Stories about Photos from December, 2009
Armenia: Culture vulture
Ianyan interviews Anush Babajanyan, an Armenian photographer who particularly focuses on issues such as gender in Armenia and the homeless in the country's second largest city, Gyumri.
Overcoming negative stereotypes in the South Caucasus
An online project using new and social media to overcome negative stereotypes in the South Caucasus entered a second stage last week when two blogging Azerbaijani journalism students and a Georgian blogger joined in the initiative.
The Year that Was in Madagascar: Part I
In part one of a three-part summary of the year in citizen media in Madagascar, Lova Rakotomalala recalls the turmoil that seized the country in the first four months of 2009.
Iran: When Rage Overcomes Fear
Iranian protesters poured into Tehran and several major cities in defiance of the Iranian government on Sunday, as large crowds gathered for Ashura, a major religious observance.
Uzbekistan: Criminal Charges Filed Against Documentary Photographer Umida Akhmedova
Umida Akhmedova, photo by Fergana.ru Umida Akhmedova, the Uzbek [EN] documentary photographer, has been accused of insult and slander against Uzbek people and traditions, reports Fergana.ru [EN]. The maximum penalty for these charges includes remedial work on two up to three years or detention for up to six months. According...
Hong Kong: Undemocratic Legco set to approve the world's most costly express train
The Legislative Council (Legco) in Hong Kong is about to approve the funding for the world's most expensive Express Rail Link (ERL)'s construction plan on the coming Friday (Dec 18). According to the government budget plan announced in November 2009, the 26 km ERL will cost HKD67 billions (USD8.9 billions)....
Russia: Two Stories of Space Blogging
Blogging from and about space gains popularity and recognition among professional space travelers and regular bloggers. Russia is no exception. While the latest fashion for NASA astronauts is space twittering [ENG], more and more space explorers are going full-text. And the fact that one wouldn't necessarily call those blogs par...
Armenia: Music Awards
Ianyan covers the 10th annual Armenian Music Awards in Los Angeles. The blog also live tweeted the event on her Twitter account.
Kenya: Photos of Maasai Mara
Beautiful photos of the Maasai Mara in Kenya at Stood in the Maasai Mara.
Botswana: Christmas party at Nata village
Photos from the annual Christmas party at Nata village in Botswana: “The festivity kicked off with an early morning breakfast. Soon after breakfast the students were treated to a game of truth or false regarding health related issues, with an answer behind every question.”
Denmark: Ukrainian Blogger's Photos of Mass Arrests
Sergey Kovalyov (LJ user skovalyov; #skovalyov on Twitter) posts seven photos of mass arrests of protesters on Amagerbrogade in Copenhagen and writes (RUS) about it on his blog.
Armenia: 21st Anniversary of the 1988 Earthquake
Monday marked the 21st anniversary of the 1988 earthquake which devastated many areas in northern Armenia leaving around 25,000 dead and many more homeless. Bloggers examine conditions in the region more than two decades later.
Madagascar's forests decimated for $460,000 a day
As the world's nations gather in Copenhagen for the UN Convention on Climate Change, Madagascar, having already lost 90% of its original forest, faces continued threats from black market logging, threatening to destroy what is left of one of the world's most diverse ecosystems.
Bangladesh: Indigenous People
Photoblogger Monirul Alam comments on the indigenous people (adivasi) of Bangladesh: “Adivasis are among the poorest of the country. Participation of Adivasis in education is very low, and almost zero at the higher levels of education.”
Morocco: Celebrating Eid in the Bled
This past weekend, Moroccans celebrated Eid Al-Adha. Bloggers in rural Morocco are sharing their stories about this year's celebrations. As Internet access is sparse and often prohibitively expensive outside of cities, many of the people blogging from rural areas are Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) and are therefore positioned to give an outsiders' perspective...from the inside.
