· March, 2009

Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from March, 2009

Azerbaijan: Like a virgin (reprise)

  31 March 2009

Following on from earlier posts on the matter of virginity in Armenia, Scary Azeri in Suburbs recounts the situation in Azerbaijan. The blog concludes that medical techniques to restore a bride's virginity for her wedding night are more advanced in the former Soviet Union than in the West.

Mongolia: Life on the fringes

  31 March 2009

Bilguun writes about the serious problem of waste and rubbish near Ulaan-Batar, the capital city of Mongolia. Some photos from the rubbish dump are attached.

Kazakhstan: Census ended

  31 March 2009

KZBlog says that the 2009 Census ended in Kazakhstan, pointing out 9% growth in population, and shares some experience of being recorded by a census taker.

Afghanistan: New Course

  31 March 2009

Safrang reviews new revised US policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan that has been made public by President Obama after long consultations and thorough analysis.

Water: One Take International Video Contest

  30 March 2009

“Is access to clean, safe water for drinking a basic human right? Why? or Why not?”. That is the question One Take is asking for you to answer in your own language, recording it on a video no more than 2 minutes long, uploading it on their site and on DotSub and having it subtitled in at least 1 other language. Just this month, world leaders met in Istambul, Turkey at the World Water Forum to have this discussion, and although they aren't sure what the result will be, it is our chance to show what we believe about this issue, and make our voices heard.

Armenia: Blogger Interview

  30 March 2009

The DOTCOM project which brings together Armenian, Azeri and U.S. teenage bloggers has now updated its interview with Arzu Geybullayeva with one conducted with Global Voices Online's Caucasus Regional Editor Onnik Krikorian. In particular, the potential for blogs and online social networking sites to cross geographical and geopolitical divides is...

Georgia: Holy Baby Boom!

  30 March 2009

The birth rate has increased by 20 percent in ex-Soviet Georgia and the country's Orthodox Church is taking much of the credit. The miracle responsible for the much-needed baby boom in this old Christian country has been a single promise from the head of the Georgian church to personally baptize newborns. Bloggers seem impressed.

Azerbaijan: Blogger Interview

  29 March 2009

Dotcom, an online project which has participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States, has published an interview with Azerbaijani blogger Arzu Geybullayeva on blogging and citizen media. In particular, she talks about her work on gender issues and media freedom as well as about her blog, Flying Carpets and...

Azerbaijan: Barcamp Caspian

  29 March 2009

Caucasus New Media reports from this week's Barcamp Caspian held in Baku, Azerbaijan. In particular, the blog notes presentations on localizing the Opera web browser for the Caucasus and fears about possible Internet censorship in the country.

Armenia: Questions linger after post-election unrest

  28 March 2009

tzitzernak2 comments on the deaths of three opposition supporters during the 1 March post-election clashes last year. The blog says that although their deaths were caused by improperly fired gas grenades used by only four policemen, those responsible have not been identified let alone suspended from duty or prosecuted.

Azerbaijan: Corrupt Medicine

  27 March 2009

Scary Azeri in Suburbs continues to compare life in England with that in Azerbaijan. In particular, speaking from experience, she compares health-care in the UK to that available in the former Soviet Union.

Armenia-Turkey: Obama's dilemma

Blogian gives its readers its opinion on the dilemma facing U.S. president Barack Obama in terms of fulfilling his campaign pledge to recognize the massacre and deportation of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

Caucasus: Pitiful democracy

  26 March 2009

Writing on the International Federation of Liberal Youth blog, Bart Woord sums up a month of traveling in the South Caucasus by saying that democracy and governance are in a pitifully depressing state in all three former Soviet republics.

About our Central Asia & Caucasus coverage

Nurbek Bekmurzaev
Nurbek Bekmurzaev is the Central Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.

Arzu Geybullayeva
Arzu Geybullayeva is the South Caucasus editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.