Stories from 3 November 2009
USA: Race and Gender Politics of Halloween
Racial stereotypes and oversexed depictions of women were not uncommon for Halloween costumes this season, as many US bloggers noted. One "illegal alien" costume sold in major stores, was even found offensive enough to provoke a campaign against it.
Azerbaijan: Virginity
Emotions on Air, Mind Mute ponders societal expectations that women remain virgins until they marry. Although based in Azerbaijan, the blog notes the same value system throughout the entire Caucasus and speaks out about such patriarchal concepts and practices.
Pakistan: At War
Mohammad Malick comments on the recent terror attack in Peshawar's market area for lower and middle class people: “(it) showed that it is a war with terrorists standing on one side of the blood line, and we the people on the other.”
Bangladesh: Beggars Can Be Choosers
Bangladesh Corporate Blog analyzes the decision of Bangladesh government to establish separate begging zones in the capital Dhaka.
India: Plagiarism?
Photoblogger Anil is surprised to find that a photograph taken by him of the main building of Bishop Cotton School in Shimla was used for a commemorative postage stamp published by the Indian postal Service.
Peru: Chimbote in Blogs
The Peruvian coastal city of Chimbote may be best known for its fishing industry, but there is a lot of cultural activity taking place. Blogs from Chimbote have played an important role in covering this cultural movement.
Georgia: Orthodox scandal
In the most religious country of the South Caucasus where the Orthodox Church's Patriarch can even encourage a baby boom, criticizing the clergy is still somewhat taboo. Lampooning them, however, is even worse and fraught with danger.
Madagascar: Economic Update
Is the economy going down in Madagascar?: “If recent trends persisted during September, three new developments seem to indicate a deterioration in public finance and economic activities: (i) the Government borrowed on the domestic financial market (about half of its monthly expenditures) for the first time since the beginning of...
Kenya: Nairobi Christmas Tourism Expo
Bankelele writes about Christmas Tourism Expo in Nairobi, Kenya: “The annual Christmas tourism expo (Getaway ’09 fair) fair was held at Sarit center last weekend. About 75 exhibitors were offering holiday packages for Christmas and the New Year in addition to 2010 rates.”
Kenya: Blogging the first open map of Kibera
An initiative aimed at creating the first open map of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya: “And yesterday we spent the whole day at MS ActionAid Kenya, where the Danish students were introduced to mapping techniques along with several others from organizations as diverse as Ushahidi, UNICEF, Umande Trust, and World Bike.”
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Poll Taking a Toll
Vincentian Life is “more than a little concerned that…electoral officials have up to 14 days in which to make public the results of the November 25 [referendum on constitutional amendments] poll. That is scary – I mean we have a situation where desperate men are behaving like they are going...
Trinidad & Tobago: Determining Racism
“The important thing, I think, is that if you don't want to be a racist, you need to focus on how you treat people, not on how you react to people”: Trinidadian Ian Ramjohn suggests that “in the end, it all boils down to what you're used to.”
Jamaica: Bleak Outlook
The Liming House says that the resignation of the Central Bank governor, coupled with Standard & Poor's downgrading of the country's rating, ” is…a serious blow to Jamaica.”
Jamaica: Of Patties & Personalities
Francis Wade thinks that Jamaicans and Trinidadians can learn a lot from each other.
The future of ICT4D: How soon is now?
In the final of three posts on the future of ICTs for development, we examine a few projects that could change the way people leverage technology in rural areas.
Palestine: A Cartoonist's Visit
American political cartoonist Daryl Cagle shares his recent visit to Palestine on his blog, also sharing the work of Palestinian cartoonists he met there.
Syria: The Best or the Worst Article Ever?
Syrian bloggers frequently decry travel writing about their country - often it's too stereotypical, sometimes downright false. And for a country considered long "isolated" at least from the United States, it can be particularly frustrating to see such writing promoted as accurate. In this post, we will examine reactions to a recent National Geographic article on the country.
Introducing Threatened Voices
Today, Global Voices Advocacy is launching a new website called Threatened Voices to help track suppression of free speech online. It features a world map and an interactive timeline that help visualize the story of threats and arrests against bloggers worldwide, and it is a central platform to gather information from the most dedicated organisations and activists.
Eritrea: Happy Anniversay Asmarino!
Asmarino website celebrates its 12th anniversary: “Twelve years is a lifetime for a website. As in an individual’s personal growth, Asmarino’s development went through various phases without altering the basic values it holds dear…”
Kenya: Bloggers discuss first Kenyan gay marriage
A Kenyan gay couple caused an outrage when they decided to be joined in a civil union, the whole nation cried “foul, that's not right.” Charles and Daniel legalized their union on October17, in London.
Zimbabwe: Is Tsvangirai righting SADC's wrongs?
Marianna discusses latest efforts by Zimbabwean Prime Minister to end Zimbabwe's political crisis.
