Stories about Youth from September, 2011
Bolivia: Child Workers Unionize
In Bolivia, where unions are extensively formed by members of society, another group of workers have unionized: children. Bloggers and reporters try to put this delicate issue into context.
Cuba: Interview with “Habanastation” Actress
Havana Times interviews Claudia Alvariño, the actress “who plays an important supporting role in the recently released Cuban film ‘Habanastation’.”
Protecting the Beaches of Brunei
The Beach Bunch Association was established to protect the beaches of Brunei from pollution. It taps the power of social media to gather more support from the public. One of its projects include a mapping of Brunei beaches to identify the location, services offered and situation of the beaches in the country.
Mozambique: Sant'Egidio Community Fights Back Against HIV/AIDS
Lack of access to care for HIV positive people has been well documented on the African continent. Many initiatives strive to show that things could improve with collective effort, and among them is the Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition (DREAM) program.
Uganda: LGBTI Human Rights Defender Receives Kennedy Award
Frank Mugisha, a Ugandan LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) human rights defender has been selected for the 2011 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. Haute Haiku reports.
India: Daily Routine Of Rural Kids
Pranietha Mudliar at Youth Ki Awaaz shares the typical daily routine of the children in rural India.
Ukraine: Short Films by Youth for Gender Equality
Young film makers in Ukraine have participated in a short film competition that challenges stereotypes of women and defend gender equality. These films touch on issues that can be understood by speakers of any language.
Cuba: Hunger Strike for Human Rights
Pedazos de La Isla posts an interview with Rufina Velazquez, speaking out on behalf of her activist father, who has been on a hunger strike to demand respect for the human rights of all Cubans.
Videos: Homeless But Not Voiceless
We explore different initiatives that aim to bring to the foreground the plight of those who are forgotten: children, indigenous people, immigrants and the transgender community.
Nigeria: Does Terrorism Pay Better Than Farming?
Activista Blogger, David Habba in Nigeria struck up conversation with a student from the University of Agriculture in Makurdi, who no longer feels financially motivated to enter the agricultural sector. “Someone must grow the food and who says it must be me?”
China: Calls to Free Blind Activist Met With Violence
After serving a 51-month sentence for disturbing public order, blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng was released in September 2010, but has been kept under house arrest for more than a year by local police in Linyi, Shandong province. Activists campaigning for his release have been victims of violence.
CIVICUS: Reflections on the Power of Civil Society
For three days several civil society representatives met in Montreal for the CIVICUS World Assembly. The subjects were diverse: from civil movements, social equality, and the effects of new technologies, to climate justice. Here are some blog posts that covered the assembly.
Bhutan: How To Be A Good Citizen
Penstar posts an essay written by Thinley Samdrup, a Bhutanese student of class IX, who discusses how one can be a good citizen.
Brazil: University Campus Closed Due to a “Legalize” Party
The Rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), Dirceu de Melo, ordered closing down the main campus on September 16, to prevent the First Festival of Cannabis Culture [pt] – a party seeking to discuss the legalization of marijuana among students, informs us [pt] Ivan de Sampaio,...
Mauritius: The First Rally of the “Outraged” Youth
Khal Torabully on Africultures analyses [fr] the emerging movement of “outraged” (indignés) youth in Mauritius, where their first demonstration[fr] took place on September 10. “What if this “digital 2.0″ movement heralded a genuine revolution, making room for a new political culture, and encouraging the country to reflect in a more modern...
China: What Chinese youths say about sex?
Olivia from China Hush has translated a web project from You and Me [zh] recording via photos on Chinese youths’ comment about sex.
Pakistan: Speaking Out the Unspoken – Gawaahi
Information and communications technology (ICT) has long been hailed as a harbinger of a global change. Gawaahi is one such venture that aims to bring to fore underrepresented voices of Pakistani society by coupling ICT with social activism.
Bahamas: Convicted Child Molester May Walk
“It is shocking to me that a judge in this country can sentence a man to freedom after a jury has found him guilty of a violent crime”: Womanish Words is demanding jail time for a twice-convicted child rapist, saying: “This family, this child, deserves justice. Violent crime against women...
Puerto Rico: Tuning In to a New Voice For Political Satire
En Serio is a new political satire program broadcast on TV and through the web. It’s inspired mainly by successful American political satire shows, and the team of hosts and producers have adapted those influences for a young Puerto Rican audience.
Morocco: Multiple Arrests Against Activists
There has been a sudden surge in arrests among pro-democracy activists and online campaigners in Morocco in recent days. Three have occurred in the past week alone. Little has been reported in the press and it took bloggers to report on the arrests for the mainstream media in Morocco to pick up on the stories.
Kenya: “One of Africa's Biggest Slums is My Home”
On the ActionAid blog Bollocks to Poverty, citizen journalist and Activista blogger Collins Odhiambo explains what it's like to come from one of Africa's largest slums, Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya. “Just because I’m from Kibera doesn’t mean I’m lesser,” he writes.
