Stories from 29 September 2011
Why don’t South Asians talk to each other?
South Asians consist of one fifth of the planet’s population and they have similar cultures. And yet some kind of loose confederation between South Asian countries looks like an unattainable dream. Dheera Sujan at South Asia Wired wonders why South Asians usually do not talk to each other.
Pakistan: Update On Flood Relief
Teeth Maestro posts updates of some ongoing flood relief projects of SARelief in Pakistan. You can track the relief activities by following the hashtag #pkrelief on Twitter.
Nepal: Film South Asia 2011 Starts Today
Aaakar Post reports that the eighth edition of Film Southasia, the festival of South Asian documentaries, is due to started today in the capital of Nepal. The festival will showcase 36 outstanding non-fiction films from all over South Asia.
Trinidad & Tobago: Cuban Film at T&T Film Festival
B.C. Pires has a couple more must-see film picks at this year's Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival.
Bahamas: Time to Take Action Against Crime
As a missing child is found dead, Weblog Bahamas says: “I would call on Prime Minister Ingraham to not wait until next Monday to make a statement to the nation on crime. The time to act is now… and we must act swiftly and prudently.”
Cuba: Jailed Activists
Uncommon Sense continues to keep a close eye on three members of the Damas de Blanco who were arrested recently, as well as political prisoner Sara Martha Fonseca, whose son was allegedly attacked after trying to obtain information about his jailed parents.
Jamaica: Upcoming Elections
Bruce Golding yesterday confirmed that he will step down as Prime Minister and Leader of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party, which according to Girl With a Purpose, means that the country should brace itself for “political maneuvering, with many speeches and media appearances by all candidates.”
Kenya: RIP #WangariMaathai
Tweets keep flowing in honor of Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmental and political activist who died last week after a battle with cancer.
Mexico: Baja California Anti-Abortion Law Upheld by Supreme Court
The Mexican Supreme Court failed by one vote to overturn a Baja California law that declares that life begins at conception. Aguachile calls this “tragic news” and argues that in “In other states, PRI and PAN local legislators will feel emboldened by the Supreme Court decision to press similar legislation.”
Venezuela: Thinking Succession Amid Rumors About Chavez's Health
“Renewed rumors about Chavez's health have led to a new round of jockeying for power and influence in Caracas”: Bloggings by boz comments on “Venezuela's succession void”, an issue he also blogged about in July.
Chile: Indigenous Leaders to Meet With Congress
In Indigenous News, Ryan Seelau reports that “on October 4th and 5th, Indigenous leaders from across Chile will meet with the Chilean Congress to discuss the implementation of ILO [International Labor Organization] Convention 169, and particularly, the right to consultation.”
Global: Key Quotes and Tweets from the Internet Governance Forum
As the Internet Governance Forum is a truly epic event both online and offline, it's hard to do justice to the complexity of the discussions and debates that are currently taking place in Nairobi, Kenya. Discover with Global Voices some key tweets and quotes from participants, accompanied by short commentaries.
Brazil: The Sexist Ad of Supermodel Gisele Bundchen
Thalita, from the blog Futepoca, comments [pt] on a lingerie advertisement featuring the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen that has been object of intense discussion because of its alleged sexist content.
Brazil: Blogging Carnival in Defense of Abortion
The Brazilian blog Blogueiras Feministas (Feminist Bloggers) has selected [pt] a series of posts about the women's right to abortion following a blogging carnival that took place on September 28.
Brazil: The Tie of the Case Folha Versus Falha
It's a tie, says [pt] the journalist Luiz Carlos Azenha about the sentence of the case of the newspaper Folha de São Paulo versus the satirical blog Falha de São Paulo. Journalist Rodrigo Vianna discloses [pt] an interview he made with Lino Bocchini, Falha's creator, and also reproduces the legal...
Cameroon: Calm Before the Storm?
Cameroon's presidential election will take place on October 9, but the lack of stake in the outcome felt by the general population is leading to a lack of interest. The threat of post-election violence and ethnic tension is also hanging over the country.
Cameroon: Attempted Mutiny in the Economic Capital?
Cameroon-Info [fr] reports that gunfire broke out in the morning of September 29, 2011, on the Wouri Bridge in Douala, the economic capital of Cameroon. Website Koaci.com [fr] reports that it was an attempted military mutiny and adds that the Special Units of the army were deployed. Reuters talks about “uniformed gun men”. A...
Cuba: A Tireless Defender of Gay Rights
Francisco Rodríguez Cruz is a Cuban journalist and activist who for over a year has maintained a controversial blog committed to advancing the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in Cuba.
Taiwan: Polyglot teaches you Taiwanese indigenous languages
Mike Campbell, a polyglot who can already speak fluent Mandarin, Hakka, Fukien-major languages used in Taiwan, along with a dozen of other languages, is now teaching people how to speak Sediq, Truku, and other rarely spoken Taiwanese indigenous languages on Youtube that now even most indigenous people now cannot speak.
Greece: “Europe, come be in my shoes, before judging me”
Global Voices in Greek translator Margie Lazou posts an open and unvarnished account of her daily struggles as a single mother in crisis-ridden Greece on her personal blog: “All those people out there in Europe, please, come live here, be in my shoes for some time before judging me.”
Vietnam: Cash Transfer Programs
Stoney Chenal reviews the experience of Vietnam in implementing Cash Transfer programs.
