Stories about Weblog from March, 2018
What Were Global Voices’ Readers up to Last Week?
During the week of March 12-18, 2018, our stories and translations attracted readers from the majority of the world's countries. Number 99 on the list? Ghana. And number 20? Madagascar.
Anti-Islam TV Spot in the Netherlands Has Dutch Calling for More Love, Less Hate
"Everyday we need to tell each other that their hatred will be defeated by the intrinsic need for peace; to live together; not to hate each other; but to love."
Trinidad and Tobago’s First Female President Claims Her Role as ‘Humble First Servant’
"It finally feels like the narrow vision of the past has broadened to include people on their merits, yet what a heavy burden of expectations the first one [...] carries."
From Sydney Biennale Installations to Film Screenings, Ai Weiwei Highlights Treatment of Global Refugees
"How do we go from a darkness where we have dehumanized refugees and militarized responses, to one where we reclaim a shared human identity?"
“Africa and the Poetry of News”: Global Voices Hosts a Twitter Chat for World Poetry Day
To honor World Poetry Day on March 21, 2018, Global Voices sub-Saharan Africa team will host a Twitter chat on "Africa and the Poetry of News." Join us! #GVSSA #Poetrynews
A Respected Ceramicist and a Skilled Novelist: Jamaica Loses Two Much-Loved Creatives in Two Days
"Jamaica, we mourn the passing of sculptor Gene Pearson and writer Garfield Ellis. But we will celebrate them always."
Despite Resignation of Slovakian Prime Minister, Thousands of Protesters Continue to Demand Justice for Murdered Journalist
An estimated 65,000 protesters demanding early elections gathered in the capital city of Bratislava while thousands more rallied in the streets of other cities.
When Indigenous Girls are Raped and Assaulted in Bangladesh, a Queen Rises Up in Solidarity
From 2013 to 2017, violence was committed against 364 indigenous women and girls. In January 2018, 10 women and girls were raped and three of them were killed after rape.
What Japan's 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Mascots Say About Attitudes Toward Disability
On a careful reading of its character description you will notice that unlike its Olympic counterpart, the Paralympic mascot is not explicitly described as “athletic”.
How a Viral Eye Roll Broke the Silence on China's Heavily Censored Web
"The rolling eyes are like a bolt of lightening that destroys tens of thousands expressions of praise and outshines speeches made by hundreds of thousands of brain-dead people."
Why Did Women Journalists Strike in Spain?
"...it only took a few women initiating the movement for all of us to dive in headfirst, because the inequalities we face are the same."
Guyanese Literary Giant Sir Wilson Harris Leaves Behind a ‘Literacy of the Imagination’
"The indigenous people of the Caribbean, the landscape [...] and native myth were [...] given new meaning because of him. He changed the way Caribbean literature is written and read."
City Councillor and Leading Rights Activist Shot Dead in Downtown Rio de Janeiro
Marielle Franco was the fifth most voted councilor for Rio's City Chamber. She was murdered after denouncing police violence in favelas. The crime is being investigated as an execution.
Is Censorship Coming Back to Tunisia? Court Order Bans ‘Blue Whale’ Online Game
The implications of this decision, if upheld on appeal, would set a new precedent for internet censorship in Tunisia.
‘Aesthetics Japan’ Tweets the Beauty of Japan, From Neon Lights to Misty Mountaintops
“It was traditional Edo architecture and nature that attracted me to it. Then as I grew older, the neon lights of Tokyo made me love it all over again.”
Millions of People Take to the Streets in the Largest Show of Support for the Feminist Struggle in Spain's History
Almost six million people joined the international strike on March 8, and hundreds of thousands took to the streets to demand firm measures against gender discrimination and sexist violence.
What Were Global Voices’ Readers up to Last Week?
During the week of March 5-11, 2018, our stories and translations attracted readers from 208 countries. Number 159 on the list? Guyana. And number 15? Kazakhstan.
International Women's Day in Latin America Was a Day of Protest, Debate and Resistance
Social divisions based on class and race were also part of the many discussions and debates taking place within the movements commemorating March 8th in the region.
Societal Attitudes Are the Primary Threat Against Sexual and Gender Minorities in Ecuador
“We are about to celebrate 20 years since the decriminalization of homosexuality, but we must decriminalize homosexuality in people’s minds and hearts..."
Citizenship, Surveillance and Taxes: A Dystopian Tale
Like the increasing number of people who cross borders for employment, love or safety, you settle someplace else. But your country of origin casts a long shadow...
Why Isn't Mexico's Government Surveillance Investigation Moving Forward?
"Most likely, the politicians who used this software are slowing down the investigation [In Mexico] it is still better to pray to the Virgin Mary for justice than it is to go to the authorities."