Global Voices · Citizen media stories from October 2009

October, 2009

Monthly archive · 167 posts

Stories from October, 2009

25 October 2009

Lebanon Ups the Ante in the Hummus War

Written by Antoun Issa · Middle East & North Africa

As many as 300 Lebanese chefs gathered yesterday in Beirut to make the largest ever plate of hummus in an attempt to claim the reigns in ownership of the popular chick pea dip. The new world record is part of an ongoing campaign in Lebanon to reaffirm the country's claim to a number of dishes being produced in Israel - with the ownership of hummus being one of the main quarrels.

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Japan: Latest survey on poverty destroys the prosperity myth

Written by Scilla Alecci · East Asia

One Japanese in six is living in poverty says the latest Welfare Ministry report [en]. According to OECD figures [en], Japan has one of the highest poverty rates in the...

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Singapore plans to require bloggers to reveal sponsors

Written by Mong Palatino · East Asia

Singapore is thinking of drafting a new guideline that would require bloggers to reveal if they receive gifts or money for their articles. Bloggers react to this proposal

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China: Relics of the Old Summer Palace

Written by Michael Kan · East Asia

Back in the news again is Beijing’s Old Summer Palace, whose destruction still remains a sensitive topic in China. Built during the Qing Dynasty, it was later sacked by British...

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24 October 2009

Pregnancy and Prisons: Women's Health and Rights Behind Bars

Written by Juliana Rincón Parra · East Asia, Eastern & Central Europe

It is still a struggle to ensure human rights for pregnant women worldwide, and it seems that in the process, pregnant women in prison are many times overlooked. What have been some of the steps made to ensure that they are also treated humanely, with respect to the life they carry?

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GV Blogger Interview: Sylwia Presley

Written by Juan Arellano · Eastern & Central Europe, Western Europe

Sylwia Presley is a name which pops up regularly on Global Voices Online. Her interactions spark discussions and ignite new ideas which helps our community develop. Juan Arellano catches up with our Lingua Editor for Global Voices Polska and learns more about her fascinating work on and offline.

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Updates from October, 2009

29 October 2009

Japan

Pink Tentacle picked up enigmatic photographer T. Enami (1859-1929)'s photos of old Japan and represented the stereoviews through gif animation.

• Oiwan Lam

Russia

In The Huffington Post, Robert Amsterdam writes about Mikhail Khodorkovsky's case, six years on.

• Veronica Khokhlova

Bosnia Herzegovina

Americans for Bosnia writes about the trial of Radovan Karadzic. Samaha writes about Biljana Plavsic’s release.

• Veronica Khokhlova

Bulgaria

Dumping Grounds for People is a blog devoted to the results “of a four-months long journalistic investigation, conducted mostly undercover in ten institutions for adults with intellectual disabilities or mental illnesses in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia.” A Flickr photo set, by Yana Buhrer Tavanier, is here, along with this note: “Bulgaria and Romania, both EU members since 2007, and Serbia, which seeks the same status, have a grim track record when it comes to institutional care. This investigation suggests that they are still failing to meet international standards.”

• Veronica Khokhlova

Albania

Albanian Blogger recommends scholar Robert Elsie's work to those interested in the Albanian language and literature.

• Veronica Khokhlova

Ukraine

David Sasaki shares thoughts on “engaging, not exoticizing human rights” and posts a video interview with Pavel Kutsev, a self-described “average drug addict” and “the co-founder of Drop-In Center, a Ukrainian organization which advocates for the rights of the injection drug user communication and for better national policy related to substitution therapy.”