Stories about Weblog from December, 2007
Arabeyes: Sad for Bhutto
News of the murder of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was received with shock across the Middle East. Bloggers reacted in awe, shock, anger and submission to the hopelessness of the human race.
New Bloggers Use Poetry to Describe Their Communities, Feelings, Friends
The new bloggers of Rising Voices outreach projects in Colombia, Bolivia, and Bangladesh are more than just up-and-coming citizen journalists. They have also discovered the power of prose to reveal glimpses of the human emotions that bring us together and the local differences that make each of our communities unique.
Is Kenya turning into a police state?
How would you describe the political situation in Kenya? White African uses three words to describe millions of Kenyan voters following the announcement that the Mwai Kibaki has won by 200,000+ votes: disappointed, angry and jaded. Daudi of Mental Acrobatics chose one word to describe the mood: uncertainty. What are other bloggers saying?
Lusosphere: Wishes and hopes for 2008
The new year is inevitably soon arriving and the Lusosphere is booming with posts about traditions, resolutions, wishes, and reflections. Here is a short roundup of Portuguese speaking blogs from Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Mozambique and Portugal - although countries far apart, they share the language and hopes for a better future.
Pakistan: Benazir Bhutto's legacy
The news of Benazir Bhutto's death seems to have finally settled in. Bloggers are now focusing their attention on what Bhutto's legacy might be. Bhutto comes from a powerful family...
Zambia: We need Enlightenment to end this instanity
Zambian blogosphere continues to grow and bring diverse voices and opinions online as our new Zambian author, Brenda Zulu, shows us in her first roundup.
Caucasus: 2007 Blog Review
With 2008 less than a day away at time of writing, it seems only appropriate to take a look back at the blogging highlights in the Caucasus for 2007. Certainly,...
Hong Kong: Top News in 2007 Blogosphere
As the year end is approaching, local blogger sidekick has her picks of "Top News in Hong Kong 2007 Blogosphere". She also calls for more comments and suggestions for the year end round up. Below is a translation of her selection:
Afghanistan: From Bhutto to Christmas, Child Marriage to the Plight of Women
Joshua Foust briefly considers the murder of Benazir Bhutto, then looks at what else is affecting the country—notably, the growing problem of child sexual exploitation.
Bahrain: Reactions after the riots and arrests
In another special roundup, we have the reactions of Bahrain's bloggers to the events of the last few weeks, when rioting took place after the death of a demonstrator during a commemoration of 'Martyrs' Day', and many were subsequently arrested.
Ethiopia: Queen of Sheba, Now Available in French
Francophone music blog Roots and Culture interviews Samuel Malher, a religious scholar from Strasbourg who has written the first unabridged French translation of the Kebra Negast, a sacred Ethiopian text. It describes the heritage of the Ethiopian monarchs, who trace their lineage to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and how the Ethiopians became God's new chosen people when the Ark of the Covenant was taken from Israel to Ethiopia.
Sudan: The Aftermath of the Teddy Bear Circus
Not surprisingly, about a month ago the Sudanese blogosphere's main topic and attraction was the teddy bear circus which received a huge amount of global media attention.
Japan: Web visionary Umeda Mochio
While famous in Japan as a web visionary, Silicon Valley resident Umeda Mochio, president of Muse Associates, co-founder of Pacifica Fund and board member of the Japanese bookmarking and diary service Hatena, is little-known overseas. His recent book "Web Shinkaron" ("Theory of Web Evolution") sold 370,000 copies and become a national besteller in Japan. Umeda was recently interviewed by the Japanese magazine Central Review (Chuo koron), portions of which are introduced and translated in this post.
Russia: Holiday Charity (via Egoism)
Russia is embarking on a 10-day national vacation: from Dec. 30 to Jan. 8, the country will be celebrating the New Year's and Orthodox Christmas - and should also have enough time to rest, relax and sober up in between. Charity isn't among the most popular subjects in the Russian blogosphere during the festive season, although some bloggers do discuss ways of helping the poor and needy this year. Below is one blogger's musings on charity and selfishness, as well as a perfectly explicit call to action.
Egypt: Bidding Farewell to Bhutto
Egyptian bloggers couldn't stop themselves from writing about the assassination of one of the bravest women in the Muslim world, and may be the whole world. Carmen – Diasporic Discontents...
Jordan: Film Festivals, Citizenship Law and More
From a film festival in Dubai, a Jordanian film maker is making his debut at Sundance. Mohammad Al Azraq reports on that as well as the citizenship law in Jordan, babies born out of wedlock and a book feast in the Netherlands.
Kenya Elections 2007: Should Raila Supporters Celebrate?
Although the official presidential results have not been announced by the Electoral Commission of Kenya, Kenyan blogger, Gerald Baraza, has already declared the winner on his blog, “Kenya has a new President: Hon.Raila Amolo Odinga!… Congratulations Your Excellency Raila Amolo Odinga, 4th President of the Republic of Kenya!”
China: Official Olympics channel's unveiling ceremony crashed
How did a couple's marital issues become today's top sports story? She's a prominent Beijing television broadcaster, he's one of Chinese sports news' top official faces for the Olympics; she just crashed his high-profile unveiling of China's new Olympics channel, and someone's put the video online.
Israel: Journalists Face Possible Jail Time for Visits to Enemy States
Three Israeli journalists who visited Lebanon and Syria are facing possible jail time for visiting nations that the government terms “enemy states.” Lisa Goldman, Ron Ben-Yishai, and Tsur Shezaf have been investigated and will spend a maximum of four years in jail if found guilty. Here's the reaction from Israel's English speaking blogs.
Burkina Faso Soon a Biofuel Producer
Last month, Burkina Faso and the French company AgroEd signed a framework agreement for developing a biofuels industry. Netizens express their skepticism about whether Burkina can become a competitive producer of biofuels, and whether ordinary people, in particular the farmers, will benefit.
Congratulations New, Rising Voices
The Rising Voices citizen media outreach initiative will start out 2008 with five new and innovative projects based in Kenya, Madagascar, Uruguay, Jamaica, and Iran.
