Archive for
December 1st, 2006


Stories

World AIDS Day

A small portrait of the translator David Sasaki · 21:08 · Middle East & North Africa , Sub-Saharan Africa

With the inaugural theme of “Communication” in 1988, World AIDS Day was first established by UNAIDS as an annual day of awareness and outreach to confront the stigma, discrimination, and ignorance surrounding one of the world's deadliest preventable diseases. Nearly two decades, 65 million infections, and 25 million deaths later, the campaign continues, with bloggers around the globe eager to do their part. With the help of Georgia Popplewell and Alice Backer, the majority of this post focuses on bloggers from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa. I hope that readers help make it more representative by adding links in the comments section to blog posts from their region which commemorate World AIDS Day.

Latin America:

In Latin America and the Caribbean there are some encouraging signs in a few countries and an International labor Organization report released today estimates that fewer youths in the region will die of AIDS. Unfortunately, the region is hurt by a lack of effective AIDS prevention due to political bickering and lack of funds, and HIV infection has grown in high-risk groups (e.g. prostitutes, homosexuals) throughout the region.

So writes Erwin Cifuentes at The Latin Americanist in a post that links to seven other interesting developments throughout the region related to spread of and battle against AIDS. Maegan “la Mala” of VivirLatino focuses on how the pandemic has affected the Latino community in the United States. Made in Brazil informs readers of the Brazilian campaign for World Aids Day, entitled “A vida é mais forte que a Aids” (life is stronger than Aids) and includes two video clips that are part of the campaign. Phillippa of Cuaderno Latinoamericano links to a BBCMundo story on three Latin Americans living with HIV or AIDS.

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Russia: Abortion Politics

A small portrait of the translator Veronica Khokhlova · 15:41 · Eastern & Central Europe

In response to the grim economic situation, abortion was made legal in the Soviet Union in 1920. From 1936 to 1955 - under Joseph Stalin and until after his death - abortion was outlawed. In today's Russia, according to some data, abortions outnumber live births; for many women, abortion is still the primary method of birth control.

A Wikipedia article on the Russian demographics cites a 2005 Moscow News story on abortion - namely, the figures provided by Vladimir Kulakov, vice president of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences: “About 1.6 million women had an abortion last year [in 2004], a fifth of them under the age of 18, and about 1.5 million gave birth […]. “Many more” abortions weren’t reported.”

A few weeks ago, two Russian lawmakers (Aleksandr Krutov and Nikolay Leonov of the Rodina political faction) proposed a law (RUS) that would require spousal consent before a married woman can have an abortion. The Russian blogosphere's response to the news was, quite predictably, overwhelming. Below is just a fraction of reactions, translated from Russian.

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Voices from Kazakhstan

A small portrait of the translator Leila Tanayeva · 13:45 · Central Asia & Caucasus



Police and protesters in Almaty, at svoboda.kz

“I phoned Sanzhar [Bokaev, a shortly detained leader of the movement against the ban of the right-hand-drive cars], he is in Almaty district police, which is next to Nikolski bazaar. Help him if you are a lawyer! He can answer the phone though, he can speak, he is safe, they are not beating him… And hello to a pretty BBC correspondent that I invited for a cup of tea…” - LJ user da_simon, coming home after the protests. (more…)

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The State of the Argentinean Blogosphere: Metroblogs

A small portrait of the translator Jorge Gobbi · 13:03 · Americas

Este artículo también está disponible en español.

Metroblogs are blogs specifically focused on covering activities that take place within a city. In these times, these kind of blogs have sprung up in many places around the world, spreading initiatives and activities that are not frequently covered in other, more consolidated, media. And Argentina is not outside this trend. For this entry, we'll review four metroblogs: Buenos Aires Lado B, Rosagasario, De Corrientes, and Salta Cultural.

Buenos Aires Lado B is a blog that's been maintained for several months by Irina Sternik, and basically focuses on the cultural activities of Buenos Aires. Irina says: “mass media cover a small spectrum, and so does alternative media. I was interested in the idea of creating an agenda that used the resources that blogs offer: videos, images, audio, links and the exchange of comments among users”. And about her blog agenda: “I prioritize those spectacles that stand out as original, taking place in the city, and that don't get much coverage on a particular site. I emphasize movies and independent music tours; things that aren't common, that remind us of Argentinean historical personalities, urban strides, recitals, and mainly free events that are part of a festival or tour”.

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