Global Voices Digest

Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome

It’s now been over four years since the United States and allies invaded Iraq under the alleged threat of “weapons of mass destruction.” Four years; longer than the United States was in Europe during World War II. How do everyday Iraqis look back over those four years? How do they measure the changes that have been forced upon their lives, their families? What fortune or misfortune do they see on the horizon? Salam Adil is here to tell you.

Uganda: Why didn’t Ugandan bloggers write about the nation’s biggest story?

Ugandan bloggers may have kept quiet this past week on Uganda’s biggest story, but they did serve up some sharp analysis on Uganda’s peacekeeping rolls in southern Sudan and Mogadishu as well as a light-hearted guide to “36 hours in Kampala.”

What Salvadoran bloggers are saying — about the passing of a witness

“If your only source of news was the main Salvadoran newspapers,” writes Tim Muth from San Salvador, you might have missed the passing of Rufina Amaya, the sole survivor of the 1981 El Mozote Massacre, which left 1,000 villagers dead in Morazan province. Salvadoran bloggers fill the void, honoring Amaya with eloquent blog tributes and YouTube homages.

Arabisc: Rebelling Bloggers from Syria to Tunisia

What happens when you speak your mind where free speech is oppressed? You pay the price. Amira Al Hussaini tells the stories of exiled Tunisian blogger (and Global Voices Director of Advocacy) Sami Ben Gharbia, Syrian blogger Roukana Hamour, and Egyptian cyber-activist Rami Seyyam.

Part One: Inside the school of the Egyptian blogosphere

Part Two: Inside the school of the Egyptian blogosphere

The Egyptian government has been making the headlines lately, for its now almost daily harassment of the country’s increasingly vocal — and organised — bloggers. In his two-part article, Sami Ben Gharbia explores the whys and wherefores of the situation, offering some much-needed context and getting an insider’s view from three of the Egyptian blogosphere’s young turks.

China: Homeowners hold their ground

Creative and resourceful Chinese netizens found a movement to rally behind when two Chongqing residents refused to evacuate their house in accordance with China’s new “all-property-is-public-property” law. Can a single couple and their army of internet supporters stop the bulldozers of modern progress in the name of private property?

Roundups

Military presence mars Navruz celebrations in Kyrgyzstan, Slovenia’s diabolical parking meters, from lowly-paid Filipina nurse to social media maven, and much more can be found in today’s Global Roundups.