Stories about Weblog from November, 2010
Haiti: Election Day
Today, Haiti goes to the polls in an election that has been fraught with controversy and affected by the ongoing cholera epidemic. With the country's most popular political party being barred from contesting, some bloggers can't help but feel that today's process is really more of a “selection” than an election.
China: Time for a new conversation about privacy invasion
With a broader and perhaps global view of more pervasive privacy issues, poet and professor Rui Shen asks: "Some people disagree with airport security measures that display people's bodies, feeling those to be an invasion of their privacy. Watching the debate on the news, though, I wonder: are these people confused or just stupid?"
Jordan: Reactions to a New Government
After the announcement of Jordan's new government, Jordanians react to the new ministers via Twitter and blogs.
Puerto Rico: Bloggers Criticize Censorship Call of Calle 13 Song
The president of the Puerto Rico Telecommunications Regulatory Board described Calle 13's latest song as "obscene" and "lewd" and has invited the general public to send their complaints so she can forward them to the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Puerto Rican blogosphere reacts.
Brazil: President today, blogger tomorrow
Outgoing Brazilian president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) was interviewed for the first time this week by a range of progressive bloggers, an event seen by many as a major step in the ongoing push for a more democratic media system in the country.
Fiji: Government explains deportation of Fiji Water boss
Fiji's government says David Roth, Fiji Water’s local representative, was kicked out of the country because he was interfering with internal affairs. Is this the real reason? What will the deportation mean for other foreign investors? And what about Fiji's bottom line?
Laos and the Convention on Cluster Munitions
The first meeting of state parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions which gathered 101 countries as well as numerous NGOs was held early this month in Laos, which is incidentally "the most bombed country" in the world. GV author Gael Brassac summarizes the keys issues discussed during the convention
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Does culture unite or divide?
With a recent survey indicating that the majority of Armenians and Azerbaijanis are against mutual friendship, hopes for peace between the two neighboring countries appear very bleak indeed. Recent developments, including in the sphere of culture, appear to support that notion, but is there any hope?
Lebanon: CBC Report on Hariri Assassination Sparks Debate
An in-depth CBC report on the high-profile assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al Hariri has sparked intense discussion in the Lebanese blogosphere.
Peru: Fines For Careless Pedestrians
As of November 15, Peruvian pedestrians can be fined if they break the Traffic Code. In a country where pedestrians and drivers are notorious for not complying with traffic regulations, bloggers are expressing their feelings about this measure.
Ecuador: “Clean Quito” Campaign Fights Chewing Gum
Have you ever thought about how much it costs a municipality to remove chewing gum stuck to the pavement? Thousands of dollars in street cleaning are spent to fight this habit of discarding chewing gum on the ground. In Quito, the municipal government and several schools began a campaign that seeks to remove gum from the ground and make the capital cleaner.
Ukraine: Social Media Play Crucial Role in Covering Anti-Tax Code Protests
On Nov. 22, several thousand Ukrainian entrepreneurs from different regions gathered in Kyiv to protest against the new tax code approved by the Ukrainian Parliament last Thursday. While the country’s traditional media failed to produce timely and balanced coverage of the events, social network users and bloggers kept Ukrainians well-informed about the latest developments.
Bolivia: 229 Years Since the Sacrifice of Tupac Katari
The story of the uprising of the indigenous freedom fighters has been passed down from generation to generation in the indigenous communities of Bolivia. This rebellious movement was led some 229 years ago by Tupac Katari and remembrance events will take place during the month of November.
Dominican Republic: The death of an exemplary human being
November 18th was a sad day for Dominicans: Freddy Beras Goico passed away. The communicator and TV host was involved in his last years in philanthropist activities helping people with low income. Bloggers and social network users lament his death and celebrate his life.
Iran: We are all Computer Criminals
Iran's government has a law at its disposal that make it possible to label almost any Internet user a criminal. The “Law of Computer Crimes” was approved by Iran's parliament in January 2009. It has been instrumental in the prosecution and repression of several bloggers, but its articles have never received much public attention or scrutiny.
Tanzania: NGO 2.0: Reflections on the year of blogging
Daraja is a Tanzanian NGO, which aims to make local institutions more responsive to the needs rural communities in Tanzania. The mission of Daraja is to empower communities and local institutions, and build their capacity to work effectively together to reduce poverty in Tanzania. After blogging for one year, Ben Taylor, the Executive Director of Daraja, decided to reflect and share with the world the lessons they have learned.
Cambodia: Stampede tragedy during Water Festival
It was the last hour of the last day of the Water Festival in Cambodia. Then a stampede tragedy over a bridge connecting a reclaimed island to the mainland killed more than 300 people. Here are eyewitness accounts and other blog reactions.
Serbia: Abuse of Stray Animals Continues
The Serbian President is willing to adopt a severely mutilated dog called Mila, which became a symbol of the suffering of Serbia's stray animals. However, despite all the publicity, horrifying animal abuse cases continue to be reported in the Serbian mainstream and citizen media. Sasa Milosevic reviews some of them.
Costa Rica: Germany and Colombia win La Ruta endurance cycling race
La Ruta de los Conquistadores is considered one of the world's hardest cycling races in stages and it took place last week in Costa Rica, with Colombian Angela Parra winning in the women's category and German cyclist Ben Sonntag winning in the male category. But the organizers faced a parallel challenge: they struggled to handle participants' dissatisfaction with the way rules were enforced during the race.
China: Messages behind the flowers to the Shanghai fire victims
Yesterday, thousands of mourners in Shanghai flocked to the 28-storey apartment block that was gutted by a tragic fire on November 15 to pay their respects for the 58 residents who perished. Much of China's headlines today focus on the collective mourning, but few have highlighted the messages behind citizens' insistence in offering flowers at the disaster site.
Thailand: Two Thousand Dead Fetuses in Buddhist Temple
More than 2,000 illegally aborted fetuses were discovered in a Buddhist temple in Thailand and this has reinvigorated the debate on whether it is already time to update the country’s abortion laws. Netizens share their opinion