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Bangladesh: Rediscovering cultural roots, facing challenges and acknowledging successes · Global Voices
Rezwan

“How effectively a society is able to cope with the challenges it faces depend largely on its culture.”
Shahzaman Mazumder tries to find the cultural roots of Bangladesh and provides a good analysis on the Bangladeshis:
“Mostly fishermen, weavers, potters, and small farmers inhibited the territory that is today called Bangladesh, an extremely fertile delta. The many rivers and even more tributaries, marshes, and canals isolated communities and never allowed large indigenous political organization.
This isolation among apparently nearby communities is evident from the various dialects of Bangla. The fertile soil that allowed relatively easy living conditions was also an effective barrier assisting isolation-the people had no incentive to venture out.”
He then carries on to discuss the psychological traits of the Bangladeshis which include small horizon of thinking, non-aggressive, intellectual, social and submissive. The isolation in small communities had never helped develop complex institutions inside the region. Many Bangladeshi institutions, which are emulated from the West fail as they ignore these cultural properties and thus fail to succeed.
Being a populous country and limited resources are also the main drawbacks of the country. Utsay Dot Net lists the challenges average Bangladeshis face which definitely put them up for a record setting. And they still survive:
Can’t figure it out? Well this is a record we already hold, each and every one of us. The fact that we still survive and the population manages to grow everyday even though we consume so many toxic materials in our food everyday is a miracle. No other race of people can claim to stomach so many different types of poison and still live to tell about it. We rule…
Many Bangladeshis had the notion of looking down upon anything Bangladeshi. Dhaka explains:
When I was young (and it is quite far off and not as recent as I like to pretend), there was this distinct feeling in the air that “Made in Bangladesh” was somehow not good enough. Given two equally good choices between a Deshi and a bideshi (foreign) product, most of my generation would choose the bideshi one. Most of the time of course, we were given a choice between a far superior foreign product and a very mediocre MIB (Made in Bangladesh) product.
But now Bangladesh is pushing forward overcoming the hurdles and growing in confidence. From garments industry to personalized home pages, products made by Bangladeshis are setting their landmarks.
Bangladesh pretty much clothes the entire world (now). What we don't do is make Armani shirts. Maybe we do, but “they” put in the logo and reap the profits when our elites buy them.
…(Pageflakes) is a personalized home page, with different modules known as “flakes” allowing you to build it up from scratch and individualize it to your heart’s content.
What really got me interested is the fact that their Chief Technology Officer is (a) Bangladeshi. 3rd world view reports that 18 Bangladeshis currently work for it, while Patricia from Underdogs Fight Back tells us that 3 Bangladeshi engineers were the original core developers.
The blogger urges the Bangladeshi readers to consider Bangladeshi products over other foreign ones not only because they are competitive but also they make Bangladesh proud.

author: Rezwan


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Bhutan: Who’s happy here? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

For A Democracy on the notion of Gross Domestic Happiness, and if the ones who are really happy are the Wanghchuks.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Bosnia & Herzegovina: Miroslav Lajcak · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkanizer posts a lengthy and detailed post on the legacy of the outgoing High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina: “[…] an unrefined and unedited thinking about the departure of the old High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Christian Schwarz-Schilling) and the arrival of new HR – Slovakian diplomat Miroslav Lajcak.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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China: Luxurious Buildings and Shanxi Bricks  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

CCTV News investigation team asked the Tianya community to submit information concerning extravagant and luxurious building in China (zh). There were many submission. Cha Jing highlighted one of the comments: Without building all these, where to sell all those bricks (produced by slave labour) in Shanxi? (zh)

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: New Governmental Organization · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Lianyue criticized the local non-governmental organization in Xiamen for speaking against conscience and praising the PX project (a huge chemical factory campus) in an interview with foreign reporter (zh). He renamed the NGO into new governmental organization.


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China: Victims of slave labour · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Tan Weishan posted some photos of the victims of slave labour in Shanxi brick kiln, one of them lost his legs because of the supervisor abuse. He was dumped in the middle of the mountain in 2002. Eventhough he had won the court case and the brick kiln had to pay RMB490,000 compensation, for five years, the victim did not received a single penny. (zh).


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China: Western movies insulting Chinese? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chong translated Lu qui lu wei's commentary on the censorship of  Pirates of the Caribbean . The censorship department argued that Chow Yun Fat’s character (a Singaporean Pirate) in movies smears Chinese people’s image.


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Colombia: Outrage and Anger at FARC for the Death of 11 Lawmakers · Global Voices
Carlos Raúl van der Weyden Velásquez

Colombians woke up Thursday morning (June 28th) with some very bad news, even for such a troubled country. The ANNCOL news agency, known for publishing articles related to left-wing FARC rebels, posted a statement by the “Joint Western Command” where they claimed that on June 18th, 11 of 12 “deputies of the Valle assembly, who were taken in April 2002, died in the crossfire when an unidentified military group attacked the camp where they were located”. The 7:00 a.m. television newscasts started one hour earlier, devoting all their airtime to the story. Both ANNCOL and FARC websites were unaccessible all day long and remained that way until Friday morning.
Almost all Colombian bloggers and blog readers agree, despite FARC claims, that the lawmakers were murdered or executed, in order to blackmail the right-wing government into providing a safehaven in Florida and Pradera, Valle del Cauca department, and a “humanitarian exchange” of 60-high-profile hostages, including former presidential candidate Íngrid Betancourt and three Americans. At noon, President Uribe accused the FARC of killing the deputies, because according to him, “no rescue mission was underway. They were deliberately assassinated”. Quoted by Reuters, a local analyst for a pro-Uribe think tank said “the most likely scenario is the camp was being attacked by an illegal paramilitary group and that the FARC executed the hostages”.
Camilo Mosquera “congratulates” FARC [ES]:
Felicidades a las FARC, les liberan a 180 guerrilleros y a su cónsul […] Granda y responden secuestrando al comandante de policía de Pradera. Felicitaciones a las FARC por matar a 3 personas y amedrentar a las población de Buenaventura. Felicitaciones por matar a los 11 diputados. Felicitaciones por que cada día los odiamos más. SON UNOS HIJOS DE PUTAS TERRORISTAS.
Congratulations to the FARC, 180 of their guerrillas and their consul [Rodrigo] Granda are freed and they respond by kidnapping Pradera's police commander. Congratulations to the FARC for killing 3 and intimidating the people of Buenaventura. Congratulations for killing the 11 deputies. Congratulations because everyday we hate you even more. YOU'RE TERRORIST S.O.B.'s
Thilo Hanisch Luque [ES] slams France's government (Sarkozy asked Uribe late May to free Rodrigo Granda and other guerrillas) and praises one of Uribe's proposals in order to clarify this crime:
Lamentable e infame la actitud del gobierno francés, que madrugó el día de hoy a pedir que no se intentara el rescate militar del resto de sobrevivientes secuestrados. […] La propuesta de que sea una comisión internacional de médicos y técnicos forenses la que investigue los graves delitos, muy seguramente servirá para establecer lo que los colombianos ya intuimos por experiencia, pero algunos de los “demócratas” europeos se niegan a aceptar: las Farc son un grupo terrorista, punto. Y con terroristas no se negocia, ¿o sí?
It's deplorable and vile the attitude of the French government, which hurriedly asked the [Colombian government] not to try the military rescue of the rest of the surviving hostages […] The proposal of a international doctors and forensics commission to investigate these grave crimes will surely be useful to show what we Colombians already know by intuition, but some European “democrats” refuse to accept: FARC is a terrorist group, period. And you don't negociate with terrorists, do you?
Junior Junior [ES] express his feelings to the families of the murdered hostages, but insists in a tough policy with FARC:
reitero, mi mas sentido pesame en este momento tan triste para las familias […], pero no acusen al presidente de algo que el no hizo, él no fue quien secuestro y no disparo a nadie, no permitamos que los errores del pasado los colombianos tengamos que soportarlo y no mas! a los malparidos de las Farc PLOMO y PLOMO! no hay consesiones con esas ratas que desangran al pais , es que acaso no se dan cuenta que los estan manipulando? porque hay que hacerle caso a unos malditos terroristas?
I insist, [I express] in this moment my deepest sympathies to the families [of the hostages], but don't accuse the president of doing something he didn't do, he wasn't the one who kidnapped [them] and he didn't shoot anyone, let's not allow that [because] the errors of the past we Colombians must stand this and enough! And SHOOT SHOOT the f***ing FARC! No concessions with those rats who bleed our country, don't you realize they're manipulating you? why should we take heed on some damned terrorists?
Julián Ortega Martínez angrily criticizes [ES] a press release by leftist Alternative Democratic Pole, intended to condemn the massacre:
[R]epugnante la tibia “condena” del Polo Democrático Alternativo de los hechos. ¿Por qué ni siquiera mencionan a los hijos de puta de las FARC? Después quieren que la ultraderecha fanática de la rata Fernando Londoño […] no los llame “brazo armado” de las escorias, con esa maldita posición ambigua y estúpida. Pero eso sí, al “sociólogo” Jhonson Bastidas le publican ligerito una basura de apología al delito y al terrorismo, en el que se le recrimina al PDA (o al menos a un sector del mismo) el rechazar a Tirofijo y sus asesinos. Este hampón, que no es ningún “fulano”, debería estar tras las rejas.
It's disgusting the half-hearted Alternative Democratic Pole's “condemnation” of what happened. Why they didn't even mention FARC S.O.B.'s? And then they want the ultra-right-wingers fans of Fernando Londoño (a controversial politician and columnist) to call them the “armed branch” of the FARC. But they  quickly publish a trashy apology of the crime and terrorism by “sociologist” Jhonson Bastidas, where he reproaches PDA (or at least one of its factions) for rejecting Tirofijo and their killers. That criminal, who's not an unknown, should be behind bars.
In centre-left equinoXio digital magazine [ES], Marsares casts several doubts about the FARC statement and the circumstances in which the lawmakers may have been murdered. In a comment, Mornatur [ES] slams the relatives of the hostages for serving the FARC's unknowingly dark intentions:
El comunicado sale, aún sin confirmar, y de inmediato salen los familiares de los diputados presuntamente – en ese momento – muertos – lanza en ristre contra el gobierno a EXIGIR (se les reconoce la angustia, pero no se justifica la imbecilidad) el despeje de Florida y Pradera. Aparte del famoso correo electrónico, ¿qué otra comunicación tuvieron dichas personas con los terroristas? Parece claro que los criminales de las FARC no desaprovechan oportunidad para presionar el famoso despeje a través de las víctimas, mismas cuya posición ya parece a todas luces la misma de los guerrilleros, sin una luz de pensamiento ni de lógica hacia la verdadera naturaleza de los hechos, sin tener en cuenta que, como lo afirma Anmistía Internacional en su más reciente comunicado, la seguridad física de los retenidos es responsabilidad exclusiva de quien los retiene. Casi, casi pareciera que personas como Yolanda Pulecio están más interesadas en un puesto dentro del Secretariado que en un auténtico proceso de paz.
The statement is published, without a confirmation, and the relatives of the -then- allegedly dead deputies come out and instantly attack the government to DEMAND (you can understand the anguish, but you can't justify such a stupidity) the Florida and Pradera safehaven. Besides the famous e-mail, what other communication did those persons have with the terrorists? It seems clear that the FARC criminals can't waste any chance to press for the famous safehaven through their victims, the same whose position is clearly becoming the same of the guerrillas, without any rational thinking or logic through the true nature of the facts, without taking into account that, as Amnesty International claims on its most recent press release, “their physical security remains the responsibility of the group holding them”. It almost seems that people as Yolanda Pulecio (Íngrid Betancourt's mother) are more interested in a post inside [FARC's] Secretariat that a true peace process.
Italian blogger Doppiafila compares [IT] Betancourt with the murdered deputies:
In Colombia i “Diputados del Valle” sono ancora più carichi di significato di Ingrid Betancourt come simbolo del sequestro. Un po’ perché in molti dicono che Ingrid “se l'è cercata”, andando a visitare San Vicente del Caguán mentre la zona era sotto controllo guerrigliero (e nonostante questi avessero pre-annunciato la loro intenzione di rapirla se fosse andata), mentre i 12 sono stati davvero portati via dal loro mondo; un po’ perché l'operazione militare del rapimento fu un tale smacco per le Forze dell'Ordine colombiane da motivarle ancora di più a dare un happy ending alla vicenda; un po’ perché i familiari dei sequestrati (ora: delle vittime) erano riusciti a mobilizzare i media e l'opinione pubblica nazionale. Vedremo cosa succederà.
In Colombia the “Valle deputies” are even more meaningful than Íngrid Betancourt as a symbol for kidnapping. It may be a little because a lot of people say Íngrid “asked for it” by visiting San Vicente del Caguán when that area was under guerrilla control (and even though they had announced their intentions of kidnapping her if she went), while the 12 were actually taken away from their own world; a little because the military operative for the abduction was such a failure for Colombian Forces of Order that it motivated them even more to give the incident a happy ending; a little because the relatives of the hostages (now: of the victims) were able to mobilize national media and public opinion. We'll see what happens.
Finally, Adriana [ES] blames us Colombians all owing our indolence:
Si Usted es colombiano tambien es complice de la muerte de los 11 diputados asesinados en vida hace 5 anos por las farc. Del señor Uribe por no tener la inteligencia, nobleza y humanidad para salvarlos. Somos complices por acomodarnos, por quejarnos sin hacer nada, por irnos, por quedarnos y aguantar con estoicismo hipocrita y deshumanizante. Que hacemos?
If you're a Colombian, you're also an accomplice of the death of the 11 deputies already murdered in life 5 years ago by FARC. Of Mr. Uribe for not having the intelligence, generosity and humanity to save them. We all are accomplices for adapting, for complaining without doing anything, for leaving, for staying and for tolerating with hypocritical and dehumanizing stoicism. What do we do now?
May Uribe's democratic security policy be revamped, despite of the announced cut by Democrat congresspeople on Plan Colombia? What about the parapolitical scandal? Meanwhile, Colombians live another bloody episode of the 40-year-long internal war which claims more and more victims everyday. This time, we seem united in rejecting FARC criminal actions but… will it be really useful?

author: Carlos Raúl van der Weyden Velásquez


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Cuba: What’s Important · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Babalu Blog reminds us of the important things in life.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Eastern & Central Europe: Feral’s Back; Czech Lustration · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Illyrian Gazette posts an update on the fate of Feral Tribune (it's back and financially secure), and writes about lustration and music in the Czech Republic.


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Ecuador: Palms for Life Brings Computers to Elementary Schools · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

On its blog, the non-profit organization Palms for Life announces a partnership with Mercy Corps that will bring 200 computers to 37 elementary schools in Ecuador.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Egypt: GVO Wins Praise · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Global Voices Online has been cited by Baha'i Faith in Egypt for linking to it and for “reporting on several other pressing human rights issues in Egypt.”

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Grenada: Three of “13” Set Free  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Notes From The Margin is appalled that three of the Grenada 13 who executed former Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and members of his Cabinet in 1983 have been set free.


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Guyana: Carbon Credits  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The tee vee does keep me company while I embroider, but if I switch it off and listen to them voices in me head instead, I can get credits for that?” Guyana-Gyal wants to find out more about how the Carbon Credits system works.


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Hungary: Bilingual Education · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

N.Irish Magyar writes about Hungary's minority languages and bilingual education.


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Iran:Blogger got filtered · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Freekeyboard says[Fa] Blogger got filtered,The blogger adds it is very shameful that when people who are involved with filtering say we are just doing our job!

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Persepolis pulled from Bangkok Film Festival  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Cityboy informs us that the Bangkok International Film Festival dropped Marjan Satrapi's prize-winning animated movie,Persepolis.The blogger says Iranian embassy in Thailand announced that Festival managers responded positively to a  request from the Iranian Embassy in Bangkok.The movie follows Satrapi's life through the 1979 Islamic revolution,war and mass executions.


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Iran: Rushdie and Bin Laden · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohmmad Ali Abtahi,blogger and former vice president criticised both Queen Elizabeth and Islamists for attributing titles to Salman Rushdie and Osama Bin Laden. The Queen made Salman Rushdie a Knight and some Islamists call Bin Laden, Seifallah, God's Sword.


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Japan: Distance between NHK and Government  · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

The recent appointment of Komori Shigetaka, who is a close acquaintance of PM Abe Shinzo,  as an NHK's management committee member has raised a controversy over the possibility of the government's intervention in public broadcast. Blogger Miepong draws on and analyzes discussions in the Japanese blogosphere as well as mainstream media and shares her thoughts on the issue.

author: Hanako Tokita


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Japan should work with China to tackle photochemical smog problem · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

Some scientists have been arguing that air pollution in China is responsible for increased incidents of photochemical smog in Japan. Kaz points out Japan's responsibility as a nation which suffered its own pollution in the past and says that Japan should build a good working relation with China in order to tackle this issue, rather than pointing the finger at China.


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Japanese Enlist for Billy’s Boot Camp · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Billy's Boot Camp has hit Japan, and Japanese bloggers are talking all about the show's star, Billy Blanks.  Athlete of the year in the USA Karete Hall of Fame and actor in a number of American action-adventure feature films, Blanks has now brought his show to Japan, where it is making the rounds of local TV stations, drawing reactions from bloggers and, among other things, spawning parodies.
At the bootcamp blog, a promotion for Billy's Boot Camp titled “You can make it by this summer with Billy's Boot Camp!” (ビリーズボートキャンプなら夏に間に合う！) goes:
たたみ一畳分のスペースがあれば簡単に取り組めるので、季節を問わずエクササイズできるのが「ビリーズボートキャンプ」ですが、一番ダイエットへの需要が増える季節と言ったら、やはり夏です！
薄着になったり、水着になったり・・・肌やスタイルを露出する機会も増える時期ですので、まだ自分の理想の体型になれていない方は、急いでカラダを絞りましょう！
もう時間がないから短期間で一気にカラダを絞りたい方は、ビリーズボートキャンプで短期集中ダイエットに取り組んでみませんか？
For those people who do not have much time and want to streamline their body all at once, why don't you take the intensive Billy Boot Camp Diet?
自宅のちょっとしたスペースでできるプログラムですが、
かなり運動量も多いので、ちゃんと1週間続ければ効果が期待できます！
今まではジムやプールに通っていたけど、あまり効果がなかった・・・。
でも、ちゃんと効果が発揮されるから、今はビリーズボートキャンプだけで大丈夫！
なんていう風に感じている人も結構多いようですよ？
Up until now, I was going regularly to the gym or pool, but there wasn't much effect…
But now I can really see the effects — with only Billy Boot Camp everything is okay!
I think there must be a lot of other people who have felt the same effects.
撮影時期が近くて、急いで身体を絞らなければならないハリウッド俳優なども、
これを利用することで無事に撮影に間に合ったりしている程だそうです。
ぜひあなたもビリーズボートキャンプに入隊してみませんか？
Blogger Pinki comments:
最近テレビをつけると、毎日のようにビリーさん登場して朝からハードに決めています。そう、今話題のビリーブートキャンプですね。
もうご存知の方もいらっしゃいますでしょうが、このビリーさん、五年前だったか「タイボー」というビデオを出しておりまして、その時購入し、とてもお世話になりました。毎日汗だくになりながらヒャッホーと気合を入れてテレビの前で一緒に体を動かし、なんとも楽しい日々でした。
I'm sure there are already people who know about this, but 5 years ago Billy released a video called “Taebo”. I bought the video at that time, and it really helped me out. Every day I got psyched up and sweat as I exercised in front of the TV; those were very fun days.
そしてそれを友達に勧め、ビデオを貸し、そして二度と帰ってくることは無く、もうビリーさんに会うことが出来ないのかと肩を落としていたのです。
しかし、ビリーさん帰っていらっしゃいました。
ビリーブートザキャンプと名を変えて。なにやら器具を使う辺りが、タイボーの強化版、更にスケールアップして帰ってきたビリーさん。おかえりなさい。
But finally, Billy returned!
The name was changed to Billy Boot Camp. This is the enhanced version of Tae bo, with some kind of equipment to go with it. Billy returned scaled-up. Welcome back.
Blogger Dion, however, was not as impressed:
踏み台運動やったあとビリーズブートキャンプやってみました。夜中だったので音小さくして。感想。。。　全然きつくない。つーか昔「タイボー（またはタエボー）」をやっていたような達成感がなく、えっ？それだけ？つまんなーいと思ってしまいました。どうも私のやり方が悪いようです。姿勢や動き方とかが悪くてうまく負荷がかかってない感じ。翌朝筋肉痛にもならないし（後日きたら笑うけど）。でも折角一ヶ月用セット入手したので続けてみます。
Finally, blogger nekoyama adds a touch of sarcasm with a post entitled “Billy will help you lose weight” (そりゃ〜　ビリーは痩せるよ):
だって、きつい運動一週間とか続けるんでしょ？
普段何もしてないヒトなら痩せなきゃおかしい。
ｴｸｿｻｲｽﾞ方法というより、ビリーが受けたんですね。
アメリカ映画の中で、しごかれるアメリカ兵の役者さんに自分を重ねたり
できるとこがよかったんでしょう。
現象　とかいわれてますもんね。
運動を続ける、ということができないねこ山、ビリーがいても無理。
だいたい、DVDに叱咤激励されるのがイヤ。
しかも、あんなに足上げれる空間が部屋に残ってません。

author: Chris Salzberg


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Jordan: Friday Blues  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Naseem Tarawnah battles his Friday blues in this post.


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Kuwait: Best Shoes · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwaiti women are showing off their best shoes in these links – here, here and here.


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Lebanon: Civil Marriages  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Lebanese Failasoof announces that civil marriages are the way forward in Lebanon.


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Lebanon: Legends of St George  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Lebanese Laila Abu Saba shares her research on St George in this post.


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Libya: Blogger Back in Action  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Libyan blogger Highlander announces her come back after being AWOL for a while. She also gives us a few sneak previews of what was happening on her blogosphere.


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Libya: Day of Confrontations  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Khadija Teri from Libya tells us about her day of confrontations – and how she stood up for her rights.


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Pakistan: Enroute to Attock Fort · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan with a tragic story from 1922 as a train carried prisoners to Attock Fort.


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Palestine: Daily Misery  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian Haitham Sabbah posts videos produced and published by B’tselem (The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories) showing the misery Palestinians undergo.


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Palestine: What’s Going On in Gaza? · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

People around the world are becoming fed up with their portrayal in the international major media.  It should come as no surprise then, that blogging has become one of the most legitimate ways to learn about certain places.  Ramzi Khoury of Arabisto says:
In this day and age communications can turn the devil into angel and beat the angel to a pulp. Under the hammer of a heavy propaganda machine supported by international networks even “legitimacy” becomes so elastic that it is no longer visible!
It is with this in mind that we venture this week into the Palestinian blogosphere, to see what's really happening on the ground.  With the situation in Gaza escalating (12 Gaza residents, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed by Israeli troops Wednesday (Guardian Unlimited), which some see as a direct attack on Hamas, which took control of Gaza two weeks ago (Newsweek).
Blogger tabula gaza ponders what will happen in Gaza:
The democratically elected Hamas government was doomed to failure when the world refused to recognize the last election outcome. Furthermore, as the former government dominated by Fatah was not willing to hand over authority over government institutions and security forces, Hamas was forced to carry out what was practically a coup d’etat in order to take its place as sole governing body of the Palestinians and thus be able to tackle the ever increasing lawlessness there.
Now, the new mini state of Gaza will fail, because the world will not allow it to succeed.
The blogger adds:
How long can Gaza survive while its civil servants are ordered to stay home by its Fatah leadership whom they are loyal to, yet which has deserted them? How long can Gaza go on with school teachers, ministry employees and policemen remaining in their homes? These should answer to their elected government and yet the oligarchy has illegitimized it and instated a puppet government, while international leaders follow suit.
Almanara Square, a blogger from Ramallah, shares his fears of the future:
Since Gaza became a war zone I feel as if all the boundaries have broken in Palestine. As if everything is allowed..
But have we forgotten that there are boundaries in this world?
And not everything is allowed?
How can Palestinian kill another Palestinian?
Is our goals have changed? Haven't we all hope for the same thing?
To be a responsible big nation? Is it not our goal anymore?
My big fear is that the “war” in Gaza will drip to the west bank, and even to ramallah my city.
I do have hopes that after the sharam summit the future will be much quieter and better..
but hopes and reality not always match…
Blogger Haitham Sabbah speculates on the media coverage:
We all believe that Hamas is doing whatever it can to starve Palestinians… Fatah/Abbas doing the same in different means… and all the other lies Israel dishes out… “Warnings of terror alerts” it gets us every time… Israel closed one crossing on this totally BS basis, and if all remains quiet on the media front, will soon close the other. The media? hey, “don’t ask, don’t tell”… when was the last time any reporter or network said “we aren’t allowed in” we report what we’re told?”
And Wassim from Maysaloon‘s sarcasm demonstrates just how fed up everyone is with the situation:
Some would say that the Arab ‘intelligentisa’ become deranged and narrow minded when it comes to discussing Israel. I can't imagine why they could possibly be like that. In other news, Tony Blair is now officially a ‘special’ envoy to the Middle East and, if you thought things couldn't get any better, Paris Hilton is now out of prison and she's also found God. Happy days.
Concern for the 3,500 Palestinian Christians in Gaza is also growing, as a Catholic convent and school were ransacked during Hamas’ sweep to power there (Houston Chronicle).  Yet Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneyya has promised Gaza's Christians safety (Voice of Palestine).  The blog Meanwhile in Palestine and Iraq reports:
Haneyya's affirmation came as he received priest Manuel Musallam of the Latin Church in Gaza Strip at his office in Gaza city, and stressed the importance of Palestinian Christians’ role in defending the Palestinian issue.
Although finding good news in the Palestinian blogosphere can sometimes be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, there was one item of news announced by Meanwhile in Palestine and Iraq that stood out:
This one goes under the category of alhamdulillah
Egypt has banned all female circumcision, the widely-practised removal of the clitoris which just days ago cost the life of a 12-year-old girl in the country.
Creative Commons licensed photo of Gaza City by excauboi

author: Jillian C. York


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Peru: New Video Website Portal · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Juan Arellano is excited over a new website called Enlace Nacional [ES] that pulls together videos with a Peruvian focus.


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Poland: BBC on Lustration · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Dr. Sean's Diary links to a BBC program on “on lustration and decommunization issues in Poland.”


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Russia: Chechen “Daimohk” to Perform in the U.S. · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Daimohk, a children’s dance group based in Grozny and trained by the former first dancer of the Chechen national theatre, will be visiting the US for their first ever tour there,” A Step At A Time reports.


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Russia: Rewriting History · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Kosmopolit blogs about Putin's attempts to re-write Russian history.


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Russia: Sochi-2014? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Inside Krasnodar is “waiting with baited breath” for the July 4 announcement of the winner of the 2014 Winter Olympics bid: “Apparently the city of Sochi is also gearing-up for the announcement by declaring the 4th and 5th of July as holidays and preparing to have a free concert with fireworks.”


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Russia, Sweden: Lavrov and Georgian Wine · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Vilhelm Konnander reports that the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov was drinking Georgian wine banned in Russia during his recent visit to Sweden.


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Serbia: Bad TV · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Time to do something about the state Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS): Anegdote is considering the options.


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Sri Lanka: Pavement For Pedestrians · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Sampath's Mindspace has had it with pavements being used by everyone by pedestrians.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Short Term vs. Long Term · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“In a world where everything happens faster, are we as a species focused more on short term success than long term success?” KnowProSE.com explores the question.


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Tunisia: Dead Phone  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Eman, from Tunisia, lashes out at the telecom services in her country after her land line has been dead for two months.


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Tunisia: Survey of Arab Journalism  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Or Does it Explode links to an article by Tunisian writer Kamel Labidi, who “surveys the state of journalism in the Arab world and offers a less-than-optimistic assessment.”


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Ukraine: A Spanish Embassy Ordeal  · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

In an ideal world, there'd be no need for travelers to waste their time and money obtaining visas: buying a plane ticket and booking a hotel room would suffice. Thanks to various international treaties and conventions, there's a fair number of visa-free oases – though, unfortunately, many people all around the world are still doomed to wait in embassy lines and have their passports stamped with visa denials.
Among the unlucky ones are those citizens of Ukraine who wish to travel to what's widely considered “the West.”
Tanya Kremen, a Ukrainian journalist, studies Spanish but feels that a plane ticket to Latin America costs too much. So she decided to go to Spain. She had a valid Schengen visa – unlike the two of her friends who wanted to go along.
What follows is a translation of the story of their frustrating visit to the Spanish Embassy in Kyiv (RUS), posted by Tanya on her blog at Korrespondent.net on June 25:
Have you ever tried to go to Spain? This wonderful, sunny country with friendly people, sandy beaches and delicious food?
No, I don't mean going through a travel agency, but on your own, developing a route, booking hotel via internet, buying tickets – and, a trifle, obtaining visas.
Give it a try.
[…]
I happen to have a valid Schengen visa, but two of my friends (let's call them Vova and Dima, because these are their names) don't. So what's the problem, you'd think – don't we live in Ukraine, a country bordering the European Union, a country aspiring to European integration. Vova and Dima, who've been to various European countries more than once, gather all the required paperwork and at 10 A.M. arrive at the Embassy of Spain to apply for their visas.
One of them is a commercial director of a large trading company, the other is the external relations director at an equally large company. They've downloaded their applications form from the embassy's internet site and filled them out, they have all the documents that are listed on the embassy's site. Earlier, they paid 35 hryvnias [$7] at the Call Centre and were assigned the time – a date, 10 A.M.
For starters, they find out at the embassy entrance that the preliminary sign-up at the Call Centre has nothing to do with the way things really are, because those people who were signed up for 9 A.M. are still awaiting their turn. And you have to get in line – into the crowd, that is – and it's not allowed to stand in front of the embassy's windows – because the consul doesn't like it when the view is blocked – and that's why one has to mix with the crowd at some distance.
Vova and Dima stand in the crowd by the embassy and await their turn. [When it arrives], the guard, one of whose responsibilities is, in his own words, to “yell,” would yell, “ATTENTION!” and then announce in a thundering voice the last names of those whose turn it is to enter – shamelessly distorting these names.
They stand there, smoke, chat – because there's nothing else to do there – and after about an hour and a half of waiting under the burning Kyiv sun, the guard cries out their last names. They come inside and find themselves in a room of 20 square meters, where about two dozen people sit and wait for their appointment. A receptionist girl […] and a guard keep them company. There's no air to breathe in the little room, because they've chosen not to spend money on air conditioning, and this is why [the receptionist] asks the guard in a seductive voice: “Misha, open the door, let them breathe,” and then, in half an hour, “Misha, enough of breathing, close it.” The waiting has to be done in silence and without smiling – at least this is what the [receptionist] says. “Everyone stay silent while I speak,” she addresses the public. “I don't recommend laughing here,” she says strictly to Vova and Dima, who are giggling nervously.
In this friendly atmosphere, Vova and Dima spend an hour and a half more, and then they are finally allowed to approach the window where they have to submit applications and the money – exactly $46 each, and only in new bills. By the way, since $46 is a somewhat uneven sum, most local currency exchange points have long ago run out of small dollar bills.
They give their papers to a blond girl […], and she, having barely glance at them, asks patronizingly:
- Tell me, how long have you been sitting here?
– Three hours, – reply Vova and Dima honestly.
– Then you had plenty of time to study the right way of filling out the application! – the blond switches to yelling and throws the papers back.
The papers fly apart like a fan, but Vova and Dima make a peaceful attempt to find out what exactly it was that annoyed the girl like this.
- Excuse me, but could you introduce yourself? – Vova asks.
– We were taught not to introduce ourselves! – replies the girl haughtily […].
– But still, what's wrong with our papers? – Vova and Dima try to find out.
– I'm not an inquiry office. We aren't answering questions here, – the girl utters a classic line of a Soviet bureaucrat.
This prompts Vova and Dima to insist on speaking to the girl's bosses. The boss does come out – a Spanish employee named Cesar – but the result of their talk is that Vova and Dima are told to go back to the reception and fill their forms anew. They try to explain that they got the forms from the embassy's site, and Cesar says the following: “This site is in no way related to the embassy. It was created by the ministry of foreign affairs of Spain. Go ask them.”
Rather exhausted but still eager, Vova and Dima return to the reception. They take new forms and try to understand how different they are from their forms – because the papers are absolutely identical. After a while the receptionist […] takes pity on the obtuse ones and explains: the forms are printed out on two separate sheets of paper, and the correct way is to have them printed on both sides of one sheet.
And so, five and a half hours since their appointment time, Vova and Dima fill in the forms, return them to the blond and pay the money. Then blond informs them that they may call in two weeks (!) to find out whether they'd be given their visas or not and whether any more paperwork is required of them.
- And what if we aren't given visas? What happens with the money then? – asks Vova.
– The money remains at the embassy, – the blond replies.
– What for? – asks Vova.
– For having us talk to you, – the blond explains politely.
After this, Vova and Dima – tired, having missed all their meetings, having killed the day to submit a visa application – walk out of the embassy and stage a tiny protest: they sit down with their backs to the embassy building and smoke. Soon, the guard runs out in panic:
- What are you doing??
– We are protesting, – Vova and Dima say.
– What do you mean you're protesting? – the guard is taken aback.
– We'll hold a hunger strike here, right by your windows, – Vova and Dima say.
The guard shrinks and then asks cordially:
- I understand you, but I'll have problems. Please.
And Vova and Dima leave.
Do you think it's a singular case? It's not. How about a refusal to accept papers because of a smiling face on a photo? (the French embassy). How about a refusal to issue a two-week business visa – because, according to the consul, one week is perfectly enough for business negotiations? (the Austrian embassy). How about a refusal to issue a visa because… Who knows because of what. A consul of a European state is not obliged to explain why he doesn't want to give you a visa. He doesn't owe anything to anyone. He doesn't even have to be polite.
Polite? With Ukrainians? With these third-rate citizens? Oh please.
There are 66 comments to this post so far. Some readers offer practical tips, others share their own stories of dealing with embassies. A few people suggest that Tanya should instead travel to a country that issues visas on arrival at the airport – a country like Turkey or Jordan. Some appear angry with the Spaniards – and with Western Europeans in general, but theirs is clearly a minority view on this blog: most readers agree that the problem is, above all, with the embassies’ unqualified and rude local staff. Here's what Tanya Kremen writes on this:
[…]
And I do like the country. I've been there already. A good country, and the people are good.
Only the embassy is brainsick.


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Ukraine: Erotic Symbolism in Folk Songs Lecture · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Ukrainian Diaspora ethnologist will give a lecture in Kyiv on Aug. 25 on the erotic symbolism in Ukrainian folk songs, Nash Holos reports.


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Ukraine: Lviv Coffee and Food · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Olechko prepares to spend August in Lviv: in this post, she writes about the newly-discovered local coffee houses and restaurants.


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Ukraine, Russia: Serhiy Taftay’s Guitar · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

uaMuzik tells the tale of one Ukrainian musician's legendary guitar.


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Discovering the Mozambican blogosphere through the “Diary of a Sociologist” · Global Voices
koluki

While navigating around the Mozambican blogosphere, I came across the “Diary of a Sociologist” – a blog by Carlos Serra, a Maputo-based Mozambican sociologist associated to the University Eduardo Mondlane, the country’s public university. It has, therefore, the potential to offer an interesting mix of personal commentary and academic observation, within a grid of, as he puts it, “a bit of everything: sociology (specially rapid-intervention sociology), philosophy, day-to-day, profundity, superficiality, irony, poetry, fragility, strength, myth, exposure of myths, emotion and reason.”
From its current offerings I’ve decided to pick a curious comparative analysis of the political stances of recently-elected French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Mozambican President, Armando Guebuza. Presented in four parts, the analysis begins with a straightforward question, “Is there any affinity between the political programs of Presidents Sarkozy and Guebuza?”, to the answering of which the next three parts are devoted. So it goes:
Sarkozy and Guebuza
São dois presidentes de países diferentes, de continentes diferentes, com histórias diferentes, com problemas certamente, eles-também, diferentes ou, pelo menos, de coeficientes de extensão e de intensidade diferentes. Mas ambos vivem numa mesma época e esta época pode dotar histórias diferentes com um fio condutor político do mesmo teor, com um magma semântico da mesma intensidade. Quando estive recentemente em Paris procurei estudar o programa eleitoral do presidente Sarkozy. Tentei, mesmo, recuar um pouco até à altura em que ele foi ministro do Interior do governo de Jacques Chirac. Depois dei por mim a encontrar nos temas políticos de Sarkosy um eco dos temas de Guebuza. Como se, vejam lá, Sarkozy fosse o Guebuza francês. E, se quiserdes que eu diga as coisas com o humor doce da nossa terra, ambos em luta contra um certo deixa-andar. Presidentes de capital simbólico forte, de aura carismático, com uma traça populista imediata, ambos se identificam em temas como o trabalho, a família, a unidade nacional, a ordem e a segurança.
Sarkozy e Guebuza (2)
Sarkozy and Guebuza are two Presidents of different countries, different continents, with different histories, with problems, certainly, themselves also different or, at least, of different coefficients of extension and intensity. Yet, both live in the same era, an era that can endow different histories with a common political thread, with a semantic magma of the same intensity. When I was recently in Paris, I tried to study President Sarkozy’s electoral program. I tried, even, to go back a little to when he was Home Affairs Minister of Jacques Chirac’s government. Then, I found myself discovering in Sarkozy’s political themes an echo of Guebuza’s. As if, imagine, Sarkozy were the French Guebuza. And, if you want me to tell things with the sweet humour of our country, both in fight against a certain deixa-andar (laissez-faire, laissez-passer). Presidents of a strong symbolic capital, charismatic aura, an immediate populist mark, both identifying themselves in themes such as work, family, national unity, order and security.
Sarkozy e Guebuza (2)
Homem de direita, Sarkozy não hesitou, porém, na campanha eleitoral para a presidencial francesa, em surpreender os seus adversários apontando como seu guia político o comunista italiano António Gramsci. “É com ideias que se ganha o poder” – afirmou. Não estou certo de que a frase seja gramsciana (e mesmo que seja não representa a linha dorsal do pensamento político de Gramsci), mas o importante é que Sarkozy citou o homem cujo cérebro (recorde-se, a talhe de foice) era necessário “impedir de pensar por vinte anos” na óptica do fascismo italiano de 1926. E o fez numa estratégia plural, na qual a luta contra o que chamou imobilismo e inércia dos seus antecessores (o deixar-andar de Guebuza) devia fazer-se em múltiplas frentes de actividade. O Estado é fundamental, claro, mas há limites para aquilo que o Estado pode fazer. Os Franceses deviam estar claros de que a França que se levanta cedo e trabalha muito não podia tolerar mais a França que se levanta tarde ou que, mesmo, nunca se levanta e que dorme e nada faz. Era preciso que todos trabalhassem, que todos abandonassem o fatalismo e o costume da mão estendida, que todos acreditassem em si-mesmos * (recordemos a auto-estima do alfobre ideológico guebuziano). No nosso país, em recente presidência aberta (que é sempre uma antecipação eleitoral), não fustigou Guebuza a preguiça moçambicana, atribuindo-lhe a responsabilidade pela pobreza e pela fome que afectam muitos de nós?
Sarkozy e Guebuza (3)
A right-wing man, during the French presidential electoral campaign, Sarkozy didn’t hesitate, however, to surprise his adversaries by pointing as his political guide the Italian communist Antonio Gramsci. “It is with ideas that power is won” – he said. I am not sure that the phrase is ‘gramscian’ (and even if it is, it doesn’t represent the backbone of Gramsci political thought), but the important thing is that Sarkozy has cited the man whose brain (remember, forcefully) it was necessary to “prevent from thinking for twenty years”, according to 1926’s Italian fascism. And he did so within a plural strategy, in which the fight against what he called immobilism and inertia of his antecessors (Guebuza’s deixa-andar) ought to be taken in multiple fronts. The state is fundamental, of course, but there are limits to what the state can do. It should be clear to the French that the France that wakes up early and works hard could not tolerate anymore the France that wakes up late or, even, doesn’t ever wake up, sleeps and does nothing at all. It would be imperative that all worked, that all abandoned fatalism and the begging hand, that all believed in themselves (remember the self-esteem of the Guebuzian ideological agenda). In our country, didn’t Guebuza, during a recent ‘open presidency’ (which is always an electoral predictor), fustigate the “Mozambican laziness”, making it responsible for the poverty and hunger affecting many of us?
Sarkozy e Guebuza (3)
Temos assim um Sarkozy contra uma França preguiçosa, contra o assistencialismo, tal como temos um Guebuza contra o Moçambique preguiçoso à espera do Estado paternal. À busca da França sarkozyana gloriosa, antecipou-se Guebuza com a pátria amada e com a pérola do Índico. À família francesa unida de Sarkozy, pré-anunciou Guebuza a honesta família moçambicana. E múltiplos outros campos é possível encontrar identidades entre os dois presidentes. Por exemplo, no campo das alianças e da cooptação política. Se Sarkozy incluiu no seu governo ministros socialistas, Guebuza visitou o presidente do maior partido da oposição quando este foi hospitalizado na sequência de um acidente de viação e acaba de receber generais da Renamo descontentes com a sua situação profissional. Entretanto – e este é um ponto capital -, ambos os presidentes evacuaram e evacuam do seu discurso qualquer referência séria e sistemática à divisão e às assimetrias sociais. Se à divisão se referiram e se referem, situaram-na e situam-na em campos inócuos (divergências de visão, perspectiva psicológica, globalização, etc.). Não surpreende, assim, que a preguiça seja por ambos encarada como algo exterior a um sistema social determinado e surja como algo que tem inexoravelmente a ver com as pessoas em si. No caso de Sarkozy a defesa do inatismo (homossexualidade, por exemplo) foi constante. Ambos são dois bons líderes populistas no sentido do sincretismo político, da indeterminação e do minimalismo das orientações programáticas. Ambos oscilam entre uma orientação autoritária e uma deriva hiperdemocrática*. E assim termino estas breves notas, às quais dei o selo do imediato e das quais aboli deliberadamente a análise em profundidade.
_________________________
Leia Taguieff, Pierre-André, L´Illusion populiste, Essais sur les démagogues de l´âge démocratique. Paris. Champs/Flammarion, 2007.
Sarkozy e Guebuza (fim)
Thus we have a Sarkozy against a lazy France, against “assistencialism”, as well as a Guebuza against a lazy Mozambique awaiting the paternal state. In the search for the glorious Sarkozyan France, Guebuza anticipated himself with the beloved fatherland and the pearl of the Indic. To Sarkozy’s united French family, Guebuza pre-announced the honest Mozambican family. And in several other fronts it is possible to find identities between both Presidents. For instance, in the field of political co-optation and alliances. If Sarkozy has included socialist ministers in his government, Guebuza has visited the President of the main opposition party while he was in hospital following a traffic accident and has just received Renamo generals unhappy about their professional situation. Both Presidents made their discourse void of any serious or systematic reference to the social divisions and asymmetries. If they made, or make, any reference to the division, they placed, or place, it in innocuous contexts (divergences of vision, psychological perspective, globalisation, etc.). Both are good populist leaders in the sense of the political syncretism, indetermination and minimalism of their pragmatic orientations. Both oscillate between an authoritarian tendency and a hipper-democratic* derivation. And so I finish these brief notes, to which I gave the immediate stamp and from which I’ve deliberately abolished a profound analysis.
___________________
See Taguieff, Pierre-André, L´Illusion populiste, Essais sur les démagogues de l´âge démocratique. Paris. Champs/Flammarion, 2007.
Sarkozy e Guebuza (fim)

author: koluki


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Haiti: Laid-off Teleco Haiti workers compensated · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Collectif-Haiti-de-Provence writes about Haitian president Rene Preval's decision to compensate workers (Fr) who were illegally laid off from the state-owned telecom, Teleco Haiti.  The government plans on privatizing Teleco, a move that will undoubtedly bring violent demonstrations from those who stand to lose out, Collectif writes, but that those who will benefit should also demonstrate.

author: Jennifer Brea


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Iran: Protestors Torch Gas Stations · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Enraged Iranian protesters torched several gas stations in Tehran and other cities on Wednesday, after the Iranian government announced fuel rationing for private vehicles.
There is news item in Ilna [Fa], Iranian Labour news agency, reporting that people were killed in Yasouj, in southwestern Iran, during the protest. Iran is an oil-rich country, but it lacks refining capacity and must import about 40 percent of its gasoline. The protests have occurred mainly because the Iranian government has always subsidized gasoline, which is therefore very inexpensive. As a result, gasoline consumption in Iran is very high, and many depend on their cars to earn a living. According to the BBC, Iran is trying to rein in fuel consumption in anticipation of possible UN sanctions over the country's nuclear programme.
Many bloggers covered the event by publishing photos, video clips and — naturally — their opinions.
Fire, gasoline and videos
Here is one of the films about attacking a gas station that an Iranian citizen published on You Tube.
Sheyda has published several video clips showing angry protesters. The blogger claims to have made these films available for Iranians living abroad, because, due to filtering by the government, Iranians inside the country do not have access to the popular video-sharing site YouTube.
Shervingz has also published several photos of the outcome of government’s decison to ration gasoline: traffic jams, protests and torched gas stations.
The Spirit of Man says that
angry people have blocked the main highway in Tehran and several serious clashes have occurred in gas stations across the capital. The amount of anger among the people is such that police forces have refused to intervene in some parts of the city where roads are blocked and people have shattered the buildings’ windows.
Rooznamehnegarno, a blogger and journalist, says [Fa] that gas stations are being torched in Tehran. He says many people are just watching what is going on and photographing the events.
A disorganized government
Jomhour writes [Fa] that, according to the media reports, 80 protestors, or people who attacked gas stations, were arrested. According to Jomhour, certain conservative deputies in parliament and news sites have claimed these people were terrorists who were paid to destroy gas stations, a claim he calls ridiculous and irratonal. Jomhour says what we are witnessing is in fact a reaction to the government’s irrational decisions and its mismanagement. He adds that government should apologize for all damages that its decision created.
Razehno says [Fa] that, once again, the Iranian government has made an important decision overnight: the government announced the new system regading gasoline rationing and it resulted immediately in traffic jams and the creation of a black market. In Razehno‘s opinion, government’s surprise announcment was responsible for the rush to gas stations and created a lot of unrest among population.
Mohammad Ali Abtahi, the country's former vice president, says [Fa] that this event proves that, on one side, people lack confidence in the government, and, on the other, that the government is disorganized.
Our money in foreigners’ pockets
Shima says [Fa] that it's likely that one part of a proposition for new sanctions against the Iranian nuclear program was revealed, and imposing sanctions against importing gasoline would be a part of it. The blogger adds that the  Iranian government has spent billions supporting “terrorists” in Iraq, Lebanon or Palestine, but they refuse to spend money to construct a refinery. The blogger wishes Iranians could learn from the Turkish people, who marched against the Islamists instead of burning property that belonged to them.


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Korea: Media and Business · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

Last June, a reporter at a magazine, Sisa Journal, wrote an article related to Samsung. It was not a good story for the image of Samsung. Through friendship with Samsung and pressure from it, the magazine’s vice-president, who had a position as the president of a Samsung branch newspaper, asked the reporter to pull the article. As a journalist’ duty, the reporter didn’t follow the order and other editors also agreed with him. The next day, the journalist found the vice-president had deleted his article. After that incident, 28 journalists from Sisa Journal started strikes, including one-person demonstrations and hunger strikes, and demanded their right to make a fair magazine. Their activities have lasted one year. Major media (mostly conservative newspapers) didn’t share their comrades’ struggle. Without them, the magazine continues to be published regularly and Samsung has been still the major customer for advertisement.
The 26th of June this year, these 26 journalists announced the complete break-up with Sisa Journal with tearful eyes in public. They struggled for freedom of speech and their failure to persuade their magazine showed the power of capitalism. According to a poll, 61 percent of Koreans are not aware of this one year struggle. However, their battle has been supported by bloggers.
결국은 시사저널의 기자분들이 전부 그만두면서 이 사건은 끝이 났습니다.슬픕니다. 과연 언론의 자유란게 어떤건지, 돈이란게 뭔지, 권력이란게 뭔지 말입니다. 아.. 언론의 역할이 뭔지 정말 묻고 싶습니다.
아직도 저는 시사저널을 받아보고 있습니다. 하지만 뜯어 보지는 않습니다.그냥 비닐에 덮인채 차곡차곡 쌓여 갑니다. 가끔 아버지가 뜯어보신걸 보면 노무현을 비난하는 기사와, JES에서 제공받은 기사, 그리고 누가 썻는지도 모르는 ‘자유기고가'들이 쓴 정말 말그대로 ‘찌라시'한부가 집으로 매주 도착하고 있습니다.
제대로된 시사저널을 다시 받고 싶습니다. 오늘은 정말 슬픈날입니다.
Some bloggers also criticize other journalists who don’t support these 28 journalists at all.
오늘 한국의 기자들은 다 죽었는가? 시사저널 문제가 1년이 다 되어 간다는 보도를 접하고 착잡함을 금할 수 없다. 기자라고 하는 신분은 물론 사회의 지도층으로서 우리사회의 목탁 구실을 하고 있는 사람들 아닌가? 동료 기자들이 고군분투하고 있는 이 마당에 대선 때문에, 기자실폐쇄 때문에 정신없다 하더라도 어떻게 이런 상황을 지켜만 보고 있는가?
Not a few bloggers criticize relations between the press and capitalism.
한국사회는 이제 권력에 의하여 권력을 위하여 언론을 통제하던 시대는 지나갔다. 신자유주의 시대를 맞이하여 자본에 의한 언론통제가 본격화 되고 있는 그런 시대이다. ‘시사저널’의 문제는 기자가 작성한 기사가 자본에 의하여 통제되었다는 그 상징성에서, 또한 신자유주의 시대이기 때문에, 언론이라 하더라도 예외 없이 ‘이윤’을 위하여 기능해야 한다는 그 상징성에서, 함부로 포기할 수 없다.언론을 통제할 수 있는 세력은 자본 외엔 없다. 자본은 언론을 매수하고, 끊임없이 자본의 속성을 주입하고, 무한경쟁의 이윤추구로 내몬다. 기자들에게는 고임금과 신분보장이라는 혜택을 부여하면서, 자본은 언론과의 ‘타협’이 아니라 ‘복종’을 요구한다. 언론은 자본과 대립하기 보다는 자본의 눈치를 살피고, 자본의 이윤확보 기능에 도움을 주면서, 상부상조의 길을 찾는다. 물론 언론내부에서 목탁의 기능을 되찾기 위한 세력은 끊임없이 자본으로부터의 독립을 모색한다. 두 세력은 이제 시사저널에서 한판 대립하고 있다. 그리고 사실상 동료 기자들로부터의 관심을 뒤로한 채 일년의 세월이 흘렀다.
신자유주의 하에서 언론자유는 없다. 시사저널의 기자들이 굴복하는 날 한국 언론은 또 다른 치욕을 맞게 된다. 먹고살기 힘든 국민들로부터 지원을 얻고 싶다면 기자들 자신들이 시사저널 문제에 발 벗고 나서야 한다. 시사저널의 문제는 강성 노동조합의 문제가 아니며, 시사저널의 문제는 특권층 기자들의 도덕적 해이가 아니며, 시사저널의 문제는 권력에 의한 언론탄압의 문제가 아니다. 시사저널의 문제는 자본에 의한 언론통제이다. 한국의 기자들이여 만사 제쳐놓고 이 문제부터 해결하라. 자신의 문제조차 해결하지 못하면서 어떻게 목탁이 되겠는가?
There are already activities to make a new Sisa Journal with these 28 journalists. Some people have already sent their small donations to them to help. Bloggers, like gloridea, look forward to the new and authentic Sisa Journal.
…기자들이 파업에 들어갔단다…그들은 진짜 국민의 알 권리를 위해서 길거리에서 싸워야 했다….특히 말하고자 하는 것이 삼성이라면, 그것은 거의 불가능한 싸움에 가깝다. 회사 직원들을 동원해서 법원 주차장을 메워버리는 만행도 서슴지 않는 그들이 아니던가. 아니, 그러한 정도의 만행은 오히려 소소한 애교로 생각해줄 수 있다. 이제 삼성은 그야말로 ‘법 위의 존재'가 되어버렸다…세상 모든 일에는 사명감이 있어야 한다. 그러나 특별히 사명감과 더불에 바른 가치관을 가져야 하는 일들이 있다. 그중 으뜸에 속하는 것 중 하나가 바로 언론일것이다…
새로운 시사저널 창간을 후원하고자 한다.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Syria: Blogspot Unblocked · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

Sasa from the The Syria News Wire reports that the .blogspot domain has been unblocked in Syria, after many months of blocking all blogs on Blogger.com from being accessible from Syrian ISPs. It comes as good news to the blogsphere that has suffered immensely from the ban.

author: Yazan Badran


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Africa: 2007 AISI Media Awards · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and its partners are pleased to announce the 2007 AISI Media Awards,” writes the Nigerian blogger, Oro: “The Awards are aimed at individual journalists and media institutions based in Africa that are “promoting journalism which contributes to a better understanding of the information society in Africa.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Africa: Africa Cookbook Project moving forward · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

TEDGlobal 2007 in Arusha, Tanzania, gave birth to Africa Cookbook Project: “At TEDGLOBAL in Arusha, Tanzania in June, 2007, we launched the “Africa Cookbook Project,” whose goal is to archive African culinary writing and make it widely available on the continent and beyond. A database is being developed and copies of hundreds of cookbooks are already being catalogued at BETUMI: The African Culinary Network. Google has offered assistance in eventually digitizing some of the information.”


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Africa: mobile phones are Africa’s PC · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

White African sees mobile phones as the primary tool for web access in Africa: “Ever since I first heard someone mention that mobile phones were “Africa’s PC” I was hooked. I still am. My most recent trip to East and Southern Africa has done nothing but confirm my thoughts on the mobile platform as Africa’s connectivity device.”


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Rwanda: Rwanda, Knowledge Economy, and the East African Community · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Why is Rwanda's membership in the East African Community important to ICT practitioners in the region?: “This is because Rwanda was developing its ICT industry before its regional neighbours had an inkling of the potential and competitive edge ICT gives nations. Rwanda has a knowledge-based economy that is only matched in the region by Mauritius,” argues B.K. Muthoga.


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Africa: the Hippos are not relevant in Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Is the Hippo generation becoming relevant in Africa? Imnakoya responds:”The Hippos are not becoming irrelevant as Hash emphatically states in his post; they continue to dominate core segments of the African public sector! And will not be made to disappear just by the abundant passion and creativity the Cheetahs possess.”


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Alberto Fujimori: Arrested in Chile, Running in Japan, Dreaming of Peru · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

Alberto Fujimori, the former president of Peru now under house arrest in Chile, has surprised everyone with the announcement that he will run for the Senate in his motherland, Japan. Despite his future being in the hands of the Chilean Supreme Court, where he facing charges of corruption and human rights abuses, and while simultaneously holding out hopes of eventually returning to Peru to reclaim the presidency there, Fujimori has accepted an offer from the small People's New Party to run for a seat in the Upper House of the Japanese National Diet. Authorities in Peru and Chile, where he was intercepted in 2005, have said that the election in Japan will not affect any possible extradition order issued by the Chilean court.
Blogger I, Shingen expresses disbelief at the decision, writing that “It's like they don't even know him“:
We are all aware of the supposed crookedness of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, as well as the close ties he’s kept to his ethnic homeland, particularly as a means of staying away from Peruvian law. However, I did not think that a Japanese political party would be THIS foolish:
[…]
If Fujimori declares his candidacy, it is believed he will be the first former leader of a country other than Japan to run in a Japanese national election. PNP acting leader Shizuka Kamei, himself a senior Japanese politician, and Fujimori have known each other for a long time, and an aide to Kamei was sent to Santiago on Monday to visit Fujimori to make the election offer, the sources said. Kamei is believed to admire Fujimori’s political skills, seen in such accomplishments during his 10-year rule of Peru beginning in 1990 as resolving territorial disputes with Ecuador and rebuilding the Peruvian economy.
As one commenter at Japan Today wrote: “So even mass murderers are better than the LDP these days…”
Farty (that was his username, I kid you not) has a point. How can any political party think about calling up someone who is wanted for political corruption and extralegality in his previous constituency? While Kokumin Shintou (People’s New Party) are hardly a challenge for the LDP, that is really not the point. This is like (although to a lesser degree) David Cameron asking Augusto Pinochet to run for a constituency in the next general election…
I never cease to be astounded by Japanese politics. This is one example of why.
Japanese bloggers were near unanimous in their reactions to the former Peruvian president's plans. Blogger hikakun18 explains:
アルベルト・フジモリはペルー大統領として様々な犯罪行為を重ねてきた。２００３年に国際刑事警察機構（ＩＣＰＯ）は、日本滞在中の彼に対して国際逮捕手配書を発行した。その容疑は暴行、文書偽造、誘拐、人質行為、殺人、そして組織犯罪である。つまり彼は国際的に認知されたとんでもない犯罪者なのだ。その彼が「大統領時代の経験を生かし、私の両親のふるさと日本に恩返しをしたい」と嘯いている。
アルベルト・フジモリのように、危険で胡散臭く、独裁主義的で汚い人物が、事もあろうに日本で「国会議員」になろうとしているんだってさ。
このオヤジがペルーで滅茶苦茶やっていたのは周知の事実。日本国籍があるというだけでフジモリを贔屓にするのは間違っている。
日本大使公邸人質事件の時に、トゥパク・アマルの少年兵たちを殺した事件を忘れてはいけない。事実、その時に投降した犯人の射殺事件まで含めた「殺人罪」で起訴されているわけだしね。その他にも、汚職とか職権乱用、選挙違反、弾圧など、容疑を数えたらきりがないほど「ほぼ真っ黒」な人物をかくまう理由が私にはわからない。
We must not forget the incident in which he killed child soldiers of the Tupac Amaru in the occupation of the Japanese Ambassador's residence. In fact, he has been charged for murders, including the shootings of those who surrendered. On top of that, there was corruption and abuses of power, election fraud, oppression and so on. I really don't understand the reason for harbouring an “almost dark” person, who has an endless list of criminal charges.
Other bloggers point out the double-standard that the Japanese government has applied to Fujimori, who — unlike everyone else [Ja] — is allowed to hold dual (Japanese/Peruvian) citizenship. Blogger Megurie reacts with anger to this double-standard, concluding that Fujimori should not be allowed to run:
日本政府はフジモリ氏が日本国籍を保有していることを認めているらしいか、とんでもない話だ。日本人の男性との間に子どもを生んだ外国人女性やその子どもに対して、絶望的な扱いをし、国籍を認めていない日本政府が、絶対に日本国籍をもつ必然性のない人物に国籍保有を認めるなどということが、いかにおかしなことか。
国籍法では、外国籍をもっている人は、国籍を選択をしなければならないと規定している。そして、二重国籍状態にある人で、外国籍を選択した人は、日本国籍を失うことになっている。フジモリ氏はペルーの大統領であり、日本に住んだことなどまったくない人物であった。（前回の「亡命」のときまで。）戦前ペルーで出生児に親が日本国籍の留保をしたというだけのことであって、通常ニ重国籍を禁じている国際私法の規定や、日本の国籍法の規定からみて、フジモリ氏に日本国籍を認めることなどあってはならないことなのである。
したがって、フジモリ氏の立候補などは認めてはならないことだろう。
Therefore, Mr. Fujimori's candidacy must not be allowed.


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Colombia: Gay Pride Parades on July 1 · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

PISO TR3S [ES] does not understand the reasoning why Colombians from the gay community take part in pride parades and whether these parades help their cause in  gaining more rights.


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Indonesia: Introducing Tasa Nugraza Barley · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

A Fatih Sayud introduces Indonesian blogger Tasa Nugraza Barley in his latest post. Fatih Sayud considers Tasa Nugraza as an impartial and credible Indonesian blogger.

author: Preetam Rai


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Japan: Fingerprinting coming soon · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Turner at Keeping Pace In Japan writes about Japan's new fingerprinting system, set to commence in November of this year, which will apply to all foreign nationals entering the country.


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Kenya: crossing the Atlantic to learn social responsibility! · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Fikirte questions the central theme of the documentary, The Boys of Baraka: “I watched the documentary a few minutes ago and I was left with a big “Huh?” The boys crossed the Atlantic to learn from white Americans about some life-changing virtues in a remote part of Kenya. It really didn't make sense to me to take them all the way to Africa and show them the ways to be socially responsible…In the entire film, you don't see the kids interacting with Kenyans.”


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Liberia: we gave you power, give us education · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Liberia Stories writes about the protest by the students of the University of Liberia: “I was there in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, when hundreds of University of Liberia students took to the streets. They did it in support of their professors who are on strike until they get the 9 months of salary owed them.”


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Malawi: Upgrading the windmill made from local materials · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

William Kamkwamba, who built a windmill from local materials, writes about the work of upgrading the windmill and home power system:
“1. First we planned the locations of all the new lights, switches and power outlets.
2. Then, we installed conduit and lighting, switch and outlet boxes throughout the house. Where the wall was hard enough, we dug trenches in the walls to bury the conduit using a hammer and chisel.”


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Malawi: Windmill genius, burying the first lady, and other things Malawian · Global Voices
Steve Sharra

He made his first windmill when he was 14 years old, having dropped out of school due to lack of school fees in 2002. And until two weeks ago, he had never touched a computer before, let alone use email. This month he was the toast of an international technology conference in Arusha, Tanzania, where he shared the limelight with  Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Jane Goodall,Bono, Larry Page (the inventor of Google), among many famous names. The story of William Kamkwamba and his genius achievement is the highlight of this round-up of the Malawian blogosphere, in addition to a recent conference on VOIP; the recent death of Malawi’s first lady, Mrs Ethel Mutharika; returning on air after a year’s absence; defining white collar and armed crime; broadening solutions to problems of food security; and remembering forgotten nationalists. Herewith another round-up of the  blogosphere.
Boy genius and the windmill at the TEDGlobal conference
The most exciting phenomenon in the Malawian blogosphere, as I am writing, is the 19-year-old William Kamkwamba. Five years ago William dropped out of secondary school just after two terms due to lack of money for school fees. Visiting a nearby school library supplied by the Malawi Teacher Training Activity (MTTA), a USAID project, he one day found a book on how to make electricity using home-made materials, and today he has not only built a windmill that is attracting attention around the world, he was also given a standing ovation at the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference, held June 4-7 in Arusha, Tanzania. On his one-week old blog, which has already attracted comments from different parts of the globe, William describes how it all started with MTTA’s deputy chief of party, Dr. Hartford Mchazime, who was visiting one of his project’s schools, which turned out to be the one whose library William had drawn his original inspiration from. Dr. Mchazime brought journalists with him, and a story published in ’s The Daily Times was picked up by other newspapers and bloggers around the world. Here is how William describes what has happened in his life in the last few weeks:
Unbeknownst to me until about two weeks ago, Soyapi Mumba, a software engineer based in Lilongwe brought the article to the attention of Mike McKay, his colleague who writes a blog called Hactivate, and Mike posted on his blog about the story in the newspaper. I found out recently that several other people also wrote about my story on their blogs, too.
Two weeks ago I used a computer for the first time. I learned about Google and searched for “windmill” and “solar energy.” I was amazed to learn how many entries there were for both subjects. My friends showed me how to create an email address and now I am on Gmail. Now I am practicing sending and receiving emails when I have access to a computer.
Soyapi Mumba attended the TED conference in , and writes about the sessions at the conference, one of which featured William Kamkwamba:
Among these was a 3 minute Question and Answer session where the curator Chris Anderson asked William Kamkwamba questions regarding the Windmill he created for his home in ,  at the age of 14. Through the Questions with photos on the slides, William told his story which made people shed tears and later, give him a big applause and a standing ovation.
Mike McKay himself posted on his blog Hacktivate an entry after receiving an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) message from Soyapi from the conference site:
Remember William Kamkwamba and his homemade Windmill made from bicycle parts?
After I made that post, Emeka Okafor invited William to attend the TED conference in . Soyapi (who is also there) just irc’d me to say that William gave a presentation and received a standing ovation. People like Bono, Larry Page, and lots of other movers and shakers are there.
VOIP conference in Malawi
Still on technology, Clement Nyirenda describes how contrary to his fears, he was selected to attend a workshop on Voice over Internet Procol (VoIP)/SIP held recently in . While commending the instructor for a job well done, he voices his concerns that the future of VOIP in  remains uncertain as there is no clear policy on how the technology can benefit Malawians in rural areas:
On the other hand, it must be pointed out that although the workshop was a great success, the future of VoIP technologies in  is still unclear. In her opening address, the Minister of Information and Civic Education informed us that cabinet did not approve the initial VoIP policy because it did not specify the benefits of the technology for the rural masses. She challenged us to reshape the VoIP policy so that it addresses the concerns of cabinet. In light of this, most of us were of the impression that on the final day of the workshop, we would discuss the VoIP policy and the future of this technology in the country. But contrary to the general expectation, the workshop wound up without addressing these issues.
Feeling the airwaves again
Also bringing new technology know-how to  is Sweden-based blogger Victor Kaonga, GV author, home in  for the summer holidays. Victor is back on air at Trans World Radio, where the reaction from his listeners has been nothing short of amazing:
I am still humbled by the feedback from the audience. There are listeners from almost parts of ; rural and urban listening to the station daily. Of special surprise to me was the number of text messages that came during the regards programme this morning (Tiwale) where I read not less than 100 text messages in 40 minutes!
While traveling across Europe and various places in Malawi, Victor keeps a keen, observant eye on what he calls a “human right” that is also a part of human nature. He finds himself comparing public rest rooms, and discusses the differences in the fees one pays for this “right”:
I am seated at Oslo Central Station and wondering if indeed I have to part with 10 Norwegian Kronor (equivalent of 220 Malawi Kwacha) as toilet fee. In Malawi's cities of Blantyre, Mzuzu, Zomba and Lilongwe, toilet fees arrange between 5 and 30 Kwacha. In one place in Mzuzu, men pay more than women for reasons difficult to put online. To think of paying 220 Malawi Kwacha for using a toilet sounds and is too much for a Malawian who finds the amount enough for two return trips from Area 25 residential area to City Center.
Public rest rooms being not the only item Victors finds himself making comparisons about, he also discovers, while traveling, that the Internet is not as cheap in Europe as it is made to be, going by the exorbitant fees he had to pay in cafes in Finland and in Norway. Back to technology, Victor updates his readers on his progress in a global online course he has enrolled in, and how he has finally succeeded in making his first podcast.
Burying a first lady
As Victor covered in the last Malawi round-up, Malawi has been mourning the death of Mrs. Ethel Mutharika, the wife of the Malawian president Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika. Austin Madinga observes that despite everyone’s wishes that the recent death of ’s first lady would unite all Malawians, soon after she is buried Malawian politicians are at each others’ throats yet again
:
For the past few weeks following the death of the first lady, there were calls from various sections of society for the goodwill displayed around the funeral to continue. Plenty people also commented that good would come out of all of it. I was one of those hoping good would come out but somehow I was not optimistic.
Continuing on the topic of the death of the first lady, Kondwani Kamiyala uses the occasion of June 14, Freedom Day in , to reflect on the death of Madamme Ethel Mutharika and the pacifying effect her death has had on the country:
As I write, we are in a mourning period for our First Lady, Madame Ethel Mutharika, wife to Bingu wa Mutharika, our President. She succumbed to cancer, and a month’s mourning was declared.
During this period, the nation has known great unity. Bingu’s predecessor Bakili Muluzi cut off his trip to the  to attend Madame Mutharika’s burial on 9th June. The two have been at loggerheads since Bingu ditched Muluzi’s United Democratic Front (the party that ushered him to power at the 2004 elections) to form his Democratic Progressive Party. John Tembo, the opposition leader and leader of the Malawi Congress Party made a eulogy that praised the First Lady, while at the same time calling for continued unity. For once, it seemed even the rapists who have been making headlines for raping babies were so grief-stricken, since there was nothing about them in the press during this time. They had recovered a little bit of their senses, and were not out raping their granddaughters. For once, you would think Madame Mutharika’s call for the protection of the girl-child was making sense on them.
Also on the death of the first lady, Among The Trees praises her down-to-earth, non-flashy character:
She gave selflessly and sought no accolades. Not for her the prominent fashionista image more commonly associated with the wives of other national leaders. Hers was the more typical mother/grandmother/friend/counselor/teacher role. She led by example and this drew people to her. Her husband implicitly trusted her judgement particularly on the public podium as can be evidenced by an anecdote in Ko's tribute to her Even in our internecine local politics none sought to malign her character and rarely was she spoken of.
‘Penned or Armed Crime’: what’s the difference?
We move away from the sad story of the first lady to a daily concern amongst Malawians and people everywhere. KwathuNetwork waxes poetic and asks who does more damage, white collar criminals or armed robbers: The blogger provides an own answer:
Regardless of the situation, they are guilty of the same kind of crime…robbing the innocents. The armed robber with a gun and the pen robber with a stroke of a pen steal millions of Kwacha, all in effort to maintain their fallacious lifestyles. They both love the glamorous dinner dance and to fully participate or host such events, they must have the wherewithal to afford it. If compromising their integrity and mortgaging their conscience is what it takes, they gladly embrace it. If ruining the lives of millions is what it entails, they willingly accept it. If siphoning the financial resources or killing the manpower of the nation is the only option, they adopt it.
Feeding the nation
And contributing to the discussion on how to sustain the bumper harvest  has registered this year, Soka Liyenda writes about how to more broadly deal with food security problems in the country:
The solution to food insecurity is like a puzzle, different pieces coming together to reveal the bigger picture. In my opinion food insecurity requires an integrated approach. Policy makers overlook education, and health, vital issues necessary to solve food problems. We live in a rapidly changing environmental, economical and political change. We have to continue updating and advancing to keep up with the rest of the world. If anything for food insecurity the principal focus should be on education. With education comes new perspectives and a better frame of mind to implement new techniques and to understand new technologies.
Remembering the heroes
Lastly, Malawi Politics writes about Malawian nationalists who led the struggle for ’s independence, listing such names as Dunduzi Chisiza, Kanyama Chiume, and Atati Mpakati, a Malawian who was called a dissident by the Banda regime, and was killed by a letter bomb in ,  , in 1983. Malawi Politics writes:
It is widely suspected that the parcel was sent by agents of President Hastings Kamuzu Banda of . Mpakati had survived a similar attack in 1979, which President Banda admitted ordering.

author: Steve Sharra


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Peru: OLPC Presentation in Lima · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

As reported by Backdraft [ES], the One Laptop Per Child project will be presented by Eduardo Silva at the Universidad Continental in Lima.


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Philippines: Early Chinese in Philippines · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Senorenrique has images from a museum in Manila. The particular exhibit focuses on the lives of early Chinese settlers in the Philippines.


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Senegal: sustainable development: a lesson from solar project · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Drawing lessons from a donor-funded solar project in rural Senegal, Afromusing discusses Bottom Up vs Top Down approach to development projects: “The project had good intentions it appears, what with the powerful image of a hut with a solar panel on its roof. As reported on the article, the project is devolving into an unsustainable mess, with only 30% of the people paying the fees for the photovoltaic systems, and ongoing maintenance problems due to lack of money to change the batteries and keep the parts working properly.”


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Singapore: iPhone plans and Singapore rates · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Think Asia is cheaper when it comes to mobile plans. Yuhui does a bit of research on mobile rates in Singapore and comes up with a surprise.


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Uganda: Human ATMs · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Emeka writes about an interesting financial transaction model in Uganda, which uses human beings as ATMs: “These ‘human ATMs’ are in fact shopkeepers or other small-business owners who are employed by UML as agents. Since they are located in the villages where UML’s clients live, they are much more convenient than the branches or ATMs in distant towns.”


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Videos of Omani Town after Cyclone Gonu · Global Voices
Riyadh Al Balushi

Sue Hutton of newsBriefsOman has posted a collection of videos showing the destruction caused by the cyclone Gonu in the Omani town of Quriyat.

author: Riyadh Al Balushi


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Albania, Greece: Video of Police Brutality · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

In this post, Thessaloniki-based Teacher Dude posts a YouTube video of two Albanian men being beaten and ordered to slap each other by a Greek police officer, quotes the Independent Media Center's transcript, and translates from Greek comments “expressing satisfaction at what those arrested had suffered.” Some reactions from the Albanian side are at Albanian.com and Topix Albania discussion boards. A petition against human rights abuse of immigrants in Greece is here, signed by 982 people so far, is here.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Anguilla: Hotel Turns Into Slum  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Corruption-free Anguilla finds out that a derelict hotel has become living quarters for Mexicans imported into the island to run a dolphin facility: “Chalk up another victory for crass profits over humanity.”


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Arabeyes: Hamas and Fatah Dig Up Some Dirt  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The battle between Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas has just got dirtier and Tunisian blogger Clandestino has the scoop.
Candestino goes on to tell us how Hamas discovered piles sex videos featuring ministers and high profile Palestinian officials, showing us how much dirtier the war between Fatah and Hamas is getting.
From Egypt, blogger Abdulmonem Mahmood brings us the latest on a crackdown by security forces.
Still in Egypt, Ahmed Sharif, makes this video, and dedicates it to Abdulmonem Mahmood, who belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood, and everyone else in Egypt.
The video appeals to the different sects and people in Egypt and stresses that despite all their different colours and hues, they are all Egyptians.
Sharif provides a translation of the Arabic video on his blog.
In Saudi Arabia, Mashghool (or Busy) narrates to us what happened to him on his brother's wedding day.
Our last stop today is in Egypt again, where Bent Masreya (Egyptian Girl) gets an unexpected visit – from a dead grandmother.


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Armenia: RFE/RL Update · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

With restrictive media legislation set to be ratified in Armenia, what will this mean for independent broadcasters such as Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty? Onnik Krikorian discusses with his readers while Svet v Avguste and Tirami Su post photos from a protest march against the new media bills.

author: Ben Paarmann


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Bahamas: Cruise Ships Checking Out  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The cruise ships are pulling out of Nassau and we are surprised!”  Bruce Raine at WeblogBahamas.com lists reasons why Bahamians shouldn't be.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bahrain: Drink Driving  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“How much longer will we have to endure the pain and atrocities due to the carelessness of drunk driving?” asks Bahraini blogger emoodz.


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Bahrain: Registered Doctor  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mo is now a full-fledged registered doctor.


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Bangladesh: Ethics and Companies · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Bangladesh Blogger on unethical practices of a company that helps expats send money from the UK to Bangladesh.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago: The Social Impact of Gambling  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The Government of Trinidad & Tobago under President George Maxwell Richards just passed a law that will see the phasing out of slot machines in that country.”  Barbados Free Press wishes Barbados would follow suit.


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Belarus: Demography · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus reposts the text on the gloomy demographic situation in Belarus, which originally appeared on the site of the Belarusan Youth Movement of America.


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Belarus: Lukashenko’s Independence · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus translates a blogger's post on the preparations for “an annual Lukašenka Independence Day” celebrations in Minsk on July 3.


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Bermuda: March Against Corruption  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

IMHO.bm attended the March against Government Corruption and was more impressed with the protesters than with Bermuda's elected representatives.


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Bibliography of the Brazilian Ayahuasca Religions · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

Beatriz Labate announces the publishing by MAPS of an extensive bibliography about the Brazilian Ayahuasca Religions, and says that the expansion of these religious movements within Brazil and into other countries, of which the boom in studies is evidence, points to a growing relevance and timeliness of the topic.

author: Jose Murilo


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Bolivia: A Previous Encounter with the Victim and the Problem With the Fashion Society · Global Voices
Mario Duran

El Deber is a Santa Cruz newspaper that has been heavily using blogs as a way to communicate, Jose Andres Sanchez writes about prostituion in Santa Cruz in his blog El Pais de las Maravillas [ES].  According to him, this business makes no distinction in social classes and writes about the news of the murder of a ‘supposed’ pimp and a previous encounter with him for a story:
La noche del martes el ciudadano Jorge Adolfo Perales Sosa, de 49 años, fue asesinado con seis balazos. Dos de esos disparos le perforaron el corazón. Al llegar los policías, descubrieron un catálogo fotográfico con imágenes de jóvenes modelos de la ciudad. Entonces surgió la pregunta: ¿se trata de un proxeneta? ¿es éste uno de los famosos catálogos de los que tanto se habla? Ocurrió durante la noche y los medios televisivos brindaron una amplia cobertura al hecho policial.
A mí la noticia me sorprendió en lo personal y no pude dejar de sentir asombro y a la vez algo parecido a la tristeza. En febrero de este año conocí a Perales Sosa. Fue en el marco de una investigación realizada, acerca de comercio sexual infantil en Santa Cruz de la Sierra. A continuación les dejo un texto mío que mañana saldrá publicado en El Deber. Es una descripción de la manera en la que Perales realizaba sus negocios.
Tuesday night, Jorge Adolfo Perales Sosa (49) was murdered with six bullets.  Two of the bullets entered his heart.  When the police arrived, they discovered a photo catalog with images of young models from the city.  The question emerged: was he a pimp?  Is this one of those famous catalogs that has been talked about?  It happened at night and the the television channels gave broad coverage of this police action.
The news surprised me personally and I could not help but feel surprised, but also saddened.  In February of this year, I met Perales Sosa.  It was during an investigation about child prostitution in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The following is the rest of a story that will be published in El Deber, in which it described the way Perales went about his business.
The blogger Don Juan de Sarco of Dies, Nox et Omnia [ES] reflects on the purchase of the Petrobras refineries by the Evo Morales government:
Confiamos que ésta empresa no se manejará pólíticamente (ni sindicalmente), y ojalá las decisiones técnicas de los administradores sean escuchadas y respetadas por los políticos (aunque no siempre sean entendidas) y que ésta nacionalización jamás sirva para subvencionar los precios de los carburantes a algunos sectores acostumbrados a exigir todos los servicios a título gratuito.
We hope that this company will not be run politically (or by syndicates) and hopefully the technical decisions made by the administrators will be followed and respected by the politicians (even though they are not always understood) and that this nationalization will never serve to subsidize the price of fuels to benefit some sectors that are used to demand free services.
Desnudate's [ES] Violeta writes about the trend of asking for one's ethnic origins. She also questions the “fashion society” of Santa Cruz and reflects on a recent television program that asked girls, “with what ethnicity do you identify with?”
Y la mejor respuesta: NO SE, obviamente no sabían ni siquiera que es una etnia (en la cara se les notaba), pero para compensar el reportero les pidió unos pasitos de baile, y wuauuu!!…. como saben mover el trasero!, imagino que muchos en algún momento de sus vidas dijeron: “cambio cerebro por un buen trasero que me permita bailar reggaeton, o por unas siliconas, o por una cerveza” y se les cumplió el deseo jaja
The best answer is: I don't know.  Obviously they don't even know what ethnicity is (it noted on their faces), but to compensate the reporter asked for some dance steps and wow!!  How they moved their behinds!  I imagine that at some point in their lives, many said, “I'll exchange my brains for a nice behind that allows me to dance reggaeton or for some silicon or for some beer,” and their wish was granted.

author: Mario Duran


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Bosnia & Herzegovina: No Future? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkanizer is highly pessimistic about the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina.


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Bulgaria: History · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The nEUrosis writes about Bulgarian ancient and more recent history.


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Can Haitians tackle drugs and corruption? · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Last week, Haitian president René Préval declared before the leaders of the fifteen member countries of CARICOM and President George Bush that fighting corruption and drugs were his government's top priorities.
“Those dealing drugs and contraband buy police, judges, and other  government officials and there will be no stability if the problem of drugs is not sorted out in the right way.  It's useless to talk about investment, progress, stability if the drug problem remains intact,” Preval told Le Nouvelliste (Fr).
Collectif-haiti-de-provence responds to Préval's statements, describing how deeply-entrenched corruption is in Haiti and doubting Préval's resolve to address it.
Beaucoup d’haïtiens et d’étrangers intéressés par la situation d’Haïti s’interrogent sur la mise en œuvre d’une politique visant effectivement a redressé le pays et l’acheminer vers des lendemains un peu plus cléments pour l’ensemble de la population. Le contenu du questionnement reste dans le classique : Quand ? Comment ? Et avec qui ?
Many Haitians and foreigners interested in the situation in Haiti ask themselves about putting in place an effective policy that can set the country right and put it on a path toward a better tomorrow for all the people.  The content of the question remains the same:  When? How?  And with whom?
L’application d’une politique efficace suppose enterrer les vieux démons, contourner des obstacles monstres…
The application of an effective politics means burying the old demons,  overcoming monstrous obstacles…
Parmi ces obstacles l’un des plus difficiles est sans doute combattre cette corruption incrustée dans les pores des administrants et administrés. Faire comprendre que la corruption est un crime contre l’état. Et ce message doit être adressé au petit détaillant qui occupe illégalement un coin du boulevard Jean Jacques Dessalines comme au ministre ou au directeur général qui détourne les fonds de l’état…
Among the obstacles one of the most difficult is without a doubt fighting against corruption which is encrusted in the pores of the governing and the governed.  To make it understood that corruption is a crime against the state.  And this message must be give to the petty trader who illegally occupies a corner of Jean Jacques Dessalines boulevard as well as the minister or the director general who embezzles government funds…
Collectif writes that even the infamous “SOCAGATE” banking scandal wasn't enough to inspire the government to act decisively to punish corruption.
…Après la fameuse SOCAGATE qui pour certain a éclaboussé notre parlement, – nous croyons que certains ont été littéralement emmerdés par cette histoire de pots de vin -, il y a eu la saisie des 420 kilos de cocaïne avec une forte suspicion de participation active de certains membres gradés de la Police Nationale. Ces deux évènements pouvant servir de preuves visibles de la corruption au sein des institutions, semblent se désintégrer sous le poids d’une indifférence complice arrangeante. La population ne veut sans doute pas dépenser de l’énergie dans la réclamation d’une justice qui ne viendra jamais.
…After the infamous SOCAGATE, that for certain stained our parliament, we thought that some would be literally screwed by this bribery scandal.  There was the seizing of 420 kilos of cocaine along with a strong suspicion of the active involvement of some members of the National Police.  These two incidents, serving as visible proof of corruption at the heart of these institutions, seemed to vanish under the weight of an accommodating, complicit indifference.   Without a doubt the people don't want to spend energy on seeking justice that will never come…
Collectif comes to the rather depressing conclusion that Haitians have gotten too used to the status quo and are crippled by inertia:
Aujourd’hui, les problèmes qui croupissent Haïti et les haïtiens dans la misère crasseuse et puante ou ils pataugent sont si ancrés dans la conscience des citoyens qu’ils ne sont plus perçus comme tels.
Today, the problems that stagnate Haiti and Haitian, [keep them wading] in squalid and sickening misery are so ingrained in the minds of citizens that they no longer perceive them.
Le secours ne viendra sans nul doute de l’intérieur.
Without a doubt relief won't come from within.


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China and Hong Kong: Cross border citizen reporting · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Zola has come to Hong Kong to report on the 10th anniversary of reunification under the interlocals.net's international citizen reporter fellowship project. His first day report is about inmediahk.net and second day about the rallies on July 1 (zh).

author: Oiwan Lam


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Costa Rica: New Site For Those Voting “No” · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Julia Ardón writes about a new site called Con Costa Rica [ES] that utilizes interactive techologies to bring together individuals that will be voting No for the referendum on the Free Trade Agreement.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Dominica: Treatment of Kalinagos · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“There is nothing for the average young person to do, the assimilation in mainstream Dominica is still difficult because of an inbuilt bias towards them, especially ironic given the chain of racism black people have had to shake off.” Caribbean Man shares his views on how the indigenous people of Dominica are treated.


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Ecuador: Cousin Murdered in Historic Quito · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Rudd-o [ES] is saddened by the murder of his cousin in the historic center of Quito.  He is also angry that the much-lauded closed circuit cameras failed to capture the killer's image.


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Egypt: The Source is Dead  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Ashraf Marwan, maybe the most colorful person of London’s Arab community, has died under unclear circumstances. Some believe him to be ‘The Source’ which tipped off Mossad prior to the 1973 war – others say he acted as a double agent misleading the Israelis,” announces The Arabist.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Guyana: Silly Love Songs?   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Love…rosemantic love…what it is about it that would make we put we parched, cracked lips to burning sands to suck it up if we think we gon find it there?”  Old love songs get Guyana-Gyal thinking.


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Hong Kong: Queen’s Pier July 1 party · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Last night, during the 10th anniversary firework celebration, hundreds of local citizens disobedyed police warning, entered the Queen's Pier surrounded by iron bar and enjoy the firework, music and dancing there. Inmediahk.net has two citizen reports, one by mac donald, he wrote from an outsider perspective: the police has turned the Queen's Pier into a big prison with all the iron bars extending from the pier, to the edinburg place to the old star ferry… (zh); one by tsw, an insider telling the story about the negotiation with the police and how they mobilized the ordinary citizens to go inside the pier for viewing the firework. (zh)
A youtube video and background report is posted at interlocals.net


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India: The next President · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

VKpedia on the Presidential candidate Patil – “In essence, it looks like we have to gear up not for our first woman President, but a beneficiary of tokenism, opportunism and nepotism”


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India: Water on the streets · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

To Each Its Own has photographs of the water logged situation in Mumbai over the weekend because of the rains.


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Intimidation and threats to Blogger Wael Abbas. · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

Blogger Ahmad Sherif  has posted an English translation of Egyptian police intimidation targeting Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas and threatening him to stop publishing articles and videos criticizing President Mubarak and his son Gamal. “These are certainly not the ways of a nation sitting at the United Nation’s Council for Human Rights, since May 17th, 2007,” said blogger Ahmad Sherif.

author: sami ben gharbia


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Iran:A Painting · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Homeyra has published one of Mina Mohseni‘s paintings.A self portrait of the artist.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Government against Cultural Heritage · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian Truth says “recently, the Iranian government commissioned the destruction of the tomb of Firuzan (Abu-lolo) in Kashan.I have also been to the tomb of Firuzan, a beautiful structure which symbolizes the beauty of Iranian architecture, but also epitomizes the struggles of Iranian identity, religion, and history. The destruction of the tomb is due primarily to Firuzan’s controversial role in Islamic history, whereby many believe he was responsible for killing Umar, the second Caliph.”


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Iran:Iran Has a Message. Are We Listening? · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

View from Iran says Michael Hirsh wrote a very interesting article in the Washington Post:”Iran has a message.Are we listening?” The article focused on nuclear crisis and what Iran really wants.