Stories about Weblog from March, 2011
China: The Interrogation (A Tale of AI and Revolution)
Stainless Steel Mouse, aka Liu Di, has seen many of her peers arrested or disappeared over the past several weeks. Looking at the unusual way in which China's failed Jasmine Revolution began, she has imagined a scenario which mixes fact with fiction.
Kenyan Bloggers Form an Association; BAKE
On Friday 25th March, several Kenyan bloggers held a meeting in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, under the newly formed BAKE ( Bloggers Association Kenya). The meeting was the 4th in an initiative by some of Kenyas veteran bloggers .
Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah: Opening doors to African women's bedrooms
For the past two years, Nana Darkoa’s blog Adventures from the bedrooms of African women has provided a forum for frank and intimate discussions of sex and sexuality amongst African women and men.
Taiwan: Nuclear Waste on Orchid Island
In 1974, the Taiwan Atomic Energy Council decided to store nuclear waste on Taiwan's Orchid Island, where the indigenous Tao people have lived for generations. More than twenty years have passed, the radioactive waste barrels have eroded with rust and it seems that no one is ready to take care of the problem.
Venezuela: H1N1 Cases on the Rise
The H1N1 virus has hit Venezuela. While writing this post, on March 28, the number of people infected with the virus is 415. Using Twitter, Venezuelans are sharing their frustration at the increasing number of cases as they tweet the latest official information and encourage each other to take precautions.
Japan: The Tsunami, God and Man
A few days after the disaster that killed more than ten thousand people, Italian vice-president of the National Research Council (CNR) Roberto De Mattei and Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara left the Italian and the Japanese blogosphere astounded when they declared that the catastrophe occurred as a manifestation of God’s will. Both in Japan and in Italy bloggers reacted and demanded their resignation.
Colombia: Indigenous Communities Protect their Food Security
Indigenous communities in Colombia are taking steps to protect their food security. Not only are they educating their communities to eat what they grow on their vegetable gardens instead of buying expensive food brought from outside but they are also protesting new laws and regulations limiting their access to milk.
Brazil: On Opening the Archives of the Dictatorship
A collective blogging was called to demand the opening of the archives of the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964-1985), responsible for torturing of thousands and for killing 380 Brazilians. Of these, 147 remain missing and nothing is known about the fate of their bodies. Until now their families are suffering without knowing their stories.
Macedonia, Bulgaria: Facing Hate Speech
Two NGOs, from Macedonia and from Bulgaria, have published an analysis of the Macedonian-Bulgarian hate speech in the traditional and new media.
Lebanon: Exploring the Video Artistic Scene, Featuring Ziad Antar
What's happening on the Lebanese art scene? The directors of a web-documentary on this topic are offering some previews in the form of portraits of contemporary artists.
Syria: Reactions to President Assad's Speech
President Bashar Al Assad finally made a speech Wednesday 30 March, 2011, at the Syrian Parliament after days of postponement and anticipation. The president's arrival at the Parliament was met with thundering applause and chanting by the Members of Parliament, and his speech was often interrupted by an MP reciting poems of praise. Twitter users did not receive this well.
Russia: Online Media 2010-2011 According to Yandex.ru
New Yandex.ru report "Media sphere of RuNet. September 2010 - January 2011" suggests that Russian online media are growing but still have a long way to go to become a truly developed reporting platform.
Serbia: Gaddafi's Cyber Army Oppose Rebels and NATO
A Facebook page entitled "Support for Muammar al-Gaddafi from the people of Serbia" has become a show of support for the controversial Libyan leader, with over 62,500 members. Libyan opposition activists have also reported cyber attacks on opposition websites coming from Serbia. Sasa Milosevic reports on the online support for Muammar al-Gaddafi in Serbia.
Bahrain: Prominent Blogger Mahmood Al-Yousif Arrested
Shortly after 3am local time, prominent Bahraini blogger Mahmood al-Yousif was arrested in his home. Before leaving with police officers, the blogger tweeted, "The police are here for me." His arrest was confirmed by both his brother and son.
Philippines: TV Host Accused of Child Exploitation
Netizens from the Philippines want authorities to address what they believe was a case of child exploitation on prime time TV when a child was encouraged by a program host to present a sexy dance performance.
Tunisia: Bloggers Angry at Interim Interior Minister Sacking
Tunisian bloggers are outraged over the sacking of Interim Interior Minister Farhat Rajhi today. In a surprise move, he was replaced by Hbib El-Seed. Netizens are now calling for his return to managing his portfolio in blog posts and on Facebook.
Bolivia’s Conflicting Stance With the USA on Coca Chewing
The 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs ordered the elimination of chewing coca leaves within 25 years of the treaty going into effect. Bolivia has again resurfaced as a proponent to eliminate this UN ban. The US moved to block Bolivia’s request, further citing that an amendment to the article shows Bolivia’s lack of cooperation in the fight against the drug trade.
Greece: Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Succeeds in Hard Times
The week-long 13th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival presented a line up of approximately 220 films from around the world from 11-30 March, 2011, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Themes included regional retrospectives (this year focusing on the Middle East and Africa) and tributes to Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa and Czech Helena Trestikova.
Nigeria: What Are Nigerian Bloggers Saying About the 2011 Elections?
As the 2011 Elections in Nigeria draws near, Nigeria bloggers are busy talking about the elections and the future of their country but is anyone listening?
Mexico: New (Dis)Agreement on Reporting Violence
On March 24, most of the biggest Mexican media outlets signed the "Agreement to Cover Violence in Mexico," an agreement that unifies the editorial criteria to cover and report news related to "the drug war." Many support and defend the document, but the text has also sparked strong disagreement and criticism.
Côte d'Ivoire: Where is Gbagbo's General, Philippe Magou?
Monday March 14, 2011, was a busy day in Côte d'Ivoire. After violence this past weekend in the Abobo district of southerly economic capital Abidjan, Ivorians in the city were woken up by Kalashnikovs and heavy artillery. For a few days now, the rumors in Abidjan have been growing as to Ivorian army General Philippe Mangou's responsibility in this crisis.
