Stories about Migration & Immigration from May, 2007
Sri Lanka: An Expat's reasons
An ex-pat (was) explains why he came back to Sri Lanka and why he chooses to stay there. More at Indi.ca. “I was born in 1982 and my entire life has been defined by this war I had nothing to do with. It was just this messy inheritance. With the...
Armenia: Real Estate Prices
At Life in Armenia, Raffi K. reports on real estate prices in Yerevan.
Syria: A Letter from a Syrian Worker in Lebanon
Golaniya posted a letter from a Syrian Worker in Lebanon. “In Lebanon, our hopes are now starting to flee away. We are outcasts. We receive all kinds of cursing and swearing from people. We sometimes got hit and killed. This happens when politicians, deliberately and non deliberately, make their loaded...
Hong Kong: Migration of Websites
Duke of Aberdeen comments on the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority's advice of the suspected “indecent” photo at inmediahk.net, and points out that one of the consequence is a migration wave of website hosting out of Hong Kong as the government is targeting on local ISP and BSP (zh).
Lebanon: More on the Crisis in the Country
For the second week, Lebanese bloggers have posted anecdotes, reflections, updates, photos, videos, jokes, sarcasm and drawings on the issue that is taking precedence over all other topics. The issue is the ongoing violence which is taking the form of clashes in the north between the army and the militants and the terrorist explosions jumping from one location to another around the country, writes Moussa Bashir.
Sierra Leone: State Led Prostitution, Diamond Tales, And More
After three years of peace following eleven years of civil war, Sierra Leone is engaged in concerted efforts to attract investors. The efforts, which are led by the the government of Sierra Leone and the the Department of International Development in the UK, involve a campaign, Sierra Leone: Back in Business. Sierra Leone, like many other African countries, is guilty of "state led prostitution" in its attempts to bring investors back into the country, argues Sweet Sierra Leone.
Belarus: Blogger br23/Uładzimer Katkoŭski Passes Away
Belarusian blogger Uładzimer Katkoŭski/br23 passed away in Prague on May 25 at the age of 30. As one of his online friends wrote, "To a large degree thanks to his effort Belarusian-language Internet is now what it is."
Afghan Whispers:Refugees,War Lords and Orphanages
Several Afghan bloggers have discussed Iranian government’s decision to expel Afghan refugees to Afghanistan. Some of these refugees have lived in Iran for years. Marine Gustavson, from Parsa NGO shows in our photo.You can see more photos here. Afghanistan's government called the consequences of sending back thousands of people to...
China: Rural Migrant Children
Zuo Ai Chung quotes figure from Federation of Women association research that 5-10% of the rural migrant population in the urban area are children (around 750-2,000 millions) who follow their parent to work in towns and cities [zh].
Iran:what do people when they are worried about being arrested?
In recent weeks several Iranian-Americans including Haleh Esfandiari were arrested and have no right to have a lawyer.View From Iran writes what do people when they are worried about being arrested:Here's the drill:1. Sell all the alcohol.2. Backup everything on the computer and then reformat the hard drives.3. Call people...
Kuwait: Filipinos Gear Up for National Celebration
The Filipino community in Kuwait, in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy laid the groundwork for the observance of Philippines’ 109th Independence Day anniversary on June 12, 2007 in a meeting held Monday at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Jabriya. The first part of the celebration will hold a a...
Iran: Iran-USA Negotiations, the Chinese Model and Expulsion of Afghans
Iran accepted a U.S. offer last Thursday for direct negotiations about conditions in Iraq. It can be viewed as a historic moment as it is the first time that Iran has agreed to bilateral talks since the United States broke diplomatic relations in 1980 after American diplomats were taken hostage in Tehran. Negotiation between these two countries becomes even more interested when we take into consideration that Iranian officials have called the USA "the Great Satan" while Washington still considers Iran to be a member of the so-called axis of evil.
Latvia: Interview with Aleksejs Tapins
Peteris Cedrins of Marginalia interviews Aleksejs Tapins of All About Latvia: Why do you blog? – […] At one point, it's become a search for my own identity. Who am I? Am I Russian/Latvian/American? I tried answering my own questions in hopes to show what some Russian-speaking people in Latvia...
Kuwait: Lebanese are “Fed Up”
‘“We are fed up!!” That is what all Lebanese are saying these days. Past two days, I asked many lebanese people in Kuwait what they think of whats going on, all of them have given up any hope they had for our country to rebuild and all they want now...
France's New “Ministry of Nationalism and Expulsion”
Francophone blogger Et Si Nous Parlions has no love for French president Nicolas Sarkozy's new Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National Identity, and Co-Development. He prefers to call it the “Ministry of Nationalism and Expulsion” (Fr). The ministry's title suggests its broad-reaching ambitions. French human rights groups have criticized the ministry's...
Botswana: impact of brain-drain on aviation industry
The face of brain-drain: “I found this document the other day at the Air Botswana check-in counter at the recently renamed O.R. Tambo International Airport, Jo'burg. It reads: “NOTICE TO AIR BOTSWANA PASSENGERS & STAKEHOLDERS Air Botswana apologises sincerely to passengers who are affected by the current disruption to its...
Cameroon: Diaspora-homeland collaboration in online publishing
A success story of Diaspora-homeland collaboration: “The Post’s collaboration between the hard copy as content provider and its US-based site owners as administrator, demonstrates an alternative (even if unconventional) model of publishing online. It simultaneously illustrates how the skills of the Cameroonian diasporic community are being appropriated towards the homeland...
Serbian “Prayer” Wins Eurovision Song Contest
Just a few days ago, major news outlets reported that the main course of discussion at the Serbian Assembly session was to determine which political party is supported by the 2007 Eurovision winner, Marija Serifovic. Milutin Mrkonjic, who presided at the meeting, invited the singer to visit the parliament. When she came in, Mrkonjic said, “Fellow deputies, please turn around and greet Marija Serifovic. We will be having a short break. Let all of us go to the lobby to have a juice with our Marija.” Serbian bloggers have been discussing various aspects of Serifovic's victory, too, of course, and Ljubisa Bojic translates some of the reactions.
Morocco: Fighting ignorance, injustice, and irrationality
Giving one's child a special first name should be an inalienable right, not a lengthy bureaucratic process. Hamza Daoui covers a debate stirring up over this very issue, as well as the upcoming Moroccan elections and the timeless subject of ignorance.
Tanzania: Bongoland (film) update
Latest update on the Tanzanian film, Bongoland: “After watching Bongoland, the former prime minister remarked that it was a very good movie and wishes that most people in Tanzania could see it…”especially the youth”. Chemi run into the Prime Minister in Cambridge Mass. where he is pursuing studies at Harvard...
Trinidad & Tobago: Vital Supplies
“All Trinis have a story about Crix because it’s one of the first things we eat as children. I’ve eaten Crix with practically everything…it’s because of this versatility that Crix are affectionately known as ‘Vital Supplies’.”: Can Cook, Must Cook sings the praises of Trinidad and Tobago's most popular biscuit.
