Global Voices · Citizen media stories from 2007 December 28

28 December 2007

Daily archive · 10 posts

Stories from 28 December 2007

Israel: Journalists Face Possible Jail Time for Visits to Enemy States

Written by Maya Norton · Middle East & North Africa

Three Israeli journalists who visited Lebanon and Syria are facing possible jail time for visiting nations that the government terms “enemy states.” Lisa Goldman, Ron Ben-Yishai, and Tsur Shezaf have been investigated and will spend a maximum of four years in jail if found guilty. Here's the reaction from Israel's English speaking blogs.

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Burkina Faso Soon a Biofuel Producer

Written by Ramata Sore · Sub-Saharan Africa

Last month, Burkina Faso and the French company AgroEd signed a framework agreement for developing a biofuels industry. Netizens express their skepticism about whether Burkina can become a competitive producer of biofuels, and whether ordinary people, in particular the farmers, will benefit.

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Congratulations New, Rising Voices

Written by David Sasaki · Caribbean, Latin America

The Rising Voices citizen media outreach initiative will start out 2008 with five new and innovative projects based in Kenya, Madagascar, Uruguay, Jamaica, and Iran.

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Korea: Three Singers and Military Service

Written by Hyejin Kim · East Asia

How much can military service change your life? There were three singers in Korea. The first singer, Yoo Seung Joon, who grew up in the U.S., but still kept the...

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Francophone Morocco on Eid Mubarak Said

Written by Lydia Beyoud · Middle East & North Africa

Last week, Morocco celebrated Aid el-Kebir (”Big Eid”), a festival commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and God's mercy in sparing him. Family members visit each other over...

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Morocco: Shock at Benazir Bhutto's Death

Written by Jillian C. York · Middle East & North Africa, South Asia

Following yesterday's news of Benazir Bhutto's assassination, Moroccan bloggers react to the tragedy. Jillian York and Lydia Beyoud sum up a spate of reactions from the Anglophone and Francophone blogoma.

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Uganda: Is Uganda mentally, intellectually and creatively broke?

Written by Rebekah Heacock · Sub-Saharan Africa

An interview with a Kampala City Council official has blogger Tumwijuke wondering if Uganda is “mentally, intellectually and creatively broke.”

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Pakistan: Why Bhutto, and what now for Pakistan?

Written by Neha Viswanathan · South Asia

More reactions are pouring out in the Pakistani blogosphere and elsewhere as it settles in that a very strong and capable leader is no more. Some bloggers are concerned about...

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Bolivia: Just Say Yes to the New Constitution

Written by Eduardo Avila · Latin America

Like the political crisis in Bolivia, blogs have also taken a break for the Christmas and New Year holidays. After the new year has passed, debate regarding the new Constitution and regional autonomies may find itself on the new collective blog site called El Taparaku, which has pledged to support the new document and campaign for a Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum.

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Nari Jibon: Women bloggers and the dowry problem in Bangladesh

Written by Rezwan · South Asia

This week we look at some brilliant articles from Nari Jibon’s women bloggers. They discuss the menace of wedding dowries, which make the lives of poor families difficult by forcing parents to consider female children as burdens. Also, one NJ participant dreams of becoming president and changing the present society to an enlightened, educated and dowry-free society.

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Updates from 28 December 2007

Burkina Faso

QuophyBlogeur writes about the perils of Burkinabe muslims [FR] making the pilgrimage to Mecca: “Fortunately Allah is merciful enough to tolerate the late arrival of poor pilgrims at the mercy of an organization practically on the verge of chaos.”

• Jennifer Brea

Pakistan

“What a great lost to the world is the assassination of this heroic woman who sought only to bring peace to her people”: The Voice of the Taino People calls for “a minute of prayer” in memory of Benazir Bhutto.

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Myanmar (Burma)

Agam's Gecko points to a new video clip that has emerged from Myanmar. “As if the world needed anymore evidence that the brutal Burmese regime has got to go now, but here is some more anyway. I've been told it's been given to CNN — but it only surfaced this week, and maybe they'll still find time for it amidst the year-end reviews and presidential campaign analyses.

• Preetam Rai

Ghana

Novisi writes about the recent nomination of the presidential candidate for the ruling party in Ghana: “self-so-called stalwarts of democracy of our country Ghana, the NPP, have just obtained or found or taken or norminated or acclaimed or chosen or whatever it is that they have done, to have Nana Akuffo-Addo as their presidential candidate.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Ghana

Sarpong writes about Ghana election 2008: “Prez Kufuor faces his last term in office which expires next year.The CPP elected their presidential candidate, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, along other executives. Now, Dr. Nduom made some remarkable statements when he was declared winner ahead of Prof. Badu Akosah.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Ghana

Ghana Music blog on Christmas celebration in Ghana: The mother of all the events took place at the National Theatre on Monday December 24, where thousands of Ghanaian and foreign music lovers came to take part in perhaps the biggest show in town, dubbed “Ghana Rocks With Ofori Amponsah and Friends”.

• Ndesanjo Macha

Kenya

Afromusing posts photos from the Rift Valley of Kenya elections: “Here are some shots i took yesterday at a few polling stations around Eldoret.It was so hot, but people braved the heat and queued in order to vote. By and large it went smoothly in some stations, though in the hospital ward, it was quite inefficient with lines snaking around the corner.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Kenya

Mzalendo posts results of parliamentary votes following the Kenya 2007 election yesterday: “Mzalendo now has the results for 64 Constituencies.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Kenya

Kenya 2007 election update from Kenya Imagine: “I have a racking headache this morning. Yesterday was a tough, nay, gruelling day. Yeah, and so much so. It was Election Day; the most competitive, much anticipated issue-based election since independence. I was among the last people at the polling station having stood in the hot sun for almost half a day.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Iran

Pouya says[Fa] that extremist and fundamentalist forces are the real “winners” of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.Iranian blogger adds the fundamentalists need chaos in society to push their agenda.

• Fred Petrossian