Global Voices · Citizen media stories from 2011 February 16

16 February 2011

Daily archive · 12 posts

Stories from 16 February 2011

Bahrain: Safe Day for Protesters

Written by Amira Al Hussaini · Middle East & North Africa

It was a safe day for protesters in Bahrain today, with the police forces staying at bay, and allowing the protests to go unhampered. The day marks a total change to the police brutality protesters faced on the first and second day of the demonstrations, which saw the death of two protesters.

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Cuba: Cyberwar? Video Sparks Debate, Anger, Skepticism

Written by Ellery Roberts Biddle · North America, Latin America

A video posted February 1st on Vimeo features a 52-minute presentation on new information technologies and a “ciberguerra” allegedly being waged on Cuba by the United States government and US-based NGOs. Initial reports called this a classified government video that had been leaked, but some bloggers (on and off the island) are questioning this assertion.

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Macedonia: Reactions to Kale Incident and Hate Speech

Written by Filip Stojanovski · Eastern & Central Europe

After Sunday's mass fighting between ethnic Macedonian and ethnic Albanian groups on Skopje Fortress - Kale, social media frequented by inhabitants of Macedonia buzzed with hate speech and reactions to it.

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Malawi: Muza Gondwe: Malawian Science Blogger

Written by Victor Kaonga · Sub-Saharan Africa

Meet Muza Gondwe, a female science blogger from Malawi who talks to our author, Victor Kaonga, about her science blog, Afrisciheroes.

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Bahrain: Pro-Government, Pro-King Voices Emerge

Written by Yacoub Al-Slaise · Middle East & North Africa

As the third day of protests in Bahrain continues this Wednesday 16 February, 2011, numerous voices have stepped up to show support for King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and the Bahraini government.

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Rwanda: Blogging From Inside Rwanda: A Conversation With Graham Holiday

Written by Etienne Mashuli · Sub-Saharan Africa

Etienne Mashuli speaks with Graham Holliday, an award winning blogger, a freelance media trainer and foreign correspondent. Graham runs Kigali Wire, a news wire, photojournalism site and blog.

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Russia: Blogger Pays for Badmouthing Putin Online

Written by Dmitry Davidov · Eastern & Central Europe

Rapid development of RuNet in recent years has only stared testing the limits of what one can say online. But the army of bloggers and their enthusiastic efforts to defend the online freedom paint an optimistic picture of the blogosphere's future.

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North and South Korea Mark Kim Jong-il's 69th Birthday

Written by Lee Yoo Eun · East Asia

Whilst North Korea celebrates its leader, Kim Jong-il's 69th birthday today, South Korean human rights activists sent a rather unconventional birthday gift to Kim: gigantic balloons carrying leaflets lambasting the regime. South Koreans net users took the opportunity to speculate how to ignite social changes in North Korea.

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Bahrain: Funeral Procession Marks Third Day of Protests

Written by Yacoub Al-Slaise · Middle East & North Africa

Wednesday February 16, 2011 is the third day of Bahrain's 'Day of Wrath' protests; it has kicked off with the funeral of Fadhel Al-Matrook, who died after mourners faced excessive force from riot police during Tuesday's procession for the first fallen protester Ali Mushaima.

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Iran: Jailed blogger Hossein Ronaghi in Danger

Written by Fred Petrossian · Middle East & North Africa

Hossein Ronaghi Malki, an Iranian blogger, is serving a 15 year prison sentence, and is confined in the security ward of Evin Prison, deprived of contact with his family or his lawyer. Mojtaba Samienejad, a human rights activist and secretary of the Human Rights House of Iran, told BBC Persian that Ronaghi is in need of urgent surgery and is in critical condition.

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Updates from 16 February 2011

Russia

Alexander Belenkiy (LJ user macos) posts photos (RUS) taken in the neglected - but not yet fully deserted - coal miners' towns in Perm region, where the first mine appeared in 1797 and the last one closed in 2000: “All this resembles today's Abkhazia or wartime Grozny.”

• Veronica Khokhlova

Russia

Mikhail Shlyapnikov (LJ user michael-077) writes in detail (RUS) about plans to set up a communal village hospital - old-style, but functional - in Kolionovo, Moscow region: “This, perhaps, is a rare case in contemporary history of rural Russia when, contrary to the general tendency, a village hospital is not shutting down, but is being recreated in a new form. And what's important is this is a free hospital for everyone.”

• Veronica Khokhlova

Bhutan

Tshering Tobgay calls all the concerned Bhutanese citizens to lead a movement to amend the draconian Tobacco Control Act, which can penalize 23 year old Sonam Tshering, a jail-term for minimum 3 years for smuggling Rs. 96 (approx US$2) worth of chewing tobacco.

• Rezwan

Bhutan

I am Drukpa is irked by the fact that Bhutan is obsessed with the newly introduced tobacco ban law and is ignoring the other facets of development.

• Rezwan

Armenia

Georgia On My Mind provides its readers with a comprehensive review of The Vagina Monologues held earlier this week in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. Controversial as it was bound to be in a region more renowned for its patriarchal values, the event, which included performances from women from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, was well received. The blog concludes that despite some problems with its organization the event was a positive step forward.

• Onnik Krikorian

Bolivia

In Citizen of La Paz [es], Luis Ramos lists 10 reasons why you should visit La Paz, Bolivia, including: its nightlife, its surroundings, El Alto, Lake Titicaca, and more.

• Silvia Viñas

Colombia

Albeiro Rodas from Colombia Passport interviewed Robin Finley, director of La Arepa –an English print magazine that can also be found online, on Twitter and on Facebook.

• Silvia Viñas

Mexico

Aguachile reports: “In a joint communique, MVS Radio and Carmen Aristegui announced that the journalist will be back at the radio station the coming Jan. 21″ and wonders “if we'll ever know more about what led to her dismissal: Was any pressure coming from the presidential office of Felipe Calderón, or was this simply an independent decision by the company?” You can learn more about Aristegui's case in a post by Ernesto Priego.

• Silvia Viñas

Azerbaijan

As irreverent as ever, Scary Azeri comments on Azerbaijan's entry into this year's Eurovision Song Contest. Contrasting the angelic look of the male singer with the seductive maturer attributes of the female, the blog sarcastically concludes that Eldar and Nigar might be absurd enough a duo to stand a good chance in an international music competition as camp as Eurovision.

• Onnik Krikorian