6 December 2011

Stories from 6 December 2011

Brazil: Picture of President Dilma Sparks “Low-level” Debate

  6 December 2011

Brazilian journalist Marco Antônio Araújo criticizes [pt] the “low level” political debate that followed the recent release of an unprecedented picture of President Dilma Roussef. The “powerful picture” shows Rousseff during the dictatorship, at the age of 22, under interrogation by military who were hiding their faces. “Shame?”, Araujo asks.

Brazil: Five Cities Without Mobile Phones

  6 December 2011

Although Brazil has, today, over 231 million mobile lines for a population of around 191 million people, there are still five isolated cities without any mobile signal for connection, reports [pt] the journalist Eduardo Marini.

Brazil: Video-debate on Belo Monte Dam

  6 December 2011

Brazilian journalist and blogger Lino Bocchini published [pt] the video of a debate on the construction of the Belo Monte Dam, in the Amazonia rain forest. Journalists and experts on the matter participated in the debate, which was livestreamed on the self-managed and participatory online channel #posTV [pt].

Iran: Another female blogger was arrested

  6 December 2011

Human Rights News Agency reports [fa] Bahar Alinia, afemale blogger and student, got arrested upon her return to Iran and was transferred to Evin prison. A couple of weeks ago, Rojin Mohammadi,another female blogger, was arrested in Tehran's airport.

Nigeria: Portraits of Kalakuta Queens

  6 December 2011

Vanessa shares James Petrozzello‘s portraits paying tribute to Fela Kuti's queens: “The first time I saw his ‘queens’ I was struck by their radical style. I wanted to make these photos to pay homage to their beauty and to bring attention to the women who contributed so much to Fela’s...

Nigeria: On Same Sex Marriage Bill 2011

  6 December 2011

Sokari reacts to the passing of the Nigerian “Same Sex Marriage Bill 2011: “The rationale behind the Same Sex Marriage Bill and its proposed counterpart in Uganda, is a huge deceit being spread by secular and religious leaders that decriminalising LGBTI persons would be an imposition from western imperialists and...

D.R. of Congo: Half-Hearted Democracy Promotion

  6 December 2011

Ben Brockman discusses half-hearted democracy promotion in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “Would the international community seek a power-sharing agreement like in Kenya in 2007 or Zimbabwe in 2008 to quickly end the crisis in the name of stability?”

Africa/Caribbean: Vote for the YoBloCo Awards

  6 December 2011

Public evaluation is now open for the “Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition” (YoBloCo) : “We received more than 90 entries for the competition, among which we shortlisted a total of 36 blogs for the Individual Category and 16 blogs for the Institutional Category.”

South Korea: Anger Over Free Trade Agreement and Media Silence

  6 December 2011

Rallies have been held daily in the South Korean capital of Seoul for two weeks now, protesting against the country's free trade agreement with the United States. Citizens have expressed deep discontent, as well as strong distrust of the mainstream media who rarely report on anti-FTA protests.

Ecuador: Analyzing President Correa's Twitter Habits

  6 December 2011

Christian Espinosa, from the blog Cobertura Digital, analyzes [es] President Rafael Correa's Twitter habits, concluding -among other things- that the Ecuadorian President (@mashirafael) [es] has a high level of interaction with his followers, compared to other Ecuadorian politicians on Twitter.

Cuba: A Christmas for the Children

  6 December 2011

Pedazos de la Isla blog about an initiative by a “young Cuban exile”, which “aims to send presents to those Cuban children to add a bit of happiness during this time of the year which, in majority of countries around the world, is celebrated with lots of joy.”

Bermuda: Polling Season

  6 December 2011

Politics.bm reports that the governing party is conducting “a robo-poll…testing whether the Premier should go to the polls right after Christmas” and quips: “A better question would have been which politician will you let kiss your ass under the mistletoe? That would sum up the mood of the country better.”

Jamaica: Election Date Set

  6 December 2011

The Jamaican Prime Minister has announced the date of the country's next general elections; Girl With a Purpose comments: “Interesting days are ahead!” and encourages her compatriots to vote.

Venezuela: Government Opponents’ Twitter Accounts Hacked

  6 December 2011

Hackers who support Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez have been taking over the Twitter accounts of his opponents for the last several months. Netizens haven noticed how certain Twitter users, well known for their critiques of the government, have started posting messages of wholehearted support for Chávez.

Haiti: Business Wins, Haiti Loses

  6 December 2011

Haiti Grassroots Watch has been looking at the issues surrounding the inauguration of an industrial zone in the north of the island, and finds that “once again, Haiti’s government and her private sector – and their international supervisors – are pitching sweatshop level salaries as a key ‘comparative advantage.'”