Stories from 3 March 2014
Why Protests Will Not Lead to a ‘Cambodian Spring’
Faine Greenwood writes about the Stanford lecture given by Cambodian human rights activist Ou Virak. Asked about the anti-government protests taking place in Cambodia, Ou Virak explained why it would not lead to a ‘political spring': I don’t think a spring in Cambodia will happen, nor do I think it’s...
Solving Poverty in Malaysia
The group Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia is pushing for the passage of a Social Inclusion Act to address the problem of poverty in Malaysia: Top-down prescription is not working despite the claims otherwise by the government. For aid to really work, one needs to get into the fine-grain pockets of...
Selfies or Social Entrepreneurship? What's Your Definition For Success?
Bangladeshi adventurer and social entrepreneur Muntasir Mamun has some advice for the young people, who have not yet decided about their goal, still haven’t found their place; merely figuring it all out: By placing emphasis on new, different and bigger picture things, we change our definitions of success. Experiment, calculate,...
Expensive Plants for a Poor Country: Tajikistan Spends Millions on Belgian Trees
Tajikistan where more than a third of the population is poor has spent 4,5 million US dollars on chestnut trees for the capital city.
“Iran cannot block Facebook Forever”
Iran's Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister, Ali Jannati, said “Iran can not block Facebook forever.” Several Iranian officials such as Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs, use Facebook and Twitter while these sites are blocked in Iran.
Iran: Student Sentenced to 7 Years in Jail
PersianBanoo reported “expelled Qazvin International University student activist, Maryam Shafipour has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment.Previously it was reported by her family that she was beaten by her male interrogators during interrogation sessions”.
The 2014 Forum for Francophone Women Opens in Kinshasa, DRC
The 2014 Forum for Francophone Women [fr] Opens today in Kinshasa, DRC. This is the second installment of the forum following the initial one in Paris in 2013. While the first forum focused on reducing violence against women in conflict areas, The objective of the 2014 forum will be dedicated to...
Nine Questions for Carola Cintrón Moscoso, or Why “Silence Doesn't Exist”
"In everyday life, we often don't let ourselves walk, contemplate, and much less listen," says the artist Carola Cintrón Moscoso.
“It Ain't Easy Being Indian” in the USA
Ricey Wild, a Native American blogger at the Indian Country Today, writes about wolf slaughtering in Minnesota, USA. […]My beloved friend Melissa came to get me last month to rally against the wolf hunt in Minnesota and everywhere. We went way up north and joined other people who care and...
K-Pop Music Booms, But Censors Still Loom
K-pop is a success story of music exports and glamour, but a long history of censorship and regulation still affects music markets in South Korea.
The Soundtrack of the Syrian Resistance
Music has been at the core of the Syrian uprising since its beginning in 2011, and for the same reason musicians have been killed and are being silenced by force.
Funding Challenges for Scientific Research in France, African Countries
Funding for research is wanting worldwide.What is the impact of the stagnation on the economy and where are the solutions
Tale of China's Zhou Yongkang Won't Be Swept Under Rug After All
At a press conference in Beijing, a government spokesperson offered the first official hint that the fate of Zhou Yongkang would not be kept under wraps from the public.
Russia PM Medvedev's Facebook Post on Ukraine
Prime Minister Medvedev chose an odd venue for his statements on Yanukovich and how he sees Ukraine's current political leadership.
Trinidad & Tobago: Between Governments
In the context of the number and scale of projects being undertaken via government to government arrangements, Afra Raymond explains why Trinidad and Tobago's current high-level State mission to China is “a critical issue to delve into.”
