Stories about Weblog from May, 2007
Rising Voices Seeks Micro-grant Proposals for Blog Outreach
Rising Voices, the outreach arm of Global Voices, is now accepting project proposals for the first round of microgrant funding of up to $5,000 for new media outreach projects. Ideal applicants will present innovative and detailed proposals to teach citizen media techniques to communities that are poorly positioned to discover and take advantage of tools like blogging, video-blogging, and podcasting on their own.
Bolivia: A Country Unites Behind FIFA Ban on Stadiums at High Altitudes
Stadiums located at 2500 m above sea level are no longer able to host international football matches according to a recent FIFA ban. This move sent the Bolivian government into a full-fledged campaign to overturn this decision, which would jeopardize the Bolivian National Team's chances to qualify for the next World Cup. Bloggers from all across Bolivia and of all political ideologies joined the cause.
Arabeyes: Short Skirts Looked Down at in Tunisia
From a conversation about her friend Fatima, Tunisian blogger Maheva takes us deep into an argument about education, freedom of choice and personal preferences. Click to read the full translation.
Interview with Caroline Nellemann, Danish Researcher of Iranian Blogs
Danish researcher Caroline Nellemann has done her Master's thesis on Iranian blogs and was involved for three months with the Berkman Center for Internet and Society in Harvard. In order to meet Iranian bloggers and to be more in touch with Iran she took a trip to Iran recently. Caroline shares some of her ideas, photos and research experience with us in this interview.
Nagorno Karabakh conflict: “Liberated Territories” in Focus
The Armenian blogosphere is full of speculations about the seven regions in Azerbaijan currently under the control of Armenian and Karabakh forces, which are referred to as the “Liberated Territories”...
Egyptian Blogger Monem to Be Freed
Jailed Egyptian blogger Abdulmonem Mahmood is being released on Saturday - but Egyptian bloggers are holding their breath and are full of apprehension on their future in a country which has so far conducted a witch hunt on bloggers, reports Freedom For Egyptians.
Touring Libyan Blogs: Tony Blair, Watermelons, Shock and Awe and a Really Hot Summer
Extreme security measures, the relationship between bloggers and watermelons, shock and awe tactics and what happens to you when the weather reaches 49 degree Celsius are just some of the topics Fozia Mohammed echoes from Libyan blogs this week.
One Caribbean; Many Identities…
Calypsonian Lord Nelson once sang, “all ah we is one family”. Optimists in the Caribbean may well agree with these words, but the reality is that if you were to describe Caribbean states as a family, you would have to call it a complex unit - and one in which there is much sibling rivalry. Trinidadian blogger Karel Mc Intosh discusses the intricate subject of Caribbean unity with Jamaicans Geoffrey Philp and Francis Wade and Guyanese blogger Media Critic.
Swahili Blogosphere: Higher Education Blame Game, Miss Universe, and Personal Privacy vs. Public Life
Hardship is the name of the game, it seems, for Tanzania's higher education students both at home and abroad. While the University of Dar Es Salaam has readmitted all the...
Arabeyes: 1001 Tales from Libyan Taxi Rides
Can taking a taxi be an eye-opening experience to the society you live in? Libyan blogger Libyano takes us on a ride of a lifetime which gives him the chance to contemplate on his society, the behaviour of young men and the antics of some taxi drivers. Enjoy the ride!
Japan: “Thought Check” Screening for Citizen Judges
While news in Japan this week has been understandably fixated on the sensational suicide of Agriculture Minister Matsuoka Toshikatsu, another story revealed in a blog entry by Diet member Hosaka Nobuto slipped by with little fanfare last weekend. In the post, Hosaka outlines the latest step in moves by the government to implement a "citizen judge system" in Japan. This step, he claims, would allow the prosecution to effectively disqualify, through a "thought check" screening process, all citizens judge candidates who express doubt about the trustworthiness of police investigations.
Brazilian Express Loves (and jealousy) around the world
The Brazilian blogosphere entered in alert a few weeks ago when the major publish house Companhia das Letras (PT) announced a huge literary project. Idealized by Rodrigo Teixeira, the project called Express Loves (Amores Expressos) wants to take 16 writers to 16 cities around the world for a one month trip. Shanghai, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Lisbon, Berlin, Cairo, Saint Petersburg and São Paulo are some among those chosen cities. At the end, each one of them must write a love history tied with those cities. All in 90 days.
Panama: Political Season Heating Up, The Return of Noriega, and Crime in Panama: a Love Story
Presidential elections in Panama are not scheduled until May 2009, but bloggers are already keeping a watchful eye out for any developments. Another interesting turn of events that will arrive sooner than the elections is the expected release of former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. Finally, in addition to blog entries about visas, travel and food, one blogger's hopeful encounter with a beautiful woman turns out to be something more unexpected and less appealing.
Lebanon: More on the Crisis in the Country
For the second week, Lebanese bloggers have posted anecdotes, reflections, updates, photos, videos, jokes, sarcasm and drawings on the issue that is taking precedence over all other topics. The issue is the ongoing violence which is taking the form of clashes in the north between the army and the militants and the terrorist explosions jumping from one location to another around the country, writes Moussa Bashir.
Sierra Leone: State Led Prostitution, Diamond Tales, And More
After three years of peace following eleven years of civil war, Sierra Leone is engaged in concerted efforts to attract investors. The efforts, which are led by the the government of Sierra Leone and the the Department of International Development in the UK, involve a campaign, Sierra Leone: Back in Business. Sierra Leone, like many other African countries, is guilty of "state led prostitution" in its attempts to bring investors back into the country, argues Sweet Sierra Leone.
Belarus: Blogger br23/Uładzimer Katkoŭski Passes Away
Belarusian blogger Uładzimer Katkoŭski/br23 passed away in Prague on May 25 at the age of 30. As one of his online friends wrote, "To a large degree thanks to his effort Belarusian-language Internet is now what it is."
Kuwait: What Kuwaitis Did This Week?
It's been yet another busy week for Kuwaiti bloggers who give us a break down of their day to day activities. While one contemplates why he should register to attend a film festival, others are visiting relatives and friends, ordering lunches in, comparing hypermarket prices and scrutinising Google Earth for places they didn't know existed in their country. Abdullatif Al Omar has more.
Colombia: Reactions to Paramilitary Chief's “Confession”
Colombian bloggers react to the testimony provided by paramilitary chief Salvatore Mancuso, in which he implicated many of the Colombian powerful and elite. Some think he should not be believed, while others would rather give him the benefit of the doubt, as the revelations could be a first step in finding who is responsible.
Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome
If you read nothing else in Global Voices today read this post. I mean it. Everything is here from going to schools in a war zone, review of the latest political scene in Iraq, must-see video blogs, stories of extreme bravery and extreme pathos, a $1000 KFC meal, and if you read to the end, how gays cruise in Amman.
Hindi Blogosphere: Scorn at activists and foodies’ delight!
Here we are again, ready to peek into the world of Hindi blogs to see what's happening in that part of the global blogosphere. A lot has happened in this...
Bahrain: The ‘two seas’ are now a concrete jungle
From 'blog wars' to work ethics, the Bahraini blogosphere is bubbling with new ideas and excitement. Ayesha Saldanha sheds more light on discussions taking place this week about Bahrain's jungle of concrete, compensation for the victims of the capsized Al Dana dhow, the historic Bab Al Bahrain (Bahrain Gateway) and much more.
