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Brazil: Bolivia expels Brazilian citizens · Global Voices
Thiana Biondo

Despite a recently announced amnesty on foreign immigrants in Brazil, benefiting mostly South American neighbors, the Bolivian government has banished about four thousand Brazilian rural workers, rubber tappers and farmers from Pando department, region which has borders with the state of Acre. The measure affects any foreigner who lives within 50 kilometers of the Bolivian border, but it has focused especially  on Brazilians who live in the Amazon region.
Blog da Amazonia [pt] has been following the case and reported:
Milhares de brasileiros que vivem em território boliviano estão ameaçados de expulsão porque Evo Morales, sob a alegação de garantir a soberania do seu país, quer assentar 4 mil famílias de camponeses oriundos de La Paz e Cochabamba, em 200 mil hectares de terras localizadas na região fronteiriça.
As primeiras vítimas são as famílias de pequenos posseiros brasileiros expulsos do departamento de Pando. Cerca de 40 famílias já chegaram ao município de Plácido de Castro, a 97 quilômetros de Rio Branco. Neste ponto, o estado do Acre e o departamento boliviano de Pando são separados pelo Rio Abunã.
The first victims are poor Brazilian settlers’ families , who have been expelled from the Pando department. Around 40 families have already arrived in the town of Plácido Castro, 97 kilometers away from Rio Branco, Acre's capital. Here, the state of Acre (the Brazilian side) and the department of Pando (the Bolivian side) are divided by the Abunã River.
Some settlers have been forced to leave their homes and land, whereas others have threatened to set fire to their possessions before handing them over to the Bolivians. The situations is portrayed by Blog da Amazonia [pt] which shows the despair of the heads of families, who have been investing money and time into those lands for more than 40 years:
Threatened rubber tapper Djalma Soares left his belongings in BoliviaPhoto by: Alisson Ferreira e Altino Machado/ Published with permission
O seringueiro Djalma Soares, 55 anos de idade, vivia em território boliviano desde os nove anos. Em 46 anos de vida lá, jamais acumulou qualquer riqueza como seringueiro e coletor de castanha-do-brasil.
- Os funcionários do governo boliviano disseram que iriam subir o rio e na volta não queriam mais me encontrar na minha colocação. Eu falei: tudo bem, eu volto pro meu Brasil. Trouxe uma rede, um lençol e três panelas. O resto ficou tudo: bacia, machado, terçado, cabrita e outros instrumentos de trabalho. Lá eu dava meu jeito de sobreviver. Não sei como será minha vida aqui na cidade, sem emprego.
Although promising that Brazilians who lose their property will be resettled in an area more distant from the Bolivian border, Evo Morales’ government will not offer any compensation for belongings such as houses or work done on the land. Nor will the  government pay for properties where Brazilians are settled either. Because of this, there are some people who said that they will not leave the land in a peaceful way, as Blog da Amazonia [pt] also reports in an interview with another victim:
O que fazer então?
A Bolívia não vai ficar com isso de graça, não. Tem muito brasileiro revoltado com essa situação. Eu não vou deixar nada lá. Eu não quero ir para um lugar qualquer que eles vão oferecer. Eu prefiro tocar fogo na minha casa. Toco fogo em tudo e venho embora pra recomeçar a vida.
O senhor tem coragem de fazer isso mesmo?
Tenho, sim. Eu não tenho condição de gastar o que não tenho. Eu gastei, por exemplo, R$ 7 mil para construir minha casa. Eu não vou deixar ela na chave para um boliviano chegar e se apossar dela.
Tem mais gente pensando assim?
Tem gente com pensamento pior do que o meu.
Como assim?
Tem muita família de brasileiros pensando em fazer besteira com os bolivianos. Tem gente que tá pensando em ficar lá e matar esses caras. Quando estão no Brasil, os bolivianos parecem santos, mas lá são muito desumanos. Nesta semana mesmo eu vi eles tomando borracha. Um seringueiro vinha descendo o rio numa canoa e eles foram lá e tomaram a borracha. Chefe, eu pelo menos tenho uma partezinha aqui no Brasil, mas muitos tudo o que tem tá jogado lá dentro da Bolívia. Como é que alguém assim vai sair com uma mão no fecho e outra no cano, sem ter para onde ir nem onde ficar? Nenhum de nós vai mais pra dentro da Bolívia, ninguém quer isso.
Are there more people thinking like you?
There are people thinking worse than me.
What do you mean?
There are many Brazilian families thinking about doing something silly with Bolivians.  There are some people thinking about staying there and killing them. When they are here in Brazil, Bolivians look like saints, but there they are very ruthless. This week, for example, I saw them seizing rubber. One rubber tapper was going down the river in a canoe and they (the Bolivians) went there and seized his rubber. Man, I have at least a small property here, in Brazil, but   there are many who only have what is left there in Bolivia. Who on earth is going to leave Bolivia empty-handed? None of us is going to go deep into Bolivia, nobody wants it.
Many settlers have been disturbed, even though the Bolivian government has set next December 14 as the deadline for the problem to be solved. According to Blog da Amazonia, Brazil has invested $10.2 million in the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to tackle specifically this problem within Bolivia.
There are blogs, such as Tomando mais uma [pt], who are deeply disappointed with the situation and the way in which the Brazilian government is dealing with it. Not only does the blog highlight Evo Morales alleged connection with cocaine growers, but also says that electioneering and political matters are behind the banishment:
Homens, mulheres e crianças estão sendo forçados por funcionários bolivianos a abandonarem suas posses apenas com a roupa do corpo. Isso porque o departamento de Pando é tradicionalmente de oposição ao governo de Evo (…)
E pior, essa “grande marcha da coca” que está resultando na expulsão dos brasileiros, ocorre menos de um mês depois de Lula sancionar a Lei da Anistia Migratória, que autoriza a residência provisória de cidadãos estrangeiros em situação irregular no Brasil, beneficiando centenas de milhares de bolivianos que perambulam por aqui tocando flauta andina. Cadê a reciprocidade?
Ô Amorim, vê se faz alguma coisa que preste…
Brazilian Francisco Siqueira and his family were also expelled from Bolivia. Photo by Alisson Ferreira e Altino Machado/ Published with permission
Ednei Muniz [pt] adds that the upcoming elections, this December, are the main reason behind Evo Morales actions:
Políticos de oposição a Evo Morales, por sua vez, segundo dizem os jornais bolivianos, acusam o Executivo de utilizar a reforma agrária para tentar modificar a tendência eleitoral de Pando, onde candidatos opositores sempre venceram.
Dizem os oposicionistas, que Evo planeja transferir para o Departamento de Pando apenas os militantes do ‘Movimento Rumo ao Socialismo’, grupo político que dá suporte ao Presidente. As eleições gerais ocorrerão em 06 de dezembro próximo – e como a Bolívia ainda não superou o fantasma do golpe é bom o governo brasileiro ficar de olhos bem abertos – ainda mais agora diante da possibilidade real de envolvimento de brasileiros nos conflitos, em função, claro, das graves questões fundiárias que se avizinham diante das medidas adotadas por Morales.
Se não bastasse todo esse cenário, os conflitos em Pando – de setembro de 2008 – envolvendo camponeses favoráveis ao governo e opositores liderados por Leopoldo Fernandes deixaram feridas profundas na região, e com elas também a certeza de que o problema deve – considerando a tradição boliviana – reaparecer nas eleições de dezembro.
The opposition say that Evo wants to move militants from the ‘Movement Towards Socialism’ to Pando department; they are a political group that support the President. The general elections happen on 6th December – and because Bolivia has not overcome the ‘ghost of the coup‘, it is recommended that the Brazilian government be alert – even more so now that Brazilians are likely to be involved in those conflicts, due to the land disputes caused by the measures adopted by Morales.
On top of this, the conflicts within Pando (September 2008) involving peasants supporting the government and those against it led by Leopoldo Fernandes, have left deep scars in the region, and also the belief that the problem – considering the Bolivian tradition [of recurring conflicts] – will reappear again in the December elections.

author: Thiana Biondo


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Bulgaria: Georgi Yanev’s Fight Against Corruption · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Maya Markova reports on the case of architect Georgi Yanev, who “is well known in Bulgaria as practically the only ordinary citizen who tried to fight the massive corruption in the country”: “To sum up, what is the result of being a good citizen, speaking out about corruption and helping law enforcement agencies to charge corrupted officials? – A fine of EUR 5,000, the danger of being prosecuted plus the humiliation of a forced apology to a notoriously corrupted minister.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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China: The Dongying Mass Incident · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated a story from Chinapic about a massive criminal assault incident in Dongying County of Shandong province, which was caused by local government's intervention in the relocation of a market place.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Dominica, Haiti: Hurricane Preparedness · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Dominica Weekly wonders if the island is prepared for the 2009 hurricane season, while Konbit Pou Ayiti fears that “Haiti is not ready for the rain.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Dominican Republic: Fire at the Autonmous University of Santo Domingo · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In the Dominican Republic, Duarte 101 [es] has images and twitter updates from the fire at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Egypt: Five People I Wish to Meet · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

If you were given the choice of selecting five people you would like to meet in your lifetime, who would they be? Egyptian blogger Ahmed Shokeir blogs at Late Night Stories about five people whom he wishes to meet and be photographed with.
Shokeir explains the reason behind his wish as follows:
And those he is eager to meet are:
In conclusion, Shokeir says:

author: Tarek Amr


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Egypt: Gamal Mubarak Intices Youth Involvement · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

In an attempt to win their support, Gamal Mubarak launched an open online forum (Sharek)where he promises to address all the questions posed by young internet savvy Egyptians himself.
On it's Facebook fan page, Sharek is promoted as follows:
Sharek is a verb that means get involved, contribute, participate or become a part of; Appy positively commented:
Meanwhile Moftah  rehashes a Press release which says:

author: Marwa Rakha


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Haiti, DR: Border Tension · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands reports on growing tensions at the Haiti/Dominican Republic border, following the alleged murder of a Dominican citizen by a Haitian, who is “accused of committing the crime to steal a motorcycle.”


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India, Pakistan: A Karachi Family In An Indian Mall · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mayank Austen Soofi at Paksitan Paindabad portrays the reactions and excitements of a visiting three member Karachi family, whom he met at the Metropolitan Mall in Gurgaon, near Delhi.

author: Rezwan


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India: Premier Padmini · Global Voices
Rezwan

Anil P at Windy Skies features the Premier Padmini automobile which ruled the Indian roads for three decades and survived the demands Indian consumers placed on it.


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Israel: Critical Means Self-Hating? · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

In Israel, Kristin says: “I’m so sick and tired of hearing this phrase “self-hating Jew”. I think that to be critical of one’s homeland is to be a true citizen: this can be done in many ways but if you are willing to strive to better it, how is this “self-hating”?

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Mauritania Experiences First-Ever Suicide Bombing · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Mauritania suffered its first-ever suicide bombing attack on Saturday, wounding one Mauritanian and two French citizens.  Though Western media coverage has thus far been minimal, Dubai-based Al Arabiya reported from Nouakchott shortly after the attack, noting the timing in this article:
The attack came three days after Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who toppled Mauritania's first democratically elected leader in a military coup last year, was sworn in as president of the Saharan country after winning an election last month.
The Moor Next Door has penned a detailed piece on the incident, painting a picture of a public furious at the attack but even more frustrated by the regime:
Responses to articles on the attack in the Arabic internet media are telling. A response to an initial report on the attack exclaimed “rid us of the General and then we will call you a shahid (martyr)!” Others decry the attacker’s stupidity, mocking his Haratine origins. The Mauritanians are angry, as they have been in the wake of just about every terrorist attack over the last however many years. As much as there is disgust and frustration with the bombing, much of that is channeled back at the regime. While the bombing is the biggest Mauritanian “story” to catch western media attention since the election Mauritanians are more concerned with other troubles related to legitimacy and creeping despotism.
Peace Corps blogger Becky, who is serving in Mauritania, notes the possibility that Peace Corps volunteers serving in the country may be sent home and laments:
This has been a somber day for Peace Corp Mauritanian volunteers. Not just because it puts our future in jeopardy, but also because a country that we have grown to call home will now be thought of by the world as a dangerous and unstable place. We are always reminded that terrorists are extremists and do not represent the mainstream thinking. It will be very difficult for me to leave all those people who have done nothing wrong, although those that I have spoken to do understand.
Mauritanian Twitter user weddady expresses frustration in his Twitter feed, noting:
Although few bloggers are discussing the matter as of yet, France has condemned the attack, and new president Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz has warned of future terrorist attacks.

author: Jillian C. York


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Moldova: Post-Election Politics · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At OpenDemocracy.net, Louis O'Neill writes about the post-election politics in Moldova: “All Moldovans should be proud of what they have done with these elections. Let us hope they can be equally proud of their leaders in the next months and beyond.”


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Russia: Life in Nizhny Novgorod · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At OpenDemocracy.net, Lira Valeyeva writes about life and politics in Nizhny Novgorod.


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Russia: Moscow High-Rise on Fire · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Photos of a fire at one of Moscow's newly-built high-rise apartment buildings last week – by LJ user drugoi (RUS).


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Serbia, Russia: NIS and Gazprom · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

An update on Gazprom in Serbia – at A Fistful of Euros.


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Sri Lanka: Another Case Of Plagiarism · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nisadas comments on another recent case of publishing content of a blogger by a Sri Lankan newspaper without giving credit: “what I cannot understand is, why are the newspapers paying people to plagiarize?”


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Taiwan: Southern Taiwan devastated by typhoon Morakot · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

On Aug. 7, 2009, typhoon Morakot landed on Taiwan. The Central Weather Bureau urged residents in Northern Taiwan to be prepared for the heavy rain and strong wind brought by Morakot. However, it turned out that southern Taiwan has suffered from more devastating landslides and floods when compared with northern Taiwan, especially when  Morakot swiped the island(zh) at around 2 P.M. on Aug. 8.
Heavy rainfall in Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Taitung has resulted in record-breaking daily precipitation. While the most devastated region is Pingtung county, where the accumulated rainfall in 24 hours is 1,403 mm (zh). The accumulated rainfall in three days is up to 2,500 mm(zh), which is equal to the average annual rainfall!
Two third of the Pingtung County has been flooded. In Linbian, Fangliao, and Kanding, a large number of buildings are surrounded with deep water and residents have to stay on top of the roofs awaiting for help. In Chiadung, the whole town has to be evacuated(zh).
According to news report at 22:00, Aug 10, the flood has already claimed 23 lives and brought 56 missing cases(zh). More than 30,000 people were traped(zh).
Photo by Liu of UDN.
Typhoon Morakot reminded Taiwanese of a previous disaster “87 flood(zh)” in 1959, which had destroyed 13 counties. The damage caused was up to 11%  GDP of Taiwan then.
The broken South Link Railway in Taimali, Taitung
Photo by CNA(quoted from UDN)
Witnessing the widespread destruction caused by Morakot in Southern Taiwan, blogger and netizens decided to take action.
Billypan and a team of volunteers on Plurk started aggregating and gathering informations from all over Taiwan and created a Google Map mash-up to mark the affected areas.
Billypan reported on Plurk:
“Having entered so many markers on the disaster map, I have a strong feeling that the situations in Changhwa and Taichung are getting more and more serious. People in Central Taiwan better be prepared.”
XDite also created a website, “Supporting for the victims of Morakot Typhoon“, for netizens to offer helps to each others.
Twitter and plurk messages by GENE and landslides map by Schee are aggregated at Morakot Disaster Intelligence Center, another disaster relief coordinating platform created and maintained by ADCT, a non-profit organization of which I am also a member. Below is a sticker that links to the website.
Sticker for Taiwanfloods: “God Bless Taiwan”(天佑台灣)
Blogger Ivan shared many information about disaster relief(zh) on his blog. He reminded other netizens to send bottle water rather than cokes to the affected regions. Vincent Chang suggested Administrative Yuan to learn from Web 2.0(zh) in its disaster relief work.
Blogger, Mr. Friday, inspired by Billypan and Xdite's responses to the flood, looked into theviability of redesigning the city with digital technology(zh). Journalist and blogger Chyng wrote an in-depth report about the impact of the global climate change on tropical island. The article was ended with a citation of an environmental scholar Liao Ben-Chuan's words:
但廖本全指出，全球氣候變遷影響下，暴雨只會愈來愈多；研究也顯示暴雨對島嶼影響最大，若政府沒有長遠國土復育思維，台灣未來堪慮。
Co-authored by Dreamf, GV Chinese translator.

author: Portnoy Zheng


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The Balkans: “Greek Journalist Sued for Writings on Bosnia” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Fistful of Euros and Greater Surbiton report on the case of Greek journalist Takis Michas: “A few years back, Michas wrote a book about the links between Greece and the Bosnian war — Greek support for Milosevic and Karadzic, Greek volunteers going to fight for the Serb side in Bosnia, and so forth. Well, now he’s being sued by a Greek veteran of the Bosnian war.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Gay Pride  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As 2009 gay pride season winds down, Trinidad and Tobago's gspottt clearly reiterates its goals: “It’s an issue of openness, acceptance and equality…it’s about having the right to be…no more, no less, just human.”


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Ukraine: Anti-Domestic Violence Ad Campaign · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At GlobalComment, Natalia Antonova writes about a new anti-domestic violence ad campaign in Ukraine; some of the ads “feature famous Ukrainian boxer Alina Shaternikova with one black eye and a tagline that reads: ‘I put up with it because I want to win. Why do you?‘”


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Armenia: Journalist assaulted · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped comments on reports that a prominent opposition representative is accused of assaulting a local journalist. The blog notes that the alleged victim is usually attacked by government supporters and says that actions such as this only results in many considering both sides of the political divide to be the same.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Azerbaijan: Bloggers’ appeal rejected · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Media Helping Media reports that appeals by Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, two video bloggers and youth activists currently held in pre-trial detention in Azerbaijan on what many consider to be politically motivated charges, were yesterday rejected.
The latest court action was to appeal the violation of the presumption of innocence by law enforcement agencies before a proper investigation and trial had been conducted.
The trial is expected to be held on or around September 8. If found guilty they could face two and a half years behind bars.
The denied appeal was tweeted by the OL! Youth Movement. One of the two, Adnan Hajizadeh, was a founder of the group.
Meanwhile. the OL! blog says that the Albanian Mjaft! youth movement has joined dozens of other international organizations and groups in decrying the detention of the activist-bloggers.
Mjaft notes that at this point the question is not simply criticizing the situation, but rather offering direct support to those “who stand for the values we all believe in.” Mjaft supports Adnan and Emin by saying: “this is not an isolated struggle of the activists in Azerbaijan. This is our common struggle to break with our past political legacy.”
Another organization closely following the case is Reporters without Borders who also spread news of the appeal's rejection on its blog as well as cast further doubts about the legality of the action against the two men.
The two bloggers have been jailed for two months pending trial on clearly trumped-up charges of hooliganism. According to a diplomatic source, President Ilham Aliyev referred to them as “hooligans” during a meeting with an official delegation from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
The two bloggers have still not been allowed to receive a visit from family members since their arrest on 8 July. Today’s hearing was held because closed doors. Zadeh’s lawyer, Isakhan Ashurov, said he would appeal against today’s ruling.
In a recent interview with Global Voices Online, International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) Secretary General Bart Woord said that he believes the decision to eventually sentence the two blogger-activists to two or three years imprisonment has already been taken.


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Barbados: Respecting the Environment  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Lani Edghill, guest blogging at Barbados Free Press, believes “our environment is trying to tell us something” and urges fellow Barbadians to change their consumption habits and get involved in environmental events: “We as a community have the power to change our behavior.”


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Barbados: Seeking Solutions  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The whole region is in turmoil and yet we expect West Indies cricket to be any better?”: Barbados Underground says that “a solution has to be found, not only for the West Indies cricket team but more importantly for the whole region.”


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Bolivia: Free Software Activist Richard Stallman Visits · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Hugo Miranda of Angel Caido [es] writes about the arrival of free and software activist Richard Stallman to Bolivia and the activities planned during his visit.


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China: An “old comrade” urges re-evaluation of the CCP · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Qian Gang gave some backgrounds of an article, “Conversations with an Old Comrade on the Eve of the 60th Anniversary of the PRC”, which has been circulated widely on the Internet, calling for reflections on the Chinese Communist Party's rule at the eve of 60th anniversary of the establishment of PRC.


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China: Foreigners camping on the Great Wall, Chinese reactions · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated Chinese netizens’ reactions on foreign travelers’ illegal camping act on the Great Wall.


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India: Advice For Bloggers · Global Voices
Rezwan

Greatbong at Random Thoughts Of A Demented Mind has five bits of unsolicited advice for bloggers.


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Japan: Suicide rate of SDF officials · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Id:zyesuta analyses the problem of the high rate of suicides among the Self-Defence Forces (自衛隊 Jieitai) officials. The number of cases was particularly large in 2006 while it seems to have been slowly decreasing since then.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Korea: Commentary on Clinton visit · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ask a Korean! translated two blog entries from a famous North Korea blog, Nambukstory, that commented on Clinton's visit and the release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling.


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Malawi: The good, the bad and the hopeful in health care · Global Voices
Steve Sharra

In this post we highlight some of what Malawian bloggers are writing about the country's health care issues. We look at bloggers describing developments in eye care, reflecting on midwifery, expressing shock over negligence in hospitals and government waste, and we end with rare good news about the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Dr. Kalua examines Malawian kids. Photo: Vision2020 IAPB
We start with Dr. Khumbo Kalua, an eye care specialist, university professor and researcher. Dr. Kalua informs that The University of Malawi's College of Medicine has recently introduced a graduate training program in Ophthalmology. The number of ophthalmologists in the country has also increased, with three new ophthalmologists trained within the last two years. One of them is Dr. Khumbo Kalua himself. The new Minister of Health, who is also a new member of parliament, Dr. Moses Chirambo, is himself an ophthalmologist, and for many years was the only one in the whole of Malawi.
The new developments in the training program and increase in specialists are a result of a program known as Vision 2020 Right to Sight, which Malawi has been pursuing for a number of years now. Dr. Kalua writes:
Malawi has been active in VISION 2020 activities since 2000, and has successfully organised VISION2020 workshops for Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Malawi completed the VISION 2020 five year Eye care plan in 2004, and progress has been made towards achieving goals to eliminating avoidable blindness by the year 2020 in Malawi.
Based on the 3 pillars of VISION2020, in terms of disease control, Childhood blindness was set as one of the major priorities and a Paediatric Ophthalmology unit was planned to be developed in Blantyre.
Another Malawian blogger also blogging about health care issues is Stabbily Msiska, a Malawian nurse currently studying in Norway. Stabbie, as she addresses herself, started blogging in March this year after arriving in Norway. Her 15 years as a midwife-nurse, she writes, have taught her about the simple, free things that matter to women whether in Malawi or in Norway:
As an experienced para 3, i really missed the support of a midwife who could greet me and put herself in my shoes during antenatal, labour and postnatal periods. Having travelled miles away from my home and live in this scandinavian country, i have really appriciated that there are some things that cost nothing but are important for all midwives to do in the whole world. A smile, greetings, giving of comprehensive information, explaining procedures, respect, empathy, sympathy.With these little non costly commodities, our hospitals will be wonderful places for women.
Malawian Nurse-Midwife, Stabbie Msiska
But health care in Malawi also presents difficult problems especially to ordinary Malawians who cannot afford expensive private doctors. Joe Mlenga writes about a distant relation of his who recently hanged himself to escape deep financial problems he was ensnared in. According to Mlenga, the man was still alive when people found him. They quickly took him to the hospital, where they found nurses and other medical personnel having their dinner.
They reporterdly went on with their business of eating the evening meal as Rogers lay in poor condition. By the time the medical staff had finished enjoying dinner and started to check on Rogers, he was no more.
Sadly, Joes writes, such stories of negligence are not uncommon in Malawian hospitals, as per an incident he personally witnessed.
On one occasion I personally saw a mother holding a very ill young son rush into the hall of the referall hospital in Blantyre, QECH, to alert medics about the need for a trolley or a wheel-chair. Nobody seemed to care and the woman ended up handling the trolley herself…she was later assisted by a minibus conductor whose vehicle had kindly agreed to make a diversion to the hospital!
Another blogger, Kondwani Munthali, expresses his frustration with a Government plan to study the feasibility of turning an old ship on Lake Malawi, the MV Chancy Maples, into a mobile hospital. According to Munthali, the idea has been proposed by some Scottish donors, who want the Malawi government to pay for the study at a cost of MK50,000,000 (US$357,143).
As much as I have respect for the Ministry officials K50 million can do a lot. Train at least 10 doctors, 200 medical assistance and 100 Nurses. Or better still can equip Lifuwu Hospital with drugs for five months.
How we lay our priorities should reflect the poverty and needs of Malawians. I find it very sick to spend over US$300,000 to conduct a feasibility study of a ship and may be another US1 million to rehabilitate and equip a vessel when there many urgent needs including a need for a cancer machine.
This sickness mr. president should be stopped. Save the lives of the poor first and let the Scots pay for their own pet projects without invloving the poor. How many people will the mobile hospital on the lake serve, how much will it cost to operate and how will it generate sustainance income. In the end we will spend more on maintaining this odl vessle over peoples lives.
The plight of the health industry in Malawi is making one blogger skeptical of the entire image Malawi is building about its economic gains in the last few years. Alick Nyasulu, an economist, raises questions about the much-touted economic growth Malawi is said to be experiencing. He argues that the economic growth is not benefiting ordinary people, especially the poor, as indicated by socio-economic ills which appear to be on the rise, including cases of armed robbery and domestic abuse. He particularly cites problems in health care as evidence.
An emergency case in Ntchenachena, Chididi and Mposa are a death sentence though the economy is growing.
Their is a health and education crisis in this country. Rich folks go to those elite facilities to access health services and education for their families. I am not being jealousy wish for the riches. Over 80 per cent of Malawi’s population lives in rural areas whose health centres are often manned by an enrolled nurse without adequate medication. Distances to such facilities plus the state of rural roads complicate the situation. I am not being sadistic but to say that health services are equally bad as education especially in the rural areas. Unfortunately, this is where the majority of our people live and resigned to a life that offers no hope and future.
For Mzati Nkolokosa, HIV/AIDS is still on the rampage, but there is light at the end of tunnel. He starts with the devastation the epidemic has caused:
I have lost friends and relatives to AIDS. This condition has devastated us. AIDS has killed professionals who will never be replaced.
Those of us with some knowledge of the University of Malawi understand that AIDS has devastated the education sector. As students we could see a professor losing weight, his hair becoming pale, missing classes, or a course being missed by students because a professor (the only one who can teach that course in Malawi), is not well.
Hard times. In my village in Liwonde, people with money are gone. Business men who were flourishing in late 1980s and early 1990s, are all gone.
He ends on a positive note:
Now there is hope. Treatment is making parents llive longer and raise their chidlren, kids who would otherwie have been orphans. Awareness is also high. My generation is making brilliant choices. Prevalence is now at 12.5 percent in Malawi.
But the sweeter news is that in the age group 5 to 11, prevalence is one percent. This means that if we can raise this age group with meaningful education that helps them avoid AIDS, we can create an almost AIDS free generation for the future.

author: Steve Sharra


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Mexico: Telling Secrets on Twitter · Global Voices
Issa Villarreal

Rafa Saavedra, writer and connoisseur of underground culture  from the border city of Tijuana, in México, has turned each one of his electronic media channels into literary sandboxes. On one hand, he publishes short stories and projects in his blog Crossfader Network [es] (and its transmutations); on the other, as compulsive user @rafadro, he has taken to Twitter as a source for creation. His last literary-electronic project, “Soweird”, combines micro-fiction, secrets and Twitter.
“Crossfader Network is my home, a place where I gather my thoughts, imagine better worlds and offer advances of what I do”, tells Rafa in an e-mail interview, “Twitter is my bachelor’s apartment: an eternal party with friends and followers, a source of  (almost) first-hand information, a cluttered creative lab, hard irony, and genuine sincerity in 140 characters”.
In July of this year he asked his more than 200 Twitter followers to contribute with their biggest secret (or even a little secret, as he conceded moments after) to create a text told by multiple voices. With more than 40 secrets received through Twitter he came up with “Soweird”, where fiction and truth told 22 intimate moments of sex, shame and crime. The final story, available through his blog in both spanish and english, is planned to be published in the Mexican literary magazine El Perro [es].
In the section of “Soweird” dedicated to the topic of family, we found the following secret:
11. Mauritz engañó a su novia con la mujer de su mejor amigo. Al tronar éstos, la chica se casó con su hermano. Ahora no puede explicarle a su novia porque no pueden asistir a las reuniones familiares sin temor a causar una desgracia cuasi bíblica.
In the crime section, we found this other secret:
17.  Elwin empezó chingándose en cómics el cheque que su padre le mandaba para pagar la universidad privada a la que nunca asistió. Luego, tomó y gastó una cantidad considerable de dinero de su primer trabajo; argumentó que lo asaltaron. En otra ocasión necesitaba un trámite rápido en una dependencia municipal y pidió en la empresa una cantidad excesiva para sobornar al burócrata en turno (gastó la mitad en cervezas).
Saavedra's view on the microblogging service goes beyond telling trivial details: “In Twitter, people frequently confess things so absurd, ludicrous and shameful. Come on, there's even a hashtag for #yoconfieso ("I confess"). So, instead of extracting a secret from my personal files, I decided that it would be very interesting to work with someone else’s secrets. I was interested in knowing how far they would dare, how much it would contrast with the image I have of Twitter users with the one they show to their followers. Writer’s voyeurism 2.0.”
Although he cannot reveal his followers’ real names, Saavedra characterized the users that joined him in the project: “There are a couple of foreigners, the age group is 19-40 years. As it can be read in the text, there are eight sections that divide the secrets (Sex, Shame, Ex Lovers, Family, Crime, Guilty Pleasures, Temptation and Ex Friends). The secrets from the Twitter users are more related to family, sex, shame and temptation. A couple of secrets were very shocking.”
“Soweird” is not the first crossover between Twitter and literature that Saavedra has achieved. In 2007, he was in charge of the collaborative project Microtxts, that collected 238 microfictions through the username @microtxts, and which has been published (as selections) in the Mexican publications Replicante [es] and Balbuceo. “I invited friends that were writers, journalists, Communications students and people that I thought could be interested in the creation of anonymous and serial micro-texts. The basic principle of this workshop was ‘Writing is sharing.’ In the beginning, they could not understand fully the dynamics of Twitter nor the writing process and anonymity. Later, we reached up to 100 participants”, commented in the interview.
“Right now I couldn’t understand my life without Internet, without social networks, without everything generated by both”, explained, “But at the same time, I can turn off the computer and live my life without any fear. Online lives, electronic media and its use are also a border we can cross with and without restrictions. The same thing happens with my life in Tijuana”.
As a farewell, Saavedra shared a “truth” about himself in 140 characters (or less):
“Nunca  he querido ser otro que no fuera yo; sin embargo, cambio tan a menudo que a  veces me cuesta trabajo reconocerme: Sí, una contradicción”.

author: Issa Villarreal


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Morocco: Bloggers React to the Banning of Magazines · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Last week, the Moroccan blogosphere was up in arms over the government's decision to seize two popular magazines – French TelQuel and its Arabic sister publication Nichane – for publishing a poll in which ordinary Moroccans were asked to give their assessment of the monarch, King Mohammed VI, despite results which stated 91% of Moroccans approve of his first ten years of rule.
A campaign, entitled “Je Suis Un 9%” (“I am a 9%”) was quickly created to represent those who were angered by the decision to censor the results.  For the past week, the Twittoma (Moroccan Twitter community) has been using the hashtag #9pcMaroc to discuss the incident (highlighted in this piece in UAE's The National), while the blogosphere continues to ruminate on it.  One new development, the banning of French paper Le Monde (which also publicized the results) has some bloggers fuming.  Rachid Jankari writes:
Je pense que cette interdiction et son argumentaire est un vrai retour en arrière. Et pour cause, c'est une nouvelle consécration de la “sacralité” du Roi.  En invoquant cet argument, archaïque, je pense que l'avenir du débat sur le présent et l'avenir du pays est encore une fois hypothéqué.
At ‘Aqoul, The Lounsbury writes:
this is truly moronic. The poll is in fact rather positive for the Monarchy, and banning its publication really reeks of the worst idiocy possible. However, it does reflect the old-school Makhzen mentality that remains deeply entrenched in the government. While the King (M6) has his faults, gross and obvious stupidity has never seemed to be one of them. (Subtler forms, perhaps arguable, although I remain favourable disposed to-wards him, I mean look at his confrères…)  However, the  bootlicker Naciri went for broke. So yes, all the world should know that the Makhzen bootlickers could not stand the idea of the Moroccan population knowing that an international poll found “only” 91% approval relative to M6's first decade. More on the poll later as well.
Old stupidities die hard.
Moroccan blogger Larbi, recognizing the power of the Internet, published the poll results on his blog, noting the near-impossibility of keeping them out of public view:
Finalement c’est l’AFP qui a eu la primeur de publier le Sondage Interdit, en détail avec tous les chiffres.  Dépêche qui sera reproduite par tous les médias du monde. Maintenant à moins d’interdire tous les médias du monde les censeurs sont très mal barrés.
Blogger Ibn Kafka also republished the results, as well as the Le Monde article, encouraging other Moroccan bloggers to do the same.  Commenter Kaouthar Lbiati responded:
La position des autorités marocaines (ministère de la communication) est décevante encore une fois. Bien sûr que le peuple marocain, comme tous les peuples d’ailleurs, a le droit d’évaluer sa monarchie à laquelle il est lié par le pacte d’Al Beiâ depuis plusieurs siècles maintenant. Le peuple marocain veut désormais s’exprimer, s’expliquer, être écouté et prendre en main sa destinée. Arrêter l’oppression enfin!
To sum up, the Moroccan blogger behind Réflexions et autres idées states:
Il faut voir plus loin que son nez. Que sera le Maroc dans 5, 10, 20 ou 50 ans ? C'est à quoi le gouvernement et le pouvoir doivent travailler et non à proclamer des fatwas contre des journaux et des livres…


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Pakistan: Shutting Down Lahore Food Street · Global Voices
Rezwan

Talkhaba feels disgruntled by the decision of the Pakistani government to shut down the Lahore Food Street.


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Puerto Rico: The Battle Over Public Lands · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Recently, the Puerto Rican government issued an order to remove 200 families from the Villas del Sol community in Toa Baja, under the premise that they illegally occupied lands that are prone to flooding. Police forces tear-gassed and assaulted members of the community, most of them immigrants from the Dominican Republic.
This past week, the government cut their water and electricity supply. The families are resisting the eviction order stating that they have lived there for years, built their houses and their community, and are being pushed out without warning. In Puerto Rico, for many years, people from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds have occupied public lands to build their homes because the government's existing social policies and programs have done little to curtail poverty and provide an adequate affordable housing stock.
The controversy has provoked impassioned debate in the Puerto Rican blogosphere. In her blog Poder, Espacio y Ambiente (ES), the law professor and expert on environmental issues, Erika Fontánez, condemned the Police aggression (ES):
La realidad es que por ser dominicanos, muchas de estas familias han tenido que soportar por todos estos años la discriminación, violencia e intimidación de la policía y de funcionarios de vivienda y hoy fue el más reciente episodio, justificado públicamente por el hecho de que no son propietarios. No son propietarios, cierto, pero acaso eso los descualifica de su dignidad humana, acaso el no serlo les priva de sus derechos civiles, de la dignidad y respeto. ¿No merecen, por no ser propietarios, un trato humano?
Fontánez also questioned (ES) why the government applies different standards to the developers who construct in equally dangerous or illegal terrains:
Y es que para los ciudadanos la implantación de la ley por medios violentos en este caso carece de legitimidad cuando ven que se aplica selectivamente contra un sector que está irrumpiendo el ordenamiento porque carece de un derecho básico y se le vuelca contra sí toda la violencia y el poder del estado, mientras otros irrumpen la ley para el lujo de casas de verano y permanecen impunes.
Michael Castro, author of the blog Poder 5 (ES), says:
Aquí hay un dilema entre lo justo y lo legal. Ellos están violando la ley pero no por eso es justo que se les tire a la calle y se les deje desamparados sin un techo.
In El blog de Sheila Vélez (ES), the author, who is a lawyer, states:
Se trata de un derecho humano fundamental: el derecho a una vivienda adecuada.  Ciertamente las estructuras  que conforman la comunidad Villa del Sol distan de ser “viviendas adecuadas”.  El suelo: inundable, las paredes: frágiles, los techos: de zinc y sin anclajes,  agua potable y electricidad…En Puerto Rico existe un problema histórico de acceso a vivienda adecuada  para amplios sectores de nuestra sociedad.   Sobre todo en un sistema económico que privilegia la propiedad privada de la tierra y la vivienda.   Y donde el concepto de vivienda  aceptado socialmente se relaciona a una estructura unifamiliar, terrera y privada.
Villas del Sol is the second community that has captured space in the blogosphere this summer.  In June, the governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, signed a law that dismantled an innovative community project of collective land ownership called Fideicomiso de Tierras del Caño Martín Peña. The doctoral student in Planning and Development, Deepak Lamba-Nieves, who also participated in the creation of the project, explained in his blog Trans(actions): Trans(acciones) (ES):
El Fideicomiso de Tierras del Caño Martín Peña, orquestado por el Proyecto Enlace y el Grupo de 8 comunidades aledañas al cuerpo de agua, es un proyecto ejemplar que le sigue la pista no a las misiones de Hugo Chávez ni a la Reforma Urbana de Cuba, sino a iniciativas similares en los Estados Unidos que han logrado mantener un caudal de vivienda asequible para los pobres y las familias de escasos recursos.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Sri Lanka: Growing Censorship · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sanjana Hattotuwa writes about the growing censorship in Sri Lanka.


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Sri Lanka: Perils Of Communal Schools · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nazeeya Faarooq at Groundviews starts the discussion describing why Sri Lankan Muslims celebrated the recent Pakistani win against the Sri Lankan cricket team and states that the ethnic segregation is perpetuated and perpetrated by having communal schools in Sri Lanka and the absence of comparative religion as a subject.


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Suriname: Questions Seeking Answers  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Artist and curator Christopher Cozier, blogging at Paramaibo SPAN, seeks to “generate a fertile exchange…towards transforming predicaments into mutually shared sovereign understandings.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Above The Law?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As a stash of drugs and ammunition is found hidden in the ceiling of a police station in Trinidad, This Beach Called Life says: “What this raid does for public confidence in the Service is to destroy confidence even further because for every police gang uncovered Mr. Public feels there are twenty more undiscovered.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Feeling Tight  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Tight belts. Tight thoughts. Tight minds that allow us no space to consider our humanity”: The Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister tells the public that they can loosen their belts, but Attillah Springer says that “tight or loose is the same old khaki pants.”


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Tunisian Tweets Aggregator Launched  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Thanks to the efforts of Tunisian bloggers, Tweets about Tunisia are now being aggregated at BabTounes.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bahamas: Young Mother Killed  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As a young mother is murdered in the Bahamas, bloggers vent their outrage – Weblog Bahamas: “Stop the madness that is destroying our country”; Womanish Words: “Where is the public outcry? Where is the conscious, active women's movement in the Bahamas, and in the Caribbean for that matter?”


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Bangladesh: Stigmatizing Homosexuals · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ashok Deb at LGBTI Bangladesh shares an email from a gay activist where he told how he was physically abused by his homophobic family members. He went to the police but they refused to file his complaint.


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Bermuda: Educate, Don’t Leglislate  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bermuda Jewel thinks that the proposed anti-gang legislation “is not a well thought out plan.”  Instead, he believes that “education is the answer.”


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Bhutan: The Influence Of Mobile Phones · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bhutan entered into the era of mobile phones only in 2003. HBO at Kuzu Bhutan Weblog informs that in past six years mobile phones have become an integral part of the Bhutanese society.


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Cambodia: Miss Landmine Pageant Raises Questions · Global Voices
Chhunny Chhean

“Everybody has the right to be beautiful!” so starts the manifesto of the Miss Landmine pageant, started by Morten Traavik of Norway.  According to the pageant site, the competition is intended to empower landmine victims and challenge traditional notions of beauty.  The winner receives a high-tech prosthetic limb.  Traavik has already organized a Miss Landmine pageant in Angola and was in the process of launching the event in Cambodia this month when the Cambodian government pulled its support and canceled the pageant.
The Mirror reports that other organizations, including the Cambodian Disabled People's Organization, declined to support the pageant after the Ministry of Social Affairs Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation expressed its displeasure with the pageant, citing the event could lead to misunderstandings about disabled people.
Not surprisingly, there have been varied reactions to the landmine pageant.
Jinja says:
I have mixed feelings about the cattle call of beauty pageants, but do agree with the general idea behind this one: that the participants have a right to feel proud about themselves and their appearance, regardless of circumstance.  Without condoning [the pageant], I think the cancellation shows how Khmer society is often leaning towards modern and foreign concepts, only to snap back to what [it] feels [is] more traditional and ’safe’.
CAAI News Media posts a reader's reaction, originally printed in a letter to the Phnom Penh Post editor.  The reader questions whether or not the beauty pageant format is empowering:
As for beauty, whose concept of beauty is being promoted? I visited the Web site and found the women from different villages in halter tops and short dresses, which may or may not be the clothing that they would usually wear, but it seemed out of place. Are the organisers, while completely well-meaning, pushing a Western interpretation of “empowerment” where beauty and liberation is equated with being sexy and showing skin? I would have rather liked to see the women wearing something they chose, Western or traditional Khmer, modern or conservative, which made them feel their most beautiful.
At Details are Sketchy, there is news that Traavik has left Cambodia, but that he plans on moving forward with the pageant, via an online vote.  Below is a photo of pageant contestant Miss Siem Reap from the pageant website.

author: Chhunny Chhean


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Cambodia, Thailand: Visa Requirements · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A Lil of Me is happy to learn that despite the border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, the two countries have agreed to waive visa requirements for each other's citizens.

author: Mong Palatino


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China: Bubbles and Demographic Trends · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Brian Schwarz from China Challenges puts together various opinion posts on the bubbles of China's stock and property markets and their impact on demography.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Conversations with an Old Comrade on the Eve of the 60th Anniversary of the PRC · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

C. Custer from ChinaGeek translated a widely circulated blog post called “Conversations with an Old Comrade on the Eve of the 60th Anniversary of the PRC“. Chinese netizens believe that the post was written by senior Party official Wan Li. Part One and Part Two.


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China: How Did Amoiist Break the Jail? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Amoiist, a blogger who was detained by police for 16 days, wrote about his experience in jail and he believed that twitter and rescue action organized by the Internet had saved him.


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Cuba: Concert for Peace?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Cuban Institute of Music has announced that popular Colombian singer Juanes is scheduled to perform at a “concert for peace” in Havana come September 20th.  Repeating Islands blog confirms that:
The Communist Party newspaper Granma quoted Osmany López, the institute’s vice president, as saying the 36-year-old winner of five Latin Grammys last year ‘is very excited’ about an open-air concert that will include other Latin American stars…
Juanes may be one of the few who are excited.  Cuban bloggers?  The jury is still out.  Faced with criticism – especially from the Cuban diaspora in the U.S. – about the political signals he may be sending by participating in the event, Juanes has defended his position both in the mainstream media and via his Twitter feed.  But a few bloggers seem unconvinced.
El Cafe Cubano asks:
Now will Juanes also ask for the release of political prisoners? Will he ask for FREEDOM of Speech for Cubans? Will he ask for Democracy in Cuba?
The Cuban Triangle agrees that “his concert won’t change the world, much less Cuba”, but does concede that “it has the makings of a great success, and thousands of Cubans will love it”.  The blogger does a good job of laying out both sides of the coin:
Interviewed on Univision last night (story and video excerpt here), he spoke very much as an artist, not a politician. But he also expressed a faith that his idea of a concert in Havana is not only deeply right, but meaningful in a way that approaches the boundary of politics: ‘To go play in Cuba is sort of impossible…to go to Cuba is a symbol that it is time to change minds…I want to go to Cuba with my friends to tell the world from Cuba that people need to change.’
Juanes’ initiative is drawing a reaction in Miami. ‘When talking about Cuba, one can’t ignore politics,’ Cuban American star Willie Chirino said on the same Univision program. And he’s got a point – Juanes’ claim that he’s not involved in politics, but he wants to change the world, is a little hard to grasp, even though it’s the kind of thing that artists say all the time.
The post continues:
Critics are right to point out that in Cuba, there are no private concert venues or promoters, so an event like this has to be approved by the government. Since it’s a government venue, there’s the possibility that a government official may appear on stage and make a speech. And there are those who are mystified about a concert for peace in Cuba, when Cuba is not at war. They’ve got a point too.
Some say Juanes shouldn’t go at all, and his concert will be immoral if he doesn’t bring Cuban American artists and use his platform to criticize the Cuban government’s human rights record.
Finally, the blogger declares, “I cast my vote with Juanes.” So does Havana-based Yoani Sanchez:
It appears that on the September 20th, Juanes will try to put a human face on an architectural ensemble where no one is going to go and sit placidly.
I think that Juanes should come and sing. If his subject is peace, he will have to know that this Island is not immersed in bellicose conflict, but neither does it know concord. He will raise his voice before a people who have been divided, classified according to a political color and compelled to confront any who think differently. A population that for years has not heard talk of harmony and that knows the punishment given to those who dare to voice their criticisms. We need his voice, but only if he comes to sing without forgetting any Cuban, without rejecting any difference.
Even so, Sanchez is all too aware of the political reality surrounding the event:
We would like him to accompany his song with the cadence of Willy Chirino, the trumpet of Arturo Sandoval, the rhythm of Albita Rodríguez or the sensual sax of Paquito D´ Rivera… but none of them will be allowed to be there. Juanes will enjoy the privilege of the foreigner, who on this Island is worth much more than the natives. Everything he says between songs—if he says anything—will be interpreted as his support for a system that ebbs away, as the accolade to a group in power.
It was not an innocent decision to choose the Plaza of the Revolution as a stage for his music and he will not be able to shake the political weight that it carries. But if it has to be so…then let him sing under the statue of Martí, facing the image of Che Guevara, but at least let him sing for everyone.
The Cuban Triangle, who knows that the “kids of all ages” back home “will be there for the music”, has the last word:
If they find out that some opposed the concert because it didn’t include the right political message, then they will get the idea that the ideological rigidity that smothers all kinds of beneficial creativity, expression, and enterprise – not to mention just plain fun – is alive and well, not only in the buildings surrounding the Plaza de la Revolucion.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba, U.S.A.: Prisoner in Poor Health  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Nobody, except the few of us motivated by our blood as Cubans and/or our consciences as free men and women, gives a damn”: Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense shines a spotlight on the plight of Cuban political prisoner Ariel Sigler.


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India: How To Close Conversations · Global Voices
Rezwan

Venkatesh Rao at Ribbonfarm.com writes about manipulative ways to close IM/chat and email conversations and the psychology behind these tricks.


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Indonesia: July 2009 Economic Data · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Sigit Arinto highlights some statistics on the performance of Indonesia's economy last month.


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Is Indonesia’s most wanted person really dead?   · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

An Indonesian blogger asks if the police was really able to kill Noordin M Top, the country's most wanted man.


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Jamaica: Four Athletes Cleared  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Girl With a Purpose reports that a disciplinary panel has cleared the four male Jamaican athletes of doping charges.


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Laos: Discotheques to be closed down · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

To prevent the degradation of Lao culture, the Laos government plans to shut down discotheques in the country.


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Latvia: Cable TV Provider’s “Twitterista” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Telecoms in Latvia reports that a Latvian cable TV and internet service provider “has hired a full-time employee to look after its interests on Twitter and other social networks”: “It asked that the letter of application be sent in tweet format, 140 characters. There were quite a few applicants.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Lithuania, Ukraine: Shoot Nations Photo Contest · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Eternal Remont highlights two winning entries of the Shoot Nations 2009 photo contest: Monika Urbutyte, 17, Lithuania, and Olena Fedorenko, 22, Ukraine.


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Pakistan: A Step In The Right Direction · Global Voices
Huma Yusuf

At any other time, Pakistan would have been abuzz about news that the country’s National Assembly passed a bill to outlaw domestic violence last week. The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill is the most significant administrative gesture to ensure the rights and protection of women and children in Pakistan. The bill, which is yet to be passed by the Senate, aims to stem domestic violence by requiring speedy criminal trials, issuing protection orders, creating grassroots-level protection committees, and punishing wife beaters with long jail terms and hefty fines.
But who has time for domestic violence at a time when Pakistanis are busy wondering whether Baitullah Mehsud, the chief of the Pakistan Taliban, has been killed, or pondering the Supreme Court’s recent, unprecedented decision that former president General Pervez Musharraf’s decision to impose emergency rule was unconstitutional.
While Pakistan’s mainstream media has provided little coverage or analysis of the domestic violence bill, the country’s bloggers have recognized its significance.
Blogging at Pakistanis for Peace, Manzer Munir points out that the bill is important at a time when militants in Pakistan are persecuting women.
Women have been increasingly isolated and marginalized by the spread of fundamentalism in many parts of Pakistan where the Taliban have brought a strict and narrow minded interpretation of Islam and the roles of women in it.
Yasser Latif Hamdani at Pak Tea House celebrated the news of the bill:
There is never any justification for violence against women and children. NEVER!  This should be a wake-up call for all Pakistani men, self included, to behave themselves.  Jinnah’s Pakistan Zindabad!
Like many Pakistanis on Twitter, Farhan shared the news. And some tweets, such as Abbas Azhar’s, remained cautiously optimistic.
Finally, it's been a long time coming…Hopefully we don’t step backwards!
Multipak tried to clear some misconceptions about domestic violence to stress the importance of the bill:
With domestic violence in mind, many would believe it to be a crime against the lower class women who are beaten or tortured by their husbands. This is wrong. According to experts, it exists in every socio-economic class, and can be justified on any grounds. It can be emotional which includes threatening a wife with severe consequences….
Unfortunately, many a crimes against women are rubbed beneath the carpet in the garb of being a “private” affair. Thus, there is a need to restrict any division of space in crime.
The bill reminded Phillygirl at diaspora group blog Sepia Mutiny of the prevalence of domestic violence in her childhood:
For as long as I can remember, I’ve placed Pakistani culture in the category of indifference/acceptance when it comes to the matter of protecting women and children from the effects of domestic violence. As a child, domestic violence was an inextricable feature of the culture in which I grew up….
From my parents, I continued to hear stories of women whose husbands and fathers slapped them around. And when I went to high school, I heard similar stories from other South Asian classmates. But I’m pleased that Pakistan is (finally!) making a small step in the right direction when it comes to treating domestic violence as a punishable crime as opposed to a private family matter.
In the most comprehensive post about the bill – which compares domestic violence legislature with the draconian Hudood Ordinaces and contextualizes the bill within a history of Pakistani women rights – Sana Saleem at Mystified Justice takes the issue with the clause that a false complaint of abuse is punishable with imprisonment as well as a fine. She also interrogates the overall effectiveness of the bill:
Meanwhile, Tanzeel at Pak Spectator tried to reconcile the progressive stance of the bill with conservative views on the permissiveness of domestic violence:
Surprisingly domestic violence is a rapidly growing problem of Islamic countries, though Quran clearly denies any sort of violence on women in anyway however our learned scholars through different interpretations have finally drawn conclusion to beat wife….
Those who bring religious justifications to beat their wives should think on humanitarian lines as well, sometimes we don’t have to believe in each and everything just because some scholar feel that their women should be treated like that, with due respect I would suggest that Saudi Judge to stop portraying false image of Islam and avoid mixing culture with religion.

author: Huma Yusuf


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Russia: “Kadyrov’s Chaos” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sean's Russia Blog writes about the recent murders of Zarema Sadulaeva and Alik Dzhabrailov: “The murders could be related to their human rights work, or somehow linked to Dzhabrailov’s past as a Chechen separatist. Either way both are targets in chaos that is Chechnya.”


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Russia: Two More Chechen Human Rights Activists Killed · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sean's Russia Blog reports on two more Chechen human rights activists who were kidnapped and killed.


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Russia, Ukraine: Medvedev’s Address · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreign Policy's Passport links to the vlog post with president Medvedev's Ukraine address and the English-language translation of the transcript. Eternal Remont comments on some of Medvedev's statements: “[…] ‘The leadership in Kiev took an openly anti-Russian stand after the Georgia War.’ This is not allowed under Section 6 of the “Official Rules for Former Soviet Republics” handbook. (Ukraine, you should have received a copy at orientation.)”


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Russia, Ukraine: Music vs Politics · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user oleg_kozyrev asks (RUS) Ukrainians not to get offended at Russia because of president Medvedev's address and suggests that fellow-bloggers post “something Ukrainian today,” ending his post with a YouTube video of Vopli Vidoplyasova‘s Vesna (“Spring”) song.


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Russia: Young Militiamen · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sean's Russia Blog reports that “the plan to fill Russia’s streets with 100,000 young militiamen by 2010 has been all over the Russian internet media over the last few weeks.”


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Serbia: Belgrade Mayor’s Remarks on Sexuality · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgraded comments on Belgrade mayor's seemingly “bizarre statement” on sexuality and the upcoming gay pride parade (scheduled for Sept. 20): “His statement is actually well calculated because it is the opinion of the majority of Serbs – that sexual orientation should not be shown in public. The problem is that by sexual orientation they mean every orientation that is not heterosexual, but since it’s not politically correct to say so, this kind of discourse is a safe haven.”


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Singapore politicians debate on Facebook · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Two prominent Singapore politicians have been debating and exchanging strong views on various national issues. The two politicians are not debating on national TV but on Facebook.


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Singapore: Reaction to Aung San Suu Kyi verdict   · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement expressing disappointment that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar was found guilty and sentenced to three years hard labour. But the Ministry also recognized the “significant gestures” by the Myanmar Government


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Socialist Party of Malaysia · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Socialist Party of Malaysia is officially back, notes blogger New Mandala. The author adds that the Socialist Party is the “most people-centred political party in comparison to all other political parties in Malaysia.”


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Sri Lanka: Peaceful Elections · Global Voices
Rezwan

Some are framing the results  recent council elections in Northern Sri Lanka as as a victory for LTTE supporters or loss for the government. However, Indi.ca opines that: “Having elections at all is a victory against the Tigers. [..] As long as people are voting and not killing each other it’s fine by me.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Investigative Journalism?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Club Soda and Salt is infuriated with Trinidad and Tobago's “unquestioning media”, maintaining that instead of asking probing questions, “they are meeting with Manning to learn how to sit down and shut up.”


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Algeria: Business as Usual After Chinese Face Off  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The influx of Chinese immigrants to Algeria ignited a face off between the immigrants and locals in the Algerian capital Algiers. About 100 residents and migrants clashed, using knives and bludgeons, sparking a debate over whether this incident would impact Chinese investments in the North African country. Bloggers weigh in on the debate.
Talking Under the Random Dribble, whose headline screams Algerians get more than they bargained for with China writes:
A fight has broken out between Chinese and Algerians in Algeria…Algerians complain the new migrants drink alcohol and don’t respect Islam (”They drink alcohol and do not respect our religion. They must leave.“)…
While Algerian American Kal, from The Moor Next Door, describes it as Chinatown show down. The blogger notes the history between the two countries and their flourishing relationship saying:
Algeria and China have quite fine relations. To say “Algeria and China” is to say the governments of the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria and the People’s Republic of China enjoy long and friendly relations The PRC was the first country to recognize independent Algeria. Quite a few Algerian military officers, engineers and others were educated in the PRC. Chinese television once broadcast programs on the Algerian “people’s revolution”. Algerian communists counted many, many Maoists in their ranks in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and the Chinese Embassy is historically one of the more important in Algiers. Any Algerian who has done his national service has held a Chinese made rifle and served in a military modeled after the People’s Liberation Army.
Kal then zooms in to contemporary times and describes a new era of relations:
Algerians have not taken well to the large numbers of Chinese that have arrived in Algeria over the last decade, mostly to build the housing units and infrastructure projects president Bouteflika promised Algerians in 1999, 2004 and 2009. Algerians want those jobs. But they’ve gone to Chinese firms on Chinese terms.
He further notes:
So the flare ups in Sino-Algerian relations recently have been the result of domestic politics; in other words, areas the two governments historically have ignored in their dealings with one another. But now, rebells in Algeria are setting upon Chinese interests based on the conduct of a Chinese rebellion; and ordinary Algerians are roughing up Chinese nationals, brought to the country as a result of this otherwise long and happy relationship.
And how will this ‘brawl’ impact Sino-Algerian relations? The Moor Next Door assures us it is business as usual in Algeria:
A headline like “Brawl breaks out in Algeria,” is the North African equivalent of something like “dog bites man”. One should consider that the day before Bab Ezzouar violence, there were youth riots in El Tarf, on the Tunisian border and that for a little more than a year intermittent violence has taken place between Ibadite Berbers and Arabic speakers Berriane, just north of Ghardaia. This is to say nothing of the numerous fits of car and tire burning that go on quite often elsewhere in Algeria. This is part of the setting of Bouteflika’s Algeria, and it is the failure of the socio-economic order he has setup, that addresses only macro-level economic and social problems, but fails to address the basic tensions in Algerian society in an effective way.


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Angola: The assassination of a ruling party MP · Global Voices
Clara Onofre

On the night of July 29, Angola was shaken by another display of violence. Beatriz Salucombo, a parliamentarian from the ruling MPLA, and her brother António Neves, a Migration and Foreigners Services (SME)  officer, were gunned down by three men on the outskirts of the capital Luanda. Beatriz Salucombo and António Neves were shot several times outside her home.
As is to be expected, this painful incident has provoked reactions from the very heart of Angolan society, and expressions of revulsion at yet another mysterious act of violence were soon in coming. Pensar e Falar Angola [pt] blog, Jotacê Carranca describes the funeral, at Luanda's Alto das Cruzes cemetery:
Filhos e outros parentes, deputados, magistrados e militares, amigos e familiares da deputada reuniram-se no Alto das Cruzes para prestar-lhe a última homenagem, num clima de consternação. (…)
Na sua mensagem, os filhos da malograda enalteceram o exemplo de coragem e resistência face às adversidades da vida, bem como de outros valores éticos e morais que a mãe lhes incutiu durante a sua convivência com os mesmos.
No elogio fúnebre, destacou-se a participação activa de Beatriz Salucombo nas acções de luta clandestina contra o colonialismo português, particularmente no apoio aos guerrilheiros do MPLA na zona da Lunda Sul.
O elogio fúnebre referiu o seu percurso político, “cheio de grandes feitos, revela bem a sua militância e entrega total aos ideais do MPLA e em prol da defesa da paz, da democracia, justiça social e do desenvolvimento de Angola”.
The eulogy highlighted Beatriz Salucombo's active participation in the clandestine fight against Portuguese colonialism, especially in support of the MPLA guerrillas in the Lunda Sul area.
Her political career was described in the tribute as being “full of great achievements, showing her militancy and total dedication to the ideals of the MPLA and to the defense of peace, democracy, social justice and development in Angola”.
The killing of the MP and her brother raises at least two questions. Was it a premeditated murder or just an attempted robbery? The fact is that the car in which Beatriz Salucombo was traveling was not taken, and there is no sign that any of her belongings were stolen. Yet according to the three suspected men,  identified by presented Angola’s National Police after a city-wide manhunt last Friday, the motive for the killing was a plan to steal the car. Two of the arrested men have since died in crossfire with the police.
Eugénio da Costa Almeida from the Pululu [pt] blog expresses his sympathy for the victims and asks one question: Who was the real target?
(A minha homenagem e o meu lamento)
A deputada Beatriz Salucombo, eleita nas listas do MPLA pelo círculo Nacional (foi a 105ª), foi alvejada a tiro na noite de quarta e terá falecido hoje na sequência dos disparos; deplora-se, veementemente, este assassinato, não só porque coloca em causa a ideia de segurança que se deseja para o País, nomeadamente, em vésperas do CAN 2010 como pelo facto de ter ocorrido na véspera de mais um Dia da Mulher Africana.
Mas será que o alvo era a deputada ou terá sido uma vítima colateral?
Segundo as notícias veiculadas pelos diferentes meios de Comunicação Social, também o seu irmão, que ter-lhe-ia dado boleia para casa, terá igualmente sucumbido aos tiros que teriam vindo de pessoas que se fariam transportar num todo-terreno.
É que, só por mero acaso(?), o irmão era só o superintendente-chefe, António Neves, dos Serviços de Migração e Estrangeiros (SME) entidade que, ultimamente, tem andado muito activa “devolução” de ilegais (como os ocorridos, no Lubango, já este mês).
Mas também não se deve esquecer o impacto nunca deveras esclarecido da detenção de alguns funcionários, em 2005, como terão escrito, há época, o AngoNotícias citando o VOA, e a Panapress. E, não me recordo, nem a Internet o mostra, de se saber mais do assunto…
Já agora, talvez que a morte da desditosa deputada possa ajudar a esclarecer também a morte de outro antigo deputado professor-engenheiro M´fulupinga N’Landu Victor, do PDP-ANA, acontecida já há 5 anos, e que, se a memória não me falha, e apesar das autoridades afirmarem que o caso não está esquecido não me recordo de o ver clarificado e o(s) autor(es) detido(s) e julgado(s).
Coincidências, claro!!
MP Beatriz Salucombo, voted into the MPLA through the National polls (she was the 105th to be elected) was targeted in a shooting on Wednesday night and died today as a result of the shots. This murder is deeply deplored not only because it calls into question the security which the country craves, particularly in the run-up to the CAN 2010, but also because it occurred on the eve of another African Women's Day.
But was the MP the target of the attack, or was she a collateral victim?
According to reports by the various media and her brother, who was giving her a ride home, she was also hit by shots fired by people inside a 4×4.
Is it a mere coincidence (?) that her brother was none other than the superintendent-in-chief António Neves, of the Migration and Foreigners Service (SME), an entity that, lately, has been very active “removing” illegal immigrants (as in Lubango, earlier this month).
Neither should we forget the impact of the arrest, never fully explained, of certain officials in 2005, as reported at the time by AngoNotícias, quoting VOA, and Panapress. I do not recall anything more being said about the matter, and the Internet cannot shed any further light on it…
Now, perhaps, the unfortunate death of the MP can also help to clarify the death of another former MP, engineering lecturer M´fulupinga N’Landu Victor, of the PDP-ANA party, which took place 5 years ago. If my memory serves me correctly, despite authorities claiming that the case has not been forgotten, I cannot remember the case ever having been cleared up and the perpetrator(s) held and brought to trial.
Coincidences, of course!
Cazimar, from the África Minha [pt] blog, states that no human life should ever be taken, but he believes that the murderers, in this case, are both criminals and victims. According to him, this must have been a premeditated crime:
Estão a culpar os Jovens Bandidos, quando por detrás deste cenário, pode(m) estar adultos bandidos influentes(ricos), envolvidos em negociatas obscuras mal resolvidas, que resolveram usar os jovens por encomenda, para resolverem a negociata. É sabido, que a criminalidade, principalmente em Luanda, é elevada, devido às desigualdades sociais.Uns com Excesso de Riqueza(10%), outros com Excesso de Pobreza (90%).Perante este cenário, é normal que por meia dúzia de Kwanzas, os jovens bandidos, aceitem executar o trabalhinho sujo dos adultos bandidos influentes(ricos).A vida está difícil para o angolano e para o calcinha do Kaluanda, que todos os dias olha ao seu redor, e só vê edíficios e outros bens de luxo a erguerem-se e a passarem à sua frente, e ele com os bolsos vazios e esfomeado, deambulando pelas ruas, sem trabalho.Quando o trabalho existe, é mal pago e explorado (lembram-se quando diziam que os portugueses exploravam o angolano.Agora, quem os explora são tantos e está tudo bem…uma maravilha para o angolano bandido influente).O kaluanda, tem que fazer pela vida.Nem que seja roubar o bandido rico.
E se, os jovens bandidos, que acusam, fizerem parte dos 15.000 angolanos recentemente desalojados.
Qual é, o maior crime?
Tirar o tecto a 15.000 angolanos carenciados, ou tirar a vida a dois angolanos priveligeados?
Responda quem souber e puder
And what if the young bandits who have been accused are among the 15,000 newly displaced Angolans?
Which is the greater crime?
Taking the roofs from over the heads of 15,000 Angolans in need, or taking the lives of two privileged Angolans?
Answer that if you can.
A teacher by profession, Beatriz Salucombo became an MP in 2008. She was a member of the National Assembly's Commission for Education, Science and Technology, Culture, Youth and Sports, Religious Issues and Social Communication.

author: Clara Onofre


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Barbados, Bahamas: Education Nations  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living in Barbados and Weblog Bahamas blog about issues in their islands’ respective education systems.


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Blogging with HIV: “Love is still possible” · Global Voices
Rezwan

A growing number of HIV-positive bloggers around the world are using citizen media to express how they live with the virus.
Speaking openly about HIV/AIDS can be difficult. Millions of people have contracted the virus, but the fact that it is feared so much and that it can be transmitted through sex, means that people living with HIV are often stigmatised. Still, dozens of brave individuals chronicle their personal stories, and sometimes also activism for their rights or better health care, in blogs and internet forums that can be read by anyone.
South Africa
Busi, a blogger and poet from South Africa found out that she had HIV in April 2006, six months after she was raped.
Here is her sad story, as she described it in her blog My Realities:
Not so long ago i discovered that i was HIV+. I was attacked and raped far too many times in order for me to contract the virus. You see, the reason for that is that i am a woman who identifies as lesbian because of my involvement with a woman. My attackers and different rapists did so to show me how it is to be a woman.
Busi did not survive in this beautiful world as she succumbed to her disease in March, 2007. But her blog and poetry remain as a powerful testament of her life, as will the blogs of others so long as a cure remains elusive.
China
Chinese HIV-positive blogger Li Xiang was infected with HIV during a blood transfusion when he was a teenager in high school. He started blogging in 2005 when he was in his twenties. In a blog post earlier this year (in Chinese) he attempts to demystify AIDS by saying people should not fear it more than any other cause of death, and that he himself is no longer scared thanks to the improvements in medical treatments.
Philippines
Kiks is a Filipino blogger based in Kowloon, Hong Kong. In 2007, he discovered that he had HIV and wrote about dealing with this fact:
Being HIV positive is not the least bit fascinating.
It is like having a heart disease for life although my doctors told me it was better than having diabetes. With the medicines so readily available nowadays, you can be sure to live longer than cancer patients, anemic or the elderly staying in big polluted cities like Manila.
Freerangelife is the blog of a dyslexic gay man from the UK who has lived with HIV for more than 20 years. He writes in a recent post about the danger of ignoring taking precautions:
We have known about HIV for over 20 years, people know the risks. So why does it happen? It happens because we like taking risks and we often think “it will never happen to me”.
Republic of Congo
Davy Herman Malanda at the Aids Right Congo blog wrote last year about the perils of letting others know your HIV-status. He tells the story of Bernadette (a pseudonym), a young woman who sells second-hand clothing at the Tié-Tié market in Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo:
Bernadette’s life changed when her friend divulged Bernadette’s HIV status. Her colleagues and clients from the market were informed that she is HIV-positive. Very few clients came to buy at Bernadette’s table. Her life became difficult, and she had difficulty to make ends meet.
Aurelie from the capital of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville writes about the shock of discovering that she had HIV:
Initially, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I saw my life change instantly, and the thoughts kept multiplying in my mind.
She also writes that thanks to the support of her family and a non-profit organization she is leading a normal life.
United States
Michelle from the USA writes that “love is still possible”  with HIV and tells the story of how she found her new partner in a blog on the international POZ Blog network. She also has this advice:
To those newly infected or those who are tired of being alone, don't lose hope. Don't give up on love. It will come when you least expect it and when you need it the most.
Kenya
Being HIV positive does not mean that you will be stripped of enjoyment because of discrimination. Mr. and Miss Red Ribbon is a charity event and fashion show organized annually by Nakuru Youth groups in Kenya. HIV-positive blogger Maureen, a member of the Rising Voices blogging project REPACTED was one of the contestants and she shares her experience:
I have been contesting since 2006 and have been enjoying every moment of the event because of one thing, effective reduction of stigma and discrimination. Mr. and Miss Red Ribbon brings together both affected and infected to celebrate beauty in a unique way. During the event audience appreciate beauty by seeing models but not the affected or the infected.
The Global Voices Google map of HIV-positive bloggers above highlights voices of HIV-positive bloggers and caretakers, and other citizen media related to HIV/AIDS. You can read more of these amazing stories by clicking links from that map.

author: Rezwan


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El Salvador: Dangerous Month of August · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

August is a typical vacation month throughout El Salvador. However, Juan Carlos Sura Amaya of Sura's Way [es] laments the large number of deaths around this time due to alcohol-related traffic accidents and drownings.

author: Eduardo Avila


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El Salvador: Number of H1N1 Cases Leveling · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Hunnapuh [es] notes that cases of the H1N1 virus have been leveling off in El Salvador and wonders whether it is due to the measures of keeping children out of schools. However, with the school year soon to restart, there might be a resurgence in the number of cases.


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Ghana: I invite you to Maker Faire · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ghanaian photographer and blogger Nana Kofi invites you to Maker Faire in Accra, Ghana this month.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Ghana: Maneno at Maker Faire Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Miquel writes about Maneno and Maker Faire Africa: “This Friday (the 7th), I head down to Accra, Ghana on behalf of Maneno. This trip has many purposes. First off is for me to see Ghana for the first time. Secondly is to meet up with the local blogging scene, learn about their approach to blogging and their needs as bloggers, and of course, discussing Maneno.”


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Ghana: Pictures from around Accra · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Pictures of Accra, Ghana taken by Erik of Afrigadget: “I’ve been having a great time in Accra, but not nearly enough time to spend on the details of every cool product or invention that I see. In the meantime, here are a couple pictures from around Ghana that will whet your appetite for what is coming up in the next wee


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Guatemala: Pilgrimages to the Chi-Ixim Church · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Nelson Benjamin Pérez Paque posts a history and photos of the church in Chi-Ixim church located in the Guatemalan municipality of Tactic. It has become a site for pilgrimages where the faithful often climbs 1 km to reach the church, which is said to produce miracles.


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Guatemala: Water Rights in the Country · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

“Who owns the water in Guatemala?” asks Rudy Girón of Antigua Daily Photo and will start a series of post and photos on water rights in the country.


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Haiti: The Revolution & Human Rights  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands reports that an international colloquium, scheduled to take place in Port-au-Prince, will examine “the universalization of the social, economic, political, cultural, and philosophical dimensions of human rights in the context of the legacies of the Haitian Revolution.”


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Hong Kong: Gender imbalance in Hong Kong · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Sunbin looks into the demographic data and explains why the ratio between man and woman has such a drastic change in the past 15 years: in the 35-39 age group, in 1990 there are 107 men for every 100 women, 15 years later, it is 67 vs 100.


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India: Hit By Swine Flu · Global Voices
Rezwan

As the number of deaths from Swine Flu in India crossed 20, fear has crept in among the inhabitants of the Maharashtra state. The South Asia blog opines that: “if this kind of situation continues then many people would become afraid and it will hurt the Indian economy a lot.”


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Jamaica: Sort It Out  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

More confusion in Jamaican athletics – Girl With a Purpose comments: “It's a downright disgrace when as a people…we can't solve our own problems and have to depend on an international entity to knock some sense into our brains.”


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Mali: Visiting Malian villages · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

American blogger in Bamako writes about her experiences while conducting a survey in rural Mali: We left around 8:30 in the morning (I knew even then that this was way too late of a start). We walked 1km to the moto taxi junction and waited for a moto taxi. Eventually we found one that was heading towards Allahhena – the village where we would need to get out and walk to the river.


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Nepal: Delays In Child Adoption Process · Global Voices
Rezwan

ABC blog discloses a letter from an adoptive parent expecting a baby from Nepal, which cites the unnecessary delay and corruption in getting the permission from the “Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare”.


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Nigeria: Dissecting Clinton’s speech · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Adeola dissects Hillary Clinton's speech in Nigeria: “Keen listeners would not have missed when the US Secretary of State stated that the Yar’Adua’s government is illegitimate..!”


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Nigeria: Gaddafi, stop killing Nigerians! · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nigerian blogger warns the Libyan leader: “Seriously someone has to talk to Gaddafi straight in the face. With all the killings that have been reported in the past days or weeks Gaddafi should be on his way to the criminal tribunal.”


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Palestine: Gaza War Cemetery · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

In Gaza, Canadian activist Eva Bartlett writes about a visit to the Gaza war cemetery, where over 3,600 soldiers of different countries are buried.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Palestine: Reactions to Launch of Google.ps · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

“Over the years google has been adding many of the world’s local domains like google.co.uk and google.jo in which case they provides localized search results,” says blogger ArabCrunch, announcing Google's decision to add the domain google.ps to the list.  The new localized Google domain is intended to work in the West Bank and Gaza, where Palestinian Internet service providers (ISPs) operate.
Last week, the Google Arabia blog announced the addition and the reasons behind it:
Today we're adding an additional domain to our list, google.ps. The new domain will give Arabic-speaking users in the Palestinian Territories, who use Palestinian ISPs, access to Google in Arabic–and eventually, access to more locally-relevant content. With the launch of google.ps, we bring the total number of Google domains worldwide to more than 160.
In a statement to ArabCrunch, Google also explained how the change will affect AdWords:
With AdWords, you can target your ads to countries or territories, or to specific regions and cities. The Adwords system uses several factors to determine whether to show your ad including the Google domain being used (.fr, .de, .kr, etc.),  the actual search term the user submits and when possible, we determine the user's general physical location based upon their computer's Internet Protocol (IP) address.” The AdWords system uses several factors to determine whether to show your ad including the Google domain being used (. Com,. De,. Kr, etc..), The actual search term the user submits and when possible, we determine the user's general physical location based upon their computer's Internet Protocol (IP) address.
Window into Palestine explains that Palestinians in East Jerusalem will not have automatic access to google.ps (note: Anyone can access google.ps by typing the URL in directly):
Aside from East Jerusalem, which falls under de facto Israeli authority, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have generally relied on www.google.jo, Jordan's domain, and Egypt's www.google.com.eg, respectively.
Twitter user migueldeicaza expressed excitement for the latest addition to the Google family:
daiski, another Twitter user based in Qatar, thanked Google for the initiative:
Google.ps is available in both English and Arabic.

author: Jillian C. York


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Peru: Teacher Guides for XO Laptops · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

OLPC News introduces XO Laptop Teacher Guides that were produced in Peruthat contain tips for teachers on how to incorporate the laptops into the school curriculum.


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Slovenia, Croatia: Coverage of the Border Dispute · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sleeping With Pengovsky writes that “Slovene-Croatian border dispute is giving ample material to make fun out of, but there are funny jokes and then there are just sheer egotistic stupidities.”


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South Africa: What if Hillary was the bomb? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bernard discusses the incident that led to a journalist being banned from attending Hillary Clinton’s event in South Africa.


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Southeast Asia: Twitter reactions on Suu Kyi guilty verdict · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Myanmar opposition leader and global democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to three years imprisonment for violating the terms of her detention. Myanmar’s military ruler Snr Gen Than Shwe later commuted the sentence to 18 months of house arrest.
Myanmar authorities accused Suu Kyi of allowing American national John Yettawv to stay in her lakeside house last May which is a violation of the terms of her house arrest. The American was sentenced to seven years of hard labour and imprisonment. Both Suu Kyi and Yettawv are appealing the guilty verdict.
Suu Kyi’s conviction was condemned by world leaders, Burmese activists, and also bloggers. Twitterers based in Southeast Asia also reacted to the “harsh” sentence:
Manila
Starshadow: i'm not sure how to feel over that US guy who was sentenced to hard labor for swimming over to Aung San Suu Kyi's house. :(
Starshadow: well, i'm sad that he was sentenced so harshly, but surely he must have had *some* idea that he could get caught and things would go bad?
mitzvf: His intntns my hve bn noble bt shld've consdrd d consqncs:(Still,7yrs hrd labr isn't fair nor is anthr 18mths 4 Aung San Suu Kyi
Dhalili: is Calling on everyone to give one minute of silence for the FREEDOM of Aung San Suu Kyi
propelahead: I consider Aung San Suu Kyi's conviction by the Burmese military junta a load of crap. More like Grade-A monkey crap.
Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam
redoranda: I'm disgusted at first then sad and now i feel helpless … we have been waited long enough .. the junta is f**king an outrage (Singapore)
warlockp: the military junta in Myanmar has nothing to do but harrass Aung San Suu Kyi. Another kangaroo court has sentenced her to house arrest…(Indonesia)
emflip: This annoys me. RT @BreakingNews: Reuters: Myanmar court says Suu Kyi guilty of violating security law. (Vietnam)
Malaysia
andrewsusay: ASEAN will be having an emergency meeting today to talk about the Myanmar issue..ha ha..what a bunch of poofs.
Ginielim: Burmese gathering outside Msia Myanmar Embassy this morning 10am to protest against Burmese junta for keeping ASSK in jail 4 another 3years.
nasyua: Im devastated to hear about Aung San Suu Kyi.. The world is so unfair!
Nigelytl: Aung Sang Su Kyi found guilty. Now who didn't see that coming
tianchua: Burmese junta sentenced Suu Kyi 3years hard labor, barred frm running4 election. It's blatant denial of democracy! Asean shd not watch idly!
lilgreenbloke: Once again the Myanmar govt. prove themselves to be deserving of being toppled by another PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION!
Thailand
da_mike: ASEAN… please please push pressure to Burmese gov to release Aung San Su Kyi.
santiw: I just read the news on Suu kyi. I'm not for Junta, but I'm in a puzzle about “the will of international comunity”, media sometimes refer.
FatCatDave: Free Aung San Suu Kyi! why does the west ignore the injustices to the Burmese… No massive oil reserves?
kasaganahan: We must sustain the public outcry and outrage over the junta's recent verdict of Aung San Suu Kyi.


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Sri Lanka: A Grieving Mother Blogs To Find Her Son · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rajeewa Mallawarachchi is a school teacher in Sri Lanka. A couple of months ago her estranged husband had abducted her six year old son violating a Court order issued regarding the custody of the child. The grieving mother resorts to Blog to disseminate news to find her son as the father is absconding from law.


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Suriname: W.I. Identity  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidadian Nicholas Laughlin discovers unexpected proof of Suriname's Caribbean connections – through “clothing and fashion as a badge of social identity.”