· March, 2011

Stories about Video from March, 2011

Taiwan: Nuclear Waste on Orchid Island

  31 March 2011

In 1974, the Taiwan Atomic Energy Council decided to store nuclear waste on Taiwan's Orchid Island, where the indigenous Tao people have lived for generations. More than twenty years have passed, the radioactive waste barrels have eroded with rust and it seems that no one is ready to take care of the problem.

Japan: The Tsunami, God and Man

  31 March 2011

A few days after the disaster that killed more than ten thousand people, Italian vice-president of the National Research Council (CNR) Roberto De Mattei and Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara left the Italian and the Japanese blogosphere astounded when they declared that the catastrophe occurred as a manifestation of God’s will. Both in Japan and in Italy bloggers reacted and demanded their resignation.

Colombia: Indigenous Communities Protect their Food Security

  31 March 2011

Indigenous communities in Colombia are taking steps to protect their food security. Not only are they educating their communities to eat what they grow on their vegetable gardens instead of buying expensive food brought from outside but they are also protesting new laws and regulations limiting their access to milk.

Russia: Real Life Super Hero From Chelyabinsk

RuNet Echo  30 March 2011

Metkere.com shares [ru] a video-address of a real life super hero calling himself “The Avenger.” (see his Vkontakte fan group [ru]) The avenger, a man in a black costume with a green letter “M” (apparently M for Mstitel’, the ‘avenger’ in Russian) on it and a black mask, says he...

Greece: Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Succeeds in Hard Times

  29 March 2011

The week-long 13th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival presented a line up of approximately 220 films from around the world from 11-30 March, 2011, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Themes included regional retrospectives (this year focusing on the Middle East and Africa) and tributes to Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa and Czech Helena Trestikova.

Syria: Complexity Behind the Protests

Unrest in Syria enters its second week, as anti-government protests continue in their bid to oust President Bashar al-Assad. Whilst it may seem that the unrest in Syria is a natural progression of the Arab revolution spreading throughout the region, there are unique dynamics in Syria that distinguish it from other Arab states.

Libya: Citizen Reporting from the Battlefield

Videos continue to seep out from war-torn Libya as protesters battle Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces in a bid to overthrow his 42-year-old regime. Here is a selection of the latest videos taken by netizens on the frontlines of major cities where the battle for Libya is still fought.

Syria: Protesters Demolish Symbols of Regime

In Syria, the faces of President Bashar al-Assad and his father, former President Hafez al-Assad, are regularly seen on billboards, buildings, and in the form of statues. Visitors to the country are often surprised by the prevalence of such images, while Syrians have grown used to them as a daily feature of life. Yesterday, a number of videos surfaced in which protesters tear down the symbols of the regime: posters and statues of the ruling family.

Japan: The Importance of Getting Back to Normal

  24 March 2011

As more time passes since the devastating Earthquake that shook Japan on March 11th, people in Japan are feeling the need to return to normal and put the disaster behind them. Although for many Japanese who lost their homes or loved ones this will be quite difficult, those who weren't as unlucky feel the need to do their part and help the economy get back on its feet.

Brazil: Satirical Video pokes fun at famous singer's blog

  24 March 2011

The Javipior blog has made video spoof on the upcoming poetry blog [pt] by Brazilian singer Maria Bethânia, estimated at R$ 1.3 million tax free (Brazilian reais – approximately US$ 777,000). The poem recited at the video criticizes using tax incentives to cover the blog expenses, “I know I'm taking...

Syria: Citizen Videos Show Horror in Daraa

As the crackdown on protests in Daraa continues and reports pour in of more deaths, citizen reporters in the town are capturing video and uploading it to YouTube, which was only recently unblocked in Syria. The videos in this post show the extent of the violent crackdown in Daraa.

Venezuela: Learning to Play the Cuatro on the Web 2.0

  23 March 2011

The cuatro - an instrument in the guitar family - is the principal icon of traditional Venezuelan music. A love for the cuatro has also reached citizen media, where songs are shared, and its history, musicians and even how to play the instrument, are widely discussed.

About our Video coverage

Juliana Rincón Parra
Juliana Rincón Parra is the Citizen Video editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.