Stories about Youth from March, 2011
Palestine: Demonstrations For Unity Begin
Palestinians were not at first mentioned on the Arab “revolution timetable“, but a date for protests was indeed set for 15 March. These protests are taking place in towns and cities throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and the focus is Palestinian unity – a stand against the political divisions that have riven Palestinian society for many years.
Jamaica: Skin Bleaching Perspective
Dancehall artist Vybz Kartel gives a talk at the University of the West Indies; Active Voice comments: “Kartel is on the cutting edge of research and thinking about this phenomenon when he argues for the changing role skin bleaching plays in this society today.”
Russia: Will Prosecutor's Office Use Crowdsourced Data To Fight Illegal Gambling?
While discussing the issue of illegal gambling with the Prosecutor General, President Medvedev has stated that the Prosecutor's office can use crowdsourced data of gdecasino.ru, a mapping portal offering users the ability to map illegal gambling sites, interfax.ru reported [RUS]. Right after the news broke, the site went down, though....
Hong Kong: Panic Over Milk Powder Shortage
Hong Kong has been hit by a shortage in infant milk powder due to mainland Chinese customers buying large amounts of the territory's baby milk formula. Local Hong Kong parents have called for intervention policies from the government, such as a milk powder departure tax to stop smugglers from reselling for profit.
Azerbaijan: Great People's Day a pointless adventure?
In a critical post Analoqu olmayan bloq :) [AZ] comments on the 11 March pro-democracy protests staged by youth in Baku, capital of of Azerbaijan. The blog says that the event failed to achieve its goals and might actually have pushed the government to tighten its grip even more. It concludes that...
Japan: Social Translation in Times of Crisis
When disaster struck on March 11, 2011, Japan was thrust into the center of attention. As inquiries, goodwill, advice, and donations pour in from around the world, citizens have stood up to participate in social translation.
Portugal: A Protest Generation, Foolish and Scraping By
Hostilities have commenced: today the “Scraping-by Generation” goes to the streets in Portugal and beyond, protesting that 23% of young people are unemployed and hundreds of thousands are underemployed or in precarious work situations. With an anthem and some anti-conformism, is this Generation foolish?
Azerbaijan: Youth Protest in Baku
Inspired by pro-democracy protests in Egypt and Tunisia, youth activists in Azerbaijan took to the streets in actions encouraged and coordinated by social media in what was their largest action staged in two years.
Brazil: Where Violence Has an Age and Skin Color
On February 23, 2011, Brazil's Justice Department published the 'Violence Map 2011 - The Brazilian Youth', a study aimed at following trends in youth (15 to 24 years of age) mortality from violent causes. The conclusions are frightening.
Azerbaijan: Online activism under fire
Writing on East of Center, Transition Online editor in chief Jeremy Druker comments on official attempts to discredit Azerbaijani youth activists using social media to prepare for pro-democracy protests on 11-12 March.
Africa: Sandbox Launches in Africa
Sandbox is proud to announce the opening of its first hub in Africa. Based out of Nairobi, its aim is to unite the continent’s most inspiring young leaders, and to connect them with like-minded peers all over the globe.
Morocco: King's Speech Tweeted
On Wednesday, King Mohammed VI of Morocco gave his first address to the nation since the beginning of pro-democracy protests in his country. He promised "a comprehensive reform of the constitution". The king's speech was closely followed on Twitter.
Paraguay's Digital Divide
Juan Edgardo Lezcano [es] writes about the digital divide in Paraguay. Juan reports that there are few educational institutions focusing on information and communication technology (ICT), and that low-income citizens can't access the scarce opportunities to learn these skills.
Guyana: Child Abuse
“When I look into the dark eyes of some chil’ren here, I see things I can’t put a name to”: Guyana-Gyal shivers at some of the things that go on in the dark.
Taiwan: Social Media Makes Indigenous Voices Loud and Clear
Stories about the Taiwanese indigenous population's struggle for identity, sustainability and dignity are missing from the country's public sphere, as a result of relative social and political domination by the majority Han Chinese population. Now, thanks to social media, indigenous youth are making their voices heard and reconnecting with their traditions.
Kuwait: Hundreds Rally for PM Change
A few hundred people gathered in Kuwait today calling for "a new government, with a new Prime Minister, and a new approach." The protest turn out was smaller than anticipated and ended with no incident.
Morocco: Women Celebrate International Day
Moroccan women, who have long been at the forefront of the civil society's struggle for a better and more dignified life, celebrated the 100th anniversary of the International Women's Day today. Across the Moroccan blogosphere, male and female bloggers have been reflecting on this occasion.
Panama: Thoughts on Improving Education
Panamanian students returned to school on March 1st. Hanna at Contrapunto [es] writes about education in Panama and how to improve it. She argues that Panamanian educators need to realize the need to change and improve; furthermore, she says Panama needs to find a way to encourage more young people...
Azerbaijan: Another youth activist identified by social media?
A new blog, whatwaswritten, says that another youth activist has been reportedly visited by police after trying to publicize pro-democracy protests planned for 11 March in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. The blog notes that police deny the claims although Tangled Web says that the alleged visit occured on the same...
Mauritania: Mauritanian youth protesters’ 7 points
Kal reproduces and translates Mauritanian youth protesters’ 7 points: The list was published on the Facebook page of the website “For Mauritania.” Each item on the list includes detailed explanations of the organizers’ rationale for making them and their urgency. The list is titled “Seven cardinal points for building a...
Azerbaijan: Support Bakhtiyar! site launched
A site in English in support of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, the Harvard graduate youth activist arrested last week in Azerbaijan ahead of protests planned for 11-12 March, has been launched at http://supportbakhtiyar.com
