Stories about Weblog from December, 2019
Abduction of human rights activist echos chilling trend in Tanzania
Human rights activist Tito Magoti's abduction echoes a chilling trend toward the disappearances of journalists, human rights defenders and opposition leaders in Tanzania since 2015 when Magufuli first took office.
After costume controversy at Miss Universe, Jamaicans celebrate Miss World win
The furore surrounding a Miss Universe national costume that played up the horrors of slavery is assuaged by the #BlackGirlMagic of Toni-Ann Singh copping the 2019 Miss World title for Jamaica.
Masterminds behind Ampatuan massacre convicted but campaign against impunity continues in the Philippines
"The past ten years have galvanized us, fortified our ranks. After the massacre, killings of journalists continued. Fifteen of our colleagues have been gunned down under this administration."
Serbian fact-checking service Istinomer files criminal complaint after serious hacker attack
Istinomer has demanded an investigation that would disclose the identities of both those who ordered the attack and funded the technology that underpinned it.
Cultures clash after release of Trinidadian soca music video featuring cricketer Ali Khan
“In ‘Me Gusta’, Destra is trying to represent something global, and other cultures are reading it in different ways.”
Global Voices quinceañera: Spotlight on Caribbean women's stories
From public breastfeeding to fighting period poverty, here are some of the ways Caribbean women stood up for themselves in 2019. Part 2 of 5.
In the frenzy over the new $100 bill, Trinidad & Tobago's banking sector reveals its disrespect for an age-old practice
As Trinidad and Tobago makes the changeover to a new $100 bill, the country's Banking Association president declares the age-old cultural practice of "sou-sou" to be illegitimate, provoking an outcry.
2019: A year of flipping scripts and changing narratives in Africa
2019, a year of changing narratives in Africa: Revolutions. Internet shutdowns. Tree-planting. Migration. Feminist songs. Media crackdowns. Cyclones and climate change. Opposition rising. Cultural icons dying. Illness, cures, and healing.
New network of journalists vows to promote press freedom and independent media in Cambodia
"Our free press is insufficiently protected and is under constant threat."
As Global Voices celebrates its quinceañera, 15 ‘coming-of-age’ posts from the Caribbean
Happy 15th birthday, GV! The Caribbean team picks 15 of its best posts from 2019, starting with violent street protests, a refugee crisis, and an inspiring story of justice. Part 1 of 5.
Indian police accused of brutality after violently dispersing student-led anti-CAA protest in Delhi
Protests and marches are set to continue across India condemning the police brutality against the students of Jamia Millia Islamia University as-well-as demanding the scrapping of the Citizenship Amendment Act.
The intertwined origins of ‘kawaii’ and Japanese queer culture
"A major part of Rune's work that's rarely discussed is the work he did for the magazine Barazoku [...],the first mass-market magazine that catered to same-sex attracted men in Japan.
Internet blocked as protests intensify in northeast India against the Citizenship Amendment Act
"India leads the world in internet blackouts. We all know what fascist governments do in the dark. Don’t be a bystander; speak now & speak loudly."
Gambian minister brought Myanmar to The Hague ‘in the name of humanity’
"...No one put pressure on President Jammeh to stop his atrocities. ... We don't want others to feel our pain or our fate," said The Gambia's Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou.
A new Pacific nation? Bougainville votes for independence from Papua New Guinea
"I lost 2 brothers during the crisis, and like countless others, reflect on the legacy of the conflict everyday. May we have a lasting peace."
Anti-street harassment campaign in Trinidad & Tobago: ‘It's high time men are taught to do better’
Street harassment is all too common in Caribbean societies, but the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean has begun an educational campaign to inspire behavioural change.
The extrajudicial killing of four accused rapists in India leads to debate about justice system
Many are applauding the police in Hyderabad for acting as judge, jury, and executioner.
Ethiopia: Stop hate speech, not free speech
Ethiopia's new hate speech bill aims to "tackle the erosion of the nation’s social cohesion, political stability and national unity." But digital rights advocates say it threatens democracy.
Protests against a media house in Pakistan mount
Pakistan's leading English-language daily Dawn Newspaper has increasingly been under threat with politically motivated attacks.
Battle-scarred: The lasting impact of the PolyU campus siege on Hong Kong’s protesters
"As the siege dragged on, reports emerged of the deteriorating mental conditions of the PolyU holdouts – which included erratic behaviour, paranoia, and even self-harm."
‘Burning books and burying scholars': Book burning causes uproar on Chinese social media
"How come young people just talked about the environmental impact of burning books? Are they not aware of the historical symbolism of “book burning and scholar burying”?"