Stories from Quick Reads from December, 2008
Cuba: Waiting for Cable
The submarine cable linking Cuba and Venezuela has “a vague completion date” of 2011, but Generation Y is clear about “what this projected umbilical cord should bring us.”
Bahamas: Students & Drugs
“In the Bahamas, the average age for male and female students who peddle and smoke weed/drugs is age 13 and 14, respectively”: Adrian Gibson at Weblog Bahamas says that “the illicit drug plague has ripped our social fabric and will unremittingly haunt the history of our island chain for many...
Haiti: Restavek
“In the truest definition of the word it means ‘one who stays with'”: Tara at The Livesay Haiti Weblog says that the Restavek system “might be one of the most frustrating ones of all for me to accept. The fact that children are used for labor and for the benefit...
Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba: City of Contradictions
Trinidadian blogger Tattoo spends Christmas in Havana and comes away with the impression that “the revolution has not achieved a new equilibrium. Instead, it has re-appropriated the inequalities inherent in any capitalist society and ensured that those in power are the haves as opposed to the have nots. And this...
Cuba, U.S.A.: Lifting Limits?
Uncommon Sense links to an article which suggests that US President-Elect Barack Obama seems prepared to lift limits “on how often Cuban Americans can visit family members on the island and on how much money they can send them”, a move which the blogger says would end “one of the...
Jamaica: Blogging in Times of War
The Israeli strikes on Gaza cause Jamaican Annie Paul to remember Nobel Prize-winning German author Günter Grass’ “heartfelt rumination on war and the role of writers in times of war”, saying: “While Grass did not explicitly mention bloggers (perhaps in 2006 they were not as omnipresent as they are today)...
Guyana: Best Books
Litblogger Signifyin’ Guyana lists her picks for best Caribbean books of 2008.
Senegal: Domestic workers’ exploitation
Faty Dieng at Dakar Bondy Blog [Fr] denounces about the working conditions of domestic workers in Senegal, some of them as young as 16, which she describes “a form of slavery and exploitation in disguise”.
The Current State of the India-Iran Pipeline
The New Horizon writes on the recent state of the ‘India-Iran Pipeline through Pakistan’ on the wake of the Mumbai attacks. The Acorn thinks: “It’s a bad idea to interlock India’s energy supplies with Pakistan”.
Bangladesh: A campaign of words
Internationally acclaimed photo journalist Shahidul Alam takes a look at the last minute election campaigns in Bangladesh and comments on the election promises: “The saying in Bangla ‘kothar upor tax nai’ ‘there is no tax on words’ could not have been more apt.” Check the post for photographs and videos...
Bangladesh: Liveblogging the Election
Unheard Voice blog is live blogging the results of the Bangladesh national election held today. Farhan at Unheard Voice is sending live dispatches from Sylhet.
Nigeria: Victoriana in African costumes
Saharan Vibe features the works of British-Nigerian textile artist Yinka Sonibare who had garnered international recognition with his Victorian historical figures dressed in Dutch wax African print costumes. The post includes numerous photos of his works.
China: Young activist against eating cats
Fauna from ChinaSMACK picks up the story about a girl leading a campaign against eating cats in Guangdong. The blogger also translates comments from local forum.
China: Guarantee happiness
Joel Martinsen from DANWEI translated a local report on the government manipulation of a happiness survey in a local town so as to achieve the state targets for improving the people's well-being.
Nicaragua: Voice of a Sandinista Video Blog
Carlos Corea launches a video blog called La Voz de un Sandinista (The Voice of a Sandinista) [es], which can be found on YouTube. He films the series from his home in France.
Paraguay: Literacy Programs To Arrive
After Paraguay president Fernando Lugo attended a celebration in Bolivia, in which it was declared that the country was free of illiteracy, he stated that the Venezuelan and Cuban teachers would soon arrive in Paraguay to do the same. Edgar Ruiz Diaz of Las Preguntas de Venerando [es] believes that...
Paraguay: The President's Name and Nepotism
Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es] wonders which is Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo's true viewpoint regarding nepotism and relatives receiving help to find employment.
Ghana: Election runoff
African Elections Project posted some pictures of the runoff for the 7th of December Presidential elections taking place today, while @ghanaelections has been offering live Twitter updates on the voting.
Tanzania: Friends of Ruaha blog
Samuel Maina of Theatre of Inconveniences introduces the recently launched Friends of Ruaha blog devoted to the conservation of the Ruaha Park in Tanzania which is “arguably, one of the largest and most beautiful wildlife parks in Africa”, according to him. The post includes a video from the Friends of...
Syria: Present Day Nazis
“I mean the present-day Nazis that are shelling an entire population in Gaza. Who knew that the heirs to the ethnic genocidal policies of the Holocaust would be the Jews themselves? And have they perfected those policies!” Says Syrian blogger Lujayn, about the latest bombing of Gaza.
Palestine: Who is Responsible for Gaza?
Egyptian Ahmed Tammam asks who is responsible for the attacks in Gaza: “Hammas?? Isreal?? Aeabic world?? Islamic World?? May be All…”
