Stories about Ideas from October, 2012
Talking With Rebecca MacKinnon About ‘Consent Of The Networked’
Global Voices In Spanish talked to Rebecca MacKinnon, co-founder of Global Voices, about her book Consent Of The Networked, which deals with the governance of the Internet and the right of netizens to take ownership and responsibility for the digital future.
Retio: A Free Application to Fight Drug Trafficking in Mexico
Paula Gonzalo from Periodismo Ciudadano (Citizen Journalism) tells us about Retio, a free application used to map the war against drug trafficking in Mexico through citizen reports sent via Twitter.
Occupy Movement Rallies for ‘Debt Strike’ Worldwide
Under the slogan “You are not a loan, you are not alone”, Occupy Wall Street's “Strike Debt” group is aiming to inject life into a resistance movement against debt repayment. The operation is gaining worldwide support, and could very well revive the protest movement Occupy Wall Street which was born a year ago.
Manufacturing a Car in Open Source and Modular Design
I don’t know whether we will need gasoline, electric or hydrogen cars tomorrow. I don’t have to know, because I designed my car so that I can change the motor in about the same time that it takes to change a tire. Joe Justice, founder and Team Lead of Wikispeed,...
Madagascar: A Case Study for Small Scale Mining
The Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) in Protected Areas and critical ecosystems (“PACE”) programme (ASM-PACE) has released a case study on how Madagascar can “ensure continued socioeconomic development without undermining ecological resiliency”. The report focuses on successful and failed methods to cope with mineral rushes.
Brazil: Rethinking Drug Policy
Rio Real blog wrote about the launch of Pense Livre (Think Free) [pt] in September 2012, a network to urge a rethink of Brazil’s drug policy. The author stresses that drug decriminalization would remap Rio de Janeiro, and links to an interview [pt] to Pedro Abramovay, a lawyer and law professor who...
Panama: TEDxPanamaCity 2012
Porto Diao [es] reviews TEDxPanamaCity 2012, an independently organized TED event held on October 10, 2012. The post lists the best five conferences, providing a short overview of each one. It also shares several photos of the event.
France: Photos and Impressions from the World Forum for Democracy 2012 in Strasbourg
The first World Forum for Democracy took place in Strasbourg, France, from October 5 - 11, 2012. The co-editor of Global Voices in French was in attendance and reported on the conversations that took place.
Yemen: Why Insult Women?
Yemeni netizen Hind Aleryani questions [ar] the demeaning manner in which some people talk about women on social networks.
It's Blog Action Day! Celebrate the “Power Of We”
Every year, bloggers around the world join forces and write about one topic, on one day, to reach a collective audience of millions. It's Blog Action Day today, and we're tracking entries by Global Voices bloggers everywhere.
Developing Latin America 2012
The regional hackathon Developing Latin America, organised by Foundation Ciudadano Inteligente (Intelligent Citizen) in six Latin American countries, brings together multidisciplinary teams of designers, developers, entrepreneurs, journalists and citizens that want to find solutions to problems such as poverty, healthcare and education, using technological tools.
Chinese Hold Breath for Nobel Literature Prize
This year, Chinese writer Mo Yan and Japanese Haruki Murakami are top bets to win the Nobel literature prize. While excitement for the potential win for China is great, some regret that Mo has never dared to protest literary censorship.
France: World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg
The first edition of the World Forum for Democracy is currently taking place in Strasbourg, France (5-11 october, 2012). The theme of the forum is “Bridging the map: democracy between old models and new realities”. You can follow the discussions under the Twitter hashtag #CoE_WFD. Director of International Freedom of...
Got a Question for Jimmy Carter?
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter is accepting questions on Facebook and Twitter (#CarterQA) as part of a commemoration of the Carter Center’s 30th anniversary of “waging peace and fighting disease worldwide”. President Carter will be answering by video on October 19, 2012.
Blog Action Day 2012 Celebrates ‘The Power of We’
So far, bloggers from 95 countries are ready to type with fast and fit fingers. For one day they will blog about one common theme creating a colorful collection of stories and reflections that will reach a collective audience of millions. On October 15, 2012 - it's Blog Action Day!
Hong Kong: National Education Scrapped but Tensions Continue
The Hong Kong government's controversial plan to introduce a moral and national education curriculum (hereafter national education) in elementary schools has finally been scrapped after rigorous citizen protests - including hunger strikes.
Russia: Philanthropy Through Advertising
The project “A Minute of Your Day for Good” (1minute.ru) was launched in November 2011. Users of the platform can accrue "charity minutes," which advertisers later honor in cash. Aleksey Melnicheck, co-founder of 1minute.ru, spoke to Evgeny Voropai of Greenhouses of Social Technologies about the problems of virtual charity in Russia and Western trends in fundraising.
Burkina Faso: Architect Innovates with Sustainable Primary School
Architect Diébédo Francis Kéré has designed a sustainable primary school in Gando, Burkina Faso, using mud bricks and corrugated iron. The innovative design allows much needed light and ventilation in a village where temperatures sometimes reach 104° F.
