Stories about North America from October, 2011
Iran: Virtual U.S Embassy
America decided to establish a virtual U.S embassy for Iran. In Khodnevis a cartoon says “Imam [Khomeyni]how can we climb up this embassy's wall”. The cartoon refers to Iran hostage crisis where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981.
D.R. of Congo/U.S.A: Conflict-Free: A Growing Movement
Alex Hellmuth and Tracy Fehr looks the growing conflict-free minerals movement in the US: “The progress made by Congo activists earlier this month in the state of California, the city of St. Petersburg, FL, and most recently at the University of Colorado-Boulder, is part of a dynamic conflict-free movement that...
Hong Kong: Sexual Orientation Conversion Advocated by Government
In June 2011, the Hong Kong Government Social Welfare Department invited Christian Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy organisation New Creation, to train its social workers. The move has caused anger in the LGBT and wider community.
USA: The Challenge of Diversity in the “Occupy” Movement
One month since the initial occupation of the financial district of New York, Wall Street, collective actions in the city continue to diversify. Activists and organizations from minority communities have begun to join and also express their indignation.
USA: Lawrence Lessig's “Republic, Lost”
@Therealpsmst recommends [mk] the talk by anti-corruption activist, law professor and Creative Commons founder Lawrence Lessig (@lessig): “Republic, Lost” is about the role of campaign contribution racket in the times of crisis and ways to reform the U.S. political and financial system.
Japan: Steve Jobs, Black Turtlenecks and Uniforms
The Tofugu blog looks at school and work uniforms in Japan to explain why they're important, in Japan, Steve Jobs, and the Infamous Black Turtleneck.
Bangladesh: Occupy Dhaka, Joining the Movement Against the 1%
Occupy Wall Street and We Are 99%, the peaceful protests that started last month in New York City's financial capital have already spread in many countries of the world. Hundreds of Bangladeshis have joined in protests titled "Occupy Dhaka" in solidarity with the campaigns.
Hong Kong: Why Occupy Central?
A group of activists in Hong Kong have occupied the ground floor of the iconic HSBC building in Central District for almost one week. Their occupation has provided a reflective space for people to look into the problems of the existing economic system.
USA: October 15 on the Streets and Social Networks
It's no secret that Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, among other social networks, have played a key role in the recent local and global protests. As was expected, the global protests of October 15 thoroughly used them too.
Poetry Slam Activism in Francophone Africa
Poetry slam is a well-known channel of expression for many activists in North America but the rest of the world has now embraced this unique blend of poetry and rhythmic oral story telling. Here are some examples from Francophone Africa and the context in which they arose.
China: No Clear Solution to the Wall Street Occupation
The occupation of Wall Street has gathered a lot of interest in China, as have three blog posts last week from an investment banker, a columnist and a Yale professor, none of whom seem too optimistic that a new economic vision will arise from the growing global movement any time soon.
Colombia: Palestinian Leader Mahmud Abbas Visits President Santos
In Latin America, the countries that don't recognise Palestine are few --including Colombia. As a result, President Abbas visited Juan Manuel Santos in Bogota to discuss relations between Palestine and Israel.
USA: Legendary Computer Scientist Dennis Ritchie Has Died
Computer science legend Dennis Ritchie died on October 8, 2011, in his home in New Jersey at the age of 70, leaving behind a legacy of enormous impact on global development. Ritchie was the developer of the C programming language, one of the most widely used programming languages of all time.
Chile/New York: Similarities Between Occupy Wall Street and the Student Movement
The students of Chile are entering their fifth month protesting for education reform. As Occupy Wall Street gains numbers on the ground and increased attention from the press, economic and social echoes between the two are worth noting -- and perhaps provide a hint as to what comes next.
Mexico: U.S. Alleges Iranian Assassination Plot Involving Los Zetas
Reports that the U.S. Justice Department charged two men with conspiring with "factions of the Iranian government" to assassinate Saudi Arabia's U.S. ambassador and to bomb the Saudi and Israeli embassies in Washington - allegedly with assistance from the Los Zetas drug cartel - provoked strong reactions from netizens in Mexico and around the globe.
United States: “Occupy Wall Street” Gets Stronger
When we first published our story on "Occupy Wall Street," it barely made it to the front pages of newspapers. Currently, with thousands of followers, Occupy Wall Street has captured the attention of the national and international media, and the protests have extended to hundreds of city in the United States.
Macedonia: Comparing Steve Jobs to Tito
“Comrade Apple died” – the anonymous Taen bloger (= Secret Blogger) used the language imitating the original 1980 TV announcement [sr] of the death of the beloved Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito to comment [mk] on the reactions following the death of Steve Jobs.
Latin American Social Movements and #OccupyWallStreet
Benjamin Dangl in Upside Down World writes a report that “connects tactics and philosophies surrounding the Occupy Wall Street movement with similar movements in Latin America, from the popular assemblies and occupation of factories during Argentina’s economic crisis in 2001-2002, to grassroots struggles for land in Brazil.”
USA: Documenting Alabama's Immigration Law
People can submit their reports on the impacts of the Alabama anti-immigration law HB 56 to this crowdsourced and open digital map.
Ukraine: New Documentary Highlights the Klitschko Brothers’ Lives and Careers
Popularly dubbed "The Klitschko Brothers", Ukrainians Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko have dominated the heavyweight boxing division since Lennox Lewis retired in 2004. However, their production of an autobiographical documentary film, demonstrates that these men are more than athletes.
Global Voices Podcast: 3rd Arab Bloggers Meeting – Part 2
In an addition to our usual monthly podcast, we have some special audio for you from the newly concluded 3rd Arab Bloggers Meeting in Tunisia. In this edition, interviews with: Zeynep Tufekci, Alexandra Sandels, Hayder Hamzoz, and Roger Dingeldine.
