text:
Bahrain: Food, Money and Traffic · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Bahraini bloggers are sticking to the important subjects this week: food, money and traffic congestion.
But we start with a painting by Bashayer, who has a blog called Bashayer Art:
The art of cooking
Reeshiez explains why she has a cooking blog:
If you knew me, you'd be surprised that I started a cooking blog. Although I love cooking, I am more interested in politics, religion and current events. … So why a cooking blog? Well a cooking blog doesn't take much effort. You just post your recipes and thats about it. But
most importantly, cooking makes me happy. I see it as an outlet to life's frustrations. Whenever something is bothering me, be it personal or political, I start cooking something. Cooking is almost magical – You take a bunch of ingredients, put them together and then end up with something delicious and satisfying. If someone enjoys a dish I made or a recipe I gave them, then I feel happy and satisfied. I also love listening to people's ideas on how to improve a recipe and make it even better. I love how recipes can become personal – with each cook adding a special something that makes a recipe uniquely their own. I hope you enjoy my recipes and please feel free to send me some of your own!
Naz, a Bahraini student in Melbourne, also has cooking on her mind as she writes an open letter to her neighbours:
Is it Ramadhan already? Last week I suffered the taunting and delicious samboosa cooking fumes that you sent up my window, for a whole week, every night at midnight. … Right now I would like to not only thank the mystery chef for sending me a smell I so dearly missed, hitting me with waves of nostalgia, but I would also like to reprimand them for the very same reason. It is a beautifully cruel thing you are doing. Getting my stomach to rumble with hunger even though I’ve just had dinner. … But to take it another step further, and to start cooking ramadhan kebabs?? Now that’s just playing dirty. So dear mystery chef, if you happen to read this, and feel sorry for me, and suddenly get the urge to feed this poor international student who loves food just as much (if not even more than) her boyfriend, then please feel free to do so.
Food for thought
Gardens of Sand is another Bahraini studying abroad, in the States. She tells us about something that made her stop and think in her economics class:
Dr. C was pontificating on how non-economists wrongly view the world through pessimistic eyes and how we economists being the wiser need to dispel the misconceptions. For example he says, most people are negatively biased towards immigration. They think it’s the worst thing that can happen to their country. They blame the foreigners. Everyone blames the foreigners. No jobs, it is the foreigners’ fault. High crime, it is the foreigners’ fault. Inflation, foreigners’ fault. Failing education and health systems, yup you guess it, foreigners’ fault. … Foreigners are always to blame yet who those foreigners are depends from one country to another. One thing the countries have in common: IT IS NEVER THE LOCALS’ FAULT! … In the USA, people are freaking about the influx of the Mexicans. The Mexicans meanwhile are going crazy trying to stop the Guatemalans from illegally entering Mexico! An Indian newspaper lamented the influx of Bangladeshi immigrants to India. Apparently they are lowering the standard of living in India and taking away all the jobs! Upon hearing the last statement I burst out laughing. How many times did I hear Wonderlandians [Bahrainis] complain about the Indians taking all the jobs and driving the wages down….aaaaah sweet justice!
Paying for the privilege
Jaafar Salman is also thinking about economics:
مدرسة خاصة , مستشفى خاص , مدرس خصوصي , هذه من الصطلحات المتدوالة بشكل يومي في البحرين , فحياتنا تتجه تدريجيا نحو ( الخاص ) , والخاص ببساطه هو مصطلح معبّر عن الخدمة المتلقاه لمن يستطيع ان يدفع والتي بدورها تختلف من ناحية الجودة عن تلك المتوفرة لمن لا يستطيع ان يدفع. … في بلدنا للاسف الحياة تتحول الى ثقافة الخاص وثقافة المال , فمن يملك يحصل ومن لا يملك لا يحصل , فانت هنا تقاس آدميتك على حسب المال الذي تملك فكلما كثر مالك كثر مقدار آدميتك , وربما انتهز الفرصة لالفت نظر الحكومة الموقرة الا ان في بعض البلدان مثل تايلند واندنوسيا هناك شوارع سريعه غير مزدحمة يستطيع المرء السير فيها باريحيه تامة بعد ان يدفع قليلا من المال  فياحبذا لو تضع الحكومة الموقرة المشروع نصب اعينها وتبني طرق جديدة كما في تايلند لحل مشكلة الزحام , فحينها لن يستطيع احد ان يشتكي من الزحام , فالرد سيكون ادفع قليلا وانت تتخلص من الزحام
A private school, private hospital, private tutor – these are the main phrases being circulated among people on a daily basis in Bahrain. Our lives are gradually moving towards the private, which is simply a word which connotes a service rendered to whoever can pay, and which, in turn, is different in quality than that available for those who can't.. In our country, it is unfortunate that life is moving towards the cultures of private (services) and money. Those who own, get what they want, and those who don't, don't. Your humanity is measured according to the money you own. The more money you have, the higher the level of your humanity.  I might take the opportunity to tell the government that in some countries like Thailand and Indonesia, there are highways, which are not congested, where people can drive at ease in return for paying a little money. I really hope that the government takes this project into consideration and builds new highways to put a solution to congestion. When that happens, no one will complain about traffic and the reply to them would be: Pay a little and get rid of congestion.
Birthday boy
Yagoob asks a question, and gives us a surprising answer:
What do all people born in Bahrain during the 20th Century until the mid-1960’s have in common? … They all have the same birthday!
If you want to know why that is the case, see here.
In fact Yagoob's blog celebrated its first birthday this week. Yagoob has taken a new direction, by starting vlogging – and he's encouraging other Bahraini bloggers to do the same.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


text:
Bahrain: Kick the Dog · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif takes a trip down memory lane to his first days as a blogger – with a blog called Kick the Dog.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Bahrain: MPs call to deport homosexuals · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Bahrain's MPs have tabled a motion to root out homosexuality in the country.
Veteran vlogger Mahmood Al Yousif, who has just started a new series of vlogs called the M.Report, gives his opinion about the demand by Islamist MPs that homosexuality be stamped out in Bahraini schools, and foreign homosexuals be deported:
He adds:
Sex is never too far from Islamists’ minds, it seems, especially if they are law makers. This might be because they view their legislative role as nothing more than protecting people from themselves – according to their views anyway – and ensuring that society toes the straight and narrow – again, according to their definitions – in order to prevent them from going to hell and eternal damnation. It could also be for selfish reasons, where they view that with executing that “over-sight” role in parliament and life, they would receive untold brownie points from Allah in Heaven and by that ensure that they can have as much sex as they want then. Deferred payment, if you like. I’m not sure if anyone calculated how much time they spent in parliament discussing what they find objectionable: sex in general, homosexuality, lesbianism, butch girls, you name it, but the amount of time they dedicate to penalising sexual criminals and child rapists is close to zero. The time they spend in ensuring that personal freedoms are sacrosanct, is probably nil, and the time they consumed even discussing changing their own bylaws in order for them to be more effective is zero.
Kawthar, at Mideast Youth, is not impressed with the MPs’ demand either. She writes:
The proposal – which has been ratified by parliament called on:
1.The Interior Ministry to stop granting residence permits to foreign homosexuals
2.The Education Ministry to monitor students, and punishing those who veered towards homosexuality
3.The Industry and Commerce Ministry to monitor massage and hair salons to ensure that they have no closed rooms and that violators be prosecuted
In short, the MPs are calling for the creation of an Orwellian society.


text:
Bahrain: Remembering Samar Al Ansari · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Bahrain, Soul Search shares with us a touching tribute blog by a Bahrain mother in memory of her daughter, Samar Al Ansari, who was killed in a car crash in September 2006.


text:
Bahrain: Sleep Troubles · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Bahrain, Umm Naief writes about her problems with insomnia.


text:
Bangladesh: Motivation for Corruption · Global Voices
Rezwan

Asif Anwar at Ideas for Brighter Bangladesh opines that corruption cannot be prevented by law, rather it should be discouraged: “Corruption is motivated from the aspirations for ‘better life’. Remove the ‘better’ from ‘life’ or both, you would never be motivated.“

author: Rezwan


text:
Bermuda: Drunk Driving  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As more road fatalities make the news, Bermuda Longtail says: “The message must be hammered home that drunk driving is unacceptable.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Bhutan: Photographer’s Paradise · Global Voices
Rezwan

Richard Ishida, a world renowned web designer based in UK writes after visiting Bhutan: “The whole country is a photographer’s paradise. The dzongs and monasteries are all beautiful. But so are the people. So calm and friendly.”


text:
China and South Korea: Red Guards’ Gong Fu · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Red Guard from tecn pointed out that the Olympic torch relay protest became an opportunity for Chinese to show off their Gong Fu. In the comment section, many commentators criticized that the Chinese protesters acted like red guards during the cultural revolution[zh].

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
China: I Want My Two Bucks · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Hanhan commented on the lawsuit against CNN in New York and pointed out that the lawyer had never gotten approval letter from 1.3 billion Chinese to represent them in the case. He also pointed out that, if CNN had to make compensation, every Chinese should have their share of two bucks [zh].


text:
China: RMB Exchange Rate · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

YuLizheng wrote a long piece [zh] on the implication of the rise in RMB exchange rate on China economy. The blogger stressed that the property bubble, inflation and rise in currency are strong indicators of an economic crisis.


text:
China: Train Accident · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Yesterday a train accident happened in Shandong which injured 416 and killed 70 people. Ting yun from my1510 pointed out that the investigation should be conducted by an independent team and the head of railway department should take the blame and resign [zh].


text:
Egypt: The New Governorates · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Sandmonkey, from Egypt, wrote here about the presidential decree to create two new governorates, 6 of October and Helwan.

author: Tarek Amr


text:
Europe: RFL/RL Hacked · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

James of Robert Amsterdam's blog reports on the hack attack on Radio Free Europe's sites.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Georgia: Parliamentary Election Digest · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

TOL Georgia reports on the latest developments in the run-up to next month's parliamentary election in Georgia. In the first of three posts, the blog comments on news that the country's parliamentary speaker, Nino Burjanadze, appears to have temporarily retired from active politics ahead of the vote. Meanwhile, the president's former defense minister and now outspoken critic, Irakli Okruashvili, has applied for and received political asylum in France. In the final post so far, the blog says that it is likely that the Georgian president's National Movement party will gain the majority of votes in the crucial parliamentary vote. However, the blog says that such an outcome is not necessarily because the authorities have popular support. Indeed, following the disputed January presidential election, it concludes that the prerequisites for a free and fair vote are missing.

author: Onnik Krikorian


text:
Guyana: Price of Rice  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Rice is the new pearl,” says Guyana-Gyal, as spiraling food prices make their impact.


text:
Guyana: Tribute to McAndrew · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Signifyin’ Guyana is pleased that the government will “pay a special homage” to the late Wordsworth McAndrew at Guyana's upcoming Carifesta celebrations.


text:
Haiti: Ideas on Development  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Haitian blogger kiskeácity examines the concept of “measuring development as if people mattered more than places.”


text:
Hungary: Opinion Polls on Economy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes about how, according to two polls, “Hungarians perceive their own and the country's economic situation and prospects.”


text:
India, Pakistan: Review of ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pass the Roti on the Left Side reviews the internationally acclaimed Pakistani movie ‘Khuda Ke Liye‘ (For God's Sake), which was recently released in Indian Theaters.


text:
India: Rongali Bihu Festival · Global Voices
Rezwan

Anita Bora of Just a little something blog was in Assam during this year's Rongali Bihu and posts some photos. Rongali Bihu Festival takes place on the onset of the Assamese New Year and is celebrated with food and dance for several days.


text:
Iran: Remember Iranian Cheetahs · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian Cheetah Association informs [Fa] us that in two days there will be a festival to let people know more about Iranian (Asiatic) Cheetahs.Festival is called “the children of cheetahs’ land.” Students, clerics,delegates of United Nations and many others are invited to this festival.

author: Fred Petrossian


text:
Jordan: Mixed Signals  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Can the same facebook contact add an application called (The Latest Hunk) and within the same day join a group called (Proud to be a Muslim) ?” asks Hani Obaid from Jordan.


text:
Kazakhstan: Eurasian Media Forum · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Arman opines on the Eurasian Media Forum, a large conference masterminded and organized by the Kazakhstan president’s elder daughter, Dariga Nazarbayeva.

author: Adil Nurmakov


text:
Korea: Torch Replay in Korea · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

Despite continual demonstrations by  pro-Chinese and pro-Tibetan groups, the Torch Relay is almost at the end of its journey. It went through Korea. As in other countries, the fights of the two groups happened in the middle of Seoul. The violent actions from the Chinese groups and indifferent attitudes of the Korean policemen have been harshly criticized by netizens and bloggers. It has been the hottest issue on the Internet recently.
One of the reasons why netizens were upset was the indolent reactions of the police compared to their reputation.
[…]뉴스를 보니 서울 시청에 붉은 오성홍기가 휘날리는것을 보고 놀랬습니다  쇠고기 협상으로 성난 축산업 종사자나 대학입학금때문에 거리에 나온 대학생시위대는 엄청 제지하면서 강대국의 시위대는 손도 못대는 건지?  티벳관련 국내시민단체가 티벳기발로 항의시위할때 오성홍기를 든 시위대가 둘러싸는 장면을 보고 기도 않차더군요[…]
Photos and video clips of violent actions which were not shown in mass media upset internet users.
어찌해야 합니까. 우리 국민들이 당했습니다. 사진 기자도 당했다네요. 티벳사태의 인권문제와 탈북자 강제송환을 반대하는 단체들의 시위에 뛰어들어 폭행하는 중국 유학생(?)들의 만행이 대한민국의 수도에서 일어났군요.
그리고, 한 호텔을 둘러싸다 안으로 들어가 티벳인(어떤분은 우리나라 공익애들이라고도 합디다.)을 집단 폭행하는 장면은 우리 대한민국의 어두운 부분을 대변하게 되었네요. 중국인들의 그러한 만행을 제지하는 우리 경찰들도 무시당하고, 정말 이런 나라에서 살아야 합니까[…]
저렇게 성스러운 불덩이를 운반하느라,뒤에서는 중국인들의 폭행에 빗덩이를 쏟아내는 모습…..
저게 올림픽이랍니까??
Especially, the scene of Chinese students beating a Tibetan (some people argue that he was a Korean) in a hotel represents the dark side of Korea. Do I have to live in this kind of country where our police disregard Chinese brutality?[…]
In order to transport such a holy fire, we had to see people suffering from Chinese violence behind…
Is this the meaning of the Olympics?
Two sides, Chinese demonstrators and Korean policemen, have been criticized.
1. 생각 보다 충격적인 동영상이다. 그 친중국 시위대가 단순한 중국인 노동자라 생각했기에 무리한 군중 심리에 의해서 여러 사건들이 발생했나 싶었다. 그러나 일요일 귀가 시간에 서울 모 대학 근처 전철역에서 보게된 귀가 중인 중국인 시위대를 발견 하고, 아 그들 중 상당 수가 대학생이였구나 생각하나 너무나도 충격적이였다. 물론 그 하나하나 대학생임을 확인 한 것은 아니지만, 그 근처에 제가 아는 한 대형 공장도 없고, 그들이 일을 시설이 없다는 사실을 너무나 잘 알고 있기에 그들을 근처 모대 유학생으로 생각했다.1 일부는 얼굴에는 중국기 스터커가 있고, 일부는 중국깃발을 목에 두르고, 일부는 중국 깃발을 흔들면서, 일부는 중국 깃발이 그려진 티셔스를 입고 생각보다 많은 인원이 지나갔다. 마치 월드컵때 길거리 응원을 마치고 돌아 오는 듯한 모습에 이들이 과연 스패너와 돌등 각종 오물을 반중국시위대에 덧졌을까 하는 의문이 들정도였다. 그냥 중국 국가대표와 우리나라 국가대표간의 축구경기를 보고 돌아오는 이들이 아닌가 생각이 될 정도였다.(그들의 표정을 매우 밝았다. 마치 자신들이 이긴것 처럼) 티베트 문제에 대해서 그들 보구 반중시위를 하라는 소리까지는 안하겠다. 그래도 대학생이 아닌가? 중국 15억 인구 중 과연 대학생이 얼마나 되겠는가?2 적어도 그들이 공부를 마치고 돌아가서는 일종의 식자층이 될 것인데, 그러한 이성적이지 못한 행동을 하다니 실망스럽다.
비겁하다. 중국유학생들아…
You cowards. Chinese students…
Photo from Newsis
2. 이는 지난 3월 28일 서울에서 대학생들이 등록금 관련 시위에서 대응한 경찰들이다. 정부에 반대하는 시위에는 적극 진압을 약속하고 정부의 입장과 상관 없는 불법 시위는 관망한다는 것인가? 사라졌던 백골단마저 부활 시킨 경찰은 이번 성화 봉송때 어디에 있어나? 성화 봉송때 이미 전 세계 여러 곳에서 나온 문제를 미처 예상하지 못했단 말인가? 맨 위의 동영상과 같이 티베트인인 중국인들에게 둘러 싸여 집단 구타를 당하고, 사진기자는 돌에 맞고 부상을 당하고(관련기사1), 티베트 지지 시위하던 인권단체 외국인과 티베트의 자유(Tibet Free)라는 티셔스를 입은 외국인들은 봉변을 당하고(관련기사2, 관련기사3), 경비를 서던 의경마져 구타를 당했다.(관련기사4)
지난 4월 25일 한우 협회가 과천 정부 종합 청사 앞에서 한 시위때 배치된 경찰이 무려 5만명이라고 한다.(관련기사53 ) 과연 경찰들은 정부에 향한 집회에만 경찰력을 동원할 뿐 정부와 상관성이 없는 시위에서는 오물을 던지고, 심지어 스패너를 던져도 괜찮다는 말인가? 또 기자까지 돌에 맞고, 경찰관 까지 부상을 당했어도(그것도 시위대나 성화를 지키던 경찰이 아니다. 호텔을 지키던 경찰이다.) 앞선 신고된 시위와 같은 대응할 수는 없었나?
이번 북경 올림픽 성화 봉송에 관련하여 각국의 시위대가 상당수 많았던 사실을 상기 해보면, 국내 채류 중인 중국인 숫자를 고려 해볼 때 너무 안일한 대응을 한 것은 아닐까?
왜, 그들이 정부에 관한 반대를 안하기 때문에 불법 시위를 하여도 괜찮았던 것인가?
비겁하다! 대한민국 경찰아~ 또 부끄럽다.
On the 25th of April, when the Korea-Beef Organization had a demonstration in front of a government office in Goa-cheon, 50,000 policemen were arranged. Can the police be arranged for activities against the government, but not for a demonstration that is not related to the government, but throws wenches and garbage? The reporter was beaten by a stone and the policeman was hurt (he was not even a policeman who worked for the torch relay. He was a guard of a hotel).
Are those demonstrators fine because they were not against the government?
You coward! Korean policemen~ I’m shamed.
Photos from Goara
Here are opinions exchanged on a portal site.
이번 성화봉송 사태는 중국의 막강한 경제력과 중국경제 의존도가 높은 한국정부의 타협이 만들어낸 작품이다. 하루 전날 일본에서도 똑같은 사태가 있었고 한국경찰도 이미 알고 있었겠지만 아마도 정부는 방관 할 수 밖에 없었을것이다. 굳이 중국정부를 자극해서 좋을것이 없다는 판단이었을 것이다. 그 전에 조직적으로 움직인 중국유학생들 그리고 중국정부에서 파견한 사람들까지 이미 이번 사태는 예견된 일이었다. 이명박정부의 실용외교가 빛을 바라는 순간이라고 할수 있을것이다. 이런게 바로 이명박식 실용외교 아닌가? 자국민이 죽어도 경제만은 살리겠다는 그 일념!
티벳의 국민들의 심정이나 주장을 지지합니다.그러나 올림픽을 치렀던 오래전 기억을 해보면중국의 유학생들인지 화교인지 모르지만 그들의 격한 감정도 전혀 이해되지 않는 것은 또 아니네요. 그 나라의 올림픽이 열리는 사정을 모르는 것도 아니기에 객관적으로 주장들 하시고 바른 해결을 이웃나라국민으로써 조언하는게 필요한 자리인것이 아닐까요.올림픽에는 또 다른 이상이 있는 것 아닌가요.서울올림픽도 우리 독재국가에서 보이코트 당할 위기에 있은 적도 있었음을 기억하고 우리의 주장만큼 그들에 대한 이해도 잇어야 하는 것 아닌지 해요. 다 나쁜 사람들 아닐테고 우리만큼 경험이 부족한 거지요.
여보세요. 이번 사건에서는 올림픽을 떠나서 폭력 시위에 대해서 논하고 있는 겁니다.올림픽 보이코트.. 그건 둘째 문제고, 왜? 평화적으로 시위하는 시민단체들에게 횡포를 부립니까? 중국인은 중국인대로 목소리를 낼 수 있지만, 다른 사람의 목을 틀어 막을 수는 없는 겁니다.그것도 중국이 아니라, 대한민국에서요.
당신은 그게 애국이라고 생각하는가요? 한국인이 외국 나가서 붉은악마복장하고 그 나라 시민 폭력가하면 이해할 수 있는가요? 한국사람들은 그러면 백의 백은 한국인이 잘못했다고 합니다. 하지만 중국정부와 중국국민들은 폭력유학생들을 애국자와 영웅으로 추앙하고 있습니다. 경험이 아니라 그 사람들은 극단적 애국주의, 하나의 거대한 이기주의 집단입니다
The protest could generate not a nice feeling to on-lookers as well.
평소 반중감정없었는데 반중감정 쏟네
There have been continual questions of the meaning of the Olympics in the past and at the present.
올림픽 성화봉송 행사가 국제적으로 행해진 건 베를린올림픽부터였다. 아리안족의 위대함을 국제적으로 선전하고자 한 나치정권의 아이디어가 그 시초였던 것이다. 국제적 스포츠 이벤트가 구체적으로 정치와 결합하기 시작한 것도 베를린올림픽이었을 것이다. 대충 관련 서적을 살펴보니, 괴벨스를 보좌하던 국가 서기 펑크(Funk)가 베를린올림픽을 절호의 선전기회라고 자랑했으며, 텔레비전을 통한 올림픽 경기의 집단시청 또한 베를린올림픽에서 기원했기 때문에 그랬을 것이라고 추측할 뿐이다.
평화의 제전은 간 데 없고 상업주의와 민족주의만 판을 치는 올림픽이다. 횟수를 더할 수록 올림픽의 위상은 허울뿐인 평화, 자본과 민족의 환상적인 결합 그 이상 그 이하도 아닌 스포츠 이벤트가 되어버리는 것 같다. 구 소련은 2차 세계대전 이전까지 스포츠를 자본주의적이라며 올림픽 참가를 거부했었다. 물론 그 이후에는 사회주의 체제를 선전하고자 열심히 올림픽에 참가했지만 말이다.
Peaceful fest doesn’t exist anymore. It’s for commercialism and nationalism. The more it is held, the worse the spirit of the Olympics is gone. And it is just a sports event not more than a fantastic combination of capitalism and nationalism. Until World War II, the Soviet Union turned down participating in the Olympics because it is capitalistic. But after that, in order to advertise socialism, they participated.

author: Hyejin Kim


text:
Kuwait: Congrats Manchester United!  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwaiti blogger Frankom (Ar) is ecstatic that Manchester United beat Barcelona and reaching the football Champions League final.


text:
Kuwait: Speeding Foreigners Unwelcome  · Global Voices
Abdullatif AlOmar

A new traffic law which ejects foreign traffic violators from the country, is creating waves in Kuwait. While one blogger asks what the fuss is about when other countries have already implemented similar rules, another argues that the new clampdown is too strict.
Forzaq8 tells those complaining about the new traffic law that they got what they wanted – after years of asking why Kuwait can't be like the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Forzaq8 explains:
Who hasn’t heard this or some of its variations ?
” We want to be like the UAE ”
I’m totally sick of it , i hear it a lot , why not the USA ? or Japan ?
Well now we do something like the UAE and people are complaining
Fonzy thinks the law is unfair – with deportation being too strict a punishment. He notes:
I have full respect and completely support how the ministry is doing its best to impose traffic laws in Kuwait.  But at times, I think they are overdoing it with the penalties.  Just read an article on Arab Times about expats who fail to respect the traffic rules.  Apparently, now they can be deported if they jump a red light and have previous traffic violations… in other words, 2 strikes and you’re out! (…)
(P)ersonally, I think deportation is too extreme.  Fining them or jailing them was too much already.  How about by revoking his license as a start.
Still on the topic of traffic, Buzberry posts a table of traffic violations and the fines they carry, while Marzouq of Z District is angry that officials closed off entire stretches of highways to traffic to ferry foreign officials attending a conference in the country.
An exasperated  Marzouq explains:
There was no notification what so ever of this traffic or that the police were going to be blocking off roads. I read the newspapers and there was no mention of this, there is a meeting in Bayan Palace with people coming from out of state. This caused havoc on the roads of Kuwait for several hours, I hated being outside due to this hellish traffic. The usually 20 minute trip took me an hour and 10 minutes, and a 15 minute trip took one hour in the car. I went nuts sitting in a car going 10 kph, and knowing the traffic is being cause by the idiots who didn’t plan this out. They should have a fleet of helicopters to transport these dignitaries instead of causing over 7 hours worth of traffic without any warning.

author: Abdullatif AlOmar


text:
Kyrgyzstan: Jazz Fest Photos · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elena presents the photographs from the second and third day of the International Jazz Festival in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.


text:
Overheard in Jordan · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Jordan, Salam shares a conversation she overheard at a fast food joint in Amman.


text:
Russia: May 9 Parade Rehearsal · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user m_i_s_t_e_r_x_1 posts pictures of some of the fighting vehicles that will be displayed during the May 9 parade in Moscow. LJ user zaxarman posts a picture from the parade rehearsal in downtown Moscow tonight; some people in the crowd seem to have mistaken Russian-made cars for Hummers. (Text is in Russian.)


text:
Saudi Blogger in Coma  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Last week, Saudi Jeans announced that female blogger Hadeel was found in her bed in a coma. Saleh Al Zaid (Ar) updates us about her condition in this post.


text:
Serbia, EU: More on SAA · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Greater Surbiton writes about the relations between the EU and Serbia.


text:
South Korea: Seoul Invaded by “The Ugly Chinese” · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

One free Korea described the pro-China Olympic torch protesters as invasion by “The Ugly Chinese”.


text:
Sri Lanka: Solution to the Ethnic Conflict · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Titular Republic writes in Groundviews giving an insight into the ongoing ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka: “The fundamental cause for this conflict is the perception by one race that the other race was privileged; there was a general perception racial inequality was prevalent…and for the ethnic conflict to be solved these must be dealt with…all ethnic groups must be treated as equals.”


text:
Touring Libyan Blogs: Pride, Patriotism, Nationalism and Chastity · Global Voices
Fozia Mohamed

There obviously is a link between patriotism, nationalism and pride but where do the women figure in this equation? If you are curious, bear with me and let's dissect the situation that has brought all this out on the Libyan blogs.
Anglolibyan lamented that Libyans do not feel proud about their country. He complained especially that the Libyan flag as it stands has no rallying power.
“[…]as with many things in our country, this flag was forced on the population,[…] the problem in the long run is that many Libyans have lost the sense of pride for their country, unlike most other countries in the world, we do not have a Libyan national anthem or a proper flag to make us feel proud”.
For those of you who do not know what the current Libyan flag adopted in the 70s looks like, it simply consists of one colour: bright green or what I call Islamic green.
The resulting debate ranged from love, anticipation, disregard, plain disdain and surprisingly enough acrimony. Samples of comments from various Libyan bloggers follows  [source]:
‘for my generation (at least) we do identify with the “all green” and nothing cries out “Libya” to us like the “All Green” ”  A.Akak.
” Green ,yellow,white ,with a crescent or a star or with out them ,with an original Libyan anthem or not …It doesn't make a difference as long as LIBYANS doesn't feel LIBYANS..and believe me,what makes us feel this way is not a flag or an anthem..It is the pride that comes with respect…[sic]” Benghazi Citizen
“i am waiting for the day that a libyan sports player or sports team wins a gold medal, and i bet with you that every libyan will stand up for the national anthem and look it his flag, and it will not make a difference how this flag will look alike, you just will feel proud, we all will feel proud[sic]” Libyan
” I think, the green rag is no more representative of Libya than the Nazi flag is of Germany. Suliman.
This discussion brought out to light a set of differences between Libyan generations, including a further classification which I have been expecting yet wishing that it would not happen. This subset, no less important than the generation gap  can be summarized in whether you were living inside or outside Libya.
The next topic that recently griped the Libyan blogosphere began by a post on  Flying Birds, related to a frustrated love that resulted in this comment (now deleted)  from  reader Music Lover who  said:
“If you are in love, then the best solution is ask for her hand, Boyfriend & Girlfriend relationship they do not work in the Arab world. Arab women they do not want bullshit talk, either marriage or get lost.”
Blogger UT  (formerly Trabilisia, found it inflammatory enough to warrant a retaliatory post called “Arab women vs western” where she says :
” many men in general classify us, Arab women, as no easy conquest which is nice in a way but shows that western ladies are preferable for an easy ride and wont ask for marriage which I believe is outrageous ,untrue and really gets me mad.[sic]”.
This resulted in a barrage of comments again about Libyan women, Arab women, foreign women, sexuality, honour, pride, chauvinism, feminism and freedom. It is a pity that UT has disabled the comment section just while I was writing this post, as the comments are an invaluable part of the debate and relevant to the idea hinted at above between those Libyans living inside vs those living outside Libya. I would like to urge UT to release the comments again and hope that this post will encourage her to do so.
Khalid Jorni's post a day later seemed to pour ‘fuel’ as we say over a dying fire. But I say ‘seemed’  because that was not the intention I think. However, he brought up to light a thorny topic in Libya : the ‘ajnabia’ wife.
Ajnabia in Arabic means a foreign woman but in Libya and most Arab countries it has gained an additional subtle connotation namely ‘Western woman’ and more specifically, American, British and on a smaller scale northern European. The rest of Europe does not count much. The Arab wife is just that, Arab or designated by her country of origin and so are Asian women.
Khalid Jorni picked up on a recurrent situation which because of the small population of Libya (5.5 million) and the large number of such cases has become noticeable: Libyan men divorced from their foreign wives  leaving everything they built over a decade or more, including their children, and returning to Libya to marry a ‘100%’ Libyan woman.
“as we all know after a period of time love has to fade out, and when it does, the Libyan guy would never think of a separation, he believes that he is the only salvation of his kids in a Godless land, he always wanted them to have the good part of the two worlds, so even if he hates his wife's guts, he would rather die than leaving her alone with his kids, specially if they were females..[…] While the Ajnabiyia, when love disappears, starts to link everything her husband does with his Libyan background, even if the guy was so open-minded and tolerant all his deeds would be considered retrograde and somehow related to the place he comes from.”
His advice is :” you got to choose either to live in Libya with a non-Libyan wife, or to stay abroad with a Libyan wife, but to live abroad with a non-Libyan wife, that is the definition of catastrophe”. Yet he concludes his post with this appeal to expatriate Libyans “Why don’t they come back to Libya, sacrifice some advantages and give up their high life style in order to make a valid contribution to the evolution of their country[..]”.
58 comments later and the war is still raging on!  Some answers  are surprising  as they come from readers and bloggers who have themselves said they have an ajnabia mother or grandmother or others who have an Arab mother. We even heard from foreign female bloggers, but the only voice we have not heard is that of children with non ajnabia /non Arab /non Libyan mother. A Libyan with an Indian mother for example.
The ulcer has exploded bringing out a torrent of pus and long pent up feelings most of them off topic:  the race card, sexual frustration, Islam, stereotypes, politics, pride, nationalism and treason. The genie was officially out of the bottle!
” Unfortunately many Libyans living in Libya think that many of us live in the west because of a better life style and that we do not participate in the building of our country […]from most of these comments I can see the Libyan mentality has not changed much, people there still look down on people that have non Libyan mothers” Anglolibyan.
Blogger Ph's reply runs like a post – the most important part which in my opinion illustrates the undercurrent between the three posts is this excerpt :
“there is a sick cowardly segment of our society that always runs away from Libya when it needs them the most, during times of hardship, like after the Italian invasion, and after the revolution taking the money and knowledge they gained from the country they lived in and its people. They , then return after the hardship ends like after the Italian occupation and after the recent Lifting of the sanctions with their education and money, some of which was stolen from Libya and some of which was paid for by the current Libyan government and then they claim to be better than they average Libyan, and look down on them as if they aren't Libyan themselves and as if they are better simply because they studied abroad or learnt English, forgetting of course that whatever education they earned they earned from the money that was spent on them by the Libyan government and forgetting that the only reason they are in a better state is because they didn't stand by their country when it needed them the most and that makes them think, ignorantly may I add, that their treachery makes them better people !
Not only that; but after returning to Libya this sick segment isn't satisfied with their country not holding them accountable for their actions; but they actually want them to greet them with flowers and treat them like kings simply because they know English ! Then they start whining and crying when they aren't treated as the aristocrats they think they are claiming that the Libyans are racist and backward thinking […] Of course a prominent feature among this cowardly segment is the support of American values forgetting that the American value that made America the country it is today is their loyalty to their country and their ability to make a distinction between their country, its people and those who rule it. Instead of blaming a whole population for the ill actions of a few; but I guess its true those who live abroad usually only pick up on the bad values they see and rarely pick up something good.”
There is a fine thread that runs through these seemingly unrelated posts. It's not the first time Libyan bloggers get into a hard argument but it's the first time I see such bitterness.
So I ask are Libyan men and women patriotic? Are they proud of Libya? What is the essence of being Libyan? Does a western female spouse negatively affect a relationship because she will pass her culture to the half Libyan children and in a post 9/11 world there is a threat that this might even endanger the Libyan/Muslim composition of the child? Do Libyans react to this issue differently depending on where they live? Is the foreign woman simply seen as pretty easy catch, while the Libyan woman is hard to get?
Is there a gap betweenLibyans who remained in Libya, expatriate Libyans and self –exiled Libyans. What constitutes treason?
So many questions lying below the surface, waiting for the opportunity to be unleashed on an unsuspecting audience… Libyans will one day have to resolve these hot issues, but hopefully not with the help of foreign intervention.
With any luck the fact that we are Libyans will prevail to heal any rift.

author: Fozia Mohamed


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: Roped Off?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from Trinidad & Tobago, Ramblings and Reason takes a look behind the velvet rope.


text:
Turkmenistan: Tatars Diaspora in Turkmenistran · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Abdulgamid writes a post about a website, dedicated to the life of Tatar diaspora in Turkmenistan, an overwhelmingly mono-ethnic country.


text:
UK: Armenian Genocide March · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped posts video, photographs and an account of a march staged by the London-Armenian community remembering the 1.5 million Armenians who died during the 1915 Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey. The blogger from Armenia now living in the United Kingdom says the march reminded him to some extent of the annual 24 April memorial back home.


text:
Ukraine: Privatization Confrontation · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Orange Ukraine posts a roundup on Ukraine, which includes an examination of the confrontation between president Yushchenko and PM Tymoshenko over privatization. A close-up on an earlier privatization case is here.


text:
Venezuela: Debates on the New Educational Curriculum · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

The Venezuelan government's new proposal for the elementary school education system has created a new point of hard discussion in the country. While some say that the previous program needs to be reinforced in social and socialist values, as well as patriotic ideas, some others claim they're worried that this new system can be, above all, a new way of make children learn the government's doctrines.
According to some bloggers, many of the proposals seem to be jokes. To others, it is precisely what the educational system needs. The discussion is on the table. New groups of discussion have been created, urging teachers and parents to pay attention and participate in the discussion. The media keeps an eye on every declaration from the government or from opposition groups; a possibility of a new referendum on the matter is also discussed. In addition, blogs pay attention on the subject and comment.
Part of what is attacked is the new system, which seeks to remove some competitive sports. They propose more traditional games based on solidarity and equality. Also, there is the discussion of studies on national culture and traditions, since the new project seems to highlight African and aboriginal heritage over the European. Above all, an extended and detailed study of Chavez's government and ideals  are preferred over world history and Venezuelan contemporary history.
Blogger Talfin heard some of the proposals on the radio and immediately took them as a joke. After a closer look, he comments:
La otra medida, es eliminar los llamados cuadros de honor porque esto genera competencia. Bueno sin palabras realmente (…) ¿Qué clase de metas les están trazando a las próximas generaciones?, ¿ser uno más del montón?, ¿porque no se estimula la excelencia en vez de la mediocridad? Si bien esto de la mediocridad no es nada producido exclusivamente por los chavistas, ellos no están haciendo absolutamente nada para mejorarlo, si no todo lo contrario. (…)
Another proposal is to eliminate the Honor Roll since this creates competition. I have no words. What kind of goals are they teaching to the new generations? To be another one of the bunch? Why don't they stimulate excellence instead of mediocrity? (…) If in fact none of this mediocrity is exclusively the work of Chavez's people, they have not done anything to improve the situation, quite the contrary.
The blog Fotos de Chávez [es] publishes an interview of a specialist in pedagogy:
El debate no es si vamos a aumentar el número de liceos, mejorar las comprensión lectora, cómo bajar la repitencia, sino hablar de bolivarianismo y marxismo. Eso está bien, que se discuta de todo, pero la esencia de la escuela no se aborda. Pero no todo es tan malo, destaca la enseñanza del inglés y de la tecnología desde la primera etapa. Sin embargo, hay un detalle: “el problema es que los maestros no hablan inglés. Tampoco hay laboratorios para la práctica de la computación”, explicó. Ante el temor de los padres por la ideologización de la educación que entraña el currículo, Herrera dijo que es una posibilidad remota, ya que su experiencia le indica que no es así. La educación es más el resultado de la praxis que de las leyes. “La calidad la afecta las políticas públicas, no las leyes”. (En cualquier caso) fallas en la infraestructura y la condición social del docente conspiran contra ese propósito, a lo cual se suma el hecho que más se aprende por la socialización que en la escuela.
The debate is not based on whether we are to make more schools, improve reading comprehension or how to avoid kids failing the academic year, we discuss Bolivarianism, Marxism… that's good, to discuss everything but the essential meaning of the school is not discussed. On the fear of some parents on turning education to ideology, an important element of the new program, Herrera says it is a remote possibility, since according to his experience it does not work like this. Education is more a result of praxis than law. “Quality affects public policies, not law”. “(In any case) there are failures in the infrastructure, and the social teacher's social position conspires against any purpose. To this we can add the fact that you learn more socializing than at school.”
Evony says:
El nuevo diseño curricular maneja como uno de sus postulados la enseñanza o el aprendizaje significativo, lo que se ha dado a denominar “Constructivismo Pedagógico”. Este modelo pretende que lo que el alumno aprenda tenga significado para él. Cuando hablamos en el Sistema Educativo Bolivariano (SEB) que se encuentra en Currículo Nacional Bolivariano (CNB) de “la formación para la defensa de la soberanía nacional…” a que nos referimos, a la defensa de nuestra cultura como pueblo, de nuestros ideales como país, de los ideales del Presidente Chávez como máxima figura de la Revolución Bolivariana o de nuestro territorio, y como nuestros niños, niñas y adolescentes defenderían esto, con ideas o con armas, esta ambigüedad que expresa el CNB tiene que ser revisado y aclarado, porque no se debe permitir un adoctrinamiento de nuestros jóvenes.
The new program uses as one on its basis the significance of learning, which has been named “pedagogic constructivism”. This model looks to teach the pupil something that's really valuable to him. When we speak of the Bolivarian Educative System in the Bolivarian National Program of Studies for “education for the defense of national sovereignty…”  what we mean is to defend our culture as a people, to defend our culture as a people, our ideals as a country, president Chavez's ideals as our main leader and main figure of the Bolivarian revolution or our territory. And as our children and our young would defend this with ideas or arms, this ambiguity expressed in the Bolivarian program needs to be evaluated and clarified, since we should not permit indoctrination in our children.
Vulcano of Noticias Bolivarianas [es] supports the new proposals:
Le doy un rotundo apoyo al Nuevo Diseño Curricular Bolivariano que actualmente se discute en toda la geografía del país, puesto que éste, no sólo se caracteriza por ser inédito sino que ubica a Venezuela en un sitial de relevancia transformadora en la Era Moderna, con filosofía y pensamientos propios derivados de hombres y mujeres nativos de estas tierras con sueños de dibujar y construir a través del Sistema Educativo Bolivariano un modelo de sociedad diferente donde se reivindique la verdadera esencia del ser.
I support completely the new Bolivarian Educational Program that is discussed all over the country, since it is characterized not only for being unique but also because it places Venezuela in a relevant place of transforming to the Modern Era, with philosophy and thoughts brought by women and men born in this land with dreams of building through a different model of society where his real essence of being can be claimed.
The complete program can be seen here (in Spanish)

author: Laura Vidal


text:
Zimbabwe: Will Malawi clear Zimbabwe’s arms? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Will Malawi clear Zimbabwe's arms?: “The Nyasa Times has this report today and it seems a lot more plausible to me than yesterday’s Hollywood-style information regarding Venezula…”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Africa: Sleeping giants · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bankelele wonders whether Africa has to reform or develop: “Rwanda is on the fast path to being an ICT powerhouse. They may get there, but we have the beach, undersea cable etc. – all we have to do is wait to benefit from them. Uganda and Sudan have oil – but so what? It will have to pass through here.”


text:
Armenia: Norwegians Abroad · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Armenia and Me, the blog of an expat Norwegian in the country, reports on stumbling upon a bus crewed by 11 fellow countrymen and women touring the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. The blog posts photographs of a brief excursion with the Strangeways crew who also have a blog highlighting their journey.


text:
Armenia: Revolutionary Youth Movement · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped reports on what appears to be an offshoot of the Sksela youth movement. Faced with some internal criticism on its pro-radical opposition leanings, the Now (Hima) movement has been established. The blog posts video of its first action staged in support of what some consider to be political prisoners in Armenia.


text:
Bahamas: Abuse of Power  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

In the Bahamas, Womanish Words blogs about an environmental fundraiser gone awry: “The Royal Bahamian Police Force needs to know that we the new and awakened public doesn’t sit by silently anymore when bad cops are allowed to run rampant, to violate our human rights in raids like this one.”


text:
Bahrain: A Tale of Two Villages · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Journalist Jeffrey Black visits Bahrain and notes his observations in this post.


text:
Bahrain: Why are Adult Sites Popular?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Why are adult sites popular in the Middle East, asks Bahraini Esra'a, who posts a video opinion from Lebanon.


text:
Bangladesh: women’s equality vs. religion · Global Voices
Rezwan

Tahmina Shafique writes on the recently announced women’s development policy in Bangladesh which has triggered religious protests by Islamist groups and forced a retreat by the government on rights issued by the constitution.


text:
Barbados: False Pride?   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Tourism has become the life blood of most of the Caribbean countries and it needs to be re-energized”: Living in Barbados wonders whether the region can be proud of its tourism offering.


text:
Brazil: Homicide counter on the streets · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Recife is the first city in Brazil and in the world to have a homicide counter installed on the streets. Since January 1st only, there have been 1,511 deaths in the city, 11 of them today. “Now, the public can monitor our blog's data not only on the Internet but also on the streets. Like the site, the outside meter will be updated once a day and give records of daily, monthly and yearly homicides rates”, says PEBodyCount [pt].

author: Paula Góes


text:
Brazil: Orkut vs Facebook · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Raquel Recuero [pt] has a long post explaining why Brazilians love Orkut so much that they have paid no attention whatsoever to facebook – at least so far.


text:
Brazil: WordPress attorney blogs about the blocking · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Marcel Leonardi [pt], the Brazilian attorney who is representing WordPress in the case of a possible ban on the platform in the country, blogs: “In the motion filled by the Automattic Inc. [on Monday], among other pieces of information, it has been highlighted the tremendous damage that the blanket ban would cause, and other possible ways of implementing the ban to the said blog in Brazil have been proposed.” See the background info.


text:
Caribbean: Food Shortages · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“If music be the food of love, play on”, wrote Shakespeare, who could not possibly have anticipated the global food crisis the world is facing today.  Rising food prices are a hot topic with bloggers the world over – and the Caribbean is no different.  The “music” coming out of the regional blogosphere is anything but lovely – in fact, it's downright discordant – as the Caribbean struggles to find solutions to a crisis that is hitting regional territories hard.
Haiti seems to be feeling the effects of the food shortages the most and The Haitian Blogger thinks that claims of “success” in the island by the United States seem hollow in the face of such dire need:
What of the suffering of the people in indefinite detention, or the hunger of the poor that is so acute that people are eating dirt and describing their hunger pains as “grangou Clorox”; like having your insides eaten away by Clorox?
Haiti is being occupied right now.  These occupiers are being paid with money that adds to Haiti’s debt, money that could be used to feed the Haitian people is going to feed, house and train their oppressors.
Blog de Port-au-Prince also believes that the U.S. bears some responsibility for the obstacles Haiti faces:
Thirty years ago, Haiti raised nearly all the rice it needed. What happened?  Haiti is far from alone in this crisis…but in poor countries, where malnutrition and hunger were widespread before the rise in prices, there is nothing to cut back on except eating. That leads to hunger riots.
Bajan Global Report has been keeping an eye on the global food shortage and reports that “Haiti on Sunday named a new prime minister two weeks after his predecessor was ousted over rocketing food and fuel prices that sparked violent demonstrations claiming several lives.”
Living in Barbados chimes in:
A few weeks after reports that people in Haiti rioted about the high cost of food and reports that in Egypt the army had been ordered to bake bread, the ramifications of a major international food crisis are just dawning on lots of ordinary people. Here in Barbados, people have just been struck by the news that local flour prices were increased 30 percent and now wait to see what impact that will have on bread prices and the cost of other baked goods. Gasolene and diesel prices were increased here last week and that too may soon start to factor into the prices of many food items.
The irony of the situation is not lost on him, as he adds:
The situation will be more complicated as the world tries to get “green” by using food stuffs to make fuel.  Now, we have the oil and nothing to cook in it. Instead of putting corn into your stomach you will be feeding it, in a sense, to your car. I wonder what the emissions will be like. Odourless, I hope.  I just love progress.
But Cuban blogger Ninety miles away…in another country is taking the issue seriously:
Let's start by forgetting this corn ethanol nonsense. It is a negative proposition to begin with. It sounds sexy in this politically correct world of global warming, but take a look at it. First it takes more to create than the energy produced. It is physically impossible to plant enough corn to cover our energy needs, even if we had the infrastructure in place to distribute the ethanol, which we do not, and the cars capable of using it as fuel, which we do not. Let's get real. All we are doing at the moment is allowing the vilest element in our markets to speculate at the expense of the global population, much of which can ill afford it.
In Trinidad and Tobago, even as the mainstream media reports that “Minister of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources, Senator Arnold Piggott, says there is no food crisis…” blogger Elspeth Duncan at Now is Wow is seeing the signs of the times:
Today the front page of the papers announced: chicken prices going up, flour going up…is there any sign of the Gov't putting things in place for us to grow our own food so we can be self sufficient? Or is it that agricultural land is only good for housing? The other day some friends and I were discussing growing our own food crops and sharing our produce among ourselves.
Her concerns are echoed by Craig Butler at Bahama Pundit, who warns:
If you think that a problem is not on the horizon then think again.  The problem as I see it is that far too many of our brothers and sisters are going to bed hungry every night.  Don’t just think that this is a problem for the poor because it is not. The Bahamian middle class has practically evaporated and can at best be described as the working poor.
The Cuban Triangle examines Raul Castro's proposed agriculture policy, saying:
It looks promising. One step alone, the distribution of additional land to private farmers, is almost guaranteed to raise production and put Cuba on a path toward lower imports and lower food prices. But much remains to be seen.
The same could be said of agriculture in Trinidad and Tobago – in considering the reality of food prices in the twin island nation, KnowProSE.com says:
While the Prime Minister tells his political supporters that all will be well, one has to wonder what sort of mindset permitted the use of agricultural lands for residences.  And because of that, agricultural crops are also being grown where heavier fertilizers are required due to poor soil. And that, in turn, skews development.
But he doesn't stop there:
With the global food prices on the rise with less and less food available, one thing I have been considering is getting into farming. Imagine that. While everyone is getting out of agriculture, I'm considering diving into agriculture.
…which may not be a bad idea, given Bajan Global Report‘s comprehensive roundup of “how the global food crisis is affecting our Caricom neighbours as they too try to grapple with the rising food costs in their countries.”
Blogging from St. Lucia, Looshan Ramblings writes:
Hind sight is always 20/20 and we should have not allowed our Agricultural Stock to be marginalised to only production of cash crops but a a balance should have been struck in order to ensure a greater level of food security. Now we are faced with food inflation as has not seen in recent times.
Both can cook, must cook and  Living in Barbados agree, saying “the crisis is having some worrying ripple effects”:
Rice is being rationed! Not in Africa or India, but in England and the heartlands of the USA.  In Britain rice is being rationed by shopkeepers in Asian neighbourhoods to prevent hoarding; while in the US Wal-Mart has created a first–there has never been food rationing in the US. The restrictions are being imposed on retail and wholesale customers.
But Jamaican Gordon Swaby tries to put a positive (if slightly controversial) spin on the whole situation:
What this food crisis is doing is forcing us to be self reliant; and for that I am very  happy, after we realize that products are getting too expensive to be imported, then we will have no choice but to produce our own. And after that happens, we’ll have more than we need, and from that we’ll start exporting; instant gratification. So yes, i hope things continue to get expensive, it will force us to become creative, from sorrow comes joy.


text:
China: We Made the World Hate Us · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Zhou kou dian ren from china week pointed out that the Chinese government has failed to improve its public image with the Olympic torch relay, on the contrary the Chinese government and people have made the world hate us with the protest.


text:
Cuba: Las Damas de Blanco  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“‘They are dying, they are dying.’
It was the lament of one of the handful of women in white who attempted to demonstrate peacefully in Havana…”
– Ninety miles away…. in another country
*****
It has been the most discussed topic in the Cuban blogosphere over the last week: the arrest of Las Damas de Blanco as they staged a peaceful demonstration for the release of their husbands, jailed by the Castro regime.
As if to underscore its impact, Free Thoughts posts a series of photos as well as video of the incident, while over at Revista de Asignaturas Cubanas [es], Laura Pollán a Dama de Blanco also posts some photographs with descriptions taken by Bárbara Jiménez of the group of women prior to being removed.
Child of the Revolution examines the media's role in shaping perceptions of the event:
The whole shameful episode was captured by a handful of foreign media journalists in Havana and broadcast to the rest of the world, although in the scheme of things, the coverage was fairly limited.
Now, two days later, the regime has used its media apparatus to attack the Damas de Blanco directly. Instead of doing what they normally do and ignore the demonstration, the regime has publicly accused the women of being subversive elements and mercenaries doing the bidding of, yes, those nasty Americans.
He further explains that:
The women have now accused the Castro regime of spying on them, following the broadcast by the official media of telephone conversations between some of the Damas de Blanco and a US congresswoman…
The Cuban Triangle links to a BBC report from Havana (Sp) that “puts the action in the context of overall opposition activity”:
The Damas, correspondent Fernando Ravsberg writes, are “the only dissident group that undertakes street activities. The bulk of the opposition has limited itself to working indoors, with press conferences, meetings, and statements.” Ravsberg describes divisions within the movement regarding political issues and tactics in the face of a government that “practically every week announces changes, the large majority of which are well received by the public.” The movement, he writes, is “small, divided, and with very little social influence.”
I’m sure that many will read that as criticism, but Ravsberg is leading to an interesting question. If changes in Cuba continue, and especially if additional changes materially affect all Cubans, not only those with hard currency to spend, will that change the political context in which the opposition operates? Will it change tactics? Should it?
La primera generación thinks that “Cuba clearly violated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which it is a signatory to”, adding:
The United States has deplored these actions and brought this violation to light. Is anyone besides the US going to do anything about it?
Osvaldo Alfonso Valdés of Miscelaneas de Cuba [es] states his view of what this action says about the new regime:
Digámoslo claramente: si el régimen de Raúl Castro no puede tolerar que 10 mujeres estén de manera pacífica presentando una carta al Gobierno y manifestándose públicamente, entonces; ¿qué cambios y mejorías en el respeto a los derechos fundamentales y que cambios políticos en dirección a la apertura democrática podemos esperar de este nuevo gobernante de la dictadura cubana?
Finally, Uncommon Sense posts an update:
Radio Martí reports that the Damas De Blanco (“Ladies In White”) today resumed their weekly demonstration on behalf of their imprisoned husbands, fathers, sons and brothers, less than a week after 10 women were roughed up and arrested by the police and a Castroite mob.
Unlike what happened April 21, the women were left alone as they marched in silence down Fifth Avenue in Havana.
Eduardo Avila contributed to this post.


text:
Cuba: Passing Sentence  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Child of the Revolution, Uncommon Sense and Ninety miles away…in another country all comment on Raul Castro's decision “to commute most death sentences to 30 years to life in prison.”


text:
Czech Republic: Opinion Polls · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Dr. Sean's Diary writes about a poll on who the Czechs’ “least favoured [groups] of potential neighbours” are.


text:
D.R. of Congo: Kinshasa Soundtrack · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A musical gift from the Democratic Republic of Congo: “To celebrate a couple of years in the Congo, here’s a mixtape just for Extra Extra readers. (Songs should stream when clicked. If they don’t, please let me know and I’ll scratch my head and bleat a bit.)”


text:
D.R. of Congo: Penis Theft · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Penis theft in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “It's pretty amazing that nobody commented on Penis Theft in Kinshasa, but despite the lack of popularity of this topic, I have more to say about it…”


text:
Egypt: Facebooking the Struggle  · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

After little less than a month following the April 6 strike in support of the textile workers in Mahalla City, during which a number of prominent Egyptian bloggers and internet activists were arrested, preparations for the next round of a planned general strike to mark the 80th birthday of President Hosni Mubarak, on May 4, 2008, are currently spreading all over the blogosphere and the Internet. And like the preparation for the April 6 strike, the internet has a vital role to play in mobilizing for the upcoming protest. SMS, email, blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter: almost all of these outlets are used by Egyptian Internet activists in their campaign the May 4 event. We've even seen a Facebookist Movement to Overthrow Mubarak being created.  Another group entitled “We don't want  Muslim Brothers” is calling for the strike but without participation of the Muslim Brotherhood, who recently decided to join May 4 protest.
This approach of politicising the internet is not taking place without concerns being raised not only by pro-government and state-run newspapers (who recently waged a campaign against web 2.0 services like Youtube, Blogger and Facebook used by online activists) but even by opponents of Mubarak's regime and outspoken bloggers. And while the Al-Gomhuriya daily called for a “boycott [of] Youtube and Facebook websites” and the weekly Rose El-Youssef portrayed the former website as “a secret room aimed at running Egypt”, blogger Hossam el-Hamalawy, an outspoken Egyptian blogger, wrote, in a blog post titled “I do NOT endorse the May 4th General Strike Call” criticizing what he described as a call “coming from the cyberspace by bloggers, “Facebook activists” and the Islamist-leaning Labor Party whose leaders have declared themselves more or less as some “provisional govt” in cyber-exile”, that:
We, the Egyptian bloggers, have always prided ourselves on the fact that we have one foot on the ground and the other in the cyberspace… But this time, it seems some have thrown both their feet as well as brains in the cyberspace and are living some virtual reality, mistakenly believing (helped by the media sensationalist coverage of the “facebook activism“) that they are the ones behind the events in Mahalla…
Blogger and activist Nora Younis was kind enough to agree to this interview over email. Nora shares some of her ideas with us about the role of Internet in Egypt as a platform for political activism.
What was the role of internet in mobilizing Egyptian citizens to participate in the April 6 strike and do you believe that the kind of Facebook Group, with its 71,200 members, has an effect on the street?
Internet was the main tool in mobilizing for the 6 April strike. It's true a tiny fringe of Egyptians have access to Facebook but the 70,000+ members of the group acted as strike advocates in the society and took the debate from PC screens to taxis, workplaces, dinner tables and breadlines. This forced the topic on the independent main stream media. The second tool in mobilizing for the strike was SMS. People I have known for years with no relation to politics or public participation were circulating messages advocating the strike. The word “strike” has never been uttered and repeated that much in Egypt during my lifetime. However, we should not forget that what gave April 6 its weight was the labor movement uprising and their struggle for a dignified minimum wage. Internet alone, without the popular base, wouldn't have led to the successful strike we witnessed April 6.
we've seen an anti-strike Facebook group formed to counter the pro-strike group and it seems that the political battle is taking place on blogs and on social networking websites. How do you describe this new development and do you believe that the Egyptian government or the ruling party is behind  the aforementioned group?
Young members of the ruling party have initiated blogs and Facebook groups to polish the regime's image and counter the call for dissent. Such pages are probably encouraged by party officials, because when it comes to content they lack the passion. Furthermore, they remain unable to attract members and visitors.
It seems that the Egyptian regime is trying to calm down the situation. During the last week many of the previously arrested activist and bloggers have been released such as Khaled Hamza Salam the editor-in chief of Ikhwanweb, and blogger Mohamed Sharkawy and Esraa Abdul Fattah. How do you assess the situation in Egypt at this stage?
The Egyptian regime took preemptive measures to abort the April 6 strike by arresting activists early morning from their homes, and taping their calls days before. After the day was over and with the rising riots in Mahalla measures were taken to contain and calm the situation, as a way to weaken the planned May 4 strike. A government delegation headed to Mahalla, met some 2000 textile workers, and promised bonuses and privileges. Government statements have alienated Mahalla workers from the riots. Popular bloggers-activists have been released. All seems to be in attempt to calm the situation before May 4 – the president's 80th birthday.
The use of web tools has caused the arrest of some of those activists, but it also helped release the American student James Karl Buck who was arrested while photographing the 6 April demonstration. His Twittered message ‘ARRESTED‘ through his cell phone alerted the world about his arrest. Who do you believe is going to win this new kind of battle of information?
On April 5 the number of my Twitter update followers was 90. On April 6 it was 130, and today it is 180. Only because I was Twittering strike and detainees updates. James Buck gained wide support through his Twitter SMS. More people  are joining the blogsphere, Facebook, and Twitter by the hour. I don't think this could ever be reversed. There is a techie, passionate, frustrated generation now on the playground….and one could only expect more to come. In few years time there will be no need for registration of political parties. Like-minded people will organise and will be heard.

author: sami ben gharbia


text:
Estonia, Russia: Bronze Soldier Crisis Anniversary · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Vilhelm Konnander posts an extensive analysis of the issues surrounding the first anniversary of the Estonian Bronze Soldier crisis.


text:
Ethiopia: Teddy Afro denied bail · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nazret links to an article about the Ethiopian musician Teddy Afro: “The Federal High Court of Ethiopia has this morning denied bail for the release of Tewodros Kassahun (Teddy Afro). The 30-year-old sensational singer, who is accused of a hit and run homicide, will spend the duration of his trial in prison.”


text:
Hong Kong and China: 5 Posters On Beijing Olympics · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

5 protest posters have been circulated via e-mails and twitter among friends. 1. Olympic workers; 2. Olympic silencing; 3. Olympics and June 4; 4. Olympic GFW; 5. Olympic erection.


text:
Hong Kong: Shit, the Holy Torch is Coming to Town! · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Mo bu yen from inmediahk.net wrote a citizen report about the government's preparation for the coming of Olympic torch – Shit, the Holy torch is coming to town [zh].


text:
Hungary: The New Cabinet · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes about the new Hungarian cabinet.


text:
India: Cricket without substance · Global Voices
Rezwan

After watching a cricket match of Indian Premier League in Chennai Kartik Kannan comments that its “all fun and no substance”.


text:
Indonesia: Praying and shopping · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Indonesia Matters reports that people in West Java are flocking to shopping malls in order to pray.

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Iran: Hunger Strike in Sahand University · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to  [Fa]Tabout, several students have gone on hunger strike in Sahand University in Iranian city,Tabriz, for 6 days. 8 students have already been transfered to hospital.They protest against moral and sexual harrasment of female students by employees.


text:
Iran:Protest against Persian Gulf “renaming” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Tribun Azad says[Fa] that about 500 Iranians on Tuesday gathered in front of the United Arab Emirates embassy in Tehran and protested against renaming of the Persain Gulf by several Arab states.The blogger has published several photos of this event. He adds that security forces arrested several people.


text:
Jamaica: Bob Goes Home  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Montego Bay Day by Day reports that a controversial statue of reggae icon Bob Marley has finally found a home in Ocho Rios, but insists: “I have looked at this piece of ‘art’ several times from many different angles and I still do not like this statue…not even a little bit.”


text:
Jamaica: Elections – Take 2?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As dual citizenship laws dictate that certain ruling party Ministers are ineligible to sit in Parliament, Jamaica and the World wonders whether the Prime Minister can avoid calling another general election…


text:
Jordan: A Day at Work  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

With tomorrow bring a holiday – Labour Day – Ola Eliwat, from Jordan, gives us a break down of her day at work today.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Jordan: That Toyota Ferrari  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Lulu shares one of the stupidest things she has ever uttered in this post. She recalls: ‘Me: “I saw a cool car today.”
Brother (15 at the time):”Really? What model?”
Me: “I am not sure. I think it's a Toyota Ferrari”‘


text:
Kazakhstan: Bloggers Discuss Elites and Economics · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Plitical intra-elite battles and anti-corruption crusades both remain hot topics on the agenda of Kazakhstani blogosphere, but speculations over the looming global food crisis and its implications for Central Asia made the bloggers cover this issue in their discussions.
Ehot wonders, what will Kazakhstan be looking like if the food deficit strikes the region harshly and marks out that in such critical period
“elites – including ardent oppositionists – will leave the country with everything what can be taken out, and leave the nation to the mercy of fate”.
According to various assessments of experts, aggravation of the food problematique can lead to doubling of prices for foodstuff in the next five years. Epolet writes that in such conditions it would be natural if the national business starts eyeing the ways of making money on food [ru]:
Current credit crunch in Kazakhstan will force the domestic entrepreneurs to turn away from real estate sector and embrace lucrative agribusiness – the time of cheap food has gone.
Apart from the food deficit threat, lack of electricity and energy is also a jeopardy for Kazakhstan. The country barely made energy ends meet, and the forthcoming fall-winter season it will suffer a 200 megawatt deficit, writes Zhanna on neweurasia [ru].  The government suffests a number of measures, including renovation of the existing grids, speedy construction of new facilities and change of legislation to foster investments inflow to the sector, which is still dependent on the neighbors, including Uzbekistan and its natural gas. In this regard, it is interesting that on the last week, president of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov – traditionally quite jealous about regional leadership – was very harsh to deny the idea of Central Asian Union, promoted by the Kazakh leader [ru].
Meanwhile, the state continues to expand in the strategic areas of national economy. Alim-atenbek reports that Rusal, the world's largest aluminum producer from Russia, agreed to sell a 50 percent stake in two coal mines in Kazakhstan for $345 million to Samruk Holding, a Kazakh state-owned conglomerate, while Zhanna notes that Kazakhstan’s government again threatens U.S. oil major Chevron with a $309 million fine for alleged environmental violations.
“Although in most cases these charges do have enough grounds, sometimes ecology-wise claims are imposed as a pressure tool to sway the foreigners, like in the case of Agip and Kashagan”,
she writes.


text:
Kazakhstan: Kids at Banks · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Adam tells that numbers of children of high-ranking officials among Kazakhstan’s bankers have grown.


text:
Kazakhstan: Kyrgyz Protest against Concessions to Kazakhstan · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Adam reports that hundreds of people marched in Kyrgyzstan to protest against a government decision approving the handover of four Soviet-era tourist complexes on Lake Issyk Kul to Kazakhstan.


text:
Kenya: ICT and democratic processes · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

ICT, democratic processes and empowerment in Kenya: “There were varied topics and speakers, but I was very impressed by the presentations of two Kenyan women who are at the forefront of impacting ICT policy and enhancing innovative ways of using the Internet for networking. They are Alice Munyua and Ory Okolloh.”


text:
Kenya: Mobile TV  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Mobile TV arrives in Kenya: “Safaricom has partner with DSTV to provide Mobile TV to their subscribers. Mobile TV is a technology that allows people to view regular live television content on their mobile phones or other mobile devices that they get through traditional cable or pay TV subscriptions at home.”


text:
Kuwait: No to No Pants Day  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

yawWAR, from Kuwait, (Ar) writes about No Pants Day, being celebrated on May 2. He hopes that day won't find it's way to Kuwait any time soon.


text:
Kuwait: Remembering Chernobyl  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The birthday of Bashar, from Kuwait, coincides with the Chernobyl disaster. “I have had several bad incidents on my birthday before, I started wishing I could just skip it. It’s just in my mind I know, it’s a low probability that just happens,” he reasons.


text:
Kuwait: Weird Dust Storm  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Describing a recent sandstorm, Mark from Kuwait writes: “The dust went from maroon to orange to yellow to white and then decided to leave altogether.. Apparently it rained, which in turn brought the dust down.”


text:
Kyrgyzstan: An Anxious April · Global Voices
Elena Skochilo

A next to last week of April started from the unexpected fall of temperature. A lot of bloggers posted the photographs of the frozen greenery and the trees under snow. Yanagi presented the beautiful photos of the leaves under snow in her blog. red_ptero called [ru] this fall of temperature “grimaces of the global warming”.
A fall of temperature has happened not only to nature, but to the Russian-Kyrgyz relations too. A Russian soldier was heavy injured in an incident between Russian militaries from the Russian airbase in Kant city and the Kyrgyz police. Many people consider this incident as a threat for the Kyrgyz-Russian relationships.
svetofor_kg told [ru]:
The officers from the Russian airbase can be very impudent and would not mind striving for the others’ wives and brides. They consider that Kyrgyzstan is a beachhead where they can do anything without any care about the Kyrgyz laws.
Jeffrey Broman opines[eng]:
“Since when have the Kyrgyz police in Bishkek been the least bit concerned with enforcing traffic laws? I smell a coverup”.
An increase of the tariffs for the transport, electricity and heating became another “hot” subject to discuss. FinalFantazy told [ru]:
They will shake out the souls of the ordinary citizens soon. There will be money only to buy soap and a rope from the pensions and salaries to be hung.
An announcement of the President of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiev that “we can see such a big reduction of the corruption’s level in few places” has aroused indignation among the Kyrgyz blogosphere.
grgreg writes [ru]:
Yes, of course. We can’t see such reduction of the corruption in any state. The size of the bribes increased two-three times more in last 3 years in Kyrgyzstan. Such process isn’t called “reduction” in any country…
Recently some politicians suggested equating Internet with Media. The Kyrgyz bloggers became anxious.
salva08 thinks: [ru]
it’s totally ludicrous! They don’t know anything about IT. Internet can be tracked, but can’t be controlled. This is a conclusion of Pentagon in 2005.
Tarantino adds [ru]:
Equally well Kyrgyzstan can announce itself a worldwide leader. Theoretically, Internet can be equated with Media at the legislative level. But where is a realization? How can be our jurisdiction applied for the foreign servers? The domain names in Kyrgyzstan zone don’t belong to the state legally. Our politicians should stop thinking soviet-union style. Internet can’t be restricted”.

author: Elena Skochilo


text:
Lebanon: Remove the Mufti  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“The Mufti (religious leader) of Mount Lebanon is a foul-mouthed demagogue who needs to be demoted as soon as possible,” writes Beirut Spring from Lebanon.


text:
Malaysia: Parliament begins session · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

My Life My Stories comments on the opening session of Malaysia's Parliament: “Parliament is like a wet market. Shouting everywhere, speaking without raising hand to get approval and of course calling each other nickname.”


text:
China: The Green Olympics and an Actress as UN Eco Ambassador. · Global Voices
Kelly Proctor

Dan Beekman at “Blogging Beijing” gives a roundup of Beijing's environmental problems and its hopes. He interviews NGO and student leaders about the Green Olympics, one of the three themes of this year's Games. He ‘s also recently interviewed Mr. Wu Dengming, an environmental powerhouse from Chongqing, in middle China.
Mr. Wu had this to say about the end of the Games:
After the Olympics, this [environmental] movement will continue. China can't go back. Now people know what needs to happen. Organizations like ours are starting to play a bigger role in society.
UNESCO leader Gaoming Jiang talks about Beijing's massive water problems on China Dialogue. Beijing's waterways suffer from pollution (a cocktail of fertilizers and even excrement), and a severe lack of water. He also has some expert opinions on cleaning up, with the concluding suggestion being
… ecological management must be linked to poverty alleviation and wealth creation. The challenges faced in protecting water sources are manmade problems. We should take the initiative by helping these areas solve energy problems with methane production technology and a more distributed infrastructure. We must also help with hygiene by building waste and water treatment plants. This will ensure the areas have adequate vegetation coverage, produce enough water, and it will guarantee that the water flowing into reservoirs is clean.
At Treehugger, Alex Pasternack comments on the U.N. Development Program's decision to make a Chinese celebrity National Goodwill Ambassador to promote the environment. Actress Zhou Xun starred in Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress and the moving Chinese movie Suzhou River. He says…
In a country where the rhetoric on environmental protection seems inversely proportionate to public awareness (especially among young people!), celebrity environmentalism may be one of the more effective ways to get the message out. And aside from fur-wearing Gong Li (or Leo, on a recent stop in Hong Kong), few stars in China have become known for their green choices. Too bad. Star-powered campaigns can be a relief from the typical government initiatives…

author: Kelly Proctor


text:
Mexico: Release of Oaxaca Protest Leader · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Franc Contreras of Mexico Monitor writes about the release of Flavio Sosa, who was held in jail accused of being one of the “masterminds” of some of the violence and vandalism during the Oaxaca protests.

author: Eduardo Avila


text:
Mozambique: On unemployment and the government responsibility · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Basilio Muhate [pt] expatiates on the high unemployment rates in Mozambique and the role government play in it. “Bureaucracy also causes many problems in the labor market, mainly because of decisions that are not consistent with reality and real economy, where public spending (government spending) is often determined by political interests and is not consistent with the market place.”


text:
Nepal: Holi Festival · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nepali Photo blog PHALANO.com posts pictures of the Holi or Fagu festival, an important festival of the Nepalese people, which is celebrated by smearing Abeer (red vermilion powder) and throwing colour and water-filled balloons at each other.

author: Rezwan


text:
Nigeria: British Airways must apologise · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The British Airways must apologise for mistreating Nigerians: “yes, I think its time for the Nigerian government to take seriously the issue of how Nigerians are treated in the international scene. They should take it so seriously to the extent that the next Nigerian seen at any airport will receive immediate respect.”


text:
Nigeria: Mobile TV · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Yomi writes about Mobile TV in Nigeria: “Subscribers on the MTN Nigeria network can now watch up to 10 DSTV television channels on mobile phones. The channels include: SuperSport, Channel O, Africa Magic, and Cartoon Network, among others.”


text:
Qatar: Online Community Comes to the Aid of Workers · Global Voices
Mohamed Nanabhay

Early this week a fire broke out at a labour camp in Doha, Qatar, which destroyed the belongings of 600 workers. Labour camps in the Gulf states are usually large single sex-segregated dormitories that house hundreds of migrant workers who earn around $220 a month. The Gulf Times broke the story with details of the devastating impact of the fire on the labourers. Within hours of the story being reported, it was posted to the online community Qatar Living by SPEED under the headline “Appeal for QL donations for needy Labourers!” where he made this appeal to site members:
I feel pity for these labourers and wish to help them whatever I can.Humble request to All Qlers: Please if anyone can visit the site and donate whatever you can, New or Used Blankets/Pillows/Bedsheets/Mattress/Clothes/Shoes/Dry Food items such as rice, cereals, grains etc…They are in bad need of donations, they have lost everything and I am sure their sponsor will not provide them with eveything they have lost except few Qatari Riyal …. last time in another incident the sponsor compensated QR. 100 only to each labour !! Do you think this amount will help them to cover their loss ???
His plea generated over 200 responses in two days. It was a powerful example of how an online community organised itself to provide real world assistance to a mostly marginalised offline community. Through the on-going discussion members of Qatar Living rallied to collect supplies and money which they would distribute to the workers affected by the fire.
Gulf Time, the national paper who first reported the story subsequently published another article on the massive community response to the fire:
After Gulf Times highlighted the plight of the 600 workers it triggered a rapid and heartfelt response from Doha residents with one community website being among the first to organise aid donations.
Posting a plea on Qatar Living, the samaritan named ‘Speed’ urged other members to gather blankets, sheets, mattresses, clothes, shoes and food items. His call was immediately answered with pledges of help.
Planning for the aid is still on-going. Users Scarlett, SPEED and PWB have organised drop-off points in Doha where people can leave donations tomorrow. A number of community members will then take the donations to the affected workers.

author: Mohamed Nanabhay


text:
Pakistan: A Filmmaker’s Perspective · Global Voices
Rezwan

CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan interviews Mehreen Jabbar, a Pakistani filmmaker for her perspectives on Pakistan and thoughts on her film, based on a true story of a Pakistani Hindu boy and his father.


text:
Paraguay: More Blogger Reactions to Lugo Victory · Global Voices
Muna Annahas

Fernando Lugo , the ex-Catholic bishop candidate for the Alianza Patriotica Para el Cambio (Patriotic Alliance for Change), was recently elected Paraguay's new President in the elections held on April 20th, and who obtained 40.8% of the votes. He was followed by Blanca Ovelar with 30.8% and Lino Oviedo with 21.9% Pedro Fadul finished far behind with the 2.3% of the votes. Paraguayan Citizens actively participated in the elections with 68% of the population headed to the polls, which was higher than past contests when approximately 30-40% voted in previous elections.
President-elect Fernando Lugo at the ABC Color Newspaper. Foto by Fernando Lugo campaign and used under Creative Commons license.
In addition, everything appeared to run smoothly without reports of chaos or violence.  Obviously such big news wouldn't keep Paraguayan bloggers quiet, especially when it is the first time in more than 60 years that another party wins the presidiential elections.  On top of it all, the winner was an ex-bishop, rather than a lifetime politician. Here are some additional blog reactions from Paraguay.
Juan Carlos Rojas in his blog called Oasis Liberario [es] says that he is not very optimistic about these new changes:
No soy tan optimista de que las cosas cambiarán en cinco años de forma radical y para mejor; pero si soy optimista en el sentido de que si Lugo tiene en mente seguir el modelo Chavista, las cosas no le irán tan bien, puesto que el Congreso está conformado por los sectores más conservadores de la sociedad y es por donde deben pasar los proyectos del monseñor – presidente.
I am not very optimistic that things will radically change for the better in the next five years, but I am optimistic in the sense that if Lugo thinks of following the (Hugo) Chávez model, then things won't go so well, especially since the Congress is comprised of the more conservative sectors of society and through them, the Bishop President must pass his laws.
Luz in her blog called Relatos y Sueños [es] talks about her hope that the new President knows what people expect from him and his new government group: honesty and a way to raise the pride of Paraguayans once again. She also hopes for less fanatics and more social work to elevate the self confidence of many Paraguayans abroad, so that they can return home.
Luis Bareiro on his blog Macondo News [es] tells us about his feelings about what is like finally defeating “the enemy.”
and says that his youth he spent fighting for the future with many on his side but they didn't  succeed before, but they kept fighting because they knew they would win and that someday it would be defeated… in his words: We won, We won, We won, today is my glory day…don't doubt that im enjoying like a tiny that has defeated a giant perverse and inhuman ….
Mi juventud pasó, luchando por el futuro, con muchos otros al lado, no lo logramos antes, cuando tendría que merecidamente haber sido en su tiempo y momento. Algunos abandonaron el esfuerzo, otros más empecinados y tercos, nos mantuvimos, no tuvimos las armas con las cuales tu hasta te ufanabas que apelabas con tanto descaro, las más ruines, las más sucias, las más perversas, pero a pesar de ello, lo único que lograste fue que el esfuerzo se fortaleciera, soñando quimeras tantas veces burladas por tus perversas acciones, pero “ingenuamente” como juzgabas por nuestro proceder, nosotros si sabíamos, que algún día ibas a ser derrotado. Te vencimos, te vencimos, te vencimos, hoy es mi día de gloria… No lo dudes que lo estoy disfrutando, como un pequeño que ha tumbado a un monstruo gigante, perverso e inhumano.
I spent my youth fighting for the future, with others at my side, we didn't accomplish anything at the time, when it should have happened during its time and place. Some of them abandoned the effort, others more determined and stubborn, we maintained, we didn't have the weapons that you boasted about, the dirtiest, the most perverse, but in spite of all that, the only thing that you managed to accomplish was that the effort strengthened, with wishful thinking that you made fun of with your perverse actions, but “naively” how you judged our reasons, we knew that someday you would be defeated.  We defeated you, we defeated you, we defeated you, today is my day of glory…Do not doubt that today I am enjoying this, like a small one that defeated a giant, perverse and inhumane giant.
Finally, Blog Sacoleiro [es] talks about outgoing president Nicanor Duarte's “duality” saying that he will be judged like a president that has suffered from a double personality syndrome. In the future Nicanor will be remembered more for his contributions than for his failures, but mostly he will be remembered because of his duality of assuming two personalities. In the blogger's words he says: “Today we celebrate the advances and fight to correct the failures, advance in what we went backwards, fight for the goverment reform and for the end of the Clientelism that harmed many of us.”

author: Muna Annahas


text:
Philippines: Civilian supremacy in Cabinet · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A Filipino lawmaker-blogger hopes that the next defense chief of the Philippines will still come from the civilian sector.


text:
Poland: Prince Charles’ Visit · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Polandian reports on Prince Charles’ visit to Poland.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Rising Voices Seeks Micro-Grant Proposals for Health-Related New Media Outreach · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Application Deadline: June 1, 2008
Rising Voices, the outreach arm of Global Voices, in collaboration with the Open Society Institute Public Health Program’s Health Media Initiative, is now accepting project proposals for the third round of microgrant funding of up to $5,000 for new media outreach projects focused especially on public health issues involving marginalized populations.
Ideal applicants are dynamic NGOs or individuals who:
Pre-requisite for the competition:
Rising Voices and OSI aim to bring new voices from new communities and speaking new languages to the conversational web, by providing resources and funding to local groups reaching out to underrepresented communities.  Examples of potential projects include:
Rising Voices outreach grants will range from $1,000 to $5,000. Special consideration will be given to proposals from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucusus. Please be as thoughtful, specific, and realistic as possible when drafting your budgets.
Successful projects will be prominently featured on Global Voices.
Completed applications will be accepted no later than Sunday, June 1st in either English or Russian. Please submit your application on the Rising Voices apply page. Russian-language proposals should be submitted here. All applicants will receive a confirmation email by June 3. Grantees will be announced on June 28 at the Global Voices Citizen Media Summit in Budapest, Hungary.
***
The OSI Public Health Program’s Health Media Initiative aims to increase public awareness of health issues, especially stigmatized health issues involving marginalized populations.  The initiative focuses on supporting health NGOs to develop their relationships with journalists across all media platforms so they may communicate health and human rights issues effectively with the public. Where the media environment is especially hostile, OSI also supports “community journalism” initiatives to encourage NGOs to use digital technology to communicate their stories and issues to each other and to the world at large. The initiative also seeks to build the capacity of media professionals to report responsibly on public health issues.
Rising Voices aims to help bring new voices from new communities and speaking new languages to the conversational web, by providing resources and funding to local groups reaching out to underrepresented communities.

author: David Sasaki


text:
Serbia, EU: SAA Signed · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkan Anarchist, Byzantine Blog, and Srebrenica Genocide Blog blog about the signing of the EU's Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia today.


text:
South Africa: Announcing Tech Leader · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The South African Mail&Guardian launches Tech Leader: “The Thought Leader concept is expanding over the next few months and the first incarnation is Tech Leader. Tech Leader is an edited group blog aimed at thinkers in the South African technology industry.”


text:
South Africa: Be a guest blogger on SA Rocks · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Do you want to be a guest blogger on South Africa Rocks?: “I am looking for someone to take control of the theme for SA Rocks for a week. I’ll need you to motivate why you want to blog on SA Rocks. What posts you might have in mind, lined up or want to plan and a promise that you can bash out 5 posts in 5 days! (Yes, it’s a tough job) Even if you don’t think you can get to 5 posts in 5 days and only have 3 in mind, let me know!”


text:
South Africa: Ideas for Muti 2.0 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Wogan's ideas for Muti 2.0: “About a week ago, the ability to downvote articles on muti.co.za was removed. Apparently, responses were mixed, but most were in favour of not allowing people to forcibly bury articles. Now, someone’s gone and raised the question of whether or not downvoting should be brought back. While it might not happen, this could be a good time to rethink the way Muti does things – who knows, it might even become more useful”


text:
South Africa: Jacob Zuma – marketer of the year · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Jacob Zuma's marketing strategy works: “But there has been a noticeable shift in attitude amongst (mostly) white, middle class South Africans to a man who used to be famous for kangas, baby oil and homophobia. Jacob Zuma is making one of the most impressive comebacks in South African political history. Whoever is behind this new strategy knows what they are doing.”


text:
South Africa: Serious blogging arrives · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Serious blogging has arrived in South Africa: “The key moments for blogging included the launches of Afrigator, the continent’s first blogging aggregator; Amatomu, the first comprehensive tracking service for blogs and bloggers in South Africa; My Digital Life by ITWeb, which put solid commercial resources and interests behind blogging; and the Times, the first mainstream newspaper to embrace blogs and the social networking environment.”


text:
South Africa: Should South Africans boycott Chinese products? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sarah asks, So, could South Africans boycott Chinese products with any justification?: “Consumer boycotts have long been a means for ordinary consumers to express their anger with a country and hit regimes where it hurts most, in their wallets – even if only indirectly.”


text:
Soviet History: Samizdat Anniversary · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes about the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Soviet samizdat publication, the Chronicle of Current Events.


text:
Special report on Vietnam censored · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Saigon Blues writes that the current issue of The Economist which has a special report on Vietnam has been subjected to censorship in Vietnam.


text:
Sri Lanka: Status Symbol · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Your degree of access to an air conditioned environment indicates how close (or far away) you are to the vast underclass of permanent poverty,” comments Cerno on third world’s biggest status symbol -Air Conditioning.


text:
Sudan: Coffee ceremony in Al Meganis · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Andrew writes about coffee culture in Al Meganis, Sudan: “It is almost as complicated as an Ethiopian coffee ceremony – look at all those pots, including the glue tin containing the final brew. But the end result is harsher and sweeter. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing on some mornings.”


text:
Tanzania: Perils of an IT Geek · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Jesp visits hardware geeks in Tanzania: “I then consult Dennis, a hardware geek of the kind that never even puts the cover on his computer because his head is more often inside the cabinet than in front of the screen. “It is not the graphic card” Dennis says “The RAM cards are probably a bit moist because of the rainy season. Rinse them with alcohol, and I bet you the computer will be fine.”


text:
Thailand: Boycott Tesco Lotus campaign · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

British company Tesco Lotus has sued three Thai journalists in just one month for writing about the “aggressive” operations of the global retailer in Thailand. As a protest, Fable supports a worldwide boycott campaign of Tesco Lotus.


text:
Uganda: Ten Things I want Explained · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ten Things Ugandan Imsoniac wants explanation: “Why Andrew Mwenda is arrested and it makes international headlines and yet when 13 journalists in radio stations around the country were (between January and March this year) arrested for doing their jobs, publicly threatened by politicians and sacked for speaking the truth it barely made the news briefs in the local media.
Why VIPs in Uganda need to be driven down Entebbe Road with police escorts and loud sirens going at 120 kmph when the speed limit is 80 kmph.”


text:
Uganda: Ugandans spend $18 million on Internet access · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Scarlett Lion discusses the cost of Internet access in Uganda: “Internet in Uganda is prohibitively expensive. At a fast internet cafe, it will cost about Ush 3,000 per hour ($1.70). It may cost less per hour somewhere else, but the speed of the connection may be so slow that the users ends up spending more time, and therefore more money, to get the same information.”


text:
Uzbekistan: UK for sanctions suspension · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nick reports that UK is going to back the suspension of EU sanctions against Uzbekistan.

author: Adil Nurmakov


text:
Vietnam ends adoption program with U.S. · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

American couple and bloggers Robert and Lesa went to Vietnam 16 months ago to adopt a girl. Imagine their disappointment as Vietnam ends its adoption program with the United States


text:
Zimbabwe: 16 flavours of mutilation · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bev Clark's 16 flavours of mutilation in Zimbabwe: “So if independent monitors and Mugabe’s allies agree that neither candidate got over 50% then announce the results already! On the up-side we have Tsvangirai and Mutambara joining forces; Zimbabwe’s version of the dream ticket? We have had numerous SMS’ and emails requesting that the opposition unite to shunt bobby sideways.”


text:
Zimbabwe: Election humour on YouTube · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ethan writes “Dark humor about Zimbabwe”: “You might have missed it, because I buried it at the bottom of the last (long) post. What follows below is a very funny radio segment from a South African morning comedy show.”


text:
Zimbabwe: “Free Zim” graffiti in South Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Graffiti for Zimbabwe in South Africa: “This was sent to us today. The picture was taken this morning, in Cape Town, South Africa.”


text:
Zimbabwe: Pay Day Facts · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Pay day in Zimbabwe: “Today is pay day. I received a gross wage of just under $860 million. I also received benefits being $400 million dollars as a transport allowance and $67 million as a housing allowance. These benefits were awarded by the government as some sort of assistance towards the rising inflation. Gross earnings approx. $1,3 billion.”