Stories from 23 April 2012
Bulgaria: May Bicycle Parade
On May 19, the 15th annual May Bicycle Parade will gather thousands of supporters of cycling in Sofia with one clear goal – to count the cyclists and show that in Sofia there are more of them than ever. Bulgarian NGO “Bicycle revolution” is organizing the event [bg]. In 2009,...
Video: Mobile Phone Megaphone Project for Chinese Immigrants in the US
The Megaphone project has allowed communities to express their thoughts and aspirations through mobile technology since 2003. The latest incarnation is in New York City as Chinese Immigrants document their daily life, thoughts and dreams using mobile technology, with a video explaining a bit more about the process.
Panama: Poor But Not Forgotten Thanks to Online Videos
Coco Solo was once a United States Navy submarine base on the Panama Canal Zone, near Colón, Panama. Today, Coco Solo is the home of some of the poorest, most marginalized Panamanians. Online videos are a few of the available online media that show life in this community.
China: Reactions to TV Ban on Japanese Porn Star, Sola Aoi
Chinese netizens are frustrated by the government's ban stopping Japanese porn star Sola Aoi from appearing in television shows. To show their support, they displayed a slogan at a Guangzhou football match, which has captured imaginations.
Peru: Report on Conga Mining Project Released
After months of conflict, the technical report commissioned by the Peruvian government to survey the Environmental Impact Study of the Conga mining project in Cajamarca was finally delivered. The media and bloggers have been sharing their opinion for and against this controversial project, as well as the mistakes made by the government and those that oppose the mining project.
Mexico: Human Rights Abuses and the Presidential Elections
The documentary A Schizophrenic State by Charlotte King follows the stories of San Salvador Atenco and Oaxaca, two places in Mexico who suffered human rights abuses by the ruling political parties, including a Governor who now would like to become President.
Liberia: A Preface to Liberia’s Complicated Biography
Robtel Pailey discusses Liberia's complicated biography: “April 12, 1980 is often described as the beginning of Liberia’s end. I think of it as the preface to Liberia’s long, complicated biography, the beginning of our awakening. It was a day when our pomp and circumstance left a deafening echo; when we...
Mexico: Netizens Speak Out Against Geo-Location Law
Mexicans used the blogosphere and Twitter to comment on the reforms recently published and identified as the “Geo-Location Law”, which allows authorities to access real time reports on the location of mobile communication devices.
Russia: The Tsar's Victory Over Napoleon, 200 Years Later
Across Russia, celebrations have commenced honoring the 200th anniversary of Tsar Alexander I's defeat of France's Napoleon Bonaparte. Russian and English language bloggers have been tracking the celebrations and lingering cultural impact of the war.
Portugal: Video of Guinea-Bissau coup protest in Lisbon
Youtube user MinisterioDaVerdade published a video of a large parade on Saturday by Guinea-Bissaun residents of Lisbon, and their Portuguese families and friends, protesting the military coup which took place April 12. Marchers occupied the streets of Lisbon's Baixa neighborhood. Signs read “We have a consensus: No to dictatorship” and...
Trinidad & Tobago: Parenting Off Limits?
West Indian Mother thinks that parenting may now have joined the ranks of politics and religion as a taboo subject.
Bahamas: Elections Getting Closer
With just two weeks to go until the country's general elections, the Bahamian blogosphere has been filled with political discussion. Blogworld yesterday compiled her usual Twitter Weekly Updates, which gave a good overview of the issues being discussed.
Jamaica: Literary Festival Founder Gets Guggenheim Fellowship
Nadine, Unscripted says that “kudos are in order for poet, author and co-founder of Calabash International Literary Festival Trust, Kwame Dawes, who has been awarded a 2012 Guggenheim Fellowship for Poetry, one of the most prestigious of its kind in the world.”
Chile: The Role of Municipalities in Promoting Reading
Enzo Abbagliati in his blog Cadaunadas [es] asks, “What is the relationship between promoting reading in Chile and municipal elections?” He says that two main tools that impact what and how much Chileans read depend on Municipalities: public libraries and municipal schools. Enzo asked three candidates for mayor of Providencia...
Brazil: Passer by Injured and Arrested by Police in Demonstration
Brazilian blogger Conceição Oliveira reproduces [pt] a Facebook note [pt] from Pedro Urizzi (an actor from São Paulo), who denounces that he was injured and arrested by the Military Police when he was passing by a demonstration against corruption on April 21, 2012, on his way for dinner. The detention...
Panama: President Martinelli's Confrontation with Journalist Generates Controversy
President Ricardo Martinelli called a press conference to clear up the matter of the scandal connecting him with the Italian businessman Lavitola, but he ended up in a confrontation with a journalist, making reference to a past drug problem. Social networks immediately reverberated with shows of contempt for and condemnation of the President's words.
Bulgaria: “Why Should We Read Books?”
As many in Bulgaria fear that there are fewer people reading books now than in the past, Ognyan Antov of Anapest offers [bg] three answers to the question “Why should we read books?”: 1. Because thus we absorb the language and its grammar and spelling; 2. This way, we come...
Sri Lanka: Abductions And Media
“The growing number of abductions and disappearances in Sri Lanka is not getting the amount of publicity the issue deserves,” comments Sanjana Hattotuwa.
Multinational Companies’ China Market
ChinaHush translated a local feature report looking into the significance of China market to different multinational companies.
Cuba: The “Gap” within the Cuban Exile Community
Penúltimos Días author Ernesto Hernández Busto, who lives in Barcelona, describes the “gap” or divide between Cubans living off the island, when it comes to their desires for Cuba's future; Regina Coyula, a blogger who resides in Cuba, responds. Hernández writes that there is a “deep gap between Cubans with...
Cuba: Omni Zona Franca in New Orleans
El Yuma writes about the visit of Cuban experimental art group Omni Zona Franca to New Orleans. Omni is on tour in the US this spring, performing various works, and showing a documentary about their work. They describe the documentary as follows: “Their lives are marked by the actual performance...
