Stories about Youth from February, 2009
Caribbean: Let's Talk About Love
The Caribbean has not historically been a region that celebrates Valentine's Day in a big way, but three bloggers (two from the diaspora) take the opportunity to share their perspectives on love.
Egypt: Bloggers Rally Against Sexual Predators
Sexual harassment makes the headlines of Egyptian blogs once again after a blogger was harassed on the street by a group of young men, high on hash. Marwa Rakha reviews reactions from the blogs, who are urging the blogger not to drop charges and fight for the rights of women and children attacked by sexual predators.
Sudan: Video Declarations on Darfur Genocide by the Perpetrators
A video recently released by Aegis Trust shows the testimony of four men who state they actively participated in the violence and massacres on Darfur, and who are not afraid to call it genocide. The video was uploaded on The Hub and it is hoped that people will see it and then pass it on to others in order to spread this information.
Haiti, U.S.A.: She's My Daughter
“Does our obvious bond seem fake? How could she be anyone other than my daughter?”: Designer Mama relates an unsettling incident at the Canadian border as agents question the legitimacy of her adoption of a little girl from Haiti.
Barbados: Supporting Rihanna
Living in Barbados says that Rihanna's assault “is deeply felt here as a personal beating up on many individuals”, while Cheese-on-Bread! learns that “Rihanna is back home to recover from the trauma of the past few days.”
Jamaica: Dancehall Ban
Following the broadcast ban on Rampin Shop and other sexually explicit songs, Raw Politics…Jamaica Style! thinks that dancehall must rehabilitate its public image, while Long Bench believes that while the ban should have been enforced a long time ago, now it's being done “for the wrong reasons, and under the...
Czech Republic, EU: Motherhood Politics
Czechmatediary writes that “the European Parliament fears that the Czechs will make all of the EU women become unappreciated stay-home moms.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Carnival is Woman
Another great podcast from Trinidad's Caribbean Free Radio, where Georgia Popplewell and the 3 Canal crew talk about everything from the role of women in Carnival to the “fine line between self expression and censorship”.
Japan: Message translation service brings heartbreak
Commenters at Japan's popular bulletin board service 2channel are responding to the story [ja] of a Japanese girl (ID tomochan) who, reportedly through the “enjoy JAPAN (KOREA) translation service” run by Korean search portal Naver, became close friends with a Korean guy. Naver plans to end the service on February...
Jordan: Clothes, Logos and Traffic Violators
In this round up of Jordnian blogs, Mohammad Azraq quotes bloggers discussing wearing colourful clothes, Amman's new logo and traffic violators.
Philippines: Five Years in College
I am Kylex disagrees with the proposals to add one more year to the four-year college curriculum in the Philippines. “We are currently facing on so-called ‘global financial crisis’. Many Filipinos outside and inside the country are now jobless because of that… Many of us cannot afford to go to...
Morocco: And The Winners Are…
The second annual edition of the Maroc Blog Awards were held in Casablanca on January 31. The awards honor the best Moroccan bloggers (as well as bloggers whose primary blog topic is Morocco) in 13 categories. Jillian York reports on the event.
Jordan: Reckless school bus driver
Kinziblogs, writing from Jordan, complains about a reckless school bus driver in this post.
Egypt: Bloggers for Terrorism
Egyptian bloggers are posting their own photographs, posing with fake guns and pistols, on their blogs and Facebook groups as part of a new gimmick to draw attention to the plight of detained blogger Mohamed Adel. Find out more about Operation General Mait in this article by Lasto Adri.
Puerto Rico: Unacceptable Crime
As Puerto Rico grapples with news of the macabre murder of Sara Kuszak, Dondequiera is unhappy about comments made by a local psychologist and the President of the Hotel and Tourism Association: “What we as a society have not realized is that we can not draw lines around crime and...
Japan: The Origin of Zoku
Neojaponisme has a post investigating the origin of a popular term “zoku” in youth subculture.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Common Ground?
The Common Ground News Blog comments on a Global Voices Online post detailing a new cross-border online project between American, Armenian and Azerbaijani youth. The blog of the Search for Common Ground international NGO notes that the number one concern of youth in the two estranged South Caucasus neighbors is...
Russia: Maria Segeeva
Scraps of Moscow writes about Maria Sergeeva, a United Russia's youth wing activist: “She sort of has elements of a Russian Sarah Palin – spunky and down-to-earth, but also self-contradictory and determinedly dim-witted, and not really ready for prime time.”
Philippines: Chess to be taught in schools
Jhay supports the inclusion of chess in the school curriculum of the Philippines.
Armenia: Environmental Destruction
Vladimir Azriyan, an Armenian participant in DOTCOM, comments on visiting a photo exhibition in Yerevan on environmental destruction. The teenage blogger particularly decries the destruction of Armenia's forests while another DOTCOM blogger, 15-year-old Nare, says that all of the Armenian participants attended.
Global Health: Obama Lifts “Global Gag Rule”
In his first week in office, U.S. President Barack Obama lifted a policy popularly known as the “Global Gag Rule.” The move is being applauded by women's rights and public health groups, as it will reinstate funding to international family planning programs globally. The policy, also known as the Mexico...
