· October, 2007

Stories about Migration & Immigration from October, 2007

Guatemala: Missing Home

  30 October 2007

Migration either internally or to countries abroad is a usual phenomenon in Guatemala. During the armed conflict and the years of extreme poverty and violence several Guatemalans decided that there was a lack of real opportunities. As a result many left their homelands to go to the capital city or to go North to find other ways to survive and improve their quality of life. Blogs play an important role in keeping people connected and to bring a piece of Guatemala closer.

Turkey: An Armenian in Istanbul

  29 October 2007

Despite warnings from fellow Armenians, Lara Aha at Life in Armenia visited Istanbul in Turkey last week to attend a seminar on women in conflict zones. The Diasporan blogger now resident in Armenia says not only did she feel more at home in Istanbul than Yerevan, but that she also...

Jamaica: Slave Mentality

  29 October 2007

“Sometimes I wonder if to be black in this world is to be absolutely unaccountable. For anything.” Marlon James picks apart the slave mentality.

Ecuador: Immigrant Girl Attacked on Barcelona Train

  29 October 2007

A 16-year-old Ecuadoran immigrant was sitting alone on the train in Barcelona, when a Spanish citizen who was talking on his phone, proceeded to repeatedly strike the girl for no apparent reason. The images were caught on camera inside the train and brought swift reactions of disgust by bloggers in Ecuador and abroad, as well as caused others to pause and reflect on the status of immigrants in Spain.

Armenia: Bad News Day

  28 October 2007

Raffi K at Life in Armenia says that Friday was a day full of bad news for Armenia. However, he doesn't know which was worse — former president Levon Ter Petrosian running again for office, the postponement of a bill to recognize the Armenian Genocide in the U.S. Congress, or...

Armenia: Condoleezza Rice Against Genocide Bill

  25 October 2007

Oneworld Multimedia says that it comes as no surprise to discover that support for House Resolution 106 recognizing the Armenian Genocide is waning, with the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, the latest high-ranking official to urge U.S. lawmakers to drop the bill.

Guyana: Give the People what they Want

  24 October 2007

“Guyanese people Abroad so home sick they does crave every juicy detail about things happening here. If ants belch, they need to know what decibel”…so Guyana-Gyal gives them what they want.

Haiti: Constitutional Amendments?

  24 October 2007

“Is a Constitution a living document?” asks Bryan Schaaf at Haiti Innovation as he raises the issue of modifying certain sections of the island's existing constitution “for the betterment of the country”.

Armenia: Genocide Recognition or Democracy?

  24 October 2007

Raffi K and Arshineh, both bloggers from the Armenian Diaspora writing on Life in Armenia, post letters they've written to U.S. Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi praising her for House Resolution 106 which recognizes the Armenian Genocide. Despite increasing pressure not to do so, both hope that Pelosi will still bring...

Armenia: Demise of Gay Organization

  21 October 2007

Unzipped: Gay Armenia reports that the Association of Gay and Lesbian Armenians (AGLA) in France has ceased to exist. In an exclusive interview with the Chairperson of the Diaspora-based organization, ArtMika concludes that AGLA's demise is bad news for anyone who cares about LGBT rights in Armenia.

The War in Abkhazia – ‘Cyxymu’ Remembers

  20 October 2007

Blogger cyxymu - whose Russian-language blog is devoted to the “memories of Sukhumi, the war and the pain” - spent the second half of September marking the 14th anniversary of the storm of the Abkhaz capital, which dealt a final defeat to the Georgian forces in their war with Abkhazia. Lyndon Allin translates from some of cyxymu's entries, and reviews and comments on the others.

Jamaica: Art & Emancipation

  18 October 2007

Geoffrey Philp focuses on Jewish, Jamaican-born artist Isaac Mendes Belisario, whose lithographic series is part of an exhibition at the Yale Center for British Art commemorating the bicentenary of the abolition of the British slave trade.

Former Soviet Union: Pyotr Grigorenko's Centenary

  17 October 2007

Window on Eurasia writes about the “neglected centenary” of General Pyotr Grigorenko: “People like the late general are a rarity. Anyone who met him – and I was fortunate enough to do so – counts himself privileged. But even more, all those living in the post-Soviet states now are his...

Blog Action Day: Voices out of Africa and the Diaspora

  16 October 2007

Today many bloggers around the world united to write about one single theme, the environment. The blogs from Africa and Diaspora that participated did so with much variety in style and content. What follows are links and tidbits from Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and other global citizens. Kenya Afrigadget posts...