Global Voices » Quick Reads

First Latin American Congress of Living Cultures

Pablo Andres Rivero — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:45:59 +0000

Rituals, reflections, poetic “assaults”… From May 17 to 23, 2013, the first Latin American Congress of Community Living Cultures [es] will invade the streets of La Paz, Bolivia. The city will host government representatives from Brazil and Colombia, along with more than one thousand activists.
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South Korea: Video of LGBT Rights Group's Protest

Lee Yoo Eun — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:49:10 +0000

A South Korean LGBT rights group, Rainbow Action, staged a protest at Seoul Plaza on May 17, 2013, calling on the government to pass the anti-discrimination law. A video of the protest was posted on the Youtube.

Catalonia: Caution about Spain's Hostile Ways

Violeta Camarasa — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:35:18 +0000

A civic statement on Col·lectiu Emma (@CollectiuEmma)'s blog criticizes the way the Spanish government is dealing with the political situation in the region of Catalonia, where 55 % of the population favors independence [ca] from Spain, according to an official poll. The statement explains the “strategy of fear” and other “hostile” arguments, and claims for “a friendly separation, preferably under international supervision and with external support for both parties.” The post is available in English, Spanish, German, French, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch.

Angola Threatens to Shut Down Media

Thiana Biondo — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:41:59 +0000

The Ministry of Communication of Angola threatens to suspend the public license of the Radio Despertar station and of the Folha 8 newspaper, despite the measure being unconstitutional. The government says they encourage public disorder. The announcement was made on Wednesday, May 15, as reported the Voz da América [pt] website. Some owners of the Radio have ties with the main opposition party UNITA [en]. In 2012, the police confiscated computers of the Folha 8.

Hong Kong: ‘Drink Less to Get Raped Less’

Oiwan Lam — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:15:30 +0000

Hong Wrong rounded up Hong Kong citizens’ responses to the city's security chief's comment on the soaring of rape cases. The police head, Lai Tung-Kwok, told women to cut down on drinking in a press conference.

Chinese React to Angelina Jolie's Mastectomy

Oiwan Lam — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:52:49 +0000

Off Beat China translated Chinese netizens’ reaction to Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy. Comments are mixed, some find the act courageous, some say it is over-reaction.

China: Petition System Reform?

Oiwan Lam — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:28:42 +0000

Yueran Zhang from Tea Leaf Nation reviews the Chinese petition system and discusses directions for future reform:

Ongoing reforms should include the enhancement of the institutional powers of bureaus of letters and visits. On the other hand, the citizens flooding the petitioning offices, which are considered a last resort, reveal the ineffectiveness of other channels for hearing complaints and grievances. Enhancement and clarification of the roles of the People’s Congress, NGOs, the arbitration system and the judiciary branch could lessen the burden on the petitioning system.

Activists Occupy Parliament in Kenya

Ndesanjo Macha — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:26:06 +0000

Kenyans activists occupied the Kenyan parliament yesterday to protest against attempts by Members of Parliament to demand more money. The activists have been using the hashtag occupyparliament on Twitter.

Ukrainian Blogger's Bobs 2013 Award Revoked

Veronica Khokhlova — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:10:59 +0000

Ukrainian blogger Olena Bilozerska's User Winner prize in the Bobs 2013 Best Blog Ukrainian nomination has been revoked, writes [ru] Mustafa Nayyem, the Ukrainian member of the Bobs 2013 jury, on his Facebook page, linking [ru] to the official statement [uk] posted on the Bobs 2013 website. The scandal (more on it in this GV text) seems far from being over in Ukraine, however, as many netizens are displeased with the decision. Nayyem's Facebook announcement has generated over 150 comments so far, many of them critical of the contest organizers in general and Nayyem in particular. In one of the few English-language comments in that thread, Andreas Umland, a Kyiv-based German political scientist, writes:

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Group to UN: Probe South Korean Election

Lee Yoo Eun — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:26:25 +0000

South Korean civil rights group Fight For Voters’ Rights (FFVR) filed a petition to the United Nations requesting them to investigate suspected election fraud. A series of investigations into South Korean spy agency's illegal involvement in the latest presidential election are still underway in the country.

Chinese Officials Attempt to Stem Protests

Abby — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:59:03 +0000

After Kunming's Anti-PX protest on May 4, 2013, local government has tried to stop further protests by sending text messages, “visiting” protest organizers, and censoring information online. East by Southeast has more details.

Over 3,000 Participate in Data Journalism MOOC

Silvia Viñas — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:20:40 +0000

More than 3,000 students are participating in the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas‘ second Massive Open Course (MOOC) in Spanish: “Introduction to Data Journalism.” The course began on May 13, but registration is still open.

Media's Too Simple View of Japan LGBT

Keiko Tanaka — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:34:54 +0000

Blogger and activist Masaki C. has something to say about English media coverage of LGBT politics in Japan, arguing that they simplify the issue down to marriage equality:

They are, in constructing LGBT politics in Japan as such, erasing local history and ignoring dialogues taking place among queers in Japan.

Online Journalism In Nepal To Be Regulated

Rezwan — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:35:19 +0000

Online journalism and news portals are gaining popularity in Nepal as evident in Surath Giri's list of 20 online newspapers. However, according to reports, the Ministry of Information and Communications of Nepal has recently formed a five-member committee to register, regulate and manage online news.

Lebanon: Blogger Beaten for Taking Photos

Amira Al Hussaini — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:32:04 +0000

Lebanese blogger Habib Battah narrates how he was held against his consent, forced to delete photographs of ruins from his phone camera and repeatedly assaulted in this post on the Beirut Report. When he reported the case to his local police station, the officers in charge said it was his word against theirs. He adds:

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