Stories from 6 December 2011
Egypt: Remembering Khaled Said for a World Without Torture
Khaled Said is remembered not only as a face of the Egyptian revolution but also as a symbol of the efforts to stop torture and protect its victims. Through documentaries, songs and murals, his memory is kept alive.
Brazil: Picture of President Dilma Sparks “Low-level” Debate
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.
Iran: US Virtual Embassy for Tehran
Faryad Azadi reported[fa] that USA has launched a virtual embassy for Tehran.
Brazil: Five Cities Without Mobile Phones
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.
Egypt/Libya: Questions on Minorities Freedom After the Revolution
Various recent attacks on freedom of religion in Egypt and Libya, countries which ousted their dictators this year, have raised questions among netizens. Tarek Amr reports.
Brazil: Video-debate on Belo Monte Dam
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
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.
Peru: Netizens Denounce Police Repression During Protest in Lima Against Conga Mine
Peruvian netizens are denouncing police repression during a protest held in Lima on December 5, 2011, against the Conga mining project in Cajamarca. Juan Arellano links [es] to several citizen media reports, including blog posts, photos and videos.
Nigeria: Portraits of Kalakuta Queens
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Chile: Communist Party Asks for Pablo Neruda's Exhumation
Lillie Langtry, from the blog Memory in Latin America, comments on the petition by the Chilean Communist Party to exhume the remains of poet Pablo Neruda “due to allegations that he may have been poisoned.”
Cuba: A Christmas for the Children
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.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Plot Suspects Released
Jumbie's Watch and Guanaguanare comment on the release of 16 detainees in the alleged assassination plot against the Prime Minister.
Bermuda: Polling Season
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
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
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
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.'”
