Stories from 26 April 2012
Russia: Julian Assange's Debut on RT
Mark Adomanis criticizes the critics of Julian Assange's debut on RT (Russia Today) last week.
India: The Hand Drawn Rickshaws in Kolkata
Debolina Raja Gupta notes that although the West Bengal Government In India had decided to take the hand drawn rickshaws off by 2005-2006 they are still plying in Kolkata roads.
Bangladesh: Voices from the Korail slum
Michelle Chaplin at BRAC Blog posts a video (with subtitles), which shares the initial reactions of some of the people who lost their homes in the recent Korail slum eviction in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Uganda: Protesters Bare Bras After Police Sexually Assault Politician
Ugandan netizens have reacted with anger and disgust after NTV Uganda showed a video footage of sexual assault against Ingrid Turinawe, the chairperson for Women League of the Forum for Democratic Change and one of key female politicians in Uganda, by a Ugandan police officer.
Cuba: Bloggers Summit in Matanzas
The bloggers from La Joven Cuba [es] have organized a Summit of Cuban Bloggers [es] that will take place April 27th and 28th in Matanzas. Follow the conversation on Twitter under #BlogazoxCuba (@BlogazoxCuba).
Puerto Rico: 30 years of the Organization of the Working Woman
In 80 Grados, Carla Minet interviews feminist activists Josie Pantojas and Marta Elsa Fernández on occasion of the 30th anniversary of the important Organización Puertorriqueña de la Mujer Trabajadora (Puerto Rican Organization of the Working Woman-OPMT).
Kenya: Four Young African Men Stand Up to Hollywood Stereotypes
After watching a video featuring a 9 year old boy retelling the movie Commando, 4 young men from Kenya approached MamaHope wanting to make their own retelling of Hollywood movies: in their case, the stereotypes around how movies portray African men.
Puerto Rico: Interview of Young Fashion Designer
The digital magazine El Punto Es [es] interviews [es] the young Puerto Rican fashion designer Namibia Viera Martínez.
Puerto Rico: Feminism and Friendship
Feminist blogger and lawyer Verónica Rt talks [es] about how she practices feminism through friendship.
Colombia: “San Andrés belongs to Colombia”
Nicaragua has presented a claim [es] in the International Court of Justice over the sovereignty of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, which is currently part of Colombia's political map after a treaty signed by both countries in 1928. Many in Colombia have expressed their desire for San...
Panama: New Law Establishes Ministry of Culture
On April 24, 2012, the National Assembly of Panama approved yesterday the "Law of Culture", which among other things elevates the National Institute of Culture to the Ministry of Culture. The main sponsor of the law, Deputy Jose Blandon announced it yesterday on Twitter, which became a reflection of the Panamanians that approved the bill.
South Africa: Urban Road E-Tolling Looms Despite Public Resistance
Despite public outcry, legal challenges and protest actions from civic organisations and labour unions, urban road e-tolling is set to go ahead in Gauteng province in South Africa. This is a roundup of what South African netizens are saying about the cashless payment system for road operators.
Brazil: Activists Protest in Memory of Military Dictatorship
A number of cities throughout Brazil held both real and virtual events to remember Brazil's Military Dictatorship (1964-1985). Activists held protests to push for punishing the Dictatorship's criminals and to fully open the still classified files.
France: The Presidential Election Through Foreign Eyes
While the French are preparing to choose a president in the upcoming weeks, French voters overseas and foreign media have reacted as the first round poll came to an end.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Attitudes to Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution
Caucasus Conflict Voices posts early data from a 2011 household survey by the Caucasus Resource Research Centers revealing attitudes to the long-running conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh.
Bulgaria: Penalty For Getting Pregnant
The blog “Работнически глас” (“Worker's voice”) tells [bg] about a trial scheduled for May 26: a former female employee is suing a company for a discriminatory clause in the work contract, which stated that any female employee who gets pregnant after being hired will have to pay a fine (700 lv,...
Bulgaria: “Big Change Begins With Small Steps”
Various blogs [bg] and mainstream media [bg] were telling [bg] about a student initiative held in the capital city of Sofia on April 24. Many students and members of diverse youth organizations planted trees in the badly-maintained Studentski Grad (“Students City”), a welcome citizen initiative where the leitmotiv was “Big change...
Bolivia: Discussing Indigenous Issues and Natural Resources in the Chaco
Blogger Dario Kenner shares three interviews he conducted in south eastern Bolivia, in the Chaco region: “The interviews are only with a few people so they do not cover every perspective to be found in the Chaco but the views below do give an insight into some of the major...
Chile: Reasons to Protest Again
On April 25, 2012, students took over the streets again to protest for an inclusive and good quality public education after several months of "silence". Here we share some of the reasons they gave on Twitter for renewing their protests.
Peru: The Festival of the Peruvian Cajon
The Peruvian Cajon is a very commonly used instrument in Afro-Peruvian music and Peruvian music in general. The fifth anniversary of the Cajon Festival took place this year and it was a complete success, particularly for the activity known as "La Cajoneada" that was able to gather more than 1,400 cajon players, which beat its own previous Guiness Record.
Video: Mothers Around the World Share Their Different Experiences
In the International Museum of Women, the current online exhibit is all about mothers. MAMA: Motherhood around the globe explores the different aspects of motherhood through video interviews to women in Nigeria, Kenya, Afghanistan, USA, Colombia, Hungary, China and Norway.
