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Israel: Teacher’s Strike Over · Global Voices
Gilad Lotan

An agreement between the teachers union and the Ministry of Finance was signed just a mere 15 minutes before the Israeli Labor Court's restraining order was activated, in what has ended the longest strike in Israel's education system (over 60 days). Teachers received a raise in their salaries and the prime minister's personal promise to reduce the number of students in a classroom.
Teacher demo outside the Finance Ministry as night talks take part in hope of ending the ongoing strike. source
Throughout their struggle, the teachers used a variety of communication methods to spread their messages and describe their struggle online, if through active forums, or numerous blogs through the major Israeli portals.
Shoshi, a biology teacher, kept an active blog and recently posted a podcast of her recent appearance on the radio, where she describes the problems that arise with the existing average age of teachers in most Israeli schools – 52. She claims that most young teachers leave their jobs after four years, seeking better employment conditions. She describes her fears for the future of education in Israel.
Many reactions were posted on the topic of the teacher's dilemma when confronted with the court's decision to place a constraining order on their strike. The court ruled that even if negotiations fail, teachers must end the strike by Thursday, December 13th.
In his post, Sagi writes:
Once in 30 years does such a powerful public outcry form that can really change the face of Israeli society. If we stop the strike now, we win nothing for 30 more years, and we will return like dogs to the classrooms.
Personally, I prefer to resign and not come back.
Avshalom Adam makes an interesting argument, comparing the teacher's dilemma to that of Socrates:
Socrates was accused of disobeying Athen's laws – hurting youth ethics in the city, harming its gods, and was sentenced to death. He accepted this sentence, even though he, along with a section of the public, considered himself innocent. Socrates could have escaped Athens and the death sentence, but he chose to stay and drink the poisonous cup. He claimed that his duty was to obey the city laws, even if those were not just nor used fairly. His reasoning was that an act of obedience to the law is in its essence more important than one's opinion towards its content or the way in which it is used. In his eye, the law's function is to provide a peaceful solution for problems amongst the public and between them and their state. Disobedience towards the law harms its status and reduces its effectivity to fill its duty, hence – claimed Socrates – it is necessary to always obey the law, even when one feels that justice or ethics are harmed.
The teacher's dilemma reminds us of Socrates dilemma: on the one hand, if they obey the court's ruling, their ability to put pressure on the government to settle on a fair wage for their hard work, and to help provide conditions to educate kids on an appropriate level, which will lead to accomplishments for the country as a whole. On the other hand, if they do not obey the law, they serve as a negative example in the kid's eyes, whom they teach to follow the laws.
…The teacher's strike comes at a time when we all find out – again – that Israeli students are ranked very low by international standardized testing. How much is this current crisis connected to the fact that the teacher's wage does not allow them to lead a respectful lifestyle? Is it connected to the size of classrooms, or number of teaching hours? In their strike, the teachers are asking the Education Department to take a moral responsibility in the current education crisis in Israel. The teachers demand the government to come to conclusions and to react before it is too late. Should they retreat from their demand, if it is the law that requests them to? This makes me wonder if by abiding the law, teachers will be forced to drink from the poisonous glass of the Israeli democracy.

author: Gilad Lotan


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Jamaica: Brain Drain  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Francis Wade thinks that Jamaica needs “a change in priorities, and to rethink the economic effect of our brain-drain.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Japan: Alpha Blogger Awards 2007 · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

A-List blogs in the active blogging culture of the United States are those that draw the most hits, that hold the most influence, that are the most widely-read and the most popular. But what about Japan? Are there many influential bloggers here too? When organizers of the yearly Alpha Bloggers Awards asked this question a few years ago, they had no answer, so they created a project to find one.
The Alpha Bloggers Awards website explains:
日本にはすでに1000万人以上のブログが開設されており、世界全体のブログの中でも日本語で解説されているブログは、複数の国で利用されている英語とトップを争うほどの数があると言われています。
ただ、そんな大量のブログの中から自分に役立つブログを見つけ出すのは、実は至難の業です。
そんな中、アルファブロガーに選ばれた方々のブログは、複数の人に推薦された評価の高いブログと言えると思います。
皆さんの日々の生活に良い影響を与えてくれたり、ビジネスや日々の情報収集に役立つブログもきっと見つかるはずです。
初めてブログを始める人、また面白いブログを探しているけれど、どこで探せば良いのか分からない人、そんな方々に参考になるブログを、このアルファブロガー・アワードを通じてたくさん見つけていきたいと考えています。
Three years after its establishment in 2004, however, and organizers of the Alpha Blogger Awards have changed their approach. In contrast to previous years, which featured exclusively well-known names in the Japanese blogosphere such as Joi Ito, the group of nominees in the 2007 awards were largely unknown even to the presenters themselves. A report about the event on the Alpha Bloggers website explains:
思ってたより、ずっとずっと、ブログの世界は広かったんだ。
そんな印象のアワードでした。
今回ノミネート選定にあたったブロガーの方々は、職業などのバックグラウンドもさまざまです。それぞれの専門領域から、「これは！」というものが集められました。
したがってノミネートブログは、法律や教育、医療、遠隔地での自然保護など、その道のオーソリティーが集まり、結果もまたそうした多様な顔ぶれを反映したものとなりました。
これまで3回行ううちに、似た顔ぶれしかピックアップされなくなったことから、終了が検討されていたアルファブロガー・アワード。
しかし、運営主体が替わり、ノミネート方法を変えたところ、徳力さんも清田さんも、初めて見る、しかも実はカリスマ的な人気を誇るブログがわんさかと出てきて、「こんなにあるのか！」と驚いたそうです。
While at the Alpha Bloggers Awards we had the chance to meet up with one of the winners, blogger Hadama Masami (葉玉匡美) who blogs at Kaishahou de Asobo (会社法であそぼ):
How did you start blogging in the first place?
I was working at the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, and was in charge of drafting the new companies law. After the law was implemented, I got questions from people, like “how does the law work?” or “I don't know what has really been changed?” As I was answering these questions on the phone, I noticed that many people had similar questions, so I thought that if I answered them in a blog then it would reduce the number of questions. In a blog there is a comment section, so if they have any questions, they can just post them there. People tried to call the Legal Affairs Bureau, but there were a lot of people calling, so the line was always busy. So I thought, wouldn't it be good if I could do this in a blog. It was just an impulsive idea.
But in the end, the number of questions didn't decrease.
The opposite, it increased. Not only that, but well, because there are various procedures for corporate law, there is a lot to do at a Japanese the Legal Affairs Bureau. Companies came to the legal affairs bureau to ask questions, but when [the bureau] didn't know the answer, or they were told that it could not be done, then as a kind of consolation they would turn to my blog, and if I said I could do it, then with that blog post, they would storm in [to the bureau]. We also got phone calls from regional legal affairs bureaus around the country saying: “It seems taht Hadama-san says such-and-such on his blog. Is it true?.”
What is the access count of your site?
Depending on the time it can change quite a lot, but around 7000. When it's a lot it's around 9000.
At what kind of times does it increase?
In Japan general meetings of stockholders are usually held in June. Many companies start preparing for the general meeting of stockholders in around March. So in the period between March and April, when preparations are going on for the general meeting, the access count increases. Also, when there is corporate law-related news, for example when there are things like the Bull-Dog Sauce incident, people come wondering: “What does Hadama has to say?”
At roughly what pace do you update your blog?
I used to update about every day, but I'm busy. Now it's about once in a week. Because of that there are a lot of questions that build up. 10 questions or 15 questions. When I had just started the site, people didn't know much about the law, so they asked only easy questions, but recently lawyers and professionals are writing so it's become really hard. I answer their questions for free, and then they go and make money [with the answers]. Not very fair….
Have you thought of charging?
No, haven't considered that. If I charge, then there is a responsibility. Since I don't take any money, I don't have to take responsibility. Well, but I also have pride, so I don't say things that are really careless.
You use your real name, does your work say anything to you about it?
No. I've been using my real name since back when I was originally at the Justice Ministry, and when I quit it was already known that I was doing this blog. People at the legal department of listed companies in Japan all read it. I can't stop, see. And the law firm I work for now, they figure it's good publicity, and so they tolerates it.
[Prepared by Chris Salzberg and Hanako Tokita.]

author: Hanako Tokita


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Philippines: Jeepney Drivers Launch Strike · Global Voices
Tonyo Cruz

Jeepney drivers in many parts of the Philippines did not ply their routes today to protest oil price increases which they branded as “unwarranted”, “unchecked” and “oppressive”.
A Jeepney in Manila (from Wikipedia)
The jeepney drivers group PISTON declared the strike a success, with the government saying it did not affect traffic.
Bloggers took note of the strike in their own way:
Highway 53 complained about the cancellation of an orchestra practice at the University of the Philippines and noticed few jeeps serving students.
Writing passionately in Filipino, as if in a dream tells how she managed to go to the University of Santo Tomas only to find out that the administration cancelled classes at 3:00 pm. The blogger said she was able to get a seat in a “free bus” courtesy of the university and enjoyed the ride with other Thomasians.
Val Makasiar MD complains to Piston about jeepney drivers who cut their trips.
Another student-blogger, some grape juice for new year's day, also managed to get a ride and also found out belatedly about cancelled classes. The blogger hopes:
Sana, kung anuman kahantungan ng strike na yan, makakabuti sa bayan, hindi lang sa malalaking kumpanya. Sayang naman ang paghihirap ng mga Pilipino kung iba rin ang makikinabang.
Aude Sapere does not mince words for what he dubs as “Piss-ton”:
These jeepney drivers, who did nothing but pollute the environment, break traffic laws, cause too much heavy traffic, and hike up transport fares, are protesting the series of increases in oil prices. Too bad the only affected party is the average Filipino commuter, who are mostly students and employees.
For every diligent student that was forced to absent themselves from their classes, for every workman who lost his daily wage today, for all the kids in grade school who were forced to walk a couple of kilometers to school, for each and every grim story this strike has caused, I curse you PISTON.
Elsewhere, i.am.bliss tries to understand the jeepney drivers’ and consumers’ situation:
Hindi mo masisisi ang mga tsuper. Ang ginawa nilang tigil-pasada ang natatanging paraan para maiparating nila sa pamahalaan ang kanilang hinaing
Ang linggo-linggong pagtataas ng gasolina ay damang-dama ng mga tsuper. Sa pamilya namin, meron kaming anim na sasakyang pinatatakbo ng gasolina
The bloggers adds:
Bilang isang pasahero, hassle nga naman na ma-late sa pupuntahan… Trabaho, eskwela, gimik, atbp. Pero isipin mo, one-time hassle lang ‘to eh. Yung pinaglalaban ng mga tsuper, ng mga kasapi ng PISTON, yung kanilang isinisigaw, ang dahilan ng malawakang tigil-pasda… kaya nila yun ginagawa dahil merong mas malubhang problema, mas masama kesa sa ilang beses kang mahuhuli sa trabaho mo. Kung walang tigil-pasada, aakalain ng administrasyong Arroyo na okey lang tayo sa pagtaas ng presyo ng langis. Sa pamamagitan ng jeepney strike, naipahatid ang pag-resist, pagtuligsa…
Well said!
Also read: Lessons from PISTON's successful transport strike

author: Tonyo Cruz


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Jordan: Cyber Terrorism · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Zeid Nasser, from Jordan, discusses cyber-terrorism in this post.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Kazakhstan: Ex-Premiere’s Return to the President’s Team · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Steve LeVine opines that return of the ex-prime-minister, Nurlan Balgimbayev, as an adviser to President Nazarbayev could be an opening for the return of James Giffen, an American businessman and a former adiser to Kazakhstani leadership, currently under trial in the United States.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kazakhstan: Latinization of the Kazakh Language · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Arseny reviews the prospects of forthcoming reform of the Kazakh language with its transformation into the Latin script.


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Kazakhstan: Oil Field Impact · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Ben reads through a report on the detrimental impact of Western Kazakhstan’s extremely big oil bonanza. The report is trying to draw the spotlight on the societal and environmental impacts the development of the huge oil field is going to have.


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Kenya: The 3 opiums of Kenyan voters · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kumekucha highlights three main problems of Kenyan voters: “Tribalism. Corruption. Short-term memory. These are the three opium’s we must exhale out of our body system before you go vote on the 27th.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Kenya: The Online Leadership Test · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

True Kenyan posts an online leadership test for Kenyan voters: “If you are a registered voter and you are preparing to vote in The 2007 General Elections in Kenya. Take a few moments to conduct a LEADERSHIP TEST for the main contenders.”


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Kuwait: Bad Eggs  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Desert Girl, from Kuwait, rants about eggs, their rising costs, bad smell and small sizes.


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Kyrgyzstan: Criminal case against opposition politician · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

GenderStan reports that the Kyrgyz authorities started a prosecution against opposition politician Edil Baisalov, who is accused of making confidential ballot forms public by publishing them on his blog.


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Kyrgyzstan: Trading with Chine · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The Azamat Report reviews official Chinese statistics, according to which the trade turnover between Kyrgyzstan and China is around $1 billion, while the Kyrgyz government puts it at $289 million.


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Libya: Fuel shortage and the power of rumours, origins and awards · Global Voices
Fozia Mohamed

It's really been too quiet for the Libyan bloggers, I'm wondering if it is a bug or if it is just a coincidence and they all are busy with their lives?
Because of this the voice of Libyan bloggers has subdued on GVO these past few months.
However, the good news is that Ghazi and his blog Imtidad won the BOBs User Award 2007. I think this is a first for a Libyan blogger and we are proud of him.
Whilst we are on the topic of awards, Braveheart  has kept his promise and  is introducing his 2007 Libyan Bloggers Award.
“”i have the pleasure to announce my Award for the best blogger for 2007 and all of you are invited to participate in this award. as u dont know i'm big fan of football, thats why i take FIFA system to select best player of the year and use it in my award. the way is very easy each one of you can nominate his best five bloggers which he/she believes they are the best.( i know u'll all of u nominate me :-P) it's totally depends on ur views and ideas and i think most of us have open minds and will not feel offended cos she/he dont select him in his/ her list. this mean this award totally depend on selective thinking and not objective one. it's depand on ur thinking and how u can rate the other which point u think it's more important than the other.
ur list it will be 5 names and list it from 1 to 5, number 1 will have 5 marks and the number2 will have 4 and so on . at the end of the month will see which one got the highest marks to take his award [sic]”.
Let's count the date until the results are announced.
Tasnim has an interesting post about Libyans  in the diaspora who make the so-called back -to -our -roots -journey.
“Laila Al-Taiba’s one page ‘Story’ of her trip to Libya is just a little note on a non-Arabic-speaking Arab’s journey to her roots, and her pride in and gratitude for her American passport. It’s hardly intended as a biography. But I still find myself a little disgruntled by the clichés involved in being swept swiftly past 100 warm and loving faceless relatives in 5 days and half a sentence, for a paragraph detailing the eating of ice-cream and the dipping of toes in the Mediterannean and finally, a note on the uselessness of three years studying Arabic at university level in deciphering the Libyan dialect.” [more
]
Personally, I imagined this happened to other people or in movies but never to Libyans.
On the other hand rumours are a powerful weapon and sometimes create chaos. This is was obvious last week with the gasoline/fuel shortage crisis that was reported  by a couple of bloggers in Tripoli.
On December 6, Hibo stated that she noticed something strange at the gas stations near her house since December 4 with more and more cars crowding her street at all times. At one point the police was interfering to regulate the flow. Her post is a blow by blow account of the situation. Apparently, the rumours mentioned rising gasoline prices and shortage of fuel.
Khadijateri then mentions in ” Who's got gas ” that “there's a gasoline shortage in Tripoli. That's hard to believe since Libya is an oil producing country. But it's true. The gas stations have no gasoline, though there is diesel.”
An excellent comment on Hibo's blog  by Enlightened spirit sheds a good light and explains the whole situation:
“let me put my analysis for this problem here, at wensday evening a problem in gas supply happened in Tripoli and ppl couldn't find gas at some stations, the coz of the shortage was't declared officially, and here the mass panic started and with the rumors and gossip the problem inflated , the supply problem was solved quickly the next day earlly morning, but ppl conitinue their panic, coz of lack of clarity and trust, and they rush out to gas stations even if they don't really need the gas I mean with full half tank, some even bring extra barrel with them and fill it (as a consequences of many gossips like the price of the gas will increase, and the gas supply will be cut off for days, …etc), so the usual supply of the stations did't cover the extra need and the problem exagerated, but it will be solved out gradually within the next days as ppl will realise that the supply is really there and was't cutted off.[sic]”
Khadijateri reports that all is back to normal :
“The gasoline situation seems to be sorting itself out. Last night I went out to find long, long lines at some of the gas stations in my area and other places were completely closed. I didn't bother to get in line. Today I went out and found the gas stations busier than usual but not too bad.”
Basically half a day of fuel shortage resulted in two days of panic but what is the full story here, away from the speculations?
It is climate change, the modern plague and boogeyman which is affecting the weather global. Among other things it caused some unexpected weather changes as a result of which ships could not offload their cargo of refined oil (for local consumption) for half a day and the rumour mill began. But what this incident brought to the surface is the need for investment in oil refinery infrastructure in Libya. The heavily subsidized local prices and increasing consumption over the last decade as a result of a dramatic tripling of the number of cars in Libya combined with the limited capacity for production of refined fuels since no new refineries have be built to supply the local market, has lead to the need to ironically enough import slightly more than half the local need in gasoline from abroad and consequently to the threat of shortage. It does not mean we do not have oil, it means that the years of sanctions which have affected everything in Libya, especially technology and industry. This has stopped the country from investing in modern oil technology. Still this is not an excuse as sanctions have been lifted a few years ago and maybe some sort of planning should have been in place to increase Libya's capability in refining it's oil products. After all ” Libyan crude oil is particularly attractive due to its very low sulphur content; it requires much less refining than higher sulphur oil. It is extremely high quality crude, whose characteristics are not easily found elsewhere”. [source]; which means it should be easier to refine and less expensive.
Thank God the crisis was averted and people should not listen to rumours! Have you be affected by the 48 hrs situation?  If yes, please share with us your experience in the comments section.

author: Fozia Mohamed


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Madagascar: Wearing the “lamba” · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ruth writes about a traditional dress, the lamba, in Madagascar: “Traditional dress in Northern Madagascar involves wearing the ‘lamba’. The word lamba simply means cloth or clothing but usually refers to the two matching pieces of fabric that women wear – one around the waist or chest and one around the head or shoulders.”


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Malawi: William Kamkwamba in the Wall Street Journal · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Erik writes about the Malawian young scientist, William Kamkwamba, on Afrigadget: We’ve written about young Malawian William Kamkwamba a couple of times here on AfriGadget, so it’s great to see him getting recognition in the WSJ! The article is titled “A Young Tinkerer Builds a Windmill, Electrifying a Nation“.


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Malaysia: Memorandum Against the Election Commission Chief · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

YouTube user Sophiemiller has uploaded a video of the confrontation and the eventual arrest of Malaysian opposition party activist Tian Chua. Chua is information chief of Parti Keadilan Rakyat. Chua was arrested when he was trying to enter the parliament to submit a memorandum.
The memorandum opposed the government plans to change the constitution to allow the current Election Commission chief to serve past his retirement age. The opposition parties are not against the increase in retirement age but they feel that the current Election Commission chief Abdul Rashid is biased toward the ruling party.
Khoo Kay Peng writes about the recent comments made by Abdul Rashid in support of the government.
Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman's view on which ‘regime’ he regards as being capable of running the country speaks like someone who is very keen to glorify a particular regime. How can an election referee act in a fair and independent manner when his biasness is clear and explicit?
“A lot of people are anxious to determine the type of regime that is going to handle Malaysia in the coming years. They are always talking about regimes. I never talk about regimes. There is only one regime in this country that is capable of running (the country),” he said.
“People get angry with me whenever I say this (but) people don't seem tounderstand the critical scenario in the country. What is it that can (take) over from the present one given the political scenario we are in?” he asked.
No wonder the move to amend the constitution to allow Abdul Rashid to serve one more year is controversial and suspicious. Abdul Rashid, like everyone else, must respect the law and duly retire.
Going back to Chua's arrest, blogger M-Factor questions the method used by the police
Is the police right to arrest Tian Chua the way it showed on video clip? What has he done wrong to deserve the arrest like the way he did? I think police force is over stepping the line and started a war against peace and harmony.
From the video clip viewed, Tian Chua has done nothing, but sitting inside the car driven by his driver or friend, and he did nothing more than heading towards Parliment house. Is that deserve to be arrested? Is there any law prevented a politician entering parliment house?
The blogger at obscure-thoughts meanwhile suggests that Tian Chua wanted the arrest and the publicity that came with it.
Several other opposition notables were also arrested as seen by Malaysian parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang
I was eye-witness to the police arrest of Mustapha, Yap Swee Seng, Wong Chin Huat and Gayathry within the precincts of Parliament. In fact, I was accompanying Yap, Wong and Gayathry out of Parliament when the police abused its powers to effect the arrest within parliamentary precincts during lunch-break.
Lim Kit Siang points to another YouTube video that shows police detaining a former opposition MP (without a court order) outside the Malaysian parliament.
The detained people were later released by the police.

author: Preetam Rai


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Mexico: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

December 12 marks the feast day of the Virgen of Guadalupe in Mexico.  Daniel Hernandez of Intersections provides a first-hand view of the crowd with pictures.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Montserrat: Festival is 45!   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Caribbean Beat Blog reports that despite the Soufriere Hills volcano eruption that began in 1995, the remaining inhabitants of the island are still celebrating their annual Montserrat Festival in style!


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NATO’s Secret Armies · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Idelber [pt] reviews a book by historian Daniele Ganser, ‘NATO's Secret Armies: Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe’ and wonders: “Among countless books reviews from conservative Americans Think Tanks, has someone seen a single reference to this work in our press?”. The blog also recommends this interview with Daniele Ganser.

author: Paula Góes


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Palestine: Starving People  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Wondering why many people are starving? Palestinian Haitham Sabbah has photos as proof.


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Palestine: Will the Real Muslim Americans Please Stand Up · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah  uncovers the story behind a video featuring Christian Americans of Arab origins and portraying them as Muslims.


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Paraguay: No Expectations · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Muna's Blog provides a list of things that complete the sentence, “Paraguay is…” and “there are 2 kind of people: the ones that love Paraguay, the ones that hate it…but there is a third category: the ones with no expectations.”


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Polygamy and AIDS in Africa · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Reseau sida Afrique on polygamy and AIDS [Fr] in Africa

author: Jennifer Brea


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Russia: Andrei Nekrasov’s Film & Article · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At Robert Amsterdam's blog – a 2004 film by Andrei Nekrasov, which “presents a theory of the 1999 apartment bombings,” and Nekrasov's piece on “Vladislav Surkov and the Ideology of Russia's New One-Party State.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Russia, Belarus: Putin’s Visit · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus covers an attack on protesters against Putin's visit to Belarus and explain what could be the reasons for the visit: “That means that it is the Russian side that will ask for something.” Being Had writes about Russian-Belarusian relationship over the years.


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Russia: Health Care · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Grigory Pasko cuts a finger and ends up writing a horror story about health care in Russia – posted at Robert Amsterdam's blog.


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Russia: Kasparov Withdraws From Presidential Race · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Garry Kasparov has withdrawn from presidency race because of the failure to find a venue for an initiative group meeting. Siberian Light is “a little disappointed that Kasparov used this as an excuse to withdraw”: “The real reason behind Kasparov’s decision to pull out of the race, I suspect, is that he had almost no chance of securing the 2 million signatures needed to endorse his candidacy – and failing in this effort would have been political suicide.”


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Russia: Labels and Comparisons · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A discussion of labels, comparisons and various development models that could be applied to Russia and its leaders – at Sean's Russia Blog.


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Russia: “Lessons From Recent History” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Rumination on Russia writes about Yeltsin, Putin, Medvedev – and the “lessons from recent history.”


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Russia: Oka, the Car · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Turkish Invasion writes about Oka car: “In Moscow, Oka cars are widely used by pizza delivery (since it is basically warmer than driving a bike in winter) and only a handful of enthusiasts remain who continue driving this car (Many Russians prefer taking easy bank loans and drive luxury SUVs instead). The price of a new Oka is around 3500$.”


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Senegal: Web 2.0 for West African Journalists · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A web 2.0 workshop for West African journalists organised by Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA) is taking place in Senegal: “Through PIWA “Uses and Policies of Digital Technology” Programme (ICT Programme), this workshop aims at: – promoting uses of blogs and new ICT tools (Web 2.0) by medias for improved governance in West Africa – strengthening reporting on ICTs in the region.”


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Slovenia: “When Misinformation Becomes Institutionalised” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Marko Bucik explains at length what kind of damage could be done by an article on Slovenian EU presidency, written by Slovenia's foreign minister for an English-language promo leaflet.


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South Africa: Will Jacob Zuma win? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

FM@Polokwane is a blog about the ANC's National Conference in Polokwane: “Will Jacob Zuma and his allies have a winner-takes-all approach to the election of the all-powerful ANC national executive committee at this month’s national conference?”


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Soviet History: A Syllabus · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

J. Otto Pohl's Political History of the USSR syllabus is here.


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Sri Lanka: On the UN · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Transcurrents.com on the role of the UN in the context of the conflict in Sri Lanka.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Sudan, Nation of Contrasts · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Zizou from Djerba compares the moral universe of a theatrical play [Fr] about democracy and women's rights staged at a rich international school in Khartoum with the realities of illiteracy, infant mortality and short average life expectancy the population at large must face, concluding that Sudan is a nation of contrasts


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Syria: Human Rights Activists Under Fire · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Elijah Zarwan reports on the latest crackdown on human rights activists in Syria.


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Tajikistan: Ban on Witchcraft to Be Passed · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Ian says that it counld have been funny if weren't sad — the draft law forbidding witchcraft is about to be passed by the Tajik government.


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Tanzania: Visiting Zanzibar · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ore writes about her visit to Zanzibar: “There's so much to share that I don't know where to start from. I also don't have the time to do it, especially since I am blogging from a cyber cafe located in the post office. Internet access here is cheaper than Lagos (1US for an hour). It's also kind of fast.”


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The wrong way to fight AIDS in Sudan · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

In Sudan, Zizou from Djerba critiques what he calls a “poster of death” that uses a skull and crossbones [Fr] to warn people about the dangers of AIDS, without offering any information about treatment or prevention.  He writes that AIDS is no longer a death sentence, and that the wrong messages “help propagate the virus” and “worsen the stigmatization” of those who carry it.


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Togo: Kangi Alem announces residency for young francophone writers · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Kangi Alem announces an artists’ residency [Fr] in Lome for young francophone African writers.


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UAE: 15 Years for Child Rapists · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia reports that two UAE citizens were sentenced to 15 years each for raping a French boy. Global Voices Online had earlier reported blogger's reactions to the case here.


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Uganda: When a mobile phone is not just a mobile phone · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kenny posts a photo from Uganda showing that a mobile phone is not just a mobile phone: “Taken in Uganda last week, a great example of adaptive product development. In other words, giving customers what they want.”


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Ukraine: Parliamentary Immunity/Impunity · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Orange Ukraine reposts a newspaper piece on parliamentary immunity – and impunity.


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Ukraine: Yushchenko’s “Unfulfilled Election Promise” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Taras Kuzio writes that “Ukraine’s elites continue – as they have since Ukraine became an independent state in 1992 – to regard themselves as above the rule of law.”


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Bahamas: The Point of the Press  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

After a merger of two major media houses in the Bahamas, Nicolette Bethel says “we appear to live in a country where freedom of the press may be a moot point. The fact is that whether the press is free or not, it appears uninclined (or unable) to carry out the kind of investigative reporting that allows for analysis and sensible discussion…”


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Bangladesh: Flying kites · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Back to Bangladesh on memories of kite flying and the secret to winning – the application of a gritty paste called maanja on the kite string.


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Barbados: Intensive Gardening · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Gallimaufry thinks “it would…be a good idea…to encourage the practice of intensive gardening” to help combat the higher cost of living.


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Bermuda: Death Threat · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

On the heels of the Premier of Bermuda receiving a death threat, A Limey In Bermuda says: “It's time for all politicians and their supporters to end the spiral of nastiness and mistrust that has lead to this latest low.”


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Bhutan: Chillies! · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

A brief note on Bhutanese food at Visit Bhutan – with the apparent chief ingredient being chillies.


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Bolivia: San José Champions · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Hugo Miranda of Angel Caido [es] celebrates the victory of his hometown San José from Oruro, who captured their first Bolivian football title in twelve years.


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Cape Verde: Enough of mugging – III · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Another update on the problem of muggings in Cape Verde (talked about here and here),  Pedrabika [pt] has hosted a live blog debate on the situation: “PARTICIPATION, this seem to be the key word – we can not just sit down and complain to the walls about getting a better life (…) we call everybody to participate in the rally today at 6h30 pm in the school square”. The replay is now available in Portuguese.


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China: Forgetting Nanjing Massacre · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Yesterday (December 13) was the 70 year memorial of Nanjing Massacre. The Chinese government is trying to downplay the historical issue by stressing that they don't want to stir up hatred. Zoula points out (zh) that we should know more about the details of Nanjing Massacre, even though some of the historical fact might hurt our feelings and reflects upon reason behind racial conflict rather than suppression discussion.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Free Music Deal · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fons from China Herald blogs about the deal between EMI and Baidu on free internet music service.


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China: Government Subsidy for China Petro · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Izaobao wonders why Sinopec and China pectro are asking for government subsidy, on the other hand, investors are gaining huge amount of dividend from the companies profit (zh).


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China: Migrant Worker Song · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Peijin Chen from Shanghaiist blogs about this year's Spring Festival show specialty: Migrant worker song performance. But is it really about the migrant workers? The story seems to be more about the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.


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China: Most Searched Questions · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Keso compares the 10 most searched “what and how questions by Google (English) and Baidu (Chinese) and he finds out that Chinese speakers are more concerned with money and stock market, while English speakers are more concerned with love and technology (zh).


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China: Public Opinion on Xiamen PX · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Joel Martinsen from DANWEI reports on a public opinion poll on the construction of the Xiamen PX chemical factory.  55,376 of 58,454 votes were cast against  the project. Lian yue writes in detail opinions from the public hearing on Dec 13 (zh).


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Colombia: El Nuevo Herald and Uribe · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Plan Colombia and Beyond writes about investigative journalism written by reporters from El Nuevo Herald about Colombian president Álvaro Uribe.


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Dubai: More Road Tolls · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Dubai motorists are being warned to brace themselves for more road tolls, reports Moryarti.


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Dubai: The Aliens are Coming · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Dubai's Black Feline says the Emirate is being invaded by aliens. Click here to read more.


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Environment: In Bali, an inconvenient last minute proposal from the US · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

Global voices has been following the climate change talks in Bali, via the special coverage page. The following posts also appear as part of the aggregated feed to Reuters indicate a developing story coming out of Bali.
Yesterday, Rory of Carbonsmart expressed discouragement with the talks in Bali, saying
In all likelihood, the real punchline on the final day will be that there is no knockout blow to global warming. No magic strategy to solve global ills. No elegant solution, just a messy tangle of promises to reach agreement sometime in the next two years. Indeed, that's all some people are hoping for as an outcome of these two weeks: a commitment to negotiate a global deal under the UNFCCC. Not the deal itself.
Well, later that day, the other shoe dropped. A post from David Steven of Global Deal reported a late night update from Bali, where as he puts it…”the US has thrown a hand grenade into the talks on the Bali roadmap.” David points out the the crux of the US proposal that may be a last minute deal breaker especially for developing countries. He also includes the reasons why this is a controversial move at the end of the conference.
The core of the US proposal is that developed and developing countries should be treated in the same way, with countries taking on targets according to “their level of economic development and significance” or some similar formulation.
Why is this controversial?
Three reasons:
1. It gives the Europeans nothing of what they have been asking for in terms of strong, binding international targets for developed countries.
2. It is sure to raise the hackles of the big developing countries, China and India. They are highly suspicious of US attempts to force them to take on targets when America itself has stayed proudly outside the Kyoto protocol.
3. Finally, and I think most importantly, this is a major shift of direction, introduced not at the 11th hour, but the 13th. This is not a ‘compromise text’ but a completely new proposal.
Rory, adds his thoughts on reading the above report, relating the announcement to Climate Security Act currently in the US, and how it could affect trade with the developing countries.
What I'm wondering is whether it will really make much difference to the Americans, if they do pass the Climate Security Act. The Act is a protectionist measure that essentially hedges Washington's bets. If developing countries don't adopt carbon emissions targets, the Act will give America the means to block trade from those countries.
In addition,
If internationally agreed targets for both developed and developing countries are going to be based on levels of economic development, as the US is suggesting, one way to be truly equitable would be to consider not only current emission levels but also the historic emissions from past economic activity. Just as an assessment of the sustainability of a new building considers the embodied energy in the materials used to construct it, or product labelling might include the carbon emissions from its manufacture (as the US Climate Security Act is proposing), so too entire economies have a level of “embodied carbon” that needs to be considered.
Brian Cascadia has a ‘meta’ view of the Bali conference, looking at the challenges faced by the US environmentalists, and of relevance to the recent developments in Bali. The post is ‘Carbon Justice or Carbonacracy?’
Our narrow, US-centric focus on the obstinate evil Bush distracts us from major conflicts in climate policy at Bali. The reality is that the movement for climate justice in the majority world — for climate justice activists from the Global South (also known, derisively, as the “third world”) — Bush’s is but one side of the climate injustice coin. What we here in the US are missing is that this struggle is an old one: it’s the struggle of the powerful against the disempowered, against the hegemony of the United States and it’s allies, their dominance of everything and anything, including “saving the planet”.
It is quite likely that the fossil of the day award could be awarded to the United States, and as this story develops, I would recommend checking the aggregated feed to see the latest posts. The feed will be active for several days after the conference in order to cover post Bali views from bloggers around the world.

author: Juliana Rotich


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Guatemala: The Tradition of Burning the Devil · Global Voices
Renata Avila

Photo by Denise Phé-Funchal and used with permission.
Vibrant neighborhoods covered with lights with children playing around in the streets because school is on vacation, and one knows Christmas is in the air.  The mixure of religious and pagan traditions also come together on December of each year.
On December 7, especially in urban areas, the tradition is to “burn the devil”, as Desde Guate [es] described for us:
El 7 de diciembre se celebra en Guatemala una tradición muy arraigada que llena de fuego las calles y de humo el cielo. Se trata de la tradicional quema del diablo, a través de la cual los ciudadanos expulsan todo lo malo de sus casas y sus vidas, en otras palabras, este personaje es el rostro de todo lo que es visto como negativo (mala suerte en el trabajo, amor, salud, etc).
On his post The hell with it! blogger El Toronteco recycled and translated anold post of blogger Ronald Flores [es], who captured the essence of the experience of “burning the evil”:
Me han dicho que quemar esta ensarta de cachivaches y papelejos era hacer que el diablo ardiera en sus propias llamaradas, que era necesario para entrar a la época navideña con la casa limpia. En ese contexto, confieso que he practicado más de una vez este interesante rito de purificación. He lanzado a las llamas cuadernos de clases que durante el año aborrecí, cartas de amores fallidos y de reproches que recibí o que escribí sin enviar, fotografías en las que no salí como quise, manuscritos de novelas sobre las que ya jamás pienso volver.
Me gustaba, en el frío de diciembre, acercar el rostro y las manos a las llamas, ir deshojando los cuadernos, ver cómo el papel se consumía y las letras que resaltaban sobre la blanca hoja se iban difuminando en la negra tinta de la ceniza. Hoy pienso hacer algo similar, aunque distinto. Voy a salir a la calle al final del día. Voy a sacar los rencores todos, los que he venido acumulando durante este último año, las envidias todas, los dolores todos y les voy a hacer arder en la hoguera de vanidades que ando arrastrando torpe e inútilmente conmigo.
I have enjoyed, on the cold of December, putting my hands and face close to the flames, and tear apart the pages from notebooks, observe how paper was consumed and the writing that popped out from the white paper vanished under the growing black ink of the ashes. Today I plan to do something similar, though different. I am going out onto the streets at the end of the day. I am going to take all the resentments, those that I have accumulated throughout the past year, all the envies, all the pains and I am going to make them burn in the bonfire of vanities that I keep carrying around uselessly.
The blog Manra [es] describes why the season is special:
El diablo ya fue quemado a estas horas, ahora es ceniza nada más, espero que en esas llamas se hayan ido por un rato al menos nuestras penas, nuestros sufrimientos, que este frío nos traiga vientos nuevos, nuevas vibras.
The funny blog Los Tragos [es] even suggested a drink for the day: Satan.
Ingredientes
1 oz. de Hesperdina (Aperitivo elaborado con corteza de naranjas)
1/2 oz. de Ginebra
1/2 oz. de Whisky
1/2 oz. de Tequila
1/2 oz. de Ron
1/2 oz. de Vodka
Granadina
Hielo
Preparación
A un vaso agregar la Hesperdina, la Ginebra , el Whisky, el Tequila,y el Ron; luego la Granadina y por último el vodka prendiéndole fuego. Tomar lo más rápido que se pueda :)
1 oz. of Hesperdina (aperitif made with orange peels)
1/2 oz. of Gin
1/2 oz. of Whiskey
1/2 oz. of Tequila
1/2 oz. of Rum
1/2 oz. of Vodka
Grenadine
Ice
Preparation
In a glass add the Hesperdina, gin, Whiskey, Tequila, Rum; and later the Grenadine and at the end the Vodka and light it on fire.  Drink it as fast as you can :)
Now the devil is gone with the smoke, the streets are still covered with lights and fireworks at nights. The days are amazing with brilliant blue sky, and you can see any of the 33 volcanoes of Guatemala without clouds and the smell of Christmas time.

author: Renata Avila


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Guyana: Mind Games  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Gyuana-Gyal is not in a particularly productive state of mind.


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Haitian Magistrate on the Right to Die · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

A magistrate from Cap-Haitien shares his views on the right to die [Fr].


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Japan: 2007 Kanji of the Year · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

James from Japan probe blogs about the Kanji (Chinese origin character) of the year, and the winner is the word “fake”.


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Japan: English-language Blog about Japan IT, Asiajin · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Akimoto at Akky Blog writes about his new English-language blog [ja] entitled Asiajin. While there are many great online services in Japan, he explains that almost none of them make it abroad due to barriers of language and community. Asiajin will try to remedy this situation by reporting about IT in Japan from the perspectives of Japanese people, in English.

author: Chris Salzberg


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Kazakhstan: “Happy” Childhood · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Revavle posts a set of pictures, capturing the children playing on the devastated area behind the glossy new apartment houses in the downtown of Almaty.


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Kazakhstan: Nabucco Pipeline Lacks Commitments · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Steve LeVine notes that this week's Washington appearance of Valekh Aleskerov, Azerbaijan's former chief oil negotiator, highlighted the absence thus far of concrete commitments by Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to a prospective Trans-Caspian gas pipeline.


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Kenya: Blogging election campaign · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kenyan parliamentary aspirant, Jesse Masai, writes about his campaign activities: “Just came out of a dissatisfying briefing with the ECK, provincial administration and Kenya Police.”


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Kenya: Comparing the Kenyan first lady to Wangu Wa Makeri · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A Nairobian Perspective compares the Kenyan first lady to a woman from a Kikuyu folklore:”There is a famous kikuyu folklore customed around a Kikuyu woman chief named Wangu Wa Makeri who headed Weithaga location in the early 20th century.She is said to have been very authoritative,ruthless and fear inspiring that she made men carry her on their back.”


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Kyrgyzstan: Elections Update · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The Azamat Report reviews the most important election-related problems that can affect the results, highlighting apathy of the voters, possible ballot stuffing and intimidation.


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Kyrgyzstan: Opposition Parties Plan To Ally Ahead Of Elections · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Almaz says that six opposition parties in Kyrgyzstan can ally in the near future in order to have the elections in the country be held fairly and transparently.


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Mexico: Reforms in the Judicial System · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Enigmatario [es] writes about the proposed reforms in the judicial system in Mexico and provides an anecdote about the frustration that his brother experienced after his car was stolen.


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Morocco: Christmas in the Maghreb · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Although Morocco is primarily a Muslim country and although it's only the second week of December, Christmas is apparently in the air – at least for Morocco's foreign resident bloggers.
Connie in Morocco, a Peace Corps blogger, is ambivalent about the Christmas season – torn between missing home and not missing the commercialism of American Christmas:
Being here has not changed the way I feel about the American Christmas season; I was beginning to get quite fed up with the commercialism and more reluctant to be sucked up in it. Being here has certainly made me even more aware of the reason for the season, as has become the cliche. I so miss family and friends, and music and all that, and the exchanging of a few thoughtful gifts, but I must admit it is a bit of a relief not to have all the advertising etc. “in my face.” That being said, it will be great, though, to be back home next year for the Christmas season.
Nicole of Moving to Morocco shares photos of her first Christmas in Morocco, complete with Christmas tree, remarking upon the surprising cost:
had wrote before that the store here was putting up X-mas decorations while we were there and Zouhair kept going back everyday to see if they had trees yet. Like 2 or 3 days later he came home from work and said they had them and we should go get one. We got to the store and I was really surprised at the amount of decorations and trees they had! We got the biggest tree (6′) and it was $12. I was thinking they would be expensive because there probably isnt a huge demand for it, but I was wrong, they were cheap!
Heather of Moroccan Meanderings remarks upon the lack of Christmas spirit surrounding her:
It is hard to believe it is almost Christmas. So few signs of it here, no Christmas trees in public, no decorated shops and decorations only available in the big supermarket here…
Having spent one Christmas of my own in Morocco, I can tell you that it is quite a different feeling to be so far away from the traditions I've grown accustomed to.  That said, Moroccans are wonderfully accommodating and although the holiday isn't celebrated, there are plenty of Christmas trees around!  Happy holidays!

author: Jillian C. York


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Mozambique: Enchanted by Inhambane and its people · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Jorge Rosmaninho [pt] publishes many pictures and an account of his visit to Inhambane, according to him the most beautiful and well kept of the Mozambican cities. “Simple folks, who in between the doomed times which sometimes the lives of Africans are, mow the lawn, plant roses, fill holes and plant trees”.


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Neigbourhood Diaries: Growing Citizen Journalists from Grassroots · Global Voices
Rezwan

Originally posted on Rising Voices.
Kalam is a 3 year old project to discover young people from marginalized communities in Kolkata as creative writers and critical thinkers and instigate their cultural consciousness. It is a movement for young people to claim their right over their lives by rewriting their own stories, their communities, and their world according to how they see it. Its manifesto emphasizes:
“We must talk about ourselves in our own words, on our own terms. Poems and stories of our lives will now be written, and we will write them ourselves. And we will share our poems and stories with everyone.”
The word Kalam (ka-lum) exists in six languages [Hindi, Urdu, Bangla, Nepali, Farsi, Arabic] and it means a pen or pencil or an instrument to write. It is the perfect title of this commendable initiative for the multilingual community in Kolkata. They’ve already made notable works and produced content using print to encourage creativity and self-expression with poetry and creative writing.
But now, affordable, online technology can help Kalam achieve its goals better.
A Rising Voices micro grant helped them establish “Neighborhood Diaries”, which trains underprivileged youth living in Kolkata’s slums to be citizen journalists. They will conduct workshops on critical thinking, journalistic writing, audio-visual media and new media technologies like blogs, podcasts etc. According to its project proposal:
“ND will benefit the target community — youth slum dwellers (child laborers, children of sex workers, and low-income school-going youth) — by mobilizing them to think and write about their personal and community stories, issues, and histories, as an integral and vibrant part of the socio-cultural fabric of urban India and publish them on blogs accessible to the globe. This program and practice will foster dignity within communities often viewed as powerless, illiterate, and culturally impoverished.”
Meet the people behind Neighborhood Diaries (and Kalam): Bishan Sammadar, Harleen, Sahar Romani, Rohini, and Maitrayee (picture above from left to right).
The team of educators includes Urbi Bhadhuri and Bina Dalui who were chosen from a time-consuming selection process.
We are glad to announce that after the long process of setting up the infrastructure from staff, to partners, to neighborhoods, finally Neighbourhood Diairies started its 15-week workshop series. The workshop commenced on November 26, 2007 in partnership with the local NGO, Sanlaap taking place at Bow Bazaar High School in Kolkata. The participants were 15 youth residents of the area recruited by Sanlaap, a non-profit organization which helps sexually abused female children in the red light areas of Kolkata, South and North 24 Paraganas with youth shelters and vocational training. It has an integrated child development program in the red light areas of Kolkata as well as a support group for women in prostitution.
Read about the participants, the Bow Bazaar Neighbourhood Journalists, a vibrant group of growing teenagers with great spirit and enthusiasm here.
The first session put a series of questions to the participants:
“Just like we’ve realized the false/fragmented/skewed stories around different neighborhoods, how do you think other people think or imagine your personal neighborhood? What are the stereotypes surrounding your neighborhood?”
“Do you think it is important to tell the stories of this neighborhood as an insider and resident?”
The participants responded:
The group was amused at how “problems” were the first thing they are asked about Bow Bazaar from outsiders since they live in a red light area. The concluding activity of this introductory session involved the participants to remember the forgotten or ignored stories of their neighborhood and write a brief story/vignette. The stories ranged from incidents of evictions of old neighbors, adolescent love in the back drop of a chai (tea) stall, a girl in the neighborhood being forced into sex work, a heroic brother who pays for his sister’s education and sends her back to school, and a football tournament lost due to a leg injury.
The second day at Bow Bazaar involved filling out profiles of participants, creating personal maps of themselves and of Bow Bazaar.
The day three proceedings included observations and invoking sensory perceptions (sound, smell, light, touch) of Bow Bazaar among the participants. They were also asked to choose a landmark of the locality and describe why it was important for them.
At the end of the day three sessions the participants were able to create interesting postcard vignettes such as this one:
Bow Bazaar Means…
The sound of conversations from the road leading home,
The smell of alcohol,
Bow Bazaar means the sight of fallen, drunk man on the stairs.
Bow Bazaar means feeling coolness on the rooftop of my home.
By Pooja Dolui, Age 13
Please keep an eye on the Diaries Blog (or subscribe to its feed) for more updates from this unique project.

author: Rezwan


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Nepal: A decisive meeting · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Blogdai disillusioned by the promise  of decisiveness by the political parties in Nepal.


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Pakistan: Emergency to go? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The emergency might be lifted tomorrow – Metroblogging Islamabad’s post on the issue provokes a comment that is more optimistic about the times to come.


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Senegal: Images from Goree Island · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Seckasysteme writes about the infamous Goree Island [Fr] in Senegal and its curator, Boubacar Joseph N'Diaye.


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South Africa: The best social media site in Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Vincent Maher writes about the South African video-sharing site, Zoopy: “The Nokia deal is the icing on top though – Zoopy is one of five companies worldwide, alongside Flickr, YouTube and Vox, that Nokia have partnered with for video and photo uploads.”


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South Africa: The Guide with Yiza power · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Matthew Buckland of South African Mail&Guardian writes about their new projects, the Guide and Yiza: “We’ve launched our latest project, The Guide. It expands on the excellent Mail & Guardian newspaper music, theatre, arts listings, and also includes a searchable, expanded venue guide, by city. We’ve also decided to give a bit of an edge to this project by adding a basic social networking component, which we have called Yiza.”


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South Korea: City Redevelopment Plan · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Robert Koehler from Marmot's Hole blogs pictures of the latest downtown city redevelopment plan to be completed by June 2009.


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South Korea: Economy Over Human Rights? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Cho Eunseok from chamnews translated a debate over anti-discrimination bill in South Korea. Apart from conservative religious group, the Korean Employers Federation is a major opposing force.


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South Korea: Unionists Deported · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Two unionists from Migrant Trade Union were deported yesterday in South Korea and a solidarity action was organized in Montreal today. Jamie from Two Koreas has the most updated news.


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Syria: Stop Making Babies · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian blogger Dania wonders why people have children.


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Tajikistan: Aluminum & Brass · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Bboyd reports that Tajikistan’s aluminum company Talco is having commercial relationship with Norway’s Hydro. He notes that although it is good that Tajikistan has a commodity that could fund some serious domestic development, but, unfortunately, corruption and switched contracts are turning this potential cash cow into mincemeat.


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Trinidad & Tobago: More of the Same  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Does anyone actually know of any (other) company where this sort of thing happens and the persons responsible are not seriously reprimanded?” asks West Indies Cricket Blog, on hearing news of the West Indies Cricket Board‘s latest bungle.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Tunisia: Five Top Illnesses · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Subzero Blue from Tunisia lists the five top illnesses which force children to skip school.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Uruguay: Implementation of OLPC · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

OLPC News recommends the interview of Sylvia Gonzalez Mujica, program manager of Project Ceibal of Uruguay because of her explanations of the project.


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WeMedia: A chance to tell them what you think · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

What would you tell 300 of the world's leading digital industry people?
The next WeMedia Conference will be in Miami (26-28 February 2008), and thanks to support from The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, the organizers (iFocos) are offering fellowships that cover registration fees and travel from any country to a few lucky bloggers, academics, or activists who are using technology to make the world a better place.
Global Voices bloggers will be there too, offering critical global perspectives on new media,  – as our team did in 2006.
It's easy to apply. You need to answer three questions about why you would like to be there, how you want to make the world a better place, and what online communication tools you value the most. Deadline is 21 December, 2007. Get on it! Anyone can apply. The lucky fellowship recipients will be responsible for their own visa applications to the United States and possibly lodging.

author: Solana Larsen


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Yemen: Making Sesame Oil the Old Way  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Omar Barsawad from Yemen shows us a video clip of how sesame oil is traditionally made in his country.


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Armenia: Pink Armenia · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped: Gay Armenia informs its readers that a new LGBT NGO has been set up in Armenia. Pink (Public Information and Need of Knowledge) Armenia will specifically work in the area of STI/HIV prevention in the Armenian LGBT community.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Armenia: Xenophobic Official · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Nazarian is shocked by a recent article published in the local press penned by an official in the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The article reported the situation Armenian women find themselves in when they marry Arabs. However, rather than call for tolerance, Nazarian says the official urged Armenian women to instead marry Armenian men.


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Bahrain: A tenfold increase in population?! · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

This time the roundup from Bahrain covers three weeks. We have frustration on every front, unfortunately: frustration with being surrounded by apathy and ignorance, with being a teenager, and with a ludicrous criminal charge. One blogger is considering leaving the Gulf for a better life back in India, another admits he rarely reads, and a number of others are debating the merits of secularism.
Going ‘home’?
We start with Ashish Gorde, who is visiting India after a break of three years – and wondering if he should leave Bahrain:
There is an enormous energy resonating all across, and the enthusiasm is almost palpable wherever you go. Alright, now that sounds like a superlative but so far I've only been to Bombay and Poona and I've felt the same excitement in both the places. […] Another interesting thing I have learned is that salaries have shot up sky high in the past few years, and there is a lot of wealth and purchasing power in the hands of the middle-class. The prevalence of major brands and swanky malls is another clear indicator that the new religion of consumerism has managed to set up its massive temples here as well. As a lifelong expat Indian, these observations make one think twice about a lot of things. It is clear that India is headed towards greater economic strength, and when that happens, where does that place us — that is, Indians who have lived in the Gulf all their lives — in this present scenario. Do we still stay here in Bahrain and other countries in the Gulf with meagre salaries, and watch our compatriots earn lot more in India? Do we miss out on the excitement that's surely ours in an economy that is headed towards the ionosphere? Do we sacrifice promised vibrancy for safety, however, dubious it may seem?
Aaaaaaaagh…!
The Girl With No Face is tired of the apathy – and hypocrisy – she keeps encountering:
what happened to passion and courage?!?!? what happened to the hippies and the 70s where people would fight for what they thought was right?!?!?!  Doesn’t a revolution start with ONE persons idea? Doesn’t a million dollars start with ONE dollar? why do we always have to give in? and why is it that US GIRLS must sacrifice the most? […] Define ‘good girl’!! If being a good girl means doing WRONG THINGS without people knowing, then i don’t want to be a ‘good girl’ because the way i see it, most girls in this country would rather go out with guys, get drunk, get high or just be plain @*&# up without anyone knowing and STILL be labeled as a ‘good girl’. i just want to live my life doing what i think is right and sometimes being a human being and wanting to do something wrong, and DOING it. i want to live in a place where i don’t have to abide by rules i don’t believe in.
Cookie is just fed up of being a teenager:
I hate this age ! being a teenager is hard ! I can’t stand it any more !!!!!!!!!!
why? hmm people deal with you as a kid BUT want you to act like an adult !
our life is a mess !
we know that we are drawing the pic of our future so we keep thinking about future and that is kind of scary cause any mistake could destroy every thing!
every teenager hate at least one thing on his/her face or body and keep thinking about it !
you could find us very religious one day and then change!
we could shout and say words we don’t mean and hurt people cause of stress!
we might sleep for more than 10 hrs to forget some issues (me)
20-17= 3
I’ll wait 3 more years ! hope that 18 is better!
p.s : the weather is so good for sleeping !!
The police and the pebble
Redbelt is in disbelief – at a suspicious charge of causing damage:
I have officially been cited to appear in front of the Sixth Minor Criminal Court. What is the charge? Allegedly, a pebble flew out from my tyre and hit another car's wind shield. […] I have been cited with the following charges:
1. Caused by mistake to cause damages in properties of others
2. Drove the vehicle while unregistered
3. Did not take utmost care due when driving
Are you laughing yet? […] I suspected that this might actually be a scam. Last May, several police officers called me several times, long phone calls may I add, to try to persuade me to pay BD 10 “for this poor poor man!”.
No beaches – and no sea
Khalid is frustrated about privately-owned beaches, and land ‘reclamation’:
فبالرغم من إننا نعيش في جزيرة صغيرة إلا إننا محرومون من الشواطئ فغالبية الشواطئ ملك خاص .. وان ما يقارب من 3% من شواطئ المملكة فقط ملك عام أو المتنفس الوحيد لعامة الشعب .. […] فنحن اليوم في بلد غريب و غريب جدا .. فنحن نعيش بوجه العموم في جزيرة بلا شواطئ وعلى وجه الخصوص يوجد في بلدنا كورنيش بلا بحر ..!!!
Even though we live on a small island we are deprived of beaches as the majority of them are private… Something like just 3% of the beaches of the kingdom are public property or the only breathing space for the general public. […] Today we live in a strange country, very strange… Basically we live on an island without beaches, and more to the point, in our country there is a seafront corniche – without any sea!
How many zeroes?!
Silly Bahraini Girl is frustrated by a surreal conversation:
I have single handedly managed to come across Wonderland's 7 millionth idiot! […] I was talking to a fellow Bahraini today and one thing led to the other and as I was typing and talking on the phone .. I wasn't really listening and just answering with a yes or an exaggerated ohhhh .. every time there was a lull in the conversation.
“Yes, with the population of Bahrain hitting seven million now…” he was saying. I freeze.
Me: “Seven what?”
Him: “Seven million.”
Me: “Do you know what a million is?”
Him: “Yes, seven million.”
Me: “We are barely 700,000, counting the bastards and prostitutes.”
Him: “No. It is seven million. 700,000 was when we were in school.”
Even after this person was persuaded to check the figures online, he still wasn’t convinced:
Him: “Ok .. I see the figures but they are wrong. Governments lie about everything. Remember how when we were children? Our house used to be the only one in our neighbourhood. Now the place is full of people. We are seven million.”
Books…
Yagoob has a confession to make:
… اعترف بأن ثقافتي ضحلة و فقيرة و تحتاج إلى إعادة هيكلة و تأهيل
فأنا لا أعرف شيء في الثقافة العربية و لم أقرأ أي من روائع نجيب محفوظ و دوماً كنت أحسب بأن احسان عبدالقدوس أحد نجوم السينما المصرية في الثلاثينيات من القرن الماضي
I admit that that my cultural awareness is shallow and poor, and needs rehabilitating and reworking… I know nothing about Arab culture; I have not read any of Naguib Mahfouz's novels, and I always thought that Ihsan Abdel Qudoos [a writer] was one of the stars of Egyptian cinema in the 1930s.
…and notebooks
Hasan, a Bahraini student in Japan, has notebooks on his mind – and memories of his grandfather’s store:
Here in Tokyo I seem to have developed a habit of buying too many notebooks, usually at the beginning of something new. By ‘something new’, I mean moving to a new place, starting a new semester, travelling to a new destination or starting a new project of some kind. I don’t buy any notebook from any stationery store. There are a few particular places from which I particularly enjoy to buying my notebooks. I especially like to buy notebooks from a couple of stationery stores in Kunitachi (the town in which my university is located and in which I lived for most of my first two years in Japan) that seem to remind me of the book store/stationery store my grandfather ran for a long time in the old souq, or bazaar, in Manama. I must admit that I like browsing through dark, crowded shelves of stationery that reek of shadows and dust. My grandfather’s book store was not well-lit and I do associate it with cobwebs and dust for some odd reason.
Mosque and state
Some weeks ago we quoted a blogger who was calling for more Islamically-minded bloggers in Bahrain; now we hear from other bloggers who are debating the importance of secularism, and keeping religion out of government. Hayat gives her opinion:
فصل الدين عن الدولة خطوة مهمة لكي نضمن حرية و احترام الديانات و المعتقدات و الثقافات و لكي نمهد لنهضة الدولة في مختلف الميادين و المجالات في ظل دولة القانون التي فيها يكون المواطن متساوي مع المواطن الآخر بالحقوق و الواجبات دون اي تمييز او اقصاء..
The separation of religion from the state is an important step to ensure freedom and respect for different religions and beliefs and cultures. It also paves the way for the renaissance of the state in various spheres and areas covered by state jurisdiction, where every citizen is equal with regards to rights and duties, without any discrimination or exclusion…
For a recent university project, Haythoo undertook a survey of 300 people regarding their opinions on secularism, and here are some of the results:
Do you agree with secular opinions completely?  Yes: 3%  No: 97%
If you answered ‘no’ to the last question, do you agree with some secular ideas? Yes 58%  No: 42%
Do you think that secularism is compatible with Islam? Yes: 32%  No: 68%
Do you consider secularism to be the gateway to progress in the present day? Yes: 35%  No: 65%
Do you think secular governments are preferable? Yes: 32%  No: 68%
The end
Bahraini Rants is shutting up shop (or just shutting up):
A chapter in my life has just shut and a new one is about to begin, if I may, with little writing and explanation: it’s gonna be intense and draining, and I am seriously looking forward to it. I think we can all fairly say that I’ve lost interest in this blog, but not because I don’t like writing my thoughts out anymore. I used to write with a purpose in mind, and to be honest, I’ve lost that purpose. Doesn’t mean I don’t think about you all the time, it just means that I can’t be bothered to write and write and rewrite and hope that you’ll catch the secret double entendres and so on and so forth.
So after these few and far between posts, emotional cries for help, and many years of reading: I hope I’ll be someone you’ll remember fondly.. Yeah him Bahraini Rants, he was good, I miss him.. I wonder what he’s up to now? Do you think I should search for him? Maybe I should go back and read some of his old posts…
We end with a picture from the Top 20 Bahrain group on flickr; this is the Bahraini flag, an appropriate image as 16 December is Bahrain's National Day (and if you look carefully, you can see the moon):
Photo credit: BALUCHI

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Benin: Youth and tobacco smoking  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Jackie writes about tobacco smoking among the youth in Benin: “According to a recent global youth tobacco survey report, more than twenty percent of school children (aged 13 to 15 years) in Benin are cigarette smokers. The survey involved about 50 schools selected in four regions of Benin, namely Atlantique and Littoral (located in the South) as well as Bogue and Alibori (located in North).”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Georgia: Alternate Route · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Via Kaukasus, Transcaucasus offers its readers an alternate way to reach Georgia from Europe without any flying involved.


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Kazakhstan: Trial over President’s Ex-Adviser Postponed Again · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Steve LeVine reports that a U.S. court today pushed the foreign bribery case of James Giffen, former energy adviser to the Kazakhstan's leadership, into its fifth year. Giffen is accused of bribing the foreign officials, money laundering, wire fraud and tax evasion.

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Kenya: 2007 Kenya predictions reviewed · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bankelele reviews 2007 predictions about Kenya: “In November 2006, I wrote some predictions in the Business Post December 2006/January 2007 issue, in which I put forward ideas, expectations, and wishful thinking for the country in year 2007. Here’s a review of some of the Nostradamus-like thoughts…”


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Korea: When You Can’t Sleep… · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

What is your tactic when you have difficulty falling asleep? Check these methods that netizens recommend and see whether you agree or not.
숙면에 좋은 방법
▼ 식사 조절은 필수!
과식은 숙면의 가장 큰 방해 요인. 잠자는 내내 대장 운동이 진행되어 깊이 잠들기 힘들고 도중에 깨기 쉽다. 잠자리에 들기 최소 3시간 이전에 음식을 먹고 커피, 홍차, 콜라 등 카페인 음료는 수면에 방해가 되므로 피한다. 배가 고파서 잠이 오지 않는다면 따뜻한 우유나 대추차, 유자차 등 카페인이 없는 달짝지근한 차를 마시는 것이 좋다. 술 역시 피하는 것이 좋은데 알코올이 몸속에서 분해되면서 숙면을 방해한다.
▼ 일찍 잠드는 습관을 기른다
늦게 잠들고 늦게 일어난다면 좀더 일찍 잠자리에 드는 습관을 기르도록! 밤늦은 시간까지 TV를 보거나 인터넷을 하느라 일찍 잠들지 못한다면 아침에도 개운하지 않을 뿐 아니라 쌓인 피로도 쉽게 풀리지 않는다. 저녁은 오후 8시 이전에 먹고 11시 이전에는 잠드는 습관을 기른다.
▼ 휴일에는 늦잠을 자지 않는다
평일에 쌓인 피로와 스트레스를 풀기 위해 주말 동안 한 번에 몰아서 잠자는 것 역시 숙면을 방해한다. 신체 리듬이 깨지면서 밤에 잠이 잘 오지 않고 다음날 피로도 쉽게 느끼게 된다. 평소와 같은 시간에 일어나 운동이나 가벼운 산책을 하고, 부족한 잠은 20~30분 정도의 낮잠으로 보충한다.
▼ 억지로 잠을 청하지 않는다
잠이 오지 않는다고 억지로 잠들려고 하면 오히려 역효과가 나기 쉽다. 잠을 청할수록 정신이 또렷해진다면 일어나서 가벼운 체조를 하거나 독서 혹은 조용한 음악을 듣는 것도 방법. 단 집중해서 무언가를 하는 것은 잠을 방해할 수 있으므로 삼간다. 자꾸 시계를 보게 되면 불안해져 더욱 잠들기 어려워지므로 시계를 안 보이는 곳으로 치운다.
▼ 침실 환경을 바꾼다
평소 잠을 잘 자지 못한다면 베개, 이불을 바꿔주는 것도 방법. 베개가 높으면 목에 자극이 되어 혈액순환이 제대로 되지 않는다. 이불은 푹신하고 가벼운 것으로 고르고 햇볕에 자주 말려 사용하도록! 잠옷은 몸에 꼭 끼지 않는 편안한 면 소재로 된 것을 입는다. 잠들기 전 숙면을 유도하는 아로마 향초나 램프를 켜두는 것도 좋다.
잠이 솔솔~ 베스트 숙면 아이템
01 숙면에 도움을 주는 메밀과 불면증 해소에 효과가 있는 라벤더를 베개 속에 넣어 만든 허브 베개.
02 혈액순환과 신진대사를 도와주는 성분이 들어 있어 신고 자면 숙면을 취할 수 있는 수면 양말.
03 일반 베개 속에 넣어 사용하는 허브 베갯속. 건조시킨 천연 허브와 메밀을 섞어 만들었다. 라벤더, 로즈메리, 페퍼민트, 캐모마일 4가지
04 잠이 오지 않을 때 따뜻한 우유 한 잔을 마시면 도움이 된다. 컵에 따라 전자레인지에 넣고 데우거나 냄비에 중탕으로 끓여 마신다.
05 카페인이 들어 있지 않은 허브를 따뜻하게 우려 마시면 몸에 쌓인 독소를 푸는 데도 좋다.
믿고 따라 해보자! 숙면 위한 전문가들의 조언
▼ 반신욕을 한다
저녁 식사를 하고 나서 1시간30분이 정도 후에 반신욕을 하면 숙면을 취할 수 있다. 반신욕을 하고 나면 체온이 0.5~1℃ 오르는데 이것이 깊은 잠을 자도록 유도한다.
▼ 숙면을 도와주는 지압법
잠자기 전 지압점을 자극하거나 손바닥을 서로 맞대고 비벼주면 쉽게 잠이 든다. 손바닥 가운데, 셋째 손가락 끝, 머리 꼭대기 부분, 발바닥을 3등분해 위쪽 ⅓ 지점에 있는 지압점을 손가락 끝이나 지압봉으로 누르면 깊이 잠들 수 있다.
▼ 맨손체조를 한다
억지로 잠을 자려고 하면 오히려 숙면을 방해할 수 있다. 잠이 오지 않을 때는 가벼운 맨손체조를 할 것. 그러나 심한 운동은 역효과를 낼 수 있으므로 잠들기 2시간 전에 하는 것이 좋다.
▼ 손발을 따뜻하게 한다
손발을 따뜻하게 하면 잠이 쉽고 빨리 든다. 실내 온도는 더운 것보다 서늘한 것이 수면에 도움을 준다. 실내 온도를 낮추고 이불은 따뜻하게 덮는다….
▼ 잠자리에 든 후 3시간 이전에는 일어나지 않는다
사람이 깊이 잠드는 시간은 잠든 후 3시간이다. 이 시간 동안 아무 방해도 받지 않도록 전화를 부재중으로 설정하고 가족들이 침실에 들어오지 못하게 한다. 침실의 온도는 20℃로 설정하고 이불 안은 33℃ 정도로 유지한다.
Or try experts’ advice
▼ Having bansinyok (put your body from waist to feet in warm water)
After dinner, have bansinyok for one and half hours. It will help your body temperature go up 0.5-1 ℃ and lead you to have a deep sleep.
▼ Finger pressure therapy.
Before sleep, go through finger pressure treatment or rub the palm of your two hands. Pressing the tips of the middle fingers, tip of the head, and upper one third of the sole of the feet with fingers or Q-tips will help you sleep.
▼ Stretch your body
Trying to fall asleep is rather disturbing the sleep. If you can’t sleep, try to stretch your body. Excessive exercise might cause opposite effects, and do exercise two hours before.
▼ Make your hands and feet warm
Warm hands and feet make you fall asleep fast. Cool temperature helps sleep. Turn down the internal temperature and put on a warm blanket instead.
▼ Don’t wake up for three hours after you fall asleep.
The time when people can fall asleep deeply is three hours after falling asleep. Don’t be interrupted. Turn your phone off and don’t let family members come to the bedroom. Temperature of the bedroom should be 20℃  and inside the blanket should be 33℃.
How much do you fit in the categories below?
요즘 불면증이 심하다…=_=;
잠을 잘 자는 것도 능력인듯 하다..=_=
잠을 잘자는 방법은…음..
1) 좋은 수면 상태란?!
잠을 잘 자는 것은 보약을 먹는 것보다 낫다고 한다. 몇시간을 자느냐보다는 수면의 질이 중요하다. 좋은 수면은 아침에 눈을 떠서 5분쯤 후 상쾌한 기분이 드는 것이다.하루에 평균 7 ~ 8 시간을 자는 것이 가장 좋다. 또 아무리 바빠도 최소 6시간 이상은 수면을 취해야 건강에 해를 끼치지 않는다.
2) 좋은 숙면을 위한 생활습관?!
1. 규칙적인 생활을 유지한다
…매일 아침 일정 시간에 기상하고 주말, 휴일에도 일정한 수면 스케줄을 지키는 것이 좋다.
2. 잠자기 전 운동은 금물, 가벼운 목욕은 수면에 좋다
： 잠자리에 들기 전 샤워를 하거나 가벼운 스트레칭은 숙면에 도움이 된다. 그러나 잠들기 전의 심한 운동은 오히려 교감신경의 활동이 활발해져 잠을 방해한다. 목욕도 미지근한 물(37~38도)에 20 ~ 30분 정도 담그는 정도가 좋다.
3. 배가 고파 잠이 안 온다고 양껏 먹는 것은 금물
： 잠들기 바로 전에 음식을 먹는 것은 잠을 방해하고 위장이 쉬어야 할 시간에 다시 활동하게 되므로 건강에도 좋지 않다.  도저히 배가 고파 잘 수 없을 때에는 탄수화물과 단것을 아주 조금만 섭취하는 것이 좋다.
4. 꾸준하게 운동을 한다
： 적어도 1주일에 3일정도 20 ~ 30분씩 걷기, 조깅, 수영 또는 사이클 등 가볍게 운동을 해 주면 신체가 이완되도록 도와 깊은 잠을 잘 수 있다.
5. 면 소재 잠옷을 입는다
： 잠자는 동안에는 가벼운 옷이 좋다. 땀이나 분비물 등을 잘 흡수하는 부드러운 면 소재를 선택하고, 되도록 꽉끼는 브래지어 등을 착용하지 않아야 혈액순환이 원활하게 이루어진다.
6. 내게 맞는 베개를 선택한다
： 베개를 베지 않으면 머리가 낮아 피가 머리로 몰리게 돼 숙면을 방해하고,또 베개가 높으면 어째, 목 근육에 무리가 가서 불편하다. 가장 적절한 높이의 베개는 베고 누웠을때 자신의 주먹정도 높이로, 베개를 누른 상태에서 6 ~ 7cm가 적당하다….
잘자고 싶다!! …
This simple method seems much more difficult.
간단한 원리는 “뒤척이지 않는다.” 되겠습니다.
2.	가장 편안한 자세로 눕는다.(기본이 되겠죠.)
3.	약간의 불편함이라도 있으면 1번으로 돌아간다. (가장 어려운 부분이라 할 수 있습니다.)
4.	어떠한 시련이나 고통이 오더라도 그 자세에서 손끝하나 움직이지 않고 가만히 있는다.
5.	잠이든다. (근육을 움직이지 않으면 혈액순환이 안되기 때문에 쉽게 피로해집니다.)
Funnier methods might work.
잠이 오지 않을 때 할 수 있는 5가지 대처법
1.	양파를 이용한다: 일단 불을 끄고 눕는다. 양파를 쪼개서 코 밑에 얹어놓고, 나머지 양파들도 냄새가 방에 잘 퍼지도록 쪼개서 그릇에 담아 머리맡에 놓는다. 양파향이 정신에 안정효과를 가져다 준다고 한다. 코 밑에 놓은 양파향 때문에 거의 최면에 걸려 잠이 올 것이다.
2.	맥주를 마신다: 술을 거의 마시지 못하는 사람들에게만 적용되는 방법이다. 맥주를 한 캔 사서 다 마시면된다. 그냥 뻗는다. 최소한 4시간은 잘 수 있을깔? 단점은 주량이 늘면 무용지물이라는거…
3.	명상이다 기도를 한다/중얼거린다: 잠이 오지 않을 때 염불이나 기도와 같이 작은 소리로 중얼거리는 행동을 하게 되면 몸도 지치고 잠이 서서히 든다…
4.	읽다가 포기한 책을 읽는다: 이 기회에 평소 미루었던 책을 읽는다. 평소 읽다가 중단했거나 내용이 난해하고 지켜운 책을 하룻밤에 독파할 수 있는 절호의 기회다.
5.	증상이 계속되면 병원에 가라.
더 이상 설명이 필요없다.
끝

author: Hyejin Kim


text:
Malawi: Innovation, the digital divide, and politicians who shun the Internet · Global Voices
Steve Sharra

Although we are not quite there yet, the beginning of the year 2008 will mark one year when the two Global Voices authors for Malawi, Victor Kaonga and myself, will have been writing roundups on the Malawi blogosphere. Victor and I live half a world apart, and are always in contact via email and phone. But we had never met before, until this past weekend. We are in and out of Malawi, but never at the same time. That changed at the beginning of this month when we both flew into Malawi within days of each other, and managed to meet, albeit very briefly. We should be able to meet again, this time for much longer.
However our being able to physically meet for the very first time is not the subject of this roundup. Rather, our subject is the never-ending ingenuity of Malawian inventors and technology experts, while Malawian politicians continue to rely on traditional radio and newspaper presence, with hardly any presence on the Internet.
Dr. Cedrick Ngalande invents an electric charger
Victor Kaonga recently wrote on his blog Ndagha about  Dr. Cedrick Ngalande, a Malawian aeronautics engineer who  has just invented a generator that uses yeast and sugar to charge cellphones, laptops, and other electrical appliances in places where there is no electricity available.  In Malawi consumer access to electricity is provided by a government parastatal, ESCOM, reaching a reported 7 percent of the Malawian population. As in many developing countries, especially in Africa, power is always intermittent, and a luxury enjoyed by a tiny minority of the population. Victor quotes Dr. Ngalande, describing his invention, as saying:
This gadget will be very ideal to developing countries like  where electricity is scarce. As you know, the growth of cell phone is fastest in . The problem most Africans have is that they cannot charge those cell phones due to lack of electricity. Some have to walk long distances just to charge cell phones. My invention will make it easy for these people to charge their cell phones. Also, this generator can be used to charge $100 computers which are being introduced in . It can also be used to charge or operate medical devices in rural .
Soyapi Mumba creates SearchWith software
Another piece of exciting invention news comes from blogger Soyapi Mumba, a Malawian software developer, who starts by explaining why he has not posted on his blog for two months. He quotes Dare Obasanjo, who is said to have stated that “Writing Code Will Always Be More Important Than Writing About Code.” With that quip, Soyapi announces on his blog the release of SearchWith version 0.4, a personal software project he has been busy with for quite a while now. He explains the utility of SearchWith, which can be found at Mozilla Addons SearchWith site: (addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2194), as a “search extension for Firefox, Thunderbird and Flock,” which enables users to “group search engines by service (content type) and search from the context (right-click) menu.” Soyapi writes:
Apart from big fixes, this version includes improvements to the Addressbar option especially in Thunderbird. Addressbar option now integrates well with Google's Feeling lucky feature.
Another enhancement in this version is that when you search with all engines for a particular service, SearchWith will automatically remember to pre-select all engines under that service, by default.
To select all engines or change this back, use the Advanced Search dialog which pops up when you hold down the SHIFT key while selecting a search service on the context menu or when you right-click without selecting any text.
Malawian politicians missing out on the Internet revolution
While Malawian inventors and technology experts pour their time and energy into technological advancements to benefit poor, disadvantaged communinties, as in the case of Dr. Cedrick Ngalande, or advancing Internet search engine software, as in the case of Soyapi, Malawian politicians have an almost zero presence on the Internet. Victor Kaonga writes in an article that generated a lot of comments on the Malawian Internet newspaper Nyasatimes, which he republishes on his blog, that no Malawian political party is known to have an official website, let alone websites or even blogs for individual politicians:
When it comes to politicians and parties, I was saddened to discover that no political party in Malawi owns a website, neither a blog which actually comes as a free package. I am sure our political parties in Malawi have money to have a website or if desperate then get a blog.
Kaonga cites a University of Malawi professor, Edrine Kayambazinthu, who points out that:
…most politicians in Malawi lack of access to computers, lack access to even the Internet. This “may explain why they shy away” from online communication. She pointed out that the politicians clamour for media access only through radio and newspapers which are readily available and do not depend on their individual literary skills and access.
Kaonga bemoans the poor quality of the official website of the Malawi government, contrasting it with other government websites where the President is available to answer questions submitted online, Uganda's Yoweri Museveni being an example. Kaonga wonders why Malawian politicians are Internet-shy, imagining that with general and parliamentary elections coming up in May 2009, one would have expected incumbents and potential candidates to extend to the Internet campaign efforts they have already started gearing for on radio and in newspapers.
It has been suggested by another University of Malawi lecturer, Chomora Mikeka, a technology researcher, that the cost of access to technology in Malawi is twice that of the Southern and Eastern African region. Most Internet access in Malawi is still dial-up, and wireless Internet in Malawi can cost anywhere between about US$80 to US$600 per month. The same goes for cell phone access, at around US$0.34 cents per minute, a cost so prohibitive most Malawians are reduced to an innovation called “flashing,” in which a caller dials a number and cancels it before the receiver picks up, so they can see a “missed call” message and then call the “flasher” if they have any airtime.
One would imagine that perhaps the high costs of telecommunication access in Malawi is partly a result of very few lawmakers fully appreciating the importance of hi-tech communications, which they apparently do not see much use for in their political careers. The Malawi Government recently announced the awarding of a US$23 million contract to a Chinese company Huawei Technologiesto lay undersea fibre optic cables in Lake Malawi, in preparation for connection to the larger, sub-continental East African Sub-marine Cable System (EASSy), expected to become operational by 2009. according to Nyasatimes, the project to create a fibre-optic network for Malawi will take two and a half years.
News just in: In the Tuesday December 11 print edition of the Malawian daily The Daily Times, the Speaker of the Malawi parliament, Hon. Louis Chimango, is quoted as saying it is important for every single Member of Parliament in Malawi to be provided with a laptop computer. He is quoted as having said this after receiving a donation of 15 new desktop computers from the Taiwanese government, for chairpersons of parliamentary committees. The laptops would, according to Mr Chimango, afford MPs easy access to the Internet, among other opportunities. “In my view,” says the Speaker, “an MP without a laptop is like being in the driver's seat of a car which has no steering wheel or accelerator pedal.”
Coming to America: Update on windmill inventor William Kamkwamba
And finally, in the Wednesday December 12 edition of The Wallstreet Journal, African correspondent Sarah Childress writes about William Kamkwamba, the young Malawian who at age 14 invented a windmill for his house, and attracted worldwide attention. Among William's growing plans, writes Childress, he intends to build a new windmill powerful enough to pump well water, connect Masitala village to electricity from the windmill, and eventually connect others villages across the country.
This week William was invited to attend and speak at a one-day conference convened by two USAID-funded educational projects in Malawi, the Malawi Teacher Training Activity (MTTA) whose book donation to a school library near William's village started the entire William Kamkwamba phenomenon, and the Primary School Support Project: A School Fees Pilot (PSSP:SFP). The conference's main theme was to shape the way forward using lessons learned and knowledge gained from the two projects, with the participation of other stakeholders, including government ministries involved in educational activities in Malawi. Since William is still in school until this week, he was unable to go and attend the conference. Mr. Simeon Mawindo, the Chief of Party for both projects, and Dr. Hartford Mchazime, the Deputy Chief of Party for MTTA and mentor to William, are working to develop new policy directions that might benefit other young Malawians who are as talented and determined as William, but lack avenues through which to express their ingenuity.
And on his blog, William announces that he is headed for the United States of America for a short holiday, starting December 17 into the early days of the new year. He will be hosted by one of his American mentors, and will visit New York, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

author: Steve Sharra


text:
Nigeria: Tolerance in Yoruba religious system · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Loomnie writes about religion and tolerance in Yoruba culture: “My friend pointed out that that was a very important part of the Yoruba religious system. In the Yoruba traditional religious system, in the same family, one could have each member of the family worshipping a different god, without any person proselytizing or persecuting another. That, my friend said, was a great indication of tolerance.”


text:
Oscar Niemeyer: 100 years of a daring architeture · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Brazil's most celebrated architect Oscar Niemeyer turns 100 today – still very much alive, lucid, working and involved in many projects. He is the man who designed the country's capital city, Brasilia, which is considered his master piece. He has also given the world many architectural gems, such as the  UN Headquarters in New York, Museum of Modern Art of Caracas and the French Communist Party headquarters.
The last surviving founder of architecture's modernist movement is still full of ideas for designs that have become even more daring concepts. Among his upcoming projects, there is a new arts building for the Spanish city of Avilés. He has revealed in interviews that, although this project may only be ready in 2010, it is already one of his favorites designs.
Oscar Niemeyer Museum, Curitiba, Brazil. Photo by acewill, under a Creative Commons license
Brazilian and international bloggers have been wishing him a happy birthday, publishing pictures of his work and commenting on his strength, ideas and projects. Starting with Fernando Assad [pt] who explains why the Brazilian is a genius:
As obras de Niemeyer são formadas por traços limpos e dinâmicos, e por isso evocam a modernidade. O dinamismo, a simplicidade e a clareza das obras valorizam o Ser Humano, pois são indicativos, porque o Humano só consegue o sucesso em seu labor quando se compromete com o dinamismo, a simplicidade para a otimização e a clareza de seus atos. Sem contar a beleza das obras, ricas em curvaturas insinuantes. (Que os engenheiros continuem quebrando suas cabeças para colocarem as obras de Niemeyer de pé).
Niemeyer's works are comprised of clean and dynamic lines, and as such they evoke modernity. The dynamism, simplicity and clarity of his works enhances the Human Being, because they are indicative of the fact that Humans only succeed in their work when they commit themselves to  dynamism and simplicity to optimize and clarify their acts. Without even taking into consideration the beauty of the works, rich in ingratiating curves. (I hope engineers will carry on  puzzling over ensuring  Niemeyer's works can be made to stand).
Communist Party Headquarter, Paris, France. Photo by fromform, under a Creative Commons license
Valéria Borborema [pt] adds that the lightness he has given to concrete through his daring curves may have been:
Uma tentativa de brincar com a sisudez tão presente na arquitetura, que passou a gozar de uma plasticidade impensável até Niemeyer.
An attempt to play with the seriousness so present in architecture, which now enjoys a plasticity unthinkable until Niemeyer.
During the military dictatorship, Niemeyer was exiled in Paris, after having his office and the headquarters of a magazine he used to coordinate destroyed. When it comes to political views, Pedro Nelito [pt] notes that the architect has not changed much since he was a young man:
Oscar Niemeyer, foi amigo de Luiz Carlos Prestes(Cavaleiro da Esperança) político e militante do PCB, perseguido por todas as ditaduras que se estabeleceram em nosso país. Oscar é o que nós chamamos de “Velho Comunista”, mesmo sendo festejado pela Rede Globo, não abre mão de suas convicções políticas e é muito respeitado pela sua história de vida.
Oscar Niemeyer, who was friends with Luiz Carlos Prestes (knight of Hope), a politician and PCB [Brazilian Communist Party] supporter, was chased by all dictatorships that established themselves in our country. Niemeyer is what we call an “Old School Communist”, even if now he is celebrated by Globo Network, he has not given up his political views and is much respected because of his background.
Museum of Contemporary Art, Niterói, Brazil. Photo by Hendo101, under a Creative Commons license
calamity jane [pt] quotes Niemeyer's ideas on socialism – he turns 100 years still believing in social justice and revolution – and gets inspired by them:
O mesmo senhor diz também que a vida é um sopro. E eu, que acredito que temos uma missão na vida, caso contrário não sei bem o que estaríamos aqui a fazer, digo-vos, inúmeros e incontáveis: se há quem chegue aos 100 anos a acreditar na revolução, no amor e na felicidade, então temos de acordar rapidamente para fazer a nossa parte. (…) É possível mudar o mundo porque eu quero.
This same gentleman also says life is a blow. And I, who believe that we all have a mission in life and who otherwise would not know what we are here for, tell you all: if someones reaches the age of 100 believing in revolution, love and happiness, then we have to wake up quickly and do our bit. (…)  It is possible to change the world because I want it.
Many others embedded a trailer of Fabiano Maciel's documentary quoted above, A vida é um sopro (Life is a blow), in which Eduardo Galeano, author of The Open Veins of Latin America, says:
“É sabido que Oscar Niemeyer odeia o capitalismo e odeia o ângulo reto. Contra o ângulo reto, que ofende o espaço, ele tem feito uma arquitetura leve como as nuvens, livre, sensual, que é muito parecida com a paisagem das montanhas do Rio de Janeiro. São montanhas que parecem corpos de mulheres deitadas, desenhadas por Deus no dia em que Deus achou que era Niemeyer”.
“Everyone knows that Oscar Niemeyer hates both capitalism and right angles. To go against right angles, which ruins the space, he has created an architecture as light as clouds, free, sensual, which is very similar to the mountainous landscape of Rio de Janeiro. These are mountains that look like women's bodies lying down, and they were designed by God the day that God thought he was Niemeyer”.
Copan Building, São Paulo, Brazil. Photo by ojjo, under a Creative Commons license
Even those who do not personally agree with his radical ideas, have to bow today to this living legend, as Vera Fróes [pt]:
Independente de concordar ou não com suas idéias, admiro a figura do arquiteto que sempre se mostrou firme em seus ideais sejam eles ideologicos(comunismo), religiosos(ateu) ou arquitetônicos(concreto armado). Além disso chegar nessa idade lúcido e desenvolvendo vários projetos, não é para qualquer um, tem que ser iluminado.
Regardless of agreeing or not with his ideas, I have admiration for the architect who has always remained firm in his ideals, be it in ideology (communism), religion (atheism) or architecture (reinforced concrete). Besides, not everyone gets to this age still lucid and developing many projects, he must be enlightened.
And the celebrations go on. Pelo Mar Aberto [pt] publishes a dozen pictures, Varal de Idéias [pt] brings a hand full of illustrations and caricatures, and Esthefani Magalhães [pt] links to YouTube video-homages. Others talk about the many exhibitions [pt] in Brazil, Portugal and other countries to mark this centenary. There are also photo-galleries here and here. A search in the blogosphere yields posts and reports in many other languages. Among them, we finish off quoting Niemeyer himself, who was recently interviewed by The Times about today's date:
“The date is not important. The age is not important. Time is not important. Life is very fleeting. It’s important to be gentle and optimistic. We look behind and think what we’ve done in this life has been good. It was simple; it was modest. Everyone creates their own story and moves on. That’s it. I don’t feel particularly important. What we create is not important. We’re very insignificant.”
National Cathedral in Brasilia, Brazil. Photo by guilhermekardel, under a Creative Commons license

author: Paula Góes