Global Voices · Citizen media stories from December 2011

December, 2011

Monthly archive · 184 posts

Stories from December, 2011

27 December 2011

A Radical Solution For Global Poverty: Open Borders

Written by Lova · Translated by Andreea Ungureanu · Sub-Saharan Africa

Various experts say that extreme poverty isn't inevitable. The most radical solution to drastically reducing global poverty would be, for many economic experts, opening the borders between countries and allowing workers to migrate where labor is most needed.

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Morocco: The Tale of the February 20 Movement in 20 Videos

Written by Hisham Almiraat · Middle East & North Africa

A look back at how the Moroccan pro-democracy movement "February 20" has used videos, as very powerful and viral social media tool to get its message across. Hisham Almiraat shares a selection of the 20 most popular and viral videos that marked the course of the February 20 Movement over the past 10 months.

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Egypt: Reaping Legal Victories as the Revolution Continues

Written by Tarek Amr · Middle East & North Africa

Egyptians are reaping victories in the halls of courtrooms. First, blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah has been released by a judge pending investigations, after spending 56 days behind bars yesterday. Then, a court ruled today that conducting virginity tests on women in the custody of the military is illegal.

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Peru: Afro-Peruvian Christmas Music

Written by Juan Arellano · Translated by Betsy Galbreath · Latin America

Christmas, a Christian celebration that arrived in Perú with the Spaniards at the beginning of the sixteenth century, was adapted over the years by different Peruvian communities. The black community also managed to incorporate its own individuality in the festivities, expressing its particular experiences in the artistic creations made to honor the holiday.

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Russia: The Opposition in St. Petersburg Fails to Reach Understanding

Written by Maria Lelyuk · Eastern & Central Europe

December 2011 post-election protest events consist of two elements: 'professional oppositioners' and concerned citizens. In Moscow those two elements managed to get together. In St. Petersburg, however, the meeting was let down by one of the parties. Citizens responded with confusion and disdain.

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Singapore: Animal Lovers Rally to Save Stray Dogs

Written by Kirsten Han · East Asia

Animal-lovers in Singapore have been rallying to save the lives of stray dogs in Punggol, after authorities stepped up efforts to round up the strays, possibly for culling.

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26 December 2011

Costa Rica: Numerous Sectors Oppose Government Tax Plan

Written by Luis Diego Molina · Translated by Kathryn Morgan · Latin America

At the moment, the biggest priority for the Costa Rican government is to approve the "Tax Solidarity" (Solidaridad Tributaria) tax plan. However, various sectors of society, political parties and businessmen have declared their strong opposition to it.

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Chile: If You Are a Maid, Identify Yourself

Written by Elizabeth Rivera · Translated by Elizabeth · Latin America

Class discrimination or simple rules of a private club? A golf club's regulation forbidding maids or nannies to enter the pool zone and forcing them to dress so they can be clearly identified has sparked numerous reactions in the Chilean cyberspace.

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Liberia: Who Was at Fault for Monrovia Riots?

Written by Counselor Track · Sub-Saharan Africa

The Christmas vacation job scheme designed by Liberia's President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to benefit 3,000 students turned Liberia's capital, Monrovia, into a scene of violence and destruction. Who was at fault?, netizens ask.

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Brazil: Murder or Suicide of Controversial Blogger?

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

Blogger Alexander Hamilton, 'the Mosquito', was found dead in his apartment in Brazil. According to the police, it was a case of "suicide by hanging." This quick conclusion, however, has not convinced his friends and family, who are demanding a rigorous investigation of the case.

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Updates from December, 2011

30 December 2011

Pakistan

Blogger Karachi Walla shares some images from a visit to the Manghopir Shrine - one of the oldest Sufi shrines located in the suburbs of Gadap town, to the North-West of Karachi.

• Aparna Ray

South Korea

Kim Geun-tae, a leading South Korean democracy activist, died December 30, 2011 at the age of 64 from a brain disease. More than three thousand net users have already paid their deep condolences in Daum Agora page [ko], the nation's most famous public forum. Kim was repeatedly tortured and jailed under authoritarian regimes.

• Lee Yoo Eun

China

Feng37 from the Nanfang.com reports on the hacking of the Entry-Exit Department of the Guangdong Public Security Bureau (PSB) which has resulted in the leaking of 4.44 million pieces of information on the legal names, passport and ID numbers, dates of birth, home addresses and telephone numbers of those who have passed the border.

• Oiwan Lam

29 December 2011

Iran

Iran has warned that the country could block the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions are imposed on its exports of crude oil. Filternet1 writes[fa] if Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, even China, to protect its interests, will attack Iran.

• Fred Petrossian

Kenya

Read Mbwana Ally's 12 predictions for Africa's tech scene in 2012: “New models of mobile money will be explored that are less dependent on mobile operators, such asPagatech in Nigeria, but their growth will be slow given the lack of a strong agent network to begin with.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Ghana

A Ghanaian dance called Azonto is making waves around the world and threatening to spawn its own YouTube industry as dance enthusiasts try to out do each other by posting the most hilarious and most accomplished Azonto moves on the video channel.

• Ndesanjo Macha

Sudan

African Arguments Online is “a multi-blogging site that covers both contemporary African events as they unfold, and develops debates on themes we believe are centrally important to an ever-changing continent.”

• Ndesanjo Macha

Bangladesh

On 28th December, a hot air balloon show was held in Dhaka. In this context, photojournalist Monirul Alam discussed the history of hot air balloons.

• Aparna Ray

Pakistan

Rabia Tirmizey at The Paradigm House points out that the meaning of joy and happiness has changed tremendously for kids in Pakistan and even the bar for happiness has risen. Simple pleasures such as those enjoyed by children of the '70s to early '90s no longer suffice.

• Aparna Ray

Egypt

No Military Trials for Civilians, a collective blog aimed at raising awareness about the military trial of civilians in Egypt, publishes a must read post by jailed Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil, who has been on hunger strike for more than 120 days.

• Amira Al Hussaini