Stories from Quick Reads from May, 2013
SlutWalk Brazil takes Brazilian cities
SlutWalk Brazil (@MarchaVadias) protests on the streets of Brazilian federal state capitals such as São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Florianópolis, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Belém, Rio de Janeiro and Vitória, and the Federal District, this weekend. They demand an end to violence against women and will be echoing slogans like “my...
Colombian Vallenato Hats Made in China
Andrés Bermúdez comments on China Files about ” The day vallenato was sung in Chinese” [es], a musical reaction to the Chinese industrial production of sombreros vueltiaos, one of the most important artisan crafts from Colombia.
India's Media Giant Takes on Student Blogger
Sans Serif reports about a legal battle between Indian media giant Times Publishing House and Aparajita Lath, a student of the National Institute of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) for her 669-word blog post in February 2013 capturing the Times group’s trademark tussle with the Financial Times of London.
A President for the Internet?
According to [es]a recent poll [es] by Taringa! in Latin America, around 10 % of Internet users say it is not necessary to have a president for the internet, 8% nominated themselves for the job and Megaupload creator Kim Dotcom got third place. Meanwhile 82% say that learning to do...
Students Defend Cambodia's Human Rights Record
Some students of Mekong University in Cambodia held a protest after U.N. human rights envoy Surya Subedi delivered a lecture on law of foreign investment. The protesters accused the UN envoy of distorting the human rights situation in Cambodia which they claim is better compared to other countries. But aside...
Peru: New Collectible Coin
The Central Reserve Bank of Peru released on May 22, 2013, the thirteenth collectible coin part of the numismatic series “Wealth and pride of Peru” . The coin has an image of the crossed hands from the Temple of Kotosh, located in the department of Huánuco.
Twin Suicide Car Bombings in Niger Kill 23
Benjamin Roger for Jeune Afrique reports [fr] that 18 soldiers, one civilian and four terrorists were killed early morning in an suicide car bombing in Agadez, Niger on May 23. He adds that military school students are currently being held hostages by another attacker following the bombing. Simultaneously, another car...
PHOTO: Locusts Invade Madagascar After Cyclone
Locust swarmed many regions of Madagascar and even a few of its cities. This disaster comes as a result of the humid conditions[fr] that remained after cyclone Haruna's landing. The FAO states that 60% of rice production will be affected by the invasion.
‘Discover Somalia’ Photo and Culture Blog
Discover Somalia is a cultural and photography blog dedicated to Somalia. The blog aims at promoting a more accurate media image of Somalia and the potential of its people, beauty and natural resources.
Free Speech and South Korea's Child Porn Law
A DeviantART website user wrote how South Korea's Children and Youth Protection law, that cracks down on child porn, can greatly undermine freedom of expression. Rough English translation appears in the latter half of the post. (There soon will be a detailed GV post on this issue)
Video: Mapping North Korea
Several months earlier, Google debuted its new crowd-sourced map of one of the most reclusive countries in the world, North Korea. Martyn Williams shared a video on his Youtube channel where Google Maps’ vice president talks about mapping North Korea.
Bahamas: Haitians are our Brothers
One of the most dastardly parts of the Atlantic slave trade was how fellow human beings were treated as as if they less than men and women. And it seems that many of us feel the same way about illegal Haitians here in The Bahamas. Weblog Bahamas’ Rick Lowe adds,...
Update on Colombia Peace Process
WOLA (Washington Office on Latin America) has published an update on the talks between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The report concludes: As they pass their six-month anniversary, the talks are proceeding in an atmosphere of increased, though still moderate, optimism. This will grow...
Egypt: “Are you Happy Morsi?”
Egyptian Ahmad Khalil tweets [ar]: الكهرباء قطعت من الساعة 9.5 وبالتالى النت قطع ، لعلك سعيد يا ريس مرسى ؟؟ نحن نعيش فى العتمه والقادم اسؤأ @ahmad_khalil:The electricity has been out since 9.50am and as a result there has been no Internet. Are you happy President Morsi? We are living...
Guinea-Bissau Youth Calls for Peace
The Guinean movement Ação Cidadã (Citizen Action) [pt] released an open letter [pdf] on May 8 “from a youth who wants to have their place in their own land in peace, with the freedom and progress they are entitled.” The document calls for young Guineans to mobilize peacefully for peace, democracy...
Trinidad & Tobago: “Ordinariology”
The backlash, growing quietly by the second, apparently, against the Differentology video isn't that it's a bad video, it's that it's the wrong class of video entirely for the song. Mark Lyndersay explains why he thinks the video for the most transformative soca song of the year is simply ordinary.
Jamaica: “Good Gay” vs. “Bad Gay”
In this new discourse of the Good versus the Bad Gay, that what is being policed is class as much as sexuality. Under the Saltire Flag explains.
Mozambique Mining Protest Ends in Arrests
Three brickmakers who had been arrested by the Mozambican Police while protesting peacefully with hundreds of people “at the gates of Brazilian mining giant Vale”, in Moatize on May 14, 2013, have been set free and are waiting for the verdict, NGO Justiça Ambiental informs denouncing acts of intimidation. The resettled population has been protesting...
