Stories from 11 October 2012
Ukraine: “The Babushkas of Chernobyl” Documentary Project
On Kickstarter.com, only a few hours are left to pledge funding for The Babushkas of Chernobyl, a documentary project by Holly Morris and Anne Bogart, which tells stories of “an extraordinary group of women who live in Chernobyl’s post-nuclear disaster ‘Zone of Alienation’ or ‘Dead Zone'”: Time really is of...
Colombia to Close ‘Week of Indignation’ with Nationwide Protests
Colombians will close a 'week of indignation' on October 12 with nationwide protests. The activities held during the week and the march scheduled for Friday seek to mobilize Colombians who are outraged about different issues like education, heath, security, indigenous rights, and more. On social networks many are announcing their participation and posting images and videos to encourage others to attend the march.
Politically Liberal In Pakistan
"Who is Politically Liberal in Pakistan?" - asks Raza Habib Raja.
Political Exile On Board the Eritrean Presidential Jet
The blog “les Erythréens” has this report [fr]: Yesterday morning (October 3rd) two Eritrean pilots defected—in their Eritrean Air Force jet—to Saudi Arabia, requesting political exile upon landing at the airport in Jizan.
Developing Latin America 2012
The regional hackathon Developing Latin America, organised by Foundation Ciudadano Inteligente (Intelligent Citizen) in six Latin American countries, brings together multidisciplinary teams of designers, developers, entrepreneurs, journalists and citizens that want to find solutions to problems such as poverty, healthcare and education, using technological tools.
Costa Rica: Students Protest Veto of ‘Photocopying Law’
Thousands of students participated in a march in San José on Tuesday, October 9, 2012, protesting for their right to photocopy textbooks for educational purposes. The unrest was caused by President Chinchilla vetoing Bill 17342 (known as the ‘Photocopying Law’) on the grounds that it removes protection of the work and intellectual property in the artistic, literary and technological areas.
United States: The Road to Peace According to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, emblematic figure of the Burmese opposition and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, recieved the Vaclav Havel for Creative Dissent award given by the Human Rights Foundation during the San Francisco Freedom Forum. Her participation was part of a 15-day tour throughout the United States.
The Venezuelan Elections, From Panama
The Venezuelan presidential elections were followed with interest in Panama, both by the Venezuelan community in the country and by Panamanians interested in what would happen in the neighboring country.
Trinidad & Tobago: Privatizing Healthcare
An ad in the newspaper has Trinidad & Tobago blogger, The Eternal Pantomime, wondering whether the government plans to privatize the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex at Mount Hope.
Chinese Hold Breath for Nobel Literature Prize
This year, Chinese writer Mo Yan and Japanese Haruki Murakami are top bets to win the Nobel literature prize. While excitement for the potential win for China is great, some regret that Mo has never dared to protest literary censorship.
Saint Lucia's New Value Added Tax Jumps at Citizens
Beginning October 1, 2012 the government of Saint Lucia imposed a Value Added Tax (VAT) on good and services. In doing so, Saint Lucia became the last member of the Caribbean Community to adopt VAT. In the months and weeks leading up to the deadline, various stakeholders expressed doubts about the country's readiness.
Global Pot-Banging Protests Scheduled for October 13
A day of pot-banging protests promises to shake the most sensitive ears across across the globe on October 13, 2012. The Global Noise initiative, organized by the international networks of Occupy, Indignados, and other social justice movements, aims to build on a wide variety of struggles for global justice and solidarity.
Russia: Democratic Public “Outraged” by Release of Pussy Riot Member
It now appears that Samutsevich’s gamble has paid off, as she was freed after today’s hearings, her two-year prison sentence reduced to two-years probation. The other two imprisoned Pussy Riot members, Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, were not so lucky.
Cambodia: Life Under the Khmer Rouge Regime
I was born in 1977. My mum told me it was hard to find food for me. They forced people to work on the rice field but they didn’t allow people to eat anything but just a bow of porridge. It was the Pol Pot regime.
Thailand: People’s Movement for a Just Society
The People’s Movement for a Just Society is a network organized to strengthen the voices of different causes working to bring justice for marginalized groups in Thailand, including land rights for small-scale farmers, citizenship for stateless persons, fair compensation for communities forced to relocate to accommodate large scale state projects,...
Pakistan: Religious Extremists Attack Malala Yousufzai
Malala Yousufzai, a 14 year old girl, was shot and severely wounded by Taliban for her activism. She is famous for her ‘Diary of a Pakistani School girl‘ which reveals the onslaught of the Taliban against girls education in Swat, Pakistan. Netizens condemn this horrendous act.
