· December, 2011

Stories about North America from December, 2011

Global Voices: Donate Today

  20 December 2011

2011 has been an extraordinary year for online content. Global Voices has been there as revolutions happened, dictatorships fell, and network effects rippled through the cities and neighborhoods of our contributors reporting from around the world.

USA: Has NASA Discovered a Life-Friendly Planet?

  14 December 2011

NASA has announced the Kepler Space Telescope discovery of Kepler-22b, a planet within the right distance of its star for potentially having a habitable temperature. Science bloggers have reacted to the news with analysis and theories of their own.

Confusing information for NGOs at COP 17 in Durban

  9 December 2011

Addressing the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) in Durban on climate change, René Audet complained on the website blogueaqlpa.com: “Since the arrival of Ministers in Durban, negotiations have been taken to another level, so to speak. Now, this level is inaccessible to observers like us. Information circulates well within NGO networks, but they are confusing.”

Iran: US virtual embassy blocked

  8 December 2011

Nima Akbarpour, Iranian blogger and IT journalist, says [Fa] that Iranian authorities have blocked US virtual embassy website, hours after its launch. He says that was predictable.

USA: Uncertain Future of Student Occupy Movement in California

  8 December 2011

The pepper spraying incident against a group of peacefully protesting students, which occurred on November 18th on the Davis campus of the University of California, has called the attention of the media and fueled the discussion on police misconduct. The student occupation continues, but the future of the movement is unknown.

South Korea: Anger Over Free Trade Agreement and Media Silence

  6 December 2011

Rallies have been held daily in the South Korean capital of Seoul for two weeks now, protesting against the country's free trade agreement with the United States. Citizens have expressed deep discontent, as well as strong distrust of the mainstream media who rarely report on anti-FTA protests.

Ashura Commemorations Around the World

  5 December 2011

Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is a period of mourning for Shia Muslims. Events reach a climax on Ashura, the tenth day of the month. Ayesha Saldanha reports on Ashura commemorations around the world.

Canada: The Start of the SlutWalk Movement

  4 December 2011

Global Voices' author, Maria Grabowski, interviews Heather Jarvis, the co-founder of the first SlutWalk initiative based in Toronto. They talk about the background of the movement and its quick spread to the rest of the world.

China, USA: Comparing Poverty Lines

  1 December 2011

China has decided to raise its poverty line to RMB 2,300 yuan (approximately USD 360) per capita income, but does the new poverty line reflect the reality of China's poor? And how does it compare to that of the United States?