Stories from Quick Reads from September, 2013
Crowdsourcing Accountability of the Electoral Campaign in Portugal
[All links lead to Portuguese language pages.] In the run up for this week's municipal elections in Portugal, the platform Campanha Limpa (Clean Campaign) invites all citizens to help monitor electoral spending, by sending pictures of campaign materials such as posters, banners, signs, gifts and treats, rallies and events. The platform, an...
Brazilian President Calls for Global Respect of Net Neutrality at the UN
Net neutrality, privacy and human rights were in focus on Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's speech (pdf) at the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly, on September 24, 2013. The leader said that UN needs to establish international protections for Internet users from spying and announced Brazil's intention to prepare a proposal...
China's Banned Websites to be Allowed in Shanghai
South China Morning Post reported that China will lift a ban on internet access within the Shanghai Free-trade Zone to websites that are currently banned in China, including Facebook, Twitter and The New York Times. In response to the news,Chinese netizens have made sarcastic comments online, although most of the comments...
Esther Vargas Helps Journalists Stay Relevant
In the blog News Entrepreneurs, James Breiner highlights the work of Peruvian journalist Esther Vargas and her website Clases de Periodismo [es] (Journalism Classes): She and her team of four dedicated collaborators compile the latest news and courses of interest to journalists and share it all through social networks such...
Social Media Week Discusses Principles for a Collaborative World
Social Media Week, a worldwide event which “brings people, brands and organizations together to explore how we connect and communicate as a society”, starts today, September 23, 2013. In the second edition of this year's global conference, with the cities of Berlin, Bogotá, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, São Paulo and Toronto...
In The Central African Republic, “We Still Hope to Live Together In Peace”
As the conflict between the rebels of Sékéla and the national army of the Central african Republic rages on, tension mounts in the city of Bossangoa. Locals fear that the conflict may not spill into open fighting between the christian and muslim communities. Some still hold hope for appeasement though,...
Potraits in Black: Africans in Italy
Portraits in Black is a work of three photographers – Marco Ambrosi, Matteo Danesin and Aldo Sodoma – the Centre for Immigration Studies in Verona, the Cities of Verona and Padua, the Padua University Sociology Department showing Africans in Italy.
Tracking Kenyan Social Media During Westgate Mall Attack
Anahi Ayala Iacucci is maintaining a list of prominent social media sources and verified information about the terror attack on Nairobi's Westgate Mall.
The Disneyfication of Ellen Sirleaf Johnson
Aaron Leaf discusses how the Liberian president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is often presented by western media as an avatar of all things good. He says that this was the narrative that made her an icon of international development and women’s empowerment.
Hong Kong: Typhoon Usagi Passed Nearby
The ‘storm of the century’, Typhoon Usagi, passed through southern China last night had only costed some inconvenience in Hong Kong, such as disrupted transportation service and panic buying in supermarket. Tom Grundy from Hong Wrong has a nice collection of photos and videos on the slightly disturbed city life.
Peruvian Physician Among Victims of Attack in Nairobi
Peruvian news agency Andina informed [es] on Saturday, September 21, 2013, that Peruvian physician Juan Jesús Ortiz is one of the fatalities from the attack in Kenya's capital city, Nairobi, which has left a death toll of 59 individuals and over 175 injured. This is how Periodismo en Línea tweeted...
Online Application For Nepali Passports Required
Hira B Thapa describes the current long and complicated process of applying and issuance of machine readable passports in Nepal. The blogger opines that a proposed online application system will ease and shorten the process.
Council Elections 2013 of The Northern Province of Sri Lanka Updates
The Sri Lankan Provincial council elections are being held today (September 21, 2013) to elect 148 members to three of the nine provincial councils in the country. The Northern Province, which was plagued with civil war, is having its first council elections in 25 years. Centre for Monitoring Election Violence...
Bermuda: Safety at the Risk of Privacy?
Vexed Bermoothes says that the public will tolerate a certain level of surveillance in the interest of safety, but is concerned that “Bermuda has no established regulations regarding the collection, storage, and use of such data. Nor do we have any privacy legislation worth talking about.”
St. Lucia: Hair's the Issue
[The Principal] believes that if he allows this…long haired boy, who never did anything wrong at the school, to enter the classroom, then chaos will prevail…[but] by resisting the simple, inevitable change, HE is falling into the trap of the being the agent of Chaos. The FLOGG BLOGG is incensed...
Trinidad & Tobago: Death Knell for Professional Photography?
Is the smartphone the death knell for professional photography? Mark Lyndersay discusses the question here.
Jamaica: Art to Spark Discussion
A must-read post by Under the Saltire Flag, that delves into the difference between great poets and novelists, public art and the way in which Caribbean people interact with it.
Youth Protest Scheduled in Angola Despite Police Warning
An unauthorized youth demonstration [pt] called by the Angolan Revolutionary Movement (Movimento Revolucionario Angolana) is planned for this afternoon, September 19, 2013, in the capital city of Angola, Luanda. A few hours before the demonstration is expected to begin, Mozambican journalist from BBC Africa Zenaida Machado (@zenaidamz) wrote on Twitter: #Angola Police say...
Indonesia's First Breastfeeding Video Animation
The Indonesia Breastfeeding Mothers Association has produced a 13 minute film animation that educates Indonesian couples about the benefits of breastfeeding.
North Korea Gets 3D Movies
North Korea Tech wrote about a recent report that North Korean capital Pyongyang newly hosted a movie theater capable of showing 3D movies. The blogger also explains about North Korean leadership's deep interest in motion pictures.
Iran Releases Political Prisoners
Iran releases several political prisoners including Iranian human rights activist, lawyer and Sakharov Prize winner Nasrin Sotoudeh,on Wednesday. Nasrin's husband wrote “Nasrin came,…they told her you are free.”
