text:
Brazil: Light on the dark dictatorship days · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Several South American countries were ruled by military dictatorships in the 20th century, such as Paraguay (1954-1989), Uruguay (1973-1985), Chile (1973-1990) and Argentina (1966-1973 and 1976-83), but unlike the others, Brazil (1964-1985) has never prosecuted those responsible for the crimes of these years. An amnesty law was passed in 1979 pardoning all Brazilians, civilian activists and Army officials, for crimes committed under the flag of the dictatorship.
The country has, for the first time, published an official account detailing the atrocities committed during the era: kidnaps, rapes, tortures, executions and the concealing of bodies in clandestine cemeteries, to name but a few. “The Right to Memory and Truth” is a long report on the outcome of an 11-year investigation conducted by the national Commission on Political Deaths and Disappearances. The 500-page book has been praised by Human Rights Watch as an important step forward in addressing impunity.
Although no documents have been provided by the Army, the Brazilian secret service documents on the 1964-1985 dictatorship are going to be made available online by 2008 in the National Archives. “The Right to Memory and Truth” is already available for download in Portuguese, free of charge.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was imprisoned for a month under the military dictatorship, and the new Minister of Defense Nelson Jobim attended the launch. In an apparent message to military officers that boycotted the event, Minister Jobim made a comment that has been echoed by bloggers everywhere: “There is not a single individual who can challenge [the book], and if there are, they will be answered”.
Lula, leading a strike in 1980. Photo by Estevam Cesar, used with permission.
The reaction came a few days later. On September 1st, the Brazilian Army made a public statement reminding the nation that an investigation into political killings during the military dictatorship would violate the amnesty law and be a “step backward” for the country. Other reactions followed suite. obomcombate [pt] published a letter by an Army official challenging Jobim:
“Estou, segundo faculta-me a Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil, reagindo contra o conteúdo de tal publicação, porque entendo que ele se contrapõe aos fundamentos que levaram o governo a promulgar a Lei da Anistia, importando “em retrocesso à paz e à harmonia nacionais”
“I am, in the right to me guaranteed by the Brazilian Constitution, reacting against the contents of such publication, because I understand that it is against the fundamentals that led the government to proclaim the amnesty law, thus a “step backward to the national peace and harmony”
The Brazilian blogosphere was torn between supporters and critics of both sides, showing that the 20-year dictatorship is a wound that still needs thorough healing.  Celso Lungaretti [pt], who personally met more than 20 people mentioned by the book as dead or “disappeared”, says that the official Army's notification is not acceptable:
“Foi o pretexto de que o Alto Comando carecia para manifestar seu inconformismo com a revelação da verdade histórica. (…) A nota oficial que lançou representa uma quebra de autoridade, já que desautoriza o ministro da Defesa, e coloca em dúvida (“até porque os fatos históricos têm diferentes interpretações, dependendo da ótica dos seus protagonistas”) o acerto das iniciativas do estado brasileiro para reparar as atrocidades cometidas durante os anos de chumbo”
“This was the excuse that the High Command needed to show its lack of conformity with the revelation of a historic truth. (…) The official notification released by them is meant to be a breach of authority, as it discredits the Minister of Defense and casts doubt (“even because historic facts have different interpretations depending on their protagonist’s point of view”) on the success of the Brazilian government’s initiative to repair atrocities committed during those bullet ruled years”
Journalist Carlos Motta [pt] points out that the Minister Jobim is now in a difficult situation. Will he show who is in charge?
“Só que desta vez terá de mostrar qualidades bastante raras nos homens públicos. Coragem, por exemplo.
Se ficar calado a respeito da insubordinação dos chefes militares, que repudiaram o conteúdo e o lançamento do livro “Direito à Memória e à Verdade”, patrocinado pelo governo federal e que expõe os horrores promovidos pela ditadura militar, Jobim será mais um ministro da Defesa de fachada, sem comando nem autoridade”
“However, this time he will have to show rare qualities for someone in public life. Courage, for example.
If he does not answer the insubordination by the Army chiefs, who repudiated the The Right to Memory and Truth’s government sponsored content and launch, and which exposes the horror promoted by the military dictatorship, Jobim will be another puppet Minister of Defense, with no command or authority”
Strikers V Police 1980. Photo by Estevam Cesar, used with permission.
Alexandre Lucas [pt] wonders if anything has changed at all in more than 20 years of democracy:
“Uma pena constatar que a mentalidade do Exército Brasileiro não mudou desde o golpe de 1° de abril de 1964. Consideram-se o mesmo exército que derrubou um presidente legitimamente eleito, fechou o Congresso Nacional, exonerou ministros do STF, matou e torturou dissidentes, ocultou cadáveres”
“It is a pity to realize that the Brazilian Amy's mentality has not changed since the Coup d'état on April 1st 1964. They think themselves the same Army that overthrew a legitimate, elected president, closed down a National Parliament, dismissed federal ministers, killed and tortured dissidents, hid cadavers”
And the comment below by a Lieutenant Commander identified as Antonio and published as a reaction to a post at Alerta Total blog [pt] makes one think that Alexandre Lucas might be right:
“Muito me revolta, e a vários militares que conheço, quando um Presidente da República, lança um livro, com caráter político, de forma a atacar instituições das quais ele é o chefe. Que moral tem ele com a tropa? Não podia esperar sua saída (se é que vai sair) para fazê-lo? Me revolta mais ainda, ver o ministro de Defesa, literalmente, ameaçar a nós militares, se expressarmos alguma insatisfação quanto ao livro de “nosso chefe”. Por que não podemos expressar nossa insatisfação? Quem é o ministro da defesa para dedicir o que podemos pensar ou não? Não estamos num estado democrático? (…) Quem nos ataca se esquece que somos homens, e acima de tudo, homens de valor (e armados!). Esperamos que o governo mude sua postura. Os oficiais da reversa já estão se mobilizando. Temo pelo pior…”
“It makes me very angry, and many Army people I know are angry too, when a President launches a book, with political character, in order to attack the institutions of which he is the head. What credibility has he in front of the troops? Couldn’t he wait for his leave (if he is leaving at all) to do so? What makes me even angrier is to see the Minister of Defense, literary, threating us, the Army, if we express any dissatisfaction about the book by “our leader”. Why can’t we express our dissatisfaction? Who is the Minister of Defense to decide what we can think and what we can’t? Aren’t we in a democracy? (…) Those who attack us forget that we are men, and nevertheless, valuable men (and armed ones!). We hope that the government changes its posture. The reserve officials are already getting mobilized. I fear the worst…”
Serjão [pt] is among the civilian bloggers that criticized the book and the government initiative, which he has classified as revengeful:
“O inoportuno livro “Direito à Memória e à Verdade” da Comissão Especial de Mortos e Desaparecidos Políticos rompe com esta situação, bajulando os radicais e constrangendo os militares. Resta saber por quê”
“The unfortunate book “The Right to Memory and Truth” from the Commission on Political Deaths and Disappearances breaks the balance [of the amnesty] flattering the radical groups and constraining the Army. We now need to know why”
Strikers V Police 1980. Photo by Estevam Cesar, used with permission.
But for Pavarini [pt] the book should not be taken as a revenge, but as an act of justice:
“Nenhuma vítima da ditadura, por questão de bom senso humanitário, encara esta iniciativa do governo Lula pela ótica da vingança. Não se trata de vingança, e sim de justiça. Aprendi no cárcere que o ódio destrói primeiro quem odeia e não quem é odiado”
“No victim of the dictatorship, due to humanitarian common sense, would see this initiative by Lula’s government as vengeance. This is not about vengeance, this is about justice. I learnt while in jail that hatred first destroys those who hate and not who is hated”
Marcos Rocha [pt] balances both sides and wraps up the debate:
“O que nós todos queremos — e o Brasil precisa disso para fazer as pazes com esse passado incômodo — é, apenas, ter o direito à memória”
“What all of us want — and Brazil needs this to make up with its uncomfortable past —  is just to have the right to a memory”
Strikers V Police 1980. Photo by Estevam Cesar, used with permission.
The pictures in this feature have been kindly provided by Estevam Cesar, an active photo journalist in the days of the  dictatorship, who has a fantastic photo gallery of São Paulo's metal-workers’ strike in the 80's which led to the imprisonment of then union leader Lula.

author: Paula Góes


text:
D.R of Congo: War affecting Gorilla protection efforts · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

There is a very fluid situation unfolding at the Virunga national park in Congo. The Congo war is spreading into the protected Gorilla sector in the Virunga mountains, which is now under the control of the rebels. The blog Gorilla Protection is following the situation and posting regular updates. The most recent entry points to a worsening of the situation, and wonders what the fate of the mountain gorillas will be with the continuing war.
One of our guards returned late last night, and only just with his life. When he tried to go out with the rest of his small team to locate the gorillas they came under attack by armed men.
This means that it is impossible for anyone to be in Bukima, and so it also means that none of our guards are able to be in the Gorilla Sector.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Juliana Rotich


text:
Guatemala: Round-up of Election Sites · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Desde Guate [ES] lists and compares the different media sites for their coverage of the elections of Guatemala.  The site also discusses the various Google search results for Guatemala and elections.

author: Eduardo Avila


text:
Guatemala: Up to the Minute Coverage · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Elecciones 2007 en Radiopolis [ES] is providing up to the minute coverage of Sunday's Guatemalan elections, including news of tear gas dispersed at a voting location in Santa Cruz Naranjo.


text:
Guatemala: Video Interviews · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

El Cachacero [ES] took to the streets of Guatemala City to interview citizens, candidates and their relatives.  Videos are posted on the blog.


text:
Iran:Pakistan, Turkey and We · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohmmad Ali Abtahi,former vice president, says recent political experiences of Pakistan and Turkey are beneficial for the officials who are worried about practicing freedom in Iran.Closing political atmosphere, taking aggressive approach against students, workers, women, internet, youth and political activists is dangerous for the security of the country.

author: Fred Petrossian


text:
Iran:Kish in 4 photos · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kosoof, a leading photo blogger,has published 4 great photos of Kish Island.


text:
Iran:Police arrest Dogs · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Dastanma says that according to several news sites,Iranian police arrest dogs in Tehran and they are kept in very bad conditions.Pet owners are shocked!


text:
Iran:Praising Ahmadinejad · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Abedto admires[Fa] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's courage and says before his presidency,USA had upper hand in dealing with Iran.Now USA asks Iran to take part in negotiations [in Iraq].


text:
Japan: Controversy over the Gun-Shaped Lighter Incident · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Blogger Kikko  writes about the case of an off-duty officer in Yokohama [Ja] who was arrested after hitting a high-school student supposedly because the boy had been brandishing a lighter in the shape of a gun. Kikko explains that the media have twisted the story: the boy and some friends were joking with the lighter and asked to stop by train station staff, which they did. The officer saw the boy laughing after the incident and thought: “He's laughing so he hasn't reflected on what he's done,” and then hit him. The 2000 emails and letters who have poured in supporting the officer Kikko describes as foolish and embarassing.

author: Chris Salzberg


text:
Japan: Interview with Dr. Patricia Steinhoff · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

W. David Marx at Néojaponisme interviews Professor of Sociology Dr. Patricia Steinhoff about her research on the history and social organization of post-war Japanese Marxist radicals. In this first part of a five-part series, Dr. Steinhoff describes the formation of the student movement in Japan, its re-organization into the “Red Armies,” and the social impact of the New Left on today's Japanese society.


text:
Jordan: Nine Crimes & Other September Stories · Global Voices
Naseem Tarawnah

It's September. The weather is still wonderfully warm, while the cool air moves swiftly between trees that are preparing to shed their leaves. Ramadan is just around the corner and there's a lot to talk about on the Jordanian blogosphere.
However, it's only right to start with the biggest story; the one that has dominated our humble blogosphere lately.
“9 Miserable Days” was the title of Jordanian blogger Who Sane‘s post, where he told an unfortunate personal story involving the mysterious disappearance of his father, leading his family to expect the worse. With his cell phone turned off, it took nearly nine days to find him. Who-Sane‘s father had spent a total of nine days at the (public) Prince Hamzah Hospital where he was subjected to the massive unprofessionalism that left him sick, bed-ridden, unfed, unbathed and cut off from the world. The hospital is still new yet it took several visits and inquiries during the comprehensive search to discover that no one on the staff had really bothered to check if Who-Sane‘s father was actually a patient there before denying his existence.
Thankfully his father was transferred to another hospital where he is currently recovering but in the process, Who-Sane‘s story inspired the biggest mobilization of the Jordanian blogosphere to date.
Over 50 Jordanian bloggers discussed the issue on their own blogs, trackbacking to the original post and building enough momentum to reach the local media via Jordanian blogger and journalist Batir Wardam. Soon after, the newly-appointed Minister of Health gave direct orders to form an investigation team.
The story and its outcome is a milestone for the Jordanian blogosphere, marking the first time that the local media and blogs have entwined to produce actual tangible results. From this author, comes a special thanks to all those Jordanian bloggers who helped make that a reality.
In other news…
It's seems to be a growing phenomenon in Amman and while some might argue that it's always been around, one thing's for sure, it has definitely become more public than ever before. From prostitution and neighborhood sexual escapades (that are sometimes a little too public) to the changing art of flirting, the phenomenon has come to personify the sexual revolution Amman has been experiencing lately.
In broad daylight, a Range Rover stops, a hot chick dressed amazingly, with quality hairdo, excellent quality makeup and fancy handbag steps down. Walks few feet to another parked car gets in, and the car speeds off. Twenty five minutes later, the scene repeats. [Qwaider]
Khaled wonders how pirated copies of movies, software and games have become normalized in Jordan. Meanwhile, Issa takes a look at the Battle For Haditha, a movie shot in his hometown of Jerash that sheds light on the infamous tragic massacre that took place in Iraq.
The grass may not be so green here but Naseem discusses what it means to be part of an inevitably evolving Jordan while the Arab Environment Blog celebrates its first year.
Shaden talks about the visual depression of Jordanian fashion trends that lack color, while Roba has a bone to pick with the visual spammers of Amman, that include some of the biggest names in the country's private sector.
Meanwhile, Lina reviews Sultana, a controversial (and previously banned) novel by Ghalib Halassah. “Reading it was quite an interesting experience for me,” says Lina, “it depicts an aspect of village life that defies the norm, and then it takes you into Amman in the late 40’s and early 50’s, at a time of its political and social formation.”
On 7iber Dot Com, Jordan's online citizen-media project, Naseem Tarawnah discusses the hacking of jailed ex-MP Ahmad Oweidi's website while Wendy Merdian writes about Ramadan from an outsider's view.
It may be a bit morbid but Moey cooks up a post on something that everyone has thought about at least once: blogger mortality. What if a blog you regularly visit stops being updated and little do you know it's because the blogger died? Moey offers us this poem:
A Bloggers Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep, All my passwords at my feet.
If I should die before I wake, Blog for me, for heaven’s sake.
Politically Speaking:
In the political realms of the Jordanian blogosphere Batir Wardam links to an article outlining Jordan's nuclear aspirations for 2015. Nuclear energy has been the talk of the town lately, as promises of an energy independent Jordan are said to be met by 2030. Khalaf and Jad look at the government's move to cut back its subsidies on livestock feed that led to mass protests and contributed to a runaway budget Ahmad Humeid is in search of new political forces. “In a country where some Facebook groups have more members than most political parties, isn’t it time for new types of political forces to emerge?” Ahmad asks.
Naseem Tarawnah wonders if The Jordan Times made a propagandistic mistake by the use of the words “Free and Fair” in describing a US House resolution commending Jordan for its municipal elections. Ahmad Ghashmary writes of a Jordanian MP from the Islamic Brotherhood, who was attacked and had part of his beard shaved off.
Qwaider isn't too happy about the Greater Amman Municipality's campaign of removing olive trees all over the city that are planted in the middle of sidewalks. Meanwhile, Shifaa wonders if Shaker Youssef Al-Absi, the fugitive leader of the Fatah al-Islam militants who was recently killed in Lebanon, should be buried in Jordan in accordance with his family's wishes.

author: Naseem Tarawnah


text:
New Educational System in Oman · Global Voices
Riyadh Al Balushi

Oman is constantly experimenting with its educational system. Learn about the new system in Amjad‘s latest post.

author: Riyadh Al Balushi


text:
Oman: Niqab Experience · Global Voices
Riyadh Al Balushi

Oman Sky tells us about her experience with anonymity when wearing the face veil (Niqab).


text:
Oman: Ramadhan TV · Global Voices
Riyadh Al Balushi

Omani bloggers have launched a new blog for following up on new Arabic television shows in Ramadhan this year.


text:
Oman: Too Religious · Global Voices
Riyadh Al Balushi

Omani blogger Suburban is shocked by the indecent attitude of foreigners in Oman.


text:
Palestine: Protesting Violence and the Art of Resistance · Global Voices
Shaden Abdulrahman

This week in Palestine: Gazans decided to go on strike in protest to violence caused by Hamas-linked groups two days ago. This is the first strike since Hamas gained power three months ago; the majority of shops, universities and even hospitals were closed on Sunday. Hamas shrugged it off and considered it an attempt by the Palestinian leadership to weaken Hamas.
Meanwhile, photos of Palestinian children who have been living off Israeli trash were captured by the New York Times earlier this week.
Photo by: SAIDAWI
With all seriousness…
From DesertPeace, did Wikipedia join the censorship club?
Ben Heine, one of our resident artists, my Associate and dear friend has again been chosen to ‘lead the way’, so to speak… He was one of the first anti zionists that was censored and eventually banned from Daily Kos a few months ago merely for his honesty and refusal to compromise his principles.
It seems that Wikipedia has followed suit and has deleted his entry from their pages. The entry looked like this….more
Decentering Damascus announces the launch of the first issue of A-Rab Magazine.
From Annie's Letters this week, a reblogging of a news story published in The Jordan Times says Queen Rania of Jordan urges international community to use ‘moral language of the conscience’:
“…the West just sees terrorist attacks against Israelis, while the enduring image in Arab minds is one of generations of Palestinian boys and girls growing up with no country, no rights, and no future – an image that has not changed for 50 years”…more
Another sad reality of the Palestinian children was captured by the New York Times‘ camera and blogged about by KABOBfest, this time it's living off Israeli trash:
This is an awful sight. Yet, I must give kudos to the New York Times for capturing and reporting on this tragedy. It carried an article and showed a series of photographs with sad captions…
The Palestinians have become so dependent, a pragmatist would welcome US aid to Israel. Enough of the billions of dollars a year that goes to Israel must indirectly subsidize the wasteful lifestyles of Israeli settlers…more
Haitham Sabbah blogs about a tragedy of an American-Palestinian family who was separated by force at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, because of the father's Palestinian heritage:
On Aug. 18, as they tried to return home, Israeli security officials told the children their father’s Palestinian heritage disqualified them from traveling as American citizens, Wedad Yacoub said.
They would not allow Wedad Yacoub (the mother) and 10 of her children to board the flight.
She was forced to choose between remaining in Palestine with the children or return with the three youngest, leaving the other seven behind. more…
But there is good news…
The new 2008 calendar “Colors from Palestine” is now available, says umkahlil:
The 2008 “Colors from Palestine” calendar is dedicated to the great Palestinian artist, Naji Al-Ali., and features some of his well known cartoons.

author: Shaden Abdulrahman


text:
Russia: Violence in Ingushetia · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

&tAttacks on civilians in Ingushetia have increased in the past few months. The most recent victims of violence include the family of an ethnic Russian teacher from the town of Karabulak, two ethnic Koreans in Stanitsa Ordzhonikidzevskaya, and a 66-year-old ethnic Russian doctor at a blood transfusion center in Nazran. Attacks on law enforcement authorities are also reported to be on the rise. To help local security forces manage the situation, some 2,500 interior ministry troops were sent to Ingushetia (pop. 467,294) earlier this month.
In Karabulak, the Federal Security Service (FSB) carried out a “special operation” on Sept. 2, which resulted in the death of Apti Dolakov, a 21-year-old man allegedly involved in the murder of the teacher's family.
LJ user shurpaevwrote this (RUS) about the incident:
So I'm sitting in the lobby [of the Karabulak prosecutor's office] and in comes a huge guy in camouflage, and he is fuming – “How can it be! Why did they have to kill?! They could've just arrested him, if there had been something on him, they could've just arrested him and that's it, and now they'll just put all the blame on the guy!” The secretary hissed at him – “There are journalists here!!!”
According to the official story, the guy was killed as he attempted to escape and resist the police. And he had a hand grenade. So we go to the site of the incident, find the backyard where he was killed, talk to the witnesses of the special operation, and what do you think? Everyone says the same thing. And we weren't recording the crowd, we walked from one apartment to the other, so I think there is a substantial grain of truth in what they were saying. Here are […] the facts.
- the guy had no weapons on him, there was nothing in his hands as he was running away, but he was being followed by armed men.
- the crowded neighborhood, in which the special operation was taking place, had not been cordoned off. But there was [a great deal of] shooting there.
- the guy was shot in the backyard, then it looks like they made a “control shot,” then they lifted his body and placed a hand grenade underneath. […] No one said they'd placed the hand grenade into his pocket, into his hand, etc. Everyone said they'd lifted the body, and they even thought they wanted to administer first aid to the guy. […]
At the end of his post, Shurpaev explains why what's going on in Ingushetia now is similar to the situation in Dagestan two years ago – and why it appears to be much worse:
The situation in Ingushetia sucks and I doubt it'll improve. The terrorist act statistics is nearly the same as in Dagestan two years ago. But over there, special services where not fighting guys “with hand grenades” – but were killing weathered gang bosses. In [Dagestan] now, it's not three terrorist acts a night, but one every two weeks at the most.
Other explanations of the situation in Ingushetia feature the neighboring Chechnya – in one way or another.
According to some officials, militants from Chechnya and other North Caucasian republics are behind some of the attacks.
Ruslan Isayev, a Prague Watchdog author, whose recent text was translated from Russian by David McDuff of A Step At A Time, reports on this scenario that's now being discussed in Ingushetia:
One rumour that is spreading says that the situation in the republic is being aggravated on purpose so that the forces of the Moscow-backed Chechen President Kadyrov can be called in to restore order and to unite the two republics in future, and that [Ingushetia's extremely unpopular president] Murat Zyazikov will tender his resignation […] this month.
Isayev also notes that the ongoing violence in Ingushetia is viewed by many as a possible beginning of yet another war in the North Caucasus:
Many people are now comparing the situation in Ingushetia with the situation in Chechnya before the second war. Some observers even draw parallels with the most active phases of the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya, when members of the federal forces were able with impunity to abduct any person or simply shoot a passer-by who didn’t look at them in the right way.
Marina Litvinovich – LJ user abstract2001, Garry Kasparov‘s aide and founder of the PravdaBeslana.ru website – is dismayed with president Vladimir Putin's lack of response to the situation in Ingushetia and links it to the upcoming presidential election, scheduled to take place on March 9, 2008. She appealed (RUS) to the president's press service on her blog:
If I still had an opportunity to advise president V. Putin to issue a statement, I would definitely insist on a statement about the events in Ingushetia.
Because Russians and not just them are being purposefully killed there, educated and respected people more often than not. Extrajudicial killings (shootings) of civilians are also taking place there (most often for their religious beliefs). All this has been going for two months already.
It's about time the president paid attention to this.
Because he regularly signs condolences when citizens of other countries die, and the same about congratulations, but there's no reaction from him whatsoever when bloody events and deaths of citizens occur in his own country.
But here's what's even worse. They are “setting up the stage” now by killing people in Ingushetia, then they'll organize some terrorist act, and when it's all over, Putin would appear “in front of the nation” and say something like this:
“We are not dealing with singular acts of intimidation or with unrelated attacks by terrorists. We are dealing with a direct intervention of international terror against Russia.
We're dealing with a total, cruel and full-scale war, which is taking lives of our compatriots again and again.
All international experience shows that such wars do not end quickly, unfortunately. In such circumstances, we cannot afford and shouldn't live as carelessly as before.
Our country has entered the election period. It is obvious that the terrorist underground is willing to make use of the time when the power in Russia is being transfered. Our enemies want instability and chaos. But we won't let them drag us into war and terror.
I'd like to say the following in this regard.
First.
A set of measures aimed at strengthening the unity of the country will be prepared in the nearest future.
Second.
To preserve stability in Russia, I have sent the chambers of the Federal Council of the Russian Federation a proposal to introduce changes into paragraph 3 of Article 81 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation [which reads: “No one person shall hold the office of President of the Russian Federation for more than two terms in succession.”]
I hope that the citizens of Russia will understand and support my decision.
Today, we must be together. Only this way shall we able to overcome the enemy.”
Vladimir Vladimirovich, it's good in Australia, but Ingushetia is burning right next to you.
Thank you for your attention.
LJ user varfolomeev66 – Vladimir Varfolomeev, Radio Echo of Moscow host – is dismayed with public indifference towards violence in Ingushetia. On his blog, he wrote (RUS):
[…] We think that what's going on in Ingushetia – so distant from both capitals [Moscow and St. Petersburg] – will not affect us, that the bony hand of the militants and “death squads” will never reach us.
We are wrong to be so hopeful.
The war in Chechnya ended up resulting in the hijacking of planes, explosions of residential building, theater and school sieges. If the Ingush boiler explodes, you and I may end up being buried under its debris, too.
We should at least think about this – if no one, unfortunately, cares about the fate of the Ingush people.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
South Africa: Blogging reaches tipping point · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Arthur posts statistics for the South African blogosphere: “Incidentally, a quick nod to Vincent Maher for the best guesstimate around on the size of the South African blogosphere. He recently put it at about 20 000 blogs.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Africa: Where are the African bloggers?  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

White African discusses the BoB awards: “When it comes to how Africa is portrayed on the web, we are partly responsible for what the rest of the world sees. We have no right to be upset when Africa is excluded when we won’t even take the time to promote each other, the countries we come from and the ideas for which we stand.”


text:
Arabeyes: Countdown to Ramadhan – Part 2 · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

With only a few days left before the start of the Holy Month of Ramadhan in the Muslim calendar, here's another bite at what bloggers from around the Middle East are writing about in preparation for the month of fasting.
Bahrain:
From Bahrain, the Godfather of Bahrain's blogosphere Mahmood Al Yousif bashes those who make the month literally go to waste:
Generally though, as far as my observation of the traditions we have in Bahrain are concerned, it will once again become the month of gluttony, wasted enterprise, lethargy and living like bats: sleeping all day and essentially partying all night. Generally.
….
Why people can’t just treat Ramadhan as just another month physically but invest it in spiritually is beyond me. It has become nothing more than a trade event commercialised to fleece people who happily throw their limited amount of cash away and then grumble that they don’t have enough while their uneaten and thrown out food could quite easily feed every hungry person in the world.
Still in Bahrain, Bahraini Rants takes us on a step-by-step encounter on how he tried to ‘cleanse’ his system before the start of the month a few years ago.
Historically, the last Wednesday before Ramadan has always been a busy time in Bahraini homes… Bahraini’s, being the cool holistic cats that they are, cleansed and detoxed their systems to ring in the coming holy month properly. They used to drink a strange combination of leaves, roots and branches called “ishrig”, mixed up by the local Hawaj (apothecary) and brewed into a god awful drink to help cleanse your system. In other words, a diuretic with the devastating outcome reminiscent of a raging cyclone steriods, nice enough picture for you?
Click on the link above to read more about Bahraini Rants cleansing ritual.
Morocco:
Felix, from Morocco Times, shares her views on the month is this post:
As you can see from my countdown timer, it’s less than a week to Ramadan! I’m excited. No, I’m not Muslim – but I do observe along with my husband. An American who converted (”reverted”, if you prefer the term) to Islam once told me that my fast didn’t mean anything, that it wasn’t recognized by Allah – don’t you just love nutters like that? Actually, I don’t do it for God, and no one pressures me, either. I do it because it’s a great mental, physical, and spiritual exercise.
So…many of you who don’t fast might think the hardest part is giving up food. Not so – at least not for me. It’s all about controlling your nafs (basic wants and desires/your “self” or personality), so my biggest problem is usually controlling my temper. So here’s a few examples:
Anger – no yelling at Hamou when he puts the toilet paper roll on backwards for the umpteenth time
Gossip – no talking to other people about how X’s girlfriend is no good for him and he could do better
Lust – no flirting with certain clients (No more suggestions of how they’re “my favorite!”)
Pride – no feeling smug when I know more than someone else (or when I think I know!)
Oman:
As much as Ramadhan is the month of spirituality and fasting, it is also the period of the year when the region's television stations are their most active, churning out one programme after the other – probably to keep people's mind off food while they are fasting. Omani blogger Muscati introduces us to a blog (Arabic), which promises to keep track of all the sit-coms which will be available during the month.
If you're one of those people for whom the tv series are main highlight of Ramadhan, you're gonna love Blue-Chi's new blog, RamadhanTV.com. Blue-Chi and his team are planning to give daily coverage on all the major series that will show during the month. They've already started with posting brief outlines of the shows and which channels they will be shown on.
My wife and I haven't been watching any of the Arabic serials the past two Ramadhans and instead we catch up on our DVDs. But with a site like this one I guess it would be easier to choose a show to watch and find updates if we miss a day.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Bahamas: A Lesson from Africa?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Rick Lowe, writing at WeblogBahamas.com, reads and article on how to help Africa out of its impoverishment and wonders: “Is there a lesson in this for The Bahamas?”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Bangladesh: Curbing freedom of expression · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Mash on the Bangladeshi government's ways of curbing freedom of expression, not just within the country, but also aimed at expatriates.

author: Neha Viswanathan


text:
Bangladesh: Google Blocked? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Uncultured Project on what might be the Bangladeshi Government's attempt to block access to Google and related websites.


text:
Barbados, Jamaica: Documents Being Shredded?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press reports that “the outgoing government of Portia Simpson-Miller has been shredding documents like mad before Bruce Golding and his Jamaica Labour Party take power.”


text:
Barbados: Rihanna Wins · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

My Barbados Blog congratulates fellow Barbadian Rihanna “for winning the top MTV VMA award – Video of the Year  – for her hit single Umbrella.”


text:
Dominica: Remembering an Icon · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living Dominica remembers Dominican political and cultural icon Phyllis Shand Allfrey.


text:
East Timor: Playing Rugby · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Living Timorously invites the people in East Timor to take up rugby as a sport and feels it will help the nation to network with other countries in the Pacific Ocean.

author: Preetam Rai


text:
Egypt: Culinary Tour · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Maryanne Stroud Gabbani, who lives in Egypt, takes us on a culinary tour of Egypt's food basket.


text:
Egypt: Top Witness Found Hanging · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A key witness to jailed Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nour‘s case has been found hanging in his prison cell, reports Sandmonkey from Egypt.


text:
Famed Musician Rossy Returns to Madagascar · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Rossy's back!  (Fr) Harinjaka writes that Rossy, a.k.a. Paul-Bert Rahasimanana, arguably Madagascar's most famous musician, is back in his native country, which he left for France following the violently contested 2002 presidential election.  Hari also posts a video of Rossy's newest release.

author: Jennifer Brea


text:
Guatemala: Bloggers Applaud and Participate in Peaceful Elections · Global Voices
Renata Avila

Rains, violence, and chaos had been expected. Guatemalans were glad that the predictions were wrong.  Democracy and a peaceful transition of power were the good news.  The wonderful team of bloggers not only commented on elections, but also helped people with tips, details, images and updated information during the entire process, as well as encouraging voters to exercise their right, even late at night.
Around 11 pm, according to blogger Desde Guate [ES], who provided the official results, (preliminary, updating minute by minute in Resultados 2007) the former military officer Otto Pérez Molina was the leader in the capital, but Alvaro Colom has more total votes, since he was the leader in rural areas. There were also interesting results in the Congress, with representativity of several parties. The results are confirmed by blogger Elecciones Guatemala [ES], who provides a comparative chart. In November Colom and Pérez will face off in the second round for the Presidency.
Apart from isolated incidents in Santa Rosa due to dispersed tear gas, as reported by the blog Noeschisme [ES], and problems with electricity, Guatemalans lived a real civic festivity where everyone was invited.
Blog Guate360 [ES] described the whole process of voting with requirements, details, important data and graphics to help people, especially novices, on his post Llegó la hora de mancharse el dedo [ES].
Ese dedo manchado es la forma con que usted dibuja su espacio ciudadano, lo más parecido a un mapa nacional trazado por los guatemaltecos es esa mancha azul, muéstrela con orgullo, sí, ese será su pase directo al consciente ejercicio de ser ciudadano.
The colored finger is the way you paint your place as a citizen, the most likely national map made by Guatemalans is this blue map.  Show it with pride, and yes, this will be your direct passport towards being an active citizen.
And then, Blogger Rudy Giron, on his post Elecciones en Antigua Guatemala, showed a proud picture of his finger, with ink thar proves that he voted, and provides a serie of pictures on his post Elecciones en Antigua transcurrieron en calma [ES].
However blogger La Guatemala mía [ES] differs from the concept of vote, on his post “Civismo, guatemaltequismo…” [ES]
Civico sería exigir que se cumpla lo que se ha ofrecido en campañas, pero el civismo dura sólo un día.
Civics will be to demand the things offered in the campaigns, but civics only lasts one day.
Every year, parallel to the grown-ups’ elections, children in the city can vote in their own elections. VIPAntigua [ES] who said on his post “the longest day of my life“:
Y por supuesto no podrían faltar las votaciones para niños que son un buen principio.
And of course, children voting could not be missed, which is a good starting point.
Lu, a journalism student and blogger, had been working in a television channel's call center receiving reports of abuse or irregularities  This was her first time working and covering such an important event, she said in From the inside of elections [ES].
VAYAN! NO dejen que otros decidan por usted, aunque más que decisión por el futuro del país, es una forma de expresarse y que, aunque no quede el candidato de su elección, podamos estar satisfechos de haber expresado su preferencia política.
GO AND VOTE! DO NOT allow others to choose for you, even though it is more than a decision for the future of the country, it is a form of expression and, even when the candidate of your choice does not win, we can be satisfied that we expressed your political preference.
After the first results, we have the first analysis from bloggers at The Black Box [ES]
Comentaba sobre lo sabio que resulta el voto en Guatemala, y es que parece que la alternancia del poder ha sido la estrategia básica de los electores.
I commented about the wisdom of Guatemalan voters, it seems to me that alternating of power is the basic strategy of voters.
The result is satisfactory, and it is a message to the world that Guatemalans can conduct a democratic process in a peaceful way.  Through collaboration and respect for others, in spite of the differences Guatemalans have elected a diverse parliament, while decreasing the violent incidents and irregularities.  In addition, there was increased participation of citizens not only through voting but by providing information in blogs and other digital forms of media.
Author's Note: Thank you Guatemala, and thanks to the world for caring about our democratic process.

author: Renata Avila


text:
Hong Kong: Anson Chan Competes For Legco Seat? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Whether Anson Chan would compete with Regina Ip (both are former high rank government officials) for the Legco seat has been a hot issue in Hong Kong recently. Today sources from democratic party confirmed that Anson had agreed to join the race. Enka phile noticed that the significance of this election had been over exaggerated: Hongkongers, wake up please!  We're talking about a single legislative pew here in town – Anson Chan is no Hillary Clinton; and Regina Ip is no Condi Rice either.  I don't grasp the rationale of having a primary for a mere by-election.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
Hong Kong: Apple Daily Reporter Rejected  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Waiyin blogs about her trip to Sydney on APEC meeting: when she arrived at Chinese President Hu's Hotel, she found out that her reporter permit was different in colour and she could not enter the hotel as other Hong Kong reporters (zh). It is because she is working for Apple Daily, a local newspapers which is critical towards the government.


text:
Hong Kong: HK Government Intervention In Stock Market · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

David Webb criticized Hong Kong Government's intervention in stock market and tried to explain the story behind the move. On 7-Sep-07, the Hong Kong Government announced that it had purchased through the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), over an unspecified period, 5.88% of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEx, 0388). Today, the government continued to push up the stock price of HKEx. Simon world also wrote a note on our “free” economy.


text:
India: Sports, gender and suicide · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

IndieQuill on an athlete who failed a gender test, media covering sports and the lack of support for this woman.


text:
Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago: Moral vs. Ethical Writing  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Geoffrey Philp refers to the work of V.S. Naipaul and Derek Walcott to explore the idea of moral versus ethical writing.


text:
Japan: Real-time Smile Analysis · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Edo from Pink Tentacle introduced a new technology in analyzing face expression, in particular smiling faces.


text:
Kannada: Bow to the Cynara within! · Global Voices
Sanket Patil

Tina writes meditatively about a“Cynara that exists within us”. She is referring to the poem Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae Sub Regno Cynarae by Ernest Dowson.
Last night, ah, yesternight, betwixt her lips and mine
There fell thy shadow, Cynara! thy breath was shed
Upon my soul between the kisses and the wine;
And I was desolate and sick of an old passion,
Yea, I was desolate and bowed my head:
I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.
Thus begins the poem. Tina says – “The Cynara mentioned here refers to the daughter of a restaurant owner that the poet used to frequent. She has brushed aside his love without consideration and eloped with a waiter.”  Heartbroken, he wants to forget his lover and finds his recourse is a prostitute. However, when the prostitute is kissing him, he sees the shadow of his lover. Even in the midst of wine and passionate love making, he cannot get over the familiar warm breath of his lover caressing his heart. He is nostalgia stricken and unable to hold himself.
Tina moves further and says:
The Cynara here can be anything. Every time I read the poem, I have interpreted it in a different way. My childhood, the home town, homes that I have lost have indeed come back to haunt me as Cynaras. Many a time, I feel that the prostitute of the poem is symbolic of the city life-glittering, machine like-that I have chosen. We all have our Cynara, who keeps sauntering in our consciousness causing us pain. […] We hide our Cynaras unlike Dowson who opened up. Time goes by and we remain scared. If she appears before us out of the blue, we get startled. We would have developed so much hypocrisy that we cannot even have a chat with her. Finally, she gets buried with us… [Translated]
A great Kannada writer Poornachandra Tejaswi passed away a few months ago. Today is his birthday. Avadhi has a couple of tributes to him. Jugari Cross is waiting, wishing for his arrival, avadhi says. Jugari Cross is a name of one of Tejaswi's novels, the central location of which is a fictional place by the same name. Kadidalu Shamanna narrates a few anecdotes from Tejaswi's life. Talking of anniversaries, parisarapremi remembers Steve Irvine, who died a year ago.
Hamsanandi tells us a tragic story; he lost his brother recently in a road accident in Bangalore. Sushruta relates a humorous anecdote about his grandmother in which she tricks a friend through blatant repudiation. What is nice about the story is the Havyaka dialect of Kannada spoken widely in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka and parts of Dakshina Kannada district.
nishu mane is a blog by Meera for her child. She explains the Kannada alphabet (varNamAle), among other things. She also translates some popular English rhymes augmenting them with a Kannada context. Nice. That reminds me of a recent interview of a Kannada poet in which he, quite correctly, mentions how our preschool curriculum (where the language of instruction is English) blissfully ignores the local context. He gave as an example the popular rhyme – rain rain go away. Why would we want to ask the rain to go away in a drought stricken country like India? Our version of the rhyme is – huyyO huyyO maLerAya (rain rain, please pour down!). Therefore, he argued, we should adopt a method of teaching that is more locally observable and verifiable by our kids. It's a fair point.
Shrikant has a very fair and balanced attitude about Kannada in particular and regional languages in general. His thoughts go back to the following SMS he received.
tha briteesh roold avar kantree phaar 200 ears and spaayilt all avar lyanguages… so let us spaayil there lyangyage phar yever!!!
Although, it amused him for an instant, he finds the whole thing to be in a bad taste. Such misguided vindictiveness does not alter the fact that English is very much essential in the modern world. Even the Kannada post he is writing is done using the English alphabet. If people really want to promote a language, then there are constructive ways of doing it like designing good Kannada interfaces.
Sandeepa is fighting to have the Cafe Coffee Days serve him Kannada menus. He has given a certain Cafe Coffee Day in Sampige Road, Malleswaram, Bangalore, an ultimatum of 15 days to get a menu in Kannada printed. The deadline ended on August the 26th and I suppose Sandeepa went to the cafe. No further updates though. If you ask me, it's another example of the narrow business sense that most “new-age” businesses have. Too many businesses in Bangalore focus on the “software engineer types”. Not that they are apathetic to issues like language, but the businesses perhaps think they are the only ones who have the spending capability. Again, it's a question of appreciating the local context in a holistic manner. On a similar note, En guru asks – “Why are Kannadigas being served with Hindi advertisements?“.
The Queen of South Indian playback singing, S. Janaki completed fifty years of her illustrious career. What a voice! S. Janaki, originally from Andhra Pradesh, settled in Madras has sung more songs in Kannada than in Telugu or Tamil. On this occasion Hamsanandi commemorates some of her eternal hits.
Ravi has a rant about a writer/moviemaker, Nagatihalli Chandrashekhar, who, he thinks, is forgetting the immense possibilities and strengths of his roots in an effort to be relevant to the shortlived present. Incidentally, Chandrashekhar seems to have realised that he is drifting away into something that is not real, and has made an attempt to go back to where he truly belongs through his latest movie, mAtAD mAtADu mallige. It is a movie that has a very contemporary appeal, dealing with globalisation and its effects. Prasad Naik reviews the movie and gives it a thumbs up.
Harini has some pithy cartoon about the state of affairs in the state of Karnataka. Perhaps India. Here is a sample. The two characters are the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. That's enough annotation!
Several others area also notable: 60th Independence Day, Heights of Vana Mahotsava.
Sindhu writes an intimate post about her village, grandmother, rains and memories of grandfather.
Ajji was a little ill. I longed to see her. The experienced semi-deafness of her senility that let her gauge my words by my tone of my voice, while talking over the phone. I wanted to sit with her and weave a conversation. I requested aside all the important work that was pulling me behind and boarded a bus at night. She was waiting for me; her ripened face on which a smile blossomed. Whatever be the topic of discussion it somehow seemed to drift towards the courtyard of death. Most of her acquaintances had packed their bags and left. Every time someone one knows departs, there is in instant fear that perhaps it is my turn next. Then the next concern is the nature of death. A death that comes with all its crushing pain in the hospital, alongside the futile intake of the “fluid of life” (glucose); a death that comes when you are unable even to die. Or a death that lets you have your routine breakfast, bath, tea, at home, and catches you unawares when you are done with grinding your betel nut, when you are preparing the betel leaf… Although, she does not spell it out, that is what she wishes… [Translated]
Tina has translated a famous poem by Pablo Neruda – Tonight I can Write the Saddest Lines. And Rashid has translated a poem by Pushkin. Good translations both of them. Venu writes a beautiful poem in an attempt to appease his dear sister who was disappointed since he could not make it on time for Rakshabandhan. Again, Tina has written an excellent poem – paDakhAneya huDugiya mOksha, that I chose to translate as Salvation of the Tavern Girl. And I translate a few lines, rather inadequately.
Salvation is when
after all this
we guffaw away
like joyful children
unwearied [Translated]
The terrific fake news blog majAvAni keeps coming up with brilliant pieces of satire. Some of the “news” they have don't seem unreal given the interesting times we are living in. Can you imagine the communist leader Brinda Karat saying – “Reincarnation is the chief cause for India's population explosion problems!”? Perhaps not, but several of our leaders keep making statements that come close to the above one in terms of stupidity. What is impressive about these “news”, alongside the evident humour, is their pithiness in allusions. This one, for example, alludes to the recent news that Tibetan monks need to seek permission from the Chinese government to reincarnate, and also suggests that the Indian communists have an unreasonable soft corner for China. In fact, Brinda Karat proceeds to say that, “if the government of India bans reincarnation, undoubtedly India will be a developed nation like Soviet Russia within a few years”. Again, see “Soviet Russia”? However, the government refused to confiscate the rights of spirits, citing India's commitment to democracy. Instead, it will consider forming a committee of experts comprising pontiffs and philosophy gurus to help spirits attain moksha without reincanation. The government also proposed a movement called “I am one-One for me” in this regard. In another news item, they report that Kumaraswamy, CM of Karnataka, has released a new perfume called “Boo” to the market. It's a 100% natural perfume that has the fragrance of soil, made in collaboration with Chanel! Amitabh Bachan has welcomes this gesture. Well, remember Amitabh Bachan had legal problems recently because he bought some agricultural land though he is not a farmer? And of course, Kumaraswamy is supposed to be the “son of soil” or whatever.
Restrooms seem to be an eternal source of intrigue to the Indian populace. The toilet is such an integral part of our pop culture. Perhaps nothing is more “humorous” than the loo. The fun element in numerous movies rests solely on the loo. And Guruprasad narrates his experiences with this form.
Vinayaka Bhat has some pictures from Jog falls. Venu does a trek to arisinagundi falls in the western ghats. ganDabhErunDa is traveling in and around the district of Belgaum in North Karnataka. He writes impressive travel essays starting with the worthy train journey from Hubli to Belgaum via Londa, then the ghats of Amboli and the beautiful falls and finally the terrific Gokak falls.
Read. Blog. Travel.

author: Sanket Patil


text:
Kenya: MPs approve Kshs 1.5 million allowance · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Mzalendo reports about Kshs 1.5 million allowance for Kenyan MPs: “It was a celebratory week for Members of Parliament after they voted to have each of them take home KShs 1.5 million at the end of the life of the current Parliament.”


text:
Laos: Lao Magazines · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

DJ at Laovoices looks at the proliferation of local language print magazines in Laos.


text:
Liberia: Millenium Villages Project in Liberia · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“I have it from an unimpeachable source that the controversial Millennium Villages project is coming soon to Liberia, probably first to Kokoya District, Bong County, and later to somewhere in the Southeast, per the president's request. The proposal is still in draft form,” writes Liberia Ledger.


text:
Morocco: Low Voter Turnout · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

The much-anticipated Moroccan parliamentary elections have finally come to a close, with surprising results.  Although the Islamist PJD (Justice and Development Party) was expected to sweep the polls, the conservative Istiqlal (Independence) Party won 52 seats (the PJD won 47), leaving some to speculate upon the fairness of the voting (although Reuters Africa reports that the elections were quite orderly).
Yesterday, Global Voices Online's Francophone editor Jennifer Brea shared with us an interview with Intikhabat2007.com, a submission-driven photoblog dedicated to getting Moroccans to express their thoughts on politics.  The site's organizers stated in the interview that few political parties in Morocco have managed to get the attention of the people and unfortunately, only an estimated 37% turned up on voting day.
Author Laila Lalami lamented her inability to vote:
By the way, even though I have dual Moroccan and American citizenships, and even though the constitution provides for the voting rights of MREs (or Moroccans Residing Abroad) I am not able to vote in these elections, because no procedures have been put in place for absentee ballots. Voters must be present at their precincts. More than 3 million Moroccans are thus excluded from the democratic experiment.
Agadir (fr) was disappointed in the lack of voter turnout:
Avant de nous aventurer dans des lectures zélées et des prédictions hasardeuses, une chose est sûre, le taux de participation n’a pas atteint les espérances de tous acteurs politiques. Jusqu’à hier soir à 18h, on parlait de 34% de taux de participation avec une estimation du Ministre de l’Intérieur allant jusqu’à 41% lors de la fermeture des bureaux de vote.
Yassine shared the sentiment:
What I can see is that though the Moroccan government for the first time have put a big budget on advertising, turnout was bellow expectations as can be seen from the news. May be the cause of this is that there was “no real debates by either the government or the opposition”, and the parties’ platforms were “global and ambiguous” as Mohammed Tozy has suggested.
Agora (fr) speculates that perhaps the elections are only the first step:
Pour moi les enjeux sont ailleurs. Ils sont dans l'éducation -elle doit être revue de fond en comble-, la santé et la justice. Quand ces trois piliers de ce qu'on appelle “l'Etat moderne” seront réunis le reste suivra. Et les gens se déplaceront d'eux même pour voter sans qu'on ne les supplie pour le faire.
Blogger Selwa (fr) celebrated the PJD's non-victory:
- Contente que le PJD ne soit pas premier…Qui l'aurait dit…70 à 80 sièges ils pensaient avoir…Et beh!
Moralité de l'histoire: Il ne faut pas avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre.
Finally, Eatbees offered highlights of the elections, summing up his thoughts on the whole thing:
Anyone who says this is a victory for Moroccan democracy has been smoking something. This was a victory for subtle, technocratic gaming of the system that gave the Makhzen exactly what it wanted, a free ride for five more years. I don’t see how this can be healthy in the long run, because the disillusionment bubbling beneath the surface is not going to go away, only now the safety valve is shut for five more years. The only other “winners” in this process are those who boycotted the elections altogether in order to discredit the system, since it will be hard for the powers that be to spin a 41% turnout as a vote of confidence.
Blogger Bill Day adds:
As Eatbees sees it, the only winner was the Palace.
For more blogger reactions to the elections in French, English, and Arabic, check out the Blogma Aggregator.
Image Credit: Intikhabat2007.com

author: Jillian C. York


text:
Nepal: Democracy and South Asia · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

UWB! on the recent political events in Pakistan, and reaffirming their support for democracy in South Asia.


text:
Pakistan: Deporting an Ex-PM · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan on an ex Prime Minister being deported soon after he landed in Pakistan.


text:
Russia: Down’s Syndrome Association, Part 2 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Maaskva: Nashimi Glazami posts part 2 of an interview with Marina Tsarkova, co-founder of the Down's Syndrome Association.


text:
Russia: Ingushetia.ru Blog · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Step At A Time links to an English-language blog featuring news from Ingushetia.


text:
Russia, Israel: Neo-Nazi · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sean's Russia Blog writes: “Russian youth’s embrace of Nazism doesn’t just happen in Russia. It’s also happens where one might not initially expect: Israel.”


text:
Russia: Kaliningrad · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Copydude writes that “it might appear that foreign investors are even less welcome than tourists” in Kaliningrad.


text:
Russia: Oil and Gas · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

In his “third oil and gas blog post of the day,” Tim Newman of White Sun of the Desert writes: “In the summer of 2007, the Russian government backed themselves to deliver what no other country has yet managed: a route to prosperity based almost entirely on a nationalised oil and gas industry.  When scholars of the future write about the next chapter of Russia’s history, they might well start it off from this date.”


text:
Sassou’s postcard from the Riviera · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Vous reprendrez bien un peu d'humanisme reposts a satirical “postcard” by MwindaPress from the Congolese president to his people about all the fun he's having in France and Spain:  “We found ourselves in good company, a lot of whites, a lot of businessmen who swear by my greatness, my good qualities, and pray to the heavens that my reign will endure until the end of time…Life is beautiful in Spain, and even more beautiful on the Riviera!”


text:
Saudi Arabia: Blocked Sites · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi blogger Saudi Jeans comments on blocked websites in Saudi Arabia.


text:
South Africa: Blogging the Digital Citizen Indaba · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Simone Purteman writes about the Digital Citizen Indaba taking place in South Africa: “For an event which focused largely on blogging, a search using various blog aggregators and Google hasn’t turned up all that much yet from bloggers on yesterday’s Digital Citizen Indaba session. Perhaps too much Rat & Parroting?”


text:
St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines: The Passing of a Prime Minister · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“…Despite his age he must have commanded enough respect and admiration to have come out of retirement and lead his party to an election victory.”  Abeni acknowledges the passing of St. Lucian Prime Minister Sir John Compton.


text:
Taiwan: Media and Democracy · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Michael blogs about his visit to  Lung Ying-tai Foundation for its Salon on Media and Democracy in Taiwan.


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: The Digital Divide · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

KnowProSE.com wonders if there is a digital divide that is holding back the progress of citizen media in the Caribbean.


text:
Ugandan bloggers reminisce · Global Voices
Rebekah Heacock

Growing up in Uganda
For the blogren, this has been the week to remember their childhoods.  Their posts — touching, witty, inspiring — give insight into the diversity of Ugandan youth.
27th Comrade writes about his family members’ reactions to losing, and then finding again, their dog Klipi:
And Ma was getting impatient. Bethwell's kindergarten was a bit far from home, so she was getting hysterical. `Hurry up, get your uniforms back on! This is not the first or last time he's getting lost and found. It's no big deal—dogs are lost and found every day!’ And Bethwell saw that she needed some re-education.
‘No, Mummy, no!’ he explained, in that slow lisp of a five-year-old, words thick with importance he had not yet discovered words for, his fat cheeks shaping the sounds delicately. `Klipi was not lost. He was dead, and now he is back!’
Ma, looking at her chubby baby educating her about the importance of the reunion, this funeral of death, couldn't stop the tears. ‘Okay, boys. No school today.’
Frustrated with the stereotypes she encounters as a young African women, Pea draws upon her upbringing to explain the complexities of her character:
I grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, with a mother who lived in New York, and a father who insisted on the entire family making the 8-hour drive up-country at least once a year to visit with our grandfather. Like many of my girlfriends, I have the contrasting experiences of working with a jiko/sigiri, and using a microwave oven. I have hand-washed my clothes, and I can work a washing machine. I have sat at my grandma’s feet in the village, and I have listened to Wangari Maathai and Maya Angelou. Many young African women will give you homogenous accounts of their experiences in their youth and even to this day.
Because the rest of the world finds us hard to understand, it tries to push us to the sidelines, to stifle our voices, to step on us as we fight for survival. It seems like when we are not being ignored, we are getting negative attention. And I believe it is because we are misunderstood that the stereotypes are able to flourish like they do.
Finally, y.z. discusses what happens when her mother gets rid of the family television:
Moving was her chance. She sold the t.v. off and when we got here decided not to buy a new one. The worst part is she is winning. Like, really, winning. My sisters are actually opening books and wait for it…..reading them…no thats not it, keep waiting…beyond the first three chapters! As if that's not enough, when my sisters and I talk to each other, the conversation no longer dissolves into an argument, muttered curses, tears after two minutes. We now talk and, even this blows my mind, enjoy each other's company. And I, have started walking. Yes, it is to walk to my aunt/friend/grandmother ‘s house to watch t.v. but as far as the madre is concerned, one small step for me, one giant step for healthy living.
Ugandans continue to react to the country's first GLBT press conference
Two weeks ago I wrote about blogger reactions to Uganda's first ever gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex press conference.  The fervor has not yet abated, and even more bloggers have thrown their opinions into the fray.
Manueri writes:
i personally think this debate has dragged on for unnecessarily long and i should say i was quite comfortable with the previous status quo where every one knew that we had gays in society but it remained just that; an open secret. what really baffles me is a group of individuals who are sure what they are doing is not right (otherwise, why would they address press conferences with masks and use initials) going out of their way to fight for recognition.
A number of bloggers, including Nevender, see homosexuality as a Western problem and blame the West for supporting GLBTI groups in Uganda:
I am so perplexed that when Uganda as a country decided to make a stand against homosexuality, we were labelled as homophobic! My goodness!!! Surely the world has lost it!…. Europe and all your friends, we do not want your bad manners in this land, keep them. We are blessed already!
Much of the discussion revolved around the suspension of Capital Radio presenter Gaetano Kaggwa, who featured Ugandan lesbian activist Julie Victor Mukasa on his radio show last month.  Country Boyi posted the show's transcript on his blog, prompting a number of comments:
Seems to me like Gae was just a scapegoat. First you have 3 presenters on a show and Gae says the least offensive stuff of the three and it's him who gets the boot?
(Magoola)
Gaetano thinks that, since the MPs studied abroad, they should be `smarter’ and be more-open to allowing homosexuality. That shows that the acceptance of homosexuality can only be taught to one outside here. And that is the problem.
(27th Comrade)
I think Gaetano will learn from that.  When it comes to homosexuality there is no Human right talk in Uganda.
(eddie)
Kelly responds to the transcript on her own blog:
Quite bland I think though I am really happy to see what a pro-gay rights stance Gae took, he is such a role model to Ugandan men that I think it is great that he went out on a limb.
Finally, Uganda's Scarlett Lion rounds up the best and worst of the comments she received on an earlier post on the issue, including “most logical comment,” “most interesting accusation,” and “most likely to pray for the 27th Comrade.”

author: Rebekah Heacock


text:
Ukraine: Heritage and Femininity · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Natalia Antonova again writes about heritage and femininity.


text:
Africa: Africans need to “villagize” the Internet · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Despite advances in information and communication technologies, rural stories in Africa remain untold: “Ngurumo told the Indaba that Africa has to “villagize” the internet and make sure that people in the rural areas blog, podcast and tell their stories to the world.”


text:
Africa: Who owns the African blogosphere? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Daudi Were asks, “who owns the African blogosphere?”: “In my opinion the internet is a space through which discussion takes place and blogs are the tool through which we utilise that space for discussion. In other words this space we have carved on the internet is our land and bloggers are the occupiers of that land.”


text:
Anguilla: Development Benefitting Locals?   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I had always understood that one of the excuses for permitting hotel development on our island was the consequential improvements that would come to the lives of Anguillians”: Corruption-free Anguilla has a few concerns.


text:
Argentina: BarCamp Buenos Aires · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Mariano Amartino of Denken Über [ES] is looking forward to BarCamp Buenos Aires, which will take place on September 29.

author: Eduardo Avila


text:
Argentina: New Airline Coming Soon · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Expat Argentina [ES] presents some interesting news for travelers.  A new domestic airline called AirPampas will soon be flying Argentine skies and may provide some competition for Aerolineas Argentinas.


text:
Bahamas: Best Little Country?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Craig Butler, blogging at Bahama Pundit, would like to think that the Bahamas is “the best little country in the world…but then the reality sets in and I have to check myself.”


text:
Barbados: Bajans Being Sidelined?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Chinese Ambassador to Barbados, in an address to the Barbados South Rotary Club, explained that all Chinese workers on the island have work permits.  Notes from the Margin thinks that he is missing the point.


text:
Barbados, Jamaica: A Good Citizen · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Following the controversy in Jamaica over the dual citizenship of certain successful electoral candidates, Caribbean Comment explores the idea of what it means to be a citizen.


text:
Bolivia: The Problem with Telecentros · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

There have been criticisms of the “Telecentros,” which are internet centers created by the government.  Hugo Miranda of Angel Caido [ES] analyzes some of the problems and advantages of these connected places of learning.


text:
Brunei: Tourism in Brunei · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The Observer is asking readers to comment on oil rich Brunei's foray into tourism industry in order to diversify its economy.


text:
Cambodia: Corruption in Cambodia · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Khemara Phoumirak says he does not care about corruption in Cambodia.


text:
Chile: Travel to Algarrobo · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Love to Travel Chile provides a suggestion for a get-away weekend. Algarrobo is a tiny beach town that provides some time away from the busy city.


text:
China: How about SMS Spam? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Chinese government started to censor SMS against harmful message, such as political “rumors”, including death figures in flood. However, when it comes to commercial SMS spam, it seems that no one is in charge. ESWN translated a blog post about a blogger trying to file complaint against annoying SMS messages.


text:
China: Popular Reporters’ Blogs Forced To Shut Down · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Zuo Ai Chung wrote in v360 about the pressure reporter bloggers are facing these days. Many were forced to censor their own work (by deleting or editing their posts), some were forced to shut down (zh).  Zuo has deleted his own blog.


text:
China: Senior sues would-be Samaritan · Global Voices
Bob Chen

At around 9:00 am on November 20, 2006 in the eastern city of Nanjing, a Ms. Xu, now 65, was knocked down while trying to board a bus. Peng Yu, a 26-year-old man, as he got off at the station, saw Ms. Xu lying on the ground with her left collarbone fractured.
This much is known; a lack of witness leaves what happened next embroiled in controversy. According to Peng, he helped elderly Ms. Xu up and took her to the hospital. Soon after, Ms. Xu's family arrived. Peng's good deed worthy of praise? Not this time. According to Peng, however, when Xu heard that treatment would figure into the tens of thousands, Ms. Xu immediately blurted out at him: ‘it was YOU who knocked me down!’
According to the Xus, as it was Peng Yu who knocked her down and then took her to the hospital for treatment, it is he who must take responsibility. So then Ms. Xu sued the young man for 136,419.30 yuan, including medical expenses and compensation for emotional suffering.
On September 7, at the 4th session of the case, the district court finally released its verdict: Peng Yu, partially liable for the accident, would pay 45, 876.36 yuan (US$6,076) to Ms Xu.
The court's sentence was based on the following analysis:
As the first passenger off the bus, it was most likely Peng who slammed into Ms. Xu. And according to “common sense”, if Peng had not been the one who collided with Ms. Xu, it is reasonable to assume that instead of sending the old woman to hospital, even giving her 200 yuan, he would have caught the real troublemaker. As Peng's actions run contrary to common sense, it was ruled that Peng Yu held responsibility for Ms. Xu's injury.
Emphasis: the court based its judgment entirely on “common sense”. In the absence of sustainable facts or any witnesses, a fire was immediately lit on the blogsphere, with many netizens and bloggers protesting the ruling, most of them inclined to see Peng Yu as innocent, and lamenting what impact this immensely-discussed incident would have for society when future roadside or traffic injuries occur. Would you risk lending a hand?
On his Sina blog, Shi Hanbing (时寒冰) growled for the loss of justice:
这种判决是对法律的彻底的颠覆和背叛！是对法律的公然强暴和亵渎！法官断案，要求”以事实为依据、以法律为准绳”，然而，这些判决书从头到尾都在用推理和猜测的口吻表述，这哪里是一份判决书？分明就是一部充满奇特想像力的小说.
This is an absolute betrayal of the law! It outrages and desecrates the law! We demand judges give sentences according to fact, and based on the law; yet this verdict was built entirely upon guesswork and deduction. You call this a judgment? This is nothing other than the perverse sort of imagination one sees in fiction.
The writer went on examining its negative effect on public morality:
老太太跌倒了，别人去救，法官就能得出”他的行为显然与情理相悖”的结论，在这个法官心目中，我们这个社会该是多么的黑暗啊！人心该是何等恶毒！人们的爱心正是被这种白痴和弱智的混账判决给葬送了啊！
An old woman stumbled, and someone helped her. But the judge was able to see from this that “his behavior was obviously contrary to common sense”. I doubt how dark our society is in the judge's mind, how malicious we are!
Let me tell you, our goodness gets nothing less than buried by judgments as stupid and weak as this one!
With as big as the controversy has gotten, the fear now is that if you're ever, say, hit by a bus, is anyone going to help pull you off the street? The Bullog bloggers responded by creating a campaign, calling on netizens to ‘Give Integrity One More Chance‘
An anonymous netizen in Baidu (百度) even raised the case to the level of charity affair:
而且这个案子毁了我国多年的对公益事业的努力, 一个案子毁了雷锋一生的成果
The case destroyed our effort committed to public charity, also ruined the lifetime fruit of Lei Feng (雷锋).
Most people considered it from the point of law and legal issue, and ridiculed the judge's sole reliance on deduction.
‘Clouds low in turning back’ (回首白云低) at Xici Hutong argues:
然而，法官对该原则的运用上出现了问题，即推定的角度错了，应该从发生事故时原被告所处的位置，原告跌倒时原被告所处的位置，证人所在的位置，被告下车时的姿势，停车地点等等来推断两人相撞的盖然性，而不应该从事发后，彭宇对原告的救助着手进行推理，乃至从彭宇救助原告，给原告200元的行为中推理出彭宇为肇事者，这样的本末倒置，且违背主流价值观的说理自然引起人们的愤慨。
The judge applied the deduction in a wrong way. He should reconstruct the scene, the positions of Peng Xu and the witness, the location of defendant when the accuser slipped up, even the posture of Peng when he got off……，rather than the reaction taken afterwards. This put the cart before the horse, also vexed people for its anti-value logic.
In this wave of fury and condemnation, still some people appealed public to be temperate, such as Southern Metropolis Daily editor Lu Yaqian, discussed here on Jiang Xia 85's MSN Live Spaces blog:
如果彭宇真的是肇事者呢？并不是完全没有这种可能。当社会对堕落奋起反抗，其结果竟然是正义覆盖真相，道德以伤害道德的方式被践行。只因人们无法信任制度，悲剧从此开始。
What if Peng really did that? It's not impossible that he did. The community is revoltngi against social degeneration, but the consequence of this is actually that a justice covers over the truth, with morality being carried out only to tread all over itself. True tragedy only begins when we lose our faith in the social system.
No matter what the result of the 2nd appeal will be, this case is destined to be remembered in the field of law study in China. Just one more thing that bears mention: the report that depicts how Peng Yu behaved when he heard the judgment:
彭宇还是一言不发,眼眶却已开始泛红。过了好一会儿,他低声说:”我要找说理的地方。”
Peng Yu remained silent, eyes moist with tears. After a long while, he muttered: “I just want to go somewhere where justice can to be found.”

author: Bob Chen


text:
Egypt: Algerians Protest Bombings  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Thousands of Algerians took to the streets to protest the recent suicide attacks that killed tens,” writes the Big Pharaoh from Egypt. “Very good news. I’m still dreaming of mass protests across the Arab world against the daily carnage in Iraq. I know I’ll be dreaming for a long time,” he adds.


text:
Hungary: Escalator, Monarch, and Microwave Food · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Pestcentric writes about Europe's longest escalator, yet another foreign monarch for Hungary, and Marhapörkölt Tarhonyával, a frozen meal.


text:
India: Democracy and Pakistan · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Empty Head on the future of democracy in Pakistan.


text:
India: Half a century of neglect · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

My Himachal on the state of prisons. “With the completion of 60 years of independence one of the oldest and biggest and the first Model Central Jail of Himachal Pradesh has completed half century of neglect.”


text:
Iran:A Web Movie about Women’s Campaign  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian women’s rights activists initiated a wide campaign,last year, demanding an end to discriminatory laws against women in the Iranian law.You can watch a web movie about this campaign.

author: Fred Petrossian


text:
Iran:Born on September 11th · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

In Iranian American Jews blog we read often times when folks discover that I was born on September 11th they express a sense of shock and sadness for me since terrorists attacked the U.S. on September 11, 2001.The blogger says that one of the bloodiest days of the Iranian revolution was on September 11, 1978.The blogger adds I wonder how my life would have been different had there not been the Iranian revolution and the tragic events of senseless violence had not occurred on September 11, 1978


text:
Iran:Perisan Blogging Turns Six · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kamangir says six years ago, on September 7th Salman Jariri [Fa]started writing the first Persian blog. Since then, tens of thousands of other Iranians have started writing in their blogs about everything, from how they have been thinking last night to the recent political development


text:
Israel: Coptic-Ethiopian Dispute  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Gilad Lotan was in Israel recently and takes us to the heart of a 30-year-old dispute between the Ethiopian and Coptic churches over the the ownership of Dir Sultan, a structure found on the rooftop of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. “Today Ethiopian monks and one Coptic monk live in the structure. Because of the dispute, the structure is in shambles,” he explains. Click on the link to see the accompanying photographs.


text:
Israel/Palestine: End the Conflict · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

On October 18, OneVoice will engage and mobilize hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis in a “People’s Summit”. Ordinary citizens will speak out in unprecedented numbers against violent extremism and demand that their leaders negotiate and implement a two-state solution, announced the website.
Live music, speeches by dignitaries and celebrities, and statements from grassroots activists will draw Israelis and Palestinians out to the streets, where they will be linked via satellite to their counterparts across the region. This platform will allow people on both sides to see that they have a partner in the resolution process. The event will be broadcast around the world.


text:
Japan: The “Happy Family” Bill · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

At from the inside, looking in, blogger fukamimi writes about a new bill calling for an increase in the number of white collar workers not eligible for overtime pay. In an attempt to overcome its unpopular image, the bill has been named the “Happy Family” Bill on the assumption that it allows workers to go home early to be with their families, although fukumimi gives four reasons the “latest attempt at media politics may be rather ill-advised”.

author: Chris Salzberg


text:
Mexico: Thoughts on a Homecoming · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Brayan of Candyland returns to his native Mexico City after a little more than a year abroad in Barcelona.  Upon his return, he writes, “i forgot what a monster the city is. a constant soft collapse. a wide, circular wreck. half-finished, permanent urban adolescence. the city is just the same as i left it, but worse.“


text:
Myanmar: Remembering 9/11 · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Dawn in Myanmar remembers September 11, 2001.


text:
Nepal: A letter · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Blogdai is out with the LETTER. “For those of you who are new to the game, blogdai and 3400 of my closest friends and Nepal watchers are fed up with Maoists, Congress, Parliament and most officials named Koirala. To express this, we've constructed a letter to be sent to any relevant body stating our position. “


text:
Paraguay: 48 Tough Hours  · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Elyacare [ES] writes about 48 tough hours in Paraguay in which a law that would regulate agricultural waste was rejected, a former general involved with a coup was freed and one of the responsible for the fire in an Asuncion supermarket was also freed.


text:
Peru: The Rising Boom of Peruvian Cuisine · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Ceviche with Jalea, two types of prepared fish. Photo by Juan Arellano
There has been a national and international boom in regards to Peruvian gastronomy.  Over the past years, talking about Peruvian food has been something very common.  Radio and television programs, newspapers, books, cooking schools and of course, blogs have all taken part in the discussion.  No Peruvian doubts that his or her food is the best and many foreigners think the same, but it should be asked: how can this be explained? When did it start? What does it mean?
To begin, an excellent historical overview and collection of dishes can be found at Wikipedia, in its Spanish entry [ES], as well as its English and French [FR] versions.
En la comida peruana se encuentran al menos 5.000 años de historia preinca, inca, colonial y republicana. Se consideran tres siglos de aporte culinario español, (fuertemente influenciado inicialmente por la fusión durante los casi ocho siglos de presencia musulmana en la Península Ibérica), las costumbres gastronómicas traídas por esclavos de la costa atlántica africana y la fuerte influencia de los usos y costumbres culinarios de los chefs franceses que huyeron de la revolución en su país para radicarse, en buen número, en la capital del virreinato del Perú. Igualmente trascendental es la influencia de los chinos-cantoneses, japoneses, italianos desde el siglo XIX y otros europeos (emigrados al Perú entre los siglos XIX y XX).
La inmensa variedad de ingredientes que existe en tierras peruanas (tanto nativas como las que llegaron de otras latitudes) permitió la evolución de una culinaria diversa, donde coexisten sin oponerse fuertes tradiciones regionales y una permanente reinvención de platos. La comida peruana es considerada una de las cocinas más variadas del mundo. En este país se cuentan alrededor de 3.000 platos diferentes. Sólo en la costa peruana, hay más de dos mil sopas y 250 postres tradicionales originales.
In Peruvian food, there is at least 5,000 years of pre-Incan, Incan, colonial and republican history.  There is also influence from at least three centuries of Spanish contribution (strongly influenced by the fusion of eight centuries of Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula), the gastronomic customs brought by slaves from the African Atlantic coast and the strong influence from French chefs that fled the revolution to settle in the Peruvian capital.  There is also strong influence from Cantonese-Chinese, Japanese, Italians since the 19th century and from other Europeans that settled in Peru during the 19th and 20th centuries. The immense variety of ingredients that exist in Peruvian territory (native, as well as those that arrived from different parts of the world) allowed for the evolution of a diverse cuisine, where the ingredients can co-exist without being against those from traditional regions.  There is a reinvention of dishes.  Peruvian food is considered to be one of the most varied in the entire world.  There are more than 3,000 different dishes and only on the Peruvian coast, there are more than 2,000 soups and 250 traditional desserts.
Gastón Acurio is a Peruvian chef that personifies a large part of the international success of Peruvian cuisine. The following is a selection of a speech made by Acurio at the beginning of the Academic Year at Pacific University and posted by Billy from Lo único constante es el cambio [ES].
…nuestra gastronomía no es afortunadamente sólo un gran recurso sino una suma de cocinas y conceptos que en muchos casos aun esconden un gran potencial que, una vez desempolvado, creado el marco conceptual y puesto en valor, podrían ser exportados por todo el mundo.
Así es, detrás de nuestra entrañable cocina criolla, de nuestras pollerias, de los chifitas de barrio, de la cocina novo andina, de las picanterías arequipeñas, de los anticuchos, de los sanguches, de la cocina nikkei o de las cebicherias, existen oportunidades inmensas de crear conceptos que trasciendan su ámbito local para convertirse en productos, productos peruanos de exportación que no sólo aspiren a codearse con conceptos ya instalados globalmente como pizzerías, hamburgueserías, sushi bares o taquerias mejicanas, sino que además generen al Perú enormes beneficios tanto económicos como de marca país.
Our gastronomy is not fortunately only a grand resource, but the sum of cooking and concepts that in many cases still hides a grand potential, that once, uncovered, created conceptually and valued, can be exported to the entire world. Behind our native and intimate cuisine, our chicken restaurants, the neighborhood Chinese restaurants, the neo-Andean cuisine, the spicy Arequipean restaurants, the anticuchos (beef hearts), sandwich places, the Japanese cuisine or cevicherias, there are immense opportunities to create concepts that transcend its local environment in order to convert themselves in products, Peruvian products for export that can be globally located like pizza places, hamburger places, sushi bars, or Mexican taquerias, but it also can generate enormous economic benefits for Peru, but also creates a mark for the country.
There are some that do not agree with Acurio, but one cannot deny its importance in this “boom.”  To follow the answers to the questions raised and to have a better idea of the level of acceptance of Peruvian food, Waldo of El Mundo de los Pendrejos [ES] writes about an article that appeared in the La Nación, a Chilean newspaper called: Lima, Journey to Culinary Glory [ES], in which the origin of some of this cuisine is discussed.
Primero, fueron un imperio, donde mucha riqueza concentrada, como en todo imperio, fue utilizada -en pagos y aprovisionamiento- para la creación, mantenimiento y desarrollo de una culinaria dedicada a los monarcas y castas dominantes. Hubo en el Perú cocineros con espacio, tiempo y recursos empleados en hacer las cosas bien, con tiempo y mimo, hasta crear una cocina de excepción. Ocio creativo. Tiempo para el arte de la cocina pagado por los monarcas para su deleite, cuyos vestigios perduran.
First, it was an empire where a lot of the wealth was concentrated, and as in any empire it was utilized – in payments and supplies – for the creation, maintenance and development of a cuisine for the monarchs and dominant classes.  There were chefs with a lot of space, time, and human resources to make the things well, with time and a lot of detail in order to create a top cuisine.  Creative leisure and time for the art of cooking paid by the monarchs for their own delight, whose vestiges endure.
The blogger of ZooFiesta [ES] writes about some exceptions in the middle of these generalized celebrations [ES]:
No somos el único país formado por etnias de otras latitudes, eso es mas común de lo que pensamos. Lo que ocurrió aquí, y ahí esta el secreto, es que el intercambio gastronómico con otras étnias produjo nuevas corrientes con personalidad propia y no híbridos estacionales. Por eso es tan importante la diversidad que se vive y se siente en el Perú, además… es deliciosa.
…Lo que nos debe importar es la gran posibilidad que tenemos y no debe de ser desperdiciada, hay que sacarle el máximo provecho. Y hablo por el agricultor modesto al cual le pagan 20 centavos/kilo de papa amarilla, mientras que una sola de esas papas llega a costar hasta 5 dólares en Europa; también hablo por el deshonesto dumping (subsidios excesivos de países desarrollados para proteger sus productos contra los honestos precios de países productores). Aun hay mucho por hacer antes de cantar victoria.
…el boom se vive tanto desde adentro como desde afuera… gracias a peruanos exiliados que empezaron cocinando comida peruana para otros exiliados y todo con un solo objetivo, hacer que la nostalgia por el terruño sea mas llevadera.
We are not the only country created by other ethnicities from other parts, it is much more common than we think.  What happened here and there is the secret, is that the gastronomic exchange with other ethnicities produced new currents with their own personality and not seasonal hybrids.  For that reason, the diversity that is felt and lived is so important, and besides that…it is delicious. What should be important to us is the grand possibility that we have and should not be wasted.  It should be taken advantage of.  I talk about the modest farmer, who gets paid 20 cents/kilo for yellow potatoes, while one of those potatoes can cost up to 5 dollars in Europe.  I also talk about the dishonest dumping (excessive subsidies in developed countries to protect its products against honest prices of producing countries).  There is a lot to do before declaring victory. The boom is experienced inside and out of Peru.  Thanks to exiled Peruvians that started to cook Peruvian food for other exiled and with one sole objective, to create nostalgia for their own land.
El Morsa [ES] also reflects on two articles titled Social Sciences: Peruvian Cuisine Part 1 and Part 2.
en los últimos años hemos visto un renacimiento de la comida peruana desde muchos lados. no solamente la comida como alta cocina, sino, sobre todo como comida tradicional. se publican anualmente decenas de libros recogiendo recetas “populares”, “tradicionales”. programas de televisión, donde se asiste a huariques y lugares escondidos, generalmente conocidos por pocos. blogs. se habla incluso de un efecto gastón (por gastón acurio), donde cocineras populares han saltado al éxito económico y reconocimiento social al aparecer en el programa que conduce dicho chef (el caso más emblemático es el de isabel quispe aquino, la mejor preparadora de parihuelas del mundo: puede leerlo aquí, aquí o aquí).
lo interesante es que no existan políticas desde el estado por promover su desarrollo y cuidarla. ¿cuántas escuelas de cocina peruana existen en el perú? ¿qué estamos haciendo para promover y transmitir las recetas tradicionales peruanas? ¿hay algún registro o base de datos pública de restaurantes? ¿un observatorio en lima, que diga cuánta plata generan, cuántas personas trabajan? ¿es posible promover como marca la comida peruana? ¿posicionarla en el mundo?
We have seen a rebirth of Peruvian food from many parts, not only the high class cuisine, but also traditional cuisine.  Dozens of books about “popular” and “traditional” recipes are published each year.  There are television programs, where they visit local and hidden places, generally known by few.  In blogs, they also write about the Gastón effect (for Gastón Acurio), where local chefs have struck it big economically and have become well known after appearing on those shows. (The most well known is Isabel Quispe Aquino, one of the best preparers of parihuelas, you can read it here [ES], here [ES] or here [ES]). What is interesting is that there are no policies from the state to promote its development or protection.  How many Peruvian cooking schools are there in Peru?  What are we doing to promote and distribute traditional Peruvian recipes?  Is there a registry or public database of restaurants?  Is there an agency in Lima that says how much money is generated or how many people work?  Is it possible to promote Peruvian food as a brand?  Position it worldwide?
Causa rellena, photo by Arellano
As it was mentioned in the beginning of the article, there are many foreigners that like and know about Peruvian food.  Not long ago, in the Washington Post there was an article about this cuisine, that was mentioned in various blogs.  Here is a quote from the original article Lima Cuisine: You Don't Know What You're Missing:
In recent years, Jorge Chavez International Airport has been so spectacularly rejuvenated that it inadvertently reinforces an old cliche about the city it serves: Lima — the City of Kings, the capital of Peru, home to 9 million people — is merely a way station for travelers en route to Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Iquitos, Lake Titicaca and Peru's other celebrated attractions. As to what they're missing, they haven't a clue. Not merely is old Lima rich in history, but new Lima is so rich gastronomically as to put just about all the world's other cities to shame. Today it is not merely advisable but mandatory to come to Lima para la cocina: for the food.
South America has long known about Peruvian food, but only in recent years has the rest of the world begun to catch on. In large measure this is due to the efforts of Gastón Acurio, now in his late 30s, who with his wife, Astrid, a decade and a half ago founded the most famous restaurant in Miraflores, Astrid y Gastón, but whose influence reaches far beyond that. He is a passionate goodwill ambassador for Peruvian food; he has a popular television show that regularly draws attention to other restaurants both great and small, he has published popular and influential cookbooks, he's opened many other restaurants of his own, and he's far better known in Peru than any celebrity chef in the United States.
Gastón's food (in Peru everyone refers to him as Gastón) is an artful blend of traditional Peruvian with contemporary nouvelle techniques. For generations, Peru's has been a fusion of all the cuisines developed there or brought from elsewhere: native (or criollo), Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Caribbean, Italian, African. Peru gave the world the potato — it grows thousands of varieties in more colors than you can count — and the potato remains essential to its cuisine, most nobly in causa, a concoction of potato mashed in lime juice and the fiery indigenous pepper aji, and filled or topped with everything from crab (my favorite) to avocado to boiled egg to shrimp to octopus.
Finally and before my mouth begins to water, Alejandro from Peru Food writes in one of his first entries:
What can I say? I love Peruvian food. I admit, I just like the way it tastes, the complexities of flavors, and the diversity of the cuisine. I don't come to love Peruvian food from an intellectual appreciation, but one much more visceral, much more a part of who I am. Often, when I recommend Peru as a vacation destination, one of the first questions is, “What's the food like?” I always struggle to answer even though I know that while it may be hard to describe, visitors will be in for a very pleasant surprise. This blog is my way of having an easier time answering that question. Once you have experienced the best of Peruvian food, you will understand why so many people feel so passionately about it. Welcome to Peru Food.
I hope that I answered a least some of the questions that I raised at the beginning of this entry.  This is only an appetizer and soon, we'll leave the theory in order to take a look at some of the most well known dishes from Peruvian cuisine and comments from blogs.
Translation by Eduardo Avila

author: Juan Arellano


text:
Philippines: Porn Site and Freedom of Expression · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Reason is the Reason does not agree the Filipino government's action against a local porn site. “Is it government’s business, then, to meddle in the freely-undertaken, consensual actions of its adult citizens?”


text:
Russia: International Terrorism? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Accidental Russophile writes about the difference between the Russian and American views of international terrorism: “Putin's most recent tour of southeast Asia was little more than an arms dealer visiting his new customers.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Russia, U.S.: “Batman by Dostoyevsky” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Accidental Russophile links to the “Batman by Dostoyevsky” comics, reproduced at Brian Hughes’ Again With The Comics: “This marriage of Classic Russian Literature and the Caped Crusader of Gotham also serves as further proof, if any were needed, that everything is better with Batman.” Judging by the comments, though, some Russians disagree.