· May, 2008

Stories about War & Conflict from May, 2008

Lebanon: Clashes and Babies

Diana, who lives in Dubai and is expecting a baby in two months, is glad to have returned to Lebanon. She explains: “I cried my eyes out when I saw the fierce clashes in Lebanon and thought that I will never manage to come back and that I will be...

Lebanon: A deal is reached in Doha

“Beirut – Lebanon is where the action will be after a deal was reached yesterday to end the political crises in Lebanon. Finally Lebanon this week will have a president and the tent city will disappear … hurray …what a break …The Lebanese will never forget Qatar,” reports tearsforlebanon in...

Pakistan: On Security

  26 May 2008

Changing Up Pakistan! interviews an expert from Rand Corporation to get some insight on the security situation.

Japan: The Secret of Mizuki Shigeru

  26 May 2008

At age 86, Mizuki Shigeru is one of the most well-known manga artists in Japan thanks to work that stretches over more than four decades, including among them some of the most popular Japanese manga and anime TV series. GeGeGe no Kitarō, a manga series he created in 1959, is Mizuki's most famous, featuring an orphaned yōkai (monster) named Kitaro who fights for peace between humans and monsters. In a post entitled “Why has GeGeGe no Kitaro remained popular for this long?”, blogger ta26 proposes an explanation for the popularity of this manga.

Colombia: Paramilitary Leaders Extradited to the United States

  26 May 2008

In Colombia, 14 demobilized paramilitary bosses were recently extradited to the United States to face charges of drug trafficking. Bloggers in Colombia discuss how this might affect the current political situation in the country and how much the jailed individuals might reveal now that they have very little incentive to keep silent.

South Africa: What is the meaning of “makwerekwere”?

  25 May 2008

Khanya traces the origin of the word “makwerekwere,” a slang for foreigners in South Africa: ” A couple of bloggers with an interest in language have asked about the the origin and meaning of the word “makwerekwere”. It is a slang word for foreigners, and especially illegal immigrants, which I...

Voices that consent to xenophobia

  25 May 2008

“The prominent South African political folk who have enjoyed the protection of the Mozambican people and are today entrepreneurs or leaders, why don't they raise their voices strongly to protect the Mozambican against xenophobia and stop their patricians?”, asks Bosse Hammarström [pt].

Palestine: Mass Exodus from Gaza?

“50,000 Arabs have left Gaza since last June,” writes Carl in Jerusalem. “In April, I reported that some 80% of Gaza residents want to leave, but this is the first time that the ‘Palestinian Authority’ admits it.” Bethlehem Conference organizer Hassan Abu Libdeh commented: “There is a Palestinian brain drain...

Algeria, Unspoken Stories

Salim Bachi reviews Algérie, histoires à ne pas dire (Algeria, Unspoken Stories), a controversial 2007 film by Jean Piere-Lledo about the Algerian War. Of public reaction to the film, which is banned in Algeria, Bachi writes: “Jean-Pierre Lledo has been accused of ever evil on earth..[by a] population that didn't...

Colombian anti-military youth group commemorates 10 years of resistance

  23 May 2008

Last May 17th marked the ten year aniversary of the Antimili sonoro, an event organized by the Youth Network as a way to spread the word about resistance to the mandatory military service in Colombia through music. The date was celebrated with a concert, and the whole month of May was programmed with conferences, talks and marches commemorating the 10 years of the youth organization's Disobedience and Civil Resistance movement. Showcasing the invitation to the events, the promotional clips and a short video from one of the ska bands playing in the concert.

Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria: Zorba the Greek

Greater Surbiton quotes from Nikos Kazantzakis‘ “Zorba the Greek”: “Given current Greek policy toward Macedonia, it is illuminating to read the words that Kazantzakis placed in the mouth of this most popular of Greek fictional heroes when the latter described his role in the Greek struggle to colonise Macedonia […].”

Ukraine: A View From Crimea

Last week, Ukraine banned Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov from the country, after he called for Russia to take ownership of Sevastopol, a Ukrainian Black Sea naval port. The incident received much coverage in the Russian and Ukrainian media and blogs. Below is one more post, written by a Russophone resident of Balaklava, a Crimean town that has an official status of a district of the city of Sevastopol.