Stories about Western Europe from September, 2010
Vietnam: Blogger Pham Minh Hoang Charged with Attempt at Overthrowing the Government
Reporters Without Borders reports that French-Vietnamese blogger Pham Minh Hoang was charged with “Activities aimed at overthrowing the government” and membership of a “terrorist organisation” (the banned opposition party Viet Tan). His wife opines that the reason for her husband’s arrests was his opposition to bauxite mining [fr] by a...
Europe: “Mapping Stereotypes”
Via Dr Sean's Diary, “a series of maps of Europe mapping the (supposed) prejudices of various nations […] and, for some reason, also of gay men” by “Bulgarian visual artist, graphic designer and illustrator Yanko Tsvetkov.” Also, “What European Tribes Think About One Another” – at eXile.ru; a similar map...
UK: Interview With Donald Newholm On ‘History of USSR’ Tetris Song
A Good Treaty interviews Donald Newholm of Pig With The Face Of A Boy about the band's popular song, “A Complete History of the Soviet Union As Told By A Humble Worker, Arranged To The Melody Of Tetris” (the YouTube video to this song has been viewed over 500,000 times).
Azerbaijan: Journalists to visit Sweden ahead of November vote
Gulara Azimzadeh's blog reports that seven journalists from Azerbaijan will visit Stockholm to see how the media covered the 2010 elections in Sweden. The journalists were selected after a competition held by the Azerbaijan Media Center as the country prepares for its own parliamentary vote this November and recounts the...
Italy: Social Media Week in Milan and Worldwide
Social Media Week is an eclectic, multi-city event (Sept 20-24) aimed at connecting people, content, and conversations about emerging trends in social and mobile media.
UK, Romania: “Katalin Varga”
Csíkszereda Musings writes about Katalin Varga, Peter Strickland's film, set and filmed in Transylvania.
Russia: Luzhkov's Birthday, Vacation and Prose
More posts on Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov (who is in Austria now) – at The Moscow Diaries (here and here), and at FPA's Russia blog.
Macedonia, Greece: Porcupine Tree Concert in Thessaloniki
Macedonian blogs Baba mi Trajanka (My Grandma Trajanka) and Voodoo Lounge published a multimedia reportage [MKD] and a favorable review [MKD] about the concert of a UK progressive rock band Porcupine Tree near Thessaloniki, in neighboring Greece, attended by youth from all over the region.
Portugal: Monthly “Green” Blogging Competition
Every month, LX Sustentável [Sustainable Lisbon, pt], a blog focusing on “urban sustainability”, runs Green Blogger Awards. The organization nominates the best five posts from Portuguese blogs tagged with #lxsustentavel, and the winner is voted by the online audience. In August the award was given to José Mota from Amigos...
Armenia: The British Ambassador blogs
Charles Lonsdale, the British Ambassador to Armenia, has started up an official blog on the web site of the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In his second post, the diplomatic blogger compares British and Armenian art against the background of the seventh Biennale in the country's second largest city...
Palestine: Sending A Message With Social Media
Arjan El Fassed made headlines last year for having a street in a Palestinian refugee camp named after his Twitter account, and has been involved with an online initiative in which people can request messages to be spray-painted on the West Bank wall. In this interview with Global Voices he talks about the potential of social media to help the Palestinian cause.
Guinea Bissau: Bridging Cultures Through Language
The Andorinha [Swallow, pt] project has been promoting for two years the Portuguese language in the region of Cachungo in Guinea Bissau. Macua blog reproduces a text [pt] that describes the community radio and the exchange and correspondence program between schools in Portugal and Cachungo.
Slovakia: No Money for Greece
Slovakia's refusal to take part in the Greek bailout has "outraged" the European Central Bank. Tibor Blazko translates some of what the Slovak netizens think about the issue.
Portugal: Students Demand Social Action in Higher Education
Clube dos Pensadores [Thinkers Club, pt] blog comments on the opening ceremony of the Portuguese school year today, with the Prime Minister Sócrates and Minister Gago, when a group of students stormed the stage and read a statement against the 400% increase of tuition fees in higher education, in the...
Global: If there is no water, there is no life
The Twentieth gathering for the World Water Week (WWW) took place in Sweden's Capital Stockholm from the 5th to the 11th of September 2010 with the theme The Water Quality Challenge-Prevention, Wise Use and Abatement. According to the organisers, “urbanisation, agriculture, industry and climate change exert mounting pressure on both the quantity and quality of our water resources.”
Macedonia: Bronze Lions, Accountability & Transparency
The new statues of four bronze lions on a Skopje bridge attracted the attention of the Macedonian public by the end of August. The initial arrogant refusal of accountability by their creators overshadowed the questionable artistic achievement related to these publicly funded felines.
