5 May 2011

Stories from 5 May 2011

Cuba: Return Prohibited for U.S. Professor and Blogger

  5 May 2011

Ted Henken, professor at Baruch College at the City University of New York, a well-versed blogger in the Cuban blogosphere, has been informed by authorities from the Department of Security of the State of Cuba that he will not be returning to the island. Over the course of his 12 day stay, Henken interviewed over 40 bloggers for an investigation about blogs and the Internet in Cuba.

Haiti: Cholera as the Last Straw

  5 May 2011

Toussaint on Haiti says that although he sees the merits of the United Nations, “in the case of Haiti, they are causing more harm than good. Whether it's in providing support in running elections or with earthquake reconstruction the UN comes across as a bloated, inefficient organization that's often out...

Colombia: The Vallenato Legend Festival

  5 May 2011

Vallenato is one of the most popular and representative music genres in Colombia. There is a whole culture around Vallenato, and the city of Valledupar is paralyzed by the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata (Vallenato Legend Festival), a festival that takes place during late April.

Japan: Sanka, Legendary Gypsies Living in the Wild

  5 May 2011

A documentary has recently revived interest in the existence of the 'Sanka', a group of people who are said to have lived in the remote mountains and plains of the Japanese archipelago until the 1970s. Some bloggers have speculated on the origins of these legendary nomads.

Haiti, U.S.A.: Communication & Power

  5 May 2011

Throwing Down the Water wonders about the meaning behind the fact that Osama bin Laden’s capture was tweeted, saying: “It is still a victor-led world. History is still being written by those in power. The difference is that the victor knows it and so must…be ever so slightly more accountable...

Cuba: About Those “Reasons”

  5 May 2011

“Taking another look at ‘The Reasons of Cuba’, I reach the conclusion that Raul Castro is making way for the inevitable- the transition”: Cuban Voices from Exile explains.

Mexico Prepares for Massive National Protest on May 8

  5 May 2011

Next Sunday May 8, 2011, Mexican citizens will march to demand the end of the "War on Drugs." Thirty one cities in Mexico, in nearly all its states, have already scheduled protests. International cities like Berlin, London, Hamburg, Río de Janeiro, New York, Montreal and Barcelona are also participating.

Cote d'Ivoire: An Aid Worker Diary

  5 May 2011

Oxfam aid worker, Charles Bambara, describes his journey through war-torn Côte d'Ivoire, visiting communities of displaced people. He says people are in urgent need of food and sanitation in overcrowded shelters.

Greece: Arab Cyberactivists To Speak About Networked Uprisings

  5 May 2011

Global Voices authors Tarek Amr and Lina Ben Mhenni, as well as the administrator of Tunisian group blog Nawaat, Malek Khadraoui, will be speaking in Athens on May 7, 2011 about the Arab revolutions and online censorship, in an event [el] organized by Greek political zines re-public and konteiner. Nawaat is the...

Kyrgyzstan: Osama Bin Laden Dies, Bloggers React

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York, the remote Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan proved itself a key ally in the United States-led war on terror. Washington's presence in the country has often been viewed ambiguously. It comes as no surprise then, that the death of Osama Bin Laden, the popularly assumed mastermind of the attacks, was treated by many Kyrgyz bloggers - and some politicians - with a sense of apathy and even cynicism.

Brazil: Interview to a 10 Year Old Blogger

  5 May 2011

The young brazilian blogger Aninha Zortea [Pt], only 10 years of age, was interviewed [Pt] by journalist Luiz Carlos Azenha after commenting on his blog Viomundo [Pt]. She created her blog after her father, Luigi Zortea, died on Air France's flight AF 447 that fell on the Atlantic ocean in...