two Indians in Pakistan blog writes about some incidents of stereotyping of Pakistani Hindus as either Indian or Kaafir (infidel) and she was overwhelmed when some Pakistanis protested this treatment.
Haiti: Saying “No” to Monsanto
Monsanto has been a controversial company for some years now, mainly because it is a major producer of genetically modified seed (reportedly selling as much as 90% of the genetically engineered seed in the United States) and has a reputation for employing questionable methods to ensure that it maintains its lead. Enter Haiti...
Bangladesh: Visitors Share Their Thoughts On Grameen Ventures
This summer, eight students and faculty members from the Master of Public Administration program of the Northern Kentucky University in Kentucky, USA are completing an internship at Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. They have made numerous field visits and are recording their experiences in their blogs using texts, pictures and videos.
Myanmar-India relations
WaZup! Asia identifies and analyzes the various trade and other economic agreements recently forged between India and Myanmar.
Morocco: Race and Racism
In Morocco, the discussion of race and racism is sometimes taboo. In this post, Jillian C. York sums up the thoughts of several bloggers, in reaction to a post on racism against Black people in the country.
Morocco: Fez Resident Wins UN Youth Award
A young man from Fez, Ilyas Bakouch, is the runner-up in the United Nations’ Millenium Development Goals’ World Summit Youth Awards, for his website, donativa.com, writes The View from Fez.
Nepal, Bhutan: Different Perspectives On Refugee Issue
Pelden Drukpa at The Story of Bhutanese Refugees blog highlights the perspectives of Bhutan and Nepal on the Bhutanese refugees issue and comments: “until these fundamental differences in the perspectives are not settled, the refugee issue may be difficult to solve.”
Mauritania, Algeria: Analyses of the Fallout from the Raid to Free Germaneau
On July 25, A French-Mauritanian raid on Al Qaeda Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) inside Malian territory failed to free French aid worker Michel Germaneau who was killed by his detainers. Bloggers from the region are weary of the underlying trends in the region: complex diplomatic relations and radicalization of the youth.
Bahamas: Something Fishy
Weblog Bahamas says that there is a “big issue” that needs to be solved in the local commercial fishing industry “before something horrible happens.”
Cuba: Ortega's Award
As news circulates that Cardinal Jaime Ortega (Archbishop of Havana) is to receive an award in the United States, El Cafe Cubano suggests: “In the meantime the Cardinal will be making his rounds in Washington garnering support for lifting the embargo and the release of the Cuban 5. That's the...
Haiti: Elections Without Lavalas?
“International donors have expressed disappointment at Haiti's failure to hold inclusive elections, but have continued to fund them”: Wadner Pierre says that “Fanmi Lavalas, widely seen as the most popular political party in the country”, is being banned from participating in the upcoming elections this November.
Puerto Rico: Lebrón Passes On
Both Repeating Islands and The Voice of the Taino People Online mark the passing of Puerto Rican nationalist and independence activist, Lolita Lebrón.
Cuba: He's Ba-ack?
“In Cuba, information must be read between the lines”: Iván's File Cabinet speculates about what the differing approaches of the Castro brothers might mean.
China and the U.S: CCP's Soft Power and The Internet
Tom Legg comments on the interaction between Chinese Communist Party and western Internet companies in claiming and framing the online public sphere by means of soft power vs. discourse on citizen's rights to access.
Kyrgyzstan: Locals protest against OSCE police forces
Marat Sartpaev reports that demonstrations against the OSCE advisory group’s deployment are held in Kyrgyzstan. Protesters believe “this will lead to the dissolution of Kyrgyzstan as it did in Kosovo, South Ossetia” and challenge the central government's power.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Peace on Facebook
Global Voices co-founder Ethan Zuckerman comments on the potential for social networking site Facebook to serve as a tool for cross-border communication, especially in the area of international conflict. Although skeptical in general, Zuckerman says that it might be showing some albeit limited potential in the area of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.
Japan: JET Program in danger of being cut
Amidst cost-cutting pressure, the government-run JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Program is in danger of being cut. Many JET alumni are speaking up, such as Bahia, who explains how the program provides essential foreign exposure and helps improve English proficiency. The Jetwit site provides background details. The 23 year old...
