Stories from 2 October 2012
Puerto Rico: Urban Gardens Instead of Trash
The blog Huertas urbanas [es] (Urban Garden) highlights different efforts on the island to promote agriculture, especially the urban gardens. Of special interest is the urban garden created for the residents of...
Denmark: “Happy Divorces” with Big Banks
October 1 was the first 'Bank Transfer Day' ever in Denmark. The initiative calls for the Danes to reconsider where they keep their money and to consider if they can vouch for their current bank.
Macedonia: Skopje Zoo Improvements Continue
Vasil Buraliev blogged [mk] about further improvements of the Skopje Zoo, noted in 2010 by Global Voices [en, mk, sq, nl, zh, zh, es].
Slovakia: Rally for Rights of “Decent People”
Last month, in response to “the worsening situation in coexistence of citizens of towns and villages with the undisciplined and antisocial fellow citizens,” residents of the town of Partizanske came...
Yemen: The President's Speech
Many Yemenis were hoping to hear a good speech from their “elected” president highlighting Yemen's humanitarian, economic and political needs and the challenges the country is currently facing. The last thing they expected during his visit to the US was a speech praising US drones.
France, Africa: The Debate on Genetically Modified Organisms Grows Contentious
A two year scientific study studying the effects of genetically modified organisms on laboratory rats has been conducted by a team of French researchers. The researchers arrived at conclusions which have reawakened debate on the effects of GMOs.
Brazil: Sany Kalapalo – Young, Indigenous and a Xingu Activist
Sany Kalapalo, a young indigenous from the Xingu region, is only 22 years old and is one of the more active voices against the construction of Belo Monte hydroelectric powerplant, in the Xingu river, in the Brazilian state of Pará. Meet her in the first part of this interview she gave to Global Voices Online.
Venezuela: Capriles Campaign Closes with Mass Rally in Caracas
On Sunday, September 30, Henrique Capriles supporters rallied en masse in the streets of Caracas during the presidential candidate's closing campaign event. Capriles is running against current President Hugo Chávez in the upcoming presidential elections on October 7.
Honduras: Charter Cities Threaten Garífuna Communities
The government of Porfirio Lobo recently signed an agreement to implement a variant of Charter Cities, called Special Development Regions (REDs), in Honduras. REDs can only be implemented in uninhabited land; in the case of Honduras, however, 24 Garífuna communities could be removed from their territory if the project continues its agreed course.
Australia: Shock Jock Attack on PM Gillard Fires Online Anger
Spontaneous anger and online action erupted on Australian social media when news broke that a Sunday Telegraph journalist had recorded a tasteless reference to Prime Minster Julia Gillard's father by controversial radio shock jock Alan Jones.
Spain: Greeting Real Madrid With Catalan Separatist Flags
When the rival soccer teams Real Madrid and FC Barcelona meet for a match on October 7, a Catalan activist group is encouraging fans to bring their Catalan separatist flags in order to fill the stadium with nationalist symbols.
Investigating the ‘New Face’ of Forced Displacement in Latin America
Sibylla Brodzinsky in the blog InSight Crime writes about organized crime as “the new face of forced displacement in Latin America.” She adds that under the coordination of InSight Crime...
China: Holiday Trash
Alia from Offbeat China collected some pictures from social media platforms showing the trash scenes in touristic sites as a result of 8-day holiday for the Mid Autumn Day and...
China: Noodle and Food for 10,000 People
Liuzhou Laowai took some photos of an event called “10,000 people together enjoy luosifen” [a kind of noodle] at the Liuzhou International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Guangxi province on...
Risky Ideas to Fight Corruption! #Testing123
The Global Integrity Innovation fund is not a typical call for projects. It is something else! #Testing123 is looking for crazy, risky, challenging and brand new ideas to fight corruption.
Hong Kong: National Education Scrapped but Tensions Continue
The Hong Kong government's controversial plan to introduce a moral and national education curriculum (hereafter national education) in elementary schools has finally been scrapped after rigorous citizen protests - including hunger strikes.
Turkey: Little Optimism Over Kurdish Rebel Negotiations
Last week the Turkish Prime Minister signalled the start of much-needed negotiations between the Kurdistan Worker's Party and the government. The news was not met with optimism, because successive Turkish governments have a history of broken promises towards the Kurdish people.
South Korean Voters Call for Longer Poll Hours
With less than three months left until the presidential election, young South Korean voters are calling for longer poll hours, clashing with the ruling conservative party. The South Korean poll generally ends at 6pm and lots of young workers, working from 9 to 6 and working under strict corporate culture, have trouble going to the poll. It is worse for six million contract workers whose employment status is always unstable.
Russia: Philanthropy Through Advertising
The project “A Minute of Your Day for Good” (1minute.ru) was launched in November 2011. Users of the platform can accrue "charity minutes," which advertisers later honor in cash. Aleksey Melnicheck, co-founder of 1minute.ru, spoke to Evgeny Voropai of Greenhouses of Social Technologies about the problems of virtual charity in Russia and Western trends in fundraising.
Colombia: Citizens Support Lawsuit Against Lleras Law
In their blog, [es] Fundación Karisma [es] reports that they have joined other organizations in a “supportive intervention” in Senator Camilo Romero's [es] lawsuit against the constitutionality of Law 1520 [pdf, es], also...
Macedonia: Insult and Defamation Bill May Encourage Censorship
On September 27, Metamorphosis: Foundation for Internet and Society issued a statement [en; mk; sq] on the draft law on civil liability for insult and defamation and its sections related...
