Stories about Youth from March, 2011
Palestine: Life in the Eyes of Two West Bank Students
Linah Alsaafin and Heba Awadallah are students at Birzeit University near Ramallah in the West Bank, who started a blog together a year ago. Called Life On Bir Zeit Campus, the blog takes an incisive and entertaining look at student life and Palestinian politics amongst other topics.
Turkmenistan: Singers jailed for breache of morale
Annasoltan writes that the Turkmen authorities have sentenced two popular young singers to imprisonment and says that apparently the singers have run afoul of official ideology and the government’s vision of morality.
Libya: Zenga Zenga Meme Goes Viral
Gaddafi's now infamous "Zenga Zenga" speech has sparked a meme over the internet. Remixes of segments of the nationally televised address in which "The Guide" promised to "cleanse Libya inch by inch, home by home, house by house, street by street (Zenga Zenga)" are mushrooming on video sharing websites, much to the delight of Gaddafi opponents.
Azerbaijan: Dirty deeds and cover ups
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines, one of the moderators of a Facebook group calling for pro-democracy protests in Azerbaijan on 11 March comments on the arrest of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, one of the other online organizers. Noting that the Harvard graduate has been reportedly beaten, tortured and threated with rape, the...
Libya: Videos Expose Gaddafi's Violent Riposte
Amidst an almost complete internet and media blackout, videos still manage to come out of Libya, giving us a glimpse of what's happening on the ground. Here's a video round up of some of the action from Zawiyah, Misurata, Ras Lanuf, Al-Bayda and Ajdabiya.
Azerbaijan: Facebook activism or military service?
Democracy Now! comments on the case of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, the Harvard educated activist detained in Azerbaijan last week. As one of seven moderators for a Facebook group calling for Egypt-style protests in the oil-rich former Soviet republic, the blog notes that the charge of avoiding military service is being used...
Romania: Education System
Csíkszereda Musings writes about some of the problems with the Romanian education system – here and here.
Russia: “Tutor/Nanny/Friend/Plaything”
English Man In Moscow, who seeks to be hired as a tutor by an affluent Russian family with kids, writes about a recent 3-hour “‘trial’ lesson” that he gave to a 9-year-old for $43/26 GBP/1,250 rubles per hour. (“Not a fortune, but at the low end of pay for private...
Colombia: High School Students Speak About Sexual Diversity
In Colombia, the government of Medellin has started a campaign to raise awareness on sexual diversity in high schools, and part of the campaign includes online videos of different students speaking about their experience
Azerbaijan: Activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev arrested
SEMIÇKA – OLUBDUR, OLUR, OLACAQ… (Now Democracy Now!) comments on the arrest today of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, a youth activist responsible for a Facebook page calling for pro-democracy actions in Azerbaijan following similar protests in Egypt and Tunisia.
Azerbaijan: Facebook activism under pressure
Likely the most evolved country in the region in terms of online activism, Global Voices Advocacy posts details of new concerns about moves taken against alternative voices in Azerbaijan as well as the arrest today of yet another youth activist calling for pro-democracy protests in the oil-rich former Soviet republic...
Lebanon: Protests Against Sectarian Regime
More than 2,500 Lebanese citizens marched last Sunday (February 27, 2011) in the capital Beirut against the sectarian system which they think is the reason of the country's problems. Here's how it went and how the Lebanese online community reacted. Other protests are planned for tomorrow (March 5).
Morocco: Fadoua Laroui, our own Mohamed Bouazizi
When young Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire in the town of Sidi Bouzid, he couldn't have imagined the chain of events his act would set off. Now, in Morocco, the self-immolation of a young woman, Fadoua Laroui, has Moroccan bloggers debating the cause and effect of such an action.
China: In Memory of Post-80s Trash Poet, Xiao Zhao
On February 14, 2011, 25-year-old poet Xiao Zhao ended his life by jumping off a bridge near his home in Hunan province. While the urban post-80s generation blogging star Han Han has caught the world's attention and become one of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures in 2010", Xiao Zhao's short life tells a completely different story of the same generation in China.
Azerbaijan: Social media for 11 March
While Flying Carpets & Broken Pipelines [EN] explains the purpose and introduces the group behind a Facebook group launched for 11 March, the date scheduled for pro-democracy protests in Azerbaijan, RAUFRAY | my point of view [AZ], a blog apparently by an activist from the pro-government İRƏLİ Public Union, attempts...
Russia: Photographer Complains About Illegal Activities in Moscow Metro
Photographer Alexei Vitvitskiy posted pictures of allegedly illegal activities in one of the central stations of Moscow metro “Komsomolskaya.” “Here they opened a market of illegal immigrants,” Vitvitskiy wrote. ” They sell drugs, fake documents (Russian passports are especially popular), diplomas, certificates, driver's licenses and offer courier services.”
Lebanon: Web Documentary About Young Lebanese Artists
The Libalel Project [fr] highlights the diversity of contemporary Lebanese art through web documentary. Their blog publishes analyses, biographies, interviews, videos and photos: “The Lebanese scene is a true laboratory of artistic experimentation attuned with a distinctive political context rich with deep questioning. The Libalel project endeavours to decipher this...
Bahrain: Schools Break Out in Protest (Videos)
A number of secondary (high) schools broke out into anti-government protests across Bahrain on Tuesday March 1. Both boys' and girls' schools in Isa Town, Hamad Town and Jidhafs marched out of their schools in the middle of the school day in support of protesters camping at Pearl (Lulu) Roundabout.
Azerbaijan: Discrediting Facebook?
Global Voices’ Caucasus editor posts a translation of an article naming prominent alternative voices in Azerbaijan who have Facebook friends in Armenia. The reaction from many in the country still effectively at war with its neighbor is that the article was intended to discredit those activists and the the use...
Haiti: Manigat's Chances
“We might have a race after all”: Toussaint on Haiti thinks that Mirlande Manigat's campaign “might be picking up steam”, while Dying in Haiti wonders “if the registered voters in [a particular] tent city are going to vote for Madame Manigat, Michael, or….nobody?”
China: Not Tweeting a Revolution
Why did China tweet a revolution and then have almost no one show up? See what Chinese idealists were posting to Twitter leading up to February 20, the day of the first rallies in what many hoped would become the country's own "Jasmine revolution".
