Stories from 21 September 2010
Slovenia: Severe Floods and… Surfing?!
While severe floods plague Slovenia [SLO], Balkan portals from Croatia to Macedonia keep republishing a video clip named “wakeboarding in Ljubljana at 1am,” showing a car towing a surfer through the streets and passing by a dry cleaning sign.
Macedonia, Greece: Porcupine Tree Concert in Thessaloniki
Macedonian blogs Baba mi Trajanka (My Grandma Trajanka) and Voodoo Lounge published a multimedia reportage [MKD] and a favorable review [MKD] about the concert of a UK progressive rock band Porcupine Tree near Thessaloniki, in neighboring Greece, attended by youth from all over the region.
Egypt: Mubarak Leads the World
A doctored photograph which appeared in an Egyptian paper showing Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak at the Washington Middle East peace meeting has been exposed. Issandr El Amrani, from The Arabist, sheds more light on the situation here.
Egypt: A 210-year-old map on Google Earth
How would a 210-year-old map of Cairo look on Google Earth today? Egyptian blogger Mostafa attempts an answer, with must-see illustrations.
Algeria: Who's in the Cabinet?
Who makes up the Algerian cabinet? The Moor Next Door has the answer here.
Algeria: Women in Parliament
In this post, The Moor Next Door takes a closer look at women in the Algerian parliament, as well as relationships within the Algerian government.
Egypt: Did Gamal Mubarak Order a Blog Block?
Zeinobia, from Egypt, reports that political activist and blogger Amr Osama's blog was allegedly blocked, following a complaint from Gamal Mubarak‘s office.
Bahrain: Doctored Translations
“Some of our illustrious press carried a doctored translation in Arabic of what the US State Department spokesman said when asked about the deteriorating security situation in Bahrain,” writes Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif.
Egypt/Syria: Free Tal
Egyptian Zeinobia reports on a protest held by Egyptian activists in front of the Syrian Embassy in Cairo in solidarity with arrested 19-year-old Syrian blogger Tal Mallohi. More information is available here and here.
Palestine: Family Matters
Palestinian writer Khulud at Life in Fragments blogs about the “importance” of coming from a respected family in obtaining a job offer, and how she would rather be recognised for her own skills than her family background, in this post.
India: An Inspiring Train Journey
“Tata Jagriti Yatra is an annual train journey that that takes 400 of India’s highly motivated youth (with some participation of international students) on an 18-day national train-journey, introducing them to unsung heroes of India,” informs Think Change India blog.
Maldives: Less Women in Government Positions
Haumaldives criticizes the decrease in representations of women in government jobs during the tenure of the present government.
Sri Lanka: Social Good Day In Colombo
Amitha Amarasinghe informs that Social Good Day Colombo will take place on the 23rd of September at Refresh Colombo, which is the monthly meet-up of Colombo’s web and technology enthusiasts’ community.
Tanzania: Running for office using Kanga and social media
A Tanzanian politician uses kanga and social media to campaign: “The fact that Zitto Kabwe is reporting via Twitter, blog, Flickr and Facebook from Kigoma North, while at the same time operating an election campaing with traditional elements – like the ngoma and the kanga – is a clear fact...
Namibia: Teaching English in Namibia
Lynn shares her experience teaching English in Windhoek, Namibia: “English is the official language of Namibia and my understanding is that public school classes are taught in English. I think most pre-school kids hear Afrikaans and/or their indigenous languages in their homes and arrive in first grade without a kindergarten...
Africa: Ajami Writing System
Do you know Ajami writing system?: “Ajami writing system has been used for at least at least a thousands years in parts of Africa. As I understand it, the script is a modification of Arabic incorporating local languages such as Hausa [mainly the northern regions of Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana]...
Africa: The Black Venus
Africa is a Country posts a 30-second trailer of the movie “Venus Noire” (Black Venus) about the life of Sara Baartman, the 18th century young Khoi woman publicly exhibited as a circus freak in Europe.
Kenya: Governance Reform From Below
Tobias writes about John Githongo‘s lecture and a new social movement in Kenya: “The lecture took place almost exactly a year ago, and in it you can see the seeds of what has become Inuka Ni Sisi, “a grassroots social movement dedicated to inspiring Kenyans at every level to take...
Argentina: Citizen Journalism in La Plata
Letra Compartida [es] is an online citizen news website from La Plata. Citizen journalists can register on the site for free and upload text, photos, audio and videos.
Venezuela: Blogging About Colonial Art
In the blog Arte Colonial en Venezuela [es], Art Historian Janeth Rodríguez writes about Colonial Art in Venezuela.
Haiti: Rock On
Blogging for Inside Disaster, Emmanuel Midi profiles a young entrepreneur who continues to produce his “rock art”, even in the aftermath of the earthquake.
