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India: Steps to Prevent “Yoga Piracy” · Global Voices
Juhie Bhatia

India has organized a team of researchers and scientists to identify and record all ancient yoga positions (or asanas) in an attempt to prevent people living in other countries from patenting this existing knowledge.
Some refer to this practice as yoga piracy, where people claim patents and/or copyrights on yoga postures and techniques found in ancient texts that originate in India. For example, according to an article in The Telegraph, there have been more than 130 yoga-related patents, 150 copyrights and 2,300 trademarks in the United States alone.
In response, the Indian government has started scanning ancient texts and documenting yoga asanas. The information is being stored in the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, an electronic encyclopedia of India's traditional medicine, which will be made available to patent offices globally. Amit Agarwal elaborates:
“Alarmed by the growing number of instances of Western yoga gurus claiming copyrights to ancient ‘asanas,’ the Government of India has decided to fight back.
The Union Health Ministry has assembled a team of 200 researchers from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to put on record all known yoga postures and techniques in a comprehensive database called Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL).
The Government of India hopes that future patent applications would be rejected on the basis of ‘prior art’ from the information in the TKDL.”
So far 600 asanas have been added to the database, and the team plans to record at least 1,500 yoga postures by the end of this year.  Many people are applauding this move. For example, Marathi vedic, commenting on a Times of India article, says:
“I completely support this move… We have to preserve our culture which is being attacked by westerners by not only patents but also by missionary activities…Wake up Vedics!!!! This is our country!!!! Our culture if not us who will preserve it????”
Swami Param, commenting on a post on YogaDork, adds:
“Many Hindus are just now beginning to realize that in their sharing of the Hindu/Yogas, they did not realize that those who took this gift would then, effectively, steal it. The entire phony yoga movement consists of a concerted effort to erase any Hindu connection to Yoga. Of course anyone with a bit cursory knowledge, realizes that all of real Yoga is Hinduism. It is past time to put an end to this theft, distortion and business of ‘yoga’.”
The idea of yoga as a business was brought to the forefront when Bikram Choudhury was granted a copyright and trademark and applied for a patent for a style of yoga he founded. Called Bikram yoga (or “hot yoga”), it involves  a series of 26 poses that are performed in a steam room. Gopika Kaul, writing on Spot-On, elaborates on Choudhury's motivation:
“The practice of yoga is first described in Hindu sacred texts dating back five thousand years and Hindu sages have been practicing the art for centuries…The gurus, rightly, see yoga as an Indian tradition that is being popularized and, to some extent corrupted, by the West. Why is Bikram so anxious to stake his legal claim? Yoga has changed its image. An element of Indian culture – a quasi-religious element – has become a multibillion-dollar industry.”
In the United States, the yoga business brings in $5.7 billion a year, according to  Yoga Journal, including money spent on yoga classes and products. Some people question the idea of making money off yoga at all, though. guerrilla mama medicine says:
“i have questioned often the cultural co-optation of making money from teaching yoga.  the fact that we teach an art and science that we have access to because of our incredible economic and military privilege in the US.
where is the moral conscience of these yoga teachers? … how the hell are you going to call it ‘yoga’ and then claim that you thought of that unique way of bending over and teaching your toes?  if you call it yoga (which is a sanskrit word)–you lost any right to a patent.  the reason that someone in india isnt suing you for stealing their cultural knowledge ‘yoga’ is because it is collective knowledge.   the best we are doing is borrowing that knowledge for a short amount of time.  and then we give it back.”
However, yomamma, commenting on a post on Guruphiliac, points out that it's not just people in the West profiting off of yoga.
“This whole deal of complaining about Westerners on the part of both Westerners and Easterners is kind of tiresome, so many Indians have come here because we will buy what they have, support their arts, spirituality, give jobs, etc… so i think the upside far outweighs the bad for the east and for the west…
… All the yoga teachers I know acknowledge their teachers and forbearers, they don't pretend to have invented anything, they are in some cases making a good living, but that is mostly do to hard work and devotion. Popularization was begun in the west, a lot of these arts might be dying otherwise or at least not getting the attention they are now. That being said I don't disagree with this movement to authenticate and protect, it's probably a good idea.”
Photo of Yoga By Sunset by Mahesh Khanna on Flickr.

author: Juhie Bhatia


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Iran: Khatami abandoned presidential race · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohmmad Ali Abtahi, former vice president and blogger, has published[fa] former reformist president,Mohmmad Khatami's resignation letter where he says that he abandoned presidential race and supports other reformist(s) candidate(s).Read more here.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica: Inspirational Books · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp shares 15 books that have influenced him.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Jamaica: Payola · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica is now getting advertisers involved in the process of cleaning up the airwaves – Active Voice calls it “a welcome move indeed. Hopefully the BCJ will be just as uncompromising in its stand against payola as it has been in relation to ‘indecent’ lyrics.”


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Kenya: Indo-Masai Dance · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kenyan blogger James Adolwa writes about the Indo-Masai fusion dance, which took place at the French Cultural Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Korea: New Media Laws and Contining Debates · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

The Lee Myung Bak Government has been trying to change media laws and has faced strong opposition from journalists, major broadcasting companies, and citizens. The speaker of the National Assembly recently used his authority to submit bills to the floor and start public advertisements for it. Netizens are analyzing how those new revisions that the government tries to make will affect public opinion and share pro and con arguments towards these upcoming laws.
A blogger shows what the bills say and introduces pro- and con-arguments.
미디어법 개정을 놓고 요즘 대한민국이 갑론을박 말이 많다 […]개정안의 주요내용 1. 대기업 및 일간신문의 방송사 지분 소유 허용 : 지상파 방송 20%, 종합편성 채널 30%, 보도 채널 49%까지(신문・방송 겸영 허용) 2. 외국인의 방송사 지분 소유 허용 : 종합편성 및보도 채널 20%까지 3. 지상파, 종합편성 및 보도 채널의 1인 최대주주 지분제한 완화 : 30%에서 49%로 4. 대기업의 위성방송 지분 제한 폐지, 일간신문・외국인의 지분소유 제한 완화 : 33%에서 49%로
￼ 개정 찬성측
￼  매체간 융합은 세계적 추세이다.
국제적 시장 개방 흐름에 적극적으로 대응할 수 있다.
미디어산업의 경쟁력을 강화하기 위해서는 대기업의 자본이 필요하다.
지상파 방송의 지분 소유를 최대 20%로 제한했으므로 방송에 대기업의 의사 반영되지 않는다.
사전 영향 평가와 사후 조치를 강화해 충분히 공공성을 유지할 수 있다.
현재 방송 체제는 전두환 정권이 언론 장악을 위해 만든 구조를 유지하고 있다.
OECD 국가 중 대기업의 보도방송진입을 금지하는 나라는 대한민국이 유일하다.
It is a global tendency.
This can actively help to reach global markets.
In order to strengthen the competitive power of media business, we need capital from big
enterprises.
The largest share for ground-wave broadcasting is limited to 20 percent. Therefore, big
enterprises can’t affect broadcasting so much.
If we strengthen evaluation systems before and after, fairness will be maintained.
The current broadcasting system still follows media systems that the Chun Doo Hwan
government made in order to control media.
Of OECD countries, Korea is the only one prohibiting big enterprises from entering
broadcasting fields.
￼ 개정 반대측
￼ 신문・방송 겸업은 세계적 추세가 아니다.

            ￼
OECD 국가들이 신문・방송 겸영을 허용하는것은 사실이나, 최소한의 겸영만을 허용하는 ‘매체 교차소유권 규정’을
운용하는 등 언론 독과점을 막기 위하여 다양한 규제를 하고 있다. 그리고 겸영에 대해 규제를 하지 않는 국가는
OECD 내에서 일본이 유일하다.
공공성을 가져야 할 언론의 기능을 경제적 논리로만 보아서는 안된다.
조중동 등 족벌신문이 방송사를 소유하게 되면 여론의 다양성을 침해할 수 있다.
3개 이상의 주주가 지분을 20%씩 소유하게 되면 충분히 과반을 넘을 수 있다.
이미 대기업이 케이블 방송에 진출해있는데, 지상파까지 확대되어서는 안된다.
정경유착으로 인하여 정부가 언론을 통제하게 될 가능성이 있다.
Dual business of newspapers and broadcasting is not a global trend.
It is true that OECD countries allow dual businesses of newspapers and broadcasting, but
have various controls in order to prevent media monopoly. Japan is the only country that
doesn’t have any control of dual management.
We shouldn’t look at functions of media that should have fairness as economic logics.
If newspapers, such as Chosun, JoongAng, and DongA, occupy broadcasting companies,
diversities of public opinions can be breached.
If each shareholder of the three occupies 20 percent of shares, it will be the majority.
Big enterprises already stepped in cable channels. Ground wave broadcasting doesn’t have to
be affected.
It will cause cozy relations between politics and business, and there is the possibility that the
government can control media.
Here is another post:
신문법 개정안의 주된 내용은 일간신문과 뉴스통신의 상호 겸영 금지를 폐지하고 일간신문, 뉴스통신 또는 방송사업 소유자의 일간신문, 뉴스통신 주식 및 지분취득 규제를 폐지하는 내용을 담고 있습니다.
방송법 개정안으로는 대기업의 위성방송 소유 제한 폐지, 방송사업자의 재허가 기간을 5년 범위에서 7년으로 연장, 방송심의규정 위반제재 과태료 신설, 방송광고 개념에 가상광고와 간접광고 개념 추가 등의 규정이 들어 있습니다. 현재 이 미디어법의 찬반 논쟁이 심한데 반대하는 입장의 주된 주장은 몇몇 신문사들이 신문시장 점유율의 70% 이상을 차지하는 상황에서 방송을 겸영하면 여론 독점이 불가피해진다는 주장이고 찬성하는 입장의 주된 내용은  신문과 방송, 인터넷 포털, 수백 개의 채널을 가진 인터넷TV가 도입된 미디어 환경에서 신문과 대기업이 방송에 진출한다고 해서 여론 독점을 우려하는 것은 기우라고 주장하고 있습니다.
Regarding revision of broadcasting regulations, there are new regulations that big companies can own satellite broadcasting, broadcasting business permission will be extended from five to seven years, penalty of violating broadcasting regulations will be established, direct and virtual advertisements will be included into broadcasting advertisements. At present, there are big pro- and con- arguments for these media regulations. The party against it says if newspaper companies that occupy 70 percent of this market manage broadcasting, they will monopolize public opinion. The party for the new regulations says because there are already many newspapers, broadcasters, internet portals, and internet TV, newspaper companies and big enterprises can’t monopolize public opinion.
New campaigns of the government for this new laws are also mentioned by some bloggers.
몇일전 지하철을 타고 퇴근 하는 길이었습니다. 멍때리고 있다 생각없이 고개를 들었는데 제일 잘 보이는 출입문 눈 높이에 미디어법이 생기면 20,000개의 일자리가 창출 된다고 하더군요. 모델은 유명 연예인이 아니라 대학생 모델들 이었습니다. 달랑 “일자리 20,000개 창출” 이 멘트만 있던데 어떻게 해서 미디어법이 통과되면 어떤곳에 어떻게 일자리가 생긴다는 것인지? 누가 어떤 일자리에 갈수 있는지에 대한 정보는 없더군요.. 생각없이 봤을때 아~~나라에서 청년 백수, 20~30대 퇴직자에게 일자리을 만들어 주기 위해서 미디어법이란걸 만드는 구나 라고 생각하게 만들더군요. 이걸 보고 취업을 하지 못한 대학생들은 넘어 가는 가는 분들이  많겠지요.
Mostly they are sarcastic about this campaign due to its abstract contents.
음…음…으음….미디어법은 여러분의 일자리 2만개를 만들어드립니다?? 그렇겠지..인터넷,미디어 감시자라는 이름의 알바를.. […]
Some are not happy about how those new media laws are trying to be revised and suggest what its procedure should be.
[…]정말로 언론 개혁이나 방송법 개정이 필요하다면 그것은 대통령이나 국회 또는 사법부가 해야 하는 것이 아니라 언론인 자신들과 시민사회가 함께 충분한 논의를 거쳐 해야 하는 것입니다. 언론인과 시민사회가 함께 충분한 논의를 거쳐 개정안을 만들어 제시하면 제도화된 권력은 그것을 충실히 입법화하고 시행하면 되는 것입니다.[…]

author: Hyejin Kim


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Lebanon: First Embassy in Syria · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Blacksmiths of Lebanon report on the opening of Lebanon's first-ever embassy in Syria which seals the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the two countries.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Libya: From Dust to Dust  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Libya, Khadija Teri attends a funeral and writes about it here.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Madagascar: A Changing of the Guard?  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

The Madagascar crisis may have reached a major turning point: the beginning of the end of the President Marc Ravalomanana's regime. While there is still confusion about who is currently in charge, the army seems to have chosen to stand with former mayor Andry Rajoelina.  The prime minister's office, as well as the national TV, are now under Rajoelina's control.   Twitterers in Madagascar described events as they unfolded.
On Saturday,  it started with Rajoelina's appointed prime minister, Monja Roindefo, walking into Prime Minister Charles Rabemananjara's offices and taking control of the building (fr) as reported by Virginie.  He declared then that his camp was now in control of the country. Later in the morning, Re_Hita reports that Rajoelina, who has been in hiding for the past week, came to Place du Mai 13 and demanded that President Ravalomanana resign from office (fr).
A few hours later, malagasy website Topmada posted a statement by the government denying that the opposition was in control and stating that they are still planning to organize negotiations between the rival sides (fr).
At Place du 13 Mai, Jacques Sylla, leader of the parliament, took the stage with Rajoelina and called him the new leader of the nation (mg).
Barijaona wrote that Rajoelina denied during his speech that he wanted to end Ravalomanana's life  and reiterated that he would not send the army into the presidential palace because he wanted to avoid a blood bath. Indeed, a report from Cyril Vanier at the palace states that a few hundred people have staged a sit-in in front of the palace to protect the president.
Thierry posted that an ultimatum was sent by Rajoelina for the president to resign within 4 hours.
In the meantime Virginie wrote that looters entered the presidential palace, currently vacant because Ravalomanana is at his residence in Iavoloha.
4 hours later, the ultimatum passed without Ravalomanana's resignation. Thierry reported that the army would not attack the presidential palace.
On Sunday, the Malagasy blogosphere waited with anxiety for further developments and were quite unsure as to who is really in charge.
Ravalomanana offered a referendum as a potential exit to the crisis and warned his followers that “the crisis is not only between Malagasy people” (fr).
Arinaina suspects that the national radio frequency has been pirated yet again.
Barijoana and Re_Hita watched the first television news on a now Rajoelina-controlled national television channel. Barijaona notices that even though it featured the speech by Ravalomanana and his refusal to quit, his call for a referendum was cut out of the speech (fr).
The news also featured former members of the presidential guards (who quit the day before) and who now have joined the army. DotMG reports that the former guard called  for the removal, by force if necessary,  of the civilians sitting in front of the palace.  The former guards also reported the presence of  mercenaries and armed civilians.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Malawi: Female Candidates and the Politics of Regionalism  · Global Voices
Steve Sharra

With two months to go before Malawians vote in presidential and parliamentary elections on May 19th, 2009, the soup du jour has evolved around two developments, the recent arrest and release on bail, on embezzlement charges, of former president Dr. Bakili Muluzi, and the visits of an African Union delegation of two former African presidents. These developments have overshadowed a major breakthrough that has changed the political landscape for women candidates in Malawi politics.
In the first development, Dr. Muluzi already served two terms from 1994 to 2004, but he claims the constitution allows him to run again, a claim that has received mixed reactions in the country. In the second, former presidents of Ghana and Mozambique, John Kuffour and Joachim Chissano, are attempting, unjustifiably, according to the blog Chingweshole, to prevent what they fear might be a potential violent conflict in the run up to the elections and possibly in the aftermath.
However, eclipsed behind all this drama are two breakthroughs that in early February everyone was talking about as two Malawian firsts: a woman running mate on a major presidential ticket, and another woman as a presidential candidate in her own right. The two women are Hon. Joyce Hilda Banda, currently serving as Malawi's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Hon. Loveness Gondwe, a member of parliament and president of the newly formed, break-away New Rainbow Coalition Party.
While Hon. Loveness Gondwe's candidacy had been speculated about and expected, it was the choice of Hon. Joyce Banda that shook the country when the incumbent president Dr Bingu wa Mutharika presented his nomination papers to the Malawi Electoral Commission on February 6th, and it became known that the Hon. Joyce Hilda Banda would be Dr. Mutharika's running mate. This was after names of running mates for the main contenders had become a much-discussed guessing game in which it appeared each of the candidates was unsure who to choose, waiting to see who the other would pick first. It was a “stage-managed” and “secretive” process, according to blogger Boniface Dulani.
Much of the speculation on who was going to be Dr. wa Mutharika's running mate centered around Malawi's Minister of Finance, Hon. Goodall Gondwe, a highly respected economist and former International Monetary Fund (IMF) official widely regarded as the brains behind Malawi's economic and agricultural turn-around since 2004, alongside Dr. wa Mutharika himself. Hon. Goodall Gondwe was recently awarded a prize as the best performing finance minister in Africa in 2008. Adding to the anticipation was the fact that Hon. Goodall Gondwe comes from the northern region of Malawi, seen as historically marginalized given its relatively smaller population compared to Malawi's two other regions, the center and the south.
Malawi's first president, Dr. Hasting Kamuzu Banda, came from the central region, where political power was concentrated throughout his 30 year rule. From 1994 to 2004 the center for power shifted to the southern region, where erstwhile president Dr. Bakili Muluzi, hails from. Current president Bingu wa Mutharika, who comes from the southern region, is seen as having given the northern region a much-denied political boost, with Goodall Gondwe's finance portfolio being seen as one such example. It was therefore a point of much debated anticipation as to whether Mutharika was going to select a northerner as his running mate.
Hon. Joyce Banda–Hunger Project Photo
Reactions to the news created a heated debate especially on Internet forums, where it was quickly observed that Dr. wa Mutharika's choice of Hon. Joyce Banda was a departure from the norm in which the vice president since 2004 has always been from a region other than the president's. Some also saw it as a betrayal of the northern region, a loyal constituency. Blogger-Journalist Bright Sonani observed:
Its no longer a secret. The Livingstonia Synod of the CCAP has finally come out in the open expressing disappointment over President Bingu wa Mutharika’s choice of Joyce Banda as his running mate instead of Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe, whose name was at the centre of debate as the likely person to pair up with the DPP leader.
Some claimed the president had played a “regionalistic” card”, while others suggested that the president was being pragmatic as well as promoting gender equality, noting that in fact Hon. Joyce Banda's husband, former Chief Justice Richard Banda, is himself a northerner.
Other reactions focused on her achievements and rise to influence, observing that she was the 1997 recipient, together with then Mozambican president Joachim Chissano, of the Africa Leadership Prize, awarded by the New York-based Hunger Project.
The blog Malawi Politics went on to add that:
This appointment follows service as a Member of Parliament and Minister for Gender, Children's Affairs and Community Services where she fought for Malawi's recently enacted Domestic Violence Bill, which had failed for seven years previously. In addition, she designed the National Platform for Action on Orphans and Vulnerable Children and the Zero Tolerance Campaign against Child Abuse.
The Honorable Joyce Banda has advanced legislation and generated educational opportunities to assure the economic well-being of countless women and girls and forever changed Malawi.
But for blogger Isaac Ziba, a self-identifying northerner himself, it did not matter that Hon. Joyce Banda came from the south. Ziba saw the move as part of a much needed “exorcism” the country needs to undergo to get rid of the “regionalism” mentality:
I, for one, am happy with the pick of Joyce Banda as running mate of and to President Dr Bingu wa Muntharika in the forthcoming general elections. This is because I totally believe that Malawi can and should be one and Malawi can be treated as one country – with only one fragment – Malawi. There are those that think Malawi can only be represented if Malawi has three fragments – the North, the Centre and the South. We have tried this platform for ages on end – it is not working for our people – and we do need – not just a paradigm shift but a paradigm change in the way we do not only our politics but our national endeavours as well – including on the development front.
Mzati Nkolokosa, another blogger-journalist, identifies himself as not coming from the north by listing his friends who are from the north, in a post titled “My Friends from the North.” He says his generation, aged between 25 and 35, is ushering in a new Malawi which looks at ideas rather than region. He points out that sports in Malawi is currently dominated by administrators from the north, but Malawians of his generation have no problem with that, as long as they are delivering the goods:
My generation does not care that Mutharika and Banda are from the South just as we don’t mind that Sports Minister Symon Vuwa Kaunda, Fam president Walter Nyamirandu, Fam CEO Charles Nyirenda, Fam administrative officer Sugzo Nyirenda and Flames coach Kinnah Phiri are from the North.
Whether they hold their meetings in Tumbuka or Tonga, my generation does not care. All we care is that they have delivered and continue to do so. They have turned the Flames from perpetual losers to winners. They are in their positions on merit, not based on place.

author: Steve Sharra


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Malaysia: Bloggers charged for insulting Sultan · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Malaysian bloggers were charged for insulting the Sultan of Perak through their blogs and through posting of offensive comments in online sites.

author: Mong Palatino


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Maldives: Video Games And Violence · Global Voices
Rezwan

Abdullah Waheed informs that there could be at least 3000 video games sold per day in Maldives capital Male. The blogger wonders whether there is a link between the increasing violence on Male streets and these video games.

author: Rezwan


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Manila impressions · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Mukti from Bangladesh shares his impressions of Manila during a recent travel conference.


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Nigeria: How To Run An Online Shop In Nigeria · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nigerian blogger Kazey explains how web entrepreneurs can ran a successful online shop in Nigeria.


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Nigeria: Nigerian Newspaper Goes Mobile · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Punch, one of Nigeria’s newspapers will start providing access to the full text of the newspaper to readers on their mobile phones. The service, called Mobile Punch.


text:
“Obama Thailand” · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Suphoj Bunseupwong is known as “Obama Thailand” in his village because of his physical similarity to US President Barack Obama.


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Pakistan: Suicidal Attack in Rawalpindi · Global Voices
Rezwan

While Pakistanis were celebrating today's victory for Long March the country faced yet another suicide attack in Rawalpindi. “As many as 12 people,  mostly poor people taking the local transport back to their homes,   were killed in a huge blast,”  reports  Pak Tea House.


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Pakistan: The Power Of A Judge · Global Voices
Rezwan

While discussing the recent political turmoil in Pakistan An Ordinary Citizen from Bangladesh comments that “a judge is changing the face of Pakistan.”.


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Pakistan: Triumph of Democracy · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry has been reinstated which has fulfilled the primary objective of the ongoing judiciary movement and the Long March.  This was announced by the Pakistani Prime Minister in a televised speech. In addition the government has agreed to restore all deposed judges and review the Supreme Court decisions of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif.
Farhan at Guppu Blog writes:
Finally, the government of Pakistan has surrendered in front of the will of Pakistani people. After trying every alternative, as a last resort, government of Pakistan has finally decided to restore the deposed Judges including Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudry. It’s a kind of celebration here in Pakistan after all, the struggle of Lawyers, students, civil society, activists, bloggers have succeeded.
Talha Masood at Islamabad Metblogs is relieved:
People all over Pakistan are celebrating, and I had a sigh of relief as well keeping in mind that I feared loads of bloodshed today.
Faisal of Deadpan Thoughts writes in his post “The people have spoken“:
Today is a great day for this country, a defining moment. It is great not just because the Chief Justice has been restored to his rightful place, not because the leaders have finally seen sense. It is a great moment because the people of Pakistan all got together yesterday and showed their leaders that they will be held accountable fo their mistakes. It is glorious because the democracy that our leaders keep talking about was in full flow yesterday as the public demanded and their wishes were fulfilled, they had but one voice and one cause and all the containers blocking them, the police baton charging and tear gassing them and the barbed wires in their way were destroyed in front of the power of the people of this great land.
Let Us Build Pakistan rounds up news reports and blog posts to find out the real story behind the Long March and the restoration of chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
Earlier on the second day of the Long March GEO TV, a Private TV channel was blocked in many cities of Pakistan as crackdown on protesters continued. CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan reported:
Sherry Rehman, a PPP member and the Information Minister has reportedly resigned from her post, in protest of the GEO News ban.
Nila Kantha Chandra from Calcutta, India congrats the Pakistanis on this triumph of Democracy and comments that Indians have much to learn from this:
Indians have much to learn from Pakistanis about keeping democracy alive. Indians have been lulled into slumber by the rituals of democracy in India, devoid of its substance.
For too long, for an entire generation, Indians have taken their democracy for granted, and been steeped in apathy. And thus rendered our democracy comatose. A democracy is only as good as its citizens’ consciousness and activism.
So, I hope my fellow-countrymen (and women) learn from our dear neighbour, Pakistan. And until then, I doff my topi to Pakistanis and say: Pakistani Zindabad! (Long Live Pakistanis!)


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Protests Galore in Nepal · Global Voices
Bhumika Ghimire

The Himalayan nation is not getting a break, it seems. Nepal's list of woes is getting longer by the day. After dispute regarding Pashupatinath Temple, Nepal Army's recruitment drive and the lack of interest among leaders in working out a new constitution, the country is now hit by A series of violent protests. Add to this the 16-hour long daily power cuts.
Last week Tibetan refugees in Nepal staged protest against the Chinese government on the 50th anniversary of the Tibet uprising. Three foreigners – Dutch, British and Norwegian national were detained during the protest. Although Nepal for long has supported the one China policy, frequent protests by the refugees and the scene of scuffle with the protesters played in the world media have hit the country's image.
Demo of Tibet refugees in front of the Chinese Embassy on October 12, 2008. Photo by Mafate69 and used under a creative commons license.
Red Room posts an interview of a Tibetan refugee conducted by Andrew Q Lam. It provides a refugee's perspective on their life in Nepal and what they feel about Tibet, a break from usual war of words between the Chinese side and those sympathetic to Tibet.
“In 1961, when I was eight years old, we fled to Nepal when the Chinese forced us out of our homes. They wanted us to study to become good communists and arrested all our lamas so we couldn't stay.
We had 14 people in our families and we lived like animals the first three years — we depended completely on the international charities to feed us. But then my sisters and I learned to weave carpets, and we began to support ourselves and our family.
In Nepal we have no citizenship. After almost 40 years, we still cannot own land. We can only rent or live in a Tibetan camp.
Now I have my own antique store here, but it's not possible to own it.”
Tharus, an ethnic minority group clustered in Nepal's southern plains also took to the streets for two weeks demanding that they should not be classified as the more dominant Madhesi group and be given priority in public sector jobs.
Voice of Tharus, has posted a Nepali opinion piece on the Tharu agitation by Kishore Nepal, which says:
“In the changing times, we can survive as a nation only when we can include different opinions and views within the common identity of Nepal. We do not need common cultural base for this but have to work to establish autonomous region where Tharus and Madhesis, and other ethnic groups can live can live as one and many.”
Like Tharus, Muslims as also a minority group in Nepal. Last week they too took to the streets demanding separate ethnic group status and priority in public sector jobs:
“The minority Muslim community in Nepal today threatened to enforce a general strike in the capital if the Maoist-led government fails to recognize them as a separate ethnic group in the Terai plains.
The threat from the Muslims will add to the ethnic unrest in the country over greater political and economic rights. The community announced agitation next week against the governments categorization in the new constitution, which includes them in the list of the Madhesis community living in the Terai plains bordering India.”
In a late breaking news from Nepal, talks between the Muslim leadership and the government have ended, according to Kantipur. The dialog is described as being positive, government has pledged to address their demands but details are yet to be worked out. But nothing these days is straightforward in Nepal. In a bizarre twist the moment the talks had ended, a group of Muslims claimed that the team lead by United Muslim National Struggle Committee does not represent the community and demanded that government address their demands (submitted on February 25th) first.

author: Bhumika Ghimire


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Saudi Arabia: A Well-Documented Sandstorm  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Armed with their cameras and video cameras, bloggers in Saudi Arabia documented a massive sandstorm which covered the capital Riyadh, bringing visibility to only a few metres and life to a standstill.
On YouTube, Riyadh Travels posts this video which shows the storm creeping up in full speed and enveloping the whole of Riyadh in minutes.
Riyadh Travels comments:
An incredible experience to witness first hand being enveloped in a sand storm in literally minutes. It was clear, blue skies …. and in the next few minutes enveloped in a blanket of sand with visibility to only a few meters.
MadridyO8 posts a video of the storm, also on YouTube:
Saudiwoman's Weblog posts photographs from the storm and notes her experience saying:
Today we had a really bad sandstorm. In the morning you would have never guessed. I left the house at 7:30 and the sky was blue and clear. Later in the day, I was going to pick up my son after a lecture and I
had to drive (be driven) right into it. I took a few photos. You can actually see it approaching on the horizon. A trip that normally takes 45 minutes took twice that long. Cars were hardly moving and sirens were wailing. Firetrucks, ambulances and police cars were following the storm. It probably was a really bad day for people with asthma.
Life Thru Dusty Lens, who also posts photographs from the storm, remarks:
This dust storm came super fast. The sky turned dark and yellow within a matter of minutes.
Boyd Jones, who was in Riyadh, also posts a series of photographs starting with this post. Here is one of them:
The sandstorm raging in the horizon
Majeed 99 [Ar], from Saudi Arabia, too posts photographs from the sandstorm, which he has collected from different sources while John Burgess at Crossroads Arabia links to news sources about the storm.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Kuwaiti blogger Frankom complains:


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Saudi Arabia: Forty Lashes for a 75-year-old Woman for ‘Mingling’ with Men · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A 75-year-old Syrian woman was sentenced to 40 lashes, four months imprisonment and deportation from Saudi Arabia, for having two unrelated men in her house.
The men were reportedly taking bread to the widow Khamisa Sawadi, who was married to a Saudi, and one of them was her late husband's nephew. The two men were also charged with ‘mingling’ with an unrelated woman and sentenced to prison and lashes, sparking criticism for the country's judiciary and the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
Saudi Arabia's bloggers speak up.
Saudi Jeans remarks:
After the recent blunders of our very dysfunctional justice system, you would think judges will become more careful when they handle some cases. Not so much, unfortunately.
The blogger continues:
So Saudi Arabia takes another slap in the face. It is also a slap in the face for the new minister of justice, who obviously needs to fight really hard in order to end the embarrassments caused by our courts and implement the much publicized changes in the justice system.
Saudi Jeans‘ post has attracted about 40 comments at the time of writing this post.
A female Saudi blogger Sabria Jawhar also tackles Sawadi's case and links it recent worldwide celebrations of the International Day of Women saying:
I don’t think that Khamisa Sawadi celebrated International Women’s Day last Sunday. […] International Women’s Day celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women in the past and the present.
While the event is a national holiday in some countries, such as China and Russia, it goes largely unnoticed by women n Saudi Arabia. The case of Khamisa Sawadi is evidence that the social achievements of Saudi women remain a distant dream.
While Jawhar acknowledges that Saudi women have taken a few steps forward, their reality remains grim. She explains:
Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in the advancement of women in key government positions. The appointments of Noral Al-Faiz as deputy minister for Girls’ Education and Dr. Fatimah Abdullah Al-Saleem as cultural attaché at the Saudi Embassy in Canada by the Ministry of Higher Education, inspires Saudi women. Saudi women view Al-Faiz and Al-Saleem as role models, recognizing that they, too, can achieve success on their own terms.
Yet the social realities are that Al-Faiz and Al-Saleem are the exceptions, not the rule, of what Saudi women face in the future. For every Al-Faiz and Al-Saleem there are 100 Khamisa Sawadis. For every female Saudi graduate student studying abroad, there are 100 other Saudi women denied their right to divorce abusive husbands or to gain custody of their children.
Crossroads Arabia says this case drives home the need to codify the Saudi law, which are now based on Islamic Sharia (religious law) and the discretion and interpretation of individual judges. John Burgess adds:
The conviction stands as another example of why Saudi law must be codified.
I do not insist that Saudi law be like American or any other nation’s laws. I do think, though, that it should be rational and clear enough that anyone has a clear idea if he or she is breaking a law. Leaving judgments to the independent wisdom of individual judges does not assure that and results in messes like this.
And finally American Sand gets in my eyes cannot see the logic in the sentences. She writes:
Mmm. Let's recap. The two young men were actually being charitable to an elderly woman. You might even say they were bringing her her daily bread. They were sentenced to lashes and jail.
The elderly woman was reaching out to someone she considered a family member, someone she had – in her old age – come to depend upon. She was sentenced to lashes and jail.
And the men charged with promoting virtue…well those guys hid in the bushes, lied about their identities and then had the audacity to arrest an elderly woman in need of charity, and the young men who came to her need.


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Singapore: 10th costliest city in the world · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

According to an international survey, Singapore is the 10th costliest city to live in the world.


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Syria: Struggle Against Injustice · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi draws the line and defines who her ‘friends’ are in the struggle against injustice.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Lack of Clear Vision  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Trinidad is so small that we can’t find criminals. We can’t find missing children. We can’t find a functional government or a serious opposition”: Attillah Springer is convinced that we are macoing but not seeing.


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UAE: Leaked Salaries Making the Rounds  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Salaries of journalists and employees of the popular UAE daily, The National, were leaked recently and are flowing around the web,” writes Mohammad Zaher, from Dubai, UAE, who adds: “I refuse to forward the list, or contribute to spreading it. I think we all should not forward it if we receive it, because it's none of our business what other people make.”


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Ukraine, Russia: Social Networking vs Work · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Svetlana Gladkova writes on Profy about how social networking often interferes with work being done in Ukraine and Russia: “In fact, as many as 69% of Russian companies already block access to social networks from office computers which seems to be the only option to make employees stop wasting time the employers pay for on social networks.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Vietnam: Kidnapping children · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Are child traffickers now kidnapping children in Vietnam provinces? Some children who were reported as missing were found later working in garment factories in Saigon.


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Zambia: Journalists Need To Be Trained To Blog · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Ivorian blogger George Fominyen interviews the Lusaka based blogger Timothy Kasolo who argues that journalists need to be trained to be good bloggers.


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Angola: Celebrating Angolan Women’s Day with poetry · Global Voices
Clara Onofre

It is March. A month with a feminine complexion and dedicated to every woman in the world. But it is also the month of Angolan women. It belongs to those women who suffer, love and fight with a large smile on their lips and bold eyes. It is the month of the ‘zungueiras‘, hawkers who carry their merchandise on their heads and their babies on their backs. It is the month of the business women who break their way into this chauvinist and implacable society. March – Women. The month of the wives who are belaboured by their souless husbands. March. The month dedicated to these women and every other woman who make Angola a stronger and warmer country.
Angolan Woman's Day is celebrated on March 02, because of the bravery of four women who fought for Angola's Independence. They are Deolinda Rodrigues, Irene Cohen, Engrácia dos Santos and Lucrécia Paim, who were supposedly ambushed by the FNLA (National Liberation Front of Angola), in the northern part of the country. They were captured and killed but their names are still in the Angolan people's memory.
As would be expected, Angolan bloggers have not let the date go unnoticed. In the Conde de Angola [pt] blog, the author depicts Angolan women, starting his narrative with a beautiful poem by Décio Bettencourt Mateus:
“O miúdo nas costas, faminto
O sol queimando
O sol assando
O miúdo nas costas, faminto de alimento
As moscas acariciando-o
E o lixo distraindo-o!
A zungueira zunga, cansada
Na cabeça, o negócio e o sustento
E nos pés empoeirados
O cansaço dos quilómetros galgados
O cansaço da distância percorrida
A zungueira zunga, o miúdo nas costas faminto!”
Este pequeno excerto do poema de Bettencourt retrata o “espírito guerreiro” das mulheres angolanas, também conhecidas por zungueiras. Começo assim o texto desta semana, dedicado a todas as mulheres de Angola, que no passado dia 2 de Março receberam homenagem com a comemoração do Dia da Mulher Angolana… e bem que elas o merecem, são umas autênticas leoas, especialmente as mulheres do pré-guerra. Gordas, magras, altas, baixas, convencem pela conversa transformando um perfume da Avon num perfume Channel. Em média têm sete filhos cada uma, há quem diga que este fenómeno se deva ao facto de só cerca de 6% usarem métodos contraceptivos, o certo é que a programação da TPA (Televisão Pública de Angola) também não ajuda a que este número baixe e por outro lado temos o ego masculino que pode ser rejeitado socialmente senão procriar. Enfim, é tudo a ajudar.
Longe estão os tempos em que o ganha-pão era responsabilidade só dos homens. Agora a sobrevivência passa a ser uma questão de igualdade, mas onde a mulher carrega tudo: carrega a criança às costas, muitas vezes carrega uma às costas e outra dentro da barriga, carrega as robustas cargas para a venda do dia, carrega o sol na cabeça quando sai e retorna com ele, carrega a ingratidão do marido com os copos, carrega as lamentações das crianças, carrega, carrega, carrega…”
Burning sun
Baking sun
Boy on her back, hungry for food
Flies caress him
Garbage distracts him!
The hawker hawks, tired
On her head her business and livelihood
On her dusty feet
Tiredness of kilometers covered
Tiredness of the distance traveled
The hawker hawks, the starving boy on her back!
This small excerpt of Bettencourt's poem portrays the “warrior spirit” of Angolan women, also known as zungueiras. I begin this week's piece of writing  with it, dedicated to all Angolan women to whom we paid homage on Angolan Woman's Day last  March 2nd… and they well deserve it, they are real lionesses, especially the pre-war period women.  Fat, thin, tall, short, their cunning ploys turn an Avon into a Chanel perfume. On average, they have seven children each, some say that this phenomenon is due to the fact that only about 6% of them use contraception. On one hand the programs broadcast by the Public Television of Angola do not help to bring this number down. On the other hand, we have the male's beliefs that without procreating they would be socially rejected. In the end, it all adds up.
Gone are the times in which men were solely responsible for winning the bread. Now the survival becomes a matter of equality, but it is the woman who carries it all: she carries her child on her back, often she carries one on her back and another in her belly, she carries the heavy load of daily products for sale, she carries the sun on her head when she leaves and comes back with it, she carries the ingratitude of man with his bottles at home, she carries her children through the lamentations, carrying on, carrying on, carrying on… “
António Spíndola [pt] shows his opinion about the day, highlighting the importance of the Angolan woman's fight:
“Em Angola as mulheres pretendem chamar a atenção para o seu papel e a sua dignidade, bem como levar a sociedade a ter uma consciência social do valor da pessoa, a perceber o seu papel e contestar e rever preconceitos e limitações que têm sido impostos à mulher. Como mães, esposas, filhas, ou simplesmente como mulheres, elas têm lutado pela sua emancipação, combatendo o analfabetismo e os actos de violência no género e na família. Elas estão, sobretudo, firmemente inseridas no processo de reconciliação e reconstrução nacional”.
And to finish this article dedicated to Angolan women, here is a poem from the Universal [pt] blog:
“Aguardo sempre a infinita espera da demora
Como na magia das margens do meu céu
desespera um anjo
Nunca esquecerei o meu gesto de ternura
Sempre dedicado ao meu filho
no longínquo abandonado
Por promessas que nunca serão cumpridas
Nunca esquecerei as esperas
das minhas incontáveis bichas
Filas humanas para conseguir o essencial
de todos os dias
Séculos e séculos desesperados
para me afirmar como mulher
Com dignidade de escrava
habituei-me a suportar
Os desprezos que sobre mim tem lançado
E nesta condição humana provocada
Renasce-me a negra existência
e medito, reafirmo:
Sou negra como o sol castanho
amarelecido das tardes
Como o luar das noites, naturais
Manchada das alvas amarelas do anual
malmequer
Porque sou bela, como o amanhecer
de todos os dias
Sou negra, digna descendente
da nobreza africana”
as an angel despairs
in the magic borders of my sky
I will never forget my deed of tenderness
always dedicated to my son
far away abandoned
by promises that will never be fulfilled
I will never forget the waits
of my endless queues
Human queues to get the essentials
of every day
Despondent centuries and centuries
to assert myself as a woman
With the dignity of a slave
I became used to bearing
The contempt at me launched
And in this provoked human condition
In me the black existence is reborn
and meditating, I reafirm:
I am black as the brownish sun
of afternoons turned yellow
As the moonlight of natural nights
Stained by the yellow dawn of the yearly
marigold
Because I am as pretty as the sun-rise
of every day
I am a black, dignified descendant
of the African nobility”
Photo of an Angolan woman called Eurídice, by Flickr user ccarriconde published on Global Voices with permission.

author: Clara Onofre


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Armenia: The virginity debate continues… · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Following posts by the Frontline Club and Global Voices Online, Jezebel also comments on the tradition of the red apple in Armenia. In particular, the post has initiated further discussion by Armenians and foreigners alike of a custom which promotes the virginity of the bride but not the groom.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Azerbaijan: A strange country · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

On the eve of tomorrow's constitutional referendum to remove the two-term presidential limit, Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines says her country is “strange.” On the one hand, as a bridge between East and West, Azerbaijan has a lot going for it. On the other, however, it continues to experience significant problems when it comes to democratization and freedom of expression.


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Bangladesh: Floating Hospital  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh is inundated with heavy monsoon rain and floods every year. Mikey Leung reports that :”In the face of this rising tide, one organization has developed a novel solution. They’re delivering high quality health care to Bangladesh’s poorest people, in floating hospitals.”


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Bermuda: Eye on Madagascar   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bermudian blogger Catch a fire draws attention to the escalating crisis in Madagascar.


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Bermuda: Transparency Progress  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Vexed Bermoothes says that the Attorney General's promise that the Bermudian public will have the opportunity to comment on a draft freedom of information law (which should allow for modifications before it goes to Parliament for debate) is “positive news.”


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Central & Eastern Europe: Ruthenians · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Edward Lucas writes about the plight of Ruthenians.


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China: Shadow of Premier Wen · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Mobiuswang posted a PS photo of the shadow of premier Wen Jiabao.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Student Forced to Quit School Due to Blogging? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A Beijing Foreign Studies University female student wrote in her blog on 16 of March that she was forced to quit school because of her blog post that criticized the department of education. However, is she telling the true? What is the other side of the story? more via ESWN's translation of local report.


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China:Parliament ridiculed for its fancy proposals  · Global Voices
Bob Chen

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The conference, according to the ruling Communist Party (CCP), is one of the most important institutions which  carry out Chinese-style democracy, that is multiple-party co-operation led by CCP. However, the conference has always been viewed as simply a rubber stamp with its sole purpose being to give endorsement to decisions already made, thus giving semblance of ‘popular’ support for  government programs.
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Blogger Song Shi-nan (宋石男） gives a list of such ‘amazing’ proposals on his blog. In the appendix, he notes an interesting news:
本次全国政协会议，给每位委员配发了一台笔记本电脑，以实现无纸化政协会议。据称，这是为了响应国家节能减排的号召，节约纸张和环保.
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全国政协十一届二次会议副秘书长、民革中央专职副主席修福金认为，本次大会将会期缩短了两天，而且还用电脑替代了原来大量的纸张，这表明从政协开始已经过简朴的生活，开始了艰苦奋斗。
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Accordingly, 5 million RMB on paper use will thereby be saved.
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At a time of global economic downturn, a notable theme of the meeting is to bolster the economy, and the delegates didn't disappoint us taking much care of the issue. But their proposals are sometimes  unintentionally ironical and hilarious.
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[endif]
His proposal was named “economic-cultural industry of  Chinese traditional clothing”.
On NetEase, a popular online discussion board, one comment was:
我一开始还以为他是开制衣厂的,再看不是,那我就搞不懂了.这位代表是不是很少出门啊.我的天啊,我真的不敢想象把国家大事交给你们讨论会是怎么样的结果.
Other than clothing, another delegate, Zong Licheng (宗立成), proposed,
全国政协委员宗立成：确立国花可刺激经济
Blogger Song Shinan seems to be thrilled by so creative an idea. He comments:
骂国骂是不是也可刺激经济增长？那就来一嗓子——卧槽泥马！
More proposals have been presented:
张亚忠：大学生去卖猪肉不是一件坏事
赵超代表：建议设立子女养老社会保险金制度
In response to the proposal, a netizen questions:
赡养老人是应该的，但我想问一下，我每年要交3万多税,这三万多的税被用到哪里去了?
Another proposal concerns college students again, who are particularly troubled by job losses this year.
上海人大常委会原主任龚学平：恢复大学五年制教育第一年军训
Song Shinan laughs at the idea:
为缓解就业，干脆把战线再拉长一点，小学9年制，初中5年制，高中5年制，加上大学5年制，硕士6年制， 博士7年制，这样博士毕业差不多44、5岁，即使找不到工作，失业10来年也就退休了.
Ran Yun-fei, reviewing all these proposals and opinions, [if gte mso 9]><xml> <w :WordDocument> </w><w :View>Normal</w> <w :Zoom>0</w> <w :PunctuationKerning /> <w :ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w :SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w> <w :IgnoreMixedContent>false</w> <w :AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w> <w :Compatibility> <w :BreakWrappedTables /> <w :SnapToGridInCell /> <w :ApplyBreakingRules /> <w :WrapTextWithPunct /> <w :UseAsianBreakRules /> <w :DontGrowAutofit /> <w :UseFELayout /> </w> <w :BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w> </xml>< ![endif][if gte mso 9]><xml> <w :LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w> </xml>< ![endif]  /* Font Definitions */  @font-face 	{font-family:SimSun; 	panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; 	mso-font-alt:宋体; 	mso-font-charset:134; 	mso-generic-font-family:auto; 	mso-font-pitch:variable; 	mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} @font-face 	{font-family:"\@SimSun"; 	panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; 	mso-font-charset:134; 	mso-generic-font-family:auto; 	mso-font-pitch:variable; 	mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;}  /* Style Definitions */  p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal 	{mso-style-parent:""; 	margin:0in; 	margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:12.0pt; 	font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;} @page Section1 	{size:8.5in 11.0in; 	margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; 	mso-header-margin:.5in; 	mso-footer-margin:.5in; 	mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 	{page:Section1;} [if gte mso 10]> </mce><mce :style>< !   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-parent:""; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:10.0pt; 	font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-ansi-language:#0400; 	mso-fareast-language:#0400; 	mso-bidi-language:#0400;}  [endif]so categorized them:
疯狂言论、愚人提案、八卦愚乐.
[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w :WordDocument> </w><w :View>Normal</w> <w :Zoom>0</w> <w :PunctuationKerning /> <w :ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w :SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w> <w :IgnoreMixedContent>false</w> <w :AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w> <w :Compatibility> <w :BreakWrappedTables /> <w :SnapToGridInCell /> <w :ApplyBreakingRules /> <w :WrapTextWithPunct /> <w :UseAsianBreakRules /> <w :DontGrowAutofit /> <w :UseFELayout /> </w> <w :BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w> </xml>< ![endif][if gte mso 9]><xml> <w :LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w> </xml>< ![endif]  /* Font Definitions */  @font-face 	{font-family:SimSun; 	panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; 	mso-font-alt:宋体; 	mso-font-charset:134; 	mso-generic-font-family:auto; 	mso-font-pitch:variable; 	mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} @font-face 	{font-family:"\@SimSun"; 	panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; 	mso-font-charset:134; 	mso-generic-font-family:auto; 	mso-font-pitch:variable; 	mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;}  /* Style Definitions */  p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal 	{mso-style-parent:""; 	margin:0in; 	margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:12.0pt; 	font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;} @page Section1 	{size:8.5in 11.0in; 	margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; 	mso-header-margin:.5in; 	mso-footer-margin:.5in; 	mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 	{page:Section1;} [if gte mso 10]> </mce><mce :style>< !   /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-parent:""; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:10.0pt; 	font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-ansi-language:#0400; 	mso-fareast-language:#0400; 	mso-bidi-language:#0400;}  [endif]But why all these ridiculous statements and happenings could happen in a solemn and important conference? He said:
两会代表不经民选，不在代表来源、阶层分布、利益博弈、民众意愿等方面加以改进，两会不只是橡皮图章，而且是十足的笑料大世界。

author: Bob Chen


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Colombia: Documenting the trucker’s life on the road · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

What is life like when you are constantly on the road? Blogger Francisco Cárdenas, best known for his blog Cine al Oído, has set out to experience that and share it with us online on 8ruedas. He will climb aboard Juan Camilo's truck with a photographer friend to explore the Colombian roads and find out the secrets, stories and adventures truck driver's hold to share online in real time through streaming video, twitter updates and pictures uploads.
8ruedas logo
Toda la vida, todos los días, hay experiencias que quisieramos asumir como propias. Esta es una de esas. Salir en un camión, agarrar carretera y echarse la vida sobre las 8 ruedas del vehículo al lado de conocidos o desconocidos. Un viaje de una semana larga, por carreteras colombianas, entregando pedidos de cartón (lo que el camionero lleva de carga), emitiendo vía streaming video en tiempo real en una o dos ocasiones por día y recopilando material a ser publicado en diferido cada noche a través de la red. Esa es la intención, simple, arriesgada (?) y sin ningún propósito diferente a pasarla bueno, documentando regiones del país que ninguno tiene por qué conocer de esta manera.
This project is part of their online strategy for their startup nullun, and besides Pacho, as Francisco is known, others are also lending a hand to make this adventure happen. The experiment began yesterday, but due to the uncertainty that comes with the job description, they haven't started on the road yet. They sit and wait for the assignment to come in and for the truck to be ready for dispatch. The following clip was streamed from the location where the truckers sit, wait and play poker:
The whole idea of going out on a truck hit home with a fellow Colombian blogger. Jorge Montoya of Fábrica de Cosas writes about his last trip with his father, a trucker who died 7 years ago on March 15th while on the road:
De Medellín salimos con un cargamento de insumos para una panadería en Sincelejo, y otras cuantas cosas para Barranquilla, pasando por Cartagena. De Barranquilla, parando en Fundación para comernos un platano con queso, fuimos a Valledupar por mangos.  Pero a Valledupar también fuimos porque allí se haría la imagen mental que más resalta cuando recuerdo a mi papá: un par de hamacas colgadas debajo del camión parqueado en una estación de servicio, con la brisa del Valle, una botella de ron y un par de tabacos que amenizaban el silencio entre dos personas con la misma sangre pero con poco que contarse.  Recuerdos de empatía y vallenato. El ambiente impregnado de vallenato era la regla.
It seems that truckers and their families being estranged is not uncommon. Carolina, Juan Camilo's daughter, tells in the following video about her distant relationship with her father. They greet each other cordially, but have never shared intimacy, private conversations or special occasions.
You can follow the experiment on the 8ruedas site,  by adding @cinealoido, or following the #8ruedas tag on twitter, by suscribing to the Ustream video channel, or on qik.  A Flickr set has also been set up to check on the images of their travels, such as this portrait of Felipe Taborda, a fellow trucker friends call “Internet” because he knows everything.
Felipe Taborda -alias "internet" by Cinealoido

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Cuba: Six Years After · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blog for Cuba maintains that six years after the island's Black Spring, “there has been no easing of the harsh repression of dissent in Cuba.”


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Czech Republic: ‘Czechoslovakia,’ writes AP · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Czech Daily Word catches the AP using the name ‘Czechoslovakia’ – and the IHT reprinting the piece without correcting the mistake.


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Czech Republic, Slovakia: 2nd Republic of Czechoslovakia · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Reference Frame writes about the 70th anniversary of the disintegration of the Second Republic of Czechoslovakia.


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El Salvador: Blogger Reactions to Mauricio Funes Victory · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Editor's Note: This is part-one of a translation of a blog post written by Hunnapuh and published with permission.
After the post-electoral hangover, various blogs from El Salvador posted their reactions to the news of the victory by FMLN candidate Mauricio Funes, who defeated ARENA candidate Rodrigo Ávila in the March 15 Presidential election with 51% of the vote.  Funes, a former television journalist, ends nearly two decades of rule by the ARENA party and brings FMLN into power, which is a party that was built by former guerrilla fighters after a peace deal ended armed conflict in that country.
The blogs El Trompudo [es] and El-Salvador [es] present the same post published by POCOTE, who asked for the essay to be reprinted and shared, which praised Funes’ message that he gave on Sunday night when he proclaimed himself the winner of the presidential elections.
Este mensaje del primer presidente de un partido de izquierda electo libremente por voluntad popular, es, seguramente, el discurso más esperado por los salvadoreños en muchos años.
This message from the first president from a leftist party and elected freely by popular decision is, surely, the most anticipated speech by Salvadorans in a long time.
Emphasis was made that the new government would give preference to the classes of the have-nots and will change the exclusionary model of governing to one that has the political Constitution as a reference, expressing their profound satisfaction.
The blogger Atlacatl takes the opportunity to add “a bit of salt in the wound [es],” expressing his repudiation by the “coverage” from the Salvadoran Telecorporation (TCS). Atlacatl writes that during the election night TCS started to change its tone and went from arrogance to submissive conciliation.
The blogs Chichicaste [es] and the Blog de Sura [es] written by Carlos Sura, a disabled blogger with a very dynamic and frequently updated blog, publishes video and the text of the speech by Funes proclaiming his victory and offering reconciliation to the country.
The Blog from the Movement of Professionals, Technicians and Intellectuals (M.P.T.I.E.S. for its initials in Spanish) salutes the president-elect in their blog with the post “Your Honor, Mr. President Funes, It was Worth It! [es]” with these words:
DIOS JAMAS DESAMPARA A LOS AFLIGIDOS!
Contra viento y marea, contra un poder acumulado en unas cuantas manos, contra los medios de comunicación capitalistas, contra la manipulación del tribunal Supremo Electoral, contra empresarios que atemorizaron a cientos de miles de trabajadores, contra seudo analistas lanzando desprestigio, contra la mayor campaña viciada, cínica y descarada, contra una Fiscalía y Corte Suprema Suprema inclinada a la violación de la Constitución de la Republica, contra el Alto mando de la Fuerza Armada y la Policía Nacional Civil, contra personajes importados de Venezuela, Cuba y Nicaragua pagados por el Coena……….”
GOD WOULD NEVER ABANDON THE AFFLICTED!
Against wind and rising tide, against the power accumulated in a few hands, against the capitalistic media, against the manipulation of the Supreme Electoral tribunal, against businesspersons that terrorize hundred of thousands of workers, against pseudo-analysts trying to discredit, against the most foul, cynical, and shameless campaign, against attorneys and the Supreme Court inclined towards the violation of the Constitution, against the high command of the Armed Forces and National Police, against people imported from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua paid by the National Executive Council of ARENA (Coena)….
Carlos Abrego of Bloguero de Cosas Tan Pasajeras [es] salutes what he considers to be a historical day and highlights that major significance that a person who is openly leftists to be the president of El Salvador:
Arena fué derrotada. El miedo fue vencido. La esperanza puede comenzar a alentar nuestros ánimos. El cambio ahora si que se ha vuelto posible. Hagámoslo realidad.
El Tenampa [es], another blog was one of the first to take “photos of the ARENA's vote” for those workers and laborers who had been reportedly threatened and had to “demonstrate” that they voted for ARENA and writes “Change is Here,” even when it was in the middle of the vote count.  The blog La Verdad Siempre Saldá al Aire [es] written by Rojo Bender writes that the people voted with wisdom [es].
The blog Dulce Limón Partido [es] shows her painted finger indicating her recent vote and writes that there are more than a million dreams as a result of the vote:
Ayer, por primera vez en mi vida, sentí que valía la pena ser salvadoreña, haber nacido en estos casi 21,000 kilómetros cuadrados por fin tomaron sentido. No me caben las palabras para expresar toda la emoción que experimenté en todo el día, pasé pegada a la radio, no dormí la noche del sábado, ni mis padres, pasé en el patio, mirando al cielo que estaba nublado y de vez en vez dejaba ver las estrellas. Con los ojos “chilosos” fui a votar, nos llevamos hasta a mi abuelita, Soyapango se pintaba de rojo, y a las 8.30 am ya había caos vehicular. Viví 20 de mis 24 años de edad, bajo un régimen que desde que tengo uso de razón nunca comprendí y nunca estuve a gusto, ni me tragué los engaños de el sistema. Siempre me pregunté, por qué si la gente estaba tan mal, seguía eligiendo a las mismas personas para que las gobernaran. Ayer el pueblo dio lección, y le recordó al gobierno, que nosotros, los que queríamos cambiar, para bien o para mal, somos más y unidos doblegamos cualquier máquina de hacer dinero y poder.
Yesterday for the first time in my life, I felt that it was worth being Salvadoran, being born in this 21,000 square kilometer area finally made sense. There are no words to express the emotions that I felt all day spent glued to the radio, I didn't sleep at all on Saturday night, neither did my parents,  I spent time on the patio looking at the cloudy sky and from time to time I stopped seeing the stars. With my “watery” eyes, I went to vote taking my grandmother.  Soyapango was painted red and at 8:30 am there was vehicular chaos. I lived 20 of my 24 years living under a regime that I never understood and never felt right with, and I didn't swallow the deceits of the system. I always asked, why were people in a bad situation, and kept electing the same people to govern. Yesterday the people gave a lesson, and reminded the government and us that we want change for better or for worse, we are more and more united overtaking any machine out to make money or to control power.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Hungary: The Politics and Unrest of March 15 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes about the politics and unrest surrounding March 15, the day on which “the birth of parliamentary democracy is celebrated in Hungary.”


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Iraq: Warning to All Shoe Throwers  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi blogger Salam Pax warns all shoe throwers in this Tweet: “..alert to all shoe throwers.. hide your shoes! 3yrs jail for attacking Bush with shoe, and missing!” Muntadar Al Zaidi, who threw his shoes at President George W Bush during a Press conference in Iraq last year, was sentenced to three years in jail.


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Jamaica: Being Positive  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Iriegal sees hope for Jamaica when it comes to curbing crime, but would like to see “more success stories on the front page” of the local media.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Jamaica, Dominica: Carbon Neutral?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The President of the Maldives plans to make the territory carbon neutral in 10 years; Jamaica Salt sees similarities between the islands and is “looking around for environmental action in JA”, while Steve's Dominica‘s first thought was: “Dominica, ‘Nature island’, Green-globe nation etc etc, should be aiming for this.”


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Jamaica: Windies Winners?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Have the West Indies transformed themselves into a winning cricket team following their 20/20 victory over England?  Jamaica's Girl With a Purpose is “cautiously optimistic”.


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Japan: Shintaro Kago’s Terror Animation · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Shintaro Kago, a Japanese guro manga artist, has set up a channel in youtube (warning: some are rather scary). via Pink Tentacle.


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Latvia: Crisis and Hot Water · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Latvian Abroad writes about “signs of crisis in everyday life”: “A Latvian college whose funding has been cut by 30-something % cuts off the hot water in the student dormitories.”


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Latvia: The Banned March · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Free Speech Emergency in Latvia writes about and posts a video from “the banned march to commemorate members of the World War II Latvian Legion.”


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Pakistan: A Proud Event · Global Voices
Rezwan

The reinstatement of chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was a proud event for many Pakistanis like the blogger at Monsoon Frog after a long time.


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Poland, UK: “Polska! Year” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

the POLSKI blog writes about the Polska! Year in the UK, “a joint initiative of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the cultural programme of the Year is coordinated by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, which is responsible for the promotion of Polish culture abroad.”


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Poland: Warsaw Zoo · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

20 east writes about and posts pictures from the Warsaw Zoo.


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Russia: Upcoming Election in Sochi · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

RFE/RL's The Power Vertical writes about the upcoming mayoral election in Sochi.


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Russia, U.S.: Red Star Comic · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Copydude writes about Red Star, “a comic produced intermittently from the 50s to the 90s” in the United States.


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Sri Lanka: Form Of Charity  · Global Voices
Rezwan

The End blog recommends person to person charity because: “What happens in state run forced charity, is that when I get one Rupee as a grant or a subsidy, much more is spent on the processes that bring me that money.”


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Taiwan: Defense review in the news · Global Voices
David Reid

Michael Turton analyses some news related to Taiwan's latest defense review.

author: David Reid


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The Pope in Cameroon (1): Yaoundé Clean Up Controversy · Global Voices
George Esunge Fominyen

Pope Benedict XVI is visiting Cameroon from 17 to 20 March 2009. This has led the government to take some radical clean-up measures as described by Griet,Thorsten, Jara and Lisa blog:
1 All small shops, houses, vendor's stalls that don't look nice enough are being destroyed with a large caterpillar. The truck comes by, looks at your stall/house/whatever and if the driver doesn't like, he just destroys it with all its content. It all started about a week ago in the city centre. Suddenly the streets did not house streetvendors anymore, all the local shops at the post office disappeared etc. Now it's been extended all the way to the airport.
2 The road to the airport has brand new streetlights. But then ONLY the way from the airport to the town centre.
3 Tuesday (for sure, other days to be confirmed) the road between airport and town centre will be blocked. Note: the pope arrives in the evening, but the road needs to be blocked from EARLY MORNING. Hence nobody can get to/from work, school etc.
This post also links to another blog by an expertriate family Sander Elke en Milan that has has photos of the destruction to roadside shops in the streets of Yaounde.
This demolition has sparked a debate on the blogs of two expatriates in Cameroon. Συγκακοπαθησον  a blog maintained by a missionary in Cameroon posted on the changes to the outlook of Yaounde as a aresult of the Pope's coming.
So what’s my take on the whole thing?  It’s nice that the city is getting a face-lift – it sure makes things look a lot nicer, and the big street lights make driving at night or trying to get a taxi along the main route so much easier and safer – but it’s sad that this clean-up has to mean the destruction of people’s way of life.  Unfortunately, these people were simply ignorant of the “rules,” some willfully so, and are now facing the consequences.  The sad part is that it seems the government was content to just let things be (possibly for as long as 10 years or longer) until something big came up, like the Pope’s arrival.  If they had taken these structures down as soon as they went up, there wouldn’t be this kind of destruction of people’s livelihood now.  Then again, I guess the law is still the law even when it’s not enforced.
This point of view wasn't really shared by British-born VSO volunteer blogging at Our Man in Cameroon. His reaction in a post entitled Impossible Missionary was simple:
Street stalls are a way of life here.  They are everywhere.  It’s easy just to say they are illegal but they can be pretty solid structures.  What’s more, if they are illegal I’d imagine that they have only been allowed to remain because someone, somewhere is taking a regular few thousands Francs in bribes.
People here struggle.  You can bet these structures don’t turn over much and in a country where enterprise and entrepreneurship is so minimal…well what a way to reward it.I ask you, if you are in general agreement with what I have written and also find the missionary’s take as ignorant as I do, to leave a comment.  Not below but instead on the missionaries own blog.
However, readers still commented on this story on the Our Man in Cameroon blog. The reactions got to a point that, Karis, the wife of the missionary stepped-up in defence of her husband:
Wow! I never knew my husband could cause such a stir. I think sometimes we think that only people that know us read our blogs and those people know how to take what we write instead of tearing it apart line by line without knowing us at all. Trav, thanks for putting in a good word.  Dad A, thanks for the humor. You always put a smile on my face. I just wish all of you that commented here and on his blog knew my husband — you wouldn’t be so harsh as you pull apart sentences.
He and I have had many conversations about how horrible it is that people’s livelihood is taken away from them and all for a few days visit from the Pope. When we were in town on Monday and saw stuff being thrown into trucks, it made me sick to my stomach. More than once, we said, “But how are people going to eat tonight? and the next day and the next day?” It goes even beyond that in…
And then today, I saw him helping people move their sewing machines, their tables, their bags of stuff farther down on our road as the government came through with the bulldozer. No, that was not emphasized enough in this post to show all of our conversations and actions, but wow… that doesn’t mean that my husband doesn’t feel for the people here! Maybe I can convince him to write another post, but I’m not sure because it may be best just to leave this rather than getting things torn apart again. I’d better just stop. A wife sticking up for her wonderful husband isn’t much of a mind changer.
The exchanges did not end at that. This Papal visit has quite some twists to it on the blogoshpere!

author: George Esunge Fominyen


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Trinidad & Tobago: Phagwa Pics · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Nicholas Laughlin's blog etc. posts a flickr photoset of Trinidad and Tobago's 2009 Phagwa celebrations.


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Tunisia: Covert Censorship of a Newspaper! · Global Voices
Lina Ben Mhenni

Last week the Tunisian government censored the newspaper, El Mawkef . Censored blog  Tunisia Watch writes:
Le rédacteur en chef de l'hebdomadaire “Al Mawkef”, Rachid Khéchana, a accusé vendredi les autorités tunisiennes d'avoir procédé à une “saisie déguisée” du dernier numéro de son journal, organe du parti démocratique progressiste (PDP), une formation de l'opposition légale. Les autorités ont aussitôt démenti cette accusation qu'elles qualifient de “fausses allégations”.
Selon M. Khéchana, des pressions auraient été exercées sur la société privée de distribution pour qu'elle ne livre aux kiosques que deux exemplaires à chacun. Dans un communiqué transmis à l'Associated Press, il considère cette “mesure répressive” comme “une atteinte à la liberté de la presse et une sanction contre tout journal qui s'attache à sa ligne indépendante”.
Les autorités soutiennent cependant que ce journal “parait régulièrement et est distribué à travers le pays sans restrictions aucunes, à l'instar de tous les autres organes de presse”. “Tous les partis de l'opposition en Tunisie exercent leurs activités politiques et médiatiques en toute liberté”, affirme une source gouvernementale. (AP – 14.03.2009)
On Friday  [March 13th],  the editor of the weekly news paper Al Makef accused the Tunisian authorities of conducting a  “seizure in disguise” of the latest issue of his newspaper, mouthpiece of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), part of the legal opposition. The authorities immediately denied the accusation, which they call “false allegations”.
According to Mr. Khechena,  pressures have been exerted on the private distribution company  so that only two copies were delivered to each newsstand.  In a statement sent to the Associated Press, he considers this “punitive measure” as “an attack on press freedom and a sanction against any newspaper that adheres to an independent stance.”
The authorities, however, argue that this newspaper appears regularly and is distributed throughout the country without any restrictions, like all other media.  “All the opposition parties in Tunisia operate in political and media freedom,” said a government source. (AP -03.14.2009)

author: Lina Ben Mhenni


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Tunisia: Remembering Tunisia’s First Internet Prisoner · Global Voices
Lina Ben Mhenni

Tunisian Zouhair Yahyaoui will always be remembered among Tunisian activists as someone who had sacrificed his life for the struggle for freedom of speech.
Yahyaoui, who had adopted the pen name Ettounsi or The Tunisian and was a graduate in economic sciences and Internet journalist, had invited readers of his satirical website TUNeZINE to vote on whether Tunisia was a “republic, a kingdom, a zoo or a prison” on June 2, 2000. Soon after wards, he was picked up from an internet cafe by plainclothes police officers, without an arrest warrant.
In November 2003, Yahyaoui was released from prison after spending 18 months  and on March 13, 2005, he died of a heart attack at the age of 36. During his time in prison, Yahyaoui went on hunger strike several times in protest against his imprisonment conditions and supporters claim he was also subjected to torture.
To mark his forth death anniversary, The Network of Tunisian Bloggers for Free Blogging reminds us about Tunisia's first Internet prisoner:
تمرّ اليوم 4سنوات على رحيل زهير اليحياوي مؤسس موقع “تونزين”، وقد توفي الفقيد على إثر نوبة قلبية وهو لا يزال في ريعان شبابه.
دخل السجن في ربيع 2002 ودفع غاليا ثمن تشبثه بالدفاع عن الحرية مستعملا في ذلك التقنيات الحديثة التي وفرتها شبكة “الأنترنيت”، وهو ما جعله يصبح رمزا للنضال على الشبكة.
كان ولا يزال يمثل نموذجا للمناضل والمدافع الصلب عن قضايا الديمقراطية ـ و قد دخل عدة مرات في اضراب عن الطعام للمطالبة بتحسين وضعه داخل السجن دون أن تستجيب الادارة العامة للسجون لمطالبه وقد أثرت ظروف اعتقاله على صحته التي تدهورت
And the situation seems to have deteriorated even further in Tunisia since Yahyaoui's death. Fellow Tunisian blogger and Global Voices Advocacy editor Sami ben Gharbia updates us on the repression of the Internet in his country in this post.


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UAE: YouTube Ban Possible, Goodbye Flickr · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bloggers in the UAE are worried that YouTube may be banned in the Emirates, after access to photography hosting site Flickr has been totally blocked.
According to Press reports, YouTube is ranked among the top 10 most popular sites in the UAE and news about its possible censorship has sparked debate in the blogosphere.
Fake Plastic Souks sounds the alarm, and writes:
Blocking YouTube will further deny Emirati, and other, youth here of the opportunity to embrace a range of technologies and changes in social behaviour that are revolutionising the world around us.
That we are even contemplating blocking sites that contain content we don't like is a deep concern – the trick is engaging in a conversation, taking part in the interplay of ideas and opinion that is driving the Internet – and the flow of public
opinion around the world today.
the grapeshisha blog  wonders:
We heard these rumors in the past, but more and more people seem to be confirming that these aren’t just false alarms anymore and that YouTube will actually be banned officially in the UAE. We can’t be totally sure yet until the site is totally inaccessible for our friends and members there, and according to them no action has been taken yet (despite thousands of other sites being blocked) however many are expecting it. Will the ban fail like it did with Facebook? Is the UAE testing the waters with how much internet censorship it can get away with?
Local newspaper Khaleej Times reports that the UAE's Telecommunication Regulatory Authority has said that YouTube will not be completely banned in the country as its content is already regulated by the authority.
Dubai Jazz agrees that some of YouTube‘s content should be moderated. He notes:
There comes the inevitable question, is youtube totally ‘safe’? Of course not, and I wholeheartedly support censorship on some of its content. Especially the kind of hate inciting content. You might choose to believe otherwise, but WE DO NOT have democracy and total freedom of expression in the Arab World. We have a vicious Sunni-Shia sectarian strife. We have an intimidating rate of illiteracy. We have an intimidating rate of credulity. The stable and relatively prosperous Arab societies are stable because there are measures that ENSURE everything stays stable. Even when stability sometimes borders on stagnation….. in short, I am not worried about moral disintegration of societies, I am worried about strives and rifts. So for the time being, some of the content, in my opinion, may have to be censored.
Meanwhile, MMM reports that Flickr is now totally blocked in the UAE, after it was blocked by one Internet provider.
Today, Du followed the lead of Etisalat and went ahead and blocked the photo sharing service Flickr, meaning that Flickr is now no longer accessible from the UAE through any of the ISPs.
I’m guessing it’s because of all the x-rated material that is available on Flickr. But, it’s not like blocking Flickr is going to stop people who look for that kind of material from finding it.
This totally sucks! All my photos are hosted on Flickr where I have a pro account, and now I’m unable to access my photos or upload any new ones because of this.
MMM also posts a photograph of the ban order:
A photograph of the Du censorship message

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Ukraine: Boy Dies of Cancer As Bank Wouldn’t Give Money Back  · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana writes about a 12-year-old boy who died of cancer at a Donetsk hospital, while his family tried to find money to be able to afford treatment abroad: “Oleksiy's aunt had Hr. 32,000 (approximately $4,000) on deposit at Pryvatbank. She wanted to use her savings to save Oleksiy. Prvyatbank wouldn’t let her. They wouldn't let her withdraw the money, citing a freeze on cash withdrawals ordered by the National Bank of Ukraine.”


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Ukraine, U.S.: Aid to Chernobyl-Affected Area Hospital · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

MoldovAnn writes about ongoing attempts to help a Ukrainian hospital in the Chernobyl-affected area to receive a humanitarian aid donation from a U.S. NGO.


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Zimbabwe: Honoring Ordinary Heroes · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

So, not only politicians qualify to be national heroes in Zimbabwe.

author: Ndesanjo Macha