Stories from 17 November 2009
Bermuda: Crossing the Rubicon
Following news of a gang-related shooting in Bermuda, Vexed Bermoothes says: “The public lawlessness is so depressing that I am at a loss for words.”
Barbados, Jamaica: The Politics of Homosexuality
“In Barbados we have a long way to go regarding how as a country we want to deal with the issue of homosexuality”: Barbados Underground says “it would be unfortunate...
Guyana: Autobiographical
“I've always thought of autobiography as an attempt to leave behind–forever in memoriam–something more or less truthful about one's existence”: Signifyin’ Guyana wonders what the first lines of your autobiography...
Guyana: Vampire Snacks
Guyana-Gyal comes up with an innovative marketing plan to sell mosquitoes…
Namibia: Justice wanted in forced sterilisation case
Namibia Planned Parenthood Association (NAPPA) wants justice for women whose rights have been violated as a result of forced sterilisation.
Africa: Allah is not obliged
Sokari reviews Ahmadou Kourouma's novel, Allah is not obliged: “There are three sets of interwoven stories. The story of Birahima and his many wanderings with different militias across the region...
Malawi: No guts, No Glory
No Guts, No Glory is a story from Lilongwe Writers Circle: “First disappointment – no booze. Secondly, it was full of young, enthusiastic, teetotallers – us alcoholic grannies didn’t know...
Peru: Air Force Officer Charged with Spying for Chile
Peruvian Air Force Officer Victor Ariza Mendoza was arrested and charged with spying for Chile, which has increased the tension between the two countries, leading some to call for the boycott of Chilean products.
China: Obama as a big supporter of non-censorship
Adam Minter is disappointed by Obama's comment in the Shanghai Town Hall meeting with students, in particular, his expression that “I'm a big supporter of non-censorship”.
China: Obama's Q & A session
Alice Poon from Asia Sentinel translated a blog post written by Lipuman regarding Obama's comment on Twitter and Firewall.
India, Pakistan: The Sky Below
Kamla Bhatt reviews a documentary of Sarah Singh (New York), The Sky Below, which looks at the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947 and “how it impacted the people...
Ukraine: News and Views Roundup
Ukraine roundup: flu and politics – at What's Up, Ukraine? and at Jamestown Foundation Blog, here and here; the latest on the tense relationship between the Ukrainian president and PM...
Hungary: More on Imre Kertész's Interview
More on the Hungarian reactions to Imre Kertész's Die Welt interview – at Hungarian Spectrum. (Marietta Le's GV post about it is here.)
Czech Republic, Slovakia: Velvet Revolution, 20 Years On
On Nov. 17, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, and The Czech Daily Word lists “most frequent stupid arguments and errors” of...
Russia: Medvedev's Speech and IT; Twitter and the Police
Profy writes about the IT dimension of president Medvedev's annual address: “The draft speech was initially published online as a lengthy article by the president and he invited all the...
Russia: Forbes Website
Profy writes about the newly-launched ForbesRussia.ru website and “their obvious lack of interest in anything local and specific to the Russian market, in particular in the field of social media...
Slovenia, Russia: Thoughts on Blogging
Dr. Filomena and Profy are musing on what it means to be a blogger.
Impact of ICT on Indigenous Cultures: Rejuvenation or Colonization?
Can ICT truly preserve and protect distinct identities and culture? The cultural debate surrounding deployment of ICT in the field of indigenous/ knowledge and culture simply refuses to die down.
