Stories from 25 November 2011
Russia: Siberian Light's This Week in Russia Blogs #1
Andy of Siberian Light presents This Week in Russia Blogs #1, a revamped version of Russia Blog Roundup weekly series. Anglophone posts highlighted in the current edition include A Good Treaty's take on the efficiency of the RuNet activism and Putinania‘s analysis of the United Russia’s prospects for the Dec....
Ecuador: Preserving and Protecting Natural Medicines
Ecuador's indigenous communities hold traditional knowledge of natural medicines and therapeutic use of plants. This documentary by iosphera shows the importance of preserving this knowledge from biopiracy for the future of these communities. (via cinealoido)
Mexico: Massive Civil Lawsuit at ICC Seeks Drug War Justice
23,000 Mexican citizens have asked the International Criminal Court to investigate heads of drug cartels, President Felipe Calderón and other top officials for crimes against civilians in Mexico's ongoing Drug War.
Trinidad & Tobago: Men and their Role
“International Men's Day kind of came and went without much fanfare here, even though the darn thing was actually ‘inaugurated in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago'”, says West Indian Mother, who wonders whether “we [are] denying good men their role.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Anya's Section Launch
The rumour turns out to be true: Trinidad Carnival Diary says that designer Anya Ayoung-Chee's section in the Carnival band TRIBE's 2012 offering launches tonight.
Bahamas: Male Violence Against Women
Womanish Words would like the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women to be called what it really is – the International Day for the Elimination of Male Violence Against Women, and posts a rant poem in an “honest attempt to contribute to the naming and defining of...
Trinidad & Tobago: Netizens Sceptical about Assassination Plot
“It seemed that the majority of online readers, if you read the comments following the Express’ first article on the alleged assassination threats, chose not to believe the government of Trinidad and Tobago”: Guanaguanare thinks that “the lack of evidence helped to destroy the credibility of this latest threat to...
Cuba: News, 24/7
Cuba will apparently soon have a 24-hour news channel; Regina Coyula says: “Despite so much supposed information, we are the most disinformed people in the world.”
Greece: 2 Wheels, 610 Kilometres
Spyros Karatzoulis from Florina, Northern Greece, intends to start a bike marathon from Florina to Athens, in order to reach the Ministry of Education; his goal is to protest the lack of special school infrastructure in Florina for 33 disabled children (aged 14-28 years). On his blog [gr], he describes...
Egypt: Summing up the Second Wave of Protests So Far
Miran Hosny sums up the recent second wave of protests in Egypt. The death toll is allegedly just shy of 40 and Central Security Forces and police have reportedly continued their attack-and-retreat dance with Egyptian protestors, blasting them with tear gas and other chemical gases that are as yet unidentifiable.
Kenya: Meet Kenyan Innovator Daniel Njuguna
John Karanja blogs about Kenyan innovator Daniel Njuguna who has managed to integrate his mobile phone with home made appliances and gadgets that perform a number of domestic functions: “This innovation is a precursor to what has been described as the internet of things where appliances and gadgets will soon...
Kenya: Mapping Mobile Money
Mapping mobile money in Kenya: “CrowdPesa is a Web and Mobile application with a mapping system that allows businesses to locate themselves in a map and facilitate users to find the location of the nearest financial service on their mobile phone.”
Yemen: Mixed Reactions as Saleh Finally Signs GCC Deal
There have been mixed reactions amongst Yemenis towards President Saleh's signing of the Gulf Cooperation Council deal; some are disappointed and skeptical, while others are joyful and relieved. Noon Arabia reports.
Latin American Students March for Education
Inspired by the student movements in Colombia and Chile, students across the continent marched on November 24, 2011 to demand free, high-quality education. El Ciudadano [es] links to the Facebook events organized in each country; Kena Lorenzini posts pictures of the Chilean protests in her blog, and Mike shares pictures...
More Pressure on the Chinese Government, Not Less
Chinese Human Rights Defenders argued against the “quiet diplomacy” approach put forward by Chen Min in New York Times on November 16, 2011 by looking into the case of blind activist Chen Guangcheng in Shangdong.
Pakistan: The Death of Nusrat Bhutto
The recent demise of Nusrat Bhutto, former first lady and wife of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was mourned across Pakistan. A public holiday was declared as a part of the mourning, which triggered a wave of reactions from Twitter users questioning the logic behind such a move.
