23 August 2010

Stories from 23 August 2010

Egypt: My First Fast

Food Jihadist, is an American expat living in Egypt. She shared her experience of fasting for the first time in Cairo this year. Muslims are marking Ramadan, a month of fasting where food and water are prohibited from dawn to dusk.

Global: Spreading Peace Through Images

  23 August 2010

Recently, a group of young entrepreneurs and photographers came upon the idea of spreading humanity, good will and positivity through images. On Aug. 16, their project - International Guild of Visual Peacemakers (IGVP) - came alive on-line. Danica Radisic interviews IGVP's co-founder and president Mario Mattei.

Chile: 33 Trapped Miners Are Alive

  23 August 2010

33 miners trapped inside a collapsed copper and gold mine in northern Chile confirmed on a small note that all of them are alive inside a shelter, thus revitalizing search and rescue efforts when hopes of finding them alive were fading. The note surfaced inside a bag attached to one of the drills that managed to reach the exact location where they are located, 2,300 feet (700 meters) underground.

India: Navi Mumbai Mangroves In Danger

  23 August 2010

The Navi Mumbai mangroves came into spotlight after the recent oil spill near Mumbai port. However, Debolina Raja Gupta asserts that they were endangered much before the oil spill and the authorities need to wake up to the fact.

Guinea Bissau: Videos about Water Scarcity

  23 August 2010

Blog Novas da Guiné Bissau shares the video Bafatá Misti Iagu (Bafatá Wants Water) [pt], describing a project that promotes the access to water for 22.000 people in the city of Bafatá. The issue of lack of access to safe water in Guinea Bissau had been previously reported in a documentary...

Sri Lanka: Much Ado About The Executive Presidency

  23 August 2010

In Sri Lanka, many politicians are calling for “the abolition of the office of the Executive President and revert to a Prime Ministerial system of Government”. Sisyphus at 1985 Mosquito Bites analyzes the merits and demerits of the Executive Presidency and finds that the individuals in position, not the systems...

Barbados: CARICOM Pappyshow?

  23 August 2010

As the Secretary General of CARICOM takes his leave, B.C. Pires is more convinced than ever that “the whole enterprise is one big pappy-show, an elaborate skulls that mocks integration of a people while enriching the lifestyles of a few persons…”

Haiti: Beauty & Controversy

  23 August 2010

As controversy swirls around Haiti's representative for the 2010 Miss Universe beauty pageant, The Haitian Blogger says: “The assassination of Miss Haiti's mother was a terrible tragedy. Unfortunately the sad event is being used by many to demonize Haiti's first real democratically elected government and the Lavalas political party.”

St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Haiti: Access Denied

  23 August 2010

Abeni has been following Wyclef Jean's bid for the Haitian presidency and says: “Now that Wyclef's candidacy has been stalled…maybe Wyclef's next bid should be ensuring that the media continues to shine a light on the Haitian situation.”

Colombia: President Santos and Human Rights

  23 August 2010

Valentina Díaz Gómez writes [es] about President Juan Manuel Santos and human rights in Colombia on her blog Realidades Colombianas. She hopes the media will report on human rights violations rather than cover them up, and that Santos and organizations like Human Rights Watch will find a way to work...

Colombia: Technology as Synonym for Jobs and Development

  23 August 2010

Carlos Correa writes [es] in his technology blog, Blog de Kloscorrea, about technology as a synonym for development and job creation in Colombia. He says the government needs to make regulations and policies that benefit the technology sector, and that Colombians need to stop feeling “small” next to other countries...

Peru: SUVs Taking Over Sidewalks

  23 August 2010

Cyrano writes [es] about his friend Edgardo, who uses a wheelchair, and his encounter with an SUV which was taking over most of the sidewalk. The SUV made it impossible for Edgardo to go through with his wheelchair, even with the help of his friends. They couldn't find a policeman...

Cuba: Empty or Full?

  23 August 2010

“The truth is the rules of democracy and human rights agreements are instruments against which the government in Havana holds grudges”: Iván's File Cabinet wouldn't be surprised if Cuban prisons were to be filled once again.

Pakistan: Horrid Act of Mob Shock The Citizens

  23 August 2010

Pakistanis are in shock as the news and video of the brutal mob-lynching of two teenage brothers in front of police and an enthusiastic crowd in Sialkot were aired on local media. Netizens question why this savage act was allowed to happen without any opposition.