Global Voices · Citizen media stories from November 2011

November, 2011

Monthly archive · 197 posts

Stories from November, 2011

2 November 2011

Greece: Vote of Confidence and the Future Referendum

Written by Veroniki Krikoni · Translated by Asteris Masouras · Western Europe

On the evening of October 31, in a politically risk move, the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou called for an immediate vote of confidence in parliament and a referendum for or against the latest EU bailout loan. Greek Twitter users commented with unease, irony and humor.

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Uzbekistan: New Law Forbids Alcohol Consumption in Streets and Parks

Written by Ekaterina · Translated by Siân Sinnott · Central Asia & Caucasus

The president of Uzbekistan has approved a law regarding "the distribution and consumption of alcohol and tobacco products" which will come into force in April 2012. The law states that the consumption of alcohol in streets, parks and other public places is banned.

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1 November 2011

Myanmar: A Year After Suu Kyi's Release

Written by tan · East Asia

A year has passed since Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was released from prison. How did netizens react? Did the government censor news reports about Suu Kyi? What are her political plans?

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Global Voices Podcast: Bridging the Language Gaps

Written by Jamillah Knowles · Global Voices Podcast

In this edition of the Global Voices Podcast we discuss languages that are hard to find on the internet. Are you from a place where your mother tongue is not widely spoken? Then you may one of many people around the world who speak and write under-represented languages. We also look forward to the 11 Eleven Project on 11/11/11.

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Egypt: Blogger Maikel Nabil Military Trial Postponed

Written by Amira Al Hussaini · Middle East & North Africa

Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad, who has so far spent 216 days in prison and 71 days on hunger strike, today refused to stand trial in a military court. Sanad was sentenced in April to three years in prison for posts he published on his blog.

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Colombia: The 2011 Regional Elections

Written by Cati Restrepo · Translated by Marianna Breytman · Latin America

On Sunday, October 30, Colombia held regional elections for local public posts. Due to the importance of these posts, these elections are tracked in the same manner as the presidential elections. Citizens followed the voting closely and the elections were widely discussed on citizen media platforms and social networks.

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South Asia: Celebrating the 7 Billionth Child

Written by বিজয় · Translated by Rezwan · South Asia

On the 31 October, the earth welcomed Oishi, a newborn in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka. She carried a special message - she is the 7 billionth child of the world. Also in South Asia, Muthumani from Sri Lanka and Nargis from India, both newborn girls, were celebrated as the symbolic 7 billionth human in the world.

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Liberia: Reactions to the Resignation of Liberian Elections Chairman

Written by Counselor Track · Sub-Saharan Africa

Following questions about his credibility, James Fromayan, the former head of the Liberian Elections Commission, resigned yesterday. African Election Project reports that his resignation was prompted by the “Letter-gate” scandal.

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Brazil: #OccupyBeloMonte Evicted from Dam Construction Site

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

On October 27, indigenous groups from the Xingu river area in Brazil occupied the construction site of the controversial Belo Monte dam. #OccupyBeloMonte, however, only lasted until the following day. Raphael Tsavkko Garcia reports.

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Iran: A Storm of Reactions to Hillary Clinton

Written by Fred Petrossian · Middle East & North Africa

A remark by Hillary Clinton in an interview with the BBC in October 26, that the Iranian Green Movement would be smart to seek foreign assistance, has spurred a lot of reactions - among others from the Green Movement's well known figures and bloggers.

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Updates from November, 2011

18 November 2011

Trinidad & Tobago

Jumbie's Watch “adds his voice” to that of a Trinidadian father who was not allowed to stay in the hospital overnight with his sick son, saying of the powers-that-be: “They find ways of justifying any and everything without referencing policy and behaviour against some higher guiding principle, or logic.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuba

“The love of the mother for her child is unconditional — according to Cubans — as are the child’s feeling toward its mother”, says Regina Cano, but notes that “in more than an insignificant percentage of instances nowadays, this image is broken and the pieces of the picture go flying.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad & Tobago

aka_lol says of the government's Colour Me Orange crime and poverty reduction project: “[It] seems like throwing gasoline in the fire where crime is concerned…I suppose Government’s policy is to manage gangs rather than eliminate the need for them.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuba

Generation Y says that the International Festival of the New Latin American Cinema, which takes place in Cuba next month, “has been losing ground in the cultural life of Havana”, partly because of censorship.

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados

Barbados Underground links to an article about the high rate of domestic violence in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and suggests that “often times we discuss the issue of domestic abuse through a myopic lens.”

• Janine Mendes-Franco

Brazil

Sagrada Terra Especulada (Sacred Speculated Ground), a Brazilian collective that advocates for indigenous land rights, is promoting a documentary [pt] and a petition [pt] in defense of the Pajé Sanctuary, close to Brasilia´s Pilot Plan. Real estate speculation [pt] threatens this area of savannah with the construction of a so-called “first eco-neighborhood in Brazil”.

• Luis Henrique

China

North Korea, one of the world's most reclusive states, opens its door a tiny crack for tourists to earn hard currency. But tourists are forbidden from bringing cellphone, sending an email and talking to ordinary North Koreans. A travel blogger from the Tripified.ca left sarcastic comments on North Korea's tourism plan.

• Lee Yoo Eun

Kenya

Learn about the Maasai flame from the Wandering Trader: “One of the unique aspects of visiting the Maasai in Kenya is they perform many of their rituals while you are there. After seeing the way they typically dance and getting a taste of what life is like inside their homes they took us outside to see other aspects of their culture.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Peru

“Inventors, artists, educators and citizens” are invited to participate in Sugar Camp Lima 2011 [es] on November 18 and 19 in Lima, Peru. Participants will work on the ‘Sugar' learning platform for XO Laptops by translating content [es] into Quechua and Aymara and participating in a ‘Hacker's Space' [es]. Registration [es] is still open. Read more about this initiative in Juan Arellano's personal blog [es].

• Silvia Viñas

Sao Tome and Principe

Somos Todos Primos (We are all cousins) [pt] is the name of an online community radio whose first letters are a clue to the country it refers to: São Tomé and Príncipe. Both its Facebook page and Ning network have a lot of activity from listeners.

• Sara Moreira