Latest posts by Onnik Krikorian from December, 2010
Azerbaijan: Emin Milli's Reading list
In a note posted on Facebook, imprisoned and recently freed video blogging youth activist Emin Milli lists the books he read while in jail in Azerbaijan. Not surprisingly, the books mostly deal with a common theme — freedom and democracy.
Caucasus: Online tools in Peace Building
Writing on his Peace and Collaborative Development Network Blog, Global Voices’ Caucasus Editor recounts his experience of using online social networks in cross-border communication and peace building initiatives between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Locked into a still unresolved conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, another post, however, looks at...
Armenia: Homosexuality & National Security?
Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on a recent statement from the Secretary of Armenia's National Security Council, Artur Baghdasarian, labeling homosexuals as a ‘extremely dangerous.’ The blog says that such comments are not only homophobic and in violation of Armenia's human rights commitments, but is also totally at odds with a...
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Social Media in peace building
Based on experience to date, my Caucasian Knot blog features a post on the use of online social networks to bring Armenians and Azerbaijanis together online as part of regional peace building and cross-border cooperation projects.
Azerbaijan: Let them eat even more cake…
After the account of one Azerbaijani blogger on how the country's second largest city marked the birthday of its president last year, another looks at how is was marked this week. Not surprisingly, if last year's 48th birthday saw a cake baked 48 meters long, this year saw it go...
Caucasus: The Year in Review
With 2011 nearly upon us, the year in new and social media in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia during 2010 was surprisingly positive. So, what did the past year hold in store for the South Caucasus? Read on.
Azerbaijan: Let them eat cake…
As the birthday of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, approaches, the Önər Blog [AZ] reminds readers of how residents in the country's second largest city of Ganja marked it last year. The blog sarcastically says that while the city is indeed famous for its giant pastries, baking a 48-metre...
Azerbaijan: Children and Peace
Sheki, Azerbaijan looks forward to 2011 and says that it hopes the New Year will bring peace. Every child has a right to such an environment, the blog notes, while also reminding readers that lives were lost despite a ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan in their conflict over the...
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Culture that unites rather than divides
Ararat Magazine features a post by Global Voices’ Caucasus editor, co-penned with a Global Voices author and Lingua translator, on ethnic Armenian and Azeri coexistence in Georgia. The post is made up of other guest entries originally written as part of a new media project to amplify alternative voices on...
Caucasus: Corruption
Social Science in the Caucasus comments on Transparency International's latest Global Corruption Barometer. While noting that corruption has increased in the world, it nonetheless notes that levels in Georgia are significantly lower than in neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenia: Facebook Storytelling
Writing for Ararat Magazine, Global Voices author Simon Maghakyan says that that one Facebook Group is attempting to use the popular social networking site to teach children Armenian history. The post wonders if this might turn out to be a revolutionary way to get them interested in such subject matters.
Armenia: Smoking the Pipe of Peace
Ararat Magazine features a post by Global Voices’ Caucasus editor on Calumet, an ethnic lounge bar in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. Offering a laid back environment for local civic activists, artists and musicians, as well as foreigners, to unwind in, it concludes that the recently opened venue is a breath...
Caucasus: Average Internet speeds and prices
The Yerevan-based Civilitas Foundation compares the average speed and cost of Internet connections in the South Caucasus. According to that data, Armenia is well behind its two neighbors in the region with by far the slowest and most expensive connections available. Meanwhile, Georgia has by far the cheapest and fastest.
Azerbaijan: Adnan and Emin are back… and say thank you
In Mutatione Fortitudo posts the first YouTube video by Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli since their release. In the video, the two video blogging youth activists in Azerbaijan say thank you to all those who followed their case and contributed to international pressure calling for their release. From world leaders...
Armenia: Police target Emos
Although understood to be a fairly conservative and traditional country, reports that police in Armenia were targeting Emos, a stereotypically melancholic sub-culture associated especially with teenagers, caused alarm and outrage among bloggers and Facebook users.
Azerbaijan: Stepanakert
Marut's Blog posts photographs taken during the Soviet era of Stepanakert, capital of the breakaway territory of Nagorno Karabakh. An autonomous oblast situated within Azerbaijan before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the region declared itself independent in 1991, but remains internationally unrecognized. Negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan to determine...
Azerbaijan: Armenia's Wikileaks?
The Önər Blog [AZ] comments on claims in Azerbaijan that Wikileaks cables painting the country in a bad light are the work of Armenians. In fact, the blog notes, at the same time as the media in Azerbaijan highlights the poverty, corruption and human rights abuses in its neighbor, how...
Azerbaijan: First Lady responds to Cablegate criticism?
As Azerbaijan braces itself for yet more revelations from classified U.S. Embassy cables released this week by Wikileaks, some interesting developments are occurring on Twitter. In particular, an account presenting itself as that of the country's First Lady appeared less than a day later.
Azerbaijan: Remembering the #EminAdnan campaign
With materials now released from Wikileaks showing behind the scenes pressure on the authorities in Azerbaijan to free imprisoned video blogging youth activists Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, Fatalin's Blog looks back at the international campaign which ultimately led to their release. The case is particularly significant given other documents...
Azerbaijan: First Lady responds to mafia claims… on Twitter
With the latest revelations from Wikileaks including an alleged confidential cable from the U.S. Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, comparing the president to a mafia boss, and his dynasty to the fictional Corleones of Godfather film fame, a Twitter account, apparently that of his wife, responds. The Twitter account materialized a...
