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Arab World: The Arab Tyrant Manual  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Arab Tyrant Manual is out, and is being tweeted as I type. On Twitter, Iyad Elbaghdadi is joined by other Twitter users to compile all the excuses we have heard from the governments of Arab countries which have had protests calling for regime change and reforms since the Tunisian uprising at the end of 2010.
Although they sound like one liners from a comic strip, the tragedy is that we have heard them all, and they have been recorded and covered by the Press. Heads of State and top government officials continue to repeat them – and they still have an audience and support in their countries. Haven't we all seen Gaddafi's supporters cheering on and clapping to his rants as he promised to annihilate Libyans rising against his 42-year-old rule. A similar story is repeating itself across the region.
Here's a snapshot of some of the lines that will go in the Arab Tyrant Manual:
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Say that the protests started as a pure youth movement but were “hijacked” by a foreign agenda. #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Use religion. Call your state mufti and promise him a pay raise for the proper fatwa. #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Say that the kids were tricked into protesting through X (KFC, Nescafe, drugs, sex, etc.) #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Call your favorite brown-nose celebrity (singer, dancer, soccer player, etc.). Ask to talk on TV in your support. #ArabTyrantManual
@L_Auvergnate: When things get tough, make a first one hour speech around midnight to say how much you're dedicated to your country #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Say shooting on protesters with helicopters/jets/tanks is accidental #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Have a military parade. Say it's for the nation. It's actually to show them what'll come at them if they revolt. #ArabTyrantManual
@L_Auvergnate: Pretend you're open for dialogue and will do the necessary while killing protesters #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Say that you ruled the country out of love and service and you have no desire for power and have no money. #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Bring in the boogie man of your grandfather's generation: Colonialism & imperialism. #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Hold a press conference to suck up to journalists. Then, send thugs after them to punch them and smash their cameras. #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Stage demonstrations in support of your rule. But don't give them flags & banners. Give them 50 bucks & an AK47. #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: If foreign nations criticize, blast them for not understanding your culture. “In our culture, I rule. They obey.” #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Kill a thousand. And then say that you have no idea how they died because you haven't used force “yet”. #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Have a charming interview with a famous journalist. Amanpour would do. #ArabTyrantManual
@kissmyroti: Speak about supporting #humanrights in “insert preferred european language here”, then torture those asking 4them #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Foreign agenda X (where X can be: Islamism, Zionism, Israel, Iran, USA, colonialism, imperialism…) #ArabTyrantManual
@QuimFont: Blame Israel and United States. Deposit checks from Israel and United States into Swiss account. #ArabTyrantManual
@defendfreespeak: Scare people with talk about the Brother Muslimhood #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Say that your people are not ready for democracy. You have to pave the way to it, by acting like a complete asshole. #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Say that you finally understand the people. “I understand you now.” #ArabTyrantManual
@studentIslam: People don't revolt against you in their right state of mind. Al-Qaeda must be feeding them hallucinogenics. #ArabTyrantManual
@minimaliteter: @iyad_elbaghdadi make unexpected, frequent TV appearances, saying nothing at all #ArabTyrantManual
@studentIslam: Inform the uninformed that your country has no leader and that you are only a protector and brother to the people. #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Say that you “got the message” and “will act on it soon”. Don't mention what “soon” means. #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Tell them that if they don't go back home, the bad men will come and take away all their oil. #ArabTyrantManual
@AmbroseandDogII: @iyad_elbaghdadi [A] THEN tell them that if they don't go back home, the bad men will come and take away their families. #ArabTyrantManual
@L_Auvergnate: Invade the streets with the army to protect civilians #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Send your army into the streets. Say they are there to “protect the kids”. Have them kidnap and rape the kids instead. #ArabTyrantManual
@iyad_elbaghdadi: Pull a Bundy (“four touchdowns in one game”). Brag about your wartime achievements for your country. #ArabTyrantManual
@L_Auvergnate: Pretend your country is not like #Tunisia/#egypt/#libya/#yemen/#Syria ..#ArabTyrantManual
@EG_Freedom: Launch a gratuitous propaganda campaign against a fast food chain like KFC cos you never know, it might help somehow. #ArabTyrantManual
@EG_Freedom: Shut down communications and kill businesses even tho protesters will publish videos anyway when the inet comes back up. #ArabTyrantManual
@imstrawman: if all else fails, get in front of the camera and play the ‘victim’ #ArabTyrantManual
@chanadbh: #ArabTyrantManual Fly fighter jets over them to show them you mean business
@L_Auvergnate: Scare everyone with AlQaeda #ArabTyrantManual
@L_Auvergnate: Stage fake demos supporting you #ArabTyrantManual
@studentIslam: You never wanted to be a dictator. Your service to the people proves that. #ArabTyrantManual
@studentIslam: Declare you're an international leader, king of the kings of Africa, and your int'l status doesn't allow you to descend #ArabTyrantManual

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Aruba, Curacao: Eloquent Arguments  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The lawyer as orator?  Karel's Legal Blog discusses “a sensitive subject.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Brazil: Obama’s Visit Marked by Protests, Repression and Criticism · Global Voices
Paula Góes

On Monday 21 March, 2011, United States President Barack Obama left Brazil, his first stop on a quick tour of Latin America intended to tighten economic ties. He continued to Santiago, Chile and then on to El Salvador.
Intended to be a party, Obama’s first visit to Brazil was marked by the controversial decision to intervene militarily in Libya, in addition to the “covering up” of the favela shanty towns and police repression of protesters.
Obama go home
Even before touching down on Brazilian soil, Obama's visit was already causing controversy. Early on the night of Friday 18 March, 2011, a protest outside the United States Consulate in Rio ended in violence. Of the more than 300 activists present, thirteen were arrested after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the Consulate, according to the police, who reacted with rubber bullets, pepper spray and tear gas.
The Youtube video above posted on March 18, shows people singing slogans against Obama’s visit, America’s supposed interest in Brazilian petroleum and the imminent attack on Libya. From 1 minute 45 seconds, the sound of explosions can be heard, followed by running.
In the comments box, user graficautopica [pt] negates the police version:
Este  espírito pacífico era compartilhado pelos manifestantes. Entendemos que  transformar a passeata em uma batalha apenas favoreceria o  imperialismo, evitando que se discuta as verdadeiras intenções da  visita. Neste sentido, desconhecemos os autores do ataque e queremos vir  a público declarar nossa desconfiança de que provocadores tenham se  infiltrado no ato, com esse objetivo.
Those detained were accused of causing bodily harm, attempted arson and conspiracy. In the blogosphere, they are being called political prisoners. For Anderson Balotta [pt], the case has been poorly explained:
pelo que pude perceber se tratou de uma prisão arbitrária de militantes que estavam passando no local e hora e acabaram pagando pelo pato. Novos presos políticos no país da democracia, justamente na visita de Obama e a contradição em alto, che cosa bella, mia gente!!!
Não espere ouvir um parecer da grande mídia (porque esta, está comprometida com as belezas da visita de Obama).
About an hour after Barack Obama left, the Court released a ruling in favour of releasing the protesters, who are now free.
US President Obama is received in Brazilian capital Brasilia. Image by William Volcov, copyright Demotix (19/03/11).
Between Dilma and Libya
The first stage of the trip to Brasília was marked by the decision to launch a military attack on Libya [pt], which was made by Obama, according to the newspaper Folha de São Paulo, during a meeting with president Dilma Rousseff. Obama received a note and reacted by saying that “measures” must be taken.
For José Reinaldo Carvalho [pt], editor of the site Vermelho (Red), Obama disgraced Brazil by starting a “war disguised as a humanitarian cause” there:
Em atitude que viola as regras da hospitalidade, constrangendo o anfitrião, Obama simplesmente desonrou o Brasil, ao fazer uma declaração de guerra no país que por princípio constitucional e tradição advoga a solução pacífica dos conflitos internacionais. O presidente estadunidense ignorou o fato de que o Brasil se absteve na votação da resolução do Conselho de Segurança da ONU que abriu a via legal para a agressão, “por não estar seguro de que o uso da força é o melhor caminho”, conforme explicou a embaixadora Viotti, representante do Brasil no órgão das Nações Unidas.
For the Americans to see
Residents of Cidade de Deus find ways to have fun during Obama’s visit. Twitpic author's name withheld by request
President Obama made a frantic trip through Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, dedicating half an hour of his time to the shantytown, or favela, Cidade de Deus (City of God), where his lightning-fast visit generated new controversy: residents complained of the “covering up” of the favela to make it look presentable and criticised the security rules imposed by the White House, such as a 300 metre isolation cordon which forced residents from their homes, and the body searches imposed on everyone, including children.
In the face of these requirements, Rio’s Central Única das Favelas (Unified Favela Centre) removed itself from the organisation of the event, refusing to “be used as an exotic stage” [pt]. Its founder, Celso Athayde, let off steam [pt] in various Twitter messages:
Vou tuitar para o consulado para eles não tirarem as pessoas de casa, e não revistar os pretinhos de 3 anos de idade dentro da própria casa
Here he summarises the visit [pt] from the residents’ point of view:
é isso, eu vou na sua casa, mas eu não quero vc em casa. Uma questão de segurança. Então fica na casa branca irmão
A video of the collaborative community coverage [pt] published on the blog A Voz da Cidade de Deus (The Voice of Cidade de Deus) shows what wasn’t shown on television:
mostra sem maquiagem os bastidores do evento e a frustação dos moradores da comunidade em não ter visto o presidente dos E.U.A. Alem disso o video mostra um morador que reclama de um policial que o agrediu.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YRkIFPYFAU
In summary
Summarising the main events related to the visit, Cristina Rodrigues [pt] points out what she calls the regression of Brazil’s foreign policy:
Nossos ministros foram revistados por americanos em território brasileiro para participar de evento com Barack Obama. Em cima da hora, por medo de vaias, a comitiva de Obama desiste do discurso em público e o Theatro Municipal é obrigado a cancelar sua programação para receber o presidente americano. Moradores da Cidade de Deus são obrigados a sair de suas casas (!!) para a passagem de Obama pela favela. Isso sem falar que foi daqui que Obama ordenou a invasão à Líbia.
O problema não é demonstrar prestígio a um presidente de outra nação. Tampouco criar condições especiais para que uma cidade receba uma liderança assim com segurança e conforto, fazendo-lhe algumas de suas vontades. O problema está no nível das exigências feitas por essa liderança e a necessidade de o país se rebaixar para cumpri-las. Isso um governo soberano não pode deixar acontecer.
Our ministers were frisked by Americans in Brazilian territory in order to participate in the event with Barack Obama. At the last minute, for fear of being booed, Obama’s entourage gives up on the public speech and the Municipal Theatre is obliged to cancel its programme to receive the American president. Residents of Cidade de Deus are obliged to leave their homes (!!) in order for Obama to pass through the favela. Not to mention the fact that it was here that Obama ordered the invasion of Libya.
The problem lies not in showing prestige to the president of another nation. Nor in creating special conditions so that a city can receive this type of leader in security and comfort, complying with some of his wishes. The problem lies in the level of demands made by this leader and the country’s need to debase itself to fulfill them. A sovereign government must not let this happen.
Obama and Christ the Redeemer, on Twitpic, by @anglinho
Rudá Ricci [pt] does not know how to evaluate Obama’s visit which, for him, highlighted the editorial poverty of the Brazilian press:
Não soubemos o que faz Obama ser tão criticado em seu país por estar aqui; não soubemos claramente sua pauta (aviões? incorporação efetiva do país ao eixo ocidental liderado pelos EUA? Pré-sal?); análise dos acordos assinados. Sem saber claramente seus objetivos não conseguimos analisar seu sucesso.

author: Paula Góes


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China: Consumer Right Performance · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

China Hush translates a local news story on a staged protest in the International Consumers Rights Day: a Lamborghini owner hired people to break his Lamborghini Gallardo sports car worth 3 million yuan in front of a lamp store.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China, Tibet: Should Tibetans Have Protested in 2008 or Not? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

High Peak Pure Earth translates Tibetan writer Woser's reflection on the 2008 Tibet protest.


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China: VPNs don’t work · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Many Chinese netizens expressed their frustration on the blocking of VPNs in China since last week. Chinaren is among one of them.


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Côte d’Ivoire: “Why is no one intervening in Ivory Coast?” · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

This post is part of a special report on the events in Ivory Coast in 2011. (All links in the article are in French unless stated otherwise)
Violence continues in Ivory Coast.   Charles Blé Goudé has called for the Young Patriots, supporters of the outgoing president, Laurent Gbagbo, to enlist in the army.   Now thousands of young men have turned up at the headquarters of the Ivorian Army in the capital Abidjan.  Having seen how the United Nations agreed on a military intervention in Libya, some Ivorian netizens are wondering how far the situation is going to degenerate before the international community intervenes.
A soldier brandishing his gun in front of the crowd via @Abidjan_net on Twitpic
Guy Alain Bembelly, on blog Ce Que Je pense … writes The United Nations prefers mint tea to Ivorian coffee:
The coffee machine in the United Nations café is out of order.  They serve only mint tea as stipulated by a 1973 resolution agreed on during an international society ball organised in the Palais de l'Elysée on 19th March 2011.  The  price of coffee has sharply declined on the Abidjan stock exchange, investors have sold all their shares, the population is anxious.  In Ivory Coast, this news has had the effect of a bomb.
As @kapzy043 writes on Twitter:
The UN attributes 25 deaths Thursday in Abidjan to Gbagbo's partisans.
The UN authorises foreign armed action against Gaddafi (Reuters).
@Fresco68 explains that the Abobo area of Abidjan is still being bombarded:
The conflict degenerated into the shelling of Abobo on 17th March.
The United Nations is speaking of a crime against humanity after the shelling :
“We utterly condemn yesterday's (Thursday's) attack by rockets or other missiles on a civilian area in the Abobo  suburb of the capital Abidjan,” a spokesman for the High Commission, Rupert Colville,  announced at a press briefing.  He stressed that “it is quite difficult to avoid the conclusion that this may be an international crime, possibly a crime against humanity.”
@nbouba shares a video filmed after the attack:
Results of a hail of shelling on an Abobo market … just horrible!
[WARNING:  This video contains scenes of violence]
So @lamamandismael asks:
Why is no one intervening in Ivory Coast?
@Msillien responds:
Blacks but not black gold!
Especially, as @rootsnappy reminds us, because the frame of mind at the start of the Libyan revolution was to refuse all foreign intervention:
Libya: No Foreign Intervention http://twitpic.com/4ag2ej
So what has changed, and more importantly, why intervene in Libya and not in Ivory Coast?
Blogger Actu et Opinions lists the abuses of power that Ivorians have endured since November 2010 and accuses international leaders of not acting despite knowing what Ivorians have suffered since the beginning of the crisis:
I accuse Nicolas Sarkozy of having declared void the votes of 13% of the electorate, consolidated into 7 departments though the plaintiff disputed 4 of them;
I accuse Michelle Alliot Marie of having imposed a curfew in Abidjan on the evening of the elections, a curfew which led to numerous nighttime acts of violence and assassinations […];
I accuse Barak Obama of having   shot at the women walking to Abobo, Abidjan on 4th March 2011, and of having fired  shells onto the Abobo market on 17th March.
I accuse Jacques Chirac of having signed the Pretoria 2 Accords in 2005, which made provision for the UN to certify the presidential elections in view of the lack of confidence among the candidates;
I accuse Good Luck Jonathan of having looted and ransacked the homes of Ouattara's partisans;
I accuse Alain Juppé of inciting the young people of his party to loot mosques and  burn them down;
I accuse Bank Ki Moon of having had civilians burnt alive in Abidjan just for being rebels.
And @Fresco68 added:
The international community will intervene only when the pogrom led by Gbagbo reaches 800,000 dead, like in Rwanda.
Because, as @SenamBeheton says:
When world's attention was on Tunisia, Gbagbo killed more.  Then Egypt, Libya, Japan and now Libya.  So he will step on it next week.
Then,
Will we avoid a genocidal weekend in Ivory Coast? … One day, a Saint Barthélémy will happen and they could do nothing about it!
As @nicocerise asks:
Blé Goudé foresees young patriots being sent to death.  Monday is a fateful day for Ivory Coast.  This is an extremely serious time.
The jesting of @zizou78700 perfectly sums up the general sentiment:
In Abobo, they're hurling silent shells over the population.  Probably a no-law zone for the international community.

author: Anna Gueye


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Cuba: The “Nays” Have It?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Iván's File Cabinet says that he will “believe in the Socialist democracy, as advocated by the regime in Havana, when you see a negative vote.”


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Haiti: Developing Aid  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The agenda of development aid should not be set by people so far removed from the uncertainty of life that has dominated human existence for the majority of time”: Throwing Down the Water wants to get everyone speaking the same language.


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Iran:Google, Yahoo, Skype targeted · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to Cnet a malicious attacker that appears to be the Iranian government managed to obtain supposedly secure digital certificates that can be used to impersonate Google, Yahoo, Skype, and other major Web sites.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Is Twitter Relevant For China? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Dan from China Law Blog explains why he decided to shut down his Twitter account.


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Kenya: Kenya Film Commission Animation Expo · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Moses attends Kenya Film Commission’s Animation Expo in Nairobi: “I was surprised on entering the Expo that there we’re far more companies than I had imagined who offer Animation services locally in Kenya. One definitely got a sense of a burgeoning industry that is much larger than what it looked like when I attended another event a few years ago.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Kenya: Learn about Dealfish Kenya · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Moses posts his presentation on Dealfish Kenya that he gave at the monthly meetup of MobileMonday Kenya: “The mobile channel is incredibly important for Dealfish in Kenya since up to 50% of our users access our web site via the mobile web.”


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Macedonia, Japan: Anime vs. Reality · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

poljaff, a contributor to Japan@MK blog, compared [MKD] the experiences of learning about Japanese culture and disaster response by watching the award-winning anime Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 a year ago, and intensely following the aftermath of the March 11 catastrophe. According to her, reality is much scarier, but the Japanese people have taught the world a lesson on how to improve their behavior, “towards ourselves and the people around us.”

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Macedonia: Meme of the Day – on Envy · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Jasna Soptrajanova Vrteva posted this message on her Facebook profile [MKD]: “When tempted to envy someone – they've a charmed life, they have it so easy … and they're always cheerful, joyful, smiling, in high spirits … – stop and think: they might have a charmed life because they work very hard. And they might be cheerful because they fight hard to stay sane, and also not to burden others with problems that might be even bigger than yours.” Many Macedonian social media users republished this quote, which seems to resonate with their general worldview. On Twitter, it took the form of this image [MKD].


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Macedonia: QR Campaign to Aid Japan · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

It.com.mk noted [MKD] that Kalina Zografska, Kristijan Ivanovski and Iva Dujak started an independent campaign using QR codes containing Japanese proverbs, quotes and links, to promote the humanitarian concert “Heart for Japan” [MKD] (#srcejp) and remind Skopje's citizens of the legacy of Kenzo Tange, a Japanese architect who helped rebuild the city after the 1963 earthquake. Others, like banekoma, joined in.


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Pakistan Day Celebrations: A Victory And A Sign Of Hope · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

Today marks the 71st anniversary of the Pakistan Resolution. Although the nation is struggling with insurgency and plethora of issues there is still a lot to celebrate. On this day, amidst all the celebrations, Pakistanis pay tribute to patriots and take a walk down to the memory lane. Mosharraf Zaidi remembers Pakistan's Federal Minister For Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti, as a proud and patriotic Pakistani. Zaidi then goes on to discuss a wide range of issues:
It is nationalism that fuels those that protest against the assassinations of Salmaan Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti. It is nationalism that drives criticism of Pakistani military acquiescence in US drone attacks. It is nationalism that seeks transparency in Pakistani military operations in FATA and Swat. It is nationalism that values the white in the Pakistani flag as much as it values the green. It is nationalism that seeks justice for Dr. Afiya and nationalism that seeks justice for Aasiya Bibi. This diverse and cantankerous new Pakistani nationalism is an enduring strength for the country. It may be exploited by some, but it cannot be debased.
Soldiers marching in Mazar-e-Qaid, during commemoration of the historic Pakistan Resolution which was passed on this day in 1940. Karachi, Pakistan. Image by Syed Yasir Kazmi. Copyright Demotix.
Adil Najam at All Things Pakistan, reposted the text  of the Pakistan Resolution urging people to read it in full. While commenting on the text of the resolution, Adil notes:
What strikes me in re-reading this today – as it had when I had written about it last – is the deep, strong and sincere emphasis that Pakistan’s founding document has on the rights of minorities. It is in sharp contrast to the the reality of the rights of minorities in Pakistan today.
A video post on Gawaahi gives voice to the Hindu community as a part of Pakistan Day coverage:
The celebrations increased many fold as Pakistan made it to the Cricket World Cup Semifinals beating West-indies. Reactions of Pakistanis on twitter and facebook were not only messages of celebrations but also acknowledgment of the great support by the people of Bangladesh.
@Kashif9: Hats off to #Bangladesh for their amazing support of #Pakistan #cricket team today. We love you :)
@rabayl_m: I love Pakistan and I can still be deeply apologetic about what happened in 1971 because of us.  I'm sorry Bangladesh.
@beenasarwar: Amaar shonar Bangla; / A big thank you to  Bangladesh from  #pakistan
@cpyala: Mubarak ho Pakistan! Onwards! And a big, warm hug to Bangladesh!
@Aneela Babar:  Sight of Dhaka rickshaw drivers huddled in front of a big TV screen across from my flat and cheering for Pakistan. Priceless! Bade Dilwale.
A post  at All things Pakistan, pays special thanks to the crowd in Dhaka for their support. While Pakistanis continue to share hope that one day the authorities will announce a public apology for civilian casualties in 1971 war. Kalsoom Lakhani on Changing Up Pakistan, shares her thoughts:
Another friend, Shaheryar Mirza (@mirza9), an Express 24/7 reporter in Karachi, told me, “The Bangladeshis and the Sri Lankans have shown that they love cricket. It is about human beings more than it is about war and politics… It’s a sign that people can show immense grace and rise above history and conflict.”
A post by Sepoy at Chapati Mystery takes a look at history textbooks that are part of the school curriculum. The post discusses various errors and distorted facts that are still a part of  school curriculum. Today, Pakistanis not only celebrated a historical event, a cricket victory but also the beautiful landscapes across the country. Fursid on Gawaahi, shares a photo-series showcasing landscapes across the country. Another photo-series by Misha Tanveer gives a sneak peak to the breathtaking coast-lines of Sindh.
Sentiments of many Pakistanis, can be summed up  in a post by blogger Faisal Kapdia, titled “To be a Pakistani”:
My Pakistan, my friends is pure, raw, unbridled passion. Stumbling as it is due to war, corruption and bad governance, it still has the heart to come out fighting like the unique and unflinching nation it is.

author: Sana Saleem


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Paraguay: Photo Blog Reveals Dangers of Childbirth · Global Voices
Belen Bogado

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.
Citizens of Asuncion, the Paraguayan capital, do not usually think of childbirth as a common cause of death for Paraguayan women. News regarding these issues occurring in the inner country rarely reach mainstream media. As a result, most Paraguayans are not aware of the high rates of death from childbirth and abortions in their own country. This is why running into Rodrigo Alfaro’s photo blog post [es] on death from childbirth in Paraguay is horrifying and shocking –even for a Paraguayan.
At the same time, his photos convey the reality of many Paraguayan women so much better than words ever could, prompting viewers to share these images with the world.
Be warned that the following images can be disturbing.
CLADEM's (Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Human Rights of Women) official figures [es] claim that Paraguay is at the top of adolescent pregnancy rates in Latin America, with 26 pregnant teenagers out of every 1000. And the death rate is also high: 25% of pregnant women who die are adolescents under the age of 19. But as photographer and blogger Rodrigo Alfaro writes in his post [es], the real number could be much higher, especially in the countryside:
Ésa es la situación en el Chaco Paraguayo, donde los médicos afirman que menos del 40% de los fallecidos son contabilizados para las estadísticas oficiales, que en poco se relacionan con la realidad en la cual se encuentran los pobladores -en su mayoría indígenas-, aislados del hospital por caminos de talco difíciles de transitar para ellos, y desconocidos para las camionetas todoterreno del director regional.
The Paraguayan Chaco is the western region of Paraguay (Asunción is in the eastern region), a semi-arid area with a low population density, of which indigenous people represent an important part. Alfaro writes about his conversation with an indigenous leader who explains how inaccessible health care is for them:
Las palabras de Rosalino González, líder de una comunidad indígena en Laguna Negra, acaban por describir una situación de abandono repetida a lo largo del continente(…):“De mi comunidad no podemos llegar al hospital más que en tractores o en mi moto, lo cual hace lento o peligroso venir con embarazadas o heridos, y del hospital no vienen nunca… salvo en elecciones, ahí vienen con sus promesas…”
"She crossed the Chaco Boreal on foot with her son, that morning the doctor is not there. In rural areas, salaries are paid to doctors who do not exist."
Alfaro blogs about the major health care deficiencies he found in Paraguay, even in a hospital in Asunción where the situation is expected to be much better. Paraguayan blogger Mike Silvero confirms Alfaro's opinion in his blog Sin Cinto ni Corbata [es].
Free access to health care for Paraguayans was established in December 2009, but it didn’t solve the real problems: the lack of facilities for people who live far from the cities, the lack of doctors or exploitation of the ones available, the lack of infrastructure and medical equipment, and the inhumane conditions women are exposed to once they reach the few available hospitals. All of these, combined with the high rate of teenage pregnancy and clandestine abortions, result in the terrible reality captured in Alfaro’s photos.
"A dying child was treated and sent home with his mother. The inability to (conduct) studies in hospitals leaves him undiagnosed, now he must take care of himself in order to survive"
Although the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education have programs that promote reproductive and sexual health education, the government still has to cover basic ground in terms of providing adequate health and education for women. Currently, there are still thousands of women who don’t have access to education, and many are not able to reach hospitals because they live too far from them.
"The poor quality of medical supplies is inadmissible: in this case the needle breaks during epidural anesthesia in the marrow of this woman."
This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.

author: Belen Bogado


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Philippines: World Boxing Champ Knocked-out on Twitter · Global Voices
Julius Rocas

While members of the Philippine Congress have grabbed headlines after impeaching Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez with an overwhelming 212 votes in favor as opposed to 46 against, Sarangani Representative and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao made headlines on his own despite being absent from the plenary session that lasted for nearly 8 hours on Monday.
Pacquiao did so when he posted on his Twitter account the following message:
@CongMP: I'm watching impeachment trial very interesting topic good night everyone thanks
Other netizens responded, Filipina blogger Noemi Dado was among the first and asked a question to the boxing champion and politician:
@momblogger: why are you not at the plenary? RT @CongMP: I'm watching impeachment trial very interesting topic good night everyone thanks
Then other netizens joined the conversation:
@nerveending: @momblogger If I remember right, @CongMP has a fight in a few weeks.
@MangBurns: @momblogger bawal mag puyat ang boxer. @CongMP
To which Noemi Dado responded with a follow-up question:
@momblogger; why now of all times though? recess will be over anyway RT @nerveending: I thought @CongMP was still training in Baguio.
While other netizens didn't hold back with their thoughts on Pacquiao's absence from Congress sessions:
@RAandRat: @nerveending to hell with @congmp. Why the fuck did you run for congress when you know you'd barely be present? @momblogger
@bethangsioco: @momblogger hay I've been harping on his long absences for d longest time. @RAndRat @nerveending @congmp
But when Manny Pacquiao himself answered the question, the whole thing turned into a PR disaster:
@CongMP: e di mag reklamo ka doon sa lolo mo hahahaha thanks
Surprised, Noemi Dado tried to clarify Pacquiao's tweet:
@momblogger: bitaw kinsang lolo? I want to see you in Congress. keep missing you for interview RT @CongMP: re di mag reklamo ka doon sa lolo mo hahahaha
Screenshot of Paquiao's twitter page before he deleted it
But for others, it became the opportunity to give the boxing legend a one-two punch on how a public figure and servant should conduct himself publicly and online:
@mobilemaui: @momblogger Did Rep. Pacquiao tweeted you this?-“e di mag reklamo ka doon sa lolo mo hahahaha thanks” He should be cautious w/ his tweets
@randomsalt: You may be trying to folksy and humorous, @CongMP, but the matter at hand is too serious to be flippant about.
@RAandRat: @CongMP that's the best you can do? Taunt people who call you out for your failure to do your duties as a public servant?
@jesterinexile: @randomsalt because @CongMP is absent, saranggani province has no say in a national issue. that is irresponsible beyond belief.
@emvisi: @momblogger @RAndRat @mangburns insult or not, he should maintain the dignity of his office being a congressman. showed what he is made of
Manny Pacquiao then tried to shift the conversation back to the impeachment case and announced his stand:
@CongMP: I vote NO! and I can give my explanation thanks
However, Pacquiao must have realised then that it was too late because netizens are already flooding him with criticisms, that in his last tweet before the account itself was deleted, he bid farewell to micro-blogging:
@CongMP: Sorry everyone but hanggang dito nalang delete ko na account ko thank you very much to all your support
Jay Salazar writing at ProPinoy.net gives a succinct wrap up of Manny Pacquiao's abrupt departure from Twitter:
Precisely why he had refused to perform his sworn duty of representing his constituents and giving them a say on an issue of national importance is unclear—not to mention moot and academic. It may well be that he was training in Baguio, but Baguio is merely six to eight hours away from Metro Manila by land. What is certain is this: Pacquiao’s absence from the impeachment proceedings is utterly irresponsible, a fact that his inappropriately flippant—even scornful—tweets serve only to underscore, and which does not augur well for the rest of his political career. If the pugilist conceives of Twitter as an informal forum intended for casual banter, then, at the very least, he should consider restricting his updates to inconsequential banalities, instead of setting the stage for being remembered as a laughingstock of a solon.
Will the world's best ‘pound-for-pound’ fighter return to micro-blogging?

author: Julius Rocas


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Republic of Congo: Plane Crashes in Downtown Pointe-Noire  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

The blog Congopage reports that an Antonov airplane crashed in the city of Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo [fr]. Congopage also wonders why the media does not mention that the danger of building airports within cities and that the airline, Trans Air Congo, is owned by one of president Nguesso's close ally.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Russia: Friendship Relations Between LiveJournal Blogs Analyzed · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Habrahabr-user RomanL published [ru] a detailed analysis of Russian LiveJournal blogs. According to the analysis, Russian-speaking LiveJournal blogosphere (active audience of around 170,000 users) can be divided into 4 distinctive clusters (apolitical, political, creative, and general). Only 55 bloggers have the audience of more than 10,000 friends, while the vast majority (60 percent) of LJ accounts have no friends at all.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Serbia: Returning Gratitude for the Japanese Donations · Global Voices
Sasa Milosevic

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
There's an old Serbian saying that goes like this: “Make good things and hope for the good things.” These days, this traditional folk wisdom is being confirmed in practice.
At the moment when Japan faces an unprecedented tragedy, Serbian people express their solidarity in many ways, returning their gratitude for the donations that the Japanese government has been providing to Serbia since 1999. They have not forgotten the Japanese POPOS grants, which covered the basic and urgent needs of the Serbian population: health care, primary education, poverty reduction, social and environmental protection, and general well-being.
Facebook group of Serbian citizens expressed solidarity with the Japanese by forming the Japanese flag with their bodies. Image by Facebook group Ljubitelji Japana – Tokyorama.
The latest Japanese donations were given in March 2011. Despite its own horrible situation, the government of Japan donated $125,000 to the Serbian towns of Vlasotince and Sokobanja, to support the improvement of environmental services in Serbia. This month, the Japanese government also donated 77,943 euro to Paraplegic Association of Banat, Srem and the Center of Social Work in Paracin.
Respecting the fact that all of these funds (more than 200 million euro in total) were raised from taxpayers of Japan, Serbian citizens feel the need to return the gratitude to the friendly people of the Far East.
The city of Belgrade has donated 25 million dinars  (2.5 million euro) to help Japan, while three Serbian mobile operators (VIP, MTS and Telenor) have launched a text messaging option through which Serbian citizens can send messages of support to Japan that cost 50 dinar (0.5 euro).
This SMS campaign was initiated by Serbian netizens on Twitter. Those posting with the #jazajapan (“I am for Japan”) hashtag could not hide their joy for the success of the action:
@vip_mobile:
For two days, Vip users sent 47,000 messages!
@Marinela Elpida:
I would adopt some little Japanese if it is possible :)
@MarkoBozic:
Serbia has so many spas. Someone in this country should offer the Japanese to come here for recovery.
@vaske:
Serbia has offered Japan a rescue team of 25 people, 3 tons of equipment and 2 search dogs
Postal workers of the city of Cacak are willing to host 17 Japanese children in their homes. They are grateful for the Japanese donation to the local health center in various appliances and equipment worth $1 million. Lucani and Gornji Milanovac, postal workers from the Serbian town of Ivanjica, follow their colleagues from Cacak in their wish to provide refuge to Japanese children. Nada Markovic, a Kosovo refugee and a mother of four, living in village  Atenica near Cacak, applied for the adoption of two children from this distant land.
In a letter to the Japanese Ambassador, students from Medvedja, one of the poorest Serbian municipalities, write:
We offer our humble, warm homes and souls for the children of Japan. We are willing to share what we have. We believe that the people of Japan will soon rebuild the destroyed cities and towns.
On March 18, musicians of the Belgrade Philharmonics held a concert at Kolarac National University, dedicated to the people of Japan who died in the earthquake and tsunami. The concert began with a minute of silence for the victims of the disaster. The Japanese government had donated to the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra in 2005.
Hundreds of people participated in the action  “1,000 paper cranes for Japan” at the invitation of a group of B92 bloggers in Belgrade. The cranes, made of paper in the origami technique, will be handed over to Toshio Tsunozaki, the Japanese Ambassador in Belgrade, with a message that Serbs have “the Japanese people in their hearts and minds in the difficult days of survival.” Instructions for making cranes were shown on video, and visitors could enjoy the Japanese music during the activities. Serbian blog Tokoyorama published the guidelines for making paper cranes in the origami technique.
On Facebook, a group of Serbian citizens publicly expressed solidarity with the Japanese by forming the Japanese flag with their bodies. They sent this message:
Endure, we will be with you, stay brave.
Serbian bloggers were shocked by the image of a Japanese woman standing in front of the empty shelves in a store, which reminded them of the Serbian trauma from the 90s. Below are some of the reactions from the Vujaklija.com forum.
Dumke asks:
Is this possible?
Micko replies:
That is all… 5 kilograms of mustard.
Shinnok is being sarcastic:
The woman stands there, wondering what to take… [as if she has a choice].
xTx praises the Japanese:
If you were watching CNN, the Japanese are not grabbing things in shops as much as they can […]. There is a video of them at a destroyed shop. Each person takes one bottle of water, no more, and leaving money on the cash register. We [in Serbia] would steal even the shelf on which the bottles stand.
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Sasa Milosevic


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Sri Lanka: The Government Deficit · Global Voices
Rezwan

Serendipity tries to analyze the impacts of the regular trend of preparing deficit annual budget by the Sri Lankan government.

author: Rezwan


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Syria: Citizen Videos Show Horror in Daraa · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
As the crackdown on protests in Daraa continues and reports pour in of more deaths, citizen reporters in the town are capturing video and uploading it to YouTube, which was only recently unblocked in Syria.  The videos, all uploaded on March 23, 2011, show the violent crackdown on Syrians in the southern city of Daraa.
WARNING: Some of these videos are of an extremely graphic nature.
In this extremely graphic video uploaded to Youtube by user SHAMSNN, citizens call for an ambulance after a young man is presumably shot. At first three men are seen to be lying in the street, but the camera then pans round to reveal others who are injured. More gunshots are heard in the background. The camera is then moved to view several severely injured men close-up.
In this video, also uploaded by SHAMSNN, citizens carry an injured man lying in the street to safety as gunshots are heard in the background:
In this shaky video, gunshots can be heard as protestors demonstrate on the street; a man yells “God is great!” then what appears to be tear gas can be seen infiltrating the crowds. Uploaded to Youtube by islam1tv:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJp7lKt1I3I
The video below was taken during the funeral procession on March 23 for the six martyred in the early morning attack on Al Omari mosque.  The crowd shouts, “There is no God but God and the martyr is with God!” Uploaded by Youtube user islam1tv:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xce6iCe7vhE
In this graphic video, the extent of the massacre can be seen, as bodies lie in the streets and those who attempt to remove them are shot at. A group of men shelter behind a van to avoid being shot at. Uploaded to Youtube by SHAMSNN.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Jillian C. York


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Syria: Horror Mounts as 150 Protesters Reportedly Dead in Daraa  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Alarming news from Syria has dominated my Twitter timeline, with reports of up to 150 people allegedly killed by security forces in Daraa, in southern Syria, where anti-regime protests continue.
Earlier estimates of six people killed  as Syrian police attacked Al Omari mosque to disperse protesters are now being questioned, as reports of more doom and gloom start to seep out of the town, where communications, including phone and Internet, have been cut off.
Syria is the latest country to join the wave of erupting protests across the Middle East. While previous calls for protests on February 5 failed, a renewed call to take to the streets on March 15 managed to bring several hundred people to the streets in multiple cities including the capital, Damascus, and Aleppo. While the numbers might be small, this constitutes a very important precedent in Syria where anti-government protests are unheard of, and any sign of dissent is squashed with an iron fist.
Daraa has been the epicentre of the protests over the past previous days, and is touted to be what Sidi Bouzid was for the Tunisians. Sidi Bouzid was the city which sparked the Tunisian revolution which toppled Zeine Al Abideen Ben Ali's 23-year-rule.
Syrians online are calling on the international Press and television stations to cover the atrocities being commited by the regime against their people.
Here's the latest buzz from Twitter on developments in Daraa:
@anasqtiesh: A trusted source: 10 000 protested in #Daraa, Security killed 150. If media wants contact I can securely give them phone number. #Syria
@Naboumerhi: 150 persons killed in Daraa.. Not confirmed
@alihabibi1: Reported number of killed in the protests in #Daraa (#Syria) is growing dramatically! Some reported 150 so far!
@FlashNewsPlus: Caller on Alarabiya claims 30 dead in Daraa,Syria as Pro regime forces open fire on protesters
@obeidanahas: #Deraa residents accuse Maher alAsad (President Bashar's brother) and Hafiz Makhlouf (Bashar's cousin) #Syria #March15 #Mar15 #15Mar #Daraa
@daraanow: URGENT: #AlThawra Newspaper spokesman reports more than 30 of dead bodies laying in streets of #Daraa #Syria & people can't rescue
@anniekryz: Disconcerting news coming out of Daraa province in Syria http://bit.ly/dKUZUh This regime could be as fierce as Gaddafi's in quelling unrest
@Mohammad_Syria: New video: Thousands in the funeral of martyrs of #Omari mosque massacre march 23 http://bit.ly/eN70g9 #Daraa #Syria #mar15
@SyrianRage: #Daraa #Syria #Omari #Mosque #Massacre situation on ground FEARED WORSE than media streamed so far
@SyrianRage: Women of #Daraa #Syria kiss their children good by telling them We want to be PRWOD of YOU Don't let us down #Mar23 #Massacre
@wissamtarif: Syrian forces is raiding house in Al Qrayya and other areas in Swayada #Syria #Daraa #March15
@abdullahali7: Some bodies at #Deraa hospitals for people from of other towns, e.g. “Al-harrah” #Syria #March15 #Mar15 #15Mar #Daraa
@abdullahali7: Some #Deraa residents: Dr Ali Ghassab Almahamid was heavily wounded then was suffocated to death #Syria #March15 #Mar15 #15Mar #Daraa
@jamesgoodmane: Mazen Darwish, the director of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, is also being held #Syria #March15 #Daraa
@Kholoudmansour1: Dear Tweeps: can we b really effective & professional. Can we only tweep what's confirmed 100% for the sake of #Daraa #Syria
@zecnor7: @iDeskCNN @nytimesworld @BBCWorld @HuffingtonPost CAN WE HAVE MORE REPORTS ON SYRIAN MASSACRE IN #DERAA #DARAA ?!
@FuriousSyrian: how many security forces are there in #Syria? enough to arrest the whole country? they can take over #Daraa town, not the entire country!!
Stay tuned for more from Syria as the story unfolds and more details emerge.


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Syria: Reports of Mass Killings, and a Blogger and a Journalist Disappear · Global Voices
Anas Qtiesh

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
The crackdown on protesters in Daraa, Syria continues. At dawn a special army unit reportedly killed at least six people during an attack on Al Omari Mosque to disperse the protesters who have been using it as a gathering place and makeshift hospital.
Syrian national television reported that it was an armed gang that attacked ambulances and security forces and that they had guns, ammunition, grenades, and stacks of money hidden inside the mosque:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRg9tdaHgpQ
Syrians were quick to point out that the video is a bad fabrication at best. Al Omari Mosque was full of blankets and medical supplies and was dirty after the protests, as opposed to what was shown on Syrian television. Facebook users joked that the Syrian national TV segment was like a badly directed Syrian drama and that governmental claims hold no water.
Twitter users are also reporting that Khaled Elekhetyar, a Syrian journalist and blogger is unreachable, and his Facebook account has been hacked and used to post pro-Assad propaganda.
@ramiar tweeted:
@wissamtarif #Syria journalist Khaled Elekhetyar unreachable – meanwhile his fb account is hacked and spammed with pro-Asad propaganda..
Adnan Shami started a twitter account to report the following:
الصحفي خالد الإختيار غائب عن الإنترنت ولا يمكننا الاتصال به منذ أكثر من أربع وعشرين ساعة #syria
A friend of Khaled who wishes to remain anonymous said:
Spoke to him last time around 10pm on 21 march..he was organizing the protest for 22 march in front of Palace of Justice..when we last spoke (10pm the day before the supposed to be protest) he looked scared and concerned for security of the people he knew…last FB msg he wrote was around 10am (you can check on his profile) on 22, protests were supposed to start at 12pm, then silence, his phone always shut down and now these strange messages on his FB profile which really seems to have been hacked or something…
Urgent: Security forces arrests blogger Ahmed Abu El-Kheir in #Damascus#Syria #mar15
And the harrowing reports from the events in Syria keep trickling through the enforced media and communication blackout. @1SecularSyrian tweeted:
Hero Soldier Khaled Al-Masri killed by his fellow soldiers for refusing to participate In storming Omari Mosque yesterday #Daraa #Syria
Blogger Yassin Sweha comments:
ﻣﺎ ﻳﺤﺪﺙ ﻓﻲ ﺩﺭﻋﺎ ﻻ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ ﻭﺻﻔﻪ ﺑﺎﻟﺠﻨﻮﻥ، ﻓﺎﻟﺠﻨﻮﻥ ﺍﺑﺪﺍﻉ، ﻭ ﻻ ﺍﺑﺪﺍﻉ ﻓﻲ ﻗﺘﻞ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﺑﻞ ﺳﺎﺩﻳﺔ #Syria
Reports of a brutal crackdown are non-stop. The next video was recorded yesterday and it shows plainclothes security agents arresting people randomly from the streets:
This story is ongoing and will be updated as details become available.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Anas Qtiesh


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Armenia: Opposition rivalry · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

With the opposition in Armenia divided between parties in parliament and those outside, Unzipped comments on the rivalry between two specific political forces in the country and the populist rhetoric used to attack and discredit each other following popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia as well as prior to the 2012 parliamentary elections in Armenia.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Trinidad & Tobago, Dominica: Position on Gender Equity · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Globewriter on the UN Joint Statement on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: “The English Caribbean (including T&T which continues to betray its alleged commitment to human rights)  was notably absent except for Dominica.  I can only surmise that the normally homophobic Dominica either had a coup or someone pushed the wrong button.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Venezuela: Learning to Play the Cuatro on the Web 2.0  · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Image of a cuatro by Flickr user LCoronelP (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The cuatro is the principal icon of traditional Venezuelan music. It is often learned at an early age and accompanies the majority of songs that recount the country's folklore. The cuatro is present in almost all forms of musical expression, from the coastal drums to the calypso music of the south. Traditional choirs are often joined by a cuatro, and cantors also base their songs on the instrument. A love for the cuatro has also reached citizen media: songs of the joropo and gaita styles of music are shared here, and its history, musicians and even how to play the instrument, are widely discussed.
The blog Recreateoficial [es] relates part of its history:
Tiene sus orígenes muy remotos. Instrumentos similares aparecen en grabados Iraníes y Cretenses en forma ovoidal y cuadrado (…) El laúd árabe o thimphle, a través de las invasiones moras, llega a España a comienzos del siglo XVI con cuatro órdenes, donde fue adoptando una nueva forma menos ovalada y más parecida a la actual, en forma de «ocho» (…)  El laúd llegó a las Islas Canarias, hasta transformarse en el timple . Este se exportaría a America y el Caribe con la Conquista de América, dando lugar, muchos años más tarde, a las versiónes conocidas hoy en día en sudamérica. El cuatro puertoriqueño, sin embargo, guarda más parecido con su antecesor el laúd que con el timple de Canarias.
The blogs micuatro.com [es] and tucuatro.com [es] share chords and songs through scores, adaptations and examples.
YouTube has a place for fans as well, thanks to video accounts from those like CuatroCriollo [es], who posts classes that make introductory courses easy:
Much like this user, many others also share what they have learned. Simply by entering “Venezuelan cuatro” into a keyword search, the results are endless. There are ample and generous possibilities to discover distinct types of music. The cuatro, vastly popular amongst Venezuelan bloggers, has numerous demonstrations available not only for enjoyment, but also for learning more about the art.

author: Laura Vidal


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Africa: African movies to watch · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

African movies that MightyAfrican would like to watch: “Africa United (Rwanda), Figurine (South Africa), From a Whisper (Kenya), Seasons of a Life (Malawi), Teza (Ethiopia)”


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Brazil: Cartoons of Obama in Brazil · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Altamiro Borges posts a series of cartoons made by the Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff on Obama's visit to Brazil.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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Brazil: Satirical Video pokes fun at famous singer’s blog · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

The Javipior blog has made video spoof on the upcoming poetry blog [pt] by Brazilian singer Maria Bethânia, estimated at R$ 1.3 million tax free (Brazilian reais – approximately US$ 777,000). The poem recited at the video criticizes using tax incentives to cover the blog expenses, “I know I'm taking the money from your daily bread.”

author: Sara Moreira


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Burkina Faso: Burkinabé Drums · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Learn about different types of drums from Burkina Faso: “Percussion forms the basis of music making in Burkina. Drums are used in daily life, to signal a journey or a return from the fields, to accompany mask dances and to codify secret languages solely understood by initiates.”


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Cambodia: Use of Khmer language in the web · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Mirror is a bit worried that many Cambodian internet surfers are using Romanized Khmer instead of Khmer Unicode.

author: Mong Palatino


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Cameroon: Remembering Cameronian artist Goddy Leye · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

No Art On $2 A Day is a video in memory of Cameroonian artist Goddy Leye (1965-2011). Goddy's work focused on videos, installations and conceptual art.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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China’s property bubble · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Edward Khoo from Fool's Mountain looks into the market psychology that contributes to the property bubble and affects the government's soft landing measures.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Colombia: Columnist Threatens to Sue Twitter User for Slander · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

Political website La Silla Vacía summarizes [es] the online fight between columnist Ernesto Yamhure (@eyamhure), a staunch supporter of former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, and Twitter user Nicolás González (@nicoagonzalez). González criticized Yamhure's latest op-ed [es] where he mentions a character played by late comedian Jaime Garzón, claiming [es] the columnist “must have been the happiest [man]” when Garzón was murdered in 1999. Yamhure replied by stating [es] he was going to sue González, “today,” for slander.

author: Julián Ortega Martínez


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Côte d’Ivoire: Laurent Gbagbo Facebook Fan Page Deleted · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Claudus Kouadio revealed in a blog post [fr] on March 23, 2011, that the Facebook fan page of Laurent Gbagbo – the incumbent Côte d'Ivoire president who refuses to step down after losing the 2010 presidential election – has been deleted. The memory cache of the page on the social networking site shows that nearly 32,000 people had chosen to ‘like’ it.

author: Julie Owono


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Cuba: Courage of Journalists  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“There are currently no Cuban independent journalists in the Castro gulag…” but that doesn't fool Uncommon Sense into thinking that there is a free press.


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Cuba: Whither the Internet? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“A ghost runs around Cuba: the Internet ghost”: Rosa María Rodríguez Torrado explains.


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Ecuador: Investigation Around Newborn Deaths Continues · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.
According to Ecuador's latest census, more than 14 million people live in the country, but there is still no consensus on the national infant mortality rate. According to figures from UNICEF in 2009, the rate was 11 in 1,000, but the Index Mundi displays a value of 20.9 per 1,000 live births.
Recent incidents have called attention to health care practices in neonatal units in Ecuadorian public hospitals, triggering an investigation into newborn deaths in the country.
Simple and affordable interventions can save newborn lives. Image by Gates Foundation on Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
Health care gaps
Although in the last decade funds for health care have increased in  the state budget from US $74.4 million to $1.244 million, not counting the $406 million granted [es] after a health emergency was declared in  Ecuador over the last three months.
Newspaper La Hora [es] explains why Ecuadorians worry about their newborns having to enter an intensive care unit, especially in the light of complaints at hospitals in the provinces of Guayaquil, Loja and Santo Domingo de los Táchilas. These are not the only hospitals with problems however; there are gaps in other health care facilities, as the newspaper describes:
La crisis en las áreas de Neonatologia no son de hoy, en los hospitales  Napoleón Davila, de Chone, y Teófilo Davila, de Machala también se  registraron muertes en años anteriores. En mayo de 2006, en Chone,  fallecieron 26 neonatos. En Machala, en julio de 2005, un informe de la  Direccion de Salud de El Oro señaló; la muerte de 89 recién nacidos.
So far, these cases are still under investigation. Ecuadorian Health Minister  David Chiriboga [es] and a High Level Technical Committee are in charge of directing the enquiry.
For now only directors at the Gustavo Dominguez hospital and a provincial director of health, both in the Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas province, have been removed for a “lack of vision” in their care for infants; photos were revealed of babies in the province being placed in bathtubs and on cardboard sheets in the absence of any cribs, by Guayaquil newspaper El Universo.
President Correa has expressed doubts [es] about the photos’ veracity, but Twitter users seem to believe the images are real. Journalist Alexis Moncayo (@alexismoncayo) tweets that he cannot believe the show President Correa displays with the newborns laying on cardboard.
But Daniela Pareja (@Cuinita) from Guayaquil thinks it is the health minister's fault, not Correa's: “what a beautiful country Ecuador is”, she tweets sarcastically.
Diosdado Anchundia (@miramelindo35) says he now knows where his taxes are going: towards a “new piece of cardboard on which newborns can stay warm”.
In the Loja province, reports have indicated that the bacterium Enterobacter cloacae found in soap was the possible cause of the 26 infant deaths registered at the Isidro Ayora hospital since November 2010 [es]. In Francisco Icaza Bustamante hospital in Guayaquil, the bacterium Serratia marcescens has been the reported cause of newborn deaths.
The vice minister of Public Health and the Isidro Ayora hospital's director have both resigned [es].
Whose responsibility?
But on Twitter, Ecuadorian journalist Mónica Mendoza (@moniquemendoza) is concerned about the level of responsibilities:
@moniquemendoza: Por qué si #Correa responsabiliza al Ministerio de Salud por mala atención a#neonatos, solo sale viceministra y no el ministro Chiriboga?
MetroEcuador [es] reports current data on infant mortality: “The rates of frequency of infection in neonatal units are between 15 and 30 percent. About 140 babies die each year in public hospitals in Ecuador.”
But both the Health Minister David Chiriboga and the Minister of Social Development Coordination, Jeannette Sanchez, have tried to defend themselves:
En lo referente a la muerte de neonatos en diferentes ciudades del país, indicó que, a nivel mundial, se estima que entre el 5 y el 10 por ciento de pacientes ingresado a cualquier hospital adquiere infecciones intrahospitalarias. De este porcentaje, 25% ocurre en cuidados intensivos. Las infecciones neonatales son un problema global y no particular del Ecuador, presentes incluso en hospitales de países desarrollados y conocidos por su excelente atención en salud.  Los neonatos son más vulnerables a infecciones ya que su sistema inmunológico no acaba de madurar.
New reports [es] show newborn deaths are decreasing. In 2008 the rate of neonatal deaths from 21 hospitals in Ecuador was 7.38 percent; in 2009 this figure dropped to 6.9 percent, and in 2010 it decreased to 5.69 percent.
Blogger Henry Raad predicts this issue will not be solved any time soon. He says the problem with public health is a matter of pragmatism; Ecuadorians need to stop relying so heavily on the  SENPLADES [es] (Ministry of Planning and National Development) because the Ecuadorian health system is not self-sustaining [es].
Martin Pallares, on the other hand, believes that it is necessary to evaluate the government's public investment. He says that only the stubborn can deny that the scale of public works undertaken by the current Ecuadorian administration has been enormous. But are these public works really doing any good?, he asks in his blog Desde la Tranquera [es].
This post is part of our special coverage Global Development 2011.

author: Milton Ramirez


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Egypt: Taxi Driver Finds Lost Camera Owner via Facebook · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

What would you do if you found a camera, and wanted to return it to its owner? One Egyptian taxi driver decided to do it the Egyptian way and utilise the internet – with rapid results.
The taxi driver, Abdel Hameed Tawfiq, asked the passenger who found the camera to post some of the photos on it online. The passenger, a young student called Asmaa Mostafa, tells the story:
In the beginning when Abdel Hameed, the taxi driver, asked me to publish on the internet the pictures of the tourist which were on the camera, I decided to contact the many pages I was a member of and ask them for help, and indeed the various pages helped me and really encouraged me and supported the case. I published the pictures of Marcus on their pages. […] After that I sent a message to a colleague who told me to make a page on Facebook about the matter. I did make a page [called All Egypt is looking for this person] and began to invite people, and the pages I had contacted also invited their members to join our page. The aims of the page I made were:
1. Return the lost property to its owner
2. Return it by way of the Egyptian people (I never thought of sending it to an embassy to deal with); I hoped that we who were calling, searching and speaking ourselves would suddenly find him, and really I hoped that, but not as quickly as it happened, I thought it would take months.
3. To improve the image of Egypt and of Egyptians abroad; lost property must be returned to a person, regardless of his nationality, and we had to try to reach the owner of the camera. The thing which motivated us more was that he was not Egyptian. Our reputation isn’t good abroad; some Egyptian shopkeepers exploit tourists and that’s something which affects all of us.
4. The greatest goal was to reach everyone with this page; we’re just beginning and we have confidence. Everyone needs to know that Egypt is safe for people. […]
5. Egypt is not backward not full of thugs and chaos, Egypt is Abdel Hameed and those like him, and terrible things will never overwhelm the good in us.
Marcus Abdullah Bregenzer, from the Facebook page All Egypt is looking for this person
Just an hour and three minutes after the page was created a message was posted by Mohamed Abu Seda, who said that he knew the person in the photo, a Swiss man called Marcus. Mohamed got in touch with Monzer Mohamed Rashad, a friend of Marcus in Switzerland, and soon Monzer posted a message and sent a picture of him and Marcus together. They later made a video telling the story in full (Monzer starts in Arabic and Marcus – also known as Abdullah – continues in English):
The Facebook page is still attracting followers, and is being used as a way of promoting Egypt as a safe tourist destination. As Monzer said in a post:

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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El Salvador: 31 Years Since the Death of Archbishop Oscar Romero · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

“On March 24, 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero was shot and killed while saying Mass at the chapel of the Divina Providencia. Romero had spent the last two-plus years of his life as Archbishop working tirelessly to prevent the country from falling into open civil war,” Mike explains at Central American Politics.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Gabon: Citizen Web Documentary Wins Award · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Website Web Docu [fr] has announced that the citizen web documentary Gabon : violences d'un coup d'état électoral [fr] (Gabon: The violence of an electoral coup) has won the award for best web-politics documentary at the Web TV-Festival 2011 [fr]. The documentary was produced in 2009 during the post-electoral turmoil that followed the controversial election of President Ali Bongo.


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Gambia: I set limits on press freedom · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh says he sets press freedom limits in the country: But press freedom has limits, Jammeh said, and it is he who sets those limits. “One freedom I will never give you is the freedom, the liberty to write whatever you want that you know is not true. There is press freedom, but there's no freedom to lie.”


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Guyana: Choosing Happiness  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Every day, I does try to fill the bucket and pour it over me”: Guyana-Gyal says that happiness is a choice.


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Haiti: Awaiting Results  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As election results continue to be tabulated in Haiti, The Latin Americanist suggests that “the real victors are the Haitian electorate who supposedly turned out in large numbers to some voting centers.”  Toussaint on Haiti also weighs in.


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Indonesia: Expense tracker applications · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

BudiPutra features three expense tracker websites developed by Indonesian developers.


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Indonesia: Football foreign coaches banned · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Jakarta Casual reports that four football foreign coaches were temporarily banned in Indonesia.


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Indonesia: Geothermal power potential · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Blogger Multibrand hopes that Indonesia would maximize its geothermal power potential since it has 40 percent of the world's geothermal reserves.


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Indonesia: Torture and human rights · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Blogger donnyputranto urges Indonesian authorities to stop treating torture as a regular crime since it's a serious human rights violation.


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Jamaica: Loving Japan · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaipanese explains why “the disaster in Japan has helped…show why [he] love[s] Japan.”


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Japan: Fundraising through art · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

A group of international artists realized paintings and drawings dedicated to the victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The works are part of an open project called Tsunami, Des Images pour le Japon. You can send your original illustrations  here [fr].

author: Scilla Alecci


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Japan: Hoarding Water in Wake of Radiation Fears · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korea's blogger/citizen news site, Wikitree posted a photo sent by a Japanese net user which shows people hoarding bottled water in big supermarket chains in Tokyo, reflecting heightened fears of radiation contamination.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Japan: The Importance of Getting Back to Normal · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

As more time passes since the devastating Earthquake that shook Japan on March 11th, people in Japan are feeling the need to return to normal and put the disaster behind them. Although for many Japanese who lost their homes or loved ones this will be quite difficult, those who weren't as unlucky feel the need to do their part and help the economy get back on its feet.
Spanish writer Hector García has been living in Japan for many years and his blog “A Geek in Japan” has been for many Spanish speakers a window into the daily life of someone living in Tokyo. After the Earthquake he's kept his page updated with information on the effects and aftershocks, giving people the sense of what was happening at ground level in Tokyo after the quake, and through the nuclear crisis.  In his March 23rd post, he writes about the need to get back to normal, since the worry is affecting those they would wish to help, as people stay glued to the TV or news, afraid to leave their homes. Businesses have needed to close temporarily, leaving people who need the money to get back on their feet and help their families in shelters out of work:
Debemos ayudar de forma activa a través de donaciones y otros medios, pero es igual, o casi tan importante volver a nuestras rutinas habituales. Es importante para todos, ir al gimnasio, ir a tomarse unas copas, ir comprarse unos libros. Desde lejos, quizás os parezca una chorrada, pero es la realidad de Tokio, e incluso en todo Japón ahora mismo. Debemos de quitarnos el miedo, dejar de mirar las noticias cada minuto y salir a disfrutar de la diversidad de la vida, de esta forma ayudaremos a las víctimas y a Japón a recuperarse ante lo ocurrido. La salud física de decenas de miles en el área de Tohoku está en peligro, la salud mental de millones de personas y la salud de la economía japonesa también.
On the BoingBoing blog, a Japanese video was featured, and in the words of Ayahiko Sato from Rakudasan, the video design unit responsible for creating it:
Now, as you know we are in critical situation by earthquake. However we think that what we can do is to get more attention for Japan and Japanese creativity. We need positive news to get energetic power, because we are showered with negative news.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwyCWHoNe2I
Chitaka2000 on YouTube, who usually posts about cars and other motor vehicles, uploaded a different type of video instead. He walked around his city of Tokyo and recorded video showing how daily business has changed a bit; with the city's lights turned off and people stocking up on batteries. The video is annotated and he explains signs and other cultural aspects, for example, how Japanese wearing face masks are not afraid of radiation necessarily but are instead protecting themselves from hay fever:
JuneHoneyBee lives in Japan, and on this next video she tries to focus on showing a bit of how life goes on:
While there is soooo much destruction and horrible news to focus on, there are also little things in daily life to appreciate. This video (series) is an effort to focus on things happening in other parts of Japan, as people carry on with their daily lives, and as I appreciate the small things, the everyday things, the things I love about Japan.
This flower shop is a stone's throw from my house. I buy plants here, and sometimes take them back for the magic touch of Takami's green thumb. Today the store was filled with beautiful flowers.
Satomihyde2010 on YouTube also does her bit with her tribute to the Japanese people, who through their suffering are trying to piece their lives together and move on:
Through images, Michael Keferl, Darrell Nelson and Joanne Yu all show in CScout Japan how life goes on as usual in Tokyo as well as in Chiba and Shinagawa. Michael Keferl writes:
Life is certainly different with restrictions on power and limited trains, but if you watch international news you’d think that ALL of Japan is underwater and suffering. Miyagi and Iwate are the center of it all, while we are basically experiencing minor inconveniences. This is important to remember.
Chiba Prefecture shows its pride after the quake, by Darrell Nelson
Even in Sendai, which was partly ravaged by the tsunami wave, life resumes normalcy.Acofromsendai opened a YouTube channel after the quake, and has posted videos of different areas of Sendai in the aftermath, including this one of a Mall near the port of Sendai where the effects of the tsunami can be seen, and the following, where in downtown Sendai it's business as usual.
And to close, we quote Ken Mogi a Japanese Ph.D. and blogger living in Tokyo who inspired Hector García's post mentioned at the beginning of this article:
So one of the difficult but absolutely crucial tasks now is to go back to life's diversity, rather than shying away from it. We need a healthy entertainment industry. The restaurant sector has to flourish. Books need to be sold and read, hotels rooms have to be filled with laughter. While investing a substantial amount of our time and energy on the rescue and relief efforts, we somehow need to keep life's diversity. Apart from thinking about this earthquake and pondering the future of nuclear energy, we need to sing a song of the various joys of living.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Mexico: Femicide Law Passed in State of Mexico · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Erwin in The Latinamericanist reports that “legislators in Mexico State unanimously passed a law last week that legally recognizes femicides [es] as an independent crime category.” However, Erwin adds that “deputy Mónica Fragoso Maldonado told El Universal that the measure does little [es] to solve the problem of violence against women.”


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Myanmar: VoIP services banned · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

shwedarling uploads a letter from the Myanmar government banning VoIP services in the country like Gtalk, Vzo, Skype and Pfingo.


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Palestine: Biggest Escalation of Violence in Gaza since Cast Lead · Global Voices
Ammoun AAY

The Gaza Strip is lately experiencing the largest escalation of violence since Cast Lead operation in 2008-2009 that claimed the lives of more than 1,400 Palestinians, among them over 350 children. Since the beginning of this year, several strikes by Israel have been justified by presence of military training camps or tunnels, and the lives claimed were said to be militants.
On the night of March 22, however, Israel started military operations that led to the bloodiest day in Gaza in two years. Shortly before midnight, 19 civilians – including seven children and two women – were injured by air strikes that were supposed to target tunnels and explosive manufacturing sites in retaliation to rockets sent from Gaza into open fields in the Eshkol Regional Council.
At Al Shifa hospital, one of the children injured by the shell that targeted Al Hilo house as the family was playing soccer. Screenshot of Al Aqsa TV report taken by Muhammad Qudaih in Gaza.
On Tuesday, March 22, during the evening, Israeli tanks shelled a house East of Gaza city belonging to Al Hilo family, killing four (among them two children, aged 11 and 16 years, and a 50-year-old man) and injuring 10, all civilians.
Later in the evening of the same day, Israel bombed Gaza for the third time, killing another four Palestinians belonging to the Al Quds Brigades (Islamic Jihad military wing), bringing up the casualties to eight dead.
As Israel claims retaliation of rockets fired from the Strip to justify the air strikes, Hamas specifies that the rockets were fired in retaliation to previous strikes that killed two of its militants the week before.
On Twitter, Yousef Munayyer notes:
@YousefMunayyer: CONTEXT MATTERS: ONE #Israel artillery shell today killed at least 4 times as many people as 100s of Qassam rockets over 3 years #gaza
Drawing the parallel between the events that led to Cast Lead Operation and the current ones, he adds on his blog:
So when the war on Gaza inevitably started at the end of December in 2008, it permitted many editors to create this simple, context free story line:
Israel must defend itself. And Hamas must bear responsibility for ending a six-month cease-fire this month with a barrage of rocket attacks into Israeli territory.
[…] Another common feature of these stories is how shallow the context is. We are told Palestinians were killed by Israelis yesterday after Palestinians fired rockets over the weekend. 3 days, that's it. That's all the context we get. What happened before that? Don't we need to know? As far as editors are concerned, we don't.
On March, 23, a bomb attack in Jerusalem targeting a bus stop killed one woman and injured more than 30 others. The attack stirred wide condemnation:
@Huwaidaarraf: 1 bomb in #Jerusalem that wounded 25 Israelis will get more attention than all the bombs that Israel dropped on #Gaza killing 8 yesterday.
In Gaza, Palestinians predict a new escalation of violence as Tzipi Livni, the current Israeli Opposition Leader and leader of Kadima, the largest party in the Knesset, asks for a new Cast Lead, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signals a new wave of air raids over the Strip:
@Omar_Gaza: @AmoonaE I mean that 2night Israhell will bomb the hell out of us even if Jerusalem-Operation has nothing 2 do with us! Gaza has 2 pay :-S
@imPalestine: Here's my plan for the night: I'll sleep now for a couple of hours before the bombing begins which is usually sometime around midnight #Gaza
Drones invade Gaza sky in the late hours of Thursday, as attacks are expected:
@imPalestine: Friends here is a much better recording: Israeli drones across Gaza's sky http://t.co/7dYQKQA via @olanan #Palestine #Gaza
@Jnoubiyeh: It is past 1 a.m. now in besieged #Gaza and there are 185 Israeli drones in the skies. Is sleeping an existential threat to #Israel now too?
Israeli special forces are then reported to have made an incursion into Northern Gaza:
@Omar_Gaza: BREAKING: Israeli special forces took over a house that belongs to Al Zendah family in Beit Lahya #Gaza they r stationed in it!
@Solarah: All police stations & security centres been evacuated.. State of EMERGENCY declared in #Gaza #Palestine
@imPalestine: A state of cautious anticipation among #Gaza residents now as Israeli drones have completely cleared off the sky #Palestine
In this stressful moment, some still manage to keep some sense of humor:
@Omar_Gaza: LOOOOOOL RT @imPalestine: People want the drones BACK! Please no F16s, no Apaches. let's be friends! Allah yostor (May God have mercy) #Gaza #Palestine
After midnight, on March, 24, bombings start and Gaza bloggers set up a livestream enabling people to witness the bombings by themselves as they happen:
@imPalestine: You can watch live broadcasts of what's happening in Gaza tonight on this link: http://ustre.am/waCa #Gaza via @imNadZ
@Jess_Gaza: Mohammed Qudaih via FB Huge Explosion in Rafah city now
@WillOuda: 5 missiles till now…explosions heard in the distance to the south and east of #Gaza city
@Omar_Gaza: Israel targeted a tunnel in Rafah with 1 missile & a security HQ belongs 2 Hamas with 4 missiles which affected the high-voltage power lines
Drones haven’t stopped hovering the Strip on Thursday, and bombings have been reported early this afternoon:
@livefromgaza: they're back : the drones #Gaza #zanana
@Omar_Gaza: F16 striked again a while ago, targeted a crowd in jabalya, 1 injured! #Gaza
@Solarah: OMG! Again!!! more & more Ambulances rushing out & to Al-shifa Hospital! #Gaza #Palestine # Israel
Around 8:30pm local time, strikes started again:
@SafaJoudeh: 6 consecutive #Israel F16 strikes on #Gaza just now, LOUD, ambulances screaming, ppl on the street yelling
@imPalestine: I was lying all the time when I said I got used to it. You never get used to being BOMBED by F-16s! #Gaza #Palestine
@annan6: the US Consulate has told all Americans to leave #Gaza. A repeat of the Gaza Massacre coming soon? I really hope not. I pray not. Please no
As I finish this report, bombings stop and are replaced by drones:
@imPalestine: F-16s disappeared to be replaced by unmanned drones once again! an d this is how it goes on! #Gaza
@imPalestine: Gaza is usually hailed in Arabic as the “Sing of Pride”. But the pride is being shattered daily by hellish Israeli bombing of #Gaza.
Omar Ghraieb, blogger from Gaza, reports:
Gaza, March 24 Thursday, In Gaza City, Israeli F16 warplanes bombed an intelligence headquarter named “the ship”, using at least five missiles, also raided the al-Rayes mountain with one missile and a room that belongs to “Gaza” sporting club, also “Badr” security HQ belonging to the Qassam Brigades, Hamas militant wing, with three missiles.
According to witnesses in the northern Gaza Strip, the shelling caused enormous material damage in the homes of civilian citizens in Maqqousi residential buildings which are located near the “Badr” security HQ, which was bombed with two missiles by Israeli warplanes.
According to Adham Abu Salmeyah, Health ministry official, one citizen got injured by shrapnel in the face, he is 10 years old and his name is Raid Afifi. More injuries reported to have reached Al Shefa hospital for treatment.
The loud bombing triggered a massive panic that hit women and children.

author: Ammoun AAY


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Philippines: Manila Twestival · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Proceeds from the Manila Twestival which will take place today will go to JeepneED. The group aims to provide mobile science and tech materials for rural schools in the Philippines.


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Portugal: Is there still Government? · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

In order to aggregate the latest tweets on the political crisis in Portugal, Rui Ramos created the website aindahagoverno.com (Is there still Government?) [pt]. The Prime Minister Jose Socrates resigned on March 24, after the Parliament rejected the government's latest proposal for an austerity package aimed at avoiding an economical bailout.


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Russia: Life of Migrant Workers in Pictures · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

Photoblogger zyalt publsed a selection of pictures on the life of migrant workers in Russia. The pictures with English captions are re-posted by English Rusia here.

author: Vadim Isakov


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Should Indonesia Abandon its Nuclear Plans? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Indonesia’s plan to build its first nuclear plant in the next decade has been shelved indefinitely because of the nuclear disaster in Japan. Indonesia has large uranium deposits but like Japan, it’s located inside the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’ where the threat of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions is high. Bloggers are joining the debate on whether Indonesia should pursue its nuclear dreams.
Erwin Wirawan is neutral on the issue
I am on neutral ground. Many accounts of the downside of nuclear power plant are exacerbated and in fact, the renewable energy sources are still pipe dreams for mass production.
First, nuclear power plant is not the most dangerous compared to other more common energy source such as coal. The nuclear power plant disasters are rare. The worst nuclear disaster was in Chernobyl claimed “only” 28 lives. Do you know that in China, 2,442 workers were killed in 1,401 coal mining incidents in 2010, while in the United States, 18 coal miners died in 2009?
Finally, Indonesia does need variety of energy to speed up the economic development while reducing the energy cost. And each energy source has its own advantages and disadvantages. Nuclear energy is neither the best nor the worst. Accordingly, the government must put this option on the table along with others
Colson hopes that Indonesian authorities would seriously consider the situation in Fukushima, Japan before building a nuclear plant
And just like the Japanese plants, nuclear power plants in Indonesia are by definition on or near the “Ring of Fire”- that is they will always be in a hazardous situation. If, or rather when, the unthinkable will happen it might cause an unprecedented catastrophe.
So let’s hope the real crucial people in charge will wisely reconsider their plans, taking into account what is happening in Fukushima.
Calvin supports the idea of using nuclear energy but insists that the plant must be located in a safe area
i have mixed position regarding nuclear power. I do support nuclear to be used as energy source but i think it must be placed outside ring of fire.
Tikno suggests other sources of energy like coal or geothermal
Indonesia having many natural resources that can be converted into electricity, such as: water, coal, geothermal. It’s time for human kind researching in technology (other than nuclear) to generate electricity.
Multibrand emphasizes the need to include nuclear energy as an option to meet the future energy requirement of Indonesia
Considering that Indonesia will need lots of electric power for development of the country, and the source of electricity, i.e. coal, gas, petroleum, geothermal, is limited, I think we should keep an open mind on the possibility of building a nuclear power reactors that can provide much bigger electricity.
But in this case we must make sure that reactor would be located in a place that would not be affected by earthquake and/or other natural disasters, operated and maintained by people who are highly skilled and disciplined
Luke believes that despite the crisis in Japan, nuclear energy should not be dismissed
I think Nuclear power is the safest form of power generation which like flying is the safest form of travel, but when it goes really wrong it will go really wrong. I also think that we can't dismiss nuclear power because of what has happened happened in Japan. We learnt from Chernobyl and I believe it is still the way to go.
Twitter user @Ihwoon identifies ‘safe’ areas in Indonesia which are outside the ‘ring of fire.’
Nuclear energy is the most cheap energy. It is the key to make better Indonesia, to boost country development program by providing cheap and clean energy. Facing the world situation now when coal and oil prices are rising and our oil and coal deposits are decreasing, the nuclear energy is an alternative solution. We can save 30 million tons of coal per year and 70 million barrels of oil per year. We could make our country become a clean country by reducing 20 percent pollution emission. I understand we are located in “ring of fire” but we also have areas that are not located in that area: “Bangka and Kalimantan are the safe zones if we want to build it. There is no recorded landslide and earthquake in those areas in the last 100 years.


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Singapore: Doctors as politicians · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

At least three public sector doctors may stand as local candidates of the ruling party in the coming elections in Singapore.


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South Korea: Special Parking Lot for Pregnant Women · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

In South Korea, a local district office had received rare compliments from net users with their women-friendly policy. The Yeongi country office had created a special parking lot saved for pregnant women. (See Wiki Tree‘s photo here. It is marked with pink lane)


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South Sudan: A wrong start for Africa’s newest country  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Maggie Fick believes that Africa’s newest country, South Sudan is starting off on the wrong foot: “There has been heavy fighting between the Southern army and an intractable local rebel movement, clashes between fractious units of the northern Sudanese army deployed in the south, an ugly police abuse scandal, and the assassination of a government minister in his office…”


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Taiwan: Call for Energy Policy Review · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011 and Global Development 2011.
The ongoing Fukushima nuclear power plant incident in Japan has alerted people in Taiwan about the safety of nuclear power plants in their own country.
In order to transform current concern into long term government policy, many netizens are demanding the Taiwanese government conduct a comprehensive review on the country's energy and industrial policy.
Policy paradox
Anti-nuclear rally in Taiwan capital, Taipei on March 20, 2011. Image by Flickr user KarlMarx (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
On February 14, 2011, approximately one month before the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami, Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration held a public hearing in which the Bureau of Energy laid out the nation’s energy policy from 2011-2020.
However, environmental groups found the new energy policy  violated the consensus [zh] formulated in the “Sustainable Energy Development Guidelines” (永續能源政策綱領) [zh] announced in 2008, as well as the “Statement of National Energy” conference held in 2009.
Contradicting the goals set for the reduction of greenhouse gas by increasing renewable energy and shifting the economy towards lower energy-consumption industry, the new policy supports the development of the petrochemical industry.
The failure to restructure Taiwan's industry creates a paradox for sustainable energy development, as Chia-Yang Tsai (蔡嘉陽) from the Taiwan Environmental Information Center points out [zh]:
工業消耗台灣60％以上的電力，價格又僅是民生用電一半以上，電價結構如此不合理，當然容易造成工業用電的浪費。提高工業用電的電價更可以淘汰高耗能、高汙染的產業，讓台灣的產業結構從根本上轉型，台灣的能源問題才能解決。
An informed choice is needed
Man at an anti-nuclear rally Taiwanese capital, Taipei on March 20, 2011. Image by Flickr user KarlMarx (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
As neighbour Japan's nuclear crisis continues, a more comprehensive energy policy review is needed in Taiwan, in particular regarding the development of the country's nuclear energy.
According to the an article [zh] about the high risk of nuclear energy, Yen (焱) expressed concern that the suspension of the nuclear power plants might cause electricity shortages in the country:
如果您接受了缺電的狀況並且可以安撫其他人接受電力不足的現實，就反吧!
On the other hand, many netizens insist that even though Taiwanese people may ultimately choose to develop nuclear power, it is important for the public to understand the risks involved before making their choice. Blogger Subing argues [zh] on March 14:
擁核的人該提出理由說服台灣人為什麼大家要為幾家高耗能公司負擔這麼大的風險。
Questioning demand
In fact, upon checking the data released by the Taiwan Power Company, Siro argued [zh] in a forum discussion thread on March 21:
目前台灣的總發電量, 即使在尖峰負載, 也仍有 23.4% 的賸餘…就算現在把三座核電廠全部關閉, 台灣依然沒有立即的電力危機.
Siro continued to explain that nuclear energy is neither cheap nor clean:
核廢料處理及核電廠除役都很可能讓核能發電成本遠高於台電宣稱的成本.
Siro goes on to say however, that the process of suspending a nuclear power plant is not easy or straightforward:
我舉我住的澎湖為例, 澎湖舊火力發電廠位置接近市區, 當郊區新發電廠蓋好, 原電廠拆除後, 土地變成價值不斐, 而這一點是核電廠辦不到的..也是台電在計算成本中, 刻意去忽略的. 核電廠因為儲存核廢料, 即使關閉, 也永遠需要管理監控, 更不用說想要遷廠回收土地.
The management of the nuclear power plants and nuclear waste is always a potential threat. Tyrone asked in the discussion section of the article on nuclear risk [zh] on March 14:
當中只要有一件事情疏忽是否就能造成核能污染事件. 為何我們要犧牲後代子孫的幸福造就個人的舒適?
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011 and Global Development 2011.

author: I-fan Lin


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The Coming Collapse of China’s Soft Power · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Johan Lagerkvist from Chinaroader foresees the coming collapse of China's soft power.


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Argentina: The Conflict between Teatro Colón and the City of Buenos Aires · Global Voices
Fanny Rahmouni

It's been more than twelve years since the last performance of the famous tenor Plácido Domingo in Argentina. The concert [es], planed for March 23 in Buenos Aires, was therefore meant to be a special tribute from the Spanish singer to the country where he started in 1972. The first part of the concert was to take place in the Teatro Colón, the prestigious Buenos Aires opera house, and the second one was to take place outdoors with 20,000 people expected to attend. These were great news for opera fans, but things didn't turn out exactly as planned.
First, the outdoor part of the concert was postponed to March 24 because of rain. Then, the concert at Teatro Colón was canceled as the very musicians of the theater refused to play for the event because of their conflict with the city's administration.
In an open-letter [es] published on their website, the Teatro Colón's musicians explain their decision:
Las razones a enumerar son interminables; no olvidemos que la Dirección del Teatro nos está agraviando sistemáticamente, apodándonos terroristas psicológicos, cuasi mafiosos… Este gobierno vino con la decisión de precarizar a todo el personal del Teatro, tercerizanado, disciplinando, entre tantos otros atropellos laborales, incluso avasallando nuestro derecho constitucional.
The interior of the Teatro Colón, by Flickr user Roger Schultz (CC BY 2.0)
The conflict started with the reopening of the Teatro Colón in 2010.  It has been worsening since then, disturbing the end of last year's  season with the cancellation of several performances. As a consequence,  the director of the Theater, Pedro Pablo García Caffi, declared last  week that the sale of opera subscriptions would be adjourned this year.
In the article “El público amante de la ópera que esta solo y espera…” (Opera lovers are alone and waiting…), Enrique Sirvén [es] laments last year's perturbation and wishes that the new season starts peacefully:
Espero que la apertura del Teatro Colón sea definitiva,   después de una temporada como la del año pasado, forzosamente más breve y   finalmente interrumpida, después de un largo receso. Que los   importantes títulos programados para la que se inicia puedan llevarse a   cabo.
The Teatro Colón employees denounce several issues before the conservative governor of Buenos Aires Mauricio Macri, who is in charge of the administration of the opera house. A summary of their complaints can be found on Habitúes del Teatro Colón [es]. Among other things, they criticize staff cuts and the physical management of the theater, as well as  the sanctions adopted  against some of the leaders of the protest.
The blog En defensa del Teatro Colón [es] (Defending Teatro Colón) explains why the restoration plan  designed  by the city's government is damaging the architecture of the  theater,  inaugurated in 1908.
Hace seis años el Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires   inició un ambicioso plan de renovación y restauración de este Monumento   Histórico Nacional. El denominado “Masterplan” … diseñado y ejecutado   por profesionales con escasa experiencia en la materia pone en grave   riesgo la integridad y autenticidad de la estructura histórica … y   acústica, calificada como la mejor entre todas las salas líricas del   mundo.
An employee of the Teatro Colón, Carlos Fernandez, voiced his opinion on the matter on Radio Palermo [es].
The harpist and blogger ManosMágicas (Magic hands) [es] sends her support to the musicians, who are expected to perform a protest concert on March 25:
Concuerdo con estos valiosos artistas que, comprometidos con la cultura nacional y su público, solo desean poder trabajar en paz y realizar su arte para lo cual se han formado con mucha exigencia.
In the end, the open-air concert was a great success [es], with more than 120,000 people listening to Plácido Domingo. YouTube user GafGafgarion uploaded this video of the concert:
The tenor expressed his solidarity to the musicians of the Colón and urged them to find an agreement with the government of the city. He also promised to return to Buenos Aires in 2012.

author: Fanny Rahmouni


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