· March, 2009

Stories about Youth from March, 2009

Puerto Rico: Murder Rate

  31 March 2009

“We. Don't. Give. A. Damn. Because it isn't really ‘Us’ getting killed, it's ‘them.’ We don't see the obvious. There is no ‘them’ on an island. There's only Us”: Puerto Rico's Gil the Jenius links to a study reporting that a 10% increase in graduation rates can reduce murder rates...

Indian Elections 2009: The Impact of Socially Conscious Corporate Campaigns

  31 March 2009

In my previous posts for the Global Voices special coverage on the 2009 Indian general elections, I have analyzed how Indian politicians and political parties are using internet and mobile tools for election campaigning and civil society groups in India are using digital tools to run voter registration and transparency campaigns. In this post, I'll analyze the impact of three election-related socially conscious ad campaigns: Jaago Re by Tata Tea, My Idea by Idea Cellular and Lead India/ Bleed India by The Times of India.

Israel/Palestine: Photos from Both Sides

American blogger Cory Driver of 32n5w, who as a Peace Corps Volunteer became an honorary member of the Moroccan blogosphere, has posted a series of photos from a recent observation trip to Israel.  Of his trip, the blogger stated: “So, i was officially on a tour of Palestinian deprivation and...

Macedonia: Student Protest Ends in Violence

  31 March 2009

Recently, the Macedonian government decided to build an Orthodox church with public financing on the main square of Skopje, a decision that the citizens of the city disapproved of. On March 28, a peaceful protest against the construction of the church turned violent when a group of counter-protesters attempted to prevent it. Elena Ignatova reviews the reactions in the Macedonian blogosphere.

South Africa: Queen Rania of Jordan Blogging from South Africa

  30 March 2009

Queen Rania of Jordan is visiting South Africa and blogging about about her experience. After meeting Nelson Mandela, she wrote, “In Madiba's presence, even before he speaks, something magical happens. Goodness and goodwill flow from this great man. Grace, humility, and courage light up the room. He makes you feel...

Georgia: Holy Baby Boom!

  30 March 2009

The birth rate has increased by 20 percent in ex-Soviet Georgia and the country's Orthodox Church is taking much of the credit. The miracle responsible for the much-needed baby boom in this old Christian country has been a single promise from the head of the Georgian church to personally baptize newborns. Bloggers seem impressed.

Digital Civil Society Campaigns in the 2009 Indian General Elections

  28 March 2009

In my first post for the Global Voices special coverage on the 2009 Indian general elections, I had analyzed how Indian politicians and political parties are using internet and mobile tools for election campaigning. In this post, I'll detail how civil society groups in India are using digital tools to run voter registration and transparency campaigns in the run up to the elections.

India: Attending TEDIndia vs. Buying a TATA Nano

  27 March 2009

Pluggd.in is irked by the high cost (in Indian standard) of registration of the TED India conference and compared that one can buy a Tata Nano car with the same amount. The blog adds: “There are ‘Ideas worth spreading’, but there are ‘people worth knowing/interacting whose ideas are worth spreading’”...

India: Vlog of a Mumbai Youth

  26 March 2009

Rahul Katyayan scripted, shot and directed a movie on his life in Mumbai and posted in his blog. The movie (vlog) was made for American students who wants to know more about the students of their age from different part of world.

Trinidad & Tobago: SEA of Fools?

  26 March 2009

“The children of Trinidad & Tobago are this morning sitting the dreaded SEA (Secondary Entrance Assessment) exam that replaced the even-more-dreaded 11-Plus”: Barbados-based B.C. Pires shares his thoughts.

Caucasus: Pitiful democracy

  26 March 2009

Writing on the International Federation of Liberal Youth blog, Bart Woord sums up a month of traveling in the South Caucasus by saying that democracy and governance are in a pitifully depressing state in all three former Soviet republics.

Libya: From Funerals to Weddings

From the death of a cousin after a lethal penicillin injection to discussing why Libyan men prefer marrying 'stupid' women over those who are educated, Fozia Mohamed sifts through posts written by established and new bloggers in her country to bring us those stories and more.

Egypt: Google doodle by orphans

More than 160 Egyptian orphans took part in a Google doodle competition, held for the first time in Egypt and the Middle East. The winning design will be displayed on Egypt's Google homepage google.com.eg on April 3, which marks Orphan Day in Egypt. Eman AbdElRahman reviews the Egyptian blogosphere for reactions.

Spiderman in Thailand

  25 March 2009

An autistic kid climbed outside the window on the fourth floor of a school building. How was he saved? A Bangkok fireman pretended to be Spiderman to convince the kid to move to safety inside the building. Check a video report of the story.

Myanmar: Hip Hop craze

  25 March 2009

According to blogger Fear from Freedom, Myanmar youth in Yangon is having a fever of Hip Hop fashion, songs and dance.

Armenia: The price of success

  24 March 2009

Blogian says that passengers on local transport in the Armenian capital, Yerevan were recently impressed by the vocal talents of his 6-year-old niece. However, the blog notes, while talent is not enough to succeed in Armenia, money is.