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Jordan: Bloggers Reflect on Valentine’s Day · Global Voices
Mohammad Azraq

Bloggers’ reflections on Valentine's day in Jordan varied between wishes for a happy day, and raising important issues about the holiday. Here is what some of them had to say….
Eye on Jordan posted a picture of a donkey painted red in the northern city of Ramtha in celebration of Valentine's Day, and writes:
Viewpoints on the anniversary differ among people from all walks of life.
In the Ramtha district, 80 kilometres to the north of Amman, the celebration of the event was different this year as residents of Ramtha celebrated the event by painting a donkey red and placing it in the city centre for passers-by to see.
One of those who took part in painting the donkey was Ahmad Zu’bi, who said: “We painted the donkey with red to celebrate the event to show how ridiculous it is as if there is only one day to express love throughout the year.
The Diary Sequel wished everyone a happy Valentine's Day, and encouraged girls not to play monopoly with boys:
My late Happy Valentine's to all. I hope you all had a good one. I had a great one :)
I had an interesting pleasant and kind of funny day. Maybe I'll blog about it tomorrow if I'm not too lazy.
By the way girls, NEVER play Monopoly with boys….especially if you're good at it!
Hamzeh argued that only those who are not good at being in a relationship, would celebrate Valentine's and that a happy couple wouldn't:
Please think about it people, why would a happy couple bother celebrating valentine? I’ll tell you why, because they suck in relationships. They don’t know when or how to appreciate their relation, when or how to be passionate, when and how to fire it up and totally celebrate. That’s why, stupidly enough, they wait till flowers and roses prices are high so they mean something again,, crap! Happy couples don’t do valentine! Unless they break up on valentine :p
Siegex called for support to end violence against women on Valentine's Day:
Karama, Arabic for dignity, supports a regional movement to end violence against women and is led by women activists from eight sectors: politics, economics, health, art/culture, education, media, law, and religion. With headquarters in Cairo and a regional office in Amman, Jordan, V-Day Karama builds networks within and across Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Morocco, Algeria, Syria, Sudan, and Tunisia, providing a structure for activists in the region to come together and build the movement for women’s equity and rights.

The V-Day Karama Program head office supplies training, funding, and ongoing support to these diverse women’s networks. Multinational conferences and forums take place annually to serve as vehicles for fundraising, visibility, and inspiration.
And kinzi raised an important point about the common perception of the holiday amongst Muslims in Jordan that it is Christian, and therefore Muslims should not celebrate it:
In it’s current form and practice, anyway, there is no religious connotation. Sure, there is some historical background, but nothing worth stomping roses over.
Lil Kinz came home sad from school. She had asked her dad to bring back Valentine’s Day cards for her classmates, and then carefully wrote out the names of her friends. She was excited to pass them out today.
She came home to say that a little boy told the other kids they couldn’t take them because they were “Christian”. Those who received them he took and ripped up, he even took them away from the Christian kids. We had the little discussion about rudeness being a state of all humanity, but I can see the wheels turning in her little mind.
Just in case anyone is wondering, these weren’t ’stealth’ Christian Valentine’s cards with a hidden evangelistic message. They were from Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda.
Ya salaam.

author: Mohammad Azraq


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Jordan: Blogging Arabia Talk Set  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Blogging Arabia: From Obscurity to Community” is the title of a talk by Georgetown University lecturer Adel Iskandar being held in Amman, Jordan, on February 19, writes Roba Al Assi at And Far Away.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Jordan: Ikbis New Feature · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Arab video sharing site Ibkis, launched from Jordan, has just added a new feature to their site – webcam upload. It means that now you can record directly from your webcam and publish to Ikbis.


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Jordan: Mourning Rituals  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kinziblogs, from Jordan, discusses mourning traditions and rituals in Jordan, in this post, written as she prepares to meet mourners visiting her home to pay respect for her father-in-law.


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Korea: Valentine’s Day, Suicide and Blogs · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

A blogger shares his experience on Valentine’s Day 10 years ago. On Valentine’s Day this year, four people died on the subway. tracks How will you get over your difficulties and loneliness? Blogs can be the answer, he said.
발렌타인데이였던 오늘 여러 사람들이 투신 자살하는 일이 발생했다. 오늘 하루만 3곳에서 4명이 지하철 투신 자살로 목숨을 잃었다고 한다. 악몽같은 발렌타인데이의 슬프고 안타까운 소식이 아닐 수 없다. 게다가 응봉역에서 난 사고는 시체를 수습하던 장례직원이 전동차에 치어 사망하는 사태까지 벌어져 더욱 안타깝게 만들었다. 이런 일들이 발렌타인데이에 일어난 것이 나에게는 옛 기억을 떠올리게 했다.
벌써 10년전의 이야기가 되었다. 우리 집도 IMF를 정면으로 맞았고 집은 마산을 거쳐 부산으로 이사간 상태였다. 대학을 다니던 나는 서울에서 생활했어야 했고 기숙사에서 나와야 했던 방학 때라 친구 집을 전전하며 자고 때로는 노숙을 하기도 했다. 모두가 어렵고 힘들었던 그 시절, 2월 14일은 유난히 더욱 추웠다. 짐을 줄이기 위해 나는 옷이란 옷은 다 껴입고, 겉에는 어울리지 않는 롱코트를 걸치고 다녔다. 롱코트는 이불로도 유용하게 쓰였기에 발목까지 오는 그 긴 코트를 꼭 입고 다녔다.
1999년 2월 14일, 여느 때와 같은 차림으로 나는 재워주기로 한 친구내 집으로 가기 위해 회기역에서 국철을 타기 위해 계단을 내려가고 있었다. […] 그런데 사람들이 계단 옆에 수십명이 모여서 철로를 보고 웅성 웅성 되고 있었다. 평소라면 별 관심없이 지나쳤을텐데 워낙 사람들이 많이 모여 있어서 사람들 틈을 헤치고 무슨 일인가 보았다. 사람들은 모두 ‘어떡해'를 연발하고 있었다. 앞으로 가서 보니 한 남자가 철로에 누워서 자살을 시도하고 있었던 것이다. 게다가 때마침 “띠리리리~” 열차가 전역에서 출발했다는 벨이 울렸기에 긴박한 상황이 된 것이다. 하지만 모두 바라만 보고 있었지 그를 구하려는 사람은 아무도 없었다.
21살 어린 나이에 의협심과 무모함이 충만하던 그 시기. 뒤늦게 온 나는 사람들의 시선이 나에게만 쏠리는 듯한 느낌을 받았다. 아무도 뛰어내려가 구하려는 사람은 없었고, 누구라도 그 남자를 구해야 하는 급박한 상황이었다. 그런 중압감에 누가 뒤에서 밀치기라도 한 듯 수많은 사람들이 보는 가운데 철로로 뛰어들고야 말았다. “아뿔사!” 뛰어내리고 보니 열차가 저 앞에서 불빛을 비치며 경적을 울려대었다. 식은 땀이 줄줄 나고 여자들은 비명을 지르기 시작했다. 나는 얼른 그 남자를 일으켜 세워 올리려 했으나 그 남자는 죽기를 작정한 듯 꼼짝도 안했다. 하지만 다행히도 우리를 보았는지 열차가 20,30m쯤 앞에서 멈춰선 체 경적을 울리고 있었다. 정신이 번뜩난 나는 그 남자를 억지로 일으켜 세웠고 위에 있던 사람들의 도움을 받아 위로 올려 놓았다. 사람들은 내가 그 남자와 일행이라 생각한 듯 하였다. 나와 그 남자를 남겨두고 모두 아무 일도 없었다는 듯이 다시 열차를 타기 시작했다. 정신이 쏙 빠진 나는 그 남자에게 따지듯 말하였다. 도대체 왜 그런 짓을 했냐고 말이다. 그 남자는 술에 취해 술냄새가 진동을 하였고, 손에는 조그만 상자를 들고 있었다. 그리고 내게 자살을 시도한 이유를 설명했다.
요지는 자기가 좋아하는 여자가 있는데 IMF로 인해 집안이 어려워지자 그 여자가 변심을 했고, 그 마음을 돌리고자 돈을 모아 초코렛을 사서 프로포즈를 했는데 그 여자가 거절을 해서 술 마시고 자살하려 했다는 것이다. 허허… 좀 어이가 없었다. 여자 때문에 귀한 목숨을 버리려 하다니 말이다. 게다가 내 목숨 걸고 구한 사람의 이유 치곤 좀 허탈했다. 그러고 있는데 역무원이 내려왔다. 난 그 사람을 역무원에게 인도하고 내 갈 길을 가려했는데, 이 역무원은 우리에게 다가오더니 철로에 뛰어내려가면 어떡하냐며 나무라기 시작한다. 난 저 사람을 구하기 위해 내려간 것이었다고 설명했으나 그래도 역무원이 올때까지 기다려야지 무작정 뛰어내려가면 어떡하냐며 다시는 그러지 말라 일렀다. 당시에는 생각해보니 그런 것 같기도 하고, 다음부터는 남의 일에 끼어들면 안된다는 교훈을 얻기까지 하였다. 몇년 전 대구 지하철에서 사람을 철로에서 구한 고등학생이 상을 받은 것을 보고는 좀 억울한 생각이 들기도 했지만, 내 나름대로는 법을 어겼어도 내 손으로 생명을 살렸다는 것만으로 충분히 그 상황이 보상되고도 남았다. 결국 역무원에게 동급으로 취급받고 실컷 혼나고야 말았다. 그 남자를 역무원에게 넘겨주겠다는 계획은 물거품이 되었고, 그 남자 혼자 놔두면 또 뛰어들 것 같아서 그의 집을 물어 집까지 바려다주기로 했다.
It was 10 years ago. My home was also influenced by IMF and we had to move to Pusan from Masan. I was a college student and had to live in Seoul. I couldn’t stay at a dormitory. I sometimes stayed at my friends’ houses or slept on the street. At that time, everyone had a hard time. On the 14th of February, it was colder than any other days. In order to lighten my bags, I wore most clothes and put a long coat on all the time because sometimes I used it for blanket.
On the 14th of February in 1999, I was on the way to my friend’s house for the night. I walked to the subway […] Many people were gathering right next to stairs, looking at the railroad. I joined those people and tried to see what’s going on. All of them say, “Oh, no!” I discovered that one man was lying down on the railroad and tried to kill himself. At that moment, the bell that the train left from the previous station was ringing. But nobody tried to do something for him.
As a 21 year old boy, I must have been full of chivalry and recklessness. I felt that people were looking at me. Nobody jumped down in order to save him. Due to pressure that I had in my mind, I ended up with jumping into the railroad. Once I jumped in, the light from the train was coming over to me with the siren. I broke out in a cold sweat and women started screaming. I tried to stand the man’s body up as soon as possible, but he who already determined to die tried not to move. Fortunately, the train seemed to recognize us and stopped the car 20-30m front with siren. I forced to drag this man’s body out and put him on the platform with the help of other people. It seemed that some people thought I was with him. Leaving us, other people got on the subway. I was angry at him and asked why he did such a foolish act. He was drunk and had a small box in his hand. He explained why he tried to kill himself.
The point was that he had a woman he liked, but his financial situation was getting worse due to IMF. So the woman ignored him. In order to get her back, he gathered money and proposed to her with chocolate. But she turned him down. He decided to drink and to give up his life. I was stunned. I was shocked he tried to abandon a precious life due to a woman. I felt discouraged to listen to the reason why the person I tried to save wanted to kill himself. Suddenly the train officer came to us. I planned to leave after leaving this guy to him. But the officer started reprimanding us why we jumped down to the railroad. I explained I tried to save him, but what he said was that I should have waited for the officer to come. At that time, I felt that I should have done and even learned that I should not intervene into other people’s matters. But later on, when I saw the news that a high school students who saved a person on the railroad of the subway received the award, I felt that it was not fair. But I feel proud of myself I saved one life even though my action was against the law. Anyway, I was reprimanded by the officer and my plan to convey the man to the officer failed. I was afraid that if I left him alone, he would try the same action. I decided to send him off to the house.
￼
제2의 IMF라고 하는 2009년의 발렌타인데이. 철로에서 4명이나 자살을 하였다. 상상도 못할 각자의 고충과 어려움이 있었기에 죽음을 선택했을 것이라 생각된다. 하지만 죽음이 모든 것을 해결해주지 않는다. 많은 사람들이 강도는 다르지만 한계를 넘어서는 어려움을 이겨내고 살아가고 있다. 아무도 몰라줄 것 같은 나만의 고통은 실제로 주변에 많은 사람들이 겪고 있는 고통이다. 그 고통을 나누면 반이 되었을텐데 소통의 부재와 소외가 결국 이런 참담한 악몽같은 결과를 낳고야 말았다.
빛이 강하면 어둠도 강하듯, 사랑을 표현하는 아름다운 발렌타인(Valentine)의 빛 이면에는 소외와 고독이라는 슬픈 발렌타인(Balentine)의 어둠이 있는 것 같다. 사랑하는 사람에게 사랑을 표현하는 발렌타인데이. 이제는 주위 사람에게 관심을 나타내는 문화로 거듭났으면 좋겠다. 한가지 더불어 하고 싶은 말이 있다면, 블로그를 권하고 싶다. 비록 때로는 악성댓글에 상처를 받기도 하지만, 소통과 공유 그리고 대화의 창문인 블로그를 통해 하고 싶은 이야기들도 마음껏 하고 고통을 공유함으로 그 아픔을 이겨나갈 수 있는 도구로 쓰일 수도 있다고 생각한다.
오늘 문득 그 자살하려던 학생이 떠오른다. 10년이 지난 지금, 그도 10년 전의 일을 추억으로 간직한채 힘차게 하루를 살아나가고 있기를 바란다.
Many people live with big difficulties beyond limits. Pains that nobody would understand are actually those that other people also go through. If you share this pain with others, it will be less. Absence of communication and isolation lead to this kind of nightmare.
If light is strong, the darkness becomes strong as well. Behind the light of Valentine’s Day that expresses love, there is also the darkness of sad Balentine of isolation and desolation. On Valentine’s Day, which expresses your love to the one whom you love, I hope that we also express our consideration and interests to people around us.
For this, I would like to encourage blogging. Even though sometimes you’re hurt by others’ opinions, you can share your thoughts and have conversations with stories that you would like to share. It is a tool that you can use to share your pain and can get over your pain.
Today reminded me of the student who tried to give up his life. Ten years on from that time, I hope that he has good life, thinking of what he did 10 years ago.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Kuwait: More about car keys  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwaiti blogger Frankom has a story to share about his car key. Click here to find out more.


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Mexico: Breaking the Kissing Record · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Nearly 40,000 Mexicans broke the Guinness World Record for the most people kissing at the same time writes Jessica Uribe of Vivir México [es].  They assembled in Mexico City's zocalo to participate in the event and she adds, “there were all types of kisses, between couples, mothers with their children, between friends, etc.”

author: Eduardo Avila


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Pakistan: Wearing Taweez · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mohammad Yusha at Chowrangi writes about the tradition of Muslims wearing Taweez for protection from black magic.

author: Rezwan


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Palestine: Gaza foreign reporters reflect on war  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Palestine, Body on the Line shares those videos featuring Al Jazeera's Sherene Tadros and Ayman Mohyeldin reflecting on their role as the only foreign-based journalists in Gaza during Israel’s attack.


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Panama: Safe Child Care While Parents Work · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Having an adequate and safe child care while the parents work is an important campaign issue for the upcoming elections in Panama writes Tu Politica [es].


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Paraguay: Visit to Planetarium in Sajonia · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Mirtha González of Cuerpo y Alma [es] recommends readers to visit the planetarium in the Sajonia area of Asunción, Paraguay.  As a trip with her son, she listened to an interesting talk given by the director, Professor Blas Servín.


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Russia: Blood feuds increasing problem in Ingushetia · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

WindowsonEurasia writes about the increasing problem of blood feuds in Ingushetia.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Russia: George Soros on effects of economic crisis · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

A Step At A Time comments on an article by international financier and philantropist George Soros on the economic crisis and world affairs.


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South Africa: Senegal shares China’s Africa love-spell · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Listen to the voices of residents of the neighborhood in Dakar, Senegal where the Chinese would be constructing a national theatre. The residents are not pleased with the construction.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Sri Lanka: Appreciating Opposing Views · Global Voices
Rezwan

Serendipity hopes that the positive contribution of the Sri Lankan bloggers appreciating opposing views will bring harmony in a divided community.


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Syria: Wikipedia in Arabic Unblocked · Global Voices
Anas Qtiesh

@nas from Syria reports that Wikipedia in Arabic was recently unblocked and wishes the this step expands to include other sites such as Amazon, Youtube, and Facebook.

author: Anas Qtiesh


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Taiwan: Sovereignty on trial · Global Voices
David Reid

A recent case heard in the US Court of Appeals is based on the claim the US is the legal occupying power of Taiwan. Michael Turton dismissed the case as “a crank lawsuit”. Taiwan Echo believes the case is important. Also on the topic of sovereignty, Talk Taiwan discusses a recent Liberty Times opinion piece and says the ROC should leave Taiwan.

author: David Reid


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Thailand: International schools · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Follow that elephant writes about the international school system in Thailand, including how it operates and recruitment of teachers.

author: Mong Palatino


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Thailand: Scholar charged with Lese Majeste · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Accused of violating Thailand's lese-majeste law, Bangkok-based professor Giles Ji Ungpakorn fled to the United Kingdom to avoid prosecution. FACT writes that “Thailand seems intent on sending its best and brightest into exile. If no free-thinker stays to fight lese majeste repression in Thailand, only tyranny remains.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Curmudgeonly Carnival  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Carnival is big business. Fetes costing five hundred dollars and up, mas costumes that are equivalent to a house or car payment, is it all worth bankrupting yourself?”: Coffeewallah explains why, national festival or not, she won't be participating in this year's Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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UAE: A Mosque at Sunset  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Osama, from the UAE posts a picture of a mosque at sunset.


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Ukraine: The Plight of Irina Gavrisheva · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Jeff Mowatt draws attention to the plight of wheelchair-bound Irina Gavrisheva, who “writes and publishes website appeals and articles about helping sick children of Zaporozhye, on behalf of the Happy Child fund” – and needs money for a surgery herself.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Zimbabwe: Why Arrest Bennett? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“Why arrest Bennett?,” asks Ethan Zuckerman. Roy Bennet is a controversial Zimbabwean politicial and a vocal critic of President Robert Mugabe.


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Zimbabwe: Why Arrest Roy Bennett? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“Why arrest Roy Bennett?,” reads the headline at My Heart's in Accra about the MDC Treasurer General and Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, Roy Bennett, who was arrested Friday in Harare. He was charged with treason before these charges were dropped and replaced with attempt to commit terrorism, banditry and sabotage. Zimbabwean bloggers and others have not been silent about his arrest. Many bloggers consider the charges against Bennett to be false. One bloggers links his arrest to Mugabe's hatred for white farmers. Bennett was a commercial farmer before he went into exile in South Africa. It is reported that soon after his arrival in Zimbabwe from his exile, he visited his old farm.
But who is Roy Bennett?:
Bennett was once a star commercial farmer, but one without the stereotypical reputation of the Rhodesian-style white farmer. He enjoyed good relations with the surrounding community for one, even once winning election to parliament in a pretty much all-black constituency.
He strongly resisted the take over of his farm at the height of the farm invasions. Unlike the situation with the disposession of many other white farmers, Bennett was supported in that resistance by many in the local community. That contradicted the Mugabe narrative of white farms being taken over in order to benefit a grateful black peasantry. That initial eagerness and gratitude was indeed the case amongst local communities in many parts of the country, especially in areas where the white farmers had bad  relations with those communities, which was far from unheard of.
So Bennett annoyed officialdom not only by his  strenuous resistance to the takeover of his farm, but by that local support as well. Then there was the additional ‘insult’ of his being elected to parliament, where he further earned more enemies by his outspokenness. When he pushed close Mugabe confidant and government minister Patrick Chinamasa to the floor during a row in parliament, the political guns were set against him. He was jailed for  for that un-parliamentary physical confrontation, lost his seat and then had treason charges made against him, causing him to flee to South Africa.
He only returned to Zimbabwe in the last 10 days or so for the swearing in of the new unity government. Just last week there were media stories remarking in surprise how he had not been harassed or arrested on his return, despite the old treason charges still being outstanding.
Ethan has trouble figuring out why the police in Zimbabwe would arrest him. He notes that no one will take “the new Zimbabwe” serious as long as Bennett remains in prison:
Bennett is a controversial figure – he’s the treasurer of the MDC, and an extremely vocal critic of Mugabe and ZANU-PF. As a white farmer, he’s an extremely symbolic figure in Zimbabwean politics. When his successful coffee farm was seized in 2004, he attacked fellow MPs on the floor of parliament and was arrested and imprisoned for several months. Accused of participating in a plot to overthrow Mugabe’s government, he fled to South Africa, where he’s lived in exile until last week.
Bennett was invited to join the power-sharing government as deputy agriculture minister, and came back into Zimbabwe. He was arrested Friday afternoon in Harare and taken to a prison in eastern Zimbabwe, where he was initially charged with treason. The treason charges were dropped, and he’s now charged with the three-year old charges of financing terrorism, the charges that led him into exile. My friends at Sokwanele describe these charges as “a fishing expedition”, and are demanding his immediate and unconditional release. American political strategist Joe Trippi has been calling a great deal of attention to Bennett’s case around the world, naming the individuals at Mutare Prison responsible for his safety, in the hopes of keeping Bennett safe from abuse or torture.
I’m baffled by the decision to arrest Bennett. Yes, he was a provocative choice for a ministerial position, a test by MDC to see whether ZANU-PF was serious about cooperating. His arrest seems to suggest that ZANU-PF isn’t serious, and is testing to see what would be required to get Tsvangirai to walk away from the partnership. If we could know more about the machinations behind the scenes, we might discover other factors at play – the Zimbabwe Times speculates that there may be pressure coming from politicians who seized Bennett’s farm with government cooperation, and are now worried that Bennett will be able to take his property back.
Why’s Bennett in jail? It’s hard to know for sure. But no one will take “the new Zimbabwe” seriously as long as he remains in prison.
Zim Review shows that the arrest of Bennett can be understood in the context of the continuing land contestation in Zimbabwe:
So these still-powerful but now very jittery people would not have been re-assured or amused by the symbolism of new prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai  appointing, of all people, Roy Bennett to be deputy minister of agriculture. Despite his only being deputy to a ZANU-PF minister, this appointment must have symbolically been seen as extremely provocative by ZANU-PF fat cats. It would have revived the deep fears that whatever the terms of the unity agreement, the MDC’s ultimate lands agenda is to “reverse the gains of the revolution,” as the state media has accused for years.
Many of the ruling party fat cats, both those opposed to the unity government idea as well as those who might have been willing to take a wait-and-see attitude to it, must have seen Tsvangirai’s appointment of a Bennett who is a lightning rod for them to be deputy minister of the ‘emotive’ portfolio of agriculture as simply being too much for them to take.
Their worry and sense of provocation would have been compounded by the news that soon after his arrival in Zimbabwe from his exile in South Africa, Bennett visited his old farm. It is entirely understandable that he would want to do so, whether or not he is hoping to get it back, but this must have been sen in many ZANU-PF circles as being more cheeky provocation by Bennett. There is little doubt in my mind that in these worried powerful circles the visit would have been explained as, “he went to inspect his old farm back in obvious hope of/preparation for moving back onto it.”
Denford Magora considers Bennett's arrest as simply a fulfillment of ZANU PF strategy and tricks. He also observes that Mugabe hates white farmers and therefore Bennett has become its first and foremost victim:
Most of this took place before the arrest of Bennet but what puzzled people everywhere I spoke was why Jestina Mukoko and others remained in jail even though Tsvangirai was now Prime Minister.
Now Roy Bennett has been arrested and the world is also agog. Puzzled voices are asking why on earth the Prime Minister continues to take all this lying down. They had built an image of him as an uncompromising, stubborn man who was giving Mugabe a run for his money at every turn.
Well, what we are witnessing now is simply fulfilment of the strategy that we have laid down here as coming from Mugabe's ZANU PF. I told you some months back that the two options Mugabe was pursuing were as follows:
In the case of Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC resfusing to take part in the government, the strategy involving the State of Emergency would be kicked into place. The banditry charges against Mukoko and others would be widened to take in even more people. The idea is to so paralyse the MDC that, come next elections, Mugabe would walk back into power. The soldiers who “mutinied” and who have now been “pardoned” according to the State Media, would have had a prominent role to play , accusing the MDC of having paid them to stage the mutiny as a precursor to a general insurgency.
The second option was in place for a case where Tsvangirai accepts to go into government. I explained this in a couple of articles on this blog going back to October last year. This second option, as I put it back then is to ISOLATE Morgan Tsvangirai. I used the words “stranded in office.”
So, the MDC has joined government and that plan is now being implemented. It does not help, of course, that in spite of my detailed explanation of the strategy on this blog, Morgan Tsvangirai has fallen for the very tricks I forewarned about.
There are two things at play here: First and quite obvious is Mugabe's hatred of white farmers in Zimbabwe. Mugabe's bitterness at what he calls “the spurning of my hand of reconciliation by Rhodesians” has to be seen to be believed. Bennett is first and foremost a victim of that hatred.
Writing about this arrest, Bearded Man complains, “Mugabe is allowed to rule as he wants, do whatever he wants, to whoever he will”:
Much of the news today is with regard to the arrest of Roy Bennett and discussion of Mugabe's true intentions in a power-sharing government. You and I know that he is never going to participate fairly in any power-sharing government – indeed, he wants nothing to do with a power-sharing government, preferring to surround himself with Mugabe apologists and place the MDC under the most incredible amount of pressure, thereby painting them into corner.
He managed to do exactly that with the Presidential election, and then brow beat the MDC into some sort of agreement – the same agreement that he now reneges upon.
And, while confusion and broken promises reign supreme in Zimbabwe, the watching does absolutely nothing. Sadly, Zimbabwe has fallen from the top headlines and no longer has any interest for other governments the world over.
There are many speculations about those responsible for his arrest. Palapye claims that the Zimbabwe Military Intelligence Directorate is behind his arrest:
It is understood that the abduction, arrest and charging of MDC Treasurer General and Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate Roy Bennett is being planned, directed and operationalised by the Zimbabwe Military Intelligence Directorate (MID), led by one Mzilikazi, and the Special Agency SAS, the torture unit of the army, led by one Manene . General Constantine Chiwenga is also party to it. These people are known for their declared passionate and fanatical hatred of Roy Bennett.
We are also aware of an intent to dump Roy Bennett into Chivero river.
Sokwanele blog asks readers to call the police holding Bennett to let them know that the whole world is watching:
TAKE ACTION:
The Mutare numbers to call are +263 (0)20 64212 for the main charge office in Mutare
This cell number, we believe, is for the man in charge: +263 (0)91301  1761
CIO: +263 (0)20 66314 and +263 (0)20 61102
CID: +263 (0)20 65645
Please call (or sms the cell) these numbers to let the police holding Roy Bennett know that the world is watching very closely and want Roy Bennett to be released immediately. Tell them you will continue to monitor the situation closely, and that you are conveying your concerns to your local MP and the government in your country.
Ask them to observe the rule of law, and to treat Roy Bennett  with dignity and respect.
If the person you are speaking to appears to be listening, keep talking, and ask him/her to carry a message to Roy Bennett to let HIM know you are watching over him from all over the world.
If they pretend they don’t know what you are talking about, or claim it is not a police station, keep talking and make sure you convey your message.
Joe Trippi writes about an account that has been set up to help with his legal fees and asks for information about an easy way to collect money online for a South African bank account:
Once again I ask you to please not let this story fade away. Roy is being held by relentless men being restrained only by the constant pressure and attention surrounding them in Zimbabwe and around the rest of the world.
Also, if anyone knows of a safe, easy way to collect money online for a South African-based bank account, please let me know (releaseroy@joetrippi.com). An account has been set up to help pay his legal fees, but we have not found a good solution to allow for online donations. If you can help, please let me know.


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Afghanistan: “Copyright on God’s Words” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Amila Bosnae reacts to the news of a death sentence given to two Afghans who “translated the Quran into one of their country’s languages.”


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Anguilla: What Rubbish!  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Corruption-free Anguilla takes a scenic drive around the island and is appalled by what he sees.


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Argentina: Solidarity with Tartagal · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Tartagal is a town in Northern Argentina that suffered flooding due to heavy rains. A group of bloggers created a site of solidarity [es] to collect donations and share information about the disaster.


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Armenia-Azerbaijan: High-profile assassinations  · Global Voices
Simon Maghakyan

On 3 February, less than a month before the first anniversary of post-election violence in Yerevan, Armenian Deputy Police Chief Gevorg Mheryan was gunned down. Eight days later, and five weeks before a constitutional referendum to eliminate presidential term limits, the head of the Azerbaijani Air Force, Lieutenant-General Rail Rzayev, was killed.
Bloggers in the two neighboring countries naturally wondered who was behind both assassinations. However, even with the murder rate reportedly on the increase in Armenia, Global Voices Online Caucasus editor Onnik Krikorian writes on the new Frontline Club blog that Mheryan's murder was unexpected.
Murders and assassinations are nothing new or surprising here although it's been some time since we've had one as high profile as tonight. In what sounds like a contract hit, the deputy head of police was shot three times in the head outside his apartment in the center of Yerevan. […]
Few other details are known at present — or even about 33-year-old Colonel Gevorg Mherian. Apart from the brief time he spent as presidential adviser on anti-corruption activities, his appointment as deputy head of police in July last year had largely gone unnoticed. However, Mherian had promised to reform the notoriously corrupt passport and visas office (OVIR).
Indeed, it is the lack of notoriety and gossip about Mherian that makes the news so shocking and surprising.
[…]
Unzipped posts photographs and information about the killing, adding that Mheryan “was not involved in any scandalous story, did not have business enterprises like many of his colleagues, was involved in lawmaking and coordination of some corruption-related cases.”
Nazarian, another pro-opposition Armenian blogger, agrees.
Still trying to figure out who whacked Gevorg Mherian. He doesn't seem to be notorious. Maybe that was his mistake. In modern Armenia, you gotta be a bandit if you want to be a successful cop.
He seems to have been involved with the visa and passport regulations. He is also an author of the law that practically banned the right to assembly.
The A1+ Blog [AM] implies government involvement by asking “who gave the order for Gevorg Mherian’s death?” prompting dozens of reactions in several languages. One comment by Septemberi21 reminds readers that Mheryan was involved in the firing the head of OVIR as detailed last year on my Blogian.
However, The Armenian Observer is not sure. Although recognizing the significance of reforms and dismissals in the government body, the blog says the motives for Mheryan's murder remain unclear and confusing.
Admittedly, this murder has caused quite a stirring, I have been getting emails and enquiries from Armenian friends living abroad, asking what’s the story. Well – if you’re asking my opinion – it looks more like vendetta or a trivial case, rather than a big case of corrupt criminals facing the good guys, but media have been paying a disproportionately large amount of attention to this case, perhaps because of lack of any other development in the country. I don’t know. RIP to Mheryan – that’s all I can say for now, hoping for more clarity in the near future.
Meanwhile, there was less commentary on the assassination of Rzayev in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. However, Thoughts on the Road considered some of the possible motives for his death.
[…]
Not surprisingly, the murder is leading to some serious questions about power struggles within the government. Just because the government is not democratic doesn't mean that it is monolithic. Individual ministries have their own centers of power and compete with one another for influence and resources. Also, the people commanding the different ministries also have different financial interests. The murder could also be the result of some sort of business conflict involved with these financial interests.
The speculation about the assassination is heightened because it comes just a little more than a month before a referendum is to be held that would remove term limits on the president. The murdered general was perceived by many as an ally of the president, responsible for ensuring presidential security.
It is not only democrats who would have a reason for opposing this measure. Anyone who is hoping for a chance at the presidency would also have a reason to oppose this measure.
Considered a hard-liner on resolving the conflict with Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh, Rzayev was also  directly involved in the multi-billion dollar acquisition of new military hardware for the country's armed forces. A Fistful of Euros appears aware of the in-fighting that reportedly defines its power structures.
Azerbaijani military politics are murky, to say the least, but this bears watching.
It remains uncertain whether either case will be solved.

author: Simon Maghakyan


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Armenia: Obama and the Genocide · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Onnik Krikorian in Armenia wonders whether U.S. President Barack Obama will fulfill his campaign promise to recognize the 1915 massacre and deportation of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire as genocide. While many believe that he will, the blog examines the risk in doing so of damaging efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Turkey.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Armenia: Repressive Religious Laws · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Writing for the new Frontline Club blog, Global Voices Online's Caucasus Editor examines three new controversial pieces of legislation which raise serious concerns about religious freedom in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.


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Bahamas, St. Lucia: Poetry in Motion  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Scavella's Blogosphere features two new poems that are profiled at Tongues of the Ocean, an online literary journal of Bahamian and Caribbean poetry.


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Bahrain: Marley & Me  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Hypnotic Verses, from Bahrain, has almost completed reading Marley & Me. Click here to see how much that booked has touched her.


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Bangladesh: Ekushey Boi Mela · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dhaka Dweller posts some pictures of this year's Ekushey Book Fair, popularly known as Ekushey Boi Mela, the national book fair of Bangladesh.


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Barbados: Anti-Money Laundering Authority  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I can find little evidence to suggest that AMLA is ‘fully operational’ or even that it exists”: Barbados Money Laundering Advisory has more questions than answers about the Barbados Anti-Money Laundering Authority.


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Barbados: Layne-Clarke Passes On  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bajan writer Jeanette Layne-Clarke has died after battling cancer.  Barbados Free Press pays her tribute by publishing one of her poems.


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Barbados: More Questions About CLICO · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living in Barbados is unimpressed by the mainstream media's attempt to “[play] at what could be mistaken for some partisan propaganda, throwing out a good dose of brickbats against any comment or criticism of a major financial company”, while Barbados Underground notes that “what has started to emerge in recent days in Barbados is a clear [politicization] of the CLICO issue.”


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Belarus: Feb. 14 Peaceful Protest · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belarusan American Blog writes about the dispersal of the Feb. 14 peaceful protest in Minsk.


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Bermuda: Stem Cell Research  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As news breaks that a stem cell research facility will be allowed to operate under “guidelines” from the Ministry of Health, Vexed Bermoothes says: “Stem cell research and treatments are a sensitive field in health care.  Bermuda should only allow their use in our jurisdiction once proper regulations are in place that meet international standards.”


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Bhutan: Yartsa Guenbup · Global Voices
Rezwan

Kaptang at Kuzu-Bhutan Weblog describes the dark side of the Cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis) or Yartsa Guenbup (caterpillar fungus) which is collected at an altitudes beyond 4,000 Mtrs.


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Blogging Gives Kenyan Poetry Larger Meaning And Exposure  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Njeri Wangari is a Kenyan poet and blogger based in Nairobi, Kenya. I recently interviewed her at Nairobi Java House in downtown Nairobi and later continued the interview via email.  In this interview, Njeri discusses how she has been using her blog, Kenya Poet, to promote artists and art scene in Kenya. Through her blog, she says, she has given Kenyan poetry a larger meaning and exposure.
Question: When did you start blogging?
I started in 2006.
Q: Why did you decide to blog?
I had been writing poetry for sometime and had not found a publishing house to publish my work. This was frustrating because I wanted to share my thoughts on various issues of concern with people. I cannot remember how I came to know about blogging, maybe it was through Google. But once I found this amazing tool I started to experiment immediately.  Initially, I was not sure what to write or what to put there. The first item was about people who inspired me. I wrote about Maya Angelou [the African American writer and poet]  then later I realised that a blog is a tool to share your personal interests. I am interested in art, literature, African, jazz and Neo Soul music and poetry. I started doing features on my blog about writers and poets in Kenya and elsewhere. My first feature was on Okot p'Bitek [the Ugandan poet and writer].
I realized later that I needed to update my blog more often and it was not easy to do that with my full time job. I asked myself why not do reviews of art events that I frequent? So I started art reviews. The reviews drew more traffic to my blog as some would have photos accompanying them. At that time there were no online resources offering information about  arts in Kenya.  One had to check the weekend newspaper, which only featured major events . I later on decided to post information about upcoming events and also tried to find more information about the artists going to perform and with time, this drew more traffic to my blog than even my poetry as I could not post a piece everyday as I could with other art information. There is, however, an interesting aspect, after my poetry performances I would get enquiries on where my poetry can be found and I simply refer them to my blog. You will therefore find those who visit my blog specifically for news and information on art and music and those who visit just for my poetry.
Q: What is the difference between the reviews that you do and the ones on weekend newspapers?
Newspaper reviews are too formal and most journalists have no or very little knowledge of the subject matter especially when it comes to non mainstream art events like poetry performances and underground hip hop and emerging forms of music. I realized that a lot of reviews that were appearing on mainstream media was mostly criticism of poetry and the quickly growing art scene that is seeing a lot of first time poets coming out to perform. In addition to this, journalists tend to look at poetry in the lenses of written poetry and have no understanding of spoken word and poetry performance. WAPI [Word And Pictures] has received criticism from mainstream media while it gives a space to many upcoming artists and has contributed a lot to the growth of hip hop and other forms of art not just in Kenya but it is now in more than 5 African countries. I also noted that mainstream media reviews lacked the personal style of review that is more detailed, descriptive and does not have to be a certain number of characters.
Q: As a poet what do you think is the role of art blogs?
The role of art blogs is to give a space to creative writers to express themselves, be heard globally and get feedback as well as critique and support. Blogs help to create greater understanding of various forms of art and appreciation.
Q: What value have you added to Kenyan poetry as a blogger?
I have given poetry a larger meaning and exposure. Events such as the ones that take place in various spots e.g Rhythm and Spoken at Dass Restaurant, utenzi at the Wasanii Restaurant and others would never be known were it not for the information that I give on the blog. Poetry lovers would probably not know very promising Kenyan poets like Tim Mwaura, Obaladan, Number 8, Neema Mawiyo and many other great poets. I have inspired many upcoming poets to not only share their work on stage but also to start blogs.  The weekly newsletter that I send to subscribers about art events and artists has also helped maintain a fanbase of dedicated followers of art and poetry. I am currently hosting some upcoming poets temporarily as I help them start their own blogs. Their poetry can be found on my blog with brief biographies about them and their contacts.
Q: Do you have poets who come to you to ask about blogging?
Many! Poets complain about not getting published. I tell them why wait for publishers while you can do it on your own?  You don't need highly technical skills to start a blog, what you need is to know what you want to do with your blog. There is Neema, for example, who is also a poet and actor and blogger. She blogs at Ngwatilo. I urged and inspired her to start a blog, something she was finding too involving. Bildad Mathenge and Connie Mutua are currently working towards starting their own blogs as I temporarily host their poetry on my blog.
Q: Since poetry is both written and spoken, do you have poets in Kenya podcasting their work?
You can listen to some Kenyan poets on MySpace. I recently registered a MySpace page. Imani is poet who is using MySpace where you can listen to her poetry. Grand Master Masese who is also a poet and a performing artist is also utilizing myspace
Q: What about video?
There are a few videos on YouTube that have been taken during various poetry performances. But nothing substantive so far.
Q: So you would say that blogging has measurable benefits to the local art scene in Kenya?
Yes. It has has made a huge impact. Blogging constantly about poetry has made more people aware of Kenyan poets. It has given exposure to upcoming artists who would rarely get coverage in the mainstream media. Through our blogs, people realise there are many entertainment options and more people get to know more about the Kenya poetry movement. Posting upcoming events and doing a review of the same has also helped quite a lot in disseminating information to art and poetry enthusiasts. It has also helped market upcoming artists who have not yet made their names in the art industry.
Q: What are you views on blogging in general in Kenya?
Blogging here is still in the phase where most people think you have to be in the IT industry (read geek) to blog. A friend of mine, Daudi Were who blogs at Mental Acrobatics made a comment at our recent meeting regarding the upcoming African Bloggers Conference, and I quote him “blogging is the most ‘ungeeky’ thing one can do on the net”. I am in the organizing committee for the conference dubbed Kelele '09 that aims at bringing African bloggers together for the first time in Kenya later this year.
Q: What about the content on Kenyan blogs?
Well, most of it is about politics, which is sad.
Q: Why sad?
People have allowed politics to be the only topic worthy discussing and blogging about despite the fact that there are many other issues affecting Kenyans every day, which need to be part of public debate. It is not like other things in society are not happening. There is more to life than politics. Again, blogs are about one expressing him/herself freely and I refuse to believe that we can only express ourselves politically.
Q: What other topics would you like to see in the blogosphere?
There are many as everyone is unique and so are their ideas. What I tell people is to write about things you have a passion for. I have a cousin who attended a recent barcamp event held in Nairobi. He is a medicine student in his final year with an interest in IT. He realized that he can write about medicine because there are many issues related to medicine that would be of help to ordinary people. Reading his blog is more refreshing as there are things maybe we are afraid to ask doctors. I'd like to read a blog of a struggling drug/alcohol addict, the memoirs of lawyers, the struggles of a lesbian in Kenya, etc.
Q: What are you best Kenyan blogs?
Bankelele: Simply because i don't like financial news written for financial analysts! I want financial news for ordinary people. I want to know what economic meltdown means. Bankelele breaks things down.
White African:  I like IT stuff. He writes stuff that you will not find in newspapers.
Sports Kenya: I am not very much into sports but he writes very well, he puts sports into historical perspectives and gives behind the scene sort of stories to sports news making headlines
Gukira: I like his command of the English language.
Thinker's Room: I think he has been busy lately.
Q: What are your long term plans?
I want to elevate my blog, Kenyan Poet, to a unique online brand that represents all forms of art on Kenya.


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Bulgaria: IHT’s Coverage of Corruption · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Veni Markovski criticizes the International Herald Tribune's coverage of corruption in Bulgaria.


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Caribbean: WICB Woes  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Caribbean bloggers continue to be humiliated by the incredible faux pas by the West Indies Cricket Board and are calling for some key figures to resign.


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Chile: Helicopter Accident in Maule · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Thirteen people died in a helicopter accident in Chanco located in the Maule region of Chile writes Ignacio Corvera of Maulee [es].


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China: Eluding Cat Kills himself in Jail · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated a local news report about an internet popular term “eluding the cat”. The story is related with the police's statement on the death of a youth in the police station, that he killed himself by accident when playing the game “eluding the cat” with his jail mate.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: “Stay away!” Vice president Xi warned in Mexico · Global Voices
Bob Chen

Xi Jinping (习近平）, the Chinese vice president, is widely predicted as the next chairman of China, the successor of Hu Jintao. On Feb 11, during his visit to Mexico, he gave a speech to overseas Chinese there. His address includes a passage as a harsh criticism against foreign intervention, which is unusual in Chinese diplomacy.
“有些吃饱了没事干的外国人，对我们的事情指手画脚。中国一不输出革命，二不输出饥饿和贫困，三不去折腾你们，还有什么好说的.”
“There are some foreigners who had eaten their fill and had nothing better to do, pointing their fingers at our affairs. China does not, first, export revolution; second, export poverty and hunger; or third, cause unnecessary trouble for you. What else is there to say?”   (Translated by China Digital Times )
His strong showdown against foreign intervention sparked notable support on the internet. A great many netizens stand with Xi, claiming it can't be more inspiring to hear so strong a voice from a Chinese leader.
Netizens on major portal websites exclaimed for Xi's tough response to foreign intervention,
On Xinhua net, the Chinese official media, a blog post named “so cool！Xi Jinping slashed overly stuffed, idle foreigners!” appeared and attracts numerous responses. The blogger first shows his surprise on Xi's bluntly spoken manner:
对于少数外国人对于中国的说三道四和指手画脚，过去国人更多的是听到外交部新闻发言人的“强烈抗议或是强烈谴责”，很久没有听到这么直白直接的声音了。
记得毛泽东、邓小平等老一辈领导人就非常喜欢用直白直接的语言表达我们的观点。对比强烈抗议和强烈谴责等外交辞令，这直白直接的声音，更能直戳那些“吃饱了没事干”的喜欢指手画脚、干涉别国内政的外国人的痛处。只有这样的直白才更显示一个负责人的大国的底气；只有直白才更能表明一个走向强大的中国的鲜明态度；也只有直白才更能让国人感到痛快！
Not simply on his words, another blogger named Yan ChangHai gives a very positive comment on Xi's overall profile as a promising future leader too:
在外界的印象中，习近平持重厚道，面相庄严，言词谨慎，是一个深藏不露、胸有丘壑之人。但未曾想到，习近平不仅有谦谦君子之风，更有铮铮傲骨，尤其是今次的强硬发声，给国人心头带来一股清风。 习近平今次对外示强，态度显明，傲骨尽露，展示了一个大国领导人应有的底气和铁腕。
In our impression, Xi Jinping is a prudent and solemn person with undiscovered resource and astuteness. But unexpectedly, Xi can not only be mild-mannered, but also be a man of character. His strong speech is like a breeze in the spring that comforts our mind. Xi's expression of his power this time shows him as a proud man, who is a qualified leader of our great country, who has strong confidence and iron hand that is required to be a chairman.
He goes on criticizing the unsatisfactory status quo of Chinese diplomacy, which is overshadowed by Xi's strong manner:
改革开放后，中国经济虽然强大了，但政治上却愈来愈像侏儒，在国际上不敢主持正义，面对西方的威逼，忍辱负重。而今次习近平在美国后院直斥外国人“吃饱了没事干”，代表了全国人民的心声，是对这些包藏祸心的外国人的有力回击。
After the Reform and Open, though China has grown much stronger economically, we are more and more like a dwarf politically. We dare not speak for justice on the international stage, prefer to bear all the insult without a word when facing the western threat. And this time, Xi criticized those overly filled people at the backyard of America, representing the voice of all Chinese. It is a tough counterstrike to foreigners with malice.
Netizen xjjtbbd responds right below:
该强硬的时候一定要强硬
中国龙 China Dragon says:
中国人中于直起腰杆了
Desert-warship interprets it as a sign to America, also a diplomatic strategy that aimed to expand collaboration with Latin American countries.
有分析指，习近平访拉美向美国”后院”墨西哥发出了合作信号，中国也预料到此举将遭受西方大国非议，于是先声夺人，强硬表态，这显示中国正有意识地利用金融海啸带来的机遇转移外交重心，尽可能地绕过美国拓展市场，同时宣示中拉合作的信心与决心。美国会有何反应，仍然有待观望。
However, not all people side with Xi's comments. To those with more liberal views, Xi's words are exactly the contrary to anything that can be called powerful, strong or uncompromising.
2xiaoqing comments on DW blog:
大家看见了啦！伟大的共产党领导人就是这个思维的。他认为，我不输出革命扰攘你们，已经很对得起你们了！他认为，中国十三亿人民是“国家”供养着的，是“ 国家”的绵羊，“国家”自己怎辛苦都自己供养着，不把绵羊放出来吃你们的草，不饿死他们，已经是对人类一大贡献了，你们西方国家还要不满意！他还说，我这 个无赖不去“折腾”你们，已经是你们幸运，还要指手画脚的，你们真大胆！
Erica De Stales also contributes to the post.

author: Bob Chen


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China: Who stabbed the blogger ProState in Flames? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Alice Xin Liu from DANWEI translated three blog posts commenting on the stabbing of blogger “ProState in Flames”.


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Colombia: The Awá Indigenous Community Caught in the Middle · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

While most Colombians were following the release of 6 hostages held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) during the first week of February in the Tortugaña Telembí indigenous reservation, which is located in a jungle area between Barbacoas and Samaniego (Nariño department, southwestern Colombia), several members of the Awá indigenous group went missing. According to the indigenous reports, the FARC and ELN guerrillas were fighting against the Colombian Army in this region, with the Awá people caught in the middle.
On February 9, indigenous organizations and Nariño governor Antonio Navarro, a former M-19 guerrilla fighter himself, denounced the murder of 17 Awá people. Over the course of the next few days, the killing of another 10 people, who were fleeing the first attacks, were reported leaving the death toll at 27, with dozens more abducted. At time of publication, no corpses have been found [es], even after the army was sent to the remote area where the massacre is said to have occurred, in order to find the bodies. The FARC have been blamed for the massacre by the indigenous themselves and, of course, the authorities. Many believe that the FARC suspected the Awá tribes were acting as Army informants. President Álvaro Uribe announced [es] he will be visiting the area next weekend.
Adam Isacson of Plan Colombia and Beyond expresses his contempt for the killings:
We condemn the FARC guerrillas, in the strongest terms, for massacring as many as eighteen members of the Awá indigenous community in a remote zone in the department of Nariño, in southwestern Colombia. If the group’s leadership had sought to generate goodwill with last week’s unilateral hostage releases, reports of the Nariño killings has undone that entire effort.
At Colombia Reports, Dutch correspondent Wies Ubags is also outraged:
I don't understand this latest cruelty of the FARC. They are trying to enter into new negotiations to exchange the policemen and soldiers in the jungle for guerrillas in prison. The members of civil society who are doing the effort with them – Colombians for Peace – are risking a lot, although they already reached the liberation of six hostages. (…) In this delicate situation the FARC commit a horrendous crime in the Awá community, that lives in one of the most violent regions of the country, and that has already lost a lot of lives, also because of the huge amount of landmines in the area. Are the Awá no people, People's Army of the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia? It is a cruel and stupid crime.
Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos claimed the indigenous peoples were not “collaborating” with the authorities. Commenting on the Digg-like Gacetilla [es] social news website, Gonzalo writes:
Precisamente por colaborar fue que los mataron. Porque eso sí para pedir información siempre están, pero para ofrecer seguridad…
Precisely, they (the Awá) were killed for cooperating. Because they (the authorities) are always there when it comes to asking for information, but when it comes to providing safety…
In a long text, the Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca (ACIN) also denounces the Defense Minister's attitude [es]:
Ahora resulta que es culpa de las víctimas de esta masacre, del desplazamiento masivo, de las personas desaparecidas, de las comunidades confinadas en medio del terror lo que les está sucediendo. Culpa de ellas, dice el Ministro, porque no han querido colaborar con la Fuerza Pública. Pretende convencernos de que, si la Fuerza Pública hubiera estado en la zona, estos hechos no se habrían presentado. En consecuencia, llega la hora de militarizar el territorio por completo, con el argumento de proteger a los Awá. Los propios indígenas angustiados y corriendo por las selvas y algunos de sus líderes, no ven más opción que la de pedir ayuda a la fuerza pública. Los medios de comunicación y los voceros del Gobierno y de la coalición de partidos que lo respaldan, le hacen eco a este llamado. Colombianos y colombianas aterrados ante el horror de este genocidio en curso, reclaman lo mismo.
Now it turns out that it is the victims’ fault about what it is happening to them, they are to be blamed for this massacre, for the massive displacement, for the disappeared people, for the communities trapped in the middle of the terror. Their fault, the Minister says, because they have not been willing to cooperate with the State security forces. He's trying to convince us that, if the [police and the army forces] had been in the area, this would not had happened. Therefore, it's time to militarize the territory completely, on the grounds that it is for protecting the Awá people. The distressed indigenous themselves, running through the jungles, with some of their leaders, see no other choice than to ask the security forces for help. Mass media and the government and ruling coalition spokespeople echo this call. Colombians are terrified before the horror of this ongoing genocide and are demanding the same thing.
The ACIN text goes on trying to explain why the Awá people are being killed. Besides claiming the Colombian security forces “have been and are a terror factor,” all sides in the Colombian armed conflict exert violence against the Awá along with greed and economic reasons (namely, agricultural, mining, and tourism projects) are helping to fuel the violence against these peoples.
Last October, a series of indigenous demonstrations and marches throughout the country were held, amidst a huge media blackout, with at least one of their websites temporarily blocked [es]. The blackout seems to be happening again. No le creemos a RCN [es] writes:
[H]oy en día alguien le está haciendo el juego a las FARC; pues mientras ellos atacan a las comunidades indígenas Tangarial y Awá, alguien presiona a los encargados de los medios de comunicación de la ACIN, robándoles un computador desde donde actualizaban su página, y amenazando al encargado de actualizarla. Lo grave es que el mismo gobierno, la Sip y los demás medios de comunicación son cómplices (como mínimo), pues los primeros no adelantan ninguna investigación al respecto, y los restantes no se dan por enterados (excepto “Semana”).
Right now, someone is helping FARC, because, as they attack Tangarial and Awá indigenous communities, someone is pressuring the people in charge of the ACIN media, by stealing the computer used to update their website, and threatening the webmaster. The serious thing is that the government, the IAPA, and the other mass media are accomplices (at least), because the former does not start any investigation on the issue, and the latter is not aware of what is happening (except Semana magazine)
At the time of the indigenous protests, President Uribe, already facing strikes by the judiciary branch and sugar-cane cutters, and another top government officials stated the demonstrations were “infiltrated”[es] by the guerrillas, despite evidence to the contrary. Now, the government has not made a single mention nor rectified their old accusations against the indigenous peoples. So far, it has only announced [es] the nomination of an army official who will act as a liaison between the authorities and the Awá people.

author: Julián Ortega Martínez


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Colombia: Three Local Films Make Top 50 List · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Three Colombian movies recently made the list of the Top 50 Ibero-American films [es] of all time in a survey sponsored by Noticine writes Jerónimo Rivera.


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Ecuador: Promoting Tourism Through the Use of Social Media · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The website Historic Center of Quito [es], which uses social media to promote tourism in the Ecuadorian capital, was recently awarded the “Land of Light” award for its contributions towards increasing tourism writes Christian Espinosa of Cobertura Digital [es].


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Egypt: “I can’t blog from work” · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian Sandmonkey complains that his work place has blocked access to his site and that he has no way of blogging .. from work.


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Egypt: On Suicide  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

People don't commit suicide because they lost faith or a job, argues Egyptian blogger Mostafa Hussein.


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El Salvador: Homicides in the News · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Fernando Marroquín is saddened by the constant news that appears in the newspapers about homicides in El Salvador [es].


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Estonia: “Consolidation” of Tallinn · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

AnTyx writes about Tallinn mayor's campaign to get rid of the city's boroughs: “Ostensibly this is beneficial to the mayor's Centrist Party, and should allow them to keep control of the city, as well as give them a boost in other elections.”


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France, French Caribbean: Mobilization in Paris  · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

It has often been said that l'Ile de France (Paris and its surroundings) is the Fifth French Overseas Department, due to its huge population of French Guianese, Guadeloupeans, Martinicans and Reunionese. In this announcement published by CaribCreoleOne, a group called Continuité LKP [Fr] invites the diaspora to march in Paris to support the strikes in Guadeloupe and Martinique.

author: Fabienne Flessel


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French Caribbean: Strikers Bloggers · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

Nowadays, no mass movement can ignore the importance of public relations and the social crisis in Martinique and Guadeloupe is no exception, according to Collectif5février [Fr, Martinique] and LKP and Elie Domota  [Fr, Guadeloupe].


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Georgia: Eurovision Pop Protest · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Writing for the new Frontline Club blog, Matthew Collin says that Georgia might use this this year's Eurovision international song contest to be held in Moscow to poke fun at its foe in last year's short lived August war with an entry entitled “Put-In Disco.”


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Guadeloupe: Police clash with protestors · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Protests continue in Martinique and Guadeloupe, and yesterday protestors clashed with police.  Imaniyé posts photos and writes [Fr]: “Yesterday, the French forces of repression hit Guadeloupeans.  Tonight, Guadeloupe was set on fire and Guadeloupeans will not retreat!”

author: Jennifer Brea


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Guyana: Cabinet Carbon Credits?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“How hypocritical is it for President Bharrat Jagdeo to fly around the globe with his begging cup in hand for carbon credits when he and his Cabinet are setting no example whatsoever here at home?”: Living Guyana says that “when President Jagdeo orders his entire Cabinet to dispose of their environmentally unfriendly SUVs and drive more energy efficient vehicles he will have some credibility.”


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Hungary: MTI’s 1989 and 1956 News Items Online · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes that Hungarian news agency MTI has made all its 1989 and 1956 news items available online: “As someone who with great difficulty and and at great expense (admittedly underwritten by grant money) tried to collect news items from 1919-1921 I can really appreciate how technology has freed the modern historian from the tedium of ferreting out sources and focused his/her task on analysis.”


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Iran: A new competition for bloggers · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Ghomar Asheghaneh,an Iran based blogger, writes[fa] that a group called “Human Rights Activists in Iran” has organised a competition for Iranian bloggers who cover human righst issues.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Mapping change of Iranian blogosphere · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Discover a new mapping of Iranian blogosphere thanks to Bruce Etling and John Kelly.


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Israel: A Royal Link?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Israeli blogger Yisrael Medad may soon be counting British royalty as relatives. Click here to find out how.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Jamaica, Antigua: Pre-Election Violence · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaica's YardFlex.com reports on the “increasingly violent” pre-elections atmosphere in Antigua.


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Japan: Art of Non-debate · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Adamu from Mutant Frog translated an essay by Hiroshi Yamaguchi, an Associate Professor of Global Media Studies, on local media's style in dealing with public debate, especially regarding the issue of responsibility.


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Japan: Early-modern Japan in photography · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

Old Photos of Japan has a collection of fascinating photos taken between the 1860s and 1930s in Japan. The site is available in Japanese, English and Dutch.

author: Hanako Tokita


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Japan: Hetalia Axis Powers and the limits of parody · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Hetalia (a combination of the words “hetare”, lit. useless, and Italia), a satirical manga created by Hidekaz Himaruya (日丸屋秀和) [HH’s official blog, jp], set mainly during the Second World War and featuring national protagonists of that era, has drawn attention among both domestic and international audiences. Originally born as a webcomic [jp] out of the mind of a Japanese expatriate living in New York, Hetalia was published as a manga in 2008 by Gentosha Comics Inc. and was subsequently made into an animated series [eng. sub.] in January 2009, drawing more than 200.000 views on internet alone.
The story and the characters
Hetalia: Axis Powers [jp] (complete name) caricatures everyone without exception. Germany, Japan, France, U.K., U.S.A., Poland, Russia, the Baltic countries, Spain, Greece, Austria, Hungary, Poland, China, Korea and, above all, Italy, personified by boyish characters in the style typical of the Japanese manga, are portrayed exaggerating their (stereotypical) features, and are all pilloried with the same level of ironic intensity.
Yorozu Haki (万葉樹) suggests that this manga should be seen as a fictional product and as representative of a subcultural movement that, in recent times, has been spreading among the Japanese manga world, one in which many authors have started dealing with political or social themes, within the limitations of the artistic medium:
舞台は日本、イタリア、ドイツが同盟を組んだ第二次世界大戦あたりと思われます。ときおり、歴史的なうんちくが散りばめられているので、世界史マニアには興味深いかも。[…]
歴史認識が浅いという辛口の意見もあるのですが、しょせんはフィクション。ただ、現在マンガカルチャーの発言権は増しているだけに、偏見を植えつけかねないかも。日本人が国際社会で弱腰というのは、総体的にはそうかもしれないですが、いささか強調されすぎているきらいもありますよね。あと、こうした歴史文化的な興味というのは、往々にして、サブカルチャーを経由しているというのが、まさに現代的ですよね。
この漫画で描かれているように、おちゃらけ雰囲気で国際紛争もカタがつけばよろしいのでしょうけれど、現実問題、国家というのはおそろしいモンスターであって、けっしてひとりの人格に収斂させられるようなものではないのです。
Blogger Roko reflects on how such manga, despite not being meant to act as a historical reference, can nonetheless act as an opportunity to stimulate in the reader a curiosity to learn more about the world:
ウワサのヘタリア、読んでみました。国を擬人化した登場人物のからみは面白かったなぁ。
いつでも美味しいものを食べることしか考えていないヘタレなイタリア。ドイツの捕虜になって喜んでるソ連。何をするにも時間がかかるギリシャ。ケチケチなオーストリア。昔はかわいこちゃんだったのに、今じゃエラソーなアメリカ。真面目でいつも怒ってるドイツ。
それぞれの国の個性が、思いっきり突っ込まれてます。結局はみんなヘタレなのかなぁ～？
[…]
おバカなコミックスですけど、こんなところから世界を知るのもアリかなと思います。だって、学校ではこういうこと教えてくれないもの。この頃、世界に興味のない人が増えてるでしょ。そういうのって危険だと思うんです。
やみくもに外国がステキと思うのもいけないけど、知りもしないで否定するのはもっといけないことだと思うのです。
世界を知れば日本のことも知りたくなります。一つ知ればそこから興味が広がります。でも、最初の一つを手にすることができないと、そこからは何も広がらないのです。1×2は2、2×2は4になるけれど、0には何をかけても0。無知は恐ろしいことであり、悲しいことなのです。
As its title suggests, the most ill-treated country in Hetalia is Italy. Descending from a glorious stock (his grampa is the Roman Empire), Italy seems to have shown signs of weakness since his childhood, being bullied by his European friends. Both in the manga and the anime, Italy is represented as always whining, lazy, keen on catching girls, and a lover of good food. Although many Italian enthusiasts of Japanese anime are looking forward to watching the fansubbed version, some of them questioned the “good taste” of the subjects selected.
In a thread dedicated to Hetalia [it] in Shinforum, a forum of Japanese culture fans, Agarsen, for example, writes:
Dopo aver letto buona parte dei capitoli, posso dire che, sebbene abbia trovato parte del manga divertente, ho trovato anche parte del manga di cattivo gusto; non offensivo, ma di cattivo gusto, proprio per la superficialità con cui certe affermazioni sono proposte al lettore. Se noi prendessimo la cultura giapponese e decidessimo di sbeffeggiarla “per quello che ci sembra” io non credo che i giapponesi ne sarebbero divertiti…
[…]
Ogni cosa può essere fatta sembrare idiota se letta superficialmente.
Il problema è che deve esistere anche una consapevolezza, una lettura più approfondita dei fatti che ti dice “Un momento, va bene riderci sopra, ma nella realtà dei fatti c'è poco da ridere”. Insomma, dovrebbe essere un riso amaro più che uno sbellicarsi. Io già m'immagino certa gente che penserà di capire la storia dopo avere letto Hetalia, esattamente come pensa di conoscere la società guardando la televisione…
Trovo difficile ridere al pensiero di gente che scappa dal fronte o si arrende senza combattere; gente pescata da ogni dove, che voleva solo farsi gli affari propri e vivere tranquilla, mal equipaggiata, mandata a combattere nel deserto… si dovrebbe ridere di questa gente?
Che si ridi di Mussolini e dei fascisti, ma loro..
Polemics and protests
As mentioned above, the broadcast of the animated series inspired by the manga was scheduled for the 24th of January on Kids Station (a Japanese TV channel for kids), but it was officially suspended after 16.000 messages of protest arrived from Korean netizens,  resulting in the anime being viewable only on the Internet and on mobile phones.
That such a controversial subject as WW2, and the way in which countries were mocked and ridiculed, could result in some polemics, is not so surprising in itself. What struck many Japanese bloggers, however, was the fact that Korea, mentioned only in the comic and even there only as a minor character, considered its depiction a national insult, yet one more provocation from arrogant Japan.
In his analysis, Korean blogger no_tenki explains [jp] that the Korean reaction, which may seem extreme to many, is not in fact extreme but rather a consequence of anti-Korean messages constantly spread on the Japanese web, especially in some rightist bulletin boards or websites. These messages are what alarm Koreans living in their homeland as well as those living in Japan:
ヘタリアについて話しますと、[…]まあ、まともに読んでないので迂闊な評価はできませんが、人気があるということは、なかなかセンスのある方ではないかと思われます。ですけど韓国については、掘り下げが足りない…というより、単純に、ただのネタです。ボクもそう思いますが、韓国なんて登場しなくても構わないわけだし、どうでもいいとは思います。ですけど、韓国人としては、やっぱりこれは憂慮せざるを得ない。
韓国のキャラ設定ですけど、ただ、ネット上においての韓国のイメージを、そのまま借用しているわけですよね。ネットの住人には納得できそうなキャラ像です。「ニダー」と違って顔も美形ですし、バカではあるけど悪気のあるやつとしては描かれていない。だからニダーとは違うのだ。むしろ好意的に捉えている。と思われるかもしれませんけど、その根本にある「韓国のイメージ」というのは「ニダー」も、この「韓国」さんも同じわけで、昔の「嫌韓」の常識（今はネットの住人の常識かな）を引っ張り出してきていて、それをアレンジしてるだけで、（絵は好きですけど、設定においての）材料は同じじゃないですか。「韓国とはこういう国だ」というイメージがここまで肥大したからこそ、別に嫌韓でない人でも、ヘタリアでの韓国のキャラに違和感を感じない。むしろ「事実どおりに描かれている」と思う。これはなかなか恐ろしいことだと思いますよ。「…」
[…]
だからどっちにしろ、韓国ではヘタリアは極右の嫌韓（的な見方から韓国をキャラ化した）アニメとして知らされ、これから韓国の一般人の日本に対する認識を悪くする要因の一つとして存在しつづけるかもしれない。ということを考えると、とても心配なわけだ。

author: Scilla Alecci


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Japan: Jerusalem Prize to writer Haruki Murakami · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Mojimoji praises [jp] a speech given by writer Haruki Murakami (村上春樹), who received the Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society on Sunday Feb. 15th. The blogger also remarks on how, in his opinion, Japanese media intentionally avoided giving weight to Murakami's words, which should be read as a criticism of Israel's recent attack against Palestine: “If there is a hard, high wall and an egg that breaks against it, no matter how right the wall or how wrong the egg, I will stand on the side of the egg.”


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Jordan: Cook for Peace  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Arab Chick and Jewish Girl, two of the most hilarious bloggers hailing from the region,  have created a cooking blog to  achieve for world peace. No snark, we’re all serious here,” reports Kinzi, from Jordan.


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Jordan: The meaning of Jihad  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Ali Dahmash discusses the meaning of the word Jihad – and how it is misconceived around the world, including the Middle East.


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Jordan: What I dislike about religion  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Nizar discusses what he dislikes about religions in this post.


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Kenya: Urgent Translocation of the Lelwel Hartebeest · Global Voices
Samuel Maina

At the close of 2008, squatters who had been evicted from the Mount Kenya and Aberdare forests about two decades ago in Kenya were allocated plots a section, Sector D, of the expansive Solio Ranch in Laikipia. The 15,500 acres Sector D is, however, home to 480 Lelwel hartebeest ; 600 plains zebra; 210 impala; 1,020 Thomson’s gazelle; 36 oryx; and 41 eland.
Elodie Sampéré, writing in the new Lewa Wildlife Conservancy blog at WildlifeDirect, emphasizes on the importance of the Solio population of the Lelwel Hartebeest saying,
There are only about 1,000 Lelwel hartebeest left in Kenya. They are only found in two places:  (1) Ruma National Park, where only a few dozen animals remain. and (2) a population of approximately 1,000 individuals in Laikipia District. This Laikipia population has been shown to be genetically diverse. About 75% of this population is found on Solio Ranch.
The Lelwel heartbeeste is listed as endangered in the IUCN Red List of 2008 as the global population has declined from 285,000 in the 1980s to less than 70,000 today.
As the human settlers start to move into Sector D, the threat of poaching and bushmeat hunting will increase exponentially. That is why the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the Kenya Wildlife Service have been translocating these rare antelopes out of Solio's Sector D. The first wave of squatters has arrived and the translocation has now become an urgent matter.
To date, they have already moved 245 hartebeest; 140 plains zebra and 25 impalas. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy has now launched an appeal to help raise some funds to translocate the rest of the wildlife. You can follow respond to this appeal in their new blog.

author: Samuel Maina


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Kuwait: 4thRingRoad on Facebook and YouTube  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwaiti 4thRingRoad blog is has created its own new You Tube channel and Facebook group.


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Lebanon: Students make banner of peace for Gaza · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Students in Lebanon pose with their banner of peace,  a denunciation of the conflict in Gaza.


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MENA: Is the BBC Impartial in its Refusal to Air the Gaza Appeal? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Long respected as a beacon of free speech, bloggers across the Arab world and beyond have been left questioning BBC's integrity after its refusal to air an appeal for the victims of the latest Israeli war on Gaza.
The row started after the BBC refused to air this video by the UK-based Disasters Emergency Committee, an umbrella group of humanitarian charities including Oxfam, Save the Children and the Red Cross, saying that broadcasting it would jeopardise their neutrality.
Independent broadcaster Sky News also refused to carry the appeal, while publicly owned Channel 4 and private channels ITV and Channel 5 did – promoting demonstrators to take to the street and bloggers to their keyboards in protest against the decision.
Writing at American-Palestinian KABOBfest, Jillian notes:
Fundamentally, the problem here is the BBC's impression that their desire is to remain “neutral.” By implying that they must ignore the humanitarian crisis and the victims in Gaza in order to err on the side of neutrality in fact implies that not offending Israel is more important than helping the over 5,000 injured, and countless who have lost homes or livelihood thanks to Israel's massacre.
News from Syria says the BBC has run DEC appeals in the the past, even during politically charged situations. He notes:
The BBC has shown every DEC appeal in the past. And it has shown them in highly political humanitarian disasters, like Yugoslavia.
But by banning it, the BBC is doing something more than hurting the appeal for cash. It is politicising the neutral work of the DEC – which includes organisations like the Red Cross, Oxfam and Save the Children.
In Gaza, around 30 demonstrators who picketed outside the BBC offices, made a similar claim. According to the International Solidarity Movement:
Protestors rejected the claim made by the BBC that airing the appeal would compromise the impartiality of the agency – citing numerous examples of DEC appeals for emergency assistance in conflict-zones that have been aired by the station without question. Speakers accused the BBC of maintaining racist double-standards when it comes to issues regarding Palestine.
Still in Gaza, Moments in Gaza posts details about the Gaza protest and notes:
So … people are homeless, hungry and in hospitals all around Gaza. Asking for humanitarian help for them is…”biased” ? So much for bloody objectivity! What shame.
Moroccan blogger Hisham, who maintains the Mirror, lashes out at the BBC saying:
From the beginning of the murderous aggression on Gaza, the BBC has been, as usual brilliant in sanitizing in the name of “impartiality” the horrors visited upon defenceless civilians in Gaza. Talking about a “retaliatory offensive” when it was clear that it was a pre-planned attack and a deliberate slaughter of civilans; evoquing “conflict” as if the forces on the ground were in any shape or form comparable; Accepting Israel’s dictat which blocked independent access to the crime scene for international journalists without registering any significant protest; offering spaces for Israeli spokepersons, which is legitimate by the way, but without convincingly challenging the PR work.
From Israel, Goy uses the row as an opportunity to discuss the ‘objectivity’ of media. He writes:
The BBC uses the word ‘objective’ to describe its news coverage a lot of the time. Objective, when it comes to journalism, is preposterous. It suggests that the reporters do not have, and are incapable of having, any opinion on the matters which they report on, but merely present the facts as they are.
Even if this were possible – and I'm not going to bother spelling out the subjectivity that comes from the personal interpretation – the thing is that the BBC editorialises all the time, providing commentary and opinion dressed up as fact. You watch a news bulletin – any one – and tell me if I'm wrong.
Another Israeli blogger, The Elder of Ziyon describes BBC's decision not to air the appeal as “strange” and adds:
Anyone who ever watches how the BBC covers Israel cannot but laugh at this absurd logic. Israelis and Zionists have no problem with the millions of dollars being spent to help Gazans; only with the millions being given to Hamas, directly or indirectly. Israel itself spends incredible amounts of time, effort and money to help Gazans. Israel has never protested aid going to Gazans from WHO, the Red Cross or any other charity group.
In a weird way, the BBC in making this decision seems to have betrayed its own genteel anti-semitism. While no Jewish or Zionist group asked the BBC not to air the appeal, the Beeb assumed that the selfish, powerful Jews would be upset at giving money to Gazans. Rather than deal with those imaginary protests the BBC thought that they should throw the Elders a bone, deny the appeal and use it as “proof” of their objectivity.
Meanwhile, several groups have sprung at Facebook condemning the move, including Complain to the BBC in Large Numbers and I Condemn BBC for its pro Israeli Broadcast of WAR ON GAZA, among others.


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Nicaragua: International Poetry Festival in Granada · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Nicaragua y Su Blog [es] is promoting the 5th International Poetry Festival that is taking place in Granada, Nicaragua.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Pakistan: Lahore International Book Fair · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hasan Mubarak at Lahore Metblogs writes about the 23rd Lahore International Book Fair and posts some pictures.

author: Rezwan


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Russia: Yandex, Anonymity, “Oligarchs” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A few updates from IZO: “Yandex (acronym apparently of Yet ANother inDEXer), which is way ahead of Google in Russian search, is opening an office in Silicon Valley”; Ministry of Internal Affairs demands “an end to anonymity on the internet”; Russian organized crime in Israel; and what awaits “most of the nineties’ oligarchs” in Russia “in a year or two.”


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Saudi Arabia: Arabic and Indian Numerals?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Saudi Arabia, Boyd Jones asks: “Why does the Arab world use Indian numerals whereas the West uses Arabic numerals?”


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Saudi Arabia: Introducing Yanbu  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

American Bedu, who lives in Saudi Arabia, takes us on a tour of Yanbu, an industrial and port city located in Medinah province about 350 kilometers north of Jeddah.


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Saudi Arabia: On relationships and divorce  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Saudi Arabia, American Bedu answers a reader's questions on relationships with Saudis, the consequences on divorce on women and whether Saudi men can live in a relationship without being married.


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Sri Lanka: Blog Posts In A Book · Global Voices
Rezwan

Cerno announces an idea of publishing Sri Lanka’s top 100 blog posts in a book. In a followup post the blogger explains how people can contribute to the project.


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Thailand: New government besieged by scandals  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The honeymoon period between Thailand's new Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and the public is now over. Khi Kwai identifies and analyzes the issues hounding the new administration.

author: Mong Palatino


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Egypt: The Amazing Pepsi Logo · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

SandMonkey explains why the Pepsi logo looks like a rip off of the Obama campaign logo.

author: Marwa Rakha


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USA: Native Americans, “Yes we can” · Global Voices
Simon Maghakyan

Kept invisible for centuries, Native Americans in the United States are increasingly using blogs and online citizen media to promote and preserve their rights and traditional ways of life. With the election of President Awe Kooda Bilaxpak Kuuxshish (Barack Obama’s adopted Crow Tribe name) indigenous peoples see new reasons to be optimistic.
Reznet – Reporting from Native America
One project that gives voice to indigenous worldviews is Reznet, a Native American news, information and entertainment website of the University of Montana School of Journalism that also trains and mentors American Indian college students around the country as they prepare for journalism careers.
Reznet features both articles, blogs, and multimedia. Pointing to modern-day applications of indigenous belief systems, particularly in respect of the Earth, one article says that “a Native owned and operated solar energy company” will be producing clean energy products for the U.S. government.
Another post, in the blog section triBaLOG, explains how popular media misrepresentations of Native peoples in Westerns are being challenged by a new wave of animated films like ‘Stories From the Seventh Fire‘ created by Native Americans directors who tell contemporary and traditional tribal stories more accurately.
Rezkast - A native music sharing and video site
Rezkast is a smaller website, created by the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Technology Center that seeks to spread Native American multimedia messages, as an alternative to YouTube. Many of the videos exchanged here are about activism, culture, language and inspiration.
One video that appears on the site takes the popular song by will.i.am based on the words of an Obama speech, and remixes it to show old and new photographs of Native American lives. The video lists the challenges facing America’s indigenous peoples – such as protecting sacred sites and preserving ancient cultures – and concludes, “Yes we can return to tribal greatness.”


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Vietnam startups encountering difficulties · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

In the past two years, almost 100 web 2.0 startups were launched in Vietnam. Many of these projects are encountering difficulties today.
FaceViet, launched in August 2007 and hailed as Vietnam’s first Facebook clone was reported to be bankrupt already. (FaceViet founder denies this report). There is a rumor that Vietnam Online Network is looking for buyers. Cyvee, Vietnam’s first social network for professionals, is laying off 75 percent of its workforce.
Fresco 2.0 thinks the failure of some of these startups is inevitable but adds that “It is unfair to pin the blame for the misfortune of these start-ups 2.0 on the recession.”
Harry Do is worried about the status of other startups:
“If FaceViet’s bankruptcy rumors are for real, this would be a sad, but predictable chapter of Vietnam’s web 2.0 bubble. It would leave a lot of implications for web 2.0 Vietnam and more than 100 Vietnamese web startups still struggling to establish a sustainable business model in Vietnam, especially in the wake of the current financial crunch.”
He analyzes the failure of FaceViet:
“FaceViet failed to gain enough traction and reach critical mass not because of their vision…Poor execution and a lack of thorough understanding of local insights cannot compensate for a good vision, adequate funding and a passionate management team. If FaceViet could address these issues in the beginning, I thought FaceViet would be very much different from what they are now, and this is a real pity”
Harry and Fresco 2.0 identify some of the startups in Vietnam
Blog.com.vn	–	 Teen social network
Caravat		–	 LinkedIn clone in Vietnam
Chacha.vn		–	 iLike clone
Chuyendong.vn	–	 Teen social network
Clip.vn		–	 YouTube clone
Cyvee		–	 LinkedIn clone in Vietnam
Linkhay		–	 Digg clone
PhunuNet		–	 Women social network
Sannhac		–	 Online karaoke community
Tamtay.vn		–	A hybrid of Facebook and MySpace
TeeVN		–	 Zazzle clone
Thodia.vn		–	 Yelp clone
traitim.vn 		–	 A social network for lovers
buzz.vn		– 	 A combination of Digg and Delicious
Zing			–	 Vietnam’s largest portal for teens
Vietnamworks	–	 Online job service
Clipvn is first web service in Vietnam to reach 1 million users. Sannhac recorded the fastest growth with 200 thousand users in 6 months. Vietnamworks is recognized as among the most successful start-ups to date.
There are only three thousand Twitter users in Vietnam. But Twitter-like platforms have been developed. For example: Ola Me and Loop. Aside from FaceViet, other Facebook clones include TheGioiBan.com and Guongmat
Fresco 2.0 notes that startups in Vietnam should develop better models and services in order to be financially viable:
“Web 2.0 start-ups are surely hot, with a slew of new-comers springing up every now and then. But how will they go about making money? So how would all of these emerging technologies start monetizing their products?
“The key here is: before you start to think about money, think about your service first. I don’t understand why most Vietnamese entrepreneurs get so excited about their products and I don’t get the same kind of excitement when I use them. Am I a bit out of touch?”


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Yemen: A Visit to Tarim · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Yemeni blogger Omar Bawsawad takes us on a visit to Tarim, once the cultural and academic centre of Hadhramout and the Arab peninsula but which is neglected today.


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Afghanistan: ANSF to the Rescue · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust notes that during the Wednesday suicide bombers attack in Kabul, most of the terrorists were stopped by the Afghan police were able to put an end to the attacks fairly quickly.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: The Unlamented Death · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Colla says that the death of Taliban commander Mullah Ghulam Dastagir last night in an airstrike in the northwestern province of Afghanistan brings to a bloody end a saga which had been particularly damaging for President Hamid Karzai.


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Argentina: Justice for Daniel Jadra · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The family of Daniel Jadra has a blog calling for justice [es] in his unsolved murder.  Jadra was killed in a robbery attempt in Nequén.


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Bahrain: “Just Ban It” · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Bahraini blogger The Dude is frustrated: “Our ‘parliament’, in their infinite wisdom, have decided that they can best serve society by banning everything and anything that they disagree with, for reasons that they clearly invent.”

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Bhutan: Terrorism In A Peaceful Country · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bhutan is witnessing some terrorist activities in the southern parts and Bhutan: Silenced and Controlled discusses ways to combat those activities.


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Cambodia: Pushing for a more organic future · Global Voices
Chhunny Chhean

Bloggers at CAAI News Media and Khmer Stars feature a Phnom Penh Post article on the slow food movement that ran on February 10, 2009.  The article discusses Slow Food's philosophy of creating food in a good, clean and fair manner and how that philosophy is applied in Cambodia.  The article interviews a restaurant owner in Phnom Penh who explains the country's relatively clean soil:
“They found that the land in Cambodia hasn't been exposed to chemicals or pesticides, mainly due to 30 years of war,” he said.  “And really, the quality of the produce in Cambodia is just exquisite –  much higher than in the rest of the region.”
Yet, as Vuthasurf shares in this February 17, 2009 Phnom Penh Post article:
Food vendors often use chemicals including pesticides and hydrochloric acid either to preserve food or to make it more visually appealing to customers, said Chhouv Kong Phally, director of the Health Promotion Program at the Ministry of Health.
In November 2008, Vuthasurf had extolled Cambodian fruits over those of its neighbors.
At the present, most of fresh fruits imported from neighboring countries like Vietnam and Thailand are the kind of fruits getting used pesticides and chemical fertilizers in order to make them fresh which harm the human being’s health…I always heard Cambodians saying that the Cambodia fruits such as durian, guava, rambutan, mango, and jujube and so on are tastier than fruits from neighboring countries.
Organizations such as the Cambodian Center for Study and Development of Agriculture (CEDAC) supports farmers who cultivate organic crops.
Photos by Narith5 at Flickr and licensed through Creative Commons.

author: Chhunny Chhean


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Cambodia: Reactions as Duch opens Khmer Rouge Tribunal  · Global Voices
Chhunny Chhean

Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, stands trial today at the UN-supported Khmer Rouge Genocide Tribunal in Phnom Penh for war crimes and crimes against humanity.  Duch headed the infamous Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh, where over 12,000 people died, according to the Guardian.
KI-Media leads with a story from the BBC, focusing on Duch's biography.
Duch was born Kaing Guek Eav in the central province of Kampong Thom in the early 1940s.
He excelled at mathematics and so won places at top schools.  After graduation he studied for his teaching certificate in Phnom Penh. It was there that he met students from China and became drawn to communist ideology.  Later he became a high school teacher, earning a reputation as a tough and exacting instructor.
CAAI News Media posts an article that places the number of dead from Tuol Sleng at 16,000.
Duch headed the S-21 detention and torture centre in Phnom Penh, where more than 16,000 so-called enemies of the regime were tortured and then led to their executions. Only a handful survived.
The BBC gathered reactions from Cambodians, including a statement from Sothea Thai, a 30-year-old web editor in Cambodia's capital.  Thai expressed a desire for answers:
Frankly, my family did not lose anyone during that regime. So maybe my feeling is different from people who lost their loved ones. But what is most important to me is a clear explanation of the history of that time.
Kounila Keo struggles to reconcile the murders with her country's history.
I am really asking myself if I myself can forgive such a person who has killed so many people without blinks. I've thought about this because as a Cambodian, I was too overwhelmed to believe this surreal past of my country— that not many countries in this world experience. Once great, once bleak, once rise, once fall.


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Canada: Rally Threatens Jewish Students at York University · Global Voices
Maya Norton

An anti-Israel rally at York University in Toronto, Canada forced Jewish students to flee for cover. Threatening cries included: “Die, Jew, get the hell off campus,” and “Die… go back to Israel,” Jewlicious reports.

author: Maya Norton


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Caribbean: Economic Effects  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Keith in Trinidad says that “it is troubling that we seem so oblivious to the meltdown that's occurring” in  Martinique and Guadeloupe, while Living Guyana cites the many examples of regional economic discord to add weight to his question of whether “Guyana's tenuous economy will be negatively affected.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Caribbean, USA: Stanford Charged with Fraud  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Fresh on the heels of the latest regional financial meltdown comes another: news that U.S. billionaire Allen Stanford has been slapped with charges for investment fraud – more than 8 billion dollars’ worth.  Stanford has become a household name in the Caribbean over the last few years, thanks to his high-profile involvement in the region's favourite sport – cricket – and the potential fallout for the sport (the England and Wales and West Indies Cricket Boards have already suspended sponsorship negotiations with him following the fraud charges) appears to be concerning Caribbean bloggers as much as the economic ramifications.
Guyana Providence Stadium links to the story and asks:
Does this mean no 20/20 this year? How deh ass Guyanese cricketers will make a living now?
But his compatriot, Living Guyana, has bigger issues to think about as he quotes the text of the Securities and Exchange Commission‘s complaint against Stanford (“improbable, if not impossible” returns) and draws a link between the alleged fraud and Guyana's 2009 Budget – the contents of which lead him to believe that “the government of Guyana is ignoring reality.”
More north of the archipelago, in Jamaica, Stunner acknowledges the Texas billionaire as “the man who brought excitement and a lot of money to the game of Cricket, West Indies Cricket especially”, and goes on to say:
There is no doubt that the West Indies Cricket Board and West Indies Cricket have benefited from the monetary inputs of Stanford. Standford's 20/20 Tournament brought something new to West Indies cricket and was seen by many as a last ditch hope to revive the dwindling love of Cricket in the region and to pump some well needed money into the coffers of the WICB. However, with this new development, it seems that all this heavy funding will come to a screeching halt.  Does this mean even more bad times for Cricket in the region?
He then considers the economic effects:
Putting Sport aside though, this charge has serious implications for many of his investors around the world and even closer to home, here in the Caribbean.  This leads us to wonder who is next? Which financial entity will be next? How many other companies and their heads have been playing around with our hard earned savings? I see a very frightening trend, and now I'm wondering if my money is just safer under my mattress.
The mattress method, incidentally, is something that Trinidad and Tobago blogger This Beach Called Life says he can get on board with.
Over in Bermuda (a territory that may well have to redefine itself in the context of U.S. President Obama's crackdown on offshore tax havens), Vexed Bermoothes calls the fraud charges a potential “death knell for offshore banking in the Caribbean”, adding:
The tax clampdown is one thing, but allegations of large scale fraud will bring an entirely different set of pressures to bear on offshore jurisdictions.
Barbadian bloggers are also eager to weigh in on the debacle.  Barbados Free Press compares Stanford to the great American swindler Charles Ponzi, saying:
For the last few weeks, desperate people have been trying to get their money out of Standford’s schemes: lining up every morning near the airport in Antigua without much success. Sir Allen will probably not go to jail. Very few of his wealth do. And you can bet that he and his friends had plenty of warning to sock away twenty or thirty million or more against the day.
I find that after the last six or eight months, I look differently at all the flamboyant high-flyers.
I also look very differently at their friends in governments everywhere who allowed this to happen, and who are so reluctant to hold any of these crooks accountable.
BFP‘s cynicism – or is it realism? – is echoed by Gallimaufry as she asks:
Is anybody in the Caribbean surprised by this? ‘Cause I’m sure as hell not.
Neither, apparently, is Cheese-on-bread!:
Wuhloss. I always knew there was something shady about Stanford and how he threw his cash around the Caribbean. I hope Suleiman Benn and the other cricketers who became instant millionaires in the recent Twenty-Twenty cricket tournament don't have to give the money back. And you know the Queen's taking back his knighthood…
Meanwhile, Barbados Underground wonders if there are parallels between Stanford and CL Financial:
Following on the news of the CLICO Affair should we conclude that the tumultuous global financial markets maybe starting to unload on the ‘quiet’ region of the Caribbean region?
Unlike the CLICO Affair which has direct implications for several economies across the Caribbean, the Stanford International Bank probe is restricted to the Antigua market. Some BU family members may challenge the fact that the Caribbean maybe tarred with the same brush given the tendency by outside markets to view the Caribbean region as one area.
He continues:
The possible demise of Sir Allen Stanford’s financial empire will have serious implications for the Antigua economy. Peter Wickham may even suggest that it could affect the outcome of the upcoming general election. It may prove an expensive lesson for the Antiguan authorities to be reminded that one should never build a house on sandy ground.


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China: Chemical Additives in Mengniu Milk Prohibited · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated excerpt Of Fang Zhouzi's interview on Mengniu's Telunsu milk regarding the recent prohibition of chemical additives,  (OMP) and IGF-1, by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

author: Oiwan Lam