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Japan: The Illegal Download Explained, on 2-Channel · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Over the last years, the sometimes raucous nature of the Japanese Internet has repeatedly come under fire over concerns about issues such as harmful content and copyright infringement. Now the spotlight is back again, with news that legislation to ban downloads of copyrighted content is moving ahead as planned [ja], despite earlier delays. While Japan's Copyright Law currently makes an exception in the case of downloads for personal use, the proposed legislation would modify Article 30 to remove this limitation.
The decision to outlaw downloads
A post at the Japanese-language Slashdot described what was decided at a meeting held on Oct. 20th by the Private Music and Video Recording Subcommittee [私的録音録画小委員会], a group set up to discuss levy payments for private use of audio and video recordings:
今回の私的録音録画小委員会では、iPodやHDDレコーダーに代表される「HDDやフラッシュメモリなどのストレージを内蔵した録画・録音機器」への補償金課金（いわゆるiPod課金）と、違法に複製されたコンテンツのダウンロードを違法化するという2点について議論が行われた。 iPod課金については、メーカー側の委員が強く反対したため、結論が先送りになったが、ダウンロード違法化については権利者側の委員が支持を表明、ほかの委員も消極的ながら支持したため、法改正を求める方針が固まった。
IT journalist Daisuke Tsuda, a member of the subcommittee himself, was reportedly the only one to voice opposition at the meeting [ja]. After the meeting ended, Tsuda reported on his Twitter feed what had happened:
今回はあくまでダウンロードが対象。ストリーミングは対象外。なのでYouTubeやニコニコに上がった違法動画も見るだけなら大丈夫。今後はストリーミングであれやこれやできるサービスが日本で盛り上がってくるかもね。ちなみにドワンゴは昨年のパブコメでダウンロード違法化に賛成している。
In a later interview [ja], Tsuda explained that the delay in moving ahead with the ban on downloads had been triggered by a conflict among members of the subcommittee, with copyright holders and the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association [JEITA] having reportedly hit a stalemate over the charging of a copyright levy for devices such as the iPod. This left the committee deadlocked [ja] as of last Spring, until finally they decided to move ahead with the downloads legislation (which they could agree on) and put aside the iPod levy for the time being.
Tsuda answers questions on 2-Channel's VIP Board
When news of the plans for download legislation came out on Tsuda's Twitter feed, many readers wanted to know more, so Tsuda decided on Oct. 20th to start a thread at the VIP Board on 2-channel [ja], Japan's largest bulletin board. He titled the thread with a question: “The legislation outlawing downloads [of copyrighted material] is nearly finalized, do you have any questions?” [ja]. Readers began posting questions, which Tsuda answered.
Responding to one commenter, Tsuda explained who it was that was pushing for the legislation, and why:
DL違法化を強く要望してるのはレコード会社と映画会社、ゲーム業界。
特にレコード会社はCD売れない中伸びている着うたビジネスを守る必要があるので
ネットの違法着うたとか、中高生がSDカードとかで音楽をコピーしまくってる現状を
何とかしたがってる。中高生の割れ自慢が横行してるのも多少は影響あるだろうね。
Later in the VIP thread, another commenter asked whether there was any chance people could get arrested by the police for an illegal download. Given the fact that 3 people were arrested just the next day [ja] allegedly for running illegal chaku-uta sites [ja], it is not hard to imagine that actually happening. However, Tsuda explained that the current legislation would not go that far (for downloads):
>>36
DLの場合、そもそも警察にばれるということが考えにくい。刑事罰はないので現状は
DLだけなら逮捕はされない。ただし、民事の損害賠償の対象にはなるので、逮捕は
されないけどブログとかで「違法着うたダウンロードしまくりｗｗｗ」とか書いてて、
かつそれが証明されたら、民事訴訟される可能性はゼロじゃないけど、日本の司法
制度とか権利者が米国ほど強硬手段には出ないということを考えると、限りなく
リスクは低いだろうとは思う。
Another commenter asked about BitTorrent [ja], to which Tsuda responded:
法律が変わったら、BitTorrentで違法なファイルをダウンロードをするのは違法になる。
本来、今回の改正は刑事罰はついてないので落としただけだと「逮捕」されることは
ないんだけど（未成年の飲酒と同じ）、BTの場合Winnyみたいにファイル転送の
中継（アップロード）も行われる構造になってるので、違法なファイルを中継してたら
「違法なファイルアップロードしたね」という感じで捕まる可能性はある。
（限りなく低いとは思うけど
Another commenter asks what happens if someone moves the contents of the cache folder where a YouTube video is stored. Tsuda explained:
それ微妙だよね。一応そのへんも審議会で聞いたんだけど、YouTube見るのはセーフで
ブラウザのキャッシュフォルダにデータが入るのはOKってことだったんだよね。
キャッシュファイルを移動してリネームしたら普通に再生できるわけだけど、それは
「ダウンロード」行為じゃないし。まあそれぐらいあいまいな部分を含む改正ってことですね。
Another commenter, finally, expresses frustration:
50 名前：以下、名無しにかわりましてVIPがお送りします：2008/10/20(月) 22:32:03.44 ID:njpRF4dt0
罰則が決まって違法ダウンロードが減ったとしても
CDを買うかと言われたらNOだと思うんだよね
だから落ちた売り上げとかは変わらないと思うの
その場合の権利者側の言い訳はどうなるとおもう？
To which Tsuda replied:
>>50
ずっとインターネットのせいにし続けるような気がするなー。
Reactions from bloggers
Blogger id:Aoba was puzzled by the legislation:
ダウンロード違法化ってツッコミ所満載だよな。ちょっと挙げると、
という具合なので、一体何を考えてるんだか非常に興味深い。
That's the situation, so it's fascinating to wonder what on earth they are thinking.
Nobuyoshi Kodera [小寺信良], a co-member with Tsuda of Movements for Internet Active Users (MIAU), considers what will happen in the future in a blog post at Ascii.jp:
その先には何があるか。権利者が狙うように、またみんなが一生懸命DVDやCDを買うようになるなどというのは、幻想だ。コンテンツは単純にメディア露出が減ることで、いいコンテンツと出会う機会損失が大きくなる。どんなにいい作品が市場に出ようとも、中身を知る機会がなければ買わない。中身を知らずに前評判だけで3000円4000円出すほど、今のネット慣れした若者はそれに価値を見出さないだろう。
What's next
In an interview following the VIP thread [ja], Tsuda explained that if things stabilize, legislation will be brought before the National Diet in May or June of next year, which would mean the law would actually be put into effect as of January, 2010. He also mentioned that there has been a suggestion that at future subcommittee meetings doors be closed to the public, the major question being whether consumers will be called on to attend or not. It is the consumers, Tsuda says, who are most directly affected, since they are the ones paying the copyright fees, so they must be involved. “If not,” he says, “everything will change without them even knowing about it.”

author: Chris Salzberg


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Kelele ’09: African Bloggers’ Conference · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kelele is an annual African bloggers’ conference which will be held for the first time in August 13th – 16th 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya. According to event organisers, Kelele is a gathering of African bloggers in the tradition of historical African societies where everyone has a voice.
Kelele is a Swahili word for noise. So, African bloggers make some noise!
The theme for Kelele '09 is “Nairobi Beat Your Drum.”  Erik, one of the main organisers, explains the idea behind Kelele '09 theme:
The specific theme of Kelele ‘09 Nairobi is “Beat Your Drum” – which connects the traditional African method of getting your message across vast distances – the talking drums – to the 21st century and the tools we use today, blogs and the Internet.
Kelele website provides details of the event:
What is Kelele?
Kelele is an annual African bloggers’ conference held in a different African city each year and run by an organising committee in that city. Kelele will be held for the first time in August 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Why Kelele?
Kelele is the Kiswahili word for noise. We are organising a gathering of African bloggers in the tradition of historical African societies where everyone has a voice. Where society has room for debate and discussion. With too many voices marginalised or simply ignored in Africa society today for a variety of reasons we believe that technology in general and grassroots media tools such as blogs in particular represent the most powerful way in which to give Africans back their voice. We are gathering in Nairobi in August 2009 to make a powerful, positive, inspirational noise that will be heard across the continent and beyond. KELELE!
When will Kelele ’09 take place?:
We have tentatively booked the 13th – 16th August 2009.
Here is a summary of the proposed programme:
Day 1 August 13: Arrival in Nairobi and official opening
Day 2 August 14: Conference Day
Day 3 August 15: Skills/Training Day and Outreach Day. Official closing
Day 4 August 16: Sight seeing / departure
Sister events
The African Bloggers Awards, which aims to recognise the top blogger from each African country. The winner from each country will be invited and sponsored to attend Kelele ’09 Nairobi.
The organisers are inviting sponsors to cover the cost of the conference:
Sponsor Kelele!
Every successful event needs the backing of some great sponsors! We’d like to invite all organizations with an interest in blogging, Africa and citizen media to become a sponsor of the inaugural African Bloggers Conference: Kelele!
There are a variety of ways that you can become involved as a sponsor for Kelele – your contribution doesn’t only need to be financial in nature. If you’d like to find out more about the sponsorship opportunities, please email daudi.were AT gmail.com
Sponsors – We have only begun canvassing for sponsors for Kelele this week. Already, the Berkman Institute at Harvard is on board. If you’d like to join us and be a part of making some real noise in Africa, please get in touch with Daudi, or at main@kelele.org.
A very special thanks goes out to Foxinni and David Kobia for the logo and WordPress design work.
Luckily, Kelele sponsors are starting to come on board:
It has been one week since Kelele was announced, and we’re incredibly surprised and happy with the uptake within the African blogosphere around it. This is true also amongst sponsors as well.
Harvard’s Berkman Institute for Internet and Society
A long-time supporter of blogging in Africa, the Berkman Institute at Harvard was the first one that came on board. In fact, they have been waiting for this type of event to happen in Africa, and their long-time relationship with Daudi makes it a perfect fit. Ethan Zuckerman, one of the Berkman Fellows, is also an established presence in the African blog-space as well.
Afrigator – Africa’s social media aggregator
Luckily for me, I was in Johannesburg when Kelele was announced and had a chance to speak to Mike Stopforth, one of the co-founders of Afrigator. Since Afrigator is the one place that aggregates blogs from all over Africa, this relationship only makes sense. I didn’t have a chance to talk to Justin Hartman, but look for some big announcements from them and us in the future too that will directly play into Kelele.
Zoopy – South Africa’s video hosting site
One of South Africa’s more successful web 2.0 type sites, Zoopy was VERY excited to hear about Kelele and wanted to be one of the main media sponsors. As Daudi, myself and Ndesanjo had been speaking about them well in advance of announcing Kelele, we were thrilled to hear that they wanted to come on board as a sponsor. CAtching up with Nic Haralambous in Jo’burg meant that we got to talk some details and needless to say, this will be a big partnership for Kelele.
Contributors
Foxinni, of Radiiate, was kind enough to create the WordPress design that we are using for the site. Especially nice, as he did it in a rush as we gave him no time…
David Kobia of Ushahidi, created the logo – again, in very little time.
Erik sums up the spirit behind the conference, “If Africans want to do something then do it”:
Kelele, the African Bloggers Conference, was announced today at Barcamp Africa. That event has an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm behind it, and it makes the perfect segue to the next big African community event: Kelele! This event was born out of connections made at TED Global in Tanzania last year, when 25+ bloggers from around Africa were brought face-to-face for the first time.
Daudi Were is producing the event, along with an organizing committee of bloggers from all over Africa. This includes Ndesanjo Macha, Dave Duarte, Nii Simmonds, Mshairi, Sami Ben Gharbia, and myself.
I think we’re at a place saying, if Africans want to do something, then do it. So, let’s do it! Let’s celebrate the cultures we have in Africa and let the conference be a reflection of that. Let’s make it truly African, where the people involved are coming from all 52 countries on the continent and the diaspora. Let’s seed the next generation of bloggers and advocates of open dialogue in Africa – which is why one day will be focused on having the top 100 bloggers around Africa training new bloggers in whichever host country it’s in.
Josh describes Kelele as a celebration of Africa's contributions to the social web:
Kelele was announced to a room of well over two hundred people at BarCamp Africa a few days ago. It’s big news as it’s the first time anyone has attempted to organize a pan-African conference aimed at web 2.0, mobile, and new media. The date is scheduled for August 13, 2009 which puts it nearly a year away but when it comes to organizing conferences of this scale, that’s no time at all, and it will be here before we realize it!
In Europe, America and all around the world events like this are commonplace and happen very frequently. What Kelele represents, and why it’s so tremendously positive, is an initiative to launch a homegrown conference that has the world’s attention. It’s not a Barcamp, it’s not a TED event, it’s not an O’Reilly event; this is Africa celebrating Africa’s contributions to the social web. While it’s true that all of the aforementioned events have taken place on African soil, it’s important for the African continent to do more than just participate with the world development community; it has to contribute.
Startup Africa writes, “The birth of an African bloggers conference,”
According to Hash at WhiteAfrican, Kelele was born out of connections made at TED Global in Tanzania last year, when 25+ bloggers from around Africa were brought face-to-face for the first time. The announcement for the official launch was made a day after BarCampAfrica.
Loy, who blogs at Startups Nigeria, leaves a comment at White African suggesting that the conference takes its name from the native language of the host country:
Hi Hash, This is great initiative! But, May i suggest that every host country has its own voice, thus the conference could be tagged depending on the native language of the host country?
For instance, an african bloggers’ conference in Lagos, Nigeria couldbe tagged “ariwo”, meaning noise in yoruba.
Other bloggers who have written about Kelele are:
Kenyan Pundit:
It will be a couple of years after the brouhaha surrounding the first African bloggers conference in Grahamstown SA and its supposed lack of diversity, but it’s finally good to see the announcement about an African bloggers conference in Nairobi. Hopefully those of you who felt that Grahamstown could have “looked” better will take this opportunity to help shape Kelele into what you’d like it to be as far as representing the African blogosphere (yes, no bitching after the fact is what I’m saying!).
A Nairobian Perpective:
Its nice to see some of the ingenious Kenyan bloggers and web aps developers organize for an Annual African Bloggers Conference that will basically be owned and run by African bloggers.The first African bloggers conference as can be seen from the banner will be held next year August 13 to 16, 2009.Kelele is an initiative being spearheaded by Kenyans(among other African bloggers and Citizen Journalists) but poised to have a wider African appeal as the conference will be hosted by different African cities on an annual basis.
The idea is noble but when it comes to sponsorship …..there is often a big let down from indeginous African Companies.From practice i have witnessed that mainly foreign companies host or sponsor this events with little input from the locals.I hope this time..it will be different! The corpoartes need to embrance the power of the internet as a powerful medium for communicating vital information.
And David Duarte:
Kelele, an annual African bloggers’ conference, was announced yesterday at BarCamp Africa at the GooglePlex in San Francisco. This exciting event will be held in a different African city each year and run by an organising committee in that city. Kelele will be held for the first time in August 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Daudi Were is producing the event, along with an organizing committee of bloggers from all over Africa. This includes Ndesanjo Macha, Erik Hersman, Nii Simmonds, Mshairi, Sami Ben Gharbia, and me.
You can find more information about Kelele '09 on its website, blog and its twitter channel.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Republic of Congo: Ernest Kombo’s Passing · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Congopages announces the death of Ernest Kombo.  Kombo was Bishop of Owando.  He died in France, where he was being treated for cancer.

author: Jennifer Brea


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Russia: Dozens of LJ Blogs Suspended, Then Restored · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Several dozen Russian LJ blogs – including quite a few top-ranking ones – got suspended for no obvious reason tonight, causing a massive LJ outcry. LJ user tarlith-history compiled a list of suspended blogs (RUS), calling the incident a “Blogocaust Night.” LJ user oleg-kozyrev called (RUS) what happened a “blogocide.”  LJ user dolboeb wrote (RUS) that this could have happened as a result of a hacker attack on LiveJournal's admin console. The suspended blogs were restored within a few hours.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A.: Artistic Obama · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I observed the poster designed by Obay, Shepard Fairley about a year ago…but I did not make that much of it. I assumed that it was just a few illustrators optioned to do some work for the candidate. Little did I know that Obama was becoming an inspiration…”: From Trinidad and Tobago, Adele at Thebookmann explores the concept of Barack Obama as an icon in art.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A.: The World’s Vote  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Would the world prefer to deal with McCain or Obama? The world, if you listen, is saying Obama. These are the nations and peoples that the United States trades with, makes policy with, and otherwise negotiates with. McCain has shown his politics in his campaign, smearing his opponents whenever he sees fit. Is that the person who should be handling foreign policy and reporting to the American people? I think not”: Trinidadian blogger Taran Rampersad explains why Obama must win.


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Azerbaijan: Life as an OSCE Election Observer · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Continuing Adventures of Super Steve details life as an election observer for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) during the recent presidential election in Azerbaijan. The blog also questions whether an election boycotted by the main opposition parties can be considered democratic regardless of whether polling day itself was largely conducted without serious incidents. Nevertheless, it also says that the incumbent president now elected to a second term in office has enough popularity in the country thanks to the nature of politics in the region.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh: A blog about the movie “Monpura” · Global Voices
Rezwan

‘Monpura’ is a recent Bangladeshi cinema that has own the hearts of many Bangladeshis especially the youth. Here is a blog dedicated to everything about the movie. Faizul Khan Tanim reviews its popular soundtrack.

author: Rezwan


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Belize: More Floods  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Belizean reports that the country is still suffering from the effects of widespread flooding.


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Bermuda: Speech, Boy!   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Premier of Bermuda makes a speech that leaves Vexed Bermoothes and Catch a fire feeling a bit disconcerted.


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Bhutan: Religion and Environment · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rabi C Dahal traveled across Bhutan on a bike for 13 days and tells about his impressions of the country in Bhutan Observer: “In almost all parts of the country, religious beliefs helped protect the environment.”


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Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Faceless Child Victim” From Srebrenica · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Srebrenica Genocide Blog re-posts James Mason‘s photo and writes about Sead Bekric, who was 12 when he was blinded in an explosion in Srebrenica, which killed 62 children and wounded 152 others on April 11, 1993, in Srebrenica.


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China and Taiwan: Zhang Mingqing Incident · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN has followed up closely the Zhang Mingqing incident (the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait vice-chairman being attacked and push to the ground during his visit to Southern Taiwan). Here is a collection and translation of local media reports and here is a collection of stories on Zhang Mingqing's profile.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Economic Softlanding · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Sun Bin looked into the statistic of China and U.S Ratio of house prices to average income and agreed with the Economist that the current financial crisis may help China to have a soft landing in heated economy.


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Costa Rica: Open Air mine ecological? Bloggers think not. · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Costa Rican bloggers have raised their voices in alarm at the government's decision to approve a project to cut down acres of forest for an open air gold mine near the border with Nicaragua. Nobel Peace Prize president Oscar Arias, who only last year let the world know about the Peace with Nature campaign launched to protect Costa Rica's biodiversity, now insists that the open air mine will benefit the country by creating job opportunities, and insisting that the Canadian firm which will operate the mine has successfully done mining in other countries. Ecologists, however, insist that the deforestation that will necessarily take place at the site, and the chemical processes to deplete the soil of the yellow metal will be catastrophic for the ecosystem, particularly because the site is very close to major river San Juan.
Jaguar del Platanar, who lives in San Carlos near the Crucitas site where the mine will operate, writes:
Amelia Rueda entrevistó hoy a Arias sobre el tema Crucitas. Él manifesta que tomó la decisión de firmar el decreto porque todo mundo le habla bien del proyecto: el alcalde de San Carlos, el diputado Salvador Quirós, Roberto Dobles, los abogados del MINAE. SINAC, SETENA y Geología y Minas. Además porque “la mayoría de San Carlos quiere” que se dé el proyecto por el compromiso de hacer caminos, reponer los árboles y generar empleo (otra vez léase inversión, pero inversión que le quita el peso de inversión pública en esa zona) . Sobra decir que la afirmación de que la mayoría de San Carlos quiere la minería, es tan cierta como decir que el cianuro es una sustancia totalmente inofensiva para el ambiente .
Fuera de Crucitas is a blog created solely to protest against mining in the Crucitas area. They are informing the general population about further developments regarding the mines, and are also collecting signatures against the gold mine and protesting the extensive deforestation that took place during the three days after the decree passed. On Monday, the Energy and Environment Ministry put a halt on the project while the situation is analyzed:
Creemos que las firmas de apoyo representan el sentir de la población respecto a los acontecimientos de los últimos días, en los que se talaron muchos árboles en Crucitas de Cutris, tras un decreto que permitió la tala, incluso de especies vedadas, como el caso del almendro amarillo.
Journalist Cristian Cambronero of Fusil de Chispas writes a thorough post on the back story and contradictions the President has made evident in “Peace with Nature, another tall tale”:
Meter el cuento. En julio de 2007, el Gobierno del presidente Arias lanzó “Paz con la naturaleza”, un ambicioso programa, ejecutado por un equipo de 175 profesionales, destinado a hacer de Costa Rica “un líder mundial de la conservación”. La iniciativa se convirtió de inmediato en uno de los trapitos de dominguear del Presidente, y fue celebrada por la prensa. Poco más de un año después, la semana pasada, el mismo presidente firmó un decreto que declaró de “interés público y conveniencia nacional” la tala de 262 hectáreas de bosque en Las Crucitas de Cutris, San Carlos, cerca la frontera con Nicaragua. La tala y el decreto, también dan luz verde a la operación de la “eco-mina” Las Crucitas, que no es más que una mina a cielo abierto para “lavar” (lixiviación) el suelo con cianuro tóxico en busca de oro. Terrorismo ecológico.
Cristian also points us over to a couple of YouTube videos in Spanish, uploaded by Sancarlena77, where the devastating effects of open air mines are shown. Part 1 and Part 2.
On twitter, users have been passing along links to TV video showing the extense of the deforestation, as well as another video where President Arias’ statements a year ago are juxtaposed to the current situation.
The University of Costa Rica Channel 15's show EraVerde also produced a 10 minute video explaining the Crucitas case back in August of this year, comparing it to the negative record the government has had in controlling open air gold mines, particularly the one in Miramar, where cyanide poisoning in the water and landslides where only some of the negative impact the project had (the video starts at 1 minute mark):

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Croatia: Car Bomb Assassination of Journalists Ivo Pukanić & Niko Franjić · Global Voices
El Hud

Zagreb, Croatia's capital, was stunned by a car bomb attack directed at the editor-in-chief and publisher of Croatian political weekly Nacional, Ivo Pukanić,  which killed both him and fellow journalist Niko Franjić on Thursday.
Arhangel summed it up (HRV) in detail:
…tonight around 18:20 pm in Palmotić street in Zagreb in the courtyard of “Nacional” an explosive device killed Ivo Pukanić, chief executive NCL, and Niko Franjić, his colleague. As I was first informed of the news, a  remote control detonated the explosive device under Pukanić's Lexus. Croatia is in shock.
Price iz Becke sume concurs (HRV) the current sentiment:
I can not believe, still one mafioso murder in the middle of town, in the middle of the day! Ivo Pukanic killed and a journalist colleague from Nacional. Horror!
And Funky Business wrote (HRV) about the situation on the ground in the center of Zagreb, a city of 1 million people:
…central Zagreb was blocked. On the streets of the capital of the government there is fear, disbelief and panic among citizens.  It is recommended to restrict movement for all citizens of the city center due to blockade of police who are trying to blockade a large circle around the town to close a crime that evidence would not be destroyed.
As the head of Croatian newspaper, Nacional, many saw Pukanić as a marked man. Ivo himself believed that there was an assassination plot against him, but others doubted it. Sadly, they were wrong, as noted (HRV) by Denis Avdagić on his blog:
…clearly, and to all who doubted that the previous assassination attempt on Pukanić – were completely wrong!
Zagreb, which has been steadily building itself to be a proper European capital in recent years, has suddenly felt the confidence of its citizens erode with this and other recent events of brutal violence. ViN writes (HRV) more:
Is it time for the mass but little severe protests? Can the police stop all this? Can I help a recent shift in the ministries of Interior and Justice? I doubt it. Can the people change it? Because I believe that today is not easy to be a resident of Zagreb. This will not only stop so easily.
Needless to say, this event will evolve over the coming days as more details become available.  Only then will it be possible to place blame and understand what this recent attack truly means to security and free media in Croatia as it gets ready to begin EU accession talks next year.

author: El Hud


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Croatia: More on Ivo Pukanić’s Death · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hudin writes about yesterday's blast in Zagreb, Croatia, which killed Ivo Pukanić, publisher and editor-in-chief of Nacional, and Niko Franjić, a journalist: “Pukanić had been fearing for his life for some time. I have no idea as to what his dealings were behind the scenes, but on the surface, he appeared to try to report on what was actually wrong in Croatia. This is not a popular stance to take.”


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Cuba: Categorizing  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez refuses to be labeled.


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Cuba: Ties That Bind?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Steven's Cuba Blog and Havana Times report on the formal resumption of ties between the European Union and Cuba, while Child of the Revolution adds: “the Cubans say they are happy to restart an open and constructive dialogue with the EU – on the Cubans’ terms, of course, which essentially means the Europeans have been told to stay clear of Cuban domestic issues, such as human and political rights.”


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Egypt: Blogosphere’s Godparents Going South · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Manalaa (i.e. Manal and Alaa) the godparents of the Egyptian blogosphere – are going to live in South Africa for a while, and Alaa has written a post [Ar] describing his feelings towards traveling and many other things.
In his post, he writes:
He continues:
He then explains how staying is a foreign country is really different from just visiting it for few days or even weeks:
Alaa finally notes:

author: Tarek Amr


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Ghana: Supporters of Two Main Parties Clash · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ghana Elections blog reports election-related violence in Ghana: “The violence in the run-up to December 7 is unabated as supporters of the two main parties have yet again clashed in the Volta Regional capital Ho.”


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Iraq: Assassination for All Iraqi Interpreters!!! · Global Voices
Salam Adil

This is the view that Iraqi Interpreter took of a decision made by the commander of the Multinational Forces in Iraq. Under a new rule, Iraqis who work alongside American soldiers as interpreters are to be required to not cover their face while they take part in operations with the US military. Or as Iraqi Interpreter put it:
It's like they want to say :
HEY IRAQI PEOPLE…HERE THEY ARE…THE IRAQI INTERPRETERS…NOW YOU GET CHANCE TO SEE THEIR FACES…DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO OF THEM, KILL THEM,TOURTURE THEM, WE DON'T CARE.
He speculates that the decision is a blatant attempt to force Iraqis working with the US army to resign instead of claiming asylum in America and adds that a recent theft of the list of local interpreters is part of the same policy.
Knowing that his life is now under threat whether he work or not, Iraqi Interpreter is both defiant and proud:
believe me or not, when I begun this job, I [knew] very well, that the death will be our faith, so it doesn't matter no more… I'll continue work until the last breath, not for the Iraq, not for the SIV, not for the Americans …………… but For live (for the money that I use to feed my family)
What's Happing in Mosul
Mama, writing about the explosion opposite her house.
Several bloggers have written about recent news that Christians were being persecuted and forced to leave Iraq's second city, Mosul.
Mama lives in Mosul and writes about how security suddenly deteriorated after the campaign began. She writes:
Brutishly, Christian Iraqi citizens were threatened, attacked and many were killed without any reason, and 2000 families were forced to leave their homes in their own country… then things began sinking so badly many explosions ,car bombs and assassinations took place . my house was among the losses. again our windows doors and some other damages had to be fixed. But what about our emotions? it can't be repaired? the fear, everything was ruined in our life can't be restored.
Sunshine, Mama's daughter, also writes about the explosion near her house and about the Iraqi Christians she knows:
this week was really bad, the situation became unbearable, the terrorists killed many Christians, and bombed their houses for no reason but trying to separate us from each other (which won't happen, our hearts are with the Christians in Mosul, we are praying for them continuously), many families left their city, and went to country side, I am so worried about all Christians I know, my neighbors, teachers, and friends, my best friend in the whole world is Christian, I don't know what will happen to me if terrorists hurts her or her family, I hope she'll remain safe, I pray for her and all Iraqis every single day..
I can't imagine that my neighbors, friends, and teachers who taught me for years, in kindergarten, primary and secondary were forced to leave and that they are living in the villages or churches, I heard that my favorite teacher is living in the tent, with her family and kids who left school, such a respectful loving and caring woman who taught generations for over than 30 years shouldn't live in a tent and be treated this way, nor the other Christians ..
What the hell the government is waiting for? 2000 families left Mosul last week, the terrorists are everywhere killing and threatening innocent Iraqis who belong to different religions and casts,.. we want a solution and we want it NOW ..
Baghdad Dentist on an explosion he witnessed in Mosul.
Layla Anwar gives some background to the Christian community in Mosul and decides who is responsible:
The Christians of Iraq are one of the oldest, most ancient Christian communities in the whole of the Middle East… Chaldeans and Assyrians constitute the bulk of the Christians of Iraq. They are Iraqis through and through, from time immemorial…They are one of the main arteries, veins, of this bleeding Iraqi heart. An essential aorta. A primordial piece of what used to be the most beautiful mosaic of ethnicities and sects, cohabiting peacefully for centuries…
This last week has witnessed the most brutal violent persecution against our brothers and sisters in Faith. Over 3'000 Iraqi Christian families have been forcibly evicted from their homes in Mosul. Mosul was known to have an equal number of Christians and Muslims, who have peacefully coexisted and intermarried for years and years. Contrary to other Arab countries where Christian minorities exist, like in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan or Palestine, intermarriage between Christians and Muslims was common in Iraq. I am a living proof…
What is this irony of history, where under a fundamentalist christian occupation, a “born again” occupation, the true Christians are persecuted. What is this ? Will someone explain it to me for God's sake !
… The ones who have been driving out the Iraqi Christians from Mosul are none other than your “wonderful” Kurds… Today, a communiqué from the Assyrian community confirms that the ones who are persecuting the Iraqi Christians of Mosul are none than … Kurds.
Status of Forces
A new law is being pushed thought the Iraqi parliament to give American soldiers the right to remain in Iraq after the deadline for their UN mandate ends this year. While there has been much controversy in the news, Iraqi bloggers give their own unique perspectives.
Raed makes his own translation of a leaked copy of the agreement and writes:
I think it's really interesting that while the bush administration are putting the last touches on this long term agreement with their Iraqi allies, bush issued a new presidential signing statement last week specifically to allow the U.S. government to control Iraq's oil resources! The statement was issued as a response to a congressional law that prohibits the U.S. government from taking control over Iraq's oil and gas resources.
What a great message to be given at this time: not only we're planning to occupy your country military, but we also have the intention of steeling your oil and gas.
Iraq the Model sees such an agreement as a positive step for Iraq. Mohammed argues:
it will mark the beginning of a time in which Iraq is officially a partner of the U.S., as it will join Iraq and the U.S. in a new relationship that serves the national interests of both countries. Above all, it will be a major boost for the effort in the war on terror as it will guarantee that Iraq will not fall prey to extremists. It will ensure that Iraq becomes a barrier against the aspirations of extremists, not a vessel that conveys them. In my opinion this treaty will set the foundations for a new Middle East ripe for transformation and for joining the free world.
While Hammorabi takes the opposing point of view:
We the Iraqis do not want to see the American occupation goes behind the end of the existed mandate. There should be no one occupiers left in Iraq in few months time and if any one stayed then it should be targeted as an occupiers. If the pact as such is going to be signed then those who sign it will be traitors and will be treated as such by the Iraqi resistance. At such time the resistance will not be among certain groups but it will be Jihad against the infidels and the occupiers…
The American pact is nothing but humiliation to the Iraqis. This is against the interest and the sovereignty of the Iraqi people and no one should put himself in a position to sign it. In fact such pact with the Americans who destroyed Iraq since 1991 and killed millions of its children by two wars and 12 years barbaric sanction followed by occupation, such pact is nothing but an aggression not against Iraq alone but against Islam and other Muslims.
While Jenan just wonders about the complex wording of the agreement. She writes:
I don't know why the Americans do not say that the immunity they want for their solders is absolute immunity. They are only outside this immunity when the troops are off duty and off their military bases. In addition to that, the American have the authority to determine whether their troops are on duty or not … It is like “entrust a cat with piece of meat” (Iraqi proverb)…. The American negotiators should say that they want absolute immunity and nothing less. They don't need waste time and their effort in worthless, long sentences. As Iraqis we want transparency in this agreement. Iraqis want words that have one meaning, no more no less.
No country should ever give permission to kill its people without consequences.

author: Salam Adil


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Jamaica: Inaccurate Ranking?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

My View of JamDown from Up So writes an open letter to Reporters Without Borders, saying he was “disturbed at the high (press freedom) rank of Jamaica in comparison what most people here acknowledge to be reality.”


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Jamaica: See Me, Come Live With Me  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Many people decide to live in Jamaica because they love the energy and vibe of the culture.  Yet, there are those who decide that this is country is far too difficult for them to manage and bolt in less than a year”: Transition Sunshine offers a glimpse into “the real Jamaica.”


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Japan: Top 100 Hot Entries on Hatena Bookmarks · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Blogger id:ramyana posts a list [ja] of the top 100 bookmarked items on the Japanese bookmarking service Hatena Bookmarks [ja]. In first place, with 5370 bookmarks [ja], is a page explaining how to write a good graduation thesis [ja].


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Nepal: Armed conflict continues · Global Voices
Rezwan

ABC – Voices Sans Borders reports from Nepal: “The role of some Madhesi leaders & intellectuals seems even more dubious who threaten of launching ‘another revolution’ while bargaining with the government for some key positions in the state machinery.”


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Nigeria: Blogger Arrested · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nigerian Curiosity writes about the arrested Nigerian blogger: “Jonathan Elendu, the writer at Elendu Reports, was arrested by Nigeria's SSS on Saturday evening upon arrival in Nigeria from the United States. Elendu was reportedly arrested to answer questions because his ‘activities’ have allegedly generated some national security issues.”


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Nigerian Blogger Arrested For Sponsoring a ‘Guerilla News Agency’ · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nigerian blogger, Jonathan Elendu, has been arrested by the State Security Service (SSS), the federal security enforcement agency in Nigeria.
Jonathan Elendu created Elendu Reports in 2005. It is an online news site focusing on federal corruption, economic mismanagement and government inefficiency. Jonathan has been living in the US since 1999:
Born and raised in eastern Nigeria, Elendu has resided in the US since 1999. He is president of Elendu & Associates, Inc., a public relations firm in Lansing, MI. He is Contributing Editor and Columnist for USAfricaOnline.com, the USAfrica Newspaper, Nigeria Central.com and Special Correspondent for the Black Business Journal Magazine. He is also the founder of SongDanceAfrica, Inc., a multi-media company.
According to the Nigerian blog, Nigerian Curiosity, Jonathan was arrested because his activities have generated some national security issues:
Jonathan Elendu, the writer at Elendu Reports, was arrested by Nigeria's SSS on Saturday evening upon arrival in Nigeria from the United States. Elendu was reportedly arrested to answer questions because his ‘activities’ have allegedly generated some national security issues. One publication specifically reported that Elendu was arrested for “sponsoring a guerilla news agency.”[sic]
He was held for over 24 hours before he was interrogated.
Jonathan was arrested at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport:
Our source revealed that Sahareporters which is known for alleged subversive reports against the federal government and important personalities in the country, was allegedly the brain child of Elendu.
It was further learnt that when Elendu was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja as soon as he arrived via KLM Airline around 7.30 p.m. on Saturday, he was immediately whisked away to the SSS headquarters, Asokoro, Abuja.
Said our sources: “The hefty publisher was accosted on arrival by two SSS operatives who told him that he was being invited for a chat with their boss, he responded that since it was an invitation, they should give him time to go home and freshen up.
“The security operatives turned down his request, seized his international passport and whisked him away, only for him to remain incommunicado since then.”
Elendu's family members expressed concern and worry over the state of his health, as nobody has been able to communicate with him since Saturday.
Elandu Reports has been publishing articles considered sensitive by the ruling class:
Several of Elendu’s recent articles have been about the economic and ecological disaster under way in the Niger delta, where there have been armed clashes between government forces and separatist rebels for years. It was this story that led to US freelance journalist and filmmaker Andrew Berends and his Nigerian interpreter, Samuel George, being questioned for 10 days at the start of last month.
Was Jonathan arrested because of a mistaken association?:
News reports reveal that Elendu was mistaken to have some association with Sahara Reporters, a Nigerian site, hence the arrest. I have said it before and will say it again- although I can appreciate the interest in the sometimes sensationalist and “juicy” stories Sahara Reporters shares on its website, I am constantly taken back by their inability or refusal, to back up their claims and allegations. As a result, I personally do not endorse that site.
Nevertheless, association with Sahara Reporters on its own should not be cause for arrest, detention and the infringement of Constitutional and Human Rights. There was no need to ambush and arrest Elendu at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport.
Point Blank News writes, “Why SSS Arrested Elendu …As Hunt For Publishers Of Pointblanknews.com, Saharareporters.com Continues”:
According to top SSS sources, the federal government had been on the trail of publishers of internet-based news organizations such as Pointblanknews.com, Saharareporters.com as well as Elendureports.com, and had therefore spread a dragnet to arrest the publishers if and when they are sighted in Nigeria.
According to the sources, the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration has been unsettled by damaging yet true reports from these online news organizations on its activities and style of governance and had, in fact, threaded where angels feared to, by publishing exclusive stories which newspaper editors in Nigeria would not touch.
The worry of government, according to these security sources, was that the opposition may have gone beyond feeding these online publications with damaging stories on government, but financing its activities. This worry is heightened by the fact that with increasing access to the internet by Nigerians, these online publications now gain wider acceptance over conventional Nigerian newspapers as sources of information. The situation is not being helped by Nigerian editors who often cull stories from these online sources to enrich their papers.
According to Aba Boy, the closure of Nigerian television station, Channels TV, was the signal of things to come:
The closure of Channels TV wasn’t a one-off, it was an signal of things to come. Yardy's henchmen on Saturday arrested Mr Jonathan Elendu – online publisher of Elendu Reports. According to PM news, the United States-based publisher, who was arrested on arrival in Nigeria, was allegedly linked to Saharareporters, another online Nigerian news agency.
The Waffarian is very disappointed:
I am very disappointed with this news. The SSS has arrested Jonathan Elendu of Elendu reports, a political blog that features news and political articles about Nigeria. He was arrested on arrival at the airport under suspicion of being a journalist for Sahara Reporters, one of my favourite places to get the main “koko” of the matter.
What is happening? First Channels Tv, and now arresting an online blogger? I am afraid Yar'adua is going to be a surprise to many in that country. He is one of those that actually bites before even barks!
We need to rethink the idea that online journalism is the safest form of journalism, argues Ayobami Ojebode:
Online journalism has been considered the safest form of journalism, the least susceptible to state clampdown. It has negotiated for itself a clear space in the public sphere for citizens’ engagement of government, its actions and policies. This form of journalism is understandably attractive to Nigerians given the experiences of orthodox journalists in the hands of the Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha—Nigerian military dictators who hounded and pounded journalists for nearly fourteen years. (See, for instance, Sunday Dare's Guerrila Journalism)
Media scholars and political scientists who support the idea of a free press find in online journalism an avenue for unfettered freedom of expression. Not only this, online journalism has led them to announce and in fact celebrate the death of gate-keeping and censorship. [See, for instance, Williams and Carpini’s (2000) “Unchained reaction: the collapse of media gate-keeping…”, Journalism (1) 1:61-85]. Jonathan Elendu’s arrest by the government of Nigeria should lead theorists to cut short this celebration and rethink the universality of their conclusions.
The Committee to Protect Bloggers promises updates of the situation:
As of yesterday, 22nd October he had not been released or charged and it is not clear if he will indeed be brought before the courts.
We will give updates as the situation unfolds.
Reporters Without Borders condemns the detention of Jonathan:
Reporters Without Borders condemns the detention of Jonathan Elendu, the publisher of the online newspaper Elendu Reports (www.elendureports.com), since 17 October, when he was arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) on arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport, in the capital Abuja, on a flight from the United States, where he lives.
Denying that Elendu had been arrested, SSS spokesman Kenechuks Onyegogu said he had been “invited” by the SSS to explain certain matters involving “national security.” Elendu is being held at SSS headquarters in Abuja, where close relatives were refused permission to see him yesterday.
Which Way Nigeria denounces his arrest:
WWN denounce the arrest of Jonathan Elendu by the SSS. Elendu is an online journalist whom the SSS have in their custody and have been denied access to a lawyer. Since the SSS clamped down on Channels Television without any caution, the SSS  have been embolden and easily dwindle into military era methods in handling Nigerian journalists that will make the Gestapo look like a rookie.
Human Writers Association of Nigeria describes the arrest as “a throwback to dark days”:
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Human Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) last night described the arrest as a throwback to day dark days of recession by state authorities.
Kritz calls for his release:
At least now we know that Elendureports.com is classified by the government as a guerrilla news agency and it has a thing or two against”citizen reporting” websites. We understand that the SSS has refused him access his lawyers and family. How much worse can it get?
Yar ‘Adua not only wins a medal for lack of vision, he also seems set to top us all in stupidity! Whatever the case may be, let them release Jonathan Elendu NOW!
The arrest of Jonathan Elendu is one in a long line of attacks against freedom of press in Nigeria, says Sokari:
The arrest of Jonathan Elendu is one in a long line of attacks against freedom of the press in Nigeria (arrests, harassments and murder of anyone critical of the government) and one which is particularly characteristic of military dictatorships the remnants of which continue to remain active in the country.
Ayobami is disturbed by the silence of most Nigerian papers on the arrest of Jonathan. “Do orthodox Nigerian journalists consider their online colleagues comrades or rivals?,” he wonders:
There is some worry about the silence of most Nigerian papers on the arrest of Mr Jonathan Elendu. We do not know for sure why most papers, unlike bloggers, have been quiet on this. Even the BBC has done a report on the arrest. Do orthodox Nigerian journalists consider their online colleagues comrades or rivals? Maybe this is a good question for empirical investigation. However this goes, in my view, Nigeria is the first African country and the second country in the world (after China) to attempt a clampdown on online journalism.
Why is Tunde Akinloye not surprised by the arrest?:
I'm not surprised that Nigerian security officials arrested Elendu. You'd agree with me why, if you reason that this is the same country where government image makers made fool of themselves lieing openly to the 150 million people where the truth is public knowledge.
Perhaps, now the new generation of Nigerian youths would learn to take charge and elect credible leaders in future elections.


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Serbia: Asylum Seekers · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At Belgraded, a rather heated discussion of Serbian asylum seekers: their true numbers, origins and political views.


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Serbia: International Belgrade Book Fair · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkan File writes about the 53rd International Belgrade Book Fair.


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Serbia: Milan Mladenovic · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgraded writes about Milan Mladenovic – “one of the greatest musicians from ex-Yu” – and a Facebook initiative to name a street in Belgrade after him.


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Speaking of Sexual Harassment: Noha makes Egyptians proud! · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

In an unprecedented case, sexual harasser Sherif Gommaa was sentenced to three years behind bars, hard labour, and was also ordered to pay 5,001 Egyptian pounds fine to Noha Roshdy Saleh for groping her in the street.
Zeinobia celebrated the court ruling saying that Noha's victory is Laila's victory:
Today there was a historical court order against Sexual harassment in Egypt , a victory to Laila, a victory to all women in Egypt.
Noha Roshdy  was sexually harassed by Sharif Gabril from couple of months and for the first time she was determinant to bring her harasser in front of justice to pay for his crime , it is crime.
Noha stood bravely on behalf of all the girls and women in Egypt.
The Sexual harasser Gabril took 3 years in jail and this considered the first court rule in the history for the first time in Egypt.
On the secrecy of the trial Zenobia wrote:
The judge made the trial a secret trial which means no one except the involved parties attended the trial despite that the family of the harasser and the friends of Noha attended the historical trial.
Of course the family of the harasser defended their son and accused Noha as if they do not have a girl , saying that they are from the country side with morals that do not permit them to act like this !! And Noha the rude city girl said the word “boobs” in the police reports !! No good girl should stay this word !! Let them say what they want !!
As I previously written, many Egyptian women who get harassed choose silence and many harassers blame it on women's dress code and attire. Zeinobia comments by saying:
Of course it is still long road but Noha ,the brave Laila. To break the silence and taboo , it is not a shame to report sexual harassment , the real shame is to shut up. Prophet Mohamed ‘PBUH’ once said : The one who does not show or does not speak about the truth is a silent devil .
The person who sees a sexual harassment incident in front of his eyes and does not report or even it try to stop it is a silent devil.If we are real religious society that follows the Sunna then why we do not follow this important rule.
The girl or the woman who fears to report the harassment incident is a silent devil because may be she survived a sexual harassment but another sister of her can be a victim of rape from the same person if he is not stopped.
The father or family who does not support her daughter to take her right think that it is sort of shame to open this taboo because it is a stain ,they are a family of devil.
Do not be a silent devil.
Zeinobia also touched base on how harassment victims are mistreated and further harassed by the police:
The police will take it seriously if they find people are taking seriously.
By the way there is an investigation in the interior ministry about the disgraceful treatment Noha received in the police station.
Fantasia's World also wrote about Noha's case:
Yesterday, I read about a brave girl from upper Egypt called Bikhyta, who was attacked by a wolf and kept struggling with it for 3 hours, during which she lost 2 of her fingers.. yet in the end, Bikhyta was able to slay the wolf.. all on her own.
Speaking of the human wolf, Fantasia wrote:
He took it for granted that Noha will be lucky if she just managed to escape a nervous breakdown. He assumed that the best she could do is rise up and continue her walk home, carrying all the shame and pain, and probably going to the first pillow to weep. It never crossed his mind that Noha is not that kind of girl. To his amazement, he found Noha rising up like a tigress, chasing his truck, and jumping over the driver's cabin to force him to pull off and get out. She succeeded! And she held him by the collar determined to take him to the police station to charge him of sexually harassing her.
Most Egyptian girls are not encouraged to speak up or to report such incidents for fear of scandals and public shame:
Imagine that the harasser himself, the truck driver, thought Noha was crazy! He couldn't understand why a girl would jeopardize her life in such a way just to get hold of someone who grabbed her breasts! See? That's what we were talking about girls.. your passiveness in dealing with harassment caused you to be taken for granted in such a humiliating way! The good old wisdom of laissez-passer proved to be not good, huh. That's the way you are viewed by harassers out there.. for them, you are not the polite girl who couldn't get herself to face her attacker because she is a shy cute virgin! You are just a whore who has to shut up after being sexually assaulted. That's who you are.
Passiveness has hit the streets of Cairo:
Noha's shock did not stop there.. For, of course a crowd quickly gathered out of curiosity to see what all the screaming was about. Some of them had witnessed the incident from the start. Yet, Noha says: “Some of them tried helping the driver get back into his truck to flee.. Some tried calming me down by saying that they will make him apologize, and when I refused taking an apology, trying in vain to get them to see the crime he committed, they didn't understand why I was so determined to take to the police station and called me crazy. One of them even told me ‘I don't understand what a girl like you is doing, standing her with men!’ While others kept watching from their balconies without even caring to offer any help.”
You may wonder, were there not any women on the street at the time?.. Well, according to Noha, only one woman volunteered to help her.. and her way of help was as follows: She said to Noha, “Never mind my girl, let him go, just don't humiliate yourself like that!”
At the end of her post, Fantasia wonders:
I'What kind of society are we living in?! Are those normal people? Or were they all subjected to some kind of mysterious gas that caused them to lose their minds? Seriously, it seems that our society is suffering from mass hysteria! People are sick in a disgusting way! Have they lost any trace of common sense! Do they stand there blaming the victim for wanting to claim her rights?.. Seriously??.. Are they helping the criminal to get away with his crime??.. Seriously??.. Is that the presumably Religious, Pious, Conservative society of ours?? Damn it!
Yes, justice was served. But not all is well that ends well. In fact, this good ending is just a beginning which opened a tiny window unto a world of evil and ethical rot. For example.. I couldn't help boiling with anger at some of the comments posted by the readers on Al Masry Al Youm this morning. Some of them still blame women for being the cause of harassment!!.. Some of them refuse to admit that Noha is a human being and a citizen that has the right in a safe street!! Some of them can't see beyond Noha's hair!! As if this is what tempted the harasser to grab her breast, and not the fact that she is a female! They haven't learned anything.. They insist on compromising their humanity and degrading themselves to the level of animals. But even animals do not do this to one another!
The image as it says that we have a serious problem in Egypt. A problem with the people, their minds, their psyche, their values, and the way they see matters. Something is very wrong with this country. We have to face it. Noha's case is only the beginning.. It gave us a peek into the darkness inside our souls as a society. Now, we have to see the disease that is eating up our moral system and causing us to fail miserably as human beings.
The blogosphere is celebrating Noha's victory. Facebook users created several groups hailing Noha's courage; All for Noha Roshdy(AR), Kolona Noha Roshdy (AR)(we are all Noha), Noha for President (AR) while other groups posted the verdict on their walls and sent congratulations messages to their members here (AR), here(AR), and here(AR).

author: Marwa Rakha


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Sri Lanka: Debate on Peace and Conflict · Global Voices
Rezwan

“The events that surround the history of the Sri Lankan conflict, their impact and interaction with other events are still highly contentious.” The Peace and Conflict Timeline (PACT) project helps to gain a deeper understanding of the conflict's roots and promote discussions and debates on the issue, according to their website.


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Talking to Guyanese litblogger Charmaine Valere · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

C.D. Valere — Charmaine to her friends — was born in Guyana , and has lived in the United States for 22 years. She now lives in New Jersey, and teaches literature at Bloomfield College. In November 2007 she launched her blog Signifyin’ Guyana  — "focusing on the words and opinions of Guyanese writers." Over the last year, Signifyin’ Guyana  has grown into one of the most substantial literary blogs in the Caribbean, posting Charmaine's own reviews of Guyanese and other Caribbean books, occasionally covering current affairs in Guyana, and linking to literary discussions elsewhere in the Caribbean blogosphere. I recently interviewed Charmaine via email. Here is an edited version of our conversation.
Nicholas Laughlin: The obvious first question: why did you start blogging? What was your original goal?
Charmaine Valere: It started (no kidding) with a deep deep longing for home. As simple as that. I hit the age of (mumble) last year and just wanted to go home to Guyana. So I went, and discovered there is no bleeping way I could possibly live there anymore (laugh). I felt like an outsider in so many ways. When I returned to the US (sadder than I'd left), I decided to fulfill part of what I was missing by reading Guyanese writers. But I was disappointed in the scant and scattered information available online on Guyanese writers and their work.
So I got this wild idea to start a one-woman writing blitz on as many Guyanese writers and books I could get my hands on. And the idea for the blog was born, although at the time I was considering a newsletter or some such.
NL: Which Caribbean blogs did you read regularly before you started Signifyin’ Guyana , and did they influence your decision to become a blogger yourself?
CV: I didn't even know what a blog was until about two or three years ago, when I went online searching for up-to-date information on results from Guyana's last presidential elections . Every search I ran turned up some of the Guyana blogs, and I couldn't stop reading, especially the ones that were being updated regularly. I was impressed with the concept of a low-maintenance space where I could write regularly. But it was ultimately blogs like yours and Guyana Gyal's that convinced me to start my own.
NL: Offline, you are a literature teacher and scholar. Are you also a creative writer?
CV: Be careful how yuh fling "scholar" around, my friend (laugh).
No, I'm not a creative writer (big laugh). Although if you look closely at some of my posts, you'll see glimpses of a wannabe creative writer. But the creative world is safe for now. Nothing's in the works.
NL: Do you think Caribbean writers (and other creative professionals) are making enough use of online tools like blogs? What aspects of Caribbean life or culture would you like to see covered better on the WWW? Which writers would you like to see blogging?
CV: So many Caribbean writers have no web presence, period! I find that shocking in this day and age, when so many people search the web first for most of their information. It's unbelievable that they'd want a readership, yet not even establish a writer's profile on the web, let alone blog.
I'd like to see ALL aspects of Caribbean life and culture covered better on the web. Right now the best information you can get on the Caribbean (as you certainly know) is on Caribbean vacations.  At the risk of sounding like a Walcott echo, that seems to be all the Caribbean is good for.
On a branch note, you should see the look of disbelief on the faces of some of my colleagues when I tell them I'm using three books by Caribbean authors in my course, and none of the authors is Danticat, or from Puerto Rico , or the Dominican Republic. Of course I love the writings from the Spanish Caribbean, and Danticat is one of my favourite writers, but I'm a little tired of the monopoly they have been given on Caribbean literature.
And I can't really say which writers I'd like to see blogging, but I would certainly like to see more of them interacting with their readers on the web.
NL: What's been the most unexpected thing about writing Signifyin’ Guyana ?
CV: How quickly my work has been noticed. And how quickly I was able to get in contact with the writers I initially reached out to. By the way, I've since stopped doing that, but they still manage to find me. They may not have much of an internet presence, but they certainly google themselves regularly. Which again makes me wonder why more of them aren't actively present on the web.
NL: In an early blog post , you responded to a reader who asked what "signifying" meant. Could you recap for GV readers?
CV: Signifyin’ describes my goal of giving Guyanese writers significant, quality space and visibility on the web, and it describes my method (borrowed from black American slang) of giving them that space, which is often by interpreting their words, and suggesting (in some cases) new ways (in addition to the existing interpretations/critiques of their work) of understanding their work.
NL: The Guyanese blogosphere is known for its blunt, outspoken exchanges — sometimes to an outsider it seems unnecessarily violent. Why do you think this is? Have you been on the receiving end of readers’ criticism that you thought inappropriate?
CV: The Guyanese bloggers (and some of their friends who comment frequently on their blogs) whom I have come to know, are a passionate, intelligent group of mostly young men who are completely fed up with the corruption in Guyana, and their anger and frustration comes through in their blog writing. When it is aimed at each other it does seem unnecessarily vicious, but I believe most of it is their way of venting.  They cuss and fight, and live to cuss and fight another day.
And yes, I started a fight with one blogger over the use of the term "Afro-Guyanese" a few months ago, and I now believe my attack was misplaced and vicious. I've since apologized to the blogger, but I'm not so sure I won't react the same way if I was called an "afro" again.
But I do believe Guyanese bloggers possess a strong spirit of fraternity that I have been fortunate to be included in from time to time.
NL: Does your blog help you feel more connected with everyday affairs in Guyana?
CV: I feel compelled to keep up with everyday affairs in Guyana since I brazenly call myself a Guyanese blogger (although if deh see how ah does cut meh roti and curry with knife and fork….)
So every day I read the Guyana newspapers online, and I read the blogs. I rely a lot on my blog friends in Guyana for talk on what's going on there.
Yep, blogging has definitely helped to ease my longing for a home I actually no longer have there. Through blogging, I've created a new way of belonging to Guyana that fits who I am perfectly.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Ukraine, U.S.: A View on Foreign Policy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Taras of Ukrainiana shared his view on the upcoming U.S. election in a comment posted on a Fox News blog, following Sarah Palin's recent mention of Ukraine at a rally in Nevada. Taras wrote: “You and I will be better off if you elect a president who will spare no foreign policy effort to make Russia’s invasion cost-prohibitive.”


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Zimbabwe: Freedom Fone Project · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Brett blogs about Kubatana's Freedom Fone Project in Zimbabwe: “It involves providing radio-like audio content via interactive menu response by use of phones. Users can call up the service, and choose from a menu, to access audio items they with to listen to: news headlines, a feature, music and inspirational messages and so on.”


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Bali bombers to be executed next month · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Three Indonesian men will be executed next month over the 2002 Bali bombings. Early this month, a cleric accused the CIA of being behind the bombings.

author: Mong Palatino


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Egypt: Eye Opening Bahrain Visit  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Alien Back [Ar], from Egypt, visited Bahrain and wrote his impressions here.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Israel: Desiring the Druze · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Anglo-Arab blogger Doshka has decided that Druze men are ‘hot': “In Israel, they are quite possibly all first cousins because they can neither marry out of the sect, nor can outsiders convert to the Druze faith – meaning they have a very, very narrow gene pool. It's a very, very good looking gene pool.”

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Japan: You call that “art”? · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Blogger aiki_tachibana, in a post entitled “Don't call that ‘art'!” [ja], reacts to news about a controversial art performance in Hiroshima on Oct. 21st. According to reports [ja], a group of artists calling themselves “Chim←Pom” (チン←ポム) chartered a plane to fly through the sky and draw in smoke the characters for “pika” (ピカッ), meant to signify the atomic bombing. The work sparked a strong negative reaction with the public, and the leader of the group later apologized to A-bomb survivors. “I absolutely cannot understand,” aiki_tachibana writes, “the sensitivity to draw in the skies of Hiroshima a vapor trail [in the form of] ‘pika’ and call it ‘art’.”

author: Chris Salzberg


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Jordan: An Encounter with a Bisexual in Iran  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Rami Abdelrahman, who lives in Sweden, posts this fascinating post by a Swedish friend who travelled to Iran on a study visit and his encounter with a ‘bisexual’ tour guide.


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Jordan: Dog Attacks Car  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Dog attacks car? Karkoor from Jordan links to this story from Australia.


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Jordan: Dubai Visa Problematic  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Jordan, Princess N writes about how frustrating it is to get a visit visa to Dubai.


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Jordan: Rumours, Gap Year Foreign Students, and Body of Lies  · Global Voices
Mohammad Azraq

Ola Oliwat talks on 7iber about a film made by a new youth group in Jordan called Fekra. The 14-minute film talks about rumours that could be deadly weapons killing innocent people. In the post entitled: “Rumors Can Kill“, she writes:
“She was in the car with him when her brother caught her in the act.”
“I’m not assuming anything, but it’s obvious there’s something wrong about her.”
“She had it coming, if you ask me! I always sensed she was hiding something.”
Many times we hear things like this, from neighbors, friends, relatives or even when we overhear two perfect strangers chatting the time away while waiting for a bus. It is established we do hear this all the time, but the question is, how often do we question the source of that gossip, or wonder about its consequences.
The sad fact is, many of us tend to take this lightly. We use gossip as a pastime and think that it’s OK to mention a rumor or too as long as we make it clear that we’re not sure about it and that it’s just a rumor, forgetting the most important feature of rumors: they snowball. So, you hear something, think it could be an interesting material for conversation over a cup of coffee and, after all, what’s the worst that could happen?
The following movie, Dandana, tackles the issue of rumor and gossip in creating such situations and disturb the peace of families. It may start as small as a molehill and end up as huge as a mountain. You never know how it started or how it will end.
Dandana was done by Fekra, a group of Jordanian youth who don’t have much, but are trying to make the best of what they have to carry their ideas to the world. Dandana is the group’s first movie.
This short video, with subtitles in English, is very much worth watching:
This video is posted courtesy of Ikbis
Kinzi talks about foreign students taking a gap year and coming to Jordan whom she refers to as Gap Year Guys/Gals (GYGs). She writes:
Since Nas’ post on foreign language learners and my previous post on Stray American Girls In Amman (SAGA) I have discovered another angle on the curiously increasing number of young foreigners hanging out in our fair city – GYGs: Gap Year Guys/Gals.
The concept of a gap year, a year taken off either while in undergrad studies or after uni graduation, has long been a staple of the British and European ‘youth experience’. It seems now to have caught on in the US as well, and with the increase in the number of Middle Eastern Studies majors in the US, is channeling many young Americans to Amman. They come to learn, and most importantly, they come to serve. Not as in-depth as the Peace Corps, but more than a ‘Middle East Lite Cultural Experience’.
The of course, you get the Just Plain Weirdos. We had a tall, elegant-looking black woman come to church in hijab AND jilbab. Thats not a problem, except she introduced herself as a Christian, called herself “Il Ukht Yasmine”. Folks were their usual welcoming selves, even though it seemed a little strange. She came to Bible study and told a couple ladies off when they called her just ‘Yasmine’, that they weren’t respecting her properly. She would come over for a visit, stay all day, and announce she had no place to live and no money and God told her she would live with you! She did this several times before someone came to the church leaders to complain. When confronted, she said we were all a bunch of racists (even though it was an African family who called her on her game). Had I known the K-Town ladies then, I would’ve warned them! There is a division of American Citizen Services who make sure people like this get on a plane to go back to the US.
More from Kinzi here.
Natasha talks about the latest Ridley Scott film “Body of Lies” which revolves around Jordan and the Jordanian intelligence system, she writes:
As you might guess from the title, I was not a big fan of the film Body of Lies and I regret watching it on our fifth wedding anniversary, of all times! The reason I wanted to see it was because of its depiction of the Jordanian intelligence services as well as the fact that it takes place in Jordan.
What really annoyed me about the whole charade was the director's decision to film in Morocco and pretend it is Jordan. Who did Ridley Scott think he was fooling when he made the decision to film in Morocco and digitally insert the King Abdallah mosque in a number of shots in an attempt to make it look like Jordan? Did he expect Jordanians or people that visited the country not to notice? Or did he just not care? In addition to the fake scenery, all the extras in the movie looked North African rather than Jordanian. And in more than one instance I noticed Saudi car tags in the streets of “Jordan.”
More from Natasha, here.

author: Mohammad Azraq


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Korea: US$100bn Package for Stabilizing the Market · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

South Korea's government has agreed to guarantee foreign-currency borrowing by the country's banks to help stabilize financial markets. The announcement doesn’t bring positive views from netizens. The netizens also have different interpretations.
불과 금요일까지만 해도 정부의 은행지급보증은 일말의 가능성에 불과했다. 유럽에서 너도 나도 지급보증 들어가서 지급보증이 멍멍이 짖는 소리처럼 들리는 판국인 데, 지급보증은 최악의 모럴 해저드를 의미한다. 이미 공적자금 투입때부터 미국은 모럴 해저드이긴 하지만 우리는 아직 그런 상황도 아니고, 소문여하에 따라 뱅크런이 일어나면 100% 국민의 세금으로 떠넘겨질 정부지급보증을 할 정도는 아니라고 본다. 근데 애초에 이 얘기가 나왔던 건 저번 주 S&P의 한국신용등급에 대한 썰이었다. 무슨 얘기냐 하면, 한국 7개은행의 유동성이 무척 불안하니까 두 달 후에 신용등급 낮출지도 모른다고 얘기를 꺼내면서 한국 니들도 은행 100% 지급보증 안서주면 신용등급 낮출 수도 있다는 식으로 보도됐다. 이건 그냥 협박이다. 지급보증 안서주면 신용등급 얄짤없다는 얘기. 외국인들의 예금 보호를 위해 적극적으로 나서지 않으면 국물도 없다는 거다. 과연 일개 사기업이 국가를 협박하는 현 상황이 온당한가? 바꿔 말하면 무디스와는 샤바샤바할 정도로 입심이 강했던 한국정부가 S&P의 파워에는 그냥 굴복했다는 말이 된다.[…]
After this post was on Agora [a netizens’ discussion channel at a major portal site], the government authority, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, also used this site in order to have communications.
[대한민국 정부가 신용평가사에 협박당하지는 않습니다]
우리 정부가 국제적인 신용평가사인 스탠더드&푸어스(S&P)의 신용등급 하락 협박을 받고 은행권 외채 지급보증 정책을 발표했다는 ‘코끼리손’님의 글은 전혀 사실이 아니기에 다음과 같이 정부 입장을 밝힙니다.
첫째, 정부가 은행의 대외채무에 대해 지급보증을 하게 된 것은 금융위기 극복을 위한 국제공조의 일환입니다. 미국, 유럽, 호주 등 주요국이 자국 금융기관을 보호하기 위한 조치를 취한 상태에서 우리 정부 역시 우리 금융기관이 상대적인 불이익을 받지 않도록 신속히 대응할 필요가 있었습니다.
둘째, 우리 금융기관은 미국이나 유럽 금융기관과 달리 투자손실로 인한 자본잠식 상태가 아닙니다. 따라서 은행이 채무를 이행하지 못해 정부가 대지급을 할 가능성이 거의 없으며, 국민의 세금부담으로 돌아가는 경우 역시 없을 것입니다
셋째, 정부가 국제신용평가기관인 S&P와 무디스의 압력에 굴복해서 금번 조치를 취했다는 주장은 전혀 근거가 없습니다. 금번 조치는 정부가 현 경제상황을 고려해서 국익을 보호하기 위해 내린 결정이었음을 말씀드립니다.
앞으로도 정부는 미국발 금융위기가 우리 경제에 미치는 영향을 최소화하기 위해 최선을 다하도록 하겠습니다
아울러 일부 외신이나 투자은행 등의 한국경제에 대한 악의적 보도나 언급은 자본의 이익과 관련된 특정한 의도를 갖고있을 수 있기에 네티즌 여러분의 신중한 판단을 당부드립니다.
= 기획재정부 =
The government would like to announce that we didn’t decide to provide foreign currency payment guarantees because Standard & Poor’s threatened to downgrade the credit rating as ‘koggirison’ said.
First, the reason why the government decided to provide foreign currency payment guarantees about bank debts is in order to overcome the economic crisis as mutual assistance in international society. Major countries, such as the US, Europe and Australia, have been through this process in order to protect financial institutions of their own countries. It was necessary for the government to swiftly react this way in order not to take disadvantages.
Second, compared to financial institutions of the US and Europe, our financial institutions are not submerged due to investment losses. Therefore, it is not going to happen that banks can’t perform debts and therefore the government has to pay instead. In the end, it will not be covered by public tax.
Third, the rumor that the government surrendered to the threat of the S&P and Moodys is baseless. Considering the current economic situations, the government made a decision in order to protect national benefits.
The government will do the best, so that economic crisis that started from America will influence our economy as least as possible. Ill-intentioned reports and reference from foreign news and investment banks can be related to profits for their own sakes. Therefore we would like to ask netizens to make prudent judgments.
Ministry of Strategy and Finance
Extremely negative views are shown as well.
이번 1000억 달러 지급 보증은 은행 부실 실토이자 오히려 우리 정부의 마지막 패를 보여준 거란다…….안해도 되는 일, 해도 꺼꾸로 하는 일이 자꾸 반복되면서…. 결국 외국인들 손바닥위에서  춤추는 거지………
아니………생각을 해 보자고……… 한국이 무슨 외환 보유고가 중국이나 일본처럼 1조 달러가 넘어가는 수준도 아니고………. 단기외채가 1200억달러가 넘어가는데 1천억달러는 3년간 정부 지급 보증??? 외국인들이 웃는다는군……지금 코메디 하자는 거냐고… 이게 가능할려면 매달 무역 수지흑자가 최소 50억 달러 이상은 나와야 가능하다는데 뭔 놈의 수로 지금같이 어려운때 매달 무역 수지를 50억 달러 이상씩  올리냐???
한 마디로 말장난이지………..[…]이미  한국의 외환보유고는   낭떠러지위에  매달려 있다는 거지…오늘  정부는  우리 모두에게  고백한거야…그럼 우리는???????????뒤도 안 돌아보고   몸조심…….. 튀어야지!!!! 무조건 현금 갖고 튀어라~~~~~~~~~~~
Think about it. Foreign exchange holdings of Korea are not the level of having more than 1,000 billion dollars like China and Japan… Short term foreign debt is more than 120 billion dollars. At this moment, the government will provide 100 billion dollar payment guarantees for three years??? Others are laughing… It’s a comedy. If this is feasible, trade account surplus every month should be at least more than 5 billion dollars. How can this be possible in such a difficult time? It’s nonsense… […]That is, it shows that foreign exchange holdings of Korea is hanging over a cliff… Today, the government confessed to us. Then how about us????? We should run away!!! Run away with cash~~~~~~
Many netizens are interested in the reaction of the government to a netizen’s opinion.
[…]재정부가 아고라의 글들을 그렇게 꼼꼼히 모니터링하고 있는줄을 몰랐다. 그거 아니더라도 할일이 태산같을텐데……재정부의 정보와 시스템에는 위험신호가 아고라로부터 나온다고 판단하고 있는지….. 재정부의 변명에는 중요한 사실을 빼놓고 있다는것이다.(의도적인 냄새가 남..) 정부의 지급보증을 하는 국가들은 재정부말대로 자국의 투자 금융기관들의 손실에 대한 전보적 성격의 것이다. 그것은 미국의 구제금융과 금리하락등의 팽창정책에 대응하는 전략의 일환으로 볼수있다. 물론, 미국 이외의 다른 나라의 경우 추락한 달러가치 보다 상대적으로 덜 떨어졌다.
그러나 우리는 아주 다르다. 재정부의 변명대로 우리금융기관의 자산건전성은 문제가 아니더라도 현재 대한민국의 금융시장을 얼어붙게 하는 귀하신 달러는 증시와 채권시장을 이탈하는 셀코리아때문이다.
셀코리아의 원인은 여러가지지만,현집권세력인 정부와 한나라당의 책임이 막중하다 할것이다. 물론 변명을 하고 있는 당사자도 현정부와 정치적인 관련이 있는 인사일가능성이 크다.
그리고….세계적 금융위기에 대응하는 세계의 전략이란 부제로3번에 은행국유화를 들고 있는데, 이건 좀 그렇다…이명박 정권과 한나라당의 정책 방향은 재벌의 은행 소유를 가능케하는 금산분리 완화등과 산업은행 민영화등 국유화가 아니라 민영화가 아니었던가…..? 통화스왑은 거의 물건너 간것같고……
금리인하….이것도 이해못할것이 지금 정부가 지급보증을 하는것도 외환시장의 불안때문이 아니던가…?
유독 대한민국의 원화가치가 폭락을 하며 외환시장의 불안을 가중시키고 있는 상황에 금리인하를 하면 어떻게 되겠는가…?
정부의 지급보증….
소식에 우선은 외환시장에서 환율이 잦아드는것 같다. 그러나 그것은 언발에 오줌눟기에 지나지 않는다는 것을 정부당국자들도 알고 있을것이다. 설령 당장은 달러의 수급에 안정을 기할수있더라도, 차후의 고환율등 외환시장의 불안이 재현될 가능성이 훨씬 높아진다는것이다. 세계적인 경기침체에 경상수지 흑자를 기대할 수 없을 뿐더러  국내적으로 내수침체. 신뢰를 잃은 나머지 자본수지마져 긍정적으로 기대할 수 없다.또 커져가고 있는 금융위기의 이면 싸움과 이명박 정권과 한나라당의 스텐스에서 오는 한반도 리스크의 증가는 외환시장의 불안에 박차를 가할것이다.
However, our case is different. The reason why US dollars became rare in the money market of Korea is due to the ‘Sell Korea’ symptom that investors leave securities markets and bond markets. Then why does this happen? There are several reasons, but the main reason is because of the current government and the Grand National Party. Even the man who is explaining of the necessity of the payment guarantees might be closely related to the current government.
The government emphasizes that banks should be nationalized as a global strategy. It doesn’t make sense. Did their policies focus on privatization? They emphasized the division of financial capital and industrial capital so that chaebol (conglomerates) can own banks and privatization of the Industrial Bank of Korea. How about currency swap?
Reduction of interest… what I can’t understand is that the government said the reason why they have to perform the payment guarantees is due to instability of foreign exchange markets. Now the value of Korean money has been declining heavily and it weights instability of foreign exchange markets. Under these circumstances, is the reduction of interest necessary?
Payment guarantees of the government…
This news seems to bring more stable foreign exchange rate in the market. However, the government even knows that this is like peeing on your frozen feet. Right away, it can generate stability of dollars, but there would be the higher possibility that instability of foreign exchange markets will reoccur. During the economic recession all over the world, it is impossible to expect current account surplus. In addition, due to stagnation of domestic consumption, we can’t see the positive view at present. Increasing tension inside due to financial crisis and increase of the risk of the Korean peninsula due to the current government and the GNP might bring more instability to foreign exchange markets.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Malaysia: Era of contaminated food · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

After the China milk scandal, Jewelle notes that in Malaysia some popular food brands are also allegedly contaminated. Are we living in the era of contaminated food?


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Malaysian Media Council: Double handcuffs or media freedom? · Global Voices
Daniel Chandranayagam

Amidst a number of recent journalistic blunders, Malaysia’s Home Minister, Syed Hamid Albar, announced that the government has full intention of establishing a national media policy, together with a regulatory body over Malaysian media. Syed Hamid said that that a policy is currently being drafted and also that the foundations of a National Media Council is being established.
Syed Hamid’s announcement is notwithstanding long-held objections by journalists, activists and civil society groups.
The government has not been precise on why a National Media Council and policy should be implemented. The purpose for setting up a Media Council in 2001, according to the then Information Parliamentary Secretary, Zainuddin Maidin, was so that journalists remain sensitive to the political and social scenarios, and to enable chief editors to contend with bigger problems.
Meanwhile, the opposition in 2001 wanted an “independent high-powered Media Council” to promote free and responsible press, with powers to expose all instances of irresponsible foreign and local reporting.
Going on this premise, Malaysia might possibly need a media policy and a regulatory body, as there has been allegations of several alleged breaches of journalistic ethics this year alone, including non-verification of facts and alleged hate journalism.
Bloggers, including former premier, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, are less than convinced. According to the Malaysia Update blog, Dr Mahathir said:
“It is not necessary. It is up to the media. If you deal in a lot of rumour and speculation, then you will not sell newspapers.”
He added that the media should be self-regulating.
A commenter on Malaysia Today, the website of detained blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, said:
“No point having national media council if the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the broadcast restriction using Multimedia Commission is not lifted. Contrary to TDM [Tun Dr Mahathir], it still won't be self regulation if all these laws are in place. Of course, TDM may not think so because he does not subscribe to the view that these provisions stifle the press as they are still able to criticise him when he was in power.
“Anyway, the point of having the media commission is not to punish people like Malaysiakini, but rather [to] ensure objective reporting of [the] like[s] [of] NST [New Straits Times] and Utusan Melayu. It should definitely not be a place to seek remedy for defamation because that would be duplicating the function of the court.”
In fact, Home Minister Syed Hamid has been non-committal about the abolition of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA), which requires anyone seeking to publish or print to obtain a licence from government. According to Malaysiakini, more than 900 journalists had signed a petition for the repeal of the licensing provisions under the PPPA.
Blogger, Masterwordsmith, had a ten-point response on her blog. She questions the need to “waste government resources/taxpayers’ money by creating a media council as another regulatory authority over the print media”.
Mastwordsmith also asks why nothing has been done about the short story written by Chamil Wariya in the Malay language newspaper, Mingguan Malaysia, which allegedly incites the public towards violence against a Member of Parliament. Chamil Wariya, is the president of the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI), which is said to be assisting in the formulation of the proposed Media Council and Policy.
Blogger Kean-Jin Lim, a Malaysian working in Finland, stated, in response to Syed Hamid’s citing the UK as having a press council:
“Min[i]ster used UK as example in this case. They told us before we should not learn from Western world. Now, they gave you example from Western world. Selective choice isn’t it? We see many complaints made to several commissions we already have; however, the outcome so far?”
It also appears that most new media are unaware of the ‘new media policy’. Blogger and now politician, Jeff Ooi, stated at a forum on Blogging and Defamation that most of the online press he had spoken to only found out about this development through the press. Ooi added at the forum that having a media council would be like being “double hand-cuffed”.
It should be noted that a survey conducted by Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and Merdeka Center on media independence, 35% of the respondents said the government should play the most important role in improving media independence in Malaysia. Furthermore, the media is seen by some members of the public as important. For example, PJ Moorthy, ends his post on the issue on his blog, on this note:
“Perhaps, then if the proposed National Media Council actually did cover the blogosphere, then maybe… these personal opinion maestros of the blogs might just succumb to authority. As it is, the likes of [anonymous] bloggers will continue to mesmerize their readers with imagined fowls and miraged post men with their fairy tales!
This writer believes that these personal pages (otherwise known as Blogs) remain….oh so personal and should not be looked at as THE SOURCE for news.”
However, the idea for a Media Council has been mooted for many years. Only time will tell when it will be established and how effective it will be in its role of regulating media in Malaysia.

author: Daniel Chandranayagam


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Nicaragua: Student Frustrations · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Diego Renan writes about the frustrations of some students at the Central American University in Nicaragua [es], including the inaccessibility for handicapped students, who have classes on floors without elevators or ramps.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Palestine: No security  · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

In Gaza, Sameh Habeeb talks to a young girl who witnessed her father and brothers being beaten by Israeli soldiers: “In all cultures the father of the family represents safety and security to the family. The Israeli soldiers routinely rob Palestinian fathers of their role.”


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Paraguay: Lugo Set to Visit Bush at the White House · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo is set to visit the White House and President George W. Bush next week.  With Bush on his way out,  Pepa Kostianovsky of De Pe a Pa [es] doesn't see the point and wonders why even make the long trip north [es].


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Peru: New Terrorist Attack by Shining Path Guerrillas · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Silvio Rendón of Lapicero Digital [es] writes about the recent attack by Shining Path guerrillas against a military group in Vizcatán in the department of Huancavelica department that left 15 dead.

author: Juan Arellano


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Philippines: 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Congratulations to the organizers and participants of the 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit in General Santos City. Mindanao is the Philippines’ second biggest island.


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Saudi Arabia: Creating a modern mix · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Saudi blogger Hala wonders about Canadian activist Irshad Manji, who is lesbian, feminist, and Muslim: “Some choose to create a modern mix of their original values and their new ones, thus reaching a comfort zone that can enable them to access both societies with agreeable levels, but how far can you mix the different cultures and beliefs?”


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Saudi Arabia: Funding Increased for Scholarships  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Will students on government scholarships have their stipends increased? Ahmed Al Shumrani [Ar], from Saudi Arabia, hopes so.


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Scenes from the Kuwait Stock Exchange  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Mark, from Kuwait, shares those scenes from the Kuwait Stock Exchange.


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Southeast Asia: Film entries to the Oscars · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Bisean lists the film entries of Southeast Asian countries to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the Oscars.


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Turkey: Blogger.com Blocked  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Blogger.com is now blocked in Turkey, announces TurkeyTalk. This follows the blocking of WordPress and YouTube, following court orders.


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Ukraine: Politics Versus the Economy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukraine's tumultuous internal politics has long stood in the way of the country's economic development – and even now, at the time of an economic crisis, there seems to be no sign of respite.
Throughout the past week, Edward Hugh of Ukraine Economy Watch has been reporting on the repeated downgrades of Ukraine's rankings by Moody's (Oct. 20), Fitch (Oct. 21), and Standard & Poor's (Oct. 24). But on Tuesday, Oct. 21, Ukraine at least seemed to be “on the point of signing a loan worth as much as $15 billion with the International Monetary Fund.” By the end of the week, however, on Friday, Oct. 24, the situation seemed to have changed, largely due to lack of political will, according to Edward Hugh:
[…] Meanwhile Ukraine parliament chairman Arseniy Yatsenyuk told a packed chamber that Ukraine's talks to secure credit from the International Monetary Fund could collapse unless the parliament acts to pass the measures needed to ease the effects of the global financial crisis.
“It is very important for us to achieve results in a vote on the financial crisis,” Arseniy Yatsenyuk told the chamber, which was deadlocked for the fourth day, after adjourning debate on the issue until next week.
“Bang, Boing, Crash” I think must be the sort of background noises they can detect rudely inter-rupting them from the street outside as one piece of financial scaffolding after another falls away from the building it had been momentarily holding up while they trundle on with their interminable debate about their endangered country's short term future.
An International Monetary Fund mission has been holding talks for more than a week in Kiev on extending credit that Ukrainian officials say could amount to up to $14 billion. Yatsenyuk said no consensus could be reached on six draft laws to tackle the crisis, including a package proposed by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's government.
[…]
Parliament has been thrown into disarray over proposals to combine debate on the crisis with measures to finance an early election called by President Viktor Yushchenko. Tymoshenko, at odds for months with the president, opposes the election and members of her bloc have milled about the chairman's rostrum to curtail debate.
The president dissolved parliament this month and called a Dec. 7 election to the assembly after the collapse of a government team linked to the 2004 “Orange Revolution”. He lifted the dissolution order this week and said he was putting the election back for a week to Dec. 14. It remains unclear when the poll will take place.
LEvko of Foreign Notes wrote that while PM Yulia Tymoshenko thought that holding “early elections during a world financial crisis [would] be a crime against the state” and deputy head of the Central Electoral Commission Andriy Mahera “claimed that it would be impossible to hold early parliamentary elections before 21st December,” president Victor Yushchenko believed that “a new coalition and government [would] be formed by January 1st 2009.” LEvko summarized the situation this way:
[…] Recent political history in Ukraine, drawn out, tortuous negotiations in forming parliamentary coalitions, their instability, and recent opinion polls on how any future parliament would stack up, all suggest [president Yushchenko] is out of touch with reality. […]
In another post at Foreign Notes, LEvko reported that Ukraine's second largest metallurgical enterprise – the Mariupol Ilyich Steel & Iron Works – has stopped production:
[…] The plant, a workers’ collective, has about 60,000 employees on its books. They have been put on ‘reduced wages’.
LEvko fears this is a significant indicator of the economic crisis facing the country – maybe the greatest in the country's short independent history. Wind-down and start up at plants such as [Ilyich Steel & Iron Works] are major operations – they cannot be switched off and on at will. There could be a possibility now that it will never restart. […]
In the comments section to this post, a reader calling himself Elmer wrote about the alleged personal spending habits of Victor Yanukovych, leader of the Party of Regions, and Rinat Akhmetov, a Party of Regions MP and the richest man of Europe:
I wonder if [Yanukovych] will have to reduce or stop work on his HUGE mansion, “Mezhihirya,” or if [Yanukovych] and Akhmetov will have to cut back on their jets and limos and expensive vans and such.
And Ukrainian MPs do indeed seem to be concerned about the effect that the current crisis may have on their personal finances, as some of them seem to have rushed along with everyone else to withdraw their savings from Ukrainian banks, urging Oleksandr Suhonyako, president of the Association of Ukrainian Banks, to issue this appeal, translated from Ukrainian by Taras of Ukrainiana:
[…] There’s only one thing left for us to do: to be real citizens and to ask… perhaps even MPs will heed the call that…don’t run, don't demand, don't use it to withdraw your deposits before the maturity date. Be an example. […] because the absence of panic is prerequisite for our Ukrainian society to weather this crisis and solidify.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Working in Brunei · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

What are some of the advantages of working in Brunei: “peace, no income tax, heavily subsidized petrol price, excellent education facilities for the kids and one of the lowest inflation rate in the region.”


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Yemen: 40 People Killed in Torrential Rain Storm  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

More than 40 people have been killed and about 30 are missing in Yemen after torrential rain hit Hadhramout.
Writing at Moments In Words From Hadhramout, Omar Barsawad brings us the story.
Traveling in and around Hadhramout is not safe and can be dangerous, at the moment. For the last three days, it has been raining continuously in most parts of Hadhramout, Mahra and Shabwa; at times, the rain is heavy but for the most part, it's continuously drizzling. This is no good at all.
In our Arab custom, we celebrate rain – a blessing from God. Barsawad explains:
People, especially Bedouins, celebrate when it rains; as that means water. Water: which in such a dry place like here, is so precious and a luxury to many. But when it rains this heavily and so continuously, it causes only problems; sometimes causing extensive damage and many times – it takes lives.
He further adds:
With the earth here not that porous, torrents of floods are now sweeping in several places; as of today: several bridges, houses cultivated lands – have been swept away by the floods. Many roads are now impassable; including the main road from Al Mukalla to the Wady, inland. Within the Wady itself, many villages and towns have now been cut off from each other by flooded or swept away roads. As the rains are forecast to continue for the next few days, there will undoubtedly be more destruction; very hopefully, no lives will be lost.
Sadly this wasn't the case – and many people have lost their lives. According to Reuters:
Floods killed 41 people and around 31 are missing in Yemen after torrential rain left swathes of the impoverished country under water, President Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Saturday.
Around 1,700 homes have been destroyed, he said, displacing hundreds of families in the floods that swept the southeastern provinces of Hadramout and Mahra following 30 hours of heavy rainfall.
Barsawad cautions people travelling in the region, saying:
Any one traveling around, must take extreme care. It's very easy to be swept away by floods; most people who lose their lives from floods, are those who are ignorant about what it can do here, or those who are reckless. It's most advisable to listen to what elderly locals say; they know best. Wherever one is, if the locals advise against traveling further or in a certain direction, it's best and safe to listen. Never cross any flooded road however still the water seems or safe it looks – unless many people are already crossing that road. Never park or stay long in a valley; try to keep on upper grounds.
In an email to Global Voices Online, Barsawad writes:
There's no electricity or piped running water in most of Al Mukalla; and the Internet is very slow and shuts down most of the time – from late Wednesday to yesterday, I didn't have any Internet connection. For me to write that last post, I had to do so on Word and then quickly copy and paste in my blog and get all the links done within minutes.
This morning the sun is shining brightly, and Insha Allah (by the will of God) water will dry up. The biggest problem now here, is in Wady Hadhramout (where there are now thousands of people who have fled their homes – including my relatives. I am afraid when all is finally assessed the damage will be huge and the death toll will rise. As you know, most houses in Wady Hadhramout are built of mud – with the heavy rain, floods and pools of standing water, many houses are simply melting down; and as the villages and towns are cut off from each other, supplies like vegetables and other essentials becomes a problem too (as most shops are closed). Anyway with the President here now, I am sure all will be done swiftly to get things back to normal.
Our prayers with our friends in Hadhramout at this difficult time.