Stories from 21 January 2013
Slovakia: Social Benefits for Roma
Lucia Kureková, in her blog analysis [sk], shows that in Slovakia the majority of those who receive the Benefit in Material Need (BMN) are not the “typical” Roma families with many children, but are single, of any ethnicity, and childless (62%), often young and unemployed. About two-thirds of the Slovak...
Diplomatic Passports for Religious Representatives in Brazil?
The Ministry of External Relations issued diplomatic passports to the heads of the evangelical World Church of the Power of God, sparking a discussion on the notion of secularism enshrined in Brazil's constitution.
“How Are You in Bamako ?” A Conversation with Awa in Mali
Anne Morin and Awa Traoré exchange on daily life in Bamako, fragile wages, cost of living and political uncertainty as the war rages on in the country.
Venezuela – Colombia: Is There a Homeland?
Due to most recent news about the health condition of Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez [es], who is currently in Havana, Cuba since December 11, 2012 for the cancer that is afflicting him, Juan Mosquera posts his personal reflection about the political landscape in Venezuela [es]: -Tell me, boy, what's the...
The Cultural Aspect of Wildlife Trade in China
Terroir from Beijing Cream criticizes professional photojournalist Patrick Brown's photographs series, Trading to Extinction for being over simplified in the explanation of wildlife trade in China as “naive” and “greed”: this is a way of life for some Chinese as well. It doesn’t mean it’s right – it just means...
Macedonians Ask State News Agency to Stop Manipulations
An online initiative against media manipulations [mk] perpetrated by the state-owned Macedonian Information Agency (MIA) asks citizens to express their dissatisfaction by sending e-mails to the agency. The action was spurred by the latest example of blatant spin, when a MIA correspondent distorted U.S. diplomat Philip Reeker‘s statement about the...
Blame Jihadis Financial Incentives, not Gaddafi's Fall, for Troubles in Mali
Jihadis venture capitalism extended to an even more lucrative business: kidnapping western hostages all over the Sahara yielded over 90 Million Euros over a decade [..] The modus operandi was very simple: why get killed trying to create an Islamist emirate in “apostate-ruled” neighboring countries when you can build your...
Indonesia Flood: Emergency Phone Numbers in Jakarta
Enda Nasution posted a list of phone numbers of emergency flood mitigation posts throughout Jakarta in Indonesia. Jakarta was heavily flooded last week and was placed on a state of emergency. The flooding has eased already but residents are still on high alert following the reported damage in the city floodgates.
Australia: Lactivists Demonstrate for Public Breastfeeding
Lactivists have taken to social media and the streets to protect the right to breastfeeding in public in Australia. Two demonstrations have taken place following the ejection of Liana Webster, a mother breastfeeding at a public pool on 12 January 2013.
Philippines: Anti-Cybercrime Law Denounced as ‘Cyber Martial Law’
More voices in the Philippines are questioning the Cybercrime Prevention Law as the oral arguments on the petitions against the law are being heard in the Supreme Court. The law was denounced by activists as a 'Cyber Martial Law' because of provisions that would limit free speech and expression in the internet sphere
Google CEO's Trip to North Korea, From Schmidt's Daughter's Blog
Google CEO Eric Schmidt visited North Korea last month and his daughter shared in her blog what the delegation saw in the hermit kingdom. Some of highlights from the blog: [describing the nation's top internet facility] Looks great, right? All this activity, all those monitors. […] One problem: No one was actually...
Symbolic State Burial in Kenya's #BallotRevolution Protests
On 16 January 2013, peaceful protests under the banner #BallotRevolution took place in capital city Nairobi. Protesters called on their fellow Kenyans to refrain from reelecting the current Members of Parliament, who increased their salaries and benefits just a few months before the country’s general election set for 4 March.
South Korea's Four Rivers Project is a Train-Wreck
In South Korea, the highly controversial Four Rivers Project has finally proven to be a train-wreck. Contrary to government claims, the latest audit report finds that the project has worsened water quality and hemorrhaged an astronomical amount of taxpayer money due to defective construction.
Traditional Hutsul Celebration of Epiphany in Ukraine
Photographer Maxim Balandyukh posted a photo report [uk] from the traditional Hutsul celebration of Epiphany (a religious holiday commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River; Vodokhreshcha in Ukrainian) in the Carpathian village of Kryvorivnya in western Ukraine.
