Global Voices · Citizen media stories from December 2011

December, 2011

Monthly archive · 184 posts

Stories from December, 2011

20 December 2011

Palestine: Planning a Virtual Funeral

Written by Ayesha Saldanha · Middle East & North Africa

It is extremely difficult for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to visit Israel, and for political reasons it is impossible for most other Arabs to do so. At the same time, Palestinian citizens of Israel are unable to travel to much of the Arab world, because they have Israeli passports. Rasha Hilwi has been reflecting on how these restrictions on movement will affect her – after she dies.

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Malawi: Actor's Arrest Reminiscent of Past Dictatorship's Censorship Laws

Written by Steve Sharra · Sub-Saharan Africa

Malawi police on Sunday afternoon December 18, stormed a stage on which a play was being performed, arrested the main actor mid-sentence and led him away into a waiting police van. Steve Sharra reports.

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Egypt: Women Rally for Dignity

Written by Afef Abrougui · Middle East & North Africa

Thousands of Egyptian women took to the streets of Cairo today to protest for their dignity, after women were beaten up by soldiers during running battles between the army and protesters in and around Tahrir Square since December 16.

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Global Voices: Donate Today

Written by Georgia Popplewell · Middle East & North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa

2011 has been an extraordinary year for online content. Global Voices has been there as revolutions happened, dictatorships fell, and network effects rippled through the cities and neighborhoods of our contributors reporting from around the world.

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Arab World: Global Voices Bridges on Twitter

Written by Gilad Lotan · Middle East & North Africa

As a part of our end-of-year coverage we in the Middle East and North Africa region look back at some of the major events we covered during 2011. The following post highlights the role of the Global Voices Online community in spreading information on Twitter during the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions.

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Brazil: How Many Lives Does the Guarani-Kaiowá's Land Cost?

Written by Yohana de Andrade · Translated by Yohana de Andrade · Latin America

Last November, 42 gunmen attacked an indigenous reserve in Mato Grosso do Sul, executing Nísio Gomes, 59, chief of the Guaraní Kaiowá and several other villagers. These attacks take place at the same time as Brazil consolidates its position as one of the leading exporters of agricultural goods and biofuels in the world, and Mato Grosso do Sul one of its most productive states.

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Updates from December, 2011

28 December 2011

Bahrain

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif shares this message with fellow netizens: “[T]emper your attacks and choose your battles wisely. Refrain from childish attacks on the very bridge who can help your cause. The last thing we want .. is to continue to shout at each other, rather than find the platform to engage and talk to each other to fix the situation and move forward.”

• Amira Al Hussaini

Syria

Yazan, on KABOBfest, tells us what Syria deserves in this must read post. “This is not, and should not become, a sectarian war. The state is controlled by a family and their friends, which goes beyond sectarian lines, and those who are challenging or supporting them are not defined purely by sect. This is a conflict between the have and have-nots,” he writes.

• Amira Al Hussaini

Philippines

Jailhouse Blog is the online prison diary of Ericson Acosta, an artist and activist who was arrested by the Philippine Army while conducting human rights documentation in Samar province. He faces charges of illegal possession of explosives.

• Mong Palatino

Cambodia

Sreisaat blogs about the One Province, One Product Trade and Exhibit in Koh Pich, Cambodia. Some of the featured products were giant cassava crops and squash from Kampong Speu, assorted gemstones from the mine pits of Pailin, and mixed spices from Siem Reap.

• Mong Palatino

Cambodia

Maylee Thavat studies the impact of organic rice farming and fair trade production in Cambodia. The author warns that it could ‘impose First World consumer ideals and tastes that are out of step with the larger realities of agrarian transition' in the country

• Mong Palatino

Cambodia

A petition is being circulated urging the Cambodian government to withdraw the pardon given to convicted pedophile Alexander Trofimov who had been serving an eight-year sentence for sex crimes against 17 under-age girls.

• Mong Palatino

Malaysia

Southeast Asia Indie aims “to unite and promote the great indie scenes in the Southeast Asian Region: Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.” It specializes in releasing free digital mp3 compilations and singles that include indie tracks from the region.

• Mong Palatino