23 October 2012

Stories from 23 October 2012

Guatemala: Soldiers Arrested Over Totonicapán Killings

  23 October 2012

Blogger Nic Wirtz says that the arrest of eight soldiers after the clashes in Totonicapán -which left at least 8 indigenous protestors dead- is “the first test of Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina's mano dura (iron fist) approach to restoring law and order.”

Egypt: Advice to Protesting Kuwaitis

  23 October 2012

As Kuwaitis embarked on their largest ever protest to denounce changes to the electoral law, passed by the country's hereditary ruler while the Parliament was dissolved, Egyptians kept themselves busy on Twitter, dishing advice to them on what to do and not to do.

Arab World: Obama and Romney are on the Same Page on Syria

  23 October 2012

Arab netizens had some harsh words to share after waiting to the wee hours of the early morning to tune in to the last US Presidential Debate 2012 between President Obama and Republican hopeful Mitt Romney before the November elections. On Twitter, netizens rammed the US policy on Syria, saying both Obama and Romney were two faces of the same coin.

Madagascar: Preserving National Heritage with Video Archiving

  23 October 2012

A Civil Society Initiative has been set up to preserve the 'collective memory' of Madagascar by digitally archiving videos detailing its, often controversial, history. The Fl@H Association was set up to preserve Madagascar’s audiovideo heritage and aims to be a force for the preservation of the country’s history. Members can already point to several achievements.

Iran: A Blogger in Danger

  23 October 2012

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced that they are concerned about the health of Mohammad Reza Pourshajari, the jailed writer of the blog “Iran Land’s Report”. RSF says according to blogger's family “he is in a critical condition, suffering from kidney failure and aggravated by a lack of medical treatment”.

Iran: Bloggers Urge Minister of Education to Resign

  23 October 2012

A bus in southwestern Iran overturned in southwestern Iran on Friday, October 19. Several Iranian bloggers urged the Minister of Education to resign as ‘a minimum reaction to this tragedy’. Iranian cyberspace accused the Iranian authorities for being irresponsible about the lives of people.

Bolivia: Vice President Keeping Track of Netizens’ Insults

  23 October 2012

A debate on the control of social networks was rekindled in Bolivia after vice president Álvaro García Linera stated that he is monitoring and taking note of netizens who are insulting President Evo Morales. Members of the opposition consider the statement a threat to freedom of speech, others support regulation, and some suggest the government should pay attention to other important issues people demand online.

Ecuador: Cofiec Banking Loan Irregularities Unleash Outrage

  23 October 2012

Antonio Buñay, former executive chief of Cofiec Bank – a state owned bank- and the alleged responsible person for the Cofiec case, which is causing stir in the Ecuador legal system and among citizens, appeared before the prosecutor's office on October 16, 2012. The #CofiecCase, as Ecuadorian Twitter users have named it, was uncovered after irregularities were found in a Cofiec banking loan for US$800,000 granted to the Argentinian investor Gastón Duzac.

Benin: Organizing Volunteer Holidays to Share Specific Expertise

  23 October 2012

Youphil writes [fr] about a project driven by Espace Volontariats du Bénin and supported by France Volontaires that promotes volunteer holidays in Porto Novo and Sô-Ava. The project will help experts share their knowledge in fields such as accounting, communication, ICT & project management with local NGOs.

Brazil: Guarani Kaiowá say they will resist together to death

  23 October 2012

Brazilian bloggers and even mainstream media are reacting to a letter by an indigenous Guarani Kaiowá community that claims to have lost all hope, promising a mass resistance to death of 170 men, women and children, if an eviction order goes forward. Global Voices reported in 2011 and 2010 on ongoing...

Kuwait: The Country's Biggest Protest?

  23 October 2012

Tear gas and stun grenades were used to disperse a protest in Kuwait against changes to the electoral law. The Sunday march attracted about 150,000 out of the country's population of 3 million. Media outlets considered this number to be the biggest in the small Gulf emirate's history.