Stories from Quick Reads from February, 2012
Haiti: Joining the African Union
Mackendie Toupuissant writes [fr]: “The news went almost unnoticed. Until now, Haiti was a mere “observer” in the African Union. Since early February, the first black republic in history became a” full associate member “of the African Union (AU). This decision, the first of its kind for a country of the African Diaspora...
France : Who is French and who is not?
Abdellali Hajjat, author of the book The Boundires of National Identity: The Injunction to Assimilation in France and its Territories, explains in an interview [fr] on the blog Contretemps the ideological seeds of Islamophobia and the institutional logic that reinforces it. “Racism needs a crutch to provide the principle of...
Azerbaijan: The Caspian Sea in ice
Sheki, Azerbaijan posts photographs showing the Caspian Sea, generally considered the largest lake in the world, encrusted with ice. An earlier post also depicts Baku, the capital, covered in snow.
Uzbekistan: Why Did Uzbekistan Ban Wikipedia?
Sarah Kendzior reports that Uzbekistan’s ban on Wikipedia, enacted late last month, blocks all articles written in Uzbek while leaving articles in other languages accessible.
Uzbekistan: Well-Known Uzbek Cleric Shot in Sweden
Nathan Hamm informs that a well-known imam from Uzbekistan who has been living as a refugee in Sweden, was shot outside his home, and that police rules out Swedish nationalists and investigates the crime internationally.
Iran: A blogger and journalist was released
Marzieh Rasouli, an Iranian blogger and journalist who was arrested 6 weeks ago, got free on bail.Marzieh writes stories and narrations of her daily life in ‘3 Rouz Pish‘ [fa]. Earlier the Iranian Revolutionary Guards has accused [fa] her of serious charges including ‘espionage’. Reporters Without Borders says [fa] Iran...
Argentina: The Sarmiento Train Crash, an Accident Waiting to Happen
Simon Kofoed says that the train crash that took place last week in Buenos Aires, Argentina, “is the worst train accident in Argentina since the 1979 head on collision of two trains near Benavidez station when over 140 people lost their lives.” He adds: “Anyone who travels on the Sarmiento,...
Peru: Problems with Access to Information and Forestry Transparency
The Peruvian Press Council reported on a “Public Hearing: Access to Information and Transparency Forest,” accompanied by a training workshop on related issues in the town of Nueva Cajamarca, San Martin. Journalist and blogger Juan Carlos Lujan, who was one of the trainers, recounts [es] the problems faced due to...
Colombia: Using an Earthquake to Advertise
Geek The Planet writes about an earthquake in Colombia which took place during the morning of February 24 and the recklessness of some Community Managers who used the quake to come up with advertising material. The post criticizes what various companies published on Twitter [es], and the writer posts some...
Kenya: Kenya Blogger Wins Annual World Media Awards
Kenyan blogger Collins Mbalo is the winners of the first Annual World Media Awards in Best African Blog category: “Collins Mbalo tells the African story from a different perspective. This blog covers issues and topics concerning the everyday African person. A recent interview of ” Sue” a Kenyan prostitute inspired...
Jamaica: “Intellectual Ghetto”
Jamaica Woman Tongue feels the backlash “for daring to suggest that [the late radio talk show host Wilmot Perkins] had feet of clay.
Haiti: Legislative “Assault” Against Civil Service
“Back in May 2011, undistracted by Haiti’s 4.5-million dollar presidential inauguration, I sounded the alarm about a brewing legislative coup d’etat“: Haiti Chery explains.
Cuba: Working for “The Enemy”?
Havana Times reports that “the leading Cuban government website…unleashed a front page attack on blogger Yoani Sanchez…with an article accusing her of working for the enemy (USA) for pay”; Sanchez herself sees a news report “in which the blogger Miriam Celaya and other acquaintances appear, surrounded with epithets such as...
Cuba: More Sunday Detentions
Uncommon Sense blogs about yet another Sunday of repression as members of Las Damas de Blanco were again detained by authorities.
Jamaica: Lenten Songs
Diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp posts a poem about Lent.
Latvia: Flagging for Free Speech
Juris Kaža of Free Speech Emergency in Latvia reports that Latvian security police has closed an investigation into an Internet call to desecrate the Latvian flag, which is illegal in the country. The case was closed as there was no evidence of any victim of flag burning.
Tajikistan: Energy Loss Reduction project continued
Avicenna writes about the Energy Loss Reduction Project in Tajikistan, which has just received additional financing of $18 million from the World Bank Board.
Tajikistan: Culture and history conservation via a book
Tomyris reports that the “Book of The Historical Monuments of Tajikistan” was presented in Dushanbe, the capital of the Central Asian nation, by Tajik government and the diplomatic mission of the United States to Tajikistan.
Afghanistan: Useful database of Afghan personalities
Nick Fielding writes that the most complete database of prominent Afghans and Afghan political groupings can be found on a site called Who is Who in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: Internal displacement risingInternal displacement rising in Afghanistan Internal displacement rising in Afghanistan Internal displacement rising in Afghanistan
Nick Fielding says more than 100,000 forced to leave their homes between January and June last year due to the spreading conflict in Afghanistan.
Iran: Female blogger was released from prison
Parastou Dokouhaki, a female jailed blogger was released on bail on Sunday. She was accused of collaboration with foreign based media.