Stories from November, 2011
Jamaica: First Afro Chess Grandmaster
Diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp republishes an interview with Maurice Ashley, “the Jamaica-born Grandmaster of Chess”.
A Book on Citizen Journalism
The digital media outlet Periodismo Ciudadano [es] has published a book on the evolution of citizen journalism [es] titled “Periodismo ciudadano: evolución positiva de la comunicación,” which is freely accessible in PDF format. The book includes case studies from all over the world.
Puerto Rico: Blogger Exposes Misleading Commercial
Puerto Rican blogger Ed Morales gave a first hand account of the shooting of a Fiat commercial that shows actress and singer Jennifer López driving around her old neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. In fact, as Morales demonstrates with photos, López was never there.
Japan: I am Isolated in My Workplace
A poignant cry in the form of an anonymous entry: a blogger's struggles to find a place for himself in his workplace.
China: New Tactics to Rally Around Blind Activist Lawyer
Andy Yee translated an activist, Xiao Cuo's suggestion on sustainable tactics to support blind activist lawyer, Chen Guangcheng who have been detained by the local government in Shandong for more than one year.
Hong Kong: LGBT Come Out Video
“I am who I am”, produced by an activist group, Nutongxueshe, is a series of video for the LGBT community in Hong Kong to come out and speak about their experience, very often painful because of discrimination and bullying. (via acopy.net)
Ukraine: Government Gives In to Pressure, Bans Killing of Stray Dogs
On Oct. 22, Vasyl Pawlowsky wrote about the often “sadistic” ways of getting rid of stray dogs in Ukraine ahead of the Euro 2012 Football Championship. Tell Ukraine to Stop Burning Animals Alive petition now has 496,177 signatures; the goal is 750,000. At least two Facebook groups were set up...
Ukraine: Update on Jailed Ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko; Donetsk Protests
Foreign Notes cites journalist Viktoria Syumar's blog post [ru], which compares prison conditions of the jailed ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko to those of Anders Breivik, and writes – here and here – about Tymoshenko's health problems. Also on Foreign Notes, a post on the dispersal of a protest by Chernobyl clean-up...
Iran: The Storming of the British Embassy
Somayeh Tohidlou, talks about the storming of British Embassy compounds by Iranian protesters. She writes [fa] in Friendfeed: “Are they wrong about the date? This is 2011, not 1979 [when protesters took the US embassy in Tehran] and the regime is 32 years old now, not new-born one.”
Sri Lanka: Project Roku
Murshid introduces Project Roku, a next generation conversation system born in Sri Lanka.
Nepal: Constituent Assembly Extended For Six Months
United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal reports that a bill seeking to extend the term of the Constituent Assembly by six more months was passed today.
Côte d’Ivoire: Bloggers React to the ICC Warrant Issued for Gbagbo's Arrest
Kouamouo writes that the ICC has issued a warrant today to arrest former Ivorian president Gbagbo [fr]. In the comment section, Akpe wonders why Gbagbo has to be sent to Europe and not tried in Côte d’Ivoire.
DR of Congo: Citizens Organize Unofficial Polling as They Await Election Results
Colette Braeckman writes in her blog [fr]: “Congolese citizens have become experts in election monitoring; they are grabbing pens and notepads, going from one voting polls to the other and sharing the results they observe to friends via SMS.”
El Salvador: ‘Encachimbados’ Lead Occupy Movement
Danielle Mackey writes about the Encachimbados (meaning “indignant”), El Salvador's occupy movement: “They call the attention of both the U.S. and Salvadoran governments to the free trade model, regional militarization strategies, and environmental destruction and climate change—all policies that the Encachimbados see as designed by a transnational elite, and which...
Mexico: Guadalajara Hosts 25th International Book Fair
Guadalajara is hosting the 25th International Book Fair from November 26 to December 4, 2011. Álvaro López writes about the fair in Vivir México [es], and says he wishes Mexico had more readers and fewer TV viewers.
Malaysia: Protesting the Peaceful Assembly Bill
The Malaysian Parliament has approved the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill which critics believe will make it difficult for citizens to organize protest assemblies. Netizens used the #pa2011 hashtag to express their views about this measure
ActionAid: halve world hunger by 2015
“Let's fight climate change & hunger. Together” is a new video released by ActionAid & produced by the LatteCreative team, to support the world food crisis campaign and keep the ‘pressure on governments to deliver on their promise to halve world hunger by 2015′.
Trinidad & Tobago: Online Safety
Mark Lyndersay writes an enlightening post about online child safety, here.
Cuba: Mariela's Red Light Comment
Ernesto Morales Licea takes issue with Mariela Castro's now infamous statement to Radio Netherlands during her visit to Amsterdam's Red Light District.
St. Lucia: Looking Good for St. Lucia Labour Party
Caribbean-American Forum says that incoming results point to the likelihood that opposition leader Dr. Kenny Anthony has led the St. Lucia Labour Party to a sweeping victory in the country's recent general election.
Barbados: Response to Crime Affecting Tourism?
Barbados Free Press questions the role of the local police “in what has become an all-too-familiar story of covering up crime against tourists.”