Stories from 2 May 2012
Indonesia: Should Mosques Lower Prayer Volume?
Mosques in Indonesia use loudspeakers to broadcast “adzan” five times a day reminding people to pray. Recently, the country's Vice President urged mosques to lower the prayer call volume in order not to disturb people, but the suggestion has sparked a debate.
Honduras: “Too much violence to keep track of”
Adrienne Pine explains that, “since the bold repossession of lands by thousands of campesinos around Honduras on the International Day of Peasant Struggle, there have been increasingly worrisome retaliations, so frequent that I can't keep track of them.” She reports on some of these cases and on other types of...
Panama Commemorates May 1 with Protests and Work
In Panama, the public holiday of Labour Day which falls on May 1 was moved to April 30 in order to give workers a long weekend. However, various labour unions decided to carry out acts of protest on May 1. Netizens share their reactions.
Global Voices Podcast: Food for Thought, Food to Eat
In this edition we explore the latest work and events in the Global Voices community. We also speak with some friends about the cross cultural elements of our lives, with a special focus on food: both food for thought, and to eat!
Egypt: Eyewitness Account of Abbassiya Clashes
Eleven people were killed and more than 160 injured near Egypt's Ministry of Defence on May 2 after protesters demanding an end to military rule were attacked by armed men. In this post Mohamed ElGohary translates an eye-witness account.
Georgia: Face Control
Evolutsia comments on a new policy of face control for entry into many of the Georgian capital's clubs. The analytical site also ponders how such a policy might affect the revenue of those Tbilisi establishments that have introduced it.
Trinidad & Tobago: Education Situation
The Eternal Pantomime takes issue with the Minister of Education's modus operandi: “It seems every week this minister finds new ways to rub stakeholders of education in the wrong way…and he seems hellbent on antagonising the nation’s teachers.”
Sierra Leone: Reflections on Charles Taylor and Justice
Robtel Pailey reflects on Charles Taylor's verdict: “What Charles Taylor’s verdict signifies for me is the need to reconfigure Africa’s domestic systems of justice, so that we don’t have to rely on the West to judge when, where, and under what circumstances we can punish for transgressions that we deem...
Ghana: BlogCamp Ghana 2012
BlogCamp Ghana 2012 will take place on 5 May, 2012, Nana Yaw Sarpong reports: “BloggingGhana, a registered organisation of pro-Ghana bloggers, is putting together a one-day social media training event dubbed BlogCamp 2012 themed Voice of a New Generation.”
Kenya: State of Software and Intellectual Property Law in Kenya
Learn about the state of software and intellectual property law in Kenya: “Kenya’s judiciary does not deliberate many software and IP cases and the country remains lax in terms of piracy with domestic uses of pirated software being allowed, but companies being liable for piracy if software installed on office...
Palestine: Mass Hunger Strike by Prisoners
Palestinian prisoners began an open ended hunger strike on April 17 to protest the conditions within Israeli prisons. What had started earlier as a protest by a few has now increased to thousands of participants.
Ethiopia: Netizens Thrilled with PEN Award for Dissident Blogger and Journalist
Ethiopians are celebrating online after the jailed Ethiopian dissident blogger and journalist Eskinder Nega won the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award for his defence of freedom of expression in Ethiopia.
Cuba: Bloggers Offended by Archbishop's Statements
As if the Archbishop of Havana hadn't sufficiently ruffled bloggers' feathers over the recent papal visit to Cuba - specifically his request to have protesters removed from a church and his lack of cooperation in facilitating a meeting between the pontiff and dissident groups - in a recent address at a Harvard University conference, Cardinal Ortega referred to those church protesters as criminals, once again raising the ire of Cuban netizens.
United States: Occupy Wall Street Returns
Many people were questioning Occupy Wall Street's future after the eviction from Zuccotti Park. However, according to the occupiers themselves, the movement never disappeared and they are now determined to occupy public spaces around the country.
Hong Kong: Evangelists Accuse Lady Gaga of Leading Youth Astray
American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga is currently touring Asia with her 'Born This Way Ball'. On the eve of her first concert in Hong Kong, an evangelist group's campaign against her presence has ignited debate within the local community, with some Christians praying for her influence and some against it, claiming the local youth will be corrupted by her presence.
Mexico: Blogger Starts Open Letter Initiative to Address Presidential Candidates
Global Voices contributor [es] and blogger Juan Tadeo has started a nonpartisan initiative to encourage other bloggers and citizens to write open letters to Mexican presidential candidates. He has written his own open letters to Josefina Vázquez Mota [es] and Gabriel Quadri [es], and will soon publish his letters addressing...
Mali: 22 killed as Fighting Continues between Military Junta and Loyalists
In Bamako, Bruce Whitehouse's time-stamped diary reveals heavy gun fights between the military junta and loyalist soldiers on May 2. Reports confirm that administrative buildings were being evacuated because of the shooting. 22 were killed and a dozen injured (fr) (mostly soldiers but a few civilians as well) since the fighting...
Africa: Calls for Transparency Over Marked Increase in Land Deals
Almost 5% of Africa's agricultural land has been bought or leased by investors since 2000. Observers are increasingly worried about the fact that such land deals usually take place in the world poorest countries and how they impact its most vulnerable population, the farmers.
Armenia: Backhanded Victory for Environmental Activists
Just days before Armenia's crucial parliamentary elections, environmental activists have scored yet another victory in their campaign to save one of the last remaining green spaces in the country's capital, Yerevan.
Lebanon: Demotivational Humour on Facebook
Recently a number of Facebook pages have been started about specifically Lebanese memes. In this post Global Voices interviews the creator of a page called “Demotivational Lebanon”.
Georgia: Beyond Tbilisi
Beyond Tbilisi says that local authorities plan to clean up a river full of garbage in June. The blog run by Transparency International Georgia hopes to report on issues outside of the capital and is available in Georgian and English.
