9 May 2012

Stories from 9 May 2012

Colombia: A Visit to Karmata Rua Indigenous Reserve

Multimedia web channel TodoLoQueHay[es] (All There Is) from Colombia recently posted a short visual journey in the Emberá-Chamí indigenous reserve previously known as Christendom, whose inhabitants are now trying to make known by its ancestral name instead: Karmata Rua.

9 May 2012

Africa: Review: The Chicken Thief

Nana reviews The Chicken Thief by Fiona Leonard: “The Chicken Thief (2011; 340) by Fiona Leonard has been described as a political thriller of sorts. Set in an unnamed African...

9 May 2012

Russia: Charity Crowdfunding

RuNet Echo

There is no lack of successful 'people' projects, financed by private philanthropy. While much activity exists only in cyberspace, the effects of charitable organizations' work is quite tangible and real, and confidence in these groups is undiminished. The proof: the Tugeza ("Together") community

9 May 2012

South Africa: Remembering Brenda Fassie

Abena remembers an African icon: ‘”The late great South African musical icon Brenda Fassie may be remembered by some only for her infectious hit Vulindlela that took the African continent...

9 May 2012

Cuba: Radio Marti Editorial Controversy

“Radio Marti last week published and broadcast an editorial, ‘The Cardinal’s limits,’ that asserted that Cardinal Ortega is involved in ‘political collusion’ (contubernio) with the Cuban government…”: The Cuban Triangle...

9 May 2012

Trinidad & Tobago: Three Score and Ten

Two Trinidadian bloggers - one living on island and the other a member of the diaspora - have come to the difficult realisation that their parents are growing old. In this post, they discuss the issue of ageism while sharing their mixed emotions and fears…

9 May 2012

Russia: Putin's Return Rouses Online Polemics

RuNet Echo

In the wake of protests against Vladimir Putin's inauguration, the reactions of Russian bloggers demonstrate a wide spectrum of opinion online. That oppositionist activism has suddenly taken on a more radical tone has only further inflamed the passions of already polemicized observers.

9 May 2012

Bahamas: Bloggers Comment on Election Results

The result of Monday's general elections in the Bahamas has given the country a new government: the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), which previously occupied the opposition bench in Parliament, was voted into power in what bloggers are calling a “landslide” victory.

9 May 2012

Jamaica: Better to Give

“The Bobo Shanti youth are well spoken and have a serene gentleness about them…[they] are excellent ambassadors of Rastafari”: Jamaian litblogger Geoffrey Philp finds himself “drawn to how they greet...

9 May 2012

Kenya: Chronicles of a Kenyan Farmer Online

E.K. Kamwenji is a Kenyan blogging farmer residing in Nyeri. He believes that farmers need to use new technologies for networking and marketing of farm produce. His blog, Chronicles of a Kenyan Farmer, was nominated in the Agriculture Category in this year's BAKE Blogger Awards.

9 May 2012

Nepal: Shristi Shrestha Crowned Miss Nepal 2012

Discussions about Miss Nepal echoed in all social media channels recently as organizers crowned Shristi Shrestha as Miss Nepal in the Grand Finale of the beauty pageant of this year. Like other beauty pageant events it did not fail to be controversial.

9 May 2012

China: Al Jazeera's Beijing Correspondent Expelled

For the first time since 1998, an accredited foreign journalist has been expelled by the Chinese government. Highly respected by her peers, Melissa Chan's expulsion has provoked reactions all the way down to the microblogs.

9 May 2012

Africa: Will Local Content Policies Help Avert the Oil Curse?

In recent years, major reserves of oil have been discovered at various locations across Africa. This 'black gold' may represent an opportunity for economic growth, but the fear shared by experts and Sub-Saharan Africa citizens is that the windfall may not benefit local populations at all.

9 May 2012