Stories from 12 September 2012
Belarus, Ukraine: No More Gratis UK Visas for Chernobyl Children?
According to this online petition, bringing Belarusian and Ukrainian children affected by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster to the UK for recuperative charity-sponsored visits will soon cost an additional £86 per child in visa fees.
Libya: Sorry Chris, Benghazi Couldn't Protect You
A small crowd of Libyans gathered in Al Shajara Square in Benghazi on September 12, to protest against the attack on the US Consulate which killed four Americans including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
Turkmenistan: The End of One-Party Rule
[The second political party] has formally brought to end Turkmenistan’s twenty-year-old system of single party rule. The question is whether it [has] brought it to an end really, and that remains to be seen. Annasoltan on NewEurasia.net suggests there is little substance behind the recent establishment of the second political party in Turkmenistan.
Jordan: ‘Day of Mourning’ as Parliament Approves Internet Restrictions
Jordanian netizens held a mock funeral outside parliament today [Sept 12, 2012] to mourn the death of the freedom of the Internet. Inside parliament, MPs approved a new press and publications law, which will stifle freedom of speech.
Hollister Models Clown Koreans Via Twitter, Offending Asians
It is not the first time clothing brand Hollister went under fire for its racial gaffes. Recently, its male models tweeted several racial messages making fun of South Koreans, including photos of model posing with “Asian squinty eyes”. Korea Bang quoted a comment that read : People talk about how Hollister’s...
Mexico Also Remembers September 11 Attacks
Eleven years have passed since the attacks on the World Trade Center in the city of New York and on the Pentagon in Washington D.C. in the United States of America. In commemoration of an event which had global repercussions, the whole world has spoken out in cyberspace to remember the attacks. Mexico has been no exception.
Mali: Mauritanian Preachers Killed by the Army
Mauritanians woke up on September 10, 2012, to the news of the killing of 16 members of Jamaat al Daawa wal Tabligh (Society for spreading faith), a movement active in spreading Islamic faith by the Malian army. Twelve of those killed are Mauritanian citizens. Ahmed Jedou compiled netizen reactions to the incident
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Paralympic Inspiration
They are all winners because they chose not to feel sorry for themselves but to embrace life despite their limitations. Abeni salutes the Paralympians.
‘Diversity Within the Unknown’, a Conservation Blog in Bolivia
Few media outlets- mainstream, alternative or citizen-lead-, pay careful attention, or devote themselves fully, to the subject of conservation in Bolivia. Diversidad entre Pendientes is a blog that offers direct contact with the Bolivian biodiversity, home to mountains and sub-tropical valleys. The blog's author, Mauricio Pacheco, spoke with Global Voices about his work, and the state of thematic blogs in Bolivia.
Trinidad & Tobago: Section 34? Last Straw!
Political bloggers in Trinidad and Tobago are having a field day with the government's latest missteps - from a failed motion to remove the Minister of National Security from his post because of corruption allegations to the possibility of the accused in the airport corruption scandal walking free thanks to a section of the Indictable Offences Act.
Trinidad & Tobago: Internet Governance Issues
ICT Pulse lays out a few key points about Internet governance and explains why you should care; a follow-up post identifies three emerging trends in Caribbean Internet governance policy.
Peace Corps Volunteers are Leaving Turkmenistan
It has been announced that the Peace Corps - a U.S. government-run volunteer program - will close its programs in Turkmenistan and leave the country by the end of 2012. Many Turkmen internet users believe that the departure of the volunteers will further deepen the country's isolation and limit education opportunities for its young people.
Ecuador: Orlando Ibarra Escapes After Two Years of Captivity
Orlando Ibarra, a 39 year old Ecuadorian businessman, was reunited with his loved ones on Monday, September 10 in a military base in Quito, Ecuador, after 766 days in captivity in Colombia.
Trinidad & Tobago: iPads for Parliament?
If this Government…want[s] to appear to be the pillar of honesty they must go out for an open public tender for tablets…and not simply go out to tender for the prestigious iPad. An apparent penchant for Parliamentary iPads has aka_lol concerned about transparency and good governance.
Jamaica: Coral Crisis
The latest diagnosis on Caribbean coral reefs is dire. Labrish Jamaica thinks immediate action should be taken.
Chile: 1973 Coup d'etat in 140 Characters
How would netizens have followed the coup d'etat of September 11, 1973 in Chile if Twitter had existed?
Cuba: For a Census in Which All Unions Count
As the National Census of People and Households approaches, activism on blogs and social networks has intensified after a supposed change in the instruction manual came to light: it appears as though same sex unions were originally to be included, but this later changed. Now the question revolves around why it was eliminated.
Brazil: Threat to the Autonomy of Indigenous Lands
The issuance in mid-July of a governmental measure, Decree 303, that restricts the autonomy of indigenous lands in Brazil has been strongly criticized by many social movements, both in Brazil and beyond, which fight for the rights of indigenous peoples.
Hong Kong: Anti-National Education Protest, 360 Degree Scene
John Choy posted a 360 degree panoramic view of the anti-national education protest on September 8, 2012 outside the government building.
