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Bermuda: Manadatory GPS · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Judging from the local press, stakeholders seem divided on the issue of mandatory GPS systems for Bermuda's taxis, says the Limey.


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Blogs in Peru, 2005 · Global Voices
David Sasaki

In the past year two new services focused on Peruvian blogs have appeared: the first was Perublog.net, which began operating in January of 2005, and which is now offering hosting and a directory with XMLRPC notifications. And then in May, Perublogs.com appeared, a directory which would go on to become a provider of various services to the Peruvian blogophere and which also puts out Blog Report, which measures and analyzes the activity of the bloggers of Peru.
Even so, this year’s most important achievement was the incorporation of new participants and new themes into the blogs of Peru. The most notable additions took place in literary blogs. For a long time it seemed we had only Ivan Thais’ excellent efforts at Notas Moleskine (Moleskine Notes), but 2005 saw the appearance of Gustavo Faverón, Daniel Salas, and Leonardo Aguirre, among others.
Blogs dealing with education also appeared, such as the work of Juan Lapeyre at Educación y Tecnología (Education and Technology), that of university instructor Eland Vera, or that of i-Elanor at La Casa del Arbol (The House by the Tree). As I pointed out, the appearance of these new authors will enable new conversations and new modes of communication in the blogosphere, in addition to bringing the attention of a wider audience to what the Internet is and what can be done with it.
And certainly the past year has clearly shown that the media is interested in blogs. Various articles and blurbs appeared in several national newspapers, describing general aspects of blogs and the topics they deal with, as well as informative pieces on the services at Perublogs. And the year ended with an interesting sponsorship agreement in which the newspaper Perú.21 carries a link to Gustavo Faverón's blog on their website.
But it’s not just the media that has been showing interest in blogs. While it’s true that the emergence of journalists in blogs began with the arrival, in 2003, of JC Luján “Sin Papel” (“Paper Free”), in 2005 a group of students from the course he teaches at the local university made their way into the blogosphere, with varying degrees of success. Elsewhere, well-known, distinguished journalists such as Juan Gargurevich and Manuel Jesus Orbegozo consolidated the blogs they began in 2004, turning them into resources for debate and reference. Marco Sifuentes also joined in with “El Utero de Marita” (Marita’s Uterus), and columnist Daniel Flores who is, justifiably, the journalist most familiar with tech issues—I can remember him from years ago, back when the Navegante list still existed.
And so 2005 saw new topics, new participants, and new interests begin taking shape in the blogosphere. While we saw several services that seemed redundant at the time (cases in point: Perublogs,  Perublog, and Blogsperu), group endeavors like Viadescape and Cinencuentro have also come on the scene, all of which have found their own niches and have begun to explore the potential for growth in the blogosphere. In 2006, perhaps we’ll see new group efforts that offer still more options to cybernauts. It would be interesting, for example, to see Viadescape take off and bring together users from all over the country, or for new blogs with a regional focus to start appearing with information on tourism and local issues. Podcasts deserve special attention—they’ve begun to be heard in the voices of everyday folks, showing us that communication isn’t just an exclusive privilege or something limited to just a few people. With that in mind, 2006 looks like it will be an auspicious year. Seriously.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: David Sasaki


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Bolivia: Impressions of Evo Morales · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Both Miguel Centallas and Miguel Buitrago pen their thoughts on President-elect Evo Morales while The Latin Americanist takes a sample of what the international media have to say.


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Brazil: “Political Correctness Threatens Democracy” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Luís Afonso Assumpção says that “the “politically correct” can be defined as a type of  ‘ wishful-thinking'” which is harmful to Brazilian democracy. The essay is also available in Portuguese.


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Caribbean: What does the word before the colon mean? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“What does “Caribbean” mean? What a vast weight of confusion & possibility & debate those four little syllables have to bear,” says Nicholas Laughlin in a thoughtful post inspired by a long-gone writing deadline, by the debates around the restructuring of the Global Voices “Americas” region, and by Taran Rampersad's mention of what Nicholas terms “the phenomenon that some call brain drain & others call the diaspora.”

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Chile: Love Parade 2006 · Global Voices
David Sasaki

GlowMain has photos and video of Saturday's “Love Parade” in Santiago, Chile. It certainly looks as though a good time was had by all. There is also a group on Flickr.


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China: Blogger Movie · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

China Top Blog tantalizingly gives us a shot of a movie Chinese bloggers are shooting on their own.  They're dressed as policemen.  This will be interesting.

author: Jose Manuel Tesoro


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China: Cat Meat · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Imagethief has a post about the discovery that cat meat is being served in some Shanghai restaurants: “China is the land of the food scandal, which makes any trip to a cheap restaurant an exercise in random cuisine.”


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China, Hong Kong: Wong Kar-Wai and the Mainland · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Angry Chinese Blogger discusses noted Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai's complicated relationship with China.  Wong was recently named jury president for the Cannes Film Festival, and Cannes has a “noted tendency to defy Beijing.”


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China: Panda Economics · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

An animal researcher in Taiwan concluded that the island should no longer accept artificially bred pandas from China since their rate of survival is so low.  Sun Bin talks about the science of breeding pandas and the economics (of zoos) involved in having them.


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China: The Art of No · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Talk Talk China ponders customer service in China, which hasn't improved despite the booming economy.  He reflects on asking for a bar of soap right behind the counter and being told “We don't have it.”


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China: With [Insert Country Here] Characteristics · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Musing Under the Tenement Plan plays around with the phrase “with Chinese characteristics” often used by Chinese officials to explain adaptations of foreign practices to China by searching for similar phrases using different countries’ “characteristics.”  Here's what he found.


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Colombia: Rural Wi-Fi; Family · Global Voices
David Sasaki

John Guzman links to an article about a large-scale broadband rural access project in Colombia on Proyecto Colombia, while he compares family structure between Colombia and the U.S.A. on his personal blog.


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Colombia: U.S. aid to Colombia · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Plan Colombia and Beyond breaks down the numbers of U.S. aid to Colombia in 2004, 2005, and what has been requested for 2006.


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Dominica: Flickr photoset · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Yaxbalam has a lovely Flickr photoset devoted to the island of Dominica, comprising scenes of Roseau, the capital city, landscapes, historical sites and local flora.


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Dominican Republic: Baseball & hip-hop · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Beisbolblog.com, a soon-to-be-launched blog dedicated to Dominican baseball, is seeking an Executive Editor, contributors and photographers. And a music video for the song “Ha lo Que Tu Quiera” by R-1 is available for download at r1hiphop.com


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DRC: fighting stigma of rape · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Passion of the Present points to an article on women in the DRC who are fighting the stigma of rape.

author: Sokari Ekine


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Educational Bridges through Blogs · Global Voices
Rosario Lizana

Blogs entering the field of education empower schoolteachers, who are separated by the geography of Chile, to communicate with each other in ways that previously were not so accessible.
The blog “Educandonos” (ES) seeks to give schoolteachers a different, participative view of education. The purpose is to use blogs as a platform for a new way of communication. The blog also features a guide (ES) to Chilean Schools with blogs, and a list (ES) of Chilean school teachers with blogs throughout the country. Benjamin Pérez (ES) is a schoolteacher in Castro, Chiloé Island, who posts about his adventures teaching in the provinces. The guide also features blogs from schoolteachers from Coquimbo (ES), Arica (ES), Llanquihe (ES) and the capital, Santiago, where the guide began.
How does this affect students?  In universities, a six month certificate course, led by designer Rodrigo Walker (ES) and a group of experts, introduced blogs as a resource for students to bring added value to their market offer.  Students had the opportunity to learn, step by step, how to build and manage a blog and the consequential benefits of design in creating an identity.  Rodrigo Walker promotes this to “change the orientation of education from knowledge to action” and believes that the “only way to make a change in education is to change the context of where it is.” The results from the 27 students in the course are already apparent: one of the students is now a finalist in a competition by 3M, another services and contacts clients using blogs, and others are specializing in selling identity through blog design concepts. For more information, click here.

author: Rosario Lizana


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Ethiopia: Poverty as Cheetas feed · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Nazret.com reports that in the midst of Ethiopia's poverty,  two cheetahs that were rescued by Ethiopian veterinarian and U.S. counterterrorism soldiers, are now living comfortably in the grounds of the  official residence of Ethiopia's president. One commenter writes “Has anyone seen the Irony here, Cheetah's live in the palace after having been rescued by American soldiers while over 40,000 young are in prisons for protesting against the Ethiopian government. And there is no justice for 83 who were killed by Ethiopian special forces.”


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Guyana: Amazon women · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

On December 31st, 2005, a team of seven women set out on a 650km expedition whose aim is to map what they believe to be a new route through uncharted virgin jungle in Guyana, writes Amazon Rainforest. According to the expedition web site, this effort is in support of The Prince’s Trust Women Working campaign, and for expedition leader Rachel Kelsey it represents “a longstanding dream, to have a close team of determined women exploring an uncharted area of the world, to create a legacy for others to follow, to benefit a country inspired by our endeavours, and to support a cause of great importance.” The web site also features a map of the expedition route.


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India: Highways · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Charu on highways in India – with special emphasis on the one between Bombay and Pune. Roads in India impact more than just economics and travel – they actually do bring people closer!

author: Neha Viswanathan


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India: US and Saudi Arabia · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Do the communist parties in India indulge in double standards? An impending visit from Bush brings much criticism, but for the King of Saudi Arabia – not a squeak says Arthashastra.


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Iraq: The Sunni ignore Zarqawi · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Omar of Iraq The Model says that two developments took most of the interest in Iraq's political scene yesterday. The first is the latest audio tape of Zarqawi in which he urged the Iraqi Sunni parties especially the Islamic Party to abandon the political process and go back to the “right path”.
The second important development in Iraq was the Kurdish decision to nominate Jalal Talabani for presidency after a period of hesitation.

author: Haitham Sabbah


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Israel: The Tenth of Tevet · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

While Muslims celebrate today the first day of Eid ul-Adha, Imshin says that observant Jews fast today in memory of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon's two and a half year siege on Jerusalem, which commenced 2594 years ago today.


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Kazakhstan: Gucci Revolution Revisited · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Ataman of neweurasia says that Kazakhstan tries to flaunt its success to be taken seriously by the rest of the world and that the faultlines in the country are between those who have benefited under the president and those who haven't.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Kazakhstan: Oiled Inauguration · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Kazakhstan's president will be inaugurated for a new seven year term soon and plenty of world leaders will be on hand. neweurasia reports that by the end of the festivities, President Nazarbaev will have heard plenty about oil.


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KenyanSphere – Opening 2006 · Global Voices
Marc

Ms K has a stirring piece on safe and responsible sex, especially in these liberal times, urging people to protect themselves.
Mama JunkYard opens the new year with the shocking information that someone has been sending email in her name, another victim of the unsavoury practice of email spoofing by spammers.
The perils of travel and the reliance on the goodwill and efficiency of airlines during transit came painfully to the fore for Mental Acrobatics who found himself marooned in transit sans passport and ticket, coupled with decidedly unhelpful airline staff who confined him to a very hard, very uncomfortable lounge
Prousette’s, while confessing that she is a tad bit superstitions, feels the hairs prickle on the back of her neck as a superstitions friend gives a surprising revelation:
you should never give someone money because they might take it to the mganga and pray (or whatever it is that waganga do) for it and you will have financial trouble.
*for the uninitiated mganga is a voodoo man*
The ever controversial topic of the slave trade, its participants and the issue of reparation rears its head once again. Keguro probes at the involvement of Africans, and their attempts to excuse it. African Bullets And Honey wonders how to apportion the blame, and questions why it still exists in some countries today.
KenyanMusings enumerates a few of the qualities of the man that she will marry. The only quality that was in bold and caps was that he MUST LOVE BOOKS
With the knowledge of the somersaulting and jumping through hoops most Africans have to go through to be able to travel ‘Westwards’ the Kenyan Pundit has little sympathy when the shoe is on the other foot, as was the case when someone needed to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Wangari is unsure to react to the news that a grown woman, presumably in full control of her faculties, has tied the not with a tall dark and – er — blue dolphin
Deno at Virtual Insanity lands in Nairobi and almost immediately finds it starkly obvious that Nairobi is clearly demarcated between the haves and the have-notes
Gishungwa posts a poetic dialogue between brother and sister
Fresh from holiday, Guessaurus recounts her experiences with delays at the airport — some from mechanical difficulties and others from passengers under the influence of barley products

author: Marc


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Nepal: Drug Testing · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Where people in Nepal used as human guinea pigs? International Nepal Solidarity Network links to a story that states that “Between 1995 and 2003, the US government carried out the trial of a new vaccine for Hepatitis E on Nepal soldiers and now, that the vaccine is reported to be successful, questions are being raised about how ethical the test was.”


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Nigeria: $15 per person per month · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Chippla writes that even if corruption was to be eliminated in Nigeria, poverty would still exist.  He calculates Nigeria's finances and comes up with…”the total amount received by all tiers of government in Nigeria for the month of October 2005 comes to a mere $15 per person. Sounds like a very poor nation despite its so-called oil wealth!”


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Nigeria: Gbenga interview · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Grandiose Parlor writes about the recent interview of President Obasanjo's son Gbenga Obasanjo that has “ruffled some feathers in Nigeria's political circles.


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Peru: Humala called a “Little Dictator” by former ally · Global Voices
David Sasaki

More controversy follows leftist presidential candidate, Ollanta Humala. Peru Election 2006 reports that Humala was called “a little dictator” by former colleague, Michael Martínez.


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Petition For Political Prisoners & Air Plane Crash! · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian bloggers have signed a petition (a letter) in which they asked freedom for political prisoner in Karaj Rejai Shahr Prison. Amnesty international, Red Cross and other humanitarian organisations have been asked to send delegations to this prison. We read in this petition:
“On the eighth week of the hunger strike of the political prisoners in Rejayi Shahr Prison, the government of Islamic Republic of Iran , has relocated the prisoners to facilities with harsher conditions, instead of assessing their demands.
Political prisoners in Iran live in the worst of conditions. Many of them have lost function in parts of their bodies as a result of the medieval tortures. The prisoners are constantly harassed, their cells raided and their belongings are looted regularly. Many political prisoners are kept in solitary confinements for prolonged periods. The Iranian government accepts no responsibility to provide food, medical care and even security for the lives of the political prisoners”.
Among bloggers who signed this petition, we see Zeytoun         (Persian) an active Iran based blogger,  Mr.Batebi,  (Persian) a student who has spend several years in prison and more than twenty other bloggers out of 140 signatures in total.
Some bloggers talk about new military air plane crash which cost 13 lives including several revolutionary guards’ leaders. FM Sokhan ( Persian), an Iran based journalist and blogger, says Iran has just bought second hands Russian and Chinese airplanes. We must wait and see new crashes.
Zannevesht  (Persian), Mrs Parastoo Dokohi from Iran, says we can not talk about conspiracy or technical problem concerning this crash. Because simply we have no access to information. NasimDasht  (Persian), an Iran based blogger, says
“We must change our anti American policy and down with US slogans. Reality is that we need US to supply us airplanes or let European doing it“.
He adds Iran’s position has become weaker in the World and US is in our neighbourhood. It is time to change policy.
Caneh (Persian), an Iran based blogger, says he does not think about conspiracy to kill revolutionary guards. Many things simply don’t function in Iran because either nobody is right place or nobody cares about his/her job.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Slovenia: Kranjska Gora · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

The Glory of Carniola reports on more of the all too common confusion that strikes the press when it tries to locate Slovenia on a map.


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Somaliland: Illegal foreign contracts · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The Voice of Somaliland sends out a warning to all foreign companies on signing false contracts with the Regional Administration of Majertenia in North Somalia….”We have also been informed that the president of the Administration of Somalia and his prime Minister, who has no jurisdiction over Somaliland, have given their support to this illegal agreement.”


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South Africa: Iraqi comment · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

South African blog The Front Line comments on a story on “Muslim scholars being paid to aid US propaganda”……”Does Democracy need to be established and maintained by Propaganda and War? Just recently we heard about the US take-over of Iraqi print media to spread propaganda and now we got the Divide and Conquer strategy being played out by buying-out Iraqi Scholars in order to better target the propaganda to the masses.”


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Sri Lanka: Girls and Stereotypes · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Sumna Inc muses on girls in Sri Lanka. I wonder if there is a an almost similar sounding post possible on cows. Or if boys in Sri Lanka come in such variety.


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St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Colonial Awards · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

In the absence of a British Empire, do titles like OBE, MBE etc, really have meaning? Abeni raises these and other questions on the occasion of knighting of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Deputy Prime Minister. “Isn't it time that countries like mine come up with their own national awards for citizens they deem worthy of recoginition?” she writes.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Would Naipaul get published today? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Caribbean-born sci-fi writer Tobias Buckell links to Cheryl Morgan who links to British sci-fi writer Neil Gaiman who picks up on the stunt pulled recently by the Sunday Times’ which involved submitting a slightly altered version of the opening chapter of Trinidad-born Nobel Prize-winning novelist V. S. Naipaul's Booker Prize-winning novel “In A Free State” (which was published back in 1971) to 20 agents and publishers. The book was rejected by all. The Caribbean Beat Blog puts in its two cents’ as well.


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Turkmenistan: Coverup · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

neweurasia reports that Turkmenistan's government is worried about bird flu, but that it is suppressing information about it.


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Uganda: Northern Uganda · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Uganda-CAN points to a report in Uganda's Daily Monitor on the  Olara Otunnu’s Sydney Peace Prize lecture about northern Uganda given last November.


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Ukraine: Frustrated · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Ukraine's government has been sacked now that details of the deal have emerged. Veronica Khokhlova is frustrated with politics in Ukraine.


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Venezuela: Oswaldo Barreto · Global Voices
David Sasaki

We have linked to several of Guillermo Juan Parra's translations of Oswaldo Barreto's editorials. Now, Parra focuses in on Barreto himself and his ties to Venezuelan poetry and literature.


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Zimbabwe: Economy in 2006 · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

This is Zimbabwe considers the situation with Zimbabwe's economy in 2006….”Will we see any improvement to our standard of living?” “What about the exchange rate?”  “And the promised new currency?”


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Zimbabwe:  MDC? · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The Bearded Man points to the main headlines of the day in Zimbabwe from “Zimbabwe normality is misery “to  “Fiddling while Zimbabwe burns Shenanigans” which asks what is wrong with the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change)


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Afghanistan: Ethnic diversity · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Safrang (“commentary” in old Persian) says it is through accepting the realities of ethnic diversity and building institutions that reflect this that societies find peace and throw away their weapons. More particularly, the Balkan lesson has shown that long-lasting peace can be achieved through devolution of power and decentralization of the government.


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Africa : Slavery · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

African Bullets & Honey considers the issue of guilt over the slave trade.….”How exactly should this debate over guilt proceed? What would help bring closure to the descendents of slaves who demand a reckoning? I do not know. But I suggest that one of the actions that the present day people in Africa (I think we are stuck with this word at least in my lifetime) can do is to ensure that the slavery that is still alive and well across some of the Sahel zone countries like Mauritania is done away with”


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Argentina: Police Sentenced in Avellaneda Murders · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Toutatis describes in clear detail the political fallout which occurred after policemen killed two protesters in the Avellaneda train station in June of 2002. On Monday, two of the police officers – who claimed that other protesters were responsible for the lethal shots – were sentenced to life in prison. Worldpress has more background information on the protesters known as “Piqueteros.”


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Argentina: Progressive Dribblers · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Bob Row, in his humorous fashion, finds the link between Latin American progressives and dribbling a soccer ball.


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Bahamas: A valediction · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Sir Arthur Foulkes pays tribute to prominent Bahamians who have recently passed away.


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Bermuda: Substance v. perception · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The Limey takes issue with a newspaper columnist's perceptions of Bermuda's two political parties. One, he says, has “problems of substance”, while the other has “mostly problems of perception.”


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Brazil: Wikinews Interview of the Month · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Brazilian political blogger, Ricardo Serran Lobo will be the featured guest tomorrow for Wikinews’ interview of the month.


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Cambodia: Palmy Memories · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

From Cambodia to Japan shares his childhood memories of palm trees – of palm juice, palm wine, palm sugar and a scorpion in a palm tree.


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Caribbean: BlogHer goes international · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Karen Walrond announces that she's been recruited as editor for the Caribbean section of an internationally-minded new web site soon to be launched by BlogHer.


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Caribbean: Diversity in sci-fi · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Tobias Buckell quotes from an essay on diversity in sci-fi and remembers “the first book that took the islands seriously”


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Caribbean: Wayback when · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The Caribbean Beat Blog has some fun with the Wayback Machine, linking to early – and in a few cases embarrassing – incarnations of a few Caribbean web sites.


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China: Teaching Chinese Online · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Leylop, who lives in Hangzhou, China, uses Skype to teach Chinese online.  This is her blog.


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Demand Freedom of Expression in Cambodia Campaign · Global Voices
Beth Kanter

The Cambodian Government's actions to silence critics of the ruling party rang in the New Year with the arrests Human Rights activists Kem Sokha, Yeng Virak and Pa Nguon Teang.  The arrests were prompted by banners displayed on Human Rights Day held on December 10, 2005.
These newly detained activists were thrown into Prey Sar prison with journalist Mam Sonando and teacher's union leader Rong Chhun, who were both arrested 3 months ago for offering critical views on government's actions related to sensitive border issues
between Cambodia and Vietnam.
Licado, a Cambodian human rights NGO, has launched an awareness campaign to call attention to these abuses and garner support from the International community for the detainees by putting the Association for Freedom of Expression in Cambodia yellow ribbon (above) on your blog or website and linking to this page.

author: Beth Kanter


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Egypt: New museums · Global Voices
Mostafa Hussein

Egyptology News, is reporting that “the Ministry of Culture has placed Egypt’s museums at the top of its priorities. This year will witness the inauguration of up to five new regional and national museums and the re- opening of three others after restoration.” The building of the new Grand Museum of Egypt is expected to start this year. The Grand Museum of Egypt is going to be  the largest museum in the world.

author: Mostafa Hussein


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Eid Al Adha unites the Moroccan bloggers and Marock divides them  · Global Voices
Farah Kinani

This week, Muslims all over the world are celbrating  Aid Al Adha to commemorate Abraham's sacrifice.
Moroccan bloggers didn't miss the occasion to wish everybody a Merry celebration.
Eid Mubarak
In a funny note, Mehdi wishes a Happy Eid to his readers and he informs them (French link) that “have u bought the sheep or not yet?” is among the most asked questions in Googles Top 10!!
Bsima too seems very happy to post about the Eid although she makes sure to remind her readers of the essence of the celebration :giving to the needy (French link).
In his serious way, Amazigh hopes that Moroccans will be able to celebrate their Eid without fear of the credit they spend the rest of their life paying for it (French link)…
Marock disturbs..
It was interesting to follow an e-debate about Marock , a Moroccan movie that created the event in The 8th edition of the National Film Festival that was held last month in Tangier .
Casaoui was the first to write about this movie that was assaulted by journalists and even movie directors after its screening in Tangier .
He thinks that the main factor behind what happened to Marock lies in the courage of its Director, who dared to talk about what Casaoui considers to be the biggest Taboo in Morocco (French link) and which is the sex and the religion.
Many Moroccan intellectuals are still living in the past, and they refuse to realise that Morocco has changed and that our youth refuse to believe in fairy tells and pretend to be happy.
Karim in the other hand talks about Marock by analysing a column about the movie written last month by Karim Boukhari (French link) .
Although both Karim and Boukhari focus mainly on the love scene that was the center of the polemic ,they totally disagree when it comes to its interpretation .
And while Boukhari sees the rejection of the love scene as a form of a rising antisemitism in Morocco, Karim thinks that  airing such shot wont help changing things any better.
I think that many Moroccans will have a symbolic interpretation of this love scene .
And the same way the popular cake shared in the patio of a cuban hotel in the second part of   “The Godfather” symbolized the Cuban nation being exploited by foreign capitalist interest, here the Jewish guy deflorating the Muslim girl will definitely be interpreted as the intrusion of sionists in the Arabs’ circles of power and will then cause the opposite of the goal that the producers aimed to achieve.
Karim, author of the Arab observers ends his post  asking Marock's director to be more mature while dealing with sensitive matters especially when it concerns a society that cosiders decency to be its main value.
Bluesman considers the assault of the movie a barbaric act although he realises that it's not the only non-democratic reaction that occured lately in Morocco (Arabic link).
The view from Fez and Tangier
Samir author of The view from Fes talks in his post about the appeal that Morocco has for  foreign investors .
He also notices that if the “conservation/renovation” ethos is alive amongst a small group ,  not all investors have an eye for heritage or cultural values.
It has to be asked.What is this doing to the local economies,to the society, to “ordinary Moroccans”?Riads and Dars that housed extended families are being vacated to make way for trendy couples who want part of the “next big thing”.
A riad or Dar that once cost around 30-40 thousands Euros is now likely to bring well over 100,000..
Mehdi7 reports in his latest post about the new wave of demolition that's occuring in   Tangier in the process of renovating the city, and he wonders if this won't make Tangier a city of rich since no poor citizen will afford the new prices (French link) of the new renovating places.
Some comments to the post showed a certain fear of a déjà vu situation.
It's about Marrakesh that -according to a comment to Mehdi's post- became unreachable for “ordinary Moroccans” after being renovated.
Rumor has it..
Amina Talhimet posted last week about the rumor that she considers a national sport in Morocco.
She says that no one is safe from the rumor neither the King nor the normal citizen.
We still don't realise that it takes few simple words to destroy families, lives..
Amina considers that the main factor behind the rumor is the hatred, a poison she  thinks pollutes Morocco and blocks its development (French link).
In a totally different décor, Leglandeur posts what I see as the sweetest definition of blogging.
He explains  how it helps the blogger survive the mediocrity (French link) surrounding him.
I borrow the breath of the bloggers and live their experiences as a privilege and as an elevation which like a poem, sometimes elevates me and sometimes loses me.
Isn'it cute!
Coup de coeur
I'll introduce you this week to a very artistic blog.Label ash shows the interest of its author Amine to the art in general and especially the music. The posts are very interesting and each time you have Amine’  opinion about an exhibit or a musical show, with sometimes a kind of journal blogging.
I liked his latest post about François-Marie Banier  and found the details very interesting (French link).
Najlae is another blog i want you to discover. The author, Najlae, calls herself “a journalist lost in translation”, and you can feel, reading her posts, how much she misses her friends and the tranquility of home sweet home. In general, she posts short stories, but sometimes she reacts to special political events happening around her. Najlae writes most of the time in French.
That's it for this week. See you next Wednesday, Inshallah;)

author: Farah Kinani


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Ethiopia: Athletic · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The 2006 athletic season starts this month and the African championships are in August.  Aqumada looks at what Ethiopia has to offer on the track.


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Ethiopia: Book Review – Marina Ottaway · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Ethiopundit reviews “Africa's New Leaders: Democracy or State Reconstruction by Marina Ottaway with reference to Ethiopia and Meles Inc….  She is “generally optomistic perspective of the EPRDF / TPLF / Meles Inc. that is part of a comprehensive whole but that is now at best dated. She explains the origins of the current system in her thoughtful book ..”


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Guyana/T&T: Send in the clones · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Nicholas Laughlin links to a Stabroek News news story about a Guyanese scientist's apparently successful attempt at the cloning of a politician. Laughlin goes on to reveal the existence of a similar, though less successful, program in Trinidad and Tobago.


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India: Sexuality and Women · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Vikrum reflects on sexuality in India after reading a book, and quotes some phrases from different parts of the country that are tell-tale signs of prevalent misogyny.


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Iran: A Question from BBC · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Webgardian says in BBC (Persian), we read that most Iranian back Iranian government's policy concerning nuclear technology.Webgardian asks according to which studies or statistics, BBC reporter can pretend such a thing.


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Iran:  Letter to Google! · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Please don't be evil, an Iranian blogger, says ” we (probably means Iranians) are writing to request from Google to allow download Google pack for Iranian users. We believe that this restriction only hits scientists , researchers and students, helping the local government to avoid people from free access to informations”.


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Iraq: US army should give Iraq back · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Why should we all wait until the Iraqi elected government starts fighting against the US army?! Why can’t bush listen to what Iraqis are saying? They are asking the occupation troops to leave the country… How come all the other coalition governments are listening to what Iraqis want but bush Jr. won't?, Raed Jarrar said.


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Jamaica: The size police · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The latest addition to the Jamaica Photo Project photoblog is an image of a craft stand in Fern Gully featuring a sculpture of an impossibly well-endowed rastafarian. “The owner of the artwork has been selling these for ages now and recently was in some hot water with the police,” says the photographer.


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Kenya: Women · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Feminist African Sister has a poem that addresses the issuesof violence against women…”I wonder then, why they sell me at 12 years old. To a 20 year old school drop out. In the name of marriage. What is the value of a gormless, form less object?
I can only imagine how he intends to shape me.”


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Latin America, Spain: First Book Dedicated to Blogs · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Dialógica calls (ES) “Blog. La conversación en internet que está revolucionando medios, empresas y ciudadanos” (“Blog. The online conversation that is revolutionizing media, businesses, and citizens”), the “first book dedicated exclusively to blogs.” So far it is available in select bookstores in Spain, but is said to be arriving to Argentina shortly. Predictably enough, the book has its own weblog (ES).


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Lebanon: Protecting the devil · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

It is quite insulting to hear a joint Saudi-Syrian statement on “Syrian-Lebanese relations” in the absence of Lebanon. It is also amazing that Abdullah is suggesting a new penal code: Punish murder by improving relations between killers and their dying victims. Saudi Arabia will no longer be beheading murder convicts, Kais said.


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Middle East: GDP Growth · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Sabbah quoting Arab Economic Unity Council says, Arab GDP has grown in a range between 1.2 and 6.5 per cent.


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Nepal: Ideas for democracy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Democracy For Nepal on an idea to be put forth at a symposium for Nepalese people at the Columbia University Law School in New York.


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Nepal: India and the Bully · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Why does India bully Nepal? Why is it that anything Nepal does to further its own interest is seen with suspicion? More at the Nepali Notebook.


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Nigeria: Italy & literary thoughts · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Musings of a Naijaman back after the Xmas break and a week in Tuscany (Italy) which included finally reading Zadie Smith's On Beauty and Salman Rushdie's Shalimar the Clown - he recommends both!


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Nigeria: Literature · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Molara Wood posts an essay by Uzodinma Iweala, author of the much talked about debut novel, Beasts of No Nation. Excellent!


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Nigeria: Who is afraid of Igbos · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

ABa Boy  asks “Who is afraid of the Igbos?”  Igbos have been the focus of a number of discussions  in the Nairaland (Nigerian) discussion forum.  Aba Boy writes…Recently, a number of targeted topics have appalled me. These topics, normally started by a small clique of bigots, and energized by their associates, seem to focus on the instigators pet hate for the Igbo People.”


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Pakistan: Food Street · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

India Uncut is in Pakistan to cover cricket matches between the countries. Stories from a night out at Goval Mandi, Lahore's famous Food Street.


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Palestine: Back from Hell · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Imaan finally left Gaza and went back home – Stockholm. A must read post of her final journey, which she titles as ” The journey from hell…”


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Peru: Election Analysis · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Fabiola Bazo calls Ricardo Uceda's article, “Peru’s election: a second leap into the void?” an “astute analysis.”


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Philippines: My Way or the Highway · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Leon Kilat comments on a warning issued to local judges to refrain from signing “My Way” at karaoke bars: “The song has been blamed for a lot of karaoke-related killings in the Philippines.”  Yes.  Seriously.


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Puerto Rico: A model for a new world order? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Lowatel calls for morality-based decision making in the Puerto Rican political process and advances the idea of the country as an “independent sovereign country” within an economic bloc or association of nations. “Perhaps,” writes Lowatel, “Puerto Rico's plight and challenge holds a prophetic promise for a new world order to come.”


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SA: Zuma backs anti-corruption · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The Fish Bowl points to a report in the South Africa press that Jacob Zuma is backing Mbeki's anti-corruption stance.  Is that ambition or is that amibition?


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Singapore: Debater Talks Debate · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Singaporean student debater Shaun Lee posts some observations on his blog Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc on how the dissolution of Asian confidence after the economic and political crises of the late 1990s has led to opportunities for new thought: “The triumphantism of Asian Democracy and Asian Values were contingent on the good times rolling and a perception of the West in decline. The rejuvination of the West, the relative decline of the East, the failure of Asian Democracy to weather the storm has led to what we have today, the beginnings of real debate.”


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South Africa: Corruption · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Fodder comments on South Africa deputy president,  Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's trip on a South African airforce jet to the UAE on a private holiday.


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South Korea: Thoughts on the Case of the Stem Cell Fraud · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Oranckay reflects on the meaning of the local controversy surrounding South Korean scientist Hwang Woo Suk, who had been acclaimed as a national hero until he admitted flaws with his “breakthrough” research on stem cells.  Many still defend him.  He writes: “I think Korea has reason to be encouraged by the fact that the rest of the world fell for Hwang’s fabrications. Most countries only get to do international mail order fraud. 10 or 15 years ago if a group of Korean scientists had said they’d cloned stem cells they’d have been laughed at. Korea might be given more scrutiny next time around, but the world believed that Korea has the potential to make landmark scientific breakthroughs and was willing to be fooled.”


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Sri Lanka: Moo · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Taking a cue from my post yesterday, Sumna Inc has a post on cows in Sri Lanka, with subtle comparisons to the ones in India!


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Sticky Songs · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Fernando Casale, an Argentine journalist and Editor-in-Chief of USERS, has done music lovers a great favor by putting together a free collection of Creative Commons-licensed songs by independent musicians from the Buenos Aires rock scene. “Sticky Songs” (as in songs that get stuck in your head) is a compilation of ten songs from ten different bands that is meant to promote the independent music scene of the capitol city. I asked Casale what inspired the album and why he chose to use all Create Commons-licensed tracks.
Well, the Creative Commons concept hooked me from its very beginning because it comprises two of my main interests: free culture and technology. I'm the editor-in-chief of a computer related magazine called USERS that has a small sister called GNU/Linux USERS, so I've been writing for years about the free software and open source movements and paying a lot of attention to the evolution of peer to peer software and net-based models of music distribution. So when the Creative Commons idea came up, it was like a match made in heaven for me.
Casale certainly is interested in music. Especially in his native port city of Buenos Aires. For the past seven months he's been the brains behind Zona Indie, a Spanish-language blog which highlights local, independent groups. There is also an English-language sister site that tends to cover indie bands from across Latin America. He says he started the blogs “as a way to escape from the seriousness of my daytime job. It's also like an excuse to listen to new music, go out more and enjoy Buenos Aires's alternative nightlife options.”
From time to time I blog about bands that publish their work under CC licenses, so when these licenses were adapted to my country's legislation, I thought it would be a great idea to present a net album with songs from some of the bands that I listen to and blogged about during 2005.
Three of the songs on the compilation are licensed in such a way that they allow for derivative works to be made. But Casale said that getting the groups to adopt Creative Commons licenses wasn't an arduous task at all.
It wasn't that hard because most of the bands already had some (or all) of their music posted on the net, so I just had to arrange small meeting with each of them and tell them what this Creative Commons thing was all about. The main argument was that it was better to have some sort of license when publishing your music on the Internet rather than to just publish the MP3 by themselves, because in that way it wasn't clear for the fans what they could or couldn't do with the tracks. With a CC license that's very clear and you even have a legal text that backs you up in case someone breaks the rules. I think it worked out because some of the bands are publishing all their music under CC, not just the track included in “Canciones Pegajosas”. I hope more independent artists in Latin America will follow their example.
The album leads with a sweeping, melodic track by Hacia Dos Veranos, which has indeed been stuck in my head for the past couple of weeks. The band maintains an English-language version of their blog to keep in touch with fans from non-Spanish-speaking countries. Links to the websites of all the other bands – and downloads of their songs in various formats – can be found on the Canciones Pegajosas page.


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Thailand: Royal Speech · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Tom Vanvanij translates, with commentary, the traditional birthday-eve speech of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej.


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

Este artículo también está disponible en español en Blogs de Bolivia
“Do it yourself!  Now you don't have to wait until January 22!  End the uncomfortable suspense created by the question, “How will our President-elect dress?” by Joaquin Cuevas, Used by permission from artist.
Is Bolivian President-elect Evo Morales a candidate to be voted best or perhaps, worst dressed on some of those year-end lists?  During his worldwide tour to gather support for his upcoming administration, many critics had plenty to say about the unique style of dress for a man, who stands moments away from assuming power in the country of Bolivia.  Some have wondered whether Morales’ striped sweater might stick and become his trademark.  After all, he was photographed with the same sweater during meetings in Spain, China and South Africa.
Bolivian bloggers have weighed in on this topic, which has become such a topic of conversation in Bolivia and a subject of enormous suspense. Such as, Sergio Asturizaga, who writes in his blog Así como me ves me tienes that Morales’ refusal to wear a coat and tie cannot be attributed to an excuse that Morales never used such style of dress.  Asturizaga posts a high school picture of a young-looking Morales in guess what?  A coat and tie.
There’s a certain sense of innocence to Morales’ choice of wardrobe, notes Miguel Esquirol.  But, as written on El Forastero, he thinks that it creates an unforgettable image, as soon Morales will be highly respected and easily recognizable. Jaime C. Rubin de Celis of JCR’s Place thinks that if Morales really wants to distance himself from the the old political guard and showcase his indigenous roots, then he should ditch the multi-colored sweater in favor of actual traditional indigenous dress.  This could play a part in promoting a part of the Bolivian culture, something that leaders from Africa or the Far East often do to display their culture.  On the other hand, Javier F. believes that we could soon be seeing Morales a bit more formal.  After his visit to China, Morales admitted that he is not really “used to protocol.”  In his blog, Debatiendo Bolivia, he posts links to op/ed pieces about this subject and writes that this comment about protocol may signal a change from his typical “look”.
Political cartoonist Joaquin Cuevas does not leave the matter to chance.  In his drawing (pictured above) he lets the reader choose Morales’ dress.  Cuevas, who draws for the La Paz newspaper La Razon and has his own blog La Vida del Chico Larva, will be one of three Bolivian representatives in the XVI Iberoamerican Art Show organized by the Association of Cutural Representatives from the Diplomatic Missions and Embassies in Washington, DC.
Other issues relating to Morales also were discussed in the Bolivian blogosphere this past week. Gabriel Iriarte Rico, currently living in France, recalls a football match in 2004 in the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia, where his friends invited Morales to participate.  In that match, according to Iriarte Rico,  Morales displayed a certain sense of simplicity and qualities that might serve the new President well.  He writes in Gabriel al Sur de Francia:
I called for him to pass me the ball and he did, he wasn’t selfish, although a  little chubby perhaps.   Even with his good ball handling skills, he was not a show-off. On that dirt field at the Cala Cala sports complex, I remember seeing him draw a penalty call and his sudden fall, from which he didn't complain.  He didn't insist on kicking the penalty, even though the others did insist that he take it.  After approaching the ball in a shy manner,  he drilled the accurate shot that made the goalkeeper lunge. If Evo retains many of those characteristics as President of Bolivia, that he demonstrated on the field, the entire team will be successful, maybe even we’ll go to the next World Cup.
Speaking of sports, in the blog El Clavo en El Zapato, Fadrique Iglesias Mendizábal, an observer of the world of amateur and professional sports, is hopeful and comments on the possibility of the creation of a Ministry of Sports during Morales’ Presidency.  In the past, the public servant in charge of sports in the country was only at a Vice-Ministry level.  He speculates that some of the names who might become part of the next Cabinent are Bolivian National Team captain, Julio Cesar Baldivieso and Geovana Irusta, one of the few Bolivian Olympians.
Miguel Centellas gave his impressions of Evo Morales in his two-part series on the blog Ciao!
As the world tour winds down and perhaps the end of the line for the infamous sweater, Miguel Buitrago of MABB, summarizes the global visits and wonders what Morales might accomplish with the pledges provided by the world leaders.  Alvaro Piaggo’s Blog de Bolivia wonders “whether we (Bolivia) really want to be side by side with Cuba, China and Iran while hoping to be a country that promotes freedom for its people and overall progress for the country and continent?”
Finally, Eduardo Avila of Barrio Flores runs down the ten most interesting stories of 2005.  In addition, Nick Buxton posts some of his favorite photographs from Bolivia taken during his time living in La Paz on his web site Open Veins.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Trinidad & Tobago: Arresting developments · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Christopher Yee Mon scoffs at the claim by Trinidad & Tobago's Opposition leader Basdeo Panday that members of his own party were treated more harshly when warrants were obtained for their arrest than members of the ruling PNM. Mr. Panday, who was slapped with a corruption charge in 2005, made these statements in the wake of the charging of Trinidad & Tobago's Minister of Energy with “corruptly receiving” TT$75,000 (approx. US$12,000).


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United Arab Emirates: Better Labour Structure · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Secret Dubai says that significant progress has already been made to improve the plight of labourers in UAE, largely through the efforts of the heroic labour minister. The good doctor has rained hell on lazy ministry employees, salary defaulting companies, and has even personally visited unpaid labourers and forced bosses to pay them.


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Venezuela: DJ Neutrino · Global Voices
David Sasaki

GlowMain highlights the career of (ES) Venezuelan DJ, Neutrino who made his name in the underground party scene of Caracas during the late 90's. An mp3 of a live set by Neutrino is linked to from the post.


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Venezuela: More on Bridge · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Daniel Duquenal translates an editorial by Teodoro Petkoff on the government's responsibility for last week's bridge collapse. Oil Wars wonders if racism slipped into an opposition PR campaign to capitalize on the public discontent.


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Venezuela: Wikipedia Page on Chavez · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Taking aim at perceived partiality of the Wikipedia page on Hugo Chavez, Aleksander Boyd pastes an email conversation between himself and Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales beginning in March of 2004. Perhaps the most interesting quote comes from Wales who writes, “We have strict policies against political partisanship, and I am personally no fan of Chavez, so if you can point me to a particular link to illustrate what you are talking about I can perhaps help.”


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Argentina: Parque Chacabuco · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Jorge Gobbi continues his vlog tour of Buenos Aires with two videos of Parque Chacabuco.


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Armenia: Bird Flu Update · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Oneworld Multimedai has an update on bird flu in Armenia. Armenians are following developments closely and the government is preparing measures to deal with the possible threat.


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Armenia: Language Map · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Blogrel has a surprising map showing the distribution of Armenian speakers.  In Los Angeles…


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Bahrain: Human Rights Report · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights has issued a communique with serious allegations against the justice system in Bahrain, Silly Bahraini Girl said.


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Bahrain: Love Israel! · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Sharon is dying after whatever hit his brain. I am not writing this to express my joy but my admiration to Israel as a government, a country and a committee, $ilver Girl said.


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Bangladesh: All over rickshaws · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

A website for Rickshaw arts! Celebrating one of Bangladesh's unique popular arts, the paintings and decorations on the three-wheeled cycle ricksha — or “rickshaw”, as spelled in  English dictionaries.


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Belize: First export of oil · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Melody reports that, following the discovery of oil in commercial quantities late last year, Belize will make its first export of crude oil to the USA later this week.


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Bermuda: Space race & population issues · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Valentine Michael Smith reports on Bermuda's first space project, code named BOTTOM (Bermuda On The Top Of Mars). Meanwhile, The Limey fears him wife will learn of the concerns being expressed by the head of the Bermuda Public Services Union about Bermuda's ageing population. “He's wondering,” says The Limey, “whether Bermudian women will need to be asked to have more than one child in order to reverse the trend.”


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Caribbean: Art, film & the Seven Caribbean Wonders · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The Caribbean Beat Blog links to to a conversation between the director of Jamaica's National Gallery and the guest curator of a current exhibition; an article about a Hollywood film made on location in Grand Cayman by a young Caymanian director; and solicits input for a list of the “Seven Caribbean Wonders of the World”.


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Caribbean: Best to quote Best · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Nicholas Laughlin finds he could have saved himself the work of writing his long post about “Caribbeanness” simply by quoting renowned Caribbean thinker Lloyd Best.


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China: Confucian Confusion · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

China Herald and danwei ridicule a press release that both received touting a new book about Chinese consumers.  The release contained “12 Facts about the Confucian Consumer.” Writes Fons: “Confucius is a favorite way to hide ignorance at the China market and whenever the word is used (even when used at the Harvard Business Review), I doze off or (nowadays) answer my email.”


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Costa Rica: Arias Rules Out Presidential Debate · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Costa Rica Blogs says Nobel Peace Prize winner, Oscar Arias has ruled out all possibilities of a debate between front-runners.


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Darfur: Podcasts · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The Committee on Conscience has two new podcasts on Sudan/Darfur “Sudan: Saving Peace in the East and “No Power to Protect: The African Union Mission in Sudan” via Coalition for Darfur.


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DRC: Constitution accepted · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Congo Watch reports that the people of the DRC have voted in favour of the new constitution which will lead to elections in March


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El Salvador: Blog Recommendations · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Hunnapuh recommends Tim's El Salvador Blog as a site of good commentary and excellent documentation. Tim, meanwhile, has three short notes about El Salvador today.


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Ethiopia: letter to Ms Rice · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Weichegud! ET Politics writes an open letter to Condoleezza Rice asking her “What she can do about it” referring to the situation in Ethiopia today.


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Guyana: Reveal their names! · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

In a post entitled “Hideous Bloodsucking Crooks”, MediaCritic demands that the Guyana Press Association reveal the names of the senior media personnel who refused to take part in a training exercise for junior members of the media unless they were remunerated.


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Haiti: Like a Dan Brown novel · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“My return to Cap Haitien began like a Dan Brown novel,” says Baturrico (ES), relating the news of the death of General Urano Teixeira Da Matta Bacellar, military commander of the UN security force MINUSTAH and the increasing mystery surrounding its cause.


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India: IIM And Abroad · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

A much reputed Indian educational institution offering degrees in Management is denied permission by the Indian Government to set up a branch outside the country. Anthony on what it means for the institution's brand if it is allowed to go ahead with its plans.


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Jamaica: Rocksteady · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Jamaica View links to a Daily Telegraph article on rocksteady pioneer Alton Ellis.


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Japan, Southeast Asia: Old Notes · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Mutant Frog Travelogue directs us to images of banknotes used during the World War II Japanese occupation of Southeast Asia.


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Kazakhstan: The Inauguration · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

KZ Blog reports on the pomp and pageantry of Kazakhstan's presidential inauguration ceremony.


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Kenya: drought · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

What an African Woman Wants considers the reports on drought in Northern Kenya…I'll bet you the shirt on your back that just around the corner we will be ‘surprised’ by floods in Budalangi and the havoc they will wreak.  But I've said my bit about what our government ought to have done that it did not do and what it ought to do now that we all know it will not do.


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Malaysia: Food for Thought · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

“When we transfer from industrial economy to knowledge economy,” asks Competitive Malaysia, “Does rice, which provide energy rather than brain power still suitable for us?”


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Mongolia: Government Collapse · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Mongolia Matters reports that the Mongolian government has collapsed and that demonstrations are planned for this weekend.


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Nepal: Alienation · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Samudaya.org on social alienation of Nepalis in the United States.


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Nigeria: China oil deal · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Jewels in the Jungle comments on the The CNOOC Nigerian Oil Deal between China and Nigeria


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Nigeria: Man of the year · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Nigerian blogger Oro comments on Dora Akunyili who has been voted Nigeria's “Man of the Year“.  Is it so hard to come up with “Person of the year”?


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Nigeria: Nollywood on demand · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Naijablog points to Africast, a site where US subscribers can watch Nollywood films on demand!


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North Korea: The Sanity Question · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

DPRK Studies tries to answer the question: Is North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il crazy or not?


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Pakistan: Eid celebrations · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Karachi blog on the celebrations of Eid-ul-Azha in Pakistan.


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Philippines: Free Trade Debate · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

On his blog Go Figure, a Filipino economist fails to spread the gospel of free trade to his barber.


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Russia: Rodina’s Calendar · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Russia Blog reports on the Rodina (Motherland)  party's proposal to return to the Julian calendar..


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Saudi Arabia: Hajj tragedy · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Today's Hajj tragedy has hit the Middle East blogs. Far from Morocco to Israel, Bahrain, Libya, Jordan, Iraq and many more bloggers. Most if not all, feel sorry for what happened. Some blame the ignorance of some Pilgrimage's, other blame the Saudi system.


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Singapore: Demystifying Detoxification · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Haro Singapore! investigates a local fad — feet detoxification — and finds reasons to doubt that an electrified foot bath can really pull out poisons from one's body.


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South Africa: corrupt police · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Jo'blog   comments on illegal acts by police officiers – a traffic chief for stealing R22million and a local policeman for driving patrol without a license for 13 years.


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South Africa: Cult of celebrity · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The Imperfect Poet writes on the cult of celebrity which has become the “new religion”.…I love film and music as much as the next person- if not more – but shouldn't we be celebrating the people who are in the trenches changing lives positively. How does 50 Cent's house party compare to an HIV/AIDS hospice run by volunteers in the middle of rural Uganda?”


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South Asia: Blogosphere Buzz · Global Voices
Kamla Bhatt

India:
Eco Earth talks about the ecological wake-up call for India and China, both rapidly emerging economies of the world. And Om Malik talks about the freezing winter in New Delhi. This is the first time after 70 years that the city was hit by biting cold weather.
If is the football season in the USA, it is cricket fever in the Indian subcontinent. Sports fan around the world behave share lot of similarities, and the number one common factor is the passion for sports.   Karthik talks about the upcoming cricket match between India and China and his dream team. And Chiray provides a schedule of the India-Pakistan cricket series.
Guru has a fascinating account of his trip from Hyderabad to Bombay in three parts, complete with pictures. And Freeshell has a post about what travelling in the local trains of Bombay means, and what you can expect to find.
Balaji talks of Pongal, the harvest festival that will be celebrated this weekend in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Nepal:
Parmendra Bhagat talks about the blame game in Nepal and the role of political parties and democracy in that country.
Pakistan
Cold weather is a topic of discussion in Karachi. And Sundries describes the unusually cold weather in Karachi. And on the marriage front, Hammad Din wonders if Pakistan's “aunty network” has subsided? Jawwad discusses Chinese goods flooding the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and its impact on cosumers. Yasir Ali in his Pakistan Diaries shares his impressions and the difference in the lifestyle between the rich and the poor people.
Sri Lanka:
Lankalife has a post on post-Tsunami recovery, and how conflict in the region is making organisations hesitant to invest or work in the sectors that need focus.

author: Kamla Bhatt


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Sri Lanka: Still grieving · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

One year on – Sarvodaya on the grievances of the victims of the Tsunami in the most vulnerable regions.


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Venezuela: Two Translated Op-Ed’s · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Guillermo Parra translates an Op-Ed piece by Oswaldo Barreto from Tuesday's Tal Cual while Miguel Octavio translates an Op-Ed by Teodoro Petkoff from yesterday's Tal Cual.


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Zimbabwe: SA Citizenship · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

African Blogs comments on a report that Zimbabwean women are going to South Africa to give birth so their children will have SA citizenship.


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11 key moments in [Anglo-]Caribbean blog history · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

THE INTERNET ARCHIVE IS preserving copies of many early blog pages, but most bloggers are too busy posting to think about otherwise documenting what they're doing. The history of the blogosphere goes back barely a decade, but evolution has been rapid, and bloggers who were around just three or four years ago may already seem like patriarchs and matriarchs. Here's a stab at an outline of Caribbean blog history — with a strong bias towards the region's Anglophone territories, and many pivotal moments no doubt missing. (Also, frankly, heavily biased towards the small circle of regular bloggers from the south Caribbean who I'm acquainted with in person or online.) Please use the comments to fill in the “historical record” — and maybe this will be just the start of a more comprehensive blog history project.
25 August, 2001: Jamaican Mad Bull‘s blog goes online — maybe not the first Caribbean blog, but certainly one of the very earliest in the region's Anglophone territories. (Anyone know of Caribbean bloggers who've been around longer? Please leave details in the comments.) His first post reports on a night out with his wife. Mad Bull becomes known for his irreverent musings on life in contemporary Jamaica — and his connoisseurship of the Caribbean's female beauties….
30 September, 2002: the West Indies Cricket Blog is launched by Ryan Naraine of caribbeancricket.com. It goes on to become the Anglophone Caribbean's most popular blog — yes, West Indians love their cricket. A link from Ryan usually means a major spike in hits.
8 October, 2002: one of the earliest references to blogging in the Caribbean's mainstream press appears in a Jamaica Observer article by Alex Dennis headlined “Hidden gems on the Web”, which recommends BlogSpot to prospective bloggers. About six months later — on 14 April, 2003 — the Trinidad Guardian runs a feature on Trini bloggers (not in the online archives) that leads to a temporary spike in hits.
19 December, 2003: in the earliest known example of Caribbean liveblogging, Imran Khan's Guyana Blog covers a major fire in downtown Georgetown, Guyana. He even posts a diagram of the destroyed building to jog the memories of Guyanese readers outside the country.
14 January, 2005: the first Caribbean blogger to make a point of writing consistently in a “non-standard” local dialect appears: Guyana Gyal, whose first post is addressed to “Guyanese homesick in Foreign”. Guyana Gyal will soon begin using her blog to appeal for help for Guyanese communities inundated by disastrous flooding along the country's low-lying Demerara coast.
21 February, 2005: the Caribbean's first podcasting site, Caribbean Free Radio, posts its inaugural podcast: an interview with the Trinidadian rapso group 3Canal.
11 August, 2005: the CariBlogrs webring is launched by Jamaican blogger fyrfli.
21 October, 2005: Caribbean Beat becomes the first magazine in the Anglophone Caribbean to launch an official blog. The Beat blog‘s first post? A link to Global Voices.
16 November, 2005: Trinidad and Tobago wins its last FIFA World Cup qualifying match; Trini bloggers provide live blog coverage of the match, broadcast audio commentary via Skype, and report on the massive, spontaneous victory celebrations in the cities of Port of Spain and San Fernando — with more audio coverage the next day. The T&T mainstream media start to pay real attention to the blogging phenomenon — bloggers get quoted in the newspapers and invited to appear on TV.
27 November, 2005: the first known Caribbean bloggers meetup happens over dinner at a restaurant in Trinidad; oddly, only one of the five bloggers present actually blogs about it. Just over a month later a group of Jamaican bloggers organises the second known Caribbean bloggers meetup.
9 January, 2006: Global Voices recognises the Caribbean as a separate region to the rest of the Americas, and appoints its first Caribbean editor, Georgia Popplewell. Over at Americas editor David Sasaki's blog, a discussion starts up about how to define the Caribbean geographically. Caribbean bloggers leap into the fray….

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Afghanistan:Turkic  People · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Gardegah says Turkic  people in Afghanistan are facing discrimination. These people,Turkmen & Uzbek who are about 12% of population, according to blogger have no place in afghan administration or government. (Persian)


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Africa: Western media reports · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Musings of a Naijaman comments on the BBC's poor reporting on Africa. ..it is disheartening that in 2006, the supposedly liberal and enlightened BBC still sees Africa as one huge, unyielding mass of misery, and is unable to discern the rich complex weave that is Africa


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Albania: Making Money · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Our Man in Tirana reports on making money in post-communist Albania.


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Anguilla: Return of the cryptographers · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Bob Green's Anguilla News is pleased to report that a group of financial cryptographers – “the brains who figure out how to create digital money” – will be holding their conference in Anguilla for the second year in a row.


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Armenia: Adoptions · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Oneworld Multimedia reports that, despite new regulations, the number of international adoptions has not decreased.


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Armenia: Homelessness and Justice · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Oneworld Multimedia discusses homelessness and the fight for social justice in Armenia.


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Bolivia: Vice President-elect Garcia Linera Visits Democracy Center · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Jim Shultz covers Garcia Linera's visit to the Democracy Center where he met with social movement leaders. According to Shultiz, the vice president-elect sees the Morales presidency as a new shift, but that “political power in Bolivia remains seriously fragmented, despite the election results.” As per usual, the post has generated a lively debate in the comments.


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Burundi: Rwandan refugees · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Adventures of a Retired Armchair Traveler reports that UNHCR is preparing is preparing to recieve thousands of Rwandans seeking refugee in Burundi..


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Burundi: War crimes trial · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Agathon Rwasa asks readers to support the  “call for a war crimes trial for Aloys Nzabampema and independent investigation into the UN Burundi corruption scandal”


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Caribbean: Caribbeing · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“In this CSME time. In this time of dancehall self-righteousness versus soca wutlessness. In this time when Trinis don't want to hear about “small islanders” reaching to the Billboard charts with soca music. In this time when Haitians still call out for our help and we still studiously ignore them. . . . It is now more than ever that we need to consider what it means to this generation,”   writes Attillah Springer in the latest entry in the “Caribbeanness” debate which was set in motion by a post at Global Voices Americas’ editor David Sasaki's blog.


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Caribbean: Plays, pantomimes, identity · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The Caribbean Beat Blog solicits opinions on a newspaper review of this year's  Jamaica pantomime, encourages Caribbean bloggers to engage in a “round of collective soul-searching” and publishes “outtakes” from an article in the current issue of the magazine.


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China: Three Kinds of Bloggers · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

EastSouthWestNorth translates a Yazhou Zhoukan article describing “three kinds of Chinese bloggers” — the angry youth, the petit bourgeois, and the commercial blogger.


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Colombia: Transgender TV Diva · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Andrés Duque highlights the career of soap opera diva, Endry Cardeño, noting that she is probably only the second transgender woman to play the role on TV and that “in the United States you still have producers who won`t hire a transgender actor to play the role of a transgender woman in a movie such as Transamerica or HBO's Normal.”


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Cuba: Summary and Description of Cuban Blogs · Global Voices
David Sasaki

After writing in a comment that he is considering starting a blog about Cuba by someone based in Cuba, Ernesto – a programmer in Havana – has written two excellent summaries of the Cuban blogosphere. Ernesto concludes that most of the blogs were from a February 2005 seminar on blogging and that, “although [the blogosphere is] more active than I thought, especially [since] a year ago, in the end it's disappointing. The Cuban blogosphere has a long way to go.”


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Dijbouti: US building schools · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Tackling terrorism by building schools.  Yebo Gogo reports that the US has built “more than 30 schools, 25 clinics and bridges in Djibouti.


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Echoes from the Tunisian blogosphere · Global Voices
Mohamed Marwen Meddah

Karim and Marwen write about their wishes for the Tunisian blogosphere in the year 2006, after a big and healthy year 2005 for blogs in Tunisia.
Adib gives his thoughts on the Tunisian blogosphere in the past year 2005.
Hannibal publishes some pictures he took at an art exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, NY : Tree of Paradise: Jewish Mosaics from the Roman Empire, which displays a number of mosaics from Tunisia.
Tunizika have released episode 8 of their Tunisian musical podcast featuring music from Sofyann Ben youssef, Ghalia Ben Ali & Temnaa, Kerkenah and Amel Mathlouthi.
Marwen thinks that biodiesel could be a very good alternative fuel option in Tunisia, as the prices for petroleum based fuel continue to rise.
Tunisian Globetrotter reports that a new TV channel called “Sport 7″, that will broadcast all the soccer matches from the Tunisian championship, could see the light of day soon. Talks are still going on between Tunisian officials and ART about the details (in French).
Zizou writes about the relations between Tunisia and Italy, and how a bond was created between the two countries when the Italian RAI1 channel became available to all Tunisians back in 1967. He sees the countries moving away from each other over the past few years, and he thinks that the opposite should be the case, especially with Italy being in need of foreign labor and Tunisians being in a good position to fill those gaps. (in French)
OthRez writes an interesting piece about relocation / offshoring in general and also takes Tunisia's example where many textile and ITC businesses from Europe are setting up production centers, discussing the pros and cons of it all (in French).
Ex-Blonde writes about her experience with Tunisian cinemas; the small and old selection of movies, the badly reputated cinemas, the empty theatres, the low quality picture and sound, …etc. She finds watching pirated DivX movies at home in front of her PC a much better experience (in French).

author: Mohamed Marwen Meddah


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Ecuador: Six Years of U.S. Dollars · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Writing on the six year anniversary of Ecuador's “dollarization,” A.M. Mora y Leon lays out the benefits of adopting U.S. currency including lower interest rates and stronger banks. Boz, however, responds in a comment that “dollarization moves the country out of rhythm with its neighbors” and that it “made Ecuador and El Salvador hubs for international money laundering.” Meanwhile, Justin Delacour links to an AP story about a protest in Quito against a free trade pact with the U.S., Colombia, and Peru.

author: David Sasaki


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Ethiopia: Emperor’s cigarette case · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Meskel Square  comments on the Emperor's cigarette case, a gift from some Belgians.   The said cigarette case  is now being auctioned by Christies of London – they are hoping to get £2000.


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Guyana, Venezuela: Bad Neighbor Policy? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

CaribPundit is surprised but pleased to note that Guyana's Stabroek News is “able to acknowledge that national security and democracy trumps the pleasure to be derived from a reflexive anti-Bushism”. CaribPundit quotes whole paragraphs from a Stabroek News editorial that is highly critical of the policies of Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and which cites, among other issues, “Venezuela's spurious claim to the Essequibo region”. Since the 19th century, Venezuela has claimed all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River — 62% of Guyana's territory.

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Haiti: Reviewing the review · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Alice Backer returns to the blogosphere with a detailed and clearly stated critique of a review by Prof. Lucia Suarez of Jean-Robert Cadet's memoir Restavec: From Haitian Slave Child to Middle Class American. Among the errors pointed out by Backer is the assumption by Prof. Suarez that slavery still existed in Haiti in the 19th-century.


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India: Immigrant  · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

What does it mean to be a young Indian immigrant in the US? What does it mean in terms of identity formation? Yesha has some questions and answers.


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India: Whine Travels · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Stereotypes in travel books do not work well. Mridula picks up a travel book on India that whines at every stage and the author seems to have seen more snake charmers in that short while than Mridula has seen in her whole lifetime in the country.


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Indonesia: Cleaning Up the President’s Aura · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

From Yosef Ardi: in the wake of the tsunami and the bird flu, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono needs his aura cleansed (a second time) in a ritual to expunge his bad luck and the country's miseries.

author: Jose Manuel Tesoro


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Iran: Sanctions & People · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

The Spirit of Man says, “Breaking seals at nuclear site, moves Iran one step closer to the crisis with the West over its dangerous and useless nuclear programme”. Blogger adds “I am just worried about those ordinary Iranians who will have to live under the possible sanctions which will definitely effect their lives badly“.


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Iraq: My final endorsement · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

“You can all have your war, the war you all want. You can have your racists, you can launch your rockets at your Israelis, you can suicide bomb Baghdad. You can have your oil. You can finish dehydrating the marshlands. You can have your Guantanamo, and your Abu Ghraib. You can have your morons pretending to be Iraqis. You can have all of the propaganda in the world. You can have Al Sadr and Zaqawi and Moqtada and you can have Bin Laden. You can topple more towers. You can use depleted uranium with impunity and smart bombs without my raising a hair. I am, from hereon in, mute. This is my vow of silence. My complicity. You can spy and pry. I do not care. The war is yours, your gift from me in absence.”
With these words, the Iraqi blogger, Emigre, ended his blogging experience. These words describe a general atmosphere of frustration and disappointment between Iraqi bloggers.


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Israel: Red Lines · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

It was only a matter of time before one of our kids demanded access to what may be the most rebellious, dangerous and terrifying activities known to parents in Israel. In this case, the culprit in question was twelve-year-old Merav, and her act of teenage defiance? She wanted to ride the bus. No one in our family – nor most of our friends – has taken public transportation since September 2000 when suicide bombers began regularly targeting buses, making getting from here to there a matter of life or death… literally, Brian Blum said.


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Jamaica: Tsunami warning center · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Leon is skeptical  of the tsunami warning center to be built in Manchester, Jamaica. The center will serve the Caribbean and US and is being funded by the US government.


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Japan: Why I Photo Blog · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

The man behind JapanWindow.com, a Japan photo blog, explains why he (photo) blogs.


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Jordan: Shopping cathedrals · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

When you hear about a mall that it probably 1.5 kilometers in length, that's divided into zones that are themed as China, Egypt, India, Persia and so on, you might smile, cringe or do both. But after visiting the Ibn Battuta mall today convinced me I was doing neither, Ahmad said.


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Kazakhstan: State of the Media · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

neweurasia reports on the state of Kazakhstan's media.


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Kenya: Life in the other side of town · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Kikuyumoja’s realm uses a  photo to highlight the contradictions of life in Africa as whilst some people in an “informatl settlement” can afford to watch the English premier league others can hardly afford a soda.

author: Sokari Ekine


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Malaysia: National Car Crash? · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Jeff Ooi and Cik Amoi of Anak Merdeka comment on the spiralling decline in the fortunes of Malaysia's “national car” company, Proton.  The latest development is Volkswagen's announcement that it won't be producing VW-branded cars with Proton for the local market.  The car company's share price plummeted soon after.


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Mexico: Bolivia Versus Fox? · Global Voices
David Sasaki

World News A La Mexicana takes a look at the hostility developing between Bolivia's president-elect, Evo Morales and Mexico's outgoing president, Vicente Fox.


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Mexico: iLaw México 2006 · Global Voices
David Sasaki

León Felipe Sánchez says (ES), “if you're a blogger or interested in starting a blog, you can't afford to miss iLaw México 2006 where you'll get to know the legal implications of dealing with content online, the function of copyright, the tendencies about information technology, and its legal implications.”


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Mongolia: Protest and Uncertainty · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Protesters have seized the headquarters of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party after its members at the head of government ministries resigned, sending the government into chaos. Chris Miller offers valuable background and explanation, while yan and Registan.net have more on the protests.


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Nepal: Queer Rights · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

International Nepal Solidarity Networks links to an article on “Nepal’s homosexual community and gay rights activists Friday joined international protests against the arrest of four Indians on the charge of running a “gay racket” on the Internet.”


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Pakistan: Garam Chashma · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Light Within on the “picturesque, tranquil and pollution free town Garam Chashma (meaning hot spring) in at the edge district Chitral.”


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Palestine: The Fruits of Non Violence · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Following today’s hearing in the Supreme Court Judge Ayala Prokachya issued a new temporary injunction forbidding all building whatsoever in the Matityahu East compound in the settlement Modi’in Illit. The judge further ordered “to examine all permits already issued and to determine their position regarding their legality by 20 January.”
The appeal was made by Attorney Michael Sfard on behalf of Peace Now. Matityahu East is built on land stolen by the State of Israel from the West Bank village of Bil’in, a theft facilitated by the apartheid wall that is currently under construction, ISM said.


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Peru: 93 Days Until Election · Global Voices
David Sasaki

In her new English-language weblog, Morena Writes, Diana Zorrilla Ríos posts a translation of her pre-election update entitled “93 Days Left.”


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Peru Recently · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

After a while of blogging inactivity, I'm back. And nothing better to start with than summaries of what happenned in 2005. Franc of Apuntes Peruanos at Perú en los blogs 2005 does it, even though its not a completely in-depth look, its worth the effort (By the time this post is online in Global Voices, Franc's post was already published thanks to the effort of Patrick Hall). Also the ghost of Tinta Fantasma has its own post La blogósfera en el Perú (The Blogosphere in Peru) offering his view of precisely that. Just like Sandro Medina of Letra Suelta who in 2005: weblogs en el Perú gives us his own particular balance of the facts. Though its not estrictly about the subject, Morsa in el blog: la coordinadora estudiantil – la blogósfera y sus sorpresas reflects on how as the blogosphere grows, common spaces of interaction do too.
On the technological aspect, Eduardo Solis's post of e-nredados: 2006: ¿cuántos y quienes somos? Parte III (How Many and Who are We?) is related to the blogosphere, because the data about penetration of PCs and TICs in our country is quite relevant for those of us who are into the environment. Continuing with technology, APM writes on La vida de un informático: PerAntivirus 9.6 crackeado, in which he speaks limitedly of the popular antivirus software from Peru.
Now onto politics: La Morena speaks in 93 Days Left about the political conjuncture not just of Peru but also of Bolivia and Chile. To select an excerpt:
The last polls have reflected that around 50% of the constituents still dont know who vote for.Evo already won and the idea of the native leader could stimulate the andean majority and the south of the country which identifies itself in support of Ollanta Humala and his own discontent and rejection of the system which has brought them few benefits. Likewise, the virtual victory of the candidate Bachelet in Chile, could favor Lourdes Flores who will try to be the first female President of Peru.
So the principal topic of peruvian politics these days revolves around Ollanta Humala and blogs make no exception. Carla, representing the typical Peruvian blogger tells it explicitly: Estamos jodidos. El Acertijo Cretino posts Llegaron los Reyes! Nos traen humalitas, evones y chavecitos, which is along the same lines. Marco Sifuentes from his blog El Útero de Marita has two post about it: Ollanta Humala: culpable soy yo and Humala vs Bolívar vs Chomsky vs Allende vs Chávez vs Marx vs Evo, both very interesting, because he tells us first hand and does it with unique humor.
The different note its put by the well known journalist Manuel Jesús Orbegozo who in his blog El Mundo, Un Dia tells us in Perú: Humala Versus Humala that among other things:
This is the political overview that lives in Peru because of Humala, If they wouldnt had intervened, the political reality would be the same as it was 170 years ago; pure Peruvian briskness. One or two lords would run for president one of them would win not knowing how or when. Of course you cant just depend on speeches, as Ollanta is not the guardian angel of Peru, but he could make much more than others that form part of a class, a really disgusting one. Ollanta has said “these politicians make me sick”. Watching over again the same faces as candidates, lets say, Mr Xavier Barrón himself, is sickening. But its as sickening to think there is a singer whos nickname is “Tongo” who aspires to be legislator.
Continuing with politics, Jomra tells us the lastest on Fujimori, Fujimori y más sobre Fujimori…. Luis León of Ingenuo País also speaks on Fujimori in Fujimori… ¿puede postular? and in a very long post on the people on the Ministry of Economics and Finance: Los MEF-Boys… o en busca del continuismo económico tells us the recent moves on the economic ministry and the famous “economic model”. So now that we are on the topic of economics, Gonzalito reproduces, without commentary, an article from an economic newspaper from our neighbor to the south: Operadores chilenos se lanzan a la caza de Perú.
Changing topics, Luis of Autobús has two excellent posts in which he offers his impressions on the visit of almost mythological Argentinean rocker, Luis Alberto Spinetta to Lima and his concert: Spinetta (1) y Spinetta (2). Ivan Thays, of Moleskine, informs us in Vargas Llosa y Vanessa Saba en teatro about the premiere in Lima of one of Vargas Llosas’ play: The truth of the lies (La verdad de las mentiras), turns out to be very interesting because this particular play was not really conceived to be staged. Just one complaint: Iván put a picture of the gorgeus Vanessa instead of Mario.
Now onto personal blogs, I have found some posts that caught my attention: Ella se sabe gorda of Orlando Mazeyra is about the situations that our excessive dependence on attractiveness may lead us to. Hay cosas que no se pueden comprar by Diego Avendaño (desde la clandestinidad) is a post about things that were born to not be, with a reference to a well known advertisement of credit cards as a reflection that if we can onlyl really buy everything. El precio de la sabiduría, posted in Origami con los boletos del micro, is about those experiences that, withoug knowing why, marked us yet never became memories but there are always present in our life. And Carlos, of the popular Invazor C: writes a sad Balance del 2006, that looks like a poem or is it?
To finish, a couple of posts with pictures, from blogs that aren't officially photoblogs, but… who cares?. First one Miscelánea Fotográfica: Trujillo, 31 de diciembre covers a trip to the beautiful city of Trujillo and appeared in Crepúsculos y Cuadernos. With authors’ permission and in a nostalgic outburst, I dedicate this to a big bunch of my trujillian friends spread around the world. The second one is not one but four; a series  of posts about a New Year's camping trip published by Silvia Sugasti in her blog Adeene: Camping's Day (Días atrás) – Parte I, Camping's Day (Sábado, Lima) – Parte II, Camping's Day (Sábado, Sarapampa) – Parte III y Camping's Day (Sábado y Domingo, Sarapampa) – Parte IV. It's good to see how the Linux users have a good time … Thats it for today. Bye.
Translation by Andres Riveros

author: Juan Arellano


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Philippines: Busy Signal · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Divergent Poles worries that the growth in the supply of educated Filipino graduates can't keep up with booming demand in the “business process outsourcing” industry (i.e. call centers and back office work).


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Russia: Shoot the Birds · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Nomad Notes reports that Russia's eccentric Vladimir Zhirinovsky has proposed shooting all migratory birds as they fly into the country to prevent bird flu.


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Singapore: George Soros’ Speech · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Huichieh Loy at From a Singapore Angle comments on a speech given by financier George Soros in Singapore criticizing the country's lack of an open society.


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South Africa; Tag Africa · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

White Africa points to the “Africa” Tag over at 1000Tags.com …..Well, I thought this would be the first (and maybe last) place that WhiteAfrican.com would try and do some advertising. Mostly because by starting the tag “AFRICA”, I thought it would be a huge help to all of the other African bloggers out there”


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Sri Lanka: St Expedit · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Where do saints come from? On reading Dalrymple's work, One One Things has a post on St Expedit who got his name because “Unfortunately the label with the name of the Saint in question had been discarded somewhere along the way and all that remained was a stamp with the Italian word “Spedito”, meaning expedited.”

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Trinidad & Tobago: Mobile wars · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The West Indies Cricket weblog links to a BBC news story which recounts the latest in the drama between Trinidad & Tobago's current – and up to this point only – telecommunications services provider and an Irish telecoms company about to enter the market. The Irish provider, Digicel, was also a key player in a dispute last year with telecoms giant Cable & Wireless over sponsorship of West Indies cricket.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Prime ministers who live in glass houses · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“Is there nothing Patrick Manning won't take credit for?,” asks Jonathan Ali, reacting to the Trinidad & Tobago prime minister's declaration that the recent arrests of two government ministers on bribery charges are the direct result of reports he made to the Integrity Commission. “It's more than a little curious that Manning should talk about integrity,” Jonathan adds, “when practically his first act on assuming the office of prime minister after the last general election was to name his wife the minister of education.”


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Trinidad/Jamaica: Creole into Chinese? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Caribbean-born sci-fi writer Nalo Hopkinson announces on her blog that two of her novels are to be translated into Chinese. “I wonder how they will deal with the creoles,” she says, “including the one that's a mashup of Trinidadian and Jamaican?”


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Ukraine: Thoughts on Government · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Scott Clark has additional thoughts on  the dismissal of the Ukrainian government, saying it is perhaps not as bad for Yushchenko as it first seemed.


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Azerbaijan: YAMs · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Carpetblogger says that Azerbaijan's newly denominated currency, the YAM (Yeni (new) Azerbaijan Manat), is causing all kinds of mayhem in the country.


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Brazil: Lavagem do Bonfim · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Sangroncito writes about and photographs “Lavagem do Bonfim” (The Washing of Bonfim Church) in which “Baianas -women dressed in the traditional all-white costume of turban and billowing long skirts – lead a 10 km procession from the lower city to the Church of Bonfim, followed by thousands of participants.”


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Chile: Free Wi-Fi at all Starbucks · Global Voices
David Sasaki

FayerWayer announces with glee that all Starbucks in Chile now offer free wireless internet access. Ismael comments that he can finally do away with his social life completely. Pablo Noel, however, notes that “every Starbucks in Chile” really means “11 locations in Santiago” and that more community wi-fi networks need to be initiated.


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Colombia: The rise of Colombia’s “Democratic Left” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Noting that poll respondents are now focusing on economic issues and are open to negotiations with leftist guerillas, Adam Isacson foresees a rise in the newly unified “Democratic Left,” perhaps even unseating the main opposition “Liberal Party.” He then profiles 10 leading figures of Colombia's left.


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Daughters of  Jailed Cambodian Human Rights Activist Fight for Freedom of Expression · Global Voices
Beth Kanter

Photos courtesy of Warren Anderson, UCIC
Kem Monovithya, 24, and Kem Samathida, 18, the daughters of imprisoned Human Rights activist Kem Sokha are in the US and working with Cambodian Americans to garner support for their father's release and to call attention to the crackdown on freedom of expression and democracy in Cambodia.
On December 31, 2005,  Kem Sohka, Cambodian Center for Human Rights‘ director, and Yeng Virak,  head of the  Community Legal Education Center, were arrested for allegedly defaming the government in connection with a banner displayed on International  Human Rights Day.  So far, five individuals, either journalists, trade unionists, or prominent human rights activists have been arrested based on complaints filed by the government or its leaders.  Most relate directly to opinions expressed about Prime Minister Hun Sen of the dominant Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), and criticisms over sensitive border issues with neighboring Vietnam.
Critics, including the United States, the United Nations, World Bank  and international human rights groups ,  have condemned the government's actions and said they show Cambodia, under Hun Sen's rule, is becoming more authoritarian than democratic.
While their father was being taken to Prey Sar prison, Kem's daughters  were en route by jet to the United States where they attend school.  They did not know of the arrest until they arrived in Washington, DC where the younger daughter Samathida will begin classes on January 17th.
A Candlight Vigil was held in front of  the White House last night organized by an umbrella organization, United Cambodian International Council (UCIC), made up of many Cambodian diaspora groups.  Monovithya Kem was one of the featured speakers and updated the audience on her father's condition in prison. The United Cambodian International Council (UCIC) co-chairs, Suykry Path from Minnesota and the Venerable Monk Rithipol of Massachusetts, also made remarks.
“I am encouraged by these efforts made by Cambodians in America and around the world,” said Monovithya Kem.   "I feel certain that my father and his fight for democracy in Cambodia is not and will not be forgotten.”
Today, Loving-Kindness Ceremonies ("Bon Psay Meta" in Cambodian) were held at major Buddhist Temples across America.  I reached Kem Sokha's younger daughter, Samathida, by phone who told me that she was touched by support she and her sister are receiving from Cambodian Americans and others.
She went on to say that her father's arrest is very wrong. "Cambodian people have brains, they think and they want to be able to speak their minds.  But, if the government doesn't like what you say, you are put in jail.  We are voiceless in our own country."  She urged those who care about freedom of expression to put pressure on the Cambodian government to release her father and all those who have been jailed.   "Please do not abandon Cambodia."
The two daughters will meet with U.S. Representatives and Senators in  Washington, D.C. tommorrow to make a personal appeal and deliver letters of support from the Cambodian NGOS, Cambodian Americans,  and others.
Perhaps they will start a blog to continue to tell their story and plead for their father's release and demand freedom of expression in Cambodia.   The recent actions by the government, however, have had a chilling effect on the Cambodian blogosphere.  Bloggers in country are not expressing their views on the topic.