Global Voices Digest for May 13th, 2008
Venezuela: Publishing House Provides Works Online
There is good news for fans of literature in Spanish. Thanks to an initiative from the Venezuelan Ministry of Culture, literary works from the publishing house Ayacucho Library is now available online for free. Bloggers celebrate the selection of works that make it easier to access literature.
Palestine: Blogging for Palestine on May 15th
May 15, 2008 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Nakba or commemoration of the displacement of Palestinians from what is now Israel. Of course, for Israelis the date signifies the 60th anniversary of their country’s independence. And for bloggers, May 15 signifies Palestine Day.
Korea: Youth hold Candlelight Vigils against US Beef Imports
Fears of mad cow disease, have led to anger over a new deal to import U.S. beef to Korea, spawning candlelight vigils for the past two weeks. An online signature-seeking campaign to impeach the president in response to several new policies has received 1.2 million signatures and the number is rapidly increasing, in this roundup by Hyejin Kim.
Kyrgyzstan: A Slow Time
The May month traditionally comes to Kyrgyzstan with a slate of holidays: 1st May is Labor Day, 5th May is Constitution Day and on 9th May Kyrgyzstan celebrates Victory day. Elena Skochilo shows us that despite these special days, life in Kyrgyzstan is rather quiet and slow.
China: “Strolling” for the Environment
Earlier this month, before an earthquake killed thousands in China, about 400 to 500 people in Chengdu took to the streets to protest the construction of a proposed petrochemical plant. The event (which mimics earlier events in Xiamen and Beijing) was organized through cell phones, text messages and blogs. Protesters called their outing a “stroll” to get around applying for a permit to protest, as Kelly Proctor illustrates.
Malawi: Several arrested over allegations to remove president
It has been reported that several senior security and opposition political officials have been arrested in Malawi on allegations of a coup plot. Victor Kaonga brings us a piece by Malawian journalist and blogger Kondwani Munthali, who says that the politics in Malawi is undergoing interesting developments and political temperatures have reached a boiling point.
Morocco, Israel, and Palestine: A Unique History
Since the Nakba and Israel’s claim of independence 60 years ago, Israel and Morocco have had an interesting relationship. Prior to the creation of an Israeli state, Morocco had a large, if not thriving, Jewish population. Here’s what a few Moroccan bloggers have to say on this, the 60th anniversary of Israeli independence.
Roundups
Get the blog buzz from the world over in the Global Roundups, where today you can find ignoring earthquake predictions in China, Europe day in Kyiv, the history of the Slovenian independence movement, and much much more!