Stories from 14 October 2010
Japan: Memories of an outlaw – Part One
After almost three years outside the walls, a blogger - who prefers to be anonymous - decided to tell the story of his life behind bars.
Czech Republic: Happy 600th Birthday Prague's Astronomical Clock
The video mapping of the Astronomical Tower in Prague for its 600th anniversary has Spanish language social networks buzzing this morning. Microsiervos blog points us to the official video by The Makula where animations projected on the building bring the facade to life.
Netherlands: Latin American Diaspora Women Unite
The European DiasporaSolidaria.org foundation organized a summit for migrant Latin American women in Amsterdam, where they discussed issues such as their rights, the changing nature of families and remittances. LA Ruta brings us a short video recording some of their experiences.
Brazil: Electoral debate hits the 29th São Paulo Biennial
The heated Brazilian electoral debate has hit the art world: chtodelat news publishes an official response to a post that casts doubt on the 29th Sao Paulo Biennial‘s statement that it “is anchored in the idea that it is impossible to separate art and politics”.
Pakistan: Art Exhibition To Raise Fund For The Flood Relief Efforts
“The Sanjh set (101 cards) [..] tells a story of how artists of Pakistan came forward to share the miseries of fellow countrymen in real need by offering their art work that moved people to buy and contribute to the (flood) relief efforts”, informs S. A. J. Shirazi at Lahore...
India: Interview With A Blogger Who Fought With Breast Cancer
BlogAdda interviews Farida Rizwan, who has battled against breast cancer for 15 years with success and blogged about it.
India: The Grand Secret OS
Greatbong takes a hilarious look at the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) proposal to create a “closed source operating system” to protect Data.
Bangladesh: The Saga Of (Not) Recognizing ‘Sex Worker’ As A Profession
Wasfia Nazreen criticizes the saga of introducing ‘sex worker’ as a profession in the national ID card and voter list of Bangladesh by the Election Commission and their subsequent removal of the category on the basis of moral grounds.
Myanmar (Burma): The Plight of the Karen
The ethnic minority of the Karen are one of the groups that have been targeted by the Burmese army in its effort to defend the military regime. Burma Matters Now brings us a few videos that speak out about the plight of the Karen people as they try to survive in a violent environment.
Cuba: Violence in Schools
“Although the official media do not report it, through word of mouth from independent journalists, alarming cases of school violence have come to light”: Iván's File Cabinet reports.
Jamaica: Eliminating Gender-Based Violence
As reggae artist Bounty Killer makes “a pledge to support the elimination of violence towards woman in the region”, The Wickedest Time quips: “Holla at me when he signs up for anger management classes!”
Haiti: Hero on the Titanic
“Joseph Phillippe Lemercier Laroche was the only black man, a Haitian man, to perish in the Titanic; that’s after he saved his wife and kids”: Repeating Islands has the amazing story.
Cuba: Preparing for Paula
Havana Times notes that Cuba is preparing for “a weakened Hurricane Paula”.
Barbados: Social Media & Tourism
“It seems that despite the power social media has from a marketing perspective that ‘we’ do not have staff in place to effectively monitor and update these sites”: Adrian Loveridge, guest blogging at Barbados Free Press, says that despite the Minister of Tourism's statements about harnessing the power of social...
Brazil: The Xingu River is no place for Belo Monte
On August 26 the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, signed a decree that transfers the concession to harness the hydroelectric potential of the Belo Monte Dam on the Amazon Xingu River. Indigenous people and river dweller have been organizing themselves into social and environmental resistance movements against the construction of the dam for their present way of life and means of survival will suffer a disastrous impact if the dam is built.
Russia: Center of Moscow in Photographs
LJ user varandej posts pictures of conventional houses and apartment complexes in the center of Moscow.
Russia: Blogger Calls for Help to Expose Corruption in Public Procurement
Blogger Navalny calls [RUS] IT-specialists for help in exposing corruption in online projects of different government structures. The last case led by Navalny helped prevent stealing over $1,8M from the government's budget. He presents screenshots of 9 similar projects worth $17,7M at the state procurement website zakupki.gov.ru.
Zambia: Are Journalists Dogs or Watchdogs?
Zambian journalists have recently been in the news not as reporters and editors but as victims after an opposition parliamentarian, Mumbi Phiri, labeled those working for state-controlled media organisations as Lt-Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha's dogs. Lt-Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha is the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services. Zambians online discuss her statement and apology.
Russia: The Twitter Craze. This Time, It's a Worm…
Russian officials in a tweet-o-drama over... a worm.
Greece: Life Sentence for Officer who Shot Teen Sparking 2008 Riots
After two years of deliberations, a court has delivered a sentence of life in prison for the police officer who shot and killed 15-year old Alexandros Grigoropoulos in December 2008. His killing led to mass rioting and protests in several cities across Greece, fueled by rage over police brutality, and impunity and corruption in the Greek political system.
Brunei: International Coastal Cleanup
Tiger Lim invites Brunei netizens to participate in the International Coastal Cleanup Day on October 16. Volunteers will meet in Serasa, Brunei.
