Stories from 14 November 2006
Armenia: More Swastikas
Onnik Krikorian reports more swastika graffiti in Yerevan while Thomas Seropian has photos.
Kazakhstan: Party Reconfiguration
Sean Roberts reports on the reconfiguration of Kazakhstan's political party landscape.
Armenia: Internet Monopoly
Raffi K. reports that there is finally some strong evidence that Armenia's internet monopoly will be broken up.
Georgia: Describing Blogs
Hans reports on difficulties explaining blogs to Georgian youth.
India: Activism at the India Social Forum
Rantings, ravings and musings of a twenty somebody goes to the India Social Forum and finds the mood to be rather activist. “And I realize that Indian Social Forum is the biggest mela for all kinds of social activism. I am amazed that there are so many people who care...
India: The India Social Forum and The Great Indian Picnic
Jhansi Ki Rani goes to the Indian Social Forum (part of the World Social Forum) and reflects on what she calls the Great Indian Picnic. “I realised that the vast collective was almost like a little India. Everyone was there. from rickshawpullers in Delhi, to Women's groups in Kalahandi to...
Pakistan: The last standing statue from the past
Cities with a colonial history often undergo face lifts, including a change in the public art and sculpture. Metroblogging Lahore on the stature of Alfred Woolner and a picture. “This I believe is the only statue of a human figure left in its original place in Lahore. Located across the...
Sri Lanka: Confidential information
Unreformable Muddle on the lack of privacy for confidential information in Sri Lanka. “One is bombarded with a gazillion ultra personal and highly confidential questions when obtaining bank a account, phone connection, insurance, lease etc., but what assurance do we have that all the information we provide are confidential as...
Bangladesh: The violence in the last five years
Salam Dhaka posts a link to a video that highlight “The five year reign of terror that branded the Nizami-Khaleda rule.” (2001 – 2006). [Note – Video contains graphic images.]
Russia: Albats on Politkovskaya
La Russophobe‘s reader provides a translation of a Russian-language piece on Anna Politkovskaya, written by Yevgenia Albats.
Ukraine: “Ideologically Harmful”
Sean's Russia Blog translates a 1985 Soviet-time internal document listing the “ideologically harmful” Western music bands.
Russia: Police Day
White Sun of the Desert writes about spending part of the Police Day at a police department in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Russia: Travel, Trains, and Communist Hell
A trip to Sergiev Posad, travel by Russian trains, and a joke about the Communist hell – from the Turkish Invasion.
Ukraine: New Tariffs
Foreign Notes points out that Ukrainians are very concerned with the soon-to-be-raised communal services tariffs: “My bet is that this is a far greater worry for most families that questions about NATO, special status for the Russian language, possible entry into the EU, squabbles in the VR, and so on.”
Serbia: Open Letter to Belgrade Mayor
Desperate Serbwife writes an open letter to the Belgrade City Manager: “I have a few ideas. Instead of spending money on digging up perfectly good sidewalks and resurfacing streets that don't need it, put the money towards more parking garages. God knows that the entire city is in desperate need...
Indonesia: Islam in Indonesia
The Swanker introduces an ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) TV series on Islam in Indonesia. The blogger links to the transcripts of the program and asks “anyone with even a passing interest in Indonesia, Islam or both” to read them
PNG: Sago Worms
Sjroeplog in Papua New Guinea writes about a dish he tried recently. “And to be honest; it tasted good. Just like eating chips.”
Arabisc: Best Blog Awards Winners and Recurring Nightmares
Arabic blogs are making their mark on the international blogging scene, with more writers and commentators taking to their keyboards and enjoying the thrill of the instant publication of their ideas away from government censorship, newspaper censorship and self-censorship! The BOBS – Best of the Blogs Awards 2006 highlighted a...
Images from Guatemala: Doña Maria
Doña Maria by James Rodriguez Doña Maria, the family matriarch as noted by her white huipil (embroidered blouse) sits proudly in her kitchen. Doña Maria is just one of the family members from the Ixil Maya community of the Guatemalan highlands that featured in a recent photo-documentary by Rodriguez. From...
Ecuador: Technology Conference Includes Bloggers
Ecuadorean blogger and communications professor, Christian Espinosa publishes the agenda of an international conference on “the evolution of the technological revolution, which will be held in Quito, Ecuador from November 27 to December 1. Sponsored by the Organization of American States and the Center for Higher Studies in Communication (CIESPAL),...
Colombia: Global Mayors
Cities of Joy describes the sustainable legacy of Bogotá's former mayor, Enrique Peñalosa. Bicycle Mark recently featured current Bogotá mayor, Luis Eduardo Garzón (“Lucho”) as part of his “global mayors” podcast series. And finally, a Creative Commons-licensed video interview with Enrique Peñalosa is available at NYC Streets Renaissance.