Stories about Weblog from October, 2012
Jamaica, Cuba: Handling Hurricane Sandy
Tropical Storm Sandy, which had been on a direct course towards the Greater Antilles over the past few days, got upgraded to Category 1 hurricane status shortly before it made landfall in Jamaica. It then struck Cuba and is now headed for the Bahamas.
Brazil: The Cry of Resistance of the Guarani Kaiowá
Under yet another threat of eviction from their lands, the Brazilian indigenous community of Guarani-Kaiowá released a letter that has rippled across the press and the web as a cry of resistance.
United States: Latin America Invisible in Third Presidential Debate
Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, was the venue of the third and final debate between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney amidst a tight presidential race. Despite its geographical proximity to the U.S., Latin America was the big absentee of the night.
Senegal: Casamance Region Hopes for Peace Through Deal in Rome
On October 13 and 14, preliminary talks took place in Rome between representatives of the Senegalese government and of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (Mfdc). Casamance is a region in the south west of Senegal, which has been the scene of violent conflict between government forces and those fighting for independence since the beginning of the 1980s.
Philippines: Anti-Mining Activist Arrested over Facebook Post
The arrest of a 62-year old anti-mining activist in the Philippines for a 'libelous' Facebook post spawned fears of a clampdown on dissenters through the recently enacted anti-cybercrime legislation.
Former Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola Sacked
Last Friday 19 October, former Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola was dismissed. The move came after a hearing against him found him guilty of accepting bonuses and not declaring among other charges.
Global Voices Seeks Rising Voices Editor
Global Voices seeks a Rising Voices Editor to produce and manage its online content flow related to citizen media development and outreach in global underrepresented communities. Find out more about this exciting opportunity.
China: Failure to End the Slaughter of Migratory Birds
The migratory bird season has come in China; yet instead of searching for food in the warm lake areas, a large number of birds are being slaughtered for human consumption. Every year, more than 150 tonnes of wild birds are caught in certain villages in Hunan province.
Mexico: Central American Mothers in Search of Missing Migrants
In the last six years around 70,000 migrants have disappeared in Mexico. Central American mothers of abducted and missing migrants are traveling in a caravan all over Mexico looking for their sons and daughters who have disappeared on their way north. The women also hope to capture the media's attention and raise awareness on this issue that has been largely ignored.
Grenada: Remembering a Revolution
October 19 marked the 29th anniversary of the bloody military coup in Grenada which ousted leader Maurice Bishop from government and prompted the United States-led invasion of the country. Two bloggers marked the occasion with detailed posts about what happened and how it forever changed the course of Grenada's history.
Arab World: Salafi Awkward Moments
Recognised by their long beards, and short garbs (thobe), Salafists, who follow a strict interpretation of Islam, were the butt of jokes on Twitter under a new hash tag #SalafiAwkwardMoments. While the West ponders on how to deal with them, let's tune into Twitter to see how funny netizens think they are.
New Realities of the India-Russia Defence Partnership
India has traditionally enjoyed warm defense ties with Russia. However, New Delhi’s recent tilt towards Washington has prompted Moscow to enhance its defense and diplomatic states with other South Asian countries, most notably Pakistan.
Ukraine: Homophobic Bill Considered Ahead of Election
Shortly after scrapping the infamous defamation bill in early October, Ukrainian MPs passed another scandalous proposal in the first reading, aimed at “defending children from the propaganda of homosexual lifestyle and the HIV/AIDS infection associated with it.” Tetyana Bohdanova reports.
Guyana: Upcoming Chris Brown Concert Upsets Anti-Violence Advocates
When news broke that Barbadian-born singer Rihanna's then-boyfriend Chris Brown had allegedly assaulted her, Caribbean bloggers were outraged. Talk of an upcoming Chris Brown concert in Georgetown has bloggers speaking out about the dangerous message it sends about gender violence.
Panama: Protests Erupt in Colón Over Land Law
The sale of the land in the tax free zone of Colón has sparked a series of protests in Panamá. Government and protesters face off, and neither side seems to want to budge.
Egypt: Advice to Protesting Kuwaitis
As Kuwaitis embarked on their largest ever protest to denounce changes to the electoral law, passed by the country's hereditary ruler while the Parliament was dissolved, Egyptians kept themselves busy on Twitter, dishing advice to them on what to do and not to do.
Arab World: Obama and Romney are on the Same Page on Syria
Arab netizens had some harsh words to share after waiting to the wee hours of the early morning to tune in to the last US Presidential Debate 2012 between President Obama and Republican hopeful Mitt Romney before the November elections. On Twitter, netizens rammed the US policy on Syria, saying both Obama and Romney were two faces of the same coin.
Madagascar: Preserving National Heritage with Video Archiving
A Civil Society Initiative has been set up to preserve the 'collective memory' of Madagascar by digitally archiving videos detailing its, often controversial, history. The Fl@H Association was set up to preserve Madagascar’s audiovideo heritage and aims to be a force for the preservation of the country’s history. Members can already point to several achievements.
Nigeria: ‘Okada’ Motorbike Taxi Ban Despite Lack of Public Transport
Okada is a local parlance for commercial motorcycle taxis in Nigeria, where public transportation is non-existent, traffic snarls up most cities and potholes mark most roads. However, the Lagos State Government has restricted the operation of these commercial bikes to certain roads - to the riders' dismay.
Bolivia: Vice President Keeping Track of Netizens’ Insults
A debate on the control of social networks was rekindled in Bolivia after vice president Álvaro García Linera stated that he is monitoring and taking note of netizens who are insulting President Evo Morales. Members of the opposition consider the statement a threat to freedom of speech, others support regulation, and some suggest the government should pay attention to other important issues people demand online.
Chile: #LosQueSobran Campaign to Pull Youth to Polls
A group of Chilean NGOs have come together in a fun campaign to encourage young people to vote in the Municipal elections this Sunday, October 28. For the first time in Chile, voter registration is automatic and the vote is voluntary.
