Global Voices · Citizen media stories from 2007 December 15

15 December 2007

Daily archive · 5 posts

Stories from 15 December 2007

Bahrain: A tenfold increase in population?!

Written by Ayesha Saldanha · Middle East & North Africa

This time the roundup from Bahrain covers three weeks. We have frustration on every front, unfortunately: frustration with being surrounded by apathy and ignorance, with being a teenager, and with a ludicrous criminal charge. One blogger is considering leaving the Gulf for a better life back in India, another admits he rarely reads, and a number of others are debating the merits of secularism.

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Taiwan: Migrant Worker Rally-”I want my day off!!”

Written by Portnoy Zheng · Taiwan (ROC)

On International Human Rights Day, the dogfighting politics of the two major parties still occupied the front pages in Taiwan's mass media. The politicians consume the terms “democracy” and “freedom”...

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Malawi: Innovation, the digital divide, and politicians who shun the Internet

Written by Steve Sharra · Sub-Saharan Africa, North America

Although we are not quite there yet, the beginning of the year 2008 will mark one year when the two Global Voices authors for Malawi, Victor Kaonga and myself, will have been writing roundups on the Malawi blogosphere. Victor and I live half a world apart, and are always in contact via email and phone. But we had never met before, until this past weekend.

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Oscar Niemeyer: 100 years of a daring architeture

Written by Paula Góes · Latin America

Brazilian and international bloggers have been wishing a happy birthday to Oscar Niemeyer, the prized modernist architect who turns 100 today still very much alive, lucid, working and involved in many projects worldwide.

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Korea: When You Can't Sleep…

Written by Hyejin Kim · South Korea

What is your tactic when you have difficulty falling asleep? Check these methods that Korean netizens recommend and see whether you agree or not. If you do, you may end up redecorating your bedroom or falling asleep with a piece of onion under your nose.

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Updates from 15 December 2007

Benin

Jackie writes about tobacco smoking among the youth in Benin: “According to a recent global youth tobacco survey report, more than twenty percent of school children (aged 13 to 15 years) in Benin are cigarette smokers. The survey involved about 50 schools selected in four regions of Benin, namely Atlantique and Littoral (located in the South) as well as Bogue and Alibori (located in North).”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Nigeria

Loomnie writes about religion and tolerance in Yoruba culture: “My friend pointed out that that was a very important part of the Yoruba religious system. In the Yoruba traditional religious system, in the same family, one could have each member of the family worshipping a different god, without any person proselytizing or persecuting another. That, my friend said, was a great indication of tolerance.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Armenia

Nazarian is shocked by a recent article published in the local press penned by an official in the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The article reported the situation Armenian women find themselves in when they marry Arabs. However, rather than call for tolerance, Nazarian says the official urged Armenian women to instead marry Armenian men.

• Onnik Krikorian

Kenya

Bankelele reviews 2007 predictions about Kenya: “In November 2006, I wrote some predictions in the Business Post December 2006/January 2007 issue, in which I put forward ideas, expectations, and wishful thinking for the country in year 2007. Here’s a review of some of the Nostradamus-like thoughts…”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Zimbabwe

WOZA blog has a post about police brutality in Zimbabwe: “Whilst the three people arrested after the WOZA demonstration in Harare on Tuesday were released after paying a fine and without being harmed, it has emerged that riot police beat at least 10 WOZA members as they were dispersing near Angwa Street.”

• Ndesanjo Macha