Stories about Feature from April, 2008
Rising Voices Seeks Micro-Grant Proposals for Health-Related New Media Outreach
Rising Voices, the outreach arm of Global Voices, in collaboration with the Open Society Institute Public Health Program’s Health Media Initiative, is now accepting project proposals for the third round of microgrant funding of up to $5,000 for new media outreach projects focused especially on public health issues involving marginalized populations.
Caribbean: Food Shortages
“If music be the food of love, play on”, wrote Shakespeare, who could not possibly have anticipated the global food crisis the world is facing today. Rising food prices are a hot topic with bloggers the world over – and the Caribbean is no different. The “music” coming out of...
Venezuela: Debates on the New Educational Curriculum
The Venezuelan government's new proposal for the elementary school education system has created a new point of debate in the country. While some say that the previous program needs to be reinforced in social and socialist values, as well as patriotic ideas, some others claim they're worried that this new system can be, above all, a new way of make children learn the government's doctrines. Bloggers provide their thoughts on the new proposals.
Bahrain: MPs call to deport homosexuals
Out of the closet and out of the country? Ayesha Saldanha brings us blogger reactions on how Bahraini MPs are pushing for a new law to clampdown on homosexuality among locals and throw out expatriate gays and lesbians from the country.
Japan: Nagano red for Olympic torch relay
The Japanese leg of the Olympic torch relay came to an end on Saturday without serious incident, but many Japanese bloggers who attended the event were left with lasting -- and often bitter -- impressions. With all the red flags, many bloggers pointed out how Nagano, for one day, seemed to transform into China.
Zimbabwe: Post-election violence on the rise
The election crisis in Zimbabwe continues: there are reports from the mainstream media, bloggers and human rights organisations about state organised post-election violence against supporters of the opposition, the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has left the country for Botswana fearing for his life and the “ship of evil” continues to draw bloggers' attention.
Ecuador: Joining the Creative Commons Community
The Creative Commons license in Ecuador was recently unveiled at a university in Loja. Many bloggers applaud this iniative and have been quick to adopt these licenses for their own work. In addition, others live blogged the launch event, which celebrated the hard work of all those involved.
Ethiopian bloggers defend charged pop star
Ethiopian bloggers rushed to the defence of their country's top pop singer Teddy Afro, after he appeared in court charged with the hit-and-run killing of a youth in capital Addis Ababa. Many writers were convinced Afro was being framed by Ethiopian authorities who, they said, resented the singer's huge popularity and veiled anti-government lyrics.
PangeaDay: Videos to change the world on May 10th
On May 10th 2008 at 18:00 GMT, 24 films will be broadcast during a 4 hour event. What makes this different is that this event, PangeaDay will be broadcast from six locations worldwide in seven different languages worldwide to be viewed through internet, television or cellphones with one unique purpose: to make each other know about the lives of others and focus on what makes us similar, instead of what makes us different and let us work together towards peace.
Lost Brazilian ballooning priest carried into the blogosphere
This time the story is rather sad, but the blogosphere is exploding with humorous takes on the tragedy of a Brazilian Roman Catholic priest who is missing after drifting out to sea while trying to set a record for a flight using helium-filled party balloons.
Armenia: April 24 — Genocide Memorial Day
Yesterday marked the 93rd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocideand the deaths of approximately 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey. Every year on 24 April, a date marking the roundup of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in what is now Istanbul, Armenians commemorate the massacres and deportations worldwide. In Yerevan, this is particularly the case with hundreds of thousands marching up to the Tsitsernakaberd memorial overlooking the capital to lay flowers and pay their respects.
Israel: Modern Day Exodus, on African Refugees and their Right for Medical Care
Around 6,000 African refugees escaped the horrors in their countries, and seek refuge in Israel. Many of them live in harsh conditions and can be spotted shivering cold on the streets of southern Tel-Aviv. The insensitive behavior from the side of the Israeli government comes only tens of years after the holocaust, when Jews came to the same plot of land, seeking refuge from the horrors of Europe, writes Gilad Lotan, who shows us how a group of bloggers are volunteering to draw a smile on the faces of countless of destitute refugees.
Korea: Roh Moo Hyun and Japanese Netizens
The previous Korean President, Roh Moo Hyun, as I wrote a previous post, ‘ Roh Moo Hyun Syndrome (March 30, 2008)’ has become famous even after his retirement due to his casual life style. While he generated hyeom-han gam-jeong (Japanese antipathy against Korea) during his governance, his life has been...
Japan: Where has all the butter gone?
Where is the butter? — cry Japanese consumers who have been hunting everywhere for the dairy product. The drastic reduction in raw milk production, complicated by hikes in the price of grain as well as changes in the global patterns of dairy product consumption, have caused a serious butter shortage...
China: Netizens defend Zimbabwe arms sales
As China's latest shipment of weapons and ammunition sits stranded off the coast of southeastern Africa and president Mugabe of landlocked Zimbabwe digs in against accusations of a fixed election, the majority of Chinese netizens are defending their government's arms sales to the country, at the same time accusing the US and its allies of double standards.
Green Global Voices on Earth Day 2008
Bloggers celebrated Earth Day on April 22 by posting their thoughts on what the day means, others did a roundup of articles, some shared reading lists and others mused about climate change. In this brief roundup we get a glimpse of these blogger's views on Earth Day 2008. Starting with...
What's Carter Doing in the Middle East?
Former US President Jimmy Carter just concluded talks with Palestinian Hamas leaders in Cairo, Egypt. First, it was the turn of the US Presidential elections to snub the visit. Now, bloggers from the region join them to rebuff it.
Dominican Republic test drives new metro system in Santo Domingo
People scream, yell and cheer as they see it pass: in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, the newest celebrity is the Metro transportation system. The city is buzzing at the new metro system which starting last Saturday began operating tentatively for testing to bring visitors to and from the...
Iran: A mysterious explosion in mosque
In south Iran, an explosion at a mosque in the city Shiraz killed at least 12 people and wounded about 200 people on April 12. Fars, a semi-official government news website reported that the blast was caused by a bomb. Later, several Iranian officials insisted the blast was the result...
Olympic torch relay in Southeast Asia
The Olympic Torch has landed in the Southeast Asian region. Bloggers describe how ordinary people, protesters, police forces, sports enthusiasts and politicians are reacting to the arrival of the Olympic Torch in the region.
Japan: Comfort Women Video Calls Attention to a Still Unresolved Issue.
More than 60 years have passed since the World War II, but women who claim to have been abducted under Japanese Military's orders to serve as sexual slaves on military “Comfort Stations” are still waiting for the government's public apologies and material compensation even as the government still denies the...
