Stories from Quick Reads from June, 2015
Storipot: A News Aggregator for Ugandan Blogs
Keep up to date with news and conversations on Ugandan blogosphere through Storipot, a news aggregator created by Dignited: Storipot is a News aggregator that provides you with headlines of the latest stories (“Feeds”) curated from websites and blogs by or about Uganda. Storipot helps you filter through the noise...
How a Young Kenyan Doctor Fell in Love With Medicine
Dr. Claire Kinuthia, a Kenyan doctor and blogger, writes about how she fell in love with medicine: How it all began. Medicine found me when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I have a particularly vivid memory of hearing my dad get up in the middle of the...
Kenyan Blogger Defamation Case Highlights the Need for Education
Shitemi Khamadi argues that a case where a telecommunication provider, Safaricom, has sued a Kenyan blogger Cyprian Nyakundi for defamation highlights the need for education on the law and Internet in Kenya: The Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) in whose mandate is to promote online local content has been running...
Herve Cornara's Relatives Want Him to Be Remembered as a Great Guy, Not the Beheaded Victim of a Lunatic
Herve Cornara was the manager of ATC, a delivery company in Chassieu in the suburbs of Lyon, France. More importantly, he was a father of a young man and loved by his relatives and colleagues. Cornara was killed and beheaded by Yassin Salhi next to a ISIS flag at a factory in...
Help Wanted to Make Sure the U.N. Climate Change Conference COP 21 Will Result in Concrete Actions
The year 2015 is especially important for our planet’s climate. One of the highlights is the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) that will take place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 in Paris. Diplomats from all over the...
Malaysian Lawyer's Viral Post Criticizing the Proposal to Require Non-Muslims to Fast During Ramadan
Malaysian lawyer Azhar Harun criticized the suggestion of some local leaders to require non-Muslims not to eat when Muslims fast during Ramadan. Why the need to close school canteens during Ramadhan? Why must non-Malay pupils be asked to drink behind closed doors and even in the toilet? Just because our...
New Report Details Unanimous Support Amongst Iran's Civil Society for the Iran Deal
Global Voices collaborators the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran released a newly written report yesterday entitled “High Hopes, Tempered Expectations: Views from Iran on the Nuclear Negotiations.” The report engaged with 28 members of Iranian civil society including former members of the Iranian Parliament, journalists, academics, lawyers,...
Peruvian Police Arrest Elderly Drivers for a Good Reason
In the Peruvian city of Huancayo, located in the center of the country, agents of the local Police Transit Authority arrested several elderly drivers of public transportation vehicles: A pesar que los conductores se resistían a ir a la dependencia policial, por contar con todos los documentos en regla. Fueron...
Macedonian Activist Ends Hunger Strike for Migrant Rights
On Saturday, June 20, human rights expert and activist Suad Missini ended the hunger strike he started six days prior in protest of inhumane treatment of migrants passing through Macedonia. Mr. Missini issued the following statement [links added]: While the effects of the changes of the Asylum Law are yet to...
Introducing Swaziland’s Most Prominent Poetry Movement
Sabelo Mkhabela blogs about Swaziland's growing poetry movement: Swazi poet and visionary Themba Mavuso speaks with a humble, unrehearsed tone. He looks nothing like a poet – his hair is neatly combed and he spots a corporate office-ready white shirt and black chinos. Adding street to his attire is a...
Infographic Shows Thailand Junta Arrested Hundreds in the Past Year for Criticizing the Government
The free speech advocate iLaw uploaded an infographic which showed that 166 people have been arrested in the past year in Thailand for expressing an opinion against the military-backed government. The army grabbed power in May 2014 but it vowed to restore civilian rule and conduct free elections next year....
Peruvian Ministry of Education Makes 24 Indigenous Alphabets Official
The alphabets of 24 indigenous languages were made official in Peru as a result of joint efforts by the Ministry of Education and numerous indigenous communities. The documents were adopted by consensus and will be used to help preserve and improve the use of these languages, both in their written and spoken forms. De ese modo, los...
Winners of #HackAgainstEbola Represent Ghana at 2015 Global Editors Network SUMMIT
The winners of the “#HackAgainstEbola” competition at the 2014 Editors Lab organised by the Global Editors Network (GEN) and Penplusbytes in Accra, Citi FM are in Barcelona participating in the 5th annual GEN Summit: Citi FM, last year, competed with other major new rooms in Ghana at Penplusbytes New Media...
Jailed Cartoonist Atena Faraghdani's Lawyer is Arrested for Shaking Her Hand
Mohammad Moghimi, the attorney of the Iranian activist and cartoonist Atena Faraghdani was arrested on 10 June following a visit to his client in jail. His charges are based on the fact that he shook Faraghdani's hand. Faraghdani was recently sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for posting drawings and content critical...
Candlelight Vigil for the 23 Victims of Boko Haram Suicide Bombings in Chad
Two suicide bombings killed at least 23 people Monday (June 15) in Chad's capital N'djamena. Chad government stated that four attackers belonged to extremist group Boko Haram and were killed by the blast which targeted police. More than 100 people were also injured in the incidents. Chad has committed his...
Human Rights Activist Begins Hunger Strike for Migrants in Front of Macedonian Parliament
The growing migration crisis has recently also affected countries in southeastern Europe, with new issues arising almost daily. Reacting to the inhumane treatment of migrants who pass through Republic of Macedonia, renowned human rights activist Suad Missini started a hunger strike in front of the Parliament building in Skopje. He began...
Will Topless Women Save Kenya's Tourism Industry?
Is going topless an effective strategy for reviving the Kenyan tourism industry following attacks from militant group Al Shabaab?: Nominated Senator, Mbura allegedly asked women in the coastal region to go topless so that more tourists can visit the region. This has raised questions as to what the value of...
Argentinian Football Fans Travel 1,500 Kilometers in a Refurbished Bus to Cheer on Their Team
Five very loyal fans of the Argentinian national football team traveled over 1,500 kilometers by land to cheer on their favorite team in the Copa América, to be hosted in Chile between June 11 and July 4, 2015. The fans departed from Mar del Plata, southwest of Buenos Aires Province, and...
#GirlsCan Campaign Kicks Off with FIFA Women's World Cup to Empower Girls in Sports
As the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada started kicked off on June 6, a number of organizations joined forces in launching the #GirlsCan advocacy campaign. Women Deliver, UNICEF, Right to Play, GAIN and One Goal are using the FIFA as a backdrop to raise awareness of how sports can positively influence...
“Where de Lizard?” Why the Caribbean is Fascinated with Them
These little creatures have different meanings in other cultures. Ancient Romans believed that the lizard symbolized death and resurrection, because it sleeps during winter and reawakens in Spring. For the Greeks and Egyptians, the lizard represented divine wisdom and good fortune. In the Caribbean, lizards have special significance as well....
Iran Increases Internet Surveillance Ahead of Parliamentary Elections
Iran's Deputy Interior Minister Zolfaghari announces heightened security in anticipation of upcoming elections.
