Stories from 24 December 2009
Rwanda: Videos of volunteering
A series of videos uploaded by user kdarpa on youtube, featuring a group of volunteers and the people they met while they travelled to Rwanda and worked with local communities.
Israel: A Day of Bedouin Hospitality
Jerusalem Gypsy recounts her day trip to visit the Rashaida Bedouins of southern Israel where she milked a camel, was counseled on Arabic music, and learned the value of sheep's versus goat's wool blankets.
Israel: Micro-Giving Campaign Seeks to Raise $250K
The One Million Drops Jewish Charity Initiative hopes to drive funds to 275 different Israeli nonprofits and spur micro-giving in Israel, Jewlicious reports.
Israel: National Policy Needed for Foreign Workers
Amir Mizroch advocates for a national policy to protect foreign workers in Israel. “You could see the migrant worker story as an inevitable cultural and economic phenomenon with huge potential benefits to Israel. Fields get tilled and houses get built. We enjoy their culture and they enjoy ours. Call it...
India: Energy Policy
Shadow Warrior lists some points regarding energy, which India should have kept in mind during its participation in the recently concluded Copenhagen Summit.
Africa: Internet and Mobile Statistics in Africa in 2009
Africa grows fastest in the world according to mobile and internet statistics released by the International Telecommunications Union, writes Erik Hersman.
Africa: Contemporary African Art since 1980
Sci-Cultura reviews the book, Contemporary African Art Since 1980 by Okwui Enwezor and Chika Okeke-Agulu, which looks at the work of contemporary African artists from diverse situations, locations, and generations since the past 30 years.
Kenya: M-Pesa is not a Kenyan innovation
Gmeltdown argues that M-Pesa, the mobile-phone based money transfer service is not a Kenyan innovation as many people think.
South Africa: Remembering Busi
Sokari remembers Busi, a survivor of rape, HIV and diabetes: “Today is Busi’s birthday, she would have been 29 but she died on the 12th March 2007.”
Pakistan: Jihadi Culture On The Rise
“Despite ‘war on terrorism’ and Pakistan’s war against Taliban and massive propaganda against Muslim militants ‘Jihadi culture’ is on rise not only in FATA but in various parts of Pakistan, including Punjab,” comments Dr. Shabir Choudhry.
Bahamas: Culture Change
Bahamian Nicolette Bethel delves into the history of Stilton cheese to make a point about culture: “I’m going to argue…that culture does not just happen. Culture changes — like what is happening I write to the indigenous Junkanoo beat (which is being swallowed up by a hip-hop rhythm that is...
Bangladesh: Turning Back The Clock
To alleviate the nation's energy crisis Bangladesh adopted daylight saving time last June. The government has decided today to turn back the clock on the 31st December midnight. Omi Azad at Micro Reality Bites asks when exactly Bangladeshis will be celebrating the new year then?
Jamaica: Crash Landing
Jamaican bloggers discuss the crash of an American Airlines jet in Kingston.
Bhutan: The Finer Things In Life
Liz Warren at Teaching In Thimphu looks back at her life in Bhutan focusing on three simple words – laughter, beauty and trust. “Consider your own lives and see where these three words take you,” comments Liz.
Nepal: The Power Struggle
“(The) Maoists fought for ‘freedom’ from age old monarchy, but someone else has replaced the monarch now and is ruling Nepal,” comments Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal while discussing the recent power struggle between the Maoists and the ruling coalition.
Iran:Hope in the Mourning Month
Ankaboute Gouya, an Iranian blogger, writes [fa] that Iranian people have high hopes to change regime and it is first time in Muharram, the mourning month, that people make Islamic leaders to cry!
Kazakhstan: Another Mass Infection Scandal
KZBlog reports that 150 children suffering from leukemia were infected with hepatitis C. This is not the first case when children get infected during blood transfusions in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan: Oil Refinery to install aromatics complex
Atyraujournal reports on the plans of the Atyrau Oil Refinery in Western Kazakhstan to upgrade it's facilities and to install aromatics complex by 2013.
Afghanistan: Opium not so profitable
Nick Fielding reports that according to the newly released United Nations's survey, opium cultivation in Afghanistan decreased by 22 per cent, while production fell by 10 per cent to 6,900 tons.
Uzbekistan: People are indifferent towards elections
Musafirbek writes that two online surveys, held by loyal to the Uzbek government news agency, reveal that people are not interested in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Tajikistan: The price tag of truth
The Tajik government has recently instituted fees for information requests from journalists and the general public. Botur examines how putting a price tag on information will hurt freedom.
