Stories about Politics from March, 2009
Ukraine: Yushchenko's Constitution Proposal
Kyiv Scoop and What's Up, Ukraine? comment on the constitutional changes proposed by president Victor Yushchenko.
Russia: Igor Sechin in WSJ
Streetwise Professor and Robert Amsterdam's Blog comment on a WSJ piece based on an interview with Russia's deputy prime minister Igor Sechin.
Russia: The Durnovo Memorandum
A Fistful of Euros writes about a document known as the Durnovo Memorandum: “What’s striking about the memo is how, six months before World War One started, [Pyotr Durnovo] absolutely nails it. Nature, conduct, likely outcomes — he’s eerily, astonishingly correct about all of them.
Cuba: Open Mic Night
Cubans Generation Y and Octavo Cerco blog about “an unforgettable night” in front of open microphones.
Haiti, U.S.A.: Immigration Reform
Haiti's jmc strategies is very interested in U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden's statements on immigration reform: “Biden did not specifically say that the Administration was backing away from a legalization program. It remains therefore to be seen what steps they will take in the future.”
Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago: At the Summit
“It seems far-fetched to think that the summit’s news coverage would be dominated by the one country in the region that is absent from the event” – but The Cuban Triangle thinks that “two factors – a no-news summit agenda, and a vocal regional consensus calling on President Obama to...
Puerto Rico: Murder Rate
“We. Don't. Give. A. Damn. Because it isn't really ‘Us’ getting killed, it's ‘them.’ We don't see the obvious. There is no ‘them’ on an island. There's only Us”: Puerto Rico's Gil the Jenius links to a study reporting that a 10% increase in graduation rates can reduce murder rates...
Jamaica, Suriname: Creative Connections
“This is why it's important for collaborations to take place in every sphere–in different parts of the Caribbean and elsewhere. For cultural criticism is partly detective work and you can't read all the clues sitting marooned on an island”: Jamaican Annie Paul explores the connections among Caribbean artists.
Indian Elections 2009: The Impact of Socially Conscious Corporate Campaigns
In my previous posts for the Global Voices special coverage on the 2009 Indian general elections, I have analyzed how Indian politicians and political parties are using internet and mobile tools for election campaigning and civil society groups in India are using digital tools to run voter registration and transparency campaigns. In this post, I'll analyze the impact of three election-related socially conscious ad campaigns: Jaago Re by Tata Tea, My Idea by Idea Cellular and Lead India/ Bleed India by The Times of India.
Guyana: The Legacy of Janet Jagan
Guyanese bloggers react to the death of Janet Jagan, the country's first female president.
Liberia: Tribal politics at the senate
In his post titled, Legislative Politics or Tribal Fuel, Kontiamon discusses tribal politics at the Liberian senate .
Bolivia: Black List for Expulsion from El Alto
The Regional Worker´s Organization in El Alto, Bolivia announced plans to release “black list” of those people and institutions that should be expelled from the city. Mario Duán of Palabras Libres [es] is worried about this precedent.
Macedonia: Student Protest Ends in Violence
Recently, the Macedonian government decided to build an Orthodox church with public financing on the main square of Skopje, a decision that the citizens of the city disapproved of. On March 28, a peaceful protest against the construction of the church turned violent when a group of counter-protesters attempted to prevent it. Elena Ignatova reviews the reactions in the Macedonian blogosphere.
Taiwan: Buddhist master creates controversy
Buddhist Master Hsing Yun created controversy at an international Buddhist conference when he claimed, “There are no Taiwanese in Taiwan and Taiwanese are all Chinese.” Taiwan blogs The View from Taiwan and Letters from Taiwan both write about how Buddhism is being used for political purposes.
Hong Kong and the Philippines: Satire or racism?
A Senate leader in the Philippines just filed a resolution condemning a Hong Kong writer Chip Tsao for his article “The War at Home” in HK Magazine (originally published on 27 of March). Now the article has been taken down in the website but the Senate Resolution also asked the...
Kazakhstan: Blogs serve politics
Zara writes that blogs are being more and more actively employed by political figures in Kazakhstan. This time it’s a candidate to the city council.
Kyrgyzstan: Opposition Rally in Bishkek
Sam has visited the rally of the opposition in the capital of Kyrgyzstan and published some shots from this event.
Afghanistan: The Social Taliban Democrats
Joshua Foust reports that outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan William Wood has stated his desire to create a political party for the Taliban.
Uzbekistan: US trying to return to base
Elina Galperin opines that the US may be allowed to return to the Uzbek base of Karshi-Khanabad soon after demonstrative eviction in 2005 after the massacre in Andijon.
Turkmenistan: Ashgabat and Moscow hold talks
Elina Galperin analyzes the ourcomes of a recent official meeting between Turkmen President Gurbankuly Berdymuhammedov and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow.
Afghanistan: New Course
Safrang reviews new revised US policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan that has been made public by President Obama after long consultations and thorough analysis.