Stories from Quick Reads from April, 2012
Trinidad & Tobago: Talking Common Sense
The Lloyd Best Institute of the West Indies, based in Trinidad & Tobago, has posted video of the presentations from one of its Common Sense Convois series, “Food First: Building An Economy From the Kitchen to the World”: Roger Pulwarty, climate scientist, and Sam Dowlath, former CEO of the National...
Chinese blind lawyer and activist Chen Guangcheng flees house arrest
Chinese blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng has reportedly escaped from his well-guarded house in Dongshigu (Shandong) after more than a year of house arrest. Sources report he entered the US embassy in Beijing. He has put out a video denouncing corruption, exposing abuses and expressing “extreme concern” about the consequences...
Russia: Dombrovsky and Molotov
The Faculty of Useless Knowledge tells a story of writer Yuri Dombrovsky‘s brief encounter with Vyacheslav Molotov, and shares a link to a documentary [ru] about Dombrovsky's life.
Indonesia: New General Election Law
Colson discusses the possible political impact of Indonesia's new General Election law.
Estonia: Places to Eat Out in Tallinn
Nami-Nami recommends places to eat out in Tallinn in Spring 2012.
Ukraine: Update on Yulia Tymoshenko's Case
Foreign Notes comments on “the latest twists and turns” in ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko's case.
Russia: Julian Assange's Debut on RT
Mark Adomanis criticizes the critics of Julian Assange's debut on RT (Russia Today) last week.
India: The Hand Drawn Rickshaws in Kolkata
Debolina Raja Gupta notes that although the West Bengal Government In India had decided to take the hand drawn rickshaws off by 2005-2006 they are still plying in Kolkata roads.
Bangladesh: Voices from the Korail slum
Michelle Chaplin at BRAC Blog posts a video (with subtitles), which shares the initial reactions of some of the people who lost their homes in the recent Korail slum eviction in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Cuba: Bloggers Summit in Matanzas
The bloggers from La Joven Cuba [es] have organized a Summit of Cuban Bloggers [es] that will take place April 27th and 28th in Matanzas. Follow the conversation on Twitter under #BlogazoxCuba (@BlogazoxCuba).
Puerto Rico: 30 years of the Organization of the Working Woman
In 80 Grados, Carla Minet interviews feminist activists Josie Pantojas and Marta Elsa Fernández on occasion of the 30th anniversary of the important Organización Puertorriqueña de la Mujer Trabajadora (Puerto Rican Organization of the Working Woman-OPMT).
Puerto Rico: Interview of Young Fashion Designer
The digital magazine El Punto Es [es] interviews [es] the young Puerto Rican fashion designer Namibia Viera Martínez.
Puerto Rico: Feminism and Friendship
Feminist blogger and lawyer Verónica Rt talks [es] about how she practices feminism through friendship.
Colombia: “San Andrés belongs to Colombia”
Nicaragua has presented a claim [es] in the International Court of Justice over the sovereignty of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, which is currently part of Colombia's political map after a treaty signed by both countries in 1928. Many in Colombia have expressed their desire for San...
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Attitudes to Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution
Caucasus Conflict Voices posts early data from a 2011 household survey by the Caucasus Resource Research Centers revealing attitudes to the long-running conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh.
Bulgaria: Penalty For Getting Pregnant
The blog “Работнически глас” (“Worker's voice”) tells [bg] about a trial scheduled for May 26: a former female employee is suing a company for a discriminatory clause in the work contract, which stated that any female employee who gets pregnant after being hired will have to pay a fine (700 lv,...
Bulgaria: “Big Change Begins With Small Steps”
Various blogs [bg] and mainstream media [bg] were telling [bg] about a student initiative held in the capital city of Sofia on April 24. Many students and members of diverse youth organizations planted trees in the badly-maintained Studentski Grad (“Students City”), a welcome citizen initiative where the leitmotiv was “Big change...
Bolivia: Discussing Indigenous Issues and Natural Resources in the Chaco
Blogger Dario Kenner shares three interviews he conducted in south eastern Bolivia, in the Chaco region: “The interviews are only with a few people so they do not cover every perspective to be found in the Chaco but the views below do give an insight into some of the major...
Colombia: Video of Art Installation and Performance in Bogotá
The art collective Invisible Society in Bogotá brought together 53 artists who set up art installations or performance arts, and the process and result can be seen in their video.
Cuba: Hopeless Information?
“Information in Cuba is hopeless,” says Bad Handwriting, but she thinks it can be helped.
South Korea: Youtube Video Accusing Samsung of Labor Workers Death
While Apple factory workers’ suicides are widely known, not enough data on Samsung's labor workers is available online. A Youtube user posted a video entitled “Samsung's Truth” with English subtitles explaining how labor workers suffered under the biggest corporations in South Korea.
