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Croatia: Legalization of Prostitution · Global Voices
Ljubisa Bojic

Lovorka Marinovic, coordinator of the trafficking prevention program of international organization IOM, says (HRV):
Research conducted by IOM shows an enormous lack of relevant data about trafficking despite the issue's relevance for the region. According to the collected info, about 1,300 of the total 6,000 women that were sold in Western Europe, came from Balkan countries. According to that study, Croatia is mostly a transit country, although some indicators point to it as also a final destination for some victims. Official data coming from the ministry of the interior say 24 women were smuggled to Croatia and forced into prostitution from 1997 to 1999. […] Croatia is also a starting point of trafficking, since few Croatian residents were registered as victims in [Austria, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain]. We are not in possession of data from Italy, although very often young girls are victims.
At Istra section of the HNS‘s political organization, young members favor legalization (HRV):
[…] Croatian People's Party youth held a performance to present their attitude about legalization of prostitution. Young individuals at HNS argue in support of legalization. They think it would cut spreading of sexual diseases and help better control over that part of the market. As sex workers would have to report to the authorities to get employee status, social and health care. Workers would have to pay taxes and use protection when having sexual intercourse. Those persons would oblige to take all required venereal disease tests. […] The state would of course provide protection from any criminal influence. That's how legalized prostitution could become integral part of a strategy to counter crime. […]
Index forum dwellers discuss the issue of prostitution. Brian says (HRV):
As long as people are stupid, prostitution will exist. I head to coffee shop near the university, pick a girl, treat her to a dinner and boom. I am 250 kunas down. Fuck prostitutes!
Klea_Wega:
In that case I respect prostitutes more. It's their job. They have got a price and consequences of their way of life. The girls you are talking about and “sponsor girls” are really disgusting. There are many sex workers, not necessarily hookers in their souls… But I think there are much more of those other not officially prostitutes. […] In the case of legalization, sex workers can take a leave if they are sick, pregnant or they may want to have a vacation. If they get fired, they could go to the bureau for unemployed. In Germany they used to call some ladies to those companies for job interviews although they didn't have any affinity towards the profession. Not to mention, the country would be macro which I don't think the prostitutes would like.
Ivan:
Yes, I know about those cases from Germany. I think it's easy to regulate the area by using proper law instruments. Some sex workers and their customers might not like the fact they got to pay all the taxes which would eventually make the services more expensive. That could impact decrease of prostitution much more than all the efforts invested in fighting the illegal profession.
Prolece 05:
Moral is the matter of laws as well. If not, we could walk naked on the street and have sex at every corner. That's why we need law to regulate that issue. […]
Ivan:
The truth is, the laws are written to meet moral expectations of the majority. But morality is a relative category, thus the laws change accordingly. For example, homosexuality was forbidden in the seventies only because that fit into the moral standards of the majority. So if most of the people decide that prostitution isn't bad, it will be legalized.
Prolece 05:
As it's the oldest and the most profitable work I wonder why so few countries have it legalized so it can fill the public budget. We have to get back to the moral issue which has to be kept on our minds at all times. I simply don't want to have my daughter suddenly realize studying economics sucks because she can earn great deal of money by being a well-paid prostitute. I don't agree it should be legalized.
Cuorematto:
Today in the west some ask for a company of female person for atmosphere, escort or maybe just a talk. Sex can be included if asked but doesn't have to happen. They are prostitutes but not the usual ones like we could imagine them. I would name them the modern geishas of the west. Most of them are well educated.
Korban:
I personally think there is a huge difference between street and the so-called “high prostitution.” I agree those girls on the street are forced to be there as most of them are victims [of poverty, drug addiction or trafficking]. On the other hand, “high prostitution” is a different story. Enormous money is in question. I don't think they enjoy it but it’s their decision. That's the whole difference.
Leeloo:
It’s not their will especially if they are addicted to some drug. […] but what's money when compared to dignity. [Who knows what kind of insane person could be a customer] more than ever if they are rich. In most cases they tried anything and many sick wishes could cross their minds.
Salvador:
This is a sociological question. In some countries of the West, [work in sex industry] is totally equal to mental health services […]. I think not so many women do prostitution because they must to. That is individual choice and benevolence mainly when we talk about elite prostitution. Thus why don't we get our revenue cut when it's pleasure.
Brian:
Let's say a company I work for can rent me to another for a certain amount of money. We agree upon the price for the work of mental nature. How come I am different from man or woman who rent his or her body? If escort lady has the sense to talk and the listening ability [!], what I am trying to say is that today's companies look more like dealers leasing services of their employees. If the employee is getting bad at work, chances are he would get laid off. Of course, when doing any job people get tired so they have to get vacation.
Ivan:
As I see it, problem is present only when a lady is forced to prostitution, which is the same as when you force any person to work, so that's putting someone in slave position, which is prohibited.
Plinska Turbina:
State is not capable to obtain revenue from currently legal enterprises so it's unclear how they would deal with sex workers. I sincerely doubt the customers would take a [fiscal] bill. […] I also doubt the ladies would like to register and become labeled for the whole life.
Imaginea:
Why don't you leave this issue at peace? Even when legalized, [the government] wouldn't achieve anything. Women and men would stay under the influence of destiny. There isn't a single law that would protect them. The oldest profession will exist despite all the laws.
Al-Bitra:
Most of them get some sexual disease. Anybody who does that kind of work can't stay hundred percent sane.
Brian:
That's why they would have beneficial pension plan… On the other hand, how cashiers at malls feel? They don't earn the tenth part of the amount of money one escort lady has. They got many professional diseases: venereal problems, frustration with low wage and tough bosses. It is the opposite of escort job: recreation, relaxing, nice tan, and less cellulite. […] Should we complain when a female second-year student earns 300 euro as a first-class escort lady. I would call it – socially-responsible work. Best way to fight stress is erotic socializing. We have got happy client, while [the girl] can pay for her education […].

author: Ljubisa Bojic


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Ethiopia: learning to love creative commons · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

How Meskel Square learned how to stop worrying and love creative commons, “On the personal side, lots of good things have come out of the fact that my cast-off photos are swimming around the internet with a CC license attached. People have written in checking to se if they can use them in textbooks, calendars, Ethiopian restaurant menus, novelty Amharic greeting cards.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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India: Numbers and Opinions · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Kafila on the use of numbers in the media and beyond in gauging public opinion, reflecting aspirations and instant voting on cellphones on people's fates. “With the spread of cheap computers and design software in the 1990’s the statistical image became ubiquitous, standing in as an explanation of the contingencies of elections, the weather, crime and public opinion in general. The more unpredictable, dangerous and contingent modern experience became, the more widespread the use of the statistical image as a knowledge form to explain the world. “

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Indonesia: Departure Tax Reform · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Indcoup is happy that the Indonesian travelers exiting out of the port of Batam no longer have to pay a departure tax. “The tax is equally absurd from an economic perspective. Cos in addition to discouraging Indonesians from going overseas for holidays, the tax also discourages small-scale businesspeople from doing business overseas and making vital contacts with potential foreign business partners.”

author: Preetam Rai


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Japan: G-pod · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Gpod is a Japanese Patented device, linking to i-pod for controlling the vibrator's rhythmn according to the i-pod music. JP in Japundit reports that the Japanese company has gained its fame as Apple is trying to stop the name by legal means.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Bloggers respond to Kyrgyzstan’s political turmoil · Global Voices
Dan O'Huiginn

“6th Day, 11pm” by Teo Kaye. Many more photos from the recent protests can be found at his Flickr stream.
Kyrgyz opposition groups have been holding massive anti-government protests in the capital Bishkek for the past week, calling for constitutional changes and the resignation of the president. With the parliament having passed a new constitution that would reduce the powers of the president, tensions appear to be set to diminish.
Edil Baisalov, one of the protest leaders, is one of the many who have spent all week camped outside the parliament building. His livejournal (RUS) is frequently updated with news, his own opinions, and occasionally some satisfied self-reflection:
I want to go down in the history of the blogging movement. No, seriously: First blogger from a Yurt!
At the neweurasia Kyrgyzstan blog, Yulia has a more negative view of the protests. She worries that unthinking protests will turn the country into a banana republic, and isn't impressed that the opposition formed a ‘Constituent Assembly’ to rewrite the constitution:
The session started at around midnight. With no quorum and several dozens of deputies boycotting the meeting members of the opposition announced that they sighed a draft of the Constitution, that in their opinion should be adopted in Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, there is hardly any information about any details on the content of the Constitution.
Also at neweurasia, Inga has been talking to some of the demonstrators:
It was also my impression that the protesters were hardly aware what the goals of the opposition leaders, who brought them on the streets, were. I asked one of the women-protesters from Naryn district why she was unhappy about the Constitution and which changes should be implemented. “I don’t want our lands to be sold to foreigners,”-all she was able to answer.
A new blog, Kyrgyz Report, offers ongoing analysis, including an analysis of the clusters of political forces in the country and the roots of the country's political problems. Non-Kyrgyz bloggers are also watching events closely: Sean Roberts has thoughts on the constitutional draft, media coverage within Kyrgyzstan and the changing prospects of compromise. Registan.net also has ongoing coverage, and some fascinating discussions in their comments.

author: Dan O'Huiginn


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Madagascar: Public Health and Corruption · Global Voices
Alice Backer

TZ=Indian/Antananarivo writes (Fr): “Health is apparently one of the sectors most affected by corruption in Madagascar … Things may be getting better but there is still a long way to go…”

author: Alice Backer


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Mexico: Expansion of Credit · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Ricardo Carreón is pleasantly surprised by the increase in consumer spending and credit lending in Mexico over the past few years. According to Carreón, “this is what economic stability can bring to an economy.  A great testimony to the goodness that a responsible management of public finances can do to the consumers.”

author: David Sasaki


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Mexico: Fox: I’m Outta Here · Global Voices
David Sasaki

You would think that heads of state would be a little more careful about what they talk about when their wearing a microphone. Listen to outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox say one thing on-air and quite another off-air [ES].


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Mexico: Oaxaca Governor Meets with Secretary of Interior · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Ana Maria Salaza writes: “As a result of a meeting held by Oaxaca governor Ulises Ruiz and Carlos Abascal, the Secretary of the Interior, to evaluate the situation in Oaxaca, Ulises Ruiz has come to a partial compromise by promising to establish a program to recuperate some sort of normality in management of state affairs.” Mark in Mexico has a more cynical take on the outcome of their meeting.


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Moldova: Help Kids Learn English · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Mihai Moscovici reports on how anyone can help Moldovan kids learn English: send children's books to Moldova-based Peace Corps Volunteer Andy Buchanan (who blogs at Random Musings on a Moldovan Odyssey).

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Nepal: Maoists and the agreement · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

United We Blog! on the celebratory tone of various people on the signing of the historic agreement between the ruling alliance and the Maoists.  “Newspapers, general public and political leaders are unanimously praising the Agreement and celebrating the achievement”


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Nepal: Peace deal with Maoists · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

More reactions from Nepal on the recently signed agreement. Our Dream says “Finally Nepal government signed a peace deal with the Maoist rebels. Hopefully, they will all be sincere in carrying out the peace deals in the days to come.”


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Nicaragua: Disgust with Daniel Ortega · Global Voices
David Sasaki

If Uri Ridelman's first post about why he opposes Nicaragua President-Elect Daniel Ortega isn't clear enough, then the second one will hammer it home.


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Nigeria: money laundering · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Grandiose Parlor confirms allegation of money laundering by a senior special assistant to the Nigerian president: Yes, I did what the Nigerian government and the EFCC wouldn’t do: research the allegations. I called up my buddy “Joe Big-Guts”, a US attorney and searched the LexisNexis, an online database of public records. Here is the court docket of Emmanuel Uba’s case at US District Court of Oregon (pdf) that corroborates the documents provided by Sahara Reporters.


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Pakistan: Reactions to elections in the US · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Azad Forever has a video with reactions to the elections in the US – “On the eve of the election night we sat down with some American and Pakistani-American Law Students to hear their thoughts on the elections as well as on the results.”


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Pana-Blogs Report · Global Voices
Melissa De León

#1: Chiriqui Chatter on "Fatal Bus Fire Causes Identified"
Don Winner posted the resolution of the bus fire that killed 18 people. To net it out, it was a failure caused by negligent maintenance of the bus. In the US, the mechanic would be looking at serious legal problems. Read the complete post…
#2: "Al Aire Libre" descibes what a "machete" is and how useful to carry it when exploring the jungle (ES):
El machete es una herramienta fundamental para las travesías por el bosque tropical. El fin de semana del 14 y 15 de octubre caminamos desde La Línea, justo antes de Nombre de Dios, hasta Boquerón Arriba. Es una travesía de 25 kilómetros que atravieza el Parque Nacional Chagres. Hay bastantes árboles caídos a lo largo del camino y se necesita tirar machete con frecuencia para cruzar las marañas que se forman cuando un árbol expone el suelo del bosque a la luz del sol. Yo generalmente saco mi machete en cuanto entro al dosel del bosque y no lo guardo hasta salir. Continuar leyendo…
#3: Asi es la Vida en Panama brings up a very controversial issue on the way the problems are solved by the government in this country: "Con comentarios como estos" (ES) exposes the frustration of a great deal of Panamanians facing the deaths by intoxication which occurred after the Social Security distributed poisoned medication to its patients. Read the post in Spanish…
#4: MsAbcMom shares a pictorial review and a video commemorating the Panama's Independence Day: November 3.
#5: Tatiana from Tatiana's Blog goes fishing to Lake Gatun in La Arenosa, La Chorrera. Do not miss the colorful photos and the video, they will make you pack your bags and visit Panama right away!
#6: Rob Rivera on "Panamanians and November"
It would seem that 103 years ago a group of socially-conscious Panamanians decided to rise up around the end of October and make November the month where most (if not all) of our most important battles for freedom took place… more than a hundred years later we, the people, enjoy these dates as excuses to go to the beach and get drunk on so many levels there should be a hospital wing where people can detox, frequent puker program included. The only real exception to the November rule would have to be August 15, which is marked as being the day when the old city was founded in 1519 by one Pedro Arias de Ávila. It was the most important city in the continent due to its blooming business prospects and other wonderful things going for it until 150 or so years later when the place was raided and left in ruins by pirates… this, in many ways, would mark the fate of Panama as a whole: a place with a ton of potential, always blooming, until some savvy bastard comes in at just the right time and sweeps all of the
riches away for himself. Continue reading…

author: Melissa De León


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Panama: Real Estate Blog · Global Voices
Leon Kadoch

If you’re looking to purchase real estate to rent out for investment purposes, but aren’t sure how to identify a good real estate deal, there are a few things you need to educate yourself on before you make your purchase. This article is a resource for future investors in Panama.

author: Leon Kadoch


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Romania: Spelling Changes · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The spelling of the Romanian word for “scissors” has been changed by a committee, and many people learn about it from their kids, the hard way, reports Andy H of Csikszereda Musings.


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Russia: A Dedication to Vysotsky · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Adrian J. Erlinger of Leopolis dedicates a vignette on today's Moscow to Vladimir Vysotsky, a legendary bard who died in 1980: “What would Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky think of all this, the Asiatic Medieval Post-totalitarian Capitalist Order? He would roll a paparos, blow blue smoke through on the balcony…Would he hate them more than the Soviet Communists?”


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Russia: Churchill Houses · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Copydude writes about British sailors and Russian women in the wartime Soviet North, and a film to be made about them by a Russian director.


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Russia: First Yolki · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Snowsquare reports on the first New Year trees – yolki – that have already appeared in Moscow.


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Serbia: Issues to Resolve · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Neretva River posts a list of “issues that need to be resolved for [Serbia's EU] accession process to move forward.” Wu Wei hopes Europe would not ignore the fact that during the recent referendum on Serbia's new constitution “Kosovars were not invited to vote unless they were Serbs, who were given strong directions from Belgrade on which way to vote.”


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Serbia: The Countryside · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Trans Europa Express continues to post pictures and stories from the Serbian countryside.


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Slovenia: “The United States of Greater Austria” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Glory of Carniola posts a 1906 map of an imaginary entity called “The United States of Greater Austria.”


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The Screams of Gaza Echo in a Silent World · Global Voices
Naseem Tarawnah

Four Months. 247 Palestinians dead. 155 of them, “official” civilians. 57 children. 996 wounded. 337 of them are children. Naseem Tarawnah wonders if the world can hear Gaza scream at all anymore.
Eman vents out similar frustrations especially with the lack of Arab reaction, while Al Falasteenyia is calling on Arabs to protest:
“…we have to mobilize, all of us who are hurting- palestinians, arabs, muslims, every single human being that wants to see this end- for those of you who are sad endlessly glued to the news, get up off the couch and organize a vigil, a protest, anything, anywhere.”
What has happened on the small strip of land is indeed, as Haitham Sabbah put it, a tsunami.
And in the middle of the night a massacre unfolded in Beit Hanoun; an entire family killed in their sleep…
Desert Peace feels the latest images of the Beit Hanoun massacre are eerily similar to Krystalnacht; is history repeating itself?
There only a few voices from the blogosphere emanating from Gaza but Mona El-Farra's diary posts keep us updated on the situation in Gaza, including shocking images of the children injured in Beit Hanoun.
Adam Khalil in Gaza has similarly disturbing images of the victims and the names of the eleven members from the Al-‘Athamneh family that disappeared in a single night.
Naj says: “After the massive attacks on Beit Hanoun…i m scared, but really want, to go see what remained from this miserable town.”
With so many innocent civilians dead there have been calls for investigations. Laila El-Haddad is sick of hearing the regrets, apologies and empty promises to investigate:
“Instead of apologizing, STOP YOUR WAR against us. So much energy and enthusiasm devoted to death and destruction and debilitation and asphyxiation and occupation-so little devoted to ending it all.”
Laila offers her readers a Mahmoud Darwish poem, whose work so often articulates the voice and emotions of all Palestinians. Um Khalil also uses poetry in this photo essay that accurately depicts the Beit Hanoun massacre. Shakespeare's Macbeth seems fitting for this tragedy:
“Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care,
The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast” (act ii; scene ii)
Meanwhile, in the Balata refugee camp where approximately 350 martyrs have died since the second intifada began, Katie Miranada tries to finish a mural to commemorate their sacrifice. But the project was dependent on the Israeli Occupational Forces and their terrorizing sweeps through the camp. Art was put on hold as Ibrahim, an unarmed 16 year old trying to protect his wounded brother, was shot by an Israeli sniper.
“As I was finishing the mural, I photographed some young kids as they put up the new martyr posters of Ibrahim. I recognized him in the photo as one of the kids who was watching me paint the day before. He asked me if I’d seen someone, I said no I hadn’t, and then he left. Now he’s dead.”
Although age seems to be irrelevant for Israel when it comes to the Occupied Territories as Aiysha (which in Arabic means ‘life’), a 2 year old born in an Israeli prison, has just been released in to her father's custody as her mother stays behind under ‘administrative detention’, which technically means there are no charges and no trial; just more nothingness to ponder.
In other realms, Ibrahim Oweis, while  Flickering ‘Palestine’ came upon AnomalousNYC and his little project of graphics and posters using manipulated and altered photos of Palestine. It is a collection worth checking out. Ibrahim will be starting his own project in the near future.

author: Naseem Tarawnah


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Trinidad & Tobago: What happened in Felicity · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The Manicou tries to get to the bottom of the shooting murder of a young man in a community in central Trinidad and the subsequent rioting by members of the community demanding justice, but hopes the rioting ” is not indicative of where we are as a society to where we see race and class in every incident.”

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Vietnam: Joining WTO · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The blogger at Sticky Rice is congratulating Vietnam on becoming the 150th member of the World Trade Organisation. “Congratulations, VIETNAM. Proud to be part of you !!! You did a great job but not only opportunities ahead, there will be lot of challenges. I believe you will be successful in this huge game. “


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Belarus: Country Name Gaffe · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus Blog catches the Economist on a country-naming gaffe.


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Armenia: Corruption & the Environment · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian publishes a letter explaining how official corruption damages Armenia's natural environment.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Armenia: Komidas Project · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Notes From Hareinik reviews a reinterpretation of Armenian music that stands out from the rest of the crowd.


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Barbados: Online art gallery · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Barbados Free Press pays a visit to an online art gallery featuring work by Caribbean artists.


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Belarus: Lack of Tourists · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Some 95 million tourists visited the Czech Republic in 2003 – and only 90,000 toured Belarus in 2005, writes TOL's Belarus Blog.


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Blogging for the Cause in Honduras · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Honduran bloggers La Gringa, Matthew, Ruthy, and Jill are blogging for a good cause.  Though media attention on world hunger is often focused on Africa, Honduras – a small Central American country with a population of about 7 million – recently achieved the dubious distinction of the country with the highest rate of “chronic hunger” in the Western Hemisphere. Four bloggers based in Honduras and the US have seen this hunger first-hand and want to do something to help.
La Gringa, a former Texan living in La Ceiba, Honduras, writes:
Honduras now rates number one in the category of ‘chronic hunger,’ with almost one quarter of the population falling into that category. Honduras has now surpassed Haiti where the hunger rate is 18 percent.
Searching on the Internet for some way to help, La Gringa discovered the Kiva organization. Kiva makes “micro loans” to small business people in Honduras and 12 other countries. From the Kiva website:
Kiva is a microfinance organization that facilitates the lending of money to poor people in several countries around the world. Microfinance has been in the news recently-Muhammad Yunus, who created the Grameen Bank and the idea of microfinance, was just awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2006. Kiva is a Swahili word meaning “agreement” or “unity”.
La Gringa's blog goes on to say:
Kiva is a fabulous program which, rather than giving charity, the organization gives loans to help people start or expand a small business. Kiva accepts loans in $25 increments through Paypal (by credit card or from your Paypal cash balance), and then disburses the funds to people in 13 countries, including Honduras. Most loans have a term of 6 to 12 months. When the loans are repaid, the original lenders are repaid (without interest). Kiva's repayment rate so far has been about 97%.
Imagine the pride people feel when they have repaid their loan, versus the shame of having to accept charity. Imagine also what this process teaches their children about self-sufficiency and honoring one's commitments.
Matthew, a Canadian teacher in Olancho, Honduras, picked up the ball and informed his readers:
So why is this such a fantastic idea? Because it's a loan, not a donation. I'm usually hesitant about donating to charities because I just don't believe handouts solve the problem. But Kiva isn't a charity. You can give as little as $25 to help someone's small business grow. But here's the kicker: you get your money back. You can then keep your money or reinvest it into another small business. Just think how many people the same $25 can help. Talk about bang for your buck!
What I really like about microfinance is that it capitalizes on the abilities of the poor. Most people don't find themselves impoverished for lack of initiative or work ethic. In fact, they are entrepreneurs in every sense of the word. They have to be just to get by. They want to work hard, learn and grow. They don't want to receive handouts any more than you want to give them. Microfinance empowers them, instead of treating them like victims.
Ruthy, a young Honduran-American mother in Missouri, U.S., wrote:
Kiva – is an organization that helps small business in developing worlds – how do they help you might ask… well by great people like you! who donate – sorry let me rephrase – loan money to these small businesses; and I quote ” By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can “sponsor a business” and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence”
So you choose the business you want to help, you loan them money to help reach their goal (it starts at $25, how great is that) and then you get your money back! That's right you get it back… once you get it back you can choose to get it back or loan it to some other business, it's all up to you!
So imagine all the people you can help by doing this, we may not be able to save the world all at once but we may be able to help impoverished countries help themselves! Helping these small businesses means that you would be helping families of people. I am so excited to have found out about this organization that I just had to say something about it. Oh yes and of course I am on my way to the website to help someone reach their goal.
Jill, a teacher in San Pedro Sula from Washington, D.C., USA, had this to say:
I am not going to pretend that I am an economics professor, but I like the personal responsibility and empowerment that are found in programs like this. When I think of the ways that I carelessly spend $25, it makes me realize how small a sacrifice it would be to donate to an organization like Kiva.
In a later post on the same subject, La Gringa continues:
It is just mind-boggling how little it takes for these people to improve their businesses and their lives. The profiles, both of applicants and those who have received loans, though not in-depth, are really touching. I have cried reading some of them.
A surprising number of those who have received and paid back their loans wrote that they have added an employee or even two. These are new jobs created sometimes by as little as a $200 investment. Incredible!
Here is what one person wrote that she needed the loan for:
“Loan Use: Buy inventory to increase sales and happiness.”
That says it all, doesn't it? How can you not feel empathy for these poor hardworking people who want to improve their lives and obtain a better education for their children, and not only that, but they then spread the happiness by providing new jobs for others?
To view the ever-changing list of current Central American loan applicants, click here. You can also show your support by hosting a Kiva banner on your blog or website. Other weblogs discussing Kiva include American Idle, Snark Market, and Meathaus.


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Two weeks in Costa Rica’s blogs · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

These weeks the most talked-about political issues in Costa Rica have been: the aftermath of the anti-Cafta marches, the desire for a referendum to decide if signing the free trade agreement would be best or not, the unsatisfactory resolution to the Tinoco sexual harassment case, where a council elected to decide if the case should proceed came out with a tepid we're-not-sure.
On the cultural front we've had the masquerades: parades created to divert attention from Halloween and it's cultural alienation, and the concerts for “Japanese Week.” What follows are excerpts from some blogs where authors write about these or other issues.
Víctor Alba de la Vega comments in a lengthy post in his blog Pez en Seco on his view on the blogosphere and some media outlets, where Oscar Arias is considered an evil overlord puppeteer and CAFTA is to blame for all evil, past and present. He also touches on the polarization of Costa Rican society where the good guys are against CAFTA and the “Miamization” of Costa Rica and the bad guys are those who believe that CAFTA could help them or don't really care. He concludes:
Finalmente, recuerdo que en el 2004 publiqué en La Nación (insisto: en La Nación) un texto que describía a grandes rasgos mi posición sobre el TLC en aquel momento. Sobre algunas cosas sigo pensando lo mismo, sobre otras ya no. Pero lo que sí sigo sosteniendo es que esta es una decisión tan importante para el país que ameritaría tomarse mediante la figura del referendo. Además de que la gente sentiría más derecho de participar, la responsabilidad no sería la de una sola persona o la de los 57 diputados. Es decir, así al menos habría más razón para pensar que fue una decisión de país y no de solo unos cuantos, de este bando o del otro. En el futuro, sea cual fuere la decisión y los resultados, la responsabilidad sería de todos los que votaron (¡y los que no!), es decir, sería una responsabilidad compartida. Y ese simple hecho, ¿no nos haría sentir mejor a todos?
Eduardo Mora in El Cuarto Desordenado [ES] expressed his sadness when visiting the port of Limon after the carnival and not recognizing the town he knew in his childhood and youth, filled with proud, happy and hopeful people.
A las siete de la mañana los gritos desesperados de alguien nos hace a los huéspedes asomarnos al balcón: Están vapuleando a un ladrón que estaba metido en un local comercial. La paliza es soberana. De inmediato la dependienta del hotel llama a la policía. La paliza sigue. Alguien más vuelve a llamar a la policía. Ya esto es linchamiento. La policía nunca llega (hay peligro de huelga, deben de estar atrincherados). El ladrón logra huir de sus captores que están hartos de pegarle.
Sirena Canta humorously comments on boring October 31 parades in the city of Cartago:
La Cartaguitud fue extrema y quién sabe si seré injusta llamando Cartaguitud a la pasmosidad extrema que tal vez caracteriza a la tiquitud en general. Yo nunca he visto ni en discovery channel, ni en wild on… ni en “aunque usted no lo crea” un país donde existan desfiles más aburridos que los nuestros. “Only in tiquicia” el carnaval de fin de año es un desfile solemne y aburrido, donde nadie baila y la gente no aplaude… y eso mismo, elevado a la décima potencia fue lo que vivimos en las tierras cartagas mientras tres extranjeras josefinas gritábamos, aplaudíamos, piropeábamos e incitábamos al travestido a mover el trasero sensualmente.
In el Cuarto Desordenado: The deputy who has been accused of sexual harassment ended in nothing: The council who were studying the case failed their purpose to demonstrate if sexual harassment took place or not.
El mejor resumen de lo acaecido lo dio la ex diputada Gloria Navas: El informe fue un plato de babas (dijo en Telenoticias), pero no por las razones que ella expuso, si no porque no fueron capaces los miembros de tomar una decisión: si los hechos indicaban que hubo la falta haberlo señalado y si había duda o no fue posible determinar la existencia de la falta entonces exonerar del todo al diputado.
Cristian Cambronero comments in Fusil de Chispas about the growing business of hit men:
5 de la tarde, hora pico. Dos tipos en moto disparan 20 veces contra otros dos en su carro, en plena autopista de Circunvalación, a vista y paciencia de media raza humana y con un operativo de oficiales de tránsito a menos de 100 metros.
In Costa Rica en el presente: mi opinión sobre los cambios en la sociedad y la política, the author posts his reaction to a letter where a soccer narrator was called a “professional”:
Decía el Chavo del Ocho que él no necesitaba estudiar porque pensaba ser animador de televisión cuando adulto. Le faltó agregar narrador deportivo, jugador de fútbol y entrenador del mismo deporte.
Adrian García Ulibarri posts on the first of a series of concerts offered in Costa Rica for “Japanese Week.”
Mariela was part of the anti-CAFTA march and commented on the security: the police were unarmed in the vicinity of Central Park, however, private security guards were armed to the teeth in front of the peaceful protest. She also posted pictures of the protest. Neuroleptico  muses about the healing power of the Telire River in the indigenous reserve of Surekta, Baja Talamanca; also with pictures.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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China: Why speaking for minority? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Li Yin he explains that a turely harmonious society needs to protect minority's rights (zh).


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Corporate Social Responsibility: The blogosphere reacts · Global Voices
Rebecca MacKinnon

If you missed the live webcast of Reuters’ Corporate Social Responsible panel yesterday, you can click here to view the full-length archived video.  Stephen Frost live-blogged it on the CSR Asia blog. We had a sizeable group of bloggers from a range of countries on the live IRC chat – you can click here for the full chat transcript.
The panel at Reuters’ New York facility was distinguished but not exactly diverse: Doug Bauer from Rockefeller Philanthrophy Advisers, Clive Cook from the Atlantic Media Co., John Demsey, group president of Estee Lauder, Samuel DiPiazza, CEO of PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Reuters Chairman Niall FitzGerald. (click here for the full list of names and bios). All men, all North American or Western European, all white, all executives. Writing from Trinidad & Tobago, Atillah Springer commented in the live chat: “the more I think about it, the more insane it seems that they can be having a conversation about whose business CSR is and not have any stakeholders, not to mention women on the panel.”
A lot of laudable statements were made. Mr. FitzGerald made the impassioned point that corporations must be good citizens or large numbers of people on this planet will lose faith in the value of free markets. Business must find a strategic advantage to being responsible, DiPiazza believes.  Knight predicted that sustainability – environmental and social – will be the key business innovation of the future. Panelists agreed that quarterly earnings pressures make it difficult for companies to act in a manner that is most socially responsible because social responsibility pays off more over the long term than the short term. Bloggers on the live chat found all these things encouraging. However many found the discussion to be divorced from the realities on the ground in their countries.  There was also considerable cynicism about the ultimate motives of CSR, despite the lofty rhetoric. Atillah concluded from Trinidad & Tobago:
CSR especially when it comes to multi-nationals, is a legitimisation of modern day conquistadors with shining glass beads to a post-colonial, rapidly industrializing small island state, still reeling from the inherited and un-dealt with burdens of slavery, indentureship and an economy that is still set up to reflect the privileged ones who own the plantations.
In this part of the world, we HAVE to make companies act responsibly. We demand that they do, or we will, by any means necessary get them out.
Writing from Shenzhen, China, Stephen Frost of CSR Asia concluded:
I have to say that I thought the discussion was quite disappointing. They got caught up in the pointless question of what is CSR, without once mentioning that CSR is what stakeholders think companies should be doing. In fact, stakeholders didn’t even get mentioned. It was a very US-centric discussion (which is okay, I guess, since they are in New York), but the discussion and actitivities in Asia are so much more vital and interesting.
Before the panel began, Frost's colleague Liu Chenyan remarked on a major challenge for multinationals: headquarters might “get” CSR, but how much concerted effort is there to communicate these policies to local branches and sub-contractors?  She wrote:
Most action, therefore, on CSR in China is still by US, Japanese and European multinationals. However, many of them fail to localize CSR policies developed in head office or communicate CSR visions to local offices or branches. It is not uncommon, for instance, to find Chinese managers working for foreign companies well known for their CSR work at home to be completely unaware of what CSR is let alone their company’s policies and vision.
Neha Viswanathan was surprised that the panel discussion – before Q&A began – gave no mention to the role of government. Neha remarked:
The interesting thing is that in most developing countries – you wouldn't dream of having a panel without a representative of the government when it comes to CSR – CSR is almost enforcable because of certain government policies – the government goes as far as indicating and making requests.
A blogger named “Karel” added: “we don't necessarily need the government to speak for us, but the government is stakeholder as well as it affects or brings policy into effect.”
On the IRC chat, we had an interesting follow-on conversation about what do you do when following the law in a particular country results in violation of human rights? Should companies refrain from doing business in certain markets or refrain from doing certain kinds of business in certain markets? Stephen live-blogged the unfolding discussion:
The discussion on the Global Voices IRC chat focussed on China and the Internet companies. The panel started off talking about whether a mining company can even do CSR because they destroy the environment. Another panel member said that he had a problem with the term CSR as he does with the word sustainability. Sustainability is waffle (which started a lively discussion). Niall FitzGerald mentioned that during his time at Unilever he got sustainability across to factory owners in northern England (a tough bunch) by appealing to the issue of costs (reducing energy consumption equals less cost, etc). Then they understood sustainability in their own terms.
There was also the question posed in the chat about whether certain types of businesses – and the marketing messages they use to sell their products, are inherently socially irresponsible in the first place. If a company is demonizing breastfeeding in order to sell baby formula, for instance? Or promoting bad eating habits or socially questionable behavior because such behaviors would increase consumption of the company's products?
At the end, when Reuters moderator Paul Holmes asked panelists for their five year predictions, Responses included Knight's prediction that sustainability will be the key innovation of the future.
Neha had the best prediction though: “In 5 years they would have outsourced all their CSR decisions to India – woohoo!”

author: Rebecca MacKinnon


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DRC: BanaCongo Rejects Official Election Results · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Looking ahead to the publication of election results, UDPS Liege publishes a BanaCongo declaration stating (Fr): “Pressure group BanaCongo asks the Congolese people to remain vigilent and ready to vigorously protest the election results that the Western media are generally publishing to put the people to sleep.”


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Ethiopia: challenges of being a dictator · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ethiopian Life, Culture, Politics, and Arts: “Ethiopia's dicator, Meles Zenawi, will dicuss the challenges of being a dictator on Friday November 17 – 9.30 to 12.00 in Brussels with the invitation of the European Commission as the relationship between the commission and Ethiopia is supposed to have deteroriated further.”


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Flood in Burkina Faso, Power supply in Ghana and an Idyllic Transfer of Power Turned Sour · Global Voices
Oluniyi D. Ajao

Under the acacias blogs about a recent flood in Burkina Faso – Update on Gorom-Gorom flood and emergency aid:
The Broken Dam
I went to see the dam on Wednesday. It is about 1km long, mostly built of stone and mud, with a cement spillway in the centre. It is about 3m deep at the deepest part.
The dam itself was mostly in one piece, with parts of it eroded from where water had flowed over the top. But where the dam actually burst was in the two spots where the cement spillway joined with the main stone and mud part of the dam, as you can see in these photos.
The Trials & Tribulations of a Freshly-Arrived Denizen…of Ghana is one the other-hand, worried about the poor electricity supply in Ghana: As the Week Drew to a Close in Accra: Thoughts on Spintex Traffic; Utility Prices; Lessons of Belgian Energy Liberalisation for Ghana:
It was polio immunization week, and as a result, as I heard on Tv3 evening news on 31 October, there was not going to be any load shedding (read: “of the scale there has been”).
In any event, I cannot help but wonder whether the load-shedding exercise is not one too many, having outlived its usefulness. First, the holiday of 23rd October was granted a load-management-free day by the government. Now, this: a good four or five days, where electricity won’t go off for 12 hours.
Ramblings of An African Geek, another Ghanaian blog has Workflow issues:
I have a problem.
Blog writing for me has tended to be something that happens in the middle of the night when its quiet out, i have some privacy and I can spend as long as I need over the keyboard getting my thoughts in shape. Now I don’t get that anymore. The house is full and there really isn’t a secluded corner I can go sit in and work on my posting. Hence I have a long list of things I mean to write about, but I don’t get a solid block of me time to do it.
Maybe I need to wake up earlier in the morning and write then. Or find a place to hide after work where I can pull out a laptop.
I’ll figure something out.
Suggestions are always welcome
We move over to Cameroon where Scribbles from the Den writes about How an Idyllic Transfer of Power Turned Sour (II): The Ahidjo – Biya Honeymoon Ends in Acrimony and Blood:
By Francis K. Wache (Originally published in Cameroon Life, 1(11), Sept. 1991)
Biya is a weak man, a double dealer with a phobia for coups d’etat”.  Ahmadou Ahidjo – RFI, August 23, 1983.
Paul Biya
Biya’s first government caused no stir… To all intents and purposes, [it] was Ahidjo’s. Bello Bouba Maigari, a young, soft-spoken, affable Northerner was appointed Prime Minister. At 35, Bello Bouba had been enmeshed in the intricacies and intrigues of behind-the-door politics. In fact, he traveled constantly to foreign capitals as a private Ahidjo envoy. He was publicly known Ahidjo’s protégé. It was murmured that Ahidjo was grooming him for power. In this light, Biya would have served as a caretaker President until 1985 when elections were due and Bello Bouba Maigari would have become President.
That is why, observers reasoned, he had worked as an attaché and Assistant Secretary General of the Presidency – to watch at close range the day-to-day art of ruling; he had been Secretary General of the Armed Forces – to get acquainted with the military; and lately, as Minister of Economy and Plan, he was to acquire first-hand knowledge of the country’s economic machinery.

author: Oluniyi D. Ajao


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Hong Kong: cantonese soundbite · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Alex was surprised by both the Hong Kong reporter and Margaret Chan, the newly elected WHO Director-General's performance in the official press conference (zh): a Hong Kong reporter insisted to repeat an earlier (English) question and asked Chan to reply in Cantonese in order to get a “soundbite” eventhough the official languages are English and French. Chan agreed, which surprised all other reporters. Then she changed her stand and said she wouldn't give “special treatment” to Hong Kong.


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Hungary: Paprika in Szentes · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Some like it hot” – Photo by Kris of Little Town in Hungary, a blog featuring daily photos “from Szentes, a small town located on the southern Great Plain of Hungary.”
Kris writes about this photo:
I saw this scene yesterday. Does the owner of this flat like paprika so much? or it is a way to gain additional income? Whatever it is, the sure thing is, these wonderfully garland paprika (paprikafuzer) will ended up as the “ultimate spice” for many kitchens in Szentes.
The photo reminds one reader, Lachezar Karadjov, of his native Bulgaria:
A beautiful image of a very old tradition.
Reminds me of my own country. In autumn they would be all over windows and balconies in big cities, small towns and villages. People would pride themselves of who's paprika (in Bulgarian “liuti chushleta) is the hottest. Mostly they would use them at home but some will sell…
Kris also provides a link to one of her favorite paprika recipes – Hungarian Mushroom Chicken (Gombes Csirke), which is posted at her other blog – Kitchen at no. Nineteen: food junkie finally gets cooking:
Eating out for us means fast food, pizzas, burgers, chinese, Indonesian, Indian […], etc. We hardly try-out Hungarian food in restaurants. Reason being, we get to eat home-made Hungarian dishes cooked by B's (my partner) parents. Most of them are quite tasty and suit to my taste. […]


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Iran:Election in USA and Iran · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Hanif Mazroi says US President understood the message of voters and replaced Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld by Gates. The blogger adds now compare USA with Iran where even legal political parties have a lot of difficulties to be present in election  [Fa].

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Remember Kianoosh Sanjari,jailed blogger · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Tarnevesht reminds us that Kianoosh Sanjari,23 years old blogger is still in jail and his life can be in danger [Fa].


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Japan: birthrate · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Alexpappas in Japundit discusses about the situation of falling birthrate in Japan, a simple solution is to open up immigration.


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Japan: letter to youtube · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Adamu wrote a letter to youtube hoping that the company can remove sexy videos of 12-year-old Japanese actress Saaya Irie.


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Kazakhstan: Filipinos in Tengiz · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

KZ Blog notes reports of violence and robbery against Filipino workers in Tengiz, Kazakhstan that have been overshadowed by the violence between Turkish and Kazakh workers there.


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Kyrgyzstan: Anatomy of a Political Crisis · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Sean Roberts explains the sequence of events that led to Kyrgyzstan's recent protests and new constitution.


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Kyrgyzstan: Hasty Constitution · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Was Kyrgyzstan's constitution adopted too quickly? Yulia appears unhappy with the fast pace of the constitution's drafting and adoption while Kyrgyz Report notes that some in Kyrgyzstan are already noticing problems with the new fundamental document.


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Laos: Guess What this Eggplant Preparation is · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Stickyrice encounter Lao women burning and pounding the blackened eggplants into a strange preparation. The blogger is asking the readers to guess what the preparation might be.


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Nigeria: Nigerian fashion designers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bella Naija writes about the October 2006 Edition of True Love West Africa, which features top Nigerian designers and their muses.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Nigeria: remembering Ken Saro Wiwa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ken Saro Wiwa is remembered today: “It is important to note that the militancy that is taking place in the Niger Delta today has evolved out of the original non-violent struggle begun by Ken Saro Wiwa and the Ogoni people in 1990 and the failure of successive Nigerian regimes together with their allies the mulitnational oil companies to respond to the demands and aspirations of the peoples of the Niger Delta.”


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North Korea: migrant labour · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

R. Elgin in Marmot's Hole discusses about the North Korean migrant labour conditions in Czech, who are producing luxurious car to support the North Korea's economy.


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North Korea: Rock for peace · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A concert “Rock for peace” will take place in Pyongyang March, 2007. Richardson in DPRK is skeptical about the concert.


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Puerto Rico: Blogs, context & trust · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Gil the Jenius heeds the call of a fellow Puerto Rican blogger and explains why people may trust local blogs more than the media: “All consistent bloggers have one thing in common: a strong need to share. In order to feed that need, the blogger must adhere to certain principles: Be clear, be interesting and above all, be passionate. In essence, be honest and forthcoming so that the sharing creates and builds trust. What The Soldier and many others see in traditional media is the opposite: unclear, slanted views verging on hysteria that turn Us off and make Us leery.”


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Romania, Macedonia: Roma Music in Borat · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Illyrian Gazette writes about Borat‘s soundtrack.


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Russia: Borat, Brezhnev and Driving · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Turkish Invasion writes on the ban of Borat in Russia, posts an old Soviet Brezhnev joke, and warns of the dangers of having a car in Moscow.


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Serbia: Kosovo’s Past and Future · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Russia Blog posts on the recent panel discussion on Kosovo at Columbia University.


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Uganda Update: peace talks, reconciliation, and a frustrated president · Global Voices
Joshua Goldstein

It's been an excellent week for big news and sharp writing in Uganda. The peace talks in Juba continue to dominate the agenda. Last week, a renewed ceasefire gave LRA rebels until Dec. 1 to assemble at the two meeting points in Southern Sudan. The Government lead at the talks, Internal Affairs Minister Rugunda, remained confident in the success of the talks, and nearly all major donors pledged funds to support the talks.
One conspicuously absent donor was the United States. Uganda-CAN asks why:
At this point, we cannot help but wonder what interests the Bush Administration is worried about hurting or losing if it shows any support for this historic peace initiative. Is it worried that it could hurt its alliance with President Museveni, whom has been a strategic ally in the war on terror? Is it worried that it could hurt the working relationship between the UPDF and the U.S. Combined Joint Task Force in the Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA)? Is the it worried that it could lose the U.S. military's air base at Entebbe Airport? Is the it worried it could hurt foreign military sales to Uganda? Is it worried that it could hurt its business interests in the country at a time with China's influence on the continent is growing? Whatever it is, it appears that the White House is putting perceived geopolitical, military or economic interests before the interests of northern Ugandans in peace after 20 years of brutal war.
Meanwhile, Ngromrom remains highly critical of the Government's intentions at the Juba talks:
Right now as I speak, if the Museveni government were to remove the NRA soldiers from all detaches, reverse its policy towards the people in eastern and northern Uganda, promote a committee for reconciliation, obtain and disburse fund for rehabilitation of the northern and eastern regions, revert maintaining of law and order to the police, embark on a program to empower the people in all communities, the Juba peace talk would become redundant. These few points would result in a speedy return to normalcy in Uganda.  Juba isn't the only place where Ugandans are making plans for after the conflict.
In a controversial move, the Government has announced that it is shutting down all IDP camps by the end of the year. While many welcomed Government moves to take post-conflict development of the North seriously, critics, including Jackfruity, believe that the move was dangerously premature:
The government's showy closing of the IDP camps as proof that northern Uganda is finally safe is a dangerous move, with the potential to further damage the lives of millions of conflict-affected people. Though LRA attacks have dramatically reduced since the beginning of the peace talks in Juba, a better system for resettlement needs to be firmly in place before IDPs are forced to return.
Further south, in the dusty town square Kasana, in Luwero District, In An African Minute reports on a little noticed meeting that could be the first step towards creating a Ugandan culture of reconciliation:
On Wednesday, October 11th, 2006, The Daily Monitor published an unlikely headline: ‘North Seeks Reconciliation With Luwero’  The article (not available online), written by Rogers Mulindwa, goes on to describe a meeting between cultural, NGO and political leaders from the greater northern region, and their counterparts from Luwero (central Uganda). The leaders from the north asked for forgiveness for the crimes committed against the people of Luwero by the Oboto regime in the 1980's.  To understand the significance of this meeting, one must understand that for many Ugandans, the Luwero Massacres are symbolic of deep and complicated divisions that exist within Uganda's many regions, tribes and ethnic groups. More often than not, these divisions are sealed with memories of blood.
A long time member of the Ugandan press, but a newcomer to the blogosphere. Angelo Izama, on the Sub-Saharan African Round Table, writes penetratingly on the legacy of a hardworking president:
An author himself, Museveni and the critic Kalyegira aught to get together and write a book possibly entitled “A Backward Dream: From Third World to Third World,” the biography of a frustrated Ugandan president. The stasis in Uganda as in elsewhere on the continent is however constructed not just on poor economic policies, tribal wars and an exclusionist global trading environment but also on a debilitating attitude crisis. If writers like Kalyegira mourn that Africans do not amount to much, he and others do not work on expanding Africa’s options more. Instead, there is a retreat by his ilk to another favorite African pastime, the opaque sanctuary of religion and myths like white supremacy.

author: Joshua Goldstein


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Ukraine: Kyiv Rallies · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Anton Petrov (LJ user voevoda) posts photos (RUS) from the Nov. 4 and Nov. 7 rallies in Kyiv.


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Voices from Central Asia and the Caucasus · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Club in Almaty/Kazakhstan – (c) Christopher Herwig – www.herwigphoto.com
Welcome to the latest roundup of the Central Asian and Caucasian blogospheres. A lot has happened over the past two weeks – so let's get down to business straightaway.
Political crisis in Kyrgyzstan…
The stalemate between opposition and the Bakiyev/Kulov administration in Bishkek continues, with analysts looking at a new proposed constitution brought forward by President Bakiyev yesterday. Kyrgyz Report, a new blog set up by young people from Bishkek, is constantly updated and provides great insights from the ground, including frequent photos. Edil Baisalov, prominent opposition figure and active LJ blogger, is also a good place to start if you read Russian. neweurasia's Russian Kyrgyzstan blog has had many posts over the last couple of days, with opinions ranging across the board and featuring a lot of eye-witness accounts. Nathan on The Registan combines media roundups with great commentary, and as usual, interesting discussions arise in the comment sections. Sean Roberts, the Georgetown Central Asian Affairs fellow turned blogger, is also weighing in with daily posts on the opposition protests in Kyrgyzstan. Be sure to check out Theodore Kaye's Flickr Photostream for some visual context of the protests.
…and wider repercussions
Kamron (RUS) reports that Kazakh President Nazarbayev met with his Uzbek counterpart Karimov, allegedly to discuss the ramifications of the events across the border in Kyrgyzstan. On neweurasia, Leila took up the same topic and said that images of the perpetual crisis in Kyrgyzstan had previously been used on Kazakh television:
In a disguised election campaign, Kazakh television showed the riots in Paris, the Kyrgyz revolution, followed by peaceful pictures of Kazakhstan reality. Maybe it helped really.
Kamron (RUS) also reports about the third and unsuccessful round of negotiations between Kyrgyz gas and electricity companies and UzbekGasOil state company. As energy resources are a popular way to exert political pressure on post-Soviet neighbours, it comes as no surprise that the Uzbek authorities are also making use of that wonderful tool. They declared that the gas price (which is currently 55 dollars) will be increased to 100 USD next year. Despite protests of Kyrgyz President Bakiyev, the Uzbek company refused to negotiate the price. As if Bakiyev doesn't already have enough to worry about…
Borat hitting the theatres
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan was released last Thursday and was the box office champion over the weekend. The blogosphere is buzzing with posts on Borat, some highlights here: On neweurasia, James asks whether Kazakhs are rightfully being offended by the defamations put forward in the movie, and the spokesman of the Kazakh embassy to the US replies in the comments. With the controversy about the movie come first conspiracy theories: Borat's sidekick Azamat is played by the Armenian Ken Davitian, and after the credits, the fake national anthem has a picture of Azeri President Aliyev in it. Onnik on the Armenia-based Oneworld Blog, Katy at neweurasia and Sean Roberts (who includes the Youtube video of the anthem) all follow up on the Armenian-Azeri-Kazakh Borat link. KZBlog has a great post on the anthem, which he thinks is a poignant parody of Kazakhstan's PR campaigns.
Georgia on my mind
DJ Drive's LJ is one of the only frequently updated blogs from within Georgia that provide English language posts (he's got a wordpress.com blog as well here). On doing business in Georgia, DJ Drive reports of one of his friends who opened a business recently. Bear in mind that Georgia is a fomer republic of the Soviet Union:
It took him and his partners a couple of months to transform the idea to an actual start-up, financed by a bank loan and ready for the first import in coming 4 weeks.  As of now he has not have pay a single bribe.  He agrees that was he in Moscow things would have been very different.
Speaking of Moscow, DJ Drive also wrote a post on the bitter bilateral relations between Russia and Georgia. The former has decided to increase gas prices for the republic in the southern Caucasus.
Gas is almost the last thing that Moscow has left itself to annoy Georgia with after banning Georgian wine and mineral water, severing trade and transport links and cracking down on ethnic Georgians living in Russia and their businesses.
Tajikistan voted
Alexander and Vadim on neweurasia continue to provide excellent coverage of Tajikistan's elections both in Russian and in English. Now that the elections are over, the observers are busy writing up their findings. It is only a small surprise that the CIS observer team has put their thumbs up, whereas the OSCE is not happy (and is experiencing visa problems on top).
Read on!
Fortunately, my job is a lot easier these days thanks to a lot of blogosphere roundups: Check neweurasia for the latest buzz in the Tajik blogosphere, Global Voices for both a roundup on the political turmoil in Kyrgyzstan and the latest Voices from Kazakhstan.

author: Ben Paarmann


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Bangladesh: A debate on Presidential Rule · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

drishtipat has an interesting discussion on the nature of the government in Bangladesh, asking if there is a presidential form of government.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Bangladesh: Strikes, livelihood and politics · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Journal of a disturbed mind comments on the politics of strike (oborodh) in Bangladesh, linking these strikes to political parties and loss of livelihood. “To me, the situation is like bank robbery, where people are taken hostage to meet the demand.”


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Bloggers on the UN resolution condemning the US embargo against Cuba · Global Voices
Carlos Gradaille

On November 8, the United Nations General Assembly voted on a resolution aimed at condemning the US embargo against Cuba. Since then, bloggers have been actively sharing their opinions on the matter.
In 1960 the US government imposed an economic embargo against Cuba, hoping that this would help bring about a transition along with democratic and economic reforms. Every year since 1992, the UN General Assembly has tabled a resolution calling for the end of the embargo, and voting has always been overwhelmingly in favour of the lifting of the embargo. In spite of this, the US continues to maintain its position, arguing that the embargo is a bilateral issue that should not come before the Assembly.
But this year there was a twist. Australia, while still supporting the resolution, presented an amendment requiring the Cuban government to make certain changes in its democratic and economic structures. The blog Cuba Journal republishes a very thorough International Herald Tribune article about this year's voting process which offers some good background on the Australian amendment:
The assembly voted on the resolution soon after adopting a resolution to take “no action” on the Australian amendment, which meant it could not be added to the Cuban draft. The “no action” resolution was adopted by a vote of 126 to 51 with 5 abstentions.
The proposed amendment stated that the U.S. laws and measures “were motivated by valid concerns about the continued lack of democracy and political freedom in Cuba.”
Armando Armengol, a well-known Cuban-American journalist based in Miami, discussed the vote on his blog Cuaderno de Cuba (ES). Though he noted that the number of countries supporting the resolution has increased over the years, Armengol was not very hopeful that this would have any lasting effect:
. . . the measure won't have any more importance than in previous cases. We're talking about a resolution that is approved annually, but lacks the possibility to be anything more than a quote in speeches and documents.
On the other hand, Luis M. García, the Cuba-born, Australia-based author of the blog Growing Up in Castro's Cuba, hails the Australian proposal that “infuriated the Castro representatives in New York,” adding, “it makes me proud to be an Aussie.”
But some other bloggers consider this new adoption of the resolution as an even more emphatic victory for Cuba, precisely because of the increasing volume of votes in favor of the resolution, even in spite of the attempt by Australia to introduce this amendment. The prolific blog Proposiciones (ES), written by Cuban journalist Belkys Pérez Cruz, criticizes the attempt, praising what she calls a record vote favoring Cuba:
The General Assembly registered last year a record of 182 votes in favor, but today it added one more under exceptional circumstances, due to the attempt by the United States, with the assistance of Australia, to amend the resolution against the blockade.
Ever since the General Assembly started considering the subject in 1992 . . .  Washington has been trying to undermine the voting process.
The decision by the US administration to present this amendment using Australia as mediator was made after it became evident to US diplomats that they could not counteract the support being given to the resolution against the blockade.
It is interesting to note how different bloggers refer to the US sanctions against Cuba either as an “embargo” or a “blockade”. People sympathetic to Cuba tend to consider those sanctions a blockade, arguing that the word “embargo” has a softer and more condescending connotation. Also noteworthy is that supporters of Cuba seem to interpret the Australian initiative as an idea of the US government disguised as an Australian decision.
Further perspectives on the subject can be found on several other blogs, particularly at Cuba vs. Bush (ES), a blog highly critical of US policies. There are three posts there, one before the voting, another with a table of all the results of previous resolutions, and a more recent one celebrating what they call a “Stunning victory for Cuba at the UN”.
In the speech delivered prior to the voting, the Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Felipe Pérez Roque, asserted that the economic sanctions imposed by the United States constitute a genocide and have resulted for in damages, for his country, of more than 86 billion dollars.
He added that seven out of ten Cubans have borne and resisted since birth the effects of such a hostile policy which tries to bring us down by means of hunger and disease.

author: Carlos Gradaille


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Cambodia: Minefield Trip · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The filmmakers writing the lianlian blog take an unusual trip in Cambodia.  “But then, Aki Ra invited us to join him on a demining expedition. The offer caught us off-guard. Triggered long, heated discussions and caused a few sleepless nights. How dangerous exactly, was a minefield? Did we really need the footage?”

author: Preetam Rai


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Caribbean, Africa: The concept of fine art? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Afro-Caribbean musician Rasheed Ali ponders the question: what is the concept of fine art in Africa? “For western thinkers and art collectors there may be a sense that these arts pieces are devalued by there sameness. Yet upon further examination we find that the style of many art pieces has been ritiualized over time.”


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Congo, France: Prix Renaudot Awarded to Alain Mabanckou · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Sanaga Peregrinations announces (Fr) that the prestigious literary Renaudot Prize was awarded to Congolese novelist Alain Mabanckou for his novel Memoires de Porc-Epic [Porcupine Memories]. Explains the blog: “Fine storyteller, Mabanckou takes the voice of a porcupine who confides in his friend the baobab and tells him of his life alongside his master Kibandi to whom he plays bad cop, occasionally committing murder.” The novel is written without punctuation.

author: Alice Backer


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Haiti: UNDP Human Development Index · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Tout Haiti Blog points to (Fr) a Haitian news article on UNDP's latest human development country rankings stating: “The group of countries with weak human development only contains two non-African countries: Yemen and Haiti.”


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Holding the line for Internet freedoms in Brazilian Cyberspace · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

The Brazilian cyberspace was shaken this week by the announcement of a ‘Digital Crimes Bill’ under consideration at the Senate's Constitution and Justice Commission. Disclosing  just one item in the bill was enough to ignite the fire.  It stated that every user must fully identify herself before using the Net, or face a criminal process that could result in 4 years in jail. The author of this late amendment to the ‘Digital Crimes Bill’ was Senator Eduardo Azeredo from PSDB, who was responsible for the report that modified the original text that had been developed in the Brazilian Congress across the last 7 years. The Senator thus managed to obtain what seemed to be impossible in the extremely diverse national blogosphere — a unanimous position — rejection.
O Senador Eduardo Azeredo, não contente em entrar para a história como a origem do mensalão, decidiu achar um caminho mais rápido para a imortalidade. O destino reservava-lhe papel mais grandioso, o de ser o senador que tentou aprovar um projeto que exige a identificação dos usuários antes de iniciarem qualquer operação que envolva interatividade, como envio de e-mails, conversas em salas de bate-papo, criação de blogs, captura de dados (como baixar músicas, filmes, imagens), entre outros. O projeto já foi saudado como demente, absurdo, inconstitucional, orwelliano, ditatorial, e produto de uma massa encéfalica que não tem a menor idéia de como funciona a internet.
A Internet do Sr. Eduardo Azeredo – O Biscoito Fino e a Massa
Trocando em miúdos para quem não é técnico da área: Se você é usuário, seu provedor de acesso terá de guardar dados como seu nome completo, CPF, telefone, etc, e os de qualquer brasileiro que interaja com o seu (dele) servidor, para eventual uso judicial. Todo e qualquer acesso de usuário (você) a qualquer serviço brasileiro na Internet deverá ser registrado dessa maneira. Se voce é dono de um blog, terá de fazer o mesmo com os comentaristas e colaboradores do seu blog, caso contrário você estará infringindo a nova lei.
O Brasil realmente não entendeu a Internet – SINE NAVTA NAVIS
O projeto do senador Eduardo Azeredo, do PSDB-MG, que prevê o cadastramento obrigatório para se acessar a internet, de modo a inibir os cibercrimes, está sendo bombardeado por tudo quanto é lado, não só pelos pelos internautas e especialistas em comunicação, mas também por políticos de vários partidos e de setores do governo.
Quase todos contra a internet burocratizada – Paulopes
Se o relator mantivesse o texto original, focando apenas na criação dos novos tipos penais como inserção de vírus, acesso não autorizado a sistemas e outros além da obrigatoriedade de armazenamento pelos provedores de registros eletrônicos que auxiliam no processo investigatório, por determinado período, certamente teríamos um desfecho mais célere para que a lei entrasse em vigor.
Controle da internet não coibirá crime, mas privacidade – O Direito e as Novas Tecnologias
The Senator's attempt to mess with anonymity in the cyberspace was received as an insult by the blogosphere. Although anonymity is formally forbidden by the Brazilian Constitution — in the same paragraph where free expression of thought is assured — it has shown itself to be powerful tool enhancing public exchange and display in the digital environment, and Brazilians seem pretty resolute in maintaining it as a web default. This idea of jail penalties for unregistered users was received as a creepy lunacy from deranged legislators.
OK, vamos por partes. Anonimato é proibido pela Constituição. Certo. Está lá. Só que querer acabar com o anonimato em um meio onde ele é pervasivo como a Internet, demonstra total desconhecimento do funcionamento da Rede. Muitos internautas estão indignados e assustados. Eu também estou, mas não pela Lei em si, mas pela demonstração de como nossos políticos e seus conselheiros técnicos entendem tão pouco de como a Internet e o mundo digital funcionam.
Usar Internet sem se identificar vai dar CADEIA – Meio Bit
Diz o senador Eduardo Azeredo (PSDB-MG), relator do projeto: “Hoje, qualquer pessoa pode enviar uma mensagem, por exemplo, com uso de identidade falsa. Isso não interessa a nenhuma pessoa de bem.” O tipo de mentalidade que pensa assim é o que acha que anonimato é sempre ruim, que só quer ser anônimo quem tem algo a esconder; é o mesmo tipo de pessoa que colocou aquele adendo na Constituição, no item sobre liberdade de expressão, vetando anonimato. E está redondamente errado: existem muitas situações em que “pessoas de bem” têm todo o interesse em se manterem anônimas. Só para dar um exemplo, existe um motivo pelo qual os Alcoólicos Anônimos não têm cadastro de participantes. E grupos de apoio de todos os tipos, muitos dos quais se beneficiam enormemente da anonimidade dos participantes, existem em grande número na rede. Sem falar na questão de opiniões políticas anônimas; em países repressores, é freqüentemente muito importante que pessoas divulgando informações desagradáveis ao governo se mantenham anônimas (para se manterem vivas); ainda não é esse o caso no Brasil, mas são projetos assim que levam a coisa nessa direção.
O Senador e a Internet – Palavras ao Vento
Outro ponto polêmico apontado por críticos ao projeto é o chamado “acesso indevido”, que prevê punição de dois a quatro anos de prisão tanto para quem praticar tal crime quanto para quem fornecer os meios para que ele seja praticado – ou seja, o provedor de acesso.
Entenda a polêmica lei de crimes digitais que será votada pelo Senado – Estudando o Direito
Azeredo gained unanimous rejection, but the original text of the law seems to have its defenders. Specialists claim there are some transgressions in the digital world that should have specific legal description in order to facilitate law enforcement over cyber-crime. The decision to postpone the consideration of the bill by the Senate's Constitution and Justice Commission this Wednesday [November 8th] was made by its President, Sen. Antonio Carlos Magalhães, who appears to be sensitive to the clamor the debate is causing in the media and in the blogosphere.
Há cerca de sete anos, estamos aguardando a tramitação do Projeto de Lei que cria novos tipos penais para regulamentar os crimes que surgiram a partir da adoção dos sistemas informatizados… O texto como está, prevendo a regulamentação do acesso a internet, é cartorial e sufoca a privacidade e o direito do cidadão à informação. Fica claro que há um interesse de criar um grande cartório para identificar o cidadão brasileiro para acessar a internet, com o uso da certificação digital, quem sabe, uma espécie de Internetbras, o que é péssimo para o cidadão.
Trocas da lei, by Alexandre Atheniense – Release Jurídico
A maioria dos advogados e consultores jurídicos considera que de 90% a 95% dos delitos cometidos eletronicamente conhecidos já estão tipificados no Código Penal brasileiro. “Isso porque são crimes comuns praticados por meio da internet”, explica Tavares. Estudos indicam que o país contabiliza 5 mil decisões judiciais envolvendo a internet. Os outros 5% para os quais faltaria enquadramento jurídico abrangem transgressões que só existem no mundo virtual, como a distribuição de vírus eletrônico, cavalos-de-tróia, worms e afins. As interpretações para resolver essa lacuna variam bastante. Alguns consideram que o substitutivo aplica a lei penal para condutas que deveriam ser tratadas no âmbito do Direito Civil. “Nem todas as ações indevidas podem ser elegidas a crime”, argumenta Luiz Guilherme Moreira Porto, sócio do escritório Reale Advogados Associados, citando como exemplo o artigo da lei de Azeredo que pune com um a dois anos de prisão o provedor que permitir o acesso à rede a usuário que não esteja devidamente identificado e autenticado. “Não discuto a importância do procedimento, discordo da decisão de transformar isso em crime.”
Especial: Crimes Digitais – SaferNet
The debate has called forth the needed attention from cyberspace to leverage the active participation of the connected civil society in the legislative decision-making process. Bloggers seem deeply aware of the interests at stake, and their reportage and commentary go much deeper than the ones performed by traditional media.
Segundo o que tenho lido por aí dizem que há interesse na aprovação da lei por parte dos bancos, que hoje arcam com os custos das fraudes pela internet e passariam essa responsabilidade para os provedores. Do outro lado os usuários são contrários porque isso fere a sua privacidade e o seu direito de não serem considerados criminosos em potencial, porém há um dado obscuro que não vem à tona, que é justamente o fato de que o provável mentor do projeto é José Henrique Portugal, ex dirigente da Serpro, que está envolvido com empresas de certificação digital que fazem um forte lobby pela aprovação do projeto, uma vez que são as que mais ganhariam com tudo isso. Fiquemos de olho…
Notícia: Internet Vigiada – É Massa!
Quem é o Senador Eduardo Azeredo? … Em sua página oficial você saberá que ele trabalhou 11 anos na multinacional IBM, dirigiu a PRODEMGE(Empresa de Processamento de Dados de Minas Gerais). Foi superintendente da DATAMEC, diretor da PRODABEL, diretor e presidente do SERPRO(empresa de processamento de dados do governo federal) além de trabalhar ‘em várias empresas do ramo da informática’… Percebeu ou não?
Olha o Perigo! – O mundo no ar
Quando a Receita Federal decidiu ampliar seus serviços na internet, adivinhe qual empresa chamou garantir os certificados digitais. Isso mesmo: o Serpro de Eduardo Azeredo (PSDB/ MG). Desde 2001, com a criação da Infra-estrutura de Chaves Públicas (ICP-Brasil), a empresa passou a emitir certificados para órgãos da Administração Pública Federal. O negócio foi tão lucrativo que a empresa apostou no novo negócio e começou a oferecer a certificação como um produto para seus clientes. Uma das dificuldades enfrentadas é que ainda não existiam muitas aplicações que utilizassem a certificação. “A certificação digital não cresce sozinha, ela precisa das aplicações para se desenvolver e atender a demanda de seus clientes”, explicou Wagner Araújo – do Serpro. “A compra de certificados digitais não estaria limitada aos governos e grandes empresas”, explanou. “Os certificados e-CPF, e-CNPJ e o e-servidor estão à disposição de todos os cidadãos. Com essa identificação e assinatura digital, o usuário terá segurança no envio de documentos e mensagens eletrônicas”, prossegue o texto.
Eduardo Azeredo se complica ainda mais – a nova corja
As the debate gets more specific, regular users find that there are many important Internet issues to care about. In fact, anyone who has been able to have a taste of the possibilities offered by the connected environment, can't feel comfortable when confronted with the thought of less freedom, or more constrained access. But there are some who somehow feel they are losing something when they see so much freedom spreading  through the online world, and also some who think that they are not profiting as much as they think they could, or have ‘the right’ to.
Acho engraçado como esse povo acha tempo pra isso mas não acha pra tempo pra falar da tal Assinatura Mensal de R$ 40,00 da Telefonica ou da necessidade (ou não) de um provedor de acesso… Além disso, o que vai ser dos blogs? Vergonhoso. Tanta coisa precisando ser feita e esses caras inventam projetos de Lei cheios de falhas e que só prejudicará o usuário diário. Os tais “cibercriminosos” têm ferramentas a granel pra passar por cima disso.
Projeto de Controle da Internet – All Star Velho
Para se ter uma idéia do absurdo da proposta apresentada por Eduardo Azeredo basta imaginar que se o mesmo princípio fosse aplicado ao telefone, todos os brasileiros teriam que apresentar CGC ou CPF antes de fazer uma ligação. Se por um lado é assustador constatar que políticos tratam a Internet como se fosse um objeto descartável ou um brinquedo perigoso, por outro, o episódio pode levar muita gente a constatar até que ponto conquistas como a Web assustam, e muito, os que preferem um retorno ao passado.
Projeto de controle do acesso à Internet é uma coleção de absurdos – Código Aberto – Observatório da Imprensa

author: Jose Murilo


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Indonesia: Bombing in Jakarta · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Indinesia Matters reports that a bomb exploded in a fast food restaurant in Jakarta this morning. “The low-explosive bomb went off at the Kramat Jati Indah plaza branch of the American fast food chain in east Jakarta at about 13.00 today. One person, with the intitials MN, was hurt, he being the person who carried the bomb into the restaurant.”


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Indonesia: Running Out of Topics to Talk with Mr. Bush · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The bloggers at Indonesia Anonymus are contemplating the topics the Indonesians want to discuss with American President George Bush and they seem to be running short of ideas.


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Malaysia: Remembering Japanese Occupation · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Ooi Boon-Leong writes another episode of his blog-memoir of Japanese occupation of Malaya during the World War 2. “It was a Japanese school in that it taught us the Japanese language, arithmetic and drawing. There were about 40 Chinese boys in a class and the form master was also a Chinese. There were other teachers who were Indians, a Sikh (the locals) and a Japanese woman. I later found out that the locals had been teachers in English schools before the coming of the Japanese. They must have taken a crash course in Japanese to teach Japanese. Later on after the Occupation they went back to teach in English schools.”


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Nepal: Photographs from rallies · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

A celebratory tone to events in Nepal, in the aftermath of the agreement being signed between the Ruling Alliance and the Maoists. Photographs at United We Blog! “Today’s rallies in Kathmandu were part of nationwide celebrations lauding the historic pact between the ruling Seven Party Alliance and the CPN Maoist. The mass meeting was medium sized and many school students were used in the rallies.”


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Niger, France: Debt Relief Activist Arrested and Released · Global Voices
Alice Backer

On Thursday, Le Pangolin posted that (Fr) Claude Quemar, Secretary of CADTM France [Committee for the Cancellation of Third World Debt] was arrested in Niger presumably for participating in the Niger Social Forum. Today the blog announces that the activist was released last night but with “obligation to leave Niger … CADTM categorically opposes the expulsion and will continue … its fight to elaborate alternatives to the dominant economic model served by the authorities of Niger.”


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Sri Lanka: The Army and the massacre · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Transcurrents.com on the escalating conflict in Sri Lanka. “The coastal village of Kathiraweli in the Eastern district of Batticaloa was the scene of Sri Lanka’s latest massacre of innocents in its on going ethnic conflict.”


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The Week That Was in Bahrain  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

With the Godfather of Bahraini bloggers Mahmood Al Yousif out of the way and sick in hospital – possibly recuperating from his head-on collision with authorities over the blocking of his blog – his prodigies were out to play this week!
First and foremost I would like to extend a warm welcome to sarcastic blogger Bahrania, who has been missing in action lately.
The angry blogger is out to wreak havoc again in the Bahraini blogosphere, with much missed posts, which some of us may or may not agree upon. But debate is healthy and Bahrania continues to push the boundaries of free speech with often insightful and witty commentary on issues many of us would rather sweep under the carpet.
She announces her comeback by admitting how difficult it is to shut up:
“..its getting more and more difficult keeping my mouth shut… does anyone still visit this site??” she wrote.
Her prayer was immediately answered with a few comments from fellow bloggers, who were anxious for her return.
Babbling Bahrania breaks her silence with a hilarious account of a (mock) military exercise conducted in her homeland.
Silly Bahraini Girl was quick to welcome the lost blogger back into the fold, with some advice on how to go about blogging in a country she fondly calls Wonderland.
“Be careful of what you write. Watch your back. Don't think for a minute you are free. Please exercise self-censorship. If that is not enough, please send a copy of anything you intend to post on your blog to the Bahraini Ministry of Information to stamp it for approval before getting youself into trouble. Imagine banners saying Free Bahrania all over cyberspace? Or posters with Unblock Bahrania popping up on your screen everytime you log on the www??
As long as you keep away from politics, or religion, or better still – both, I think you will be safe. Remember not to write anything meaningful, not to pose questions and not to call a spade a spade, because spades dig deep and get all the buried dirt out,” she said.
But not all bloggers take heed of such silly advice. Blogger H talks about preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections, planned in Bahrain for November 25.
“..it must be emphasized that this little island is greatly impoverished when it comes to political manpower. It is quite a laugh that a country is heading through parliamentary elections while there isn't any (to my knowledge) one local university offering degrees in political sciences. No wonder, one might think, it would take over a century to establish a sense of political presence,”   he wrote.
H also asks tough questions regarding the credibility and credentials of candidates.
“Most of those who are running for parliament are politically-illiterate (you know them, I need not mention). This got me thinking: what makes a credible politician in the abscence of qualifications and past experiences? what would be a “content list” of a textbook titled “How to become a Bahraini politician?” what does it take to be one?” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Ali Al Saeed is busy being his own boss and secretary in one go.
“It seems I've become more of a secretary than a writer lately. I'm my own personal assistant! Phone calls to make, planning to do, scheduling to arrange, meetings to set, dates to pur right, deadlines to be reminded of… Ok, maybe I should stop whining about it. I mean, seriously, it's not like I'm running for office is it? No, now that would be hard work. Yeah. Right,” wrote our very own first Bahraini English-language novelist.
Blayde too isn't happy being a student with what he describes as an incompetent teacher, which his class stages a mutiny against.
“You won't believe this, but we actually got the guy who was teaching us english, kicked out!
We we’re all annoyed with his useless way of teaching and the way he conducted the exam( i got 83 and a half, i should get 96) so we all signed a petition, all 19 of us(i think) and gave it to the Director. He’s gone by next week, yay!
It wasn’t that he was a bad teacher, but he wasn’t able to teach even the simplest math problems that came out, and even my mother could control a class full of Bahrainis, he couldn’t,” wrote a victorious Blayde.
Away from Bahrain and its woes, Bahrain-based Palestinian Jordanian blogger Haitham Sabbah posts a horrific videoblog of what mainstream Western media doesn't want you to see.
The videoblog, which was made by his wife, has made her shun the news.
“My wife recorded this for my blog a couple of days ago. Since then, she won't even look at the news. Guess why?” he wrote.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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China: Where democracy lies · Global Voices
John Kennedy

With the election of Beijing Communists to the Party‘s National People's Congress (NPC) having taken place this past Wednesday, here's but a handful of the thousands of follow-up blog posts containing words such as democracy, election, revolution and more:
“If I had the right to elect the deputies to the National People's Congress,” says Bokee blogger Ren Binju fresh back from the polls, I sure wouldn't have chosen any of them:
假如我有选举全国人大代表的权利，我一定多选几位像梁漱溟这样的人，即使毛主席对他”多关心关心农民”的提案大发雷霆，说他不懂”大仁政和小仁政之关系”的时候，他毅然决定找毛主席”当面争辩”，大有”据理力争，死而无憾”的英雄气概，他是”否定文革第一人”，中国缺少的就是这样的人大代表。
假如我有选举全国人大代表的权利，我一定会选”台湾的李敖”式的人，他敢质问台湾的”国防部长”李杰：”你像美国人的孙子，花钱买人家的破武器，你要不要脸？”他敢带催泪弹到议会，性急之时对政客大吵大闹，中国缺少的就是这样敢说真话、直话的全国人大代表。
假如我有选举全国人大代表的权利，我一定不会选行政长官做全国人大代表。全国人大就是监督行政当局的，而十届全国人大中，政府官员就占了 70%以上（这还不含国有企业和带政府背景的社会团体人员），怎么起监督政府的作用？全国人大代表缺少的就是真正来自社会低层、代表社会低层利益的人。
假如我有选举全国人大代表的权利，我一定不会选”惟命是从”式、只知道”鼓掌通过”的人担任人大代表，他必须要有胆识，对任何政府官员都敢说：”这件事，你必须要在周一前向我们解释一下”。全国人大代表中围着政府忙碌的人太多，过惯”上层人”生活的”阳春白雪”太多，少有耿直敢言的人。
假如我有选举全国人大代表的权利，我选的代表一定要一年来我和我周边的人身边一次，我们在社区、学校、机关、企事业单位、工厂、农田、医院、食堂、娱乐场所里，我们能很方便地把声音传递给他们，他们再帮我们到政府去呐喊；他们还要经常表达自己不同的政见，同时要向我们这些”贱民”汇报各阶段他们都为我们做了什么事，否则他就再也不会理所当然地成为人大代表。
假如我有选举全国人大代表的权利，我选的代表一定要行使一次否决权；一定要加强对政府预算的监督；一定要对中国的教育问题、房地产开发问题、医疗改革问题等等，提交一份广泛认可、切实可行的方案；一定要呼吁让政府提高对纳税人的尊重；一定要呼吁尽可能地减少民生的生活压力；一定要呼吁政府公开一切可以公开的行政事务；一定要让形成独立司法机制，首先要让法官先”清白”起来；一定要尽快修改本身”腐化无力”的反腐法律，彻底斩掉腐败分之手和贪婪欲望；一定要加强对每一部分法律的执行情况监督，不断修改，不断对《行政许可法》的实际效能、《行政诉讼法》”政府不能当被告的条例”作出评估和修改；一定要让政府在 “教育投入比例”和”新闻透明度”等世界排名上超过非洲国家。否则，他就再也不会理所当然地成为人大代表。
Out with the old and in with the new is what Sina blogger and polling station volunteer Da Lihui would like to see, but didn't:
8号，我也挂了个”换届选举工作人员”的牌牌，在村里”忙活”着，任务就是在选完的选民证上盖个”已选”的章，然后让他们去会计处领十块”选举钱”（村里为鼓励村民选举出的措施），估计有80％的人是冲着这个来的，所以大家都很羡慕我的工作，因为我干得活是最受农民欢迎的，我不停的说着：”拿着选民证去门口领钱吧！”
Cash money wasn't what brought KDNet Forum poster nkzxyzj out to vote, but it might have to be next time, given what she saw as a pointless vote in what Beijing authorities are passing off as elections these days:
地方人大选举何时不再走过场
11 月8日，是北京市进行地方人大换届选举的日子。上午10时，本博和众多同事拿着早先下发的《选民证》，来到社区设在本单位的投票点，参加北京市地方人大换届选举。经过选民登记后，每人领到一张选票，上面有两个候选人，二选一，在同意的候选人姓名上方对应的栏里画圈，否则画叉。不出3分钟，本博履行完所有规定的投票程序，而被本博画圈的候选人是先前被告知的拟定人选。其实，选谁不选谁，真的让人感到很无所谓，因为候选人对选民而言是抽象得不能再抽象的概念，选民此前对候选人的有关情况，除了其姓名、职业外，概无所知。全然没有非常重要的候选人与选民之间交流的环节。在全市800万选民中，能有幸见到候选人者不知有几人。恐怕绝大多数选民与本博一样，到时来到投票站，名曰行使自己的选举权，在不知候选人是否能真正代表民意的情况下茫然地投票，实则走走过场而已。本博认为，这不但是对候选人和选民的不尊重，而且是对《选举法》的不尊重。人民代表选举本是一件非常严肃、庄严的事情，但因选举前期的铺垫工作出现偷空减料，难免使人产生走过场的感觉，而且这样的过场走了一年又一年，从20世纪走到了21世纪，几乎没有见到任何改进。
2004年10月 27日公布的修改后的《中华人民共和国全国人民代表大会和地方各级人民代表大会选举法》第三十三条规定：”选举委员会或者人民代表大会主席团应当向选民或者代表介绍代表候选人的情况。推荐代表候选人的政党、人民团体和选民、代表可以在选民小组或者代表小组会议上介绍所推荐的代表候选人的情况。选举委员会可以组织代表候选人与选民见面，回答选民的问题。但是，在选举日必须停止对代表候选人的介绍。”向选民介绍候选人的情况、组织代表候选人与选民见面是《选举法》规定的重要程序，也是候选人和选民的基本权利。可是，现在在操作过程中，这道重要的程序不是被轻描淡写，就是被人为地绕过去了，使法律赋予的候选人和选民的基本权利未得到应有的尊重。一个社区如此，可以想象，全市其他社区、单位也概莫如此。因为从市里到区里，从区里到街道，从街道到社区，都是一级管一级，底下想独出心裁也不敢。管中窥豹，北京市基层民主选举可见一斑。
Is this a waste of my time? asks PhD student and Sina blogger Ignorant Youth:
11月8日，人民代表基层选举。很让我思考了一番，很巧的是，7日开始美国的中期选举也开始了。中国和美国在几乎同一个时间都在选举，虽然选举的名头不一样，但很让人思考。8日早上，我们研究生的班长在课间通知，下午到XX地点投票，每个同学都要去。当时很奇怪，因为这个候选人的展板是在外面挂了很长时间，宣传也很久了，但怎么是每个同学都去呢？至少我没有做选民登记呀，我不应该去呀，而且也没有消息说之前有过选民登记的，看美国的选举，先是提前做选民登记的，中国没有吗？
选民登记：其实中国也有选民登记，但在基层的实施过程中就变味了，那个登记可以由基层中的上层老师、领导给你登记，在没有经过你同意的情况下。这就是中国民主选举的选民登记过程。
选举：班长要求都要去，可能研究生要求轻一些。而本科生的要求是必须去，你不去，老师打电话，直到你来为止。开始我是不打算去的，因为自己去这个选举不感兴趣，而且对候选人很不了解，他们也没有出来公开做什么选举成功后的工作计划的演说，我没有理由去选他们。可是后来出于想支持班长工作，才去投票。我一直在想，选举应该是每个公民的权力，这个权力我可以放弃，也可以行使，可是为什么现在变成了义务了？这种义务尤其在本科学生那里很突出。记得我第一次行使这个权力的时候，我很高兴，因为我有了选举权了，但现在我没有这个兴致了，因为这个选举太形势化了，我去选举的直接授利人是负责选举的组织者们，他们可以向上汇报他们的选举率是多少多少，而不是我个人，更不是广大的老百姓们。所以我认为在没有准备好真正的选举的时候，请不要自欺欺人的做这种形势化的事情，劳民伤财。
代表产生后：当这个代表产生后，大家选举的是一个真正能代表这个区域多数公民的利益的人，而不是去开大会举手的人，会举手的人太多了。而我们的代表产生后，至少我们没有看到代表定期向自己的选民们汇报他的工作情况，他有没有向自己所在的代表委员会提出有关于区域多数公民的问题，有没有提案，他能不能向委员会反映公民的问题等等。至少要让这个区域的公民们看到自己选的代表是可以代表自己的。这一点我到现在没有看到。代表好像是应该向选民负责的，他成为代表后，他是要服务于公民的，这一点我也没有看到。
可能我的知识太少，可能我的调查不足，只从我身边出发，现在的民主状态我很不满足。希望以后能够改善。
And eeny, meeny, mynee, moe, says Sina blogger Crystal Garden, more concerned about why she was given a voting licence a year before the law says she should:
11月8日，全民选举日，我觉得也是一个相当范围的”造假日”，没有任何意义！！！我在学校参加了人大代表选举，候选人有三个，两个都不认识，另一个我认识他，可他不认识我！瞎猫碰死耗子，我就是选了我不认识的那两个！苍天祝他们好运吧！！！
选举证，到目前为止我活了21个年头了，就在这个 21的个位要变成2的时候，我才拿到人生中第一个选举证，由此也可见，中国这片国土对待这样一个本应拥有重大政治意义的活动是多么的不正规！什么公平？什么民主？什么行使自己的权利？统统虚假！！！
Ten reasons to reject democracy altogther from Bokee blogger Guo Youlong, who could just as likely be trying to find a way out of having to go through another one of these Chinese-style elections:
从孙中山、五四运动、共产党革命，人民为民主进行了百年的奋斗，无数革命先烈抛头颅洒热血为人民争取民主自由。革命胜利了，一些政治家说中国人的素质不高，不适合民主。民主是西方资本主义的东西，不适合中国的国情。实行民主就是反对党的领导，就会天下大乱。编制出种种反对民主的理由：
1、稳定论。稳定压倒一切，实行民主会造成天下大乱，国家分裂，比如苏联。
2、发展论。发展为第一要务，实行民主会影响经济发展。
3、政治论。坚持党的领导，实行民主就是反对党的领导。
4、素质论。中国人的素质低，实行民主会很糟。开明专制的政治家和官员，比民主人士更合适治理国家和人民。
5、改革论。中国改革了，人民生活提高了，民主不能当饭吃。
6、水土论。民主是西方资本主义国家的东西，不适合中国的国情。美国和西方是资本主义民主国家，中国是社会主义国家，中国不能实行西方资本主义民主。
7、卖国论。民主会使中国受到美国和西方的控制，实行民主等于卖国。
8、金钱论。民主就是金钱政治、贿赂选举。民主选举花钱多，民主的成本高。
9、无用论。集权专制有利于经济发展，比如新加波。民主国家还不如中国，比如印度。
10、代表论。人民代表大会和人大代表代表了人民民主，还有”三个代表”重要思想,不需要什么民主。

author: John Kennedy


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