Stories from 12 April 2011
Brazil: The Wikicity of Porto Alegre
PortoAlegre.cc [pt] is a platform for “understanding, debating, inspiring and transforming [Porto Alegre]” based on the concept of Wikicity. The platform was designed in the Brazilian university Vale do Rio dos Sinos (Unisinos) as a way to ensure that everyone's “voices are heard to discuss concerns of the city.”
Belarus: Beyond Bomb or Blast
Even before the smoke from Monday's Minsk Metro blast dispersed, the dual question of: "What is to be done? - Who is to blame?" arose in the Belarusian blogosphere. Two major strands of thought dominate, blaming either President Lukashenko or the political opposition, although a deeper sentiment of sympathy for the victims seems to unite the people of Minsk.
Uganda: #walk2work Arrests Spur Hunger Strike, Future Protests
Rather than backing down after the arrest of two Ugandan opposition leaders for staging a "Walk to Work" protest against high fuel and food prices on Monday, Ugandan activists have responded by announcing a hunger strike and planning more demonstrations.
Peru: Reactions Following the First 2011 Electoral Round
After celebrating the elections in Peru, the results indicate a second round between Ollanta Humala and Keiko Fujimori. Bloggers, candidates, and analysts coincide that the result is principally a "vote of punishment" for the economic policies managed by governments in recent years, that have fomented growth and created a new economic prosperity that does not reach everyone.
Armenia: Starlet ‘upset’ about Turkish magazine cover
Ianyan comments on attempts by the Armenian lobby in the U.S. to scandalize the use of a photograph of American-Armenian starlet Kim Kardashian on the cover of this month's Turkish edition of Cosmopolitan magazine. Coinciding with the anniversary of the the 1915 deportation and massacre of ethnic Armenians in the...
Guatemala: The Women Running for President
Mike in Central American Politics writes about the women running for president in Guatemala, and argues that “Guatemala is almost guaranteed to have a woman occupy the presidency or vice presidency after September's election.”
El Salvador: Leader in Anti-Mining Movement Wins Goldman Environmental Prize
“Francisco Pineda, a leader in the anti-mining movement in Cabañas, was named yesterday one of the 2011 recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize,” Tim reports in his blog on El Salvador. “Francisco Pineda is a farmer with a degree in sustainable agriculture and is the founder and president of the...
Caribbean: Gayle's Performance
When it comes to the calibre of Chris Gayle's captaincy, WICB Expose says, tongue-in-cheek, that “we don’t know who to believe.”
Cuba: No Questions Asked
“We have to see Fidel Castro as a piece of living history. A stream of bright ideas…the only comandante. The man who never makes mistakes”: Iván García would like to comment.
Colombia: Citizens Reject Proposal to Reform Higher Education Law 30
Colombian President Santos' proposal to reform the Higher Education Law 30 has not been received well. Despite some accepting it, the loudest voices heard, online and in the streets, have been the opposition. This past April 7 a national march was held; at the same time, netizens share their concerns on blogs, videos, web pages and other social media.
Fukushima: Public Criticism and a Rising Anger
Open protests against Tepco as operator and the government as monitor had been relatively muted until recently, but this has now changed. For many foreigners however, used to much bigger numbers of demonstrators in their own countries, doubts remain. Why do Japanese people seem so reluctant to criticize the company and industry responsible for this man made disaster and the government which let it all happen?
China: What Happened to Chinese Facebook Users on April 5, 2011
Shanghaiist found out from Social Bakers that on April 5, about 40% (250,000) of Chinese Facebookers disappeared.
China: Netizens’ Comments on Food Safety
China Geek translated some Chinese netizens’ comments on food safety.
Czech Republic: The President's Chilean Pen Incident
The Reference Frame comments on the Czech President Václav Klaus’ successful attempt to steal a protocol pen during a joint press conference with the Chilean President Sebastián Piñera in Chile.
Zimbabwe: No hope for security sector reforms
Sokwanele has no hope for security sector reforms in Zimbabwe: “Zimbabwe’s security forces comprise the Central Intelligence Organisation, Zimbabwe National Army, Airforce of Zimbabwe, Police and the Prisons, whose commanders are war veterans and President Robert Mugabe’s close allies.”
Belarus: Reactions to Subway Explosion
A bomb blast inside the Oktyabrskaya station of the Minsk metro has so far left 11 dead and wounded hundreds. Ashley Cleek had been collecting information and bloggers' reactions in the chaos that followed the event.
Uganda: “Mary the elephant” killed
“Window shopping elephant” in Uganda has been killed: “The female elephant, recently risen to fame when pictures were published in the Uganda media about walking along the Katunguru roadside stores, was apparently poisoned and found dead.”
Russia: Two Projects Win The BOBs People's Choice Awards
Two Russian projects win The Best of Blogs People's Choice Awards. They are: rospil.info, crowdsourcing anti-corruption community in the nomination “The Best Use of Technology for Social Good,” and the blog of Novaya Gazeta, an independent newspaper in the “Reporters Without Borders Award” nomination.
Côte d'Ivoire: Laurent Gbagbo's Fall
On April 11 2011, Laurent Gbagbo was arrested at his residence in Cocody, with his wife, Simone, and their close entourage. The crisis that plagued the country has now seemingly found its epilogue. The sequence of events that led to Ggagbo's arrest was documented in details by online videos and intensely commented on the web.
South Koreans Baffled By Five Consecutive University Suicides
South Koreans are buzzing over recurring suicides which occurred in one prestigious university. The school's unique penalty tuition system which was adopted by the president of the school also went under fire for driving students to extreme stress, even to the death.
Egypt: “We are all Maikel Nabil”
The sentencing of blogger Maikel Nabil to 3 years in prison by a military tribunal in closed session for criticizing the army, two days after a bloody crackdown in Tahrir Square, has Egyptian netizens in an uproar, exercising their newfound free speech rights while seeing them being threatened
