Stories from 23 September 2011
Timor-Leste eProcurement Portal
The East Timor government says it established the Timor-Leste eProcurement Portal to enhance transparency and accountability. The website “allows citizens, donors, NGOs and the press to analyze and search information related with the goods, services or works that (the government) is procuring.”
East Timor: Proposed Base Law on Environment
La’o Hamutuk provides an unofficial translation of East Timor's proposed Base Law on Environment which seeks to provide the legal framework in protecting the country's environment.
Thailand: Commemoration of 2006 Coup
Lillian Suwanrumpha posts pictures of the assembly of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship or popularly known as Red Shirts as the group commemorated the five-year anniversary of the military coup that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Russia: Racial Propaganda in the State-Owned Media
Drawing on a rich tradition of "political technology" honed under both the Tsarist and Soviet police states, the Russian media are now rife with paid stories planted to advance specific agendas. Will Partlett examines what appears to be a recent example of this practice.
Cuba: “Capitalism of the Castros”
Iván García explains that “the Cuba of the 21st century is split in two. The islet of the gentleman and the atoll of the comrade.”
Haiti: Duvalier's Lawyer Disrupts Press Conference
mediahacker posts audio of “one of Jean-Claude Duvalier’s lawyers…attempt[ing] to shout over Gerardo Ducos, a researcher for Amnesty International, as he [spoke] to reporters…about his organization’s call for prosecuting the former dictator.”
Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A.: Troy Davis’ Execution
Trinidadian bloggers share their thoughts on the Troy Davis execution, with Afrobella saying: “I’m not here to rehash the facts of the Troy Davis case or to analyze the details of the social media outcry or the last minute attempts to save his life. I just know I’m not the...
Cuba: “Damas” March Tomorrow
Uncommon Sense will have his eye on Cuba tomorrow as “the Damas De Blanco (‘Ladies In White)…participate in a march and other ceremonies commemorating Our Lady of Mercy, the patroness of prisoners, a fitting celebration for a group committed to advocating for the release of Cuban political prisoners.”
Guyana, Jamaica: Possessed by Strong Narrative
“My favorite short stories work like cinematic vignettes…connecting in some major way with narrative voice…is for me the key component to enjoying short fiction”: Litblogger Charmaine Valere says that Jamaican author Lorna Goodison's new collection of short stories “continues in the tradition of presenting narrative voice as a key element…”
Israel: Beyond ‘us’ and ‘them,’ Lihi Yona is an Arab Jew
Israeli woman Lihi Yona, a Moroccan Jew descendent, reclaims her Arab roots and complicates local identity politics on a bus ride to Jordan to attend a Lebanese band performance. The Hebrew version is followed by an English one: I am an Arab Jew.
Jordan: MPs Wage Battle Against the Youth
This week's House of Representatives parliament sessions in Amman, Jordan, have been the center of public discontent, especially among the youth community. Jordan's young population came under fire during the debate. Nadine Toukan explains.
Mexico: Uproar Over Twitter Law Proposed by Veracruz Governor
A controversial law in Mexico could imprison those who spread rumors through social networks on the charge of "disturbing public order". Mexicans are speaking out against the law, which has been labeled #LeyJavierDuarte on Twitter after the name of Veracruz governor, Javier Duarte.
El Salvador: Residents of High-Crime Area Speak of Soldier's Harsh Tactics
Tim recommends a blog post by Danny Burridge “about lives lived under the harsh tactics of Salvadoran soldiers patrolling a high-crime area”. Tim explains that Danny doesn't blog often because “he's too busy immersing himself in the lives of children in one of San Salvador's poorest neighborhoods, La Chacra.”
Spain: Crowdsourcing Democracy
The website 100 medidas (100 measures) [es] is a crowdsourcing project that is collecting citizen's recommendations on how to improve the government. People will vote for the best 100 measures, which will be sent to the government elected on the November 20, 2011 general elections.
Zambia: Tweeps Celebrate Michael Sata's Victory
Zambian tweeps as well as other Africans on Twitter have joined thousands of Zambians who have been celebrating around the country since last night. Here is a roundup of tweets congratulating Michael Sata and Zambia for being a model of democracy in Africa.
Russia: Controlled Media Support Party Hijacking
With Russia’s parliamentary and presidential elections quickly approaching, political battles are becoming an almost daily occurrence. The latest scandal has reminded many bloggers that political celebrities can be discredited as fast as they're pushed into the spotlight.
North Korea: Google Earth Reveals Death Camps in Detail
Kyle Wagner from Gizmodo site wrote a post on one of the most detailed images of the North Korean concentration camps taken by Google Earth. It is estimated that over 200,000 North Korean citizens are imprisoned in the camps under unimaginably harsh conditions.
Russia: Cyber Security Code of Conduct?
The Russian government is attempting to spread the system of Internet controls abroad. Russian bloggers are interpreting these attempts as either the current regime's basic self-preservation instinct, or, even more troublesome, as inadequate thinking about the Internet.
Puerto Rico: Santurce is Law
The art blog Fractal [es] covered what seems to have been a wonderful night during the event Santurce es Ley, a collective artistic movement dedicated to revitalizing and connecting the Santurce community, a sector in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico: “Occupy Wall Street”
Sofía Gallisá writes about the “Occupy Wall Street” movement in the digital publication 80 Grados [es].
Puerto Rico: Photojournalists on the Web
The websites of photojournalists Luis Alcalá del Olmo, Xavier Araújo, Andre Kang and Tonito Zayas showcase their beautiful and intense photographs from Puerto Rico and around the world.
