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Nepal: Treading cautiously on democratic grounds · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

After almost three weeks of protest, King Gyanendra of Nepal has agreed to restore parliament.  The King had dissolved the lower house of the Parliament in 2002 because the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's government  had apparently failed in the peacetalks with the Maoists . Events unfold in Nepal with great pace. In the middle of protest and the King's stand, Legal News From Nepal says
The Nepal Bar Association on Tuesday called on the parliament, which is scheduled to convene on Friday, to scrap all the ordinances brought during the King's direct rule.NBA urged the parliament to scrap the ordinances that had been introduced to curb the rights of the people.
Nepal News, which provides information for tourists visiting Nepal is cautious
While this means that the situation can improve in somewhat in Nepal (especially around Kathmandu), the Maoists have remained cautious to the announcement. They have vowed to continue bloackades of roads across the country and a wave of protests by their cadres until their goal of constituent assembly elections is achieved.
Amardeep collates posts as he tries to understand what the end of Monarchy looks like.  An interesting discussion is on at Pickled Politics on the same issue. Blogdai warns that mob rule could take over as one hears cries of “too little too late”. There's a great discussion thread on that post.
Having your demands met is too little? It's now too late for your street protests to have any positive outcome? Are you saying that you will now only settle for the complete destruction of Nepal? I thought this whole thing was about “restoring democracy.” Well, now it's being restored and you don't want it?
Bahas expresses cautious optimism and highlights that options for the future will largely determine the success of the revolution. United We Blog! raises similar questions on the future of Monarchy and its relevance in Nepal. Samudaya has some brilliant photographs of the victory celebrations. Some other interesting photostreams can be found at Flickr like this one or by searching for those tagged Nepal. International Nepal Solidary Network has a roundup on media sources from India.


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Nepal: What it means for South Asia · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Pickled Politics on what the current events in Nepal mean for the rest of South Asia. “An insurgency has forced an autocratic ruler to give power back to the people. What if others try the same in their countries? I bet President Musharraf is apprehensive.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Nigeria: technology and violence · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Chippla writes on terrorism, technology and violence using Bin Laden, Nigerian militants and the Kenyan Mau Mau uprising and the  ANC struggle against apartheid as examples of how “one mans terrorist is another man's freedome fighter”

author: Sokari Ekine


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Pakistan: Blog-o-strikes back · Global Voices
Omer Alvie

I realize I've been MIA on GV but I shall reveal on the QT that I ODed on FOX TV, as a result my IQ was pronounced DOA by my MD but my mind was resurrected by the aid of my PC and DSL net connection.
Returning to cyber world, I perused all my favourite blogs for the requisite mind feed to nullify the influence of FOX TV. Unfortunately, Uncle Bush has just appointed FOX News anchor Tony Snow as White House Press Secretary so his face is likely to cause me nightmares every time it pops up to regurgitate another official lie penned by the residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But I digress, so onwards with this week's collection of Pakistani blog posts for your review and discussion.
Pay close attention, as I will be asking questions later.
Fountainhead identifies what Ahmadinejad needs to learn; Windmills says ‘we done it’; Suspect Paki highlights the technique of wasting time at work; Teeth Maestro participated in and posts about Free Expression in Asian Cyberspace; I struggle with a Blogger's Block; Light Within breaks the monotony of text posts by doing a pictorial post; and finally I reciprocate with my own pictorial post for public perusal.
Question 1: Double the first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e.
Question 2: What is my favourite colour?
I never said that the questions will be about the blog posts I highlighted.

author: Omer Alvie


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Peru: An Alliance Against Humala? · Global Voices
David Sasaki

With more than 99% of the vote counted it is clear that Ollanta Humala will face Alan Garcia in the second round presidential elections. Un Lobo en Peru mentions a column by Mario Vargas Llosa calling for an alliance between APRA and Unidad Popular to defeat Ollanta. Fabiola Bazo of Peru Election 2006 says that Vargas Llosa's column has drawn mostly negative reaction.

author: David Sasaki


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Peru: Looking to the Second Round · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Patrice explains the en vogue Peruvian saying, “it now remains to choose between AIDS and cancer.” Boz cites a new poll which has Alan Garcia leading Ollanta Humala in the second round presidential elections.


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Report card for Penang bus service · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Lucia is displaying and distributing report cards that Penang residents can use to monitor their city's bus service.

author: Preetam Rai


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South Africa: Carmen in Xhosa · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

African Shirts comments on another film from South Africa…U-Carmen eKhayelitsha which is a  ” Xhosa language film based on Bizet's opera Carmen, and it won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival last year.


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South Africa: TRC · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Agathon Rwasa points to a report in which Archbishop Desmond Tutu admits that the Truth and Reconciliaiton Commission failed “to meet the needs of apartheid victims”…”Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is dismayed at the “ungenerous reparations” to victims of apartheid who appeared before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and has appealed to white businesses to contribute funding”


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South Africa: Writing in indigenous language · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Singing SouthAfricaness  discusses African writers writing in their indigenous languages…”The idea that African writers should write in native African languages, therefore, is linked to the idea of the tyrany of the trace, as discussed above. Ngugi suggests that African writers should be enriching their own languages through producing work in them.


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Sri Lanka: Apathy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

After the bomb explosion in  Colombo Azrael's Word comments on the current state of apathy in Sri Lanka.


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Sudan: genocide · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Weichegud!ET Politics comments on Darfur, Rwanda and the failure of the West and Africa to act – in the case of Darfur we have been warned over and over yet still nothing happens. We as Africans also need to take responsibility…”Excuse me. 400,000 people have died. When do we start getting a little less trite?  Darfur happened because we, as Africans, were unable to stand up to a government that thinks nothing of raiding and raping its own people.”


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Taiwan: English teaching essentials · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Mark at Doubting to shuō blogs critically on what separates good ESL teachers in Taiwan from the bad.
“Obviously,” he writes, “this is pretty subjective.”

author: John Kennedy


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The rice terrace land · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Yellominded has some pictures from travels in the mountains of Luzon.  This region is famed for the 2000 year old rice terraces dug out of mountain slopes.


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The Week That Was – Bolivian Blogs · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Este artículo también está disponible en español.
Millions of Bolivians have left their homeland in search for greener pastures for a variety of reasons.  Nostalgia can sink in and can be expressed through writing.  The subject was recently featured in Claudia Peña Claros’ blog Inútil Ardor (ES).  In poetry form, she begins the work titled “Expatriates” with “We can no longer return to the homeland.  The homeland is barely a mistaken memory.  It’s in our necessity to dream.  It’s in the scents of our closed suitcase.”
Some Bolivian bloggers have left Bolivia for other educational and work opportunities.  However, some have gone farther than others to the atypical destinations where one would not normally find Bolivian communities.  Fabricio Loayza Puch maintains his blog El Pit (ES) direct from Kyoto, Japan.  His interaction with Japanese culture dominates the content of his blog, which is nearly a year old.  Antonio Saravia formerly wrote at the Economist en su Laberinto (ES), but now keeps the blog Lecciones de Economía en Evoland, a bilingual blog written in the United Arab Emirates.  As the title of the blog suggests, he writes extensively about economics during the new term of the Bolivian President Evo Morales.
Not all Bolivians leave for interesting countries to experience life in Japan or the UAE.  Many Bolivians leave for uncertain conditions and live under the cloud of illegality.  Jaime Rubin de Celis talks about the tragic deaths of undocumented Bolivian workers in illegal factories of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  In his blog JCR’s Place, he found it telling that even though the tragedy ripped apart their lives, many were given the option to return to Bolivia.  However, all of them preferred to stay, even in such unfavorable, slave-like conditions.
While many Bolivians leave the country for a variety of reasons, other members of the global community arrive in Bolivia for a unique and stimulating experience.  For example, Wendell Krohn, who will soon wrap up his two year stay with his wife Carlye in the city of Cochabamba, recently wrote about his awkward experience on the G bus-line where he was publicly singled out by the stern bus driver.
Finally, El Benjo summarizes in his blog Final de Finales (ES) the Ayni Rock festival held in El Alto, the growing suburb of the capital of La Paz.  He said that the two day festival held in early April was the best organized rock concert held in El Alto in the last ten years.  Musical genres featured included hip hop, metal, and pop rock, which included two invited bands from Cochabamba and Santa Cruz.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Trinidad & Tobago: World Cup football news · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Stacy-Marie Ishmael responds to a FIFA news story expressing surprise that the Trinidad & Tobago World Cup team has a white member, with a reminder that it's important to “militate against stereotypes wherever possible”. She also points to some of the commemorative items being produced as tributes to the team, and links to Caribbean Free Radio‘s latest podcast, which focuses on what host country Germany is expecting of the Caribbean visitors.

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Uganda: Two countries · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Black Star Journal points to an IRIN report on Uganda entitled “One country, Different realities”..


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Ukraine: A Trip to Chernobyl · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Dan McMinn of Orange Ukraine links to his own report from a trip to Chernobyl he and his wife took on November 13, 2004.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Understanding the Germans · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Pinayexpat, currently living and working in Germany,  gives us a peek into her understanding of German people. She observes “They actually place a lot of value on relationships hence, they are wary in the beginning. Friendship isn’t readily given but when it is, you can rely on their sincerity and loyalty.”


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Venezuela: Can Chavez be beat? · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Both Boz and Miguel Octavio believe that there is a slight chance Chavez might lose in this year's presidential election. Daniel Duquenal is equally ambiguous. He says that the opposition has been wasting time, but “still, this is such an atypical electoral period that who is to say if the opposition is in fact playing its cards as bad as it seems to be playing them.” Francisco describes an agreement by the three opposition candidates that only one of them will run against Chavez as “a rare instance of grown-up behavior in the opposition leadership.”


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Venezuela: Wikipedia Page on Venezuelan Cinema · Global Voices
David Sasaki

BlogaCine, or “Cinema Blog” says (ES) that Wikipedia has a page on Venezuelan films (ES) that is growing slowly but surely.


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48 Missing Detainees Wrongly Identified · Global Voices
Rosario Lizana

“Courtyard 29” is a communal grave place, located in the General Cemetery (ES) of the capital, Santiago. In 1991, 124 missing detainees from the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship, were found and 96 were identified. After 20 years, 96 families had the chance to properly bury their relatives.
Last week, 10 years later, 48 families (of the total 96) were notified that there was an error in the process of identification. Javier (ES) posts “Fury and anger are my feelings, and then shame. Shame to be living here, where these things happen. The missing detainees from the dictatorship know they are missing again, but in a democracy.”
The process is very painfully for families of the missing detainees. First, because there are still missing detainees that have not been found and others are not identified, so families always wait for news.
Centros Chilenos (ES), writes “…and all the relatives of the victims cried, and dreamt again and the survivors do not resist this damage that the Government has made, taking away the people in life and now bring them back by mistake.”
A district attorney is in charge of an indictment. One of the issues under investigation is why the Medical Institute Service, who was in charge of the identification, did not consider crucial information that could have alerted them of possible mistakes. An expert from Glasgow University was hired in 1991 by the Medical Institute Service to help in the identification process, but the report he made in 1994, was not considered by the authorities. Shidi (ES) posts that “ The open Courtyard 29, reminds us that it is not about going back … it is about  wounds that take time to heal and we have to take into account the mourning of the country that has had problems to overcome it.”
Referring to the press’ over- reaction, Alberto Pretch (ES) says, “the non- criterion used to promote this deep doubt and wound is the most macabre thing I have heard in the last 16 years.”
It seems that even in democracy some wounds will not be solved. And it is paradoxical that in a world where technologies exist that are good enough to tell us why King Tut died, or some mother was poisoned, the government did not use the correct ones in this process.

author: Rosario Lizana


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Africa: Malaria Day · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Adventures of a Retired Armchair Traveller reminds us that last Tuesday 25th of April was  Malaria Day….An estimated 1 million children below the age of 5 die from malaria every year.


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Armenia: Genocide Notes · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Nessuna has a brief roundup of posts from Armenian blogs on the anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Armenia: Students, Administrators, and No Media · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian reports that the Yerevan State Medical Institute's rector refused to meet with Indian students unless the media left while Nessuna translates an article on the meeting.


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Barbados: Minister at Dubai tourism conference · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

On the eve of the Barbados Tourism Minister's participation in a conference in Dubai, Barbados Free Press wishes the minister good luck and offers a few ideas for inclusion in his presentation.


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Barber Shop in Lomut, West Pokot, Kenya · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Photo by Unganisha.org


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Belarus: Charnobylski Shlyakh Arrests · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Iryna of TOL's Belarus Blog writes about more arrests and detentions in Belarus, following yesterday's protest rally “Charnobylski Shlyakh.” She also quotes Syarhei Kaliakin, an opposition activist: “20 years ago Chernobyl disaster has taken place. 10 years ago a political Chernobyl has happened, when the legally elected parliament was disbanded and people, who rely on violence rather than rule of law, came to power.”


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Belarus: Graffiti Artist Faces Lengthy Prison Sentence · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

David McDuff of A Step At A Time links to an item at Maidan about a young Belarusian facing seven to 12 years in prison for having written “We want something new!” on the wall of a building in Minsk.


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Belarus: Milinkevich Arrested and Sentenced · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belarus bloggers react to the news of Aleksandr Milinkevich's arrest: Andrei Khrapavitski points out that “today practically all the key names of the Belarusian oppositions have appeared on prison rolls;” TOL's Belarus Blog sees this as “the biggest test for Belarusian people after the falsified presidential election;” and br23 blog writes that this is “the most crucial point“: “If this arrest of the leader produces big enough outcry in the West and strong enough reaction inside the country, we’ll be able to say that Belarus has a new alternative leader. Otherwise, he’ll probably rot in jail (together with mister Kazulin), and Belarus will rot and decompose for another five years at least.”


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Belarus: Photos From Charnobylski Shlyakh · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ users andrews_kovas and eugene_grabkin post their photo reports from Charnobylski Shlyakh, a protest rally that took place in Minsk yesterday.


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Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador: “Abstinencewatch™ Scorecard” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Bob Kellet explains why the Brazilian football club will be happy in Germany this World Cup whereas Costa Rica and Ecuador won't.


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Brazil: Portuguese and Indigenous Languages · Global Voices
David Sasaki

While Portuguese is Brazil's official state language, M. Bichuetti of The Brazilian Way of Life says that around 180 native tongues are still present. Quoting a linguistics professor, Bichuetti says that some of the languages “are ‘on the verge of extinction,’ [while others] are ‘very vigorous.'”


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Caribbean: Cricket captaincy gamble · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

West Indies star batsman Brian Lara is appointed team captain for a third time. Jeremy Taylor at the Caribbean Beat weblog calls it “an interesting gamble, both for Lara and for the West Indies Board.”


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Chad: Sudan backs rebels · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Passion of the Present points to a Reuters report that claims the Sudanese government are backing the rebels in Chad who wish to overthrow President Idriss Deby.


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China: AOL arrives · Global Voices
John Kennedy

In ‘Congratulations and Controversy‘, AngryChineseBlogger chunlin looks at the arduous road AOL has been down in trying to establish a presence in China.
“After months of speculation, anticipation, and a few false starts,” chunlin announces, “AOL has this month announced the finalization of a multi-million dollar partnership deal with SMG Broadband, the internet wing of the Shanghai Media and Entertainment Group; one of China's largest and most successful media groups.”


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China: Porn’s subversive forms · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Remember Guangzhou sex blogger Mu Zimei who got shut down and fired in late 2003 after the world took notice? She's in Beijing now, and Jeremy Goldkorn at Danwei has just ‘wrapped’ an exclusive with her:
“She is not writing online any more, but is producing a series of her own podcasts, including one episode where she recorded the entire process of a quickie from the time that her lover rang the doorbell to her final goodbye: half an hour.”


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China: Rock festival coming · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Friend Gram at Holidarity pulls quotes from the organizer of The Midi Festival—China's biggest each year—to be held in Beijing during the Golden Week holiday next week.
“Before you could never do a big outdoor festival,” writes organizer Zhang Fan. “We're trying to let the government accept that rock ‘n’ roll is not dangerous…What I hate most is when there is a line of Public Security Bureau officers standing in front of the stage.”


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Costa Rica: Supreme Court to Discuss Gay Marriage · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Andrés Duque says that Costa Rica's supreme court will decide next week if a new petition for marriage rights for same sex couples is constitutional. Sergio of La Foto Salió Movida describes (ES) the recent opposition against a gay rights conference. Cristian of Fusil de Chispas cites the intolerant comments (ES) made by Costa Rican politicians against gays.


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Cuba: Female dissident beaten · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Pondblog links to an Aljazeera news piece reporting that Cuba's most prominent female dissident, 60 year-old Marta Beatríz Roque, was beaten at her home by a pro-government mob this past Tuesday. The article states that Roque, who leads the Assembly for Promoting Civil Society, was about to leave her home to visit the home of a top US diplomat in Havana.


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Dominica: Karib Cultural Village · Global Voices
Alice Backer

French Antilles blog Bondamanjak describes (FR) a new cultural village located in Dominica which showcases the history and culture of native Karibs.  Dominica retains a rare community of the Caribbean indigenous group.

author: Alice Backer


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DRC: UDPS Predicts “Electoral Comedy”, “Terror” · Global Voices
Alice Backer

UDPS Liege discourages (FR) the Congolese from taking part in the upcoming “electoral comedy” unless of course certain conditions are met.  They predict that “Joseph Kabila will be elected on the first round with 72%. He will be protected by European Union  and MONUC [UN Mission to the DR of Congo] troops… Terror will set in, with your [passive] blessing.”


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Egypt: Judicial System · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

While the judicial system in Egypt is facing a hard time with the government, the civilian support for the beaten judges are also treated harshly. Baheyya writes about the latest developments and has a link to a video which shows the security forces’ disbanding of the peaceful vigil in support of judges.

author: Haitham Sabbah


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El Salvador: Pro Life Nation · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Writing from Antartica, J. Allbritton offers his thoughts on an article by Jack Hitt regarding El Salvador's strict anti-abortion laws. Tim Muth also recently commented on the article, inspiring various impassioned comments.


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Ethiopia: Post Election investigation · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Weblog Ethiopia reports that a Commission has been set up to investigate the recent post-election violence in the country.


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Filipino boxer faces tough challenge · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Jess at The Postman is following the preparations of Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao for his  upcoming fight with Mexican Oscar Larios. Jess writes "While Larios is bothered by only one thing — fighting the PACMAN — Pacquiao is hounded by several things. Personal matters, off-boxing commitments, showbiz buzzes and profit-oriented people are all around Manny. These pressures pose some sort of jeopardy to his training which has not even begun."


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Georgia: Dinner Party · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Susan says that it is easy for expats to get on the news on slow news days in Georgia. She took part in a traditional Georgian supra outside the Russian embassy to protest Russia's ban on Georgian wine and made the evening news.


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Guatemala: Mayan Translators · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Noting that five Mayan languages are at risk of extinction, Chapinadas tells the story of the first graduating class of Mayan translators from the Academy of Mayan Languages.


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Honduras, El Salvador: Defining Boundaries · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Honduras News and Tim's El Salvador Blog both mention the finalized agreement between El Salvador and Honduras over the border dividing the two countries. The decision closes an unfinished chapter of the 1969 “Soccer War.”


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Hong Kong: Japanese retailer leaving · Global Voices
John Kennedy

With Hemlock's Diary this week comes reminiscing of times gone by with Hong Kong's last Japanese-owned department store, Mitsukoshi, announcing plans to leave the Special Administrative Region.
“The name brings back memories of a bygone era—the time before Causeway Bay collapsed under the weight of vehicle emissions and Mainland tourists,” the blogger writes.


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India: Clearing the customs · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Bribe Rates for Delhi has an account of bribe paying at the Indian Customs.


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India: Poetry and Blogging · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Reflections on poetry and blogging at River's Blue Elephants. River talks about identities of poets, the world of hypertextuality and “the permeable boundary between selves and machines”.


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Iran: Contractual Workers Fired! · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Jomhour (Persian) writes that there are collective firings of contractual workers in all over country. He adds on the other side of story government appointed employees and workers have benefited  a sharp raise in their salaries. Blogger says this raise has nothing to do with productivity of these workers. This money comes from raising oil revenues to satisfy Iranian public but at the end it will raise monetary mass & inflation. A counter productive effect!

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iraq: Where is the opposition? · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

While the Iraqi government is still under-establishment, Omar remind us that he once was offended when he heard that although the democratic elections toke place, yet democratic government is not established. Omar began to see a lot of truth in these words. But, what about the opposition? For healthy democracy to function it requires two basic elements, these are a democratically elected government and an active, responsible and constructive opposition and so far, Iraq has more or less fulfilled only the first element but not the second, Omar said.


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Israel: Who are those pensioners?  · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Batya wonders: During the Israeli election campaign, nobody paid too much attention to the pensioners on the Retirees Party list. It was considered by most to be a “joke” party, but boy were we all surprised when they ended up with a very healthy and youthful seven seats in the Knesset. Suddenly everybody began to ask: “Who are they?” and “What did they do when they were younger?”


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Jamaica: A writer’s development · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

On his personal blog, Jamaican writer Geoffrey Philps reproduces a lecture he delivered recently in which he discusses his development as a writer and also raises the question: “What is the mission of my generation?”


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Kenya: African artifacts in the West · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Mama's Junkyard comments on a recent piece in the UK Guardian which argues in favour of Western countries keeping artifacts that belong to African countries. One justification given is ”    In many instances, national treasures are better off outside their countries of origin – better cared for, receiving more attention, and more accessible.”  Mama's Junkyard responds “It is this same warped logic that the colonialists used when they first arrived in Africa. While preaching to us that all are equal in the eyes of the Lord, they forced us to accept that we were inferior to them.”


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Martinique/Gwada: Palm Tree Shaped Antennas · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Technophile InternetRapide.com praises (FR) the aesthetic value of Morocco's palm tree-shaped antennas.


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Mongolia: Casino Park · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Shards of Mongolia notes that a plan for a massive development project including shopping, industry, an international airport, and a casino. Curiously, it will not be anywhere near the capital, but instead on the border with China.


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Nepal: Getting the democracy working · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Voices of sceptics rise. United We Blog! on “…celebrate the victory of people where the people ‘talked and showed’ they are still skeptical on politicians’ commitment to constituent assembly and republic.”


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Nepal: Role of political parties · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The challenges for the political parties in Nepal has increased. Bahas on the role of the parties and other stakeholders in the changing political scenario.


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Nicaragua, Costa Rica: Immigrant Rights · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Immigrants are demanding respect of human rights. That would be Nicaraguan immigrants, living in Costa Rica.


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Nigeria: Civil War · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Naijablog comments that Nigeria has failed to reach its moment of “genius” mainly because it has so far refused to acknowledge the depths of its suffering – “the civil war, the 40 years of rule by an elitist cabal, the brutality and brutalism of everyday experience for the masses”.


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Nigeria: JP Morgan investment · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Nigerian blog, CyBlug reports that investment bank JP Morgan has been awared the job of “custodian of the nation's foreign reserves, which currently stands at $35bn.


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North Korea: Multiracial Koreas opposed · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Antti Leppänen at Hunjangûi karûch'im translates and blogs about a recent North Korean newspaper editorial which argues against multiculturalism in South Korea:
“The article refers to the ‘recently appearing bizarre pursuits for a multinational, multiracial society in South Korea, which will weaken (kôsehada) the basic characteristics of our nation (minjok). (Kôsehada means also “to castrate”.) It names, ironically enough (but this is DPRK), the ‘pro-US flunkeyist forces’ as the biggest perpretrators in these heinous acts against the purity of the nation.”


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Palestine: Mob like mentality? · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

In deviantART, the Palestinian artists simply cannot select their country from the dA country list. “Free-Palestine” community asked deviantART to add “Palestinian territories” to the country list. The answer was: “deviantART does not tolerate Mob like mentality…“. dA then banned “Free-Palestine” members, and deleted all of their content, EP said.


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Polish Blogosphere Update · Global Voices
Jordan & Maria Seidel

Ever wonder what a day in the life of someone living in Poland would look like condensed into a 10-minute video? Neither did I until I came to Poland. The Blog from Poland set up a webcam from a Warsaw city window. Can you spot the shiny, yellow and red city bus? Using Google technology, you can see a Warsaw city street corner in real-time.
Continuing with the amateurish spectacles, the beatroot reports on a misguided plan by The Lublin Musical Theatre group to stage a performance on the grounds of a former WWII death camp. Alas,
…much to the surprise of the organizers, there were protests. Lots of them. From Jewish groups.
In the comments section, however, DBN wonders where the Polish version of the ACLU is:
Hmm, no protests from the “enlightened liberals” about the “hinderance of free speech”.
Though they were enraged when a university didn't let them exhibit t-shirts with slogans, such as “I had an abortion” or “I jerk off” during a human rights film festival, that dealt, amongs others, with the genocide of the Chechens.
Arguing for a bit more restraint roman comments:
Who comes up with these hair-brained schemes? What part of the word “solemn” don't they understand?
From hair-brained ideas to a brush with the hairless heads of the purported ‘no future’ youth generation in Poland, P3 fears that the burgeoning punk culture in Poland is on a crash-course with disaster; even “in a country that prides itself on character and with a government that prides itself on morality.” Is it really the case of a dearth of male role models, or just good old-fashioned teenage rebellion? P3 laments:
Where are this country's strong male role models these kids so desperately need? What kind of people are teaching in the high schools? Where are their parents?
A real tear-jerker…and to help wipe those dampened peepers dry (albeit, only if they are peering from an expensive ride), those same public enemy teens are quite the (self) enlightened ‘public servants,’ according to The Warsaw Crow. In the Polish version of “Pimp my Ride,” city youth have been spotted risking life and limb (believe me, on Warsaw streets it's not hyperbole) selling and fitting select vehicles with windshield wipers:
They look for men who can be convinced that their 3-tonne pride and joy suffers from fluid distribution issues. The very instant a target shows a moment's doubt he is stripped of his existing wipers. Lips are bitten and faults are pointed out.
On the Polish language blogging front: somebody's finally worrying about a high number of young, qualified Poles leaving the country to seek their fortunes abroad. The city of Wrocław, having apparently run out of skilled construction crews and half-competent plumbers, is launching a billboard campaign in London to persuade the Polish immigrants to come back and live at Wrocław. Oops! comments (POL):
They forgot to sign the poster: “With regards – Polish Tax Office.”
We shouldn't worry, however: Poland will not become completely deserted. In place of young professionals leaving by hundred thousands, we'll be getting coach-loads of western tourists, looking for some of that former soviet block exotics – not to mention cheaper healthcare services:
Poland is currently one of the bigger tourist magnets: we're 11. on the list, before not only Czech Republic & Croatia, but even such tourism giant as Turkey.
That’s the Poland blogopshere update! Until next time – Do widzenia!

author: Jordan & Maria Seidel


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Russia: American Votes For Yavlinsky  · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Raffi Aftandelian of maaskva: nashimi glazami writes (in English and in Russian, as always) about an American who went to the polling station instead of her apolitical Russian friend and voted for Grigoriy Yavlinsky: “I think even if given the chance I would never have voted for Yavlinsky. I was rather troubled by how the Yabloko Party chose to respond to the bombing of Chechnya in 1999 (they supported it). I also think that when we choose to consistently badmouth the people in power, we are unwittingly discrediting ourselves and end up helping the people in power to continue the abuses they are engaging in.”


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Russia: Kateryna Chumachenko’s 1983 Letter · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Michael Averko, a Diaspora Russian contributing to Russia Blog, writes about the letter that Kateryna Chumachenko, a (formerly) Diaspora Ukrainian wife of president Yushchenko, wrote to the Washington Times 23 years ago. In it, Chumachenko wrongly suggested “that Russian-Americans didn't petition to have Russia listed as a captive nation.” A discussion of various Soviet leaders’ ethnicity follows in the comments section of Averko's post.


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Singapore Election meme · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

There is no ban on blogging and podcasting in Singapore during the elections but the authorities warn against publishing anything that "persistently promotes a certain political view, or political party".  Bloggers are slowing their output just to play safe and not wanting to inadvertently publish any content  that might get them in trouble. Singapore's famous blogger Mr. Brown comes up with a new Singapore Election meme that encourages bloggers to continue blogging and at the same time stay safe too.


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Slovenia: “Death to Fascism” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Slovenians commemorate their country's resistance to fascist occupation, writes Michael of The Glory of Carniola: “It's hard to imagine what this country would look like had that fight been lost. I suppose it wouldn't even be a country at all; just a memory.”


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Some Excerpts from West African Blogs · Global Voices
Imnakoya

Gambia
Dictatorial rule of Yahya Jammeh of Gambia–Home of the Mandinmories
“Gambians are bleeding from excessive taxation. They are bleeding from the debt burden that is incurred in their name and siphoned off to overseas banks in some of the greatest corruption debacles that has occurred since independence…There's the literal blood, Gambians summarily executed by this government since 1994. There are so many victims and no perpetrators brought to justice. What else do we expect? The culprits of these heinous crimes are in charge of government. They pardon their own crimes, thereby becoming the judge, the jury and the executioner. But what does the ruling party members of the National assembly do? Give the dictator more powers as if he needed more. The only time these group of people have there priorities straight always involve lining their own pockets.”
Ghana
Police, arm robbery and mistaken identity– The Trials & Tribulations of a Freshly-Arrived Denizen…
“This calls to question the vigilante-like tactics of police officers who shoot-to-kill without verifying, plus the hard-nosed attitude of the police these days towards armed robbers. The latter is a very good point, given the spate of armed robbery, but mistakes like these are bound to occur if proper regulation by higher-up authorities is not maintained. My view is that given this attitude by the police, armed robbery has been clamped down considerably, but, as always, the double-edged sword is that innocents get killed….At the time that this was going to “press”, there was news that the occupants of a taxi in Dansoman, a suburb in Accra, had all been killed by policemen who believed them to be armed robbers. It is sounding like a case of mistaken identity, as some of the occupants..were themselves victims of an armed robbery!”
Water Privatization– Akwaabaghana
“A Ghanaian lawyer and human rights campaigner has won recognition for his work to stop water being privatised. Rudolf Amenga-Etego, who is campaigning against a privatisation scheme being backed by the World Bank, has won a 2004 Goldman environmental prize. Rudolf Amenga-Etego founded Ghana's National Coalition Against the Privatisation of Water, an attempt to halt a $400m project which would have meant water being sold at full market rates…”
Cameroun
The Future of the French CFA– France Watcher
“One of the burning issues facing countries of the Franc Zone in Africa today is what to do about this currency arrangement following the introduction of the Euro in 1999. So far the appearance is being given that the problem was solved by simply pegging the CFA to the Euro and renewing the Operations Account Agreement with the French Treasury and going back to business as usual. This is all a way of sweeping a serious problem under the carpet in the living room. But with every passing day a hump is growing in the living room under the carpet and nobody seems to understand what is really going on.”
Guinea
Guinea from the eyes of a South African–Just thinking
“When we arrived here two days ago, I was shocked at what I saw here…With all the natural resources (like gold and diamonds) one would think that this country must be rich. However, I have never seen such poverty anywhere. Not even in South Africa. In SA there might be lot of tin shacks, but the average level of subsistence here seems to be extremely low…Here they even do there garbage dumping by the truck load into the sea. As we were driving next to the coastline, we saw them dumping into the sea and the garbage patches on the sea looked reminiscent of oil slicks. Just this time the patches were paper, plastic, cans and other items.”
Benin
From Liberal to Social Democracy– Ngwane
“Benin is undeniably one of Africa’s most successful stories in liberal or electoral democracy. From 1990 when she became the first African country to institute a sovereign National Conference, Benin has continued to employ all innovative and endogenous democratic strategies that distinguish her from the continent’s identity of political insolvability. The solid foundation laid by the conference in February 1990 provided the Beninese people with a nationalistic vision that focused on the power of alternatives through the ballot box rather than the principle of self-perpetration through constitutional tinkering.”
Liberia
Charles Taylor – Boogeyman Behind Bars Part 1–Jewel In the Jungle
This blog provides further insight into the Charles Taylor’s affair, the author believes that Taylor shouldn’t be tried alone. It provides many links to external sources that yield even deeper insight into story.
“The extensive financial, military and political networks Taylor established range from the Balkans to Central America, Bulgaria to Iran. His inner circle of financial advisers and weapons purchasers include, among others, American, Belgian, Dutch, Israeli, Lebanese, Libyan, Russian, Senegalese, and South African citizens…Documents show that a small group of people continue to insure Taylor receives up to $1 million a month in revenue from his Liberian investments alone. It is also clear that Taylor has sought to and likely succeeded in establishing several front companies to handle his finances during his exile. Numerous individuals with longstanding links to Taylor, now based in Liberia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Ghana, continue to play important roles in Taylor’s financial structure”
Nigeria
Oil for the Lamps of China —IjebuMan
“The Chinese interest in Africa is welcome but we need to ‘shine our eyes well well’ (like my peeps will say) This time around the relationship has to be of mutual benefit. (No giving away of the family heirlooms for a mirror or was it for religion??)
There's a saying ‘beware of greeks bearing gifts’, As long as we Africans are aware that there's no free lunch and we ensure that we actually gain something from the relationship rather than letting China use us as a source of cheap raw materials.”
As Nigeria Becomes Debt Free—Chippla’s Weblog
“To a capitalist purist, the deal between the Paris Club of Creditors and the Nigerian government—in which the latter supposedly got some relief on its debts—may be anathema. But to a realist, it was simply the right thing to do. Locked in a vicious cycle of debt servicing, Nigeria was bound to remain a perpetually unproductive and poor nation, except it found a way of freeing itself from this debt bondage…While the debt deal should be met with rejoicing in Nigeria, the heated and uncertain political terrain may negate its immediate benefit. To most Nigerians, government figures on the size of the economy and foreign cash reserves mean nothing. ‘Why should a country with poor infrastructure be saving some $30 billion abroad?’ some may ask. ‘Wouldn't it be better to make use of the money in building schools, hospitals and roads?”
Rivers State:  Cries froma  forest of flowers–NIGERIA: long & difficult history; corruption, greed & murder of the innocents!
“Rivers is one of nine states (Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers) traversed into the Niger Delta region, which is the world's third largest wetland, coming after Holland and Mississipi. It consists of relatively small upland with the rest being riverine fresh and brackfish water mangrove swamp hemmed in by sandy coastal ridge barriers. Nigeria is 6th biggest producer of oil in the world and since oil was first struck more than forty years ago, the area has grown to produce most of Nigeria's wealth and oil has become the main source of foreign exchange earnings for the whole country. Yet, the Niger Delta remains the least developed area of the country in physical, socio-economic terms, and her people are some of the poorest in the world.”

author: Imnakoya


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Sri Lanka: Outside Colombo · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Portrait comments on how the news focuses on what happens in Colombo and ignore what happens outside of the city. A very interesting discussion is ongoing in the comments space.


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Sudan: Child soldiers return home · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Sudan Watch reports on the return of child soldiers to their homes in the south of the country – the return has been organised by UNICEF


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Taiwan: Punks still DIYing · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Sack Be Jim at gotmahmojo finds DIY punk ethic, graffiti and a seldom-seen side of Taiwanese society while visiting a collective of artists squatting in an abandoned building in the island's capitol:
“I was really excited to see something positive and creative going on in the city, since its been years since the ‘renaissance’ of underground music and art that took hold in Taipei during the post-martial law 90s. I've often heard kids lament that they hadn't come of age during that time when the local art scene was young and exciting (now it's still young and about as exciting as a turnip),” Sack Be Jim writes, as well as posting several vivid photos.


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Taiwan: Taxi music’s passing · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Rank blog's Dog of the South blogs about the disappearance of a genre of music that used to make cab rides a treat: “For all its obvious flaws, I always thought Taxi Music communicated a bit of credible pathos. And you know what? The women and men who sang those songs, unlike the Mandopop youth of today, could actually carry a tune.”


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Thai horror movie angers Cambodia · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Alvin at chlim01 is bored finds the latest Thai horror flick tasteless as it is set in a prison that resembles Khmer Rouge's dreaded concentration camp. People in Cambodia are not too happy with their neighbour. A comment on another post at KI Media is asking the Cambodian people  to boycott Thai products.


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Thai Kick Boxing · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Muay Thai or Kick Boxing is very popular in Thailand and regular bouts are held in major cities. Malaysian blogger Kenny Sia blogs about his visit to a Muay Thai stadium.


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Trinidad & Tobago: World Cup team slogan · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Over at the Trinidad & Tobago World Cup Blog, Stacy-Marie Ishmael reviews the slogans being put forward in support of the Soca Warriors, Trinidad & Tobago's national team.


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Turkmenistan: 30K Buckets · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Peter writes at neweurasia about the televised confession of Turkmenistan's former General Prosecutor Gurbanbiby Atajanova who was, until recently, the only public official with considerable stature besides the president.


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Uganda: War in the North · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Uganda-CAN posts an interview with Geoffrey Oryema, the founder and director of the Acholi Youth Leadership Program (AYLP) in Gulu.  The AYLP was set up to provide support to young people affected by 20 years of war.


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World: Handwriting Meme · Global Voices
David Sasaki

John Guzman, a native of Colombia now living in the United States, has started an international handwriting meme. He hopes to attract as much international participation as possible. There is also a Flickr group.


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Zimbabwe: MDC renewed determination · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Zimbabwean blog, Enough is Enough, comments on the MDC's leader Morgan Tsvangirai renewed determination to restore “Zimbabwe to what it should be”


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Zimbabwe: Squatter camps destroyed · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The Bearded Man reports that once again armed police have destroyed squatter camps in Zimbabwe, this time in the town of  Masvingo.   The police “burnt down the plastic shacks and chased away more than 200 people including children who lived at the camp.”


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· Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Pakistan 451 reports on more sites being blocked in Pakistan because of directives issued by the government.


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Africa: Malaria nets  · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Yebo Gogo reports on an advert on the back pages of the US  journal Sports Illustrated that is asking for donations towards the purchase of malaria nets for Africa.  He estimates that with a readership of 23 million at $20 each would equal $460 million = 46 million  nets!


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Argentina: History Finds a Home · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Robert Wright explains the etymology of the Buenos Aires neighborhood, Caballito. If in the area, you'll soon have a chance to see the original namesake.


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Armenia: Prkutyun · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Zarchka writes about visiting an exhibition of the Prkutyun NGO, an organization that provides services to disabled children. Onnik Krikorian went as well and has his own post as well.


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Bangladesh: Understanding Musharraf · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying links to an interview with President Musharraf of Pakistan and provides commentary on the side.


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Barbados: National Heroes Day · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Campfyah commemorates Barbados’ National Heroes Day with a quiz on some photos of the heroes themselves.


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Belarus: BBC Responds to Blogger · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

BBC responds to David McDuff of A Step At A Time regarding the possibility of broadcasts in the Belarusian language in Belarus – in addition to broadcasts in Russian, Ukrainian and English: “The problem surrounding delivery of the product into the region remains the key stumbling block. The World Service is available on-line, but again, access in Belarus is difficult, as home internet usage is low.”


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Belarus: Rumors On Belarus-Russia Relations · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus Blog considers rumors of “the future in Belarus-Russia relations,” one of which is that Kremlin would like to get rid of Aleksandr Lukashenko in order to incorporate Belarus into the Russian Federation.


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Belarus, Ukraine: Chernobyl Meaning · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Vilhelm Konnander explains the meaning of Chernobyl for Belarus 20 years later. Tim Newman of White Sun of the Desert disagrees with Sean Guillory's take on the lessons of Chernobyl: “To use Chernobyl as a reason to abandon nuclear power is like using the Titanic  as a reason to discontinue all shipping.”


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Bermuda: Technology Education portal · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The Limey links to the Bermuda Ministry of Education's Technology Education Learning Portal.


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Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba: Morales’ TCP · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Evo Morales has announced a free trade agreement with Venezuela and Cuba. A free trade agreement except that it shall be called a TCP, or “Trade Agreement of the Peoples.” Alvaro Ruiz-Navajas explains the difference, or lack thereof, in a two part series. Chilean blogger Carlos Gustavo Machicado Salas has a rare English-language questioning the exclusiveness of the deal. “Where are the economists in Bolivia,” he asks.


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Chernobyl: First Victims · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Oleksa of My Reflections writes about Chernobyl and its first victims: “However, it is the plight of the 14 firefighters that made the greatest impression on me. They arrived on the station mere minutes after the blast and had to extinguish fire with their bare hands, almost literally, throwing the radioctive graphite off the roof back to the reactor. It was a truly suicidal mission and they all died two weeks later at a hospital in Moscow.”


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China: Blog closed for birth · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Last week Chinese blogger Bing Feng abruptly closed down his blog. Today he says why.


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China: Culinary journey to the West · Global Voices
John Kennedy

In ‘The startling truth behind my Xinjiang pilgrimage‘, Imagethief comes clean on his his real holiday plans: seeking the chuan master.
“It is this man who fascinates me. Enigmatic and serene, he is a staple of the signboards of Xinjiang restaurants. A prophet of cheap eats. A sage of savory goodness. Many are the times that I have been munching on a stick or three of chuan while gazing up at this mysterious man and wondering, “Who are you, O chuan master?”


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China: Staring happens · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Laowiseass‘ Lalaoshi blogs out the reasons why he gets stared at in some places and passed over in others:
“I remember no one stared at me in Zhumadian, a Henan province city where foreigners do not go unless they're journalists trying to sneak into the Shangcai AIDS village nearby.”


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China: Technorati unblocked · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Not that it has much connection to the Chinese blogsphere anyway, but Technorati is back reports Danwei.


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DRC: Blogger Wants to Petition T.I. · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Blogger Tony Katombe proposes (FR)  on Prince du Fleuve du Congo that he and compatriots from the country and abroad petition Transparency International  to “investigate the allegations of the implication of Louis Michel, William Lacy Swing, Aldo Ajello and other international officials in the  illicit exploitation of mining resources in the Katanga, the Kivu and Kasai… The idea is to bring T.I. to … establish that the conception and orientation of this corrupted system is the making of these western gentlemen who act in the Congo as in a colonial outpost.”


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Egypt: Lesson to be learned · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Today Zeinobia talks about important Egyptian term that you may have heard or read it while reading the modern Egyptian political history or even while following the news of the clash between the Judges and the regime nowadays. The term is “The Judges Massacre”!


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Ethiopia: US relations · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Redeem Ethiopia takes a look at US Ethiopian relations from an historical perspective and asks where exactly are they going?


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Ghana : ICT seminar · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Trials and Tribulations of a Freshly Arrived Denizen posts a couple of podcasts on the ICT seminar he is attending in Accra.


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Hong Kong: Benefits blogs bring · Global Voices
John Kennedy

More meta-commentary from Roland at EastSouthWestNorth in ‘Why Blogs Are Better Than Mainstream Media‘.


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Hong Kong: Incentives for local musicians · Global Voices
John Kennedy

This week on n8ma's Xanga site: “news of a new orchestral fellowship for string-playing graduates of the Central, Shanghai, and Hong Kong Conservatories that will help curb the mass emigration of Chinese musicians to more promising and lucrative employment in American orchestras.“


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India: Kaavya Tales · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The issue of author Kaavya Viswanathan plagiarising has prompted quite a few posts in the Indian Blogosphere. Among others Flotsam, India Uncut, Falstaff and Sepia Mutiny have a say.


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Iran: Joking with Nulcear · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Bazardispatch  says  Iranians intend to survive any storm by laughing through it. Blogger reports that one of Ahmadineghad's mottos is “Nuclear Energy is our absolute right!” well the newest SMS in Tehran is: “Having two wives is our absolute right too! But who becomes a second wife?” teasing Islamic code which allows men to have as many as four wives.


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Jordan: Customer Service · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Speaking her mind about the ‘customer service’ in the Arab world, Khalidah says: “We see large companies with hundreds of employees and fancy titles, their organization charts can fill a whole wall, each manager has managers and those report yet to more directors, those directors report to boards and boards to shareholders and the list goes on. They have departments for everything but they are all bubbles in the air that burst with the first customer experience.”


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Kenya: recycling and innovation · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Kikuyumoja’s realm has some suggestions for recyling your old desktop – you could also check out his innovative water heater as well.


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Kenya: Solar and economic hit men · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Afromusings returns once again to ” Confessions of an Economic Hitman” and asks if you can guess which African country refused to join Bush's Coalition of the Willing?  Some more solar links to go.


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Kyrgyzstan: Issyk-Kul by Bike · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

JJ writes about visiting villages on Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul by bike.


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Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome · Global Voices
Salam Adil

Iraqi bloggers pose something of puzzle for the mainstream media. The quality of the writing is good and bloggers sometimes have better news than their own reporters. But how do you use it? Some have the right idea and report what the bloggers are saying. This Associated Press article was circulated widely. Some just dont get it and make their own news reports in the format of a blog. Dear media company, looking like a blog does not make your news any better.
Iraq has a new Prime Minister and bloggers give their first impressions. There is a report on the state of the Iraqi media, words of wisdom from the older generation, how one blogger integrated into English society, and much, much more!
If you read only one blog this week read this
To read this post is to feel her sadness. Neurotic Wife presents herself and her Iraq as a story. She walks home one evening and is drawn to a girl  sitting alone on the pavement. Her name is Wa'ad. She asks Wa'ad where her family is:
They abandoned me…We were one huge family…kids everywhere, playing and laughing…but that was a long long time ago…I had neighbours…many of them…they used to come and have tea with us in our beautiful garden…but they abandoned me too…
Why I asked
I dont know she said with tears starting to flow down her cheeks….I dont know why….after my family left me, I went and knocked on my neighbour's house…once they saw me…they shut the door on me..I dont know why…but i promised…i promised i will come back….
but the story is a metaphor and Neurotic Wife makes a promise:
And I promised that I will be here…i will always be here waiting, waiting for them…for im Wa'ad…I am Iraq's Wa'ad…Iraq's Wa'ad that will never give up…Iraq's Wa'ad that was abandoned by my family…my family that I loved….Iraq's Wa'ad that was abandoned by my brothers and sisters…my brothers and sisters that I cared for…Iraq's Wa'ad that was stabbed by my neighbours…my neighbours that stabbed me not once, not twice…but a million times….but i promised…i promised i will be back…for Im Wa'ad…Iraq's Wa'ad… Iraq's Promise….
The Deadlock Breaks
And Iraq has a new Prime Minister. Before he was selected, Neurotic Wife was starting to get sick of the whole process:
“I cannot fathom, how these useless so called politicians cannot sit on a darn table and make a decision….Do they care about their people one bit??? Do they??? Its that darn chair again…Al Jaafari stepped down but do you think any of those nominated are better??? …
Im so sick and tired of this…literally sick and tired….I ask myself when will things get better…when will Iraq be normal again??? Is there such hope….Can you tell me what hope looks like cuz I think Ive forgotten”
And she lives in the Green Zone. Imagine what it is like for someone in the “Red Zone”.
Chikitita tells us with a summary of her part in all the Iraqi elections. From Saddam's 1995 referendum: “I was the only underage in my family and boy I laughed my head out when I made fun of my siblings, for they were scared to death and voted yes”; and the first election: “I chose the late Iraqi Monarch descendant, not because he's a shrewd politician, I just thought that, this one looks nice and clean-cut, at least he won't embarrass us in the Arab League Summit”; through to the latest election: “I didn't want to go. “Once bitten twice shy”, I told my mom. … This time I chose the ones who have promised to release all innocent detainees given the fact that my brother is one of [them]. The results turned out to be just what I have bargained for, broken promises.” She concludes:
It's just outrageous to know that the Iraqi people have been risking their lives and have smeared their fingers three times, yet their lives haven't changed one iota. Politicians, on the other hand, got fatter and wealthier all thanks to the fingers of the poor, who have plunged into ever-rising poverty and bloodbaths.
And then we found out that the imcumbent Prime Minister Jaafari will stand down and he will be replaced by Jawad Al-Malaki. “Jawad Who?” asks Omar of Iraq The Model. But he is not impressed with the new man because with him “Iraq will–in my opinion-continue to descend for the next four years in the same way it's been doing since the interim government was installed last year.” Several other bloggers on the right and left agree. Even Hammorabi who may have been expected to welcome the selection is not happy: “Any delay will lead to more attacks during the transitional time. The first mistake that Mr. Malki commit is by saying he needs 30 days to form the government. He should… submit his list [of minsters] in a day or say a week.” The most positive statement I could find about Malaki was from Z an Iraqi blogger in New Zealand. She said somewhat cryptically: “Having discussed this proposal from Mr Maliki with other Iraqi friends, I believe it can be virtually good and normally bad.”
Truth About Iraqis makes a point about militias:
Maliki used his first press conference to say that the militia would be merged into the interior ministry… He also praised the Shia fighters… as they fought the regime of Saddam Hussein. Many of those fighters today are senior figures in the militia, Badr Brigades and so on. Therefore, such statements are likely to do little to alleviate the concerns of Sunni lawmakers who accuse the interior ministry of supporting and facilitating death squads’ free rein. Merging them into the interior ministry will only make the crimes they commit against Iraqis legal and further ensure they are not prosecuted.
While Salam Adil (that's me) points out the alternate reality between Malaki's statements on keeping sectarianism out of the ministerial selection and the statements of the parties in the government.
The State of the Iraqi Media
My honorary Iraqi for the week award goes to Mahmood of Mahmood's Den. Who wrote an excellent summary of the “Status of Iraqi media” session at the 4th Arab Media Forum in Dubai which he attended. He tells us that a “surprising factor is the plethora of media outlets there are in Iraq: according to them, there are 26 satellite television stations, 40 terrestrial television stations and more than 100 newspapers including just a few tabloids!” But he says:
As to freedoms, it was agreed that although media is infinitely freer than it was in the previous era, there is no sense for that freedom if it is not coupled with a secure environment where a journalist continuously fears for his or her life. This was amply demonstrated by Adnan Hussain who read to us one of his regularly received death threats from Iraq from someone who took umbrage with Hussain’s criticism of Dr. Ja’afari.
In Other Worlds
Riverbend receives royalty in her household. Or that is how it feels when the oldest member of her family comes to stay. Bibi Z imparts some words of wisdom:
“History repeats itself… Politicians are opportunists… But they don’t worry me- they were bad, but Iraqis were better.” She continued to explain that through all of the drama and change that combine to form the colorful mosaic of the Iraqi political scene during the previous century, one thing remained constant- Iraqi loyalty and solicitude towards one another…
The one unforgivable sin back then was to have loyalties to the foreign occupier. “Today, the only ones who can guarantee their survival are the ones with the loyalties to an occupier- and even they aren’t safe.” She sighed heavily as she said this, her prayer beads clicking gently in her thin hands.
“For the first time in many years, I fear death… All people die eventually and I’ve had a longer life than most Iraqis- today children and young people are dying. I only fear death because I was born under a foreign occupation… I never dreamed I would die under one.”
Baghdad Treasure posts the news that Iraqis normally tell each other and it is the usual heart-wrenching tales of sadness and tragedy. He explains: “We hear such incidents almost everyday. Whoever we see tells us the bad news, simply because there is no good news. “Someone is killed, another is kidnapped, X was robbed, Y was beheaded, a roadside bomb went off, a car bomb exploded”… blablabla…”
Iraqis have a proverb for just about everything and Chikitita tells us a new one: “Had there been no good people, the world would have turned upside down”…she goes on to describe a neighbor who is the embodiment of that proverb and says: “Good people do exist. I'm afraid we haven't looked hard enough!”
Shaggy goes off one morning in search of Imodium. He “went to a street where more than half of the shops were pharmacies… It was nearly 9 O'Clock in the morning and every single one of them were closed. Mobile phone shops and grocery shops were open, but god forbid that a pharmacist should get out of bed to open his store. It's like Fridays, pharmacies are closed on Fridays here too, where's the sense in that? Iraqis must obviously not get sick on Fridays.”
Hala_s talks about her adventures integrating into English society:
I went shopping and clubbing like mad during the first few years. I later became more sensible and started enjoying long country walks and developed a real interest in theatre, I even tried my best to understand what cricket is all about! …
and captures the essence of the urban English as only an Iraqi can:
The biggest barrier was and still is “The drinking culture”. I have nothing against alcohol, but when it becomes the main purpose, the main reason and ultimately the only enjoyment, I and many others cannot really understand.
Going for a picnic ends up in drinking; a sunny day means drinking, watching a football match, going out anywhere is the same, drink till you drop!
The problem is the effect of it on people, not only any conversation turns to crap; but people start to allow themselves more liberties, and sometimes say things which might offend you or change your view on the person completely.
And Finally
Fayrouz explains what makes Iraqi blogger unique:
Most of them were definitely much happier when they started blogging three years ago. But, when things started to change in Iraq, their opinions changed too. Even the most optimistic among the Iraqi bloggers have changed lately. It's part of life and the daily experience in Iraq.
We, the Iraqi bloggers, understand our change of mood and opinions. Unfortunately, our international readers don't seem to understand this simple fact. They expect us to continue to write the way we did three years ago. This applies to the readers from the left, right and center… If we started our blogs saying XYZ is the greatest/worst thing that happened to humanity, then we aren't allowed to change our mind any bit. The minute we do, we're considered the worst bloggers that particular reader ever read.
In short, we're different than Westerners. We appreciate each other and understand our differences. We aren't copycats of each other.
Vive la difference!

author: Salam Adil


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Little East Timorese girl’s heart operation a success · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Meandarings has a post on Maria Soares, the little East Timorese girl who was operated on to repair a hole in her heart.  Doctors at Sydney Children's hospital volunteered to perform the operation after they read about her on an Australian newspaper.


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Malawi: struggles for independence · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

afrika-aphukira writes on WEB  Du Bois and the Malawian struggle for independence. “Today, there is little evidence in Malawi, let alone other African countries, of the ideals that Chilembwe, DuBois and other pan-African leaders fought for a hundred years ago. The Malawian school curriculum has contained a sanitized version of Chilembwe’s nationalism, with no connection to the bigger pan-African context, and its role in framing social justice struggles for black Americans.”


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Mexico: Debate Didn’t Change Voters’ Decisions · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Two polls taken after this week's presidential debate show Felipe Calderón as the winner despite bloggers’ insistence that it was Patricia Mercado who left in best shape. Another poll, however, reveals that 90% of those surveyed did not consider changing their vote after viewing the debate. For more numbers from across Latin America, check out Boz's patented Friday poll numbers.


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Mexico: Presidential Race Attracts Bumps Up Bandwidth · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Boli-Nica reveals that the Mexican presidential race is generating quite a bit of traffic around the web, including a share of anti-Obrador blogs.


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Mexico: Review of the Debate · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Dark Diamond Network has a comprehensive and articulate summary of the Mexican presidential debate and how each participant fared.


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Mongolia: News of the Week · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

neweurasia rounds up and discusses the week's news from Mongolia.


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Mongolia: Spring in the Gobi · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Luke Distelhorst visited the Gobi and writes about conservation of argali sheep.


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Nigeria: China’s Scramble for Africa · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Chippla has an excellent post on China's scramble for Africa…”In the new scramble for Africa, China appears to be a winner on all fronts—getting lucrative deals while choosing not to interfere in the internal politics of nations. And, if these nations increase their purchasing power with time, China sees a huge and largely untapped market, and one that has been largely ignored by Europe and the United States.”


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Nigeria: Failed leadership · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Nigeria, Whats New criticises the Aspen Institute which claims to be a leadership forum.  He asks “when are these people going to stop milking the poor cow? Nigeria does not function and will not function until we find a little bit of ethics, morality and deep concern about order and relationships in a more productive and constructive way of life in our selfish leaders.”


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Nigeria: to stay or leave · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

NSpace asks Nigerians who want to go to America to write a list of 10 things they think America will offer them and 10 points to add to the blueprint for a future Nigeria.


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Palestine: Confused! · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Lucy Widaad has a serious question for you: “Can you guys help me make a list of things we can do here in Palestine to help progress the peace process… How can we demonstrate that we do not want occupation any longer without resorting to violence?”


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Poland, Russia: Katyn Massacre · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

In 1940, the Soviets executed some 22,000 Polish officers; the victims’ families have now brought charges against Russia and are demanding full disclosure of the truth about the tragedy. Vilhelm Konnander examines the issue.


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Pulse of the Saudi Blogosphere · Global Voices
Ahmed Al-Omran

Football and ice hockey, hijab and fatwas, bloggers meetups, and much much more from the Saudi blogosphere this week. Let's go…
Starting with Swalfy, who did not seem so surprised that Riyadh Gitex, which supposed to be the biggest IT exhibition in Saudi Arabia does not has a website. He went to attend the exhibition, but he could not find a parking space, so he decided to leave. “I decided to leave and come on another year, maybe Gitex 3000, when we don't have to leave our houses to watch the latest technologies,” he said (Arabic).
Saudi Future takes the time to tell us about the different kinds of punishments for students in high school. “Yes people, you will one day get caught, so you must face… the punishment,” she said.
Wearing hijab inappropriately is something that Leeno is not so happy about. She wrote: “I have nothing but admiration for women that are veiled, especially in a non-muslim country where stigmata continue to exist. However the 1/2 hijab syndrome is mind boggling to me.”
Starlit_Saudi is worried over young people who lie about their age. “Anyone in their 20s and changing there age? Only in Saudi,” she wrote, and then asks: “When should you start lying about your age?”
Moving to sports, the Saudi national football team is starting a training camp in Holland this week to prepare for the FIFA World Cup this summer. In his latest post, Shahed has an interesting opinion on the team's chances in the competition:
A large number of people believe Saudi will be last in the group, but so why is Tunisia so excited in watching this team. Whenever there is a game between two arab teams, its not about who’s stronger and who’s weaker because both team has an equal chance of winning. I believe the Saudis are capable of going past the Tunisian in the first game.
Fedo also has a post on the Saudi trip to Germany, but with a different take. he says: “Oh, well, guys, all I have for you is an irritatingly-wide smile and two thumbs up. Good luck!”
Nzingha is excited over the opening of an ice rink where she lives. “Who would think of an ice rink in the middle of the desert? Certainly not me,” she wrote. After telling us the whole story, she says: “I do admit I still find the whole idea of Ice Hockey in Saudi Arabia a bit amusing.” Meanwhile, after living abroad for some time, Sweet Anger is not really amused by living in Riyadh. “the only thing people do for fun is shop, eat, or sit at home watching TV?! Oh people come on, you're telling me no one thought of something recreational for women? There is no where to go bowling, no place to play snooker and hardly anyone knows what badminton is. Now don’t get me wrong I love my country and this city, but it has a lot to improve on, and its bursting with potential,” she wrote.
But Riyadh has held two bloggers meetups last week: Bissa met met Fouad Al Farhan.
And now to Dotsson, who wears the hat (or should I say the turban?) of a sheikh, and decides to answer some religious questions. Why? “My purpose is to simply bring to light the stupidity of many people out there,” he said.
Before we go, I leave you with Farooha, who described herself as a natural girl, has a good post on relationships between sexes in the Arab society: “for a long while I was a victim of Arab heresy pertaining to the opposite sex, and I say so with pride, as you see even the occasional genius oddity thought twice before defying the stern word of society.”
Finally, Ubergirl has some questions, because she thinks asking random questions is fun, while AhMeD recommends reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

author: Ahmed Al-Omran


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Riots and panic in East Timor · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Violence broke out in East Timor's capital Dili earlier today.
Dili-gence says
The usual press outlets have already reported 2 dead and 21 injured. We received a phone call from a Timorese in the current hot area Comorro. People are scared and people have seen smoke rising from the general area.
Mainstream news sources are blaming sacked soldiers for the trouble.  About 500 soldiers were sacked last month after they deserted the army protesting unfairness in promotions. The soldiers were demonstrating in the capital city Dili all this week.
However, Sam at Dili-Dallying blog does not think so
What appears to have happened is that disturbances have occurred next to the government building in the heart of the city, about a kilometre from here. Young men have destroyed property and set buildings and cars on fire. It is unclear whether these men are part of the ‘591’ sacked military, members of martial arts groups (gangs) or random individuals. Given the situation has been mostly calm all week with the ‘591’ conducting themselves peacefully, I would guess that it is the gangs taking advantage of the situation but I cannot be sure. (The unemployment rate for young people in Dili is 40% and some young male members channel their frustrations vis-à-vis martial arts groups.)
Dili-gence , writing in an earlier post, also thinks that the news sources are missing something
One point which it seems to miss is that the violent part of the unrest appears to have little to do with the military labour dispute itself. My understanding is that the main issue is the tensions between Timor-Leste westerners and easterners (monu versus lorosae). The violent bits at this stage, appear to be westerners picking on easterners who now reside in Dili (Dili being on the west of the divide).
Blogger  at tumbleweed in timor lorosae blames the rumour mongers for the troubles.
The Timorese, thanks to the horrors of the '99 violence still fresh on their minds, have a panic button that is very very easily triggered.You can't blame them because their brothers, sisters, friends and relatives were indeed killed before and they themselves victims of the violence. So whenever there are rumours or any hint of anything not right, families flee to the hills for refuge.
And you know what, some people know this weakness and are exploiting it. The demonstrators may be having a peaceful protest but anyone, just one or two persons who are keen on creating trouble, to loot for personal gains or to upset the current government, can so easily spark off panic.
Dili-gence  ends with
Lets just say we have bunkered down for the moment.
Sam says
The situation remains tense. We have heard reports of people throwing rocks at bis (bus) headed for the east to Baukau and Lospalos. Many Dili residents are also fleeing to the surrounding hills.
What a fragile democracy is Timor.
and Tumbleweed is disappointed too
it's so unfair for timor! we need the peace right now for the economy to progress and we need stability. the LAST thing we need is this thing now!
if you want to help timor, the first thing to do is to get the facts right.. which is extremely difficult too. i mean, as i write this i am in the office, safe and surrounded by guards, i can't see the situation outside and am depending on reports from people to even blog this.


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Russia: Protes in Ufa Ignored by Media · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

As a discussion of media ownership and censorship in Russia is taking place at Russia Blog, Daut of Ufa Blog writes about a recent protest rally in Bashkortostan's capital that no local media have covered and no one seems to be aware of: “A demonstration in America will probably also include metal detectors, a shitload of cops and SWAT and a certain amount of harassment, but it’s the media blackout that makes the difference. No mention of the demonstration on the local news, no photographs. An opposition of ghosts. It would be scary if it wasn’t so pathetic. Rakhimov, who has no real reason to fear a color revolution, can suppress all public dissent, safe in the knowledge that no one inside or outside the Republic is paying the least bit of attention.”


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Saudi Arabia: No chance for woman’s rights · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Woman's rights in the Arab/Islamic world is hitting the Middle East news again. Justice and marriage are the last two compromised systems in favor of men, Sabbah said. In fact, he sees that the new Fatwa, which allows marriage after the woman forfeit her rights, is sort of legalization of prostitution. On the other hand, a Pakistani girl was deported after she was jailed. Her guilt was… she got raped by a local.


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Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan fiction · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Tiny Little Fractures reads The Kite Runner and compares the book to Monsoon Dream, contextualizing the gaps in contemporary Sri Lankan fiction.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Sri Lankan: Who was it? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Nittewa on figuring out whose bodies were found in Avissawella and Mulleriyawa, and some ideas on who they couldn't have been.


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Taiwan: A Chinese Africa · Global Voices
John Kennedy

In ‘Hu charms Africa‘, Taiwan-based American blogger Richard at The Peking Duck links to a story on China's “efforts to create a new world order ” evidenced by president Hu Jintao's recent visit to Africa.
“Score another one for Mr. Bush,” Richard writes. “His inane ‘War on Terror’ is chasing other countries away from us and into China's arms.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Press statement on aluminum smelter · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The Rights Action Group T&T blog pulls no punches in the press statement outlining the group's views on the aluminium smelter project proposed for south Trinidad: “What is at stake for Trinidad and Tobago is not only the giving away of our natural gas, which accounts for 20% of our GDP, and the dangers and damages that will be caused by these industries, but also our precious fresh water aquifers and lost opportunity to develop an agro-industries, eco-tourism, fisheries and a genuinely sustainable country.”


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Ukraine: Markets Won’t Wait · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At Foreign Notes, LEvko writes that Ukrainian president expects the coalition to be formed sometime in June, and Scott W. Clark cautions that this may be a bit too long for the country's economy: “If, as LEvko reports, this mess won't be sorted out until June, will the markets hold still for that? That is a long time for politics and an eternity for markets. Will there be any confidence in the government after all that? It is quite possible that any confidence could evaporate and start a selloff.”


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United Arab Emirates: Democracy or no democracy? · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Keefieboy is afraid that the real danger that democracy poses to the Middle East right now is that the ‘wrong’ people will win. Because the moderate voices of the moderate candidates will not be heard. Because the indigenous population of the Middle East is so pissed off with the way the West has treated them, that they will vote for the guys that will irritate the West most, he said


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Venezuela: New CNE Board and Friday Night Fiesta · Global Voices
David Sasaki

While Katy explains how the board of Venezuela's Electoral Council (the elections governing body) is selected, Francisco gives some background on the new five board members. Away from politics, Adriana of CaracasCafe recommends getting rowdy tonight at El Tunel's open bar.


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West Indian literature online · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

One of the crucial elements in the rapid development of the literature of the Anglophone Caribbean in the 1940s and 50s was a weekly radio programme called Caribbean Voices, broadcast from London on the BBC's Caribbean Service and produced by Henry Swanzy. Caribbean Voices featured stories and poems by West Indian writers, recorded in London and broadcast back to the West Indies, allowing these writers to reach an audience unrestricted by island boundaries and helping to foster the sense that the young literature of the Anglophone Caribbean territories was a single national literature: West Indian literature.
If a similar project were started today, no doubt it would use the World Wide Web–actually, I'm a little surprised no one's started a blog called Caribbean Voices yet. (Hint?) But, though there is no West Indian literary blog with the scope and reach of, say, the Literary Saloon or The Valve or Blog of a Bookslut, there is a small, vibrant, and growing literary sector in the Caribbean blogosphere.
Start (as one should) with the writers. Canada-based “Caribbean writer of science fiction” Nalo Hopkinson (Brown Girl in the Ring; Midnight Robber; The Salt Roads) has been blogging since late 2001, giving her readers updates on her current work in progress and reflecting on the experience of being a black gay woman working in a genre usually associated with white teenage men. Grenada-born sci-fi writer Tobias Buckell (Crystal Rain) also blogs–and his current work in progress, “Sly Mongoose”, takes its name from an old folk song.
As does Florida-based Jamaican writer Geoffrey Philp (Uncle Obadiah and the Alien; Hurricane Centre; Benjamin, My Son), who started his blog only last December, but has already begun a series of birthday “livications” for other Caribbean writers, including Anthony Winkler, Mervyn Morris, and Andrew Salkey. He recently posted “Where I Stand”, the text of a lecture in which he talks about the birth of his literary ambition and the role of the writer in the Caribbean. Fellow Jamaican Colin Channer (co-founder of the Calabash International Literary Festival) used to have a blog on his website–it seems to have disappeared. And maybe Marlon James–whose first novel, John Crow's Devil, was nominated for both a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and a Los Angeles Times Book Prize–will start a “real” blog one of these days–meanwhile, he's been keeping a so-called “plog” over at Amazon.com, where he's been writing about, among other things, Jean Rhys and literacy in Jamaica.
Other Caribbean writers with websites but not blogs include Trini-Bahamian Robert Antoni (Divina Trace; Blessed Is the Fruit; Carnival), Kittitian-British Caryl Phillips (Cambridge; The Final Passage; Dancing in the Dark), and Jamaican Kwame Dawes (Progeny of Air; Midland).
What about blogs devoted to particular writers? Milton Drepaul has a blog about the work of Guyanese writer N.D. Williams (though, as of today, this hasn't been updated in over four months). It includes reviews of Williams's books and some original writing as well. Canada-based J.E. Bratt runs blogs named after the Guyanese writers Martin Carter and Edgar Mittelholzer, as well as a blog named after the venerable Guyanese journal Kyk-Over-Al, though Bratt's blogs for the most part reproduce material from elsewhere, not always of a literary nature, and sometimes, it must be said, with a casual approach to copyright.
Caribbean Beat magazine is not a literary periodical, but it does run frequent profiles of and interviews with major Caribbean writers, and the magazine's blog (to which I contribute) pays close attention to literary matters; recently, this has included posts on the late writer and lecturer Ken Parmasad and a discussion of “the West Indian canon” triggered by a new edition of Martin Carter's poems.
Finally, I must make special mention of Guyana-Gyal, the pseudonymous author of the simply named Guyana blog. “I gon tell you stories, true, true stories. Like me gran'pa and me nanee and cha cha used to do, and they ancestors too. Take half, leave half, cry or laff,” she says. Guyana-Gyal's lyrical musings on everyday life, written in “Creolese” (or “dialect”), often penetrate to the heart of contemporary Guyana–and the contemporary Caribbean–more directly, more deeply, more movingly than tens of thousands of words of commentary and analysis and opinion written by the pundits and the self-appointed experts.
That, after all, is the power of literature, of literary forms; that is why, fifty years after the political events that inspired them, we still read Martin Carter's “Poems of Resistance”; that is why V.S. Naipaul's 1958 novel The Suffrage of Elvira is still the best guide to electoral politics in Trinidad and Tobago. As Ezra Pound said, “Literature is news that stays news”.
[Dear reader: Have I missed any interesting Caribbean literary blogs? Do use the comments to let me know.]

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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World: Farmer’s Market International Parade · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Melissa De Leon and Elena Hernandez are co-hosting the “The Farmer's Market International Parade” where participants from across the world post photos of their neighborhood markets, which will then be collected and linked to. So far, entries have been received from Venezuela, Mexico, Trinidad, UK and Panama. Entries will be accepted until June 1st, 2006.

author: David Sasaki


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Belarus: Support for Jailed Opposition Leaders · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Minsk, March 2006 – by anonymous: “One young woman was arrested while standing outside an internet cafe near October Square on Monday, as the tent camp was formed. She was released after three days, and returned on Friday to the prison walls to hand out letters from other detainees she had taken out when released.”
As the opposition leader Aleksandr Milinkevich and other politicians have ended up in jail for the next 15 days following the April 26 march, Belarusian LJ users (some of whom were sentenced and jailed in March 2006) note the lack of support for their leaders and suggest ways to fix the situation (BEL, RUS):
inenigma: maybe someone knows the exact address of the [jail] on Okrestina? I want to write a letter to [Milinkevich]. Theoretically, it's a useless endeavor, but [the police] will have something to busy themselves with – they'll have so much paper to get rid of…
kaputmaher: I went there tonight, spent some time standing around… Commemoration or something… =))))) Though I was alone there at that time =)
inenigma: I was there two evenings in a row, on the 27th and 28th, and indeed, no one was there… very strange… even though we were being watched )) i think, this was very swinish behavior (or not so?) is it really so difficult to just come there and support [the prisoners]? no one was trying to capture us there (knock on wood…)
kaputmaher: It'd be human and correct and it has to be done! They were supporting us in a similar situation.
mindoug: I was there, too. Me and no one else =)
[…]
inenigma: I suggest that all those who are ready to come to Okrestina – tomorrow, for example – get in touch with me […] and we'll talk it over and start going there together )) and a good idea also is to really start writing letters to them… who knows, maybe they'll be passed [to the prisoners…]


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China: Blogger still held · Global Voices
John Kennedy

With help from her father and friends, Nina Wu—older sister of illegally-detained Beijing or Bust blogger Hao Wu—has become a one-woman lobbying force as seen in today's post ‘contact‘.


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China: Truth penetrates firewall · Global Voices
John Kennedy

In ‘China Good News Vol. 3‘, the Laowiseass blogger posts a letter from a reader:
“I just saw a PBS documentary about what happened in Beijing in the summer of 1989 with my roommates. The three of us were shocked by not only the bloody, barbarian event, but also the fact we've been successfully kept unaware of it for so long. The history textbook never mentions it. It's like all trust, confidence and faith fall apart.”


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DRC Diaspora: UDPS Wallonie May 1st  Forum · Global Voices
Alice Backer

On May 1st, UDPS Wallonie will hold a conference in Liege, Belgium to explain why UDPS will not partake in the upcoming DRC elections, says (FR) UDPS Liege. Details are in the post.


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East Timor: Update from the streets · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Things have quietened down in Dili, the East Timor capital. Blogger at Dili-gence drives around the streets of central Dili to look at the damage.  A largely peaceful protest by sacked soldiers turned violent on Friday when gangs of unemployed youths joined in started looting.

author: Preetam Rai


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Man and anthill (Guyana) · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Admiring an anthill in the north Rupununi, Guyana, with the Kanuku Mountains hidden by clouds in the distance. Photo by Nicholas Laughlin.


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Martinique: Do Not Piss Here  · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Bien Vu finds a “Do not piss here”  bilingual french/creole sign near the Tourism Bureau in downtown Fort-de-France and concludes “In Martinique, we spell things out.”


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Martinique: Gas Ration In Case of Strike · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Bien Vu laments (FR) rumors of  an imminent gas station strike and hopes a new  twenty Euro per person ration is not in vain. “You don't want to be driving a 4X4 right now” he says.


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Martinique: Tourists Turned Off · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Bien Vu worries (FR) that Martinique is turning tourists off. Some have  complained to him, he says, about: “a poor welcome,  bad company, not feeling safe during their vacations and to top it all off, women being the subject of obscene insults.”


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What Salvadoran bloggers are saying — abortion and gay marriage · Global Voices
Tim Muth

A variety of issues have been discussed in the Salvadoran blogosphere in past weeks.  Much discussion went to Jack Hitt's article in the April 9, 2006 Sunday New York Times Magazine titled Pro-Life Nation.  In the article, Hitt describes El Salvador's complete criminalization of abortion which includes the prosecution and imprisonment of women who have abortions, and there are no exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the mother.  The article produced a spirited debate in comments on Tim's El Salvador Blog where some celebrated the “pro-life” policy of the government and others condemned the idea that a government which was not addressing poverty and childhood diseases could be considered as pro-life.
Meanwhile numerous liberal blogs commented on Pro-Life Nation by forecasting that it was the future of abortion law in the US if conservative groups had their way.  Blog posts such as I have seen the future and it is El Salvador on the Carpetbagger Report or a post on Vox Mia are representative samples of these liberal blogs.
The next hot button social issue is same sex marriage.  An amendment has been proposed to El Salvador's constitution to outlaw the possibility.  Jjmar at the Hunnapuh blog calls the proposal a smokescreen.  Jjmar points to family disintegration in El Salvador and the high level of households headed by a single mother as major problems leading to gangs and poverty, and yet the amount of attention given to the constitutional amendment would almost seem to suggest that gay unions are the source of the country's problems.
The same sex marriage amendment is one of a number of constitutional amendments being proposed in the waning hours of the current session of the Salvadoran National Assembly which ends at midnight on April 30.  Many of the current deputies will no longer have jobs after that point as deputies elected in the March 12 elections take their seats on May 1.  To become effective, a constitutional amendment must be passed in two successive sessions of the National Assembly.  Jjmar at Hunnapuh points out that a constitutional amendment could be passed by a vote taken on April 30 and then another on May 1 with the new legislature.  Such a process, the blogger feels, would create a bad precedent, showing that the basic laws of the land can be revised without much deliberation.  The larger critique, joined by bloggers El Visitador and Tim, are that these constitutional amendments are being made without the voters on March 12 being advised they were part of the party platform.
In other blogs, Chuck Stewart has been regularly providing summaries in English of news from the Salvadoran press on his blog. Meanwhile David Kroodsma is an environmental activist riding a bike from California to the southernmost tip of South America to raise awareness of climate change issues.  This week his blog describes his week touring through El Salvador, staying with firefighters and talking in schools.
In a series of posts, Claudia Milian, explores the meaning of “Salvadoranness” for a Latina US citizen.  Milian addresses not having the nationalistic nostalgia which those in El Salvador assume “guanacos” living outside the country must have.

author: Tim Muth


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DRC: T.I. Petition & Elections Debate · Global Voices
Alice Backer

“Master of the Universe,” a threat to Kabila?  By Etienne Ngandu
Today UDPS Liege echoes an AFP article announcing the presidential election will take place July 30.  The election was postponed for a year last June and the July 30 date is later than the June 30 deadline mandated by various transitional laws.
Earlier this week blogger Tony Katombe proposed (FR)  on Prince du Fleuve du Congo that he and compatriots from the country and abroad petition Transparency International  to “investigate the allegations of the implication of Louis Michel, William Lacy Swing, Aldo Ajello and other international officials in the  illicit exploitation of mining resources in the Katanga, the Kivu and Kasai… The idea is to bring T.I. to … establish that the conception and orientation of this corrupted system is the making of these western gentlemen who act in the Congo as in a colonial outpost.”
Invited by blogger Philippe Liondjo who runs Le Prince, others, like MuanaCongo, chimed in:
depuis le début de cette transition, nous avons adressé de centaines de mémos aux représentants de la communauté internationale. Cette même communauté a diligenté des études dont les résultats attestent de manière irréfutable et définitive le pillage de notre pays, notamment par le clan Kabila …  Si vraiment nous aimons notre pays, soyons réalistes. Le seul acte patriotique qui vaut la peine d'être entrepris aujourd'hui, c'est une révolution soit populaire, soit armée et pourquoi pas une combinaison de deux.
Desire Katompa, bypassed the topic of the petition but  also talked about struggle, defining it differently than MuanaCongo:
Seule la lutte libère!  Qu'est-ce que la lutte? La lutte c'est se reveiller le matin pour aller au boulot, la lutte c'est au boulot chercher à être le meilleur, la lutte c'est chaque jour faire du mieux que l'on peut pour faire avancer les choses qui nous tiennen à coeur.
He seems to think that participation in the election, not armed struggle, is the solution:
Les négociations amenent le concensus, les élections amenent la soumission du vaincu. Cherchons donc à être les vainqueurs afin de soumettre nos adversaires. Nous avons toutes nos chances pour barrer la route à Kabila et au PPRD. Ne nous laissons pas impressionner par les muscles, regardons la réalité en face, et surtout scrutons notre âme et notre revolte, reportons cela sur les 25 millions des congolais.
Philippe Liondjo, the founder of Le Prince, also contributed his two cents:
pour moi, l’initiative proposée par Tony Katombe est un plus dans notre lutte …  je suis pour cette idée, tout en étant aussi dans la ligne de pensée de notre frère Badibanga pour une révolution populaire d’ampleur.
On a lighter note,  Etienne Ngandu at Le Renouveau Congolais posted a photo essay of Kasai province, its second this year.  One picture was of a potential political rival to both the PPRD and the opposition, a certain “Master of the Universe”:
Tous les politiciens kinois n'ont qu'à bien se tenir. Voilà le redoutable adversaire politique de Lukalaba qui va tous les battre. Sur son tableau figurent déjà tous les titres qu'il porte: PAD MIBA, Gouverneur Kasaï-Oriental, President RDC, Président Union Africaine, Maitre du monde, etc… Bref un fou qui amuse les gens au marché de Lukalaba.


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Iran: Blogger Remains in Jail! · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Webgardian writes according to ILNA (Iran Labour National Agency) Arash Sigarchi's, jailed blogger & journalist, appeal was rejected by Supreme Court. He must stay in jail for three years.


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Iran: Refugee Seekers in Church! · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Panhajoyan (Persian) writes that a small group of Iranian refugee seekers, since 24 April, have occupied a church in Belgium to stay in country. Many Iranian refugee seekers are under threat by Belgian government to be sent back to Iran.