Stories about Feature from August, 2010
Taiwan: Who Needs A Founding Father?
Does Dr. Sun Yat-sen deserve the title of “the Founding Father of Republic of China (R.O.C)”? Is he really a flawless idealistic political leader and the hero behind the revolution that overthrew Qing Dynasty? The myth around Dr. Sun has been under scrutiny in Taiwan where people largely do not identify themselves as “Chinese” anymore.
Lebanon: Giving Palestinian Refugees the Right to Work
Lebanon is home to over 400,000 Palestinian refugees, who are not allowed to own property, cannot access the health care system, and need a special permit to leave their refugee camps. On August 17, the Lebanese parliament passed a law granting Palestinian refugees the same employment rights as other foreigners. Bloggers and tweeps react to this development.
Pakistan: Netizens In Action Helping Flood Victims
The floods in Pakistan have so far claimed more than 1600 lives and affected about 20 million people who are in dire need of relief and aid. Pakistani young netizens are traveling across Pakistan to distribute relief and they are making their actions visible though live blogs, Twitter, images and videos.
Noam Chomsky in China
On 13 August, Noam Chomsky delivered a speech at the Peking University in Beijing. Chomsky, one of the leading public intellectuals of our age, is famous for his political activism...
Mexico: Miss Universe 2010 Gets All the Attention on Twitter
Miss Mexico 2010, Jimena Navarrete, won this year's Miss Universe contest. Mexican Twitter users expressed enthusiasm for Navarrete's victory; however, some criticized the amount of attention the event was getting compared to other, more important issues. Navarrete also tweeted, thanking everyone for their support.
Tunisia: Doctored Photographs Symptomatic of the State of The National Press
The use of national media as an instrument of propaganda has been fairly well documented in Tunisia. The latest evidence of media manipulation was identified by Tunisian bloggers on August 20 when newspapers le Temps and Assabah illustrated on the sending of food supply by fundation Zitouna to the victims of the floods in Pakistan.
France: Discrimination Against Roma People, Labeled as “Thieves”
While the expulsions of Roma people are in full throttle with the silent approbation of the majority of the public opinion, some doubts start to creep in about the fairness of the measures. Some bloggers express their outrage at the measures that target the most vulnerable and the libel of an entire community as "thieves".
Bulgaria: Discovery of John the Baptist's Relics Causes Political Scandal
The discovery of what's believed to be St. John the Baptist's remains last month caused a political scandal and gave rise to a passionate debate in the Bulgarian community. Ruslan Trad translates a selection of bloggers' views.
MENA: The Bigger Picture Behind Eden Abergil's Facebook Photos
When ex-Israeli soldier Eden Abergil's Facebook photo album "IDF-the best days of my life" was revealed to contain pictures of her posing mockingly alongside blindfolded Palestinian detainees, the blogosphere was outraged. In this post, Katharine Ganly takes a look at some of the different reactions from the MENA region.
Morocco: When Sarkozy “Proposes” a French Version of Ramadan
When Ahmed wrote his satirical blog post about a completely fictional announcement by president Nicolas Sarkozy intending to impose a French version of Islam on French Muslims, he never imagined his "story" would make the headlines of newspapers and mainstream media websites, not as the innocent prank he initially intended but as factual news.
Sao Tome & Principe: Revolt Against Water Diverted from Hospital
In the past few months, a heated discussion animated the blogosphere of Sao Tome and Principe, on a public health problem that apparently has already been solved. Until last week, there was no water running from the taps of Ayres de Menezes Hospital, but its director now assures that the issue has been taken care of.
Russia: Bloggers Expose Death Rate Increase
Until the emergence of Web 2.0, the Russian government had enjoyed a monopoly on death rate information and could manipulate it. Gregory Asmolov investigates how the Russian bloggers have changed the situation.
Madagascar: The Undercover Investigations That Exposed Rosewood Trafficking from the Rain Forest
One of the consequences of the enduring political crisis in Madagascar is its punishing impact on the environment. The investigation of activists specialized in conservation and protection of the environment was instrumental in documenting the crimes and holding the government accountable for protecting Malagasy natural resources. Here are there reflections on the initiatives:
Russia: Wildfires Victims Sorry They Fought For Their Houses
The aftermath of the recent wildfires in Russia is on the agenda of the main media channels. Reports on and interviews with victims, volunteers, humanitarian aid workers and government officials...
Brunei: “I'm sorry” video now a youtube sensation
Zek's youtube video of apology to his ex-girlfriend is the newest internet sensation in Brunei. A popular blogger described Zek as the "Justin Bieber of Brunei" and the video is named by some netizens as the country's "best reality show"
Colombia: Ongoing Online Reactions to Mass Grave La Macarena
The discovery of a mass grave holding more that 2,000 bodies next to a military base in Colombia has sparked a heated and ongoing debate. Although the story was reported months ago, the lack of transparency and clear facts from the media and the government have kept the online discussion going. Colombians have turned to social networks to try to make sense of the macabre discovery.
France: Racism and Politics
Following a speech from French president Sarkozy that France ought to consider stripping delinquents of their citizenship and the planned expulsion of groups of Roma people back to Rumania and Bulgaria, the UN Comittee on the Elimination of Racial dDiscrimination (CERD) denounced a "recrudescence of racism and xenophobia" in France. Bloggers weigh in on the tense social scene in France.
Russia: Anglophone Bloggers Discuss Social and Political Aspects of the Wildfires
Anglophone Russia bloggers have been discussing social and political aspects of the catastrophic wildfires and the ongoing firefighting efforts in central Russia since early August. Here is a selection of their views.
Paraguay: Soaring Soybean Production Prompts Clashes
As the global demand for soy rises, Paraguay has become the world's fastest-growing producer of the crop. But with resulting riches have also come battles over land rights and environmental concerns.
Zambia: Citizens react to Chiluba's court clearance
Zambian President Dr. Frederick Chiluba and seven others were found guilty of stealing US$46 million public funds by Zambian High Court judge Evans Hamaundu. As expected, the court's decision last week has attracted debate in the Zambian blogosphere.
Indonesia: “What's wrong, Mr. President?”
The speech of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on the eve of the country's Independence Day celebration disappointed many people, including netizens. Here are some online reactions.