Stories from Quick Reads from August, 2015
The Happiest Countries in the World Are All in Latin America
The happiest (and least happy) countries in the world, ranked http://t.co/4EccwDNBp7 — Quartz (@qz) August 27, 2015 Gallup interviewed 150,000 adults in 148 countries, asking such questions as, “Did you smile or laugh yesterday?” and “Did you learn or do something interesting yesterday?” to build a positive-experience index. Surprisingly, the leading countries...
You Can Also Demand Justice for the Journalists Killed in Mexico
Writers around the world ask President Peña Nieto of Mexico to probe journalist murders. (Here's their letter) https://t.co/qAkZI5K2MR — Susana Hayward (@mediasayer) August 16, 2015 More than 500 journalists, writers, artists and defenders for freedom of expression from around the world wrote an open letter to the president of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, in which they...
Search Coordinator for Ayotzinapa Students Assasinated
Asesinan en #México a coordinador de búsqueda de 43 normalistas de #Ayotzinapa Miguel Ángel Jiménez Blanco http://t.co/WMgteMU0JM Fue @EPN — PrensaRebelde (@RebeldePrenssa) August 9, 2015 Miguel Ángel Jiménez Blanco, coordinator of the search for the 43 Ayotzinapa teachers’ college students, was assasinated in Mexico. Miguel Ángel Jiménez Blanco, 45, was...
Iraqi Startups One Year After the Rise of ISIS
Ahmed Marwan shares stories about a few Iraqi startups one year after the rise of ISIS, at Wamda. He explains: But what is more uncertain than calculating the success probability of a startup working in a city less than 50 km away from the turmoil caused by ISIS? That is...
Meet Sam Wakoba of TechMoran Blog
Bloggers Association of Kenya profiles Sam Wakoba who runs Techmoran blog. Techmoran won the award for the Best Technology Blog in Kenya this year: We caught up with Sam to get some insights into his blogging journey. Who is Sam Wakoba, in a few words? Sam Wakoba is a humble...
The ‘Escopetarra': A Killer Instrument
If you believe that nothing good can come from a rifle, then you have to get to know the “escopetarra”—a hybrid that transforms two “lethal” weapons (an AK-47 and a guitar) into an instrument of peace. “Escopetarra” is a Spanish blend that combines the words “escopeta” (shotgun) and “guitarra” (guitar). In his Spanish-language podcast,...
HRW Research Finds Media Freedom in Western Balkans Under Serious Threat
After almost a year of research in the region and in-depth interviews with over 80 journalists, editors, and independent media owners, Human Rights Watch released a report in July 2015 stating that media freedom in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia are under threat. The report's findings include impunity and lack...
Serbian Intelligence Agency Caught Inquiring to Purchase Surveillance Software
Serbian NGO SHARE Defense reported in July 2015 that leaked emails and files belonging to Milan-based software company Hacking Team (HT) published on Wikileaks reveal that at least one Serbian security service inquired about and negotiated the purchase of surveillance software from this company in 2012. There is also evidence...
An Amazon Tribe's 500-Page Traditional-Medicine Encyclopaedia
The Matsés peoples of Brazil and Peru—have created a 500-page encyclopedia of their traditional medicine! http://t.co/4t9hh6KIQr — Moonching Wu (@SunMoonLake99) July 4, 2015 The Amazon Rainforest supports millions of plants that could be vital ingredients in still-undiscovered medications. For that reason, many pharmaceutical companies and even the US government are currently funding...
Zambian Businessman’s Lawyers Petition GoDaddy To Pull Down News Site
Zambian citizen media website Zambia Reports is facing legal threats from a local businessman, Rajan Mahtani, is petitioning GoDaddy, the website’s hosting company, to kick Zambia Reports off of its servers. According to the Zambian Watchdog, a rival website, Zambia Reports has been accused of publishing defamatory articles on Dr. Mahtani, who is the founder...
Muhammadiyah Wants Indonesia be a Key Player in the World
With a large population and abundant resources, the Islamic group Muhammadiyah wants to push Indonesia to emerge as a key player in the world.
‘Films for Action’ Website Shares List of Top 100 Documentaries ‘We Can Use to Change the World’
After years of promotion and reviews of documentaries devoted to social change, the site Films for Action released a list of what they consider to be the 100 most influencial and provocative. From critiques to manistream media to the corporate world, passing through the ideas and solutions proposed in and by...
Public Prosecutor's Office in Colombia to Monitor Twitter Accounts of Public Servants During Elections
¿Conoce irregularidades que atenten contra la transparencia o la seguridad de las #Elecciones2015? Denuncie en: http://t.co/fiNivGSeDQ — Procuraduría General (@PGN_COL) July 25, 2015 Are you aware of any irregularities which might jeopardize the transparency or security of Elections 2015? Tell us here: On October 25, Colombians head to the polls...
