Stories about Feature from February, 2008
Sudanese Blogosphere Reaches New Milestone
The Sudanese blogosphere is starting to build momentum. Blogs written in English are quite active now, showing the genuine, diverse and raw face of Sudan to the world. On the other hand, blogs written in Arabic have mushroomed at another corner of this vast online space.
China: Darfur, a reason to say No?
Is the Darfur issue a reason to say No to the 2008 Beijing Olympics? Spielberg nodded recently, while Mr. Bush shrugged, and Beijing frowned. But how about the common people in China?
Middle East: Protesting Love
Valentine's Day has come and gone, but in the Middle East, the debate still continues on whether it is an occasion which should be celebrated or shunned. With both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait warning against Valentine's Day celebrations, bloggers had a lot to talk about.
Palestine: Celebrating Valentine's Day
The meanings of Valentine's Day, like love, are multi-faceted. This year had the Palestinian blogosphere thinking about making creative connections, communicating across borders and boundaries, meaningful expressions of love and giving, hard losses, and questions of respect, writes Maya Norton.
From Morocco, With Love
On this, St. Valentine's Day, the day for lovers, poems, flowers and romance, Moroccan bloggers are sharing their hearts. Few holidays have the ability to inspire both love and blog posts, but today's is certainly one of them.
Why the Senegalese government likes anti-gay protests
Blog politique au Senegal writes a searing critique of the government's attitude toward public protest in Senegal. Bad: protests against the forced marriage of young girls. Good: protests calling for the extermination or expulsion of homosexuals.
In Madagascar, bloggers debate abortion and women's rights
With a Valentine's Day performance of the controversial Vagina Monologues and a human rights committee's decision to call for a review of Madagascar's abortion ban, gender issues are a hot topic in the Malagasy blogosphere.
Fouad's Week: Fouad will not be forgotten!
The Free Fouad campaign has organized and carried out “Fouad’s Week”, during which bloggers were invited to republish one of Fouad’s posts on their blogs and to embrace “We Are All Fouads” as a slogan. This week-long event marked two months since the dean of the Saudi bloggers, Fouad Alfarhan, was arrested on December 10, 2007 and held in Jeddah’s Dahban prison without any charges brought against him.
Korea: Adjusting to college life
A Korean student recently wrote a lengthy post about her experiences adapting to college life. Her comments apparently struck a chord with many others, and responses flowed in. Her post...
Colombia: More Reactions to the March Against FARC
Reactions continue to emerge regarding the February 4 demonstration against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, for its initials in Spanish). Many bloggers provide their thoughs on why they did or did not march, and the various political interests in play.
Syria: Imad Mughniyeh Assassinated
The latest headlines from Damascus talk of a car bomb explosion in the uptown neighborhood of Kafar Suseh. The explosion - as was discovered later today - was a successful assassination attempt at one of Hizbulla's top leaders Imad Mughniyeh. Yazan Badran sums up the reactions of bloggers.
Guatemala: Targeted Violence Against Bus Drivers
Bus drivers in Guatemala have been the victim of targeted attacks, which have left 3-4 murdered per day and have caused panic and fear among the people. Some local bloggers are speculating on who is behind this violence and what the government can do to reduce these crimes.
Israel: Cyber-Activists Promote Sderot
While it may not be the number one topic of conversation on the government's agenda, Israeli bloggers and netizens just can't seem to stop talking about the situation in Sderot....
National Sports: unique expressions of countrywide pride.
Whether by government decree or by popularity, national sports are part of the cultural makeup of every country. People from many walks of life come together to participate, watch or root for their favorite athletes or teams. Check out which unique national sports Colombia, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates have.
East Timor: Democracy under siege
Here is an update on the Monday's attempted assassinations against the two top leaders of East Timor, President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, the country's independence heroes, and the murder of one opposition leader. In the wake of the failed coup attempt, see what blogs in Portuguese, one of the official languages of the ex-colony, have to say. Some of their questions remain unanswered.
Kenya: Bloggers hopeful of Kofi Annan mediation
When Ghana's President John Kuffour handed the peace batton to former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, few people in Kenya had hope that there would be breakthrough in the negotiations. That was a month ago, when the political temparatures were so high and threatening to boil over to a full blown civil war. But with a month of continued engagement, there is renewed confidence that there will be a lasting peace deal. This confidence in the streets of Nairobi is also reflected in the blogosphere.
Israel: Two Sderot Kids Severely Injured by Hamas Missiles
Every day the Hebrew blog portal Israblog hosts a discussion on a new topic, called the hot topic. This encourages bloggers to take part in the conversation around a specific topic. From politics to personal matters, submitting an entry tagged with the hot topic raises its readability, and places it on a relatively seen page; an incentive for people to participate.
Turkey is Typing… Turban or No Turban?
The "Turban" (or Islamic Headscarf) in Turkey has always been a hot-button issue within the Republic. This week, the Turkish parliament approved a preliminary bill that would allow women to wear headscarves at University... the result of which has caused an outcry from many sections of Turkish society. Is the lifting of the headscarf ban a sign of a positive democratic process or the slow takeover of a religious autocracy?
Iraq: End life, killed laughter
So says HNK. The world media seems to treat the Northern Iraqi city, Mosul, as more of a footnote their in the stream of news. Giving no more than a passing comments that the Iraqi prime minister declared a "decisive battle" to win back the city. When I read such headlines I know the human consequences will turn out to be horrific. So, today I dedicate my post to the extraordinary bloggers of Mosul who are living on the front line of a war zone. Also, one blogger writes on the conditions for women in Iraq and if you read to the end, you will find the mother of all bikers.
Portnoy Zheng: The blogger who inspired the world to talk together
While people around the world have been celebrating Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, we welcome the Year of the Rat with an interview with Taiwanese blogger and the inspiration behind the GVO Lingua project, Portnoy Zheng.
