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Trinidad & Tobago: Blogging the Arts

AS THE Anglophone Caribbean blogosphere grows, so does the number of specialist blogs devoted to specific subjects. For two decades now, Trinidad has been a major site for contemporary art in the Caribbean, rivalling the better known art centres of Cuba and Jamaica, though not enjoying the same amount of international attention. But a recent proliferation of Trinidadian art blogs is beginning to create a significant presence for the island's artists and art institutions on the world wide web.

A handful of Trinidadian artists — such as Edward Bowen — and commercial galleries — such as 101 Art Gallery — set up websites relatively early on, but the first artist bloggers have appeared only within the last two years or so. Christopher Cozier, one of the Caribbean's leading contemporary artists, is also a member of the Small Axe collective, and curates the journal's SXspace, a site for discussing the work of Caribbean artists. He also began a blog, Visual Matters, in April 2006. His posts, thus far sparse, include a conceptual sketch for an artwork subsequently made for a show in Canada, and an essay on the Trinidadian thinker Lloyd Best. (more…)

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Bangladesh blog buzz

Rezwan · 01:14 · South Asia

The latest happenings in Bangladeshi blogs around the world:

* Education: Tanvir of Journal of a Disturbed Mind blog criticizes the new grading system of school final examination -S.S.C. (Grade 10) in Bangladesh. Students in some regions are getting the top GPA 5 grade in greater numbers; however they are not represented in the top universities as they cannot do well in the competitive examinations.

* Politics: Journalist Tasneem Khalil depicts that police brutality on opposition activists can sometimes be an obscene affair.

Some more pictures of the police in action from Suchinta blog.

Share the magic criticizes the acquittal of Ex-dictator Hossain Muhammad Ershad from a graft suit in a political move of the current government as charges against him were dropped by the government lawyers.

* Sexual rights: Tasneem Khalil reports that a British colonial law (Section 377 of penal code) dating 19th century is still being used in the countries of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh) to repress homosexuality.

* Disaster: Dristipat criticizes the rescue efforts of the missing Bangladeshis in the coastal region and high casualties after the September 19, 2006 storm.

* Religion: Shafiur of imperfect|world|2006 reports that the late Theotonius Amal Ganguly, a Bangladeshi Archbishop is set to be first saint of Bangladesh.

* Culture: ‘Shab-e-Barat’ (The night of good luck) is celebrated among Muslims on the 15th day of Shaban (the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar) only in the countries of Indian sub-continent (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan) with religious fervor.

Shaon asks whether there is a religious base of celebrating this night, or whether it is a pure cultural tradition.

* Living of the poor: Except from the celebrity people have little idea about how is it to live in Bangladesh. Razib Ahmed of the South Asia Biz portrays Bangladeshi working class people - three rickshawpullars and a banana seller.

* Corruption: Suchinta Blog shares more information about the ongoing corruption in Bangladesh.

* Celebrity: Shafia of People Tree shares her experience of a day with the Buddhist leader Dalai Lama.

* Diaspora: Imtiaz criticizes some Non-resident Bangladeshis, who have no plan to come back home but always are vocal about the country's welfares.

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Links for Mon, 2006-09

Oceania

Sebastien from 5 Minutes en Nouvelle Caledonie deplores (Fr) that Miss Caledonia was recently stripped of her crown and prevented from participating in the Miss France contest because of artistic nude pictures.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sotho opposes the removal of the Basarwa from their ancestral land in Botswana:
“The Basarwa (Baroa in Sesotho) deserve to live on their land, as did the native American, in the same way they have been living on it since the dawn of man.”

Sub-Saharan Africa

Meskel Square on “Moving on from the Digital Indaba“:
“Overall it was a huge success. One way of judging that is to look at all the discussions that are still carrying on in posts and comments and Technorati links. The discussions started with the race debate which I now wish I hadn't joined (there was just something about that pig/hairless-bulldog). But it has now moved on to thinking about what should come next.”

Americas

Barbados Free Press announces that nominations are open for the 1st annual Barbados Piggies At The Trough Awards: “the winner will be the Barbados politician or civil servant who, in the opinion of the judges, best misuses position, political contacts or internal knowledge to benefit self, family or friends.” The nominator of the winning entry will receive US$1,000. Seriously.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Gambia 101, via African Shirts:
“After the 1981 coup attempt, the confederation of Senegambia was established with Senegal. The union didn't last too long, but made a lot of sense. Gambia is the smallest country in Africa, a tiny strip of land around the River Gambia less than 50km wide. It is surrounded on all sides by Senegal, except in the west, where the River Gambia opens out into the Atlantic. Basically, they Gambia is almost like an autonomous part of the Senegal which speaks English.”