Stories from 11 January 2012
CEE: A Roundup on the Roma Issues
An anti-discrimination Roma flash mob/dance duel in Bucharest (video – here), and a report by Bulgarian Roma students on media coverage of Roma-related issues – at TOL's Roma Transitions blog. Education for the Roma children in the UK, the Czech Republic and Slovakia – at the Economist's Eastern Approaches blog....
Online Chat with Angelina Jolie About Bosnian War Film
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, will be answering questions in a live online chat on January 12, 2012 (8pm EST) about the new film she wrote and directed about the Bosnian war, “In the Land of Blood and Honey”. Questions can be submitted in advance on the Facebook page for the...
India: Power Project Threatens Wildlife Reserve In Himachal
Ravinder Makhaik reports that forest lands are being diverted for a private sector medium sized hydropower project in the Bara Bangal wildlife reserve area of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, India. This will lead to destruction of wildlife, poaching and deforestation.
India: The Curious Case of Draping Statues to Ensure Fair Elections
Netizens react to the recent order by the Indian Election Commission that all statues in the state of Uttar Pradesh of current Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati and her party symbol, the elephant, be draped by Wednesday 11 January, 2012.
Iran: Blogger May Face Death Penalty for Insulting Islam
A 50-year old Iranian blogger, Mohammad Reza Pour Shajari (aka Siamak Mehr), has been charged with “insulting the Prophet of Islam” and “enmity with God” or “waging war against God”, charges that could carry the death penalty in Iran.
Competition to Develop Low-Cost Water Purification Device
Inventors, designers, entrepreneurs from developing countries are invited by the University of South Florida's Patel Center to submit ideas for the creation of a “Smart Pot” that can purify water easily and has a similar shape as a traditional jerrycan. Winning proposals will receive up to $8,000 plus the opportunity...
Brazil: “Industries on Christ” Gain Access to Funding from Taxes
Blogger Conceição Oliveira regrets [pt] the change in the Rouanet Law made by President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, which “recognizes the gospel music and its related events as cultural manifestations”. Religious performances thus gain access to a certain percentage of the investment off the Income Taxes. For Oliveira in Brazil...
Global Voices in French: Translators’ Choice 2011
In 2011, volunteer translators at Global Voices in French translated hundreds of articles and updates on world events and we'd like to say "'Merci!". We've asked them which translation struck them most, during this epic year. Here is the French translators' selection!
Russia: How Do Kids Get to School in Yakutia in Winter?
AskYakutia answers a Swedish 12-year-old's questions about winter clothes, animals and school kids in Yakutia (where it is currently -52°C/-59.8°F).
Brazil: Blogger Criticizes Report on the Murder of Indigenous Child
Blogger Rogério Tomaz Jr publishes [pt] the report made by the FUNAI (National Indian Foundation) on the alleged death of an 8 year old Awá-Gwajá child in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, which states that all was just the result of “unfounded rumors and a lie” . He repudiates the...
Nigeria 2011: A Year of Small Victories and Great Challenges
2011 will go down in Nigeria's history as the year of the nation's third presidential election since independence. For the first half of the year, the blogosphere was abuzz with discussion of the election: protests, campaigns, debates, the role of technology, preparations for the polls, election day itself.
Iran: Death penalty
RSF reports” two jailed netizens, Saeed Malekpour and Vahid Asghari, were sentenced to death in January 2011 on charges of anti-government agitation and insulting Islam.” They were accused of developing porn sites.
Global Voices in Dutch Looks Back on 2011
While the year 2012 is already well on its way, the translators of Global Voices in Dutch look back on 2011. Which posts stood out and what makes Global Voices so special?
Iran: “This bomb is a statement”
Kamangir, an Iranian prominent blogger based in Canada, believes [fa]: “Attack on a nuclear activist with a magnetic bomb. The target is not to kill someone. This is a statement; saying we did it and would do it again.”
Russia: Legal Immunity for Artistic Freedom?
Vadim Nikitin of Foreign Policy Blogs posts a thought-provoking piece on Russian art group Voina, which has been found not guilty by a Russian court for setting fire on a police car on New Year's Eve, despite overwhelming evidence that this was the case, at the same time as protestors...
Russia: Return to Photoshop Politics
Catherine Fitzpatrick of Minding Russia and Bruce Chapman of Russia Blog draw attention to a “kompromat” photoshop scam directed against opposition activist Aleksei Navalny, and how this false photo now repels against its pro-Putin initiators.
Russia: Navalny Nationalism Raises Questions
Kevin Rothrock of A Good Treaty raises some serious questions about nationalistic views expressed by increasingly popular Russian opposition activist Aleksei Navalny.
Bahamas: The Gay Agenda
A local newspaper carries a story of a pastor warning of “the gay threat from the US and Canada”, prompting Rick Lowe at Weblog Bahamas to ask: “Can't we understand that if consenting adults are homosexual what business is it of yours, mine or the good pastor?”
Cuba: Rediscovering “Trova”
Generation Y blogs about the musical genre of Trova, noting that for many Cubans, “those ideological tunes — alluding to the New Man or the society he will inhabit — have been thrown into the well of forgetfulness.”
Bahamas: Majority Rule
Blogworld is celebrating Majority Rule Day, “a day that made it possible for [her] father, mother…uncles and aunts to hold the positions they held in the late twentieth century, and for which basic freedoms our forefathers fought.”
Cuba: Political Arrests in 2011
Uncommon Sense and babalu refer to a report from the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, which states that there were “4,123 politically-motivated arrests — including almost 800 in December alone — of human rights activists and other dissidents” last year.
