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GV Advocacy: Toward a Global anti-censorship Network · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

During the last six months, since the launch of Global Voices Advocacy, we have been trying to cover the increasingly serious threats to online speech occurring around the globe and the efforts to combat them. We’ve documented the arrest and detention of scores of bloggers and online authors and highlighted several anti-censorship campaigns, reports of Internet censorship, blocked blogs and websites. Our coverage so far has included stories on 25 nations, as well as exclusive interviews with activists and bloggers focused on free speech issues, in addition to an in-depth survey of online censorship cases that rarely receive media attention.
In conjunction with that mission of documenting threats on online free speech and providing a comprehensive overview of online and offline anti-censorship efforts, we are seeking to build a global network of bloggers and activists involved in online free speech and anti-censorship movements. The aim of this network is to raise awareness of online freedom of speech issues and to share tools and tactics with activists and bloggers facing similar situations in different parts of the globe. We have also been focused on building a solid infrastructure to support this network, comprising the following components:
We recently published an updated version of the Technical Guide to Anonymous Blogging with WordPress and Tor. The Guide is the first of several planned manuals focused on the topics of circumventing internet filtering, secure pseudonymous blogging and effective advocacy through blogs that we are trying to promote as part of the Global Voices Advocacy project. The Anonymous Blogging with WordPress and Tor guide outlines different methods of protecting one's online identity in order to avoid retaliation, especially under repressive regimes. The directions outlined in the Guide can considerably reduce the risks that a blogger's identity will be linked to his or her online writings through technical means.
A linkable, blogging-friendly, HTML version of the guide, illustrated with screen shots, is available here. We have also released the guide as a PDF file. Please link to it and download it and help disseminate this important information. Feel free as well to copy this HTML code and paste it in your blog.
With the collaboration of Tunisian activists from yezzi.org, we are now working on a French version of the guide that will soon be available for download. We are also collaborating with other activists in the field to provide Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese versions. Please note that the Guide is released under a Creative Commons Attribution license, which means it can be translated freely into a variety of languages. If you believe that your community needs the Guide and that you can help with translating it or with finding volunteers who can do so, please let us know.
Thanks to the involvement of Citizen Lab‘s technical research director, Nart Villeneuve, we have launched the National Blockpages Gallery, a collection of screenshots of pages blocked by national filtering systems and Internet service providers. If you are in a country where web sites are being blocked, please send screenshots of the pages to advocacy[at]globalvoicesonline[dot]org, or use the Contact page to send us a link to the image.
This is another important project of Global Voices Advocacy designed to track information related to online anti-censorship efforts throughout the world. The wiki will be used to compile information about the technical, legal and political challenges faced by bloggers, cyberactivists and online writers. By creating a country page (you may use this page as a template to create your country page) or a persecuted blogger page (like this one), you can help raise awareness about activities being undertaken in your community and share best practices, tactics and strategy and raise questions for discussion among the wider community.
The Global Voices Advocacy Wiki will also provide a secure, password-protected online space where people can brainstorm strategies, coordinate activities among bloggers and activists and generally interact online.
Is an RSS aggregator of feeds from activist blogs and websites. It keeps track of conversations in the blogosphere relating to online freedom of speech issues. Send us your suggestions for news feeds and we'll add them to the channel!
is the newsletter of Global Voices Advocacy blog. Advox is available free to charge to anyone who subscribes. Our current list of subscribers includes activists, tools developers, experts, bloggers and people who have a general interest in issues of freedom of speech. Subscribe to Advox via this page, and receive regular site updates.
: this early alpha release is a useful piece of software that scans a large number of URLs and finds the ones that your country has banned. The “403 Access Denied Checker”, which was developed by the Tunisian blogger and activist Astrubal, is not a circumvention tool; it was designed, rather, to help activists in nations where censorship takes place to test local blockages.
In addition to these components, which we hope will form a solid foundation for the success of our anti-censorship network, we are also developing strong relationships with some of the key actors in the online anti-censorship and free speech movement, including Tor, the OpenNet Initiative, Amnesty International, NGO-in-a-box and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Thanks for reading this quick review of what's going on at Global Voices Advocacy, and stay tuned for news of a couple of surprises we're in the process of cooking up!
You can simply grab the HTML code from here!


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Honduras: Relations with Taiwan · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

El Catracho [ES] analyzes the reasons behind a recent visit to Honduras by the president of Taiwan.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Eduardo Avila


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India: Blasts in Hyderabad · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The bomb blasts in Hyderabad provoke Thought Process to write about the city and the tragedy.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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India: On Conferences · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Atanu Dey ends up reflecting on IT conferences after attending World Information Technology Forum 2007 as a speaker.


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India: Reverse Brain Drain from America? · Global Voices
JJ Rajendran

The Indian Ex-President Abdul Kalam was one of the many Indian scientists who stayed back and wanted this reverse brain drain. The media in the recent days has been playing a major role in bringing to light that not only is there reverse brain drain, but foreign students now want to study in Indian institutions.
Nita in her blog ‘My Writings’ tries to give a definite answer regarding why this is happening now after all these years, she also believes that this scenario wouldn’t have occurred if not for the US Immigration Control.
“It’s a pity though that India has to depend on America’s visa controls to get the benefits of these brains, instead of attracting them on merit. Also, many of those who will consider coming back will do it for the sake of being close to relatives, or maybe because of patriotic feelings…but how many will come back because India’s investment climate provides equal opportunity for all and ensures success based on the merit of their idea and nothing else? As I see it India has a long long way to go before it can inspire this kind of faith in would be entrepreneurs and I guess that is why America is up there because today in spite of the country trying hard to keep the brains out, they are falling over themselves to get in.”
While Nita leaves us to ponder, Curiouscat in his ‘Science and Engineering blog’ writes under the title “Brain Drain Benefits to the USA Less Than They Could Be” strongly believes that there is no turning back.
“I don’t think this result is going to decrease. And I believe the actual loss of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs born in the USA for significant portions of their careers to other countries will increase dramatically over the next 25 years. I agree that it is in the interests of the USA to try and retain the ‘Brain Drain’ advantages it has been receiving.”
Times have changed since 1992 and Krishnakumar has reasons to show how. He talks about the change in trend, going abroad for a better living according to him is a thing of the past.
“I passed my engineering in '92, well into the era of software. It was almost a norm for one to prepare for his GRE, and get going to the USA for higher studies, en route to a job abroad and life as an NRI. Of course, those who did not make it always had somebody in Dubai or nearby, who could land them a decent job. I remember, in those days, the Times of India (Bombay) had a special edition for Jobs abroad, and guys would unfailingly pick up copies of the same week after week.”
“What really gives RIs(Resident Indians) like me the greatest joy is to see that all those guys who went abroad have gradually seen that today India is not such a bad place to work at all…. today with technology, one can effectively work from anywhere… and lets face it… there is no better country to bring up your children…”

author: JJ Rajendran


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Iran:Economic problems  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Alireza Shirazi says[Fa] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won presidential election thanks to his economic promises but in the last two years, inflation and economic crisis have made life very difficult for many Iranians.The blogger says people are more afraid of economic problems than miltary threats [by USA].

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:”Pray that Ahmadinejad Dies” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Hamed Talebi in his blog,Moslem Reporter, writes[Fa] that Ghodratollah Alikhani, a deputy in Iranian Parliament, told people in a village that “Pray God that Ahmadinejad (Iranian president) dies, then your problems will be solved.”


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Jamaica: Back to Normal?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Things are certainly getting back to normal as time goes by,” says Stunner's Afflictions of post-Dean Jamaica.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Jamaica: Bilingual?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The very worst thing to do is to pretend that no language difference exists, and to proceed as if you are being fully understood”: Francis Wade examines the language barriers that exist in Jamaica.


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Madagascar: Malagasy travellers encouraged to blog their stories.   · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Tattum explains that madonline started a new project that strives to promote blogging activities in Madagascar. The project will initially focus on asking bloggers to tell stories of their travels across Madagascar in order to help people learn more about unfamiliar places. A familiar obstacle for blogging in Madagascar is the unavailability of high speed internet.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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New Arab-American Paper Launched · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A new Arab-American newspaper has just been launched in the US, reports  Will, from Palestinian blog Kabobfest.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Pakistan: Karachi and Liveability · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan on The Economist's Global Liveability Index, where Karachi finds itself ranked amongst the least liveable cities.


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Pakistan: The Supreme Court · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Metroblogging Islamabad on the role of the Supreme Court in politics and the implications.


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Papua New Guinea: AIDS patients buried alive.  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Caledosphere links to an article in which people living with AIDS in Papua New Guinea (New Caledonia's neighboring country) were buried alive by their relatives because they could not afford their treatments and were also afraid of being infected (Fr).


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Paraguay: The Soybean Wars · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In conjunction with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Charles Lane is in Paraguay blogging at The Soybean Wars about the “human, political, and environmental impact” of the soybean industry.


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Russia: Arrests in Politkovskaya’s Murder Case · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ten unnamed people have been arrested in connection with last year's slaying of journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Sean's Russia Blog writes that she “as ‘political football’ has been dusted off and re-inflated just in time for a new season.” Robert Amsterdam doesn't think Russian prosecutors are capable of getting their jobs done.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Russia: Krasnodar’s “Exclusive” Neighborhood · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Inside Krasnodar writes about an area that's “quickly becoming Krasnodar’s most exclusive residential neighborhood.”


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Russia: Panyushkin’s Detention · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Robert Amsterdam writes about a recent detention of journalist Valery Panyushkin under Russia's extremism law.


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Soviet Union: Female Beauty and Feminism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Natalia Antonova writes about “the Soviet Syndrome” that some of today's feminists seem to be afflicted with.


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Syria: How Can Expats Help? · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

This month‘s topic of Creative Syria‘s Blogger Forum was solely dedicated to the Syrian expatriate community.
“What role could expatriates play in building a better Syria? Are you satisfied with the government legislations concerning them? Are you satisfied with the performance of the Minister of Expatriates’ Affairs Dr. Buthayna Shaaban?” were the questions waiting to be answered.
Syria's expatriate community, albeit dispersed, counts for almost 16 million, with a very high percentage of highly educated individuals. This makes the topic ever more relevant, as their contributions can help speed up the social and economic changes in the country and help rebuild it .
Abu Kareem of Levantine Dreamhouse, an M.D. living in New York where he himself has been an expat for many years, wrote a very interesting critique of the efforts the government has been putting to attract “the expatriates’ money rather than the expatriates themselves.”
But perhaps the single most important thing that the Ministry of Expatriate affairs can do for all expatriates is to facilitate their ability to visit or return to their homeland. It is preposterous that I can visit just about any country in the world with more ease than I can the country of my birth. The recent amendment of the military service law was not helpful and needs to be radically overhauled.
While, Naji Arwashan, who is the Syrian honorary consul general in Detroit, Michigan, and a long term expat also, brought out the idea of pioneering an online newsletter that can be sent to the whole of the Syrian expat community, communicating issues of interest to them, and helping them to promote their country, Syria.
I would suggest here to the Ministry of Expatriates to commission to an NGO the task of starting an electronic newsletter dedicated to the affairs and news of the expatriates. The Ministry should put a big effort distributing such newsletter to all Syrian expatriates in the world (with the definite understanding that unsubscribing can be done by a click of a mouse). This certainly requires also an effort from our diplomatic missions to build and share their email lists. The newsletter would focus solely on expatriate’s news and would be a forum to address their questions and concerns, and also to explain new legislatives of interest to them.
Naim Nazha, also an M.D. who lives in the U.S., listed some examples of the many things that expats can do for their country without much effort.
It is difficult to mention all the things that the Syrian immigrants can do for Syria. The first simple thing they can do is to be good examples to people in their adoptive countries, I mean to have a good reputation and be proud to declare their Syrian background when asked, our positions and reputation in our new countries reflect on Syria and how the public view it.
And finally, Camille Alexandre Otrakji, also a long term expat, and the founder of Creative Syria and MidEast Image, seems very optimistic about the future return of many of the high achievers back to Syria – even noting a trend in that lately.
Things changed. Now it seems that those who want to go back to Syria are not entirely made of the ones who gave up on making it in Montreal. Some highly successful individuals are seriously planning to examine their future prospects in Syria during their next summer visit.

author: Yazan Badran


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Trinidad & Tobago: Contemporary Art  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Caribbean contemporary art has never been more vibrant than it is now,” writes Adele at Thebookmann, as she discusses the work of Trinidadian artist, Ashraph.


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Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana: West Indian Writers  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Antilles quotes Ian McDonald on the achievements of West Indian writers: “Long after the contradictions and difficulties of our post-colonial societies have been forgotten, the books produced by our writers will have found a permanent place among the valuable, enduring works of man.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Santa Rosa Festival  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The CAC Review notes that Trinidad's Carib community yesterday celebrated the high mass of the annual Santa Rosa Festival, with a procession through the streets of Arima.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Ten Things… · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Club Soda and Salt makes ten observations about Trinidad.


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Uganda: Bloggers Respond to Controversial Daily Monitor Articles · Global Voices
Rebekah Heacock

Uganda's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community has gotten a lot of press recently in the form of a number of articles written by Katherine Roubos, a 22-year-old Stanford student from the United States.  Most recently, Roubos covered the first ever LGBTI press conference, a story that prompted an anti-gay rally in Kampala.
Blogger Samantha wonders, “Is Holding Rallies the Wisest Option?”:
Today, we are holding a rally against homosexuality because it does not comply with Uganda’s morals. We say, “Homosexuality is abnormal according to God’s laws and nature of creation in the Bible. It is against our faith and our society moral values. That is why we are against it and its practitioners.” Why do we think homosexuality is different from corruption, stealing from the poor, despising the poor, lying, defilement and murder?
Scarlett Lion and Jackfruity (full disclosure: that's me) both posted pictures from the event, during which protesters called upon the owner of the Daily Monitor to fire Roubos:
Another Daily Monitor article provoked even more online controversy as several bloggers responded to Glenna Gordon's piece on the achievements of Uganda's women writers.
Iwaya was up in arms:
Did it occur to you that yes while many talented men who are writers are often consumed with chasing the buck, they do so because they are the heads of their families? They have responsibilities they will not abandon, cannot abandon and that while they may not get immediate recognition, are perhaps struggling against as great odds as the women?
While Ernest Bazanye called for simple equality in the Ugandan literary world:
What we need isn’t a men’s equivalent of Femrite [the Uganda Women Writers’ Association]. We need to just not listen to these Gordons and go back to what we were doing before: making art and getting it out there, regardless of the sex, religion, age, height or hairstyle of the artist.
In a different part of the country, Pernille compiles a glossary of Ugandan greetings:
How are you? This is such an all-round standard greeting (which the South Africans shortened to ‘howzit?’) that when I sometimes greet by saying ‘hello’, the person I greeted answers ‘fine’….
The funniest greetings are the ones you get when you arrive somewhere with a male friend or colleague; – ‘Oh, you are here with a new face!’
Finally, The Mundu writes about what it feels like to be the product of three cultures:
A year ago, in a period of frustration, I sat down with a pencil and wrote down that I was the product of three distinct “cultures”, and accordingly I had three distinct personalities which I adopted and dropped at will. Or rather, I am the product, and I have three.
Obviously those are (and just imagine the cute little diagram I drew):
A third “Western”: ie, a Canadian teenager.
A third “TCK”: third culture person/missionary kid.
And a third Ugandan/African.
…
So I call myself “the mundu”, but avoid questions about Africa. I sing the Canadian anthem with pride and draw a Ugandan flag on my name tag. I lash out, vindictively, over someone’s careless comment, and then am silently blasé. They are so ignorant – I think – and fall prey to arrogance. Nobody understands me – but that’s escapist. I understand nobody – but that’s … an inferiority complex. I eagerly share anecdotes, but later feel bitter when all they cared about was lions and bugs.
I hide my identity or flaunt it.
I am chameleon.
But – *shrugs* – chameleons don't have a problem with being chameleons.

author: Rebekah Heacock


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UK, Caribbean: Colours of Notting Hill Carnival · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Girls in costume resting at the side of the street during the Notting Hill Carnival children's parade, Sunday 26 August, 2007. Photo by Cristiano Betta
Today is the August Bank Holiday in the United Kingdom, which means sunny weather, fun outdoors — and Notting Hill Carnival, the largest Caribbean-style carnival in Europe and one of the largest summer festivals anywhere. (In 2006, up to a million people may have participated, either as masqueraders or as spectators.)
Since 1965, the west London neighbourhood of Notting Hill has been home to this event, which is based on the traditions of various Caribbean carnivals (especially Trinidad's), but has also been influenced by festivals and music from the many parts of the world to which today's Londoners trace their heritage. Costumed masqueraders dance along a three-mile parade route to the throb of music from sound systems and live bands, while hundreds of thousands look on, enjoying the spectacle and the food prepared by streetside vendors (looks like you can even get an ice-cold coconut). The carnival now extends over two days, with children's bands parading on the Sunday before the Bank Holiday and adults on the holiday itself.
Meanwhile, hundreds of photographers, pros and amateurs, capture the colour and energy of the revelry, and some of them even post their images online where we can all enjoy them. Here is a selection of photos from this year's Notting Hill Carnival posted on Flickr.
As in J'Ouvert, the pre-dawn event that opens many Caribbean carnivals, these masqueraders have covered themselves in mud; Notting Hill Carnival, Sunday 26 August, 2007. Photo by Robert P. Byrne. (See more of his Notting Hill photos here.)
Children in costume — the girl at left has her whistle to keep time with the music; Sunday 26 August, 2007. Photo by virgorama. (See her full Notting Hill photoset here.)
Looking down the parade route on Ladbroke Grove; Sunday 26 August, 2007. Photo by london emigre. (See his Notting Hill photoset here.)
Basking in the sun — or in the glow of her own costume? Sunday 26 August, 2007. Photo by sallylondon. (See her Notting Hill photoset here.)
The Trinidadian influence may be strongest in Notting Hill Carnival, but the festival has always been celebrated by Londoners with roots in many other Caribbean territories. This woman dances with the national flag of St. Kitts and Nevis; Sunday 26 August, 2007. Photo by virgorama. Masqueraders with the flags of other Caribbean countries: Guyanese, photographed by Tim Fearn; a Trinidadian woman, photographed by Cristiano Betta; a Grenadian, photographed by P*E*T*A.
The Dame Lorraine is a traditional burlesque character in Trinidad Carnival. This Notting Hill version looks comfortable in decorated Crocs. Monday 27 August, 2007. Photo by Cristiano Betta. (See more of his Notting Hill photos here.)
A treat for the eyes and the ears: a costumed drum band livelies things up; Monday 27 August, 2007. Photo by margaritanitz. (See more of her Notting Hill photos here.)
Notting Hill Carnival was long known as a Caribbean festival, but today Londoners from many cultural backgrounds participate. These dancers are costumed in Chinese dresses, complete with fans; Monday 27 August, 2007. Photo by Cristiano Betta.
Those masks, those powdered wigs, those feathers? Venetian, Caribbean, Aztec? No, it's just Notting Hill; Monday 27 August, 2007. Photo by Cristiano Betta.
For more photos by these and other photographers, see Flickr's Notting Hill Carnival 2007 pool.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Uruguay: Taxes on Churches · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

From Uruguay writes about the Brazilian Pentecostal churches and its practice of relocating to old theaters in Uruguay.  There are additional questions regarding the church's tax exemption status.


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Afghanistan: No Chechens · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Afghanistanica disarms the widely held belief that there are Chechen Jihadis on the ground in Afghanistan.

author: Ben Paarmann


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Afghanistan: Replacing a minister · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

From Afghanistan, Sanjar reports that he and his colleagues have launched a petition demanding the removal of the current Minister for Information and Culture. Rumours have it that a successor has already been chosen, and Sanjar voices his discontent over President Karzai's choice.


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Africa: Crowd Sourcing the mapping of Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

White African writes about Tracks4Africa: “Tracks4Africa is an organization based out of South Africa that has integrated their services into Google Earth. Their goal is to focus on the rural and remote areas of Africa that aren’t well defined and who’s roads, bridges and villages shift over time.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Africa: The 4th Carnival of African Enterprising · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nubian Cheetah is hosting the 4th Carnival of African Enterprising: “So what is a blog carnival anyway? Bloggers submit their best articles to that months host via the Blog Carnival website.”


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Africa: Using ICT to promote culture · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Using ICT to promote culture: “This can however only be achieved by using the ICT infrastructure as a tool in promoting science and technology education, enhancing our culture by producing local digital content and nurturing home-grown ideas.”


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Arabeyes: It’s All in a Sign  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Signs are an important means to get first-hand information or advertise messages necessary for everyday life. But what happens when the signs are misleading and don't serve the purpose they were put up for.
BRN, who lives in Al Ain, UAE, has taken a picture of this sign found at the Traffic Department:
“This sign is posted at the office here in Al Ain where you register (and renew) your car. I sure hope that it makes more sense in Arabic than it does in English,” he writes.
The Arabic on the sign reads: “Please park your vehicle in the designated parking lot and proceed to the waiting area to collect a receipt for your vehicle inspection from the information desk.”
Talasim, from Jordan, is an Arabic blog which encourages readers to click pictures of signs and advertisements with mistakes in them and post them online.
In this post, reader Omar Abu Arisheh contributes an advertisement posted in a local paper by an English language school. Needless to say, the advert is riddled with glaring spelling errors. Click on the link to spot the mistakes.
Still with Talasim, Shaden Saud from Saudi Arabia contributes the following photograph:
The Arabic reads: Prostitute's apartments available for sale – cash or instalments
The typo was made by replacing a letter. Prostitute's should have read luxurious.
Our last stop sign is from Bahrain-based Bint Battuta, who posts the following sign, under the title: “Always better to be prepared.” **
**Photo Credit: Guardian Unlimited


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Armenia: Election update · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Onnik Krikorian posts the latest developments in the run-up to next year's presidential elections in Armenia. This week's news include the growing rumours that a successful ex-politician might enter the scene to compete against the ruling Republican Party.


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Bahamas: Election Fever Still Burns  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Post-election issues are causing “a divided nation”, according to Craig Butler in this post at Bahama Pundit.


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Bahrain: Wall Art · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Wall art in Bahrain is being featured at the Wooster Collective, thanks to Bahraini Rants.


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Barbados: Recovery, Not Rescue  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground confirms that the rescue efforts at the site of the collapsed apartment building have become a recovery mission.


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Brunei: Angel Investment Workshop · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

AnakBrunei attends and blogs about an Angel Investment workshop.

author: Preetam Rai


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Brunei: Getting out of the Rut · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Old man in Brunei contemplates the future of his country, one of the richest in South East Asia, and wonders if the easy going attitude of his countrymen will lead to Brunei loosing out to its neighbors.


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Cambodia: An Honest Monk · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Ly Sochiet describes a visit to a Pagoda with his friends and meeting a monk who refused to take offering money from him and his friends.


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Cambodia: Impediments to Widespread E-Commerce in Cambodia · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Borin looks at the factors that might discourage Internet entrepreneurs from starting E-Commerce ventures in Cambodia


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China: Citizen Not People · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Lao Tuzaizi said he is a “citizen” not “people” because the meaning of “people” is very confusing in China. All government bodies claim to be People's institutes, however, no individual can represent “people”, in the end the definition of “people” is up to the authority (zh), while the concept of citizen is based on individual's right.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Temporary Reporter System · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Because of the Fake Baozhi news, many mainstream media in China have fired temporary staffs. CCTV has fired up to 1,800 temporary workers, many are reporters. Zhao shilong has once been a temporary reporter in Southern Weekly magazine, even though he has finally got an office reporter status (with a proper document), he was angry that the media always blame the temporary reporters for fake news (zh).


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Czech Rebublic: Election Campaign Spending · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Dr. Sean's Diary writes on the Czech election campaign spending bill.


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Czech Republic, Germany: Gastarbeiter · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Dr. Sean's Diary writes about labor migrations into and out of the Czech Republic.


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D.R. of Congo: BBC Diary: Protecting Mountain Gorillas · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Two Congo Rangers are keeping a weekly journal at the BBC website: “This is fantastic exposure for the Gorilla Protection blog. It includes a summary of the weekly activities of the Rangers – and at the bottom there is a profile of both men.”


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D.R. of Congo: The War on Charcoal · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The War on Charcoal at Virunga National Park: “For the last month we have been on patrols daily to crack down on those who are making charcoal in the Southern Sector of Virunga National Park.”


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Egypt: Aliens Myth · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia says that aliens do not exist in this post.


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Egypt: Diplomats Destroy History · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Elijah Zarwan links to an article about how European diplomats in Egypt destroyed a 40 million old UNESCO Heritage Site in Egypt's Whale Valley.


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Egypt: Rape Apologists  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian Eman loathes rape apologists and this is why.


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El Salvador: Media Coverage of MS-13 · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Tim's El Salvador Blog responds to the assertion from a recent news program guest, who claimed that media coverage of the Mara Salvatrucha gang has helped drawn more attention and glamorized the gang to some youth.


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Guyana: Whine-Fest! · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana-Gyal takes us on a tour of “whine country”…


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India: Fan Clubs and Tamil Cinema · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Culture and Politics of Tamil Cinema discusses the dynamics and sociology of fan clubs.


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India: On Chak De India! · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Chak De India!, a Bollywood film that deals with women's hockey and underdogs provokes a reaction from Jabberwock.


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Iran: Cheetah Project and Beautiful Sabalan · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

The celebrated photo blogger Mohammad Darvish dazzles our eyes with a beautiful shot of Sabalan mountains in Northwestern Iran. What a wonderful way to start the week and continuing coverage of voices around the world.
You may read more about this beautiful mountain on the wikipedia entry for Sabalan.
The topic of climate change is not far from the thoughts of many around the world. Today we read from Batir Wardam in Jordan writing on the blog Arab Environment Monitor about his thoughts on an article that appeared in Reuters, specifically the acknowledgment of Egypt's efforts in protecting its sea shores.
It has always been known from global warming predictions scenarios that the Nile Delta region in Egypt is highly vulnerable to any expected rise in sea water levels due to climate change. This fact has pushed Egypt show high interest in climate change research and adaptation measures, unlike most Arab countries still stuttering with the political and economic hurdles against full engagement in climate change adaptation systems and being a global partner in climate change action.
Last but not least is an interesting and hopeful post on the Iran Cheetah Project by Sepideh Saremi.
Despite continued political tensions between the United States and Iran, the Iran Cheetah Project, a joint effort of the U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Iran’s Department of the Environment (DOE), is working to study and save the Asiatic cheetah (also referred to as the Iranian cheetah, and “yuz palang” in Persian). Just 60 to 100 of these cheetahs remain in the world, and their only home is Iran’s desert plateau.

author: Juliana Rotich


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Iran:A blogger was beaten up by mafia · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mojeh Sevom ,blogger and journalist,says[Fa] that Javid Asadzadeh an active blogger in Urmia in Azerbaijan province, was beaten up and got injured by local mafia.This blogger has written several times about corruption in real estate in Urmia in his blog and has collected a lot of information about it.


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Iran:James Joyce filtered · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Freekeyboard informs us that we can not anymore search James Joyce[Fa] in Google or Yahoo in Iran,because this great writer is filtered.The blogger says it is very stupid filtering.He adds Joyce was not a feminist,human rights activist or did not write anything against stoning.


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Iran:Popular Programs in TV · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Farnam Bidgoli in Parsarts introduces some popular programs in Iranian TV and explains us the reasons of their success.We can see some video clips too.


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Iraq: Fishing and Bombs · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi blogger Sunshine finally managed to go on a fishing trip she has been hoping for for so long. Don't miss the photographs accompanying the post.


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Jamaica: Election Questions · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Her poor showing in the national debates and the political missteps this week with the declaration of a state of public emergency has made that painfully all too clear – ‘Sista P can’t manage the prime minister wok.'”  Jamaica House is not convinced that Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller can lead Jamaica into the future.


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Jamaica: Gold Medal  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“What a difference a day makes!” remarks CityGirl : Her disappointment in Jamaican Asafa Powell's performance as he lost the World Championships Men's 100m Final yesterday has been redeemed by Veronica Campbell's 100m gold medal – the first ever for the island in these games.


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Japan: Brain Inside Maker · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

What Japan thinks introduced an online game called “brain inside maker”. By entering your name in the box, it will analyze what your brain is made of.
Mari has translated the meanings of the characters.


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Japan: Garbage Bag Art Work  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Edo introduced the idea of garbage bag art work by a local design agency for transforming the scene of garbage collection spot in the neighborhood.


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Jordan: Arab-American Comedy Fun · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bakkouz from Jordan comments on a new Arab-American comedy taking the world by storm.


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Jordan: Co-Blog Anyone? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Are you interested in starting up a Co-Blog… Actually a business Co-Blog… Where you contribute to business knowledge,” asks M Kilany from Jordan.


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Jordan: YouTube Down · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“It seems YouTube is down. This is happening Monday 3:57 Amman time (12:57 GMT),” reports Ahmad Humeid from Jordan.


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Kazakhstan: Kashagan Showdown · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Bonnie Boyd has a comprehensive background post on the current crisis involving the Kazakh government and the international consortium developing the country's biggest oil field, Kashagan.


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Kuwait: Crazy Week for Bloggers · Global Voices
Abdullatif AlOmar

Kuwaiti bloggers had a crazy week, which started with an earthquake, or rather a small tremor, early on Saturday morning. The next day a blogger was arrested for a comment an anonymous reader left on his online forum. The week culminated with a fire at a local hospital and the resignation of Kuwait's first female minister.
Forzaq8 talks about how some people were blaming the government for it.
“Most news outlets and couple of blogs are saying there was an earthquake yesterday. Normally, I’m sleeping but yesterday I stayed up late. I never felt anything , yet one of the news outlets is saying that people get out of their apartment building scared,” he wrote.
Then Sunday rolled over and another earthquake hit the country. This time its was our freedom that was shaking.
A Kuwaiti reporter, who also operates a blog, was arrested  by the State security as covered reported earlier by GV. He was then released on Wednesday – after spending around three days held up in a cell and interrogated.
This occupied most of the blog talk this week – but there were other discussions.
Grey over Grey Fort complains about music selection on the local FM station (government operated).
“Just the fact that Super station plays same music at the same time everyday,” he notes.
Amer at Hilaliya talks about the effect of the decision to bar the participation of foreign companies in the bidding for Kuwait's third mobile operator.
The above piece of news doesn't bode well for the general consumer. Basically what it means is this: investors behind MTC and Watanaiya and other local entities have been offered a bigger chance of controlling a chunk of the new company, thereby instigating another telephony monopoly in Kuwait.
So with the earth shaking at the start of the week, followed by an attack on freedom, the week ended with a boom. A fire broke out at a hospital, leading to the resignation of the first Kuwaiti female minister.
Kuwait Doll speaks about something she saw on TV and how it made her feel.

author: Abdullatif AlOmar


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Laos: Keeping Wildlife off the Dinner Table · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Laotian food blogger Darly is wondering how to keep Laotians from serving wild animals in their eateries. “How can you explain to the average citizens on the importance of preserving wildlife? Most people that I met in Laos are making day to day living based on their surroundings. They don’t think too far into the future, only what to feed their children on a daily basis.”


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Malaysia: Bangsa Malaysia at Blog House · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Young Malaysian blogger Aishah blogs about the recent gathering of bloggers in Malaysia.


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Malaysia: Malaysia and AIDS · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

RantingsbyMM blogs about a recent conference on AIDS she attended in Sri Lanka. The blogger also touches on the attitude of some Malaysian officials who attend such conferences.


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Mongolia: Visiting the desert · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Konchog Norbu posts pictures that prove that the Gobi desert is not an utterly barren and lifeless place.


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Morocco: Campaigning Begins  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The View From Fez takes a look at the beginning of the campaigning for parliamentary elections in Morocco.


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Pakistan: Green Boxes for Qurans · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Don't know what to do with the Quran? Metroblogging Lahore spots green boxes installed by the Punjab Quran Board.


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Palestine: Morocco Reporting · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian Kabobfest‘s Nimr takes a look at how a popular website reports news on Morocco.


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Peru: An Opportunity for the Country · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

In the aftermath of the earthquake in Peru, some bloggers have continued to wonder who is to blame for the disappearance in aid and the sensationalist nature of the coverage.  However, others are looking at the disaster as an opportunity for Peruvians to look critically at themselves and at their elected officials in order to make real reforms so that this does not happen again.Gonzalo del Rosario of Web-ad-ass [ES] thinks that some television channels are marketing themselves as a result of their sensationalist coverage.
yo no me quiero sumar a la televisión y a la radio, y a todos los medios de dominación (porque llamarlos de “comunicación” es mucho para ellos) quienes han llenado toda su programación con informes especiales sobre cómo está muriendo la gente en el sur de mi país. No creo que les importe, jamás les importaron, y si la capital, Lima, no hubiese sido asustada y removida hasta las sienes con aquel sismo de 7.5, creo que poco o nada les hubiera importado.Aunque eso no interesa ahora.Es bueno ver que existe gente que se preocupe de una manera sincera y desinteresada, pero también existen otros oportunistas que sólo lo hacen porque saben que los van a ver, y mientras más muertes filmen, más televidentes tendrán.
I don't want to be part of the television and the radio and all of the dominant media (why call them communication media, it's too much for them) that have filled all of their programming with special reports about how the people are dying in the southern part of the country.  I don't think it matters to them, it never mattered to them.  If the capital of Lima had not been scared to their wit's end with the 7.5 magnitude earthquake, then I don't think they would have cared very little or not at all. Even thought that does not matter right now. It is good to see that there are people that are genuinely and sincerely interested, but there are also those opportunists that know that they'll be noticed.  While the more dead that are filmed, the more viewers they will have.
For some there is a certain sense of guilt and reflection regarding the level of help provided in these times of needs.  Juan Arellano of Globalizado [ES] asks some tough questions.
Y es cierto, no son sólo los medios, son los blogs, la gente, todos hablamos de lo mismo, iniciativas creadas con otro propósito de pronto sufren accesos o arrebatos “voluntaristas” pero ¿Qué hacemos aparte de hablar? ¿ponernos en la foto para hacer ver que ayudamos? queda bien ¿no? postear desde la comodidad de nuestras casas mientras la gente que se preocupa de verdad también la sufre como los mismos damnificados.
It's true, it is not only the media, but the blogs and the people that all say the same things.  Initiatives that are created for other reasons suffer setbacks, but what do we do other than talk?  Do we put ourselves in the photo to show that we are helping?  It looks good, right?  Do we post from the comfort of our own homes while the people that really worry suffer like victims.
A recent article in the Correo Peru [ES] written by José Chlimper, criticizes local governments for its inefficiency and corruption. “The earthquake only makes this more evident, more tragic and easier to report to the press.”  Gran Combo Club [ES] comments on this article, and agrees that this presents an opportunity.
Comentario: Son ideas que tienen en común el mirar adelante. En mi opinión no se trata de reformar INDECI, sino de que la institución tenga gente capaz y en permanente capacitación. Pero esto sólo es posible limitando la influencia de los políticos. Tampoco se trata de crear un nuevo ministerio, ” el ministerio de prevención”. No es necesaria más burocracia inoperante. Se trata de que lo que existe funcione. Pero bueno, es una propuesta al fin y al cabo, algo que escasea en el mar de demagogia mediática.
Comment: These are ideas that are related to looking forward.  In my opinion, reforming INDECI is not necessary, rather it is important that the institution counts on capable people that are always in training.  However, this is only possible by limiting the politician's influence.  This does not mean to create a new ministry, “the Ministry of Prevention.”  We do not need more inoperable bureaucracy.  We need to fix what already exists.  Well, this is just a proposal, which is something that is lacking in all of this demagogy.
Arellano continues by following the line of thinking regarding the opportunity for Peru and the role of all of its citizens.
Y sí pues, no se puede negar que el terremoto ha sido como un catalizador, un agente revelador que ha servido para traer a la luz los grandes problemas del país, que están presentes siempre, aunque los ignoremos. Evidentemente cada cual lo trata de acuerdo a su capacidad, proclividades y/o intereses. Pero a nosotros, en nuestro papel de lectores/espectadores, es que nos toca discernir la paja del trigo. Sin embargo, ¿Todos podremos hacerlo?
We cannot deny that the earthquake has been a catalyst, a revealing agent that has brought the big problems of the country to light.  They have always been present, event though we ignore them.  Evidently, each one addresses them according to one's capacity and/or interests.  But we, in our role of readers/spectators, are the ones that should see the difference.  However, can we all do it?
Gran Combo Club [ES] writes about the role of politicians in the disappearance of disaster aid.
se están robando la ayuda. Se las agarran con el chofer del gobierno regional del Callao o con los de la municipalidad de la Victoria (ver en Kolumna Okupa: Terremoto en Perú: corrupción y donaciones) pero los peces gordos, los responsables de la imprevisión, la imprudencia criminal de copar y desactivar las instituciones públicas competentes y de los megarobos, no caen, Es lo que manifesté dos días después del 15-8:Desde un punto de vista político, ni nos sorprendamos. Es lo que hacen nuestros políticos en nuestros países, sobre todo cuando debilitan a las instituciones. El copamiento de García ha llevado a esta situación. En 2001 en Arequipa las cosas se hicieron mejor. Todavía quedaba algo de capacidad organizativa en el aparato del estado para responder a las catástrofes. García se la acabó de cargar. No es algo inusitado. Es lo que ocurrió en la Argentina con las inundaciones y con el terremoto de 1970 en el Callejón de Huaylas. La ayuda no llega porque se la roban. Basta ya de no decir las cosas por su nombre.
They are stealing the aid. They make deals with the driver of the regional driver of Callao or with those of the Victoria municipality (see Kolumna Okupa [ES]), but the big fish, those responsible for the lack of foresight and weakening of the competent public institutions and of the large thefts, do not fall. From a political point of view, we are not surprised. This is what the politicians in our countries do, especially when they weaken the institutions.  Garcia helped take us to this situation.  In Arequipa, they did things better in 2001.  There were still some organizational capacity in the state to respond to catastrophes. Garcia finished with all that.  This is not something uncommon.  It happened during the floods in Argentina and with the 1970 earthquake in the Callejón de Huaylas.  The help did not arrived because it was stolen.  Enough with not saying things for what they are.
Translation by Eduardo Avila

author: Juan Arellano


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Peru: The Profile of the President’s Son · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

el útero de marita [ES] uncovers the profile of Alan Raúl Simón García, the son of the current Peruvian president of the same name, at the social networking site hi5.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Romania: Esquire · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Romanian edition of Esquire is to be launched next week. Owlspotting writes: “Esquire will be a novelty on the Romanian magazine market, and the first outlet to promote long-form writing and narrative journalism. These forms are almost inexistent in Romania.”


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Russia: Novaya Gazeta in English · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Robert Amsterdam and Sean's Russia Blog link to Novaya Gazeta's recently launched English-language site featuring translations of some of their investigative stories. Sean wrote in a reply to a reader: “The more Russian media accessible to English readers the better.”


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Russia: The Strugatsky Brothers · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about the famous Soviet science fiction writers, the Strugatsky brothers: “For some reason, I was sure until recently that these books are so good that they will remain to be the favourite books of the new generations of geeks for a long time. Strangely, I found out that my son reads them, but is not really interested in the events. Does it take to have been born in the USSR to understand them?”


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Russia, Ukraine: Crimea Brawl · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreign Notes writes about the recent diplomatic scandal caused by remarks on the Crimea by an adviser of the Russian embassy in Ukraine.


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Rwanda: Reporting the plight of Gorillas in Rwanda · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Dr. Lucy Spelman blogs about the plight of Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda: “I'd just started out on a hike near Visoke with friends when I got a call from Elisabeth (the ORTPN vet tech) saying that a young female gorilla in Kwitonda group had been snared and was still attached to a tree.”


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Singapore: Bloggers Slam ISP · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Singapore bloggers are angry with one of their ISPs for revealing customer data to a company. The company was trying to find out people who had allegedly downloaded anime from the internet.


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South Africa: The biggest online publishers in South Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Who are leading in the online publishing industry in South Africa?: “There are spreadsheets that show monthly figures for unique browsers locally and internationally organised by publisher or by site.”


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South Africa’s Health Minister Under Fire · Global Voices
Muhammad Karim

South Africa's Health Minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has recently been put under fire regarding allegations of alcoholism, her conviction for theft and using undue influence in order to get herself a liver transplant.The Public are in a furore over this matter as the allegations speak volumes regarding the Minister's failure to deliver in many aspects of the health department's ambitions as well as her very controversial stance on the treatment of HIV.  Recent developments on this issue are the President's refusal to fire the Minister from her position, as well as the Minister herself thumbing her nose at critics and stating ‘I'm not stepping down’.The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for her dismissal on many occasions since, and have even responded to President Thabo Mbeki's call for anyone to provide evidence of the Minister's misconduct.
Earlier this month, the Presidency invited “anyone who may have evidence which demonstrates that any minister or deputy minister has acted in dereliction of duty … to forward such evidence to the Presidency”.Zille said that apart from the more recent allegations concerning Tshabalala-Msimang — including that she acquired a liver transplant through improper influence, needed the new organ because of alcoholism and was convicted of theft in Botswana — the case for her dismissal rested on “incontrovertible” grounds.”Through a combination of chronic mismanagement and poor judgement, she has presided over a marked deterioration in the quality, efficiency and morale of her department,” Zille said.
The South African Blogosphere has also been abuzz with this topic and various bloggers have aired their opinions of the matter as well as jokes and cartoons.via Mail Forwardsand this… (translation in emphasised parenthesis)
How can someone get bumped up for a liver transplant after getting cirrhosis because she’s a ****** dronkie, spend months in private hospital care (on tax payers geld(money) nogals) and try to sell Beetroot as an AIDS treatment without getting in kak(trouble)? Huh? Ek vra vir jou?(I'm asking you?)Demmit!!! That’s mos(just) gross incompetence and dis mos(It's also) grounds for dismissal… of hoe so?(is it not?)
via Kakduidelik.co.zaSome prefer to make light of the issue with humour…
It has just been announced that the name of the “Johannesburg General Hospital” will be changed. From 1 September 2007 it will officially be known as the “Manto Tshabalala-Msimang Pub & Grill”.The Health Ministry will also have its name changed to “Amaglug-glug”(quoting a famous South African Ad)
via thesouthafricaninsultand… via Zapiro @ Mail & GuardianMy Digital Life:
There certainly seems to be a lot of smoke around and we all know that smoke means fire.Will we hear more about her drinking or he pilfering.One headline I would love to see is MANTO QUITS!
The Times Blog:
What surprises me is that no advertisers seem to have taken advantage of the obvious tactical opportunities presented by the latest edition of Mantogate.Back in the 1990s, tactical advertising in response to political events was not uncommon. When Mary Metcalfe, then Gauteng MEC for education, said that if Matric exam papers were leaked, she would eat her hat, and exam papers were subsequently stolen, a Nando’s ad for peri-peri sauce appeared with the relevant clipping and the words “Serving suggestion.” When President Mandela left the country in charge of Mangosuthu Buthelezi for two days, BMW put out a print ad reading, “Mr President , why settle for a mere 48 hours of absolute power?”
Many other blogs have joined the fray since and this issue has seen a lot of air time in the media as well.  ANC members and supporters have blasted the media for its role in putting the Minister on trial by public opinion as well as providing excuses for the political loyalty of the President.

author: Muhammad Karim


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South Korea: Inter-racial Love · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Robert Koehler from the Marmot's Hole summarized a report on inter-racial love relation in one sentence: Korean men want to date foreign women because foreign women don’t view men as simply money-making machines, while Korean women want to date foreign men because it’s a good chance to learn English and experience a foreign culture.


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Sri Lanka: Education and Nationalist Doctrine · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Greenhornet.lk on why nationalist indoctrination should be removed from school syllabi.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Sri Lanka: No return to my village · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

A poignant testimonial at groundviews of a family who were bombed out of their village, and lost a family member to a mine, and whose village was occupied by the Sri Lankan Army.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Invincible?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The passage of Hurricane Dean was a deadly reminder…as to how vulnerable our economies are,” writes Abeni, as she notes the complacency of St. Vincent and the Grenadines towards hurricanes.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Tajikistan: Getting a haircut · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

John Musarra retells his ordeal of trying to get a haircut in downtown Dushanbe. Tajikistan's summers are hot, dusty and difficult to cope with. The barbershop John chose, however, proved equally difficult to cope with.


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Tajikistan/Afghanistan: Bridging two nations · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

A US-funded bridge connecting Afghanistan's north with Tajikistan was officially opened last weekend. Both Mohammad Fahim Khairy and Vadim at neweurasia offer their mostly jubilant commentary.


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Tanzania: Mobile Veterinary Unit · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

When Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit reached Tanzania: “We have been vaccinating domestic dogs along the escarpment (wildlife reserve boundary) and today we are happy to announce that we now reached the Tanzanian border! Total number of dogs soared up to 1,250 as of today, too!”


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Trinidad & Tobago: On The Money  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Adele at Thebookmann ponders the value of money in Trinidad and Tobago – “a nation where currency is a paper that represents as much about emotion as consumption.”


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Uzbekistan: Sarcastic sociologists · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Jamiyat doesn't find much else than sarcasm in a recently published opinion poll that says, above all, that the president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, is doing an astonishingly good job.


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Vietnam: Papaya with Dried Beef · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Cambodian blogger iCambo, currently in Vietnam, invites readers to try a Vietnamese dish that is very similar to another dish in Cambodia.


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Afghanistan: Releasing the hostages · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Although the Korean hostages are likely to come free after more than a month in custody in Afghanistan, OneFreeKorea is unhappy with the deal struck with the Taliban. In the blogger's opinion, this will “stamp “kidnap me” in fluorescent letters in every Republic of Korea passport”.


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Albania: A Vacation Report · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Marko Bucik spends his vacation in Albania, a country that is “an endless joy” – despite the fact that “there are almost no street names, no mailboxes, few places have drinkable tap water.”


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Algeria: Profiling Arabs in the US · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Algerian Nouri shares his thoughts on the profiling of Arabs and Muslims in the US.


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Anguilla: Sea Bath  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bob Morris fondly remembers what Anguilla's “most famous citizen” taught him about the “unspeakable joy” of a good sea bath…


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Argentina: A Book About Propaganda in Kirchner Government · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

A new book written by Maria O'Donnell about the Kirchner administration's use of propaganda will soon be on sale.  eBlog [ES] recently spoke with the author and posts the interview.


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Argentina: Protesting Demolishment of Hotels · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Line of Sight looks in on a protest in the upscale neighborhood of Recoleta, where residents protested the demolishment of a hotel.  The amateur protests did little to get others involved and many were there for the photo-ops.


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Bahrain: Bloggers Meeting Set · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahrain's bloggers are bracing themselves for their 32nd Bloggers’ Gathering on September 1, announces Mahmood Al Yousif.


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Bahrain: Editor in Court  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A Bahraini newspaper editor is in court for defamation, writes Mahmood Al Yousif.


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Bahrain: Egypt Baha’ii Rights Video · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A controversial video on Egypt's discrimination against Baha'iis is making the rounds, writes Esra'a from Bahrain.


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Bangladesh: Military and Power · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Adda reflects on the military in Bangladesh, and in light of the recent clash with the students of Dhaka University, wonders what's next.


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Barbados: Recovery Effort Continues  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

It's Day 4 of the recovery effort to find the victims of the apartment building collapse in Barbados.  Barbados Underground says that a significant part of the day was “spent stabilizing and preparing the cave for the extraction of the bodies of the Codrington family presumed to be dead”, while Pull! Push! tells the story in pictures.


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Brazil: Gunshots along the border · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

Altino Machado reports a radio call [PT] from José Meirelles, who coordinates an Etno-Environmental Protection Front at the Brazil-Peru border on Acre state, deep in the Amazon Forest. He tells about gunshots that fortunately missed 2 workers on a canoe yesterday, in an event that can be linked with the illegal logging dennounced by Ashaninka bloggers. “We call for the diligence of prevention, and not for the rescue of bodies“, Meireles said.

author: Jose Murilo


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Bulgaria: A Wedding · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Petya of Bighead writes about her Bulgarian Orthodox church wedding – and “the ability of people to reach across cultural and language barriers.”


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China: Barcamp 2007 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Riku from China blogger network reminded the readers that Barcamp 2007 (zh) will be taking place in Shanghai (Sept 8) and Beijing soon (Sept 2). It is an opportunities for Internet users and developers to brainstorm the potential of Internet space.


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China: The anxiety of China’s Bureau of Broadcasting and Film · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chong from interlocals translated an article from 1510.com about the recent move of the Broadcasting and Film Bureau in banning the Phoenix TV (one of the cable TV services).


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China: Who To Blame For Dangerous Toys? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Angry Chinese Blogger summed up the debate about the recall of dangerous toys, whether we are to blame the Chinese manufacturers, multinational toy companies, or consumers?


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Chinese cartoon cops patrolling websites · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

In the footsteps of Shenzhen Internet Police, the police in China's capital, Beijing, will start patrolling websites registered on Beijing servers using animated police officers that pop up in a user's browser. From September, 1st, Beijing's new virtual cops will be active on 13 of China's portals, including China's biggest blog-hosting services, Sohu.com and Sina.com. By the end of the year, the virtual police's patrols are expected to cover all websites registered with Beijing servers. According to the Associated Press, the cartoon cops can “walk, bike or drive across the screen” every 30 minutes, warning Internet users to stay away from “illegal Internet content” and “bad websites”.
“We will continue to promote new images of the virtual police and update our Internet security tips in an effort to make the image of the virtual police more user friendly and more in tune with how web surfers use the Internet,” the Beijing Public Security Ministry said in a statement issued yesterday.
According to the statement, these cartoons officers will offer police help to Internet users. Clicking on the cartoon images will redirected users to the authority's web site. But is this the main purpose of China’s new Big Brother and Big Sister?
Last year, on January 17, 2006, Global-voices co-founder, Rebecca MacKinnon, reported a similar story via China Digital Times, introducing the two male and female cartoon web cops “Jingjing” and “Chacha” who have been patrolling websites since last year in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen:
These cartoon web cops named “JIngjing” and “Chacha” (the word “jing cha”  means “police” in Chinese) will apparently be patrolling websites originating  in the southern Chinese city of  Shenzhen. (…) According to  the Public Security official interviewed by the Beijing Youth Daily,  their real function is to remind internet users that the Chinese police are  watching people online no differently than offline. In other words: don't do  anything online that you wouldn't do in a physical public place in China!
Blogger South Puget Sound Libertarian shares his thoughts and this image of Shenzhen Internet police mascot, JingJing:
Notice that JingJing is cute. The face that the Chinese government has decided to put on its repression is not that of the Orwellian jackboot stamping on a human face forever. No, totalitarianism comes wrapped in cuteness these days. So how could you really object? After all, it’s just the government trying to protect you from evil doers on the internet.
In addition to this new technique for monitoring the Web, Beijing police are also posting signs clearly intended to intimidate Internet users at the entrances to Internet cafes (see image below):
Sohu.com and Sina.com, the two leading Chinese portals where the virtual and “cute” cops will be patrolling, are already censoring their users’ content quite aggressively. Beijing-based blogger Liu Xiaoyuan is suing Sohu.com for censoring some of his blogposts. And four Chinese lawyers have protested the “un-transparent, arbitrary, and unaccountable way in which Sina.com has been censoring blog posts by bloggers on its system,” wrote Rebecca MacKinnon.

author: sami ben gharbia


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Congo: Lack of new work by Black Francophone writers · Global Voices
Mialy Andriamananjara

Alain Mabanckou regrets the lack of new works by Black Francophone writers at the 2007 “rentrée littéraire” in France.

author: Mialy Andriamananjara


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Egypt: Inferiority Complex · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

D.B. Shobrawy reflects on what he describes as the Egyptian inferiority complex in this post. “..many Egyptians have an inferiority complex in regards to their Egyptian identity. Somewhere in our history during colonialism Egyptians began to believe that European culture was superior to their own, more elegant and prestigious,” he writes.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Egypt: Is Mubarak Dead? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“I got a call late tonight from a friend asking, “is Hosni Mubarak dead?” I dont quite know where he got his information from but supposedly there is a rumor that Hosni..AKA “the Great Dictator” was airlifted to a hospital in Germany and that his fate is unknown and presumed dead!,” writes Egyptian blogger D. B. Shobrawy.


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Egypt: Moulid Al Haggag  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian Big Pharaoh takes us to the Moulid Al Haggag ceremony, offering us an explanation for the annual event and photographs.


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Egypt: Mubarak’s Health · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia shares her ideas on Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's health, treatments abroad and rumours of his death.


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France: The use of the French language in international communication.  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

The  general delegation for the French language and languages in France, a branch of the Ministry of Culture and Communication recently published a report on the use of the French language in the digital world. The objective of the delegation is to promote the use of the French language in international communication and multilingual projects in general (Fr).

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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India: India and the US · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

With controversy surrounding the nuclear deal between India and the US only increasing, GreatBong reflects on the political dynamics within India.


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India: Mark Tully from the BBC · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Middle Stage on Mark Tully, BBC's correspondent who covered India for a long time and his book India's Unending Journey.


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Iran:Crackdown on Professors · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kamangir says according to a new law, all state-run universities are obliged to report any trip their faculty members go to outside the country. The trips have to be reported whether or not they are sabbatical or personal and for pleasure.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iraq: Saudi Bans Al Hayat · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi blogger Ladybird reports that Saudi Arabia has banned pan-Arab Saudi-owned newspaper Al Hayat in the kingdom.


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Israel: 19th Anniversary · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Savtadotty, from Israel, marks her 19th anniversary in the country.


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Israel: Aids Patients Buried Alive in Papa New Guinea · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Smooth Stone from Israel links to a story about how Aids patients are buried alive in Papa New Guinea.


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Israel: Big Brother Watching You · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

If you are on the Internet, Big Brother is watching you, warns Batya from Israel.


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Jamaica: Are You Busy?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Francis Wade examines the concept of busyness from a Jamaican perspective.


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Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Caribbean Review of Books · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican Geoffrey Philp is excited about the latest issue of the Caribbean Review of Books, while Antilles highlights the issue's feature on Trinidadian fashion designer Meiling.


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Jordan: Advertising Awards · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Ahmad Humeid, who says he is happy he quit his job in a leading advertising company at the beginning of his career, comments on the way some agencies are celebrating an annual awards ceremony.


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Jordan: I Hate Iraqis Group on Facebook · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“When Facebook.com was created, its creators never thought it would one day be a place for racist fights,” writes Jordanian Ahmad Al Ghasmary, who writes about his disappointment with the “I Hate Iraqis” group formed by Jordanians.


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Jordan: Prohibited Items · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Charles Levinson, who lives in Jerusalem, compiles a list of all the items banned on flights from Jordan's Queen Alia's Airport.


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Kyrgyzstan: Threat of Islamisation? · Global Voices
Mirsulzhan Namazaliev

The citizens of Kyrgyzstan, a nominally Muslim country, have an interesting history with Islam: While the nomadic Kyrgyz haven't really been introduced to the religion before the 18th century, Kyrgyzstani Uzbeks from the Ferghana Valley practice a more traditional form of Islam. During the Soviet era, religion was pushed to the sidelines of society, but Islam has seen some revival since Kyrgyzstan's independence in 1991, again mostly in the southern rural parts of the country.
Hajj pilgrims heading to Mecca from Osh, southern Kyrgyzstan. By Flickr user teokaye.
Last week, Kyrgyzstani bloggers were worried about the threat of Islamisation in their country. The debate was the result of an interdepartmental commission's decision to allow Muslim women to wear hijabs for their passport photographs.
The decision of the commission was based on a claim that Islam prohibits women to uncover their heads and ears in front of unknown males. “We feel discomfort when we go through border control. The airport personnel demands us to take off our hijabs instead of introducing special rooms and having women personnel checking us”, Islamic representatives were quoted as saying.
However, most Kyrgyz bloggers are concerned about the decision and its implications.
Elena Skochilo (LJ user morrire), one of the most popular Kyrgyz bloggers, has quoted news, and said:
Упорной оказалась дочка Фронтбека, добилась своего…
By “daughter of Frontbek”, Elena refers to Jamal Frontbek Kyzy, who is the chairwoman of the Progressive Public Union of Women “Mutakallim”. This Islamic organisation has become one of the initiators of the “Hijab Process” and unites over 40,000 supporters.
Mirsulzhan, writing for neweurasia, added:
Такие организации, включая другие подобные структуры, как “Жанырык” финансируются арабским миром.
Alan Kubatiev, another blogger and famous publicist from Kyrgyzstan (LJ user alan-kubatiev), also supports the opinion of Mirsulzhan about the Islamic community's fundraising resources.
Женщина по имени Фронтбек кызы, то есть дочь Фронтбека …, победила в долгой и изнурительной борьбе, где ее никто не поддерживал, кроме соратников и исламского сообщества. Зато последнее поддерживало очень неслабыми суммами.
Mirsulzhan also noticed that Jamal Frontbek Kyzy and her organization had become very active recently. They were also against celebrating the Saint Valentine's Day in Kyrgyzstan, he says.
… Жамал Фронтбек кызы сказала, что некоторые мусульманки против празднования Дня Святого Валентина в Кыргызстане: < ...>
“Mutakallim” has been also supporting the idea of some politicians to allow polygamy in Kyrgyzstan. Free Kyrgyzstan (LJ user free_kyrgyzstan) comments:
Интересно, если быть такими уж прямыми, то нельзя и по бабам ходить мусульманам. И перестать фотаться, Коран против изображений. Не хочется, что-то жить как в 19 веке…
Alan Kubatiev believes that Islamization in Kyrgyzstan is a serious threat:
Исламизация Киргизстана принимает все более настойчивые и ригидные формы. Огромное большинство принявших – невежественны и в самом исламе, знают его лишь от не менее безграмотных мулл и проповедников, агрессивны и маргинальны.
Alan Kubatiev also added that the poor often turn to Islamic organisations in order to receive material support from their community.
Государство отдало эту часть населения безропотно и с готовностью. Плоды, которые оно пожнет лет через семь-восемь, его очень удивят.
An anonymous commentator on Elena Skochilo's blog replied:
Это не “безобидное проявление себя в религии”. Это первый шаг на пути поголовной исламизации. Если так дальше пойдет в скором времени вас то же принудят носить платочек и принять ислам, причем вашего мнения и не спросят. У них слоган – вы с нами или против нас… Так что разрешение ношения хиджаба-платочка – это маленький шажок к горькому началу (или концу?).
Edil Baisalov, a Kyrgyz politician (LJ user baisalov), says that every women has a right for choice – wearing hijab or miniskirt.
Время порабощения слабого пола закончилось. Кыргызская женщина свободна. Отказывать ей в равных правах с мужчинами – это варварство. Арабский мир отстает в развитии, потому что 50 процентов женского населения этих стран неграмотны. Не может государство <>. А в Кыргызстане есть люди, желающие подрезать крылья стране.
Others within the Kyrgyz blogosphere also support the idea of allowing hijabs on passport photos. Almurad from Osh (Kyrgyzstan's southern capital, the more religious area of the country), comments on the post of Mirsulzhan at neweurasia.
Почему если девушка ходит в мини – это норма? А если девушка хочет обратное? Почему последнее не считается “Ведь, их действия являются лишь проявлением личной свободы…”, как в случае первой категории?
Ataman Rakin, one of the most active commentators on neweurasia, does not think (RUS) that the Islamization of the country is a threat.
… pritshyom tut ‘ugroza'? A esli Islam dayot lyudi indetitshnost, dostoinstvo i sotsialnaya oborona protiv narkomania, massovoi alkogolism i nyneshnaya pornokratiya, eto ploxa shto li?
Mirsulzhan of neweurasia replies:
Мне б сильно не хотелось видеть мою страну под игом авторитаризма, также как и под игом исламизма. Считаю наиболее рациональным в этом аспекте является западная демократия, либеральные ценности. Даже ислам не может защитить человечество от наркомании, алкоголизма и порнографии. Поскольку, эти факты имеют место также и в Иране, Арабских эмиратов и прочих стран. Зачем отнимать свободу, ведь несвободный человек будет творить вещи хуже, сто раз хуже…

author: Mirsulzhan Namazaliev


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Lebanon: Uproar at School in NY named after Khalil Gibran · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Beirut Spring writes about an uproar surrounding a newly established public school in Brooklyn (NY), that is named after the Lebanese/Arab writer and poet Gibran Khalil Gibran. The school teaches many of its material in Arabic and has some courses on “Arab Culture”. Jewish groups demonstrated and condemned the opening of what they termed a “Madrassah”. A group called “Friends Of Gibran Council” released a press statement claiming that Gibran was Lebanese but not an Arab!

author: Moussa Bashir


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Mali:Abandoned wives and children · Global Voices
Mialy Andriamananjara

Faits Divers d'Afrique relates the fates of abandoned wives and children left behind by men who emigrate.


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Mongolia: Kazakh eagle hunters · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

American filmmaker Joseph Spaid tells readers about his film Kiran over Mongolia over at neweurasia. The documentary portrays a young Mongolized Kazakh youth from the urban capital who is taken into an apprenticeship by a true Kazakh eagle master.

author: Ben Paarmann


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Morocco: 2 Million Blogs Banned · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

MoTIC (fr) provides us with statistics on Livejournal, which has been blocked in Morocco for over a year, as well as other blocked sites.

author: Jillian C. York


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Morocco: Casablanca in August · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Marc Daniel gives a picturesque description of  Casablanca in August. He notes that beaches are always full at that time of the year and that surprisingly women and men are both wearing  swim suits. Keep in mind, he says, that sports clubs are still men or women   only (Fr).


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Morocco: Cat in Rabat’s Reincarnation · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

A favorite Moroccan blogger, Cat in Rabat announces her blogging reincarnation and move to the Spanish blogosphere, as La Gatita Gringa.


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Morocco: Firing the maid · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Margot the Marrakesh Mystic shares her story of a not-so-good Moroccan maid.


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Morocco: The Death of Butcher Basri · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Driss “Butcher” Basri was an imposing figure in Morocco.  He started out as a police officer and was appointed to the position of Interior Minister in 1979 under the auspices of King Hassan II.  He held that position for 20 years, during which time he allegedly tortured and imprisoned thousands of those in opposition to the monarchy.
Those years, known as “Years of Lead,” ended when King Mohammed VI ascended to the throne in 1999 and promptly sacked Basri, who in turn exiled himself to Paris, where he died on Monday at the age of 69.  According to some, Basri had intended to return to Morocco before his death.  He leaves behind a wife, three sons, and two daughters.
Moroccan public opinion on Basri varies, from those from his hometown of Settat, who honor him for the progress he made in that region, to those who despise him for his violence.  Moroccan bloggers are no different.
Blog de Amina Talhimet (fr) simply states:
Driss Basri, l'ancien ministre de l'intérieur marocain est mort à Paris, à la suite d'une longue maladie. Il avait 69 ans. Comme les échéances électorales de 2002, celles de 2007 se feront sans lui. Rien d'autre à ajouter. Sauf peut-être l'intime conviction que les élections du 7 septembre 2007 constitueront un tournant politique historique dans notre pays. Donc, votons pour le Maroc.
A Moro in America (ar) said:
عل وفاة َرجل المغرب القوي في عهد الحسن الثاني تكون بمثابة قطيعة حقيقية مع عهد الرصاص وانطلاقة جديدة لمغرب شاب بقيادة ملك شاب لشعب شاب أغلبه لم يعايش زمن ادريس الذي ولى أدراجه.
لعلها تكون فأل خير و إشارة رمزية للشباب ديالنا باش نيت ينخرط في الحياة السياسية،لأننا محكومين بالسياسة سواء أحببنا أم أبينا.
رمزية هذا الحدث هو أن باش يكون عندنا مجتمع مؤسساتي أحسن، أّضمن، و أكثر أمانا من أن نكون داخل مجتمع شخصياتي. فمن كان يهلل بإسم البصري فالبصري مات، و من كان كيتلصق عليه من أجل بضعة أوراق مالية أو رخصة طاكسي أو كار رادريس مشا إلى عالم اخر. هذ الزمان ديال مجتمع و سياسة المؤسسات. القصر،البرلمان،الجماعات المحلية بالإظافة إلى قظاء كيظمن الشفافية و المساواة بين المغاربة غادي إن شاء الله يكون المغرب زاز.
The significance of this incident is that it will allow us to have a society of institutions, which is better, more reliable, and more secure than a society of individuals. For those who used to empower themselves behind Al Basri's name, Al Basri is dead. And for those who used to stalk him for money , taxi or bus business license,well, he is now in another world. This is now the era of institutions; The Palace, the Parliament, the local municipalities and a judiciary system that  guarantees transparency and equality between all Moroccans. Morocco will be a better place with the will of Allah (God).
.
Ghasbouba pondered whether or not to forgive Basri:
Driss Basri dies..,
Condolences to his family.
Moroccans believe they should not say bad things about their deads and we should follow some the great teachings that say “Mention only good things about your dead”. High levels of Moroccan forgiveness… things that do not always work. But Driss Basri had done tremendous amounts of atrocious things to his follow Moroccans.. There is nothing really good to mention… stp.
Najlae (fr) wished him peace:
Driss Basri est mort ce matin à Paris. Paix à son âme. C'est tout ce qu'on peut lui souhaiter.
Blogger  Vagabondeuse was a little bolder:
When Mohammed VI became the official king of Morocco, Driss Basri got fired. It was very obvious that the king did not share the same admiration for Basri as his dad used to.
Driss Basri, the man of many mysteries and scandals is dead now. He will surely serve as a good example for those who take advantage of the their high political status in the country to allow themselves to do about anything to serve their personal agendas.
Nevertheless, may his soul rest in peace.
Morocco Time, on the other hand, shared a popular joke about Basri:
Driss Basri died in Paris today. Seems like a great time to quote one of the jokes that got Nichane into such hot water last year:
“Driss Basri [the hated and feared Minister of the Interior under Hassan II] died. He tried to bribe the Angel of Death in order to get to Paradise. The angels refused, answering that they are incorruptible and he is going to Hell. While on his way to Hell, Basri spotted Hassan II in Paradise, to his great surprise. He made the following remark: “My god! You can’t tell me there’s no corruption here!”
Despite the kind words from some, blogger Ange Bleu summed up the sentiment best, saying:
Aujourd'hui driss basri, ancien homme fort du rroi hassan 2 est décédé
NO COMMENT
Photo credit: Casafree.com


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Morocco: The iPhone unlocked? · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

A Moro in America reports that the iPhone has been unlocked, adding: “I am sure the iPhone will be the next 3ya9a gadget in Morocco :)”


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Morocco: The view from the boxes · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Ghasbouba shares his take on democracy and the upcoming Moroccan elections.


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Nepal: Maoist moderation · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Nepali Netbook on the political dynamics in the country and Maoist moderation.


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Oman: One Ramadhan Please! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Omani blogger Sleepless in Muscat hopes all Islamic countries will mark the beginning of Ramadhan on the same day. “Hopefully, this time around we would stick to one date across the whole Arab & Islamic world instead of fooling ourselves and then stating that we ‘never saw the crescent’,” he writes.


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Russia: Geopolitical Dreams · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes that while some Russians are dreaming of a “Russian Texas,” others offer a scenario of the disintegration of the United States.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Russia: Mistreatment of Foreigners · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia reports: “Foreigners working in the Russian Federation are far from likely to be mistreated by government officials and employers than they are to be attacked by skinheads and other Russian nationalist groups, according to a poll of Tajiks now living in Tajikistan with direct experience in the past of work in Russia.”


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Serbia: Kosovo and Other “Statelets” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Steady State writes about Kosovo and the “de facto statelets of Abkhazia, Transnistria, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh.”


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Sri Lanka: Ranil and Others · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Lanka Rising discusses politician Ranil in a scathing post.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Irresponsible Reporting  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Someone…is writing the evening news as if it were an opinion column. What kind of crappy reporting is that?” asks Manicou, unimpressed at the latest media faux-pas.


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Tunisia: Inappropriate TV · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Diana Magazine complains of inappropriate scenes being shown on Arab television stations like MBC and Dubai One.  The blogger says, “I defend freedom of speech and media and press freedom, but these things are not of our societies.”


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Ukraine: Ethnic Russians · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes about another way of looking at Ukraine's ethnic Russians and their political preferences.


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Uzbekistan: Karimov forever · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

At Registan.net, Nathan Hamm thinks that Uzbekistan's president Islam Karimov will stay in power beyond his constitutional term.


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Vietnam: wedding ceremony in photos · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Yoann describes a Vietnamese wedding from a foreigner's perspective. He is pleasantly surprised that to hear familiar french songs during the ceremony (Fr).


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Afghanistan: Errors of Judgment · Global Voices
Joshua Foust

The blogs are all atwitter with news of the “U.S. Counternarcotics Strategy for Afghanistan” (PDF), which lays out in detail how the U.S. government plans to eliminate the still-growing presence of opium in Afghanistan.
In particular, many libertarians are aghast at the idea of a forced eradication campaign. In Reason magazine's blog, Jacob Sullum, a longtime legalization advocate, argues:
But if cracking down on opium production in some Afghan provinces simply shifts it to others, wouldn't cracking down on opium production throughout Afghanistan simply shift it to other countries? It's not like that sort of thing has never happened before. A decade ago, by the way, Costa's predecessor, Pino Arlacchi, explained that “global coca leaf and opium poppy acreage totals an area less than half the size of Puerto Rico,” so “there is no reason it cannot be eliminated.”
Over the long term, if history is any guide, these grandiose anti-drug efforts will have no lasting impact on heroin consumption. Over the short term, as I noted in a column on the subject last year, they are strengthening the Taliban and their terrorist allies.
Poppy cultivation, by Flickr user deckwalker
Indeed, it isn't at all outrageous to think that an eradication campaign will simply funnel more money to the Taliban, nor that legalization may yield some foreign policy benefits for the West, as Daniel Drezner puts it.  The problem, as I have argued before, is that within Afghanistan legalization simply is not feasible:
From an economics perspective, if the goal is ultimately to starve the Taliban “middlemen” of money, then simply buying up raw poppies won’t do much. There are several aspects to consider: the regulatory environment, the opium market, and Europe’s drug policies.
Most practically: Afghanistan does not have the capacity to tax and regulate much, and especially not a highly profitable illegal drug. The central government can’t get a handle on regular, legitimate agriculture, to say nothing of a crop with the criminal and terrorist baggage poppy has. The government itself is hopelessly corrupt, with many governors already receiving kickbacks and bribes from the poppy gangs; how this would change (if it would change) under an American-imposed regulatory environment is anyone’s guess—but I’d be surprised if it’s good. There is too little oversight and too many opportunities to game the system and keep the smugglers well-fed.
Noted scholar Barnett Rubin has weighed in on this topic as well, in a trilogy of excellent posts at his new blog. In the first entry, he explores what this new American initiative will do:
Implementation of this strategy will lead to a rapid deterioration of security at least in the south of the country and the further weakening of the Afghan government. Afghans will conclude (if they have not so concluded already) that the U.S. does not consider Afghanistan to be sovereign and that the foreigners are in Afghanistan to pursue their own agenda, not to help Afghanistan. Significant portions of the countryside that have been neutral or pro-government will move toward the Taliban…
The basis for these generalizations is that poppy cultivation spread into Afghanistan mainly through the Pashtun areas and that in the last year poppy cultivation has decreased in the mainly northern provinces (see the UNODC Rapid Assessment Survey map)…
But most importantly, the map shows only the flowers. The U.S. Strategy nowhere claims, discusses, or even mentions whether “drug money” has decreased in northern Afghanistan. It has not…Some of the same officials who today get credit for counter-narcotics efforts are generally believed to have become millionaires directly or indirectly from drug trafficking.
After discussing how addressing drugs at different points along the value chain yield varying levels of success in terms of reduction of both supply and price, Rubin then offers a series of recommendations, the conclusion of which is:
Introducing enhanced eradication simultaneously with interdiction and alternative livelihood efforts will lead to a decrease in security and strengthen anti-government forces, while rendering interdiction and alternative livelihoods more difficult…The state in Afghanistan can be built only by using the limited force available in a highly targeted and economical way against hard core opponents, while greatly expanding the incentives (where international actors should have a decisive advantage) to win people over to the side of the government and its international supporters.
This matches closely with other recommendations about the “best” course of action for ultimately fixing the country. One of the main concerns is of course security. Tom Perriello explores this and concludes:
But the toxic combination of corruption, incompetence, and complicity (at least) with warlords and organized criminal networks is creating a fissure between the people and the government within which the insurgency grows.
Indeed, the security situation seems unhelped by Western forces. Though a running feature of Afghanistan since the current wave of war began (Abu Muqawama recently recounted the very poor judgment that allowed Osama bin Laden to escape capture through Tora Bora), the security situation seems to be reaching something of a critical juncture. Péter Marton has been exploring the role of the Dutch in Uruzgan and has this to say:
The other, the second issue I wanted to bring up, is that of whether the June and July car bombings (in Tarin Kowt and in Deh Rawod, respectively) in Uruzgan have eventually resulted in Dutch troops staying back more at their bases as a result, as one Dutch daily, the conservative De Telegraaf once reported at the time. I have mentioned that report with a question mark here, and so that question mark leaves me with some responsibility to return to the subject. Well, I haven't found signs of such staying back recently, in fact I have only found signs of the opposite.
One very obvious sign from near Deh Rawod: a Dutch soldier was killed on Sunday by an IED on a counter-IED patrol north of Deh Rawod. This happened near a place called Chutu (a river crossing), according to a map on the Uruzgan Weblog. Chutu is not far from Keshay, and this is what happened towards the end of July around Keshay: a large clash between the ANA and insurgents (you can also read about it here, and learn that one Afghan soldier was killed in that clash). It's definitely not an area that you would venture into on a counter-IED mission, if you were looking for absolute security.
He goes to detail some other examples of the Dutch engaging in much more fighting that they once did. It makes for an interesting contrast with military journalist David Axe's criticisms of the Dutch—he flat out calls them cowards. Cowardice doesn't seem a given, however, since a few Americans who have fought alongside the Dutch don't believe them to be holding back much.
I have my own problems with how the West has been fighting in Afghanistan, namely the over-reliance upon air power:
This goes back to the layers of media attention lavished on Barrack Obama’s comment about civilian casualties as the result of poorly-planned air strikes—a comment that was by and large correct. The U.S. military’s belief that it can make up low troop levels with precision weapons has thankfully passed under the bridge, at least to a large degree. This is because air power is not very precise, and it is not limited—especially when you have small numbers of militants hiding in a village of mud huts. A 3-meter CEP (Circular Error Probable, which is a radius in which a weapon will land 50% of the time) is useless when even mild blast effects can rip apart mud huts and kill innocents. That is why, despite downgrading its standard munition to 500 lbs, NATO will still kill far too many civilians with such a light footprint. Over-investing in air power, and pretending that can make up for a troop shortfall, is sheer folly.
Indeed, the most precise weapon is the individual soldier, not an aircraft.
Unfortunately, no one seems to have any ideas of what could realistically change course. Domestic political concerns, and not the interests of Afghanistan itself, are dictating the West's counternarcotics policy; similarly, the manpower and money shortfalls caused by the Iraq War are dictating the American commitment, and other domestic concerns are similarly constricting European choices.
The one question no one in the West seems to be asking themselves when it comes to Afghanistan is: what is best for the Afghans? What will most improve their lot? Alas, until these questions are asked at the highest levels of government, more and more errors of judgment will take place, each time lowering confidence in the West's ability to conduct itself in a constructive manner.

author: Joshua Foust


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Afghanistan: Hostage deal · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Although 11 hostages still remain in the hands of their kidnappers, Carl Robichaud speculates why the Taliban agreed to release the Korean missionary workers who have been held hostage for over a month.


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Afghanistan: Uruzgan update · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Péter Marton, writing on his My State Failure Blog, has the latest updates from the unruly Afghan province Uruzgan.


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Africa: Celebrating 100 posts · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Fashion blog, Ladybrille, celebrates 100 posts: “Yay!!! Ladybrille celebrates its 100th post!!!! To mark our celebration, I thought it best to receive feedback from YOU, the readers. What do you like about Ladybrille's Blogazine, what are your favourite features?”

author: Ndesanjo Macha