Global Voices · Citizen media stories from October 2011

October, 2011

Monthly archive · 215 posts

Stories from October, 2011

17 October 2011

Portugal: Photos and Videos of October 15 Protests

Written by Sara Moreira · Translated by Sara Moreira · Western Europe

The October 15 protests in Portugal, calling for “participatory democracy, transparency in policy and the end of the precariousness of life”, gathered around 80,000 in the main squares of the country. Citizen reporters used online platforms to share photo and video reports of events.

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Brazil: Creating Opportunities for Life After Jail

Written by João Miguel D. de A. Lima · Latin America

While serving time in jail, Ronaldo Monteiro kickstarted a project with fellow detainees and turned his life around. Years later, released on parole, Monteiro now coordinates an NGO that offers opportunities of social reintegration for young offenders, detainees and former detainees in Brazil.

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Russia: Networked Volunteers Save Lives of Missing Children

Written by Gregory Asmolov · Eastern & Central Europe

In September 2010, 4-year-old Liza and her aunt went missing in the forest and were found dead. Liza's volunteer rescuers decided to establish a network called "Liza Alert" whose members would engage immediately once a child was lost.

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Malaysia: Proposed Electoral Reforms

Written by Jerrenn Lam · East Asia

Bersih 2.0 is pressing the Malaysian government to implement eight electoral reforms in preparation for the next general elections. Bersih organized a massive demonstration last July which evolved into a formidable political reform movement.

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Yemen: Azizah Abdo Othman, Yemen's First Female Martyr

Written by Noon Arabia · Middle East & North Africa

More than 30 anti-regime protesters have been killed in Yemen on Saturday and yesterday, including the country's first female martyr Aziza Abdo, who was shot dead by a sniper during a protest in Taiz. Yemeni netizens react to the carnage.

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Jordan: New Government, Expectations and Hope!

Written by Ali Alhasani · Middle East & North Africa

Jordan saw the appointment of a new prime minister today after the majority of parliamentarians sent a letter to King Abdullah, pointing out grievances with Dr Marouf Bakhit's government. International judge Awn Khasawneh replaces Bakhit. Here are some netizen reactions.

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Updates from October, 2011

24 October 2011

East Timor

The Movimento Kontra Deve (Movement Against Debt) and East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) have launched a joint petition to “For a Debt-Free Timor-Leste”. The Government of Timor-Leste is currently free of debt. Despite current substantial income from petroleum resources, the government has announced plans to begin borrowing.

• Sara Moreira

Ghana

Critical Point discusses Africa's challenge to Western homosexuality: “I feel disappointment when African leaders immediately submit to a foreign concept in order to be assimilated into an “International Community” whose definition of international is decidedly limited! How is it that a relatively recent understanding of homosexuality has predominated over one which existed in Africa hundreds of years before?”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Zambia

Gershom argues that presidential immunity in Zambia must be limited to the term of office: “With the revelations coming out regarding the conduct of Zambia’s immediate former president Rupiah Banda in his three short years in office, it is increasingly becoming necessary for people to demand that Mr Banda be stripped of his immunity just like it happened to Zambia’s second president, Frederick Chiluba.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Cameroon

Eva Joly, the green party candidate for the French 2012 presidential election, denounced on her blog the re-election of Paul Biya, Cameroon incumbent president. She points out that even the usually prudent US State Department expressed strong reserves with the electoral process. She is surprised that the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs already aknowledged Paul Biya's re-election despite noting many irregularities.

• Julie Owono

Cameroon

Journalist Beaugas-Orain Djoyoum writes an article entitled ‘The Saucy Chantal Biya‘ [fr] in the Cameroonian IT news portal TIC Mag. He describes the typical updates that can be found on the popular fake Twitter account of the Cameroonian First Lady.

• Julie Owono

Cuba

Pedazos de La Isla posts two accounts of Cuban dissidents being beaten and detained, allegedly “just for trying to travel within their own country” and “for demonstrating peacefully”.

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad & Tobago

The deadline for voting for the Project Runway Fan Favourite is this Wednesday, October 26, at midnight - and Trinidad Carnival Diary is drumming up support for local designer Anya Ayoung-Chee in this post, complete with instructions as to how to upload tweets in bulk.

• Janine Mendes-Franco