Stories about Weblog from April, 2011
Ecuador: Twitter Campaign Gives President Correa ‘the Finger’
It started as a Twitter campaign, and now many Ecuadorians are posting photos of themselves showing the middle finger. Why? To ridicule the idea that you could be arrested for something as simple as raising a finger.
India: Kerala’s Debate On Endosulfan
As the debate on the pesticide EndoSulfan is gaining momentum in the Stockholm Convention in Geneva; Kerala, the southern state of India is up in arms online and on the streets for pressurizing the Indian Government to favor the ban.
Canada: Indigenous Teens Share their Values on Video Contest
Indigenous teens in four different Canadian communities share their hopes, stories and dreams in a series of short videos in "My Space. My Story" where they speak about things that matter to them as indigenous youth.
Serbia: Bloggers Discuss Plans to Erect Monument to Late Azeri President
One of Belgrade's nicest parks has recently got renovated - thanks, partially, to a donation of 2 million euros by the Azerbaijani government. The news that has been stirring controversy these past few weeks among Serbian bloggers is the condition for this gift: in return for the donation, a monument to Heydar Aliyev, the former president of Azerbaijan, will have to be erected in the park.
Egypt: Graffiti – For a Colorful Revolution and an Undying Memory
From the early days of the Egyptian revolution, protesters adopted their ancestors way of documenting the glorious days, documenting the days of the revolutions on the walls of Tahrir Square in central Cairo, the epicentre of demonstrations. In turn, the graffiti frenzy flourished across the walls of Cairo.
Syria: The Revolution Continues (Video)
It's the Friday of Rage in Syria, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets of different cities to call for the overthrow of the Al Assad regime, and show solidarity with Daraa, which is facing a ruthless crackdown for being the nucleus the Syrian protests.
Colombia on Red Alert After Heavy Rains
Colombia is on red alert due to heavy rains. Residents of 28 departments suffer extreme hardship: flooding, landslides and sudden increase in rivers and streams have left more than three million five hundred thousand victims.
Zambia: President's Son Threatens Journalist
A senior Zambia journalist recently received threats from the son of the Zambian president Rupiah Banda, James, following a story that appeared on the Zambian Watchdog, a leading investigative journalism website, alleging that James was a thief and was involved in major government deals and also State House officials are drunks and start drinking as early as 15.00 hours during working days.
Uganda: Citizens Outraged by Violent Re-Arrest of Opposition Leader
Uganda opposition leader Dr.Kiiza Besigye was re-arrested in the capital Kampala for participating in the Walk to Work Campaign one night after he was granted bail. Besigye had been granted bail on the condition that he would not engage in the campaign that has put the Ugandan regime in the headlines for three weeks now.
Syria: “The Revolution is Continuing in Daraa; Are You With Us?”
The situation in Daraa, Syria, is becoming more destitute, as reports continue of more protests, and a more violent crackdown on the protesters. Netizens speak of a mounting humanitarian situation as protesters are killed, medical aid is running out and electricity, water and communications are cut.
Arab World: Royal Wedding Fever in the Air
The hype surrounding the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton tomorrow (April 29) has reached the Middle East, where some tweeps took a break from covering the ongoing Arab revolutions to remark on the ceremony and reception, which will follow at Buckingham Palace.
Peru: Second Electoral Round Kicks Off
A few weeks before the second round of elections in Peru, the choice between candidates Ollanta Humala and Keiko Fujimori, the growing polarisation in Peruvian society, and ultimately from the electorate, is as notable in the press as it is on social networks.
Iran: Islamist bloggers divided over Ahmadinejad-Khamenei rift
It appears from Iranian Islamist blogs that the honeymoon between Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Islamic Republic's Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is finally over. Some reject Ahmadinejad is favor of the Supreme Leader while others show unwavering support for Ahmadinejad.
Brazil: School Bullying and the Realengo Massacre
On 7 April 2011, twelve adolescents at the Tasso da Silveira City School in the west of Rio de Janeiro were shot dead. The culprit was ex-pupil, Wellington Menezes de Oliveira, 23, who then turned the gun on himself. The growing speculation about the killer’s profile, in both the blogosphere and traditional media, raised the issue of bullying in Brazilian society.
Rwanda: Ask Rwandan President Questions on YouTube
On May 5, 2011 President Paul Kagame of Rwanda will be the first African leader to be interviewed on YouTube World View. World View is a series of monthly interviews with the world's foremost leaders, where you ask the questions.
Iraq: Is Saddam Still Alive?
Saddam Hussein is making the rounds on social media, with a new recording claiming that the Iraqi dictator is alive and well and that his double Mikhail was the one executed on December 30, 2006. Many netizens are quick to describe the video as phoney and assure readers that Saddam is dead and gone. Had he been alive, the former Iraqi dictator would have turned 74 today.
Cuba: Bloggers Reflect on Reforms at Communist Party Congress
The sixth congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), which was recently held in Havana, may have marked a major turning point for the Cuban economic system, and for Cuban society at large. Bloggers in Cuba, and those who follow Cuba from other parts of the world, offered a diverse range of reactions.
Ukraine: Memories and Photos of Chernobyl in August 1986
Aleksandr Strannik (LJ user av-strannik) arrived at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in mid-August of 1986, some four months after the April 26 blast at Reactor #4, to assist in the clean-up effort. Twenty-five years later, he is sharing some of his memories and photos from that time.
Zimbabwe: Bloggers Discuss President Mugabe's Legacy
Zimbabwe is a country where public discussion about the President's health or a future without him can land one into jail. Blogs have become the only forum where "sensitive" political issues can be discussed by Zimbabwean netizens.
Yemen: Lunch Time at the Pro-Change and Pro-Regime Camps
One video-blogger captures lunch time at pro-regime and pro-change camps in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. Watch the video in this post to see the difference.
Featured Author and Translator: Asteris Masouras
In this Global Voices contributor interview, author and translator Asteris Masouras talks about how he started writing for the site. Based in Thessaloniki, Greece, Asteris has been writing for Global Voices since 2008 about his country of Greece and other topics around the world. In addition, he has been one of the leading translators for the newly formed Global Voices in Greek
