Stories from November, 2021
‘Bitcoin City’ in El Salvador seen through local memes
Most memes highlight the stark contrast between the government's over-the-top efforts to attract foreign investors and its limited investment in lowering crime rates.
Protests sweep Turkey as Lira plummets to an all-time low
Protests erupted across several cities in Turkey in the evening hours of November 23 after the Turkish national currency hit a record low against foreign currencies earlier in the day.
Undertones: Nicaragua's “sham” elections have cold shower effect on media
Journalists practice self-censorship, with propaganda channels dominating attention.
Introducing Undertones, Global Voices’ media analysis newsletter
This newsletter synthesizes Observatory research and analysis of key narratives and ideas circulating in the public sphere.
Could Jamaica's ‘wickedest city’ become a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Jamaica hopes to get World Heritage status for Port Royal, one of only three sunken sites in the world and the only one in the Western hemisphere.
The ignored, unwanted, and unforgiven
On November 8, the Victory Day celebration, new annual holiday that commemorates Azerbaijan’s victory in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, a crowd in downtown Baku was filmed cheering as they burned Armenian flags.
Chinese tennis star reappears after #WhereisPengShuai campaign sparked global outcry
Tennis star Peng Shuai has reappeared on a number of video clips released by Chinese state owned media outlets and the latest, a video call with the International Olympic Committee.
‘Neglect at home, profits abroad': Cuba's medical system
"The contradictions in the Cuban healthcare system have worsened with the pandemic. COVID-19 also enabled the government to relaunch its missions around the world."
Invisible scars result from patriarchal tolerance of gender-based violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Due to the deep-rooted patriarchal structure of society in Bosnia and Herzegovina, domestic violence is often perceived as a corrective measure of the strong over the weak family members.
Ukraine marks anniversary of Euromaidan protest on Day of Dignity and Freedom
Global Voices covered the Revolution of Dignity extensively in 2013 and 2014, featuring the multitude of citizen voices as captured by our volunteer authors.
Political dynasties and billionaires hijack ‘democratic’ party-list system in the Philippines
"The most urgent need of the hour is for legislation to be passed to revise the party-list act and install permanent safeguards to prevent abuses and misuses of the system."
Once more, Jamaicans debate whether states of emergency are an effective crime-fighting tool or a band aid
The murder rate in some communities in Jamaica has increased between 16 and 57 per cent in 2021, with the country recording 1,240 murders so far this year.
Legislating repression: Libya’s new cybercrime law
"The timing of promulgation, with presidential elections just around the corner, has left many people wondering about the purpose behind such a move."
A ‘new deal’ for Africa: Is this the best chance for a generation?
The pressure is now “on Europe, on the developed countries, and on governments, to seize this opportunity to deliver a generational change in Africa.”
More leeway to the ship recycling industry from the environmental authorities in Bangladesh triggers criticism
Activists in Bangladesh are criticising the recent decision of the environmental authorities who downgraded the status of the ship recycling industry from red to orange.
An impossible task: Serbia on the European path, hand in hand with Russia and China
Serbia keeps touting the country’s progress in aligning itself with EU foreign policy, but real gains won’t happen with Kosovo on the agenda.
When athletes get political: Support for the Uyghurs ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics
NBA player Enes Kanter called for fellow Muslim athletes to join him in condemning the atrocities that the Uyghurs have been suffering at the hand of the Chinese government.
‘Strollout’: Australia’s word of 2021 alludes to the slow vaccine rollout and delayed climate action
Cartoonist Veteran Peter Broelman joked, "‘The government is a bunch of heartless climate-denying rorting crooks who only look after themselves’ was too long to fit on a page."
Indonesian official tries to silence Greenpeace activists, changes course amid criticism
The report has since been withdrawn to avoid "politicization" and insinuations that the government does not welcome criticism.
Empty Chair Day highlights plight of imprisoned Ukrainian journalists
This year's campaign focuses on Vladyslav Yesypenko, an independent journalist illegally imprisoned for reporting on the realities of life in Russia-occupied Crimea.
Paper lives: Turkey's trash collectors face deportations, arrests, and midnight raids
Istanbul police conducted raids on waste collectors' depots last month, allegedly to address potential health hazards, public security concerns, and the employment of unregistered migrants.