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Pakistan: National Security Adviser Sacked Over Mumbai Terrorist Row · Global Voices
Rezwan

Five Rupees reports that mayhem followed after Maj. Gen. (R) Mahmud A. Durrani, the Pakistan Prime Minister's National Security Advisor admitted to media today that the the lone surviving Mumbai terrorist Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani. Later on the day Durrani was sacked by the Prime Minister and The Pakistan Policy Blog explains why.


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Peru: Blogger Wishes for the New Year · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

“What are your hopes for the Peruvian blogosphere in 2009?”  That question was openly posed to the community of Peruvian blogosphere on Juan Arellano's blog Globalizado [es]. As a result, 28 bloggers from Peru and the diaspora responded with a wide variety of thoughts and opinions on their personal blogs and others in the comments section. Many were optimistic, yet some were bothered by the commercialization of the medium. Still, others hoped that the more human-side of the bloggers would start to appear.  Here is a short summary of some of those answers.
Many were discontent with the state of the Peruvian blogosphere, such as Jonathan of the blog Maskus Planet [es] , who left a comment saying [es]:
Mucho ruido y poca creatividad. Mucho deseo de emular a los periódicos o querer hablar de todo un poco. El valor de los blogs es su subjetividad, conocer al autor a través de lo que escribe, de las ideas que comparte, de las ideas que tiene. Me gustaría que para el 2009 la blogósfera sea más subjetiva, más temática, con más sabor, como si estuvieras leyendo una historia contada por un amigo, y no los remedos de periódicos o de agencia de noticias que veo abundan y se pierden en una masa gris.
A lot of noise and very little creativity.  There is a lot of desire to emulate newspapers or want to talk about a little of everything.  The value of blogs is their subjectivity, to get to know the authors through the writings, the ideas that they share, the ideas that they have.  In 2009, I would like for the blogosphere to be more subjective, more theme-related, with more flavor, as if one was reading a story told by a friend, and not mimic the newspapers or news agencies that are everywhere, which gets lost in the grey matter.
However, Silvio Rendon of Gran Combo Club [es] doesn't mind the business aspect of the blogs, but hopes that there will start to be competition:
espero que surja la tendencia contraria, que se entienda que la blogósfera peruana no es sólo un grupo determinado de personas, sino algo mucho más amplio, con rotación, surgimiento de nuevos blogs y caída de otros, con pluralidad temática y de opiniones, y con orientación hacia la calidad de contenidos. Y si va a haber presencia y lógica comercial en el medio, sería deseable que exista más competencia entre más empresas, que rompa con los oligopolios que hoy acaparan la blogósfera.
I hope that a contrary tendency emerges, that understands the Peruvian blogsophere not only as a determined group of individuals, but something much deeper, with a rotation, the emergence of new blogs and the fall of others, with a variety of themes and opinions and direction towards the quality of content. And if there will be a commercial presence in this medium, it would be desirable that there would be more competition between the companies, and that the oligopoly is broken that holds the blogosphere captive.
On the other hand, Francisco of Apuntes Peruanos [es] is a little more cynical about the state of the blogosphere:
En esta “blogosfera” pasa algo curioso: poco a poco se ha creado una mitología y un credo. Hay héroes, luchas, ideales en debate. Y hay un credo basado en una extraña idea: “Los blogs son lo más importante”. Los blogs, no el individuo, ser humano detrás del artilugio, no el entorno que nutre a este individuo. Menos aún las ideas, o las dudas, Así, se ha pasado de la revolución del blog a la dictadura del blogger-tarado, todo en simples pasos.
In this “blogosphere” something interesting is taking place: little by little a mythology or creed is being created.  There are heroes, struggles and ideals up for debate. There is a creed based on a strange idea: “The blogs are the most important thing.” The blogs, not the individual, the human being  behind the device, not the setting that nourishes this individual.  Even less important are the ideas or the doubts. That is how the blog revolution has evolved from the dictatorship blog to the idiot blogger, all in those simple steps.
Guille of Pueblo Vruto [es] is also not very optimistic:
creo que el 2009 será el año del domesticamiento de los blogs. Solo sobrevivirán los blogs que de alguna forma se “institucionalicen” ya sea convirtiendo el esfuerzo o hobby personal en una ocupación “seria” (independientemente de la remuneración), asociándose en grupos o cárteles, o siendo acogidos o absorbidos (portales, periodicos on-line, organizaciones sociales y políticas, etc).
I think 2009 will be the year of the domestication of blogs.  The only blogs that will survive will be those that “institutionalize” themselves somehow by converting a personal hobby or effort into a “serious” line of work (independent of the financial compensation), by associating themselves with groups or cartels, or by being absorbed (portals, online newspapers, social and political organizations, etc.).
Carlos of Peruanista [es] thinks that the business aspect of the blogs is negatively affecting the blogosphere:
La blogósfera peruana se ha llenado de comerciantes que no escriben para comunicar, sino para atraer visitantes y ganar dinero. Bien se podría mantener un balance entre hacer blogs y hacer dinero, porque nadie debe trabajar de gratis. Pero cuando se trata de negociar los blogs, es obvio que en Lima algunos están financiados por grupos empresariales y políticos. Desgraciadamente la influencia del dinero, la corrupción, los intereses políticos y empresariales, ya están infectando el mundo de los blogs peruanos.
The complete summary posts can be found on the Globalizado [es] (1, 2, 3), as well as Arellano's personal thoughts at his post title, “yo, blogger? [es]“

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Eduardo Avila


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Peru: Fee for Tourists at Ollantaytambo Unfair · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Many national and foreign tourists were being charged an extra fee by the municipality of Ollantaytambo for the use of the train on route to Aguascalientes near the Macchu Pichu ruins.  Living in Peru writes that the region's consumer protection agency ruled that the fee was unfair.


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Russia: A country of split identities · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Paul Goble of WindowonEurasia reflects upon the split identities of current Russia between the big metropolitan cities and traditional rural and small-town life in the regions.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Russia-Europe: Gas crisis prompts return to nuclear power? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Chernobyl and Eastern Europe Blog reports how the Russo-Ukrainian gas crisis is beginning to have severe effects on deliveries to the European market, and how Bulgaria considers reopening one of its closed down nuclear plants.


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Russia: Fate of Mennonites during Stalin · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Otto's Random Thoughts publishes a review of a documentary film on the fate of Mennonites in Stalin's Russia.


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Russia-Ukraine: Gas crisis from a German perspective · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Gerhard Mangott analyses [GER] the Russo-Ukrainian gas crisis from a German perspective, and Der Spiegelfechter provides an extended account [GER] of developments.


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Russia-Ukraine: Giving Kiev the blame for gas conflict · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Peter Lavelle has his say about the ongoing gas conflict between Russia and Ukraine, putting the blame heavily on Kiev.


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Russia-Ukraine: Moscow wins PR-war in gas conflict · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Robert Amsterdam illustrates how Russia is winning the PR-war in the ongoing gas conflict with Ukraine.


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Syria: Gaza On Our Minds · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

Syrian bloggers are in a frenzy since the bombing in Gaza started almost two weeks ago. To many Syrians this comes from a deep long rooted identification with the cause of the Palestinian people. But for some, there's also a very personal side to it.
Ruba is a half-Syrian half-Palestnian blogger based in Syria. Her father is a respected academic from Gaza. In a very emotional and personal post, she shares with us some of her memories from her visits to the Strip:
Next morning, we went back home, to find shrapnel, bullets, hand grenades… the house was a mess, the windows were shattered, everything inside was burnt. Neighbors gathered around dad, they were screaming details of what had happened the night before… they told him a helicopter flew over at night, several masked soldiers went down on hanging ladders and worked their machine guns, leaving holes in the wall… they threw hand grenades inside, creating havoc and panic around the neighborhood.
My dad, being a freedom fighter who feared God only, wanted to send a message that said: I am not afraid (apparently he was used to this kind of stuff).
He brought in new furniture, put up new windows, and once the house was kind of livable, my brother and I were kept inside as a sign of defiance. We were locked up inside the only room that didn’t breathe smoke, guarded by my many male cousins for a month.
While Rime Allaf shares with us her way of trying to get through the day knowing that somewhere in Gaza someone is being killed at every other moment:
Since Israel began its latest, most barbaric and savage attack yet, since the bombs started falling on the prisoners of Gaza and slaughtering children in the hundreds, in the most minimal gesture of solidarity I can demonstrate, I have been wearing my Palestinian scarf on top of my coat, and I have made my own Gaza badge to wear on television interviews. (More on that soon.) Most English-language media, nearly indistinguishable from Israel, would call this defiance.
And then she calls for the real change:
I herewith call:
For Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to become head of the Arab League;
For Arab leaders and their supporting cliques to be exiled in Gaza after Palestinians get back their homeland;
For the Quartet (all officials, ministers and presidents included) to spend an eternity in some refugee camp kissing Tony Blair while Israel exercises its right to defend itself;
For Barack Obama to imagine playing golf in Jabaliya as his children attend an UNWRA school while Israel “retaliates”; and
For all Israeli war criminals to skip The Hague tribunal and to go straight to hell.

author: Yazan Badran


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Taiwan: Citizens against Gaza Conflict · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

Two pledge and joint signature movements against Gaza conflict just started at almost the same time today in Taiwan. One is initiated (zh) by Chuiyung Cheung(張翠容), a senior HK journalist and well-known blogger (zh) who has visited Gaza and most middle-east countries for many times, and Qiu Yanliang(丘延亮), a ex-political prisoner, long-time scholar, activists, and manager of an online activists group “Young-turks” (zh) in Taiwan. The other is started by Amnesty International in Taiwan, with already 16 local parties and groups and citizen media, like “Au-mag” (zh), co-signing the pledge.

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Jordan: Gaza Food/Clothes Drive Ends Successfully · Global Voices
Shaden Abdulrahman

Jordanian bloggers at 7iber express gratitude towards volunteers and private sector companies for helping in a people-driven donations campaign conducted mainly through Facebook for Gaza.

author: Shaden Abdulrahman


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Trinidad & Tobago: Wisdom of Children  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Spending New Year's with friends and their children in “Babylondon” makes Trinidadian blogger Attillah Springer realise that: “I have the power to create what version of the future I want to live in.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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A Dark Past in East Timor for Obama’s National Intelligence Nominee · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

User @DemocracyNow broke the news on Twitter:
New Trouble For An Obama Nominee: Admiral Dennis Blair Aided Perpetrators of 1999 Church Killings In East Timor:..
And was followed by @gregtheveg:
Obama CIA Nominee involved in East Timor genocide
So did @giantpandinha on this tweet
How Obama's new intel chief screwed over Timor
And @allisonkilkenny on this this one
Dennis Blair, Nominee for Dir. of National Intel Connected to E. Timor Massacre
These are just a few examples of what citizen journalists have been tweeting regarding the nomination of Admiral Denis C. Blair as Barack Obama's choice to be the US Director of National Intelligence. And this should lead us to embark on our own fact-finding mission to establish the veracity of these serious accusations which the retired United States Navy official faces: during his tenure as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, he would have played a critical role in backing the Indonesian occupation of East Timor in the 1990's, an invasion that led to the killing of approximately 1,400 Timorese and the displacement of 300,000 people. Did Intelligence Chief Aid Perpetrators of 1999 Church Killings of East Timor Civilians?, asks twitter user @samsimon.
Allan Nairn has a comprehensive and shocking overview of the nomination implications on his blog, bearing in mind that in 1999, “in the midst of massacres of East Timor civilians and churches, Admiral Blair gave support to the perpetrators, the armed forces of Indonesia.”:
Two days after a massacre at Liquica that left flesh hanging from the church walls, Blair contacted the Indonesian commander, offered him US aid, and according to classified US cables, failed to tell him to stop the attacks. Reassured by the evident support from Blair, then the US Pacific Command chief, the Indonesian commander, General Wiranto, escalated the attacks.
The Indonesian forces subsequently struck the Red Cross and the Bishop's residence, killing more than a thousand as they went, burning churches and raping nuns.
They were trying to derail a free election, taking place under UN auspices, that eventually ended Jakarta's illegal occupation of East Timor.
Readers of Timor Loosae Nação published the piece of news and commented on it, concluding that the U.S. foreign policy does not change with the change of the President:
“A noticia anterior e um grande tabefe para os timorenses que se jubilaram pela eleicao de Obama.“
Another piece of news, published here, raised a controversial discussion. Robert Merkel started by saying:
This attitude – that keeping the Indonesian military happy was more important than saving the East Timorese – was very common amongst western diplomats dealing with Indonesia back in 1999 and earlier. It was a pretty slimy piece of realpolitik, but understandable; relations between Indonesia and western countries (particularly Australia, the closest, who took the major role in the peacekeeping operation that oversaw the transition to independence) did take a beating after East Timor's independence.
To which Erik coldly replied:
yes – we must be careful. The needs of the Indonesian dictatorship had to be carefully weighed against the Timorese people. After all, although we are discussing great numbers of deaths in relative terms – more than 10 per cent of their population, it was a small number in absolute terms – only 1-2 hundred thousand deaths. When you look at this you realize why realpolitik reasons would triumph.
A very different point of view is given by Gary Farber, from Amygdala. He has a very factual post with a lot of references, and is disgusted with other bloggers’ apathy:
More confirmation (unofficially, still) of the Blair nomination. Where are all the big name left blogs on this? Why is almost everyone silent? Are people going to suddenly discover the problems only after the nomination is official? Why can't I get anyone to listen to me about this, he said forlornly?
The demonstration of outrage about the 1999 crimes has just started, and people have been gathering signatures on a Petition for the Prosecution of Crimes Against Humanity in East Timor. You can find bloggers joining this cause everywhere (check the East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin header).
At the same time, another petition is taking place, concerning specifically Blair's involvement in those crimes. According to John:
Dennis Blair's sordid record when it comes to East Timor and Indonesia disqualifies him for intel chief. The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) has more here or sign their petition here.
Despite all the activism and debate arising online, some doubt Timor will be more than a ‘pebble in the shoe’ for him [Admiral Dennis Blair] while others, like Charles Lemos say that he was following orders after all:
… If he disobeyed orders from the Clinton Administration to deliver a message to Indonesia's military authorities then he clearly is not fit to be Director of National Intelligence. Expect to hear more in the coming days from Indonesia experts on Admiral Blair.

author: Sara Moreira


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Armenia: New Year, Christmas Traditions · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

From the Mind of an Armenian Woman introduces its readers to traditions associated with the New Year and Christmas. In a second post, the same blog details how the church marks Christmas, celebrated in Armenia on 6 January.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Azerbaijan: Day of Ashura · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Yesterday marked the Day of Ashura, a religious festival commemorating the martyrdom of Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, at the battle of Karbala. Often associated with images of flagellation using chains, the day is observed in Azerbaijan, a predominantly Shia but secular Moslem country in the South Caucasus, differently.
27 Months in Azerbaijan, a U.S. Peace Corps blog, was unaware of the festival, but noticed that something was happening.
On my way to school this morning I noticed way more people out and about than normal, particularly for such a cold day.  People were dressed in black, which, although it is the normal color of choice for clothing, seemed to indicate that there was some sort of national mourning going on.  I assumed it had to do with a dark day in Azerbaijan’s history, but when I talked to my counterpart, I realized that today was the Day of Ashura.
Such a wide observance of the day of mourning for Imam Hussein seems to be somewhat at odds with a conversation I had last night about how secular it seems to be here.  The best answer I can give is that here, like in America, everyone is different when it comes to religion.  […]
Thoughts on the Road, visiting Ganca, had problems returning to Baku and comments on the festival.
A gray January day. Need I say damp and chilly? I went out this morning to buy a scarf, and discovered the town was oddly quiet. I was not surprised that the shops weren’t open before 10 a.m., but even the bazaar seemed unusually still. No activity within, although people were selling herbs, cheese and lemons outside the locked gates. Some people were making tea in the cafes, but tables were set outside. The places seemed to be for friends, not for outside customers. Unusual. I believe this dearth of commercial activity is because of the Shi’ite holiday today – Ashura. commemorating the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali. I was surprised by the store closures, because I didn’t think of Ganca as a very Shi’ite city, but honestly I don’t know the city that well, having only stayed here two times before.
[…]
A crowd gathered outside the main mosque downtown. Men were ritualistically flogging themselves with little black switches. Not really flogging themselves – more like a symbolic gesture.
Writing last year on Window on Eurasia, Paul Goble detailed how Azerbaijanis are starting to commemorate the festival by donating blood instead of shedding it.
[…] in […] Azerbaijan, two-thirds of whose people are traditionally Shiite, a very different commemoration of Ashura, as this holy day is known among the faithful, is taking root, one that calls on believers to mark this event not by shedding their own blood needlessly but rather by donating it to blood banks for needy children.
Even in the Soviet period, many Shiites in Azerbaijan marked Ashura in the traditional way. And while a few still do, far more have decided to follow the lead of Baku’s Juma community which in 1999 urged its members to “shed” their blood by donating it.
In December 2008, İlqar İbrahimoğlunun Bloqu, an outspoken critic of the authorities in Baku, posted an interview in which his support for this change in how Ashura is marked is noted among other opinions on Islam in modern-day Azerbaijan.


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Bangladesh: Women In Power · Global Voices
Rezwan

Maskwaith Ahsan at Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers writes on the new cabinet of Bangladesh which includes five women in key positions including the Prime Minister: “It's no longer a dream. Breaking centuries of silence, the women of Bangladesh have finally stood up to contribute to society alongside men.”

author: Rezwan


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Barbados, Grenada: Fashion Police  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Bajan Reporter says that police in Grenada are cracking down on the “sagging pants” trend.


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Buddha Park in Vientiane · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Lao Voices uploads a video of her visit to the Buddha Park in Vientiane, Laos.

author: Mong Palatino


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Cambodia: “Victory over Genocide” · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Cambodia celebrates the 30th year of the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. The theme for this year’s anniversary is “Victory over Genocide.” But Modern Progressive Khmer insists Cambodia was not liberated on this day in 1979 since Vietnam occupied the country.


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Chile: Videoblogging daily life · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Paloma Baytelman, a Chilean journalist, blogger and consultant in media and digital content for the Library of Congress in Chile, has her own online tv channel, which she has called PalomaTV. What started as an exercise in constancy, taking advantage of the feature in the Flickr photo sharing site of uploading short videos, has become a way for her to show the daily life of a young woman living and working in Santiago de Chile, and she now has a YouTube channel where she is also uploading videos.
One of her videos [es] is of her going to vote, where she tells how once Paloma turned 18, her mother warned her that if she didn't register to vote, she would have to move out. She gets on the bus, votes and then proudly shows her inked finger:
The next video records her experience getting on a Santiago bus on her way to the Synagogue and noticing that the bus driver had dressed himself as Santa Claus. She took the opportunity to interview him and his wife, uploaded the video and wrote about it on her blog [es]:
This next video has Gaby, Paloma's sister telling of a harrassment experience she had with a promotional character for a drugstore chain, when after a friendly dance, the foam covered character grabbed her arm and wouldn't let her go, then touched her all over with the foamy gloves and when her friends took her away from him, the Dr. Simi character crumpled up the flyers he was handing out and proceded to pelt Gaby with them as she walked away:
Through her work, blog and videoblog, Paloma has also managed to interview key figures in Web 2.0 such as Tim O'Reilly, Howard Rheingold (Smart Mobs), Nicolás Copano (Chile), Peter Rock (Chile), Chris Anderson (Wired) and still unpublished, there's an interview with Jay Adelson (Digg) and Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia). The following video has her interviewing Tim O'Reilly [en], you can view it with Spanish subtitles here.
You can view these and other videos on her Flickr page, or on her YouTube channel, PalomaTV, where she also captions and subtitles some of her videos. The image used on this post was a self-portrait from her flickr page.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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China: 49, 79, 89 and 09 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Andrea from T-salon translated a tweet that tells various turning points in China history in relation to socialism and capitalism.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Netizen Day · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Rebecca MacKinnon from RConversation blogs about the Chinese government's announcement of a new celebratory day - the China's Netizen Day in September 14.


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Colombia: Solidarity March for Palestine · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In Colombia, Julián Ortega Martínez of equinoXio reports on and publishes photos of the recent solidarity march for the people of Palestine, which was held in Bogotá.


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Cuba: Dealing with Racism  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As a documentary on racial discrimination in Cuba is released, Havana Times.org republishes a mainstream media article on the debate, while Babalu Blog says: “I guess this reporter figured out that the overwhelmingly white leadership and the overwhelmingly black prison population in Cuba was not just a coincidence after all.”


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Cuba: Interview with Blogger Miriam Celaya · Global Voices
Claudia Cadelo

Miriam Celaya is a Cuban blogger, whose blog Sin Evasión [es] is celebrating its one year anniversary.  With an art history degree, she worked nearly two decades at the Department of Archaeology at the Science Academies. In addition, she has been a literature and spanish languages professor, where during this time, she became familiar with the use of computers. However, the institute did not have an internet connection.  It wasn't until her time working with the digital magazines “Consenso” and “Con Todos” did she learn about the use of the online medium.  Soon with the help of other Cuban bloggers, namely Yoani Sánchez of Generación Y [es], she started her own blog under a pseudonym “Eva”.  However, that soon changed when she decided to use her own name to publish her blog.  Here is an interview with Celaya about her start in the world of blogs, why she chose to leave her pseudonym behind, and her participation in the blogger gatherings.
Claudia Cadelo: How would you define the type of relationships that you have with your blog?
Miriam Celaya: I don't define it. I don't like to categorize things that are dear to me. I prefer to say that my blog is the space where my character and my habitual tendency to provide opinions can be combined with the possibility of freely expressing myself beyond the limited boundaries of interpersonal relationships, within the reality of this country.  My blog has allowed me to start relationships with many people, the majority Cubans like me, but also of other nationalities, all of which are very close to me and very needed. It has allowed me to practice tolerance, a skill that – I admit- was very hard for me years ago and something which I had been working on. I also got to know myself better. It was like a second birth for me, and I only hope that the blog will allow to grow as a human being.
CC: You started your blog with a pseudonym, but later you stopped using it. Could you talk about the reasons why you started to blog anonymously?
MC: Some people thought that I hid my identity out of fear of repression. That is not true. In reality, paradoxically, here it is more dangerous to remain “anonymous” by trying to hide. In this semi-clandestine state, one is more prone to blackmail. I was aware that the police knew my real face and could guess that I was scared… My identity was evident: in the magazine Con Todos (and before with Consenso) I published indistinguishably as Miriam Celaya, as T. Avellaneda, as Lucía Morera and as Eva González, and the four had the same writing style. However, I had my own personal reasons to use the mask of Eva, which is the pseudonym that I always preferred: my father, who died in October 2007, was fearful for me because he suspected that I was involved in “something dangerous” and that I also was fearful of possible retaliation against members of my family. In any case, no one can take Eva away from me.
CC: What were the events that led to you showing yourself with your real name?  When was it?
MC: As I mentioned, the death of my father and the end of the, let's say, “grace period” that I gave to others, who are very important to me and that always gave some resistance to my intentions to show my face. It is always difficult to convince others about your reasons, especially if those “others” love you and worry about you. I think it was a time of maturity with the circumstances, I publicly discovered myself at the right moment. That was in the summer of 2008, when I was already blogging six months incognito.
CC: Now that you have experienced blogging both anonymously and under your real name, could you tell me about the positive and negative aspects of each and what differences have noticed between the two?  Do you feel like you made the right decision?
MC: I feel and know that I made the right decision. I don't have a doubt, especially because it was a completely personal choice and one is responsible for one's own actions, right? I assume all of the consequences for what I write and for the way that I write. The negative aspect of posting anonymously is that it takes away credibility in the eyes of the readers. They understand your reasons and even justify them, but some could wonder that in the distance, whether one is exaggerating the truth hidden behid the pseudonym, avoiding that the opinions and the events can be authentic or verifiable. I truly felt happy with the reaction of the readers upon learning my identity, they encouraged me a lot, connections were made with them, and I gained confidence in myself. However, I don't regret having used my pseudonym during that time: Eva González is a real part of me, even though it was not the name given to me when I was born, October 9, 1959. In an anthropological perspective, Eva was (is) something like a rite of passage.
CC: You are participating in the blogger gatherings, which is how we met.  Could you tell us how you feel being a part of that group and in general about your thoughts regarding this phenomenon?
MC: I think it is an extraordinary event, even though of its modest proportions and because of all the difficulties for the blogosphere from Cuba. The gatherings have allowed us to grow closer together and unite the will for the search of independent, civic spaces for dialogue. Up until now, we had been unconnected. The blogosphere also allows us to be something that had been banned: to be citizens, and our gatherings become the forum where people from different backgrounds, ages, experiences, and lines of thinking, can come together, and we profess respect for one another and we encourage this strong feeling, which is inner freedom, and is something that they can't take away. Without a doubt, I am a part of “this”.
CC: Everyone that is part of a journalistic and creative activity like yours, who leaves behind anonymity and publishes their opinions publicly, must have personal and social goals. What are they?  Which goals have you accomplished and which ones are close to be accomplished?
MC: I wouldn't say that I am a journalist, even thought I do express my opinions publicly. My personal goals are to contribute any way that I can to the encouragement of dialogue, to search for pluralistic and common spaces, and to push for a different Cuba with which we all dream and need. I don't accept the opinion of some readers who thank me for what I do “for Cuba”: in reality, I only follow my personal convictions and I don't take on the role of Messiah or Joan of Arc. I am not a leader, nor do I follow leaders. Through the blog, I tried to connect myself with many interesting and capable people, people like you and me, who are around, on the streets, who surround you and who you didn't even know existed, and who have the same wishes as you.

author: Claudia Cadelo


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How is Laos related to Netherlands? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Lao Voices cites various historical, geographical and cultural facts which point out the similarities of Laos and The Netherlands.


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Iranian government uses Gaza conflict to repress · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

While several Iranian bloggers (including Islamist ones) multiplied their posts and digital initiatives, such as a “Google bomb” to condemn Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip, some other bloggers are saying the Iranian government is using the “Gaza conflict moment” to repress media and civil society inside the country.
Last week, Iranian authorities shut down, Kargozaran, a leading reformist journal, because it published a statement of a student movement (Tahkim Vahdat) that condemned Israel but also referred to Palestinian militant groups who take refuge in hospitals and schools as terrorists.
Nik Ahnag, a leading cartoonist and blogger, has published a couple of cartoons about the Gaza invasion and the inequal power balance between Israel and Palestinians on one side, and Iranian government repression on the other side. One of these cartoons shows a huge hammer labeled Gaza hitting the Kargozaran journal. In the cartoon, it seems that teachers, women and students are the next targets in line.
Blogger Jomhour writes about the statement that led to the closure of reformist journal. He says [Fa]:
این سطور شاید اتفاقن منطق بسیاری از سیاسیون امروز ایران باشد که جرات و جسارت بیان انرا به خود نمی دهند. منطقی که غزه را بهانه ی خوبی برای فرار از مشکلات روز افزون اقتصادی و اجتماعی داخلی ارزیابی می کند. همچنین باید این سوال را امروز مطرح کرد اتفاقی که سال گذشته در فلسطین و در درگیری میان حماس و فتح رخ داد را چگونه باید ارزیابی نمود.
در آن زمان نیز صدها فلسطینی کشته و زخمی شدند. گروه های درگیر فلسطینی حتی به اجساد کشته شدگان نیز رحم نمی کردند. خشونت به حدی بود که تعدادی از هوادارن الفتح به اسرائیل پناه بردند.
The blogger concludes that the barbaric attacks of Israel as well as the corruption of some Palestinian leaders feeds terrorist groups and those who promote ethnic and religious hatred and violence.
In Mibibi blog, we read [Fa]:
اما ضرر این بستن اینه که علاوه بر بیکار شدن دهها نفر، سخت تر می شه فجایع غزه رو به اطلاع اون از دسته از مردم ایران رسوند که از صدا و
سیما و سایتها و روزنامه های حکومتی دلزده شدند و اعتباری برای خبرهاشون قائل نیستند
Blogger Hossein Ghazian also complains against censorship. The blogger says [Fa]: “If we cannot defend Israel and speak against Palestinians my words to condemn Israel's occupation and aggression are useless and not credible…”
St Behesht writes about “Iranian TV failure and censorship”. The blogger says [Fa]:
اين روزها در همه جاي ايران هرجا كه صحبتهاي سياسي ميشود همه از درگيري حماس و اسراييل است و صدا و سيما نيز به اين بحثها دامن ميزند و عجبا كه هنوز هم حضرات متوجه اين موضوع نشده اند كه تبليغات تلويزيون براي حماس جنبه منفي دارد كم نيستند كساني كه با مبالغه دانستن اخبار تلويزيون نسبت به اخبار غزه جبهه گيري نموده و عجيب تر اينكه بيشتر افرادي كه وارد اين بحثها ميشوند عليرغم اين همه تبليغ صدايي و سيمايي و مطبوعاتي نه از حماس كه از اسراييل حمايت مي كنند. چه اتفاقي رخ داده است كه اين چنين شده و مردم در مقابل انبوه اخبار رسانه اي داخل كشور گاه به اخبار خارج از كشور متوسل شده و يا اصولا چون رسانه هاي دولتي اينگونه از حماس دفاع ميكنند به نتيجه عكس رسيده اند شوربختانه هنوز حضرات متوجه اين موضوع نشده اند و همچنان بر طبل توهم خويش مي كوبند كه شايد در مردم ايران تاثيري داشته باشد

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica: For Bloggers  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp adapts Psalm 23 to suit the needs of bloggers.


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Japan: Space Toilet  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Edo shows how the next generation of space toilet looks like.


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Kazakhstan: Kazakh Student Killed in Moscow
 · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Adam informs the readers that an 18-year-old student from Kazakhstan had been stabbed to death in south-west Moscow.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kenya: Introducing poet and artist bloggers · Global Voices
Njeri Wangari

The arts scene in Kenya has, for a long time now, been quite vibrant with numerous musical concerts & festivals, gallery openings, literary festivals, theatre plays and acrobat shows in Nairobi and Kenya’s other major towns. Poetry however is a new form of art that has only gained a following in the last 3 years.
This was shortly after the start of poetry evenings by the Kwani Trust, a Ford Foundation funded literary publishing firm. The evenings dubbed ‘Kwani Open mic Nights’ brought together poets from Nairobi and different parts of the country as well as from other countries in Africa and beyond.
The need to start blogs, as most poet bloggers shared with me, was mainly due to the fact that most, if not all, could not get any publishing house willing to publishing their works. This frustration and the demand by the now growing number of fans, led these poets to venture into blogging as a way of publishing their poetry. For artist bloggers the need to start blogs was driven by the cold shoulder given by mainstream local radio stations.
However, unlike poets who have fully discovered the potential of blogs and are using them to their advantage, Kenyan artists are yet to venture into this. Again, even fewer have discovered and fully exploited music marketing forums/applications on the internet such as myspace or Youtube or social websites like Facebook in a bid to build a fan base or let online visitors sample their music.
Mike Kwambo is a poet as well as a recording artists, he has always had a passion for both forms of art despite not getting a venue to share his talent. In August 2006, his campus lecturer encouraged to persue his talent in music and poetry. Soon after, during a  seminar organized by Martin Keino for Sportsmen, he got to learn about blogging. He had attended the seminar as he is also a Rugby player. He soon started his blog that features his  poetry and the occasional human interest topics. As a sample, here are the first few verses of a recent poem he posted, titled “My struggles as a man“:
my struggles as a man…
they keep me from self actualization and wholeness
I have an inability to communicate my emotions
I have been socialized to suppress them
the only form of communication I know is aggression
I feel silenced when frustrated, disappointed, sad or lonely
because I cannot identify what it is I am feeling
I do not know how to express it constructively
probably this is the reason I speak in sheng’
because without an emotional outlet I feel like a mute person
a mute person trying to speak a foreign language
According to Kwambo, the blog has had a great impact on his pursuit of music and poetry.
Muki Garang is a hip hop artist and poet who blogs about urban culture, music, poetry, occasionally politics… and in general social commentary. Here's a video of one of his spoken poems titled “A poem for Africa“, that he posted on Ghetto Radio:
The impact Muki Garang's blogging has had has been mainly to newbie bloggers, his fans and rivals as he quips. He tells me:
I consider myself a pioneer…. on a tone down note… what critics post makes a whole load of difference from what the average fan says… it creates checks and balances hence… tightening your laces.
Muki hopes to revamp his current blog to a full blown website by the end of the year as he hopes to  introduce new insights into urban culture and loosen it up to just ‘CULTURE'… whose growth is often hindered severely by foreign gatekeeping.
Naliaka Wafula is a lady poet who also ventures into prose, music and art. She is a journalist by profession and,  with her partner, she started a monthly poetry and live music evenings dubbed Rhythm & Spoken under the group ‘Project Heshima’. Her blog – which is actually a blog for the Rhythm & Spoken evenings, is quite young as it was started a few months ago. As she confides in me, the main reason she started it was to provide accurate reliable information to the shows fan base.
Her blog mostly features information about the upcoming Rhythm and Spoken events, as well as reviews and pictures of the performances such as the one on the left of Mike Kwambo. It also features poets, neo soul and afro soul music as well as featured bands that get to play during the poetry evenings. The blog has had a great impact on the artists who perform during the evenings as they get featured on the blog artistes and are able to showcase their talents. Naliaka Wafula says:
What's the point of art if nobody can see it right? I will most likely start  another blog featuring my work in the near future.
And she adds that blogging is no easy task especially with poor internet speeds as is the experience in Kenya.
Dennis Dancan Mosiere – who goes by the stage name Grandmaster Masese – is a musician, poet, writer, dance and an actor. He is more known in various art venues for his signature Obokano – an 8 stringed musical instrument from the Kisii community in Kenya.
He  started blogging in 2006 as a way of reaching out to more people to read his works and to be able gather feedback. It was a way for him to publish his works as he had, for a long time pursed local publishers, magazines and other  mainstream media without luck. His blog is mainly about his writing although he occasionally puts up information that is of interest to his readers. Here is the latest poem that he posted on his blog:
Africa,
Oh Africa,My father,
Your agonizing wailing and weeping
Keeps our next neighbours peeping
Their heads shaking in dismay
As your disease gets its way
Why,Why,oh why
Why hurt your heart and wail
hate your fall and fail
Your punch punches but your heart
And your torch torches but your hut
Oh why?
Masese says his blog has helped him know his fan base, collect criticism, advice, admiration, even outright negative commentary. But as he admits, it has helped mould him into a better performer. He also appreciates the fact that his poetry is able to reach readers and poetry lovers globally and that encourages his even more:
I want to be able to make it a place where you can get enough stuff from visual to audio. I need to get videos and audio files for the blog on various issues and forms.
These are just some of the many Kenyan artists and poets who have discovered the power of blogging and what it can do, not only to market themselves but also a way of keeping direct contact with their fans.
Other bloggers of note in the Kenyan art scene are Kenyanpoet, Neema Ngwatilo, June Wambui, Cindy Ogana and Eudiah Kamonjo, among others.
By visiting their blogs, one can attest to the sheer talent and energy. One can only look forward to the proliferation of Kenyan artist and poetry bloggers and a spectacular show of talent online.

author: Njeri Wangari


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Laos: Plain of Jars · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Maikulian posts a picture of “Plain of Jars” taken in Phonsavan, Laos. “Plain of Jars” refers to historic sites in Laos containing thousands of stone jars.


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Lebanon: Arabic with Hebrew accent in US TV · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

As'ad AbuKhalil, a Lebanese professor of political science based in U.S., observes that every interpreter of Arabic on mainstream US TV news channels speaks with a Hebrew accent.

author: Eman AbdElRahman


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Malawi: Gas prices remain high despite global plunge · Global Voices
Steve Sharra

There are growing calls in Malawi for the government to reduce the price of gas, following a worldwide trend which has seen gas prices plunge from a high of US$147 per barrel at their highest, to below US$40 in recent weeks. While motorists in many countries around the world have seen corresponding reductions in gas prices, in Malawi the price has stayed at the same amount it was when gas reached its highest prices per barrel in July 2008.
The first query on why gas prices in Malawi remained high even after the drastic reductions in other parts of the world appeared on a Malawian email listserv in November 2008. In a November 10th, 2008 response to that query, Chinthu Kalua stated that the issue had to do with the speed of transmission of prices from oil producers down to the Malawian consumer, a process he said dealt with market forces:
The speed of price transmition from the source to Malawi  will determine the length of time it takes for the prices in Malawi to fall. Also the low prices you see being beamed on our TV screens are based  on futures markets and thus the effect on our petrol stations will be felt much later.
Soon the question started appearing in the Malawian print and broadcast media, compelling the government to respond through the Malawi Minister of Finance, Goodall Gondwe. Gondwe was quoted in Nyasatimes, a Malawian online newspaper, as telling a Malawian radio station, Capital FM, that currently gas prices in Malawi were already lower than those in neighboring countries, and reducing the prices in Malawi would encourage smuggling, which would disadvantage Malawians. He also said there were indications that gas prices would soon rise again, and that Malawi therefore wanted to keep the prices stable.
More commentary appeared on the email listserv Nyasanet, with one Malawian issuing an ultimatum to government to reduce gas prices in accordance with global trends, or risk the wrath of voters in the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections on May 19th, 2009. That post attracted a lot of comments, with some commentators supporting the sentiment, and others opposing it.
In the last few days blogger Boniface Dulani has picked up the issue in an article on his blog, which has been republished in Nyasatimes. There the article has also attracted a significant number of comments. Dulani lays out his argument by providing the prices of gas  in Malawi's neighbouring countries as well as in the United States.
The rationale behind the demand for fuel price reductions is simple and straightforward. In June this year, the price of a barrel of crude oil on the international market peaked at a whopping $147 a barrel (approximately 159 litres). Understandably, the pump price for petrol products across the world skyrocketed. In Malawi, the pump price for a litre of unleaded petrol shot up to the current K251.20. In neighbouring Zambia, the same was selling at ZK9,646 (equivalent to about MK 420) a litre. In the United States, the cost of a gallon (about 4 litres) shot up to a record $4.20.
Dulani goes on to provide the figures for the reduced prices of gas in Zambia, which at its peak was nearly double that of Malawi, and today the price in Zambia has come down to almost the price in Malawi, whereas in Malawi the price is still at its peak of MK251 per litre (approx. US$1.80). He also argues that the same trend has occurred in Mozambique and Tanzania, two other countries bordering Malawi. He ends the article by arguing that Malawi should abandon governmental control of gas prices and instead let prices fluctuate with market forces, which would also allow for differentiated gas prices in various parts of Malawi based on location, transportation costs and other factors. He also chides the Malawian public for not confronting the government on important issues, saying this would not happen in a country like Zambia, “where the people are more engaged and take particular interest in government decisions and demand credible explanations for  decisions that affect their lives.”
So far in a space of hours, several comments have been posted in reaction to the article on Nyasatimes. Some agree with Dulani, while others disagree, pointing out that Malawi should act within its means and context, rather than copying from other countries for the sake of copying.

author: Steve Sharra


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Pakistan: The Infamous Lahore Smog · Global Voices
Rezwan

Light Within explains the reasons behind the deadly winter smog the Lahore city of Pakistan is witnessing since 1987.


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Palestine: “In Gaza, we are subject to news but cannot see TVs”  · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Yesterday (6 January) a UN school in Jabaliya refugee camp which was being used as a shelter, was struck by Israeli shells and about 40 people killed. Today, the Israeli military suspended its military operations for three hours, to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip. In this post we hear the reactions of bloggers in Gaza.
Prof. Said Abdelwahed, who teaches English at Al-Azhar University, writes at Moments of Gaza:
Thousands of the Palestinians took refuge into UNRWA schools. 40 of those have been killed in an air attack today on that school!! It seems even the U.N flag does not have any meaning to Israel? How can it consider itself a part of the international community?!
Canadian activist, Eva Bartlett, blogs at In Gaza:
If your unbelievably small and overcrowded land was being terrorized, pulverized by bombs from the world’s 4th largest military, and your borders were closed; if your house was not safe, mosque (church) not safe, school not safe, street not safe, UN refugee camp not safe…Where would you go, run, hide? Over 15,000 have been made homeless, internal refugees from Israel’s house-bombings, shelling, and shooting. Some have been housed in UN schools around Gaza. In Jabaliya today, Israeli warplanes bombed one such school. Shifa’s [hospital] director conservatively estimates 40 dead, 10s injured. It must be higher. […] The Shifa director also told me that emergency medics still cannot reach the Zaytoun house that yesterday morning was bombed with inhabitants locked inside. There are two main accounts of the story, both criminal. One: Israeli soldiers rounded up the inhabitants of the multi-story house, separated the men – 15, I was told – and shot them point blank in front of the women and children of the family, 20, I was told. Then, laid explosives around the house and bombed the rest of the extended family. Two: Israeli soldiers rounded up the inhabitants of the multi-story house, locked them in one room for a day, and bombed it the following morning. Either way, Israeli soldiers intentionally imprisoned and bombed the inhabitants of the house. And are actively preventing medics from reaching any potential survivors. The medics have tried to coordinate with the ICRC (international committee of the red cross) without success: no one can reach the house.
Egyptian-German Philip Rizk, who blogs at Tabula Gaza, reports a conversation he had with Dr Attalah Tarazi in Gaza:
The numbers of death and injured reported in the media are far below reality as the media is not able to cover incidents as they unfold. I know of cases where homes were surrounded by the Israeli army and people inside gave themselves up and were shot anyway when they exited. […] We have witnessed weapons we have never seen before in our lives. Some explode in the sky and scatter bombs all over. Sporadically, I have smelt smells from some of the burns and wounds that I have never before witnessed […] May god protect us, may god have mercy on us
In another post Prof. Said Abdelwahed says:
The 1:00-4:00 p.m. truce was a little bit relief to the civilians in the city. The main concern of the people was to get water from distribution centers. There were long lines of people waiting to get drinking water in plastic jugs! Tanks and artillery are still operating at the edges of Gaza city! More people evacuated their places and resorted to relatives and UNRWA schools…. but yesterday's bombing has scared everyone sleeping in the schools! Today, there were trucks of urgent food stuff and other medical aids have been allowed to be entered from Rafah into Gaza. In Gaza, we are all subject to news but we cannot see TVs. We hear about it from relatives who call us by telephones from abroad. We are still without electricity and water, plus that a great number of people are without cooking gas!
Palestinian photojournalist Sameh Habeeb who blogs at Gaza Strip, The Untold Story, explains how he is still reporting:
Dear Editors, Journalists and Friends,
Some of you do wonder how I send news in such conditions. I really suffer a lot to send you this update due to lack of power. I go around 4 kilometers a day in this cruel war where I charge my laptop battery to be able to send this work! This is very risky since shells rain down and drones hover over me! I will keep this up.
Laila El-Haddad, whose parents are in Gaza, blogs at Raising Yousuf and Noor, and she describes a conversation with her father live on Canadian Broadcasting:
I asked if he had gone out at all – he said my mother has not left the house in days, but that they needed some tomatoes to cook supper with. “The stores are empty-there is very little on the shelves; and the Shanti bakery had something like 300 people waiting in line.” Surprisingly, he said people are trying to go on with their lives. It is the mundane and ordinary that often save your sanity, help you live through the terror. It is no small thing to endure: knowing that both in deliberateness and scope, it is an unprecedented modern-day assault against an occupied, stateless people – most of them refugees.
Safa Joudeh writes at Lamentations-Gaza about making the most of ordinary moments:
I woke up to the smell of freshly baked bread, at around noon today. I stay up most of the night and catch a few hours sleep after the sun rises. […] My mother has taken to making homemade bread the last ten days. Thanks her careful management of the small amount of cooking gas we have, and to her idea of buying a gas oven in anticipation of an Israeli invasion only days before the attacks began, she is able to bake occasionally. Furthermore, we had found a store with its doors partially open in our area a couple of days ago and were able to stock up on flour. Having lunched with my younger siblings and my parents on bread, cheese, eggs and some leftover pasta, we all went out onto the balcony, and what a beautiful sunny day it was! The iciness had dissipated somewhat with the early day sun, the few trees outside were green and luminous and birds were singing! We all stood for about half an hour, looking out through the metal railings like caged birds. We could hear an occasional explosion in the distance but that did not deter us from standing there breathing in the fresh air we so longed for.
RafahKid is in disbelief:
what's to say? would you believe back in October we had our first Opera [music concert] in Gaza. Life is hard when you are kept prisoner your whole life even though you are acknowledged as the victim. But we try hard to live a life and we study very hard. Even to say Hamas is the cause of this is to blame the rape victim for what she was wearing.
Vittorio Arrigoni is an Italian activist blogging at Guerrilla Radio
Ho scattato alcune fotografie in bianco e nero ieri, alle carovane di carretti trascinati dai muli, carichi all'inverosimile di bambini sventolanti un drappo bianco rivolto verso il cielo, i volti pallidi, terrorizzati. Riguardano oggi quegli scatti di profughi in fuga, mi sono corsi i brividi lungo la schiena. Se potessero essere sovrapposte a quelle fotografie che testimoniano la Nakba del 1948, la catastrofe palestinese, coinciderebbero perfettamente. Nel vile immobilismo di Stati e governi che si definiscono democratici, c'è una nuova catastrofe in corso da queste parti, una nuova Nakba,  una nuova pulizia etnica che sta colpendo la popolazione palestinese.
In another post, Eva Bartlett says:
To walk in Gaza city now is to walk through a ghost town, passing shells of buildings, rubble-filled streets, closed shops, and streets barren of life. Before Israel’s attacks across the Gaza Strip’s densely-populated civilian areas began on December 27th, Gaza was a different scene: it was stifled under a siege […] but Palestinians in Gaza still walked the streets, still frequented the parks and public spaces, still pursued education within the Strip and had weddings. On any given day, the main street, Omar Mukthar, would be crowded with taxis heading along the east-west road, kids going to and from school, shoppers, and vendors. Walking Omar Mukthar now is an eerie experience […] In the first days after the missiles hit police stations, mosques, civil administration buildings, Municipal buildings, cars, houses, iron and metal workshops, and universities across the Gaza Strip’s tiny length, people walked carefully, avoiding the bombed sites, very aware they could be re-bombed. […] But now its gotten to such a point, all over Gaza is so completely and thoroughly bombed, that the initial detours we took are pointless: there are simply too many bombed-out buildings and sites to bother avoiding the street. […] So a bombed population already besieged, with no where to run, shot and shelled when running no where, already deprived of medicines and medical care, is now on a new level of starvation, deprivation of water (70 % of people are without), and continues to be psychologically-terrorized by the air activity and bombing. Where to walk? Anywhere, it doesn’t really matter.
Fida Qishta, who blogs at Sunshine, is a freelance journalist, filmmaker and activist who lives in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip:
Humanitarian aid is still a big problem, including the lack of medicine and food. The Israeli government said that they opened the border crossings to let Palestinians travel to Egypt for medical treatment and for humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip. It’s like the wolf killing the sheep and then selling its leather. Why did they shoot them if they want them to be in good health? Why didn’t they stop the air strikes before they killed and injured all these civilians? They tell the world that the food trucks enter the Gaza Strip. Do you know how many trucks? Do you know that the Gaza Strip is cut into two parts now by the Israeli army? That means that if the humanitarian aid gets through into Rafah, it will never reach Gaza City, because they cut the main road into two parts. It reminds me of the Abu Holy checkpoint which used to divide the Gaza Strip in two. My friends and I used to wait to go to our university for hours and hours. And at the end of the day we went back home, without attending any classes. Our only class was on how to wait. My mother is sitting in the door of our house counting the drones and the F16s. I think that if I asked her to count the air strikes she would do it.
Nader Houella, who manages the group blog Moments of Gaza, writes a post explaining what people who wish to help can do.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Paraguay: The Direction of the Country · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Liam of Políticamente Incorrecto [es] reflects on the direction that Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo is taking the country, and provides a bit of advice that he should become a closer ally to Chilean president Michele Bachelet.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Philippines: Funding cuts for higher education · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

mind-a-now reports that the Philippine Senate has reduced the funding of 21 state universities.


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Philippines: Phenomenal video protests · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

‘Juana Change’ protest videos are the newest YouTube sensation in the Philippines. The videos were introduced last month when various groups were opposing the proposal to amend the Constitution which would have extended the terms of office of incumbent politicians, including that of the president. Thanks to the internet and mainstream media, Juana Change (played by artist Mae Paner) has become a popular figure in the country today.
Pepe Diokno writes about the ‘Juana Change’ phenomenon:
“An unlikely star has been born on the Interwebs this month: Juana Change is a high-energy, pleasantly plump woman, whose hilarious videos on YouTube have generated over 50,000 views in their first week alone. The catch: Juana is an unapologetic social activist, whose clips center on corruption and Charter Change.”
Juana is a common name for Filipinas. Lightandshade explains the meaning of “Juana Change”:
“'Juana Change’ dares us to think…
See one of the newest series of productions created by a team of concerned Filipinos for web-connected viewers all over the planet. They use political satire, existing technology and cyberspace to enlighten viewers and hopefully inspire the change that we all need.
“Juana Change, as the production team admitted, is double-edged and could mean “Want a change, Want to change” (to express hope, to call for action) or “Wala nang change” (to express resignation). The creators of this video will be releasing satires on corruption, behavior of general's daughter and other topics.”
‘Juana Change’ first became famous because of the anti-Charter Change video protest. J. Villanueva Cabrera provides a backgrounder on the video:
“This is a satire about Charter Change or in the Philippines, it's what we call, Cha-Cha. This satire also tells about the common Filipinos’ reactions or in this case “no actions”. There are two main characters here, the first one is the lady with her dancing partner who just love to dance Cha-Cha, she symbolizes some of the Filipinos who stand for what is right and just and the woman in blue hair is the politician with her bodyguard, She is using Cha – Cha (the dance) to show their step by step plan to fool the people into changing the constitution.”
Another ‘Juana Change’ video (“Fixer”) tackles corruption in the bureaucracy. Atty. Marichu Lambino reviews the video:
“My review of the video: Witty, sharp, well-edited script, crisp dialog. The acting: the actor/actress has perfect timing and a thousand and one facial expressions. The direction was unobstrusive and at the same time, stylized for a satire. The editing of the video itself (cut-to-cut of the same scene, of the same frame) gave this video a pulsating pace.”
The ‘Juana Change’ Christmas video – “12 Days of Scandals” – highlights the various “crimes” committed by the current national government. Below is a ‘Juana Change’ video about the sad plight of Filipino migrant workers.
Memorandum Circular commends ‘Juana Change’:
“More power to Juana Change and to the people behind the magic that makes her alive and relevant…  May you continue your powerful art and may it spread like an elixir to our dying land.  May your message run like fire and burn the apathy that slumbers within the rickety heart of the 21st Century Filipino.
“Now be safe, we do not want anything bad to happen to you…  Obviously you have upset one too many people, in fact, I bet that you have upset many powerful people.  People that might look at it as a threat…”


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Egyptian bloggers visit injured Palestinians · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Several groups of injured Palestinians crossed into the Egyptian territory via the Rafah Crossing and blogger Ahmed Al Sabbagh and blogger Mohamed Hamdy organized a morale-boosting visit to the Red Crescent Hospital.
Al Sabbagh wrote upon his return:
ندعوكم جميعاً لزيارة جرحى وضحايا المجزرة الوحشية فى مستشفيات
الهلال الأحمر – رمسيس
مستشفى معهد ناصر – المظلات
مستشفى فلسطين – مصر الجديدة
I taped with two of the victims who allowed me to interview them. A woman lost her composure as she told me about her missing kids. A man who seemed physically well was praying in an adjacent room for a long time – later on we learnt that his he lost his son yesterday right here in this very same hospital. After he was done, we walked in and he did not talk; he warmly greeted us in painful silence and a lost gaze in his eyes. We all cried. We felt the bitterness of being helpless.
Pictures of the visit
Interview with the victims
We would like to invite you all to visit the injured in the following hospitals:
The Red Crescent – Ramsis Square
Nasser Institute – Mazalat
Palestine – Heliopolis
Mohamed Hamdy posted more pictures and said:

author: Marwa Rakha


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South Korea: Internet and Cultural Barriers to Content Production · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Metropolitician tries to account for the Internet and cultural barriers to content production with the presence of conglomerates in the industry.


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Sri Lanka: Assassination Of A Journalist · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sri Lanka remains as one of the world’s most dangerous countries for independent journalists. Indi.ca reports that Lasantha Wickremetunge, one of Sri Lanka’s best known journalists was shot in the head this morning by unknown gunmen. He later succumbed to his injuries. Ground Views has details.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Candid Camera · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Abeni wants to know what's wrong with law and order in St. Vincent and the Grenadines: “All of a sudden it seems taking a photograph is a no no…a journalist claimed the Police not only prevented him from taking photographs at the scene of a fire but also detained him for a couple hours…”


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Syria: Hunger strike for Gaza · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Maysaloon mentioned that Syria students have announced they are going on a hunger strike in support of Gaza.


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Taiwan: Focus on the justice system · Global Voices
David Reid

Taiwan's justice system has constantly been in the news over recent months. The trial of former President Chen Shui-bian has focused people's attention, however it has also sparked broader criticisms of the judicial process and concerns about human rights. Michael Turton analyses several important articles that have appeared in the media in the last few days.

author: David Reid


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Taiwan: Organic farming in Taiwan · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

In Taiwan, more and more farmers adopt organic farming methods, from rice to vegetables, from fruits to roses, and from tea to coffee. These farmers use blogs to support each other and sell their products.
“Organic” is not as easy as it looks. One farmer told the story of their organic rose farm:
首先，土地必需休耕三年以上，栽種時不使用任何農藥及化學肥料，並以天然有機質及有機堆肥滋養土壤…必須定時調配辣椒水，適時驅趕這些「客人」；為了不使用除草劑，只好拿起鐮刀，一株一株地割除，用勞力及時間換取玫瑰生長的空間。
If the rose farmers give up these efforts,
成群結隊的蚜蟲、毛毛蟲、蜘蛛等，攀附在玫瑰花上愉悅地享受大餐；宛若流寇的雜草大軍，淹沒了寶貴的玫瑰花田；讓人無力抵擋的白粉病及黑點病，一點一點占據玫瑰葉片…。
Photo courtesy of justeating
There are many other organic farming methods. For example, growing rice with ducks. One of the farmers adopting this method explained:
鴨子的工作量有限。平均來說，通常一分地大小的稻田需要放養二十隻鴨子，才能夠有效的去除雜草與害蟲…插秧七天後，就要自宜蘭買回剛孵出的鴨子，養十天再放入 田中適應環境，然後依著作息讓鴨子工作，白晝放養，昏夜圈養。插秧約八十天後，稻子開始抽穗時，趕緊將鴨子趕回水塘圈養，強制鴨子退休，不能再下田啦！
Although the material rewards may not pay for the farmers’ efforts, they try to keep their spirits high. Green-Mom talked about the snails in their farms,
越乾淨的土地 , 就有越多的蝸牛 ~說到蝸牛 ~ 真的讓人恨的牙癢癢 , 前一天才種下的菜苗 , 隔天早上通通不見蹤影 …媽媽拿著手電筒道菜園查看 ~終於找到兇手 ~ 就是他 …..蝸牛
記得 ~ 以前只要下雨天 , 姐弟就會拿著籃子撿蝸牛去 ~ 回來一陣敲敲打打 ~ 再用木頭灰燼又搓又洗 ~ 晚餐就有炒蝸牛可吃。現在要吃炒野生蝸牛少之又少 , 如果有也貴的嚇人。乾脆通通抓起來 , 養他一陣子就有炒蝸牛可以吃。嗯 ! 這主意好像還不錯 ~
I remember that several years ago, my brother and I would bring a basket to the farm to pick up snails in rainy days. After knocking and washing them with wood ashes, we would have fried snails as dinner. It is hard to find fried wild-caught snails nowadays. If you find one, it is very expensive. I propose that we pick these snails up and raise them for a few days, and then we will have fried snails. Hmmm, I think this is a good idea.
Another farmer talked about voles in their sweet potato farm with humor,
就怕田鼠囂張，不待我們挖起便啃得蕃薯體無完膚。待可以讓好友們來蕃薯田玩時，還請大家與我們一起來參加「打地鼠」的遊戲，把這些肥滋滋的田鼠扭送法辦吧。
There is always a story behind an organic farm. In 1999, there was an earthquake in Taiwan, measured 7.3 on the Richter scale. Many people in ChungLiao, one of the devastated areas due to the earthquake, have been working together to revive the community. They set up “Befarmer” in 2003, which provides organic fruits.
Due to the same earthquake, FriendshipCITW started to work with aboriginal people in Taichung Daan River (L’liung penux in Atayal) area to set up a co-op kitchen and sell organic agriculture products.
Many organic farmers in Taiwan have difficulty to sell their products. Some of them hold a market and sell their products together. They also hold lectures for learning together. Hopemarket is one of these organizations, in which there is a special connection between the farmers and their consumers.  youngsing said,
在合樸市集所結識的消費者，也常會來電鼓勵打氣…希望消費者與我們不單只是買與賣的商業行為，也可以吃到我們用心的產品，進而可以分享我們製作的過程和品嘗後的意見。這是我們最期待的。
When choosing organic farming methods, some farmers focus on preserving native species and creating values for these native species. For example, the native guava, which has very rich flavor but is small and not sweet enough for nowadays consumers. Although the native guava is not popular on fresh-fruit market, with some imagination, it was found to be an important ingredient for making charming desserts.
Photo courtesy of justeating
Sometimes, growing these native species needs not only imagination but also experience. For example, a farmer claimed that finding the winter bamboo shoots in his mountains is as difficult as finding truffe in France. The difference is, French people use pigs to find the truffe, and Taiwanese farmers find the winter bamboo shoots by their own experience. One experienced farmer said,
沒經驗的人想找到冬筍可不容易。…產冬筍的孟宗竹不會聚在一起，每根竹子間的距離較大，生長竹筍的地下莖走向沒有一定規則，有時筍子會出現在距離母竹很遠的地方；如果當季缺水，就算翻遍山頭也找不到一根筍子。
Photo courtesy of justeating
At the end of the day, organic farming methods not only change how the farmers work but also change how the farmers view their work. sioong said,
曾經以為，農夫的工作就是種稻，現在才慢慢體會，農夫在不知不覺中種下的，是自己的心。…我們是最瞭解她的人，因為我們的心跟這片土地的距離，最近。

author: I-fan Lin


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Trinidad & Tobago: Bringing Sexy Back  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Should blogs be sexy?  Blogging from Trinidad and Tobago, This Beach Called Life says: “Yes, but only if you want to get them noticed.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Turkey: Gaza and basketball game · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

As'ad AbuKhalil notes that the last basketball game between a Turkish and an Israeli team  was suspended on Tuesday after Turkish fans erupted in protests against the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, chanting “Israel, killers!”


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Why not in Egypt? · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Rob asks why popular Islamic Egyptian preacher Amr Khaled announced from Amman the start of his campaign of blood donation to Gaza, and not from Egypt.


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Anguilla: Destroying Heritage   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“So what if the Cotton Gin was one of the last pieces of Anguilla’s built heritage that was in relatively good working condition…after all, it was done so that the otherwise wasted space could be used as a Chinese Restaurant”: Corruption-free Anguilla presents the island's first nominee for “the gold medal for cultural vandalism for 2009.”


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Azerbaijan: Ashura in Baku · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Joe's Trippin’ posts an extended entry complete with photographs and video of this week's Day of Ashura [See here for earlier coverage] in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Although the blog says that the Koran and most Moslem governments ban self-mutilation, a few dozen faithful flagellated or cut themselves instead of donating blood. The blog concludes that the traditional way of observing Ashura was more interesting.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Azerbaijan: Hypothetical U.S. Armed Forces Support  · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

J. Gary's Windows Live Space details a hypothetical military operation in which U.S. armed forces support Azerbaijan in restoring sovereignty over part of its territory captured by a mythical enemy, “Ahuristan.” The blog by U.S. Major Gary Casey provides a background to the kind of training officers undergo in preparation for military action to enforce UN Security Council resolutions and to protect Azerbaijan's oil reserves.


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Bahamas, Cuba: The Revolution  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Let me say right now that I am sceptical, and deeply so, of those who denigrate Castro’s Cuba, especially those of us in The Bahamas who do so”: Nicolette Bethel says that “in most cases the arguments offered to display the inferiority of the Cuban revolution are not arguments at all, but knee-jerk condemnations that ignore the success of the revolution”, while fellow Bahamian blogger Rick Lowe responds in the post's comments section.


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Bangladesh: New Faces in The Cabinet · Global Voices
Rezwan

J at Shada Kalo blog explains why he supports the selection of mostly new faces as ministers in the new Bangladesh cabinet.

author: Rezwan


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Bermuda: Rallying for Palestine  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I think most people share a sense of human solidarity against injustice, and I cannot think of any other way to describe the tragedy unfolding in Gaza”: Catch a fire reports on an upcoming Bermudian rally in support of Palestine.


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Bolivia: Reduction of Gas Sales to Brazil · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Brazilian government has reduced the volume of gas purchased from Bolivia  Mario Durán of Palabras Libres [es] thinks that this may cause the government to dip into the international reserves.


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Brazil: “We counted 4,525 homicides in 2008” · Global Voices
Paula Góes

PEBodyCount [pt] blog has counted 4,525 homicides in 2008 in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. In 2007 there were 4,592 and in 2006, 4,638. “We still have more than 4,500 murders (a year). It is a baseline that puts our state among the most violent places in the world.” 59 homicides have been registered already in 2009.

author: Paula Góes


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China: Bu Zheteng · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN discusses various possible translation of “bu zheteng” in President Hu Jintao's speech last week.


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China: Xinhua demanded Democracy, 60 years ago · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Black and White Cat translated Wang Xiao feng's collection of Xinhua Daily's headline 60 years ago, which shows the Chinese communist party's belief in democracy and human rights in the past.


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Costa Rica: 6.2 Earthquake leaves nationals and tourists stranded · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Once again, the Twitter microblogging platform has proven to be an exceptional way to efficiently move news across the globe, in this case, related to the 6.2 Earthquake that was felt throughout Costa Rica, with the epicenter in Vara Blanca only 35 Km. away from the capital city of  San José. After the strong tremor, people in the capital city and neighboring towns of Alajuela and Heredia, stayed outside their office buildings, as police closed off streets in downtown areas fearing that old buildings would collapse. With twitter we saw the first report of the earthquake as @reiterstahl wrote a single word as the tremor was felt: TEMBLORRRRRR!!!!!!. The reports via twitter and the tags #cr and #temblor quickly dominated
After the quake, telephone lines became jammed, and electricity was cut off in several areas of the city for a few hours. People with family and friends in the affected areas had to depend on alternative information sources such as the CoverItLive live-blogging application that the La Nacion newspaper has kept available for people to access, read and respond after their website came down.
Other alternative news sources were journalist @ameliarueda who kept the twitter account buzzing with insider news on dramatic situations as people contacted her.  In the touristic area of La Paz Waterfall Gardens, at least 200 employees and about 200 other visitors and tourists were trapped and isolated at the La Paz Peace Lodge and Waterfall gardens, which according to an employee who communicated with Amelia Rueda, was completely destroyed, although no people died. You can hear the audio and read an account of the earthquake at Amelia's blog, as well as later reports of private helicopters charging tourists about 3USD $1400  for taking them away from disaster areas.
@fusildechispas  also kept us well informed through his twitter account as well as his blog, pointing us to this citizen media video of damages to a house in downtown San José.
Outside the city, near the towns of Vara Blanca, Poasito, Cinchona and Fraijanes, landslides have already claimed the lives of two young girls and a family of five, and it is suspected that tomorrow, as day breaks, more deadly victims will be found. Material damage is substantial, as buildings collapsed, and many roads dissapeared in landslides that may have taken with them cars, buses and houses. The earthquake also brought flooding down the river banks as a result of so much dirt and organic matter falling into them. In total, the damage caused by the earthquake, flooding and landslides is still impossible to predict according to the Costa Rican Red Cross.
JaguardelPlatanar has been keeping a google-map marked with damage reports. To view the updated map please click here.
Video captures from TV have also been uploaded on YouTube by many different users in an attempt to inform many others who don't have access to the television channels where the situation is being reported.
It is expected that tomorrow, as aftershocks continue and more destroyed houses and cars are found, that the victim toll will rise.
EDITED TO ADD:
Cindy Banks, the owner of Peace Lodge and La Paz Waterfall Gardens sent me an email clarifying some of the information regarding the lodge. The lodge was not destroyed, the animals all survived and they hope to be back up and running in a few months. Luckily no lives were lost at their hotel and the worst injury from the quake was a broken ankle.  She also mentions that even though they were very lucky, many families lost their homes and family members in the neighboring communities and they are setting up a link for donations for these families at their website.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Costa Rica: Map Indicating Damaged Areas by Recent Earthquake · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

A 6.2 Richter scale earthquake has hit Costa Rica.  Jaguar del Platanar [es] posts a Google mashup map indicating sites that have suffered damage.


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Cuba: Dissidents Arrested  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense reports on the arrest of dissidents who were allegedly marching “towards the cemetery in the town of Placetas to commemorate the victims of the Castro dictatorship.”


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Egypt: A Bloody Day in Gaza · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian Zeinobia comments on the war on Gaza in this post describing January 6 as the bloodiest day in the conflict, with 150 dead and 400 injuries.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Egypt: Call to Help Gaza Patients Keep in Touch with Loved Ones  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian Mostafa Hussein urges his readers to help Palestinian patients injured in the Gaza War and being treated in Egyptian hospitals by transferring mobile credit to their phones – to help them keep in touch with family back home.


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Egypt: Media Coverage of Gaza War  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian AD Sabry, writing at Our Days of Life, reflects on media coverage on the ongoing assault on Gaza.


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From Kivu to Gaza: How the Media Choose the Conflicts They Cover · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Si un mort israélien vaut plusieurs morts palestiniens, combien faut-il de cadavres congolais pour un linceul gazaoui?
Why conflicts in Africa receive such little media attention, in particular the horrors unfolding in Kivu, is an age-old question (as persistent as the question of why the international media, when they do cover Africa, only cover conflicts).
Elia Varela Serra wrote on this website on the same theme, just a few days ago, translating part of an article on Rue89 by journalist Hugues Serraf.  Serraf's treatment of these questions has generated controversy among many francophone readers, both Congolese and Muslim.
Some Rue89 readers agree with Serraf's general sentiment.
Rafa explains why the media in France pay so much more attention to Palestine than it does to Congo:
L’hyper-sensibilité de la société francaise au conflit israelo-palestinien vient du fait de la présence des 2 communautés en france, qui rejoue ici ce qui se passe la bas. D’autre part je pense que Israel étant un pays « occidental » dans le sens ou israel fait partie du « monde libre » (dixit Livni), les francais peuvent s’identifier aux israeliens, et le fait qu’un pays soi disant civilisé, une démocratie comme la notre, avec des gens qui on le meme mode de vie que nous, le meme genre de société, puisse se conduire d’une maniere si barbare, heurte certainement les esprits des gens. En comparaison le conflit au congo fait figure d’énieme drame sur un continent maudit, auquel les gens ne font meme plus attention tant ces drames sont fréquents.
Another Ru89 reader, Pierre Haski:
Le mois dernier, j’ai même assisté place de la République à une manif de Congolais à propos du conflit dans leur pays. Ils étaient quelques dizaines, coincés entre les cordons de CRS, dans l’indifférence des passants. Samedi, j’ai assisté au démarrage de la manif Palestine, caméras de télé au rendez-vous.
But there were many who deplored the author's ignorance of the continent.  Serraf, in his article, said:
Moi, je suis comme vous. Je ne ne sais pas grand chose du Congo et de cette Armée de résistance du Seigneur…Surtout qu’il en y a deux, des Congo! Et puis l’Afrique, c’est extraordinairement compliqué. Entre les catastrophes naturelles, les épidémies, les chefs de guerre en Land Cruiser à tourelle, tout ça… Comment savoir qui sont les méchants et les gentils?
He also write that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may be much better-covered in France because, at least from the perspective of the public, it is much easier to differentiate between the “good” and the “evil”.
Blogger Alex Engwete, who has been covering the conflict in Kivu with daily updates on his blog, rails, in a comment, against Serraf's self-stated ignorance:
J’avais commencé par me tisser une affinité avec votre indignation sur le silence autour de la catastrophe congolaise avant que je ne découvre dans les trois derniers paragraphes où vous vouliez en venir. J’allais même partager avec vous ce que m’avait confié à Nairobi l’un de mes amis pigiste pour la BBC à qui ce noble réseau de diffusion et de répercussion des nouvelles avait demandé de cesser d’envoyer des dépêches sur le Congo si le nombre de morts se chiffrait au-dessous de 50 ! C’étaient des noirs et le cœur des ténèbres, après tout, où la norme, c’est « l’horreur ! L’horreur ! » — depuis Joseph Conrad… Mais je me rends compte avec désillusion que le Congo n’est qu’une balise (prétexte sensationnel) menant vers la chute de votre rhétorique tordue ! Si vous ne connaissez rien du Congo, laissez ses morts tranquilles !
Families take shelter in a destroyed building after being forced to flee their homes due to the intensification of conflict in the province of North Kivu.  (Photo by UNHCR/ S. Schulman)
Djé who blogs at case en construction writes:
La surmédiatisation des horreurs commises actuellement à Gaza ont tendance à détourner le regard des médias (et par extension du grand public) de celles toujours en cours au Kivu. Certains journalistes peu scrupuleux en profitent même pour instrumentaliser, à des fins de propagande pro-israélienne, la faible couverture médiatique de la guerre à l'est du Congo.
Djé calls Serraf's article “a gross attempt at misinformation” and tells to instead consider an article written on the same theme at kongotimes.info which argues that, “The two wars carry the same fears, with almost the same stakes and risks of destabilizing the region” [Fr].
Users on the web forum islamie.com were similarly turned off by Serraf's comparison and the sensationalization of the attacks on Gaza by the media, in general.  Abdullah asks, sarcastically, “How many Afghan bodies for a Gazan funeral shroud?” [Fr]:
Face à l'engouement actuel pour Gaza, je suis très mal à l'aise depuis que j'ai lu une phrase d'Abou Ghazi disant que des massacres il y en a tout le temps notamment en Afghanistan et que personne ou presque ne s'en émeut. Non que je me sente plus concerné qu'un autre ni même moins. Mais une telle phrase, ça révèle (au sens premier du terme) beaucoup de choses.
Quelle misère dans laquelle nous sommes ! Nous nous laissons bercer, berner, balader par les médias.
J'ai sincèrement la nausée.
In light of the current passion for Gaza, I have been very uneasy since I read a quote by Abou Ghazi saying that there are massacres all the time in Afghanistan that no one, or almost no one, cares about.  It's not that I feel more or less concerned about one or the other.  But a quote like that, that reveals (in the first meaning of the word) many things.
What a miserable state we are in!  We let ourselves be fed, fooled, led around by the media.
It really makes me sick.
Jounaïda:
La phrase d’Abou Ghazi renvoie simplement à notre médiocrité. Elle révèle aussi une chose : celle que nous sommes vraiment les pantins des médias, assoiffés toujours de sensationnel.
Des actions concrètes pour nos frères et sœurs opprimés, il en faut et en faudra toujours, du moins tant que ce n'est pas la parole de Dieu qui règnera sur terre.
Abou Ghazi's quote simply reflects our mediocrity.  It also reveals one thing: that we really are the puppets of the media, always thirsty for the sensational.
We need, and we will always need, concrete actions for our oppressed brothers and sisters, at least until God's words rule the earth.
Palestinian men bury the body of 4-year-old Lama Hamdan at Beit Hanoun cemetery in the northern Gaza Strip December 30, 2008. Lama and her sister were reportedly riding a donkey cart Tuesday near a rocket-launching site that was targeted by Israel. (Photo by Amir Farshad Ebrahimi)
Souleymene:
…cette reflexion je me la suis posée plusieurs fois depuis ces derniers jours.Mais j'dirais plus, la mobilisation que l'on est en train de vivre n'est qu'un épiphénomene.Quand toute cette affaire va se tasser ( wal 3ilmou liLeh pour son issue) car un moment donné ca va rentrer dans “l‘ordre “, vu les houkams que l'ont a, y'a aucun risque d'embrasement.Les candidats au djihad que l'on a vu dans les télés au Yemen et en Jordanie entres autres n'iront nul part qu’ ALLAH les retribue pour leur intentions.Les musulmans retourneront à leur préoccupations mondaines, la Palestine sera oubliée et le sang versé à Gaza avec.

author: Jennifer Brea


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Honduras: Higher Minimum Wage · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The minimum monthly wage in Honduras was raised on January 1 by President Manuel Zelaya.  Thelma Mejía of Honduras Daily News writes that many businesses are unable to keep up with the higher wage.


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India: L. K. Advani, The Blogger · Global Voices
Rezwan

Soumyadip at Cutting the Chai reports that a veteran & powerful Indian politician has started to blog: “BJP's prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani is attempting to reach out to the electorate via his newly set up blog on his website.”


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Israel: Israeli and Palestinian Doctors Fix Baby’s Heart · Global Voices
Maya Norton

Israeli and Palestinian doctors collaborated last week to save the life of a newborn. The Palestinian child and his grandmother were transported to Tel Aviv for emergency heart surgery. Funded by Save a Child's Heart, an Israeli nonprofit dedicated to procuring urgent medical care for Palestinian children, the organization has helped over 1,000 Palestinian and 70 Iraqi find life saving operations in Israel so far. Israelity has the video and story.

author: Maya Norton


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Israel: Tales from Gaza · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Israel, Lisa Goldman shares her views on the war in Gaza in this post.


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Japan: “What are you up to now?” has become a taboo question · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

With the world economy in a recession, the local auto industry in the slumps, even department store hours curtailed in an attempt to cut costs — not to mention temporary facilities, parks and net cafes filling up with the country's new homeless — many in Japan have lost some of their hope in the future.
In an entry that attracted a great deal of sympathy from readers [ja], blogger koheko reflects on the impact of the slowdown in the national and global economy on human relationships with friends and colleagues [ja]. Not only has life become difficult in material terms, the blogger explains, but it has also made conversations difficult, as many topics — particularly those to do with work — are now taboo:
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This blog entry was translated in its entirety with permission of the blogger.

author: Chris Salzberg


text:
Jordan: “Barbaric Crimes of Israel in Gaza”  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“It does not depend on a certain political perspective, nationality, religion or race to feel so outraged by the barbaric crimes of Israel in Gaza, you need only to be a human being with a functioning heart,” writes Jordanian blogger Batir Wardam on the latest flashpoint in the Middle East.


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Jordan: Respect for Chavez  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blog 7iber reports: “After Hugo Chavez expelled Israel’s Ambassador to Venezuela earlier this week, Jordanians left flowers by the Venezuelan embassy in Amman on Thursday, January 8th, as a show of respect.” Click on the link for photographs.


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Kazakhstan: Tourism Industry Problems · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

KZBlog writes about his experience visiting a skiing resort near Almaty, the former capital city of Kazakhstan, and concludes that there is a lot of great tourism potential, but no investment and the people with the energy and desire to improve things.

author: Adil Nurmakov


text:
Korea: Marriage is reality · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

In order to avoid political issues for once, I found an interesting post and comments from other netizens. It’s about Love, Marriage, and Reality. What do you think?
“결혼은 현실이다”라고 말하는 여자..
몇달 전에 선을 봐서 조건이 좋은 여자 만났습니다. 외모도 이쁘고.. 학벌도 좋고.. 직업도 괜찮고.. 무남독녀 외동딸에.. 집안에 재산도 어마 어마 하더군요.. 선을 보고 서로 호감도 있고..나이도 있고 해서.. 어느쪽이 먼저랄 것도 없고 자연스럽게 결혼 얘기가 오갔습니다. 참 즐겁고 좋더라구요..남들은 결혼 준비 하면서 많이 싸운다고 하지만.. 우린 오히려 조건을 보고 만나서 호감을 가지고 결혼얘기가 오가다 보니..싸울 일이 없었습니다.
혼수 문제…무남독녀 외동딸을 시집 보내는 부자집 부모님 입장에서 좋은 것 다 해줄려고 하죠..우리집안 역시..
장남이 장가를 좋은 곳으로 간다며 예비 며느리를 환영하지요..사정이 이러니 싸울일도 없고..서로 즐겁게 결혼준비도 진행중에 있습니다.다만…저는 오랬동안 공부만 하다가..일 하고 돈 벌기 시작한지 얼마 되지 않죠..
그나마 남 밑에서 일을 하다가..얼마전에 사무실을 내고 빚만 있는 상태죠..이제 부터 열심히 그 돈 다 갚는다고 쳐도 얼마가 걸릴지 모르지요..결혼준비 하면서 여자친구가 그러더군요..”결혼은 현실이다. 아무리 사랑하더라도 그 사랑을 유지할 현실적인 능력이 없다면 둘 다 불행해 질 수있다” 이러더군요..
그러면서 여자친구가 제 친구 얘기를 하더군요..얼마전에 친한 친구가 파혼을 했습니다. 오랬동안 사귄 사이였고 양가집 상견례까지 하고..결혼 날짜만 잡으면 되는데 2008년 12월 중순경에 친구가 회사에서 짤렸습니다.
그리고 새롭게 취업을 못하자 당분간 결혼은 친구가 직장 새로 구하면 다시 결혼 얘기하자고 하더나 이런 저런 일로 많이 다투고…결국 헤어졌나 봅니다. 이런 얘기를 여자친구가 하면서 자기 같아도 헤어졌을 거라고 말하네요..
흠..결혼을 하고 결혼을 유지하기 위해서는 열심히 돈 벌어야 겠네요..그래도.. 여자친구 사랑합니다. ^^ 현실을 따지면 나중에 현실이 바뀌면 또 문제가 생길 겁니다…조건이 좀 못하더라도 사람을 고르세요..평생을 같이 살 사람을
Several months ago, I met a woman at an arranged meeting. She was pretty, had a good educational background, and a nice job. She was the only daughter in her family and her parents are quite wealthy. After the meeting, both of us were quite attracted to each other. Regarding our ages, we naturally started talking about marriage. Meeting her was fun and I had a good feeling. I heard that many other guys fight each other when they prepare for getting married. But in our case, we started knowing each other after we had knowledge of our conditions. We got to like each other after that and therefore we needed not to fight.
About wedding preparation… Her parents, who have only one daughter, want to do all nice things. My parents, who are marrying their first son off, are the same and welcome my girl friend. So, we need not to fight and can prepare our wedding. However, I have studied for a while and just started working.
I was working under someone and just stood on my feet. In order to be independent, I have debt. Even though I start learning from now, I don’t know how long it will take. While we prepare the wedding, my girl friend said, “Marriage is reality. Even though you love the other side so much, if you don’t have practical ability in order to keep the love, it is easy for both of them to be miserable.
Then she reminded me of my friend. He just broke off his engagement. They have been together for a long time and each family side has officially met each other. The next step was to choose the wedding date. But in the middle of December, my friend was fired. He couldn’t find a job right away. They talked about delaying the wedding until he finds a new job and started having frequent fights. In the end, he broke up. My girl friend said that she would break up as well.
In order to be married and to keep the marriage, I should make a lot of money. Anyway, I love my girl friend so much.
Here are comments from others.
결혼은 현실이다< << 100% 공감은 하는 말씀이지만,^^* 그것보단,^^ 사랑으로 모든건(??) 극복가능하답니다.^^* 아직 돈이 없어서 밥을 굶진 않아서 배부른 소린지 모르지만,^^* 그래도 제 짧은 경험으론,^^* 사랑만큼,,결혼에 가장 필수조건은 없다고 봐요,ㅎㅎ ^^*
“가난이 문안으로 들어오면, 사랑은 창밖으로 나간다고 하더군요.” 어찌보면 잔인하지만, 냉정히 현실을 판단할 줄 아는 여자분을 만나신 듯 합니다.
저희는 단돈 500만원으로 시작했습니다. 학생때라 돈이 없어 만두국 하나에 기뻣고 어쩌다 놀이공원이라도 가는 날이면 팔짝 뛰고 좋아라 웃었던 기억이 나네요. 시대가 바뀌고 유행이 변한다지만 내 삶의 동반자에 대한 사랑이 바탕되지 않았다면 시작하지 않았겠죠. 3년 8개월만에 집을 샀고 아이도 생겼습니다. 너무나도 만족하고 사랑하고 열심히 살아가고 있습니다. 조건?? 사람마다 다르겠지만 어떠한 상황에서도 나를 믿어줄 사랑에 비한다면 아무것도 아닙니다.
행복하기 위해서 돈이 꼭 필요조건은 아니죠?서로에 대한 감사의 말한마디! 따뜻한 눈빛! 서로를 아껴주는 마음!몇 백만원짜리 핸드백하나 던져주면 여자들이 같이 살아준다고 그게 정말 좋은 걸까요?정말 행복한 걸까요? 물론 돈이 중요합니다. 하지만 더 중요한 건 상대를 정말 사랑하는 마음입니다. 돈이 전부는 아니죠! 돈은 얼마든지 벌 수 있습니다. 방법도 많구요. 하지만 진실한 사람을 만나는건 정말 힘듭니다. 그런 안목을 기르세요~~
결혼은 현실이 맞습니다. 이건 여자나 남자나 모두에게 통하는 말이지요..분명 돈보다 사랑이 먼저이고 돈이 전부는 아닙니다. 하지만 그 사랑에 대해서도 한번쯤 되새겨 봅니다. 정말 그 의미가 뭘까요? 보통 사랑의 유효기간이 있어서 어느정도 시간이 지나면 정이였고 또 현실적인 문제때문에 힘든 커플들 많이 봤습니다. 어찌보면 사랑이란건 정말 잠시이고 정말 사랑이라면 부모가 자식을 향해 생각하는 그 정도가 사랑이란 생각이 들어요..남녀간의 사랑은 이기적인면이 참 크지요..[…]
[…]결혼을 유지하기 위해서 돈 많이 벌어야겠다가 아니구요..부모가 되기 때문에 당연히 돈을 많이 벌어야 합니다. 그래야 자식들이 고생을 안하지요
불행히도 여자친구 이야기가 맞는 말입니다. 하지만 여친이 그 말만 하지는 않았을 것입니다. 다른 좋은 이야기도 분명히 많이 했을 것 같습니다. 다만, 님이 다른 말보다는 ‘결혼은 현실'이란 말에 대해서 일종의 충격을 받으신듯 하네요. 현실과 이상 사이에는 분명히 괴리가 있지만 좋게 해석하시고 열심히 사랑하시고, 더 열심히 사시기 바랍니다.
그러구,^^ 아직 애기는 없지만,,애기 낳으면,, 한달에 아껴써두 교육비에 머에 하면 최소 300은 있어야 생활이 되죠,^^* 거기에 저축까지 할려면,ㅎㅎ ^^* 살아보니 ^^ 결혼은 현실이더라구요,^^* 저야 능력이 별루 안되서리 맞벌이를 하지만,^^ 아직은 부족해도 사랑으로 극복하지만,^^* 그래도,^^* 돈이 좀더 있었음 하는 욕심이 가끔 들긴해요,^^ㅎㅎ 하지만,,, 머니머니해도,^^* 사랑이 제일이라죠,ㅎㅎ 나름 저도 월급 감봉에 와잎도 감봉에 힘들어두,^^* 사랑으로 극복은 된답니다.^^* 분식집 떡뽁이 외식에도 행복해 하는 와잎보면서^^ 역시 사랑이 제일이라는걸 느낀다죠,ㅎㅎ 힘내세요,^^

author: Hyejin Kim