Stories about Belgium
France: The Presidential Election Through Foreign Eyes
While the French are preparing to choose a president in the upcoming weeks, French voters overseas and foreign media have reacted as the first round poll came to an end.
European Commission's ‘Clash of Civilizations’ Video Blunder
A video parodying the film Kill Bill and building on a 'clash of civilizations' theme was made to promote enlargement of the European Union to young adults. However, the video was pulled on March 6 after it was subject to virulent accusations of racism.
France: The Human Rights Film Festival Awards
Youphil [fr] published the full list of the recent 2012 Human Rights Film Festival awards in France [fr]. This year, the jury award went to an investigation documentary, Affaire Chebeya: un meurtre d'Etat? [fr] (The Chebeya case: murdered by the State?) by Belgium director Thierry Michel on the murder of human rights activist Floribert...
Europe: Will ACTA Treaty Pass After Protests?
The ratification of the Anti-Counterfeiting Treaty (ACTA) by the European Parliament has been delayed in expectation of an opinion from the European Court of Justice on its conformity with fundamental rights.
Belgium, D. R. of Congo: Miss Belgium 2012 on Gay Marriage
The website Congo LOL reports that “On twitter, the hastag #plusoumoins (#moreorless in english) has created quite a buzz (in DR of Congo). The reason ? The answer given by Miss Laura Beyne (Miss Belgium 2012) on a question on gay marriage. “I think they [homosexuals] are human beings (…) they can do “more or less” whatever they want. I am “more or...
Eurozone Crisis: Where Will the Economy Go?
Economists would be hard pressed to forecast the future of Europe's bailouts and the consequences of the current financial crisis. While opinions differ, reactions abound online to try to make sense of what future awaits the Eurozone.
Global: Interview on NATO's Evolution
We Magazine‘s Ulrike Reinhard interviews NATO's Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, Dr. Stefanie Babst on video about the “we” in their work, and how NATO has evolved over time as an organization – touching on globalization, gender equality, multi-national defense spending, political leadership and communication.
Syria: World Cities Rally Against and For Bashar
Events in Syria are being echoed around the world. Syrians in the diaspora rallied in the majority of the cities in the world, either asking to overthrow Bashar Al Assad and his regime or chanting their love to their leader. Check out this video round up for footage from demonstrations worldwide.
Hollaback! Mobile Technology Against Street Harassment
Based on the premise that "the explosion of mobile technology has given us an unprecedented opportunity to end street harassment," Hollaback! is encouraging women around the world to use the tools available to them to share their stories and geo-locate incidents and reports.
Europe: EU and Social Media
Kosmopolito writes on the ways in which the “EU institutions [should] engage with bloggers” and on the need to have a bigger “euroblogosphere.”
D.R of Congo/Belgium: Gal draws Congo and Belgium
Africa is a country posts drawings about the relationship between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Belgium from the Belgian cartoonist GAL who turned 70 this year.
Francophonie: Like Fine Wine, Twitter Experience Gets Better With Age
An unexpected but deliciously nostalgic hash tag #jesuisvieux (I am old) has been trending in French social media. The timeline for the hashtag is filled with often humorous updates, and provides a snapshot of the evolution of information technology use.
Egypt: Niqab ban in France stirs controversy
The lower house of the Spanish Parliament is debating a proposal to prohibit the wearing of body-covering burqas and face-covering niqabs in all public spaces in Spain, and the French parliament just approved a ban on niqabs (face veils). Bloggers from across the Middle East react.
African Soldiers on the Champs Elysees on Bastille Day
France's invitation to the armed forces of former colonies to join the parade on the Champs Elysees on July 14 is a subject of great controversy among African bloggers. Many wonder what is the point of having former colonies there and why are many north African nations not invited.
Macedonia, Belgium: Endangered Democracy
Macedonia in EU blog commented [MKD] on the article by Brussels-based journalist Tanja Milevska published in the Belgian [FRA] and Macedonian [MKD] press, advocating that with Belgian Presidency, the European Union must take active steps – primarily providing a date for the start of the EU membership negotiations – to...
D.R. of Congo: The Murder of Human Rights Activist Floribert Chebeya
Floribert Chebeya, the leader of a human rights organization in D.R. of Congo, was found dead on June 2 under suspicious circumstances. Protests against his murder and other killings and rapes are planned by the Congolese diaspora this week.
Worldwide: Demonstrations for Palestine
Roba from Jordan published pictures from different demonstrations world wide against Israel's last attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, in Holland, Greece, Egypt, United Kingdom, Lebanon, Pakistan, Malaysia, Sweden, France, Turkey, India, Italy, Canada, Spain, Belgium, United States, Bulgaria and Austria.
Reactions to the Greek Financial Crisis and the IMF from the Africansphere
With the challenges facing the Greek economy and the ensuing intervention from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), reactions from African bloggers range from cautionary tales from past experiences to lessons that ought to be learned for their own regions.
Belgium: Comic Strip “Tintin in the Congo” Faces Ban Over Racism
Tintin in the Congo, the second of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums, written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé and featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero, faces ban over racism. On his blog Alain Mabanckou thinks that «Tintin must remain as a proof...
Qatar: Expats outraged by plans to scrap visa-on-arrival policy
Effective May 1, Qatar plans to scrap its visa-on-arrival policy for dozens of nations currently exercising the option. Dismayed expats worry about seeing their families and predict that the additional paperwork will deter tourists from visiting the tiny Gulf country.
Haiti: “Solidarité Haïti”
After a few days of silence, the collective blog Solidarité Haïti, born after the 2008 hurricanes, has eventually posted [Fr] about a dozen solidarity and relief efforts led by French Caribbean people in Europe or elsewhere.
