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Brazil: Manifesto For The Immediate Release of Graffiti Painter · Global Voices
Paula Góes

The 28th Bienal de São Paulo came to a close in the first week of December, but the graffiti painter arrested on October 26 for spraying its pavilion's walls remains in jail. Caroline Pivetta da Mota spent her 24th birthday last Saturday behind Santana Penitentiary's bars, where she shares a cell with another young woman, convicted of armed robbery. She will probably still be there for Christmas and maybe even when the next arts biennial takes place in 2010, as the punishment set by the Environmental Crimes Law for the “destruction of cultural heritage” is of one to three years imprisonment.
A photo taken probably a few moments before Caroline Pivetta da Mota's arrest, which has been published by many bloggers, such as Leandro Ravaglia. Two in a group of about 40 grafitti painters were caught, but only Caroline remains in jail.
Fotoclubef508 [pt] is one of the many blogs to publish the text of a manifesto for the immediate release of Caroline Pivetta da Mota, written by  Studium Magazine “on behalf of all humiliated and imprisoned artists in the history of mankind”. It says:
A jovem pichadora é pobre e suburbana. Sem uma família influente, está mofando há mais de 40 dias na cadeia. Pensem o contrário: se fosse um filho das altas classes sociais paulistanas, estaria preso? Provavelmente um escritório de advocacia já teria impetrado e ganho um habeas corpus, ou o garoto nem sequer tivesse sido preso…
A Arte se entristece com esta postura autoritária e policial.
Também não devemos confundir “danificar patrimônio público”, com o que aconteceu: uma coisa é alguém sujar um espaço público de uso coletivo; outra coisa é uma situação como essa, onde havia um espaço público destinado às manifestações artísticas. Podemos até admitir questionar o caráter artístico da manifestação da garota, mas isso é outra história, outra discussão, outro lugar, e a prisão não é a resposta.
The moment Caroline Pivetta da Mota was arrested, in reproduction from CCTV images
DJ Saddam [pt] says that Caroline has in fact had two habeas corpus denied by the Court of São Paulo because she could not produce proof of address, and agrees that her social background must have played a role in her not succeeding in being  released from custody. He wishes the graffiti painter a happy birthday and wonders about the way society has responded to the issue:
Avaliando os comentários a respeito deste fato nos sites dos principais jornais, frequentados pela classe média reacionária, me causou espécie que a maioria vê com aprovação a prisão da jovem – o que não aconteceria se esta fosse filha ou neta desta gente.
Last week, the murder of a 3 year old boy by a police officer went unpunished in Rio de Janeiro. Many bloggers, among them Leandro Ravaglia [pt],  are saying there are many faces of justice in Brazil:
Não estou defendendo a moça. Nunca pratiquei e acho uma merda a cidade toda rabiscada, mas deve-se lembrar que a própria curadoria da Bienal convidou os visitantes a “interagir com os espaços vazios do evento”, sem definir até onde tal “interação” podia ir.
Dado isto, fica a dica: Largue da lata e compre um revólver. Pichar dá cadeia.
“Down with dictatorship”, one of the phrases sprayed at the pavilion designed by Oscar Niemayer to host the São Paulo Art Biennials. Photo by flickr user www.johabsilva.com. A day after, the walls were white-washed again.
Billionaire banker Daniel Dantas, while under investigation by federal police on a series of charges including money laundering and fraud, was twice imprisoned and twice released by the Brazilian Supreme Court last July, and altogether spent much less time in jail than Caroline: three days. Despite the fact that Dantas has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to bribe the police to drop a money laundering investigation against him and ordered to pay a fine of R$1.4 million (around $600,000), he remains free pending his appeal against the ruling. Nice Pinheiro [pt] mentions other similar cases and gets very angry at the whole system, which seems to let the important and rich get off lightly with real crimes, and to punish exaggeratedly the poor and uneducated:
Aqui é assim: roubou um pote de margarina, pichou um muro vazio e reservado a expressões culturais públicas, furtou um pão pra matar a fome, vai em cana. Não tem perdão! Praticar crime contra a administração pública, lesar os contribuintes, fraudar documentos, licitações, desviar dinheiro público e outras cositas mais, são violações irrelevantes, crimes “leves”, transgressões morais e éticas sem importância alguma…Imagina!!!
The Culture Minister Juca Ferreira has campaigned for the girl's freedom and even called up the Governor of São Paulo State José Serra asking for him to intervene on behalf of Caroline Pivetta da Mota – to no avail, as the governor is quoted to have said that Caroline's release is up to the Justice. Paulo D'Auria [pt] comments on Serra's reaction to the request:
Para o ministro da cultura e para este revoltado blogueiro que vos escreve “é um escândalo uma pessoa ficar presa esse tempo todo porque fez uma intervenção gráfica”.
O que o país ou a cidade ganham deixando presa junto com criminosas de verdade (ladras, assassinas) uma pichadora?
Sinto muito aos paulistanos retrógrados e ao governador (que – reza a lenda – já foi jovem e líder do movimento estudantil), mas não estou aqui pra fazer média com vocês:
A prisão de Caroline é uma vergonha para esta cidade!!!
“Set Carol free” – Photo from POIESIS trabalho & cultura blog.
Yúdice Andrade is concerned about the victimization of the graffiti painter, who, nevertheless, committed an act of vandalism. She thinks, however, the girl should be allowed to respond for her crime in freedom:
Não mudei o meu ponto de vista, centenas de vezes sustentado aqui no blog, de que neste país se prende demais e sem necessidade. De que a persecução criminal é muito dura com os desprovidos de acesso aos bens da vida. Enfim, não afirmo que Caroline deva permanecer presa, mesmo sabendo que ela já responde a um outro processo, sob a mesma acusação. Que a soltem, para responder em liberdade. Mas não a tratem como vítima.
POIESIS trabalho & cultura blog [pt] says that not only has the judicial system  failed, the whole cultural apparatus is no longer functioning:
O aparato cultural do sistema não continua a arte moderna, mas a amordaça, recuperando-a. Já Carol e seus amigos, que não reivindicam fazer arte, mas contestá-la, justamente desse modo são herdeiros da grande arte moderna e de vanguarda do século 20… herdeiros legítimos, e precisamente porque se recusam a apropriar-se dela. Liberdade para Carol!
“Jail is only for the poor – Freedom for Carol” – Photo from POIESIS trabalho & cultura blog.

author: Paula Góes


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Chile: Maule Blog Community · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Maulesfera [es] is a blog aggregator of blogs from the Chilean region of Maule and “through their stories, life experiences, comments, essays, columns and publications on their blogs, are creating an identity as a region.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Eduardo Avila


text:
Chile: Podcast Directory  · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Podcaster [es] is a directory site for Chilean podcasts organized by category.


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China: “08 Charter” Signers Arrested and Questioned by Police · Global Voices
Bob Chen

08 Charter, a collective statement drafted by non-official scholars, signed by hundreds of supporters, including famous writers, lawyers, professors and many other dissidents, sketches a blueprint for the democracy prospect in China.
It calls upon Chinese government for more positive response to people’s demand for human rights and political reform. It concerns issues such thw separation of power, better social security system, religious freedom, and election of public positions. Different from many past appeals, it doesn't stop simply at the call for anti-corruption action, but more into a deeper level of a constitutional change. In format, it emulates the anti-Soviet Charter 77 declaration of the Czechoslovak.
Catherine Sampson, writer on Guardian UK, commented the Charter as “one of the boldest calls for change to have emerged since the bloodshed of 1989 all but silenced dissent in China.”
The timing of its release is quite sensitive. 10, Dec is the World Human Rights Day, also the 60th anniversary of the United Nation’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a key human-right pact China as one of its signers. Moreover, 2008 is an uncommon year for China. Except for the glorious Olympics, the year is more gloomy than inspiring that the earthquake and snowstorm wreak havoc; the financial crisis impacts the daily life of Chinese, and along the year, riots, violence and protests frequents the country. The prosperity and stability brought by continual GDP growth and iron-handed ruling is undermined by the uneven distribution of wealth and justice.
Most of the problems point to the controversial political system of China, on which the 08 Charter criticizes in its prelude:
特别是官民对立激化和群体事件激增，正在显示着灾难性的失控趋势，现行体制的落伍已经到了非改不可的地步。
And now the charter, itself, is likely to push the conflict to the culmination.
A high-handed response
Its birth and release to public is more than dramatic.
The Charter was planned to be publicized on exactly 10, Dec, the Human Right Day. 303 signatures have been collected, marking the first phase of the campaign. As soon as it is released, a public signature-collection movement will be launched.
However, on 8, Dec, Liu Xiaobo, one of the most prominent dissident in China, also an initiator of the campaign, was raided and arrested by secret police, along with another scholar, Zhang Zuhua, who was released soon. But their houses were ransacked, computers and other personal items taken away.
Interviewed by Deutsche Welle, Zhang recalled:
大约有20多名警员身着警服闯到我家中，出示了传唤通知书和搜查证，然后把我带到万寿路派出所进行讯问，长达12小时。同时留下11位民警在我家进行了一 个大搜查。把我家里的几台电脑，包括我妻子的电脑，还有我的很多书籍和私人物品–我和我太太的现金、存折、银行卡全部抄走，留下了很厚一沓的扣押物品文 件清单。
Not as lucky as Zhang, Liu Xiaobo has been detained for all the week till now. No sign yet shows that he will be released in short time. Liu was born in 1955. After the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989, he had been imprisoned as a major planner. After being released, he kept writing on to lash out at the anti-democracy deed of the authority, in and out of prison frequently.
On Telegraph UK, a detailed account of what happened is presented. As the article marked, one of the most politically sensitive demands in the Charter is for the western-style separation of powers – the legislature, the executive and the legal system – which has been publicly discussed but ruled out by Communist Party leaders. But more than that, item 18 in the Charter, which proposes China to shift into a federal republic, is what the authority cites the most to charge against the signers, because it is thought be a clear threat to the state regime.
Though signers have claimed they only want a reform within the current political framework, the authority is well unsettled. More questionings, home arrests and confiscations are going. Rumor says every single signer will be “treated” by police.
Independent Chinese Pen Center, an association advocating the freedom of writing and publishing, which Liu-xiao used to preside over, is greatly affected because many of its members have signed the charter. They documented what happened to them in these days on the internet.
Dang Guangsheng, a poet, posted that he got a taste of how efficient the secret police are:
去附近的“步瑞祺电脑城”，正在柜台看耳机时，有人拍了拍我的肩膀。我一看，是个陌生的30多岁的穿着休闲服的人。他问“ 老管吗？”我说“是”。他说“借一步说话。”我有些诧异，又有些想笑，心想：这人还比较文明。我问道“你认识我吗？”他说“你不是管党生吗？”我说“是 ”，他扶着我胳膊说“没有找错”。然后把我带到门口，说“我是市公安局的，想找你了解些事情，请配合一下”，并掏出来“人民警察证”给我看了一下，里面名 字还没有看清楚，他就收了起来。说实话，我当时的第一个念头就是想跑。但是，一方面他强“扶”着我胳膊，一方面感觉跑也没有什么意思，何况以前也有过类似 的事情。
The author was then taken outside the door, and invited to a guest box in a restaurant. A talk, apparently friendly but actually tit-for-tat and strained, followed.
“我们开门见山吧。最近你比较活跃啊。”
“哪些方面？”
“最近签名比较多啊”
沉默……
“零八宪章看过没有？还有那个《营救刘晓波博士告全国人民书》？”
“看过”
“签名了没有？”
“签名了”
“好，谁让你签名的？”
“自己”
“在哪里看见的？”
“网上”
“哪个网？”
“到处都有”
“你知不知道问题很严重？”
“不知道”
“你怎么和刘晓波搞到一起去了？怎么认识他的？”
“我没有和刘晓波搞到一起去，也基本不认识他。”
“那为什么要声援营救他？”
The author gave a long reply this time,
“因为从80年代起我就喜欢他的文章，还有我认为零八宪章只是表达当代民主政治的基本原则和价值追求，对促进中国民主法治有很大促进作用，代表着很大一部分人的政治理想，为这个抓人是没有道理的。从法律上讲，宪法明确规定保障每个人的言论自由权利”
“你怎么知道抓他是因为零八宪章的？”
“那是因为什么？
“How do you know that Liu was detained for the 08 Charter?”
“Then for what?”
He was silent this time.
Finally, after making sure that the author knew little about who are running the movement and how it was done, the detective let him go. The author commented at the end of the blog entry:
出来以后，我想中国的公安有时工作效率还是比较高的。譬如对“零八宪章”。如果把这效率用在反腐败上多么好。
也许是杞人忧天。为了防止我突然“消失”，我还是把今天的事情写了出来。
现在外面是晴天，还是老话：我坚信乌云遮不住太阳。

author: Bob Chen


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China: Charter 08, to be free and fearless · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

At the Eve of the sixtieth anniversary of the promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Dec 10, 303 prominent intellectuals and human rights activists in China, jointly released Charter 08, demanding more political reform in China. However, the China government decided to celebrate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by repressing the peaceful and rational act. A number of intellectuals, some human rights lawyers and activists were arrested for investigation, among one of them, Liu Xiaobo was still under police detention.
A traitor declaration?
What is the reason for the Chinese government to repress the Charter? Of course there isn't any official explanation except the cliches that Liu Xiaobo has become a threat to the national security. Maybe we can read from the online pro-government opinions to make sense of the rationality. Sima Nan called the Charter a Chinese colour revolution declaration:
“中国颜色革命宣言”后签名的人，不少都是一侧颈椎增生扭脸右转死猪不怕开水烫的老面孔。那位林培瑞先生，大家也并很不陌生。早在1989年，他机智地一手策划了方某人的外逃；长期以来，他慷慨地出钱豢养着一批所谓的“民运”人士。当然，出钱的领钱的心里都明镜一般，无论策划逃人，还是出钱养人，均非林老一己之力所能为之，其后悉有庞大的后援支撑，无非年度计划必须完成，无非请人形象代言。
Wu yu called the Charter 08 a Traitor Charter:
昨天在司马南先生的文章里看到了《零八宪章》的中文全文和英文译文，这个以美国普世价值观做意识形态凝聚力的《零八宪章》就是一个卖国汉奸思想导向。因为意识形态和民族文化是最强大的国家凝聚力，这个《零八宪章》宣扬的是美国的意识形态，就是为了建立美国的国家凝聚力，所以《零八宪章》就是卖国的汉奸宪章。
Even though, the Chinese government keeps repressing dissent voices, many bloggers in China still take the risk to sign the Charter and disseminate the information.
Overcome fear
Liberalist struggled for a few days and finally decided to sign the Charter with his real name:
今天终于签了名，签的真名、真职业，对签名活动来说可能有些晚，但对我来说意义重大。以前顾虑在于，我的职业虽然算自由职业，但时刻处在种种矛盾、旋涡之中，属于每年政府都要注册、年检的那种敏感行业，一个省也不过几千人，当局调查、和谐起来十分方便。
就这样折磨了自己几日，发现自己根本就是庸人自扰。既然内心对一件事深深认同，做与不做又都有可以理解的理由，剩下的就是选择的问题了。“为了正义，哪怕它天崩地裂”是一种选择，不争不鸣、独善其身也是一种选择，两种选择没有高下之分、只有利害之别。说到底，每个人仅对内心负责则矣。而我的权衡结果是：如果不做这件事，将来内心一定会不安。
I have tortured myself for days, getting myself troubled. If I really agree with the issue, whether i do it or not, the reasons are all valid. It is a matter of decision. “For the sake of justice and leave the consequence behind” is a choice, getting myself away from the trouble water is another choice, there is no better choice. The only different is about how risk. Everyone has to be responsible for his or her own heart. And my final decision is: if I don't do it this time, I will be regret in the future.
Ran yunfei, a famous blogger and one of the 303 intellectuals co-signing the Charter, talks about counteracting the politics of fear in under the authoritarian state:
有人说，你就不恐惧吗？我恐惧，和大家一样。但我认为面对恐惧的方式可能有所不同，有人说，你的电话肯定被监听，我说他爱听不听（这不表明我赞赏他来听，我反对他来听，这只是我反对无效时的被动考量，但对他们这种窃听，我一直反对），事涉公众利益，我私下说与公开说的完全一样；有人说，你出来可能有人跟踪，我说我到不了那个级别，即令是有，我也欢迎他一起聊天喝茶，但茶钱你得自己给。官方最高兴的是，你完全按照他威胁性的旨意来生活，生活在恐惧不安中，活得越来越憔悴，生活越来越无趣，它最高兴。它会暗中说，…毋如完全尊重自己的规律与轨迹，这是对制造恐惧者的最大打击。
Tie Liu a 76 year old writer explains why he signed the Charter:
我是个七十有六岁的老人，不顾疲劳戴着老花镜把”零8宪章”反反复复地看了三遍，最后毅然签上了自已的名字，位列57 位。”08宪章”写道：…制造了反右、大跃进、文革、六四、打压民间宗教活动与维权运动等一系列人权灾难，致使数千万人失去生命，国民和国家都付出了极为惨重的代价。”难道这不是事实吗？我是历史老人，各种灾难的见证者。
Protest in Hong Kong, without report
Although Hong Kong enjoys the freedom of speech and press, the mass media has ignored the Charter 08. Yesterday, I joined a protest calling for the release of Liu Xiaobo, but there isn't any local Chinese media, at the same time, the online discussions are very limited. I writes a citizen report at inmediahk.net about the protest and the media conditions:
大部份網上媒體，都是主流的鏡子或回音室，從《零八憲章》的傳播看，論壇和 Blog 的獨立性都成疑，畢竟個人的意識、喜好都跟著主流來轉…；再且，個人或缺乏組織的聚眾，在缺乏資源與意識下，亦無法發揮抗衡的作用。香港的 Bloggers 相對國內的，因為缺乏自主的組織與意識，與國內和台灣相比，顯得隨波逐流，而沒有成為資訊傳播的行動者。
《零八憲章》在香港的傳播是一個警號，當我們的教育強調國民身份認同，而主流媒體（尤其是電視媒體）只談奧運、神七與中央救市，完全屏閉人民作為主體的社會改革力量；另一方面，網上／社會上獨立多元的聲音無法成為抗衡的力量，我們的下一代，只會變成國家搖藍下的娃娃。
我們需要更強、更有意識、更多元自主的獨立媒體運動。
The dissemination of Charter 08 is a warning sign in Hong Kong. The government has been advocating patriotic education, and our mainstream media, especially T.V media, only talk about Olympics, space travel and central government's intervention on the financial crisis while cover up people's effort in promoting social transformation. On the other hand, online independent media has failed to grow strong and become counter propaganda force. Our next generation will become baby in the cradle of the State.
We need stronger, more diverse and autonomous independent media movement here.
Up till now, thousands of Chinese have signed the Charter and there are various online platforms for collecting signature, including: zola's google knol and inmediahk.net or you can send email to: 2008xianzhang@gmail.com or poonkarwai@gmail.com
English version of the Charter 08 can be found here, Japanese version here, and Chinese version here.
photos credit to hegelchong.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
Kenya: East African drink fights Coca Cola · Global Voices
Bankele

In March 2008 the Kenyan corporate giant East African Breweries Limited, who produces the famous Tusker beer label, launched a new non-alcoholic drink called Alvaro. The new malt-based drink was considered a runaway success but which may have come at the expense of local juice manufactures, but more so at Coca Cola who control the local soda market. Since its launch Alvaro has been the subject of discussion by the public, at the Kenyan parliament, in government offices and of couse in the online Kenyan community.  We collected a few reactions from Kenyan bloggers.
Shiko-Msa of Wanjiuku Unlimited welcomed the launch of Alvaro:
Make a statement without saying a word – this aptly describes East African Brewery's new kid on the block Alvaro. In its stylish green bottle, it has an outstanding sophisticated look synonymous with the 24-35 age group for whom it’s targeted.  Produced in pineapple and pear flavours, Alvaro seems to have hit the market with a bang with sales having already jumped to three times above the projected trends. In pubs and supermarkets the drink is said to be flying off the shelves.
Sayra left a comment on the post about the reaction from Coca-Cola:
For sure coke are in trouble and am seeing one of those interesting corporate fights. This time things might be a bit hard for them to conduct their not so ethical business practices…
Rafiki Kenya, though   was less than impressed with Alvaro's branding as a natural product:
Alvaro comes in two flavours: pear and pineapple. Yes indeed, flavours. And that's where the problem lies, since there is nothing natural about flavours. Alvaro: unique, maybe – but natural, surely not.
The marketing blog brandkemistry wrote about the success of Alvaro, who has already sold over 7 million bottles:
… what is Coca Cola going to do to keep in check Alvaro’s rise in this market. So far Coca Cola launched burn – an energy drink  and a 50 million shilling promotion but i dont that will counter Alvaro’s growth in this market. Time to watch wait and see but for the very first time EABL [East African Breweries] has gotten the non alcoholic beverage right. As some preacher said recently Christians in this country have been waiting for a long time to partake from EABL’s table, with Alvaro thier wait has be amplty rewarded.
I just wonder how Coca Cola will counter the rise of Alvaro… i guess only time will tell.
prop4g4nd4kali left a comment on the post against Coca Cola:
Coca-Cola’s distribution system is almost criminal. They maintain market share by bullying retailers to stock only their products. No amount of marketing or investment can help a rival. You think you have choice? Or that you drink Coke products because you like them? It’s more likely you do so because it is everywhere and it’s the only thing there
Last July, Alvaro got in trouble when to it was claimed in the Kenyan Parliament that the soft drink contained alcohol which may have contributed to a wave of riots by school children that affected some parts of the country:
Alvaro recently found it’s name in parliament with nominated MP Rachel Shebesh putting the Minister for Industrialization to task to confirm or deny that the drink contains no alcohol. To back her claims, she said that tests carried out on Alvaro in school laboratories proved that it contains traces of alcohol. Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo added that if exposed to sunshine for one hour, it turns alcoholic. Or rather it produces traces of ethanol
A few people reacted to that post:
Kirima:
I would have laughed at the debate in Parliament if it wasn't so sickeningly ridiculous, I wonder why our overpaid MP's cannot use the research facilities provided to them by the taxpayers properly.
31337:
when i heard the debate on the news i almost smashed my radio to bits, but seeing as that would have been counter productive i turned it off instead, the gall!
BP ONE:
Alvaro is said to be malt base nonalcoholic drink and it is generally known that malt base nonalcoholic beverage has never been without controversy in the other parts of the world
Coca Cola did eventually respond to the competition, and in November 2008 it launched a new drink similar to Alvaro called Novida which Rafiki Kenya said tastes better :
Novida’ is Portuguese for ‘new life’. And you can now get that new life in Nairobi for only 25 bob!  Novida comes in three flavours: pineapple, apple and tropical.
As far as the taste is concerned, I found my Novida Pineapple to be quite refreshing and very similar to Alvaro Pineapple, maybe just a touch sweeter.
But not impressed by Novida  is Larrymads who is an avowed Alvaro fanatic
The Novida pineapple tasted EXACTLY LIKE ALVARO! Only 30ml less than Alvaro that comes in 330ml. So what’s the deal with that?
Novida vs. Alvaro was the subject of a thread at Stockskenya, a discussion forum about shares and investment issues, and opinions were very diverse:
cmk
In order to hit back and avoid further erosion of it market, coca cola is to launch a ‘carbon copy’ of alvaro
Ali Baba
You guys have your drinks from EABL and COKE; others like me who don't drink alcohol, don’t drink sodas and soft drinks; I’m still waiting for someone to offer what I drink
Gordon Gekko
I suspect these two brands appeal to an entirely new market – like those who hang out in bars but dont drink alcohol. I cant see my kids switching to Novida from coke,neither can I see the thirsty guy at the kiosk switching as he is driven by value (these drinks are 200 ml less and cost khs 10 more).
Magic
Although I respect EABL- I just think Coca Cola- with their money, experience means that in the soft drink market they will win. However- I predict that with time… Sodas will not be popular- which is why they are spreading out to new products. My take is that in the long term EABL wins

author: Bankele


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Cuba, Brazil, U.S.A.: Composer Honoured  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

AfriClassical is thrilled that the Brazilian city of Sao Paolo is honouring renowned Cuban composer Leo Brouwer.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: García Márquez Gives Scriptwriting Workshop · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In Cuba, Zenia Regalado writes about Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez’ annual workshop given at Havana's International School of Theater and Television [es]. Ten students participate in the workshop with the aim of writing a movie script.


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Cuba: Visit by Carlos Lage to Matanzas Province · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

José Miguel Vázquez writes about the recent visit of Carlos Lage [es], Vice President of the Council of State of Cuba, to the province of Matanzas to inaugurate a new electrical grid.


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Cuba: We Shall Overcome  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuban bloggers all link to video of what they say is Generation Y‘s “call to action to all bloggers, a plea for solidarity with the ‘embryonic’ Cuban blogosphere.”


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Cyprus: Banning Turkish Placenames in GPS Systems · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

The Cyprus government is currently attempting to ban GPS systems that use Turkish place names in the Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus, Homeboy Media News reports:
The Ministry of Education and Culture meanwhile has come up with some additional reasoning for the campaign to ban the GPS receivers. In its feedback, the Ministry pointed out that the Greek place names of Cyprus have been shaped throughout the centuries. It is a fact that the Turkish “so-called authorities” have indeed undertaken a systematic campaign to alter the nomenclature of occupied northern Cyprus. Further, the Ministry pointed out that, according to both the UN and UNESCO, placenames are part of a nation’s cultural heritage.

author: Deborah Ann Dilley


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Ecuador: Default on External Debt · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa recently announced that his country will not repay back its remaining external debt. Citing the economic crisis, Correa calls the debt, “immoral and illegitimate” and he echoes the sentiments of ordinary Ecuadorians who say that they cannot pay anymore.  Ecuador has already paid $2.45 billion in interest as mandated by the global bonds.  Every little bit will help in an uncertain economy where oil prices have decreased from 140 dollars a barrel to just 45 at the end of this week, the remittances sent by immigrants have also fallen, and a fiscal deficit for the 2009 of 3,200 millions dollars are all factors in this decision [es]. The refusal to pay the debt will allow the government to spend more on social programs.
The decision of defaulting on the global bonds (2012, 2015 and 2030) was taken by Correa after the official presentation of the final report from the Public Credit Audit Commission (Comision para la Auditoria Integral del Crédito Público, CAIC [es]) audit regarding Ecuador's foreign debt.  Ecuador's decision to stop payments on the interest on its national debt is it's second in two decades, the other coming in 1999, when it defaulted on $10 billion. In 2008, the figure stands at $3.9 billion.
This commission integrated by economists, lawyers, and representatives of social organizations from Ecuador and other nations worked on the report which shows illegality and therefore  illegitimacy of the borrowing process.  Correa, an American-educated economist, is working on both fronts, his government has hired two New York lawyers staff (Foley Hoag and Paul Reichler) to advise the Latin American country on international legislation.  Correa also will promote the creation of an International Tribunal for Arbitration of Sovereign Debt in the United Nations, which will help reform the international financial framework.
Bloggers are expressing their concerns on this matter.  They show appreciation for the work performed by the CAIC but some, such as Ecuador Sin Censura [es] say that it would be better for the country if the the Commission had worked outside the government, especially when one of its members is the versatile Ricardo Patiño, former Finance Minister under Correa.
La Alharaca [es]shows compassion for the poor people who don't understand the consequences of their President's decision.  He states that many will not understand why banks will have to charge higher interest rates because they have no lines of international funding and that the small manufacturing in Ecuador will disappear because no supplier will be lending to a company in a country where the President has said that raising rate by the creditors is illegal.
People and even recognized journalists doubt of the truths in the report. Economics professor Pablo Lucio Paredes, who is writing a daily column for the newspaper El Universo has been a great guide on this matter for his students, and still has questions himself.  His column asks“Are there any truths?”,  and he answers himself, “probably”.  One of his students and current blogger recalls a university finance class and writes about the case of study Paredes presented under the very same circumstances, but assuming the students were the managers of a private company.
The article's author of Cambiemos Ecuador [es]  concedes that Ecuador, as a company has been managed badly because of abuses of previous administrations, the bad negotiations with local financials, unnecessary expenditures, and so on. But he stresses, “As a company, getting loans is not bad, the bad thing is not to use the funds for activities that bring returns to the government's revenue,” and he advises, “The loans for dams, ports, and roads, pay themselves and generate wealth, those being used for public spending, sink  us more.“
Yet, some others wonder about the path that Ecuador is following right now. La Hueca [es] writes:
cada vez nos vamos poquito a poquito a la mierda. Dios quiera e ilumine a nuestro Presidente para que tenga toda la razón -lo dudo- pero quién sabe.
In the end, ordinary Ecuadorians, who may not understand the terminology of this discussion, may correlate the issue of debts to the banks to their own lives.  If they follow the same logic, shouldn't they stop paying their own debts with banks?

author: Milton Ramirez


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Egypt: Reaction to Mexico’s Playboy Magazine · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Zeinobia from the Egyptian Chronicles is equally offended by the Mexican version of Playboy and its decision to publish photos of a nude woman portraying the Virgin Mary.


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Ethiopia: A child’s glimpse on the country · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Samuel Gebru reviews the book Tsion's Life, written from the perspective of an Ethiopian child by an American woman that adopted him. According to Gebru, the book “captures the essence of a child's life growing up in urban Ethiopia” and “is simply a useful guide to Ethiopia for all – adopting families, curious foreigners and Ethiopians too”.

author: Elia Varela Serra


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Fact or Fiction: A mini Dubai in Downtown Cairo · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Rumor has it that Gamal Mubarak, the President's son and the NDP's General Secretary of the Policy Committee, will turn the historical downtown Cairo into a “mini Dubai”. Sandmonkey wrote:
AP has a piece on how religion and decrepitude are threathening downtown Cairo Bars. I know a third source of threat: Gamal Mubarak. Our boy wonder has a project for downtown cairo, one he calls- and I wish I was joking- “Mini Dubai. Our boy, using a fake front of a company called “Al-Ismaelia for construction and development”, is buying buildings left and right over there clandestinely, with the plan of leveling them and building new High-rises and Towers – You know, give downtown a post-modern face-life.
The Sandmonkey has two problems with this
1) The architecture of the old downtown buildings in Cairo is second to none in their beauty, but are tarnished by the horrible neon signs of the 7 billion clothes and shoe stores there, and the fact that they desperately need renovation.
2) One of the buildings that our boy intends to own, is the one hosting the historical Cafe Riche, which is why it has been closed for the past year or so. The historical cafe, 100 years old, has been a central figure in Cairo's history and literary mythology. This is the place where they printed leaflets of the 1919 uprising against the brits; it used to hide activists and come with hidden passageways to help them evade the police; it is heavily mentioned and refrenced in Naguib Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy and in it was the birth of his AlKarnak masterpiece; and it's the place where Cairo's literary stars, artists and actors have met for decades.
It's all of that, and Jimmy wants to tear it all down, so he can have his Dubai High-rise.
So far the owner has been fighting this, and Jimmy's name has avoided being in the papers because so far the owner of the building hasn't recorded the sale yet, and law suits are flying back and forth.
Sandmonkey knows that
There will be an argument amongst some people, stating that such move to upgrade and upscale downtown is inevtiable, hiding behind “the inevtiable march of progress” as their justification. I reckon that if they want to upgrade parts of downtown, I can point them out to a number of areas that are both ugly and hold no historical value what so ever. And maybe they would be served to remember that their battle shouldn't be with aging or historical buildings, but with the lack of symmetry and ugliness that plague our streets (See Mohandeseen, see Nasr City).
In conclusion, the blogger states that
We are a country full of history, and our problem is that while we are quick to tout it, we do not respect it at all. Preservation is a word that's somehow absent from out vocabulary, and it can be seen in the miserable condition we treat the Pharaonic treasures in that run-down warehouse we call the egyptian museum. So please, either renovate Downtown, or leave it alone. But don't you dare destory one of the most beautiful parts of cairo, just so you can show foriegn investors how Dubai-like you are.
Have we fallen so far behind, and become so envying of Dubai, that we will do anything to claim that we are like it? Fine, apply their business practices first, or maybe their tax rate, or even their policy towards the protection of women froms sexual harrassment first, and then build the highrises. Or, better yet, Dubai was built in a desert, and 90% of Egypt is desert, so why not build there? And Jimmy, why not move there while you are at it, so, you know, you can be next to your precious dubai-like skyline? Trust me, none of us will mind. Better yet, move to Dubai, and you can have all the sky-line that your little heart desires.

author: Marwa Rakha


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India: Cashing In On Mumbai Terror Attacks  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Santosh at Über Desi is disturbed by the news that Bollywood producers are trying to cash in on Mumbai terror attacks by registering movie names based on the tragedy.

author: Rezwan


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India, Pakistan: Airspace Violation And Foreign Relations · Global Voices
Rezwan

All Things Pakistan comments on the recent alleged violation of Pakistan airspace by Indian fighter jets: “It is all too easy for things to escalate.”


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Iraq: Throwing Shoes at the President Kurdish-style · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

In response to the recent throwing of shoes at US President Bush by an Iraqi journalist, Kurdish blogger Rasti adds the following suggestion: “If it had been a Kurdish mother launching the shoes, Bush would have easily had one shoe firmly lodged in each nostril at that close distance. When you need something done right, better ask a Kurdish woman to gt it done instead of screwing around with amateurs.”


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Israel: Chrismukkah · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Jewlicious comments on the new interfaith phenomena of Chrismukkah (a combination of Christmas and Hanukkah) that “is supposed to be a warm event that celebrates tolerance and diversity, but all to often, multi-faith marriages leave the children confused or annoyed and what is meant to inspire diversity ends up inspiring nausea and annoyance. Why? Because kids are smart and they have a low threshold for bullshit. They know that Mommy and Daddy aren’t particularly good practitioners of whatever religion they are”.


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Israel: No Limit Texas Dreidel · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

My Right Word explains the rules for No Limit Texas Dreidel,  combines the traditional dreidel game with Texas Hold'em poker.


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Kazakhstan: Protesters stormed the municipality · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Michael Hancock reports on the story that Kazakhstani angry home-owners, protesting the planned demolition of their neighborhood, stormed the Almaty municipal building after the mayor refused to meet with them.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Malawi: Murderous Thanksgiving, AIDS Day and crossing the Zimbabwean border · Global Voices
Victor Kaonga

Thanksgiving in Malawi
Mikey McKay has been living in Malawi for a couple of years. He has been very key to the ICT world in Malawi in his own way. Though we almost never covered him on Malawian GV roundups, he is a man who has been in the background encouraging a few ICT pioneers in Malawi. He recently blogged about Thanksgiving which turned out to be an adventure as he had for the first time come face-to-face with a live turkey:
I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to do it. But I wanted to do it well – I didn’t want to make the turkey suffer – it should be fast. With my resolve set I went for it – and planned to cut the neck in a few strokes. But it wasn’t easy. My strokes weren’t cutting the red loose neck skin. I had to push harder, and grip the neck tighter. Then I pierced the skin, the blood splurted and I pushed with all my might until the neck snapped and I was left with the turkeys face free from its body, opening and closing its mouth in my hand, while its dismembered body quivered and tried to get up and run. George held the body down – it took what seemed like forever – probably 3 minutes or so – for it to calm itself.
Mikey is leaving Malawi in a few weeks, and we wish him all the the best. Thanks for being an encouragement to the Malawi's blogosphere.
AIDS Fight On
While the international and local communities continue planning strategies for the fight against HIV and AIDS, this year's World AIDS Day was commemorated in a different light.
An Adventist Development Relief Agency in Malawi thought of mobilizing some people in their project areas under this year’s theme Stop AIDS: Keep the promise with the subtitle Leadership: Lead, empower and deliver. The organization, which has been in Malawi for 26 years, blogged about its recent visit to Machinga:
Community mobilization was done through group village heads and a meeting with the people from Traditional Authority Liwonde occurred on 27th November 2008. Rehearsals were done on 29th November.
The communities lead different activities including drama, songs, traditional dances with HIV and AIDS messages, making the event a success. Most of the groups that did well in their performances were mentored by ADRA Malawi through theater for development training that it offered to its youth clubs and facilitators. For example the best drama group was a youth group from Mangamba another site for ADRA in Machinga.
In a related development, Japan-based Malawian blogger Clement Nthambazale wishes the much-talked about end of HIV could be true.
Is there anything good in Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe is seen to be like hell by many who have been there or follow the news about the country. But for Malawian blogger Boniface Dulani, Zimbabwe was the only place where he found solace during his 36-hour trip from Malawi to South Africa. Though he acknowledges the problems he saw, he blogs about his unique experiences under the heading A 36-Hour Road Trip to Johannesburg:
Things are bad in Zimbabwe, and this is obvious from the numerous road signs and warnings about the need to be extra vigilant about the cholera epidemic there, the constant flow of people from Mozambique and South Africa into Zimbabwe carrying all manner of commodities etc. But, despite all those challenges, there is a positive story to tell from my trip: Zimbabwe is the only country where I didn’t have to pay any bribes to get both an  entry and exit visa. The Zimbabwe immigration officers at Nyamapanda and Beitbridge were also among the quickest to process visas so much that there were never any queues at either end of the border- both on my outward and returning trips.
Meanwhile let me wish all bloggers all the best of the festive season.

author: Victor Kaonga


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Maldives: Presence in Flickr · Global Voices
Rezwan

Unique Maldives is a Flickr group dedicated to images of or from Maldives only. So far it has more than 1100 members and more than 17000 photograph entries. Similar groups on Maldives in Flickr are Networld – Connecting Maldives and Simply Maldives.


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North Africa: Regarding the Shoe Tossing · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

The Moor Next Door deconstructs the cultural implications of having a pair of shoes thrown at you: “In either case, the insult is obvious: Few people of any culture would take having a loafer or sneaker thrown at them as an expression of endearment.”


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Philippines: Oldest Barbershop in General Santos · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Bariles Republic's GeneralSantos.com blogs about the oldest barbershop in General Santos, a city in the Southern Philippines.

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Philippines: Students’ Lives in Contrast · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

A Cebuana student contrasts students’ lives in the Philippines. The lifestyle of the rich and the poor students are poles apart, she concludes.


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Philippines: To the Young Writer · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Januaries reposts a message to young writers from the Philippine national artist for literature and foremost novelist, F. Sionil Jose.


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Puerto Rico: Pasteles  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Voice of the Taino People Online republishes an article which reveals that the popular Christmas dish pasteles is actually indigenous in origin.


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Russia: December History Highlights · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Some of the Russian/Soviet history December highlights at De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis: Birobidzhan demographics; Cherubina de Gabriak and the duel between Maximilian Voloshin and Nikolay Gumilyov; Vladimir Gilyarovsky; the Soviet war in Afghanistan; and a cookbook by Elena Molokhovets.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Saudi Arabia: What Women Can Do · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

American Bedu starts a list of what Saudi women can and can not do.


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Sri Lanka: Capturing Killinochchi  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ajith P. Perera at Dare To Be Different criticizes the Sri Lankan Army's ongoing efforts to gain control in Killinochchi and warns Sri Lankans of dire consequences.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Oval Art  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The walls of the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain have been plastered “with large posters showcasing the who's who in local contemporary art” – the bookmann thinks a few additional steps need to be taken to make the project worthwhile.


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Turkey: The New “Old” Turks · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Talk Turkey presents the faces of the youngest member of the Ottoman Dynasty.


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UAE: Hip Hop Documentary Opens · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

The Palestinian music documentary “Slingshot Hip Hop” opens in Dubai according to Bataranzi.


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Ukraine: NATO; Crisis vs Luxury; Baba Paraska · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A roundup of Ukrainiana‘s December posts: Ukraine and NATO; the math of the Russian-Ukrainian relations; ex-defense minister on “martial economic law”; Ukrainian PM's Chanel necklace and the First Lady's Chanel handbag vs. the president's call “to ‘live without’ expensive foreign-made items in times of crisis”; the beating of Baba Paraska – who “represents the Orange Revolution as Joe the Plumber represents the American middle class” – by the president's guards; and other updates.


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When you’ve been in Taiwan too long · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

SpinalCord shared an absolutely hilarious but also down to earth article exemplifying the most possible outcome in 261 items if a foreigner stays in Taiwan for too long…

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Zambia: To bail or not to bail Zamtel · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Kashikulu draws a parallel between Detroit's auto industry bailout debate and the one for the Zambian Telecommunications company Zamtel


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Activist turned informant creates uproar in New Zealand · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

New Zealand’s blogosphere is a flutter with the possibility that a left-wing activist has been outed as a police informer.
As the Sunday Star Times reported:
During the past decade the police spent tens, possibly hundreds, of thousands of dollars getting [Rob] Gilchrist to spy on environmental groups, anti-Iraq War groups, poverty and beneficiary rights groups, animal welfare groups, GE-free groups and many others. The police pressed him to gather information not only about the groups’ protest plans, but also the personal lives and relationships of members.
The newspaper said that Rob Gilcrhist reported to two members of the Special Investigation Group in Christchurch, which paid the informer $600 a week (plus expenses) for monitoring groups like Greenpeace, Save Happy Valley, Auckland Animal Action, GE-Free New Zealand and Peace Action Wellington. Gilchrist, 40, also forwarded to the police emails from the Green Party and the Workers Party. The SIG was set up after Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States to investigate counter terrorism and national security.
The whole issue came to light, the paper states, when Gilchrist asked his girlfriend, a 22-year-old animal rights and Labour activist, to fix his computer. She then found that he was sending and receiving emails to anonymous addresses, “one that turned out to belong to the police.”
Soon after the Sunday Star Times stories hit the newsstands, the left-wing newsblog Whoar sent out this warning:
rat/dog/snitch-alert..!..there has been a police informer ‘deep’ in animal rights groups/greenpeace..for some years…his name is rob gilchrist…
Those posting at the Aotearoa Independent Media Center were especially irked that Gilcrhist apologized to the people he had been spying on.
This comment, from Anonymous, is pretty representative in the idea that many activists had long wondered about Gilchrist's motives.
Your SORRY??
You have to be kidding?
You took the cash offered and didnt give a fuck about us all. To say you feel bad is total crap. I have known you for many years Rob and knew you didn't fit from day one. But everyone else wanted to believe you were “heaven sent”. If you were not caught out by your friend you would still be taking to governments cash.
For myself mate I am pleased you have been stopped. And there is about to be a trial. There will be others like you and in fact there are others like you.
Gess Rob…your an arse hole. Sorry mate no amount of sorrys will help. There is a person who picked you out from day one, from the very 1st time he saw you. He is no longer with us now. We weren't sure but he was sure you were a spy. Well done to that man. I am sure he is having a little chuckle to himself.
From the same site, here's a comment on the police's alleged interest in activists’ personal lives.
Wonder how much this case had to do with all the in-fighting that's been going on recently. It seems Rob's taskmasters were taking an interest in people's sexual relationships and factions.
Let’s move on to the larger questions at stake.  First, the issue of the legality and efficacy of the domestic surveillance of political or activist groups.
Quoting a Green Party spokesman who said the police were using “Stasi tactics” and were wasting resources to fight crime, Tumeke opined:
How dirty is this, how filthy to spy on protest groups like SAFE or Greenpeace, is this why we need to pass new Police powers is it to spy on protest groups like them? I thought we were passing these laws to protect us from actual terrorists but no apparently the sex lives of activists is something we need to know for national fucking security purposes.
… it’s a reminder for everyone planning action against the Government next year to work in very small tight cell groups and DON’T tell others what you are doing so that you don’t risk outside police informers coming into your group.
Idiot/Savant at No Right Turn argues it’s high time to disband the SIG:
So, under the guise of fighting “terrorism”, the police were spying on political parties. That is simply unacceptable in a democracy. The SIG must be disbanded, and the officers responsible held to account.
LudditeJourno doesn’t go so far. However, author Sandra Dickson argues for some oversight.
It would be good to see the new government drawing a line under this police action, which mostly happened under the Labour-led governments of the last three terms.  My suggestion would be that the Special Investigation Group have their monitoring monitored by independent review – and the findings made public.  We could then make an informed decision about how useful this group is, and in what capacity it should continue to exist.
In Kiwi Blog, David Farrar maintains the police must walk a fine line on which groups it should be tracking — and that line is drawn at those committing illegal activities.
So should the Police be spying on these groups, if they are protest groups. Well the answer is, it depends. If they never set out to break the law, and organise legal protests, then the Police should be taking no interest in them. Presumably that is what Forest & Bird are not there or the World Wildlife Fund.
If however the groups have a deliberate strategy of breaking the law, of commiting damage, of theft etc – then the mere fact they are a protest group doesn’t make them immune from the law, and doesn’t mean the Police can’t use informants to find out what illegal activities are planned.
So do the ten groups above all take part in organised law breaking activities? I’m not sure they do. Save Happy Valley certainly does and I have no problem with the Police monitoring them, if done within the law. But I suspect in some of the cases, the Police would be stretching it to justify their surveilance through an informant. The question I would ask is whether the use of Gilchrist as an informant actually prevented any crimes? I not, then they should not be spying n the groups. If however they were planning illegal activities, some surveillance can be argued as justified.
In the above post, LudditeJourno digs deeper into the issue that the police often monitor groups whose beliefs they deem as outside the norm.
Bryce Edwards, a lecturer in Political Studies, writes Liberation and follows that same line of thought.
The state in New Zealand has always taken a strong interest in the surveillance of leftwing political activity. The Security Intelligence Service, in particular, has a long history of spying on leftwing activist groups and individuals. And in recent years the power of the SIS has been extended, with the help of MPs from Labour, National, the Maori Party etc. There has even sometimes been some slight ‘innovations’ to the spying configurations – with state owned corporations using private investigators to do the spying on political activists.
Yet, there are many throughout New Zealand’s blogosphere, like Half Done, who  argues it is the duty of the police to keep an eye on groups creating civil unrest.
Frankly, if the police were not keeping an eye on groups that actively advocate for anyone to participate in an armed struggle, they’d be in serious dereliction of their duties.
The attitude of certain groups that they can do whatever they like if they don’t get their political way is one of the core reasons why we need the police.
See also: Greece.
At first blush, Not PC wonders whether the story is true.
But let’s assume for argument’s sake that the claim is true.  So what? The groups are said to include the likes of Safe Animals from Exploitation (SAFE), Peace Action Wellington, GE-free groups, and Save Happy Valley.  All of these are law-breakers – as is their ‘mother ship’  Greenpeace, who if you’ll remember were supporters of the likes of the Sea Shepherd, which spends time in freezing Antarctic waters trying to sink Japanese whaling ships with all the lives on board.
These people are not part of a knitting circle.
SAFE have a history of breaking and entering, and destroying people’s property.  It was GE-free groups who broke into Lincoln University a few years back and destroyed experiments worth millions (and, incidentally, risked spreading the GE virus against which they were protesting).  And Save Happy Valley and Peace Action Wellington are nothing like as benevolent as they sound: members of both these groups have been arrested and investigated in the past for wilful damage, and both were included in those arrested last year as part of the Te Qaeda/Urewera 17 operations.
So even if the claim was proven true, if these groups are being investigated is simply means the police are doing their job.

author: John Liebhardt


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AIDS: Orphans, Marches and Reminders · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Following up on past AIDS coverage such as the AIDS Conference 2008 and  the World AIDS Day 2008, we bring you a video that shows the plight of orphans in South Africa whose parents have died from AIDS, the AIDS day celebrations in Bangladesh, a reminder from Mexico to get tested from SexualidadIntegral podcast and the AIDS impact report from the 2008 Conference in the Mexico City as well.
Panos London is an organization which promotes participation of community voices of poor and marginalized people in debates on international development issues. They have a series called Growing Pains which shows the lives of children orphaned due to AIDS and how they have to take up the burden of rearing their siblings and keeping the family together.  The following video was produced using images taken in South African communities of the children, their families and their testimonies:In Bangladesh, celebrations followed the AIDS Day 2008 parades and marches. The following video of the march was recorded by bdaids
 and is available on their site:The next video is the third installment of the Video Podcast by Sexualidad Integral in Mexico. Stop motion animation brings the message home that people shouldn't leave testing for later, that it should be done as soon as possible:
The AIDS 2008 Impact report which analyzes and reflects on key learning in the areas of epidemiology, basic and clinical research, biomedical prevention research, regional focus and an insight onto how AIDS 2008 and other international AIDS conferences have contributed to the global response towards the AIDS epidemic. We followed the Conference in this special feature section, and now you can download the report on the IAS Website or view it here.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Barbados: Travel Trouble? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“OK…so tourism is toast for the next few years”: Barbados Free Press suggests a few measures “to personally get through what we are going to face in the coming three or four years…”


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Cambodia: Khmer paintings · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Denith uploads a collection of Khmer paintings.

author: Mong Palatino


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China: Top Ten Sex-Related Incidents · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated a local article form China economic net on 2008 Top Ten Sex-Related Incidents In China.


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Egypt: Is Obama Palestinian? · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

An Arab tribe in Al Jaleel claims President Obama to be one of them and they will prove it. Sandmonkey commented saying: “The fears of the American Right and the Zionist Movement have now been confirmed: A Palestinian tribe from Al Jaleel has claimed that Obama is one of its descendents and is therefore Palestinian. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage Obama to run in the upcoming Palestinian elections as the alternative third candidate between Hamas and Fatah, and then, upon winning, resume negotiations with himself over how to adequately resolve the Mid-East peace crisis. Should be awesome. Kafka would be proud!”


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Filipino portfolio, plagiarized by US design firm · Global Voices
Tonyo Cruz

In the Philippines, many are angry that a US-based company WebSapient plagiarized the entire portfolio of a Filipino web designer. WebSapient has brought down the plagiarized materials and have not been able to put up its own, as of posting time.

author: Tonyo Cruz


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First Vietnamese-American in US Congress · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Charvey writes about the recent electoral victory of Joseph Cao who is now the representative of Louisiana's Second Congressional District in the United States.


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George Bush and Iraq: ‘Shoe’denfreude? · Global Voices
Salam Adil

Will this become one of those moments in history? In years to come will you recount to your grand children where you were when an Iraqi journalist, Montather Al-Zeidi, threw his shoes at the president of the United States? For me I was at home just getting my kids ready to sleep when my father called me insisting that I simply had to switch on the television immediately.
Iraqi bloggers reacted in much the same way with a number who wrote their first new post in months just to make their comment. Abbas Hawazin went as far to predict that shoe throwing will now be part of mainstream culture and has gone to look for a good-sized shoe to carry in his pocket, “in case I need to make any public expression of anger should the case arise.”
Word from the Streets
Last of Iraqis broke his once-a-week frequency to share his opinion on the incident. “In the Iraqi traditions or may I say Arabic traditions in general; it's the maximum insult a man can do…it's the maximum humiliation no word can accomplish”, he writes. And he gives his view of the Iraqi Street:
Today I went to work as usual and all the people I saw were very very happy, it was like a national celebration…A female patient came to me for a filling and as we were waiting for the Anesthesia to take effect she said “do you know doc. That yesterday was an Eid to me; I haven't celebrated Eid for the past 3 years because the Americans “accidentally” killed my husband and son and Bush is the reason why they are here so yesterday some of my revenge has been taken” …all the staff said the same thing “A statue should be built for Muntathar” in fact many of them have used the photo of Muntathar as a background for their mobiles but the really beautiful thing that made me even happier was that no one referred to his sect or anything…they were all proud of him…
So what will happen now? Will he be considered a terrorist? Will throwing a president with a shoe be a terrorist act?
I think there will be two scenarios of what will happen…either he will continue his life in jail for countless charges and die there or he will be released within few weeks and after some time he will be dead and of course they will say for natural causes or he might die in an accident.
Hammorabi goes some way to explain the anger behind the man who preferred a shoe to a well-worded question:
This journalist have seen the US troops killing women and children since 1991, children died from the use of Depleted Uranium … because the USA has prevented importing such treatment under the 12 years sanction since 1991 Gulf war. He has seen the USA many times since 1991, destroying the Iraqi infrastructures, hospitals, mosques, houses, schools, universities, historical sites, factories, and so on. After the invasion in 2003 he has seen the American and their allies’ troops humiliating, assaulting and torturing the Iraq civilians in Abo-Ghreeb prison and in Basrah city by British troops. It is in front of his eyes and every Iraqi eyes the US soldiers and the American security companies such as Black Water killing the Iraqis, humiliating them, and behaving with arrogance and superiority …  Iraq became the country of death, killing, lack of services, diseases such as cholera, corruption especially in oil, and division. Many and many other consequences since 1991 US wars in Iraq. All these in mind no wonder why the Iraqi journalist hit GWB with his shoes. GWB was wrong to say this is so the journalist wants to bring attention. It is not but it is the response after all these years of misery by the USA in Iraq.
We feel that the journalist could have asked GWB some questions however that might pass unnoticed and he chose the way that he likes to express his anger against the US wars in this country.
Khalid Jarrar broke a six-month silence to list reactions on his Facebook page. He writes:
Believe it or not, a lot of people think that this guy, Montathar, regardless of the beating he probably is still having, deserves a statue in the middle of Baghdad. I am willing to fund it myself :D
One person who does not think so is Nibras Kazimi who stood alone among Iraqi bloggers to defend George Bush:
Personally, I got angry. Very angry.
I will make a public promise: should I ever run into a certain reporter called Muntather al-Zaidi, presently of Al-Baghdadia TV, I will seriously consider beating the crap out of him… See, I will forever remain indebted to President George W. Bush. He is my hero. He liberated Iraq, and that's how I will always see it. Had there been no President Bush, then Saddam would still be Saddam.
The usual suspects are ecstatic over what happened, especially the US-based media and Iraq-watchers. I would like to beat them all up too, but I think that would be a tad bit excessive. The best revenge is to make them watch Iraq's democracy strengthen and prosper.
Baghdad Treasure is torn between professional pride and being an Iraqi:
As a journalist myself, I found what the reporter did was extremely wrong. Journalists have their voices and pens (and now the internet) to express whatever they want to protest against. However, I was kind of relieved. As an Iraqi citizen, I believe Bush deserved this ending that the entire world will remember and cherish. I mean what wrong the man had done was huge. His failure to prepare for an invasion aftermath caused Iraqis and Americans hundreds of thousands of souls, not to mention the destruction of an entire country, the millions who have migrated and the creation of terrorism in Iraq. Well, you know the rest. There is no need to go into details here…
Anyways, now Bush has one last thing to have the world remember him with. If I were him… Nah, I’ll keep this to myself.
Free Montather
Several bloggers are concerned for the journalist and call for his release. Raed Jarrar has started an online petition. He writes:
Some of my contacts in Baghdad assured me that the Iraqi Journalist who threw the shoes at bush today was heavily beaten (you can actually hear him scream in pain in this released video)
After beating him, the Iraqi authorities arrested Mr. Al-Zeidi.
Layla Anwar adds:
We were also filled with grief and recited the Fateeha, because we knew that Muntather Al-Zaidi signed his own death warrant. This guy is finished.
Mom added that he will be tortured first, most probably with shoes before his execution…
I therefore urge all people of conscience, in particular Journalists without Borders, any syndicate or union of journalists anywhere in the world, to mobilize themselves for the release of Muntather before he gets executed.
And Finally
Ladybird reports on the inevitable computer games that will be spun from the shoe throwing incident. She links to an “Educational” one from a Norwegian newspaper where the player can calculate the right angle and force.

author: Salam Adil


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Guadeloupe: The Outstanding Gwada Boys   · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

Shakazulu in Gwakafwika reports [Creole] that the Guadeloupean soccer team won third place (along with $50,000) in the Caribbean Cup when they beat Cuba in a match this past weekend.

author: Fabienne Flessel


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Guyana: Future Flooding  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana Providence Stadium extends kudos to two local teens who made a documentary about the potential effects of flooding in Guyana should current weather patterns continue.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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India: Builders’ Boycott Of The Muslim · Global Voices
Rezwan

AnIndianMuslim.com reports that about 300 real estate brokers in Surat, India decided to stop buying, selling or renting any property to Muslim.


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Indonesia: Fuel subsidy · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Exegesis believes the removal of Indonesia's fuel subsidy will be good for the economy in the long run.


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Iran: Blogger was sentenced to more than 2 years prison · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian news sites such as Amir Kabir[fa], a student site, reported Omid Reza MirSyafi,Iranian blogger and journalist, was sentenced to 36 months prison. He was accused of insulting Iranian religious leaders and doing propaganda against Islamic Republic.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Israel: Hanging up on a five-year old · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Treppenwitz writes about hanging up on his five-year in order to teach him a lesson on conversation: “So yes, if you're wondering what kind of a monster hangs up on a five year old… it's the kind of monster who loves his kid enough to teach him how to be a Mensch.  Guilty as charged.”

author: Deborah Ann Dilley


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Jamaica, Cuba, U.S.A.: A Shoe in Hand… · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from Jamaica, Annie Paul declares Muntadar al-Zaidi (the Bush shoe-pelter) her “Man of the Year”, calling his action “the most inspired (and inspiring) act of the last few years”, while noting: “Bush must also be congratulated for his restrained response…”  Review of Cuban-American Blogs and Yohandry's Weblog (ES) also weigh in.


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Japan: Economy Needs A Green Revolution · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Martin J Frid from Kurashi discusses the potential and advantage of green revolution for Japan economy.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Kurdistance: Similarities with the Lakota Sioux · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Kurdish blogger Rasti compares the recent declaration of the Lakota Sioux (a native American people) to withdraw from all treaty obligations with the United States to the forced assimilation and cultural genocide of the Kurdish people.


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MENA: Shoe Throwing Games · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Jazarah.net posts links to recent cartoons and online games in reference to the President Bush shoe throwing incident.


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Museum of Ethnology of Vietnam · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Jerome posts a picture of Hanoi's Museum of Ethnology of Vietnam which features the numerous ethnic minorities in the country.


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Pakistan: A Tribute to Fountain Pens · Global Voices
Rezwan

Owais Mughal at All Things Pakistan remembers the lost art of fountain pens.


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Palestine: Broken Ribs for Iraqi Shoe Thrower · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Palestinian Pundit reports that the reporter who threw his shoes at President Bush had his arm and several ribs broken by Iraqi security agents.


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Palestine: Dealing with Deprivation in Gaza · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

In a statement earlier this week the World Bank said: “The ongoing closure of Gaza and severe restrictions on the flow of goods and people continues to be a cause of grave concern.” In this post we hear from bloggers in Gaza describing what life is like under the Israeli blockade – and one who says it’s not as bad as the media portrays it.
Due to the rift between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, Gazans were prevented from going on the Hajj pilgrimage this year. Mutasharrid (‘homeless person’ or ‘vagrant’) has a joke on the subject:
Averting Depression (درءا للاكتئاب) describes life in Gaza:
Averting Depression then says:
DR – LION tells us about a day that started off in an unusual manner:
After the surprise of having water and electricity, there is another change to his routine:
The Exile (المنفي) has a different perspective on Gaza’s problems:

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Poland: Climate, History, Holidays · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A roundup of the recent posts on Poland: Leopolis writes about a successful outcome of the EU climate package talks; Raf Uzar writes about General Wojciech Jaruzelski's alleged plans to “open Poland’s borders and let in the Soviet army”; 20 east is fuming about bad driving in Warsaw; Polandian complains that “Polish winters have become spineless and effeminate”; the POLSKI blog shares “the most useful Polish phrases for the festive period” (“Polish Your Polish” series) and interviews UK-based Magda Pilat (“Pole Poll” series).


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Nepal: Rumors Surrounding The Captured Mumbai Terrorist · Global Voices
Bhumika Ghimire

Rumors surrounding the background and identity of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist involved in Mumbai attacks captured alive by authorities, is swirling around the internet. This time along with India and Pakistan, Nepal’s name has been dragged in.
On December 15, a Pakistani lawyer C M Farooque claimed that in 2005 Kasab was “kidnapped” by Indian officials in Kathmandu with the help of Nepalese security forces to serve “ulterior plans” later.
“The advocate said he wrote letters to Pakistan and Indian governments in this regard. He said that he had also addressed a press conference in Nepal highlighting the issue in which he revealed that the Nepalese forces arrested Ajmal Kasab and many others and held them at an unknown place and that these people would be used for their ulterior designs at some later stage. He said that he had no contact with Ajmal Kasab ever since he disappeared.”
Farooque also claimed that Kasab was in Nepal in a business visa but the Indian officials took him away with an “ulterior” motive. He said that he was later contacted by Kasab’s parents to help find their son.
Pakistani and Indian Bloggers are discussing Farooque’s claim, with some skepticism, as Kasab himself has already come forward accepting his role in the attacks, his association in the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Toiba and his parents in Pakistan have also identified him.
Nepalese government has released a statement denying Farooque’s claim of kidnapping:
“We have no such information,” home ministry spokesman Nabin Kumar Ghimire told IANS.
Although whether Kasab was actually kidnapped in Nepal by the Indian authorities is being strongly denied by both India and Nepal and very few seem to believe that in Pakistan, Nepal is getting serious flak for its inability to manage its border with India. The criticism is especially loud on the Indian side. The long, porous open border is seen by many as a serious security risk for both India and Nepal.
Ajit Chak at Merinews writes:
“Considering the threat posed by the Lashkar and allied groups, especially after the events in Mumbai, one would expect the Indian and Nepalese governments to take steps to control the wild border with Uttar Pradesh, or at least demand cooperation from each other in managing the border.”
India is also being criticized on the wake of Mumbai attacks. Dr. Hari Bansha Dulal at Nepali Perspectives says that India should examine its security policies:
“India's soft corner for those that raise arms against Nepali state did not end with its generosity towards the Maoists. It continues to provide safe heaven to armed secessionist groups that want to disintegrate Nepal. How is Pakistan's support to Jihadists that want to free Kashmir different from India's turning blind eyes on groups that have raised arms to seek secession? Armed struggle in Nepal will not survive without Indian benevolence.”
Along with the debate over Nepal and India’s policies and about Kasab’s identity, after Mumbai attacks internet is also being used by terrorists and their sympathizers to eulogize terrorists involved in the attacks. Times of India reported that many chat rooms are filled with discussions on Lashkar-e-Toiba. Messages glorifying Mumbai terrorists attacks and spreading hate against America, Israel and United Kingdom is commonly seen on these chat rooms frequented by extremists.
“Some of these electronic terrorists, who also dole out information on how to join LeT, urge the outfit for similar strikes in the US and UK. Ajmal Amir Kasab and the nine others involved in the Mumbai attack are described as heroes.”

author: Bhumika Ghimire


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South Asia: Desi Podcast · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pass The Roti On The Left Hand Side introduces Radiostan, a monthly radio show for the Desis, also available as a podcast in many formats. Radiostan brings you the pulse of Desi culture; featuring interviews, performances, and discussions with the pundits, players, and politicos that influence the South Asian American community.

author: Rezwan


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South Korea: Riot Police Suppressed Comfort Women Protest · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Michael Solis from Ohmynews! reported (with a video) about the Korean comfort women protest on 10 of December, 60th anniversary of the United Nations’ proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, the government sent riot police to suppress the peaceful protest.


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South Korea: Translating Mountain Rose · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ask a Korean! discusses cultural different through the exercise of translating the lyrics of a Korean song: Mountain Rose.


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Thailand’s new Prime Minister again · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva is now the new Prime Minister of Thailand. Thai Politico probes the education background of the new leader.


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Trinidad & Tobago, St. Kitts & Nevis: Niche Marketing  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidadian Sharon Millar makes a trip to Nevis for the annual NICHE food festival.


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Turkey: Dario Moreno · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Mavi Boncuk posts a profile of musician Dario Moreno, most noted for his career in France, he was actually a Turk with Jewish origins.


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Vietnam: Numerology · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Ned gets to learn the lucky and unlucky numbers in Vietnam. For example, the numbers 4 and 2 are unlucky in Vietnam.


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Zimbabwe: A Surge In Cholera Deaths  · Global Voices
Juhie Bhatia

The widespread cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe continues to take its toll. The United Nations reported yesterday that the disease, which is mainly transmitted through contaminated water and food, has killed almost 1,000 people (978 to be exact) since the outbreak started in August. This new death toll is a 25 percent increase from figures released last week by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The UN also says that 18,413 suspected cholera cases have been reported across the country. The disease has been found in nine of Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces, and about half of these cases are  in Budiriro, a heavily populated suburb outside the country's capital Harare. The quick spread of cholera is being blamed on Zimbabwe's deteriorating water supply system, leading to a lack of clean drinking water and poor hygiene levels, as well as its collapsing health care system.
Nancy Reyes, blogging on Blogger News Network, says that Zimbabwe's water supply concerns are nothing new.
“In Zimbabwe, the problems with the Harare water supply has been known and complained about by residents for over a year. In January 2007, there were reports of sewage contaminating the water supply, then a few months ago, reports that those administering the water supply were not able to afford chemicals to keep the water clean. So it is not as if the epidemic could not have been foreseen. Now, the water supply is almost absent in Harare: It has been shut down.”
Still, others are surprised by the extent of this outbreak. PUMA Pundit, blogging on P.U.M.A, says:
“It makes absolutely no sense that in 2008, a country would be having a cholera epidemic. Cholera for crying out loud.
In this same country, human beings are forced to compete with animals in the search for wild fruits and vegetables.
As the global community, we must not allow Zimbabwe to deteriorate to the point of a failed state, although it is fast approaching that distinction.”
Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe claimed last week that his government, with the help of international agencies, had contained the cholera problem. This video shows his speech. The Zimbabwean government has also accused the U.K. and the U.S. of waging biological warfare and starting the country's cholera epidemic.
Omotaylor, commenting on a post on AfricanLoft, believes that these remarks show that Mugabe has gone too far.
“Mugabe is a rabid dog indeed. How does the symptoms of biological or chemical warfare compare with cholera? Does he think his people are that stupid? Well, good he shows the world how far gone he is with his MADNESS.”
CM, posting on Zimbabwe Review, adds that this crisis could have a lasting impact on Mugabe's presidency:
“The cholera epidemic sweeping Zimbabwe is mainly a humanitarian tragedy. But it also will have lasting effects on the country’s messy political situation…While Mugabe has been masterful at deflaying criticism over stolen elections and violence against his supporters by framing them all in an anti-imperialist cloak, that is not so easy to do with the cholera crisis. People dying of cholera cannot be accused of doing it because they are stooges of a Britain bent on re-colonising Zimbabwe!”
This health crisis also has serious implications for Zimbabwe's neighbors as the disease spreads beyond the country's borders. Confirmed cholera cases have now been found in South Africa, Botswana, and Mozambique. On her blog Karen Grepin advises that we take this threat seriously.
“A big threat to global security is currently brewing in the bowels of Southern Africa (pun intended). Due to deteriorating social, economic, and political conditions in Zimbabwe, cholera is quickly spreading throughout Southern Africa. Although this disease pops up ever now and again throughout the continent, the fact that the epicenter – or its ground zero – of this current epidemic is in Zimbabwe means that there is little holding it back.”
Mike Trapido, blogging on Thought Leader, adds that the actions of Mugabe and his government have been extremely irresponsible:
“As most of you who have been following this debacle will recall, initially Mugabe’s geniuses had tried to conceal the cholera outbreak. This meant that the citizens of that country were not only unaware of the danger which meant they never took steps to avoid it but just as important, were in the dark as to how to deal with a disease that kills its victims within 10-12 hours if not treated.
By concealing the danger Mugabe endangered not only the people of Zimbabwe but the entire region the results of which we are now witnessing in South Africa.”
The WHO warns that with the rainy season starting and the increased transit of people during the Christmas season, cholera will likely spread further and that the total number of cholera cases could reach 60,000. Many bloggers, such as PUMABydesign001, are calling for Mugabe to be ousted to prevent this from happening. She says:
“Enough is enough, Mugabe must go. The United States, the UK and the UN are not doing enough or working fast enough to rid the world of this animal. Mugabe must go sooner rather than later.”
Photo of Drinking Water by Julien Harneis on Flickr.

author: Juhie Bhatia


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Bahamas: Debate Over Death Penalty  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Doing Theology from the Caribbean republishes a letter from the family of a murder victim arguing “that killing murderers is not the solution to murder”, despite recent protests to resume the death penalty in the Bahamas.


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Bahrain: Letter to a stalker · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Bahraini blogger Hamad Balucci writes a letter to a ‘stalker’ who has accused him of writing purely for self-promotion: “I write this blog and my other writings as a self promotion. Yes, there is no lying here. … Do I care if I am hated by other people? No. Do I care if I respected by other people for nothing but who I am and what I am? Yes, damn yes.”


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Bangladesh, Pakistan: Keeping in the dark · Global Voices
Rezwan

On December 16, 1971 the Pakistan army in Bangladesh unconditionally surrendered to the joint Indian and Bangladeshi forces. Mash at Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying unravels the false reality created by the military regime using media in the last days of united Pakistan to keep general Pakistanis in the dark.


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Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A.: Ducking the Issue  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

West Indian bloggers continue to comment on the Bush shoe-throwing incident.  Barbadians Jdid and Cheese-on-bread! are unimpressed with the Secret Service's response time, while Notes from Port of Spain says: “It's a pity that the journalist Muntazar al-Zaidi isn't a better shot.”


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Bermuda: On Whose Dime?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As the Premier sends out Christmas cards to “all of Bermuda's electorate”, 21 Square says: “Such cards would  be a very nice touch if I didn't suspect that we're actually the ones paying for it.”


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Bolivia: Scams in El Alto Bus Terminal · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Nancy Condori of El Chairo [es] warns readers of scams in the El Alto, Bolivia bus terminal where individuals are posing as employees of bus companies.

author: Eduardo Avila


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China: Journalist Throws Shoe At Bush, Chinese Reactions  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ping from ChinaMACK translates a post from tianya that shows the forum users’ reactions towards the incident of Iraqi Journalist's protest against Bush by throwing shoes.


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China: Lugu Lake · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Inside-Out China posts an article about the matriarchal tradition near the Lugu Lake.


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Costa Rica: Call for Collaborative Christmas Video · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Costa Rican online collective nosedecirlaerre.com which translates into “I can´t pronounce the R” has set out a call for participation from Costa Ricans and those familiar with their culture to create a collaborative video for Christmas.  The campaign is called Uniting Ticos for Christmas and the requirements are quite simple: dancing in the Costa Rican style of “swing criollo” the popular end of the year song Jugo de Piña and saying something in Costa Rican slang, on video.
They have uploaded a sample video on YouTube as an invitation to all the Costa Ricans who can, to send in their videos before December 27th so they can put them together and publish the collaboration on the 30th, as a Christmas and New Year's present for the community.
For those who may not know, Jugo de Piña is a Mexican cumbia song by the Hermanos Vásquez which has become a Christmas staple in the end of the year festivities in Costa Rica. Cumbia or Swing Criollo is a Costa Rican dance that uses cumbia music with a skipping step, involved footwork and lots of turns. You can view a couple dancing Costa Rican swing in this video of a dance presentation:
Nosedecirlaerre's name plays on the fact that Costa Rican's unlike most of the Spanish speaking countries, don´t roll the R when they speak.


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Cuba: Oppressing the Press · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense refers to a survey by the Committee to Protect Journalists to make the point that “Cuba takes the gold medal as the world's worst oppressor of a free press.”


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Western Sahara: Cubarawis · Global Voices
Renata Avila

Can be loved the desert after living in the Caribbean? …the desert is the face of each Saharaoui and if you don't love your face, to whom you will be able to love someday?  -From the film Caribbean Sahara
What is the first impression of a Bedouin in a Caribbean Island?  On his visit, blogger Ali Salem Iselmu shared the experience on a lovely story called "A Bedouin in the Caribbean ":
Era de noche y se veía en medio de la oscuridad aquel precioso poblado de casas de madera de color blanco y rojo. El ambiente a fiesta y carnaval era total, la música a todo volumen y la gente bailando salsa y sudando, nosotros lo único que hicimos a pesar del cansancio que teníamos era incorporarnos a la fiesta.
Cuando llegamos a la plaza de Banes después de bajar del autobús comprobamos con nuestros ojos aquella famosa frase que dice "con una lata y un palo bailan los cubanos" porque la naturaleza del Caribe y su alma son bien distintas a aquella sobriedad que  a un nómada beduino, reconvertido en caribeño a través de los ritmos que marca la humedad de la noche.
When we arrive to the Plaza de Banes, after getting off the bus, we could see with our own eyes the famous phrase that says "with just a metal can and a stick Cubans can dance" because Caribbean nature and their souls are very different from the sobriety that fills a Bedouin nomad, who has become a Caribbean thanks to the rhythms of the night, felt with a hint of the humidity.
Cuban – Western Sahara cooperation is an early example of international aid. For example, back in the late seventies, 99 girls were chosen to study and improve their life conditions through education in Cuba, as Hernan Zin tells in "Saharaui Women" . One of the girls was Maima Mahamud from Dajla:
Permaneció en la isla caribeña el resto de su infancia y toda la adolescencia, estudiando, preparándose para el futuro, con la idea insoslayable, a pesar de su corta de edad, de que volvería al Sáhara para luchar por la independencia de su pueblo.
And she returned home as an educated woman, and created the Dajla School  for Women to improve education and possibilities for girls in her homeland.  This is a admirable action promoted by educated women, as according to the latest UNESCO report,  it utilizes the resources of the country with the best educational standards in Latin America to counteract a country with a 50% literacy rate.
The bilateral cooperation is still active in spite of precarious situation in the island, as blogger El Porvenir del Sahara shows, with pictures of saharauis  sipping tea in Cuba and Cubans dancing in Western Sahara. Ebnu, another blogger that shared his experience arriving together with other children from Argel to Cuba, brings us back to those days on 1978 when he arrived as a child to the Caribbean:
Aquellos primeros días los recuerdo con esa sensación triste y amarga. De estar perplejo ante una experiencia que apenas comenzaba y la curiosidad por descubrir un mundo nuevo lleno de ilusiones y sorpresas.
El mango, la guayaba, el mamey ¡Qué delicia!, la "Pelota", el Baseball, "¿cómo es posible que jueguen una cosa así, es que no conocen el fútbol o qué?" El contraste entre lo dulce y lo salado. Lo dulce y era muy dulce y lo salado muy salado. ¿Cómo comer arroz todos los días, día y noche? Si a mí no me gusta el arroz.
I recall those first days with a sad, bitter sensation. With the perplexity and the curiosity of a new experience that was just starting, a different world full of expectations and surprises.
Mango , guayaba , mamey .. Delicious!, the "ball", the baseball How can they play such game? Do they ever know football?. The contrast with sweet and salted. The sweets were too sweet, the salty food was too salty. How can someone eat rice every day, day and night? When I do not like rice…
If you like to see a movie about it, bloggers recommend Caribbean of the Sahara . The next time you meet a Bedouin dancing with rhythm or a Cuban offering you three cups of tea then you will know the reason.

author: Renata Avila


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Ecuador: Two Years After Correa’s Meeting With Stallman · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

It's been two years since Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa personally met with Richard Stallman [es], free software activist. Rafael Bonifaz reflects back on the meeting and what has happened since.


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Fiji and New Zealand Bloggers Debate Diplomatic Row · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

Bloggers from Fiji and New Zealand are discussing an ongoing diplomatic row between their governments that intensified when New Zealand refused to grant visas to three family members of senior officials in Fiji's government who came to power in a coup in December 2006.
When the son of a secretary who works for Fiji’s president was denied a visa to return to university in New Zealand this November, rumors started flying that Fiji was preparing to expel New Zealand’s High Commissioner. If that happened, it would be the second Kiwi High Commissioner expelled from Fiji in the past 18 months.
As the diplomatic language became more pointed, Fiji’s government refused a New Zealand television journalist, Barabara Dreaver, from entering the country, claiming she was blacklisted after reporting a story “totally the opposite to what was actually happening on the ground.”
Dreaver was taken into custody shortly after arriving Monday night at the international airport in Nadi, making her the fourth journalist from New Zealand to be deported from Fiji in recent years. After spending the night in a detention center, she was placed on the first plane the next morning.
The growing quarrel may have cooled somewhat by Tuesday when Murray McCully, New Zealand’s foreign minister, placed a call to Fiji’s leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama. No agreement was reached on the visas, and New Zealand said they would uphold the travel bans. But both countries indicated they will continue talks.
Let’s step back, to follow story this from the outset:
On December 15, Raw Fiji News argued that the New Zealand travel bans should continue to apply pressure on Fiji's government.
The travel ban is working and is affecting Frank’s regime and their cohorts. We know the international community understands that and we can only hope that the NZ Prime Minister will not give in to the whims of Frank the dictator. NZ should stick by its decision not to issue visas to anyone associated with the regime, not even to the three children who are causing this commotion. Should Frank decide to still go along with his delayed plan to deport NZ’s Acting High Comm to Fiji, then let it be paving the way for NZ to do the same with Fiji’s Acting Ambassador in Wellington.
…So NZ and the rest of the international community, yes please, step up your sanctions against Frank. The people know how to get to you directly but please, squeeze the bugger even more!!!
At the Fiji Live  story on Dreaver’s deportation, there are a few comments supporting Fiji’s regime.
Arnold sees fault with New Zealand:
Diplomacy at its worst. Why did the NZ government refuse student visas for those wanting to complete their studies? That is indeed childish and they have not learned the lesson from the expulsion of Green, the former NZ diplomat. If Fiji's High Commissioner is expelled from Wellington who cares? But if the NZ diplomat is expelled for the second time from Fiji it will be embarrassing for NZ. Grow up guys, this is international politics.
And david1005143 says that New Zealand's travel ban targets the wrong people.
Travel ban on the perpetrators of the coup would be real and acceptable. But to the families who have no other choice, this is blatantly punishing the innocent and the poor. We need to help the country to move forward and to democratic elections. So please the smart, educated big brothers show your sense of judgment.
Moving to New Zealand, David Farrar at Kiwi Blog argues that if Fiji does kick the High Commisioner out, Fiji will suffer a far greater loss than New Zealand will.
Commodore Bainimarama seems to be very misguided if he thinks he is in a position to demand NZ issue visas to various family members of Fijian officials.
Such a demand would guarantee the Government won’t issue a waiver. If he wants waivers, then you have to make concessions, not threats. Such as a firm timetable for elections.
The threat is very lame – expelling our Acting High Commissioner. So what? It hurts Fiji far more not having NZ diplomatic presence, than it does NZ.
And this morning, they have expelled TVNZ’s Barbara Dreaver. Again, the Commodore is getting bad advice if he thinks this upset the Government at all.
I’m open to persuasion that the Commodore has good motives – his planned reforms to get rid of race based voting are laduable. But the longer he remains the self-appointed ruler, without taking concrete steps towards elections, the longer sanctions will remain. The way ahead lies with him.
At least one commenter at Kiwi Blog thinks the detained journalist story is a bit overblown.
From big bruv:
I do find it hilarious that our press treat the expulsion of a journalist as a big news story, it lead the morning news on TV One and was delivered in the most serious tone by Paul Henry, it just proves that all media have a massively over inflated opinion of their value or importance to us.
Mostly the general public could not give a toss if some silly little girl is given the boot from a country that does not want her there.
Peterwn does not agree:
Barbara had an anxious night. I am not surprised – the poor woman was probably scared stiff of being bashed up or worse by out of control cops or soldiers.
big bruv – of course the media will treat it as a big news story. A major objective is to heap scorn on those who try and attack the freedom of the media.
If people do not like her style – they can always watch TVNZ news. Her style is a minor issue compared with media freedom.
Moving on, one commenter in Kiwi Blog argues for improving relations with Fiji so the country does not wind up befriending China instead.
kiwiscouse says:
Bananamarama does not possess political skills and is trying do deal with those who have. The big danger is that he will turn to China for support. They would love a deep sea port in Fiji. The Chinese are already well established in Raratonga, see the new police station there. Oz and Nz are being very short sighted.
From
Baxter:
In my view the new Goverment should extend a helping hand to Bananarama to overcome the obstacles he is facing in establishing a corruption free regime. Banning students or sportspeople because of who their relatives are is the hallmark of the previous NZ Regime and is in the interests of neither NZ or the Pacific. As others have stated the vacuum in the middle of the Pacific can easily be filled by our free trade partner Communist China.
Getting back to bloggers, Adolph, writing in No Minister, claims the tensions between the two countries are, “much ado about little” and will soon simmer down.
So the Commodore kicked out the smart arse TVNZ reporter who had been up there before, stirring up trouble; and he's threatened to boot out the second NZ High Commissioner if New Zealand persists in denying an entry visa to the son of one of the Fijian President's secretaries. The Commodore is also demanding an end to all travel sanctions.
…Adolf's pick is that Mr McCully will realise that the President is not in fact part of ‘the regime.’ After all, he has been President since 2000 and the coup took place in 2006.
So, the deal will be that the sanctions stay for the time being, NZ recognises that the secretary's son is not technically part of the regime and gives him a visa and the High Commissioner stays. Mr McCully might also ask the Commodore what NZ can do to assist the completion of elections at the earliest possible time, under a new non racist constitution, which is what the whole silly argument is about anyway.
Meanwhile Thailand prospers and enjoys full diplomatic privilege under it's non democratic government installed at the point of demonstrators’ guns and mass violence..


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Israel: New Arrivals by Style and Mile · Global Voices
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Rezwan

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