· August, 2012

Stories about Youth from August, 2012

Turkmenistan: Hip-Hop Key to Regime Survival

  31 August 2012

…[Turkmenistan's] young generation literally has got nothing to do. Which is why they love Hip Hop… But the government should not censor Hip Hop… for its own long-term survival. NewEurasia.net's Khan explains how the growing popularity of hip-hop in Turkmenistan benefits the authorities.

Brazil: 13 Year-Old Exposes School Problems on Facebook

  30 August 2012

Diário de Classe [pt], a Facebook page created by Isadora Faber, a 13 year-old from Santa Catarina, Brazil, has already gathered more than 176,000 “likes”. Aiming to “show the truth about public schools”, Isadora shares photos that show the repairs needed in her own school and reports on other general problems.

Russia: Foreign Ministry Looks to Germany to Justify Pussy Riot Verdict

RuNet Echo  28 August 2012

Russia's Foreign Ministry has made a series of comments that further enraging Pussy Riot's supporters. Spokesperson Aleksandr Lukashevich defended the recent verdict and lashed out at the West for ignorance about the band members' pasts and highlighted perceived double standards regarding interferences into religious services and criminal penalties, citing laws in Germany and Austria.

Russia: Government Bans Serbian Film for Underage Sex and Drugs

RuNet Echo  24 August 2012

On August 17, Sam Klebanov announced that Russia's Ministry of Culture has banned the release of a Serbian film called "Clip." Klebanov's company owns the Russian distribution rights to the movie, which was honored with a Hivos Tiger Award at the forty-first International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands earlier this year.

Central America: Upcoming “Camps” for Young Cyber-Activists

  22 August 2012

Rising Voices is partnering with Hivos and Dialogía in two “camps” for young people using digital media for social change. The workshops, called “Activistmo” [es], will be held in Nicaragua and Guatemala during September and October. Young people from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala between the ages of...

Russia: Zombies Versus the State in Omsk

RuNet Echo  20 August 2012

Early last Sunday morning in the city of Omsk, a few hundred youths gathered together for a flashmob. Police were on hand to warn everyone that they represented an illegal assembly, and could be charged with breaking the law. Why had roughly 300 people come together? The answer to that question is the "Zombie Parade": the city's first attempted 'walk of the living dead.'

Russia: Pussy Riot's Guilty Verdict

RuNet Echo  17 August 2012

'The judge said one of the reasons for a “real sentence” was to “caution others”. ' - Russian and anglophone Twitter users respond to the guilty verdict and two-year prison sentence handed down to Pussy Riot members.

Puerto Rico: An “Activated” Space for School Athletics

  16 August 2012

Photojournalist José Jiménez talks about his project, Activao, an online space dedicated exclusively to covering school athletics in Puerto Rico. Going beyond being a specialized medium for sports, the project is, above all, a space with a social mission for young people.

Pakistan: Fighting Stereotypes and Celebrating with India on Independence Day

  14 August 2012

Pakistan's mainstream and social media is usually fraught with issues ranging from terrorism and sectarianism to economic and power crisis. However, there comes a day, once every year, when even the most cynical tend to let go of their skepticism and dwell in a rather romantic notion of hope. That day is August 14, the day Pakistan got its independence from British Raj.

Chile: Mapuche Women Continue Occupation of UNICEF Office

  14 August 2012

The peaceful occupation of UNICEF headquarters in Santiago, Chile, by Mapuche women has continued for 20 days. Mapuche leaders have stated that the occupation will continue until UNICEF becomes more actively involved in cases of police violence against Mapuche children. On August 12, blogger and photographer Kena Lorenzini Lorenzini [es]...

Mauritania: Demanding an End to Military Rule

Mauritanians took to the streets in a massive march calling for the end of their country's military rule. The march, on June 23, 2012, was organised by the Coordination of Democratic Opposition (COD). It started near the Youth Centre in the capital Nouakchott, passing by the Security Directorate and the Palace of Justice, where participants chanted for the fall of the ruling regime. The day ended with a popular rally. Ahmed Jeddou reports.

Ghana: Orphaned Orphans

  12 August 2012

Demeter blogs about the challenges of managing finances in the Non-Profit sector in Ghana: “I am in touch with Eric Gaetin, the boy who lost the use of his legs due to medical malpractice, whose father then pronounced him “cursed” and who kicked him out of his home and reduced...

Trinidad & Tobago: Dark Cloud, Gold Lining

  12 August 2012

Heavy floods pounded the northwestern part of Trinidad yesterday morning, as two rivers burst their banks following torrential rains from a tropical depression. But the nation's spirits were to be lifted - at least for a while - as the country won Olympic gold for the second time in its history, thanks to the efforts of Keshorn Walcott in the Javelin Throw.

Jamaica: Caribbean Region Rallies Behind Bolt

  11 August 2012

Jamaican bloggers - and indeed netizens from the wider Caribbean region - are continuing to celebrate the island's successes at the London Olympic Games. Unsurprisingly, Usain Bolt is at the centre of the online discussion, thanks to his amazing performance in the Men's 200m event and his response to Carl Lewis' drug use accusations.