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Bahrain: Coral Reef for Sale · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Fasht Al Jarem coral reef is on sale in Bahrain for the highest bidder. Read the reactions of bloggers Mahmood Al Yousif, Mohammed Al Maskati and Haythoo (Ar).
“Anyway, The Fasht has already been sold a while ago, and I personally doubt there is anything that we could do as MPs, environmental activists, or anyone for that matter,” notes Al Maskati.


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Barbados: Pictures from Senegal  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbadian blogger Gallimaufry recently returned from a trip to Senegal and posts some photos from her jaunt.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bolivia: The Work of the Constituent Assembly and Government Regulations · Global Voices
Mario Duran

[Editor's Note: We welcome Mario Duran, who was featured in this Global Voices interview, as a new author covering the Bolivian blogosphere.  This is his first contribution to the site.]
Many things have been happening in the Bolivian blogosphere, such as concerns over the work of the Constituent Assembly.  In the nine months since its inauguration, not a single article has been written.  The delegates are even demanding a time extension to continue working.  Hugo Miranda of Angel Caido [ES] writes:
que se les puede pedir a gente que solo asiste 3 dias a la semana a Sucre (martes, miercoles, jueves), que no tiene ni la minima idea de lo que es una CONSTITUCION, que gana 10 000 palos (sin contar asesores, que son MUY BUENOS), que ni asiste a sus comisiones, gente que lo unico bueno que hizo hasta hoy es apadrinar promociones y unos cuantos campeonatos de Futsal, voly y demas…
The social conflicts in Bolivia motivated Guccio’s Gustavo Machiado to talk about the import of used clothing from the United States and the prohibition established by the Evo Morales administration.  He wonders whether Bolivia actually has a national industry and  whether the internal market provides sufficient economic capacity.  He writes:
Pienso que el problema aquí, mas que ser un problema de oferta es un problema de demanda y de ahí que encuentro absurda la idea de reconversión que postula el gobierno. ¿Realmente habrá una demanda de ropa nueva en Bolivia? ¿No será que la gente compra ropa usada porque su presupuesto no le alcanza para comprar ropa nueva o por ahí aun siendo usada es de mejor calidad que la nueva (made in Bolivia claro)?
I think the problem here, is that it is more than a problem of supply, rather a problem of demand and the absurdity of this change of stance of the government.  Is there really a demand of new clothing in Bolivia?  Would it be that people purchase used clothing because their budget does not stretch to buy new clothing or that used clothing might be of better quality than the new clothing (made in Bolivia of course)?
Andres Pucci declares his support for the measure adopted by the Forestry Superintendency [ES] that prohibits the export of sawn wood, which foments the processing of this material, and he writes:
Esta medida de sólo exportar ciertas especies (no todas) trabajadas es excelente, de lo mejor que se ha hecho este gobierno, obligará a empresarios a usar la cabeza, a contratar ingenieros, técnicos, obreros, contadores, camioneros, montacarguistas, cargadores y demás, aparte de comprar maquinaria a los excelentes fabricantes de maquinaria para procesar madera que existe en bolivia (ej. Sansetenea en Cbba.)
This restriction of allowing the export of certain types of wood (not all) is excellent, and it is one of the best things that this government has done. It forces the businessmen to use their heads and to hire engineers, technicians, workers, accountants, truckers, loaders and others, in addition to purchase machinery for the excellent factories to process the wood that exists in Bolivia. (i.e. Sansetenea in Cochabamba).
From Palabras Libres, Mario Duran also questions the worker aristocracy (teachers and health care workers) who in addition to having a neverending supply of benefits they continue to ask for more and he proposes that:
El gobierno debería considerar declarar al magisterio, como profesión libre e incluir a los profesionales en salud al estatuto del funcionario público, dicha medida precautelara derechos básicos de las personas, el acceso a la educación y la salud.
The government should consider declaring teaching as a free profession and include the health care workers into the public employee statute, which would protect the basic human rights of the access to education and health.
Translated by Eduardo Avila

author: Mario Duran


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China: Angry customer sues China Telecom for GFW · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Via Fons Tuinstra from China Herald: an angry customer of China Telecom sues the company because their corporate website in the US could not be accessed. A website has been set up with information about the case.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Learning from teaching · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Onemanbandwidth shared with the readers what he learnt from his teaching in China.


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China: The Blame Game · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Positive solution comments in details on an article in China Daily which criticised western media reports on China environmental problem.


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China: Zola in Guangzhou · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Citizen reporter Zola has travelled to Guangzhou [zh] to cover stories concerning nail house at Li Wan. The house owner has written down his will on the wall of his house to show his determination.


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Czech Rebublic: Politics · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Czech politics is deadlocked” – but in no way neglected at Dr Sean's Diary.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Egypt: The Bahma Clashes · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia updates us with the latest in a sectarian strife between Muslims and Christians in the Egyptian town of Bahma. More than 500 people were reported to have taken part in a fight, which resulted in some casualties and the burning of a few homes and shops owned by Christians.
‘It turned out the clashes started after the Friday prayer and the reason as I understood that the Muslims in the prayer received flyers saying that the Christians are going to build a church in the beautiful village of “Bahma” and those infidels should be stopped!!  “I used some terms from the original flyer”
After that things went out of control,’ she explains.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Estonia: 1994 Ferry Catastrophe · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Vilhelm Konnander writes that the 1994 Estonia ferry catastrophe, which took 852 lives, may have been caused by an explosion.


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Europe: Balkan Blogs on Eurovision · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A small roundup of the Eurovision-related posts from the Balkans: Pustolovina: Adventure in Serbian writes on the victory for the “new Serbia” and on “a night of belonging”; East Ethnia writes on the complex politics behind this year's Serbian winner Marija Serifovic; Bosnia Vault writes about the contest's youngest participant – Bosnia's Maria Sestic; Illyrian Gazette writes on how “increased migration from eastern to western Europe” effects the contest's voting.


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Europe: Easternization of Eurovision · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“… the West is likely to continue getting locked out of Eurovision,” predicts A Fistful of Euros. “Next year in Belgrade!”


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Guatemala: Are You a Normal Citizen or Do You Still Think? · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

An email that is making its round in Guatemala gave Luis Figueroa something to think about.  He writes in his blog Carpe Diem [ES] that this email encourages citizens to make changes through the payment of taxes.  Wait a minute, he writes, maybe they should question how the government uses these taxes or maybe question the entire system altogether. “I suggest we question whether we want a society based on a competition for privileges or one based on voluntary and peaceful cooperation.”

author: Eduardo Avila


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Guyana: Noise Pollution  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Maybe the murder rate in Guyana would decline if the citizens were able to get a decent night’s sleep without noise interruption,” writes The Guyana Groove, as she addresses the issue of noise pollution.


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Hong Kong: PLA berth at City Center · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

I have written up a citizen report on the PLA berth plan at the new central harbour front at interlocals.net: It is not that we are opposed to the PLA berth, but the symbolism of having PLA berth at Central waterfront is very bad. Central as a political and financial center, together with this military symbolism, it looks like a continuity of colonial rule…


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India: Bloggers on art, morality, government and freedom of expression · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

In what looks like more than mild disagreement between the moral police and the artists, a student from a university in Baroda was arrested for displaying “obscene” works of art. The student, Chandramohan at Maharaja Sayajirao University was first assaulted by “goons” and then arrested. Chapati Mystery reminds us that Baroda is in a state that suffered the wrath of communal violence. Zigzackly has an extensive set of links, and has information on the protests through the country, even as news comes in that the student has been released on bail.
By now, you would have read, heard or seen the news of the arrest of a student, Chandra Mohan, and the suspension of the dean of Maharaja Sayajirao University's Fine Arts faculty in Baroda, Prof. Shivaji Panikker. (For those who haven't, please catch up through the press links below.)
More links to the protest in various cities in India.
Every time something like this happens, my first reaction is a mix of disbelief and laughter. It would be easy to brush off these things with an Obelix-like toc, toc, toc and a ‘These Hindutvavadis are crazy’, were it not for the fact that these events occur more and more frequently, and people suffer imprisonment, exile, suspension and years of legal battles as a consequence.
Falstaff comments on the political agenda of those who assaulted the artist.
The hooligans attacking the MSU Fine Arts faculty aren't, after all, motivated by any genuine moral outrage. They're motivated by a cynical calculation which tells them that attacking a group of artists in the name of tradition and culture will get them more support in the next elections.
They may, of course, be wrong about this. But assuming they're not, it frightens me to think that there are actually people out there who are MORE likely to vote for a party because its hoodlums attack students and act as if they're above the law.
A blog called the Fine Arts Faculty MSU has updates on the issue, including notes on taking the protest to international academic circles. People find various ways to protest, and India Uncut also raises a fascism alert.
The artist community obviously rises up, and organises an exhibition documenting erotica in Indian and Western art. It is a peaceful way of showing their protest. The pro-vice-chancellor of the university arrives and demands that the exhibition be terminated. The dean of the faculty, Dr Shivaji Panikkar, takes a stand and refuses to do so. He is suspended. As I type these words, he is in hiding, worried about what the ruffians could do to him.
Artconcerns.com has updates on the issue, with details on how the student was arrested without a warrant, and how political parties are involved.
Instead of a response to these demands the Vice-Chancellor wanted an unconditional apology from the staff and the students of the Faculty of Fine Arts, for offending their sentiments tendered to the public. It was rejected by the staff/students body on the grounds that it would be tantamount to accepting that they have committed a wrong, whereas that was patently not the case.
Kafila, with biting sarcasm puts forward what it calls a “modest proposal to end all controversies on Freedom of Expression in India”. The arrest of the student is not an isolated event, and is linked to various cases of freedom of expression in India being seriously compromised because of threats to personal safety and professional security.
Actually, all that people need to do is to insist that only the self appointed guardians of public morality (of all stripes and shades) have the right to appear in any broadcast, exhibition, film or other forms of mediated communication. We need every channel to broadcast morally cleansed reality TV all the time. How else will this nation boldly venture where none other has gone before – into that heaven of bliss and freedom known as ennui for the billions.
Note – The thumbnail image is of the painting Mother India by MF Hussain, which is apparently nude, and has angered the right wing Hindutva forces in India.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Iran:Head of a leading blog provider was arrested · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohammad Ali Abtahi, former vice president and blogger, says[Fa] that Mehdi Torabi,a top manager of Persian Blog,a leading persian blog provider,was arrested a few days ago.Abtahi said we have not understood the reason of his detention.He adds Persian blog provides services for more than 170,000 active blogs.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Japan: A Report from the Henoko Protest · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Jeff at his Okinawa Blog reports on his experience “Living Dangerously on Okinawa's Coral Sea”, protesting environmental surveys for a new base at Henoko Bay. Jeff writes: ” It's a landmark day […] It is to be the first day in which the Self-Defense Force — the Japanese army — is used to disrupt a protest. Okinawans are the world's happiest people, full of warmth. Belly-laughter is ubiquitous. This morning, though, everyone is grim-faced. I see precisely two smiles during the first four hours. […] It could be the early hour, or it could be that we're about to face down the SDF. Or they could be thinking of what they stand to lose if they fail.”

author: Chris Salzberg


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Japan: Japanese 30-somethings not happy · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

shigeto2004 refers to and gives an analysis on the result of an online survey conducted by Japanese newspaper Yomiuri on workers in their 30s. This entry is followed by an active thread of responses. [Ja]

author: Hanako Tokita


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Japan: Skepticism about Government plans to switch to Linux · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Andreas at Chosaq expresses skepticism about reports that the Japanese government is planning to move ahead with plans to promote the open source operating system Linux in government agencies from July. A story originally published in Nikkei Shimbun “says a consortium of major IT firms including IBM (IBM), NEC (NIPNY) and Oracle (ORCL) plan to sell servers and systems running Linux in Japan”. Andreas predicts, however, that Microsoft will win out in the end: “Microsoft will simply give in to the government’s pressure and offer its software at a lower price point. And be sure then that Japan’s Linux plans will be put in the fridge for another while.”


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Jordan: The Way We Fight · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Discussion is heating up at Naseem Tarawnah‘s post entitled The Way We Fight.
On occupation, resistance and war, he writes: “Instead we say ‘they started it’ or ‘they’ve done worse’. And so our models for resistance become the laws of physics; our reactions became proportionate and equal to their actions. Or at least we aim for that much. We let the people we fight to lead us down the slippery slope into the darkness. The worse they act the worse we react.”


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Kenya: Monkey traffic jam · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Colobus Trust blog has a story about “monkey traffic jam” and death of a monkey from tetanus.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Kenya: National Day of Mourning · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“Today is the National Day of Mourning for all those who lost their lives in Kenya Airways flight KQ507. There doesn’t seem to be much going on in the way of commemoration apart from flags flying at half mast,” writes Mental Acrobatics.


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Korean Singer, Rain vs American Comedian, Stephen Colbert · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

American comedian, Stephen Colbert, talks about the Korean singer, Rain, and even tries his song in Korean in his show. A Korean blogger seemed to like Clobert's Korean song.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Kuwait: Dangerous Drivers  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Every day when you get in behind the steering wheel in your car, you risk your life!
I have never in my WHOLE ENTIRE life seen anything as bad as the driving in Kuwait!!
I have discussed this issue over and over and over again, yet I cannot find out what exactly is the cause for the driving problem here in Kuwait..” writes  BB Q8.


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Lebanon: The Lebanese Oscars  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“The Murex d’Or 2006 ceremony finally held last week, after few months delay, at the Casino du Liban.The Murex D’or, also known as the Golden Murex Award, is one of the most important award ceremonies which takes place in Lebanon and honors Lebanese and Arab personalities who play a major role in the region. The annual Murex d’Or awards are Lebanon’s and the Middle East’s equivalent to the Oscars,” writes Zeynoun from Lebanon.


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Libya: Call for Virtual Museums · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Libyan blogger Lamusediffuse makes an SOS on behalf of Libyan museums here. “Although Libya has fantastic museums, they are suffering from a pitiful lack of online visibility. This is something we want to palliate by using the possibilities of Web 2.0 tools and social collaboration,” writes the blogger.


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Libya: Dangerous Eyeliners  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Most Libyan women don't feel complete unless their eyes are lined in dark black kohl. It makes them look beautiful and exotic – their dark eyes shining and the whites of their eyes appearing even more so with the effect of the kohl. But these products are really dangerous! Most contain large amounts of lead – in some cases up to 47%,” warns Libyan blogger Khadija Teri.


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Macau: Press freedom statement · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Macau Journalist association has published a statement at their blog[zh] against the intervention of press freedom, in particular, on the May Day demonstration report. According to the statement, the Macau government information department sent staffs to the Macau T.V station to help the news room editing the news report image and script!


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Make sure you grow while you sleep! · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

Make sure you grow while you sleep! Tall people are popular in Korea. Korean parents and young people are always keen on finding methods of being taller. A blogger introduces several methods: The more darkness in your room the better. Don’t eat at night. Don’t work out right before you sleep. And more [ko].


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Malaysia: Blogger Registration · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Maverick SM responds to a Malaysian minister who wants bloggers to register with the government. The minister feels that the registration process would help the people trust the bloggers. “Bloggers are nothing and it is never a question of trust. Readers merely visit blog sites to read and find out what the main media wouldn't write or report or whether the facts and been twisted to suit. The fact is, the general public do not trust the main media anymore and that is the reason they turn to blogs for further and better particulars; not otherwise.”

author: Preetam Rai


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Malaysia: Minister’s Apology Missing · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Malaysian politician Lim Kit Siang says “The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Seri Dr. Jamaludin Jarjis should stop censoring the press and be man enough to make an unqualified public apology to third-year CalyPoly Biotech Malaysian student”. The minister was on a visit to the US and meeting Malaysian students studying in California when he made a racist remarks addressed to a student who comes from a minority ethnic group in Malaysia.


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Mexico: More Videos of the Mexico City Photo Shoot · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Daniel Hernandez of Intersections collects many of the YouTube videos, which includes many interviews of the participants of the largest nude photo shoot that was recently held in the Mexico City zocalo.


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Mexico: Tours Through the Streets of Historic Mexico City · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Chilanga Banda [ES] lets us know of a new tourist opportunity offered by the Culture Secretary in Mexico City.  Young guides lead guests on tours through the historic streets of the capital sharing legends and stories of the area.


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Morocco: How to Best Represent One’s Country · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

With the increasing popularity of blogging comes a debate about how to represent one's country, or in many cases, the country in which one is currently living.  Many of the English-language blogs based in Morocco are written by foreigners, who call the country their home. Still others are written by Moroccans, many of whom live abroad.  The result is a discussion of how to portray Morocco which crosses borders and nationality.
Everything Morocco introduced a new blog from Fez, saying: “…Slip off those sepia-tinted specs for a minute and take a look at 21st century Morocco through the eyes of someone who lives there.”
The blog in question was Fes: The Fake Blurry View, whose author introduced the blog by saying:
I think that it’s difficult for foreigners living in Morocco to see the real picture of life in Morocco Fes in this case. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of foreign “experts” in Morocco who try to represent what is authentically Moroccan… the other. The outcome is so weird. You end up thinking, reading their b!@#s@#$ that in Morocco, it’s all about being a “sufi” (whatever that means) and it’s all about history, tradition and medieval practices…
These fellas wouldn’t admit that in Morocco people drive cars, take trains and planes… that Moroccans … are just as modern as they are. They insist that Moroccan culture should be as they see it, as if lived out through a series of postcards.
Also on the subject of slipping off “sepia-tinted specs,” The View From Fez had a guest blogger, Australian television journalist David Margan, who wrote of Fes:
It is mysterious place only because of our ignorance and the pleasures of myth and imagination; to read its history and watch its ways is to discover it is simply a living city like any other. Simply watch the gaggle of school kids running, laughing, teasing grins as broad as the sky; the girl walking slowly immersed in animated intrigue, its no different from the village green, town square or road in your town.
…This is Fez. Morocco. Fez now… and may it continue to prosper and grow – insh'allah.
In Move It Or Lose It, a Tangier-based blog, the author writes of representing Morocco through photography, and the challenges that go along with it:
I have never seen a Moroccan women taking pictures in Tangier. I cannot remember ever seeing an American women taking pictures in the streets of Buffalo. Most of the people in Tangier have not seen me taking pictures of the city. Half of the people I photograph do not see me doing it, ie backs of heads, passing in cars, me on a terrace.
Braveheart Does the Maghreb echoed the sentiment, saying:
I am amazed that in a Muslim country none (a rash generalization, I hope there are some) of the tourists ask permission to take photographs. The Muslims, especially on holy days, do not want their photographs taken. I don't want my photograph taken! The children are always ready to pose; but one should still ask.
Finally, in the realm of print media, Myrtus remarked that “Mariane Pearl, the wife of American Journalist Daniel Pearl who's been murdered by radical Islamists, travelled to Morocco on behalf of Glamour Magazine to do a special report on the plight of unwed Moroccan women,” recommending the article, available online.

author: Jillian C. York


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Myanmar: Preparing Mont Lone Yay Paw · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Yangon Thu shares her recipe for Mont Lone Yay Paw or Burmese Glutinous Rice Balls with palm sugar. The blogger posts a picture of the dessert to motivate to readers into preparing it.


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Nigeria:Bloggers meetup in Lagos · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Calling all bloggers in Nigeria: “All Naija bloggers (bloggers in Nigeria, Nigerian or otherwise) are invited to the first ever meeting of bloggers in Nigeria. This event will allow you to meet other bloggers, talk about your blog (if you wish), read some of your pieces (if you wish), or learn what the blogging craze is all about (there will be free tuition provided on setting up your blog).”


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Outrage as Zimbabwe assumes helm of key global organization · Global Voices
Zimpundit

As if all the troubles bedeviling Zimbabweans were not enough, Zimbabweans were aghast last week as it emerged their beleaguered nation is going to lead the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in yet another cruel twist in the nightmare that is Zimbabwe.  Zimbabwe's ascendancy occurred in spite of the fact that it is the nation with both the fastest shrinking economy and one of the highest inflation rates in the world.
Enraged Sokwanele offers this observation:
One of the practical considerations will be how will Zimbabwe manage to attend meetings in the EU given the number of travel restrictions against Mugabe’s government because of his government’s disregard for human rights. And how did Zimbabwe’s UN ambassador Boniface Chidyausiku respond to this problem? Like this: “What has sustainable development to do with human rights?”
Frustrated that the Australian cricket team has succumbed to political pressure and cancelled their September  trip to Zimbabwe Bev at Kubatana contemplates the good that could have come out of the tour:
Australians might not care about this, but it’s important to review what is the best overall strategy rather than fall back on the knee-jerk call for a boycott.
So then, what to do?
If the Australian cricket team is considering a boycott, then they have agreed that politics and sport can and do mix. So perhaps it would be more worthwhile for the Australian cricket team to tour Zimbabwe: and Do Good whilst they are here rather than their usual cricket, huntin’ and fishin’ fun.
Maybe individual players can meet with activists who have been abused as a show of support and respect? Or they can visit Harare’s government hospitals and check out the conditions that Zimbabweans seeking medical treatment have to experience. Or they can deliver a petition to the Minister of Sport & Culture asking for the rights of Zimbabweans to be respected.
Meanwhile The Bearded Man is furious about the hardly surprising reality that while the rest of the country goes with out electricity due to recently introduced loadshedding, the president and other high ranking officials in government never have to go without electricity.
The sooner that politicians realise that they were selected by the voting public and therefore are servants of the people, and not the other way around – the better.
Why should Mugabe live in a false environment? Why not endure the daily problems that the normal people of Zimbabwe have to face? Why be given the special treatment?
If he doesn't have to go through the same experiences, how can he relate to his people?
Oh. Sorry. That's right – he cares not one iota for his people, preferring to live in luxury and have people falling over themselves to sate him. He is a self-obsessed, egoist with some serious paranoia coupled together with a self-importance that is absurd in its manifestation.
Finally, Zimbabwe: Outpost of Tyranny in a post titled “Western Journalists, Whether Traveling Undercover, or Observing from their Johannesburg Perches, Are Missing the Story in Zimbabwe, as they Perpetuate Myths, and Carry Water for Mugabe. (Sub-title: ‘Majoring on the Minors and Minoring on the Majors.’)” offers this sharp critique of Western journalist's pseudo reporting on Zimbabwe from the comfort of South Africa:
these reporters are missing the big story, that of the Mugabe regime's meticulously calculated and brutally (and sadistically) executed campaign, underway since March 11th, to wipe out the pro-democracy civil society and political movement, they are also contributing to perpetuating the myth–a myth promulgated by Mugabe and the ZANU-PF thugs themselves–that the “real story” is the supposed disunion within the opposition MDC, and their supposed propensity for violence.
In his last missive from Zimbabwe, on which we did not blog last week, the illicit reporter from the Economist carries Mugabe's water for him when he subtitles his series “our online reporter finds the opposition in disarray,” without pointing out that that opposition has been the object since March 11th of a savage Mugabe-orchestrated reign of terror that has resulted in thousands of persons being beaten, hundreds being arrested and hospitalized following torture, and at least 2 being killed.

author: Zimpundit


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Peru: Blogger Photo Excursion · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Juan Arellano of Globalizado [ES] posts pictures of the 2nd Blogger Photo Excursion through the neighborhood of Barranco with fellow bloggers Lady B, Angie and Leuzor.


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Peru: Greatest Goal Ever? · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Peruvian bloggers are buzzing over the goal of Andrés Vásquez, who plays in Sweden, and scored on a magnificent cross-kicked score known as a “taquito” or “rabona”.  Peruanista collects many reactions and posts videos that show this unique method of scoring.  Some have even gone as far as saying that this might be the greatest goal ever.


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Russia: Anti-Estonian Rallies · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Estonian Ambassador dressed as an SS guard” graffiti and other observations from the anti-Estonian rallies in Moscow – by Laura Citron of TOL's The nEUrosis.


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Russia: Blog-Carnival Russian Media · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Krusenstern announces Blog-Carnival Russian Media – in 17 days now!


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Russia: Deripaska Invests in Canada · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Oleg Deripaska – the man “seen as the closest to the Kremlin of Russia's remaining oligarchs, largely because he often does the president's bidding” – is investing $1.54 billion in the Canadian auto-parts giant Magna International. More at Mark MacKinnon's Blog.


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Russia, Estonia: Cyber-Attack · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Estonia has faced down Russian rioters. But its websites are still under attack,” the Economist‘s Edward Lucas reports.


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Russia, EU: On the Eve of Samara Summit · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Time to study Russian, again, writes Jonathan Newton of Tales from the European Underbelly: “I would have had much use for such skills today, as I seem to be surrounded by Russian-speaking colleagues at the EU Council’s Press Centre, where the EU’s foreign ministers and assorted colleagues will wriggle around the question what to do with the EU-Russian summit on Friday when the two are so at odds with eachother that they aren’t even pretending that there will be any outcome of that meeting; and when plenty of EU member states want the meeting called off altogether.”


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Russia: May 9 in St. Pete, Moscow and on Sakhalin · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belatedly, a link to Tim Newman's photos of May 9 celebrations at the other end of Russia, in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Also, Apricotflan.com's notes on the celebration in St. Petersburg. And, Flickr user Leonid V. Kroujkov's photos from the celebration in Moscow.


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Russia, USA: Patriotism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Tim Newman pinpoints the difference between Russian and American patriotism: “Americans love their country and hate those who don’t agree. Russians don’t love their country and hate those who agree.”


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Serbia: Council of Europe Presidency · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Europhobia and Balkan Baby write about the beginning of Serbia's presidency of the Council of Europe.


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Slovenia: EU Presidency “Agreement of Cooperation” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

As Slovenia is preparing to take over the EU presidency on Jan. 1, 2008, Marko Bucik writes about the “agreement of cooperation” between the country's politicians.


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Syria: censorship and repression  · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

Based on a list, by ISP, provided by the Syrian center for media and freedom of Expression, the Tharwa community has posted a brief history of the Internet Filtering in Syria, which describes the crackdown on online freedom of speech. Most of the blocked websites are related to freedom of expression, human rights and political opposition.
Very recently, on April 25, 2007, the Syrian regime has blocked access to several Kurdish websites like the qamishlo.net, efrin.net, kurdtimes.com.
Last month, on 28th April, Syria has release the cyber activist Ibrahim Zoro, arrested on April, 5th. However, tow other activists remain in jail for online activities deemed hostile by Syrian authorities: journalist Muhened Abdulrahman and writer Habib Saleh.
For more information on internet filtering in Syria read the HRW report.

author: sami ben gharbia


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Talking to Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

The Jamaican writer Geoffrey Philp has published five books of poems, a collection of short stories called Uncle Obadiah and the Alien, and a novel, Benjamin, My Son. He lives in Miami, a member of the great Caribbean diaspora in North America, and he currently teaches at Miami-Dade College. Since December 2005, he has also been a blogger. The plainly named Geoffrey Philp's Blog Spot announced its author's intentions with its very first post, “Why Do I Continue to Write?”:
I continue to write because I am from a marginalized race/culture and I work in an even more marginalized discipline/craft…. I continue to write about my people, my landscape because I think they are important, real and the proper subjects of art.
Over the last year and a half, Geoffrey's blog has become an important meeting place for Caribbean writers and readers. He posts samples of his own work, short literary essays and meditations, interviews with other writers, news about upcoming literary events, and regular birthday celebrations for major Caribbean authors (most recently, Barbadian poet Kamau Brathwaite). I chatted with Geoffrey recently about his blog and Caribbean literary blogs in general. Here is an edited version of that conversation.
Nicholas Laughlin: What made you decide to start a blog back in 2005?
Geoffrey Philp: My daughter, who had been blogging for five years, finally convinced me to try and I liked it.
NL: Had you ever contributed to a blog before that?
GP: I had written an essay, “Voices of the Jamaican Diaspora”, for the now defunct blog Book Coolie. The essay was picked up by Maud Newton, so I began to read a lot of blogs from her links: Moorish Girl, Bookslut, The Valve, the Literary Saloon, and Metaxu Café.
NL: How is writing on your blog different to writing in other media?
GP: I'm not saying that I don't have any standards for my writing on the blog, but I worry more about my poems, short stories, and novels than I do about the blog. Some of my friends have told me that I'm too hard on myself when it comes to my writing, but as many readers of my blog know, I believe in the tradition of Derek Walcott, Kamau Brathwaite, Dennis Scott, Anthony McNeill, A.J. Seymour, and Martin Carter, so I'm not going to even try and publish something that doesn't meet up in my eyes to that standard.
NL: Has the blog pushed your writing in different directions stylistically, or in subject matter?
GP: The focus of my blog is pretty narrow: to promote my work and the work of Caribbean and South Florida writers.
Now, I started off writing as a poet, and I've learned not everything can or should be a poem. As I've often said to my students in my creative writing workshops, a poem is that bok! of when the ball meets the bat and it shakes you up. A short story is about bottom of the ninth, the bases are loaded, both teams are tied, and the pitcher begins his motion. A novel is the whole shebang–what Henry James called the “loose, baggy, monster.” A blog comes closest to the feel of a novel–it can be anything. This is why I've given myself such strict limits about what my blog should be and what it shouldn't be. By setting such narrow parameters, my writing doesn't end up all over the place and I know exactly what my subject matter will be.
NL: Do you consider your blog a literary work in itself?
GP: I don't know what to think of my blog, Nicholas. I write about things that interest me. If someone wants to drop by and leave a comment, fine. If not, that's cool too.
NL: What are the Caribbean literary blogs you read every day?
GP: I have subscriptions in Google Reader to Books of my Numberless Dreams, Guyana-Gyal, Croaking Marley (Jamaican writer Marlon James's blog), the Caribbean Beat blog, Antilles, Jeremy Taylor, and Seawoman's Caribbean Writing Opps. There are some blogs out there, not calling any names, that you can't subscribe to, so I visit them less frequently.
NL: Nalo Hopkinson seems to use her blog to keep in touch with her readers. Marlon James uses his to write short–sometimes not so short–essays on all kinds of literary topics, and he mentioned to me once that he was surprised by the attention his blog has got. What's the value of blogs for writers, in your opinion, especially writers in or from the Caribbean?
GP: A blog is about freedom. And if we can get that idea into our heads, many things will change. For example, publishing in the Caribbean is very incestuous. You go to a party and you worry if you say this or that about so-and-so that he won't publish you in frick-and-frack. I'm not saying this isn't true in Miami. Just sometimes by speaking (and some people think someone like me shouldn't speak) I've managed to anger some very important people here, so you won't see my face in some places. But I tired of the games. I know I'm a good writer, so if I think I've written a good poem or short story, I'll put it up on the blog.
I really meant it when I wrote on my blog that we have to “shoot the sheriff”. And the times that I grew up in had a lot of “sheriffs”–if I had listened to them, I would never have written a thing.
NL: Recently, Kwame Dawes, who's been blogging at Harriet, the Poetry Foundation blog, described his “greatest fear about blogging”: “It will suck up all my creative ideas–topics that really should belong in poems.” Do you ever feel this way yourself, or are the two activities–blogging & literary composition–too far apart?
GP: Writng for me is about discovery, and poetry, fiction, and non-fiction are different modes of discovery. Let me explain what I mean.
The writer is a craftman or should be. I was listening to an NPR interview with a man in China who made bows and arrows, and he said that with each piece of wood, the fashioning of the bow had to be done with intuition and experience. That is how I feel about poetry and writing. An idea comes into your head, and you in that moment have to decide how best to treat it. Are the images and the music of the words that come with the words so intense that they must be rendered in a poem? Or when you begin, do you find other voices creeping in saying, “Him is a dutty liar. Nothing no go so. Doan't listen to that boy! Make me tell you how the story really go”?
Now you have a conflict, so is it going to be a short story? And the more you write, is the inciting incident and the idea that is emerging too big to be contained in a short story? Now you have a novel? Or is it interesting, but none of these things are happening, but still worthy of notice? Then you have a post for a blog. And you bring to bear all the skills you have as a writer to the post.
Does it have an opening that will capture the reader's interest? Do you have to give background information? How are you going to handle the main idea? Do you know any anecdotes, facts, information to support the main idea? How are you going to link the ideas? How are you going to end the piece? Rewrite. Rewrite. Rewrite. Now ask yourself this, does the opening sentence, etc.? Is the writing doing what you think it's supposed to be doing? Can it still be improved or are you finished? Finished? Publish.
NL: A little over a year ago, I wrote a piece called “West Indian literature online” for Global Voices, in which I suggested that in the future the blogosphere could play a role for today's writers similar to that played in the 1940s and 50s by the BBC Caribbean Voices programme–i.e. providing a space where writers scattered across wide geographies can discover what they have in common. Any thoughts on this?
GP: In order to develop his/her talents, a writer needs time (which means money) and support/exposure.
The Caribbean Voices programme provided an important outlet–it was a source of revenue for the writers and gave them support/exposure when no one knew who they were. When listeners (another important factor, because we come from oral cultures) tuned into Caribbean Voices they knew that the writer was important because the BBC had put him on the air. The writer had instant credibilty. The CRB could become that. Antilles could become that, but the digital divide has to be overcome. The stigma attached to blogging has to be overcome, but we know our people are very conservative, very slow to change.
So one of the things that has to be changed in the minds of the people who read is that a blog, especially the blogs that I or Marlon do, are some how frivolous and not worthy of attention. We have to get away from the idea that because someone has self-published in a blog the writing isn't good.
Writers will always need support/exposure in one way or another. This is why the recognized writers have an army of publicists etc, and are given huge advances so that they can continue with their work. But merely because a writer is not recognized by the literati does not make him any less competent. Good writers, whether they are recognized or not, are going through the same processes of writing: inspiration, selection, distillation, revision (except for the last part, I sound like a winemaker, don't I?).

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Trinidad & Tobago: Painting in her Mother Tongue  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Caribbean Beat Blog reviews the debut exhibition of Caribbean artist Victoria Len-Oi Lee, which “featured vibrant watercolours and photographs of uniquely Trinidadian scenes and landscapes – with a twist.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Poverty Down?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The sense of damnation hanging over this country gets heavier every day–how the hell could any sane person living in Trinidad and Tobago in 2007 say $655 per month is an income anyone could live on?”  Nicholas Laughlin is sceptical about the claims of the Poverty Reduction Unit.


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Ukraine: Deportation of Crimean Tatars · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

J. Otto Pohl writes about the history of the beginning of Stalin's deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944.


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What are the most unpopular game systems? · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

The most ten unpopular game systems. A blogger, realjapan, shows the worst selling game systems across the world [ko].


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Armenia: Improved Elections · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Armenians voted for a new parliament over the weekend. Onnik Krikorian assesses the elections, agreeing with international observers that they are better than past votes, but that there is still room for improvement.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Armenia: More Observation · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Zarchka also observed the Armenian parliamentary vote and reports on her blog.


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Armenia: Observing · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Nareg of Life in Armenia reports on being an observer for this weekend's parliamentary vote in Armenia.


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Bahamas: The Cult of Personality  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“…Twenty-first century leaders don’t run countries. People do.  Thanks to fundamental changes in the transmission of information, every member of a democracy has the opportunity to make his or her voice heard — over the airwaves…or, more revolutionary yet, over the internet, through blogs and podcasts.”  Nicolette Bethel challenges Bahamians “to move at last away from the cult of personality and build the kinds of governments for the future that we all would like to have.”


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Bangladesh: Comments and Threats · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Mash on the threatening comments on various Bangladeshi blogs that followed the case of the Tasneem being arrested. “At the time he posted, the commenter had information about the negotiations to free Tasneem from military custody that was not yet public. He was also posting his comments from Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was widely assumed that he was affiliated with elements within the Bangladesh military.Today the commenter “ABC” is back. He has posted a threatening comment on a number of Bangladeshi blogs.”


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Barbados: False Advertising  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A month after Barbados’ Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs stated that she would have a press ad claiming to cure AIDS investigated by the Fair Trading Commission, the ad is still running.  Barbados Free Press wonders why.


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Bhutan: The Wangchuk Economy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

For a Democracy on the economy of Bhutan. “The people of this country are not suppressed politically but also economically. The country has been exposed as the most economically advancing in the South Asian region. But have you ever gone through details if the incomes have been invested for benefited to the poor people of the country.”


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Bolivia: Miguel and Miguel Finally Meet Up · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Longtime Bolivian bloggers Miguel Centellas (*Pronto) and Miguel Buitrago (MABB) have been reading and commenting on one another's blogs for close to four years, and on a recent trip by Buitrago the U.S. they finally met.  “We’re having a bit of a Bolivian blog convention here in Carlisle. MABB, who’s in the US visiting family, drove up w/ his wife. I was surprised at how comfortable it was to just start interacting in person (we never met in person, though we’ve commented on each other’s blogs & emailed since 2003),” writes Centellas.


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Brazil: The Pope’s No Diplomat · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

Leftside affirms that Pope Benedict XVI made a number of gaffes during his trip to Brazil, but few are as indefensible and disrespectful to the people of Latin America as his comments on the region's indigenous people and the “purification” that came with European colonialism. Boz lists the Pope's attacks (in alphabetical order): abortion, authoritarianism, capitalism, contraception, divorce, “ethical relativism”, gay marriage, hedonism, indigenous religions, liberation theology, Marxism and Pentecostalism (along with Catholics who are too much like Pentecostals). “He then encouraged everyone who is left to attend church because attendance seems down recently“.

author: Jose Murilo


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Chile: New Political Party’s Channel · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Rodrigo Walker writes about the new Chilean political party Chile Primero and its very own YouTube channel [ES].  Blogger Leonardo Maldonado of Resiliencia Estratégica [ES] also comments on this new movement and its “new way of authentically talking about politics…not in the form of clichés, but in the form of life itself…a breath of fresh air.”


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China: History Problem · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Japan Observer notices that the twenty-first century China has been alienated from its past: The vacuum of the modern past seems to be filled, instead, with the hollowed-out and commercialized vestiges of the imperial past, the heirlooms of China's ancient civilization that the CCP has “naturally” inherited.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Internet Stories · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated a few blog posts about the saving of a blue hair girl by a photographer. There are at least 4 versions of the story. So who can you trust?


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Cuba: Relationship with Spain  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Child of the Revolution reports on the Cuban Minister for Foreign Affairs’ interpretation of his country's new relationship with Spain.


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East Timor: José Ramos Horta Wins The Second Round · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

The Moderate Voice announces José Ramos Horta's victory in East Timor's presidential elections and sees the process as an example the US should follow in Iraq. From the other side, Timor Online comments that FRETILIN [former ruling party] “was beaten by a convergence of global strategic and oil interests with the interests of an aspirational new middle class, the educated, the civil servants, the small business people, the UN and NGO workers“. The elections occurred in peace, but the party's blog is reporting that after the results “several Fretilin members have been intimidated and have had their houses set on fire“.


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Egypt must release bloggers before UN Rights Council elections · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

Egypt must release jailed bloggers before Thursday's elections for the UN Human Rights Council, said UN Watch, a human rights organization based in Geneva  in a statement issued today. Among other conditions, UN Watch requires that Egypt “must release journalist Huwaida Taha Mitwalli, who is currently imprisoned for attempting to report on the government's use of torture, as well as bloggers including Abd al-Monim Mahmud and Abd al-Karim Nabil Sulaiman (a.k.a. Karim Amer),who have been imprisoned for exercising their internationally protected right to freedom of expression.”


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Election Parallels: Nigeria, France, Mali · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Sanaga Peregrinations compares and draws lessons from the recent Nigerian, French, and Malian elections [Fr].

author: Jennifer Brea


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Food Blogs: Pata de Cerdo from Spain, Pork Katsu from Japan and Stir-fried Pork with Cincaluk from Malaysia · Global Voices
Melissa De León

#1: From Spain, Canary Girl shares a well loved recipe to prepare Canary Island Style Pork Roast (Pata de Cerdo)
This recipe is my mother in law's, she makes thee best “Pata” around.  Tender, juicy, and a hint of spice around the edges. She gets it nice and crispy on the outside too, which for some reason, I can't seem to manage, but nonetheless the flavor is out of this world.  "Pata" is normally served very thinly sliced on baguettes with a bit of salt
sprinkled on, and can be either a breakfast or a main meal when served with fries and a salad. Get the recipe now…
#2: From Japan, Nook & Pantry cooks up some Pork Katsu:
Pork katsu or tonkatsu is deep fried pork cutlet served with katsu sauce, a Worcestershire-like sauce.  According to Wikipedia, it is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. Ironically, pork katsu was originally invented in the late 19th century as a sort of Western style dish to appeal to Japanese tastes, but over the years it has become more and more Japanese and is now served with rice and miso soup. It was one of my favorite lunches during my undergraduate days. Get cooking now
#3: From the Philippines, Market Manila shares a recipe to prepare Ubod, Sugpo, Alimasag at Baboy (Heart of Palm with Prawns, Crabmeat and Pork Cracklings)
Here’s a heart stopping, flavor packed way to enjoy some totally fresh ubod or heart of coconut palm. A work colleague of mine dragged a huge chunk of freshly felled coconut trunk from Bohol to Cebu last week, and I was thrilled with the prospect of a freshly made lumpia ubod. Read more...
#4: From Malaysia, Rasa Malaysia cooks with cincaluk (preserved shrimp) and prepares Nyonya Recipe: Stir-fried Pork with Cincaluk (Heh Ya Kay Char Bak)
Today, I am giving you the second installment of this unique ingredient with stir-fried pork with cincaluk. Known in Hokkien dialect as Heh Ya Kay Char Bak, this Nyonya creation graced my family's dining table very often when I was growing up. While cincaluk is not everyone's cup of tea, for those who love it, it lends a very distinct and exotic flavor to the main ingredient, in this case, pork. Continue reading…
#5: From Cuba, Rachel's Bite recreates the delicious Cuban Pork Chops with Mojo and Sofrito Mashed Potatoes:
This is one amazingly tasty meal. Each recipe is good on its own, but they are great when put together. I have been concentrating on cooking a lot of Asian food lately, I forgot how tasty some good classic recipes can be. The pork chops are so flavorful due to the marinade followed up with a spice rub. And the potatoes really complement all the spices in the pork chops. The diced peppers in the potatoes are a really nice twist on an old classic. Get the scoop now…
#6: Thai & Lao Food shares a recipe to prepare Khao Soy – Pork and Salted Soy Beans Noodle Soup
This soup originally is from the northern region of Laos. I got the recipe from my Thai Isan cousin, whos husband is from northern Laos. The most important ingredients are the extra wide pho noodles, the superior dark soy sauce, and the salted soy beans. The salted soy beans sauce is like a vegetarian version of ‘ba dek’ which is salted gourami fish. Read More…
Photo taken by Melissa De Leòn

author: Melissa De León


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Georgia: Christianity · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Joshua Kucera says that Christianity is very much alive in Georgia and shares some of his recent experiences visiting Georgian churches and other religious sites.


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Hong Kong: I am CU person · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

YIN blogs about her feelings of being a Chinese University graduate [zh] in the midst of the student press erotic page scandal: for 10 years I have been studying and working in the University, I felt so disappointed about the school administration; however, I am so proud of the students and alumni, especially on their recent response to the public attack of student press.


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Iran:Ahmadinejad,Worker and a Bitter Joke · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Leonlog says[Fa] once Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,Iranian president, was visiting a factory where a worker told him that there is a long distance between her home and factory and employer does not pay for workers’ transport.According to the blogger,Ahmadinejad told her a bitter joke ” do you want we bring factory close to your home.” Then he moved away.The blogger says what Ahmadinejad did not understand is that according to the law employer has to provide means of transport for the workers who live in a far distance.


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Iran:New journal becomes a success story · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to[Fa] Akbar Montajabi,blogger and journalist,Ham Mihan, a new journal,in its first days of publication has become a success stroy.This new journal can be considered a non conservative and pro reformist journal.Shargh,another pro reform journal gets permission to get republished.


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Japan: Lithographs of post-apocalyptic Tokyo · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Edo from Pink Tentacle blogs Hisaharu Motoda’s “Neo-Ruins” series of lithographs depict the cityscape of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo.


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Japan: The King of Foreign Otaku in Japan · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Last week,  TV Tokyo aired a compeition between foreign otaku. In the end, Chang from Hong Kong was crowned champion. James in Japan Probe put together video clips with comments on the programme.


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Korea: Teachers’ Day, the heaviest burden? · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

“What anniversary imposed the heaviest burden on you?” This was the topic of a poll at a discussion section of a portal site in Korea on Parents Day. Guess what? The highest  number of votes went to Teachers’ Day.
May 15 is Teachers’ Day, for appreciating teachers in Korea. But the Day has been controversial in Korean society for a long time. The usual custom of Teachers’ Day has been the day that students express their appreciation to the teachers and sometimes the true meaning has been deteriorated by material gifts. Parents felt a strong duty to send nice gifts to teachers for their own children at school. Teachers have been blamed for taking bribes no matter whether they were willing to take them or not. Shifting Teachers’ Day to one of the vacation dates or making it a school holiday has been mentioned as alternative solutions. 45 percent of the primary schools in Seoul decided to take a day off on Teachers’ Day this year.
Following Teachers’ Day, some bloggers like ‘Small Mind’ elaborate strategies how to spend Teachers’ Day well.
자 올해부터는 자식들 담임에게 일절 선물, 상품권, 현금 등등을 주지말자
그리고 5월 14일 밤에 불끄고 누워자기 전에 초등학교 6년, 중학교 3년, 고등학교 3년 동안 자기를 거쳐갔던 수많았던 선생님중에 신세진 것이나, 고마웠던 일을 한 가지만 생각 해 보자.
다음날인 5월 15일 박카스나 비타 500 한 박스를 들고 그 선생님을 찾아뵙고 감사의 인사를 드리자. 자식을 데리고 가면 금상첨화가 되겠다.
자식은 그 부모의 모습을 보고 선생을 존경하는 마음이 생길 것이며, 이후 학교생활이 달라질 것이다. 교사는 자기를 존경하는 학생에게 손길 한 번 더 갈 것이다.
절대 앞에서 뇌물을 주고 뒤에서 자식 듣는 앞에서 욕하지 마라. 자식이 보고 배운다.
스승의 날에는 자기의 스승을 찾아보는 날이다. 자식들 스승은 자식보고 챙기라고 해라. 감사의 편지나 카네이션 만들기 등…
But the bad reputation of Teachers’ Day depresses hardworking teachers. Youngjinjjang shared her sister’s story.
제동생은 초등교사3년차입니다…
아이들과 함께 생활하는게 너무나 즐겁고 재미있다는군요….자기는 선생님 되길 너무도 잘한것 같다고 항상 입에 달고 다니던 애입니다…
그런데 오늘따라 힘이 하나도 없고 기분도 별로 안좋아 보이더군요 그래서 무슨일 있었냐고 물어봤더니…..내일 스승의 날인데 너무 우울하다는 군요…..
이유인즉슨….학교에서 애들한테 공문을 통해 선물이고 뭐고 못하게 했다는군요..그리고 편지 2통 받았다고하더군요…..신문이고 티비고 사람들이고 선생님을 왜 그렇게 나쁘게만 매도하는지 왜 스승의날 같은걸 만들어서 사람을 이렇게 비참하고 힘든 기분이 들게 하는지………갑자기 보람이라는게 뭔가 하는 생각이 든다고 하더군요….열심히 해도 알아주는 이 하나 없다는군요..알아주길 바라지도 않는다는군요….하지만 교사들 자체를 우습게 보고 사회악보듯이 하는 요즘 세태가 너무 가슴아프고 힘이 빠진다고 하는군요…..스승의날 노래 배우자고 하니까 그런거 뭐하러 배워요 한답니다…..선물하지말고 정하고 싶으면 편지만 쓰라고 하니까 애들하는말이…오~~편지봉투~~봉투? 봉투? ㅋㅋ 이런다고 합니다.
A blogger, My daily Life, wants to have a teacher he would like to see and say thanks,
가끔 주위에 보면 스승의 날이라고 고등학교때 스승님을 찾아뵙고, 맛있는거 얻어 먹고 그러던데 나는 스승의 날이어도 찾아 뵙고 싶은 스승님이 없다…이제 나에게 학교 교육이라는것을 받을 수 있는 시간은 대학 2년하고 1학기 이다…이제 남은 2년이란 기간동안 내 기억에 남을 만한 전공 교수님을 한분이라도 만나고 싶다. 그럼 스승의 날 음료수 한병 사 들고 찾아 뵐 스승님이 계신거니까.
On the other hand, not a few bloggers like Yousun introduce good gifts for Teachers’ Day.


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McDonald’s coffee better than Starbucks? · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

McDonald’s coffee better than Starbucks? A blogger, tbook, introduces a news article and explains why he (she) avoids Starbucks (among one of many reasons) [KO, EN].


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More on Representation in Morocco · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

“Sometimes, a scarf is just a scarf, it's not a symbol for a country,” says Laila Lalami, recounting a reading she recently did of her book, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, at one of Morocco's more conservative universities in Kenitra.
While discussing the characters with the audience, the author found that their interpretations were a bit lacking: “During the Q&A, a student raised his hand and asked why the father character in “The Fanatic” tries to stop his daughter from covering her hair. “This is strange, ” he said, “because most of the time the fathers do want their daughters to cover.” I wasn't sure exactly what he based this statement on, particularly since he was a man and did not really know what a daughter's experience is like. I pointed out that, in the amphitheatre where we sat, there were many women who covered, and many who did not. I said that no one, least of all my father, had ever asked me to cover. It's a woman's choice, I said. A bearded young man behind the questioner interrupted me, “Actually, it's not a choice.” A few people laughed at his temerity, and then I explained that, above and beyond the debate over the veil, the story dealt with a very specific father, a very specific daughter, certainly not people who represent every gamut of experience in Moroccan society.


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Nepal: Madhesi Movement · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Kathmandu Speaks on the Madhesi Movement. “Even one can hear and feel the sense of isolation and increasing distance between the two communities which has remained like brothers and sisters for so long in the region. Mistrust and feeling of insecurity is their perception of each other today. But it should be realized that Madhesi movement is not directed against the Pahade communities, not directed towards eliminating Pahade Madhesis from Terai. It is a movement to free Madhesis and ensure their rights.”

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Newest Malawian bloggers join global online conversations · Global Voices
Victor Kaonga

It is no longer a secret that more Malawians are increasingly turning to the blogosphere for self-expression, information sharing, and commentary on a variety of Malawi related issues. This round-up will cover the newest entries into blogosphere with posts on politics, banking, health, city's cleanliness, racism, sms perils and personal reflections.
Politics And Urban Cleaning
As has been the case so far, Malawians are talking more and more about politics. In his latest post, Dictatorship haunts Malawian Politics, a media student, Pearson Nkhoma, looks at how and why it is easier to be a dictator in Malawi, a country where majority of its population was born during the authoritarian rule between 1964 to 1994:
Reading in the daily papers of Monday and Tuesday, one is left with one conclusion, “dictatorship is the only common principle that is practiced and shared in our political parties”. Malawi is flooded by undemocratic authoritarian dictatorial political parties. The leaders don’t see the importance of consulting the local people on issues that directly affect the locals.
Our political cohorts don’t have the capacity and time to consult local people; this is why they impose persons to represent us. Bingu wa Mutharika, the DPP Presidential candidate 2009 general elections, has just imposed a governor on Kasungu people and Bakili Muluzi, UDF presidential candidate for the same elections, has also imposed a shadow MP, Philip Bwanali, on the people of Thyolo for 2009 elections. Further more, it is alleged that AFORD imposed Loveness Gondwe as President for the party on its supporters.
Edwin Mulenga, a fresh graduate from the University of Malawi, lives and works in Malawi's biggest commercial city Blantyre from where he appreciates the clean-up program,  “Operation Dongosolo”, which authorities initiated. Reading his post titled Cleaner and Safer Town, one gets the impression that every city user now is happy after a job well done:
One couldn't make out the beauty of our small cities because of the crowdiness, noises unnecessary traffic jam etc. Something had to be done, and Operation Dongosolo was one thing much anticipated by people who love their places. There were fears that chaos would break out due to vendors resistance to move to their allocated places. Luckily enough it was the Malawi Defence Force which was sent to ensure smooth allocation. Which vendor, I say, would have stood up to resist the armoured soldiers, clad in bush-like clothes? And just how clean and promising our towns look!
Poor Online Bank Service
UK-based Malawian blogger George Ng'ambi has no kind words for the banking sector in Malawi, which he describes as exploitative at most for its poor online service. With some banking knowlegde, George looks at the advantages of online banking and challenges Malawi Governemnt to sort out the mess. He writes specifically about National Bank of Malawi:
Do Malawians really have to pay K400 per month for the online service to the bank? Koma abale ma bank kuba!!!! (Brethren, this is theft). Where is their Corporate Social Responsibility? While most banks are encouraging this paper free service as a “Green” innitiative, its sad that our banks do not want to cut on unnecessary paper work by imposing prohibitive charges.The bank needs customers to use the online service more than customers themselves need the service. It reduces customers waiting time which reflects well on the bank. Reduces labour costs in the long-term whilst keeping stationery costs to a minimum, amongst other benefits. Therefore they should bear the cost than push it to non-suspecting customers… The Malawi government through its regulatory Authorities (Ministry of Finance and Reserve bank) is quiet over this fraudulent practice.
More Sinners In The City?
An ambitious Malawian preacher and a PhD theological student in South Africa, Peter Qeko Jere, is angry with the churches in Malawi and feels they are missing a point. He says most churches are not mission-focussed now:
In Malawi today, churches are so much busy trying to solve their internal squables and can not move forward in terms of development. Finances are spent on programs to do with problems solving process. Evangelism is not done at all. You hardly hear of any crusade in the districts as it used to being when some of us were growing up. Those days were fantastic because preachers of the word could have crusades like in all the districts. These days big crusades are done in cities may be these places have more sinners than the poor districts.
Blogger Bothered By Racism And Tribalism
Brian Kapito confesses that he is bothered the racism and tribalism which are big issues all over the world. In a country which has over 15 different tribes, he feels it is important for people to treat one another with respect. People from other nations form a special category in Malawi and that is he dwells on in his post adding it annoying and disturbing being on the receiving end of tribalism/racism. He asks Why?:
I must confess I have not always had sincere feelings towards Malawians of Indian origin, or Asians of Indian origin (help me out here!), anyway you get the drift, because I feel they look down upon local people (lets make as much money out of these people attitude before they know all we did was import these cheap shoes from China but price them on the Italian model), hoard goods, underpay and ill treat the Malawian employee, with statements like ‘ngati ntchito siufuna, basi tilemba wina’ or ‘dziko wanu, ndalama wathu’ (take or leave the job, we can recruit someone else, yes the land is yours but money belongs to us) being rather common, and there is no effort on their part to integrate!
Andekuche Chanthunya writes poetically about Malawi's politics on the blog A progressive Youth. In one poem titled FRUSTRATED EXILE, he writes:
Had you been there
You would have believed
We were eager for change.
But dear Brother
You came too late, too slow
To catch up with our pace
Will you rid off your ignorance?
To understand better
Its not just good governance
But POVERTY as well.
Malaria Killing Malawians
A Global Health Fellow at Havard University, journalist Kondwani Munthali, runs a blog, Kondwani Munthali -Malawi: Journey through issues that affect Malawi, Africa and the developing World with focus on Health, Education, Youth and Socio-political governance. His latest post discusses the reaction by the Tobacco Association of Malawi on the use of DDT in houses as a malaria control measure which he describes as shocking. He argues that it is Malaria and not Aids which kills the country:
In Malawi, malaria is endemic meaning that everyone is at risk of suffering from malaria. Closer to seventy –percent of our hospital beds are occupied by malaria patients. It has dire socio-economic consequences than any other disease.Malaria has become regarded as both a disease of poverty and a cause of poverty, as it accounts for a large loss of labor productivity. Local and international political commitments have been made to address the challenges that African nations must overcome to control epidemic and endemic malaria. The Roll Back Malaria (RBM) global partnership established in 1998 by the WHO has found strong support.
Tips on Cell phone use
Rather late than never, Mzuzu-based Patrick Achitabwino is an equally new blogger and in his earlier post on The SMS, he discusses the challenges of using a mobile phone:
Men, you can never be clever with these gadgets called cell phones. Nokia what, Motorolla what, they all come in different names, with a highly unimaginable power to break marriages at a lightening speed. Not even marriages built on the granite foundations of church oaths have the power to withstand the breaking power of mobile phones.
On a ligher note, female blogger Mercy Gondwe says she is now back to posting after fellow blogger wrote about her laziness:
Hahaha. Laziness is now over. I have been told to stop being lazy and start updating my blog. I certainly have been lazy but I will try as much as possible to keep on blogging. Blogging is fun; it has linked me with my old school mates. I enjoy reading what people write about themselves especially the crazy diaries.

author: Victor Kaonga


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Nigeria: Is the Nigerian Blogosphere Dying?  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Grandiose Parlor asks, “Is the Nigerian Blogosphere Dying?,”: “Obifromsouthlondon, the Nigerian blogger (UK) at Soul on Ice, leads the pack of Bloggers that did a sudden somersault and “closed shop” to the surprise of their readers. It’s almost a year since Obi has “gone fishing” and moved on to a life away from the blogosphere.
It did end there, some days ago another UK-based Nigerian blogger- Nkem at African Shirts, followed suit.
Today I read on Sokari’s Black Looks statements that strongly suggest she too has had enough.”


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Pakistan: Blog-o-furious · Global Voices
Omer Alvie

Procrastination be damned (for now), as the situation in Pakistan gets progressively worse, I feel the desperate need to highlight the views of Pakistani bloggers because I think it is imperative that GV readers be updated on what is going on in my homeland, and the bloggers are providing the most honest and accurate views on the events that unfolded last Saturday. I personally suffered several migraines and internal hemorrhages watching the proceedings on television. Pre-planned, well orchestrated, political motivated riots and murders took place in Karachi on the 12th of May. The guilty parties labeled these events as ‘unfortunate’ and claimed themselves as victims. It's like kneeing someone repeatedly in the groin and then claiming yourself that you can no longer have children.
Chowrangi marked it as a black day in the history of Karachi with the following post:
It is very unfortunate to observe ruling party of the country having good time and celebrating in their rally in Islamabad, while people were getting killed in Karachi. All TV channels showed armed goons moving freely around the city, attacking each other and damaging public property while police and rangers did nothing practical.
To say that the Musharaf government is unpopular would be a colossal understatement. It is positively despised in most quarters but the ‘General’ is in serious denial of that fact. The desperate attempt by the government to orchestrate mass rallies to present itself as ‘popular’ is probably the sorriest attempt at PR that one can witness. We (Pakistanis) have seen way too many of these in recent times to fall for this same old ploy.
Teeth Maestro has been very tenacious in commenting on the events that took place. His latest post, not only details his own impassioned opinion but also presents a first-hand account of what a doctor saw on that fateful day. Incidentally, this account was received as a comment on one of Teeth Meastro's post on Karachi Metroblogs.
I rode with my ambulance drivers, was in the hastily set up emergency room in our lobby, attended multiple gunshot wounds victims etc. but nothing struck down my soul more than what 9 fully armed workers of MQM alongwith 2 sector office bearers did. They tried to drag out the wounded and dying body of a Sunni Tehrik worker (we later learnt he was sunni tehrik) for presumably finishing him off.
Red, White and Black writes about the carnage, turmoil and anguish of that day.
The events of the past two days have been harrowing. Most of us have been glued to television screens following the horrific scenes of gun-battles on the streets of Karachi. The violence that ensued on Saturday was expected by many quarters. What was not expected was the manner in which the law-enforcement authorities absconded responsibility of maintaining law and order in the city. 34 died on May 12.
Crow's Nest has a detailed account of what happened that day. He even describes the attack on the media (AAJ TV channel) for airing the truth about the actual culprits.
Finally, I highlight a precise summary of 12th May from one of my favourite blogs, Silsila-e-Mah-o-Saal. I present this because her opinions closely mirror my own on what happened that day and also because I think she is a rather an eloquent writer.
You may now return to your regularly scheduled programs … until I return with my next post.

author: Omer Alvie


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Pakistan: Check flags for the Czech · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan has some rib-tickling photographs of bureaucratic error. “. But right now the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic is visiting Islamabad, and the Capital’s PR people have adorned a number of (very) large banners to welcome him in the spirit of good hospitality. The only problem is that instead of putting the ‘Czech’ flags on the banners, they have ‘Check’ flags!”


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Sarkozy, the “most gabonais of all French” · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Reflecting on the French presidential elections [Fr], Don Ray of Le Blog de Don Ray comes away with three impressions: first, the election, with its record turnout, was proof of France's robust democracy; second, socialism in France is finished; and last, Sarkozy's presidency will do little to change France's policy toward Africa. After all, according to Omar Bongo, Sarkozy is the “most gabonais of all French.” Mr. Bongo should know; in addition to being president of Gabon, he is the longest serving head of state on the continent.


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South Korea: Bird Starvation · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

R. Elgin from Marmot's Hole blogs on the Korea government project on turning wetland into farmland in the past 15 years, which leads to bird starvation and extinction.


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South Korea: FTA Renegotiation? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Jamie from Two Koreas quotes from local newspapers on the possibility that the Kor-US FTA will have to be re-negotiated to better take into consideration a number of labour and environmental issues.


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Sri Lanka: The Civil Service · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

One One Things on the civil service in the subcontinent. “I was in Delhi last week and met some fascinating civil servants, mainly from India and Pakistan and their respective foreign services. Diplomats are like actors, you never really know what they’re up to. They’re trained to appear interested in the most boring of environments and to coat everything in five layers of sugar.”


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St. Lucia: Communication about Compton  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Sir John Compton, 82, is currently out of state for reasons yet unknown. I cannot understand how a head of state can leave a country with not so much as a word to the people…not even his ministers can give the Saint Lucian public a straight answer.”  Looshan Ramblings wonders what's going on.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Child Sexual Abuse  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Referring to reports from the WHO, Abeni contemplates the push factors for the sexual abuse of children in the Caribbean:  “How do parents protect children from their own relatives and how do we teach the young to value themselves? I suspect the answer or part of it lies in building self esteem and being really open in handling sex education.”


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Syria: A Challenger to Assad’s Presidency · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

Lawyer Abdallah al-Khalil announced that he submitted an application to be nominated for presidency of Syria, days before the referendum on current President Bashar Assad. Citing a constiutional contradiction, between two articles, one calls for chosing the President through the elctoral process, while the other [which is curently put in use] calls for a referendum.
Within days of the Syrian national referendum on the presidency of Bashar al-Asad, a lawyer by the name of Abdallah al-Khalil announced that he is submitted an application to minister of justice to register as a candidate for the presidential elections!
writes Abu Kareem from Levantine Dreamhouse.

author: Yazan Badran


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Tajikistan: Human Rights Ombudsman · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Vadim says that Tajikistan's new ombudsman for human rights will not be independent, and is just a showpiece to impress the international community.


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Teachers’ Day in Korea (2) · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

Different perspective about Teachers’ Day in Korea, to add to the longer post on the left side. An English teacher in Korea shared her joyful experience of Teachers’ Day and her teaching experiences with Korean students on her blog.


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The Lives of Africans in Germany · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Le Pangolin links to several articles about the lives of Africans living in Germany [Fr] from La Gazette de Berlin, a French language bimonthly.


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Player Diaries  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

West Indies Cricket Blog links to the Player Diaries: Hear what Sarwan, Gayle and Ramdin have to say about the upcoming West Indies tour of England.


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Turkey is Typing….the Eurovision Song Contest · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

While there may still be presidential protests expanding across Turkey, I thought that on this week's article we could diverge into some more important and entertaining prospects of Turkish culture….the Eurovision Song Contest!  While Turkey came in fourth this year (Serbia placed first) many Turks still proclaim that Turkish singer Kenan Doğulu is still the winner for them!
The Turkish Invasion sums up the significance of the Eurovision Song Contest:
Along with the tragic defeat at gates of Vienna and the “other” half of Cyprus, Eurovision has been one of the issues that had a large and everlasting public audience in Turkey. Once a part of national pride (which was still in dispute to be a part of Europe or Asia), Eurovision Song Contest, which is originally a celebrative gathering of the member countries of the European Broadcasting Union with a semi-formal contest of songs representing each state, has become an arena (not only for Turks, but soon for every member) to prove the artistic leadership in Europe.
In spite of the hysteric audience and months of exhaustive preparations under heavy media coverage, the Turkish songs, which are originally far from being able to be liked by a normal homo sapiens, usually take the positions not far away from the bottom. Of course, the blame was always on the non-voting Europeans, our ultimate enemies in a hundred years old sacred alliance…After years of struggling and geting no positions close to Top 10, the public interest faded into the growing success of Turkish football through the slogans of “Europe, Hear Our Voice ” (sung in a rather threatening way). The Eurovision frenzy was only revived when a semi-competent song, sung in English over oriental rhytms, “Every way that I can” by Sertap Erener, won the first place, Turkey remembered its neverending feud with the Europeans in the artistic arena. I remember that Sertab was greeted by highest officials as a hero upon her return to country. In a country where nobel laureates are threatened not to come back, her welcome parade even overshadowed Galatasaray's UEFA Cup showdown.
Carpetblogger gives an excellent primer on the contest (and if you haven't already….just check out the Urkanian drag queen–definitely worth it!) and Mavi Boncuk posts a cartoon about Turkey's song “Shake it up, Sekerim”.
Of course the contest is not without its politics, Turkish Diary reports that Kenan Doğulu says that the vote went to Serbia for political reasons.  Maybe some of that speculation can be answered as Erkan's Field Diary tries to explain how the voting works:
The national tele-voting system explicitly implies international relations and the Eastern European solidarity rules in the contest. The results could be read to demonstrate where Turkey stands. Turkey got the highest votes from the UK, the Netherlands, France and Germany (all 12) and Austria, Denmark, Bosnia, Belgium, Albania, Switzerland and Macedonia (all 10). Finland, Romania, Norway, Georgia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Iceland, Russia votes btw 2-7. The highest votes are the direct result of Turkish citizens’ existence in those countries. The strategic target of this year's voting in Turkey's side was Armenia as she got 12 from Turkey whereas Armenia gave 0 to Turkey. With a few exceptions, Turkey does not receive votes from the Eastern European countries…
In any case, “Shake it up, Sekerim” is stuck in my head and refuses to leave.
Top Links of the Week
1. Tarkan DeLuxe links to the BBC's latest on Turkey's pop culture and diplomacy.
2. Turkish Business writes about Istanbul's new skyscraper soon to be built at the cost of 150 million dollars…it will be the country's largest.
3. Me and Others tries to trick the gender genie on his blog.
4. Idil from Ignore Me If You Can talks about summer plans.

author: Deborah Ann Dilley


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Venezuela: Nobel Prize Winner Yunus Visits · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Periodismo de Paz’ Luis Carlos Diaz writes about the recent visit of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammed Yunus to Venezuela [ES].  He unfortunately was unable to attend the lecture in person, but was able to listen to speech later.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Why should Korean women not do military service?  · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

Why should Korean women not do military service? A blogger, Donald Duck, made a funny cartoon based on his experience. The conclusion was it would mean young women would disappear.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Palestine: Four Ways to Die in Gaza · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian blogger Amal A  says there are four ways to die, if you live in Gaza. They are:
“By an Israeli missile
By a guided Palestinian bullet to the heart
By a stray Palestinian bullet to the head
By a heart explosion out of frustration, fury, and despair.”

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Afghanistan: Seating Arrangements · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Afghanistanica remarks on the meaning of seating arrangements at a state dinner hosted by Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai at which President Bush was a guest.


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Algeria: Bad Translations  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Algerian blogger and linguist Lameen Souag takes a look at bad translations.
“The moral in all this for English-language media is clear: when some helpful organisation sends you a free translation of some foreign-language article or program, do look a gift horse in the mouth, and check the translation with an independent source first,” he notes.


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Algeria: End of the World · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Algerian blogger Nouri  notes that the end of the world is near.
“As a friend of mine put it: He thought the end of the world was coming, and he was right,” he posts.


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Argentina: Free Wi-Fi in Internet City · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

eBlog [ES] compares how simple it is to access free wi-fi in Buenos Aires, than in New York.  Many bars and cafes in the Argentine capital, which he gives the name Ciudad Internet (Internet City) are offering the service to attract more customers.


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Argentina: The Voting Habits of #10 · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Cronicas Argentinas [ES] is a blog that follows news of the country's most famous footballer, Diego Armando Maradona.  The country is in full election mode, with posters, advertisements and campaign signs covering all.  Many citizens already have their choices made for their ballot, but Juan Pablo Meneses writes about how Maradona might make his decision for whom to vote.


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Armenia: Election Photos · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian posts photos from the day of Armenia's parliamentary election and the day after the vote.


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Armenia: Police Brutality · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Nazarian discusses the most recent case of police brutality in Armenia, a case which the blogger says underlines the shortcomings of Armenia's government.


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Azerbaijan: Euphoria’s End · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

At Steady State, sanan says that Azerbaijan is in shock over Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan signing a new pipeline project with Russia rather than exporting to Europe via the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan.


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Bahrain: Over Criticism  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif  reports that the Ministry of Agriculture and Municipalities has threatened to drag to court anyone who questions land sales and ownership in Bahrain. “In a communiqué by the Ministry of Agricultural Affairs and Municipalities in response to what has been published yesterday regarding the purported sale of the Fasht Al-Jarem reef, the ministry not only denied the allegation completely and stated that the island of Fasht Al-Jarem is still owned by the government of Bahrain, but went much further than it should have by threatening all those who dare criticise or ask questions or show concern for our lands, islands, seas and the environment with law suits!” he writes.


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Barbados, Jamaica: Buildings and Memories  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados In Focus takes a walk into his past with a wonderful flickr photo set of old buildings that bring back memories of his childhood.    And despite overcast weather, Stet posts some photos of downtown Kingston.


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Barbados: Influence of America  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

After reading about the experience of Joseph C. Phillips, who visited Zimbabwe and discovered that African youth casually used “the N-word” to address each other, Barbados Free Press wonders “what Barbados would be like without the influence of our most powerful neighbour to the north.”


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Belarus: The Opposition, One Year On · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus sums up the sorry state of the country's opposition: “So one year since the Spring 2006 protests is officially over with his release, a year which Kazulin has spent in prison, hundreds more people went through arrests or other forms of persections, and the rest of the Unified Democratic Forces seem anything but ‘Unified,’ ‘Democratic’ or, well, ‘Forces’.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Belize: Hospital Controversy  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Belizean reports on the controversy surrounding the Belizean government's guarantee of a $33 million dollar debt for a private hospital.


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Bhutan: And now the Administrative Empire · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Bhutan: For A Democracy follows up on the economy being controlled by the Wangchuks, and comments on the administrative empire. “Not only at the economy, the wangchuks have expanded their empire over the administrative circle of the country. This was meant to protect their interest and let there be no other opposition to their authority.”


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Central Asian: The Stanosphere · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Ben Paarmann shares his thoughts on the Central Asian blogosphere — where it is, where it came from, and where it is going.


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Chile: The View of Peruvians in Santiago · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Guido writes about his city of Santiago in En Tu Ciudad [ES] and a recent observation focused on the presence of Peruvian immigrants.  He laments the “indirect and direct racism and xenofobia” of many of his fellow citizens towards the newcomers, and is relieved that not everyone holds these attitudes.


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China: Delayed reporting · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chris O'Brien from Beijing Newspeak blogs about a recent delayed report by the Chinese government on an outbreak of hand-foot-mouth disease in a city in Shandong.


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China: New restrictions on Tibet travel · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Granite studio points out that the Chinese government has imposed new restrictions for foreigners travelling to Tibet.


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Chirac More Bumbling Than Malevolent · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

As Jacques Chirac leaves office, Le Blog de [Moi] remembers the former French president [Fr] as “more bumbling than malevolent.”