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Uganda: Mapping water sources · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Tom Loughran blogs about mapping water sources in Uganda: “Each of the points on the map contains the results of a proof-of-concept water quality test, and a hyperlink to images and additional information about the water source…The location and water quality data are entered into a Google form embedded in a wiki page..”


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Uzbekistan: The Sting Saga · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Sarah Kendzior writes about the recent scandal in press around Sting's concert in Tashkent in honor of Uzbek president's daughter – and about how this fact atracted a new wave of interest of the Western media to human rights record in Uzbekistan.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Video: Kids News Network turns to web · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

In many homes, children are not allowed to watch news because their parents believe that newscasts on TV might be to traumatic or violent. So how can children find out about national and world affairs? In Burma, Zambia, Surinam, South Africa, Peru, Indonesia, the Dutch Caribbean and Mozambique, children now have the opportunity to watch TV news magazines that are specifically geared towards them, also giving them a space to voice their opinions and find out about current events.
All of these newscasts are coordinated and supported during their first two years by Freevoice from the Netherlands, they are aired on national television networks in their countries, and many of the projects are also turning to the internet as a better mean of getting children's feedback and including more of them in the process of suggesting topics and approaches to news.
In Peru, we have NAPATV, where the letters NAPA stand for the phrase in Spanish that means not for adult consumption (No Apto para Adultos). Through the website youth can see the different videos, comment on them, leave a message on the chat board and participate on online polls. They also have a Facebook page, twitter and YouTube accounts. On this daily 30 minute show kids ask the president questions, tell the world what they would like to be when they grow up, discuss current events, and also say in front of the cameras what they dislike. For example [es]: Kevin, age 15, tells NAPA that he dislikes it when neighborhood security guards tell them they can't skateboard on the streets with his friends because they will “damage the pavement and plants”.
Following is a short news review section where subjects such as permits for school buses and transport, mining companies and environment and school children with high levels of lead in their blood are discussed [es]:
The Caribbean Kids Network  also publishes the videos on their website, and the subtitled newscasts are both in English and in Papiamento. There are 5 journalists assigned to the different islands and they produce together the weekly show. Following is the latest  episode [en, pap], where they follow a protest on the construction of a hotel in Aruba; talk about counterfeit goods, why they are illegal and how to recognize them, and also other topics such as green energy and music.
In Myanmar (Burma), the situation is a bit different. There, YouthVoices gives children a chance to receive relevant news. As freevoice explains:
Press freedom does not exist in Burma; the military regime detains critics on a regular basis and the state television only provides positive news of the generals. To produce an uncensored kids news with real news, the DVB team works from Thailand and receives its images from Burma through a secret network of camjo's (camera journalists). For the safety and protection of the journalists and the children being interviewed, the children wear (animal)masks in front of the camera, so they cannot be recognized, subsequently, they can give their real and honest opinions.
On the sample newscast made for YouthVoices you can see the masks being used.  In the latest ones [mya], though, masks are no longer used, but some of those who are interviewed do have their faces digitally blurred.
You can read more about the Kids News Network and their projects in other countries at Freevoice.nl.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Africa: African entrepreneurs you should know · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ory writes about African entrepreneurs: “Anyway, I thought I’d share the profiles of some of these entrepreneurs with you…always important to keep telling the success stories, no? First is Erik Charas (@erikcharas), he is the president of @Verdade (the truth), which is Mozambique’s biggest circulation newspaper. @Verdade reaches more than 400 000 people in Mozambique and is the country’s first high-quality, free newspaper.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Africa: Homophobia exists in Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“Homophobia exists in Africa, as does influenza,” argues blogger Gukira: “This comparison is only partly gratuitous as I am interested in scales of virulence. We know that African bees are the deadliest; the sun in Africa is hotter than anywhere else in the world; viruses from Africa are the most malicious; and the simple cold, when caught in Africa, destroys the entire body within 3 hours.”


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Africa: Traveling in Africa with a blog · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Border Jumpers is a blog written by Bernard Pollack and Danielle Nierenberg as they travel in Africa.


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Bahrain: Blame Ahmed Zainal! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Got anything to complain about in Bahrain? Disgruntled about something in your life? Look no further. Just Blame Ahmed Zainal! There's even a blog, a Facebook group dedicated to blaming the young Bahraini for any mishaps or unfortunes in the country and further afield and a Twitter hashtag!
The Blame Ahmed Zainal Facebook Page
Whoever said the Internet is only being used for activism in the Middle East. Here is a large online community having fun toying with online tools while being united in one mission – putting the blame on Ahmed Zainal for everything and anything under the sun.
How did all this start? According to the blog, set up by Bahraini blogger Ammaro:
Simple. Bahrain's Twitterers (is that a word?) decided to meet up for a geekup. Espalion Cafe, 7:30pm. Simple enough, yeah? Obviously since geeks are almost always guys and most girls are generally women who play with fluffy pencils and paint their nails pink, the geekup was a bunch of guys sitting around talking about IP addresses, hotspot sheild, rapidshare vs bittorrent, and streaming the whole thing live for the world to see via Ustream.
Over at Twitter, the conversation continued, with tweeps blaming Zainal for a variety of things. Ammaro explains:
And there it started… But accidentally, through just blaming Zainal, a whole family of people was involved in the blame, and suddenly…
He continues:
And so it took off… Within a couple of hours, it seemed everyone was blaming Ahmed Zainal, and with that, a load of stress and troubles was taken off their minds…
In a follow up post, Ammaro lists “some favourite random #BlameAhmedZainal's”. They include:
@ammar456: Dinosaurs died like 100 milion years ago #BlameAhmedZainal
@Lamya: Loool RT: @omar9944 CNN reports that George Bush #BlameAhmedZainal for 9/11
@ahmed2250: Twitter is distracting today because of all the #BlameAhmedZainal and for that I really #BlameAhmedZainal
@baderkamal: Global Warming = #BlameAhmedZainal
Over on Facebook, Yacoub Al-Slaise takes it a step further – and dubs this video. Click here for a laugh!
Ammaro too posts this video on YouTube, where he tells the world who to blame for any mishaps!
The Redbelt too exercises some liberty with this cartoon, which blames Ahmed Zainal:
The Redbelt's Blame Ahmed Zainal
Global Voices Online caught up with Ahmed Zainal to find out some more:
Q. Who is Ahmed Zainal? And what do you do?
I'm a Bahraini living in Bahrain.  I work as a PR specialist at Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco).  I'm also an electronic music artist and a social media addict.
Q. How do you feel about #BlameAhmedZainal? How has it affected you?
Let's just say I'm glad it died down lol!  But in all seriousness I'm glad to have been a part of a meme that got a lot of people on twitter trying to trend.  I always wanted to start one, but never thought I'd be in the centre of one!  The funniest part was reading the results of a Google search on the hashtag… so many blames… -_-‘
Q. What are your online activities?
I tweet a lot.  A LOT.  Follow @ahmedzainal to see what I mean!  I showcase my music on virb and Facebook.  I'm online most of the time (be it on a computer or smartphone) and it has become an essential part of my daily routine.
Q. How has social networking impacted your life?
Not a day goes by without the urge to tell the world something; anything!  Twitter and other social media tools have enabled us to do that.  The world has become so much smaller.
Small world indeed! But remember, if your plans for a barbecue are ruined by the rain, if your car won't start on a day you are already late to work, if your boss is nasty to you or if your cat gets into a fight – all you have to do is #BlameAhmedZainal.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bahrain/Saudi Arabia: Rain Rain Go Away!  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Yesterday afternoon brought with it some rain, gusts and dust to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Bahrain, spurring a buzz on Twitter and other social networking platforms.
To give some context to those not from the region, rain is a rare occurrence and freak storms get people edgy as the infrastructure is not geared to deal with the extra water. After a severe downpour, our roads become “rivers” and “lakes” form in neighbourhoods, thanks to bad drainage.
From Bahrain, where the storm was less severe, Ahmed Zainal admits in a tweet:
Never got so confused at a roundabout. Had a ton of sand around me and I couldn't see the exits!
For those of you not so familiar with roundabouts, here‘s some more information.
Moe Zainal, actionscripter on Twitter, is also confused. He tweets:
I don't understand our confused weather… Mskeeeeeeeeeen…. (poor thing)
And Eyade quips:
the weather outside reminds of this line from King Pin “run for the hill everybody! there is a giant shit cloud coming”
Thankfully, it was a false alarm, and the storm quickly passed Bahrain with very little damage.
Meanwhile, across the 25km causeway linking Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, a new Twitter hashtag was born as the sky turned black and the gusts picked up. Twitter users there quickly adopted the hash tag #ShargiahRain to inform each other about traffic jams, storm damage and other updates. Shargiah means Eastern in Arabic, and is what we call the Eastern Province in our daily lives.
Once again, like with the Riyadh Rains a few days ago, Twitter users take the opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with mainstream media.
Turki 2 notes:
Hasan Almustafa uploads this picture on twitpic, which shows a damaged billboard leaning into the water in Qatif:
Hasan Almustafa's twitpic on the storm
And in nearby Khobar, Ali Al Ohali shares this photograph on twitpic:
Khobar storm
On YouTube, sebinsaifsebinsa, from Dammam, uploads this video of the storm:
And finally Horames has good news:
Stay tuned for more updates as climate change wreaks havoc around the world!


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Bosnia: Waltz Guinness Record Broken in Tuzla · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Tuzlarije reports [BOS] that 1,510 couples of dancers broke the Guinness Record in simultaneous mass waltzing in Tuzla during the evening of May 7. Previous record holder was Vienna with 317 dancing pairs. Participants included people living elsewhere, including the Austrian ambassador in Bosnia and his spouse.

author: Filip Stojanovski


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Cambodia: Freedom of Assembly in Freedom Park  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Good news: Cambodians can now organize a protest action against the government without a fear of being violently dispersed by the police.
Bad news: Protests are only allowed in the newly established Freedom Park. And protesters need a permit to use the Freedom Park.
The Freedom Park is located far from government buildings and the parliament. Assemblies that number more than 200 are allowed if the organizers are able to secure a permit. The Freedom Park can accommodate about 5,000 people. The government has announced that protests in other areas will be outlawed.
Cambodia's Freedom Park. Political cartoon by Sacravatoons
Some bloggers have described the Freedom Park as “Round-up Park” or “Deprived Freedom Park.” The Son of the Khmer Empire reacts:
In my point of view this so-called freedom park is usless and it will be constitutionally used as a suppressing instrument for Hun Xen (Prime Minister of Cambodia) government to successfully deprive the freedom of the assembly of the people of Cambodia if the Demonstration Law is not amended.
The blogger is referring to the Demonstration Law which was passed last June 2009 which critics cited as a repressive legal measure. The law allows protests to take place only between 6am to 6pm in a designated freedom park.
But some commenters are happy with the establishment of a Freedom Park. Here is an anonymous commenter:
These so-called critics sound more like cynics to me. The fact that the city hall decides to set up a proper place for demonstration and voicing concern and you call this silencing? What do these people want?
Before, they said they are oppressed to cast any voice, now they are given a platform, they call it silencing
…not to mention choatic demonstration can block traffic make traffic jam, etc… good for authority to designate an area by law

author: Mong Palatino


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China and the U.S: The fake chips · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Angry Chinese blogger comments on the U.S government's accusation of the inflow of low grade technology products, such as fake chips into the U.S military.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Naked official debate · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A “naked official” is an official whose wife and kids have left China to live in a foreign country, leaving only him behind to take care of things at home. Juilian from DANWEI translated a debate from Southern Weekend on whether or not these naked officials should be fired as many of them are associated with corruption.


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Colombia: A Look at Twitter Use Around the Country · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Over the course of two months, the community site Twitter Colombia [es] analyzed 3 million Tweets from 20,000 users in the country, as way to take a snapshot of the use of this microblogging tool. The result was a set of statistics about the average Twitterer in Colombia [es].
On the average, the Colombian Twitterer is following 128 people and is followed by 176, while only 13% users have their Tweets protected. The statistics even looked at which day of the week and time of day the average Twitter used the service, Wednesday and 11:30 a.m., respectively.
The study also revealed which Colombian Twitterers had the most mentions during this time period. These popular users include Camilo Andrés García (@hyperconectado), Colombian rocker, Juanes (@juanes), Nicolás Samper (@udsnoexisten), Sebastian Yepes (@sebastianyepes),  and Karem Díaz Robles (@karemvip).
In addition to posting analysis such as this, and tutorials on the Twitter Colombia blog, the site also groups Colombian Twitter accounts according to their subject matter into categories such as Music, Newspapers, Government, and Politicians.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana: Nestlé Going Local · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

Blogger Anba pyé mango-la [Fr/Fr Cr] is sharing skeptical opinions about the new moves of multinational food company Nestlé towards the adaptation of local products and recipes from the French Caribbean.

author: Fabienne Flessel


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Guadeloupe: “No to Violence” Day · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

In Guadeloupe, both Bondamanjak and Anba pyé mango-la post the announcement of an event designed to say “Yes to peace, No to violence” on May 8th, 2010.


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Haiti: Preval’s Term Extended  · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

The Haitian blogosphere has been buzzing about the modification of the Haitian electoral law, which would enable President Preval to remain in power longer (should the elections not be held this November).  Here are RadioKiskeya's  and Haiti RectoVerso's posts [Fr] on the issue.


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Iran: Five political prisoners were executed · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian bloggers such as Sight reported that Iranian State executed five political prisoners including Farzad Kamangar,a teacher, on Sunday. They were accused of terrorist activities. Sight writes “news was short. they executed all of them. Tears stop me writing anything more.”

author: Fred Petrossian


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Japan: Caterpillar, by director Wakamatsu · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

The Tokyo Reporter gives an overview [en] on the latest movie by Japanese director Koji Wakamatsu Caterpillar [ja], a film that “attacks the hypocrisy inherent in nationalism and the suffering of innocent civilians.”

author: Scilla Alecci


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Kenya: Proposed Constitution is idiot-proof · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

So, the Kenyan proposed constitution is idiot-proof as blogger Maina puts it: “Anybody can read this katiba and understand what each article says without needing an expensive lawyer or re-reading it severally.”


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Macedonia: Can the Country Go Bankrupt? · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

Participants in the conference “Can our country go bankrupt?”, organized by the Open Society Institute-Macedonia on May 5, consider that ‘the Greek scenario’ seems unlikely at this time, but urged for caution, especially in regard to increasing public debt/pressure on the private sector.


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Mozambique: Aid spat · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

Mozambique relies on money from other governments that give aid directly to its State Budget, making possible essential services like health and education.
The relationship between the “donor” countries, and the Mozambican government, which has remained in the hands of the strong ruling party, has had its ups and downs over the years. And the donor countries are diverse, from Europe, North America and Asia, and they have rarely acted with a unified voice.
Since the late 1990s, most donor countries have repeatedly demanded proof of improvement in “governance” – in what relates to corruption, improvements in accountability and the rule of law. These demands were made concrete in written agreements between donor countries and Mozambique.
The murders of two high profile figures investigating corruption in 2000 and 2001 continue unresolved in the eyes of donor countries. The recent trial of managers of Mozambican Airports, a state enterprise, for embezzlement of millions of dollars of state monies reminded that corruption continues to occur at a high level.
Photo from Flickr user Sida – Swedish International Development Cooperation
Yet, it is safe to say that, until Sweden decided that it would reduce its support to the Mozambican budget last year, most of the tension between donor countries and the receiving government remained behind closed doors. Additionally, last year's presidential election also elevated public tensions, as donors challenged the administration of elections.
Joseph Hanlon, long-time Mozambique analyst, journalist and Professor at Open University, offers up a full section on his website documenting the “donor strike” of 2010. He summarizes
Budget support donors (G19) sent two letters to government in December 2009, demanding rapid moves on electoral law reforms, corruption, conflict of interest, and the overlap between the Frelimo party and the state. Budget support was suspended. On 5 February 2010 Aiuba Cuereneia, Minister for Planning and Development and the main government negotiator with the donors, sent a reply [letter] to the G19, setting out the government position and making few concessions. […] Negotiations in early March led to an agreement announced 24 March and a resumption of the flow of money.
Edígio Vaz kicked off a debate in the Mozambican blogosphere in March [pt] on the recent breakdown of communication between donor nations and his government
O maior problema do Governo, segundo os doadores, foi sempre o de ter aceitado as metas, indicadores de desempenho e objectivos negociados com os doadores no âmbito do PAP sem que contra eles apresentasse qualquer resultado tangível ou relatório de progresso circunstanciado, como acordado.
A demora, as manobras dilatórias, as desculpas, os relatórios generalistas e muitas vezes prolixos, contrastam com o avantajado estado quase capturado em que o Estado se encontra, pela gang cleprocrata incrustada aos vários níveis da gestão da coisa pública.
The biggest problem of the Government, according to the donors, was always to have accepted the goals, indicators of success and the objectives, negotiated with donors in the PAP [Program Aid Partnership], without showing a tangible results or circumstantial report against them, as agreed.
Delays, foot-dragging, excuses, very general and wordy reports, are in contrast with the advanced capture of the State by a cleptocrat gang established at various levels of the management of public goods.
Vaz describes the government's 18-page letter to the donors, as “an irreparable shot in the air”. But he also blames the donor countries [Pt]
… A megalomania do grupo dos PAP foi manifesta, ao ponto de lhes ter entorpecido a inteligência, necessária para o discernimento entre factos, necessários para servir de base para a tomada de decisão
In his view, the donor countries punished the “new” Frelimo government entering after the October election, including a new Prime Minister, preventing it from beginning anew with new social programs.
But readers responded to Vaz, reminding that many donor countries are suffering severe economic crisis. Zenaida Machado writes [Pt]
Em alguns países europeus há e haverá cortes drásticos de orçamento 2010/11 e que de certeza, irão afectar o OGE/2011 de Moçambique.
Mesmo assim, acho que esta ‘crise’ europeia veio mesmo a calhar e serve de castigo/lição para as nossas ‘instituições’ politicas e governamentais
In some European countries there are and there will be drastic budget cuts in 2010/11 and certainly, this will affect the Mozambique State Budget in 2011.
Even so, I think that the timing of this “crisis” serves as a punishment/lesson for our governmental and political institutions.
Some took a more comical take on things, like an amateur cartoonist featured by Carlos Serra, who drew the Mozambican government having a shock at the “donor cash machine” [pt].
The delay caused by the negotiations over aid this year did not, according to the Mozambican government, affect service delivery as the 2010 budget was still being finalized during the “donor strike”. But Vaz concludes that [pt]
De uma ou de outra forma, fica claro que as duas partes precisam de aprimorar os mecanismos de comunicação, diálogo político e acima de tudo, serem realistas nas decisões e compromissos que acordarem.

author: Janet Gunter


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Nepal: The Maoists Have Won · Global Voices
Rezwan

Democracy For Nepal thinks that by calling off the indefinite strike after six days, the Maoists have won.

author: Rezwan


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Pakistan: The Making Of A Terrorist · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pervez Hoodbhoy at All Things Pakistan thinks that the prevalent anti-Americanism in Pakistani media creates terrorists like Faisal Shahzad, the failed Pakistani born car bomber from New York City.


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Pakistan: The Role Of Citizen Media · Global Voices
Rezwan

Global Voices Pakistan author Sana Saleem shared her views on the impact of Citizen Media in Pakistan in a panel discussion at the Global Voices Summit 2010 in Santiago, Chile. You can watch the video (11 minutes) at Teeth Maestro blog.


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Palestine: Gaza Hosts Its Own Soccer World Cup · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Football (soccer) fans are preparing for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa next month, but right now another football World Cup is going on – in Gaza. While Palestine may not be able to send a team to South Africa, a Palestine team is competing against foreign residents of Gaza who have formed teams representing their countries, in a tournament being played over the first two weeks of May. Palestinian bloggers are thrilled by the tournament – and two of them managed to attend a match.
The website of the Gaza World Cup explains what it's all about:
Currently 1.6 million Palestinians are held in geopolitical limbo while Gaza struggles under a multifaceted siege. Gazan involvement in international sporting events, and indeed many arguably more important activities, remains nearly impossible for the foreseeable future. The Gaza Strip is, inexplicably, excluded from the rest of the world. […] In the spirit of banding together, the “Gaza World Cup” is a highly inclusive project that aspires to remind the Gazan community, as well as the rest of the world, that we share more in common than political adversity. Specifically, a two-week football tournament is scheduled for the first half of May, 2010, in which approximately 200 Gazan professional football players will join together with 200 foreigner amateurs to compose 16 different “national” teams in the quest to win the “Gaza World Cup” – an artistic trophy handmade from the twisted iron of Gaza. Forming the core of the Gaza World Cup will be a partnership between 16 professional football clubs in Gaza and an equal number of foreigner amateurs residing in Gaza for various humanitarian purposes.
The students writing at Life on Bir Zeit Campus (Birzeit is a university in the West Bank) think the tournament is a great idea:
We're far superior than y'all who are counting down the days until the World Cup in South Africa commences because a more important and more high-profile world cup is happening right now! ‘Tis called…the Gaza World Cup. Unfortunately for us, we can't be there in person to witness history, what with all the occupation borders limitations permits and the rest of that jazz, but we have little things like Internet and Television Sets to observe the games keenly. […] We're picturing normal people with normal bodies and normal (or less than) fitness levels, as opposed to the Adonis yummy six pack professional athletes, playing a good game of football. It's so cute! And really great…Palestine for the World Cup!
Haitham Sabbah, a Palestinian blogger based in Bahrain, says:
It seems that football fans might be able to do what Arab governments have miserably failed to achieve or even address: lifting the illegal inhuman Israeli siege of Gaza!
Two young Gaza bloggers were excited to have the chance to attend their first football match, the second match of the tournament. Lina Al Sharif, who blogs at Live From Gaza, was surprised to be able to go:
Stadiums in Gaza are for men. Girls going to a football match is not a familiar thing. So, my friend and I were worried that our parents would not let us go. Surprisingly, my father gave me the permission, assuming that I would be bored and leave at once. Excited I was though I am not a fan of football. But that didn’t mean that I didn’t want to try the feeling of being in a football ground watching people cheering over men passing a ball.
The match was at 5 p.m . We didn’t want to be all 3 girls going to a men territory alone, so the brothers of friends came with us. (though they are way younger than us!) The 3 scarf wearing girls were darted with looks of “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” by the guards of the playground. They thought we were journalists, but we innocently said that “We are here because we want to watch the game”. Still surprised, but they gave us seats where the foreign supporters were as we literally were the only girls except for a few girls who came later.
You can read about the match itself at Lina's post. She concludes:
It was a special day for us. A new experience that brought us as close as possible to a football match. The Gaza World Cup is a project that many would underestimate its value. But the idea of this event hits the core of the Gaza plight…the siege. Many do not think of the Gaza youngsters and their need to play sports. This event provides Gazans some sense of solidarity mixed with the entertainment of a football match.
Lina posted a short video she took during the match:
Amal is Lina's friend, and she writes at Hopeingaza about attending the match:
It was really amazing how the foreigners [in Gaza] were so supportive for this world cup thing, I thought they would have never take such matter seriously and to them it’s but a trifling thing, but on the contrary they came and supported us and it meant the world to me and to all the Palestinians. Going to a football match was one of the wishes I had on my wish list to go watch a football match abroad because I knew there could never be a football match in Gaza, but in Gaza I fulfilled one of my wishes in the Gaza world cup 2010.. this world cup is like a shout to the outer world who are watching us suffer under the siege not able to do anything like crippled people, that we can do it..

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Puerto Rico: Bloggers Meet · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Bloggers, journalists, entrepreneurs, and activists participated yesterday in the Second Blogger Meeting in Caguas, Puerto Rico.  Speakers talked about blogs as a business tool, the role of women in the blogosphere, blogging for social activism, moblogging, the Caribbean blogosphere, and open source software.
Logo of the Second Blogger Meeting in Puerto Rico.
On behalf of Global Voices, I interviewed the organizer, José Hernández Falcón, a Puerto Rican journalist who started talking about blogs and the Internet back in 1995. He describes himself as “a journalist in love with social technology.” He blogs about technology in Chatmanía 2.0 [ES] which is based in the mainstream newspaper Primera Hora.
How was the Blogger Meeting in Puerto Rico conceived?
The idea was conceived four years ago, while I was the director of the former portal zonai (that belonged to the mainstream newspaper El Nuevo Día). This portal sustained one of the strongest online communities in Puerto Rico. I wanted to take advantage of that strength to organize a meeting with the participants, which had never been done. The idea evolved with the blog explosion, and, finally, in 2009, the dream came true. I took advantage of the contacts I had made in the journalistic world and the Caguas Municipality (a large city close to the capital, San Juan) – where I now work – to find funding to organize a meeting with the most important bloggers of Puerto Rico.
How was the first meeting in 2009?
The first meeting was conceived as a reunion for a few people. I did not expect more than 70 people. But 150 people attended the meeting, and it was covered by the media (press, Internet, radio).
What are your expectations for the second meeting?
I want the local blogosphere to be taken into account as an important massive and social media space. I want the business world, governments, and individuals to learn more about social media tools and how to use them to transmit their messages and connect with people. We hope that a proper education will help us reduce the digital divide in the Island. This year, I hope at least 170 people attend the meeting.
How would you describe the Puerto Rican blogosphere?
The blogosphere in Puerto Rico is growing. There are more than 1400 blogs registered in the directory Puerto Blogs. This number does include blogs in newspapers, or community platforms (such as the forums), and, of course, there are blogs that are not registered. Maybe this number could be doubled if we could count all of these blogs and platforms.  In terms of quality, there is room for improvement. There are many blogs on technology, education, and everyday life. There should be more blogs on other topics, such as political and social issues, religion, and entertainment. I think the blogosphere as a space for expression could be much stronger, and that bloggers could write about many other issues in serious and concrete ways.
Please mention some of your favorite blogs from Puerto Rico.
I like Mario Alegre’s blog Sin subtítulos [ES] in Primera Hora (a mainstream newspaper in Puerto Rico), which is well done, even if you do not like movies.  I also like Novéltica [ES] because it has good analyses on the local Internet culture; Prisma Digital, which explains technology in easy terms, and Qiibo, a blog that creatively links technology, film, and social issues.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Saudi Arabia: Saudi Jeans Turns Six · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi Jeans celebrates its sixth anniversary today, writes Ahmed Al Omran.


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South Africa: Social media and Cape Town gangsters · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Marlon posts a video about social media and Cape Town gangsters.


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Tanzania: Aids activists deported · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nine well connected AIDS activists were deported from Tanzania minutes after meeting up with South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka, reports Hot Secrets.


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Belarus: Iryna Vidanava on FP’s World’s Top Dissidents List · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belarus Digest notes that Foreign Policy's The World’s Top Dissidents list includes one Belarusian (“Iryna Vidanava, founder and editor of the multimedia youth magazine 34), but does not include a few other prominent dissident politicians.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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China: expelling the unemployed from Shenzhen · Global Voices
Don Weinland

Ridding the city of those unemployed for longer than three months—that’s what Shenzhen’s vice mayor and police chief suggested April 29 in response to security problems in this special economic zone in South China.  The suggestion has generated a strong online response.
In a meeting with the Hong Kong-Macau Political Consultative Council, Shenzhen’s Vice Mayor Li Ming, who doubles as the head of the police bureau, said if Shenzhen can get the legal basis, it will restrict migrant workers who have been unemployed for longer than three months from renting houses, in effect, asking them to leave the city.  The suggestion was met by the council’s applause, Southern Daily reports.
Li said unemployed migrant workers are responsible for a large percentage of Shenzhen’s crime, Southern Daily reports.  He said 88 percent of the suspects in the city’s detention facilities are first-time offenders, many of whom have migrated from inland regions in search of work.  There are reportedly 1 million unemployed migrant workers currently residing in Shenzhen.
Southern Daily quotes Li as saying “Regulating and bringing order to unemployed workers is the key to solving Shenzhen’s security [problem].  Without solving this, there’s no hope for security.”
Shenzhen, China’s first special economic zone, has doubled in population in the past seven years.  The city grew from a population of 7 million in 2003 to 14 million in 2010, an increase of 1 million people per year.
In the Southern Daily article, Li said Shenzhen’s police force is chronically deficient, with only 13.5 police officers per 10,000 people.  That’s less than half of the police-to-people ratio in the neighboring city of Guangzhou, which reportedly supports 29.7 police officers per 10,000 people.
Online Response
The online response to Li’s suggestion has been negative.  Many bloggers have found the idea a violation of migrant workers’ basic rights.  Others have called it unfair to the migrant population as a whole.  Blogger Hai Tao says such a measure would label all unemployed migrants as criminals.
不可否认，深圳犯罪者中确有不少是无业流动人员，但无业流动人员毕竟只是犯罪者中的一部分。而立法清除无业流动人员，就等于将所有的无业流动人员都纳入了打击范围，这对于那些并未实施犯罪行为的无业流动人员来说无疑是不公平的。
It’s undeniable that many criminals in Shenzhen are unemployed migrant workers.  But unemployed migrant workers are, after all, only one portion of the criminals. Legislation to get rid of [them] is the same as putting all unemployed migrant workers in the scope of the attack.  This is unquestionably unfair to those who have yet to commit a crime.
The author says the measure would be a violation of basic rights.
更为重要的是，自由迁徙是公民的一项自然权利，任何组织与个人无权限制，包括深圳在内任何地方都无权立法清除无业流动人员。
More importantly, the freedom to migrate is the citizen’s natural right, and no group or individual has the right to limit it.  Shenzhen, or any other place, doesn’t have the right to expel unemployed workers.
Blogger Zhuben-Dingchong says there are obvious legal problems with the suggerstion.
这位官员法律素养欠缺，体现在他向政协委员谈论法律依据这点上。首先，法律依据不够，这位官员居然不懂得政协委员可没有立法权，人民代表才有给予他法律依据的可能 … 再次，通过立法不租给无业者房子，并不是以法律规范市场经济的行为…
The deficiency in this official’s legal cultivation is evident in his discussion of a legal basis with the member of the Political Consultative Council.  Firstly, there is not enough legal basis.  Surprisingly, this official doesn’t understand that Political Consultative Council members don’t have legislative powers.  Only People’s Representatives can grant him the possibility of a legal basis … Also, passing legislation that restricts renting houses to the unemployed is not a lawful means of standardizing the market economy…
Blogger Chisun writes that Shenzhen citizens have the right to rent to anyone they choose.
对3个月以上无正当职业的人，不租房子给他。深圳百姓想将房子租给任何合法的公民包括那些暂时无业但没有犯法的人们，那是宪法赋予的自由与权利，任何人无权干涉和限制，这是一个基本商品交易常识。
As for not renting houses to workers unemployed for longer than three months, the people of Shenzhen renting houses to any legal citizen, including temporarily unemployed workers who haven’t committed crimes—this is a freedom and a right granted by the constitution that no one has the right to interfere or limit.  This is basic knowledge regarding the transaction of commodities.
Li Zheqi, chief consultant for a brand sales organization, writes in a blog entry that although migrant workers bring problems to the cities they relocate to, they are still right-deserving citizens.
人口流动是城市化发展的必然，不可否认的是，“无业人员”的确在给城市发展带来进步的同时也带来一些问题，比如治安管理难，整体素质低，卫生条件差等问题。但是“清除”这个词语让人感觉这里是另外一个国度，在自己的国家自己的土地，没有工作就应该被清除吗?这是什么逻辑！属于这一个群体人员的尊严被置放到什么地方？
The floating population is a necessity of urbanization.  It’s undeniable that “unemployed workers”, while certainly bringing progress to development, have also brought problems.  For example the difficulty of managing security, an overall lower cultural level, lower sanitary conditions and other problems.  But the word “rid” makes people feel like this is a different country.  In your own country, on your own land, if you don’t have work should you be gotten rid of?  What kind of reasoning is this?  What has happened to the respect belonging to this population?
Deng Luwen, a columnist at China Business Net, has called the suggestion the “thinking of a habitually lazy government.”  He says migrant workers have the constitutional right to relocate where they please, as long as they haven’t committed a crime.  Such rights, he says, are also protected by the United Nations Human Rights Treaty.

author: Don Weinland


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Czech Republic: “Top Ten Daytrips From Brno” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks recommends “top ten daytrips from Brno.”


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Hungary, Greece: Shadow Economies · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes that, according to some estimates, “the Greek black economy represents 20-30% of the country's gross domestic product. Estimates for Hungary are very similar.”


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Kenya: Netizens discuss proposed constitution of Kenya · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Proposed Constitution of Kenya has been officially published and will have to be subjected to a referendum. The proposed constitution results from the Harmonized draft constitution that was written by the Committee of Experts last year. The Kenyan Attorney General officially published the proposed constitution on April 7, 2010.
Kenyan netizens are currently discussing the document. Let's start with Ssemakula Mukiibi who notes that the proposed constitution ignores atheists, polytheists and heathens. The preamble, he argues, sets a faulty precedence by assuming that all Kenyans believe in a personal God:
While the proposed constitution's preamble (text below) is not one of the contentious issues, it is my opinion that it sets a faulty precedence. The glaring fact is that this preamble is not inclusive of all Kenyans. It makes an assumption, based on the major religions in the country, that all Kenyans believe in a personal God and acknowledge the supremacy of that God.
The preamble:
We, the people of Kenya
ACKNOWLEDGING the supremacy of the Almighty God of all creation––
The preamble ignores people who believe in multiple gods, people who believe in an impersonal God and persons who do not believe in any god(s). The essential values of human rights, equality, freedom, democracy and social justice demand that the beliefs of all Kenyans, not only those of the majority, must be respected and no belief should be raised above any other. By raising a specific belief, albeit a majority one, above others it immediately enshrines this belief as a state belief and, by extent, declares divergent beliefs illegitimate.
The constitution should not only respect the right to religious belief, but it should also respect the right to not believe. By supporting only the right to believe, and only the right to believe in an Almighty God, this preamble disenfranchises a minority of Kenyans who do not prescribe to this particular belief system. The constitution, by definition, applies to all Kenyans, not just the majority. To this end, it is downright hypocritical to argue about the entrenchment of Khadi courts based on the fact that they are religious institutions and yet ignore this glaring entrenchment of a religious belief.
Macharia Gaitho, blogging at the Daily Nation of Kenya views the constitution debate as being about political power. He writes, “…the debate is no longer about the merits and demerits of the new constitution, but about naked political power play.”:
Kenyan churches have organised themselves asking their followers to reject the proposed constitution mainly because of provisions on abortion and Kadhi's courts, which adjudicates on Islamic law. Macharia again,
Groups holding differing views are drawing lines in the sand instead of engaging in honest discourse on how the contentious issues can be solved to the satisfaction of all. Even sadder is that Christian leaders have opted to immerse themselves deep into a mire.
Make no mistake, the church leaders have some very good justification in their opposition to retention of Islamic courts in the new constitution; and to the window provided for abortion in event of medical emergency.
But then our Islamic faithful would provide very strong counter-arguments in favour of the kadhi courts. On the abortion clause, the medical profession and other groups would not advocate a woman facing childbirth complications being abandoned to die.
The problem is that, continues Macharia Gaitho, there is no logic in matter of faith:
The trouble is that on matters of faith, like politics, there is often no logic, rhyme or reason. It is about taking a position and then dogmatically refusing to countenance any other point of view.
Once you proclaim that your standpoint comes with divine authority, it is almost impossible to compromise because you will be conceding that your God was wrong or had a change of mind.
It is impossible to reason with Islamic extremists who believe in the reward of 72 virgins if they blew themselves up along with whatever number of innocent people in pursuit of a demented agenda inspired by some mad mullah from Iran or Afghanistan.
It is equally impossible to reason with Christian extremists who believe, egged on by funds from equally mad American far right fundamentalists, that they have divine mission to save the world from evil non-believers.
Throw in our sick brand of politics into the mix, and you have an incendiary situation. Those lining up behind Agriculture minister William Ruto in the No campaign are not doing so for any honourable reason.
They are pursuing the vendetta in the ODM which dictates they take battle to Prime Minister Raila Odinga. That is why they are predominantly from one community that feels betrayed by Mr Odinga after helping catapult him to a share of power.
IT IS ALSO A GROUPING WHOSE LEADERS are trying to find a footing after enjoying a quarter century of unrestrained power — with the accompanying looting, pillage and plunder — under retired President Daniel arap Moi; and suddenly dealing with the shock of realisation that they are no longer above the law.
Of course those supporting Mr Odinga’s Yes campaign are not driven by pure altruism either. Many will turn right or left and march back if he asks them to.
Within the grouping in PNU supporting the new constitution, the most prominent is President Kibaki, whose overriding desire might be to rescue something of his legacy before calling it a day.
In another post Macharia writes, “May it never be said that the Church denied us the law,”
Church leaders have earned notoriety for letting Kenyans down in the recent past. The 2005 referendum and the 2007 elections illustrate starkly occasions when the church, or the churches if you will, abandoned its sacred role to immerse itself neck-deep in the corrupt arena of Kenyan politics.
Listening and watching church leaders at those tumultuous times was no different from observing the Kenyan political animal.
We witnessed them campaign for viewpoints that had nothing to do with what is good, just and holy. They unashamedly exploited their bully pulpits to take positions based on partisan and ethnic loyalties.
Kenyan churches, he argues, are using two provisions to drive a campaign of hate against the new constitution:
Kenyan churches have seized on just two issues they are uncomfortable with to drive a campaign of hate and vitriol against the new constitution.
They have picked on a provision that is not at all new and has been part of the Kenyan constitutional order, the Kadhis’ Court, to incite their flock against the new document.
They have also invented grouse against what they claim is legalisation of abortion in the mere proviso that termination of pregnancy can be allowed where the procedure is necessary to save the life of the mother.
The clergy may well have genuine problems with those two issues. But their campaign, complete with expensive media advertising, reeks of excuses, rather than real reasons, to wage war against the new constitution.
For starters, it completely ignores the fact that if Kenya voters reject the new constitution, they will simply be stuck with the present constitution, which still has provisions for the Kadhi courts; and does not as explicitly bar abortion for reasons other than medical emergency.
SO WHAT WILL BE THE GAIN? ABSOLUTELY nothing, except insofar as it may provide the clergy with an opportunity to flex muscle and demonstrate the kind of clout and influence they carry.
Constitution-making is a process of give and take. It would be extremely selfish and destabilising if every sect, faith, creed, clan, race or ethnic group came out against the constitution simply because their specific peculiarity was not addressed.
I don’t like the Kadhi courts either. I tend to recoil against anything that suggests clerical interference in private lives or anything — Hindu, Christian, Muslim or Mungiki — that hints at religious intolerance, extremism or self-righteousness.
But I am willing to live with them because they do not affect me in the slightest; and because I understand the history of their inclusion in the Kenya constitution since independence.
I am not an advocate of casual abortions either. But I would have to be extremely callous and cruel not to recognise that termination of pregnancy may sometimes be necessary for medical reasons or to save a young rape victim from lifelong trauma.
Daniel, blogging at Mars Group Kenya, also attacks the position taken by Kenyan churches:
For us married priests, it is a crime against humanity for a man not to get married and it is a crime against humanity for Christians to vote for a constitution that support direct abortion. The Catholic bishops and all Christians should not be betwixt??? and between on this matter.
Telling Christians to choose between Yes or No is being noncommittal. Give them the stand of the church on the constitution and then let them use their conscience that is fully informed by the teachings of the church on the matter. President Kenyatta told the Catholic Bishops of Eastern Africa in July 1976: “The church is the conscience of society, and today a society needs a conscience.
Do not be afraid to speak. If we go wrong and you keep quiet, one day you may have to answer for our mistakes”. Even if the Catholics are finding it hard to explain why they are still Catholics under the current wave of sex scandals, the church is still the conscience of the society.
For us married Priests Now! Catholic Prelature, we are against abortion. As we talk, the Kadhi's courts are in the current constitution. We propose that as we have in the Army different chaplains, we have Married Priests’ Courts under the same terms as Kadhi's courts in the new constitution and other denominations follow suit. That will make all of us happy.
Mjenga Kenya discusses major provisions in the document. He starts by saying that the document is “idiot-proof”:
Basically, this document is idiot-proof. Anybody can read this katiba and understand what each article says without needing an expensive lawyer or re-reading it severally.
Parliament:
Set parliament periods. Elections will be held on the 2nd Tuesday of August every 5 years.
Parliamentary Service Commission's composition continues to nag at me. i think its too MP-heavy and renders itself to their undue influence.
The MP recall clause- is in, but its not i.e. parliament has been given permission to come up with a law setting out the requisite criteria and procedure. However, article 105 does allow one to take a petition to high court against your MP basically declaring his seat vacant. And petition will be heard within 6 months.
Executive:
President has to seek parliamentary approval when appointing his/er Cabinet (now known as Cabinet Secrtaries), AG, Secretary to Cabinet, Principal secretaries, ambassadors , Cheif Justice and his/er deputy and ANOTHER.
Has to wait for 7 days after the elections before s/he is actually sworn into office (no more midnight swearing shenanigans)
Cabinet ceiling set at 24. Not sure why there is a floor of 14.
Cabinet secretary can't be an MP.
Cabinet secretary can be dismissed by parliament via majority vote (Kimunya won't have to die and resurrect)
Kadhi courts deal with muslim matters. Imho, they shouldn't be part of the civil service, but having been around for 53 years, it'd sheer hypocrisy to say I'm voting NO because of them. I can wait until the katiba goes through and then wage war proper.
Economy:
Devolved government has made it into the katiba complete with revenue (set at a floor of 15% of GoK revenue) and own senate.
Better control of public finance via a pre-budget statement that will allow parliament committee to consult the public.
An independent CBK-very very important especially for banking supervision and monetary policy.
Other of note:
National police
Amendments can be done via parliament and popular initiative.
Linus Githai identifies major issues emerging from the constitutional debate:
We have had a most interesting debate on how we want to be governed going forward. From what Kenyans are saying, a couple of imperatives are emerging:
1) Kenyans do not want an imperial head. They do not want winner-takes-all electoral outcomes. Come to think of it, in past presidential elections, we had no clue who the Vice-President would be or even what kind of government the winner was going to form.
2) Kenyans do not seem to want two centres of power. This is interesting because at the same time, they do not want to give anyone ‘imperial powers’. We must examine this and maybe try to reconcile the two positions.
3) Kenyans want to directly elect their CEO, whether that CEO is a prime minister or a president. They want a pretty direct way of deciding who it is to be the boss.
4. Kenyans want devolution but inexpensively. After experimenting with CDF, Kenyans do want a lot more devolution and want a lot more say at the grassroots on what the local priorities are and want to have the funds to implement them.
5. Kenyans want to rekindle their faith in the justice system. One of the big issues of the last general election is the fact that the protagonists were not willing to go to court as there were fears that justice would not be done.
Kumekucha reports that main politicians in Kenya have been caught with their pants down with people-driven constitutional changes. He elaborates:
Vice president Kalonzo Musyoka has been dubbed the Yes-No-No-Yes man. Uhuru Kenyatta’s stance on the draft constitution is No, Yes, No, Yes. Very funny but also very true. The indecision in both is very selfish.
Mr Musyoka hates the fact that a victory for yes would result in PM Raila Odinga upstaging him politically. And so he had to attract attention to himself with his Yes but… stance. The motives are even more selfish for Uhuru Kenyatta. His electorate is itching to crucify anybody who dares oppose a new constitution but on the other hand is his vast family wealth mainly based on massive tracts of land grabbed by his late father Jomo Kenyatta. If the draft constitution were to be enacted, it will almost certainly mean that the family fortune will be wiped out literally overnight.
Kalonzo Musyoka is also shrewd enough to realize that the new political order brought about by a new constitution will mean that the highest political office he will ever hold will be that of Vice President. His dreams of being mtukufu rais will fade into the sunset with the old constitution. Fascinatingly and eeringly too, the old constitution seemed to have greatly favoured cowards for the presidency (read my book Dark secrets of the Kenyan presidency and you will be amazed) and that is why Jomo Kenyatta became president rather than General Dedan Kimathi and Daniel Moi rather than J.M. Kariuki or Tom Mboya. And Kibaki rather than Ken Matiba or Charles Rubia. And therefore chances were that Kalonzo Musyoka or Uhuru Kenyatta would have ended up as president rather than Raila Odinga or William Ruto. I have used those names just as examples and nobody should interpret it as my preference for any of those individuals to be president.
My point is that now with a new constitution, Kenya will have a truly new dawn where I see the new political faces being totally unrecognizable for those used to the old order of things.
The Standard Newspaper blog has views from the Diaspora on the proposed constitution written by Chris Wamalwa in Delaware, USA:
I've been to several cities in the US in the recent past and I can report that the Kenyan Diaspora is equally consumed by the impending referendum on the Proposed Draft Constitution.
From New England in the North East to the Potomac River states and the District of Columbia to Atlanta Georgia where Dr Martin Luther King, the father of civil rights movement lies, the conversation at the dinner tables is nothing but the referendum.
In Houston, Texas, I met one Kenyan who is so passionate that he is using personal resources to create as many forums as possible to debate the referendum.
Please, meet Mr. Moses Marango, a Kenyan resident of Houston who is accusing the religious leaders who are opposed to the draft as lacking the moral authority.
He gives the following reasons:
Prior to the 1997 general elections in which the now retired President Daniel arap Moi was seeking his final re-election, majority Kenyans including NCCK, the Kenya Episcopal Conference, NCEC, citizens and other clergy men called for a Constitutional Review as a sufficient condition for a fair and just election. And of course, our main concern was the rampant abuse of civil liberties and public resources including land without accountability by an all too despotic executive.
Prior to the controversial 2007 elections, some well known Bishops and Arch-Bishops used the pulpit to declare God’s anointing of their own tribesmen, Kibaki or Raila, as Kenya’s next president. The Kenyan church, like the Rwandese church in the infamous 1994 genocide, took tribal stands. They kept quiet when Kenya went down in flames during the PEV. Selective grace is not godly and God cannot allow two conflicting prophecies for the same position.
Kenya did not go through the PEV because of the Kadhi’s courts and abortion but partly as a result of the imperial presidency hence the serious desire for the new constitution before the next election.
In Marango's judgment, the new constitution is both good and bad.
Why is it a good?
One, it trims the President’s powers and influence through reasonable checks and balances that include defining the size of the cabinet, a measure that will tremendously help lower the cost of running the government.
Also, the cabinet appointees will be vetted in Parliament before assuming office. Hopefully, meritocracy will be the main consideration and not loyalty and ethnicity.
Further, the incumbent president shall lose the political manipulative power and undue advantage of dissolving parliament and declaring the election dates at his or her own will.
Through the two-tier government system, the process of devolving national resources shall enhance service delivery to citizens and promote economic growth.
The fact that members of the cabinet shall not be legislators, will make the MPs to focus on their primary responsibility, legislation. This shall hopefully improve the quality of parliamentary debates and more members’ involved in law making.
“The problem is that Kenya needed to have developed a better constitution quite earlier,”   Kenya Byte warns Kenyans of hate messages as was the case in the 2005 Referendum and 2007 elections:
The 2005 Referendum and 2007 election introduced Kenyans to a vile form of mass misinformation – the insidious power of hate messages.
It was the propagation of these hate-filled messages that inflamed Kenyans against each other in both instances.
To be able to prevent a repeat, we must understand why mobile telephony and the internet have become such powerful tools of incitement.
Group Action in Hate Messages
The telephone and television (old media) are one-way communication technologies that do not allow groups to be created and organised rapidly. This is because creating a group and mobilising it around a cause by using a television is not sustainable.
This is because a group has connections which have to be constantly maintained and the old media was not designed to nurture these interpersonal connections.
Mobile phones and the internet (new media) depart from the old media in that they enable near real-time two-way communication. Creating a group using your mobile phone has never been easier. Of more fundamental importance is the ease at which you can maintain connections to a group.
Having a group conversation with 500 like minded people is as easy as clicking a “Send” button in your mobile or selecting multiple e-mail addresses. The ability to ignite collective action by using new media will only increase in the future and this is the reason why hate messages were so effective in 2005 and 2007.
Here the final draft of Kenya's proposed constitution. You can also visit Harmonized Draft Constitution of Kenya Facebook group, Kadhi's court Facebook group.


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Russia: “Ingushetia-ru” Blogger Arrested? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Valery Dzutsev writes that LJ user ingushetia-ru has allegedly been arrested in Moscow: “His blog was mainly focusing on the events in Ingushetia in the North Caucasus, but also general events in Russia attracted his attention. He kept his real name in strict secret and, according to some sources, his arrest came days after his name somehow surfaced in the internet.”


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Russia: Moscow Mayor; Judiciary System · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog writes about Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov's 15-year General Plan for the city's development. At True/Slant, Mark Adomanis writes about Vera Trifonova’s death in detention and Russia's judiciary system. A Good Treaty writes about Russia's judiciary system and Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov.


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Russia: Photos From Victory Day in Moscow · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

May 9 photo reports from Victory Day celebrations in Moscow (RUS) – by LJ user chistoprudov (here) and LJ user zyalt (here, here, and here).


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Russia, Ukraine: WWII, Stalin, History, Politics · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A selection of posts on WWII, May 9, history, Joseph Stalin, and today's political discourse in Russia and Ukraine – at Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog (here and here), Global Chaos (here and here), Foreign Notes, Ukrainiana, Sublime Oblivion, A Good Treaty, Robert Amsterdam.


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The Balkans: 30th Anniversary of Tito’s Death · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sleeping With Pengovsky, Balkan Insight (via Balkan Travellers) and Piran Café write about the 30th anniversary of the death of the Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito.


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Belgium: Comic Strip “Tintin in the Congo” Faces Ban Over Racism · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

Tintin in the Congo, the second of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums, written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé and featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero,  faces ban over racism. On his blog Alain Mabanckou thinks that «Tintin must remain as a proof of the colonial spirit of the 30s» [fr].

author: Anna Gueye


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Bermuda: Whenever  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Vexed Bermoothes suggests that Bermuda “may have public access to information when the PLP Government feels like granting it.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Colombia: The Displaced People of Ituango · Global Voices
Lully Posada

Ituango is a small town located in the mountains north Antioquia, 195 kilometers from Medellín, Colombia. Its residents have been suffering time and again because they have had to abandon their lands, as a sort of forced displacement due to guerrilla and paramilitary hostilities. Ituango is a rich region, but poor at the same time because its residents have had to face controversy with the hydro-electric project of Pescadero-Ituango in which the government has been attempting to hand it over to foreign companies. This project would also provide Colombia additional contributions to the generation of electricity, which is also another region why armed groups want to take control of this natural region.
Photo of the displaced by Adriana Jaramillo and used with permission.
For more than 30 years, the residents have been forced to abandon their homes and seek refuge in the schools and central areas of Ituango. This year on April 2, there was a displacement of more than 1,600 residents. After signing a pact with local authorities of Ituango, in which the displaced were guaranteed security, the majority have been returning little by little to their lands, but there are still many in the improvised shelters.
Some bloggers that live in Ituango and belong to HiperBarrio have written about their concerns in the matter. For example, Roxana of the blog El Rincón del Pensamiento [es] describes the situation in Ituango.
Se espera que esta triste situación se solucione pronto ya que esto no afecta solo a los desplazados sino que nos afecta a todos, por que es realmente triste ver a tanta gente lejos de sus tierras debido al poder del hombre.
Adriana in her blog Ituango: Tesoro por Descubrir [es] writes about the displaced and questions the situation.
No les parece que es injusto que se  tengan que ir y dejar todo una ves más, para muchos es la quinta, para otras quizás han habido mas, debe ser horrible tener el miedo de que en cualquier momento te toca dejar todo de nuevo, nadie quisiera estar en ese lugar, me decia una señora “es preferible tomarse  una agüita con sal en la casa de uno, que estar en un alberge esperando a que te den algo.
The blog Hiperbarrio Ituango, La Belleza Oculta de Ituango [es] highlights the displaced:
El Estado les ha brindado un buen apoyo, con múltiples ayudas. Y aunque la gran mayoría ha podido regresar a sus casas, algunos aún se encuentran en la cabecera municipal, aunque en menor cantidad que la que había anteriormente.
The blog La Colonia de Ituango [es] has been writing about what has been going on there and explains the problem:
Año tras año, los habitantes de la zona urbana asisten con desconfianza y hasta miedo a la llegada de cientos de familias campesinas que se instalan en albergues temporales, sin pensar en más que la inseguridad que pueden generar o lo feo que se ve el municipio con desplazados; sin contemplar las consecuencias de fondo que generan estos desplazamientos forzados que vienen presentándose desde hace 13 años, época de la primera incursión paramilitar en la zona. Fenómenos como la desocupación de territorios; pérdida de cosechas, animales, semillas nativas; reducción creciente de la soberanía alimentaria del municipio; empobrecimiento de los habitantes; deserción escolar; proliferación de enfermedades tropicales…
Nos tendría que cuestionar el hecho de que esta situación se repita año tras año, y en lugar de buscar el culpable entre los campesinos que vienen desplazados, nos debiéramos preocupar por el extenso territorio que desde unos treinta años atrás se encuentra en disputa en el municipio de Ituango. El Parque Paramillo comprende el 53% del área total del municipio, su zona de amortiguamiento cerca de otro 10% y para la construcción de la represa Pescadero-Ituango y la vía paralela, intervendrán la zona rivereña del río Cauca, en predios de 10 veredas del municipio.
Year after year, the residents of the urban area are suspicious and are even scared of the arrival of hundreds of peasant families that stay in temporary shelters in regards to the insecurity that can be created or to see the municipality full of the displaced; without thinking of the consequences that are created by the forced displacements that have been taking place for 13 years ever since the first paramilitary incursion in the region. Phenomena like the abandonment of the land; loss of harvests, animals, native seeds, reduction in food security in the municipality; impoverishment of the people; school desertion; and the spread of tropical diseases.
We have to question the fact that this situation could be repeated year after year, and instead of seeking the guilty ones among the peasants who are displaced, we should we worry about the vast territory that has been in dispute for the past 30 years in the town of Ituango. Paramillo Park comprises 53% of the total municipal area, its buffer zone around another 10% and for the construction of the dam Pescadero-Ituango and parallel road, they will intervene in the area around the Cauca River in the fields of 10 villages of the municipality.
In another post, the blog writes about the return of residents of Ituango who were located in the urban center of the city:
Con el retorno de los campesinos que salieron de sus veredas en El Cedral y La Miranda, comenzará hoy el proceso de retorno de más de 1.500 ituanguinos que desde hace dos semanas permanecían en el casco urbano del municipio por la presión de los enfrentamientos que se vienen dando en sus regiones. (…). Este sábado regresarán los campesinos provenientes de Santa Ana y durante el fin de semana, hasta el martes, continuará el proceso gradual que ve terminar una situación de emergencia humanitaria que tenía ribetes muy difíciles de superar.
This is the reality of the people of Ituango.

author: Lully Posada


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Cuba: Higher Calling  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Commenting on Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino's recent work as a mediator for the Ladies in White, Iván's File Cabinet says that religious leaders “should not speak just in the name of God. He should also speak out in the voice of those who don’t have one.”


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Djibouti: Food insecurity in Djibouti · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A blogger based in Djibouti writes about food insecurity in the country: “Food instability is about to hit Djibouti.  The rainy season ends in a month and there hasn’t been much rain this year. Meaning, an estimated 120,000 people will need food assistance through December. Meanwhile the lazy overweight woman that eats all day long (aka Gilligan) is joking about starving Africans and complaining she has to walk 100yards to get her food since the place next door is closed.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Eritrea: Put Eritrea back on the map · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Put Eritrea back on the map, please!: “In the April 29 Travel section (European edition), the article titled “Lots to sample in South Africa” was accompanied by a map of Africa that is closely accurate — except for one flaw: It fails to depict Eritrea.”


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Ghana: Is Fufu a suitable topic for the Internet? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Gamelmag discusses Ghanaian local content on the web: “Imagine you're on a trip to Koforidua, Ghana, and you want to visit the best local fufu bar. How would you find out the best bar without asking someone? How would you get there? Just as the above scenario is difficult to resolve, so is the business of finding relevant Ghanaian content on the Internet.”


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Ghana: What happens when lights go off in Accra? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

What happens when lights go off in Accra?: “Even when you have alternative arrangements to obtaining power, the point is not lost on you on the astronomical amounts you expend to get your fridge and other electrical gadgets working through a generator.”


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Haiti: Sign Online · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Haitianalysis.com blogs about “an online petition to demand that U.S., international and NGO officials provide more transparency and efficiency in the distribution of millions of dollars of international aid to Haiti.”


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Haiti: Walking the Talk  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

For Inside Disaster, Emmanuel Midi covers two walks that recently took place in Port-au-Prince.


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India: The Influence Of Rabindranath Tagore · Global Voices
Rezwan

Supriyo Chaudhuri at Sunday Posts  commemorates the 150th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore by remembering how the literary works and music of the Nobel laureate influenced him and many Bengalis.


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Kyrgyzstan: 17/05/10 – Come what May…. · Global Voices
Chris Rickleton

A ‘slow news’ week in Kyrgyzstan last week was disturbed only by increasingly loudly-whispered rumours of a possible ‘counter-revolution’ on May 17. Edil Baisalov, Chief of Staff for provisional government Chairwoman Rosa Otunbaeva, has dismissed [eng/ru] the reports of  planned gatherings as merely that – rumours.
However, whilst Baisalov's statement appeared to refute the idea that the talk could contain an element of truth, he also felt the need to mention three names in his statement to the press – names that have been recycling themselves across popular domestic Internet forums such as ‘Diesel’ [ru] as speculation over the date increases.
“The meetings of May 17 are rumours […]. Let him that would dare to challenge the provisional government come out in force. We have hundreds of thousands of supporters that will repel every Bakiev, Akaev and Baryktabasov,” Baisalov said.
Whilst for those who have been following events in Kyrgyzstan over the course of the last month, the appearance of expelled president Kurmanbek Bakiev [eng] on this list requires no qualification, the other two names provide food for thought.
Askar Akaev [eng/ru] is the country's Moscow-based former-president, a man who was forced to leave office in 2005, in the midst of the Tulip Revolution that brought Bakiev to power. Urmat Baryktbasov [ru], meanwhile, is a virtual unknown beyond the country's borders, but has his supporters inside them after an abortive attempt to run for president in the elections seven years ago.
Whilst Baisalov was bullish in his attitude towards the rumours, it may be too early to label it as ‘disinformation’ yet. May 17th will mark the passing of 40 days since the deaths of those killed in the Kyrgyz capital on April 7 during the popular uprising and the subsequent violence – the end of the traditional period of mourning in local Islamic culture. Although it is equally possible that rumour-mongers have seized on this date in a lazy attempt to stir unrest in the country, a tortured relationship with mass media which has endured since the Soviet period, has left many to rely on ‘word of mouth’ as opposed to newspapers, television and radio reports.
“Much of this can be treated as OGS ( ‘One Granny Said’),” concluded ‘Diesel’ user axymus,[ru] “but due to intensive discussion in society, these rumours have gathered strength. Until recently, I was  inclined not to trust this kind of talk, but the events of April 7, 2010 have shown that rumours are the real information.”
Other bloggers are using the relative quiet at the moment to speculate on various personalities involved in the ongoing struggle for power and legitimacy in Kyrgyzstan.
Akiyat [ru] vents his rage at what he perceives as a selfishness on the part of deputies who held seats in the (recently dissolved) Jogorku Kenesh [parliament]. Ishak Masaliev [ru], leader of  the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan and Alisher Mamasaliev [ru], a prominent deputy in the former president's party Ak Zhol, both took the decision not to recognize the provisional government's decree dissolving the parliament, and have announced that business as usual will continue on May 20, a decision Akiyat determines can only lead to further uncertainty and instability in the country:
‘But sorry, you do not know how to do it![be a deputy in a functioning parliament] After all, all the decisions were taken for you and all you had to do was raise your hands, nod your head and shout “Heil, Hitl … sorry, Bakiev!”… You couldn't care less what happens to the country if there is a new 	political struggle.’
The most recent ‘emergency session’ of the Jogorku Kenesh – which took place [ru] in order to recognize the same government that had decreed its dissolution – was held in a hotel, and according to Akiyat, was largely considered  ‘a meaningless farce':
‘The puppeteer left the country and the dolls have become homeless – capricious, shouting, sorry, defecating. But who will listen to them?’ the blogger asked.
Elsewhere, sahlan [ru] makes [ru] the amusing suggestion that since the interim Minister of Culture is a former policeman, a painter or sculptor should, by rights, be appointed as the interim Minister of the Interior. That post is currently occupied by Batirbek Alimbekov, [eng] who replaced Bolot Sherniyazov [eng] at the end of last month.

author: Chris Rickleton


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Monitoring Philippine Elections through Social Media · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Millions of Filipinos trooped to voting centers on May 10 as they participated in the country’s first ever automated election system. Filipinos were surprised and happy to learn that results in most povinces have been transmitted already to the national tabulation center. The Commission on Elections is expected to announce the results of the elections within the day.
Election coverage was not just provided by mainstream media groups. For the first time, bloggers were accredited by the poll body as members of the press. Powered by citizen journalists, these websites have provided reliable updates about the 2010 elections: Juanvote, Blogwatch, and 100araw.
Members of 100ARAW.com and Blogwatch.ph have laid claim to a place in the history books. They have arguably become the first Filipinos not directly connected as reporters of any professional news media outfit to be granted media accreditation to cover the 2010 elections.
Juanvote enjoined Filipinos and citizen journalists to actively monitor the conduct of elections
#juanvote challenges all Filipino netizens to be champions of Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections by taking action on May 10.
This May 10 we would have two “firsts”: The first nationwide automated elections, and the first social media coverage to be mounted by citizens.
We must not just vote: We must use all our powers as social media users to help others vote and to guard the vote. Armed with our cellphones, digital cameras, and social media tools, we can make a difference.
Juanvote has also issued a guide for netizens on how to report incidents of fraud and violence
How to Report
#juanvote welcomes all types of reports through the following:
Twitter Use hashtag #juanvote
Email: report(at)juanvote.com
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PCOS Voting Machine. From the twitpic page of misterjpmanahan
The poll body has already uploaded partial results of the elections. Again, this is the first time in Philippine history that election results have been posted on the web on the same day of the elections. But due to heavy traffic, the website is sometimes inaccessible. It is advisable to check other websites which also upload the unofficial results of the elections: PPCRV and GMA-7.
Based on citizen reports, a map was created to highlight problems encountered during elections. A spreadsheet was also created to gather reports of voting machine breakdown in several parts of the country. Elections were liveblogged through Purple Thumb Live! Photos of the recently concluded elections ca be accessed through Flickr, Purple Thumb, and Bulatlat.
Election scene in Iloilo Province. From the twitpic page of JuanVote
Twitter has been very useful in monitoring the elections. Filipinos used these hashtags in reference to the elections: #halalan, #juanvote, #eleksiyon2010, #PurpleThumb, and #votereportph. Some of the most recent tweets about the elections:
kzapkzap: Congratulations Philippines! NOTHING CHANGED! You Win! Democracy Wins! Now Stop Complaining about your Country! #halalan #juanvote #eleksyon
bonedoc: thinks automation is not the issue. Juan's voting habit is.uh, well we need a psych tes
rbahaguejr: Do i expect change after this election? With Noynoy (with his mediocre credentials), Gloria in Congress, Recto in Senate? Frak!
lorenbartilet RT @blaisegomez: The elections was peaceful. But I don't think my country will have peace for the next 6 years
markitotz I will be an advocate of intelligent voting. Who's with me?
DonVitoCorle0ne RT @tageswanderer: For the record, whoever wins the elections, let's cooperate and be part of the solution. There, I've said it
charleserize #halalan followup: don't sourgrape, congratulate winners, that will make you a more'winner’ than them,:)
TheXCoder We hope those who never emerged victorious in the war will lay down their weapons & support the new regime
thesilverpixie Woke up and first thought in my head: Oh great. Focus. You have Noy Noy Aquino for President now. *disturbed beyond words

author: Mong Palatino


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Morocco: Leishmaniasis outbreak  · Global Voices
Katharine Ganly

An outbreak of Leishmaniasis in Rachidya is met with shock by Lamia, who is outraged by the lack of movement in treatment by the Moroccan Ministry of Health. Read more in this post.

author: Katharine Ganly


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Niger: Niger’s paper eating goats · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Do you know the paper-eating goats of Niger?: “I noticed that inhabitants of Niamey ate a lot of grilled goat or sheep meat. A friend invited me to one of these joints where I savoured African-style barbecued goat. Since I was in Niamey to cover the food crisis which also involved a deficit of 16 million tonnes of fodder for livestock, I couldn't help asking what these particular goats had been eating to be so fleshy and juicy.”


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Saudi Arabia: Streets closed to women joggers  · Global Voices
Katharine Ganly

A street in Asir Province, Saudi Arabia, where many women liked to exercise has recently been shut off to female joggers, as it has been deemed unsafe by the Haia (Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice).
The Haia stated the reasons for its closure were that it is poorly lit and in an area known for its crime: therefore it was being shut to protect women. However, many bloggers disagree with this statement, stating there are  other reasons behind its closure.
A commenter on the Arab News on this matter, Ahmed Faraz Rao, pleads:
If the place is unsafe for women then please make it safe for women instead of banning women from jogging.
If some place is unsafe for people then should people leave that place or should police come into action to make it safe?
Saudi Jeans, who points out joggers in the area have stated the street is both well-lit and safe, likens the decision to one of a futuristic “pre-crime” unit:
You can say that this decision by Haia is part preemptive strike, part blaming the victim. Instead of watching these so-called unsafe areas and protect the women by arresting people who attempt to harass them, they go and prevent women from exercising there…Now of course this kind of behavior is not at all new or surprising on the part of Haia…
Indeed, American Bedu  points out the decision is not one without precedent:
There has already been intervention by government ministries towards women and exercise.  Last year many fitness facilities for women were declared illegal if they were not approved by government ministries.  Instead of being viewed as a business, because these were places where women exercised rather than shop or get their hair done, government approval was required.
And she goes on to mention the difficulties in maintaining fitness for women in Saudi Arabia:
Many of the Saudi schools, primary and secondary, do not have physical fitness for children.  Women are not encouraged to exercise.  Unless a woman is very motivated and disciplined to work out within her home, not every woman can easily arrange her schedule to go out and walk or organize transport and pay the fees to join a private fitness center.  On the other hand, men can go out in modest shorts and jog as they wish.  Fitness centers for men are in abundance.  One can see the male fitness centers from the streets and see the men working out through the large plate glass windows which are typical fronts for these facilities.
American Bedu also points out that keeping fit is not about vanity, but about health. This point is reinforced in the comments to this piece where commentor Abu Sinan points out:
This is one of the reasons there is a big problem amongst Saudi women with diabetes. No exercise, unhealthy food, it all contributes.
Meanwhile, Qusay commenting on Saudi Jean‘s blog has a more cynical approach to the matter:
I would like to bet that someone is selling home exercise equipment and trying to ban all activities outside so he would sell more


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Trinidad & Tobago: Domestic Violence Laws · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Upon learning of news of the death of a Trinidadian woman as a result of domestic violence, diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch admonishes the government: “Amend those laws now!”


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Ukraine: Victory, Defeat, and Reconciliation · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Steve Bandera of Kyiv Scoop writes that “WWII continues in Ukraine to this day, fuelled not by the veterans, but by politicians and demagogues […]. They are the ones preventing veterans’ grandchildren from turning the page. They are most interested in keeping Ukraine divided and thus more easily ruled from without.”


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Zimbabwe: Technology and the end of dictatorship · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

On technology and the end of dictatorship in Zimbabwe: “But China or no China, ZANU or no ZANU, the Internet has arrived and it will sooner or later cause havoc to dictatorships…In Zimbabwe we are teaching ordinary people how powerful that little mobile phone in your hand can be. Freedom will come from the touch of a button – not from the barrel of the AK.”


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Bangladesh: Celebrating Mother’s Day · Global Voices
Rezwan

Back To Bangladesh posts a tribute to the Mother's Day with some photos of mothers in Bangladesh.


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Barbados: Dogs & the Environment  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Dogs in Barbados links to an organization that claims dogs’ hair can be helpful in cleaning up environmental disasters.


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Barbados, Jamaica: Happy Birthday Kamau · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bloggers pay tribute to Barbados-born writer Kamau Brathwaite on his birthday.


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Belarus: New Internet Regulations  · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

New Internet regulations in Belarus provide the government with new forms of control: compulsory registration of all websites (and compulsory hosting in Belarus), collection of personal data of Internet cafe users. As ej.by suggests, the new regulations will automatically criminalize all foreign-based resources (and especially those of the opposition), as well as de-popularize the Belarusian Internet segment among users.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Bhutan: Lessons To Be Learnt · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dorji Wangchuk wonders whether Bhutanese people will continue to be civic and organized as they displayed themselves during the recently concluded SAARC summit.


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CEE: Facebook Use Stats · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Worldwide Facebook statistics – at Facebakers.com: in Central & Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic has most users – 2,634,300 people, the country's overall ranking is #29, penetration is 25.8%. It is followed by Poland (#31), which has 2,604,440 users, with 6.77% penetration. Serbia (#41) is CEE's #3: 1,997,540 users, penetration is 27.07%. Russia is #56, with 1,112,680 users and penetration of 0.79%.


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China: Shoe-throwing at real estate tycoon · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The real estate bubble has enraged the public and real estate tycoon Ren Zhiqiang received a pair of shoes while delivering a speech in a conference in Dalian. Shanghaiist has the background of the story. ESWN translates online and offline discussions about the incident.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Iran: A new computer game to ‘hit reformist leaders’ · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Islamist bloggers in Iran such as Nofuzi wrote about a new computer game where players can hit and destroy reformist learders. According to [fa] the blogger, this game was distributed in Isfahan and users can download it directly. In this game we see reformists’ heads come down and user can shoot them.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica: Game Over?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Not only has Bruce Golding’s unethical behaviour disgraced the position of PM, but he has shown himself to be of questionable character and a failure at providing the model of leadership that Jamaica needs right now”: Long Bench thinks “the best thing that Bruce Golding can do for the country right now is to resign…”


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Jamaica: Shot Call  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican bloggers comment on the recent shootings of two dancehall artistes.


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Mexico: Fear and Intimidation in Electronic Media · Global Voices
Miguel Castillo

The drug-related violence taking place in northern Mexico is being seen in citizen media. Through warnings and threats sent through blogs and emails, many residents are heavily impacted by the violence.
In addition to the security operatives and the military intervention in zones of violence, the federal government started the RENAUT [es] program in order to register all cellphones numbers. The program registers each number with the name of the owner, the place of birth, and the CURP (citizen unique key) with aims to prevent telephonic extortion, kidnapping, and drug-related issues.
Through Twitter, citizens have shared their discontent with the program for both irregularities in the registry as well as the uncertainty regarding how the user database will be secured. In the blog Yo también te dije wey! the author questions who will be responsible [es] for the results of the RENAUT:
¿Quien nos garantiza que esas bases de datos no van a estar despues en manos de los criminales? NADIE. Si sucede algo, nos tendremos que conformar con un USTED DISCULPE, con un SALIO DE NUESTRO CONTROL.
On the other hand, government employee Nazario Norberto presented a proposal in January to regulate electronic media and social networks, to avoid the distribution of messages of fear and videos created by the organized crime, but also used by citizens to warn others to avoid alcohol check-points in the streets.
From his Twitter account, Norberto (@nazarionorberto) addressed [es] the protests against the proposal, recognized by the users as the first step to prohibit the electronic media:
no lo queremos prohibir, eso es falso lo que queremos es regularlo para protegerte a ti de los delincuentes
Both users and authorities in the subject have noted the flaws of this proposal. In the Time magazine article “To Battle Cartels, Mexico Weighs Twitter Crackdown” notes that not all Twitter users are contributing to this negative use of social media. Some have become citizen journalists reporting on news that some media outlets refrain from publishing because of possible retribution from the drug cartels.
Some of these warning messages have been distributed online through forwarded emails. For example, this one was republished in its entirety in the Mexico Defense forum [es].
En los próximos días la guerra entre carteles se extenderá en forma radiada hacia Allende, Terán, Montemorelos, Linares, Cd. Victoria, San Fernando y las ciudades del sur de los estados. Es probable que Monterrey y su área Metropolitana también vaya a ser blanco de este tipo de guerra ya que aquí predomina el Cartel de los Zetas y todavía en San pedro los Beltrán Leyva que son grupos aliados.
The same email has recommendations to the citizens to avoid collateral damage, with a tendency to inflict paranoia:
La guerra entre carteles es probable llegue al área metropolitana de Mty en las próximos 10 a 20 días, así que si pueden hagan despensa, junten agua para tomar y en si todos los víveres necesarios, por si acaso. Ya que si empieza el fenómeno, como lo esta en la frontera, será mas complicado y peligroso hacerlo en medio de balaceras y explosiones de granadas. Será mejor estar cerca de casa en todo momento.
Aside from the e-mails of fear, Blog del Narco publishes news of all drug-related events, including videos with threats that apparently come from the cartels themselves. In May 1st, a message of the Gulf Cartel to the Zetas was published [es] (warning: graphic images), and its Dailymotion video shows a decapitated person in uniform.

author: Miguel Castillo


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Nepal: Government not happy about Facebook Wall photos · Global Voices
Rezwan

Xnepali informs that the Nepali government has asked to remove fake pictures of Nepali ministers from Facebook accounts of some users, otherwise they will be punished.


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Russia: Another Research On Internet Prices · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

User grokru published his research on Internet prices in different Russian cities.


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Secrets of a Chinese Restaurant · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

PH from Veggie discourse translates a post at MOP written by a Cook about how in general food is prepared in Chinese restaurant.


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Taiwan: Measuring masculinity · Global Voices
David Reid

Michael Turton writes about how differences in masculinity between Taiwanese and Western males explain relationships between Taiwanese females and Western males.

author: David Reid


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Trinidad & Tobago: Manifesto · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Pleasure reviews the aesthetic value of the ruling political party's 2010 manifesto.


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Bhutan: The Rise Of The Silent Majority · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dr. Hari Bansha Dulal at Blog for Inclusive Democracy in Nepal comments on Nepal's political situation: “the silent majority, whom the Maoists have been taking for a free ride and whose power they have been undermining, is, finally, waking up.”

author: Rezwan


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Chile: Thoughts About the Earthquake and Reconstruction Process · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The 2010 Global Voices Citizen Media Summit sought to engage Chilean bloggers through a blogging competition organized in collaboration with the organization OCD Iberoamérica. On the first day of the public event, five Chilean bloggers were honored as finalists, with one taking home the main prize.
The contest was designed to encourage Chilean bloggers to express their ideas in order to share their thoughts regarding the current social situation after the earthquake and during the country's reconstruction. Two Global Voices authors, Silvia Viñas and Felipe Cordero participated as judges on the competition jury. The following are a look at the 4 finalists.
Blogger Marcelo Aliaga describes his experience being caught in the earthquake [es]:
El terremoto me encontró en Santiago. El edificio en el que vivo, el caos, las sirenas, la oscuridad, el lobby lleno y la vigilia siguen en mi mente. También la caminata zombie por la mañana para ver cómo había quedado la ciudad, la moneda, la plaza, la polvareda, pero no fue ahí cuando la magnitud del daño fue asimilada.
Carolina Castro sees the dire situation in some of the communities affected [es]:
Constitución es hoy una ciudad estancada en el tiempo. No parece que el maremoto haya pasado hace cuatro semanas, pues su rutina parece ser la de un eterno domingo. A diferencia de otras localidades asoladas por el terremoto en menor intensidad, aquí jamás ha sido lunes. El comercio no ha vuelto a funcionar y las personas no han vuelto a trabajar. El silencio de la gente es la característica reinante del lugar. Los adultos no cruzan más que un breve saludo y los niños no salen a jugar a las calles. Silencio al caminar, silencio al comer y muchos silencios al hablar.
However, the country is in the process of reconstruction and Cecilia Monge writes about the spirit of Chileans [es]:
Y finalmente la reconstrucción. Comenzamos a dejar de sentir el miedo y empezamos a sólo a recordarlo. La emoción fue reemplazada por el deber moral y nos impusimos cuotas diversas de sacrificio personal, una donación, un trabajo voluntario, unas lágrimas frente al reportaje humano de un canal de televisión.
Finally, Pablo Ramírez has some words of encouragement [es] for his fellow countrymen and women.
Quiero seguir las palabras de Oscar Guillermo Garretón: Chile saldrá adelante. Siempre lo ha hecho. Será más fácil si lo hacemos juntos. Me apasiona soñar en un mañana mejor. Más bello, seguro y amable gracias a todos nosotros.
We will feature the winning blogger in the competition in the near future.

author: Eduardo Avila


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China: I-Phone subcontractor’s workers commit suicide · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

7 workers from Foxconn, I-Phone subcontractor in China, have committed suicide since January 2010. China Hush summarized an investigative report on the consecutive suicide.


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Costa Rica: Day Should Honor All Communicators · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

May 30 will be Day of the Journalist in Costa Rica. However, Adriana Vargas writes that the day should honor the work of all communicators [es] because of their contributions to the spreading of news.


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Haiti: Tensions & Demonstrations  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Almost four months have passed since the earthquake, but the Haitian people can’t get the rubble out of sight”: For Inside Disaster, Emmanuel Midi reports on a demonstration in Haiti demanding the return on exiled President Jean Bertrand Aristide.