text:
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Dialogue through film · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.
The free flow of information between Armenia and Azerbaijan since independence is obviously problematic given the still unresolved conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, but can new media move in to fill the gap? With the mood in both countries as uncompromising as ever, and perhaps even worse, the task at hand is not going to be easy for those involved in peace-building initiatives, but there is potential.
This is especially true given the level of propaganda and misinformation often evident in the media of both countries, leaving alternative methods of delivering information and news sorely needed. One example of this comes in the form of a joint Internews-Conciliation Resources project aimed at encouraging dialogue through short films produced by young journalists in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Nagorno Karabakh.
In the early 1990s Armenians and Azerbaijanis fought a bitter war over the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh. More than 25,000 people were killed and up to a million displaced from their homes.
[…]
In 2006 Conciliation Resources launched a unique initiative called Dialogue Through Film to try to build some bridges across the conflict divide. The idea was to give young people in Azerbaijan and Nagorny Karabakh a chance to talk directly to each other by helping them make short films about their lives.
[…]
The result is a series of films charting the hopes, fears, sadness and humour of people living with the day-to-day consequences of conflict.
Technically speaking, the project itself is not one that embraces new or social media, but with national television stations in Armenia and Azerbaijan unwilling to show reports from the other side, the only medium through which to distribute the materials is the Internet besides occasionally scheduled screenings to small audiences. Nevertheless, even if all the films are not available online, many now are.
In Swept Away by Life, for example, Internews Armenia looks at life in Lachin, once inhabited by at least 20,000 ethnic Azeris and Kurds, but now renamed Berdzor by Armenians who took it in 1992 to create a strategic land link between Karabakh and Armenia proper. The town is now mainly inhabited by a few thousand socially vulnerable families from Armenia who relocated with the promise of financial assistance, land and livestock.
The documentary paints a very frank and bleak picture of life in the disputed town even though Armenia considers it vital for communication with Karabakh in the event of any peace deal. In a touching intro, however, it starts (and also ends) with a refugee from Baku reading aloud a letter from her former neighbors in the Azerbaijani capital.
[Part II of Swept Away by Life is here]
In Citizenship: Refugee, again by Internews Armenia, the focus is on yet another disputed town considered by both sides to be of considerable cultural significance in their own selective history. Shusha, known to Armenians as Shushi, was a majority-Azerbaijani town when the war broke out, but is now inhabited by less than 2,000 ethnic Armenian refugees forced to flee from Baku and elsewhere in 1990.
[Part II of Citizenship: Refugee is here and Part III is here]
Meanwhile, on the other side of the 1994 ceasefire line, Internews Azerbaijan examines the plight of IDPs from Shusha and focuses on the life and thoughts of one child, Musa, in particular. Despite not even being born with the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan was put on hold, the film illustrates how the conflict is even kept alive at schools over 16 years later.
[Part II of Musa is here]
Yet, in each of the documentaries there are moments when both sides show that they remember how Armenians and Azerbaijanis once lived together side by side in peace. However, despite such examples of bringing back the conflict to the human level, neither seems willing to compromise and both appear prepared to fight again in the event of a new war.
Nevertheless, in a film focusing on members of the Dalga Youth Movement, concerns relate to democracy in Azerbaijan, and discussion is even conciliatory when it comes to talk of peace with Armenia. “[…] unfortunately in both countries these enemy stereotypes have developed and will continue to develop,” says one young woman.  “These […] have got to disappear [… in order to] achieve peace […].”
Although each film looks at the conflict from just one side, they are important for conveying that perspective to the other. However, deprived of time on air, the number of people who have seen them is very low. The number of views for the YouTube videos on the Internews Armenia site, for example, vary between a few dozen to a few hundred each in over 12 months.
The time limitation for videos, forcing the films to be cut up, is also unhelpful and illustrates the need to consider alternative video hosting options, including those such as DotSub which allow subtitles in additional languages to be added to the same source file. More importantly, perhaps, this demonstrates the need for a clearly defined new and social media strategy.
True, the videos have since been uploaded complete to Vimeo, although the higher bandwidth requirements makes them more difficult to view in countries with low Internet connection speeds such as Armenia and Azerbaijan. The number of views is also incredibly low, with What Do We Want having only two in as many months at time of writing.
This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.


text:
Bahamas: Breakdown · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Many of us are more educated than ever. Many Bahamians have more money, assets, and creature comforts than ever…”: Yet, says Rick Lowe, the intolerance is pervasive.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Brazil: Gay Kiss Prejudice · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Rafael Ximenes writes [pt] about the controversy in a university within the state of Minas Gerais, where the promotion poster for the 3rd Congress on Public  Policy / Social Services depicts two women kissing. The teacher who decided to use the image has been fired and the case ended up in the hands of the justice.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


text:
Cameroon: A Review of Francis Nyamnjoh’s Intimate Strangers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Dibussi Tande reviews Francis B. Nyamnjoh's book Intimate Strangers (2010):”Intimate Strangers is a collection of transcribed accounts about maids and madams, presented from the perspective of Immaculate, a research assistant and transcriber for anthropologist Dr. Winterbottom Nanny.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Caucasus: Observations on Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Fearcuairt contrasts the three South Caucasus countries and says that Georgians consider themselves part of Europe, Azerbaijanis feel part of Asia, and Armenians view themselves as a mixture of both. Moreover, the blog notes, the rivalries between both Armenia and Georgia despite a shared religion is unfortunate given that both could learn a lot from the other.

author: Onnik Krikorian


text:
China: Domestic consumption · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Tom Lasseter from China Rises blogs about his experience and lack of confidence in Chinese domestic consumption.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
China: GDP rising, public spending too? · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Indication that China's economy is close to second largest in the world came today with the release of Japan's growth figures for the second quarter.
Where's all the money going, Sohu economics forum member BRY seems to ask in this post from last week, “Why do Chinese always save so much?”, starting first by comparing the health care systems of Australia, Sweden and Thailand with that of China:
在我国，虽然正在的推进全民医保制度有助于缓解“看病贵”的问题，但保障之外的余额仍足以让一个家庭变得一无所有甚至负债累累，除非你能保证一辈子不得大病。
And the comparatively low cost of post-secondary education in countries such as UK, France and India:
而在我国，大学学费近20年的时间里上涨了约25倍，而同期城镇居民人均年收入只增长了4倍，大学学费的涨幅几乎10倍于居民收入的增长。一个人本科4年最少花费2.8万元，相当于贫困县一个农民20多年的纯收入，这还没有考虑吃饭、穿衣、医疗等费用。
Followed by the state of old age pensions in China and elsewhere:
蒙古、朝鲜、古巴等实行计划经济的社会主义国家采取的是国家保险型的养老保险制度，国家宪法把以养老为主要内容的社会保障制度确定为国家制度，退休金支出全部由国家和企业承担，个人不交纳养老保险费。我国现阶段，国家机关事业单位实行的是国家保险型的养老保险制度，企业单位实行的是自保公助型的养老保险制度，而占全国人口多数的农民和城镇无业居民（或称灵活就业人员）要么游离于社会养老保险制度之外，要么个人必须承担全部20%的缴费。
如果上述三座大山仍不足以说明中国人爱储蓄的理由，那就加上住房。现在的房价之高足以让一个中等收入的家庭花掉大半辈子的积蓄，或者当一辈子房奴。
中国人爱储蓄是为了明天在使劲榨取今天。不是中国人守财，而是自己给自己在做保险，是想给子孙传下更多的财产。在社会保障体系还不够完善的今天，中国人只有以更忘我的奋斗，来换取一家人和下一代人富足安定。
Related: the banks appear to be performing to expectation.
(The thumbnail for this post was borrowed from this photo of a RMB 100 bill taken by Flickr user Comer Zhao)

author: John Kennedy


text:
China: Investigative report on Zhouqu landslide · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wangkeqin wrote an investigative report [zh] on the August 7 Zhouqu landslide.  The journalist blogger posted a number of photos showing the fragile construction of water dams in Zhouqu.


text:
Cuba: Walking a Fine Line  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Although there is some level of tolerance towards the independent press and the opposition, permissiveness should not be confused with impunity”: Iván García attends his meeting with the Cuban authorities and reports that when it comes to independent journalists, “there is a fine line that cannot be crossed.”


text:
D.R.of Congo/Burundi: Don’t ignore Burundi · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Jason's advice for Congo: ignore Burundi at your peril: “Why should the Congolese care? First, Agathon Rwasa, the former head of the FNL rebel group, has probably crossed into the Kivus.”


text:
Ghana: The boy Barwuah who became the man Balotelli · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nana writes about the Italian football star, Mario Balotelli, who was born Mario Barwuah in Italy to Ghanaian immigrants:”The Ghana Football Association (GFA), at some point, asked Mario to play for Ghana. The boy slammed the GFA by sarcastically puking he never heard of the country…”


text:
Ghana: Twitter users to follow #Ghana · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

These are interesting and useful twitter users to follow for information related to Ghana:@silverbirdghana, @modernghanaweb, @macjordan and @gaylepesscud


text:
Haiti: Education Challenges  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Following the Jan. 12 earthquake, 1,263…schools in western Haiti were destroyed; 376,000 students were out of school and an unknown number of teachers and students were dead or wounded”: HAITI, Land of Freedom takes a look at the country's education struggle.


text:
India: Mumbai Bloggers Meet · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mumbai Metblogs  reports about a recent bloggers meet in Mumbai hosted by Indiblogger.in and compiles some Twitter reactions on the event tagged by #indimum.

author: Rezwan


text:
Jamaica: Dance!  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Tallawah posts photographs from the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica's 2010 season.


text:
Japan: Ogasawara Islands to be next UNESCO site? · Global Voices
Matt Holland

With access limited to a chartered ship which sets sail once every six days or so, the Ogasawara Islands (小笠原諸島) are assuredly among the least accessible parts of Tokyo (where prefectural governing responsibility officially lies)! Home to a number of endemic species of wildlife and unique geological features, the islands were placed on a provisional list registered with UNESCO by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment as a potential Natural World Heritage Site on January 30, 2007, and along with the historical assets of the town of Hiraizumi (en/ja) were officially submitted as candidates on January 18, 2010.
The Ogasawara Natural Information Centre (en/ja) is a Ministry of the Environment hub site which provides a great deal of information about the process up until this point, detailed future plans, as well as raw natural data. A quick look (ja) leads one to feel things are moving right on schedule!
A post on the official blog (ja) of the Ogasawara Tourist Association reflects the excitement:
小笠原諸島が世界自然遺産推薦地となりました。
今後は概ね三年程度かけて外来種対策などを行い世界自然遺産登録に向けて進んでいきます。
登録されれば日本で４つ目の世界自然遺産登録地となります。
They also have some excellent site promotion emblems uploaded via the above blog post.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is UNESCO's environmental advisory body, carried out their inspection (ja) of the actual state of several of the islands between July 2 – 15, (ja) said to be among the most important elements of the evaluation process. The decision is slated to be made in summer 2011 at the World Heritage Committee's 35th assembly.
Let's take a quick look at exactly what this detailed inspection entails. According to the Ministry of the Environment:
本調査は、世界遺産委員会の諮問機関である国際自然保護連合（ＩＵＣＮ）が行う、推薦物件の世界遺産一覧表への記載にかかる専門的評価プロセスの一部として実施されます。評価の主な目的は次のとおりです。
・推薦地の全ての側面についてよく知ること
・推薦区域の境界線を調査すること
・管理のためのシステムとその有効性を評価すること
・推薦地に対する現在及び将来の脅威を調査すること
・推薦に対する地域のサポートを評価すること
So, how did it go? Of course it will be some time before any results are made clear, but it sounds like the islanders put every effort forward in order to ensure a smooth investigation. From one of the region's major blogs:
7月4日から来島していたIUCN（国際自然保護連合）のピーターさんとナオミさん。10日間の現地調査を終えて島を離れていきました。関わった多くの皆さん本当にごくろうさまでした。
前日は関係機関に対するIUCN側からのプレゼンがあり、今後の管理体制について様々な提案や事例紹介行われました。ツーリズムに関してもお話があり、世界自然遺産になったとしても、適切な管理が行われるようエコツーリズムの推進を図っていきたいと思っています。
さて、その後は「さよならパーティー」が行われ、各機関から最後のアピール（？）を行いました。そして、村はやっちゃいました。何と「小笠原自然遺産音頭」を本邦初公開しました。多分受けていたのでポイントは上がったとは思っていますが…。（まあ、音頭で世界遺産になるとはだれも思っていませんが。）今年の盆踊り大会（8月12日～14日）に向けて、振付をお願いしていますので乞うご期待。
Bonin Islands, Japan (from Flickr user *yasuhiro – CC-BY)
The islands are in both a promising as well as challenging position. With increased attention through the UNESCO connection, the potential for increased funding and preservation of various natural properties is becoming more and more viable. Yet a great deal of the organizations putting efforts toward maintaining the islands still remains self-funded, largely from tourism. Assuredly being named a World Heritage Site would boost numbers dramatically, but the fundamental infrastructure to move people to these islands is lacking, and may be holding back potential tourists even now. Let's take a look at a couple blog posts which humorously (but accurately) look at this issue.
Via Left Eye, the blog of a photographer based on the Ogasawara islands.
沖縄との大きな違いは「海洋島」ということ。
大きな陸地と地続きになったことがないってことです。
これがどういう意味を持つかと言うと・・・
長くなるからそのうちブログります。（笑）
それと沖縄との大きな違いをもうひとつ。
それは観光客の数。
沖縄は年間20万人とも30万人とも言われいていますが、
小笠原は年間2万人ちょっと・・・
赤字続きの第三セクター遊園地よりも人が来ない計算？
25時間の船旅。
最短6日間の日程。
割高な旅費。（船旅は総じて高い）
このみっつのハードルが考えられます。
One major difference between the islands and Okinawa is their being true “islands of the sea.” In other words, the islands have at no point been connected to a larger land mass. If I try to explain what this difference actually entails, this post will get too long so I'll be sure to blog about it before too long.
Besides that there's one more major difference compared with Okinawa, and that is the number of tourists. It's said there are roughly 200-300,000 visitors to Okinawa annually. Ogasawara's figures sit at around 20,000… that's looking like less than the number of visitors to a quasi-public theme park in the red!
A 25 hour trip by boat.
Minimum stay of six days.
On the expensive side at that. (Sea-bound trips generally are)
These three factors can be seen as the islands’ three main hurdles.
From a travel and tourism blog:
父島への行き方を教えてくださいというメールが来ました。父島の行き方ですね。了解です。父島への行き方は、簡単です。荷物をもって、浜松町へゴー。駅員さんに「竹芝桟橋行きたいんですが、どうしたらいいですか」と聞いてください。歩いて１０分ぐらいのところに竹芝桟橋という港があります。そこで切符を購入して、小笠原丸という船に乗れば、父島に来れます。小笠原丸の船賃は２万円強。３万円もっておけば大丈夫です。片道ね。ただし、船は夏と正月は６日に１度。冬やほかの日程になると、２週間に１度しかでていません。だから事前に小笠原丸のページをみて、日程をチェックしないといけませんよ。小笠原丸の時刻表は、小笠原丸で検索したときに一番上にでてくると思います。出発は朝１０時です。ただし、荷物を郵送する場合は、かなり前から送らないと、同じ船には乗りません。また、同じ船でいけたとしても、到着当日に荷物は届きません。一便前ぐらいに乗るようにしておくのが吉です。
Finally, a blog update from Ogasawara's parliamentary representative, Shigeo Ichiki, who succinctly puts forward the issues facing villagers at this point in time:
8月5日、東京・茅場町にある日本自然保護協会を訪問しました。
私が普段から提唱している環境協力金（入島税など）をはじめ、世界自然遺産登録後の財源確保の課題、移入種の材木を活用した発電など、小笠原諸島の自然保護行政全般について相談をしたり、ご指導を頂きました。
航空路に関しても議論しました。
日本自然保護協会とは私が島に来てからのお付き合いがあり、
小笠原ホエールウォッチング協会時代には各種調査を受託するなどしていました。
ざっくばらんにお話ができるので、大変有意義なご意見などをいただく事ができました。
Ichiki's blog post was made just this past Saturday, so I think it accurately reflects what is on the mind of islanders these days (or at least islander politicians). An island entrance tax will assuredly be a controversial issue, as depending on the cost it could further dull the islands’ appeal to tourists, but apart from that the tourism industry on the island simply does not yet have the scale to sustain the natural conservation activities they are trying to carry out. It will be an interesting issue to follow into next year.

author: Matt Holland


text:
Kenya: A Donkeymentary: Through the eyes of a donkey  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Do you know what is a donkeymentary?: “It is basically a documentary with donkeys. Through the Eyes of a Donkey  is a new film about Lamu, a small island just off the Kenyan coast, with about 24,000 people, some 6,000 donkeys, and just 2 cars.”


text:
Kenya: Fourth president will be a lot younger · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Chris looks at some key political indicators following Kenya's referendum on a new constitution: “Referendum vote brought us closer to the fourth president of the republic of Kenya. He'll be a lot younger than most analysts want to believe.”


text:
Lebanon: Making Money out of Blogs  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Dreaming of making money from your blog? Lebanese bloggers discuss online digital marketing here.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Lebanon: Why do Food Prices go up in Ramadan? · Global Voices
Layal Al Khatib

Lebanese blogger Mustapha explains his theory on why food prices go up in Ramadan, blaming the “mothers” in his post.

author: Layal Al Khatib


text:
Macedonia: Political Parties Obsess Over Facebook ‘Likes,’ Myth-Making · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Politics as a hot topic in Macedonia expands to Facebook, notes [MKD] Viktor Arsovski of IT.com.mk, informing that major parties started caring about how many “Likes” they get after they realized that most of the citizens use this service:
“Today we celebrate a small jubilee,” stated [SDSM] in a text [MKD] on how the Facebook profile of [party president Branko Crvenkovski] gained 25,000 fans.
Several hours later, [VMRO-DPMNE] tweeted a link to the Facebook profile of [party president and current prime minister Nikola Gruevski, who currently has a couple of thousand of fans more.]
[…]
“But what now?” asked Jane Gjorgjioski – Ribaro on his Facebook wall.
“It would be understandable if they communicated directly with their supporters, but it is total nonsense to offer no interaction whatsoever over the social media and brag about it!” he said.
Even though social networks offer opportunities for creative communication and interaction, Macedonian parties do not use their potential. Similar to the offline world, neither SDSM, nor VMRO are involved in any communication with their fans on their “esteemed” Facebook profiles. Without communication these pages become only places for the fans to express their love towards the political leaders.
Besides the lack of interest in civic participation, blogger Roberto Belicanec writes [MKD] about lack of substance of political communication. Instead of consistent ideology and solving particular issues…
…The myth of the Golden Age rocks Macedonia and completely dominates its political scene. The pauperized nation, totally lost in the contemporary world and entirely incapable of facing reality, hooked on escapism… perpetuates a deadly political [civil] war through the myths of the Golden Age and the return of the king.
The myth of the Golden Age is common to almost all human communities. It is a period when we were strong, without blemish, and life was beautiful and peaceful. Those days of glory and might serve as a source of strength to endure the fall. The key element of constructing this myth is that after the Golden Age comes the inevitable fall, banishment from Paradise (such as in the Golden Age myth of Adam and Eve) due to an error of the ancestors or a force of evil (personified by the Snake in the above example). Time of suffering follows the fall, until the restoration comes with return of the king (the hero, the champion, etc.). The king returns, defeats evil, and establishes the order of good (for instance, the Second coming of Christ). Odysseus who kicks his wife’s suitors from his own house and re-establishes peace is also an example of such an archetypal king.
During the subsequent discussion (122 comment so far), blogger Dzhaman reminded readers that he, too, referred once [MKD] to the myth of a sleeping hero, common in northern Europe, noting that the Russian PM Vladimir Putin exploits the same pattern and is in turn often mentioned in Macedonia as an example to follow.
Continued Belicanec:
At the moment, this narrative is the only moving force in the Macedonian politics. The struggle is bitter because one half claims that the mythical Golden Age was the time of Alexander the Great, placing the myth in the ancient times, while the other half murmurs that the Golden Age was Yugoslavia, with [Tito] in the role of the departed king. [More about it,  in this GV post.]
This clash is fundamentally divisive and completely needless. Incapable of producing a new narrative turned towards the present and the future, [the two major options] generate political byproducts as extensions of these two myths. SDSM presents the accession to the [EU] as some kind of a return of Yugoslavia. This backfires, as their competitors recognize the analogies of the arguments that our path to the EU has an “economic” basis, or provides “safety and integration,” i.e. avoiding Armageddon. It’s the psychology of a lost child who seeks its parent to feed it and warm it. SDSM does not look upon Europe and NATO from the political aspect of national interest, as an opportunity to end identity conflicts and take part in policy creation to influence both the future of Macedonia and the entire continent.
On the other hand, VMRO’s entanglement with imagining restoration of the Golden Age has reduced politics to fetishism. [Skopje 2014] represents a battle with history and reinvention of the contemporary identity by establishing alternative history that never happened. These [baroque] burlesques are in fact the Macedonian cultural heritage that would have been made if Alexander had not died prematurely in Babylon, or if King Perseus had not suffered defeat in battle by the [Ancient Romans]. Skopje 2014 is a phantasm of the Macedonian history based on the principle what-would-have-been-if… […]
In essence, both of these are dangerous follies that redirect the energy of the nation into a nostalgia for lost paradise and its reconstruction, instead of creating a contemporary society able to respond to today’s challenges.
And we the people remain screwed by this mythology, unable to pick up a stick and chase away those who spread fog, so we can finally discover the calendar and start living today.
Thumbnail source: illustration “Facebook duel” by IT.com.mk.

author: Filip Stojanovski


text:
Macedonia, Romania: Blogger Detects Cross-Border Plagiarism · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

L'Acqua Al Deserto discovered [MKD] that Romanian singer Irena had recently released “a copy” of Milioner, a 2007 single by Macedonian singer/songwriter Elena Ristevska with music by Darko Dimitrov, also available in Serbian, and in English (with lyrics by Leroy Chambers). Irena's website claims [RUM] that the author of ‘her’ version is Gabi Jianu.


text:
Malawi: Missing out on online technology for transparency · Global Voices
Victor Kaonga

If there is one online tool that has attracted many Malawians, then it is Facebook. It appears to be the “in thing” for many who are increasingly accessing the Internet. Then there are tweets. In the 2009 presidential and parliamentary elections, Twitter was heavily used for the first time to share developments in Malawi. The same applies to blogs — at least a hundred and fifty Malawians have personal online diaries.  Such new media tools help “net” citizens connect with others throughout the world, enabling online civic engagement. While Malawi seems to be doing well in terms of online social networks, it has yet to make progress in using these tools for transparency and accountability.
When Malawi became a multiparty democracy in 1994, words like transparency and accountability became buzzwords in both public and civil society. As a result, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) was born out of a 1995 constitutional provision that emphasized the need to introduce measures to “guarantee accountability, transparency, personal integrity and financial probity and which by virtue of their effectiveness and transparency will strengthen confidence in public institutions.”
Malawi has made strides in the fight against corruption using several approaches. In Transparency International’s 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures the perceived level of public sector corruption, Malawi ranked 89 out of 180 countries and territories. This was step up from previous indices.
Some countries have seen technologies for transparency help them in the fight against corruption, strengthening the credibility of governments and helping with their provision of public services. Having picked a lesson or two and joining the information highway, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Malawi recently upgraded its website, a development that the bureau secretary Tokha Manyungwa described as “a big step in enlisting online support in the fight corruption.”
Asked why the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has taken so long in having a functional website, he said that among other issues, “the main reason was capacity problems in the ACB's ICT section mainly due to staff turn over in the section.” One can appreciate the challenges with the bureau since this is a government-funded institution where bureaucracy is involved.
The website upgrade means that for the first time, Malawians are able to report any corrupt practices by using the web. However, it is clear that the bureau is far from being online-friendly. Compared to other anti-corruption websites in the sub-Saharan Africa (e.g., the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission and South Africa's Special Investigating Unit), the site needs further tools if it is to enable people to easily report on and follow corrupt practices. The site can only be used by those who are able to understand and read English and this may discriminate against those who cannot use the language.
The danger with many other transparency initiatives linked to governments is that their sites contain  too much raw information, much of which does not make sense to a common citizen.  Some of it is irrelevant, inaccessible, irregular and inaccurate. From what I know about people in Malawi, few people can manage to read through large amounts online information. This would therefore not only affect participation of the people in the fight against corruption but also kill the transparency initiative.
According to the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), Internet penetration is growing by the day through hot-spot services by ISPs and mobile phone operators who have since introduced affordable internet services.  Still, the Internet is a new development in Malawi.
Apart from procedural issues regarding technological initiatives, there is also a problem with what I would call “Internet will.”  There are still many public servants who have yet to appreciate the role the Internet and new media play for development, let alone transparency. For instance, the Malawian government began its Government Wide Area Network (GWAN) project in 2003, but the project is not yet fully functioning. The GWAN's main objective is to provide government officers with a computer network that is secure and available at all times in order for the officers to access relevant information in a cost effective manner that will save government hard-earned money. This is supposed to be at the center of the government’s administrative system.
At a broader level, technology for transparency projects will have to deal with Malawi's current level of e-readiness, which is understandably low.  According to a study published by the United Nations (PDF), Malawi's national leaders need to “be sure about the state of E-readiness for their own country, what needs to be changed, what barriers exist, and often fail to see the benefits of such changes.” Malawi rates low when it comes to the electronic climate on transparency and electronic awareness of leaders.
Civil society has a key role in developing and using online technologies to promote transparency, accountability and civic engagement. Unfortunately, this is still work in progress. Sometimes some of the civil society initiatives are seen with suspicion by the government.
The Malawi Economic Justice Network, which is implementing the DFID-funded Governance and Transparency Fund, says it is yet to introduce online technologies to assist in achieving transparency. Launched in November 2008, the project aims at “Strengthening Citizen Demand for Good Governance Through Evidence Based Approaches.” It is not clear what aspects will be online and indeed to what extent.
A media expert and keen follower of the digitalization developments in Malawi, Baldwin Chiyamwaka, said that Malawi is still far away from utilizing online technologies to promote transparency and accountability.  He pointed out that “most public institutions have no capacity to develop effective ICT infrastructure,” adding that “there is still a strong inclination and preference for traditional means information management.”
Chiyamwaka, who heads the Media Council of Malawi, observed that Malawi’s legal framework is an obstacle its own right to transparency initiatives. “The current legal framework does not allow sharing of information and let alone making it public. Public policy prohibits publicizing public information,” he noted.  Chiyamwaka further explained that a common reality in Malawi is that “most public officers are skeptical about online technologies. They feel it is not safe and secure means of sharing information.”  Clearly the battles for transparency in Malawi are big.
It has to be noted though that there are multiple challenges in Malawi for technology for transparency projects. Poor Internet infrastructure, technophobia, high connection and connectivity costs, the lack of ICT policy in some countries, and inadequate knowledge and ICT personnel all constitute obstacles to the use of technology for transparency.
Malawi has lack of economic and technical resources in addition to a lack of funding and well trained personnel to creatively keep the transparency battle afloat. A visit to several websites run by civil society organizations involved in transparency, civic engagement and election issues reveals frequent lapses in updating the content of the sites, which is linked to inadequate funds and the shortage of personnel.
There is need to promote usage of online technologies in the country, especially among top public servants and professionals in the civil society. One may find it disappointing to see how little or inadequate information about Malawi is available online. Malawians have a free online environment where issues of control and censorship do not really arise as it is in some countries.  On this, Global Voices co-founder Ethan Zuckerman strongly advised Malawians to speak out using online tools on issues that affect them and are about Malawi. He promised to further amplify such voices using Global Voices Online. “Our project seeks to aggregate, curate, and amplifies the global conversation online, shining light on places and people other media often ignore. We would love to get more stories from and about Malawi whether in English, Chichewa or any local language, and we will share such with the rest of the world. Your stories need to be heard,” said Zuckerman in an interview.
Though Malawi is yet to plug into some local and regional online networks, there is hope that with more “Internet will,” it will reap benefits of technologies on transparency. For instance, it can tap into the Africa I-Parliaments Action Plan, an Africa-wide initiative implemented by the UN/DESA to empower African Parliaments to better fulfill their democratic functions by supporting their efforts to become open, participatory, knowledge-based and learning organizations.
Though in many sub-Saharan African countries, it is the NGOs that are pushing for the use of technology in their advocacy for transparency, there is need for other stakeholders — e.g., government, ICT professionals, academicians, etc. — to take the leading role in using the online technologies.
Such challenges impinge on a country’s ability to plug into online technologies that would promote transparency, accountability and civic engagement. It is encouraging, though, that the era of multiparty democracy has ignited people's desire to start demanding transparency and accountability from those they elected.
The reality is that if an individual or a country is not plugged into the information highway, they only have themselves to blame, as they will belong to the museum of history when it comes to modern communication, aid transparency and accountability.

author: Victor Kaonga


text:
Nepal: Indian Policy On Nepal · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dr. Hari Bansha Dulal comments on the recent Indian efforts to broker Nepal's stalemate in choosing a new Prime Minister: “India's policy toward Nepal is seriously flawed. It wants to turn Nepal into a subservient client state like Bhutan”.


text:
Pakistan: Killings In Balochistan · Global Voices
Rezwan

Apart from the recent devastating floods Pakistan has other problems to tackle.  Hamid Abbasi at Chowrangi points out to the recent brutal ethnic killings of Punjabis by members of a terrorist/liberation movement in Balochistan.


text:
Pakistan: Mobile Operators Respond to Flood Relief Calls · Global Voices
Ammar Faheem

There are a number of international mobile operators in Pakistan who are responding to flood relief requirements. Telecomistan blog highlights that approximately PKR 238 million in funds have been pledged by three Mobile Operators as donation.

author: Ammar Faheem


text:
Russia: Fight With Fire in Ryazan Region · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

Blogger chistoprudov features more photos on his blog related to the latest efforts to put out wild fires in Ryazan region, Russia.

author: Vadim Isakov


text:
Russia: Photos of Altai Krai Taken From Helicopter · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Simon Pavlyuk, a traveller and blogger, posts [RUS] stunning pictures of Altai Krai [EN] taken during a helicopter trip.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


text:
Saudi Arabia: In Memory of Dr Ghazi Al Gosaibi  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are mourning the loss of an intellectual who has contributed greatly to the cultural and development scene of both neighbouring countries. Ghazi Al Gosaibi, a poet, author, Ambassador and minister, died yesterday at the age of 70. Bloggers and tweeps remember him in this round up of reactions from across the Arab world.
Dr Ghazi Al Gosaibi. Image sourced from Facebook fan page.
A leading liberal voice in Saudi Arabia, Dr Al Gosaibi obtained his early education in Bahrain, where he has relatives, and where later on in his long career he served as Saudi Ambassador.
From the UAE, Sultan Al Qassemi tweets:
I would say this about a very small number of people in power: The Arab world is a better place because Ghazi Al Gosaibi was born into it.
Bahraini Yacoub Al Slaise adds:
Last night I told my friend that our generation doesn't have a TRUE role model, I was wrong and he passed away today #GHAZI
iLandBahrain feels the loss:
Ghazi Al-Gosaibi – voice of enlightenment and reason – You will be sorely missed ♥ God bless your beautiful soul ♥
And bint battuta digs into her archive:
In memory of Ghazi Al Gosaibi, an old post on my blog (in Arabic): “The pleasure of not having to understand” http://is.gd/eiC1U
The announcement of Dr Al Gosaibi's death on his fan page on Facebook has attracted more than 750 messages so far, from across the world.
Hussain Hashem writes:
حزنتك لفراقك كما لو كنت من أعز أقربائي
My sadness for losing you is similar to having lost one of my dearest relatives.
Nora Aboushoushah adds:
To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die..
U will always be in my heart..
Ur
books.. have inspired my life.. touched my heart..brought me so much
joy.. enlightened me.. made me laugh & cry.. helped me make some
choices..
My number 1 writer.. u will live forever..
From Saudi Arabia, Crossroads Arabia‘s John Burgess says:
I’m truly sorry to read of the passing of Ghazi Al-Gosaibi. Not only did I know and like him, but he represented the sort of government official who is in far too short a supply in Saudi Arabia. His love for his country and for his fellow Saudis was amply demonstrated by the regulations he sought to create to bring more Saudi women into the workplace, to control the explosive growth of expatriate labor, to reduce the unemployment problem that desperately needs a solution.
Qusay adds:
Dr. Ghazi Algosaibi passed away at the age of 70, a career Saudi government man who held more high positions than anyone in my limited knowledge of government officials and ministers, what I know is he was criticized for reasons I thought were absurd, so I knew he was on the right track.
Recently the Information Minister Aziz Khoja lifted the ban which was imposed on some of his literary works, which made me wonder, how one can be a Saudi minister and still have some of his books banned from the market? I am sure I am not alone in wondering about that
Bougi, meanwhile, describes Dr Al Gosaibi as “a one of a kind gentleman.” The blogger adds:
As Labour Minister, he urged unemployed young Saudi men to take the jobs they had traditionally left for foreigners, driving his point home by memorably serving hamburgers at a fast food restaurant in Jeddah.
As well as his ”9 to 5”, Mr. Al Gosaibi's literary works included a series of novels discussing corruption at home, Arab alienation and essays analysing relations between Islam and the West. His poems were touching, profound and relative to many, from all walks of life.
Kuwaiti Ain Bhaghzi  too is moved and writes:
And writing at the Angry Arab News Service, Lebanese American Dr Asad Abu Khalil describes Dr Al Gosaibi as ” an interesting writer and poet who squandered his talents and his skills in the service of House of Saud.”
He further notes:
This Saudi ambassador and Minister died: the ban on all his books was
lifted weeks before his death, when he was on his deathbed.


text:
Singapore: No eating and drinking inside trains · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Siew Kum Hong criticizes the absolute implementation of the ban on eating and drinking inside the trains of Singapore. The ban it seems is also applied on babies drinking milk.

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Sri Lanka: The Sri Lankan Malays · Global Voices
Rezwan

Frangipaniii at 1985 Mosquito Bites shares what it is like to be a Sri Lankan Malay: “the community of between 50,000 – 70,000 people in Sri Lanka currently share a language – a derivative of Malay spoken in South East Asia and a culture that is going through some rapid changes.”


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: 5.0 · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands links to a report about the earthquake that shook Trinidad and Tobago over the weekend.


text:
UAE: Censorship is a Myth  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

UAE's Vice-President and Dubai Ruler Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said the UAE does not “impose any restrictions on information or news about economic and  financial issues.” The Gulf Blog reacts here.


text:
Vietnam: Flash Mob Saigon · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Vietnam720 uploads a youtube video of a flashmob at the Ben Thanh Market Roundabout in Saigon, Vietnam.


text:
Vietnam: Housing prices · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Neil Nguyen, writing for Vietnam Talking Points, analyzes the rising asset prices in Vietnam since 2001 and asks if it is going to burst like the housing bubble in the U.S.


text:
Vietnam: Supporting local orphanages · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Little Tigers is a non-profit organization founded this year “to assist in improving the welfare of the many orphans and vulnerable children in Vietnam.”


text:
Vietnam: TedxSaigon 2010 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

TEDxSaigon is the first ever TEDx event licensed by TED in Vietnam. Themed “Dream, Diversity and Development”, the conference took place on August 15 focusing on development issues in Vietnam


text:
Vietnam: VietTimes bloglist · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

VietTimes offers a list of recommended English-written blogs about Vietnam.


text:
Zimbabwe: New play about Liberian civil war · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Novell writes about Eclipse, a play by the US-based Zimbabwean actress, Danai Gurira: “Eclipsed is a story about the Liberian civil war that arose in defiance of Charles Taylor’s rule. The play examines in particular the war’s impact on the female population in the region.”


text:
Zimbabwe: Violence mars constitutional outreach · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bev Clark posts a statement issued by Zimbabwe Election Support Network, Zimbabwe Peace Project and Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights following violence that took place during Constitutional outreach campaign.


text:
A Quiet Independence Day for Pakistan · Global Voices
Ammar Faheem

Given all the pain and gloom that surrounds the life of an ordinary Pakistani today, it is no surprise that this year's independence day (14th of August) was a quiet affair; somber expressions of joy and government events were limited to things like a formal flag hoisting in the morning.
Floods in Pakistan have displaced around 2 million people by now and there seems to be no let up in nature's display of brute force. Currently there is another spell of rains and another round of floods adding to the misery of Pakistani's across the country.
Bloggers have used various ways to express their feelings for their homeland. Farrukh Zafar, a blogger from Karachi, highlights the achievements of Pakistani's at the international level:
Pakistan Flag. Image by Flickr user takebackpakistan. CC BY-NC-ND
In every 40 Pakistanis, 39 whine today about Pakistan’s worst law and order situation, the flood disaster, the plane crash, the fake degrees of its politicians, the shameless acts of thePresident, the declining performance of Pakistan cricket team and so on. BUT I WILL NOT.
… Then came August and a team from the Lahore Grammar School (LGS) 55-Main Gulberg, popularly known as LGS Kabana from Pakistan, won the NASA-affiliated Space Settlement Design Competition held in the United States of America! …
More at: ‘I Told You to Respect Pakistan’
Xainab, on a slightly depressed note, writes in her blog about why her Independence day celebrations have changed:
How can we celebrate independence, I wonder, when we've done nothing to deserve it? How can we rejoice in the motherland when she lies before us ravaged and broken? How can we pat ourselves on the back when we're anything but proud Pakistanis? How can we go watch the lights when all around us there seems to be nothing but darkness? How can we sing songs and be merry, when we live every moment in fear of the next disaster?
Talking of hope and solidarity on this independence day, Sakina Younis writes at Pro-Pakistan.com:
Let’s do as much as we can in our capacity and prove to the world that we are truly the progeny of that generation of people who understood virtues of sacrifice, hope, brotherhood & solidarity. We are Pakistanis, we live in a land that was born on the premise of faith and determination. Struggle is not a new concept for us.
More at: Yaum-e-Azadi 2010
The idea behind this post is not to add to the despair and problems of an average Pakistani. The idea is to highlight that given all the problems that surround a Pakistani, this nation is still strong enough to bounce back. People still have hope. People still have faith in themselves. They have always and they have again stood up to this national disaster.
Pakistan is indeed the land of the pure, only if it was governed and managed properly, our independence day would have been merrier, happier!


text:
Africa: Putting arts and culture on SADC’s agenda · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Arts and culture is on SADC's 30th Anniversary: “Zimbabwean renowned poet, Albert Nyathi performs on the 17/08/2010 for all of SADC’s Heads of State during the 30th Anniversary of the regional body here in Windhoek, Namibia.”


text:
Bhutan: Civil Service Examination Needs Revision · Global Voices
Rezwan

Tomlax at Kuzu-Bhutan Weblog opines that the present method of evaluating the candidates in Civil Service Examination is not fair and practical and needs revision.


text:
Bolivia: Encouraging Street Children to Skateboard · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The blog [es] for the Art and Culture Association of San Isidro in Bolivia shares pictures of an initiative to encourage children from the street to engage in urban sports, skateboarding specifically. The event also included a breakdancing workshop.

author: Silvia Viñas


text:
Brazil: Indigenous Camp Resists for Eight Months in Brasilia  · Global Voices
Manuela Tenreiro

This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.
Since early in January this year, members of different indigenous Brazilian nations have been camping out in front of the Ministry of Justice in Brasília D.F. The indigenous communities accuse the government and FUNAI (Fundação Nacional do Índio) [pt] – the national protection agency for the indigenous peoples in Brazil – as well as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), of betrayal for not consulting indigenous leaders in matters concerned to them. In March, AIR (Acampamento Indígena Revolucionário – Revolutionary Indigenous Camp), launched a blog [pt] where it laid out its claims.
Nós guerreiros e guerreiras das etnias Pankararu, Korubo, Mundurucu, Krahô-Canela, Fulni-ô estamos há mais de 70 dias acampados na frente do Congresso Nacional, em Brasília, com o objetivo da revogação do Decreto 7.056/09 da Funai e da saída da cúpula mafiosa da Funai, CNPI, ISA e demais Ong's, que têm como finalidade exterminar os indígenas no Brasil.
O decreto 7.056 foi publicado no dia 28 de dezembro de 2009, de forma autoritária, em que os líderes não foram ouvidos e o presidente da Funai junto com as Ongs passaram por cima dos direitos indígenas e em leis internacionais como o artigo 169 da OIT, que redige que os indígenas têm que ser escutados em quaisquer decisões relacionados à eles.
“Índio é terra e não dá para separar.”
We warrior men and women of the Pankararu, Korubo, Mundurucu, Krahô-Canela and Fulni-ô ethnicities, are camped out for over 70 days in front of the National Congress in Brasília, aiming the end of Decree 7.056/09 related to Funai, and the exit of the mafia on the board of FUNAI, CNPI, ISA and other NGO's, which have the objective of exterminating the Brazilian indigenous people.
Decree 7.056 was published on December 28th, 2009, in an autoritarian way, where our leaders were not consulted and FUNAI’s President together with the NGO’s overlooked indigenous rights and international laws such as article 169 of OIT, which says that the indigenous must be heard in any matter concerning them.
The indian is land and nothing can separate them.
Indigenous Revolutionary Camp
The mentioned Decree 7.056/09 was treated by congress as a restructuring of the FUNAI but indigenous groups say that, in practice, it closes 24 administrative offices, 9 area offices and all village posts [pt]:
A ausência desses postos foi severamente prejudicial a todas as comunidades de todo o território nacional, pois, o único apoio vindo da Funai – ainda que precário – vinha das administrações e postos.
Among the 11 demands [pt] that the indigenous representatives put forward are: the creation of CNDI (Conselho Nacional de Direitos Indígenas  – National Council for Indigenous Rights) – which would give the indigenous people autonomy in the management of their patrimony, rights and interests -, the consulting of indigenous peoples in matters related the environment and the defense of their social, cultural and religious rights, respect for indigenous land and its natural resources. The indigenous also demand the exoneration of the President of FUNAI, Márcio Meira, and his team, for failing to attend to the above demands. In its blog, FUNAI defends its position claiming to have treated, along their 3 year old existence, over 30 cases such as [pt]:
Violência e criminalização de lideranças e comunidades indígenas; conflitos territoriais envolvendo indígenas; população carcerária indígena no Brasil; operações policiais em terras indígenas; a regularização fundiária de terras indígenas; o etnodesenvolvimento dos povos indígenas; o Estatuto do Índio; aproveitamento de recursos naturais, minerais, hídricos e florestais presentes em terras indígenas; educação indígena, pesquisa das línguas indígenas; a situação de extrema vulnerabilidade do povo Guarani Kaiowá; reformulação da política de atendimento e subsistema de saúde indígena; reestruturação, planejamento estratégico e Plano Plurianual do órgão indigenista.
Indigenous community demonstration in Brasilia
In an open letter to the Brazilian people, published on their website and reproduced [pt] in other blogs, AIR accuses FUNAI of contributing to a national development that is not in the best indigenous interest, in fact it clashs with it:
Em nome de um crescimento econômico pleiteado por toda a Nação, temos nossos  territórios impactados por estradas, ferrovias, hidrelétricas e outros empreendimentos, todos aprovados pela FUNAI com um simples “sem óbices ao empreendimento x ou y“, sem que nesse processo se garanta o pleno cumprimento da legislação ambiental e indigenista que ainda está em vigor.
During May and June other indigenous ethnicities joined the revolutionary campers, among whom, over 100 Guajajaras and representatives from Kayapó, Tapayuna e Panará groups [pt]. But, in July a bitter event farther aggravated  the crisis between the indigenous leaders and the authorities supposedly created to protect indigenous rights. On july 10th, different police forces entered the Indigenous revolutionary camp, without a judicial warrant, destroying tents and taking cooking objects and clothes. In a direct confrontation with the indigenous protestors, the police used pepper spray injuring women and children, including a pregnant woman who later aborted in hospital.
But the Indigenous Revolutionary camp resists, standing in defiance by the Ministry of Justice, though recently moved by the police to the front of Itamaraty Palace, while they await the annulment of Decree 7.056/09.
This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.

author: Manuela Tenreiro


text:
Brazil: Sex and Politics · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Blog Futepoca [pt] posts a collection of videos from a federal deputy candidate for the next Brazilian elections in October. In the videos, Jeferson Camillo intends to show that he supports diversity: he is featured with women at a Motel and with a transvestite to give the idea that he is modern and hype.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


text:
Chad: Ten places to visit in Chad · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

There are ten places one should visit in Chad: “Chad is one of the countries of the Saharan Africa. Chad is also a country that boasts of some wonderful places to visit, and here are some of them.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
China: Did powdered milk cause infant breast development? · Global Voices
Gabriel Nada

Recently across China, more than 20 infant girls have been found to have begun developing breasts in what has been called “mini-puberty”. Reports also indicate that at least 3 infant boys also have been found with elevated estrogen levels. The levels of female hormones in the small children, ranging between 4-15 months old, is greater than that of an average adult female.  In fact, levels have been detected which are more than double the normal average for an adult female.
Although the Chinese Ministry of Health (卫生部）has said that tests have cleared the milk powder of containing levels of hormones beyond the allowable range, Chinese media and bloggers are still talking about what this newly uncovered event means.
Certainty vs. Uncertainty
What is certain is that these infants have hormone levels higher than a normal average woman and that the girls have begun developing breasts. It is also certain that all of the affected children were consuming the same brand of Synutra milk powder (圣元奶粉). What remains officially uncertain is what the cause is.
With 2008's melamine (三聚氰胺) additive milk scandal involving the Three Deers Brand (三鹿) still recently fresh on many people's minds, and both the government and the companies eager to avoid further damage to China's brand and country image, the company and government are denying that the cause is linked to the product. However, no other cause has yet been determined. Until a conclusive test proves a link between the powder and the elevated hormone levels, it would be too early to convict Synutra on appearances, but there are questions which are being asked that remain unanswered.
Where's that sample from?
While 42 different samples have been tested, reports indicate that only one of those samples came from the powder in the homes of the affected children that was actually consumed.
Some sources have asked why the tested samples have not included more of the actual powder consumed by the children?
From waimiao10 on blog.163.com:
据报导，武汉3名女婴去医院检查身体时，医生发现她们体内的雌激素已经达到了成年女性的水平，医生建议家长立即停用女婴喝的圣元奶粉。
奇怪的是，数起相同案例，受害者在停用奶粉后，女婴的乳房也停止了增长。
According to the report, at the time when the 3 female infants from Wuhan went to the hospital to get examined, doctors found that the level of estrogen in their systems was already higher than in mature women. The doctors recommended that the families immediately stop using the Synutra milk powder.
Strangely, in a number of similar cases, as soon as the affected children stopped use of the milk powder, the development of breast tissue also stopped.
Circumstantially, a connection between the elevated levels of estrogen in the children and the use of the Synutra would seem fairly evident, but how can tests prove a conclusive link if the powder that was actually being consumed by the children isn't analyzed?
Differing points of view
Not all share the view that the problem is related to the milk powder and the Synutra company.
An article in the Zhanjiang Daily (湛江日报) points out:
国家乳品研究中心高级工程师李涛博士透露，奶粉中含激素并非个案，对不孕奶牛注射催奶液追求高出奶率已成行业潜规则。
“人们在喝牛奶的时候可能不会想到为奶牛多产奶采取的措施：一年一次的人工授精、流产、注射催乳素……除此之外，一些奶牛场还给奶牛注射控孕催乳剂，使奶牛不怀孕就大量产奶。人们应当注意的问题是，牛奶中所含大量雌性激素会导致孩子性早熟，男性性功能障碍，及女性乳腺癌、子宫内膜癌等疾病的发生。 ”
A high-level engineer for the National Dairy Products Research Institute, Doctor Tao Li, reveals that it isn't a specific case of milk powder containing hormones, instead it is that as part of the unwritten rules of the industry, dairy cows are routinely injected with hormones and drugs to increase the rate of milk production.
“While drinking a glass of milk, people can't possibly imagine the amount of measures taken to produce high volumes of milk. Artificial insemination, abortions [of calves], injecting milk-producing hormones…apart from this, some dairy farms also inject birth-control hormones into the cows to stimulate milk production, using infertility drugs to keep cows producing at high volumes. What people ought to be paying attention to mainly is that milk containing high levels of estrogen can lead to premature sexual development in children and obstruction of sexual function in males, breast cancer in females, cancer of the uterine lining, these types of health issues.”
Industry-wide problem, Company problem, or larger Social Issue?
The question is then posed: is this a problem specific to Synutra and its production of children's milk powder, or an indictment implicating the practices of the dairy industry as a whole that affects not only these children but society at large? Are these children simply victims of an unusually concentrated dosage of hormones that the industry is injecting into all of its dairy cows in an effort to artificially increase milk production, or did Synutra illegally manipulate the processing of its children's milk powder resulting in these cases?
More importantly, will the government decide that it wants to know the truth, investigate, and hold those responsible to the proper consequences; or, will it seek to do damage control, give assurances, and protect the reputations and businesses of the companies and industries involved?
Competition from overseas imports
Ironically, and counter-productively, if there is not a clear and decisive investigation which reaches the root of the problem, this will only serve to strengthen non-Chinese import brands as Chinese consumers will be afraid to purchase their country's own goods.
‘Wooded Valley’ (林子虚谷) points out that since the 2008 melamine scare, overseas brands have continued to rise in popularity and profitability, increasing in price 3 times in 2010 over the first half of the year with each increase between 10-12%. The overall profit margin for the industry is 30%, with low quality brands earning on average 8-10% profit while high quality brands enjoy 50-100% earnings. He asserts that if Chinese companies don't increase their quality they will continue to lose out to the foreign brands:
从情感上我们希望它是某个品牌的局部危机，甚至我们希望它是一个误会。但不是这个名牌，又是谁呢，难道是那些假冒奶粉在作祟。中国奶粉的已经无法再惊得起折腾了。
人无信不立，国无信不强，没有信誉将是中国奶粉的集体悲剧！中国奶粉什么时候有与洋品牌竞争的资本，如果连自己的质量都保不住，与洋奶粉的角逐不过是一个集体的痴人说梦而已！中国奶粉进军高端市场的大门也会无限期被关闭！
If the people don't have faith there can be no building, if the government doesn't have trust it can't be strong, without prestige it will be a collective tragedy for the Chinese milk powder industry. When will Chinese milk powder products be able to compete with overseas imports, if they continue not to ensure the quality of their own products? In the struggle against foreign brands it will be a bunch of foolish dreaming [unless quality is self-insured]! [Without internal oversight and quality-assurance] China's march towards the gates of the high-end market will find them locked indefinitely!
Economic development through the development of Consumer-Government trust and safe Corporate-Industry practices
The hidden message in the bottle is that nothing could be better for domestic Chinese economic development and the foreign reputation of Chinese companies than a thorough, open, decisive investigation which determines exactly what the cause of the problem is and what is responsible.
So long as domestic Chinese consumers and foreign observers have no faith in the quality of Chinese produced goods, economic development will be limited and possibly even slide backwards. If the Chinese consumer believes that they can trust the government to do its job to protect them and that Chinese brands are striving to assure their own highest possible standards of quality to compete on the international market, they will be more likely to purchase Chinese goods.
If, however, they do not trust the quality of Chinese brands and do not have faith in the government's methods of protection and investigation, they will turn away from Chinese brands and purchase foreign imports, hurting domestic Chinese economic development and growth.
A QQ user writes:
在“圣元奶粉事件”的报道中，所有性早熟、激素均是“疑因食用”圣元奶粉，也就是说没有直接的证据证明这一点，事件已经发生或被发现至今一周了，相关部门还没有拿出相应的质检报告，在一件举国上下关注的食品安全公共卫生事件面前，一份实实在在的质检报告为什么如此之难。
The emotions of people towards this case can be seen even more clearly in the case of parents whose children have used the product. ‘Big Brother Tiger’ (虎哥) writes:
最近媒体报道圣元奶粉导致多名女婴性早熟的事件，我对此事高度观注，因为我儿子从出生到现在一直都喝圣元，但事情到现在已经过去好几天了，国家相关部门今天称乳粉激素含量无异常  。但是又有多少国民相信这些砖家的呢？   去看网上调查问卷结果就知道  ！！！！！！！
2008年三聚氰胺事件那时，那时包括圣元在内的全国二十多家奶粉都被查出含有此种物质，我记得圣元的老总还当场鞠躬致歉，并说 出问题的奶粉都是国产奶源，进口奶源都不存在问题，表示今后圣元要使用进口奶源。三聚氰胺事件发生后，国家质检部门对市场上销售的所有品牌奶粉分批次取样抽检化验，真他M好意思舔脸说，出问题了想起来抽样质检了，你质检部门平时的工作都是干P的！
…圣元的官方网站上说是从欧盟进口的，但是我打客服电话询问时，客服人员说是从新西兰进口的，到底哪的，自相矛盾！可以肯定圣元的奶源肯定有问题！这次激素门事发后，我又看到这样的文字：国家质检部门已对圣元奶粉取样检查，我还是那句话：你质检部门的人员日常工作都是干P的啊，非得出事了才去检查，平时天天坐办公室吃屎啊！…想当初三聚氰胺时你们一个个哭叽赖嚎的请求人民的原谅，真不如当初就一棒子打死算了！！
The latest media reports on Synutra milk powder leading to premature sexual development in infant girls is something I'm watching very carefully because my son has been drinking Synutra from birth 'til now. Even though the issue has been ongoing for several days, the national departments have said that the levels of hormones are not out of the ordinary. But how many people actually believe this? Go look at an the results of any online survey and you'll know!
At the time of the 2008 melamine case, at that time it involved 20 domestic companies including Synutra. I remember the president of Synutra bowing in apology and saying that the problem was with domestically produced milk products, that there was no problem with the imported products. He stated that from that day forward Synutra would only use imported products. After the incident the national health inspectors went out to the market places to conduct random on-site quality inspections on all brands of milk powder, a bunch of really damn shamefull face licking! When the problem came up I recalled the inspections- your inspection department's level of work is all crap!
…The Synutra website says that its all imported from Europe, but I called customer service and they say its imported from New Zealand, a total contradiction! Absolutely the Synutra milk supplier has a problem! After this issue with the hormones came out, I saw the same words again: Government inspectors have already analyzed Synutra's milk powder. I'm telling you again- your inspections are all a bunch of crap! You only do something when there's a problem, normally every day you just sit at the office eating crap!…to think back at the way you cried and grovelled for the people's forgiveness during the melamine problem, really not as good as if we had just beat you to death with a big stick!
Solutions and Change needed
Obviously the situation can't be left like this, with consumers and parents furious and distrustful, turning away from domestic brands and looking overseas for solutions. The companies and government agencies have to step up and earn the respect and trust of the Chinese people and consumers by doing their duty- the government's duty to protect and investigate thoroughly and definitively, and the companies’ duties to regulate their own products’ health and safety to the highest degree to make sure problems don't arise in the first place.
As China continues its progress towards taking a place on the highest levels of global competition, it cannot afford to have its own domestic markets lost to overseas competition through internal incompetence and corruption. Without a solid domestic core how can the economy think to grow outward and keep developing?
A genuine and thorough investigation which finds the real cause and holds those responsible truly accountable is not only a social necessity on behalf of the people and parents of the country, but also an economic necessity so as not to lose consumer confidence in domestic brands to overseas competition.
The title of a post by ‘Big Bright Wolf’ (大辉狼) says it all: Already hopeless country! The tiny amount of public trust completely destroyed!(已经没救了的国度！那么一点点公信力彻底灭亡！)
He writes, in closing this piece:
如今检测结果已经显示圣元奶粉含有雌激素，卫生部为何还能得出“湖北女婴性早熟与圣元奶粉无关的结论”？????退一万步讲，即使这些女婴性早熟确实是另有原因，那么，从邓海华的发言看，圣元奶粉这样含有雌激素的奶粉品牌肯定得叫停。圣元奶粉事件绝不能就这样不了了之，卫生部应该就前后矛盾的言论作出解释，并对圣元奶粉事件给公众一个满意的处理结果。圣元奶粉何去何从，我们拭目以待！

author: Gabriel Nada


text:
China: National Photography Exhibition Golden Award Winner Was A Fraud · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated a news story that exposed the National Photography Exhibition Golden Award winning photo being generated by computer.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
Cuba: About the Law  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Iván's File Cabinet tells the story of the Teófilo family, whose patriarch, in light of eviction threats from the authorities, is convinced that “his biggest crime was to try to have a prosperous life”; Laritza's Laws, meanwhile, reports on an unprecedented legal matter involving the incumbent Minister of Justice.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Google assists Pakistan flood relief efforts · Global Voices
Rezwan

Jehan Ara at In The Line Of Fire informs that: “Google has created a crisis response page (Urdu) that hosts a variety of tools and compiles information about the disaster, including the latest news from local media sources, any available satellite imagery of the affected areas, and ways to donate to verified NGOs supporting the relief effort.”

author: Rezwan


text:
Haiti: Reparation?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As Repeating Islands takes note of the pressure on France “to repay the 17 billion euros (£14bn) ‘extorted’ from Haiti in the 19th Century”, Bahamian Nicolette Bethel comments: “Simply erasing the debt is not enough; there is also the long-term damage done to the core fabric of Haitian democratic society…”


text:
Hong Kong: You want to take the bus?  That’s so tragic! · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

This youtube video (with English subtitle) showing a quarrel between the private van owners and bus passengers after has become a big hit online. For more background, see ESWN.


text:
India: Monitoring traffic violations on Facebook · Global Voices
Namita Singh

The upcoming Commonwealth Games in Delhi are expected to bring a number of things to the city: athletes, tourists, and, less excitingly, traffic.  To help monitor the situation, the Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) have started using Facebook to collect information about traffic violations.  The project has recently caught a lot of attention from the mainstream media, social media and the common man in India.
The attention surrounding the DTP's use of Facebook can be attributed to the fact that it is one of the only initiatives of its kind in India. Corruption permeates Indian society, ranging from the level of a traffic policeman demanding a 100 Rupee bribe to scams worth billions. The government and its officials are seen as corrupt, and the ability of the citizens to monitor the government is very low. Transparency in government departments is almost non-existent, and in several cases, the identities of whistleblowers have been revealed, exposing them to threats and even death. Only recently, a Right to Information activist was murdered.  Government departments contribute to the problem by failing to respond to citizens, maintaining high amounts of secrecy and making things difficult for those fighting against corruption. In such an environment, any new method of increasing citizen engagement with the government is bound to get some reaction.
The DTP initiative intends to help manage traffic during the upcoming Commonwealth Games by encouraging citizens to report issues and post photographs of traffic violations on Facebook.  The DTP then follows up on these violations. Several hundred people have been booked based on these reports and photographs, including police officers. The DTP also has a Twitter account (@dtptraffic), which it uses to give constant updates on traffic movement and to warn people about slow traffic and jams.
Not all of the buzz is positive: some people are questioning the legality of the initiative, seeing it as an example of citizens spying on citizens and questioning the possibility of manipulation of photographs.  Still, judging by the number of people following the DTP's account on Twitter, ‘liking’ their profile on Facebook and writing blog posts, the initiative is proving to be quite popular.
The Foreign Ministry and the Postal Department are jumping on the social media trend, starting their own Facebook and Twitter accounts. The DTP have, until now, limited their use of social media platforms only to bring traffic issues to notice.  But their initiative opens the possibility of inclusion of more technologies and further such initiatives in future — perhaps even using social media to report cases of corruption in the Traffic Police force.
Cues can be taken from several civil society initiatives. RTI India is a web community that reports and works on corruption and right to information issues.  Praja is working on an Open Data project with the Government of Karnataka to make government data available to the public online.  Kiirti is a one-stop citizen platform where people can file complaints about all kinds of civic issues and work toward resolving them. The Accountability Initiative is working on the accountability of government institutions, which includes policy research, creating better quality data, and seeking ways to disseminate the data to public.  However, there are still very few online initiatives ready to deal with the massive issue of corruption and to help citizens engage with the government directly.
The Delhi Traffic Police’s initiative and its popularity is just one instance, but it highlights the need of people to connect with the government and their eagerness to participate in civic issues on a government-owned platform. It also opens up a bigger debate to analyze: how government departments are using technology to ensure transparency and what needs to be done further. This case should drive the people working with online technology and activism to consider how to make it easier for people to engage with government departments, obtain information and report on corruption safely.  It should also encourage them to develop platforms that could help do these things. With the help of technology, India's stringent anti-corruption laws, Right to Information act and ideal of democracy just might become meaningful.

author: Namita Singh


text:
Jamaica: Art About Dudus · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The Dudus Chronicles is a body of work I’ve had the opportunity to watch  as it took root and developed in front of my eyes”: Annie Paul is excited about the exhibition's official opening, and republishes a series of Facebook comments in response to news of the upcoming show.


text:
Jamaica: Garvey’s Birthday  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Caribbean bloggers honour the memory of Marcus Garvey today, on the 123rd anniversary of his birth.


text:
Jamaica: R.I.P. Seya · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The National Gallery of Jamaica Blog “deeply regrets the passing of Seya Parboosingh” and pays the artist tribute.


text:
Jordan: Reema, We Refuse to Let You Die in Vain · Global Voices
Katharine Ganly

A tragedy has struck us.
I never thought it would come to this. That I come to write an obituary for the closest and dearest aunts of all. My aunt Reema, may Allah have peace on her soul, age 35, mother of 2 girls and 1 boy, was cowardly shot while she was asleep. The assailant is her husband.
Blogger Aboosh opens with these words in a poignant and moving obituary written for his aunt.
A few days ago, in the Jerash Governorate, Jordan,  Reema was shot by her husband during her sleep [Ar]. The reason for this murder? Her husband believes that his wife was a “victim of sorcery” and that she would kill him first; he claims to have been told by a ‘well-trusted’ man that his wife was affected by a murderous spell.
It has since become apparent that the victim, a 35-year-old English teacher and mother of three, suffered years of mental and physical abuse at the hands of her husband.
Aboosh brings to light the kind of role model Reema is, particularly for young women of Jordan:
My aunt is (and I refuse to say was) the definition of youth, potential and an example of local women leadership. In her life that was cut short, she gathered tremendous support and love from everyone she met or whoever crossed her path. She is an example to everyone, with her level of education, her perseverance, and her elegance.
In 21st Century Jordan, she resembles where an individual should strive for. Her work for the local universities, for the local schools and graduate studies has affected hundreds of young local females.
In 21st Century Jordan, she presents the example of local leadership that works against all odds, to reform her surroundings, to present a better future for those who follow in her shadow, and to bring the bottom-up revolution we all seek for.
In 21st Century Jordan, aunt Reema presents the model for all Muslim women around the world: a model of conservatism and modernism, that adheres to the local cultural values, yet, flourish where many have failed.
In 21st Century Jordan, my aunt Reema AbdulHafez Al-Abed, was shot dead in her sleep.
Aboosh refuses to let Reema die in vain, and asks Jordan to take action so that some good may come from this tragedy. He urges the government to provide support and protection to abused and victimised women. He also calls for the government to focus on education regarding “magicians”, exposing their lies and holding them accountable for the crimes they cause.
Aboosh also calls on society to address these problems, acknowledging that society “bears the heaviest role” in change. He urges the following:
1. All mosque leaders and tribe aldermen need to educate their local societies about the roles and responsibility of men towards their wives, and how to treat them with respect and dignity.
2. Local women centers need to educate women about their rights and their options to avoid physical and mental abuse.
3. Women must not be scapegoated every time in order to protect her name and her kids. We have seen the price of that!
4. Marriage between cousins or 2nd cousins must be brought to an end. The majority of marriages between relative end up carrying the strains of old blood between family members.
5. All those liars who claim to be magicians or practice voodoo must be exposed and sent to jail to rot there, where they belong.
The blogging community has reacted with support to Aboosh's post, and has spread his message.
Jansait highlights issues of punishment in Jordan, where women have little access to family protection, and preservation of ‘honour’ can be used as a mitigating factor in murder cases.
Jansait asks:
How many women should be killed before we wake up? before our government and or King Abdullah and Queen Rania do something? seriously these souls are not toys! these women are the root, source and reflection of the future Jordan. what future are we looking at now?
Jansait also addresses the problem on Twitter, calling for action from the Royal Family:
while others, such as Majd support Aboosh in his call for policing the actions of so-called “magicians”:
[Authors note: سحرة is Arabic for sorcerer or magician. ]
Jansait urges people to take action:
and the people at Womens Rights on change.org have taken action and started a petition in order to raise awareness and put pressure on the government to enact change. It opens:
The Royal Family and The Government,
As authority figures, I ask you to speak out and convert all the legislations into actions on the violent crimes against women in Jordan. To make Reema Al-Abed, a 35 years old woman, a mother of three who was shot in her sleep by her husband for no sin, the last victim.
In addition to legislative change, the petition also calls for the establishment of accessible shelters and crisis centers for females victims of violence in both urban and rural areas. It can be signed here.
Readers have left hundreds of messages on the news reports covering Reema's death, expressing outrage, as well as offering their condolences, as here:
While Aboosh, in his blog, maintains a heartfelt determination in urging society to learn from Reema's murder:
We REFUSE to let you die in vain.
We will have the courage to face your tragic loss with heads held high, and show the world what you have taught us and kept teaching us.
You will light the road in your death as you did when you were alive.

author: Katharine Ganly


text:
Liberia/Mexico: Mexico Vs Liberia: An informal comparison · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Esteyonange's informal comparison of Liberia/Mexico: “Ever since arriving in Liberia with the “knowledge” that 85% of its residents were unemployed, I have been suffering from a minor obsession about how people with little to no money make it from day to day…”


text:
Malawi: Man with no hands and disabled legs repairs radios · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“I have just read an awesome story about Kelvin Maliwa, a 34 year old Malawian, who was born with no hands and disabled legs and could not attend formal schooling, but now has become a radio repair man,” Clement Nyirenda reports.


text:
Maldives: Homosexuality Criminalized · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Rainbow Maldivian reminds tourists that homosexuality is criminalized in Maldives with punishment like 10 to 30 lashes and/or jail terms.


text:
Mexico: Adoption Rights for Same-Sex Couples · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Pepe Flores writes [es] about the Supreme Court's decision to uphold a law which allows same-sex couples to adopt children. He calls the ruling, “A great triumph for the LGBT community in our country, and in general, for all civil society.”


text:
Morocco: The Ramadan Diaries · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

In Morocco, as in all of the “Muslim world”, Ramadan has begun, and with it, bloggers are writing about their experiences.  For anyone involved with Morocco, and whether they are fasting or not–be they a foreigner living in the country, a Moroccan abroad, or just someone lucky enough to be invited to lftour–Ramadan is a peaceful time of reflection and community.
The View From Fez, which offers a guide to Ramadan in Morocco for foreigners, wishes its readers a blessed Ramadan with this image:
The blog also shares the news that a number of mosques in the country will be closed shortly for repairs (last year a minaret collapsed, killing dozens), unfortunately coinciding with the holy month:
Now the research has been done and action will begin. It has been  announced that the government will close 1,256 mosques found to be  “unsafe”.
The ministry of religious affairs has said over 500 mosques would be  completely demolished and rebuilt. In the interim makeshift tents would  be provided for prayers.
The ministry said it has inspected over 19,000 of the country's nearly  48,000 mosques. A sum of $325 million has been set aside for improvement  work, including demolition and rebuilding of 513 mosques.
Foreigners living in Morocco often find the experience of Ramadan daunting.  For one Peace Corps blogger, who writes at From the Cold Land with the Hot Sun, the experience brings about a new appreciation for Muslims.  The blogger writes:
I am only doing a sort of Ramadan Light; though I am not consuming food during the daylight hours, I am continuing to drink water within the confines of my house. To refrain from that would be a different beast entirely. To go without food for twelve hours or so can be uncomfortable, but going without water is genuine suffering, and a true test of endurance. Not that one would guess so by looking around. As with the two previous Ramadans I have experienced here, I am completely humbled by the badassed-ness of the Moroccans who continue to work as normal, often under the scorching summer sun, and especially the women who spend their days surrounded by the sights and scents of the evening meals as they assume the day-long task of preparing them.
Sarah Alaoui of Musings Diffused shares a photograph of her own harira, the traditional lentil soup eaten in Morocco to break the fast:
Homemade harira, courtesy of Sarah Alaoui
Of Ramadan, Alaoui writes:
It's that time of year again–when everything feels instantly peaceful and a sudden calming atmosphere envelopes everything…Ramadan.
I made Moroccan lentil soup last night for the first time–came out delicious and I'd call it a successful attempt despite the deep gash in my index finger from the can of chick peas. Also made Moroccan “harsha”, a slightly salty crumbly bread made from semolina flour. Delicious with some brie and raspberry jam.
For those who celebrate, I wish you a happy Ramadan. For the non-Muslims, I encourage you to attend an iftar at a Muslim's home–the iftar is the breaking of the fast at sundown. It's a wonderful experience :) I love cooking for my friends during this month.
For those without the opportunity to attend an iftar, Islamic Iftar offers up a Moroccan recipe:
Today we feature an iftar recipe from Morocco. It is a popular and easy to make home-made main dish in Morocco during Ramadan. Couscous is a staple grain from semolina wheat or pounded pearl millet.
Morocco is known for its delicious and mouthwatering couscous dishes and this recipe is one of Morocco’s favorite. Extremely tasty and ideal for a quick yet appetizing meal, this is only one of the approaches to making this Moroccan delight.

author: Jillian C. York


text:
Panama: The Urban Development Boom · Global Voices
Clotilde Castillo

During the last decade, Panama has experienced a boom in its urban development, which is evident by the skyscrapers, new infrastructure, real estate developments, and tourism projects scattered all over the city.
As part of this activity, there are also very prestigious projects, like the Biomuseo [es] (Bio Museum), designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. In this context, there has been a lot of hype.  Bloggers are expressing their points of view regarding the the way development is progressing, as well as its impact on the environment and Panama's historical heritage.
View of Panama City from Cerro Ancón, by Osvaldo Urriola. Used with permission.
Back in 2008, Levana Melamed, from the blog Portal de Lev [es] wrote about the buildings in the historical center of Panama City known as Casco Viejo and what is rising at a fast pace:
Sería grandioso restaurar estas casas por las que han pasado personas y personas, y en las que han de haber vivido tristezas y momentos de felicidad, de preocupación, a lo mejor de soledad…
She added:
Ver la parte antigua de nuestra gran ciudad es ver el corazón de la misma, la base de todo lo que es hoy día.
The Casco Viejo was declared a World Heritage Site in 1997 by UNESCO.  However this area is undergoing several renovation projects, given its attractiveness for real estate and tourism projects.  Some of these projects have been the center of recent controversy.
Photo by Sacha Griffin and used with permission
The blog Avarana [es] wrote:
El PH Plaza Independencia y el antiguo Hotel Central son víctimas de promotores inmobiliarios irresponsables que han comprometido el valor arquitectónico de estas emblemáticas edificaciones, destruyendo sus elementos significativos (como la gran escalera del hotel y parte de su fachada) o agregando espacios no cónsonos con el entorno (más pisos, en el caso del PH); todo esto a ciencia y paciencia de autoridades que se “pasan la bola” y no terminan de sancionar como se debe a estos agresores del patrimonio.
The matter is still under discussion, as shown by Darien Montañez from the blog Arquitecto Panameño [es], who reported on August 9, 2010 about the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's 34th session (Brasilia 2010) and their observations on Casco Viejo.   The excerpts from the session mentioned two areas of concern:  the plans to expand Panama City's new coastal beltline along the border of Casco Viejo and its border, as well as the overall status of the area, including the PH Independence Plaza and Hotel Central.
un pequeño pulmón natural que ayer destruyeron, hoy estamos necesitando y en el futuro nos hará mucha falta. Las autoridades hacen caso omiso de nuestras voces de protesta y solo responden a intereses personalísimos, políticos o económicos. Si no actuamos hoy, mañana será demasiado tarde… lamentablemente estos árboles no volverán a crecer, y los que quedan hay que protegerlos.
Outside Panama, there has been also interest on what is going on regarding urban development on the isthmus.  Daniel Connolly, in his blog PanamArq, wrote about the comparisons between Panama and Dubai and he asked “Why does Panama City want to become a Dubai?” Wouldn't Panama rather be the Barcelona of the Americas or the London of the Americas?
He shared:
Why must Panama try to imitate Dubai by sacrificing itself to become a playground for the rich?  A forest of self contained luxury towers whose residents travel from private tower to private tower in air-conditioned sedans, never stepping foot in a public space.
Readers shared their points of view and some of them agreed with the way that Panama is growing.  One commenter wrote that she lived in Panama City for several years and:
es una ciudad hermosa a pesar del trafico. Siento que es un lugar donde vale la pena vivir.. un lugar que tiene casi todo. Panama, con sus edificios.. pienso que no trata de imitar a nadie simplemente es un pais con ganas de crecer… no hay problemas con quien quiera una vida mas callada lejos de la ciudad, como dije para todo hay… si no te gusta estar en la ciudad.. pues hay muchos lugares en Panama donde puedes vivir relajadamente, en un muy comodo ambiente.
Bloggers also highlight the fact that Panama city is a wonderful place to be and, regardless of all the challenges, it is everybody's  responsibility to make it a great city.
Susana Marina in the blog Sin Mordaza [es] in a post about waste management, pointed out that:
Tenemos el privilegio de vivir a orillas del Pacífico, vivimos dentro del sofisticado contraste de las torres de Calle 50 con las (lastimosamente ya pocas) clásicas viviendas de Bella Vista, y tenemos un Casco Antiguo, Patrimonio de la Humanidad según UNESCO, con una arquitectura única con dejos franceses y sabor criollo y ahora tenemos una cinta costera que, por más en desacuerdo que haya estado yo con su construcción, no puedo dejar de decir que le da otro aire.
She comments on how sometimes Panamanians look at photos of Panama and they cannot believe that it is their city:
No sé de dónde sacaron que no podemos tener una ciudad como la que tenemos y tampoco comprendo como teniéndola, no la cuidemos como se merece.

author: Clotilde Castillo


text:
Russia: “67” – New Flashmob in the Defense of Khimki Forest · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

LJ user May_Antiwar posts pictures of people with number “67” written on their faces. The number, May_Antiwar explains, represents the share of Khimki, a city in Moscow region, citizens who voted in the recent poll against the new speedway that will divide the Khimki forest park.


text:
Sierra Leone: Sierra Leonean Kansas City Wizards soccer star · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Vickie writes about Sierra Leonean football star Kei Kamara: “Back in July over 50,000 football fans watched Sierra Leone's Kei Kamara of the Kansas City Wizards score the winning goal for a 2-1 victory over Manchester United.”


text:
Somaliland: Challenge for openly gay president · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sokari's reaction to the news that Somaliland's President is openly gay: “Roll on the next AU [African Union] meeting.  Will he stand up for LGBTI Rights?…If not and his identity becomes silent then he betrays his own self as well as the people who voted for him.”


text:
South Korea: Shrewder Commercials As Viewers Get Smarter · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

In South Korea, it is sometimes chilling to watch netizens detecting a trivial flaw from traditional media which would have gone unnoticed few years ago. Several days ago, internet users have scored another one. This time, a small and perhaps intentional error from the nation’s one of biggest networks’ prime time news.
Korea’s one of major broadcasting stations MBC featured a news coverage on Smartphones. On the covereage, a female interviewee appeared and showed how all the technology has converged into a Smartphone. The lady seemed like an ordinary citizen, but was in fact an employee of the Sony Ericsson and by no surprise, a Smartphone she was holding in the news was her company’s.
It is like everyone is a fact checker or a media monitoring agent.
Netizen are proud of themselves that they are not gullible enough to eat up the reality traditional media project. A Netzen ID: MissA (the page has now been deleted) is the one who solved a Smartphone coverage case (images above are from MissA's posting) and blew a lady interviewee’s cover. MissA posted a screen capture images of Jeon Ham, the lady interviewee and her Sony Ericsson phone from the news and a coup de grace, a screen shoot of an internet page noticing new recruits for Sony Ericsson where Jeon was listed as a person in charge of recruiting and her phone number designated as a contact number. Peoples’ response was immediate. Most of them did not hold back their irritations that can be felt after being fooled. A netizen ID: Warota commented right below MissA's article that it is irritating to watch a combination of news and a commercial in a serious news program and pointed out this incident can jeopardize the news credibility.
일반 시민처럼 나와서 마치 아무런 사심없이 소니 에릭슨이 좋아서 쓴다는 것처럼 인터뷰하는게 웃기다는거야 저 사람이 소니에릭슨에 근무하는 사람인데 자사 상품 갖고 나와서 공평하게 평가하겠냐?
Another netizen ID: Zidell said that Sony hit an promotional jackpot, since it is not technically a PPL(Product Placement) thereby no monetary compensation is needed but still, the promotional effect the news coverage will bring can be phenomenal. Zidell later shared a bit of background information on the indirect commercials on TV and concluded there is no legal issue the station is facing. The case is more likely to fall into moral area.
PPL이거나 PPL의 일종은 절대 아닙니다. PPL은 노출에 대한 댓가를 지불하기 때문에 ‘유료로 지면을 지불하여 메시지를 전달'하는 완전한 광고의 영역에 속합니다. PPL은 주로 드라마, 영화, 기타 오락적 미디어에 쓰이며 뉴스에서 PPL비스무리 한다는 것은 말이 되지 않습니다. 기사비슷하게 광고하는 것을 기사형 광고(advertorial)이라하는데 이것 역시 기사와 같은 흉내만 낼 뿐이지 돈을 내고 광고 지면이나 시간대에만 내보냅니다.
즉, 돈을 안 들이고 광고한 PR로 설명을 할 수 있고요.. 기자는 윤리적인 문제에 대한 비판이나 징계에 대해 감당을 해야하며, 소니 에릭슨은 돈 안들이고 엄청난 노출효과를 본 홍보잭팟을 터트린 입장이지요. 보통 기사에 자사 제품이나 브랜드가 언급되기를 바라면서 각 홍보팀이나 대행사들이 보도자료를 계속 배포하는데, 이렇게 대놓고 기사전체가 특정 제품의 장점을 줄줄이 꿰는 홍보사례는 언론 윤리적으로 욕을 좀 먹을만 하죠… 저 전함씨의 차림새나 나레이션 등을 종합했을 때 맘먹고 홍보하려고 나온 것 같은데, 아무런 비판없이 소니에릭슨 측의 입장을 뉴스로 내보낸 것은 문제가 있다고 생각합니다.
Korean portals are notorious for a deluge of the advertorial, a combination of an ad and a news editorial, but basically a commercial in a news format. Many people share a vexing experience of clicking a news article with an enticing title and read though the end only to check a last sentence that read ‘this is a news release from the company’. In most Korean major portal sites, the news articles are place right in the middle of the main page and keep updating on timely basis. This is where the advertorials swoop in. A blogger the3rdman expressed an anger on this harassing ads. A advertorial the blogger mentioned was placed in a sweet spot of a portal’s main page and disguised as if it is a new article from Yonhap news agency giving tips on economizing space. It was later turned out to be an ad from a home décor company.
언론과 포털이 짝짜궁이 되어 추한 짓을 벌이는 것을 보니 기가 막힌다. 오늘 포털daum의 ‘메인화면’ 에 나온 기사다. 포털의 메인 화면의 위력은 상당하다… 하물며 상단 제일 보기 쉬운 곳에 ‘사진'과 함께라면 그 효과는 훨씬 크다…아마 최고 1만에 가까운 동접율을 보일 것이다. 그런 기사, 뉴스야 메일 나온다. 문제는 그 ‘내용’ 이다… 이건 ‘기사'가 아니가 ‘광고’ 였기 때문이다.
A blogger Joleng has posted his research on the product placement and some of legal issues. South Korea, starting from January this year, lifted a ban on the product placement and virtual placement. This new move was adopted to contribute to the broadcasting stations’ easy financing and enlarge the advertisement markets and especially, to halt underground product placements markets by making indirect advertisements official. Several specific rules have been added; in case of the product placement, the revised article allows it only in soaps and entertainment shows, but not in educational, kids’ and news program which can risk the programs’ impartiality.
The product placement, as well as the virtual placement has been actively used in soaps operas. As Korea’s soap markets are getting bigger, the product placement has gotten more diverse and discreet. In a KBS’ soap, ‘Cinderella's Sister’ the heroin orders a non-existing alcohol brand that has a very similar name with the actual advertizing alcohol brand and ‘the Man Called God’ from MBC, the main character constantly says ‘Why not?” which was the Samsung Card’s catchphrase from the commercial.
A blogger Designlog wrote in the article titled ‘Soap Operas are like Home shopping’ for displaying too many products on the show to plow more ad money.
이렇게 도가 지나친 간접광고를 남발하는 SBS 인기드라마 ‘유리의 성'을 향해 일부 시청자는 ‘드라마가 아닌 마스카라 광고다. 그리고 다음에는 어떤 제품이 PPL로 나올지 내심 기다려진다'고 간접광고 남발을 비꼬기도 했습니다…물론 드라마 제작비 조달을 위해 간접광고(PPL)가 필요하다는 것은 충분히 공감하고 이해되는 부뷴이지만 이처럼 드라마 흐름을 방해하는 노골적인 간접광고는 피해줬으면 하는 게 시청자들의 작은 바람이 아닐까 생각합니다.
The blogger warned the company of possible backlash from increasingly smarter viewers.
이제는 시청자들 역시 과거에 비해 많이 달라졌다는 것입니다. 보다 똑똑하고 날카로운 눈썰미로 간접광고를 여지없이 지적해 내고 이것을 인지하는 시청자들에게 노골적인 간접광고는 눈살을 찌푸리게 하고 기대하는 광고효과보다 역으로 제품 또는 기업 이미지를 반감시킬 수 있는 결과를 불러 올 수 있다는 것입니다.
Bygone the days when the traditional media wielded its used-up tactics with no one noticing its sly maneuvers. Business are evolving, mutating into discreeter direction as people learn to leverage unlimited access to information.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


text:
Soviet History: “What Stalin Said About Hiroshima” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“What Stalin said about Hiroshima” to the U.S. Ambassador to the USSR on August 8, 1945 – at De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis (via LJ user oboguev, RUS).

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Zambia: The Attorney General Vs Dr. Frederick Chiluba · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zambian Economist posts the court ruling in the case Attorney General Versus Dr Frederick Chiluba (Zambia's former president) and others.


text:
Africa: Maker Faire Africa 2010 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

MightyAfrican writes about Maker Faire Africa 2010. Maker Faire is an event that features African-made products amongst others: “If you are in Kenya this August 26 to 28, you should attend this event at the University of Nairobi campus.”


text:
Bahrain: The Sorry State of Affairs of a Hidd Mosque  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini Khalid Al Khayat posts a letter on Facebook addressed to Works and Electricity Minister Dr Fahmi Al Jowder, inviting him to visit a local mosque in Hidd and inspect its sorry state of affairs.
He writes (Ar):
ثانيا، وددت لو تشرفنا بسعادتكم كي تنضموا للصلاة في مسجد شناف الشمالي (مسجد سيد حيدر سابقا) بمدينة الحد .. هذه المدينة التي خرجت أجيالا ممن خدموا الوطن من وزراء ومدرسين وأطباء ومهندسين وصحفيين وضباط ورجال أمن ووووو، ومع ذلك
لم يفلحوا يوما في شق عصا الطاعة والخروج قط في مظاهرة أو اعتصام أو احتجاج من أي نوع .. حتى في قمة احباطاتنا عندما تم اعتقال فضيلة الشيخ عبداللطيف آل محمود في عام 1991 وهو عائد من الكويت
Al Khayat continues:
نعم .. وددت لو تشرفنا بسعادتكم كي تنضموا للصلاة في مسجد شناف الشمالي (مسجد سيد حيدر سابقا) بمدينة الحد هذه الليلة .. مساء أول أيام شهر رمضان المبارك .. والذي يؤم فيه فضيلة الشيخ عبداللطيف آل محمود .. ومع ذلك لا أريدك أن تخاف من أهل هذه المدينة أو تتوجس منهم خيفة
And emphasises:
فأهل هذه المدينة لم يعرفوا قط شق عصا الطاعة والخروج في مظاهرة أو اعتصام أو احتجاج من هذا النوع من التعبير عن الرأي .. حتى بعد أن أصبح حلالا بحكم الدستور ..
حتى مع قمة مآسينا من تلوث وأمراض ودفان أراض وشارع يتيم وإزاحة مدخل المدينة الرئيسي وإعادته مرة أخرى وكأن هؤلاء البشر ليسوا بشرا بل مجموعة مخلوقات تمشي على اثنتين من الحوافر حتى وإن ركبوا السيارات وسافروا ودرسوا ووووو .
ومع ذلك .. لم يعرفوا هذا النوع من الاحتجاجات..ا وهناسأضيف كلمة للأسف بحيث تتبع جملة لم يعرفوا هذا النوع من التمرد والعصيان أو التعبير عن الرأي..
Despite all this, they have never known their way to such protests. Here, I will add the word unfortunately, which should precede the previous sentence.
Al Khayat recalls meeting the minister and warns him not to tag along any women ministers, should he visit the mosque:
لم أتشرف بلقائكم سوى مرة واحدة وكان لقاء عابرا في خارج البحرين ولمدة خمس دقائق .. ومع ذلك فإني أدعوك لزيارة مدينة الحد للصلاة في هذا المسجد بالذات .. كما أرجو أن تبلغ بدعوتي هذه جميع زملائك الوزراء
ا(رجاء لا توجه أي دعوة لأي وزيرة فأنا لن أتحمل مسئولية فقدانهن الوعي لما سيشهدونه في هذا المسجد )..
He then tells us about what is happening at that mosque, and its sorry state of affairs:
إن أقصى ما بلغه عدد صفوف المصلين لم يتجاوز الأربعة صفوف .. وكان ذلك في صلاة العشاء .. وبعد السلام انخفض العدد إلى حوالي صف ونصف تقريبا، ولا أعلم إذا بقي أحد يصلي خلف الإمام للتراويح أم لا .. هل تود معرفة السبب؟!ا
أم أظنك قد فهمت مقصدي؟!
There were merely four rows of worshipers, and that was during the Ishaa prayers. After the prayers, the number dwindled to a row and a half, and I don't even know if anyone remained to pray the Taraweeh prayers after the imam or not. Do you want to know why?
I think you have understood what I wanted to say!
Al Khayat continues:
And adds:
Al Khayat concludes his letter with his full name, contact number and address saying:

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Bangladesh made boat reaches France · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh Watchdog informs that an ‘unsinkable eco-friendly’ boat made of jute fibre has reached the coast of La Ciotat, South of France after an eight month long journey from Bangladesh. The mission of the sail was to highlight the problems Bangladeshi fishermen are facing due to global warming.


text:
Brazil: Dona Delma on Twitter · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

“Dona Delma” has been on the worldwide Trending Topics for a week and , so far, most Twitter users haven't figured out the real meaning of it. Blog Hiper-Tension, copies [pt] the original post [pt] from a Brazilian Orkut's community, explaining the practical joke which consists of simply adding “Dona Delma” to all tweets.


text:
China: More than half of the sold housing in Shanghai is vacant · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Elaine Chow from Shanghaiist blogs about an online survey conducted by sina.com in which netizens reported that 51.23% of the sold housing in Shanghai is vacant.


text:
China: Technology and Offshore Farms · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

David Wolf from Silicon Hutong predicted that Chinese offshore farms are likely to invest in agricultural technology in the coming five years.


text:
Cuba: Same Old?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As U.S. President Obama prepares to reconsider the travel ban on Cuba, Uncommon Sense says: “Before he does so, he might want to consider the assessment of the three prisoners who were released this week.”


text:
East Timor: Raging debate on “culture” · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

Blog Timor News Network has republished a Facebook  debate which was kicked off in late July by Augusto da Silva who posted  a well-crafted essay by Fidelis Maglhães, challenging Timorese usage of “culture”. Magalhães was responding to a photo of the people of a  mountain town carrying the  PM.

author: Janet Gunter