Global Voices » Updates

Russia: State TV Justifies May 6 Police Violence, Cites Spanish Bill Criminalizing Online Protest Organization as Example

Veronica Khokhlova — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:42:31 +0000

In the final segment of the report [ru] on the May 6 protest in Moscow, which ended in clashes with riot police, the Russian state-owned Channel 1 mentioned, among other things, a Spanish draft law [en] criminalizing online organization of public protests, as an example of the “much tougher” treatment of protesters by the “colleagues” of the Russian law enforcement officials “in the countries with the so-called established democracy.”

Video: Anatomy of a Good Advocacy Video by WITNESS

Juliana Rincón Parra — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:28:26 +0000

WITNESS, a site advocating for Human Rights Issues has produced a nice analysis of what makes a good Advocacy video, using Aristotle's' Poetic regarding story arcs.

Kenya: Online Platform for Amplifying People's Power

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:42:50 +0000

Bunge la Mwananchi is an online platform for amplifying grassroots people’s power to decide on their politics and economics so as to improve their social conditions in Kenya.

Cameroon: An Overview of Cameroon Prison Literature

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:32:58 +0000

This is an overview of 10 of the most popular prison literature books from Cameroon: “In the last six months, three former high-ranking government officials currently in jail for a variety of financial crimes have published books about their prison experience.”

Angola: Angola's Sweet Success

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:12:07 +0000

Mark and Jana blogs about Angola's sweet success: “Around 70% of Biocom’s sugar cane is turned into sugar. The remaining 30% is used for ethanol and the production of electricity. Electric power is produced by burning sugar cane waste. The vapour released during the process is channelled into a high-pressure turbine. The energy that is generated as a result can light up a city of up to 400,000 people, Biocom says.”

Global Voices Helps Judge CNN's iReport Awards

Juliana Rincón Parra — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:18:53 +0000

You can now vote for your favorite of CNN's audience submitted videos from 2011 at iReport in their annual iReport Awards. Alongside the community vote, a panel of judges, including Global Voices managing editor Solana Larsen, will select winners in six categories.

China: Motor-Powered Breakfast Crepes

Juliana Rincón Parra — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:28:50 +0000

The Presurfer shares a video where we can see how the Beijing Jianbing is made. This large breakfast crepe is made possible thanks to a very steady hand and a motorized wheel that allows a really large and thin crepe to be evenly cooked.

Egypt: The Questions Missing from the Presidential Debates

Mohamed Adel — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:43:07 +0000

Following Egypt's first ever presidential debate, and with interviews being held every day with presidential candidates, political analyst Mohamed Seif Eldawla has written on his blog Zakerat Aloma about the questions missing from the presidential debates [ar].

Vietnam: State of E-Commerce

Mong Palatino — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:06:20 +0000

Chip 2.0 writes about the slow development of e-commerce in Vietnam

Thailand: Minimum Wage and Cost of Living

Mong Palatino — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:57:40 +0000

Bangkok Pundit translates survey reports on the minimum wage and cost of living conditions in Thailand

Macedonia: Blogging in Estonian about Skopje Marathon/Half-Marathon

Filip Stojanovski — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:35:30 +0000

Sandra Jürs blogged in Estonian about her participation in the Skopje Marathon/Half-Marathon [mk, en] on May 6, 2012.

Bermuda: Austerity Reasons

Janine Mendes-Franco — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:25:59 +0000

Two Bermudian blogs discuss government austerity measures, here and here.

Cuba: Dissident Ferrer Garcia Re-Released

Janine Mendes-Franco — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:33:04 +0000

Havana Times reports that dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia was released by authorities late last week “after being held for more than 24 hours without his whereabouts being made known.”

Guyana: Creator of “Cuffie” Statue Dies

Janine Mendes-Franco — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:25:37 +0000

Demerara Waves acknowledges the passing of “internationally acclaimed artist and sculptor, Philip Moore”, who was perhaps best known for sculpting the 1763 Monument, a tribute to Cuffy, a former slave who is recognised as a national hero in Guyana.

Colombia: 5 Dead, 19 Injured After Bomb Blast in Bogotá

Silvia Viñas — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:38:57 +0000

Netizens are reacting to the explosion of a bomb on a bus on Caracas Avenue and 74th street in Bogotá, Colombia's capital. The attack was allegedly directed at former Interior Minister Fernando Londoño. The latest reports [es] list 5 dead and 19 people injured. Related words and phrases like “74 con Caracas“, “Fernando Londoño“, “#noalterrorismo” (”no to terrorism), and “Bogotá” are currently trending on Twitter in Colombia.