Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from August, 2010
Kazakhstan: Former presidential adviser released
Joshua Foust reports that James Giffen, adviser to the Kazakhstan president and middleman between oil companies and Nazarbayev, was accused of bribing the Kazakh officials, but now the U.S. government dropped most of the charges against him.
Afghanistan: Just get rid od Karzai
Joshua Foust reflects on the popular belief that Hamid Karzai is the main problem in Afghanistan. “What can we do about it? The usual answers seem to involve removing Hamid Karzai in some way—with all its myriad problems usually left unsaid”, he writes.
Kyrgyzstan: Nationalist agenda on the rise amidst new rallies
Who would be Rosa Otunbayeva right now? Two months after effectively losing control of Kyrgyzstan’s south, Central Asia’s first female president faced further upheaval as Balykchi-born entrepreneur Urmat Baryktabsov announced his intentions to march on the national capital and “discuss a strategy for development in the country”. The demonstration took...
Azerbaijan: Ramadan
From the Land of Fire, a blog by a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer working in Azerbaijan, details Ramadan in the form of a daily diary. In the first post, the blogger says that although she is not Moslem, she wanted to attempt to fast and also hope other PCVs will...
Portugal: Blogging Against Military Action
Blog Anti-Nato Portugal [pt, es] denounces that the United States has denied making available, in the aid effort to Pakistan, the 19 helicopters destined to the war in Afghanistan. Bloggers cite a military high official, who in a press conference, confirmed that the decision was up to Washington and that the...
Afghan photo bloggers, beyond war and Wikileaks
By publishing photos of different aspects of their country, Afghan photo bloggers display an Afghanistan beyond war and Wikileaks, of beauty as well as poverty.
Azerbaijan: Reputation
Scary Azeri recounts some personal stories of how people in Azerbaijan love to spread gossip. Also true for the other two countries making up the region, and especially Armenia, such an intrusion into the private lives of others is particularly relished when it comes to presumed relationships between men and...
Nagorno Karabakh: Barcamp
517 Design [RU] posts photographs of the journey from Armenia to the breakaway territory of Nagorno Karabakh as well as from its first-ever BarCamp. Situated inside Azerbaijan, but mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians with no natural resources to speak of, the self-declared republic hopes to attract interest and investment in...
Georgia: Second anniversary of South Ossetia war
As Georgia marked the second anniversary of its August 2008 war with Russia over the breakaway territory of South Ossetia, online reaction has been mixed and largely polarized on geopolitical grounds.
Armenia: Being Queer in Yerevan
Bekhsoos, a queer Arab magazine, features a guest post by Canadian-Armenian Adrineh Macaan on life as a lesbian in Yerevan, the Armenian capital.
Georgia: United Nations protest
To mark the second anniversary of the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway territory of South Ossetia, The Young Georgians posts photographs of a demonstration held by a few dozen Georgians outside the United Nations in New York.
China: Visa tales
With all the economic growth in China over the past few decades and a growing number of global travelers to match, have visa requirements for Chinese citizens been adapting in step? Well-heeled journalist Chen Zikun shares his experiences, see if or how any of them compare to yours.
Afghanistan: State Dept Terrorism Report makes bleak reading
Nick Fielding reviews new report by the U.S. State Department on Afghanistan, noting that Taliban attacks increased over 2008 amid diminished direct influence of al-Qaeda, whilst the anti-government insurgency remained a capable, determined, and resilient threat to stability.
Kyrgyzstan: A political picnic, another failed coup in Bishkek
Murzaki makes a photo-post about a rally in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, where hundreds of people went on to the street with the demand to to make Mr. Barktabasov, a mysterious tycoon with big ambitions for power, the Prime Minister. Some protesters were armed. The rally was dispersed, Barktabasov...
Kazakhstan: What do young people want
Popular TV presenter and newly converted blogger Kamila Zhusupova reflects on the realities of Kazakhstan's youth, its problems, values and future.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Overcoming negative stereotypes in the South Caucasus
This guest post for the World Bank's World Development Report 2011 is the first in a series on "New Media and Conflict" which explores the affect of new communication technologies on issues of conflict and development.
Armenia: Rock association or control?
Unzipped comments on a new “Rock Association” established by Armenia's blogging prime minister, Tigran Sargsyan. Although not doubting the genuine intentions of the senior official known for his love of the musical genre, the blog still concludes that the less than casual meeting didn't fit in with the spirit it...
Kyrgyzstan: Locals protest against OSCE police forces
Marat Sartpaev reports that demonstrations against the OSCE advisory group’s deployment are held in Kyrgyzstan. Protesters believe “this will lead to the dissolution of Kyrgyzstan as it did in Kosovo, South Ossetia” and challenge the central government's power.
Kazakhstan: Second grader sues Ministry of Education
KZBlog reports that a boy in second grade is suing the Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan for psychological damage because his textbook on road safety contains many grammatical and spelling mistakes as well as useless or confusing information.
Afghanistan: Taliban beyong the Pashtuns
Nick Fielding reviews the article, which argues that the Taliban has started making significant inroads among other ethnic groups, including Uzbeks, Tajiks and Turkmens from the north of Afghanistan.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Peace on Facebook
Global Voices co-founder Ethan Zuckerman comments on the potential for social networking site Facebook to serve as a tool for cross-border communication, especially in the area of international conflict. Although skeptical in general, Zuckerman says that it might be showing some albeit limited potential in the area of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.