Stories about War & Conflict from January, 2012
Puerto Rico: Reflection on Violence
Angel Javier reflects on the year 2011, the most violent year in Puerto Rico's history [es] with over 1,100 murders.
Africa: Good Development Blog
Good Developments is a blog about African politics, development aid, peace and conflict. The blog is run by Katrin Eder and Peter Dörrie.
South Korea: National Security Law Draws Intense Criticism
North Korea Tech wrote a blog post on South Korea’s controversial National Security Law that bans display and distribution of North Korean material. Recently, several citizens were arrested under this law for posting seemingly benign North Korean songs or news clips.
Kenya, Somalia: Twitter War – Kenyan Army Versus Al Shabaab
Kenya's military incursion into Somalia against the militant group Al Shabaab dubbed “Operation Linda Nchi” (Swahili for “Operation Defend the Country”) has found a new battleground: Twitter.
Syria: Emergency Refugees
With large scale violence in Syria, the exodus towards neighboring countries is increasing continuously (Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey). As per Islamic Relief [it] non-profit organisation, at least 650 Syrian families (mostly from the high risk areas of Homs and Hama) are in urgent need of food, sanitation and other assistance. Currently different activities such as fundraising and other initiatives are taking place, details here....
Sri Lanka: LTTE Will Resume Arms Struggle?
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s younger sibling and secretary of the Defense and Urban Development ministry has a theory which has attracted a lot of debates. He mentioned in a public lecture that “overseas based LTTE linked groups were trying to encourage and facilitate a resumption of an armed struggle...
Online Chat with Angelina Jolie About Bosnian War Film
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, will be answering questions in a live online chat on January 12, 2012 (8pm EST) about the new film she wrote and directed about the Bosnian war, “In the Land of Blood and Honey”. Questions can be submitted in advance on the Facebook page for the...
Global Voices in French: Translators’ Choice 2011
In 2011, volunteer translators at Global Voices in French translated hundreds of articles and updates on world events and we'd like to say "'Merci!". We've asked them which translation struck them most, during this epic year. Here is the French translators' selection!
Brazil: Blogger Criticizes Report on the Murder of Indigenous Child
Blogger Rogério Tomaz Jr publishes [pt] the report made by the FUNAI (National Indian Foundation) on the alleged death of an 8 year old Awá-Gwajá child in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, which states that all was just the result of “unfounded rumors and a lie” . He repudiates the...
Nigeria 2011: A Year of Small Victories and Great Challenges
2011 will go down in Nigeria's history as the year of the nation's third presidential election since independence. For the first half of the year, the blogosphere was abuzz with discussion of the election: protests, campaigns, debates, the role of technology, preparations for the polls, election day itself.
Iran: “This bomb is a statement”
Kamangir, an Iranian prominent blogger based in Canada, believes [fa]: “Attack on a nuclear activist with a magnetic bomb. The target is not to kill someone. This is a statement; saying we did it and would do it again.”
Guinea-Bissau: President Passes Away Amidst Political Upheaval
After being hospitalized for almost three months, the President of Guinea-Bissau, Malam Bacai Sanhá, passed away in Paris on Monday, January 9. He was 64 years and died of diabetes, leaving the small Portuguese-speaking African country in a delicate political situation.
Syria: Netizens Angered by Assad's Speech
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad gave a long rambling speech today, which further angered Syrians protesting against his dictatorship. When Arab leaders speak, netizens take to their keyboards and engage in taking a stab at heads of states who put themselves in such a position. Here is a round up of reactions from Twitter as Al Assad addressed his people - the same people being killed for protesting for democratic rights.
Yemen: Saleh Gets Away With Murder…He Gets Immunity
The Yemeni Cabinet endorsed [December 8] a draft law which grants legal immunity to outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh based on the GCC agreement, despite nationwide protests demanding Saleh's trial for the killing of protesters. The draft law now has to be rubber stamped by Parliament to become law. Netizens react with anger and disappointment.
Mexico: Human Rights Commission Publishes Preliminary Report on Killing of Guerrero Students
Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has published a preliminary report on the investigation around the killing of two students during a protest in Ayotzinapa, in the state of Guerrero, on December 12, 2011. Aguachile summarizes some of the Commission's findings.
Honduras: Priest Denounces Police Attack
Father Marco Aurelio Lorenzo, a Catholic priest, has denounced a police attack on December 26, 2011, “when he and two brothers […] stopped along the highway to rest. […] Eight police officers set on them and beat them, badly enough that they then took them to the hospital,” Honduras Culture...
Brazil: Murder of Indigenous Child Provokes Reactions
The murder of an indigenous Awá-Gwajá child, allegedly burnt alive by loggers in the state of Maranhao, Brazil, has caused outrage throughout the Internet, as well as disbelief by many in the face of such cruelty. Raphael Tsavkko Garcia reports.
Philippines: Filipina Amazons
Vina Lanzona's new history book, Amazons of the Huk Rebellion, tells the many stories of Filipina women involved in the Huk Rebellion from the 1940s up to the 1950s. This is reviewed online at The PCIJ Blog.
South Sudan: Humanitarian Crisis in the World's Newest Country
Less than a year since declaring its independence in July 2011 to become the world's newest country, South Sudan continues to face a humanitarian crisis especially in the wake of recent tribal clashes.
Libya 2011: A Seminal Year Through Citizen Media
Libya grabbed the headlines in 2011. Here is a summary of blog posts written by Libyan netizens in the year that was. Fozia Mohamed charts their disgust, fear, hope and dreams in a series of posts written throughout the year.
Africa: ICTs for Refugees and Displaced Persons
In Africa and elsewhere, ICTs have become an important tool at times of crisis with technologies such as SMS, VOIP, and mobile phones becoming especially invaluable for refugees and displaced persons.
