· December, 2006

Stories about Protest from December, 2006

Russia, Belarus: “Gazilla”

  30 December 2006

There's a distinct sense of deja vu this New Year's Eve: Gazprom, Russia's largest (and state-controlled) company and the world's biggest extractor of natural gas, is in the spotlight again, both locally (due to an ambitious and controversial construction project in St. Petersburg) and internationally (due to a dispute over...

Trinidad & Tobago: Smeltdown

  30 December 2006

The Trinidad and Tobago government's decision to re-locate a controversial aluminium smelter project prompts Jeremy Taylor to raise numerous questions about some key development decisions taken by the current administration: “Would we really need a rapid-rail system costing TT$15 billion if a bit more common sense was applied to the...

Serbia, USA: What Serbs Think About America

  28 December 2006

In his blog post called “America is shaking”, Neven Andjelic shares his opinion on the United States (SRP): This big country is shaking. A number of events have caused the current condition. None of them has anything to do with my arrival to Berkley four months ago when I first...

Ukraine: Ruslana Against Human Trafficking

  27 December 2006

The Natashas – “a blog for those interested in fighting the scourge of human trafficking of women and men, girls and boys, especially for purposes of sexual exploitation” – posts a link to an anti-human trafficking video by Ukrainian pop singer and PM Ruslana.

Trinidad & Tobago: The smelter moves

  27 December 2006

As Trinidad and Tobago's caves into the protests against the establishment of an aluminium smelter in a community in south-western Trinidad — and moves the project to another part of the country — Taran Rampersad starts thinking that “it has become necessary to become vocal.”

Bulgaria, Libya: Tripoli Six Death Sentence

  26 December 2006

Declan Butler writes about the Tripoli Six death sentence: “That is despite the fact that this was not a fair and impartial trial, and that the court refused to hear the considerable body of international scientific evidence that could exonerate the medics, and show that this is a typical hospital-borne...

Lebanon: Foreign Intervention and Economics

  26 December 2006

The Lebanese bloggers are united this week in wishing their readers all the best during Christmas, Al Adha and the New Year. Some of these bloggers have taken up the issue of foreign intervention in the region as a subject of reflection while others highlight the sad state of economy...

Haiti: Teacher's Union Denounces Insecurity

  26 December 2006

Many school children have recently been the victims of kidnappings in Haiti and the Haitian press reports that teachers’ unions have denounced what they feel is the government's inaction vis-a-vis the phenomenon. Collectif Haiti de Provence reacted (Fr) to the story: “The teachers’ declaration is timely but insufficient in the...

India: Community Video Unit and Dalits

  25 December 2006

Reflections in a window pane on the power of video and overcoming oppression. “When the use of Video by a team of six Dalits, working for a Community Video Unit, set up by Navsarjan, Drishti and Video Volunteers transcended all barriers of caste, it brought upon relief for an entire...

Guinea, Senegal: Shame on President Konte

  25 December 2006

Senegalese blogger Seckasysteme is unhappy (Fr) with Guinean President Lansana Konte for personally freeing powerful friends who had been booked for financial fraud from Guinean jails. “Africa is ashamed of Lansana Konte”, concludes the blogger. “Guineans are right to have taken to the streets, demanding that he and his corrupt...

Haiti, Dominican Republic: Slaves in Paradise

  24 December 2006

Says Collectif Haiti de Provence (Fr):”For International Anti-Slavery Day, May 10, 2007, Pour Que L'esprit Vive Association is organizing a series of activities to denounce living conditions in [Dominican] bateys: photo exhibits, roundtables with Haitian and Dominican intervenors, films. The event will be titled ‘Slaves in Paradise’.”

China: Nary Xmas?

  23 December 2006

A group of PhD students at several of China's biggest and best universities came together last week to release a letter calling for Chinese to boycott Christmas—a holiday they see as representing waning interest in traditional Chinese culture—and all the rest of non-native cultural trends. Presumably not a very popular...

Hungary: “The Peaceful Majority”

  22 December 2006

Pestcentric writes about Hungary's “peaceful majority”: “Although I think this whole “I’m the peaceful majority” postcard thing is a nice gesture, it’s empty. Firstly, because those against whom it is addressed obviously don’t care. Second, because the majority of the peaceful majority is an angry majority within the majority, (got...

Ukraine: “Return of Frankenstein?”

  20 December 2006

Foreign Notes documents yet another step on Ukraine's path back to the pre-Orange Revolution past: “If the bill is approved it will enable the pre-OR guys in the CEC, including its chairman Serhiy Kivalov [now a PoR VR deputy,] and the other cheats to return.”

Chile: Pinochet & Jara

  20 December 2006

Justin Delacour posts an article written by Alexander Billet, which examines Pinochet's legacy as it relates to “radicals” like Victor Jara, “a songwriter and poet; a deadly combination to any iron-fisted regime…”