Written by Melissa Rossi While many Rio de Janeiro residents, known as cariocas, are looking forward to the exciting games, colorful banners, and renovated stadiums of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in the city, other less fortunate Brazilians will remember the event forever with grief and indignation over losing their homes for […]
Brazil: Sugar Cane Farming Bill Puts Amazon at Risk
Written by Luciane Salles · Translated by David Bond Brazil has opened the door to the cultivation of sugar cane for the first time in areas of the Amazon forest and surrounding wetlands and savanna, causing concern among environmentalists. Federal Bill number 626/2011 [1] [pt], approved by the Brazilian Federal Senate on May 15, 2013, […]
Kazakstan: More Parties, No Real Pluralism
President’s Nur Otan now joined by two other regime-friendly parties in parliament. By Almaz Rysaliev President Nursultan Nazarbaev’s Nur Otan party is no longer alone in Kazakstan’s parliament, as the January 15 election brought in two other parties, Ak Jol and the People’s Communist Party. But Nur Otan’s victory was still overwhelming at 81 per cent […]
Japan: Social Art and Design for Earthquake Relief
Written by Tomomi Sasaki Three design-related projects have emerged out of the destruction of the earthquake and tsunami that hit the northeast coast of Japan last Friday 11 March, 2011. #prayforjapan logo The creators of the #prayforjapan initiative that encourages well-wishers across the world to send messages of support via microblogging site Twitter and […]
No Shelter – Indigène d’Eurasie at Berlinale Forum
Indigène d’Eurasie / Eastern Drift Sharunas Bartas France/Lithuania/Russian Federation 2010, 111 min World Premiere 13 February 2010 Delphi Filmpalast, Berlin Cast: Sharunas Bartas (Gena), Elisa Sednaoui (Gabrielle), Erwan Ribard (Philippe), Klavdia Korshunova (Sasha). "Life is short, the greater part of it already over." Gena has settled himself to leave the nomadic criminal class of his […]
Honduras crisis triggers international relations debate in Brazil
There has been much discussion about the constitutional right to oust Honduras president Manuel Zelaya. The crisis itself has made the headlines in many countries and many Latin American bloggers, including Brazilians, are contributing to the debate on the events. Brazil has now been involved in an unusual diplomatic situation. Even though there is as […]