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Haiti: Party Confusion  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Wadner Pierre reports that as the election draws closer for twelve seats in the Haitian Senate, “the Fanmi Lavalas (FL) party (the electoral vehicle of the Lavalas movement) has divided into two factions” and he believes that the Provisional Electoral Council “must decide which faction has the better claim to represent FL in the elections.”


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International Women’s Day: “All women are queens” · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Yesterday was International Women's Day, and francophone bloggers around the world used music, poetry and art to honor the beauty, achievements, and continuing struggles of women.
In Martinique, Imaniyé [Fr] marks International Women's Day by posting this video by Senegalese singer, Ismael Lo:
In a video slideshow, Fontenay d'Avenir writes, “women have long fallen prey to the violence of this world” [Fr] and while she isn't necessarily opposed to a women's day, she doesn't see that it has changed anything.
Antonia Neyrins blogs on a plane between Benin and France.  She posts the Alicia Keyes music video, “Superwoman,” and writes:
Je pense à toutes les femmes dont les droits élémentaires ne sont toujours pas respectés en 2009, toutes celles qui doivent lutter pour protéger et nourrir leurs enfants, trouver un logement et travailler, toutes celles qui sont victimes de violences conjugales, de violences ou de mutilations sexuelles ou toutes celles qui sont victimes d'atrocités commises au nom d'une guerre ou d'un intégrisme religieux, quel qu'il soit.
Je pense aussi à toutes les femmes épanouies au bras d'un homme (ou d'une femme) qu'elles aiment et qui les aime, qui ont réussi à trouver un équilibre entre leur vie de femme, de mère, d'épouse, d'amante, à toutes les femmes heureuses d'être nées femme.
Tout être humain équilibré et intelligent devrait souhaiter avoir près de lui un autre être humain, à son image, c'est à dire libre et epanoui.
C'est étrange en même temps cette fête, car nous sommes et restons femme tous les jours de l'année…
At the same time, this holiday is strange, because we are and we remain women every day of the year…
In Réunion, Noemie at TiBazar [Fr] posts photos of a local gathering celebrating the women of St. Paul.
And in Morocco, citoyenhmida pays hommage to women through poetry which, he writes, would not be complete without “Black woman,” by Senegalese poet and former president, Léopold Sédar Senghor:
Naked woman, black woman
Clothed with your colour which is life,
with your form which is beauty!
In your shadow I have grown up; the
gentleness of your hands was laid over my eyes.
And now, high up on the sun-baked
pass, at the heart of summer, at the heart of noon,
I come upon you, my Promised Land,
And your beauty strikes me to the heart
like the flash of an eagle.
Naked woman, dark woman
Firm-fleshed ripe fruit, sombre raptures
of black wine, mouth making lyrical my mouth
Savannah stretching to clear horizons,
savannah shuddering beneath the East Wind's
eager caresses
Carved tom-tom, taut tom-tom, muttering
under the Conqueror's fingers
Your solemn contralto voice is the
spiritual song of the Beloved.
Naked woman, dark woman
Oil that no breath ruffles, calm oil on the
athlete's flanks, on the flanks of the Princes of Mali
Gazelle limbed in Paradise, pearls are stars on the
night of your skin
Delights of the mind, the glinting of red
gold against your watered skin
Under the shadow of your hair, my care
is lightened by the neighbouring suns of your eyes.
Naked woman, black woman,
I sing your beauty that passes, the form
that I fix in the Eternal,
Before jealous fate turn you to ashes to
feed the roots of life.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Jennifer Brea


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Iran: A blog to support Ahmadinejad · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Jonbeshedavat blog is launched [fa] to invite Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to run in the next presidential election in June.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: A group of Muslim bloggers support Hoder · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

A letter was initiated by a group of Iranian Muslim bloggers inside Iran and calls on the Head of the Judiciary to act in bringing justice to Hoder, an Iranian blogger, who is now entering his fourth month in detention.


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Iran: Student activist in trouble · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

In You Tube we can see (from 3.33-4.43 min) Ali Bagheri, a student activist in Sistan University in Iran was arrested by “security forces”. He was banned from university for protesting against insecurity and authorities in the university.


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Israel: Recruiting for the war of words · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

The Israeli government has been recruiting people for online hasbara, or promotion of Israel, and Mo-ha-med, who is based in Israel, decided to sign up.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Israel Yoroba wins West African blog award · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Congratulation to Ivoirian blogger Israel Yoroba, in Dakar this week to accept an award for best blog written by a West African journalist [Fr].


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Jamaica, U.S.A.: Artist vs. Art · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“What should a black reader do if he finds out that one of his favourite authors was racist?”: Jamaican Marlon James considers the options.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Jamaica: Violence Against Women  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Abeng News Magazine reports that “the Jamaica Government has taken a step towards combating violence against women through the passage of a new Bill to create a Sexual Offences Act.”


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Mexico: Gubernatorial Candidate’s Website Similar to Obama’s Website · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

MexaBlog [es] presents gubernatorial candidate Juan Blanco for the state of Chihuahua and whose website contains a striking resemblance to the website of Barack Obama during his presidential campaign.

author: Eduardo Avila


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‘Middle India’ can make a difference · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rajesh Jain at Emergic opines that the 400 million strong Middle India, whose voices are not heard and who do not get the focus of the politicians, can make a difference in the upcoming Indian Elections.

author: Rezwan


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Nigeria: The Nominees For Naija Bloggers’ Awards Are… · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The nominees for Naija Bloggers’ Awards (Who You Be?) have been announced and the voting has begun.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Pakistan: A protest Up Close · Global Voices
Rezwan

Saad Sarfraz Sheikh at Lahore Metblogs posts some photos and first hand accounts of the protests of the workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) against the Supreme Court (SC) verdict that disqualified the Sharif brothers from contesting the general elections.


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Palestine: Giving Direct Help to Gaza · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Canadian activist Eva Bartlett, who is in Gaza, has posted a list of people who need help to whom she will pass on donations.


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Poland: Protests against Jewish WWII partisan movie · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Polandian reports on the negative reactions in Poland to a film portraying a group of Jewish partisans during World War II.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Russia: Ukrainian singer in Eurovision song contest · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Moskau Blog turns attention to [GER] the fact that Russia will be represented a singer of Ukrainian origin in this year's Eurovision song contest.


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Russia: “Unsent Letter” on Health Care · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Below is a partial translation of a post (RUS) on health care in Russia – a caustic “unsent letter” to the Russian president, written by LJ user sobe-panek on Feb. 22. The post has made it into the Top 30 at Yandex Blogs portal and was picked up by some Russian media.
[…] There is a town called Yelets in Lipetsk region. And there is the City Hospital #1 in the town of Yelets. There is a department of hemodialysis and gravitational blood surgery in this hospital. The only one in the whole town, by the way. Up until recently the department had its own room for its patients and was open 24 hours a day. Because of this, doctors and nurses were paid some extra money, in addition to their primary salaries: for working night shifts, holidays and weekends. Imagine how much the total bill ended up being. Too much money, horrible. […]
And so in summer (before any official news of the crisis, by the way), Lipetsk Regional Health Care Department found a way to save the Motherland some money. First, they took away the hemodialysis department's room, then canceled night shifts as well as Sunday and holiday shifts.
Of course, those irresponsible sick people started complaining right away. Like, they are having attacks of acute kidney failure not only on workdays from 8 AM to 5 PM, but at night, too, and even on holidays. And they started screaming that a person with kidney problems, who is having an attack on a Saturday evening, is unlikely to survive until Monday morning without hemodialysis. And they cited the recent death of a 20-year-old woman as an example. To make everyone feel sorry for them, of course…
Okay, so the woman died – failed to survive till Monday. And so what? The world has turned upside down?
Even if all the chronic patients of this department of the Yelets City Hospital die, the world isn't going to care. Because, truth be told, these patients are taking up space under the sun in vain. Judge for yourself, who needs those disabled people who are spending years waiting for kidney transplantation surgeries (which they'll never get) – no one needs them. Or those other patients of this department – drug addicts after an overdose. These are the scum of the earth, who needs them? And all those different poisoning patients? Mushroom poisoning or whatever. What do they need treatment for – it's all their fault: don't eat and drink indiscriminately.
And I'm not even talking about patients with chronic kidney failure, dear president. If these people led a healthy way of life, voted for United Russia, didn't attend the dissenters’ rallies, didn't read all kinds of oppositional nonsense, didn't sign all kinds of letters (in defense and in protest) – would their kidneys fail? Of course, not.
So yes, in summer the medical staff of this department were relieved of their night shifts and of work on weekends and holidays. What would any normal person do in such a situation? Rejoice! And they – the medical staff – what are they doing? They are outraged. And are hiding behind their patients’ interests.
Actually, what really got the medical professionals outraged were the salary cuts. What kind of cuts – ah, not a big deal at all.
Take my younger sister Anna, for example, who works as a nurse at this department, has 20 years of experience […] – before the crisis […] began, she was making about 5,000 rubles [approximately $200 a month at that time]. And now she is making 3,380 rubles [approximately $100]. What's the difference, right? No difference at all! She doesn't care whether she's making 3,400 or even 4,300, when the housing fee she has to pay is 4,200 [a month]. Even if she were making slightly over 5,000, she'd only have enough left to buy cat food.
If I were Lipetsk Regional Health Care Department, I'd be paying medical professionals no more than 1,000 rubles a month. Why would they need more? To survive till it's time for them to retire?
Look, dear president, how much money can be saved if we apply this nationwide. First, all medical professionals will die off, then all their patients will follow them. The state will at once get unbelievable profit on […]: a) money saved from salaries; b) money saved from unpaid disability payments; c) pensions; d) free medications… (Yes, yes, free – and what did you think? I don't know about other departments of this hospital, but in this hemodialysis department chronic patients are treated for free!)
Let's keep on counting: equipment, different kinds of medical devices, gloves and syringes, square meters of buildings occupied by some unneeded departments or even whole hospitals.
Why does the country need oncology clinics if cancer is incurable?
Why should our double-headed bear – sorry, slip of the tongue again – our eagle – take care of all those chronically disabled people, if they are no longer of any use to the state? And why do we need sick children? Better to give birth to new ones. Healthy ones…
Dear president, […], listen carefully to the opinion of the common folks. And pay attention to the progressive undertaking of Lipetsk Regional Health Care Department. And maybe we'll not just be able to overcome this damn crisis, but will come out of it with some profit.
[…]
UPD. I wrote this letter and was about to send it off (not in LJ, of course, but much further), but decided at the last moment to let my sister know.
So I called her. Warned her.
She says: “Are you crazy? They'll fire me!”
So what, I tell her, let them fire you. What are you losing? Three thousand rubles? It's not a salary, it's a humiliation. I'm ready to pay you 5,000, just to keep them from wiping their feet on you.
And my sister replies: You don't understand anything. I LOVE MY JOB VERY MUCH. I can't live without it. It has nothing to do with my salary…
Daaaaaamn!
The only thing left to do is [shrug]. It's also possible to be happy. For the country. For its president. And, separately, for Lipetsk Regional Health Care Department. And for Yelets medical professionals. And, of course, for Yelets chronic kidney disease patients…
P.S. Dear president, please, I'm begging you: cancel salaries for medical professionals all together. And please force some nurses (my sister, for example) to pay from their own pockets for the right to go to work. Because otherwise nothing will change in our country. Never.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Senegal: A new documentary: Democracy in Dakar · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ethan reviews a new documentary titled, Democracy In Dakar, “It’s not just a portrait of a country’s vibrant music scene – it’s the complicated story of how hiphop emerged as a political force in Senegal, and how that force has been both empowered and thwarted in recent elections.”


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Sri Lanka: TamilNet On and Off · Global Voices
Rezwan

ICT For PeaceBuilding (ICT4PEACE) reported that TamilNet, a pro-LTTE news site was once again accessible after being blocked inside Sri Lanka in June 2007. But the good news only lasted 12 hours as it was blocked once again, the blog informs.


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Syria: Documentary Film Festival · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Donatella Della Ratta, an Italian researcher on media in the Arab world, has been attending Dox Box 2009, a creative documentary film festival in Damascus.


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Uganda: How Long Will Ugandans Live On Hope…And Silence? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“It seems Ugandans have resorted to complaining privately,” writes Ugandan blogger Rosebell. She asks, “How long will Ugandan live on hope?”


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Uganda:  The Devil’s Bonfire: The Season Finale · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“The girl rolled her eyes provocatively at Simon and beckoned him with one finger,” begins the season finale of Ugandan blog series, The Devil's Bonfire, by Ugandan blogger Carsozy.


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Ukraine: Political conflict turning into battle? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

foreign notes turns attention to a TV-interview where a high-ranking Ukrainian security service (SBU) official threatens to use force to obtain documents pertaining to the current conflict over gas in a fight over political and economic influence.


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USA: Native American Consultation Policy · Global Voices
Simon Maghakyan

UOB says Native Americans will now advise U.S. Department of Homeland Security on issues concerning American Indians. The policy has been created by new Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

author: Simon Maghakyan


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The Status Of Women In Nepal · Global Voices
Rezwan

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day Birat Simha at Nepali Perspectives.. comments on the status of women in Nepal: “Until we can accept the fact that all babies, whether male or female, are born equal and have equal rights, the status of Nepali women will continue to be defiled.”


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Zimbabwe: Media Blackout On Opposition Ministers? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

What will the the future of the relationship between journalists and the opposition in Zimbabwe?, “Zimbabwe journalists left The Avenues clinic in Harare where human rights activists are being admitted because two MDC ministers wanted them out. Finance minister Tendai Biti and ICT minister Nelson Chamisa had ordered the journalists out of the hotel.”


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Zimbabwe: Will Morgan Tsvangirai Attend Wife’s Funeral? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Morgan Tsvangirai may not be back in the country for the burial of his wife in Buhera on Wednesday, writes Zimbabwean blogger Denford Magora.


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Americas: Celebrating Women’s Day · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Bloggers from across Latin America also commemorated International Women's Day with posts about the day which is celebrated every March 8 throughout the world.  Some also took the opportunity to reflect on some of the issues facing women, but also featured initiatives that are working to alleviate some of these problems.
Parloteando [es] from Medellín, Colombia examines why and how some people observe the day:
Cada quien tendría razones para festejar, pero no podemos enorgullecernos del tinte comercial que ha tenido los últimos años esta fecha…la mayoría de nosotras no sabemos de donde sale la iniciativa de esta celebración. Solo nos preocupamos de lo material, de que nos regalaran  o quien nos regale algo, de arreglarnos para la gente que nos mira ese día, de quien nos recuerda y hasta de quien no lo recordó, pero es hora que nosotras mismas nos regalemos algo…sí…algo como: respeto por nuestra feminidad, pasión por lo que hacemos, responsabilidad en nuestros actos, y ante todo dignidad para seguir siendo MUJERES.
Each person has his or her reasons for celebrating, but we cannot be proud of the commercial tone that has been taken in the past several years… the majority of us don't know where this celebration comes from.  We just worry about the material goods, what we are given as presents or who gives us presents, of making ourselves up for those that will see us on that day, of who remembers us and even those who don't remember us, but now is the time where we give ourselves something…yes, something like: respect for our own femininity, passion for what we do, responsibility for our own actions, and above all, dignity to continue to be WOMEN.
For many, respect and the recognition of women should not be something that is limited to one day, and as Remolacha [es] from the Dominican Republic writes as a headline [es], “Women's Day Should Be Every Day.” Mariolo of Asi ta’l mundo, Botija [es] written from Uruguay also echoes this sentiment and writes Happy 365 Days.
Some of the issues that women in Latin America face deal with development. The blogger from Peru es Babel [es] writes that providing health care and education to everyone is at the top of the list. There are also serious issues involving violence against women.
This ongoing concern for issues directly affecting women is something that Jose R Sosa focuses on throughout the Dominican Republic. He writes about some troubling statistics [es].
En lo que va de año, 8 mujeres han sido asesinadas por la violencia de los agresores.
En los últimos 36 meses, 500 mujeres han sido muertas de forma violenta por los hombres que se siguen creyendo dueñas de ellas.
¿No es una cuota muy alta para conmemorarla hoy sólo con aplausos y flores?
So far this year, 8 women have been murdered by violence.
In the past 36 months, 500 women have been violently killed by men who still think that they are their owners
Isn't this too high of a number to only commemorate it with applause and flowers?
However, Sosa introduces us to different organizations and public service announcements for the prevention of domestic violence against women. He publishes photographs of some of these posters and billboards including one that utilizes the Dominicans’ love of the sport of baseball. The slogan features a baseball player with the words, “I only hit a baseball….never a woman.”
In Peru, blogger Susana Villarán also presents some alarming data about the state of women in the Peruvian region of San Martín [es]:
Es una región en la que la tasa de mortalidad materna es de 30 por cada 100,000 nacidos vivos, donde el índice de analfabetismo es muy alto en las mujeres de las zonas más pobres en el área rural de San Martín, en la que la cobertura educativa en la primera infancia es de solamente 5%, donde han elegido una sola alcaldesa, en la que los niveles de violencia física, sicológica y sexual son preocupantes…
It is a region where the maternal mortality rate is 30 for every 100,000 live births, where the rate of illiteracy is very high for women in the poorest areas of the San Martín countryside, where the educational coverage for the first infancy is only 5%, where only one woman mayor has been elected, where the levels of physical, psychological and sexual violence are alarming…
However, she writes about the Regional Plan of Equal Opportunities 2009-2015 that is being implemented in the region with the help of a network of women leaders that number 4,000 in 8 provinces. She writes that this plan is an “essential tool to achieve high levels of equality and for the women of San Martín to enjoy their rights.”
The site Flickr is also being utilized to honor women, and Venezuelan photographer David Luna created a group called Mujeres de Venezuela (Women of Venezuela) to feature portraits of women across the diverse country.  One photographer, Jesus Molina wrote a note to accompany this photograph:
Photo by Jesus Molina and used under a CC license http://www.flickr.com/photos/jesusmolina/3337482708/in/pool-mujeresdevenezuela/
Desde aquí mi apoyo a todas las mujeres que luchan cada día por la igualdad de género, aunque muchos piensen que es sencillamente imposible.
From here, I support all women that fight everyday for gender equality, even though many think that it is simply impossible.
In another diverse country, Cristina Quisbert of Bolivia Indigena [es] honors the indigenous women of El Alto, Bolivia, who can be often seen with the traditional textile called the aguayo that are used to carry goods and their children:
Muchos y muchas de nosotros de seguro que hemos recorrido kilómetros y kilómetros cargados en un multicolor aguayo sobre las espaldas de nuestras madres. Hoy, como ayer, muchas son las mujeres que recorren las calles de El Alto, del área rural o de otras ciudades, ya sea trabajando o participando de las actividades ciudadanas.
Many of us surely have traveled kilometers and kilometers being carried in a multi-colored aguayo on the backs of our mothers.  Today, like past days, many women walk the streets of El Alto, from the rural areas or from other cities, working or participating in other activities.
On behalf of the team from Global Voices Online Latin America, we honor women across the region and the entire world.


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Barbados: Race Relations  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living in Barbados discusses the issue of race.


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Cambodia: Foreign aid continues during economic crisis  · Global Voices
Chhunny Chhean

Reports of foreign aid to Cambodia continue despite the global economic crisis.  CAAI News Media shares news that the United States will give Cambodia $21 million USD over four years in a program to alleviate poverty in rural parts of the country.
According to a story posted by Cambodian News, the U.S. provided a total of $5.6 million USD in aid in 2008.
On the issue of foreign aid, Socheata Vong posts an interview from the Phnom Penh Post with political commentator Lao Mong Hay where he says,
“…[F]oreign aid basically serves foreign policy. Look at the American government. So long as recipient countries pursue policies in conformity with American foreign policy, they will give aid.
Mr. Semoun and Hort Sroeu post about South Korean investment into Cambodia. Sroeu's blog states:
In 2007, Cambodia became the 6th biggest host of South Korean investment after China, the U.S., China’s Hong Kong region, Vietnam and Malaysia, [South Korean ambassador to Cambodia Shin Hyun-suk] said…Initially, South Korean investment was concentrated on the garment manufacturing sector, he said, adding that banking, agro-industry, manufacturing, real estate development and IT sectors are the dominating fields of South Korean investment in Cambodia now.
However, the country must deal with projected decreases in garment exports and tourism.  As Khmer Young reports,
Cambodia's economy [is predicted] to shrink 0.5 percent this year, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday.  That is a big turnaround from the 4.8 percent growth the IMF had forecast in November.
The International Monetary Fund statement is available here.

author: Chhunny Chhean


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Caribbean: Message for Rihanna · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Rihanna/Chris Brown headlines have been capturing the interest of bloggers Caribbean-wide recently, not only because Rihanna is Barbados-born and bred, but because the whole issue of domestic abuse hits really close to home.
Adding insult to injury for most bloggers are rumours that the pair have not only reunited, but allegedly got married, prompting Cheese-on-bread!, a Barbadian blog that has long been an avid Rihanna supporter, to write a post highlighting “six reasons why Rihanna would marry Chris Brown”:
1) She wanted to see Chris Brown in a suit. Granted, it's the most mature I've seen him look, since he often looks as though he's dressed by a group of deranged Sesame Street muppets. That suit would look real nice with a pair of handcuffs though…
5) She's getting bad advice. Already proven.
The blogger goes on to say:
All last week the net was inundated with stories of her being back with Brown, married to Brown, pregnant for Brown, beating up Brown first and to be honest I'm over trying to figure out the truth from the lies.
I think the biggest problem with this drama is that both Rihanna and Chris Brown's publicists are spinning out of control. A lot of bs is being slung and I fear it's all for ‘operation save Chris Brown's career’ and not for Rihanna's benefit.
Trinidadian blogger This Beach Called Life is of the opinion that Brown will likely hit Rihanna again:
This was obviously no simple beating.  I am no expert but I think Mr Brown will hit again and he may hit harder and choke longer next time.  The message Rihanna is sending to domestic violence victims is that it wasn’t so bad. The message she is sending to abusers like Chris Brown is give her your best shot.
There is palpable disappointment in the regional blogosphere over the pop star's apparent unwillingness – or inability – to be a spokesperson for domestic violence.  Another Trinidad and Tobago-based blogger, Attillah Springer, writes a stirring letter to Rihanna:
I don’t know if my words will have any effect on you, but I feel like I have to say it.  The scary thing is that we are so comfortable with violence that your fans can get over Chris Brown’s behaviour. They say, small ting. Everybody has to get licks some time.
This is a country where we make a lot of excuses for men’s violence against women. This is a country where little girls can be abducted, raped, killed and then you hear people call in to radio stations and condemn them for being too ‘fresh’.
This scares me, Rihanna. Especially since women like you are role models. The epitome of this bizarre construct called modern woman. You, the post feminist self-determined Barbie, who have money, a top career, men the world over who practically worship you and thighs to make the rest of us women die of jealousy. You who are all these things can’t possibly accept such behaviour from a man.
I fear that the news of your return to your abuser sets a bad precedent to all the Caribbean girls becoming women who admire you, your rise to fame, your spectacular claiming of Hollywood. You, a regular Bajan girl that could be any regular other girl from any regular other island.
She adds:
We have this way of thinking that doesn’t always take reason into consideration, because we think we’re in love. We would rather take the occasional licks than lonely nights or trying to find someone else to love us.
And I look around at my other sister friends who are agonizing in relationships with men who either don’t deserve them…and I wonder about love and power and sex and if we will ever figure out how to balance them all.
If women like you can negotiate around and past the problem of abuse and add your voices and your strength and your ideas to women who don’t have the resources or the confidence in their own voices to break themselves out of cycles of violence.
Rihanna's compatriot Cheese-on-bread! sums up the feeling of the Caribbean blogosphere in one pointed sentence:
All I know is that if she marries or for that matter reconciles with Brown, she's going to squander a lot of goodwill being sent her way.


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Colombia: Monuments and Landmarks · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Parque del Periodista, Journalist's Park
A year ago we wrote about Vlog International, a network of Spanish speaking vloggers who send in videos on a certain topic, and then one of them puts them all together into a short collaborative video. This last one asked vloggers to show which monuments are an important part of their city, and the answers came from different parts of Colombia, Mexico, and the US.
Albornoz from Cali shows us the Monument to Solidarity, Cristina in Mexico City shows us the Jacaranda trees in bloom, From Monteria, CD shows us a statue of Bolivar with no Sword, other statues with no apparent relevance and a sculpture erected to show “a window into the future”. Alejo from Barranquilla picks out from all the different traditional monuments one that honors the traditional hat used in the coast, the “Sombrero Vueltiado”. Largo from New Jersey shows us the Manhattan Skyline. Mafe shows us a park in Bogotá, all decked out for Christmas and last but not least, Juan David brings us a political monument in Medellin, built to remind the population of the murder of several children back in 1992 by the Colombian armed forces.
Today we'll concentrate on that last 40 second clip, featuring a sculpture with children playing, located in a downtown park of Medellin, Colombia. The Journalist's Park is a no-man's land, where urban subcultures meet and meld in a drug induced haze, and it is also the home to this sculpture, which was built as a homage to the the 8 children and 1 adult executed by the armed forces as they were standing outside a store in their neighborhood back in 1992. It seems the members of the military were trying to retaliate against gang members who had been murdering police officers, but instead they ended up killing the young members of a Christian youth group. An eye-witness said:
“La niña tenía los pies quebrados y no podía correr; del carro le decían matala pues y él le disparó a la niña con un arma grande; luego se montaron en el carro y se fueron”. Ese doloroso recuento lo hizo hace 16 años Martha Elena Toro Álvarez a la Fiscalía General de la Nación al dar cuenta del asesinato de Johanna Mazo Ramírez, de 8 años de edad, una de las nueve víctimas de la masacre del barrio Villatina, ocurrida el 15 de noviembre de 1992, a manos de un comando de policías vestidos de civil adscritos al F-2.
The Journalist's Park has been the subject of different videos, although recording there, according to Juan David, require a big dose of diplomacy and basically asking permition of the junkies and drug dealers that spend their time in the park.
The following video, although it has problems with the audio, shows us different characters who can be found in the park: they speak of tolerance, of freedom, and how the park changes and mutates according to the time of day or night.
Centropolis, on the other hand, is trying to change the reputation of the park, by including more cultural activities, trying to get a different, cleaner crowd at the park:
This is not a new endeavor by any means: the Pixelazo festival back in 2007 took a truck out to the park, set up screens and proceeded to have world-class Video Jockeys and DJs mixing images and music, surprising the locals and those just passing through the park.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Cuba: Ladies Arrested  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense says that “the Castro dictatorship's strong-arm treatment of the Damas De Blanco (“Ladies In White”) continued over the weekend with the arrest of the three of the group's members.”


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East Timor: SMS text used as corruption evidence · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Leaked mobile phone text messages were used by a journalist to expose a corruption deal in East Timor. The journalist is now facing a criminal defamation suit.

author: Mong Palatino


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Egypt: Dalia Ziada urges Saudi Arabia to end discrimination against Muslim women · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

On the occasion of Prophet Mohamed's birthday, Egyptian blogger Dalia Ziada launches a campaign asking Saudi Arabia to end their discrimination against young Muslim women worldwide!
Dalia started her post by talking about this official holiday in Egypt:
Today, Egypt – and only Egypt – celebrates the blessed birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). We, Egyptians, call it: Mawlid Elnaby. On this day, Egyptian Muslims buy special desserts (halawet elmwalid), exchange cordial visits with relatives and acquaintances, and above all hold commemoration sessions to remember Prophet Muhammad.
Here is what triggered her campaign:
After performing the noon prayers, the idea of making a religious trip to Mecca and Prophet's tomb in Saudi Arabia popped up to my mind.
Her search results were shocking:
I am not allowed to do “O'mra!” [a lesser pilgrimage to Mecca] Why? Because I am a young woman under the age of 45! The only solution for me to get to my beloved Prophet's land is to be accompanied by a male chaperon. My mother is not enough!! Do you know what a male chaperon is? A first-degree male relative: father, brother, husband, or son! I am in a big trouble, then. My father is dead, my two brothers are not interested and I cannot afford paying for their tickets, I do not have a husband and of course I do not have a son!! What can I do, now?!
What infuriated the young activist more was:
I have traveled to places much far than Saudi Arabia. I was completely alone! I did not do something wrong, and nothing wrong was done to me in any of my previous trips overseas!!
Upon investigating this law further, she learnt that:
such an unjustified restriction is the pure invention of Saudi Arabia and has nothing to do with Islam! Thus, Saudi government is blocking one-third of Muslims (i.e. Muslim women) around the world from practicing a duty of their religion imposed on them by Allah! Who says that Saudi government's word is superior to the word of Allah?! Who told them that Mecca and Prophet Muhammad is their own and they have the right to prevent whomever they want from visiting them?!
Dalia then links her personal sense of injustice to her female counterparts living in KSA:
Actually, no wonder! Saudi Arabia is the biggest abuser of women rights in the whole region. They deprive women from showing their faces, driving a car, or even working or socially mixing with men! Saudis commit these awful violations against women rights in the name of Islam. They distort the image of our tolerant religion. But, I am not Saudi Arabian; why should I comply with their naïve rules, then? This is not fair!
Back to the issue of the Prophet's birthday:
Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia does not celebrate Prophet's birthday. That is despite the facts that: 1) the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was born in Saudi Arabia; 2) his mission to call for the religion of Islam started in Saudi Arabia; 3) he lived his whole life in Saudi Arabia; and 4) Saudi government holds all property rights for Prophet's belongings and monuments. So, how come Saudi Arabia does not celebrate Prophet's birthday?!! They even consider the Prophet's birthday celebrations, we – Muslim Egyptians – do, a heresy (beda'a)!!!
Dalia is now calling upon:
world feminists, moderate Muslims, and those who believe in women rights in the Muslim world to join me in my upcoming fight against the Saudi government for getting my right (as a woman) to practice my religion with complete freedom, liberated from the unreasonable restrictions imposed by extremists and patriarchal governments like that of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia does not have “monopoly rights” over Islam!
Muslimah Media Watch tackled the issue of how women in KSA are treated like legal minors.
Zoheir al-Harithi, spokesman for Saudi’s Human Rights Commission, says that the report didn’t focus on productive efforts to improve the situation as well as confused tradition with state policy. “We agree with some points and we are working on that as a commission for the government, but we don’t agree with the generalisation.”
You can download the full report, Perpetual Minors: Human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia, here.
Dalia Ziada created a Facebook group here for her campaign.

author: Marwa Rakha


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Fiji: Rugby, politics and democracy · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

People in Fiji are slowly coming to grips with the fact the nation’s Rugby sevens team could not defend its World Cup title because it was beaten by upstart Kenya in the quarter-finals.
In a very unconventional Rugby sevens World Cup played this year in Dubai, Wales emerged as the winner after the game’s traditional powerhouses — Fiji, New Zealand, South Africa and England — were all knocked out of play before the finals. Rugby sevens, which many call the national game of Fiji, consists of seven players per side who play two seven-minute halves. Fiji has won the world cup twice, in 2005 and 1997.
Nearly everyone in Fiji has fingered blame on someone — the players, trainers and coaches. Yet more than a few bloggers and commenters are blaming the loss on the country’s political situation.
In December 2006, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, head of Fiji’s military, lead a coup against the government of Laisenia Qarase. Bainiarama had long accused Qarase’s SDL-lead  government of benefiting the political and economic rights of indigenous Fijians at the expense of other ethnic groups, especially the ethnic Indians (called Indo-Fijians) who now make up less than 40 percent of the country’s population, but hold important positions in Fiji's economic class. Indo-Fijians were brought to Fiji in the 19th and early 20th century by British colonial rulers as indentured workers to toil in the sugar industry. They once made up two-thirds of the country’s population.
Bainimarama took power claiming he is attempting to reverse the pattern of the country’s three previous coups, which overthrew governments headed by Indo-Fijian political parties. He also wants to stem the political power of  indigenous Fijian institutions. The Indo-Fijian community once made up nearly two-thirds of independent Fiji's population, but those numbers began falling shortly after the country's first two coups in 1987.
Prior to the December 2006 coup, Bainimarama demanded the Qarase government drop two pieces of legislation: the Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill that attempted to set up a commission to investigate granting amnesty to perpetrators of Fiji’s  2000 coup and compensate its victims; and, the Quoliquoli bill, which would have transferred “proprietary rights” of beaches, lagoons and reefs from the state to indigenous Fijian councils.
Back to rugby. More than a few bloggers questioned why people in Fiji take the sport so seriously — Fiji's players were yelled at when they returned home  and police were dispatched to protect the Fiji Rugby Union’s headquarters shortly after the team’s loss. Yet it’s these same people who anti-government bloggers feel are apathetic in the face of Bainimarama’s regime, which these bloggers argue has continued the country’s coup culture, mismanaged Fiji’s economy and trampled on peoples’ political rights.
(While it’s true many bloggers and commentators could be termed anti-government, that term does not describe every person who analyzes Fiji’s politics via the web.)
“The Fiji sevens team carried the hopes of the nation with them when they went to Dubai and they let everyone down,” writes Talking Fiji, who argues that heads should roll at the Fiji Rubgy Union.
They did not lose to a better team, they lost because they treated Kenya like an insignificant but necessary formality.
And Kenya played like there was no tomorrow.
Basically it came down to attitude.
And Fiji’s attitude in the quarter-finals sucked.
Rizwan ud Dean, himself a supporter of New Zealand, says that Fiji Rugby’s main problem is its management changing coaches too often and this coaching staff who did not properly prepare the team for the match against Kenya.
You’ve got to remember that Fiji and New Zealand have been playing Seven’s for quite some time now and they’ve basically used just about every strategy in the book when on the field. Other teams have over time picked up on these “tips n tricks” then fine tuned their own game plans. After all, Fiji and NZ were two teams most countries were wary of when they entered the field. I think as a result of all the years of play, other teams have taken their plans and changed it by adding their own little ideas into it and then come back to the field and used it against both teams – the result is obvious. Fiji and NZ have not changed their style of play but other teams have by learning from the mistakes and positives of both teams. In the case of Fiji, the story takes a more interesting twist because Fiji changes coaches and management teams faster than the wind direction.
Since I can remember, Fiji has never managed to have a coach who has been there from the beginning. You only need to take a look at the NZ coach to realize that Fiji is hopelessly left behind when it comes to letting your coach run the team the way it should.
Fiji Girl argues the team could not play its traditionally chaotic, free style because of the situation at home.
But the fact is that our boys cannot play their best rugby when their hearts are sick with worry about the situation at home.  When Speight held his coup [in 2000], shortly before the end of the inaugural IRB 7s World Series, all Fiji had to do was make it to the semi-finals and the title was ours.  What happened?  We lost the quarter-final to Argen-flipping-tina.  Now this coup and our chance to defend our World Cup crown, we have lost to Kenya.  Kenya!  In the quarter-finals.
To us, rugby is joy.  The free-flowing, chaotic sparkle you see when we play is indicative of our love of freedom, of the simple act of running, throwing and kicking a ball around, passing opponents and defying physics.  But when our hearts are not in it, no way can we capture that joy or the magic.  It’s something you can’t fake.
Our rugby needs joy and freedom.  Vore [Bainimarama] has sucked that out of our lives.  How can we expect the boys to play, in the truest sense of the word, with our beloved country going to hell in a handbasket?
One interesting aspect of rugby sevens in Fiji is although it is mostly played by indigenous Fijians, the entire country rallies around the team. Fiji's flags adorned many cars, and offices changed the dress code for the first day of the tournament so people could wear shirts emblazoned with the country’s flag along with the words ‘Fiji rugby’.
An unsigned piece at Raw Fiji News wonders if rugby fans will put their energy into other causes.
Fiji reported a record number of people who stayed up either late at night or early morning in the last two days to catch a glimpse of their Fiji team in action at Dubai.
TV sets in Fiji must be suffering right now from all sorts of verbal abuse hauled at them by their owners when Fiji was playing its losing game against Kenya.
And while the Fiji rugby flag bearers will sadly pull down their Fiji flags today, some have already comtemplated burning down the Fiji Rugby House in capital Suva.
They’ve lost the Melrose Cup and it hurts them so bad.
The blame game and finger pointing is already at full swing.
And democracy?
Nah, it’s too foreign a flower to them. It ain’t got legs to do a fancy goose-step and it definitely ain’t part of rugby making it soo soo insignificant to that rugby-mad Fiji.
Ranjalu, writing at Raw Fiji News, thinks it may be a good thing Fiji lost.
In retrospect, perhaps its a good thing our team lost and not only that – they lost to Kenya (one of the teams they never thought they’d lose to.)
[Rugby sevens coach Iliesa] Tanivula’s right in a way – its not the boy’s fault. I reckon its the nation’s fault. We have spent too much time on this rugby thing that we have misplaced our priorities along the way.
Thank God, we lost! Perhaps now we can look to reviewing our relationship with the Lord and open our eyes to where we shold be channelling our energy and committment.
Wake up Fiji!!
The blogsite at Soli Vakasama Worldwide Movement claims to be a bit tired of what it terms political apathy in this rugby mad country.
…well Fiji’s rugby woes mirrors Fiji’s political situation. What SWM finds unbelievable is the fact Fijians are so worked up about Fiji’s rugby woes, yet they don;t share the same emotion to the political rape and pillage happening to them right now! Maybe Fijians in particular need to face the full brunt of this coup to cherish good governance principles and constitutional government because they aren’t lifting a hand to help themselves. There seems to be a spirit of apathy around Fiji and little unimportant issues all of a sudden take centre stage and the more fundamental and important ones are being shoved to the background. Come on Fijians…rise and wake up from your slumber or all will be lost!

author: John Liebhardt


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From Bangladesh with Love · Global Voices
Rezwan

BRAC Blog informs that BRAC, the largest non-profit (NGO) development organization in Bangladesh, has set up an office in Liberia and deployed its trained and experienced staffs to carry out development activities which includes helping rural farmers grow better crops to feed their families and sustain their livelihoods. It will also offer micro-finance program and health program, which will provide life-saving health information and basic health care services.


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Haiti: On the Agenda · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Countless visitors profess a desire to improve life for Haitians and to promote democracy but they seldom deliver.  That does not excuse the Haitian authorities and Haiti's bourgeoisie class who have kept Haitians living in extreme poverty”: Still, Wadner Pierre wonders “what visitors to Haiti really want for Haitians.”


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Hong Kong: End of HSBC myth? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Yesterday (March 9) HSBC Holding, Europe's biggest bank, and an Elephant in Hong Kong Hang Seng Index plunged 24% to HK$33, its lowest level since 1995. Since the beginning of financial crisis, many Hong Kong people believe that the city will not be hit directly by the tsunami (partly because of China factor). However, as HSBC has been viewed as the foundation of Hong Kong's economy, the plunge to HK$33, is a hard hit to people's confidence.
A cable TV economic news commentator could not help shedding tear when the price was down to HK$33 during the auction period in the last minute before the market closed. The clip was circulated widely via youtube and becomes a hot topic today:
Those Were the days blogs a number of phone conversations on HSBC:
上午已收到A的電話，他說匯豐股價「唔多掂」，但仍死守38元上下。A說去到38元水位，他過去在匯豐的投資，已蒸發掉三分之一左右，若再跌下去，他不知應否供股
When HSBC plunged to HK$33:
B說匯豐跌至如此水平，已不是個別企業升跌的問題了，那，已是維繫港人信心的問題：港人普遍相信、甚至迷信，全世界股票跌到七個一皮，匯豐也是不會大跌的，所以為何一個又一個關鍵價位，港人散戶總會組成血肉長城，想頂住匯豐股價！匯豐與廣大香港散戶，已是血脈相連！
下場咖啡局是C，匯豐跌至33元，他歴年在匯豐的投資，已不見了三分二左右，還要動用流動資金供股，但，可有一對仔女在英、加讀大學。C說，他曾計劃十年八載退休時，可靠匯豐、恒生股息養老，現在，一切已成泡影之餘，還要面對流動資金緊張的情況，他，已決定減少不必要的消費，包括計劃中的復活節外遊了。
再之後是大迷信D的電話。他說特區政府拆掉天星碼頭之後，匯豐股價江河日下，明顯天星破壞了匯豐風水之言，並非沒有根據，為香港、為廣大匯豐散戶，他強烈要求天星碼頭原址重建…….
Mimi has not been affected by the crisis but pointed out that Hong Kong people should learn from Buddha's teaching:
數十年來, 匯豐控股 的股票 在港人心中是現金的代名詞, 是派息保障的同意詞, 是保障中的保障, 穩定中的穩定, 昨日一日暴挫十元五角, 跌至33元, 股評主持人當場淚洒機前, 整個港島一遍哀聲. 老咪在賺了點小錢的情況下,一早已出了匯控, 手上的幾十股碎股, 也從來沒放在心上, 只當散錢, 留給兒子無妨, 但多少香港人受惠於父輩, 靠匯豐股息讀書, 甚至過日子.
以前看這樣的老友, 會贊他福氣, 但私下會想: 這就是人的生存方程式? 今時今日, 再三思考此問, 惊覺, 此海嘯來勢猛烈, 明顯就是沖著我們自覺成功的生存方式而來, 所有我們過往以為的, 了解的, 信任的人, 機構, 甚至體系, 在這次大的沖擊下變得不了解, 甚至無法信任. 一切所為何事? 老咪不想說服任何人, 只想告知自己: 這世界是想讓我們知道:
一切有為法, 如作夢幻泡影, 如露也如電, 應作如是觀. (金剛經)
Ev'rything which derives from karma
are just like a dream, a mirage, a bubble, a reflection,
a drop of dew or a lightning flash,
which is a way a man of insight should take. (translation from zftrans)
Today, HSBC's stock price bounced back to about HK$38 and  Securities and Futures Commission is reviewing the last minute auction arrangement before market close.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Indonesia: Protest against Buddha Bar · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Some Indonesian Buddhists are not happy over a bar in Jakarta which is known as the Buddha Bar. They believe the name of the pub insults Buddhism.


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Jamaica, Barbados: Mentorship  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp pays tribute to one of his mentors, writer Kamau Brathwaite.


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Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Slumdogs · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“To be part of a group of voluble Indians in the diaspora watching the Oscars while contributing to a live, running commentary the year Slumdog Millionaire won 8 Oscars was quite an experience”: From Jamaica, Annie Paul shares her thoughts on the movie, while Jumbie's Watch posts a perspective on Trinidad and Tobago's “own Slumdogs“.


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Japan: Making money thanks to the economic crisis. · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

If on one hand libraries and newspaper kiosks overflow with books and magazines that examine, analyze and comment on the current economic recession hitting Japan, then on the other hand, many people have begun to think that, if there are losers (layoffs and companies in the red), there must also be winners somewhere, i.e. individuals or companies actually benefiting from the crisis.
Some Japanese bloggers, for example — most of them experts in economics or with extensive experience in the business world — reported news they learnt about through colleagues and other sources confirming that there are some who have been earning much more money in the last months than in any period of prosperity.
The president of Castanet Inc. Chikara Ueki (植木力) in his blog reveals details of a “whispered conversation”  [ja] he had with the president of another company that deals with the processing and sale of raw materials. While he claims that the words, “there is a crisis, we are not making a penny” are the first ones people say nowadays when they meet each other, there are actually some who are making money from this unsteady economic situation:
鉄などの素材に近い材料を一部加工して、販売している中小企業です。
その社長と数年ぶりにお会いして、私の方から「厳しい業界と思いますが、会社の方は大丈夫ですか」と質問しました。
[…]
「植木さん　この経済危機で売上が３０％ダウンしたが、儲かっています。メーカー主導から私たちの時代になりました。　植木さん、わかりますか？」
[…]
今までは、価格が厳しく素材メーカーとユーザーの間に入り、加工作業が入っても粗利益は１０％もなかった（口ぶりからして７％～１０％と予想しました）
そのために、社長も従業員も現場で朝から晩まで働いても、儲からず、会社の維持がやっとの状態だったようです。
そこにやってきた、昨年前半の原油、鉄鋼など素材の値上ラッシュ、そして経済危機。
ユーザーからは値下げ要請があり、少し答えているとのこと。
値下げしても儲かっている？　不思議な話しです。
その答えは、素材メーカーの経営環境にありました。
日本国内の素材メーカーは、減産のため生産ラインを止めると、再稼動のために莫大な費用がかかるので、生産ラインは止めたくない。
販売は、円高なので海外に出荷ではなく、日本国内で値引きをしても販売したい。
つまり、販売力のある会社には特別価格の提示があるのです。
それも、不景気度が増すごとに値引きが多くなっているとのこと。
顧客への販売価格もメーカーからの仕入れ価格の両方の主導権を握った結果、粗利益が１０％以上～４０％にもなっているそうです。
昨年の値上ラッシュ以前、それ以下で価格交渉が出来ているからです。
売上が大幅ダウンしても、利益が増える（最高益を更新）のが理解できました。
１００年に一度と言われている経済危機、考え方を変えると１００年に一度のチャンスかもしれない。不況業種も含め、全ての産業に言えることかもしれません。
ただ、事例の通り何もしなくてもチャンスは生まれるのではなく、コツコツとやってきたご褒美だと思います。
By id:maxmana
According to some minor media [ja], there are some business sectors and some companies in particular whose balance sheet has been doing well since Japan entered in recession and the threat of a return to bubble times has made consumers more cautious.  The fast food [ja] industry and the retailers of no-branded, medium-quality products seem to be very popular across all generations of consumers. The same can be said for the e-commerce service providers [ja], as buying online is said not to give people the feeling that they are actually spending money.
id:Warabidani comments [ja] on an article [ja] published on the news aggregator Netallica, which quotes a Forbes ranking of the 40 richest Japanese men. The top two positions are occupied by the President of the clothing company Uniqlo [ja] and by the honorary President of the pachinko company  Sankyo [ja].
柳井会長は前年の６位（４７億ドル、約４４００億円）から一気に１４億ドル（約１３００億円）も資産を増やしてのトップに躍り出た。
いくら会長でも役員報酬が１３００億円もあるはずがない。どうやら持ち株が値上がりしたためのようである。
パチンコ人気もまだ健在ですね。パチンコは不況に強いのかねえ？
３位に転落した任天堂の山内相談役。「任天堂どうした？」
いえいえ、ここも儲けまくっている。
Is it possible that all these companies, which are really earning money despite the crisis, have something in common? To answer to this question, Kôsuke Ideguchi (出口康介) has traced a profile of the emerging companies, basing the analysis on his ten years of experience.
それらの企業の特徴を考えてみると共通した特徴が見えてくる。
１）時流を読むのが上手い（不況期にあったマーケティングができて
いる）
２）本業に関連する新規事業に積極的に取り組んでいる
３）本業において一点突破できる強みを持っている
４）新規事業で本業の強みを上手く活かせている
５）社長の決断力と実行力があり、初動までのスピードが早い
６）業種を問わず上手くいっている企業の取り組みを取り入れている
（素直で勉強好きである）
７）定期的に経営戦略を見直しして柔軟に適切な戦略に変えている
８）利益が出ていても常に危機感を持って商売している
９）社員のためにお金を使っている（人材育成）
１０）若手（幹部）で会社をグングン引っ張るリーダーがいる（人材づくり）

author: Scilla Alecci


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Madagascar: Amidst Turmoil, Media Misinformation and Hard Truths · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

More than a month and a half into the crisis in Madagascar, confusion grows crescendo as the power struggle between the president and a former mayor vying for the presidency extends, leaving many wondering when the political stalemate will end.
Additionally, the media wars have gotten so contentious that every single news items produced by local media is now questioned by many Malagasy citizens, all too weary of the risk of misinformation.
However, a few op-ed articles seeking to understand the roots of the crisis between President Marc Ravalomanana and the former mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, have struck a chord in the national psyche and were shared extensively within the Malagasy blogosphere.
On the heels of the media
Instances of contradicting information and confusion in mainstream media in Madagascar have been abundant within the past week:
In summary, the situation is a much tangled web that requires further digging into the Malagasy collective psyche.
Patrols in the streets (http://ariniaina.wordpress.com)
The psyche of a nation challenged
Enter Ndimby A.'s editorial in the Madagascar Tribune daily newspaper entitled: “Auto-derision” (fr) or “Self-depreciation”:
In his piece, Ndimby strives to expose the very nature of the Malagasy collective culture that allows for repeated cycle of political instability throughout Malagasy history and chronic bouts with extreme poverty. He lists several reasons, some are highlighted below (fr):
Le complexe de l’insulaire:
Nous nous sentons intelligents. Nous nous sentons doués. Et la pauvreté ou les crises politiques ne peuvent donc qu’être des accidents de parcours. De la faute des bailleurs de fonds, de la faute des politiciens, de la faute des réseaux mafieux, de la faute à pas de chance, de la faute au voisin, de la faute aux grandes puissances, de la faute aux cyclones, de la faute au karma, de la faute des autres. Mais, ne faisons-nous pas partie des autres ?
Le malgache et le développement:
Le malgache est-il fait pour le développement? Le malgache est-il fait pour la démocratie? A priori ces deux questions peuvent sembler être provocatrices, voire choquantes. En fait, elles le sont. Mais au-delà de la provocation, le contexte de cette crise politique et la situation de notre pays après 50 ans d’Indépendance invitent à une véritable réflexion sur la mentalité malgache, sur nos valeurs et sur nos défauts.
Dictons, proverbes et autres expressions usuelles sont une bonne illustration de la mentalité populaire. Or que dit-on à Madagascar? Ny hazo avo halan-drivotra (le vent a horreur des arbres trop hauts), véritable hymne à la médiocrité pour appeler chacun à ne pas se faire remarquer et à ne surtout pas faire de zèle.
… la culture Malgache est une culture de marimaritra iraisana, qui ne signifie pas toujours consensus (ce qui aurait été une bonne chose), mais plutôt compromis. Dans le pire des cas, le marimaritra iraisana est le mauvais arrangement. C’est la compromission qui a fait tout le monde courber l’échine devant les abus de Marc Ravalomanana depuis 2002, pour éviter les « problèmes ». [..] C’est la compromission qui a fait que tout le monde, au début, a trouvé son compte dans les agissements de Andry Rajoelina, avant de s’effarer de ce train à grande vitesse sans frein ni marche arrière.
Bloggers take stock
Ndimby's tirade is echoed by a few bloggers on both sides of the conflicts, who are weary of the lack of leadership and the confusion.
Jentilisa writes (in absentia) about the latest events leading up to a pro-governmental rally attended by about 1,000 people in Mahamasina today (mg):
Koa satria tsy handray andraikitra ny mpitandro ny filaminana amin'izao fandrobana mahatsiravina, 26 janoary 2009-bis notontosaina androany 9 martsa 2009 izao, dia niantso ny mpanohana ny ara-dalàna sy tsy manaiky ny hisian'ny barazy arahina fandrobana ny tao amin'ny radio mada
At the other hand of the spectrum, Avylavitra calls out the government for stealing the air waves frequency of Viva Radio (mg):
Tsy nampoizina anefa ny zava-misy fa hay ny RADIO MADA no io henion’ny rehetra amin’ny onjam-peon’ny Viva io… Filana ady ve sa fihantsiana no anton’izany?
Others, like Tahina, are wondering whether talks of the conflict escalating to civil war are now justified:
It’s no longer safe to talk politics in public areas (buses included) because you don’t know who’s listening to you and on which side they are. A simple rumour about you can harm you or your relatives.
Blogger Pakysse has one simple request for the two rivals (mg): that they should  talk to each other.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Malaysia: Police used teargas to disperse rallyists · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

More than 8,000 Malaysians trooped to the streets to oppose the proposal to use the English language in teaching Math and Science in schools. The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.


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Mexico: The Cathedral of Oaxaca · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Aquí Oaxaca [es] provides historical details of the Cathedral located in the heart of the Mexican city of Oaxaca.


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Middle East: Women Looking for a Cause to Celebrate · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Female bloggers from across the Middle East joined hands in marking the International Women's Day with posts reflecting on the occasion and celebrating the lives and achievements of women who have touched them.
In Saudi Arabia, American Bedu admits that while many women in the kingdom may not even be aware of the significance of the day, they are “likely women who are happy and content with their lives and know who they are.”
She continues:
for those who take relish in reading of the lack of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia and viewing the Saudi woman as among the most oppressed in the world, I’d like to point out that Saudi women are consistently receiving more opportunities. These are opportunities in education, employment, legal rights, etc. I know there will be so many naysayers saying these are minimal and only because a “man” approved but guess what…that is a fact of life in Saudi Arabia. And this fact will not change until Saudi women (and not expat women or other groups) choose to take initiatives for changes – if they want them in the first place.
The blogger, who is married to a Saudi, also pays tribute to a special woman in her life:
I wish to recognize my dear Saudi mother-in-law, Mama Moudy. She may never drive, she may never be seen uncovered, she may not be educated but she is among one of the wisest, compassionate, supportive (she accepted her son marrying an American!), kind and beautiful (inside and out) women I have met.
Israelity Bites, from Israel, comments on an initiative by American author Alice Walker's to enter Gaza to mark the day with 60 other activists.
She notes:
The Code Pink intends to stay three days in the enclave and they have brought along some goodie baskets of hygiene care items for families affected by the 20 month trade blockade, the bombing of smugglers’ tunnels, and the “wanton” destruction during Operation Cast Lead.
Militant rocket fire continues, still provoking airstrikes by the IAF, but these women are calm and determined to get inside to witness their US tax dollars at work.
She ends her post asking:
How will Hamas celebrate Women's Day, I wonder..
From Palestine, American activist Marcy Newman laments the fact that the day is no longer a holiday. She writes:
today is international women’s day.  this used to be a day off in palestine. a day that people did not work. apparently, this is no longer the case. […] if this were still a holiday that the palestinian authority honored we might be able to do things like honor palestinian women political prisoners
In Kuwait, American blogger Desert Girl on Kuwait marks the day by criticising the tone of a warden notice issued by the American Embassy, which she describes as “alarmist.”
The circular was issued after an American woman complained about being harassed at a shopping centre and warns women saying:
Western women in Kuwait should be particularly vigilant because their dress and freedom of movement can attract attention, in part because many local women are dressed much differently.
Desert Girl remarks:
How do you feel about that statement? I don't think that non-hejab-wearing women dress much differently than Western women (and for many women who wear hejab, the only difference is often the scarf). I think for the most part that most Western women try to dress appropriately for Kuwait – and again for the most part – conservatively by Western standards. I dress like my Kuwaiti girlfriends (who don't wear hejab) and vice versa. I have Moslem American friends who wear hejab and some who wear abaya and niqab. And “freedom of movement”? Yeh! Where in Kuwait and at what time don't Kuwaiti women go? They're free to move. I don't get it. This just pissed me off.
Happy International Women's Day.
Still in Kuwait, Teach the Masses celebrates the day by paying tribute to women who have made a difference. Her short post says:
Happy March 8th everyone!
Rosa Louise Parks- for sitting tight.
Mother Teresa- for not sitting down at all.
Diana Princess of Wales- for doing it all and sitting pretty.
Marie Curie- for sitting in a lab and saving the world.
Just a few.
Palestinian Al Falasteeniya also pays tribute to women, whom she describes as “beyond awesome.” She notes:
ok, ok, enough with the intl women's day posts. really, everyday should be intl women's day, right? nonetheless, i want to take this opportunity to share with you some way too cool women who i think are beyond awesome. at the same time, i want to honor those who are no longer with us.
For her list, click here.
Meanwhile, Ansam, at Gather te rosebuds while ye may writes about an art exhibition, featuring the works of five Arab artists, being held in Kuwait to mark the International Day of Women.
And finally Swedish Sniff, who lives in the UAE, notes her surprise that she didn't find many campaigns focusing on women. She explains:
Today on International women's day, I scanned the media for highlights and campaigns focussing on this – and found very little! Perhaps more will see it as the day goes on?
Stay tuned for more reactions from the day.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Minority Rights In South Asia – Full Of Denials · Global Voices
Rezwan

The New Horizon comments on the state of minority rights in South Asia: “Each country says minorities are treated in the best possible ways they should have. However, as the UN data shows, all these countries have low rank in Human development and high rank in discrimination against minorities.”


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Pakistan: Two Documentary Shorts · Global Voices
Rezwan

Wide Angle, the Emmy-award winning international current affairs documentary series from PBS published two documentary shorts “Vote for Benazir's Blood” and “You Cannot Hide from Allah” as a part of their Pakistan at polls series. Click on the titles to watch.


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Southeast Asia: Who is my neighbor? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Pravit Rojanaphruk writes about the lack of knowledge of Southeast Asians about their neighbors in the region.


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Western Ideological vs. Chinese Nationalistic Sentiment · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Inside-Out China blogs about the nationalistic sentiment shared by overseas Chinese, as a result of direct confrontation with Western Ideology: if the Chinese government were smarter, it should send all dissidents overseas instead of putting them in prison, as living the West seems to be more effective in changing views.


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Afghanistan: Plight of an Afghan Christian · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Sanjar writes that many people in Afghanistan have turned to the faith of Jesus Christ in recent years. A few of them have done so openly, though most have kept their conversion secret.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Africa: Two Africas In America · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A Tanzanian film-maker in the United States, Josiah Kibira, is working on a new documentary titled “TWO AFRICAS IN AMERICA”…One African, One American, which will examine the relationship between Africans and African Americans in the United States.


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Bangladesh: Sisimpur Turns five  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Meandering Memos informs that Sisimpur, the popular Bangladeshi version of Sesame Street have started its fifth successful broadcast season.


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Barbados, Jamaica: Homophobia?   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living in Barbados gets candid about Jamaica's “uncompromisingly hostile attitude towards homosexuality”, saying: “The bottom is not falling out of Jamaica because of gays.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago: Summit Time  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados’ Cheese-on-bread! is excited that the Obamas “will be in the region to the attend the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad next month.”


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Bolivia: Another US Diplomat Expelled from Country · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Second Secretary of the US Embassy in Bolivia has been expelled by the government of Evo Morales.  Willy Jordan writes that this is not the first time that relations involving diplomatic officials have run into difficulties [es].

author: Eduardo Avila


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Burkina Faso: A Special Day In Burkina Faso · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

March 8, 2009 was a special day in Burkina Faso in West Africa. Blogger Stephen Davies of Voice in the Desert explains.


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China and France: Patriotic young girl PK anti-Chinese French guy · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated a post from MOP about a young girl arguing with a French guy on an airplane.


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China: Difficulties in China Business  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China law blog sums up various difficulties in doing China business around areas such as: intellectual property, disappearing Chinese companies, joint ventures gone bad and labour law violations.


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China: Green GDP suspended · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Bullogger reposted a local news about the central government's decision to suspend the release of Green GDP index in China in order to stimulate the economy (zh).


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China: Online Democracy · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Uln from Chinayouren takes a tour around the Internet to see how netizens respond to the recent NPC-CPCC meeting and online chat between legislators and netizens.


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Cuba: Political Clarity  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The information to make an intelligent evaluation of Cuba’s civilian vs. military led economic performance, the pluses and minus of both, is simply not available to journalists or the general population”: The island's recent political reshuffle has left Circles Robinson hoping for some clarity.


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Dominica: Rhys’ House to be Preserved · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands’ Blog reports that “Vena’s Guesthouse in Roseau [Dominica], which had occupied Jean Rhys’ childhood home…has closed its doors after several decades of operation”, adding: “The building…has a new owner interested in preserving…its history as the home of the island’s best known writer.”


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Dominican Republic: Upset at World Baseball Classic by Dutch Team · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The 2nd edition of the World Baseball Classic is underway in 4 sites across the globe.  This international baseball tournament features Major League baseball players representing traditional baseball powers like the United States, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.  This year, the team from the Dominican Republic was one of the favorites to take home the championship and whose roster was filled with professional All-Star talent.
Photo of Dominican slugger David Ortiz taken by James W Carras and used with permission. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rsnlaud/
The tournament also features countries with less tradition playing this sport, such as the Netherlands. Tapping into other territories like Aruba, Netherlands Antilles and Curaçao, the squad featured only one current Major Leaguer, several others who are no longer playing, and other younger players with little experience.
It had all the makings of a lopsided mismatch.  However, the Dutch team pulled off a 3-2 upset in their first meeting. In a game that was crucial for the Dominican team to remain alive in the tournament, the Dutch team squeaked out a come-from-behind victory to eliminate the Dominican team from the tournament and leaving their fans stunned in the process.  Twitter user Trompeta sums up the mood across the country:
Me imagino que toa la bandera dominicana tan a medio palo hoy…
Joan Guerrero of Duarte 101 [es] reported on the scene on the street during the highly anticipated game:
Perdimos. No somos dignos de decir comentarios sobre este Clásico Mundial que, desde el principio, se encontraron todas las debilidades del mundo para que nuestro equipo pasara al menos, su tercer y último juego, en una derrota que le está doliendo a más de 10 millones de dominicanos en estos momentos. Sin embargo, los colmadones —sin importar la crisis— estuvieron repletos de fanáticos a la espera de que el equipo dominicano hiciera su mejor esfuerzo.
We lost. We're not worthy of commenting on this World Classic where, from the beginning, all of our team's weaknesses were shown in the third and final game, a loss that is hurting more than 10 million Dominicans right now. However, the bars and restaurants – no importance to the (economic) crisis – were filled with fans hoping that the Dominican team would put forth their best effort.
However, the result was the least expected by the Dominican fans and they are left to wait for the next edition of the World Baseball Classic or even try another sport altogether.
Como decía una amistad, durante la noche de hoy: «mejor nos pongamos a jugar fútbol, de ahora en adelante. A ver si les ganamos a los holandeses»
Like a friend said to me tonight: «it's best that we start to play football, from now on. Let's see if we can beat the Dutch»
Some bloggers and baseball fans also analyzed why their team lost in this fashion.  Luis Corcino of Dominicana en el Mundo [es] sees a big difference in the motivation of the two sides:
Para un jugador dominicano, jugar en este encuentro no les aporta nada en terminos económicos, excepto el amor a la patria, encima de eso se consideraron superiores; los holandeses por su lado, querian demostrar que podian con un rival como el domincano, se armaron de valor y ahi esta el resultado.
Los holandeses estaban mas motivados!!
For a Dominican player, to play in this tournament does not provide anything in economic terms, except for their love of country, on top of that they thought they were superior; the Dutch, wanted to show that they can play against a rival like the Dominican team, they were armed with courage and you see the result.
The Dutch were more motivated!!
The next round of the World Baseball Classic continues with 8 teams that have qualified from their group.


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East Timor: Reporter used SMS texts to expose corruption deal · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Last October, veteran East Timor journalist José Antonio Belo used leaked mobile phone text messages to expose a corruption deal involving the country’s Justice Minister. Today, the journalist is facing a criminal defamation suit.
Writing for news magazine Tempo Semanal, Belo published details of alleged transactions between Justice Minister Lucia Lobato and several business associates for the rebuilding of a prison wall and the supply of prison guard uniforms. The contract was bagged by the minister’s husband. The value of the tenders was over $US1 million.
Below is a text message sent to the phone of the minister on the 7th of August 2008, at 12:25 from a certain JS:
“Sister, I have just finalized the plans for the project items and I see that the price I informed you of today is enough because this fence is 10 meters high and very thick without using blocks but only cement fill (cement, rock and double layer of steel) International quality. The works are the same as for the USA embassy fence only that theirs is only 3 meters high and not very thick.”
At 12:30:10, the minister replied:
“Good, I will look at it later.”
It may appear to be a normal text conversation but it was only on the 25th of August 2008 that the Ministry of Finance began to advertise for the project bidding to construct a new fence for a prison.
Minister Lobato complained that her privacy was violated. The journalist argued that he wrote only about the minister’s activities as a public official, not her private activities. The prosecution has decided to charge the journalist with a criminal defamation suit. If proven guilty, Belo could spend six years in jail.
Several groups and individuals have expressed support for the journalist. Pacific Freedom Forum links to a post from Cafe Pacific which asserted that the suit will create a “chilling effect on freedoms of speech in East Timor and the region’s youngest media.” The groups adds:
For the government of East Timor to hide behind the same colonial laws used by Indonesia to suppress and intimidate genuine efforts towards democracy ignores blood sacrifice by thousands of their own citizens in support of freedom.
The “region’s youngest media” has only one national television station and a few radio stations. Only 0.1 percent of the population has internet access which makes news magazines like Tempo Semanal (Belo’s paper) the major source of information in the country.
a copy of magazine Tempo Semanal
La’o Hamutuk, a civil society organization, said the accusation against the journalist
creates an ugly picture which can kill freedom of an independent and impartial press.  The media will be afraid to circulate clear and accurate information when they know that such information will bring down threats against them.
Instead of punishing the journalist, the group wants the government to probe the alleged corruption dealing of the minister:
The information published in Tempo Semanal is evidence that the Prosecutor General should use to open an investigation about alleged corruption in the Ministry of Justice. But in reality, the Prosecutor is investigating Jose Belo, accusing him of defamation. La’o Hamutuk sees this reversal as criminalization of a free press which provides true and factual information to the public.
Carmel Budiardjo of TAPOL, a human rights paper, is disappointed that the same law used by Indonesians to suppress freedom in the country is now being used against Belo, a staunch defender of press freedom:
We are well acquainted with the courage of Jose Belo during the more than two decades of  the Indonesian occupation and are aghast that a law introduced by the Indonesians is now being used to stifle the legitimate activities of the press in a country that claims to be a democracy. Minister of Justice Lucia Lobato should withdraw the charges in recognition of the principle of the freedom of the press. Timorese journalists should not live in fear of charges that could land them in prison simply because they have done what any journalist would be expected to do when they find evidence of alleged corruption by a member of the government.
There is an online petition asking the East Timor government to stop harassing Belo.


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Egypt: The Influential Role of Women in History  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Lasto Adri [Ar] posts excerpts from a book entitled The Modern Women's Movement: The Story of Arab Women in the Land of Egypt, where she highlights the influential and integral role played by women in their communities in history and how that changed in 222BC.


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El Salvador: Final Week Before Elections · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In the final week before the presidential elections in El Salvador, Hunnapuh provides some observations, including a comparison in the amount of money spent by the different campaigns [es].


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Guyana: CLICO Questions  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora blogger Signifyin’ Guyana has quite a few comments on “the CLICO mess”.


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International Women’s Day in Tunisian Blogs  · Global Voices
Lina Ben Mhenni

Tunisia celebrates its National Day for Women on August 13. Calls are now being echoed in the blogosphere to join international women in their celebration and mark the day with the rest of the world on March 8.
The August 13 date marks the day the Code of Personal Status was enacted by former President Habib Bourguiba in 1956 – a milestone piece of legislation which abolished polygamy, instituted legal divorce and set the minimum age for marriage at 17 for women. To see this, we think that Tunisian women are privileged and benefit fully from her rights and freedom. However, everyday life is different. Some bloggers talked about this fact on the International Women’s Day.
Blogger Abu Nadhem proposed to combine the two days in one day and thus integrate the women’s movement in Tunisia with the international one. Indeed, he says in the blog Ya tounes :
واليوم على مشارف القرن 21 و تونس تعتبر سباقة عربيا في الاعتراف بحقوق المراة بوضع مجلة الاحوال الشخصية فإن الزعيم بورقيبة اختار مع ذلك يوم 13 اوت يوما وطنيا للمراة ولا نعلم مع ذلك سبب تجاهل 8 مارس ؟؟؟ فهل ان الاوان للاعتراف ب 8 مارس يوما وطنيا ودوليا للمراة ؟؟بجعل المراة التونسية جزءا من الحركة النسوية العالمية ؟؟؟؟؟؟
As this year's International Day of Women's coincided with Prophet Mohammed's birthday, a popular celebration in the Tunisian calendar,  some bloggers linked two occasions in their posts. Neji khachnaoui, for instance, wrote the following:
As usual, blogger Tunisian debate http://debatunisie.canalblog.com/ choose caricatures to express his opinions and he linked this occasion to both  Ammar 404, the symbol of censorship in Tunisia and the prophet’s birthday, and here are the pictures:
What is striking is that the majority of bloggers who blogged about women’s day are men, with only two women blogging about this occasion. l’As Number One wrote in Tunisian dialect saying:
نبهت في التناقض الكبير بين افكار مواليد الاربعينات و الخمسينات و بين أفكار جيلي. اذا كانو الاولانين يعتبرو اللي عمل و دراسة المرأة حاجات اساسيّة يضمنو كرامةالمرا.
نحب نقول اللي الاكثريّة متاع شبابنا (ذكور و اناث)، ماهوش واعي بقيمة مجلة الاحوال الشخصية. و فمّا حتّى شكون يستنكرها ويطالب بالرجوع للوراء (الرجوع للأصل فضيلة)
الغريبة الكبيرة كيف تجيك ملاحظة كيف هاذي من عند فتاة و فتاة قارية الي أكبر طموحها تاخو راجل لاباس عليه باش اتشد الدار و هو يصرف عليها

author: Lina Ben Mhenni


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Iran: Iranian Women’s art in London · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian female artists share their stories in London. Watch their art here

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: No Cake for Iranian Women on their Day · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Although the Iranian government does not recognize the International Women's Day and has banned women activists from organizing gatherings and demonstrations to commemorate the day for the previous 30 years, Iranian bloggers and women activists remembered the 8th of March, honouring women in Iran and the rest of the world.
Several blogs and sites such as we-change and feminist school paid tribute to Aliyeh Eghdam Doust, a jailed woman activist.
Aliyeh Eghdam Doust is among those who were arrested on June 12, 2006, during a peaceful assembly in Tehran and handed a three year prison sentence. Women movement activists are working hard to ensure her release.
Rahavard Association, an Iranian cultural centre in Germany, has published the postcard above for Aliyeh which reads: Happy Women's Day to you and all the Iranian imprisoned women.
Siprisk, an Iranian blogger, says[fa] we should take into consideration several “facts” about women in his country. He says Iranian women are oppressed by the “state, their family, schools and universities, religion and tradition.”
We-change  informs[fa] us that security forces did not allow Iranian women hold a meeting in Tehran on March 8 and even seized the cake seen below that women had prepared to celebrate the International Women's Day.
Daeemohsen  published [fa] a post which he claims was written by a group of bloggers. This post says that women in Iran have been marginalised by the Iranian state, which he urges to respect women's rights in accordance to the international conventions that Iran had signed.
Eshterak has published a poster for 8th of March that invites women to talk about their issues because silence=death!


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Jamaica: Congrats, Windies! · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from Jamaica, Girl With a Purpose congratulates the West Indies cricket team on winning their first test series in five years.


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Japan, Brazil: Crisis puts an end to the dream of a better life · Global Voices
Paula Góes

It is estimated that between 40,000 and 50,000 Brazilian immigrants in Japan have made or are planning to make the journey back across the sea. Most of these workers are young Brazilains of Japanese descent who moved to Japan in search of a better life. The majority of them used to be able to find temporary employment working in the auto and electronics factories, which have been deeply affected by the crisis –  the worst since the World War II.
According to the Bank of Brazil in Japan, there have been 25,000 change of address requests from Japan to Brazil since October 2008. This shows an inversion of the trend that had started around 30 years ago, when Japan experienced an economic boom and the Brazilian economy, on the other hand, was in recession. As the Japanese economy has been shrinking at its fastest pace in about 35 years, Bah [pt] says, 2008 “was the year that Brazil became the new Japan for many Brazilians”.
Igaum [pt] blog, whose pictures of a protest in Nagoya demanding better working rights, jobs and more support from the Japanese government for foreign workers illustrate this piece, witnesses the end of the dream of getting a better life for a whole generation:
Muitos dos trabalhadores demitidos conquistaram bens aqui, pois não planejavam voltar tão cedo, porém, com a atual situação muitos estão deixando tudo para trás e voltando para a terra natal, o que se vê é a frustração de muitos que vieram em busca de um sonho que obrigatóriamente foi interrompido, não só os que estão desempregados até mesmo os que ainda estão trabalhando já estão de malas prontas para voltar, para não saírem mais frustrados do Japão.
This is exactly what happened to Bah [pt]. After 4 years living in Japan and visiting Brazil for holidays, she and her husband arrived for good in São Paulo this March the 8th, sharing an airplane packed full of Brazilians, all of them laid off recently. Unlike her fellow travellers, they were both still employed but decided to resign because the crisis affected their working conditions: they would have had to accept to work less hours and earn less, with no paid holidays [pt] if they wanted to keep their jobs in a factory. She says she has learnt a lot about life living in Japan, but feels good about going back home:
Se eu estou feliz? Muito.
Nao sei o que vai ser daqui pra frente, temos mil coisas pra resolver agora, mas de uma coisa eu tenho certeza: quando resolvi escutar meu coracao pra saber o que seria melhor fazer, eu escolhi o caminho certo.
30-year-old Elaine [pt], living in Japan for 14 years, lost her job at the end of February but still hopes to be able to find another one and stay in Japan. On March the 9th, in a post called “Surviving”, she says that there are no signs that the economy is getting any better. She feels lucky to still have a home and food, as she is living with her still employed friends:
A crise não dá sinais de melhora e com isso existem mtos brasileiros que aqui residiam e que já regressaram ao Brasil,os que ficaram,como eu,estamos tentando sobreviver nessa crise brava que afetou o Japão,quase todos os dias eu vejo nas notícias do Japão alguns brasileiros que vivem nas ruas, que não tem nem o que comer e outros que vivem em abrigos públicos,contando com os donativos de pessoas solidárias.
Renata Shimura [pt] received her notice in December, worked until mid-January and has started the job hunt. She shares her experience in the Employment Service Center for Foreigners, known as Hello Work, to apply for the job seekers allowance. There were around 100 people in the meeting she attended, all of them foreigners, mostly Peruvian and Brazilian. She explains the system:
Existe uma data chamada “Data de Verificação” na qual a pessoa deve comparecer ao Hello Work onde está cadastrado para informar se conseguiu um novo emprego e se está se empenhando na busca do mesmo. Essa data de repete no mínimo uma vez ao mês. Eles enfatizaram que o pagamento do seguro somente é liberado para aqueles que realmente se empenham neste processo. Nesses período de três meses de recebimento do seguro desemprego terei de ir no mínimo mais três vezes na Hello Work e terei de pesquisar/consultar vagas de emprego lá, senão pode ser que não liberem o pagamento do seguro. E essas consultas de vaga de emprego envolvem esperar um tempão pra ser atendido pelo funcionário que faz a consulta no computador, uma vez que os Hello Works do Japão andam lotados de gente devido a crise que passamos aqui. O jeito é rezar para conseguir um novo emprego logo e que também ocorra tudo bem nesse processo do Seguro Desemprego.
Kurati [pt] has been visiting Hello Work offices in different provinces, and has noticed that he didn't see any Brazilians around last time. He wonders if it was because there were no interpreters on that particular day, or if most Brazilians have already given up. He feels there are opportunities, if people look for them – so far he has found some odd jobs. He asks: is it all media sensationalism?
A agência não estava lotada,e fui atendido em 20 minutos.Trabalho em fábrica ainda existe,mas como havia dito antes,não querem nem saber de estrangeiros.Pedi uma verificação em tudo quanto é trabalho que aceita estrangeiros e apareceram 29 vagas para a província inteira, a maioria na área de construção civil e na área de serviços (asilos).Pedi umas fichas e recebi uma listagem de vagas na região ,que estou analisando agora.Se alguma me interessar ,volto lá amanhã e peço uma carta de apresentação.
A mídia japonesa não tem fartura de notícias(diferente do Brasil,onde temos vários homícidios por semana),por isso faz um sensacionalismo danado com a crise.Ficam mostrando um monte de japoneses morando nas ruas,perdendo emprego,chorando ,enquanto isso na agência pública de empregos,existem centenas de vagas sobrando.São vagas que estão ali faz tempo,mas ao que parece os japoneses não estão muito afim de trabalhar,e ainda esnobam,enquanto os estrangeiros imploram por uma chance.A tv mostra uma coisa e o mundo real mostra outra.This sucks!!!!!
Igaum [pt] shares on his blog one of these stories that have been on the news. It is about a 36 year old Brazilian who lost his job 6 months ago and with no money to pay his rent, has been living on the streets of Hamamatsu, in the Shizuoka province. Yet, he would not go back home:
O inicio da reportagem mostra como como Pereira passa seus dias, revirando o lixo em busca de latas, sucatas e materiais que podem ser vendido nos centros de reciclagem, o brasileiro vai com sua bicicleta cheia de lixo até um desses centros de reciclagem vender o material recolhido e consegue 350 ienes (aproximadamente 3 dólares). Em vez de usar para comer, ele vai guardando o dinheiro até juntar o mínimo para poder enviar para sua esposa e seus filhos no Brasil.
Vendo a dura situação de Pereira e o esforço dele para sobreviver, um japonês cedeu um apartamento para ele morar e eventualmente recebe doações de comida, uma ONG as vezes o ajuda também doando alguns alimentos, mas, na falta dessas doações ele sobrevive com o que acha no lixo para se alimentar, Pereira se diz muito agradecido pela ajuda e afirma amar o Japão.
A reportagem termina com Pereira ligando para a família no dia 1º de Janeiro, sua esposa indaga o porque ele não volta ao Brasil, Pereira se diz determinado em continuar sua vida aqui no Japão, pois acha que no Brasil não terá nenhuma oportunidade de emprego, e equanto a situação não melhora ele acha mais viável continuar cantando sucatas e guardando o dinheiro para enviar ao Brasil.
The report finishes with Pereira calling his family on January the 1st, his wife asks why he doesn't come back to Brazil, Pereira says he is determined to carry on his life in Japan because he thinks that in Brazil he will have no job opportunities, and while the situation isn't improving he thinks it more feasible to look for scrap and save money to send it to Brazil.
Job vacancies at the recruiting agency plummeted nearly 60 percent in February from a year earlier and it has been increasingly difficult even for Japanese people to find  employment opportunities. Brazilians, most of them previously working in factories that employed a good deal of foreigners, are not able to compete in the remaining job market when the language barrier is an issue, now they dispute vacancies with locals. No Japão [In Japan, pt] blog says that most Brazilians don't even learn the basic spoken language, and thus are not able to communicate properly, let alone hunt for jobs in other sectors. He stresses how important learning the language is to be fully integrated in a different society:
Mas uma parte dos brasileiros infelizmente não pensa da mesma maneira, já ouvi opiniões como “pra que vou aprender japonês se vou voltar ao Brasil?”, é uma triste realidade, a imperícia de se lidar com uma cultura totalmente diferente da nossa, pode levar à mal-entendidos que prejudicam a imagem da comunidade brasileira como um todo, o gesto de alguns torna-se o gesto de todos aos olhos dos japoneses, por isso a adaptação à lingua e à cultura, hoje são coisas que podem fazer a diferença entre estar empregado ou não.
Fica difícil de se encontrar um emprego se não consegue compreender o que o empregador está falando, a imagem fica totalmente prejudicada, e do lado do empregador, como confiar em uma pessoa que não entende o que ele fala? essa pessoa vai conseguir realizar o trabalho que lhe for designado? São perguntas que me ocorrem quando penso sobre o assunto.
Aqui onde moro tenho visto várias reportagens na TV sobre os brasileiros começando a aprender japonês, numa tentativa de encontrar uma colocação no mercado de trabalho, um gesto  louvável, mas os frutos desse esforço demoram um pouco para aparecer, e nem todos tem esse tempo para esperar.
It is difficult to find a job if you can not understand what your employer is saying, your image is totally damaged, and putting yourself in the employers’ shoes, how can they trust a person who does not understand what they say? Will that person manage to do the work he/she was assigned? These are questions that occur to me when I think about it.
Here, where I live, I have seen several news items on TV about Brazilians who have started to learn Japanese in an attempt to find a placement in the labour market, a commendable gesture, but the fruits of this effort do take a while to appear, and not everyone has the time to wait for them.
To help those who have decided to stay or those who are stuck in Japan because they cannot afford the air plane ticket to Brazil, a brand new blog is at hand: Superando a Crise [Overcoming the Crisis, pt] started this March. Silvio Y. Nakano, who lives in Aichi with his family, explains he decided to start the blog because he felt broken-hearted at seeing so many families breaking up because of the crisis, and this is his way to help those who are trying to stay in Japan. The blog aims to gather information about the crisis and provide tips on how to overcome it, posting jobs open to Brazilians and tips on how to save money. The blogger has a very optimistic view:
I am truly confidant that this crisis will pass, not all of a sudden of course, but little by little and those who are prepared when the economy is normal again, will be the big winners.
So let's take this opportunity to learn, undergo courses, devote a little bit more time to our careers, whenever possible, I will be posting information about it, and I hope you will comment and leave your opinions, which will be very valuable to me, you can be sure
There are approximately 275,000 Brazilian Dekasegis in Japan and some of the biggest communities are concentrated in Shizuoka, Aichi, Hamamatsu and Mie. The ties between the two countries began 100 years ago, when the first Japanese families arrived in Brazil.

author: Paula Góes


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Jordan: Is the Government paying off Journalists?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Does the Jordanian government pay off journalists. Check out The Black Iris for more details.


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Jordan: “I’ve been Twittered” · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Jordan, Kinzi joins Twitter. “I've been Twittered,” she announces on her blog.


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Kazakhstan: Blogosphere’s crisis chronicles · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Bloggers of Kazakhstan continue to follow closely the situation in the country and the government's attempts to switch on a “manual control” mode in economy and other spheres of social life.
Dass is citing  [ru] the Minister of Labor, who declared at the governmental meeting that around 900,000 people are highly exposed to the risk of unemployment, 3,4 million people are moderately exposed to it, and 11,4 million people are not exposed to the risk of losing their jobs. But this statistics seem to be quite strange, as it was noticed in the majority of the comments to the post. The Minister counted not only the labor active population, but all citizens of Kazakhstan, including newborns and elderly population. The number of the labor active population is 7,8 million people, which means that more than half of them risk to lose their jobs.
Slavoyara gives a very critical appraisal to the plans of the Government to oblige the Pension Funds to invest 70% of their assets for infrastructure construction projects [ru]:
The major part of our pension savings can be buried under the heap of the state contracts. We all know what usually happens to all “galactic construction projects” – money is stolen, shared and missed…
In the meantime, along with the criticism of non-transparency of the state holdings’ activity, the prime-minister instructed to reduce salaries of the top-managers in the national companies and state-owned banks down to the level of the his salary, i.e. to 700,000 tenge ($4,698). Megakhuimyak writes [ru]:
The salary of top-managers in Samruk–Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund is $8,054. Top-managers at the banks have salaries around $20-25,000 per month. People in the national companies are crying… On the other hand, every citizen of Kazakhstan can compare his salary to the Prime-Minister’s one.
The expansion of the governmental influence over the economy, even though it is allegedly done for the sake of recovery, causes worriness not only among liberal economists, but also among the intelligentsia. Poet dergachew says [ru]:
I am not a politician, but nothing positive will eventually happen in result of nationalization of big business that takes place in our country now. Sure, the government remains the only capable market player because it accumulates income from extraction of minerals, but a priori it is well-known fact that business people run a business better, than the government.
And a-strekoza is very skeptic about expansion of the governmental control over the media [ru]:
[Newspapers] “Liter” and “Aikyn” are sold [to the ruling party] just for peanuts. I am very pessimistic by nature, and here is what I think: since the ruling party would hardly be able to appreciate such a present, everything is going to be spoiled – gradually the managers will start squabbling, advertisers will leave for other newspapers, journalists will get their salaries cut down and also will have to learn how to write differently… This is how any new management acts, but the government is much more inclined to such stuff.
Pulemetchizza ironically draws parallels between the crisis and a famous expression by Mikhail Bulgakov:
Crisis is in the rest-rooms. Earlier we used to have high-quality two-layered toilet paper and towels in the rest-rooms. Now we have the cheapest toilet paper, and no towels available. Looks like in a couple of months we will just be cutting a newspaper.
Also posted on neweurasia.


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Kazakhstan: President told what to do with crisis, and gave extra $4 bln
 · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Arman analyzes the new stage of anti-crisis efforts of the Kazakhstani government, which was started by the presidential State of the Nation address.


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Kazakhstan: The economic crisis · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elina Galperin says that the economy of Kazakhstan has been hit hard hard by the worldwide drop in demand for energy supplies, and the government is increasingly worried about protests here.


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Kenya: Diary Of A Bride To Be · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A Kenyan bride to be is blogging about her experience, “Yup people, I’m engaged and have been so for a good number of days. How has it been? Well at first there was this rush of blood to my face every morning that I woke up with a new piece of jewelry on my finger (no I don’t sleep with it otherwise there would be a huge dent on my cheek in the shape of a square stone)!”

author: Ndesanjo Macha