July, 2012

Stories from July, 2012

Colombians Celebrate Unexpected Silver Medal

  29 July 2012

On Saturday, July 28, Rigoberto Urán became the first Colombian to win a medal in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. He finished second at the men's road race final, behind veteran cyclist Aleksandr Vinokurov from Kazakhstan.

Jamaica: Campaign to Exonerate Marcus Garvey – Part 2

  29 July 2012

Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp has been working tirelessly to gather signatures for the online campaign to exonerate Marcus Garvey, who, in the early 1920s, was convicted and sentenced to prison on charges of mail fraud involving his Black Star Line shipping company. In this follow-up post, Geoffrey discusses why he thinks it is important for Garvey's name to be cleared and why it should be done under the Obama administration.

Brazil: Project Discusses Political Campaign Sign Litter

  29 July 2012

Few months ahead of municipal elections in Brazil, the campaign Quem sujou agora, vai sujar depois [Who litters now, will litter afterwards] aims to raise awareness on how political candidates make Brazilian towns dirty during election campaigns. The project's page on Facebook [pt] gathers denouncing photos and videos sent by...

China: ‘Violent’ Pipeline Protest in Qidong

  29 July 2012

Violence that broke out during a protest against a pipeline construction project in China's Qidong province has split opinion online. The project would channel wastewater from a Japanese owned paper mill into the sea and has raised environmental concerns.

Brazil: Board of Social Communication Under Criticism

  29 July 2012

The Observatório do Direito à Comunicação, website of communication rights in Brazil, reports that [pt] the Board of Social Communication, elected by National Congress on July 17, is under criticism as the list of candidates was concealed and voting session was unannounced. Board members analyze, report and make recommendations on...

Thailand: Doughnuts for National Reconciliation

  29 July 2012

Supporters of Thailand’s ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is currently in exile, celebrated his 64th birthday by distributing 64,000 doughnuts to underprivileged children. The campaign is also said to be a 'gesture of national reconciliation.' But netizens have questioned the wisdom of distributing doughnuts instead of spending on the more essential needs of the poor

Laos: Participation in 2012 Olympics

  29 July 2012

Laos sent three athletes to the 2012 London Olympics. An employee of the United Nations World Food Programme in Laos also represented the country when she was invited to become an Olympic torchbearer early this month

Cambodia: Primer on Preah Vihear

  29 July 2012

Cambodia publishes a primer of Preah Vihear Temple which was listed as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO in 2008. The location of the temple became controversial in recent years because it's being claimed by Thailand.

Peru: Environmental Journalist Detained in Cajamarca

  29 July 2012

Juan Arellano reports [es] in his blog that the “environmental journalist Jorge Chávez Ortiz, known on Twitter as @chavezwar [es], has reportedly been detained a few hours ago in Cajamarca. The young journalist from Cajamarca is also responsible for the blog Mi mina corrupta (“My corrupt mine”) [es], where he...

London: Triumph Beyond Medals for Bangladeshis

  28 July 2012

Five Bangladeshi athletes are in London to participate in the 2012 Olympics. Bangladeshis are not optimistic that their athletes will come back with medals. However, this is not the end of the Olympic dream for Bangladesh. Their main triumph is not on the field, but off the field.

Africa: Contemporary African Artistry Online

  28 July 2012

Usanii Afrika is a blog that showcases contemporary African artistry: “Usanii Afrika (meaning Artistry Africa in Swahili) is a blog born out of passion. Innately creative herself, blogger, Kirsty Macdonald has had a life long love affair with the arts and self expression.”

Africa: Speaking My Language

  28 July 2012

Read Ngugi wa Thiong’o's address at the 2012 Sunday Times Literary Awards in South Africa: “One of the basic, most fundamental means of individual and communal self realization is language. That’s why the right to language is a human right, like all the other rights, enshrined in the constitution. It’s...

Reasons to Boycott the Olympics?

  28 July 2012

With any major event, there are both celebrating and dissenting voices. The Olympics is no exception, and there are bloggers from across the world making their voices heard on why they will be boycotting London 2012.

Russia: Senator Wants Criminal Case Against Satirical Blogger

Novgorod Senator Dmitri Krivitskii has accused [ru] local blogger Vadim Beriashvili of violating the Russian criminal code's infamous Article 282 [en], alleging that he incited hatred against “a social group” when he wrote [ru] facetiously in April 2012 about Senator Krivitskii's suspiciously low income declaration. After local investigators questioned Beriashvili, he responded by filing...