28 July 2011

Stories from 28 July 2011

Poland: The State of Reading

A few weeks ago, a new social campaign - Reading in Poland - was launched by one of Poland's largest daily newspapers due to the fact that reading rates in Poland are very low: one reports states that 56 percent of the Poles don't read books at all - and are also incapable of reading texts longer than 3 pages. A huge debate has started on the reading culture in Poland and the reasons for the crisis it is facing.

Equatorial Guinea: Blogging Political Cartoons

  28 July 2011

The blog of Equatoguinean cartoonist Ramón Esono, Las Locuras de Jamón y Queso [es], denounces the country's political situation with cartoons. Each cartoon of the LOCOStv (MADtv) presents well known characters of the Equatoguinean political and social life and some interviews full of satire and parody. President Teodoro Obiang is...

Puerto Rico: Blogger's Research on Femicides

  28 July 2011

Feminist activist and blogger Verónica RT continues her project of updating the national statistics of femicides in Puerto Rico, which do not necessarily coincide with the numbers provided by the Police. According to her research, 22 women have been murdered this year, and three more cases are under investigation [es].

Puerto Rico: Science and Ethics

  28 July 2011

Miguel Adrover discusses and contextualizes [es] governor Luis Fortuño's recent comments about the need to develop more engineers, scientists and mathematicians.  The blogger, a science teacher himself, stresses that what needs support is a scientific culture with a profound ethical commitment within an interdisciplinary curriculum.

Puerto Rico: PR Indie's LAMC Coverage

  28 July 2011

Redod, the editor of the alternative music blog Puerto Rico Indie [es], reflects on the amazing and intense coverage [es] they offered of the Latin American Music Conference (LAMC) in New York City. Check it out!

Puerto Rico: Bicycle Hang Out

  28 July 2011

The blogs Bicijangueo [es] and PR Fixed [es] are posting texts, videos, and audio on everything and anything related to the new urban cycling trend in Puerto Rico.

Peru: Reactions to Ollanta Humala's Swearing-In Ceremony

  28 July 2011

July 28 is Independence in Peru, and this year it is also the day Ollanta Humala was sworn in as the new President of Peru. In his blog Globalizado [es] Juan Arellano, Global Voices Spanish Translation Manager and author, adds a Storify post with pictures and Twitter reactions to the...

Zambia: Blogger Thinks Late President Fixed Election Date

  28 July 2011

Zambia’s President Rupiah Banda on July 28 2011 finally announced September 20 as the election date. There has been debate in the country to have a fixed election date instead of depending on the whims of a sitting president. Zambian netizens have welcomed the date with mixed reactions.

Puerto Rico: Libraries and Reading

  28 July 2011

Gil the Jenius puts forward a theory about why “there are no decent libraries on the island”, adding that with the current levels of Internet penetration, “We don't have any excuses anymore.”

Cuba: Call for Justice in Death of Teen

  28 July 2011

Laritza's Laws posts an update about the shooting death of a teen by a retired police officer: “Relatives and neighbors of the victim suspect the police are looking for excuses not to prosecute him, and they are demanding justice for the death of Angel Izquierdo Medina, that it not go...

Cuba: Differences of Opinion are Healthy

  28 July 2011

“‘The People's Path‘ is…a vision statement of what the movement for a free Cuba should be striving for,” writes Uncommon Sense, who, along with Babalu, thinks that despite Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet's lack of support, “the debate that the document, and Biscet's disapproval have sparked, are nothing but healthy for...

Malawi: A Chronological Account of Protests in Malawi From Afar

  28 July 2011

Read Dadakim's account of protests in Malawi: “It’s also important to realize that the protests were not spontaneous. Civil society organizations had previously attempted a similar protest in February and university students and lecturers successfully staged protests in May primarily rooted in demands for academic freedom. It is thus important...

Africa: Membership Opens For mLab SA

  28 July 2011

Application for membership for mLab Southern Africa has opened: “The mLab SA provides incubation support to mobile developers and entrepreneurs through the following services: subsidised office space with meeting rooms – to allow members to benefit from being part of the mobile startup community; training and accreditation on mobile technologies...

Colombia: Indigenous Peoples Seek to Restore Peace After FARC Attacks

  28 July 2011

As previously noted on Global Voices, Colombia's armed conflict is threatening indigenous peoples. Ahni in Intercontinental Cry reports that “The oldest and strongest grassroots indigenous organization in Colombia, The Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC),” has called for “a ‘Minga of resistance’ [“a traditional gathering or activity for the collective...