I translate when I can for GV into Spanish and from Russian to English. Former Teach First languages teacher and I now work in policy. I am a co-founder and board member of Supporting Guasa an NGO which does educational projects in the Dominican Republic.
Latest posts by Siân Sinnott
Stories We Told About Latin America in 2014
2014 was the year in which the US and Cuba announced a historic thaw in relations, Brazil hosted the World Cup, and the Ayotzinapa tragedy shocked Mexico and the world.
“Me & My Shadow”: Protecting Data on the Net
The Internet, mobile phones, and other such achievements of progress have become essential aspects of human existence, and have simplified communication between people and integrated them into a new space.
Russia: Online Platforms Coordinating Aid for Flood Victims
Floods in Kuban have completely destroyed 640 homes, with more than 5,000 partially submerged. According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Crisis Centre, 150 have been killed as of July 8.
Russia: Website Appears Publishing Civil Servants’ Incomes
The project "Public Profit" was established so that anyone interested could access information about the salaries of civil servants and state deputies. The information is compiled using public records and disclosed in accordance with Russian law. The published data are often surprising.
Russia: Social Networks Mobilise Society
Facebook, the possibility to calculate numbers of protest participants, slogans from the Internet, a wide variety of gadgets - these are four new important factors in the analysis of demonstrations in Russia. Marina Litvinovich reports.
Uzbekistan: New Law Forbids Alcohol Consumption in Streets and Parks
The president of Uzbekistan has approved a law regarding "the distribution and consumption of alcohol and tobacco products" which will come into force in April 2012. The law states that the consumption of alcohol in streets, parks and other public places is banned.
Russia: Ministry's Online Blunders
Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs has recently started to mobilise on the Internet and in the past weeks two important events have taken place in the Internet world which have drawn attention to Ministry's activities.
Russia: Attack Survivor Journalist Oleg Kashin on Internet Freedom
Oleg Kashin, special correspondent for the newspaper Kommersant and well-known blogger, was brutally beaten near his home in November 2010. A video recording of the attack was subsequently published on the Internet. Global Voices interviews Kashin.
Russia: Bloggers Stop FSB Initiative To Ban Skype
It was just a stroke of luck that on Friday, April 8, 2011, LiveJournal did actually work; before and after this date it would constantly “crash” or “die” due to hacker attacks for periods ranging from several hours to half a day. But on this particular Friday it worked, and it’s possible that this saved the Russian Internet and all its users from yet another prohibitive initiative from the FSB (Federal Security Service). At least for the time being.