20 March 2013

Stories from 20 March 2013

Photos: Day One in Trial of Former Guatemalan Dictator

  20 March 2013

Documentary photographer James Rodriguez shares a photo essay with “images from the first day of the historic trial against former de facto dictator Efraín Ríos Montt and former Intelligence Director José Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez. Ríos Montt and Rodriguez Sanchez are charged with Genocide and crimes against humanity during the civil war...

Saudi Minister Threatens a Twitter User Online

Saudi Arabia's Information and Culture Minister Abdelaziz Khoja allegedly threatened to sue a Twitter user – for insulting him on the microblogging platform. The user called the minister a "remote control" in the hands of those with money and power and the minister responded that he could sue him, if he confessed his name.

Religious Hatred on Facebook in Tajikistan

  20 March 2013

The shattered system of primary and secondary education, corrupt and rotten system of higher education, the official clergy which has lost [people's] trust, the absence of state-controlled religious education, weak and will-less intellectuals, the presence of a large number of uncontrolled websites with extremist and jihadist content - these are the major reasons why an increasing number of young individuals in our country become extremists.

Trinidad & Tobago: Crime & Punishment

  20 March 2013

Right now the war is on for the soul of our country and if we’re not, every last one of us, actively engaged and prepared to battle, then what is the point? A must-read post by Tillah Willah about crime in Trinidad and Tobago.

Jamaica, Barbados: Vying for Tourists

  20 March 2013

Active Voice compares advertisements from the Barbados Tourism Authority and the Jamaica Tourist Board and wonders “why is the Barbadian ad…so perfect that it could be a global model on how to sell yourselves? And contrastingly how and why does the JTB ad sell the country short?”

Puerto Rico Second in the Caribbean Final of the World Baseball Classic

  20 March 2013

Although Puerto Rico did not win the World Baseball Classic, the country played memorably, managing to position itself as the number two team. Twitter users congratulated the Dominican Republic, which became the first undefeated team to win a World Baseball Classic, while expressing the deep pride they felt for the Puerto Rican national team.

Cyprus Cuts Access to Banks Amid Bailout Crisis

  20 March 2013

If you are in Cyprus, your life's savings hangs in the balance, as the government deliberates a controversial €10 billion bailout agreement reached with the Eurogroup that puts the country's saving deposits down as collateral.

Spanish Youth in Exile: “We're Not Leaving, They're Kicking Us Out!”

  20 March 2013

In 2012, the number of Spanish youth (15-29) residing abroad grew to 302,623. They have left for economic reasons related to the lack of employment in Spain. The Juventudes sin Futuro (Youth WIthout a Future) movement has launched a campaign entitled "We're not leaving, they're kicking us out" with a Twitter hashtag with the same name.

Japan's ‘Sex Slaves’ Phantom Fuels Petition

  20 March 2013

The GoPetition site published Do not select Tokyo to host the 2020 Summer Olympics petition which has been introduced to many local sites. It accuses the current Japanese administration of denying the truth that more than 200,000 women and girls were indeed forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army during...

Science and Homosexuality Through the Lens of a Brazilian Pastor

  20 March 2013

Silas Malafaia, a conservative pastor and bachelor in psychology, is the head of Brazil's Victory in Christ Assembly of God Church and enemy #1 of those who fight for homosexual rights in the country. And despite heavy opposition to the ideas he espouses, Malafaia has a very large following throughout the country.

China's $20 Billion Pledge to Africa

  20 March 2013

Deborah Brautigam from China in Africa: The Real Story looks into the nature of China's pledge of $20 Billion to Africa at the fifth ministerial meeting of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation held in Beijing last summer: I went back to examine the Chinese discussion around this $20 billion....

Chinese General's Anti-War Stance Criticized

  20 March 2013

People Liberation Army General Liu Yuan was attacked by online nationalists for calling for a peaceful resolution of Sino-Japanese conflict. South Sea Conversations looks into Liu's opinion and netizens’ reaction.