Belgian citizens are asking for a new government to be formed as quickly as possible

Political crisis in Belgium 

« We have decided not to shave until Belgium forms a government. If people think, like us, that it is high time we had a government and that all sides must make an effort, then we invite them to join us, grow a beard and demonstrate that we all stand together for a united Belgium. »

This is the original method used by Belgian actor Benoit Poelvoorde to denounce the fact that Belgium has been in a political impasse since June 2010. He launched this appeal for people to express their frustration over Belgium’s lack of government on television on Tuesday and it has since been widely circulated online. 

And the actor is not alone in demanding the political authorities put an end to this situation which many Belgians view as increasingly absurd. Flemish journalist Kris Jannsens has taken a stand via YouTube. In this video, subtitled in French, he considers ways of getting politicians to form a new government and is asking his fellow citizens to take concrete action and take to the streets to demonstrate their exasperation. 

A mass demonstration is in fact planned in Brussels on Sunday 23rd January to protest against the politicians’ inability to bring the country out of crisis and campaign for a united Belgium. The three students from Brussels behind this initiative hope it will push politicians to enter into constructive dialogue.

And Belgian citizens can always share their anger and fears via social networks. They can notably display the “shame” logo, designed in the colours of the Belgian flag, on their profile to mark their disapproval of the current situation. And on the Twitter thread #shameBE, micro bloggers can share their discontent and demand a quick solution for the country’s institutional problem.

Mexicans say no to violence 

The message expressed in this musical video clip is basically « we want an end to the violence in Mexico ». 2010 was a particularly bloody year and Mexicans are mobilizing online to denouncing the violence which is polluting the country.  

In view of this situation, which shows no signs of improving, ordinary citizens have decided to take a stand and appeal for peace, as we see in these online videos where men and women explain how they live in fear of violence on a daily basis. This fear sometimes prompts unexpected behavior, like this young woman who says she does not want to have children because she is worried they will end up being killed in the street.

Children are often the victims and according to activists from « la otra division del norte » they are often caught up in clashes between the state and drug traffickers. The group has launched a public poster campaign asking, amongst other things, for members of the cartels and the authorities to take into consideration that there are children in the streets.  

But the mobilization is mostly taking shape on social networks, with the campaign “No mas Sangre” meaning no more blood. Mexicans are being asked, notably, to display this drawing on their profile pages and also in public places. Web users can also follow this initiative on Facebook and via the Twitter threads #no mas sangre and #basta de sangre. 

Finally, by typing in the key words #MexicoRojo Red Mexico, citizens can also use the micro blogging site to share accounts of violent acts in their neighborhoods, as they happen, as was recently the case in Torréon in central Mexico. Users reported, in real time, on the gun fire heard in the streets followed by the police intervention.

Mount Royal 

With the interactive documentary « Sacrée Montagne » web users can learn about the history of Mount Royal, a highly popular place with residents of Montreal in Canada. The project is very poetic and full of sensibility. It was set up by Hélène de Bailly and Gilbert Duclos, both huge fans of this urban park so that other fans, from all walks of life, could share their stories and memories, as we see here. 

Explore travellr 

Enter the name of the country you would like to visit and Explore Travellr will look after the rest. The site centralizes all the information available on YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, along with questions from travellers posted on forums. Everything is then gathered together on one page providing a different view of the chosen destination. This is a practical way to prepare your holiday online. 

Video of the day 

Reid Gower felt that NASA were not communicating sufficiently online and so this young Canadian, and science enthusiast decided to make this promotional video detailing the United States Space Agency’s activities. The video clip is called “Nasa – The frontier is everywhere”, and displays spectacular images, reminding web users that space exploration remains one of humanity’s greatest challenges.