Stories from Quick Reads from March, 2014
Why Learning Italian Still Makes Sense
As Italian publishing company Alma Edizioni was busy organizing an event about the Italian language in Rome, they received an unexpected letter [it] from someone who defined himself as a “disappointed student”: Why? What's the point of studying Italian today? […] No one wants to study a language that no...
Massive Online Campaign to Free Political Prisoner Oscar López Rivera
The international campaign to free Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera is asking people from all over the world to contribute in making the hashtag #freeOscarLopez a trending topic tomorrow, April 1st. Tweets should also include U.S. president Barack Obama's handle @BarackObama. This year, López Rivera will have been...
Manga “1F” Takes You Inside Fukushima Nuclear Plant
A manga by artist going by the name Kazuto Tatsuta takes readers inside the crippled nuclear plant of Fukushima Dai-Ichi, or ichi efu (1F) – as insiders dubbed it – a place he himself worked in 2012, a decision he took in a period of financial struggle. The graphic novel...
Documentaries from 29 Countries Are SIMA 2014 Finalists
These are films we want to watch! 37 powerful documentary films from 29 countries have been selected as finalists for the 2014 Social Impact Media Award (SIMA). The stories are from: South Africa, Switzerland, Zambia, the UK, Russia, India, Israel, Chile, Western Sahara, the US, Lebanon, Cambodia, Syria, Burkina Faso,...
Underpaid Indonesian Workers Producing Global Cosmetic Products
Michael Eko Hardianto writes about the poor conditions of Indonesian workers in factories that produce false eyelashes, hair extensions and other beauty products: …behind every eyelash flutter in the fashion industry and beyond lie the untold stories of invisible low-paid workers. Their financial remuneration for such monotonous work is about...
Roots of Conflict in Southern Thailand
Patrick Jory traces the history of the conflict in southern Thailand and probes the causes and impact of naming it as an Islamic insurgency: The answer can be found in the suppression of official references to the distinct ethnic Malay identity of the population of the border provinces, in favour...
Jamaica: Vybz Kartel's Sentencing
Active Voice reports that Vybz Kartel's sentencing has been postponed to April 3, and that “the Dept. of Correctional Services is to decide whether Kartel will be allowed to record music in prison, and if allowed, whether proceeds should go to the family of the victim Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.”
South Korea: Royal Gate Restoration, Corruption and Suicide
In recent months, particularly murky allegations over the royal gate restoration have unfolded in South Korea. The project's ‘chief carpenter’ is accused not only of using substandard wood, but stealing donated wood. Moreover, several government officials involved in the project were also indicted on charges of bribery [ko], and a civilian investigator who...
South Sudan Military Intelligence Chief Denies Attempted Coup
The chief of military intelligence for South Sudan denies that there was an attempted coup there on December 15, 2013. PaanLuel Wel reports: Reports from Juba have it that the head of military intelligence, Gen. Mac Paul Kuol Awar, has rubbished the alleged coup attempt of December 15, 2013. Mac...
Documentary About South Sudan National Football Team's First Coach
Roving Bandit reports about a new documentry titled “Coach Zoran and His African Tigres”: A new documentary, about the first ever manager of the first ever South Sudanese national football team. His name is Zoran, and he swears like a trooper. It's an entertaining story, filmed in 2012 and set...
Global Voices Author Raza Rumi Attacked By Unknown Gunmen In Lahore
Notable Pakistani, columnist, TV anchor and blogger (also a Global Voices author) Raza Rumi was attacked by unidentified gunmen near Raja market on Ferozpur road in Lahore, Pakistan. At 8:55PM tonight he tweeted: Was fired at near Raja Market. My driver is wounded. I was dreading this day — Raza...
Should Africa Learn From the Crimea Referendum?
“Is Crimea referendum a good model for Africa?” asks Richard Dowden: Africa’s arbitrary borders, mostly drawn by people who had never set foot in the continent, have always been an obvious target for renegotiation. But Africa’s first rulers, who foresaw chaos and disintegration if the nation states were reconfigured, ruled...
15 Free (or Very Cheap) Things to Do in Bogotá, Colombia
Bogotá and its price points tend to get a bad rap. This is a very valid point when you consider that the average monthly salary in the city as of 2013 was just over 1 million pesos (about $500 at the current exchange rate), and that it has the biggest...
Trinidad & Tobago: Another Minister Bites the Dust
In the wake of the dismissal of the latest minister from the current government, Wired868 chronicles the firings of his colleagues.
The “Happy Voting” Project Encourages Young Europeans to Vote
Drawing on the Pharrell Williams worldwide hit “Happy” and the associated equally renown music video (over 143 million views on YouTube), the Brussels-based film company Full Tunes Production has recently launched on facebook an enthusiastic project called “Happy Voting” that strives to encourage voting for the next European elections. The project...
Creator of Quirky Movement Defends Kremlin Propagandist
Artyom Loskutov, creator of "Monstration", signed a letter in support of odious propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov. Was he right to do so?
MENA: Hijab and Western Discrimination
Egyptian blogger Nadia El Awady wrote a blog post in which she questions if women wearing Hijab face discrimination in western countries or not. Nadia, as an Egyptian who grew up in the US and lived prolonged periods in Europe, adds from her personal experience in regards to reactions she...
Saudi Arabia: 2014 A Promising Year for Women
Saudi Arabian blogger Hala Al-Dosari shares on her blog an interesting piece from an annual publication by the Wislon’s Center on women in the MENA Region. The publication suggests that 2014 might be a potentially promising year for women status in Saudi Arabia.
Thrive Show: On Living Well With Chronic Illness
Bedridden with a chronic illness called myalgic encephalomyelitis, online media virtuoso Jen Brea is launching a new interactive video series using Google Hangout called Thrive Show on how to live well with invisible and chronic illnesses. The first episode is today, March 27, and features a conversation with Eva Hagberg,...
Trinidad & Tobago: Minister Fired Over Plane Debacle
The government minister whose deplorable conduct on a flight between Tobago and Trinidad came to public attention, has been fired by the country's Prime Minister.
Corruption in Nepal: Is It Becoming Socially Acceptable?
People are angry and tired, and media houses often publish news about the connection between political leaders and goons but no one takes to the streets to protest corruption – an anomaly for a country where people have Nepal Bandhs, country-wide strikes for every distress. Siromani Dhungana posts an analysis...
