Stories about Youth from September, 2010
Brunei's “national twitter account”
Meet @BruneiTweet, probably Brunei's most famous twitter user who blogs about the lives of ordinary young Bruneians. GV interviewed him about his online projects and other advocacies.
Trinidad & Tobago: Accepting Difference
Globewriter, on learning of the suicide of a gay teen as a result of bullying, says: “I have heard from some here in the Caribbean that homophobia is part of the culture…If it is part of Caribbean culture to tell a significant part of its population that it is morally...
Iraq: The Little Boy Who Could Not See
Iraqi Layla Anwar writes about the “little boy who couldn't see.”
Nigeria: On Kidnapping of Children
On kidnapping of children in Nigeria: “But even worse than that sad reality is that Nigeria is increasingly becoming a kidnapping capital. Nowhere else is this madness exemplified than in the reports of 15 young children that were kidnapped on September 27th, 2010.”
Morocco: “Why Belle is a Peace Corps Volunteer”
A blog meme is making the rounds amongst female Peace Corps Volunteers in Morocco; though neither of the bloggers who posted the meme disclosed its origins, both women say that they relate to it. The meme in question? "Why Belle, from Beauty and the Beast, is actually a Peace Corps Morocco volunteer."
Jamaica: Back to Court for Banton
Jamaican bloggers - nay, regional bloggers - have been following dancehall music icon Buju Banton's drug possession court case with great interest. Yesterday, news broke that the jury was evenly divided on what his fate should be. The judge has since declared a mistrial, which means that the singer will head back to court later this year.
Azerbaijan: Obama calls for bloggers’ release
Dönməzlik blog [AZ] says that it was surprised to discover that US President Barack Obama raised the issue of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, two video blogging youth activists imprisoned on charges of hooliganism by a court in Baku, with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, at the UN General Assembly....
Zimbabwe: Child Sues for $1.6 Million
Reaction to an article about a tortured child in Zimbabwe who has sued for $ 1. 6 million.’ The child was incarcerated in prison where he suffered beatings from the state in 2008 in an attempt to force confessions from his ‘political activist parents’.
The Invisible Border Between Ecuador and Colombia
The Colombia-Ecuador border is once again a contentious issue. Both countries have a border of 586 km and with it a long history of conflict, mutual accusations and reports of armed conflict and displacement.
Barbados: Vigilante Victim Charged
The Bajan Reporter has an update on the incident in which an alleged pedophile was the recipient of vigilante justice, saying that the man “has been charged with rape of a Minor…Police will not even reveal the age of the girl involved.”
Morocco: Brutal Death in Police Station
Blogger and activist Najib Chaouki creates a Facebook group to denounce police brutality in his country [Ar] following the death of a young Moroccan in a police station, the blogger says is notorious for the brutality of its officers.
El Salvador: Is the Anti-Gang Law the Right Solution?
Hunnapuh [es] writes about the Anti-Gang law, saying that it has been presented to the public as a magical solution for crime and violence. But this blogger things that the law does not address the main problem: poverty, exclusion and lack of opportunities for the young men that join gangs...
Azerbaijan: Bloqosfer 2010
Bloqosfer 2010, an event bloggers in Azerbaijan had been looking forward to for about two months, was held on 10-12 September in the resort town of Nabran. Over 100 established bloggers took their place beside emerging ones, new media specialists and Internet experts, business stakeholders, and representatives from civil society as well as the authorities.
Venezuela: Web Videos Encouraging Citizens to Vote
Venezuelans will be voting on September 26th to renew the whole body of the National Assembly, the unicameral legislative body which substituted the Congress, and online, dozens of people are making and remixing videos urging citizens to vote.
India: An Inspiring Train Journey
“Tata Jagriti Yatra is an annual train journey that that takes 400 of India’s highly motivated youth (with some participation of international students) on an 18-day national train-journey, introducing them to unsung heroes of India,” informs Think Change India blog.
Haiti: Rock On
Blogging for Inside Disaster, Emmanuel Midi profiles a young entrepreneur who continues to produce his “rock art”, even in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Haiti: Women's Reality
“While the government and the international community work on a reconstruction plan, many feel that the immediate problems facing Haitian women have slipped under the radar – even though they must play a key role in putting Haiti back on its feet”: Blogger and journalist Wadner Pierre reports.
Cambodia: Controversial mobile phone ad
An advertisement of a major Cambodian mobile phone service provider is being criticized by many netizens for promoting bad internet behavior among the youth. Bloggers are pushing for the removal of the ad.
India: The Greed For A Baby Boy
AmreekanDesi shares a bizarre news where a mother's claim on a baby boy born within a few minutes of the delivery of her baby girl was turned down after DNA test. This shows the desire for male child by many Indian mothers.
India: Wither Kashmir? Or Is Reconciliation Possible?
The Indian central government has sent a fact-finding delegation including lawmakers from all major political parties to mitigate the bloodshed and tensions in the Jammu and Kashmir region. The Indian blogosphere has finally woken up on this issue and bloggers are sharing messages of hope, reconciliation, integrity and peace.
