Stories about Weblog from April, 2018
With the Election of Its First Afro-Descendant Vice President, Costa Rica Takes a Step Forward in the Fight Against Racism
“It is a way of reclaiming not only the Costa Rican black community, but the entire black community of Latin America."
How ‘Power Harassment’ and ‘Karoshi’ Continue to Cause Serious Problems for Japanese Workers
“Power harassment”, which includes verbal intimidation, emotional abuse, and forcing employees to work overtime with no pay, and “karoshi“ (or “death from over-work”), are becoming real perils in Japan.
A European Union-Supported Rap Video Tries to Persuade Young Guineans Against Migrating
"It’s about poverty, the lack of opportunities...That is why young people find it more risky to stay at home...They say: 'I would rather die on the sea than stay here.'"
Why Spring Brings Both Joy and Pain to Afghanistan
"Happy Nawroz to all. May this year be a year of peace, harmony and an end to suffering. Peace will prevail. We are optimistic for it."
India's Data Security Dilemma Continues With Cambridge Analytica
The fallout from revelations of data exploitation by Facebook and Cambridge Analytica has taken hold in India, where political leaders are accusing one another of using similar means to manipulate local elections. The two technology companies dominated headlines for days after former Cambridge Analytica employee-turned-whistleblower Christopher Wylie revealed to the...
With Elections Approaching and Parliament Dissolved, Will Malaysia's Anti-Fake News Law Become a ‘Political Weapon'?
"While this issue should not be ignored, the proposed broad-based law to criminalise the dissemination of news amounts to legislative overkill."
Singapore's Economic Success ‘Comes at the Sacrifice of Humans Rights,’ Says Activist Han Hui Hui
"I hope that countries around the world don’t follow the Singapore model...Advocate and have your independent labor unions and student unions because we don’t have that in Singapore."
Tracking Russian Online Interference Teaches Valuable Lessons on Improving News Quality
Years before scandal about Russian trolling erupted into global view, independent researchers had already documented the phenomenon.
Indian Government Threatens to Revoke Media Accreditation Over ‘Fake News’
New federal guidelines in India which states that journalists can lose accreditation if found spreading "fake" or "uncomfortable" news raises an issue of media-surveillance.
Diplomatic Storm Strikes When Trinidad and Tobago Refuses Hurricane-Hit Dominica an Ease on OAS Contributions
"I hope the people of Dominica know that not all Trinbagonians are as graceless as this official position might indicate, and this objection makes many of us feel deeply ashamed."
‘It Is Sad to Realise That When Police Officers Are Sued, the Victims Are Judged Instead’
"His case was not an exception. Every day, black young men are killed by the police in favelas and other marginalised areas."
Education Against the Odds: How a Student and Mother from Afghanistan’s Central Highlands Stole Social Media's Heart
"Twenty years from now, that child will see this photo in a better Afghanistan."
Tensions Run High in Kashmir Following Deaths of Protesters, Soldiers and Suspected Militants
"One of the civilians killed in Shopian leaves behind this 17 months old child. The tragedy called Kashmir."
Bangladesh Is the World's ‘Most Vegetarian Country'? Not Quite.
"Low meat consumption does not make one vegetarian even metaphorically!!"
A Surinamese Non-Profit Becomes the Voice for Animals Losing Their Habitats
"This is what we want to promote — that wild animals belong in the wild."
With ‘Sharp Eyes’, Smart Phones and TV Sets Are Watching Chinese Citizens
By 2020, China could have a comprehensive nationwide surveillance network, wherein law enforcement will have easy access to data collected by any individual surveillance camera in the network.
Why Did More Than 200,000 Koreans Petition to Shutter a Popular Website?
"If you are a user of this site, it means that you participate in sharing its toxicity into the world."
A Children's Costume Contest in Macedonia Sparks Outrage With ‘Portable Adolf’ Hitler Entry
"Everybody was appalled by the poor kid dressed as Hitler. Who, we all know, was racist...Even those who shouted..."For a clean Macedonia," which is exactly what Hitler was all about."
What Were Global Voices’ Readers up to Last Week?
During the week of March 26-April 1, 2018, our stories and translations attracted readers from 215 countries. Number 68 on the list? El Salvador. And number 20? Tanzania.
Kidnapping of Ecuadorian Journalists Shows Colombia’s Peace Process Is Far from Over
"A silent, sad vigil…strongly felt. Tonight, we journalists and friends of the three kidnapped colleagues meet at Plaza Grande"
Highly Trained and Educated, Some Foreign-Born Doctors Still Can’t Practice Medicine in the US
There are tens of thousands of foreign-trained doctors who could help alleviate the shortage in the US, but many of them are not allowed to work.