13 July 2012

Stories from 13 July 2012

Greece: Online Petition Against the Privatization of Greek Water

  13 July 2012

An online petition [el], entitled “Save Greek water from privatization” has begun after Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ announcement calling for an aggressive programme of privatisation, including water. Main arguments of the petition is that countries in which  privatization has been applied has caused an extreme rise of prices and in some cases put public...

Panama: ‘Songo’, a Cultural ‘Cyber-Promoter’

  13 July 2012

The Panamanian Edilberto González Trejos navigates social networks and the blogsophere with the pseudonym 'Songo'. His work as a cultural promoter is known by all those who are involved in one way or another with blogs and social networks in Panama. In this interview Edilberto speaks to us about his love for culture, his multiple blogs, how he sees the Panamanian blogosphere and his long term goals.

Ethiopia: Where is Meles Zenawi?

  13 July 2012

Rumors about the health and whereabouts of Ethiopia’s Prime Minster Meles Zenawi have dominated the Ethiopian social media sphere for weeks. Netizens have been sharing their thoughts about the rumors wondering why this story has been overlooked by the mainstream media.

France : World Forum for Democracy Will Take Place in Strasbourg in October 2012

  13 July 2012

The World Forum for Democracy is organized by the Coucil of Europe in Strasbourg from October 5th to  11th, 2012. The blog Démocratie réelle à Nîmes maintenant [fr] republishes the post of blog d'a. spohr [fr]on Mediapart news website, detailing this large-scale project, entitled “Democracy: between old models and new realities. Bridging the gap”....

Syria: Traymseh Massacre Evokes Rage and Sorrow

Last year, on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, Syrian forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad, killed around 45 civilians in the central town of Hama. This year, the bloodshed is in a village in the vicinity of Hama, Traymseh, but the death toll is believed to be several times higher.

Afghanistan: American-Handpicked President a “Terrible Idea”

In a recent op-ed piece in the Washington Post, American scholar Michael O’Hanlon (who also advises the CIA) argued that the US should pick the next president of Afghanistan. Ahmad Shuja, an Afghan blogger and political commentator based in US, calls this proposal “a terrible, terrible idea” and a “dangerous option that...

Kyrgyzstan: Blogger Suggests “Ethnicity Should Die”

Ilya Karimdjanov, a prominent Kyrgyzstani blogger, argues [ru] that ethnicity as a criterion for dividing people up into groups “should simply die”. “I really don't understand why people tend to differentiate themselves using the stupid criterion of ethnicity,” he writes. While many people reading the blog agree with Karimdjanov, one...