Stories from 21 September 2011
Hungary: Photojournalists Banned From Parliament
The Contrarian Hungarian reports that photojournalists working for two Hungarian online news portals have been banned from entering the Parliament building following the publication of photos of PM Orbán's handwritten notes on the speech he was delivering on the country's defense plan.
Hungary: Higher Education and Tuition
Hungarian Spectrum writes about “higher education and the question of ‘tuition'” in Hungary.
World: Twitter Rallies for #TroyDavis
With the execution of Troy Davis looming, Twitter users from around the world rally for clemency. Davis was granted a temporary reprieve, but the cries continue. Jillian C. York reports.
India: Barcamp Mumbai 7
Bombay Lives informs that the 7th edition of the Barcamp in Mumbai will take place on October 2, 2011.
India: The Coffee House Of Kolkata
Bong Mom passionately writes about the Coffee House at College Street in Kolkata, a legendary meeting place for the Bengali literati.
Sri Lanka: Yellow Journalism Threatens LGBT Community
Hans Billmoria reports how a local newspaper published their alleged exposé on “condoms and lubricating gels being distributed to men who have sex with men”, and published the addresses of the community based organizations involved in the process. This has put the gay community in the country in fear and...
Sri Lanka: Solar Plant Will Provide Power To 3,000 Rural Families
Window to Nature informs that Sri Lanka's newly established Solar Plant will provide power to 3,000 rural families. The country aims to switch to non-conventional renewable energy generation to meet 10% of total energy consumption by 2015.
Pakistan: Neglected Millions of Sindh Floods
After the devastating 2010 floods in Pakistan the government took no practical steps to tackle the possibility of future floods. The consequence of this gross negligence is that floods are yet again causing havoc. The eye of the storm this year is Sindh where flood waters have razed numerous villages and displaced millions.
Bolivia: International Support to ‘Save TIPNIS’ on Facebook
Blogger Willy Andres recommends visiting the Facebook page “Salvemos al Tipnis. Save the Tipnis. Carteles Posters” in response to a project to build a highway through the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS) in Bolivia. The page gathers posters created all over the world in support of saving TIPNIS.
Mexico: ‘Peace Caravan to the South’ Arrives in Mexico City
Fred Rosen –from the blog Mexico, Bewildered and Contested at NACLA– reports that The ‘Peace Caravan to the South’, organized by the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity, “arrived in Mexico City’s central plaza, the Zócalo, ending its eleven-day, round-trip journey to and through southern Mexico, where it documented...
Bolivia: Child Workers Unionize
In Bolivia, where unions are extensively formed by members of society, another group of workers have unionized: children. Bloggers and reporters try to put this delicate issue into context.
Cuba: Interview with “Habanastation” Actress
Havana Times interviews Claudia Alvariño, the actress “who plays an important supporting role in the recently released Cuban film ‘Habanastation’.”
Trinidad & Tobago: 2011 Film Festival Launch
Regional bloggers are excited about some of the films that will be screened at the 2011 Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, which opens today.
Bermuda: No Easy Fix for Term Limits
Respice Finem says that when it comes to term limits, there are no simple solutions and recommends that “now is a good time to revisit and assess if its current form is best suited to Bermuda today.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Non-Communicable Diseases
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar recently brought the issue of non-communicable diseases to the attention of the United Nations; aka_lol agrees: “It will be no point taking guns and drugs of the streets while letting killer foods roam the country like an honorary citizen with diplomatic immunity.”
Zambia: Netizens Fill Void of Delayed Election Results
Eighteen hours after Zambia’s September 20 elections closed, inordinate delays by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to release presidential, parliamentary and local government results have led social media sources to give out the much yearned for information.
Jamaica: Acts of Creation
“I think that is part of the reason that we look behind in the toilet bowl. We want to see exactly what it is we have created”: Under the Saltire Flag writes a scatological post that will, astonishingly, get you looking at creativity from a different angle.
Global: Online Dialogue on Technology for Transparency
The Technology for Transparency Initiative, together with New Tactics in Human Rights, invites you to join an online dialogue on 'Using Technology to Promote Transparency'. Join us to discuss new ideas, challenges, risks, and opportunities.
Protecting the Beaches of Brunei
The Beach Bunch Association was established to protect the beaches of Brunei from pollution. It taps the power of social media to gather more support from the public. One of its projects include a mapping of Brunei beaches to identify the location, services offered and situation of the beaches in the country.
Cuba: Milanes’ Miami Concert Stirs Controversy Among Cubans
On August 27th, Cuban music legend Pablo Milanés performed in Miami, marking his first concert in South Florida since the 1970s. On Cuba-focused blogs and news sites, bitter disagreement over the event’s political significance reverberated throughout the weeks surrounding Milanés’ performance.
Global: Reflections on Peace Day 2011
To mark the International Day of Peace, celebrated on September 21, female bloggers from The SunFlower Post share their perspectives on world peace by reflecting on the realities of their lives in Mexico, China, Turkey, Russia and Latvia.
