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Pakistan: Call It Pornistan? · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

Last month, Fox News published a report titled “No. 1 Nation in Sexy Web Searches? Call it Pornistan” claiming that Pakistan ranks first in porn web searches according to Google index. The report came amid heated discussions on internet censorship in Pakistan. The Lahore High Court, in an attempt to ban blasphemous content ended up passing orders to block social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and even Blackberry services. This is when the blogosphere started buzzing with the issue of porn websites being accessible while social networking websites remained blocked.
On my own blog, while commenting on internet censorship and the issue of blasphemous content, I raised the issue of porn sites being accessible despite censorship in action.
For all those bent on moral-policing the internet in the name of religion, please pay some heed to the thousands of child porn websites that are still accessible in Pakistan, none of which have been mentioned in 10,428 sites to be banned. When will we learn to prioritize?
Despite all the discussions, the Fox News report came as a shocker to many, primarily because Pakistan has a low percentage of internet users compared to the rest of the world. The report not only claimed that Pakistan ranks as the top nation for porn searches but also provided keywords suggesting a considerable interest in bestiality and child porn. The report has been seen as a serious allegation and has been discussed widely by bloggers and mainstream media alike.
Kalsoom Lakhani at CHUP – Changing Up Pakistan blog is shocked and disgusted at the findings of the report:
Although I’m frankly disgusted (and horrified) that we are prominent on yet another negative list, I’m not that surprised. Because despite Fox and TIME claims that Pakistan is “a Muslim nation, notorious for conservative [and] religious orthodoxy,” we have perverts, just like every other country in the world, (cue: Pakistanis, they’re just like us!). There’s a reason why internet cafes in Pakistan are filled to the brim with seedy characters, and it’s not because they’re just checking e-mail. I am not denying the hypocrisy behind banning social media and other websites but giving a green light to the above – but hypocrisy extends to much wider issues and to all societies. The framing of the issue by Fox and other news agencies, in my opinion, is also cause for discussion.
A post on Kool Muzone gives an extensive analysis of the fox report:
Today Fox News published a report on Pakistan and refereed to it as Pornistan claiming that it is “No. 1 Nation in Sexy Web Searches”. Whatever keywords Fox News has mentioned are factual and not made-up. I don’t deny the fact that Pakistan ranks 1st on these keywords. I also don’t deny the fact that porn is popular in Pakistan. However, I deny that Pakistan is “No. 1 Nation in Sexy Web Searches” as claimed by Fox News.
The post includes detailed analysis of different keywords and carries snapshots of  their Google rankings concluding:
I don’t see Pakistan occurring even in the top 10 regions here. It’s a shame how Fox news has refereed to a country as Pornistan just to sell their papers off. We all exactly know the status of Fox news in international media. The stunt they played is exactly like referring to Pakistan as “Number 1 nation in music searches” since it ranks number 1 on keyword “Sufi Music”!
Meanwhile Google officially denied the accuracy of its search trends used in the Fox News report saying that the sample size is too small for the results to be statistically sound.
Ammar Yasir criticized the report while making some valid points regarding Internet censorship in Pakistan:
Frankly speaking the standard of journalism Fox News is infamous for, its special love for Pakistan and the Muslim world over the years and Google’s disassociation with the fox story takes away our special internet achievement. But I am sure folks around the world might have a good laugh on the story and our sexy (pervert is the correct word) nature. But does it take away the fact; that some of us actually make these searches or watch porn of similar genre (scary thought)? I think not, it actually signifies another attribute of our hypocritical nature. Like banning Facebook, YouTube and even Wikipedia but no such order against porn sites, I wonder why?
Regardless of the claims made by the report one thing appears to be clear, the ongoing Internet censorship campaign against blasphemous content by the Pakistani courts appears to be targeting social networking tools rather than ‘questionable contents’ such as child porn websites.

author: Sana Saleem


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Pakistan: TEDx Lahore · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hasan Mubarak at Lahore Metblogs posts a review of TEDxLahore, which took place last Saturday, 31st of July, 2010.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Rezwan


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Paraguay: Salvador Cabañas Using Guaraní To Express Himself · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Paraguayan footballer Salvador Cabañas continues to recover from the bullet that is lodged in his brain after an altercation in a Mexico City bar. Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es]  notes that Cabañas has been reverting back to his mother tongue of Guaraní as a way of adapting after the injury, when he is asked to make more complex statements, such as providing testimony about the crime, and which is one of the advantages of having a bilingual culture.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Russia: New Bill to Rename Russian Police · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Bloggers discuss [RUS] the Russian President's draft of police reforms bill published online at this website [RUS]. Proposed change of the name from “militsiya” [RUS] to “police,” one of the main symbolic changes in the draft, will alienate policemen even more,   LJ user semen_serpent writes [RUS].

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Voices of Young African Leaders Heard at Obama’s Forum  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

When the President of the United States Barack Obama opened his remarks at the White House Town Hall meeting by telling the Ghanaian delegates that “they will see each other” again for a rematch at the 2014 World Cup, the delegates gladly accepted the challenge.  They also accepted a more significant challenge, that the development of their nation and as a matter of fact, of the continent as a whole rested primarily on the shoulders of African youth. The three-days-long  get together in Washington DC was remarkable because of the dynamism and fearlessness of the young African delegates. The meeting were filled with passionate pleas for more collaboration between African nations, calls for holding political leaderships more accountable, boosting innovation, promoting tolerance towards diverging political or religious point of views and the role of internet in making their goals achievable.
delegates from Madagascar and Mali – Under CC license 3.0 share alike
All the delegates were well-versed in the intricacies of information technology but many of them expressed the worries that most of their compatriots still did not have access to internet and were therefore shunned from the exchange of ideas that take place online.
Halimatou Hima Moussa Dioula grew up in Niamey, Niger and has just completed a degree in international relations/economics from Wellesley College.  She  is  a member of Harambe Endeavor Alliance, a group of African students and young professionals who strives to push the African Intellectual pool  worldwide to reinvest into the  economic development of Africa.  She states in the following video her hopes for her country, the changes she  would like to make happen to remedy the status quo and her disappointment at the incomplete portrayal of Niger in international media and [Fr]:
“C’est vrai que l’on a la famine et que les retombées de l’uranium ne sont pas distribuées equitablement. Mais il y a tellement de gens qui essayent de faire bouger des montagnes au Niger mais on en parle pas parce que soit ils sont dans des regions éloignées, mais aussi parce que les medias ne sont intéressé que par le sensationel. [..] Nous avons besoin que les histoires positives sont mieux connues pour ne pas sombrer dans le pessimisme.  Je pense que grace aux resources naturelles, le Niger peut-être un des tigres de l’Afrique dans 20 ans et que l’on parlera du miracle nigérien. “
Hima adds that her relative who sells tomatoes in Southern Niger does not have access to internet.  He sells his tomatoes to larger corporations who take advantage of the fact that he is not aware of the latest market price for his goods and results in substantial loss of income.
In Chad,  Jareth Beain is the Head of Program on Public Resource Management, Group for Alternative Research and Monitoring of the Chad-Cameroon Petrol Project. He argues that African inventors would gain to be more supported and  recognized outside of their country. He explains the principle of  an invention by his colleague Djerassem Bemadjiel in Ndjamena that aims to provide enough  electrical power for a village with just one  liter of  gas [fr]:
“The idea is to combine a foraging device to drill a wellbore for water with a fluid pumping system that will create a pressure gradient that will feed the generator in energy.”
The invention is currently under examination for a patent and the details of the invention can be found here. Djerassem Bemadjiel hopes that better internet access will facilitate the sharing of their local inventions and collaboration with other engineers.
Real time and fact-based news about Togo are the main goals of Eric Nopklim Kaglan and his agency Savoir News. He argues that press freedom and a reasonable conversation cannot take place if there is no consensus on the basic facts. He is reassured by the fact that all sides of the Togolese political scene as well as the international community have approved of the integrity of their journalistic work.  He is also proud of the fact that his agency is the only private online news provider in Togo, it maintains its sustainability by providing rapid fact-checked information to subscribers for a fee.
Antoine Assalé Tiémoko from SOS Justice Cote d'Ivoire and Eric Nopklim Kaglan, Head of English Desk of Savoir News
For Ivorian Journalist Assale Tiemoko Antoine, governance, transparency  and freedom of the press are the key to development in Africa. Assale knows this from personal experience. Not unlike his colleagues from Le Nouveau Courier a few weeks ago, Assale spent 12 months behind bars from December 2007 to December 2008 for his reporting on government corruption. He promotes transparency through his association SOS Justice Côte d’Ivoire and his blog. Other activists for press freedom in Africa are highlighted in this article by Mohamed Keita for the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Internet can also be a vehicle for better communication between communities who are sometimes at odds. Aminatou Daouda Hainikoye is adamant that the women’s rights movement in Niger needs to take into account both the important cultural specificity of her country but also embrace the basic principles recommended by international human rights organizations [fr]:
She argues that an exchange of point of views  between religious leaders,  defenders of Nigerien’s identity and human rights activists must continue on a regular basis for women’s rights to make progress in Niger. Being an advocate of both her faith-based community and women’s rights organization, Aminatou Daouda Hainikoye hopes to be the bridge between the two communities.
Statement by Young African Delegates at Newseum read by Marie Tamoifo Nkom from Cameroon ,Nadja Gomes from Mozambique, Najma Ahmed Abdi from Somalia
The forum appropriately concluded with a statement read by three women delegates in English, French and Portuguese in which they reasserted that they are ready to lead and change the narrative about the African continent [Pt]:
Many delegates also  made it clear that they saw the United States as a partner but not as a savior in their task of taking their regions through the next 50 years of their independence.  A group of delegates spontaneously came together in a song to put the final touch on a busy but hopeful trip.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Afghanistan: State Dept Terrorism Report makes bleak reading · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nick Fielding reviews new report by the U.S. State Department on Afghanistan, noting that Taliban attacks increased over 2008 amid diminished direct influence of al-Qaeda, whilst the anti-government insurgency remained a capable, determined, and resilient threat to stability.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Analyzing GDP growth of Singapore · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Furry Brown Dog analyzes the GDP numbers of Singapore and proposes a more accurate indicator to measure the country's economic growth

author: Mong Palatino


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China: Visa tales · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Just how how hard can it be, asks Sina blogger and freelance journalist Chen Zikun in his August 6 post, for Chinese travelers to get a visa—with Chen's answer apparently being: not too hard—in which he shares the stories behind visas for the many countries he's been to:
第一次出国办理签证前，一直喜滋滋地认为：来自一个经济快速发展的大国，特别是CCTV等根红苗正的媒体经常自鸣得意地报道“中国游客的奢侈品购买力高居世界第一”时，心里的底气就更足了。中国都已经“可以说不了！”哪个国家还敢不会笑脸相迎，顺利给予签证放行呢。
然而，事与愿违……
2003年深秋，第一次办理的出国旅游签证是申根国家的奥地利。要求我提供房产、车产、银行5万存款证明，单位介绍信，介绍信的职能是，汇报我年收入在10万人民币以上，担保我肯定如期归国、绝不滞留非法打工，当然，还要求“如实填写”八辈祖宗的详细履历……
第二次去埃及和被欧盟一直不齿的土耳其。埃及相对简单，但先决条件也不少，本以为也遭受歧视的土耳其能够通情达理，不料，这个昔日的奥斯曼帝国，对中华人民共和国公民的态度跟欧盟国家一样的傲慢！
话说回来，别责怪人家外国人，自家的香港、澳门也要求你先办理经过严格审核的签证，才可能放行呢。其手续与程序，同办理其别人家一样复杂好繁琐，更重要的是，日后还经常遭到导游的冷眼甚至辱骂。
第二次进入申根国家，是法国签证，照例又是复印一大沓资料以及银行存款等财产证明，再次发誓绝不赖在人家屋檐下，一定如期回来。
毕竟是难兄难弟，越南明显地好客，不费心调查你是否有足够的资产和计较你是否拥有体面的工作，交钱后差不多就OK了！
太平洋上的美国托管地塞班岛，虽然有美国有亲戚关系，但美国东家知道中国人再怎么聪明，也无法把塞班做跳板蹦到美国本土，所以手续相对简单，但单位介绍信还是少不了的。
虽然曾经体制相同，俄罗斯实际上也多次尝试给予昔日小兄弟一些宽松，但发现招惹不得，稍有松懈，中国人就非法涌入、大量滞留。屡放屡收的结果是，仅仅比苛刻的欧盟强一点，但有些公证、身份证明一样不少！
最亲密的盟国朝鲜，对于中国游客的财产证明并不看中，但对职业的审查却极为严格。记者休想进入！但以盈利为目的的旅行社自有对策，把职业一栏随便改成“教师”或“经理”就平安无事了。失望的是，签证是没有“伟大领袖”的头像和他们独自一国实行的“主体元年”年历划分日的期。
马来西亚除了对中国年轻女子（大量性工作者活跃在马来西亚，使所有的中国良家女子也收到牵连）审查严格外，基本网开一面。新加坡也如此，只要有足够的存款证明就成。签证是另外一张纸，不占护照页面。
虽然我们把他们的外交部、国防部、行政院统统打上引号，从心理上安慰自己。但是，在“一个中国原则”下，去台湾比办理去其他国家甚至还要繁琐。至少没有正式开放前的2004年是这样。
台湾签证与众不同，套用李登辉的话，毕竟这是“特殊的国与国”关系。幸好我不是军人、党员和官员，审查轻易通过。但去台湾却必须从香港经由第三国才能实现。
这个第三国就选择了菲律宾。这个东南亚唯一的天主教国家，没有调查我的财产和职业。
韩国与朝鲜的签证区别明显，首尔机场人员见到我的朝鲜签证时，惊讶地问：我可以用手机拍照吗？
柬埔寨既不担心中国记者的“负面报道”，更不害怕中国黑工的“非法滞留”。甚至落地再办理签证也来得及。
经常被国际社会谴责践踏人权的缅甸军政权，与朝鲜有很多相同之处——都不欢迎喜欢追求真相的新闻记者。
泰国属于少有的几个最容易签证的国家之一，即使没有红衫军闹腾。不过，去那个国家没有兴趣，只不过，首都曼谷是交通枢纽，以这里放射状地飞向缅甸仰光、斯里兰卡的科伦坡、印度尼西亚的雅加达等地。
2005年。印度尼西亚还不对中国公民个人发放签证，必须多花一倍的钱委托旅行社办理才成。
非洲的岛国塞舌尔，同另一个印度洋岛国毛里求斯相同，破例可以让中国游客同其他各国游客那样，平等免签进入。这是出入境盖的印章。只是每逢遇到中国人入境，检验就格外严格。
满以为兄弟的非洲国家一定不会如此歧视中华人民共和国的护照，不料，强国梦在黑非洲照样破灭！坦桑尼亚与肯尼亚同样铁面无私，都必须在北京的大使馆先把签证办理完毕才能动身。幸好乌干达可以“搭车”进入。目前，在东非共同体内，有其中一个国家签证就可以通行。
更有甚者，世界上最不发达国家之一的马达加斯加，在法文的申请表上还特意用汉字注明：本人在马达加斯加期间，保证不非法打工。另一个最不发达国家之一的赞比亚，更是明令规定：包括中国在内的六个国家不能享有落地签证待遇……
要想获得津巴布韦签证，请记住，同朝鲜、缅甸一样，千万不能透露记者身份！专制政权都害怕舆论开放。
美国签证最为麻烦，要象应聘工作那样先去使馆“面试”和按手印，北京人还好说，新疆人也得不远千里，来北京的秀水街碰运气，拒签后，100美元的签证费不退！不过，我面试时，所以的财产证明人家根本没有看！
早在1989年，遭到加拿大拒签，没想到，后来竟然去了三次这个国家。不过，第二次入境时遇到麻烦，签证官反复检查护照后，不解地质问：你为什么去伊朗？叙利亚、津巴布韦、缅甸和朝鲜这样的国家？你跟他们军人有联系吗？你见过他们的领导人吗？
印度需要往返机票、1万元存款证明。但只能一次入境和30天期限。最恼火的是印度大使馆很没信誉，极不靠谱，当你按规定的时间去取护照时，往往会毫无歉意地说：“没有办好呢，明天来吧。”
尼泊尔是对中国最友好的国家，签证免费，且两天后即可来取。大使馆外门可罗雀，不用排队直接进入使馆内填表。不要财产证明。
虽然，我们本家兄弟台湾、香港的游客，能够在申根以及欧盟其他许多国家享有免签厚爱，但安理会五大常任理事国之一的中国，其国民却享受不到这些待遇。去北欧四国时，又带着中国银行至少10000元的存款证明、本人在职证明和年收入证明、单位的营业代码、领导或法人代表的保证签字以及其他个人财产证明等等，来到芬兰大使馆签证。
老挝签证费用130元，条件宽松。
同卡塔尔一样，作为中东最大的中转站，阿联酋的迪拜，也不在护照上贴签证。
伊朗是唯一要求女性入境者提供的照片必须是带头巾的国家，不知海湾其他国家有没有类似强制规定的？
叙利亚，又一个以色列的敌国，为此，这本护照没有用完之前，我不敢贸然去以色列大使馆办理签证。
约旦驻华大使馆的工作人员，态度粗鲁无礼，甚至比其他驻华使馆里的一些中方雇员的态度还恶劣。
蒙古的签证官居然能够把申请者的年月日写错，害得我发现后第二次找他们纠正。
澳大利亚尽管要求必须把逝去了20多年、甚至40多年的父母姓名“如实填写”，彻底调查清楚我的底细，但还好允许一年内多次往返。第二次再去时，免受了一次心灵屈辱。
日本虽然不断降低签证的门槛，但中国人要想像港台同胞一样从容第出入东京，还是一个遥不可及的梦想。也难怪，每个旅行团都面临游客中途脱逃的风险，10万现金被旅行社扣押，也依然挡不住脱逃的洪流。
没有与中国建交的不丹，自然不会在护照上留下签证，只是出入境是盖个章而已。
第三次办理尼泊尔的签证，免费时代早已结束。
孟加拉要求提供邀请函，没办法弄邀请函，只好委托旅行社办理，费用翻番，有的黑心旅行社甚至提高4倍！
How does all that that compare to your experiences traveling?
In a final note, Chen writes:
现在，想必大家发现：一个国家的国际地位、国家实力、形象与声誉到底如何，通过办理签证得到了验证。但愿“提升国家形象”的宣传片快快播放吧，别让大陆的炎黄子孙总沦为不受欢迎的三等贱民（当然，有钱有势的人都有了其他“国籍”）。

author: John Kennedy


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Egypt: Obssessed with Celebrities’ Religion · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Nour is a Lebanese actress who has been starring in Egyptian films for the last 10 years. She is always considered as one of the prettiest actresses of her age. Lately, Egyptian newspaper “El Youm El Sabee” (The Seventh Day) reported [Ar] that Nour gave birth to a baby boy and called him “Leonardo”. The child's name helped reveal the religion of the actress, which shocked some of those who left comments on the article there.
An anonymous reader left the following comment under the screen name “Masdoom” (Shocked):
Another reader replied to Masdoom:
And a third reader called “Asmaa” said:
Readers left more than 100 comments on the article. Some where just shocked, and some others like the following reader tried to urge people to be more reasonable:
Traveller Within wrote the following tweet mocking people's reaction after knowing Nour's religion:
In fact, it seems that even Nour herself – whose real name is “Marianne Phillip Abi Habib” – was aware of this, and either she or her producers decided to give her a new screen name that doesn't reveal her religion.
It's not only Nour, but another Egyptian Actress – Basma – was subject to rumours a while ago that her grandparents are Jews. People then had mixed feelings towards such news.
In his blog “The Egyptian Silent Majority” blogger Ahmed Samir wrote about an incident that happened to him some time ago and made him realize how much people are obsessed with knowing other people's religion.
He wrote:
He then continued:
Charafantah wrote a list of more than 15 questions [ar] each one should ask himself in order to know whether he is racist or not. And one of those questions was whether your opinion in someone changes after you know his/her religion.
Finally, just as Ahmed Samir said in his post, it's not always racism or sectarianism, but sometimes it's just curiosity that makes us eager to know other people's religions, yet why are we that curious to know? Why do we even care to know? Will such information make any difference to us?

author: Tarek Amr


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Honduras: Drinking Coffee in Surcagua · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Irina Vanessa Orellana reminisces about the “power of coffee” to bring friends together in Honduras, as she reminisces about a recent trip about to drink a cup of coffee with some friends in the small town of Surcagua [es] located 20 minutes from Tegucigalpa.


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Iran: A blogger among hunger strikers · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kouhyar Goodarzi, human rights activist and blogger, is one of 17 Iranian political prisoners who started their hunger strike at the end of July to protest against the poor prison conditions, the behaviour of prison officials, and the ban on visits.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Political prisoners on hunger strike · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Relatives of the hunger striking prisoners protest in front of Evin Prison in Tehran
Seventeen political prisoners began a hunger strike at the end of July to protest deteriorating conditions at Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. Here is the complete list of hunger strikers. Iran has arrested hundreds of journalists, human rights activists, and politicians after the protest movement emerged against the results of the June 12 presidential election in 2009.
Mir Hussein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, the two main opposition leaders called on the prisoners to stop the hunger strike. Iranian bloggers reported that Babak Bordbar, a jailed photographer who also went on hunger strike was released today.
Several human rights organizations announced their concern for the health condition of the hunger strikers, especially the detained journalists, Bahman Ahmadi-Amouei and Keyvon Samimi, and student activist Majid Tavakoli . These three individuals began a “dry” hunger strike on August 4.
Sight writes  [fa] about the indifference of the world towards the hunger striking prisoners in Iran. The blogger writes:
What happened? Has the voice of the political prisoners become weak or is the world sleepy?… Bahman Ahmadi-Amouei and Keyvon Samimi are my countrymen and their bones are being broken in Velyateh Faghie's [Iranian regime] undergrounds
23 Khordad, a group that claims to have emerged after the presidential election to support the Green Movement, says[fa] that:
We are concerned for the health of the political prisoners who are on hunger strike, and we respect their will to either continue or stop. But we object to the invitation of a reformist group, Jebheye Moshrekat, who is asking people to do political fasting to support prisoners. Yes to hunger strike, no to political fasting. Why is it that this reformist group wants to give a political colour to their hunger strike.
Arash Ashouri, a leading Iranian photo blogger based in Iran, writes in his blog, Kosoof, about one of hunger strikers:
Bahman Ahmadi Amouee, a famous economy journalist of various reformist newspapers is in hunger strike nowadays in notorious Evin Prison of Tehran. Bahman, alongside his wife, Jila Baniyaghoub, a journalist and women rights activist was arrested after the disputed Presidential election in 2009. He was held for several weeks in solitary confinement in section 209 of Evin Prison without any official charges. Later, He was sentenced to 7 years and 4 months of imprisonment and 34 lashes in the revolutionary court.
Bahman Ahmadi Amouee, alongside 16 other political prisoners is in hunger strike in Evin prison, protesting against the terrible condition of section 350 of Evin prison and the harsh behavior of prison guards. Authorities do not let his family to visit him or have any contact with him and according to the sources from inside the prison, his physical health is in serious danger.


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Kazakhstan: What do young people want  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Popular TV presenter and newly converted blogger Kamila Zhusupova reflects on the realities of Kazakhstan's youth, its problems, values and future.


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Kyrgyzstan: A political picnic, another failed coup in Bishkek · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Murzaki makes a photo-post about a rally in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, where hundreds of people went on to the street with the demand to to make Mr. Barktabasov, a mysterious tycoon with big ambitions for power, the Prime Minister. Some protesters were armed. The rally was dispersed, Barktabasov arrested.


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Laos: Road improvements · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Victoria Minoian visited the southern province of Champassack in Laos and blogged about the impact of the recent road improvements in the area.


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Pakistan: Zardari Shoe Bombed · Global Voices
Rezwan

Teeth Maestro mentions yesterday's incident of shoe throwing on Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari in Birmingham as “one of the most happiest moments in Pakistan's history”.


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Paraguay: Information for Attendees of Americas Social Forum · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Paraguayan digital magazine E'a [es] is providing regular updates for people planning on attending the Americas Social Forum that will be held in Asunción from August 11-15. Updates include requirements for entry to the country and the planned program for the event.


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Russia: Musicians Sign Petition for Detained Rapper · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Ivan Alexeev (aka Noize MC ), a Volgograd-based rapper famous for its politically charged songs [EN], had been detained for 10 days after a concert where he sang an anti-police song. Blogger Norlink published [RUS] a petition for his defense that had been signed by the Russian rock-musicians.


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Singapore: Proposal to remove retirement age · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Sam Ho reacts to the suggestion of former Singapore Prime Minister to remove the retirement age so that ‘active seniors’ can continue to work.


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Southeast Asia: ASEAN Day · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Thai Intelligent News uploads two articles that reflect on the celebration of the ASEAN Day today. ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations.


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Taiwan: Indigenous people protest against forced eviction · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

In the video report created by Civilmedia[zht], more than 600 Taiwan indigenous people from different tribes and supporters gathered in front of the Presidential Office and criticize the forced eviction, ignorance on tribal integrity, and vacuum promises from government after Typhoon Morakot that hit southern Taiwan one year ago.

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Taiwan: The market for medical tourism · Global Voices
David Reid

Michael Turton looks at the development of medical tourism in Taiwan.

author: David Reid


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Thailand: “Yellow protest” despite emergency rule · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Despite the ban on mass assemblies, more than two thousand “Yellow Shirts” in Thailand gathered in a stadium to assert the country's ownership of the Preah Vihear temple which is also being claimed by Cambodia. The Prime Minister attended the gathering.


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The Great Floods of Singapore · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Compared to the massive flooding disasters in Pakistan and China, the series of floods in Singapore in the past month can be described as a minor catastrophe. But the last serious flooding in the garden city of Singapore was more than thirty years ago, in 1978. Residents are angry and they want answers for the apparent lack of government preparation and response during the freak floods.
Google map of the flooded areas
The “endless” property development in Singapore was cited as one of the causes of the floods, particularly in the high-end enclave of Orchard Road. The Lycan Times explains
Simply put, the recent rains are not extraordinary. The meteorological service has not shown us that rainfall has hit a historical new high. The only engineering we need to look into is all that mindless ‘civil engineering’ as a result of the endless property development in Singapore.
Dr Chan Joon Yee can’t believe that flooding took place in the shopping district of Orchard Road
Flooding is not something new to Orchard Road. It happens every year. It’s just that such incidents never made the news because they were not serious enough to make shopkeepers cry. Finally, things got serious last month. Goods were destroyed. Shops were damaged. Shopkeepers cried. Singapore was shocked.
Orchard Road is the last place in Singapore that should be flooded. In a land of glitzy malls, 2 integrated resorts and extravagant, state of the art NDP displays, submerged cars in a prime shopping district is an utter embarrassment. Still, we were told that we had to accept it. Just once. Never mind.
A senior government minister referred to the flood as an ‘act of God’ and added that no engineering solution can prevent the flooding. The Temasek Review reacts to this argument
No Singaporean is expecting Singapore to be completely flood-free. The question is: is it acceptable for Singapore to be hit by flash floods five times within 30 days? Is this performance acceptable for a self-proclaimed first world government?
Enough of throwing smoke-screens to obfuscate the matter and cover up for their own incompetence
It is a shame that Singapore’s prime shopping district is flooded not only once, but twice in less than a month. How can we be a world class cosmopolitan city when we cannot even get the basics right?
Under the Willow Tree believes it is not enough to blame the ‘intense storm’ for the flooding
Yes, it is obvious that these floods are being caused by “intense storms”. But isn't it precisely the job of a sewerage system to be robust and to be able to withstand these “intense storms”? Isn't it precisely the job of the Ministry of Environnment to build redundancy and flexibility into the system to deal with such events?
The Mind Game probes the implication of blaming God and nature for the flooding
We are mere mortals in a struggle against the infinite power of God and nature. Word choice is extremely important here, since the term ‘God’ brings to mind forces more powerful and uncontrollable than nature.
The implication is that it’s really not the government’s fault, its the space constraints and the will of God. Above all, we simply cannot be perfect. In other words, not much more can be done.
Singapore Marina Barrage by ngotoh under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License
One of the functions of the Singapore Marina Barrage is to control floodwaters. In the past month, its reliability has been questioned by many writers.
Chen Jinwen thinks that soil erosion worsened the flooding disaster. The proposal is to slow down on construction
The simple solution is to slow down the unrelenting pace of construction, particularly in our flood-prone areas. While discussing the latest flooding, a friend of mine pointed out Orchard road’s ‘makeover’, remarking that “whatever empty space we had is or is going to be taken up by shopping centres”.
New Asia Republic writes that the flood losses outweigh the purported benefits from the disaster
…it is common to hear comments such as “the floods helped the auto repair industry”. There is frequent overlooking of what otherwise the money could have been utilized more productively by the car owners. What seemingly looks like a gain to the auto repair industry is actually a loss incurred by the car owner.
Everything also complain hits the use of sandbags as a flood defense strategy
This sandbag fortification is like peasants in biblical times preparing for one of the impending Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Nonetheless, desperate times call for ugly desperate measures, though stacking up sandbags like you’re engaging in trench warfare and scaring off customers rather than doing business really defeats its purpose of curbing the floods in the first place.
Siew Kum Hong echoes the anger of many residents
I think what has shocked and upset people, are the scope and location of the floods that have been occurring, and the Government's cavalier response so far. Frankly, if the flooding had been limited to the recognised flood-prone areas, I'm pretty sure there would not have been the amount of backlash that has arisen.
But they are not, they are in new areas, including very highly visible Orchard Road, and the Government did not know what was going on and seemed more interested in maintaining its not-to-be-blamed Teflon coating than in digging in and figuring out what really happened — the first step to finding a solution. That was what was most disappointing.
Thetwophilo's Blog uses Google Earth to prove that the flooding was likely the result of ponding, or a “collection of rain water in depressions or basins.” The government has published its official response to queries about the flooding disasters.


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Venezuela: Blog Carnival and Freedom of Online Expression · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Global Voices in Spanish would like to provide an incentive to blogging and to promote blogger networks through “Blog Festivals.” In this manner, GV in Spanish is helping to create original content with a certain level of reflection and analysis. The participating bloggers will benefit through greater visibility of their work by being featured on Global Voices. Here are the details for the second Festival:
Featured Country: Venezuela
The chosen site and geographic area of the second Blog Festival is Venezuela, which is known for the considerable amount of people who participate in online activism, and where we have a number of collaborators that can help publicize this virtual event. The majority of well-known bloggers can be found in the capital city of Caracas, and we hope that bloggers from the cities of Maracaibo, Valencia, Maracay, Barquisimeto, and others can also participate. Participation is not restricted to bloggers that exclusively write about the topic (see the next paragraph), as any blogger may participate.
Topic: Venezuela: Freedom of Expression on the Internet.
The emergence of new media and online social networks brings more possibilities for citizen expression. However, are these being fully taken advantage of in Venezuela? All of us like to express ourselves, but this is only the first step. Is there online dialogue? Do we listen or read one another or are there only group monologues that prevents a real gathering of ideas? What happens when the opinions encounter intolerance and/or exclusion? On the other hand, is freedom of expression a war horse for hidden interests? What about the groups that are not represented on the Internet? Is freedom of expression guaranteed on the Internet in Venezuela? What are users doing to protect their rights?
Participation:
Any Venezuelan blogger can participate by publishing a post about the topic on his or her own blog. This post must be original, in other words, the work of the blogger. It must not be copied from another source or published during a time outside of the period as stated by this open call. The structure, style, and length of the post is at the discretion of the blogger.
The focus of the topic is open. It can be one of the suggested questions or any other that the blogger considers important. Once the blogger has published the post for the Festival, then an email must be sent to juan.arellano [at] globalvoicesonline.org with the following information:
There is a badge available, which is the image included in this post, so that bloggers can place on their site to indicate that they are participating. Once the badge is place on your blogs, it must reference this post.
Once the period of participation has ended, the posts will be collected and summarized in order to publish a compilation post on Global Voices. Depending on the number of participants, some of the posts may not be included because of space. Any questions can be directed to the previously mentioned email address.
Schedule: The festival's activities:
Note: This is not a contest, as there will not be winners or losers. It has to do with promoting contributions, collaborations, and testimonies about the topic, as a way to put together a wide and varied panorama about the topic of freedom of expression on the Internet in Venezuela.
We look forward to your support, collaboration, and participation.

author: Juan Arellano


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Venezuela: Parkour in Caracas · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Mitchele Vidal of the blog Imágenes Urbanas [es] has pictures of a group of teenagers practicing Parkour around a Metro station of Caracas, Venezuela. She asked them if the police ever told them to stop, and they said “this is a public place and we are practicing a sport.”


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Angola: Karpov, Kasparov to visit Angola · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Edwin Korir reports that the great Russian Chess masters, Antoli Karpov and Gary Kasparov are set to arrive in Angola in September to take part in a forum dubbed “The Development of Chess in Africa”.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Armenia: Being Queer in Yerevan · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Bekhsoos, a queer Arab magazine, features a guest post by Canadian-Armenian Adrineh Macaan on life as a lesbian in Yerevan, the Armenian capital.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh: A Different Kind Of Party · Global Voices
Rezwan

Shahnaz at Dhaka Dweller  posts pictures of a glamorous birthday party of her dog Candy.


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Barbados: On Governance  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Barbadians have been amazed that a stalwart of the Democratic Labour Party…has come out in public to lambaste Minister Michael Lashley for operating in breach of the law when it comes to the awarding of Government contracts”: Allegiance thinks that the country's good governance is being called into question.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Brazil: Online Sexting, Social Media and Parental Responsibility · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

At around midnight on the night of July 24th, a 16-year-old teenager and his 14-year-old girlfriend began to practice the new fashion of “Sexting” on Twitcam – Twitter's live TV. For a few minutes, more than 25,000 microblog users were able to watch the girl being molested in a consensual way. Conceição Oliveira, writing for the Vi o Mundo blog [pt], has some more information:
Cerca de 25 mil espectadores (adultos e  adolescentes) assistiram, ao vivo e a cores, uma adolescente que  posteriormente disse ter 14 anos sentada no colo do amigo,  consentindo  ser bolinada. Durante a transmissão na madrugada o vídeo foi gravado,  algumas imagens dos momentos mais picantes foram ‘printadas’ (copiadas  como arquivo de foto direto da tela do computador) e inundaram a rede  quase que simultaneamente à transmissão.No twitter, o adolescente mantinha o  perfil ‘@damzinho’, associado a outros perfis como o formspring (conta  de perguntas e respostas, também ligada ao twitter); o Orkut, o Youtube  etc.
Twitter account @damzinho, which was deleted at dawn. Google
The boy had promised to take the girl's virginity when his twitcam reached 20,000 people watching. Despite public demands, they did not have sex in front of the camera during the 2-hour exhibition, but both the video and the viral response were enough to shock the country. Many Twitter users and bloggers began to wonder about rumors: whether the pair was underage, if it was a paedophilia case and even if the two were siblings. The Despojos was among the first blogs to react against [pt] the sexting video, which according to him is set to be the biggest controversy of the day or even the month:
Mais do que a simples exposição de menores, que já é um  fato preocupante, há quem diga, inclusive, que a menina que  protagonizou a cena com “damzinho” era sua irmã e estava bêbada – o que,  convenhamos, não o isenta de nada, só piora a situação.
PrintScreen of the couple
Conceição Oliveira explains [pt] the aftermath of the controversy:
De todo modo, hoje, enquanto o Zero  Hora anunciava que a polícia ia investigar o adolescente, ele  criou outra conta no twitter com acréscimo de uma letra e abriu  novamente sua twitcam. Acompanhado da mesma menina exposta e que se  expôs na madrugada, tomava um ‘toddy’ enquanto se explicava e se  vangloriava do ocorrido. A garota respondia algumas perguntas da legião  dos adolescentes que correram para a twitcam da nova conta do  adolescente, transformado em ‘mito’ da noite para o dia. Na rede é  assim, num clique se apaga uma conta e num outro se cria uma nova.
Na conversa da tarde de segunda-feira a  garota disse que tem 14 anos, que perdeu a ‘virgindade’ aos 13 e que não  foi com o adolescente que a bolinou em frente à câmera na madrugada.  Questionada se tinha orgulho do que fez, respondeu que não, mas que  tinha perdido no jogo e tinha de pagar.  Na madrugada, ambos jogaram Uno  e quem perdesse teria de se submeter ao outro na twitcam. Uma questão  em aberto: como uma adolescente de 14 anos está de madrugada no quarto  de um amigo adolescente de 16 anos?
Anyway, today, while the Zero Hora [pt] newspaper announced that the police would investigate the teenager, he created another Twitter account with an increase of one letter and opened his twitcam again. Together with the same girl exposed in the late-night broadcast, he drank a  chocolate milk while boasting and explaining what happened. The girl answered some of the questions from the legions of teenagers who flocked to the new twitcam account of the teenager, who had become a ‘legend’ overnight. That's how it works on the Internet, you delete an account with one click, and with another you create a new one.
On Monday afternoon's chat, the girl said she was 14 years old, that she had lost her ‘virginity’ at 13 and that it was not with the teenager who had molested her in front of the camera that night. Asked if she was proud of what she did, she replied ‘no’, but said she had lost a bet and had to pay. At dawn, both had played [card game] Uno and whoever lost would have to submit to the other in font of the twitcam. An open question: how is a 14-year-old teenager in a 16-year-old teenage friend's room in the middle of the night?
Afterwards, the boy posted a video on YouTube [pt] explaining what really happened, while the girl's mother, taken by surprise, grounded her [pt] for a month without Internet access, and the Brazilian police are investigating the case. After all, it seems that a case of online sexting shows how Brazilian teenagers behave while not within reach of their parents. Carol Giarrante wonders [pt] what is at stake:
Tudo o que grande parte dos adolescentes quer hoje é se tornar  celebridade e não importa o preço que paguem por isso. Também não  importa se é por 15 minutos, uma madrugada, um dia ou um mês. E as redes  sociais, claro, são as ferramentas perfeitas para que atinjam este  objetivo.
15-year-old Andressa Mendes, from the Genéricos e Sintéticos [pt] blog, wonders whether it's really normal for teenagers like herself to do everything for fame:
E agora será que vale a pena mesmo ficar no twitcam para desconhecidos,  monstrando-se, por apenas mais seguidores ? Será que isso é normal, ou  eu que estou velha demais ? Acredito que não…acredito que essa  juventude precise mudar…
Paulo Henrique, from Wherever blog has something to say [pt] about this:
O mais triste dessa história toda, é saber que atos como este são cometidos de forma impensada. Ora, sejamos francos, vivemos em um mundo onde qualquer informação esta a poucos cliques de distância. Hoje com o nome completo daquele(a) sua paquera no MSN você descobre informações como: Faculdade, Curso, Localidade, Passatempos, Orientação Política, Nome de Familiares… e assim vai. Então como uma pessoa, consegue me fazer isso! É sinceramente ser muito burro para não pensar dois passos a frente na sua vida.
Both teenagers are liable to face [pt] social and educational measures. The Police commissioner in charge is also investigating the three to ten [pt] thousand people who may have downloaded and shared the video through 4shared for possible distribution and consumption of child pornography. The latest news is that the girl is afraid of going to school [pt] [pt] and the boy is depressed. Both deeply regret the whole episode and claim not to have realized the consequences of their online foul play.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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China: Zhouqu landslide, a man made disaster · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

On August 8, a landslide happened in Zhouqu in Gansu province. According to official Xinhua news, the disaster has so far taken away 127 people's lives and 1,294 people reported missing.
Since there is very limited information from official media outlets, Woeser's coordinated a collaborative investigation via Twitter soon after the disaster happened. Twitterers made phone calls, dug out past news report and data and they found out that the landslide is a result of 1. the construction of hydro-electric power plants; 2. mining; 3. deforestation. In a nutshell, it is a man-made disaster.
Hydroelectric projects and gold rush
Apart from heavy rainfall, the main reason for the landslide is caused by the construction of a number of hydroelectric power plants.
甘肃省甘南藏族自治州舟曲县不过13多万人，20个乡，但近年来，有水电开 发项目47项，已建成巴藏水电站、立节水电站等15座水电站，还有虎家崖、两河口等14座水电站在建。来自当地藏人的消息称，这次舟曲县所爆发的泥石流， 与如此之多的水电站对生态环境的破坏有关，吁关注。
A Gansu government report in 2009 has more detailed data:
从2003年至2007年,共有53个水电开发建设项目签订合同,41个水电开发建设项目已建成或在建,12个马上就要开展前期工作, 这些水电开发建设项目占全县各类开发建设项目的80%以上,41个在建或已建的水电站工程合计扰动地表面积达322.83hm2,弃渣达3834.8万m3,水土流失预测量达74.9万t.
Apart from construction projects, the land has been exploited by mining activities. @dographer points out:
舟曲多年开矿淘金，两边高山上林木砍伐殆尽，全是灰黑的土，河川里全是淘金设备，河流呈灰黑色泥浆。山河破碎，满目疮夷。且山势陡峭，整个县城都在狭窄的山谷底部，几无平地。有些建筑都是分布在山上。几年前去过一次，感觉已不适合人居住，512也曾遭灾
@bimawen posted a google map showing the landscape of the Zhouqu town and pointed out that the disaster is also a result of lack of public monitor:
甘南舟曲是天灾还是人祸？来看地形图：按常识，泥石流确实会封堵河道形成堰塞湖，但这个湖的形成到决坝是需要有相当时间的。这段时间，媒体在哪里？广电在哪里？有线无线通讯在哪里？微博在哪里？是不是由于消息的封锁造成了这样大后续灾难？！
Alerts from experts and media reports
Actually, we could find many alerts done by experts and media workers via the internet. Twitterers human flesh searched the Internet and found several reports and researches having warned against the soil erosion problem of the Bailong river in Zhouqu county. One of the reports on water resource pointed out:
舟曲县水土流失日趋严重,白龙江流域的自然生态环境发生了恶性变化, 由此诱发的洪水,滑坡,泥石流灾害不断,严重威胁着当地居民的生存安全。”
A research on landslide problem in Bailong river district  conducted by Lanzhou University in 2006 also pointed out:
毁林开荒、陡坡耕种、不合理开矿、炸石、筑路、修建水工程以及各种开发建设等，造成山体破坏失稳，崩塌、滑坡和泥石流日趋频发……
A news report back in 2008 pointed out that the Zhouqu county was once a human paradise surrounded by rivers and forests:
迭目江腾回忆舟曲在上世纪５０年代到８０年代，曾是水草丰茂、山林葱翠的陇上江南，但在持续大规模砍伐后，失去植被的山体逐渐风化流失，每遇狂风暴雨就会出现泥石流
@try2feel found another news report in 2008 describing the landslide problem in Zhouqu:
2008年的报道：舟曲全县有６０多处滑坡，１３处滑坡严重，威胁着下游村庄的安全。滑坡已经成为重建工作绕不过的坎。
History of the man-made eco-disaster
The history of logging activities dated back to 1958, the year of Great Leap Forward:
1958年“大跃进”时期，舟曲县森林资源遭受到掠夺性破坏。据统计，从 1952年8月舟曲林业局成立到1990年，累计采伐森林189.75万亩，许多地方的森林成为残败的次生林。加上民用木材和乱砍滥伐、倒卖盗用，全县森 林每年以10万立方米的速度减少，植被破坏严重，生态环境遭到超限度破坏

author: Oiwan Lam


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Cuba: Interview with Fidel  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Havana Times blogs about tonight's upcoming interview with ex Cuban President Fidel Castro, in which he will reportedly discuss “the threats of a US-Israeli war against Iran, the tense situation between Colombia and Venezuela, the Case of the Cuban Five and global environmental challenges.”


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Georgia: United Nations protest · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

To mark the second anniversary of the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway territory of South Ossetia, The Young Georgians posts photographs of a demonstration held by a few dozen Georgians outside the United Nations in New York.


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Guyana: Manatees · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Georgetown has TWO herds of manatees. Imagine!”: Lifespan of a Chennette pays them a visit.


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Haiti: Does Class have an Impact?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The Jan. 12 earthquake reveals that the principal fault-line in Haiti is not geological but one of class”: Haitianalysis.com says “a small handful of rich families own large tracts of land in suburban Port-au-Prince which would be ideal for resettling the displaced thousands.”


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Haiti: Thoughts on Wyclef · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

While Currents Between Shores respects Wyclef Jean's bid for the Haitian presidency, she also thinks “his passion is naive, his vision is vague and short-sighted and that just because he can run for president of Haiti, doesn't mean that he should.”  Mediahacker, meanwhile, says: “Jean likened himself to Barack Obama, a new hope for the earthquake-hit country…[he] more closely resembles Sarah Palin – incoherent, incompetent and in it for himself.”


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India: Oil Spill In Mumbai · Global Voices
Rezwan

Srinivasan Sampathkumar from Triplicane, Chennai informs in details how an oil tanker collided with a container ship containing hazardous chemicals in Mumbai shore starting an oil spill.

author: Rezwan


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India: Privacy And The UID Project · Global Voices
Rezwan

Is there a pressing need for clearer privacy norms in India considering the Unique Identification Data (UID) project of the governemnt? Shamnad Basheer at Law and Other Things discusses the situation.


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Iran: Unifying Filtering · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian authorities announced  [fa] that filtering policy will be unified in country. According to Islamic Republic's authorities an Iranian company, whose name was not announced, has won the contract to be in charge of filtering in country.


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Japan: An ancient Roman at the Japanese public bath · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

What could two cultures as distant in time and space as ancient Rome and the modern Japan have in commom?
Such a question might sound like a riddle to many but is actually what inspired manga author Mari Yamazaki [ja] to create Thermae Romae (テルマエ・ロマエ), a manga said to inaugurate a new genre – the ‘bath’ manga.
It is indeed ‘bath’ which is the answer to the question. The place of the public bath both as a meeting place and also for bathing as a way to wash away the cares of a working day is what links the ancient Romans and the Japanese both now and in the past.
Judged best manga at this year Manga Taisho (Cartoon Grand Prize) the comic authored by an Italian culture lover and expert, features the story of Lucius, a public bath designer in ancient Rome who, having run out of inspiration, somehow timeslips  into the future, from the second century a.c. in today's Japan. In the first published volume of the series, Lucius is transported to Japanese hot springs public bath and open-air spa where he meets a surprisingly technologically developed people with “odd features”.
A manga reviewer  shares her first impression after reading Thermae Romae [ja].
話といえば単純なんだけど、ルシウスの性格設定や、現代日本の＜平たい顔族＞たちの言動に思わず笑ってしまいます。
＜平たい顔族＞なんていうネーミングからして笑えますしね。
Cover of ‘Thermae Romae’ vol.1. (C) Mari Yamazaki.
Just as for people in ancient Rome going to a public bath was a social event, it is a custom in Japan to spend some relaxing time at the public bath (sento 銭湯) after a day at work or a weekend at the hot springs (onsen　温泉), surrounded by nature.
If architecturally the Roman [en] and the Japanese [ja] bathhouses are quite different, the concept of  bathing as a ritual more than as a washing practice, can be said to have crossed time and space.
Umi Urimasu said he was surprised [ja] at getting to know, for the first time through this manga, that Romans had a bath culture as developed and complex as the Japanese one.
まず冒頭から目をうばわれるのが、とんでもなくにぎやかなローマの公衆浴場シーン。将棋してる！相撲してる！垢すり器具で肌をこすっている人がいる！お菓子の売り子さんがいる！ムダ毛の処理をしてくれるサービスがある！　何なんだこれは。髪結い床ってレベルじゃない。現代人の目から見ても、2000年前の ヨーロッパの風景とはにわかに信じがたいような、それは日本人の心の故郷である「風呂」に驚くほど近い情景に見えました。ローマ人たちはこんなにも日々の お風呂を楽しんでいたのか。
Even though bath culture does not belong exclusively to Japan, blogger Lowrence said that the Japanese should be proud of it.
ジャンルとしてはギャグ漫画に分類されるとは思いますが、テーマが逸脱すぎてかなり新鮮。
古代ローマの浴場設計技師であるルシウスが現代日本の銭湯にワープして・・・みたいなストーリーです。
なんか馬鹿げたことを大真面目にやってるというのが笑えるポイントかなぁ、と。
話の間には古代ローマについてのコラムも載っていてそちらも楽しめます。
こういうふうにやたらとメディアで取り上げられてる作品ってどうも敬遠しちゃう時があるのですが、買ってよかったーという作品です。
笑える漫画って素敵よね。
あ、あと日本の風呂の文化は素晴らしいと思います。
海外で生活していたから尚更強くそう思います。
風呂最高！
A scene from ‘Thermae Romae’ (C) Yamazaki Mari.
Author Mari Yamazaki on her blog said the idea for the plot [ja] of this manga dates back to when she was a small child.
私的にはあの漫画は小中学校時代に友達を笑わす為にへんなイラストや漫画を描いていた、そのノリをまんま引っ張ってしまった感じだったので、本にしていただいたというだけで「・・・こんな内輪でしか笑えなさそうな漫画、本にしてもいいのだろうか」という変な後ろめたさのようなものがあったのですが・・・
あれを面白いと言ってくださる方が沢山いてくださって、なんかもう、驚きです。嬉しいです！ありがとうござます！
The Chicago based manga artist also decided to reveal [ja] some details about the next volume which will be released in Japan in September…
「テルマエ・ロマエ」は風呂漫画というジャンル（そんなジャンルはないが）にカテゴライズされておりますが、自分的にはあれは風呂を媒体にした「日本との比較文化に軸を置いた古代ローマ漫画」だと思って描いております。
決して日本の風呂に驚く古代ローマ人漫画、というコンセプトのみのものではありません。
古代ローマと日本の共通点というのは実は風呂だけではなく、本当にいろいろありまして、主人公も今のイタリアには滅多に居ないけど、日本になら結構居そうなクソ真面目な男にしたのはそれもあるからなんです。
そんなわけでまあ、2年前、シリーズ連載にしようやと編集長が引っ張ってくれた時点で私も「そうか、じゃあもっと広い範囲で古代ローマの事が描けるかな」と思い立ちました。
一 巻はとりあえず日本の風呂にびっくり仰天一色の展開になってますが、今後はせっかく古代ローマの誇る５賢帝の一人ハドリアヌスという凄い人物も登場させら れたことだし、広範囲にもっといろいろと掘り下げた展開で皆様に知られざる日常の古代ローマ世界をご覧いただけたらなと思っております。
The manga can be also read (in Japanese only) online at this link.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Kenya: Blogging in financial industry · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Marvin Tumbo discusses financial industry bloggers in Kenya: “There are financial bloggers out there with the most prominent financial bloggers in Kenya among them being Bankelele, Kainvestor, The Way I see it and SokoAnalyst . But I still hope to see more bloggers on the financial sector front…”


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Mexico: Possible López Obrador and Cárdenas Family Reconciliation · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Mexican politics blog Aguachile writes about a possible reconciliation between Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the Cárdenas family.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Morocco: “My Summer With a Book” · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

In a world steeped in digital technology, and where tablets and e-book readers are getting cheaper and more accessible to a larger public every day, will there be a place left for good old printed books? For some Moroccan bloggers the answer is yes and technology is there to prove them right.
My Summer With a Book is an online initiative bloggers launched a couple of weeks ago, both as a blogging platform [Ar] and a public Facebook page [Ar], inviting visitors to share their reading experiences:
Summer with a Book
Marrokia, a blogger [Ar] and co-founder of the initiative, is starting a new meme this week. She invites fellow bloggers to share their reading preferences asking them…
The response to the initiative is just starting to pick up. Following is a roundup of some of the responses randomly picked from the blogosphere.
Books remembered from childhood
From Najat [Ar]
آليس في بلاد العجائب، رحلة إلى باطن الأرض…
From Young Thoughts [Ar]:
نبيل فاروق حيث قرأت تقريبا أغلب قصص سلسلة رجل المستحيل وسلسلة زهور ايضا اذكر قصص تاريخية للكاتب جرجي زيدان
From Marrokia:
قصص محمد عطية الأبراشي ، قصص جحا ، ولن أنسى أبدا كتاب كليلة ودمنة
Favorite authors
From Young Thoughts:
From Fouad [Ar]:
From Marrokia:
Authors you won't read anymore
From Abeer [Ar]:
From Khaled [Ar]:
عمرو خالد
From Fouad:
محمد شكري ( توفي سنة 2003 ) قرأت له الخبز الحافي و الخيمة بصراحة لا أعرف سبب كرهي لهما
Books you would carry with you if you were to be isolated in a desert
From Mohamed:
لم أزر الصحراء يوما ^_^
إن زرتها سآخذ معي iPad أو Kindle، وأريّح نفسي من حمل الأثقال الورقية
From Marrokia:
Writers you haven't read yet and feel you need to read their books
From Abdelhamid [Ar]:
يوسف إدريس
يوسف السباعي …
From Marrokia:
أحلام مستغانمي
يوسف زيدان
باولو كويلهو
جابرييل جارسيا ماركيز
Your list of favorite books
From Said [Ar]:
جميع مؤلفات عبد الله العروي التي قرأت.
حوار التواصل للمهدي المنجرة.
رواية “صبوة في خريف العمر” لحسن أوريد.
رواية “دفنا الماضي” لعبد الكريم غلاب.
رواية “ثرثرة فوق النيل” لنجيب محفوظ
[…]
From Saad Eddine [Ar]:
Books you're reading right now
From Hibo [Ar]:
From Fouad:
الرمز المفقود “دان براون”
From Marrokia:
أوراق لعبد الله العروي
Les voix de Marrakech, d'Elias Canetti

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Nigeria: The humorous side of life in Lagos · Global Voices
Eremipagamo Amabebe

Mypenmypaper continues his series of humorous observations about life in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city.

author: Eremipagamo Amabebe


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North Korea: North reopened A hotel at Mt. Kumgang Resort Without Approval · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

North Korea reopened a hotel at Mt. Kumgang resort which is on long lease to South Korean Hyundai Asan without getting the South’s approval, South Korea’s Chosun reported, quoting Chosun Shinbo,  a North Korean mouthpiece published in Japan.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Pakistan: Convenient Blogging And Bloggers · Global Voices
Rezwan

Salman Latif criticizes the Pakistani blogosphere for concentrating on populist issues rather than the important issues that plague the country.


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Russia: Wildfire News Website Suspected to Be Attacked · Global Voices
Gregory Asmolov

LJ-user irka-knopkina writes [RUS] about a Vyksa city website [RUS] that is allegedly DDoS'ed for posting information about wildfires. Administration of a local factory prohibited access to the website to its employees, blogger added. Vyksa and surrounding areas were hit by severe wildfires recently.

author: Gregory Asmolov


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Rwanda: Election day in pictures · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Presidential election took place today in Rwanda. Here are election day pictures from Paul Kagame Fan Club.


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Rwanda: Rwanda Votes · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Graham Holiday blogs about presidential election in Rwanda: “Kigali residents were out in numbers this morning to vote in the 2010 Presidential election. Voting was scheduled to begin at 6am. I spotted a line of 60 – 75 voters at around 5:15amin in Kimihuru district.”


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Sierra Leone: Aging Alone · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“Most elderly people in Africa live in their communities, but in Sierra Leone so many young people died and so many communities were destroyed that what started as a poor house in eastern Freetown has evolved to become the King George Home for the Aged,” Glenna Gordon observes.


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South Africa: Unforgotten Faces · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sokari writes about Artscape Women’s Festival 2010 where Zanele Muholi and Ellen Eisenman have produced photographs that celebrate women’s lives.


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South Korea: Iran Envoy Said South Korea To Avoid Sanctions on North  · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Iranian Ambassador warned South Korea of substantial economic loss if it follows US led sanction on North Korea in an exclusive interview with South Korea’s Joongang Ilbo, few days later the top sanctioning envoys from the US made visits to Seoul.


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USA: Oil Spill Generates Swell in Creative Expression · Global Voices
Gina Cardenas

Finally BP seems to have found a solution to stop the massive oil spill that has wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast since mid April. On Wednesday, August 4, operation “static kill” is reported to have pushed the gushing stream of oil back to its underground source by injecting 2,300 barrels of mud into the blown out well. Efforts to seal the well permanently continue.
The oil spill has left in its path a multi-layered disaster that has affected local communities, ecological stability and the economic future of the Gulf Coast region. The struggles, pain and loss that many people experience has led to a swell in creative expression. Art is a refuge where people can envision a less bitter finale to the tragedy unfolding in their backyards. It is also a means to dialogue about a profound sense of loss no amount of money can ever remediate.
These works are available through different social media websites, and include performance and visual arts. Symbolic communication flows in lieu of words, and themes grasp at the ludicrous, ephemeral, grim, rage-inducing, and on occasion hopeful.
Ephemeral perspectives
On photo-sharing website, Flickr, photographer Lance Cheung shares a photo of an oil saturated feather on a rubber boom at a small bayou in Bartaria Bay, Louisiana where many birds are affected by the spill. It is an abstract representation where minimal details captivate the attention with a strong message.
“Gulf Oil Disaster-Oiled Feather on a Boom” by Lance Cheung, June 2010, CC-BY-NC-ND on Flickr
Ludicrous tunes
Musicians Mos Def, Lenny Kravitz, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Trombone Shorty teamed up to perform and record a song titled “It Ain’t My Fault.” Written by Mos Def and Ben Jaffe, who is the tuba player for Preservation Hall, the song is a remake of a standard New Orleans tune with new lyrics reflecting the recent disaster. Funds generated from sales of the single (99 cents per download) and benefit concerts are directed towards recovery efforts organized by the Gulf Relief Foundation. The song has become a hit on the internet.
Citizen media producer 2 Cent uploaded footage of a benefit concert on Youtube.
Blogger Hip Hop Law writes about how the song reflects the political posturing where those responsible for the disaster resorted to shameless finger-pointing in order to minimize the toll of liability.
This watercolor painted by Olivia Bouler appears on her Facebook page, Save the Gulf: Olivia's Bird Illustrations
Hopeful watercolors
Olivia Bouler, an 11-year-old painter from the state of New York created a stir with her art project to help the Audubon Society. Online, she sells water color paintings of birds to help the organization raise funds for Gulf Coast wildlife relief efforts. She has so far helped raise close to $200,000. Her work can be seen on the Facebook page Save the Gulf: Olivia’s Bird Illustrations. Her artistic campaign also caught the attention of America Online, a major internet and email service provider, who gave the Audubon Society a $25,000 gift in her name and added her to their roster of featured artists. She speaks about her experience in a video posted on Youtube by the Audubon Society.
Grim imagery
A self-described eclectic, piwacket33 posted a video montage on Youtube depicting the impact of the oil spill disaster on wildlife. Titled “Black Tears: The Saddest Video in the World – BP Killed the Planet” the collage of images focus on death and cruelty to animals resulting from BP’s incompetence.
Demonstrators at a BP gas station in Manhattan on May28, 2010 by Michael Dolan CC-BY on Flickr
Theater of rage
Another creative form of protest against the oil spill disaster has been street theater. Among the first to organize a protest were a group of activists in Manhattan who protested in front of a BP Gas Station on the corner of Lafayette and Houston Streets. Some wore white clothing and poured black paint over themselves – symbolizing gushing oil. Information about the demonstration was spread through the Facebook page Protest BP. On Flickr, Michael Dolan shares photos he snapped as he was passing by. Video footage from the event was posted online by Youtube user Leeifac. Activists can be heard chanting: “BP Your Heart is Black, You Can Have Your Oil Back.”
The sentiment against BP has fueled multiple protests across the United States and the world. On Indymedia London, Tim Dalinian Jones published photos from one protest at a BP gas station in Shepard's Bush on April 10, Party at the Pumps, where he says people danced to live and recorded music for over an hour.
Party at the Pump Demonstrators in Shepard

author: Gina Cardenas


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Bangladesh: Even No Water To Wash My Teeth · Global Voices
Rezwan

“On the fifth day, today, 10 August, I discover I don't have any water to brush my teeth, not to talk about other purposes;” thus Ekram Kabir at Kotha Chhilo (I have something to tell) blog tells the story about one of the agonies of living in Dhaka city – lack of water supply due to corruption.


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Barbados: Tourism Stats · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Tourist arrivals are up by a small percentage; Barbados Free Press says: “Without complete information it is impossible to judge if the increase in visitors was worth the outlay or if the BTA [Barbados Tourism Authority] is performing well.”


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China: Zibo kindergarten attack, rumour or censorship? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The censorship mechanism in China makes it difficult to differentiate what is real and what is rumor? The Zibo kindergarten attack has been widely reported in overseas media outlets, but no one has confirmed or denied the news yet. more from ESWN.


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Cuba: Prisoner of Words  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I am a man who writes. Being a journalist in a closed society is the task of either an adventurer or a lunatic”: Iván García learns that he is “of interest” to Cuban State Security, buts says, “I don’t keep any secrets.  I have not committed any crimes.  In the meantime, I will continue informing.  I am a prisoner of my labor.”


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D.R. of Congo: Collection of Taxi slogans · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A collection of Congolese taxi slogans in Lingala, French and English:”Tais-toi jaloux – Shut up, jealous one,Code PIN, Jalousie mal placée – Misplaced jealousy, Hitler, Dieu n’a jamais été corrompu – God has never been corrupted, Dinosor…”


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Europe: Stranger Festival Film Submissions · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The Stranger Film Festival is looking for creative short documentaries by youth (younger than 30) from European and neighboring countries in a variety of topics regarding European narratives. Submission deadline is on September 1st. via

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Georgia: Second anniversary of South Ossetia war · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.
As Georgia marked the second anniversary of its August 2008 war with Russia over the breakaway territory of South Ossetia, online reaction has been mixed and largely polarized on geopolitical grounds. Evolutsia, for example, looks at the conflict from a largely pro-Georgian perspective.
[…] Most experts now agree, even if they disagree on the final orientation of the region, that the war was hardly a product of 2008 alone, but had roots that went back much further. Indeed, Russia’s involvement in the Caucasus has been several centuries in the making, and the more enterprising scholar might realistically trace the roots of the August 2008 war to Czarist Russian expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries. […]
[…]
On one hand, you have the words of US Senator John McCain, who recently declared in a Washington Post Op-ed that much has changed since 2008, but none “for the better.”
[…]
On the other hand, Georgian political scientist Ghia Nodia, in a column for the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty website, downplays the significance of the war and its long-term geopolitical effects. […] “The war did not produce chaos in Georgia or provoke a serious political or economic crisis.”
So who’s got it right?
[…]
[…] At worst, Georgia lost a few territories – most of which it didn’t actually have before the war anyway – and took a blow to its pride, not to mention the human and material cost of the war. At best, the war exposed Russia’s bald intentions in the region and failed to turn Georgia into a Kremlin vassal or failed state.
Russian checkpoint, Gori, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian 2008
Meanwhile, in New York, about 50 Georgians demonstrated outside the United Nations against what they considered to be Russian aggression against one of its former satellites, Voices from Russia reports that a candlelight mass and vigil was held in Moscow.
Everyone remembers the chronology of these events in South Ossetia by heart. In the evening of 7 August, on Georgian television, Mikhail Saakashvili promised that he would not go to war, and that South Ossetia could sleep peacefully. People went home, and, literally, within an hour, Tskhinvali was engulfed by fire from Grad rocket launchers. People remember how the town burned, as children hid in basements, as tanks shot at civilians at point-blank range. These days will remain forever in their memories. […]
Although perhaps both opinions arguably paint the full picture, with many people believing that Russia had provoked Georgia, but with a European Union report clearly singling out Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili to blame for the first shots fired in August 2008, Three Kings says that the war continues to be  manipulated inside Georgia for internal domestic consumption.
Indeed, the blog says, Saakashvili has started to turn military defeat into personal political victory with fireworks lighting up the night sky in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, to mark the anniversary.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili pulled out all the stops to commemorate the biggest blunder of his presidency. […]
[…]
It is sad to me how Georgia continues to deceive itself in such absurd ways […] and the biggest share of the blame for that falls on Georgia’s bull-headed policies towards these breakaway republics since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Has Russia been a helpful influence here? Most certainly not. Did they want to topple the Saakashvili regime in 2008? Most certainly so. Were they halted from doing so by the Georgian military? Not even close. Within a couple of days of fighting, […] Putin correctly perceived that he could get away with destabilizing one of the West’s favorite little strategically located countries, but there would be serious consequences for a full occupation and regime change.
[…]
The opposition has been painted as pro-Russian and Saakashvili himself can hardly utter two words publicly without dramatically illustrating all the Russian guns pointed at Georgia’s head. […]
Looking back at the last two years it is clear there was a Georgian winner in the August war. But it wasn’t the Georgian people at large, or the future of the nation. Mikheil Saakashvili won, Georgia lost.
Mikhail Saakashvili Press Conference, Presidential Palace, Tbilisi, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian 2008
This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.


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India: No Room for Single Women · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hanna Ingber Win tells the story how difficult it is for single women to rent a flat in the housing society apartments of Mumbai.


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Mexico: Citizen video and Drug Trafficking · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Mexican bloggers debate whether citizen videos and pictures showing graphic violent crimes are an answer to what some say is the mass media's resistance to cover drug trafficking related violence or if it is just another way to spread fear and terror.
For some Mexicans, media is not doing their job in  reporting violent crimes, focusing on criticising the government and  state instead of focusing on the violent drug trafficking and gang  activity, making it seem as if they wish to cover up the gangs activities.
For Carlos Ramírez Hernández, blogging in La Palabra.com, not covering gang related crime should not be an option for media, since he says it will not decrease the actual criminal activity, but just hide it. Media's role is not to glorify crime, but to report on it, but it has to be done correctly:
Los medios, a su vez, han perdido el foco de la información. La mayor parte del contenido informativo de prensa, radio y televisión ha insistido en criticar severamente al gobierno y al Estado y no a denunciar la criminalidad del narcotráfico. Se ha llegado al punto de que algunos medios de comunicación parecen narcomantas de los capos y no representantes de la sociedad. No se trataría de elogiar por sí solo sino de convertir la información en un instrumento social de crítica a una realidad.
So what role should media take? Last month 4 reporters and cameramen were kidnapped by a drug cartel. The ransom requested was for 3 narc videos to be broadcast by the TV stations. Days after the 15 minute unedited transmission denouncing the connection between authorities and opposing drug cartels was shown on TV they were released.
This isn't a new concern, back in 2007, Jorge Zepeda Patterson wrote about the role of mass media regarding the narc-videos.
Sin embargo, tampoco es sencillo para los medios de comunicación  erradicar estos temas. Si bien es cierto que los noticieros de  televisión se han convertido en un inventario de nota roja, no es tan  fácil dejar de hacerlo. Entre otras cosas, porque es gravísimo lo que  está pasando. Los periodistas haríamos un flaco favor a la comunidad si  nos pusiéramos hablar de otras cosas, mientras el crimen organizado toma  el control de Monterrey, el narcomenudeo se enseñorea de nuestros  barrios y escuelas, y los tribunales y cuerpos policíacos terminan por  ser quebrados totalmente por los carteles. Y justamente eso es lo que  está sucediendo. En este momento se está librando una verdadera guerra  en nuestras calles y en nuestras sierras. Una guerra que estamos  perdiendo. Pero aún menos oportunidades tendremos de ganarla si  ofrecemos sucedáneos a la opinión pública y construimos una operación  “avestruz” distorsionada pero tranquilizante.
The drug cartels are getting net savvy, and some of them now do their own Public Relations online, finding a fertile ground on YouTube.com, as this reader sent in to the “Last of the Dodos” blog. The Dodos reviewed the YouTube channel (which has been suspended at this moment) that called itself the official channel for the Gulf Cartel, where they asked citizens to denounce members of the opposing Zeta gang if they knew one, and asked for a peaceful Mexico:
Un ejercicio de relaciones públicas perverso, que muestra la incapacidad del gobierno federal para llevar una guerra de amplio espectro que incluya el manejo de la opinión pública.
In Información Cívica blog, David Sasaki wrote about the good, bad and ugly in Mexico's online video scene. On the subject of narco videos, where  drug gangs post videos of executions, beatings, torture and confessions, he wrote making reference to Mica Rosenberg's post on the subject:
The anonymously posted videos are of little assistance to federal police as they attempt to track down the perpetrators, but they do spread a cycle of violence according to Maria Guadalupe Licea, head of the government prosecutor’s office in Baja California. “Licea said the use of new technologies and media is part of a spiraling cycle of violence in which ever more shocking attacks inspire copycat killings,” writes Rosenberg.
But the violent content is not only distributed by the gang members or supporters: citizens have also been posting  graphic images and videos they take of victims of these drug trafficking ring wars. Reasons to post the gory material are varied: some like the high ratings and others insist that if mass media will not inform the public, they will, so that these activities don't go unnoticed. Some of the websites established for sharing this information include areas where people can denounce criminal activity, discuss dangerous cities, the rise in violence and how the drug cartels operate.
As citizens begin to take the role previously left to mass media, the same questions are being asked. Is it a disservice to publish the violence many cities are being subject to, or is it worse to remain silent?


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Pakistan: Sense Of Sacrifice · Global Voices
Rezwan

Considering the recent troubles Pakistan is in, Hasan at Chowrangi proposes that Pakistanis should celebrate the upcoming national day on the 14th August with a great sense of sacrifice, by helping the countrymen victimized by flood and war.


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Palestine: The Politics Of Issuing Passports · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

The hostility between the Hamas government in Gaza and the Fatah government in Ramallah has manifested itself in many areas, from education to electricity. Now it is affecting the issuing of passports, and one blogger in Gaza has been caught in the middle.
Since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) following the 1993 Oslo Accords, Palestinian passports have been issued to residents of Gaza and the West Bank. Until 2007, all passports were issued in the Interior Ministry in Gaza, but when Hamas took control in Gaza, the PA in Ramallah transferred the population registry to its jurisdiction. In addition, it prevented the supply of blank passports to Gaza. The Gaza authorities renewed old passports for some time, but then in 2009 the PA introduced new black passports (instead of the earlier green colour), compatible with electronic scanning equipment and compliant with international standards. They also extended the validity from three to five years.
Now Gaza residents are forced to apply for passports in Ramallah, and they use agencies which charge inflated amounts. The process can be drawn out, and applications are sometimes rejected, apparently based on political affiliation and the “security considerations” presented by the PA's General Intelligence Service in the West Bank. In response, some members of Fatah have been prevented from leaving Gaza, and have had their passports confiscated by the Hamas-run Internal Security Service.
The Gazans affected by the delays and rejections include patients requiring medical treatment that is not available in Gaza's poorly equipped hospitals, and people hoping to go on the umrah pilgrimage, such as blogger Khaled Safi:
Khaled's passport, rejected for renewal (http://www.khaledsafi.com/)
كلمة غزة مفردة في حد ذاتها تهمة لمن ينطق بها، ومن ينتمي إليها خارج عن القانون، ومن يقطن فيها إرهابي حتى وإن لم يكن بلحية، ولابد من فحص كل ما يخرج منها بأجهزة إشعاعية عالية التردد للتأكد من تمام موافقتها للمعايير المنحطة والمقاييس المنحازة لهؤلاء وزمرتهم.
كنت أظن أنني الشقي الوحيد، الذي طالته قبضة (مرفوض) بسطوتها، وانفردت تلوك معاناتي بطغيانها، فانزويت ألملم مأساتي وحدي، أبتهل لربي أن يفرج كربي، وما هي إلا أيام وتناثرت القضايا من حولي واتسعت رقعة المعاناة لتضم شريحة أعظم، فتشمل أطباء ومرضى، أكاديميين وطلاب، معتمرين وحجاج، وجمع غفير من المواطنين، الذين كانوا يعتقدون أن لهم الحق في الحصول على جواز سفر فلسطيني.
…
With thanks to Hisham and Anas Qtiesh for their help with this post.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Russia: Blogosphere Helps Man Fight Local Administration · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

Pumping station of Beyev's family.
This story has everything for an unconventional blockbuster: a lonely hero facing dozens of armed bad guys, corrupt police forces, private security firm, contract killers, and… thousands of bloggers fighting the system.
“‘I cannot hold on any longer’ is how one can describe my attitude during the last week,” Anatoly Beyev wrote in his blog [RUS] on August 1. “I did not think I could be in such despair, I lost my heart… at least I had enough strength to write this post.”
Beyev described how his family – particularly his father – had been fighting for the last six years to keep a pumping station, a profitable family business built from scratch, from a group of armed men with high connections in a local administration. Beyev meticulously narrates everything that happened since 2004 and you slowly realize how six years of fruitless efforts to defend a family business in the Rostov Federal District can lead to despair:
С 2004 года группа бандитов решила всё это захватить. Вначале они действовали по-простому: приезжали на машинах и с огнестрельным оружием в руках угрожали, требуя отдать им всё и убраться. Но мой отец смело защищал наше имущество.
В 3 часа ночи с огнестрельным и холодным оружием на 2 машинах без номерных знаков они приехали на насосную станцию. Отец тут же вызвал милицию и встретил злоумышленников с охотничьим ружьём, вдвоём с моим дядей против десятка бандитов. В ужасном напряжении они продержались до приезда милиции, не дав преступникам совершить каких-либо действий, ни скрыться.
But local police decided to accuse the father in assaulting “poor tourists” who “were passing by and decided to swim in a nearby river. ” Beyev writes:
Вопросы почему «туристы» были вооружены до зубов, почему на их машинах не было номерных знаков и зачем они полезли на огороженную и охраняемую территорию отмеченную табличкой «Частная собственность» в деле отражены не были. По приказу прокурора Дубовского района, у нас и у брата отца дома были произведены обыски.
The story continued with repeated phone calls with threats against Beyev's family, attempts to  break into his apartment and, at its climax, an attempted murder of Beyev's father that put him in hospital for two months. It turned out the people who tried to kill the father were hired by someone with a sole purpose to eliminate the man.  The local police purposefully ignored all efforts to prosecute the alleged contract killers.
In 2006, unknown men entered the storage owned by Beyev's family and located near the pumping station and stole most of the things including a welding machine, car trailer and tractor spare parts. The thieves even brought several cars  to transport the stolen goods.
The police did nothing until Beyev's father found the place where the stolen things were and figured out who owned it. Even then policemen asked the father to pay for their transportation expenses before they could go and arrest the men responsible for the theft.   Beyev describes the result of the arrests:
Когда подозреваемого привели к следователю, цинизм и глумление просто зашкаливали! Следователь спросил его: «Ты крал?» – он в ответ: «Нет, не крал» – следователь, обращаясь к отцу: «Вот видишь, он не крал» – и тут же отпустил преступника. Отец чуть не упал со стула от удивления. После жалобы отца на действие этого следователя и обвинение его в коррупции, Дубовкое РОВД отреагировало незамедлительно – завело уголовное дело на отца, что он якобы привлекает незаконно иностранную рабочую силу. Как раз в то время по всей стране это была актуальная тема. Потом дело было прекращено за недоказанностью.
The story goes on with countless attempts of Beyev's family to find justice. They kept losing legal battles on a local level. The family would win appeals on a regional level but it did not help their situation. Corrupted judges, policemen, investigators, and bailiffs made sure the pumping station was given to the bandits at the end. The surrounding territory, also owned by Beyev's family, was suddenly occupied by the same people without any reason and with full understanding that they can do whatever they want.
Beyev concludes his post with a cry for help:
Написал этот пост в надежде на вашу помощь, люди помогите нам!Я не могу больше держать всё внутри и изображать жизнерадостность.
Along with the cry for help, Beyev also posted the scanned copies of all documents related to the case [RUS] and photos of the pumping station in question [RUS].
It is symbolic how an average person from a Russian region decides to use the blogosphere as the last line of defense against injustice. Beyev did not think about contacting media before he posted his cry for help online. Nor did he think about writing to the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. As the case shows,  LiveJournal.com, a popular blogging platform in Russia, slowly but surely becomes the first-come-to-mind tool and platform where citizens voice their frustration with local administrations and call for help.
Aware of the power that the Russian blogosphere gradually acquires, many bloggers help in promoting those reports of injustice by linking to the post or re-posting the whole thing on their blogs. From the other side, the Russian government, more vulnerable and lacking the overwhelming support of population it enjoyed before the current economic crisis, is more attentive to the stories from average citizens and tries to respond to them thus recognizing the power of online media platform. The Beyev's case is a perfect example.
Russian bloggers heard Beyev's story and reacted. Thousands of comments were left on Beyev's blog within the matter of days with different recommendations for resolving the situation (including offers to “whack” the bandits). Around 600 bloggers re-posted Beyev's cry for help. Because of this, the most popular charts of Russian blogs featured the post and kept it at the top for several days increasing visibility of the story.
Russian media finally stepped in and started promoting the case even further by interviewing Beyev. Following the advice of fellow bloggers, Beyev also described his situation on several high-profile website including the site of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (in the section “Letter to Prime Minster”) [RUS], the site of the Russian President [RUS], the blog of the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev [RUS], etc.
Finally realizing the power of online media, Beyev cheerfully reported:
Друзья отдолжили ноутбук, так что теперь работаем сразу с 2 компьютеров днюм и ночью. Я 2 ночи уже совсем не спал, сегодняшнюю надеюсь посплю часа 3 хотя бы. Информация, информация и ещё раз информация. Как же Я раньше недооценивал блогосферы! Ух… каюсь… Спасибо друзья блогеры уговорили, почти заставили.
And his another comment on the power of re-posting:
Многие продолжают спрашивать, какая нужна помощь. Повторяю, главная помощь – это распространение информации. Причём очень прошу самим делать ссылки тоже, а то у меня не сто рук выполнять рекомендации “перепостите туда-то”. Очень буду признателен, если сами будите писать и делать ссылки туда, куда считаете нужным.
The story is far from being over. But, as Beyev wrote, the governor of the district had heard about the story and decided to take it under his personal supervision. He even called the regional prosecutor and ordered him to sort out the case.
“Now, as I think, the governor wants to help,” Beyev wrote, “We shall see.”

author: Vadim Isakov


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Russia: Do Authorities Conceal Rate of Death Caused by Smog? · Global Voices
Gregory Asmolov

Blogger molitva-i-post writes [RUS] that Moscow medical services failed to evacuate the body of  her grandfather who died of heat and smog. Hospitals and morgues are filled with the dead, blogger reported. Despite numerous similar cases, the Ministry of Health denied [RUS] the increase in death rate caused by high temperatures.


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Russia: Internet Trolls for the Good? · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Blogger fritzmorgen argues [RUS] in favor of Internet trolls [EN] in Russia. The bloggers claims that rolls help Russian bloggers improve their rhetorical skills, general knowledge and the ability to provide proper argumentation fast in the real life. In Russia, however, online arguments may lead to physical violence, he adds.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russian-Fires.ru, First Ushahidi Experience · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Screenshot of "Help Map", source: russian-fires.ru
Bloggers’ response to continuing wildfires in central Russia [EN] has shown that the Russian blogosphere is capable of fast mobilization, cooperation and solidarity when it comes to natural disasters. The RuNet Echo team of Global Voices Online not only observed the blogosphere's reaction to the wildfires, but became one of the few centers of coordination of volunteers and victims of the disaster [EN].
Following several weeks of unusual heat, Russian forests started to burn. The wildfires started in different places almost simultaneously. Sudden and deadly (over 50 people have died so far, thousands have been left homeless [RUS]), they have wiped out a number of villages, leaving nothing behind. While regional city forums have been coordinating firefighting efforts since late July, Moscow bloggers reacted only with copy-pasting of pictures of the fires.
On July 29, however, it became obvious that the disaster was nationwide, and it was then that the coordination of help started. LJ community pozar_ru [RUS] was launched. Volunteers began to publish reports of fires approaching villages, calls for help and offers of aid. Several bloggers, especially o_liska, i_chersky and doctor_liza , took initiative of coordinating volunteers.
On July 31, RuNet Echo's co-editor Gregory Asmolov wrote on his blog [RUS] that in times like these the “Ushahidi system” could become helpful in bridging volunteers and victims of the wildfires. On the same day, Marina Litvinovich asked [RUS] if there were any volunteers to implement Ushahidi. Gregory wrote to me, asking if we could do it. My initial reaction was, “No, it would take us at least a month to start it.” Then, on Sunday afternoon, after realizing that Ushahidi was easily installable, I wrote to Gregory: “Why not? Let's try.”
It took me one day to register a domain “russian-fires.ru,” install the Ushahidi package and get things running. On Monday, I published a post at Habrahabr [RUS], a Russian IT-community website, inviting administrators, designers, moderators and everyone who could help to join in. Right after the announcement, I received dozens of offers of help – both with the moderation and with technical support (about a hundred help offers so far). The post itself received 84 comments. Bloggers were re-posting and asking others to re-post [RUS] the link to the site.
Teafortwo wrote [RUS]:
Проснитесь! Людям нужна помощь. Россия горит и только всем миром можно потушить пожар. Не спите! Кому-то именно в эту секунду нужна Ваша помошь!
Users were invited to upload reports (following the form available here) and map fires, smoke, calls for help, offers of help, and report aid centers (37 categories were created). The reports were made in different forms. For example, Vladimir from Stockholm wrote [RUS]:
Я сам москвич, но давно не живу в России – есть желание помочь соотечественникам деньгами – ибо прочие способы недоступны.
Предоставьте, пожалуйста, валютные реквизиты для перечислений.
And here is a report from the village of Borkovka[RUS], which had burned down:
Люди спасались бегством налегке, взяв с собой только документы. Не было не одного автобуса, кому посчастливилось впрыгивали в автомобили, кому нет, бежали пешком. Положение сейчас самое тяжелое у бабушек и малограмотных людей, они в основном приютились у несгоревших соседей. Регистрация на помощь организована в Лазурном, до которого надо добраться. Люди не понимают, что им надо ехать и где-то регистрироваться на помощь. Молодежи легче, они понимают, как действовать, а бабушки просто беспомощны. Есть категории людей, которые нуждаются в поддержке, есть семьи с маленькими грудничками, которым помощь в 10 тыс руб от государства сейчас мало поможет.
В общем у людей не осталось ничего , кроме паспорта
With support also came popularity. Within a week, the site has received about 101,000 unique visitors and about 262,000 page views. At the same time, the site has received about 614 reports, with about 50 reports being added each day.
Due to the overload of the platform we had to find better hosting. This was the first lesson: people who want to install Ushahidi should seriously consider finding a powerful server to host the platform. In times of crisis, when there's an overload of information combined with the lack of truly helpful information, Ushahidi systems will be in great demand. Hence, overloads are quite possible.
As Anna Vrazhina, a RuNet observer at Lenta.ru, noted [RUS]:
Историю проекта “Карта помощи“, запущенного 2 августа, вообще стоило бы внести в учебники по Веб 2.0, если бы таковые существовали в природе.
By the end of the first day, “Help Map” team [RUS] (the title proposed by one of the commenters instead of the “Russian Fires,” the initial name) grew from two persons (Gregory Asmolov and myself) to nearly 20 (and a lot more now), some of whom were journalists, while others were web administrators, web programmers and moderators from various places in Russia. I didn't have time for security or background checks – I was giving access to our admin panel and FTP access to everyone who asked for it. And it worked – none of the people who offered help did any wrong to the website. Another conclusion to be made: trust is crucial when starting an Ushahidi-based system (or any crowdsourcing project) from scratch.
Although the initial installation was pretty easy, technical problems did arise later. Most of them had to do with internationalization and localization. Ushahidi is a great platform, but non-Latin implementations of it still need a lot of work. Part of the text had been encoded by Gregory Asmolov for the Kyrgyzstan election project [RUS]. Another unfortunate problem was Ushahidi's poor documentation and community support [EN]. Another lesson: for now, those who implement Ushahidi should be prepared to rely on themselves only.
Technical help is a weak point in the platform. It can be solved easily, however, but joint effort is needed. Everyone can help by simply supporting the community forum, granting organizations – by funding plugin design and hosting, mobile and Internet providers – by offering Ushahidi-ready hosting plans.
As an active participant of the events, I witnessed a genuine citizen and media interest in our project. Various newspapers covered Russian-fires.ru, while Yandex, Russia's most popular search engine, added markers from our map to their pozhar.yandex.ru portal, bringing more publicity to our project. A Russian hosting company offered us powerful hosting, and an SMS-portal provided us with their free service.
As the team of “virtual firefighters” grew bigger, Gregory Asmolov came up with an idea of creating a coordination center, arguing that it would give a new impulse to the site and to the whole mission of coordinating volunteer efforts. Anastasiya Severina, Gregory's friend, took the responsibility of setting up the “Help Map” headquarters in her own apartment. Responsibilities of the Ushahidi moderators include not only moderation work of approving messages, but also the validation of messages. In order to validate messages efficiently, one needs to contact people who leave reports at the site. Conclusion: the online part of Ushahidi is only a tip of the iceberg, a lot of work has to be done offline.
To draw a bottom line, the secret of such fast online popularity is that the project has filled the coordination gap and satisfied the demand for information. A lot of people expected such a project to come from the government. Bablopobeditzlo wrote [RUS]:
А в МЧС такой проект […] никто не догадался создать?
Gregory Asmolov, also commented on his blog [RUS] on the role of Ushahidi as a civil society tool, revealing the society's potential for solidarity and self-help:
Пожары в России показывают что в Российском обществе заложен большой потенциал взаимопомощи. Как мне кажется, это потенциал обострен еще тем, что многие россияне осознают что власть не дееспособна, и в этой ситуации, единственное решение это брать ситуацию в свои руки. Однако, потенциал взаимопомощи – это здорово, но чтобы взаимопомощь была эффективной нужны механизмы, которые позволят ей таковой быть. И именно в этом стратегическая роль Ушахиди. По сути , Ушахиди, выступает в данном контексте как институт гражданского общества. Это первые шаги к реальности в которой общество формирует альтернативные власти механизмы и институты, чтобы заполнять вакуум на месте государственных структур.
“Help Map” is the first implementation of “Ushahidi” in Russia. And, hopefully, not the last one. We hope that following the success of the “Help Map” project, the system would be used by other volunteers in Russia. In the country this huge, map-based coordination is of great importance.


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Russia: Yevgenia Chirikova – Leader of the Khimki Forest Defenders · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

The New Times posts a feature story [RUS] on Yevgenia Chirikova, a businesswoman who became the leader of the Khimki forest park defenders. Previously, several bloggers proposed [RUS] her as a candidate for the next presidential election.