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Côte d’Ivoire: Twitter Campaign for Anderson Cooper’s Attention · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

This post is part of our special coverage Côte d'Ivoire Unrest 2011.
On February 21, 2011, @kenyanpundit sent a tweet linking to an article about international media following protests across the ‘Arab world’ but ignoring those in Africa:
@kenyanpundit: On global media and African protests, “Why are Anderson Cooper and Nick Kristoff not in C'ote d'Ivoire”? http://bit.ly/ibWmdu
@davidisen retweeted it adding that both reporters are also ignoring Gabon:
@davidisen: There's no Anderson Cooper or Nick Kristof in Gabon or Cote d'Ivoire! http://bit.ly/ibWmdu h/t @kenyanpundit @ethanz
In the Middle East people speak English rather than French (the language used primarily on Ivorian protest hashtag #CIV2010), and this gave me the idea to start up a tweet campaign to get CNN reporter Anderson Cooper to cover Côte d’Ivoire:
@annagueye: @kenyanpundit yes but people there speak English. I have decided that I will harass @andersoncooper until he gets his ass in #CIV2010
@Darth_Sideous found another reason why the conflict is being ignored by US media:
@Darth_Sideous: @kenyanpundit @AndersonCooper@NickKristof Because we don't have OIL otherwise they'd be already in Ivory Coast! #civ2010 we don't need them
@Darth_Sideous asked that we stop the campaign as @andersoncooper had not even bothered answering our tweets:
@Darth_Sideous: #civ2010 Please stop asking @ac360 to cover Ivory Coast bloodshed by pro-Gbagbo forces. He didn't answer a single tweet! Other media did.
Other media did address the issue, for example in this article by France 24, “Do not focus only on the the Arab world. Blood is also flowing on the streets of Abidjan“.
On the third day of the campaign, at which point violence had been ongoing since Saturday 19 February, 2011, @Belligiani concluded that US media “don’t care about Côte d’Ivoire”:
One of the first tweets saying that Côte d’Ivoire is in civil war was from @SenamBeheton:
On Friday 25 February, 2011, UNHCR staff reported that at least 20,000 had fled fresh violence in Côte d'Ivoire capital, Abidjan. A few hours after this post was published @andersoncooper tweeted:
@andersoncooper: I have been following #ivorycoast closely and it deserves far more coverage. Monday will try to do something
Ivorians will be watching.
This post is part of our special coverage Côte d'Ivoire Unrest 2011.

author: Anna Gueye


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Egypt, Serbia: Protesters Trained by ‘Otpor!’ · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

In an interview [MKD] for Vest daily, Ofelija Gadzevska-Sadek, a Macedonian living in Egypt, said that two leaders of the April 6 movement said on local TV that they'd been trained by Otpor! in Serbia. The main lesson by veteran activists, who helped overthrow Milošević in 2000, to the Egyptian protesters was: do not fall for provocations.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Filip Stojanovski


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India: The Future Of Delhi · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sharad Kumar describes the future of the mega city Delhi as he sees.

author: Rezwan


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Laos:  School building project in Champasaak Province · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Sao Darly gives an update on the Lao School building project in Champasaak Province.

author: Mong Palatino


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Lebanon: March Against Sectarianism #Feb27 #uniteLB · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Lebanese activists are marching today, Feb27, at noon, to demand the end of the confessional system that rules Lebanon. The activists are using this Facebook group to organize. The Unite Lebanon hashtag #uniteLb is also used for Twitter updates.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Libya: Fear and Chaos at Tripoli Airport  · Global Voices
Sasa Milosevic

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
Fear, chaos, hysteria and despair – all these words have been used to describe Libyan capital Tripoli's airport over the past few days. Since uprisings began against the country's leader Colonel Muammar Al Gaddafi on the night of February 16, 2011 (#Feb17), Libya has been in a state of uncertainty.
Thousands of foreign nationals, mostly expat workers, have been trying to flee the country, gathering in Tripoli airport to catch embassy and some airline flights out.
This video from Al Jazeera describes the chaos that passengers at the airport are experiencing:
Reactions from Twitter
Here are some descriptions of Tripoli airport amidst the crisis from the Twittersphere, these from 24 February, 2011:
@acarvin “The airport is just a zoo. There's about 10k people there, all trying to get out.” -Ewan Black to the BBC, regarding Tripoli airport.
@SiconianGirl Tripoli Airport chaos thousands of people stranded no facilities only 1 toilet no food and all roads to Airport closed #Libya Will B Freed
@aseemrastogi2 Dangerous times ! Amateur video captures chaos at Tripoli airport http://bit.ly/hdAG8H
From 25 February, 2011:
@vali_nasr Tripoli airport has an air of ‘Dante's Inferno’ http://tinyurl.com/4rgljrz #Libya
@Addickbitch_hut Tourist at Tripoli airport – ‘Your worst nightmare of pop concerts and football hooligans all mixed into one. It was unbelievable.’
On Facebook on Friday 25 February, Shahrizal Dzulkifli describes his experience trying to escape Libya:
now in Tunisia after managed to get out of Libya via plane after 12 hours of agonizing, scary, cold and brutal situation at the Tripoli airport…now waiting for next transit…maybe to Rome…Million thanx to Malaysian Embassy and Tunisia Airways for bringing us out….
Crimes Reported
Frustrated and frightened passengers are apparently not only being faced with the uncertainty of leaving, but also with various forms of crimes that have been reported at the airport. From 24 February, 2011:
@Matchbox20 #Libya policemen r blackmailing #Egyptians & taking their money at #Tripoli airport to let them go & catch their flghts, Please Spread.
Jurunilai Pemimpin Umno detailed the new costs fleeing foreigners are facing on Facebook:
LIBYA – ” Signs of the decay and the end of regimes that I've seen elsewhere is happening now. People are asking for bribes. If you want to do anything in the airport, it will cost you. A $20 taxi ride to Tripoli airport now costs $200 “.
And from 25 February, 2011:
@sneakinghorze “We had to bribe #Libyan security, who controlled certain streets of #Tripoli, in order to make it to the airport,” ;Maged Ahmed, #Cairo,
@gwkell Tripoli airport staff asking for ‘special payments’ stall Libya evacuations – Travel Daily UK: Tripoli airport s… http://bit.ly/feLqzw
@itv_news FCO: “Officials at Tripoli airport charge fees for services, such as aircraft handling. In the current situation, these fees have increased”
Challenging Journeys
Some airlines and companies undertaking the evacuation of their employees have been reported as behaving poorly towards passengers; other passengers feel let down by the way their governments have managed the situation:
@ks1141 Egypt Air in Tripoli bumped off pregnant Asian woman even tho she has a valid business class ticket! Still stuck at airport in Tripoli. [24 February]
Jamie Holden (via Facebook on 25 February):
Can you imagine what it was like for brits at Tripoli airport to be told by UK oil company charter evacuation flights that, if you weren't oil co personnel you had to pay!!!!!!!!! Totally unbelievable! Rip-off Britain. This one needs a Parliamentary investigation & who-ever made this decision should spend a long holiday at Her Majesty's pleasure!
Suresh Goyal (via Facebook on 25 February):
Most countries’ envoys are at Tripoli airport facilitating rescue operations. Not a single Indian officer, says a Libya returnee, If a Kottayam-based Libya returnee is to be believed, the Army has taken hostage many Indians. Little or no help from the Indian mission
@theprovince Canadian evacuation plane leaves #Libya empty. No Canadians were at airport in Tripoli, official says: http://bit.ly/hIEtRW [25 February]
Some have avoided the airport entirely by fleeing Libya via its neighbouring countries:
@Towntwinner RT @britishabroad: #Libya We have teams at Tripoli airport, on HMS Cumberland, and Egypt/Libya border. For assistance call 021 3403644/45 [25 February]
@allawati Landed in Alex. Burg al Arab airport has hundreds of Tunisians fleeing Libya. They drove east from Benghazi to fly west to Tunisia [25 February]
Any information about new incoming planes offers fresh hope to those stranded at the airport. One of the most important sources of information is the website RadarVirtuel.com that makes available online real-time aircraft traffic coverage. The website provides key details about the flight, the current position of aircraft in the air, time of departure and arrival time, and initial and final destination:
@clandestinooooo 1 avion de l'Armee de l'Air Francaise CTM0209 vers Tripoli http://www.radarvirtuel.com/ [22 February]
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.

author: Sasa Milosevic


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Malaysia: ‘Guidelines for Celebrating Religious Festivals of Non-Muslims’ · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Malaysian Department of Islamic Development has posted on its website the ‘Guidelines for Muslims Celebrating Religious Festivals of Non-Muslims,’ issued by the National Fatwa Committee for Islamic Religious Affairs.


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Mexico: Kidnapping Case Affects Diplomatic Relations with France · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

Mexico and France have had growing problems in their diplomatic relations due to the kidnapping conviction of a French national in Mexico City. Her name is Florence Cassez, and she was arrested in 2006, accused of kidnapping charges and sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Mexican President Felipe Calderón and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at G-20 dinner on June 26, 2010. Image by flickr user Gobierno Federal, used under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license
Cassez's boyfriend was a leader of a gang called “Los Zodiacos” (meaning the zodiacs), and in several testimonies the kidnapped recognized her as part of the gang.
In 2009, French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Mexico and asked for Cassez's release during his time in the country. Cassez could have been sent to France but Mexican authorities refused to let her go, pressured by “anti-kidnapping” national organizations. Their argument was based on their distrust that French authorities would alter her sentence in her home country. The blog AguaChile describes the pressure the Mexican government faced from these organizations:
In Mexico, notably, prominent anti-kidnapping NGOs such as Isabel Miranda de Wallace”s Alto al Secuestro, Alejandro Martí's México SOS and María Elena Morera's Causa en Común, are convinced of Cassez’ culpability and call on the French President, the mercurial Nicolas Sarkozy, to stay out of the case.
This year, “The Year of Mexico in France” is to be celebrated with a sequence of more than 350 cultural and trade events programmed throughout 2011. France initially said it would move forward with the events and use them, in part, to draw attention to Cassez’s plight. Mexican authorities have announced they will not support the “Year of Mexico” proceedings and will not transfer Cassez.
On Twitter, citizens from all over the world have raised their voices. Juliamanda Garza (@juliagarza) sends a message to French newspapers:
Monsieur #Sarkozy: Ne “#Cassez” pas la rélation Franco-Mexicaine! cc: @lemondefr @Le_Figaro
User enrique-ana (@Desmorningchouu) tweeted that Sarkozy's decision was based on popularity:
Francia  – Mexico Cassez objeto d discordia, ocacionado p politicos franceses q  no encuentran como subir popularidad en elecciones proximas
Santo García (@Santo_) makes a joke out of the situation:
@Sarkozy te cambio una Cassez por una Bruni?? jalas o te pandeas??
Ximena Vega expresses an optimist point of view in the blog Vivir Mexico [es], writing about the lessons Mexican society should learn from the situation:
Me parece que una gran lección que México debe aprender de todo esto,  además de que Sarkozy haría cualquier cosa por aumentar su nivel de  popularidad de ese vergonzoso 38%, es que se deben vigilar los procesos  de preservación de la escena del crimen y  toma de declaraciones. Una policía federal y estatal mejor capacitada y más profesional puede ser la gran diferencia entre un juicio exitoso y, bueno, una crisis diplomática o un secuestrador en libertad.

author: Andrea Arzaba


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Philippines: Village Ordinance Requires Prescriptions for Condoms · Global Voices
Julius Rocas

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.
The debate generated by the Reproductive Health bill has taken on an interesting if not bizarre twists, the latest of which is a recent village ordinance that has taken things to a whole new level.
And this is not your average village or barangay in the Philippines, the controversial new ordinance came from the affluent Ayala Alabang Village – a gated community famous for being the place where politicians, past presidents, celebrities and the rich take up residence.
The controversial new condom ordinance came from the affluent Ayala Alabang Village. Image by Flickr user robertelyov (06/11/10).
The village ordinance is ordinance entitled, “An Ordinance providing for the safety and protection of the unborn child within the Territorial jurisdiction of Barangay Ayala-Alabang; Fixing Penalties for its Violations, and for other purposes.”  It was passed on 3 January 2011.
In summary, it imposes restrictions on the sale and distribution of contraceptives which it labels as abortifacients and requires residents to have prescriptions from doctors in order to purchase such devices and medicines inside the village.
The ordinance may have the support of those who oppose the Reproductive Health bill, but the residents of Ayala Alabang Village – its very own subjects – and a vocal segment of the public who support the RH Bill have come out with interesting reactions to the new ordinance.
Ayala Alabang Village resident and famous international singing star herself Lea Salonga has expressed her disgust with the village ordinance:
Upon reading the ordinance, I was instantly outraged. What right, constitutional or otherwise, does another human being, plus an entire barangay, have to what I practice in the privacy of my bedroom? No one has a say in how my husband and I express ourselves sexually, or what contraceptive measures we decide to employ, or not employ. I detest being told what to do, in general… even more so when it comes to something as personal and as privates as this.
The Vincenton Post dismisses the policy that is at the core of the assailed village ordinance:
The phrase “to equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn child from conception” smacks of utter hypocrisy! There is no “unborn child” to be protected yet when we’re talking about the use of condoms. To protect a non-existing entity is to disregard the existence of those who exist. There is the actual, living, breathing human body to be protected FIRST against sexually transmitted diseases or even unwanted pregnancy.
Jam points out that practically speaking, the ordinance is easy to get around with:
Methinks that this ordinance is way pointless. It’s as if Brgy. Ayala Alabang is an isolated place. People can buy over-the-counter condoms everywhere.
A contributor on ThePhilippines.PH sees the Catholic Church's influence in the passage of this ordinance:
Their ordinance have really vestiges of Catholic Church influence which they of course research first to validate and legalized the ordinance which according to former health secretary Dr. Carmencita N. Reodrica that the bill the atty. Of Ayala Alabang village base their ordinance is already obsolete and no more applicable on a modern democratic-open minded world. But how come it was approved if it is already obsolete bill? There is something fishy on it; Catholic Church is very influential among the rich Christians in the Philippines.
Ms Imelda brings it all back to the debate about the RH Bill seeing how the Ayala Alabang Village council have jumped the gun on Congress:
This is all about the RH Bill, which, in my opinion should be passed right away. If they're saying the State has no right to promote the use of contraception, the State should have no right to discourage or ban it as well. The RH Bill only provides and informs people of their options, and making such options available to them, which is the State's responsibility.
Aside from all the heavy talk about rights, the Constitution and the role of the State, Kiks asks a few questions few would dare:
With its new, out-of-this-world ordinance requiring consumers to show a doctor's prescription before buying a condom or any contraceptive, is Barangay Ayala-Alabang now the new breeding ground for un-gloved love?
Is it going Greek?
The ordinance had become so controversial, Ayala Alabang became a trending topic on Twitter hours after the news broke out.
oliboycastro: No more carnappers and drug dealers in Ayala Alabang, only condom pushers.
Minna—♥: Next time I go to the Philippines, I start my own condom business in Brgy Ayala Alabang.
janvynator: Anyone who disagrees with the new ordinance in Ayala Alabang, raise your penis. Oh i meant hands. :))
SagadaSun: Ayala Alabang's Barangay Council is the laughing stock of the world not because they are stupid, but because they are SERIOUS. #rhbill
As of writing, the City Council of Muntinlupa has suspended the implementation of the ordinance with the Ayala Alabang village officials to face sanctions if they will insist on implementing it.
This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.

author: Julius Rocas


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Sri Lanka: The Process Of Making An Insurance Claim · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rajaratarala describes the long process of making an insurance claim in Sri Lanka, resulting from an accident.


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Tunisia: Prime Minister Resigns Following a Bloody Saturday · Global Voices
Afef Abrougui

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Interim government Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannoushi has stepped down following a bloody Saturday in the capital Tunis. The clashes that started on Friday night in Habib Bourguiba Avenue, between security forces and protesters led to the death of three people.  These acts of violence followed a peaceful and massive demonstration on Friday in front of the Interior Ministry. It is almost a certainty that this rioting and the acts of deliberately damaging public and private properties were organized and prepared in advance. However, the question remains on who is responsible.
On its Facebook page, the Interior Ministry confirms that these acts were organised but gave no comments or hints on who is to blame:
Hbib Bouguiba Avenue on Friday afternoon, photo by Khaled Nciri
عمد بعض الأشخاص من مثيري الشّغب الذين اندسّوا في صفوف المتظاهرين سلميّا واستخدموا مجموعة من الشبان في سن الدراسة  دروعا بشرية للقيام بأعمال شغب وحرق وعنف بعد ظهر اليوم السبت 26 فيفري 2011  مستعملين العصي والحجارة
A Tunisian blogger says:
Et voila que même le ministère le confirme, ce qui se passe à l'avenue HB, ce sont des actes préparés à l'avance et visent à délégitimer le sit-in de la Kasbah, message à tout tunisien ayant même une petite goûte de patriotisme, soyez vigilant, pas de violence, pas de destruction, c'est notre Tunisie, quelque soit vos convictions, pour ou contre le gouvernement, ne vous laissez pas manipuler; semer le désordre c'est justement là ou on veut nous mener…
Nicolas Beau, a French journalist and writer, describes the Avenue Habib Bourguiba following the bloody Saturday:
Ce matin dimanche, l'avenue Bourguiba, où des casseurs ont à nouveau sévi dans la nuit sans que la police n'intervienne vraiment, est fermé aux voitures, mais aussi aux passants.
He adds:
On voit en effet des supplétifs de la police, jeunes et en tennis, armés de longues lattes de bois, frapper méthodiquement et violemment, les jeunes manifestants et les traquer dans les halls d'immeuble. Pour peu qu'un portable soit aperçu, et immédiatement les nervis le fracassent, de peur des photos.
On Sunday, the confrontations continue in Hbib Bourguiba Avenue.
Lina Ben Mheni, a human rights activist (@benmhenilina) tweets:
DES bombes lacrymogènes à l'Avenue Habib Bourguiba le cauchemar continue
The acts of violence and vandalism did not take place only in Tunis, but also in the province of Kasserine, situated in west-central Tunisia.
Abu Sofiane (@AbuSofiane) tweets:
ce qui c'est passé à kasserine est ignoble ! ce gouvernement doit démissionné ce sont des criminels
Kais elloumi (@kaiselloumi) tweets:
les évènements de Kasserine ne semblent pas être spontanés…. bizarre qu'ils coïncident avec le grand rassemblement de La Kasba
In reaction to these violent events, the residents of Kasserine held a massive rally on Saturday against all acts of violence and vandalism but also against the interim government. According to http://thalasolidaire.over-blog.com:
Aujourd’hui, des milliers de manifestants sont dans les rues de Kasserine pour dénoncer ces pillages et ces incendies des institutions publiques et pour exiger, en même temps, la dissolution du gouvernement Ghannouchi
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Afef Abrougui


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Africa: Let’s Talk About African Governments · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

lgazissax discusses African governments: “The uprisings in northern Africa and the Middle East had gotten me wondering about certain things I’d read about problems of African government in general, and I wanted to see how they played out in different countries.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Argentina: Hackathons and Budget Transparency in Bahía Blanca · Global Voices
Renata Avila

As we have witnessed in the last month, there are moments in civic life that drive citizens to change and challenge institutions, to create solutions and to express their concerns about things that matter. In a short interview with Renata Avila for the Technology for Transparency Network, Manuel Aristarian, an Argentinian leading several different initiatives, shared his views on data and the tools to turn data into a valuable asset for citizens, to claim their rights and demand transparency. He is the man behind Gasto Público Bahiense in Bahía Blanca and GarageLab.
Manuel Aristarian
When Manuel Aristaran (@manuelaristaran) heard the news about controversial contracts by the local government in the Argentinian city of Bahía Blanca, he explored its website and noticed that expenses by the municipality were simply not accessible: they were published in a long list and without tools to explore the data, and the format did not offer an efficient and effective way to watch the expenses. He decided to solve that problem and take transparency in Bahía Blanca to the next level, a more participatory one.
RA: Why did you start your project?
MA: I've always been interested in public policies and the real impact of data on how they're designed. After the news of some controversial purchases made by the government of Bahía Blanca broke out, I learned that its website contains information about some of the public contracts and purchases. Those documents were published as a long list, and the municipality's site doesn't provide any additional tools to explore that information. I thought that scraping, structuring and building a simple site to display that information (that is, transforming data into knowledge) might be a nice weekend project. After few weekends, I released Gasto Público Bahiense.
RA: Why did you get involved?  What is your inspiration to dedicate your weekends to Gasto Público Bahiense?
MA: I think that involvement in public affairs is impossible if we don't understand how the government works. In other words, you can't commit to something you don't understand. Making government data available in a simple, concise and clear way is a step in the direction of “educating” people about their actions of their government.
RA: How are things changing after the release of your idea? Any success stories?
MA: There's been some reaction from inside the government: the city's legislative body declared the site of ‘municipal interest’. The project also succeeded in educating some government officials on the importance of publishing  information in open and standard formats.
RA: Can you describe the obstacles and barriers you overcome to create your project?
MA: The lack of good government data and the lack of a solid legal framework that guarantees that they won't stop publishing the information just because. In Argentina, the OpenData grassroots movement is just starting. Together with other transparency NGOs, we're trying to think of ways of raising awareness about the importance of making governments more transparent and accountable. That, I hope, will lead to better policies of transparency and information.
RA: As a concerned citizen, do you want other local governments to do the same? Are you sharing your knowledge and expertise with others? Tell me more about “the power of shared code”.
MA: During an Open Data Hackathon, the code that powers Gasto Público Bahiense was used to display purchase data from other local governments in Argentina.  Anyone can grab the code and adapt it. It just had to write the code that extracts the data from those cities’ websites.
RA: Your idea has inspired others to explore the potential of open data, right? How are people using your tool?
MA: Yes, different actors have used my project in many ways, for example hyperlocal news outlets used the website as source, businesses that sell to the local government use the site to check on their competitors, and when government purchases are available, consumers can access a good reference to compare prices.
It is well known that corruption in Argentina is widespread and hinders the political system and the economic growth, in spite of its highly educated citizens. However, “social entrepreneurs” like Manuel use their skills to foster change and invite others to copy the idea and do the same, everywhere.

author: Renata Avila


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Australia: ‘Tea Party’ Style Campaign Against Carbon Tax · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Millicent wind farm, South Australia at sunrise. Image by Flickr user Bush Philosopher – Dave Clarke (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
If the Oz blogosphere is any indication, the next Australian Federal election will be a referendum on a proposed climate tax. And the issue has already become nasty and personal:
Prime Minister Julia Gillard endured a fiery morning on talkback radio today as she came out swinging in the political war over her plans to put a price on Australia's carbon emissions.
Yesterday Ms Gillard announced the scheme would start from July 2012 but did not say how much carbon would cost and gave no firm date for it to become a fully fledged emissions trading scheme.
Gillard comes out swinging in carbon war
Simon at Australian Climate Madness is no fan of climate action. He focused on a broken election promise from 2010 accusing the PM of being a liar:
Climate Madness of the Year. Julia Gillard, who lied to the Australian people before the last election that there would be no carbon tax, has today announced just such a tax as part of a price on carbon. As readers of this blog will know, a price on carbon will do nothing whatsoever for the climate, and will simply damage Australia's standard of living and economy. In other words, it is a pointless environmental gesture designed to appease the extremist Greens, on whom Gillard is so dependent.
Abbott: “people's revolt” against carbon tax
At Embrace Australia Robert Pearce presented a very different view of global warming and the need for action:
Despite the cost that will go hand in hand with the carbon tax, Mr Abbot seems oblivious to the long term necessity of a carbon based tax in order to steer the economy toward a low carbon future and to reward those who make inroads to this future and to punish those who disregard the planet’s future.
Gillard Under Fire For Proposal Of Carbon Tax
Former South African Ozzie Saffa describes his blog as ‘my tribute to South Africa; the fall of the USA and Europe; race relations; the future of Australia; Islamisation of the world; and the global warming farce.’ The attack on the carbon tax was reminiscent of the U.S. Tea Party rhetoric against Barack Obama:
Australia is angry – Australia is angry that its clueless socialist Labor government is running the country into the ground.
… any way you look at it, it is robbing the rich/middle classes (non- welfare claimers) to pay for the poor and who already suck off the welfare teat. Classic Socialism 101
Julia Gillard's carbon tax a betrayal
Gary Sauer-Thompson's Public Opinion bemoans the politicisation of the issue:
It is also unclear whether this agreement will be designed to reduce Australia’s contribution to climate change, or whether it’s a political fix that postpones the issue of emissions trading yet again. At this stage I'm inclined towards a political fix scenario until events indicate otherwise.
In this round the fight will be about politics — not policy, not evidence, and not science. The Coalition, the big polluters, mining industry and the conservative media will fight this policy to the death.
ALP bites the bullet on climate change?
Grog’s Gamut aka Greg Jericho had a detailed analysis of the political positions of the leaders:
The biggest fight of this political generation starts today. Both Abbott and Gillard love to fight, the problem for Abbott is that for the last 6 months Gillard seemed to have nothing to fight for. She now does. She looked confident at the press conference, and looked like she welcomed the fight in parliament.
On the day she became PM she said to Abbott, “Game on”.
It sure is now.
On the QT: Abbott sings the song of angry men; Gillard’s the Master of the House
Rightjab, a regular online critic of Islam, is also enraged by climate action:
This will make no difference to global temperatures. But the government will control every aspect of our lives.
Orwellian Orstralia
Harry Clarke who writes On economics, politics & other things gave measured support to the announcement rather than an emotive response:
I am pleased that the Australian Government will introduce a carbon tax of sorts from July next year – a common guess is that it will be about $26 per tonne CO2 although the size of the tax has not yet been announced.  Then an emissions trading scheme in 3-5 years after that.  The little information available on these pricing plans is provided by Peter Martin here.  The ‘on-again’, ‘off-again’ attempts to price carbon in Australia make me more than a little cautious but certainly this is the best news for years.  From what I can read, Tony Abbott has committed to oppose the measure now but not yet agreed to revoke it if he should gain power at the next election – it is easy to understand this since the Liberal Party do not have anything approximating a credible policy on climate. Julia Gillard and the Labor Party now face the task of selling the proposed measures to the Australian people.
Carbon pricing for Australia
Café Whispers is a group blog where I sometimes post. Nasking did not hold back in his criticism of the Opposition leader Tony Abbott:
It seems to this blogger he’s an attention seeker with the morality of an infant at times…who speaks trolleyfulls of drivel…a desperate contortionist negabore who has become a blott on the political landscape…a barbed wire hurdle for the public who want reform that is for the public good…a liability for a Coalition that have been severely divided by his fear-mongering, dog whistling, say NO to everything, mouth before wicket approach.
He was one of many to ridicule Abbott’s attempts at Churchillian hyperbole:
“We will fight this every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month,”
(When not doing Churchill impressions for the mirror…fighting on the beaches…and cycling like a manic on steroids)
Abbott’s Drivel Continues
Menzies House, ‘the leading Australian community for conservative, centre-right and libertarian thinkers and activists’, is named after another famous conservative Prime Minister, Australia’s Liberal Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies. It has started a new online presence to ramp up the campaign:
Menzies House is proud to annouce its latest project – www.StopGillardsCarbonTax.com
We all know that this carbon tax is nothing more than a shameless grab for cash by the Gillard-Brown government. It will do nothing to help the environment, and will seriously hurt Australian families and businesses.
It will damage the economy, cost jobs, and force households to pay hundreds of dollars in extra taxes.
New MH Project: Stop Gillard's Carbon Tax
I wonder what lover of the Queen's English, Bob Menzies, would have made of the ‘annouce’ typo.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Bahamas: The Right to Speak Out  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I always have and always will speak up when my rights as a homeowner, a citizen and a human being are being threatened”: Womanish Words believes that her voice is the most powerful tool she has.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bahrain: Protests Block National Assembly Building · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
Anti government protesters on Monday morning blocked the National Council building where both Parliament and the Shura (Consultative) Councils hold their weekly sessions. The reason for the protest in front of the National Assembly is to topple the bicameral system in addition to the protesters’ other demands for a new constitution and the toppling of the regime.
The National Assembly is made up of 40 members of Parliament, elected by the people, and another 40 Shura Council members, appointed by the King.
@Nabeelrajab #Bahrain #feb14 في تطور نوعي المتظاهرون يحوطون بمجلس الشورى والنواب في البحرين
@DrFAHAD3500 400 protesters blocking the main gate of the parliament… WTH we have work to do!!!
Protesters block the entrance of the National Council buildings in Manama. Image courtesy of Bahrain Online
@bahrain14feb @manamavoice1 صوت المنامة #14Feb #Bahrain فيديو ٢ لإغلاق شباب ١٤ فبراير بوابة مجلس الشورى http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0n-jhLD-Cs
Video uploaded by YouTube user manamavoice1
In a friendly gesture, Al-Shura council staff brought water to the protesters..
@manamavoice1 #14Feb #Bahrain مجلس الشورى يوزع الماء علي المحتجين والشباب يرد عليهم شكرًا لكم http://yfrog.com/gy48sypj
Al-Shura council staff bringing water bottles for the protesters out the National Council building
Although some reports said that only eight of the original 40 Shura council members were attending the session, other reports said that the Shura council decided to hold an extraordinary session to discuss the current situation in the country.
@manamavoice1 #14Feb #Bahrain يوجد حاليا في مجلس الشورى فقط ٨ اعضاء وصدر قرار من المجلس غلق الأبواب ومنع دخول اي احد ومن المتوقع ان تلغى الجلسة
@ifowzan مجلس الشورى ينهي جلسته بقرار عقد جلسة استثنائية يوم الأربعاء لمناقشة الأوضاع في البلاد ورفع توصياته الى طاولة الحوارالوطني..
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Yacoub Al-Slaise


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Caribbean: Bocas Announces Longlist · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature — which will be awarded for the first time this year — has announced its 2011 longlist of ten books”: Caribbean bloggers discuss.


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Central African Republic: Are citizens better off without elections · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Louisa writes a report about elections in the Central African Republic: Though it would be an overstatement to say that Central Africans would be better off without elections, it is hard to see how elections contribute to making people's concerns heard and responded to by capital-based leaders who like to “eat”.


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Côte d’Ivoire: Images of Vandalised Mosque in Yopougon · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Ibrahim Diarra posted pictures of a mosque in Yopougon, Côte d'Ivoire which he says was vandalised on February 26 by President Laurent Gbagbo's Young Patriots. The photos appeared on the Facebook page, Pour la paix, rien que la paix en Côte d'Ivoire (“For peace, nothing but peace”). Côte d'Ivoire has seen protests and violence for the 10 last days. The United Nations said they fear a civil war could reignite.

author: Julie Owono


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Cuba: Damas de Blanco Attacked  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bloggers discuss the latest crackdown on Cuban dissidents.


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Cuba: The Day Zapata Died  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Iván's File Cabinet remembers the day that hunger striker and prisoner of conscience Orlando Zapata Tamayo died.


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Cuba: Watching from Within  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“There has not [been] enough coverage or information to even begin to address the complexity of these events and the numberless perspectives interpreting them”: Graham Sowa blogs at Havana Times about watching the Middle East protests from Cuba.


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France: Demonstration in Paris Against Gabon Dictatorship · Global Voices
Julie Owono

This post is part of our special coverage of Gabon Unrest 2011.
The small West African country of Gabon has been experiencing weeks of political tension, as two governments – official and unofficial – have both lain claim to the presidency. On Sunday 27 February, 2011, self-proclaimed unofficial president André Mba Obame left [fr] the United Nations Development Programme building in capital Libreville, where he had been taking refuge.
The day before, 7,000 people [fr] gathered in the streets of French capital Paris to demonstrate against African dictators and the French government's alleged collusion with African dictatorial regimes.
Protesters left from Place de la République and headed to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, via 51 rue de l'Université, where Ali Bongo Ondimba (current official Gabonese president) owns a 140 million Euro mansion.
Both Gabonese and Libyan activists were present in the procession.
Procession of protestors against dictatorships in Africa passing near the Louvres Museum in Paris, France on 26 February, 2011. Image by author.
Gabonese activists demonstrating against official Gabon President Ali Bongo in Paris, France on February 26, 2011. Image by author.
While passing in front of President Ali Bongo's property, the procession paused to allow protestors to shout “Ali Bongo Dégage” (“Ali Bongo must go”), as show in this Youtube video by user AfricaWeWish:
This post is part of our special coverage of Gabon Unrest 2011.


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France: New Right-Leaning Website Enters the Fray · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Atlantico.fr, a new right-leaning website in French modeled on several American web successes (including The Atlantic and Politico) is quickly earning notoriety in France in expectation of what role it may play in upcoming national elections.

author: Solana Larsen


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Haiti: Preventable Suffering · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The earthquake did not kill people. Bad buildings killed people. Lack of medical care killed people. Lack of infrastructure killed people. Lack of caring government officials kill[s] people”: Dying in Haiti is convinced that “most Haitian suffering is not necessary and is preventable in the first place.”


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Honduras: Taxi Drivers and Teachers Strike · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

“La Gringa” blogs about a strike led by teachers and taxi drivers in La Ceiba on February 21. “This was the third national strike of the school year, which only began on Monday, February 14,” she writes.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Iran: A Blogger Who Prayed to See Protesters Beaten · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

After widespread protests in Iran on February 14, Iranian cyber-activists flooded the internet with videos, photos and tweets from the demonstrations. Meanwhile, a different interpretation of events exists. Iranian pro-government Islamist bloggers are also prolific when it comes to sharing their thoughts online.
One pro-government blogger Mehdi Fatemi Sedr wrote a detailed post in Farsi about how he and others, including Basij militia, engaged in violence against protesters on February 14.
From Enghlab street, I moved to Azadi street and made my chain ready. I was sure that we would be engaged in a fight. In Azadi street, there was no sign of police, everyone was surprised. A protester chanted “Down with the dictator” and another said “Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, Iran, Tunisia and Egypt….” We can expect nothing from our soldiers, I prayed for God to send Basijis from the heavens, and it seems our prayers were answered.
According to this blogger, Valentine's Day (February 14) is an “international day of prostitution”. By choosing this shameful day to protest, the blogger says the opposition movement of “Green male and female hypocrites” has already lost face by demonstrating to everyone that they have no religion.
Ahestan, another active Islamist blogger, considers what is happening in Iran as mere turbulence and nothing like the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. The blogger writes  [fa]:
The main problem with the so-called “Green movement” is that they always try to clone the [Iranian] Islamic Revolution, or the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions. Unfortunately it's not ordinary people but green movement leaders come to these conclusions alone, expecting the Iranian army to turn “Green” like the Egyptian army who joined the masses.
In another post, the same blogger made fun of the Greens and  by writing a fictional satirical story where the main Iranian opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi has become the president and holds a press conference on February 14 telling all the reporters that all revolutions in the past, present and future have roots in Green movement's experience, but that they themselves based their movement on Egypt's experience.
The blogger also claims that some February 14 videos on YouTube are fake and that new audio was added to old films where protesters are wearing short sleeve shirts, which is unlikely attire for the middle of winter in Tehran. Ahestan also writes that some tweets falsely called the February 14 demonstration a million-strong protest.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica: Nothing for the Youth?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“We too busy having dramatic, Days-of-our-lives type enquiries to stop for a minute and realise that this year, more than any other year to date, is all about us. It's about the African people. It's about youth”: Ruthibelle is dismayed that the UN International Year of Youth is not being celebrated in Jamaica.


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Japan: Football player exodus · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

At World Cup Blog, Aidan reflects on whether the exodus of soccer talents from Japan to European teams is a good thing for Japanese football. Considering the big number of players who left Japan recently, the blogger examines the positive and negative aspects of such trend.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Kyrgyzstan: Central Asia’s largest market affected by Customs Union · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Rahat reports that “Dordoi” – the largest market of Central Asia near Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, is experiencing a fall in sales with the establishment of the Customs Union by Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kyrgyzstan: Interim president won’t seek re-election · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Incumbent president of Kyrgyzstan Rosa Otunbaeva announced that she would not be taking part in the upcoming presidential elections, Malika reports.


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Kyrgyzstan: Parliament names mountain after the Russia’s strongman · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Kyrgyzstani parliamentarians voted in support of Kyrgyz Prime Minister's proposal to name a peak in the country’s northern Tian Shan range after his counterpart Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to “cement friendly ties between Kyrgyzstan and Russia”, Christya Riedel writes.


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Libya: “The only thing we want is our freedom” (Audio) · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
Sunday, February 27 brought another day of bloodshed in Libya, as an uprising against Colonel Muammar Al Gaddafi's 40-year rule continued into the 11th day.
International media reports say Gaddafi's grip on power in Libya is weakening by the hour, but the dictator still controls a massive amount of weaponry and an untold number of soldiers and foreign mercenaries. Gaddafi's son, Seif al-Islam, paints a different picture. He says the revolution is minor, and that troops loyal to the regime are regaining control of the country. The Gaddafi's insist they plan to live-and-die in Libya.
While the future is still unclear, below are testimonies from Libyans, who continue their lives in the face of police and military violence that has already claimed the lives of hundreds.
Voices from the ground
Feb17Voices is an online initiative to record phone calls from Libyans and transcribe, translate, and share them on the web. The people behind the project are also responsible for Jan25Voices, a similar project at the height of Egypt's recent protests. One caller explains that most stores are closed in Tripoli, Libya's capital.
The situation in Tripoli is very, very tumultuous. Out of 100 stores, maybe four are opened. Even the stores open are not at ease. If there are 10 entrances, maybe one is open.
Here is a video from Tripoli uploaded by  Ali Tweel, that shows people waiting for bread in Tripoli's Jraba Street.
Al Jazeera reported that many Libyans have been going missing, often kidnapped in front of their houses. A female caller from Tripoli speaks about trying to protect her family. Here is part of the transcript provided by Alive In Libya:
We are afraid, we are afraid because you know we are women, I have daughters here. Every house is armed only by knives. We have nothing else, but we have God. We believe in God, God’s here with us. We are not afraid of death.
This woman in Tripoli speaks about the thoughts and motivations of the protesters: “OK, kill us. We do or we'll be free. The only thing we want is our freedom.”
From the Libyan Youth Movement's page on Facebook, here are some notes regarding a phone call between a Libyan living in the UK and his brother who remains in Libya.
The confirmed minimum death toll in Benghazi is 800+ alone and national is 2,000 + considering those figures there are many unaccounted for missing, and the solders who refused to fight were cremated and many are also unaccounted for, so the death toll could easily be double. there has been massacres in Zawiya and other cities in the west. One of our neighbours have been missing for 3 days then found in a fridge of the hospital who was unaccounted for.
Also on Alive in Libya is a translated conversation with a radio reporter from Benghazi, who disagrees with the government's official line that all is well in Libya.
In Zawiya, a town 30 miles west of Tripoli (Gaddafi's main stronghold) international media reported the opposition have taken control. On Twitter, here are a few of the messages that appeared on Sunday.
@jrug: Zawiya locals say anti aircraft guns used against people & shooting from minaret. Rebel flag flying over main Sq, Gaddafi picture gone
@jrug: With a tank which has defected. Large crowd shouting down down with the regime – Zawiya
@EnoughGaddafi: Red crescent says cleared to get all the way to Zawiya but that security situation has changed, it is unsafe 2 travl towards #tripoli #feb17
This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.

author: John Liebhardt


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Macedonia: Musings on the Early Elections · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

The Macedonian public is furiously discussing the justification and timing of the upcoming early elections.
Right-wing bloggers, who happen to be the supporters of the current government, uniformly republished the video of the PM's speech [MKD] without the “need to comment further” (+ transcript [MKD]), or republished [MKD] propagandistic video clips from the pro-government TV channels.
A screenshot of part of a post on the Volan blog, with images of the current PM Nikola Gruevski (VMRO-DPMNE) and his nemesis Branko Crvenkovski (SDSM).
Possibly the most popular Macedonian blogger Volan, who generates over 400 daily visits according to his SiteMeter, published a more thorough analysis [MKD] (edited for length):
Until his trip to the U.S.A., which disgracefully ended without a joint press conference with his hosts–and resulted in very different press statements about the content of the talks by the [Macedonian] and [American] administrations–Gruevski refused the call to elections. You remember that in December he said it was not time for elections, but time for reforms. After the meetings in the U.S.A. he now wants elections fast, possibly tomorrow.
Until yesterday, Crvenkovski dreamed of the early elections, and now blackmails with preconditions, delays the term for some weeks later. His tactics seems to remain to have the elections as late as possible, counting on the increasing loss of support for the current government over time…
Here's the point. According to many sources, Gruevski is losing about 10,000 voters per month. His existing voters may defect to [Ljube Boškoski] or [Ljubčo Georgievski], who announced his return from ‘political retirement.’ Some estimate that up to a third of VMRO-DPMNE members are dissatisfied and can turn to right-wing parties from the opposition.
On the other hand, if Crvenkovski announces that if his party wins, he personally won't take part in the administration, he can gain the vote of many currently undecided voters, estimated to make up about 55% of the electorate.
Up till now we've seen only cheap pre-election bickering. For the second time, Gruevski successfully changes the promises to the U.S. administration into elections. The result of 2011 may differ from 2008. These days he manages to recover with statements that it is not him who initiated the elections. The opposition must respond with action – or will lose the momentum of the ratings’ trends…
At the request of VMRO-DPMNE spokesman Aleksandar Bichikliski, made in a Facebook discussion, media expert Roberto Belichanec discussed some of the opposition's conditions in a lengthy blog post [MKD]. He noted that instead of closing down A1 TV, the government could find a solution that would leave this media outlet functioning, alongside continuing the tax evasion investigation against its owner, and securing the assets that can be used as a guarantee for repayment of the debt:
Simply put, elections with only the pro-government media are not fair elections! That's it.
The second demand by Crvenkovski, to define by law the distribution of funds for electoral campaign is also to gain a level playing field and prevent corruption with public money… I think it's complete stupidity to establish egalitarianism in market economy. Political advertising is foolish in general, and also dangerously foolish, and should be either prohibited–when done by political parties–or limited to cases where campaigns are really needed, with a clear goal and under tight evaluation and parliamentary control–when the government is concerned. This kind of advertising produces corrupt relationships between politicians and the media, influences the coverage and promotes competing with money, not ideas, and so on. Most European countries forbid political advertising because it is antidemocratic in its essence. On the other hand, Branko [Crvenkovski] […] needs a practical solution instead of going to a match where referees are on the payroll of his adversary. So it's foolish if we apply expert criteria, but it is understandable from the viewpoint of the need for fair play. But I am against this condition. It is better to regulate this issue after the elections, because there's no time for a quality solution before then. VMRO can solve this in five minutes. But a fast solution might be faulty, and here temporary solutions tend to remain permanent.
Belichanec also addressed the government's perception of NGOs as just another PR element, referring to the surge of new “NGOs” that appear in the media to publicly criticize the opposition:
If an NGO deals with a political issue, it wants to talk politics based on its own positions, not to confirm or deny the positions of political actors, based on the needs of political parties. […] According to VMRO, NGOs serve only as propaganda tools. The second thing that he did not understand, unlike the old Alliance of Socialist People which had the goal to confirm the sinlessness of the ruling party, is that the contemporary NGOs are a loose network, often have narrow focuses (media, women, abortion, people with disabilities, youth, etc.) and react in an uncoordinated manner or coordinate ad hoc. If a larger grouping of NGOs seriously considers that the opposition's activity is so dangerous for Macedonia, it will probably react.
In my personal opinion, SDSM leaving the Parliament represented the height of the political crisis in the country. But you can draw your own conclusions from that…
[…]
If the spirit of inclusion and consensus does not dominate over the spirit of exclusion and conflict, if the political competition is not based on argumentation instead of arrogance, there's no democracy. Therefore I would call [the political actors] to…
Sit together and make no statements that each will go alone to elections, or that someone will remain obstinate till the end, but to solve all issues that would create conditions for fair elections.
And without low blows… Without hysterical statements… Without quarreling who wanted and who did not want the elections. Without noise and anger…
It is a shame that the best elections in Macedonia took place in 1991, organized by the totalitarian structure, while you, the democrats cannot make a decent election in 20 years.
You owe this to Macedonia, because it feeds you and has tolerated you for too long. You've given very little back…
Vasko Krajchevski wrote [MKD] he was provoked by the announcements for urgent early elections:
First, I must say I am sick of the black-and-white world of Gruevski and Crvenkovski, who try to brainwash us into thinking they are the only actors on the political scene in Macedonia. If they had some democratic sense, neither would Branko come back from retirement, nor would Nikolche insist on his return. With their cadre, the general mood and conditions on the ground, nothing can guarantee that the next four years would be different, except for a difference of an MP or two. What good will come out of that? New demands for elections next year [no matter who wins…]
[…]
To conclude. I support the early elections, but no earlier than the first half of October. In the meantime, we need conditions for the smaller players to run the race on equal footing with the self-declared leading pair. That would be democracy. Putting the national interest above the narrow interest of your political party…

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Macedonia: Online Advertising in 2010 · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Natalija Trajchevska presented a review of online advertising market in Macedonia [MKD] during 2010 on the e-Marketing blog. Most of the money went to entertainment content providers.


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Macedonia: Ruined Monuments  · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Partikopolis‘ photos document vandalism against monuments [MKD] in Strumica: “…if this was a multi-ethnic community, then the ‘others’ would be blamed. Since it is not – nobody cares…”


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Malaysia: Rally against ‘racist’ book · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A rally was held by Malaysian Indians in Kuala Lumpur to protest the continuing use of Interlok novel in schools. The controversial book, according to protesters, discriminates against the Indian community.

author: Mong Palatino


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Maldives: Abolishing the Government Bond system · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hassan Ziyau asks whether abolishing the Government Bond system in Maldives would be a wise decision.

author: Rezwan


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Mexico: Photos of Tlacotalpan, “the most colourful place in the globe” · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Catherine from Small Fish in the Big Taco shares colour coded images of “a very sleepy town in the state of Veracruz….namely Tlacotalpan.” She calls Tlacotalpan, “the most colourful place in the globe!!”


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Oman: Protests Continue in Sohar · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

The waves of Arab revolt have reached the shores of Oman as hundreds of Omanis take to the streets in calls for reform and the end of corruption in different areas across the Sultanate.
Protests continued in Sohar, the industrial hub and where the Sohar Industrial Port is located in, as over 1000 protesters blocked the entrance to this vital industrial hub on Monday:
@SultanAlQassemi Al Hurra: Eyewitnesses: 1,000 protesters block entrance to Port Sohar. Chants of “We want reform” #Oman
@mehindaa #oman #saudi #kuwait #uae #qatar محتجون يغلقون مدخل ميناء صحار اليوم، ثاني أكبر الموانئ بعُمان http://twitpic.com/44oki2
Pro reform protesters block the Sohar Port entrance
@RebaBerry #Oman: roads to main export port blocked.
Other protesters have shown their anger against the killings between protesters by riot police by torching a hypermarket and a branch of the Ministry of Labour.
@mehindaa #oman #saudi #kuwait #qatar #uae دخان يرتفع من مبنى تابع لمكتب وزارة القوى العاملة في صحار بعُمان اليوم http://twitpic.com/44o963
Fire at Ministry of Labour and Workforce branch in Sohar, Oman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQe1iR4nrXc
by YouTube user freeoman1 who writes:
احتراق مركز لولو التجاري نتيجة لقتل قوات الأمن في سلطنة عمان لمجموعة من المتظاهرين .
Oman's Sultan Qaboos has ordered a number of concessions to help ease the tension in the Sultanate by ordering 50,000 new jobs and seeking the demands of the Sohar protesters.
@3alfailakawi قابوس: يوفد اليوم شخصيات سياسية الى صحار للاستماع لمطالب المعتصمين والمحتجين
@SultanAlQassemi ONA: Sultan Qaboos of Oman orders the Employment of 50,000 Citizens http://bit.ly/dRbHVZ
Following are more reactions from Twitter, curated yesterday:
@muscati: @chanadbh please keep in mind, none of the demonstrations in Oman numbered more than a few hundred and they're all 100% pro the sultan
@Maithams: Something is happening in #Sohar hospital emergency!! Ppl injured! I'll go check! #oman
@Thereluctantmum: right now in sohar, a police station's been stoned and people have been tear-gassed. nearly 150 people.
@khokhz: When will they ever learn!? “@Maithams: CONFIRMED: 12 injured& 1 died in #Sohar #Oman most of them from gunshot wounds! 2 r in surgery!”
@spinonspin: scene in #sohar no longer “green march.” protestors provoking police. police responding with gas, smoke. no gunshots but rocks from my perch
@spinonspin: protestor in #sohar saw camera and urged me take pic. “just like gaddafi.” had to wonder if he's seen footage from #libya.
@spinonspin: situation not good in sohar. police and protesters throwing rocks at each other. smoke bombs. onlookers edge up and then run away. #oman
@Maithams: They burned a “gas truck” in protest near the police station! Thats when the shooting started #Oman #Sohar
@Mo3athooo: a picture of a protester covered by smoke…you can see the rock on his hand http://twitpic.com/44b6wp #Sohar
@momina95: Uh what's happening to peaceful sohar :/ The Middle East is SERIOSULY transitioning. I hope Omanis don't follow the footsteps of #gadafi.
@momina95: There were protests against low incomes and unemployment here in Sohar, northern city of Oman. Police used teargas @AJEnglish @cnnbrk
@savannahterr88: I'm living in Salalah, Oman, where protests started yesterday. They are peaceful, but they are sort of hopping on the wave of protest…
@spinonspin: need journalists in #sohar to interview people, record scene, confirm citizen accounts. lots of emotion. #oman please send your reporters.
@LV_1: I hope those tweeting from Sohar, Oman will exercise restraint and won't get carried away at the prospect of instant twitter stardom.
@LV_1: Please be careful in tweeting abt events in Sohar, Oman. Those not here, do not understand nuances and may blow it out of proportion.


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Pakistan: Dog Fight In Abbottabad District · Global Voices
Rezwan

Adil Najam at All Things Pakistan reports about the practice of dog fight sport near the village of Lora in Abbottabad District, which is cruel and horrific.


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Peru: Ex-Minister Asked US Embassy to Help Contain Opponent’s Presidential Campaign  · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

This post is part of our special coverage WikiLeaks and the World.
As reported earlier, on February 19th Spanish newspaper El Pais [es] released a cable stating that “Fernando Rospigliosi, former Minister of the Interior in the government of Alejandro Toledo, asked the assistance of the United States Embassy to carry a campaign against Ollanta Humala.” Peruvian media quickly rebounded the news that rocked the local political environment.
But the existence of this cable was rumored a few days before. On the 15th, the U.S. ambassador in Peru, Rose M. Likins, and Humala talked [es] about it; the latter denounced [es] it as an usurpation of Peruvian democracy. It should be noted that the embassy rejected the claim.
On Saturday 19th, when the cable was released, former President Toledo was quick to declare [es] that he had nothing to do with that meeting, and one of his closest colleagues, Charles Bruce, said [es] that when the Rospigliosi meeting took place, he was not a part of Toledo’s government. Ollanta Humala meanwhile harshly criticized both former Minister Rospigliosi [es] and former President Toledo [es]. Rospigliosi accepted the veracity of the cable and said [es] it was a personal choice because he thought Humala was a danger to democracy.
The cable was translated into Spanish [es] by blogger Carlos Quiroz. In Storify you can see a list [es] of some tweets in the aftermath of the publication.
Reactions in blogs also emerged, mainly focused to the appropriateness of requesting to foreign help in domestic affairs. Herbert Castro wrote [es] in his blog that these facts are nothing but treason and adds his opinion on who would stand to benefit:
No pues. Así no se juega. Rospi, Tienes que reconocer que quedaste como una zapatilla y lo único que te queda es pedirles disculpas, tanto a Ollanta como a la opinión pública, a la que te debes como periodista. […] Ahora sí Humala tendrá suficientes razones para gritar en calles y plazas lo sucio que le jugaron. Y tú como periodista lo sabes, la víctima siempre saca dividendos.
Habría que recordar que la versión de Rospigliosi que “no veía a Toledo desde el 2004” contrasta con su inicial aparición pública como parte del actual equipo de campaña de Toledo-aunque renunciara después, a lo mejor por lo que todos sospechamos-; también que Rubén Vargas, el acompañante de Rospigliosi en la embajada, sea ahora miembro de la Comisión de Plan de Gobierno de Toledo. En fin, las sospechas Rospigliosi-Toledo continuarán por buen tiempo. Aunque hay otra versión, la que dice que Rospigliosi-Vargas iban a informar y aconsejar a la embajada por el vil dinero de una consultoría.
Journalist Raul Wiener also discusses [es] in his blog the reasons for the now notorious conversation:
Toledo se propuso crear una crisis internacional en relación a las elecciones peruanas, en las que interviniera Estados Unidos y por supuesto soltara dinero, como lo hizo en la crisis del 2000, de lo que Toledo nunca dio cuentas. Rospigliosi no fue a una de sus tantísimas reuniones de asesoría a los gringos en las cosas en las que dice ser especialista, sino a tratar sobre cooperación de gobiernos en una campaña electoral dentro del Perú.
In the blog Ideeleradio there is a transcript [es] of an interview with Alberto Adrianzen, congressional candidate for Humala, in which, among other things, he speaks about how the media is covering the issue:
Acá hay un proceso mediático, por ejemplo, El Comercio [hoy] pone ‘Asesor de Humala intercedió por él ante embajador de EE.UU.’ y se refiere a Salomón Lerner Ghitis. Lo pone en letras de molde grande y [ayer] puso lo de [Fernando] Rospigliosi, una tira y abajo, [pone] esto que es 200 mil veces menor de lo que hizo Rospigliosi. Lo que diga Lerner al embajador americano, de que Humala es honesto, razonable, es distinto a una contracampaña contra Ollanta Humala. Me parece francamente poco ético de El Comercio”
At the other end, Raul Mendoza Canepa says that [es] Rospigliosi has been consistent with what he always preaches and branded those who accuse him as “Pharisees.”
As expected, it is on TV where space is given to Rospigliosi to explain and give his version of what happened, as seen in this interview [es] on “Prensa Libre.” But on the other hand, in an interview at Canal N [es] he did not fare so well. La Republica newspaper conducted a survey on the subject, “55% believes that Rospigliosi was right to ask the U.S. Embassy to help stop Humala, while 45% believe the contrary.” Interestingly, in an article [es] in the same newspaper, where Rospigliosi wrote to justify his actions, and where Humala is accused of distorting and manipulating the cable to use it for his own convenience, the vast majority of comments from readers reject the former minister’s action. In any case it seems that this will continue as a topic of conversation for a few more days, until another revelation comes to the fore.
This post is part of our special coverage WikiLeaks and the World.

author: Juan Arellano


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Philippines: Laptop registration proposal · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Tonyo Cruz from the Philippines gathers online reactions to the proposal of a government agency to require the registration of laptops to prevent cybercrimes.


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Russia: Police Receives Right to Close Websites Without Court Order · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Starting March 1, 2011, new law “On Police” [RUS] grants Russian police the right to order the heads of hosting companies to terminate the activity of those Internet resources that infringe Russian or International law or endanger individual or public security. Previously, police needed a court order to close a website. The current legal framework gives much more freedom for content removal at Russia-based hosting platforms.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Singapore: Doctor charges patient with $24.8 million bill · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Anonymous_X gathers news reports about a doctor in Singapore who charged her patient from Brunei with a $24.8 million bill


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Singapore: “Flawed” immigration policy · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Sgpolitics.net comments about the ‘flawed’ immigration policy of the Singapore government which favors the hiring of more foreign workers at the expense of its local workforce.


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Singapore: Human rights record · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Spotlight on Singapore compares the human rights record of Singapore with Hong Kong and comments that Singapore is trailing in the area of political freedom.


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Singapore: Runaway maids · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Flying Low reacts to the news about the increasing number of runaway maids in Singapore.


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South Korea:Protest Against Foreign Finance’s Encroachment · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Tajikistan: Egyptian echo makes the government mull constitutional reform · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Alpharabius reports on the plethora of new laws curtailing Islamic religious practice and the slew of house demolitions that all seem to point toward a government that’s simultaneously nervous and ambitious amidst rumored constitutional reform.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Saving by Sou Sou  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“A sou sou is structured where one person will be in charge of collecting monies from a group of people. All the monies collected will be given to one person in the group, on selected dates, and it rotates that way until each person has received what they call, a ‘hand'”: Outlish suggests this centuries-old tradition still has value today.


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Death Penalty · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Faced with a major problem with serious crime in Trinidad & Tobago, the current government is ( rather predictably) pushing for the reimplementation of the death penalty”: Globewriter is heartened by “a few young activists who are…speaking out” against the move.


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Turks & Caicos, Barbados: Disappearing Blog  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The tcipost blog “disappeared overnight without notice”; Barbados Free Press comes to the rescue.


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Ukraine: Choosing to Leave · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

Since becoming independent in 1991, Ukraine has seen several waves of emigration, with the numbers gradually declining after the early 1990s. Nevertheless, according to Migration Information Source, the share of those choosing to leave for the West continues to increase [ENG].
Selling in Yalta, Ukraine, 10 September 2010. Image by Flickr user sugarmelon.com (CC BY-NC 2.0).
With the country hit hard by the recent economic crisis and most citizens disillusioned [RUS] with Ukrainian politicians and disappointed with the overall economic and political situation, more and more discussions about emigration alternatives have been appearing online.
About half a year ago, Yevgeniy R. created a website called Party of the Positive Pessimists [RUS], in order to gather and publish stories of those who have recently decided to leave Ukraine. He claims [RUS] that, since its launch, the site has had over 20,000 visitors, about 200 people have sent in their stories, and over 100 of them have been published.
Below is a concise translation of the answers [RUS] that the website users provided to the crucial questions facing future emigrants:
You do realize that there [abroad] you would be a second-rate citizen, right?
Roman L. wrote [RUS]:
The less your lifestyle differs from that of the locals, the less you are perceived as an outsider […]
Twitter user @felenkaa wrote [RUS]:
When exactly has any one of you felt “first rate” in your Motherland? Tell me what features of being “first rate” you are so afraid to lose? I want to see that list very, very (!) much. […]
User Bnorris wrote [RUS]:
I would say that in developed countries [social equality] is present even more, as strange as it may seem. I mean, if a person is very successful in Ukraine and feels above others, there he may feel that his position has gone down :) But if the person has been an average programmer without extraordinary demands, he will stay the same even after moving. […]
User Victor R. wrote [RUS]:
I’ve been living in the USA for five years. I have encountered the police several times, but every time everything went in a very polite and neat manner. At the local passport control I’ve been asked how the flight was and what the weather was like in Ukraine. Nobody has ever pointed out my imperfect English, to say the least. […] During the five years, I’ve practically never been put in a situation that would make me feel as a second-rate person. And I must note that most of that time I’ve spent on a work visa (not as a citizen or a resident, just a temporary worker).
Why have you decided that it would be better for you THERE?
User mxc wrote [RUS]:
…if you are an entrepreneur [who has had enough] of the Ukrainian tax system, you may throw a dart on the world map with your eyes [shut]. Unless you hit the ocean, your chances of getting a country where it is better with the taxes are 98.85%. [The World Bank has recently ranked Ukraine's tax system the third worst out of 183 countries (.pdf, p. 8, fig. 1.3).]
User Roman L. wrote [RUS]:
Decades of informational isolation and the Soviet propaganda claims that THERE [in the West] things were so horrible, have not led to the desired effect, but to the contrary one – a somewhat idealized perception of life [abroad] that combines socialist idleness and western abundance. I remember it as if it were today – in my primary school class everyone thought that every unemployed American had a luxurious car and received about 10,000 dollars per month […]
Twitter user @shaitanich wrote [RUS]:
Some of my friends believe that once you cross the border, all these [cases of financial fraud] and other problems that we had to get used to here would immediately disappear […]. So far, there hasn’t been a chance to check that.
Is it easier and quicker to make money and develop your business in developing countries (including Ukraine) than in the developed ones?
Blogger Victor Ronin (victorronin.com) provided the following list of arguments [RUS]:
It is easier to conduct business in Ukraine because:
You may conduct business in your native language (applies to everyone who has been born on the territory of the ex-USSR);
There are enough acquaintances and/or connections (again, for those born [here]);
Competition in some areas is not as strong as in the developed countries yet, because the market is still quite “raw”;
There are possibilities to get around the law. (Although it helps only those who are willing and ready to breach the law);
Access to cheap labor force.
[Counter] arguments:
Horrible legislative, executive and judiciary authorities (and, as a result, [Ukraine] is one of the least attractive places for business activity);
It is extremely difficult to access start-up capital (investments);
Presence of the off-market competition;
The worst infrastructure;
Long-term investment is difficult (because of the problems with corruption and change of government).
User Ruslan listed [RUS] things he has lost and gained by moving to Sweden:
1. […] I have lost my own, quite successful, business. And exchanged it for an average post of a hired employee. Maybe a top one, but still just an employee.
2. I’ve lost approximately 4,000-5,000 Euro […] per month in exchange for 2,000 after taxes […].
3. I’ve lost an opportunity to “solve [problems]” with money. It’s a questionable loss, since usually you had to pay for something that someone had [a duty] to do anyway […]. In Sweden, I cannot “solve [problems].” I mean, [problems] would be solved as much as they have to. As a rule, not less and not more than that. Plus, I don’t need to solve 90% of those issues I had to deal with in Ukraine. There’s no running around various institutions, collecting papers. […]
4. I’ve lost an opportunity to frequently visit my friends and loved ones in person. Actually, I haven’t been doing it that often in Ukraine, since work took a lot of time, [I] had to work 10-16 hours a day. So, for someone this loss would be more significant, but for me it’s not that big. My mother, an elderly woman, learned to use Skype and we communicate wonderfully via video-calls. This is, of course, not a personal presence, but with frequent communication you stop feeling it. Same with friends.
5. I’ve lost the theoretical possibility of “haltura” [moonlighting], which for many of my fellow countrymen has been a very practical one. While owning a company I did not need to [do work on the side], my employees have been doing it and I used to close my eyes on it. Because, seven years before, I had been just like them […]. In Sweden, [it is] difficult. Possible, but very difficult. And one wouldn’t be able to save up a decent amount of money. Because here the system is transparent. And here they have a right to ask why the amount on your bank account exceeds your official income, and where that money has come from.
In return, I have gained […]:
Peace and confidence in tomorrow.
An opportunity to receive free and high-quality education, as well as reasonably paid higher education for children.
Social security. Truly free medical services in all cases of serious illness, excluding dental problems […]. To social security I add a well-secured retirement. I don’t really worry that when I'm old, I'd have to count small change from my pension money, trying to decide whether to buy buckwheat or bread, because if I buy both things I might not have enough to live till the end of the month. […]
I have gained a guarantee that laws would be followed by both citizens and the authorities. […]
For me the phrase “I pay taxes and therefore have a right” has finally gained its meaning. […]
I have also gained friendly people on the streets […] and smiling salesmen and other personnel […].
[…]
I have gained a feeling that everything is well thought out and made in such a way as to make my life more comfortable […].
I have gained mutual respect from people around me who understand the meaning of such terms as “personal space” and “personal freedom.” I have gained a feeling of being a free man.
I have gained a feeling of being alive, and not just running around all the time trying to solve thousands of issues that irritate with their idiotic origin. […]
That’s about it. How much I have lost and what I have gained everyone can decide for themselves, based on their own priorities and values. But for me, as of now, the things I have gained exceed the things I have lost by far.
Currently, Ukraine “has one of the world’s 30 highest levels of brain drain” [ENG], and the number of its labor migrants [ENG] was around 4.5 million people in 2009.

author: Tetyana Bohdanova


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Uruguay: Growing Support for Decriminalizing Marijuana for Personal Use · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Erwin C. reports: “Political support has reportedly been growing in favor of decriminalizing the use of marijuana. Legislator Sebastián Sabini told the local press that he would introduce a bill this week that would allow individuals to legally have 25 grams of marijuana for personal use.”


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Uzbekistan: Exit visa requires a no-whore plea · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Beginning this year, female Uzbekistan nationals must pledge that they shall not become prostitutes outside of the country in order to receive their exit visa, reports neweurasia’s Abulfazal.


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Uzbekistan: Unauthorized use of energy · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elina Galperin reports that Uzbekistan is systematically sneaking electricity from Kazakhstan’s power grid beyond amounts agreed between the two parties, according to the claims by the Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC).


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World: And the Best Actor Award Goes to Gaddafi! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Colin Firth may have won the Oscar for Best Actor, but it was Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Al Gaddafi who got the most mentions.
Depending on where you are, tweeps from around the world woke up early, or stayed up late, to watch the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. Taking a break from tweeting about politics and the sweeping revolutions and protests that have taken the Arab world by storm, here is a snapshot of their reactions from Twitter:
@BorowitzReport: #Oscars Trivia: Giving an acceptance speech that is way too long is called “pulling a Gaddafi.”
@baratunde: and yes, i will be live-tweeting the #oscars tonight, because after live-tweeting #mubarak and #gaddafi, i need a damn break!
@MuslimMindNinja: I wonder what #Gaddafi would wear to the #oscars ?
@acarvin: Make Gaddafi listen to Celine Dion and it'd be all over real quick.
@j_bauer: Breaking News: Gaddafi has offered to leave Libya if the #Oscars will end immediately.
@martyalen: Overall, I think Colonel Gaddafi did a better job hosting last year in the pickup truck with his umbrella. #Oscars
@J680Anderson: Gaddafi is now planning on showing the #oscars as part of his plan to torture the protesters #lateshowwriters
@hyperlocavore: Any one else hoping #gaddafi just wanted to hang on long enough to see the #oscars ? #killyourselfalready
@DrBottle2010: And the Oscar for the worst botox goes to: Muammar el Gaddafi! Congrats! #Oscars
@oliverolyat: He's blamed the young, BBC and compared himself to HRH Elizabeth II, and now Gaddafi can now blame the Oscars for the troubles in Libya.
@RodrigoEBR: Gaddafi was right… Democracy is bad… Even Paltrow can sing at the #Oscars
@steveweinstein: Gaddafi tells his people, see we can't have democracy like America. It leads to paltrow singing #oscars
@FollowBolson: Breaking… Gaddafi just telephoned ABC to find out where to purchase a few bombs like tonight's #Oscars broadcast. #ABC
@beirutwhat: Any way we can force #gaddafi to watch the #oscars? From what twitter is telling me, sounds like he'd kill himself rather than watch.
@Chuckare: Libyan people no longer care about Gaddafi, just want the Oscars to stop. #Oscars
@Madame_Dawsha: Im not watching the Oscars but the tweets r hilarious – yall r tempting me but it would be funny if Gaddafi made an appearance #AttnMonger
@gui_nery: And the award of best drama actor goes to Gadda… Khad… Gathaf… Kadaff… Hosni Mubarak! #oscars
@rania_hafez: you know the hosting is bad when #billycrystal is trending for 3 minutes on stage #oscars
@alialsaeed: aw Colin Firth is such a nice guy. so happy for him. much deserved. #oscars
@Gsquare86: even though i haven't seen King's Speech, but i want Social Network to win #Oscars
@Gsquare86: HAHAH +1 RT @princeofthenile: Noooooooo i cant handle Oprah & Celine on the same day @litfreak @monaeltahawy @RaquelEvita @Gsquare86
@TheBoghdady: Celine Dion singing “Smile”. #Amazing
@Gsquare86: +1 RT @Cer: +1000 RT @melbakry: I'm gonna say it now, this definitly the worst #Oscars I've ever seen
@Cyrenaican: I can't watch movies with white protagonists anymore.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Zambia: Minister Uses Facebook to Announce Government Policies · Global Voices
Gershom Ndhlovu

Zambia’s education minister Dora Siliya who is also ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) spokesperson, has in the last few months used Facebook to make important government policy announcements as well as party matters.
A few days ago, Siliya, who holds an MPhil degree from the Cambridge University in the UK and a Bachelor of Mass Communication from the University of Zambia, announced changes in the educational system on Facebook and, as usual, attracted a lot of comments, both positive and negative from some of her 4950 online “friends”. She has also used Facebook to announce policies in the past.
Zambia's Education Minister, Dora Siliya. Photo Source: Dora Siliya Facebook page
The changes involve the Academic Production Unit (APU), a channel through which basic schools—that run from grade one to grade 9—offer secondary school places to children who fail to make it into mainstream schools with classes mostly running in the afternoons. These classes are also run as fundraising units for the schools which charge the pupils nominal fees for administrative purposes such as paying teachers’ allowances and buying requisites not provided for by government.
Such classes are viewed with a lot of stigma because the pupils are viewed as not being too intelligent and derogatorily referred to as “solar” because they are conducted in the afternoons. But the biggest problem is the lack of support from government. Individual school administrations take it upon themselves to enter the pupils for examinations for which they pay for.
Siliya wrote on her wall:
We have transformed apu [Academic Production Unit] to open classes so that same fees and teaching offered to all children and give confidence to many parents since apu we viewed as demeaning since it was for kinds that had certificate but didn't make cutoff point. We believe access must be increased for normal lessons for all children with certificate and above [sic]
She added:
There will be teething problems as apu turns to open classes but will continue to build more schools by 2015 and also deal with teachers allowances since there will still be double sessions in most high school. Important point is we need to provide education equitably in our schools not encourage disparities.
She continued:
Our aim is to ensure all children have access to education by 2015. This means we have to also provide education equitably meaning apu classes seen as demeaning and for those who failed the cut point but got a certificate had to be transformed to open classes where teaching and fees are same with morning classes.
Zambian citizens on Facebook responded:
Emmanuel Mengo said that the government should have collected public views on issue:
madam. I commend u for the work done so far. But dont you think u are in a hurry to change things before u consult widely. Early 2009 u said any child who makes a full certificate automatically makes it to grade 10. My niiece was not given …a place as the people in charge on the schools i went to simply said there were no places. What is on the ground is that there are no enough spaces for all pupils with certificates. U are doing a great job but surelly u are in a hurry to make pronouncements. U ve built a good number of schools in the rural but i believe we need more to be built in towns also in order to cater for the large population. If what we ve seen in the past few years was done in the past 20 years, things cud ve been better.
Chinyama Chisambwe said:
Why do u have to mix who have failed and who have passed mwasata mayo 0/10% access to every 1(education) bt u have failed to pass???????
Chris Derrick Munyama
Thats gret madam,thumbs up 4 u.i fel u shud evn luk in2 da exam fees 4 GCE,they r 2 exotc especialy da centr # fee,ts a nyt mar.z necesary nway?many wud wnt 2 rsit bt bcoz of da chages impozd on thm thy let go hence afectin ya goal as da minstry of educ. Of ensurin dat evry pson gts da rqurd educ.
Kanyanta Robin Sinyangwe listed four areas that the minister should have focused on:
I think what you need to be talking about MADAM isn't about offering the same teaching to all. Because as far as iam concerned, APU and MAINSTREAM use the same SYLABUS. Even ing PVT schools. May be just on the fees that where i conquere wit…h you.
Hon, what you need to be talking about right now is:
1. What you have exactly done with APU (forget the “open school” terminologies, put it in lay man's terms)
2. How the APU will be practical and viably incoperated in the MAINSTREAM SCHOOL.
3. What will happen to the SURPLUS.
4. The time period of converting APU classes to “WHATEVER”
I don't personally have a problem with banning APU classes. But my problem is will have done it in a RUSH. We as a country a ILL PREPARED. In short, we are DOUBLING the numbers of pupils in the morning classes per class. Each school needs to be twice its current SIZE to accomadate the MAINSTREAMINISATION of APU.
I find the IDEA UNPRACTICAL!
Long live PUBLIC EDUCATION!
Leave use BE WITH APU!
Viva EQUITY in OPPORTUNITY!
This POLICY is HIGHLY IMPRACTICAL!
Moses Katongo Chisanga supported the minister:
to those who are critising the removal of apu. do u know that most of private high schools are in the actual fact apu. but luk at how much they charge in terms of fees. so move by grz wil actualy amount to reduction of the gap btwn grz skus and pvt school. it means pupils wil have a wider choice. and its either school reduce their fees or improve their standards.
Jacqueline Chibanga said that education was about quality and not quantity:
Quality not guantity. If pupils fail let them repeat that grade so we can avoid having half baked pupils. Abolishing APU was a good idea but placing the very same pupils in classes that have hard working pupils will jst decrease the chances of the hard working pupils getin the attention from their teachers due to too many pupils in 1 class thereby lowering the standards of the education system in the country.
Charles Forster argued that education and politics should not be mixed:
Education shud be left out of politics.We teachers & the union ve advisd the journalist Dora nt to phase out APU classes.Pupils & parents are busy scouting 4 places instead of being in class!
Moses Katongo Chisanga said:
if you get inside of this issue you will discover that apu is still there exept that they will be paying the same and less fees as the main stream. classes are done in afternon. so where is your argument that the idea will over crowd the cl…asses. if today the teacher ratio is 1 to 70. i dont see this change much. because just like apu the other pupils wil be having classes in afternum. grz should just do more to construct more high skus and greatly improve the condition of services for teachers. VIVA EDUCATION FOR ALL. VIVA NO APU.
On the political front as MMD spokesperson, Siliya also gets comments like this one from Nancy Prisháàn's Mum Yikona:
Honourable Siliya, please dont DEACTIVATE your facebook account when MMD loses.
Yikona writes this in view of upcoming presidential, parliamentary and local government elections later this year.
Apart from discussing serious government policies and her party matters, Siliya gets into writing about English premier league team Manchester United for which she appears to be a fervent supporter.
On Saturday, February 26, 2011 she wrote:
Have since returned from siavonga and heard man united had great game but I was on the road. Do have a blessed family Sunday gudnite
Considering that circulation figures of Zambia's state-owned newspapers, Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail, do not exceed 10,000 daily circulation figures, a Facebook friends of about 5000 is not very bad in terms of reach.

author: Gershom Ndhlovu


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Azerbaijan: Discrediting Facebook? · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Global Voices’ Caucasus editor posts a translation of an article naming prominent alternative voices in Azerbaijan who have Facebook friends in Armenia. The reaction from many in the country still effectively at war with its neighbor is that the article was intended to discredit those activists and the the use of Facebook for activism.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bahamas: Protests Over Company Sale  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“We should be celebrating that politics will finally be removed from the day to day operation of the phone company and in a few short years we will have an open market where other phone companies can enter the fray”: Weblog Bahamas blogs about recent protests over the sale of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bahrain: Two Separate Rallies for National Unity · Global Voices
Yacoub Al-Slaise

This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.
Peaceful protesting continued in Bahrain on Tuesday as seven of the main opposition groups organized a National Unity rally starting from Salmaniya and Seef areas towards Pearl (Lulu) Roundabout. On Wednesday, a different rally is planned by another group called the Gathering of National Unity, with their own demands.
Among the differences in opinion between many of those camping on Pearl (Lulu) Roundabout and the two different National Unity rallies, is whether the government and ruling royal family should be booted out entirely, or whether there could be reforms that uphold the principles of a democratic constitutional monarchy.
The seven groups who organized the rally on Tuesday co-signed a list of demands to the government which Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al-Yousif has translated into English. These include the creation of a new constitution for constitutional monarchy, and the neutralization of official state media.
Tuesday's rally
http://qik.com/video/38063234
Part of the rally uploaded by qik user Sayed Mahmood Al-Aali
@hussain_info ppl in the ongoing #unitBH rally of #feb14 chanting: united united & seeking victory for a better #Bahrain. towards #lulu
@MazenMahdi More pics from the march to #lulu #bahrain #feb14 http://yfrog.com/h7r1gorj
Women marching towards Pearl Roundabout from Salmaniya as part of the National Unity rally
There were comments on Twitter about the size of the rally.
@emoodz Crowd is at least 30% less than that of last rally, still significant attendance.. Just not as large.. @ #lulu, #Bahrain
… and @MDaaysi responded that the previous, larger rally had been called by Shia scholars to honour martyrs of the protests.
@MDaaysi @emoodz bare in mind … last rally was called for by the Islamic council … different sort of calling I guess :P
"No Sunni, No Shia, National Unity"
More photos of the rally can be seen on Nabeel Rajab's Facebook album
Wednesday's rally
On Wednesday, another “National Unity” rally will be organized, this one called by the Gathering of National Unity [ar] headed by Islamic scholar Shaikh Abdullatif Al-Mahmood at Al-Fateh Mosque at 6pm local Bahrain time. This group also seeks major reforms.
Many people on social media wondered why there were two National Unity rallies organized by two different organizations on two different dates:
@leildehati funny how there are 2 different national unity marches planned; pro gov & anti. i think that if revolution happens it'll be bloody #bahrain
Mohammed Al-Othman says on Facebook:
الوحدة الوطنية المفترى عليها في البحرين: اليوم مسيرة باسم الوحدة الوطنية وغداً اعتصام باسم الوحدة الوطنية!! هل ذلك يرتبط بمسمى البحرين، يعني بحر + بحر = بحرين. وبالتالي وحدة وطنية + وحدة وطنية = وحدتين وطنيتين؟!! دار راسي الله يدور راس من كان السبب…!!!
This post is part of our special coverage of Bahrain Protests 2011.

author: Yacoub Al-Slaise


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Bolivia: How to Help Victims of Massive Mudslides in La Paz · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Recent mudslides in La Paz destroyed around 400 homes, according to local authorities. Luis Ramos in Citizen of La Paz [es] informs readers that the Municipal Library of La Paz is receiving clothing, food and other needed items for the victims. Luis calls on the people of La Paz to show solidarity towards those who have lost their homes.

author: Silvia Viñas


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China: How to do a Uyghur homestay in Xinjiang · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Josh from Xinjiang: Far West China gives the readers some tips on how to arrange a Uyghur homestay in Xinjiang.

author: Oiwan Lam