Stories from April, 2015
Tunisia Looks to Tap Into Its History and Push Its Olive Oil Front and Center
The so-called Arab Spring gave Tunisia international name recognition. Now Tunisia wants to be known for something else — its olive oil.
At Least 115 Children Killed as a Result of War in Yemen
At least 115 children have been killed and 172 maimed as a result of conflict in Yemen since 26 March, according to UNICEF. The number is likely to rise.
Mapping Cambodia's Land Concessions
Licadho, a Cambodian human rights group, has released its dataset of land concessions approved by the government in the past years. The group is now urging the government to release all records related to the land contracts it awarded to domestic and foreign companies. According to activists, many of these...
Pakistani Activist Sabeen Mahmud Shot Dead After Hosting an Event on Balochistan
Sabeen arranged this event after a roundtable under the same name "Unsilencing Balochistan" was cancelled at a leading private university called LUMS following pressure from Pakistani spies.
A Response to the Kremlin-Bot Skeptics
After Alexander's bot network analysis garnered massive attention from Russian media and social networks, he now addresses some of the skepticism about the bot networks and their provenance.
“Take the Right Side in the Struggle of the Oppressed”: A Letter to John Kerry from Kilinto Prison, Ethiopia
In a letter to John Kerry, jailed Ethiopian blogger Natnael Feleke writes: "Because of the repressive regime, the Ethiopian constitution is powerless to protect citizens from being abused."
A Year After Their Arrest, Ethiopia's Zone9 Bloggers Remain Strong and Determined
"It is eery the degree to which the bloggers seemed to anticipate their current fate."
Guyana's Health Minister Assails Women's Activist, Says He Would ‘Slap Her Ass’
The Minister of Health's tirade against a women's rights activist raises questions about gender equality, human rights and the political status quo in Guyana.
Japanese University Turns a Blind Eye to the Plight of Campus Cats
Professor Charles Januzzi has worked for nearly 25 years to care and control the population of a stray cat colony on campus, but University of Fukui now says no more.
Colombia's Festival on the Value of Data in Development
The Cartagena Data Festival has just wrapped up in Cartagena, Colombia. The festival is an international event committed to discussing data deployment for human development and related topics, like open data, data journalism, big data, and other analysis tools. The festival, which ran from April 20 to April 22 and took place in...
Relive New York City's Persian Parade
The Tajik flag - similar in appearance to the Iranian flag - was everywhere at this year's Persian parade.
Watch Serj Tankian's ‘100 Years’ Commemoration Video for the Armenian Genocide Centennial
Serj Tankian produces a somber video commemorating the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian Genocides of the 20th century.
Malawian Film Helps Farmers Cope With Climate Change
“Mbeu Yosintha” was made to help farmers and rural communities cope with the effects of climate change, in particular the ever changing rain patterns in South East Africa. The film is a drama using local actors and was devised with Malawian writer Jonathan Mbuna following extensive research with various agricultural...
Were Turkmen Dissidents Wrong to Publish a Video of Schoolgirls ‘Turning Up the Love’ on Their YouTube Channel?
In deeply traditional, highly repressive Turkmenistan, schoolgirls dancing along to Western songs is akin to a crime against the state.
Hong Kong Politician Wants More Headlines About Filipina Maids Seducing Their Bosses
The Philippine Consulate General responded, saying "discrimination should have no place in any society, most especially Hong Kong." Migrant domestic workers protested outside Regina Ip's office.
Mexico's Escalating Labor Strike in San Quentin
Global Voices looks at farm workers' protests in San Quintin and Mexico's larger ethnic conflict and social challenges.
Are Blogs an Endangered Species?
This text is part of the 46th #LunesDeBlogsGV (#MondayBlogsOnGlobalVoices) on March 23, 2015. On #LunesDeBlogsGV (#MondayOfBlogsOnGlobalVoices), we work to preserve blogs as an “endangered species”, confronting the challenges that threaten their existence in today's digital jungle. In a similar effort, the blogger Iván Lasso compiles stories about the future of blogging and the problems bloggers face today, when their...
In Taiwan and on Facebook, the Nipple is Not Yet Free
"Before we label it as "indecent" and "obscene", a body is just a body, a part of the human self." Taiwanese women speak up for the #FreeTheNipple campaign.
Japanese Women Push Back Against Leaning In
The Japanese government wants more women in the workforce, but some women, stretched thin between childcare, running a household and caring for aging parents, feel the support system isn't there.
Kenyan Lives Matter, African Students Say at Garissa Vigil in Beijing
A group of African students in Beijing organized a vigil to honor the 147 victims of the Garissa attack. China has little tolerance for shows of public sentiment, even grief.
How 8 Prominent Iranians Think a Nuclear Deal Will Impact Human Rights
Some were optimistic, while others saw little reason to hope for change.
