Stories from 4 January 2009
Ethiopia: Opposition leader jailed
Samuel Gebru reports that opposition leader Birtukan Medeksa faces life imprisonment for denying that she apologized to the Government for her role in the 2005 unrest. Mamá Etiopía [Es] reports...
Rwanda: The myth of the lack of hospitality
Morgan in Rwanda debunks the popular myth amongst expats living in Rwanda that Rwandese are not hospitable and don't invite people over for dinner. She concludes: “knowing how to communicate...
Niger: Tolerance with mental disability
P3jessca5 of Leemu Haari, a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, reflects on tolerance in her host country by sharing a few stories of encounters with mentally ill people and how...
Palestine: The people of Gaza “trapped, traumatized, terrorized”
Israeli ground troops have moved further into the Gaza Strip, and naval, air and land bombardment has continued. These are some of the blog posts that have come out of...
South Africa: Personal review of 2008
Pitso Gauteng of Thinking Aloud reflects on the main events of 2008 in South Africa, and adds a note about the rest of Africa as well.
Zimbabwe: A promise for 2009
Hope of This is Zimbabwe shares a recent story in which a little girl was begging drivers to help her take her grandmother to the hospital, and she makes a...
Côte d'Ivoire: Porn display in news stands
Le blog de Yoro [Fr] shows a picture of a news stand in Abidjan, wondering why pornographic publications are displayed so prominently.
Americas: Calls for Peace in Palestine
Several Latin American bloggers are watching the events unfold in Gaza and they often feel helpless. They use their blogs to demand peace in the region. However, they also feel...
Celebrating the Epiphany in Haiti
Haitian blogger J’ai découvert [Fr] writes about celebrating the Epiphany in Port-au-Prince. “The holiday still remains controversial in Haiti for the country's three most popular religions (Protestantism, Catholicism, and Voodism).”
U.K: London Gaza Protest
Photo This & That, the blog of British photographer Edmond Terakopian, posts photographs of yesterday's protest against Israeli military action in Gaza. In a second post, the established and award-winning...
Azerbaijan: Cultural Destruction
Another year has passed since the 1994 ceasefire put the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh on hold, but a lasting peace remains elusive. However, both countries continue...
Azerbaijan: Back in Baku
Thoughts On The Road returns to Baku, capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and recounts a conversation with a local taxi driver on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The blog reflects...
Global: Protests for Palestine
The world has come out in support of Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of people have turned up at rallies and demonstrations over the past five days, which have spanned the...
Armenia: Fugitive Activist Blog
Via Tzitzernak2, a blog has been established dealing with fugitive newspaper editor and opposition activist, Nikol Pashinyan. Currently on the run from the authorities following the 1 March post-presidential election...
Russia: Confronting the Public Chamber
Grigory Pasko of Robert Amsterdam presents his views of Russia's Public Chamber as an incompetent replacement of civil society and argues why he thinks so.
Russia-Ukraine: Explaining enigmatic gas row
Steve LeVine of The Oil and the Glory explains some aspects of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis from the perspective of international energy pricing.
Lithuania: France behind EU demands for nuclear shutdown?
Lituanica quotes and discusses allegations by Baltic media that France would have put pressure on Lithuania by way of the European Union for the closure of the country's Ignalina nuclear...
Poland: Top five politicians in 2008
Raf Uzar picks out his choice of Poland's top five politicians in 2008 and tells his readers why.
Azerbaijan: Foreign Broadcasts Banned Ahead of Constitutional Referendum
As the country prepared to see in the New Year, Azerbaijan's National Council for Television and Radio banned international radio stations from broadcasting on national frequencies. The decision was effective...
Brazil: Investigating the Brazilian appropriation of Twitter
Gabriela Zabo and Raquel Recuero invite all Twitter users in Brazil to answer 35 questions regarding the Brazilian appropriation of the tool. “We would really appreciate if you also spread...
