7 December 2011

Stories from 7 December 2011

Bangladesh: The Mystic Lalon

  7 December 2011

Bangladesh Unlocked introduces Fakir Lalon Shah, the Nineteenth century mystic philosopher poet and lyricist of Bangladesh who's song is considered a classic.

Sudan: A View From Blue Nile

  7 December 2011

Read Nenad Marinkovic's field dispatch from Blue Nile, Sudan: “The fighting in Blue Nile has, from the start, followed the pattern of previous clashes in South Kordofan, using frequent aerial bombardments that have repeatedly fallen on the civilian population.”

Russia: Second Day of Post-Election Protests

RuNet Echo  7 December 2011

The intrigue of the second day of post-election protests has centered around several major events: court appearances by bloggers Ilya Yashin and Alexey Navalny, a protest demonstration at Triumfalnaya Square, and discussions regarding the Kremlin's soft-power counter-revolution and various means of cyber warfare.

Tanzania: Blog It: Tanzania at 50

  7 December 2011

Celebrate Tanzania@50 by writing a blog post: “The Mainland part of the United Republic of Tanzania, Tanganyika, is celebrating 50 years of Independence on December 9 2011. The Dar es Salaam Bloggers’ Circle encourages bloggers to mark this event by a blog post on December 9th 2011.”

Syria: Getting Rid of Assad is the Easy Part

  7 December 2011

“Getting rid of [Syrian president Bashar Al] Assad is the easy part,” writes Syrian blogger Maysaloon. “Syria has many problems that will need to be addressed urgently. These are: A deficient, if not highly damaging, judicial and political system; endemic corruption, environmental degradation and desertification; poverty; a potential for an...

Guyana: Police Versus Protesters

  7 December 2011

A new president has taken his place at the helm of Guyanese government following the country's recent general elections, but while the incumbent party got re-elected, it also lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in nearly twenty years. In the wake of the postponement of election results, the national mood was edgy, but the violence unexpectedly came after the new president was already sworn into office. A handful of bloggers discuss an incident in which police confronted opposition protesters.

Cuba: Housing Backlog

  7 December 2011

“As of the enactment of the new norms decreed by the Council of State, which modifies the law regarding housing, Cuban property owners are running en masse to the Notary of Property Registration in order to comply with the new laws” – but according to Laritza's Laws, “not all has...

Cuba: Reggaeton Hit ‘Chupi Chupi’ Denounced by Authorities

  7 December 2011

Over the past two weeks, reggaeton artist Osmani “La Voz” García’s popular hit 'Chupi Chupi' has begun stirring more than just the hips of partygoers on Havana’s Malecón. Cuban Minister of Culture Abel Prieto, and Cuban Institute of Music President Orlando Vistel, have publicly denounced the song and the video.

Trinidad & Tobago: Making Sorrel

  7 December 2011

“Sorrel, made from the sepals, of the sorrel flower is fruity and fragrant. I have fond memories of sitting at my aunt’s feet as a child, helping her to handpick the flowers. Made properly your sorrel should be thick and syrupy”: TriniGourmet posts a recipe for this traditional Christmas drink.

Cuba: Members of “Group of 75″ Re-arrested

  7 December 2011

“The dozen members of the Group of 75 prisoners of conscience who refused forced exile as a condition of their parole knew that…they were putting themselves at risk of more repression by staying in Cuba”: Uncommon Sense says that “those consequences have been revealed in recent days as four of...

Bermuda: The UK's Vision

  7 December 2011

Respice Finem comments on the UK's current review of its relationship with its overseas territories, which includes getting feedback, within the confines of its vision, from the colonies themselves: “By limiting the review to that which is consistent with its vision, the UK has demonstrated it is not seriously interested...

Bolivia: Santa Cruz's Recurring Road Blocks

  7 December 2011

Eduardo Bowles blogs [es] about the recurring road blocks in Santa Cruz, Bolivia: “At this rate, Santa Cruz will remain the country's economic engine, but perhaps driven by steam or as they say in the neighborhood: ‘a pedal locomotive.'”

Colombians March Against the FARC and Kidnappings

  7 December 2011

Netizens used the hashtag #LiberenlosYa [es] (“free them now”) to share opinions and reports on the December 6 nationwide anti-FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) protests where Colombians demanded the release of hostages.