Stories about Weblog from November, 2011
Iran: British Embassy in Tehran Attacked
On 29 November, a crowd of about 1,000 people demonstrated near the British embassy in Tehran after Britain cut all financial ties with Iran over concerns about its nuclear program. The gathering was peaceful, before some participants stormed the building.
Peru: Conga Mining Project Suspended in Wake of Public Pressure
Protesting residents have managed to temporarily suspend operations of the Conga gold mining project, but protests continue all the same in support of the project's definitive cancellation. At the heart of the conflict is the defense of some 20 lagoons and their ecosystems, which would be seriously degraded by the execution of this mining project.
Latin America: A Conversation With Santiago Hoerth about Open Technology
Juan Arellano chats with Santiago Hoerth, founder and coordinator of Código Sur, about his organization, issues related to neutral Internet exchange points (IXP) and free networks, and the current state of free software in Latin America.
Malaysia: Netizens React to ‘Peaceful Assembly Bill’
The Malaysian Parliament has approved the Peaceful Assembly Bill which gives police broad powers to control and even ban street assemblies and protests. Activists described the measure as an attack on civil liberties and freedom of speech. Using the hashtags #walk4freedom and #PA2011, netizens reacted to the quick passage of the bill
Russia: Creators of Election Violation Map Come Under Attack
With a week to go until Russia's parliamentary elections, the Golos election monitoring association has been experiencing unprecedented pressure, including a break-in by a television team, accusatory articles in major newspapers, and a call for the organization's closure signed by three parliament deputies.
Egypt: Tear Gas Shipment Raises Questions About the US
A new tear gas shipment to Egypt from the United States leaves netizens confused. Is the United States a friend of Arab revolutions or a supporter of Arab tyrants?
Puerto Rico: Blogger Exposes Misleading Commercial
Puerto Rican blogger Ed Morales gave a first hand account of the shooting of a Fiat commercial that shows actress and singer Jennifer López driving around her old neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. In fact, as Morales demonstrates with photos, López was never there.
Japan: I am Isolated in My Workplace
A poignant cry in the form of an anonymous entry: a blogger's struggles to find a place for himself in his workplace.
Malaysia: Protesting the Peaceful Assembly Bill
The Malaysian Parliament has approved the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill which critics believe will make it difficult for citizens to organize protest assemblies. Netizens used the #pa2011 hashtag to express their views about this measure
ActionAid: halve world hunger by 2015
“Let's fight climate change & hunger. Together” is a new video released by ActionAid & produced by the LatteCreative team, to support the world food crisis campaign and keep the ‘pressure on governments to deliver on their promise to halve world hunger by 2015′.
Latin America: A Conversation with Carolina Botero about Intellectual Property
Juan Arellano chats with Carolina Botero, one of the Latin American representatives of Creative Commons, about intellectual property in the region, how indigenous communities can make use of it, and piracy.
Zambia: Netizens Weigh in on Fight Against Corruption
Since the Patriotic Front won this year's election, Zambia has been heading in a new direction. What seems to be of great interest is the single-minded focus of the new government in dealing with corruption.
Brazil: Census “Reveals” Majority of Population is Black or Mixed Race
For the first time in Brazilian history, the national census has shown that the majority of the population is black or mixed race. Released on the eve of Black Awareness Day, the figures of 2010's Census give rise to concerns about the situation of the Brazil's black population.
Mexico: Government Considers Legal Actions Against Citizens Demanding ICC Probe
The Mexican government has rejected war crime allegations and threatened to use legal actions against citizens that filed a complaint at the ICC against the President, top government officials, and drug gang leaders involved in Mexico's Drug War.
East Timor: Building One Country Out of Many Languages
When East Timor became an independent country in 2002, both the Tetum and Portuguese languages were chosen as official for the newborn country. Nevertheless, the number of national languages is up to 16 and dozens of other dialects are used on a daily basis by Timorese citizens.
Egypt: The Country Votes
Egyptians are voting in parliamentary elections on November 28 and 29, and despite calls for a boycott, it seems that most people have chosen to participate.
Bangladesh: Climate Change to Increase Hunger and Malnutrition
As governments gear up for COP17, which starts today, experts are warning that among climate change's greatest consequences in developing countries are the risks to the agriculture sector, including an increased risk of food insecurity. Bangladesh is among the top five most vulnerable countries.
Venezuela: World Meeting of Body Art Takes Over Caracas
This year, Caracas hosted The World Meeting of Body Art and some of its most striking expressions were shared through citizen media. Among these creations, indigenous peoples of Venezuela were given a special space to showcase their artistic expressions on the human skin.
Morocco: Islamist PJD Victory in Post-Reform Parliamentary Election
Moroccans took to the polls on Friday 25 November, to elect a new parliament. It is the first election since a constitutional referendum in July approved a series of amendments introduced by King Mohammed VI.
China, Macedonia: Chinese Netizens Outraged by School Bus Donation
The news of a Chinese government donation of 23 school buses to the Republic of Macedonia on 25 November, has outraged Chinese netizens, who are mourning for the death of 19 preschool kids in a car accident in Gansu province on 16 November.
Zambia: Cash Dug Out From Ex-Minister's Farm Shocks Nation
Zambia’s investigative units recently dug out nearly US$ 466,000, buried in the ground at a farm belonging to former minister, Austin Liato. Zambians on various social networking sites have reacted to these and other disclosures of suspected corrupt activities with a sense of shock and anger.
