Global Voices · Citizen media stories from 2010 January 20

20 January 2010

Daily archive · 11 posts

Stories from 20 January 2010

Haiti: Restoring Communications and Local Media Networks

Written by Firuzeh Shokooh Valle · Caribbean, Latin America

Haiti's communication infrastructure was seriously damaged after being devastated by a 7.0 earthquake on January 12. It can be very empowering for people in Haiti to be able to narrate their stories in their own words. With this is in mind, Feminist International Radio Endeavour (FIRE) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters have launched projects to help restore local media projects.

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Caribbean: Ready for another earthquake?

Written by Nicholas Laughlin · Caribbean

As stories and images of devastation pour out of Haiti, bloggers elsewhere in the Caribbean wonder if the earthquake-prone region is ready for the next major tremor.

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Ukraine: Bloggers Discuss Presidential Election

Written by Veronica Khokhlova · Eastern & Central Europe

Ukrainians went to the polls on Jan. 17 to choose their president from the 18 candidates running for the post this year. Opposition leader Victor Yanukovich received 35.32% of the vote; prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko is in second place, with 25.05%. As neither won 50% of the vote, they face a runoff vote on Feb. 7. Below are some of the reactions from the Ukrainian blogosphere.

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Egypt: Detained Bloggers Tell their Tales

Written by Marwa Rakha · Middle East & North Africa

More than 20 Egyptian bloggers, who were on their way to pay their respects to the families of the victims of the Coptic massacre, were arrested when their train arrived in the village of Naga Hammady in Upper Egypt. They were released shortly afterwards and they are now telling us their side of the story.

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Haiti: aftershock effects

Written by Nicholas Laughlin · Caribbean

Reactions to a strong aftershock (6.1 magnitude) in southern Haiti this morning, as relief efforts continue more than a week after a major earthquake devastated the region around the capital.

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Azerbaijan: 20th anniversary of Baku pogrom and Black January

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

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Black January, the day when the fledgling independence movement in Azerbaijan was brutally suppressed by Soviet troops ostensibly to curtail inter-ethnic tensions in the capital, Baku. Bloggers in Armenia and Azerbaijan, however, remember the date differently.

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Afghanistan: Youth Find Outlets Amid Ongoing Violence

Written by Juhie Bhatia · Afghanistan

Last year was the deadliest one for Afghanistan's civilians, including children, since the American-led war began in 2001. Despite the circumstances, efforts are being made nationwide by and for youth to maintain their health and education and to empower them.

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Colombia: Hard to Tell the Good Guys from the Bad

Written by Juliana Rincón Parra · Latin America

Through citizen videos, different Colombian organizations share their unique perspectives on crime, violence and armed conflict, where it's hard to tell apart the good guys from the bad.

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Japan: Blogosphere Opinions on “Climategate”

Written by apeescape · East Asia

This article is a little late to the fray, but “Climategate” was also a topic of interest in Japan. Although the controversy was not as strong say compared to the...

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China: Another Cell Phone Registration System in the Works

Written by Don Weinland · East Asia

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has announced a plan to enforce a “real-name” registration system for mobile phone users. The announcement comes four years after the Ministry of...

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Updates from 20 January 2010

Haiti

A website, Survivors of Haiti's earthquake, has just been set up “to help to locate survivors of the earthquake that hit Haiti”, and is available both in French and English. The website allows an easy registering of a missing person (with description and picture), enables safe people to make themselves known, recognize a missing person or convey information. It gives a list of useful links and Twitter feeds dedicated to missing persons posts. French Ministry of foreign affairs and the NGO involved have been requested to feed the website with their data. Over 23.000 people have been registered so far.

• Suzanne Lehn

Haiti

Haïti, après le séisme warns [Fr] about the evacuation of children waiting to be adopted : “To act in haste would be disastrous”. Facing adopting families' growing impatience and lack of understanding, the NL, U.S. and French governments are taking different stances. From Canada, Secrétariat à l’adoption internationale, as well as Unicef, recall the priority to check if the child is alone in the world.

• Suzanne Lehn

Barbados

“Yes, there is good emerging from the horror in Haiti, a very great deal of it. If it could, that power – the all-encompassing, ominpotent power of love – would end suffering” - and, blogging from Barbados, B.C. Pires is quick to remind us that “it comes unbidden from human hearts.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Sri Lanka

Indrajit Samarajiva at Indi.ca discusses how Sri Lankan Tamils will vote and whether they will vote or stay out of the impending presidential election of Sri Lanka.

• Rezwan

Haiti

“Anything I can say about Haiti is going to sound like a platitude, so I’ll spare you those having to do with human misery and direct another one at myself instead: I have no idea what to expect and am not sure my imagination can prepare me”: Global Voices' Managing Editor is headed for Haiti “to encourage and support the continuance of the burgeoning citizen media activity the earthquake has occasioned.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Haiti

“As we consider the rapid militarization underway in Haiti and the prospect of a long-lasting U.S. or U.N. military presence in the country, there is growing concern about supporting local Haitian organizations who could lead the nation into an independent recovery attentive to local needs”: Repeating Islands posts a list of local organizations that aim to meet community needs.

• Janine Mendes-Franco