Stories about War & Conflict from March, 2011
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Towards Partition
At OpenDemocracy.net, Bedrudin Brljavac writes about the situation in Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Fifteen years since the end of the war, ethno-nationalist leaders continue to pursue political agendas leading to the partitioning of Bosnia rather than membership of a united Europe. And yet, without the prospect of the EU, it is...
Communities in Limbo on Honduran-Salvadoran Border
Voices from El Salvador's Weblog writes about the communities affected by an ongoing dispute on the Honduran-Salvadoran border, and argues that the governments from both countries “must take immediate action to ensure that those residents in limbo are granted citizenship so that they may have the rights that everyone else...
Brazil: On Opening the Archives of the Dictatorship
A collective blogging was called to demand the opening of the archives of the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964-1985), responsible for torturing of thousands and for killing 380 Brazilians. Of these, 147 remain missing and nothing is known about the fate of their bodies. Until now their families are suffering without knowing their stories.
Mexico: Drug Trafficking in Mexican Media vs. US Media
Gancho argues that “The contrast between the pessimism and obsessiveness of media coverage of drug trafficking in Mexico with the relative ignorance of the same in the US is striking. Especially with regard to American media–the Mexican outlets often seem to do a better job scanning the news wires for...
Cote d'Ivoire: Open letter to Not on Our Watch
Eliza writes an open letter to Not on Our Watch, a charity founded by George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Jerry Weintraub and David Pressman about the political situation in Cote d'Ivoire.
Serbia: Gaddafi's Cyber Army Oppose Rebels and NATO
A Facebook page entitled "Support for Muammar al-Gaddafi from the people of Serbia" has become a show of support for the controversial Libyan leader, with over 62,500 members. Libyan opposition activists have also reported cyber attacks on opposition websites coming from Serbia. Sasa Milosevic reports on the online support for Muammar al-Gaddafi in Serbia.
Mexico: New (Dis)Agreement on Reporting Violence
On March 24, most of the biggest Mexican media outlets signed the "Agreement to Cover Violence in Mexico," an agreement that unifies the editorial criteria to cover and report news related to "the drug war." Many support and defend the document, but the text has also sparked strong disagreement and criticism.
Côte d'Ivoire: Where is Gbagbo's General, Philippe Magou?
Monday March 14, 2011, was a busy day in Côte d'Ivoire. After violence this past weekend in the Abobo district of southerly economic capital Abidjan, Ivorians in the city were woken up by Kalashnikovs and heavy artillery. For a few days now, the rumors in Abidjan have been growing as to Ivorian army General Philippe Mangou's responsibility in this crisis.
Afghanistan: Leaked Photos Unveil “Repugnancies” Committed by US Army
On March 21, 2011, the German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel released three horrific photos of Afghan civilians killed by a group of United States soldiers. Bloggers have reacted to the photos with shock and indignation.
Russia: 2010 Cyber-Crime Market Research
Group IB, Russian cyber-security research company, publishes [ru] Russian Cyber-Crime Market in 2010 report. According to the research, Russian hackers commit nearly 35 percent of all cyber-crimes. DDOS-attacks (from $90 to $300 per day of attack) are falling in price which makes this method of cyber-warfare more accessible to online...
Libya: From the Battlefield of Zintan
Alive in Libya shares with us this video from the battlefield of Zintan.
Libya: Facebook Group in Support of Eman Al Obeidy
A Facebook group has been formed calling for support for Libyan rape victim Eman Al Obeidy. More on Al Obeidy can be found here.
An Interview with Andy Carvin
With 40,000 Twitter followers and a dedicated stream of local sources, Andy Carvin has become a first stop on Twitter for news throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In this interview with Carvin--an early Global Voices contributor and current NPR strategist--we find out how he uses Twitter to spread the news.
Russia: Tribute to SOVA's Galina Kozhevnikova
At OpenDemocracy.net, Andreas Umland pays tribute to Galina Kozhevnikova, the deputy director of the “SOVA” NGO and a prominent researcher of Russia's extreme right-wing movements, who died earlier this month: “She will be irreplaceable in future academic and public debates on the increase of ultra-nationalism in Russia.”
Hungary: Childhood Memories of the Holocaust in Pécs
Eva S. Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum shares her memories of the summer of 1944 in Pécs, when the city's Jewish population – and most of her neighbors and kindergarten classmates – lost their lives: “I heard that just last year the Jewish community in Pécs erected a memorial specifically for...
Libya: Citizen Reporting from the Battlefield
Videos continue to seep out from war-torn Libya as protesters battle Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces in a bid to overthrow his 42-year-old regime. Here is a selection of the latest videos taken by netizens on the frontlines of major cities where the battle for Libya is still fought.
Côte d'Ivoire: Where Are the African Personalities When They Are Needed?
A few months ago, Marième Jamme asked Bono and Bob Geldof to take less prominent roles as speakers for Africa in the media and leave space for Africans to speak for themselves. Today on the Africa Rising blog, bloggers wonder where have the African personalities gone when they are actually needed to get the world's...
Why Bangladesh?
Jyoti Rahman at Kafila discusses the idea, nationalism and the events that led to the independence of Bangladesh 40 years ago.
India: Arms Yes, Bread No
Dheera Sujan at South Asia Wired comments on the news that India has become the world’s largest arms importer: “yes arms by all means, more arms. So we can have a few more millionaires and a few million more poor people.”
Libya: Where is Eman Al Obeidy?
"Where is Eman Al Obeidy?" has become a pressing question, after a distraught Libyan woman burst into a Tripoli hotel full of foreign journalists, telling then that scars and bruises on her face and body has been inflicted by 15 Muammar Gaddafi's militia, who arrested her at a checkpoint for two days, where they gang raped her.
Syria: Protesters Demolish Symbols of Regime
In Syria, the faces of President Bashar al-Assad and his father, former President Hafez al-Assad, are regularly seen on billboards, buildings, and in the form of statues. Visitors to the country are often surprised by the prevalence of such images, while Syrians have grown used to them as a daily feature of life. Yesterday, a number of videos surfaced in which protesters tear down the symbols of the regime: posters and statues of the ruling family.
