2 June 2011

Stories from 2 June 2011

Brazil: After All There is a Place for Belo Monte Dam

  2 June 2011

Despite the disastrous social and environmental impact in the Amazon, the brazilian government has allowed for the construction of Belo Monte dam. Netizens are raising awareness by sharing a photo of the indigenous leader Raoni, but the association of the image with the recent news is false, as Candido Cunha...

Sri Lanka: Presidential Intervention

  2 June 2011

Freedom Of Expression In Sri Lanka reports that “the head of the President’s media unit has pressurized all newspaper institutions to remove the head line they had in their news papers on the FTZ employee who died in a police shooting on a demonstration held at Katunayake.”

Russia: Social Networks and Civic Mobilisation

What effect can the rapid development of social networks, the growth of the number of users, and the strengthening of their capacity for social impact and mobilisation have, and when? Marina Litinovich analyses the factors contributing to public mobilisation via social networks.

Bhutan: Do Not Ignore Facebook

  2 June 2011

Tshering Tobgay writes about the growing influence of social media in Bhutan and comments that the Bhutanese government should use Facebook, not ignore it.

Russia: Freelance Researcher Reveals Skype Source Code

Efim Bushmanov, Russian ‘freelance researcher’ and a programmer, publishes reverse-engineered source code of Skype internet messenger. Bushmanov explains: “While “Wall Street Journal” makes politics and skype today's trend, i want to publish my research on this. My aim is to make skype open source. And find friends who can spend...

Mexico: Afro-Mexicans Protest After Death of Nigerian Immigrant

  2 June 2011

Daniel Hernandez in La Plaza explains the case of Nigerian immigrant Isaac Chinedu that “has led to demonstrations among Mexico City's African and Afro-Mexican communities, which are laying blame on the police officers who allegedly beat the 29-year-old before he apparently ran into traffic on a busy highway.”

Argentina Approves Anti-Tobacco Law

  2 June 2011

Legislators approved a law that bans smoking in “indoor work spaces, schools, hospitals, museums, clubs and public transportation systems,” The Argentine Post reports: “It also places strict limits on the sale, advertising and promotion of cigarettes in these and other places while forcing tobacco companies to put warning labels on...

Honduras is Readmitted to Organization of American States

  2 June 2011

On Wednesday, June 1 Honduras was readmitted to the Organization of American States following Manuel Zelaya’s peaceful return to the country. Only the Ecuadorian representative voted against Honduras’ reinstatement into the organization, as The Latinamericanist reports.

Bahamas: Which Path to Economic Success?

  2 June 2011

“Bahamians can become successful in a growing economy but to think we can get along by trading within our borders only, rather than the outside world is a pipe dream”: Rick Lowe takes issue with the phrase “The Bahamas is for Bahamians”.

Cuba: Female Dissidents

  2 June 2011

Without Evasion explains why credibility is such an important asset to dissident bloggers, while Pedazos de la Isla profiles the plight of female dissidents, here and here.

Caribbean: WICB Hypocrisy

  2 June 2011

WICB Expose calls out the West Indies Cricket Board for its hypocritical behaviour: “WICB director Hilary Beckles compares Chris Gayle to a criminal and gets away with it. Shivnarine Chanderpaul speaks his mind and the WICB is setting the stage for disciplinary proceedings. Hypocrisy 101.”

Barbados: Police Brutality Allegations

  2 June 2011

Barbados Free Press comments on revelations of police brutality from the country's Bar Association President: “The Royal Barbados Police Force doesn’t have to be third-rate, but it will remain so until the politicians decide that policing and citizen safety are priorities, and back it up with the funding to hire,...

Trinidad & Tobago: The Beginning of Warner's End?

  2 June 2011

Conflicting stories about suspended FIFA vice-president Jack Warner's actions: ttgapers links to a report that suggests in-fighting between Warner and Blatter, while B.C. Pires wonders whether “With Sepp Blatter duly reelected unopposed…and with Chuck Blazer, who brought Jack Warner’s corruption allegations to the FIFA table, suggesting that Jack’s emails to...

Greece: Another victim of police brutality

  2 June 2011

Greek journalist and blogger Modestos Siotos on Protagon recounts being roughly accosted by police [el] when he tried to defend an immigrant they were beating. “Be more careful with your democratic sensitivities next time, you fake revolutionary rich kid!” they said, and threatened him with arrest for obstruction. Amnesty International...