Stories from 24 March 2008
Czech Republic: Iraqi Mini-Protest
The Czech Daily Word posts pictures and reports on a mini-protest by Iraqis that was held in Brno.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Sarajevo War Memorial
YakimaGulagLiteraryGazett comments on the plans to erect a memorial to Serbian war victims in Sarajevo: “Here is how I think the money should be spent instead of building the cross, why don't these people help Serbian war survivors? Why don't they help the injured people from their side?”
Latvia: Musings on Ethnic Homogeny
Among other things, Marginalia muses on the “basic bonds between peoples and their languages, lands, beliefs, cultures and even cuisines” and how it relates to Latvia.
Poland, Ukraine: Euro 2012
20 East writes about Euro 2012, to be hosted by Poland and Ukraine: “As I live in Warsaw, I’ll worry more about the Polish side of things although one general point is that however far behind Poland might be, in Ukraine it is slightly worse.”
Poland: Warsaw; Online Forums
Among other things, Polandian writes about the Warsaw Ghetto in the final installment of “Inside Warsaw.” Also, there's a post on “why Polish people don’t smile” and a review of Polish-English online discussion forums.
Poland: The President's Homophobia
The beatroot reports that “the Polish Consulate in New York has just apologised to Brendan Fay, the gay guy who complained about use of his image in the recent anti-homo TV rant by President Lech Kaczynski.” Leopolis writes about president Kaczynski's “paranoid tirade, outlining the greatest threats to Poland (besides...
Central and Eastern Europe: Easter Roundup
Adventures in Wheelville marks Easter in Slovenia; Polandian writes about the “ingredients” of “the nationwide ‘holiday shuffle'” in Poland, and Kinuk describes her family's Polish holiday feast; Csíkszereda Musings writes about the first Easter of the two, which are “are over a month apart” in Romania this year; Bojan's Blog...
Ukraine: Construction in Kyiv
Ukrainiana writes about undesirable construction that is changing Kyiv – here and here (with photos and video).
World Water Day Ripples Across Videos.
Every year since the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, on March 22nd has been the World Water Day. In addition, this year it is the United Nation´s International Year of Sanitation and people from all over have started taking action through their video cameras, raising awareness at the importance of this finite resource.
Tunisia: relentless campaign against imprisoned blogger and journalist Slim Boukhdhir
In the last few weeks, Slim Boukhdhir, the 39-year old imprisoned blogger and journalist, is reported to have been subjected to an unusual level of harassment by prison authorities where he is serving the one-year sentence imposed by a Tunisian court on December 4th, 2007. His wife, Dalenda Boukhdhir, told Global Voices that the prison authorities placed Slim in “dry cell” for three days, from 20-23 March, 2008, turning off the water in his cell so he couldn't wash.
Armenia: Uprising Radio
Uprising Radio has a program on the recent election in Armenia, the protests that followed, and the state of emergency lifted last week. The guests on the radio station based in Los Angeles were Dr. Harry Sarafian and Harout Der-Tavitian from the Coalition for a Democratic Armenia.
Armenia: Open Letter
Unzipped posts an open letter from the wives, sisters and mothers of opposition activists currently detained or on the run from police.
Taiwan: Future Report
Micheal Turton wrote a fictional future report on Taiwan economic and political development under Ma Ying-jeou presidency from 2008-2016.
Taiwan: Calling for Reflection
DPP candidate Frank Hsieh lost 2.21 million votes to KMT candidate Ma Ying-jeou in the Taiwan in the weekend presidential election; SpinalCord voted for Ma because the blogger found DPP had failed his expectation in the past 8 years. He hope DPP can reflect upon its failure and become a...
China: Monitoring of Electronic Communication
Chinese Human rights defenders has a very elaborated report on the monitoring system in China concerning electronic communication [zh].
China and Tibet: Statement from Intellectuals
Woeser posted a 12 points statement made by 29 prominent intellectuals on the Tibet issue [zh]. The English version can be found at savetibet.org.
Japan: The New Era of Video
Last Friday, Japan's national broadcaster aired a special on the "New Era of Video" predicting changes in the industry of broadcast television that will shake the foundation of mass media. But why would a broadcaster as big as NHK air a TV special about the end of TV? Wouldn't that be against its own interests? Blogger Kobayashi Akihito asked if there wasn't more to the NHK special than meets the eye.
Dominica: 10 Reasons…
Caribbean Man lists ten reasons to live in Dominica.
Barbados: Middle Class
Notes From The Margin has some thoughts on the Barbadian middle class…
Jamaica: Beauty and Race
“What beauty contests say about women is still an open and now tired debate, but what it says about race, particularly in a country like Jamaica is still up for grabs”: Marlon James explains.
Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, USA: Obama's Vision
Jamaican Geoffrey Philp thinks that Barack Obama “has a deep understanding of America and that he offers a transcendent vision of America that we haven't had in a long time”, while Notes from Port of Spain quotes Obama's “race speech”: “‘I am the son of a black man from Kenya...
