Stories about Western Europe from January, 2014
New Spanish Cardinal Believes that Homosexuality is a “Defect”
"With all respect I am saying that homosexuality is a defective way of expressing sexuality," said the Spanish cardinal Fernando Sebastián Aguilar.
Château-Rouge: A Prominent African Food Market in Paris
In order to find ingredients for African cuisine in Paris, the go-to place is still the Château-Rouge area located in the 18th District, specifically in the Rue Dejean street market [fr] that operates every day except Monday. The African Expatriate explains why the market is such a draw for many...
According to Google Autocomplete ‘Colombia is Passion’ and ‘Mexico is Culture’
Colombian blogger Javier Moreno typed “[Name of country] is” on Google search to see auto-complete suggestions for each country in Latin America and Europe. He modeled his experiment after the English version of the Google search “Why [country] is.” From his search in Colombia he got results like “Ecuador is...
South Korea: ‘Less is More’, Net Users Turn Sour on Typical Movie Poster
A massive Disney hit movie, Frozen is rapidly gaining traction also in South Korea. However, more young Koreans are turning sour on typical Korean-style movie poster, which has long been criticized for being either too confusing or overly interrupted [ko] by extra-bold text dropping names or media/net users’ reviews ridden with cliche [ko]....
INNOVATION: Containers as Student Housing at European Universities
In order to alleviate the lack of student housing available across Europe, a few universities in Denmark, Germany, France (Le Havre) [fr] and Spain have tried to turn containers into student dorms. Containers appear to be the structure of choice because they are less costly and readily adaptable to include the necessary amenities....
‘AFTER 25 Conference': Tokyo and Berlin Discuss Creative Culture
As Berlin and Tokyo mark 20 years of friendship as sister cities, representatives of two creative industries, including Chairman of the Club Commission of Berlin Marc Wohlrabe and Takahiro Saito, a lawyer and member of Let's Dance, a consortium that fights against Japan's dance regulations, will come together for the AFTER 25 conference on...
On Love, Politics and the Francophone Culture
France seemed to shrug at the news of French President François Hollande's affair with actress Julie Gayet. Are other French-speaking countries as relaxed in matters of love?
From Barcelona to Madrid for the Love of a Candidate
Blogger Denise Duncan makes a confession [es] on her blog: ¿Por qué voy a viajar 1400 kilómetros para votar por Luis Guillermo Solís? ¿Por qué ir y volver de Barcelona a Madrid en 24 horas? ¡Pero es un voto, nada más!, podría pensarse. ¿Qué diferencia hay? Una: estoy enamorada. Why...
As Darkness Falls – Berlin Conference
Berlin is welcoming the digital intelligentsia to a conference this weekend (January 25-26) on “self-empowerment in the age of digital control”. Speakers at the event, As Darkness Falls, include Jacob Appelbaum, Bruce Sterling, Micah Sifry, Evgeny Morozov and from Global Voices, Asteris Masouras (@asteris). See program in English and German....
European Citizens Call for the Protection of Media Pluralism
“European institutions should safeguard the right to free, independent and pluralistic information”. The quote, from the Media Initiative website, summarizes the main idea behind a pan-European campaign that aims at urging the European Commission to draft a Directive to protect Media Pluralism and Press Freedom. The Media Initiative is running a European Citizens’ Initiative – a tool...
Intonaspacio: a New Digital Musical Instrument Made in Portugal
Mailis Rodrigues, a young talented Portuguese women has invented a new musical instrument and now needs help to show it to the world in an annual event to find the world’s best new ideas in musical instrument design: Hi, I was selected as one of the 20 semi-finalists of the...
New Global Voices Podcast in Portuguese
The prolific team of Global Voices in Portuguese have launched a new monthly podcast, Vozes Globais, with alternative news gleaned from the internet in all Portuguese speaking countries. Portuguese journalist Vanessa Rodrigues (@lunacronica) is heading up the podcast in partnership with community radio station RadioManobras.pt. The goal is to partner...
Understanding Human Rights in Portuguese-Speaking Countries
[All links lead to Portuguese language pages, except where otherwise stated] The Portuguese language version of the educational manual for human rights “Understanding Human Rights” is available online. The website provides the complete manual in pdf format or divided into chapters, as well as training material, bibliographical references and institutional information specifically aimed at...
30 People in Greece Have a New Job, Thanks to a Twitter Hashtag
#aggeliesergasias (jobadverts) was created by user @dimitrischrid in the beginning of October to help social media users share information about job opportunities in Greece and abroad.
Spain's Princess Cristina Charged with Money Laundering and Tax Evasion
Although it is technically possible, few people in Spain expect to see the Infanta Cristina on trial.
‘Abita’, Animated Short Film About Fukushima Children
“Abita”, an animated short film about Fukushima children who can't play outside because of the radiation risk, delicately illustrates their dreams and realities. The film, produced by Shoko Hara and Paul Brenner, won the award for Best Animated Film at the International Uranium Film Festival in 2013. Shoko Hara, a...
Brazil's ‘Silent Revolution’ in Education, Inspired by Portugal
Imagine a school without classrooms, schedules or exams. A curriculum which is decided upon by the children, through consensus, and which includes subjects such as circus and meditation.
10 Stories and Photos That Capture 2013 in Spain
A list of ten news stories which have provoked indignation, mobilisation and even outbursts of laughter, which sum up the year 2013 in Spain.
