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Libya: Rugby anyone?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Rugby in Libya? Khadija Teri reposts an announcement and notes: “Nothing on the brochure is mentioned about gender… do females play
Rugby? I guess this would be a good way to work out your aggressions.”


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Nepal, India: Positive Energy To Beat Pessimism · Global Voices
Rezwan

kasthamandap of Thinking About Nepal visited the Indian capital recently and comments: “it just felt good to be in a place where positive energy seems to overwhelm the pessimism, especially going from Nepal where pessimism and negative thinking takes over and often overshadows optimism and positive thinking.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Rezwan


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Nicaragua: Thirty Year Anniversary of Sandinista Revolution · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

On the 30th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua, Homero looks back at some of the challenges over the years and the need for a “second revolution, ethical and humanistic [es].”

author: Eduardo Avila


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Pakistan: Cyber Crimes Act Threatens Freedom Of Speech · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pak Tea House criticizes the move of Pakistan government to “trace SMS (or text messages) and e-mails that ‘slander the political leadership of the country’ under the vague Cyber Crimes Act.” Mistakenly forwarding a joke about the president via SMS can cost someone a 14-year prison sentence and properties seized.


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Pakistan: The Unheard Stories Of Pedophilia · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sana Saleem at Mystified Justice brings up the issue of the shocking presence of pedophilia in the conservative Pakistani society and talks about the affected children living the horrors of their past.


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Peru: Economic Impact of Canceling Events Due to H1N1 Virus · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In order to slow down the spread of the H1N1 virus, the Peruvian government is considering canceling events in which a large number of people congregate such as the upcoming military parade. Caviar de Cianuro [es] examines the economic impact such a move would have, especially on walking vendors who rely on these events to make a living.


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Poland: #KDT Battle in Warsaw · Global Voices
Sylwia Presley

Polish blogosphere had an interesting day today due to the conflict between shopkeepers of Kupiecki Dom Towarowy – a shopping complex in the center of Warsaw  – and the police. Shopkeepers locked themselves in the complex, throwing stones and other items at police officers. In response, the police used gas and entered the building, arresting those who were inside. Today's events were a result of long-term negotiations between the city council planning to demolish the area where the shopping stands are located and the shopkeepers themselves.
Both Twitter and its Polish ‘relative’ Blip.pl are still buzzing with opinions hashtagged with #KDT now. However, during the day conversations where happening mainly on Blip.pl, feeding information constantly and updating readers on how the conflict was evolving. Blip.pl users shared news updates, videos and photos. While delivering information from the site of the ‘battle’ (this is how bloggers and the Polish media call it), users expressed their opinions on the event.
pksiazek:#kdt Do the police have some special training on how to cope with verbal abuse? I really admire them for just standing there peacefully.
mystiquee:#kdt [CD] who cannot be chased away since x years from the center of our capital. it's insane! they had hundreds of alternative solutions – but they just sat there and waited
Shulmeister: When nurses demonstrated in URM in 2007 the whole Poland supported them, including leaders. Today those spit on shop owners protecting their workplace.
Bloggers responded even during the events, sharing links to their posts on Blip.pl, like for instance wesolyterrorista, who wrote:
A skoro nie można wziąć ich głodem, to może sposobem? Odciąć prąd, wodę, otoczyć kordonem – i jedynie wypuszczać ludzi z KDT, nie wpuszczając nikogo do środka. Wreszcie się poddadzą…a za kilkudniową akcję policji i ochrony obarczyć kosztami kupców. Przecież takie sobiepaństwo i łamanie prawa “bo tak!” nie powinno być finansowane z naszych podatków…niestety, w sprawę zaangażowała się policja, a to oznacza, że każdy – od Szczecina po Rzeszów – płaci za tę szopkę.
One of the main blog engines, blox.pl, aggregated posts on the events simply by proposing a contest for the best entry and sharing the results. One of the winners, spekulacje, posted updates on the developments of the day, positioning it as a farce. Another blogger, KOZMO1, using poetical, old-fashioned expressions wrote a short satirical entry on the typical Polish behaviour, finishing it with these words:
A tam puka? A to Polska właśnie.
Gladys_g was upset that the shopkeepers behaved irresponsibly by having a child with them:
Ci ‘uczciwi kupcy’ wykorzystują własne dzieci jako małe żywe tarcze, wystarczy najdrobniejsze skaleczenie malucha, a cała Polska usłyszy, że podły komornik (wykonujący zresztą swoja pracę) i policja (również w pracy) brutalnie pobili dziecko.
Ale co to dziecko w ogóle tam robi?
Szczerze mówiąc – rodzice tych dzieci powinni mieć postawione zarzuty narażania ich na niebezpieczeństwo.
But what is that child doing there at all?
Honestly – parents of those children should be taken to court for exposing them to danger.
City council published all the documents related to the case online, so the citizens could make their own judgment. And they do express their opinions on blogs, the microblogging platforms mentioned above, forums and Wykop – a link-aggregating site – and by posting photos. The discussion continues, slowly shifting to how the media presented the event, as well as on how the authorities, the presidentand the police responded.

author: Sylwia Presley


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Russia: Social Networking · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Profy writes about social networking in Russia.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Syria: Focus on Ability · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian blog Common English Mistakes Podcast continues its series of podcasts [Ar]. This episode focuses on the use of the word ability.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Syria: Who eats fruit? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian Kinan Jarjous argues against eating fruit in this humourous post.


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Trinidad & Tobago: In Pictures  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A few “random shots” of Trinidad and Tobago, courtesy This Beach Called Life.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Media Responsibility  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Attillah Springer considers the role of the local media in light of a comment by the Prime Minister: “It’s a time-honoured tradition in Trinidad now for Prime Ministers to have suspicion and contempt for the media. Papa Patos is right this time though. The media aren’t playing their role properly. If they were, people like him would never be able to hold on to power for as long as he has.”


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Turkey: Kurdish Newspaper Confiscated · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Children of the Sun reports that the July 8th issue of the Kurdish newspaper Azadiya Welat was confiscated by authorities after it published allegations of a 23-year old woman who was raped by men claiming to the be the police. Reportedly, there have been more than 10 complaints of police rape in Diyarbakir, Turkey since the arrival of the new police chief. “Kurds not only are not allowed to defend themselves they also cannot talk about the crimes committed against them by the fascist state's security forces.”

author: Deborah Ann Dilley


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Azerbaijan: Adnan Hajizade, Emin Milli appeal rejected · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

At time of writing, a counter added to the OL! Azerbaijani Youth Movement blog shows that online youth activists Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli have been in detention for 14 days now. The two video bloggers were taken into police custody on 8 July on what many consider to be trumped up charges of “hooliganism.”
Despite significant outcry from leading human rights groups, press freedom watchdogs, as well as the international community itself, the two men were sentenced to two months pre-trial detention on 10 July in a court hearing held behind closed doors.
Their appeal, originally planned for last week, was eventually heard on Monday, but few expected the bloggers to be released. In a comment made on my Frontline Club post, Al Jazeera English's Matthew Collin summed up the mood outside the courtroom.
I was there outside the appeals court in Baku yesterday, and there was a sense of deep sadness among the activists’ close friends that all the international coverage of this case, and the critical statements from European and US officials, hasn't moved the authorities to drop this case and end what seems to have turned into a global embarrassment for Azerbaijan's government.
The video report is available on YouTube, and Collin also made his own post on This is Tbilisi Calling. The journalist-blogger noted the feeling of vulnerability among independent voices in Baku.
I'm in Baku to cover the case for Al Jazeera, and people working in what remains of the independent media here in Azerbaijan have been telling me they are increasingly nervous about who the authorities might target next. This is a country where critical journalists have often been jailed, assaulted and even killed, where international broadcasters have been forced off the airwaves, and where television is relentlessly pro-government. Now anti-government bloggers have received what some of them perceive to be a warning not to step out of line too often.
Facebook and Twitter were used to mobilize youth outside the court room for the appeal, but only a reported 60-70 supporters turned up. Moreover, because of severe restrictions on the right to freedom of assembly, none carried placards or chanted out slogans.
However, there were very few updates on the trial until the very end when the appeal was rejected. All seemed unsurprised by the decision.
Nevertheless, Twitter was used to get news of the appeal court decision out first. Comments and updates on Facebook from supporters of the two men worldwide also appeared almost instantaneously, leading Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines to write a blog post based on my own.
When, […] the court rejected both of the appeals […], a good friend of mine- Onnik- wrote on his Facebook status: “How judges in the South Caucasus manage to sleep at night?” My response to him was “Trust me, they get paid so much that all they can think of as they go to sleep is how to earn some more the next day and the next day and the day after- they don't care whose lives they ruin and how!”. And this is the reality in Azerbaijan, justice can rarely be found because there is no honesty, nor there is respect to others.
The situation has reached such a culminating point, that today, despite the international pressure, the case of Emin and Adnan, remained the same. Of course, it was so silly of me to think that there might be a small, tiny bit of a chance for the boys be released. I guess, being “defeated” once […], it could have happened again. We were taught a lesson ladies and gents! A lesson that said- don't you dare mess with us!
Here, it doesn't matter if you want to do any good, in fact, when you do you get punished for that. And thats what happened to Emin and Adnan. […]
[…]
Nevertheless, the blogger ends on a more optimistic note.
There are messages circling on Facebook saying to stay strong and be united. I couldn't agree more!
Some even updated their status lines in Facebook or sent out tweets quoting Hajizade.
Thoughts on the Road also commented on the court's decision.
The news via Twitter is that the appeal of Emin Milli & Adnan Hajizade has been rejected. Not many more details available at this point. On the Facebook pages this morning – expressions of disgust & frustration. The natural regret for hoping against hope that an undemocratic government would respect human rights. But the face of the Azerbaijani government is unmistakable. It is not democratic. It is not concerned with human rights. It is not concerned with fairness or justice.
In the face of such criticism, Thoughts on the Road also says that the government-controlled media is now trying to turn the circumstances of the case around. The blog says that it doesn't believe a word of it.
[…] Amazing. […] Emin and Adnan are depicted as ruffians, drinking and swearing in a restaurant. Babek Huseynov and his associates were just some peaceful guys who wanted some peace and quiet, so they approached Emin and Adnan, asking the guys to quiet down. […] The fact that Emin and Adnan were pro-democracy activists is not mentioned in the article. Of course.
Now, I have never met Emin or Adnan personally and I was not in that Lebanese restaurant that night. I have, however, eaten in that very restaurant. It was noisy when I ate there. I find it incredible that Emin and Adnan were being that much noisier than anyone else. […] If Adnan and Emin were so out of hand, would the management allow them to be so disruptive? Perhaps if Emin and Adnan had been well-connected government officials, this might be possible. But they are not and the scenario described here is completely implausible.
No, the story published here doesn't smell right at all. It isn't even logical. But logic has never been an essential ingredient for government propaganda.
Of course, the primary reason for not believing this account of the incident is because it is the official line of the government of Azerbaijan. If the official word is that something is blue, you can be nearly certain that it is any color but blue.
Meanwhile, supporters of the two imprisoned activists and bloggers continue to work locally and internationally to have them released. Many believe they face an uphill struggle, but the extensive use of social media, including a video petition, means that the case is still in the public eye.
For now at least, they appear committed and dedicated in that campaign to prevent the authorities from frustrating the emergence of a progressive youth movement in Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, however, the case might well have ramifications for bloggers and youth activists across the entire region. Indeed, some already believe that to be the case.
Global Voices Online's full coverage of the detention of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli can found in the Azerbaijan section of this site.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Azerbaijan: An interview with Arzu Geybullayeva · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.
Despite the accent formed from education in the United States and the United Kingdom, Arzu Geybullayeva, now a regional analyst, has become one of Azerbaijan's most well-known bloggers on the country with her Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines blog.
Welcome to my blog- Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines! Here you may find, articles, links to online newspapers on Azerbaijan and other blogs, some personal stories and my work. There are updates from news in Turkey as well as on the relations between the two countries. I hope you enjoy it!
Based in Istanbul and Baku, Arzu Geybullayeva took time out to speak candidly with Global Voices Online on blogging in Azerbaijan and the region, including on the recent detention of two video bloggers in the country. Arzu Geybullayeva's blog is here.
The full interview can be heard below.
This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS


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Bangladesh, South Korea: Bandhobi, Addressing Migrant Workers’ Issues · Global Voices
Rezwan

Poster of the film Bandhobi, courtesy of http://blog.naver.com/bandhobi/10050631292
Bangladeshi blogger Fahmidul Haque introduces us [bn] to a Korean Movie which features the love between a Bangladeshi migrant worker and a South Korean teenager girl and addresses migrant workers’ issues. He writes:
মালয়েশিয়ায়-অভিবাসী বাংলাদেশীকে নিয়ে তাইওয়ানের বিখ্যাত পরিচালক সাই মিং লিয়াং নির্মাণ করেছিলেন ‘আই ডোন্ট ওয়ান্ট টু স্লিপ এলোন’ (২০০৭) (Click This Link)। এবার কোরিয়ান পরিচালক শিন দং ইল নির্মাণ করলেন ‘বান্ধবী’, যাতে প্রধান চরিত্র হিসেবে আছেন বাংলাদেশী এক শ্রমিক।
Korea Times’s movie critic Lee Hyo-won wrote a tempting review of the film:
In “Bandhobi,” director Shin Dong-il translates to screen “uncomfortable” issues of illegal immigration, racism and social toadyism through the universal languages of ticklish humor, teenage angst and priceless friendship.
It's a story about growing pains and the meeting point of different cultures, the title “Bandohbi” roughly means “female friend” in Bengali.
Yang Sung-jin of the Korean Herald writes about the plot. The movie was released in South Korea last month.
Parvezul Islam Rony posts the trailer of the film in his blog:
Now let us look at some responses of the bloggers who watched the movie.
PiNaY In KoReA names Bandhobi “a Korean movie with a heart” and adds:
The new Korean indie film “Bandobhi” (“female friend” in Bengali) focuses on the issues currently faced by these so-called 3D foreign workers of Korea. 3D stands for Dirty, Dangerous, and Demeaning. The film tackles issues about foreign worker’s welfare, racism, teenage rebellion among others.
Nonie at My Sweet Love comments after watching the movie:
I guess it was interesting enough to see the gap of culture, races and religions… the problem that not just happened in Korea but also almost in every country…
The Grand Narrative describes it as “the most interesting Korean movie you’ll see this year“.
Fahmidul notices:
যে বিষয়টা আমাকে আকৃষ্ট করলো, ছবিটার নাম বাংলায় এবং ছবির পোস্টারেও বাংলা শব্দটা যুক্ত হয়েছে। বিশ্ব-চলচ্চিত্রে আজ কোরিয়ান ছবির খুব দাপট। সেখানকার একটি ছবির পোস্টারে বাংলা শব্দ দেখে চমকে গেছি।
The discussions in the comments section of Fahmidul's post included the concern – how to watch the movie in Bangladesh.


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Barbados: Where’s the Culture?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground suggests that when it comes to Crop Over, “culture issues have taken a backseat in recent years at the expense of  running the festival as a business”.


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Cambodia, Thailand: ilovethailand website sparks controversy · Global Voices
Chhunny Chhean

The recently launched website ilovethailand.org is causing a stir online.  Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced that the website is intended to restore the country's image and unify the nation in light of recent unrest.  The controversy stems from the website's claims about Thailand's “lost territory” — territory that is present day Cambodia.
KI Media reports:
The major English daily Phnom Penh Post reported that Cambodian officials are scurrying to investigate the claims. It quoted Mr. Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, as saying that “they (the Thai) are twisting the facts of history. It is completely exaggerated.”
According to Phnom Penh Post, in 1794, Thailand – then known as Siam – annexed Siem Reap and Battambang provinces from the declining Khmer kingdom, but the territories were returned following a March 1907 treaty between Thailand and France.
Khmerization, posting at KI Media, informs us that ilovethailand.org has resulted in
the birth of ilovekhmer.org, a Khmer website created with the sole intention of countering the “provably false accusations” made by the Thai PM's website, ilovethailand.org. The site proved an instant popularity with internet users, with its site metre hotly counting the numbers of visitors.
Thailand's “lost territory” is illustrated in a video on the website.  The Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok has requested the video's removal from the website.  Details are Sketchy, with comments from ThaRum, reports that ilovethailand.org is blocked in Cambodia, but it is unclear which side is censoring the site.
At Thai Intelligent News Weblog, there is news that the “site was also reported to have been hacked and down around the globe at many countries-as angry pro-democracy internet savvy Thais attacked the site.”
Thai Intelligent News Weblog goes on and balances nationalism against other concerns, stating:
For many reasons, Thailand has a very bad global image problem. The [Abhisit] solution is the global “I Love Thailand” Campaign.  Thailand has gotten itself into trouble with neighbors before over this type of cultural and historical Nationalism-like with Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.  Nationalism is good, as a way to build love and unity for the country, but when it means conflict with neighbors-that is taking Nationalism too far.
Another Thai blogger, Thai 101, points out that ilovethailand.org's terms and conditions require self-censorship:
Looks like this site is a national “stimulus” program of a non-economic variety. A government-sponsored website on which only those who admit that they love the country more than their own lives are allowed to come and express nothing but adulation and praise for the country.  I'm sure this will do wonders for encouraging open and thoughtful dialogue. Especially that veiled threat at the end. Just lovely.
The video is shown here and on Bangkok Crimes, which notes that the “fourteenth slice of lost territory is Preah Vihear.”

author: Chhunny Chhean


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China: Manufacturing abandon infants · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Research-China.Org translated an article, Manufacturing abandon infants, from Southern Metropolis News that describes how the international adoption program provides incentive to local authorities in confiscating new born children from their natural born parents.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Memorable Quotations from Qin Gang · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Qin Gang is the spokesperson of Foreign Ministry. C.A. Yeung from Under the Jacaranda Tree cites a number of memorable quotes made by Qin in his weekly press conference.


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China: On Eclipses and Astronomy in Chinese history · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Today part of India, China and Japan saw the longest total sola eclipse in 21st Century. In Chinese Astronomy, solar eclipses is related with instability and Granite Studio has an interesting article on eclipses and astronomy in Chinese history.


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Colombia: On Independence Day · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

Alejandro Ángel celebrates [es] the July 20 holiday and criticizes those Colombians who keep “complaining,” while Miguel Olaya writes [es] about the “re-signification” of this patriotic days during president Uribe's administration, and Apolo Duvalis is grateful [es] to Simón Bolívar and his “gang” for achieving the independence from Spain.

author: Julián Ortega Martínez


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Colombia: The Hunt for Pablo Escobar’s Hippo · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

On July 10, 2009, the Colombian magazine Donjuan published a story [es] about the hunt of a male hippopotamus that had escaped from Hacienda Nápoles, a estate owned by late drug lord Pablo Escobar Gaviria during his heyday. “Pepe” the hippo, a descendant of a pair of hippos brought by Escobar to his ranch in the early 80s, was killed [es] mid-June by hunters, accompanied by a company of Army soldiers, which was authorized by the Colombian authorities. Pepe died after three shots, one reached its brain and the other two, its heart. It was the photo of the hippo, already dead and surrounded by the soldiers, which had sparked a national controversy [es].
The Colombian government said it had tried to capture the hippo several times, claiming “they were carriers of disease and posed a risk to local communities”, but animal rights activists and organizations demanded [es] the resignation of Environment Minister Carlos Costa. Another magazine (Donjuan‘s main competitor) organized [es] a flashmob. After the outrage, the authorities suspended the order to hunt Pepe's female partner, known as “Matilda”, and their baby [es] “Hip”. Though initially the authorities said the hippos had attacked people and killed cattle, reports [es] by local media say people living in the area where Pepe was killed did not consider it a threat and that they were deceived by the government environmental agencies, which told them it would be taken to a zoo. Another 22 hippos still live [es] in Hacienda Nápoles.
The controversy, of course, quickly reached Colombian blogosphere and twittosphere. The opinions were divided: some supported the government's decision, others expressed their outrage, a few made jokes, sometimes with sarcasm:
donAlvar:
Ahí está la cuota colombiana para aplazar el apocalipsis: el ejército ya dio de baja a un productor irredento de metano. #hipopotamo
panÓptiko:
Los soldados no tienen culpa de nada. Yo también me hubiera tomado foto con el #hipopótamo
cutemarieclaire:
si esa es la solucion frente a este problema como será con los mas graves…. #hipopotamo
miguel_k:
con la muerte del hipopotamo se demuestra que se aprendió la lección gringa de la guerra preventiva
charlie_joe:
Hacemos más bulla por un puto hipopótamo que por una víctima de falsos positivos
elchiflamicas:
es infame hacer chistes con lo del hipopótamo. es mejor hacerlos cuando los militares matan humanos, al menos esos no están en extinción
g_orge:
la muerte de “PEPE” el hipopotamo traqueto, podría tumbar al ministro de Ambiente pero asesinatos de civiles no tumbaron al ministro Santos.
stultaviro:
Los liberales se razgan (sic) las vestiduras por el hipopótamo, ojalá lo hubieran hecho por el elefante.
martinrestrepo:
Comentan que el hipopótamo antes de morir a manos del Ejército dijo “prefiero una tumba en Colombia que una jaula en Estados Unidos”.
jack2502 asks to save the hippos [es] and is critical of the government:
esa orden de matar es algo irracional  acaso cuando algo nos estorba no desasemos (sic) de el ,como si fuese basura  y mas tratandose de unos indefensos animales que si son muy territoriales, pero de todas maneras no es justo. otra cosa hay dinero para guerra , referendos, factor x , que el desafio etc.. y otras estupidese mas  pero no hay dinero para poderlos transportar
With sarcasm, blueandtanit also deals [es] with the issue :
¿De cuando a acá, en Colombia, el país en el que se comen huevos de Iguana sin que nadie proteste, el país en el que se cazan y comen babillas, el país donde se venden tortugas y peces silvestres en las afueras de escuelas y colegios… Nos preocupamos por el cuidado de nuestra fauna y porque muchas especies de nuestra riqueza en diversidad biológica aumenten su peligro de extinción? No entiendo cuál es el escándalo con los hipopótamos.
[…]
¿De cuando a acá nos da pena que nuestro ejército nacional no haga cosas “más valerosas”, Acaso no es este el país donde nuestro “glorioso” ejército nacional muestra una banderita de la cruz roja “por miedo”? No entiendo cuál es el escándalo con los hipopótamos.
Since when in Colombia, the country where iguana eggs are eaten without anyone protesting, the country where spectacled caimans are hunted and eaten, the country where turtles and wild fishes are sold in front of schools… do we worry about our fauna and about a lot of species within our rich biodiversity that are becoming more endangered? I don't understand what's the scandal with the hippos.
[…]
Since when are we ashamed because our national army can't do “more courageous” things? Isn't this the country where our “glorious” national army shows a Red Cross flag out of “fear”? I don't understand what's the scandal with the hippos.
Some bloggers attacked both the excessive media coverage of the issue (denouncing their alleged mistakes and misconceptions [es]) and the hypocrisy [es] of most of the Colombian society. For example, Carlos Correa, who writes [es]:
Quizás podríamos entender con esto que los colombianos estamos tomando conciencia del valor de la vida, y de la conservación de nuestro ambiente. O mejor aún, podríamos decir exactamente que somos un gran pueblo hipócrita.
Que otro nombre darle a este pueblo que se rasga las vestiduras frente a la matanza del hipopótamo – que es lamentable, eso ni dudarlo- pero que guarda un silencio aterrador frente al asesinato de seres humanos. Un ejemplo: En Cali en la misma semana que mataron a “pepe” fueron asesinados ¡cuatro! indigentes, en una de las normales campañas de limpieza social.
Casi nadie dijo nada, los medios presentaron tenuemente la noticia y los colombianos defensores de la vida, como que estaban ocupados con el “hipo” porque no se pronunciaron. No hay correos electrónicos de este hecho, ni twiits, ni tan siquiera un grupo de Facebook que condene o comente el hecho. No hay encuestas, ni mensajes de políticos, ni comentarios llenos groserías repudiando la muertes de estos seres humanos, apesar que a dos de ellos los mataron con un paquete bomba, que le hicieron pasar por comida regalada – sádicos-.
Maybe we could understand that with this, that Colombians are becoming more conscious of the value of life and of the value of our environmental conservation. Or even better, we could exactly say we're a huge hypocritical country.
In which other way should we call these people who lose sleep over the hippo's killing -which is regrettable, without a doubt- but which keeps a frightening silence over the murder of human beings. An example: in the same week Pepe was killed, four beggars were murdered in Cali, as part of the usual social cleansing campaigns.
Practically no one said a word, the media reported the news briefly and those Colombians who defend life seemed to be busy with the hippo because they didn't react. No e-mails, no tweets, not even a Facebook group condemning or commenting this event. No polls, no statements by politicians, not even comments full of swear words repudiating the deaths of these human beings, despite the fact that two of them were killed with package bombs, disguised as free food  -sadists-.
Finally, journalist Ricardo Galán, a former press secretary for president Álvaro Uribe and also a member of the National Television Commission, tries to explain [es] from his point of view why Colombians were outraged for Pepe's killing:
¿Por qué será que nos duele tanto la muerte del hipopótamo? Quizá porque Pepe no le estaba haciendo mal a nadie a propósito. Quizá porque tenemos claro que el único animal que mata por matar es el hombre. Los demás salvo que los molesten o tengan la imperiosa necesidad de alimentarse no atacan a nadie.
De pronto nuestro subconsciente le quiera decir a la sociedad y a quienes expidieron la orden de exterminarlos, que Pepe no había salido de su hábitat en busca de dinero fácil o aventura. Que no había partido atraído por el poder de las armas.
De pronto, queremos decir que no nos parece justo que se use tanta fuerza, la fuerza de la fuerza pública, para perseguir a un animal y su manada cuyo único pecado, si es que lo tuvo, es haber nacido muy lejos de su ambiente natural porque hace como 30 años a un mafioso se le ocurrió traer de Africa a sus antepasados para lucirlos como trofeos y símbolos andantes de su poder ante propios y extraños.
Why does the death of the hippo hurt us so much? Perhaps because Pepe was not doing evil to anyone on purpose. Perhaps because we are clear that the only animal who kills for the sake of killing is man. The others, unless they're disturbed or have the vital need to feed themselves, don't attack anyone.
Maybe our subconscious wants to tell society and those who issued the order to exterminate them that Pepe had not left its habitat looking for easy money or adventure. That he had not set off attracted by the power of guns.
Maybe we want to say we don't find fair they used such force, the force of the public security forces, to chase an animal and its herd whose only sin, if any, was to had been born very far away from their natural environment because around 30 years ago a mafioso had decided to bring their ancestors from Africa to show them as trophies and as walking symbols of his power in front of everyone.


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Controversial Thai Prime Minister website · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Cambodia is asking the Prime Minister of Thailand to close down his website that claims that Cambodia has territories which were actually Thai territories.

author: Mong Palatino


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Cuba, Jamaica: Film & Music  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

AfriClassical notes that famed Afro-Cuban composer Leo Brouwer has received his country's 2009 National Film Award, while Repeating Islands discovers that the musical based on Jamaican Perry Henzell’s 1972 film The Harder They Come will soon open in Canada.


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Democracy Video Challenge Winner Showcase · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

What is Democracy? That is the question more than 900 participants set out to answer through their videos, in response to the Democracy Video Challenge set up by the US Department of State and many other partners, open for participants from all over the world. Through their YouTube channel, people sent in their videos which completed the phrase Democracy is... through animated images, live action shorts or documentaries no more than 3 minutes long. After a selection process, 18 finalists were chosen and the general public voted on the winning 6, one of each geographical region: Western Hemisphere, Europe, Middle East/North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South & Central Asia, East Asia/Pacific.
Economist Hernando de Soto appears in the following video congratulating the winners and thanking all of those who participated:
The winners are:
From Brazil, Anna Carolina dos Santos Israel, a film student who shows us that democracy is all about consensus, even between different parts of the same body:
From the United Arab Emirates, Rodin Hamidi is a photographer who shows us how getting democracy can be a process requiring lots of insistence, since the efforts may not be appreciated by those who need it most:
From Nepal, Tsering Choden is a magazine and radio personality who portrays democracy as a communion among people with different concerns and needs:
From Poland, Lukasz Szozda,  an illustrator who shows us through an animation how Democracy embraces more than just one concept:
From the Philippines, Melissa Angela Verzosa Peñafiel, a film-maker, brings us a different perspective on Democracy with a poetic flair: maybe democracy as a word is being overused, and its meaning is getting lost.
And finally, from Zambia we have film-maker Chansa Tembo, who succinctly describes democracy as mixture that is much better than the individual ingredients.
We wish all the winners the best of luck and hope to keep up with them as they travel to the USA this coming October.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Global: The push to boycott Shark Week · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

A group of scientists, scuba divers and self-described shark lovers are using the blogosphere to publicize their criticism of the Discovery Channel’s “horror-show” portrayal of sharks during its annual Shark Week.
This loose coalition argues the Discovery Channel programming sensationalizes shark attacks and embellishes the dangers sharks pose to humans. While Shark Week may provide a handsome profit to the US-based network, it has created a generation of viewers that feel “sharks need to be hunted to extinction,” the group argues. They are circulating a petition calling for the boycott of Shark Week.
Shark Week, which has run on cable and satellite systems since 1987, offers Discovery Channel viewers a week-long series of documentaries and feature programs. Last year an estimated 29 million viewers around the world viewed Shark Week. As an example of its popularity, a different petition calls for the Discovery Channel to expand Shark Week programming to 24 hours per day.
Shark Week begins in the United States August 2 and runs a few weeks later in different regions.
From the group’s manifesto at the French Polynesia-based blog Discovery’s Shame:
The fact is that no shark species target humans for food and people all over the world swim and dive with sharks for pleasure—the same species that Discovery infers will attack and kill people.
Scientists who's work has been used for Discovery's Shark Week have found it twisted and misrepresented by the company. For those who are familiar with sharks, Shark Week is nothing more than tabloid journalism, and does not reflect modern scientific knowledge.
Until recently, even the dangers to sharks from overfishing was covered up by Discovery, because they considered conservation to be an unpopular subject.
According to most estimates, each year sharks attack 50 to 70 people and kill between 5 and 15. Between 20 and 100 million sharks die annually due to fishing.
The blog Sea Stewards: Sea is Our Sanctuary tells readers to “support rational shark programming.”
Despite promises in a meeting with shark advocates and filmmakers in New York two years ago to promote shark awareness Discovery Channel is still promoting the hype and fear of sharks in their sensationalistic Shark Week programming. We have a responsibility to raise awareness that promote sane and sustainable ocean practices. Sharks are an important component fo a healthy ocean and the fear and hype generated by shark attack films is harmful to sharks.
The Discovery Channel admits it employs attention-grabbing methods to bring in viewers. But the network says its web and television programming educates that audience about the value and plight of sharks. Instead of being sensationalistic, its television programming portrays the complicated relationship between humans and sharks, which is what viewers want to see.
David, a shark conservation graduate student in the United States, blogs under the moniker Whysharksmatter on the site Southern Fried Science. A few weeks ago he interviewed Discovery Channel Executive Paul Gasek on the controversy surrounding Shark Week.
[Whysharksmatter]WSM: Do you believe that how movies, the news, and networks like the Discovery Channel portray sharks affects how the public views sharks? For example, in the scientific community, it is widely acknowledged that the movie Jaws has encouraged public fear of sharks. We can’t help but notice that a poster for this year’s Shark Week bears a strong resemblance to the movie poster for Jaws. Though your website has lots of conservation information, do you believe that some of your programming promotes fear of sharks?
[Paul Gasek]PG: At Discovery Channel, we pride ourselves on telling compelling and accurate stories.  Shark Week is no different.  Two of our shows this year are based on actual historical events: one is about the first U.S.-based shark attacks on record, off the New Jersey shore in 1916, and the other is about the infamous summer of 2001 when more than 50 swimmers were attacked by sharks off U.S. beaches.  It is a fact that sharks sometimes mistake people for prey and attack.  In these, and many of our shows, we are digging deeper than the media headlines and telling the stories behind the stories.
WSM:  Are you and other Discovery Channel executives aware of the following facts?:
A)   Sharks kill less than ten humans a year
B)    Less than 1% of shark species have ever bitten a human
C)    Sharks play key roles in regulating ecosystems
D)   Losses of shark populations have resulted in collapses of economically important fisheries
E)    More than 100 million sharks a year are killed in one of the most wasteful, unsustainable, and brutal fishing practices on Earth…
F)    Resulting in dozens of species suffering 95% or higher population declines in the last thirty years?
PG:  We are absolutely aware of the plight – and importance – of sharks.  And while we have millions of people watching our Shark Week programming (29 million people last year) and visiting our Shark Week website (one million people in July alone) we work hard to educate them about the importance of shark conservation.
Each year, Discovery Channel partners with Ocean Conservancy on a Public Service Announcement about the state of sharks which airs throughout Shark Week… We also dedicate a large portion of our website to shark conservation, using it as a tool to entertain and educate people.
The question-and-answer session sparked debate throughout the shark community.  Here are a few comments from the Southern Fried Science site.
From Mako:
When it comes to television, people want to be entertained and networks want to entertain. By portraying sharks as menacing eating machines hungry for human flesh, thats entertaining to people. Its the same reason that people flock to the movie theatres for the next lame scary movie. We like to be scared. It may be “accurate”, but its the commercials, camera angles, music, tone of the commentary that bring across fear and misconception to the audience. Its the nature of media, bend the truth a little and sell it better, or give the stone cold boring truth.
From Irradiatus:
No one is claiming Shark Week should be the “Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.”
Quite the opposite.
What everyone is saying is that you can make a million different varieties of insanely fascinating shark programs that aren’t about them being evil killing machines.
Allie says:
There is a HUUUGE divide between the conservation-oriented Discovery Channel website, and it’s television programming. Yes, choosing sensationalistic headlines may reel people in, but for those who don’t take the time to watch, it also sends a message.
While the debate raged on, the MarineBio Blog compared this year’s Shark Week to previous editions.
I hated that the Discovery Channel aired shows with that threatening voiceover, and all the fear-mongering worked into the script. People who fear sharks won’t respect the fact that shark populations are dwindling worldwide. The only thing people were “discovering” during shark week is that sharks are man-eating demons. There was very little mention of the true nature of sharks, which is that they’re apex predators in search of fish, and seals and other marine critters they find yummy. And that more often than not, human encounters with shark in the wild consist of the sharks swimming away – not attacking. Sharks are extremely important to balanced marine ecosystems. Without them, there’s a top-down cascade of ill-effects as shark prey begin to proliferate and take over – causing their prey-species to be depleted.
However, checking up on this year’s website, the author found:
To my surprise, most of the blood and gore has been replaced with messaging on shark conservation and it seems they’re planning to air documentaries about sharks that are informative and educational rather than shocking and gory. They even have a map of shark populations and their conservation status around the globe.
This year’s Shark Week features the following programs: Blood in the Water; Deadly Waters; Day of the Shark 2; Sharkbite Summer; Great White Appetite and Shark After Dark.
The innocuous-sounding Day of the Shark 2 has generated a tremendous amount of dialogue. The program – described as a “harrowing hour” – exhibits three separate shark attacks: the first when a great white breaks through a shark cage, trapping a diver inside; second, a former Navy seal is attacked in shallow waters and third a bull shark happens upon a spearfishing trip in the Bahamas.
In instances such as this, the blog Shark Divers doesn’t directly find fault with the Discovery Channel. Instead, the blogger Shark Diver takes to task film production companies who combine unsound diving methods with luring sharks in hopes of creating a dangerous situation in front of rolling cameras.
The other side of Shark Porn is more direct. Industry members who enable shark disasters operationally. This years Shark Week will feature one such video.
The operator behind that video has been telling anyone who will listen that this video was an accident, “a one time event”.
Unfortunately all of these claims are after event fabrications and he knows, as does the entire industry, that this video is just one of series of cage breaches at the same site by the same operator.
We have had enough. We have had enough of operators who cry wolf when things go wrong to operational errors that are the result of sloppy operations. We have had enough of operators who blame the videographer, or photographer for capturing their disasters and profiting from it. We have had enough of those few industry members who claim the moral high ground for sharks and yet deliver mayhem and disaster upon an entire industry.
If you are a current supporter of these few industry folks take a long, cold look in the mirror. There is no such thing as “an accident” in a baited shark situation and the myth of cage breaches as an acceptable part of our industry is just that, a myth.
Earlier this year production companies were scoping locations to film portions of the upcoming Shark Week. A dive company in Fiji tells why it refused assistance to a team who wanted to film a  “Pro-Shark ‘documentary-entertainment’ show’.”
From the blog Fiji Shark Diving:
Titled “Deadly Waters”, the plan is to travel to the five “most dangerous beaches for Shark attacks” where the waters are “infested with Sharks” and conduct a series of “experiments” to determine what causes the attacks. The locations they have chosen are the Bahamas, South Africa, Oz, Florida and… Fiji!
A list of questions includes
– what makes these specific locations so deadly?
– do you have any documented Shark attack case studies….?
Well, we sent them packing – and I herewith formally apologize to those well-meaning friends who sent them our way thinking that they were doing us a favor.
Thing is, we were not only outraged by their unacceptable portrayal of Sharks and the stupidity of their new “experiments” – but also and foremost, because of the damage they were intending to inflict to the reputation of Fiji. Talk of “deadly beaches”and “Shark infested waters” is simply toxic for the Tourism Industry, the principal income earner of most Island Countries. Yes, also for the Bahamas whose image has already been tarnished by past and equally stupid programs.

author: John Liebhardt


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Guatemala: International Book Fair Starts July 24 · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The 6th International Book Fair will take place in Guatemala City starting on July 24 writes Asato Ma Sat Gamayo [es]. This year's special guests will be authors from Costa Rica.


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Guyana, Jamaica, Bahamas, U.S.A.: Racial Profiling?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Signifyin’ Guyana, Jamaican Geoffrey Philp and Bahamian Nicolette Bethel all comment on the arrest of (and subsequent dropping of charges against) Harvard professor and black American scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr.


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India: Cool Summer Drinks · Global Voices
Rezwan

Anuradha Goyal at Desicritics reviews some delicious and healthy Indian summer drinks.


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India: FAQs about the Naz Foundation Case · Global Voices
Rezwan

In a three part series (Part 1 2, 3) Vikram Raghavan of Law and Other Things discusses the ins and outs of the famous Naz Foundation case that decriminalizes consensual gay sex in India. V. Venkatesan adds some FAQs of the case in another post of the same blog.


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Indonesia: Bombing victims · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Indonesian police released the names of those who died in the JW Marriott Hotel Bombing in Jakarta.


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Israel: A Belief In Coexistence – Interview With Activist Ibn Ezra · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

While Israel as a whole has moved to the right in recent years, there are nevertheless Israelis who oppose their government’s policies towards the Palestinians, and are active in groups such as Peace Now, Gush Shalom, New Profile, Machsom Watch, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, and Anarchists Against the Wall. Global Voices Online has interviewed activist Joseph Dana, who blogs at Ibn Ezra, about his involvement with the group Ta'ayush (“coexistence”), the state of activism in Israel, and using social media to get the message out.
Why have you chosen to use the name Ibn Ezra?
I am a student of Jewish philosophy and as such I have come into contact with the 11th Spanish Jewish philosopher Avraham ibn Ezra. Ibn Ezra was a Bible commentator and wrote extensively about co-existence between Jews and Arabs in Muslim Spain. When I was thinking about a title for the website it felt like a natural fit. It is also a meaningful play on words, as ibn Ezra literally means “son of Ezra,” as if we who are involved in direct action are all sons of the prominent activist Ezra Nawi, a long time member of Ta'ayush and a guru of the Israeli and Palestinian left whom I wanted to include on the website in a meaningful way.
Joseph Dana documenting new construction at an outpost near the Israeli settlement of Susya in the southern West Bank.
Could you tell us something about Ta’ayush? How did you first get involved?
From its earliest days, Ta'ayush has produced action only, neither manifestos nor ideological debates. The group that consolidated wanted to reverse the usual scale of priorities: after realizing that declarations do not always stand the test of ‘moments of truth’, action was chosen as the way to demonstrate a refusal to accept the repetition of incursions, and to be present where things took place. Direct, non-violent action was the path chosen, as well as decision-making by consensus. Ta'ayush formulated a position paper by the end of December 2000, but its fine-points took up too much time and energy. It was decided to put off this task, and gain the participation of everyone who identified with the actions that were planned to express clear positions. Protest by actual doing, by outspoken negation of the separation between Arabs and Jews in Israel in every realm of life, and of the Occupation itself, of starvation, closure, movement limitations and military incursions that Israel practices in the Occupied Territories.
As an Israeli-American concerned with the conflict and firmly against the occupation I was drawn to Ta'ayush because of the inclusion of voices and viewpoints. I feel that most of the organizations and groups on the ground are deeply mired in rigid ideological viewpoints. Ta'ayush, while clearly against the occupation, does not make solid claims on ideology or long term goals. Instead we focus on direct action week after week. Furthermore, as an Israeli Jew, I think that it is important to work with fellow Israelis that want to break down barriers between Palestinians and Israelis, as opposed to simply fueling anti-Israeli rhetoric like other anti-occupation groups tend to do.
While you are clearly working to support Palestinians in resisting the actions of Israeli settlers, the military and the police, your videos seem to focus on the experience of the activists themselves, rather than that of the Palestinians. Is this because the videos are aimed at an Israeli audience?
Often times the interaction that we experience is between us and the settlers and soldiers. Understandably, Palestinians tend to hover behind us during these interactions because they live by a very different system of laws than we do. Meaning, an Israeli can be detained and by law will see a judge within 24 hours while a Palestinians can sit in jail for up to three days before seeing a judge. So they generally prefer to leave the interactions with the soldiers/settlers to the Israeli activists.
There is an aspect of showing the interaction vis a vis the rule of law between Israelis and soldiers/settlers to the Israeli general public and the American Jewish community (the website is in English specifically because my main audience is the United States public). I want to stress the image that Israelis that choose to work with Palestinians against the occupation lose some of their rights as citizens and efficiently start to experience a slice of the reality of law that Palestinians have to live with. I want to cover our reaction to this phenomenon and show it to Jewish communities throughout the world.
Do you feel that anti-occupation activism has increased or decreased in Israel in recent years? How are Israeli activists generally perceived? Is there mainstream Israeli media coverage of the activism taking place?
Israel has moved far to the right over the past ten years as Israeli society has largely accepted the status quo of occupation and the lack of a Palestinian partner for peace. “Leftwing” governments’ consistent role in the settlement project since 1967 and the recent war in Gaza has exposed the weakness of traditional left parties like Labor and Meretz. As a result of these trends, I feel like the Israeli left has died. In its place, a new left has begun to take shape. A left that is interested in direct action against the occupation and is highly critical of the Israeli army and security establishment.
While this group is still a minority, it is gaining strength and exposure, however the majority of Israel considers it to be radical and questionable. As a result, anti-occupation activists tend to be marginalized in the general public. But it should be noted that occupation monitoring organizations such as Peace Now, B'tselem, and Yesh Din garner respect in society and are recognized as important resources for information.
In terms of mainstream media coverage of our actions, most media outlets are happy to air footage or reports of settler violence. However, the media is still unwilling to air stories or footage of IDF violence directed toward Israeli peace activists. This is a line that simply has not been crossed in Israel yet, as the majority of the Israeli public is not yet willing to challenge the dominance of the IDF.
I have been working hard on using internet media to get out Ta'ayush experiences and it has been met with great success. My website has become a resource for on-the-ground videos and commentary about the reality of the occupation in the south West Bank. The live tweeter updates (@ibnezra) that I have been sending from the West Bank have found an important international audience that I hope will grow as the story of Israelis that resist the occupation must be told.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Jakarta blasts: Twitter vs mainstream media · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

On the day of the Jakarta bombings, Ong Hock Chuan notes that Indonesian twitterers were criticizing local TV stations for presenting premature conclusions about the blasts.


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Japan: Internet users in the world · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

A post [ja] at ideaxidea shows graphs [en] describing the percentage of the world's internet users in 2008.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Japan: No Twitter for Election Campaigns · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

In response to the government's decision that the usage of Twitter in election campaign activities violates the Public Offices Election Law, Kengo Preston wonders why disruptive methods such as direct phone calls and street speeches with megaphones are permitted while these low-cost and practical new technologies are not.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Japan: Political animation · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Adamu from Mutantfrog Travelogue posts three political animations produced by political parties that campaign for the Lower House election in August.


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Maldives: Law To Tackle Anti-Social Behavior · Global Voices
Rezwan

Abdullah Waheed reports that a legal bill has been introduced to the Majlis, Maldivian parliament for discussion and enactment to tackle the growing cases of gang violence and anti-social behavior in the country.

author: Rezwan


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Pakistan: A Fatwa To Stop Electricity Theft · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kalsoom at CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan informs that “the Karachi Electricity Supply Company (KESC) has reportedly obtained a fatwa [religious decree] from 12 senior Islamic scholars against the theft of electricity, which is costing the company 1 billion rupees ($12.3 million) a month.”


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Pakistan: On Recognizing Israel · Global Voices
Rezwan

Farrukh Khan Pitafi at Pak Tea House brings up the question “should Pakistan recognize Israel?”


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Peru: Ex-President Fujimori Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Peruvian ex-president Alberto Fujimori was sentenced to 7 years in prison for corruption writes César Reyna of Reserva Moral [es].

author: Eduardo Avila


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Peru: The Move of Bolivian Textile Companies · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Renatto of Real Politik [es] writes about the move of Bolivian textile companies to neighboring Peru to take advantage of its Free Trade Agreement with the United States, after Bolivia was not renewed for the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act.


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Philippines: Underwear protest · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Workers who lost their jobs after the closure of an undergarment factory held a protest action in front of a government labor office by throwing bras and panties in the air


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Puerto Rico, B.V.I.: Earthquake  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands reports on an earthquake that was felt yesterday in Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands.


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Russia: Medvedev and Sick Babies in Gelendzhik · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user baxus writes a letter (RUS) to president Medvedev, in which he describes how his infant son and many other kids got sick in Gelendzhik, a Russian Black Sea resort town, and what an ordeal it was to move around the area on the day of Medvedev's visit, due to extremely tight security measures. The post has so far generated 2,371 comments, and LJ user drugoi is wondering (RUS) whether there'll be any response to the letter from the mainstream media, now that some 260 Russian blogs have linked to it.


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Saudi Arabia: The Meaning of Names  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

In Saudi Arabia, all names have meanings, notes American Bedu, an American married to a Saudi.


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Syria: Erdogan’s Visit and Iran  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian blogger Maysaloon comments on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Syria. “In light of everything that has been happening recently one wonders about the timing of the visit and whether the Israelis are trying to find out Syria's position on a possible strike against Iran,” he asks.


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Thailand: Pregnancy Scam · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Magnoy Samsara writes about a new pregnancy scam in north Thailand where girls inject a substance in their bodies to inflate their stomach. Girls do this to “obtain commitment, money, or even escape from forced marriages.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Journalistic Integrity  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad and Tobago blogger KnowProSE.com says that “no preconditions leads to better interviews…and that's where journalism sells out – and social media is beginning to.”


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Turkey: The Turkish of Dr. Oz · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Talk Turkey commends Dr. Oz (of Oprah fame) for his ability to speak perfect Turkish while lecturing to Turkish medical students. “Sure he has an accent. Sure he sounds like a ‘foreigner’ when he speaks Turkish. But the reality is; for a man born and raised in the U.S., he is to be commended. Let it be a lesson to transplanted Turks who insist on speaking English at all costs at home with their kids, and intentionally deprive them of growing up mastering a second language.”


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UAE: Dubai Bashing Continues  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Seabee, from Dubai Thoughts, says there is yet another article following the fad for Dubai bashing. This one is in the UK Sunday Times. “Once again it's an article concentrating solely about what's wrong, with no balance, but at least it isn't the sort of inaccurate and often patently untrue and sensationalist garbage,” he notes.


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Uganda: Government Quiet as Famine Takes Toll · Global Voices
Rebekah Heacock

As drought spreads throughout East Africa, more than three million Ugandans are at risk of starvation.  According to a recent Oxfam report, the food shortage is the result of spectacular climate change in the region.  Massive floods in 2007 ruined crops and eroded fields throughout northern and eastern Uganda.  The current drought, which is also affecting neighboring Kenya, has worsened the food shortage and led to the current crisis.  Hunger has claimed the lives of more than 40 people in the northern and eastern parts of the country, and bloggers fear more will die before the government takes notice.
Antipop criticizes the federal government for its attempts to downplay the famine by calling it a “food shortage”:
The famine in Eastern Uganda, Teso to be exact, which has claimed about 35 lives, has taken many of us by surprise. Some of us even first heard of it during the momentary gasps for air as we took a break from stuffing our already bulging stomachs. It is sad and we should be ashamed.
But not as ashamed as Andrew Bageire, Minister of State for Agriculture, and Tarsis Kabwegere, Minister of Relief and Disaster Preparedness who tried to water down this fiasco; Bageire by saying that the people of Teso were paying this heavy price for being lazy spending most of their time drinking ajon (local brew) instead of growing and stockpiling food and Kabwegere by insisting on describing it as a “food shortage” but not famine.
Eizzy notes that the famine is the worst in the north and east, while those in the west are relatively safe from hunger.  She wonders if the government's failure to adequately respond to the crisis has to do with the fact that the president is from western Uganda:
As expected, these areas were in the north and east, I say this because where I’m from (the west) people may not be that wealthy, but they always have food to eat. I also can’t ignore the fact that the big shot politicians and people in government (President included) are also from the west. You just can’t help but get the feeling that they don’t care…which is a damn shame and beats the point of having a government! I mean really, if a government cannot deal with basic need such as hunger, then really what are they doing?
Karamoja, in northeastern Uganda, is one of the areas worst hit by hunger.  Photo courtesy of Ruco van der Merwe.
Uganda's Daily Monitor reports that the Minister of Disaster Preparedness Tarsis Kabwegyere is “still seeking medical interpretation as to the actual cause of death” of the famine victims.  Writing for Uganda Talks, university student Kyomuhendo-Ateenyi responds:
When reports of massive deaths as a result of the famine flowed to Kampala, the honourable Minister of Disaster Preparedness (in a press conference he personally convened) asked the messengers for proof of their allegation by show of graves!
According to him, this hunger thing was a smear campaign orchestrated by disgruntled opposition hotheads whose major occupation is to sound doldrums even where it is not necessary. He then reminded the people that it was not the duty of government to feed its people and counselled the famine stricken people to grow more mangoes, dry them in times of plenty and save the excess for tough times. He is a Professor of sociology from Makerere University, East Africa’s premier tertiary institution.
“Its been a dry rainy season in East Africa…Last week, newspapers in Uganda reported that 35 people died of hunger in northern Uganda,” writes Josh at In an African Minute. “Ken Banks asks us about the elephant in the room of global poverty. To me, this is it.”

author: Rebekah Heacock


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“Resign or Else”: Portraits of Media Repression in Madagascar  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

VNR is a young journalist at one of the largest newspapers in Madagascar. When we first talked over the phone, her number was hidden and the first thing she said was to ask carefully what was the purpose of me wanting to talk to her. She and another journalist friend agreed to meet  with me at a busy corner of Anosy, a borough of Antananarivo, where we could decide where we could discuss freely. Speaking freely  was clearly not in a possibility  as the two journalists whispered and looked over their shoulders for the whole 2 hours we were talking. Having a frank conversation  has become very difficult nowadays in Madagascar. Too many arbitrary arrests have happened in recent months, too many people are still trying to escape the intense “witch hunting” of political opponents.  A report on threats upon members of the media in Madagascar has already been published by Reporters Without Borders. The crisis in Madagascar may have vanished from the  front pages of national newspapers but the reason for its disappearance is not a lack of newsworthy events to report but a systematic repression imposed on journalists trying to investigate abuses of power in the current military-backed transitional government.
Malagasy Blogger Cyber Observer hints at  one of the issues  faced by journalists  while performing their duties:
In most of Francophone African countries, journalists become the ”agents” or the ‘’spokepeople” of political movements or parties.
Over the past 4 weeks, we have spoken to 7 journalists, most of them testifying anonymously only about investigations they were conducting  and how the ensuing threats aborted the publication of the information.  four of them are from print media, one from radio, one from television and one is from an online news site.  The following article is a collection of testimonies on what  journalists are going through on a daily basis and their thoughts on the current state of Journalism in Madagascar.
VNR explains the atmosphere in the news room now:
”TM (a friend who works for another renown daily newspaper and also a contributor to news website topmada.com)  and I  were reticent to come talk to you because it is increasingly difficult to know who to trust in the community. I was told two weeks ago that it was my choice if I wanted to denounce the abuse of power by the current administration but that the team will not pay for my indiscretion and that I was on my own. I was investigating the appropriation of a private food factory by the government to provide discounted staple products to the population. My chief editor comes to me and say that the journal is  not to sink because of me, that if I wanted to commit  career suicide, I could not drag the whole paper with me. Another journalist, LA, from a different newspaper, also worked on the case. The security forces came to their news room and in no uncertain terms stated that LA was to: “resign or else”. Neither her findings or mine were ever fully published.”
TM adds:
“ Topmada.com has been a fairly successful news website, compiling reports from journalists like myself in a real time manner. It was updated twice a day since the beginning of the crisis but the owner's family was recently threatened so it has not published a new article since early June. I have submitted articles several times but was told no to bother writing anymore.”
Understandably, most of them did not want the names of their workplaces revealed. One of them, Evariste Ramanantsoavina,  ex-journalist for Radio Mada,   did not care for anonymity anymore since his name was already dragged  in the public eye. He explains the circumstances of his arrest on May 5th,  why he was freed and his perspective on journalism during the crisis:
formerly jailed journalist of radio mada via http://pakysse.wordpress.com
“ I am a mere sports radio journalist. At the height of the crisis in March, no one would come to work at radio mada anymore so I was left alone to mane the radio. I would read bulletin that were sent to me by the producers, most of them heavy on communique from former president Ravalomanana.  I am an old man with health issues so by mid-April, I had to take a leave from radio mada. I heard that the new government was looking for me because I allegedly taught people how to make Cocktail Molotovs and throw them at armed forces on the radio. That is just a blatant lie. I was not working anymore at the time of the alleged accusation as I was in Antsirabe, getting treatment. As a matter of fact, after they arrested me, the judge found that there was not enough evidence to those charges and I was released. I thought of hiding for my family's sake when I heard the rumors. However, I figure I had nothing to hide and I am too darn old to keep running away so I decided against it. The part that saddens me is that many of my colleagues wrote about my arrest without even  asking for my point of view. I was treated well in prison but I cannot say more about my imprisonment because there are more people still in prison. One day I will write about all of this but not now, the time is not right yet. I am grateful that some of my colleagues started a strike when they heard of my arrest and that bloggers wrote about it.  After Malagasy people, truth has been the second most offended victim during the crisis. People would just write anything as long as it serves their interests.”
Not everyone agrees on the reason for information retention and the seemingly lack of punch of a few members of the media.
MMR, chief editor of a daily newspaper and a weekly magazine, has been in the journalism business for 25 years. He remembers the golden age of journalism in Madagascar, right after independence. He asks:
“ Do those people you interviewed still consider themselves the 4th power ? What a travesty. The independence of journalists has been an issue for a long while now. It has just been exposed in greater details during the crisis. Can anyone say that they are fully confident about the news they hear or read anymore in Madagascar ? There are many reasons for such a decline but no one wants to discuss it. There was a time when journalists played their roles of safeguard for democracy in Madagascar in the 60's. That epoch is way past us now. Consider this, I am the chief editor of two gazettes and I recieve  1.2 millions ariary (about $618/month). A new journalist receives about $320/month, that is quite limiting considering the increased cost of living.  Additionally, a journalist is hard press to have what we know here as a vady asa ( a 2nd job) because being a reporter is too time consuming. Given those conditions, one can understand if not only they don't want to put their jobs in jeopardy but that a few journalists may consider sitting on a few critical information for under-the-table deals.   Still, journalism is supposed to be about more than just a mean for living, and that notion got lost in the reality of politics in Madagascar for some times now”.
Still, stories of direct repression of freedom of press abound during the crisis from both sides of the political spectrum.
RL, reporter at MaTV, a national tv station who already tragically lost reporter Ando on February 7th,   recalls the day armed forces stormed their news room without a mandate to look for incriminating footage of excessive use of firearms by soldiers.  Commander Charles Andrianasoavina, notorious for threatening to shoot foreign diplomats, among others US Ambassador Niels Marquardt on March 17th,  asked the MaTV team to quit reporting or posting photos of soldiers or they would close the tv station:
LR:
“ this story is neither new or secret. Everyone knows soldiers stormed the building and took some of our materials under the pretense of an investigation. Beside the TV channel, we also publish a print only gazette called “Ma Laza” and since the soldiers’ visit, no one here signs articles with their real names.”
However, the issue of military repression is not limited to journalists. The following journalists have had specific stories about abuse of power, witch hunt and arbitrary arrest that they just cannot publish  themselves. DN, a veteran of journalism in Madagascar, was following the arrest of Heriniaina Razafimahefa, executive director of ALMA, Asa Lalana Malagasy, a business unit belonging to former president Ravalomanana. . He was arrested on June 16 on charges of  embezzlement and improper use of public funds. He learned that Mr Razafimahefa was denied familial visitation rights three weeks ago and that he has not been heard of since then. Similar stories about former staff members of Marc Ravalomanana being harassed and racketed by soldiers are legions. TA, a free lance journalist, learned  that homes of close relatives of former head of MAP, a Ravalomanana supported project, were raided  and that his brother was chased down by soldiers in the vicinity of Antananarivo before he could escape the country.
Much of the information was withheld from the public eye by different means whether by threats, bribes or intimidation. Not only a culture of transparency is yet to be implemented in Madagascar but dubious information are also being thrown out in public by the administration with dubious evidence. For instance, on July 21st , five names were published publicly as instigators of potential bombings in Antananarivo a few hours after the bombs were allegedly discovered.
A lot of effort still needs to be invested in support of the independence of journalism as a safeguard  for democracy in Madagascar. There was a time when media deserved the title of 4th power. One wonders if there is still time for media to recover from the ashes of the current political crisis.
[ Most identities have been replaced by intials for safety reasons]

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Africa: Bloggers Discuss HIV/AIDS among gay African men · Global Voices
Haute Haiku

Sub-Saharan has reported high rates of HIV among gay men in Africa. BBC reports that this state of affair has got a lot to do with the alienation and lack of sex education among homosexuals in Africa. In the search for freedom of sexual expression, it is clear that gay activism has not yet reached the national level and prevention campaign for men who have sex with men (MSM) has not been fully acknowledged. These factors put many homosexuals and heterosexuals at risks especially men who have unprotected sex with both gender and have multiple sex partners. MSM are hard to be reached due to stigma and yet they still remain in precarious position where HIV is concerned. Let's listen to views of LGBT African bloggers writing about the issue.
Discussing anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda Simon Collery argues that criminalization of same sex relationships will make it harder to protect male gay from HIV transmission:
When it comes to preventing HIV transmission, criminalization of same sex relationships will make it more difficult to protect men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM are very vulnerable to being infected with HIV and are more likely to transmit it than those engaging solely in heterosexual relationships.
But this means that it must be made possible for MSM to be open about their sexual practices. If they are not open about their sexual practices it will not be possible to target this group with appropriate HIV reduction programmes. They will do everything they can to remain invisible, they will not be able to seek medical attention safely, they will not be protected by the law; they will become even more vulnerable than they are now and they will represent a greater obstacle to reduction of HIV transmission.
The Director General of Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) was quoted last year saying, “Gays are one of the drivers of HIV in Uganda, but because of meagre resources we cannot direct our programmes at them at this time.” Ugandan homosexuals responded:
* 26 years since the epidemic of HIV started there has not been a single government led prevention programme amongst gay Ugandans.
* That from the very beginning of the world wide epidemic it was known that gay men are a vulnerable group.
The statement by the Director General is particularly sad, following statements of other Ugandan leaders that gay people should be marooned on an island to die2, and from an advisor to the UAC that “Our previous experience showed us that bringing homosexuals into campaigns against HIV only gives them a chance to propagate their illegal and unnatural acts.”3
We are Ugandans. We are gay Ugandans.
We have a right to life.
We have a right to health.
We have a right to be free of HIV.
We have a right to knowledge about HIV prevention and treatment. We have a right to protect our selves, our lovers, our families and our communities.
26 years since the HIV epidemic started, Gay Ugandans believe myths and lies about HIV because of biased and unscientific public education campaigns carried out by the government. Despite the lies we have been told, all people have the right to unbiased prevention, care, treatment, and support.
Being gay in Africa is still like being in the belly of the beast. Culture, religion and homophobia aside, bloggers feel that prevention campaigns on HIV among MSM  should be active and negative gay stereotypes should be avoided to make gay men more confident in protecting themselves, and governmments should at least make an effort to try and salvage their people from obscurity.
Sebaspace summarises his feelings on the issue:
Sadly, it is unlikely that any African government is paying attention or interested in paying attention. It's criminal really …. utterly diabolical.
Gay Uganda feels that the community in general has to pay too:
To be fair, the community has to pay it with us. So, who's to blame. Seems as if we can start tossing around the blame too.
Tamaku, who writes Diary of a gay Kenya man, writes:
HIV continues to wreak havoc in Sub-Saharan Africa more than in any other region of the world and it appears African males who have sex with men are particularly affected.
One of his readers comments on his post:
ts unfortunate that HIV prevention programmes in most Sub-Saharan African countries are still geared only towards the heterosexual majority. Until recently, quite a few gay men in many countries even believed that the virus was transmitted only via heteroexual sex. MSMs will have rampant unprotected sex with their male partners and because they sleep with only one woman (perhaps their wife), they believe that all is well.
This is a very opportunistic virus that exploits every single chance its given and the rectum with its profusion of capillaries,
together with its liability to rupture is perhaps the single most probable possible point of infection
In highlighting the plight of homosexuals in Africa,The LGBT Asylum posts an article written by Edward Qooro titled, “Activists petition UN over violation of gays’ rights in Tanzania”:
Human rights campaigners have filed a report with the United Nations, complaining against Tanzania's violation of the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) persons .
The report submitted this month to the Human Rights Committee of the UN, seeks to highlight the social and legal obstacles that hinder the freedom of the groups with this type of social relations.
The report was filed by three non-governmental organisations: the Centre for Human Rights Promotion in East Africa, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, and the Global Rights.
Tamaku had a 3 month poll on his blog asking readers if homosexuality should be decrimanalised in Kenya. 41% said “No” and 28% felt that homosexuality has no place in Kenya.  One post on his blog showed that 96% of respondents were against homosexuality:
However, the danger of public hostility is real. A 2005 poll in Kenya showed that 96% of respondents felt that homosexuality was an affront to their beliefs.
Most gay youth who are proud of their identity are now speaking out and looking for gay  role models to emulate. Afrogay, a gay Nigerian now living in the United States, writes:
Now Gen X is living a life of based on what the media has given them. Is this what being gay is all about? The answer is no, there are positive good black gay role models out there , some are out some are not. These older men should be able to mentor the younger ones and not seek just sex from them. Encourage them to be positive to build their talent and use it for a purpose.
This is something I seek as a young gay African American. I seek a mentor a role model, I seek one ready to teach and care for a younger gay man.
IS THERE ANY OUT THERE
HIV on the Down Low: Myth & Reality?:
I think we are getting on dangerous grounds as people are refusing to acknowledge that there are people of different sexual orientations and by this! they might be forcing people on the down low (some).
What people fail to realise is that gay people are social beings too, like all the people in the world, they want to love and be loved and engage in bodily pleasure and satisfaction, so if you force them into oblivion and make them hide their sexuality it puts people in the sexual equation at risk.

author: Haute Haiku


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Albania: No Playing in Parks · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Living in Shkoder, Albania learns that kids aren't allowed to play in Albanian parks.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Armenia: An interview with Liana Aghajanian · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Born in Iran, but raised and now living in the United States, Liana Aghajanian is a writer and a relative newcomer to the Armenian blogosphere. Although blogging on her own personal site, Aghajanian has set an important precedent for alternative voices and an independent media in Armenia and the Diaspora with her WordPress-based e-zine, Ianyan.
Hello and welcome to ianyan magazine, your premiere independent Armenian publication. Ianyan first started as an idea that lay dormant in our minds for a number of years. Like all good things however, the idea finally came to fruition. We here at ianyan aim to bring you what so many Armenian publications have failed to do: objective news, features and storytelling that you can appreciate. This is not your medzbaba’s newspaper. There is no propaganda here. We not only seek the truth and report it, we bring you Armenian news from around the world, for both young and old generations and for your non-Armenian friends as well.
The full interview can be heard below.
Interview with Liana Aghajanian.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS


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Bahrain: Accusations of Islamist Hypocrisy · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

The Bahraini Nationalist read the response by the Olama Islamic Council to the Crown Prince's call for dialogue with Israelis: “It’s the usual, humdrum response we’ve come to expect from all Islamist political groups…it exposes the hypocritical way these groups approach the issue of Palestine.”


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Bangladesh: Beauty Of The Countryside · Global Voices
Rezwan

Expat blogger Amy Moyer is charmed by the amazing Bangladesh countryside.


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Bangladesh: Connecting To The Asian Highway · Global Voices
Rezwan

Had I been in Voyager 1!!! opines that the current proposal of connecting to the Asian Highway is not useful to Bangladesh as “it will go through several land ports in Bangladesh-India border but not anywhere near our two seaports.”


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Bermuda: Crime & Punishment · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bermuda's 21 Square takes a look at the country's crime statistics and concludes: “We should be focusing more on improving the justice system rather than worrying about the effectiveness of policing.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Citizens of the World “United 4 Iran” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

On Saturday July 25, people around the world will have the opportunity to support Iranians in their struggle for democracy, freedom and basic human rights by attending rallies in dozens of cities around the world.
The organiser is United 4 Iran, a non-partisan collaborative of individuals and human rights organizations. United4Iran says its aim is to condemn the widespread and systematic violations of the Iranian people’s human rights.United4Iran’ site has published several photos (one above), video films and news on this day.
Global voices interviewed Kamran Ashtary, one of the coordinators of this project in the Netherlands and his wife, Tori Egherman, a blogger, artist, and accidental activist with United 4 Iran.
Please describe the “United 4 Iran” project, its goals and where comes the initiative?
There have been so many initiatives to support the struggle for freedom and democracy in Iran. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran spearheaded this effort and brought together groups of supporters and volunteer coordinators all over the world. The full list of supporters are on the site.
How have social networking, the blogosphere and the internet played a role in this moblization?
It’s hard to imagine organizing a demonstration without social networking, the blogosphere, and the internet. My God! How did anyone do it in the old days just three years ago? Basically, if we had to depend on the media to get the word out, no one would know that we were even organizing a global day of action in support of freedom and democracy in Iran. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are all starting to hum with information about this coming Saturday.
What’s even more important, is that the internet is also helping us communicate with people in Iran who are becoming more and more aware of the worldwide support for their efforts to secure their democratic rights.
Do you see a convergence between Iranians outside Iran and those inside through the internet?
That’s a great question. Just think, a few years ago, before the earthquake in Bam in 2003, there was very little communication, and even less trust, between the Iranian diaspora and civil society activists within Iran. Since Bam, communication and trust have been growing. Events since the election have really started to eliminate the walls between Iranians inside and outside the country. It’s as though there is one strong community again. Of course, there are still divisions, but the struggle for democracy and free expression can and should accommodate those divisions among Iranians, just as it does in democratic countries all over the world. Since the election we have seen a huge movement to bring the Iranian community together, and that’s why an effort like United 4 Iran is possible for the first time since the revolution.Struggling to solve political issues is the job of those inside Iran. Supporting that struggle and their internationally recognized human rights is the job of those of us around the world.
How has the support been so far, and which Iranian and non-Iranians back this initiative?
At first I thought, Where are my Dutch friends? And then I thought, On vacation. Actually, they are supporting our efforts. IKV Pax Christi, a Dutch organization that works for peace, is our primary financial supporter. Our team is half Dutch-born, with the rest Iranian-Dutch, Iranian, and even Tori, who is American. My Dutch friends are with me and with the people of Iran, and I find that so amazing.
At the event in Amsterdam, the Dutch musician & journalist, Ron Buitenhuis, will even be playing a song he wrote for Neda. He was moved to write this song because of the events in Iran.
This is a non-partisan event. In Amsterdam, we know that all sorts of people with all sorts of political views will be present. It’s about supporting the homegrown, Iranian struggle for human rights, free expression, and democracy.
Action is so important right now! Find a rally on July 25. Go out. Bring friends. Support democratic efforts in Iran.
What are your expectations for the United 4 Iran day?
We expect to send a strong message of support to the people of Iran and to provide an international forum for those arrested, harassed, and struggling to have their voices heard. Here is what we say in our press release:
The global day of action is organized around the following core demands:
1. That member states and civil society organizations of the international community give sustained attention to the Iranian people’s human rights as a matter of international concern, and that the UN should immediately initiate an investigation into grave and systematic human rights violations in Iran, including the fate of prisoners and disappeared persons, unlawful killings, and torture and other ill-treatment;
2. An end to state-sponsored violence, accountability for crimes committed and no recourse to the death penalty.
3. The immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience, including politicians, journalists, students, and civil society activists; and
4. Freedom of assembly, freedom of association, and freedom of expression (including freedom of the press) as guaranteed by the Iranian constitution and Iran’s obligations under international covenants that it has signed.
How can international citizen media  support Iranian movement?
International citizen media has been supportive in many, many ways. With the limitations on journalists in Iran who are basically under house arrest because they are no longer allowed to report and because there are almost no international journalists left in Iran, citizen media is critical! Look at efforts like the Green Brief by Josh Shahyar and of bloggers like Agha Bahman among many, many others. You know better than anyone at Global Voices just how important citizen media is in Iran.
It is more important than ever for citizen media to keep the voices of Iranians alive. “We have lost our voices: you have to be our voice,” is what a 52-year old teacher in Iran told us.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Cuba: Ferrer Arrested  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuban bloggers react to the arrest of Dr. Darsi Ferrer on the grounds that he allegedly bought construction materials on the black market to repair his house: Blog for Cuba, Uncommon Sense and Human Rights Cuba.


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Ethiopia: Live discussion of the film “The Market Maker” · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Follow live discussion of the film “The Market Maker”: The Market Maker follows Eleni Gabre-Madhin, a charismatic Ethiopian economist who, in an effort to end hunger in her famine-plagued country, designs the country’s first commodities exchange.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Hungary: The Hungarian Guard Banned · Global Voices
Marietta Le

A long and complex story seemed to have reached its end some weeks ago. A paramilitary association called the Hungarian Guard (Magyar Gárda) of the Hungarian extreme-right party Jobbik was banned at the beginning of July after more than a year of investigation by Budapest Court.
In December 2008, Eva S. Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum reported on the first decision made by the court:
[…] It's hard to believe, but the first round of court proceedings against the Hungarian Guard (Magyar Gárda in Hungarian) is finally over. The judge agreed with the chief prosecutor's office of Budapest that the Hungarian Guard is illegal. Illegal in the sense that it is not a cultural association. […] The prosecutors sent the indictment over to the Budapest Court on December 17, 2007. Exactly one year ago. The court was in no hurry. The case initially appeared on the docket in March 2008. […]
There were some problems with the creation of the Hungarian Guard in 2007:
[…] The case was a little tricky because the organizers of the Magyar Gárda tried to insulate the troops from any litigation against the alleged cultural organization. They created a separate legal entity comprised of the uniformed fellows with their black boots and insignia suspiciously resembling that of the Hungarian Nazis of Ferenc Szálasi. It was legally distinct from the original organization with its self-described cultural mission. Thus we had a Magyar Gárda Mozgalom (Movement of the Hungarian Guard, the troops) and a Magyar Gárda Egyesület (Association of the Hungarian Guard, the so-called cultural association). It was with this legal separation that the lawyers working on behalf of Jobbik, the extreme right party responsible for the creation of the Hungarian Guard, tried to save at least the uniformed units that belong to the Movement. […]
As Eva S. Balogh writes, the verdict of 2008 clearly declared that the separation is not enough to defend the existence of the Guard:
[…] This court case addressed the Association, not the Movement. However, this is still a blow to the whole Hungarian Guard because the judge very rightly pointed out that the Movement and the Association are in a symbiotic relationship amply demonstrated by the changes made in the original documents, by the signed documents of cooperation between the two organizations, and by the financial interconnections that exist between them. The judge decided that the Hungarian Guard's main aim is to spread fear among Gypsies. Judge Pataki noted that the Guard is also antisemitic because in a speech a spokesman of the Guard talked about “Zionist rats, locusts, and grave diggers of the nation.” The judge pointed out that all these activities are unconstitutional and not in conformity with Hungary's international obligations. […]
The judgment was appealed and after the first round verdict Gábor Vona, Chairman of the Hungarian Guard Association, stated in an interview:
[…] Either way we will continue, even under a different association or civil group, we will serve our nation. […] The Hungarian Guard Movement is not affected by the verdict, even the Judge confirmed this. The verdict is about the Association. Indirectly the court confirmed that the Guard will carry on and I can also confirm this. […]
In early July, the final verdict was pronounced. Eva S. Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum wrote:
[…] It was last December that the presiding judge in a lower court found the Hungarian Guard guilty of violating the rights of an ethnic group. The lawyer representing the Guard appealed. Today the Hungarian Guard both as a “cultural association” and as a “movement” was found guilty as charged. […]
Gábor Vona announced an official demonstration for the Hungarian Guard three days later, right after the day of a spontaneous rally that was held in the center of Budapest and disbanded by the authorities. Kuruc.info, an extreme right website related to Jobbik, stated:
Hungarian Law categorically permits demonstrations within a 72 hour window of contemporary events, without any form of prior permission from the authorities. […] The subsequent protest, held by a few hundred members of the Hungarian Guard, their supporters and members of Jobbik, was in response to such a contemporary event. Namely, the ruling by the unelected judges of the Budapest Appeals Court on July 2, which called for the disbanding of the Hungarian Guard. […]
The website reported that the protesters surrounded by the police sat down to keep on holding the peaceful rally:
The police responded with a series of callous attacks against the seated demonstrators, in an all too common display of the facial spraying of tear gas at close range and the brutal beating of protestors regardless of age or infirmity. […] The police were compelled to forcefully remove and arrest the demonstrators by snatching them individually and dragging them away. […]
Also Gábor Vona was arrested as responsible for the spontaneous rally. The second demonstration that was officially announced on July 11 was finally held peacefully. The organizers stated that they would relaunch the Hungarian Guard. At the rally, recently elected Members of the European Parliament (MEP) were present in black-and-white uniforms of the Guard.
Politics.hu reported that three days later one of the delegated Jobbik MEPs, Csanád Szegedi, was wearing the Guard's uniform at the inaugural session of the European Parliament, which was condemned by the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats.

author: Marietta Le


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India: Interview with Dina Mehta · Global Voices
Rezwan

Blogadda interviews Dina Mehta, one of the best-known bloggers and social media observers from India. She is also a friend and Advisor to Global Voices Online.


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India: Orissa Pride · Global Voices
Rezwan

Photoblog ::MyFiveFromAnyShoot:: captured the LGBT Pride moments at Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa state in India and posted some of them. “It was a small but colorful and vocal group (about a 100) – from several districts in the state,” the blog informs.


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China: Introducing Tibetan writer Jamyang Kyi · Global Voices
Dechen Pemba

Jamyang Kyi is a Tibetan broadcaster, writer and blogger based in Xining. Her blog is very popular amongst Tibetans. High Peaks Pure Earth  has translated third letter to her friend Norzin Wangmo who was imprisoned in the wake of the unrest in Tibet in 2008 from Tibetan to English.

author: Dechen Pemba


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Japan: School Lunches · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Kara  at morotsuka.com has chronicled what goes on during school lunches in Japan.


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Kazakhstan: Astana, as it is · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The bloggers share with us their impressions from the new capital of the country.
Drudg writes in his post, filled with figural turns of speech and euphemisms [ru]:
“The streets of Astana should be renamed one more time: Gluttony Street, Immoderation and Excess Avenue, Vulgarity Boulevard, Corruption Road 1, Corruption Road 2, Pathos Lane. Each square centimeter of the capital’s buildings strives for it.
M-kaa also shares his impressions, saying that he has not been in Astana for the last two years, which, according to him, can be compared to decades when speaking of the new capital, where construction projects are treated as the affairs of national importance [ru]:
The city grows and blossoms, but there are still not many people on the streets.  The city looks like a decoration – its wide avenues and huge buildings look especially deserted and depressing during the daytime under the burning sun.
For me it is hard to understand, who goes to a whole loads of the useless dull restaurants that look like each other and lack any sort of concept. Who lives in numerous residential communities and works in the giant business centers? As one of my friends from Astana said: “It would be much better if they kept themselves busy with making love – to increase population”.
As the final one – ys-pumpui comments on the center of Eurasia [ru]:
It’s a paradise for bureaucrats. Lack of good taste and talents reign there along with pomposity. And it is even more sad to realize that foreigners would automatically associate the people of Kazakhstan with this “something”.
Photos by adam-kesher
Also posted on neweurasia

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kenya: Water Crisis and Government Inaction · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

The Mount Kenya Trust Blog decries the worsening water crisis in Kenya, pointing out the wanton waste of resources by an MP (Member of Parliament), and continuing wildlife-people conflict.

author: Juliana Rotich