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Brazil: An Olympic balance · Global Voices
Paula Góes

For a country whose best record was its medal table 15th place in Athens last time, Brazil's 23th position in the Beijing Olympics, with only 3 gold medals (2 less than 4 years ago) but over all 15 medals, this was not an extraordinary defeat. However, from newspapers to blogs, the general feeling is that of disappointment. Ana Diniz [pt] claims it needn't be like that:
A medalha olímpica é, no fundo, uma afirmação nacional, e é nisso que se fundamenta a frustração brasileira. Mas somos mais que os vigésimos do mundo? Apesar da propaganda ufanista oficial (meu Deus, como eu me lembro da ditadura, com o “eu te amo, meu Brasil, eu te amo”) não somos mais que isso, mesmo. Não é pouco – afinal, há entre duzentos e trezentos países no mundo todo. Estar no primeiro pelotão deve significar alguma coisa, não sei bem o que, se não temos pretensões a hegemonias ou novos impérios. Ou temos?
An Olympic medal is, in essence, a national affirmation, and that is where the Brazilian frustration is based. But are we more than twentieth in the world? Despite the official pride propaganda (my God, how I remember the dictatorship with its “I love you, my Brazil, I love you”) we are not more than that, not really. And it is not bad – after all, there are around two, three hundred countries worldwide. Being in the first brigade in the world league must mean something, I do not exactly know what, considering we don't have pretensions to hegemony or new empires. Or have we?
Dom [pt] balances the good moments against the pitfalls of Brazilian participation and concludes that there is more than hosting the Olympic games to being champions:
Para se aproximar do brilhantismo de delegações, como a americana, em eventos internacionais, é necessário investir nas escolas brasileiras. O sucesso no esporte passa pela valorização da educação física e a consciência de que atividades esportivas são excelentes instrumentos de inclusão social. Não podemos formar grandes atletas se não temos a base para que eles nasçam.
To get close to brilliant delegations, such as the one of the U.S. in international events, it is necessary to invest in the Brazilian schools. Success in sport involves valorizing physical education and raising awareness of sports as an excellent tool for social inclusion. We can not make great athletes if we do not have the basis for them to be born.
The gold medal in volleyball was taken as a sure bet and it didn't come. However, the worst moment for the Brazilian spectators was, indeed, the defeat, in football, to their nemesis Argentina. According to Ricardo Jurczyk Pinheiro [pt], this doesn't come as a surprise:
A seleção masculina de futebol continua sendo uma piada, de novo perderam, e de 3 a 0 para a Argentina! Nada mais humilhante, essa é a desforra pela última Copa América. No dia seguinte, Ronaldinho Gaúcho se divertindo, tocando pagode… E todo mundo aqui, de cabeça inchada.
The masculine football team remains a joke, it lost again and three nil to Argentina! Nothing could be more humiliating, that's revenge      for the last American Cup. The next day, Ronaldinho Gaucho was having fun, playing pagode… while everyone here was having a headache.
- Marta.
– Dead nice to meet you.
A word play with words Marta, name one of the stars of the feminine football team, and Morto, word for Dead in Portuguese, which for most people defines well Ronaldinho's situation in this moment in his career. A cartoon by By Quinho
Angelo da Cia [pt] is happy that it has all finished and he no longer needs to:
- Ouvir a história triste do(a) brasileiro(a) que superou um passado de miséria e fugiu da criminalidade graças ao esporte;
– Ouvir a história triste do(a) brasileiro(a) que superou a falta de patrocínio e apoio para chegar às Olimpíadas;
– Ouvir a história triste do(a) brasileiro(a) que superou os preconceitos e venceu no esporte;
– Ouvir a ladainha de que o Brasil não dá apoio a seus atletas;
– Ser humilhados no quadro de medalhas pela Geórgia e a Jamaica;
– Apesar de todas as Odes ao nosso povo humilde, ver que a maioria de nossas medalhas nos Jogos vieram de nossa elite ( Hipismo, Iatismo ) ou da classe média abastada ( judô e natação );
– Ver brasileiros chorando ao ganhar medalhas;
– Ver brasileiros chorando ao perder medalhas;
– Ouvir narradores brasileiros se dizendo emocionados com a conquista de medalhas;
– Ouvir narradores brasileiros se dizendo emocionados com a perda de medalhas;
– Ver o falso público dos jogos. Entendam: Quando mostram uma mancha amarela na platéia em participações brasileiras, geralmente há uma dúzia de nativos que são parentes ou participantes dos jogos. O resto é de chineses “fantasiados” de verde-amarelo, para fazer volume e dar a impressão de que estes Jogos são normais, ou seja, atrairam torcedores do mundo todo.
– Listen to the sad history of the Brazilian who overcame a past of misery and fled crime thanks to sport;
— Listen to the sad history of the Brazilian who overcame a lack of sponsorship and support to compete in the Olympics;
— Listen to the sad history of the Brazilian who overcame prejudice and won in sport;
— Listen to the litany that Brazil does not support its athletes;
— Be humiliated on medals table by Georgia and Jamaica;
— Despite all the odes to our humble people, see that most of our medals in the games came from our elite (Riding, Sailing) or the wealthy middle class  (judo and swimming);
— See Brazilians crying when winning medals;
— See Brazilian crying when missing out on medals;
— Hear commentators saying that Brazilians were moved by the winning of medals;
— Hear commentators saying Brazilians were moved by the missing out on medals;
— See the “fake” audience at the games. Don't get me wrong: when a yellow spot is shown in the audience there is normally a dozen Brazilians who are relatives or participants at the games. The rest are Chinese “dressed up” in green-and-yellow, to make up the numbers and give the impression that these are normal games, that have attracted fans from around the world.
Now it is time to come back to real life and remember that the local elections lie ahead. As with the Olympics, Brazilians only choose their local representatives every four years and it is now time to vote. Nicholas Fernandes Gimenes [pt] asks people not to forget that:
Gostaria também que todos os brasileiros, patriotas.. que choraram pelo futebol feminino, pelo vôlei masculino.. e etc… sejam patriotas nas eleições desse ano, no trabalho, no meio-ambiente… o Brasil seria digno de medalha com certeza!
I also wish that all Brazilians, the patriots who wept at the women's football, men's volleyball and so on become patriots in this year's elections, at their work, on the environment … Brazil would be worthy of medals for sure!
“Missing an opportunity may make you lose a lot of time. And four years is a very long time”, a parody of the Superior Electoral Court (the acronym TSE in Portuguese) campaign to raise awareness about the importance of voting, taken from Caixa Pretta.


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Brazil: Exploring the “New MPB” · Global Voices
Paula Góes

For those who like Brazilian Popular Music, Isaías Camanducaia [pt] picks the top 10 of the “new MPB“, which he defines as “everything that came after Marisa Monte“.

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Paula Góes


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Brazil: Funny videos educate people about voting · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Leonardo Fontes [pt] is having fun creativity of the lastest TV campaigns in Brazil to raise awareness about the importance of voting. “I can't remember having seen such a good humorous, non sense series linked to politics”. You can see the ads in Portuguese on his blog.


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Brazil: Longer maternity leave causes media outcry · Global Voices
Paula Góes

A law that extends paid maternity leave from 120 to 180 days has just been signed by Brazilian President Lula. Private companies will be able to opt out, but the government will grant tax breaks to those that adopt it. Altamiro Borges [pt] comments on the outcry: “the hegemonic media, reflecting the narrow interests of private enterprise, barked like dogs against the project. It has given almost exclusively space to cries of the capitalists. It has given no emphasis to the opinion of the experts”.


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Cambodia: Sex workers, 100% condom use and human rights · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Cambodian sex workers have taken to the internet to make their plight and fight for human rights better known. In Cambodia, a 100% condom use law which states that sexual exchanges with clients have to take place with condoms on sounds like a good idea, but it has been turned against those it is supposed to protect, by being used as a means to imprison sex workers, using the fact that they carry condoms with them as evidence for them doing sex work.
Sex workers arrested are sent to “rehabilitation” centers that are basically prisons, where women are held in communal cells with no bathrooms or running water, hardly receive food or water, some are beaten and raped,  and are denied Anti-retroviral drug treatment for HIV positive women.
The Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers has a series of studies of the perceived results and effects of the 100% Condom Use Program according to sex workers in different countries, such as Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. You can also see the video the have uploaded on their Blip.tv channel Sex Workers Present, where a comprehensive video with explanations of the implications of the 100% condom use program, interviews with women who have been arrested or sent to “rehabilitation” facilities where no type of education or training is received, and how these programs that connect condom use exclusively with sex workers are not going to be able to impact HIV and STI propagation among the rest of the population.  The Asia pacific Network of Sex Workers recently won the 2008 international Award for Action on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights at the International AIDS conference in Mexico City the first week of August. The organization was founded in 1994 and has been working with sex workers on health and human rights along with other organizations and groups such as Empower Thailand, Sweetly Japan, Pink Triangle Malaysia, the Scarlet Alliance Australia and Sonagachi.
The following video is named Caught between the Tiger and the Crocodile:

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Cape Verde: Counting the Olympic medals for Africa · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Cape Verdean blogger Jorge Tolentino [pt] details the medals that the African countries brought back home from China and highlights: “In an overall total of 40 medals for the continent, 17 were won by women.”


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China: Amazing Olympics recap photos · Global Voices
John Kennedy

“Wow,” says Twitter user @frankyu, retweeting @PatrickSearle: “Amazing set of Olympic pics: http://stuff.thdesign.be/forum/varia/OS.html.” Note, though, that nudity can be seen there.

author: John Kennedy


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China: Brain Damaged Netizen Syndrome  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

WangXiaofeng listed out 13 symptoms for indicating whether a netizen is suffered from brain damage. The symptoms include a compulsion to read and comment posts even they don't really understand the texts; there is only right and wrong in their world view, and of course they are always on the right side.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Olympics as a Learning Experience · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Nimrod from the Fool's mountain points out that everyone should try to learn from the Beijing Olympics lesson.


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China: Where’s the Fuwa? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Tomorrow yellow flowers  from Pandemonium posted some photos of Funwa after the Olympics.


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Fiji: Draft People’s Charter launched · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Heavy police presence accompanied the launching of Fiji's Draft People's Charter, which among other things will reform the country's electoral system. It is also alleged that villagers were paid to attend the launching.

author: Mong Palatino


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Georgia: Dispatches · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

My The Caucasian Knot has posts accompanied by photographs of a press conference given by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, an account of attempts to get into the Russian-occupied town of Gori, humanitarian concerns in Tbilisi following an influx of IDPs, and a report from inside Gori itself. Finally, there is a post on the possible aftermath of the Georgian-Russian conflict.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Georgia: McCain Benefits? · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Nazarian says that the real winner in the war between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia might be U.S. presidential candidate John McCain. The blogger also believes a new Cold War is in the making.


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Georgia: Pepsikolka’s Dispatches From Poti · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

OpenDemocracy.net posts translations of posts by LJ user pepsikolka (Samira Kuznetsova), a blogger living in Poti, Georgia: here, here, and here. (Earlier GV translations of pepsikolka‘s posts are here and here.)

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Georgia: Russian Parliament Recognizes Abkhazia, South Ossetia · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped comments on news that the Russian parliament has voted to recognize the independence of the breakway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia. The Armenian blog says that the move sets an important precedent for resolving another frozen conflict in the region — Nagorno Karabakh.


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India: Minorities and the Government · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Indian Muslims on the unequal representation of minorities in the government.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Iran: Scandal over Minister’s Forged Oxford University Degree · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Ali Kordan, Iran's new Minister of the Interior, has recently been under fire for presenting a “fake” Ph.D. degree from the prestigious Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Several websites, including the conservative Alef have published a scan of Kordan's “Oxford Honorary Doctorate of Law Degree”.
Alef points out that there are several grammatical errors in the so called Oxford certificate, such as: “to be benefitted from its scientific privileges”. Also, “entitled” was spelled “intitled”.
Alef has also uploaded several faxes that this site exchanged with Oxford University on the issue. The website was then filtered in Iran.
While Iranian authorities are investigating this case, Oxford University announced that they have no record of Mr. Kordan graduating from there.
Iranian blogger, Mr. Behi, writes:
President Ahmadinejad performed yet another miracle: He selected someone as interior minister who claimed to have a Ph.D. degree in law from The University of Oxford! When questions rose on the authenticity of the degree, the guy outraged, threatened the media and produced this to shut them up. A degree so suspicious that is feared to be faked, with grammar mistakes and with names signing it who are not even members of the Faculty of Law! If Ahmadinejad wants to fake the next election, he'd better employ someone who does it less obviously. What a shame!
Mohmmad Ali Abtahi, former reformist vice president and blogger, writes that when he was the deputy of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, he met an Iranian official who had “bought” his Ph.D. According to Abtahi, it seems the price was around US$1000.
According to another blogger, Shirzad [Fa]  it seems that Ali Kordan does not even hold an undergraduate degree. The blogger adds:
It means he cheated all these years and got paid as a Ph.D. holder… One of deputies in the Iranian Parliament asked Kordan: “How did you get your Ph.D. in Law, when you say you wrote your thesis in Islamic Education?” “How did you defend it when you cannot speak English. Kordan replied, “I had a translator.”
Blogger Jomhour says [Fa] Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defended his Minister and asked, “Who needs these torn papers!”
The blogger asks:
if the certificates are useless, torn, paper why did Ahmadinejad's Minister pretend to have one… It is not the first time that Ahmadinejad calls official documents torn papers. Previously he has also called United Nations resolutions against an Iranian nuclear program just useless torn papers.
Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Ahmadinejad's media adviser, says [Fa] the Ministry of Sciences should take a decision about Kordan's Ph.D. and suggests it would be better we not to involve personal political opinions on the issue.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Award-winning documentary about murdered bishop · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According  to Iranian.com, the winner of the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, “A Cry from Iran” is a film about Haik Hovespian, the Christian bishop who was murdered in Iran.


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Jamaica: Patwa Power  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Annie Paul gives a rundown of Jamaica's outstanding Olympic achievements, making the point that “the phenomenal performance of the Jamaican athletes is also due to the cultural self-confidence they feel…this is not a confidence manufactured by the abjectly self-conscious, respectability-seeking, hymn-singing English-speaking middle classes but one bred out of the flamboyant, boisterous, in-your-face Patwa-speaking population.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Kazakhstan: Commenters at the Olympiad · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Adam reports on the unethical behavior of the Russian commenters of the Olympics.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzs Want to Join Russia · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elena publishes the result of a poll, announced that the majority of Kyrgyzstan’s population thinks that Kyrgyzstan should consolidate with Russia.


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Kyrgyzstan: Plane Crashed Near Bishkek · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elena uploaded photos of the Boeing-737 crashed outside the capital Bishkek on Sunday where 25 people of the 90 people on board have survived.


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Nepal: Fear and Democracy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Blogdai on the role of fear in Nepali democracy and politics.


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Nepal: India, China and the Maoists · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Nepali Netbook on the dynamics between India and China and how it affects politics in Nepal.


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Pakistan: A changing Islamabad · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan on how the capital city – Islamabad has changed over the years.


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Pakistan: Keeping One’s Word · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Pakistani Spectator on how politicians never keep their word.


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Palestine: A New Blogging Revolution · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Blogger Times, a blogging magazine written by Arab bloggers, covering new developments and current issues within the Arab blogging world, has published a new story called Blogging.. a Palestinian revolution.” How is the blogging scene in Palestine and what should bloggers focus on?
According to the site:
The report adds:
However, some of the participants downplayed the role blogging plays.

author: Eman AbdElRahman


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Singapore: Harassment against Burmese immigrants · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A Burmese activist applying for visa renewal was asked by Singapore immigration authorities about his political activities: “They asked me: ‘Who is the leader of the OBP? How many members do you have? Who are they? What are their names? Where do you usually gather for meetings?’ And they also asked about my close friends.”


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Southeast Asia’s Olympic performance · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Southeast Asian countries garnered 12 medals in the recently concluded 2008 Beijing Olympics. Indonesia leads the pack with 5 medals: 1 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals.
Thailand bagged 4 medals. The most memorable victory was delivered by 33 year old boxer Somjit Jongjohor.
“The former world champion knew this would be his last Olympics and was determined to bring home the gold for his country. In Athens four years ago he lost in early rounds to Cuba’s Yuriorkis Gamboa which led him to believe his time as a competitive boxer was over.”
A controversy erupted when some Thai officials were accused of game-fixing:
“However, the Thai story at the Games is, as ever, about far more than the medals won – it is instead about the stories of Thai officials allegedly ‘trying to sell the country’ by lobbying officials to make sure Thai boxers lose their fights, endless controversies concerning whether the right results were determined in points-scoring events, stories of nuns, monks, orphans and changes of name to change luck and destiny.”
After 12 years, Malaysia won a medal in the Olympics. Student Ai Ling Tan is happy for Malaysia’s silver medalist:
“Anyway, despite Malaysia ranked 75 on the medal tally, I am still happy and proud that at least we won something! At least our country can now be seen on the medal tally! For such a long time, locals have been asking me, “How's Malaysia faring in the games?” And I can only shake in dismay, but now, my friends, now, we've won silver! Oh, so happy! :) Because we couldn't watch the badminton tournament (in which Lee Chong Wei won silver), dad messaged me the results and sarcastically said, “Gold is expensive. So China can only afford to give us silver.” Haha. That's my dad. :)”
Singapore also won a silver medal for table tennis. Some bloggers are not celebrating since the victorious players are not originally from Singapore. But others think this is a non-issue. They are Singaporeans, and their victory in the Olympics should be a cause for celebration:
“I will not go into debate about the degree of ‘Singaporean-ness’ these table tennis athletes are. As far as I am concerned and in the eyes of the Olympic competition, they are Singaporeans. This mighty Olympic medal-winning achievement is a Singaporean record worth celebrating.”
Beside, Indonesian blogger Bleu notes that many table tennis players from other countries like France, Italy, Canada, and Poland have Chinese roots as well.
Swimmer Tao Li was praised for being the first Singaporean to reach the swimming finals. She finished fifth.
East Timor sent a single athlete to the Olympics. Lao Voices is satisfied with the performance of Lao athletes, considering the lack of proper sports facilities in Laos.
“Limited resources, such as Lao training facilities in a pool half the size of a standard Olympic size swimming pool, influence her results. Within those limits her achievements are great.”
Absolute Me cites a news report which reveals the pitiful allowance received by Cambodian athletes.
“The Cambodian team candidates were receiving only 30 USD per month from our National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) while training for the competition. I wonder how can they survive with such a little stipend if they really invest their heart and soul into the game and I wonder how much will NOCC has been putting to support our Cambodian team.”
Meanwhile, Singapore has promised to give $800,000 to athletes who will bring home a gold medal, and Thailand’s gold winners will receive $550,000.
Brunei was excluded from participating in the Olympics. The Brooding Lizard is disappointed:
“I say that the thing about Brunei not being able to compete is a funny thing. They really take last minute planning to the real last minute. For those of you who don’t know what happened – Brunei was excluded from the games because they failed to register their athletes on time. It was only on opening day itself, they decided to try hard to submit their registry.”
The Philippines did not win a single medal. Filipino Twitter users are not amused.  Jose Paris twits:
“After the Beijing Olympics, the Philippines now holds the all-time record for the most number of medals in the Games without a gold”
kurenaiseiba adds:
“Philippines, you disappoint me on Beijing Olympics and thanks for wasting my day and time”
Wushu was not officially included in the Olympics but it was part of the Special Olympics Event. Southeast Asian countries received 14 medals for Wushu including a gold medal for the Philippines.
Warlock’s World writes:
“This morning, I saw the awarding ceremony for Wushu and the Philippine national anthem being played for the first time in the Beijing Olympics. I was emotional and proud of Willy Wang, our only gold medalist in this year’s Olympics.
“I do hope that Wushu becomes an official Olympic sport because Pinoy athletes are one of the best in that sport. I guess, we just have to wait for the 2016 Olympics because I just read online that the 2012 London Games didn’t consider Wushu. It even scrapped baseball and softball.
“I do wish that our Philippine sports officials will set their priorities. Funds should be given to sports associations that would enable Pinoys to get gold medals in the Olympics.”
Indonesian composer Ananda Sukarlan played a key role in the Olympics. His recent work was the official hymn for Olympic Sportsmen to celebrate the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 and was broadcasted in 200 TV channels throughout Asia.
Lengua et Pluma salutes the Olympic athletes:
“Athletes have been smashing records at Beijing Olympics much to our awe and amusement.  Whether they are beating the world or Olympic records set in the recent Olympic Games or World Championships, or a world record unbeaten for more than decade already, they are sure pumping more energy in this Olympiad. Sports science is definitely far more developed this century, and new techniques have been applied in the athletes’ training programs.  The world’s athletes simply performed very well in Beijing.  The idea of the Olympic Games anyway is all about conquering human ability. The evolution of men has simply not yet stopped.”
C.V. Tyler has an interesting proposal: A unified ASEAN Olympic Team.
“Having a single, ASEAN team at the Olympics would go some ways toward forming a single ASEAN ethnicity. The advantage of a unified, ASEAN Olympic team is that it would also allow for Southeast Asian athletes who show potential to train in the most advanced athletics facilities in Southeast Asia, alongside the top athletes in Southeast Asia, and be coached by the top coaches in Southeast Asia. The talent from across the region can be consolidated into a few sports centers.”


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Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Cuba: Olympic Medals  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Caribbean Beat Blog congratulates Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago on their gold and silver medals in the Men's 4 x 100 Relay, while Child of the Revolution thinks that “Fidel Castro won’t be happy” with the Cuban Olympic medal count.


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Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica: People Power  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The pictures of the Jamaican track teams facilities haunt me.  But what they prove, perhaps is that all the high tech this, that and the other can’t take the place of the sheer power of the human spirit”: Trinidadian blogger Attillah Springer wonders “if we have what it takes to produce a Usain Bolt and a Richard Thompson, how come so many of our people are being left behind in the dust?”


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Ukraine: Independence Day Parade and Tymoshenko · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Petro of Petro's Jotter was watching live coverage of the Independence Day parade in Kyiv: “[Yulia Tymoshenko] was not shown in any of the coverage. I wonder where she is celebrating?”


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Ukraine: Independence Day Parade · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana posts photos and video from the Aug. 24 Independence Day military parade in Kyiv.


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Ukraine: More on Independence Day Parade · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Greetings from Kyiv writes about this year's Independence Day in Kyiv: “In the last few years, Ukraine focused on featuring non-profit organizations and cultural groups in their Independence Day parade, but this year, they decided to go back to holding a military parade.”


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World: Dolls of the world · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Australian Blogger Ange, from Hegab-Rehab, wrote about a collection of few dolls gathered from all around the world, some are Muslim dolls and others are just ethnic-based.


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Barbados: To Sign or Not To Sign  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The buzz issue in the Caribbean media in recent weeks is whether the CARIFORUM members will sign-on to the CARIFORUM/EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)”: Barbados Underground examines a few of the issues.


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Brazil: Church demands justice do ban sexy pic on Playboy · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Milton Ribeiro [pt] reports that the Brazilian Justice has banned a photo in August edition of Playboy, after complains from the Catholic Church because the model was holding a crucifix. “After all, the Catholic Church, who owns the fetish, felt offended and it is now going after the girl and the magazine. The penalty is more comprehensive and prevents the magazine, as of now, to publish any religion related article. That's right: prior censorship.” Check the blog out to see the picture.


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Brazil: Independent newspaper arrives to the web · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Jornal Pessoal [Personal Newspaper, pt], an independent newspaper that goes out every other week since 1987 in the outskirt of Amazon, Belém do Pará city in Brazil, has finally arrived to the Internet, announces [pt] the one-man behind the project, Lúcio Flávio Pinto. He is now working on making the 20 years archive available online.


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China: Cop-killer online hero case goes on trial · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Yang Jia's case goes to trial today, after having been postponed for the Olympics. Previously he had been harmonized after having been heroized by many online for walking into a police station in Shanghai last month and killing six cops after what was accepted was an earlier case of injustice and police brutality of which he was rumored to have been on the receiving end.
Tuesday afternoon in China and many bloggers are waiting to hear what the verdict will be, if it even comes today. Writing about it is not working very well, as demonstrated by lawyer and legal blogger Liu Xiaoyuan in his post on his Sina blog, ‘A ban has been sent down on featuring blog posts discussing the Yang Jia case’:
昨天，有外媒采访我，让我谈奥运期间新闻和言论自由问题，我只好实话实说了。在奥运期间，管理部门不屏蔽外媒网站，我们可以自由地去游览，这确实是一大进步。但是，对网络言论的控制比以前更加严格，很多话题不能谈论，如写了这类博文也会被删除。
想不到奥运结束了，网络言论仍然没有放开。昨晚，我获知杨佳一案开庭的消息，立即写了博文发到各个博客，有的博客照样不给放行。我发在凯迪网猫眼看人论坛中的帖子，也被锁定不能予以回复。
今天上午，我又在该网发了谈杨佳案的帖子又遭锁定，网友不能加以评论和回复。
What I didn't expect is that now that the Olympics are over, internet speech still hasn't be let go. Last night I heard that the Yang Jia case is going to trial, and I immediately posted this out to all my blogs; some of them, as usual, wouldn't let me post. The thread I posted on the Cat898 BBS? Locked so that no-one can reply.
This morning, another thread I posted about the Yang Jia case got locked down, so netizens couldn't leave comments or respond.
中午，我给博客网一位熟悉的编辑发短信，希望能推荐一下博文《上海二中法院为何不在网上公布杨佳案开庭消息》。他回复短信称，有禁令。我又发短信询问，是以前的禁令，还是现在的禁令？他回复我说，以前的还在，现在的也有。
有网友将我的文章发到某论坛上，点击后打开不了。
正如《财经网》记者所说的，这一切是早有周密安排的。
Some netizens reposted my post to a certain BBS, but if you click it, it won't open.
Just like the Caijing reporter said, this was all carefully planned long ago.
One anonymous commenter on Liu's post has written:
不让人说话,只能说明心里有鬼
(2008-08-26 13:43:55)


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China: Hacking Tsinghua University Website · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Beijing Tsinghua university website was hacked on 24 of Aug. The hacker wrote a fake interview in the website in which the university president said the university system is spoon feeding “shit” to students’ brain. More from matrix at Solidot.


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China: My Peasant Dad Watches The Olympics  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated an article by Li Punman at my1510 about an older generation peasant's view on the Beijing Olympics. Nationalism is still a pervasive frame.


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China: Olympic Regrets · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chen XueLei reflected upon his Olympic experience since 7 years ago when Beijing applied for the hosting city. Now that the Beijing Olympics has obtained great success on stage, the blogger wonders if it is really a success for the majority of Chinese people.


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China: Photos from inside Tibetan Skynet control room · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Famed she is, though definitely not for her blogging, which is too bad, because there's no doubt that a lot of people would be interested to see the control-room photos and series of Chinese-language sources that Tibetan writer Woeser has just posted which show just how close of an electronic eye Chinese authorities now have over Tibet in “Project Skynet” (not to be confused with that Skynet.


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China: Weather Intervention  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

During the Olympics, the Beijing government created artificial rain to secure good weather for the opening and closing ceremonies. Lui Li said that if the government had plan to intervene the weather, it should have forecasted it to the people.


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East Timor: Wikileaks on Ramos-Horta attempted assasination · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Timor Online [pt] posts a link to documents related to the attempted assassination of East Timor President Ramos-Horta, in 2008, from Wikileaks. They are in English and the bloggers are now working on translations into Portuguese and French.


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Georgia: Blogging from Poti · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is once again blogging from Georgian towns under Russian military occupation. The station's Tea Absaridze is providing daily updates on the situation in the strategic Black Sea port of Poti, currently controlled by the Russian military despite a ceasefire agreement requiring Moscow to withdraw its troops. The blog reports that looting by drunken Russian soldiers is widespread and there have been some cases of violence towards citizens and journalists alike.


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Georgia: Photo Blogs · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Georgia & South Caucasus posts a selection of images from two photo blogs taken in the aftermath of the Russian-Georgian conflict over South Ossetia. The photos include those of IDPs in Tbilisi and from the strategic town of Gori which was until recently occupied by Russian troops.


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Guyana: Reporter Fired?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living Guyana says that a journalist has allegedly been fired for writing a less-than-glowing account of the Carifesta Opening Ceremony, which Signifyin’ Guyana agrees the reporter correctly described as “disappointing”.


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Hong Kong: FM Theatre Power vs. Netizens · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated a citizen report from inmediahk.net on a civic action mobilized by netizens against a theatre group.


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Iran:President’s adviser and negative comments · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Iranian president's media adviser, publishes comments criticizing government in his blog [Fa]. A rare event in Iran.


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Jamaica: Gustav etc.  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As Jamaican Annie Paul waits for Hurricane Gustav “to huff and puff and blow our house down”, she blogs about everything from Usain Bolt-inspired dance moves to Michelle Obama: “(She) was impressive, wasn't she? Neither pale, nor male–i can identify with that…”


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Japan and Thailand: Children of the Dark · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Roy Berman from Multant frog elaborated his comments on a newly released film “Children of the Dark” which is about how children in Thailand are exploited by developed countries.


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Japan: Food Safety · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Martin J Frid from Kurashi blogs about the changing attitude towards food in Japan.


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Japan: Shopping for Funny Items · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Mari introduces some funny Japanese items that can be found in online shop.


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Jordan: Interesting Olympics Statistics  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blog And far away shares interesting statistics on the Summer Olympics, which just ended in Beijing, China.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Jordan: Magazine Shoot  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Laith Al Majali has just shot his first magazine cover. Click here for a sneak preview.


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Jordan: Middle East Laptop Sales Double · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Laptop sales have doubled in the Middle East, says Jordanian blog Jazarah. “Personally I guess the growth in internet penetration is one of the main reasons behind the growth in laptop sales, the number of internet users in the Arab world is in a continues growth, for instance, social networking users in Arabia and Africa grew-up by 66% in 2008, so were are talking about millions of Arabs are on social networking sites, not to mention other internet services, more reasons to be online,” he explains.


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Jordan: New Ikbis Look  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Arab video sharing portal Ikbis, which is run from Jordan, reports new developments on the site.


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Macau: Crime rates on the rise · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Leocardo [pt] remarks that crime rates in on the rise in Macao: “In general, crime has increased more than 11% this year compared with the same period last year. We are exposed to professional thieves, many of them from mainland China, which makes it difficult to trace the problem. Authorities feel they are powerless, they are more concerned with drugs traffic (a war they are losing), organized crime (increasingly insignificant) or these new “evils”, online crimes (which one?), or human trafficking (mummy why did they take dad?).”


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MENA: Veiled Athletes in Beijing · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Despite the Saudi Arabia's decision to ban Saudi women from taking part in the Olympics this year, Blogger Dilshad D. Ali writes about the emergence of hijab (veil) at the Beijing Olympics. Blogger Jana, also lists the 12 veiled Muslim athletes who competed this year in Beijing.


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Morocco: Giving in the Facebook  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Moroccan author and blogger Laila Lalami gives in to temptation and signs up for a Facebook account.


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Palestine: I want a vending machine  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“I don’t care how much those suckers cost, I will even take a loan out, and I will buy a vending machine!” writes Palestinian Rebellious Arab Girl, who lives in Canada. She complains that the cost of soft drinks and candy have increased on campus.


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Palestine: Rejoice Over Prisoners’ Release · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Palestinians are rejoicing today in the release of 199 prisoners from Israeli prisons.  The release was announced last Monday, and was likely timed according to Condoleezza Rice‘s arrival in Israel.
The release process was held up several times by the Israeli cabinet, which held three separate votes on the issue.  Among the freed prisoners were Said al-Attaba, Israel's longest serving Palestinian, imprisoned in 1977, and Mohammed Ibrahim Abu Ali, imprisoned in 1979.
body on the line was in Nablus for the welcome celebrations and compared them to Samir Kuntar's welcome this past July.  The blogger wrote:
We waited in the sweltering heat for a few hours (Huwara, by the way, is at most a 10 minute drive from downtown Nablus). It reminded me of going to Samir Quntar’s welcome home festivities this summer, although Hezbollah had chairs for us and fabulous live band (though here we were not getting hit on the head by people waving their flags). But here I could get much closer to the stage, it was not sex segregated, and the crowd was much smaller (I don’t even think the entire crowd in Dahiyaa that day would be able to fit in downtown Nablus). A friend of mine later joined us and I kept hearing people complain about the heat. True, it was unbelievably hot; but I kept thinking about all the torture and living hell these men had endured–one for 32 years–and I thought the least we can do is stand here and give them a hero’s welcome.
The blogger also remembered the prisoners who were not released:
Of course the most famous political prisoners were not released today from their torture chambers: Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Sa’adat. There was a huge poster in downtown Nablus (see below) about Sa’adat. And of course of the rest of the 10,000+ prisoners in Israeli jails must be remembered. But it also must be remembered that EVERY NIGHT Israeli Terrorist Forces (ITF) kidnap and imprison Palestinian political prisoners. My friend Mustafa, who lives in the old city of Nablus, tells me every day about stories of the ITF coming in with bombs and guns and terrorizing families. In a way, the old city of Nablus is kind of like a refugee camp in that way. It is one of the many sites that gets invaded nightly. Yesterday 9 Palestinians were kidnapped from various West Bank Cities, for instance.
The story was accompanied by the blogger's own photographs, including this one:
For more information from the Palestinian blogosphere, check out Palestine Blogs.

author: Jillian C. York


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Palestine: Return of the Prisoners  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Palestine, Body On the Line describes the return of Palestinian prisoners from Israel in this post, and compare it to the reception the freed Lebanese prisoners received.


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Paraguay: President Lugo to Forgo Salary · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Fernando Lugo's presidency started with an announcement that he would forgo his monthly salary.  “I don't need that salary, which belongs to the poor,” said Lugo.  Different local bloggers see things differently, as one applauds the decision and another wonders how Lugo will pay for his own expenses.
Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es] summarizes the reactions of some in the press who are downplaying the gesture by pointing out that the former priest does not have a wife or children to support, while others wonder whether he will spend the reserved funds at his disposition.  However, Rodríguez sees things in a different light:
En ese contexto, el anuncio de Lugo de renunciar a su salario, nosotros lo interpretamos como un mensaje de “no vengo por el dinero”.
Trascendente y crucial mensaje en una nación en la que un elevado porcentaje de políticos, elevadísimo más bien, se lanza al ruedo en busca de poder político para alcanzar lo más pronto posible el poder económico, justamente robando.
In this context of Lugo's announcement to forgo his salary, we see it as his message that “I am not here for money.”  It is a transcendent and crucial message in a country where a high, a very high, percentage of politicians, enter the field in search of political power to reach economic power as soon as possible, by stealing.
However, Jorge Torres Romero of Detrás del Papel [es] does not quite see things the same way and thinks it was not a smart move:
Al día siguiente de este anuncio de Lugo, algunos medios de prensa lanzaron la pregunta si quien se animaba seguir el ejemplo del presidente. Obviamente, nadie. Federico Franco, por ejemplo, aclaró que tiene una familia que mantener y vaya razón más que suficiente para no desprenderse de ese derecho legítimo de cobrar su salario.
¿De qué va vivir el presidente?¿Quién pagará por su ropa, su comida y otros gastos que pueda tener?¿Es tanto el ahorro que tiene?¿Vivirá de la renta de sus inmuebles?¿Estará pagando sus impuestos? ¿O esperará la colaboración, los regalos e invitaciones de los amigos?
The day after Lugo's announcment, some members of the press asked the question of who is willing to follow the example of the president. Obviously, no one.  Federico Franco (the new Vice-President), for example, said that he has a family to support and that he won't give up his legitimate right to earn a salary.
What will the president live off of? Who will pay for his clothes, his food, and other expenses that he might have?  Does he have that much in savings?  Will he live off the rent from his properties? Will he pay his taxes?  Or will he wait for help, gifts and invitations from friends?

author: Eduardo Avila


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Russia, Georgia: Unilateral Recognition of Abkhazia’s and South Ossetia’s Independence · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

See Global Voices special coverage page on the South Ossetia crisis.
Russia has formally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia today. Below are some of the initial reactions from LiveJournal's Cyrillic sector.
Russian LJ user sholademi (Samson Sholademi) writes (RUS):
[…] Now the most interesting part begins… P.S. The line has been crossed, sort of. Though, in the past two weeks, since the beginning of the war in Georgia, everything that Russia does, for the first time in several years, does not cause me to feel outraged and critical (despite my “love” for Putin & Co.). Quite the opposite: everything's been done correctly. Long live the isolation! Hm… And what do you think about the recognition of Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's independence?
A few comments:
lyks:
Isolation – that's a good point. Soon we'll be traveling withing clearly defined borders, right? Farewell, India, goodbye, America […]?
***
schtv_girl:
I think that we can, at last, be proud of our country! Regardless of how controversial it all is, regardless of how much they are accusing us of double standards, we've become strong! Russia is coming back! Join the action! […]
***
zenya_zenya:
…………..Couldn't care less……….Absolutely……..
***
kirill_praha:
I think that those who live in Russia and wants to travel around the world, they should consider moving. Or getting a dual citizenship, which is difficult.
***
sethnagh:
Great. Now a wide river of the money of the Russian tax-payers will flow to these new “brotherly republics,” damn it, to the stinking [Caucasus natives].
Georgian-Ukrainian LJ user vaxo (Vakhtang Kipiani) writes (UKR):
[…] You're a fool, Medvedev. Not a single normal country will support Russia. Now we'll see what a direct confrontation with the world is like.
A few comments:
yangel:
Such a scenario was to be expected (
***
viebelle
I have an impression that for the past couple of weeks [they couldn't care less and were doing as they pleased]. As for [Medvedev], I don't think he played the lead part in this.
vaxo:
Right, but he was the one to sign this order. And legally, he is the one responsible for it.
[…]
yangel:
[…] At one point, Turkey unilaterally recognized the independence of Northern Cyprus – do you think that Turkey has spent all these years in international isolation?
***
deniko76:
With so much oil, Russia can afford self-isolation. But I don't really understand why they should prefer isolation and being surrounded by “a circle of hatred” to normal friendly relationship with the neighbors.
***
steel_archer:
Their oligarchs keep their money in Swiss banks, and their villas are in London. We'll see what kind of isolation it will be )))
***
a_kulik:
There won't be any confrontation with the world. If there hadn't been Kosovo, there would've been a confrontation. But after Kosovo, everything will be OK for Russia. America has exchanged South Ossetia for Kosovo.
***
ledilid:
And these people are not allowing others to recognize Kosovo… […]
***
agrp_xtb:
Direct confrontation with whom? With small but proud Estonia? Do you still believe that there is “confrontation” between the United States and the Russian Federation? […]
Georgian LJ user djdrive (Misha Tavkhelidze) writes (RUS):
Looks like Putinodvedev has gone totally nuts. What are they pulling their country into?
1. War
2. Economic abyss
3. Disintegration
Russian, all of you who can, flee this country, while the curtain is still up! It'll be impossible to get a visa later.
One of the comments:
dimanklg:
Oh please. We are used to that.
Georgian-Russian LJ user som writes (RUS):
“Russia, you've gone nuts” (c)
I remember our answer to the civil defense teacher's question: What should you do if you see the nuclear mushroom at the horizon? – Pull a white bed sheet over your head and crawl to the cemetery.
Looks like the idiots believe that it's possible to win WWIII.
During the Caribbean Crisis, Kennedy and Khrushchev had enough of common sense to stop 20 minutes before the catastrophe. Will these ones have it, too? I don't really want to check.
Some of the comments:
psa_98:
Your lovely country (and especially two of its regions [Abkhazia and South Ossetia], whose population is smaller than Butovo [one of Moscow's districts]) aren't really worth a nuclear mushroom. I think that the Russian Federation is wrong in this conflict, but Saakashvili (and his curators from the State Department) have to be blamed equally – they've lost the game, too.
***
piligrim:
[…] Do you really think that Georgia is enough of a reason for the United States and NATO to start WWIII?
luarvique:
Well, Prince Ferdinand and Serbia were much of a reason, either…
a_gru:
And are you sure that only Americans and NATO states can start a war? Is there really no one but them out there?
***
pindle:
[…] I think Europe will thank us – quietly, of course. We've closed the situation, created a new, long-term and stable status quo, which is a lot more convenient for Europe than the previous one. […]
LJ user physik_alfa writes (RUS) in the ru_politics LJ community:
Personally, I pity Abkhazia. They've been basically equaled with the thieves from South Ossetia. They could've been flourishing on tourism… Slowly, perhaps, but on their own and without blood. And now Kremlin [thugs] will seize everything for themselves there.
A few comments:
vyacha:
The Abkhaz aren't that naive when it comes to foreign investments. According to their laws, a foreign (including Russian) company cannot independently get involved in, say, construction there, can't even open a branch […] office there. What's possible, though, are 50/50 investments with an Abkhaz [individual or company] […]. I don't think anything will change much now. They know how to count their own money.
***
afx237_v7:
I was [in Abkhazia] a couple years ago and learned a lot of interesting things. Turns out many touristic objects […] have already been bought (rented for 50 years, since the Abkhaz constitution does not allow to sell land to foreigners) by the Moscow guys.
LJ user dmitrivrubel has posted a graph illustrating what happened to the Russian stocks after Dmitry Medvedev made his Abkhazia and South Ossetia announcement at 3 PM Moscow time today:
LJ user onkel_hans commented (RUS):
In countries where economy rules, things like this lead to the fall of the government.


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Sao Tome and Principe: Reflecting on value crises · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Wilson Bragança [pt] talks about value crises, a subject that tends to repeat itself cyclically in all generations. “What seems to be happening now, in our society, is that conduct, standards and overall sense of individual and community life are not based on ethical standards, values, but the immediate criteria, consumerist, hedonist and pragmatic.”


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Saudi Arabia: Where are the women sport heroes?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi girls deserve sport heroes too, says Jillian, at a post on women in the Olympics at Kabobfest. “Little girls in Saudi Arabia (which I will use as an example from now on, given that Qatar's population equals that of Boston) deserve to have strong heroes too,” she notes.


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Serbia: Belgrade’s New Mayor; Monopoly · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

East Ethnia reports that Belgrade has got a new mayor – and is now featured in the international version of Monopoly.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Rapist at Large  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The women of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are under siege by a serial rapist and Abeni is “very uneasy about the whole scenario…I have now developed an intense hatred for the rapist or rapists who have turned women into prisoners in their own homes.  Is it too much to want my life back?”


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Syria and the Olympics  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syria Comment discusses Syria's performance at the Summer Olympics, which just ended in Beijing, China.


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Syria: Lebanon’s Sovereignty · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syria Comments asks where does Syria stand on Lebanon's sovereignty.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Leatherback Hatchlings  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Now is Wow Too posts video of Leatherback turtle hatchlings in Grande Riviere, Trinidad, as they make their first trip out to sea.


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Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A.: Michelle Did Well  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidadian blogger Afrobella is a “great admirer of Michelle Obama” and thinks she nailed her speech at the Democratic National Convention, calling it “poignant and resonant”.


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UAE: Favourite Show Host Interview  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From the United Arab Emirates, Fahad shares with us an interview [Ar] with his favourite television show host.


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UAE: Market for Fish Podiatrists  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Emirates Economist believes there is a market for fish podiatrists in Dubai.


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Ukraine: “Gender Equality and Genuine Democracy” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Mayia guestblogs at The 8th Circle about “gender and democracy” in Ukraine.


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Yemen: The Wooden Windows of Seiyoun · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Yemeni Omar Barsawad takes us to the picturesque village of Seiyoun, where beautifully adorned doors and windows were traditionally made out of wood. Barsawad posts a few pictures to illustrate the art.


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Angola: The president’s birthday party or an election stunt? · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Edmundo Galiza Matos [pt] comments on the Angola President José Eduardo dos Santos’ 66th birthday party this Sunday 31th, which according to the blogger is just an election stunt. “Two names of Angolan music, acting and living outside their country for alleged spiritual and political “sufferings” have rushed back to Luanda, where, with their concerts, they already show support for former party enemy's election campaign, and as if it wasn't enough, urging voters to vote with confidence for their arch-enemies.”


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Anti-government rallies in Bangkok · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A teacher who is based in a province in Thailand is surprised that people are not talking much about the huge rallies in Bangkok which forced the Prime Minister to seek protection in a military compound.


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Anwar Ibrahim back in Parliament · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will become Member of Parliament again after winning in a recent election. No Kacau, Don't Kacau sees a better political landscape for Malaysia.


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Bahrain: Bloggers are Trouble  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger and administrator of the locally banned  Bahrainonline [Ar] online forum Ali Abdelemam posts an interview with him in an LA newspaper – on blogging and the how authorities view bloggers as trouble.


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Bahrain: Embarrassing Young People · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Bahrain, Lizardo is weary of how young people think. “I really can’t see how our country is going to be developed in the future while i’m seeing how our youth thinks! It’s really embarrassing  when you hear them talk near your house, at school, cafes or even on the net,” he writes.


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Bahrain: Grand Auto Theft Raid · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Around an hour ago, at 2 PM today, two inspectors from the Ministry of Information raided a “Euphoria” shop in Seef Mall and confiscated all Grand Theft Auto IV titles, Both PS3 & Xbox 360,” reports Redbelt from Bahrain. The game is also reportedly banned in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.


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Bangladesh: Celebrating · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Bangladesh from our View on the biggest celebration in Bangaldesh – the first day of the new Bengali year.


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Barbados, Cuba: Broadcasting Meeting  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bajan Global Report reports on the Prime Minister's trip to Cuba to attend the 39th General Assembly of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, an organization which supports and promotes high quality work of regional radio and TV entities – but Barbados Free Press calls it “irony defined”: “We are disappointed that Prime Minister Thompson will be providing legitimacy to the Cuban news media and the despotic Cuban government without publicly mentioning the plight of jailed reporters…”


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Brazil: Rights of bloggers, rights of blog readers · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Brazilian blogger Alex Castro [pt] posts the Terms of Use of his blog, among them the rights of bloggers and of blog readers. “Blog readers should remember that reading and commenting on a blog is a privilege that can be revoked at any time. Nobody has the “right” to read a blog or to comment on it. (…) Bloggers should remember that no one is obliged to read blogs, that readers can disappear in a flash and to have readers is a not easy to conquer privilege. Nobody has the “right” to be read and reviewed.”


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Brazil: The rice war on indigenous land  · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Brazil's Supreme Court decides today about the future of Raposa Serra do Sol's Indigenous land. Observatório da Imprensa [Press Observatory, pt] have published two texts about the media coverage of the subject. One of them is called The Rice War [pt]: “The press still own us an approach that will help to overthrow prejudices against indigenous peoples and question the idea that the Amazon can survive to the extensive livestock and agriculture.”


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Bulgaria: Institutionalized Children With Disabilities · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Maya of Maya's Corner follows up on her earlier posts on Bulgaria's institutionalized disabled children and posts an account by a woman who adopted two Bulgarian Roma children ten years ago and managed to locate her adoptive daughter's twin sister.


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Cape Verde: Happy birthday to Cesária Évora · Global Voices
Paula Góes

João Branco [pt] pays homage to Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora who is 67 today. He quotes her: “I sing for pleasure, I don't believe in dreams or in destination, what makes me happy is to know I spent years of suffering for the life I have today. In Mindelo, we say that it is better to drink the poison first and then the honey. Now I'm drinking the honey”


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China: Cop Killer’s Case · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Shanghai Cop killer's or Yang Jia case was on court on yesterday (26 of Aug). Both Shanghai citizens and reporters were not allowed to attend the trial as all the seats were booked by local police. Liu Xiaoyuan pointed out that such kind of arrangement is de facto secret trial.


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Cuba: Punk Rocker Arrested  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As several bloggers voice their outrage at the arrest of Cuban punk rocker Gorki Aguila, Havana-based Generation Y claims: “They took him because nothing destabilizes the intransigents more than a man in his most free state.”


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Czech Republic: iPhone Has Arrived · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Czech Daily Word writes about the arrival of iPhone in the Czech Republic.


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Environment: Energy and Conservation News from Blogs around the world · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

In this post from GV environment, we check in with bloggers around the world who are writing on diverse topics; from ornithology, energy efficiency to forest preservation.
The Bahraini ornithologist blog Bahrain Obs posts pictures and gives an update on bird migration.
The migration is in full swing now – the Swallows on the wires have now been joined by European Bee-eaters, Sand Martins, and the odd Red-rumped Swallow which are putting in a very early appearance.
Image courtesy of Bahrain Obs.
On the Carbon Smart blog, Rory discuses recent news on conversion of biofuels to hydrogen, and also considers the implications of energy efficiency and cost reduction on transportation systems.
The writer of Changing Climates blog posts a video collating photos from their travels during their fellowship. The shots span from Fiji, Vietnam, Thailand, Namibia, Mozambique to Egypt.
Do you recycle? Ever had to sort rubbish 34 ways and wash the bottles thoroughly? Justin McCurry writes on ChinaDialogue, of a Japanese town called Kamikatsu where recycling and reuse is mandated in a quest for zero-waste by 2020.
An hour's drive from the nearest city and about 600 kilometres from Tokyo, the town was forced to change the way it managed its waste in 2000, when strict new regulations on dioxin emissions forced Kamikatsu to shut down its two incinerators.
“We were no longer able to burn our rubbish, so we thought the best policy was not to produce any in the first place,” said Sonoe Fujii of the town's Zero Waste Academy, a non-profit organisation that oversees the scheme.
Despite initial opposition, the zero-waste declaration, passed by the village assembly in 2003, has spawned an unlikely army of eco-warriors.
The Environmental Justice Foundation(EJF) has written about illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing operations or ‘pirate fishing’ in African waters, particularly in the SADC region (Southern African Development Community composed of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Mauritius, Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar). The article by EJF gives details on how the pirate fishing occurs, particularly in Guinea, and gives steps that can be taken to end this practice.
An update from The Electricity Governance Initiative indicates that EGI has been launched in South Africa;
…a new effort in South Africa with the aim of improving governance of the electricity sector. The initiative will analyze government and regulatory capacity to create the right conditions for the promotion of renewable energy, efficiency, and social equity, in line with sustainable development and public interests.
Electricity issues are high on the political agenda in 2008 as South Africa confronts a crisis where reserve margins are unprecedentedly low, resulting in inadequate power supply to meet demand. The crisis presents an opportunity for improved integration of clean energy into South Africa’s energy mix – yet robust governance frameworks will be necessary in order to help manage tradeoffs between environmental, social, and financial considerations.
The Ethical Co-op blog writes about the sale of rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone) business by Monsanto to the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, noting that
In some senses it’s a perfect fit. Genetically-modified rBGH is associated with a host of ailments, including, amongst other things, diabetes. Diabetes drugs are a highly profitable line for Eli Lilly. Monsanto also used to profit financially from diabetics, as one of their creations, aspartame, is used by some as a sugar-replacement.
But of course that may all be coincidence. Naturally, the first thing you see on Eli Lilly’s website is their commitment to helping people ‘live longer, healthier and more active lives’.
If you’re looking to replace refined sugar in your diet (and you should be!), there are much better options to use in moderation, such as honey, dates and xylitol.
The Green Prophet writes about the the announcement by Israel's ministry of Tourism, that it would ‘go green’ for 2009, and also looks at how private businesses like Avis Israel are making eco-friendly decisions that are part of the tourism industry. Karen cites several examples of the initiatives undertaken.
When you book your car rental with Avis, one of the leading car rental companies in Israel and worldwide, you now have the option of paying a little bit extra to neutralize the effects of your driving on the environment by planting trees.  To date, Avis, its staff, and its customers have planted over 200,000 trees together.  Avis also claims that its fleet of cars is highly efficient, which hopefully makes the fuel consumption more efficient as well.  (Of course, its no fleet of hybrid cars such as the Prius… but baby steps.)
And if you don’t trust Avis’s carbon neutral tree planting but would like to offset your car rental emissions yourself, consider planting some trees through Keren Kayemeth L’Israel (KKL) – it’s very easy and you can even do it online.
What can five little raisins teach you about values and sustainability? La Marguerite finds out and writes about differing values as it relates to food resources.
Last but not least, an uplifting post from Omar of Safarinotes about Mt.Elgon forest remaining as such after President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda rejected plans to carve off 7500 hectares for human settlement.
Reducing forest cover on and around Mount Elgon will certainly affect the ecological system of the area and gradually have a devastating effect on the Mount Elgon zone. Already, Mount Elgon is directly succumbing to the effects of Global Warming. And human encroachment is only increasing to the destruction. Trees are being cut in large numbers for: charcoal, wood fuel, lumbering and illegal settlement. The Mount Elgon area, normally cool and green, is gradually changing for the worse; mosquitoes, once rare around the area – have now found a breeding ground in swamps created by human activity. And that means more and more cases of Malaria.
Most of Uganda has abundant and very fertile land; people can and should be settled in other parts. Not in an ecologically delicate place such as around Mount Elgon. For leaders and politicians to appease people and attract votes using such tactics, as some are doing now by trying to give away a part of Mount Elgon – is dangerous and short sighted. Hopefully, the Ugandan leadership and government will protect and conserve Mount Elgon's wilderness and environment.
Picture courtesy of Safari Notes.

author: Juliana Rotich


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Estonia: Setomaa · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Itching for Eestimaa writes about a recent trip to Setomaa, “the southeastern most corner of Estonia, the home of the Orthodox, Finno-Ugric Setu people.”


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Georgia: Pulitzer Crisis Analysis  · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Untold Stories, Dispatches from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, quotes from a speech made by its Executive Director blaming all sides for the crisis in Georgia. In a second post, the blog examines the issue of Abkhazia's independence.


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Georgia: Russian-Georgian News Item Translations · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Exercises in Translation has started translating news items in Russian and Georgian on the conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi over Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In the two most recent posts, for example, the blog translates a news item on Russian president Dmitri Medvedev's interview to French TF-1 and a Georgian news item reporting that ethnic Georgians are leaving villages in the Gali district after the sound of gunfire came from Abkhaz positions celebrating Medvedev's decreee recognizing the independence of the two breakaway regions.


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Georgia: The View from Tbilisi · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Michael J. Totten's Middle East Journal is in Tbilisi and reports from the Georgian capital on a recent press conference given by the government's media advisor. The blog also recounts a conversation on the conflict with Russia between Totten and veteran Caucasus journalist and author, Thomas Goltz.


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Haiti: Hurricane Gustav · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Tensions are running really high right now”: Pwoje Espwa describes the conditions as Hurricane Gustav passes over Haiti.


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Hong Kong: Long Hair · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Both Sin bin and DM said that they would vote for Long Hair in the coming Legco election.


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Hungary: Reaction to the Russian-Georgian Conflict · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Hungary's reaction to the Russian-Georgian conflict is in line with that of the European Union,” Hungarian Spectrum reports. “Given Hungary's energy needs and its reliance on Russian gas and oil the country can't afford to lash out against Russia.”


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India: Cinema and Activism · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Winds from the East on activism and cinema in India.


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India: Kashmir and Shame · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

La Dolce Vita on the increasingly delicate and turbulent situation in Kashmir, with India flexing its military powers.


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Jamaica: Athletic Subversion  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Jamaica's garrison politics found its way onto the Olympics stage in two performances – once in a scintillating display of athletic grace and vigor, and once in a celebratory performance of the “gully creepa”: Abeng News Magazine explains.


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Japan: Pet Culture · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Lee from Tokyo Times blogs some photos showing Japanese pet culture in daily consumption.


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Jordan: Hanging On  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Roba Al Assi pays tribute to a decade old pair of sneakers in this post.


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Jordan: Ramadhan, Prayers and Clean Blogging · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

With very little to go before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan, which is signalled by the sighting of the new moon with the naked eye, Jordan's blogs are already abuzz with greetings, religious observations and personal promises.
The Black Iris wishes his readers on the advent of the Holy Month, adding he is not looking forward for the ritual over the next decade. He explains:
And can anyone blame me? With Ramadan starting on the first of September this year, I can’t help but think of Ramadans to come. Yes, the mere thought of Ramadans to come sends shivers down my spine. I imagine being unable to eat and more importantly drink (H20) until the red hot summer Sun descends some time around 7-ish. I imagine heat and exhaustion. I imagine the average Jordanian’s intolerance capacity increasing substantially, and that includes me. Skyrocketing actually. I imagine everything that would normally go slow due to the heat, come to a screeching halt with Ramadani summers. And to think, with the Ramadan start-date moving back ten days every year, this is a cycle that will take a few decades before getting back to the cooler, appropriately-timed-sunset, months.
Bakkouz [Ar] asks whether fasting has become a social ritual, instead of the religious spiritual experience it is supposed to be. He raises two points in his post about Ramadhan and prayers, which Muslims must perform five times a day, every day.
نلاحظ إقبال المسلمين الشديد على أداء النوافل في المساجد في شهر رمضان، وأخص بالتحديد صلاة التراويح، فنرى الناس تتوافد جماعات جماعات لأداء صلاة التراويح في المساجد. هذا بحد ذاته أمر لا غرابة فيه، ولكن الغريب هو انه في مقابل هذا الحرص الشديد من الأخ المسلم على أداء صلاة التراويح والتي هي صلاة سنّة (اي ليست بفرض)، فإننا نرى في المقابل عزوفا ولا مبالاة فيما يتعلق بأداء الصلوات الخمس المفروضة في المساجد. أي أن المسلم يحرص أشد الحرص على صلاة التراويح في المسجد بينما لا يكترث لا بل لا يكلف نفسه عناء صلاة الفروض كالفجر والظهر والعصر والمغرب في المسجد. فهل صلاة التراويح والتي هي سنة أضحت اهم من صلاة الفرض؟
I notice a large number of Muslims flock to mosques to observe the rituals during Ramadhan, especially the Taraweeh prayers. Groups of people amass on mosques to perform them. This isn't surprising but what is strange is how keen Muslims are to perform those prayers which are not obligatory. In return, I notice that many shun performing the five obligatory prayers in mosques. This means that Muslims are keen to pray the Taraweeh prayers in mosques but not the five obligatory prayers of dawn (fajr), noon (dhuhr), afternoon (a'sr), dusk (maghreb) and night (Ishaa) prayers in a mosque. Have the Taraweeh prayers which are a Sunnah [customary practise/tradition] become more important than the obligatory prayers?
Bakkouz also wonders about those who only pray and fast during Ramadhan. He says:
بمناسبة الحديث عن التقليد والعادة الاجتماعية وبمناسبة الحديث عن الصلاة أيضا، فإننا نرى الكثير الكثير من الناس يصومون شهر رمضان وهم لا يصلون. فهل يصح الصيام بدون صلاة؟ أوليست الصلاة عماد الدين؟
And while discussing traditions, social customs and prayer, I notice that a lot of people who fast during Ramadhan but don't pray. Is their fasting accepted without prayer? Isn't performing prayers the pillar of religion?
And Moey announces that his blog will be fasting too and promises his readers a more spiritual approach to blogging. He notes:
Moey’s blog, one of the most famous Jordanian blogs, will mark the Holy Month of Ramadan in quiet contemplation, and post supportive/clean posts for everyone to read. I will refrain from swearing, saying horrible things and using bad language during the holy month of Ramadan. Will rant when I need to, I’ll try to make it less offensive.
I’m taking this Ramadan into consideration, as a diet…
Happy Ramadan I guess.


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Korea: Can a brassiere be a dangerous product?  · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

On the 15th of August, the 815 Liberation Day led people to gather together and to have a 100th candlelight vigil. While they marched on the street, some of them were taken to the police station. A scandal emerged when it was discovered that in a police station in Seoul officers removed a woman’s brassiere. The reason was that it could be used as a means to commit suicide. It lets bloggers speak out.
18일 인권운동사랑방 등 인권단체들에 따르면 지난 16일 새벽 서울 마포경찰서는 촛불집회에 참가했다가 연행된 김모(26.여)씨를 입감하면서 브래지어를 위험물로 분류해 이를 벗도록 한 뒤 보관했다. 인권운동사랑방은 “여성연행자를 입감하면서 ‘자해위험’ 운운하며 브래지어를 수거한 것은 성적 수치심을 주는 행위”라며 “과잉 신체검사로 인한 문제를 시정하기 위해 개정한 ‘피의자 유치 및 호송규칙’ 내용을 거꾸로 돌리는 반인권적 행위”라고 비난했다. 이에 대해 경찰 관계자는 “촛불 국면 이후 최초로 연행자 4명이 체포적부심을 신청하면서 유치기간이 길어질 것으로 판단해 규정에 따라 위험물을 수거한 것일 뿐”이라며 “자해 위험 때문에 통상적으로 끈으로 된 것은 입감시 수거한다”고 설명했다. 광복절 집회에서 연행된 시위참가자들은 모두 17일 오후 6시께 귀가했지만 김씨 등 4명은 지난 16일 오전 체포적부심사를 신청해 법원에서 기각되면서 체포시한이 19일 0시25분까지 연장됐다. 위 내용과 관련하여 경찰서에 전화를 해 보았는데, 서울 경찰청에서 마포경찰서 지능팀으로 바꿔 주어서 통화해 보았는데, 경찰에서는 벗긴 적이 없다, 경찰서 앞에서 관련단체들이 기자회견을 했을 뿐 여성본인이 기자회견을 하지 않았다고 답변을 하더군요. 억지로 벗기지 않았다 해도 자해위험때문이라며 자해할 의도가 전혀 없는 여성의 브래지어를 벗기게 만들었다면 오히려 수치심을 자극하여 자해를 유도한 인권탄압행위라고 봅니다. 법가지고 장난치듯이 수치심유발 등 심리적인 자극으로 별 짓거리를 다 하는 것 같다는 생각이 드는군요.[…]
Netizens have a hard time to understand whether it was necessary.
지난 15일. 광복절 사수를 위해 촛불을 든 26세 김모양은 경찰의 마일리지 포획물이 되어 마포 경찰서로 연행됐습니다. 그리고 경찰은 그녀에게 ‘브래지어를 벗어서 이리 내놔!'라고 했다 합니다. 왜냐구요? 브래지어가 위.험.물. 이기 때문입니다. 자살할 위험이 있어서라고 합니다. 유치장에 수감되는 범죄인의 경우 자살 할 수 있을겁니다. 사람을 죽였거나, 사람을 억지로 범했거나, 사람을 다치게 했거나, 또 기타등등의 심각한 범죄를 저질렀을 때 여기서 일케 구치소를 지나 법정에 서고 교도소에 가는 것보다 차라리 죽는게 낫겠다..고 생각할 수도 있습니다. 그런데.. 촛불을 든 사람이.. 정말 그럴 수 있을까요?[…] 한때 가톨릭 교회는 ‘자살'을 ‘자신에 대한 살인'이라 해서 범죄라 한 적이 있습니다. 그러나 요즈음 가장 보수적이라고 할 수 있는 가톨릭 교회에서 마저 이에 대한 생각이 조금씩 변하고 있습니다.자살은 우울증이라는 심각한 질병으로 인한 병사라는 것이지요. 그렇다면 이 여성은 무엇일까요? 우울증으로 보였던걸까요? […]
유치장에 있는 모든 여성이 브래지어를 벗어야 하는가? 위험물질 소지 위험이 있을 경우 그런 규정이 있다. 지금까지 유치장에 있던 여성들중 단 1명도 빠짐없이 브래지어를 벗겼는가? 아니다. 사안에 따라 다르다. 중범죄나 무기 위험이 있는 경우 탈의를 요구한다. 그럼 집회 나가는 것이 중범죄냐? 그렇게 물으면 대답할 수 없다. 본인 생각으로는 연행 자체가 불법이고, 경찰 입장으로서도 경미한 죄일텐데 말이 거부하는데 강요했다는것이 경찰 자체가 불법을 저지르고 있는것 아니냐? 강요하지 않았다. 기사에서는 수차례 거부했다고 나와있다. 왜곡되었을것이다. 내가 직접 참여하지 않아서 잘 모르겠다. 유치장의 여성이 끝까지 거부하면 강제로 벗게 할수는 없는가?
Some netizens opened a campaign to send brassieres to the police station, showing what those policemen have done.
마포경찰서는 사과하십시요!
같은 여성으로써 기사를 접하고 손이 덜덜 떨립니다. 그 여성분이 강력범죄자였습니까? 아님 약을 했습니까? 왜 수갑을 채우고 브래지어를 벗게 했습니까? 뭐 본인이 벗었다구요?  경찰서 안에서 그 여성분은 얼마나 무서웠겠습니까? 경찰관들이 계속 벗어라고 하는데 일반 시민인 그 아가씨 누구 대변해주는 사람없고 얼마나 무서웠으면 벗었을까요? 기사를 읽는 내도록 경찰한테 실망하고 ..무섭습니다. 경범죄에 수갑에 브래지어를 벗게하다니..말이 안나오네요 이건 대한민국 여성분들한테 다 성적모독감을 주는겁니다. 저는 그럼 만약 제가 교통사고를 일으켜서 경찰서에 간다면 저도 벗게 되는겁니까? 도저히 있을수 없는 행동을 한 마포경찰서에서는 언론에 공개사과를 하기 바랍니다.[…]
브래지어로 목을 메요? 메봐요. 어디
As the woman, my hands couldn’t help but to be shaken after reading the news. Was she the serious criminal? Or did she do some drug? Why did you lock her hands with handcuffs and take her brassiere off? You said that she took it off by herself. Haven’t you thought about how scared she was in the police station? No one was on her side and the police men kept saying she should take it off. She must have filled with the fear. While I was reading the news, I was so disappointed at the police and scared of them. With the light crime, they locked her with handcuffs and took her brassiere off… it’s absurd. This means that they give sexual humiliation to all women in this land. If I cause a car accident and have to be at the police station, will you force me too? The Mapo Police Station that committed the unforgivable action should apologize in public.[…]
Do you think it is possible to strangle people’s necks with the string of a brassiere? Then try whether it works or not!

author: Hyejin Kim


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Kuwait: Parading Purchases at the Olympics · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Arabs really love shopping, they spend hours after hours in malls, and that's why they wanted to show their shopping skills at this year's Summer Olympics. Unfortunately shopping is not included in the games, but this couldn't stop some Arabs from showing their shopping skills.
Kuwaitism [Ar] paints the picture here:
حبيت آخذ هالفرصة لشكر بعض ممثلينا العرب –
سامويل فرانسيس (قطر)
جايمس كواليا كوكوروي (قطر)
فيلكس كيكواي كيبوري (قطر)
سلطان زمان (قطر) الإسم الأصلي أونيسفور نكونزيمانا (بوروندي)
جمال سالم (قطر) الإسم الأصلي توماس كاتيو (كينيا)
دهام بشير (قطر) الإسم الأصلي دايفيد إينياغا (كينيا)
عيسى راشد (قطر) الإسم الأصلي دانييل كيبكوسكي (كينيا)
جابر سالم (قطر) الإسم الأصلي ياني مارشوكوف (بلغاريا) – حول جنسيته بـ1,000,000 دولار عام 2000.
مبارك شامي (قطر) الإسم الأصلي ريتشارد ياتيتش (كينيا)
أحمد حسن عبدالله (قطر) الإسم الأصلي ألبرت تشيبكوروي (كينيا)
بلال منصور علي (بحرين) الإسم الأصلي جون ييكو (كينيا)
مريم يوسف جمال (بحرين) الإسم الأصلي زينيبيش تولا (أثيوبيا)
نادية الجافني (بحرين) الأصل مغربية
يوسف سعد كامل (بحرين) الأصل غريغوري كونشيلا (كينيا)
آدم اسماعيل خميس (بحرين) الأصل هوسيا كوسغي (كينيا)
حسن محبوب (بحرين) الأصل سايلاس كيروي (كينيا)
رشيد رمزي (بحرين) الأصل مغربي
ناصر سعيد (بحرين) الأصل ستيفان لورو كامار (كينيا)
طارق مبارك طاهر (بحرين) الأصل دينيس كيبكوروي سانغ (كينيا)
محمد عبدالله زكريا (بحرين) الأصل مغربي
قطر و البحرين مثلهما 11 كيني 3 مغربيين 1 بوروندي 1 أثيوبي 1 بلغاري 3 غير معروف من أفريقيا
I wanted to take this chance to thank our Arab representatives in the games:
Samuel A. Francis (Qatar) [Nigeria]
James Kwalia C'Kurui (Qatar) [Kenya]
Felix Kikwai Kibore (Qatar) [Kenya]
Sultan Zaman (Qatar) – born Onesphore Nkunzimana (Burundi)
Gamal Salem (Qatar) – born Thomas Katui (Kenya)
Daham Bashir (Qatar) – born David Nyaga (Kenya)
Essa Ismail Rashed (Qatar) – born Daniel Kipkosgei (Kenya)
Jaber Saeed Salem (Qatar) – born Yani Marchokov (Bulgaria) he changed his nationality for 1,000,000 Dollars in 2000.
Mubarak Hassan Shami (Qatar) – born Richard Yatich (Kenya)
Ahmad Hassan Abdullah (Qatar) – born Albert Chepkurui (Kenya)
Bilal Mansour Ali (Bahrain) – born John Biko (Kenya)
Jamal Maryam Yusuf (Bahrain) – born Zenebech Tola (Ethiopia)
Nadia Ejjafini (Bahrain/Morocco)
Yusuf Saad Kamel (Bahrain) – born Gregory Konchellah (Kenya)
Aadam Ismaeel Khamis (Bahrain) – born Hosea Kosgei (Kenya)
Hasan Mahboob (Bahrain) – born Silas Kirui (Kenya)
Rashid Ramzi (Bahrain/Morocco)
Nasar Sakar Saeed (Bahrain) – born Stephen Loruo Kamar (Kenya)
Tareq Mubarak Taher (Bahrain) – born Denis Kipkurui Keter (Kenya)
Mohammad Abdullah Zakaria (Bahrain/Morocco)
In brief, Qatar and Bahrain were represented by 11 Kenyans, 3 Moroccans, 1 from Burundi, 1 Ethiopian, 1 Bulgarian and 3 others.

author: Tarek Amr


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Lebanon: Maid is Lebanese for Slave  · Global Voices
Nash Suleiman

Although the Lebanese media and bloggers in general are focusing on political topics lately, it is refreshing to see other issues being discussed and reported. But again, as soon as such reports are published, it turns out is it even more bad news. International organizations such as Human Rights Watch (HRW), Immigration Here & There and regional bloggers are publishing alarming reports about the abuse of foreign maids in the region and lately in Lebanon, where reportedly 200,000 maids are legally employed. And with the absence of media coverage of these reports and the lack of attention from official departments in Lebanon, bloggers are taking action to raise awareness online.
Moussa Bachir uses his blog’s space this week to promote what Human Rights Watch has to say about the maids’ situation in Lebanon, which includes:
“Domestic workers are dying in Lebanon at a rate of more than one per week,” said Nadim Houry, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. “All those involved – from the Lebanese authorities, to the workers’ embassies, to the employment agencies, to the employers – need to ask themselves what is driving these women to kill themselves or risk their lives trying to escape from high buildings.”
Lebanese Socialist also sheds light on the same report by Human Rights Watch:
HRW said that at least 24 housemaids have died since January 2007 after falling from multi-storey buildings. “Many domestic workers are literally being driven to jump from balconies to escape their forced confinement,” Houry said.
Christa Hillstrom, who dedicates her blog to the danger and the truth of the modern global slave trade, says:
Although the women often come through legal agencies and are somewhat trained for the domestic work, they frequently have their passports confiscated when they arrive and suffer physical and sexual abuse.
The disturbing news continues when Hillstorm quotes Elise Barthet’s report on the situation :
Beirut employment agencies promote them as merchandise or, in extreme case, as pets. They offer advice about which nationalities are supposedly docile, easy to maintain or “harder to break.”
Digging back in time, we can find many bloggers as Moustafa who previously posted his concerns over this growing phenomenon:
Sure they’re starving and living in miserable conditions, but that doesn’t mean that they have to put up with the ultimate abusive environment: The Lebanese household.
Professor Asad Abu Khalil at the Angry Arab News Service finds it a relief that the situation is getting international attention  from HRW:
Finally. Human Rights Watch has noticed.
A few months ago Prof Abu Khalil published an article that tackles the maids’ situation in Lebanon, which was later posted at Daily Online Alcohona:
I will never forget Sushar Roxi. Do you remember her? That poor Sri Lankan maid who died by hanging in front of spectators and cameras. Do you remember when the city of Sidon's people woke up to find her dangling from the balcony, after she'd hanged herself with linens? Do you wonder why she hanged herself? Do you wish you could ask her? She dangled from the balcony for hours and nobody noticed or cared. Why did Sushar hang from the balcony and why do we never hear of investigations?
An earlier post by Abullor promotes a documentary (Maid in Lebanon II) that debates workers’ rights, employment, contracts and everyday terms and conditions of work.
Another alarming sign that went largely unnoticed was mentioned by Hanibaal a few months ago. His post focuses on a bill passed by the Ethiopian government that bans works from traveling to Beirut:
…Ethiopia passed the bill after it conducted a thorough analysis into the human right violations and domestic violence Ethiopian migrants face behind closed doors in Lebanon while in duty as maids.
…Past human right records show that 67 Ethiopian women died between 1997 and 1999 alone in Beirut while working. Many were never heard from again and many others remain very difficult to trace because their employers change their Christian name to let them in to the country as Muslims.

author: Nash Suleiman


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Middle-aged Bangkok protesters? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

MrPavee notes that Bangkok protesters who stormed the government house were mostly 45 year-old middle class individuals. He also writes that the rallies “showed the government is really losing its grip and is actually really weak.”


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Morocco: Daylight Savings Fail · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Nomadic Morocco remarks upon Morocco's decision to roll back the clocks early.  The country, which instituted Daylight Savings Time this summer for the first time in several years, is changing the clocks this week just in time for Ramadan.


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Morocco: Tanjia, a Marrakshi Specialty · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Moroccan blogger LoveFrom1stBite shares the recipe for (and photos of) her favorite Moroccan dish, tanjia.


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Pakistan: President · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

CHUP! on the politics of filling the President's seat, now that Musharraf has resigned.


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Peru: Blogger Inducted to Academy of Spanish Language · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Daniel Salas from Gran Combo Club [es] salutes the induction of Camilo Fernádez Cozman to the Peruvian Academy of Spanish language. Camilo, besides an academist is also a blogger.  His induction speech can be read at his blog La Soledad de la Página en Blanco [es].

author: Juan Arellano


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Peru: Work on Lima Streets Taking Too Long · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Luis Ramos of Vivir Lima [es] complains about the time that it is taking for the work on some Lima streets.  He also republishes the results from  a recent survey where “Limeños” don't believe the work will be finished in time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.


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Poland: Reactions to the Russian-Georgian Conflict · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The beatroot writes that “Poland – in the shape of its government and particularly its president, Lech Kaczynski – has been using the conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi to nail their colours to the mast of “protecting freedom and democracy” of the brave young George against the might of an imperialistic old dragon in the Kremlin.”


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Post-tsunami reconstruction efforts in Aceh · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

angieindo visited Banda Aceh, Indonesia and was able to witness the post-tsunami reconstruction efforts in the area.


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Saudi Arabia: Criticism for the sake of it  · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

At a social gathering, Saudi blogger Broken Wing meets an annoying woman who is full of criticism of Saudi Arabia: ‘I am not a fan of what Saudi offers to its citizens, but I don’t find sitting around in a place full of people from other countries and start criticizing in a very arbitrary fashion OK.’

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Saudi Arabia: Off the road  · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Desert Flower, an American Muslim living in Saudi Arabia, is tired of not being permitted to drive: ‘…it gets down right stupid when you have to schedule an appointment to go grocery shopping or to get to the pharmacy or the doctor for that matter.’


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Saudi Arabia: The history of salons · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Saudiwoman explains how many tailors’ shops turned into beauty salons in Saudi Arabia.


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Sri Lanka: In Iraq · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

groundviews on Sri Lankan mercenaries in Iraq.


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Taiwan: Where do eggs come from? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Mong compared ordinary chicken farm with special chicken farm with a humane environment. The blogger urged consumers to buy eggs with humane label.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Twitter users and Bangkok rallies · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Thai Twitter users are commenting about the huge rallies led by anti-government groups in Thailand. One user, bodychan, writes: “I don't want Samak say this word ‘No one died in Government House’.”

author: Mong Palatino


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Ukraine: Tymoshenko’s Response to “Accusations of Treason” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana examines PM Yulia Tymoshenko's response to “accusations of treason.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Africa: An African Ad Network Launched · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

White African writes about Pamoja Media, an ad network created to serve advertisers looking for a one-stop-shop for publishers in Africa, or that reach Africans in the diaspora.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Africa: Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ghanaian internet entrepreneur Eric Osiakwan and the Berkman Center’s Ethan Zuckerman will discuss the climate for innovation around information technology in Sub-Saharan Africa on September 2nd 2008 at the Berkman Luncheon Series, writes Afromusing.


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Africa: Mutual Aid Between African Bloggers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ramon writes about his recent drive to create stronger relationships between South African bloggers and bloggers from the rest of Africa.


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Angola: Media shut up – again? · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Eugénio Costa Almeida [pt] is again puzzled by the disappearence of another news portal in Angola,  Correio Digital, which displays a “temporarily suspended” error: “What is going on? And this is the second time this happens in a few months. It's an eventual effect of this independent news portal's too much freedom on reporting Angolan news.”

author: Paula Góes


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Bahrain: Bogus Degrees  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bogus degrees? Bahraini Mahmood Al Yousif exposes those who helped themselves to some.


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Bahrain: Fifth of population living in poverty · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Bahraini blogger Mahmood reports that 20 per cent of Bahrainis are living below the poverty line.


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Bahrain: The high cost of Ramadan · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Bahraini blogger Yagoob describes the effect of inflation on the holy month of Ramadan.


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Barbados, Antigua: Digicel vs. Stanford · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Bajan Reporter is all over the story of telecommunications giant Digicel taking Allen Stanford to court “in order to protect its sole and exclusive rights as primary sponsor of West Indies cricket”.  The West Indies Cricket Board insists “that the team that will play England on 1 November represents Stanford, and Stanford alone.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bermuda: Open Access  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Only bipartisan cooperation will make a dent in many of Bermuda’s problems”: Vexed Bermoothes supports public access to meetings of the parliamentary committee that is currently reviewing educational reform.


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Brazil: Digital TV with Digital Rights Managements · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Sérgio Amadeu [pt] has just learned that the Brazilian National Standards Organization is considering to have Digital TV setup boxes with DRM (Digital Rights Managements). “It is unfortunate that such an issue is decided by a small group of technicians. This decision is not purely technical, it has extremely serious and extensive socio-cultural impact. Society should be heard. This is a topic of digital citizenship, the right of fair use and to save images the way people want.”


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Brazil: I want to live in Second Life · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Wanderley Filho [pt] compares, ironically, Brazilian politicians achievements to life on Second Life: a parallel world. “The election air time on TV is a balm to comfort those citizens who imagined that their past elected governments had not done any work for the past 4 years. In a few minutes the mistake is clarified and with surprise we find out that we had misunderstood and things are happening at a hallucinating pace (…) with a little help from computer graphics, it's possible to create a parallel administration”.


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Cape Verde: Blogger takes picture of filthy hospital lavatory · Global Voices
Paula Góes


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China: Iphone Girl · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Dedric Lam from Shanghaiist reports on how the Iphone Girl story has been traveled back to China. Local netizens have created a website for her, iphonegirl.cn, and urged netizens not to human-flesh search and publish her personal data.


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China: Olympic Medals Shape · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A graphic representation of the distribution of medals shows that China has big tits. The picture was created by Form One high school boy at bbs.163.com.


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China: Translating New York Times Olympic Report · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Black and White Cat shows how the Xinhua has translated the New York Times Olympic Report into Chinese.


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Dominica: Agricultural Economy  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I strongly believe that if Dominica gets busy developing its agricultural product this could well have other spin-off positive effects”: Chris at Dominica Weekly thinks that going back to the land may well be the way out of the island's economic crisis.


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Dubai: Nugget full of Bone  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Writing in Dubai Consumer Mirror, moryarti found a bone in a KFC nugget.


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Georgia: Blogging the War · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

See Global Voices special coverage page on the South Ossetia crisis.
The conflict between Georgia and Russia over the breakway territory of South Ossetia was accompanied by cyber-attacks on several Georgian government and independent media sites. But rather than prevent journalists from utilizing the Internet to report on the war, it achieved the opposite. Many Georgians — media professionals and citizen journalists alike — set up blogs to report or comment on the conflict.
Global Voices Online's Caucasus Regional Editor Onnik Krikorian spoke to Giga Paitchadze, a veteran local blogger. Also known as Dv0rsky, Paitchadze's New Media Institute recently staged the Caucasus BarCamp in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.
Onnik Krikorian: When the conflict with Russia started, the number of Georgian blogs soon increased. Who are these new bloggers?
Giga Paitchadze: It's mainly young people aged 20-30 who have constant Internet access at the offices where they work. However, it all started with email lists although a couple of days before the war started — on 5th or 6th August — some people started to set up blogs about the conflict with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
I don't know why, but even a few of my own friends set up blogs on Blogspot. We're not using LiveJournal since the Russians bought it. There were a couple of interesting stories on these blogs, but then the war started and people began to write a lot more on a daily basis.
Dozens of new blogs about the war in different languages were set up although I can't say all were of high quality. As for myself, all I did was collect information and post it to my blog. I also wrote about South Ossetia in order to explain the situation to foreigners.
Of course, everyone looks at this conflict from only one side only and it's very difficult to be objective so the blog entries from Georgian bloggers were always against Russia and vice-versa. There weren't many people who tried to understand or analyze what was happening and why.
Those Georgians who might argue for the removal of Saakashvili after the war ends were not active on blogs, for example. There was maybe one post in Georgian asking how this war started and why we attacked South Ossetia.
It was by a 33-year-old doctor who was wondering why we reacted to the provocation by sending in the army or why the Roki tunnel wasn't closed — basically the types of questions you'll hear from many people on the streets.
He kind of wanted to be like a lawyer for Saakashvili and provide the answers himself, but when I responded by saying I disagreed with him and thought the war was a huge mistake, he disappeared.
I didn't write such things on my blog, though, but maybe I'm waiting for the dust [from the war] to settle.
OK: There were Russian cyber attacks on Georgian web sites.
GP: That's another part of the war. It was on the 8th or 9th, I don't remember exactly, when several Georgian web sites went down, especially Civil.ge which at about 1 or 2pm was inaccessible. The same was true for Media.ge, an Internews site.
These cyber-attacks were launched in two different ways. There was the hacking of sites such as the official site of the Georgian President where photographs of Saakashvili depicted as Hitler were placed, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament. Every government site, actually.
The other method was with Denial of Service (DOS) attacks. Georgia's three Internet Service Providers (ISPs) came under attack and even online services on cellphones were affected because the mobile phone network was overloaded with phone calls.
OK: I'm told there was a lot of activity on YouTube at the beginning of the conflict.
GP: Most of the TV stations showed some of the videos from YouTube and other sites. To begin with there was a lot of video footage posted on YouTube from Russia Today, but it was only on the 10th or 11th when Georgians responded by uploading their own.
There had been the suggestion to set up a number where mobile phone users could send video and text messages to a centralized location so that it could be uploaded. However, the mobile phone network was already too overloaded to do so.
There were, however, something like 15,000 reservists aged mainly 20-25 who were bombed by the Russians while waiting to be deployed. The first videos came from them.
OK: Did this material offer anything otherwise not accessible through the mainstream media?
GP: Not really, although I did see video from Poti when Russia bombed the port. It was evidence to back up what the government reported.
OK: Is there's an information war being waged between Georgian and Russian bloggers?
GP: Yes, and the Russians admit they are losing it. Even the Russian bloggers say Georgians are presenting their arguments more effectively.
OK: Do you have many Russians commenting on Georgian blogs about the war?
GP: Yes, and some commented on my blog. However, most comments are offensive and insulting or we just accuse each other of the same thing. The Russians accuse us of killing women and children and we accuse them of doing the same.
You never know who is right or who is wrong in a war.
OK: Do you think that the war has promoted the idea of blogging in Georgia?
GP: Yes, I would say so. It also pushed me to start writing in English as well as about politics. I would never have done so otherwise, and I think that the new blogs will remain. Many Georgians now understand that information can be disseminated very quickly on the Internet — and especially via blogs.
Dv0rsky [GE/EN] has a blog here.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Georgia: Different Opinions on South Ossetia  · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Registan responds to a post made by Michael J. Totten on the conflict in South Ossetia. The blog strongly disagrees with the background to the conflict between Russia and Georgia put forward at a government press conference in Tbilisi.


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Georgia: Recklessness & Recognition · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Although noting that Russia oversteppend the mark by invading Georgia, Registan says that Moscow's gambit in the South Caucasus paid off. However, the blog notes, it required a temperamental, reckless and impulsive leader such as the Georgian president, Mikhail Saakashvili, in order to succeed.