Stories from 24 June 2011
Barbados: The Warner Effect
Barbados Underground comments on Jack Warner's FIFA resignation: “Warner is generating ‘heat’ which is not doing T&T and the wider Caribbean any favour in the international arena. All the world waits to hear if the sordid details arising from the Fifa Ethics Report will be leaked to the media. Worrying...
Trinidad & Tobago: A Case for Children & Computers
Lisa Allen-Agostini is irritated by “a call for the dismantling of the Government initiative to give laptop computers to all incoming secondary school students” and explains why “our children…deserve to reap the benefits of progress.”
Cuba: Old & Black
“Being old in Cuba is a problem”: But, explains Iván García, “it becomes harder if you are black.”
Trinidad & Tobago: The CL Financial Letter
Afra Raymond posts a copy of “the CL Financial letter of 13th January 2009″, which he finally has in his possession after “three applications for this document under the Freedom of Information Act.”
Mozambique: The Controversial Basket Against Poverty
In Mozambique, one of the measures proposed by the Government to mitigate the impact of the increases in the cost of living for Mozambicans has generated controversy with citizens. In spite of all expectations, the Basic Needs Basket Subsidy “abortion" was pronounced on June 16.
Syria: Blogging Day for Syria
Today marks the 100th day since the protest movement found its foothold in Syria. A 100 days later, more than 1,400 deaths, and three presidential speeches, the protest movement is still in full force. This Friday is being billed "friday of delegitimization".
Senegal: Proposed New Election Law Sparks Riots in Dakar
President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade's, proposed amendment to the Constitution and election law, in anticipation of the presidential elections of 2012, has made a lot of Senegalese angry and sparked demonstrations and riots in the capital Dakar on June 23. This popular unrest has since forced the government to drop the suggested amendment.
Myanmar: Bomb Blasts in Three Cities
Three bomb blasts hit three major cities in Myanmar today. No casualties have been reported. Global Voices author Tan translates a few Burmese online reports which give first hand accounts of the bomb disaster
Africa: Maker Faire Africa 2011 : Cairo, Egypt
Maker Faire Africa 2011 is here: “Maker Faire Africa is pleased to announce our 3rd event, ‘Maker Faire Africa 2011 : Cairo‘ which will take place in Egypt, October 6-8th, 2011. Join us once again as we continue to cultivate new and existing maker communities across Africa.”
Uruguay: Backstage in TEDx Montevideo
Mauricio Milano from Montevideo Blogger [es] tweeted [es] and updated the official Facebook [es] feed for TEDx Montevideo [es], which was held on June 22. In his personal blog he writes about his experience ‘backstage’.
Mexico: Wikinarco.com: Crowdmapping Narco Activity
Paula Gonzalo, in Periodismo Ciudadano [es], writes about Wikinarco.com [es], a crowdmapping initiative where citizens can report illegal activities related to drug trafficking in Mexico.
Paraguay: Photo Essay: The Ovecha Rague Festival
Yluux posts a photo essay [es] of the Ovecha Rague (‘sheep fur’ in guaraní) festival in San Miguel, Paraguay. The festival includes artistic performances, craft fairs, an exposition of products made out of sheep's wool and more.
Jamaica: Buju Gets 10 Years
As news spreads that reggae icon Buju Banton has been sentenced to 10 years in jail on drug charges, Jamaica Salt comments: “10 years is indeed a long time…but he’s reported to have took the news calmly and he was lucky in a way as the judge threw out an...
Macedonia: .mk Twitter Republic
Protests continue in Macedonia, as the authorities keep silent about the people's demands of accountability, political responsibility and an end to police brutality. On Sunday, a new symbol was displayed by some protesters: the Macedonian flag with a Twitter logo on it, homage to the role of the Twitter community.
A Syrian Solution for North Korea
Libyan and Syrian cases are significant to North Korea's possible change by exhibiting how quickly ruthless totalitarian regimes can become unstable in the face of resistance, wrote Joshua from the One Free Korea.
Colombia: Video Mapping the City to Hip Hop
In just four days, a creative cast of characters got together in the city of Medellin, Colombia, where they set out to produce videos and place them on a map of the city to reflect topics that affect their communities: militarization, poverty, forced displacement, crimes of state, resistance movements and more.
Belarus: Police Crack Down on Minsk Protest
A non-violent rally in Minsk, organized via a social network, ended up with more than 450 people detained. Arrests, trials and numerous detentions, however, do not appear to have stopped the protesters.
