Global Voices · Citizen media stories from June 2011

June, 2011

Monthly archive · 186 posts

Stories from June, 2011

20 June 2011

Kazakhstan: Fighting Internet Piracy

Written by Sergey Park · Translated by Adil Nurmakov · Central Asia & Caucasus

Kazakhstan is undergoing a new scandalous development with regards the Internet – this time about regulation of copyright online. On 29 April, 2011, a special roundtable that brought together lawyers, industry representatives and state bodies took place, where the “three strikes method” of fighting piracy was presented.

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Syria: Protests Break Out Following Assad Speech

Written by Amira Al Hussaini · Middle East & North Africa

Syrian president Bashar Al Assad gave a speech today outlining reform plans, which include forming a committee to form a committee to study reforms and the need for national dialogue. On Twitter, reactions continued to flow as Assad spoke. Assad's promises were met with more protests across the country, calling for him to leave power.

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Caribbean: Thanks, Dad!

Written by Janine Mendes-Franco · Caribbean, Latin America

Father's Day, that worldwide celebration honouring dads and their important role in the family dynamic, is marked in the Caribbean on the third Sunday of June and regional bloggers posted en masse yesterday for the occasion. From the eloquent to the irreverent, here's what they had to say…

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Colombia: Satisfaction and Scepticism for the Victims' Law

Written by Cati Restrepo · Translated by Louella Mahabir · Latin America

On June 10 the Victims' and Land Restitution Law in Colombia was approved. The law seeks to make amends with victims of violence and displacement. Some netizens have expressed their satisfaction with the law, while others show scepticism towards the measure.

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Ghana: Let Them Be Gay

Written by Ndesanjo Macha · Sub-Saharan Africa

The Bureau of National Investigations in Ghana has begun investigations into the growing rate of homosexuality in the Western and Central regions. About eight thousand homosexuals have been registered by a non-governmental organization in the Western and Central regions. This has prompted a heated debate in the Ghanaian blogosphere about homosexuality.

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South Korea: Actress-Activist Spearheads Protests with Social Media

Written by Lee Yoo Eun · East Asia

In South Korea, entertainers are changing the political landscape by spearheading protests in social media. Among several influential comedians and actors, actress-activist Kim Yeo-jin, has been the most controversial figures for several weeks now for her active on and offline political engagement.

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Updates from June, 2011

27 June 2011

Azerbaijan

Supporters of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, the Harvard graduate, parliamentary candidate, Facebook activist and Amnesty International prisoner of conscience recently sentenced to two years in prison on what human rights groups consider to be politically motivated charges, have launched a video campaign calling for his release. Details of how to participate in the online action can be found on the Bakhtiyar Hajiyev support site.

• Onnik Krikorian

Haiti

An interesting post on Bill Clinton's housing initiative, Building Back Better Communities (BBBC), which “seeks to construct housing projects across the nation of Haiti”, but upon closer examination, “seems as though the initiative won't live up to its name and in fact will build worse communities than even before the earthquake of January 12, 2010.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuba

Uncommon Sense reports that hunger striker Jorge Cervantes Garcia has ended his protest and “will be allowed to leave Cuba once he has recovered from the physical effects of his protest.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad & Tobago

gspott says that the President's assention to the Data Protection Act is “of great significance to gay, lesbian and bisexual communities in Trinidad & Tobago” as it “provides heightened protections for 'sensitive personal information', which is defined to include one’s 'sexual orientation or sexual life'.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Mauritania

Beyond abolition: Ending Slavery in Mauritania: “Slaves in Mauritania do not have a legal right to own property, let alone have a surname. Nor do they have a right to custody of their children. The 2007 law criminalizing the ownership of slaves was received with resistance and scoffing. The director of the Mauritanian government‘s Human Right Commission, Bamariam Koita even defended the fact that as of yet, no one had been prosecuted under the law.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Trinidad & Tobago

“Buju Banton was the one who helped us figure it out. He danced between social commentary and slackness. He transformed himself into a thoughtful prophet”: Attilah Springer says it's “a nightmare when you wake up to realise that the one to offer a place for escape is in prison too.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

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.