December, 2009

Stories from December, 2009

Bangladesh: Celebrating New Year Twice

  31 December 2009

Saad Hammadi at Of Diaries And Experiences reminds that Bangladesh is reversing the clock by an hour to go back to Bangladesh’s geographic timing: “Thus, the 31st will last for 25 hours. For the party goers, how better could it be than celebrating the new year twice!”

Bhutan: Snowfall And Holiday

  31 December 2009

“Nobody seems to know when it started or how it started, but tradition dictates that Thimphu residents – especially public servants – avoid going to office on the day the city receives its first snowfall of the season,” informs Tshering Tobgay from Bhutan.

South Asia: Looking Back At 2009

  31 December 2009

The year 2009 is ending and its time to retrospect how the year has been for the South Asian region. In a two-part review we will look back at some of the major events which took place this year in the South Asian countries seen through the eyes of the citizen journalists.

Caribbean: 2009 Regional Roundup

  31 December 2009

As Global Voices celebrates its fifth anniversary, the occasion has given us all an opportunity to reflect on why we do what we do and how our work makes a difference.  As my colleague Jillian York so succinctly put it, “We spread stories.  We spread words.”  We manage to do...

Zimbabwe: Politics of condemnation

  31 December 2009

Amanda blogs about the “politics of condemnation” in Zimbabwe: The Congress [Zanu PF] resolved that “the Party’s national strategic objective for the next five years shall be the checking, containment and ultimate defeat of the West’s neo-colonial regime change agenda.”

Ghana:Visiting Cape Coast Castle

  31 December 2009

Beautiful photos and a post about a tour to the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana: “We followed a guided tour into the slave dungeons. There were several African-Americans in the group. We were all quiet, reduced to silence by the ghosts and the sadness thick in the musty air.”

Dominica: OECS

  31 December 2009

Chris at Dominica Weekly shares his thoughts on the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States’ Economic Union.

Trinidad & Tobago: Do the Math

  31 December 2009

Jumbie's Watch does the math on Trinidad and Tobago's murder rate: “While the CoP was bleating in public about the 3.65% murder solve rate (for last year), he neglected to mention that for the ‘known’ 508 victims of this year, there is a further 904 still missing!!!”

Cuba: History & Hope

  31 December 2009

“Hopefully, 2010 will bring, finally, an end to this sad, torturous chapter of Cuban history”: Uncommon Sense remembers Cuba's past and expresses his hopes for its future.

Caucasus: 2009 Blog Review

  31 December 2009

If the Armenian and Georgian blogospheres attracted most interest during 2008 after one disputed presidential election in the former and an albeit short war with Russia in the latter, Azerbaijan was the undoubted focus in 2009. In particular, youth activists quickly embraced both new and social media to spread their message online.

Bangladesh: Knighthood For Fazle Hasan Abed

  31 December 2009

Unheard Voice informs that Fazle Hasan Abed, the founder and chairperson of the largest NGO of the world, BRAC, has been awarded with knighthood for his endeavors towards eradicating poverty and empowering the poor in Bangladesh and many countries of the world.

Armenia: Culture vulture

  31 December 2009

Ianyan interviews Anush Babajanyan, an Armenian photographer who particularly focuses on issues such as gender in Armenia and the homeless in the country's second largest city, Gyumri.

Azerbaijan: Business as usual

  31 December 2009

Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines comments on new charges made against imprisoned journalist Eynulla Fatullayev, 2009 recipient of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) International Press Freedom award. The blog says that some things don't change, but nonetheless encourages its readers to speak out in 2010.

Japan: 2009 Tokyo Art Scene

  31 December 2009

William Andrews at the Tokyo Art Beat blog reviews the Tokyo art scene for the past year: “It was a nervous year, with the world-wide economic crisis always lurking.”

Japan: Things just got worse

  31 December 2009

“Japanese OO got worse in 2009″. Umeten gives a list [ja] of all the things that got worse in Japan this year, from economy to music magazines to baseball … A link to other blogs or websites for each item.