Stories from 11 May 2007
Peru: Border Issues with Chile, Reliving the War of the Pacific
Even though the War of the Pacific ended over one hundred years ago, many in the affected countries are still discussing the events to led to the loss of territory by Peru. Bloggers write about their historical facts in the conflict and support for current actions such as the March to Tacna, seeking resolution to the conflict
Chilean Ethnic Groups: Development Against Native Rights?
Many indigenous communities in Chile are being pushed off their lands in the name of development. Some bloggers are faulting the government for not fulfilling their obligations to protect these groups, while another documentary filmmaker captures the actions of the government and company working together to displace families to build a dam.
China: Time for a net video tv channel?
There was a proposal put forth recently at one collective of Chinese to English translation bloggers for people to consider making use of Dotsub.com to subtitle cell phone and digital camera-shot video posted online. What would people outside China be interested in seeing? Something with action? How about protest? Is...
Bahrain: The Never-Do-It-Yourself Culture
From dirty politics and squabbles between 'politicians' over peanuts, to corruption at the Traffic directorate, the Bahraini blogosphere is buzzing with commentary this week. Ayesha Saldanha walks us through some of the outstanding posts, which include a suicide pledge and a rant about lazy inconsiderate men.
Hong Kong: Guilty for Hyperlink and for Sex Talk
The Hong Kong government is encouraging family to have three babies, at the same time, it is so keen on censoring away information concerning sex. Of course sex is not all about giving birth, but how can we have babies without sex? Guess the government will advocate test tube babies...
Korea: Living as descendants of Japanese collaborators in Korea
On the second of this month, the Korean government decided to take over land belonging to the families of nine Korean collaborators of the Japanese during the Japanese colonization period (1910-1945). Their land, 255,000 sq.m, which is estimated at 3.6 billion won (4 million US dollars), will be taken from...
India: Education and the Government
Atanu Dey explains why liberalizing the education sector comes with many benefits. “The supply of educational services will increase, the quality will improve, and prices will come down. These are all everyday first-order efficiency effects of letting markets work. The second-order effects will be increased productivity, increased production, and better...
India: On Encounters
Kafila points to the suffixes used with the word encounter in India. “So my plea is that we stop using the phrase ‘fake encounter’ because encounter will suffice. Fake encounters somehow seems to posit a difference between a real encounter (that’s the one in which the police go on an...
Pakistan: Islam and Democracy
The Pakistani Spectator on why democracy is part of Islamic commitment. “Islam being the only religion teaches us about the rule of law & justice. People have the right to ask even the ruler (president or prime minister) about any issues related to the country, masses or the individuals. In...
Pakistan: The troubles of commuters
Metroblogging Islamabad on the transport crisis for commuters. “Commuters faced problems as traffic police in collaboration with the Regional Transport Authority started impounding vehicles across Punjab to meet the ruling party plan of taking some 500,000 people to Islamabad for the May 12 rally. According to Punjab Law Minister Raja...
Sri Lanka: Photographing Sri Lanka
words of wisdom goes through photographs of Sri Lanka in flickr and is particularly struck by the work of one person. “When I looked at just one of his pictures it inspired me right away. Without doubt I think he has done of the best works in Sri Lankan photography....
Russia: May 9 Photos
Great pictures and comment on May 9 in Moscow – at Darkness at Noon.
Belarus: Blog Roundup
Belatedly, a link to the last week's Belarusian blogs roundup – at TOL's Belarus.
Belarus: Response to the Events in Tallinn
TOL's Belarus comments on the regional blogosphere's response to the events in Tallinn and posts translations of a few entries.
Belarus: Struve Geodetic Arc
TOL's Belarus writes about Struve Geodetic Arc, which was biult in the 19th century “as a part of the first scientific attempt to establish the exact size and shape of Earth.”
Belarus: A View on WWII
TOL's Belarus translates Ales Cajcyc's view on WWII: “Lukashenka’s Belarus has added another, special meaning to the celebrations of the 9th of May. Having no ideological or metaphorical grounding on which to build up the state system, the regime keeps grappling at the remnants of the past, at these emotional...
Civil movements in Japan and Korea
kenzo , an architect actively involved in an anti-gentrification movement in the Shimokitazawa area of Tokyo, talks about his recent experience of receiving a group of enthusiastic urban planning students from Korea. He describes the crosscultural conversation he had with the students on the topic of the differences between civil...
Belarus: Minsk Movie Posters
TOL's Belarus writes about movie posters in Minsk – which “some people call […] one of the main tourist attractions of the Belarusian capital.”
Bulgaria: Urban vs Rural
Sofia's Hidden Beauty writes about sheep and the relationship between Bulgaria's rural and urban population.
Bulgaria: Sofia's Old Buildings
Sofia's Hidden Beauty posts pictures of Sofia's old buildings.
Bulgaria: Recycling
Sofia's Hidden Beauty writes about recycling in Bulgaria's capital: “Nowadays it's very difficult to make some citizens not to throw their garbage directly from the balconies of their flats – either wrapped in plastic bags or not.”
