Stories from 18 September 2006
Malaysia: Pope's Speech
Nik Nazmi in Malaysia asks whether the speech made by pope was really an attempt at dialogue. “While, yes, the Pope has now apologised, what is glaring is the fact that when he quoted Manuel II, there was no hint of qualification and seemingly tacit approval.”
Solomon Islands: Australian high commissioner asked to leave
The South Pacific Travel Blog has the latest from Solomon Islands where the Australian high commissioner was forced to leave country after he was declared a persona non grata.
Laos: Laotian Pop Music in Japan
The Samakomlao blog posts pictures of a Laotian pop duo in concert in Japan. Laos is one of the least visited countries in Asia and only recently rest of Asia is getting interested in Lao's pop-culture and travel destinations.
Cambodia: Introducing Blogs on Cambodia
Mythical Dude is missing Cambodia and he is staying in touch by reading blogs from Cambodia.
Uganda's brightest artist
African Painters on the late Ugandan artist, Henry Lutalo Lumu, “Henry Lutalo Lumu is credited by many of Uganda's artists as being one of the country's brightest and most widely influential talents of modern Ugandan art from as early as the 1950s until his death in 1989.”
Lagos Book and Art Festival
Cora has news and photos from the 8th Lagos Book and Art Festival (September 15 -17, 2006).
The president of Tanzania drumming
So the President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, can play the African drum! He was the guest of honor at the opening ceremony of the 25th Bagamoyo Arts Festival, which took place on September 11th – 16th, 2006 in the coastal town of Bagamoyo at the Bagamoyo College of Arts.
Kenya: ruling elite and younger generation
Kumekucha has an idea about what the President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki and his closest aides think of younger generation leaders, “My firm conviction is that the younger generation in this nation will confound critics and rise to the occasion, at this, the nation’s hour of need. It does not...
Sudan: death and funeral announcement
Death and funeral announcement is a poem written in support of the Global Day for Darfur: Here lies eighty thousand souls names and identities- unknown passions and pains- unknown feelings and fears- unknown Origin and nationality- Western Sudan Darfur region Now buried in a mass grave known as Darfur Crisis….
Ethiopia: who needs enemies?
“With allies like this, who needs enemies?,” Weichegud asks, and continues to write: “The neighboring Ethiopian government, led by a rabid Marxist ethnicologist who got the Bill Clinton “Enlightened African leader” stamp of approval, was sanguine with the lawlessness in Somalia, even encouraging it, believing that a fractured Somalia was...
Global Voices Online Wins Knight-Batten Innovations Award
September 18, 2006 COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Global Voices Online, a web site about how news affects daily life and conversations in more than 130 countries, is this year's $10,000 Grand Prize winner in the Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism. The site uses skilled multilingual editors to find and...
Brazil: Digital Varjão – Cultural Hotspot in Action
Jose Murilo Junior describes the “cultural hotspot” workshop of Digital Varjão, which encourages young people in Varjão do Torto – a low income informal settlement in the outskirts of Brasília – to use open source software to express themselves creatively and share their day to day experiences online. You can...
Venezuela: Polling the Elections and Crime
Caracas Connect has one last summary from their recent delegation to Caracas while francisco describes the voting poll wars and Oil Wars examines Venezuela's crime problem.
Bolivia: Two Cochabamba Ironies
Jim Schultz on the ironies of a reeking modern airport and coca-chewing DEA guards in Cochabamba.
Honduras: HIV Workshops
Melanie, a volunteer in Honduras describes the 3-day workshops on HIV that she gives to junior high students: “The only potential problem I had was with a 17-year-old 7th grader who took to preaching like the Evangelical preachers and didn’t want to stop talking. He went on for at least...
Central America: Indepedence Day
Tim Muth describes the festivities in El Salvador as Central Americans celebrated 185 years of independence from Spain. In Costa Rica, apparently it is Independence Eve when the real parties get started. Uri Ridelman links to a YouTube video of the Patriotica Costarricense: “one of the most important songs of...
Panama: Music: “Culture in Panama (My Appreciation for Señor Loop)”
Writer Rob Rivera articulates why he believes “Panama is coming into its own in terms of culture, after laying dormant for many years.”
India: Homosexuality and the Law
Homosexuality in India is illegal because of a law that is largely part of a British legacy. Vikram Seth, a prominent author has written an open letter to the Government on the issue, and this has found consent with quite a few other prominent people. Amardeep Singh on the law,...
Pakistan: View of Manuel and the Pope
Metroblogging Lahore takes a closer look at what the Pope actually said, and in the context of the entire speech, wonders what the Pope's intent is. “Specially after reading the last paragraph, I do not think he himself agrees with the views of Emperor Manuel Paleologos II but he was...
U.N. reform: when you talk, will they listen?
When you talk, will this man listen? Let's find out on Tuesday. What is your opinion of the United Nations? What kind of impact has it had on your country and people? How should it be reformed? Who should lead it? Global Voices is hoping to share your views in...
Pakistan: Reacting to the Pope's Statement
iFaqeer on the Pope's statement about Islam. “And in that sense, the complaints from the Muslim world have some basis; poking folks in the eye ain't the best way to make friends. Now if we had an official Caliph, he could challenge the man to a duel and we could...