Stories from 27 July 2012
Jamaica: Campaign to Exonerate Marcus Garvey – Part 1
Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican political leader, writer and thinker who is considered a national hero in the land of his birth. But in the United States, Garvey is down on record as a convicted felon. In the first installment of this two-part post, Global Voices talks to one Jamaican diaspora blogger, Geoffrey Philp, who started an online campaign to clear Marcus Garvey's name.
Brazil: Ministry of Health forms Partnership with Facebook on Organ Donation
The Blog da Saúde [Health Blog] announced [pt] the Ministry of Health's partnership with Facebook to encourage organ donation by members of the largest social network in the world. “The Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, and the Vice President of Facebook for Latin America, Alexandre Hohagen, will launch, next Monday (30th), a new profile feature for Facebook users...
Trinidad & Tobago: Panday on the Pulpit
“Mr Ramnath’s widow was driven to observe that she didn’t think her husband’s funeral would be used ‘as a platform to bash the government’. Spot the real neemakharam”: B.C. Pires blogs about a former Prime Minister's use of the pulpit to spew political vitriol.
Trinidad & Tobago: Ramadan & Coffee
What's Ramadan like for a coffee drinker? Find out here.
Zambia: Pupils Expelled For Facebook Activities
Twenty one pupils at a secondary school in rural western Zambia have been expelled over vile messages against their teachers on Facebook. Meanwhile, ruling party boss wants Zambian citizen news website shut.
Cuba: Rights Activists Beaten, Detained by Police at Payá Funeral
Rights activists and foreign media in Cuba reported on July 23 that Cuban state police detained nearly 50 individuals as they departed from funeral services for Oswaldo Payá, leader of the famed Varela Project and a winner of the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for human rights and democracy. Among those detailed were Guillermo Fariñas and Antonio Rodiles.
Panama Pins Hopes on Eight Olympic Athletes
Panama will attend the London 2012 Olympic games with eight athletes. The biggest hopeful is Irving Saladino, current Olympic long-jump champion. Netizens and some of the Panamanian athletes share their hopes and concerns on social networks.
Nigeria: Rediscovering the ‘Osun-Oshogbo’ Sacred Groove
Train locals on the use of social media tools and they will tell their own stories, posits a Nigerian documentary producer Immanuel Afolabi while talking about his journey to the Osogbo Sacred Groove and the role of social media in reviving dying or invisible African religious practices.
South/North Korean Flag Mix Up – Biggest Blunder in Olympic History?
"It is hard to host the event perfectly without making any single mistake. But this case of displaying the South Korean flag in a North Korean game...It is more than a mistake. I call it lack of preparedness." - South Korean on Twitter.
Argentina: The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Olympics
Lillie Langtry from the blog Memory in Latin America explains that the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo are getting into the spirit of the Olympics by “asking various Argentine sportspeople to feature in their latest video campaign.” Langtry shares a video where Carlo Retegui, the coach of the women's...
Greece: Photo ‘Road Trip’ Around Europe Debt Crisis
‘We Are The Pigs‘ – in reference to the derogatory PIGS acronym – is a crowdfunded photojournalism ‘road trip’ venture, to collect people's stories from European countries affected by the debt crisis. The project, started by two young Central European women journalists frustrated with the stereotypical hyperbole and abuse levelled in the media...
East Timor: Stunning Sunset Photos
Currently based in Dili, Timor Leste, the Australian media and policy professional Ashlee Betteridge shares on her blog Betty loves blogging four stunning photos of Dili sunsets, which “more often than not, put on a good show.”
Jordan: Thousands of Syrians Seek Refuge
The situation in Syria has led hundreds of thousands of Syrians to flee the country to neighbouring Jordan. A Jordanian government source has said that officials are preparing for the possible arrival of up to one million Syrians.
Bolivia: Athletes Not a Priority at London Olympics
Bolivia is taking only 5 athletes to the XXX Olympic Games in London. A scandal related to the expenses of the Olympic leadership has exploded on social networks and reached the news media. The debate also focuses on the very poor level of sports in the country, which has never won an Olympic medal.
Bangladesh, Myanmar: Rohingya Repression in International Spotlight
Protests are happening around the world against Rohingya repression. Six weeks after clashes between Rohingya and Rakhaine broke out in Western Myanmar, more than 100 people have been killed and 50,000 are estimated to have been displaced.
Philippines: Horse Fights
Heritage interpreter, tour guide, and blogger Ka Bino Guerrero writes and posts pictures about horse fights in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental in the Philippines.
Argentina: Athletes Tweet Photos From #London2012
Just days before the Olympic Games begin in London, Argentine athletes share photos from London on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
