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Japan: Advising someone to give up on their dream · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

What if someone asked for advice on their dream path and you felt it wasn’t the best choice for them? What is the right thing to do?
This is an anonymous blogger’s thoughtful response to an article [ja] where a 11th grader who is interested in a career in drawing, be it illustration, anime, or manga, asked anime creator and director Tomino Yoshiyuki for advice. [Update (added January 15th, 2010) – Matt Alt has translated this article in English on his blog.] Yoshiyuki agrees with the girl’s parents that she should go to a regular university and get a job as an office lady because simply having aspirations are not enough to thrive in this field. Unless of course, she’s ready to make a commitment armed with skills, determination, and readiness for hard work.
Walk of Life by Flickr user bharat ram
Below is an English translation of the blog post “Making someone give up on their dream” (夢を諦めさせる).
As someone who manages to make a living as a freelance designer, I sometimes get questions from students with an interest in design. “I'd like to become a designer,” they say to me. In most cases, my intuition tells me they don't have what it takes, but how am I supposed to express that to them, how am I supposed to tell them to give up on their dreams? You have to be so extremely careful with your words when saying this kind of thing.
So that's what got me thinking: how do you tell this to a kid of high-school age without — as much as possible — hurting their feelings?
In all honesty, people who take something that they like doing and decide to do it for a living are actually a little insane. Which is not to say that they are stupid. In fact, the majority of them are clever. Whether these people be animators or manga artists though, the fact remains that the majority of them barely make enough money to pay the bills, working under outrageous working conditions. If you think logically about it, there is no question that people who avoid these risks and stick to ordinary work end up living a more enjoyable life. Nonetheless, these people who do this type of work are so devoted that they lose the ability to even realize this fact.
So as soon as I hear someone saying to me, “I’m thinking about becoming XYZ”, I already know they're not cut out for it. They're simply too rational for this career path. Even if they actually found a position, they would keep questioning whether to continue, and will not succeed. Faced with a rough path ahead, does the person who wavers and has second thoughts stand any chance against the person who plunges forth without any hesitation? You can tell if a person has this kind of determination just by looking at them.
The ones who say “I want to become XYZ, but I’m not sure how I should proceed”, aren’t cut out for it either. Successful people in any field have the uncanny ability to look objectively at their own abilities, and in addition to just being able to identify their shortcomings, they are able to survey their field and see with certainty what they need to do. I think we could even call it instinct. You’ll have to excuse me, but I find it really sad that the people around this girl haven’t been able to make her understand that what is necessary for her is not just genius with the pen, but rather this ability to really observe oneself. (Heh, this will probably seem like a contradiction, but I also think that what makes a great artist is the ability to see the things around him in this objective manner).
All in all, it’s easy to tell her, “You’re still young and there are plenty of possibilities ahead. Do your best!” However, if I were her homeroom teacher, I’d recommend that she get a salaried “office lady” position. Perhaps this is real kindness. If they were the “real deal”, they’d go down that path regardless of what anyone says. For students that just don’t have that spark, I consider it a teacher’s responsibility to help them look reality in the eye, instead of encouraging a bet on slender chances.
(Addendum)
I’m very happy to receive so much feedback on this provocative post. Thank you. I’ve read all of the comments and Tweets. There were more sympathetic voices than I expected, but essentially, people were divided in two parties. I think it shows what a difficult issue this is, and how it’s not possible for someone to unilaterally come up with the right answer. Some people quoted musicians and conductors, and I can sympathize that these are competitive and unforgiving fields as well.
Because I wrote in a way that upset people who are already on this road, there were some emotional comments. To stay true to yourself and your dream is a road filled with distractions from naysayers and temptations to take the easy way out. There’s simply no time to be livid at the lack of understanding from your friends and family, let alone becoming unsettled because of a random, unfeeling blog post! Remember, everyone is going through life with uncertainties.
Also, any discussion about how “regular” jobs are also difficult is so obvious that I won’t respond to it here. Of course it is.
Whether or not to say things like this to a person face to face is a difficult issue, and it’s a bit cowardly of me to start on this after writing this post but personally, I would place some distance with people who state their dreams like this. There are some things you can say because it’s anonymous and online, and people who criticize that I am denying the existence of the dreamer should think again. This is a suggestion on how I would advise someone to give up on their dream.
An ordinary but appropriate opinion is to have the person follow their dream and see for themselves, if the dreamer is someone who has that kind of time. A wake up call to reality, if you will. The rest is up to them, whether to continue or to quit. Remember, it's your life!

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Malaysia: Prime Minister Answers Questions on Twitter · Global Voices
Jerrenn Lam

The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, had announced on his Twitter account that he will be answering questions from citizens that were posted between 4.30pm and 6pm last Tuesday using the hashtag #tanyanajib, which translates to ‘ask Najib’ in Malay. In recent times, the Prime Minister has been using social media like his blog, Facebook page and Twitter account to communicate with citizens, including a gathering with his ‘online friends’.
It has quickly become a trending topic on Twitter, with many citizens asking the Prime Minister questions on a range of issues.
Elaine Daly, a Malaysian celebrity, tweeted
if we are 1 Malaysia, why do we still have to tick ‘race’ boxes? From the ‘dan lain-lain’ (Other races besides Malay, Chinese or Indian) me
(On most official forms, Malaysians are required to declare their race- Malay, Chinese, Indian, or Other)
Jia Liang, asked
do you think more money should be given to the development of sports in our country? We have shown promise.
Shisheewady asked
di KL sdg sibuk dgn projek MRT.bila agaknya LRT akan dibina di kuching?kesesakan lalu lintas semakin teruk di sini.
Qiwenism, instead used the opportunity to reprimand Malaysians who had posted seemingly irrelevant and sensitive questions.
Malaysians should have take the chance to speak up, not to show how shallow and immature Malaysians are…
News portal Malaysiakini also highlighted some of the Tweets sent:
@aleffush: What's in Rosmah's hair?
@dawsydozz: What is the secret behind your juicy pink lips?
@idzwan88: I'm not smart enough to ask Najib good  questions but I'm not going to waste Najib's time by being a smart*ss  and asking silly questions! Grow up!
@dearfirdaus: Why are Malaysians acting like baboons? See it for yourself at #tanyanajib. Is this due to poor upbringing?
@jayong28: Why are university students not allowed to be involved in politics but a 14-year-old is allowed to marry?
@bluswhitehat: Will you even be able to answer all these questions?
Blogger Thomas Chai also highlighted some of the questions asked, and hopes that the Prime Minister will be committed to replying to every question.
There are many good questions out there being tweeted with some not so  useful and some very satirical and I do hope the Prime Minister will  take his time to answer all those tough but valid questions if he  sincerely wants to improve things here at home.
Besides Twitter, the Prime Minister is also responding to questions posed on his Facebook account. Currently, however, the session has ended.
Mr. Najib has also not begun responding to the questions, nor has he indicated when he expects to do so.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Jerrenn Lam


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Mexico: Indigenous Town Burned by Arsonists  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Alejandro Ortiz Sotomayor in Vivir México reports [es] that an indigenous town in the state of Durango was burned by about 60 men who were seeking retaliation after people from the town killed one of their men in defense days before; more than 37 houses and 27 vehicles were burned.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Pakistan: Interior Minister Calls For Reporting Of Blasphemous Contents · Global Voices
Rezwan

Shahzad Ahmed reports in a tweet that Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has called for the “Nation” to report anti-Islam or blasphemous contents to him, so these can be blocked within 24 hours.

author: Rezwan


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Pakistan: Salmaan Taseer- We Buried A Man Not His Courage · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

Activists of Civil Society protests against the assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, in Hyderabad, Sindh Pakistan. Image by Yasir Rajpot. Copyright Demotix.
Much has been said in the wake of the assassination of  Governor Punjab Salman Taseer. Needless to say, the reactions that followed after his death have had the world gripped in shock and horror. Questions are being raised about the extent of extremism in the country with claims like Taseer's death being “The death of liberalism in Pakistan“. Taseer's death has brought to the forefront a clear distinction, on one hand are those who endorse the assassination and glorify the assassin and on the other hand those that consider his death a setback and a national loss.
Putting things into perspective Naveen Naqvi remarked:
In response to PPP’s MNA Sherry Rehman’s submission of a bill to amend the blasphemy laws, the Islamist parties announced two rallies — December 31 and January 9(..)the numbers at the latter went as high as 40,000. There is no doubt in my mind that the glorification by Islamist parties and mainstream media outlets of Governor Salmaan Taseer’s assassin, Malik Mumtaz Qadri, bolstered political Islamic sentiment.But when these men came out onto the streets on January 9 to chant in support of the blasphemy laws, they knew they were the majority. Frankly, there is no real moral substance in that. When those opposed to these laws stand together and claim public space, they know their vulnerability. They are painfully and mournfully aware of their status — that of a disappearing minority. That has not stopped hundreds — a small number but large in strength — from coming out every day.
It also highlights how the religious parties have been framing the entire blasphemy law debate before and after the assassination. On my own blog I spoke about the reasons behind Taseer's assassination, contrary to popular belief being spread by the religious parties:
Taseer wasn’t a blasphemer, he had never insulted the Quran, the Prophet (PBUH) or Islam but he was killed in the name of the blasphemy law that according to him, was “man-made”. Governor Taseer was killed because he asked for mercy for a 45-year old mother of five. Twenty-seven bullets for taking a stance. His murder highlights the abuse of Islam and Quran for the sake of power and authority. By encouraging such behavior we are promoting lawlessness and a state where people will be at each other’s throat on a mere disagreement. Is this the message of the Quran? Is this what Islam teaches us? How humane is it to rejoice someone’s death?
Taha Kehar at Pak Tea house calls Taseer's Murder “The beginning of misinterpreted Islam”:
Salman Taseer’s assassination is a major turning point for the Islamic world and the fact that many elements within it are possibly pleased by his death is shameful. Lastly, the manner in which he died reminds us of Indira Gandhi’s untimely assassination. However, the only difference here is that Indira Gandhi was launching a bigoted attack on the Sikh religion but Mr. Taseer was only trying to protect the civil liberties of those from a religion other than his own. More significantly, the end-result of his campaign would have benefited everyone in equal measure. Is this the end of moderate Islam or the outset of a string of civil rights violations?

author: Sana Saleem


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Russia: 7 Sites Warned By Media Regulator in 2010 · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Roskomnadzor, Russian regulatory body that oversees online and offline media, published annual 2010 report [RUS] on issued legal warnings to the media outlets. 7 out of 53 warnings were issued to online media outlets, most of them for ‘using mass media to implement extremist activities.’ The second legal warning received by a medium will result in its closure.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Journalist Claims RuNet Has Become “Controllable” · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Katya Gordon, opposition activist and a journalist, presents her view [RUS] on the state of freedom of expression in Russian Internet. Gordon accuses major search engines in ‘silencing’ hot topics, news portals in creating ‘alternative agenda’ when something important happens, and top bloggers in using black hat SEO methods.


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Rwanda: Through the eyes of children · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Graham Holliday speaks to photographers who are orphans of the 1994 Genocide and members of the Rwanda Project about using the Internet to upload and distribute images.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Sri Lanka: Google Map On Flood Affected Areas · Global Voices
Rezwan

Groundviews publishes a frequently updated Google Map which identifies the main flood-affected regions in Sri Lanka, sites where relief and rescue operations have been conducted and other information.


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Sudan: Documenting life in Juba · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sara Lukey-Smith blogs about life on the ground in Juba, Southern Sudan as voting as voting in the independence referendum continues.


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Sudan: Oldest woman votes · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

South Sudan's Rebecca Kadi Loburang Dinduch – thought to be the oldest voter who is expected to be between 100 -115 years according to her granddaughter, on Wednesday arrived at the polling station in a five-car convoy to cast her ballot for independence.


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Taiwan: Responses to “Chinese mothers” article · Global Voices
David Reid

An article in the Wall Street Journal by Amy Chua about the parenting practices of “Chinese mothers” provoked many strong reactions. Taiwan bloggers Taiwan-Born American and shu flies responded to the article by writing about their own experiences as Taiwanese-Americans.

author: David Reid


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Tanzania: Half of Tanzania’s population on phone · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A research team at the University of Dar es Salaam says half the Tanzanian population is currently hooked to mobile phones, and that it takes just a handset to run a business in the country.


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Tunisia: Hackers take over Tunisian Foreign Minister Kamel Morjane’s Blog · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
The frontpage of Morjane's blog
It would seem that Tunisian netizens aren't the only ones resorting to the Internet to rant and let their situation be known .. or maybe not.
Rumours spread like wildfire on the Internet over the previous few minutes after a post, allegedly written by Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamel Morjane, was published on his own blog announcing his resignation.
It now turns out that the resignation letter was indeed a hoax, and that the blog has indeed been hacked.
After news of the resignation post spread, Twitter users called for caution in accepting the blog's content for real, particularly after news of a coup  in Tunisia early Wednesday morning turned out to be false.
In his alleged resignation, Morjane wrote:
I declare hereby my official resignation from my function as a minister of foreign affairs at the Tunisian government. In
a last effort to assume my responsabilities, I am asking the families
of the tunisian martyrs to accept my sincere condoleances and my deep
regret faced to their common tragedy. I
assumed the fate of the Tunisian citizens, after marrying the daughter
of one of Ben Ali’s first cousins, and was a member of the family and
part of their clan. I am not proud of my own family, and in an honest
declaration, would be ready to be judged in court at the same time as
they will be. This will be my last service to the Tunisian citizens, in
hope that with my resignation, citizens of Tunisia will be more graceful
towards me and my family.
On Twitter, a riot broke out, with some users celebrating what they termed as the beginning of the end of the Bin Ali regime, and others calling for caution – which only makes sense especially after news circulated about a coup on early Wednesday turned out to be false.
Zizoo from Djerba doubted the letter and tweeted:
It looks like the Morjane resignation is hoax. http://goo.gl/eJKic the letter in arabic contains mistakes and is poorly written #sidibouzid
Marc Lynch (abuaardvark) added:
Tunisian FM Morjane resignation letters totally different in Arabic + English; waiting for someone to contact him http://bit.ly/aqFoGu
And Brian Whitaker noted:
Morjane's blog was probably maintained by one of his staff; he may never have had access to it himself. #sidibouzid
The Arabist, from Egypt, was skeptical:
Re-reading the letter of resignation in French and Arabic, I'm getting  more skeptical. He offers to be tried in a tribunal for dictatorship?
as was Egyptian Mona Eltahawy, who tweeted:
I hope Morjane's resignation true bec it wld b fantastic for a minister to side w the people for once. #Sidibouzid Here's wishing&hoping!
Samira Abed was doubtful:
Tunisians doubt it, for they are not used to such heroic acts from their politicians :)
And Tunisian Sami ben Gharbia offered his two cents:
logically, Kamel Morjane should resign if he wants to save his face. Ben ALi will go anyway, it's a matter of days #sidibouzid (my 2 cents)
Following the initial euphoria, tweeps smelled a rat and started calling for caution.
Eltahawi tweeted:
Twitterverse – after coup rumours of few days ago, let's slow down. We wld all like Morjane 2 hve resigned & #BenAli gone but let's confirm
Whitaker remarked:
English version of Morjane letter looks fishy to me. On balance, I reckon it's a hoax. #sidibouzid
And the arabist confirmed it was a hoax:
via @tunivisions, Tunisia's foreign ministry denies Kamel Morjane's resignation. To be continued…
A new post has appeared on the blog, confirming that it was hacked. This poster (Fr) reads:
The new poster on Morjane's blog
To be FREE to express ourselves,
to be informed
to publish
to surf the Web
to demonstrate
to elect our MP
to found a political part
We must UNITE and RESIST
Stay tuned for more coverage from Tunisia.
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Tunisia: YouTubing the Uprising · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Nawaat's YouTube channel – a source of videos for what's happening in Tunisia
Video-sharing portal YouTube has been blocked in Tunisia since 2007 – but that is not stopping Tunisians from sharing the horrors they are facing on the streets with the rest of the world. As the Tunisian uprising gets into its fourth week, more and more videos are being posted and circulated by cyberactivists who want to world to witness what is happening to them at the hands of the authorities.
Tunisian blog Nawaat has a YouTube channel dedicated to streaming videos of clashes and incidents as they happen on the ground, showing scenes of horror, the tears and screams of mothers whose sons were killed and protesters being attacked by tear gas and fired at using live ammunition, as well as scenes from protests and funerals.
This latest video, uploaded today, shows a protester killed by snipers at El Hadi Kalal Street:
In this video, from January 11, from Al Zuhour neighbourhood, in Sidi Bouzid, the cameraman is heard speaking to an older woman, who is horrified, as the sound of live ammunition that is being fired is heard in the background:
In yet another video, from December 30, the sound of shooting is as loud as it can be:
This video, from December 29, shows scenes from a protest in Feryana, where the the deafening noise of tear gas canisters and live ammunition is audible in the background:
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
For more on the Tunisian uprising, check out our Special Coverage here.


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Uganda: End Big Man Rule · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Museveni Kaguta calls on Ugandans to vote to end Big Man Rule once and for all.


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Africa: Can white people be Africans? – Part 1 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Can white people be Africans? Sentletse Diakanyo, a South African blogger, does not think so. He says, “Historically, the term “African” never had any ambiguous meaning. To Africans today it still does not have any ambiguous meaning. Africans across the continent and in the diaspora have long understood its meaning to refer to them as black people.”
His post entitled “We are not all Africans, black people are” has generated interesting reactions online with some people agreeing with him while others consider his arguments to be divisive.
He says, “You can be an African in any colour as long as he is black.”:
Henry Ford once said, “You can have any colour as long as it is black”. Similarly, native inhabitants of Africa say, “You can be an African in any colour as long as he is black.” There has been a sudden demand for an African to come in a variety of colours. During days of slavery when an African was a commodity traded over the counter, there was never a demand for him in any colour but black. There is now an attempt in the 21st century to redefine the colour scheme of an African. Whites want to be classified as African.
Sentletse argues that even Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected president of South Africa, understood the true meaning of the term “Africa”:
On the occasion of Nelson Mandela’s inauguration as the first democratically elected president of the Republic of South Africa, he said: “The South Africa we have struggled for, in which all our people, be they African, coloured, Indian or white, regard themselves as citizens of one nation is at hand.”
In his book, Facing Mount Kenya, the first president of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, made it clear that the term “African” meant the native inhabitants of Africa:
“The African is conditioned, by cultural and social institutions of centuries, to a freedom of which Europe has little conception, and it is not in his nature to accept serfdom forever.” These are the words of Jomo Kenyatta, first president of Kenya, from the conclusion to his book Facing Mount Kenya in 1938. Kenyatta, too, does not appear to have suffered from the illusion that the term “African” referred to anybody else other than native inhabitants of Africa — the black people.
Sentletse makes a distinction between national identity and racial identity:
While ancient and recent history confirms that whites are not Africans; the notion that they are persists, primarily born from the lack of distinction between racial and national identity. Europeans who migrated and settled Africa through naturalisation assumed the national identity of countries in which they adopted as their own. Their descendants in later generations through birth assumed the national identity of those countries, not the racial identity as Africans. They remained whites or Europeans, as oppressors of Africans saw themselves. No white person can either through birth or naturalisation assume an identity of African. African is not and has never been a national identity. Nowhere does a country called Africa exist.
Even Arabs in North Africa are not Africans:
Our historical revisionists who want to be reclassified as Africans and no longer as Europeans or white, tend to look north at Arab countries and claim, in their state of bewilderment, that Arabs are Africans, therefore, they too have the right to proclaim themselves African. Perhaps it is the lack of historical knowledge that leads some to conclude that Arabs are Africans. The term “Arab” denote the racial identity of people from the Arabian Peninsula who conquered Egypt (then part of the Byzantine Empire) and Libya in the AD 600s and ended up controlling much of the northern part of Africa, including Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. Therefore, Arabs are not Africans.
Afrikaans, a West Germanic language spoken in South Africa and Namibia, is not an African language:
It is puzzling that whites readily accept African languages to be exclusively those commonly known as black languages; yet they cannot accept that the description “African” exclusively refers to Black people. The notion that Afrikaans is an African language is as ridiculous as any claim to Africanism by the progeny of European settlers. Afrikaans by its origin is bastardised Dutch and as some say, “another form of Fanagalo”. It is not an African language in the same manner that Arabic-dialect in Egypt is not an African language.
At the time of writing this post, there were 281 comments on his post. Let's look at a few of them:
Perry Curling-Hope says:
I was born in South Africa and so were my parents and their parents. That makes me African!!! (I’m a so-called coloured by the way, not white).
If you’re gonna use this argument then we might as well go all the way back to the first humans. that makes us all African.
I think this idiotic blog amounts to hate speech and it typical neo-African racism.
wannaknow says:
I’m white. I was born in Africa. So were my parents. And grandparents. I can trace my lineage, both maternally and paternally, back to 7 generations born in Africa before we start finding Europeans. My family has been here longer than most Americans have baan in America, and yet, they have the right to call themselves “American”.
I’ve never been to europe – nevermind have an ancestry there.
You remove my right to call myself an African – yet, I cannot call myself European. Then what am I? Are you so bold as to devoid me of any identity? Am I to live seasonless in this world where neither Africa nor Europe would take me?
I am white. I am an African. If this bothers you, then its your mind that is narrow, not mine.
Christopher says he is not an African but he belongs in Africa:
Being a person of no colour, I LOVE this! makes absolute sense… the facts are ’spot on’… it’s logical and well thought through. I’m not an African but know for sure that I *belong* in Africa…
X Cepting says no one can claim ownership over the term “African”:
I am Indian and African. Period. I was born on this continent, and have never been to India. You have no ownership over the term, and I am comfortable using it to describe me.
yeahboet says:
I was born in Zambia (only lived there for 2 years), of white South African parents, I consider myself a South African. If asked by foreigners for my nationality, I am a South African and if necessary to qualify further – a white South African.
I don’t classify myself as a European though, as I don’t belong in Europe. However, I also don’t classify myself as an African as I agree with Sentletse, there may not be a universal definition but we all know what we understand by African. Ask any citizen of America to classify themselves and they will say “American” but we all know they actually mean USA American not all America in the geographic sense.
I don’t understand the problem I am happy to be a South African – hela!
A true South African is a descendant of the Khoi-San:
Sentletse,
With your logic, it is equally true that no African has the right to call himself South African unless he is descended from the Khoi-San. They were the only tribes in this area until they were invaded and dispossessed of their land.
MoBear says:
Fine you’re an African and I am an European – now what?
To be born in China does not make one a Chinese:
I am with you on this one Sentletse,to be born in China does not make one a Chineese. And besides,if the forms at Home Affairs classify blacks as Africans,then we are not all African,Black people are.


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Arab World: Welcoming the Fall of Ben Ali · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Looking at my Twitterfeed, one would think that the Arab world has been waiting for this day forever. Tweets celebrating the escape of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from Tunisia have created a riot online.
For Bader Al Aujan, from Saudi Arabia, it is a day of pride:
And Saudi Mohammed Al Dugailbi is as happy:
Dima Khatib draws parallels to the occupation or liberation of Iraq, and says:
I hope Mr George Bush is not too busy at his ranch to watch how people get truly liberated. Not with foreign greedy armies #sidibouzid #Bush
Youssef Chaker urges Tunisians to go all the way:
#Tunis, don't replace one dictator with another… Go the full mile and complete the job
From Bahrain, Hashim Alawi tweets:
Yacoub Slaise notes:
Hoping the Tunisians did their homework and read Animal Farm, so as not to end up with a “Napoleon” #Tunsia #sidibouzid
And Bahrainman replies:
Tunisia had a “Napoleon”, and they just got rid of him. They LIVED Animal Farm for 23 years!
While Mahmood Al Yousif tells Tunisians to bask in the glory of their achievement, at least for a day:
do I detect buyer's remorse in some #tunisia tweets now? that didn't take long! c'mon, smile and be optimists at least for today!
Majda72 also sends a special tweet:
Note to the West, this was not an Islamic uprising! Take your Arab world as monolith stereotype and shove it. #sidibouzid
In what has become a Twitterised revolution, Egyptian writer Mona ElTahawy reminds us:
And Sameer Padania notes:
So looking forward to a day when a long-worked-for revolution happens  & no one feels need to instantly claim it's due to the power of  tech.
ElTahawy alsoadds:
In #29days #Tunisians‘ brave protests brought down #BenAli, dictator of 23 yrs. 1st real post-colonial revolution in #Arab world #Sidibouzid
Ahmad Fahad, from Oman, cannot take his mind off Twitter:
How am I supposed to work while governments are being overthrown live on Twitter?
And Andy Carvin adds:
I just love how the conversation on #sidibouzid just shifted to people reading the Tunisian constitution in great detail.
Egyptian Ahmad Badawy hopes that what had started in Tunisia does not end there. He tweets:
Stay tuned for more coverage from Tunisia.
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.


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Arab World: Where is Ben Ali Headed to?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Now that ousted Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has fled the country, the question on everyone's mind is: Where is he headed to?
Netizens are putting their money on any one of the Arab Gulf Countries – which comprise of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman.
Angry Arab News, a blog maintained by As'ad Abu Khalil, notes:
Aljazeera is reporting that the plane of Bin Ali is now heading to a “Gulf country.”  Let me GUESS: which states habitually provides haven to ousted dictators??
In a follow up post, he adds:
Al-Arabiyya says that Bin Ali plane is going to Qatar, while Aljazeera implies that his plane is going to Dubai
Egyptian columnist Mona Eltahawi tweets:
How many bets #Qatar takes in #BenAli because it was 1 one of 1st to acknowledge toppling and is a pro at playing all sides? #Sidibouzid
Saudi Wafa Aljohani urges Gulf Arabs to stand up:
And Samar Dahmash Jarrah adds:
Egyptian A Naje jokes:
Fellow Egyptian Mohammed Mansour tweets:
He continues:
والله مش بعيد مبارك يعرض على بن على ان يستضيفه فى مصر . اصلهم اخوات فى الديكتاتورية . و شرم الشيخ كبيرة #BenAli #sidibouzid #tunisia #Egypt
Along similar lines, top french blogger and lawyer @MaitreEolas tweets :
France terre d'asile : on a accueilli Khomeiny, Bokassa, Mobutu, Duvallier, on va bien recevoir Ben Ali ?
Dima Khatib confirms that France shut its door to Ben Ali and notes:
Sarkozy probably thought: can't receive this guy (Ben Ali) in France. With so many Tunisians living here I would have my own #SidiBouzid :)
Meanwhile, in Bahrain, the chatter on where Ben Ali is continues.
Ali Fareed responds:
He's heading 2 Dubai
And Abdurahman Warsame, in Qatar, concludes:
news that Ben Ali's airplane landed in #dubai. #tunisia
However, Egypt Tarek Amr has a better solution. He quips:
Doesn't Ben Ali use Dopplr or Foursquare so that we can know where he is heading to? #Tunisia #LBS ##Sidibouzid
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.


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Barbados: Concerned About The Elderly · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground is concerned about the plight of the country's senior citizens.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Brazil: São Paulo annual floods and the biased media · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Following the floods this week in Brazil, Hugo Albuquerque, from the blog O Descurvo, comments [pt] on the urban problems of the city of Sao Paulo. He also criticizes mainstream media's biased coverage of the issue – the same does Maurício Caleiro, from the blog Cinema e Outras Artes [pt]

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Brunei: Government ministry’s website hacked · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The website of the Ministry of Development of Brunei was hacked this week. This is the second time in two months that hackers were able to hack govenrment websites.

author: Mong Palatino


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Brunei: Online bookstore · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

NollyBook.com is an online bookstore based in Brunei Darussalam. It sells books in both English and Bahasa Malayu languages.


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China: News and Propaganda Notice in 2011 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Digital Times has translated the Chinese Propaganda Bureau's general notice to local media outlets.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Cuba: Cubadebate’s YouTube Channel Taken Down · Global Voices
Ellery Roberts Biddle

The YouTube channel of Cubadebate [es] was taken down on January 12th, due to copyright infringement claims on a video of Cuban terrorist suspect and former CIA operative Luis Posada Carriles, who is currently on trial in a US federal court in El Paso, Texas. According to a Cubadebate post from January 6th [es], the video shows a clip of a court appearance in Miami by the Legal Fund for Posada Carriles.
Cubandemocracy's Blog reported that the claim was filed by “the person who filmed the [event],” but did not specify that person's name.  It is unclear why the entire channel (rather than the Posada video alone) has been taken down. Cubadebate, a state-run news site, has urged officials to reactivate the channel, which contains over four hundred videos, with the following message:
Denunciamos enérgicamente ese atentado a la libertad de expresión de un sitio alternativo en un país bloqueado…[Cubadebate es un] sitio que no puede comprar en exclusiva materiales producidos en Estados Unidos, particularmente aquellos que revelan la impunidad de los terroristas en Miami y que, por esa razón, son relevantes para nuestra producción informativa.
The statement made clear that Cubadebate uses mostly original footage, and that when it does not, it takes careful measures to cite the video's creator. It also noted that the video represented a very short excerpt from a much longer piece of footage, suggesting that it may have constituted fair use. Links to Cubadebate’s YouTube channel now open to a message that reads: “YouTube account cubadebate has been terminated because we received multiple third-party notifications of copyright infringement from claimants including: rogelio gonzalez cuba.”
Yohandry's Weblog [es] reported that the video remains accessible on the YouTube channel of Mambi Watch, a Miami-based blog that covers Cuban culture and politics in Miami, and keeps a critical eye on groups that maintain an extreme, militant anti-Castro agenda. But the video posted here, which shows Posada outside of Miami’s Versailles Restaurant with a large group of supporters (including Florida state Rep. David Rivera), does not contain a court scene.
Versailles Restaurant in Miami. Photo by noway. Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
Although the statement issued by Cubadebate suggests that US foreign assets controls (FAC) prevent Cuban organizations from obtaining copyright permissions for media created in the US, there are special provisions in embargo legislation for intellectual property. Bill Clinton’s administration created an exception in FAC regulations that allows for transactions to take place between Cuban and US intellectual property owners. But it is likely that a news organization like Cubadebate would not have access to the infrastructure that would facilitate this kind of transaction.
The legal circumstances of the situation remain less than clear. But it may be that the political firestorm surrounding the Posada trial motivated the video's owner to file the copyright infringement claims.
Shortly following the takedown, Twitter was alive with protest by advocates of free expression, and Cubadebate.
Suggesting that Google (operator of YouTube) acted in support of Posada, Mariacelys tweeted:
#Google censura otra vez las redes cubanas y apoya a Posada Carriles…
In response, ArjonaCubano tweeted:
Es lo último que faltaba que el imperialismo se quiera adueñar de Internet es el colmo y después hablan de Libertad de Expresión.
Though the content of the video is not especially revealing (it is widely known that Posada has a strong support network in Miami), the owner of the video may have seen this as an opportunity to inflict damage on a widely-read government site.
The current Posada trial has elicited widespread anger in Cuba. Posada was the alleged mastermind of the 1976 bombing of Cubana Flight 455, which killed 73 people, as well as a plot to bomb several Havana hotels in 1997, which was never carried out in full, but did cause the death of one Italian tourist. Yet he is being prosecuted for committing perjury in a 2005 US deportation hearing in which he denied his role in the hotel plot, and denied that he had confessed his actions to reporter Ann Louise Bardach, who has released audio recordings of his confession to the court. Cubans and non-Cubans alike are indignant about the US prosecutor’s seemingly deliberate negation of the central issue at hand.
This highly controversial event has fueled fervent debate in Miami and Havana, and may have a signficant impact on US-Cuba relations in the future. Juan Tamayo of The Miami Herald is covering the trial from El Paso, and Tracey Eaton has provided excellent analysis of documents relevant to the case (from both the Cuban and US governments) on his blog, Along the Malecón.
Google has not yet made a formal statement regarding the takedown of Cubadebate's channel. Cubadebate supporters continue to advocate for the channel's reactivation, and argue that Google should re-evaluate the decision to take down the entire channel, rather than only the video in question.

author: Ellery Roberts Biddle


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Cuba: Forbidden Programs  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Generation Y blogs about the upsurge in sales of pirated DVDs and music, commenting: “Absent from the public catalogs are the documentaries — so often watched in Cuban homes — that approach our national history through a different lens from the official.”


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Estonia: KGB Museum at Tallinn’s Hotel Viru · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Kerry's Eastern Europe Travel Blog on About.com writes briefly about a new museum that opened in Tallinn earlier this month: located on the top floor of Hotel Viru, it “preserves the equipment and rooms the KGB used to eavesdrop and spy on individuals for the first 20 years of the hotel's existence.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Greece: Leftist journalist “mistakenly” detained and beaten by anti-terrorist police · Global Voices
Asteris Masouras

Radical left journalist Dimosthenis Papadatos-Anagnostopoulos was assaulted and detained during a counter-terrorism sweep in Athens. Blogger tsakthan writes [el]: “According to his testimony, he was beaten by the anti-terrorist squad near his home, shoved in a car, transferred to Police HQ, strip-searched and questioned for hours in a dark room by men wearing hoods. He was later released, after being told he was mistakenly arrested.” Papadatos-Anagnostopoulos is the editor of the Red Notebook news portal. The story was confirmed by media agency tvxs.

author: Asteris Masouras


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Haiti: Photo Commentary  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A photo posted at The Livesay Haiti Weblog might just be worth a thousand words.


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Homosexuality in Brunei · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

BruDirect uploads an article written by Siti Hajar who writes about homosexuality in Brunei.


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Jordan: Day of Anger Protests · Global Voices
Betsy Fisher

Inspired by protests in Tunisia, the Jordanian Twitter community rallied around a “Day of Anger,” announced January 12th and held January 14th after Friday prayers.  The rallies were held around Jordan, focusing primarily on rising prices, but also addressing political disenfranchisement and concerns with Prime Minister Samir Rifai's government.
Reports estimated approximately 400 people in each of the cities of Amman, Irbid and Karak, with about 200 protesters in the city of Dhiban.  These protests were held despite price decreases on several food staples announced this week.  The protests were organized by Baathist and leftist opposition parties, but they were widely discussed and anticipated by unaffiliated members of the Jordanian public under the Twitter hashtag #angryJordan.
Ali  announced on January 12th:
Let's express our opinions. Get out what is inside us. #AngryJordan is the official hashtag for JORDAN ANGER DAY on friday! #Amman #Jo
Jordanians then spent two days tweeting both serious and lighthearted complaints about Jordanian politics and culture.  Laith Younis wrote:
It makes me angry how ppl still talk about falasteeni/Urdoni (Palestinian/Jordanian) issue! GROW UP WE ARE ALL HUMANS #AngryJordan
Yazan Shawabkeh added:
Our Government, Where's the change ?? #AngryJordan
The government was by no means the only target of angry tweeters such as Abdulla Shurbaji:
It makes me angry how taxis think they own the streets in jordan #AngryJordan
Rawan Aziz wrote about an annoying habit:
I hate the fact that everyone litters, ever heard of a trash can? #AngryJordan
Quickly, the conversation turned to whether it was appropriate to air Jordan's dirty laundry without providing feasible solutions.  Ali Dahmash tweeted:
Why use this #AngryJordan ? Want to end the problems facing us in Jordan, then suggest solutions, complaining alone doesn't help #jo
Farah Filasteen agreed:
Dear Jordanians, quit with the #AngryJordan hashtag. It's giving you a bad name. Be peaceful!
Hanin Abu-Shamat tweeted:
@AliChubby @AliDahmash @khaledmhakim I am not against #AngryJordan, I just hope we can direct this anger to the people who can do something
LumaQ supported the national venting session:
#angryjordan doesnt have to be criticism.its ok to vent, venting is a form of healing,form of releasing frustration,vent away @laithyounis
Others discussed whose responsibility it is to make changes.  HazemZ tweeted:
Personal initiative alone wont imprv poli participation&econ conditions.Frustration stems from lack of sense of ownership #AngryJordan
Omar Tahboub was skeptical that protests or tweets could accomplish much:
Sorry angry Jordanians, but venting on the govt does not bring prices down! Let's grow up and not expect magic from govts #AngryJordan
While Ali Dahmash was one of many to propose increased personal and communal initiatives:
#angryJordan My fellow angry Jordanians,why don't we begin the change by helping our local communities &the less fortunate, empowering them
Other tweets focused on the events and participants within the marches themselves.  Islamist opposition members had at first indicated that they would participate in the Day of Anger demonstrations, but decided to postpone and hold their own protests on January 16th instead.  Tarawnah reported:
Islamists postpone their participation in tomorrow's #AngryJordan rallies till Sunday. Always 2 days late to the party! #JO
Many users posted videos and pictures of ongoing demonstrations, and were eager to post the results at the end of the marches.  Naser K tweeted:
demonstration ends peacefully,all who were “worried” for us & Jordan can rest their minds #angryjordan
Anwar Haddad wrote:
@Shusmo: Glad #AngryJordan ended peacefully, Reform wont come frm Gov alone, Jordanians&Gov have 2 work together, let's work on #BuildJordan
And after all was said and done, angry Jordanians were still angry at one governmental institution: the official press, which did not cover the marches.  Fadi Qadi wrote:
#Jo news websites done a good job covering Friday's marches- don't be fooled you wont find anything in Al Rai [the state-run newspaper] tomorrow about #angryjordan
He added later:
Not a word of news on Friday's marches on Jordanian government news agency Petra. Alhamdullilah-tweeping is still an option #angryjordan

author: Betsy Fisher


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Macedonia: Anti-Abortion Campaign · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Feministik writes about a new anti-abortion campaign launched by the Macedonian government.


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Macedonia: “Napoleon Bonaparte in Skopje?!” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Razvigor :-) finds some incorrect information in Croatia Airlines’ in-flight magazine: “I got an impression that the author received a briefing from an overly enthusiastic source, someone with a burning desire to accentuate the city's importance over the centuries, with little interest for the truth.”


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Rwanda: Ms Victoire Ingabire’s first anniversary · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

http://therisingcontinent.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/16th-january-2011-ms-victoire-ingabire%e2%80%99s-first-anniversary-in-rwanda-2/first Anniversary in Rwanda:  “She has been in prison for a few months now. The flame of hope and democracy in Rwanda she has enlightened, we are millions to keep it alive. We won’t let it fade.”


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Rwanda: Stop misplaced attack on Human Rights Watch · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nkunda responds to attacks on Human Rights Watch: “I need to remind my readers that human rights watch has been one of the most vocal defenders of democracy in Rwanda. The organization, through the late Allison Des Forge, was the first to raise the alarm on the killings that were taking place during the 1994 period.”


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South Korea: Public Enraged at Sexual Harassment in Tweet Space · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Twitterer @koreain sent the final warning tweet[ko] to a high-profile media worker (and a married man) who is reportedly to had harassed a woman via Twitter. Koreain urged the man to close his Twit account and numerous fellow twitterers have joined the public accusation by retweeting the message.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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South Korean Net users Brought Back a Questionable Murder Case to Police · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

A posting by the mother of the victim[ko] has mobilized net users to file an online petition and drawn media attention to a questionable murder case. The mother claimed her daughter was beaten to death while resisting being raped. The police has decided to reinvestigate the case.


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Sri Lanka: A Trip To A Sri Lankan Market · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rice & Curry blog takes a trip to a typical Sri Lankan open air market and shares the experience.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Missing Piano  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It is indeed a sad indictment on our country that the top story emanating from the Parliament and making its way to the front page of a national daily newspaper was the apparent disappearance of a grand piano…”: Plain Talk examines the sheet music surrounding the latest political fiasco.


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Tunisia: Ben Ali Has Left the Building · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
News of the Tunisian coup d'etat or may be the Tunisian revolution made the headlines across the Arabic blogosphere. Bloggers from all over the Arab world wrote to congratulate the Tunisian people.
From the United Arab Emirates, YM, tried to summarize what's been going on in Tunisia in the past three weeks.
Egyptian Abo-Marwan wrote about the Tunisian revolution, and how it might be the spark that could start successive revolutions in the neighbouring countries:
In fact the lack of job opportunities and all the current events in Tunisia are not the only reason behind the Tunisian people's uprising. The Tunisian ruling party and the president, who has been in power since 1987, have been accused of corruption. Mohamed Shackow from Syria published here a Wikileaks cable [Ar] which he believes was one of the reasons behind the people's uprising, while the Egyptian blogger, Diaa El Din Gad, mentioned here reports that he believes contains evidence to Ben Ali's corruption.
From Libya, Abdel Nasser El Baah, wrote about Ben Ali's departure and the consequences of the coup d'etat there.
Abdel Nasser however wondered if it is really a coup d'etat, or is it too soon to judge.
My2Cents wrote here congratulating the Tunisian people on their revolution and quoting the final two two verses of the current National Anthem of Tunisia – Humat Al Hima – which are written by Tunisian famous poet Aboul-Qacem Echebbi:
From Egypt, Magdawia, wrote about what is going on in Tunis, which is always considered as a rival to Egypt when it comes to football matches, but this is the first time for the Egyptians to sit in the spectators seats and support the Tunisians.
And finally Dr. Farid wrote a post in the blog of The Egyptian Democratic Students Union to congratulate the Tunisian people, and wish for their revolution to continue till they have a democratic country and for other people to learn from them.
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Tarek Amr


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Tunisia: Celebrations Welcome the End of Ben Ali’s Rule  · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
The Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali quit his country on Friday following four weeks of popular protests, putting an end to his 23 years in power. The authorities have declared a state of emergency while the Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi announced on state television that he was taking over as interim President. This comes after violent clashes opposed protesters and riot police in central Tunis, the capital city. This development comes one day after Ben Ali announced he was to step down at the end of his mandate in 2014. Ben Ali's dramatic departure comes after weeks of protests that started in the central city of Sidi Bouzid before spilling into other regions and cities and finally reaching the capital city of Tunis. Twitter  and the blogosphere have been flooded with reactions.
Image courtesy Nawaat.org
Amira Al Hussaini from Bahrain writes on her blog:
My Twitterfeed is going crazy – thanks to the fast paced developments in Tunisia and it doesn't look like things will slow down anytime soon. I am fortifying myself with an assortment of tea and banishing my gang of seven cats to another part of the house to sit back and watch and report on the unfolding historic events in what is now becoming a Twitterised Revolution.
Alaeddine Ghazouani cheers writing:
Les français ont leur 14 juillet. Nous avons désormais notre 14 janvier! #sidibouzid #jasminrevolt #tunisia
Amine (@Afrinomad) writes:
Remember the fabled “Arab Street” you read about in polls & press? It has spoken and it just took down a dictator #sidibouzid
This all started four weeks ago in the central town of Sidi Bouzid when Mohamed Bouazizi, a young unemployed 26-year-old university graduate self immolated in an desperate act of protest after the police confiscated his stall of fruits and vegetables.
@JawazSafar (Moh'd Yousef) reminds us tweeting:
عربة خضار تطيح ب23 عام من الدكتاتورية #Sidibouzid
The Arab street is watching. Some have taken to the streets. Thekrah Hazzami (@Thekra_AH) writes:
Justice centric hopes for more Arab leaders to follow in Ben Ali's footsteps. She tweets:
And the enthusiasm seems to spread across the Arab world. Saudi @Mashi9a7 (Khalid &) tweets:
@Voiceoftunisia (Voice of Freedom) calls for caution:
Tunisians, too early for congratulations, we did not succeed yet. power is still in the corrupt RCD party. #sidibouzid #tunisia #jasminrevolt
Liliane writing on From Beirut With Funk congratulates the Tunisian people. She writes:
First of all: Mabrouk to Tunisian people! You did something today, you sent away a dictator!
Second of all: Beware!
Yes! Beware, beware beware! January 14, 2011, remind a lot of Lebanese of March 14, 2005! We were very happy that day, we thought we were having a new start and it was a new beginning, and a new country in the horizon! Look at us now!
To commemorate the day, blogger Jawaz Safar quotes an Arab poet Ruba Yassin:
“One day inshallah we will tell our children that we witnessed the end of an oppression, and that no matter how dark things get, with faith and determination they can change their world” ~ Ruba Yassin
Right after they heard the news about Ben Ali's departure, many Tunisians took to the streets to celebrate. Nawaat.org, a Tunisian independent blog, posted the following video on its YouTube channel showing the people of Tunis cheering and chanting the national anthem:
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Tunisia: Tweeting Ben Ali’s Speech–Change 2.0 or Just a Show? · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
'Long live Ben Ali' Tunisian president depicted on wall in Karouine, Tunisia (2009). Photo by Niqie on Flickr (CC-BY-2.0)
Popular protests in the streets of Tunisian cities have been going on unabated for nearly four weeks. They have posed the biggest challenge to Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in his 23 years in power. Tonight, the president delivered his third address to the nation in less than a month, promising a series of reforms including the lifting of restrictions on freedom of speech and, most notably, his pledge not to seek a new term during the presidential elections scheduled in 2014.
Right after he listened to the speech Youssef Gaigi, a Tunisian blogger, sent his reaction to Jillian C. York, who posted it on her blog. Youssef wrote:
Today’s speech shows definitely a major shift in Tunisia’s history.
Ben Ali talked for the third time in the past month to the people. Something unprecedented, we barely knew this guy. Ben Ali talked in the Tunisian dialect instead of Arabic for the first time ever.
He spoke directly to the police forces and ordered them not to shoot, unless in cases of self-defense. On the same line he said a commission will investigate in the murders that occurred.
He also said that people misled him in several areas, and particularly in the areas of politics and freedom. He admited that he didn’t achieve his goals or dreams in these areas. He granted that all liberties will be given to the people of Tunisia. He stated that the right of setting an organization, a political party, or a media will be totally opened. He said all censorship online or on traditional media will be stopped.
People are still cautious and doubt these words. We are talking about billions of $ stolen by his family. A political party, RCD, which is much much stronger than other parties. We are also talking about 150k policemen who acted like a terrorist organization for decades and particularly lately. Turning his words into action will be a very difficult mission.
We will probably start by checking his words tomorrow.
During and after Ben Ali's address, the twitter stream continued flowing under the hashtag #Sidibouzid, and was flooded by live transcriptions and comments about the speech.
Paraphrasing Ben Ali, @Khaffousa (Samira Abed) wrote:
“Je vous comprend je vous comprend!!!! Mais comprenais moi je veux rester!!!et d'ailleurs je vais rester au moins jusqu'en 2014″ #SidiBouzid
Acting on Ben Ali's words, @karim2k (Ben Karim) says he's not impressed:
I am practicing my “new” freedom of speech: We're not done with what happened in #Sidibouzid and the country
Journalist @Dima_Khatib (Dima Khatib), who live-tweeted the minutes of the speech, is also skeptical:
Ben Ali: from now on the right of demonstration is granted but you have to say when and where #SidiBouzid
And the sarcasm is never very far away. @Snake122448 (Snake) tweets:
Source sûre : Ben Ali se fout de notre gueule. Confirmé. #sidibouzid
The president's words didn't convince everybody. @Houeida (Houeida Anouar) writes that the change the president has been proposing is not what the people have been asking for. She tweets:
التـّــحوّل 2.0 (Change 2.0)…
Are we going to accept this paternalistic position of President Ben Ali?
The problem is, if we're going to test what Ben Ali is proposing, we're going to lose momentum.
To clarify: التـّــحوّل 2.0 means that the president is making his own revolution, on his own government! Not us! #sidibouzid
One of the focal points of Ben Ali's speech was his pledge to free the access to the Internet. Within hours after the speech, reports were already pouring in confirming the unblocking of some previously censored websites. Nawaat.org, is an independent collective blog which played a key role in dissemination information and multimedia material about the protests in the country, delivering a daily dose of content to citizens and mainstream media. @nawaat (Nawaat) tweets:
we confirm, our main blog nawaat.org is no more blocked in #tunisia #sidibouzid
But @nawaat later pondered, regarding press freedom in general:
RT @walidsa3d Press freedom doesn't mean democracy, look at Algeria and Egypt #sidibouzid
Reports were then confirming that access to YouTube and Daily Motion was no more blocked. But @404samiTunis (Sami Ben Romdhane) reminds his followers what the protests were about. He tweets:
Je rappele mes followers que ni Bouazizi ni les autres victimes ont donne leur vie pour accéder a YouTube ou DailyMotion!
@kais_be (kais) agrees. He tweets:
fermer Youtube ouvrez Carthage #free #sidibouzid
@yassayari (Yassine Ayari) also:
Je n'abandonnerais pas ma liberté pour Youtube #sidibouzid
Minutes after Ben Ali delivered his speech, people were reportedly cheering in the streets, honking their car's horns in a sign of joy and support for Ben Ali's pledges. But some on the Twittosphere started casting some doubt on the spontaneity of such a display of enthusiasm. @benmhennilina (Lina Ben Mhenni) tweets:
tous les gens sur l avenue ont la mm pancarte et la mm photo de zaba.quel hazard!
Journalist and commentator @halmustafa (Hasan Almustafa) confirms Lina's doubts. He tweets:
@halmustafa: مراسلة فرنسا 24 من تونس: هنالك من يشير إلى أن كثيرا من الذين نزلوا للشارع محفلين، هم من أعضاء الحزب الحاكم #SidiBouzid
@halmustafa later adds:
الشابي يقول إن هنالك مظاهرات منددة خرجت في القصرين، منتقدا عبر شاشة فرنسا 24، خطاب الرئيس بن علي، والوزير العبيدي #sidibouzid
Later in the day, and 3 hours after the President's speech, the Twittosphere received the confirmation of the liberation of blogger, activist, and Global Voices contributor Slim Amamou, whose first tweet as a free man read: “I am Free.”
@Slim404: "I am Free!"
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.


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Venezuela: Rain Victims Protest Refuge Conditions · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Juan Cristobal in Caracas Chronicles reports that, “This morning, dozens of families who lost their homes last December took to the streets to protest. According to press reports, the group was complaining they have been living in a flooded, rat-infested basement for weeks.”

author: Silvia Viñas


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Afghanistan: Reassessing media as a peacebuilding opportunity · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nick Fielding reviews the report by the US Institute for Peace, which says that dreams of a free and independent media sector in Afghanistan still go unrealised.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Brazil: Police brutality during student protest · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

The blog Vi o Mundo [Saw the World, pt] shares a video by the cartoonist Carlos Latuff and a letter from the Workers Union of the University of São Paulo about the police brutality against students who were protesting in the streets on January 13 against the price increase of the bus tickets.


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France: A Show of Tunisian Pride in Paris  · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
After weeks of popular upraising, and a dramatic 24 hours when in rapid succession, ex president Ben Ali fled Tunisia to seek asylum in Saudi Arabia, his prime minister took power, only to be replaced a few hours later by the head of Tunisian Parliament, and with elections now planned to take place in two month, the 600,000-strong Tunisian diaspora living in France gathered today, saturday 15th,  in the streets. Despite their concern for the continuous violence in Tunisia, their relatives and the future, they granted themselves one day to rejoice, celebrate and share an overwhelming collective emotion. Here are a few pictures* of the “day after”, a Tunisian Pride in Paris.
"Thank you, (Mohamed) Bouazizi  !" Hommage to the fruit seller in Sidi Bouzid who sacrificed his life
"I love you, my people"
A clean Tunisia – Shove off, RCD (Ben Ali's parti)
Questions: "Is the West innocent?" "1881-1956: colonisation 1956- 2011: dictatorship 2011-…: ?
"Don't forget the martyr Boazizi and all the Tunisian martyrs"
Long live free Tunisia
January 15th, 2011: a day to remember for ever
A last-minute poster, where a Tunisian demonstrator writes: “The will of the People”
Many Tunisian and French readers will save  today's issue of the French daily  “Libération” that says it all, with one word, in French and Arabic: Freedom.
In the deluge of comments and tweets congratulating the Tunisians, one message to all Tunisians, from Adrien94,  on France 24 website:
Merci pour cette leçon, peuple tunisien
Vous nous avez monté ce qu'est le courage.
Vous nous avez montré qu'on peut se battre pour une idée même quand tout semble verrouillé par un groupe.
Et vous ne l'avez pas fait au nom d'un dieu ou d'un autre futur despote. vous l'avez fait parce que c'était JUSTE.
A l'heure où la coupe du monde devient le seul moyen de faire vibrer mon peuple, vous nous rappeler le vrai sens des choses.
Je vous souhaite d'éviter les périodes sombres qui suivent parfoir les révolutions.
Mais je crois en vous, car votre révolution est exemplaire!
Vive la Tunisie et vive la démocratie
* The photos were all originally taken by the author of the post.
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Claire Ulrich


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India: Writing The City In Conversation With Mumbai Taxi Drivers · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Taxi drivers write the city. They move through its streets, they collect its stories, they are confronted with its changes” – this is part of the introduction page of CubbyKabi's podcast blog “Meter Down” containing conversations with Mumbai taxi Drivers.

author: Rezwan


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Jordan: Reactions to Ben Ali’s Removal from ‘Angry Jordanians’ · Global Voices
Betsy Fisher

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
Tunisia's month-long protests over economic and participation disenfranchisement culminated in President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fleeing with his family to Saudi Arabia, installing in his place Prime Minister Mohammad Ghannouchi.  The same day, Jordanians held their Day of Anger, also reacting against increased prices and frustration with political stagnation.  Upon hearing of Ben Ali's departure, Jordanians reacted in celebration.  Mahmoud Lattouf wrote:
Ashraf Shakah rejoiced:
non Islamic neither Leftist, not endorsed by the “West” nor designed by CIA, it is simply #Free #Tunisia #SidiBouzid
Others directly connected the events in Tunisia to the rest of the Arab world.  Wael Attili said:
Moral of the story: Enough bullshit!! To all Arab regimes, if you promise reform then you better do it.. #Tunisia #Arab
And others linked the event explicitly to Jordan, referencing Jordan's Prime Minister Samir Al-Rifai.  From context, Jordanian tweeters are not asking for a change in monarchy, but rather more concern on increasing prices, and in some cases, a change in the government led by Al-Rifai:
Bin Ali can you take samir alrifai with you please ? #angryjordan #betterjordan #jo #amman
Hana Al-Moghrabi wrote:
@forbes19 we did have our anger day here in Jordan . so Yes we are MENA ‘s Face is changing #JO #AngryJordan #Tunisa is the beginning
Yassar Burgan sought to urge caution:
let's not get carried away n confuse things! Leadership in #Jo is loved n respected. Economic difficulties r across the world
He added:
@LahibBaniSakher People cannot demand more subsidies and less taxes, when country has limited resources. #Jo is not #KSA @octavianas
Another reaction to Tunisia's governmental changes came from Queen Rania al-Abdullah, who tweeted:
Closely watching developments in #Tunisia and praying for stability and calm for its people.
Jordanians continue to join the #sidibouzid Twitter conversation (covering the events in Tunisia), as well as their own #angryjordan hashtag.
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.


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Kazakhstan: President consolidates power · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

KZBlog reports that the Parliament in Kazakhstan approved an amendment to enshrine the incumbent president's status as Leader of the Nation and the right to prolong his authority without elections on a referendum, while Germany, the US and the OSCE express their concerns.


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Kenya: 1 Million Campaign · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Support 1 Million Campaign in Kenya: “…we are hoping that a simple declaration by 1 Million of Kenya's voters saying Kenya should stay in the ICC will convince parliament to stop their plans of withdrawing us from the court.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Maldives: Dominance Of The Expatriates · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mohamed Naahi wonders what can be done to reduce the growing number of foreign workers in Maldives.


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Mexico: Singer Accused of Rape Tweets in Defense · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

This past week, a 28-year-old pop singer known as Kalimba was accused of rape by two underage girls.
The girls were hired for a one-night event at a bar as models. They decided not to charge any money for their work as they felt it was good enough to be in the same event as the famous singer. After the event, the girls went to the singer's hotel, where the alleged rape took place.
In Mexico, to have sex with a minor is punishable by law.
The next day, the girls went back to the airport with the singer.
Mexicans following the story are divided in their opinions: Some believe that the girls are taking advantage of the singer in order to get fame and monetary benefits; others think the girls where just victims of a famous singer who thinks he can have whatever he wants.
Microphone image by Flickr user ganatronic used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license
Kalimba's (@KalimbaMX) recent tweets mention his prayers and his faith and loyalty to God:
Independientemente de lo que pase, gracias a todos lo que creen en la  verdad. DIOS los bendiga. Seamos fuertes en oracion. Be blessed.
Es gran error humano creer que DIOS te abndona en los problemas y nos  deja solos. No es hipocrecia, es fe! Conozco a mi DIOS. Be blessed
His fans have also defended him through Twitter, like Monserrat Sotelo (@BarbieMonse) [es] and Kenya Alvarez (@Jeiimyy):
kalimba stamos contigo animo amigo hechale ganas ya sabes q estas 2chicas solo kieren hacer pedazos tu vida y tu carrera tqm ….
Other Twitter users are disappointed that the case is getting so much media and public attention. Ce (@csita22) tweets:
Entre si soy acuario o no, y si kalimba es culpable o no, casi me distraigo de lo realmente importante… Que voy a hacer por mi pais hoy??
In a similar tone, El Silenciero (@ElSilenciero) [es] condemns that the media is reporting more on Kalimba's case than on the murder of poet and activist Susana Chavez.
The blog Hazme el Chingado Favor compared [es] the whole situation to a soap opera:
La telenovela nacional esta dominada últimamente por la historia de Kalimba que es acusado de violar a dos menores de edad. Sobra decir que para este tipo de noticias nos pintamos solos con chistes
Finally, Félix Rivera in the column “Sexo Ilícito” (Illicit Sex) at Vanguardia, expressed his concern about the news [es], inviting Mexican society to judge this case in a fair way:
En todo caso, Kalimba no  se ha cansado de declararse inocente. Y aunque el público prefiera la  “versión picante” en la que todos se lo imaginan sosteniendo relaciones  sexuales con dos muchachas ebrias, también cabe la posibilidad de que  efectivamente no haya sucedido nada. En todo caso, lo más importante es  que esta situación se resuelva con justicia y que si de todos modos  alguien resulta culpable, se pague el delito conforme a la ley.
In any case, Kalimba has not given up and he has always said he is not guilty. And while the public prefers the “spicy version” in which they all imagine him having sex with two drunk girls, it is also possible that actually nothing has happened. In any case, the most important thing is that this situation will be resolved with justice and that if someone is guilty, he/she pays the offense under the law.
Kalimba denies having sexually abused both minors. If the singer is found guilty by Mexican authorities, he will be sentenced to prison.

author: Andrea Arzaba


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Russia: Financial Pyramid Founder’s New Online “Project” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Profy reports that Sergei Mavrodi, who created one of the world's largest financial pyramids in the 1990s, is at it again: recently, he “[…] has decided to launch a new pyramid […] – but this time it should all take place exclusively online using electronic payment provider WebMoney that is one of the most popular tools in Runet.”


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Rwanda: Bloggers take on Stephen Kinzer · Global Voices
Etienne Mashuli

An article by Stephen Kinzer criticizing Human Rights Watch’s position on Rwanda was not well received in the blogosphere.  In  the piece, which appeared in the London’s Guardian, Kinzer laments that human rights groups are  spreading what he refers to as “Human rights imperialism”. With  specific reference to Rwanda, Kinzer favors a dictatorship that allows for stability. Stephen Kinzer is a United States author and newspaper reporter.
He writes:
By my standards, this authoritarian  regime is the best thing that has happened to Rwanda since colonialists  arrived a century ago. My own experience tells me that people in Rwanda  are happy with it, thrilled at their future prospects, and not angry  that there is not a wide enough range of newspapers or political parties.Human Rights Watch, however, portrays the Rwandan regime as brutally oppressive. Giving people jobs, electricity, and above  all security is not considered a human rights achievement; limiting  political speech and arresting violators is considered unpardonable.
In a  vehement disagreement with Kinzer, SunKissed accuses Kinzer of defending a dictatorship that has little concern for human  rights:
It’s a sad day when backed into  a corner, formerly credible journalists resort to shamelessly defending  issues, causes, and people known to be destructive to humanity, especially  when they have helped them get there. This is Stephen Kinzer’s job  today when it comes to Rwanda. He helped construct the myth of a seraphic  Kagame. But with mounting evidence against Kagame’s human rights violations  record, Kinzer is scrambling to maintain the fallacy by any means necessary,  even by going so far as to undermine human rights organizations. Kinzer  knows he is defending a criminal.
The blogger goes ahead to identify what he/she sees as Kinzer’s weaknesses:
Where was Kinzer when the RPF and  Kagame went into the Congo and committed genocide there? Where was Kinzer  in 1996? 1998? 2000? And subsequent years when Kagame’s army ravished  the Congo, with only the Congolese people as the real loser of each  one of their incursions? Where was Kinzer when the UN released a mapping  report documenting the most serious human rights violations in the Democratic  Republic of Congo between 1993 and 2003, where an alleged possible genocide  was committed by Rwandan troops?
And most importantly, where is  Kinzer today? Where is his altruistic non colonial and non imperialistic  proclivities for defending human rights instead of businesses? I have  not seen Kinzer speak out on behalf of Congolese. Instead he defends  Kagame’s right to deny others rights, and to violate their human rights,  and commit crimes against humanity against them.
Writing  for Cry for Freedom in Rwanda, blogger  Nkunda Rwanda expressed similar sentiment. Nkunda sees Kinzer’s support for Rwanda, despite its poor human rights record, as an example of “contradictions espoused by western powers  when it comes to human rights”.
Nkunda observes:
On one hand, you have regimes that  are hard pressed to respect human rights. These currently include those  in Kenya, Sudan and Zimbabwe. On the other, you have regimes that are  given the blessing to violently violate them, or so it seems. The dictatorial  regimes of Uganda and Rwanda fit the latter category. They form a special  club of untouchables, whose members can openly rig elections, shoot  journalists, even commit genocide and the international community, except  for a few lukewarm statements, will stay mum.
Kinzer's arrogance drives Nkunda nuts:
But it is Kinzer’s extremely  arrogant and insensitive statement that completely drives me nuts. He  says, “By my standards, this authoritarian regime is the best thing  that has happened to Rwanda since colonialists arrived a century ago.”  This statement is very problematic and reflects a very patronizing way  of thinking. When is it ethical for a foreign journalist to praise an  authoritarian regime that is killing its own people? And what standards  are these? Is this not the most despicable form of “imperialism?”  Don’t Rwandans have a voice?
Rwandans deserves the same right  to pursue democratic values as any other country. Rwandans are not “thrilled”  by an oppressive regime. If the people were happy as Kinzer wants us  to believe, Kagame would not have had to rig elections (he “won”  by 93%) and imprison opposition activists. If the people were happy,  we would not be having an outraging number of government soldiers marauding  with guns in our streets and villages on a daily basis.
Lastly, the Propagandist blogger Armin Rosen argues that the world has no choice but to defend human rights:
Now I think the “stark choice”  is actually between standing up for human rights and standing for nothing;  between preventing some of the world’s most dangerous leaders from  acting with total impunity, and a moral universe in which we aren’t  horrified or even concerned by the likes of Bashir and Kagame. How we  go about doing this is an open question. For instance, should Bashir’s ICC indictment be lifted, thereby jeopardizing the current international  legal framework in exchange for peace in the South Sudan? And exactly  what does the legacy of the Rwandan genocide entitle Kagame to? U.S.  financial and military support? Benign dictatorship? The ability to  invade neighboring countries whenever he wants? All three? None of them?
He points out that Steven Kinzer wrote his article from uninformed position about Paul Kagame “the warlord-turned-president who has helped turn Rwanda into one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most unlikely success stories.” He simply does not know what he is talking about:
Kinzer, like Tisdall, has no idea what he’s talking about. Since the Rwandan genocide, the west has empowered Kagame far more than it’s criticized him, and the results have been catastrophic and, according to a controversial UN report from this past August, genocidal. Under Kagame’s lead, Rwanda has invaded neighboring Congo four times: In 1996, Kagame’s primarily-Tutsi RPF helped overthrow Congolese dictator Mubutu Sese-Seko, whose regime was providing a safe-haven for Hutu militants who helped lead and organize the atrocities in Rwanda. In 1998, Rwanda invaded again, touching off a conflict that would eventually involve six countries and last well into the next decade, leading to smaller Rwandan incursions in 2004 and 2009. So Kagame has had an instrumental and the for the most part destructive role in the world's deadliest conflict since World War II, and his treatment of the country's internal dissidents is actually an extension of this: in both instances, Kagame's interested in protecting Tutsi hegemony in the Great Lakes region, which requires things as mundane as jailing opponents for “divisionism” and as grandiose as escalating a war that would eventually kill over five million people.

author: Etienne Mashuli


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Rwanda: iPhone on the Kigali buses · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Pimping buses in Kigali, Rwanda: “Rwanda’s city buses are quite as tricked out or chaotic as the matatus of regional neighbours. However, there are plenty of bus owners in town who take the time to pimp their rides. As far as I understand it so long as the yellow line around the vehicle is visible, the owners can pretty much do whatever they want to the paintwork.”


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Saudi Arabia: Fleeing, Tunisian Ex-President Ben Ali Lands in KSA · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.
On Friday, shortly after now-former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled Tunisia, bloggers and Twitter users began debating where his plane would land.  Some figured he'd head to France, while others thought the UAE would be his destination.  As it turns out, Ben Ali's final destination was Saudi Arabia–the same nation that hosted Ugandan dictator Idi Amin after the fall of his regime.
@ollieleach caught on immediately:
So Tunisia's President's cropped up in Saudi Arabia. The Idi Amin approach to exile… interesting.
@weddady, noticing a trend on Twitter, commented on the response of the Saudi people to Ben Ali's welcome in their country:
Interesting: #Saudi tweeps organizing on twitter 2 ask their government not to take in Ben Ali after rumors of him heading there #sidibouzid
Indeed, Saudi Twitter users have spoken up about their thoughts.  @radicalahmad asserted:
Dear beloved people of #TUNISIA: i am from #saudi and i asure you that getting#benali to land in #jeddah does not represent us #NOTINMYNAME
@Dima_Khatib reminded her followers that the decision to welcome Ben Ali to Saudi Arabia was not one made by the Saudi people:
Please guys I say it again. No need to attack Saudis for receiving Ben Ali. They have nothing to do with Royal Family decisions #Saudi
Finally, blogger Saudi Jeans, celebrating along with Tunisians, expressed displeasure with his country's decision to welcome Ben Ali:
Today was a huge, huge day for Tunisia. After four weeks of street protest, president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country. This is probably the first time we witness an Arab leader toppled by his own people. Very happy for the Tunisian people, and very proud of them. I’m especially thrilled for my friends Sami bin Gharbia and Slim Amamou, who worked tirelessly for years to see this day. The only thing that annoyed me was that Saudi Arabia welcomed the ousted dictator to find refuge in our homeland. But for now, let’s just live this historical moment. Here to a domino effect all over the Middle East.
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011.

author: Jillian C. York


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Sri Lanka: Display Of Sinhala And Tamil Webpages On Mobile Phones · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dhanika has developed a mobile web browser which supports both Sinhala & Tamil Unicode text rendering making display of these languages on Android mobile phones possible.


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Tajikistan: A sliver of hope for economy · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elina Galperin reports that a sizeable amount of natural gas has been found in Tajikistan, enough to cover the country's needs Tajikistan for 50 years.


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Tajikistan: The death of a newspaper · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Alpharabius draws a bottomline under the last ear's historical multimillion lawsuit that had been brought against three newspapers in the Tajikistan’s Supreme Court. One of the publications has disappeared from the market, while the two others became less brave and more self-censored.


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Uganda: Introducing Maisha Film Labs · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Tambay introduces Uganda's Maisha Film Labs: “The goal of the Maisha Film Labs is to give aspiring filmmakers in the East African country the tools & knowledge they currently lack, to tell their own stories through film, which would then help foster a self-sustaining film industry in Uganda and vicinity, that will support and represent the interests of local audiences.”


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Arab World: After Tunisia, Who’s Next? · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011 and Algeria Protests 2011.
Following the events in Tunisia that forced former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country, netizens across the Arab world are asking: “are we next?”
Egyptian journalist and blogger Mona Eltahawy, who has kept close watch on the Twittersphere throughout the Tunisian uprising, penned a widely-read column this morning entitled “More Tunisias, Please” in which she noted that the Arab world is watching with bated breath to see if “another Tunisia” will occur:
Image by Andrew Ford Lyons @drew3000
Ben Ali imprisoned or chased into exile viable alternatives to his rule, so what comes next politically is not clear. But the world is watching this small Arab country and wondering if this is the first step in ridding the region of its granddaddies.
Analyst Juan Cole also suggested the potential for Tunisia to be the start of something bigger:
…But since Tunisia is Sunni and Arab, it would not be embarrassing for Egyptians, Algerians, Syrians and Jordanians to borrow its techniques and rhetoric for their own domestic purposes, which makes it potentially influential. Certainly an alliance of frustrated BA holders, professionals, workers, farmers, progressives and Muslim activists that results in a parliamentary democracy would likely have more resonances in the Arab world than Iran’s authoritarian rule by ayatollah (Sunnis don’t have ayatollahs). It remains to be seen if little Tunisia is the start of something, or one more false dawn.
All day, similar sentiment has echoed across Twitter and the Arab blogosphere.  Saudi journalist Ebtihal Mubarak (@EbtihalMubarak) tweets:
If the unexpected kept on happening next to Tunisian revolution is not Egypt but SYRIA. Now that will be a New Arab world#Sidibouzid #Syria
“Majnoon Habibi” (@majnoon4) writes, along the same lines:
Tunisia today, fascist Syria tomorrow. The revolution is coming. Bring democracy to the Arab Middle East.
Created by Egyptian @ZeinabSamir
Syrian Arwa Abdulaziz (@arwa_abdulaziz) also predicts that Syria will be the next to fall:
Syrian Yassine Essouaiha (@syriangavroche) feels similarly:
Despite the hopes, however, Nader Haddad (@NaderHaddad) notes that the Syrian state news agency has not made mention of the popular revolt in Tunisia:
What will happen next remains to be seen, but it is undeniable that the Tunisian uprising has sparked hope for tides of change across the Arab world.
This post is part of our special coverage of Tunisia Revolution 2011 and Algeria Protests 2011.


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Belarus: Mobile Operators Aid Police to Trace Protesters · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Boing Boing writes that, according to an “unsourced report,” “the Belarusian mobile operators have cooperated with the country's secret police to provide a list of everyone who was in the vicinity of an anti-government demonstration; the spooks are now calling in everyone on the list to interview them about their involvement in political dissidence.” (via Information Policy)


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Brazil: Flooding in the Mountainous Region of Rio de Janeiro Devastated Cities · Global Voices
Debora Baldelli

This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.
The mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro is suffering what is being considered Brazil’s most-deadly natural disaster. It is the country's worst disaster involving floods since those in Caraguatatuba (SP) in 1967. Others States like São Paulo and Minas Gerais are also dealing with flood. However, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, the cities of Petrópolis, Teresópolis, Friburgo, Areal, São José do Vale do Rio Preto and Sumidoura have counted more than 500 fatalities and countless people are left homeless. This tragedy, which is only in the first steps of aiding victims, still doesn't allow us to assess the damage and the recovery work to be done. But it already brings back the debate about the urgency of creating a policy for climate catastrophes in the country.
Bom Jardim – Photo by @bdugin at twitpic
Floods during the summer are not a new phenomenon in Brazil. In 2008, Global Voices   covered the impacts of a similar disaster in the State of Santa Catarina and also wrote about the networks of solidarity   formed by bloggers. Ecologist Breno Alves explains in his blog Discutindo Ecologia [Discussing Ecology, pt], the particularities behind the climate phenomenon that usually happens during this period of the year. According to him,
A zona de convergência do Atlântico sul traz muita umidade (da região amazônica) para a região sudeste nesta época do ano. Só que na região serrana, a umidade já é por natureza mais alta. Assim, o sinergismo entre estes dois acontecimentos, gera tamanha pluviosidade.
Vila Amélia, Bom Pastor – Photo by @bdugin at Twitpic
Breno Alves emphasizes in his blog that “this same phenomenon happens every year”. A Global Voices article from May 2009,  describes floods in Bahia and another one published in June 2010, talks about the same kind of problem at Alagoas and Pernambuco, in the Northeast, which were also greatly affected.
What the blogosphere has been wondering is, if the phenomenon is known and happens every year, where are the policies to prevent such disasters? The blog Ambiente Regional [Regional Environment, pt] says that a year ago a proposal to establish a law of urban and environmental responsibility was launched, motivated by the tragedies of Angra dos Reis and Niterói (RJ) [pt] , – where the hillside collapsed killing a large number of people – but the debate still remains only in the blogosphere [pt]. He also comments on a national policy for the mountains:
Desde 1992 os ecossistemas de montanha são mundialmente reconhecidos como áreas especialmente sensíveis aos impactos da mudança do clima. A Agenda 21, organizada pela ONU e assinada por 192 chefes de Estado, dedica seu capítulo XIII ao tema, identificando os habitantes das montanhas como extremamente vulneráveis ao aquecimento global. O Brasil ainda não estabeleceu sua política nacional para as montanhas, mas suas diretrizes já foram construídas no seminário realizado em dezembro de 2009, que reuniu especialistas no Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. Mesmo assim, a legislação existente, se aplicada, protegeria as áreas frágeis e de risco, evitando boa parte dos sofrimentos humanos.
Urban Planner Raquel Rolnik, when asked about a possible solution to prevent such catastrophes answered:
Tem solução, sim. Evidentemente algumas medidas são paliativas. Há formas de intervenção para melhorar a estabilidade dos terrenos, drenar melhor a água, conter encostas, ou seja, melhorar a condição de segurança e a gestão do lugar para que, mesmo numa situação de risco, se possam evitar mortes.
Mas a questão de fundo é que ninguém vai morar numa área de risco porque quer ou porque é burro. As pessoas vão morar numa área de risco porque não têm nenhuma opção para a renda que possuem. Estamos falando de trabalhadores cujo rendimento não possibilita a compra ou aluguel de uma moradia num local adequado. E isso se repete em todas as cidades e regiões metropolitanas.
Yes, a solution is possible. Clearly some measures are palliative. There are forms of intervention to improve the stability of the land, better drain water, contain slopes, or improve the security and management of places. For, even in risky situations, it should be be possible to prevent deaths.
But the bottom line is that no one moves to a risk area because they want to or because they are stupid. People will live in a risk area because they have no option because of their low income. We're talking about workers whose income does not allow them to buy or rent a house in a suitable location. And this happens in every city and every metropolitan area.
The blog Discutindo Ecologia [Discussing Ecology] criticized:
Com certeza, os governantes irão eleger o vilão do problema: as mudanças climáticas. Climatologistas, meteorologistas e “especialistas” irão falar que os fenômenos meteorológicos são intensificados pelas mudanças climáticas. Sim, mas isso é um problema secular no Rio de Janeiro! Até hoje, não foi encontrada correlação significativa entre quantidade de chuva e descaso do poder público, agora, entre mortes que poderiam ser evitadas e descaso do poder público, sim.
Twitosphere also protested against   indifference:
diegoroston o ano passado foi a mesma coisa !! vão esperar acontecer outra tragédia de novo!!! tomara que naum, prestem atenção autoridades #chuvasrj
TonGalego “O Brasil ñ é Bangladesh, ñ tem desculpa. Imagine se tivesse terremoto, vulcão, furacões…” Consultora da ONU, sobre as #chuvasrj
diegoroston last year the same thing happened!! They will wait for another tragedy!!! I hope not. Authorities, pay attention #chuvasrj [rains in Rio]
TonGalego “Brazil is not Bangladesh, there is no excuse. Imagine if the country had earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes…”UN Consultant about #chuvasrj [rains in Rio]
At her self-titled blog Cris Dias published a statement sent by Ana Erthal, who lives in Rio's mountainous region:
Aqui, em Barra Alegre não tivemos vítimas. (…) Estamos ilhados, sem saída, por enquanto. Mas ainda temos remédios e mantimentos. E não conseguimos parar de pensar em tudo isso. (…) Os amigos ligam a todo instante de todos os lugares do Brasil. O que eu digo é sempre o mesmo: o que está na tv não é nada. A catátrofe é muito maior. Se puder, doe sangue, alimentos e água nesses pontos que a tv indica. Ajudará muito. Cobre do poder público, dos políticos, espalhe as mensagens. Faça o que puder. Tem muita gente precisando.
Friburgo – Photo by @bdugin at twitpic
Solidarity
The people's mobilization is very widespread, not only helping the authorities to rescue victims, but also donating blood and food and disseminating information. A   map with the position of places collecting donations is constantly being updated.The Ministry of Health created an online registration form for health workers willing to volunteer helping victims of floods in the mountainous region, and so far the list has more than 100 subscribers. Through the hashtags #chuvasrj [rain in Rio] and #prayforbrazil, netizens express solidarity with the climate catastrophe of Rio de Janeiro. Read a small selection of tweets:
UiliamRodrigues Separe roupas e cobertos que vc ñ usa, incremente com garrafas de água mineral e entregue nos postos de coleta. #chuvasrj #prayforbrazil
patrulhadalama CHUVAS NO RJ – @Hemorio bate novo recorde nesta sexta-feira com 1.330 doadores http://t.co/PJMcq66 #chuvasrj #doacoes
Reneflu Site Oficial da Prefeitura de #Friburgo com nomes das vítimas. Divulguem!!!! http://secompmnf.blogspot.com/#chuvasrj
gdotb O que doar e do que não doar -lista atualizada http://is.gd/SHPODX (fonte Cruz Vermelha) #rt #chuvasrj
UiliamRodrigues Get clothes, blankets and what you are not using, also take  bottles of water and deliver them to a donation point #chuvasrj [rain in Rio] #prayforbrazil
patrulhadalama RAIN IN RIO – @Hemorio has a new record with 1330 blood donors this Friday http://t.co/PJMcq66 #chuvasrj #doacoes [rain in rio / donations]
gdotb What you should and shouldn't donate – an updated list http://is.gd/SHPODX (from the Red Cross) #rt #chuvasrj [rain in Rio]
Itaipava, Petrópolis – Photo by @crazydood at twitpic
Blog Patas e Patas [Paws and Paws] is asking help for the animals and remembers:
Todos sofreram grandes danos, todos perderam animais. A tragédia é semelhante para todos: muros arrastados, canis destruídos, animais mortos e feridos, alguns em estado bem grave. O acesso é difícil. A mídia só informa os problemas enfrentados pelos humanos.
Photo published on the blog: http://betaolemela.blogspot.com/2011/01/enchentes-de-janeiro-no-mundo.html
Besides the countless losses and all the necessary reconstruction in the affected cities, we should also remember the impact that flooding has on the pricing and/or lack of distribution of vegetables throughout the State, as the mountainous region is the largest agriculture producer of Rio de Janeiro.
This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.

author: Debora Baldelli