· December, 2007

Stories about Weblog from December, 2007

Francophone Morocco on Eid Mubarak Said

Last week, Morocco celebrated Aid el-Kebir (“Big Eid”), a festival commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and God's mercy in sparing him. Family members visit each other over...

28 December 2007

Morocco: Shock at Benazir Bhutto's Death

Following yesterday's news of Benazir Bhutto's assassination, Moroccan bloggers react to the tragedy. Jillian York and Lydia Beyoud sum up a spate of reactions from the Anglophone and Francophone blogoma.

28 December 2007

Bolivia: Just Say Yes to the New Constitution

Like the political crisis in Bolivia, blogs have also taken a break for the Christmas and New Year holidays. After the new year has passed, debate regarding the new Constitution and regional autonomies may find itself on the new collective blog site called El Taparaku, which has pledged to support the new document and campaign for a Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum.

28 December 2007

Nari Jibon: Women bloggers and the dowry problem in Bangladesh

This week we look at some brilliant articles from Nari Jibon’s women bloggers. They discuss the menace of wedding dowries, which make the lives of poor families difficult by forcing parents to consider female children as burdens. Also, one NJ participant dreams of becoming president and changing the present society to an enlightened, educated and dowry-free society.

28 December 2007

Guatemala: The Media's Shortcomings

Criticisms against the mainstream media in Guatemala has focused on its lack of coverage of rural areas, and its emphasis placed on countries like Venezuela. Bloggers have also noted double standards in its coverage of politicians. In addition, the use of new tools like blogs on the newspaper's site leaves a lot to be desired.

27 December 2007

RIP: Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan

Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto (54) was assassinated in Rawalpindi earlier today at a political rally. Ironically according to media reports Rawalpindi is one of the most secure cities in Pakistan and...

27 December 2007

China:Seething Eve on Nankai Campus

Though it is not the first time for a crash between pass-by vehicles and students riding bicycles, in the campus of Nankai University, such a significant accident is unprecedented. Hundreds of restless students, 20 police cars, and a broken, battered Buick sedan marked the seething Christmas Eve of this prominent school.

27 December 2007

Japan: Learning from the failure of Second Life

Second Life in Japan is virtually dead. While three-dimensional environments such as "meet me" and Hatena World have seen their popularity rise, the most famous virtual environment in the world has seen its virtual space depopulate in Japan. What lessons can be learned from the burst of the Second Life bubble? One blogger offers his thoughts.

27 December 2007

The First Six Months of Rising Voices

As we all get ready to enter 2008, Rising Voices celebrates its first six months of existence. It is time to step back, reflect on where we've come and think about where we are going.

26 December 2007

Saudi Arabia: Free Fouad Update

The leading Saudi blogger, Fouad Alfarhan, who has been arrested in Jeddah on December 10, 2007 for exercising his freedom of speech on his popular blog alfarhan.org has sent a letter few days before his arrest to his friends. According to his wife with whom we talked, Fouad's arrest was directly linked to his blogging activities. He may remain in custody for a one-month investigation period.

26 December 2007

China: Scrap the death penalty?

Was it New Jersey's undoing of the 1976 reinstatement of capital punishment earlier this month, or the United Nations General Assembly's call for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty...

25 December 2007

Egypt: Rama Yade

Rama Yade, France's Secretary of State, has inspired Egyptian blogger Eastern Bird to write the following post, which Tarek Amr translates from Arabic.

25 December 2007