· February, 2011

Stories about North America from February, 2011

USA: From Utah to Egypt, Ideas for the Net

  25 February 2011

In Utah, the blog Etopianews encourages U.S. secretary of state Hilary Clinton consider how to involve citizens more actively in democratic governance using the internet, rather than merely offering support for online social movements in places like Tunisia and Egypt.

China: The fable of donkey island and piggy island

  24 February 2011

Why the hardworking donkey island keeps serving the wealthy piggy island? Utopia Net has a fable [zh] telling the relation between China and the U.S.. Mary Ann O'Donnell from Shenzhen Noted retells the fable in English.

Libya: Obama Speaks, Tweeps Heckle

  24 February 2011

United States President Barack Obama broke his silence on Libya in a speech at the White House on Wednesday, but his words did little to satisfy the listening masses on Twitter who for the most heckled the president in tweets throughout the speech.

Rwanda: Is it Denver Dictatorship Conference?

  22 February 2011

Vincent does not understand why Rwandan president Paul Kagame is invited to Denver Leadership Conference: “Paul Kagame is responsable, according to several UN reports, of plundering the congo, supporting armed rebels inside the Congo, crimes against humanity and possibly genocide on an immensely large scale.”

USA: Journalists, Lawyers Forced to Handover Data At Airports

  22 February 2011

Several American journalists and lawyers who work abroad regularly, have their laptops, flash drives, notebooks and business cards copied by immigration authorities at airports, according to the ACLU. Amy Goodman shares the story of journalist Brandon Jourdan, who says it's happened to him seven times.

Puerto Rico: Congressman Condemns Human Rights Abuses

  18 February 2011

Blogger and lawyer Hiram Meléndez has posted the video in which  Illinois Congressman Luis Gutiérrez appears before Congress forcefully condemning the human rights abuses against students and protesters in the Island, the imposed restrictions on free speech at the University of Puerto Rico,  and the crisis of the Bar Association,...

Brazil/USA: “Can the US shutdown the Internet?”

  18 February 2011

On his blog, brazilian journalist Altamiro Borges writes [pt, en] about the capacity of the USA to shutdown the internet in moments of crisis while commenting on an article by Cuarta Generación (Fourth Generation) [es], which says “US is heavily investing in order not to be surprised by the web”.

Cuba: Cyberwar? Video Sparks Debate, Anger, Skepticism

  16 February 2011

A video posted February 1st on Vimeo features a 52-minute presentation on new information technologies and a “ciberguerra” allegedly being waged on Cuba by the United States government and US-based NGOs. Initial reports called this a classified government video that had been leaked, but some bloggers (on and off the island) are questioning this assertion.

China: Apple's new supplier responsibility report

  15 February 2011

Samuel Wade from China Digital Times brings the readers’ attention to Apple company's new supplier responsibility report. The company pledges greater cooperation with Chinese NGOs in the future in the monitoring of labour condition.

Cuba: What do the Cables from Havana Say? (Part II)

  14 February 2011

Speculation about the health of the former President of Cuba, Fidel Castro Ruz, was one of the main issues discussed in various cables revealed by WikiLeaks. In this second part of a series, our author Elaine Díaz analyzes the content of the controversial diplomatic cables.

Pakistan: Protests Against Impunity for US Diplomat Raymond Davis

  13 February 2011

Raymond Davis, an American diplomatic staff, is under investigation for the double murder of two Pakistani motorcyclists in Karachi, Pakistan. Following the US demand to release Davis, the protesters took to the streets in a country which already has increasing anti-US sentiments.

Cuba: What do the Cables from Havana Say? (Part I)

  11 February 2011

Around 506 diplomatic cables of the 250,000 released by WikiLeaks on November 28, 2010 proceed from the American Section with Interests in Havana. Until February 2011, only 34 messages had been declassified. Global Voices author Elaine Díaz analyzes their content in the first part of a series on the cables and Cuba.

Jamaica, U.S.A.: Virtual Reality

  10 February 2011

“I wonder if people are somehow lulling themselves into a belief that the digital world is not real or somehow divorced from the real world”: Grasshopper Eyes The Potomac says everything is connected.

China: QQ and the American Dream

  7 February 2011

China and the World has a blog post looking into the Chinese Internet giant, Tencent's lunar new year advertisement which tells the typical story of a young Chinese with a “dream”.

Global: Thoughts on interfaith harmony and world peace

  5 February 2011

In this, the first, World Interfaith Harmony Week, people from all faiths have been getting together to forget about differences and promote religious tolerance and dialogue based on the mantras "Love of God and love of one's neighbour" or "love of the good and love of one's neighbour". Worldwide bloggers share views on why this dialogue is so important – and why it is not impossible to achieve it.

Azerbaijan: Life through foreign eyes

  3 February 2011

With the number of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) growing each year in Azerbaijan, blogs reporting on everyday life in the country continue to appear online. AK in Azerbaijan, for example, expresses its fascination with the landscape, dynamics and opportunities of the capital, Baku, while Janet-in-Azerbaijan waxes lyrically about Baku at...