Stories from 28 September 2008
Blogger of the Week: Sami Ben Gharbia
This week's Blogger of the Week is none other than Global Voices Advocacy Director Sami Ben Gharbia, known for his dedication to the fight against oppression and censorship. Sami is originally from Tunisia, but has been based in The Netherlands since 1998. He blogs at fikra.
Brazil: A million signatures against homophobia
Thiago Velloso [pt] publishes the banners for the 13th Gay Pride Rio, which takes place on October 12, and provides info regarding an online petition hosted by the No To Homophobia website in support to the bill that criminalizes homophobia in Brazil. “A million signatures is expected. Do your bit.”
Morocco: Rural Women
Peace Corps volunteer Duncan Goes to Morocco explains what life is like for women in the rural community where he lives.
Morocco: Schools Closing
The View from Fez reports that the Moroccan government plans to shut down 60 Qur'anic schools around the country, all of which are associated with Sheikh Mohamed Ben Abderrahman Al-Maghraoui, who earlier this month decreed that the marriage of nine-year-old girls was permissible. His declaration is an affront to Morocco's...
Paraguay: The Mennonite Community
Muna Annahas writes about the long history of the Mennonite community in Paraguay.
Angola: A new African El Dorado for foreign workers
Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Angola has been home to many foreigners coming to find work. It is estimated that there are over 70,000 foreigners living in the country, mostly coming from South America, China, Portugal and other African countries. Find out how this melting pot is evolving through the view point of Angolan and immigrant bloggers.
Peru: The History of the Internet
Roberto Bustamante of El Blog del Morsa [es] posts about the need to write and document the history of the internet in Peru, and provides some interesting data regarding that history.
Brazil: Who are the Brazilian bloggers
Who are the Brazilian bloggers? Pedro Cardoso [pt] and Tine Araújo [pt] are conducting a census [pt] to find out, among others, what academic and professional qualifications Brazilian bloggers have, their relationship with traditional media and their social habits, tools etc.
China: Will a Nobel Peace Prize really hurt our feelings?
Hu Jia's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize has raised the question: are The Chinese People easily upset by the notion of human rights? Party spokesman Liu Jianchao would have you think so, and many netizens agree. Not all do, however, judging from comments that haven't yet been deleted.
Iran:Filtering in Iran in One Web Day in Oxford
In One Web Day in Oxford, a small exhibition of Kosoof‘s works portray Iranian bloggers, who struggle with censorship and Internet filtering in their country. Watch them here and here.
Japan: Dropping out of Graduate School
At Hatena's AnonymousDiary, a former student of a Japanese graduate school describes their experience and why they decided to drop out [ja]. The student explains that in their lab, what mattered most was not experimental techniques or fundamental knowledge, but just the amount of time that students spent at their...
Egypt: National Theater on Fire
It seems that the Egyptians have succeeded in bringing Nero back to life. And the Egyptian Nero has a long list of places to burn. He started with the Egyptian Parliament a few weeks ago, and now it's time for the Egyptian National Theater.
