Stories about Weblog from May, 2010
Colombia: Presidential Election and Campaigning in Citizen Media
The Colombian Presidential election is scheduled for May 30, in which Juan Manuel Santos and Antanas Mockus are considered the frontrunners. The contest is actively being discussed in citizen media by supporters, opponents, and those indifferent of the candidates.
Jamaica: Bloggers Look at the Lighter Side
West Indians have a saying, "If you don't laugh, you'll cry." Certainly, the current wave of violence in Jamaica - is nothing to laugh about. But after days of sobering news, bloggers clearly needed to seek out the amusing aspects of an otherwise untenable situation.
Egypt: Rima Fakih – What does religion have to do with it?
Rima Fakih, an Arab Muslim immigrant, won the Miss USA Pageant. There are those who considered her award an Arab victory, those who considered her a Muslim disgrace, and others who dug up her past.
Bloggers React to Gunfights and Change in Government in Madagascar
Gunfights in Antananarivo and yet another change in the government shook Madagascar the past week. Bloggers react:
MENA: To Draw or Not to Draw Muhammed
The fire ignited by the Everybody Draw Mohammed Day on Facebook, is still raging. Here is a snap shot of reactions from across the Middle East.
Pakistan: Netizens Protest The Blanket Ban Of Facebook And Other Sites
After the ban of Facebook, Youtube and several other sites in Pakistan, many netizens of the country are outraged by the decision.
Trinidad and Tobago: Election Landslide
After a snap election ends the rule of Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Trinidadian bloggers react to the new People's Partnership coalition government, led by the country's first female prime minister.
Egypt: On Street Activists and Citizen Journalists
Between online activists, citizen journalists, and street demonstrators, it seems that the cause lost it's purpose and the Internet turned into a soundproof room for cursing and cussing. Marwa Rakha takes a closer look at online activism and its relationship to events on the ground.
Egypt: 30 Days of Blogging
Egyptian bloggers are taking part in an initiative called 30 Days of Blogging, where they should write a new blog post every day for one whole month. The drive started on May 1 and here are reactions from the bloggers.
Jamaica: Citizen Media Follows the Standoff
A study in extremes is perhaps how the last 24 hours in the Caribbean region could be adequately described: As Trinidad and Tobago peacefully went to the polls and elected its first female Prime Minister, Jamaica was facing more violent unrest.
South Africa: Julius Malema Wants to Kiss and Make Up!
Julius Malema, the president of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) is no stranger to controversy. In fact, many would argue that it is what he thrives on. He is regarded by some as the voice of impoverished youth in South Africa. By others, he is the personification of the failings of black economic empowerment.
Southeast Asia: Reactions to Thailand protests
The violent confrontations between the heavily armed soldiers and Red Shirt protesters in Thailand in the past week have stunned the world. What are the reactions of bloggers from neighbouring Southeast Asian nations?
Egypt: Parliament Votes to Extend Emergency Law
The Egyptian Parliament decision to extend state-sanctioned emergency rule for another two years garnered international criticism and domestic backlash, as the law gives exclusive right to the Ministry of the Interior to detain suspects without charge, monitor communications and wiretap contact networks, restrict newspaper content and impede political assembly and demonstration. Bloggers react to the development.
Egypt: Crackdown on the Egyptian Da Vinci Code
Dr Youssef Zidane's 2008 Azazeel created a stir, followed by resentment, when it was first published. Today, Dr Zidane is being accused of blasphemy and defaming Christianity and as insulting any of the 'heavenly faiths' is illegal in Egypt, he could face up to five years behind bars. Bloggers react to the development.
France : At Cannes Film Festival, Hors-La-Loi Addresses Taboo, Raises Controversy
"Hors-La-Loi", a film directed by award-winning director Rachid Bouchareb, stirred up quite a controversy before and after its showing at the Cannes Film Festival. The film addresses the often dividing history of Algeria-France relations after the killings of Setif. Bloggers' reactions to the film are reviewed in this article.
Jamaica: State of Emergency
Things are starting to unravel in Jamaica, as the drug money link between dons and politicians, starts to get the media attention it deserves. The United States want Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke – the notorious don man of Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston for trafficking drugs and guns. But will the ruling...
Peru: Schoolgirl Questions US First Lady About Immigration Reform
During a recent visit to a Maryland school, US First Lady Michelle Obama received a question from a schoolgirl of Peruvian descent, who asked why people without immigration papers were being taken away and who disclosed information about the status of her parents.
Eto'o's Success Lifting Cameroon ‘s Hope
After the success of his Italian club Inter Milan in the UEFA European Champions League, Cameroonian football star Samuel Eto'o is the toast of the town and his country. Cameroonian bloggers are proud of the accomplishment of their star player and hope that the momentum of his success can carry on for Cameroon at the World Cup.
Japan: 1300 years in the making, celebration in Nara
While both culturally and physically a long ways from the modern capital of Tokyo, tracing back well over a thousand years into Japanese history one comes across Nara, a quiet, highly rural area which was established as the capital in 710. In doing so, a more centralized national administration was...
Argentina: Celebrating the Bicentennial on the Web
Argentina has been celebrating 200th anniversary of the beginning of the process of independence from Spain. A group of local bloggers have created a site called Your Bicentennial that will provide realtime coverage of the festivities.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Conflict transformation
For the past two years Global Voices has covered the use of new and social media to overcome differences between Armenians and Azerbaijanis still locked in conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. Most recently, it presented on the use of new online tools in conflict resolution and transformation at conferences in Romania, Macedonia, Georgia and Chile.
