21 February 2008
Stories from 21 February 2008
Inmates use blogs to start a reform of society
This week we are introduced to another of the Rising Voices second round grantees, “Prison Diaries”, based in Jamaica. It will use citizen media tools like blogs, video and podcasts to share the daily journals of inmates, allowing all Jamaicans to learn about the realities of Jamaica’s overcrowded prison system with the hope that this will counteract the false ideas of veneration of gang leaders implanted by the media.
Ecuador: Government Declares Emergency Due to Flooding
Many parts of Ecuador are suffering from heavy flooding, which led the government to declare a national emergency. Some bloggers write about what this will mean for those affected and the work by some sectors that prepared themselves for this disaster and states, “it is better to prevent, than to lament.”
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Syria: The Changing Face of Syria
Syria, is a country that is still "officially" considered a Socialist country. The socialist policies in Syria date all the way back to 1958, when Egypt and Syria formed the United Arab Republic, under the leadership of Gamal Abd el-Nasser. It was a very short lived republic that ended in 1961 but marked the turn of Syrian politics and economy into the socialist thinking. That continued after the Baath party took power in the March 8th coup d'etat. But all that is changing now.
Kenyan Bloggers Outline Political Solutions
From the high street cafes to the dark alleys in Nairobi's river road (down town), Kenyans can be heard discussing what former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan should prescribe as the compromise. There are voices of hope and optimism as well as prophets of doom who see the current exercise as mere puppetry. The role of the international community has also been discussed accross the divide. This situation is also reflected in the blogosphere.
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Next time we will be there again :)