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Korea: Why did Bush come to Korea?  · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

Bush’s visit to Korea for one night and two days on the fifth of August made a lot of people busy: A big group who welcomed his visit in one street of Seoul, another big group who were opposed to his visit in the other street of Seoul, the police who were busy suppressing the latter, and netizens who talk about these chaotic activities on the Internet.
Why did Bush visit Korea while candlelight vigils have been still going on for more than two months? What did the two presidents talk about? Why do they meet so often (three times since the new Korean President took over the government earlier this year)? Why are some people welcoming him and others not? His short visit brings these many questions to netizens.
The main focus of discussion about his visit was what intention the US Government has behind this meeting and what attitude the Korean Government has in front of the power.
Many netizens complain about the group who welcomed his visit.
부시 미국 대통령이 1박 2일 짧은 방문을 놓고 대한민국의 국민들의 환영과 반대시위를 보며 부시는 어떤 생각이 들었을까. 그를 따라온 미국 언론과 세계 여러 나라 기자들은 이런 현상을 지켜보며 자국에 어떤 뉴스 기사를 송고했을까. 서울 시청에 모여 미국 대통령의 방한을 적극적으로 환영 한다는 인파가 한 쪽에는 성조기를 다른 한 쪽에는 성경책을 들고 있는 모습과 청계광장에는 부시 방한을 반대하는 촛불집회가 경찰의 강력진압(수십명 부상, 100여명 연행)에 무너지는 모습에 이들은 어떤 반응을 보였을까. 궁금해진다. 다들 알다시피 부시는 자국 내 여론조사에서 역대 가장 인기 없는 대통령 중 한명이다. 그런 그가 우리나라에 와서 이렇게 뜨거운 지지를 받을 줄 미처 생각하지 못했을 것이다. 자국에서는 인기가 없지만 우리나라에서는 눈물 나게 환영을 해주니 고맙기까지 했을 것이다.부시 방문을 대대적으로 환영하기 위해 시청에 모인 인파들은 어느 나라 국민이며 청계광장에 모여 반대하는 국민은 또 어느 나라 국민인가. 같은 일에 이렇게 극과 극의 모습을 보인다는 것에 일단 놀라움을 감출 수 없다.일단 부시 대통령은 하루도 안 되는 정상회담 시간에 유리한 고지를 점령해서 좋겠다.[…] 쇠고기 문제는 이미 미국이 뜻을 이루었고 이제 아프가니스탄 파병과 방위비 분담금 문제만 임기 내 해결하면 이번 짧은 방문에 많은 국익을 선양하고 돌아가는 부시 모습을 자국에 보여줄 수 있을 것이다. 그저 부러울 뿐이다.부시 대통령은 앞으로 임기가 6개월 남았다. 그 뒤 어떤 정부가 들어설 지 지금으로서 아무도 모른다. 그가 주장하는 파병문제는 현 부시 정부에 선물이 될 공산이 크다. 또 방위비 분담 문제 역시 좋은 선물이 될 것이다. 이런 의도를 알고 한기총과 그밖에 단체는 시청에 모여 기도회를 열고 부시를 열렬하게 환영을 했을까. 정말 국익을 위해 그 자리를 만든 것일까. 스스로 그런 생각을 했다면 반성하길 바란다. 이번 시청 환영 행사는 결코 국익의 도움이 되지 않을뿐더러 세계 여러 나라에 웃음거리 밖에 되지 않았다. 정말 나라를 사랑하고 국익을 위한 다는 것이 무엇인지 생각을 하고 움직여도 움직이는 것이 순서였다는 사실이다. 무조건 친미를 해서 우리가 얻을 수 있는 것은 없다. 돌아오는 것은 굴욕적인 외교와 경제적 손실뿐이라는 사실을 어찌 모른단 말인가. 지금 나는 반미를 주장하고자 하는 것은 결코 아니다. 친미를 하더라도 상황 파악을 못하는 한기총의 시청집회를 두고 하는 말이다. 지금 국민 대다수는 이명박 대통령이 진정한 실용외교를 하길 바라고 있다.[…]
Many netizens criticize the current government and the intention of Bush’s visit.
[…]부시의 방한이 이명박 대통령 취임 후 세 번째 정상회담이라고 청와대는 반색하는 모양인데, 청와대가 미국 대통령의 방문에 목을 매는 이유를 나는 알 수 없다. 그러나 나는 부시를 환영할 수 없어 유감이다. 왜냐하면 지금까지 두 번의 정상회담을 통해 우리가 얻은 것보다 잃은 것이 더 많았다는 사실이다.역대 정부에게 그랬던 것처럼 이번에도 한미 동맹관계를 앞세워 미국은 주한 미군 주둔 유지비, 미군기지의 이전비의 증가를 요청할 것이다. 그리고 미군이 사용하고 있는 무기 중 철지난 고물 장비를 강매하려할 것이다. 우리 군인들도 사용을 꺼린다는 구형 탱크 등은 미국으로 가져가면 고물 취급밖에 받을 수 없고, 가져가는 비용이 더 든다는 사실을 아는 미국은 어떻게든 원가(?)에 넘기겠다며 한국에게 떠넘기려고 할 것이다. 내용이 그럴진대 부시의 방한을 ‘축제'라고 할 수 있겠는가! 더구나 부시는 독도의 영유권 표기 철회를 생색내며 한국을 압박할 것인데 정부는 어떻게 대처할 것인가? 아무래도 지금까지 지닌 5개월의 과정으로 봐서 이명박 정부가 대책 없이 미국 측의 요구를 수용할 것 같은 불안이 크기 때문이다. 만약 이명박 대통령이 미국의 요구를 거부하지 못하고 시효가 지난 불발탄이나 국내 기술로도 만들 수 있는 각종 무기를 떠안게 된다면, 그리고 미군 기지의 이전비로 더 많은 비용의 부담을 약속한다면 한국은 영원한 미국의 종이라는 국제사회의 비판을 면할 수 없을 것이다. 그렇지 않아도 국내 경기가 어렵고 물가가 올라 살기 어렵다는 서민들의 불만이 큰데 국민의 세금으로 미군이 쓰던 장비를 구입한다면 국민적인 저항도 만만치 않을 것이다. 이제 주한 미군의 역할이 단순히 북의 침략을 대비하던 시대는 지났다. 지금 미국은 한반도를 중국을 겨냥한 전략기지화하고 있는 중이다. 그 일환으로 미군 기지의 평택을 추진해 왔는데 지금까지 미국은 기지건설의 비용 부담을 끈덕지게 요구해 온 것으로 안다. 역대 한미 정상회담이나 국방 장관의 연례 회담에서 그 문제는 항상 중심 의제였기 때문이다. 이번에도 예외 없이 한미정상회담 의제에 그 문제는 빠지지 않았다. 그런데 걱정은 미군 기지 이전비용을 한국에게 더 많이 부담 지우려하는 미국의 주장에 이명박 대통령이 제대로 대응할 수 있겠느냐 하는 점이다.[…] 아직도 자신의 안보를 남에게 맡기고 백성의 살림을 떼어주는 한국의 신세가 왜 이렇게 신산스럽게 보이는지, 이 땅에 사는 국민의 한 사람으로서 답답하기만 하다.그래서 한미 정상회담에 임하는 이명박 대통령에게 바란다. 정말 민족의 이익을 위하고 국민을 위한다면 주체적인 모습을 보여주었으면 한다[…]
Most netizens talk about how and why people react to Bush’s visit.
당신들의 천국은 미국이고 하나님은 부시인가?
미국소고기 수입으로 인한 한국내 반미감정 고조를 이유로 저는 부시가 안올 줄 알았습니다. 퇴임을 불과 5개월여 남은 대통령이 남의 나라 와서 뭐 딱히 할 일이 있어 보이지도 않는데다가 자칫 괜히 험한 꼴을 볼지도 모르는데 설마 오랴 했던거지요. 그러나, 그는 한번의 일정 연기후 아시아 순방의 첫번째 방문국으로 한국을 택했네요. 비록 1박 2일간의 짧은 방문이지만 그의 방문을 감격스러워 하는 모습은 너무나 쉽게 목격이 됩니다.
뭐 백년이 훨씬 넘은 한미관계나 그 떨칠 수 없는 관계의 긴밀함등은 새삼스럽게 논하기도 뭐합니다. 외교통상부 홈피에 나와있는 미국내 재외동포수만해도 200만명이 넘습니다. 어학연수등 목적으로 단기 체류하고 있는 한국인들의 숫자까지 고려하면 미국내 한인수는 그 규모를 헤아리기도 어렵습니다. 우리가 아주 잘아는 LA에 살고 있는 한인 수만 100만명이랍니다. 웬만한 광역시 수준이지요. 한집안에 가족 한두명 미국에 살고 있지않은 집이 없을 정도이니 한미관계의 밀접함이야 두말하면 잔소리입니다. 그런데, 그런데 말입니다. 밀접하고 친밀한 것도 좋지만 이젠 좀 성숙해야 되지 않겠습니까? ‘성숙한 동반자적 관계’ 나랏님도 자주 말씀하시는 이런거 말입니다. 어차피 미국의 영향력아래 놓여있는 조국의 현실. 충분히 인정합니다. 그 근본이유가 무엇이었던 간에 625 전쟁이후 우리나라가 미국의 혜택으로 근대화의 기틀을 마련했던 것. 인정한다 이겁니다. / 그래도 이젠 세계 무대에서 경제 규모로 10위권에서 노는 나라가 되었으면 좀 할말은 하고 이젠 어깨도 좀 펴고, 좀 당당하게 관계를 유지할 수는 없냐 이겁니다. 노무현때는 그래도 좀 그런 모양새가 갖추어지나 했었습니다. 뭐 어차피 이라크 파병도 해줬고, FTA에도 합의했고 어찌보면 실질적 이득은 100% 못 취했을지 모르지만 그래도 꿀리고 무조건 미국이 하자는 대로 그렇게 끌려가지는 않았지 않냐 이겁니다.
그러나 어제 이땅에서 벌어진 일들은 제겐 참담함 그 자체였습니다. 한나라 대통령이 공개석상에서 우리나라의 모든 외교정책의 근본은 한미동맹이다라고 선언을 한 것부터 시작해서 대통령부터 어떻게 하면 부시를 기쁘게 해줄까 고심하고 애쓰는 모습은 대한민국 국적을 가졌다는 이유로 저의 마음에서 그나마 남아있던 국가적 자존감을 충분히 사라지게 했구요, 그 무더운 뙤약볕 아래에서도 서울시청앞 광장에 만여명이 넘게 모여 ‘웰컴 부시!'를 외치고 ‘성조기여 영원하라'를 부르며 벌인 「한미동맹강화를 위한 시국기도회」모습에서 좌절감을 느낍니다. 촛불들에게는 전경버스로 철통같이 봉쇄되었던 그 광장에서 말입니다. 순복음교회 조용기 목사는 “방송국과 인터넷과 신문을 점령하고 있는 원수 마귀를 우리의 기도를 통해서 쫓아내자”고  설교했구요, 한기총 회장인 엄신형 목사는 “대통령을 위해 기도한다. 혼란스러운 정국이 안정되고 촛불집회가 끝나기를 기도한다. 한국을 방문하는 부시대통령과 동맹국 미국이 함께 손잡고 번영하기를 기도한다” 고 했습니다. 과연 저들에게 하나님은 저 하늘에 계신 분인지 아니면 미국땅 워싱턴 ‘White House'에 계시는 분인지 헷갈립니다. 우리나라 기독교가 미국의 근본주의 신학을 근간으로 시작된 것이라던데 저들에게 있어 천국은 정말로 미쿡일지도 모른다는 생각이 듭니다.
부시의 방한은 그밖에도 꽤나 많은 이들을 흥분시킵니다. 조갑제는 우익환영집회에서 “촛불은 미국을 반대하는 죄를 저질렀으며 우리가 대한민국을 대표하며, 미친 개에겐 몽둥이가 약”이라고 외쳤고, 강남구청과 서초구청에서는 공무원들 수백명을 길가에 도열시켰다더군요. 태극기와 성조기를 두손에 들려서 말입니다. 저도 80년대 중딩시절 꽤나 많이 태극기 들고 동원되었었습니다.미쿡의 대통령 부시환영은 청계천에서 절정에 달합니다. 경찰은 부시 방한반대 집회가 열린지 30분만에 해산명령을 내리더니 색소와 최루액을 탄 물대포를 동원해 강제 해산에 들어갔으며 167명에 달하는 시민을 무차별적으로 연행했다고 합니다. 기자라고 신분을 밝혀도 “저것들은 기자도 아니야. 전부 연행해” 했다는데…섬뜩한 광기가 느껴집니다. 하루저녁에 160여명을 연행했다면….상부로부터의 해산지시가 얼마나 지엄했는지 상상이 갑니다. 저들에게 미쿡은 동맹국이 아닙니다. 미쿡은 형님나라, 아버지나라이고 그야말로 천국입니다. 정권 인수위원장이란 사람이 “미쿡에 가니까 오렌지하면 못알아 들어요. 아륀지 해야지” 라고 말했을때부터, 영어몰입교육을 하겠다고 했을 때부터 우리는 알아챘어야 했습니다. 이미 그들에게 미쿡은 신격화된 존재라는 것을…..[…]
Due to the high tide of anti-Americanism started from the Korean-American beef trade in Korea, I thought that Bush will not come to Korea. His term is just five months left and so I doubted that he would come in order to avoid potentially tough situations that he would face in Korea. However, after delaying the visit one time, he chose Korea as the first country for a round of visits of Asian countries. Regardless of the short visit of one night and two days, I could observe some people are deeply touched by his visit.
It’s not the first time for intimate relations between Korea and America because it has the 100 year history. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2 million Koreans live in America. Counting the number of Koreans who are there for studying and for other purposes in the short-term, the number will be much more. Koreans in Los Angeles are already more than 1 millions. It’s like a metropolitan city. In one family in Korea, they have at least one or two family members who live in the U.S. and therefore the intimate relations between Korea and America are easy to guess. But you know what. I am not opposed to close and intimate relations, but don’t you think that it is the time to have mature relations? Like the current Korea top-leader here says, ‘mature and partner relations’… I know the reality is that we are influenced by the U.S. I acknowledge that. Whatever the fundamental reason is from, after the Korean War, I know that we built up modernization on the benefits of the U.S. However, now we are economically the 10th biggest country and I would like to see that our country proudly talks about our country situation. In the Roh Moo Hyun Government, it seems that we got started in that way. I know that we had to dispatch soldiers to Iraq and agreed to the FTA. It was not 100 percent satisfaction. However, we were not dragged all the way at that time.
However, what happened to this country yesterday was miserable itself. The president of a country announced that the basis of diplomatic policies of our country starts from the Korean-American alliance. Watching his struggle to make Bush happy, I lost pride in my country as a citizen. Under such a hot and sunny day, 10,000 people gathered together in front of the Seoul City Hall and shouted, ‘Welcome, Bush!’ and had a ‘critical prayer meeting for strengthening the alliance between Korea and America,’ singing ‘the Stars and Stripes, Forever.’ It was the same place when candlelight vigil participants gathered and were pushed away. Priest, Cho Yong Ki, from the Yoido Full Gospel Church, had a lecture, “Through our praying, let’s kick out the devils who conquer media and internet.” And Priest Eom Shin Hyung from the Christian Council of Korea said, “I pray for the President. I pray for stabilizing this chaotic political situation and for finishing these candlelight vigils. I pray that our relationship with the President Bush and the allied power, the USA, can build up better.” I am confused who is God to them, God from Heaven or ‘White House’ from Washington D.C.. I know that our Christianity is based on American theology and to them heaven might mean America.
It seems that Bush’s visit to Korea made a lot of people excited. Cho Kap Je shouted, “Candles committed the crime to be opposed to America and we represent Korea. To barking dogs, sticks are medicine.” Several hundred civil servants at Kangnam and Seocho District Offices were dragged to welcome him on the street. They were holding Korean and American flags in their both hands. In the 1980s when I was at middle school, I was dragged with Korean flags several times. On the other hand, a group against Bush in Cheonggye-cheon unfolded a different scene. The police ordered the people who gathered in order to oppose his visit in 30 minutes to dismantle and started using the water canon that mixed with color and tear gas for the compulsive disbandment. They walked 167 people of them off. Even though some identified themselves as journalists, “They’re not journalists. Take them all.”… I’m afraid. They took total 160 people in a day. It’s easy to imagine how strict the upper authorities made the order. To them, America is not just an ally, but older brother or father’s country. Or maybe it is heaven to them. A civil servant of the current government said before, “When I went to America, I say o-ren-ji. Nobody understood. You should say o-ran-ge” and he emphasized the English immersion program. At that time, we should have known. To them, America is God.[…]

author: Hyejin Kim


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Kosovo: No improvement in Roma situation · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Romano Them informs about the situation of Roma in Kosovska Mitrovica and links to their recent report about the situation.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Kuwait: Release Hussein Al Fudalah Now  · Global Voices
Abdullatif AlOmar

On July 7, Kuwaiti Hussein Al Fudalah left his home to go fishing and was never seen again. A few days later his family got the news that he was detained in neighbouring Iran. Kuwait's Ambassador to Tehran assured them that he is fine and would be released soon. Days went by and Hussein isn't back home yet. And while Kuwait's newspapers are turning a blind eye to Hussein's plight, one Kuwaiti blogger thinks that enough is enough and is running an online campaign to draw more attention to the captured fisherman.
The mastermind behind the campaign, Ostad Hamam ( استاذ حمام) , from the blog neidans, charges:
Kuwaiti bloggers were quick to respond. Enter-q8 introduces a banner for the campaign and  explains why pushing for his release is paramount:
comfy zone q8 writes about Hussein's plight as well:
It`s really depressing when you wake up to the ugly fact that your security as a citizen is not among the priorities of the government of your country.
It`s really humiliating when you discover that your value as a human being is not being respected and your simplest right of living safely is not guaranteed
it`s really frightening when you suddenly vanish and no one show any seriousness in finding you.
and it`s really sad when your country give you up for the sake of “the international relations”
Exzombie is frustrated with the government for not exerting enough pressure to secure Hussein's release. He says:
we are a bit disappointed with the level of ignorance the Government and the Parliament is showing to this case and their negligence to suffering of Husain's family.
a month has passed by now and no one could even tell if he was release, where and when, and what his condition is, we sympathize with his family and may he return safe and sound.
3erzala posts an appeal for Iranian officials to release Hussein, written by Enter-q8, which hopes people would email to Iranian officials. The letter appeals for Hussein's release and his quick return to his family.

author: Abdullatif AlOmar


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National Day of Singapore 2008 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

It's National Day of Singapore yesterday. The Itch To Write gathers some of the sentiments of young Singaporeans.

author: Mong Palatino


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Philippines: Charcoal factory · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Filipino jounalist and blogger Iris Cecilia Gonzales posts an article and several pictures about a make-shift charcoal factory in Manila.


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Philippines: Technology and city development · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Filipino blogger Our Awesome Planet is an admirer of a city mayor who vows to transform a small city into a world class city by leveraging on technology to solve social issues. The mayor also plans to build the first 100% WIMAX city in the Philippines.


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Russia: Elite Struggle in Moscow Unlikely · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Robert Amsterdam posted a translation of an article from Nezavismiaya Gazeta, which presents research indicating that an elite struggle in Moscow between the Medvedev and Putin administrations is quite unlikely.


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South Ossetia: Alternative Russian view · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user maxdz [Russian] presents an alternative Russian view of how the Russian-Georgian conflict over South Ossetia erupted. Needless to say, most commentators disagree.


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South Ossetia: Appeal to Russian Officers and Soldiers · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Dnevnik Slavyanina [Russian] makes a pacifist appeal to Russian officers and soldiers to disobey orders and abandon the war in South Ossetia in order not to be forced into committing war crimes: “Let the Caucasian peoples solve their own problems!”


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South Ossetia: Former USSR Citizens Right to Citizenship · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user anton2ov [Russian] argues that South Ossetians – despite nominally being Georgian subjects – have the right to choose Russian citizenship, as the country is a successor state to the Soviet Union.


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South Ossetia: Olympic Truce · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

See Global Voices special coverage page on the South Ossetia crisis.
Often overshadowing the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in the international media, the conflict between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia has started to raise questions about what the international sporting event is meant to represent. With military action coinciding with the opening of the games, some bloggers are reminding readers of the Olympic Truce. AllEver explains more.
The unfortunate events in South Ossetia, Georgia over the past few days have brought the Olympic Truce to mind. During the Ancient Olympic games, a universal truce was observed between all participating city-states. […]
If a participating city-state would engage in any conflict and violate the truce, they were given stiff fines and forbidden from competing in the games. Something which was considered a big disgrace.
There is a modern movement created to uphold the Olympic Truce. The United Nations have adopted the “Olympic Truce Resolution” for the Beijing 2008 games. Yet we see two of the countries competing in the games at this moment, Georgia and Russia, engaging in military conflicts over land disputes in South Ossetia.
[…]
There should be more education on what the Olympic Truce is about, and nations need to start respecting it again. If we cannot respect and uphold peace for a couple of weeks every four years, what kind of civilization is this we’re supposed to have produced for ourselves. How hostile and unstable modern society has become?
I can only hope these conflicts will soon seize, and that the two countries will follow the example of their athletes and reconcile.
Giusco's Corner also comments on the Olympic Truce.
In these days the headlines of international mass media deal mainly with the Olympic games in Beijing and the war between Russia and Georgia. In the ancient Greece, when the Olympic games took place, conflicts between cities were interrupted, in order to allow the young population to take part into the sport competitions. This was called ‘ekecheiria’ (olympic truce), and was established for the first time in 776 bC.
[…]
In spite of this call, while in ancient times the olympic truce was respected, in our modern ‘civilized’ times – when Olympic games have become a global event ruled by business and politics – truce has been rarely respected, as the facts of these days in the Caucasus are showing.
Maybe we should all think a bit about this…
Mad Minerva 2.0, also says the true spirit of the games has been lost.
While the world's been distracted by the Olympic fanfare, the Caucasus has burst into flames as Georgia and Russia come to blows over South Ossetia. Amid all the glittering Olympic rhetoric of world unity and whatnot, this is a harsh dose of brutal reality. The ancient Greeks, always a scrappy lot that fought each other as much they fought non-Greeks, at least had the idea of the “Olympic truce” to suspend hostilities while the Games were in session. No such luck for modern Games. The “truce” today is simply an idea, and one that looks increasingly naive.
[…]
Time to send in the clowns — I mean, the diplomats.
But perhaps there is some hope. While Unzipped posts a photograph of the two athletes embracing, Penguin Six notes that Natalia Paderina from Russia and Nino Salukvadze from Georgia made a call for peace.
An early leader for the Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship is a pair of shooters, one from Russia and one from Georgia, who shared the medal platform today in the Womens’ 10m air pistol.   Georgia’s Nino Salukvadze  and Russia’s Natalia Paderina, former teammates on the USSR team, collected the bronze and silver today respectively, but took a moment to appeal for peace in the trouble South Ossetia area.
Beijing Olympic Games 2008, however, notes with irony that Paderina and Salukvadze won medals in… shooting.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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South Ossetia: Georgia, Russia and the U.S. Presidential Election · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

See Global Voices special coverage page on the South Ossetia crisis.
With the massive deployment of Russian forces in Georgia, the small South Caucasus country's conflict with Moscow over the breakaway region of South Ossetia has obvious political ramifications thousands of miles away in the United States where presidential elections will be held on 4 November. With some alleging that the crisis reflects a struggle between the West and Russia, where the U.S. Presidential candidates stand on the matter is fast becoming a significant campaign issue.
While Republican candidate John McCain takes a firm anti-Russian stand, the Democratic Party's Barack Obama is more neutral on the matter and calls for restraint from both Georgia and Russia. At the heart of the matter is the perpetual debate over foreign policy and Western energy interests in the region as well as U.S. military support for Georgia.
Across The Pond examines other reasons for the differences in approach. The blog run by Deutsche Welle also solicits the opinion of its readers.
What's the reason for the different reactions by McCain and Obama? As Martin writes, the McCain camp sees a “commander-in chief opportunity” for their candidate. But, adds Martin, Obama's team also sees an opportunity: To show that McCain is beholden once again to lobbying interests. His foreign policy adviser Randy Scheuneman lobbied for Georgia from 2003 until recently.
But what do you think? Who has the better argument on the Russia-Georgia conflict McCain or Obama?
Making the question a political hot potato is the question of U.S. foreign policy. The Washington Note clearly blames the U.S. for the events in motion today.
When Kosovo declared independence and the US and other European states recognized it — thus sidestepping Russia's veto in the United Nations Security Council — many of us believed that the price for Russian cooperation in other major global problems just went much higher and that the chance of a clash over Georgia's breakaway border provinces increased dramatically.
[…]
It is possible that Condoleezza Rice's July 10th visit to Tbilisi and joint press conference with Saakashvili was interpreted by him that American power and resolve were firmly behind Georgia and its intention to reassert control over the autonomous provinces. The Georgian president miscalculated about American power in the world today and our resolve to take on Russia directly — no matter how much the Washington Post's Fred Hiatt and Anne Applebaum would like to see the situation differently.
While the seeds of this conflict between Georgia and Russia had been planted long ago, the U.S. helped engineer events that are now undermining its own interests and the global perception of American power.
Other bloggers are also starting to comment on the positions of the two U.S. presidential candidates. The Carpetbagger Report says that McCain's position is alarming.
Obama, calling for restraint and condemning the “outbreak of violence,” also criticized Russia for having “invaded Georgia’s sovereign” and having “encroached on Georgia’s sovereignty.” Obama’s line was largely consistent with that of the Bush White House, the European Union, NATO, and a series of European powers.
John McCain took a different line, which, as Smith noted, “put him more closely in line with the moral clarity and American exceptionalism projected by President Bush’s first term.”
[…]
Wait, would-be presidents should appreciate nuance when dealing with an international crisis? Credible candidates should be able to recognize gray areas in complex parts of Eastern Europe? Thoughtful would-be leaders need not to rush to view the world as a series of good guys and bad guys?
[…]
Let’s be clear: if McCain the Candidate is a reliable indicator of what we can expect from McCain the President, the presumptive Republican nominee would apparently be anxious to exacerbate the burgeoning war, and antagonize Russia.
There’s a lot going on right now, but this is a very important development in the presidential campaign. Ben Smith characterized this as a “true ‘3 a.m. moment’” for the presidential candidates. And at this point, McCain is once again looking pretty scary.
Donklephant also sides with Obama.
Obama sides with Georgia, but takes a more diplomatic stance and is carefully to not vilify Russia…
[…]
McCain is much more pointed and has no problem making Russia the bad guy…
[…]
Personally, I’m in favor of the Obama approach, because Georgia’s hands certain aren’t clean in all of this, and even the Bush administration has stated as much…
[…]
Long story short, Obama’s approach gives us more flexibility to negotiate with Russia, while McCain’s draws a line in the sand with empty threats that Russia could easily ignore. Why? Because there’s virtually no chance we’ll stick our necks out for a country like Georgia…not when they tried to capture the capital of South Ossetia, but have since been pushed back by Russia’s overwhelming military might. This is a VERY local skirmish, and I can guarantee you that Americans want absolutely NO part of it.
Blogger Interrupted also uses the crisis in Georgia to argue the case for an Obama presidency.
[…] Georgia could become a microcosm of the foreign policy debate this year – a Bush-McCain policy, dominated by knee jerk platitudes, vs. the diplomatic seriousness of Barack Obama, dominated by an increasingly obvious instinct to negotiate.  The consequences in the Caucasus could be far reaching, and be yet another repeat of cowboy diplomacy spinning out of American control.
[…]
Did I mention that both Armenia and Azerbaijan border Iran?  And oh yeah, the main pipeline moving Azeri oil to market goes through Georgia.
Dominoes could fall in the Caucasus rapidly, and with a lot of blood, and inflationary effects on the price of oil, if the US plays the cards it is dealt the way John McCain seeks to play them.  Even the Bush administration, in weary lame-duck status, sees this differently than John McCain, their statement being similar to Obama’s.
Bottom line, this situation requires clear-eyed and urgent diplomacy to make it stop.  If it doesn’t stop soon, no one can predict where the end game lies.  John McCain may need to shore up his base by pandering to the Instapundit democracy-as-tonic wannabes, but it will not save anyone’s democracy, and may imperil democracy in places other than Georgia.
And Republican spawned, unpredictable end games sure have gotten us far, haven’t they?
The Elephant Bar disagrees and says that conflict between Russia and Georgia exposes Obama's weakness at times of international crisis.
Seize the moment. Expose to the American people the incredible shrinking stature of the man who would be POTUS in times of war. He has nothing to say and knows nothing of how we find ourselves in this situation. […]
Do not get me wrong. McCain is no novice to the region and has not always been right in his decisions. […] Now, I find myself in the awkward position presented by the binary world of American politics in having to choose between a man that does not have a clue and one who has made decisions where I disagreed.
We have committed the United States to supporting freedom and democracy in parts of the world where there has been little of either. Georgia is where that decision has led us. We have trained them, armed them and encouraged their movement into Nato. Russia is now striking back. Georgia is the new Kosovo. What happens in Georgia will have unknown consequences to Europe and the United States for a generation. […]
Prairie Pundit simply says that South Ossetia exposes Obama's “wimpy side.”
I know Obama is following he same posture as the Bush administration. But isn't he the guy that says we need change?
Meanwhile, The Russia Blog simply says that “McCain's Wrong on Russia… And So Is Obama.”


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South Ossetia: History Russian Style · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user gklimov [Russian] interviewes Russian historian Gennady Klimov about the history of the Ossetians and Georgians, receiving some interesting answers.


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South Ossetia: Information blackout of Russian views? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Remetalk's Journal [Russian] writes about the information blackout Russian officials feel they are experiencing when trying to get their message through in Western media. As one Foreign Ministry official said: “We would like it if Western TV-screens showed not only Russian tanks, not only reports on how Russia brought troops onto South Ossetian territory, that Russia is at war with Georgia, but also the suffering of the Ossetian people – dead elderly and children – villages razed to the ground, a Tskhinvali destroyed to the last stone.”


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South Ossetia: Journalists Killed in Georgia-Russia Conflict · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Julia – Malenkoe fotoagentstvo [Russian] relays a report by Lenta.ru about two Russian journalists being killed during the fighting in South Ossetia. Remetalk's Journal [Russian] has more information on the story.


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South Ossetia: Not a Single Russian Soldier in Tskhinvali · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Contrary to what might be expected, LJ user alan_tskhurbaev [Russian] claims that as of Saturday evening there was still “not a single Russian soldier in Tskhinvali”, quoting a South Ossetian fighter.


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South Ossetia: Western Media Fakes? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user exzzzorcist summarizes a discussion in the Russian blogosphere, claiming that the widely circulated photos by Reuters are fakes or staged, as part of a Western information campaign against Russia.


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South Ossetia: What’s next, Nagorno-Karabach or Nakhchivan?  · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Michael J. Totten draws a parallel between the Russian-Georgian conflict in South Ossetia and Abchazia with the potential for resumed Azeri-Armenian conflicts over Nagorno-Karabach or Nakchivan.


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South Ossetia: Who Supplies Georgia With Arms? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user dizainer [Russian] reposts a list – from the Russian Defence Ministry – of which countries are supplying Georgia with military materiel and what these are. A comment asks that if there is no military embargo on Georgia, why is not a list of car suppliers posted as well?


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Thailand: Thaksin Shinawatra trial · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Real Life Thailand lists the possible outcomes of the ongoing trial involving former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra and his family


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Thailand wins a gold medal · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Fable, a Brit-American blogger in Bangkok congratulates Thailand for winning a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics. She also explains why the Olympics TV coverage in Thailand is better than in the US.


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Ukraine: Illegal Eavesdropping Continues · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Taras Kuzio writes about the continuing use of eavesdropping by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) and how illegally obtained information is used in politics and business.


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African MSM & Sex Workers Voice Concerns and Hopes at AIDS 2008 · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

The AIDS 2008 conference (IAC)  in Mexico City drew to a close on August, 8th, 2008. The theme of the conference was “universal action now” and judging by the heavy international attendance, the focus on marginalized communities and the daily newsletter aptly called “Global Voice”, it delivered on the promise. Here we review testimonies from African participants at the conference, their perspectives on the 6 days-long summit and issues they wished were addressed further.
Dr. Nabulo Mabaso,  Deputy Medical Director of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation‘s Ithembalabantu “People's Hope” Clinic in Durban expresses his satisfaction that support for marginalized communities (sex workers, men who have sex with men, and indigeneous people) was emphasized by conference organizers. However, he explains that this focus should extend to other marginalized communities and even currently isolated nations:
“There is still limited access to treatment. For example, my neighboring country, Zimbabwe, it might be politically unstable, but there are people on the ground who are suffering and  because of sanctions that are being imposed funders are not going to Zimbabwe. At the end of the day, it's the lives of individuals and I hope the theme of universal access is really put into practice”.
George Kanuma lives in Bujumbura and is an activist for the France-based association Africa Gay and is a member of ANSS (National Association for HIV-Positive and AIDS patients in Burundi). He is content with the renewed emphasis on MSM (Men having Sex with Men) and sex workers at the conference (fr):
However, in some French-speaking African countries, discrimination is still very strong, he explains (fr):
“Il y a certain pays comme le Cameroun ou le Sénégal qui criminalise encore l’homosexualité [..] Il y a des cas aussi comme au Ruanda, la présidente de l’association gay et lesbienne au Ruanda ne peut toujours pas quitté son pays, parce que la police de l’immigration a pris son passeport.”
A few countries, like Cameroon or Senegal, still criminalize homosexuality. [..] There are also cases like the one in Rwanda, where the president of the LGBT association cannot exit her country because the immigration police is still holding her passport.
The Fimizore project in Madagascar was one of the recipient of the 2008 UNAIDS Red Ribbon Award. Balou, a trans-gendered sexual worker and her colleague Jeannie, are members of the project and they both weighed in on their hope and concerns for the conference. Like Kanuma, they both emphasized the need to end marginalization of sexual workers if we want to effectively fight HIV/AIDS (mg):
“Ny fanilikilhina indrindra no manankana ny MSM sy ny TDS hikarakara ny fahasalamany […] Io moa dia eo ihany ny fomba-drazana antsika malagasy,  raha ohatra hoe msm  dia tsy tafiditra am-pasan-drazana. Raha amin’ny autorites dia mahafa-po fa raha amin’ny societe civile, mbola mila fivoarana.”
Marginalization is what prevents MSM (men having sex with men) and TDS ( sexual workers) from taking care of their health [..]  There are also the walls of traditional Malagasy culture.  For instance, if you are a MSM, you will not be allowed to enter the familial cemetery (when you pass away). The official authorities have made great strides but the civil society has still a long way to go (in ending marginalization).
Finally, marginalized communities in the fight against HIV/AIDS are not only products of cultural intolerance or political agendas. They are also the result of economic hardships or plain geographical locations.  In this video, on The Hub, Dr. Phillip Njemanze, in Imo State, Nigeria, explains the struggle for HIV positive people in rural areas to monitor their immune system:
“In rural areas in Imo State, CD4 testing is non-existent. This means for 3.5 million people you have only two centers that can measure CD4 count in the whole state [..] The most important thing would be, to be able to move around with the test and go where the patients are.”

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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AIDS Conference youth: A force to be reckoned with · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The International AIDS Conference takes place every two years, and this year was the first time it took place in Latin America. Between August 3rd and August 8th, delegates from all over the world arrived at Mexico City to discuss issues surrounding this health topic. The Global Village was the social and cultural hub of the event. One of the most active zones at the Global Village in the AIDS conference was certainly the Youth Action Zone, where youth from many different parts of the world got together to talk about their experiences, their hopes, their dreams and how change should come about taking their participation seriously. Their YouTube Channel has a series of videos from the AIDS conference, interviews and commentary about their role in taking control of the AIDS epidemic.
Their introductory video  explains their role and participation in the conference, where youth from all over the world explain their reasons why they believe their participation is of the utmost importance in addressing the issues around HIV and AIDS.
From the different symposiums, speakers and panels during the conference there was a common message: AIDS is affecting youth at alarming rates. At the Diverse Families area of the Global Village, a panel was dedicated exclusively about the impact that family acceptance has in reducing risky behaviors that could lead to HIV. Policies around youth are usually generated from above, by adults and their ideas about what programs and campaigns could help reduce risky behavior, but stigma and fear are still strong barriers that block teens from receiving adequate information. At the Youth Force press conference, these youngsters spoke out about their specific needs:
They establish that youth is not a homogeneous group: that among the youth are women, teens who are involved in sex work, there are injection drug users, others living on the streets or are part of the Men having sex with men group. They are being invisibilised as well as those youth living with HIV-AIDS.
Part of their activities outside the Youth Action Zone was a piñata bashing, where piñatas filled with condoms, candy and lube were labeled with words and negative terms regarding youth they want to see eliminated:
They have many other videos on their channel, please feel free to check them out and comment, and visit their website as well.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Angola: Getting ready for the elections · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Edmundo Galiza Matos [pt] reports that 12,000 voting offices workers have been trained in preparation for the legislative elections of September 05. “Up to 22nd of this month it is expected to reach 25,475 workers, fully trained in matters related to the electoral package, procedures for voting, and specific guidelines for ballot boxes chairmen.”

author: Paula Góes


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Anguilla: Carnival Stabbing  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Corruption-free Anguilla reports on a fatal stabbing that has marred Anguilla's Carnival celebrations, while blogger Penny Legg says that the island “must clean up its act. Anguilla only has tourism…(it) needs to look critically at the problem it has with its youth.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Arabeyes: Female, single, and away from home?  · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

For many single Arab women, to live and work or study away from their family is not a choice made easily, because of fear of ‘what people will say’. A number of bloggers from around the Arab world have voiced their frustration recently at the obstacles single women face.
Rambling Hal in Amman, who blogs at Rants and Rambles, has decided to take up a job in Abu Dhabi:
Will someone please, PLEASE explain to me, just what, WHAT is so gravely wrong, so unnatural, so indecent about being an ambitious, young woman with the ability, desire and drive to relocate to another country in the Middle East, where she will be living as a single expat (oh the horror, oh the shock), solely for the experience factor? And not just any other country, but the UAE in specific, with its standards of living and safety, with its challenging work environment, with its branded reputation as the ‘Switzerland of the Middle East'? […] If myself and my immediate family members are understanding, supportive and accepting of my decision to CREATE A LIFE FOR MYSELF, then I really do not appreciate the backwardness of this society shoving their displaced prejudices and misunderstandings of the accepted societal norms and traditions down our throats. Our only concern should be having to deal with missing one another (and with packing my shoes), and most definitely NOT with ‘what people are going to say and think.’
I'm a person with plans. I'm not going to sit back and dream about them one day coming true. I'm going to make sure they come true, and I'm going to actively work on ensuring that things happen for me. If that makes me abnormal, atypical, destined to forever sprint down the wrong and evil path, inappropriate, stupid for turning my back on the comforts of irresponsible living, deviant even…then so be it.
Hala is from Saudi Arabia, currently living in the US and blogging at HALA_IN_USA; she tells us about the experience of a young single friend of hers working in Riyadh, away from her family, who faced a long campaign of harassment by a man which she found she could do little about. Hala concludes:
I feel for single females living alone in a man-designed world…My mother suggested marriage as a solution, my older sister suggested a complete face veil to point out the lady’s good intentions and hide her identity… and I was wondering, of all the efforts that a woman has to go through here to avoid harassment, she couldn’t succeed in voicing out her rejection many times to that man, her opinion simply didn’t matter…is it safe to say that women can work with men when no clear understanding of their rights is granted? Are we in need of a national campaign to raise awareness of women rights esp. at work and strict laws to stop abuses? Is fear of reputation exceeds fear of own safety? Are we a harsh and judgmental society after all? and how can we turn a deeply-rooted culture that linked virtuous, humble, God-fearing women to segregation, guardianship and complete face and body covering into a woman-friendly culture…
We end with Eman, writing at Hatshepsut, who has a post entitled ‘Overheard in Cairo‘:
Girl 1: Oh! So how long will you be studying abroad?
Girl 2: 5 years
Girl 1: Wow! FIVE YEARS! That’s too much
Girl 2: Well, it’s a PhD…you should apply too
Girl 1: Umm, I don’t know, I don’t think my dad will approve of me travelling abroad on my own for so long
Girl 2: Why?
Girl 1: You know, because of what people would say
Girl 2: What would people say?!!
Girl 1: You know, that “this is a girl who has been all on her own for so long”… “God knows what she has been doing out there”… you know stuff like that…
Girl 2 (offended): Well only narrow and dirty minded people would think that way and I don’t think any sensible person should listen to them
Girl 1: I agree, but rumors of the sort can really affect one’s chances of getting married and that is why my dad won’t agree
Girl 2: Well, you don’t want to get married to a backward narrow minded retard, do you?

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Barbados: Police Accountability  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“A life full of promise and potential has been lost to us – both as a community and as a people”: Martial arts instructor Wayne Quintyne describes the I’Akobi Maloney he knew, while Barbados Free Press draws attention to another unresolved case of police brutality.


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Bloggers react strongly to ‘Building a Better Fiji’  · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

A government-appointed committee in Fiji introduced an 11-point framework to augment the  Pacific island nation’s constitution and “rebuild  Fiji  into  a  nonracial, culturally  vibrant  and  united,  well-governed,  truly  democratic  nation.” The 75-page report, called the “Fiji Draft People’s Charter for Change, Peace & Progress” (.pdf available here) was introduced Wednesday so the public can provide opinions and recommendations.
The 45 authors, worked for the past eight months under the banner “National Council for Building a Better Fiji,” were given authority from the so-called interim government of Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, which came to power in a December 2006 coup.
The National Council for Building a Better Fiji is predominately responsible for “ending the coup culture” in the island nation, where the military has interrupted democratic rule four times since 1987, helping suffocate the nation’s economy and usher in “lawlessness and bad governance.” To move beyond continued military intervention in politics, the group admits the country must end the “adversarial ethnic-based politics” which largely pit the indigenous Melanesian population against an Indian population that the British colonial government began importing to work in the sugar industry around 1880s and early 1900s. For decades, the Indo-Fijians, who are mostly practicing Hindus, maintained a slight numerical majority. Since the two coups of 1987, however, Indo-Fijian emigration has increased to the point where the largely Christian indigenous people now make up roughly 57 percent of the population.
The draft charter says for the country to move forward, people must affirm the constitution as the law of the land, reform the system of racially segregated voting and solve the land issue, one of the country’s most intractable problems, by insuring that people from all ethnic groups have access to land by increasing the supply of fertile fields and through sustainable lease arrangements.  The Bainimarama government said the country must act on these recommendations before a restoration of democracy can take place amidst general elections, which were originally scheduled for March 2009 and recently postponed.
Initial opinions regarding the draft charter from the public, mainstream press — and most bloggers in Fiji — have been negative.  Many people took exception with the committee’s proposal to combat ethno-nationalism by calling all citizens of the islands “Fijians” while changing the name of indigenous people to itaukei, a term from the local Fijian language. Presently, indigenous people are referred to as “Fijians” while the descendants of Indian workers are called “Indo-Fijians.”
gdevreal, a prodigious commentator at a very lively forum called Fiji Board Exiles argues that if the committee wants to change the name of Fiji’s inhabitants, it should find a title that is not already in use.
Pick something new instead of robbing it from someone else. There is no need to steal from one group to satisfy another. Pick a word that does not already have a meaning so you can respect Fijians right to what they have and what in addition is guaranteed to them under the Constitution by all the Peoples of Fiji.
Are People of all races called Indians in India? Japanese in Japan?
“Fiji citizen” is good enough as a common name…
In another post at the same forum, real jack had a historical take on then term “Fijian,” which he claims is a “British Colonial invention.”
…when Vijay Singh plays on the international golf circuit, everybody makes a point about him being Fijian – the media always underline that like its a badge of honour – and they underscore it even in TV reports with phrases like “Fijian Vijay Singh today won the US Masters……” as if we don't already know he is Fijian ! lol.
this argument about the word “Fijian” won't put bread and butter on the table – nor does it make a difference – that word is not our itaukei identity anyway – its a British word that came in with the Brits…
From Alohabula1:
If we were to take it on American standards then it would be Fijian African and Fijian Indian. Would the recent people from Fiji who have migrated to the US then be American Fijians and further defined to American Fijian Indians but NOT American Indians because they use to be the Red ones? I am sooo confused. You gotta love it, especially if we all supposedly originated out of Africa, then would I be an African, European, Hawaiian American???Fijian??? because I now live here? Or do we base it on Home is where the heart is? Or where we presently live, or where our parents were born, or where we were born or where we were raised. I am still confused.
People misunderstand the charter, claims Delta, a commenter at the Fijilive site:
People's Charter is absolutely correct. By birth we are the citizens of Fiji and therefore we should be called Fijians but under the sub-category we should be identified as Fijians, Indians, Samoans, Tongans, Whites from NZ or Australia etc. One can never change your origin by birth. The People's Charter is recognising the citizenship my friends. Don't get too self centered.
Paceli and Wendy’s Blog argued that if Fiji is to pick a new name for its peoples, it must be an “ethnically-neutral name, and a new name — for a new beginning for Fiji.” Indo-Fijian Kaicolo demurred, arguing that “I am a Fijian whether anyone likes it or not…my being of Indian race shouldnt belittle my being a Fijian citizen!!”
The name change was not the only issue that raised passions amongst people. Those at the blog Soli Vakasama argue the National Council for Building a Better Fiji has no legitimacy because its members were handpicked by an “illegal junta.”
Resistance is quickly spreading and we at the SV Team, believe the NCBBF Members are truly astounded at the level of resistance since they thought it was going to be a walk in the park and many Fijians will let sleeping dogs lie and get on with their lives, but little did they realise that what this illegal junta have done to Fiji has directly affected every person in Fiji is a way unlike previous coups and the people will not rest until the coup perpetrators are brought to justice.
Ragone, we at the SV Team calls for the ending of the coup culture permanently by bringing these perpetrators to justice, even if it means the death penalty for Vore and his cronies. Remember, [2000 coup leader George] Speight was handed the death penalty and commuted to life imprisonment by [President Josefa] Iloilo after recommendations from the Prerogative of Mercy Commission, however Vore and his Military Officers are not civilians like Speight and have no excuse and it is highly unlikely that the same will be recommended for them. What do you think?
Fiji Democracy Now argues the best way to get Fiji back on its economic and political feet is to restore the democracy overthrown during the December 2006 coup.
The thing that the quest for a common name needs most desperately is democracy. Only a democratically elected government can have the mandate for such a change. The un-elected National Committee for Bullshit and Bluster wants to give us pure democracy, as they see it, but why do they want to give us a new name before they have introduced their pure democracy?
We think we have an answer: it's because the Illegal regime wants to sow the seeds of anger and distrust in order to prolong their dictatorial rule. Far from wanting to move Fiji forward they want to mire Fiji in confusion, anger and distrust. We say return democracy and the rule of law to Fiji now. Let's move back to the rule of law, not forward, because if this is the future we don't want it.
Corruption Fighter, a commentator to the Soli Vakasama post, claims the widespread opposition to the draft charter may help speed the nation’s return to democracy.
What a great day for Fiji. May be some good will come out of all this  evil if everyone unites behind the rule of the law and the spirit as well as the letter of the Constitution. Never forget that the 2006 coup
overthrew a multi-party government that represented the people of Fiji better than any previous government in our history.

author: John Liebhardt


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Brazil: Debating the online regulation for the elections · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Rodrigo Savazoni is organizing a series [pt] of posts in answer to a comment by judge Ricardo Hermann regarding his article on Brazil's online regulations for the elections. “I must thank him for explaining his views publicly. The Brazilian judiciary is not very accountable for its acts. So, I greatly welcome the judge's willingness to debate.” The blogger invites [pt] readers to collaborate to the discussion [pt].


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Brazil: Responsible consuming through freecycle · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Lúcia Freitas [pt] discovers Brazil's freecycle groups, a recycling community already present in over 70 countries, and now in 8 Brazilian cities. She explains the main idea behind project: “When giving those things they don't need any more without requesting anything back, not only the participants exercise their generosity, they strengthen their community ties and promote sustainability and reuse”.


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China: Flag Upside Down · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Black and white cat posted a withdrawn Xinhua photo of the China Olympic delegation in which one of the Chinese flag is upside down.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Water Crisis · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Kevin Li reposted a report from three gorge problem  at inmediahk.net about the negative impact of Beijing Olympics on water resource.


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Eastern Europe: Charting Corruption · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

The 8th Circle comments on an article charting anti-corruption literature concerning ex-communist countries.


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Estonia: Parallels between Estonia and Georgia · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Itching for Eestima writes about the historical parallels between Estonia and Georgia and the fear of being invaded from the East, viz. by Russia.


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Estonia: Shopping Spree for Georgian Wines · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

AnTyx reports that customers in Estonia have gone on a shopping-spree for Georgian wines as an act of solidarity with Tbilisi.


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Fiji Times reporter arrested · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A Fiji Times reporter was detained by police for writing about an article which offended a government minsiter. Soli Vakasama from Fiji notes how eight tough policemen apprehended a journalist armed with only a pen.


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Georgia: Armenia Über Alles · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

My The Caucasian Knot comments on what appears to be the prevalent view of many Armenians supporting Russia in its military action against Georgia, but which at times borders on the extreme.


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Georgia: Armenian Involvement Denied · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Regional Reporters [RU] says that the Georgian authorities have refuted information spread by some regional and international news outlets that Russian jets which bombed Georgia flew into the country from bases in Armenia.


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Georgia: Armenian Tourist Evacuation · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Regional Reporters [RU] reports that 1,200 Armenian tourists vacationing in the Black Sea resorts of Batumi and Kobuleti have been evacuated from Georgia. However, the blog notes, not all Armenian tourists decided to leave.


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Georgia: NGOs Call for a Stop of Violence · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

A Step At A Time reposts an appeal from Georgian Civil Society Organizations calling for a stop of violence and for a Russian withdrawal.


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Georgia: Presidential Pilgrimage to Tbilisi · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Osteuropablog [German] comments on reports about the presidents of Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania seek to make a common trip to Georgia to try to mediate in the Russian-Georgian conflict.


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Georgia: Regime Change · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

With Russian forces reported to be engaged in military action inside Georgia proper, Wu Wei says that Moscow now appears to be seeking the removal of the Georgian president, Mikhail Saakashvili, from power. The blog sarcastically remarks that the return of Saakashvili's predecessor, Eduard Shevardnadze, might suit Russian interests in installing a puppet as president.


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Georgia: Russian Troops Attacking Gori? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user dao_b [Russian] quotes Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy who claims that Russian forces are currently attacking the Georgian city of Gori with artillery and aviation, bringing the conflict more firmly into what also Russia considers Georgian territory proper.


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Georgia: U.S. Moral Bankruptcy · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Thoughts On The Road has Georgia on its mind and says that the conflict with Russia is a direct result of the moral bankruptcy and incompetence of the U.S. Government.


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Guatemala: Indigenous Expressions of Art · Global Voices
Renata Avila

On International Day of the World's Indigenous People, there is a celebration of indigenous peoples and how they express themselves through their artistic creations.  These groups, not only in Guatemala, but all across the world often face discrimination, extreme poverty and social marginalization on a daily basis.  However, this post seeks to show how indigenous peoples in Guatemala are sharing their artistic expressions.
Comalapa is a special place for indigenous people in Guatemala, famous for their painters and intellectuals respected all over the World:
Todo comenzó durante los años 30 del siglo pasado, cuando Andrés Curruchiche se interesó en el arte de pintar al óleo, y su creatividad le dio la oportunidad de exhibir sus trabajos en Estados Unidos. En aquel país del Norte, Curruchiche consiguió superar el récord de 123 mil visitantes que el pintor y escultor español Pablo Ruiz Picasso había registrado en exhibiciones de arte. El éxito que recabó el pintor comalapense a nivel mundial e internacional con sus trabajos primitivistas lo comprometió con su pueblo, por lo que comenzó a enseñarle a las nuevas generaciones. De esa cuenta, surge una segunda generación integrada por 15 pintores primitivistas y en los años 80 nace la tercera; pero esta vez compuesta por nueve mujeres que optaron por el estilo surrealista (pinturas de paisajes con mezcla de primitivismo)".
It all started during the 1930s, when Andrés Curruchiche was interested in oil paintings, and his creativity gave him the opportunity to exhibit their works in the United States. In that northern country, Curruchiche broke the record of 123,000 visitors that the painter Pablo Picasso had registered in his exhibitions. The success of the Comalapan painter worldwide and nationally with his primitivist art committed him with his peoples, so he started teaching future generations. The second generation were 15 painters, the third generation included women, and they changed their primitivist style for a surrealist style (a mix of landscapes and primitivism).
Here is a link to Naiftenango [es], a collective blog devoted to the “Naïf or primitivist art” in Guatemala, where the team filmed a short video on the Curruchiche gallery, led nowadays by his grandaughter, a painter too.
It is important to understand that while many indigenous groups share similar problems, there are different groups within Guatemala.  Some of them have even been rivals in the past and some do not speak the same language. However, street theater has managed to connect two indigenous communities and brought youth to work together.  These groups are supported by "La Cambalacha ", an organization helping the indigenous communities near Atitlan:
El grupo se integra por jóvenes Kakchikeles de San Marcos La Laguna y jóvenes Tz´utujiles de San Pablo La Laguna. Estas dos comunidades tienen conflicto entre sí desde hace siglos, por lo que el trabajo conjunto de los y las jóvenes da un valor muy especial al proceso que vivieron durante el montaje de la obra, como también a la presentación de la obra ante las comunidades.
The group is formed by Kakchikel youth from San Marcos la Laguna and Tzutujl youth from San Pablo La Laguna. While the two communities have been in conflict for centuries, this is a special effort, because of the time that they shared during the play practices, and also when they performed it for  their communities.
But perhaps the most impressive, challenging and creative expression of art and identity for indigenous peoples in Guatemala is their clothing. Beautiful handmade blouses are called huipiles that many women still wear. You cannot find two identical pieces, and women express themselves creating new patterns, new styles that tell stories of birds and flowers, like a walking gallery:
As Supango [es] points out:
Detengámonos y contemplemos los pequeños e innumerables detalles de la indumentaria indigena, probablemente expanda nuestra visión. Busquemos más belleza y riqueza, y no esperemos que algún extranjero nos las señale.
Let's stop and reflect on the small and countless details of indigenous clothing, and it will probably open our mind.  Let's discover more beauty and richness, and let's not wait for someone from abroad let us see that.

author: Renata Avila


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Guyana: Poor Showing  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living Guyana thinks that the small Guyanese Olympic contingent “is an indictment on this government. They have not been putting any real and genuine emphasis on sports in this country.  Our athletes are just not up to par…because there is no infrastructure in place…”


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Guyana: Remembering Burnham  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Signifyin’ Guyana notes that the motion “to give due recognition to the work and contribution of Guyana’s first Executive President” has received full backing, while Living Guyana says that Burnham “was also a despicable dictator who ran this country into utter ruins.  And in these times of crisis and hopelessness is this the best motion for the PNC to pass in parliament?”


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Honduras: Concert by Guillermo Anderson · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Sandra Erika Gómez of Oye Cómo Vamos [es] recently attended a concert by Guillermo Anderson at the La Fragua Theater in El Progreso, Honduras.  His songs promote education, equality between men and women, as well as environmental conservation.

author: Eduardo Avila


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India: Gold at the Olympics · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

While India's first individual gold medal winner at the Olympics, Abhinav Bindra hasn't updated his blog about his win, comments are pouring in to congratulate him.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Iran: Free Kordpour · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Alliance for Kurdish Rights has asked Iranian authorities to free Masoud Kordpour,a jailed human rights activist.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: High ranked cleric is upset about Olympics Opening · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kamangir reported that the Leader of the Friday Prayers in the religious city of Mashhad, Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Alam Alhoda, stated regret because Iran’s team in the opening of the Olympics was led by a woman.


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Iran :Olympics and female flag bearer · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kourosh Ziabari, an Iranian blogger, writes that “choosing a female flag bearer for Iranian team was a defeating answer to those who wanted to pretend that the women rights are being violated in Iran.”


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Iran:Did Minister of Interior fake his PhD · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian sites and bloggers included Alireza Rezaeei wrote[Fa] that Ali Kordan‘s, Minister of Interior,PhD from Oxford is a fake document. Conservative Alef site has publsihed Kordan's so called certificate from Oxford where you can find many mistakes in English!


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Jordanian Bloggers Mourn Palestinian Poet Mahmoud Darwish · Global Voices
Naseem Tarawnah

The Jordanian blogosphere has been mourning the great Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish, who passed away from complications due to open-heart surgery at the age of 67 this week. For Jordanians, Darwish was more than just a master of words. He is perceived as an ambassador and champion of the Palestinian cause; articulating the sentiment on the street in the most poetic renderings.
Blogger Ammar Sajdi described Darwish as “A poet who leaves an eternal legacy of legendary master pieces that simply pierced through ears, the minds and the hearts of the masses”
Amjad described the unfortunate event as a “A true sad day for the whole nation”, while Mais wonders “who will continue to document the bleeding Palestinian wound?” (Arabic)
Tololy posts “State of Siege”, a classic Darwish poem, declaring: “How do you mourn a poet?
You don’t. You mourn the world without him.”
Most Jordanian bloggers have chosen to mourn Darwish by posting various pieces of his poetry in both Arabic and English, for all to read, eulogizing the famous poet with his very own words.
Asoom is forced to recall her college Arabic professor who opened her eyes to the works poetry of Mahmoud Darwish, while Iman recalls attending what would become his final poetry reading in Ramallah’s Cultural Palace back in June.
Also on Global Voices Online:
Arabeyes: Mourning for Mahmoud Darwish

author: Naseem Tarawnah


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Kazakhstan: Rumors and Crises · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The Kazakhstani bloggers always closely keep an eye on the economic developments, justifyably linking the problems in development with shortcomings of the political system, poor governance and weak investments into human capital.
What still causes sincere amazement in Kazakhstan is a Stoic serenity of the higher officials, responsible for the so-called “breakthrough projects”. What yesterday used to be a pride of the government, today is rapidly becoming a trash and profanation. The whole last week everybody in Kazakhstan was debating about failure of the Unified National Test [a test-based examination for the graduates of high schools and university entrants at the same time], shutdown of the first Kazakh satellite and corruption,
sarimov writes [rus]. Programmilla elaborates further on the Unified Test [rus]:
The results are depressing. The national average score is 68 out of 120. The threshold for entry to the universities is lowered down to 45 from 50.  So, a graduate with only 45 out of 120 is actually considered to be able to study in the university, on a paid basis. Then why do we need this test at all – why not just letting children continue study automatically?
For almost two last months Kazakhstan was swarmed with rumors around the head of the state and socio-political outlook in general. One of the most noteworthy were hearsays that the president is allegedly ill and is about to resign soon; that the president's alleged double is currently replacing him; that after Astana celebrations the country's economy will collapse, the national currency will be ruined; that the parliament will be dissolved; and finally that Almaty will be striken by the destroying earthquake etc. Alim-atenbek reacts [rus]:
I am not inclined to trust or disseminate those rumors. But all this stuff is a reflection of anxiety in the society. I think it is connected most of all with the crisis developments in the economy – high inflation, unemployment, landslide of prices for housing, lack of access to credit.
Meanwhile, although the whole economy did not collapse after the Astana festivities, the instability continues taking place. The kazakhstan community in LiveJournal informs that the price for diesel fuel, which is one of the main inflation catalysts because it is used in agriculture and commercial transportation, sharply jumped up by nearly 10% [rus]. At the same time, miss-crazy marks out an amusing detail [rus]:
Everybody is talking about crisis. But it is sometimes funny to listen to the news like this: police has detained a gang, which was robbing people near currency exchange points. One of the victims had $100,000 in cash, the second loser had $87,000, the third one was a poor thing with only 50,000 – also, certainly, in cash… It looks like the meridian of crisis passes in some other place, not here…
Cross posted on neweurasia

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Montenegro: A trip to Budva · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Sajkaca of the group blog Balkan Crew describes a trip to the coastal town of Budva, Montenegro, including several photos.

author: Elia Varela Serra


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Nigeria: E-Commerce · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Jeremy discusses e-commence development in Nigeria pointing out that it is painfully slow because of the lack of epayment infrastructure.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Pakistan: Covering the news · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Sheetal Rajput, a journalist remembers being in Lahore to cover news and reflects on the rule of Musharraf in Pakistan.


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Pakistan: Impeaching Musharraf · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Changes on the political front in Pakistan. CHUP! on the coalition in the country preparing to impeach President Musharraf.


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Pakistan: Will he go? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

More on the impeachment proceedings which seem to be in motion in Pakistan at Five Rupees.


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Peru: Environmental Contamination in Iquitos · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Juan Arellano of Globalizado [es] shows examples of contamination in the city of Iquitos, Peru and says that it cannot be solved simply by residents adopting better conservation habits, but the municipal authorities must also play an active role.


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Poland: History Polish Style · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Polandian started a series on how Polish history can be interpreted, which would somehow surprise most historians.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Russia: Puppet President · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Registan says that while the military conflict with Russia in Georgia appears to be going Moscow’s way, things are not all as they might first appear. In particular, the blog says, the South Ossetia crisis has exposed the farce that is Russian democracy.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Slovenia: Massive Hail · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Una española/gallega en Eslovenia [Spanish] and Piran Café both reported (with photos) on the massive hail storm that hit Slovenia last Friday, damaging cars, windows and even roofs.


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South Ossetia: Estonian president on war in Europe · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Suomalais-venäläinen kansalaisfoorumi posts a statement by the President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, declaring that war has broken out in Europe, and furthermore tells about a Russian ultimatum to Georgian forces in Abkhazia to lay down their arms or to be annihilated.


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South Ossetia: Georga vs. “Empire of Arrogance” · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Lithuanian Bieksia's Weblog reacts to Russian actions against Georgia, calling Russia an “Empire of Arrogance” and cannot accept Moscow's allegations of ethnic cleansing.


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South Ossetia, Georgia: Journalists Killed, Foreigners Evacuated · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

See Global Voices special coverage page on the South Ossetia crisis.
Yesterday, the Russian radio station Echo Moscow reported that two Georgian journalists, Alexander Klimchuk and Grigol Chikhladze, were found dead in a street of Tskhinvali, the capital of the embattled region of South Ossetia, and that several others had been wounded. Russophone bloggers wrote about their killing, and  Dean C.K. Cox posted a report from the Russian daily Kommersant on the LightStalkers forum:
Two journalists were killed and eight wounded in three days of fighting in South Ossetia.
[…] A group of journalists, including Alexander Klimchuk, the owner of Georgia’s sole independent photo agency Caucasus Press Images, who worked under the contract with ITAR-TASS, his colleague Teimuraz Kikuradze, Grigol Chikhladze from Newsweek Russia, as well as the U.S. reporter Winston Faderly, had disappeared in South Ossetia’s capital Tskhinvali far back on Friday. The news on their destiny emerged only yesterday. Klimchuk and Chikhladze were killed, other journalists were wounded.
According to Caucasus Press Images, Klimchuk and Chikhladze had been in South Ossetia even before the start of Georgia’s assault. In time of street fighting in Tskhinvali, they were in the area first controlled by the Georgians and then by the Ossetians.
[…]Other journalists are in Tskhinvali and the condition of Faderly is rather grave.
Russia’s reporters – a film crew of Vesti TV Channel of Alexander Sladkov, Leonid Losev and Igor Uklein, as well as Komsomolskaya Pravda reporter Alexander Kots – survived the fire Saturday. They were moving in column of armored vehicles led by the 58th Army Commander General-Lieutenant Anatoly Khrulev when attacked by officers of Georgian riot unit positioned two levels above, at the height of 80 meters and 120 meters.
[…] NTV producer Pyotr Gassiev was also wounded in Tskhinvali, news agencies reported past night.
Meanwhile, foreigners are being evacuated from Georgia. “Not because it's not safe, but because we can't do very much work at the moment”, wrote Tbilisi-based blogger Wu Wei.
Zygmunt Dzieciolowski, a Polish journalist in Georgia with a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, described his evacuation at the Untold Stories blog:
This morning foreign embassies began evacuating their citizens from Georgia, having decided that the situation here is too unpredictable and that foreign nationals should leave.
Some European countries sent their own aircraft to Tbilisi to retrieve their citizens but the majority are organizing vehicle convoys to the Armenian capital of Yerevan, three hours south.  The rules are strict. Only passport holders of those countries which organize convoys can board their buses: The U.S. embassy takes care of Americans, the Polish Embassy Poles (and also the citizens of some friendly European nations represented by Poles in Georgia, like Estonia and Slovakia).
[…]
When we came we felt some tension, but the tension is always here. At the beginning of our trip we had plenty of time for detailed discussions with politicians, journalists, military and simple people. Now I am headed home, and hopefully from there on to Moscow, in the meantime thinking of all that has happened in a few short days to produce the situation of our departure, in an humanitarian evacuation convoy.
The Caucasian Knot, quoting Regional Reporters, reported that that 1,200 Armenian tourists vacationing in the Black Sea resorts of Batumi and Kobuleti have been evacuated from Georgia as well.
Asier Blas, a Spanish political scientist currently in Tbilisi, has been blogging about the situation he's experiencing in Georgia. In his blog Cartas del Este [Spanish] he wrote about last night's rally in Tbilisi, describing his fears at the escalating conflict:
Cuando ya dormía, aproximadamente a las 04:30 am nos despertaron las bombas que cayeron en Tbilisi. Nos agolpamos tres personas en la terraza, la noche, el susto de despertarse con sonidos de bombas y el miedo, hicieron que nuestras miradas por un momento se cruzasen envueltas en pánico. Un minuto mas tarde comenta Nadine que no nos preocupemos, “es lo mismo que la noche anterior, no es en el centro y lo único que buscan es crear miedo”. Estamos de acuerdo los tres, pero las guerras se saben como empiezan pero no como acaban. Es urgente que cese el fuego definitivamente, hoy lunes parece que puede ser posible, confiemos en ello.
While I was sleeping, approximately at 04:30 am we were woken up by the bombs falling on Tbilisi. The three of us run to the terrace and the night, the scare of waking up to the sound of bombs and the fear made us glance at each other in panic. A minute later Nadine told us not to worry, “it's the same as last night, it's not in the center and the only thing they're trying to do is create fear”. The three of us agreed, but wars are something that you know how it starts but not how it ends. A definite ceasefire is urgent, and today Monday it seems possible, let's hope so.


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South Ossetia: Georgia Receives Israeli Assistance? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user sceptic_rus [Russian] translated texts from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, stating that Georgia thanks Israel for military assistance in relation to the conflict in South Ossetia.


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South Ossetia: Georgian Students Analyze International Law · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Robert Amsterdam comments on and posts a link to a paper prepared by Georgian students, analyzing the international law ramifications of the current Russian-Georgian crisis.


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South Ossetia: Gorbachev Blames US for “Georgian Aggression” · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user militsioner [Russian] reports that former leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, has pointed to the US for approving Georgian actions against South Ossetia.


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South Ossetia: Russia Calls Baltic Appeal Cynical · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Osteuropablog [German] reports that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister described the appeal for peace in South Ossetia by leaders of Poland, Estonia, Latva, and Lithuania as cynical.


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South Ossetia: Russia Prepares to Go to the Hague · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Suomalais-venäläinen kansalaisfoorumi quotes Russian news agency RIA Novosti who says that Russia prepares to lodge a suit against Georgia to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for its alleged attack on South Ossetia.


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South Ossetia: Russia Rejects Ceasefire · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Suomalais-venäläinen kansalaisfoorumi reports that Russia has rejected the EU-brokered Georgian proposal for a ceasefire in the South Ossetian conflict.


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South Ossetia: Russia Risks Losing the Initiative · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user malkolms [Russian] advocates for Russia to ignore a ceasefire with Georgia and going on to conquer Tbilisi and to depose Saakashvili before the West has a chance to react. Otherwise, Russia risks losing the initiative and its upper hand in the conflict, malkolms argues.


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South Ossetia: Russia Wants to Bring War to Logical End · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Foreign Policy blog FP Passport quotes Putin as saying that Russia would take its “peacekeeping mission” to its “logical conclusion.”


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South Ossetia: Russian blogger on foreign blog reactions · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user knup_ru [Russian] posts a few reactions by foreign bloggers on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Georgia.


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South Ossetia: Russian Eyewitness Report from Tskhinvali · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user basmanov reposts (RUS) an article from Izvestiya with an eyewitness report from the battle over Tskhinvali from a pro-Russian perspective.


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South Ossetia: Russian Troops March on Gori? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Suomalais-venäläinen kansalaisfoorumi quotes Russian media indicating that Russian troops are now marching on Gori from Abchazia, thus bringing the battle onto previously undisputed Georgian soil.


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South Ossetia: Swedish Foreign Minister on the Conflict · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Carl Bildt, Swedish Foreign Minister and former EU special envoy to the Former Yugoslavia, states on his blog Alla dessa dagar that the conflict in South Ossetia has put basic principles of the international community at stake.


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South Ossetia: The First Victim of War is the Truth · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Der Spiegelfechter discusses (GER) the media and information war in the Russian-Georgian conflict with a critical eye on primarily alleged anti-Russian reporting in Western media, and gives a number of examples of erroneous reporting.


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South Ossetia: UN to Relieve Russia as Peacekeepers · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

LJ user boris_kogatov [Russian] reports that the United Nations’ Security Council may shortly decide to revoke the Russian peacekeeping mandate in South Ossetia and to replace Russian soldiers with international peacekeepers.


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South Ossetia: Villagers Burnt to Death in Church? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Quoting uncorroborated sources, LJ user beorgor claims (RUS) that villagers in South Ossetian Khetagurovo were burned alive when Georgian troops allegedly set fire to a 10th century Russian Orthodox church.


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Sri Lanka: Displaced · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The ethnic conflict has left many people in Sri Lanka stranded in their own country. groundviews on the condition of some people in camps.


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Trinidad & Tobago, China: All That Glitters · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad and Tobago-based blogger Tattoo says that “China at least certainly leads the world in something: the capacity to hide the dirt with glitter and gold.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Taking Action  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Funny how we have all these conveniences to make our lives easier but we still can’t find time to do things like learn to be self-sufficient”: Trinidadian blogger Attillah Springer discovers permaculture.


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Ukraine: Elton John + Leonid Kuchma = True? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

uaMuzik quotes various sources claiming that the British singer Sir Elton John performed in Yalta last Saturday for the 70th birthday of Leonid Kuchma, former president of Ukraine.


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Will Bangladesh drown?  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh is a nation which is on the front line of the consequence of the climate changes. Being a populous river delta nation it faces the threat of sea level rise due to global warming. This threat is not new as often floods make hundreds of thousands of people homeless, because a large portion of the country submerge under water during large floods. But the resilient people of this country rise and start all over again to progress as a nation.
Image courtesy: Desh Calling
While the threat of sea-level rise is very much plausible, recent media reports have gone a bit far in indicating that Bangladesh is set to disappear under the waves by the end of the century. These kinds of views have drawn a lot of criticism in the media and in the blogosphere.
Writer and columnist Anisul Haque writes in Priyo.com:
বাংলাদেশ ডুবে যাবে−এই আওয়াজটা এত জোরেশোরে উঠল কেন? সম্প্রতি নাসা থেকে এ সংক্রান্ত একটা পূর্বাভাস দেওয়া হয়েছে। এ সবই করা হয় বৈশ্বিক উষ্ণায়ন বন্ধে জাতিসমূহকে সতর্ক ও সক্রিয় করে তোলার জন্যে। কিন্তু সব সময়ই বলির পাঁঠা বানানো হয় বাংলাদেশকে। সমুদ্রপৃষ্ঠ যদি উঁচু হয়, তাহলে শুধু বাংলাদেশ একা ডুববে, আর পৃথিবীর কোথাও কারও কোনো ক্ষতি হবে না, তা তো হয় না।…পৃথিবীর বহু বড় শহর আছে, সমুদ্রপৃষ্ঠের নিচে যাদের অবস্থান; সমুদ্রের পানি উঁচু হলে সেই সব শহরের কী হবে?
Why all these hue and cry that Bangladesh will be submerged under water? Recently a report from NASA predicted this. These kinds of reports are generated to warn others to wake up and take precautions against global warming. But Bangladesh is always made the scapegoat. If sea-levels rise then only Bangladesh will submerge and other countries will bear no damage; this is not the reality…  There are a number of cities in the world which are below sea-level. What will happen to them in case of sea-level rise?
Desh Calling quotes a newspaper report which gives a contradictory picture that according to Bangladeshi scientists Bangladesh is growing in size by 20 square km a year due to accumulation of sediments:
In the next 50 years this could add up to the country gaining 1,000 square kilometers.
In the Bangla blogging community Sachalayatan the issue gave rise to an interesting debate. Himu argues that the threat is not mere rumor and it has some substance. Papua New Guinea, Australia and Tasmania were separated from each other because of sea-level rise.
A commenter Siraj opines in his post:
বৈশ্বিক উষ্ণায়নের এই ব্যাপক ধুঁয়া আসলে জ্বালানী রাজনীতির এক খেলা। ইমারজিং এশিয়ার ব্যাপক জ্বালানী চাহীদাকে নিয়ন্ত্রন এবং উন্নত প্রযুক্তির বিপনণই এর প্রধান উদ্দেশ্য।
The much ado about global warming is actually a play of energy politics. The main goal is to control the energy demands of the emerging Asia and a ploy to market the latest technologies.
Faruq Wasif also comments:
বাংলাদেশের ভেতরে এবং বৈশ্বিকভাবেও একটা মত জোরালো হচ্ছিল যে, যাদের কারণে আমরা ক্ষতিগ্রস্থ হচ্ছি, তাদের এর ক্ষতিপূরণ দিতে হবে। এরকম একটি কাজ যখন এগিয়ে যাচ্ছিল এবং বাংলাদেশের কিছূ ক্ষতিপূরণ পাবার সম্ভাবনা দেখা দিচ্ছিল, তখনই বিশ্বব্যাংক নাক গলায়। তারা ক্ষতিপূরণের বদলে, ক্লাইমেট ফান্ড গঠনের প্রস্তাব নিয়ে হাজির হলো। এরা দেশের ভেতরে কিছু প্রচারকও পাঠাল।….এরা আহাজারি করা শুরু করলো যে, বাংলাদেশ ডুববেই। এর জন্য নতুন প্রযুক্তি দরকার, নতুন বিনিয়োগ দরকার। ব্যস হয়ে গেল। যা বাংলাদেশ ক্ষতিপূরণ হিসেবে পেত, তা এখন আসবে ঋণ হিসেবে। এবং তার পরিমাণ দুই বিলিয়ন ডলার!
There was an opinion getting strong in Bangladesh and the world that those countries who are responsible for global warming will compensate the affected countries. When work towards that was going on and Bangladesh was about to receive some compensation, then the World Bank intervened. They came up with a proposal of a climate fund (controlled by World Bank). They have sent some preachers in this country. They started this cry that Bangladesh will definitely go under water. So new technology is required, new investment is required to prevent this. That's it. What Bangladesh was about to receive as compensation, they will receive now as a loan. And the amount is staggering 2 billion US Dollar!
In the Bangla Cricket forum a discussion followed on an op-ed published in the Daily Star titled “Bangladesh drowning: A reality or a myth?“ which said this negative publicity will hinder the country's growth by keeping away investors. Citing the successful Dutch land-management to protect their land under sea-level the article pointed that the impending threat to Bangladesh is population explosion not sea level rise.
A commenter Niceman70 said in the forum:
It is very important in this world to be positive and work out your problems at the same time.
So instead of creating a panic that Bangladesh will drown the world needs to work out ways to hinder such consequences of climate change in affected countries without employing shrewd politics.

author: Rezwan


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Abu Dhabi’s Baywatch  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“What's more absurd? 1. Playboy-model-come-home-porn-star Pamela Anderson wants to build a hotel in a conservative Islamic emirate. 2. She plans to build a zero-fossil-fuel eco-friendly hotel in one of the biggest carbon-chugging nations in the world,” writes Secret Dubai Diary, from the UAE.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Albanian Olympic Team · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Kolin of Living in Shkoder gives an overview of the Albanian team at the Beijing Olympics, which includes 11 athletes.


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Angola: Elections, building sites and road works · Global Voices
Paula Góes

“Some dare to say, “these buildings, all this they have built, It's good. It's evolution.” Evolution? Who for? Who are all these luxury residential developments, with guards and high fences, for? Only for those who are already in good position of “evolution”, the rich.” A few days before the elections N'Manga [pt] reflects on the many building sites and road works in Luanda.

author: Paula Góes


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Barbados: Pure Rubbish  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The image building that has been part of Barbados’ development has not had enough honest ‘look in the mirror and tell me what you see’ efforts.  If it had, then Bajans would perhaps be appalled to see how dirty their country is”: Living in Barbados blogs about garbage creation and energy waste.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bermuda: Teen Murdered · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Both FreshieBlog and Crushing Fools blog about Bermuda's most recent murder.


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Brazil: Blogging the importance of voting · Global Voices
Paula Góes


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Brazil: Olympics Made in China · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Márcio Laurini [pt] explains why he is not following the Olympics: “There was lip-syncing in the Olympics opening ceremony, the fireworks were made by a computer, and sports are a dispute over the best doping. I'd rather read a book.”


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Brazil: Olympics, war and elections · Global Voices
Paula Góes

It could not have been any different; the Olympics, war and elections were the dominating keywords of the week in the Brazilian blogosphere, with many bloggers commenting on the games in Beijing and the achievements of Brazilian athletes, while others were more worried about the Russian-Georgian conflict, not forgetting, every now and then, to give consideration to the upcoming local elections in the country. Nathalia [pt], a very young newbie blogger of just 16, reflects on the three issues:
Eu estava na quarta série quando aconteceu a copa de 2002. Fizemos um projeto na escola que envolvia todos as matérias, cada uma tratando de um aspecto do evento. Uma frase dita por algum professor que eu nem lembro quem era me marcou muito: “Esses eventos servem pra ‘disfarçar’ o que de verdade está acontecendo pelo mundo”. O Brasil foi pentacampeão naquele ano e confesso que não intendi o que aquele professor queria dizer.
I was in fourth grade at the time of the 2002 World Cup. We did a school project involving all the subjects, each of them dealing with one aspect of the event. One of the teachers, don't remember who, said a remarkable phrase to me: “These events are only good to ‘disguise’ the truth of what is happening around the world.” Brazil was five times champion that year and I confess that I didn't understand what that teacher meant.
Hoje, seis anos depois, acompanhando uma Olímpiada de verdade pela primeira vez isso ficou claro pra mim. Faz 5 dias que não sei o que acontece no mundo.  Ligar a TV é inútil. Todos os canais contam e recontam jogos e medalhas. Na estação de notícias que eu costumo ouvir na rádio não foi diferente. Todos parecem ter apenas um só assunto : Pequim. Até na internet que teoricamente é o meio de comunicação mais versátil e abrengente parece que se esqueceu das notícias do mundo real.
Today, six years later, and truly following the Olympics for the first time it became clear to me. For 5 days I do not know what happens in the world. Turning the TV on is useless. All channels count and recount games and medals. The news station I am used to hearing on the radio was no different. They all appear to have only a single subject: Beijing. Even on the Internet, which theoretically is the most versatile and in depth     means of communication, it seems the stories of the real world are forgotten.
Tive que rolar minha página inicial [globo.com] até o fim pra descobrir se o mundo havia se transformado num grande ginásio Olímpico ou se ainda existiam notícias reais. Descobri que nesse meio tempo uma guerra estorou, o dólar voltou a subir e mais críticas em relação a censura chinesa foram feitas.
I had to roll down my homepage [globo.com] until the end to find out if the world had been transformed into a large Olympic gymnasium or even if there was still any real news. I found out that in the meantime a war has broken out, the dollar value is going up again and more criticism regarding Chinese censorship has been made.
Além disso, não foi aprovada a lei que impedia canditatos com a ficha suja a se candidatar nas eleições desse ano e o TSE registrou 378 candidatos com mais de 70 anos. Parece que em ano de eleições, o Brasil está jogando sua sujeira política pra baixo do tapete. Um tapete chinês. Eleger idosos e acusados de crimes não parece ser a solução para nosso país. E o brasileiro não sabe disso por quê? Porque o Brasil ganhou 2 bronzes em Pequim, porque Phelps bateu mais um record ou porque a seleção do Dunga pode chegar a algum lugar.
Moreover, the law that prevented candidates with a criminal background running for this year's elections was not passed, and the TSE [Superior Electoral Court] registered 378 candidates over 70 years. It seems that in an election year, Brazil is sweeping all its dirty politics under the carpet. A Chinese carpet. Electing the elderly and those accused of crimes as electoral candidates doesn't seem to be the solution for our country. And why  don't Brazilians know about this? Because Brazil won 2 bronze medals in Beijing, because Phelps broke another record or because Dunga's [football] team can get somewhere.
Confesso que sou a maior fã das Olimpiadas e que acordei as 5 da manhã de sábado para ver a competição de Ginástica. Mas de vez em quando é bom olhar mais além e ver o que está por traz de um evento tão grande como esse.
I confess that I am the biggest fan of the Olympics and that I woke at 5 am on Saturday to see the Gymnastics competition. But every once in a while it is good to look further and see what is beyond an event as large as this.


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Cape Verde: Newspaper closing down – for holidays! · Global Voices
Paula Góes

João Branco [pt] comments on a local newspaper's decision to close down for a month holidays. “In the past there were excuses such as the Electra power outages, lack of paper, etc. Now they bring it out into the open and with no reservations: everyone will rest. The readers can wait.”


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China: 080808 Mash Up · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Junyu from Blogcn explains how the #080808 mash up was created.


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China: Collective lawsuit against Internet Censorship  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A website has been set up to coordinate a collective lawsuit against Internet censorship in China.


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China: Faking the Olympic opening ceremony, at what expense? · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Faked, harmonized, prettified, just when everyone seems so into the Games, out comes the news that two of the highlights of the opening ceremony were not what they appeared: production of a made-for-tv version of the footstep fireworks that walked across the sky from Tiananmen Square to the Bird's Nest began a year ago, and nine year-old Lin Miaoke, de facto face of the event for many, was actually lip synching to the voice of seven year-old Yang Peiyi, harmonized out of the picture because she doesn't look perfect enough. There was some humor to be found in this; people asked, ‘they blew so much money on this thing and we couldn't even get a real one?’
For the faked footstep fireworks, the argument that there wasn't much difference between what was seen from the ground and what was seen on television has made it less of a controversy, that and probably the fact that most bloggers are used to digital touch-ups of official events.
Looking at the early buzz on Twitter, though, we feel a sense of shame at seeing authorities muck it up not once but twice, and then wondering what the next fake revelation will be.
Twenty-something Sohu web editor and iPod fan Flypig wrote a series of tweets just as word was spreading through blogger circles:
http://twitter.com/flypig/statuses/884863093
他妈逼《歌唱祖国》这事儿已经超出了“假唱”的范畴，就是“替唱”，和“替考”是他妈一个性质的事情，这是对整个中国青少年的极大误导。张艺谋滚出来道歉！
http://twitter.com/flypig/statuses/884865256
张艺谋用实际行动告诉了全中国未成年心智未成熟的青少年和儿童：为了“和”，为了“歌唱祖国”，可以让儿童行骗！
http://twitter.com/flypig/statuses/884866210
张艺谋还传递出来一个信息，就是，人长得不好看，歌唱得再好听，也是不能上台的。我去你妈的。你知道你导演的这台开幕式有多大影响吗？你知道你会扭曲一整代人的心理吗？
News of the lip-synching where reported was (at least in many places) quickly deleted, but discussion continued elsewhere; also on Twitter, Chinese wikipedian @shizhao tweeted in response to @buchimifan (‘Chen Qigang reveals, the main reason Yang Peiyi was taken out was in consideration of the image presented to the rest of the world, and national interest’) and @kcome (‘fuck the image presented to the rest of the world, and fuck national interest! Denigrate kids like this and our heaven-sent hypocrisy will just flow from one generation to the next!’):
@kcome @number5 @buchimifan 这样说的话，当年美国奥运会拳王阿里颤颤巍巍那火炬的形象，岂不更是丢尽了美国人的脸？
Blogger/businessman Isaac Mao has collected a few other posts, one of which from Sina blogger ‘nice book on a summer night’ asks:
两个孩子都很优秀，但我想此后她们都会为此事受到伤害~ 唉，这事儿办得，，，哪怕是一个不很完美的童声，或是一个不很惊艳的形象，我们都能接受…
可是现在，别说很多人接受不了~孩子们能承受吗？
大人的决策，要她们来承担后果，对两个小女孩都不公平~
如果有人想为这件事情辨护，请先想想，如果杨沛宜是自己的孩子，如果林妙可是自己的孩子。
有的时候，底线和原则是比国家利益还重要的，至少，如果是我的孩子。
But now, never mind that we can't accept this, do you think that the kids can stand it?
Adults made the decision, but they have to deal with the consequences, which are unfair to these two little girls~
For anyone thinking of defending this incident, please just think: what if Yang Peiyi was your own child? What if Lin Miaoke was your own child?
Sometimes, things like the bottom line and principles are more important than national interest; at least they would be if those were my kids.
At the end of his post, Isaac asks:
那么，还有什么是真的呢？金牌？
Perpetually blocked Blogspot blogger Nick Wong also writes:
今天新闻出来了，让很多人感动得热泪盈眶的小女孩唱歌（歌唱祖国）原来是演“双簧”的假唱，而另一让众多人赞不绝口的焰火“大脚印”大部分是事先的录像，并不是实况直播，真真算是丑闻了。我本来也不觉得这两点有什么让人激动（反而觉得很恶心），当然听了这个消息也不觉得什么失落。中国人天性好面子，自古就好大喜功、喜欢弄虚作假，一点也不奇怪，只是连纯真的孩子从小都要受这样恶习的熏陶，真是让人叹息。

author: John Kennedy


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China: Flawless Girl at the Olympic Opening? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Digital Times translated an interview with Chen Qigang, the General Music Designer of the Opening Ceremony, who revealed that the that the voice everyone heard singing at the Opening Ceremony was actually a pre-recording of another child.


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China: Online Voices Aren’t Everything · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Graham Webster from Transpacifica stresses that online voices doesn't represent laobaixing's voices in China despite its large population.


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Cuba: Is it worth it?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Yoani Sanchez examines Cuba's new proposal for higher pensions and uses the case of a soon-to-be-retired schoolteacher to show how inequitable the system is: “To put it as crudely as it deserves, this woman will now work five years longer and in return, when she finally leaves the workforce, she will get enough extra money to drink one beer a month.”


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East African Embassies Bombings Anniversary · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Brian of Black Star Journal remembers de 10th anniversary of the bombings of the American embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with links to regional press accounts on the anniversary.


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Egypt: Cyber-Cafés and User Privacy · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

The Egypt Guy, from the Egypt Blog, links to a news story which discusses new measures being imposed by the Egyptian government, which aim to increase the extent of censorship on Internet users and violates their right to privacy.

author: Eman AbdElRahman


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Egypt: Did an Egyptian tycoon order the murder of a pop star? · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Raed, from the blog Babylon & Beyond, discusses rumours surrounding the involvement of an Egyptian businessman with the murder of Lebanese singer Susan Tamim in Dubai, UAE. Another blogger, Zeinobiya sheds more information on the murder here.


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Ethiopia: Haile Gerima’s film in Venice · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Arefe of Addis Journal reported that Ethiopian filmmaker Haile Gerima‘s latest feature is going to be in the official competition for the 65th Venice's Film Festival, starting at the end of this month. Sean of Africa is a country also noted the participation of the film, titled Teza, in the festival.


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Ethiopia: Teddy Afro’s lawyer in jail, then released · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Arefe of Addis Journal reports that the lawyer of popular Ethiopian singer Teddy Afro has been released after spending a few days in jail with his client. The lawyer had been found guilty on charges of contempt of court, adding some more drama to the singer's trial that has captured nationwide interest.


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Georgia and Estonia: Small and Vulnerable States · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Osteuropablog discusses (GER) the similarities between Georgia's and Estonia's international positions as small and vulnerable states, and also wonders what will happen to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russian Sochi – a city located near to the ongoing conflict in Georgia.


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Georgia: CIS Withdrawal · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Regional Reporters [RU] says that Georgia has formally announced its withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).


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Georgia: Fear of Russian Rocket Artillery · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

A Fistful of Euros fears the meaning of Russian troops prioritising the advance of rocket artillery, quoting Reuters, into Georgia, drawing parallels with the 1994 shelling of Chechnya's capital Grozny.


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Georgia: Feelings of Tbilisi Blogger · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Gedanken aus Estland posts a translation (GER) of a piece by a blogger in Georgian capital Tbilisi.