Stories from October, 2009
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Woman for California Assembly
A Saudi-born woman, Ferial Al Masry, is running for the California State Assembly, writes Saudi blogger Qusay.
Japan: Animated stereoviews of old Japan
Pink Tentacle picked up enigmatic photographer T. Enami (1859-1929)'s photos of old Japan and represented the stereoviews through gif animation.
Egypt: Egyptian Male Blogger Orders Artificial Hymen
So much was said and written about the artificial virginity hymen kit - that Egyptian male blogger Mohamed Al Rahhal just had to buy one. Marwa Rakha brings us the story.
Russia: Khodorkovsky's Case, 6 Years On
In The Huffington Post, Robert Amsterdam writes about Mikhail Khodorkovsky's case, six years on.
The Balkans: Karadzic's Trial; Plavsic’s Release
Americans for Bosnia writes about the trial of Radovan Karadzic. Samaha writes about Biljana Plavsic’s release.
Ukraine: Charity
Scenes From the Sidewalk writes about an encounter with one of Kyiv's many homeless children – and posts photos from actress Olga Kurilenko's visit to a CrossRoads Foundation/ChildRescue's rehabilitation center. Wild World of Sean's Blog reports on a charity visit to a Kyiv hospital for children affected by the Chernobyl...
Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia: “Dumping Grounds for People”
Dumping Grounds for People is a blog devoted to the results “of a four-months long journalistic investigation, conducted mostly undercover in ten institutions for adults with intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia.” A Flickr photo set, by Yana Buhrer Tavanier, is here, along with this note:...
Albania: Robert Elsie's “Albanian Dialects”
Albanian Blogger recommends scholar Robert Elsie's work to those interested in the Albanian language and literature.
Ukraine: Interview With A Drug Addict
David Sasaki shares thoughts on “engaging, not exoticizing human rights” and posts a video interview with Pavel Kutsev, a self-described “average drug addict” and “the co-founder of Drop-In Center, a Ukrainian organization which advocates for the rights of the injection drug user communication and for better national policy related to...
Hungary: Budapest
Marietta Le of Remainder of Budapest comments on Budapest Business Region's campaign video and on the discussion raging on YouTube and elsewhere – here and here. She also links to a site that lists seven tour routes for those interested in Budapest's contemporary architecture, and posts pictures from a walk...
Hungary: 1956
Hungarian Spectrum writes about an online collection of testimony (HUN) on the events of 1956, which “helped the western powers understand the Hungarian situation, not just events that occurred during the revolution but more importantly the reasons for the outbreak of the uprising.” Remainder of Budapest wrote this on the...
Hungary: Dual Citizenship
Hungarian Spectrum writes about “a recurrent theme in Hungarian politics”: dual citizenship.
Video: Winners of UN Contest became Citizen Ambassadors
We bring you the 5 winning videos for the UN contest where participants sent in a video stating what they would tell world leaders if they had the chance. The 5 video bloggers had the opportunity to give their message in person at the UN Day celebration in New York City.
Hungary: Update on ‘Nap-Kelte’ Talk Show
Hungarian Spectrum posts an update on the situation around the Nap-kelte political talk show – and is “trying to make sense of Hungarian legal thinking.”
Cuba: Contemplating Change
“I think that for Cuba to transition to an open society from a society ‘with some emergency exits’, some of the people now occupying positions of power in the government could take a long vacation…”: Octavo Cerco contemplates what's needed for meaningful change in Cuba.
Videos on how Maternal Mortality Affects Communities
When a woman dies during pregnancy, childbirth or due to complications after delivery, it affects not only the family, but also the whole community.
Guadeloupe, Martinique: Soccer & Religion
A video showing an interview of the famous French soccer player Thierry Henry in which he expresses his affiliation to Islam, has caught the attention of Martinican blogger Bondamanjak [Fr/Fr Cr] and triggered impassioned comments from readers.
Martinique: Debating over the statutory change
Martinican MontrayKreyol discusses the popular debates [Fr] over the change of institutional status of Martinique as a French overseas department.
Reunion: Creole becomes second official language
In the midst of the International Creole Month, Guadeloupean blogger CaribCreoleOne discusses [Fr] the now official use of Creole language alongside French in all the administrative procedures and places, in the city of Le Port in Reunion.
Pakistan: Four Issues On The Waziristan Operation
Ahsan at Five Rupees lists four things to be aware of during the Waziristan offensive against the Taliban insurgents by Pakistan army.
India: BJP Needs A New Leader
The Acorn opines that the major Indian political party BJP must elect its next leader to lift the party from political turmoil.