Stories from 15 November 2010
Estonia: Pensioners’ “Relative Wealth”
AnTyx does some “number-crunching” and concludes that “on average, British pensioners are 76% better off than Estonian ones.”
Czech Republic: Russian Presence in Karlovy Vary
The Czech Daily Word writes about Karlovy Vary, a famous Czech resort town popular with tourists from the former Soviet states: “And one can see the Russian presence on almost every main street in downtown Karlovy Vary, where even hair salons, post offices, hardware stores etc. have signs in four...
Russia: Changing Time Zone in Primorsky Krai
Masha Egupova analyzed bloggers' reactions to Primorsky Krai officials' executive decision to change the time zone in order to be closer to Central Russia.
Pakistan: The Truth About Balochistan
“Balochistan needs to be healed — within Pakistan’s federal framework,” comments Ejaz Haider at Pak Tea House.
India: An Appeal To The Delhi Metro Rail Authority
Raja Basu, a regular commuter of the Delhi Metro, points out to some anomalies in the rail services.
Arab World: Tweeting the Hajj Experience
Among the 1.8 million Muslims on pilgrimage, or Hajj, to the holy city of Mecca are a few stealing moments to send 140-character messages to the world. Here are snippets from the conversation on the Twittersphere.
Pakistan: Bulldozing Over Civilization
The recent bomb attack that killed 19 people in Karachi shook buildings, shattered glasses and weakened people’s sense of security. The sad fact is that this has become a routine Pakistanis are being forced to live with.
Fiber To The Home Services in Pakistan
An Infrastructure uplift, perhaps? Pakistan was the first in South Asia to launch an FTTH service. This article in Telecomistan reviews the industry and the challenges faced in Pakistan.
Haiti: Will Elections Proceed?
Wadner Pierre says that as “Haiti prepares to hold controversial elections, natural disasters and disease may force the Haitians authorities to reschedule…”
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Election Date Set
Abeni announces: “It's official…Vincentians will vote on December 13th.”
Haiti: Interview with Aristide
Haitianalysis.com republishes excerpts from an interview with former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Trinidad & Tobago: Global Africa Project
Alice Yard is taking part in The Global Africa Project, “documenting the physical and critical spaces of the Yard and its creative network” – watch the video, here.
Trinidad & Tobago: Illegal Spying
Trin joins “in the national outrage and wait[s] for action” as more details come to light about illegal wiretapping of citizens by the former government.
Ecuador: The Government and Social Networking
Use of the Internet and social networks by the government of Ecuador is rapidly increasing. Is this an attempt to increase government transparency, a new media strategy or alternatively, is this the government's way of bypassing the media silence?
Costa Rica: Protecting your Data
On twitter, Tecnología Sí CR shares with us Protect your Data, the winning video for their 2009 contest.
Kenya: New Kenyan classifieds website
A Nairobian's Perspective writes about a new Kenyan classifieds website: “DealFish.co.ke is a brand new Kenyan classifieds website.The DealFish site makes it easy for members within a community to buy, sell, rent and find products and services as part of a like-minded community.”
Colombia: Twitter Users Report On Clashes Between Armed Groups in Medellín
On the night of November 9th, in the Manrique Santa Inés sector of Medellin, Colombia, several loud shots were heard that the majority of inhabitants associated with gunfire. Quickly Twitter messages appeared, including some from the official Twitter account of the mayor of Medellin Alonso Salazar.
Puerto Rico: Prensa Comunitaria, A Project of Media Activism
Prensa Comunitaria was founded in 2004 with the objective to empower the Puerto Rican communities through the creation of media. The board president, Samuel Rosario, talked with Global Voices about the birth of the project, its work in the communities, the importance of citizen journalism, and the relationships with traditional media.
Brazil: more criticism of media regulation
André Kenji, from the blog Dissidência, compares [pt] media regulation in Brazil and the USA, saying that public TV licenses cannot be treated as the private property of media owners. Meanwhile, Jorge Seadi at Sul21 comments [pt] that UNESCO has also proposed more independent control over the media in Brazil.
Puerto Rico: Indie Rockers Inspired by Internet Culture
Since entering Puerto Rico's buoyant independent music scene in late 2008, Los Niños Estelares have been known for their unique brand of socially-conscious, self-referential folk-pop sing-a-longs both online and off. They share their thoughts with Global Voices about Puerto Rico's online community and the local "memes" created through social services and the blogosphere.
Brazil: digital culture forum kicks off in São Paulo
The second annual Fórum da Cultura Digital Brasileira (Brazilian Digital Culture Forum) [pt] has begun in São Paulo. Due to run until 17th November, the forum aims to bring together cultural initiatives and communications-related organisations “in order to promote the development of public policies for the digital age” [pt].
