Global Voices · Citizen media stories from February 2009

February, 2009

Monthly archive · 219 posts

Stories from February, 2009

19 February 2009

Georgia: Eurovision Controversy

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

Following its recent war with Russia, Georgia had initially planned to boycott this year's Eurovision Song Contest to be staged in Moscow, but later changed its mind. However, if reversing that decision might have initially seemed an attempt to repair damaged relations, yesterday's national song contest proved otherwise. Eurovision bloggers react.

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Guatemala: President Colom Apologizes for the Bay of Pigs

Written by Renata Avila · Latin America

In preparation for the Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961, the government of Guatemala allowed the CIA to train Cuban exiles on their soil for the operation. Even though the invasion failed, the memory still remains. Nearly 50 years later, the current president Álvaro Colom visited Cuba and took the opportunity to “officially ask Cuba for forgiveness." He also presented former Cuban leader Fidel Castro with the Order of the Quetzal, which is the highest honor given by Guatemala.

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Fiji: Minimum wage increase postponed

Written by John Liebhardt · Oceania

At the beginning of February, Fiji’s workers and trade unions were preparing to receive a roughly 20 percent increase in the country’s minimum wage. Business leaders won a reprieve when Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama postponed the wage increase until July 1.

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Victorian Bushfires stir compassion and conflict

Written by Kevin Rennie · Oceania

The grim toll of the Victorian bushfires now has 201 confirmed deaths, including a volunteer firefighter, and 1834 homes destroyed. There have been moving, controversial, bizarre and even innovative responses in the blogosphere to the tragedy.

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Brunei: Global Expeditions

Written by Senor Pablo · East Asia

Like other citizens around the globe, Brunei is never short of people willing to take the challenge to put the country on the world map. Two sets of expeditions are being carried out.

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Egypt: Ayman Nour Released

Written by Amira Al Hussaini · Middle East & North Africa, North America

Egypt has just released political dissident Ayman Nour, who has spent more than three years in prison. Bloggers welcomed the move, but were left wondering about its motives and timing.

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Updates from February, 2009

24 February 2009

Bermuda

“While Bermuda continues to pay lip service to public access to information, the Cayman Islands forge ahead”: Vexed Bermoothes weighs in.

• Janine Mendes-Franco

India

Kafila informs about a recent Supreme Court ruling in India which states that “a person who starts a blog/community page cannot claim that it was a community page and not meant for public consumption.” That means the owner will be liable for all the collaborative contents and comments in that community page and can be sued by public.

• Rezwan

Nigeria

Nigeria has its own video sharing site, writes Loy at Startups Nigeria, “If you watch videos from Yahoo! TV, you’re probably going to enjoy Naija’s own video sharing community called Naijoo.Tv, an online video sharing site that allows you to upload, view and share video clips. When I first heard the name, I thought it would look like Yahoo! TV, but far from it.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Kenya

Kenyan Pundit reacts to reports about police harassment of activists, “The report is disturbing to say the very least, not just because it shows you just how paranoid and oppressive this government is becoming, but also because it gives some insight into how the extra-judicial killings that have been in the news start off and how easy it is to be “disappeared” if you don’t have good contacts and with a Mungiki label slapped on you.”

• Ndesanjo Macha