Global Voices · Citizen media stories from 2008 May 18

18 May 2008

Daily archive · 5 posts

Stories from 18 May 2008

Syria: Crisis in Neighboring Lebanon

Written by Yazan Badran · Middle East & North Africa

As the Lebanese leaders go to Doha, Qatar, to resume their "National Dialogue", here is a roundup of what Syrian bloggers had to say on the latest crisis in Lebanon. The Syrian bloggers were as divided as their counterparts in Lebanon about who is to blame for this latest crisis, and what must be done to avoid such events in the future.

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Blogger of the Week: Jillian York

Written by Amira Al Hussaini · Middle East & North Africa

Today's Blogger of the Week celebrates the work of Jillian C York, our Morocco author, and a regular contributor to Voices without Votes. A freelance writer, blogger, and author of a guidebook to Morocco, Jillian currently lives in Boston, US, after spending two memorable years in Meknes, Morocco.

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Caucasus: Eurovision Countdown

Written by Onnik Krikorian · Eastern & Central Europe, Central Asia & Caucasus

With the first of the semi-finals in this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia, just days away, the countries of the South Caucasus are becoming increasingly excited about the international song contest and how their representatives will fair. Global Voices rounds up the reaction to the three songs in the Eurovision blogosphere.

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Japan: Earthquake aid starts healing process

Written by Chris Salzberg · East Asia

The largest ever dispatch of aid to China from Japan took place last week when Japanese rescue teams were dispatched to Chongqing. Thanks expressed by Chinese in bulletin boards made it back to articles on the Japanese-language Internet and sparked hopeful reactions among many bloggers, some finding a common understanding in a shared history of earthquake disasters.

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Japan: A surge of suicides

Written by Hanako Tokita · East Asia

Over the past few weeks, the Japanese media have been extensively reporting suicide cases associated with the use of hydrogen sulfide gas, providing detailed description of ingredients and methods used. The recent media reporting has been so sensationalized that the Japan Suicide Prevention Association requested that media organizations be more careful with their reporting. The phenomenon has stirred up conversation among Japanese bloggers.

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Updates from 18 May 2008

China

Laocardo [pt] reports that 13 tonnes of supplies offered by the Red Cross of Macau were donated today to the relief of Sichuan victims, in China. The blogger reminds readers to be generous but cautious “Make sure that donation collectors are well identified, because - and unfortunately it is normal to happen in these situations - some people take advantage of benefactors for personal profit”.

• Paula Góes

Armenia

The Armenian Observer says that despite the global food crisis, the country is self-sufficient in most foods and so seems likely to be spared shortages in the future. However, figures for the import of wheat and sugar are high. It also says that rising prices are also starting to hit consumers.

• Onnik Krikorian

Seetizen, the blog of a youth activist in Armenia, decries the latest action by the pro-radical opposition Hima youth movement — a list which labels various celebrities, political figures and others as “non-Armenian” because of their support for the authorities. And Nothing Else Matters also weighs in with its own criticism of what the blog considers to be tactics designed to divide rather than unite society. Interestingly, one of the names on the blacklist is Armenia's contestant in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, Sirusho.

• Onnik Krikorian