Stories about Western Europe from October, 2013
Meetup with Global Voices!
Throughout the months of November and December, we are organizing six global in-person 'meetups' led and facilitated by Global Voices members.
Ballett Dortmund's Red Dream Ballet Censored in Hong Kong
Scenes and images related to the Cultural Revolution were removed abruptly before and after Ballett Dortmund's Red Dream opening performance in Hong Kong.
From Fiji to Italy, Global Eco-Tourism Communities Blossom
TribeWanted has developed a model for self-sustainable eco-retreats that are co-funded by members and operated together with locals at a growing number of worldwide locations.
Spain's Association of Victims of Terrorism Publicly Chastizes Amnesty International
The vast majority of Internet users defended the work of Amnesty International, the international human rights organization.
15-Year-Old Roma Girl's Deportation Shakes Up France's Immigration Debate
In the Leonarda deportation scandal, everything is controversial: the way in which the police acted, the media management of the scandal and the peculiarity of the family.
On the Kingdoms of Spain
Overnight, Catalan politics changed. Hundreds of towns in the Catalan countryside preemptively declared independence. Catalonia's Parliament passed a declaration of sovereignty. But nothing changed in Spain.
Council of Europe Condemns Deterioration of Human Rights in Spain
The Council of Europe denounces the serious situation of human rights in Spain, largely as a result of social spending cuts, and disproportionate police violence.
Portugal Says “Thank You Troika”, Really?
Subverting the discourse of austerity, a protest was held in Lisbon earlier this week to “thank” the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Commission for the ongoing measures to tackle the economic crisis in Portugal. The protest took place on October 21, 2013, and gained the attention of mainstream...
After Lampedusa Shipwreck, Italy Considers Decriminalizing Illegal Immigration
The tragedy, in which 350 or so African migrants were killed, has renewed debate about illegal immigration in Italy, which is a destination for many African migrants.
Catalan Man Sentenced to Prison after Refusing to Speak Spanish
Carles Mateu, who refused to speak in Spanish to officers during a routine traffic stop in Valencia, was sentenced to six months in prison and had his driver's license revoked.
Future Places: Digital Media Tools for Citizenship
Future Places, a former digital media festival that is turning into a “media lab for citizenship” for its sixth edition, will take place in Porto, Portugal, from October 28 to November 2, 2013. “A festival without an audience, where everyone who is present participates and discovers in real time ways of collaborating”,...
Walk in a Homeless Person's Shoes via Twitter
October 17 was the international Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Four groups, the Abbé Pierre Foundation, France Inter, Génération réactive et la Fondation Agir contre l'exclusion de Seine-Saint-Denis decided to give four homeless persons a platform on twitter to narrate their everyday lives. They live in different cities of France:...
363 Coffins Close, Reopening the Debate on Illegal Immigration in Europe
The shipwreck of a boat full of immigrants off the coast of Lampedusa, which caused more than 360 deaths, reopens the debate in Europe on illegal immigration.
Gift from French Investing Group Bolloré to Ivorian University Stirs Controversy
French investing group Bolloré [fr] made a donation of 6 electric buses to the University of Felix Houphouët Boigny at Cocody in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The first two buses were delivered on October 16 under great scrutiny from the Ivorian press and social media. In fact, the donation stirred a...
Elderly Care in Portugal Highlighted on Blog Action Day
The Community Center of Gafanha do Carmo [pt], in Ílhavo, was highlighted by João Paulo Pedrosa as a positive example [pt] concerning elderly care in Portugal. On October 16's Blog Action Day dedicated to human rights, the blogger, from Malfadado o Contestatário, started by questioning: Quantas pessoas idosas vêem os seus direitos ignorados, esquecidos ou até...
On Blog Action Day, Thousands of Blogs on Human Rights
Bloggers around the world, including Global Voices contributors, are highlighting this year's #BAD13 topic: human rights.
Portugal: A Digital Narrative Around Food, Crisis and Territory
The historical Mouraria neighborhood in Lisbon, Portugal, can now be explored in a ground breaking web documentary, Mundo Mouraria. In a true digital narrative form, the documentary makes a map available to help visitors wander the streets, sounds and flavors of Mouraria while getting to know the stories of six local dwellers. Its synopsis reads: Here...
Léonarda, 15, Arrested During a School Trip and Deported
Léonarda Dibrani, 15, was on field trip with her schoolmates when she was detained by the french police, near Levier, France. She was later deported with the rest of her family [fr] to Kosovo as illegal immigrants. The Dibrani family fled Kosovo about five years ago because they are Roma. Léonarda...
Marking The 30th Anniversary Of The Beurs’ March For Equality
30 years ago (October 15, 1983), a march for equality against racism [fr] began in Marseille with 32 people, mostly of Arab origin, to ask for the right to vote and a 10-year resident card. The Beurs’ March (Beur is a colloquial french term for people with roots in Northern Africa) arrived in Paris on December 3...
“My Body is My Weapon!”, Femen in Spain to Claim the Right to Abortion
"Of course we will go further and of course we will continue protesting," said Lara Alcázar, leader of the Femen movement in Spain.
Hundreds of Earthquakes on Catalan Coast Stir Protests Against Gas Company
Over 300 microtremors hit the northern area of Valencia and southern Catalonia. The quakes could be related to the activities of a controversial natural gas company called the Castor Project.
