Stories from March, 2021
Transition in Tanzania: From President Magufuli to President Hassan
To some, Magufuli is remembered as a “true African statesman'' and pan-African putting Africa first. Other remember him as a “populist” president who promoted nationalism — above all else.
As Jamaica sends a large shipment of rescue dogs to Canada, animal rights activists hope regional attitudes will change
The foreign rehoming of Jamaican stray dogs is seen as a "game-changer," sending an important message to "those who have been accustomed to treat[ing] dogs with cruelty rather than kindness."
Increasing restrictions by Morocco against activists of Western Sahara
After decades of peace between Sahrawis and Morocco, November clashes ended Polisario's commitment to the 1991 agreement and spurred Morocco's clampdown on the region, encouraged by Washington's recognition of Rabat's sovereignty.
Pakistan bans TikTok for the second time
TikTok was blocked in Pakistan for 10 days in October 2020. Access was restored after the app's parent company ByteDance assured authorities it would bolster moderation.
Did the Ethiopian government use its COVID-19 restrictions to silence dissent?
The state of emergency restrictions were used as grounds to arrest a lawyer and a journalist last year -- both known critics of the government in Addis Ababa.
The Laz people's mission to save their language from extinction
There could be anything between 30,000 to 200,000 speakers of Lazuri, the language of the modern Laz people. The majority of them still live in the historical region of Rize, in Turkey.
Taking the Laz language online, one project at a time: An interview with Eylem Bostanci
Global Voices spoke with Eylem Bostancı, a project coordinator at the Laz Institute, an Istanbul-based organization dedicated to promoting the Laz language and culture.
This open-source software is helping Barbados and Jamaica preserve their cultural heritage
The free Arches software helps cultural heritage organisations “respond to the critical and common challenges [...] around creating and maintaining modern inventory systems."
Chinese patriotic YouTuber apologizes after criticizing propaganda and corruption
"In our village, the forest land has not been distributed. It is so full of corruption!"
Group's report to Biden administration seeks commitment to human rights and democracy in Brazil
The document was compiled by a network of Brazilians and Americans living in the US, gathering policy topics directly affected by the Trump administration's relationship with Brazil's Bolsonaro
Angola's new penal code, which decriminalizes homosexual relationships, comes into force
The new legislation was approved in 2019, but only ratified in December 2020. It replaces the old penal code of 1886 of the Portuguese colonial administration.
After pineapple ban, Taiwan calls Beijing’s new agricultural investment offer ‘an old trick’
Weeks after the pineapple ban, China offered incentives to Taiwanese agriculture and forestry sector to invest in rural tourism and plant high-end commercial crops in China.
Malaysia’s ‘fake news’ ordinance takes effect amid continuing concern over the COVID-19 state of emergency
"This ordinance strengthens the perception that the state of emergency we are currently in is a smokescreen to curb any form of criticism towards the government of the day."
Sierra Leone’s new cybercrime bill could turn a phone into a crime scene
Sierra Leone’s cybercrime bill could turn a citizen’s smartphone into a crime scene at a moment’s notice.
Biru Terong Initiative: Using the power of video for social change in Indonesia
"We use video to capture the social-economic reality of marginalised groups of society and use that footage to stimulate dialogue and learning."
Jordanians protest a year under a defense law with no gains, as COVID-19 cases spiral
Repeated government failures, shaky political managements of crises, compounded with the worsening pandemic-hit economy and draconian emergency laws drove people to protest across the kingdom.
The difficulties journalists face covering the COVID-19 pandemic in three African countries
Journalists from Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria identified mis-and disinformation, and safety concerns while in the field, as some of the greatest obstacles while reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The toxic masculinity of Georgia’s gangster prince
The sexist tropes parroted by Bera Ivanishvili tell us a lot about how gender and power operate in Georgia, and the incompatibility of celebrity with the real-world power of a "prince."
Armenia's PM calls for early elections in June in bid to de-escalate crisis
The president has faced increasing calls to resign since November when he signed a peace deal ending the six-week war over Nagorno-Karabakh, which many Armenians say disproportionally favored Azerbaijan.
Not just Atlanta, but also Victoria, B.C.
White supremacy in Victoria makes going about daily life pretty easy for people like me, but potentially deadly for a whole lot of other people.
Protests erupt in Bangladesh after writer arrested under the Digital Security Act dies in prison
Ahmed was arrested after he criticized the government's pandemic response on social media. He was charged with "tarnishing the image of the nation" and "creating hostility" -- all offenses under the DSA.