Writing > Articles

"Four days after Fidel Castro announced that he would not accept another term as a president after almost half a century in power, the Cuban blogosphere continues to be abuzz with the news. Adding to Janine Mendes-Franco's roundup collecting the first reactions after the announcement, here are more reactions from Cuba and abroad."

"Bloggers across Latin America celebrate International Women's Day and pay tribute to the hard-working, brave, and often, mistreated women from the region. Some honor particular women throughout history and others write about groups of mothers that defend the rights of others. For all, it is a celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women."

"Ever since Macedonia became independent from Yugoslavia in 1991, its name has been the subject of a bitter dispute with its southern neighbor, Greece. Greece claims that the use of “Republic of Macedonia,” as Macedonia calls itself in its constitution, not only violates Greece's historic cultural claim to the name, but also implies a territorial claim to the northern Greek province of Macedonia. Elia Varela Serra reviews bloggers' responses to the issue."

"A few interesting blogs have emerged in the Bosnian blogosphere recently, showing the growing interest in blogging and Web 2.0 in the Balkans. Elia Varela Serra introduces the newcomers: Zeljko Komsic, the Bosnian Croat member of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina; Matthew Rycroft, the British Ambassador to BiH; and Tim Clancy, the author of the first BiH guidebook published after the war."

"There are people like my father, whose espresso machine is the most important appliance in the house and who can't enjoy a meal without 'proper' coffee afterwards. They often have a hard time when traveling to countries that don't offer them the same coffee or tea they're used to in their daily routine. The truth is that although the different countries in Europe have a lot of things in common, the coffee and tea drinking habits differ quite a bit from region to region."

"Une image vaut mieux qu'un millier de mots, dit la sagesse populaire, ainsi l'Association de Mamans Pacifiques Vendeuses de Souliers usagés (Amapaves) a-t-elle choisi d’utiliser le théâtre comme outil d’éducation civique pour expliquer aux femmes le processus électoral et en particulier le vote."