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Bolivia: Honoring Dogs on the Feast of St. Roch · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Each year on August 16, Bolivian households celebrate the Feast of St. Roch (or San Roque in Spanish), who was the patron saint of dogs. The story of this French saint may not be well known across the country, but nevertheless, Bolivians take this opportunity to provide extra special attention on their pets.
Even though the life of a dog may not always be easy, as one blogger reminds his readers. Alberto Medrano of El Alto Noticias [es] writes that “we should not forget that in El Alto and La Paz there are a lot of street dogs, who are sick that pass away at any time.”
There are many dogs throughout the country that are beloved by their owners, and this day is a chance for bloggers to express that through citizen media. However, to begin, the blog of the Archbishop of La Paz provides a bit of background information about the Saint [es].
Seguro que tus padres o tus abuelos te habrán ya contado la preciosa narración del perro de San Roque. Si te fijas en la estampa, nuestro santo va acompañado de un simpático chucho. ¿Quien fue este perro?. Pues … fue su salvador. Cuando hoy en día, sobre todo en verano, se abandonan por las calles tantos perros que nos han mostrado su cariño a lo largo del año, bueno será explicarles a aquellos que hacen este tipo de salvajadas la historia de este animal que le salvó la vida a un santo tan importante como fue Roque.
Se explica, que cuando nuestro santo se trasladó al bosque para no infectar de esta manera a los vecinos de Piacenza, recibía cada día la visita de un perro que le llevaba un panecillo. El animalito lo tomaba cada día de la mesa de su amo, un hombre bien acomodado llamado Gottardo Pallastrelli, el cuál, después de ver la escena repetidamente, decidió un día seguir a su mascota. De esta forma, penetró en el bosque donde encontró al pobre moribundo. (…) Cabe decir que otras versiones populares afirman que fue el mismo perro quien le curó, después de lamerle la herida de su pierna varias veces cuando el santo estaba en el bosque.
Surely your parents or grandparents have told you the precious story about the St. Roch's dog. If you look at the stamp, our saint is accompanied by a nice dog. What is the story behind this dog? Well, it was his savior. In today's times, especially in summer, many dogs that have showed their kindness throughout the year are abandoned in the street. It would be nice to explain to the people who do this type of savage actions, about the story of the animal that saved the life of an important saint like Roch.
As the story goes, our saint went to the forest in order to not infect the residents of Piacenza, and each day he was visited by a dog that took him a piece of bread. The animal took the bread from the table of his owner, a well-to-do man named Gottardo Pallastrelli, who after seeing the same scene day after day, decided to follow his pet. In this manner, they went into the forest where they found the poor, dying man. (…) It is worth mentioning that in other popular versions, it was the same dog that cured the man, after licking his leg wounds in the forest.
Photo of Tomoyo by Edwin Velásquez and used under a Creative Commons license.
Some Bolivian bloggers took this opportunity to write about their own pets, and share stories about how they impacted their lives. Edwin Velásquez writes about his dog and whose company is always enjoyed [es]:
Tomoyo, tenia otro nombre, otros dueños y otra vida. Tenía que ser sacrificada por sus anteriores dueños, porque estos tenían muchos perros y ya no podían cuidarlos a todos, al saber esto, mi padre la compro, y después me la regalo. Yo le puse un nuevo nombre, la bañe, le corte el pelo y le dí de comer. Tomoyo, estaba aterrorizada y por dos días no quiso comer, esto me preocupo mucho, pero con paciencia y cariño, Tomoyo, se adapto a su nueva vida.
Another blogger, Maria Cristina Moreno in Santa Cruz also takes the opportunity to wish her dog, Danilo, well. She writes about the best way to celebrate the day:
Asi que hoy más que nunca hagan felices a sus mascotas con caminatas, buena comida, agua fresca y muchos mimos… porque los perros son los mejores amigos del hombre…
She also took the following video:
Finally, José Luis from the city of Yacuiba stayed up late one night researching stories about St. Rocco and writes [es] that “(honoring dogs) shouldn't be a questioning of celebrating on only day, but a question of celebrating every day.”


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Bolivia: Price for a Stand at Book Fair · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Willy Jordan writes that the price for each square meter of a stand at the latest La Paz Book Fair [es] costs Bs. 600, approximately 85 USD, which makes it out of reach for some small publishers to participate.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Eduardo Avila


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Cambodia’s AIDS colony · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Various human rights groups have accused the Cambodian government of setting up a de facto AIDS colony when it resettled 40 families with HIV and AIDS to a village 25 kilometers outside Phnom Penh City.
The families were from Borei Keila in Phnom Penh. They were evicted from their homes to make way for an urban development plan of the government. The families are now living in Tuol Sambo village.
The families are complaining of their situation in the “AIDS village”:
With inadequate sanitation and no running water, the area is not a health sanctuary for HIV-infected patients, who require personal attention and care.
HIV-infected people living in the village say they have not received any official recognition of ownership rights nor government compensation for their old homes.
Details are Sketchy wants to find out the responsible authority for this drastic move:
Who is responsible for this decision? The media should find out. And prosecutors should start preparing a case. Because it’s all but certain that at least one of those 40 HIV-positive people will die as a result of the move. That’s negligent homicide, at least, if not outright premeditated murder.
The Global Network of People living with HIV is urging the Cambodian government to address the humanitarian concerns of the evicted families:
* Cease moving HIV-affected families to the Tuol Sambo site;
* Improve conditions at Tuol Sambo to meet minimum standards for adequate shelter, sanitation, and clean water;
* Ensure full access to quality medical services, including antiretroviral treatment, treatment of opportunistic infections, primary health care and home-based care;
* Work with relevant agencies and consult with the families already at Tuol Sambo to address immediate and long-term concerns regarding housing, health, safety, and employment, and reintegration into society in a manner that protects their rights and livelihoods; and
* Employ a transparent and fair screening process to determine eligibility for on-site housing at Borei Keila, and allow eligible families to move in immediately. For those found ineligible, authorities should provide other adequate housing.
Writing for Global Health, Alanna Shaikh reacts:
To me, this looks like a classic example of treating people living with AIDS as though they are disposable. They're going to die anyway, goes the logic, so there is no reason to treat them well. But people with AIDS are still human beings, with rights and skills and the ability to live full lives. Treating as less than human benefits no one.
More than 100 international and local groups wrote Prime Minister Hun Sen and Health Minister Mam Bunheng urging the latter to provide a better treatment to the evicted families:
The housing conditions at Tuol Sambo are grossly inadequate in terms of size, fire safety, and sanitation.  Residents are crowded into poorly ventilated metal sheds that are baking hot in the daytime. There are no kitchens and no running water in the sheds, which are flanked by open sewers, and only one public well to service the evicted families.
While other homeless people from Phnom Penh are slated for relocation to brick houses at an adjacent site at Tuol Sambo, the HIV-affected families from Borei Keila have been placed in a separate settlement with inferior housing, distinguished by green corrugated metal roofing and walls.  Even before the evictees were resettled there, local people referred to the green sheds as “the AIDS village.”
The living conditions at Tuol Sambo pose serious health risks, particularly to people with compromised immune systems. The risk to those people living with HIV can be life threatening. Residents report that the heat in the poorly ventilated metal sheds is so intense that they are usually unable to remain in their rooms during the afternoon and they are afraid that their ARV medication will deteriorate in the heat.
The situation of the evicted families in their former homes in Borei Keila was not also good as shown by this video by licadho, which was uploaded on The Hub:

author: Mong Palatino


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Caribbean: Athletics Kudos  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

On the heels of Usain Bolt's record-breaking time at the World Championships, Caribbean bloggers pay tribute to the outstanding performance of the female Jamaican track and field athletes, while Havana Times is pleased to report that “Cuba’s female triple jumpers gave the island its first two medals at the Berlin 2009 World Championship in Athletics.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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China: Curing Internet Addiction · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN brings into focus CCTV's investigative news story on “Curing Internet Addiction”, in which the reporter Chai Jing questioned the label of “mental illness” from those who use the Internet eight or more hours per day.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Why have they taken citizen Xu Zhiyong? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Uln looks into the Xinhua article for the official explanation for the arrest of citizen rights lawyer Xu Zhiyong.


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Colombia: The Other Side of the Flower Fair · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Flower Fair in Medellín, Colombia is a highly anticipated event, which attracts many visitors to the city. However, Xady of Expresate [es] shows another side to the fair, which includes traffic congestion and an increase in accidents.


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Cuba: Pills as Panacea?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“If I take my clue from what people are looking for to relieve their suffering, I would have to conclude that depression is on the rise”: Cuba's Generation Y explains.


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Egypt: Arab Women Techies  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Arab women techies? Egyptian blogger Manal opens a window into this world in this post.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Egypt: Kareem Amer’s Appeal Postponed  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian Kareem Amer, who was sentenced to four years in prison for insulting Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February, 2007, will now have his appeal case heard on September 15, says the Free Kareem blog. The court was originally scheduled to hear it today.


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El Salvador: President Mauricio Funes’ Honeymoon · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The President of El Salvador Mauricio Funes currently enjoys an 86% approval rate, but Tim Muth writes that his “honeymoon will be challenged by the economy.”


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Georgia, Russia: More on DDOS Attacks · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

More on the recent DDOS attacks – by Evgeny Morozov of Foreign Policy's Net.Effect – here and here.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Ghana: Locally fabricated radio station · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Erik writes about a locally fabricated radio station in Accra, Ghana. The radio runs at 101.7 FM.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Ghana: The emergence of Ghanaian movies · Global Voices
hj barraza

Mighty African celebrates the emergence of Ghanaian movie industry: Ghanaian movies are starting to gun for awards. Revele Productions’ ‘Run Baby Run’ has been the most successful movie to date while Agony of the Christ picked up a bunch of nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAAs).

author: hj barraza


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Haiti: H1N1 Vaccination  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The H1N1 virus is not as deadly as the common cold. The panic and fear being generated…stands to enrich the powerful pharmaceuticals who will make gianormous profits from any mandated vaccination”: The Haitian Blogger examines the issue.


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Hungary: Rudapithecus Hungaricus · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum leaves politics behind and turns to paleontology, writing about a fossil hominoid found in Rudabánya in Northern Hungary and known as Rudapithecus hungaricus.


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Jordan: Respect and Honour Crimes  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Jordan, The Observer writes about respect – and honour crimes.


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Lebanon: Missing Syrian Workers  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Two Syrian workers are missing in Lebanon. Neither the Lebanese government, nor the Syrian government care about the plight of the abused Syrian workers in Lebanon,” reports The Angry Arab News Service.


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Montserrat, Dominica: Habitat Hope  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands links to a report which suggests there is hope for Dominica and Montserrat's mountain chickens “after the spread of the deadly chytrid fungus throughout its habitat…”


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Morocco: A Day with Single Moms · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

American researcher Jacqueline Powers, blogging on Vie au Maroc (Life in Morocco), reflects on the day she spent in the outskirts of Casablanca, volunteering with INSAF, a shelter association for single mothers.

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Morocco: Call for Volunteers  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Moroccan blogger Mohammed Saeed Hjiouj [ar] calls upon Arab bloggers to join his blog and post articles there.


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Nepal: Protest About Protests · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ujjwal Acharya at The Radiant Star protests the destructive nature of the street demonstrations in Nepal: “Protests are necessary at times – when the state leaves no other options – but the aching fact of protests in my country is: they begin with blocking traffic.”

author: Rezwan


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Pakistan: Baitullah Mehsud’s Spokesman Captured · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kalsoom at CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan informs that Maulvi Umar, the spokesman of the Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud has been captured by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps and he acknowledged the death of Baitullah Mehsud.


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Pakistan: Say No To Drone Attacks · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ziyad Faisal at Pak Tea House builds his logic against the US drone attacks on Pakistani civilians: “Isn’t it abundantly clear that US drone attacks are merely providing the Al-Qaeda militants and Taliban with a wonderful propaganda opportunity, to recruit yet more people using the destruction from US attacks as an excuse?”


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Paraguay: President Fernando Lugo’s First Year · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Despite some of the difficulties over the past year, Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es] writes that Paraguayan President’ Fernando Lugo's first year “was positive and was worth it.”


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Poland, Ukraine: Łemkowszczyzna/Lemkivshchyna · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Raf Uzar writes about “Lemko Land, better known as Łemkowszczyzna or Lemkivshchyna” and its people.


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Syria: On Berkman’s Arab Blogs Study · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi shares her thoughts on the Berkman Center’s Internet & Democracy team study that analyzes and maps the dynamics of the Arabic blogsphere.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Counting the Cost  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidadian Rhea Mungal's photo blog entries question the ecological cost of the proposed aluminium smelter.


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Azerbaijan: Nationalism · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Poor Mouth comments on the latest scandal surrounding Armenia and Azerbaijan in this year's Eurovision Song Contest. The blog says that the interrogation of at least one Azeri who voted for the Armenian entry reminds it why nationalism should be loathed.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh: On Food Security · Global Voices
Rezwan

Duncan Chowdhury informs that the food supply situation of Bangladesh is more or less quite secure as the country never had to import food grains more than 15% of the total domestic production. The only concern is proper management of the food production and supply during natural calamities like droughts, floods and cyclones.


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Barbados: BICO Fire  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbadian bloggers are concerned about a factory fire, both from economic and safety standpoints.


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Barbados, Jamaica: Eye of the Tiger  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbadian diaspora blogger Jdid has a message for the mainstream sports media: “I'm sorry Sports Illustrated and ESPN but the biggest story this weekend was Bolt's 9.58 seconds not Tiger losing some golf tournament.”


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Bloggers Reflect On HIV/AIDS Awareness In Arab World · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

HIV/AIDS is a taboo topic in much of the Arab world, although programmes such as the UNDP's HARPAS are attempting to raise awareness about it. While some bloggers in the region report encountering ignorance about HIV/AIDS, others are impressed at the progress being made in destigmatising the disease.
Morocco
Duncan is a Peace Corps volunteer working on a water infrastructure project in Morocco, and he has written some personal reflections on attitudes towards HIV/AIDS in the rural area he is working in. He believes, while the prevalence of HIV in Morocco is low among the general population, HIV/AIDS could prove to be a great public health risk to the country as a whole:
There are a number of factors that make the country vulnerable to the disease becoming wide spread.
First is ignorance about the disease. Speaking generally, people don’t know what it is. If people have heard of it they know no specifics and what they know might very well be wrong. They don’t know how it is transmitted. People say that the disease is transmitted by sharing toothbrushes, going to the hammam (public bath), and by being breathed on. I’ve never heard someone say that sex is a mode of transmission for the disease.
Second is that cultural boundaries that discourage honest discussion of the topic. This is a very religious society where appearing pure is very important to fitting into one’s community. So this makes it difficult to bring up such important issues as condom use.
Third (seemingly contradicting the previous issue) is the prevalence of prostitution in the country. This is particularly the case for my province, Khenifra, which is known for its prostitution. I’ve heard that the province has three of the four biggest prostitutions towns in the country. One of these centers is very close to me and I know that men from my village visit prostitutes there. They’ve told me. Compounding this problem is the fact that many of the sex workers in these prostitution centers come from out of town. I believe these places could easily become spreading points for the disease.
In sum, it’s a topic that people are ashamed to talk about and no one knows anything about.
Read more about Moroccan attitudes to HIV/AIDS in this post.
Sudan
Last year Bahraini blogger Suad attended a workshop in Cairo to raise awareness about AIDS, and she later wrote the story of Aisha, a Sudanese woman who contracted the virus through a blood transfusion. Aisha describes the process of falling ill, and how she finally discovered what was happening:
Yemen
Yemen has addressed HIV/AIDS in its national development agenda, but in a post last year, Omar Barsawad wrote that much needs to be done:
Even if Yemen is much more ahead of its Arab neighbors in tackling HIV/AIDS, it's still a long way from making facilities and medication easily available and accessible to those afflicted. HIV/AIDS testing facilities are available in all major medical centers and labs. But, it's when one has tested positive that the problem starts; it then becomes extremely difficult for the afflicted. At the moment, HIV/AIDS infected people have to travel and go all the way to Sana'a, Yemen's capital city, for them to have their CD4 cell count and viral load tested; it's only by having these tests, that a patient can be properly treated and medicines can be suitably prescribed. […] For HIV/AIDS medication too, patients have to travel, regularly (every 3 or so months) to Sana'a to receive the medicines; they are not available in other Yemeni medical centers or pharmacies. One can only imagine how difficult and exhausting this can be for the already mentally strained, HIV/AIDS afflicted person and the people around him. It costs much money traveling all the way to Sana'a; and food and accommodation cost even much more. […] And though, compared to two or so years ago, many people now are aware of HIV/AIDS – most simply don't understand the disease; and some people still consider it disgraceful and shameful for one to be afflicted by HIV/AIDS.
Egypt
However, it seems that steps are being made to destigmatise the disease in some countries in the region. The Egypt Guy recently had his first HIV test at a government lab:
To my amazement, the way I was received by the doctors prior to the actual testing was pretty welcoming. I found that they didn't ask for a name, but rather for a pseudonym and a birthdate to be my identity there. Then, I was sent to a counselor whose job was to give simple information about AIDS and HIV. The guy didn't show any signs of disrespect for the fact that I'm going to check if I have HIV, which was astonishing. I heard that until very recently AIDS was seen as such a taboo even by doctors. And after the counseling session they gave me a few condoms and lubricants, and three booklets with information about AIDS, and then I went to have the test. I'll go get the results next Sunday, hopefully it'll be negative, wish me luck!! :-)
Oh, I also didn't pay a penny for any of that.
It was a very nice experience that I didn't expect to have at a government lab, and I'm happy my country is having a more liberal approach to sexually transmitted diseases and is actually propagating against the whole stigma that's associated with them, especially HIV and AIDS.
You can read about an initiative by Egyptian bloggers to destigmatise HIV/AIDS here.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Chile: Personal Site of Leo Prieto Hacked · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The personal website of Chilean web entrepreneur Leo Prieto was recently hacked in which he lost 7 years of posts [es] and comments.


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China: The fate of Philanthropists in Sodom · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Alice Xin from DANWEI translated an article written by social critics Leung Man Tao who compared China with Sodom where philanthropists like Xu Zhiyong are prosecuted.


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Cricket: Pakistan Hits A Snag · Global Voices
Faisal Kapadia

Pakistan fans after cricket win. Photo by Flickr user Acyn, used under a creative commons license http://www.flickr.com/photos/acyn/3722402256/
In last June, when Pakistan won the world Twenty20 cup championship beating Sri Lanka in the final, this cricket loving nation went berserk. Pakistan had not won any major cricket championship since the 1992 world cup, so this win could not have come at a better time. The proud Pakistanis were delighted and you could hear the echo of the joy in the blogosphere. Some Pakistani bloggers launched an e-rally in support of the Pakistan cricket team.
The Global Pakistani reacts to this feat:
Pakistanis are arguably among the most resilient people in the history of this earth. No other nation can soak up as much pressures that Pakistan has in recent years.
It is therefore no surprise that despite being deprived of top level international cricket for more than 15 months, being isolated internationally and reeling under the most harrowing incident of the game, fighting a war inside our borders and looking after three million of our brothers and sisters made homeless due to conflict, we have managed come out on top of the world in yesterday’s T20 final.
Zubair sheikh at A Students View tells what winning in cricket means to the Pakistanis:
Our Cricket Team has won the world (cup) in T20 form of the game and looks good enough to defend the title under the new captain.
All these events have given the gloomy nation a lot to cheer and think about.
However, their recent tour in Sri Lanka proved a disaster. Many fans are screaming that Pakistan hit a new low in their performance. Khansahab at Legslip says:
Pakistan lost the Test series quite humiliatingly and then they lost the ODI series too. It might have been fascinating for some individuals to see Pakistan garner some pride at the end of the ODI series, however to the routine observer, nothing new was seen from Pakistan.
Sri Lankan blogger Kaputa also wonders why Pakistan performed badly:
After their poor batting efforts in the First Two Tests, it was nice to see the front line Pakistani batsmen, bat the way we know they can. How they failed to do likewise earlier was inexplicable.
This poses a question whether Pakistan only excel at the Twenty 20 format of the cricket and fail in the other formats. The fans did not took the bad performance in Sri Lanka lightly as the players came under fire back home. Match fixing rumors are also being hard.
In my own blog I wrote about the effects of the series loss in Pakistan:
Cricket is a very cruel sport. Less than a month ago the whole nation was cheering as Yunis khan and his team won the world Twenty 20 cup, they were heralded as heroes for beating Sri Lanka in the final so clinically, however the test series they have now lost in Sri Lanka has brought out the daggers once more.
Being champions a month ago was excellent for all of us, but now the team has to prove that they are willing and worthy of that tag by displaying consistency, not miracle and dumb moments.

author: Faisal Kapadia


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Dominican Republic: Solving the Issue of Power Outages · Global Voices
Rocio Diaz

Every August 16 in the Dominican Republic, as is customary on the date when a government completes another year in power, President Leonel Fernández introduces changes in his cabinet. The majority of these changes were not major this year, but one exception brought about varied reactions. The executive vice-president of the Dominican Corporation of State Electric Companies [es] (CDEEE for its initials in Spanish), Engineer Radhamés Segura was replaced by a well-known figure in the private sector, businessman Celso Marranzini. In the blog Duarte 101 [es], Joan Guerrero  writes about the new member:
Celso llegó. Como un invitado inesperado, dejó reacciones en todos los medios con su nueva posición, adjudicada por el presidente Fernández.
Power outages are a daily reality across the Dominican Republic, and is often said to be one of the main obstacles in its development plans. In addition,  the government has also been providing large subsidies in the energy sector. These blackouts have been occurring for more than 40 years, and there have been all kinds of attempts to resolve the situation. To date, none of these attempts have been successful. Many people are left wondering whether the naming of Marranzini will change things for the better.
Photo by Señor Adventure and used under a Creative Commons license.
Many believe that there was little doubt that Segura would be out when the time came for Fernández to announce the changes in his cabinet. Based on the fact that the rate per kilowatt for electric power remains one of the highest in the region and the allegations of corruption and nepotism, Segura's days were numbered. When the change did happen, few expected for Segura to be substituted by one of his biggest critics, Marranzini, who in recent weeks made a series of statements on behalf of the private sector that blamed the poor administration and incapacity by Segura's team in solving the blackouts once and for all.
For some, this move from the President had a double purpose: 1.) increase the credibility of the government, who was seriously affected by the accusations towards Segura and 2) silence the criticism from the private sector to the government, especially in regards to energy. Luis José of Ahí e’ que Prende [es] take a look at the naming:
¿Qué significa que Leonel haya puesto a Celso Marranzini en la CDEEE? Esa fue una jugada con mala fe, con la que se lava las manos y le echa el muerto de la energía a quien más la ha criticado: al sector privado.
Colocar a un empresario famoso, que tiene la buena fe de la mayoría de los sectores, obliga al sector privado a calmarse y a callarse la boca, porque ahora cuando critiquen los apagones no están criticando exclusivamente un funcionario cualquiera, sino que están criticando a don Celso Marranzini, una persona con una trayectoria envidiable que le hace merecer el respeto de muchos.
El lío lo va a tener ahora Celso Marranzini, quien después de criticar tanto a Segura y haberle tirado tan duro al Gobierno, va a tener que hacer una buena gestión si no quiere que lo crucifiquen.
What does it mean to place Celso Marranzini as the head of the CDEEE? It was a play in bad faith, with one where (the government) washes its hands and gives the dead issue of energy to the one that criticized it the most: the private sector.
Placing a famous businessman, who has the good faith from the majority of the sectors, forces the private sector to calm down and shut its mouth, because now, when they criticize the blackouts they are not exclusively criticizing any public official, but they are now criticizing Don Celso Marranzin, a person with a enviable career who receives the respect from many.
The tough part is now Celso Marranzini, who after criticizing Segura so much and was very harsh against the government, will now need to have a good administration so that they do not crucify him.
Marranzini's reputation among the general public is mixed yet some are hoping that he can solve the energy issue. However, others are skeptical and criticize how he took over the position. Rafael Pérez of Duarte 101 [es], introduces the “Celso Method” on how to hold a public position: intensely criticize a public official – preferably with reason – until the President grows tired of it, removes the criticized official, and places the critic in his place. Marino, a reader of Ahí e’ que Prende [es] goes a step further:
Ahora, Una sola pregunta, supuestamente ya sabemos quien es el Ing. Radhames Segura, ahora… quien Conoce al LADRONAZO de Celso Marranzini, que vendia energia con su distribuidora ILEGAL, a una suma de 200% mas cara que lo que el la Compraba… y ahora es el Titular de la institucion que el y su grupo de empresarios tiene QUEBRADO… que carajazo va resolver ese tigre.
Now, just one question, supposedly we already know who is the Engineer Radhames Segura, now, who knows the THIEF, Celso Marranzini, who sold energy with his ILLEGAL distribution company at a price of 200% more expensive than at which he bought it… and now is the Head of the institution that he and his business group have BANKRUPTED … what will able to solve that tiger (Marranzini.)
Upon being removed from the CDEEE, President Fernández named Segura as an governmental adviser in the field of energy. However, he declined the position and publicly announced that he will dedicate himself to cleaning up his public image.

author: Rocio Diaz


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Dominican Republic: Treasure Trove · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands blogs about “the discovery of a ‘treasure trove’ of stone tools and the bones of several now-extinct Caribbean animals in a prehistoric water-filled cave in the Dominican Republic”, which may “give insights into the earliest inhabitants of the Greater Antilles.”


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Guatemala: The Production of Cobán Wine · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Through photographs, Nelson Benjamín Pérez documents the production of Cobán wine made by Faustino Padilla Carrillo [es] in Central Guatemala. He primarily makes 250-300 bottles per year for artisanal purposes and is said to contain many health benefits.


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Hong Kong: Media credibility score · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN blogs the media credibility score survey conducted by by Clement Y.K. So of the School of Journalism and Communication, Chinese University of Hong Kong.


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India, Pakistan: Reopening The Wounds · Global Voices
Rezwan

V. Krishna Ananth at Permanent Revolution discusses about the media hype on the recent book by former Indian foreign minister Jaswant Sing. In this book he challenged the theory that it was Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, who insisted on a  separate homeland for Muslims that forced the breakup of India and was expelled from his party, BJP today for his views.


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India: Religious Profiling · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sidhusaaheb writes about a case of religious profiling he faced while staying in a hotel in Indore of Madhya Pradesh state in India: “they had specific instructions to inform the police, whenever a Sikh, Muslim or Tamil came to stay.”


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Iran: Televised Confessions Spur Video Cyber-Activism · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Televised confessions in Iran have many raising their eyebrows after a series of high-profile reformists have been placed in front of a camera and confessed to more or less the same crimes, phrased in very similar ways. Rumor has it, these were made under duress and may have been scripted. Some of these critics have gone and created a website called Watch me Confess, and they are asking anyone and everyone to submit their own videotaped confession:
We are inviting them to watch the rest of us confess too. Just sit behind your webcam and take a few minutes to confess anything you like. Alternatively, just write your confessions in text. You can either be silly and confess to the sort of things that the Iranian government is forcing people to confess to under torture (such as: You are a CIA agent and was funded by the UK to start a velvet revolution in Iran by using the BBC and CNN,  Twiiter, Facebook, and Google Translate, etc.) or you can be serious and tell them what you really think.
In True/Slant, foreign correspondent Marc Herman seems to have a favorite confession:
It’s hard to say what really sells the confession, but her odd vocal cadence, pulsating camera zooms, heavily-accented English, the fact that she’s Israeli, and no small amount of acting chops suggest a cross between political zealotry and an intense desire to be a reality TV star. She’s the Meryl Streep of forced confession videos, and as far as the performance suggests, barking mad:
In another confession, an odd faced character explains how prison is the easiest way to lose weight, thanks to the delicate ministrations and “VIP” service, all in exchange for telling the truth:
This next confession is by the self-proclaimed mastermind of all the revolution. His catty remarks make it seem there is something fishy about this confession:
And here is the confession that started it all where the Iranian comedian Ebrahim Nabavi posted a video of himself playing former Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi, who was sentenced along with 100 other defendants and was allegedly coerced into confessing. The video is in Farsi, an English translation can be found here.
You can read more about this ongoing story in these previous articles:
Leading Reformist Abtahi on Trial and Twitter and Facebook in Trial. The image of the Iranian flag used on this post was taken by Skender.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Japan: Poop Obsession · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Mari introduces a poop animation called “Unko-san” (meaning Miss Poop) to show the poop obsession culture in Japan.


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Kenya: Lion-saving Art Takes Shape · Global Voices
Samuel Maina

Androcles, the WildlifeDirect lion
The pride of Kenya Campaign, being touted as the biggest event in Kenya's conservation calendar this year, has been picking pace and excitement has been building.
The Pride of Kenya is a campaign – coordinated by the Born Free Foundation – to raise awareness about the plight of the declining population of Kenya's lions, which today number a meager 2,100 animals, and to raise funds for their protection.
Recently, Alice Owen of the Kenya office of the Born Free Foundation posted on the Pride of Kenya blog hosted at WildlifeDirect about the start of the painting of the first of the 50 life-sized fiberglass lions at the centre of this campaign. Alice said:
Schools, businesses and private individuals have sponsored lion canvasses and the first images of the lions being painted are starting to arrive!!  Kenton College in Nairobi decided to sponsor a lion and paint it before the children broke up for Summer as a treat!
This campaign is not just about painting, it is about getting involved. The Kenton College art teacher, for instance, had a surprise for his students. Alice writes:
The art teacher, Mr Adam Burgess, at Kenton college created a dramatic reception for the Kenton lion.  He had it hidden in the bushes near the football field early last week.
During assembly, the children were informed of an “escaped” animal in their school compound, and had to go around looking for it. They hurdled in groups of twos and threes, and took to the hunt.
Then more Pride members started leaving the art godowns where they were sculpted. And Noni Mruttu wrote in the Pride of Kenya blog:
This past week has been busy, busy, busy for the Pride of Kenya project. With the lions being delivered to their sponsors and the artists getting to work on them, they are running out fast!
The Sarit Lion
Another twist to the involvement approach comes to light when Sarit Centre, a popular shopping mall in Nairobi, and one of the ‘lion sponsors’, opted to have students from one of the international schools in the City, Braeburn High School, paint their lion. Noni writes:
Sarit Centre also received their lion and the year 11 class of Braeburn High School have been busy painting it, even taking time during their holiday to work on it. We are all very excited as everything is coming together beautifully.
On Tuesday, 18 August 2009, Peter Greste, a great photographer who also writes and films for the BBC, visited renowned Kenyan artist, Mary Collis, who is working on a lion ‘adopted’ by Kenyan conservation NGO, WildlifeDirect, and took some pictures of the work in progress. Maina blogged on Pride of Kenya blog about the first images of this lion that has been – symbolically – christened Androcles:
Things happened rather rapidly this week. Suddenly we had a name for the WildlifeDirect lion – Androcles. Before we got used to that, Peter, a friend of WildlifeDirect, who photographs, films and writes for the BBC, visited the artist who is working on the lion and took amazing pictures. And now you can see the first pictures of Androcles as he takes shape in the hands of the renowned artist, Mary Collis.
This campaign will culminate in an auction in November 2009 where the 50 fiberglass lions, variously decorated, will go under the hammer with all the funds raised going into lion conservation in Kenya.

author: Samuel Maina


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Panama: New Ambassador to the United States · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

TuPolitica [es] writes about the possession of the new Panamanian ambassador to the United States, Jaime Alemán.


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Russia: Suicide Bombing in Nazran · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Robert Amsterdam's Blog writes about the Aug. 17 suicide bombing in Nazran, Ingushetia; A Step At A Time and Window on Eurasia cover the reaction of the Ingush president.


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Russia, Ukraine: Medvedev’s Letter · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Leopolis analyzes president Medvedev's letter to president Yushchenko.


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Russia: Xenia Larina on RFE/RL · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Anatoly Karlin of Sublime Oblivion translates LJ user xlarina‘s post (RUS) about “her husband’s unpleasant experiences” with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.


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South Africa: Connect with Highway Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Connect with Highway Africa on social media networks. Highway Africa is the world’s largest gathering of African journalists in South Africa discussing journalism and new media: “With only three weeks before all these exciting conversations take place in Grahamstown, we would like to encourage you to connect online with other participants and speakers via our various social media networks.”


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South Africa: Register for Digital Citizen Indaba 4.0 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

You can register for the annual Digital Citizen Indaba taking place next month in South Africa: “It is now possible to register for DCI 4.0 from the Highway Africa website as DCI is a Highway Africa project.”


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Inter-Island Ferry  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

From St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Abeni reports, along with Repeating Islands, that come this October, “an inter island ferry service based in Grenada will be officially launched”, adding: “Given our disgust with LIAT [a regional air carrier] it should be interesting to see the response.”


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Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.V.I.: Hurricane Bill  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Caribbean bloggers on Hurricane Bill – here, here and here.


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Ukraine: Military Parade · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana writes about the upcoming Independence Day military parade in Ukraine.


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Ukraine: Street Children · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Michelle Knisley of Scenes from the Sidewalk shares stories of some of the Ukrainian street children that her ministry has helped over the years.


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Zambia: Aren’t existing media laws enough? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“Aren't existing Zambian media laws enough?,” asks Zambian blogger Gershom Ndhlovu: “It is difficult to understand on what basis the government wants to enact a law to regulate the media.”


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Zambia: Chiluba is acquitted · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A Lusaka Magistrate’s Court has acquitted former Zambian president Federick Chiluba over corruption charges he was facing: “According to the judgment, the acquittal was based on the fact that the prosecution team failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt on all counts against the former president.”


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Zimbabwe: Media Commission Update · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

An update from Sokwanele regarding Media Commission in Zimbabwe: In terms of the Constitution the President must make all key appointments in consultation with the Prime Minister…It is hoped that the matter will be concluded expeditiously without further objections and obstacles, as there can be no registration of new media outlets under present legislation until the Commission is in place.


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Africa: Maker Faire 2010 announced · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Emeka writes about Maker Faire 2010, which will take place in Nairobi, Kenya: “As a follow-up to the invigorating inaugural Maker Faire Africa 2009. The organizing team has announced a number of initiatives to harness the momentum and energy felt at the Accra event.”


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Bahamas: Accounting for Crime  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Rick Lowe at Weblog Bahamas is stunned by the country's most recent crime statistics, saying: “Unless we begin to hold ourselves publicly accountable, how do expect to begin the slow and painful process of fighting the demons among us?”


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Bangladesh: Child Beating · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladeshi blogger Mahadi754 is sad and can't tolerate the sounds of a little child being abused by her mother: “Most of the days at the evening I can hear that a little child beside my house being beaten mercilessly.”


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Barbados: Freedom of Information  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As Living in Barbados shares his thoughts on the importance of Freedom of Information, Barbados Free Press says that the ruling party's upcoming conference “does not include anything at all about the government’s failure refusal to introduce the promised Freedom of Information and Integrity legislation.”


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Bosnia & Herzegovina: The Mostar Cross Controversy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Bosnia Blog writes about the controversy caused by the cross erected in Mostar in 2000.


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Brunei History · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Rozan Yunos provides a brief historical sketch on how Brunei got its name.


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Brunei: Water supply situation · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Rozan Yunos writes about the water supply situation in Brunei today.


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China: CO2 emissions will peak at 2030 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Elaine Chow at Shanghaiist quotes from National Development and Reform Commission on the CO2 emissions trend in China. The report said that China's CO2 emissions will peak at 2030.


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China Internet blocks bad enough to chase you away?  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A survey has been set up to check if China Internet blocking will chase people away from China. (via goldkorn from twitter)


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Ghana: Maker Faire 2009 in the news · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Maker Faire 2009 (Ghana) in the news.


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Guyana: Curtains for PNC?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyanese blogger Imran Khan wonders whether the infighting over the PNC political party's leadership will signal “the complete and utter destruction of the party itself.”


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Hungary: 20 Years Since the Pan-European Picnic · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes about the 20th anniversary of the Pan-European Picnic, which was “held on a field in the middle of nowhere on the Austro-Hungarian border on August 19, 1989″: “A memorial park now commemorates the event that allowed about 600 East Germans to cross into Austria and to freedom while the Hungarian border guards looked on.”


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Indonesia’s 64th Independence Day anniversary · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Last August 17, Indonesians celebrated the 64th anniversary of their Independence Day. To mark the occasion, almost 2,500 scuba divers attempted to break the world record of “Most People Scuba Diving Simultaneously”.


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Iran: March 18 Movement film in competition · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

March 18 Movement film is in competition in Bitfilm Festival. The March 18 Movement was born out of a tragedy. On this day in 2009, Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, Iranian blogger and journalist, died in Evin Prison in Tehran.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica: Surprise Win  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Girl With a Purpose says: “Jamaicans got the biggest, most pleasant surprise of the World Championships…when Brigitte Foster-Hylton came first in the finals of the women's 110m Hurdles.”


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Malaysia: Alcohol ban · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Mental Jog from Malaysia opposes the proposal to ban the selling of alcohol in some areas of the country.


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Mauritania: A New Era? · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Following a coup d'état a year ago, the election of the coup's leader, General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, to the presidency, and the country's first-ever suicide bombing in early August, Mauritania continues to experience massive changes.
On August 12, the Peace Corps suspended their program in Mauritania, citing safety and security concerns.
A Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Mauritania provides her perspective at Becky's Mauritanian Adventures:
As you've noticed, there has been a lot of instability in Mauritania since the beginning of my service last year. As I suspected, they have decided we will not be allowed to return to Mauritania. Today was obviously a very sad day for all of us, but I'm trying to remember that this also opens up a whole world of possibilities for the future. I will be back in America (again) probably within the next week. I've got a lot of ideas about what comes next, but I'm pretty sure it involves more Peace Corps service. I'm not going to write all the details here, because I don't know them all, but I'll be sure to keep you all updated.
Assessing the situation, news blog Newstime Africa stated [Ed. note: the post has since been deleted]:
The decision to close the Peace Corps Centre in the country came as a surprise to the nation because the volunteers were really helpful to the people. The Peace Corps whose headquarters is in Washington is active in 74 countries around the globe. Since 1967, the Peace Corps started implementing humanitarian programme in the Islamic Empire of Sand; more especially in the agricultural, health and educational sector and they have largely improved the standard of education in the country even though majority of the people prefer Islamic education to western one. Their departure have caused a big blow to the government more especially the rural people who have become more accustomed to them due to their generosity. President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has promised to fight against the extremists in all form deem best for the security of the country.
The blogger went on to say:
Meanwhile the formation of the new government which comprised of twenty one ministers is still the talk of the country, four days after their nomination. They are all educated elites with superior diplomas in various Universities and institutions both in the country and outside.
More specifically, the talk of the country (or at least the blogosphere) is Naha Bint Hamdi Ould Mouknass, recently appointed by the government to the position of foreign minister; As blogger The Moor Next Door points out:
Ms. Bint Ould Mouknass is the first woman to hold the post in any Arabic-speaking country; she is joined by five other female appointees in General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz’s government.
The blogger goes on to explain the significance of this posting:
Her appointment is at once clever and utilitarian: Bint Mouknass’s appointment, like that of her predecessor, is an attempt to appeal to outside audiences with a fresh and “soft” face. The General is also offering spoils to his supporters (more on this later). It also puts a wedge between the new government and the Islamist movement, whose policy it co-opted prior to (and during, mind you) the presidential election (e.g., Israel), it is thought to be politically beneficial to act contra the movement’s ideology, thereby clearly distinguishing himself from it, especially in light of his efforts to “fight terrorism,” though this was surely thought up well before last week’s suicide bombing (and likely without their possibility in mind).

author: Jillian C. York


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Moroccan single moms situation ‘highlighted’ · Global Voices
Anas Alaoui

Elisabeth Hague, a Washington University graduate and Rabat-based blogger links to what she called an “interesting New York Times article“. The article,she explains on her blog, focuses upon the Moudawana (the reformed Family Law), but I was heartened to see that it views the issue through the lens of single mothers”.

author: Anas Alaoui


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Nepal: Nothing Is Going Right · Global Voices
Rezwan

For a Democratic Republic Nepal is unhappy with the current politics and governance in Nepal and lists the reasons.


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Pakistan: 100Pakistanis  · Global Voices
Rezwan

“100Pakistanis is an initiative (and blog) started with the aim of sifting through existing information on Pakistan and presenting it in a concise and revealing way, ranging from simple lists and slide-shows to animated infographics,” informs All Things Pakistan.


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Palestine: Gaza’s Culture Of Resistance · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

The first feature film produced by Hamas had its premiere in Gaza on August 1, part of an attempt by the movement to win support through cultural initiatives, building a “culture of resistance“. In the same week, a play about filmmaking opened in Gaza. Bloggers have attended both, and give us their opinions.
Lina Al Sharif, who blogs at 360 km2 of chaos, attended the premiere of the film Imad Aqil:
Shootings, a car chase and a story of a hero, “Imad Aqil” is the first movie to come from Gaza. The 2 hour picture opened on August the first in Rashad Al-Shawa cultural center in Gaza city. It’s written by Mahmoud Al-Zahar, who is a prominent Hamas leader in Gaza, directed by Majid Jindiya, and produced by Al-Aqsa media network. The movie’s cost is about 120,000 dollars according to Hamas’ daily paper Al-Resala. The film was mainly shot in Asda’ media production city which is placed in the 2005 evacuated ex-Israeli settlements. And it was struck in the recent war.
I saw the promotional poster of the movie before its opening; I felt surprised to be having a home-made movie given the harsh situation in Gaza. Only yesterday, two of my friends and I bought the 10 shekel tickets and went to see the movie of this legendary Palestinian hero.
Lina tells us the story:
The movie is based on the biography of the freedom fighter Imad Aqil. It started with a scene of the midwife and her husband heading to the Aqils house to deliver the future hero, who was born on June the 19th 1971 in Jabaliya camp. Then, the audience is moved to his childhood and then his teenage in the camp, where the Palestinians were constantly subjected to random arrests and beating by the Israeli patrols. In 1988, the Palestinian first Intifada broke out as well as Hamas was formally launched as an Islamic Liberation movement. In the same year, Imad Aqil was arrested for engaging in the Intifada and Hamas’ activities. He spent 18 months in prison. After his release, he took a leading role in the armed struggle against the Israeli army in Gaza. He was dubbed by the Israelis as “the man with seven souls”. The life of the Qasam brigades fighter ended with his assassination in 1993 by the Israeli army with the help of a Palestinian traitor.
Lina’s opinion of the film?
It’s not the best movie I have seen, but it’s a movie from Gaza. Putting in consideration all the circumstances, the resources and facilities that are needed to produce a movie with such plot; the outcome is relatively good given the situation and the siege which has been imposed on Gaza for almost two and a half years now. The actors and the actresses are all from Gaza. Sadly, the same Resala report mentioned that four of the actors were actually killed in the recent war on Gaza. There were some troubles in the sound mixing; some of the dialogue was not audible along with the sound effect. Moreover, the performance of the actors was not that good.  Yet, the whole outcome must be appreciated as it came amid hard times Gaza is going through.
At the blog In Gaza (also posted at The Electronic Intifada), Canadian Eva Bartlett reports on a play about filmmaking:
“Don’t people in Gaza love to see films like people anywhere?” aspiring filmmaker Hossam Abdel Latif asks. His wife, the more practical Souad, retorts, “Someone who can’t afford to eat is going to go to the cinema?”
The question of the arts in times of siege and occupation is one of the main themes in Gaza’s newest theatre production, Film Cinema, which opened on 4 August in Gaza City. A stage buried in film negatives, and adorned with a lone plump teddy bear, sets the scene of the three-person play.
“I’m Hossam Abdel Latif, and I want to make a film,” the would-be film director repeatedly begins, facing his running video camera, only to be repeatedly interrupted.
Eva describes the plot:
The plot is simple — a filmmaker and the challenges he faces — but is embroiled with all that is life in occupied Palestine, making an amusing, and at times soberingly real, hour of theatre. Film Cinema recalls the last Israeli massacre in Gaza — but without reference to a specific time, it could be any of Israel’s military invasions of Gaza — and addresses the dreams and pressures Palestinians experience under the oppressive siege of Gaza. At the same time, the play shares the universal realities of marital spats and individual desires.
She continues:
Film Cinema is the second theatre event this summer in Gaza, and more are in the making.
Theater-goers also seek relief in the arts or a semblance of “normality” in Gaza. The packed audience and its enthusiastic participation demonstrate how thirsty Palestinians in Gaza are for the arts, for a cathartic outlet.


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Peru: Identifying with Presidential Candidates · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Politikha [es] cites a recent poll that found that 47% of Peruvians want a new presidential candidate, and that 45% do not feel represented by any current candidate.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Peru: Lawsuit Against Government for Allowing Mining Contamination · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The Inter-American Commission for Human Rights has admitted into court the case against the Peruvian government for crimes against humanity for allowing the Doe Run Peru mining company for “poisoning” the people of the community of La Oroya from their activities informs Isabel Guerra of Living in Peru.

author: Juan Arellano


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Russia: 18 Years Since August 1991 Coup · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes about the reactions to the 18th anniversary of the August 1991 coup in Russia.


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Russia: “The Island of the Wild Horses” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Soviet Russia writes about “the island of the wild horses” in southern Russia.


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Serbia: Belgrade’s Terazije Monument · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgraded writes about “the Terazije monument to the five Belgraders who were hanged at that spot for joining in the resistance against the Nazi in 1941.”


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South Korea: Kim Dae-jung’s funeral · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ohmynews! has a report on the politics concerning the funeral arrangement for former President Kim Dae-jung who passed away on August 18.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Suriname: Interesting Art · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“On the one hand, her work demonstrates a strong ecological consciousness. On the other, it seems to grapple with various cultural discomforts and shocks”: Paramaibo SPAN pays a visit to artist Ellen Ligteringen's studio.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Taiwan: A Hug for Taiwan · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

Beeside made (zh)a video of his “free hug for Taiwan” campaign after he saw so many tragedies caused by the flood everyday (translation): “At the beginning, it was like other netizens said, people there were merely watching, no one dared to give me a hug. But this situation did not last long after a mother came near with her child and told him that: ‘Come, let's give Taiwan a hug, because we love Taiwan, right?’ When I heard it, my eyes behind the mask were red in tears.”

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Ukraine: “Radiant Girl” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Chernobyl and Eastern Europe reviews “Radiant Girl” by Andrea White – a children's book about a young survivor of the Chernobyl catastrophe.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Uruguay: Day of the Domestic Worker · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Mariolo of Asi ta’l mundo, Botija [es] writes that August 19 was “Day of the Domestic Worker” all across Uruguay and presents some facts about this occupation and adds in the comments section, “it is incredible the discrimination there is against domestic workers.”


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Afghanistan: Voting Day · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to the western media, millions of Afghans defied Taliban threats and voted Thursday in the country’s second-ever presidential elections. There  were reports  of scattered violence, and turnout appeared to be relatively low in the capital and in southern provinces with a strong Taliban presence, but Afghan and foreign officials said the disaster they feared had been averted. Afghan bloggers share their experiences and feelings on this historic day.
HeratZamin shares on his photoblog several photos of the election, including some of security forces and voters.
Mohammad Zaher Nazari writes  [fa]:
I voted in Kahmard district in Central Afghanistan. . . I visted five voting centers, election seems to be conducted in a normal way and I did not see any violation that some candidates pretend but people were not present. . . I asked the reason and one answered people who [got elected] went to kabul and did not use the funds for district and stole it should be made accountable.
Nazari adds that official estimates put the turnout in Kahmard at 2,000, but that the actual number was more like 700 (it isn't clear from the post whether this is Nazari's estimate or information from another source).
Ejtema says [fa]:
yesterday we voted in Afghanistan, more people voted in the north of country than the south part of Afghanistan. Several people and a few soldiers were killed by Taliban insurgents.
FezaiIbrahimi, a candidate for the Afghanistan parliament, writes [fa]:
fortunately the election was conducted with relative calm. . . the amazing thing was that old men and women came to vote and their enthusiasm even was more important that young people.


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Africa: The forgotten African WWII soldiers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sokari writes about a new documentary acknowledging the role of African soldiers in WWII: “One of the greatest omissions of 20th century European and African history are African soldiers who fought in World War I and II.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Anguilla: Parental Responsibility  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The object is not to punish the parent. The object is to convince the parent that he or she needs to do more to monitor and supervise…their child”: Corruption-free Anguilla makes a case for why parents should be held accountable for the actions of their children.


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Bangladesh: What Farmers Say About Microfinance · Global Voices
Rezwan

Duncan Green spent spent some time with a group of 20 Bangladeshi small farmers (13 men, 7 women) and shared their views about Micro-finance in his blog.

author: Rezwan


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Bermuda: The Courage to Talk  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bermuda Jewel thinks that communities could take a bite out of crime by doing “something so simple as talking out.”


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Caribbean: “Gold Rush” in Berlin  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

If there was doubt in anyone's mind that Jamaica can lay claim to having the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt‘s stunning 19:19 win in  yesterday's much-anticipated 200m final at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin must have removed any skepticism.  Once again, regional bloggers celebrate with their Jamaican counterparts.
Trinidad and Tobago News Blog calls the race a continuation of the sprinter's “extraordinary world championships”, while compatriot Islandista doesn't know where to begin:
Oh, what a day it has been islandistas!
We just bossed up de World Championships in Berlin today, didn’t we?
Where do we start?
With golden girl and defending Olympic islandista Melaine Walker’s sizzling 400m hurdles victory?
Or with Usain Bolt’s jaw-dropping ‘yo, dat yute deh nuh normal’ 19.19 second world record run in the 200m finals?
From St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Abeni “had planned to write about Al Megrahi, the man behind the bombing of Pan Am 103.  That was before the phenomenal Usain Bolt stopped the clock at 19.19 in the final of the 200 metres in Berlin.”  She continues:
Long before there was Usain Bolt, Berlin had seen the magnificence of Jesse Owens who upset Hitler's race supremacy claims. This time around Bolt left the whole athletics world dazed and totally awestruck by his brilliance.
I am still wrapping my mind around his feats.
Interestingly enough, a link to you YouTube video – part of a meme in which people add subtitles to the same movie clip about all sorts of topics, in this case Hitler's imagined reaction to Usain Bolt smashing the 100m world record – has been circulating around the region, both via email and on social networking sites like Facebook.  Most Caribbean Internet users and sports fans find the skit highly amusing, but please note: The video contains graphic language, not suitable for children.
But Bolt isn't the only Caribbean athlete whose outstanding performance would have theoretically upset Hitler.  Ryan Brathwaite gave Barbados its first ever gold medal at the World Championships, powering to a 13:14 win in the men's 110 metre hurdles.  BeachLime.com, a blog by a Barbadian living in Bermuda, says he was proud to be a Bajan and sends “congratulations to all the folks back in Bimshire.”  Diaspora blogger Jdid adds:
Big up Mr Bolt for his phenomenal 19.19 in the 200m but got to give props to Bajan Ryan Brathwaite for winning the 110m hurdles. Barbados’ first EVER gold medal at the World Games.
Barbados Underground also weighs in:
Not since Obadele Thompson’s bronze medal performance at the Sydney Olympics has Barbados had reason to celebrate the performance of our sportsmen on the world scene. Brathwaite’s performance this evening to win Gold in the 110 metre hurdles given the vacuum created by our non-performing Barbados and West Indies cricket teams has served to feed the hunger of Barbadians for success from our sports people.
Brathwaite’s success will have other benefits to the country given our reliance on tourism and international services. The respected Barbados brand will continue to take root.
Cheese-on-bread! adds her congratulations:
Blue, yellow and black, put it up! Cheese-on-Bread  salutes Bajan 110m hurdler Ryan Brathwaite…congrats, Ryan. You worked hard for this, boy. Well done.
And Usain Bolt continued his winning ways as well today, busting his own 200m record down to 19.19. Wuhloss. Go on with your bad self, Bolt.
Tobago, Trinidad‘s sister isle, also performed respectably at the World Championships, with Josanne Lucas copping the bronze medal in the 400m hurdles.  ttgapers.com explains the significance of her performance:
The Tobago lass is the first female athlete from Trinidad and Tobago to earn a medal at the global track and field meet.
Fellow T&T-based blogger Islandista sums up the euphoria that many regional bloggers are feeling:
Such an abundance of riches. We feel spoiled tonight by the amount of Caribbean medals!
It has been a big, big day for this little region at the World Championships.
For so many years, we have seen those who were born here compete under other flags…we have seen athletes from larger countries set ‘amazing’ times under clouds of suspicion that seemed obvious to us but not to the powerful nations that backed them.
But now…now the playing field has been leveled a bit.
And I know every Caribbean person feels the way we do.
IT’S ABOUT TIME!!!!!


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China: Tan Zuoren’s Defense Statement · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Digital Times posted a translation of Tan Zuoren's defense statement against the charge of incitement to overthrow state power. Tan is a citizen rights activist who exposed the issue of bean dreg construction problem after the Sichuan earthquake last year.


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East Timor: Celebrating Global Solidarity for Freedom · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

Ten years after the referendum, global voices are again spreading the word for East Timor, but this time celebrating the strong international solidarity that back then culminated in the country's recognized self-determination:
On 30 August, 1999, hundreds of thousands of Timorese voters braved an Indonesian-directed terror campaign to cast ballots for independence in a U.N.-organized referendum. This event, which ended Indonesia’s 24-year illegal, brutal military occupation, led to the creation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste as the first new nation of the millennium. The vote was the culmination of decades of struggle by Timorese people, supported by solidarity activists around the world.
The release of journalist Max Stahl's video recording of the outrageous Massacre de Santa Cruz in 1991 increased global awareness about the crimes occurring in East Timor under the Indonesian occupation.
In 1996 Jose Ramos-Horta and Bishop Ximenes Belo were awarded the Peace Nobel Prize and only three years later Indonesian President Habibie allowed the people of East Timor to choose between autonomy within Indonesia and independence. And the world united along with East Timor.
"Die-in" protest in the US. Credit: www.etan.org
Solidarity movements able to pressure their governments and protest Indonesian abuses sprung up in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Portugal, France, Holland, Ireland, Germany, the UK, Canada and the US during the 1990s. Even within Indonesia, East Timorese had friends working to stop abuses and promote self-determination.
In the summer of 1999, in the lead up to the Referendum, the International Federation for East Timor assembled the Observer Project, an international team of members from at least 22 countries to go to Timor and monitor the vote. The security arrangements for the months preceding the referendum were shaky, as the UN-brokered agreement for the Referendum left security to the Indonesian police.
UN poster that reads "We will not leave" credit to Australia Timor-Leste Friendship Network
IFET monitors bravely fanned out across the territory, a project report from August 22, 1999 explains
We have rented houses and deployed teams in every area of East Timor. Upon arriving in a town, an IFET-OP team first makes contact with the police and local authorities, and then with various community leaders and advocates on both sides of the campaign. They settle into a house which an IFET-OP advance team has arranged, and begin observing and inquiring about events and perceptions related to the campaign and other aspects of the consultation. Each team reports in nightly by phone and files a written weekly report. Although nobody on any of our teams has been injured, several have witnessed violent or intimidating incidents, and have reported such events to the appropriate authorities, UNAMET, and IFET-OP headquarters in Dili.
The IFET observers reported the violence that engulfed East Timor after the vote, which it turned out, was overwhelmingly for independence from Indonesia. The IFET Observer Project reported on September 3
The observers, members of the International Federation for East Timor Observer Project (IFET-OP), traveled to the Becora neighborhood of Dili to investigate reports of militia burning houses in the area yesterday. When they arrived, they found a house newly ablaze, and with both firefighters and journalists at the scene, the IFET-OP team went to investigate. Ten minutes after the observers arrived, the Indonesian military-backed militia showed up at the house.
The Aitarak (Thorn) militia struck one U.S. IFET-OP member in the face. Another team member, a woman from Finland, was hit in the back by a militia holding a gun. Yet another Finnish team member was threatened at gunpoint. The militia members also punched the IFET-OP driver and smashed a window on his car.
With militia violence kicking off again almost immediately after the vote, solidarity groups around the world began to demand their governments pay attention to the worsening situation in East Timor. The following video, from Jose Budha, portrays how Portugal stood up and stopped in that period:
After the results were out in the 4th of September numerous atrocities, killings and devastation happened as TAPOL reported in 1999:
After the referendum results were announced on 4 September, the militias and their Kopassus bosses unleashed a scorched-earth policy of gigantic proportions. Para-military forces joined the fray, along with six TNI battalions, including two notorious local battalions, 744 and 745. Altogether about 15,000 men were involved. Without such a large contingent of men, it could never have taken hold so rapidly.
Although [Operation] Sapu Jagad-II sought to create the impression that this was a spontaneous outpouring of anger by pro-Indonesia forces, there is overwhelming evidence that the destruction was a well-prepared military operation. In many places, villagers were forced to destroy and burn their own neighbourhoods, even their own houses. The aim was to destroy as much as possible and punish the pillars of the pro-independence movement. The Catholic Church, which had given sanctuary to fleeing East Timorese throughout the occupation, was one of the main targets.
Photo from "Genocide Watch: East Timor 1975-1999", researched and written by Adam Jones. Shared under a license for non-profit use.
All IFET OP volunteers were forced to leave Dili by September 7, 1999 under extremely harrowing circumstances
Today, September 7, the last of our observers was forced to leave East Timor. Over the past two days, the Royal Australian Air Force evacuated 60 of our nonpartisan volunteers to Darwin from Dili and Baucau.
We left East Timor for safety, but with tremendous sadness. The East Timorese people have no Australia to run to, no place to hide from militia terror. Last night, Australia and Indonesian military officers prevented one of our East Timorese staff members from boarding the plane with us — and he faces an unspeakable horror shared by hundreds of thousands of his fellow East Timorese.
Most international observers and media fled East Timor before IFET-OP had to leave, and we were the last international NGO to leave. UNAMET has withdrawn from the entire country except Dili, where their communications and electricity has been cut off, and they are surrounded by militias who shoot into their compound virtually without interruption.
The mentioned “world pressure” became more and more real as citizens did not resign. Some photos of solidarity ties in Portugal may be seen in Tane Timor website. Maremargo posted images from Spain. Antonio Jose, from Uma Lulik blog, illustrated and emotionally described what was happening in Lisbon in a never before seen solidarity during the 7th and the 8th [pt] of  September 1999:
As sirenes dos bombeiros ouviram-se ininterruptas nesses 3 minutos… parámos por Timor-Leste como nunca parámos por mais nada… TODOS (…)
Durante toda a tarde do cimo daquele prédio foram lançados constantemente papeis e papelinhos, rolos de papel higiénico, tudo o que vinha à mão era material para protesto. No final da tarde percebe-se que esse stock acabou pois eram as páginas amarelas que fluíam nessa altura… aquele ventinho sempre a ajudar e a depositar os protestos em plena embaixada dos EUA, nas árvores, no seu jardim e envolventes. No topo do prédio viam-se gente de gravata e camisa, a causa era a mesma…
"Civil non-obedience for Timor Loro Sa'e" in front of the US Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal, September 1999. Photo by Flickr user nopasaran, used with permission.
While the East Timor Action Network put people on the streets in September 1999, it was also able to count on the phone calls and letters of over ten thousand Americans
ETAN grew during 1999, enlarging our membership from 8,500 to 11,700. […]  Using our experience and national activist network developed through eight years of dedication to a cause many called hopeless, ETAN mobilized public and official pressure. […] In September, ETAN’s web site was visited by more than 40,000 people a week. […] During September, our most active staff and volunteers were featured or quoted in countless mainstream media articles and programs, reaching tens of millions. ETAN activists authored op-eds in major U.S. newspaper, wrote letters to the editor, and appeared on local and national radio and TV shows.
On the other side of the world, the decisive moment for international intervention happened on the eve of the APEC summit in New Zealand, when Bill Clinton privately met with Pacific leaders. Only days prior he had announced the suspension of US military training with Indonesia. According to blogger Nigel Morley of “Writing for the Future“
To some readers this may seem fanciful but when Timorese Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos-Horta met United States (U.S.) President Bill Clinton at the APEC meeting in New Zealand in 1999, Clinton remarked that Ramos-Horta had more influence with Congress than he did (Zubrycki: 2002).
New Zealanders turned out in numbers to welcome Clinton, Ramos Horta and Australian Prime Minister Howard. Australians also “Take To The Streets Over East Timor”:
From Sidney, Australia, "Mother & Child" photo by Flickr user Potsy, used with permission
Banners saying “Stop The Slaughter” and “Wiranto – Murder.” Chants of “Free East Timor” and “Viva Timor Leste” (long live East Timor) came from the crowd after it heard from East Timorese resistance leader Mr Jose “Xanana”  Gusmão during a live telephone hook-up from Jakarta.
“We need you, brothers and sisters of Australia, we need your voice,” Xanana Gusmao in Jakarta said by telephone, “I think it is important to send a message to the Indonesian Government that the Australian community and Australian workers will do everything they can to stop the killings. Viva East Timor,” he said. “Viva,” the crowd yelled back.
Students from Kingsgrove High School pledge their support for a free Timor in 1999. Photo by Flickr user sHzaam!, used with permission
During the torturous days of September 1999, world leaders moved slowly to intervene in East Timor, when it was clear that the Indonesian military and its proxies were completely destroying the territory, and setting off a humanitarian crisis of massive proportions. But the decisive protest and advocacy of groups of concerned citizens across the world shamed the US, Australia, and Indonesia into turning a new page for East Timor.
A decade later, it is time to celebrate that global union. Several events are scheduled in Dili, such as a photo exhibition in Fundação Oriente (which was itself the place where a massacre occurred in 1999) describing solidarity movements over the years.
This is the first in a series of posts to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the popular referendum in East Timor, a vote which led to the territory's internationally recognized independence. If you would like to share memories from the acts of global solidarity for East Timor in 1999, please do so below.

author: Janet Gunter


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Guyana: Leadership Issue  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As Dr Van West-Charles decides to “withdraw from the PNC leadership race and support former Party Chairman Winston Murray”, Guyanese bloggers react.  Guyana 360 calls the move “a display of political maturity”, while Imran Khan says: “If the PNC…does not realise that Murray…must be its leader at this time, then the party is not worth any serious consideration by the voting populace.”


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Haiti: A Dissident is Here  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Government authorities in Haiti face recent criticism over allegations that they continue to jail political dissidents”: Wadner Pierre says that calls are mounting for the release of Ronald Dauphin, who was an activist with the Fanmi Lavalas movement of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.


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Hong Kong: School drug testing scheme · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Hong Kong government insisted to go ahead in implementing the school drug testing scheme despite a growing concern over its violation of children's rights. The pilot scheme will involve 23 schools in Tai Po district (Northeastern part of Hong Kong) in coming December. Under the government proposal, parents will sign for children under 18 to give consent for collecting urine samples at schools.
However, privacy commissioner Roderick Woo Bun challenged the proposal and pointed out that guardians had no authority to give consent on behalf of a minor. Hong Kong Bar Association also pointed out that the government proposal is self-incriminatory and has violated children's rights. The Catholic church criticized that the drug test is against the principle of love and trust in education.
The making of drug addict suspects
Even though there is no scientific proof of the effectiveness of school drug testing, the government still wanted to push it forward. The Chief Executive Donald Tsang said:
若學生不肯驗毒，那是給予學校、社工和家長信息，讓他們及早介入，輔導吸毒學生。
Those were the days pointed out the danger of such logic:
即學生不肯驗毒=學生已/懷疑吸毒，這，豈不等於不肯讓警察搜身等於犯法？
Charles Mok elaborated the argument and pointed out that the scheme is an excuse to discipline obedient citizenry:
大人物、校長堅稱計劃不會帶來標籤效應，但事實上無論是家長不簽回條讓子女參加、學生拒驗，在任何一個環節不肯乖乖就範，也必然被標籤為「疑似吸毒犯」，驗前驗後承受重大壓力，年紀小小的學生無奈接受之餘，有何長期心理影響無法評估。對政府而言，卻正是個培訓順民好機會。
Government against its own law
Wong On Yin looked into the Dangerous drugs ordinance (CAP 134, 49D), which prohibits the disclosure of records without the consent of the addict.
政府的安排，不但老師、社工、校長、家長知，還有就是連警察也知，早無機密可言，完全違反法例。
It is quite obvious that the school drug testing scheme is in conflict with existing laws and regulations, which makes the Secretary of Justice Wong Yan-Lung's role in the campaign more problematic. Neoak pointed out that  as the head of the judiciary, Wong should have warned the government of the legal implications of such policy, rather than telling unprofessional lie in front of the media:
由於校園自願性驗毒計劃過於粗疏，惹來社會上廣泛的批評，政府面對如此局面，未有從善如流，反而更加著力去推動計劃，以為可以借著於暑假期間多宗學生濫藥 的事故，沿用在豬流感疫症早期證實有效的「恐慌式公關手段」，霸皇硬上弓，甚至不惜要身為律政司司長的黃仁龍粉墨登場，親身上前線向傳媒解畫，強調「推行 禁毒刻不
容援」，甚至睜著眼說謊指「美國對校園驗毒成效較為正面」…
事實上，在事件之中，律政司司長應該嚴守本身的專業，早於規劃之初就應該向有關官員點明，驗毒計劃的多個問題，包括屬於本身範疇的「私隱條例之衝突」，又或起碼，先經內部諮詢，與私隱專員進行商討…黃仁龍在事件之中的問題，是走得太前…
Where's the public consensus?
Although the government claimed that it has public consensus for the policy (even though there is no public consultation document issued so far) and campaign propaganda have penetrated all major mainstream media, the public opinion in the Internet tells another story:
In the facebook, 1,122 members have joined the group: Respect young people! Protest against the compulsory school drug testing political show! （尊重青年人！強烈抗議「假自願、真強逼」校園驗毒大龍鳳！）While the group supporting drug test only has 43 members.
Doctor Fat  suggests a brain test for government top officials:
這幾天忙於預備醫學既PRESENTATION，未有空去理會學生驗尿驗毒的新聞，今日得知民主黨和民建聯竟然贊成驗毒，實在令人可怒也。
我個第一個反應是：要學生留小便驗毒，不如叫高官議員開左個頭驗腦。
My first reaction is: if students have to test urine, the top government official should test their brain!
Leflamme posted a comic at inmediahk.net to mock at the drug test scheme. The comic depicts school life as: sharing of homework, food and then urine!


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Hungary, Slovakia: Newest Tensions · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum (here and here) and The Reference Frame report and comment on the Slovak-Hungarian tensions.


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India, Pakistan: The Reluctant Fundamentalist  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Raza Rumi at Jahane Rumi comments on the former Indian foreign minister’s remarks on Pakistan's founding father Mohammad Ali Jinnah: “Jaswant Singh's right-wing worldview can be partially pardoned for he has made an attempt to set the record straight. The vilification of Jinnah to the extent of presenting him as a demon in mainstream Indian discourse has received a severe blow.”


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India: The Wall Project · Global Voices
Rezwan

IdeaSmith at Desicritics writes about the wall project, which had invited the citizens of Mumbai to express themselves in color on the city’s walls. The blogger also posts some pictures of the painted walls from Mahim to Dadar (about 4 kms), which was made available by the Municipal Corporation to paint freely.


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Iran: “Green Movement and Football” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Jomhoriyat writes [fa] that hundreds of young people carried green flags and wore green t-shirts in football stadiums in Isfahan and Shiraz. The green colour is the symbol of Iranian protest movement.


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Nepal: Sadhus – The Mystic Men · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dhiraj Shrestha posts pictures and writes about the Sadhus (Babas) or the mystic men of Nepal.


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Nigeria: The Okocha debate is unnecessary  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Should the former member of Nigerian national team, Austin Okocha return to the team? “I can't believe we are actually having a nationwide debate on the merits or otherwise of having former skipper Austin Okocha return to the Super Eagles!”


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Peru: Proposal Shortens Time for Media to Correct Inexact Information · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

The Peruvian Congress has begun to debate a bill that shortens the time allowed for “inexact information” to be corrected by the media from 7 to 3 days. The current Penal Code will be modified to include online publications, including websites and blogs. The sentence for these types of offenses may include incarceration for up to three years and can declare the media outlet that published the “inexact information” to be held as third-party liable. Many journalists and bloggers are wondering how this might affect them. First on their list of doubts is who will decide what “inexact information” means, and whether truthful criticism might be declared incorrect by the government making journalists and bloggers potentially liable.
The blog Spacio Libre [es] commends the spirit of togetherness that emerged among the journalists in response to the issue and hopes that it does not lead to infighting:
Pocas veces he visto tanta unión en el gremio periodístico, como hoy, cuando revisando los medios y las columnas de algunos colegas, veo las reacciones frente al proyecto de Ley que la comisión de Constitución presidida por Mercedes Cabanillas, pretende hacer pasar. Dicho proyecto está referido al tema de la rectificación en los medios de comunicación, donde los medios y los periodistas podrán ser responsables hasta de la publicación de opiniones de los entrevistados.
Laura Arroyo of the blog Menos Canas [es] writes about this topic of the responsible third parties:
la mira está en los dueños y directores de los medios. ¿Cómo así? Ahora se incluye en los juicios por injuria o difamación a las empresas. … De esta manera, aquellos propietarios de medios que no quieran verse inundados en un mar de denuncias pueden optar por deshacerse de sus incómodos trabajadores. Buena jugada ¿no? Pero, ¿por qué habría un mar de denuncias por difamación? …  este proyecto de ley con sello aprista indica que debe hacerse rectificación por “informaciones inexactas”. Mmmm…¿qué es inexacto? Como escribe César Hildebrandt: “¿Es inexacto o es agraviante decir que el presidente de la República miente cuando inaugura hospitales inexistentes?¿Es inexacto o es agraviante decir que Mercedes Cabanillas es la responsable de 34 muertes que pudieron evitarse?
Politician and blogger Juan Sheput comments on his blog Mate Pastor [es]:
Tiene sentido pensar que el gobierno teme el destape de varios actos de corrupción. Como los blogs se han escapado del control sumiso que el gobierno ejerce sobre algunos medios que dan vergüenza, pues también pretende controlarlos. Quiere el coro unánime que aplaude al gobierno, como si fuera un corzo de los viejos tiempos de Wong. Quiere que los blogs se conviertan en una sucursal de Andina o Canal 7.
On the other hand, Francisco Canaza of Apuntes Peruanos [es] does not see that it is so severe and makes some points:
el derecho de rectificación corre en nuestro sistema legal como un ejercicio contra un medio de comunicación. … Obviamente: A) No todo sitio web es un “medio de comunicación”, en cuanto empresa o emprendimiento de naturaleza periodística. B) No todos los blogs obececen a los usos y costumbres de la práctica periodística. C) No todos los que escriben en un blog configuran cotidianeidad o ejercicio personal del periodismo. Obviamente habrá sitios web que calzen y configuren labor periodística, pero serán los menos. … Es necesario considerar que para la norma vigente, la Ley 26775, y para el sistema normativo peruano, no existe mayor diferencia entre una publicación “física” y otra electrónica.
Otro signo de desconocimiento: se proclama que se ataca a los dueños de medios, al considerarlos “terceros civilmente responsables”. La verdad es que el Código Civil (de 1984, por cierto) ya establece en su artículo 1981 la responsabilidad vicaria. En este concepto se entiende que el empleador es responsable por los daños que genere su subordinado.
the right to correction runs in our legal system as an exercise against a media outlet. … Obviously A) Not every website is part of the “media,” like a business or a journalistic endeavor. B) Not all blogs follow the customs and uses of the journalistic practice. C) Not all who write in a blog do so in the daily exercise of journalism. Obviously there will be websites that fit and follow journalistic work, but they would be in the minority. … It is necessary to consider that for the current standard, the Law 26775, and for the Peruvian regulatory system, there is no major difference between a “physical” and electronic publication.
Another sign of ignorance: it said that the bill attacks the owners of media outlets by considering them “third-party liable.” The truth is that the Civil Code (from 1984) already establishes Article 1981 for responsibility. This concept is understood that the employers is responsible for the damages done by their subordinates.
Many of the opposition lawmakers have joined journalists and bloggers against the proposed bill, and there is speculation that it will be withdrawn.


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Philippines: Ungrammatical Constitution preamble? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Free Lancer asks if the preamble of the Philippine Constitution is grammatically flawed.

author: Mong Palatino


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Philippines: Voter’s registration · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Touched by an Angel from the Philippines narrates how she helped her daughter apply for voter's ID card in a village center.


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Puerto Rico: Public News Channel Dismantled  · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The newsroom of Puerto Rico‘s only public channel, TUTV, was practically dismantled recently, allegedly due to budget cuts. The president of the Corporation of Puerto Rico of Public Broadcasting, Israel “Ray” Cruz – who was appointed by the government elected last November – fired about 50 employees, many of them journalists. The newscast, founded 15 years ago, will still be on the air for the next two months, at which point the lay-offs will be final.  A group of  reporters, camerapeople, producers and editors were not fired, but the future of the program is still uncertain. The government of Puerto Rico has already initiated a financial plan that includes laying-off approximately 30,000 government employees.
The very same day the public channel employees were notified they had been laid off, anchor woman Gloria Soltero gave a biting message to her audience during the newscast. The blogosphere in Puerto Rico has been loaded with comments on Soltero's words, but first, here are some excerpts of Soltero's message:
A aquellos que dieron lo mejor de sí para nuestro taller informativo, para que eso acabara, los felicitamos, lo lograron. Entre ellos está nuestro presidente Israel ‘Ray’ Cruz, que siguió al pie de la letra lo dictado por nuestro gobernador Luis Fortuño, quien le deja saber al pueblo de esta forma que no le importa lo que acontezca con la cultura de nuestro país, y mucho menos con lo que pase en nuestro país con sus empleados públicos.
Acuérdense, pueblo de Puerto Rico y a usted, señor gobernador, que como diría nuestro querido y respetado Aníbal González Irizarry, “un pueblo sin prensa es un pueblo esclavo”. Sr. Fortuño: si su deseo es un pueblo esclavo, usted lo ha logrado.
Remember, people of Puerto Rico, and you, Mr. Governor, as our dear and respected Aníbal González Irizarry [a famous Puerto Rican journalist] would say, ‘a country without press is a country that is enslaved.’ Mr. Fortuño: if your wish is to have an enslaved country, you have achieved it.
The journalism professor Luis F. Coss says in his blog Calahondo [ES]:
La solidaridad no puede ni debe ser un fenómeno pasajero. La solidaridad debe ser un estilo de vida frente a la codicia y frente a las políticas y prácticas que atentan contra la dignidad del ser humano.  Celebro la respuesta de Gloria y de Ojeda ante las acciones destempladas de los patronos. Ahora nos toca a todos transformar los episodios heroicos en trabajo cotidiano, en conciencia madura para explicar lo que nos pasa hoy y el mañana al que aspiramos.
In her blog Hoy me desperté de arena [ES], I. Caballer writes:
El lamento, la rabia y la indignación por el despido de empleados públicos son experimentados en estos momentos en carne propia por otro grupo de trabajadores puertorriqueños en el Canal del Gobierno de Puerto Rico. En esta ocasión, la única diferencia es que pudieron hacer uso de un medio masivo de comunicación para expresar su sentir y pedirle al pueblo que tome acción y no olvide.
Blogger Luis Daniel Beltrán comments [ES]:
Una reacción que denota la indignación por el cierre de un medio informativo que – aunque en alguna ocasión estuvo maniatado por los caprichos del partido político de turno en el poder – servía al país,  sobre todo en los tiempos de incertidumbre que se viven desde comienzos del año en curso.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Russia: Flags With Crosses · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Eternal Remont is hoping that “the Moscow Times was recently bought out by The Onion” – and here's why: “According to the Moscow Times, the Russian Justice Ministry recently published an updated and much longer list of extremist materials on the Internet. Among the new materials destroying Russia: Winnie the Pooh wearing a swastika, a self-made template for a future newspaper, comic or other print materials, and a flag with a cross. That's right. Switzerland is destroying Russia. I never bought their “neutrality” cover.”


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Russia: ‘The Coronation’ by Boris Akunin · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Jost a Mon reviews The Coronation by Boris Akunin, among other “foreign” crime fiction items.


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Russia: The Siege of Leningrad Museums · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Copydude has moved to St. Petersburg and launched a new blog: St. Petersblurb. The latest post there is about the Siege of Leningrad and today's monuments and museums commemorating the tragedy.


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South Africa: Is Caster Semenye a man or a woman? · Global Voices
Ismail Dhorat

Caster Semenye, a young South African runner who recently won a gold medal at the World championships in Berlin has been thrown into the spotlight, and not due to her victory but rather her gender. The question is: Is Caster Semenye a man or a woman?  In this post we are summarising bloggers’ reaction to the controversy.
Semenya won the 800m at the World Athletics Championship in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday. She immediately found herself embroiled in controversy, when media outlets around the world scrutinised her masculine facial features and questioned her gender.
The International Association of Athletics Federations was investigating the gender allegations.
reports the Mail and Guardian.
The ANC and various other political organizations in South Africa have condemned the move and come out in support for Caster Semenye.
Adam Wakefield feels that the whole controversy exposes the IAAF hypocrisy and bungling of the situation, he writes:
Being only 18, Semenya has a bright future ahead of her if the IAAF’s bungling of the situation doesn’t take a turn for the worst.
It is appalling that the IAAF let it be known before the final that Semenya was to undergo a gender test. Would they leak a possible positive Usain Bolt test before he was set to run the 200m final?
No, because rules stipulate that the results of doping tests can only be made public once the IAAF and Wada are 100% sure either the A or B sample has tested positive. In Semenya’s case, she wasn’t afforded the luxury and the right of privacy.
Abigail Abrahams writes about the discussions at work amongst her colleagues
The consensus was that, yes, she looks very masculine, yet no one would have blinked an eye if the controversy had not surfaced as some men looked feminine and some women masculine.
One colleague actually compared Semenya to the tennis playing Williams sisters! Although I wouldn’t go that far.
In another post she writes:
This whole episode reminds me of a poem we did at primary school called The Twins by Henry S Leigh where the hapless twin laments, “…I put the question fruitlessly to everyone I knew.
What would you do if you were me to prove that you were you?”
Jackie feels that the whole issue could have been avoided:
Her coach Seme, and Athletics South Africa, should and could have avoided this controversy. They should have prepared for this eventuality, and done the tests quietly months, perhaps years ago. That would have been the sensitive thing to do.
This girl, who is still a teenager, is probably grappling with her sexuality. This avoidable international mess could cause her, and her family, great emotional stress at a time when she is vulnerable and still developing sexually and psychologically.
Roadsafety.co.za managed to find pictures of Caster Semenye running at the South African High school champs, you can view the pictures at the supermedia site.
Some bloggers have focused on her name, while spelling it  See-Man-Yeah instead of Semenye. he writes:
I was watching the Yarpie chap . . . sorry, I mean woman . . . Caster See-man-yeah in the womens 800m semifinals last night and I was wondering, how can you Yarpies be so sure that he . . . sorry, that “she” is in fact a woman?
“She” already resorted to cheating by tripping the favourite in an ealier heat, how can we be sure (s)he's not cheating again by posing as a woman when she is in fact a man? She certainly looks like a man.
Onelargeprawn writes:
After crossing the finish line last night, her gesture seemed to indicate what she thought of the matter – she crossed her arms and wiped the dirt of her shoulders. Jay Z would have been proud.
Due to the complexity of a gender verification test, the results would not be confirmed for several weeks, consequently the IAAF could not prevent Semenya from competing in last night’s final. It is, however, understood that South Africa came under some informal pressure to consider withdrawing Semenya from the race. Thankfully they stuck to their Glocks and let her run.
Simonial has also managed to find an older picture of Caster and concludes:
Caster Semenya definitely looks like a girl on this picture.
Soulfood wonders why every time South Africa makes the news for an achievement there is always a but:
Why is it that whenever South Africa or a South African is in the news for something good – it has to be qualified with a “but….” or “however” or “nevertheless”. Caster Semenya is my case in point.
According to official records, Caster ran the 5th fastest 800m time in history! In history! BUT, tests are going to be conducted on whether she is actually a he.
6000 Miles takes a tongue in cheek look at the issue:
In all seriousness, it’s unfortunate that the story here is around Semenya’s gender and not around her fantastic performance in the race last night. She has done South Africa proud and that should be the big news here.
I’m sure the whole country will get behind her as she attempts to make it a unique double in the men’s 800m tomorrow evening.
The video of the race:
With some view points from Michael Johnson:

author: Ismail Dhorat


text:
Ukraine: In Chinese, Yanukovych is Yushchenko? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Evgeny Morozov of Foreign Policy's Net.Effect writes: “It turns out that when you use Google Translate to translate (from Chinese to Russian) the expression “Vote for Yanukovych” (Yanukovych was Kremlin's favorite candidate), Google gives you “Vote for Yushenko” in the translated version. Global conspiracy orchestrated by Google!”