Stories from 27 March 2011
Madagascar: Reactions to the New Members of the Government
Blogger Thierry Andriamirado listed the names of all the members of the newly formed government in Madagascar [fr] as it was announced on national radio. Political blogger Ndimby provides an analysis of the composition of this alleged government of national unity and the potential acceptation of the Malagasy administration by the international community[fr].
Russia, Japan: Sakhalin Residents’ and Chernobyl Survivors’ Reactions to Fukushima
Ksenya Semenova writes on OpenDemocracy.net about the reactions of Sakhalin residents to the situation in Japan: “I have some friends in Japan […]. From their relations and from the internet they have discovered what's going on in the Russian Far East at the moment. They sigh deeply and smile ruefully,...
Russia: Tribute to SOVA's Galina Kozhevnikova
At OpenDemocracy.net, Andreas Umland pays tribute to Galina Kozhevnikova, the deputy director of the “SOVA” NGO and a prominent researcher of Russia's extreme right-wing movements, who died earlier this month: “She will be irreplaceable in future academic and public debates on the increase of ultra-nationalism in Russia.”
Hungary: Childhood Memories of the Holocaust in Pécs
Eva S. Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum shares her memories of the summer of 1944 in Pécs, when the city's Jewish population – and most of her neighbors and kindergarten classmates – lost their lives: “I heard that just last year the Jewish community in Pécs erected a memorial specifically for...
Russia: BBC Russian Service's Last Broadcast
Christya Riedel writes on Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog that on March 26, “the BBC Russian Service ceased its radio broadcasts after 65 years on the air because of drastic budget cuts implemented by the British government.”
Macedonia: Critique of Video for Eurosong 2011 Entry
Karro compares [MKD] the video (but not the song) of the Macedonian entry for this year's Eurovision festival, “The Russian Girl” by Vlatko Ilievski, to the video of “The Only Exception” by Paramore (clips embedded in the blog post).
Libya: Citizen Reporting from the Battlefield
Videos continue to seep out from war-torn Libya as protesters battle Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces in a bid to overthrow his 42-year-old regime. Here is a selection of the latest videos taken by netizens on the frontlines of major cities where the battle for Libya is still fought.
Algeria: “Facebookers’ Rally” Commemorating the Anniversary of Cease-fire Prohibited
A rally instigated by anonymous Facebook users [ fr] to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the March 19, 1962 cease-fire in Algeria did not take place. The demonstration calling for “an end to the dictatorial system in place for almost 50 years” was initially planned to occur in front of...
Japan: Relief Tweets for Refugee Parents
As the situation at the nuclear plant Fukushima Daiichi remains unstable and the government warns about the high levels of radioactive iodine and cesium in vegetables and tap water, infants' parents seek reassurance and advice from experts and fellow parents on the internet.
Brazil: More Poetry, Less Money
Following the discussion on The Cost of Financing Culture in Brazil, blogger Paulo Rená introduces [pt] a new project – “More Poetry, Less Money” (@maispoesia) – where “any person can pick up a poem, record it for a video platform” and post it using the hashtag #MaisPoesiaMenosDinheiro.
Georgia: Men in Black
Scary Azeri comments on photographs taken by Global Voices’ Caucasus editor at last week's Novruz celebrations held by the local ethnic Azeri community in Marneuli, Georgia. The blog is particularly alarmed by the large number of men dressed in black, a common style in the three South Caucasus countries, at...
Côte d'Ivoire: Where Are the African Personalities When They Are Needed?
A few months ago, Marième Jamme asked Bono and Bob Geldof to take less prominent roles as speakers for Africa in the media and leave space for Africans to speak for themselves. Today on the Africa Rising blog, bloggers wonder where have the African personalities gone when they are actually needed to get the world's...
Why Bangladesh?
Jyoti Rahman at Kafila discusses the idea, nationalism and the events that led to the independence of Bangladesh 40 years ago.
Ukraine: Reasons for Targeting Ex-President Kuchma
LEvko of Foreign Notes explains possible reasons – here and here – for targeting Ukraine's ex-president Leonid Kuchma, against whom a criminal investigation has recently been opened on suspicion of his involvement in the 2000 murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze.
Russia: Heroin Epidemic; Attitude to Sex
Posts about heroin epidemic and attitudes to sex in Russia – at OpenDemocracy.net.
Russia: Voina Art Collective
At OpenDemocracy.net, writes about the Voina art collective (RUS: @free_voina; ENG: @free_voina_en) and “explains how their controversial methods have made it difficult to mobilise support.” Kevin Rothrock (@agoodtreaty) re-posts a video of Voina‘s recent prank action (1,178,969 views, 3,023 likes, 658 dislikes): “unwelcomely, without warning kiss female cops on candid...
Ukraine: Lukyanivka Pre-Trial Detention Facility
Journalist Kristina Berdinskikh writes (RUS) at her Korrespondent.net blog about Kyiv's pre-trial detention facility SIZO #13/Lukyanivka: the conditions (general capacity is 2,800 detainees, the actual number is around 4,000; cells for 40 people house 60-80, inmates take turns sleeping; “60 people sometimes smoke all at once, if a non-smoker ends...
Spanish-Speaking Bloggers React to Earthquake in Japan
The 8.9 magnitude earthquake which shook Japan on March 11th has provoked reactions from Spanish-speaking bloggers from all over the world. After reviewing news of various disasters around the world and most recently in Japan, the question which arises is: faced with a disaster, would you abandon your home?
Jordan: One Death and Some Loss of Hope
Friday night marked the violent defeat of protests that began on March 24 (#March24) in Amman, Jordan. By the end of Friday, one man had died, Khairi Jameel AlSaad, 55, and more than 100 were injured.
