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Xenophobia Plagues South Africa · Global Voices
Muhammad Karim

Extremely violent attacks on foreigners in South Africa in the last days have stirred the entire South African media and of course… blogs. Individual bloggers question whether the government is right to call these attacks “xenophobic”, and criticize the media for being too event-driven to address the causes behind the violence.
Here's a round up of what some South African bloggers are saying:
Don Edwards, blogging from Johannesburg at Insights and Rants, writes:
Political correctness has now gone too far: it's all very well talking about Xenophobia and anarchy, but why is the government so scared of calling the rioting what it is: racism!?
These people are being killed because they are “foreigners”, and therefore we call it Xenophobia, only because it is politically incorrect to call it racism. Normally Mr Mbeki is quick to use the race card, but I suppose because there are no whites involved he can't see it for what it is. What an idiot! People are suffering and dying while the leadership dithers and keeps silent.
If they do nothing for much longer then we can refer to the process as “ethnic cleansing”, another traditional SA sport.
In The News, a South African-based all-Africa group blog, discusses the effect of these attacks on South Africa's 2010 hopes:
Has anyone given much thought about how the current xenophobia attacks in townships in South Africa could affect South Africa’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup in 2010? The whole world is seeing pictures and videos of the attacks and it can not paint a pretty picture at all. Crime has always been a huge issue about South Africa hosting the world cup but the world was assured that everything possible would be done so that crime does not affect this world event in 2010. Now with the scenes being beamed across the world from townships in Johannesburg, one wonders why South Africa can not stop this current crime sweeping across them.
Fine, the xenophobia attacks are happening in the townships where the poor are so that should not affect 2010 right? Wrong. Any form of crime in South Africa is a negative to how the world portrays South Africa be it crime in the townships or crime in the leafy suburbs. Crime is a national issue in South Africa and just because it is happening in the townships does not mean it should be ignored.
The government has to act and act quickly to find a solution to these xenophobia attacks. There have been calls for there to be more police deployed to stop these attacks but the police say they do not have enough resources to deploy more people than they already have. There have been calls for the South Africa army to step in and help or take over from the police. South Africa is not at war with anyone so the army is available to assist in times like this. The fear is that these attacks could escalate and get out of control. The government has an opportunity to act now and try stop these attacks. Or do they want to wait until it really gets out of hand before they act? This reminds me of the electricity situation. The government had time to act and resolve the crisis long ago, but did nothing about it. Instead they are now fighting against something they could have prevented. Don’t they just learn from past mistakes?
“No human being deserves to be treated like that,” writes Charmed at My Digital Life:
I admit I'm not one to get all worked up about political issues or how incompetent our government is, but I certainly think the xenophobic attacks are uncalled for. No human being deserves to be treated that way.
I agree with OS – it all comes down to those who lack mentality. With that kind of behaviour its no surprise that the Zimbabweans or Mozambicans or whoever are getting employed here.
My sister employs a Zimbabwean girl as her domestic worker and she's so well spoken, friendly, civilized.. unlike some South Africans I've come across with loads of attitude and think the world still owes them since apartheid.
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We'd see the day when nobody died
Chorus from If Everyone Cared by Nickelback
Herman, a blogger at Contraflow, looks at the larger picture:
The media's reporting of these events has as usual been largely event-driven, with little attempt yet to understand them as part of larger socio-economic circumstances and policies (although there has been some good analyses, for instance here and here). While front pages such as the one posted here (the Cape Town-based newspaper Cape Times, owned by the Independent group) raise familiar questions regarding the ethics of the representation of violent acts, there is also an imperative for the media to analyse these events holistically, as part of the precarious living conditions of the poor in the country and political response they demand. Journalism should be at its best when it defends human dignity and respect for life. This is such a time.
Sokari sees the violence as an indication of South Africa's fragility
The media and the government are naming the violence as xenophobia but the reality is that people have reached boiling point after 14 years of dashed hopes and have now turned on the most vulnerable in their communities, refugees, and foreigners to vent their frustration. This in no way justifies the violence but does go some way to explain the fragility of the country.
Nicole does not believe the atrocities committed by her fellow citizens who should be ubuntu experts:
Over the past few weeks, xenophobic attacks on Zimbabweans, Malawians, Zambians, Ugandans, Rwandans, Burundians, Mozambicans, and many other African illegal (and legal!) migrants who are living near Johannesburg on the East Rand, have been on the increase.
It blows me away that my fellow countrymen and women can with one breath decry the atrocities in Zimbabwe, and with the next perpetrate their own. It blows me away that people who should be experts at ubuntu can demonstrate anything but. It blows me away that a problem I considered to be purely a first-world problem exists on my own doorstep (as it were…. Jo'burg is a good 1400kms or 870 miles). It blows me away that in this rainbow nation of ours, where thousands have fought, shed blood and died for the right for us to treat each other with the respect due another human being, for the right to express our equality, my fellow countrymen and women would perpetrate such hate crimes.
And an angry post from ZimStallion
Alright, jokes aside. This is something that REALLY pisses me off.
Xenophobia, for those that have lived under a rock their entire life, is the jealous hatred of foreigners living in one's country…
Q: Why have so many Zimbabweans desperately flooded into South Africa?
A: Because there is a shithead President in Zimbabwe who beats the living daylights out of them for no good reason.
Q: Why is there a shithead President in Zimbabwe?
A: Because there is also a shithead President in South Africa, who stops the rest of the world from putting a bullet through his head.
Q: Why do shithead South African citizens take it out on poor innocent Zimbabwean refugees?
A: Because shithead South Africans are lazy, and are used to having things handed to them on a plate, whereas a Zimbabwean will actually work for something. This is the reason a Zimbabwean is chosen for a job over Joe South African.
Christ, South Africa, I'll explain this as simply as possible so that you get it into your thick skulls: Get your shithead President to stop shielding the shithead Zimbabwean President, and we will ALL fuck off back home in a split-second. Then you can have your shitty jobs and shitty country back. Because if we had a choice, we wouldn't be here.
From Jacaranda FM blog:
Foreign nationals in Alexandra, North of Jo’burg, are begging police to deport them back to their home countries following the recent outbreak of Xenophobia. According to Alexandra police, about a thousand refugees are being housed in tents at the police station whilst several organizations have donated blankets, food and other necessities.
And finally… Dispatch Now
DispatchOnline has set up a dedicated blog for readers to share their experiences of xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance. Share your views and stories at http://blogs.dispatch.co.za/surviving
Across all media and social media channels, the xenophobic attacks have been condemned, unfortunately the government seems to be dragging it's feet again and mumbling about semantics instead of doing something concrete about the situation.

author: Muhammad Karim


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Afghanistan: Cutting Through the Noise · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust refers in his post to Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson – in Joshua's opinion the only reporter talking about road construction in Afghanistan who is making any sense.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: To Negotiate or Not To Negotiate?  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Patrick Frost reviews the Hudson Institute scholar's concept of a growing ‘war weariness’ with Afghan, European, and American troops in Afghanistan.


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Anguilla: Culture Shock  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Cultural identity is as equally important as political independence and economic self-sufficiency in the process of nation-building. Cultural development is the bedrock of the creation of a national identity”: Corruption-free Anguilla wonders whether the island has a culture.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Argentina: Image of Kirchner in a Soy Field · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Cristina en El Campo [es] documents the process behind the work of a group of individuals that created an image of Argentine president Cristina Kirchner in the middle of a soy field in the northeastern part of the country as a way to get involved with the current crisis.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Argentina: Maradona’s Hand of God Lego Recreation · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

eBlog [es] writes about the lego recreation of the infamous “hand of God” goal scored by Argentine football legend Diego Maradona.


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Argentina: Poll Numbers of Buenos Aires Mayor · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Lucas Carrasco of Artepolitica [es] provides the latest poll numbers for Buenos Aires mayor Mauricio Macri.  Overall he remains popular, but residents indicate that security remains their number one concern.


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Armenia/Georgia: Online Diasporan Communities · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Social Science in the Caucasus examines the Internet presence of Armenian and Georgian communities in Switzerland. The blog of the Caucasus Research Resource Centers says that examining the extent of activity in online communities is one way of tracking how organized migrant communities abroad are.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Azerbaijan: Eurovision Debut Reaction · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

In Mutatione Fortitud, the blog of a political scientist from Azerbaijan, comments on his country's first ever debut in this year's Eurovision Song Contest and says that it appears as if the song, Day After Day, was “pretty successful.” The Revolving Madventist Church of the Golden Worm of Mu agrees and says the entry entered into the true spirit of the international song contest with such a “blatant disregard of propriety” which “brings the whole act safely from ridiculousness into the hyperdimensional realm of pure awesomeness, Epic Win, and spiral power. And it sounds kinda nifty, too.”


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Bangladesh: Women and the headscarf · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Unheard Voices on a bank in Bangladesh that has made it mandatory for female employees to wear the headscarf.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Bermuda: Free Press · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Vexed Bermoothes says that the ruling party's attacks on the free press are attracting international attention: “The fact is, that despite paying years of lip service to freedom of information, the Bermuda Government is doing little to implement it. Moreover, the PLP is using the offices of Government to punish members of the media for lobbying in favour of increased public transparency and accountability.”


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Bolivia: Radio Station Website Hacked · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In Bolivia, the website of the radio station where political analyst and government critic Carlos Valverde holds his radio station was recently hacked.  Renzo Colanzi of Mientras Estás Aquí [es] has the screenshot of the hackers’ message that states that it was done for Bolivarian integration.


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China: All CCTV, Entertainment Banned · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Sun Bin reported that in the three days national mourning for Sichuan earthquake victims, all T.V channels become CCTV. Literally speaking, most of the entertainment channels, including Star T.V and HBO are banned locally, with a mourning message.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Internet Spy Spreading Rumors? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A message mobilizing people to boycott internet spy has been spreading around via e-mails and forums. All negative comments about earthquake relief work are considered as rumors written by spies. Jenny pointed out that the message intended to block and threaten all negative comments rather than dealing with problems with an open attitude [zh].


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China: Magazine Banned · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A Chongqing-based magazine, New Travel Weekly, was suspended from publishing for using bikini-clad women on the front page of its May 19 issue. More from ESWN and DANWEI.


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China: Man-made Mistake in Earthquake Relief · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wang Hua from china-week listed out several mistakes made by People's Liberation Army in the 512 earthquake relief work. The rescue team has missed the golden 72 hours to save the victims[zh].


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Colombia: Campus Party Speakers · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Campus Party – Colombia is about a month away and Carolina Botero provides an update on some of the activities and speakers planeed for the week-long event.


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Colombia: Statistics on Internet Usage and Access · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Seventy-five percent of Colombians do not have access to the internet reveals a recent studty.  Campus Comunicativo [es] provides more of the findings.


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Egypt: Egyptian Bloggers Union Formed  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Shokeir [Ar] is surprised that an Egyptian Bloggers Union has been formed.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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El Salvador: Musical for Victims of Civil War · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Salvadoran-American musician Carlos Colón-Quintana presents his musical in honor of those killed in the civil war in El Salvador, especially the victims of El Mozote.  He posts clips ans lyrics on his bilingual blog [es/en].


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Estonia: “Asymmetrical Bilingualism” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Itching for Eestimaa writes about “asymmetrical bilingualism” and the Estonia report by Doudou Diene, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Europe: Eastern Partnership Project · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

AnTyx writes about the Eastern Partnership project.


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Guyana: Living Life · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

News of Guyana-Gyal‘s family and a few presents that they have sent her from abroad cause her to be “simply livin’ and appreciatin’.”


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Guyana: Looking for Poetry  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Signifyin’ Guyana posts a piece by John Agard to illustrate the things to look for in a poem.


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Haiti: Breaking the Law?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Haitian blogger Wadner Pierre shares his thoughts on the philosophy of nonviolence and, in the words of Thoreau, when “it is important for honest men to break the law.”


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Hong Kong: Private Deal Against Basic Law? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Luke pointed out that the private deal between Hong Kong government and the Time Square property management concerning the Time Square public space may have violated the Basic Law [zh], which protects freedom of expression and gathering.


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India: Koran and the US Army · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Indian Muslims Blog on the case of a soldier in the US Army using the Koran for target practice.


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Iran: Raise Money for Sick Mother · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Winston, an Iranian blogger from Canada, writes that he tries to raise money to bring his sick mother to Canada for medical care.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Remember Reformist Khatami · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian bloggers remembered the 11th anniversary of presidential election where Mohammad Khatami came to power.Mind-Sketch has published 35 photos from Khatami's days.


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Iran: Seven Valleys of Love · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kamangir reports that Sheema Kalbasi has published a book about the works of Iranian female poets from Middle age to present day Iran. The book is called: Seven Valleys of Love.


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Iran:A popular site got filtered · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Negarakha,an Iranian blogger, says[Fa] that Baznegar,a popular site that covers news about blogs was filtered.Negarakha invites other bloggers to protest against this filtering and talk about it in their blogs.


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Iran:No Urinals · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Rick Steves,an American tourist,is blogging from Iran. He says that there is no urinals in Iran.He writes “There are no urinals anywhere. I did an extensive search: at the airport, fancy hotels, the university, the fanciest coffee shops. No urinals in Iran.”


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Iran:Territorial Changes · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Thanks to Homeyra we can see a map of Iran where all territorial changes in the 19th and 20th centuries are explained.


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Jamaica: Homophobic Talk?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Jamaican Prime Minister's comments on BBC‘s HARDTalk programme spur blogger Francis Wade to make a few comments of his own: “Golding…candidly responded that he would not have a gay person in his cabinet. His distaste and contempt seemed palpable to me.  I imagined Jamaicans looking on with pride…I imagined most of the world looking on in horror.”


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Kazakhstan: President Knows Roots of Food Crisis · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Lena B-Va reports that Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev spoke at the World Economic Forum’s meeting in Sharm-El-Sheikh (Egypt) and said that the main reason for world food crisis  is speculation.


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Kuwait: Post Election Thoughts  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwait's Hilaliya shares some post-elections thoughts in this post.


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Kyrgyzstan: Manas Epos · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elena from neweurasia presents a short podcast with the extracts from the national Kyrgyz epos “Manas”.


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Mexico: Construction of New Sumaya Museum · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The new Sumaya museum is being constructed in Mexico City thanks to billionaire Carlos Slim.  México Para Los Mexicanos [es] examines some questions about the museum's location and whether proper thought has been given to how this increased traffic will affect the neighborhood's residents.


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Moldova, Turkey: Natalya Morar’s Istanbul Airport Adventure · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Last December, journalist Natalia Morar was barred from entering Russia and deported to her native Moldova after a Russian weekly magazine published a series of her stories about alleged siphoning of huge sums of money out of Russia by the country's high-ranking officials (a GV translation on Morar's ordeal is here).
Earlier this month, Morar (LJ user natmorar) had a bizarre experience at Istanbul International Atatürk Airport, which she has described (RUS) on her blog:
“You are barred from entering the country, you'll be deported back to Moldova now,” a Turkish border control officer at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul explained to me in broken English, passing my documents to a promptly summoned policeman. I was beginning to believe that this was my fate: airports, deportations.
They took me to a police station, held me there for about 40 minutes. Turned out they had a 24-year-old Natalia Morar in their database, a prostitute who had been previously deported to Moldova. It took me a long time to explain that I'm not her and that she's not me. My press card and all other documents just made them even more distrustful. They must've been thinking: “What a smart prostitute, got herself shielded with documents.”
It all ended well when the cops decided to compare our ID numbers. They let me out […], asking by way of good-bye: “Turkish boyfriend, yes?” […]


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Pakistan: A green Pakistan? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Pakistani Spectator on the indifference towards environmental issues in the country.


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Pakistan: Silent tsunami · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan on the alarming rise in food prices, called the “silent tsunami”.


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Russia: Guest Column by Andrei Nekrasov · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At Robert Amsterdam's blog, a guest column from the Russian filmmaker Andrei Nekrasov.


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Saudi Arabia: Monkeys and Residents  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Muqeem in KSA [Ar], from Saudi Arabia, is wondering why authorities haven't taken any measures against the problem residents are having with wild monkeys and asks whether it was because not many citizens live in that particular area.


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Serbia: Election Results Roundup · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Fistful of Euros posts a brief summary of the results of the election in Serbia.


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St. Lucia: Effects on Consumers · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from St. Lucia, Looshan Ramblings is concerned about the effect of rising oil prices and the global food crisis on consumers: “We need to know that our leaders are trying their best to put measures that will cushion the fall out from this global food crisis and recession.”


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Taiwan: Ma’s Inaugural Speech · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Michael Turton comments on Taiwan new president Ma Ying-jeou's inaugural address.


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Tajikistan: The power of gossip · Global Voices
Vadim Sadonshoev

Recently, the Uzbek website UzMetronom disseminated information about possible murder of Hasan Sadulloev, the bother-in-law of Tajik President Rahmon. Hasan is considered to be one of the wealthiest and powerful persons in today's Tajikistan.  According to the website, Hasan was shot by his nephew on May 2 and died in a German hospital on May 8. This information was picked up by many other respected information agencies and subsequently by bloggers. For the last two weeks it was one of the main topics of discussions in the Tajik society. However, it still remains on the level of gossips and no one has credible information to either prove or disapprove this.
Everybody is interested in getting information about this story. Tojvar says that Hasan is the most popular person in Tajiksitan [tj]:
Thousands of people everyday are looking for news about him and discuss his possible murder. Several media outlets are having ready articles with different opinions and various further scenarios, all counting the days when the rumors come true or false.
Ian at Beyond the River links the story of Hasan to his business, with the most lucrative part of it being Talco, the aluminum smelter factory:
RFE/RL quotes some loyal employees who claim that they saw him “just a half-hour ago” and that “thank god, he is in good health.” However, there’s no public sign of him and he didn’t accompany Rahmon to Kazakhstan, nor did Rahmon attend the Victory Day parade this year for the first time ever.more
In another post Ian continues watching this story by translating  excerpts of a post from from Tajik-language Andesha, and tries to show what kind of conversations might take place around kitchen tables all over Tajikistan:
I don’t believe these stories, but I have a few questions. Why didn’t Rahmon attend the May 9 celebration for the first time in history of our independent country. Why didn’t Hassan Sadullayev travel to Kazakhstan with Rahmon? Why is the state not trying to disprove the rumors by showing the healthy body of Sadullayev to the people?”
Srasov, a journalist from Kazakhstan reports [ru] in his blog that the news about possible murder of Hasan might be “fake” to discredit the visit of Rahmon to Kazakhstan.
As I was assured in the Embassy of Tajikistan [to Kazakhstan] it was a false information, disseminated on the Internet by the “enemies of the president” aiming to undermine his reputation. It has no relation to reality, they said.
neweurasia also says that most probably it was a “fake” aimed to destabilize political situation in the country. The author does not have clear evidences, but relies upon the discussions he had with his friends and colleagues.
I hope that Hasan is alive, because the death of such person does not remain without consequences. I think that this information was disseminated against the information about Talco and the legal fees for the proceedings in order to destabilize the political situation in the country. Since Hasan is one of the main actors in this process, the story about his death would be an excellent accelerator in political destabilization.
If the gossip comes out to be false, it would be the “top lie of the year”, cited by all media outlets in Tajikistan.
Also posted on neweurasia

author: Vadim Sadonshoev


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Ukraine: A View From Crimea · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Last week, Ukraine banned Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov from the country, after he called for Russia to take ownership of Sevastopol, a Ukrainian Black Sea naval port. The incident received much coverage in the Russian and Ukrainian media and blogs; some bloggers’ reactions can be found in an earlier GV translation.
Below is one more post on the issue, written by a Russophone resident of Balaklava, a Crimean town that has an official status of a district of the city of Sevastopol. Reacting to the statements made by Russian writer Aleksandr Prokhanov in defense of Luzhkov's stance on the status of Sevastopol, LJ user mix_hawk wrote this (RUS) in the ru_politics LJ community:
[…]
[Prokhanov] started telling [on RTVi Channel] about how the Russophobic attitudes are encouraged in Sevastopol, how films in Russian have been banned from screening, how forced Ukrainization is taking place, etc. And then he expressed his support for [Luzhkov] – like, enough, we've had enough, Crimea issues have to be dealt with in a harsh, tough way, because we've got important geopolitical interests there.
So here goes.
I live in Balaklava now and visit Sevastopol often. I see Russian flags on every third building there, billboards and flyers are in Russian, ribbons with the colors of the Russian flags on the cars and people's handbags. And no one is beating up these people or smashing their car windows, no one is tearing down flyers and billboards. We communicate in Russian freely and no one is hissing at us, the way it used to happen in Estonia in 1990 or in Moldova in 1993. Russophobe moods, where are you? Hello?
Regarding films – yes, there is such a thing, all screenings have to be translated into Ukrainian. But it's not specified in the decree in what form they should be translated, and the majority of Russian films are shown in Russian with subtitles. Just today I've watched [Battalions Ask for Fire] in the language of the original, only at the bottom there was a Ukrainian translation in small letters – could be a way to learn the language, by the way )))
I also don't understand in what way forced Ukrainization is carried out. Is it about official documents that have to be submitted in the state language? But do they now allow to submit documents in Azeri or Tajik in Moscow? Yes, it's the territory of Ukraine, and the state language here is Ukrainian […].
According to international treaties, Russia has recognized Ukraine's territorial integrity within current borders. Whether it's right or wrong is a different issue. I personally believe that Sevastopol is a truly Russian city, but what's done is done. What's needed now in order to change the situation aren't the rude statements by Putin on Ukraine and by Luzhkov on Crimea, but serious diplomacy work, a search for mutually convenient compromises – this is the only way for the governments of the two countries to reach a consensus. And what Luzhkov has achieved now is pushing the chance to solve the issue diplomatically a few years back, if not more.
[…]
Here is one of the comments (RUS) to this post, by LJ user ervix:
In general, your position is correct, and I guess I agree with it. There is one “but” here, though. [Luzhkov] was speaking about Sevastopol not for the residents of Sevastopol, but for the Russian voters.
Ukrainian politicians react to Russia's domestic political PR games, and their reactions result in additional tension in the relationship […].


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Ukraine: More Mayoral Campaign Ads · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana posts a few more videos of the Kyiv mayoral campaign ads.


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YouTube starts citizen journalism channel · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Getting citizen journalism videos more airtime has just gotten easier: YouTube video uploading website has opened a new channel exclusively for citizen videos named CitizenNews. Vloggers who specialize in reporting what is going on where they live can now subscribe to the channel and let the world know what is going on.
Following, the invitation made by YouTube and presentation of Olivia who will be in charge of the CitizenNews channel:
One of their featured videos are produced and taped by Miyong G. Kuon from South Sudan, who reports about the conditions in refugee camps, where it can get sweltering hot, or flooded whenever it rains too hard:
Let me take the opportunity and tell you that Global Voices already has its own YouTube channel, where all the videos I've posted on my articles have been marked as  favorites and many of the producers have been subscribed to, and even some videos which didn't make it into articles, but are still quite good and interesting.
If you have any videos you would like to see written about in this video blogging section, please send me an email (available through my author page) or write in a comment with a short explanation of why you think it is an important video to showcase, and I'll do my best to include all your requests.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Afghanistan: Al-Qaida’s rising figure · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Peter Marton reviews the recent story in the CTC Sentinel journal on al-Qaida's rising figure, Abu Yahya al-Libbi, the Lybian who escaped from detention at Afghanistan's Bagram airbase in 2005.


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Albania: Reckless Driving · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Stepping Stones writes about reckless driving in Albania.


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Argentina: The Countryside and Social Conflict · Global Voices
Jorge Gobbi

During the last two months, the Argentinean political agenda has been marked by the conflict between the government and “the countryside,” a generic denomination that groups everything from big land owners, to private companies that rent the land for soybean harvesting, to small producers, and rural workers. The problem started when the Government announced its decision to increase the taxes on agricultural product exports, particularly grains. This tax is known as “retentions” and it allows the Government to obtain a part of the total sales revenue, which brings in much revenue for the producers, due to the economic policy which in the last years has maintained a high dollar value in relation to the local currency. The result: it's quite convenient to export, since you obtain dollars and local prices are in -lower in value- pesos. While this scene is changing because of the high local inflation rate, there's still many incentives to sell abroad.  The raise of retentions was based on a mobile scheme: if the international price increases, so does the tax rate.
Photo of Roadblock in Córdoba province taken by Pablo David Flores and used under a Creative Commons license.
For example, currently, the soybean industry pays 40%-45% taxes. The increase led to a rough conflict: for weeks, the sectors linked to the countryside closed the roads and didn't allow the circulation of trucks with grains, milk and meat. The result was a shortage of many basic products in the big cities. While the measures where temporarily dropped on two occasions, there's still a high degree of conflict going on between the Government, who hasn't lowered taxes, and those sectors linked to the countryside, which demand a decrease in taxes.
But, how have bloggers covered the topic of the conflict between the Government and the countryside? Let's see some opinions.
Let's start by the side of those who have a critical view of the protest measures of the sectors linked to the countryside. At Debate¨Politico [es] they published a text by Adolfo Perez Esquivel, a defendant of human rights in Argentina and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who sustains that “large national and international soybean companies are manipulating and pressuring the Government to lower the retentions. They make millions, but they want more and more, and they don't care about environmental damage, the consequences of monocultives, the reduction of natural forests, the indiscriminate use of agro-toxins, and the health and nourishment of the population.” At Arte Política [es] they reproduce a communique from the Frente Campesino (Rural Farmer's Front), where they criticize the measures of the sectors linked to the countryside. At Claro de Luna [es] they analyze and criticize the posture of the sectors in favor of the strong measures by the rural sectors, which tried to identify the “countryside” with “the country”. And finally, at Los Tres Chiflados [es], a group blog of economists, Larry, one of the authors, still expects an apology “for the second most antidemocratic act since the return to democracy”, in reference to the decision of sectors linked to the countryside to close the roads and cause a shortage of food products in the big cities.
Before going to the blogs that criticizes the Government and had a closer position to the countryside, you can check out two interesting materials. On one side, Andy Tow [es] mapped the location of road closing and the Gini coefficient, which measures the degree of economic inequity within the population. His conclusions: where there's more income equality, there were more protests. But, and this is interesting, there were also a coincidence between the areas of protests and soybean harvesting areas, the ones that received the highest taxes. On the other side, a group of people from Entre Rios province, who are in the design field, made a drawing of the Argentinean president, Cristina Fernandez, in a soybean field.
The other side opted for defending the countryside and this included harsh criticism against the Kirchner's government. One of the interesting points is that many blogs that are dedicated to defend the countryside position were created by producers that participated in the protests. At Marca Liquida [es], they criticized the Government's speech about the negative consequences of the soybean harvest; for instance, that it doesn't generate employment. At Patria Chacarera [es], they argue that the Government doesn't want to solve any of the problems that led to conflict and that, in fact, they're provoking more protest measures. This blog, by the way, has as a goal to publish posts that sustain the reasons by which retentions are unfair fiscal measures. Another blog, Viva el Campo [es] is gathering signatures for an Internet claim, with the objective to impulse the measures that led to the raise of retentions. A group of producers from Trenque Lauquen, province of Buenos Aires, have created a site [es] to tell their reasons for supporting the protest measures. And at Refundar la Republica Argentina [es] they don't hold back in attacks and insults for the Government's agriculture policy.
These days, the groups that represent sectors of the countryside have stopped the protest measures and have started negotiations with the Government again, looking to modify the increases in the taxes to exports. But the agreement, for now, doesn't seem too close.

author: Jorge Gobbi


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Bangladesh: A visit to Vietnam · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

An author from Unheard Voices visits Vietnam and is impressed with the progress made in the country, which has a lot in common with Bangladesh.


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Barbados: Living in Bim  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Callaloo Soup blogs about a few things she forgot about life in Barbados.


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Brazil: Images of the ‘Invisible Indians’ in the Amazon · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

Altino Machado presents pictures [PT] of what could be the last isolated ethnic group in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, the so called ‘Invisible Indians’. The pictures were taken from a plane by José Carlos dos Reis Meirelles Jr., coordinator of FUNAI's [Brazilian National Indian Foundation] Ethno-environmental Protection Front, in the region close to Feijó, in Acre State. The Indians reacted by attacking the plane with bow and arrows.

author: Jose Murilo


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Brazil: Promoting the country’s fine art · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Guilherme Montana [pt] starts a new series of posts about Brazilian fine art. “The first artist to be honored in this rudimentary humbly artifact of online publication is one that lives and paints the Central West area. His name is Humberto Espíndola, and the picture is Bovinocultura V – Boi-Águia, 1968.” Here is the artist's website.

author: Paula Góes


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China: GFW Upgraded · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

According to Turnright, the Great Fire Wall internet filtering system in China has recently been upgraded. Apart from website keyword filter, it also filters signatures of Window Live messager.


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China: Ill-luck 2008 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Maryannodonnell posted a mobile text message at Shenzhen Fieldnotes: Dog-FXXked 2008.


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China: What the Olympics Will Look Like · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Xueyong wonders what the Beijing Olympics will look like after the disaster as people are still in the mourning mood. He suggests that the government should not take the lead in framing the Olympics but leave space for the people to express their emotions and feelings[zh].


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Colombian anti-military youth group commemorates 10 years of resistance · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Last May 17th marked the ten year anniversary of the Antimili sonoro [es], an event organized by the Youth Network as a way to spread the word about resistance to the mandatory military service in Colombia through music. The date was celebrated with a concert, and the whole month of May was programmed with conferences, talks and marches commemorating the 10 years of the youth organization's Disobedience and Civil Resistance movement. Showcasing the invitation to the events, the promotional clips and a short video from one of the ska bands playing in the concert.
The Youth Network organized  their anti-military festival on the international  day promoting Objection by Conscience, a means of opting out of the mandatory military service [es] , by explaining that morally the individual believes that killing another human being, even within the military, is wrong. There is testimony from youth who have opted out, as can be seen by this testimony written by Gustavo Monroy [es], recruited against his will and later ostracized by friends and family for refusing to be part of the military. The anti-military group explains their objectives and beliefs in this article in English found in their myspace website.
First, this year's concert invite, subtitled in English:
A viral campaign on YouTube promoting the event:
Finally, from the concert, a low cell phone quality video of Ron Daymon ska band performance singing The Neighbor. Hey, if you like it, maybe you can even follow the previous link into the reality show contest for MTV Latin America and give them your vote!
Just a quick final reminder that these and other citizen media videos showcased in Global Voices can be found in our YouTube video Channel.  Please don't hesitate to contact us to send your citizen media videos or drop me a line with the video link and a brief paragraph explaining why you believe you've found something that needs to be amplified through our site. Thanks!


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Cuba, Bermuda: Who Was Che?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A Radical in Bermuda shares his views on who he thinks Che Guevara was, while Child of the Revolution warns that the director and stars of the new feature film Che “have been happily providing plenty of colourful quotes to the media, along with their own versions of the Che ‘legend’, making all those predictable references to the guerrilla leader as an ‘icon’ and ‘idolised idealist'”; Uncommon Sense says he thinks he'll pass on seeing the film.


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Egypt: Strike Number 3 Planned · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Zeinobia from Egypt reports that a third strike protesting against price hikes and low salaries will be held across the country on June 5.


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Europe: Eurovision Semi-Finals · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Pestiside.hu, Megan Case, and Lex Libertas – on the Eurovision semi-finals results.


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Global Agenda for Lusophone Africa · Global Voices
Paula Góes

“The past, present and future of Africa will be debated for two days in Lisbon during the II International Congress of Lusophone Africa. Organized by the University of Lusophone Humanities and Technology, the event's theme is ‘Global Agenda for Lusophone Africa’ and it will be attended by a range of social and political PALOP‘s representatives, and scholars who research these issues.” The event starts on May 28 and Orlando Castro [pt] has the full programme.


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Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria: Zorba the Greek · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Greater Surbiton quotes from Nikos Kazantzakis‘ “Zorba the Greek”: “Given current Greek policy toward Macedonia, it is illuminating to read the words that Kazantzakis placed in the mouth of this most popular of Greek fictional heroes when the latter described his role in the Greek struggle to colonise Macedonia […].”


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India: Healthcare models · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Rural Development of India on two health initiatives that work on improving access to healthcare.


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India: Immigrants and Terrorists · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

An Indian Muslim's Blog on the branding of Bangladeshi immigrants as terrorists.


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Iran: 10 Christians were arrested · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Schrr reports[Fa] that 10 Iranian Christians were arrested in Shiraz today. It seems all of them are Ex-Muslims and they can face death penalty.


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Iran: Anniversary of liberation of Khoramshahr · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian bloggers celebrated the 26th anniversary of liberation of southern city, Khoramshar, during Iran-Iraq war. Muslim Bloggers created a logo that says “God liberated Khoramshar” and Elaheh Mehr has published several photos of this city.


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Iran: Beautiful Nature · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kosoof, a leading photo blogger from Iran, has published a beautiful photo from Iranian nature.


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Iran:Ballgard,a Persian Funk Group · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

LegoFish, Iranian blogger and designer, informs us that Ballgard's new CD is now available. Ballgard draws from the musical styles of Funk, Hard Rock and Iranian Folk music themes. Watch Ballgard's video here and get more information here.


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Jamaica, Caribbean: No gays in Golding’s government · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Jamaican prime minister Bruce Golding was in the United Kingdom this week for talks with his British counterpart, but it is Golding's interview on the BBC's HardTalk programme on 20 May that has made headlines and raised controversy back in the Caribbean. (See the video footage split up into three files on YouTube: 1, 2, 3.)
When asked by journalist Stephen Sackur to comment on attitudes towards homosexuals and gay rights in Jamaica, Golding replied: “We do have a long-standing culture that is very opposed to homosexuality. I think that is changing. I believe there is greater acceptance now that people have different lifestyles, that their privacy must be respected.” But then Sackur quoted a statement Golding made during the general election campaign last year: “Homosexuals will find no solace in any cabinet formed by me.” Sackur asked: “Do you not have a duty to consider people on their merits — for cabinet positions, indeed in any part of government?” Golding's response was unequivocal: “A prime minister must decide what he feels would represent to the Jamaican people a cabinet of ministers who will be able to discharge their function without fear, without favour, without intimidation…. Jamaica is not going to allow values to be imposed on it from outside.”
The interview, and Golding's assertion that there is no room for homosexuals in his Cabinet, was widely replayed and excerpted in the Jamaican media, and hotly discussed on radio call-in shows, in the newspaper letters pages, and even in the blogosphere. The Jamaica Gleaner ran an editorial describing Golding's comments as “Homophobic silliness and a failure of leadership”, but many Jamaicans seemed pleased and proud that their prime minister was standing up to what they see as international pressure to conform to an alien morality.
Only a couple of Jamaican bloggers commented on the issue in the days after the interview was broadcast, and their tone was decidedly measured. Dennis Jones, a Jamaican economist based in Barbados, began by saying there was nothing surprising about Golding's statement. For Golding, Jones said,
… the political calculus is that an openly gay person is a risk–and it is that way in many countries, even those who proclaim to have more liberal views than Jamaica about homosexuality. In the Caribbean being open about homosexuality is suicidal or an invitation to serious violence, with Jamaica right near the top as places where that is likely to be the case.
But he added:
I am more uneasy about whether he truly believes that gays are equal under the law in Jamaica–that to me is “being economical with the truth”….  I am also more uneasy about whether he can craft for me and all Jamaicans a society that is much less prone to murdering each other and one where police brutality is far less commonplace.
Francis Wade, blogging at Moving Back to Jamaica, was more explicit:
My Prime Minister has just communicated to the world that he is a bigot, and that he hates gay people, and that he is prepared to deny someone who is gay a position they deserve simply because they are homosexual.
Let's see what this means. A gay man, a lesbian woman, a bisexual person…. they all would find the door closed regardless of their accomplishments.
It looks to me as if we'll have to feel the tangible consequences of our collective bigotry before anything changes, because now, things are likely to become much, much worse for us.
In another post, Wade remarked:
[Golding] sounded like any Jamaican speaking here in Kingston, just a lot milder in his comments than the average man in the street. In Jamaica, it's said that he couldn't say his real feelings, because the world couldn't handle them.
However, in the rest of the world, I imagine, his spoken words on the BBC HardTalk programme are enough to provoke outrage, boycotts, demonstrations and calls for Jamaica to join the company of civilized nations.
Bloggers elsewhere in the Caribbean also voiced their opinions. Two Barbadian bloggers came out in staunch support of Golding. Bajan Global Report wrote:
Jamaica is not the only Caribbean island to have anti-homosexual laws on its books but because of its influence on the world namely through its music, there is an international campaign to discredit Jamaica image abroad…. As powerful as gay rights groups are, they still outside of their jurisdiction when it comes to bullying a sovereign country.
Barbados Underground, describing homosexuality as a “vexing issue”, suggested that “the homosexual movement has become an unrelenting force”, and expressed the hope that the Barbados government might follow in Golding's lead.
On the other hand, Trinidadian blog The Liming House described Caribbean homophobia as “a morass of Victorian prudishness and religious fundamentalism combined with an extreme interpretation of masculinity and imbued with a sense of developing-country nationalism and a post-colonial assertion of sovereignty”. But Liming House argued that “The Caribbean, in asserting sovereign rights, needs to take some sovereign responsibility”, and quoted a letter published in the Jamaica Gleaner, asking for hate crimes legislation:
In reality, it only takes an assumption or a suspicion of being homosexual in some Jamaican communities for someone to be attacked and brutalised. Of the many cases that have come to public attention of ‘gay’ men being beaten and even killed, very few have been as a result of these said men being caught in compromising positions. Yet, they are set upon and, in what might seem like sanctioned events, the all too familiar scene unfolds.
Meanwhile, apparently by coincidence, two days after Golding's interview was aired, A Radical in Bermuda posted a passionate plea for “an autonomous movement of queer liberation”:
A movement where gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals and all others who do not fit societies narrow view of sexual and gender normality can come together and make their own demands and develop their own leadership and power.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Jamaica, Guyana: “Creole Gang” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp features a poem by Guyanese writer Rooplall Monar.


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Jordan: Qwaider Movies Launched  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Qwaider Movies went live today, announces Jordanian blogger Qwaider.


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Kazakhstan: ENRC Goes Charitable · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Adam reports that ENRC mining giant is still in rivalry with copper corporation Kazakhmys over who is going to eat who, as the Kazakh government urged the two companies to come to a conclusion concerning the merger.


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Kazakhstan: Medvedev-Kazakhstan Diplomacy · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Patrick Frost analyzes the background and perspectives of the Kazakhstan-Russia relations against the background of change of president in Russia and amidst the new leaders visit to Kazakhstan.


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Korea: Saving One Life  · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

A netizen shares a cute story that happened on a usual day for him. Helping others might not be so hard.
…안녕하세요.. 저는 20대  직장인 남자입니다^^! 다른게 아니라 어제 밤 11시 30분쯤에 있었던일을 이야기할려합니다… 뚜뚜~~뚜뚜~~뚜우우~ 7시다 퇴근하자 칼퇴근.. ㅁㅅㅁ 퇴근을 마치고..  요즘 똥배가 조금나와서  8시부터 항상 운동을합니다.. 이 한강근처라.. 한강에서 조깅을하는데요~ 평소와같이.. mp3를 들으며 신나게 운동을하고.. 땀을 쫘악빼고~ 집으로 가는길이였습니다.. 제 조깅코스가 사람이별로없고 풀이 많이있는곳이 있는데.. 그곳에서 멈춰서 잠깐 한강 야경이나 보고 가야지하는 생각에 잠깐 걸음을 멈추었습니다..
그런데 한 남자분이 앉아있더라고요 그자리에는 소주2병이 있더라고요.. 안주는없고.. 깡소주;; 그런데 갑자기 그분이~ 나같은넘은 죽어야돼~ 죽어버릴꺼야~~ 큰소리로 소리를 치더라고요..  그곳에는 그분과 저밖에없었는데..  순간 저는 움찔 놀랬지만.. 그분있는곳을 바라보았조.. 그분 갑자기 옷을 벗더라고요.. 윗옷을벗고 바지를벗더라고요… 그리고 신발을 벗을려고하는 순간.. 저는 이건아니다 싶어서 막 달려갔습니다.. 그분에 팔을잡고.. 저기 무슨일있으신가요.. 저랑 잠깐만 이야기하자고했조.. 그분 처음보는 저에게 눈물을보이면서 펑펑 울더라고요.. 음~ 가만희 듣고있었답니다 저는.. 이야기를 들어보니 5년간 사귄 여자친구가있었는데..  자기가 아는 선배한테 여자친구를 빼앗겼다고합니다… 그래서 세상살기가 싫다고하더라고요.. 나이도 어려보이고.. 동생같기도해서 실례지만 나이가 어찌되시조.. 여쭤봤더니~ 25살이라고 하더라고요.. 이야기를 쭈욱듣고 제가 그분에게.. 제가 그쪽보다 2살이 많은데 동생같기도하고 해서 제 경험담을 이야기해도 되겠냐고..  요즘 운동중이라 술은 안먹지만  그분에게 소주한잔 달라고했습니다.. 그리고 저도 한잔드리고  둘이 깡소주로  한잔하고..  저도 예전에 가슴아픈 경험담을 이야기해주면서.. 그걸 극복해낸 사연을 이야기했답니다.. 그 동생분에게 술한잔 사주고싶어서..  주머니를 뒤져봤는데 만원이있더라고요.. 평소에 운동나갈때는 제가 딱 천원  생수하나 사먹을돈만 가지고가는데.. 오늘은 제가 천원이라고 생각하고 가지고 나온돈이.. 만원이더라고요^..^
브라보~! 그분에게 저기 형이 운동 나와서 지금 만원밖에없는데.. 우리 깡소주말고 쥐포라도 사가지고 쥐포에다가 소주어때^^?  물었더니.. 그리고 같이 마시던 2병중에 한병은 남아서 뚜껑닫고 키핑 콜 ㅎㅎ 그리고 편의점가서 쥐포와 소주2병을 사고..  파라솔에 앉아서 그분과 2시간정도 많은 이야기를 나누었습니다.. 그분께서 눈물을 흘리면서 사실 오늘 자살할생각까지했는데.. 형하고 이야기를 나누어보니..  자기가 바보스럽다고..  더욱더 힘내야겠다고하더라고요..그리고 그 동생에게 연락처를 주고받고..  다음에는 또 힘들면 형하고 술한잔 또하자했답니다..휴~ 그리고 집에 가는길에 안부 전화햇더니 무사히 집에 가는중이라고하더라고요..오늘 정신이 하나도없던 하루였지만.. 그래도 미약한 제가 누군가에게 힘이되었다는것이 뿌듯하고 기분이좋네요.. 읔 운동땜시 술은 절대 안먹을려고 제 자신에게 다짐했지만.. 오늘은 제 자신에게 외쳐봅니다..이런 상황에서는 괜찮아 임마 ㅋㅋ   다들 항상 행복하시기바랍니다^^
Then I saw one man sitting there and two bottles of soju (Korean alcohol). Without any other side dish, he was just drinking soju. Suddenly he started crying out, “I should die. People like me don’t deserve to live. I’m gonna die~ I will die~” There were just him and me. I was startled and looked at him. He started taking his clothes off. First shirt and then pants. When he was talking shoes off, I ran to him. I grabbed his arm and said, “What’s going on? Do you want to talk with me?” Once he saw me a stranger, he wailed. Listening to his words, he had a girlfriend and their relationship was for five years. But he was deprived of her by his friend. He said that he doesn’t want to live anymore. He looked young and was probably younger than me. I made bold to ask him how old he is. He was 25. After listening to his story, I said, I will tell my experience because you look like my younger brother.” Due to exercise, I don’t drink recently, but asked him to give me a cup of soju. We exchanged cups of soju and talked about my heart-broken story. I wanted to buy soju for him and fumbled for the money in my pocket. I usually bring 1,000 won for a bottle of water, but at that day I had 10,000 won because I confused the money. What luck… I told him, “this brother came here to work out and so doesn’t have enough money. But why don’t we have dried filefish with soju together?” We walked to a grocery store and bought two more bottles of soju and dried filefish. Sitting under a parasol, I have talked with him for 2 more hours. Weeping, he said he was really thinking about giving his life up tonight, but now he felt he was really stupid. We exchanged our contact number and I suggested him that we can drink any other time. On the way back home, I called him in order to confirm. He received the call and said that he’s on the way back to his home as well. It was such a day, but I was glad that such a tiny human I can give the consolation to another person. Even though my promise not to drink was broken, I told to myself, ‘it is fine in this kind of situation.’ I hope that everyone is happy.
Many netizens have similar comments, as below.
잘하셧네요^^저도 25살인데 저도 일주일전에 친구한명을 떠나보냈어요~~~세상사는게 힘들다고 전화한통이 걸려와서 집에가보니 이미~~~하늘나라로 가고 말았네여~~저는 친구도 못살리는데~~대단하십니다…
자살하는 사람의 대부분이 힘든 이야기를 나눌 상대가 없기 때문이라고 합니다. 거기서 정신적으로 내몰리신 거죠. 좋은일 하신 겁니다!! 다른 분들도 힘들때는 주위 아무나 붙잡고라도 이야기를 나누세요. 힘든 일은 나눌수록 작아진답니다!!

author: Hyejin Kim


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Macedonia: Use of New Media in Election Campaign · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Authors of the Macedonian media blog Komunikacii.net, analyzed (MKD) the “unprecedented” use of the internet and the new media by the leading political parties in the campaign for the early parliamentary elections, scheduled for June 1, 2008.
Media experts Sead Dzigal and Darko Buldioski provided joint analysis of the web presence of both the incumbent party, VMRO-DPMNE, and the main opposition party, SDSM:
Good: use of blogs, YouTube channels, Myspace, Facebook, Hi5 etc.
[…]
Good also: use of video, audio, posting documents, comments, etc.
Most of—it seems all—the campaign materials are available online, too. The websites receive regular updates… and heavily use free online services, apparently to cut costs, which seems like a smart move.
Bad: the “social” portion is absent in their use of social media. The blog posts are mainly transcripts of their rally speeches, and the content is basically recycled from their TV commercials and other uses such as to be fed to traditional media, analysts, journalists and similar actors, but not blogs per se. The posts are long, different audiences are targeted in each post, and personal experiences or input from the politicians is lacking. Even the impressions on their events are lacking, depriving their blogs of the essential individual, personal perspective. The video clips are made for TV and not for vlogs, print campaigns which do not fit viral media, photos as décor and not as source of (inside) information. […]
Probably these are the reasons why these blogs do not receive many visits, there are but a few comments, and are simply left out of the general political discussion (for the time being).
In conclusion […], it's great that political parties adopted many new services and channels for electoral propaganda, but the effects will probably be quite small, because the websites are used as web repositories or warehouses  for loads of materials tirelessly produced for the electoral campaigns in Macedonia.
In a comment to the same post, prominent local blogger Ribaro, wrote (MKD):
The most interesting thing about the bunch of blogs created by political parties for this election is that they have some incompetent idiot appointed as administrator responding to user comments. For instance a response to some relevant question by such person was: “And who's asking?” Bottom! As long as they belittle the power of the blog and the blogosphere, their blogs will receive minuscule visitor flow and only by their praising party members. The situation was the same with the elections in 2006. They advanced in quantity, but not an inch in quality.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Mozambique: Society and mobile phones · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Ximbitane [pt] talks about the “sms mania” which seems to be now part of the Mozambican daily life. “The mobile phones are installed in our lives as if they were a second skin and there is not the slightest doubt about it”.


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Nepal: Getting the news right · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Wagle Street Journal on the sloppy reporting in media outlets in Nepal, which publish stories without quite verifying the details.


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Pakistan: Inside a Govt Office · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

KO has a vivid description of a government office in Pakistan, reflecting on how very little gets done inside one of the offices.


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Palestine: What’s the Point? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“I don’t know why right now I feel sad and depressed. I just feel empty inside. I really do. I feel that life is just moving so slow in an unknown direction that I really don’t look forward to anything anymore. I keep saying what’s the point?” writes Palestinian blogger Mona.


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Poland: Irena Sendler Obituary · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Edward Lucas reposts the obituary of Irena Sendler, saviour of children in the Warsaw ghetto.


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Romania: Local Election · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Csíkszereda Musings writes about the upcoming local election in Romania.


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Russia, Ukraine: Photos · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Photos from Russia and Ukraine by Flickr user In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (via Olechko).


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Saramago’s reaction at the lauch of Blindness, the film · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Bárbara Axt [pt] publishes a spot on video showing Jose Saramago‘s reaction just after watching Blindness, an adaptation of his book by Brazilian Fernando Meirelles, which was launched the Cannes film festival on Wednesday. “I am so happy to watch this film… as I was when I finished writing the book”, said the Nobel-laureate Portuguese writer.


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Saudi Arabia: Being Silly  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi blogger Mashi 67  [Ar] affirms he has the right to express himself in any way he wants – even if he decides to be silly and stick to silly topics.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Government vs. Party · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Silly me to even think that Governments undesrstood the difference between parties and governments”: St. Vincent and the Grenadines blogger Abeni is seeing red.


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The Victimization of Egyptian Women and Children · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Fantasia is a girl who dreams of a better future for Egyptian women. Writing about herself, she says:
“I am proud to be a girl and I want to spread the word among all females. I believe in female superiority as opposed to all the false claims that have been laid through history to prove the opposite. I want girls, especially in my country, to start believing in themselves and to be valuable citizens who actively join the work force and push their society to positive change.”
Fantasia's World raises crucial issues that hold back the Egyptian society all together; namely women's rights, violence against women and children, and the general misconceptions of male-female relationships in the Egyptian society and in the Arab world. In a recent post, she tackles the issue of how Egyptian women and children are being victimized by traditions, law, and the Muslim Brothers.
In her post, Fantasia touches base on the laws dealing with children's rights which were amended in the aftermath of a whirlwind of debates in Egypt.  The articles are being revised due to the fierce resistance of the Muslim Brotherhood, who occupy 88 seats in the Egyptian Parliament. They “disfigure anything they object to, and represent it in the most horrible attire to the masses who have come to consider them as their trusted source of information and ready made judgements” wrote Fantasia.
With a lot of insight, Fantasia portrays how the life of a typical Egyptian mother is a living hell; she has no say in how many children she could have because for as long as her husband wants children, it is her duty as an obedient wife to grant him the kids his heart desires.
“then, she becomes responsible for nourishing those kids, upbringing them alone (just like a single mom) looking after their health, taking them to school, helping with their homework (if she is educated), besides her regular chores of course, and satisfying her husband in every possible way. Which means, that basically this woman never gets a chance to have any time for herself,” adds Fantasia.
In a not-so-rare scenario in Egypt, the man has the right to beat his wife and children as much and as severely as he wishes and no criminal charges can be filed against him – unless one of them dies as a result of this beating. Why?
“Because some crazy sadistic men have claimed that this is an authorized tool for disciplining a man's wife and children in Islam! Which is absolutely not true” explains the infuriated Fantasia.
In 2008, and for the first time, new laws are being endorsed to protect children in Egypt. According to Fantasia, those laws include:
1- Prohibiting the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and considering it a criminal act which deserves to be punished by law.
2- Considering severe beating of a child by his/her parents to be a violation against child rights,  and therefore authorities will have the right to press charges against the parent in case of severe injuries and causing disabilities.
3- Raising the age of marriage for females to 18 and any female under this age can not have a legal marriage certificate.
4- Giving a mother the right to register her children under her name in the case of conceiving and giving birth to a child outside of wedlock.
The Muslim Brotherhood objected saying [Ar]:
1- FGM should be left as a matter of choice. If parents wish to preserve the “chastity” of their daughters through this procedure, then it is their way of protecting her and deciding what is good for her!
2- The Muslim Brotherhood considers the banning of corporal punishment to be imported to Western societies saying that it is an authorized method of disciplining children according to Islam.
3- MBs like the idea of kids getting married in the name of preserving their chastity and forming a young family.
4- Children who are the fruit of an sinful relationship should be condemned for having an adulterous mother. If this law is accepted, the society and family ties will suffer and men and women will have nothing to stop them from fornification.
“Yeah.. yeah. Great macho men! So, this is religion, huh? We are supposed to buy this, aren't we? So, Islam for you is a religion that rewards sadists, psychos and brutal men, while it punishes women and children, the scum of earth, right? Now, let me see this clearly. According to you, we are worshiping a sick man in the sky.. for this being you are claiming to talk on behalf of can never be a deity of any kind.. he can not raise to the level of the human even! What a bunch of psychos you are! I bet that the devil himself has got more ethics than you do,” concludes Fantasia.

author: Marwa Rakha


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Tunisia: Carthage Palace under the Spotlight · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Tunisian cyberactivists from Nawaat.org are successful enough in besieging Carthage presidential palace, on Google Earth, with tens of human rights videos,” writes Tunisian blogger Sami ben Gharbia.


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Tunisia: Special needs card · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Tunisian Trap Boy [Ar] suggests issuing every Tunisian citizen with a card for people with special needs, saying that such a card would give his people more rights if the United Nations 50-clause declaration of rights for this category were implemented, than what they are getting right now.


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Ukraine: Inflation and Currency Revaluation · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Edward Hugh of A Fistful of Euros discusses inflation, currency revaluation and politics in Ukraine.


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Ukraine: Klychko and Katerynchuk · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana comments on two more Kyiv mayoral candidates and their campaign ads.


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Algeria, Unspoken Stories · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Salim Bachi reviews Algérie, histoires à ne pas dire (Algeria, Unspoken Stories), a controversial 2007 film by Jean Piere-Lledo about the Algerian War.  Of public reaction to the film, which is banned in Algeria, Bachi writes: “Jean-Pierre Lledo has been accused of ever evil on earth..[by a] population that didn't have the chance to view the documentary in question.  That's the way it goes in Algeria, where we argue endlessly about things we don't know” [Fr].

author: Jennifer Brea


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Algerian writer Salim Bachi launches blog · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Kangni Alem announces a new blog by Algerian writer Salim Bachi [Fr].


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Brazil: Can the Amazon problem be solved with new management? · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

Changing the command in a Brazilian Ministry used to be a domestic affair, but the resignation of the renowned rainforest defender Marina Silva from the Environmental Ministry has sparked global reactions. Ms. Silva's replacement was quickly announced by President Lula, through the designation of Carlos Minc, former environmental secretary of Rio de Janeiro State and one of the founders of the Green Party in Brazil. Here are some comments from local bloggers on the shifting sands of public environmental policy.
Marina Silva – # – Carlos Minc
Ao deixar o ministério, a ex-seringueira e ex-empregada doméstica alfabetizada aos 17 anos, conseguiu gerar, dentro e fora do País, uma repercussão que suplantou aquelas que ocorriam eventualmente com a queda de algum titular do Ministério da Fazenda. Ela espera do sucessor Carlos Minc, como demonstração de continuidade da política ambiental, que resista à pressão do governador Blairo Maggi, do Mato Grosso, que atua contra a manutenção da resolução do Conselho Monetário Nacional que, a partir de 1º de julho, obriga o sistema financeiro a exigir regularidade ambiental como condição para o crédito rural na Amazônia… Marina Silva disse que quando se ocupa um espaço de poder, mesmo sendo algo pequeno, como uma coluna de jornal, sofremos a tentação de querer olhar as pessoas de cima para baixo. ” – Aprendi, e não foi agora, mas com muitas pessoas ao longo da vida, como Chico Mendes e dom Moacir Grechi, que a gente tem que olhar de baixo para cima. De baixo para cima a gente consegue enxergar o que está acima de nós. A Amazônia está acima de nós. E com esse olhar a gente é capaz de enxergar que, para fazer algo que seja bom, é preciso se colocar numa perspectiva de serviço, que também pode ser o gesto de abrir o caminho para que outro ocupe o seu lugar. Eu já disse que é melhor ver o filho vivo no colo de outro a vê-lo jazer no próprio colo.”
“A Amazônia está acima de nós” – Altino Machado
Coleguinhas, preparem-se. Minc vem aí. O novo ministro do Meio Ambiente desembarcará em Brasília para almoçar, hoje, com a ex-ministra Marina Silva e depois se reunir com Lula no Palácio do Planalto. Doravante, o ministério deixará de ser uma fonte de notícias eventuais. Minc é mediático. Está para a internet, digamos assim, como Marina estaria mais para o rádio (sem desapreço a esse, pelo contrário). Aprontará quase todo santo dia. E os meios de comunicação serão obrigados a destacar jornalistas para cobrir todos os seus passos. Um dia, como na semana passada, ele é capaz de baixar a lenha no seu futuro colega Mangabeira Unger, da Secretaria Especial de Ações de Longo Prazo, designado por Lula para cuidar do Programa Amazônia Sustentável. No outro, de sugerir o nome de Jorge Viana, ex-governador do Acre, para a tarefa que caberá a Unger. E no seguinte de elogiar Unger e dizer que ele poderá fazer um bom trabalho. É um hábil manipulador de palavras, idéias e conceitos, assim como seu novo patrão, Lula. Prestem atenção no que ele disse ontem sobre o fato de ter batido o recorde de concessões de licenças ambientais para obras como secretário do Meio Ambiente no Rio de Janeiro: “- Você pode ser rápido e rigoroso. Não é porque um licenciamento demora três anos que isso é garantia de defesa do ecossistema. Podem ficar três anos demorando com a burocracia e ser um licenciamento frouxo.” Os repórteres anotaram o que ele disse. Ninguém o contestou. Repórteres têm pouco tempo para pensar a respeito do que ouvem. E parte deles não sabe o que pensar. No caso, Minc limitou-se a driblar a provocação que lhe haviam feito.
A Amazônia é nossa? Uma ova! – Blog do Noblat
De coletinho folgado e cabelos longos, ainda que ameaçados de extinção, o homem é um happening midiático, uma metralhadora de sentenças bombásticas. Comparado à sua antecessora, a discreta Marina Silva, um símbolo da causa, que lembra uma orquídea em sua exuberância frágil, Carlos Minc está mais para uma motosserra ensandecida varrendo uma plantação de soja.
A matraca solta de Minc – Luis Nassif Online
There has been much speculation about the reasons that led Marina Silva to resign. She has mentioned the lack of political support, and some commenters talk about clashes with Lula's powerful cabinet chief Dilma Roussef, responsible for the government's flagship program for accelerated growth. Another strong rumor tells about the designation of Roberto Mangabeira Unger to coordinate an Amazon sustainable development plan as a last blow to the former minister. In fact, the role of Mangabeira — a former Harvard law professor — in the Brazilian environmental policy decision making has become a whole issue unto itself for bloggers.
Há duas versões para a designação de Mangabeira. Uma delas, corrente no PT, diz que Lula agiu de caso pensado para deixar a ministra sem saída. No Planalto, conta-se outra história, que não desmente a a primeira versão, mas deixa depreender que tudo não passou de um lampejo de Lula…  afinal, o ministro não era diretamente parte da disputa (os ministérios do Meio Ambiente, da Agricultura, do Desenvolvimento Agrário e da Integração Nacional). Lula alegaria depois que não poderia indicar um deles [para coordenar o PAS] pois cada um “puxaria a brasa para sua sardinha”… O ministério de Marina nunca deu a ele a oportunidade de uma conversa, solicitada mas ignorada. O Desenvolvimento Agrário também não lhe deu propriamente uma recepção festiva. Mas Mangabeira tinha aliados e foi buscar na Amazônia, um tema sob a atenção mundial, a inspiração para seus primeiros escritos, além da Defesa Nacional… O discurso que o ministro costurou sobre a Amazônia, porém, é o discurso que faz hoje o governo sobre a região… Mangabeira ganhou pontos no Planalto quando apresentou o projeto que propõe um novo modelo para as relações entre o capital e o trabalho.
Em menos de um ano, Mangabeira amplia tarefas, mas é dúvida no PAS – Acerto de Contas
Managabeira's new model asserts that the Amazon must be saved from disorganized economic activity, that it needs a planned relationship between preservation and development. “The only way to preserve the Amazon is to develop it.” And, of course, it is the role of Brazil to do this. Interestingly, a NYTimes article published last weekend (‘Whose Rain Forest Is This, Anyway?‘) played a central part in the debate, bringing back things like an Al Gore 1989's remark saying that “contrary to what Brazilians think, the Amazon is not their property, it belongs to all of us”. Bloggers, as expected, respond and comment.
Agora, depois que a Europa e América do Norte poluem o planeta à vontade e os Estados Unidos se recusam a assinar o Protocolo de Kioto para proteger a produção poluidora de suas indústrias, querem botar a mão no pulmão do mundo. Justamente a nossa Amazônia.
NY Times critica Brasil por defender a Amazônia – Aos Quatro Ventos
Se a Amazônia, sob uma ótica humanista, deve ser internacionalizada, internacionalizemos também as reservas de petróleo do mundo inteiro. O petróleo é tão importante para o bem-estar da humanidade quanto a Amazônia é para o nosso futuro. Apesar disso, os donos das reservas sentem-se no direito de aumentar ou diminuir a extração de petróleo e subir ou não o seu preço. Os ricos do mundo, no direito de queimar esse imenso patrimônio da humanidade. Da mesma forma, o capital financeiro dos países ricos deveria ser internacionalizado. Se a Amazônia é uma reserva para todos os seres humanos, ela não pode ser queimada pela vontade de um dono, ou de um país. Queimar a Amazônia é tão grave quanto o desemprego provocado pelas decisões arbitrárias dos especuladores globais. Não podemos deixar que as reservas financeiras sirvam para queimar países inteiros na volúpia da especulação… Internacionalizemos as crianças tratando-as, todas elas, não importando o país onde nasceram, como patrimônio que merece cuidados do mundo inteiro. Ainda mais do que merece a Amazônia. Quando os dirigentes tratarem as crianças pobres do mundo como um patrimônio da humanidade, eles não deixarão que elas trabalhem quando deveriam estudar; que morram quando deveriam viver. Como humanista, aceito defender a internacionalização do mundo. Mas, enquanto o mundo me tratar como brasileiro, lutarei para que a Amazônia seja nossa. Só nossa.
Cristovam: A internacionalização do mundo – Vi o mundo
O assunto mais badalado dos últimos dias, nas redações do Brasil, é a reportagem dominical do novo correspondente do New York Times, Alexei Barrionuevo, com o sugestivo título ‘A Amazônia pertence ao Brasil – ou ao mundo todo?‘. Na caserna, já estão lá uns generais e coronéis de pijama todos ouriçados. Quem lê o texto sem preconceitos ou pré-concepções, no entanto, descobre outra coisa: é honesto. É a típica pauta que só um repórter estrangeiro recém-chegado ao Brasil perceberia. Trata da paranóia sempre presente por aqui de que alguém, em algum lugar, nos quer roubar a Amazônia. Não fala de uma ameaça real. Quem conhece o Brasil há muito não se surpreende com esta discussão; aqueles que chegam de fora ficam surpresos com a idéia que ronda as teorias conspiratórias da direita…
O Brasil tem, sim, uma responsabilidade perante o mundo de preservar sua floresta. É uma responsabilidade também perante nós mesmos. Sem Amazônia, não há chuva do centro-oeste ao sul para irrigar as plantações que sustentam o crescimento ou encher as hidrelétricas que acendem São Paulo e o Rio. Então, do ponto de vista pragmático, não há dúvidas de que preservar é bom negócio. Como preservar? Fechar tudo e não deixar ninguém mais entrar? Como distribuir os títulos de terra para quem já está por lá? Como instituir a lei numa terra em que deputados-policiais matam gente com serra elétrica? Como erguer centros de pesquisa brasileiros com cientistas de ponta transferidos ou nascidos na região? Ninguém vai tomar a Amazônia – a política internacional não comporta esse tipo de ação. Mas, por trás do pedido de demissão da ministra Marina Silva, está um fato simples que só. O Brasil ainda não sabe o que quer fazer com sua maior floresta. E, enquanto não soubermos o que fazer com a mata, ela seguirá sendo destruída e uns tantos entre nós, por puro sentimento de culpa, continuarão achando que alguém lá fora vai tomá-la na força. Talvez porque, no fundo, bem lá no fundo, saibam que temos culpa no cartório.
A Amazônia é nossa? – Pedro Dória Weblog
Along the spectrum that lies between preservation and development in regard of public policies, we can still find different aproaches focusing on the cultural richness that bonds the Amazon together in its full splendor. These aspects are shouting to be recognized by everyday facts, but they are not priorities in any of the available political discourses.
É sabido hoje que o conhecimento de boa parte das riquezas amazônicas está profundamente assimilado na cultura de seus povos nativos, remetendo a questão de sua exploração racional e econômica ao respeito e conservação do patrimônio ´étno-botânico´ dos povos da floresta. Tal conceito associa as riquezas locais ao conhecimento acumulado pelas culturas ancestrais da região, fazendo com que flora, fauna e cultura estejam intimamente ligados nessa relação sinérgica de conhecimento, respeito, uso e conservação. Mas se a preservação física e tangível dos ´povos da floresta´ é uma questão de caráter natural, imunológico e médico, sua preservação ´enquanto cultura´ possui um forte componente político, muito mais controlável e ameno à intervenção do Estado. Preservação cultural, em linguagem leiga, implica dar condições às populações indígenas de seguirem com seu próprio modo de vida, baseado em crenças e costumes milenares de seus ancestrais. Na base de tudo isso estaria a própria ´visão cósmica´ desses grupos, seus ´mitos teológicos´ inclusive… É urgente a necessidade de conceber a Amazônia, em suas imensas possibilidades econômicas, como um amálgama de componentes indissociáveis e que inclui, necessariamente, o natural e o cultural: a floresta e o homem.
A floresta e o homem da floresta, por George Felipe Dantas – Vi o mundo


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Cape Verde: Cycling while charging your mobile phone · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Sanpadjud [pt], a blogger from Cape Verde, tips about a device that provides power to mobile phones while you cycle. “This gadget comes in handy for those who, like me, need to get in shape and like to save money on the electricity bills. Not to mention how useful it is during a blackout (I don't know about you, but my mobile keeps on running out of battery in such occasions). And it comes with flashlight!”


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Indonesia: 100th year of of “Kebangkitan Nasional” · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

q-harukichi is not so optimistic as Indonesia celebrates the 100th year of “Kebangkitan Nasional” which initiated Indonesia's journey to  independence.

author: Mong Palatino


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Indonesia: Fuel price protests · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Papernas discussed the fuel protests in Indonesia. Hardship Posting notes the protest action coincides with the recent 10th anniversary of the riots which tore Jakarta apart ten years ago. Bellamy Budiman disapproves of the fuel rallies.


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Iran:Two Persian Women in 1900 · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Here is a photo from two Persian/Iranian women in 1900,showing two different styles.


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Japan: Experiences at IDAHO · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

On the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), Japanese LGBT communities organized several events and street activities in several cities across the country. With a slogan of “Yes to sexual diversity” (多様な性にYES!), various groups broadcast messages promoting a society where differences and diversity are accepted and respected.
Blogger 2in20 nagoya reports success [ja] at the IDAHO street event in Nagoya. Blogger Endo Mameta, one of the active organizers of idaho-net, as well as of the IDAHO events in Yokohama and Tokyo, describes what happened in Yokohama:
横浜は革命的(？)だった。開始直前から、おっちゃん連中に絡まれた。
昼間からワンカップ片手、というようなおっちゃんたち。
「なんだ、これ。同性愛って、なんだよ？それ？」
げげげげー怖いかもとか思いながら説明すると
「おまえ、そんなの、当たり前だろう！？同性愛だのなんだのって、愛があれば、おまえ、それでいいに決まっているだろう！？」とかって半分怒り出す。ものすごく肯定的、なんである。
「だから、それをいおうとしているんです」とかいうと、おっちゃん、ものすごく応援してくれる。
[…]
そして、おっちゃんが、とうとうマイクを握る(！)
「通行中のみなさん！同性愛ってきいて、どう思いますか！？同性だの、異性だのって、愛というのは安らぎがあれば、それで大事なことだとは思いませんか？？」
“All you passers-by, how do you feel when you hear about homosexuality? Whether homosexuals or heterosexuals, the important thing about love is that you have the comfort, don't you think??”
Blogger DASS, who was also at the Yokohama event, writes:
宣言があった１９９０年って、意外と最近だったんでビックリしてます。
これがなかったら、ゲイの環境って今よりも厳しくて自分の生き方はどうなってたんだろう、海外で認められている同性婚やパートナーシップなんてなかったかも、そんなことを思いながら見てました。
[…]
行ってみて思うのはすぐには何か変るわけではないけど、こういったことが出来るようになったってことは、１９９０年には想像もつかなかったことなのかなと思います。こういった活動が許されるのも昨今の近隣の国の状況を見ると、恵まれてるのかもしれません。僕はヘタレだから表だった活動は苦手です。でも、頑張っている人は応援したいなと思って行ってきました。自分の街でもこういったことが行われるようになったのはやはりうれしいです。
From Kobe, akaboshi reports the IDAHO street activity and posts a series of pictures and videos (here and here) which capture the severe reality of Japanese society and the experience of some of the participants.
Blogger Novkun (Akasugi Yasunobu) writes about the Gay Pride Parade in Kobe, which was held the day after IDAHO:
神戸のパレードは、札幌・東京・大阪のようなLGBT当事者による団体がすべてを主催するという形ではなく、「神戸まつり」という全市的なお祭りのパレードの一グループとして参加する形をとっています。パレードも各地によって色々な形態が出てきて、参加者としても選択の余地が出てきたのは、よいことだなぁと思います。どこが優れているというのではなく、あくまで並列な形でね。
Finally, Maruyama Tenoru, a prolific blogger on the topic of LGBT issues, reflects on the events and discusses the situation of LGBT community in Japan:
＜差別＞あるいは＜偏見＞といった言葉で、つい簡単にくくりたくなってしまうが、実際のところ、日本では、そうした言葉がふさわしいのかどうか、微妙な感じもする。
たとえばイランでは、累計”数千人”という”規模”で同性愛者が”処刑”されてきたと伝えられているなど、徹底した差別がある。差別などという”生やさしい”表現では済まないだろう。”虐殺”と言い換えても良さそうだ。まさに、同性愛者を根絶やしにしようとしている。
比べてしまえば、日本の同性愛者／LGBT（レズビアン・ゲイ・バイセクシュアル・トランスジェンダー）に対する差別・偏見は、炙り出されて殺されることなどない分、まだ”まし”なほうだと呑み込んで、事を荒立てずに静かにしておれば良いではないか———と考える当事者が少なくない。目立った活動には及び腰になって、傍観者に徹しようとする。
同時に、同性愛者／LGBTではない多数の人たちは、当事者の気持ちが読めていないこともあり、いったい誰がどんな差別をしているのか———と訝しげな表情を浮かべたりもする。そもそも、日常の場面で同性愛者に出くわすことなど滅多にない非同性愛者／非LGBTの人たちの感覚からすれば、身に覚えのない言い掛かりを付けられているような気分になるような人たちも、中にはお出でになるかも知れない。
[…]
日本では、いわゆる＜ゲイリブ＞が、当の同性愛者／LGBTからも敬遠されてきた風潮は、いまでも健在かと想う。もちろん、とても残念なことではあるが。
[…]
敬遠派には、ゲイリブ派の行動が、取って付けたようにわざとらしく映るに違いない。火のないところに、わざわざ火を点けて、火事だ火事だと大騒ぎをしているかのように。
しかし、本当のところはそうでなく、ゲイリブ派は、日本でも声を上げ、きちんとやっておかなくてはならないことを、真剣にやろうとしているだけだ。
つまり、たとえ同性愛者／LGBTの誰かが、黙っておとなしく隠れていることなく、素のまま、ありのままの自分として生きようと決断しても、同じ人間として、非同性愛者／非LGBT（＝異性愛者／ヘテロセクシュアル）たちの只中にあってさえ、臆することなく平気の平左で生きられるように、また、こと左様に生きやすい世の中にしたいと念じながら。
求めるところは単純で、要するに意想の転換である。

author: Hanako Tokita


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Jordan: To All the Drama Fans  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“(H)ere's a piece of advice for all drama fans: If you want to have drama in your life, do it in an environment friendly way and don't take it out on others; let it only involve you and yourself. It's nobody's fault you turned out this way. No, not even your parents,” writes Ola Eliwat from Jordan.


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Malaysia loses to Singapore on island dispute · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The International Court of Justice has ruled in favor of Singapore in its 29-year dispute with Malaysia over a tiny uninhabited island. Blogger saif2020 comments: “So, Singapore gets the prize while Malaysia the crumbs.”


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Myanmar: U.N. leader speech · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Ashin Mettacara posts the speech delivered by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who visited Yangon, Myanmar this week. Excerpt of the speech: “I saw the saddest things: homes and villages destroyed, fields flooded, roads and bridges washed away, so many lives lost. We work hard in our lives, for ourselves and our families. And then, in a moment, it is gone. I am humbled—humbled by the scale of this natural disaster, the worst your country has ever experienced, and humbled by the courage and the resilience of the Myanmar people.”


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Peru: Little Coverage About Languages Day · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Isabel Guerra of Palabras Van y Vienen [es] writes that very little was written by Peruvian bloggers about Languages Day held last month.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Peru: Too Much Media Attention Given to Tula Rodríguez · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

De La Selva Su Web [es] is repulsed by the excess attention given by the media (including blogs) to the pregnancy of Tula Rodríguez, a well-known model and host on Peruvian television.


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Stuff Egyptian People Like · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

There are sites like “Stuff White People Like“, “Stuff Educated Black People Like“,   and even “Stuff Jewish Young Adults Like“. So a group of Egyptian bloggers decided to create the “Stuff Egyptian People Like” blog.

author: Tarek Amr


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The Burma Daily Online · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Copies of the The Burma Daily were confiscated in Cambodia. But articles of the paper can be accessed online.


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Tunisia, 47th most peaceful country · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Tunisia is the 47th most peaceful country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index, Zizou from Djerba writes [Fr].


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Vesak Day in Malaysia and Thailand · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Vesak Day is the most holy time in the Buddhist Calendar. saengthai writes about Vesak Day activities in Thailand and Dhamma Delights blogs about Vesak Day in Malaysia


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Africa: The challenge of the cults in East Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Pea discusses “The Challenge of the Cults in East Africa,” a video series on YouTube: “I was on YouTube just now and came across a series of videos titled “The Challenge of the Cults in East Africa.” The videos are posted by ACFAR, which I believe stands for African Centre for Apologetics Research. I watched the first two-minute video, and felt I had seen enough, but in order to keep from making assumptions, I decided to watch the rest.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Burkina Faso: Learn Fulfude in six seconds · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Stephen believes you can learn Fulfude (one of the languages spoken in Burkina Faso) in six seconds!: “We're all familiar with dazzling language-learning promises made by Linguaphone and similar companies: Speak fluent Arabic in just three weeks! Swedish in a weekend! Well, here's Fulfulde in six seconds. Just learn this word: CHIBBEL-LIBBEL.”


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Cape Verde: Africa Day · Global Voices
Paula Góes

To celebrate the Africa Day today, Baluka Brazao [pt] publishes and provides info on a picture by Robert Colescott, Marching to a Different Drummer in which according to the Cape Verdean “Colescott addresses the white perception of the black and the black perception of the white, and shows how racism and imposed inferiority define the black identity.”


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Caucasus: Eurovision Results · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Armenian Observer says it is satisfied with fourth place in last night's Eurovision Song Contest going to Armenia's Sirusho. However, it also raises the question of political voting in the international song contest, something which my The Caucasus Knot examines in more detail. Regardless, Unzipped: Gay Armenia says it was a successful night for the South Caucasus with Armenia coming 4th, Azerbaijan 8th and Georgia 11th.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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China: Q&A with Premier Wen · Global Voices
John Kennedy

While the Chinese internet moved out of its three-day mourning period earlier this week following the 5.12 earthquake, many questions remain to be answered.
And the questions are being answered. Phoenix TV reporter and editor Rose Luqiu had a chance to ask Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao a few while he visited earthquake victims living in tents in Sichuan's Pengzhou city this week, and was nice enough to post them and his answers in full on her My1510 blog in a May 24 post, ‘Q&A with Premier Wen’:
1。能不能告诉我们，灾后重建从那几个方面展开？
摆在我们面前最紧迫的任务，就是灾民的安置，首先是灾民的安置。灾民的安置目前突出三件事情，第一件事情就是住的问题，因为吃的问题和使用洁净水的问题我们还能够解决，但是住的问题，老实讲我们比较困难。因为房屋倒塌，已经超过一千六百万间，需要大量的帐篷，而且从长远考虑，光靠帐篷还不行，因为还有县，乡的搬迁，因为地震的原因，不能在那里再建乡镇，以至于县，就像北川，你们都去过。这就需要给我们时间，群众也需要有一个安居的时间，所以我们在建活动板房，这个图纸你也看到了，活动板房的设计师非常周到的，考虑到全部生活的需要，你比如说大家非常关心的，一千套活动板房要建一所学校，这个学校，活动板房是按教室设计的。两千套活动板房要建一所中学，每五十套活动板房要建一个厕所，一个垃圾站，所有的活动板房都要通电，这样所有的居民就可以居住在那里一年，两年，以至于三年。我们做最困难的准备，我们调集了各方面的力量，集中来建活动板房，初步计划是用三个月的时间。向灾区运送到一百万套，第一批六千套已经运到了，现在每天都在生产，如果在其间还能够扩大生产能力，我们还要增加。这是第一事情，第二件事情，就是确保灾后无大疫，这不仅是我们关心的，也是世界关心的，确保灾后无大疫，就需要做好两方面的工作，一个方面就是要配备足够的防疫人员，不仅有喷洒药物的一般的防疫人员，我指的，最重要的，是技术人员和督导员。这个已经派了三千五百人了，视情况，如果不够，还要派，这是一，第二，使药品。药品，你知道，是缺的，特别是杀菌的，灭菌的药剂，量太大了。第三，难度最大的一个项目工作，就是切断污染源。切断污染源我们要依法办事，所以就要清理那些产生污染的场地。现在北川已经开始喷洒药物了，就不让人进了。这也是国际惯例，也是为了人的安全。如果不把污染源清理了，水流经下来，它还是会带来病菌的。第三件工作，可能你不够熟悉，那就是昨天我们连夜研究到很晚，就是这次地震，造成次生灾害最大的，就是堰塞湖。堰塞湖不是所有的湖都具有威胁性，但是还是有部分的具有威胁性。其中最大的一个就是唐家山，就是在北川西北边。这个湖里，已经出水量超过一亿方，它形成的岩石的垮坝，或者叫做天然坝，相当之大，多大？六百米乘八百米，三十二万立方米的方石量，因此必须做好两个方案，一个方案，就是科学的施工促险方案，一个方案是就是下游人民移民避险方案，这样才能够把这一亿立方米以上的水，把它排下去。我觉得这三项工作是我们在居民安置工作中具体碰到的。
这段时期，应该说是最困难的时期，如果说前一阶段，任务重大紧迫，那末这段就是繁重艰巨，而且时间会很长，很多矛盾问题会暴露，时间久了，群众的情绪也会发生变化，所以作为记者，要给与理解，同情，同时给政府时间。
The third issue, and the project of the greatest difficulty, is cutting off the sources of pollution. Cutting off sources of pollution will be done in accordance with law, so we'll be clearing up those areas which are creating the pollution. Beichuan now has already begun being sprayed down with the chemicals, so people cannot go in. While this is just standard international practice, it's also for people's safety. If the pollution is not cleaned up, and water trickles down, it could be carrying with it harmful bacteria. This third area of work, you might not be so familiar with, but it was in studying this that kept us up very late last night, that being, the greatest secondary disaster created by this earthquake, barrier lakes. Not that all barrier lakes present a threat now, but there are some which are presenting a threat. The largest of those is at Tangjia Mtn., just to the north of Beichuan. The water yield from this lake has already exceeded 100 million cubes, and the breach in the stone dam, or what can be called a natural dam, that has formed there, is relatively big. How big? Six hundred meters multiplied by eight hundred meters, that's  320,000 cubic meters of stone. For this reason, we've had to come up with two plans: one is to have the people downriver moved out of danger, which will then allow us to let the hundred million cubic meters of runoff flow out. These three work projects are the ones we are up against in our work in looking after the residents here.
This period, it ought to be said, is the most difficult. If the tasks of the preceding phase were enormous and urgent, then those of this coming period will be more numerous and difficult and the time needed will not be short. Many conflicting problems will appear, and as time goes on, people's feelings will change. So as a journalist, you have to give the government understanding, sympathy, and at the same time, time.
2。那怎末确保善款和救灾物资不出现贪污的情况？
对，这我很早就注意到了。现在说，估计国外和国内的捐款达到一百六十亿，昨天的数字，实际到位数字没有这末多。我们必须保证，所有的款项全部用在救灾上。这件事情不能等救灾以后再去查，必须做在前头，因此由中纪委，监察部，财政部，民政部，审计署五家，下发了一个救灾款物的管理办法，我们不仅下达通知，而且派出若干个审计检查组，开始检查物品，资金发放和使用的情况，这也是对我们各级政府，非常重要的考验。
3。可以看到这次很多民间的团体和个人积极地参与，对于他们的这些爱心，政府是怎样的态度？特别是现在政府要求指定的机构来做，但是一些民间人士还是不太放心，钱到哪里去了，政府怎样让大家放心？
对，我们对民间人士献爱心，搞捐助活动，我们非常感谢，这体现，大灾无情，人有情。我们在感谢的同时，一定要把他们的捐款使用好。而且有的还要特别照顾他们的意愿，比如有些捐助大笔的款项想用在建学校，还比如有的捐助大笔的款项想用在给残疾人买轮椅，我们尽量照顾他们。而且我们将来，要一笔一笔，把他们的钱是怎样花的，要给他们一个回复，看到他们的钱所起的作用。这项工作，也是我们执政能力，和公信力的考验。
4。怎样防止豆腐渣工程再出现？
现在这个问题，我们还应该认真的进行总结，也需要时间。你比如说，北川这个地方，我们目前还是救灾，消毒，但是北川这个地方未来还是要考虑要清理。清理的过程我们考虑的是非常细致的，将来需要通过立法，政府法规，或者人大法规，地方立法。立法的话，我简单的想，几件事情是必须要做的，第一它是全国唯一的一个羌族自治县，因此有关羌族文化遗址，要尽量地把它保存下来，这是第一，第二，它又是地震死亡人数最多的县，因此重要的地震科学，具有地震科学价值的资料，包括实物资料，要把它保存下来。第三，就是你关心的，我们已经由建设部牵头，汇同地方建设部门，对于所有能够鉴定的倒塌的建筑物要进行鉴定，并且要提供完整的资料。

author: John Kennedy


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Hong Kong: Floating Voices · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

An independent video maker Law Man Lok has produced a video, called floating voices (with English subtitles), on inmediahk.net, a citizen journalist site in Hong Kong. (via inmediahk.net)

author: Oiwan Lam


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Iran: Persian Gulf,Protest and Repression · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Jamshidi writes [Fa]that several hundreds Iranians on Friday gathered in front of the United Arab Emirates embassy in Tehran again and protested against renaming of the Persain Gulf by several Arab states. The blogger has published several photos of this demonstration and got surprised when security forces repressed a peaceful demonstration.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Sun Palace in Photo · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mehdi Boolrian,Iranian photo blogger, has published a photo from Khorshid (means Sun) Palace , in Iran.