Global Voices · Citizen media stories from May 2011

May, 2011

Monthly archive · 189 posts

Stories from May, 2011

9 May 2011

Postscript to Singapore Elections

Singaporeans trooped to the polls last Saturday and re-elected the ruling party which has been in power since 1959. But the opposition also scored some important victories and this generated a lot of reactions in the local blogosphere.

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8 May 2011

Senegal: “Enough is Enough” Movement: First the Web, Now the Presidential Palace

Written by Marc-Andre Boisvert · Translated by Thomas Seligmann · Sub-Saharan Africa

As the uprisings continue across the Arab World, several incidences of angry young people have sprung up on Senegalese websites. Since early March, this activism has left the web behind and a group calling itself "Y'en a marre" (Enough is Enough) has now become the main symbol of the protests. Founded in January 2011, Y’en a marre arose from frustration built up during power cuts that brought Senegal to a standstill. The group hails from the Dakar suburbs and is led by several local rappers, including Fou Malad, Thiat (from the group Keur Gui) and Matador.

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Brazil: Homophobia, Religion and Politics

Written by Raphael Tsavkko Garcia · Translated by Sara Moreira · Latin America

In the second article in the series dedicated to LGBT issues in Brazil, Global Voices reports on polemical statements made by parliamentarians, extreme right groups and religious representatives that oppose legislative advances, and have left the blogosphere startled at the level of hatred and prejudice shown.

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7 May 2011

Maldives: Rocked by Protests Over Economy

Written by Saffah Faroog · South Asia

For seven consecutive days, thousands of residents of Male, the capital of Maldives, have protested on busy streets and public spaces, expressing their dissatisfaction over soaring prices of consumer goods and economic mismanagement of the government.

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Mexico: Citizens on Alert Over National Security Law Reform

Written by Geraldine Juarez · Latin America

Mexican citizens are on alert over a reform to the National Security Law. After much pressure, the project is now on hold. According to human right groups, political annalists, lawyers and even some politicians, the reform would legalize the abuses of the army against civilians in the name of national security.

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6 May 2011

Palestine: Demonstrations Against Occupation, For Unity

Written by Betsy Fisher · Middle East & North Africa

In the last several years, West Bank Palestinian villages have seen their land claimed both by Jewish settlements in the West Bank and by the security wall erected by Israel. In villages such as Nabi Saleh, Bi'lin and Ni'lin, village residents have responded by holding weekly nonviolent protests. The week after Hamas and Fatah inked their unity agreement was no exception.

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Updates from May, 2011

23 May 2011

Ukraine

Foreign Notes writes that Ukraine's ex-minister of Internal Affairs Yuriy Lutsenko has lost an appeal to be released on bail and is “back behind bars.”

• Veronica Khokhlova

Poland

Politics, Economy, Society explains the Polish taxation system.

• Veronica Khokhlova

Hungary

Hungarian Spectrum writes about the relationship between the Orbán government and the Hungarian minority in Romania.

• Veronica Khokhlova

Russia

Vadim Nikitin of Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog writes that while the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev “had no problems embracing iPad and Twitter,” he “seems to be a late adopter when it comes to good old fashioned press freedom.”

• Veronica Khokhlova

Slovenia

Sleeping With Pengovsky reports that “a law establishing a conflict of interests between holding an office of mayor and MP at the same time” has been passed in Slovenia, and also writes about the attitudes towards “the new Family Code which – among other things – was meant to allow same-sex weddings and child adoptions.”

• Veronica Khokhlova

Russia

Window on Eurasia reports that “virtually all Daghestani media outlets now have online versions.”

• Veronica Khokhlova

Russia

Window on Eurasia wrote in early May that “rising tensions between the Roma and the titular nationalities of the European Union have sparked reports in Moscow that some of this often-despised community are about to be moved to the Russian Federation, either on their own or from a deal between the EU and Russian officials who believe that that country needs all the migrants it can get.”

• Veronica Khokhlova

Brazil: Communities in Rio Blame Olympics for Evictions

Hi Christa, Thank you for sharing the good news. I am glad that at least one battle has been won by...
Help us bring international visibility to this issue. Please read and share the following link regarding Vila Autódromo's recent win...

Interesting indeed. I don't hear much news from Peru so this information was indeed news and something the world community...
Interesting read. Thanks for sharing!
Great article that addressed the matter concisely and with appropriate supplemental material.