Stories from 18 February 2011
Pakistan: Two Great Online Initiatives
Kalsoom at CHUP -Changing Up Pakistan informs about two great efforts – 1) ThinkChange Pakistan, a blog that aims to track the social entrepreneurship and innovation space in Pakistan and 2) Gawaahi, a new online initiative aiming to archive digital stories of abuse, survival and resistance.
Bhutan: More On Tobacco Ban
“Now smoking has become one fear and guilt -ridden expensive habit,” thus explains Penstar the impact of the tobacco ban in Bhutan.
Sri Lanka: The Future of the Tamil Struggle
Nirmanusan Balasundaram at Groundviews writes about the present state of the Tamil diaspora and how they will shape up the future of the Tamil struggle.
Pakistan: Save The Railway Before Its Too Late
Ahmed Jamal Pirzada at All Things Pakistan opines that the way to save the troubled Pakistan railway by giving up its monopoly and opening up tracks to the private sector.
India And Pakistan: Ideological Enemies?
“Are India and Pakistan ideological enemies?” asks Dr. Niaz Murtaza at Pak Tea House. Murtaza thinks that both the countries should resolve their differences maturely by dialogue, not by other means.
Jordan: Societal Criticism through Humor
Participants of the hashtag #Jordanianlies are out to prove the stereotype wrong. #Jordanianlies features statements Jordanians hear that are often untrue. Thus, the hashtag uses humor to point out faults in Jordanian society. While the majority of #Jordanianlies posts center on gender relations, work situations, and everyday life, a few have ventured into political criticism.
Azerbaijan: From Carpets to Socks
Azerbaijani carpets were last year inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. They also often attract the attention of bloggers.
Bahrain: Crown Prince Calls for Peace on National TV
In midst of the chaos of the shooting of protesters in the capital, Bahrain's Crown Prince Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa appeared on a live television program tonight on Bahrain TV at around 6:30 pm local time on Friday 18 February, 2011. Bahrain's Twittersphere live-tweeted his interview.
Turks & Caicos: Now Is The Time
The tcipost is calling on “every Turks and Caicos Islander with access to the Internet [to] please use all the social networks at our disposal to demand our right to self determination and bring awareness to our plight.”
Jamaica: Get Up, Stand Up
“Next year…Jamaica will celebrate 50 years of being an independent nation, but unless we take Bob Marley's words to heart and emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, our jubilee will represent nothing more than a fleeting, insignificant figure on time's continuum”: Ruthibelle thinks its time for Jamaica to grow up.
Cuba: Reina Luisa Tamayo Arrested
Uncommon Sense re-posts a report of the arrest and alleged beating of the mother of the late prisoner of conscience, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, saying: “Wednesday…is [the] one-year anniversary of [his] death…already, Cuban police — spooked by the calendar and the possible spread of “Egyptian flu” — have launched a new...
Jamaica, B.V.I.: Non-Indigenous Species
Lemurs in the Caribbean? Labrish Jamaica calls on Sir Richard Branson to do the right thing.
Jamaica: Banton Jury Deliberates
Jury deliberation in the drug trial of reggae icon Buju Banton begins today; YardFlex.com is keeping a close eye on developments.
Mexico: Activist's House Set on Fire in Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez, en la sombra del narcotráfico [es] (“Ciudad Juárez, in the shadow of drug trafficking”) reports that on February 16, Malú García Andrade's house was set on fire. Malú is an activist against femicides and human trafficking. Her mother, Norma Andrade, is a co-founder of the non-profit “May our...
Inflation in Argentina: “It’s not inflation, it’s just a sensation”
In a post about inflation in Argentina, Simon Kofoed from argen-times writes: “Argentines all over the country are suffering the consequences of rising daily costs and are well aware that in this country, ‘prices go up by the lift and come down by the stairs’; if of course they ever...
Bolivia: Interview with blogger Patricia Vargas (@arquitecta)
Hugo from Serbolivianoes [es] posted a video interview with blogger [es] Patricia Vargas (@arquitecta on Twitter), “one of the first bloggers and one of the most influential Twitter users in Bolivia.” In the interview she talks about the local and international blogosphere, as well as the Bolivian twittersphere.
Venezuela: Views of Caracas from the Local Blogosphere
A huge number of texts, descriptions, stories and articles have been written about Caracas; the blogosphere also plays an important role in describing the Venezuelan capital. Laura Vidal gathers bloggers who devote themselves to recounting the latest developments in the lives of the Caraqueños, some out of a desire for a better city and a love for its culture, and others from a feeling of nostalgia for the noble Caracas of times past.
Jordan: Tweets for Reform
For the last several weeks, Jordanians have discussed their own government and society in Twitter under the hashtag #ReformJo. The hashtag has provided an opportunity not just to criticize Jordan's government, but to provide suggestions to improve Jordan, from anti-smoking measures to educational reform to amending Jordan's constitution.
Ukraine: Kiev architecture in decay
Sistemny deriban writes about [RUS] the decay of prominent architectural sites in Kiev and how Ukrainian politicians ignore the issue.
Russia-Kyrgyzstan: Mount Putin on the map
Windows to Russia reports that Kyrgyzstan on 17 February decided to name a mountain peak after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Bahrain: More Gunshots in Capital
Reports of shootings in different locations in the Bahraini capital Manama have flooded social media sites this Friday afternoon. Tweeps at the scene describe the carnage as Bahrain braces itself for more bloodshed and heartbreak.
