Stories from 25 August 2009
Netherlands: Too young to sail the world alone at 13?
Laura Dekker from the Netherlands is 13 years-old and wants to sail around the world alone to break a world record, but the Dutch Child Welfare Council have taken legal action to stop her.
Suriname: Photo-Op
Paramaribo SPAN features the photography of Reshma Kirpalani who, upon her return to Suriname, intends “to explore this country just as it exists, at this point in time: on the eve of an election year, on the brink of progress, in the ebb and flow of inevitability.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Gender Policy
From Trinidad and Tobago, gspott asks: “Where's the Gender Policy?”, noting that while they can't say what exactly the new version of the Policy contains, they can can “offer…a special preview of all the really scary stuff on homosexuality that’s caused the Policy to turn into such a national mess...
Barbados: Boycotting
As Barbados Underground joins the call for the boycott of a local newspaper, citing “another case of a weak media exposed”, Living in Barbados examines the power of boycotting, saying: “To boycott effectively you have to have self-sacrifice.”
Bermuda: Cricket Lows
BeachLime.com laments the fact that “Bermuda cricket has fallen to new lows.”
Brazil: Students arrested for demonstrating in the Senate
Students were held for demonstrating against the Senate's President José Sarney and suffered many threats. We hear the blogosphere's thoughts on Brazilian democracy being slowly done away with.
Pakistan: In Search Of Identity
Farzana Shaikh at Pak Tea House tries to make sense of Pakistan's identity crisis.
Palestine: Qatayef, A Special Ramadan Dessert
During Ramadan one of the special dishes enjoyed throughout the Arab world is qatayef, small pancakes stuffed with various sweet fillings. One blogger in Gaza has watched them being made, and another Gazan blogger provides a recipe.
Sri Lanka: Citizen Media Contest
Sri Lankan citizen journalism initiative Groundviews announced a new competition “aimed at encouraging more citizen journalism on two vital issues confronting polity and society in post-war Sri Lanka – the conditions facing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and growing reports of Police brutality”, informs ICT for Peacebuilding (ICT4Peace) blog.
Uruguay: Independence Day
August 25 is Uruguayan Independence Day and Mariolo of 1 x Día [es] celebrates with nostalgia.
Uruguay: The Passing of Canario Luna
Enrique Place writes about the recent passing of Uruguayan singer Washington “Canario” Luna [es].
India: A wave of suicides among farmers
Increasingly, Indian farmers are resorting to extreme measures, including suicide, to escape complex problems of poverty, crop failure and growing debt. Indian bloggers analyze the situation.
Argentina: Borges Birthday
It is the 110th anniversary of the birth of Argentine writer Jorge Borges, and Keff Barry of Buenos Aires, City of Faded Elegance looks back at some of his favorite Borges stories.
Argentina: The Construction of the Valley Train
Pablo of Vivir en Neuquen Capital [es] wonders when construction for the “Valley Train” will begin. The start date is programmed for December, but according to news reports that there has not even been a bidding process for some of the materials.
Kenya: Free wi-fi locations in Nairobi
Do you want to know where to find free wi-fi in Nairobi, Kenya? Read Rebecah's post on Changing Journalism blog.
Ghana: Interview with rapper A-Plus
Museke chats with Ghanaian rapper, A-Plus: “Ghanaian hiplife music lyrics are not very conscious or political in general but one artiste has gained a reputation for making political songs.”
Kenyan cartoonists find a home in the blogosphere
The older Kenyan generations vividly remember cartoon characters like Bogi Benda, Juha Kalulu and many others who premiered in newspapers. But times are changing and the internet is changing almost everything including the medium that cartoonists are using to share their thoughts.
Zimbabwe: Toll gate chaos
Read all about toll gate chaos in Zimbabwe: “The roadblocks are causing confusion amongst Zimbabweans, and a colleague of mine relayed a conversation he had with a farmer in the Esigodini area, which conveys the impact the toll gates may have on daily lives.”
Ghana: Invitation to Kumasi meetup
Tobias writes about Kumasi meetup where participants are expected to learn about ICT and Kabisa. Kabissa is a network of people who are working online and on the ground for positive change in Africa.
China: Free speech under control 2.0
David Bandurski translated an article from CCP mouthpiece publication, Qiushi, on “Freedom of Speech and the Media’s Responsibility”. The article showed the Chinese government's desire for a fair share in the global public opinion.
China: The Death of the Internet Addict Youth
ESWN translated a Southern Metropolis Daily article about the death of a young man at an Internet addict healing camp. The article got the editor fired from his job.
