Stories about Migration & Immigration from December, 2008
Morocco: “We Are All Gaza”
Rabat is 2,393 miles away from Gaza as the crow flies, but that doesn't stop Moroccans from feeling a strong sense of solidarity with Palestinians. As Israel's attacks against Gaza continue to worsen, Morocco's bloggers continue to speak out.
Syria: More on the Israeli Massacre in Palestine
Diana Ghazzawi, a Gazan blogger who is now based in North America, shares with us her worries that she might not meet her relatives in Gaza one day, if they don't get lucky from the strategic Israeli shelling on the Gazans: This is not about politics. It's not about specifics...
Syria: Myths about Israeli Attacks in Palestine
Our coverage of Syrian bloggers reacting on the ongoing Israeli war in Palestine continues. Israel is still proceeding the attacks in Palestine for the forth day causing 385 civilian deaths and leaving 1700 injured. Yaman Salahi, a Syrian blogger based in the US, has posted a note on his Facebook...
Cuba: Letter to Castro
Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense links to an open letter [ES] to Fidel Castro, written by a political prisoner.
Southeast Asia: Controversies and tragedies of 2008
In the previous post (Southeast Asia: Newsmakers of 2008), I wrote about the major events that took place in Southeast Asia. In this article, I will highlight other stories which became controversial as well.
Syria: Bloggers Infuriated by Israeli Massacre in Palestine
"Many Syrian bloggers feel depressed and paralyzed over what's happening in Gaza now" writes Razan Ghazzawi as she brings us more reactions from the Arabic-language Syrian blogosphere in our continuing coverage about the current Israeli airstrike campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Cuba, U.S.A.: Lifting Limits?
Uncommon Sense links to an article which suggests that US President-Elect Barack Obama seems prepared to lift limits “on how often Cuban Americans can visit family members on the island and on how much money they can send them”, a move which the blogger says would end “one of the...
Guyana: Best Books
Litblogger Signifyin’ Guyana lists her picks for best Caribbean books of 2008.
Turkey: Apology Shakes Apologia over Armenian Genocide
Challenging 90 years of institutionalized denial of the massacre and deportation of the Ottoman Empire's indigenous Armenian community during WWI, tens of thousands of Turkish intellectuals, academics, writers, journalists and dissidents have apologized online for the "Great Catastrophe."
Guadeloupe: Why not celebrate Kwanzaa as well?
Besides the traditional celebration of Christmas, Guadeloupean people have recently taken up a new celebration: Kwanzaa, which starts on December 26 and lasts until January 1.
Morocco: Obama to Speak?
Algerian-American blogger The Moor Next Door has reported on a campaign set up by Moroccans to encourage President-Elect Barack Obama to make his first speech abroad in Morocco. The blogger states: This clever Moroccan site — Obama to Speak in Morocco — is marketing that country as the best candidate...
Caribbean: 2008 in Review
From natural disasters to lightning bolts of the athletic kind, 2008 was a busy one for the Caribbean blogosphere. Here are some of the highlights...
A Caribbean Christmas
'Tis the season - and nowhere celebrates Christmas quite like the Caribbean! Here's a glimpse into what bloggers are doing to get into the spirit of the festivities...
Armenia-Turkey: Apology Row
Talk Turkey is unimpressed by various online petitions established to apologize or not apologize for the massacre and deportation of Armenians living in the then Ottoman Empire. Known to most as the Armenian Genocide, the blog says it instead favors a joint Armenian-Turkish commission to investigate the circumstances of the...
Uruguay: Holiday Phone Calls Saturate Lines
The Christmas holidays in Uruguay often saturate phone lines due to the increase in the number of phone calls made to friends and family both home and abroad. Chino of Tan Conectados [es] writes that the telephone company Ancel plans to double the number of lines available.
Japan, Brazil: A centenary of Japanese Immigration to Brazil.
In June 1908, the Japanese ship Kasato Maru docked in the Port of Santos after a 52-day voyage, bringing the first Japanese families to Brazil. A hundred years later and after a hard period of adaptation, Japanese and Japanese-Brazilians reflect on the history and cultural heritage of this cross ocean cultural mix.
Estonia: Deportations, Artificial Hills, Gray Passports, and Layoffs
Itching for Eestimaa writes about Estonian women who survived the deportations of the 1940s, but whose tragic stories never found a reflection in the Soviet-time Estonian women's magazine, Nõukogude Naine. This and a few other recent posts from the Estonian blogosphere - in the roundup below.
Cameroon: Concern for freedom
Though Cameroon is not the focus of world attention, some recent blog posts question the reality of freedom in this African country. On his blog [fr], Édouard Tamba worries about freedom in his country: Le 8 novembre dernier, le sous-préfet de Yaoundé II débarque au Palais des congrès avec l’intention...
Dominican Republic: Census to Determine Number of Haitians
The number of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic is not currently known. However, according to Joan Guerrero of Duarte 101 [es], the Autonmous Universities of Santo Domingo and Haiti will conduct a census to determine the number.
Costa Rica: Call for Collaborative Christmas Video
Costa Rican online humour collective nosedecirlaerre.com which translates into "I can´t pronounce the R" has set out a call for participation from Costa Ricans and those familiar with their culture to create a collaborative video for Christmas. The campaign is called Uniting Ticos for Christmas and the requirements are quite simple: dancing in the Costa Rican style of "swing criollo" the popular end of the year song Jugo de Piña and saying something in Costa Rican slang, on video.
Western Sahara: Cubarawis
Many saharaui children, thanks to international cooperation with Cuba, travel each year to study until they graduate from university. Then, they return to work for their Western Sahara. The Caribbean is completely different from the desert, not only because of geography, but also because of the nature of the people themselves. Cubans have rhythm in their veins and are dancing all the time. Beduins are sober, quiet and reflective. However, in the end, the exchange is worthy in both ways, as Renata Avila explains.
