Stories from 20 January 2010
Haiti: Restoring Communications and Local Media Networks
Haiti's communication infrastructure was seriously damaged after being devastated by a 7.0 earthquake on January 12. It can be very empowering for people in Haiti to be able to narrate their stories in their own words. With this is in mind, Feminist International Radio Endeavour (FIRE) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters have launched projects to help restore local media projects.
Caribbean: Ready for another earthquake?
As stories and images of devastation pour out of Haiti, bloggers elsewhere in the Caribbean wonder if the earthquake-prone region is ready for the next major tremor.
Turkey: Solve the Hrant Dink case…
Erkan's Field Diary comments on the case of Hrant Dink, an ethnic Armenian journalist who was assassinated in broad daylight in Istanbul, Turkey, three years ago this week. The blog says that if the authorities actually solved the case completely they would also solve that of another — the controversial...
Haiti: A website to help locate survivors
A website, Survivors of Haiti's earthquake, has just been set up “to help to locate survivors of the earthquake that hit Haiti”, and is available both in French and English. The website allows an easy registering of a missing person (with description and picture), enables safe people to make themselves...
Haïti: No haste about adoptions!
Haïti, après le séisme warns [Fr] about the evacuation of children waiting to be adopted : “To act in haste would be disastrous”. Facing adopting families’ growing impatience and lack of understanding, the NL, U.S. and French governments are taking different stances. From Canada, Secrétariat à l’adoption internationale, as well...
Barbados, Haiti: Power of Love
“Yes, there is good emerging from the horror in Haiti, a very great deal of it. If it could, that power – the all-encompassing, ominpotent power of love – would end suffering” – and, blogging from Barbados, B.C. Pires is quick to remind us that “it comes unbidden from human...
Sri Lanka: The Tamil Votebank
Indrajit Samarajiva at Indi.ca discusses how Sri Lankan Tamils will vote and whether they will vote or stay out of the impending presidential election of Sri Lanka.
Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti: Supporting Citizen Media
“Anything I can say about Haiti is going to sound like a platitude, so I’ll spare you those having to do with human misery and direct another one at myself instead: I have no idea what to expect and am not sure my imagination can prepare me”: Global Voices’ Managing...
Cayman Islands: Earthquake Safety
As earthquake tremors are felt in the Cayman Islands, Islas Bellas posts a few safety tips.
Haiti: Communities
“As we consider the rapid militarization underway in Haiti and the prospect of a long-lasting U.S. or U.N. military presence in the country, there is growing concern about supporting local Haitian organizations who could lead the nation into an independent recovery attentive to local needs”: Repeating Islands posts a list...
Sri Lanka: Pre-Election Surveys
C A Saliya at Groundviews discusses various pre-election surveys for the upcoming presidential election in Sri Lanka. The surveys are showing conflicting outcomes.
Ukraine: Bloggers Discuss Presidential Election
Ukrainians went to the polls on Jan. 17 to choose their president from the 18 candidates running for the post this year. Opposition leader Victor Yanukovich received 35.32% of the vote; prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko is in second place, with 25.05%. As neither won 50% of the vote, they face a runoff vote on Feb. 7. Below are some of the reactions from the Ukrainian blogosphere.
India, Pakistan: Cricket Diplomacy
The Acorn comments that “it was wrong to leave Pakistani cricketers out” of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the IPL international players’ auction.
Egypt: Detained Bloggers Tell their Tales
More than 20 Egyptian bloggers, who were on their way to pay their respects to the families of the victims of the Coptic massacre, were arrested when their train arrived in the village of Naga Hammady in Upper Egypt. They were released shortly afterwards and they are now telling us their side of the story.
Russia: Yandex Released Most Popular Search Queries in 2009
Russia's most popular search engine Yandex.ru published [RUS] top 10 search queries in 2009. Those are “New Year”, “Eurovision 2009″, “homework”, “GTA 4″, “High School Diploma exam”, “International Women's Day”, “Long Night of Museums”, “Swine Flu”, “The Sims 3″ and “Defender of the Fatherland Day.”
Armenia: Prominent opposition figure sentenced
The Armenian Observer comments on yesterday's sentencing to 7 years in prison of Nikol Pashinyan, an outspoken opposition figure and newspaper editor. The blog condemns the judgement by the court, but also says that the action against him was as a result of his political activities and not for his...
Haiti: aftershock effects
Reactions to a strong aftershock (6.1 magnitude) in southern Haiti this morning, as relief efforts continue more than a week after a major earthquake devastated the region around the capital.
Taiwan: Relevance of right-wing
Dixteel argues that the KMT in Taiwan doesn't really fit the definition of right-wing.
Azerbaijan: 20th anniversary of Baku pogrom and Black January
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Black January, the day when the fledgling independence movement in Azerbaijan was brutally suppressed by Soviet troops ostensibly to curtail inter-ethnic tensions in the capital, Baku. Bloggers in Armenia and Azerbaijan, however, remember the date differently.
Hong Kong: Media harassment of activist
tj_legg blogs about the dirty act of a local magazine in publishing student activist Christina Chan Hau-man's bathroom pictures in the cover. The blogger interprets the dirty tactic as a mean to silence Chan.
Japan: Tokyo as example for how to rebuild Haiti
palmsundae comments on New York Times’ story about post-war Japan's experience in rebuilding Tokyo. The blogger provides more background on the idea of “user generated-cities”.
