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Bangladesh: High Hopes for Bangla Supported Mobiles  · Global Voices
পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)

In Bangladesh, the number of mobile phone users stands at 93.8 million and most subscribers only use their handsets to call others – the use of SMS is very low. According to Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) statistics, around 30 million SMS were sent per month in 2011. That means roughly one in every three handsets sent one SMS per month.
The literacy rate in Bangladesh is not low, so it is somewhat surprising that SMS usage is so low. However, it is obvious that many Bangladeshis can only read and write in Bangla, whereas the handsets imported into the country rarely have Bangla scripts enabled. Many cannot send SMS because they do not know English.
According to Faisal Alim, the general secretary of the Mobile Handset Importers Association of Bangladesh, the country imports six million handsets per year and most of them do not have a Bangla keypad.
This year the Bangladesh government has made it compulsory to incorporate Bangla keypads into mobile phones. BTRC issued a notice that all (basic) handsets imported after February 2012, have to have Bangla keypads. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated Bangla SMS for mobile phones on 21 February, 2012, on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.
80% of Bangladeshi farmers use mobile phones to gather information on markets and contact buyers. Image by Bayazid Akter, copyright Demotix (01/06/12).
Mohammad Moazzem Hossain at Techzoom24.com writes [bn] about Bangla support for mobile phones:
Have seen in news that every imported handset should have a Bangla keypad according to BTRC. This rule applies from all the imports since February this year. This will enable people to use their handsets with more ease and the use of Bangla with mobile phones will proliferate. Many thanks to BTRC for implementing this decision.
Right now only basic mobile handsets are required to have Bangla keypads. Soon touchscreen and smartphone versions will be brought under this rule.
The use of mobile phones is increasing in Bangladesh and is not confined simply to calls. Since 2008, consumers have been able to pay their utility bills (gas, electricity, telephone) via mobile. Bangladesh Railway provides timetables for trains, ticket prices and availability via mobiles. Secondary and higher secondary school certificate results are also available via mobile phones. Students can even apply to universities online and via mobile.
Disaster early warning information is being broadcast in Sirajganj and Cox'sbazar via SMS. The doctors at Upazilla health complex can be accessed via mobile for 24 hours for emergency service. Mobile based health services can be accessed at market prices. Sugarcane farmers can receive their purchase order “purjee” from sugar mills via SMS, saving time and harassment.
People can also access banking services via mobile: a mobile financial service called BKash has recently started and now people can make transactions via mobile all over the country.
Sugarcane farmers can receive their purchase order ‘purjee’ quickly via SMS saving time and harassment. Image courtesy Digital Bangladesh Blog.
In the recently published World Bank research report ‘Information and Communication For Development 2012: Maximize mobile‘ it was revealed that 80% of Bangladeshi farmers are using mobile phones to gather information on market prices and demand, which they can use to determine at which price to sell by communicating with different wholesalers or retailers. Around 50% of farmers manage to sell their goods directly communicating via mobile phone.
According to BTRC, 98% of Bangladeshis are under the umbrella of mobile networks. To deliver the success of development to the end users, Bangla language support for mobile is essential.

author: পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)


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Chile: Olympic Athletes Bring London 2012 to Fans · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
Chilean athletes who are competing at the London 2012 Olympic Games have been active on Twitter, sharing their experiences and hopes, and also chatting with their fans.
Denisse van Lamoen (@dvanlamoen) [es], a female archer who was selected by popular vote as the flagbearer for the delegation, shared pictures taken on July 24 after the flag ceremony:
@dvanlamoen: Con Fernanda, Jorge y Tomás a la salida de la ceremonia de la bandera.pic.twitter.com/LgRhBcXM
@dvanlamoen: Todo muy colorido y alegre, una inyección de energía para los días que vienen. Realmente fue precioso!pic.twitter.com/ztY6jkE9
She later thanked Twitter users who replied to her tweets:
@dvanlamoen: Hoy práctica oficial. Mil gracias a todos los q a diario m dan apoyo x twitter y otras vías, me los llevo a la cancha! pic.twitter.com/GqjdztEs
Chilean Olympic delegation with President Sebastián Piñera. Photo by Flickr user Tu Foto con el Presidente (CC BY 2.0)
Tomás González, (@tomasgonzalez1) [es] a gymnast who specializes in vault and floor exercises, and one of Chile's biggest hopes for a medal, also showed his gratitude:
@tomasgonzalez1: Por fin en Londres! Muchas gracias a todos los chilenos que vinieron al aeropuerto a darme la bienvenida!! #london2012
Swimmer Kristel Köbrich (@kristelkobrich) [es] won gold in 800m freestyle in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, México, and will be turning 27 during the Olympic Games. On Twitter she referred to the heat in London:
@kristelkobrich: Desde Londres!! Todo muy bien aparte del calor!!! Entren a mi pagina [sic] http://www.kristelkobrich.com  y vean las ultimas [sic] novedades mias [sic]
Benjamín Grez (@BenjaGrez) [es], who will compete in sailing, shared a picture having lunch with Fernando González, a Chilean tennis player who won gold and silver medals during the Beijing Olympics:
@BenjaGrez: Comiendo con un grande @elfergonzalez en la villa después de la reunión con el embajador de Chile en Inglaterra!pic.twitter.com/3h4DdcQD
He also updated his Facebook [es] page on July 26, moments before leaving for the opening ceremony in London:
Excelente el dia [sic] para navegar. Salimos tempranito a entrenar y nos tocaron condiciones espectaculares, solcito y 15 nudos. Estuvimos navegando 2 horas y midiéndonos[sic] con los argentinos y japoneses! Ahora vamos con el equipo camino a Londres a una reunión con el embajador y parte de la delegación. Esta noche alojamos en la villa de Londres y mañana tenemos el desfile de la ceremonia inaugural que se viene a fondo. Ya nos van qedando [sic] solo una semana para el baile!
Among the netizens who wished the best for the Chilean delegation was journalist Raimundo Gregoire (@Ratopado) [es]:
@Ratopado: Un abrazo GIGANTE y los mejores deseos para las/los deportistas que representarán a Chile en los Juegos Olímpicos y Paralímpicos de Londres.
This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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Colombia: Eye on Fashion Week  · Global Voices
Lully

Fashion fair Colombiamoda was held in the city of Medellin between July 24 and 26, 2012. The event, held since 1990, is a space for the marketing of products related to fashion, and is complemented by over 25 runways and a pavilion with academic conferences that take place during the three-day fair.
Colombiamoda has had the participation of major companies and national and international guests, like designers Lina Cantillo, Ronaldo Fraga, Walter Rodrigues, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Loewe Fashion House, and Agatha Ruiz de la Prada.
Photo: Lully, July 25, 2012
Some events during the fair had little media coverage, like a protest by a group of trade unionists [es] from the textile sector at the entrance to the fair to demand better working conditions.
Blogs mostly advertised [es] the fair, invited [es] people to attend, or republished [es] articles by traditional media. Some blogs like Why Medellin reports positive balances, and in his blog Fashiontaster, Juan Diego Perdomo posts runway pictures of the 2013 Spring-Summer Collection by Dario Cardenas.
In his blog El Momento Contruido, Jose Luis Ruiz discusses other aspects [es] of the event, like the visit of President Juan Manuel Santos:
Vino el presi, Llego tarde. Como se puede hablar de cumplir cuando se llega tarde a una cita. Nos mermo la productividad, que por cierto de eso estaba el hablando. Sera por eso que decimos que este país tiene tantos retrasos.
He also questions the Mayor of Medellin, Sergio Fajardo:
Photo: Lully, July 25, 2012
Vuelvo y pregunto: ¿hay algún estimulo específico para la fotografía de moda por parte de la alcaldía?
Ruiz also comments on the university fashion shows, specifically the show by the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB):
Fue ayer el desfile de la UPB, se repitieron los, a mi criterio, mismos errores de puesta en escena de sus antecesores, les abono que somos la universidad con menos experiencia en estos menesteres, los otros llevan haciéndolo varios años ya.
Finally, Ruiz refers to badges to enter the fair:
No sé si notaron, las escarapelas no tenían número de cedula, la piden a la entrada pero para chequear el nombre y en muchos casos solo tiene primer nombre y apellido. Conclusión: es una escarapela para ti y tus homónimos.
Companies [es] and individuals [es] specializing in fashion used Twitter to share information about the event. However, several users also criticized [es] various aspects [es] of Colombiamoda. Others commented [es] on the beauty of the women present at the fair, and some said they didn't know about the event [es] or had no knowledge of the fabrics used [es] by the models.
While some celebrated [es] that Colombiamoda became a local Trending Topic on Twitter, others like Alejandro Cano (@ AlejandroCanoAr) [es] think that the coverage of the event through social networks was not enough:
@AlejandroCanoAr: Creo q #Colombiamoda se rajó en las redes sociales. Les faltó metérsela. Y es q una feria tan importante no logré ser TT grave.
However, several citizens and online media helped cover the fair. Photography website Demotix, for example, shared pictures of the event, and several virtual meetings (hangouts) with different personalities from the world of fashion were held on  Google + [es]. Furthermore, as highlighted [es] by Alejandro Brofft (@ AlejandroBrofft) [es], 75,000 people followed the Pavilion of Knowledge [es] (lectures on fashion) via livestream.

author: Lully


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Create UNAOC 2012: Apps and Games for Intercultural Dialogue · Global Voices
Emma Brewin

New media and technologies are undeniably powerful tools, which have the potential to play a key role in tackling the challenges of the 21st century. The recently launched Create UNAOC 2012 competition is an opportunity for developers across the world to produce innovative apps and mobile games to promote intercultural dialogue, in a bid to avoid global conflicts and tension.
Both individual and team applicants – beginners and experts alike –  are being invited to submit their ideas for a unique design, drawing on their own cultural resources and experiences. The five winning app or game concepts will be funded through to development with a US $5,000 grant and launched at the February 2013 United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Forum in Vienna, Austria (27-28 February 2013). Afterwards they will be made available for download and shared with the world.
The app and game ideas submitted can be specifically targeted at promoting particular issues, such as gender equality, youth development, migrant integration and better religious and cultural understanding. Alternatively, they might facilitate dialogue between different, or even opposing, cultures and civilisations.
The competition is the brainchild of the UNAOC, organized with MIT Education Arcade and the Learning Games Network, and has a number of global partners, including Global Voices. UNAOC Media Literacy and Education Project Manager Jordi Torrent explains the thinking behind the project:

author: Emma Brewin


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Global: BRICS vs. NATO – Battlefield of Ideas on Interventions · Global Voices
Thiana Biondo

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
China’s and Russia’s recent decision to veto the United Nations Security Council resolution against Syria -has reignited the debate over the relationship between ‘new’ powers like Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – the BRICS – with ‘old’ powers like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in international interventions.
Heads of BRICS states in New Delhi, India for the 4th BRICS Summit, March 2012. Photo by Roberto Stuckert Filho/PR. Used with permission.
The BRICS conference held last March provides the backdrop for Oliver Stuenkel’s article in The Hindu that foresaw Russia’s and China’s decision to veto the UN Resolution on Syria for a third time:
…There seemed to have been consensus in the case of Libya in February and March 2011. Yet already during the war, the BRICS have rightly argued that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces exceeded the U.N. mandate given to them. Resolution 1973 was “to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack,” yet NATO regarded it as a permission to bring upon regime change. As a consequence, the BRICS are now suspicious of any resolution regarding Syria.
On the other side of the table, the BRICS position has sparked much criticism among the ‘old’ powers. Daniel Korski, an adviser to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, wrote that one could expect a gridlocked world in 2012:
And though NATO Allies succeeded in Libya both diplomatically and militarily, China and Russia have managed to block decisive action against Syria, despite its government’s violent crackdown on protesters. Dealing with Iran, an issue of major concern to NATO Allies, also requires the support of China, Russia and India.
Intervene or not intervene?
Both cases in Syria and Libya are controversial. In fact, they demonstrate that ‘old’ and ‘new’ powers have different approaches on how to deal with conflicts and there are different opinions to back those positions. Alex Thurston, a PhD student in the Religion Department at Northwestern University, Illinois, considers that ‘NATO’s Intervention in Libya Was a Mistake’ in his blog sahelblog:
While the civil war would have produced some chaos regardless, I think the chances are strong that without the Western intervention, Colonel Muammar Qadhafi’s side would have defeated the rebels and Qadhafi would have remained in power, an outcome that would have reduced the resulting regional chaos.
World War II heritage
Countries with a historical tradition of intervening in regional affairs blame ‘new’ powers for not acting in the name of human rights. ‘New’ powers argue that intervention does more harm than good. All countries generally act in their own self-interest though. In fact, while China and other countries boost their economies through their economic ties, last year, US expenditure in defense exceeded $700 billion, the highest since the Second World War according to Time. Brazilian journalist Pepe Escobar calls the insistence of the ‘West” to intervene in Syria, “The ‘hell cost’ of the NATO's Holy War” [Pt]:
E, enquanto o “ocidente” flerta com a Guerra Santa, as empresas estatais chinesas compram mercadorias feito doidas, por todo o Oriente Médio, Norte da Áfria e América do Sul – além de ampliar seus estoques de terras raras nas reservas estratégicas…..
And while the “West” flirts with the ‘Holy War’, the Chinese state owned companies crazily buy goods from the entire Middle East, North of Africa and South America – in addition to expanding its stock of rare natural resources within strategic reserves ….
The role of NATO in the current world order – in which the bi-polar world divided between the US and former Soviet Union has been replaced by a multipolar international system – changes things according to Hans Christof von Sponeck, the former UN Assistant Secretary General:
(NATO's) mandate, grounded in the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty, originally dealt with the defense of its member states. At the end of the Cold War, in 1989, its mandate appeared to have been fulfilled. Nevertheless, the NATO members wanted to maintain this Western alliance. This launched the search for a new role for NATO.

author: Thiana Biondo


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Hungary: Olympic Social Media Content Remains Scarce · Global Voices
Marietta Le

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
With the total of four Olympic medals so far, including two gold medals, the Hungarian team is now #12 in the London 2012 medal count. Something to be proud of, for sure – but discussions of these results and other Olympic news are hard to find in the Hungarian social media.
For example, the story of a fencing champion Áron Szilágyi, who won Hungary's first Olympic gold – and then had to listen to an off-key version of the national anthem, has so far received only ten ‘likes’ and three ‘shares’ [hu] on the Facebook page of the Hungarian Olympic Committee. (According to a Hungarian musician commenting for Index.hu [hu], the anthem, performed during Szilágyi's medal ceremony, was in some parts played at a much higher pitch than the original. The Hungarian team asked the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) for the anthem to be played differently at future gold medal ceremonies, and they agreed.)
Five days before the Olympics opening ceremony, blogger Medeaeva tried to draw attention [hu] to the comparatively low level of the official Hungarian social media coverage of the event, hoping for more in the upcoming days:
[…] It is simply in the interest of the athletes, fans and especially sponsors to have high activity on their official channels. Official channels of which we have a total of 1.5 pieces now. The FB page of the [Hungarian Olympic Committee–HOC], where they share the news from the HOC website without commenting on them (423 likes), and the so far pretty cheap-looking (I hope this isn't run by the HOC or the [Media Support and Asset Management Fund]) “Let's root for the Hungarian team” page (290 likes). This is it. Zilch. Nil. Nothing else. Zero. The social media presence of the Hungarian athletes is on a pathetic level. Even the page of the water polo team, which I looked up as a last hope, was disappointing. (Basically, you can only find it if you are looking for it very much. :-/) The IOC has set up quite a tempting website, that could be used as well. […]
According to the Socialbakers’ stats, there are ca. 4.5 million Hungarian users on Facebook. At the moment of writing this post, the Hungarian Olympic Committee has 1279 ‘likes’, “Let's root for the Hungarian team” has 687 ‘likes’, and the water polo team is now up to 15,706 ‘likes’.
Ágnes Urbán of Standards Media Monitor blog was puzzled by the facts contradicting the reality. According to a press release, the Media Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA)—Hungary's all-in-one public service media company—has dedicated a crew of 72 to produce TV and radio shows on the Olympics, websites and mobile apps, and even a 3D broadcast was announced. Urbán wrote [hu]:
[…] It's almost incomprehensible how the social media could be left out of all this big preparation: moreover, they wouldn't even have to spend huge amounts of money on this, from the produced content and the news constantly arriving to the desk, one or two colleagues who could touch well upon the style of the social communication and could have built a popular news source during the Games. Compared to this, MTVA's Olympics team didn't succeed in appearing on Twitter and Tumblr, and on Facebook MTVA Sport's presence is let's just say low-key. Meanwhile, writing these lines on the evening of the third day of the Olympics, the “MTVA's official sport page” has reached only 2,000 likes, which is virtually reached by any sport pages hitting on the popularity of the Olympics. […]
Telefonközpont [hu], a blog on telecommunication in the digital age, is running a survey [hu] on its Facebook page until the end of the Games on how the Hungarian people follow the news of the London 2012 Olympics. So far, online press and television takes the lead, and Facebook is at #3.
This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

author: Marietta Le


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Latin America: LibreBus Preps for Southern Cone Tour · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The LibreBus project, born in Central America, is getting ready for their upcoming trip to the Southern Cone (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay): “Travellers from various countries, with different skills, will set out once again, united by a common objective: the spreading of Free Culture and the promotion of an understanding of knowledge as a common good.” Visit their website to learn more about the route and their objectives.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Macedonia: Decades-Old International Poetry Festival in Focus · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Portuguese filmmaker André Soares published a short video documentary about the Struga Poetry Evenings, an international poetry festival that has been held annually for half a century, since 1962, in the town of Struga, Macedonia (the official site).
The film features statements by poets Vladimir Martinovski from Macedonia, a Chinese exile Bei Ling, Rati Saxena from India, Corey Marks from the United States, Siim Kera from Estonia, Mimoza Sali from Albania…who also talked about the global situation with poetry and read their works in various languages.
While explaining the circumstances of being forced to choose between jail and exile due to disagreement with the regime, Bei Ling says that his homeland is no longer China, but the Chinese language. Curiously enough, one of the most famous quotes by the renowned Macedonian poet and linguist Blaže Koneski (1921-1993), inscribed on his recently erected monument [mk], is “our language is our homeland.”
The festival is one of the crucial elements of the official, state-supported culture, and its opening is usually attended by top political personages, like the Minister of Culture, Prime Minister and/or the President. As such, it has not proven conducive to promotion of domestic dissent, as attested by the critical post [mk] on the 2009 edition by activist blogger and poet Vnukot. In 2011, he specifically returned [mk] to publicly read his poem about the murder of Martin Neshkovski, the event that incited the grassroots protests against police brutality a year ago.
Over the years, Macedonian bloggers have been mentioning the festival by quoting Wikipedia data and starting discussions about domestic poets such as Koneski, Mateja Matevski or Jovan Koteski (1932-2001), who attended in 1964 and 1981, or publishing Macedonian translations of works by foreign participants, such as the Japanese Shuntaro Tanikawa, the French Pierre Béarn, and Russian Vadim Fedorovič Terehin (Ru.wikipedia).
Journalist Vasko Markovski used his blog to publish a reportage [mk] on the park of poetry in Struga, where the trees planted by many world renowned poets grow side by side.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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MENA: Bridge Blog for Maghreb and Arab Gulf States · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

“While geography stands as the most obvious separation between the Arabian Peninsula and the Maghreb, skewed misconceptions of the other have made way for misunderstandings and stereotypes that have gone as far as shaping government policies.” With this statement, the new blog Bil3afya introduces itself to its readers.
The blog is created by two bloggers. They are Samia Errazzouki (@charquaouia), who is a Moroccan-American writer, whose research focuses on Morocco's political economy and reforms. She is also a co-editor of Jadaliyya's Maghreb Page and member of the Mamfakinch editorial team. The other founder is Mona Kareem (@monakareem), a stateless person of Kuwait. She is the founder of Bedoon [Stateless] Rights, and she writes for Alakhbar English and Global Voices Online, among others.
The aim of the blog is to discuss the stereotypes between the two regions, and start a conversation that points out the common grounds as well as offering their own readings for the differences between them.
On Twitter, users welcomed the project. UAE national Saqer Al Marri writes:
@saqeram: Posts abt Maghreb-Gulf relations by @monakareem & @charquaouia on the @bil3afya blog are interesting. Check them out: http://bil3afya.blogspot.com/
And Israeli Elizabeth Tsurkov adds:
@Elizrael: Interesting new blog that intends to expand the conversation between the Gulf & Maghreb http://bit.ly/NKH1TD by @MonaKareem & @charquaouia
Although the blog is still young, articles published so far discuss issues ranging from politics, to TV series, to mutual cultural perceptions between the two regions.
Discussing one of the stereotypes about people from Arabian Peninsula, including her home country, Kuwait, Mona wrote in a post:
When I traveled to Cairo, being someone who comes from the Gulf, the stereotype was that “I have an oil well in my backyard” and thus I should help find them a job or I should over-tip them. In the US, many Arabs I met, including people of the Maghreb, have depicted me as the spoiled rich girl from the Gulf coming, with no worries, to study and enjoy her time.
She then wrote about the living conditions the stateless people (Bedoon) face in Kuwait. She then moved to neighbouring states like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Oman and Qatar:
For a country as rich as Saudi Arabia with all its constant decisions to give away money here and there, one can't imagine how poor thousands of Saudis are. The issue of poverty in Saudi Arabia is very serious and it effects a lot of Saudis; not just migrant workers or stateless people.
Bu-Qutada: A controversial Kuwaiti cartoon depicting a Moroccan man
A couple of years ago, a cartoon, called Bu Qutada wa Bu Nabeel, portrayed Morocco as corrupt and its women as greedy whores, who try to entrap the Kuwaiti men into marrying them. And in one of the articles in Bil3fya, Mona Kareeem wrote about this cartoon series, and the stereotypes Gulf men have about Morocco, where it is portrayed as the place to fulfill their drugs/sex dreams.
She then wrote about similar incidents in neighbouring Gulf states:
Those stereotypes were inserted into humor and stereotypes in Kuwait in the past few years as young men fantasize about visiting Morocco. The controversy had Moroccan hackers take down some Kuwaiti websites, and it made the Kuwaiti government offer an apology for something that a private media establishment has committed. I believe that was, so far, the peak of the Maghreb-Gulf clash.
Something similar occurred lately on twitter, on a smaller scale, when some Saudis started a hashtag about Morocco speaking of Moroccans sexually; something that insulted Moroccans.
Basically, the tribal culture of the Gulf makes them believe they are the most protective of their women (their honor) and that Moroccans are the opposite of that since prostitution exists in Morocco. The idea of honor and morality for the typical gulf mentality can be best understood through guarding the freedom of females especially in appearance.
In another article, while discussing the growing ties between the monarchies in Morocco and the Arabian Peninsula, Samia wrote how those monarchies were strengthened with the common interest of staying in power at all costs. The Moroccan foreign policy towards Iran is said to be affected by these ties, and last but not least, there were also economic ties, seen through the free-trade agreement Morocco signed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the proposal for Morocco to become a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, yet this inclusion into the GCC was never detailed, nor publicly mentioned much after the initial statement:
Despite Morocco’s geographic distance from the Gulf, Morocco’s foreign policy is heavily driven by its ties with the Gulf monarchies and its decision to embed itself in the geopolitics of the Gulf, even if it comes at the expense of cutting ties with other countries. This would be especially relevant in May 2011 when Morocco was proposed for membership for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
So far, five posts have been published in the blog, but I'm looking forward for more posts, and may be more contributors from those two Arab regions or other Arab countries too.

author: Tarek Amr


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Pakistan: Engineer Claims to Invent Water-Fuelled Engine · Global Voices
Salman Latif

A Pakistani engineer has claimed that he can run a car on water-fuelled engine. Agha Waqar Ahmad, the proud inventor is the talk of the town these days both in the mainstream as well as the social media. He was brought to limelight as soon as he was invited to a number of prime time talk shows recently.
Pakistanis are overwhelmed by the idea of such a water kit. A number of government officials have seen a live demonstration of the kit and expressed interest in it. People are talking about converting their cars from CNG-kit to Water-kit. However there are many skeptics on the social media. Responses started trickling on Twitter and Facebook, ranging from hilarious to caustic to supportive as soon as the news went mainstream. At one point, the #WaterKit hashtag was trending at the top spot in Pakistan.
Ali Abbas Zaidi, a very well-known youth activist, tweeted:
@Ali_Abbas_Zaidi: Cannot stop laughing after watching @HamidMirGEO‘s show on #WaterKit. Peeps who slurred end of times 2012 theories are welcome to comment.
@Ali_Abbas_Zaidi: Agha Waqar has bent laws of Physics with #WaterKit Uhmm is inter-galactic travel possible, can we even bend space and time too pliss?
Nadeem F. Paracha, a renowned satirist and cultural critic, responded to whole episode in the following words:
@NadeemfParacha: So now instead of oil we'll be importing barrels of Aab-e-Zamzam? #WaterKit
It was evident that many were not very amused at the funny view of things:
@Rabaail: Every twitter bio should be changed to ‘wannabe comedian’ today, since everybody’s trying to be funny about #WaterKit.
One of the problem riddling the entire situation is that so far, none of the reputed physicists from Pakistan has personally examined the engine. Cafe Pyala puts it in these words:
@cpyala: So, the “scientists” pronouncing credibility on #WaterKit car include a biologist and a centrifuge machinist. Way to go  @HamidMirGEO
However, there were those who, despite the fact that the basic laws of physics stand contrary to this ‘invention’, wanted to give this a shot. Majyd Aziz tweeted:
@MajydAziz: MESSAGE FOR AGHA WAQAR OF #WaterKit RT @sufisal: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”-Gandhi
Pakistan's eminent nuclear scientists, Abdul Qadeer Khan directly opposed the views of the renowned Pakistani scientist Atta-ur-Rehman on a talk show on Geo TV (Capital Talk) while at the same expressing his full support for the so-called water-engine. Commenting on this, Amjad Hakrowrote:
Rally against unannounced power outages in Pakistan. Image by Jamal Dawood. Copyright Demotix (1/8/2012).
@Amjad_Hakro: Hyper-patriot #DrAbdulQadeerKhan, has treated the #WaterKit ‘discovery’ as if it was real without examining it scientifically. #fail #LOL
While the skeptics were abundant, citing a number of other instances where people have made similar claims in the past, the supporters for the whole idea were not in small numbers either. Talha Zareef tweeted on his profile:
@TalhaZareef: My mom just told me she thinks the #WaterKit is real and that the demo can be equated to proof. I definitely think I'm adopted.
Shahid Saeed, commenting on the support of some scientists for the water-engine made the following remark:
@shahidsaeed: RIP Physics, the scientific method, rationality and basic human intelligence. Welcome WaterKit, Agha Waqar, AQ Khan, Samar Mubarikmand
It would be interesting to note here that the creator of this invention, Mr. Waqar, completely disregarded the law of conservation of energy during one of the talk shows. Majorly Profound, a particularly witty Pakistan tweep wrote:
@majorlyprofound: Thermodynamics is a Western Conspiracy spread by Liberal Fascists to keep Pakistan backward.
And that:
@majorlyprofound: The Laws of Thermodynamics have been ruled unconstitutional, against our religion and culture, and struck down. #WaterKit
Given the fact that Pakistan is going through a rather severe power crisis, it is understandable that the masses wish to believe in a ‘miracle.’ But like they say, there are no miracles. And this scam, which has been played out dozens of times in the past, seems to be gaining traction in Pakistan.

author: Salman Latif


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Russia: Politician Presents Handgun Ownership Proposal  · Global Voices
Yulia Lukashina

Alexander Torshin, a Senator from Mari El Republic in the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, is already infamous for causing a stir by advocating criminal penalties for the spread of false information [ru] about natural disasters. Now he has presented a report to the Senate raising the possibility of handgun legalization [ru] — an issue he wants decided by a national referendum.
Torshin says his aim is to make Russian society safer by giving people the opportunity to protect themselves from criminals. He also argues that the current legality of gas-powered and rubber-bullet-firing handguns in Russia causes more problems than it solves. Torshin is of the opinion that many Russians misuse such weapons because they feel that it is impossible actually to kill or seriously injure someone. Gun-owners would be more careful, when wielding deadly force, Torshin explains.
Wild Western Festival, Russia, 12 June 2011, photo by Egor Savintsev, copyright © Demotix.
As in the United States, Russian netizens have failed to reach any consensus about the right to bear arms. Many disagree [ru] with Torshin’s conclusion that Russian society is suited to such freedom. Others are also skeptical that such a decision should be left to a national referendum. Feminist writer Maria Arbatova posted to her LiveJournal [ru] a large photo of James Holmes, the Colorado movie theater shooter, adding:
Среди моих знакомых, бряцающих стволами, нет ни одного, кого я считаю “безопасным владельцем оружия.” В основном это мужики-истерики, ощущающие себя неудачниками.
She continued:
Торшин хочет вынести вопрос на референдум. Но мы-то помним, что если в мире каждый четвёртый нуждается в психиатрической помощи, то у нас в силу тяжелой истории, эта статистика гуще.
Other bloggers have concentrated on the economic impact of handgun legalization, as the sale of such weapons means large profits for the various branches of the firearms industry. LJ user matchgirl_ru notes [ru]:
Оказалось, что без его деятельного участия пропадает целый бизнес… по производству короткоствольного огнестрельного оружия. А это по самым скромным оценкам, за 10 лет принесет оружейным баронам более 746 млрд. К этому можно присобачить всякие курсы, школы. А чиновникам можно будет поиметь свой барыш с разного рода лицензий, разрешений на ношение и покупку (отдельно), справок.
Members of the LJ gun-owner community ru_guns highlight [ru] that Torshin is also proposing new insurance regulations:
[…] предлагает ввести что-то типа ОСАГО для КСовладельцев на лечение подстреленных;
Aleksandr Torshin (right) and Evgeny Tugolukov (left), 9 June 2011, photo by Kremlin Presidential Service, CC BY-SA 3.0; Wikimedia Commons.
In a bit of fun, tabloid journalist Oleg Lurie imagined [ru] how opposition rallies might look like in a Russia under a new gun control regime. In his scenario, a gun-owning citizen finds himself in a scuffle between protestors and the police, only to be searched by the latter, after which law enforcement officers seize his licensed weapon and arrest him illegally:
Легкий шмон и твой ТТ уже в руках сотрудников полиции.
Perhaps it is a good thing that Torshin’s idea is not yet a bill (let alone a law), but rather a “test of public opinion” [ru]. There are, after all, plenty of opinions to go around.

author: Yulia Lukashina


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Bangladesh: Save Sundarbans’ Bengal Tigers · Global Voices
পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)

There are less than 3200 wild tigers across the world. To save them and protect their natural habitats, 13 nations including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Mianmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Russia observe Global Tiger Day on the 29th of July each year. This year the slogan for the day in Bangladesh was – ‘Save Sundarbans Tiger Landscape‘.
The main reserve for the Royal Bengal Tiger is the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest. Several attempts to conserve the tigers did not work and the tiger population is decreasing day by day. Since 1980, 65 tigers have died in Sundarbans because of poachers, attacks by villagers and natural disasters. Between 1980-2000, 33 died. In the past decade (2001-2011) alone, 32 tigers have died.
The tiger came to a village to find food. It attacked three villagers and was eventually killed by the villagers. Image by Sheikh Mohiruddin. Copyright Demotix.
Experts say that perils exist at every step for these tigers, be it the nets of  poachers, bullets of  hunters, tidal surge, or the ignorance of local people. They often wander into villages near the forest to find food and never make it back to their habitat. A recent report suggests [bn] that on average each year three tigers die due to poaching, old age, shortage of food and natural disasters. According to the 2004 census done by the World Bank, the tiger population of the Sundarbans was 440. Of them 121 were male tigers, 298 female tigers and 21 were cubs.
So far the ‘National Tiger Recovery Program’ has been launched and the 2009-2017 tiger conservation plan is being implemented. The government has enacted the Bangladesh wildlife act 2012 with tougher punishment for tiger and deer poaching.
On the other hand 140 fishermen, woodcutters and villagers died in last four years (2008-2012) due to attacks by tigers inside the forest and in other localities. Thirty-two people were injured. Blogger Meftu informed [bn] on Global Tiger Day that people have died in his village from tiger attacks.
Blogger Irene Sultana on [bn] why the tigers are being poached:
বাঘ মেরে ফেলে কেবল চামড়া বেচলেও কড়কড়ে নোটের নগদ ‘১৫ লাখ টাকা’ কামিয়ে নেওয়া যায়। বিশ্বের প্রায় ৪০টি দেশে রমরমা ব্যবসা রয়েছে বাঘের চামড়া ও অন্যান্য অঙ্গপ্রত্যঙ্গের। সবচেয়ে বড় বাজারটি নিয়ন্ত্রণ করে চীনের ঐতিহ্যবাহী ওষুধশিল্প। এভাবে শিকারি বাঘ নিজেই শিকারে পরিণত।
Sundarbans Mangrove Forest constitutes 41% of total conserved forest areas of Bangladesh. The diverse reserve boasts of a habitat of 453 species of animals including many endangered species. This forest also acts as an shield to the coastal population of the Bay of Bengal especially in the time of natural disasters such as cyclones and tidal surges. A portion of the forest was declared as Ramsar conservation site on the 21st May of 1992. Later in 1997 UNESCO had declared the Sundarbans as a World Heritage Site.
Now Sundarbans is the only habitat for the Royal Bengal Tiger. But the reservation area is decreasing day by day. Natural disasters are creating an imbalance in the local ecosystem. Two centuries ago Sundarbans had a total area of 16,700 square kilometer. But the area has since been reduced to one third. So this year, on Global Tiger Day, the participants were calling to save the Sundarbans. Protests were made against the construction of a coal-based power plant project near the forests. The Bangladesh government, in collaboration with India, has signed an agreement [bn] to build a coal powered power plant in Rampal, near Sundarbans.
Human chain protest against construction of a coal based power plant project near Sundarbans. Image Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix.
Dinmozur informs [bn] how this proposed power plant will endanger Sundarbans:
পরিবেশ দূষণ, লবণাক্ততা, জলবায়ু পরিবর্তন, বন কেটে ধ্বংস করা ইত্যাদি নানান কারণেই বাংলাদেশের প্রাকৃতিক ঐতিহ্য সুন্দরবন ধ্বংসের মুখে। প্রস্তাবিত কয়লা বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্রটি থেকে সুন্দর বনের দূরত্ব মাত্র ৯ কিমি। ফলে কয়লা বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্রের মাধ্যমে বায়ু-পানি-কঠিন-তরল যত ধরণের দূষণ ঘটতে পারে তার সবটুকুই সরাসরি সুন্দরবনকে ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত করবে।
Kamrul Hasan also mentions [bn] the environmental disaster the power plant can cause:
কয়লাভিত্তিক বিদ্যুৎকেন্দ্রে যে পরিমানে কোল ডাস্ট বা কয়লা ধুলোর সৃষ্টি হবে তা সুন্দরবনের বাতাসে মিশে জীব বৈচিত্র্যে উপর মারাত্মক বিপর্যয় ডেকে আনবে। কার্বন নিস্রনের পরিমাণ বেড়ে গেলে বাতাসে সীসার পরিমাণ বেড়ে যাবে। ফলে কম সহনশীল প্রাণী টিকিয়ে থাকার প্রতিযোগিতায় পিছিয়ে পড়বে।
In a report by Transparency International Bangladesh, a letter from the Chief Conservator of Forests of Bangladesh was quoted, where he said: “If this coal based power plant is built near Sundarbans out in the open, it will endanger the diverse wildlife in the Sundarbans including the Royal Bengal Tiger”.

author: পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)


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Brazil: Justice for Brutal Attack Victim Vitor Suarez · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

On Monday, July 30, 2012, the Brazilian judge Murilo Kieling announced the release of five young men from Ilha do Governador in Rio de Janeiro. They had been in preventive prison since February after brutally attacking Vitor Suarez, a student who was trying to stop them from beating a homeless person on the street.
A report by mainstream media Rede Record in February, shared [pt] on the blog of Welliton Cordeiro Pires, features a video from a citizen who bears witness to Vitor being attacked with kicks in his face on February 3. Vitor is still recovering [pt] from a surgical procedure to plant 63 pins in his face.
Early on the morning of July 31 [pt], the victim – who is active on Twitter (@EuVitorSuarez), Facebook and also a blogger – started a wave of protest under the hashtag #JusticaVitorSuarez (JusticeVitorSuarez) [pt] against the court decision:
inicio do ano fui espancado por defender um morador de rua, agora eles estão livres. Me ajude com a TAG #justicavitorsuarez
“If you are against impunity too, share! “justicavitorsuarez”. Banner in support of Vitor Suarez, by Rede Esgoto de Televisão on Facebook
Reactions of outrage on Twitter were immediate.
Andrea Castanheira (@andrea_c_cast) wrote:
Chega de impunidade. Enquanto tivermos este tipo de decisão da justiça a violência só irá aumentar. #justicavitorsuarez
Matheus M de Souza (@matheusmraposo) said:
@EuVitorSuarez cara, eu nuca fui fã do Twitter. Mas hoje faço parte dele só pela sua causa. Uma andorinha não faz verão, mas seremos todas.
And Everton (@gnueverton) from Porto Alegre added:
Este caso #justicavitorsuarez deve nos indignar e nos movimentar p/mudar esse mundo. Estamos em época d eleições e saber votar é 1 começo.
“Don't allow this to end on black and white”. Banner from Nós Queremos Justiça (We Want Justice) on Facebook
Netizens revolted against the judge's decision to replace the remand by alternative measures and also for considering that there wasn't an intent to kill in the attack against Vitor Suarez, which means that the aggressors won't be subject to a people's trial [pt], but only to a conventional court. A petition [pt] launched on Avaaz on August 2, asking the judge to reconsider his decision, has reached fifteen thousand subscribers in about 24 hours.
Now that his aggressors are back to their normal lives, while Vitor is still away from home recovering, he mourns [pt] “for all of us who form this body called society”:
Meu caso teve uma repercussão mundial, pessoas de todos os lugares do mundo visitam diariamente meu blog e me mandam mensagens de apoio. O que me faz lembrar daquelas pessoas que passam por coisas piores, que vivem de forma desumana, e não possuem a menor informação pra botar pra fora tudo isso, e fazer com que o mundo saiba de cada problema que vivem. Porque, mesmo com vídeos, provas, fotos, e meu corpo sendo a maior prova de todo esse processo, os caras que quase me mataram estão LIVRES, e penso nos casos que não tiveram a sorte de ter repercussão, pra onde vão ?

author: Sara Moreira


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Central America Begins to Stand Out in the London Olympic Games · Global Voices
Ariel Moreno

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
A week has passed since the London 2012 Olympic Games started, and while the medal count is being disputed strongly between China and the United States, Central America has also experienced moments of joy and hope with small triumphs in the midst of complaints of lack of support and obvious comparisons between well prepared athletes and some who are semi-amateurs.
Social networks have been a fundamental part of these Olympic Games, where people share their impressions, complaints, and dreams that Central America will bring home a medal after these games. These are some of the highlights up until this moment.
Guatemala
With a delegation of nineteen athletes, Kevin Cordón and Ana Sofía have been Guatemala's best representatives this week. Cordón was able to advance into the next round of Badminton and competed strongly before being eliminated. Guatemalans expressed their satisfaction and pride in this participation, as demonstrated by Mario Santizo (@mario_santizo) [es], who wrote an excited Tweet after the first triumph:
(@mario_santizo) Kevin gordon gano su primer partido Felicidades #OrgulloChapin
Additionally, the gymnast Ana Sofía classified into the final rounds of gymnastics, and in spite of being eliminated, she honored Guatemala's name, as dozens of people agreed on Twitter. Roba Mentes (@RobaMentes) [es] wrote:
(@RobaMentes) ¡FELICIDADES ANA SOFÍA GÓMEZ! ¡GRACIAS POR PONER A GUATEMALA EN ALTO!
Honduras
Honduras reached its highlight of the week when their men's soccer team defeated the favorite Spanish team. Honduras is the only country from Central America that is participating in a team sport. Honduras tied with Morocco and Japan, classifying into quarterfinals  where they will face another favorite: Brazil.
The blogger Fabricio Estrada writes about this on his blog Bitácora del Párbulo [es] pointing out how even in the midst of difficult circumstances in their country, there has been time to cheer the goals and celebrate the accomplishments:
Qué días más difíciles en los que nos toca verles triunfar, compitas, y aún así, siempre, siempre, nos detenemos, hacemos pausa para gritar en silencio, con un orgullo extraño, olímpico, imposible de explicar, y una vez que sabemos que somos los mismos hermanos despojados de todo, me sumo al equipo humilde, al que muestra al mundo lo que podemos lograr y celebrar desde la nada impuesta. Arriba los humildes, arriba los pobres del mundo que siempre damos las grandes lecciones!!
Nicaragua
The highlight from Nicaragua this weeks was brought by Osmar Bravo, who obtained for the first time a boxing triumph for the Central American country. The boxer continues in the competition and could cause a stir and obtain a medal.
Amalia del Cid (@AmaliadelCid) [es] celebrates the event on her Twitter account:
(@AmaliadelCid) Osmar Bravo, la primera victoria de#Nicaragua en el boxeo olímpico en los últimos 20 años. #Londres2012 @JJOO
There are still several weeks of Olympic Games left and Central America will not give up the hope of obtaining a medal. This weekend the track and field competitions begin, where there is an important delegation of Central American athletes and with them the hopes of all the Isthmus.
This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

author: Ariel Moreno


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Chile: Mapuche Women Demand Withdrawal of Police Forces · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Leyla Noriega from online citizen newspaper La Opiñón [es] reports that three indigenous Mapuche women have been occupying UNICEF headquarters in Santiago for over one week. The women are requesting that the organization ask the Ministry of Interior to withdraw police forces from Mapuche communities in southern Chile.


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Cuba: In a Decade  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Iván García suggests four possible scenarios for Cuba ten years from now.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Funny Image of How Australian Newspaper Distinguishes Two Koreas  · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

The 101 Great Goals site shared a scanned image showing how an Australian newspaper distinguishes two Koreas in its Olympics medal table. One was referred as ‘nice’ Korea, while other was named the ‘naughty’ one.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Georgia: Civil Society Mobilizes After Armenia-Azerbaijan Clashes · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

With tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the rise in recent weeks, civil society activists and journalists from both countries last month convened in a small ethnic Azeri village in neighboring Georgia to elaborate plans for an independent mechanism to prevent and monitor incidents on the Line of Contact (LOC).
Despite a ceasefire signed in 1994 which put the conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh on hold, thousands have died in frontline skirmishes in the 18 years since. And, with no lasting peace agreement in sight, the International Crisis Group (ICG) continues to warn of the danger of an ‘accidental war‘ breaking out.
The event held in Tekali was co-organized by Armenian actor and director turned peace activist Georgi Vanyan, himself recently targeted by nationalists for attempting to screen non-politicized films from Azerbaijan in Armenia, was a small step in trying to defuse tensions and to prevent civilian casualties along the LOC.
Writing on the Caucasian Circle of Peace Journalism, Armenian journalist and editor Yura Manvelyan commented on the initiative.
There was something else that set the meeting in Tekali apart from many other Armenian-Azerbaijani projects: None of the speakers took on the role of spokesperson for official policies, no-one took up the positions held by the presidents, ministers and their spin doctors. The speakers’ statements seemed not to target their “opponents” from the other side, but mostly focussed on themselves and their “own people”. The recent deaths on the border were a stark reminder of the high price paid for the atmosphere of hatred and showed the distance between those who shed the blood and others who give the orders and seek to consolidate their power and wealth by exploiting the “external enemy” and delaying justice.
[…]
The overwhelming majority of those present voted in favour of action by citizens. Moreover, they reached an initial agreement on creating a rapid reaction group that will take steps to prevent armed clashes on the border and to investigate the situation in the area directly around the border. If necessary, Georgians might also be included in the group. To start with it might include the residents of two border villages: Doctors, taxi drivers, farmers and village elders, who would establish and stay in constant contact with each other. Due to the open nature of the project, anyone who wanted to could become a part of it.
Georgi Vanyan, Tekali, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian
Yura Manvelyan, Tekali, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian
Ilgar Velizade, a journalist and analyst from Azerbaijan, also made a blog post.
This meeting saw the first urgent discussion of the prospects of public intervention to manage the Karabakh conflict. In the opinion of the participants, society has, to this day, taken no steps to end hostilities, and remains far removed from what goes on at the border. Participants emphasized that over the course of the 24 years of conflict, a huge divide has emerged between the two peoples, and that Armenian and Azerbaijani civil society organizations now need to cooperate with one another in order to resolve the situation.
[…]
And so the meeting in Tekali demonstrated once more the Armenian and Azerbaijani public desire for peace to be established in the conflict zone as quickly as possible – and that hope for an effective means to regulate the conflict lives in the hearts of many of the two countries’ citizens. As we say, hope never dies.
Malkhaz Chemia showing a design for a new peacebuilding center, Tekali, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian
Tekali, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian
Azerbaijani analyst Zardusht Alizade, Tekali, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian
The International Crisis Group's Sabine Freizer also remarked on Twitter about the event, as did others observing the peace building processes underway in the South Caucasus.
@peaceforsale: an innovative effort for peace – create a zone for it http://fb.me/23yx8yl1q
@SabineICG: […] @onewmphoto whether war or peace between Armenia + Azerbaijan, civil society can play a key bridging role. Great idea: […]
Global Voices’ Caucasus Editor was also in attendance, and commented on Velizade's post along with Vanyan's initiative for Ararat Magazine.
Whether that intent is as widespread, as Velizade says or as much as Vanyan hopes, remains to be seen, but the first meeting to establish the Monitoring and Rapid Reaction Group was held in Tekali on July 21. Present were representatives from the NGOs and the International Crisis Group. So too were Bernard O’Sullivan and Stephen Young from the Brussels-based Nonviolent Peaceforce, an organization already working in Georgia, Mindanao/Philippines, South Sudan, and elsewhere. O’Sullivan spoke to Ararat Magazine following the public discussion.
“The Tekali Process first of all attracts our interest because clearly people have a need for civil society to act amongst and protect themselves,” he said. “However, we work on the principle of acceptance. We only go to conflict zones where we’re accepted and obviously this includes civil society, but critically it also means the political leadership, i.e. the governments, of all sides. What will come out of the Tekali Process? I see there is very good will here. The Tekali group said it’s not in their interest to get involved in military or political outcomes, but it is for civilians across ethnic groups to protect themselves in a non-violent way. That’s why we’re very interested.”
According to the organizers of the Tekali event, a Caucasus Film Festival will be staged this month in the small village turned regional peacemaking center.
Ethnic Azeri child, Tekali, Georgia © Onnik Krikorian

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Global: ‘International Relations’ Out of the Classroom Onto the Web · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.
The Internet and Web 2.0 have enabled students to gain greater and quicker access to ‘International Relations’ (IR) Books, courses and information on universities and scholarships  are easily available online. Professor Sanjoy Banerjee, who holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University and is currently Chair of International Relations at the San Francisco State University, said this when contacted over email:
The main benefit of technological advances (in ICT), particularly the Internet, is that it makes research much quicker. With search engines like Google Scholar, one can find articles and books on topics far quicker and more efficiently than before. Of course, reading and understanding have not become any easier. Still, my students read much more widely, across more disciplines, than I did as a student.
Shahzada Akram, who studied International Relations at the University of Dhaka in the 90's and who is now Senior Program Manager at Transparency International Bangladesh, adds:
Home Page of the Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
The changes are best reflected in the changed political scenario of the world's one of the most important region – the Arab states through the ‘Arab Spring’, the impact of WikiLeaks on the diplomatic relations among states, live broadcast of all international and national events in both the television and internet, and so on. These have somewhat forced the traditional teaching and theories of IR to bring in changes in the curricula,and the means of teaching. Now the IR as a discipline is a lot web-based (say in case of my university – University of Dhaka). New courses on media and communication focusing IR have been introduced to keep up pace with the current development in ICT. IR has got a new dimension, and is no longer the subject of a few for discussion. Rather it has become more public, and has gained more access among them.
Also, there are a growing number of “expert voices” like Historian Juan Cole who have moved IR beyond the classroom and onto blogs, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
Akram feels that these voices have helped “concepts like ‘soft diplomacy’ gain more ground. The governments now have to be more cautious about their actions/ policies more than ever before.”
On the other hand, too many voices could be adding to noise. Professor Banerjee believes:
Blogs and other social media remain of limited scholarly importance. For the most part, they are not written with scholarly discipline and cannot substitute for academic writing.
Professor Robert Kelly from Pusan National University, who is also a blogger at Robert Kelly-Asian Security blog, commented on the blog International Security Discipulus:
The internet is changing the discipline obviously. We take blogging much more seriously than before. I think Walt’s flagship blog at FP changed a lot, brought a lot of credibility, but Drezner was the real pioneer. Now there are some really good IR blogs, like Duck of Minerva.
He goes on to caution that “the real value of blogging is test-driving ideas that ultimately you should work up for journal submission. Blogging is not an end in itself or a replacement for real research.”
Screenshot of the IR blog The Duck Of Minerva
In January 2012, Foreign Policy magazine published the results of a survey on how social media and Web 2.0 impact the IR discipline. Daniel. W. Drezner provided an interesting snapshot of the results [pdf] from US respondents on his blog:
The final report of the study, with data from 20 countries, can be found here.
So it seems despite reservations from some senior academics, the role of social media in IR education is growing slow and steady.

author: Aparna Ray


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Guatemala: Indigenous Village Declares Internet Access a Human Right · Global Voices
Renata Avila

In the indigenous village of Santiago Atitlan, Internet access has been declared “a human right” by both inhabitants and local authorities. Authorities are also implementing a plan to provide free community Wi-Fi to the entire population so that everyone can benefit from it and exercise their rights.
The concepts of community and sharing are entrenched in the daily life of indigenous people in Guatemala. Common spaces, open doors, collaboration and sharing are the main characteristics of these communities, especially among small linguistic communities such as the Mayan Tzutuhil indigenous group in the Highlands of Guatemala. As cultures evolve and adapt to new discoveries in science and technology, indigenous cultures are embracing new technologies and adapting their use to accord with traditional principles. Such is the case with Internet access.
Picture by Yo respondo used with permission.
The youth of Santiago Atitlan pro-actively use digital tools. Their programme I respond! and you? (Yo Respondo, y Tu?) [es] is broadcast via the Internet and local cable TV and promoted throughout social networks. There they host dialogues discussing local problems, such as recycling and other ecological issues.
The group dedicated a show to the community Wi-Fi project once the first phase was ready. During the episode, called “Internet… my human right”, Frank La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, was invited to launch the community Wi-Fi. The Special Rapporteur congratulated the community and celebrated that Internet access is recognized as an effective tool to exercise and enforce other rights.
“Tomás Chiviliú, alcalde municipal, indica que uno de sus propósitos es transparentar la información municipal, por lo que se ha desarrollado una red que permite la circulación informativa entre las distintas dependencias ediles. Este proceso llevó a instalar el equipo necesario para ofrecer Internet a los vecinos. Agrega que “es importante garantizar el acceso a la información en general, beneficiando no solo a la juventud sino también a la empresa local y al turismo”.
Picture by Juan Damian used with permission.
While Santiago Atitlan is one of the poorest villages in Central America, it is leading the way by providing communal Internet access. However, the network is password protected: the password, “I am Atitlan” (Yo soy Atitlan), seeks to strengthen local identity and remind its users that the people accessing the network are located next to one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, Atitlan Lake. The Municipality of Santiago Atitlan is also very active on Facebook [es] and Twitter with the account @atitlanmuni [es].
Picture by Juan Damian used with permission.
Santiago Atitlan and its people are teaching the rest of us three important lessons: Internet is a rights enabler, since it makes the exercise of other rights possible, such as, the right to know; community Wi-Fi, as described by the mayor, has many benefits; and finally, new technologies are of extreme importance for indigenous cultures, as they enable indigenous youth to share their millenarian cultures with the world, spread their ideas, and invent a future without borders.  The future is now, and you can live it in the village of Santiago Atitlan.

author: Renata Avila


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Puerto Rico: Blogger’s Book Doesn’t Shy Away From a Good Brawl · Global Voices
Alfredo Richner

The Internet and its social networks have a peculiar way of introducing new distractions to our timelines. Reading the constant stream of status updates and tweets generated by friends, strangers, and peers can be similar to the experience of channel surfing. Too much information, not much of it particularly useful or striking.
Then something catches your eye and opens up new worlds to explore. Such was the case when I spotted a couple of Twitter users talking about Reyerta TV [es] (Brawl TV), a short story collection written by Puerto Rican writer and blogger Juanluis Ramos. I had met Juanluis thanks to our passion for music (we both run our own music blogs, his is “El Cassette Grabao” [es] or “The Mixtape”) and had even collaborated on some blog posts, as well as appeared in local radio as part of a music panel together. But I didn't know about his book before that tweet, and it was just a few days after it caught my eye that I sat down and read it.
A wonderful collection of grainy, technicolored, pop-culture inspired windows into fully realized worlds that revel in television's classic tropes. Juanluis imbues his stories with the heavy heart of a child that has taken everything in without having the chance to sort it all out: a town's sanity rests on the secret identity of its butcher, the most hated wrestler known to the sport; a woman with no cooking skills lives out the plot of a telenovela, trying to win a man's heart with a single meal; a retired detective becomes his nemesis's closest ally as his world view unravels. CLICK-CLICK-CLICK. Each story a satisfying slice of literary fiction bent on reworking our memories from sitting in front of the TV.
Intrigued with what I had just experienced, I sent Juanluis a few questions about Reyerta TV and his experience publishing the book.
GV: I just finished Reyerta TV a few days ago. So… How do I subscribe to this? Is it like Cable TV or more like Netflix? Tell us a bit about what it is and how it works.
Juanluis Ramos: Sometimes you'd wake up on a Saturday morning, there was only one television set in the house, so you couldn't turn on the Nintendo. On top of that, it was pouring outside, so you couldn't go out and ride your bike either. The only option was to sit down in front of the television and watch whatever your dad was watching.
He was nice and would let you watch Ninja Turtles, and would even watch them with you, but once that show was over and a soap opera would begin (I don't know why local channels always have to broadcast soap operas) – then it was your mother who sat down to watch. Once that was over, it was the wresting superstars that everyone in the family sat down to watch. And afterwards a movie with karate or guns – and you would get really pumped because you loved to see some kicking and shooting. Then the news, and you'd watch even if you didn't know much about what was going on. Your mother would call you for dinner and after you'd eaten, then you could turn on the Nintendo.
That's more or less Reyerta TV. But in the end, it is just a book.
GV: The collection was published first in 2010 and now enjoys a second edition. It is not only surprising that it exists, but that its design shows great care in what must have clearly been a labor of love. When did you decide to publish Reyerta TV and how many people did the process involve?
JR: The idea to publish the book came after an earlier version of it came in second place in a literary competition sponsored by the University of Puerto Rico. Several publishers expressed interest in publishing the book, but nothing came out of it. Until a new publisher Libros AC [es] (AC Books) was born, offering Reyerta TV as one of its first two titles.
And yes, it is a labor of love. It is so because it was made between friends. It was designed by Samuel Medina with artwork by Cristian Guzmán Cardona.
GV: You also received the National Story Award handed out by Puerto Rico's PEN Club. What's been the general reaction to Reyerta TV?
JR: Overall it has been good. I was reviewed in a couple of local newspapers, various blogs, a few radio shows with a focus on culture, and it even showed up in Venezuela's national television just the other day. Also, several University of Puerto Rico professors have assigned the book to their students, and tell me that they enjoy it, plus they send me essays they've made in school about my book. Sometimes these teachers invite me to class so I can talk with their students and their reaction has always been positive – they have shown much interest.
GV: Which one's your favorite story within Reyerta TV?
JR: I'm not really sure, but the one I have most affection for is the chronicle that ends the book, “Ficción Aparte: Boletín de Última Hora” (Fiction Aside: Breaking News). Why? Because everything in that text happened to me. It's really intense, to have been robbed in front of your house, for someone to hold a gun to your head and steal your computer – with the book's manuscript in it. They stole the book weeks before I took it to the press. Then, I had to do it all again.
GV: Since we both met through our music blogs, and could very well be considered music geeks, I wanted to ask you: What's the soundtrack to Reyerta TV?
JR: A difficult question! It's something I've thought about since the book came out and I've never been able to come close to a satisfying answer – but let's see…
Black Flag – TV Party
The Minutemen – This Ain’t No Picnic
Mima – Como en un anuncio [es] (Like in an advertisement)
Alexander Ebert – Truth
Pedro Piedra – Vacaciones en el más allá [es] (Far Away Vacations)
What do you think? Which songs would you add?
GV: Excellent. I would add “De mí enamórate” [es] (Fall in love with me), written by Juan Gabriel and sung by Daniela Romo, and “Watching the Detectives” by Elvis Costello & The Attractions. I think we just might have made one of the greatest literary mixtapes ever.
Reyerta TV is available through the Libros AC Online Store[es]. You can follow Juanluis Ramos through his Twitter account: @jey_elle.
This interview is edited for length and context. The full interview was published (in Spanish) in PuertoRicoIndie.com and can be read here.

author: Alfredo Richner


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Puerto Rico: Celebrating Javier Culson’s Success in London 2012 Olympics · Global Voices
Ángel Carrión

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
Thousands of Puerto Ricans woke up this morning (Friday 03rd August 2012) to watch the athlete, Javier Culson (@JavierCulson [es]) competing in the London 2012 Olympics. Passing the finishing line in the 400m hurdles with a time of 48:33 seconds, Culson secured first place and went through to the semifinals having achieved the fastest time in the first round.
Puerto Rican Eric Alexander (@EricA_Trackstar [es]) also qualified for the semifinals in the 400m hurdles as did Carol Rodriguez in the Women's 400m. As a result, Puerto Rico now has three athletes competing in the next rounds of the Olympics resulting in widespread elation across the country.
Culson is considered an exceptional athlete and the Puerto Rican people believe that he stands a real promising chance in bringing home the first ever gold medal for the country (the finals will be held on Monday August 06). Social networks were buzzing with excitement and support, with the hashtag #JavierCulson trending worldwide on Twitter at around 06:30am.
Culson tweeted,
@JavierCulson: Gracias Puerto Rico por unirse y madrugar hoy para darme su gran apoyo, mañana sera otro dia en ruta a la final, Gracias papito Dios x todo
Javier Culson (archive photo). Photograph by Quique Aparicio courtesy of the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee.
Below is a video of the qualifying race from earlier today in London:
http://youtu.be/qJYIkPwHZNY
Carol Rodríguez. Photograph by Quique Aparicio courtesy of the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee.
Below are a few tweets celebrating Culson qualifying through to the next round:
@Abrahammusic: Culson esta siendo un intrumento de unidad para nuestro pais nos hace falta un pueblo unido jamas sera vencido
@EarnedPerez: Orgulloso del nuestro #JavierCulson BORICUA DE CORAZÓN!!!!
@noeliasurf: #JavierCulson orgullo boricua que lindo ver a nuestro país unido y contento, gracias Culson por traer esperanza y alegría a nuestro país.
@nagront: #OrgulloBoricua#JavierCulson It's trending worldwide. Im so proud! It shows that Puerto Rico is a small island who dares to dream <3
@Fernan24z: El Boricua es cosa seria, no tenemos ni una medalla y estamos mas felices que los chinos que tienen como 743 #JavierCulson
Fellow Puerto Rican also competing in London 2012, gymnast Tommy Ramos, took to Twitter too to convey his support for Culson:
@TommyRamos_pur [es] : EL GRAN @JavierCulson dando cátedra de como correr al mundo entero!!!! Arriba Puerto Rico!!!!!!!!
*You can access the website for the Puerto Rico Olympic Comittee here [es].
*Photo used for thumbnail taken from this video‘s opening sequence.
This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

author: Ángel Carrión


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Seven Months after AP opened its North Korea Bureau · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

The Columbia Journalism Review(CJR)'s Behind the News published a post on AP's challenges in launching a news bureau in one of the most reclusive countries in the world, North Korea.


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The Welsh Language’s Digital Toolbox · Global Voices
Delyth Prys

This post is part of a special Global Voices series on Welsh language and digital media in collaboration with Hacio'r Iaith.
When I go to international meetings nowadays I’m amazed at how English has become the general language of communication. It’s become everyone’s second language, and in some domains it’s difficult for any other language to be heard. It’s especially hard for minority languages such as Welsh.
One domain where English has been dominant from the beginning is computing and the Internet. But new digital media also provide opportunities for all languages to be used, heard and seen.
The author of this post, Delyth Prys (pictured right, with the Welsh Minister for Education) is the Head of the Language Technology Unit (@techiaith) based at Canolfan Bedwyr, Bangor University, Wales. An experienced terminologist, she leads a mixed team of linguists and software developers working with Welsh in a multilingual environment.
Developing language resources
Part of the challenge for Welsh has been to develop language resources so that people can use Welsh easily on the web and in digital media. Major languages get plenty of funding, but minor languages have to work smarter, recycle resources, and make a little go a long way.
We started working on Welsh terminology in 1993, and developed a Welsh spelling and grammar checker early on. We’ve reused a lot of the resources developed in the early days, building them up and taking them with us as the technology got better and the internet became an important part of our lives.
One of the key early decisions was to use a computer database to store and develop terminology, rather than work in the traditional way on paper. This meant that we’ve been able to keep on developing dictionaries and publish them quickly and cheaply, on CD, on the web and more recently as mobile apps.
The latest dictionary doesn’t have a paper edition at all, and Termiadur Addysg is evolving to include online games and other materials for students, teachers and parents. It has also been the starting point for Termau.org, a national terminology portal, where over twenty terminology dictionaries can be accessed together.
The recycling doesn't end there though. We used the wordlists to improve our spelling and grammar checkers, and to produce these in multiple formats, for open source and proprietary word processing. Our own Cysgliad software has proved very popular, including both Cysill (spelling and grammar checker) and Cysgeir (compendium of electronic dictionaries).
The free online version of Cysill is widely used by bloggers and tweeters, as well as school kids, students, and even journalists. Such tools are a great help to writers in minority languages who often don’t have much confidence in writing in their native tongue because it is excluded from so much of official and public life.
The 1990s were good years for the Welsh language; there was a new Welsh Language Act in 1993, improving greatly the status of Welsh, and in 1998 the Welsh National Assembly was established, giving Wales a limited form of self government.
A third important event happened in 1995, with the publication of the Welsh Academy Dictionary. This comprehensive English to Welsh dictionary has been crucial to helping translators and administrators deliver bilingual policies in Wales. However, revising and updating it in the traditional way would have been slow and expensive. Instead we digitized it, creating both an online version which is freely available on the web and a master database where it will be easy to make changes and additions.
WISPR Speech Technology
Speech technology & translation
Speech technology has been another area where we’ve tried to develop resources for Welsh. It was difficult to get commercial backing for such a venture, because of the small size of the Welsh market. However, by working together with Irish colleagues in three Dublin universities, and with the help of an European grant, we were able to develop resources for both Welsh and Irish.
We called this project WISPR (Welsh and Irish Speech Processing Resources) and it led to useful text-to-speech resources for both Welsh and Irish. The Welsh resources have been freely licensed so that they can be incorporated in software developed by other providers.  For example, Ivona, a Polish text-to-speech company has used these resources to help them create natural sounding Welsh voices, and RNIB Cymru, an association supporting blind and partially sighted people, is working with them to develop the technology to enhance web accessibility for blind and partially sighted Welsh speakers.
More recently we’ve started looking at translation technology between English and Welsh. One new project we are taking part in is a collaboration between the National Library of Wales and other institutions to put archives from the First World War on the web. Some of this material is in Welsh, and up until now it’s been difficult for non-Welsh speakers to use it. We’re developing aids to do cross-lingual searches, so if you look up a particular battle, for example, it will show you material about it written in either language. We will also include gist translation from Welsh to English and an embedded bilingual dictionary. We foresee many other uses for these aids so people will feel that they can use their own language on the web and still reach a wider audience.
There is much more we would like to do to enable Welsh to flourish in the new multimedia world. With new technology moving so fast we need to make certain that Welsh is not left behind. Getting funding and people with the right skills within our community is still challenging, but sharing and reusing resources enables a little to go a long way. Being part of a global community helps all minority languages, and the next challenge will be to develop closer cooperation with other communities in a similar position.

author: Delyth Prys


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Venezuela: Culture of the Plains on the Internet · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

This post is the first in a series about the Venezuelan plains and its culture on the Internet
To get to know the culture of the Venezuelan plains, one must get to know its citizen media. In it, the natives from this region of Venezuela share distinct types of music, cooking, history and traditions, spread throughout the length and breadth of the territory. Citizens discuss oral traditions, and talk about music and celebrations.
For many, the culture of the plains is the most representative of the country. Its landscapes and customs form much of the written and oral literature. The plains culture extends to Colombia, too, and is also evidence of one of the many elements that link the cultures of both countries.
In this series, we will showcase work, opinions and stories that are shared in the different citizen media and which extoll, among other things, the expressions and the most genuine blending of the region.
In the “Veneciclopedia“, [es] a wiki of information about Venezuela, we find general information about the region:
Photo by Gunther Wegner, under license from Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Los llanos de Venezuela son un extenso sistema de praderas, bosques y sabanas inundables de gran importancia económica y biológica que cubre gran parte o la totalidad de los estados Apure, Barinas, Portuguesa, Cojedes, Guárico, Anzoátegui y Monagas de Venezuela. Forma parte del sistema de sabanas sudamericano, que en total cubre unos 269 millones de hectáreas, la mayoría de estas en Cerrados, Brasil (76%), y el resto compartida entre Los Llanos de Venezuela (11%, 28 millones de hectáreas) y los Llanos Orientales de Colombia (6%, 16-17 millones de hectáreas)
As for the culture of the region, the Veneciclopedia [es] describes:
La cultura de los llanos ha marcado profundamente la identidad de Venezuela. Los llaneros, con su imagen romantizada de hombres a caballo viviendo de y luchando contra la naturaleza, ha representado por décadas al ideal de lo verdaderamente venezolano. Por ende, la cultura llanera, a pesar de su generalidad debido al gran número de estados que representa, se basa principalmente sobre el llanero y sus costumbres.
La música llanera es el represéntate [Sic] máximo de la cultura popular venezolana y es comúnmente utilizada como sinónimo de música venezolana. Esta música se distingue por el uso del arpa, las maracas y el cuatro. El baile de la región es el joropo, que también es el baile nacional de Venezuela, así como el liquiliqui o liquilique, indumentaria típica de los llanos, es el traje tradicional del país.
The culture of the plains has deeply influenced Venezuela’s identity. These plainsmen, with their romanticized image of men on horseback, living from and struggling against nature for decades, have represented the ideal of the true Venezuelan. Hence, the plains culture, in spite of the generalizations because of the large number of states it represents, is based mainly on the plainspeople and their customs.
Plains music is what most represents popular culture and is commonly used as a synonym for Venezuelan music. This music is distinguished by use of the harp, maracas (gourd rattle) and the cuatro (four-stringed guitar). The regional dance is the joropo, which is also the national dance of Venezuela, and the  liqui liqui, typical clothing of the plains, is also the traditional attire of the country.
With regard to the environment and the literature, the blog by the Centro de Estudios del Llano [es] uses formal references and adds:
La tradición cultural colombo-venezolana atribuye al llanero marcada dependencia a “su geografía”. Lo cree Ovalles (1905) cuando estima, procedente del “medio”, su “entidad psicológica”, Rómulo Gallegos presumiendo una “tiranía de lo llano” expresada en ideología igualitaria y que hace pensar a Domingo Alberto Rangel (1974) que allí la naturaleza parece “superponerse a la especie humana, y por encima de las diferencias sociales”
Opinando De Armas Chitty (1952) que “en esa forja de la voluntad que es la intemperie, “la llanura guariqueña acusa físicamente dos geografías, y dentro de ellas, sicológicamente, dos perfiles”: el del Alto Llano, desconfiado, siendo abierto el del Llano Bajo, subrayando que “cada hombre se parece a su ambiente” (1979), añadiendo que “el llano ha creado, de acuerdo con su geografía, dos caracteres: al norte, reservado, malicioso, un hombre que trata de explorar la intención de la persona a quien se dirija antes de hablarle; al sur, el hombre difiere del otro porque parece no tener malicia. Se da sin reservas. Junto con la taza de café entrega un acento cordial que sólo da el hijo del alto-llano cuando se familiariza.
The Colombian-Venezuelan cultural tradition points to the plainsman's strong dependence on “his geography”. Ovalles believes this (1905) when he considers, coming from the “environment”, his “psychological element”, Rómulo Gallegos presuming a “tyranny of the plains”, expressed in egalitarian ideology, and which makes Domingo Alberto Rangel (1974) think that nature there seems to “superimpose itself on the human species, and above social differences.”
De Armas Chitty (1952) says that “in that forging of the will that is open space, the plains of Guarico exhibit two geographies, and inside of those, psychologically, two profiles:” that of the High Plains, suspicious, while the Lower Plains are open, underscoring that “every man resembles his environment” (1979), adding that “the plains have created, in accordance with their geography, two characters: in the north, reserved, defensive, a man who tries to figure out the intentions of a person before speaking to him; in the south, men defer to others because they are not defensive. He gives without reservation. Together with a cup of coffee, he delivers a warm tone that the child of the north only gives once he trusts more.
Of the literary works that have traditionally represented Venezuela, Doña Bárbara stands out as the most famous, and most adapted. The story of Doña Bárbara, now known as one of the most popular icons of the women of the plains with great strength of character, takes place on the Venezuelan plains. And this is just one of the many stories that take place in the region.
Statue dedicated to Marisela Barquero Guaymarán, Doña Barbara's daughter. State of Apure, Venezuela. Photo by Don Perucho, used with permission
Blogs like Casanare Puro Llano [es] and Letras Llaneras [es] are dedicated to sharing the written literature from and about the region, as well as some of the traditional stories that have been told from generation to generation. In the next installment, we will present some of these stories and a little more about the music. For now, we share an excerpt from the work of Armando Benavidez, shared by Letras Llaneras, which highlights the landscape of the plains and its historical importance:
[…]La imponente serranía del Cocuy mira el Llano Colombiano y se prolonga en Venezuela como si fuera un cordón umbilical. El hombre llanero lo ha mirado siempre como un templo milenario que congela hasta los dientes.
Este abuelo de nieve rememora la llegada de un hombre silencioso que buscaba El Dorado en los desfiladeros y bajó por vez primera a la indómita llanura. Ese hombre extraño portaba en las manos un mortífero trueno y una ideas distintas en una lengua impronunciable. El indio fue vencido por la bala y el acero y sometido a servidumbre […]
El viejo Cocuy presenció en silencio la dura lucha del criollo Simón Bolívar, para expulsar del suelo Americano la primera potencia bélica del Mundo en ese entonces “España”. Este hombre providencial se alió con el Llanero de Colombia y Venezuela para otorgar la libertad a unos pueblos sumidos en el dolor y la desesperanza. […]
[…] The imposing mountain range of Cocuy overlooks the Colombian plains and extends through Venezuela like an umbilical cord. Plainsmen have always looked at it like an ancient temple that can chill to the bone.
This grandfather of snow recalls the arrival of a silent man who sought El Dorado in the passes and stepped on to the untamed plains for the first time. This strange man carried in his hands a deadly thunder and unusual ideas in an unpronounceable language. The Indian was defeated by bullets and steel and subjugated to servitude. […]
The old Cocuy witnessed in silence their native Simón Bolívar’s hard fight to drive from American soil what was then the most powerful military force in the world—Spain. This providential man allied himself with the plainsmen of Colombia and Venezuela to bring freedom to a people steeped in pain and despair. […]

author: Laura Vidal


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Africa: Africa Tumblrs to Follow · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Here are Apostrophekola's top African photo tumblrs: “…I think you should be following if you have any interest in Africa. With these tumblrs, a picture is definitely worth a thousand words”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Africa: Post-feminism in Africa? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Simi Dosekun intends to blog about the concept of post-feminism in Africa: “My posts will cover my research interests:  African feminism, how as African women we think of ourselves,  media and popular culture, the dubious concept of post-feminism which I think is, ironically enough, infiltrating popular discourse in Africa.”


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Brunei’s First Female Olympian · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Delwin Keasberry of Projek Brunei was able to interview Ms Maziah Mahusin, Brunei's first female olympian in the 2012 London Olympics.

author: Mong Palatino


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China: Illegal Ivory Trade Ban Gains Online Support · Global Voices
Ronald Yick

Support for a ban on the global illegal ivory trade has been backed recently by Chinese netizens. From 2000 to 2011, whilst East Africa was the centre of illegal ivory trafficking, China and Thailand were the major destinations for ivory products.
Weak law enforcement and corrupt officials in African countries, as well as rising Chinese consumer demand and permission of legal domestic trade under a control system, still keep trade going. In July 2012, news about ivory seizures in Thailand and Vietnam hit the headlines worldwide.
The trade peaked in 2009 and remained high until 2011, according to a report published in June 2012 by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which has banned international trade in elephant ivory since 1989.
Just in 2011, 14 large-scale seizures (volumes of 800 kg or above) were reported, which equals the total number in 2009 and 2010, and was the highest since 1989. Eight African elephant range states, and four Asian elephant range states have never submitted any elephant product seizure records. As salon.com reports, seizures cannot deter syndicates from smuggling, as arrests of the heads of smuggling gangs are rare.
Chinese weibo users urge ban
On Chinese microblogging site Weibo, the ban on the ivory trade is a hot issue, especially since popular Taiwan artist Chan Chien-chou uploaded [zh] a picture of a seriously injured elephant lying on the floor after its ivory was removed by poachers:
@黑人建州：請別買象牙⋯沒有買賣、就沒有殺害！！！
Taiwan artist Chan Chien-chou uploaded on Sina Weibo a picture of an injured elephant lying on the floor after its ivory was removed by poachers. Image source: Ronald Yick.
Below are some comments by Weibo users:
把您的妖娆留给西门庆: 请别买象牙…没有买卖…就不会有杀害…他们是人类的朋友…看着那么憨厚温柔…你舍得吗？只为了您那一些爱美的举动'就要让他们丧命！
果断—-潘子 : 太恐怖啦，唔好买啦，无左市场，就唔会再生产噶啦
湘潭大学学生微博: 好可怕！真不知道你们如何下得了手！没有买卖就没有杀害！拒绝象牙！
Another user, Sherry in Africa [zh] , who lives in Lagos, Nigeria, posted a thread highlighting the simple fact that African people know the desire of Chinese people to have products made from endangered animals:
…只有中国人吃这些动物，买象牙、犀牛角，市场上的黑人都会讲中文： “象牙要不要？”
Kenya: Ivory source and transit point
On July 20, 2012, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), an international non-governmental organization aiming to protect wildlife, pointed out that Kenya is both an source of illegal ivory and a transit point from Africa to Asia. IFAW Eastern Africa Regional Director James Isiche believes the cases discovered are just the tip of the iceberg and blames Kenya authorities:
Incidences of elephant poaching are on the rise in Kenya, and it is now emerging that the country is not only a source of illegal ivory, but has also become one of the smuggling route of choice for traffickers […] While Kenyan authorities have in the past done a commendable job in impounding ivory at various exit points in the country, the trend of seizures in the last one and half years is worrying. There is need and urgency for all authorities in Kenya and other elephant range states to protect elephants from poachers as well as to seal off these routes to deter criminal gangs involved in this vice.
From ban to ‘regulated control’ of trade?
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), realizing the increasing demand will make banning efforts useless, has started discussing regulation of ivory trade. The organization proposes to establish a Central Ivory Selling Organisation (CISO) [pdf] which would ‘gain control of the market’ and only trade ivory from elephants that die naturally. The revenue is to be reinvested in protection and conservation.
Such suggestions face severe criticism from conservation groups such as the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). Executive Director Mary Rice has raised deep concerns:
EIA remains deeply concerned that any more ‘legal’ sales – or discussion of ‘legal’ sales – of ivory will further stimulate the ivory market, supporting the perception that international trade has resumed and increasing demand for illegal ivory.
EIA rejects CITES’ proposal and instead calls for an independent review of the enforcement gaps that have led to the failure of the current ivory trade system, such as corruption and laundering mechanisms of illegal trade.

author: Ronald Yick


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Europe: Dutch Designer Tells Visual Stories on the Crisis · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Portuguese journalist Ana Maria Henriques interviews [pt] Noortje van Eekelen (@spectragedy) the Dutch designer who created The Spectacle of the Tragedy, a blog that “tells a visual story about the politicians that navigate the Euro crisis.”


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Guatemala Celebrates Erick Barrondo’s Silver in Race Walk · Global Voices
Renata Avila

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
Guatemala is celebrating its first victory during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. On Saturday, August 4, Erick Barrondo Garcia won the silver medal at the Men's 20km Race Walk. As the news broke, social media users, including politicians and other personalities, clapped and celebrated Barrondo's well-deserved victory.
Pop-star Ricardo Arjona (@Ricardo_Arjona) [es] congratulates him warmly:
@Ricardo_Arjona: Erick Barrondo. Que Dios te bendiga. Mas orgulloso que nunca. Nuestra primer medalla gracias a vos. Que viva Guate.
Vice President Roxana Baldetti (@roxanabaldetti) [es] writes on Twitter:
Erick Barrondo at the 2011 Pan American Games. Photo by Flickr user aula2pl, used under Creative Commons licence (CC BY-NC 2.0)
@roxanabaldetti: Erick Barrondo es ejemplo de esfuerzo y valentía. Dios lo bendiga! La medalla es un sueño hecho realidad!
Sports commentator Edgar Galindo (@Galindogt) shares a picture of the remarkable athlete in the podium, ready to get his medal. Barrondo looks moved by the victory.
Erick Barrondo was born in Aldea Chuyuc, in the San Cristóbal Verapaz municipality, one of the poorest areas of the country which has been particularly affected by the war on drugs. It has been reported that his village and the entire country are getting ready for the celebration.
According to Opina el Balón (@opinaelbalon) [es], Barrondo sent the following message to his nation:
@opinaelbalon: Erick Barrondo: “Me voy a sentir tan orgulloso si alguien deja una pistola y la cambia por unos zapatos para ir al estadio a entrenar”
In a country where violence, corruption and poverty are daily news, this triumph is welcomed as a reason to celebrate how hard work and a supportive family can turn a dream into reality.
This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.


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Mauritania: $10 Million Aid Grant Comes Too Late · Global Voices
Anita Hunt

The World Bank has approved a US$10 million grant to help the Government of Mauritania provide emergency food and agricultural supplies to rural communities in the face of the country's ongoing drought. The funds are intended to provide fertilizers to rice farmers; veterinary products and livestock vaccines to herders; cereal grains to communities; and alleviate current food and animal feed shortages. Some of this help may be too late: rice farmers needed fertilizer months ago, and promised supplies failed to be delivered on time. As the Mauritania Akhbar blog reports, the farmers announced in May they were suing the government [ar] for US$40,000.

author: Anita Hunt