text:
Russia May Use E-mail Addresses As ID Tools · Global Voices
Gregory Asmolov

The Russian minister of communication and mass media Igor Shegolev said [RUS] that Russia considered using e-mails accounts as additional identifications for Russian citizens along with traditional passports. According to the minister, it would make it easier for the government to communicate with citizens.

author: Gregory Asmolov


text:
Russian Search Giant Plans To Buy ICQ · Global Voices
Gregory Asmolov

The Russian online search giant Yandex.ru became one of the top candidates to purchase a popular instant messaging service ICQ, Russian news agency Lenta.ru reported [RUS].

source: news-globalvoices

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


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: “Dat is Carnival” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

MEP Caribbean Publishers explores the question of what constitutes Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, while My Chutney Garden adds: “That the ‘mas’ has become sanitised is beyond dispute.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: Poetry in the Mas’ · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad & Tobago Carnival inspires a poem by blogger Andre Bagoo.


text:
Video: Mobile Libraries of the World · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

books by br1dotcom
The mobile library has become a staple in many library systems, bringing books to those who cannot access the libraries themselves. However, in many places due to bad road conditions or lack of funding, the traditional system of rigging a bus or truck as a library is not possible. Thus, library carts, donkey libraries and motorcycle libraries have appeared as viable options to bring books to the communities.
Through the Bilingual Librarian blog we can catch glimpses of these alternative mobile libraries. First, lets talk about the the donkey libraries. It seems that the most commonly mentioned example is the “biblioburro” of Colombia, run by schoolteacher Luis Soriano who loads up his donkey, climbs on top, holds onto a foldable picnic table with the Biblioburro sign and rides more than 4 hours each way to deliver books to children who don't have access to them. He reads them stories, helps them with homework and gives them the possibility to enjoy books they don't have at home. As he explains, through books, children can see other places, other people and can learn about their rights, their duties and the commitment they have with society, and in having this knowledge they can say no to violence and war.
And this video has had a great impact on Luis’ life: after the video became public, donations started pouring in and now, the library which was under construction has been finished: there are shelves, some tables and the 250 children of La Gloria can now visit the library during the week. During the weekends, Luis continues to ride his donkeys, bringing the library to those farther away. Following is a thank you video where Mr. Soriano thanks everyone who donated for helping his dream come true:
Donkey libraries seem to be catching on. In another region of Colombia, the Arhuaco Indians are benefiting from the same system in the Santa Marta mountain range area. The biblioburro blog tells their story through pictures. In neighboring Venezuela, they are using mules instead of donkeys, and plan to add movie projectors and Internet access to them, to bridge not only the literacy but also the digital gap. In Ethiopia, as the following video shows, Ethiopian-American citizen Yohannes Gebregiorgis returned to Ethiopia to run a donkey mobile library. The greatest challenge is finding books in any of the languages commonly spoken in Ethiopia. His solution? He wrote one of his childhood stories in 3 different languages, and he's working towards getting more storybooks published.
Joining donkeys and mules in the educational process are camels. The Camel libraries in Kenya take books to schools in the region so children can learn to love reading, and also deliver books to the nomadic communities. Where there are people who move with the seasons, libraries have to move with them. In impoverished countries, books are a luxury few can afford. These mobile camel libraries take story books as well as non-fiction or school books which subscribers can take home for two weeks, after which the camel library returns and they can renew their books or take out new ones. Following is a video story of a child seeing the camel library arrive, taking out books and then teaching his father numbers from one of the books he takes home:
This next video is a short documentary piece by Ruud Elmendorp on the Camel libraries:
In Peru, the motorized mobile library was scaled down, and that's how the motorcycle library was born. Part of the Futura Project, the Obraje Community library also brings books to the children in other communities, as part of the cultural and literary activities they also host:

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


text:
Afghanistan: Prospects for exporting Baghlani Gouda · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Peter Marton reports on a cheese factory in Afghanistan. It was started 30 years ago, destroyed in the 1980s and re-launched again in 2006.

author: Adil Nurmakov


text:
Bangladesh: Jhum Cultivation In The Hill Tracts · Global Voices
Rezwan

Expat blogger Bernie Allen writes about an ingenious style of farming in Bangladesh: “Jhum cultivation is practiced by the Indigenous people on the hills and slopes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts because of the lack of flat land for cultivation.”

author: Rezwan


text:
China: Red snippet campaign · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Chinese government encourages people to send positive message through SMS after banning dirty joke. DANWEI translated Southern Weekly's story on “Red snippets”.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
U.S.A., Cuba: Cuban-American Congressman Announces Resignation · Global Voices
Susannah Vila

As is the case with many of the Obama administration's accomplishments during its first year, advancements in relations between the US and Cuba have been subtle.  Yet small changes in policy may mean bigger shifts in behavior, especially when it comes to Cuban-Americans and the voting booth.
Bloggers in Miami and Cuba are buzzing over the news that US Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart will not run for reelection in the fall.  Diaz-Balart, a Republican, is a staunch supporter of the trade embargo against Cuba, and he took his resignation speech as an opportunity to highlight his role in codifying the blockade. As a senior member of the House Rules Committee, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process, and the Co-Chairman of the Florida Congressional Delegation, Diaz-Balart's absence will definitely be felt.
In an excellent write up of what's been reported so far about Diaz-Balart's district (the 21st), Blue in Miami notes that the retiring Congressman's brother will most likely leave his own House seat–representing the 25th–to run for the vacated spot. “I used to think it was natural to run for re-election in the district you already represent, especially if you're running unopposed, but I guess that's not true if your poll numbers are slipping,” they write.
The 21st is seen as a more favorable district for Republicans than the 25th.  But Blue in Miami says that there is a definite opportunity for Democrats to pick up both seats.
“Demographically, this district is no longer safe for Republicans,” writes Down With Tyranny.  And Reuters quotes a Cuban-American businessman as saying: “There are a significant amount of Cuban Americans who are voting with their feet,” in reference to the effects that the recent easing of travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans who wish to visit the island may be having on their politics.
The blogosphere is definitely interpreting this event as a sign of the political winds. One commenter at Penultimos Dias says:
“Jamás comprendí por qué necesitábamos dos Díaz-Balart en el Congreso
“I never understood why we needed two Diaz-Balarts in Congress.”
And Havana Times paints the news as a sign of just how retrograde the embargo is, writing: “The US economic blockade on Cuba has lasted about a half century and one of its biggest supporters, Miami Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, threw in the towel on Thursday.”
There's no way to know for sure if the small steps taken by the Obama administration is making Cuban-Americans rethink their stance on the blockade, but it will be interesting to watch these races for any sign of a leftward shift in the Cuban emigre portion of the electorate.

author: Susannah Vila


text:
Darfur: Youth Keep Crisis in the Spotlight · Global Voices
Juhie Bhatia

Though the major conflict has ceased in Darfur, in western Sudan, a recent U.N. report says those living in the region still suffer from major human rights abuses and a fundamental lack of freedoms. The continuing instability and ongoing attacks have been particularly harmful for Darfur's young people, as nearly half of those affected by the conflict are children.
Since 2003, when the fighting began between rebel groups and Sudanese government forces in Darfur, the U.N. estimates as many as 300,000 people have died. During this time, more than 2.7 million Darfuri people have also been displaced, forced into refugee camps in Sudan and Chad. A study released last month shows that more than 80 percent of the deaths during the conflict were the result of disease, not violence, suggesting that many people remain at risk even though the fighting has decreased. To make matters worse, last year the Sudanese government evicted many international humanitarian groups after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur; the government continues to expel foreign organizations.
The situation has been especially hard on the country's young people, as an estimated 1.8 million children have been affected by armed conflict, many exposed to health concerns, a disruption in education and other services and brutal violence. In Darfur, 700,000 children have grown up knowing nothing but the conflict and an estimated 4,500 children are believed to be associated with armed forces and groups. These young people, however, are not the majority, as youth both within and outside of Sudan have been vital in raising awareness and funds and trying to bring change to the region.
Over the past several years, Darfuri children's experiences during the conflict have been chronicled via their drawings. Some of these drawings are being used as evidence submitted to the International Criminal Court as part of the investigation of war crimes. In 2005, two Human Rights Watch researchers went to the Chad-Sudan border, during which time schoolchildren offered them hundreds of drawings. Many pictures showed bombings by Sudanese government forces, shootings, rapes and the burning of villages. Ethan Zuckerman, a co-founder of Global Voices Online, blogging on My Heart's In Accra, said the images were powerful:
“When I was at Human Rights Watch a week ago, there was a pile of these sketches on a conference room table, along side a pile of photographs from Janjawid militamen. What amazed me was how details in the children’s drawings echoed details from the photos – the stocks of the automatic rifles, the round shape of the houses, the posture of two gunmen riding on horseback. It was immediately clear to me that these drawings weren’t of weapons imagined by children, but eye witness accounts.”
A Waging Peace researcher collected similar drawings in 2007, some of which are shown in this video. Drawing is also being used as a way to help children heal, shown in this video, as are other forms of art. The documentary Darfur Plays shows a group of two dozen young people in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, who are using street theater to spark discussion and increase awareness. Tambay, blogging on Shadow and Act, comments on the film:
“Love this!
Art makes a difference in Darfur, where a troupe of self-taught young actors take theatre into the streets and refugee camps.
Their medicine for ailing Darfur is theatre, drama, song and dance – a testament to the power of art to heal!”
Young people outside of Sudan are also working to raise awareness and improve conditions for Sudanese youth. In addition to a host of celebrities, youth in many Western countries have been drawn to the situation in Darfur. Youth initiatives over the years have varied greatly, from creating poetry and organizing rallies to podcasting student voices and finding fundraising programs.
And the initiatives continue. In Canada, the youth-led group STAND Canada has developed a campaign called ‘Stand For The Dead.’ Beginning this month, Canadians will be encouraged to wear t-shirts bearing one Darfuri victim’s name and the group will be showing a film called Darfur. Lori L. Tharps, blogging on My American Meltingpot, came across a different Darfur t-shirt-campaign years ago and at first questioned its effectiveness:
“Throughout the day in New York City, I kept seeing more and more teenagers with Darfur t-shirts on. Like it was a fashion statement. Like supporting Darfur was cool. At first I was amused, then a little perturbed, like ‘did these wealthy White kids have any clue what modern-day genocide really meant?” But then I reasoned, even if they didn't, they were increasing awareness with their simple black & white t-shirts…
…Black teens, White, Asian…I'm seeing a multicultural mix of young people up in arms for not only the victims of Darfur but for people around the world who are suffering, caught in the crossfire of violence. I stumbled onto the website Teens4Peace and was overjoyed to see that American teens have more to care about than MySpace, Ashlee Simpson and the latest iPod manifestation.”
Meanwhile, a high school in Long Island City, New York, organized a fundraiser in December to help youth in Nyala. The blog Stories From Darfur elaborates on the event:
“I received an email from a friend and activist in Nyala Darfur. He works with a group of youth who are trying hard to preserve and nurture Darfur’s musical and cultural heritage. The youth write and perform their own songs and develop theater pieces based on issues their communities care about the most. Some of the pieces are nostalgic and speak of life before armed militias violently displaced them, others are purely entertaining while others are calls for justice, freedom and peace. For war affected youth and their audiences this group is a great forum for expression, community building and healing. My friend asked us to help them start a mini orchestra…Our youth at Long Island City High School decided to support their effort and packed their school’s auditorium last Thursday for a Talent Show fundraiser. From Hip Hop dance performances to an impersonation of Lady Gaga, they put together a 30 act show that raised over $800.”
Other strategies are being used to engage even more youth. A few years ago, a free, online, student-developed video game called Darfur is Dying was released. In the game, players learn about the conflict and must keep their refugee camp functioning despite possible attacks. The game has led to at least 50,000 people taking action to help end the violence. Steve Rothman, blogging on The Social Media Soapbox, critiques the game:
“To play the game, you first select from one of several Darfurian avatars, but they are no more than cartoon figures.  Perhaps if a fictional profile for each of the figures had been provided, it might have had that effect. I also wondered if transforming such things as foraging for water or hiding from the militia into game objectives could potentially backfire and desensitize people to the plight of Darfurians…
…Nobody will be spending hours playing Darfur is Dying in order to “keep their camp functioning,” the stated goal of the game.  But of course that isn’t the point.  I imagine the greatest value of this game, and others like it, will be to engage a mass audience of young people in social issues and causes — an audience that is less accessible through more traditional communications channels.”
Whatever the method, Emily Holland found that increased awareness is exactly what some youth in Darfur want. Blogging for the International Rescue Committee, she talked to about 50 young people in a refugee camp. When she asked them, “What is your message to young people your age around the world?,” they said:
“We want them to know about our activities and our problems.
We want them to support us. To understand that we need education and healthcare.
The individuals whom people from outside Darfur are exposed to are not always necessarily from the camps. We want youth from all over the world to see what life is like here. To hear the real story.”
Photo of Darfuri girl in red by wanderingzito on Flickr, Creative Commons.

author: Juhie Bhatia


text:
India: From ‘The Bangle Man’ To ‘The Bangle Shop’ · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sujatha at Blogpourri describes the Indian tradition of the street glass bangle vendors and how the modern bangle shops have replaced them.


text:
India: When Patriotism Equates Vandalism · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dilip D'Souza at Death Ends Fun criticizes right-wing Shiv Shena's protests against the Bollywood film “My Name Is Khan”.


text:
Japan: Department Stores-ology · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Roy Berman at Mutantfrog illustrates “The history of department stores in Kyoto, and Kyoto in the history of the department store”.

author: Scilla Alecci


text:
Kazakhstan: About children and president’s speech · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The bloggers of Kazakhstan were talking about children and the President Nazarbayev's annual address to the nation. The kids topic, probably, aroused from the news about the death of Casey Johnson, heiress of the multi-national pharmaceuticals empire Johnson&Johnson, whose daughter Ava Monroe was adopted from Kazakhstan in 2007.
Thousand-pa says [ru]:
I am very happy for the girl. Although she has lost her mother again, nevertheless it looks like a Christmas fairy tale – be born as an orphan in Kazakhstan and grow up as the Johnson's heiress.
Izhanov believes that attempts to develop a uniting national idea for the Kazakhstani society should end up with puttling children to the top of it [ru]:
Children, families having many children, everything for the children. The idea is simple: you help the society by bringing up children. The goal is to sharply increase the population without immigration. Youth would stop degrading, creation of children-related infrastructure would provide for employment, giant family parks would boost tourism. The country's image would improve too – children are the future. Unlike the resource nationalism.
Megakhuimyak wonders how modern pop art would influence the today's children [ru]:
There are two cultures fighting for their minds – American one (Sponge Bob, Spiderman, Batman et al.) and Japanese (Naruto, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Pokémons). In the Grand Meloman Store (major DVD, gaming and books retailer) the amount of anime and manga production is equal to the amount of Soviet films and books.
But the Kazakh bloggers wouldn't be themselves if they omit the topic of politics. This time the presidential annual address was in their focus. Pycm ironizes on the verbal symbols of autocracy [ru]:
According to the news, “the President delivers Poslanie [Address] to the people in the Parliament”. All words are with a capital “p” – except “people”.
Zhuldyz comments on the social bloc of the presidential promises to the people of a country having abundant mineral and energy reserves [ru]:
He said that the basic pension will reach 60 per cent of the minimal cost of living by 2015. Well, Kazakhstan looks as a country of high ambitions and opportunities – can you imagine, more than half of a minimum…
Idsg adds [ru]:
The wholly beloved president stressed that crisis did not hurt our country, and all we have ahead is success. I think the crisis is here, because selling oil, minor increase of pensions and a handful of new schools are not signs of a developed country. We still don't have middle-class […] and quality development of cultural life.
Last week, the a court in Kazakhstan banned all Kazakh media and printing houses from publishing any information that discredits the honor and dignity of president's son-in-law, a high-ranking energy executive after a series of allegations about corruption, brought up by Mukhtar Ablyazov, the fled and prosecuted Kazakh banker. Adam Kesher says [ru]:
The court did not investigate the circumstances or arguments of the parties and just introduced a full-scale censorship in the country at the request of one man. This fact proves that notorious dependency of the Judiciary branch on the Executive power is only a part of the disaster.


text:
Macedonia: NGO’s Statement on Internet Regulations by the State · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Macedonia-based Metamorphosis: Foundation for Sustainable ICT Solutions has issued a statement “on the role of the state in the process of protecting children from the risks of using new technologies, by applying internet content filtering systems and systems for categorization of computer games.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Pakistan: The Ban On Kyte-flying · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hamza Ahmad Qureshi and Momekh at Lahore Metblogs writes on the 2005 kite-flying ban in Pakistan and discusses the silly reasons cited to justify the ban. In many parts of Pakistan, especially in Lahore, traditionally people used to celebrate the Basant (spring) festival by flying kites.


text:
Pakistan: Website Blocked AT IP Level · Global Voices
Rezwan

Teeth Maestro reports that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked the website http://makepakistanbetter.com on an IP level, apparently for posting criticisms against the government.


text:
Russia: Another Newspaper Web Site Attacked · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

One of the most influential Russian business newspapers Vedomosti has been experiencing DoS-attacks [EN] for at least four days, Lenta.ru reported [RUS]. This is the second DoS-attack on the major newspaper's Web site in 2010. A Web site of an oppositional weekly  Novaya Gazeta has also been attacked earlier [ENG].

author: Alexey Sidorenko


text:
Russia: Copy-Paste Online To Become Illegal · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

The Russian Telecommunications Agency is about to propose a new anti-plagiarism law that will require all Web sites to provide hyperlinks to the original source of the information that they use, newspaper Vedomosti reported [RUS]. Experts argue that the law will be hard to enforce.


text:
Russia: More Prominent Reporters Go Online · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Another two popular Russian journalists started to blog recently, a contemporary artist Dmitri Vrubel reports [RUS]. The prominent reporters for the major Russian newspaper “Kommersant” Andrei Kolesnikov [RUS] and Valery Panyushkin [RUS] joined the community of bloggers.


text:
Thailand: Comprehensive water policy · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Worried about the looming water shortage in many parts of Thailand, writer Veera Prateepchaikul calls for the drafting and implementation of a comprehensive water policy in the country

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Thailand: Love Care Station  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Love Care Station blog teaches young Thais about their sexual health. There are about 600,000-700,000 people in Thailand who are infected with HIV/AIDS.


text:
Thailand: Ten helpful rules for politicians · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Prophessor Stephen B. Young suggests ten “helpful rules” for young Thai politicians.


text:
Turkmenistan: Aside of crisis · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

“Turkmenistan’s leadership has been insisting that the country was not affected by the global financial’, Annasoltan says and comments on how could this be.


text:
Two Vietnam websites blocked · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Vietnam government is accused of blocking two popular websites. The authors of the two websites, bauxitevietnam.info and blogosin.org, are opposed to several government policies.


text:
Uzbekistan: Entry restricted for Kyrgyz citizens · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Kyrgyz blogger writes about Uzbekistan's resitriction to Kyrgyz citizen to visit Uzbekistan more than once in three months.


text:
Uzbekistan: President Karimov’s thoughts about media · Global Voices
Mansurhon

Recently President Karimov again mentioned about leading role of mass-media in Uzbekistan. Considering sensitivity of this issue and increasing cases of pressure on independent journalists (i.e. thos who don’t work in the official media), Uzbek leader called local media toothless, reports Vesti.uz [RU].
According to Islam Karimov, today’s conditions have set the task to strengthen the role of mass media in the system of civil society institutions. In addition he traditionally declared that further liberalization of mass media, active involvement of non-government press, radio, television, and their expansion in Internet must ensure publicity and openness of reforms, conducted in the republic, as well as facilitate the gradual emergence of stronger civil society.
“It is necessary to create additional conditions for better coverage of both foreign and domestic policy by mass media, considering the pluralism of opinions on the events in the country and outside. Special attention should be paid to the launch of legal mechanisms, targeted at further development of media technical base, financial and ethical stimulating of employees. Competitive compensation of labor, financial and ethical incentives assume higher independence, freedom of editorial office among newspapers and magazines and their responsibility”, Karimov said.
However, it is widely known that freedom of speech is working on paper in Uzbekistan and critical voices are silenced by official censors. Visitors of Ferghana.ru [RU] actively participate in debates over Presidents statement:
RRR says:
“Rulers got new fashion…Karimov critisizes mass media for being close and absence of glasnost; Medvedev fights corruption and tries to modernize Russia; Bakiev calls to consolidation and re-writes Constitution in favor of Absolutism… Seems like CIS leaders implemet USA Democratic Party’s tactics by Obama entitled Changes, which used to be popular in the U.S.”
Mitya (Митя) thinks that President Karimov really loves his country:
“You are all blind [as a response to those critisizing Uzbek leader]. Karimov really wants Uzbekistan to flourish. The problem is in the SNB (National Security Service) which protects interests of a group of people getting rich using the current situation. And they prefer President who believes fairy tales of the official mass media…. believe me if he finds out the the real state of affairs he’ll be beheaded [politically]. Thus, everything is more serious than you might think.”
nazariya sees the light in the end of tonnel:
“Anyways not all journalists….are mercenaries and afraid! They also write about truth (another question is coward founders and editors’ position on such publications). [And] they suffer for their rebelliousness and not willing to kneel.”
Almatinets, a guest from Almaty, says:
“I’ve been to Tashkent, watched local news [on TV], read newspapers. I recalled in my memory U.S.S.R for real. Oppositional mass media in our country also have faced big troubles but not as it is in UZB. People are really afraid of everything and don’t talk about it in public, only in an intimate circle.
In December 1991, in his interview for Halq So’zi newspaper, Karimov mentioned [RU]:
“Profession of a Journalist is one of the most difficult. A journalist is a statesman, a politician, captain on the board of the public opinion at the same time. I respect them very much and always ready to contribute to solution of their problems.”
Probably under “their problems”  President meant lack of ideas and topics to write about. One of the bloggers writes:
“So, any sane employee of the Uzbek media will write laudatory articles, submitting himself to official “guidance”. Yet, praise for articles that are considered “good” isn’t given to the journalists who write them, but to only one man, the president himself!”
Also posted on neweurasia.

author: Mansurhon


text:
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan: A row on the border  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Alpharabius reports on a border incident between Uzbek border guards and Tajik servicemen, which almost led to a gunfire, and wonders could an alleged attempt to steal a cow provoke an armed conflict.


text:
Armenia: Eurovision National Competition  · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Eurovision Song Contest, an international music competition usually better known for its kitsch and often cheesy performances rather than its music, is no stranger to controversy in the South Caucasus. In 2008, the Armenian opposition in Armenia urged a boycott of the competition following a bitterly disputed presidential election held in February and a State of Emergency declared in March, while Georgia eventually withdrew after poking fun at Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin before Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in some very public squabbling with even more controversy to come the following year.
Given how seriously each of the three countries in the region take Eurovision, many are already following developments closely. Indeed, speculation in Armenia was ripe that one act, Mihran and Emmy, had already been decided before voting took place in tonight's national final with others favoring another potential entry by Eva Rivas. Indeed, noted Unzipped, the choice was always going to be between the two acts even if the competition failed to excite Eurovision pundits in the same way as previous entries such as 2008's Sirusho had.
[…] if until last couple of weeks, no one had doubts that Emmy & Mihran will win our national selection, current ‘word of mouth’ favourite is Eva Rivas.
[…]
I was really looking forward to Emmy/Mihran’s song. There was anticipation and good buzz surrounding it. However, I am not impressed, perhaps partly because I am not really into that kind of music. […]
Eva Rivas’s song is classier. […]
Despite the concerns about the vote possibly being fixed, the situation seemed to suggest otherwise as tonight's final approached. Even a Twitter user in Azerbaijan agreed.
On the night of the competition itself, some Twitter users in Armenia updated followers on their opinion on the two acts. As others noted, this became especially useful as no live webcast had been set up. Most, but not all, seemed happy that Mihran and Emmy did not go through as had been initially expected although none seemed excited about the choices on offer.
Meanwhile, The Armenian Observer comments on the competition and also says that yet another controversy involving one of Armenia's estranged neighbors in the region occurred.
Emmy & Mihran were accompanied by a modern dance group, whose choreography was a tribute to Michael Jackson, but I’m still wandering – what was Emmy’s poor singing a tribute to? Why bring an American dance crew if you have no voice? This is a SINGING contest!
[…]
PS: Apparently there was a little scandal with National Finals. Initially 10 participants were announced, but Sonya’s song dropped out apparently for plagiarizing on last year’s Turkish entry.
In conclusion, Unzipped, perhaps the best blog to follow on Armenia's Eurovision entries, offers its thoughts on the final choice of Eva Rivas in the comments section of its previous post.
I have to say, show-wise (stage presentation) Emmy & Mihran were the best during the national selection night. However, although both Emmy and Mihran looked cute, Emmy’s voce sounded very bad, Mihran could have done much better without her.
As to Eva, she provided with OKish performance, her voice was much better than Emmy’s.
Now my advice to Eva & producers. You have to seriously think of presenting a better show for Eurovision. Otherwise, not even win, but top ten would be out of reach. Eva should learn to move on the stage, she did not feel the stage and there were lots of awkward movements. She should choose different dress and different haircut.
In fact, I stand 100% with the commentary I provided writing this post. Choices of songs were not impressive. There were no winner songs there. But Eva’s win was RELATIVELY deserved. It was RELATIVELY better than the other ones.
Good luck, Eva.

author: Onnik Krikorian


text:
Cambodia: Valentine’s Day Sparks Controversy · Global Voices
Sopheap Chak

Celebrating Valentine's Day is relatively a recent phenomenon in Cambodia. It was only in the past decade when Valentine's Day was celebrated in the country. Though Valentine's Day has gained much popularity among the younger generation, its definition and practice remain controversial. They spark an alarming attention especially on the wrong practice associated with this global occasion.
Many writers regret that the meaning of Valentine's Day has been misinterpreted. Chhay Sophal, in his article on ” ប្រយ័ត្នទិវា វ៉ាឡិនថាញដេ ក្លាយជាទិវាស្នេហ៍កម្មជាទិវានៃក្តីស្រឡាញ់” [Be Warned of Valentine's Day to Become a Regrettable Eve], emphasized that the youth have confusingly transformed the meaning of Valentine's day:
ដោយឡែកនៅកម្ពុជា វប្បធម៌នេះក៏មានប្រជាប្រិយផងដែរចាប់តាំងពីឆ្នាំ ២០០០ មកពិសេសក្នុងចំណោមយុវវ័យ។ អ្វីដែលគួរឲ្យកត់សំគាល់ គឺពួកយុវវ័យ មួយចំនួនបានយកអត្ថន័យនៃទិវានេះទៅជាទិវាមួយសម្រាប់គូស្នេហ៍ទៅវិញ ដោយបកប្រែពាក្យ វ៉ាឡិនថាញ ដេ (valentine day) ថាជាទិវាសង្សារទៅវិញ ដែលធ្វើឲ្យពួកយុវវ័យខ្មែរយល់ខុសវក់នឹងសង្សារ មិនបានគិតពីមិត្តភក្កិដទៃ ពិសេសឪពុកម្តាយបងប្អូនរបស់ខ្លួន។
Sophal also highlighted the negative impact resulting from the misinterpretation of Valentine's Day. This includes sexual misconduct among young lovers, which is a violation of Cambodian culture, especially for unmarried couples. Another impact is the possible harm on the reproductive health of young women.
ជាការពិត យើងមិនទោមនស្សនឹងក្តីស្រឡាញ់របស់យុវវ័យនោះទេ ប៉ុន្តែអ្វីដែលយើងព្រួយបារម្ភនោះគឺស្រ្តីវ័យក្មេងអាចបាត់បង់កិត្តិយស អាសោចកេរ្តិ៍ដោយតែបាត់បង់ភាពបរិសុទ្ធ។ ជាងនេះទៅទៀត ពួកគេអាចប្រឈមនឹងការមានផ្ទៃពោះដោយចៃដន្យ ប្រសិនបើការរួមភេទជាមួយបុរសជាសង្សារនោះមិនបានប្រើប្រាស់ស្រោមអនាម័យឲ្យបានត្រឹមត្រូវ ហើយការមានផ្ទៃពោះនេះគឺឈានទៅធ្វើការរំលូតកូន ដែលប្រការនេះពិតជាធ្វើឲ្យស្រ្តីវ័យក្មេងប្រឈមនឹងបញ្ហាសុខភាពបន្តពូជទៅពេលអនាគត។
Sophal further emphasized that young women are more prone to HIV/AIDS  if their sexual partners do not use condoms. They can also be victimized by pornography scandals that may jeopardize their future and the reputation of their family. Thus Sophal warns young women to be careful not to fall into the love trap during this Valentine's Day. He advised that the youth will be in a better position to celebrate this occasion with their beloved parents, relatives or friends in a proper manner.
These observations have been shared by Vutha Morn who questioned the link of culture identity and cultural preservation while Sidaroth Kong wrote in her Facebook status that “Valentine's Day and Controversy Khmer Culture: Is sleeping with your partner the only way to show that you love him?”
According the a cross-sectional research on “Love and Sexual Relationship: Experiences and Plans of Middle Class Young People Regarding the Upcoming Valentine's Day In Phnom Penh in 2009″ done by Soprach Tong, who surveyed 458 youths aging from 15 to 24, majority of them do not understand the background of Valentine’s Day. Asked if the middle class young people in Phnom Penh plan to be sexually active on the upcoming Valentine’s Day, Soprach found that:
“In the results, 12.4 percent of all respondents answered that they expect to be able to have sex on the upcoming Valentine's Day, and more than 14.3 percent of young people in a couple answered that they expect to be able to have sex with their sweethearts on that day too, and a few couples plan not to use a condom. Meanwhile, more than a third (39.5%) of the young people in a couple surveyed (n=38) stated that it will be the first time for them to have sexual intercourse. And the other two thirds (66.6%) of young males in couple (n=25) will pressure or force their girlfriend on having sex using many devices, if they do not agree. And at least seven percent of young males who answered that they expect to be able to have sex are open to being involved in Bauk [Gang rape, a slang term occurs after one (or two) youth(s) negotiate a price with a sex worker, or solicit a woman’s affection and arrange a proposed destination for sexual intercourse. Then the woman is taken to a hotel or guest-house, where numerous other young men are waiting, or will soon arrive] on the upcoming Valentine’s Day”
From this result, the author urged for attention on sexual consent, sexual reproductive health and HIV/AIDS programs which target young people in the urban areas of Cambodia.
Given these alarming facts and concerns, the Cambodian Ministry of Women's Affairs, initiated five-minute spots educating the teenagers about the “meaning of the Valentine's day” in order that the young will be encouraged to expresses their love to family first, followed by teachers and then friends. This educational spot which aims to warn Cambodian teenagers against engaging in promiscuous sex has been welcomed by majority of students, teachers, and bloggers.

author: Sopheap Chak


text:
China: Increasing Trend in Mass Incidents · Global Voices
Don Weinland

Protests, known in Chinese as “mass incidents”, grew fiercer and more violent in 2009, while methods of protest grew in variation, says a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences researcher.
In a recent Southern Weekend article Shan Guangnai of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences analyzes new trends in “mass incidents”, an area of growing concern for the Chinese government and communist party alike.
Shan says socioeconomic tensions in 2009 led to an increase in localized protests largely instigated by local corporate reform and labor disputes, housing demolition and relocation, government expropriation of rural land, and pollution.
The characteristics of such incidents in 2009 are markedly different from years past, Shan says.  He says some noticeable trends include increases in fierceness and violence, increases in protests incited by online public opinion, labor-wage disputes, and pollution.  A catalyst culminating the matter is the public’s suspicion of formally searching out assistance and a general lack of confidence in local governments, he says.
Author of the blog Convey to Society attributes the exponential rise in mass incidents to historical problems swept under the rug during the last 30 years of development.  The author details the rapid increase in incidents in a December 2009 entry.
报告指出，今年群体性事件发生仍然保持着多发的态势，这是因为一些地方在加速发展和转型的过程当中，积累了很多历史上的矛盾和问题，这些问题得不到及时解决，造成的民怨太深。据不完全统计，1993年我国发生群体性事件0.87万起，2005年上升为8.7万起，2006年超过9万起，2008年群体性事件的数量及激烈程度都超过以往。如今，社科院学者称，今年群体性事件发生仍然保持着多发的态势。
Reports have shown mass incidents [in 2009] have maintained an increasing posture.  This is because of an accumulation of historical problems and contradictions during the course of development and transition.  These problems have not received timely resolution, causing an all too deep feeling of resentment in the people.  Based on an incomplete set of statistics, 8,700 mass incidents occurred in 1993, rising to 87 thousand in 2005, and surpassing 90 thousand in 2006.  In 2008 the level of intensity of mass incidents surpassed that of previous years.  Today social scientists claim mass incidents this year still maintain an increasing posture.
Shan Guangnai points to some of 2009’s most intense protests as evidence of a growing level of violence during such incidents.  Protests in the provinces of Hubei, Yunnan, Jilin and Henan indicate unprecedented levels of intensity.
Local resentment
An incident broke out on Jun. 17 in Shishou, Hubei Province after a controversy surrounding the death of a hotel cook swept more than ten thousand people into a protest lasting three days.  Images of the protest from a blog at zxmxd.com show hundreds of military police retreating from a large crowd of violent protesters.
The Jun. 17 incident in Shishou was a result of long-term, unresolved problems and built up tension, writes Qiu Xuebin at blogchina.com.
积怨不解，后患难除…群众利益诉求长期得不到解决，民众就象一堆干柴，遇到一点火星，就会燃起熊熊烈火。网络作为出气筒，已经发泄了不少民愤了，但如果民众的现实诉求渠道不畅，矛盾和问题长期得不到解决，最终还是要从网络的虚拟世界下来走向街头。
An accumulation of unresolved resentment is difficult to get rid of once it becomes a problem.  When the interests of the people go unanswered long term, the people light up in fury like sparks on brushwood.  The internet is like an exhaust pipe, already spewing much public indignation. But if the people’s realistic means of making claims [of the government] are hindered, contradictions and problems going unanswered long term, in the end we slip out of the make-believe world that is the internet and hit the streets.
Online public opinion
In February 2009 the term “duo-mao-mao” became one of the most commonly searched words on Chinese search engines.  Originally referring to a child’s game, the term now stands for the death of a 24 year-old man who died under questionable circumstances in a local jail in Yunnan Province.
After an investigation committee yielded inconclusive results, a barrage of online indignation expressed distrust in the investigation and the local government.  Some Chinese netizens advocated violence, as described in an article at ycwb.com.
Blogger Shuibin-Mengxiang dicusses the role online opinion played in the “Duo-mao-mao” incident.
云南“躲猫猫”事件发生后，网络声讨的言论犹如涛天洪水般一浪卷一浪扑天而来，这再次反映出网络放大传播的无形力量，也反映出因突发事件而被动应付舆论成了地方党委政府的头疼病。这个事件带给党委政府应对网络舆论几点启示
After the Yunnan “Duo-mao-mao” incident happened, online denouncement poured in, wave after wave, like a flood that would wash away the sky.  This time and again reflects the invisible power of internet amplification.  It also shows that public opinion can become a headache for local governmental party committees due to careless handling of sudden incidents.  This incident has given party committees a few enlightening responses from online pubic opinion.
Workers’ strike
A dispute over corporate restructuring left the general manager of a steel company dead on Jul. 24 of last year.  Nearly 3000 Workers at Tonggang Group in Jilin Province engaged in violent protest, beating to death General Manager Chen Guojun after dissatisfaction with a restructuring plan.
Blogger Zhengcheng-Manman describes the incident as a “restructuring tragedy.”  In a July 2009 entry the blogger describes the incident.
一位在现场的职工描述说，陈国军要求大家结束聚集，但随后集会员工情绪失控，几个人把他拉下台后进行群殴。后来，陈国军跑到一个会议室，将门反锁，人群用暖气片将门砸开，继续殴打陈。
An employee on the scene said Chen Guojun requested an end to the gathering but the gathered workers then lost control of their emotions, a few of them pulling him from a platform and beating him.  Then Chen Guojun ran to a meeting room, locking the door.  The crowd used a heating panel to smash the door and continued beating Chen.
Displeased with severance pay, a group 400 steel workers in Henan Province protested a similar corporate reform in August of 2009, taking over the factory floor and holding a party official under duress, reports an article at Sina.com.
The Chinese Government will watch these trends carefully in 2010, in the hopes that stimulus driven development will stabilize society and slow this increase in unrest.

author: Don Weinland


text:
Ecuador: Governmental Help for Haiti · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

More than a month has passed by, and the Haiti earthquake tragedy continues to fill the main pages of the international press. In Ecuador, it is no different, but there the local press has focused on the efforts of the Ecuadorian government and its President, Rafael Correa and their role in bringing aid and support to Haiti. President Correa was the second head of state from the region to visit Haiti. During his trip, he met with 66 Ecuadorian soldiers working for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH for its initials in French). Many private organizations have also joined the government with aid, including a contingent of 18 physicians belonging to the National Emergency and Disaster Response Team.
Hercules C-130  from the Ecuadorian Air Force  ready to take off to Haiti – Photo by Miguel Romero and used under Creative Commons license
The images and stories from the local media have been shown on local media outlets. Ecuadorian blogger and writer Rubén Darío Buitrón criticizes these journalists:
No sé por qué los reporteros ecuatorianos abordan el avión del Gobierno y van como manada a Puerto Príncipe, muchos de ellos sin conocer previamente la historia de un pueblo heroico que, junto con Quito, fue la luz para la independencia americana.
No sé para qué van los reporteros de TV, seguramente para enviar o traer imágenes en las cuales habrá drama, dolor, llantos, close up de niños hambrientos, notas sobre rescatistas, informes acerca de lo extraordinariamente solidarios que somos los ecuatorianos, pero, sobre todo, tomas en las principalmente se vea, por favor, no se olviden, el logo del canal para jactarnos de que estuvimos allí.
I don't know why Ecuadorian reporters boarded the government plane and went like a herd to Port-au-Prince, many of whom without even knowing the previous history of the heroic people who, along with Quito, was the light for American independence.
I don't know why television reporters went, surely to send or bring images of drama, pain, cries, close-ups of hungry children, stories about rescues, stories about how extraordinarily in solidarity are the Ecuadorians, but, above all, shots where one can see, please, don't forget, the channel's logo to remind us that we were there.
Later, upon his return, Correa also hosted and chaired the special meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) in which Haiti President René Preval also attended.  UNASUR pledged nearly US$300 million in aid for reconstruction projects. Ecuadorian Twitterer Rosa María Torres (@rosamariatorres) followed the meeting's developments with regular updates, along with the media outlets: @Presidencia_Ec, @elcomerciocom, @el_telegrafo, @radio_sucre.
However, another side story took place parallel to the meeting with the participation of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, whose country has had difficult relations with its neighbor over the border dispute in 2008. However, the two presidents said that the meeting went well and it could mark a warming of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

author: Milton Ramirez


text:
Georgia: Tragedy strikes as Winter Olympic Games open · Global Voices
Ana Keshelashvili

In perhaps the most emotional moment of the Opening Ceremony, the crowd rises to give the Georgian athletes, led by Alpine skier Iason Abramashvili, a standing ovation following the tragic death of 21 year old luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili earlier in the day. Photo ©s.yume (Licensed under Creative Commons)
News about the tragic death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili a few hours before the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, broke out just after midnight the same day on a Georgian forum. The 21-year-old  died when he lost control of the luge during training near the final turn of the track at over 140km/h (about 90mp/h), thrown over the protective wall and hit a steel support pole. Kumaritashvili was airlifted to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Several hours after the accident, Georgia's Olympic Team, wearing black scarves and armbands and carrying a flag with a black ribbon, was greeted with a standing ovation at the opening ceremony. Near the end of the ceremony, Kumaritashvili was honored with a minute's silence.
Several Facebook groups and fan pages were created and joined by thousands of users who mostly expressing condolences to the family. Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili, who was in Canada for a two-day visit, met with seven-person Georgian Olympic team and also asking them to attend the opening ceremony. Minister of Sports and Culture, Nikoloz Rurua, also said that a new luge track to be opened in Bakuriani, Georgia, will be named after Nodar Kumaritashvili.
Online, Twitter users commented on the tragedy.
@DeCap69: They should give Nodar Kumaritashvili a posthumous gold medal… that would be the classy thing to do to remember a fallen athlete…
Forums, as well as many international and Georgian media outlets, aired the footage of the tragic accident over and over again, outraging many and generating a large number of tweets.
@15minutesstupid Should the television networks be airing the death of Olympian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili http://www.15minutesofstupidity.com/
When the International Luge Federation declared that the fatal accident was not caused by an “unsafe track”, but rather because of “human error,” users of the Georgian forum, many of whom were using Nodar Kumaritashvili's picture with RIP on it, were convinced of the opposite.
Many Twitter users also expressed doubts about the official explanation.
@designspotnyc how can they blame the luger's death on inexperience? the articles i read yesterday prove that he was far from inexperienced. shame!
@thoughtsonthis Olympic Track Didn't Cause Luger's Death ??? Yes it did!: http://digg.com/d31IhkD?t #Digg (Via @ tvvitter)
Even Google faced some criticism when a new logo on its search engine page depicted a lugar for almost a full day, causing confusion worldwide among users who were uncertain whether it was out of respect for the dead athlete, coincidental or simply in bad taste.
@tara IMHO if Google is going to put a picture of a luger on their page, they should note respect to Nodar Kumaritashvili http://bit.ly/aGe4F3 #fb
@lisarowan: Google's Olympic graphic today is a luger – intentional or had been planned? don't know whether to like the tribute or hate the irony
Whether because of the confusion it created, criticism from many users online, or because of the time it took to design another logo, the logo was changed by the end of the day to a snowboarder. However, even that didn't go without comment on Twitter.
@steverubel Google swaps today's Olympic doodle from luge to snowboarding. Good move. Why didn't they think of this yesterday
RT @mashable: Our most retweeted post right now: “Google Pulls Olympic Luge Logo After Backlash” – http://bit.ly/d6ffKC

author: Ana Keshelashvili


text:
India: Terror Strikes Pune · Global Voices
Rezwan

Image courtesy http://twitpic.com/photos/abhi_bol
At around 7:30 pm on Saturday (February 13, 2010) a bomb blast at a restaurant popular with tourists in India's western city of Pune killed 9 people and left 57 people injured. The bomb was in a backpack and it exploded when an waiter tried to inspect the left luggage. Shashi Bellamkonda at My Digital Thoughts reports:
A few hours ago (Feb 13th 2010) a bomb went off popular cafe ‘German Bakery” in Pune India. At the time of posting this the press were reporting that 8 people had died and about 40 injured in this blast which left the bodies charred beyond recognition. The bakery is a popular spot with foreign tourists.
Shashi has also these observations:
Pragmatic Euphony warns:
The jehadis have struck again on the Indian mainland; this time in Pune, albeit more than a year after the horrendous terror attacks on Mumbai in November 2008. The initial response, while going with the most plausible and popular assumption that the blast was the handiwork of Pakistan based jehadi groups, is one of indignation. Perhaps understandably so as tempers are bound to run high. And this emotion is likely to be further amplified as the Indian mainstream media hyperventilates and virtually runs amok with its over the top coverage of the incident.
People are already finding links to Pakistan. Offstumped informs that the Pune blast followed a Laskar-e-Taiba threat. A top leader of the Lashkar-e-Taiba named Pune as a target city at a permitted public rally in Pakistan. The Acorn says:
Despite the Lashkar-e-Taiba threat, it is too early to definitively attribute the attack to the Pakistani military-jihadi complex. But it is clear that the Pakistani military-jihadi complex has every reason to escalate tensions with India through the use of terrorism. Without the excuse of “tensions to the east”, Pakistan would have nothing left to explain to Washington its double-dealing on the taliban.
Dilip D'Souza at Death Ends Fun reminds that India should also do something about the homegrown terror:
Until we recognize homegrown terror for what it is — no less than anything from abroad — and until we stand against every kind of terror, we will never defeat terrorism.
The Twittersphere was abuzz with tweets and retweets spreading the news. Here are some of the reactions:
IndiaHappening: Nine killed, 32 hurt in Pune terror blast http://bit.ly/arLssZ #India
r_shekhawat: Terror strikes at my home – ‘Pune’ : Once again, innocent people killed by some mindless terrorists. Pune, a great city, hurt and bruised.
pragmatic_rebel: Must be a sad start to Valentine's day in #Pune! Still aghast at the blasts, I wish #India does something really different this time.
bhuvan_chelsea: We need a vigilante like Batman here in #India . ;-)
tweetSAMRAT: Is praying for the victims of the recent Pune bomb blast.
nehasasi: RT @deepitganjoo: Please RT This Jahangir Hospital Pune Needs Blood AB+ve and B+ve Contact : 1066 Those who are in Pune…. Please
_india_: Pune blast casts shadow on talks with Pak
No doubt the blast in Pune will impact the recent goodwill talks between India and Pakistan. But it seems that the terrorists are being given the upper hand as emotions are running high everywhere.


text:
India: What Should Be The Response Against Terror? · Global Voices
Rezwan

In the aftermath of the terror attack in Pune The Filter Coffee and Pragmatic Euphony discuss how India should respond.


text:
Kyrgyzstan: Controversy over sale of the national telecoms operator · Global Voices
Bektour Iskender

Users of the leading Kyrgyz Internet forum “Diesel” have held their own investigation of the transaction, in which shares of the national operator Kyrgyztelecom were sold. According to them, the new owners are linked to Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's son Maksim, recently appointed to a key economic position in the government.
The first news about sale of a large share of Kyrgyztelecom arrived on “Diesel” in the evening of February 04, before any of the mass media outlets.
“On February 02 they sold [Kyrgyztelecom], but all media keep silent”, user S.S.S.R. started the discussion.
The fact was approved more than 12 hours later. Minister of state property Tursun Turdumamatov called a press conference to inform that 78 per cent of shares of the national operator were sold to a consortium of four companies on a tender auction.
Two of the four are registered in Cyprus, one – in Kazakhstan. The fourth consortium member is “Ala-Too Keni”, the Kyrgyz joint stock company. “Diesel” people focused their attention on the latter.
Two hours after the minister's statement user maka posted information from the online database of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Justice. According to it, the owner of “Ala Too Keni” is Adai Rustemov.
Other users instantly pointed out that the same person is listed among the directors of JSC “MGN Capital”, which possesses the rights to manage assets of the Kyrgyz Republic's Development Fund.
Finally, the Development Fund is directly connected to the Central Agency for Development, Investments and Innovations, the newly created state body, led by Maksim Bakiyev.
Interestingly, Russian magazine “Standard” wrote about M. Bakiyev's interest in privatization of Kyrgyztelecom back in 2009 – “Diesel” people quote the publication:
“According to the magazine, presidential son Maksim Bakiyev has got involved in the privatization process. The Kyrgyz sources of the “Standard” inform that M. Bakiyev wants to gain personal control over Kyrgyztelecom.
User Mogul feels “depressed” by the aggravation of clannish redistribution of state property. User joomla is afraid that “phones will be tapped by the Kazakh special services”, because Adai Rustemov is a Kazakh citizen.
User e-220 suggested to
“congratulate Maksim Bakiyev on the recent purchases on behalf of the people. He knows how to use the Russian government's credit line*”.
*

author: Bektour Iskender


text:
Malaysia: Pantyless movement on Valentine’s Day · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Two weeks ago, some female college students in Malaysia announced the “pantyless movement” on Valentine’s Day. The goal of the “no-panties promotion” is to show how women love their boyfriends. The campaign became quite popular through word of mouth and the internet.
lurveangel is against the campaign:
Not very highly-educated aren't they? If they are, they should know that not wearing your panties doesn't prove a true love okay? Just lust~ Of course it's kinky when you know your other half is not wearing anything underneath, but why make it public?? What's wrong with these people??!!
True love is SO not about whether one is covered up every single inch or bare naked when she's with her partner. People who confuse this are definitely someone who never been in love, or be loved. Or even know the meaning of “true love”.
The Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) and other public moral authorities are very mad. They promise to hunt those who will join the pantyless movement because celebrating Valentine’s Day is a deviation of Islamic teaching.
Ms Daffodil accuses authorities of overreacting to the issue:
OK…..granted it’s pretty silly to be going panty-less just to show your love for someone……..and whoever thought of such crap is probably some sex-starved amphibian hiding behind some bushes at some escalator armed with a hand-mirror or camera phone……
.
But for our country’s moral police to go jumping mad and issuing warnings about the evils of Valentine’s Day!!!??? Talk about “over-reacting” man……I mean, think about it for a minute here……if they wanted to, they can go panty-less any other day right?
Josh insists that not wearing panties should not pose a problem to others
Let me ask you one question, how does someone not wearing their underwear affect you as a person. Would you even realise it? Would you even know? How do you know that the very people you met on the street today actually have their underwears on? So why the fuss when chances are you would not even realise if a person has their underwear on and thus would not be affected by it. This is a non-issue to begin with. What people wear under their clothes is their own business and none of ours.
Mumsie wonders how authorities will identify pantyless college students. Will they raise the skirt of students?
Gosh, this is something really new and I wonder how on earth is JAIS going to prevent that from happening?!..Are they going to hunt these “panty-less” students by peeping under each and every skirt?!! That would be a glaring sex offence, wouldn’t it? I can imagine every male student on that day will be betting and guessing which female student is not wearing underpants! …;-)
The Other Malaysia recognizes the uniqueness of the protest/event:
1. The organisation of this ‘event’ was spontaneous and organic, not being instigated by any political party or popular politician;
2. The mode of organisation of the event was done via word-of-mouth and internet, pointing to the growing importance of the internet, sms-es and other forms of communication infrastructure that were put in place as part of Malaysia’s rapid development to a semi-industrialised economy;
3. The nature of the celebration/protest however remains non-political and primarily personal, as it is meant to serve as a demonstration of love for one’s partners.
Is the pantyless movement a form of ‘passive resistance’?
…it may be a passive resistance against a state religious bureaucracy whose role in the moral policing of society has become well known and notorious. (Note that this remains a hypothesis on our part)


text:
Malaysia: Racist remarks of a public official · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A special officer of the Prime Minister of Malaysia has tendered his resignation after allegedly issuing a racist remark against Indians and Chinese in a forum.


text:
Philippines: Libel and bloggers · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Jaemark Tordecilla mentions the libel cases filed against Filipino bloggers in recent years.


text:
Philippines: Migrants and 2010 elections · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Filipino migrants in the United Kingdom have set-up a blog to push for migrant's agenda in the upcoming Philippine presidential elections.


text:
Philippines: Politics and peace in Mindanao · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Steven Rood and Crisanto Cayon look into the political situation and the prospects of ending the war in Mindanao Island in the Philippines.


text:
Russia: Theater Play to “Reconstruct” Lawyer Magnitsky’s Death · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sergei Magnitsky, a 37-year-old Russian tax lawyer, died in a Moscow prison on Nov. 16, 2009, after spending nearly a year in pre-trial detention with no access to adequate medical treatment.
The circumstances of his death received extensive coverage both in Russia (RUS) and abroad (ENG). Letters and appeals he wrote from prison were published as well (an English translation of one letter – at RFE/RL; scanned Russian-language originals of typed and handwritten documents – at NewTimes.ru). The Public Oversight Commission for Human Rights Observance in Moscow Detention Centers issued a review of the conditions of Magnitsky's prison stay (in Russian and in English – at Law and Order in Russia blog).
Due to publicity, the Russian authorities reacted by firing a number of high-ranking officials – as well as by banning pre-trial detention of suspected tax offenders and drafting “a bill that would prevent executives from being arrested for the majority of economic crimes” (link to an article in the Moscow Times, ENG).
Public discussion of prison conditions, prompted by Magnitsky's death, continues – and it is now likely to move to a new level: Mikhail Ugarov (LJ user m_u), a playwright and artistic director of Teatr.doc (RUS), a Moscow theater specializing in documentary drama, is working on a play that would “reconstruct” the horror of the final hours of Magnitsky's life.
Here is what Ugarov wrote (RUS) on his blog on Jan. 22:
Working on a play at Teatr.doc about the death of Sergei Magnitsky.
[Russian actor] Aleksey Devotchenko will act in it.
Gathering of material is underway. Such material that it is making me physically ill.
Magnitsky died in a straitjacket. He was writhing in pain (pancreatitis or even pancreonecrosis), and they put a straitjacket on him instead. And he spent one hour and 18 minutes in it. And the doctor never showed up.
He died of “heart failure.” I think that his heart just stopped.
If the actor does a simple physical reconstruction of these events (the protocol of physical activity), the audience will get sick…
After all this, I don't want anything, don't want to think, don't want to feel.
And at serious theaters, let them go on re-enacting how Konstantin Gavrilovich shot himself [Konstantin Gavrilovich Treplyov, a character in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull].
And here is an update (RUS), posted by Ugarov on Feb. 2:
Yesterday again we had a meeting about the case of lawyer Magnitsky's death.
Things aren't exactly the way I described them – everything is more horrible, actually.
He told the prison doctor, “They want to kill me.” And on the basis of this, she diagnosed him as mentally deranged. And summoned the so-called “re-enforcement” – eight prison guards used to beating [prisoners]. And she called the psychiatrists.
And then she left, as if nothing happened. Her last name is known, this woman in a white gown, “Doctor Death.”
A ambulance crew arrived (the so-called psychiatrists), but for an hour and 18 minutes they could not gain access to the patient. And when they were allowed in at last, they saw a dead man. Then the doctor came down, too, to have a look… Paramedic Vasya (not his real name) stood in the hallway for this hour and 18 minutes and has no idea what this “re-enforcement” brigade was doing to a sick person…


text:
Russia: Visual Ride On Trans-Siberian Railway Available Online · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

Google and Russian Railways launched a site allowing everyone to visually experience [ENG] a ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway going from Moscow to Vladivostok, the larges Russian city on the Pacific Ocean.

author: Vadim Isakov


text:
Azerbaijan: Interview with Feride Sadikhova Buyuran · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Women's Forum interviews culinary blogger Feride Sadikhova Buyuran while her AZ Cookbook posts a recipe for lemon upside down cake.


text:
China: 1931-1970 Oldies from Shanghai and Hong Kong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

chayapol65 sets up a bdyoutube channel on Chinese popular oldies between 1931-1970 in Shanghai and Hong Kong . (via GarySoup from twitter)


text:
Egypt: Valentine’s Day Dilemma  · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Forget about anything you know about the Valentine's Day, as you are going to experience so many contradicting reactions and thoughts regarding this day, after paying the Egyptian blogosphere a visit. Some people just celebrate the occasion, some curse it, some see it silly and some believe it is against religion.
Ze2red wrote a message here to her beloved one on the occasion of the Valentine's Day:
Like a soft whisper … you entered my heart
Eased my pain & washed my brain
You made it so clear that nothing goes in vain
Because of you i have trust again
That friendship is something someone has to gain
Fatma, at Brownie, wrote a post here to say that Valentine's Day can still be celebrated even if you're still not able to find your better half:
My English book when I was in my primary school was called “Look, Listen and Learn” it was a very sweet and informative book.
…
I added a new L word, which is love, although I was not happy in my love life, however I have always believed that love is not only between a man and a woman, it has many variations and one of its best variation is love between friends, and this is the motive of writing this post.
…
I still believe that I am complete, even if Mr. Right is not next to me; my photo is perfect and pretty although I am alone.
Amr Fahmy, who blogs at Zakzouk, wrote here on how we are imitating others, and importing celebrations from other countries while ruining the true value of those celebrations:
Roh Bobbos wrote here about how the Valentine's Day changes everything around her:
She then continued:
Marwa Hasan, who writes at  Depressedy, wrote a post here showing how she thinks the Valentine's Day is overrated:
Also Neisy M believes that the Valentine's Day is overrated. She wrote here about her feelings regarding this day, and then decided on this occasion to send her “I Love You” messages to her parents and friends instead of sending it to her lover:
And Egyptian blogger, Ana Muslim, posted here links to verdicts by Islamic scholars who believe the the Valentine's Day celebrations are prohibited by the religion. While, on the other hand, Silent Majority, wrote here wondering why the Salafi/Wahabi scholars insist on fighting and cursing Valentine's Day.
He says:

author: Tarek Amr


text:
India: BlogCamp Mumbai 2010 · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mumbai Metblogs informs that the BlogCamp Mumbai 2010 will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2010.

author: Rezwan


text:
India: Kavi, The Short Film · Global Voices
Rezwan

Soliloquies Of An Opinionated Mind reviews Kavi, a 19 minute fictional short film (in Hindi), which was recently nominated in the best live action short film category at the 2010 Academy Awards. “Will Kavi be the next Slumdog Millionaire?” – asks the blogger.


text:
Iran: No Triumphs for Green Protests on Anniversary of Revolution · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Protesters of the Green Movement staged demonstrations in several Iranian cities on February 11 (the anniversary of the Iranian revolution) but were not able to mobilize as strongly as they have in the past due to the swift work of security forces and a major pro-government rally. Protesters did manage to defy security forces in some cities, including Tehran and Isfahan.
Several bloggers and netizens refelected on this day.
Making fun of Greens
Ahestan, a pro-government blogger, mocked the Green Movement and said [fa]:
After the February 11 demonstrations, green movement supporters will probably say things like: ‘Tehran became green’, ‘greens were censored on national TV’, ‘Tehran was conquered by greens’.
Shukhoshang wrote [fa]:
Now the greens will say ‘Enough with demonstrations, tomorrow we will start strikes. I won't drink orange juice to push state-run orange juice factories into bankruptcies, and you can stop eating caviar.’
Lessons to learn
Iran88, a pro-green blogger, thinks that the February 11 demonstrations did not happen as the green activists expected. The blogger adds:
Disappointment comes when we are fixed on unrealistic goals, [the protest movement] is like a marathon. If we don't learn our lesson we will be defeated… We should add economic requests to political and social ones… Some in the movement do not tolerate criticism… We should not listen to people who are outside Iran… We should not limit ourselves to government celebrations and events.
Karroubi, an opposition leader was attacked
Mehdi Karroubi, a cleric and one of the opposition leaders was attacked by pro-government forces when he took part in a demonstration:
Demonstration in Tehran
Despite the strong presence of security forces, protesters in Tehran chanted slogans to support one of the opposition leaders, Mir Hussein Mousavi:
… and in Isfahan
Green Movement supporters also demonstrated in different cities outside Iran, including in London when they chanted slogans in front of Iran's embassy and called for Iran's ambassador to resign:

author: Fred Petrossian


text:
Iran: Women in Metro · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

ZoHre has published several photos of Iranian women in Tehran's Metro.


text:
Korea: Lunar New Year · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ask a Korean! translated a story written by Joo Seong-Ha about Lunar New Year in North Korea.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
Macedonia, Turkey: Connected, not Divided by History · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Chris Deliso, a travel writer and founder and director of Balkanalysis.com writes in an oped in Today's Zaman about the mutual fondness between citizens of Macedonia and Turkey, which is there despite the fact that one century ago, “Macedonia suffered tremendously during anti-Ottoman rebellions.” He sees potential for using the good will, alongside the shared cultural and archaeological heritage, in various beneficial areas, from jump-starting tourism to promoting European integration of the whole region.

author: Filip Stojanovski


text:
Netherlands: Sven Kramer’s golden race on Twitter · Global Voices
Percy Balemans

For the Dutch, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver started with a very important race: the men's 5000 metres speed skating. The whole country (and the rest of the speed skating world) expected Dutch favourite Sven Kramer [nl] to win the gold, but the question was: would Kramer be able to deal with this immense pressure?
Dutch celebrities and fellow (Olympic) speed skaters tweeted before, during and after the race.
Dutch speed skater Erben Wennemars, Sven's friend and team mate, was confident in the afternoon:
Vandaag wordt het GOUD!!
And he assured everyone that Sven was ready:
met sven ontbeten. hij is er helemaal klaar voor.
Even American speed skater Shani Davis, Kramer's opponent in this race, found time to tweet:
Just finished pre-race warmup. I feel really good…crowd is totally energized…this is going to be some FUN (even if Sven kicks my butt).
Dutch actor Antonie Kamerling shared his excitement about the race, keeping people updated. Before the race, he tweeted:
wat een druk voor Kramer. favoriet en als 1e rijden van de favorieten. word toch een beetje zenuwachtig. gelukkig vallen bijna nooit bij 5 k
He wondered what was going through Sven's head:
kon je nu maar in de hoofden kijken van Kramer, Fabris en de Jong. over een paar jaar kan dat gewoon
After Sven's race he wrote:
djeezus wat spannend…. hij ging echt wel kapot leek het.
Then the waiting started. First, Korean speed skater Lee was racing Dutch skater De Jong:
shit dacht nog heel even dat die Koreaan eroverheen sprintte. eikel. dat kunnen we niet hebben
Would Italian Fabris be able to beat his time:
shit ik word gek, die Fabris zal toch niet…????
And then finally, the relief:
ja hoor het is gelukt!!!!!!!!!
Dutch actress Halina Reijn had to perform in a play during the evening and logged on afterwards, trying to find out what had happened:
Wie heeft er gewonnen met schaatsen?
And quickly switched on the TV when she realised the race wasn't finished yet:
Ok sorry voor mijn domme vraag…zit voor de tv nu! Sven…
Dutch sports journalist Wilfried de Jong [nl] had just arrived at the airport in New York and had to resort to the internet:
hier in aankomsthal luisteren naar radio 1. Nederlanders met oren bij mijn laptop.
When Sven Kramer finally did win the gold, there was lots of praise. Erben Wennemars wrote:
ben intens blij voor Sven Kramer… gefeliciteerd!
His opponent, Shani Davis, wrote:
I'm really happy for Sven. That crowd, it's still going thru me…very exciting feeling. Time to switch gears, get ready for the sprint.
American speed skater Chad Hedrick, who unsuccesfully tried to defend his Olympic title on the 5k in the last race, wrote:
Congrats to Sven today- great race! You are very deserving!
Dutch speed skater and team mate Mark Tuitert [nl], who will be participating in the men's 1000 and 1500 metres, wrote:
Repect voor Sven, hij flikt het en dat is absoluut niet altijd vanzelfsprekend!
Team mate Ronald Mulder [nl], who will be participating in the men's 500 metres, wrote:
Supermooie 5km gezien! Sven met 16miljoen NL'ers op zijn rug de dikverdiende gouden plak! Respect
Team mate Annette Gerritsen [nl], who will be participating in the ladies’ 500, 1000 and 1500 metres, wrote:
Wat een prachtige 1e dag. Wat onzettend knap van Sven.
Dutch coach Ingrid Paul [nl], currently coaching the Canadian speed skating team, stressed how incredible Sven's performance was:
Ik zei net verdiende winnaar,maar dit is meer dan verdiend,de superfavoriet en super hard geknokt en gereden,niets laten liggen! Super Sven!
Norwegian speed skater Øystein Grødum had even learned Dutch to congratulate Sven and expressed his disappointment over fellow countryman Håvard Bøkko's fourth place:
felicitaties SVEN…. GOUD.. sorry with 4th for @havardbokko
Sven Kramer himself hasn't been spotted on Twitter yet. He'd better concentrate on speed skating, since he has a few more medal chances.
Picture and thumbnail taken from Sven Kramer's website

author: Percy Balemans


text:
Pakistan: A Secret Golfing Destination · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Pakistan is the most well kept secret golfing destination as it has some of the most spectacular courses that are open year round,” – informs Imran H. Khan at All Things Pakistan.


text:
Russia Liberilizes Rules For Wi-Fi · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev signed the law [RUS] liberalizing the installation of the Wi-Fi networks. Previously, the installation required tons of paperwork and a formal permission from the government.


text:
Russia: Moscow Wants Its Own ‘Silicon Valley’ · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

The Moscow Times writes [ENG] about the new Kremlin innovation center modeled after the American Silicon Valley. President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on creating a working group that would deal with the project.


text:
Russia: Tracing City Buses in Real Time · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

The city administration of Ryazan [ENG] in the Central Russia became the first in the country to launch an interactive map of the public buses [RUS], gov-gov.ru reported. Equipped with GPS devices, the buses can now be traced online in real time.


text:
South Korea: Hot temper problem · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Metropolitician writes about the increase in crime and conflict related with hot temper in South Korea.


text:
Sri Lanka: Political Cannibalism · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Political cannibalism must cease in Sril Lanka” – asserts Dayan Jayatilleka while discussing the arrest of Sri Lankan opposition leader Sarath Fonseka at Groundviews.


text:
USA: Native Cherokees Fight for Sacred Mound  · Global Voices
Simon Maghakyan

Cherokee Native Americans in North Carolina are currently fighting the construction of an electrical station they say would impede the spiritual experience at Kituwah, a sacred mound that is cherished as the place where God gave the Cherokee their laws and their first fire. It is believed to have survived nearly ten thousand years.
The mound is 170 feet in diameter and five feet high.
Although indigenous remains – both human and cultural – are protected in the United States by the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, sacred earthworks called mounds are still vandalized in the eyes of many Native Americans.
The Cherokee fight to keep the mound untouched is on Facebook with more than 2,000 “SAVE KITUWAH” fans.
Photo of Kituwah posted in Facebook group by Red Gryphon
Assistant attorney general of the Cherokee reservation, Hannah Smith, sent an email to Duke Energy. It is posted on Facing South, the website of the Institute for Southern Studies. She describes the effort to guard the area that the Eastern Band of the Cherokees repurchased in 1996:
While I understand the need for power and know that change is by-product of progress, I explained my desire to have Duke Power mitigate as much as possible the visual impact this tower structure is going to have on the experience Cherokee people have when they visit Kituwah. I used a metaphor to describe the impact on this ancient view shed of Kituwah in hopes that it might convey a better understanding of how I (and most Cherokees) are going to be affected. I said that erecting this unattractive industrial looking “eye sore” so close in proximity to our ancient and sacred Mothertown was like putting up a power substation next door to a great Cathedral (like St. Peter's Basilica in Rome). The Cherokee culture values the Kituwah site and what is left of its unspoiled beauty like most of the world values St. Peter's for its iconic beauty and ancient place of worship.
If the Cherokees persuade Duke Energy to halt construction, it would be their second victory this year. In January 2010, according to Save the Sacred Sites blog, the Department of Defense stopped construction of an airport on Iolta – an ancient Cherokee village and burial site in North Carolina – until further investigation. But other Native American sites, as summarized by Facing South, were not as lucky:
Last year a mound near Oxford, Ala. was used as fill dirt for the construction of a Sam's Club, and another Indian mound in the Oxford area was recently found to have disappeared during construction of a municipal sports complex.
In the late 1990s, an Indian burial site in Nashville, Tenn. was demolished to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter, while another Indian burial site along the Cumberland River in that city was disturbed during construction of a stadium for the Tennessee Titans National Football League team. And Georgia is building a four-lane highway near the Ocmulgee National Monument, a site of great significance to the Muscogee (Creek) people.
More photos of Kituwah can be seen here and here.

author: Simon Maghakyan


text:
China: Turning Buzz back on · Global Voices
John Kennedy

With Google having fixed privacy issues in Buzz, Rebecca MacKinnon opted back in to the service today and has shared her observations on how Buzz is being received by Chinese users.

author: John Kennedy


text:
China: Twitter trap? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

C Custer from ChinaGeeks wonders if Twitter will become a trap for the authority to track down and prosecute dissidents for what they have said.


text:
China: What will shutting down Beijing’s liaison offices do for petitioners? · Global Voices
John Kennedy

It's last month's news, but the story first reported by Outlook Weekly that most of China's version of K Street, several thousand ‘Beijing liaison offices’ scattered throughout the city, will be shut down before July, has potentially wider impact than just helping to curb rampant corruption.
Facilities initially set up to handle relations between Beijing and local governments, the introduction of market economy policies saw a surge of the ‘liaison’ offices into Beijing during the nineties, from inland cities to rural conglomerates to universities across the country, each representing various interests in lobbying for greater funding from the central government.
The goal of the State Council now, by planning to shift that role upward to provincial-level representative offices, seems to be to bring more transparency and oversight to China's lobbying sector. Many of the larger liaison offices are best known for their own restaurants and other extravagant entertainment facilities used in lobbying efforts.
Vice Dean of the department of agriculture and country development at Renmin University Zheng Fengtian wrote about the move in a much-read post [zh] from January. Like many people, he strongly doubts that many of Beijing's various liaison offices will ultimately be sent packing. He identifies four groups of people who stand to lose out, given such a move:
1. Beijing's local government and service industry, departments of GDP statistics, the realty sector, hotels, halls, restaurants, commercial buildings and entertainment clubs, etc. “All the eggs will be broken when this nest gets raided, even suppliers of fake Moutai liquor stand to lose,” for all the ‘contributions’ liaison offices make to the Beijing economy.
2. Ministry and commission cadres, who won't know how to decide who deserves how much of all their earmarked funding.
3. Local government officials and their families who love Beijing so much; they might still have time to come in from the countryside to go shopping or party it up on official business, they'll just have to find their own places to stay.
On a more serious note, Zheng's fourth group refers to the more recent role that, through redundancy and ending of practices such as custody and repatriation, liaison offices now find themselves devoting most of their time to—what China Daily calls ‘maintaining stability’ and Human Rights Watch explains as the dissuading, intercepting and sometimes kidnapping of petitioners having traveled to Beijing from each liaison office's home jurisdiction:
驻京办不能拆的另外一个主要工作是担负维稳工作，目前已演变成驻京办工作的重中之重。过去那些受冤的小民，在紧要关头一般都要到京告状。各地乡长镇长局长们也要来辨认领回，驻京办应该是一个好场所，最少能够让领导们好好休息休息。据透露，每年仅全国“两会”期，各省市区驻京办成功劝访人数达十多万人。如果驻京办给关了，那些来京人员就要与访民们同住信访村了，这不间接挤占了本已拥挤不堪的信访村了？也许驻京办关了以后访民们有冤了就因此不会再选择到京告状了，因为没有驻京办宽阔的住宿，太挤了。
Some of the comments on Zheng's post:
大哥，你不要命啦？！
这个也是你能说的话？
和谐设备，小心
你要上访吗？第一次劝诫，第二次拘留，第三次劳教。某地方电视台公然打出这样宣传口号
支持  说的太好了  腐败太重了哦
国家是谁的？是人民的！国家的财富是谁的？还是是人民的！她不是某几个领导人的！也不是少数利益集团的！更不是某个人数众多的党派的！而是中国人民的！每个人民都有一份！每个中国人的利益都应该得到尊重！因此人民的利益高于一切！
“让一部分人先富起来”的话，不过是给自己混点实惠！富得只是他们自己，没有看到带动广大人民群众共同致富！从历史上看人就是有穷有福的，好不容易伟大领袖毛主席让人人平等了，结果又让这些乱臣贼子给弄成贫富差距巨大了！实际上不是他们富了,而是广大人民群众变穷了。
钱是有数的，不在老百姓的兜里，就在那些当权者兜里！就在那些执政者兜里！这不过是一场财富的再分配！这是对人民的犯罪！
上访者更能表达民情了吧
什么劝访，就是强制押回关押，南通就常有这样的是发生，关闭驻京办老百姓举手赞诚。


text:
Citizen Video wins George Polk Journalism Award · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The citizen video recording the death of Neda,  an Iranian woman during the presidential election protests in Iran has won the George Polk Award in Journalism. This amateur and anonymous video spread throughout the world and became a symbol of the Iranian Resistance and citizen journalism.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


text:
Egypt: Independent Single Women · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Egyptian blogger and feminist activist, Fatma Emam, celebrated this Valentine with some of her friends being “independent, mature, well educated, professional and single women.”

author: Eman AbdElRahman


text:
Egypt: Nadia the flying fish · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Egyptian journalist and blogger, Nadia El Awady, blogs her experience with Scuba diving in Hurghada, a popular sea resort on the Western limb of the Red Sea. She also shares some of her pictures taken from under the sea.


text:
Egypt: One year on from Gaza · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Philip Rizk writes his thoughts and memories, a year after his abduction by Egyptian authorities – during his participation in the “To Gaza” march. He then covers a protest organized in Cairo in coordination with activists in Beirut, calling for an end to the construction of the Wall of Shame (as he describes it).


text:
Egypt: Recall your Corolla  · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Zeinobia mentions that the Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency has obliged Toyota Egypt to recall some of its models from the market, in order to fix defects Toyota announced earlier on the company’s expense.


text:
Georgia: Friends of Freedom for Peace · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

MrAshn [AZ] posts a video of members of the Azerbaijani Dalga Youth Movement with Armenian support holding a small flash mob in Tbilisi, Georgia, to mark their fifth anniversary and call for peace in the South Caucasus. The region has been riven by ethnic conflict, especially between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Signs were in Azerbaijani, Armenian, English, French, Georgian and German.

author: Onnik Krikorian


text:
Ghana: Constitution Review Meets Interesting Proposals · Global Voices
L. Abena Annan

In 2008, during the presidential elections, candidates promised Ghanaians a review of the nation’s constitution. What made this pledge more appealing was the contenders’ – President John Atta Mills included – intention to involve Ghanaians in the review process. The president seems to have fulfilled that promise, and new proposals now fuel interesting debates.
In an article posted by Ghana Pundit entitled, “Don’t Extend President’s Tenure, ” Prof. Kofi Quashigah, Dean of the law faculty at the University  of Ghana, remarked:
A two four year system is long enough to afford a determined individual as president to impact on the democratic institutions. A two five year period will be the beginning of creation of tin gods. It is the strengthening of the institutions of governance that should engage our attention so that the individual does not become the dominant feature…the four year period appears just sufficient so as to avoid the individual staying on too long and becoming complacent.
This comment is a response to one of various constitutional amendment proposals under consideration by Ghana’s Constitutional Review Committee: extending the president’s current four-year term to five.
Quashigah adds:
The status quo should be maintained to avoid creating an aura of indispensability around individuals who become President.
And how is President Atta Mills doing with his promise to involve the people in the review process? Have Ghanaians even welcomed the idea?
Ghana Pundit reports in a February 11 post :
A legal practitioner has suggested that the review of the constitution should ensure that power resides in the hands of the people through well-structured local institutions and organs and a perfected district assembly system.
The legal practitioner, Nana Addo-Aikens, continues:
The constitutional amendments, which Ghana needs today, should therefore not be the surface-scratching or cosmetic or window-dressing type but must be the type of constitution, which will be all-embracing and sweeping enough in order not to waste a rare opportunity for change.
He then adds:
Functional checks and balances as well as workable forms of separation of powers were other issues that needed serious consideration by the commission.
In a piece about the constitutional amendment on Inter Press Services (IPS) News website , Osabutey Anny quotes legal practitioner and executive secretary of the Commission, Dr. Raymond Atuguba, as saying:
Every single petition before the commission will be carefully examined. The issues raised are very valid.
Anny reports:
The petitions received to date vary and include calls for a review of the powers of the executive.
According to Anny, Atuguba remarked that,
The number of petitions received by the commission shows the extent to which the public was looking forward to the review.
It is apparent from reports that Ghanaians are more eager to engage in the burgeoning democratic process of the nation since its constitution commenced in 1993.
Anny commends the African nation in his piece:
The country has made much progress since then. Ghana was ranked the seventh-best country on the continent for good governance according to the 2009 Ibrahim Index of African Governance. The index measured, among other things, the delivery of public goods and services by government.

author: L. Abena Annan


text:
Guatemala: Live Blogging Peace Accords Lecture · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

HablaGuate [en/es] live-blogged a lecture by Dr. Ricardo Stein titled “”Peace Accords, 14 years Later” that took place February 15 in Antigua, Guatemala.

author: Eduardo Avila


text:
Haiti: Between Grief and Love · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

Despite the difficulties encountered by Haitians to get back to a normal daily life after the destructive earthquake of January 12th and the ongoing grieving in people's hearts, a place was given to the celebration of Valentine's Day in the blogosphere.
Alterpresse explained the context in which Valentine's Day was taking place this year [Fr]:
Des milliers de personnes ont encore pris part à des activités religieuses ce 14 février, 3e jour spécial de recueillement, dans le cadre d’un mois de deuil qui prend fin le 17 février, pour les centaines de milliers de disparus du terrible séisme du 12 janvier.
Haitipressnetwork expressed the difficulty for those who have lost their loved ones to cope with this situation. Here is one example of a young woman who lost her boyfriend after the quake and now lives in a makeshift tent camp [Fr]:
Guerdy Louis, une jeune fille de 19 ans vit un moment amer depuis le 12 janvier. Pourtant sa tristesse tant à augmenter ces derniers jours à l’approche de la fête de la Saint-Valentin, car son petit ami a succombé suite à des blessures subies lors du séisme.
In this same post, we learn that in this camp, among the 20-30 year old interviewees, 15% said that they had lost their significant other either during the earthquake or in its aftermath.
However, the month-long mourning and three-day prayers have not completely overshadowed the celebration of Valentine's Day.
Espas Ayisyen gave proof  [Fr] of the people's resilience through this celebration and also published a picture of a building decorated for Valentine's Day in Petion-Ville, taken by photographer Liliane Pierre-Paul:
En dépit de la situation catastrophique régnant à Port-au-Prince et du grand désarroi de la population après le choc du 12 janvier 2010, les haïtiens toujours aussi magnanimes et altières célèbrent ce dimanche la saint-valentin.
Alterpresse confirmed [Fr] the mix of feelings but insists on the fact that Valentine's Day has never been celebrated by all the population, even before the disaster:
La douleur ressentie pour la perte d’êtres chers n’a pas totalement effacé la traditionnelle fête de la Saint Valentin, célébrée par certaines catégories urbaines dans un partage de chocolats et de fleurs entres amoureux et amis.
This year in Haiti as anywhere else, Valentine's Day brought up a rise of economic activity for street vendors and other stores [Fr]:
Des supermarchés et des magasins spécialisés ont promu des offres spéciales et certains d’entre eux sont restés ouverts au-delà des heures régulières pour satisfaire ou stimuler la demande.
Sur la place Saint Pierre de Pétionville, des vendeurs de fleurs n’ont pas cessé de proposer aux automobilistes et aux passants leurs bouquets de roses parfumées.
At place Saint Pierrein Pétionville, flower vendors kept offering car drivers and passers-by bunches of scented roses.
In this troubled period, it is quite difficult to address questions of love and sexual relationships between people and Haitipressnetwork gave a glimpse of the issue in the same post, with this poll [Fr]:
Pour ce qui des relations intimes, notre enquête a révélé que certains couples font l’amour malgré la promiscuité qui règne dans les camps. En effet, 25 % des personnes interrogées ont affirmé avoir eu des relations sexuelles avec leur partenaire. Cependant 8, soit 40 % indiquent qu’ils ne peuvent pas y arriver alors que 10 % affirment qu’ils n’ont pu communiquer que par téléphone, sans se voir.
The necessity to communicate with loved ones is also a point stressed by Alterpress in conclusion to the Valentine's Day post [Fr]:
Des amis et conjoints ont échangé des messages de Saint-Valentin à travers des SMS sur les cellulaires. « L’événement (du 12 janvier) me rappelle qu’il faut toujours dire aux êtres chers combien nous les aimons », lit-on dans un SMS. « On ne sait jamais ce qui peut arriver demain et il peut être trop tard », ajoute-t-il en soulignant que « ton absence laisserait un vide dans ma vie ».
Please visit Liliane Pierre-Paul's Flickr photostream about Haiti.

author: Fabienne Flessel


text:
India: Civic Sense And Liberty · Global Voices
Rezwan

Prerna at I Love Life.. So I Explore discusses about the phenomenon of the lack of civic sense of Indians inside the country as some make public nuisances completely ignoring the law.


text:
Iran: Bus Drivers Union Calls for Green-Labor Unity · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

In Ahwaznews, an Iranian blog we read [fa]:”Starting March 6, We the Workers of Vahed Company [bus drivers] Will Wage Acts of Civil Disobedience (or white strike) to Protest the Condition of Mansoor Osanloo in Prison. We Appeal to the Iranian People and to the Democratic Green Movement–of which we consider ourselves a small part–to join us by creating a deliberate traffic jam in all directions leading to Valiasr Square.”


text:
Italy: Realtime Video of Maierato Landslide · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Patrizia Venturino filmed and uploaded the video of the Maierato landslide where a whole hill slid down the slope in the province of Vibo Valentia in Calabria. The clear video shows as the citizens run away from the river of rocks, dirt and trees amid the shouts of the police and those at the scene.


text:
Kuwait: One Year, 188 Questions · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Yasmine Gamal, Egyptian blogger living in Kuwait, shares her 188 questions of the day (Q.O.D) she posted on her Facebook and Twitter accounts over the past year. She initially started this idea as a way to avoid the dullness of the status update or negativity and to start a conversation between friends.


text:
Lebanon: GeekFest Beirut · Global Voices
Layal Al Khatib

Jessica at the “Social Media Exchange(SMEX)” covered in this post the “GeekFest Beirut” event, which was held on Febraury 6th in the capital Beirut, where Lebanon’s online community emerged offline.

author: Layal Al Khatib


text:
Lebanon: Parking Stories  · Global Voices
Layal Al Khatib

Lebanese blogger Qifa Nabki shares two parking stories he has encountered recently in Lebanon.


text:
Pakistan: Let Reason Prevail · Global Voices
Rezwan

Marvi Sirmed at Baaghi discusses about the ongoing standoff between the judiciary and the executive and urges Pakistanis to keep their sanity intact and let the reason prevail.


text:
Palestine: Going to School  · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Mohamed Khaled, posted pictures for Palestinian students going to schools.


text:
Russia: 17-Year-Old Builds Popular Video Chat · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

The New York Times blogs [EN] about Andrey Ternovskiy, a 17-year-old Moscovite, inventor of popular random video chat Chatroulette.com.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


text:
Russia and Korea: Siberian Timbering · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Robert Neff from The Marmot's Hole blogs about Korea's role in the logging of Siberian timber, in particular how North Korean are working as slave loggers in Russia.


text:
Russia: What Happens To Suitcase In Airport · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

Blogger sergeydolya posted a series of pictures showing what happens to a suitcase after it's been checked in at Domodedovo airport in Russia.

author: Vadim Isakov


text:
Saudi Arabia: Beware of Flirtation Charges! · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Blogger American Bedu wrote about a new trend for flirtation in Saudi Arabia by sharing the PIN of Blackberry devices between boys and girls. She further mentions that the Commission to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice (Muttawa) are now learning about Blackberry and have been given the authority to apprehend young men and women on “flirtation” charges.


text:
Sri Lanka: Microfinance Making A Difference · Global Voices
Rezwan

Drew Kinder posts an encouraging story of Champika, an agricultural entrepreneur in the Kurenegala Distirict of central Sri Lanka, who availed collateral free micro-loan from BRAC and succeeded in achieving financial independence.


text:
Syria: Happy fifth birthday · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Sasa celebrates his 5th year blogging in “Syria News Wire” – a fresh, independent news from the streets of Damascus and beyond.