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Puerto Rico: Superaquello Explores Cyberspace · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Superaquello is one of Puerto Rico‘s most beloved alternative bands.  Their experimental mix of traditional pop, electronic music, and typical Puerto Rican rhythms have hypnotized music lovers since the band was born in 1997. The enchanting voices of Patricia Dávila and Eduardo Alegría, the guitar of Francis Pérez, the bass of Jorge Castro, and Pablo Santiago's keyboard and programming have provided the Puerto Rican musical scene a breath of fresh air. They have shared the stage with well-known groups like Café Tacvba, singer Ely Guerra, both from Mexico, and the Argentinian singer-songwriter Juana Molina.
Photo by A. Garzola, published with permission of Superaquello.
Superaquello has four albums, all of which can be heard on their website: “Mu Psiqui Ta” (2002), “Bien Gorgeous” (2003), “La Emergencia” (2004), and the soundtrack of the movie “Ladrones y Mentirosos” (2006).  These days, their loyal fans anxiously await the arrival of their new album “Superaquello interpreta Latarde,” scheduled to be released on September 18 and 19 at the cultural venue La Respuesta, in Santurce, Puerto Rico.  But lately, Superaquello has been experimenting with something more than music: the Internet. Last Spring, they pre-released half of their new album's songs to be downloaded free on their website. They also have an active Twitter account where they maintain an interesting dialogue with their followers.
On behalf of Global Voices, I interviewed the bassist Jorge Castro [ES], who also oversees their website, about the band's incursion into cyberspace.
Global Voices-GV: Why did you decide to offer your music free on the Internet before its official release? Do you know of other Puerto Rican bands that are doing this? What were the public's reactions to this cyberexperiment?
Jorge Castro-JC: The songs could be downloaded for free during three weeks last April. We posted the first half of the CD. We did it because we really wanted to present our new material, because we had not recorded an album since 2005 (even though we did the soundtrack for “Ladrones y Mentirosos” in 2006)… This was the first time we did this and I am not sure if we will do it again. Probably in a couple of years when the model of the music industry completely fails, we may try it again. The public's reaction was very positive. The music was free, so it must have been heard in places that we may never even know of. In the future, surely we will create other projects that will only be offered virtually…I understand that many Puerto Rican bands are doing the same thing. Ignacio Peña, for example, offered a couple of his songs through pulsorock.com, and he is also the first Puerto Rican rock artist with an iPhone application.
GV: Since when do you have a website? I saw that you have all of your songs posted on the site. What benefits have you gained from having such an updated and interactive website?
JC: I am not sure, but I think superaquello.com exists since 2000. The website has been wonderful, we have gained much more than through MySpace or our Facebook account. All of our albums are sold through the website, either you can buy the CD or the MP3, and you can listen to all the songs for free, although in an inferior quality than the original versions. We are lucky that we sell a lot of our albums through the website. It is truly an important space of direct support of artists.
Photo by A. Garzola, published with permission of Superaquello.
GV: You have a very active Twitter account. What do you use it for? What has the use of Twitter offered the band?
GV: The Internet is considered a space of freedom that permits the transgression of traditional boundaries, especially regarding music. What do you think about this?
JC: I think that nowadays it's too easy to be everywhere in the Internet. Most of the content is user-generated, and even though this was foretold years ago, few people could envision it. For independent music (that is not supported by major multinational companies) it's a challenge and a blessing at the same time. We are blessed that our music can get to thousands, maybe even millions, of people from all over the world. But it is also a challenge because it is more difficult than ever to stand out when so many artists have access to the same media, from the most famous to the more obscure.  We are lucky that we have a good number of followers, much before the explosion of new media, and the transition has been easy.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Russia: VKontakte To Expand Internationally? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Profy writes about the plans of the Russian social network Vkontakte – a Facebook look-alike – to expand internationally.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Sri Lanka: Liberalizing The Economy · Global Voices
Rezwan

Going Global stresses the need to liberalize the Sri Lankan economy and opines that minimum involvement in business by the government is better for everyone.

author: Rezwan


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Trinidad & Tobago: Driving It Home  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bandwagonist.com comments on parts of the Trinidad and Tobago 2009-2010 Budget that deal with transportation.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Ukraine: Art Arsenal · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

MoldovAnn writes about Kyiv's new Art Arsenal museum.


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Ukraine: First Day of School · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belatedly, a link to Michelle Knisley's photos of Kyiv schoolgirls celebrating the first day of school on Sept. 1, 2009.


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Ukraine: Prices, Earnings and iPods · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana cites this year's Prices and Earnings report by UBS, Europe's second-largest bank: “On average, it takes 82 hrs of work to buy an iPod Nano in Kyiv, compared to 10.5 hrs in Toronto, 9 hrs in New York, 36 hrs in Moscow and 45.5 hrs in Warsaw.”


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Bangladesh: Judicial System For Whom? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Habib Siddiqui comments that the judicial system in Bangladesh is discouraging law-abiding citizens to seek justice. He says: “when the system conspires against its law-abiding citizens, I guess very little people could do to stop criminals.”


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Barbados: Tourism & The Web  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The Web has changed the world, but does the Barbados Tourism Authority realise what that really means?”: Barbados Free Press maintains that “every destination has to deal with the dichotomy between the advertised image and the reality…the web has reduced the ability of governments and the news media to fool all of the people all of the time.”


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Cuba: “A Virtual Island” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“This will be the first time that an event from Cuba will be narrated live through Twitter. We hope that it works!”: Generation Y and Octavo Cerco look forward to seeing the results of the blog contest A Virtual Island.


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Cuba: Antúnez Arrested · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“No one should be surprised that Antúnez is again in jail,” writes diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense, as he blogs about the most recent arrest of the Cuban human rights activist.


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Egypt: Cairo Airport Security Strikes Again · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Bikya Masr reported: “First, an American citizen was barred from entering the country last week and sent back to London. Now, a Palestinian-Norwegian mother of two was stopped by security as she attempted to board her flight to Amsterdam on Monday morning, being told she was a “national security risk” by security guards. Last June Wael Abbas has been detained and In April, Laila Haddad twittered her 36 hour long experience.”

author: Marwa Rakha


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Estonia: Haapsalu · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Itching for Eestimaa is musing on Haapsalu and other Estonian towns, history, politics and life in general.


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Guyana: Garden Correspondence · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana-Gyal gets a letter from her garden.


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Hungary: Education · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes about the problems of the Hungarian education system.


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Hungary: Finno-Ugric or Indo-European? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes about disagreements on the origin of the Hungarian people and the Hungarian language.


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India: 99999 Lights Out Campaign · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kenney Jacob informs about the “99999 lights out” campaign launched by a Chennai-based voluntary environmental service organization to create awareness on global warming: “The campaign carries the message – switch off lights for 9 minutes at 9 p.m. on the 9th day of the 9th month on the 9th year of the millennium.”


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India: Decoding the affluent Indian · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Who is an affluent Indian? What are his/her lifestyle and media consumption habits? Arun Prabhudesai at Trak.in goes on to summarize the key findings from a recent survey.

author: Aparna Ray


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Indian Bloggers Confront Street Harassment · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

“Eve-teasing” is a term that is used in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh for sexual harassment or molestation in the street. The Blank Noise Project, which was started by an art student six years ago, aims to confront street harassment and change public perceptions of it.
What does “Blank Noise” mean? The project's blog explains:
Blank: no form, no meaning.
Noise: heightens, builds, breaks form.
Blank Noise put together are two words that contradict themselves.
We experience eve teasing daily. It is a sexual violation but we ignore it. At the same time, we structure our lives to avoid the occurrence of it – by ‘dressing decently’, ‘coming back home on time’, etc, thereby making unwanted rules for ourselves and not recognizing ourselves as citizens.
This daily silent experience of street sexual harassment is what comes closest to the term blank noise.
Blank Noise started as a final year student project by art student Jasmeen Patheja in 2003, and was a personal response to street sexual harassment, which many Indians, male and female, accept as normal or try to ignore. The project initially focused on small workshops, but has since developed into a network of groups around India, who use street interventions, public art and blogging to explore the issue of harassment.
WHAT IS EVE TEASING?
Thumbprints indicate what people consider eve-teasing in these polls
Blank Noise groups around the country have used opinion polls to highlight the issue of harassment:
There have been innumerable debates on the blog in the past over what exactly constitutes ‘street sexual violence’ […]There are questions about what constitutes a lecherous look- and the ones who experience it will argue saying ‘it's obvious. we just know!’ This is precisely the kind of discussion we want to further on the streets itself. More than for facts figures and statistics we attempt to use the form of an opinion poll to start discussions. The opinion poll also becomes a ‘safe’ way for people to testify and admit what they have seen or experienced.
2007: Namita Sharma's Tea Stall (Gariahat, Kolkata) welcomed Blank Noise poll
I NEVER ASK FOR IT
In 2008, on March 8 (International Women’s Day) Blank Noise held a series of street interventions around India under the banner I Never Ask For It:
Action Hero: n. a woman who has dealt with street sexual harassment by confronting it. Her final response might have been to choose to ignore the harassment, but she will have chosen to do so, not failed to notice it. […] The Blank Noise street action challenges you to be an Action Hero. Participants are requested to come wearing a garment they wore when they were sexually harassed. By doing so, they are actively taking a stand that reads ‘I never ask for it’.
This action was followed up by another, in which women were invited to send an item of clothing:
Do you really think you ‘asked for it’ when you experienced street sexual harassment? How often have you found yourself blaming the pair of jeans, the salwar kameez, the skirt, the t-shirt? Do you really think it is your fault when you are violated? Do you really think you deserve to be humiliated? Do you really think that it is only certain kind of clothes that result in women experiencing street sexual harassment?
We say NO. We say there is no such thing as ‘asking for it’ and we need you to prove that for us/ yourself.
How? Send in one garment you wore when you experienced ‘eve teasing’. Your garment is your truth, your witness, your evidence, your memory. […] What next? We propose to install these clothes on the streets of your city and collectively challenge the notion that women ask to be sexually violated.
TO HIT BACK OR NOT TO HIT BACK
Blank Noise recently initiated a discussion about self-defence:
chilly powder. bamboo stick. baygon spray. toy gun. body spray. big bag. eyes. elbow. steel scale. nails. confidence. rings. pens. pepper spray. paper cutter. pencil. angry look. mouth. hand. fists. feet. elbows. sharp pencils. teeth. handbag. comb. body spray. stilettos. fat psychology book. cell phone. cerebrum. swagger. attitude. mobile phone. books. files. bag. crossed arms. conversation. pens. pins. sewing pins. breath spray. bunch of keys. hair pin. blank noise pamphlet on section 354. dupatta. crossed arms. staring at the ground. scowling. talking on cell phone. not making eye contact.
These are just some of the “weapons” used by women to make themselves feel safer in public spaces. Most of the objects listed above are not weapons in the conventional sense. However these are used by a number of women all over the world to give them some sense of security. […] Violent self defense should definitely not be the primary response to the problem of sexual harassment, but should it be a response at all?
BLANK NOISE GUY
Earlier this year Blank Noise set up a blog for men called Blank Noise Guy:
Blank Noise is terribly interested in men!
The Blank Noise Guy blog is in its first phase, asking men/boys to respond to street sexual harassment. send us your thoughts on street sexual harassment. write to us if you've seen it and are feeling thoughtful about how you responded, or even if you engaged with it or caused it (knowingly or unknowingly).

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Israel: An Open Letter To Jane Fonda · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Hatim Kanaaneh, blogging at A Doctor in Galilee, writes an open letter to Jane Fonda.


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Jamaica: Truth & Laughter  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“If death is the closing parenthesis on the fiction of every human life, then humor is the asterisk that proclaims the dignity of human life despite the many absurdities”: Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp explains.


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Lebanon: Express Mail · Global Voices
Katharine Ganly

The Arab Observer reviews Bareed Mista3jil, a new book published by Lebanon's lesbian support group Meem. The book, available in Arabic and English, presents the personal testimonies of 41 lesbians and queer women from all over Lebanon.

author: Katharine Ganly


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Malaysia: McDonald’s vs McCurry · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Malaysia’s Federal Court has ruled that McDonald’s trademark name was not violated by McCurry, a local Indian restaurant which is popular in Kuala Lumpur.
McCurry, which opened in 1999, was sued by McDonald's in 2001. According to the owners of McCurry, the “Mc” prefix in the restaurant’s name stands for Malaysian Chicken Curry.
Here are some reactions of bloggers to the historic court ruling:
As Suanie Sees It believes that some Davids in David vs Goliath fights are merely opportunists:
I'm like any other David, I love a good triumph over Goliaths. But sometimes I feel that certain Davids are merely opportunists, and when confronted they would argue that the Goliaths are major international corporations and have endless money, hence could afford to bully them. Of course there are many Goliaths who do that and should be stumped, but in some cases the Davids are no better. When it comes to McDonald’s vs McCurry, I feel that this is one of them
Commenting on a post, Melissa believes that many people know that McCurry is different from McDonald’s:
Of course they were totally riding on McDonalds’ wave, but considering the food they serve is completely different and I’m sure a lot of people know how different they both are and don’t associate them with each other, I guess I don’t see a problem with it
Eyeris wonders why McDonald’s did not sue another local “Mc” restaurant:
There’s another restaurant in Jelatek called McKandar… but just because it’s not as popular as McCurry, I suppose McD’s didn’t bother suing them. So does this mean McD’s only sues companies with the ‘Mc’ if they are doing well, perhaps better than any nearby McD outlets? Hmmm
Anonymous X advises McCurry to open outlets in the US and UK
“McCurry” should really consider expanding its business to US & UK. Many love to read such a heart-warming story about how a giant multinational company is utterly embarrassed by being so picky against a local enterprise who just wants to use the prefix “Mc”.
It's just a prefix, for goodness’ sake!
Carl Parkes fears McCurry-like restaurants will open in other Asian countries
Silly stuff, but if McDonalds doesn't defend it's franchise around the world, we might see McSatays in Bali, McAdobo in Manila, and McSomTam in Bangkok.
The Bluesman asks if other local restaurants will be inspired by McCurry’s victory
Will there be other outlets wanting to use the prefix ‘Mc’ now that the prefix appears to be no more a monopoly by the McDonald's. My favourite siamese restaurant Mek Habsah TomYam maybe wanting to change their name to McHabsah TomYam to lend themselves with some international credence or something. Or maybe we can now have other ‘Mc’ related names in our other local food chains say like McNasiLemak, McSatay, McRotiCanai, McFriedKwayTiau, McChickenRice, and so the challenge to McDonald's seems endless.
The blogger writes that consumers will decide if McCurry clones will survive the market
But business is still business, which means that finally it's the people like us, the customers, who will decide as to whether or not any business concern will continue to exist in the market place.
My Journal theorizes on why McDonald’s was persistent in its suit versus McCurry
I think, McDonald insist on pursuing this matter because they also one day would roll out their new product called McCurry. Since they also lost the battle, they have to give their dish another name, may be “McDonald Curry”.
After learning about the court ruling, Malaysian Life exclaims
Wow, I don't believe it but it's true. I guess it is possible to beat an international company in a lawsuit.
Twitter reactions from Malaysia:
dannyfoo: Did McDonalds realize their suit just gives McCurry free publicity and bigger awareness?
hasyudeen: When it comes to defending your rights, do not lose hope!
obel1: the new international foodie destination: McCurry
IamMalaysian: OKAY. So, McDonald's loses legal battle with Malaysia's McCurry. But who the hell cares?! Enuf already!
davinarul: McD might sue McCurry again if they sell wild boar, ‘cos Kaattu Pandi sounds too much like Quarter Pounder
davinarul: Does this open the door for McCurry to offer Egg McThosai, Sardine McChanai (with cheese), Moru shake and Tairu Twist?
altimet: I'm going there for some damn McCurry, damn it!
ZhiQ: nasty clown! now way any sane Malaysian can get confuse with McCurry, thinkin it's McD. me McDontKnow lah. lol!

author: Mong Palatino


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Moldova: The Language Issue · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Scraps of Moscow writes about Moldova's “‘linguistic’ divides.”


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Morocco: Happy Ninepercent! · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

Larbi, blogging on Comme une bouteille jetée à la mer, writes a post [FR] on Wednesday 9/9/2009 at 9 hours 9 minutes PM, congratulating the “Ninepercenters,” a group of Moroccan bloggers created last August in protest against the banning of a poll showing 9% Moroccans unhappy of the first decade of their king's rule.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Myanmar: New policy requires HIV groups to register · Global Voices
tan

HIV Information for Myanmar (HIM) has written an article regarding the recent change of policy in the formation of informally named groups of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) Network.
The author attached a letter from Deputy Director-General of Disease Control Unit under the Ministry of Health addressing to Head Doctors under the Prevention and Control Team for Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV.
PLHIV Networks are being formed in different States and Divisions in order to help with the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. In doing these tasks, it is necessary for PLHIV Network Group to work under the supervision of Prevention and Control Team for STDs and HIV, and thus, does not need to carry a separate name. If the Group wants to operate under a separate name, it will need to register step-by-step at the Township, Province, and State/Division Peace & Development Councils, and the Ministry of Home Affairs, in accordance with the laws of forming an organization.
An anonymous reader left the following comment:
If the gov is really on the path toward democracy, just love their people first. Participation is very critical to real development. How many NAP's staff around the country? Do they have enough manpower to reach 240,000 infected people (what they wrote, might be higher : who knows?). Do you have any evidences to code that PLHIV are involved in political matters? Eventually, they were just seeking the options to have access to ART through different channels.
Another reader left a comment explaining about the health situations in Myanmar. He also wrote about the condition of HIV patients in Myanmar:
There are many HIV infected patients or people living with HIV in the Union of Myanmar. Many HIV patients cannot afford any HIV medications and some lack of HIV medication because their respective NGO stopped providing them with many reasons. People in Burma or in the Union of Myanmar are indeed helpless. People in Burma have no human-rights at all and no voice at all. They are same like prisoners in their own country no matter they live in the jail or not.
Some are worried that the new government policy of requiring HIV groups to register could be used to “control” or undermine the independence of volunteer groups in Myanmar. Another reader also voiced his concern in his comment regarding the challenges faced by NGOs after the Saffron Revolution in 2007.
…. Self helping and supporting each other is a very basic  value and basic rights of man kind which by no means require any permission from any one. Encouraging and facilitation for formation of self help groups in a response to HIV response is internationally recommended best practice and best use of people living with HIV as resources for care and treatment programs. Every medical professional understands that any restriction on access to  assistance for individuals’ health is kind of breaching the code of ethic of medical profession. The international non government organizations implementing health programs has been in a silent crisis for almost a half decade, particularly after September 2007. Their MOUs have been under pending if they do not follow the advice to reduce their project sites. The NAP used to be quite OK to pretend active in working with international and local NGO in developing National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and accomplishing targets in prioritized townships together with stakeholders. After the September movement, all health programs are looked from military's security perspective. Not bother to care for anyone's any issue, but greater care for their security. More and more INGO and Local NGO are asked to reduced their operating areas. It was quite difficult for the medical professionals to convey the unethical advices to their counter parts , the humanitarian IGNOs. However, the recent restriction letter looks like that Medical professionals from DOH are more confident and comfortable issuing such unethical orders to the people living with HIV/AIDS, their patients. They no longer see people living with HIV/AIDS as their patients, but as threats to their security, the livelihood security of the staff from the DOH…..
According to a  press release from Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) in November 25, 2008, an estimated 240,000 people are thought to be living with HIV/AIDS in Myanmar. Among them, 76,000 are in urgent need of anti-retro-viral treatment, yet less than 20 percent of them are currently able to access it.

author: tan


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Nepal: The Potential Of Electric Transportation · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bijay Man Sherchan at Nepali Perspectives discusses the relevance of electric transportation in Nepal considering the potential of hydro-electric power.


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Pakistan: The Missing Persons · Global Voices
Rezwan

Over 650 people are missing across Pakistan who are presumed to be abducted, imprisoned and in most cases tortured by intelligence agencies. To discuss these disappearances, Sana Saleem interviews Amina Masood Janjua. She heads the Defense of Human Rights Pakistan, an organization that represents the missing people in Pakistan.


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Palestine: The Experience Of Ramadan In Gaza · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Bloggers in Gaza write about how people are managing this Ramadan, and describe how some traditions are being kept alive.
Lina Al Sharif, blogging at 360 km2 of Chaos, writes:
Ramadan in Gaza is not like elsewhere. The suffering of the people reached the point where some people have water for Iftar, because they are too poor to buy food. Other have their Iftar in a tent in a refugee camp made for those who lost their houses in the war.
Foods are being smuggled from Egypt; however, they are beyond what an average family can afford. The prices of almost everything is doubled due to the siege.
Nevertheless, there are still things to take pleasure in. Lina and her friend Bodour Abu-Kuwaik put together this sequence of Ramadan scenes in Gaza:
Ayman Quader visits a friend for iftar:
Today I was invited to take a Ramadan breakfast in my friend Jumaa’s house. He lives in Al Maghazi Refugee Camp where people still are suffering miserably from the impacts of the War on their houses and streets. Basically, most of the residents of the Gaza Strip are already refugees and during the War they were once again forced to evacuate their houses and flee. I asked my friend to take me around in the camps small pass-ways, as I wanted to be closer to the people actually living there. Indeed, this made me feel strongly how much the people in the Refugee Camp are still in real pain. In the middle of the Al Maghazi Refugee Camp there is still a completely destroyed building – impossible to ignore by the people living in the Camp. I found little children playing on the rubbles of this building which really made me sad. But THEY didn’t mind and seemed to be really happy.
The Paltoday News Network recently reported on unemployed men in Gaza taking on temporary work as musaheratis, who wake people up for the meal before daybreak, suhoor. At her blog In Gaza, Canadian Eva Bartlett writes:
Walking back at 2am, we come across the singing and drumming of the Ramadan Musaher: men who undertake to awaken Muslims for the pre-dawn meal and prayer (Suhoor).
It is a Ramadan tradition that extends to Muslims around the world and still lives today.
On the near empty streets of Gaza, where Ramadans in the last few years have held little happiness and celebration, this sound is somehow encouraging…that culture and tradition live on, in the worst of times and circumstances.
For some, this month and the work of the Ramadan drummer is a source of income otherwise absent in Gaza under complete and strangling siege.
This is some brief footage Eva took:


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Russia: Okhta Tower · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

St Petersblurb posts an update on Gazprom’s Okhta Tower controversy.


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Russia: Scott Anderson’s GQ Article · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Conde Nast management chose not to run Scott Anderson’s article “Vladimir Putin’s Dark Rise to Power” – which appeared in the Sept. 2009 issue of GQ – in the magazine's Russian edition. Gawker.com posted the original article and a Russian translation – “as a public service.” LJ user vadda has translated the article, too. Evgeny Morozov, Sean Guillory, and La Russophobe share their views on the controversy and on the contents of the article.


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Slovenia: Film Director Andrej Košak · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Adventures in Wheelville translates excerpts from “a nice little interview with Slovenian film director, lecturer (at the very cool new private art academy here called AVA), and blogger Andrej Košak.”


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Sri Lanka: Mainstream Media And The New Media · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sanjana Hattotuwa posts a presentation on mainstream media behavior in Sri Lanka and the impact of new media.


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Trinidad & Tobago: No Justice  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“There is no love for innocence in this gory time.  Protect your heart from the hurt, because they think they are right and they in their putrid tabloid righteousness will do this crime again. And get away with it”: Trinidadian blogger Attillah Springer shares her views on the decision of a local newspaper to publish the photo of an infant killed in a car crash.


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Trinidad & Tobago: “Soccer” Warriors · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As Trinidad and Tobago's hopes of making it to the 2010 World Cup are further dimmed by the team's loss against the U.S.A. yesterday, B.C. Pires says: “It’s not so much a cry of, ‘Ye of little faith!’ as one of ‘We of much experience’.”


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Ukraine: “Angry Commie MP Dismikes Female Reporter” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana posts and translates a YouTube video of a Communist MP's rude behavior during a TV interview. Peter Byrne writes about the incident in the Kyiv Post.


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Afghanistan: Riots in Ghazni · Global Voices
Joshua Foust

Free Range International reports that there is a fresh round of rioting in Ghazni, Afghanistan. There are rumors the rioters were protesting the abduction and murder of Shams al-Din, a popular anti-American cleric.

author: Joshua Foust


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Arab Women… Minors Until They Die · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Though blessed with inner strength that enables them to deal with the shackles of their culture, some Arab women are dealt with as minors who will never reap the fruits of adulthood. Egyptian bloggers Fantasia's World, Dalia Ziada, Asser Yasser, Heba Najeeb are all women who have been featured on Global Voices for standing up for their rights, as have those blogging “sinster spinsters“, who refuse to consider themselves outcasts.
Eman Hashim from Egypt and Eman Al Nafjan from Saudi Arabia are among the ranks of Arab women who stomp in protest at the notion that women are not able to think for themselves.
Eman Hashim believes that all we need is a hundred years to progress, in her critique of the movie Iron Jawed Angels:
This movie is about the fight American women had to go through for 8 whole years starting from 1912 to have the right to vote.
Then she lists the arguments that men used at the time to put a damper on their plea:
“The female mind is inferior to the male mind need not to be assumed “
“There’s something about it essentially different and that this difference is of a kind and degree that makes votes for women would constitute a political danger ought to be plain to everybody”
“I don’t wish to see the day comes when the women in my state shall trail their skirts in the muck and mire of partisan politics”
She knows how similar those arguments are to the lines she hears daily from her male counterparts:
kind of reminds me of how some men consider themselves “cursed” if ruled, judged or asked by a woman!
The only thing that I can’t get over is the fact that this movie is almost hundred years ago!! They had this kind of debates hundred years ago.
Eman knows that there is a worst fight:
The worse fight than fighting men for them [the women in the movie] was fighting another woman, who hated how powerful and independent they are and who felt weak and helpless in front of them.
It is true:
How many times have you met a woman who voluntarily declares her stupidity and ignorance just to get a man’s attention and approval?
How many women have you talked to and they just faked inferiority to nourish a no-body guy just to get a proposal?
How many places have you gone to where women refuse to get business done with other women cause “we are not as smart as men”?
I know that a lot of my fellow doctors never went to a female doctor nor they ever intend to because “male doctors are cleverer”
I know that women don’t like to go to electronic stores and deal with saleswomen cause “we just don’t understand technology!”
I know my friends who resist any piece of information related to their laptops cause “guys just get these kinds of things not us”
Eman Al Nafjan is facing a similar issue with Saudi Arabia's recent guardianship campaign. Eman Hashim wrote Someone to Watch Over Me: On the Saudi Guardianship Campaign in her support:
When a woman says, “My guardian knows what’s best for me,” what should we do?
Earlier this month, blogger Eman Al Nafjan posted her feelings about a new campaign in Saudi Arabia. The campaign, which began last month, is called “My guardian knows what’s best for me” and aims to gather one million signatures in support of the kingdom’s status quo in regard to women’s guardianship laws. According to Al Nafjan, two Saudi princesses who support this campaign have started their own websites devoted to the issue. You can find both websites here and here (both are in Arabic).
Eman clearly explains her reasons for rejecting the campaign and the two royalty-backed sites promoting it saying:
If a woman wants someone to be her guardian and wants him to take care of her, her life and her choices, that’s fine by me, as long it’s her own choice and as long as she’s not asking me or any other woman to do the same!
They believe in something and they are expressing it. Believing in freedom of opinion, I wouldn’t have had reservations against the campaign if it weren’t for how they refused and rejected those who disagree with them.
At the end of the post, Eman eloquently rests her case:
Why do we only perceive our life style as the only right way of living? Who on this earth has the right to force his way, his choices and his morals on other people as rules?
Women empowerment will not be achieved neither by Saudi princesses quoting some verses from Qur’an on their online campaigns, nor by human rights activists who sometimes also slip into the same mistake of prejudice when they meet any woman whose life style is different from theirs.
Empowerment is the freedom to choose. Bring up your daughter to believe in herself and her potentials, educate her, and then let her lead her own life and make her own choices. If you bring up your daughter as a fragile creature that’s liable to fracture and who is unable to protect herself, she’ll grow up into a woman who’s just that: a fragile creature unable to protect herself.
Give her the liberty to choose her life, and stop judging her if that choice doesn’t resemble yours.
On her blog, Eman Hashim is screaming out loud: ENOUGH:
This guy in the movie was a typical abuser; calm, steady, persistent and NEVER takes no for an answer. I don’t want to go a lot through how obvious he was because it will make no one any use. Let’s assume that something really has gotten into him. It happened! The first slap! What would you do?
Deciding the this is the most important quote in the movie, Eman quotes the abusive husband:
I make the money, so I set the rules!
That’s right. When you can’t pay for your own bread ladies, don’t expect to pick it up from the supermarket. He’ll pick it up for you and you’ll say “Thank you”, and eat it … gladly!!
Still thinking of the dire conditions some women put up with in the name of traditions, she tells them:
RUN! Take your kids and just go away!
You will probably have no money, you will probably have no roof, and you may not have the support of your family – especially if you’re from the Middle East”, but you’ll have this power that you don’t know where it’s coming from, that power that will push you to continue.
In that movie, her push was when she saw her daughter scared of her father. The idea of her daughter being in danger was enough for her. I think this can be a very good push for so many of us!
She knows it is hard but she wants them to know that they have options:
The taste of first bite you pay for from your own money after you said “No” is just the best taste you will ever have!
Living and knowing that you are fighting for yourself and your children will make it all much easier.
To all those scared women she says that Slim, Jennifer Lopez in the movie:
She never thought of what people will say about her, she thought of not being “the woman whose husband beats her up!”
She wasn’t worried about the fact that her daughter might be affected in the future because her parents were divorced; she was worried her daughter might actually watch her mother being beaten up!
She made the choice that by far saved the life of her daughter, saved her from growing up thinking “It’s ok to be beaten up as long as you have a man in your house!” or “It’s that big to be beaten up, it doesn’t mean anything, a man can do anything he wants as long as he pays the bills and puts food on the table” or “Better being beaten up by a man who lives under the same roof as you do, than by living alone with no man!”


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Azerbaijan: 9/11 and Islam · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

A day before posting, Scary Azeri tweeted that she needed to sleep on today's entry for the anniversary of 9/11. To mark the tragic event, the blogger takes a look at perceptions towards Islam in Azerbaijan and the U.K.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Azerbaijan: Good news… for a change · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Following the detention and prosecution of youth activists in two of the three countries making up the South Caucasus, Thoughts on the Road reports that there is at least some good news for a change. Even if the trial of video bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli is set to continue next week, Parviz Azimov, a student expelled from his university earlier this year, has won his battle against the decision in the courts. The blog says the strategy of combing protest demonstrations with legal action was successful and concludes that there is still hope for Hajizade and Milli.


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Bahrain: Remembering 9/11 · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

American Vernishia Renee, who is based in Bahrain with the US military, reflects on the anniversary of 9/11: “Today, it’s a new day in Bahrain…they say it’s safe enough for dependents to come back to stay BUT it’s not safe enough to commemorate the events and the fallen from 9/11 events.”


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Brunei: Organizing a garage sale · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Spiritual Garden from Brunei shares thoughts and lessons on organizing a garage sale.


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China: Interview with the CEO of duoban.com · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Alice from DANWEI interviewed Ah Bei, the CEO of douban.com, one of the most popular social networking site in China based on users’ common interest.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Ecuador: New Taxes Will Attempt to Help Economy · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Finding ways to improve the nation's economy has been one of the Ecuadorian government's main concerns over the past year. With the increase in the price of gasoline, there is even more pressure to create jobs and provide relief to those most affected by the crisis. President Rafael Correa presented a proposal called Economic Measures for Production and Employment [es] (.pdf format).  This new proposal will make changes in the Equity Tax Reform and aims to make 5 essential changes [es].
Among these changes are an increase of tax on foreign currency exchange outflows from 1% to 2%, taxation on the profits from shareholder dividends, a minimum tax on companies that use public infrastructure, changing the way that taxes on cigarettes, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are calculated, and a 12% Value Added Tax on paper imports.
At press conference announcing the tax measures by the Ecuadorian Presidency and used under a Creative Commons license.
Carlos Guzmán L. of the blog Foro Politécnico [es] is one who supports the President's decision to introduce tax changes, and the changes support a statement that President Correa said earlier this year [es], when he said, “Forget it, in this Government, the bankers do not give orders. They gave orders up until January 15, 2007,” which is the date that Correa took office.  Guzmán writes:
Como un ejemplo más de las falacias con que nos hicieron vivir durante la larga, triste y miserable noche neoliberal, los áulicos del sistema glorificaron a Elsa de Mena y su supuesta “reforma tributaria” que organizó al SRI, automatizó procesos, mejoró recaudaciones y expandió la base tributaria. Lo que nunca dijeron, fue que esta dama de triste recordación se convirtió en la gran protectora de los grandes empresarios y oligarcas del país, privilegiando la recaudación de los impuestos indirectos –como el IVA o el ICE- y “olvidando” la recaudación de los impuestos directos como el Impuesto a la Renta.
While some people may overlook the tax increases on the export of paper, Enrique Abad of the Ecuadorian Association of Librarians thinks that the government is taking the wrong approach. He adds that the tax increase will negatively affect science and technology in the country. He comments on the story from the official government newspaper [es]:
Para invertir en Ciencia y Tecnología se necesita investigación, y como su insumo, información. Las fuentes de información científicas en su mayoría las adquirimos en el extranjero, el incremento del impuesto a la expatriación de capitales encarece el acceso a estas fuentes. ¿Se podrá hacer una distinción en ésto?
Los resultados de investigación generalmente se difunden en revistas científicas, en formato papel y electrónico. Lamentablemente el incremento del papel para la impresión de revistas afectará a las primeras. Me parece que esta es una medida “política” desatinada ¿Qué tal si mañana “las revistas” en vez de imprimirse en papel couche se imprimen en papel bond?¿Se elevará el precio del papel bond y con ello también la de los libros? !vaya si nos gusta meternos en camisas de once varas!
To invest in science and technology, research is needed, and as its input, information. The sources of scientific information are acquired mostly from abroad, the tax increase to capital expatriation makes it more expensive to access these sources. Will it be possible make a distinction on this?
The research results generally are disseminated in scientific journals, in paper and electronic formats. Unfortunately, the cost increase for the printing of magazines will affect research presentations. I think this is a mindless  “political” measure. What would happen if tomorrow the magazines are instead of printed on couche paper, are printed on bond paper? Will it be the price of bond paper increase and with that also the price of book? How we like to get ourselves in hot water!
However, Clara Lucía Placencia of the blog People on Earth [es], does not think that these new measures will curb tax evasion. On the contrary, she believes that the taxation on shareholders will mean that they will be taxed twice [es].  Another economics blogger, Andrés Freire, who is the Director of the Business Promotion Office in Guayaquil, writes that the new taxes will not help with the creation of jobs because there will not be an incentive to open new businesses, thus concentrating the money in a few productive economic sectors. However, Freire does agree with the 12% taxation on paper imports because it is time for them to pay the VAT. He also notes that only medicine and food are exempt from taxes.
Politicians are also taking to online media to pass along their thoughts on the tax measures. Luís Villacís Maldonado, member of the National Assembly and the National Director of the Popular Democratic Movement political party, writes that the President must look at other measures, not necessarily monetary ones [es], to help alleviate the crisis. He also agrees with groups that say that the 12% tax on paper imports will affect education and raise costs of books and magazines.  He describes a way to help the economy:
[recuperar] los Recursos Naturales no renovables como el petróleo todavía en manos transnacionales lo cual significaría 2000 millones de dólares al año, un cobro efectivo a los grandes evasores hasta ahora no tocados que perjudican al estado anualmente con 2000 millones de dólares. Además del fortalecimiento de la banca pública para la inversión pública y comunitaria, cumpliendo el artículo 299 de la Constitución de la República que manda que los recursos públicos se manejen en la banca pública y no privada donde se retienen 1100 millones de dólares.

author: Milton Ramirez


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Egyptians React to the Sudanese “Sin” · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Sudanese UN female employee Lubna Hussein faced threats of imprisonment and flogging for the “sin” of wearing trousers in Khartoum – and her saga is far from over.
Sudanese blogger Drima commented on the fact that Lubna will not be flogged now but reminded his readers of the (Teddy Bear Circus). Lubna was fined US $209 by a Sudanese court, refused to pay and was sentenced to one month in prison. She was later released after the Sudanese journalist's union paid the fine on her behalf. Her question now is: What happens to the 700 plus women who could not afford to pay for their trousers?
On the issue of flogging women in the name of religion, Egyptian blogger and journalist  Mona El Tahawy believes that this is clear abuse of women and Islam:
Ten of those women [who were wearing trousers] accepted a fine and flogging but Ms. Hussein and two others contested the charges, which they’re now fighting in court. The Sudanese regime barred her from traveling to Lebanon earlier this week to give a television interview on her trial, which resumes on Sept. 7.
It’s bizarre to use the word “lucky” to describe a woman facing 40 lashes for wearing trousers, but by virtue of her position and clout, that’s exactly what Ms. Hussein is. She is also brave and defiant: Ms. Hussein resigned her position as press officer for the United Nations, which could have earned her immunity from the charges, to stand trial.
And most importantly she is a Muslim woman who knows that a flogging for wearing trousers is sheer and utter nonsense; she has said she was ready to “receive (even) 40,000 lashes” if that’s what it takes to abolish the law.
Not so lucky have been the thousands of other Sudanese women — Muslim and non-Muslim southern Sudanese women. They have served as the whipping girls for the Sudanese regime’s cheap game of flogging women to show off its “Islamic principles.”
Mona highlights the fact that:
Flogging is a cruel and inhuman punishment that is banned by international law and conventions like the one against torture, to which the majority of countries in the world are signatories.
She called on the international community:
to take away the pass to the international club from countries that duck out of their international obligations under the pretext of “cultural or religious” reservations.
Egyptian Seyasy Masry wrote in support of Lubna's cause:
Lubna clearly said :
The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights issued the following statement:
Khawater [AR] reported Lubna's refusal to pay the fine, her acquital upon paying, and the clashes between Lubna's supporters and the Islamists, and Mona ElTahawy wrote about how Sudan was caught with its pants downz:
The entire world was watching when a judge waived the flogging sentence Monday and ordered her to pay a $200 fine. But Hussein kicked the ball right back at the Khartoum government, refusing to pay the fine and choosing instead to spend a month in jail to show solidarity with the thousands of other women, Muslim and non-Muslim, that the so-called Islamic Sudanese regime singles out for its brand of hollow piety.
Shockingly, such charges are not unusual in Khartoum, where a police official says nearly 43,000 women were detained last year for indecent clothing offences. The Sudanese regime picked on the wrong woman with Hussein. Despite her request to family and friends not to pay the fine on her behalf, the head of the Journalists Union — a member of the ruling party — paid the fine and Hussein was almost pushed out of prison — television news reports show her looking upset at being told to leave.
Mona ends her post saying:
It’s about time the UN kicked out Sudan and other countries that so egregiously violate women’s most basic rights in the name of “decency.”


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India: Lisa Ray’s Blog On Living With Cancer · Global Voices
Rezwan

Santosh informs that Bollywood celebrity Lisa Ray has recently been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and has started to blog about her battle with the disease.


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Malaysia: Complaint vs telemarketers · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Just Minishorts from Malaysia has a complaint against persistent and impolite telemarketers who offer various financial packages which she doesn't need


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South Korea: Prosecution for racist remarks · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Korea Beat translated a news story on the country's first prosecution case against a Korean man for using racist remarks towards an Indian, Bonojit Hussein, who is teaching in a local university.


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Sri Lanka: The State Of Freedom Of Expression · Global Voices
Rezwan

Going Global comments on the state of freedom of expression in Sri Lanka: “Freedom of expression is largely seen as an unaffordable luxury by most of the intellectual crowd in Sri Lanka right now. Journalists are pretty much a oppressed group of people and now bloggers are slowly beginning to wake up to the danger on the horizon as well.”


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Tribute To The Bangladeshis Killed in 9/11  · Global Voices
Rezwan

M. Tawsif Salam at The Writers Club pays tribute to the Bangladeshi victims of the September 11 (9/11) attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City by publishing their photos and short biographies.


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Uganda: Nine Dead in Kampala Riots · Global Voices
Rebekah Heacock

Riots in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, have led to the deaths of at least nine people (BBC) as members of the Baganda ethnic group clashed with police and military forces on Thursday and Friday.
The riots are an escalation of an ongoing feud between the central Ugandan government and the King (or “Kabaka”) of the Baganda tribe, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. The Baganda people belong to the Kingdom of Buganda,* and they are the largest Ugandan ethnic group.
Last week, Mutebi announced that he was planning an official visit to Kayunga, a district about 45km (28 miles) northeast of Kampala. The district is part of the Kingdom of Buganda, but it is also home to many members of the Banyala ethnic group, many of whom would prefer to establish their own independent kingdom.
Banyala leaders announced they would protest the visit and warned Mutebi not to come. The central government responded by warning Mutebi to stay out of the district and arresting several Baganda people in the area who were erecting exhibition stalls and tents in preparation for his arrival.
Kampala on fire.  Photo courtesy of Rhino via Solomon King.
The news of the arrests angered many members of the Baganda tribe. In Kampala on Wednesday, Flourescent wrote:
I was seated in a taxi this morning when CBS broadcast its morning news. Of course the Kayunga thing was among the top stories. There was a man in front of me who was so infuriated and this is what he said: “Ye lwaki bajooga Kabaka waffe bwebatyo? …hmmm? …Tebamanyi nagwebazannya naye. Tujakubookya! Nze singa naliyo eyo ekayunga tewali munyala yandivuddewo mulamu!” (Why are they undermining our Kabaka? …They don’t even know who they are playing with …We will BURN them! Me if I had been in Kayunga no Munyala [Note: a Munyala is a member of the Banyala tribe] would have been left alive!”)
Despite rising tensions, Mutebi continued preparations to visit Kayunga, sending his premier to the district on Thursday to make the necessary arrangements.  However, the government blocked the premier from entering the district, citing security concerns.  In Kampala, people who supported the visit protested the government's actions.  Police retaliated, and the situation quickly escalated into full-fledged rioting.
Fresh Apples witnessed the riots, which took place throughout the day on Thursday.  He reports:
Police are firing live AK rounds & tear gas at demonstrators who set ablaze a Police station in the Old [taxi] park.
I can hear the numerous gun shots. Taxis are being diverted back to city suburbs. The police is even hitting vehicles trying to pass through the city. Breaking windows.
GayUganda, who also lives in Kampala, describes the riots:
A real, bonafide people’s revolt.
Fire in the streets. Empty streets. The main roads are closed. And chaos reigns supreme. And the anthem of the uprising, the Buganda anthem. God, how many people knew it before now?
Ugandans in the capital were also using Twitter and Facebook to report what was happening:
@solomonking (20 hours ago): “Standing near our taxi stage, it's 8pm and people are crossing over with their hands up. Fire in the middle of the road.”
@solomonking (20 hours ago): “Okay. We're like running for our lives.”
Other Ugandans (with privacy-protected Twitter accounts) reported “Kampala on fire” and “trapped in the middle of a city that's on fire… police is shooting tear gas and live rounds! God save us!”
@appfrica (4 hours ago): “Going out and buying [cell phone] airtime to transfer to people who can't leave their homes. #kampala #ugandawitness”
Araalingua, an American living in Kampala, collected a number of Facebook status updates from friends in the city:
Tumwi at Ugandan Insomniac wonders about the government's role in the riots:
The number of innocents who died during the fracas has broken my heart. The destruction was uncalled for. But was it preventable…of course. Surely President Yoweri Museveni and his government should have discovered, after 20-some years, that you cannot suppress dissent by force. It didn’t work for them in the 1980s and by jove, it won’t happen now.
*Note: In many of the languages spoken in Uganda, prefixes are used to distinguish people and places.  For example, the King of the Baganda tribe rules over the Kingdom of Buganda. [Return to paragraph.]

author: Rebekah Heacock


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China: Why Zhu Rongji remains popular · Global Voices
Robert Woo

Zhu Rongji (朱镕基), China’s former Premier (the second-ranking leader), was a popular statesman praised for high moral standing, general truthfulness, resolute behavior, work ethics, dedication towards the economic reform and intolerance of corruption. He attempted, with much success, to resolve many deep-seated problems in China. For instance, under his leadership, a large number of state-owned enterprises were modernized, remarkably without creating huge amount of unemployment or major social disorder. His style of speech was also memorable, as he was one of the few Chinese leaders who did not stick to a script. As a result, frank, memorable and even touching moments abounded in many of his press conferences.
On September 2, more than six years after Zhu retired, a book titled “Zhu Rongji in Press Conference” (朱镕基答记者问) was published. It presented the archived transcriptions of all major press conferences Zhu attended during his term as the Vice Premier and the Premier. The book immediately became such a hit, that the publisher announced that sales would soon top one million, an enviable feat in the printing industry.
For the record, Zhu deliberately avoided public attention after his retirement. For instance, even as a former Premier, he did not attend either the opening or closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. He refused to read the biography his cousin had written for him. As for the current collection, he requested that his name on the book cover should be printed in a less noticeable format than “in Press Conference” (答记者问), as has been done. All these acts gave people a strong impression of his self-discipline and humility.
However, the new book has propelled Zhu back into public’s gaze. Both the market reception and internet  interest in this book have proved that even though Zhu has retreated from the limelight for so many years, his popularity is far from waning.
This can be reflected in blogger Jia Junjun's summing-up of Zhu Rongji's life:
朱熔基是那种真金不怕火炼的实干家，经得起时间检验。相信随着时局推移，朱熔基的价值和意义会更加凸显。朱熔基是当今政坛的一股清风；他的出现，是体制内的异数；朱熔基的干才胆魄，朱熔基的亲民作风，朱熔基的清廉志洁，善于面对公众，雷厉风行的行政风格，对贪官庸吏的不留情面，仿佛都不属于这个时代，不属于这个时期的中国。朱熔基是超出于时代的伟人。
Zhu Rongji is a true leader and his reputation will stand the test of time. I believe as time moves on, the legacy of Zhu Rongji will become more obvious. Zhu Rongji was once a refreshing breeze in the current political system. He was a class of his own. His courage, his close interaction with the common people, his incorruptibility, his self-composure in front of the public, his steadfast managerial style and his lack of mercy for the corrupt and  mediocre officials — all of them regrettably do not belong to this age, or in this age's China. Zhu Rongji was a great man who was situated before his time.
Another netizen commented that:
朱总理的胆略、智慧、谐趣幽默、能力、视野在当今世上无谁能敌！
At present, nobody can surpass Premier Zhu’s courage, wisdom, sense of humor, ability and vision!
In addition, shorter praises such as “He was a great Premier” and “People love you” float everywhere in the online community.
Why is Zhu Rongji so popular after so many years? Why do people still think so highly of him even though they did not technically vote for him? Best explanation seems to be that his is so special.
In a way, Zhu Rongji, embodies people’s aspirations for a type of politician that Chinese bureaucracy so seldom produce. Zhu’s best qualities, such as frankness, openness and responsibility, run counter to most people’s perception of Chinese government officials. So in truth, the continuing enthusiasm for Zhu Rongji not only stems from a degree of nostalgia, but also from the wish to have more people like him in the government now! In an indirect but obvious way, such enthusiasm shows the strong popular support for deeper, braver and more substantial reforms, for more transparency, for the fight against corruption and for more government accountability.
In ending, I would like to translate some of the most memorable quotes from Zhu Rongji, so that you may have a better picture of who he is and why people still miss him.
反腐败要先打老虎后打狼，对老虎绝不能姑息养奸，准备好一百口棺材，也有我的一口。无非是个同归于尽，却换来国家的长久稳定发展和老百姓对我们事业的信心。
In the war against corruption, we should beat the (stronger) tiger before beating the (weaker) wolves. As for the tiger, we should never show mercy. Let us prepare one hundred coffins, including one for me. The worst case is only a destruction of them and me, but what is that is in exchange is the long-term stability and development of our nation and people’s confidence in our cause.
至于说我什么时间退休，退休以后干什么，我在1998年的时候就讲过，我将勇往直前，义无反顾，鞠躬尽瘁，死而后已。我现在，还是这样做！不过请大家不要误会，死而后已不是说我要是不死就老赖在这个总理位子上，这不是这个意思啊！只是说，只要我活着，还有一口气，我就要为人民鞠躬尽瘁、死而后已。
As for when will I retire and what I will do after my retirement, I already spoke about that in 1998. I said I would march on courageously. I would not look back. I would work hard and would not cease till my death. Today, I am still keeping that promise! However you should not misunderstand me. “Not cease till my death” does not mean that if I am not dead I will stick to this chair of premiership. This is not what I mean! I only want to say that as long as I am alive and have one more breath, I will “work hard and will not cease till my death”.
我只希望在我卸任以后，全国人民能说一句，他是一个清官，不是贪官，我就很满意了。那么再看开一点说，朱镕基还是办一点实事，哎呀，我就谢天谢地了！
I only wish that after my retirement, people from all over the country could say, he is a good official, not a corrupt one. Then I will be more than satisfied. If they could take it easier, and say, Zhu Rongji really did something, then I will thank the heaven and the earth!

author: Robert Woo


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Arab World: Healing the Rifts of 9/11 · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

As the United States remembers the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001, the rest of the world is remembering too.  For many Arabs, that day marked a change in mutual perception. It fundamentally changed how the world perceives Arabs and how Arabs see the world. For many, suspicion and fear became the de facto common denominator.  For others, it sparked a need for more awareness.
Buj al Arab, from the UAE, discusses the changes in the world since 2001.  He remembers the victims of 9/11 and remarks on how much the world has changed since:
On this fateful day eight years ago more than 3000 people lost their lives in New York city. Unfortunately the murder of those innocents lead to more lost lives all over the world. This day changed our modern world forever, and some might say the change was not for the best…
…8 years feels like a long time and indeed I cannot remember much about how air travel was prior to 9/11. How uncomplicated. I cannot also remember how easy it was to enter the USA, since I never attempted to do so in the last 8 years. Let us hope that we can change things to the better, to push for more freedoms and civil liberties, to give voice to the weak, and to only use war as a last resort or a no-resort.
Will Donovan, an American blogger whose blog is entitled Some Guy in Lebanon, shares how 9/11 changed his world:
I’d like to reflect on that date for a moment – September 11th doesn’t need an introduction. It is a day that will long be remembered in horrifying imagery as America was attacked in an unprecedented terrorist incident. On that day, it seemed, the long arm of Middle Eastern politics, upheaval, and affairs, reached out far across the seas, as Saudis, financed by oil profits, and under the nose of one of America’s key allies, obliterated our sense of security and isolation. Suddenly there was an enormous realization that America did not stand alone in a vacuum. There was a new interest in the Middle East – People took Arabic in unprecedented numbers, and our President and our foreign policy took a new interest in the region, often for the worse. It is impossible to deny that September 11th awakened me to an interest in the Middle East, as well.
American interest had its many disasters, including, obviously, the Iraq war, the disastrous financing of Fatah in Gaza, and a blind eye to Arab dictatorships, new allies in the “War on Terror,” as they brutally cracked down on moderate Muslim democratic movements. But it had one interesting moment – Bush loudly backed the “March 14″ coalition in Lebanon when it streamed into the streets in 2005 to protest Syria’s occupation of the country following the assassination of Rafic Hariri. I will not attribute the entire thing to American foreign policy, but it is hard to deny that, in an ocean of failure, this was one bright spot for the post-September 11th American agenda. It paved the way for my life now.
Another American living in an Arab country is the blogger behind 760 Days in Morocco.  As an American of Arab descent who is a convert to Islam, she shares a unique perspective on how the day affected her life:
It is that day eight years ago when a gross atrocity occurred.  “The day the world stood still.”  The day we all remember exactly where we were, and exactly what we were doing.  The day so many lives changed forever.  The day we have memorialized every year since then.  The day when a friend called me and said “Why are y’all doing this to us?”  I was not a Muslim then.  I had never really thought about Islam much then.  I had never heard of Bin Laden or Al Qaeda then.  Yet, still as an Arab-American of Lebanese decent, I was partly to blame for this event that even now as a Muslim I condemn with my whole heart.  I’m not the only one.  Most Muslims around the world condemn these actions too.  I believe deep in my heart that Allah has condemned these actions also.  What those people did is against Islam in every sense.  What they practice is not the religion I have come to know, love, and accept.  If what they did had anything to do with the true religion of Islam, I would certainly not be a part of it.
The blogger concludes by sharing a story about how she contributed to greater understanding:
Yes, we have to put ourselves out there to do that.  I recall a story my aunt told me about a Muslim family who lived in her small town.  After 9/11, the family organized a talk for the community to explain what Islam is and how terrorism is not related to it whatsoever.  They put themselves out there so that their neighbors could gain greater understanding of the truth about Islam.  At the college where I worked previously, I joined a faculty and staff discussion that was often way over my head in order to bring the Muslim voice to the table.  I had to put myself out there so that the others at the table could gain a greater understanding of the truth about Islam.  Putting ourselves out there to spread the true word of Islam is the real jihad, and it continues not only 8 years after that day, but until the Day of Judgement.
Moroccan blogger Myrtus shares a simple message:
I pledge to promote peace, love, freedom and coexistence whenever/wherever I CAN, with simple acts of kindness……and remember we're all humans first and foremost.
For an interesting perspective on how American views of the Arab world and Muslims have changed since 2001, the Pew Research Center for People and the Press has published a study entitled “Muslims Widely Seen as Facing Discrimination.”

author: Jillian C. York


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Brazil: Photos of a country hit by hail, rain and high winds · Global Voices
Paula Góes

The past week was marked by violent storm in many Brazilian states. Seven people died in the southern Brazilian states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, while four people died in a São Paulo slum after a mudslide swept into a slum last Tuesday. Thousands of people have been made homeless across the country. The photos below have been taken in different places of the country and shared under Creative Commons licenses on Flickr.
On September 8th, at 10:30 in the morning, 70% of the rain expected for the whole month had fallen in São Paulo, as reported by flicker user gd365. This is said to be the most rainy winter since 1943. As a result, there were traffic jams and cut off phone services and electricity in some neighbourhoods of Latin America's biggest metropolis.
Photo by gd365
Later on the day, in another part of the city, Flicker user ManoelNetto described the scene unfolding in front of him as “The Apocalypse”.
Photo by Flicker user ManoelNetto
(15h55) Dá um saque no final dos tempos. Essa foto foi tirada por volta de 15h, da janela do 9o andar da Abril (Marginal Pinheiros).
Photo by alémdoquesevê_2
Veja que delícia, dia começou com céu preto com sol…
Faculdade teve apagão (o negocio da luz explodiu bem na minha frente) e alagou, a rua alagou, o metro alagou, minha calça molhou (mesmo tendo guarda-chuva,que ficou levemente destruido), e bem na hora que tenho que sair de novo o dia virou noite de novo e sem condiçoes de eu ir pra rua, ah e agora a luz daqui ta ameaçando acabar e eu cheia de coisas pra fazer no computador…ê dia bom
There was a blackout in the university (the light bulb exploded right in front of me) and flood, the street flooded, the subway flooded, my pants got wet (even with an umbrella, which was slightly destroyed), and just when I had to leave again the day turned to night and there is no way I can go out, ah, and now the light here is threatening to go away and I have a lot of stuff to do on the computer… oh good day
At 11 AM on the September 9th, the sky so dark that it appeared to be night in São Paulo, as registered by the lens of Flicker user erika.tricroche. About 30 spots around São Paulo were submerged by heavy rain, which also brought traffic on normally congested roads to a standstill.
The luminous sign reads: slow traffic. Photo by erika.tricroche.
Na minha volta pra São Paulo na terça-feira, em pleno Castelo Branco chegando em Barueri, antes de todo caos que a chuva causou: Muito transito + alagamento + destruição + soterramento = caos total!!!!
Ainda bem que ainda era de manhã e cheguei sã e salva!!!!!
Avenida Paulista, the largest avenue in São Paulo, on 3 of September. Photo by Gustavo Minas.
September 11, Tenente Portela, state of Rio Grande do Sul, South of Brazil. Photo by Flicker user Robvini.
September 11, Tenente Portela, state of Rio Grande do Sul, south of Brazil. Photo by Flicker user Robvini.
Unknown city on 8 of September, photo by Flickr user rodrigojunk
A picture taken after the rain in the north-western state of Acre, on September 8th:
Photo by Sérgio Vale/Secom
Chuva na mata traz novos cheiros, novas vidas, novas cores e um pequeno arco-íris se forma colorindo o entardecer
Argentina and Paraguay were also hit by the rain, described as a freak “tornado” by local media. Throughout Brazil, the rain and wind have affected over 70,000 residents in 45 cities. The Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) forecasts a rainy weekend in all regions of the country.

author: Paula Góes


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Chile: Presidential Candidate Sebastian Piñera and his “Digital Revolution”  · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In Chile, the blog from the campaign “One Computer per Child” has a video from Presidential candidate Sebastian Piñera, [es] who explains his positions and presents his project called the “Digital Revolution.”

author: Eduardo Avila


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Egypt: “Drivers don’t enjoy protection” · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian drivers don't enjoy protection, writes Wessam Fuad, whose blog [Ar] deals with problems drivers face in his country. In his most recent post, the blogger says in the case of an accident, both the person who caused the accident and his victim face a similar fine.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Françafrique casts shadow in Gabon, Madagascar, and Mauritania · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Recent violence in Gabon and Madagascar, and a contested election in Mauritania, have added fuel to the idea that France ‘s influence looms large in the political arenas of her former African colonies, where it still has wide-ranging political and economic interests. This notion is often referred to as Françafrique.
Presidential elections in Gabon were mired with accusations of fraud as Ali Bongo, son of recently-deceased president, Omar Bongo, was declared the victor.  Post-electoral violence lead to the torching of French consulate in Port-Gentil, a city that also hosts the offices of French oil company Total.
In Madagascar, promising peace talks initiated in Maputo by an international mediation group eventually fizzled and today, protests were violently repressed by the transitional government.   In the capital, Antananarivo,  a few protesters were seen harassing vazaha ( foreigners) near hotel Glacier as military forces repressed protests against the formation of a  government that  did not include all the political groups as was agreed during the  Maputo  peace talks.
And in Mauritania,  General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who took over after a coup  d’ etat a year ago, saw his power legitimized in an election that his opponents  consider as potentially fraudulent. Yet Mauritanians wonder why France was one of the first nations to recognize (fr) the outcome of the elections.
The notion of Francafrique is such a widely accepted concept that in January  2008,  former French Secretary of State for Overseas Development, Jean-Marie Bockel, stated that he was willing  to “sign the death certificate of Françafrique”
The cozy living conditions that African leaders enjoy  in France has been well-documented. The map of real estate properties in Paris of family of African dictators published by Rue89 is a telling evidence that France's effort to distance themselves from dictators is more words than action. The NGO cellule Francafrique lists  details of evidences supporting the Francafrique concept with reports and  photos on flickr.
For instance, Malagasy and French blogs were quick to point out that  French Ambassador Chataignier  was the first foreign officer to meet with Rajoelina the day after the coup d'etat in Madagascar. Malagasy blogger NJ links to the following video that aims to explain how Francafrique works in Madagascar:
A reason bloggers often cite for France's involvement in Madagascar is the potential for oil farming in the region of Bemolanga. Total has acquired 60% ownership of the Basin and is expected to produce 180,000 barrels of oil per day for more than 30 years. Reuters reports that the reserve of Tsimiroro could produce 1.7 billions barrels.
The enduring resentment towards France's actions for what is perceived, rightfully or not, as deleterious mingling into Africa's own development has sometimes taken violent proportions.
However, one Malagasy blogger Vony offers an alternative to anger towards French citizen in  reaction to Francafrique.  Vony writes in an  open  letter to French citizens in Madagascar (fr):
On dit que vous, Français, venez du pays des droits de l’Homme
Mais on sait aussi que vous vivez désormais dans un pays où la terreur règne,
Parce que Madagascar est aussi une partie de votre histoire, nous vous demandons
solennellement de nous soutenir et nous aider à retrouver notre dignité de
Malgaches et notre fierté de vivre sur cette île [..] Nous Malgaches au pays, en France et à l’étranger faisons appel à votre solidarité envers votre peuple ami et à votre foi en la démocratie et le respect des droits de l’Homme.
Parce que vous êtes aussi menacés par l’avenir sombre et désastreux qui nous guettent tous, , ne détournez pas les yeux mais tendez nous la main pour mieux dénoncer ce que vous ne toléreriez pas dans votre propre pays!
Tahina writes about yesterday's violence and how it brought  back traumatic memories:
My bus line passes through the 13 Mai Square, a hot spot if not the hottest after the Ambohijatovo Park. And  this logical question asked to the conducteur before getting on the bus “Do you go till Analakely?”, “Yes, Sir.” Along the street you pay attention to any abnormal things, people gathering at one place, suspicious traffic, you to stretch your ears to over hear others’ conversations. You take out your mobile and try to call someone who’s supposed to be downtown to know if he’s safe and ask him what he’s witnessed. All of that recalls me bad things. Things that I’m likely to live again in the days to come.
In Gabon, Malagasy blogger Harinjaka, who is currently based in Libreville,  writes about potential evidence of fraud that led to Ali Bongo's victory:
of the cards featured in the image above, the one on the left is authentic, while the one on the right has been forged. The difference is quite clear – the one on the left has been stamped after the photo was attached, whereas the photo on the right was not stamped with the card, meaning that the photo can be changed – so that several people can vote with the same electoral card.
Here is a video of a Gabonese woman accuses France of being directly responsible for Bongo's fraudulent election (fr):
Such statements have often been dismissed in the West as nothing more than conspiracy theories. Unfortunately, the recent turmoils in Gabon, Mauritania and Madagascar have made Francafrique feel very real to African bloggers and citizens.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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India: The Web Meets The Road In The Great Driving Challenge · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Screenshot Of The Great Driving Challenge Campaign Website
On the 22nd of June, 2009, an automobile company in India, Hindustan Motors Limited,  which has a joint venture with Mitsubishi, announced a promotional/ marketing event named Mitsubishi Cedia Sports ‘The Great Driving Challenge‘. The innovative concept soon generated a buzz amongst driving aficionados, bitten by the travel bug.
Now, what's new about a driving challenge, you may ask. Don't we have enough car rallies and races already? But, as the the organizers of the event pointed out, this was neither a race nor a rally. It was a competitive event which married web-based (online) as well as on-the-road (reality) components to arrive at the final winners of the contest, and thereby positioned itself as an ‘online reality event’. The excitement around the event was built almost entirely through the use of social media, though there were events on ground too, such as the opportunity to test drive the Cedia Sports car.
Briefly the process was as follows:  on 22nd June, the contest was announced; it offered the final winning couple a prize money of 10 lakh INR (approx. USD 20,585).  After registering for the contest, the contestants had to solicit votes and testimonials from people they knew by inviting them to visit their profile on the competition website. Contestants were expected to share their past travel experiences through blog posts, photos, videos etc., to make their profiles attractive to visitors, who could also become active followers of the contestants, comment on their posts and also vote for them. The contest was also popularised on the various social networking sites.
On 18th July, 100 couples were shortlisted from the entire lot of more than 10,000 applicants, based on the number of votes they received and the quality of their profiles and posts. Some of the featured couples can be seen here.
In the next phase, a further shortlisting was done based on auditions, as well as jury evaluation of  blogs (content & style of presentation), photos, videos, past travel experiences, driving skills, photography skills, aptitude and suitability for the driving event etc. On 5th of August, three finalist couples a) Joseph & Namrata, b)Radhika & Bharat and c)Unny & Bindhu were selected for the actual driving challenge.
Each of these 3 couples were  then offered an all expense paid drive in a Mitsubishi Cedia Sports car which they had to drive across the country, covering minimum 3000km over a period of 10 days. Simultaneously they had to share their driving experiences online through blogging, photos, videos, sms feeds etc. Followers could also track their journey on the map. Check the campaign blog for some great posts with pictures and videos.
The final winning couple was selected based on distance covered, quality and number of posts, pictures, videos, scores given by jury as well as profile visitors. You can visit the winning team – Radhika and Bharat, here for some great posts and lovely photographs.
An excerpt from Radhika and Bharat's blog:
I know the whole event is called The Great Driving Challenge but it really wasn’t a challenge. We drove through Madhya Pradesh where the soya farmers were waiting for rain. We drove through Khajuraho and Varanasi where the only thing that kept us alive was the climate control air conditioner in the car. Varanasi gave us a real taste of how maneuverable the car was with its chaotic traffic and narrow roads.
Here are screen shots from Joseph-Namrata & Unny-Bindhu's Blogs:
Kanupriya at Marketing Chit-chat noted that the campaign was cost effective and  highlights some key aspects:
Prominent Indian blogger Charukesi who runs a travel blog Itchy Feet was a also a participant in this contest. According to her a key hook in an event of this nature is:
…the excitement of the road trip itself – being able to go on a route of your choice and the continuous blogging – keeping your followers engaged
Marketers are waiting to see how much of the buzz created in the social media actually translates into sales, which, according to numbers quoted by team-BHP seems to be very little as of now. Their feedback:
The Great Driving Challenge was a terrifically marketed event, yet it did NOTHING to the (sales of) Cedia.
Social media enthusiasts however feel that it is too early to do the numbers as these are new tools and will take some time to sink in and make their impact felt. The windfall here perhaps is that such events will popularize blogging among a larger community and more and more people will be motivated to share their stories and engage in conversations.
What do you feel?

author: Aparna Ray


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Japan: Suggestions to LDP · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Parsley gives to the defeated Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) five advices to be reborn.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Jordan: GPS nightmare  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Ahmad Humeid writes: “This GPS/Mapping story in Jordan is turning into a really painful one!”


text:
Palestine: Ramadan in Gaza  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian Nazek Abu Rahma posts photographs showing scenes from the Holy month of Ramadan in Gaza here


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Palestine: The 9/11 Industry  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

While Katrina is a distant memory, the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks on the US is being used to fuel a “9/11 industry,” writes Al Falasteeniya.


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Syria: Back to School  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian Kinan Jarjous, who blogs at Jar of Juice, is back to school. “[C]ontinuing my education is a major thing I want to finish – not only because it paves a way to potential better jobs, but because I really need the mental stimulation, something I considerably lacked in the latter half of my former job’s small lifetime,” he explains.


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UAE: Heart’s Content  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From the UAE, The Devil Wears Prada pours out her heart's content in this post.


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Ukraine: Interview With Femen’s Anna Gutsol · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At GlobalComment, Natalia Antonova talks to Anna Gutsol, leader of a Ukrainian women's organization Femen, “about everything from her organization’s tactics of harassing sex tourists to the endless debate about women and housework.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Video: Caring about Congo · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

What is the connection between new media and the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo? That the black market trade of mineral components necessary to power our cellphones, laptop computers, mp3 players and digital cameras is also fueling the conflict and funding many of the armed groups. However, these same technologies are playing an important part in raising awareness about the conflict, and showing us that more than just a spot on a map, the DRC is full of people trying to survive and make the most out of their situation.
Take for example this video on Congolese rappers, and how street children are taking to music as a way to escape the violence. The video was uploaded by YouTube user mikayali and was featured on the Free Uganda blog. In it, young rappers speak about how the people are fed up by the violence, teachers haven't been paid for years and are in strike, and children will grow up in the streets, with no education and no jobs available to them. So they turn to rap as a way to focus their anger about the situation they live in, to speak out about the issues like death and hunger, but with a bit of humor, they say, so the message gets across in a positive manner, with no violence or brutality and in the local language, Lingala,  since there are many who don't speak French or English. The video audio is in French with English subtitles.
It is this will to survive, live and hope to thrive that also inspires many of those who travel to Congo to become advocates for the situation, and try to spread the word about the conflict, and send out the message to make the world care. Such is the case with Emily Troutman, who made the following video: Why Congo Matters. She writes:
After spending a month in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I find myself speaking most often about the numbers: 5.4 million dead, 2,000 rapes per month, 17,000 UN soldiers, a war that started 15 years ago (or more?)….
And suddenly, the conflict seems impossibly huge, unsolvable, tragic, and remote. It is easy to forget that numbers are symbols, representing real people who take up an actual, physical space; who walk the down the dirt roads at sunset and carry water from the river, just as they did when I was there…
…For a number to be useful, it should have a beating heart and a face. It should collect names and remind us of something in ourselves. A number should challenge us to unravel it, to give it a smell (the earthy jungle undergrowth), a color (the black volcanic dust), a taste (papaya), and a sound (the ‘snap’ of a green bean).
Why Congo Matters from Emily Troutman on Vimeo.
So what to do about our gadgets and how they fund violence in a country already ravaged by war?  Enough project joined YouTube to organize a contest where through videos, people could demand companies to provide transparent audits as to how they are obtaining their minerals and make sure they are “conflict free”.  As they explained on the site:
“Much of the violence in eastern Congo is driven by armed groups competing to dominate the illicit minerals trade,” said Enough Project Executive Director John Norris. “These are the same minerals that ultimately end up in our personal electronics devices such as mobile phones, laptops and digital cameras. It seems only fitting that we can use something like YouTube and the huge creativity of its users to help end the scourge of conflict minerals.” Enough has called on electronic companies to pledge that they will certify their products are ‘conflict free’ and subject their supply chains to transparent audits.
The winner for the Come Clean 4 Congo contest was chosen just a few days ago, and will be present at the Hollywood Film Festival at the end of October. His name is Matthew Smith from the USA and he was also inspired by a recent visit to the Congo, where he and his team learned about the conflict and then decided to participate in the contest with Life Should be Free.
You can view other participants’ entries by following this link and clicking on “gallery”.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Africa: Has Seacom changed anything?  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

TechMasai writes a post about Seacom, the East African undersea cable in a post titled, “A Month Has Passed After Seacom Arrived, Has Anything Actually Changed?”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Belarus: Many Blogs, Few in English · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Andrei Khrapavitski writes that there are many blogs about Belarus out there, but very few of them are in English.


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China: School girl wants to be “corrupt official” · Global Voices
Andy Yee

On the first day of China’s school term (1 September), Guangzhou’s Southern Metropolitan Daily interviewed some primary one kids about their life-goals. One of them told the journalist that her dream was to “become an official”. When the journalist asked what kind of official she wanted to be, she replied that she wanted to “become a corrupt official. Corrupt officials have a lot of good stuff.”
The video is now in the youtube, the face of the girl has been blurred:
This reply made its rounds on Chinese media and blogs. Some think that it is just a random comment by a child, but many hold the view that it is a reflection of the society’s reality. A forum in ifeng shows some typical comments:
rviflss 2009-9-4 14:16: 童言无忌
joanna-jin 2009-9-4 12:46: 可悲可恨啊，越长大越了解社会的黑暗
上來看看的 2009-9-4 13:20 : 我倒是觉现在的孩子才叫懂得什么叫现实，学校教的那一套就如同走过场一样，如果按照学校教的走向社会，那你只能回家了
toplong6450 2009-9-4 16:26: 只是说出了实话啊！！！！ 大人应该好好检讨 我难过啊
wangbaozhu 2009-9-8 21:21: 皇帝的新装，只有孩子才说句实话。老师们，不要自欺欺人了，从小学做起，教他们学做贪官和奸商吧。
Active internet writer Shihua (施化), in a recent article, comments about the school girl’s reply, and attributes China’s widespread phenomenon of corruption to an unlimited “National Public Power”:
这个六岁小女孩说出了成年人心里想说又不敢说的话。这句话里有两个事实，一个是，只有官才能贪，贪腐依靠权力，只听说过贪官，没听说过贪民的；一个是，要想有很多东西，在中国别无它径，最好是做官。
贪污必须先做官，也就是行使国家公权力。但是，国家公权力（National Public Power）指的是公共权力，而不是国家机构自己的权力。也就是说，公权力强调的不是国家行政对社会、对人民的“管理”，而是对人民神圣不可侵犯的私有权力的保护。
由于中国长期实行单一的公有制和计划经济，不可能自发产生私法观念和私权观念，所形成的唯一只有公法、公权观念…… 人民和企业的一切行为都须得到国家的许可，国家拥有绝对不受限制的权力。这样一来，本来应当保护私人的公权力就开始向私人领域伸出贪婪的手。
一旦公共权力的形成，不是由全民经由民主方式，而是由某个独大的政党采取的强制方式，公权力在一夜之间就被偷换。腐败是和过度使用的公权力并存的，但不常存在于私权力。

author: Andy Yee


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Ghana: Sex scams and community responses · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ethan discusses online sex scams and community responses in Ghana.


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Hong Kong: TVB’s beaten journalists and brave new voice · Global Voices
Henry C.

Widespread anger over the recent beating up and detention of three Hong Kong journalists as they reported on ethnic unrest in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region came to a head this weekend with a high profile protest outside the Chinese central government liaison office in Hong Kong.
Of the three journalists, two represented Hong Kong television broadcaster TVB; referred to by many as CCTVB for its tendency to self-harmonize, the strong condemnation delivered by Cantonese-language channel TVB Jade of the way the journalists were treated spurred certain criticism and ridicule online, and the antagonistic stance taken towards the mainland Chinese authorities in recent days struck some as such a shift in character as to seem hypocritical; as written on the Libertines Pub:
…having a biased broadcaster to condemn others for presenting diverted facts is certainly a bit irritating.
Let's support our journalists in their protest against the violence to the media; but let's not overlook the hypocrisy of TVB News.
Hong Kong-based Stone Ip blogger Mr. Shek (石先生) shared a similar point of view in his post looking at the situation:
無線新聞對旗下記者於新疆被扣捕事件作出詳細報導，時間達 9:08。近年被稱為 CCTVB 的無線新聞部，這次的做法到底對洗脫 CCTVB 的稱號有幫助，還是最終令 CCTVB 成為絡印，真的要惜目以待。
P.S.　請留意一點，事件發生至今，無線電視 及 相關人士 並沒有發出任何形式的回應，回應均來自 無線新聞 新聞報導時段 中的無線電視新聞部。這個做法到底是正常做法，是集體負責，還是有人避免出面以影響未來，請自行考量。
P.S. Please note that so far no comments in any forms were made by TVB or its related personnel. All the comments were within the framework of the news reports. I am not sure if this is a normal practice, a showing of collective responsibility, or that somebody does not want to be affected in future for coming out.
A mainland Twitter user going by the handle @feifei1028 also tweeted:
TVB大篇幅報道記者被打，難道從此TVB就不會是CCTVB了嗎？
Reader Charles of the blog A Plastic Everyday – the Absurd Hong Kong commented:
做CCTVB的結果也不見得好．．．港人叫你CCTVB，你以為你已“入贅”姓共，有保險。傻啦，遲早被真姓“共”的“剷”著，橫死收場。投共從來沒有好結果．．．逗人工做報導而被毆打的記者，我們要同情並聲援。投共的傳媒，要鬧。

author: Henry C.


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Japan: In Response to ‘The Cove’ · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Lisa Katayama at Tokyo Mango blogs about an update about the dolphin killings in Taiji from the Oceanic Preservation Society, the organization behind the documentary ‘The Cove’.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Japan: Welcome Asia-Update.net · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Yumeji welcomes the new blog Asia-Update.net to the blogosphere. The blog will cover news and analysis on the Asia-Pacific region.


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Japan: Worries about spread of HIV and AIDS · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

By Flickr id: alephnaught.
There are some alarming statistics about the spread of HIV and AIDS in Japan. While the rest of the developed world UNAIDS reported that the cases of infection are decreasing, Japan seems to be the only such country [ja] where the number of HIV positives and AIDS infected people is growing. According to the AIDS Trend Committee, 2008 was the year with the highest number of new cases recorded: 432 people were diagnosed with AIDS and 1113 as HIV positive. So far the statistics for 2009 [ja] are no more reassuring: for in June, 249 people were diagnosed HIV+ and 124 with AIDS. Patients are mostly male, homosexual and in their 20s and 30s. Among the causes is often cited the lack of information and need for a campaign to raise awareness of the problem, especially in the gay community. While organizations such as WADS [ja], JFAP [ja] and others seek to raise the level of public awareness especially among the young and young adults to the matter, government policies have not proved to be very effective so far. With the recent general election and the new elected DPJ, there is hope that policies on HIV/AIDS issue will be considered more seriously though none of the competing parties addressed the problem in their manifestos. An anonymous comment on the AIDS & Society Association‘s blog [ja] highlights this point.
今回の総選挙の論戦からエイズ対策は消されてしまったんですね。ああ、そうですか、それが日本の政治の意思ですか、といったやりきれない印象です。世界中でエイズに関する国際会議が開かれ、日本政府も加わったさまざまな宣言や声明が発表されるたびに強調されてきた「政治のリーダーシップ」は、現在の日本国内ではこういう姿で表現されている。これでいいのでしょうか、いや、いいわけがない！　ということで、反語的怒りをふつふつと感じつつも、それをぐっと抑え、日本ＨＩＶ陽性者ネットワークＪａＮＰ＋、エイズ＆ソサエティ研究会議など国内のエイズ関連ＮＧＯのネットワーク４団体が各政党に対しエイズ政策に関する公開質問を行っています。
(追加)　各党からの回答はJaNP+の公式サイトに掲載されています。
Despite the contradiction that sees the country with second largest economy in the world being a tail ender in the fight against AIDS, here as in other parts of the world, HIV positive and AIDS infected people have learnt to express their feelings, anxieties and happy or sad moments of their daily life in online diaries. Ryuta, for example, started his blog a few hours after he was told he was HIV positive, as a way to fight, he says. In this post, he recalls the moment he first knew he was infected.
先週の土曜日に、地元でHIV抗体検査を受けた。そして、今日、部屋に通された僕は、目の前に座っているDrから、HIV陽性の宣告を受けた。「いいですか、受付番号を一緒に確認してください。295657番、合ってますね」「はい、295657番で合ってます」「この紙を見てください。ここの数値がウイルスの数を表しています。通常1．0未満なのですが、あなたの場合、105.00になっています」「はい確かに」「これは検査の結果、陽性を意味します」その言葉を聞いて、紙を見直す。確かに、正常値＜1.0の文字と、その横の105.00の文字が見える。何度か、左右に目を走らせたが、確かにそうだ。印刷された数字は何度見ても変わらない。「・・・そうですか。わかりました」
[…]
「このあと、隣の部屋で担当看護師より今後の詳しい説明がありますが、医師の私に他に質問はありますか」「いいえ、大丈夫です」「それでは、これが紹介状です。今後かかる病院の医師にお渡しください」「ありがとうございました」「担当看護師を呼びますね」最初から最後まで顔色ひとつ変わらない医師。これがプロなんだな～と変なところでなんだか関心。
ドアを開けて部屋に入ってきた看護師はやわらかい表情。「それでは、お荷物をもってこちらへどうぞ」明るい清潔そうな部屋、HIVに関するガイドブックや関連資料が机の隅に並んでいる。「それではこちらにおかけください」「はい。ありがとうございます。・・・あっ、ノートにメモをしながら聞いてもいいですか？」「勿論です」カバンからノートを取り出して机の上に置く。「なんだか用意がいいですね」と看護師。「まあ・・・」僕は曖昧な笑顔。
[…]
その後は、その看護師さんに相談しながら、今後かかる病院の選択をした。僕は車を持っていないので、公共交通機関で通いやすいところを選んだ。これから一生、病院に通わなきゃいけないんだから、利便性は大事なこと。それから初診時の予約の仕方、向こうでの担当医師の名前などを伺う。そんな会話のなかで、看護師さんがポツリ。「何か予感はあったんですか」僕はちょっと考えて答える。「予感？・・・・んー、そうですね・・・・。予感はありました。あったと思います」外に出ると、雨が降り続いていた。
Rana, 26 y.o., shares her thoughts over the decision whether to let her friends and family know about her condition.
ぁたしは家族に病気のことは伝ぇてません。可哀想過ぎて、言ぇなぃんです。本当に親不孝な娘だと思ぃます。でも、知らなぃ方がいぃことってぁると思ぅ。とは言っても、一人で抱ぇきれる病気ではなぃので、親しぃ友達には告知してるんです。それは支ぇて欲しぃのもぁるけど、友達に病気のことを身近に感じてほしぃのもぁります。 HIVに感染するまで、友達とそんな話したことなかったから、みんながHIVにつぃて、どぅいぅ風に考ぇてぃるか、仲良ぃのに、全然知りませんでした。だから、伝ぇるのも怖かったです。拒否されてしまったら、どぅしょぅ。。。それでも友達でぃてくれるだろぅか。。。そればかり考ぇてしまったけど、ぁたしのこと拒否した友達は一人もぃませんでした。
すごく嬉しかったです。自分の友達は本当の友達だって分かりました。ぁる意味、こぅいぅことで、それが本物かどぅか、確かめられるのかもね！初めてHIVの話題をしてみると、ぃろんな子がぃました。ちゃんとカップルで検査を受けに行ってた子、問題意識のなぃ子、検査を受けたぃけど、怖くて行けなぃ子…
ぁたしが感染したことで、問題意識持ってくれるよぅになったと思ぅし、ょく体調を心配してくれます(o^ー^o) とはぃぇ、もちろん嫌なこともぁりました。ぁたしが感染してるのを知らなぃ人でしたが、 HIVの話題が出て、『隣にぃるだけ移りそぅじゃん。』と、スゴィ嫌そぅな顔をして言ってきて、ぁたしは感染を知ったばかりだったといぅのもぁったけど、ショック過ぎて何も言ぇませんでした。。世の中にはまだまだそぅいぅ風に考ぇてる人が結構ぃるんでしょうね。そぅいぅ人達の意識改革ができたらまぢで本望ですね☆★
Probably one of the first Japanese bloggers to keep an online diary as an AIDS infected was Eizu, a 23 years old prostitute who, in 2006, could write only a few posts before her condition worsened. A friend of hers kept on updating  [ja] Eizu's readers until the end and those words still remain, on the web.


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Martyrs of Iranian protests remembered online · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Dozens of Iranian protesters have been killed since demonstrations against the controversial results of the presidential election in June swept the country. On Neverforget.us, a new multimedia website, photos and short biographies of more than 70 people killed have been published.
One of these victims was Neda Agha Soltan who died with her eyes wide open. Her death was captured on video by bystanders and uploaded to the internet. Her last moments transcended from citizen media to mainstream media, reaching millions of people.
Iranian citizens have continued to use the internet to immortalize other Iranian martyrs of the protest movement (a.k.a. “Green Movement”). The opposition claims the number of murdered demonstrators is more than 70 people. Some were killed under torture after arrest, while others were shot down in the streets.
In spite of government secrecy, names and pictures of some of the fallen have emerged.
One of the biographies on Neverforget.us says:
Toufanpour, Amirhossein (photo above) 1977-2009
Amirhossein, a father with a seven-year-old daughter, disappeared on June 15. After searching Tehran hospitals for a week to no avail, his distraught family identified him among photos of corpses at the coroner’s office. Marks on his corpse included a deep gash in the head, a broken arm, and gunshot wounds in the arm, but the exact cause of death was unclear.
Another website, Green Martyrs, also provide  [fa] information about the ‘martyrs’ (temporarily offline at time of publication).
Here is a video to remember the martys and the suffering of their mothers:
As we are watch these photos and films, there are hundreds of Iranian political prisoners such as Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a blogger and reformist politician, who face unknown futures in Iranian prisons.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Paraguay: The Use of the Chapulín Colorado on Campaign Materials · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Much to the dismay of Guillermo Verdún of Paraguayo [es], the Colorado Party in Paraguay was found to be using the image of  “Chapulín Colorado” (Red Grasshopper), a famous comedic character from Mexican television, on some of its campaign materials.  As a result, Verdún wrote to the actor who played the character informing him of what was happening.


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Russia: Yandex Street View · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Profy writes that Yandex.ru has launched a service similar to Google Street View: panoramic views of Moscow streets.