· March, 2009

Stories about Politics from March, 2009

Russia: The Durnovo Memorandum

  31 March 2009

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.

Haiti, U.S.A.: Immigration Reform

  31 March 2009

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

  31 March 2009

“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

  31 March 2009

“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

  31 March 2009

“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

  31 March 2009

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.

Bolivia: Black List for Expulsion from El Alto

  31 March 2009

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

  31 March 2009

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

  31 March 2009

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?

  31 March 2009

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...