Stories about Youth from September, 2011
Macedonia: Protests Against Police Brutality Continue
Several hundred persons continued the street protests against police brutality in Skopje on September 29. With only two exceptions, the Macedonian media largely obeyed the embargo on covering the protests.
Uzbekistan: Activists detained for photographing child labor
Tomyris reports that two members of an unregistered Uzbekistan’s Human Rights Society were detained by the authorities for photographing schoolchildren picking cotton in the country's southern province.
Bahamas: Time to Take Action Against Crime
As a missing child is found dead, Weblog Bahamas says: “I would call on Prime Minister Ingraham to not wait until next Monday to make a statement to the nation on crime. The time to act is now… and we must act swiftly and prudently.”
Cuba: Jailed Activists
Uncommon Sense continues to keep a close eye on three members of the Damas de Blanco who were arrested recently, as well as political prisoner Sara Martha Fonseca, whose son was allegedly attacked after trying to obtain information about his jailed parents.
Greece: “Europe, come be in my shoes, before judging me”
Global Voices in Greek translator Margie Lazou posts an open and unvarnished account of her daily struggles as a single mother in crisis-ridden Greece on her personal blog: “All those people out there in Europe, please, come live here, be in my shoes for some time before judging me.”
China: Sex Education
While young people are interested in sex, 65.9% has not received any sex education and misled youngsters see abortion as a way of contraception. (More from China Hush)
Puerto Rico: Online Forum for Good Dads
“Over the years, I've worried about how I'm doing as a father”, says Gil the Jenius – which is why he has nothing but praise for a new website that “bring[s] good Dads together and let[s] them…share what it is to be a father.”
Cuba: 14 on Trial for Girl's Death
“It seems that we’re destined to remain in the dark about yet another case that we’ve only found out about through foreign newspapers and independent bloggers”: Rosa Martinez, writing at Havana Times, doesn't understand the authorities’ silence on the death of a Cuban minor.
El Salvador: Youth Participation in Elections
Blogger Jjmar from Hunnapuh [es] comments on youth's lack of interest in the elections and in politics in general, a problem which Jjmar argues is reflected in the low number of registered young voters in the 2009 elections and for the upcoming 2012 elections.
Philippines: Creative Protests During Campus Strikes
Last week's nationwide campus strikes in the Philippines against education budget cuts saw the lively and creative integration of online tools to mobilize thousands to fight for the right to education. From mass planking, freeze mob, blackboard campaign, fashion show, to Facebook campaigns, activists used various forms of protests to highlight their cause
Recreating China Map into Maga
Shanghaiist collects a series of anime character drawings recreated from the China map.
Chile: Students Protest Mayor's Decision
Erwin at The Latin Americanist updates readers on the student movement: “Last week Cristian Labbe, mayor of Providencia, ordered the suspension of the school year and permitted police to remove student protesters who have been residing on local campuses.[…]” Labbe also declared that students who lived outside of Providencia would...
Philippines: Anti-Planking Bill Draws More Planks
A proposal in the Philippines to ban planking has drawn much criticism online and offline. Planking has been used by student activists as a creative form of protest, especially in last week's nationwide campus strikes against education budget cuts.
India: The Dark Side Of Social Media
Lazy Optimist informs that Malini Murmu, a student of the Indian Institute Of Management (IIM) Bangalore, committed suicide because her boyfriend “dumped her via a status update on Facebook”.
United States: “Occupy Wall Street” Takes the Heart of New York's Financial District
In New York, a peaceful protest has developed: "Occupy Wall Street." Inspired by the events in cities throughout Arab and European countries, demonstrators are protesting against the way in which the U.S. economy has been managed.
Bhutan: Asian Youth Congress Inspires
Tshering Tobgay reports that the Eighth Asian Youth Congress, which took place in Thimphu recently, saw bright performance from the Bhutanese participants.
Update on Global Voices Mentorship: Meet the Activists
For over a month, ten Global Voices bloggers have been working with activists from ten different countries as mentors of members of the new Blogger Swarm initiative of Activista, the youth network of international development organization ActionAid.
Jordan: MPs Wage Battle Against the Youth
This week's House of Representatives parliament sessions in Amman, Jordan, have been the center of public discontent, especially among the youth community. Jordan's young population came under fire during the debate. Nadine Toukan explains.
El Salvador: Residents of High-Crime Area Speak of Soldier's Harsh Tactics
Tim recommends a blog post by Danny Burridge “about lives lived under the harsh tactics of Salvadoran soldiers patrolling a high-crime area”. Tim explains that Danny doesn't blog often because “he's too busy immersing himself in the lives of children in one of San Salvador's poorest neighborhoods, La Chacra.”
Cuba: Parents Detained; What Happens to Child?
Uncommon Sense calls the “countless number of children [who] have been separated from their families…one of the regime’s more unforgivable sins” and goes on to highlight the plight of a two-year-old boy whose parents are allegedly “in jail because of their active opposition to the Castro dictatorship.”
Hungary: Higher Education and Tuition
Hungarian Spectrum writes about “higher education and the question of ‘tuition'” in Hungary.