Stories from 13 August 2012
Russia: “The True Blasphemy” – Slavoj Žižek on Pussy Riot
Russian collective “Chto Delat? // What is to be done?” published an essay by Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, who considers Pussy Riot “conceptual artists in the noblest sense of the word: artists who embody an Idea,” and fight against the cynicism of power-mongers who strive to return Russia to the...
Russia: Egyptian Graffiti Artist on Freedom for Pussy Riot
Egyptian political activist and graffiti artist Ganzeer writes [en] about the Pussy Riot case: “[…] the consequences of freeing Pussy Riot may be mistaken for a fair and liberal Russian judiciary system, which is clearly not the case. […] Pussy Riot's actions are all about exposing the reality of Russia's...
Sri Lanka: Noose Tightens Around Online Freedom of Expression
"This new regulation could potentially and very quickly embrace personal blogs, micro-blogs (Twitter), Facebook (pages and groups) .. anyone, anywhere in Sri Lanka is now liable for prosecution at the sole discretion of (the) government."
Nepal: Saving Migrant Workers In The Gulf
In reaction to the recent ban on Nepali female workers to the Gulf, Guffadi thinks that it is just a symbolic ban while the real culprits, the manpower agencies, roam free.
Afghanistan: When Bronze Means More than Gold
"In a year filled with suicide bombings, school poisonings and kidnappings, the bronze for Afghanistan was more than gold." The country celebrates its one and only Olympic winner - Bronze medalist and Taekwondo fighter Rohullah Nikpai.
Colombia Adds Gold and Bronze BMX Medals to Their List
Carlos Oquendo and Mariana Pajón added two medals to Colombia's collection. The country ended the Olympics achieving a historic eight medals. Mariana Pajón's medal is the second gold medal in Colombia's history in the Olympic Games.
Tajikistan: New Oil and Gas Find is Good and Bad
Canada-listed Tethys Petroleum has recently announced that they found a large gas and oil field in Tajikistan. On Registan.net, Joshua Foust explains why the discovery is both good and bad for Tajikistan.
Nicaragua: A Blogger's Olympic Dream
Mildred Largaespada from the blog 1001 trópicos [es] shares her “Olympic dream.” In 1984, Mildred was part of Nicaragua's National Junior Basketball Team and participated in the Central American Games of that year in Guatemala. Her dream was to make it to the Olympics, but after losing in Guatemala she...
Uganda: Against Odds, Gay Pride Events Take Place in Entebbe
Uganda attracted worldwide attention in 2009 when a member of parliament introduced the so-called "Kill the Gays" bill criminalizing same-sex relations, and again earlier this year, when LGBT activist David Kato was found murdered. But that didn't stop Uganda's LGBT community from holding the country's first Gay Pride events earlier this month in Entebbe.
Zambia: Four Women Murdered in Possible Ritual Killings
A recent spate of murders of women in Lusaka, widely considered to be ritualistic killings, have shocked the nation to the core. Some online have sympathized with the families concerned and others are asking for the blood of the killer/s.
Athens: Virtual Community Initiative Under the Acropolis
Shop owners on picturesque Pandrosou street in Plaka, Athens, have started a virtual community initiative with a blog and Facebook page. They aim to “rebrand the image of Greece into one that reflects collaborative cooperation, innovation and honest hard work”. With their most recent project, they hope to inspire others to reclaim the beauty of pedestrian...
China's New ‘Black Five’ Categories – Social Threat or Core Strength?
During the Cultural Revolution in China, the term 'Five Black Categories' was used as a political label for cracking down on five social and political groups. Recently Chinese state media revived the political labels to describe human rights lawyers, underground churches and religions, dissidents, online opinion leaders and social minorities.
Africa: Moving Beyond the Resource Curse
Why is it that African nations endowed with many natural resources such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria or Madagascar to name a few are also plagued with endemic poverty? This is the paradox of the resource curse, which has blighted many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Russia: Church, Lies, & Opulence
A controversial photo blog post recently documented the 70th jubilee of the director of a Church-owned factory, striking a raw nerve in a society charged by the Pussy Riot trial. The details of the affair speak to the ease of creating a narrative through the withholding of information -- particularly online.
Ecuador: Sprinter Álex Quiñónez Brings Country to Standstill During Final
Ecuador took to social networks to offer support for the Ecuadorian sprinter Álex Quiñónez as he represented the country for the first time in the London 2012 Olympics. Quiñónez reached the 200m finals, finishing in seventh place.
