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Guatemala: Migrants and the Holidays · Global Voices
Renata Avila

The holidays are a time for families to gather and share in one another's company.  In Guatemala, many have relatives that have migrated outside of the country for better opportunities and as a result, many are not able to return to Guatemala or deportations have separated loved ones.  For those that are able to and choose to return home, the sights at airports are memorable.
One of the pro-migrant bloggers is a remarkable young man, named Kyle de Beausset, where on his site Citizen Orange , he compiles several views on migrant issues. He answers the question: Who is a migrant, what is it all about?
For the last two years, I generally characterized migrants as a sort of “them”.  Even though its accidental, as many of these systemic ways of thinking are, I have been separating myself from the migrants whose injustice I want to bring to light.  I've always talked about the fear other migrants have been dealing with and the injustice other migrants have suffered.  I've meant well, of course, but in seperating migrants from myself I've given into the forces that seek to define migrants as others.  More importantly though, I ignore the fundamental truth that if another migrant lives in fear — I live in fear; that if another migrant suffers an injustice — I suffer an injustice.  This is because we are all one.  An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  We are all migrants.  We move somewhere everyday.  Whether its something as simple as going to work or school, or it's something as significant as moving half a world a way, we all move in someway or another.  That is what it means to be a migrant, to migrate.  The problem here is that millions of people, for one reason or another, have been criminalized for the simple act of moving.
Wise words of blog Principios [es], on his post Born, Never Hiding.
Emigrar, a pesar de los peligros y riesgos que enfrentan, representa un renacer para quienes el presente gris ofrece un futuro negro, ausente de color. Aunque algunos llegan a pagar la osadía de desafiar a los gobiernos de los países desarrollados con su propia vida, todos esperan encontrar un mejor mañana en tierra ajena. De otra manera, nunca se arriesgarían.
To migrate, in spite of the dangers and risks that one faces, represents a rebirth for those with a grey present and a dark and colorless future. Even though some, who challenge the governments of underdeveloped countries, pay with their lives, all of them hope to find a better tomorrow far from their homeland. Otherwise, they wouldn't risk themselves.
The holidays bring about reunited families of those that have migrated. Emotions at the airport are shared by blogger Homo homini lupus [es], describing his experience sharing the plane with migrants coming back home on his post “el futuro de Guatemala está en los mojados“
Ellos, traen dinero, regalos, maletas y más maletas. Los otros, se emocionan al ver pasar a quien es potencialmente “el Pedro” y corren a ser los primeros para abrazarlo. Mi avión venía repleto de potenciales “Pedros y Marías”. Más de cien asientos estaban cargados de inmigrantes que hablan mal inglés, visten como inmigrantes de pocos recursos en Estados Unidos y estrenan sus mejores vestidos para regresar a Guatemala. Copetes sensuales, blusas con encajes, botas vaqueras lustradas, brutales radios como equipaje de mano, tennis Nike nuevitos y brillosos, maletas y más maletas. Una lluvia de emociones, sentimientos y pasiones. ¡Mujeres que lloran al tocar tierra guatemalteca, abrazos y gritos al atravesar la puerta de salida!
They bring money, presents, suitcases and more suitcases. The others are really excited to see a potential  “Pedro” pass by and run to be the first one to hug him. My flight was crowded of potencial Pedros and Marias. More than hundred seats were occupied by migrants, with their poor English and their clothes typical of underpaied migrants in U.S., who dress in their best clothes to come back to Guatemala. Sexy hairstyle, blouses with laces,  shiny cowboy boots, wild music players as hand luggage, brand new Nikes, suitcases and more suitcases. A shower of emotions, feelings and passion.  Women crying because they are on Guatemalan soil, hugs and screams at the moment they exit the airport.
It is important for everyone to be at home for the holidays, you can see the airports busy, a lot of lost suitcases, and many warm welcomes at the airports around the world, and Guatemala is not an exception.  But, for migrants, home is a relative concept, according to El Toronteco, a guatemalan blogger in Canada:
No, I am not catching a plane at the last minute to visit my family, my beloved family, in the warmer (everything is relative) Guatemala, my motherland. Neither have I bought a “home” a marketing term for a “house” (Aeronica, the Nicaraguan national airline, had a nice slogan: “Your origin, your destiny”. Another great example of the marketing of this “blessed word”) .  What I am doing is making a conscious decision of staying home. Settling down is a phrase that comes to my mind, though not in its common use. The Spanish term “sentar cabeza” literally means “to seat your head down”. That is what I am doing, putting my head on the ground and calling whatever piece of ground I am standing in HOME.  Home is a high commodity. It trades at inflated prices particularly around the end of the Gregorian calendar year. After getting my citizenship in 2005 I decided to visit my family as soon as work let me. I compared ticket prices for traveling at the end of December, against traveling in February, for Reading Week. The ticket was a third cheaper for Reading Week (OK, it was approx $400 less but 1/3 sounds more dramatic). In that time of my life, coincidentally, I was still saying “home” to refer to my motherland, little did I know that I was near the end of a period of denial of my Guatemalan identity.
Luchas Libres y más [es], on her post Sin documentos:
…han regresado 16,890 guatemaltecos que fueron deportados de Estados Unidos. Casi un avión diario regresa a Guatemala con los sueños en pedazos de hombres y mujeres que han dejado parte de su vida en las cocinas, campos, y construcciones estadounidenses. Muchos de ellos incluso tienen familias que se han roto por estas constantes deportaciones. Niños que se quedan sin padre, madres que se que quedan sin hijos, esposos separados, abuelos sin nietos, toda una sociedad fragmentada por el único pecado de querer salir adelante sin pensar en fronteras. ¿Qué ha hecho Berger por acabar con esta situación? ¿Qué resultados puede mostrarnos Marta Altolaguirre? ¿Quién defiende a los migrantes de tantos abusos?
.. there have been 16,890 Guatemalans deported from U.S. There is almost one daily flight back to Guatemala with the dreams of women and men in pieces, dreams left in kitchens, fields and construction sites in the U.S. Many of them even have been separated from their families because of deportation. Children are left without fathers, mothers are left without their children, separated couples, grandparents without their grandchildren, a whole society separated and fragmented with their only error was the desire to progress without thinking about the borders. What has the President Berger done to end this situation? What are the results that Marta Altolaguirre can demonstrate? Who defends the migrants from so many abuses?
During the holidays nostalgia for the place we call home is in the air, because sometimes “home” is a country,  sometimes is a person, or a mixure of both. Migration increases the complexities but also makes us realize  that actually a city, a country, the whole planet can be our homeland. And as Mr. De Beausset said, “we are all migrants, dreamers, with a home, somewhere, always waiting there for us.”

author: Renata Avila


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Guyana: 2008 Wishes · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I want to make a li’l wish for everybody. Salut. Sante. Warm hugs on cold days. Nice cool drinks when your life-pot get too hot”:  Guyana-Gyal wishes everyone a fulfilling 2008.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Hong Kong: 2007 Roundup in Politics · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Erynnyes wrote a 2007 roundup in Hong Kong politics (zh): the small circle election of Chief Executive, the waterloo of pan democratic alliance in district council election, the pass away of Ma Lik, the Chair of DAB, Anson Chan winning the Legislative council by-election, the deferral of universal suffrage of Chief Executive to “No Sooner than 2017″.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Hong Kong and China: Labour Rights · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fons from China Herald notices the change of attitude in China Labour Bulletin with the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). It seems that the Han Dong Fang is prepared to work with the Chinese official union on labour rights.


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Hong Kong: Hottest Blog Topic: OAT · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

According to the poll done by Ben Ng, a first rate blogger in Hong Kong, the Obscene Article Tribunal classification in various cases has become the hottest blog topic in Hong Kong in 2007 (much more than the election of Chief Executive). Last year, the hottest is Uncle Bus.


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India: On Benazir Bhutto · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Indian Muslims on Benazir Bhutto and her untimely death.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Jamaica: Mandeville Views · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Montego Bay Day By Day shares the view from Mandeville in Jamaica.


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Kazakhstan: Two countries, two programs for repatriants · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Marat posts an analysis of differences between the Russian and Kazakh experience of realization of repatriation programs for their compatriots living in other countries.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kenya: An aerial view of anarchy · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Joseph Karoki posts photos of anarchy in Kenya following the recent presidential elections.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Kenya: Conflic is bigger than Kikuyu vs. Luo · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Mental Acrobatics on the situation in Eldoret, Kenya: “Eldoret, ladies and gentlemen, things are very very bad in Eldoret. Homes being raided. Churches being burnt. Shops being looted. Murder and rape in broad daylight. Ethnic groups after each other. Let me tell you this is much much bigger than Kikuyu –v- Luo. Pamoja.”


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Kenya: Do not doubt the power of the Internet in Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Has technology, particularly citizen media, played any positive role in covering the the crisis in Kenya? This is what White African wrote about the role of technology in the crisis:
If anyone doubts the power of the internet in Africa, they need to look no further than what is happening in Kenya right now…As of yesterday there was a media blackout. The only way to get any up-to-date news for the past 24-48 hours has been through the blogosphere (like Kenyan Pundit, Thinker’s Room, Mentalacrobatics), Skype and Kenyan populated forums (like Mashada). The traditional media has been shut out and shut down for all intents and purposes.
If you visit Kenyan blogs aggregators, KenyaUnlimited and Mashada, you will see the point White Africa is trying to make. Below is a round-up of conversations, information and news from Kenyan citizen journalists blogging about this unfortunate political and social crisis.
Blogger Panda Shuka describes the situation:
People are being burnt alive. Homes are being torched in daylight. Shops are closed. TV and Radio have been in a blackout. Kisumu City has been shut down by KPLC, no one can access Electricity. Tomatoes are going for 20/= a single one in my estate. Eggs are 15/= for a single one. Buses are charging 100/= for my usual 20/= journey. My brother and sister have moved away from our upcountry home because they are scared. Mum and dad are staying with policemen in the house. My friends are asking for airtime in kakamega and Kisumu. 9 people were slaughtered near my upcountry home…. and their cows taken! Women are being raped. Children have no food. What the hell is going on?
Latest from Kenyan Pundit:
Not much to report as yet.
– The president has called a meeting of all MPs at State House at 3:00 pm
– For those who are asking about a military intervention or the Karamajong militia in Eldoret – I have been unable to confirm those stories.
According to Kenyan Pundit, his life was under threat:
I do have it from reliable sources within the diplomatic community that Kivuitu’s life was threatened leaving him with no choice. There are also claims that Kibaki is under siege by his cronies and has no control over the situation.
– Been watching footage of the situation in Eldoret and keep wondering where the police, military are? You can’t get access to city mortuary because there are like 60 guys guarding it, but vigilantes have set up 30 roadblocks on the Eldoret road – what the hell is going on?
Red Cross Kenya is asking for donations:
- How to help? Red Cross Kenya is asking for donations of food, blankets, and blood.
The chairman of the Electoral Commission of Kenya, Samuel Kivuitu, has admitted to announcing the results under pressure:
Kivuitu admits to acting under pressure. The story was apparently up on the Standard website, but is no longer available there (haven’t verified this) [edit – article available on the standard here, and on Youtube here]. Just in case, save the text somewhere. How was he compromised? Why couldn’t he have resigned? Why didn’t he just let them collect the certificate by force? When he was cracking jokes at the swearing in ceremony he certainly did not look like he was surprised or acting under duress. This sounds like some serious backsliding of a man with a guilty conscience to me – he did not, for whatever reason, anticipate the magnitude of his actions or he was paid to throw this thing…who the hell knows, but this change of heart will not absolve him from the fact that he (along with other so-called leaders) abdicated his duties and has the blood of thousands of innocent Kenyans on his hands.
The conflict, which was initially described as Kikuyu vs. Luo has turned into something else:
For now it is critical to get the word out about the situation in Eldoret and Burnt Forest. This is in the aftermath of the church burning. Reports of armed men going into the forest coming through from various sources. The conflict is more than just Kikuyu-Luo – has – widened into something that I don’t even know how to describe.
Disturbing reports from Kenyan Pundit readers:
From a KP reader:
“Approximately 40-50K people are holded up at the compounds of ST. PATRICKS CATHOLIC CHURCH and ARNESENS HIGH SCHOOLl, both in Burnt Forest. There is no running water, food and ELECTRICITY has been cut. THIS MEANS THAT PEOPLE CANNOT RECHARGE THIER CELL PHONES and soon we’ll not be able to contact them. Also, due to the chaos/anarchy in these compounds, means that people, especially women are not any safer than if they were out in the chaos. There has been reports of rapes and molestations. I’ve also heard that the Eldoret highway has been closed by thugs an d that there is no transportion, hence people cannot leave this area. My family in that area feels very helpless and we can only ask that we spread the world and try and get some security in the area.”
Other (unverified) news from KP readers:
– Military set to take over tomorrow.
– Forced circumcisions in Buru Buru area. About 20 so far. 5 people have bled to death as a result.
Good job Al Jazeera:
I really really have to commend Al Jazeera for their coverage of this situation. I hope someone picks this up as a story about alternative media and coverage of Africa, and a story about Al Jazeera is redefining GLOBAL coverage. They are millions of steps ahead of CNN and BBC with less resources. From a good source, I hear that they are posting stories directly to Youtube so please check there for new stories as well.
Gathara writes, Who cares?:
Q: What happens when an unstoppable demagogue meets with an immovable election thief?
A: Kenyans die!
“Kibaki will not survive this,” writes Joseph Karoki:
It can truly be said that Kibaki and his clique of powerful, rich friends never anticipated the events that would unfold in the country as a result of their cumbersome 3rd grade rigging and subsequent swearing in at State House as if they were swearing in a house Prefect at Karagoyo Secondary School. No foreign dignitaries, in the cover of darkness, no independent news media and a Chief Justice ready to initiate a ceremony without the results.
It has become clear to the world that this poorly orchestrated exercise was inevitable, a desperate act by a desperate man jostling to cling to a Presidency taken away by the people.
Kibaki will not survive this.
Is this the beginning of guerilla warfare in Kenya? There are unverified reports that Karamojong guerilla fighters have arrived in Eldoret to join the fight against Kibaki’s regime:
GRACE EMAILED THIS TO ME**UNVERIFIED** BUT SOUNDS AUTHENTIC
This is a VERY important piece of information below. I think we now now what the two C-130’s that landed at Eldoret airport were carrying. There were carrying Karamajong.. the ones who are herding the 70,000 people into Burnt Forest and doing all the killing. Please see below….. A contingent of Karamojong guerrilla fighters are reported to have arrived in Eldoret town to join the struggle against Kibaki dictatorship. They are reported to have crossed Moi’s bridge to join forces fighting in the region. It is not yet clear how the guerrillas arrived in Eldoret but a source on the ground has told KSB that their arrival could signal the beginning of a guerrilla war-fare in Kenya to counter attacks by armed GSU forces which have been killing people. “People are getting frustrated and beginning to understand that on a long term, the anti-Kibaki war will not be fought with bare hands when security forces are armed”, said the source. “Security forces also need to begin dying and this will not happen with bare hands”, the source said. The guerrillas are reported to be remnants of the Shifta militia which were fighting the regime of former dictator Daniel arap Moi during the eighties.
Andrius Kulikauskas from WorkNets has left a comment on one of our posts about a project they are working on to offer help in Kenya. They have set up a Yahoo! group.:
Our online laboratory, Minciu Sodas, has many participants in Kenya and so we are organizing small projects to help http://groups.yahoo.com/group/onereachinganother/message/94 We’re also getting some reports and are working to provide more. Please let us know what would be useful and how we might work together. We’ll be engaging refugees and travellers in Kampala, Uganda and likely Arusha, Tanzania and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and be able to report that. We’re also considering translating short texts into Kiswahili about nonviolent action and overcoming ethnic strife. Please join us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/onereachinganother/ send a blank message to onereachinganother-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Lovely Money asks, Who will save Kenya?:
“From what?” I hear you ask.
The burning of women and children in a church in Eldoret makes it hard for anyone to ignore the going-ons in Kenya in the aftermath of the just concluded general elections.
For centuries communities in Kenya have lived in harmony, albeit with a few skirmishes. Side by side we have built our nation into one of the most admirable and looked upon country in Africa
So what went wrong? What exactly is our problem? Why are Kenyans turning on each other. Neighbor upon neighbor. Our friends have turned into foes
Reading online comments and blog posts about the on-going election violence just shows how fragmented we are as a nation.
What has happened in the last few days cannot be wished away. I'm not sure how long it will take the nation to heal itself from the wounds of tribal bigotry.
The solution to this crisis lies in the hands of Kenyans themselves:
While everyone is looking up to the international community to resolve the impasse, I believe it is only Kenyans who can bring the situation to an end. The US and the EU governments will not put to an end the tribal animosity that we are witnessing in Kenya.
Only Kenyans will save themselves from other Kenyans. The outcome of the presidential elections will not matter after we have annihilated our compatriots.
Afromusing writes about the situation in Eldoret where people have been seeking refuge in churches and police stations:
- hi everyone, in Eldy, lots of tension though it has eased as it is daylight now, some people sought refuge in churches and police station last night and are still there this a.m saw some people carrying their belongings, will upload pics shortly if i can.
Yesterday, saw a mob of youth >300 crossing through farms, walking in a single file line. They later walked back after a few hrs.
Later in Kapsoya there were screams and people milling around.
-Just received an SMS from Safaricom that reads
“The ministry if Internal security urges you to please desist from sending or forwarding any SMS that may cause public unrest. This may lead to your prosecution”
-Continued media ban on live broadcasts
-Houses were burned in the last two days, things seem calmer now, though in Langas, people are still fighting and supposedly even more killed last night. Talked to a guy who lives there, says the leaders need to come there, one rep of the following languages: Luhya, Kalenjin, Kikuyu, put up a white flag and appeal for peace. “Radio appeals do nothing to calm that particular part of Eldoret”. In addition people’s heads are supposedly lying about and it is terrible.
Odeg blogs about the human face of statistics:
•	so it seems clear that Raila got some 4.25 million votes to Kibakis 3.76 million. those are statistics. the reality is that Raila got 4.24 something million and my vote! but Kenyans don't seem to agree on any numbers. even in eldoret some say 200 pple were burnt , others say 30 while some 50. in kisumu,the armed police, whom pple say are from uganda have shot dead more than 40 people. still stats. in mombasa 8 people were burnt to death in their houses. stats stats stats.
but yesterday, i was able to put a face or faces to the stories. i met real people whom had been affected by the violence occasioned by Kibaki's robbery of the otherwise peaceful election. the story was grim. these guys were dragged out of their houses in the dead of the night. they were told to choose to either join the ‘revolution’ or face death.
Bridges in some parts of Kenya have been blown, another blogger reports:
…another friend called me from lugari, she said the bridges in the area had been blown and so she could not get to eldoret from her village. the village is one of the most cosmopolitan in the country since its a settlement scheme. she said her neighbours, friends and even relatives whose IDs showed them belonging to either Kikuyu, Kisii or bukusu communities were asked to leave and go to central kenya. their houses were then burnt indiscriminately. in that area, the protestors are mainly kalenjin and pokots who as opposed to luos , have AK-47s and in kisumu another very long time friend of mine escaped death by the breadth of a hair when a live bullet landed just a few inches from her feat . she had missed the bullet when she fell out of fear. and you wont believe where that was; at the gate of St. Theresa's cathedral church in Kibuye. the poor lady had gone to church. yesterday morning on new year she found several bodies right in front of her gate.
Jesse Masai reports heavy fighting in Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia:
•	Heavy fighting in Uasin Gishu and parts of Trans Nzoia
– Aunt and family have been missing 3 days
– Information blackout terrifying. Media friend says hands tied by government
– In Kiptoy, Mitoni Mbili, etc, in Cherangany, people locked in their houses overnight, some reportedly burning. No security presence.
– Psalm 29:10 – The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth king for ever.
The Kenyan Army needs to save the county, observes Mimmiz:
The Army needs to come out with a mission to save Kenya from anarchy. I understand there are concerns about a divided army. I don't think this would come up unless their orders were anything but to enforce a curfew and apprehend anyone walking around armed with machetes or any such thing. I strongly believe that just their presence should knock some sense into many deliriously angry people out in the streets causing chaos. Kenya's army can very easily handle this situation.
She supports the media blackout:
As for the media blackout, I support it and I may be the only one. The one thing that country doesn't need right now is the media advertizing where crowds of violence are gathered so that other small crowds know where to merge and escalate issues. If you have relatives in any potential danger, this may make sense to you.
In the future, Kenya must educate the masses. About peace. And about how to evaluate issues and options and how to fight effectively without being the ultimate loser (mind wars vs bloody ones). Africa tells the same story over and over again. In the mid 1990s, the wealthy Rwandese were in Kenya and other viable African countries, their children in school with some of us. Many of the wealthy got away even in that situation. We claim we are fighting for the poor, but what happens is we cleanse ourselves of them and pick up with the same issues where we left off.
She calls on bloggers to write responsibly:
We the bloggers? Many who have become the source of information need to become very responsible with our posts. It would be foolish to think that an already incited population is not picking on what we're saying and that we're not helping to fuel emotions. Hopefully, we can all (perhaps with the exception of one Gerald Baraza) promote peace and helpfully suggest how that may be achieved.
Do you remember 1982?:
30 hours after I send a frantic SMS: “Are you ok?” Finally, a phone call.
The line is unclear, my family sound as though they are underwater. Suddenly, the idea of being “drowned” in violence sounds more than metaphorical.
My mother asks, “Do you remember 1982?” It’s one of the few sentences I can understand. I want to tell her no. Or, that I was too young to understand. But memories consist of more than facts. I remember 1982 as dark and uncertain—as a threat that hangs over all my political imaginings. To be national, I learned, was to live without certainty. 1982 always infantilizes me.
I answer, “a little bit.”
But, there is something different to this call. Once, in the midst of other clashes, when I was still away, I wondered if she’d leave the country, move somewhere safer. Stubbornly, she replied that she could not leave a country for which her father had fought and been imprisoned.
Now, she tells me she is considering leaving, will know more in a few days. More than anything, this scares me. It terrifies me, a lot.
The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs has called for a legal solution to the problem, but Kenyan Jurist sees the problem as both legal and political:
I have just watched Hon Martha Karua, the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs give a press conference. The fact that she is close to HE Mwai Kibaki seems to give an indication of what the GoK position is. First, she is irked by the fact that some Commissioners could express doubt on the results as certified by the ECK. Secondly, she is very clear that any dispute regarding election results should be resolved by the court and the courts alone.
In view of what I have stated previously, she is wrong to think that the solution to the current problem is only legal. The problem is both legal and political. It is about legality and legitimacy. Its about justice. The EU and Commonwealth Observers have cast doubt on the election outcome. Some ECK Commissioners have also cast doubt on the whole process. In court, there is always a winner and a lose. The current situation needs no winner and losers and the court may be the institution least able to resolve the impasse if left to its own devices.
According to Kumekucha, the swearing in ceremony was organised before the results were known:
One of the things the first blundering Kibaki administration will always be remembered for is incompetence. This clearly came out in the just concluded general election because the administration failed to even rig the general election competently without getting caught and left behind too much evidence forensic and otherwise.
It is now emerging that the swearing in ceremony was conducted minutes after the election “results” were read. Meaning that it had been organized well in advance and guests invited and seated, even before the general election results were known. There are even disturbing suggestions that it may have been done before the results were announced! Those suggesting this point to the swearing in footage which was done outdoors in relatively broad daylight and yet the results were read late in the day as it was getting dark. In 2002 the swearing in ceremony was done a day after the results were officially announced but this time there was a big hurry.
Update from Thinker’s Room:
•	More about the burnt church in Eldoret. There are conflicting stories as to the number of people that were inside. Numbers are ranging from 50 to 250
•	There is looming fuel shortage in most petrol stations in Nairobi
•	The unrest in Kenya is affecting Uganda as well. (Uganda, being landlocked, gets a lot of its supplies from Kenya). Fuel stations in Uganda are running out of fuel.
•	Goods are being held at the port at the request of buyers for fear that they will be looted/destroyed en route.
•	Samuel Kivuitu, ECK chairman has made some interesting comments on TV
1.	He was under intense pressure to make the announcement
2.	He contemplated resignation but felt that he would be perceived as a coward
3.	He claimed that the ECK had no legal standing to act on the objections of the political parties (Which I don’t buy, especially the discrepancy between results announced at constituency level and those at the KICC)
4.	He made an even more fascinating statement about presidency being very challenging, and then proceeding to say that the problem was some of the people around the presidency. He culminated by saying that some of the people around the presidency should never have been born
Mental Acrobatics is working on initiatives to save the country:
Apologies for silence today, I have been running around trying to keep tabs on the various initiatives to save our country. I will put up some posts in the next few hours.
You can see some extremely disturbing photos at Joseph Karoki’s blog.
Finally, if you are in Kenya, you can SMS your news to Mashada Hotline:
If you’re in Kenya and have news on the elections, you likely have no voice or no way to tell the world. Spread the word to SMS your news to the Mashada forums via their SMS hotline.
Send your SMS to +44 762 480 2635


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Kenya: State of democracy in photos · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Extremely disturbing photos of the current state of affairs in Kenya from Kenyan blogger, Joseph Karoki


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Kenya: The Electoral Commission of Kenya acted under pressure · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Was the Electoral Commission of Kenya acting under pressure?: “- Kivuitu admits to acting under pressure. The story was apparently up on the Standard website, but is no longer available there (haven’t verified this) [edit – article available on the standard here, and on Youtube here]. Just in case, save the text somewhere. How was he compromised? Why couldn’t he have resigned?”


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Last Café com Blogs in 2007 · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Kontratempos [pt] lets us know that the last edition of podcast Café com Blogs is now available. In this issue, a balance of the year, with facts, controversies and people that shook the blogosphere in 2007.

author: Paula Góes


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Malaysia: Politician and Sex Tape · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

A sex tape forced a Malaysian minister to resign today. Malaysian politician Lim Kit Siang asks if the minister a victim of double betrayal.

author: Preetam Rai


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Mali: Mali wins  the 2007 Africa Nations Cup female basketball title · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sociolingo writes about the Malian female basketball team's victory: “The Malian female basketball team’s win of the 20th basketball championship of the African Nations Cup (CAN), played last September in Dakar, Senegal, is undoubtedly the major event of 2007, according to many people in the Malian capital.”


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Mongolia: Excellent Paper Studies Development · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Radigan Neuhalfen reviews a paper comparing development in Mongolia with that of Montana and Wyoming by the Dutch Neoliberal Paul Treanor. The analysis of economic life in both Mongolia and the American West is incisive, Radigan opines.


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Mozambique: Anti-Corruption Forum is extinguished  · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Carlos Serra [pt], from Mozambique, anticipates a piece of news from tomorrow's edition of Zambeze: “The President of the Republic extinguished the Anti-Corruption Forum through a decision on December 27″.


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Nepal: Not a Federal Republic · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Nepal Monitor makes an argument against going in for a Federal Republic option for Nepal.


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Nigeria: Technology experts divided over OLPC · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

IT Realms on OLPC debate in Nigeria: “Technology (IT) professionals are divided over the recent plan by the federal government to dump the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project.”


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Pakistan: Why mourn for Bhutto? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Despite all the grief surrounding Bhutto's death, a post on Pakistan Paindabad reminds us that all was not wonderful.”But why be so sad? Stuff happens. Leaders die. Followers fight. Nations live on. And Benazir was no Jinnah.”


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Philippines: Bloggers look back to 2007 · Global Voices
Tonyo Cruz

Before 2008 started, many Filipino bloggers wrote their assessments of the year 2007.
rolling store listed the top 12 events for people's organization.
Topping the list is the release of the damning report of United Nations special rapporteur Philip Alston that said that the Philippine military was behind the extrajudicial killings of about nearly 900 activists.
durianburgdavao meanwhile posted the annual report of the human rights situation of the Bangsamoro people.
Filipino gamers celebrated milestones for 2007, as noted in gmtristan.com in a review.
Courtesy of Pinoy R.N., a “quick roundup”  of events in the Philippine nursing world for all months of last year.
Basketball-crazy Filipinos went amok over these stories, according to the Philippine Basketball News Blog.
For what are considered as blogs with “best design” for 2007, head off to Basapa.com.
“Look backs” on 2007 aren't complete without a list of controversies in the blogosphere and they are listed here by Prudence and Madness.
Noting that other bloggers have written recaps on what have transpired in the Philippine blogosphere, yugatech made a personal review of the past year.
yugatech caps the review with this note:
I thought 2007 was the longest blogging year ever, at least for me. Hope the 2008 presents a better one.
JaypeeOnline also recaps the bloggers’ 2007 achievements and thanks readers for being part of the successes:
2007 was a great year for me and my blog. I would call it the coming of age for JaypeeOnline. For what started out as my personal blog, has now turned into a more focused blog. I”ve never imagined my blog to reach this far but I’m very proud of it. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank my family, friends and loyal readers because without them, all of this won’t be possible. You guys are the driving force, my inspiration. Thank you so much!
Also, Pinoy Ambisyoso Blog wrote “Top Seven on 2007″ which encapsulizes the blog stats and thanks readers in the Philippines and abroad for many feats.
Ditto for Work With Ria.
Another blogger, Coredump, takes a different approach and recaps the year with photos:
I’m building up a review of 2007, using Flickr photos. Nothing spectacular — just a retrospective tool for me. We have had many blessings this year, and what better way to reminisce than through pictures.
gibbscadiz.com shares a review of the performing arts scene in which the blogger notes that theater companies celebrated many milestones like 20th, 30th and 40 anniversaries but:
[they] by and large held back on the self-congratulations–no grand fetes or nostalgic tributes–and just went about what they did best: mount plays.
and listed the best performances, as what the blog has done in 2005 and 2006.
A post on Autumn Blossom shares the the blogger's top music choices for the year and issues this caveat:
I'm not even pretending to know the best music that came out this year. I just want to remember the best stuff I've listened to in 2007.
Big changes were noted by bikoy.net who joined a Greek-letter society, lost in campus elections and went on a tour of the United States in 2007.
2007 was the “Year of the Risk“, according to Blue Pencil Chronicles.
The blogger explains:
for all the times I had to leave my comfort zone, for all the time I had to take on a challenge, for all the times I took a leap of faith (and times I fell, and times I rose from falling), and for all the times I took a chance… this year, it was definitely worth taking risks, for I’ve reaped many rewards because of it.
andrea's corner has bitter-sweet memories of 2007 and looks forward to 2008 with hope.
Expect another year of turbulence, says Carol P. Araullo who gives a searing look-back on 2007 from the perspective of an activist critical of the Macapagal-Arroyo government.
On a lighter note, 2007 was a year for Filipino vloggers or video bloggers.  CokskiBlue presents a list of the top Filipino vlogs.
Also, CokskiBlue lists the most popular vlog posts, headed by the one that tackled the infamous Malu Fernandez fiasco.
Akomismo, shares two recaps on 2007: the blogger's top book choices for the year, and about the moments and travails as a teacher-cum-blogger.
Amid crisis, most Filipinos — or 91 percent, according to a survey — look forward to 2008, offering proof that we Filipinos always endure and find bright spots amid gloom and doom.
Also read: New Year's wishes for President Arroyo and Filipinos

author: Tonyo Cruz


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South Korea: Defeat of KDLP · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chamnews has a story about the defeat of The Korean Democratic Labor Party (KDLP) in the presidential election.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: 2007 Events · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Political parties in the Caribbean took camapaigning to new heights with the use of the internet; one November afternoon, the earth shook for what seemed like an eternity”: Abeni welcomes the New Year by listing the events that stood out for her in 2007.


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Trinidad & Tobago, St. Lucia: Zipping into the New Year · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Now is Wow uses a Rainforest Canopy adventure in St. Lucia as a metaphor for 2008: “A zippy exciting happy natural heightened trusting new year.”


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Uzbekistan: Earthquake Shakes Ferghana · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Jamiyat reports on the earthquake that had come half an hour before the New Year. It was felt through the Eastern Uzbekistan with the epicenter in Namangan region of the Fergana valley.


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Uzbekistan: Silly promises or fiction? · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Mansurhon reacts to the President Karimov's message to the people of Uzbekistan at New Year night. He addresses the major points of the presidential speech, concluding that “he doesn't believe this man any more”.


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Zimbabwe: Nova Mambone, Buzi and Machanga under water · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Moçambique para Todos [pt] reports on the heavy seasonal rains that have flooded Zimbabwe. “Particularly, Machanga and Búzi have no communication with the rest of the country and the people are in refugee centres organized in schools and churches. It is estimated that 42,690 people are at risk in the islands and river banks in the  Zambezia (Zambezi River), Sofala and Manica (Búzi River and Púnguè) provinces.”


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Abu Aardvark: Control of Bloggers ‘Predictable’ · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Abu Aardvark discusses campaigns to free jailed Arab bloggers in this post. “What's happening to Arab bloggers was entirely predictable:  their increasing visibility and political influence (at home and abroad) drew the attention of security services, which began to push back and try to regain control,” he writes.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Afghanistan: Bhutto assasination echoes in Aghanistan · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Bipasha Ray says that assassination of Benazir Bhutto last week continues to ring across Afghanistan, as American officials worry that it heralds the rise of a more virulent extremism against the Pakistani government that could undermine the Afghan mission.


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Afghanistan: Pakistani Refugees Flee to Afghanistan · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Afghanistanica reports that according to a report from Bakhtar News Agency over 3000 Pakistani refugees from the Kurram Agency have arrived in Afghanistan over the last two days.


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Americas: A Look Back at Global Voices – Part I · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Global Voices – Latin America boasts a very dedicated team of volunteer authors, who have helped track their respective country's blogosphere over the course of 2007.  Knowing the local context by the authors, many of whom are regular bloggers themselves have help make this region well-covered in the past year.  For technical purposes, the region spans the 16 Spanish-speaking countries of North, Central and South America, and does not include the Portuguese-speaking country of Brazil.  The country is ably covered by Brazilians Jose Murilo Junior and Paula Góes.  Some coverage of the Caribbean countries that speak Spanish is shared with Caribbean editor Janine Mendes-Franco.
This year also witnessed the launch of the Spanish-language site of Global Voices as part of Project Lingua.  Juan Arellano and his excellent and growing team of volunteer translators have helped make Global Voces en Español, one of the most active translation sites.  Global Voices – Latin America also recently opened its own Facebook group in order to bring people interested in Latin American blogs, as well as to share recommendations on interesting blogs that should be included in future articles and links.
Here is the first in a three part set of articles looking back at some of the topics covered by bloggers in 2007:
Argentina
Jorge Gobbi sought to find topics that took place out of the “Gran Capital” Buenos Aires, as topics such as these tend to receive less attention as others in the metropolitan capital. Stories about the effects of mining in the provinces and the role of blogs in conflict coverage in Neuquen are two examples of stories outside of Buenos Aires.  Culture also plays an important role in Argentina, as the campaign to recognize the site of Mafalda, a famous cartoon character and the disruptive events at the music concert, Personal Fest also were covered.
In politics, the biggest story was the election of Cristina Kirchner, the wife of outgoing president Nestor Kirchner, in the rather apathetic election, as Gobbi wrote:
The recent elections in Argentina are over. Some say that these elections have probably been received with the most amount of apathy since the return to democracy in 1983. A couple of days before the elections, there was almost no sign of them in the streets, except a few posters. Most citizens did not take active part in the process, but that doesn't mean there were no repercussions afterwards.
Bolivia
Much of the coverage in Bolivia centered on the ongoing conflicts in the country, such as what happened in Cochabamba on January 11, which pitted different groups of citizens against one another.  By far, the most well-known Bolivian is President Evo Morales. Two years after his world tour featuring the infamous “sweater”, bloggers were always willing to critique the head of state. They also were surprised at the Morales’ appearance on the Daily Show.
Other topics of note include the waves of Bolivians migrating to Spain, as well as one blogger's use of technology to cover a historic rally.
Regardless of political leaning or geography, Bolivian bloggers also rallied together behind a ban placed by FIFA.
Recently, the international football governing body, FIFA, announced that international matches will no longer be permitted to be played in stadiums above 2500 m, putting many stadiums in Bolivia off-limits, and dashing the hopes for qualifying once again for the world’s biggest sporting event. The decision mobilized the Bolivian government headed by President Evo Morales, a self-professed football fanatic, who sent a high-ranking delegation to Zurich, Switzerland to speak directly with FIFA President Sepp Blatter and declared it “Challenge Day“. Marches and demonstrations against the ban took place across the country. Bloggers also joined the united voice against this decision. The decision is drawing the ire of Bolivians across the country and cutting across ideological lines.
Chile
Rosario Lizana provided coverage of a wide range of issues including the problematic public transport system Transantiago and its accompanying student protests.   A lot emphasis was also placed on environmental issues, such as oil spills, biofuels, and natural disasters.
Technological concerns also captured the attention of bloggers with the issue of broadband and net neturality.  However, perhaps the most highly blogged about issue was the proposal, which many indicated was as good as an agreement between the Chilean government and the Microsoft Corporation. Lizana wrote:
There is a feeling among Chilean bloggers that the agreement signed between the Economy Minister, Alejandro Ferreiro and Craig Mundie, Chief Research and Strategy Officer de Microsoft Corporation on May 9th is not good for Chile. The title of this post written by Christian in elfrancotirador [ES] explains the situation in a simple way: “Guys, what would you say if I told you that starting today that the 15 million of Chileans will (all) be users of Microsoft, even if we wanted to or not? That's what I thought.”
Colombia
Coverage of the Colombian blogosphere was prolific in 2007 due to the complementary styles of Carlos Raúl van der Weyden Velásquez and Juliana Rincón.
Much of the topics of Velásquez’ articles revolves around the ongoing conflict between the Colombian government, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC for its initials in Spanish) and the paramilitary groups. In addition, Colombian president Álvaro Uribe was also a subject for Colombian bloggers, especially for his conflicts with the Supreme Court , dealings with the family of hostages, and his bittersweet visit to Washington, D.C.
Colombian bloggers were also sympathetic to the hostages held by the FARC forces.  Velásquez wrote the protests against these kidnappings:
After the murder of 11 deputies by FARC guerrillas, Colombians decided to go to the streets and yell “No More Kidnappings“. It started as a citizen initiative, but soon the democratic security government, big companies and mainstream media supported it and invited people to join. The huge demonstration took place on Thursday 5 July at noon. Even Second Lifers protested. But leftist Alternative Democratic Pole preferred to call its “own march”, because it didn’t want to be supportive of President Uribe, who is also considered [by them] to be responsible for the death of the local lawmakers.
Rincón also wrote about reactions to these kidnappings, especially for three-year-old Emanuel, the son of hostage Clara Rojas and his guerrilla solider father.  Videos of some of these hostages were also recently released by the FARC, who was a group that was idolized by a Dutch girl, whose secret diary was published by a local newspaper.
Not everything that Colombian bloggers wrote about were related to Uribe, the FARC or the hostages.  Rincón also covered those bloggers that enjoyed to write about blogger meet-ups in Medellín, a new television show devoted to blogs, and local groups that have come out against bullfighting. Bloggers in Colombia also know how to come out in support of campaigns, such as the one to support a local Flickr photographer whose Creative Commons license was violated by a commercial newspaper. Rincón wrote:
Last week, Colombian Flickr users and bloggers united against a regional newspaper that violated the Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd) Creative Commons license that a user placed on her photographs, a license which has full legal standing in Colombia.
Through a message on Twitter, mariacecita, a photographer from Cali, Colombia, let her friends know that the regional newspaper El País from Cali had copied one of the pictures from her Flickr page and used it on their weekly magazine to illustrate a photography exhibition. Not only did they not cite her as author of the picture, they modified it and printed it on their regional newspapers which is sold for profit, breaking all three of the license's conditions.
Costa Rica
Roy Rojas‘ special interest in the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) were highlighted in several stories about the campaign and the national referendum that took place in Costa Rica. After the final tally, the people of Costa Rica narrowly approved the trade agreement with the United States.  Rojas wrote about this vote:
On October 7, Costa Rica participated in a democratic exercise through a referendum to decide on the fate of the Free-Trade Agreement and citizens were able to be a legislator for day. It was a day with plenty of tension on both sides. Neither those supporting “Yes”, nor those supporting “No” were assured of a victory, and in the streets, one could hear equal numbers of songs and chants, and most importantly with respect.
Coverage of the campaigns tended to be controversial, as Rojas wrote an accompanying article to Juliana Rincón's piece about the media's coverage of the campaign.  Current Colombian author, Rincón, previously lived in Costa Rica prior to moving to her current residence.
Finally, Costa Rica's trade and diplomatic relationship was also the subject of a pair of articles on Global Voices. Costa Rica formally broke relations with Taiwan in order to establish commercial agreements with China.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Angola: List of blogs and websites · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Feliciano J.R. Cangüe [pt] shares with us his list of blogs and websites from Angola. Most of them are in Portuguese.


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Arabeyes: Have a Spectacular New Year! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

New Year's is the time to reflect on the past and make new resolutions for the future. What are bloggers from the Arab world saying as the world bids 2007 farewell and welcomes 2008?
Egypt:
The Big Pharaoh reflects on the year that's gone, offering us insight into the stalemate in Lebanon, the violence in Iraq and the US presidential elections. On the latter, he writes:
The prospect of a women president in the White House excites me but I personally don’t think Clinton is fit for the job. On November 4th, I would like to see John McCain elected. He is the only one with the experience to fill this position. I know McCain doesn’t excite the hardcore Republicans that much, but currently the polls show that he’s the only one capable of defeating Hillary.
As for Egypt, the Big Pharaoh says:
2007 didn’t have much for my country. However, I believe the most significant thing that happened are all these protests by the laborers and government employees. I think we’ll see more of these especially if the government decided to mess up with the subsidies.
Iraq:
Iraq Pundit  takes a look at how the media covered New Year's celebration in war-torn Iraq in this post. He ends his round up saying:
Now that's what I call first-rate reporting. Good luck with winning the Pulitzer, guys.
Dubai:
AM, who lives in Dubai, UAE, thought she would be celebrating New Year's eve for the first time in 10 years away from work. She explains:
10 years after working on New Year’s eve, I found myself sitting on my couch enjoying a comfi and silent setting during this occasion. Surrounded by my cheese tray and a bottle of Pinot Griggio, remote control and cell phone, it seemed like a dream coming true for a circumstantially off-duty hotelier, especially after a loud family Christmas dinner back home.
Read the rest of the entry to see how the night turned out for this busy hotelier.
Still in the UAE, e3ashig, a doctor, shares his resolutions for the new year here.  They are:
-Be a better person who is more approachable and helpful to those around me.
-Pray more on time.
-Socialise, socialise, socialise.
-Finish military training that has been hanging over my head for years.
-Start a new business.
Lebanon:
Ahmad, who blogs at Cold Desert, wonders why people celebrate New Year's eve. He writes:
You practice your arithmetic skills because you have to do a countdown before midnight.
Never spare any opportunity to push your limits. You can use the occasion to test your alcohol-tolerance. What's your getting-drunk-threshold?!
What's a better way to end the Gregorian year than to help the restaurants, pubs, etc. earn some money to start rich the next year? Don't forget that you will also be helping new singers and dancers get some cash in this stagnant economical state.
Read the rest of his entry to see why he thinks New Year's is celebrated.
Syria:
Syrian blogger Yazan, who lives in Japan, is looking forward to a spectacular 2008. He writes:
2008, a year that I am strangely convinced will be a spectacular one. And it started out as nothing less than that.
I've had a more than wonderful start for this year, I hope everybody else did too.
I'm glad I can just commit 2007 to the bag of bad memories now, and look forward to this new year.
Still in Syria, photoblogger Hovic offers us some scenes of New Year's celebration from the country here.
Jordan:
From Jordan, Hareega too wishes his readers a satisfactory year. He writes:
People say “hope you'll have a great wonderful new year”
I'd like to wish everyone a satisfactory new year, an acceptable new year, without any mega-disasters
Libya:
And last but not least Khadija Teri from Libya ends her year with a question and answer session. Among the 18 questions she asks and answers is:
16. What was something you lost this year?
Car keys! I went to visit someone at khadara Hospital and had them in my pocket. When I came out the keys were gone and it was a pain in the neck because they had the car alarm on the key so I had to replace the keys and the alarm too. And I took my time replacing the alarm, only doing it after my car was broken into and the car stereo was stolen.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!


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Argentina: 20 years of the El Mate free movie and animation school · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

For over 20 years, hundreds of Argentinian children and teens have learned about filmmaking and animation as part of the Taller de Cine El Mate program [es], where kids from the Vicente López municipality of Buenos Aires have the opportunity to participate and explore the process of making movies, free of charge.
Irene Blei and Lucía Cano, who studied teaching and filmmaking, began their labour at “El Mate” open workshop at the Cultural House of Vicente López, where they dedicated themselves to  teach children how to make movies and use cameras and creativity to make their own films. The local government covers the school's overhead costs such as salaries, electricity, phone and gas bills; to purchase equipment and supplies they count on donations, fund raising activities and the sale of DVDs with some of their award winning short films.
Last October, the Escuela de Cine el Mate won the El Drako award during the Buenos Aires Latin American Movie and Video Festival  [es] , for their documentary movie and project “With our fingers, an online Blog”, a project where more than 2000 children from different public schools in the area created vignettes of their daily life, featuring their fingers and hands in different postures.
The “Con los Dedos” short video shows the process the children went through, drawing their ideas, building the props and then shooting the necessary pictures. All the vignettes, both images and videos, can be seen on the Con los Dedos workshop blog [es].I asked Irene Blei how they´ve managed to keep this elastic, open-door school running free of charge, for more than 20 years:
Llevar adelante esta actividad siendo gratuita ha sido más que difícil, pero no imposible. Fue cuestión de evaluar y hacer consecuentemente, y tal vez tiene mucho que ver con la tolerancia o la flexibilidad. En primer lugar, porque hubo una premisa de partida con respecto a trabajar con lo que hay a disposición alegría y dedicación.
Esto quiere decir: se usa lo que se tiene: súper 8, VHS, un clon de PC Pentium 1 … y cuando hay mejores posibilidades por supuesto también se aprovechan.
To keep this activity free has been very difficult, but not impossible. It was a matter of evaluation and then acting accordingly, and maybe there´s a lot to do with tolerance and flexibility. In the first place, there was the notion that we would work with whatever we had available with happiness and dedication.
This means: we use what we have: super 8, VHS, a Pentium 1 PC clone… and of course, when we have the possibility [for better equipment] we take advantage of it.
Under the Same Moon is a dialogue free stop motion animation short. It tells the story of a group of friends who are placed in different cages, and their need to break free of their respective prisons, it is a poignant reminder of the Dirty War lived in Argentina.  If you watch until the end, you´ll see shots of the children´s process to shoot and make the film. Click on the image if you wish to see the video.
The Taller de Cine El Mate has uploaded more than 114 videos on Youtube, both in animation and live action products, all created, produced, shot and edited by their students. They also have done documentaries in the past, like this 1988 film about “the school”   but most of their efforts have been directed to incentivating creativity and inventiveness in their participants, skills they can later use in any other area of their lives.Their movies are all very different, not just story wise, but also in the skills used to make them. Check out their animated alien invasion, their stop motion clay animation children´s rights short against abuse, and their hand drawn animation of the  local tradition of drinking mate.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Bahrain: The Truth about Lies · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger emoodz discusses some of the ‘lies’ presented in a local television programme about riots, which broke out in Bahrain last month.


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Bangladesh: Labour Riots · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Unheard Voices discusses the causes for the textile labour riots in Bangladesh.


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Bangladesh: On Rickshaws · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Voice Of South on why rickshaws shouldn't be banned by the government in Dhaka.


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Barbados: Here Are The Candidates · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

It's officially election season in Barbados as Cheese-on-bread! begins her analysis of the parliamentary candidates, district by district.


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Brazil: Facebook in a nice fix · Global Voices
Paula Góes

“For the second time in just over two months, Facebook is caught in a situation that is, essentially, impossible to control”. Ronaldo Ferraz [pt] tells us the latest piece of [bad] news from the popular social network: the ban on  Robert Scoble's account.


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Brunei: Expensive Stamps · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The Daily Brunei Resources blog looks at rare and valuable stamps from Brunei.


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Caribbean: 2007 – The Year of Elections   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

2007 has been quite the eventful year for the Caribbean – we've had hurricanes and earthquakes,   rap stars behaving badly and Nobel Laureates behaving badly, not to mention the infamous terror plot.  Sadly, the year was also marked by tragedy and escalating crime – but if the Caribbean were to pick a recurring theme for Y2K7, it would have to be elections.
This was the year of regional politics, with elections being held in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, the Bahamas and Bermuda and municipal elections even happening in Cuba. Not to mention, Barbados’ elections are scheduled to take place on January 15th – which is why, when reflecting upon the Global Voices Caribbean post that has had the most impact this year, it was a fairly easy choice: Caribbean: Elections Go Web 2.0 – simply because it asks whether citizen media can “genuinely and profoundly influence the outcome of a political election” in the context of the region's “small, close-knit populations, relatively low internet penetration, and the continuing primacy of the mainstream media as a source of information.”
I'd like to think the answer is yes and that this post has made Caribbean nationals rethink the role of citizen reporting and how it can change the world.


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China: Ethnic Minority in Beijing · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Tiger temple has a photo essay showing how a group of ethnic minority lives in Beijing (zh).


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China: Evaluation of Legislation Law · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

my 1510 reposted an article from Tianya forum written by Shen Yang evaluating the practice of Legislation Law in China (zh). The law was passed in 2000 and has been used by many civic rights group to defend human rights.


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Egypt: 2007 Blacklist  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Eman, from Egypt, shares her blacklist of 2007 here.


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Egypt: lawsuit demanding the websites banning is rejected · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

Judge Abdel Fattah Mourad, who requested the ban of 51 blogs  and websites deemed insulting the state’s dignity and threatening Egypt’s interests, has lost his case.  On December 29, 2007, the Administrative Judicial Court rejected the lawsuit and ruled in favor of freedom of speech on the Internet.

author: sami ben gharbia


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Egyptian judiciary grants electronic publications rights  · Global Voices
Abdurahman Warsame

Blogger Wael Abbas writes about the Egyptian court's decision to grant online publications – including blogs – the same freedom as print media. Wael reposted the text of the ruling, the final paragraph of which says (Ar):

author: Abdurahman Warsame


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Iraq: Are US Presidential Candidates for Real? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“As the candidates for (US) president prepare for the Iowa vote, their statements become more bizarre each day. I can't help but ask are there any serious candidates?” writes IraqPundit, who discusses their statements about the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.


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Iraq: One Year After Saddam  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Alive in Baghdad  brings us a video summing up the reactions of some Iraqis on the first anniversary of the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.


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Jamaica: 2007 Tunes · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican Marlon James posts his picks for the best music of 2007.


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Kenya: Is Ugandan Militia In Kenya? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Our latest roundup of voices from Kenyan citizen journalists writing about the political and social crisis following the disputed presidential election begins with blogger Joseph Karoki breaking news of the presence of Ugandan militia in Nyanza and Western Province:
Last night I recieved news that there were reports of Ugandan militia in or around Nyanza Province and Western Province. I waited utill I got confirmation from the ground. After several late night phone calls, I did confirm that Ugandan Forces were indeed within Kenyan borders. Just within the last hour Ugandan Army Spokesman, Major Felix Kulayigye, confirmed the deployment of the troops on Tuesday, saying “it is to forestall possible spill over of violence in Kenya” [“in Uganda” – Editor].
Why would Ugandan send its troops into Kenya?:
Uganda is a landlocked country that relies heavily on the political stability of Kenya for imports and exports through the Mombasa Port on the Indian Ocean and is dependent on the the safe passage of goods through Kenya.The political instability has had devastating effects on Uganda’s economy.  Uganda, fuel prices have risen from USh2,400 (Sh100) to USh5,000 (Sh225). Most oil importing companies have reported that they have not replenished their stocks after their reservoirs dried up. So there is motive as to why Uganda would get involved.
Kenyan Jurist, among other things, commends the work of Kenyan radio, Kiss FM:
o	I would like to commend KISS FM for the work they are doing. Props to Carol Mutoko and Nyambane for the good work they are doing. To the other radio stations, think outside the box.
o	I was in town in the city yesterday a a queue of other Kenyans trying to get some airtime. The conversation revolved around what the GoK was doing to resolve the current impasse. The general view was that the President should have more visiblity. Everyone hated those pro-forma and overly formal statements by the President calling for peace etc without dealing with the election issue. His handlers should take note.
o	Yesterday, the President is said to have met MPs to discuss peace intiatives. I am surprised that there was no live coverage or first hand coverage by the press. In fact there was no televised footage of the President in what I think would have been an informal setting. Other than speaking through surrogates, who do not seem to command public respect, he should come out with his clear thoughts on how he thinks the impasse should be resolved (Correct me on this if I am wrong).
He outlines practical steps that Kenyans can take to help others and maintain peace:
o	Give RED CROSS food and clothing. This can be dropped at the following points Red Cross Offices off Mombasa Road, Nakumatt Outlets, KISS FM Offices (Lions Place, Waiyaki Way , Westlands) and CAPITAL FM (Lonrho House). You can purchase food stuffs like unga, beans, salt, cooking oil and UHT milk and drop them in the collection boxes. Imagine if each one of us could spare at lease Kshs. 1,000/- what a difference that would make. Remember there's more of us than then.
o	People need to keep talking. It is frustrating not to be able to talk to you relatives and friends not only to find out how they are but to VENT. Please SAMBAZA airtime to those who dont have.
o	Be kind to police officers. They are just trying to maintain order. They too have relatives and friends caught up in the violence.
o	Those of you who know anybody who is anybody, call them, tell them we need to resolve this issue like NOW.
Kenyan Pundit posts the link to Kenya Red Cross website and criticises the Kenyan government for not doing anything to help those who have been misplaced:
For those who are looking for the Redcross link, here it is. I’m really just stunned by the fact that the government is not even attempting to avert the humanitarian crisis – there’s no talk of shelters, no talk of relief supplies, zero. They can sit and blame ODM all they want (though it seems to me both sides are willing to sacrifice innocent lives), but at minimum they have the resources to alleviate the suffering of those who have been displaced and they’ve done nothing. Have heard reports that Kikuyus in Eldoret are being offered GSU escort out of the area to Central Province – nothing about what happens when they get there and nothing about those people who’ve grown up in Eldoret and know no one in Central. I think there’s an opportunity for those who want to help to find a way to channel resources to charitable organizations and religious organizations that have been struggling to cope on the ground. Will think about this on the plane and I’m open to suggestions (leave a comment or send an email: kenyanpundit-at-gmail-dot-com).
As usual, Kenyan Jurist uses his legal expertise to put the whole crisis in the Kenyan legal context:
•	I have said and will say again, the courts will not provide a solution to the current crisis. What we need is a political solution that resolves the issue of legitimacy and justice. The solution needs to deal with structural problems relating to the conduct of elections in future and providing a road map for the resolution of such disputes in future. A court of law cannot provide and will never provide this. It will only tell us the winner and the loser and that is not what we need at this point. It therefore comes as s surprise that the Chairman of the Law Society of Kenya (Disclosure; I am a member) has announced that the Society will file an Election Petition on behalf of all the Kenyans to challenge the elections results. I have, in my previous posts, alluded to the problems inherent in the cess pool that is the law courts.
However, I did not discuss one important implication of the filing of an election. Once an Election Petition is filed, all matters relating to the challenging the election results become SUB JUDICE. As the rule has sometimes been interpreted in the extreme sense it means that parties cannot talk about the election results. It may also mean that the full breath and depth of election result cannot be ventilated outside the court process. In short it may mean that we all SHUT UP! We all become slaves to the court proceedings.
The situation was calm this morning in Nairobi before ODM supporters clashed with the police later in the day:
Quiet so far in Nairobi this morning. Armed police and soldiers are stationed on every corner, roundabout and potential flashpoint of the city on my side of town, close to Kibera. It looks like they want to prevent people getting evern close to Uhuru Park where opposition ODM leaders want to hold a rally. Word is that their supporters will try to slip past the cordon in ones and twos, and then meet up once inside the city centre. Let’s see.c
So what are people doing to avert this crisis?:
One important thing to repeat is that no one expected this and therefore, understandably, no one had a contingency plan in place for the country going up in flames. However, once the shock subsided, Kenyans swung into action. The first response was humanitarian, getting food, clothing, blankets, medical professionals and medical supplies in. The humanitarian response comes first because if your house is on fire, you immediate priority is to stop it burning. Once you have stopped the fire then you can start examining whether it was petrol, diesel, a faulty gas cylinder etc that caused the fire. Right now we are still fighting the fire, literally and metaphorically. The biggest challenge, apart from the usual logistical challenges of mounting such an operation, was the lack of safe passage into the area as the security situation deteriorated. As the government was nowhere to be seen, the humanitarian response revolved around identifying and talking to local Community Based Organisations (CBOs) on the ground in areas of violence and using their networks to reach those affected. CBOs are very important in situations like this because, they know many of those who are perpetrating the violence personally, they know where tensions are the highest, they know key people who can help reduce those tensions, and they have distribution channels through which supplied can pass. It has been heartening to see big international NGOs recognise and work with small CBOs on the ground.
However, there was one big problem, communication. The severe lack of mobile phone airtime vouchers meant that information could not flow up from the ground. Many of us in Nairobi and other urban areas were running around looking for airtime vouchers which we can send directly to another mobile phone enabling them to make calls and send txts. Another problem was that as these CBOs are, as the name suggests, embedded in their community, many of them were caught up in the violence and were displaced themselves. So for example, some people had airtime on their phones, but couldn’t charge their phone batteries. It has to be repeated again that the government’s response has been pathetic thus far (that is a separate post on its own).
Gerald Baraza analyses the crisis in the context of class exploitation and argues that Kenyan leaders are aiding Western media bias against Africa:
The personalities of leaders like Nguema, Idi Amin, Kamuzu Banda, Ibrahim Babangida, D.Arap Moi, Jean Bedel-Bokassa, and Mobutu Sese Seko provide fascinating patterns and models for research into the African traits and idiosyncracies. They form the caricature of the African in the minds of outsiders who see Africa as one inhabited by persons of lesser mental capabilities and people completely incapable of governing themselves!
What is happening in Kenya, gives the alignment and realignment of political forces mostly at the domestic level. At the core of it all is the continuing imperialist exploitation of Kenya by a largely unproductive and irresponsible dominant class. The unfortunate result is the further marginalization, exploitation, impoverishment, domination, and denigration of poor Kenyans by the rich Kenyans. Am sorry to say that these leaders are a total disgrace to Kenyans and Africans in general.
It kills me to imagine that some of the most arrogant and selfish leaders that are a stumbling block to the realization of true democracy in Kenya like Uhuru Kenyatta have never passed a single exam in any institution of learning despite all the advantages that they were born with.
By being arrogant and selfish, the Kenyan leaders are just aiding the deliberate conspiracy in the Western media to continue propagating the terrible picture of Kenya and Africa abroad and to satisfy the warped entertainment demands of a generally uninformed public to continue the historical denigration and marginalization of African-Americans as descendants of barbarians and as people who should thank their gods that “kind” Europeans brought them out of the jungles as slaves for mindless and genocidal exploitation as slaves.
White African posts a comprehensive list of blogs reporting and commenting on the crisis:
Here is a running list of blogs to keep updated on. If you have another one, send it in and I’ll add it to the list.
Kumekucha posts a petition authored by the Coalition of Kenyans and Allies for Democracy calling on Kibaki to step down:
•	Published by Coalition of Kenyans and Allies for Democracy on Dec 31, 2007
Category: Human Rights
Region: GLOBAL
Target: International Community
Description/History: The international community is very much aware that Mwai Kibaki and his Party of National Unity (PNU) rigged the December 2007 Kenyan presidential election.
In recognition of this fact, the European Union, Britain, and the United States have refused to recognize the Kibaki government as legitimate.
As members of the international community, we do not intend to allow this blatant act of disregard for the rule of law and for the will of the people of Kenya to go unchallenged.
The list of evidence of election irregularities compiled in this petition contains widely known facts and has been corroborated by various news sources.
1.	All polls taken before the election favored Raila Odinga and his party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), with Odinga leading Kibaki by a margin of 4%. A mid-December report by the government's own intelligence service gave Raila Odinga an even larger lead of 8% to 15% over Mwai Kibaki. As the election drew near, the Steadman poll, which is conducted under the leadership of George Waititu, a close friend of Kibaki's, showed Kibaki catching up to Odinga although the total for the three leading candidates added up to 101%.
2.	The Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported that Muslim voters, most of whom were expected to favor Raila Odinga, were denied voter cards in the leadup to the election.
3.	Prior to the election, Raila Odinga warned that Mwai Kibaki and his party planned to illegally deploy Administrative Police (AP) as poll agents for the purpose of intimidating voters. While Mwai Kibaki originally denied these allegations, subsequent events showed that Odinga was correct–the East African Standard reported that 65,000 APs were in fact illegally deployed to various parts of the country.
Wendwa weighs Kenya’s options:
The Courts? No, thank you. The only reason Justice Minister Martha Karua is asking Raila to seek judicial redress, is because she knows very well that Kibaki has messed with the judicial system from top to bottom inside out. A PNU court of law doing an inquiry on ODM’s behalf can only either come out with results favouring PNU, or be suspended midway. As at this moment, the Kenyan judicial system can NOT be trusted to work not just for Raila, but for any democratic and patriotic Kenyan.
No-Confidence Motion on Day 1 of Parliament??
Being a Kenyan, having watched the news every single day for years and years, I can say with confidence and absolute accuracy that the majority of Kenyan parliamentarians have never been known to be trustworthy.
Another 1982?
Surprisingly (hmm, maybe not surprisingly), I think that if Raila tried this again, it would work. I spoke to three people; one who lives around Hurlingham’s DoD, another in Eastleigh, and another in Kisumu, as well as the son of a powerful Moi- and post-Moi-era General, and they are saying the same thing: there is dissent in the armed forces. People are not happy. The army, truth be told, is largely an ODM army. It would be very easy for Raila to get these people on his side. And he has ways of getting to them – the same ways he used to find out about the Arturs, election rigging and other PNU-esque plots/scams.
Magaidi condemns Kibaki’s ineffective leadership:
The PNU’s/Government’s supremely irresponsible utterances such as “The president has been sworn in, the elections are over, the Kenyans have to accept the results, the opposition has to accept the results” (see one Raphael Tuju) and then in the same breath proceed to support GSU and police brutality by saying that “If the tear gas doesn’t work then unfortunately they have to use live bullets” leave a mind-boggling lot to be desired. References to “genocide”, “ethnic cleansing” and the such by the government spokesman really bring to bare, the ineptitude that exists in the Kibaki government. In usual Kibaki fashion, he remains holed up in statehouse continuing to pen his voluminous encyclopedia on ineffective leadership by keeping mum or disengaging himself from reality of the situation while the country desperately needs a sense of leadership. Is this the leadership we deserve?
Thinker’s Room discusses tactics that were used to rig the election:
•	The strategy was simple.
o	Stuff ballot boxes where possible. This largely proved impossible thanks to hawk eyed Kenyans at most polling stations. However it was executed at some constituencies where observers were denied access.
o	Through willing proxies like Nyachae (Nyanza), Kombo (Western) and Mwakwere (Coast), secure at least 25% of the vote in the provinces Kibaki was not going to win on his own (besides the inevitable Central and Eastern)
o	Move with speed to publish results of the opposition’s candidate’s presidential votes, while at the same time holding back the tally of the incumbent. It will not do to inflate the incumbent’s tally and turn up short. Or overshoot by several million.
o	At ECK headquarters, have a series of “technical issues” that result in incorrect figures being published of the incumbent’s totals. Invariably, these would be larger, through means like judicious addition of zeroes to totals  or surreptitious injection of the odd 20,000 votes. Inadvertent reduction of the opposition candidate’s totals would also not hurt. This would be courtesy of those ECK commissioners that so recently gained employment.
January 2nd update from Eldoret, the Rift Valley and photos on Flickr from Afromusing:
–	Where to begin?! Perhaps the basics
-Town itself was calm today.
– Fuel available today,
– uchumi and other supermarkets open. Credit also available in Uchumi though restricted to 400 shillings worth per person. MPESA/safaricom office was closed.
– Food availability is so-so, bananas being sold, some kiosks open.
– Friends (of different tribes btw) were stuck in a place called Ndalat for 2 days, not able to get through because of roadblocks at one point escaped death from machetes (gosh this is terrible). These are not conventional roadblocks, they are manned by desperate youth who ask for your id, and also for money. There is a guy who parted with ksh1500 between town and the airport.
-Friends telling a kikuyu friend pole (sorry) because his house was burned. The thing is the people doing the burning are not even known to the people in the area, they are coming in from other places. I feel sick about this whole mess, cant even get myself to type the tribes kikuyu, kalenjin etc when typing this post. people are people. Because we are supposed to be ONE KENYA, this is shocking and utterly…shit, i cant find the word.
I have to go…
January 3rd update:
Today is an even sadder day. I am trying to keep my tears in check…but cant. Town was quiet in an eery, uneasy way. The hopelessness is palpable and the sadness in people’s eyes is overwhelming. Some streets are deserted, shops are closed and Eldoret as we knew it is gone.
There is an appeal for blood donations at Moi Referral and Teaching hospital
There were funeral arrangements being made for Lukas Sang, an athlete who was burned.I do not have all the details yet, but will update once i get more info.
What is Eldoret without Paul’s Bakery?
For many of the displaced, this was the only home they knew. where have they gone, and will they be able to return?
– Mr. Limo of Limo House Hospital, and a leader in the area; taped a peace message to air on Sayare TV station (The ban on live broadcasts is not helping, because the peace appeals need to be heard and seen as many channels as possible) Cant listen to local radio. How can we listen to music at this time?!
– Fewer people at the cathedral on Uganda road.
– Shortage of vegetables
– Airtime is expensive – double the amount actually. For Ksh100 worth of airtime it will cost you Ksh200
It is time to speak out and say, “Enough”:
•	Now look what we’ve done, we Kenyans. Just look at us. It is a bloody disgrace—no, I’m not swearing, I am offering a precise description of the situation on the ground. Bloody and Disgraceful. We are now calling for our International mummies and daddies to come and save us, because we cannot understand how it is that we are laying waste to all we hold dear, and we are still tut-tutting and clucking and wringing our hands while our country burns. Much worse, we have decided that the only two people who can save us are the precise two men whose overweening ambition and horror of unemployment has led us to this despicable pass.
I am travelling across the country with a driver whose name begins with an “O” and because we are deep in PNU country, I am systematically torturing myself with thoughts of what would happen to him if ‘my’ people decided to retaliate for acts of violence against them in the rest of the country. How is it that there is such a space in my imagination, in my country, after I saw with my own two sceptical eyes last Thursday the enormous patience and trust that the people of Kenya were willing to invest in the democratic process? I was there myself, going from polling station to polling station, to record this moment, this ridiculously awesome expression of the popular will. I saw them: the grandmothers and the dreadlocked young men, the mothers with children strapped to their backs, the guy in the wheelchair, the wide-eyes schoolkids watching their elder brothers and sisters exercise their constitutional rights. I saw them, and rejoiced. I was crafting judiciously preening sentences about our organic democratic traditions when the Electoral Commission of Kenya stumbled, slid and fell all the way into its own private Idaho—and left us with a hydra-headed mess.
Enough. If we are to sink with the ship, let us at least not pretend that all along we thought it was only a spring shower that was brewing, and not a furious tempest. Self-truth is a good platform to stand on and from which to survey this mess and decide what to do next. Enough pretence.
After doing a tremendous job of covering the presidential and parliamentary elections from Kenya on her blog, Kenyan Pundit, and on Mzalendo, Kenyan blogger, Ory, is going back to South Africa:
After lots of back and forth and mental anguish for me I have decided to head back to Johannesburg where I’m currently based. It’s been a tough day. I’m from a multi-ethnic background and I feel like I’m being hit on all sides – family stranded in Kericho, no word from family in Kisumu and Western, in-laws under siege in Nakuru, relatives businesses being looted at the Coast, my mother emptying out her two stalls at Kenyatta market and carrying out things in plastic bags and duffel bags because mobs have threatened to burn down the market tomorrow – that’s her livelihood – it’s bad enough that she’s had no business for most of December. We are all feeling so helpless and are reduced to platitudes like “let’s hope for the best” and all “we can do is pray” and “it will end soon” and “these guys need to do something” but all we are doing is masking our fear that we are on a precipice.
I LOVE Kenya. That’s the only reason I’ve spent the last week practically chained to my laptop so that I can chronicle the unfolding events and keep folks who have no access to information updated. But like many of you out there, I find myself living a dual life for professional and personal reasons. And I’m battling with the feeling that I am leaving Nairobi just when I am needed here the most (actually I am).
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your words of encouragement and support, for sharing your stories (keep them coming), for sharing your opinions, for tolerating my draconian stance about comments (trust me I’d rather not have to moderate, it’s not an easy task), and for reminding me why I love Kenya so much even at its ugliest.


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Kuwait: Advice to Parliament · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

K the Kuwaiti has advice for his Parliament in this post. He writes: “A message to members of Parliament… You have been chosen to lead our country; leave your internal arguments, bickering and personal vendettas at home … keep the grillings for the crooks and liars.”


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Kuwait: Editor in Court  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwaiti blogger Forza updates us on the trial of an editor of an online publication in court for slander.


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Kuwait: Video Bloggers in Kuwait. · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Lebanese blogger Mark, who lives in Kuwait, introduces us to two video bloggers from Kuwait – Rashisha and Stan.


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Kyrgyzstan: President Bakiev Names Prime Minister · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Almaz reports  that as Ak-Jol party, led by Kyrgyzstan's President Kurmanbek Bakiev, won the parliamentary elections, he has appointed former Energy Minister, ethnic Russian, Igor Chudinov a new Prime Minister.


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Malawi: Please, keep your job · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Clement Nyirenda's advice to Malawians: “This interview has made me realize that many people are looking for employment in Malawi. So if you are employed, please take your time to thank God continually even when your pay is meager because the job market is congested.”


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Morocco: Happy New Year! · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Shortly after Eid al-Adha commenced, Moroccan residents are ready to celebrate the new year.  Although New Year's Eve in Morocco is a bit more low-key than the holiday in Europe or the United States, families often celebrate at home, and (as you'll see from the blogoma), resolutions are made.
Evelyn in Morocco describes a typical Moroccan New Year's Eve celebration:
Not much is made of New Year's Eve here. From what I can gather, many people have some cake and listen to music or watch TV with their family.
Hisham of The Moroccan Mirror asks what a real happy new year would mean:
One Answer Would Be: Getting Rid of Poverty and Child Labor
This is not meant as a miserabilist attempt to hamper the joy of those who, legitimately, want to forget about the ills and miseries of our society. But it is a reminder of the kind of obstacles still ahead.
The blogger also shares a video on the subject by an unknown Moroccan filmmaker.  In another post, Hisham shares his best and worst of 2007.  One example in the “best” category:
Aboubakr Jamaï
The founder of the most popular Moroccan magazine, Le Journal Hebdo, was forced earlier this year, to leave Morocco in order to avoid paying a record breaking fine of $350,000, that would otherwise bankrupt his magazine. He is one of the most popular and charismatic young journalists that the country has ever produced, and one who marked the recent Moroccan journalistic scene by bringing a revolutionary new style of professional investigative journalism. He openly challenged the monarchy and the military and literally paid the price. In November 2005, Jamaï wrote a ground-breaking open letter to Mohamed VI in which he urged the monarch to grab the opportunity of his political virginity and his capital of popular sympathy to put the country on the tracks of reform. The letter fell on deaf ears.
Connie in Morocco wishes a Happy 2008 and shares feelings about the holiday season and its long-term effects on the village where she lives:
The “holiday” atmosphere/lifestyle is still pervasive here following the Muslim Layeed Kbeer. The calendar new year is observed this next week with no school Monday or Tuesday, then I think it is the 10th that the Islamic calendar celebrates new year, so school (and the neddy) are closed then as well. The number days high school has been in session since September is few. As I understand it, it is the “fault” of the students, parents, administration, ministry, and sometimes even the teachers. No wonder hardly any go to the university. I also just discovered this is the first year the “baccalaureate” is offered in my village. That is the equivalent of our high school diploma.
Finally, The Morocco Report wishes a simple happy new year:
And so, I wish you and yours the best of this coming new year – make the most of it.  Choose resolutions that truly speak to you, and that you may keep.  Work on fulfilling your hopes and goals.  I know I will.

author: Jillian C. York


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Myanmar: Rise in Satellite TV Fee · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Cambodian blogger Borin sees relation between Myanmar's government increasing the satellite television fee and limiting free flow of information for its citizen.


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Nigeria: Nigeria’s four “tribes” · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Oro discusses Nigeria's four “tribes”: “I am a Nigerian. Please don’t look at my name and try to peg me to a tribe otherwise I will be glad tell you the stories of other people I have met in the last three decades of my existence — people who can not be defined by any tribal nomenclature.”


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Puerto Rico: Restoring the Lighthouses · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Dondequiera appeals to his fellow Puerto Ricans “to…restore, preserve, and honor our patrimony represented in the lighthouses of Puerto Rico.”


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South Asia: Dynasties and Democracy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Feringhee on the overwhelming presence of dynasties in the context of democracy in South Asia.


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Sri Lanka: Bomb Blast · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The New Year in Sri Lanka has a violent start. Chaar Max and Ephemeral Ruminations have more on the blast in Slave Island.


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Sri Lanka: Protecting human rights · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Transcurrents on why the Sri Lankan government must protect human rights and foster pluralism.


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Syria: Bloggers’ New Year · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

As another year passes, we all raise our toasts for a better year. Following is what the Syrian bloggers had to say about 2007, and the young 2008.
Abu Fares, says his farewells to 2007, with an epic post rounding his most memorable new year eves, all the way back since 1966.
Tartous 1966 – The first time in my living memory to stay up so late. The moored ships in the unfinished Tartous harbor blew their horns and shot colored flares in the night sky. A few minutes past midnight my aunt delivered her baby. He is a doctor today and lives somewhere in Canada. He had recently become a father himself. 42 years have passed since.
Syrian in London, runs an evaluation of her past year, and takes us through her life between London and Damascus.
So what was 2007 for me? Another step towards the big 30 which seems so much closer nowadays; not sure what the judgment of the first 30 years will be, I leave that to the wiser/older crowd to suggest and to me at 31 to decide!
Zena, is very optimistic about next year, and simply says to 2008, Bring it on!
I'm quiet optimistic about 2008, not that anything different happened, it's just that I'm more resolved to live a better and more meaningful life, I'm not going to worry about what might have been, I'm just going to live each and every day, experience and moment to the full.
Soraya, has more than a few resolutions for the next year. Read about her year, and her 10 resolutions for 2008:
1. Quit smoking ( yea I say that every year but this year am gonna try for real)
2. fit in fitness
3. learn something new ( maybe a new language, maybe some new craft course, or even going back to learning Salsa)
4. get organized ( I’m a big mess no need to explain more)
5. fall in love (hmmmm no comment)
Last but not least, Kinan, says goodbye to another journal, alongside 2007.
You have only a few precious pages left, but I will leave you now. I will take all the lessons you have taught me and become the man we both envisioned me to be. And I will come back and tell you about it, so that I finally get to thank you like I should and finally pay my due.
Happy new year everybody.

author: Yazan Badran