Stories from June, 2011
Malawi: Meet Global Voices Author Victor Kaonga
Victor Kaonga started his blog, NDAGHA, in 2006, joining a small but dedicated band of Malawian bloggers. A broadcast journalist by profession, he holds a graduate degree in Global Journalism from Orebro University, Sweden. Here Victor talks about how he became involved with Global Voices and shares his thoughts on the Malawian blogosphere and the stories that are being discussed in his corner of the world.
Senegal: The Protests Will be “Twitterized”
On June 23, 2011, Dakar's streets were stormed by protesters. Their goal: derail the electoral reform that would allow the election of the president with 25% of the votes in the first round and would also propose a dual ticket with a vice-president, much like the American electoral system. The protests succeeded in getting the bill withdrawn - and Twitter played a significant role.
Cuba: Train Accident Injures 79
Babalu links to a story about a train crash that has injured nearly 80 people in Cuba, commenting: “The decaying infrastructure and transportation system in Cuba…continues to take a deadly toll on the Cuban people.”
Trinidad & Tobago: New Social Network Platform
TECHTT has its eye on Google+, “a social networking platform [that] will compete with Facebook and Twitter for a piece of our online socialising.”
Jamaica: Child Labour
When it comes to Child Labour, says Jamaica Woman Tongue, “traditional practices often clash with the law”, adding that “one of the most violent forms of abuse of children is enforced transactional sex in the home, a hush-hush subject in Jamaica.”
Spain: Hundreds Protest Against the Syrian Regime
Hundreds of people in Madrid, Spain demonstrated in support of the Syrian people. They demanded the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador in Spain, and that the Spanish government sanction the Syrian government, amidst the biggest crackdown against Syrian activists in decades.
Republic of Congo: Local Company To Produce First African Android Tablet
VMK, a Congolese company, announced via its CEO Verone Mankou‘s Twitter account, that it will produce the first Android tablet made in Africa. Tech Central magazine interviewed Verone Mankou, showing a picture of the back of the tablet. More pictures are available on the VMK Blog [fr]. An official introduction will be...
Republic of Congo: Widows Demand Their Rights
minguabiango [fr] writes on congo-liberty about the cruel treatments and deprivation of their rights suffered by some widows in the Republic of Congo: “In Congo-Brazzaville, some widows are daring to prosecute their in‑laws and obtain compensation, sometimes with help from NGOs. They set a good example for all those women...
Iran: Solidarity with Hunger Striking Prisoners
Protests were organized in at least 25 cities around the world on Saturday June 25, 2011, to show solidarity with the approximately 18 political prisoners who are on hunger strike at two Iranian prisons. The prisoners began their hunger strikes to protest the death of two political activists, Reza Hoda Saber and Haleh Sahabi.
Russia: Propagandist Videos Against Alexey Navalny Flood RuNet
Anti-corruption blogger Alexey Navalny publishes [ru] examples of propagandist videos against him. One video claims [ru] (150,000 views) Navalny is mentally ill and needs help from a Dr Kurpatov, famous TV star. The other [ru] (152,000 views) – that Navalny is an American spy literally filled with dollars. Both techniques...
Russia / Afghanistan: Photos From A School in Kabul
Photoblogger zyalt publishes [ru] pictures from a school in Kabul, Afghanistan. Schools have neither electricity nor water. Students are forced to get into classrooms after breaks by class monitors. Despite all this, comprehensive education would be unimaginable in Afghanistan just ten years ago, blogger writes.
France-Senegal: Anti-Wade Demonstrators Arrested by French Police
Senegal is eight months from its presidential elections in February 2012. The country's civil society has already protested against various attempts by the incumbent president, 85 year-old Abdoulaye Wade, to hold on to power.
Guinea: “Democracy, Backwards”
Guinean novelist Tierno Monénembo, who won the French literary award Prix Renaudot in 2008, examines the early record of the new President of Guinea, Prof. Alpha Conde, writing [fr] in an opinion piece on Slate Afrique: “Beaten up and imprisoned at a whim. Nominated and dismissed at a whim. All...
Senegal: President Wade's Failure
Barka Ba writes [fr] on blog leral.net, about the constitutional amendment proposed by President Wade of Senegal: “Now, the emperor has no clothes. His gambling on an election reform, that would have allowed the president and vice-president to be elected with only 25% of the votes, and then personally pick...
Lebanon: “Welcome to Lebanon” as Seen By a Migrant Worker
In June 2011, Migrant Workers Task Force responded to three promotional videos launched by the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism with three video clips. The Beirut based NGO parodies the official campaign showing Lebanon as a paradise for foreign tourists (here, here and here). For migrant workers, the situation is far from...
South Korea: Downpour-Triggered Landslide Kills One Person
Torrential downpour has triggered a mass landslide in Seoul, killing one person and suspending subway. South Korea's citizen/blogger news Wiki Tree reported [ko] the incident with consolidated tweets.
South Korea: Hunger Strike at Temple
Yoosung Enterprise's listed workers went on a hunger strike at Jogye temple. Moon Yong-min (@yasangmin) tweeted photos of the protest. About 500 workers had been staging demonstrations since mid-May after wage negotiations broke down.
Armenia: Animal Activists Demand End to Stray Dog Killings
In the last few days animal activists are making unprecedented use of social media in the South Caucasus by demanding that the inhumane killing of stray dogs end by flooding the Yerevan mayor's Facebook page with requests and appeals.
India: Unique ID System To Verify Twitter And Facebook Accounts
Anupam Saxena at Media Nama informs that Aadhar, the Unique ID Authority of India will keep API calls to its databases free and it can be used to verify online user accounts like Twitter and Facebook accounts among other things.
Angola: The City Evolves and the “Icons” Vanish
“Some people claim that the city should evolve, others say that Luanda should not keep the traces of colonialism”, writes Menina de Angola, while regretting the demolition of “one more icon” of the capital city, the building Cuca.
Cape Verde: A Story of Accessibility
Daivarela, on his blog, tells [pt] the story of how a capeverdean journalist, Maria Zinha, has successfully received a diploma in Cinema and Audiovisual, despite the accessibility barriers she constantly faces in the island of Mindelo to do her job, where “stairs are the main difficulty”.
