Stories about Weblog from December, 2009
China and Hong Kong: Bodyguards and Assassins
Bodyguards and Assassins is an action movie released during Christmas in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. As a patriotic film, it was originally set to release in October for celebrating the 60th year anniversary of PRC but deferred until the end of 2009. In contrast with the Founding of a...
Global: Tweeting for #Gaza
In honor of the one-year anniversary of Israel's attacks on Gaza in December 2008, a number of activists have planned a targeted "tweet for Gaza" campaign on Twitter. Jillian C. York has more.
Palestine: Swine Flu Arrives In Gaza
The H1N1 influenza virus reached the Gaza Strip much later than it did other places, a fact attributed to the blockade imposed upon its population by both Israel and Egypt. In this post, bloggers in Gaza report on the fears and reactions of the population regarding swine flu – and on the rocketing sales of the spice believed to prevent it.
Brazil: Bloggers lament urban forest fires
After fires ravaged the world's largest urban forest in Rio de Janeiro this September, bloggers document, reflect and mobilise in equal measure.
China: ‘How did Copenhagen end up our fault?’
Did China do badly at Copenhagen? Writes one Chinese blogger: "I think Chinese officials acted splendidly at the Copenhagen summit; this was the first time for me to see China be bold like Americans in standing up tough for its own interests."
Slovakia: Coal That Does Not Burn
Tibor Blazko writes about Slovaks being fooled into buying coal from Poland that does not burn, but not taking legal action to fight fraud, and translates a few comments that show how differently Slovaks view what has happened.
Malaysia: Press Freedom Advocate Sues Blogger
A veteran journalist-blogger is being sued for libel by a politician who is known for espousing press freedom in Malaysia. Check out the reactions of Malaysian bloggers.
Rwanda: Videos of volunteering
A series of videos uploaded by user kdarpa on youtube, featuring a group of volunteers and the people they met while they travelled to Rwanda and worked with local communities.
Uzbekistan: Bloggers stand for Umida Akhmedova
GV has already covered a story of the Uzbek documentary photographer Umida Akhmedova, accused of insult and slander against Uzbek people and traditions. This fact caused indignation among local and foreign journalists, photographers and Internet users. At the moment, more than 600 people from various countries signed the online petition...
India: The Sapling Project
Two Mumbai based netizens have started a campaign to distribute plant saplings across Mumbai and other cities of India. The plant owners will use citizen and social media tools to report the updates of the growth of the plants.
Ecuador: Government Suspends Television Channel Teleamazonas
The Ecuadorian government took the television channel Teleamazonas off the air for 72 hours for spreading false information. Critics see this move as a threat to freedom of expression.
After COP15 Copenhagen: Reactions from the African blogosphere
The 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen received broad media coverage. Many analysts have indicated that nations in Africa and the developing world stand to lose most heavily if global warming continues unchecked, yet the African blogosphere has been relatively quiet on the subject.
Lebanon: Don't Break the Egg!
The Beirut City Centre Dome, better known as "The Egg" has been threatened with demolition since 2006. Bloggers have been launching emotional appeals to save it from being destroyed. Katharine Ganly takes a look at the "Save the Egg" campaign.
Uganda: President Says He Will Block Anti-Gay Bill
Uganda's proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 still awaits a final decision by the country's Parliament, but the country's Daily Monitor newspaper reported Wednesday that President Yoweri Museveni has "assured the US State Department of his willingness to block the Bill."
Cambodia: Female Voices in the Blogosphere
GV author Sopheap Chak interviews two Cambodian female bloggers about the participation and role of women bloggers in Cambodia. The two bloggers also share their views on the state of political blogging in the country
Mexico: Marriage and Adoption for Gay Couples in the Capital
Both gay marriage and adoption for gay couples are now legal in Mexico City after approval by the Legislative Assembly on December 21. The community celebrates, but remains skeptical about the effectiveness of the changes.
Iran: Death of Top Dissident Cleric, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri
Iranian citizens posted photos and videos of clashes with pro-government militamen during the funeral of the country's top dissident cleric, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri.
South Africa: A nation in conversation with itself 140 words at a time
“Was news of Manto’s death the Hudson plane crash of South Africa? Did the passing of the controversial former minister of health mark a coming of age of Twitter in this country?,” asks South African blogger and author Sarah Britten in her post on Thought Leader titled, “How Twitter broke the news about Manto.”
Copenhagen summit: Nepalese Ministers Miss The Point
The Nepalese cabinet held a meeting near Everest base camp days before Copenhagen summit to emphasize that effects of global warming on Nepal. However, bloggers are criticizing the bulky Nepalese ministers delegation to Copenhagen and questioning their effectiveness.
Uzbekistan: Criminal Charges Filed Against Documentary Photographer Umida Akhmedova
Umida Akhmedova, photo by Fergana.ru Umida Akhmedova, the Uzbek [EN] documentary photographer, has been accused of insult and slander against Uzbek people and traditions, reports Fergana.ru [EN]. The maximum penalty for these charges includes remedial work on two up to three years or detention for up to six months. According...
We are Global Voices. Five years on.
As Global Voices celebrates this fifth year of existence, co-founder Rebecca MacKinnon reflects on how far the we've come—and how far we still have to go.
