Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from October, 2009
Mongolia: Only Mongolians Can Protect Mongolian Rangelands
Ariungerel on Nomad Green critisizes the effects of many projects aiming to protect or restore rangelands in Mongolia. “Once a project ends and the result is reported to the world, both of their money and minds would disappear”, and in many cases, those restored rangelands return to waste desert because...
Georgia: Andy Garcia's starring role
Tbilisi's Blog – News, Events, Comments… reports that U.S. actor Andy Garcia has arrived in Georgia. The Hollywood star might play Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in a film on last year's August war with Russia.
Azerbaijan: Happy Birthday, Emin Milli
Wednesday saw the 30th birthday of detained youth activist and video blogger Emin Milli. Friends and other bloggers marked the event worldwide.
Georgia: New Media Forum
Following last year's Caucasus Bar Camp in Tbilisi, Georgia, came this week's New Media Forum. It also gave Global Voices Online's Caucasus Editor the opportunity to interview three of the country's most prominent and prolific new media advocates.
Mongolia: Agriculture Initiative Changes People's Lives
How could Mongolian nomadic herders find a new living in capital city Ulaanbaatar? Ariungerel, citizen journalist of Nomad Green, interviewed Ms. Baytskhandai and told us her story of how she manages to change lives of poor and disabled people and be environmental-friendly by teaching them agricultural skills.
Hong Kong: Asia Blogfest09
The first Asia Blogger festival will take place in Hong Kong from 6-8 of November. Details of the program can be found here.
Abkhazia: National Library
Scraps of Moscow posts pictures and writes about the Abkhazian National Library.
Azerbaijan: Tea
Now based in the U.K., Scary Azeri in Suburbs looks at one custom that both English and Azerbaijanis have in common — drinking tea. The blog says that enjoying the drink is an important tradition for both nations.
Iraq: What Peace from Obama?
Iraqi Layla Anwar sums up reactions from Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan on Obama's Nobel Prize for Peace.
Abkhazia, Kosovo: Not an Option on Facebook, Dopplr, LibraryThing
Eternal Remont writes about the launch of two “pro-independence Abkhaz” groups on Facebook – where “Abkhazia is not a country option.” Wu Wei reports on similar problems with Pristina, Kosovo, on LibraryThing and Dopplr.
Egypt: No Accolades for Obama's Nobel Peace Prize
Egyptian bloggers and Twitter users welcomed US President Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize with shock and surprise: How can the president of a country waging wars against far away countries win a peace prize? Tarek Amr has more in this round up of reactions from Egypt.
Tajikistan: Me No Speak the Tajik
Vlad reports that Tajikistan has adopted legislation to downgrade the official status of the Russian language in a move that has reportedly had the country’s minorities up in arms.
Afghanistan: Jordanian royals fighting in Afghanistan?
Nick Fielding tells about a curious news in the Pakistan newspapers, which say that six women, all members of the Jordanian royal family, are due to be handed over to the Jordanian Embassy in Islamabad tomorrow following the death of their husbands in a Coalition airstrike several months ago.
Kyrgyzstan: UNESCO against fountains in Osh
Arawanski writes that UNESCO is against building of two fountains on the foothills of the Sulaiman Mountain (the southern part of Kyrgyzstan), as it considers they pose a threat to the condition of the sacred mountain.
Kyrgyzstan: Gypsies community
Elena presents a photo-post about her visit to the community of Luli (or Gypsies, or Roma) on the outskirts of Osh, a town in southern Kyrgyzstan.
Tajikistan: President Rahmon in on the Tour
On his way to this year’s United Nations summit, long-ruling president of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, stopped over in Moscow, then in Croatia. Botur reflects on the tour and its results.
Turkmenistan: Students banned from study abroad
Musa updates on the situation when Turkmen students of foreign universities outside of the country were not allowed to leave their country without special approval certificates from the Ministry of Education.
Kazakhstan: Architectural Astana
Mursya posts photos of Astana, the new Kazakh capital being built in the steppes under a close eye of authoritarian president Nazarbayev.
Uzbekistan: Auction of children’s sweat
Musafirbek writes about the use of child labor in Uzbekistan, especially when children pick cotton for 8-10 hours a day. The government says they are doing it ‘by their own will’.
Afghanistan: Kamdesh Area
Joshua Fousts comments on the news that eight American and an unknown number of Afghan soldiers were killed after an attack on outposts in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: Conflicted Response
Captain Cat is conflicted over the dispute within UNAMA: she thinks they do good work, but their acceptance of the fraudulent election is ruining their credibility.