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Bahrain: Lightning and Rain  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

It's raining in Bahrain and Hypnotic Verses captured lightning with her phone camera.


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Brazil: Beyond cyberspace – when blogs move offline · Global Voices
Thiana Biondo

Books are becoming e-books and blogs and websites have appeared as books and other types of media. In this state of flux, it looks like the paper book has the power to beat virtual writing rather than the other way round. In Brazil, there is more than just a fashion of launching e-books to attract readers and writers but also an opposite stream in which blogs have reached the offline shelves as well as the movie screens.
Last November, Para Francisco [pt] enriched the list of blogs that have already made a debut in the publishing market, giving fans a chance to read the powerful real story in paperbook form. Perplexed by the tragic death of her husband just before the birth of their first son, Christina Guerra found herself between mourning and happiness, writing and dedicating her pieces to her son: “For Francisco”. In her blog, she tries to hold each detail frozen in the air, thinking and feeling about life. Plunging deeply into herself, she emerges with a positive perspective.
Escuro.
Você vai aprender, filho. Que a intensidade pode roubar você de si mesmo. Que é preciso leveza para se pertencer. Você vai aprender a se distrair no meio do caminho – para ter o privilégio de errar. Vai aprender que as descobertas estão nos atalhos. E que é preciso alcançar o escuro denso para estar diante de todas as possibilidades. Você vai aprender a se deitar noite escura e amanhecer ensolarado. E vai entender que na perda mora o verdadeiro começo. Talvez você leve meia vida para isso. Talvez mais, como eu. Mas até lá, olha que sorte: eu vou estar segurando a sua mão.
Her book – “Para Francisco”, 192 pages, ed. Arx – has had many reviews in newspapers and magazines. She still updates her blog with new pieces of writing swathed in thoughts, happenings and insights.
Another writer who first grabbed the attention of readers through the Internet and then had her book published is Clarah Averbuck. After moving from the southernmost state of Brazil Rio Grande do Sul, where she did not finish her studies but started writing for the web, to São Paulo's capital, she created her first blog in 2001: the very popular brazileira!preta [pt], and the year after Averbuck launched her first novel “Maquina de Pinball” (Editora Conrad, 2002). She has also written “Das Coisas Esquecidas Atrás da Estante” (Editora 7 Letras, 2003) and “Vida de Gato” (Editora Planeta, 2004).
Inspired by her stories, plays and films have been produced in Brazil. Last year, Nome Próprio [pt], a film directed by Murilo Salles was awarded four prizes at the Festival of Gramado [pt], including Best Picture, and Best Actress for Leandra Leal, who plays the main character, the writer Camila.
Averbuck is known for writing in the first person and for including her own experience of life – rock’n'roll, drugs, sex, bars, love and friendship – in her writing. She doesn’t beat about the bush and draws her lines in a very sincere and straightforward way, expressing her feelings; have a look at Adios Lounge [pt]. Her work is very often cited as an example of how blogs have become a place for new talented writers and she as one of the icons of the writers on the blogosphere. Despite this, she has said in an interview: “There are no literary blogs. Writing is writing, it doesn’t matter where”. The public is made aware that either earning money is not her goal or her work is not well rewarded financially, thus she has not even been able to pay her phone bills from her books. About the adaptation of her work for the cinema with “Nome Próprio”, she says [pt]:
“(…) tenho repetido isso quando me perguntam o que achei da adaptação dos livros e tudo mais: autor bom é autor morto. (…)autor morto não reclama nos ouvidos dos diretores e nos microfones dos repórteres quando são adaptados e fica tudo diferente. porque eu reclamo. é claro que eu reclamo. é a minha obra, afinal de contas. (…) mas é assim mesmo. ninguém entende nada, adoram criar umas polêmicas que não existem, pintar o autor de ególatra, de personalidade difícil (rarara, adoro, é tão besta que fica engraçado) e inventar umas coisas por total ausência de outra para falar. eu quero mesmo é achar uma casinha pra morar com a cata e ele e os gatos, terminar meus livros, parar de responder as mesmas perguntas e operar os olhos que essas lentes estão me matando. o resto não tem me interessado muito, francamente.
Her most recent book was Nossa Senhora da Pequena Morte (Editora do Bispo, 2008) and there is an upcoming launch list. Although, it looks like her blog is no longer a priority. The last long post is dated October 25, 2008 where she announces the blog's death, but there was a short comment later: “I’ll never surrender. I love you all”, dated February 02, 2009. She has also commitments with music as the vocalist of the band “Jazzie e os Vendidos”.
Also coming from the rock’n'roll scene, Gustavo Curry has gathered his writings for the web and plucked up the courage to cough up to publish his own book himself.  Born in Bahia, he decided to set out writing about living in that state, as a rock musician, a swimmer and journalist. Starting with his blog Eu Tava Aqui Pensando ou Blá Blá Blá [pt], he took one step forward and had his book “Para Colorir” published. Most of the published chronicles have already been made public through the web and the book also has 16 illustrations by the Spanish illustrator Ricardo Sans.
He talks about the similarity between his book's cover and an R.E.M. CD cover: “Any similarity is barely a coincidence. But, my book came first, fuuuuck”. With a great sense of humour, he has described coming across the famous Brazilian musician who set up one of the most popular and catchy rhythms in the country,  Axe Music and other oddities.
When it comes to writing on his blog, it looks like Cury has no plans to give up. He shares with us [pt] his experience leading the business process to have his lines printed and made ready for the reading public:
“O resultado de Para Colorir, considero que foi muito interessante. Acredito que o livro cumpriu boa parte do seu objetivo. Do ponto de vista financeiro, diretamente, o livro se pagou. Fiz 1000, vendi 614 e dei 230. Ainda restam 156. Calculando com o preço médio da venda em 30 reais, recebi R$18.420. Porém tem de calcular que, só no lançamento, dos 180 livros vendidos no evento, 40% da venda ficou com a livraria. Culpa de Jorge Amado que disse “livro tem que ser lançado em livraria”. Que merda, hein, seu Jorge? Se eu fizesse no Póstudo ou no Balcão, bares de amigos meus, seria 100% do lucro”.
However, like Clarah Averbuck, some writers barely post new updates or even stop writing their blogs as the result of becoming so busy with other commitments brought along by the success of their offline work. That was the fate of Mothern [pt], a blog revolving around being a modern day mum: How do we combine the roles of looking after kids and working, when friends and parties are waiting for you? This explains the blog's name, mothern = mother + modern). In a comic and light style, Juliana Sampaio and Laura Guimarães have been praised by their viewers, and published two books – “Mothern – Manual da Mãe Moderna”, ed: Matrix and “As 500 melhores coisas de ser mãe”, ed: Matriz – and launched a TV programme on the channel GNT. Now, those who like their blogs have to read old posts, buy the book or follow the TV series. The last post dates November 19, 2007.
“Sim, estamos sumidíssimas daqui. Eu mais pra cá, Laura mais pra lá, ambas com a agenda e a cabeça cheias de outros assuntos. Esta passadinha rápida é só pra pedir que hoje à noite todos vocês cruzem os dedinhos, pois vai sair o resultado do Emmy International (http://www.iemmys.tv ), do qual a série Mothern é um dos 4 finalistas da categoria série dramática.
It seems that blogs, books, series and films are an unlimited source of creativity, but we never know which of them comes first. As we can see, some blogs die after being the seeds for other projects. Or blogs can also work as draft books, as the virtual paper where writers set down the first lines of their thoughts, until the magic has completely cast a spell over the pages. As Deborah Icamiaba wrote on writer Paulo Coelho’s thoughts on e-books, it seems that he has guessed or analyzed the relationship between different pieces of writing: “According to him, the free distribution of e-books actually encourages paper books sales, because readers start reading on their computer and as soon as they become engaged in the story they run to the bookshops to buy them, as they still prefer reading on paper. Whether you like Paulo Coelho or not, the fact is that his sales tips can not be ignored.” Perhaps, being a success on the web means almost a stamped passport to reach the shelves or screens.
Talking about book, check out the Global Voices Book Challenge – Read Your Way Around the World!.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Thiana Biondo


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In Love With Syria · Global Voices
Anas Qtiesh

Global Voices Online Morocco author Jillian York describes [en] her short visit to Syria in this post, where she explains why she had the time of her life.

author: Anas Qtiesh


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India: Arguments Against The Third Front · Global Voices
Rezwan

Solitary Reaper analyzes the election manifesto of the Third Front, a political alliance contesting in the upcoming Indian elections 2009, and comments: “here are a few people talking about taking India back to the stone age.”

author: Rezwan


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Iran:Iranian football coach sacked · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian sites and bloggers reported that Ali Daei, Iranian national football coach was sacked after Iran suffered a humiliating 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia in its fifth World Cup qualifier at Tehran's Azadi Stadium. Here is a video film where Iranians insluted Ali Daei and chanted slogans agianst him.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Paraguay: Ten Years Since Vice-President Argaña was Assassinated · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

It's been ten years since the assassination of Paraguayan Vice-President Luis María Argaña and Edgar Ruiz Diaz of Las Preguntas de Venerando [es] has a lot of questions that have never been answered in this unsolved case.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Qatar: Rain and Hail  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Qatar had rain and hail. Here's the latest buzz from Qatar Living.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Saudi Arabia: Censoring Skin  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Saudi Arabia, Susie describes the ‘trouble’ censors go through to ‘cover up’ women's skin: “Certainly seeing all that tempting erotic skin, and coloring in all those feminine body parts must have some kind of perverse effect on these men who have been entrusted with keeping the entire country out of harm's way.”


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Sri Lanka: New Dissent Voices · Global Voices
Rezwan

ICT For Peacebuilding (ICT4PEACE) blog features two new dissent websites, which are voicing critical perspectives on the current affairs of Sri Lanka.


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Syria: Fruit Juice Envy · Global Voices
Anas Qtiesh

Sasa from Syria News Wire says Syria has the best fruit juice in the world.


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Taiwan: Human flesh search engine · Global Voices
David Reid

The phenomenon of human flesh search engines began in China. Hanjie looks at two cases when they were used in Taiwan.

author: David Reid


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Taiwan: Our land and the Statute of Rural Renewal · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

我家門前有小河，後面有山坡，山坡上面野花多，野花紅似火……
The scenery of Taiwan's countryside as simple and stunningly beautiful as depicted by the above popular lullaby will soon be vanished. Small rivers will be replaced by sewage pipes, hills will be flattened, and there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of factories and sumptuous villas rise in the middle of farmland. Of course, there will be potted plant inside the walls of these villas, but there won't be egrets or even sparrows anymore.
On December 18th, 2008, soon after the news that the Economics Committee of Legislative Yuan had examined and passed all articles concerning Rural Renewal Statute through the First Reading procedure, discussions spread through on the Internet. With the promise of pouring 200 billion NTD into rural villages in ten years, the first idea popped up many people's minds is “this is a opportunity for countryside!”, but is it really so? Bloggers and citizen journalists have different answers.
munch quickly wrote “Three minutes to understand the Statute of Rural Renewal” for those who are eager to know the implications of these articles:
第一分鐘！誰來領錢？
……就是同一社區組織，必須先行整合，只能有一份計劃書，如有岐異，就得在地方自行搞定。這樣的限定，大概可以預見傳統樁腳型村里組織和社造理念型團隊組織，大概又是一場爭資源的腥風血雨……
第二分鐘！誰最獲益？再來，就到了再生條例的精髓。
……「污水處理、垃圾清理及資源回收設施。」……以再生發展區為名，由地方提報，中央核定，地目重新編定。換句話說，上述污染工業都可能透過區域重劃，成為農村再生的一環。
第三分鐘！置死地而後生？
……一大筆錢，分給有計劃的農村整修門面，其中誰可以拿到錢整修，必須在地方先行角力一番，……生活區由居民玩文化景觀，再生區交政府搞工業建設，沒資本的農民，就一旁看人玩。
…There's a huge amount of money, distributed to villages with plans to decorate their outlook. No matter who gets the money, a fight must be taken in the local first, …local residents will be responsible for the cultural landscape planning in the living areas, while the renewal areas are in the hands of local government to develop industry. Farmers with no capital? You can sit aside and watch.
Cai Pei-hui, a PhD candidate of the Institute of Agriculture Promotion in Taiwan University, summarized the Statute and commented in Coolloud:
1.這是一個土地開發法案。 ……農村再生。反而將因土地炒作，致使農村居民被迫給付高額土地稅金而形成制度壓迫……
2.……台灣的農村發展的最佳模式，應該立基於小農生產，做最大規模的合作產銷，而非重整土地資源……
3.……而再生條例中的在地組織整合，勢將限縮農民組織空間……
2….The best mode for Taiwan's rural farming villages should base on small peasantry economy, and maximize the  scale of cooperative production and marketing, instead of manipulation and exploitation of land resources…
3. ….The part of “integrating local organizations” in the statute will impose restriction on the development of farmer's organizations.
Cai Jian-Fu also commented on the Statute in Dfun, a citizen media focusing on agriculture and rural living experiences:
……台灣現階段的農村工作真正需要的是一個資源整合與問題討論的平台，這個平台必須是跨部會與跨公私部門的……更重要的是，如何使其兼顧弱勢均衡與發展卓越的需求，擺脫政府疊床架屋的組織習性，定期檢視何者該作為而不作為……
Apart from discussing the issue among themselves, concerned citizens also visit local villages and organize town hall meeting with villagers. Citizen media and campaign sites like Todei, Dfun, and Coolloud have detailed reports. On Dfun, a post titled “If you are a son or daughter from a farmer's family…” ignites a lot of  discussions, and for the first time, peasants’ voices are widely heard in the Internet:
不敢稱農家子弟 Don't call me a son of a farmer's family said in a reply:
……問舅舅知道《農村再生條例》嗎？他說：不知。將條例解說給他聽，他沉默不語。問舅舅現在的桃園農村有什麼地方組織，可以規劃農村建設？他想了很久，回答：農會。又回說：這下，農會總幹事肚子會吃得更撐了。……
Professionals also join in the discussion. A letter that expresses “Apology to Next Generation's Architects”, written by an architect Sun De-hong, has been widely spread over the Internet, in which he mentioned:
……如今單單三星鄉一地每年的農舍增加量就已破百，壯圍、五結一帶則是滿目瘡痍，其他鄉鎮更不用講……偏偏「假農舍」帶來的問題不勝枚舉，包含污染農村環境、加速農地碎化、影響農地日照等等……
greenlost at oikos-taiwan reflects upon the the statute from the perspective of environmental justice and ecological ethics(zh). He questions the whole logic of the debate:
換個角度來想，倘若我們自己是某個農村裡的某個團體、對於農村有著許多改善與改造的想像，但卻苦於資源不足與法令綑綁，我們真的會那麼樣地反對農村再生條例嗎？…我們真的不期待有什麼樣的機會得以做出改變嗎？
PTS's program “Our Island” has a special coverage on the statute and its possible consequence(zh)：
The dispute is getting hotter when more farmers and villagers are expressing their voices on personal blogs, forums, and citizen media. However, KMT, the ruling party and DPP, the major opposition party, are both pushing the statute into Second Reading procedure in the Legislative Yuan since another round of local election is coming. Very few politicians would give up this opportunity to gain more votes from the election. Moreover, impacted by the global financial crisis, spending more money has become the new political correctness in Taiwan's Governmental dictionary for rescuing the economy.
Unfortunately, on March 26th when a public hearing for this issue was held in the Legislative Yuan in downtown Taipei, farmers and citizen journalists who travelled a long way from southern Taiwan to express their concern toward this expensive and environmentally exploitative statute were forbidden from entering the hall entirely (zh).
Ridiculous? This is Taiwan.
—————————————-
This post is orginally written in Chinese Traditional by Liu Wei-ting at NewStory, edited and rewritten into English by Portnoy.

author: Portnoy Zheng


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UAE: Call for censorship feedback · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A censorship watchdog is encouraging Internet users in the UAE to submit their feedback over the blocking of photo sharing site Flickr, reports the UAE Community Blog.


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UAE: Mystery installations  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Samuraisam has spotted strange installations in the middle of the desert in the UAE after a closer look at Google Earth maps. Help him find out what they are.


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UAE: Will VAT be Introduced?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Will VAT be introduced in the UAE? Tune into the discussion at the UAE Community Blog.


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Venezuela: Blog for the Release of Germán · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Libreren a Germán [es] is a blog dedicated to the release of kidnapping victim Germán Antonio García Velutini, who was abducted on February 25 in Caracas, Venezuela.


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Africa: African Bloggers at G20 Summit · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nigerian blogger, Sokari Ekine is one of African bloggers who will cover G20 summit: “My plan of action is to try to cover both the G20 summit and the Alternative G20 along with the mass direct action organized by G20 meltdown in the City. I am doing this because I believe there are going to be enough bloggers meeting with the so called NGO experts on the Wednesday including Daudi Were of Mental Acrobatics from Kenya and I think it is important that we also get to hear alternative voices.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Armenia: Blogger Interview · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The DOTCOM project which brings together Armenian, Azeri and U.S. teenage bloggers has now updated its interview with Arzu Geybullayeva with one conducted with Global Voices Online's Caucasus Regional Editor Onnik Krikorian. In particular, the potential for blogs and online social networking sites to cross geographical and geopolitical divides is mentioned.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh: Golf Ball Size Hail · Global Voices
Rezwan

Back To Bangladesh reports that golf ball size hails fell from Dhaka sky and injured people. Meandering Memos posts pictures and video of the falling hail.


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Barbados: Animal Cruelty  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press republishes a letter from an “irate hiker” whose group discovered the body of a dog that was hanged from a tree: “The RSPCA was notified. Their response was ‘write a letter to the newspapers’. Where is the  the ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ in such a response?  The police were also called. Their response was even worse. No response.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bhutan: Banking Via SMS   · Global Voices
Rezwan

Tshering Tobgay reports that SMS based mobile banking service has started in Bhutan: “The concept seems to be quite simple: you send instructions by SMS to the bank, and they respond with the required information by return SMS.”


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Bolivia: The Grape Harvest Fair · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Juan Angel Tapia of El Miroscopio [es] visits La Vendimia in the Calamuchita region of Tarija, Bolivia. This fair celebrates the important grape harvest used in the wine industry famous in this part of the country.


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Bolivia: US Cooperation on Control of Narcotics · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Miguel Buitrago of MABB takes a look at the 2009 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, and which the Bolivian government is complaining about the stance taken by the United States against the country. He writes which country has more to lose with any stop in international cooperation.


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China: Earth Hour · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated netizens’ comments on  Earth Hour campaign.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Ecuador: Heading to the Polls Yet Again  · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

In less than a month, approximately 10.5 million Ecuadorians will head to the polls yet again. After approval of the new Constitution last September, elections to select the president, members of the legislature and other local authorities are scheduled for April 26. The current president, Rafael Correa, has announced his intention to run, where he is favored to win.
All of his opponents are yet to be defined, but some bloggers such as Varth Deider [es] are already predicting the field and the predicted order, whereas Correa will finish first, followed by others who have ran in the past, such as Lucio Gutiérrez and Álvaro Noboa.  According to more formal polling, Correa also is leading the way, but journalist Romulo Lopez of Cambiemos Ecuador [es] doesn't believe in the polls and that “all surveys are subjective, false and speculative.“
The three front runners according to the polls. Picture used under permision by http://www.pupodelmundo.com
Regardless of the true measure of Correa's support, other bloggers have not reached consensus on their presidential preferences.
The blogger of Cronica Cero [es] also works for the newspaper El Telégrafo and on this occasion he republishes an interview that he did in which President Correa gives his own government high marks.
Campaign ads against Correa are already being aired and websites like the one that says, “We Are Afraid [es]“, something that Andrés Rodríguez of Modestamente Humano [es] thinks is money wasted:
Hasta ahora no escucho ninguna propuesta. Ningún ofrecimiento claro. Ningún plan. La mayoría de propagandas que pasan en especial las radiales son solo un ataque a Correa. Que si la guerrilla, que si la narcopolítica (qué término más burdo), que si esto, que si el otro.
Todos ataques a Correa.
So far I've heard no proposals. No clear offer. No plan. The majority of advertising broadcasted, in particular the radio networks, are only attacks against Correa. What about the guerrillas, what if narcopolítics (a very blunt term), if that, if the other .
All attacks against Correa.
However, there are bloggers like La Plena Compadre [es] who criticizes the president and sarcastically summarizes what he has learned so far in the two years since Correa took office:
* Si nunca has ganado una elección, no puedes siquiera mirarlo directamente a los ojos, peor criticarlo. Ya que él solito ha ganado CINCO. Sin contar las de mejor sonrisa, mejor scout, presidente de curso, rey mago más guapo y princesita de navidad.
* Si lo criticas, seguramente debes estar apoyando a Lucio, Alvarito, o cualquiera otro de “los mismos de siempre”. Además seguramente has vivido de la teta de la partidocracia.
* Las FARC no son terroristas, sino un grupo irregular, pero cuando dejen de cometer “actos terroristas” (así es, se contradijo), él podrá empezar a calificarlas como beligerantes. Además quien dijo que eran terroristas fue el Uribe, y como acá en Ecuador no manda Uribe sino él, hay que llevarle la contraria.
* Toda la prensa no gubernamental es corrupta y mediocre, por lo que la gente debe dejar de leer lo que publican o escuchar lo que dicen, y solo debe informarse por los medios del gobierno y la página web de la presidencia.
* Con Colombia no va a conversar hasta que en ese País haya un gobierno decente de izquierda, cuyo presidente sea también miembro del club de los perpetuos (con Chavez, Evo, Ortega, etc.)
* If you've never won an election, then you can't look him directly in the eyes, much less criticize him. He alone has won FIVE. Without counting, best smile, best scout, class president, most handsome wise man and Christmas princess.
* If you criticize him, you must be supporting Lucio (Gutiérrez, Alvarito (Noboa) or another of the “same old”. In addition, you must have lived in the middle of party politics.
* The FARC are not terrorists, rather an irregular group, but when they stop committing “terrorist acts” (that's right, he contradicted himself), he can start to call them belligerent.  Also, the one that said they were terrorists was (Colombian president Alvaro) Uribe, and since here in Ecuador, Uribe is not in charge, rather Correa is in charge, then one must say the contrary.
* All of the non-governmental press is corrupt and mediocre, and that the people should stop reading what they publish or listen to what they say, and they should only inform themselves via the government media and the website of the President.
* There will be no conversation with Colombia until there is a decent left-wing government, whose president is also a member of perpetual club (with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, Bolivian president Evo Morales, and Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega, etc.)
Some bloggers are basing their decisions on the actions of the current government. Cambiemos Ecuador[es] believes that President Correa is throwing away money on “social spending”
Este gobierno se ha caracterizado por tirar el dinero, el gobierno lo llamo gasto social: nuevos aviones para las FFAA, nuevo avion presidencial, Chef Belga, carros nuevos (de 70 mil dolares ) para todos lo ministerios, congreso, corte, etc.  Por alli algo de dinero llego a las carreteras y a una que otra escuela.
Still some others like Mi Diario Relativo [es] tries to find a balance of everything he sees and hears on the media. He makes a list of the reasons why people should vote by Correa:
Como soy democrático, y no como algunitos que escriben pura negatividad, sapos y culebras por doquier, ahora va el opuesto al post que escribí hace algún tiempo, se debe expresar los pros y los contras, y no polarizarse en una sola idea como los pelucones derechistas que se cagan de miedo por que van a perder sus privilegios mal habidos.

author: Milton Ramirez


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Filipino loses Facebook account for using real name · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Facebook account of Antonio Piamonte from the Philippines was removed because Facebook thinks his first and last name on his profile isn't his real name.

author: Mong Palatino


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France, Americas, Africa: The “Y’a Bon” Awards  · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

“Banania” is a popular French hot chocolate mix, launched in France in 1912.  In the marketing strategy, the choice was made to associate this product (made of chocolate, banana, milk and sugar) with Africa or the French West Indies, in order to make it sound more exotic.
In 1915, during the First World War, soldiers came from the French colonies in Africa to fight for their Motherland. That was the beginning of a long relationship between the brand and the image of the Tirailleur Sénégalais. At the time, Senegal was enough of a household name in France to lend “exotic” authenticity to this product, originally exported from Nicaragua.  The image of this happy, smiling soldier coming from Africa to fight for France in the war, was associated with a now-controversial slogan: “Y'a bon”. This phrase – supposedly a form of broken French used by Africans to say “It's good”- was, for decades, (certainly up to the 1970's) linked with the image of the Senegalese soldier as a symbol of the product's authenticity.
Back in 2005, blogger Alain Mabanckou published a blogpost [Fr] entitled “Y'a Bon Banania ou Y'a Pas Bon Banania” about an action group of Guadeloupeans, Martinicans and Reunionese called Collectif DOM which sued Nutrimaine, the company which produces Banania, for…
…d’utiliser des clichés insultants pour les personnes de couleur noire, en exploitant l’image du tirailleur sénégalais et son fameux slogan « Banania Y’a bon » créés au début du siècle dernier…
In 2008, another action group, le MRAP [Fr] (Movement Against Racism and for Friendship between the Peoples) sued Nutrimaine again for not respecting an agreement signed in 2006 with the Collectif DOM, after the charges were laid against the company. According to blogger Storytelling, the MRAP was nonsuited [Fr]…
au prétexte que ce slogan ne trouble pas l’ordre public ni n’est contraire aux bonnes moeurs.
Today, Banania uses a sort of cartoon character as its mascot and the controversial slogan has disappeared – but most black people in France are still not reconciled with the brand.  On March 17th 2009, a group called les Indivisibles [Fr] launched the “Y'a Bon Awards”, a dubious honour, bestowed upon politicians, journalists, or any public officials who have contributed to the spreading of racism in France.  Montray Kreyol  [Fr] posts the link to the list of all the recipients of the “Y'a Bon Awards”, and you can follow more reactions to this century-long advertising campaign on just.Luc's Ethnic Stereotype flickr page.

author: Fabienne Flessel


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Georgia: Holy Baby Boom!  · Global Voices
Simon Maghakyan

The birth rate has increased by 20 percent in ex-Soviet Georgia and the country's Orthodox Church is taking much of the credit. The miracle responsible for the much-needed baby boom in this old Christian country has been a single promise from the head of the Georgian church to personally baptize newborns. Bloggers seem impressed.
My Blogian comments on the news.
The ex-Soviet Georgia doesn’t need virgins for holy conception. Instead, in order to boost population growth, Georgia’s holy father has promised to personally baptize every child born to a family with already two kids.
[…]
Wu Wei adds her opinion.
The BBC is busy wittering on about the Patriarch increasing the birthrate in Georgia, by his own personal efforts.  Not by the usual methods (no nephews or nepotism) but by offering to be Godfather to any baby born this year.  The Georgians, being a religious lot, have taken this seriously and upped the birthrate this year.
[…]
American Papist is more than encouraged.
I like ending the news week on a high note. It doesn't get much better than this:
[…]
Imagine if American Bishops made that same promise to families in their diocese?

author: Simon Maghakyan


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Honduras: Can Family Gardens Improve Health? · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Can family gardens help reduce hunger and improve health in Honduras? La Gringa's Blogicito hopes that families consider the option.


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Indonesia: “Mini-Tsunami” hits village as dam collapses · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Last Friday the Situ Gintung dike collapsed in Indonesia which killed almost a hundred people and injured 190 others. At least 300 houses were destroyed and 1,600 residents were displaced. The dike which holds some two million cubic meters of water is located outside Jakarta. The dike was built by the Dutch colonial government more than 76 years ago to provide irrigation near the area. The extent of the tragedy reminded many Indonesians about the deadly tsunami which hit the region five years ago.
The government blamed the heavy rains for the collapse of the Situ Gintung dike. But many bloggers disagree that it was a natural disaster.
Enda uploads a Google map which shows the location of the dam and the affected villages
Nitiamonto lives close to the area and describes the situation after the tragedy:
yesterday I got too many phone calls in a row asking about the condition of my house. I live close to Situ Gintung. my place is in a higher area.
I can’t go anywhere. they diverted the main road and crazy traffic around the road. local government should rebuild the dam immediately because if they don’t, I can’t imagine if the rain starts to pour, a heavy rain, situ gintung area does not have dam to accommodate the water.
andhari criticizes the local government for its failure to fix the dike:
I’m really sorry for what happened and it’s crazy what happened with people dying and mothers losing their babies. Traumatizing. This won’t happen if the local government at least have a brain or dignity to try to fix things.
Check this YouTube video which shows the damage caused by the bursting of the dam
Jakartass explains what exacerbated the disaster:
What has exacerbated the disaster has been the blinkered approach of administration officials. The dam was constructed during Dutch colonial times, without cement. Naturally it needs constant monitoring and maintenance. Not unexpectedly, it pains me to say, this was not considered important enough by the responsible agency.
Life in Indonesia mentions that the leaks in the dike were reported a year ago which means the government could have repaired and strengthened the dam:
The main tragedy is this could have been prevented since the local residents say they had already informed officials of small leakages during the past year. Officials replied that they were low on funds (?!) and could not repair them. On the news, you can see many political parties were quick to offer aid. Yup, you've guessed it…elections are coming up.
Lesson for Indonesia: Maintenance is important! Prevention is important!
A short video of the flooding in a village after the dike collapsed
The tragedy occurred while election campaign is in full swing in Indonesia. Gempur Media is looking for any meaning on this coincidence:
Once again, the tragedy happen while this country is conducting the election.
Is this a sign to our politician who do not care about environment? Or is this a sign that all of us did the destruction for long time? I’ve no idea all about this.
For me, this is a sign for us who cares about this country. What is goin on?
Via Twitter, the reactions of Indonesians about the disaster:
didilaksana: just realized the station is flooded with passengers from situ gintung area. they're looking better alternatives than using cars/motorcycles
irahmansyah: just passed Situ Gintung. It's pretty crowded. Tried to see the situation but had no luck.
drk126: Moving on from my whiny-ness; my heart goes to the victims and survivors of Situ Gintung, my prayer goes out to u.
kudanmarco: raining cats n dogs | still praying 4 d people in Situ Gintung n all areas affected by flood | for you too, super rich govt employees
gabhii: have you guys heard about the Dam Disaster in Jakarta, Indonesia? It's really bad disaster, seems like Tsunami and it happened at Midnight.
larasati: Guys, give your best for the victims of Situ Gintung dam collapsed. Let it be money, goods or prayers!
harpianto: “damed good time,dawn make me sad,the dam broken now,gintung talk take many life, i lost my brother…missing contact”
vmahmud: is grateful for not being in the path of that burst dam, which is actually around 10km from my house. Digerati unite and start a fund drive!
Twitter user Gabhii uploaded these pictures through Twitpic
Other photos of the dam collapse are also available in the blogs of Hardship Posting and Arsip Blog


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Iran: A new dynamic Green news site · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Sepehr Salimi informs[fa] us that Zista, the first Iranian site covering environmental news, in its seven months activity has published around 670 news and articles.


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Israel: A Letter to Bernard Kouchner · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Dr Hatim Kanaaneh has written an open letter to Bernard Kouchner, French foreign minister: “The news that you have preemptively spoken against any official objection to the expected appointment of Avigdor Lieberman to the post of Foreign Minister of Israel distresses me. … (As) a Palestinian citizen of Israel…Mr. Lieberman wants me transferred out of the country though I have lived on land I inherited legally from forefathers who may have better claim to descent from the ancient Jews than his do.”

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Jamaica: Going to Calabash · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican Geoffrey Philp and Life, Unscripted, on the Rock are pleased to report that the Calabash International Literary Festival is back on.


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Japan: Tourism videos · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Edo from Pink Tentacle introduces a series of official tourism videos produced by the city of Hakodate. The videos are about aliens invasion of the city.


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Japan: Two-man union on strike at Kyoto University · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Adamu from Mutantfrog blogs about a two-man strike at Kyoto University against the exploitation of irregular work contract.


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Liberia: Liberia’s Natural Born Bloggers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

David Sasaki writes about Liberia's natural born bloggers: It is hard to imagine a place more difficult to keep a blog than a country that just barely has an electric grid. But a few ambitious, aspiring Liberian journalists are working hard to join their colleagues from the DR of Congo, Uganda, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria on the frontiers of African new media.


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Pakistan: Lahore Police Academy Attack · Global Voices
Rezwan

Today morning Pakistanis were shocked by the news of the attack on Manawan police training school in Lahore. Some 10-12 masked gunmen dressed as Policemen attacked from four sides when almost 700 trainees were performing their morning exercise in the camp. BBC reports that they succeeded in a siege of the compound and hours later 30-40 hostages were presumed as trapped and the security forces were battling to retake the police academy.
Adil Najam at All Things Pakistan reports quoting an eyewitness:
Now at 10am, nearly after three hours of the firing, It is now clear from all the reports that terrorist have struck at this center killing at least 20 police trainees and injuring over 100. The firing is still on. I can hear that even at my home, a kilometer away from the scene.
Chowrangi writes:
March madness continues for Pakistan, especially Lahore. After the attack on Sri Lanka Cricket team and the Long March, Lahore came into limelight again when a Police training camp in the suburbs of Lahore was attacked by heavily armed terrorists.
The blog posts a video of the TV footage of the incident showing that the TV crew came under line of fire:
People were following the incident on twitter as citizen journalists from Pakistan were updating latest news.
Teeth Maestro was quick to put up a live coverage of the incident.
From the Live coverage:
4:52 (PST)	Teeth Maestro:
The latest reports are that the Police academy seige has ended – Discussion regrading the siege shall continue but we can safely close this Live blog – archives of this blog will be posted here soon – so that they can be preserved
So far 27 policemen were dead and over 100 have been wounded. All Things Pakistan updates:
Four of the militants have been caught and four have died. One hopes that investigations with the ones caught will lead to more concrete information, especially about the planning of these and other (past and future) attacks on Pakistan.
Raza Rumi at Jahane Rumi is worried:
What will happen next? Everyone is apprehensive that this is not the end of the story. There are forces – groups, interests and individuals – who are hellbent on destroying Pakistan.
CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan questions:
What’s really frightening is that gunmen can just walk into a training school and perpetrate such attacks. With Zardari just now lifting Governor rule in Punjab, will the vacuum of power lead to further chaos?
Deadpan Thoughts comments:
We must take any and all measures necessary to defend our country from this menace or remain resigned to our fate of becoming another Iraq soon. this includes holding people responsible inside our government for these lapses of security and lack of strategy. The fables of the war to come are seemingly void as the enemy is now at our doorstep.


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Pakistan: Stand Against Terrorism & Extremism · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hasan Mubarak at Lahore Metblog mentioned that Lahore keeps its resolve after the attacks on a police training school in the city: “We should not and will not tolerate ideologies of extremism, terrorism, inhumanity, and hatred. We are humans, and yes, proud Pakistanis; Muslims or otherwise – but sorry, we are not and will never become or aligned ourselves with terrorists.”


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Palestine: Commemorating Land Day · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

March 30 is Land Day, on which Palestinians everywhere, but especially those within Israel, commemorate the day in 1976 when six unarmed Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed by the Israeli army and police during protests against land expropriation. The day has become a way to mark the struggle of the Palestinians to hold onto their land, when demonstrations take place as well as other events such as the planting of olive trees [Ar] – with an increasing focus on the campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions. Palestinian and pro-Palestinian bloggers around the world have observed the occasion.
Land Day demonstration in the Old City of Hebron on 28 March 2009. Photo by Anne Paq.
Yousef Abudayyeh gives us the names of the six people that were killed in 1976:
Bas7aky posts an image showing the names and photos of those who were killed, and quotes the poet Tawfiq Ziad:
Marcy Newman, an American activist who lives in Nablus in the West Bank, describes a trip she and some Palestinian friends from Dheisheh Refugee Camp near Bethlehem made to “1948 Palestine” (Israel) to visit sites connected with the events of 1976:
saturday late afternoon my friends from deheishe refugee camp headed out of the west bank, illegally, of course, to 1948 palestine. we felt that it was important to spend يوم الأرض (land day) in 1948 palestine in the places where the massacre took place in 1976. of course we would like to attend the demonstrations here [in Israel] tomorrow, but traveling with palestinians who are not permitted to travel freely in their land means that we cannot go to places which will have a heavy military presence. […] after we left saffuriyya we drove north to sakhnin, the palestinian city made famous for its resistance which we commemorate on land day.
Marcy has also posted photos of the monuments to those killed on Land Day in 1976.
Jonathan Cook has interviewed Dr Hatim Kanaaneh, who blogs at A Doctor in Galilee, and who was a witness to the events of 1976.


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Palestine: The Changing Face of Jerusalem · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Ned, who lives in Ramallah, writes about the changes he has seen taking place in Jerusalem: “Israel is clearly trying to change the whole face of Jerusalem, making it more Jewish than it has ever been. In the process, thousands of Arabs are losing their right to live in the city they called home, long before Israel was born. Their homes are being destroyed, and their families are split apart.”


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Palestine: Traditional Dress · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Sameh Abo Wadih writes about the traditional Palestinian thobe [Ar].


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Puerto Rico: The Internet · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Gil the Jenius thinks that “Puerto Rico has not embraced the power of the Internet to a significant degree.”


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South Africa: Queen Rania of Jordan Blogging from South Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Queen Rania of Jordan is visiting South Africa and blogging about about her experience. After meeting Nelson Mandela, she wrote, “In Madiba's presence, even before he speaks, something magical happens. Goodness and goodwill flow from this great man. Grace, humility, and courage light up the room. He makes you feel as if you, too, can be a force for good.”


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Sri Lanka: Rain Water Harvesting Now Law · Global Voices
Rezwan

Navigating on Balance reports that a legislation is in the process of enactment to make rain water harvesting mandatory for new constructions making “Sri Lanka the only country in the world to have a public policy on rain water harvesting!”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Identifying the Problem  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from Trinidad and Tobago, This Beach Called Life thinks that the biggest problem with UDECOTT “isn’t that the public thinks it is a corrupt organization…[it's] that the masses who screamed about the corruption with the Piarco Airport Terminal are now silent and indifferent about UDECOTT.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Shouter Baptist Liberation  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

triniscene.com pays tribute to the Shouter Baptists of Trinidad and Tobago, who today celebrate “the abolition of laws that prohibited the activities of the Shouter or Spiritual Baptist faith on March 30, 1951.”


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Water: One Take International Video Contest · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Note: DotSub embeds have been removed because they weren't working.
“Is access to clean, safe water for drinking a basic human right? Why? or Why not?”.
That is the question One Take is asking for you to answer in your own language, recording it on a video no more than 2 minutes long, uploading it on their site and on DotSub and having it subtitled in at least 1 other language.  Just this month, world leaders met in Istambul, Turkey at the World Water Forum to have this discussion, and although some of them believe water should be a basic need and not a right, some countries, including the US, China and Canada don't believe it should be recognized as a basic human right.  It is our chance to show what we believe about this issue, and make our voices heard.
You will be able to submit your entry from April 15th to June 15th, only one entry per person for a chance to win one of the three cash prizes of $500 USD for the Grand Prize, $300 USD for the Runner Up and $300 USD for the video with the most subtitles in different languages. The full contest rules can be found here. The following video includes information on participating in the contest and the criteria by which they will select the winners. It has subtitles in several other different languages via DotSub.
The criteria they will be judging upon will be: clarity of sound an image, the quality of the writing, the delivery of the monologue on camera, the passion and conviction about the subject matter and innovation.
Here is a sample video they uploaded to show the type of continuous video they are seeking:
If you would like to be informed about water issues, the blog “the World's Water” recommends Irena Salina's documentary: FLOW. You can watch the trailer here. The documentary uses examples from India, Bolivia, European countries and the US to bring the message home: if every human needs water to survive (after all we are made out of 75% liquid), why is clean water being left for those who can afford to pay for it and not those who need it?
DotSub is a translation and subtitling community. Anyone can add translations to videos and you can translate other videos if you wish. All you need to do to get started is upload your video with a transcription in your language and then ask others to submit their translations on the site, Finished translations will automatically appear on the video. For this contest though, besides the transcription you should also add a translation into one other language. If you are participating, please post a comment, and we'll check it out!

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Zimbabwe: My Blog is Blocked! · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

On Friday March 20, 2009 the Zimbabwean blog, Peace, love & happiness unto the whole world, was blocked. The author of the blog, Eusebia, wrote a short post about it saying, “I have not idea why my blog is being blocked…I refuse to be censored or cowered into silence by anyone because I know my human right of freedom of expression…”
After we contacted her for more information, we gathered that her “someone” was trying to block her blog for almost two weeks.
Someone is blocking my blog, reads the headline of her post about it:
Someone is blocking my blog and I am posting this article merely to show that person that I can
go around the blocking and still be able to access my blog and actually post whatever I want on it.
I have no idea why my blog is being blocked and whatever the reason is it has made me even more determined to post more controversial or provocative articles. I refuse to be censored or cowered
into silence by anyone because I know my human right of freedom of expression and am determined to
exercise it to the full.
She promised to be back with more controversial artices:
WILL BE BACK ON MY BLOG WITH A CONTROVERSIAL ARTICLE ONCE I FINISH WRITING MY ASSIGNMENTS.
In 2007 Zimbabwean government created a blacklist of 41 websites, which included Global Voices. In the same year the Interception of Communication Bill was passed into law. The act gives the government the power and right to monitor postal, telephone and internet traffic in Zimbabwe.
—
** Bloggers experiencing censorship related problems may benefit from Global Voices Advocacy, a project of Global Voices Online, which seeks to build a global anti-censorship network of bloggers and online activists throughout the developing world that is dedicated to protecting freedom of expression and free access to information online.


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Afghanistan: New Course · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Safrang reviews new revised US policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan that has been made public by President Obama after long consultations and thorough analysis.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: Scandal with the Attorney General · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Azar Balkhi writes that Abdul Jabar Sabit, Attorney General of Afghanistan and a Muslim, has been caught dancing drunk at a party in Kabul.


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Afghanistan: The Social Taliban Democrats · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust reports that outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan William Wood has stated his desire to create a political party for the Taliban.


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Azerbaijan: Farida’s mushroom appetizer · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Learning to Walk in Stilettos waxes lyrically about a recipe for an appetizer available on Farida's Azerbaijani Cookbook — Mushrooms Stuffed with Eggplant, Walnuts and Fresh Herbs.


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Azerbaijan: Like a virgin (reprise) · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Following on from earlier posts on the matter of virginity in Armenia, Scary Azeri in Suburbs recounts the situation in Azerbaijan. The blog concludes that medical techniques to restore a bride's virginity for her wedding night are more advanced in the former Soviet Union than in the West.


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Bolivia: Black List for Expulsion from El Alto · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Regional Worker´s Organization in El Alto, Bolivia announced plans to release “black list” of those people and institutions that should be expelled from the city. Mario Duán of Palabras Libres [es] is worried about this precedent.


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Cambodia: Evidence at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal · Global Voices
Chhunny Chhean

VOA Khmer interviewed former Khmer Rouge rebels who doubt there will be sufficient evidence to convict the five leaders waiting to stand trial at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.  Sok Pheap, a general in the army who had defected from the Khmer Rouge in 1996, challenges,
I didn’t know [who the killers were]; I was the soldier in the forest, and when I came back home also my relatives had gone missing, killed, and most of villagers had died.
Another former Khmer Rouge member, Meas Mouth, states that:
For instance, the skull bones that have been displayed: the court must know which skull belonged to a person killed by the Vietnamese, which belonged to a person killed by B-52 bombers, or any of the Khmers who did not die by the Khmer Rouge.
A lawyer from the Cambodian Defenders Project agreed that because the events occurred 30 years ago, evidence and witnesses could be hard to come by.
However, Youk Chhang of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, stated there are hundreds of thousands of documents to link the accused to the war crimes.
In addition to documentary evidence, testimonies of survivors are being gathered, including in Long Beach, California, where many Cambodians resettled after the genocide.
Victims and their relatives have the right to file complaints through the Victims Unit of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.  Instructions on how to file a complaint are found here.
Photo capturing faces of the Tuol Sleng prison by Yarra64 and licensed through Creative Commons.

author: Chhunny Chhean


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Cambodia: Trial begins for Khmer Rouge leader · Global Voices
Chhunny Chhean

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia for the Prosecution of Crimes Committed during the Period of Democratic Kampuchea or The ECCC began the first public hearing on March 30 of Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch. During the Khmer Rouge regime, Duch headed the infamous Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh where thousands died.
The proceedings’ webcasts are available through the Cambodia Tribunal Monitor; the first segment is below:
Pineapple asks questions about how S-21, the Tuol Sleng prison of which Duch was in charge, fits into the larger meaning of the trial:
S-21 as the distillation of what was at the core of the Khmer Rouge regime rather than a tourist concern? A costly exercise in being seen to be doing something about the 1975-79 period? Rather than the 1970-79 or 1979-93 years. I would guess that an examination of the past could become a little tricky if the dates are changed.
Meanwhile, KI Media posted a story from the Phnom Penh Post revealing Duch may soon confess at the trial.
Details are Sketchy has compiled mainstream media coverage of the trial here.
The ECCC's invitation to the public sessions is available here.  Duch's trial continues on March 31, 2009.


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Cuba: Open Mic Night  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cubans Generation Y and Octavo Cerco blog about “an unforgettable night” in front of open microphones.


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Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago: At the Summit  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It seems far-fetched to think that the summit’s news coverage would be dominated by the one country in the region that is absent from the event” – but The Cuban Triangle thinks that “two factors – a no-news summit agenda, and a vocal regional consensus calling on President Obama to change his Cuba policy – could combine to produce just that result” during the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.


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Dominican Republic: The South as a Tourist Destination · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Duarte 101 [es] notes that the southern part of the Dominican Republic also is an attractive destination for visitors, but it is often forgotten by those on the tourist trail.


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Estonia: Lennart and Arnold Meri · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Itching for Eestimaa writes: “One Meri cousin, Lennart, just had an airport named after him to coincide with the annual foreign policy conference that bears his name. […] The other Meri cousin, Arnold, spent his twilight years on trial for the deportation of the men, women, and children of Hiiumaa while being defended to the bitter end by the Kremlin and its media. […]” Eric Dickens guest-blogs at A Step At A Time about Arnold Meri, too: “Arnold Meri, who died a couple of days ago, shared his surname with the late President of Estonia, Lennart Meri. They were indeed cousins, but what they did for Estonia could hardly be more different.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Guatemala: Chico Zapote Fruit · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The chico zapote, or also known as the sapodilla, is an exotic tropical fruit found in Guatemala and Rudy Girón of Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo publishes a close-up photograph that he took.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Guyana: The Legacy of Janet Jagan · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

On the afternoon of Friday 27 March, news spread in Guyana that 88-year-old former president Janet Jagan had been admitted to hospital. Shortly after midnight on Saturday 28, Jagan passed away, as reported by the Live in Guyana blog.
Still a controversial figure more than eleven years after she left office, Jagan was both the first foreign-born and the first female head of state of Guyana. Born in Chicago, USA, in 1920, to a middle-class Jewish family, Janet Rosenberg met her future husband Cheddi Jagan in 1942, while working as a nurse. They married the following year. Jagan, then a dentistry student, was significantly influenced by his wife's socialist politics. A Stabroek News obituary summarises the Jagans’ entry into active politics:
She came to British Guiana with him in December 1943 and worked for 10 years as a dental nurse in Dr Jagan’s clinic. She became immediately involved in the labour struggle and as a member of the first ever union in the colony, the British Guiana Labour Union. She was also the co-founder of the Political Affairs Committee. Mrs Jagan was elected General Secretary of the PPP in 1950 and served in that post until 1970. She was a founder of the Women’s Progressive Organisation and became the first elected woman to the Georgetown city council. She was later one of three women to enter the House of Assembly as a representative of the Essequibo Constituency.
Following the suspension of the constitution and the ousting of the government, Mrs Jagan was jailed for six months in 1955 and restricted to Georgetown after her release. When the PPP was returned to power in the 1957 elections she was appointed Minister of Labour, Health and Housing – one of her famous posts.
(While she was a government minister, Jagan made a strong impression on the visiting writer V.S. Naipaul, who described her dress sense and reading habits in his 1962 travel book The Middle Passage.)
In 1964, however, the Jagans’ political rival Forbes Burnham won a general election, and led the country from independence in 1966 until his death in 1985. Cheddi Jagan was leader of the opposition during this period, and Janet Jagan worked as editor of the party newspaper. After free elections in 1992, the PPP was returned to power and Cheddi Jagan became president.
After her husband's death in 1997, Janet Jagan ran for the office of president and was elected, despite her age (77) and the fact that she was white and foreign-born. (She was only the second female South American head of state.) She resigned in 1999, after a mild heart attack, and her short term of office was marked by political unrest. Until her death, she remained active within the PPP, resuming the editorship of the party newspaper, and she was a noted patron of the arts.
Guyanese bloggers’ reactions to her death were varied. “Mrs Jagan's entire life has been a class act,” wrote Live in Guyana admiringly. “Her Presidency was defined by a sense of vision and wider purpose.” The blog also posted a gallery of portraits. On the other hand, Guyana 911 remarked:
We wait now for PPP to keep pounding it in our face how great she was. Look how many years have gone and they still haven't reached the end of Cheddie's eulogy.
Guyana 360 pointed out that as of early Saturday afternoon, the government of Guyana had still not issued an official statement on Jagan's death; when a  statement did appear later that afternoon, 360 provided a link. The following day, 360 raised questions about the quality of medical care available at the hospital where she died:
Could anyone say why was Mrs. Jagan admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, a facility that has been discarded by senior officials of her party? Is this the care and attention she deserves as a fomer President?
Meanwhile, on Twitter, mediaimran declared himself “appalled that [furniture store] Courts ran a TV ad which stated that the company was ‘pleased to join the nation in mourning the passing of Mrs. Jagan’.”
Guyana Providence Stadium linked to details of the “simple” funeral plans for Jagan: a ceremony at the parliament building in Georgetown followed by a cremation ceremony.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Haiti, U.S.A.: Immigration Reform  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Haiti's jmc strategies is very interested in U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden's statements on immigration reform: “Biden did not specifically say that the Administration was backing away from a legalization program. It remains therefore to be seen what steps they will take in the future.”


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Hong Kong and the Philippines: Satire or racism? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A Senate leader in the Philippines just filed a resolution condemning a Hong Kong writer Chip Tsao for his article “The War at Home” in HK Magazine (originally published on 27 of March).
Now the article has been taken down in the website but the Senate Resolution also asked the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) to look into the working condition of the overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong. As the Hong Kong government decided to exclude foreign domestic worker from minimum wage legislation, the article will certainly add oil to the flame.
Who is Chip Tsao?
So who is Chip Tsao and what exactly did he write? For local Hong Kong people, we know him as To Kit （陶傑）, he is one of the most famous columnist and broadcaster in Hong Kong and he “earns” his reputation with his vulgar sarcasm, metaphor and Cantonese F words. Wikipedia has more of his background.
The article “The War at Home”, reading from the surface, is a commentary on international relation, in particular over the Spratly Islands, however, the embedded text is a criticism of Hong Kong Chinese's nationalism which is directed towards weaker country, rather than strong states, such as Russia and Japan. It is under such context that he wrote:
As a nation of servants, you don't flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.
Of course, such metaphor is very offensive to local domestic workers, especially the imagined conversation between him and “Louisa” (his domestic worker). However, if you have read how he criticized the Chinese government with his comment on June 4, you would be surprised (Apple Daily 205-05-07 via inmediahk.net):
況且比起土改和文革，中國的「六四」，在北京長安街天安門一帶，只殺了一兩千，數目出奇地少，所以「六四」不應該列為中國需要怎樣特別懺悔的「罪行」，這次殺得那麼少，太進步了，我覺得反而應該讚揚。
Mockery of Chinese or domestic workers?
Regarding this article, netizens from hkgolden forum pointed out that the article is in fact a mockery of Chinese government (the charge of treason) by quoting this part of the text:
I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.
Most of them agreed that Chip Tsao's mean and politically incorrect style would eventually result in big scandal, and the time has come. They re-pasted the apple daily news comic to spoof at Tsao:
Satire or Racism?
Meanwhile, the Asia City Publishing House (publisher of HK Magazine) has issued an apology to the Philippine Consulate General and took down the article in the HK Magazine website, but local filipino group demanded a more sincere public apology from Chip Tsao. In this afternoon press release (via e-mail), United Filipinos in Hong Kong stated:
We are all united in our position that the article was racist, discriminatory and demeaning to Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong. It was insulting to us as Filipinos and as domestic workers who are already confronting serious discriminatory and anti-migrant policies and practices in Hong Kong;
It was not a satire nor did we simply misunderstood the intent of the article. For if it was a satire, it should have been directed to the Philippine government who is also our exploiter and not to the Filipino domestic workers who have no hand on the position of the Philippine government on the Spratly Islands issue.
The NGO also calls for a protest rally April 5 against racial and class discrimination in Hong Kong.
Policy towards foreign domestic workers
The real issue at stake is probably not Chip Tsao's article, but local policy towards domestic workers. Apart from the exploitation employees’ retraining Levy, a more recent controversy is concerning the “exclusion to wage legislation and long working hours”.
Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body, an NGO, has issued a statement this afternoon saying that the HK government's decision to exclude foreign domestic workers from legal protection is a “double violation of rights of foreign domestic workers”.
When the Labour Advisory Board excluded FDWs in the statutory minimum wage because we are working 16 hours a day, what they are really saying is that it is acceptable to pay a measly amount to workers labouring under long working hours. They are saying that this type of modern-day slavery is right.
What is wrong with receiving such an amount if you labor for 16 hours in a day? If a worker works overtime – as what is obviously the practice with domestic workers – she has the right to be compensated accordingly. Don’t we deserve to get paid HK$30 per hour because we are foreign workers?


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Hungary: Ferenc Gyurcsány, Part I · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“The rise and fall of Ferenc Gyurcsány, Part I” – at Hungarian Spectrum.


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Indian Elections 2009: The Impact of Socially Conscious Corporate Campaigns · Global Voices
Gaurav Mishra

In my previous posts for the Global Voices special coverage on the 2009 Indian general elections, I have analyzed how Indian politicians and political parties are using internet and mobile tools for election campaigning and civil society groups in India are using digital tools to run voter registration and transparency campaigns.
As interesting as these initiatives are, the three most effective election campaigns in the 2009 Indian general elections are run by corporate brands: Jaago Re by Tata Tea, My Idea from Idea Cellular and Lead India/ Bleed India by The Times of India (Live Mint/ Thaindian/ Exchange4Media/ Hindustan Times).
In my earlier avatar as the custodian of a large brand in India, I was convinced that online campaigns in India could stand on their own, without support from ad spends in mainstream media. The tactics employed by these three successful campaigns have made me realize that online brand campaigns in India will continue to be driven by heavy spending in mainstream media.
The Jaago Re campaign was launched by Tata Tea and Janaagraha in September 2008 (press release) to start a voter registration drive in colleges and corporates in 35 cities across the country and register four million voters. The voter registration itself is driven through an interactive application on its website and kiosks, which helps users identify their constituency, prepares a ready to print voter registration form in five minutes, guides them to the nearest voter registration center and updates them via SMS when their names are added to the voting list.
The campaign, which is run by a small team of youngsters in their twenties (The Week), has an advisory board that includes former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy, Infosys founder Narayan Murthy and Rang De Basanti director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Hindustan Times/ Indian Express/ TOI). The campaign has convinced several large colleges and companies to become 100 percent registered (TOI/ TOI/ Mid Day/ TOI/ Deccan Herald) and even convinced the election commission to allow bulk submission of registration forms.
Tata Tea has used a number of interesting ads to engage the Indian youth into the Jaago Re campaign.
Jaago Re main ad:
Jaago Re Use Your Finger! Use it to Vote!
Tata Tea has also tied up with various TV channels to create micro campaigns like Bindass TV's iChange campaign to support the Jagoo Re campaign.
Jaago Re Bindass TV Ungali Utha Vote Kar ad:
Jaago Re Disney ‘If I Were a Prime Minister’ ad:
Jaago Re Channel V VJ Juhi ‘Vote ya Vaat’ ad:
Jaago Re also has an active social media presence with more than 15,000 members on Facebook and almost 13,000 members on Orkut.
The campaign is now conducting free Shut Up & Vote rock concerts by Bangalore-based band Thermal And A Quarter (TAAQ) across 10 cities to to engage Indian youth in the electoral process (DNA/ Indian Express/ IBN Live/ Indian Express/ DNA):
Jaago Re has turned out to be an extremely successful campaign. Not only has it been a topic of a huge number of news stories and blog posts, and resulted in much goodwill for Tata Tea (Business Standard), it has also managed to register 531,395 voters so far, in spite of its run ins with a slow moving bureaucracy (TOI).
The Indian blogosphere is in love with the Jaago Re campaign. Rashmi Bansal believes that, with the campaign, Tata Tea has taken corporate social responsibility further than most brands do. Rajesh Kumar wonders why only beverage companies do election themed social advertising. Indian Homemaker and Chavvi Sachdev share their experiences with voter registration. Sanjukta has an interesting interview with Jaago Re campaign coordinator Jasmine Shah.
Idea Cellular‘s My Idea campaign is a continuation of its participatory democracy ad campaign where a lady politician, aided by her tech-savvy assistant Abhishek Bachchan, gathers the views of the citizens in her constituency using mobile phones:
The campaign, run by Pinstorm, asks people to submit an idea that can change India and vote on the ideas submitted by others. So far, within one month, more than 2,000 ideas have been submitted and more than 140,000 votes have been cast (Indian Television).
It's the Janus-faced Lead India/ Bleed India by The Times of India, however, which is likely to incite the most interesting discussions in the Indian blogosphere.
The Lead India campaign carries forward the theme of its 2007 campaign, in which it ran a nationwide ‘talent-hunt’ to search for the next generation of Indian leaders. In its new avatar, it wants to enable the Indian electorate to make the right voting decision in the upcoming elections, by providing a platform for meaningful political debate and supporting the No Criminals in Politics campaign.
At the same time, TOI's Bleed India campaign parodies Lead India and asks:
Lead India? Where to? Up the garden Path? Round the Bend? And by who? Our Leaders? Lol!
So while the Times Of India tries to find new leaders for a new age (good luck gentlemen!), we focus instead on those who Bleed India; Masters of the Scam, Tigers of the Tightrope: Surely they deserve some acknowledgement of their genius – in staying above the law, beyond the law, in making it and in breaking it..wah! wah! Ladies and gentlemen…you have led us and yes you have bled us.
It then creates an elaborate parody of the typical Indian politician, Pappu Raj, with his own Facebook profile and Facebook page (Exchange4Media).
Anondan tears apart the Lead India print ad while Rajiv Dingra wonders what is cooking with the Lead India/ Bleed India dichotomy. On Twitter, several users like Deepak and Kanika, find the Bleed India campaign “funny and creative”, while Sumant and Aadisht believe that Bleed India is “buzz gone wrong” and “badly done sarcasm”.
Opinion is divided on whether Jaago Re, My Idea and Lead India/ Bleed India are really socially conscious campaigns, or blatant attempts to generate buzz, but if engagement is the benchmark for success, these campaigns are the most effective ones running in the election season in India.

author: Gaurav Mishra


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International Opinions On India  · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Acorn analyzes an opinion poll on international opinions on India and asks “why do Europeans take a dim view of India’s international role?”

author: Rezwan


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Israel/Palestine: Photos from Both Sides · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

American blogger Cory Driver of 32n5w, who as a Peace Corps Volunteer became an honorary member of the Moroccan blogosphere, has posted a series of photos from a recent observation trip to Israel.  Of his trip, the blogger stated: “So, i was officially on a tour of Palestinian deprivation and abuse by settlers. and there was plenty of that, see below. but there are several other sides to be told, as well.”

author: Jillian C. York


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Jamaica, Suriname: Creative Connections  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“This is why it's important for collaborations to take place in every sphere–in different parts of the Caribbean and elsewhere. For cultural criticism is partly detective work and you can't read all the clues sitting marooned on an island”: Jamaican Annie Paul explores the connections among Caribbean artists.


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Kazakhstan: Blogs serve politics · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Zara writes that blogs are being more and more actively employed by political figures in Kazakhstan.  This time it’s a candidate to the city council.


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Kazakhstan: Census ended · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

KZBlog says that the 2009 Census ended in Kazakhstan, pointing out 9% growth in population, and shares some experience of being recorded by a census taker.


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Kyrgyzstan: Opposition Rally in Bishkek · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Sam has visited the rally of the opposition in the capital of Kyrgyzstan and published some shots from this event.


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Liberia: Tribal politics at the senate · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

In his post titled, Legislative Politics or Tribal Fuel, Kontiamon discusses tribal politics at the Liberian senate .

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Liberia: Unfair Labor Practices at Guthrie Rubber Plantations · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nat blogs about unfair labor practices at the Guthrie Rubber Plantations in Liberia.


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Liberia: University of Liberia Receives US$ 20,000 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Syracuse University has donated US$20,000 to University of Liberia mass communication department US$ 20.000 worth of equipment which includes digital cameras, lenses, batteries memory cards and two lap tops, Liberian blogger Emmanuel reports.


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Macedonia: Student Protest Ends in Violence · Global Voices
Elena Ignatova

“Don't Rape Skopje” banner. Photo by Harald Schenker
Recently, the Macedonian government decided to build an Orthodox church with public financing on the main square of Skopje, a decision that the citizens of the city disapproved of. In spite of numerous online campaigns and discussions, a group of students – “First Arhi (Architect) Brigade” – decided to organize a protest called “The First Architectonical Rebellion” against the building of the church in Skopje. They set up a Facebook group [mkd] to post their demands. The blog skopje2803 posted a translation of their demands:
1. We demand an official position of the Faculty of Architecture [at the University of] Skopje on developments concerning the city’s public spaces in the interest of society.
2. We demand a professional debate before every key venture for building projects.
3. We demand transparent competitions, announcements, and urbanistic surveys, as well as commissions with representatives and consultants from Macedonia and abroad, NON-PARTY bodies that will decide about such buildings. The final decision must be sanctioned through a referendum, as practiced in European cities in such cases. Until then, a moratorium for construction must be in place!
4. We demand of politicians to – instead of investing in kitsch architecture, instead of building artificial villages for developing rural tourism, instead of drawing up new urbanistic plans, instead of building on extremely inappropriate parcels – to focus public funding on the maintenance of the authenticity and originality of the old buildings that already exist but decay due to neglect.
5. We ask that the citizens wake up, for once think with their own heads, and become actors in the building in their and their city’s future instead of remaining merely passive observers.
Soon after the news for the protest circled the internet, many posts were created to call the citizens to a counter-protest, to support the building of the church. One day before the protest the blog “Jadi Burek” published [mkd] a call for a counter-protest:
Tomorrow at 12 pm, on the square of Skopje, probably a group of gays and atheists will gather and try to spread rubbish under the hidden motive of caring for the architecture of the city, and against the church. Because of that, tomorrow me and my family are going on a counter-protest one hour earlier, at 11 am, and will give our support to the construction of the church!
Similar texts were published on many other blogs.
The protest was scheduled for 12 pm on March 28, 2009, but, before it started, the counter-protesters gathered to support the building of the church. When the two groups met on the square of Skopje, the event turned from peaceful to violent, involving fights between the two groups:
Many bloggers that were at the protest wrote about the incident.
The blogger Harald Schenker from Vision! Come on… posted a full report:
[…] The protest was countered by a mass of up to 1500 church goers, mobilized from all over the country, who gathered to stop the protest from happening. The “spontaneous” and thus not registered counter-protest featured church flags, printed banners, a priest and a lot of people, who have no connection whatsoever to urban Skopje, but who were bussed in from rural areas to fight the Anti-Christ. A large number of expensively produced flyers flooded the city centre – clear indications of a logistically well organized movement. They were in majority, so the actual manifestation remained marginal and actually was about to retreat, when a group of violent hooligans appeared out of nowhere. […] The heated up hooligans attacked individual participants in the protest, using the only intellectual arguments accessible to them – fists and legs. It is almost a miracle that there were only few injuries. […]
All this was happening under the eyes of a stunningly passive police force, which was obviously not able to cope with the events. So they did the obvious – they turned against the protesters. These are now under investigation for not having provided adequate security to their manifestation. No, this is not some sick joke. It is true. […]
The blog Kanalizacija wrote this [mkd]:
Today, a herd of 1000 [Hunzas] didn’t allow us to protest peacefully against the building of the church on the square. They had flags with crosses, icons and posters on which was written “We want temple” and some prayers. Among them there were members of [VMRO-DPMNE], who I know personally.
The people from the Architectonical Faculty, who I joined, were coming from the riverside from the park side. When we arrived at the square the mass started walking towards us, and were whistling and yelling “Uaaa” and “Go to Bakoyanni” [referring to Greek foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis].
If we didn’t escape there was going to be blood! […]
According to the mainstream media, the protests had political background, with the students led by the daughter of the chief of campaign headquarters of  SDSM presidential candidate, and on the other side the counter-protesters, who were activists of VMRO-DPMNE.
The Macedonian blogosphere is constantly buzzing about the incident, and almost on every blog post there is a heated debate.

author: Elena Ignatova


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Mongolia: Life on the fringes · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Bilguun writes about the serious problem of waste and rubbish near Ulaan-Batar, the capital city of Mongolia. Some photos from the rubbish dump are attached.


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Morocco: Different Names, Same Story · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Ali Anouzla and Jamal Boudouma have each been fined MAD200,000, the equivalent of approximately USD$23,800
Despite outward progress, Morocco has faced a number of setbacks for press freedom over the past few years.  Most recently, it was reported that Ali Anouzla and Jamal Boudouma, managing editor and publishing director of Moroccan newspaper Al-Jarida Al-Oula (الجريدة الأولى) have each received two-month suspended sentences and fines of MAD 200,000 (approximately USD$23,800) for “defamation” and “insulting the judiciary.”  Anouzla stated that his lawyer will appeal the ruling as soon as a copy of the decision has been received.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ):
The lawsuit, the second in less than three months in regard to the same article, was filed by Khalil Hachemi Idrissi, publishing director of the daily French-language newspaper Aujourd'hui Le Maroc in January. Idrissi filed a previous lawsuit against Anouzla in September 2008, after the newspaper reported on an incident in which Hassan al-Yaqoubi, the spouse of King Muhammad VI's aunt had shot and injured a traffic policeman who had stopped him.
“We urge the court of appeals to overturn this unjust ruling,” said Mohamed Abdel Dayam, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “This fine and another that was issued in January smack of political score-settling and are likely to bring down the newspaper if upheld by the court of appeals.”
Idrissi wrote a piece in Aujourd'hui Le Maroc calling the newspapers that covered the incident unpatriotic and said they lacked journalistic ethics. Al-Jarida al-Oula was the only newspaper that wrote about the incident at the time, Anouzla told CPJ.
Moroccan author Laila Lalami blogged about the story today, clearly stating her disagreement with the court's decision:
So let me see if I get this straight: One prominent journalist sues another for defamation and wins. (And it just so happens that the latter was critical of the regime’s handling of the al-Yacoubi case.) The censorship machine is so well-oiled nowadays that the Moroccan government doesn’t need to do anything.
Will of the blog One Hump or Two? hopes that the testimony somehow reaches publication:
I hope Al-Jarida Al-Oula, if it decides the risk of continuing to publish the testimony isn't worth it, is able to give or sell the documents to a foreign paper (I think Spain would be best). That's not an ideal solution, though, because it makes the information more difficult for Moroccans to reach.


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Nepal: A Prince Speaks · Global Voices
Rezwan

United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal reports that the hot topic of Nepal is now the interview by ex-Crown Prince Paras Bikram Shah on the royal massacre in 2001.


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Nigeria: Watch Cassava Republic Press · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nigeria's Cassava Republic Press is one of the top 10 brands to watch in 2009.


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Pakistan: Tehreek-e-Taliban Claimed Responsibility  · Global Voices
Rezwan

CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan reports that “Beitullah Mehsud, the head of the Tehreek-e-Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on the Manawan police academy in Punjab province, which killed at least 13 people.”


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Palestine: Land Day · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

body on the line’s Palestine-based author writes about her experience with Land Day. The blogger visited towns in which Palestinians have resisted as well as the towns and villages of her friends.


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Poland: “Krakow’s Lost River” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Polandian writes about “Krakow's lost river.”


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Puerto Rico: Murder Rate  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“We. Don't. Give. A. Damn. Because it isn't really ‘Us’ getting killed, it's ‘them.’  We don't see the obvious. There is no ‘them’ on an island. There's only Us”: Puerto Rico's Gil the Jenius links to a study reporting that a 10% increase in graduation rates can reduce murder rates by 20%.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Russia: Igor Sechin in WSJ · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Streetwise Professor and Robert Amsterdam's Blog comment on a WSJ piece based on an interview with Russia's deputy prime minister Igor Sechin.


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Russia: The Durnovo Memorandum · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Fistful of Euros writes about a document known as the Durnovo Memorandum: “What’s striking about the memo is how, six months before World War One started, [Pyotr Durnovo] absolutely nails it. Nature, conduct, likely outcomes — he’s eerily, astonishingly correct about all of them.


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Sri Lanka: Multiple Satellite Dishes In Telecenters · Global Voices
Rezwan

LIRNEasia explains why many tele-centers in Sri Lanka are equipped with multiple dishes.


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Syria: American Language Centre Re-Opens · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Syria News Wire reports that the American Language Centre in Damascus, which closed last year after a US attack on Syrian soil, is set to re-open.


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Taiwan: Buddhist master creates controversy · Global Voices
David Reid

Buddhist Master Hsing Yun created controversy at an international Buddhist conference when he claimed, “There are no Taiwanese in Taiwan and Taiwanese are all Chinese.” Taiwan blogs The View from Taiwan and Letters from Taiwan both write about how Buddhism is being used for political purposes.

author: David Reid


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Trinidad & Tobago: Dinner Mints  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

This Beach Called Life thinks that dinner mints are part of Trinidad and Tobago's identity.


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Turkmenistan: Ashgabat and Moscow hold talks · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elina Galperin analyzes the ourcomes of a recent official meeting between Turkmen President Gurbankuly Berdymuhammedov and Russian President  Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow.


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Ukraine: Relations With Russia and Romania · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Steve Bandera of Kyiv Scoop writes: “While Russian strategists declare Ukraine “a failed state” on the verge of losing its sovereignty, some Romanian officials and media are suggesting that only part of Ukraine, with its capital in Lviv, can ever come under the alliance’s euroatlantic umbrella.”


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Ukraine: Yushchenko’s Constitution Proposal · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Kyiv Scoop and What's Up, Ukraine? comment on the constitutional changes proposed by president Victor Yushchenko.


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Uzbekistan: US trying to return to base · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elina Galperin opines that the US may be allowed to return to the Uzbek base of Karshi-Khanabad soon after demonstrative eviction in 2005 after the massacre in Andijon.


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Argentina: Suggestion from Walter the Taxi Driver · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Layne Mosler of Go Where the Taxista Takes You receives a a restaurant suggestion from “Walter” a taxi driver from Buenos Aires, Argentina who had been shot while changing a tire and who had only recently returned to work.


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Bangladesh: Interview of Dr. Muhammad Yunus · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pak Spectators posts an interview of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Laurette of Bangladesh on Global meltdown and other crisis like oil price rise, poverty, food crisis etc.


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Brunei’s budget process · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Daily Brunei Resources explains the process of approving the annual state budget of Brunei.

author: Mong Palatino


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Causes and Consequences of the Coup in Madagascar · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

After the power transfer that took place  on March 17th  in Madagascar, unrest is still growing strong in the island nation.  15,000 protested against the coup Saturday for the sixth consecutive day and have been tear-gassed by armed forces for three days straight.  Sunday, On March 28th,  civil protesters were shot at and wounded by police forces, resulting in 34 wounded and a few unaccounted for.
Stephen Ellis, co-author (with Solofo Randrianja) of Madagascar: A Short History, and professor at the Free Unversity of Amsterdam, explains the roots of the turmoil in Madagascar:
Madagascar's instability derives in large part from the combination of extreme poverty (the fate of some 70% of its people) and the fact that the island has one of the world's highest birthrates (the population has increased from less than 3 million around 1900 to 6 million in 1960, to 20 million today). The arrival of large numbers of young people every year looking to join the job market has created a volatile atmosphere in Antananarivo[..] Ravalomanana was elected to a second term in 2006. But even as president he continued to pursue his interests as one of the country's leading businessmen, and there is no doubt that this contributed greatly to his downfall [..] He also made a grave error in negotiating with a South Korean company that wanted to lease an enormous agro-business concession to grow food for export. This raised fears over land tenure in a country where people are intensely attached to their ancestral land
Ethan Zuckerman explains the relationship between the failed land deal with the South-Korean company Daewoo Logistics and the current unrest:
The Korean corporation recently signed an unprecedented agreement to lease 3.2 million acres of arable land from Madagascar at $12 an acre [..] Daewoo plans to put most of the land under corn for export to Korea and the remainder under oil palms, hoping to export the oil on the bio-fuels market. This is a very odd deal, given that Madagascar is a nation that faces food insecurity and has a population that, for the most part, is composed of subsistence farmers[..] Given the ecological sensitivity of the island, it seems like untouched land might be a resource the nation would want to conserve in the long term.
On March 17th, deposed president Marc Ravalomanana handed over power to a military committee so that a referendum on the state of the nation  could be organized.   The then-opposition rejected that arrangement and power was transferred to the opposition leader Rajoelina.
Citing this rapid transfer of power, the new government argues they did  not stage a coup, an opinion the international community does not share.  U.S. Ambassador Niels Marquardt declared to Midi Madagasikara newspaper that he witnessed first-hand the use of military force and threats during the takeover (fr):
J'ai pu voir de mes propres yeux jusqu'à quel point on a eu recours à la force dans ce coup d'Etat. Moi-même, j'ai été menacé verbalement et avec des fusils. Ce n'est pas normal que les militaires d'un gouvernement menacent les diplomates accrédités dans le pays.
Here is a video of the events narrated by the US Amabassador:
A few days later, several countries froze aid to Madagascar.
The pinch from this suspension of funds was felt almost immediately by  many by entrepreneurs in Madagascar. Andriatefihasina Hary wrote on the Facebook bulletin board entitled:” What do you fear about the suspension of international aid? (fr):
A titre personnel, je trouve problématique la suspension des aides extérieures. A titre d'exemple, nous faisons un chantier financé par la banque mondiale. Si leur retrait se confirme, nous serons obligé de licencier tout le monde
Hary's example is only one of many. Eric Koller, head of Madagascar's hotel and restaurant federation explains to the BBC :
Eighty per cent of hotels are closing and the provinces have been especially hard hit. Most hotels have reduced staff by 50%, and some have laid off all staff without pay.
Even Madagascar's biodiversity is now facing urgent threats. Revkin on  the New York Times Dot Earth blog explains that Marojejy National Park, famous for its endangered species, is now being invaded by loggers and its director threatened.
March 28th may turn out to be another turning point in the enduring crisis in Madagascar.
Videos taken during the demonstration against the coup show that police dispersed the crowd by firing on protestors and using tear gas (fr):
A protester named Razily  carrying a Malagasy flag has struck the imagination of the Malagasy blogosphere. He was filmed marching towards the armed forces alone, while bullets hit the ground around him until he was eventually pushed into a van by the police.  A video of Razily was also posted on the New York Post:
Razily facing police March 28th (via topmada.com)
Many twitterers reacted to Razily's act of bravery.
Hery notes (fr):
Un manifestant courageux arreté par les militaires à #madagascar
TJ writes that the video has a familiar feel to it:
video from #madagascar  : man (alone) w/ a malagasy flag arrested by military force, scene reminiscent of tiananmen square.
Aliostsy adds:
This “Tiananmen” moment in #Madagascar could rally opposition to the new TGV regime. “
Given the events of the past couple of days, it seems that tension has yet to ease in Madagascar.   The Economist suggests that the new government is still on rather fragile ground.
Finally, as we look back at the cause of this crisis, Alex Evans blogs at the Global Dashboard that South Korea still does not seem to understand what the fuss is all about: one of the largest national newspapers, Chosun Ilbo, publishes a rather controversial cartoon depicting a black-faced mob with sticks going after a Korean worker seeding the land.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Cuba: Amnesty on Antúnez · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora bloggers Uncommon Sense and Sunrise in Havana both refer to an Amnesty International statement “calling for the public to step up on behalf of Cuban dissident Jorge Luis García Pérez (Antúnez).”


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Cuba, U.S.A.: The Cuban Press  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As President Barack Obama eases U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba, Generation Y says: “In the street no one talked about anything else…but the official media treated it warily.  The journalists have been caught up in other issues: the potato harvest, the World Baseball Classic, the Bolivarian Revolution and, of course, the celebrations for Cuban Press Day.”


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Ecuador: The Pawkar Raymi Celebration · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The celebration of Pawkar Raymi is filled with flowers and fruit [es]  as described by Angel Gualan at the San Lucas parish in Loja, Ecuador.


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Egypt: Schizophrenia Towards Israel · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Mo-ha-med, an Egyptian blogger who is based in Ramallah, outlines the schizophrenia he feels Egypt has towards Israel: “We can summarise this attitude as follows: economic and political accords, smiling handshakes on the one hand, with constant expressions of dislike, defiance and distrust on the other.”


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Global Voices Managing Director forced into hiding after April Fool’s iPhone prank · Global Voices
Allen Smithee

For Georgia “GAP” Popplewell, Managing Director of international blogging project Global Voices, the e-mail she sent to the community mailing list announcing that free iPhones would be given to all contributors seemed like a harmless enough April Fool's prank. Certain members of the community, however, failed to see the humour, calling the prank, “lame”, “heartless” and “something only a person with a sick, warped sense of humour would do.”
The offending e-mail. "These characters actually think I know Steve Jobs??" said Popplewell. "Incredible."
“It's a cruel joke,” said one contributor, who admitted to being so excited by the e-mail that she tossed her 3-year old Nokia into a nearby lake before reading the critical second paragraph.
“I always knew GAP was an evil person,” said another, “and this heinous act confirms it. Now what I am supposed to do with this expensive calfskin iPhone case and Bluetooth headset I ran out and purchased?”
Another contributor said he knew deep down that the message was a fake, but a medical condition that renders him powerless in the face of e-mails offering free merchandise prevented him from seeing the truth. Several other contributors admitted to being afflicted with a similar ailment, including one person who commissioned 250 iPhone cases from a collective of indigenous weavers in his community that he planned on selling to his colleagues. “I would have made 1300% profit on those cases,” said the contributor. “GAP owes me big time.”
One enterprising Global Voices contributor commissioned 250 of these iPhone cases from indigenous weavers in his community. They're now available for purchase on eBay and Etsy
Yet none of the GV contributors we talked to claimed to know the identity of the community member who issued the death threat that forced GAP to leave her Trinidad and Tobago residence and seek refuge in an undisclosed location by noon on April Fool's day, though one person said that it “sounds like something somebody on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) team would do—but don't tell anybody I said that!”
When interviewed on the matter, MENA editor Amira Al-Hussaini said “I don't wish to point fingers, but if I did, I'd point them in the direction of South Asia.” In a statement issued on the forum of the newly established web site www.serves_gap_right.org, the South Asia team formally denied any involvement with the threat, hinting that it was most likely to have originated somewhere closer to GAP's home base, “like perhaps Latin America or—*cough*—the Caribbean.”
Some Global Voices contributors believe Popplewell has taken refuge at a location resembling this
Contributors from the Global Voices regional and language teams yet to be accused of being involved in the threat have since set up another web site (www.we_didnt_do_it.org) in addition to a fund to help GAP cover the cost of her stay at the luxury resort where she is rumoured to have taken refuge. The fund, however, was disbanded after it was discovered that payments were being funneled into someone's private PayPal account.

author: Allen Smithee


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Guatemala: The Poor State of the Buses · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The poor state of buses in the Zona 21 area of Guatemala City was the reason for a group of passengers protested and were forced to find another mode of transportation [es] during the morning rush hour.


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India: Supreme Court Rules against Beards in Schools · Global Voices
Rezwan

Vinod Joseph of Desicritics reports that the Madhya Pradesh High Court had ruled that the defendant student Salim has no right to wear a beard if forbidden by his school rules.