Stories from 20 December 2006
France, Minorities: Integration v. Identity Politics
Pondering the tension between integration and now fashionable identity politics, Fenetres Sur/Windows On writes (Fr): “Can we really demand recognition of our “community”, desire to live as such, outside of the common trunk of citizens and at the same time ask for the same rights as everybody else? We need...
Haiti: Saving Local Soccer
Collectif Haiti de Provence laments (Fr) that local soccer team The Racing Club d'Haiti is on its way to extinction for lack of sponsorship by both government and alums in the diaspora.
India: The Martial Race
Amardeep Singh on the myth of martial races in colonial India. “And recently I've been reading a book on the Gurkha regiments, (Byron Farwell's The Gurkhas), and after reading a number of chapters I'm ready to throw out the designation entirely. “
India: Reservations and Muslims
Indian Muslims on exclusive spaces in Higher Education for minorities. “I do not support exclusive schools and colleges for a particular community because they just are a blow to the secular ethics of this country.”
Sri Lanka: On Chikungunya
Having affected large parts of India, chikungunya is now in Sri Lanka. indi.ca says “When I first heard of Chikungunya I thought it was a joke. It is a laughable name given to a very serious disease, now an epidemic in Sri Lanka.”
Nepal: The refugees from Bhutan
Democracy For Nepal on the 100,000 refugees from Bhutan. “The same chauvinistic thinking among the Nepali elite that has kept some five million Madhesis deprived of citizenship papers for decades worked among the Bhutani elite to kick these people out of Bhutan”
Trinidad & Tobago: Flickr Photoset
See Trinidad & Tobago from some interesting angles in this Flickr photoset by klj_francis.
Trinidad & Tobago: World Cup Cricket Visa Requirements
“Aussie cricket fans are furious about new visa entry requirements to go to World Cup matches in Antigua, Jamaica and Barbados. It's the first time they have ever needed such visas, and they go at a whopping $128 a piece.” The Caribbean Beat blog wonders about the wisdom of the...
Barbados: Harold Hoyte Retires
“After 31 years, Harold Hoyte is retiring from The Nation News…the largest circulation newspaper in the country is still a major influence in Barbados – but it is no longer owned and controlled by Barbados citizens.” Does that matter? Barbados Free Press thinks so.
Ukraine: The Black Sea
Ukraine List posts satellite photos of the Black Sea.
Ukraine: Chernobyl Photographer
Ukraine List writes about the first photographer on the scene in Chernobyl.
Ukraine: Chernobyl Rumors
MoldovAnn writes about the most recent Chernobyl scare: “One guy had a chance to check the news on the internet before dinner, and read a report that a wall on the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant had collapsed, releasing a bunch of radioactive dust into the air. The report advised to...
Ukraine: “Return of Frankenstein?”
Foreign Notes documents yet another step on Ukraine's path back to the pre-Orange Revolution past: “If the bill is approved it will enable the pre-OR guys in the CEC, including its chairman Serhiy Kivalov [now a PoR VR deputy,] and the other cheats to return.”
Romania: Post Office Problems
Csikszereda Musings writes about unreliability of the Romanian post office.
Estonia: Lavrov's (Lack of) Logic
Itching for Eestimaa doesn't understand the logic of Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: “Because I just can't grasp how outlawing the symbol of fascism makes one part of a fascist revival.”
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Srebrenica Survivor and the Dutch
Srebrenica Genocide Blog posts “an e-mail from Srebrenica genocide survivor, Mr. Hasan Nuhanovic, who submitted the following opinion on recently awarded ‘medal of honor’ for those in Dutchbat who betrayed Srebrenica.”
Serbia: Finding Karadzic and Mladic
Finding Karadzic writes about a Belgrade paper's attempt to help find Karadzic and Mladic: “Belgrade's Glas Javnosti has just outed the top 99 aiders and abettors of Karadzic and Mladic. Such a move will doubtlessly put more pressure on these cronies, most of whom are not well known public figures....
Serbia: Belgrade
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia lists things he likes about Belgrade – as well as “other things”: “Beogradski radio: Every station, including the ones I don't like, has its individual character.”
Iran:Holocaust Seminar and its Costs
Abtahi, a reformist politician, writes about Holocaust seminar in Iran.The blogger says :what is the reasoning behind the idea that the Iranian nation should pay for a historical research on a topic that has got nothing to do with Iran?It is really cruel that the people around the world consider...
Iran:Kianoosh Sanjari,jailed blogger is under more pressure
According to SosSanjari blog, Kianoosh Sanjari, a jailed blogger, was ordered by Islamic judge to accept and confirm all his accusations. Sanajri refused thais order and was sent back to jail. According to the blog judge told Sanjari: you will stay in the isolated cell until accept it [Fa].
Freedom of speech and music celebrations in the Moroccan Blogosphere
Many different subjects were in the spotlight last week, in the Moroccan blogosphere. I'll start with Farid and his interesting numbers (Fr) about blogging in Morocco. Then comes Reda who found out, thanks to Shimon Peres, that there is a connection between laziness and Islam(Fr). The European Union is a...
