Global Voices Online

Featured stories about 2008-05

Brazil: Visible and Invisible Indians and Scoops

Jose Murilo Junior · 23:54, May 31st, 2008 · Americas

lingua → fr · mk · pt

Brazilian Indians were in the spotlight of world media this week. From the images of an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon, to the enraged protest caught on camera against the building of dams along the Xingu River in the Amazon basin where an official of Brazil’s national electric company got slashed by traditional machetes and clubs. 2 comments · read »

South Africa: Bloggers need to do more than just write

Muhammad Karim · 19:17, May 31st, 2008 · Sub-Saharan Africa

lingua → it · es · fr

A few South African bloggers are thinking about positive steps to take with regard to the current xenophobia crisis in South Africa. Stii asks, “What can we as bloggers do about the Xenophobia crisis?” and Mike Stopforth calls on South African bloggers to do something. Meanwhile, Afrigator has launched a special Xenophobia Crisis Page. 5 comments · read »

Stories

May 31st, 2008

Plastic bag plan takes effect in China

Kelly Proctor · 22:35 · East Asia

lingua → fr · es · fa

Starting June 1, the Chinese government's country-wide plan to make shoppers pay small fees for plastic bags, and to forbid the production of ultra-thin bags will take effect. The move should save China 37 million barrels of oil a year. NGOs have been into the act earlier, pushing for relief ... 8 comments · read »

Burkina Faso: Level four culture shock

John Liebhardt · 17:27 · Sub-Saharan Africa

In The United Kingdom a bit more than a week ago, the Office of National Statistics reported that in the past ten years, nearly two million Britons have moved abroad, making up the second largest emigration in the country’s history. Presently, that means that 5.5 million Britons live in foreign countries. So, what does this have to do with Burkina Faso? It proves a point, a fundamental truth really, about foreigners: They eventually go home. Or at least most of them do. It just happens that in Burkina Faso, a number of foreign bloggers are getting ready to pack up their things and head elsewhere. 3 comments · read »

Ukraine, Russia: Personae Non Gratae

Veronica Khokhlova · 17:17 · Eastern & Central Europe

lingua → zht · zhs · es

On May 12, Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov was declared persona non grata in Ukraine, following his calls for Russia to take ownership of Sevastopol, a Ukrainian Black Sea naval port. On May 15, Russia denied entry to Vladyslav Kaskiv, one of the leaders of the 2004 protests in Kyiv and member of the Our Ukraine/People's Self-Defense faction in the Ukrainian parliament. LJ user varfolomeev66, a Russian journalist, compares the two cases. 0 comments · read »

Cambodia: Freedom of Flying

Tharum Bun · 08:40 · East Asia

lingua → es

Educated in France to be an engineer, Santel Phin spent two years in Paris, one of the most romantic cities in the world. In Cambodia, the 31 year-old Santel presently works at Phnom Penh International Airport for he likes terminal and pace of busy people. Born in Kratie, the first province overtaken ... 6 comments · read »

Links for 2008-05

Eastern & Central Europe

Lex Libertas links to an op-ed calling for president Dmitry Medvedev to start a new investigation of the 1999 apartment bombings in Russia.

Americas

PEBodyCount blog [pt] is now officially a member of the “Brazilian Disarmament Network”, which brings together more than 40 entities. “The network will stimulate and strengthen the idea that carrying guns is risky and, hence, handing them over is better than registering them.” Also check out these t-shirts, that have been on sale to help to support the blog.

Americas

Technology that brings people and generations together and censorship were among the themes of the first edition of Bloguecast, a podcast promoted by BlogueIsso [pt]. “The idea is to make a episode per week, perhaps not as long, with an improved edition by the experience. Listen, join the fun and send suggestions over”.

Sub-Saharan Africa

“Ultimately, we have not yet reached the time when the South African government will acknowledged, unequivocally, its responsibility for this whole issue. With empty thoughts and a huge incapacity for self-criticism (as a first step), the South African regime, apparently, carries on burying their head in the sand.” Agry [pt] comments on the news of the return of the victims of xenophobia to Mozambique.

Sub-Saharan Africa

“With the increase in the price of petrol, it is very clever to begin thinking about getting the old bike out of bottom of the garage. There are only advantages. It does not pollute, and it also saves you a lot on gym (fees)”. Go to Toix [pt] blog to see the amusing picture he used to illustrate this post.

Sub-Saharan Africa

“Guinea-Bissau is a sui generis country, because people's talents are in the most unexpected fields. Theater is one of them. Here is our word of encouragement to the Bissau Experimental Theater group, established in 2005″, Jorge Rosmaninho [pt] congratulates the group for establishing itself and hopes for its international recognition.

Middle East & North Africa

Lebanese Rania Masri writes about a photography exhibition by the children Palestinian refugees, living in camps in Lebanon. “500 cameras were placed in the hands of 500 children in all the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon,” she explains.

Middle East & North Africa

From Syria, Sasa writes: “Syrian farmers living under Israeli occupation have asked Israel to allow them to sell their cherries inside Syria. Living under occupation means they can not travel to Syria or visit their families, and they certainly can't send shipments of their produce into Syria.”