Stories from 28 August 2008
Georgia: Blogging the War
The conflict between Georgia and Russia over the breakway territory of South Ossetia was accompanied by cyber-attacks on several Georgian government and independent media sites. But rather than prevent journalists from utilizing the Internet to report on the war, it achieved the opposite. Many Georgians — media professionals and citizen journalists alike — set up blogs to report or comment on the conflict. Global Voices Online speaks to Giga Paitchadze, a veteran local blogger.
South Ossetia, Russia: Photos From Tskhinvali and Vladikavkaz
Photo reports (RUS) by LJ user photomans: from Tskhinvali – here; from a refugee camp in Vladikavkaz – here.
Zimbabwe: A new day for parliament?
Ethan discusses the latest political events in Zimbabwe, “Once you’ve thrown an election, the preferred next step is to return matters to normalcy, dissipating the anger of those who opposed you by making your leadership appear routine and inevitable. That’s been Robert Mugabe’s plan in Zimbabwe.”
Russia: Anti-War Music
LJ user marchenk posts a collection of links (RUS) to videos of various anti-war songs in Russian, French, English, Italian, German, Hebrew, Serbian, Spanish, Polish, Arabic and other languages.
Ghana: A traditional healer with a website
Henry writes about a traditional healer in Ghana who is using web technology to market his business.
South Ossetia: Photos From Tskhinvali
Photos from Tskhinvali – by LJ user grend (RUS).
Trinidad & Tobago: Battle of the Insecticides
Blogging from Trinidad and Tobago, This Beach Called Life writes a humourous post about two well-known household insecticides: “Baygon came in a green and red can and was considered the BMW of the insecticide world with its non-suicidal spray head, sophisticated scent, and high price. BOP, on the other hand,...
Jamaica, Haiti: Gustav Gets Closer
YardFlex.com reports on the damage that Hurricane Gustav has wreaked in Haiti, even as the storm heads for the North Coast of Jamaica.
Georgia: Recklessness & Recognition
Although noting that Russia oversteppend the mark by invading Georgia, Registan says that Moscow's gambit in the South Caucasus paid off. However, the blog notes, it required a temperamental, reckless and impulsive leader such as the Georgian president, Mikhail Saakashvili, in order to succeed.
Haiti: Homes Being Destroyed
“Cite Soleil, a shanty town in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is under siege by the UN occupying forces”: The Haitian Blogger publishes a statement by the Haitian Lawyers Leadership “condemning the wholesale expropriation and demotion being undertaken in Cite Soleil of 155 homes.”
Africa: Mutual Aid Between African Bloggers
Ramon writes about his recent drive to create stronger relationships between South African bloggers and bloggers from the rest of Africa.
Dominica: Agricultural Economy
“I strongly believe that if Dominica gets busy developing its agricultural product this could well have other spin-off positive effects”: Chris at Dominica Weekly thinks that going back to the land may well be the way out of the island's economic crisis.
Bermuda: Open Access
“Only bipartisan cooperation will make a dent in many of Bermuda’s problems”: Vexed Bermoothes supports public access to meetings of the parliamentary committee that is currently reviewing educational reform.
Kenya: Cheers for M-PESA
There are reasons to cheer for M-PESA, the mobile banking system in Kenya: “Anyone with a new Safaricom sim card would have noticed two additional menus under the M-PESA section: ‘Buy Goods’ and ‘ATM Withdrawal’.”
Barbados, Antigua: Digicel vs. Stanford
The Bajan Reporter is all over the story of telecommunications giant Digicel taking Allen Stanford to court “in order to protect its sole and exclusive rights as primary sponsor of West Indies cricket”. The West Indies Cricket Board insists “that the team that will play England on 1 November represents...
Georgia: Different Opinions on South Ossetia
Registan responds to a post made by Michael J. Totten on the conflict in South Ossetia. The blog strongly disagrees with the background to the conflict between Russia and Georgia put forward at a government press conference in Tbilisi.
Kenya: Kenya in the Olympics
Kenyan Pundit congratulates Kenyan athletes for their performance in Beijing….but, “…why the hell there were more officials than athletes in the Kenyan contigent that went to Beijing?”
Sudan: Blogger celebrates turning 22
Drima, the 2007 Weblog Awards finalist, turns 22, “I hated the 20th, hated the 21st (which I actually didn’t even remember until I started receiving “happy birthday” wishes via text messages), but the 22nd? Oh my, I’m totally loving it.”
Zambia: Zambia's Kingmakers
Following the death of Zambian President, Levy Mwanawasa, Zambian Economist produces a list of kingmakers in the country.
Africa: Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Ghanaian internet entrepreneur Eric Osiakwan and the Berkman Center’s Ethan Zuckerman will discuss the climate for innovation around information technology in Sub-Saharan Africa on September 2nd 2008 at the Berkman Luncheon Series, writes Afromusing.
Africa: An African Ad Network Launched
White African writes about Pamoja Media, an ad network created to serve advertisers looking for a one-stop-shop for publishers in Africa, or that reach Africans in the diaspora.
