Stories from 7 November 2011
Puerto Rico: ideas are just the start
“It's great to give everyone the opportunity to voice their concerns, but ideas are the easy part…. We can do anything, as long as we are willing to accept the sacrifices and consequences that result from our conviction.” Dondequiera reflects on the public forums hosted by the Puerto Rican civil...
Cuba: speaking to La Joven Cuba
Along the Malecón interviews Harold Cárdenas and Roberto González, co-founders of La Joven Cuba, a blog based in Matanzas.
Trinidad and Tobago: animated voices
ban-d-wagonist posts a video clip in which Trinidadian artist James Hackett interviews participants in the just-concluded Anime Caribe animation festival in Port of Spain.
Jamaica: perspective on Indian literature
Jamaica-based Annie Paul’s post on a recent visit to Delhi offers snapshots of two new books by Indian writers.
Caribbean: the meaning of identity
Creative Commess hosts a blog symposium “about Caribbean people, about West Indian people, about our contemporary experiences … ranging through race & identity to culture, mental health to constructs of beauty and more,” with contributions from seven Caribbean bloggers.
Nicaragua: Citizens Report on Elections via #votonica
Presidential elections were held on Sunday, November 6 in Nicaragua. Through #votonica [es] and a Ushahidi-powered map [es], citizens have been reporting on the electoral process since October 21, 2011, and will continue until January 10, 2012, when President Daniel Ortega is expected to begin his third term.
Uruguay's Unemployed Youth
Denisse Gelber in the blog Reasons and people: rethinking Uruguay [es] writes about youth unemployment, presenting the stories of two young Uruguayans from different socioeconomic backgrounds but with the same problem: a lack of employment opportunities in their chosen field.
Japan: Liveblogging “1Q84″
Daniel Morales has liveblogged his experience of reading the English translation of Haruki Murakami's book, “1Q84″, from a Friday morning to Saturday afternoon.
Russia: Celebration of Eid al-Adha in Saint Petersburg
Mr7.ru writes [ru] about the Eid al-Adha celebration by Muslims living in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. The site writes that up to 80,000 people took part in the celebration according to different sources, quoting Shamil Mugattarov, the head of Coordination Council of Muslims in Saint Petersburg, as complaining about “the lack...
China: Appeal to Richard Branson
A petition calling for Richard Branson, the founder of the 400-company Virgin Group, to call for the release of blind Chinese Lawyer Chen Guangcheng.
Guatemala: Controversial General Elected President
Presidential elections were peaceful but tense in Guatemala. School of the Americas alumni and retired General Otto Perez Molina is the elected President of Guatemala after a tight and highly polarized election, where a large percentage of voters abstained or voted blank.
Russia/Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan Airlines Refuse to Check-In Russian Citizen with Armenian Surname
LJ-user dimulenka re-publishes [ru] the closed post [ru] of Sergey Gurdzian, “Avtovaz” export director, who writes about a case of ethnic discrimination by Azerbaijan Airlines. Airline representative at the Domodedovo airport refused to check-in Gurdzian on the flight to Baku referring to his Armenian surname and some ‘security instructions.’
Japan: A new type of capsule hotel
Fumiko Ichikawa documents her stay in a pod at the capsule hotel “Nine Hours” with a photo report.
Russia: Hidden Political Messages in Well-Done YouTube Videos
RuNet witnesses a new competition of high quality YouTube videos. The first video [ru] is called “Half-Dead Bloggers in DeadJournal” and mocks top-bloggers exposing them as neo-Nazis, drug addicts, unstable personalities, etc. The other video [ru] made by popular illustrator Zhgun, on the contrary, tells that unless you want to stay...
Indonesia: Journalism and Religious Violence
Indonesia Matters links to an article by journalist Andreas Harsono who wrote about the tendency of Muslim journalists in Indonesia to “cover up or distort stories of religious violence against the minorities” in the country.
Indonesia: Komodo and New 7 Wonders of Nature Competition
Fika Fawzia summarizes the issue surrounding the withdrawal of the Indonesian government from the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition. Indonesia's Komodo Island is a finalist in the competition
Slutwalk Singapore
A Slutwalk event is scheduled to take place in Singapore next month. Slutwalks are organized to protest sexual violence and victim blaming in rape cases