Stories from March, 2015
Open Letter to 60 Minutes Regarding Its Reporting on Africa
Scholars, writers, journalists and researchers write an open letter to 60 Minutes producer about the misrepresentation of Africa by the Tv program: Dear Jeff Fager, Executive Producer of CBS 60 Minutes, We, the undersigned, are writing to express our grave concern about the frequent and recurring misrepresentation of the African...
Ebola Veterans Warn That Vigilance Is Still Needed as Case Numbers Drop
It's been a year since the WHO declared an Ebola outbreak in West Africa. A doctor and health journalist compare notes on what has been a long and traumatic year.
Iranian Television Producer Mostafa Azizi is Jailed in Iran's Evin Prison
Mostafa Azizi, an Iranian television producer and author, was arrested last month when he tried to repatriate to Iran from Canada.
Community Tributes for Lee Kuan Yew Draw a Million People in Singapore
Lee Kuan Yew is Singapore's founding Prime Minister who ruled the country for more than three decades.
Civil War Separates Peuhl Children from their Parents in Yaloke, Central African Republic
Peuhl minorities of Islamic confession have been trying to escape anti-balaka militia since the beginning of the civil war in in the Central African Republic. One of the camps where displaced Peuhl can find protection is the Yaloke camp by the Cameroonian border in the western region. The health situation in...
Pakistani Journalist and Blogger Remains in Exile, One Year After Violent Attack
March 28 marks the first anniversary of the attack on Pakistani blogger and prominent political commentator Raza Rumi. Once a contributor to Global Voices, Rumi was added to the Taliban's hit list after he opposed government peace talks with the militant group in 2014. His moderate views also have been misinterpreted...
How One Woman Fought One of the World’s Biggest Oil Companies—and Won
It took decades of tragedies and illnesses, but a retired teacher in Norco, Louisiana, persuaded Shell Oil to relocate the residents of her neighborhood away from a dangerous chemical plant.
Mapping Vietnam's Socio-Economic Indicators
The World Bank has launched mapVIETNAM, an interactive map that shows various socio-economic indicators in Vietnam such as poverty rates, employment, and electricity connectivity. The photo above shows the number of households living on $2 dollars a day. Using the map, we can see that poverty rates are high in...
Bus Users Fight Over Seat in Peruvian Bus and You Can't Imagine How This Ends
A video posted on Facebook by user PeruRec show two men almost coming to blows over a seat in a bus of the Metropolitano, Peruvian capital public transportation system. At one point, the stockier guy sits over the other guy, while other bus users laugh out loud. Immersed as they...
Ecuadorians Take to the Streets to Protest Government
Despite the rain, on March 19 citizens participated in a protest in Loja, Ecuador, which spread over seven blocks, to express their discontent of the current government. Labor code reforms, extended reelections, free access to education, and the recent exchange rate safeguards on imports were some of the issues that...
Bringing the Muisca Language Back from Extinction, One Word at a Time
Even though the indigenous language Muisca is extinct, a group of Colombians are using wikis, mobile apps, and social media to breathe new life into the language.
Russian Girls Show Conservative Beauty Contest Just How ‘Modest’ They Can Be
Almost immediately after the contest was announced, VKontakte users began criticizing the Parliamentary League’s decision to make modesty and headscarves the focus of its contest.
Lights Out! In Many Global Cities, Power Outages Are Part of Everyday Life
"When it comes to power outages in Nigeria, I was born into it and the way things are going, I'll die without seeing an uninterrupted 24 hours supply of electricity."
The Media's Role in Mexico's ‘Warped’ Democracy
Blogger Fernando Vázquez Rigada reflects on the role of the media in Mexico, a country where he says democracy is “warped” because it only works on a formal level, and society isn't adequately represented by the political institutions. He adds that Mexican media bear a huge responsibility in this issue....
Eerie Similarities Between Germanwings Tragedy and Argentinian-Spanish Film ‘Wild Tales’
More than once, screenwriters have found inspiration in reality for their fiction. This time, it seems reality was inspired by fiction. The news that the co-pilot of German airline Germanwings‘ Flight 9525 is suspected of intentionally crashing the plane, taking the lives of 149 people with him, seems to be one of...
German Company's Videos Imagine Modern Women as Passive and Dependent
Women in Germany are outraged over one insurance company's videos explaining different types of policies, in which women are described as passive and naive — a role more in line with the expectations of the 1950s than 2015. Birte Vogel writes on her blog Thea – Frauen in Sprache, Medien und Gesellschaft (Thea –...
Omani Blogger Muawiyah Alrawahi Disappeared At UAE Border
Omani blogger Muawiyah Alrawahi was detained while attempting to enter the United Arab Emirates by car from Oman, according to a statement released by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Who to Follow on Yemen on the Second Day of Saudi-Led Air Strikes
Yemeni journalists, bloggers and activists are covering the current war in Yemen. Abir Ghattas takes a look at what they are saying
Trinidad & Tobago's Politics Hits New Low With ‘Product of Rape’ Mudslinging
"Vernella has offended every victim of rape and sexual abuse, every child born out of rape and incest...As a woman, she should know better. I am appalled and disgusted."
The Arduous Journey of Colombian Migrants Headed for Chile
Global Voices, in collaboration with Connectas, Agenda Propia, Útero.pe, Vice and El Mercurio de Antofagasta, explored the challenges and history of migration in Latin America during a Google Hangout.
Inaccurate Reports of ‘ISIS Taking Over Star Wars Set’ Anger Tunisians
Tunisians are responding with mockery to media reports claiming that the Star Wars filming location in the south of the country has come under the siege of ISIS.