· December, 2010

Stories about War & Conflict from December, 2010

Sudan: High technology is no substitute for ordinary people

  31 December 2010

George Clooney has initiated a project, Satellite Sentinel, which uses satellite imagery analysis and Google's Map Marker technology to prevent the resumption of war between North and South Sudan. Carne Cross, a former British diplomat, has written a critique of the project on his blog arguing that high technology is no substitute for ordinary people.

Mexico: 60 Students Died in Ciudad Juárez in 2010

  31 December 2010

Patrick Corcoran reports: “Authorities say that some 60 students died in 2010 in Ciudad Juárez as a result of gang violence, most famously in the massacres in January and October.” He says he expected the number to be higher, considering there were more than 3,100 murders in Ciudad Juárez this...

Caucasus: Online tools in Peace Building

  31 December 2010

Writing on his Peace and Collaborative Development Network Blog, Global Voices’ Caucasus Editor recounts his experience of using online social networks in cross-border communication and peace building initiatives between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Locked into a still unresolved conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, another post, however, looks at...

South Asia: Looking Back at the Citizen Media Storylines in 2010

  30 December 2010

You cannot leave South Asia region out of the picture as with nearly twenty three percent of the world's population, events in this region exert an enormous impact on the international system. Global Voices covered some of these events from a citizen media perspective. Let us review the popular posts of 2010 in this region.

Afghanistan: Afghan Radio Wars

  30 December 2010

Sanjar writes about continuing war between the insurgents and the Afghan government – both on the battlefields and on the information field – and says that Taliban-sponsored radio stations seemingly get wider audience due to better technical accessibility.

Somalia: How do you solve a problem like Somalia?

  30 December 2010

Daniel Kalinaki discusses ways to solve a problem like Somalia in global politics: “Somalia is not a new conflict; the country ‘failed’ in 1991 and has since then been a collection of tribes and clans struggling to control the territory and the people.”

Latin America: 2010 in Review

  29 December 2010

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile, a police strike in Ecuador and the Nobel Prize in Literature for Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa were some of the news bloggers and citizen media users reported and analyzed this year. Let's take a look at these and other stories the Latin American team covered in 2010.

Political Buddhism In Sri Lanka

  27 December 2010

D.B.S. Jeyaraj highlights J.L. Devananda's take on political Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Devananda opines: “due to the influence of the Mahavamsa (scripture), a Buddhist Bikkhu (monk) is at liberty to engage in racist politics and promote Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinism and hatred.

Honduras: Media Ignores Recent Reports on 2009 Coup

  27 December 2010

Honduras Culture and Politics states: “[…] we find it extraordinary that the US media completely ignore even high profile international organizations that continue to call attention to the serious failures of Honduras to redress any of the circumstances that the coup d'etat of June 2009 set in motion.”

South Korea Defined North Korea as ‘Enemy’ in Defense White Paper

  27 December 2010

South Korea Defense ministry has decided to label North Korea as its “enemy” from its newest defense white paper, reflecting the intensified military tension between two Koreas. Some of South Korean twitterers, such as @sohjiroll[ko] considered the decision as appropriate, but worried it may not be a smart move.

Tragedy bookends Year 2010 for Francophone Citizen Media

  26 December 2010

It appears that tragedy will bookend yet another year rich in remarkable events in the world of francophone citizen media. The month of January set the tone with the fallout from the earthquake in Haiti and December saw the elections in Cote d'Ivoire take a dramatic turn. Here is the year 2010 reviewed through the lenses of francophone citizen media users.

Caucasus: The Year in Review

  23 December 2010

With 2011 nearly upon us, the year in new and social media in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia during 2010 was surprisingly positive. So, what did the past year hold in store for the South Caucasus? Read on.

El Salvador: Spread of Drug Cartel Violence Feared

  23 December 2010

Commenting on a recent news report about the fear of Mexican drug cartel violence spreading to El Salvador, Tim writes: “If drug cartels were to establish greater operations in El Salvador, beyond the mere transportation of drugs, it would pose another serious threat to El Salvador's already overwhelmed police and...