Stories from 5 December 2012
Iran: Jailed Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Ends Hunger Strike After 49 Days
The Iranian blogosphere is filled with joy as lawyer and prisoner of conscience Nasrin Sotoudeh has reportedly ended her hunger strike after 49 days.
“The Slovenian Uprising”
Sleeping With Pengovsky comments on Slovenia's presidential election (GV text is here) and on the protest movement – “which appears to be totally decentralised and operating via Facebook”: […] At the moment protests in Slovenia are directed against many different targets. Mayor Kangler, Mayor Janković, prime minister Janša, interior minister...
“Romania’s Non-Election”
Romania's general election is scheduled to take place on Dec. 9. Bucharest Life notes that “this has been the most lacklustre Romanian election campaign since 1990″ and that “it’s not the outcome of the election that we need to pay attention to, it’s the outcome of the outcome”: […] Given...
Summarizing English-Language Coverage on Macedonia
Expat blogger Rainier Jaarsma provides periodical roundups of the English-language coverage of events in Macedonia. The latest one regards this past November.
Mauritania: Commemorating Inal's Massacre against Black Soldiers
The 28th of November should have been a happy day for Mauritanians as it marks the country's independence from France. However, it also brings back sad and bloody memories, since it reminds them that on that same day in 1990, an ethnic cleansing was perpetrated within the Mauritanian Army, reports Ahmed Jedou
Italy: Governement and Immigration – plenty of words, less action
According to Stefano Femminis (popoli.info [it]), the current Monti government has shown more talk than actual action in regard to immigration, and the followings are emphasised [it]: The situation remains the same as an year ago: expensive and unnecessary “human dumps” that in fact function as prisons for people that...
Activists Reject Southeast Asia’s Human Rights Declaration
More than 50 human rights groups in Southeast Asia issued a statement criticizing the recent signing of a Human Rights Declaration drafted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The groups rejected the declaration for allegedly containing provisions that subvert the general principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Breastfeeding in Public in Lima, Peru
How do mothers from Lima [Peru] breastfeed in public? Are there breastfeeding areas in malls? Are we protected by law? These are some of my questions as I write, but I want to go back to the initial question: Why is breastfeeding in public seen as unpleasant? In parenting blog...
Winning Applications from Latin America's Biggest Hackathon
Desarrollando America Latina, a kind of World Cup for hackers in Latin America, took place this weekend in 8 countries in South and Central America. When technologists get in the room with open data and a mandate to address social problems, a lot can happen. Here are some of the winning ideas.
Myanmar's Foreign Investment Law
altsean uploads the English translation of the full text of Myanmar's Foreign Investment Law which was approved by the government last month. The law which provides tax breaks, land leasing agreements, and opportunities for joint business ventures, was welcomed by many investors.
Traditional Weddings in Brunei
Haji Daud bin Haji Abd Rahman writes about the traditional wedding customs and practices in Brunei. He also features some wedding photos in the 1950s and 1960s.
Cuba: Democracy Advocate Rodiles Released; Blogger Diversent Remains Detained
Antonio Rodiles, curator of the independent scholarly forum Estado de SATS, was released in Havana last Wednesday after enduring over three weeks of detention. Rodiles was arrested on November 7, along with numerous other bloggers and civil society advocates on the island, including well-known blogger and attorney Laritza Diversent.
