Stories from 16 October 2009
Morocco: Praise for Islamic Finance
In a recent blog post, Paris-based Moroccan blogger Larbi (Fr) takes a closer look at Islamic finance. He writes: “While global finance has collapsed and the world was plunged into a financial crisis like no other, a little village still resists to this wave. It is called: “Islamic Finance”. Crisis?...
Morocco: Banking fees uncovered
In a recent post, moroccan blogger Omar El-Hyani [Fr] explores banking fees in Morocco. He conducted a comparative review of major banks in Morocco based on the most common operations a bank customer is likely to perform.
Morocco: Blogoma participates in Blog Action Day
Moroccan bloggers expressed their concern for the environment on Blog Action Day 2009, which focused on climate change this year. Water scarcity and energy dominated the conversation, reports Anas Alaoui.
Morocco: Next Earth Day to be held in Morocco
The next Earth Day, which falls on the 22nd of April, will be held in Morocco, reports Dominique Lagarde on the blog Nomades Express.
Bermuda: PATI Pending
Of Bermuda's pending Public Access To Information legislation, Catch a fire says: “I don’t understand the reason for PATI only applying to information created following the enactment of PATI. It certainly leaves the government open to rumour-mongering and undermines the credibility of PATI.”
Puerto Rico: Reflections on the National Strike
On October 15, thousands of Puerto Ricans flooded the streets to protest the government's lay-off of around 17,000 government employees. Flows of information, opinions, videos and images traveled through the Puerto Rican blogosphere and twittersphere like lightning. Here are some of their reflections.
Cuba: Journalism Prize Winner Denied Permission to Leave Cuba
Yoani Sánchez, Cuban blogger writing in Generacion Y blog, was once again denied permission to leave the island nation of Cuba to go receive the 2009 Maria Moors Cabot journalism award. In a video, she asks immigration officials about her travel bans.
Namibia: Petition to end forced sterilisation
A campaign has been launched to end forced sterilisation in Namibia: “A coalition of civil society organisations has called on Namibians to join a campaign condemning the sterilisation of women living with HIV without their informed consent.”
China: How old is the motherland?
Joel Martinsen from DANWEI translated several articles reacting to the propaganda that equalized the 60th anniversary of PRC to 60-year-old birthday of motherland (China).
China: From class struggle to marry
ESWN translates a debate that reflects the young generation's value in present day China. The debate is on whether the Chinese communist party's model drama heroine, White Haired Girl, should marry the evil landlord.
Botswana: Monitoring Elections Using Blogs, SMS and Twitter
Parliamentary and council representative elections are taking place in Botswana today, October 16, 2009. A number of journalists are using new media tools to report and monitor the elections.
Israel: Civil Marriage Good for Women's Rights
Elana Sztokman assesses how a new civil marriage bill would improve Israeli women's civil rights. She asserts: “Anyone who has encountered the real suffering brought on by this system cannot help but be in favor…”
Israel: Future Gay Tourist Hub?
Is Israel becoming a hub of international gay tourism, I Googled Israel ponders. He observes: “There is a clear trend definitely geared towards bringing in more gay vacationers and, to be more precise, their holiday dollars.”
Israel: Sviva Israel is Best Practice in Social Media
Sviva Israel as a best practice model in social media. Debra Askanase of Community Organizer 2.0 explains how in her case study: “How a Facebook Event Transformed an Organization.”
Israel: Charitable Giving at Every Level
“The difference between being charitable and being a philanthropist is having a strategy,” writes Richard Marker in eJewish Philanthropy, explaining why “You Don't Need to Be Rich to be a Philanthropist.”
Israel: What Other Countries Eat
Daniel Lubetzky's Peaceworks blog posts photos of what countries around the world eat in one week. Each photo shows a family in their kitchen surrounded by a week's worth of food.
Israel: Exploring Hebrew's Latin Roots
BaLashon (On the Tongue) explores the Hebrew term kalgas קלגס, meaning soldier. He discovers Latin roots: “Caliga- Roman sandals, secured with nails (which made quite a bit of noise)- were apparently frightening enough to give their name to the Roman soldiers.”
Israel: Can Tel Aviv Become a Biking Mecca?
Can Tel Aviv join the Netherlands and China as an ideal location for cyclists? Ami Vider of Tel Aviv Tomorrow discusses its potential.
Israel:Blog Action Day for the Environment
On Blog Action Day, October 15, Israeli bloggers were already looking ahead to October 24 when environmental organizations, activists, and bloggers too, are planning a day of climate change protest across the Middle East.
Posts in Portuguese on Blog Action Day '09
Portuguese-speaking bloggers from various countries have joined global bloggers on Blog Action Day to reach readers and raise awareness of climate change.
Global Health: Can Condoms Combat Climate Change?
As scientists and policymakers search for high-tech ways to fight climate change, a proposed low-tech solution is creating controversy -- contraception. A look at the debate as part of Blog Action Day, which focuses this year on climate change.
