text:
Iraq: BlogIraq is Dead · Global Voices
Salam Adil

I am sad to report the death of Ahmed the writer of the blog BlogIraq who was murdered in the Al-Mansour district of Baghdad. May he rest in peace. Iraqi bloggers are a close-knit community and we mourn the death of fellow bloggers as if it is from our own family. There is not one family in Iraq that has been untouched by the violence that gripped our country and Iraqi bloggers are no different. His friend, Mohammed Alani, who helped set up the blog, wrote on BlogIraq:
Ahmed (BlogIraq) is dead. He was killed in Baghdad on April 11th, 2008… He had an appointment that day with a guy he knew. This guy was supposed to get him some documents that prove corruption in some USAID office back in Baghdad. I don't have complete details about it. Anyway, he and the guy bringing the documents were killed at their meeting place in Mansour district in Baghdad…
His brother in-law found him dead with his friend in Mansour district in one of the small streets there. Thank God his body was found, unlike many of our friends who were killed or just vanished without a trace.
When I first setup this blog for him, he gave me the admin password of his blog and I gave him the password of mine. We agreed that whoever dies first, the other should write about it in his blog. Its just my bad luck that he died first. I can only think of his 20 months old daughter. Shes about the same age as my daughter, Aya.
May God take revenge of those who killed him and orphaned his lovely daughter.
Abbas Hawazin adds: “I am feeling so much anger boiling, I tried to cry but I couldn't.”
If you read no other post this week read this one:
The media is increasingly making noises about how the modern world is creating a new environmental crisis. Yet scant attention is being paid to the environmental disaster that is befalling iraq as a result of five years of war. Last of Iraqis takes a look at all aspects of the crisis:
year after year it's getting hotter, I remember before the war and two years after it when I used to sit in my room the fan was enough…
but in 2007… I remember when I got back to my house and opened the door, I swear to god it was like opening a door to hell although the house was left for only 36 hours without air cooling! … one can feel that the weather got crazy here, this year we were punished by the several sand storms and the swinging temperatures…
Deterioration in agriculture was the reason behind the climate change as I think; people say that what used to be farms became a desert now in the south middle and west of Iraq and that's one of the main reasons behind the sand storms that we suffer from now because there are no trees and plants to hold the sand storms, Iraq is suffering and it's transforming, I know people are dying in Iraq and they can't be even counted but what will we inherit our children even if the situation improved and Iraq became free again and everything is settle? What will we inherit them? A destroyed land? A desert? a community filled with hatred?
Waiting for the war to come in Mosul
Empty streets in Mosul
by Mosul is in Heart
The Iraqi president, Nouri Al-Maliki has made a big noise about reclaiming the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Like the massive Basra offensive he moved to Mosul to personally direct the army. Iraqi bloggers give their impressions of a city about to be at war.
Najma is bored of being locked up at home because of endless curfews:
Hatred, such a strong unhealthy feeling.. but I just can't help but hate it here.. I hate it, I hate it, I HATE IT.. I want to shout it at the top of my lungs so everybody can know that I just can't stand it here.
The curfew that started at 9 PM last Friday was only temporarily stopped at 6 AM today and is going to start again at 6 PM until further notice.
And Sunshine writes about life in the war zone:
Everyone knows the new operation may starts in every sec , and the curfew may last for few weeks probably, so my dad bought every thing we need, rice , flour, eggs, cheese ,oil, meat , vegetables , fruit, etc. but there are many families can’t buy all those stuff , and live day by day, so when the national guards allowed the citizens to walk , many people started to do shopping, but this time, the prices were doubled or got higher 30-50% ..It breaks my heart to see my people living under hard circumstances, there are many issues need to be solved, like economy for example, and many other things, but who cares ?!!…
On the third day … a fight started in far away neighborhood, dad immediately harried to carry Yosif inside , as soon as he carried Yosif a bullet hit the pavement where Yosif was standing !! I am so thankful it didn’t hit Yosif ..
The situation today is not good, we heard many explosions and shooting.. and there were sounds of helicopters since the early morning, as well as many tanks
She concludes:
I really hope Mosul will be free of terrorists, I don’t mind spending 3 months stuck in the house, if there’ll be a happy end, we want to live in peace, we are tired of the continues fights, kidnapping, and killing. all Iraqis want their lives back, I want to go back to my room and sleep there, and I am eager to the day we’ll fix our house and be aware it won’t be damaged, whenever I look at our walls or my closet and see the bullets and shrapnel, my heart breaks, each damaged corner in the house has a painful story ..
I want to be able to walk freely in the streets without being afraid of terrorists, many times I wonder, god created us all equally, and gave us mind to think , and feelings to sense, everyone like children because they are so innocents, why some of those children grew up and became evils ? why people fight each other ? I can’t understand that, why someone wake up in the morning and his attention is to kill ? I can’t understand the reason that motivate people to kill, sometimes they kill because of nationality!, religion!, race, some times I wish everyone can remain a child to keep the innocence!
And finally
Given the – for want of a better word – unique experiment of democracy in Iraq, where does the young intelligent Iraqi look to for a role model in a world leader? Marshmallow26 tells us:
I was watching on TV with dad of course… Any way Dad was pointing at Medvedev, I said dad is that the new Russian president?
Yes daughter. Dad said
Wow he looks hot!! haha I mean he is really cute and young and above all he is taking the responsibility of leading his country…
As he took the oath he stated:
I believe my most important aims will be to protect civil and economic freedoms; We must fight for a true respect of the law and overcome legal nihilism, which seriously hampers modern development.
Waw “to protect civilians”!! that is a very important thing, now days in Iraq we miss hearing this phrase from our leaders, as a matter of fact there is a conflict amongst them which is about how to get rid of civilians and fight them to death!!…
I hope there will be rightfulness in our next elections, I hope that Iraq finds and elects the honest person who cares about his people and his country first.

author: Salam Adil


text:
Japan: Bloggers criticize Greenpeace over whale-meat theft · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

The reputation of Greenpeace Japan appears to have dropped a few notches this week, with news that the organization, in order to expose the theft of whale meat by crew members of a whaling research ship, itself stole meat to use as evidence of the crime. In order to seize packages of whale meat, members of Greenpeace Japan admitted to having entered a delivery company's distribution center in Tokyo on April 15th without permission. In total Greenpeace found 23.5 kilograms of whale meat, worth 100,000 to 300,000 yen (or roughly $1000-$3000 USD), smuggled by 12 crewmembers of Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha, Ltd.
The claim by a lawyer representing Greenpeace that: “The group's acts [such as trespassing] weren't illegal because they were attempting to uncover alleged theft” did not go over well with bloggers, however, who questioned the double-standard of committing a crime to expose another crime.
Blogger Kiyotani writes:
捕鯨関係者の脇も甘かったわけですが、このような行為が法治国家で許されるわけはありません。
そのような主張が通るのであれば我々はグリーンピースやその顧問弁護士の犯罪を暴くためには事務所に押し入って書類を押収したり、グリーンピースのメンバーや弁護士を拉致監禁して、自白を強要することも「合法」ということになります。
今回の騒動ではグリーンピースが環境テロリストかつ犯罪集団であることが明らかになったわけです。当局は破防法をこの団体に適用すべきです。極左暴力集団やオウム真理教と大同小異です。
Blogger gootdk, meanwhile, reads the Wikipedia entry on Japanese research whaling and quotes these lines:
「捕獲調査の副産物は有効利用が条約で義務付けられている」
「一般販売のほか学校給食などの公益事業に供され、その収入は調査捕鯨の費用に充てられている」
The blogger goes on to note that 10kg or 20kg of whale meat is more than one would need for family use. Still, the position of Greenpeace is not convincing:
だからといって、グリーンピース・ジャパンの行為が許される訳ではありません。
明らかに犯罪です。
少なくとも、この運送会社の信頼を低下させました。
両者とも、法の下間違いのないように処断されることを望みます。
Blogger Hamayatti meanwhile agrees with the position of Greenpeace, but not with their strategy:
「グリーンピース」の主張について賛同できる面もある。しかし、捕鯨の違法性を訴えながら、自分たちが盗人をしているようなやり方では説得力もなかろう。違法は違法として処罰されるのを覚悟しての主張こそ、その決意が分かろうというもの。摘発のためだから違法ではないと主張するのは、大義のための戦争と変わりはしない。

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Chris Salzberg


text:
Japan: Japan and the iPod · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

GT!Blog explores 30 years of history to answer the question: Why didn't Japan create the iPod?


text:
Lebanon: Agree or stay away · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“On the way to Beirut International Airport, members of the ‘Handicapped Union’ and other NGOs tell Lebanon's politicians, war lords, inflated clowns & others not to return if they fail to settle their differences,” writes Friday Lunch Club about the Lebanese leaders peace talks taking place in Qatar.

author: Moussa Bashir


text:
Russia: Church vs Blogger Priests · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes that the Moscow Patriarchate is planning “to discipline Russian Orthodox priests who use the Internet to advance views at variance with those of the hierarchy or to challenge the church’s leadership in other ways.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Russia: Moscow Graffiti Photos · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lyndon of Scraps of Moscow is clearing his photo backlog and posting Moscow graffiti photos dating back to 2004-2005.


text:
Serbia: International Day Against Homophobia · Global Voices
Sinisa Boljanovic

On the International Day Against Homophobia, marked on May 17, a Serbian lesbian human rights organization Labris has issued a statement.
Jasmina Tesanovic, a Serbian political activist and writer, re-posted the text of the statement on her B92 blog. Below is the translation from Serbian:
[Serbian Medical Association]: Homosexuality is not an illness.
Homosexuality is not an illness, according to the Serbian Medical Association's response to a request from Labris to check the official conclusion of the [World Health Organization, (WHO)].
On May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia – and as part of the “Are you a Homophobe?” initiative – Labris has turned again to SMA, the Serbian Medical Chamber and the future health minister. Labris expects the new minister to immediately declare that homosexuality is not an illness. Labris also expects the adoption of an ethics code about sexual orientation by the Serbian Medical Chamber, to help prevent discrimination against persons in need of medical care.
We remember that Labris – the organization for lesbian human rights – has been persistently trying this year to get numerous institutions, including the ministry of health, to issue a statement of agreement with WHO. One of the relevant domestic institutions – SMA – has expressed agreement with WHO. In this way, Labris wants to support other associations to join us in action of stamping out prejudices. May 17 is the day of promotion of lesbian and gay rights, because on this day in 1990 WHO officially took homosexuality off the list of mental illnesses.
Dragana Vuckovic
Labris – organization for lesbian human rights
Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
E-mail: lobi@labris.org.yu
Tel: + 381 11 334 1855, + 381 11 334 7401
E-mail: labris@labris.org.yu
Tel/fax: + 381 11 3225 065
Mob: +381 63 8 513 170
Web: www.labris.org.yu
Dawngreeter comments:
I am glad because of their step, but I am sure that they will be attacked from different sides. I think that it is very courageous to publish this statement, especially when it is unknown who will hold a stick in his hands [following the May 11 election, the new government is yet to be formed].
Drago Kovacevic replies to Dawngreeter‘s comment:
The attacks won't be too powerful. Everyone is afraid of doctors, because everyone has to deal with them one day.

author: Sinisa Boljanovic


text:
Serbia: More on Niko Bellic · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

More on the evil Serb video game character – at A Fistful of Euros.


text:
Slovakia: Foreigners · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia writes about what it feels like to be a foreigner in Slovakia.


text:
Ukraine: 64th Anniversary of Sürgün · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

J. Otto Pohl reminds readers that this coming Sunday, May 18, marks the 64th anniversary of Sürgün, the mass deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944.


text:
Ukraine: A Blog on Crimea and Crimean Tatars · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lots of interesting and informative posts on Crimea and Crimean Tatars, including the most recent one, with photos, about Khydyrlez, “the annual Crimean Tatar May celebration of strength and vitality” – by Marusia of My Simferopol Home.


text:
Venezuela: World Day Against Homphobia Events in Caracas · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Luis Carlos Díaz of Periodismo de Paz [es] writes about the events that will take place in Caracas, Venezuela on the World Day Against Homophobia.

author: Eduardo Avila


text:
Armenia: Global Food Crisis · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Armenian Observer says that despite the global food crisis, the country is self-sufficient in most foods and so seems likely to be spared shortages in the future. However, figures for the import of wheat and sugar are high. It also says that rising prices are also starting to hit consumers.

author: Onnik Krikorian


text:
Armenia: “Non-Armenians” · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Seetizen, the blog of a youth activist in Armenia, decries the latest action by the pro-radical opposition Hima youth movement — a list which labels various celebrities, political figures and others as “non-Armenian” because of their support for the authorities. And Nothing Else Matters also weighs in with its own criticism of what the blog considers to be tactics designed to divide rather than unite society. Interestingly, one of the names on the blacklist is Armenia's contestant in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, Sirusho.


text:
Blogger of the Week: Jillian York  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Today's Blogger of the Week celebrates the work of Jillian C York, our Morocco author, and a regular contributor to Voices without Votes. A freelance writer, blogger, and author of a guidebook to Morocco, Jillian currently lives in Boston, US, after spending two memorable years in Meknes, Morocco, and continues to blog here. Her interests include writing, politics, music, and activism – as well as giving a voice to what citizen journalists are writing about. Here's our interview with Jillian, in which we hope to learn more about her:
What is your educational background?
I have a BA in Sociology from Binghamton University, US, where I also minored in theatre.  I focused much of my studies on the sociology of the Middle East and North Africa, writing a thesis for my major on the perception of Arabs in American media.  More than anything, I am grateful to my education because it's what brought me to Morocco in the first place.  I took a summer Arabic program at Al Akhawayn University, then after returning to the US, spent the next year trying to figure out how to get back.
Your profession?
I am currently working toward my ultimate goal of being able to write full time.  Shortly after moving to Morocco, I wrote Culture Smart! Morocco (Random House, 2006) and have published several articles since.  Most recently, though, I had the pleasure of teaching English in Morocco for two years, which certainly tops the list in terms of jobs I've had!
Who is Jillian York? What excites you and what annoys you?
I am definitely a type A personality, constantly busy, always looking for more things to do.  I get excited about blogging and new media, certainly – I was one of the first to blog in English about Morocco, and during the time that I lived in the country, it was so exciting to see the blogoma (Moroccan blogosphere) constantly growing and blossoming.  Blogging is such an incredible outlet; not only because it allows ordinary people to talk about whatever is on their minds, but also because it gives the rest of us insight into another culture (even if that culture isn't so foreign!).  As for what annoys me?  I could in a number of different directions with this one, but a major one right now is the bias of the American media.  Any American who has spent more than a few weeks abroad knows how I feel; Morocco isn't exactly a bastion of free speech, but the access to global news is somehow far better than in the US.
How long have you been blogging and why?
I started in 2005 when I first moved to Morocco and have continued blogging about my adopted country despite having moved back to the US this past August.
How long have you been a member of GVO and why?
Since April 2006 – I was dying to get more involved in the emerging Moroccan blogoma, and so I contacted GVO Regional Middle East and North Africa Editor Amira Al Hussaini and the rest is history.
What are the main issues effecting your blogosphere?
Morocco's blogoma is fortunate in that its writers have relative freedom in the subjects they choose to blog.  Unfortunately, Morocco has also experienced some internet censorship, most notably the censure of YouTube (which is now back), Google Earth and Livejournal (a major blogging platform).  Another issue facing the blogosphere is the censure of blogs about Western Sahara issues – blocked to silence opposing viewpoints.
What is your most memorable blogging experience?
When Britney Spears considered converting to Islam?  Just kidding!  My most memorable blogging experience is being at the forefront of Moroccan news when I lived there, particularly when sites like YouTube were being censored – it was great to be able to break news before major news sites did, basing my posts on the bloggers in my region.
How do you spend your free time?
Whenever I have it (and lately, that's not very often), I read.  I also (obviously) spend a lot of time online, although it's usually while I'm working, in some capacity.
What is the latest book you have read? Can you share something from it with us?
I'm currently reading Dave Eggers’ You Shall Know Our Velocity! which is very different from his memoir (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius).  I've only just started the book, but what I will say is that Eggers is a writer who amazes me on so many levels, particularly in his passion (and compassion) for passing writing on to the next generation.
What do you blog about mostly?
For the past three years, I have blogged about Morocco (at The Morocco Report).  Although a lot of what I wrote there was based on my observations and opinions, I also reported and re-reported the news, as well as what other bloggers were talking about. My new blog has a different theme. After blogging about Morocco for nearly three years, I felt that it was time to move on.  Although I'll continue to blog at The Morocco Report, my life is now in Boston, and I needed my writing to reflect that.
What are your hopes for Morocco and its blogosphere?
Morocco is an incredible country – in 50 years, it has seen technological developments that took a hundred years elsewhere.  What really amazes me is Moroccans’ ability to adapt to that – in eight or so years, the internet has become a huge force there.  The past three have seen hundreds of new blogs and forums.  While I think that all blogs – and especially those of the blogoma – are valuable, I would love to see more Moroccans using that platform to talk about important issues.  Unfortunately, I think that there's a certain fear of using blogs as political (or other) platforms (and rightly so, given the recent case against Fouad Mourtada).
In February, you joined a 10-member GV contingent to WeMedia. Can you tell us about the highlights of your stay at the GVO House and meeting GVers face to face for the first time? How was your experience? Are you looking forward to meeting more GVers soon?
I had a blast at WeMedia!  Meeting other GVers for the first time was really surreal…you spend so much time with people virtually that you feel as if you know them.  And there were others that I'd never even spoken to online who have become friends.  I'm really looking forward to the GV Summit in Budapest this June.
Final thoughts?
I am really grateful to be a part of Global Voices.  I had no idea what a huge project I was getting into when I started writing for GV over a year ago, but I am so glad that I did!

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Cambodia: Modern architecture · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Naychumnith marvels at the modern architecture in Siem Reap, Cambodia

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Cambodia: Youth blog · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

OYGC focuses on the youth of Cambodia


text:
Caucasus: Eurovision Countdown · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

With the first of the semi-finals in this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia, just days away, the countries of the South Caucasus are becoming increasingly excited about the international song contest and how their representatives will fair. What makes the situation all the more interesting is that this year will be the first time all three republics compete.
While this will be the third consecutive appearance of Armenia in the competition, Georgia entered for the first time last year, and Azerbaijan will be making its debut. However, of the three contestants, it is Armenia that currently appears to be the favorite not only from the region, but in general as well.
The British bookmaker William Hill currently has 21-year-old Sirusho at 6/1 to win and the popularity of her song, Qele Qele, has extended way past the borders of the country as the Eurovision Blog confirms.
Another tune almost certainly destined for the final is the Armenian entry, Qele Qele. As one of the countries whose national final we paid attention to, we’d heard this one before it was chosen but having heard the other options, we were screaming “Armenia! Choose! This! NOW!!!!!!!!!” before a note of the contest had even been sung. Coming over as Shakira crossed with a healthy dose of Helena Paparizou, only an entirely tone-deaf performance from Sirusho can possibly stop this one from bringing the house down on the night.
All Kinds of Everything for Eurovision 2008 agrees.
ARMENIA : This just gets better and better with every run through. Sirusho sounds confident and looks a lot more confident that before. The choreography is complex and involves a lot more rolling on the floor than I would like, but it is effective for the overhead shots. They have almost all the camera angles right, which is more than can be said for several entries, and even if the song is a tad repetitive, the dancing and fireworks add a bit of variety.
Other people may be less impressed but for me this is an absolutely certain qualifier, and it’s not totally out of the running to win.
Posh & Becks of Eurovision is a little more certain that Qele Qele stands a good chance of winning and even says that it is likely to find success outside of the competition itself.
One of the top candidates for victory come the final. Combine the diaspora vote with a modern pop hit with oriental influences and a talented young songtress and the points will be flying in. It’s also worth to know that I’ve already heard “Qele qele” in Stockholm several weeks ago. Could be the hit of the year!
Nevertheless, as Eurovision Song Contest 2008 explains, some concerns exist about the ability of Sirusho to perform the song live. So far the singer has only mimed, including during the national final in Yerevan. Regardless of her performance, however, the blog concludes that even if she doesn't win, she's unlikely to finish lower than eighth.
Why are we convinced of the qualification chances of a song we have never heard performed live? Why has everyone put so much faith in statistics and chosen to overlook the fact that for all we know Sirusho might make a total dog's breakfast of the whole thing, even if she does look pretty while doing so? […]
Mind you, there's nothing about Sirusho that suggests she can't handle herself on stage. She clearly knows how to perform, and choreography shouldn't be a problem. It's just that when you mime your way through a national final it does tend to set a few alarm bells ringing. It doesn't help matters that her voice – in the studio version, obviously – has an edge to it that makes me think she's only ever one overambitious dance step away from sounding unattractive for the two and half minutes after that arresting opening.
But while most blogs concentrate on her chances of winning, there has been some controversy surrounding Sirusho's entry. To begin with, the young star had wanted to end her stage show with an exploding microphone, but Eurovision Express reports that competition organizers considered "blowing up a mike on stage is too dangerous."
Meanwhile, in post-presidential election Armenia, the radical opposition have effectively named Sirusho persona non grata and urged a boycott because of the singer's reported link to the former president's family as well as her active involvement in the pre-election campaign of his successor, Serge Sargsyan.
Interestingly, even some pro-opposition bloggers such as Unzipped, who also covered the singer's recent promotional tour in London, opposed the move.
Remember that in Eurovision Sirusho does not represent Armenian government or merely Public TV (anyone who reads this blog knows my critical opinion towards them). However, above anything else, Sirusho represents Armenia. I can’t boycott Armenian chess players just because chess federation is lead by Serj Sargsyan. I can’t boycott Armenian footballers just because of persona of FA president.
But if Armenia's Sirusho has captured the imagination of many Eurovision bloggers out there, Azerbaijan comes in second from the three South Caucasus republics with the somewhat flamboyant and seemingly eccentric Elnur & Samir. Eurovision Song Contest 2008 describes the song and considers that it also stands a chance of making it into the final if only because it is “over the top.”
If there's one thing Day After Day cannot be accused of, it is subtlety. […] the Azeris have looked at the contest and decided that what it needs, and what it takes, is three minutes of pure theatre. Had anyone asked me prior to this year's songs being chosen which country I thought would produce the campest entry of 2008, Azerbaijan would never have figured in my top 40, let alone my top 5. And yet look at what they are giving us: an OTT tale of elicit passion, with pop-rock sensibilities, a splash of ethnicity and a falsetto faux-opera prologue, played out by the archangel and the Devil himself. If ever there was a recipe for success in the Eurovision Song Contest in the 21st century, I'd say the Azeris have found it. However unintelligible it may be.
And that's whether we like it or not. Day After Day bears all the hallmarks of a song that will do well regardless of its musical quality; it is so impudent it simply must be rewarded. Which is not to say it suffers a lack of quality. The music, while unspectacularly well produced, knows which buttons to push and when to push them. As you might expect, the strings carry much of the melodrama, while the electric and bass guitars are put to good use in producing the underlying atmosphere. The general sense is of a composer very much aware of what he's there to do: produce a workmanlike backdrop of sound against which the histrionics can unfold.
[…]
I am very confident that we will be seeing Azerbaijan in the final, and wouldn't be at all surprised to see them coming top of the class in 2008.
Posh & Becks of Eurovision isn't so convinced and describes it as "horrendous screaming and…well…weird and crazy." All Kinds of Everything for Eurovision 2008 agrees.
Azerbaijan has given a new dimension to the phrase “over the top”. One of the few lines that you can make out in this awfully pronounced English is “save us from all this” and never has a line been so appropriate. Again the backdrop is the only think that’s working in the performance, as the camera work is awful and there’s so much going on on stage that you can’t distinguish anything from a mixture of pyrotechnics and quasi operatic screaming. Sadly this is likely to qualify because of the Turkish and Azeri diaspora, but it certainly needs a lot of work by the delegation to make it look good on screen.
Still, one thing in Azerbaijan's favor from a blogging point of view is the constantly updated LifeBlog of Elnur & Samir. It might not be written by the duo themselves, but it does feature photos, videos and accounts from on the ground in Serbia. If prizes should be awarded for showmanship, it is these singers that would most likely win. Eurovision Song Contest News reports on how their debut in the competition has been received at home.
Elnur and Samir were asked about the interest of their nation for the Contest, since it's the country's first participation in Eurovision. They replied that enthusiasm grows steadily in their country. As for themselves, they admitted that it took them two days to realise what had happened after they won in their national selection. The two contestants concluded the press conference inviting everyone to a live concert with them and other artists from their country on stage and they presented the press pack, which included a fine selection of gifts and gadgets from the Land of Fire.
Which brings us on to Georgia and an entry by blind singer, Diana Gurtskaya. Unlike Armenia and Azerbaijan, the song — Peace Will Come — hasn't attracted as much attention even if it is somewhat poignant as tensions increase between the country and Russia over Abkhazia. The choice of song performed by a Georgian refugee from the breakaway region was not lost on some Eurovision pundits such as Eurovision Song Contest News.
Diana Gurtskaya started her press conference by singing her song for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, Peace Will Come, a cappella, and she did the same with the Hebrew song Jerusalem Of Gold, which she had previously recorded as well. When Diana was asked if she believed in the message of her song, she responded that, in fact, she was convinced that peace will come sooner or later. Talking about that, she also referred to her home region in Georgia, which is still in state of war today.
Eurovision Song Contest 2008 says the song is naïve and its message will be lost on an audience interested only in "three hours of brainless entertainment."
Of course, that depends whether you consider sending a blind woman to perform an anthem in which she is basically saying “if I can see this why can't you” to be naïve, and many would say that it is actually about as studied as you can get. The mere fact that the song is a peace anthem though is what makes it naïve: as well-meant as these things possibly are, they frequently come across as disingenuous, especially in a contest where people don't necessarily want a song with a message. Eurovision may be designed to bring people together, but no one wants the credo shoved down their throats, and in that sense what you are saying is bound to fall on deaf ears. That may even be in spite of the fact that the message is pertinent to the situation in the country it is representing, as with Peace Will Come and the instability plaguing Georgia. In this day and age people are cynical enough without Eurovision force-feeding them moral virtue. Wrong audience.
Well, with the first semi-final scheduled for 20 May and the final four days later, there isn't long to wait now to see how this year's Eurovision Song Contest plays out. Meanwhile, you can check out the entries from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in the videos below. Enjoy.
Sirusho, Armenia
Elnur & Samir, Azerbaijan
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgia


text:
Dominican Republic: The Defeat of the PRD · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) suffered a defeat in the recent elections in the Dominican Republic. Some residents of Las Caobas commemorated the defeat with by “burying” the party. Reynaldo Brito of Imágenes Dominicanas [es] has a photo.


text:
Iran: A graffiti talks about Tehran · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kodakiam has published a photo of a huge graffiti in Tehran. The blogger says this graffiti shows real face of Terhan such as violence.

author: Fred Petrossian


text:
Iran: Remember Palestine · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Muslim Bloggers Association, in Iran, has published a logo to “remind 60th year of occupation of Palestine.”


text:
Iran:Six Bahai’s Leaders were arrested · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Naghidiagr, Iranian blogger, informs  [Fa] us that Iranian security forces arrested six Bahai‘s religious leaders in Iran. The blogger reminds that Bahai students have no right to go to univestiy in Iran.


text:
Japan: A surge of suicides · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

Over the past few weeks, the Japanese media have been extensively reporting suicide cases associated with the use of hydrogen sulfide gas, providing detailed description of ingredients and methods used, as well as victims’ profiles. The recent media reporting has been so extensive and sensationalized that the Japan Suicide Prevention Association requested that media organizations be more careful with their reporting [jp]. The phenomenon has stirred up conversation among Japanese bloggers, who hold differing views on the topic.
Blogger Misuto comments on the recent phenomenon:
一日に約、90人
が自殺により命をおとすようです
年間3万人
自殺原因第一位は、鬱によるものらしいです
勿論先進国のなかで一位
それにしても多いですね、驚いた
最近なんかはニュースで
硫化水素自殺のニュースが非常に多いですよね
これから自殺者が年々減っていけばよいのですが・・・。
Blogger hakobe writes:
自殺を防ぐ（＝生きたいと思わせる）には
その人自身が必要とされているという実感
と
必要とされたいと思えるような相手（社会，人…etc）
が必要なんだと思う．
硫化水素自殺が流行っているらしい．
硫化水素を発生させるための情報や薬品の排除がすすめられているようだけど，「今」「硫化水素で」自殺する人が減る「かもしれない」だけの対症療法．
“対症療法”をいくら重ねても，こんな世の中のままじゃ自殺予備軍はきっと減らないよ．
No matter how many measures may be taken, if society remains as it is, the number of potential suicides will probably not decrease.
Some bloggers are critical of the media's handling of the cases. This blogger suggests that the media stop reporting suicides altogether:
自殺の連鎖を食い止める方法をなんとかせないかんの違いますかね？
Isn't it that we have to do something to stop the cycle of suicides?
人はなぜか、「やって！」というとやらないで、
「しないで欲しい」っていうと、やってしまう。。。
そういう傾向ってありますよね。
だから、メディアでやめてくださいみたいなことをいうと
やっちゃう人でてくるんじゃないっすかね？
So, when the media say “don't do this”, then there will be people who do it, won't there?
そのメディアも、たしかに真実を伝えるっていうことは重要ですが、
逆に硫化水素自殺の報道を一切やめるっていうのはどうでしょうかね？
日本ってのは情報に流されやすいのか、
テレビで取り扱わなかった場合ってあっという間に飽きられると
私は思うんです。そう。飽きっぽい。
ちょい前に「韓流ブーム」とか、「ハンカチ王子」とかあったでしょ？
放送しなかったら途端に忘れちゃう人が多いと思うんです。
※本当に好きな人は別で。
A while ago, there were the “Korea boom” and “Hankachi Ōji (Handkerchief Prince)”, remember?
I think that there are many things that people would forget about if they were not broadcast.
*except for those people who really like these things.
「毒ギョーザ事件」
ほら。忘れてたでしょ？
See, you forgot all about it right?
まだ問題は解決してませんが、うやむやのまま流れていくんです。
私も含め、そういう日本の特質というんでしょうか
飽きっぽいのは悪い癖だと思うんです。
This is a kind of characteristic of Japanese people, myself included
I think it's a bad habit.
んじゃ、硫化水素のこともメディアで取り扱わなかったら
その自殺の連鎖も止まるかもしれません！！
そうだ！マスコミがその鍵を握っているんだぁぁぁ！！
。。。ふぅ
…phew
Blogger taishibrian discusses how the Internet has become the target of blame and points out that the Japanese media do not comply with the guideline set by WHO for media reporting of suicide cases:
オープンかつフラットなネットの世界においては、例えば漂白用に使う硫化水素の発生リスクについて書かれたページもあれば、硫化水素よりも致死性が高いであろう有機系の薬品に関する記載もあったりします。ただしその情報は、目的を持って検索されなければ普通の人の目には触れるはずのないものであり、マスコミがその情報に到達させるようなヒントを流しているというリスクも考えなければいけません。そしてそれを削除せよなんて後手の対策はいたちごっこでしかなく、練炭の次は硫化水素、その次は。。。という悪循環に陥るだけです。
WHOでは自殺予防ガイドラインとして、メディアが遵守すべき自殺防止への報道のあり方を定義しています。
http://www8.cao.go.jp/souki/tebiki.pdf（PDFファイル）
●写真や遺書を公表しない
●自殺の方法について詳細に報道しない
●原因を単純化して報じない
●自殺を美化したりセンセーショナルに報じない
●宗教的・文化的な固定観念を用いない
●自殺を責めない
これらは逆に現在のマスコミの報道姿勢をそのまま示している感じすらするような内容です。[…]
These points almost seem like they are describing what the current state of the mass media is.[…]

author: Hanako Tokita


text:
Japan: Earthquake aid starts healing process · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

The largest ever dispatch of aid to China from Japan took place last week when Japanese rescue teams were dispatched to Chongqing, an area of China with deep-rooted anti-Japan sentiments. After several days of delays, 61 Japanese earthquake experts from the Hyper Rescue team of the Tokyo Fire Department were allowed to enter China on Thursday, in addition to an initial $4.8 million in cash and goods. In total only two countries governments, those of Japan and Taiwan, were allowed to enter send rescue forces into China by the Chinese government. Japan in particular was selected for its extensive experience and technical expertise in handling earthquakes, recently in disasters such as the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995.
While the Chinese government was cautious in opening the door to Japanese aid, the Chinese people have been desperately pleading for it, and when it arrived, showed their extreme gratitude [zh] with an openness that has surprised many Japanese. In an article posted at ZakZak entitled “Has ‘Anti-Japan’ disappeared? A storm of ‘thank yous’ on the net for the dispatch of rescue teams” (「反日」消えた？　救援隊派遣でネットに「謝謝」の嵐 ) [ja], the following line is quoted from a Chinese bulletin board:
≪私は日本人が嫌いだった。かつて無数の中国人を殺した。でもそれは前の世代のこと。援助隊は人数こそ少ないが私はとても感謝したい。中日の永遠の友好関係に発展することを望む。日本の友よ、ありがとう≫
Comments on a Chinese-language Baidu bulletin board [zh] express similar sentiments. Commenter 272657335 writes:
日本各大电视台从昨天晚上开始，作为头条新闻连续不断地报道中国灾区的灾情。今天，日本记者更是深入成都等地，从现场发来图像报道。日本深受地震之害，因此，对于中国灾区的关注度更高。
An anonymous poster writes:
人道主义无国界,是人都应该懂的,我们从这次灾难后再看到其他国家发生灾害的时候也会多一些感同身受,日本就是因为如此才会比很多国家人性.
NeCo_shan writes:
友好的人还是很多的.
我们要相信这个世界没有真正的仇恨.
不需要如此偏见.
An anonymous poster writes:
虽然两国关系一直都不是很好
但我们祖国的人民还要谢谢你们
至少日本比那些什么韩国、印尼、马来西亚、越南等等以及一些欧洲前社会主义国家到现在连个慰问都没有的国家都要好多啦
At Follow My Heart, one Japanese blogger reacts to the news by pointing out how few people know about the history of Japanese aid to China:
戦後、日本が償いとして中国にいろいろと経済的に援助してきたことを、一般の国民にはよく知らされていないという話を聞いたことがあります。今回、日本の援助、特にこうした人道的援助が大々的に報道されたことの影響は大きいでしょう。
特に震災地域は日中戦争で重慶爆撃を経験し、最も反日感情が強い地域とされているそう。政治的な様々な問題、そして外交策としての意図がありますが、そんなことよりも、只々、国境・国籍を越えて、困っている人、苦しんでいる人を助けたいという一生懸命な援助活動を目の当たりにしたとき、過去の恨みを現在の恩が越える・・・　『恨み ＜ 恩』になってはじめて、『未来志向』という言葉が出るものなのかもしれません。
Blogger doronjyo3sei remarks that:
これでやっと中国共産党が国内引き締めのために行い、国民の中に深く浸透していた日本敵視感情がなくなるかもしれません。
Hearing the news of the positive reaction to Japanese assistance, blogger Takatsuka makes a plea to the Chinese people:
中国の人に言いたいのは、今の日本人を見て、それで本当の日本を知れと。反日教育を通じてもたらされた昔日本軍がどうしたとかの情報と、コントロールされ、流されるがままに持った反日感情をもとにブーイングをするんじゃなくて、まず自分の目で見て、現代の日本人の姿を確かめろと。それさえ判れば、スポーツ、特にサッカーの試合でとった行動がどれだけ恥ずかしいものだったのかを理解できるはず。
Blogger kodomodaisuki describes fund-raising activities in Japan for Chinese earthquake victims, driven by a shared history of earthquake disasters:
中国・四川大地震の現地から日々伝わってくる被害状況を受け、日本各地で募金などの支援の輪が広がっている模様だ。
特にこれまでも阪神大震災など、地震被害の経験が多い日本の人々からしてみれば、ひとごととは思えない隣国の惨状が、人々を突き動かしているのだろう。
今朝、東京のＪＲ新宿駅前では、災害などで親を失った子どもを支援する「あしなが育英会の奨学生や中国人留学生ら約５０人が緊急募金で街角に立ったという。
通りかかった買い物客や家族連れが足をとめ、次々と募金していたという。
また、同会は今回の地震で親を亡くした遺児たちに心のケアをしようと、６月半ばに、中国四川省に向けて使節団を派遣するという。
さらに中華街で有名な横浜市栄区でこの日始まった国際交流の催し「あーすフェスタかながわ」でも、各国の伝統料理などの屋台の一角に募金箱が並んだという。
地元の横浜華僑総会とＮＰＯ法人「地球市民ＡＣＴかながわ」のボランティアらの手によるものだという。
そして横浜中華街でも昨日までに、実に全店舗約３００店に義援金箱が置かれたそうだが、これらは皆、横浜山手中華学校中学部の生徒１３６人が手づくりしたものなのだという。
横浜中華街発展会協同組合の林兼正理事長は阪神大震災の後、中華街で集めた義援金約６００万円を手に被災地に入った経験をお持ちだった事もあり、今回の中国での大地震に、中華街の支援の動きは素早かった。
「現金で１００万円を持ってきてくれる人もいた。５月いっぱい義援金を集めて中国大使館に手渡したい」と語っており、さらに大使館や横浜市と義援金以外の支援策も検討中だという。
Finally, blogger Harumonian SEED provides a long but very personal take on the earthquake relief effort, drawing a comparison between the Japanese experience of the Great Hanshin Earthquake and the Chinese experience of the current disaster. The following is a translation of the first half of the post in Japanese:
中国の地震はとても大変な出来事でした。
私自身神戸の出身で、あの阪神大震災では実家にいた家族も親類も被災し、友人を亡くしました。
今回の四川省での地震もとても人事とは思えませんでした。
行方不明の大事な家族や友人を心配する気持ちも、亡くなってしまった命を悼む気持ちも、まるで自分のことのように胸に迫ります。
胸を痛めながらも、地震の続報を目にするにつけ、胸が熱くなることもあります。
義援金や人的援助をいち早く決めた日本。
人々の心の底には、やはり阪神大震災で生まれたひとつの「思い」があるのでしょう。
あくまで私的な思いなのですが…
阪神大震災では、私たち日本人は人と人との繋がりの強さを再確認したと思います。
瓦礫の下から、家族隣人分け隔てなくとにかく人の命を助けたいという切なる思いを抱いたこと。
被災地から遠く離れた場所に住んでいる人たちが、自分のことのように胸を痛め、ボランティアで被災地の救援に来てくださったこと。
日本各地から海外から、救援の物資や人材が届いたこと。
どれをとっても、薄れかけていた人と人との絆を、もう一度強く結びなおすような出来事であったと思います。
人間の感情の部分でいえば、なかなか割り切れない大勢の大切な人の死。
けれど、薄れかけている大事なことを知らしめるために、犠牲になってくださった人々の気高い魂にあらためて感謝したいと思います。
今回の中国での地震も同じなのではないかと思うのです。
日本人の目に映る中国は、最近評価が分かれていたことと思います。
だからと言って中国の人々のどこがどうというわけではなく。
そういう国の体制だとか、必要なことを選べない制度だとかが問題なのであって、「中国」という国そのものに対しての悪い印象が広がったのではないかと思います。
けれども、日本の人々は「何が大切か」をきちんと学んでいました。
日ごろの様々な行き違いや摩擦などものともしない「人と人との絆」がどれだけ大切であるのか。
そんな日本の人々の切ないほどの思いが、中国の人々に伝わっていくことを願います。
事実もともと半日感情の強い中国の人々の日本に対する感情が溶け始めているというニュースが届いています。
日本の救援隊に対して、また、義援金を寄付すると表明した日本企業に対しての評価が変わりつつある、と。
地震を通して被害にあわれた人々の魂は、その身をもって、「隣人」の大切さを教えてくれているのではないでしょうか。
再び、それを知らしめるために犠牲になられた尊い命に感謝しなければならないと思います。
Thanks to Leonard for translations of Chinese bulletin board messages.


text:
Macau: Wave of solidarity with Sichuan, China · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Laocardo [pt] reports that 13 tonnes of supplies offered by the Red Cross of Macau were donated today to the relief of Sichuan victims, in China. The blogger reminds readers to be generous but cautious “Make sure that donation collectors are well identified, because – and unfortunately it is normal to happen in these situations – some people take advantage of benefactors for personal profit”.

author: Paula Góes


text:
Malaysia: Save Malacca Straits Project · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Professor AK-47 blogs about the Save Malacca Straits Project. The program promotes “safety of navigation and the sustainability of resources and economic development in the Straits.”


text:
Myanmar: “A wonderful place in the wrong hands” · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A Filipino journalist writing for pcij.org was in Myanmar when a powerful cyclone hit the country early this month. The writer comments: “Burma struck me as a rich country with so many poor people. It is a wonderful place in the wrong hands.”


text:
Myanmar: Invasion is counterproductive · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Commenting on the proposal to invade Myanmar, Accumulating Peripherals believes that “An actual invasion or an attempt to seize and secure the entire hurricane-affected area for relief efforts would be wildly counterproductive”


text:
Syria: Crisis in Neighboring Lebanon · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

As the Lebanese leaders go to Doha, Qatar, to resume their “National Dialogue”, here is a roundup of what Syrian bloggers had to say on the latest crisis in Lebanon.
The crisis which was sparked by the 2 controversial government decisions aimed against the opposition, and especially against Hizbulla, and the swift response by Hizbulla with civil disobedience that developed into a military operation that put Hizbulla in control of Beirut in two days, and left 100 people dead. All of this coupled with political tension accumulating for more than two years, and the threat of a sectarian strife, brought back to the Lebanese to the horrid memories of their civil war.
The Syrian bloggers were as divided as their counterparts in Lebanon about who is to blame for this latest crisis, and what must be done to avoid such events in the future.
We start with Ayman‘s post titled “Rai” or “Opinion” [Ar]:
لقد آلمني كثيراً أن يستعمل حزب الله سلاحه في صراع سياسي داخلي، وأن أرى صور المسلحين الملثمين في شوارع بيروت من جديد. لكني لا أستطيع أن أخفي شماتتي لانكسار شوكة جماعة 14 آذار.
[…]
إن بلداً كلبنان يستحق أكثر من أن يكون دمية بيد الخارج، ويستحق حكاماً أفضل من مجرمي الحرب الذين على رأس السلطة الآن.
It was truly painful to me to see Hizbulla using its arms in an internal political conflict, and to see pictures of masked gunmen in the streets of Beirut again. But I can't hide my joy for having them broken the thorn of the forces of March 14.
[…]
A country like Lebanon deserves a lot more than to be just a puppet for foreign powers, and it deserves better leaders than the war criminals who are in power now.
This is how Sasa started his coverage of the events:
There's not much I can add. It's a mess, and as usual, it's a mess of Lebanon's creating.
Hizbollah is to blame for starting this civil violence. March 14 is to blame for letting this political crisis fester for 18 months.
Wassim of Maysaloon, writes about what he perceives as the “Liberation of Beirut“:
After so much talk, so much posturing and so much thuggery in the end it took only 24 hours for Beirut to be liberated. Let me come out clean from the start, those men who flushed out the Future movement and surrounded Jumblatt are clean men, strong men and, I feel, the most honourable men in the region.
While Abu Kareem of the Levantine Dreamhouse, makes his case against Hizbulla's military action, and says “Hizb Should Disband its Militia“:
I have little sympathy for most of the March 14 politicians but my anger today is directed squarely at Hizbullah and Nasrallah. Many of us, because Hizbullah managed to deliver a black eye to the Israeli army in the summer of 2006, seem to be willing to overlook their transgressions or question their political motives. But I cannot escape the fact that, no matter how you slice it, the presence of an independent militia, armed to the teeth, that is accountable to no one is an unsustainable and destabilizing situation in a sovereign state. The repeated claims, that the arms are only for protection against Israel, ring hollow, especially in the last twenty four hours with Nasrallah’s bombastic threats of civil war if he does not get his way.
Over at Joshua Landis‘ Syria Comment, he writes on Rex Brynen's (of McGill University) argument that Hizbullah has blundered, saying:
He is correct that the Shiite move on Sunni West Beirut has exacerbated sectarian anxieties and fears – not only Sunni fears, but Christian fears as well. Lebanon's other sects now realize how little stands between them and Hizbullah's militia.
Second, Sunnis such as Salim al-Hoss and Najib Mikati who would be expected to lead Lebanon in a compromise and who have showed themselves in the past to be willing to work with Syria even at the most trying of times, have taken an anti-Hizbullah line.
Also at Syria Comment, Qifa Nabki, presents a comprehensive analysis of what happened in Lebanon in the last few years, and how that culminated in last weeks crisis:
It is tempting to regard the political stalemate that has gripped Lebanon for the past seventeen months – with all of its futile spats and squabbles, accusations and recriminations – as yet another example of the mundane and self-destructive charade of Lebanese democracy. The level of discourse among the political elite has fallen so low that it is often scarcely distinguishable from the sloganeering of propagandists and the taunts of schoolyard bullies.
And last but not least, Razan reports on one largely forgotten victim in this conflict, Syrian workers in Lebanon:
This is something that will not be mentioned in the media of March 14 or in the media of the opposition because both could care less about the plight of Syrian workers in Lebanon. Today, Hariri militia men in the North stopped a bus carrying Syrian workers and shot at them.

author: Yazan Badran


text:
Afghanistan: Children’s Beggary · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

SunLeaf tells a story of a kid, whose experience is an eye-opening yet bittersweet account of ‘what it takes’ to survive as a street working child in Afghanistan.

author: Adil Nurmakov


text:
Afghanistan: Killing with Impunity · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

SunLeaf reacts to the UN investigation into the disregard of for the fundamental rights of the Afghan citizens, which reads that civilian casualties in Afghanistan were intolerably high, and often could be avoided.


text:
Albania: A Walk in Tirana · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Living in Shkoder takes a walk through Tirana's quiet backstreets.


text:
Arabeyes: Mourning for Hadeel  · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Saudi blogger Hadeel El Hadeef passed away exactly a month after her 25th birthday. Bloggers from around the region come together to mourn the death and celebrate the life of the blogger, whose contributions and humanity will continue to remain a living legacy on the world wide web.
Known for her beautiful writings, the daughter of renowned Saudi reformer and writer Dr. Mohamed El Hadeef, grabbed the attention of the blogosphere after slipping into a coma last month.
On April 17, Hadeel was celebrating her 25th birthday and wrote :
منذ شهر وأنا أعد ُ نفسي بالغد، رتبت لاحتفال كبير، وخططت لكل شيء فيه، التفاصيل الصغيرة اعتنيت بها جيداً، وحرصت أن يخرج الحفل كما يليق بالعام الخامس والعشرين من حياتي.
فكرت بأني يجب أن أحتفل جيداً هذا العام، وأحتفل وحيدة، لا أريد مباركات الأصدقاء، ولا مجاملات المعارف، فوصولي لمنتصف العمر شيء يخصني وحدي، ولا أظن أن أحداً سيذكره لو لم يذكر ذلك في صفحة (فيس بوك)، أو منبه الميلاد الذي راسلني الجميع بشأنه، طالبين مني إدراج تاريخ ميلادي، لئلا ينسوه!
بخصوص فكرة منتصف العمر، فقد كانت نابعة من أمنيتي القديمة والمستمرة بأن أموت عند سن الستين، لذا فالسنوات منذ غداً وحتى بعد خمس سنوات، هي سنوات منتصف العمر الذي حددته لنفسي، وسيكون من المهم أن لا أقصر مع نفسي بشيء خلالها، وأدللها قبل أن يبدأ الزمن بالعد لي تنازلياً..
غداً ميلادي، وأعرف أن ذلك لا يهم أحداً حقيقة، حتى والديّ لا يعنيهما كثيراً يوم ميلادي، رغم أني ابنتهما البكر، لكن ٧ أتوا من بعدي يشفع لهما نسيانهما، أو تناسيهما.
كل عام وأنا بخير جداً، كل عام وأنا أجد في نفسي ما يستحق الاحتفال، كل عام وأنا أعثر على مبرر جديد لأحبني
I’ve been preparing for tomorrow's big celebration for a month. I have planned everything and personally took care of all the small details. I was keen for a celebration which suited the 25th year of my life. I decided to celebrate this year to the fullest, and celebrate it alone. No need for friends’ blessings or acquaintances’ compliments. Reaching the middle of my life is very personal, and I reckon nobody would remember that, had it not been for my FaceBook profile or the birthday alarm that everybody asked me to fill out – so that they don't forget it.
Regarding the idea of the middle age, it’s because of my old and permanent wish to die when I am 60. That’s why the years starting from tomorrow for the next five years are the middle age years that I have decided for myself. It would be important to spoil myself these years before the start of the countdown.
Tomorrow is my birthday, and I know nobody cares about this, not even my parents who don’t know much about my birthday, even though I am their eldest daughter, but seven (other siblings) came after me, and so I forgive them for not remembering.
Happy birthday to me. Every year I find good reasons to celebrate. And every year I find a new reason to love myself.
A few days later, the news spread everywhere: forums, blogs, websites, newspapers.  Hadeel went into a deep coma. Not a single doctor knew the reason for her coma. Bloggers started praying for her recovery and a Facebook group was opened to pray for Hadeel to get out of her coma. Her last post on her blog “Heaven Steps” turned into a yard for comments.
On May 17, the Facebook group announced the news of her death. Soon the Saudi and Egyptian blogospheres turned into a wide page of condolences to her family, regretting the loss of a talented, cultured and passionate human like her.
Abdou Basha, an Egyptian blogger wrote  a post entitled: The death of a Saudi blogger:
هديل الحضيف.. توفت اليوم، كيف علمت؟ منذ دقائق عن طريق رسالة وصلتني من مجموعة الكترونية كونها أصدقاء هديل بعد مرضها الأخير، من هي هديل؟ هل هي مجرد مدونة سعودية؟ أجيب بكل ثقة: لا، استطيع أن أصفها بأنها انسانة سعودية مميزة، ويستطيع أي عربي أن يفتخر بقراءة كلماتها وان يشعر بأن هناك أمل.. أمل في البشر، وفي كلماتهم ورؤيتهم
Hadeel El Hadeef.. Passed away today. How did I know?.. I knew minutes ago by a message from the electronic group opened by her friends after her illness. Who is Hadeel? Just a Saudi blogger?
I would reply confidently: No, I can say she is a special Saudi human being. And every Arab can be proud while reading her words and feels there is hope.. hope in the humanity, their words and visions.
أعلم ان كلماتي هنا.. غير مفيدة لأحد غيري، أردت أن أسجل كلمات أعبر بها عن صدمتي وأن أؤكد على أن هديل من الشخصيات التي يصعب نسيان وجودها حتى إن كان وجودها ضمن واقع افتراضي، أن هذا العنوان العبثى أعلاه ـ وفاة مدونة سعودية، لا ولن يصلح أبدا مع هديل، فهي لقرائها ومتابعيها وزملائها، أكثر من هذا بكثير
I know that my words here won’t benefit anybody but me. I wrote these to record my shock hearing the news, and to admit that Hadeel was a personality that could not be easily forgotten even if it was only through virtual existence. And the above random title for this post “The death of a Saudi Blogger” would never go with a person like Hadeel. For she was to her readers, followers and colleagues, much more than this.

author: Eman AbdElRahman


text:
Argentina: Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo Nominated for Nobel Prize · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, an Argentine organization, were recently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize writes Victoria Tischik of Grito Argentino [es].


text:
Argentina: Ñoquis on the 29th of the Month · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Argentina's Travel Guide provides a bit of background history of why Argentines eat ñoquis on the 29th of every month.


text:
Argentina: Protest of Demolishment · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Basta de Demoler [es] (Enough with the Demolishment) posts video of the recent gathering in protest of an illegal and clandestine destruction of a historic building with colorful mural in the San Telmo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.


text:
Armenia, Russia: Shavarsh Karapetyan · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about Shavarsh Karapetyan, the man who saved 20 people in the trolley bus accident in Yerevan in 1976.


text:
Bahamas: Give Praise  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“This morning I woke up feeling as though there was a thick gummy layer of gelatine over my head — something too thick and yielding to ever push through — and I began to think about my father’s song, ‘Praise'”: Nicolette Bethel yearns for Bahamians to experience freedom from tyranny and fear.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Bahrain: Cult Books  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“What would you put on your list of books that have ‘rewired your head'?” asks Bint Batutta in Bahrain, who links to descriptions of some of The Telegraphs 50 Top Cult Books.


text:
Bahrain: Gender Challenged!!  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“You would think that it would be relatively easy for the CIO, who is entrusted to keep more than we like of our private and very personal information, that they would know the gender of a person whom they issue the mandatory Central Population Register (CPR) card, wouldn’t you?” asks Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif , whose friend's CPR card was issued with both businessman and businesswoman on it.


text:
Bhutan: Communists and the Press · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Freedom in Bhutan on the actions of the communists, who on the one hand demand that the government stop its brutalities, but on the other, threaten freedom of the press.

author: Neha Viswanathan


text:
Brazil: Investigating bloggers motivations · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Raquel Recuero [pt] is investigating the Brazilian blogosphere to assert “the motivations that people have to “pass on” any particular piece of information and how those motivations influence the way in which the social network “echoes” the same information”.


text:
Cape Verde: Three hours waiting to vote · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Eileen Barbosa [pt] reports that the elections in Cape Verde yesterday were marked by long queues and people's good will to attend to the polls. “Personally, I found it quite inadmissible, but many people went ahead and… gave up! Who can blame them, more than three-hour wait  on a Sunday… Hopefully, this has been the first and last time it happened!”


text:
Central Asia: A Gas/Oil Party · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Patrick Frost reviews the experts’ reactions on Russia’s March 11 deal with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to buy their gas at world prices, which may signal a weakening Russian position in the region and rising regional cooperation between the Central Asian states.


text:
China:国殇; survival stories in QUAKE · Global Voices
Bob Chen

We live in Shenzhen.
Yesterday, when my mom was in a taxi home, she heard the driver muttering, “I have stopped my work for the entire 2 last days.”
“Why so?” curiously asking.
After a while of silence, he sighed: “I have been riveted by the TV, watching closely what was happening in Sichuan about the earthquake, not feeling like to budge at all…”
Listening to my mom tell about a common cab driver in a coastal city thousands of miles away from the epicenter, nevertheless pouring all his attention to another part of the country, I understand why the quake this time should be called a trauma of the whole China ——no matter where one is, what one does, he/she has been in these days mentally and even physically, a lot of them, connected to where people have been suffering the most.
Thrilled, panicked, confused, poor at utterance, then bursting into an emotional crack, finally into deep pathos, this mental process might have stricken a great many of the 1.3 billion Chinese in these days, regardless of the remoteness of their being from the epicenter.
At this point, all Chinese are all the same. That’s why shortly after the quake, a saying emerged on hundreds of net forums, websites, and text messages:
Survival stories————————————-School came to be where funerals happened.
Shattered schools formed the most agonizing pictures in this earthquake. Their easy collapses took thousands of innocent children away. The authority has promised to check who should be responsible for these shoddy constructions.
A shattered school
Precious young lives were buried by such a low quality, but also a lot got saved, primarily, by their teachers.
Among those names tied to the crisis and  unforgotten by China, teachers’ take up a notable place. They brought hope to children.
This girl teacher is only 20. In the school in Shifang where she worked, she ran time after time into the 3-story teaching building to save the best she could. While at the last time she got buried forever. 13 students were saved by her.
In Shifang as well, a reporter from Chongqing recorded how a girl got her life saved by a teacher.
王周明是名年轻教师,是50多名学生的班主任。地震发生时,他指挥学生分两路,从教室的前、后门逃生。房屋垮塌的一瞬间,他一个箭步冲上前去,把还没跑出教室的一名女生推出教室。这时,一根粗大的横梁打在他头上,他的头盖骨被击碎……
Wang Zhouming is a young teacher, who takes charge of 50 students. When the tremor occurred, he led the students to escape from 2 ways, the front and back door separately. Exactly at the time when the house crumbling to dust, he rushed to a girl and pushed her away, hit dead by a crossbeam on the head himself.
At the same school, another teacher protected 3 girls with her own body.
Moreover, in a middle school at Deyang, Hanwan town(德阳，汉汪镇）, a rescue crew described what he saw on the relic:
我们发现他的时候，他双臂张开着趴在课桌上，身下还死死地护着4个学生，4个学生都活了！”
When we found him (a teacher), he stretched his arms lying on the desk, with 4 students protected under his body. They are all alive, except the teacher.
In a report from China-army net, a journalist told what he witnessed at a kindergarten in Beichuan county, where so far over 8000 have been killed.
很快，这个叫成思羽的女孩也救出来了。此刻，战士被眼前的场景惊呆了——在孩子身边，竟紧紧地围着3个雕像般凝固住女老师。显然，她们在生命最后的时刻，用自己的躯体保护住了孩子……
…..Very soon, the girl named Cheng-siyu was rescued. But the soldiers were then stunned at the scene——right around the kid 3 statue-like female teachers were embosoming her. Obviously, they protected the kid at the last moment of their life.
Beichuan (北川）county, a devastated town, a dead place, fell down in the quake waves. Troops spent quite a few hours before they managed to enter the town due to the landslide and broken roads.
How a journalist described such a flattened place is here
记者摸着巨石,踩着泥泞,手脚并用,好久才能下到几十米深的县城。当记者进入灾后的川北县城时,实在不敢相信眼前的惨状:整个县城内的楼房几乎无一完整,大部分被夷为平地、一片狼藉,几处废墟还冒着浓浓的黑烟。抗震救援的车队、人群不时掠过。
而更令人恐惧的是,每一处堆积如山的废墟下,都可能埋着受困的群众。据了解,这个拥有1万多人口的小城,目前确切证实成功逃生的仅4000余人。
I followed huge rocks and creeped upon mud with my hands and legs, taking hours trying to down to the county meters below. I could hardly believe what was exposed in front of me: not a single house is intact, most of them flattened, all the mess, and a few relics still smoking. Trucks and rescuers rowed past.
A more grisly fact is that under every huge debris there could be trapped people. As far as I know, only 4000 of the total 10000 here have survived.
The town witnessed numerous touching, saddening moments.
In the first days the town is hardly accessible, because the roads had not yet been repaired.
Thus little rescue was available. But even before the first soldier managed to rush in, 7 teachers had led 72 students to fight a way out, along a winding path in the mountains to the world outside. They marched for 6 hours, during which they had to avoid all the falling rocks and periodic aftershocks, and pouring rain.
The 72 kids were finally safe.
The thirst for survival drove many to risk all the adversity to struggle a way out. A couple went further than the teachers and students aforementioned. After collecting some money from their shattered house, the couple spent 30 hours trudging through 6 mountains and running to the world outside.
And so were this pair of children!
The brother, Zhang-jiwan, carried his 3-year-old sister on the back, and rushed out of Beichuan County. They had spent 12 hours before the reporter took the picture and helped them to Mainyang. Their parents were migrant workers, not at home. Their grandparents were too old to walk fast. The boy thus took the responsibility like a man.
Over 1 thousand victims have escaped from their hometown, Beichuan, on feet through the mountains, under falling rocks and rain, to find the new hope of life.
Also in Beichuan.
So many flesh monuments have explained what human nature is.
A personal note of a journalist writes:
在县城一处倒塌的房前，一面平移了四五米的墙壁死死地压在两个大人身上，大人身下又护着一位小女 孩。人们纷纷谈论，将孩子护在身下的肯定是小女孩的家长，危难关头.
In a collapsed house in the county, a shifting wall tightly pressed upon two adults, with one little girl lying under them. People talked over, that it must be the parents that protected their child at the crisis.
People sacrificed  more or less for their life.
Yue-yue, a girl whose primary school of totally 500 children was destroyed by a landslide, got buried for 3 days. Her left leg was pressed under the relic, unable to be moved out. The rescuers had to make the tough decision to amputate the leg.
Chen, the doctor, heard Yue-yue imploring: please！Just don’t cut off my leg.”
20 minutes, after the necessary surgery, she was pulled out. And Yue-yue asked,” Am I the bravest?”
Chen couldn’t help but covered his eyes……
But her schoolmate Fan-quanyan was not so lucky. After 60 hours being trapped under the relic, she was saved. But shortly after 10 minutes, not even before the crowd could take time to celebrate, her breath ceased.
A tall and strong soldier kneeled down by her, saying,” sorry, I am so sorry…..”
And the following pictures were taken exactly one day (7 hours, actually) before the earthquake.
The senior 3 kids of Beichuan middle school were taking a chance to relax, as the fate-determined college entrance exam was approaching.
People found the pictures from a blog of Mr. Tang, a teacher there. After the quake, though thousands of anxious netizens were waiting for this blogger, the blog was not updated. People came to moan that the kids were never more, only their smiling preserved. The middle school had 1200 students buried in this tremor.
But finally, reporters from South Metropolis Daily found the teacher, and the great news is, all the kids on the pictures were safe! Their building narrowly escaped the disaster.
How many more survival stories should I account to record so deep a cut on China but so strong a will of Chinese for survival? It’ll never be sufficient.
What could have supported those victims’ will of survival after being buried under the relic for tens of hours, in a confined space, without sustenance, without a slight voice from outside, and without any light?It might be just a bottle of Coke.
The boy, Xue-Xiao, 17, was finally rescued out after 80 hours stranded. His first words are: “I want a Coke…”
“Sure, soon!” rescuers answered.
“And cool Coke.” He added.
The Coke boy
The boy was hotly discussed on the internet, the footage recording the scene by CCTV widely circulated. Some thought Coke should really pay him for the advertisement, and some questioned the boy was too addicted. But most people just thought he was so optimistic and innocent.
But those chiding the boy of saying so trivial a thing should be regretting. The boy’s right hand and leg were all necrotic, soon being amputated. He could no longer take up a coke with his habitual hand.
Another man, after being trapped for 129 hours, got saved. And 2 hours later, he passed away. The tough-minded life passed away at the very last moment.
The story of a mom should be proper to end this article. （A rough translation)
抢救人员发现她的时候，她已经死了，是被垮塌下来的房子压死的，透过那一堆废墟的的间隙可以看到她死亡的姿势，双膝跪着，整个上身向前匍匐着，双手扶着地 支撑着身体，有些象古人行跪拜礼，只是身体被压的变形了，看上去有些诡异。救援人员从废墟的空隙伸手进去确认了她已经死亡，又在冲着废墟喊了几声，用撬棍 在在砖头上敲了几下，里面没有任何回应
She was found dead under the collapsed house, kneeling down, creeping and leaning forward, both hands on the ground holding her body…..
经过一番努力，人们小心的把挡着她的废墟清理开，在她的身体下面躺着她的孩子，包在一个红色带黄花的小被子里，大概有3、4个月大，因为母亲身体庇护着，他毫发未伤，抱出来的时候，他还安静的睡着，他熟睡的脸让所有在场的人感到很温暖。
Suddenly, people found a 3-4 month baby under her body, wrapped in a red-yellow quilt. Because of the mother’s protecting, he remained unhurt. He was sleeping so peacefully, making all the people around warm.
随行的医生过来解开被子准备做些检查，发现有一部手机塞在被子里，医生下意识的看了下手机屏幕，发现屏幕上是一条已经写好的短信“亲爱的宝贝，如果你能活着，一定要记住我爱你”，看惯了生离死别的医生却在这一刻落泪了，手机传递着，每个看到短信的人都落泪了。
When the doctors were examining the kid, a cell phone was found inside the quilt. An already written text message appeared on the screen.
“Dear baby, if you are alive, please remember I love you.”
The baby. Her mother's gone. But isn't it herself a symbol of new life, the new life of all those suffered so much?

author: Bob Chen


text:
China and Taiwan: Cement Board Partition · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

In the Sichuan earthquake, many new school buildings had fallen apart. Thousands of school kids lost their lives. Hsueh, a taiwanese blogger, explained in details, the danger of cement board partition in modern construction [zh].

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
China: Red Cross China Questioned · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Red Cross refused to give public account to 163.com ‘s donation to Sichuan earthquake (about RMB1.8 million, about USD 0.2 million). The portal website made a public announcement yesterday that they would stop the cooperation with Red Cross China and many netizens criticized Red Cross China’ bureaucratic attitude in its relief work [zh]. (Tianya cache)


text:
Croatia: Marko Perkovic Thompson · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkan Baby writes about Marko Perkovic Thompson, “Croatia's leading rock star of present times.”


text:
Cuba: International Day vs. Homophobia · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It'd be churlish to criticise Ms Castro's work on behalf of one of the most marginalised minorities in Cuba. But her ability to essentially whitewash the atrocious treatment of Cuban homosexuals over the past 50 years…is, well, breath-taking”: Child of the Revolution blogs about recent celebrations in Havana to mark International Day Against Homophobia.


text:
Czech Republic: Cycling Trip Report · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks describes and posts pictures from the first week of a cycling trip through the Czech Republic: “I slept in a 13th century hilltop castle, had coffee with the mayor of Moravská Třebová, was interviewed for the Svitavy daily newspaper and met a 96-year-old man who knew Oscar Schindler personally.”


text:
Driving in Jordan  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Jordan, wasapninjordan writes about driving standards in the kingdom.


text:
East Timor: Still hoping on the Independence Day · Global Voices
Paula Góes

FORUM HAKSESUK [pt] posts an article by Jorge Heitor about the anniversary of the independence of East Timor, and the uncertainty about the future. “Six years of independence for a suffering people, which has not yet fully met the freedom and development”. East Timor democratic self-government was achieved on May 20, 2002 after 24 years of occupation by Indonesia, and 3 years of UN governance.


text:
Egypt: A Taxi Driver’s Words of Wisdom  · Global Voices
Maya Norton

Israeli-American blogger Daniel Lubetsky, traveling in Egypt, interviews his taxi driver on leading figures in the Middle East. “I asked him to rank people or countries, thumbs up or thumbs down.  Here were his rankings on 24 questions from Bush to Ahmadinejad, from Olmert to Nasrallah, from Bin Laden to Anwar Sadat,” Lubetsky reports.

author: Maya Norton


text:
Egypt: Islamic Feminism Alive · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Islamic feminism is alive and well, writes Egyptian blogger Arima, in this first of a two-part series.


text:
Egypt: Myths about Protests  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Baheyya dispels four myths about protests in this post.


text:
Egypt: Sad for Hadeel  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Zeinobia, from Egypt, mourns the death of Saudi blogger Hadeel and asks: “I do not know why I feel sad. Is it because Hadeel was young like me , she had just celebrated her 25th Birthday ?? !!
Or because she is a blogger like [me] ?? Or because she was talented ??”


text:
Egypt: Thoughts about Palestine  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian Arima shares her thoughts about Palestine in this post.


text:
Estonia: Anna-Maria Galojan · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Inno & Irja Blog describes the case of Anna-Maria Galojan, “a young estonian politician who's accused of stealing money from European Movement Estonia”: “Finnish journalist Leena Hietanen has pointed out that we, estonians don't like russians. Well, we also don't like other nationalities, like armenians. Anna-Maria is armenian and i think that's one of the reasons why she was attacked so viciously. Because, lets be honest, she is not ‘one of us’.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Film censorship in Singapore · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly writes about efforts of the Singapore government to disrupt and stop the screening of a film about former Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew.


text:
India: Eating too much? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Condoleezza Rice's statements in the US about India and China's food consumption and its contribution to the price inflation doesn't find favour with Heartcrossings.


text:
India: Orkut and the Indian Police · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Writing Cave on a man in India being arrested by the police for publishing “obscene” material about a politician on Orkut.


text:
Iran:12 women sites got filtered in last 24 hours · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Change4equality says [Fa] that 12 Iranian sites supporting women's rights such as Change4equality or Photochange got filtered by Iranian authorities today,19th of May.


text:
Iraq: Apology for Iraqi Children?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi blogger Imad Khadduri wonders now that a US general apologised for desecrating a copy of the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, will the US apologise to Iraqi children for occupying their country?


text:
Israel: 1000 Days Since the Gaza Strip’s Evacuation · Global Voices
Maya Norton

Jameel at The Muquata reflects that it has been 1,000 days since Israeli citizens and military forces left Gaza as an occupying force. “The blatant callousness of the Israeli government and of Disengagement supporters who do not spend every second of their days trying to help the solve the refugee problem they created is simply mind-numbing,” he writes.


text:
Israel: Bush’s Final Presidential Visit  · Global Voices
Maya Norton

On the heels of its 60th birthday celebrations, President Bush visited Israel this week, marking his second and last presidential visit to the Middle Eastern state.
While mainstream national newspapers argued as to whether Bush's visit avoided or affirmed key issues in the nation, Israeli bloggers had their hackles raised by the President's address to the Knesset, Israel's house of parliament.
Checkpoint Jerusalem's Dion Nissenbaum writes about “What Bush Didn't Say”:
Bush didn't use his historic address to the Knesset to talk about what is supposed to be a top priority for him in his final year: The peace process he officially launched last November in Annapolis.
He didn't use the address to speak directly to the skeptical lawmakers who will be asked to support any peace deal with the Palestinians.
He didn't use the address to speak directly to the Israeli public and urge them to support a peace deal with the Palestinians…
Still, in many ways, Bush's decision to completely avoid talking about the peace process was seen by some as a squandered opportunity.
Israel Matzav's Carl in Jerusalem is among those who interpreted Bush's remarks about terrorist appeasement of Hamas as an attack on US presidential candidate, Democrat Barack Obama.
President Bush launched a sharp but veiled attack Thursday on Sen. Barack Obama and other Democrats, suggesting they favor “appeasement” of terrorists in the same way some Western leaders appeased Hitler in the run-up to World War II…
“Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along,” Bush said at Israel's 60th anniversary celebration in Jerusalem.
“We have heard this foolish delusion before… As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: ‘Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.’ We have an obligation to call this what it is — the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.”
The remarks seemed to be a not-so-subtle attempt to continue to raise doubts about Obama with Jewish Americans. Those doubts were earlier stoked by Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee in the 2008 presidential election, when he recently charged that Obama is the favored candidate of the Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas, which the U.S. government has listed as a terrorist group.
Also on Carl's mind is the President's future relationship with Israel:
Deep in his heart, I believe that President Bush loves this country. I still blame Condi [Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice] and Bush Senior [President George H. W. Bush]  for all that has happened in the second term. Yesterday, we saw a flash of Bush's true feelings. I suspect we'll see more when he is no longer in office (just as we saw Dhimmi Carter's true feelings – against Israel – much more after he was no longer in office).
During his short stay, Bush also appeared at the international President's Conference in Jerusalem. Fugitive Peace's Gideon Lichfield listened to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's welcoming speech with split ears:
I’m feeling pretty cynical about the Bush visit, and not just because getting around Jerusalem has been impossible (again)… [During] Olmert’s speech of welcome at the conference hosted by [Israeli President] Shimon Peres, I found myself adding subtitles sotto voce…
“It gives me great pleasure to offer a special welcome to the President of the United States of America, George W. Bush—a great personal friend whose commitment to the State of Israel is immeasurable.”
You’ve taken three days out of your last year in office to party here with the presidents of Poland, Albania, Togo, Burkina Faso and Palau. You must really have bugger-all to do back in Washington.
“You are an unusual person, you are an unusual leader and you are an unusual friend of the people of Israel.”
I’ve met some freiers [suckers] in my time, but you take the biscuit…
“Mr. President, in 2004 you said that America as a ‘nation is stronger and safer because we have a true and dependable ally in Israel’.”
You must have been on drugs. Frankly, you need us as an ally like you need a hole in the head.
“Today I say to you Mr. President, Israel is stronger and safer because we look to the future, and we know that the United States of America will always remain our closest and most dependable ally.”
But hey, we’re not complaining. Like I said, get out the chequebook.
Bush left Israel on Friday for Saudi Arabia, proceeded to Egypt, and then returned to the United States on Sunday.
Related Links–
– President Bush Visits Israel
– Iranian Grand Missiles Hit Ashkelon Mall
– What's Carter Doing in the Middle East?
* This article also appears in Voices without Votes.


text:
Israel: New World Record for Biggest Hummus Plate · Global Voices
Maya Norton

Weighing in at 400 kilos (880 pounds) on a plate that was 4 meters (4.35 yards) in diameter, Hummus Tzabar became the Guinness Book of World Record's official title holder for the biggest plate of hummus served at last week's Independence Day celebrations. The experts at Hummus101 report that Israelis eat 10 kilos (22 pounds) of hummus each year.


text:
Israel: “Survivor” Strikes a National Chord · Global Voices
Maya Norton

Over 46% of Jewish Israeli households tuned in to watch the finale of the reality T.V. show “Survivor,” says Jameel of The Muquata. That's approximately 1.3 million people.


text:
Jamaica: Calabash Time   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“A book-lover’s paradise, Calabash is a boutique festival if there ever was one. Hordes of would-be writers rub shoulders with would-be readers and actual writers at different stages of their careers”: Annie Paul blogs about the  Calabash Literary Festival happening in Jamaica.


text:
Jamaica, Cuba: Dual Citizenship · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“”What would Daryl Vaz do if he had to visit Cuba on state business?” That simple question forces Francis Wade to reconsider his views on dual citizenship and political position in Jamaica.


text:
Jordan: Families not able to Eat  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Joladies from Jordan writes about a poor woman, she met at a hospital, who told her nine children haven't eaten meat since last year. She comments: “When we watch all the money that is flowing round Jordan it just seems so awful that families are not able to eat.”


text:
Jordan: Hackers Eyes on Palestinian Blogs  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

It's funny how every time I write about Palestine, I get a slew of hack attempts ranging from the most primitive to the most complicated scary ones. I won't get into much details, but I've been noticing a huge amount of unnatural activity,” writes Jordanian blogger Qwaider.


text:
Kazakhstan: New Religion Law Criticized  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

KZBlog reports that as Kazakh Parliament debates a new religion law, Forum 18 reports on religious leaders’ complaints that the atmosphere in Kazakhstan is not as tolerant as the government often claims.


text:
Kidepo, an unbeaten path in Uganda · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

Omar Basawad writes of Kidepo National Park, saying “Of all Ugandan national parks and game reserves, Kidepo is the most remote and has the most unique wilderness and terrain.” noting that many tourists and travelers are missing out on a pristine location.

author: Juliana Rotich


text:
Korea: The birth of the New Political Generation Online · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

Since the content of the US-Korea Beef Trade agreement was publicized in Korean society, many things have happened. Unexpected scenes of teenage students’ active participation in candlelight vigils against the trade and policies of the current government and their continual activities (not just temporary participation) have been ongoing. Even though the central government ordered schools and teachers to discourage students’ participation, the schools warned the participating students with disciplinary punishment, and the teachers go to the vigils to find their students, students seem not to be discouraged and continue to participate.
On the internet, non-teenager netizens are shocked with this wave. From apologies that they had prejudice toward the teenagers, such as being individualists and strangers to political and social issues, to expressions of appreciation for what teenagers are doing now, all kinds of opinions are bursting out on internet sites in Korea.
Tech-savvy teenagers make use of portal sites and their own blogs to express their opinions about the current political issues and spread graphics that they made to discuss the meaning of mad cow disease and why they have to fight against this trade. It is not just within Korean portal sites. They utilize Youtube and other international popular internet sites. The teenagers make those graphics and share them with other netizens. The ripple effect of these graphics and content spreads fast.
Nobody knows how this issue will end, but this incident seems to give a chance for all ages in Korea to interact with each other through the internet and talk about what they think about the issue and about each other – communication which did not transcend age groups in the past.
The 18th of May was the anniversary of the Gwangju Democratization Movement and a teenage netizen compares the current demonstration to that time.
정확하게 28년 전 광주에서 대규모 시위가 있었습니다. 전두환 군사 정부에게 외치는 민주화 항쟁이었고, 이에 군사정부는 비상 계엄령을 내려, 폭력적인 진압으로 최소 207명 이상이 죽었습니다. (전두환은 지금도 잘 살고 있다고 합니다.) 요즘 세상에는 생각도 할 수 없는 일입니다. 국가에서 폭력적으로 진압을 하려 들고 사상자까지 낸다는 것은 말도 안되는 일이죠. 그러나 현재 이명박정부의 모습을 보면 군사정권으로의 회귀가 실현되지 않을까, 그저 두렵기만 합니다. ‘촛불문화제'라는 이름으로 매주 진행되고 있는 촛불집회 다들 많이 알고 계실거라고 생각합니다. 요즘 작성되는 관련 기사들을 보면, ‘사법 처리’, ‘탄압'등과 관련된 내용을 많이 보실 수 있습니다.
조금 더 가까운 예로, 제가 다니고 있는 학교에서 학생들에게 전달된 사항입니다.”쇠고기 수입 관련 집회•시위에 참여하였다가 발각될 시, 징계 처분을 하도록 하겠다.” 고등학교의 ‘징계’ 개념은 그냥 ‘징계'의 개념이 아닙니다.생활 기록부에 단 한번의 징계 기록이 있어도 후일 취직과 진학에 큰 영향을 미칠 수 있습니다. 이것이야 말로 공권력의 횡포, 폭력 탄압 아니겠습니까?
우리의 국민들에겐 의견을 표출할 수 있는 권리가 있습니다.그러나 현 정부는 이 같은 사실을 부정하기라도 하듯 시위마다 경찰을 동원하고 해산시키지 못해 안달입니다.계속 이러한 태도로 국민들의 의견을 받아 친다면,박통, 전두환 군사정부때와 다를게 무엇이 있겠습니까?
• of people 국민의
• for people 국민을 위한
• by people 국민에 의한
대한민국의 정부는 이같은 민주주의의 기본 이념을 다시 한번 각인시키고 국민들을 대하는 태도, 국민들의 의견을 대하는 태도등 많은 것을 개선할 필요가 있다고 생각합니다.
In 1980 and In 2008
In 1980
In 2008
Another clearer example is that I got the message from my school, ‘when you’re disclosed to have attended demonstrations related to the US beef trade, you will be submitted to a disciplinary measure.’ The concept of ‘disciplinary punishment’ at high school is not a simple matter. If you have only one record of disciplinary punishment, it gives a big influence on finding a job and entering a college. Isn’t it the tyranny of public power and violent suppression?
We people have the right to express opinions. However, the current government seems to deny this truth and is eager to dispel the demonstration, mobilizing the police. If the government treats peoples’ opinions in such an attitude, how is it different from the period of the military government of Park Jung Hee and Chun Doo Hwan?
-	of people
–	for people
–	by people
The Korean government rethinks the basic principle of democracy and should change the attitudes how to treat the people and the people’s opinions.
A teenage netizen writes a letter to her(his) mother about her(his) and other students’ activities.
엄마, 제가 쇠고기 문제로 시위에 나간다고 했을때 말리셨죠. 그런데 가봤자 도움 안된다고, 시위같은데 뭣하러 가냐구요. 쇠고기 수입도 우리나라 사람들이 너무 민감하게 받아들이는 안건이라구요. 저는 정말 가고 싶었습니다. 물론 다른 사람도 그러하였고, 부모님이 허락을 안해도 간 아이들은 많았겠죠. 저도 가고 싶었지만, 걱정하실까 그게 조금은 두려웠던것 같습니다. 거기다 제 나이가 고 3인지라, 대학에만도 민감한 상황에, 그런데 가면 대학가는데 불리할 수도 있다는 말을 하셨죠. 글쎄요, 저는 달랐습니다. 제 친구들의 생각도 달랐습니다. 우리는 결국 청계천에서 모였고, 다른 어른들이 생각하는 문제아가 되었습니다. 쓰잘데기없는 인터넷 여론에 휩싸여 일시적인 충동으로 시위에 나간 아이가 되었죠. 그 후로도 저와 제 친구들은 참여했습니다. 언제까지 일시적인 충동으로 보일지 모르겠지만요.
엄마는 조선일보 보시죠?저도 신문을 보려고했습니다. 나라에서, 학교에서, 신문에서 논술이 중요하다고 했으니까요. 요즘, 그나마 나이가 들었다고 머리에 무언가 찬 저로썬 신문을 보니 웃음밖에 나오지 않았습니다. 작년기사 기억하시나요?쇠고기 등뼈 한조각 나왔다고 들고 일어났던것이 우리가 지금 보고있는 조선일보입니다. 그런데 또 아시나요? 이제는 소고기가 안전하다고 말하는 것 또한 조선일보라는 사실이요. 저는 너무 불안합니다. 제 미래를 소고기따위에 맡겨야 한다는게요.
오늘도 학교에서 급식이 나왔습니다. AI 의 위험으로 학교에선 닭고기가 더이상 나오지 않아요. 대신 친구들과 저는 소고기에 대한 두려움으로 밥을 먹고 있습니다. 고기 하나만 나와도 먹을지 말지 고민하고 있습니다. 정부가 이렇다할 약속도 해주지 않은 상황에서 과연 제가 학교에서 밥을 제대로 먹을 수 있을지 고민되는군요.
[…] 글쎄요, 엄마께서 모르시는건지 제가 젊은 혈기에 이러는건지 몰라도 저는 그냥 안쓰럽습니다. 신문만 곧이 곧대로 받아들이는 엄마를 보면, 아직 한참 어린 자식으로써 이러면 안된다고는 배웠습니다만 가슴이 답답해집니다. 저는 아직 제가 알고 있는것이 진실이라고 생각합니다. 국민으로써, 국민의 권리를 지키고 싶었고 보호받고 싶었을 뿐입니다. […]
Mom. Don’t you read Chosun Newspaper? I tried to read that newspaper because in our country, at school, and in newspapers, I heard that the essay questions are important. But maybe it’s time for me to have my own ideas and opinions. I can’t help but to laugh while I’m reading the newspaper. Do you remember an article in the newspaper? The critical article about how a piece of cow rib is imported was from the Chosun Newspaper. But do you know? Now it is the Chosun Newspaper that emphasizes that the current deal with importing beef is safe. I’m not comfortable. I feel not safe that my future could change due to the beef.
Today’s menu at the school cafeteria. Due to the danger of AI, chicken is not going to be provided anymore. Instead, we are eating beef with anxiety. We’re confused whether we have to eat even after finding a piece of meat at the meal. The government doesn’t say anything and we have to be afraid every moment when we have a meal.
[…]Maybe mom thinks I am doing this with youthful folly, but I feel sorry for mom. When I see mom who just believes whatever newspapers say, I feel bad for her. Still now, I think what I know is the truth. As the people, I would like to keep the right of the people and to be protected as the people. […]
Scene in the Street “My house is against importing mad cow disease.”
A netizen announces the birth of a new political generation.
386 세대 이후 딱히 없었던 새로운 스타일의 대한민국 정치세대가 등장한 듯 합니다. IT 강국 대한민국에서만 나타날 수 있는 인터넷을 이용한 직접 민주주의 시작…간접민주주의 1.0세대에서 발전한 바로 민주주의 2.0세대… 그 중에서도 대표격인 아고리안(Agora+Korean)의 등장… 한미 소고기 협상을 반대하면서 촛불시위와 다양한 정보를 생산한 다음아고라, 다음 아고라에서 활동하는 수많은 아고리안들… 당신들이 있어 대한민국의 미래를 밝습니다. 나이와 성별과 학력을 벗어버리고 새로운 스타일과 양식으로 민의의 만드는 국민들…그들은 386도 아니오, 88만원 세대도 아닌 민주주의 2.0 세대.. 바로 그대표들인 아고리안이라는 새로운 정치세대가 등장하였습니다.
For the reference, I put a post that explains the definition of Agorian below.
아고리안(Agorian): Daum아고라에 주로 서식하며, 퇴근 직후부터 잠 자는시간까지 아껴가며 정치, 사회, 문화, 군사, 외교 전반에 관한 토론에 매진하는 종족. ‘아고리안(Agorian)’이라 불리는 이 종족은 온라인 안에서 잘한 것은 칭찬하기 위해 인터넷 성지순례를 다니며, 부조리한 것을 보면 단결된 힘으로 해당사이트를 초토화시키는 무서운 전투본능을 가진 종족이다. 뿐만 아니라 오프라인에서까지 실력행사를 하는 등 그들의 신념을 실천하는 것으로도 유명하다.
[사례]
1.	태안 삼성중공업 기름유출 사고 자원봉사
2.	삼성특검, 이명박 특검에 대한 의견타진과 언론사 제보
3.	2007년 대선 당시, 대통령 후보에 관한 격론을 벌이다
4.	이명박 탄핵 청원을 올린 안단테 학생을 정부에서 사법처리하는데 반발, 변호사 비용 모금 청원
5.	미디어와 정부의 잘잘못을 파헤쳐서 언론 뿐 아니라 정당과 국회에까지 정보, 의견을 제시한다.
6.	미친소 수입반대 촛불 문화제 개최 및 가두행진으로 미국산 소고기 협상 정부 고시를 연기시켰을 뿐만 아니라 대통령 탄핵 운동을 이어나간다.
7.	편협한 언론인 조중동의 구독 반대 운동, 대기업의 부조리에 불매운동매진(삼성, 농심, 동원참치, 롯데)
8.	경향신문에 대한 정부의 공공광고 제한에 반발, 십사일반 모금운동으로 광우병 홍보광고를 하다.
노무현은 조중동과 싸웠고 이명박은 초중고와 싸운다.
Roh Moo Hyun fought against Cho-Joong-Dong, but Lee Myung Bak fights against primary and secondary students.

author: Hyejin Kim


text:
Malawi: To believe or not to believe rumors of a coup plot · Global Voices
Steve Sharra

Following Victor Kaonga's Monday May 12th breaking news post of the unusual arrests in Malawi of high ranking former and current military and police officers, as well as opposition figures, amid government accusations of a coup plot, Malawian bloggers and netizens have been reacting to the news with shock, skepticism, bewilderment, and ambivalence.
The rumors of the coup plot are the culmination of a tense two-week period, during which parliament has been deadlocked, and peace talks amongst political party leaders, including the country's president Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, have been thwarted over the contentious Section 65 of the Malawi Constitution. In this post, we explore the genesis and trajectory of this unfolding story, pointing out how some Malawians are doubtful of the claims, while others believe the coup to be a possibility.
Canceled trip to Dubai
The roller coaster of events started on Saturday May 10th, with online newspaper Nyasatimes reporting that President wa Mutharika would be embarking on an official tour of the Middle East, leaving behind a letter to be delivered in his absence to the speaker of parliament, instructing him to prorogue parliament. On Sunday May 11th, the president was reported to have addressed a political rally, where he warned that his predecessor, former president Dr. Bakili Muluzi, currently in the United Kingdom on a private visit, risked being charged with treason on his return for plotting to overthrow the government using Section 65 as a pretext.
The same day, listserv-based Makongolomwinani News Services (MNS) posted a one-sentence item on the Malawi listserv Nyasanet, announcing that President Mutharika had canceled the trip to the Middle East because the governor of the Reserve Bank, Victor Mbewe, had refused to release MK600 million (US$4 million) meant for the trip.
Rumors of arrests
On the morning of Tuesday May 13th one Nyasanetter, Lazarus Ndovi, posted the first mention of arrests, affecting former army commander Retired General Joseph Chimbayo, former Inspector General of Police Joseph Airon, former mayor of the City of Blantyre, John Chikakwiya, and secretary general of the UDF, Kennedy Makwangwala. It was later learned that former commissioner of Police Matthews Masoapyola, was also among those arrested, according to a Nyasatimes article. No mention of a coup was made in the posting, although the subject heading said the arrests were for “treason”.
The first blog reaction came from Kondwani Munthali, also on Tuesday May 13th, who used a major portion of his post to react to allegations made earlier by minister of information and civic education, Hon. Patricia Kaliati, insinuating that Munthali had leaked information to Nyasatimes for an article that claimed that the Malawi government was going to assist Zimbabwe clear a Chinese ship docked in Angola, carrying arms destined for the Zimbabwe military.
Munthali had written on his facebook page on Thursday May 8th, saying,
Kondwani will be arrested anytime on false allegations. The Minister of Information has told a press breifing this morning. Be ready for more news…
On Saturday May 10th he updated his status to “Kondwani very safecalm down now people-just someone trying intimidate me. But am good and safe and will remain for as long as God wants to be.”
On Tuesday May 13th he expressed new fears, writing “Kondwani is not sure where Malawi has gone to!!!Nobody is any longer safe!!” Towards the end of his blog post the same day Kondwani indicated that there had been arrests in Malawi, pointing out that he did not see how the arrests would “solve the political impasse”.
Skepticism creeps in
As interest in the issue grew on Tuesday, doubts started showing almost immediately. Chatonda Mtika, co-moderator of Nyasanet, posted his reaction to another set of allegations made by Hon. Kaliati purportedly accusing British and Taiwanese governments of planning to supply military hardware to the coup plotters. Mtika wrote:
muluzi has made no secret of his desire to see bingu vacate sanjika, so there is no news here. it is quite possible that muluzi may have been contemplating some “coup”, using opposition numbers in parliament, to bring down the government. but for kaliati to accuse britain of supplying artillery for the alleged coup, it is not only careless; it shows her luck of understand of what is happening around her.
Mtika went on to add that he did not believe that the Taiwanese government could be “that naive to think that the udf would automatically roll back the dpp changes once it took office. and, even if that were possible, taiwan wouldn't want to get her hands dirty in a bloody coup.
On Thursday May 15th Munthali posted another item on his blog, in which his incredulity of the coup story became apparent:
I would have been easily convinced if I did not know most of the people on the list. I mean the set up looks much of a comedy and I am sure conconted in a hurry. Lets wait and see how a convincing case can be built from unsigned documents, funny minutes and even dates which are 6th June 2008 on which the people attended a meeting to plot the “kupu”.
More doubts appeared from blogger Boniface Dulani, who posted an item also on May 15th, titled “Illusions of a coup.” Dulani outlined two grounds on which the allegations of a coup did not make sense, observing that for senior ranking military officers, there was no clear motivation to engage in a coup. Dulani's second reason for doubting the coup arose from the fact that Malawians will be going to the polls in twelve months, and thus Muluzi, whose party elected him as presidential candidate, having already served two terms as Malawi's first post-dictatorship president, could not be that impatient to return to office. Dulani wrote:
I am sceptical that Muluzi – notwithstanding his zeal and determination to get to the Presidency- would be so foolish as to think of a military route to the presidency when elections are only a year away.
Adding his voice to the growing doubts was Trevor Chimimba who on Friday May 16th wrote on Nyasanet in response to Dulani's post:
I may be out of touch with Malawi realities, but honestly, I sometimes do not understand what is going on in that country. If this experimentation with democracy is failing, it is important that the political leaders learn where to draw the line. Democracy 101.Leave the military out of politics.” Chimimba went on to describe some of the military officers arrested as personal friends of his whom he had a hard time believing would ever contemplate staging a coup: “Tell me that they have committed something else, surely it cannot be treason. These people should be home with their beloved families.” Chimimba concluded his post by pointing out that “President Mutharika is making the same mistake of other “expatriate” Presidents. He is isolating himself from the people and surrounding himself with sycophant advisers who see daggers where none exist.
Benefit of the doubt
Other reactions have sought a middle of the road approach, expressing the belief that the coup plot could be real. Nyasanetter Hesse Mhango, while acknowledging the need to be skeptical, given the president's history of coup claims,  wrote about the credulity of a plot, given what he called the desperation of former president Dr. Bakili Muluzi:
There must be a plan B for getting to Sanjika as the candidacy of Muluzi is barred by the Malawi Constitution. Therefore, the zeal to get back to power spells real danger to Malawi because Muluzi, or those around him, show signs of desperation and are probably willing to do just about anything to achieve their goal. Let's no one forget that the whole process to change the Constitution was being done by means that were either borderline or outright criminal.
However, not all bloggers have found the coup issue worthy spending their time on. Blogger Buckaroo Thandi states upfront:
You know I won't make mention of the coup d'etat situation here, I'm wary of being coup d'etated myself so I'll go on ahead and say please read about it from reliable sources, speak to people who are in the know and pray that the nation will get over this with minimal damage. There is so much that needs to be done in Malawi, I hope to God a coup is at the very bottom of the list, we don't need fighting to solve anything.
Section 65, the heart of the matter
The eye of the storm, Section 65 of the Malawi Constitution, prohibits members of parliament from abandoning their party and joining another party in parliament without seeking a fresh mandate from their constituents. From September 2007 to April 2008, President Mutharika prevented parliament from meeting, fearing that once parliament met, the Speaker would invoke the dreaded section, and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would lose most of its parliamentarians, who joined the party by crossing the floor. The political temperature in Malawi has been high since President Mutharika formed the DPP in February 2005, nine months into his presidency, when he abandoned the United Democratic Front (UDF) whose chairperson and erstwhile Malawi's president, Dr. Muluzi, had plucked Mutharika from opposition ranks to campaign for him as the UDF's presidential candidate over other aspirants.

author: Steve Sharra


text:
Mexico: Attempts at a US Tourist Visa · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Mexican Reporter documents the experience of a Mexican friend and his attempts to receieve a tourist visa to the United States, and where he was denied.

author: Eduardo Avila


text:
Migratory birds in Bahrain · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

The birdwatcher blog Bahrain Obs posts photos and observes “The number of birds and species passing at Badaan Farm has slowed to a crawl – a few surprises in what's been turning up but nothing really exceptional.”


text:
Myanmar: A survivor’s story · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Myat Thura wanted to cry after translating a Burmese blog. Nyi Lynn Seck quoted a survivor of the Cyclone Nargis: “Most of the dead were women. Many suggested they died not because of drowning, but because of injury during flooding…When I climbed to the boat pier, I saw a corpse of a young child, wearing a rubber band on his wrist. Thousands of lives, thousands of innocent people, lost in the water, lost on the land.”

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Palestine: Balfour to Blair  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah links to Al Jazeera special 30-minute film, Balfour to Blair, which investigates the role of British policy in the Middle East from the beginning of the 20th century to today.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Palestine: One State Solution · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Jordan, Ali Dahmash writes: “I’m one of a few who believe in a One state solution since either side can't get rid of the other. As crazy as it may seems, but a two state solution is simply impossible and all that effort put on unrealistic Peace process is a waste of time and meets the agendas of Politicians. I believe Peace starts with one person and then spreads quickly, unfortunately it’s people like Abbas, Rjoub, Dahlan, and the Israeli Government and the Israeli ideology of occupation is what is killing the Peace process.”