Stories from 11 July 2012
European Union: A Survey Among Immigrants about Integration
Le café pédagogique links [pdf, fr] to the results of a survey launched in 15 cities from 7 U.E. countries, among immigrants in possession of their legal documents and with or without citizenship of their host countries. The questions were aimed at integration, which appears to be highly wished for.
Allegations about the UN Tech Exports to North Korea
The North Korea Tech blog wrote about the latest revelation that the U.S. Government is looking into exports of computer equipment to North Korea by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Colombia: Cauca Indigenous Demand Army and Guerrillas Leave Their Territories
In an open letter [es, fr], the Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca (ACIN), in south western Colombia, demanded that “groups and legal and illegal armies” leave their territories, specifically the town of Toribío, which is routinely attacked by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) [es]. The indigenous...
Ecuador: Saying Goodbye to Lonesome George
"Lonesome George", the last tortoise of his species on the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, was found dead on Sunday morning, June 24, 2012. Social networks were essential means for spreading the news and honoring the emblematic turtle.
South Sudan: One Year After Becoming World's Newest Nation
South Sudanese have just celebrated their first anniversary of independence. South Sudan's independence was declared on 9 July, 2011 when it became world’s newest country. This is a roundup of blog posts written to mark one year of independence from Sudan.
Sudan: Blogger Recounts Three Days of Interrogation
“Take a good look at the window, this will be the last time you ever see the sun.” Sudanese blogger and Global Voices author Maha Elsanosi vividly describes her three days of interrogation at the National Intelligence and Security Services, after being arrested in Sudan.
Chile: Citizen Campaign Seeks to Eliminate Tax on Books
A citizen campaign to remove the value added tax ("IVA" for its initials in Spanish) on books in Chile has sparked an online debate. Netizens are sharing their views in favor and against the campaign through blogs, and on Twitter they are discussing the issue with the hashtag #LibrosSinIVA.
Bulgaria: PM Boyko Invites Creators of “Boykometer” for a Chat
A few days ago, the web site Politikat.net, created by prominent Bulgarian bloggers Komitata (Konstantin Pavlov) and Asen Genov, became the subject of the government's attention. Ruslan Trad reports.
Palestine: Football Player Mahmoud Sarsak Set Free
Palestinian football player Mahmoud Sarsak was freed from an Israeli prison yesterday. His return to Gaza received a massive welcome.
Saudi Arabia: The Mosque and the Corniche
Saudi blogger Ahmed Al Omran tweets: “Hai'a [Saudi religious police] targets corniche-goers with a mobile mosque. If they can't force you to go to mosque, they bring mosque to you.”
Yemen: Sanaa Explosion Kills 20
On Twitter, Yemeni netizen Ibrahim Mothana writes: “#BREAKING At least 20 killed in an explosion in police academy in Sanaa.”
Egypt: Highest Court Freezes Morsi's Parliament Recall
Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court has frozen President Morsi's decree to reinstate parliament. Blogger Zeinobia writes: “This is so annoying like a headache especially with the legal experts from both teams screaming on TV channels that they are the right and the other team is wrong.”
Russia: Online Platforms Coordinating Aid for Flood Victims
Floods in Kuban have completely destroyed 640 homes, with more than 5,000 partially submerged. According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Crisis Centre, 150 have been killed as of July 8.
Mozambique: Innovative Ways of Producing and Distributing News
Johannes Myburgh shared on Twitter the Mozambique Media Landscape guide, which he helped produce with Infosaid media project. Radio is considered the country's “most important channel of communication”, but Infosaid highlights independent and electronic newspapers – such as Faísca, Whampula Faz and Global Voices partner @Verdade [pt] – as...
Uganda: Nodding Disease Denying Children Their Future
James Propa shares photos and YouTube videos of the effects of nodding disease in Uganda. Nodding disease is a mentally and physically disabling disease that mostly affects children. It is currently restricted to small regions in South Sudan, Tanzania and northern Uganda.
Turkmenistan: Silent Anniversary of Deadly Blasts in Abadan
One year after the explosions at an arms depot in Abadan, officials in Turkmenistan hardly mention the deadly incident. Instead of commemorating the victims of the blasts, they prefer to suppress information, hoping that the Turkmen will forget about what had happened. Netizens are silent as well after the authorities detained several bloggers and put one of them in jail for covering the explosions.
