Stories from Quick Reads from April, 2012
Iran: Jailed blogger's open letter to Head of the Judiciary
Jailed blogger and human rights activist,Hossein Ronaghi Maleki,wrote [fa] an open letter to Iranian Head of the Judiciary,Amoli Larijani to protest against his conditions. The blogger says he refuses to be operated in prison and he wants to go to hospital.
Thirty three top Brazilian businesses ranked in the Forbes list
In her Brazil Global blog, Hildete Vodopives named thirty three Brazilian businesses found on the Forbes Top Business list, stating: “Energy makes number one among them with Petrobras (oil, gas and ethanol). Another interesting highlight is the leading presence of banks: Itau (and Itausa, its holding), Bradesco and Banco do...
Africa: Does Copy/Clone Strategy Work in Africa?
Mbwna Ally wonders whether copy/clone strategy works in Africa: “Every so often I hear venture capitalists and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley ask a recurring question regarding Tech Startups in Africa- why not just use the “copy to” strategy? Clone an e-bay, clone a Groupon… After all there are 1,000s of...
Africa: The New African Consumer
Bankelele discusses a new report on the African Consumer: “It’s a useful road map for companies looking to understand future trends in Africa and offer lessons such as be online (Africa had more Google ad clicks than Western Europe), brands & quality matter, distribution is king, data is scare, respect...
Africa: The Night of Africa Movie Academy Awards
Kollo writes about Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA):”The event, which attracted international and African celebrities as well as notable personalities from other professions turned out to be a joyous carnival of some sort as several movie actors, actresses, producers and writers literally broke down in tears of happiness as they...
Nigeria: New Media and Governance Conference
Enough is Enough (EIE) together with other partners wish to expound the rising profile of new media and governance in a conference "New Media and Governance: Tools and Trends". The aim of this intellectual gathering of "government policy makers, civil society, academic institutions, private sector and youth" is to analyse "the use of new media for improved governance, accountability and civic engagement." The conference is slated for May 14-15, 2012 in Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre, Abuja, Nigeria.
Côte d'Ivoire: Regarding Free Medical Care
Suy Kahofi writes [fr] on Africa Vox about free medical care in Cote d'Ivoire : “The completely free care has, certainly, relieved the people, but it has been marred by problems : shortages in the supply of drugs, lack of nursing staff… The health professionals themselves do not seem to...
Angola: Youth Demonstration Against Alcoholism Violently Repressed
According to Facebook reports, today's youth demonstration against alcoholism, prostitution and domestic violence (April 28), was violently repressed, informed [pt] the blog Angola Resistente. On April 23, an opinion article [pt] from Makuta Nkondo stated that in a year of elections, the ruling party since 1975, MPLA, organizes “food and drinks...
Sénégal: a Highly Anticipated Wrestling Match between Eumeu Sène and Balla Gaye 2
123Dakar writes [fr] about the upcoming match between two of the biggest stars of Senegalese wrestling: “The fans have been waiting for this eagerly, the competitors have to define their position and their status in the complex and surprising world of wrestling, this great match-up, which will crown either Eumeu...
Spain: St. George's Day, Catalan Culture and Protest
Saint George's Day (Diada de Sant Jordi in Catalan) is a unique celebration in Catalonia. Tradition holds that the festival revolves around roses and books. April 23rd has always been a day of protest in the name of Catalan language and culture. This year will see more protest than ever because people will...
China and Hollywood: A Toxic Mix?
Dan Harris from China Law Blog highlights the recent discussion on Hollywood's direct investment in China and bribery scandals.
A look into China's ‘red aristocracy’
The Stream, a social media community with a daily TV show on Al Jazeera, has put together content from different social media sources about Chinese billionaires, known as the ‘red aristocracy’ for their connections with Communist Party leadership.
Philippine Education Prior and During Spanish Colonization
Red-ayglasses blogs about the state of Philippine education during pre-colonial times and under Spanish colonial rule.
Philippines: Counterinsurgency Primer
Karapatan, an alliance working for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines, uploaded a PDF copy of its comic book entitled Oplan Bayanihan for Beginners. The book is an introduction to Oplan Bayanihan, the government's counterinsurgency campaign which is being linked by human rights advocates to the...
Bolivia: TIPNIS Indigenous March Again
Over 500 members from Bolivian Indigenous organisations gathered in Trinidad, approximately 600 kilometres from La Paz, and began on April 27, 2012, at 8 pm (GMT) a march to Bolivia's Seat of Government for the second time. They are opposing Bolivia's governmental plan to built a road that would cut off right...
Iran: Opposition sites under cyber attack
Several blogs and sites reported [fa] in recent days several Iranian reformist and green sites such as daneshjoonews have been under cyber attack.
Nepal: Asia Pacific Photo-Story Contest 2012
Nepal Youth Task Force On Rio +20 informs about a photo contest titled “Asia Pacific Photo-Story Contest 2012″ to mark the Voices of Youth globally in RIO+20, The UN Conference on Sustainable Development (June 20-22, 2012) in Brazil. This contest is open to anybody aged 15-35 from the Asia Pacific...
Trinidad & Tobago: Grammatically Correct
“I know that I would really judge someone who couldn’t construct a sentence properly. I write for a living. Can you blame me if I think that great grammar skills are sexy?” Karel McIntosh, writing at Outlish, says that “if a guy has poor grammar skills, that’s a deal breaker.”
Haiti: Death by “Clairin”
“In early 2011, a dozen people died after drinking ‘clairin’ – a traditional Haitian alcohol drink – made with methanol in the Fond Baptiste region, north of the capital. Another 20 or so were blinded or paralyzed”: Haiti Grassroots Watch learns that “judicial, health and commerce authorities have not investigated...
Jamaica: Of Art & Literature
Nadine, Unscripted, notes that there are three Jamaican writers who have made the shortlists for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize and Commonwealth Short Story Prize, while ART:Jamaica blogs about an exciting new local space for art.
Taiwan: Travel with Art
Blogger and artists Lovingpure(黃愛淳) uses contemporary paintings about Taiwan from distinguished painters to create this video as the ultimate travel guide for foreign tourists.
