Stories about War & Conflict from December, 2010
Sudan: High technology is no substitute for ordinary people
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
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
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...
Belarus: More Commentary on Dec. 19
Commentary on the implications of the post-election events in Belarus – at OpenDemocracy.net, here and here.
Sri Lanka: The Story Of The Wife Of An Army Personnel
Cerno from Sri Lanka posts an inspiring story of the wife of an army sergeant who was delighted to see her husband coming home intact after the war.
South Asia: Looking Back at the Citizen Media Storylines in 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: UN Secretary General outlines worsening security situation
A report to the UN Security Council by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, covering the period since mid-September paints yet another grim picture of the political and military situation in Afghanistan, Nick Fielding says in his fresh review.
Afghanistan: Afghan Radio Wars
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?
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.”
Nigeria: The New Face Of The Niger Delta Insurgency Speaks To SaharaReporters
Sahara Reporters speak to “General” John Togo, the leader of a newly created militant group known as the Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF).
Latin America: 2010 in Review
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
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
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
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.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Social Media in peace building
Based on experience to date, my Caucasian Knot blog features a post on the use of online social networks to bring Armenians and Azerbaijanis together online as part of regional peace building and cross-border cooperation projects.
Serbia, Albania, Kosovo: More Info on “Yellow House”
Sasa Milosevic has collected some of the available information about the “Yellow House” and human organ trade in Kosovo on his blog, The Bloody Yellow House (ENG).
Tragedy bookends Year 2010 for Francophone Citizen Media
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.
Mexico: Deceased FARC Commander's Emails Reveal Plans to Kidnap in Mexico
Gancho writes: “Emails on the computers of recently deceased FARC commander Mono Jojoy show that the group was considering entering the kidnapping market in Mexico strictly as a financing mechanism. With the going rate for a big-time victim evidently $30 million, we can understand their eagerness, though we of course...
India: November 2010 Killings in Assam
Aruni Kashyap discusses about the recent killings by the Bodo militants in Assam.
Caucasus: The Year in Review
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
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...
