The most significant event of 2009?

Will you remember Barack Obama's inauguration in January or is it Michael Jackson's sudden death that's more likely to stick in your head in years to come? On the dawn of a new year, we ask our Observers what they think was the most significant event of 2009.

“The H1N1 outbreak”

Gabriel Infante is a blogger and journalist from Mexico City.

Photo taken by Eneas on April 26, 2009.

The most significant event of the year in Mexico was the influenza A (H1N1) crisis. During the first few days there was a lot of panic: people rushed to the supermarkets and drugstores to buy surgery masks and hospitals were packed. But what astonished me most was seeing Mexico City empty, like a ghost city, during the weekend shutdowns. It was unimaginable that something like this could happen in a city of 20 million inhabitants, known for its traffic jams and round-the-clock activities."

Watch Gabriel's submission in full: 

“Iran’s protest movements”

Omid Habibinia is a journalist and media researcher from Iran, who currently lives in Sweden.

As an Iranian the most significant event for us was the protest movements which began in June and July during the first election protests. The demand and the desire of the people to change the whole system; it was like a real revolution. It changed the way of thinking for many Iranians inside and outside the country."  

Watch Omid's submission:

“The inauguration of Mr Obama”

Serigne Diagne is a webmaster from Dakar, Senegal.

For me in Senegal it was the inauguration of Mr Obama. We never thought the US could have a black president, but this showed it's not only a possibility, but a reality! It also proved wrong Mr Sarkozy, who said that ‘African man has never sufficiently entered into history'."

“The Copenhagen climate talks”

Sushma Joshi is a writer from Katmandu, Nepal.

Coming from Nepal, the Copenhagen climate change talks were very important to us because 65% of Nepali people are farmers and for many of them the lack of rain for the past three winters along with the very meagre monsoon we had this year really affected the amount of food they could grow. For many of these people, the food they grow is all they have to eat; they don't have a job. Despite the fact that the Copenhagen talks faced many obstacles in coming together in agreement, at least they brought global attention to this issue from all fronts."

Watch Sushma's submission:

“The assassination of Marwa Sherbini”

Ismail Alexandrani is a blogger and human rights activist from Alexandria, Egypt.

The stabbing to death of this young mother in a courtroom in Germany was found utterly shocking by Egyptians. The crime was profoundly racist and Islamophobic. It doesn't represent the feelings of the whole of Europe, of course, but it reveals a real problem in Europe regarding Islam."

“The attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team”

Rizwan Quraishi is an analyst from Karachi, Pakistan.

Image by Hasan Mubarak on Flickr.

I think that for Pakistanis the most significant thing that happened this year was the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team. Before that we felt that terrorists would only target disagreeable forces in society, that it only involved religious fundamentalists. But an attack on a sports team, it goes to show that nobody's safe really." 

Watch Rizwan's submission:

Comments

Gaza's holocaust

This years most important event was Gaza's holocaust.
Most of the world didn't pay attention before the war when the Israeli deputy defense minister threatened Gaza with something bigger than the “holocaust” of Hitler. This holocaust that caused the death of more than 1400 people and contained the use of Palestinians as human shields, reckless usage of white phosphorus, the intentional use of force against civilian targets including homes, hospitals, mosques, funerals, schools, governmental buildings, sewage facilities (unleashing 20,000 cubic meters of raw sewage), farms (bulldozers squashed 31,000 live hens in one of them). Also bombed were Gaza’s main prison, its only working flour factory and many more according to UN’s Goldstone Report.
The massacre ended but not the war. The siege against Gaza committed by Israel and the Egyptian government still kills Palestinians in Gaza, At least 366 patients have died due to lack of medication and/or the absence of electricity that run the machines that keep them alive. Hunger, poverty, pollution, unemployment, homelessness and diseases are all results of this siege that has turned Gaza into the biggest jail on earth. the UN’s Human Rights Council monitor called in 2008 for the protection of “a civilian population being collectively punished by policies that amount to a crime against humanity”, however Israel is above international law, it occupies lands that must be evacuated since more than 41 years ago according to the international law, alongside with millions of refugees who - according to the international law - must have been back more than 61 years ago, and Israel also turned life in the occupied West Bank into a nightmare with an apartheid wall that has been declared “illegal” and “breaches international law” by the International Court of Justice at The Hague in 2004.

what happened in 2009 shows yet again that there is no alternative to fighting the apartheid Israel and resisting its occupation and racism in all forms of resistance.

Any other method will be just a waste of time and effort.

The Success of Restoration of Independent Judiciary Movement

I think restoration of independent judiciary movement was the most striking event of 2009 for Pakistanis and every one in the world believing in rule of law . We saw hundreds of thousands people came out in a long march starting from my home city lahore ---most famously recognized as city of live hearted people,and resultantly government bowed down and restored independent judiciary which was ousted by the former dictator musharraf.Thus 170 millions of pakistanis stepped in new era of hope and justice.World saw and praised millions of people struggling and finaly succeeding for the betterment of their society.This was one of the unique peacefull movements of history. Bravo Pakistanis! You are extra ordinary people.Keep it up.

Obama's Playing Funny Games

The most hateful event of 2009 :

Obama's begging for the friendship of the criminal regime of Iran, approving them behind curtains.

From Tehran

Copenhagen

The weather and climate changes are being proven to be 99.9% natural and has very little to do with mankind. Copenhagen and the global warming hoax is only the worlds attempt to steal our money from the people of the US who earned it. Man has always had to deal with weather changes. We are no different now. We have no business trying to adjust the weather artificially.

GAP OF INFORMATIONS?

The internet network in all over the world had dveloped and increased which we can call it same as revolution in2009.
spacialy when we look at some issue named"SOCIAL NETWORK "like facebook and twitter.these new media has effect not only to human right relationship but also in politacal acts.the important and obvious example is reaction and reflection IRAN political space.the sensetive poin is presentation of new phenomen which we call"CITIZEN JOURNALISM" and sharring the news and info by micro bloges had started,video clips by mobile phon released and shocked rest of the world.
The great journalists and spacialists faced to the new subject which at frist was so defficult to analyze it.
new journalism scape from officiac censorships and releas the news without any hesitation and any technical editing.but with hight contents
and effects.
So hence,we faced with real maening of freedoms expression,some kind of cyber,virtual democracy and equality which any power is not able to control it.
It is real transformation to new age at cyber space.
The GREEN MOVEMENT can introduce itselef at cyber space abd network which another midia(TV,news agency, and prints) follow it.
GREEN MOV is the frist social-political mov which show and make known IRANIAN socity to rest of the world.maybe its most important and effective event un 2009.
We as journalists always concern about GAP OF INFORMATIONS spacialy when IRAN government restrict,filter and block the free press by shutdowns,ban and arresting of journalist(more than 50 journalists are prisoner)citizen journalist whose still remain unknown can makeup in this dark and dreadful vacuume by thier comments and videos.

Australian Bush Fires February 2009

The bush fires that raged throughout the south-eastern State of country Victoria in Australia where more than 170 people perished in an inferno that lasted for days and the response that the disaster generated.

More than 150 people were killed, countless people were left homeless, and millions of dollars in damage to farms, families and livestock occurred as a result of the fires that police believed were a result of arsonist behavior coupled with above 40 degree celsius temperatures and dry winds.

Volunteer and career firefighters worked around the clock often putting their own lives in danger to help out complete strangers. People from all over Victoria, throughout Australia and the world donated and raised millions of dollars for the victims and their families of the 2009 Australian summer bush fires.

Black Saturday -

The February Bush Fire of 2009 have been called here in Australia "Black Saturday". We were and still shocked at all the footage and the rapidity with which people lives were taken away.
Entire town were entirely wiped out and left in ashes. Some of the family reunion on TV were heartbroken since people were left out for days not knowing of they were left orphans or widows. The second wave of emotions came out when the town were the mobile fire brigade command and rescue were circle by fire with all survivor from the precedent fire were faced once again by the inferno. Seeing fire engine leaving Sydney and major cities by dozen to drive down to victoria to help out remembered of the 9/11 fireman dedication.
The human donations showed once more that Australian generosity once more were part of our value. On top of the individuals, when you see the majors shopping centers, food store, .......banks donation in the millions of Dollars, you know you live an an extraordinary country.

The Tragic Death of Michael Jackson...

"Through the work at www.KnifeCrimes.Org informing Young People of the consequences of becoming involved in Crime, many of them choosing careers inspired by the Music and extraordinary Dance ability of Michael Jackson...his Sudden Death has truly 'Rocked' the World. He has touched so many lives of every age group, his loss has dismayed us and left utter shock!

We've watched this incredible person...'Man and Boy' become larger than Life to now transcend Death! Long may the 'King of Rock' continue to inspire us to what is possible..."

The king of rock is and

The king of rock is and always has been Elvis Presley. Jackson musical talents are well known but so are his personal demons.

The events...

To me, the most striking and funniest even was Obama's bowing and scraping in front of the King of Saudia and the emperor of Japan.And, his extending hands towards the criminal leaders of Iran, and at last getting the PEACE PRIZE!!!!!!!!

A sound human being never ever bow in front of another one.

So SADDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

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