Stories about Weblog from January, 2008
East Timor: On Suharto's death
In late 1975, East Timor was invaded and occupied by Indonesia, which led to a 24 year rule and it is estimated that up to 200,000 people, one-third of the local population, died as a result of it. This invasion was commanded by General Suharto, Indonesia's former dictator. Here is how a few bloggers connected to East Timor reacted to the news of his death at the age of 86 this Sunday January, 27.
Ecuador: Marches in Guayaquil
Marches appeared in full force in the city of Guayaquil for a protest against the recent tax reform approved by the Constituent Assembly. Some have even called for greater autonomy for the city led by Mayor Jaime Nebot. A counter-protest also took place by supporters of President Rafael Correa. These two sides have their share of supporters and critics in the Ecuadorian blogosphere.
Francophone Morocco Roundup: Algeria's response to the UN, anti-French sentiment and more
This week in the Moroccan blogosphere, Algeria fails in its duties, anti-French sentiment still strong in Morocco, DJ Awards and rose petals galore.
Blogger of the Week: Salam Adil
Global Voices Online kicks off a series of weekly interviews with the bloggers and cyberactivists who amplify the voices of citizen journalists in their countries on this site. Our first interview is with Iraqi Salam Adil, who brings us the heartbreaking stories, joys, observations, tribulations and hopes of Iraqi bloggers.
MENA: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr…It's Freezing
Brrrr... It's freezing in the Middle East is the message that has been popping up on blogs recently. Here's a round up of what some of the region's bloggers had to say about the cold spell, in the otherwise warm and sometimes explosive hotspot of the world.
Brazil: Countdown to Carnival
There is a popular belief that in Brazil the year only starts after Carnival. Be this an exaggeration or not, there is not much else being talked about on the country's blogosphere: everyone is dusting off their costumes, getting into the mood and counting down the days for the biggest street party on Earth. Here's a round up of bloggers expectations in Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Pernambuco, and the lesser known carnival in Minas Gerais.
Flagging at the Iraqi Blogodrome
Iraq has a new national flag. Some people may say that flags are really not important, but for Iraq it is big deal. Every new regime has sought to cement its presence through the national symbol. And this government is no exception. So what do Iraqi's really think and were the media right? And, if you read to the end, find out what design the Iraqi bloggers collectively agreed upon.
Davos: peeking in and participating through videos
The World Economic Forum´s annual meeting of political and business leaders is taking place between January 23rd and January 27th in Davos, Switzerland. This year, common people can participate in this forum by giving their ideas to make the world a better place and posting it on the YouTube video sharing site.
Korea, an English-speaking Country?
All Koreans will speak English soon. Will stress about whether you can speak English or not increase or decrease? The new government, Lee Myung Bak’s transition team, announced that all schools in Korea will teach subjects in English. Since one week passed after the announcement of their plan, portal sites...
Guatemala: Esquipulas and Rabinal, Two Symbols of Peace
Two villages in Guatemala, which were the site of brutal violence during the armed conflict, celebrate very important festivities in January - "Esquipulas" and "Rabinal". These communities have been able to resume these celebrations after the war ended and have become symbols of peace for the country.
Tunisia: An Introduction
The "Tunisphere" is a group a passionate Internet users and bloggers even if their number is not as high as in neighbouring countries like Morocco. Naruto introduces us to some of his country's leading bloggers in his first post for Global Voices Online.
Bahrain: Save the Patients
A doctor by profession, Bahraini in Alaska is appalled with the inhumane manner in which certain patients are dealt with at the main government hospital in Bahrain.
Yemen blocks independent news websites
Numerous Yemeni websites have been blocked recently by government-controlled ISPs. Among them is the popular YemenPortal, Yemen’s first multi-source news crawler and search engine, which extracts headlines from news sites that are being blocked by the authorities. YemenPortal is inviting Yemeni internet users to access the website through a mirror they build at yemen.arabiaportal.net.
Nari Jibon: Bloggers discussing education, emancipation and poverty
Since July Nari Jibon Project staff and students have posted more than 170 articles (in both Bangla and English). Today we feature their stories about their livelihoods and their perspectives about poverty, emancipation and importance of education for women.
Lebanon: Car Bomb Targets Counter-Terrorism Captain
Yet another terrorist attack targeted Lebanon leaving behind deaths and destruction. Today, at 10am local time, a car bomb killed Lebanon’s active counter–terrorism police officer, Captain Wissam Eid and three others. The explosion along the Hazmieh highway, just on the outskirts of Beirut, also wounded 38 other persons. Moussa Bashir sums up some of Lebanese bloggers’ reactions to the incident.
Japan: Videotape from 1995 Monju reactor leak
The infamous Monju fast-breeder reactor leak of 1995, an accident that long ago earned itself a place in the history of nuclear power in Japan, has returned one more time to haunt government and industry officials with images they had hoped they would never see again. More than ten years after the original incident, a never-before-seen video has finally come out, released on YouTube by a group called News for the People in Japan (NPJ) and also posted by blogger tokyodo-2005 at his blog.
Burkina Faso: Rites, festivals and a new book
Like anywhere else in the world, there is a season to everything in Burkina Faso: rites of passage, camel and horse racing, literature and death.
Afghanistan: Returned Refugees, Police Fatigue and Freezing Children
There has been a series of articles on the plight of Afghanistan's police. Bipasha Ray notes one of the many problems facing the creation of a police force from scratch: [There are] overworked and grossly underpaid and under-equipped policemen on the verge of mutinying, in charge of enormous swaths of...
China: A net campaign for the parents of slaves
A net campaign has been launched to aid the forgotten victims in the 2007 Chinese slave scandal--- the parents of the kiln workers. They share the pain of their children, the afflicting memory being a life-time scar. Some of their kids are yet lost, while the government is putting no more concern on the issue, leaving them wading alone. The internet is rallying a donation to comfort them with a warm Chinese New Year.
Peru: Introduction to Bloggers from Iquitos
The Iquitos or Loreto blogsphere is comprised mostly by young people, with some notable exceptions. Some blog about politics in the Amazon town, while many more write about their own personal lives. Here is an introduction to some of these bloggers.
Brazilian Football Star Remembered on 25th Death Anniversary
It is through video online that many Brazilians and football fans from around the world have found a way to pay homage to one of the best dribblers in football history, Manuel Francisco dos Santos, best known as Garrincha.
