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Ethiopia’s bloggers tackle bomb blasts and fasting · Global Voices
Andrew Heavens

Ethiopia's bloggers turned reporters and detectives as a series of mysterious blasts rocked the country's capital Addis Ababa.
No one was injured in a small explosion outside a coffee processing plant this afternoon. But at least one person died after a bomb tore apart the back of a commuter minibus near the heart of the capital on March 27, as was reported in Some news on Coffeechillisun and Two Three Four blasts – one death on Meskel Square.
Weichegud ET Politics picked up on one popular conspiracy theory in the hunt for the culprit in her post Exclusive! The Ethiopian Federal Police New Employee Handbook:
It used to be that the government of Ethiopia used to keep itself busy “diffusing” grenades, planted and imagined, to keep Addis residents in tow and to justify roving Humvees to donor nations. But people scoffed. And you know what happens when you scoff at the EPRDF… things have to go boom!
What dilemma. On the one hand… you need to show the world that things are going swimmingly and invite international investors to lookie here. And silly foreigners, a damn picky bunch, want to hear nothing of bombs exploding where their money lies.
But on the other hand… you’ve been telling everybody that you are fighting terrorism, and if it weren’t for you, Ethiopia would be another Somalia, what with all the Rwanda-style ethnic cleansers in your midst.
But on the other, other hand, you have you a population in Addis that needs reminding that, occasionally, it needs to be bombed.
What to do? What would Jesus do?
Far away from all the bombs and blasts, Ethiopia’ current long, long Lenten fast also had an impact on the country's growing band of bloggers.
Addis Ababa Rocking Fun Zone – written by a former Alaskan who married and moved to Ethiopia – gave a first-hand account of the Orthodox Christian season of self-denial. In Fasting update 4 the strain was beginning to tell:
Truthfully, I’m doing quite well, but I have to say that each day is more difficult. Mostly, it’s fatigue, though I recently felt a new sensation in my knees that has nothing to do with recently reaching an age-milestone, but everything to do with the fast…
No, the fast is going well. I had a huge moment of crestfallenness (another 4-syllable “word”) due to the craziness of the Ethiopian calendar. I remarked to my wife the other night that it would be no problem from here on out because we were more than 4/7 of the way when she reminded me that Ethiopian Easter is actually 8 days behind the Easter practiced in the west. Thanks very much, Ato Julian and your crazy calendar. (What on Earth was wrong with Ato Gregory?!)
Other bloggers got caught up in the season's meditative mood.
The Concoction remembered conversations round his Ethiopian family table in News analysis – Ethiopian style:
I do miss those days when my two brothers, my mom, my cousin and myself used to butcher the daily events and history Monday to Friday around 6pm at the dinner table. I just realized that we didn’t do politics on the weekends. My sister (a major in Political Science) was the only one in the family who refused to talk politics. My auntie was the self-designated devil’s advocate and instigator. A tiny woman who always wore the Netela (an Ethiopian shawl) and who was the mistress of coffee ceremony, used to cover her mouth with the Netela and drop a bomb here and there when she felt that the screaming, name calling (in front of my mom – it was only allowed during political discussions), and the popping veins were subsiding. She ignited something and left us with her favorite line Belu ete, wedebete lihidibet (something like Okey now let me go home). As if we were holding her up from going home…!
Journaling Ethiopia reflected on her trip to East Gojjam, “Ethiopia's breadbasket”, in The Way We Were:
I keep having the thought while watching the people in the countryside that this is what life was like for most humans before the invention of bureaucracy…
The farmers in East Gojjam plow their plots of land of golden cereal grains with two oxen and an antiquated Iron Age plow that is basically a scythe with a longer handle…
A doctor at Debremarkos Hospital told me, “When a woman walks into town, she is always carrying 3 or 4 things. I doubt she even rests one day after labor. Whereas when a man walks into town, he puts everything on a donkey.” I like to play a game while driving where I try to find a woman or girl out on the road who isn't carrying something, and a man who is carrying something other than the dula, his walking stick. It's pretty tough to find either in East Gojjam, where rigid gender roles and strict definitions of “women's work” vs. men's work is the strictest and most patriarchal out of all Ethiopia.
Things We Should Have Written Down took a literal diversion from the bustle of Addis Ababa by describing a less-than-savoury back alley between two of the capital's busiest streets in Tread Lightly:
Rivulets of urine wash down the stones and onto the pavement of the main road, to the feet of those waiting at the taxi stand. Many use this shortcut despite the waste that lies within. Some move quickly, not wanting to stay too long, others perform a sort of dry-stone-to-dry-stone ballet, while others walk normally, numb to the rank odor. After a rain, or the night after a particularly festive holiday, desperate measures must be taken: you must hop up on the lip of the trough and balance your way through the alley. Do not lose your balance; for God’s sake, do not fall.

author: Andrew Heavens


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Hong Kong: Chinese illegal immigration · Global Voices
John Kennedy

In ‘This Kind Of Shocked Me,’ Milton J. Madison‘s Glenzo analyzes the plight of the 39,000 illegal Chinese immigrants in the United States whom the Chinese government refuses to repatriate:
“What amazes me is that China has refused to accept back their own citizens. How can a country do that? And why would the US ever allow a Chinese citizen into its country if China doesn't allow back those citizen if they overstay?”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: John Kennedy


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Hungary: Elections, Economy, Society · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Edward Lucas, Central and East European correspondent of The Economist, posts a very lengthy and detailed report on his trip to the pre-election Hungary.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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India: Domestic Violence · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Wicked Angel writes on the issue of domestic violence, on how it's ignored by most forums and how it affects women from all socio-economic backgrounds.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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India: Information Kiosk · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Evenstar profiles Mumbai's information Kiosks that helps access free E-Mail, E-Banking, E-Greetings, Star Forecast, Exam Results, Railway Enquiry, Mumbai Guide, Movie, Restaurants, News, Health, Education etc.


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Iran: Iran & American People · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

View from Iran, an American blogger living in Iran, talks about her conversation with American friends about Iran. She writes “this is what I tell Americans: there is no other country in the world with a more pro-American population and that people in Iran are kind and generous to me. Especially when they discover that I am an American.”

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Nuclear & Politicians · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Abtahi, blogger & reformist politician,  writes about nuclear crisis. He says “It is not the duty of any politician or governmental official to chant baseless slogans. A successful politician is one who realizes the realities and facts ahead of the others therefore before being imposed by the outside decisions or sacrificing the people of its country can make the proper decision to safeguard his nation from dangers.”


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Israel: Israel Arrests, Frees Palestinian Minister · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Richard Silverstein commenting on the detention of the Palestinian minister for Jerusalem affairs, Khaled Abu Arafa at an East Jerusalem road block set up by Israel’s Border Police, he said: “It shows how completely disorganized the intelligence services are. Is their current mission to be at war with Hamas; or to be conciliatory toward a potential future negotiating partner? I’d suggest that until Ehud Olmert gets his house in order and establishes his government these types of things will go on. And they may go on even after with such disparate, even warring political attitudes in his cabinet (Peretz and Lieberman to name but one example).“

author: Haitham Sabbah


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Jamaica: More on the UWI gang violence · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Francis Wade links to two editorials on the subject of the beating of an allegedly gay man by fellow students at the Jamaica campus of the University of the West Indies. He also tosses a challenge to the country's new Prime Minister: “What would it be like if either the Prime Minister or the Governor General were to make good on some of the fine words they spoke at Portia's swearing in?”

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Kenya: Rape and truths · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Gukira writes a comment on rape…”Recently, 10 girls were raped in Kenya, raped by neighborhood residents. We continue to live in the shadow of St. Patrick’s, Kibwezi, where a boys’ secondary school ravaged a girls’ school in one of the most horrifying acts of visible mass rape.” Does rape really happen? or is it just another one of those female fantasies, lies, make up?

author: Sokari Ekine


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Lebanon: Street Walk · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Having his car in repair shop, Ramzi decided to walk down the streets of Beirut with a handy cell phone camera. What he sees are things you can’t notice while driving. Check them out.


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Libya: Outstanding Libyan Women · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Hanu was recently featured in the Mideast Connect online magazine because of her work as Managing Director of the Tibra Foundation whose aim is “to organize community-sponsored supportive projects to benefit women of the Libyan community and highlight their achievements.”
What Highlander enjoyed most was reading about these talented women. Read selected examples.


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Mongolia: Protest Update · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Luke Distelhorst has another update on the protests in Mongolia, including the news that some of the protesters are now on hunger strike.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Mongolia: Tom Terry-rist · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Tom Terry has a translation of a Mongolian newspaper article charging Eagle TV (which is the Christian station that Terry runs) with terrorism for causing divisions among Mongols. Luke Distelhorst has additional comments.


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Nigeria: Innovative online tools · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Oro has been testing some innovative online tools that “can provide alternative income generating strategies (that work) to help combat the scam menace in Nigeria, and a meeting that centered on Social Enterprise”.


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Nigeria: No useful opposition · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Thots of a Naijaman writes that Nigeria is in a shambles - “There is no opposition anymore. Political parties are now at the mercy of the state controlled “Independent” electoral commission, a commission that awards political office to ‘deserving’ government cronies. Opponents of the Government are hounded night and day by the EFCC, while government officials smile to foreign banks with their loot.”


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North Korea: Regime unstable? · Global Voices
John Kennedy

“There is more evidence to suggest that North Korea really is in dire financial straits after all,” writes Joshua at The Korea Liberator. “Some would not call this a novel conclusion to make about a country in which 2.5 million people have starved to death…”
“No one will miss Kim Jong Il when his regime falls. But few stop to seriously think about what will happen when North and South Korea become one,” says ComingAnarchy‘s Curzon, linking to some post-Kim possibilities at The Marmot's Hole.


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Opposition to Indonesian Playboy magazine · Global Voices
Connie Veneracion

Yosef Ardi of Indonesia Today calls the first issue of the Indonesian edition of Playboy magazine a “smashing success” despite insistence by some quarters that it is pornographic because it is Playboy. Indonesia Matters agrees that the opposition from “predictable quarters” is not necessarily because of the magazine's content (no nudity) but because of prevailing perception. Andry S Huzain says, “Playboy Indonesia IS Playboy. It is just a series of parade of big boops blonde-naked women with IQ not over fifteen.” A. Fatih Syuhud says, “If you agree with it, buy it. If you dont, just leave it.”

author: Connie Veneracion


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Palestine: Bellydancing out, cinema in! · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Sabbah seems to be angry on recent news about Hamas intentions to ban religiously-forbidden practices (from Islam point of view) in Palestine. He is afraid that Hamas is going to be a new Taliban, but elected one by only Palestinians inside Occupied Palestine, which Sabbah does not see fair to represent all of Palestinians, specially those in exile.


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Peru: Arguedas · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Jon of Posthegemony makes a table of contents of the many posts he has written about Peruvian author José María Arguedas.

author: David Sasaki


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Poland: April 1 Jokes · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

hgrodsk of Our Man in Gdansk lists five Polish April Fool's jokes he fell for: “Nothing is too absurd for Polish politics and life not to be true.”


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Protests Against Violence in Venezuela · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Today marks the third straight day that Venezuelans have taken to the streets to protest the murders of three, young Canadian-Venezuelan brothers and their chauffeur who were kidnapped on February 23rd and found dead in the town of Yare with gunshot wounds to the head this Tuesday. Opposition ghostblogger Jorge Arena explains:
The three Venezuelan-Canadian kids, ages 12, 13 and 17, were kidnapped with their driver when they were taken to school on February 23. According to witnesses, the car with the kids was stopped and then escorted by several police officers in motorcycle. The 13 year old was said to have a physical disability. A ransom of 4.5 million dollars was asked for the release of the kids. The Government of Canada had contacted and pressured the Venezuelan government about the case, but said that had received minimal information.
Alluding to Vice President José Vicente Rangel’s comments that the popular film “Secuestro Express,” misrepresents Caracas, Arena adds:
This is not a film to “falsify the truth” Mr. Vice President, these horrible kidnapping and killings are for real. This is the true state of affairs in Venezuela, where there is no personal safety and where the justice and police system seem to be in place just to persecute the government political opponents, but not to protect its citizens.
The typically pro-government blog Oil Wars admits that “crime is definitely the one great issue that the current government has been unable to deal with in any meaningful way.” But also pointed out is the fact that the majority of Venezuelan violent crime takes place in poor neighborhoods where it does not receive the same media attention as the wealthy Faddoul brothers.
Jorge Arena also notes, like many bloggers, that:
This crime reminds me of last week abduction and immediate killing of Venezuelan-Italian businessman Filippo Sindoni, the successful owner of a pasta empire, a TV station and a newspaper. In this case, the car carrying Sindoni was also stopped by what looked like Police officers.
Sadly, the fomenting violence doesn't stop there. Luis Carlos wrote yesterday in Periodismo de Paz (Journalism of Peace) of the murder of photographer Jorge Aguirre (ES) who was covering the anti-violence protests:
“Párese, soy la autoridad.” Así le dijeron al fotógrafo de la Cadena Capriles y su chofer esta tarde en la protesta ocurrida en los alrededores de la UCV. Está como posdata en el artículo anterior. ‘La autoridad’ era un motorizado sin identificación, estaba en una moto sin placas y armado. Abrió fuego contra el fotógrafo Jorge Aguirre cuando éste tenía la cámara en ristre, preparada para hacer su trabajo. Un tiro lo alcanzó en el pecho y acabó con su vida hace dos o tres horas. Mañana el diario Últimas Noticias publicará en primera plana la última fotografía de este reportero gráfico.
Reacting to Luis Carlos’ post, Silmariat comments, “what are we turning into?”
Afrael adds in a post with Aguirre's last photograph:
Cosa curiosa que no he visto esto señalado por la blogocosa venezolana, si se ha hablado de la muerte del fotógrafo del El Mundo, Jorge Aguirre, pero el fotógrafo, poco antes de morir tomó su cámara y disparó, y logro captar una foto de su asesino, se ve alguien en una moto y un grupo de personas señalando en esa dirección. Valiente acción del reportero tener y de alguna forma u otra fue su manera de tomar venganza y dispararle a su agresor.
A.M. Mora y Leon of the anti-Chavez blog Publius Pundit believes that the violence serves President Chavez a purpose. Dubbing Chavez, “A modern dictator” Mora y Leon argues that “he has no need for archaic devices like secret police to come knocking on doors of dissidents to terrify them, as happened in the Stalinistic and Castroite days of old. It may come later, but right now, he’s got a more efficient means of controlling the population through terror by allowing for runaway crime across the country.”
Guillermo Parra of Venepoetics has translated an opinion piece by Oswaldo Barreto from TalCual, which cites a UNESCO study of 57 nations that “places Venezuela and Brazil as the countries that have the highest number of dead people due to firearms, with 22.15 and 21.72 respectively for every 100,000 inhabitants.”
Kareta hopes that the spirit behind the protests won't be forgotten:
El problema es que la memoria de nosotros los venezolanos es muy frágil. OLVIDAMOS TODO, los muertos de las marchas, los baleados , los muertos en protestas, los desaparecidos por los gobiernos, los actos de corrupción, los secuestros, la impunidad… Puedo hacer una lista pero seguro olvido muchas cosas.
In hope of resisting the amnesia, she has created a blog badge saying “I don't forget!” that has gotten a lot of link-love from other Venezuelan bloggers.
But Lubrio of El espacio de Lubrio claims that the opposition-dominated media is politicizing the crimes in an effort to unseat Chavez (ES) similar to the coup of April, 2002.
En la noche de miércoles para jueves, en un largo pero interesantísimo programa, Mario Silva dictó una clase realmente magistral de cómo los medios de comunicación privados prepararon y estimularon las protestas ocurridas este miércoles en Caracas, que terminaron en guarimbas y prometen extenderse este jueves.
Lamento muchísimo lo de los hermanitos Faddoul, su chofer y lo del reportero gráfico Jorge Aguirre, asesinado hoy en circunstancias muy extrañas mientras fotografiaba una de estas guarimbas (por cierto, Aguirre pertenecía a la organización “Periodistas por la Verdad”, que apoya al proceso bolivariano). Pero la oposición se está valiendo de estas lamentables muertes para sacar a su gente a las calles y revivir las guarimbas de febrero y marzo de 2004.
Lubrio also has a post titled “The Dark Side of the Protest for the Victims in these Days” with three videos that he claims:
muestran cómo diversas protestas legítimas expresando el dolor por la muerte de los hermanos Faddoul, el chofer Miguel Rivas y el fotógrafo Jorge Aguirre, fueron infiltrada por guarimberos y personas que buscaban crear un ambiente de violencia en el país, convirtiéndolas en vulgares protestas políticas opositoras.
After noting that Chavez was nowhere to be seen immediately following the discovery of the Faddoul brothers, Jorge Arena says that the president is blaming the media so as not to take responsibility for the out-of-control violence.
Chavez said that his government will not rest until they find those guilty and mentioned that there are those that are taking advantage of the situation to destabilize his government. Of course we still do not know what he was doing from the moment the kids’ bodies were found until now. But we know that his government has been busy trying to find some ways to put the blame of the righteous rage that people were having due to the insecurity level of Venezuela's streets on the private media. As usual, Globovision was a favorite target.
Alex Lanz writes passionately in a post titled “We're a Bunch of Hypocrites.” After what he considers an “overdose” of the media circus, which has surrounded the death of the Faddoul brothers and the protests that followed, Lanz posts excerpts of an email he received.
“Antes que nada quiero preguntar ¿por que no cierran calles y saturan los medios cuando matan a un niño en un barrio, en el campo o en una zona indígena? ¿O es que esos no duelen? Sepamos diferenciar entre la solidaridad de algunos grupos con una familia desdichada y una excusa para volver a patear la mesa democrática.
El dolor que esta familia siente hoy en día poco de nosotros la podemos siquiera tratar de describir. Nada justifica un hecho tan despreciable, pero ¿por qué nos enteramos tan eficientemente de las características de este hecho y se nos trasmite todos estos sentimientos y no se hace lo mismo con otros crímenes igual de horrorosos pero en familias de estratos más bajos?
The pain that this family feels today is something that few of us could ever try to describe. Nothing justifies an act so despicable, but why don't we inform ourselves so efficiently of the details of this act and transmit all of our feelings when other crimes, just as horrendous, happen to lower-class families?
¿El dolor es mas fuerte mientras aumentas en clase social? ¿La muerte de un empresario es más dolorosa que la de todos los taxistas que han muerto en el último año? ¿Es proporcional las protestas que hoy en día aparecen en nuestra ciudad por dicho crimen? y si es así ¿de verdad son espontáneas? Analicemos nuestros sentimientos y separemos cuales son auténticos y cuales se nos son infundidos de manera mediática.
Mi opinión es que todo ser humano sin distinción tiene derecho a la vida, si así lo desea conscientemente, y debemos defender este derecho día a día con nuestras ideas y acciones y no reactivamente ante un hecho en particular.
My opinion is that every human being, without distinction, has the right to life. If that's what you conscientiously wish for, we must defend this right day to day with our ideas and actions and not as reactionists to one event in particular.
Luis Carlos, however, views the protests as much more spontaneous and genuine. Rather than being stirred up by the opposition media, Carlos says the mobilization of outraged citizens using the internet as a new platform marks an era of “Protest 2.0.”
Muchísimas gracias a todas las personas que participaron en esta página desde el martes en la noche, ustedes han sido parte, al igual que toda la blogosfera, del fenómeno blog infociudadano del que hablé en marzo. Fue efervescente, sí. Se dispararon las alertas. Sí. ¿Y qué pasará mañana? Podemos predecir que todo seguirá igual, pero será injusto con tanta gente que se ha movió y dijo y habló y se arrechó de forma sincera ayer y hoy en este país. Soy incapaz de despreciar a alguien que haya actuado con dolor sincero. Me párece grosero llamarlos “manipulados por los medios” o como decía un ultroso: “el miedo de los burgueses”. Nada de eso.
Luis Carlos goes on to explain that more than 300 journalists also marched through the streets of Caracas while onlookers yelled at them, “enter the ghettoes as well!” He admits that Venezuelan journalism – both private and state-run – needs to continue reforming and improving, and that a new citizen journalism is forcing both to do exactly that. “Among so much Emocracy my admiration is towards you,” the professor emphasizes.


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Pulse of the Saudi Blogosphere · Global Voices
Ahmed Al-Omran

It's another eventful week in the Saudi blogosphere, so let's get started with our weekly roundup…
Providing a proper work environment for Saudi women was one of the major goals of the new labor law that was published few months ago, but the question is: how the employers are going to put this goal in practice? Not very well so far. Dodi has recently went to a job interview, only to find out that she had to give up her hijab if she wanted that job. She wrote: “for the first time in my life I felt humiliated in a way that I never experienced before. For the first time I am rejected because of my religion and for the first time I felt exactly what do woman in France and Turkey and other places go through just because they are Muslims!!”
On the recent news of a Saudi-Pakistani cooperation to develop a nuclear program, Aya says there is nothing solid about these claims, and she believes that Saudis are far more concerned with another bomb, aka the lingerie bomb!
Ubergirl78 has recently read A Million Little Pieces by James Frey, and she thinks it is a great book. She does not care about all the controversy around it. “The man wrote a very good book,” she wrote, “Who cares that he lied a little bit!? The only difference between James Frey and Dave Pelzer is that unfortunately for James, everything he mentions in his book is on record somewhere else. That's why he got found out.”
Farooha, who is back after taking some time off blogging, writes about the first full-length Saudi produced movie, and would like to thank the people behind this project, “were it not for each and every one of them, a Saudi movie would have been about as possible as snow smack dab in the throbbing heart of Riyadh on a steamy August afternoon.” Meanwhile, Aya has a little piece of advice: ” But hold your horses,” she writes, “the film will actually not be shown in Saudi Arabia. Oh I forgot, in order to show a movie you need a movie theater. And you know, the conservative elite won’t allow it. At least for now.”
After a recent trip to Mecca, AhMeD takes the time to tell us why he is so excited about his very first visit to the holy city, and writes his impressions on Ka'bah: “The Ka'bah isn't big, but it is so…so… glorious! I got this extraordinary feeling once I saw it in person, I felt that I was in the presence of something great and grand. It had nothing to do with me being a Muslim or not, actually at that moment I didn't think of my religion at all. It just felt that Im in the presence of something so great and wonderful.” On the other hand, Misso writes on her recent visit to the other holy city in Saudi Arabia, which is Medina, and describes at as a spiritual experience. Finally, Ahmed had a visit to Lebanon (Arabic), and says that he liked Lebanese restaurants, and he liked the family spirit he saw among the people there.
And now to our quick tour on some posts of note: Dotsson comments on the story of five Saudi women who underwent sex change surgery. He wrote: “Now this article is one of a kind! The next time, a woman tells me she's feeling kinda moody, I'm definitely gonna be wondering what is going on inside of her head and I hope I'll find a way to be more understanding. This is one trend, I sure hope doesn't catch on!!!” starlit_saudi has a picture from downtown Riyadh, and Bissa reports from a lecture she attended by Lubna Al-Olayan at her school.

author: Ahmed Al-Omran


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Rwanda: genocide anniversary · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Black Star Journal reminds us that yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. …”It was one of the world's worst atrocities of the century and certainly the worst to be covered during the age of cable news television. It occured a year, almost to the week, after politicians and dignitaries in Washington solemnly promised ‘Never again’ while inaugurating the Holocaust Memorial Museum.”


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Rwanda: historical background · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

On the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, Rwandan Survivors publishes posts a brief historical background to the genocide and conflict through the eyes of a survivor.


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South Asia: Shaking hands with men · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Does a woman, in accordance with her faith – refusing to shake a man's hand account for a parallel to racism? Vislumbres asks some uncomfortable questions.


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South Asia: Vulnerable in a faraway land · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Sepia Mutiny has a moving account of a South Asian girl who is raped in the US.


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Sri Lanka: The root of conflict · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

A post at Moju attempts to pinpoint the events in Sri Lankan history that have vastly contributed to the ethnic conflict. The comments engage in a lively discussion.


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Taiwan: Police life · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Michael Turton reports in his blog The View from Taiwan on a presentation last week by Jeff Martin, Ph.D. who spent three years researching—sometimes drinking with—the Taipei police force.
From The View: “Taiwanese substation policemen live a very difficult life, Jeff said, stressing the word ‘very.’ They live at the police station. They have a bunk in the back room and are on duty for 60 hours a week, minimum, 12-14 hour shifts separated by 8 hours of down time. If paperwork doesn't get done on shift, it must be done on the down time.”


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The Balkans: Karadzic Picture · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkan Ghost of Finding Karadzic post a picture of a man who could be Radovan Karadzic: “If true, it would be the only known picture of Karadzic in the last 10 years.”


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The Pop World Cup · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Stacy Marie-Ishmael links to the Pop World Cup web site, in which football teams compete on the basis of songs from their countries and the winner is decided by popular vote.


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Turkmenistan: EU Trade Deal? · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Peter of neweurasia discusses reactions to the news that the EU is considering a special trade deal with Turkmenistan.


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Ukraine & the Balkans: Ukrainian as a 3rd Language; Cyrillic vs Latin Script in Serbia · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

MoldovAnn has started taking Ukrainian language classes: “This week’s lesson was conducted almost entirely in Ukrainian, and when we were all at a loss, our teacher reverted to Russian. This means I am learning a third language on the basis of my second language […].” Daniel of The Native Speaker writes about the interchangeability of the Latin and Cyrillic scripts in Serbian and the politics inherent in this phenomenon.


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Ukraine: Office Fire · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Petro of Petro's Jotter recounts an early morning fire in his office building.


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Ukraine: Relations With the EU and Russia · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Oleksandr of Messages From Canada writes on Ukraine's unique position between Russia and the EU: “Located between new EU members with increased production costs and Russia with strong ambitions to expand to new markets, Ukraine could become another economic wonder or business paradise: for EU – to outsource/shift the production facilities to Ukraine with cheaper labor force and less stringent environmental regulations and for Russia – to exploit the favorable relations between Ukraine and EU for its own benefit and use Ukraine as platform for expanding to the West.”


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Voices from Central Asia and the Caucasus · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

(c) Christopher Herwig – Impressions from Turkmenistan – reproduced with permission
Welcome to the latest roundup of the Central Asian and Caucasian blogosphere, brought to you bi-weekly by neweurasia. As usual, we take you through the countries alphabetically.
Armenia:
Onnik Krikorian has the latest from the Armenian blogosphere on Oneworld. He starts by recounting an April Fool's Day joke that spread from the blogosphere to the streets of Yerevan.
Georgia:
SueAndNotYou has posted some great posts over the last weeks. Sue set off to have her spring-break in Svaneti for she hoped to see the total solar eclipse from the moutains there. Svaneti, a notorious region in northern Georgia, famous for its lawlessness and the unpredictability of its inhabitants, turned out to be less dramatic than previously feared.
Kazakhstan:
Xdomen in Atyrau has issued a blanket invitation to anybody who visits his hometown. He is pleased to announce the existence of a club featuring live music and promises to accompany anybody who contacts him (Link in Russian). Betsy of Stanmenistan notes that the spring is arriving in Northern Kazakhstan. While she is happy that normal temperatures return, she is also annoyed by the rain and the resulting puddles. Actually, in Kazakhstan, you call them ponds as they cover 60% of the city's surface.  Ben of neweurasia says that a recent visit of Kazakh President Nazarbayev to Moscow was used to ink some new deals on oil and gas projects.
Kyrgyzstan:
Amira over at The Golden Road to Samarqand says that infamous politician/businessman/criminal Ryspek Akmatbaev can run for parliament – after months of controversy and mutual accusations between different political camps. Nathan of The Registan also has some thoughts on the issue as has David Read. Edil Baisalov takes issue with how Ryspek Akmatbayev  has been described in a Reuters article – i.e. as a controversial businessman. He argues that Akmatbayev is, in fact, much worse than just simply controversial (Link in Russian). The Kyrgyzstan Student Blog features several posts: Nurilya writes about one of her friends that got kidnapped and forcefully married to a stranger, unfortunately rather the rule than exception in Kyrgyzstan. Gulbara writes about ‘our capital Bishkek’, and gives a pretty uplifting account of what the capital means to the Kyrgyz nation (Link in Russian). More on a potential civil war in Kyrgyzstan, youth, a clean capital, and crime and rape in a multi-mini-essay post.
Mongolia:
neweurasia recently launched its Mongolia blog thanks to Luke Distelhorst in Ulaanbaatar. While we will thoroughly cover the entire Mongolian blogosphere in these roundups from the next edition onwards, here comes a little summary of what happened in Mongolia over the past week, as reported by Luke. The United States Ambassador took a hard line on corruption with certain members of parliament and cautioned them of the consequences if they didn't comply. However this is now being overshadowed by the continuing protest and hunger strike, currently on day two, calling for the resignation of many government officials and President N. Enkhbayar. Journalists fight for a freedom of information act and a free press while another Mongolian fought (and won) a match for a World Boxing Federation title. Catch up on these articles and more on the most up to date blog on Mongolia.
Tajikistan:
Ailoyros is a Russian visiting Tajikistan. In his latest post he offers some immediate impressions and a brief idea about the cost of everything. All in all, he doesn't seem to impressed, but meanwhile he promises to provide more details on his trip. Tajik Boy of neweurasia is happy about a recent speech by US ambassador Hoagland. Tajik Boy shares the ambassador's optimism and thinks that Tajikistan's greatest resource is its people. The double blow of unexpected independence and civil war in the 1990s has, fortunately, made the Tajiks stronger as a nation. The comments to the post also contain interesting information. As usual, Dushanbe Pictures by Erik Petersson has great photos from Tajikistan on its front page, this time from the recent Navruz celebrations.
Turkmenistan:
Turkmen blogger Karakum features a guest post written by Maya Ashyrova. She discusses the composition of the Turkmen population in general, and the young generations in particular. Due to the lack of reliable census data, the discussion is based upon some sophisticated guesstimates, and shows that Turkmenistan's educational policies are in dire need of a radical overhaul (Link in Russian). Another Turkmen blogger, Paikhan, posts an excerpt of a conference discussing political reform in the former Soviet Union. Are bicameral parliaments a step towards democratisation and why do regime changes in ex-Soviet republics often originate from the regions, not the centres (Link in Russian)? Peter of neweurasia reports that new speculation is abound with regards to new pipeline routes and that the fight against drug trafficking remains a dubious affair in Turkmenistan.
Uzbekistan:
Vseyusnyi Blog offers some random truisms (at least according to Nigget) of Uzbekistan: Whenever a woman tries to buy a car, the salesman will ask what kind of car she wants to buy.  Before she can answer, he invariably suggests a specific car.  When she asks why, he says because it is a feminine car.  Nigget offers the truth: feminine means a) small, b) a special model, c) from domestic producers, and d) second-hand.  Weren't you just saying the other day how you could use a few more Uzbek anectdotes about animals?  Well you are in luck my friend, and Vseyusnyi Blog can help. My words, not direct translation: So some visitors of a zoopark are strolling about, when they hear on the loudspeaker that a big nasty bear has escaped.  The announcer recommends that if they happen upon the bear, grab some feces and rub it in his nose, and then use that opportunity to escape.  “Where do we get that much shit?” shouts one of the zoo-goers.  “… from the bear.” Classic.  And much more where that came from. A photo-shoot at a weddings fashion show in Uzbekistan is brought to us by Alfisha. On the same blog: Believe it or not, there is a Roman Catholic (Polish) Church that holds concerts featuring musicians playing music by contemporary Uzbek composers on the organ.  The author describes the experience in detail, noting that in her opinion melancholy tunes are exceptionally moving.  The next performance is on the 7th of May, and she recommends the experience (Links in Russian). Uzbek opposition group Sunshine Coalition's website has been designed to look like a blog, complete with the facility to contribute one's own comments. In one of its latest posts the group has sent its jailed leader, Sanjar Umarov, birthday greetings. The post expresses regret that Umarov will not be able to spend his 50th birthday, which falls on April 7, with his friends and family (Links in Russian). Olesya of neweurasia tells us about Tamerlane's curse. Is it true that the Soviet Union got dragged into World War II because an archeologist opened the former ruler's tomb?

author: Ben Paarmann


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Choosing a credit card · Global Voices
Connie Veneracion

Ryan Wong discovered and recommends an e-commerce site where one can compare the various credit cards available in Singapore. Ryan's blog entry comes with a warning that financial discipline is a must for credit card holders.


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Day 2: Nepal Democracy Movement · Global Voices
Paramendra

More than a thousand have been arrested, many have been beaten up, several killed, and Home Minister Kamal Thapa has threatened martial law. If there was a time when the international community could reach out in solidarity, this is it. Democracy For Nepal, DFN, has talked of two events in New York City among the Nepali diaspora and friends of Nepal: April 8: New Year, April 9.
A Global Voices blog entry got the blogger an offer from the BBC World Service to participate in a discussion on Nepal: BBC Calls. Phalano.com has photos: Day 1 Photos, Day 2 Photos.
INSN has detailed coverage on the action in the streets: Patan: 1990 Revisited, Reports On Arrests, Protestors Declare Kirtipur Independent, Day I: One Killed, Hundreds Arrested Nationwide, Two Hurt In Police Firing, Protestors Police Clash All Over The Valley.
United We Blog, UWB, has some great coverage on the protests: Kirtipur And Patan Through Lens, Royal Madness, General Strike Day II Updates, General Strike Day I Diary, On Photos: April Uprising I.

author: Paramendra


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DRC: Etienne Kabila on Brother Joseph Kabila · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Le Renouveau Congolais posts (FR)  an interview with Etienne Kabila, son of assasinated former president Laurent Kabila and brother of current president Joseph Kabila a.k.a. Hyppolite Kanambe.  Mr. Kabila  who is himself the head of a political party (MNPR) accuses the president of having brought a coup against their father and of betraying the nation by running the transitional period with foreigners.  He believes that those who have decided to boycott upcoming elections cannot be blamed for doing so.

author: Alice Backer


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Hungary: General Election · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Paul of Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar analyzes various Hungarian parties’ platforms and chances in the upcoming general election.


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Nepal Movement, Day 3: Shoot At Sight Order · Global Voices
Paramendra

The king of Nepal keeps pushing himself into a tighter corner. He has taken the penultimate step. He has imposed daytime curfew for two days in a row. But it is clear the movement has now become a revolution.
United We Blog has stories of interest including one where the lead blogger himself takes part in the “revolution.”  General Strike Day III Updates.
Since the curfew is on around, I am, as many others, passing time by watching television. Television news has become the source of information on what’s happening in the city (other than watching around my house from the roof)…. After the killing, Pokhara witnessed the biggest rally after the people protested the killing……. Chitwan has been declared democratic zone after the people forced police to flee the scene and took control over the governmental offices.
The Kaushaltar Story,  Curfew! Clashes! Communication cut-off!
Kaushaltar and its surrounding is not big and by the number of local participants in such program, I now say that people are uprising for the revolution.
Democracy For Nepal takes a strong stand. Shoot At Sight Order: Dead End For The King, Protests (photos), Constituent Assembly: 300 Seats Of Roughly Equal Population, Crime, Organized Crime, Terrorism, State Terrorism, The Police, The Army Need To Stop Following Illegitimate Orders. The blog talks of a revolutionary parliament.
The 1999 House that will function under an interim constitution. It will have revolutionary powers. It could declare the country a republic. It could purge the entire army top brass. It could do things like that. It could send Kamal Thapa and the king to jail, for example.
Mero Sansar has some great on the ground coverage. The blog is in Nepali, but it is the only one doing video clips from the scene. There are several: video clips 1, video clips 2, video clips 3.


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Singapore: Document mistakenly sent · Global Voices
Enda Nasution

Zuco's Blog reports on Temasek Holdings's document that mistakenly sent out as attachment to some journalists. The document entitle “2006-03 Taurus Q&As” was a list of question and answer that designed to help its executives answer media enquiries.

author: Enda Nasution


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African women blogging this week · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Everchanging World speaks out about “street harassment in Lagos“.  She believes it is a serious problem and adds “And no it’s not because I was in America and got brainwashed by the feminists” She writes of her experience of going shopping with her sisters to one of Lagos's largest markets, Tejuosho market….
When you walked into the gated area, there would be a line of male traders selling clothes on both sides of the path, and you had to walk through them in order to get to the next section. There would be a lot of them, maybe 20 or more on each side, and they would grab you by the hand and upper arms trying to get you to buy something from them. I found that repulsive, even at the age of 12- 13, without anyone telling me there was something wrong with strange men putting their hands on young girls
Guessarrus uses poetry to weigh up “man v machine” and asks which button we would press to alter our lives?
I definitely know I am not ready for the ‘off’ button
But it would be interesting to have an ‘open in new tab’ one
Exploring different facets while still maintaining the current one
Would rather be interesting to have the ‘Yes, No, Cancel’ option
And I would love to have a ‘mute’ button for other humans
And an ‘exit‘ button for those times when you would rather be elsewhere
Harare Diary meets up with some fellow activists and the chat about their experiences of being arrested in Zimbabwe…
Another person at the table said that when she was arrested a couple of years ago she found some used condoms in her cell. When she asked the police what was UP with that, they said what do you expect, prostitutes get locked up here. Which supposedly means that they’re fair game for cops.
Nubian Soul points to Ghanaian writer and broadcaster, Ester Armah who has just published a book ” Can I Be Me” – listen to the audio clip from the book  and Soul asks that we
Go to her site and let her know I sent you…
I promise you this will be a brilliant read!
Molara Wood writes on Nigerian highlife maestro Orlando Owoh  who is about 70 years old and should by now be relaxing and enjoying the “fruits of his labour”.  Not so for Owoh
Orlando Owoh has been out of action for many months, having suffered two strokes in the space of one year. Money for much needed rehabilitation, recuperation and even daily upkeep have is hard to come by. Even as concerned members of the Nigerian Arts Community – roused by the musician's plight – were getting on the starting blocks in an attempt to raise support for the man, they were thrown by the breaking news – that Owoh is now to also cope with bereavement. His wife has just died.
Molara also points to a review of Wole Soyinka newly published  memoirs “You Must Set Forth at Dawn”


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DRC: Multiple Parties Named UDPS · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Le Blog du Congolais analyzes (FR) Minister of Interior Theophile Mbemba's decision on April 1 to yield to one of UDPS’ long running demands by declaring that only one UDPS, Etienne Tshisekedi's, could run for office under that name during upcoming elections. But Blogger Tony Katombe sees no more than a cosmetic eleventh hour move in this decision because it only left UDPS 24 hours to register its candidacy, a process that took others 14 days.


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Flying Over the Iraqi Blogodrome · Global Voices
Salam Adil

This weeks post is going to be short (at least that is what I am planning as I type). I am on holiday – but the blogs keep turning.
Blogging is coming of age as a source of news that rivals big media, and the word from the street is about a change of tactic from the insurgents. Now it is the newspapers that are the target. Omar is addicted to them but had a surprise one morning:
Me: what have you got for me today bro?
Papers guy: What are you looking for? No papers anymore my friend
Me: What? Why?
Papers guy: Don't you know? Oh, you didn't show up in a few days…well, we stopped selling newspapers.
Apperently, insurgents started threatening the newspaper distributors and publishers. And the effect was immediate. There was a 40% drop in newspaper circulation in one week.
I was there reports that the insurgents are also targeting the bookshops that sell the newspapers. He travels to one that was gutted by a bomb and hears the owner's story: “I can not say any thing, I am afraid to say any thing that will make every thing worse, thanks God that we are all alive and no one was hurt” and he is told why it started:
“when the newspapers started putting the wanted Iraqi insurgents pictures and names advertisement in their papers they were threatened, some papers were threatened…This is how it started, the threatens was not for the newspapers it self but for the newspapers that runs this advertisement but later on the word separated that any one will deal with newspapers will be killed and because the people do not want to take chances they just stop dealing with newspapers.”
Close Shaves in the Lawless Streets:
Just doing the mundane in Baghdad is like taking a life or death decision. I was there stops to do something so normal in any other metropolis but so wrong in Baghdad. He pauses to enjoy the view of the river. Then:
“Few seconds later I heard another round of shooting but this time it was closer and louder so I had to turn my face and look but when I turned my body toward the direction of the shooting, I saw several red spots on my chest, “Oh no, I know those red spots that comes from the laser beam locater attached to the Americans rifles”, I told my self…”
Even a simple shopping trip has its risks. Sanyora narrowly escapes being crushed by an American tank and is caught up in a half-hour gun battle. “I wasn't sure that I would get back home I thought I would open my eyes in the hospital! :-) . Thanks God who helped us to stay safe… But there's something I would realy love to say that these days are the begninng of the Spring ; so why can't we live it peacefully?!?!?!”
Baghdad Treasure tells us how the gun has become like water and food to Iraqis. He says: ““Lawless” is the best word to describe Baghdad for the meantime… Do you think police will come for rescue? Huh! Of course not because they might be the ones who are shooting.”
In other worlds:
Mama looks back three years and describes how, over time, her feeling towards American soldiers transformed from one of gratitude:
“I remember how I wished that I can shake hands with all the soldiers to show them my gratitude .I used to stand near my kitchen's windows to see the troops coming, I used to pray for their safety.”
to one of fear and suspicion:
“we started to witness explosions in the streets… and the Americans reaction is usually random shooting toward the walkers and many many civilians died since then.”
Aunt Najma is at her happiest when she is studying. And we can see why, she is off school to study at home and: “Dad put a small fridge in my room. I filled it with food and drinks. It was a very good idea. I am gaining weight and I'm happy about it. Still have to gain 4 kilos and then I'll stop.” Oh the luxury!
Chikitita has learnt to love dogs. Her step-dad feeds the local strays who then swarm around his house. She used to hate them but:
“Only recently I found out that dogs are not as mean as I used to mistake them for. I realized that they too have their own fears and they too can tell – or SMELL – a friend from a foe… Few days ago, the mosque next door came under attack. It seemed that the dogs smelled a rat and unleashed their chorus of noisy barks, which kept the mosque guards and the neighbours so vigilant that they shooed the vicious hounds in black”
Quote of the week:
Zeyad's little secret is out. He has been offered a place at the new graduate school of journalism at the City University of New York. He decided to accept because:
“quite frankly there is nothing that I can add to dentistry in Iraq, whereas the field of Iraqi online and print journalism is lacking in many aspect”

author: Salam Adil


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Guilt-Free Food Blogs Review · Global Voices
Melissa De León

#1: From Japan, I was just really very hungry
Milking the soy bean, part 1: learn how to make soy milk with no special equipment.
Milking the soy bean, part 2: learn how to prepare tofu at home.
Milking the soy bean, part 3: Okara
This is the concluding article of my 3-part series on Milking The Soy Bean. In Part 1, I described how to make soy milk with no special equipment, and in Part 2 I showed how to make tofu.
The by-product of turning soy beans into soy milk or tofu is the ground up fibrous part of the bean. This is called okara or, more quaintly u no hana (卯の花) in Japanese. (I don't know what the u part is, but hana means flower, so it's the u-flower.) Okara is a nutritional powerhouse, containing soluble and non-soluble fiber, protein, calcium and other minerals. It's even more nutritious (because of the high fiber content) than soy milk or tofu. However, I have to confess I end up throwing much of the okara that's produced when I make tofu away. Most tofu makers actually either throw it away or give it away as feed to farms – most commonly to pig farms in Japan. (We asked a small local tofu manufacturer what he does with his okara, and he said he gives it to a local dairy farmer. Swiss cows eating okara…now that's Fusion for you.)
#2: From Jersey, Channel Islands, Rice and Noodles
Mae Gabriel tells her secrets to prepare the perfect Corned Beef Hash, that, by the way, looks very similar in technique and ingredients to the Panamanian "ropa vieja" which is prepared with a special cut commonly known as "falda para ropa vieja," or skirt! Will report on that one later :)
#3: From Panama, Panama FAQ
How Panamanian wine is made? Yes, you heard me right. Panama is a wine producing nation. This isn’t wine made from grapes, but wine made from the wide variety of fruits found in the highlands of Chiriqui.
72 year old Abelardo Coba has been making all natural organic wines for over 10 years. While he makes wine from Mangos and other tropical fruits, his most popular wine is his Vino de Mora or Blackberry wine.
Continue reading: How Panamanian wine is made
#4: From Cambodia, Jinja
Do not miss this opportunity to check out this unique interview about Cambodian Food!
Nobody has written anything about  the street food in Cambodia in  English, apart from the occasional mention in travel guidebooks that say in all  likelihood, Cambodian street food will kill you. As millions of Khmer people can attest this is mostly  untrue. I'm also a fan of Saigon food blog, Noodlepie  (www.noodlepie.com) which has a heavy orientation towards street  food and it left me wondering why no one in Phnom  Penh had written anything like it. The street food in Cambodia is  similar but mostly distinct from it's neighbors in Thailand and Vietnam, and  although the street food scene isn't as developed as either place yet, it is  certainly on the way up.
READ MORE…
#5: From UK, Cook Sister
"Got Cookies" will send your caloric intake for today out of the stratosphere, yes, nothing more dangerous for the "cookie monsters" we all have inside of us, waiting to attack.
Yes, yes, you don't have to remind me… Christmas is merely a warm, fuzzy memory by April.  The daffodils are out, the shops are flogging Easter eggs and people are beginning to plan their summer holidays. Christmas is soooo old news!  But then again, this isn't a news site, so let's talk about the UK bloggers’ pre-Christmas cookie swap at Johanna’s….
Once we scraped the fondue pot clean (just about!), the cookie tins were opened and everyone got to examine their contents.  What can I say (except WOW!) – there was such a huge selection that everybody was bound to find something they loved!  And best of all, once you'd eaten your fill over coffee at Johanna's, you got to take home a selection of everybody else's cookies! So we had Cecile's coconut macaroons, Joanna's huge sticky meringues with pistachios and dates (one of my faves), Zabeenas hazelnut macaroons, Johanna's traditional hausfreunde and mandelboegen and absolutely delectable little choco-mocca "beans", Melissa's blueberry shortcake biscuits, Martina's vanilla crescents and my iced chocolate crunchies (see recipe below).  Oh yes, and as if that wasn't enough, Johanna also sent us all on our way with a fortifying shot of her home-made choco-mocca liqueur!
Read the complete post, and get the scrumptious recipes HERE!
#6: From India, Sailu's Food
Sailu writes about her adventures cooking with a traditional Indian earthen stove. This is  so amazing, and the fact is that you could also implement this technique at home, following of course her detailed directions. This is an excerpt from the post:
With summer here,its barbecue time..:).I bought a new traditional earthen cooking stove a couple of days ago, called "Kumpati" in Telugu, where charcoal and firewood is used as a medium to cook food and is a popular stove with our rural folks. Kumpati, to us , serves as our "charcoal barbaque" and used often during summers to prepare chicken tikka,tandoori chicken and paneer tikkas.Its not like a typical tandoor but can be used as one and does serve the purpose of a tandoor to a certain extent.Kumpati basically uses "charcoal" as a cooking medium and the intense heat created by the hot coal cooks the food or meat very quickly giving it a crisp exterior and a soft and juicy interior and serves as a  home style tandoor.
Take a moment to visit her blog and continue reading this revealing post: Charcoal Grilled Pomfret (with traditional Indian earthen stove)
#7: From Singapore, The Hinata Diaries
Hungry for some authentic Beijing home cooking that you'll not fine elsewhere in Singapore, served fine dining style in a modern, elegant restaurant? Well, this is your lucky day…read ahead and you will know why!
Followed by what we can confidently proclaim to be the best gong bao ji ding (or Kung Pao chicken to all you non-mainlanders out there). I hesitate though, to call it the most authentic, given that a proper Beijing gong bao ji ding would have scrappy bits of chicken fat and bone – this version is all juicy chunks of flavoursome lean meat. What sets this apart though, is the generous and accurate use of Szechaun ma la peppercorns, spiteful little bombs that numb your tongue and set off sweat glands you never knew you possessed. Angelina was rather taken aback by her first encounter with them, but recovered quickly and tried to convince Philip to crunch on a spoonful. Philip dutifully obliged but spat them out fairly quickly with a bewildered expression.
As intimidating as they may sound (and you don't one to accidentally pop one into your mouth), these peppercorns impart a rich, full bodied aroma that becomes immediately addictive. Kinda like your first glass of red wine. Read the complete
Beijing Gong Restaurant Review
#8: From Turkey, Veggie Way
Shares two of her original, delicious vegan creations perfect for vegan people, or served as appetizers or side dishes for non-vegan foodies!"Vegan Brunch Alternatives: Green Olive Salad &Fava Bean Spread"
#9:  From Australia, Grab Your Fork
If you are curious like me about "Iraqui Food," do not miss the following restaurant review of:  Sydney's only Iraqi restaurant "Al-Dhiaffah Al-Iraqi Restaurant"
The food is resonant with simplicty and humbleness. The food arrives unadorned and unstyled. It is sustenance and flavour without fancy pretensions.
The lambs shanks hiding under the rice are beautifully tender. Lamb bones in the bread/curry stew are full of meat and tantalising tendons. Beneath the lake of burnt sienna are layers of Iraqi bread, which have been patiently soaking up the flavours of curry and lamb fat.
Portions are generous and our host is ever-smiling. The cuisine seems to have nuances of Lebanese and Indian which meld surpisingly well.
The bill is a pittance and we have enough leftovers for another dinner it seems. It is packaged up for us neatly in a tower of takeaway containers encased in plastic bags. Peeking at the top is a mound of seven more loaves of complimentary Iraqi bread. Our quiet host nods at us with a shy and thoughtful smile and we nod back with happy grateful faces.
Eat well, see you next weekend!

author: Melissa De León


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Armenia: Cultural Destruction · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian notes that Armenian cultural and religious monuments are not just being destroyed in neighboring countries but also in Armenia by Armenians.


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Armenia: Names · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

The Basturma Chronicles notices that of the 37 most common names for Armenian newborns, only 14 of the female names are Armenian while 26 of the 37 names for boys are Armenian.


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Barbados: “Women Need Not Apply” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Barbados Free Press scans in some local help-wanted ads to show the rampant and legal gender discrimination when it comes to getting a job.


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Beerless football · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Blogger Vietnamese god takes us to a Hanoi stadium to support his home football team from Khanh Hoa province in Southern Vietnam and we find out why he can't buy beers at the stadium anymore.

author: Preetam Rai


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Belarus: Lukashenko’s Inauguration · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus Blog has a short version of Aleksandr Lukashenko's inauguration; Tobias Ljungvall provides a detailed account. Tobias also has a suggestion for the EU's neighbors: “I also hope the EU will ask other countries, notably Ukraine and some other Black Sea states as well as Turkey where the regime functionaries are likely to be going for holidays, to adopt the travel ban as well. And it would be a nice symbolic move to include at least a few Russians on the list as well. […]”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Brazil: Pontes Touches Down · Global Voices
Patrick Hall

Brazilian bloggers’ reactions to the space flight of Marcos Pontes, the first Brazilian astronaut, run the gamut along a scale from enthusiasm to cynicism.
At the “unqualified joy” end of the scale an amateur radio operator in the northerneastern state of Piauí was positively effervescent over a Piauense's ham radio conversation with Pontes (pt):
IT'S TRUE… THE FOLLOWING TOOK PLACE THIS AFTERNOON (14:47 LOCAL TIME), 03 APRIL 2006. HAM RADIO OPERATOR JOÃO NETO (PS8PY) WAS THE FIRST RADIO AMATEUR FROM PIAUI TO MAKE CONTACT WITH BRAZILIAN ASTRONAUT MARCOS PONTES (PY0AEB). IT WAS AN INCOMPARABLE THRILL FOR JOAO. THE CONTACT WAS MADE IN VOICE ON FREQUENCY 145.800 (RECEIVING) AND 144.490 (TRANSMISSION). CONGRATULATIONS NETO, YOU'RE A GIANT AMONG RADIO AMATEURS!!!!!!!
Over!
In a rather less capitalized post, Daniel Ferreira da Silva is happy to see a Brazilian in space (pt), but wonders whether now is the right time to be focusing the country's resources on such adventures:
In other news: of course we were happy to see the first Brazilian astronaut, Marcos Pontes, carry out in first mission into space… It's also important that the government invest so that we can join the club of countries that send up astronauts (which today includes the United States, Russia, and China), which could happen in the longer term. But is this really something that's necessary today, and not in a more ?stable future? Perhaps this investment could be used for more urgent needs, like the development of Brazil's own space program, which is running a bit behind schedule? Something to think about. In any case, good luck to our space pioneer, on this the anniversary of the first flight of Santos Dumont.
In his post “Pontes, Patriotisms, Politics and Perspectives (pt)
“, a young skeptic argues that while Pontes is to be commended for showing that it's possible for a Brazilian to reach orbit, the public would be better served by more sustained media efforts to popularize science in Brazil, particularly by recognizing the work of Brazilian Scientists such as physicist César Lattes:
It would be better if the press would explain the thoughts that have made it possible for him to be there. It wasn't the Catholic Church, it wasn't the President of the Republic. It's because of people like Newton, Godard, and even Sagan. It's an offense to the intelligence of these people to say that Marcos Pontes or any other astronaut conquered space or is closer to the stars. 350 km are insignificant compared to a light-year.
But what happens? Everyone thinks that getting into orbit is further than that, and no one makes the effort to understand the physical principles that are involved. Telescopes reach much further than Pontes every day. And no one makes the effort to inform the public how far they go. After all, there are people who have never been in orbit 350 kilometers above the lithosphere, but who deserve far more praise than Marcos Pontes. The people who are working on the reconstruction of the launch pad in Alcântara, for example. HOW MANY BRAZILIANS KNOW WHO CÉSAR LATTES WAS??! We're less worthy of recognition than Marcos Pontes, and Marcos Pontes is less worthy of re cognition than César Lattes.
One wag suggested that a certain politician take direct inspiration (pt) from Pontes’ flight:
The day before yesterday in the embassy of China in Brasilia, when Lula saw the first Brazilian travel into space on TV, he couldn't contain himself and he said “That's the kind of trip I'd like to take…” … So I'm launching a campaign so that we can all help poor Lula in some way. HELP HIM REALIZE HIS DREAM OF BECOMING AN ASTRONAUT!
Apparently not a Lula fan!

author: Patrick Hall


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Bridge over the River Nga · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

In 1971, Mel Schenck, fresh out of University,  joined the Naval Civil Engineer Corps as a naval officer and volunteered to manage construction contracts in Vietnam. One of the projects he administered was the La Nga River Bridge between Saigon and Dalat. After 34 years, Mel revisits the bridge and posts some pictures of the original and the current structure.


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Cambodia: Khmer-American Celebrity Featured in Weblogger Community · Global Voices
Tharum Bun

Born in 1983, Soben Houn, who stands on the international stage as Miss Utah USA 2006, represents Cambodian-American communities and Cambodia as a whole. As a celebrity, she will promote the significance of higher education in this digital age. And, she is looking to compete in Miss USA 2006 on April 21.
To celebrate and support Soben Houn, her fans launched the Weblog ‘Soben Huon – Miss Utah USA 2006′ expressing their pride and gratitude for her achievements. On her fan-supported Weblog, visitors can read Soben's profile, newsarchives, past competition information, or view the photo gallery, and of course, readers’ comments.
Congratulations to Soben!
Your Miss. Utah title bring Cambodia and the Khmers great honor, world spotlight and more hope. All Khmers are so proud of you. More importantly, I’m sure you will compete for the Miss. Universe title. Your name Soben (meant Dream) fits really well with everything you’re persuing and working hard for. I wish and highly hope your Soben (dreams) will come true. Keep up the good work.
Good Luck :-)
Ritchie
According to US national who has worked in Cambodia for many years, and now speaks fairly well in Khmer, Jinja is curious about what his Khmer friends think about the traditional annual American beauty contest. “Most families in the Cambodian countryside would be
horrified to see their daughter enter a public swimsuit competition. But ‘Freshie Girl’ this ain't.”
Also, Angelie Oum, one of her fans, commented that:
“I just wanted to express how wholeheartedly proud and happy I am to see a smart, beautiful, and out-going young American woman of Khmer descendant making connections with people in her local and national communities. Soben could not have gotten where she is right now without her intelligence, determination, beauty and stamina. I know there are young women and men out there looking up to her.
Hopefully, like Miss World 1994, Aishwarya Rai, she will bring about respect, positivism and optimism in any communities she is representing. Based on her interview and mother's interview, which I heard from a Khmer radio station, she comes from a well-grounded and respectable family. I admire that. I support her effort and long journey ahead.”
When considering an affordable and efficient means of long distance communication, a Weblog is probably the best choice. An online presence can be reached by some hundred-thousand of her fans and Cambodians in different regions, and the two sides can interact with one another conveniently and economically. In previous years, Cambodians living abroad communicated with their family members, friends, and loved ones in Cambodia through email, which is affordable by most. Many share interesting news and other information through newsgroups. It has changed recently. Not only because people can make cheap international phone calls via Voice Over the Internet Protocol, but they now can quickly share their daily stories via online personal diaries containing a few notes and photos taken with their camera phones.

author: Tharum Bun


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Caribbean: Caribbean Christian Leaders Fail Women · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Jessica of Alien in the Caribbean says that the region's Christian Leaders continue to fail women. “Without women, these priests, pastors and ministers would not even have a profession. So when are they going to show some acknowledgement of our worth instead of taking the easy dogmatic way out?”


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China: Christianity vs. Communism · Global Voices
John Kennedy

In China, the disappearance of blogs has become part of blogging life. Not an accepted part, however. More than just badges of blogger honor, the increasing number of Chinese blogs which have been blocked or deleted also serve as an indicator of just how many Chinese people find themselves at odds with the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) unwritten terms regarding what people can and cannot say on the internet, including opposition to their rule.
Sichuan native Wang Yi knows more about this than most. At five blogs and counting, not many Chinese bloggers can say they've been shut down as many times as the 33-year-old author, Chinese constitutional law expert and Chengdu University business administration instructor has. Wang is also a Christian, a group frequently targetted by authorities on the mainland. On a recent trip to Hong Kong he sat down for an interview with Open magazine to discuss his beliefs and his politics. He posted the interview on his blog [zh] this week and here is a translation of what Wang had to say:
我為甚麼信仰基督教？— Why I Believe In Christianity
An interview with Chinese legal and religious scholar Wang Yi conducted by Tsoi Wing-mui.
The three situations which lead to intellectual awakening
Question: I've heard you're a Christian. We see now that a large group of Chinese liberal intellectuals, including some civil rights lawyers, have started going to church. Why do we see this phenomenon?
Wang Yi: There's a few situations at play here. The several generations following 1949, including our own, all grew up with an atheist education. Our awakenings have taken place in different circumstances. Awakening for humanist intellectuals might be from an aesthetic point of view, with the realization that certain language is not accepted under the rule of the CCP. Underground literature and poems from the 1970s had their start with just such an awakening.
Another set of circumstances revolves around the awakening up to the worth, the value in pursuing a free democracy, of going back to the traditions of the May 4th movement and in politics, reconsidering and revolting against the CCP's one-party autocratic rule. During the whole of the 1980s, the so-called new enlightenment generation, this was the value in enlightenment. Including, of course, internal aesthetic enlightenment.
Q: And then?
Wang: The third is reconsidering spiritual awakening. For Chinese intellectuals, 1989 was a symbolic event. Prior to 1989, intellectuals attached importance to pursuing a free democracy. These sorts of pursuits have to do with the beliefs of many traditional Chinese intellectuals in that personal morality creates stable families which lead to healthy governance resulting in a peaceful world, as well as the sense of mission and self-awareness these sorts of Confucian scholar-bureaucrats have in taking on important tasks in society.
But to make the dream of democracy one's goal in life is quite dangerous. First, it's an easy dream to have shattered. Quite quickly you will come to realize there's no way for this dream to come true, like so many intellectuals who after 1989 became disillusioned and either compromised with society and the CCP or else became nihilistic and moved toward relativism, with no strength or energy to support their ideals. This is the reason the majority of intellectuals chose cynicism and surrendered.
Second, the minority of people who their whole life maintain faith in democracy and freedom keep that faith, despite the difficulty in doing so. But the worshipping of the painstaking does not mean one's is a worthy life, and cannot ensure that after democratization one will not become corrupt.
Q: I've heard Jiao Guobiao also believes in Christianity?
Wang: These last few years intellectuals on the mainland, especially those in pursuit of a free democracy, appear to be taking up the trend of believing in Christ. Many intellectuals have begun becoming Christians, novelists Bei Cun and Yu Jie for example, and from within the group of civil rights lawyers are Li Baiguang and Gao Zhisheng, among others. Many people have begun becoming more intimate with Christianity, including Jiao Guobiao who just recently has been reborn a Christian. Being reborn in my mind definitely needs this kind of belief. We must let the son of God be the lord of our lives and open our mouths in prayer and admit that belief is in our hearts. Only then can one undergo the baptism ceremony.
Moving from individualism to a higher source
Q: How did you get started on the path to Christianity?
Wang: I first encountered the bible when I was in university, but only for research purposes. Very early on I opposed the atheism of the CCP; not an atheist but also not yet a believer. I used to be very admiring and respectful of those who believed, but felt it would be impossible for me in this life to enter this this kind of realm. These few years as an intellectual in pursuit of freedom and democracy, with some personal effort I've earned the respect and praise of many people, but I've always kept aware of the complex of self-flattery and self-righteousness scholar-bureaucrats easily fall into.
When I began insisting on extremely bold political criticism and speech, that's when I began to receive a lot of pressure. My classes were stopped, my appointment was intervened upon, the propaganda department wouldn't let any mainstream media print my articles, even my family was harassed; when they received an intimidating anonymous letter, I began feeling not dread or fear but just a sort of exhaustion. I once took a very individualistic stance, often stressing why I had to write articles criticizing the CCP—because I didn't feel comfortable. I was the kind of person that couldn't accept anything but freedom. Not as an act for other people, but as my personal choice. Whenever feeling so exhausted—which led to feeling incapable—I would sometimes worry about the precariousness of these kinds of individualistic choices. If one day I find myself with less space to work in, would I just give up?
This is where faith begins, in questioning one's self. He's made me humble, allowed me to see that I too am a sinner, a disloyal person, despite that some people feel I've done some meaningful things. I've come to see that my strength comes from a higher source other than myself. I believe democracy and freedom are of universal importance, good and just, worth a lifetime of pursuit. But justice and goodness do not pour out from my inner being; I am not the source. I can only go and accept him, use a humble heart to receive him. This is how I slowly came to have faith in Christianity, accepting the love and justice within Christianity.
Two cases of persecution of churches shook me to the soul
Q: During the process of your entering the Christian faith, leading up to your revelation, had there been someone preaching to you?
Wang: Prior to that, while I had already started studying the bible, there were some friends, like Yu Jie, who were evangelizing to me, and I had begun attending some church meetings and activities; whenever I went to Beijing I would take part in Yu Jie's Ark Church services. But my becoming a Christian had a lot to do with the case of two churches which had received political persecution. One is the case of the Church of South China, one of the most tragic cases of the CCP's crackdown on Christian family churches these last few years.
In 2001 this church's priest Gong Shengliang and two other people as soon as they were put on trial were charged with the crimes of leading a cult, rape and intentional harm and were then sentenced to death. All sixty members of the Church of South China were either imprisoned or sentenced to hard labour. In April of last year two sisters of the Church of South China came to Chengdu, one of which is Gong Shengliang's little sister. I invited them and some of my intellectual friends in Chengdu to my house for a meeting, asked them to tell us about the Church of South China's case and of their beliefs.
They told us the circumstances of being persecuted, of being cruelly tortured into making confessions, how one sister was beaten to death by one of the guards and their being forced into admitting that their teacher and priest Gong Shengliang had raped them. That meeting had a huge impact on me. I could see on their faces a sort of divine glow. These country women with just elementary-school educations gave a great shock to these intellectuals. I felt as though I'd never before experienced the goodness of light or humanity. Prior to this I'd seen the documentary The Cross in China. This film had a great impact on mainland liberal intellectuals, including me.
After these two Church of South China sisters left, a meeting began in my home, a bible study group. In October last year we and several civil rights lawyers went together to investigate the Church of South China case. We and many sisters which Gong had been accused by the CCP of raping made a complete written and video recording. We saw the circumstances with which the entire Church of South China had been persecuted, and saw their devotional piety and purity. These were not the cultists and heretics from CCP propaganda.
Q: And the second case?
Wang: Was last year's Cai Zhuohua's bible-printing case. I was one of the members of the defense team. Last year I took part in two investigations and defenses of the case of Christian persecution. Last year I also attended meetings and bible studies which in the end confirmed my faith.
The pursuit of democracy and freedom is even firmer with belief in the Lord.
Q: Were there any dramatic details in this process?
Wang: There's one very dramatic event which led to my believing. In June last year I was atop a ladder in my home, looking for a book on the highest shelf of my bookcase and not being careful I lost my balance and fell. That time I had to get nine stitches and lay in bed for a month. After falling, while I was laying on the floor unable to move, at that moment I began to sing hymns and began to pray.
This was my first time to open my mouth in prayer. I feel this was a very symbolic and significant experience for me. That enormous bookcase of mine represents intellectuals’ knowledge, rationalism and conceit. We rely on knowledge and rationalism to seek truth. You feel as though you have grasped the truth, struggled against a despotic regime. You are standing on the side of justice, on the pinnacle of morality.
As a result I tumbled down from the highest place. At that moment I felt as though I had reached the extent of rationalism, I felt that intellectuals relying on their own strength have no way to arrive at the truth. Emptyhanded, I began to accept the revelation from above. To do so is to have a peaceful and joyous state of mind. This event had a very important significance in my believing.
Q: After you began to believe, was your undertaking of pursuing a free democracy all the more firm?
Wang: After intellectuals accepted belief in Christ, their understanding of free democracy became a step deeper than it had been during the 1980s and 1990s. For Christian intellectuals, a political community must be democratic and free, because people are all created from God, that's why all people are born equal. If we don't have that, we don't have the grounds to require other people treat us like brothers, and the strong will overcome the weak.
We often say the CCP's rule lacks legitimacy. If you don't have the people's consent, then who are you to govern me? Some dominating types might say, ‘what do I need you to agree for? I've got guns and cannons so why do I need you to agree?’ A political body is comprised of people coming together and it can only be a democratic and free one, because human equality and independence ultimately come from God.
For a Christian, this is just an entry point. As far as I'm concerned, in wanting to pursue a free democracy in China, it's a sense of mission! I cannot accept seeing a society that is not fair, just and free. Now having belief in the Lord, I'm much more steadfast than I was before. I've also observed that many liberal intellectuals after they take up Christianity have this kind of bravery and mission, and in this bravery develop humility, not self-pride.
Prayer meetings are ordinarily five to six hours
Q: The spread of Christianity in China is extremely pervasive, is that so?
Wang: It's not bad, evidently. In the 1980s and 1990s the spread of Christianity was primarily seen in countryside churches, less so in cities and among intellectuals. One was overseas churches coming back to preach, mainly centered in cities. Many preachers were Korean and overseas Chinese, including Taiwanese churches who did a lot of evangelization work on the mainland. The second type was Chinese countryside churches were rather developed, so in the 1990s they began moving towards the cities to evangelize.
Most importantly were Wenzhou city churches, as well as Henan province churches. These last few years has seen a trend of visible escalation of urban intellectual fellowships, including university student fellowships. Last year I went to one student fellowship in Chengdu and was surprised to see three of my own students in that fellowship. From this small example we can see that the spread of the gospel into the lives of intellectuals and students is quite extensive.
Q: Does the revival of Christianity have anything to do with China's current nihilism?
Wang: Of course. Ever since the 1980s and 1990s society has been discussing the problems of nihilism and the spiritual vacuum, the longing for a belief system. That's why a lot of people who have returned from overseas and go to the countryside churches are extremely shocked to see the piety of mainland Christians. The yearning for righteousness is totally different from overseas. When I was abroad I attended some Sunday services, usually just an hour and a half. On the mainland, though, including in my own home, meetings often go for five or six hours. While at the Church of South China, I saw that they all get up at five a.m. every morning, read the bible for half an hour and then pray straight until eight o'clock, everyday.
Many people when discussing Falun Gong will also bring up the problem of mainland China's belief vacuum. Recently Buddhism has been very prosperously spreading in cities and in the countryside, including among CCP cadres. Suining city in Sichuan province has very deep Catholic traditions. I went to Suining's Buyun town to investigate China's first county head direct elections and was surprised to see that ten villages have thirteen temples and one Catholic church. The strength of revival of religious belief in China today is extremely powerful.
The original version of the interview can be found here. The torture, forced confessions and executions mentioned above are tactics sometimes used in China's larger campaign against unauthorized religious activities. Ark Church, also mentioned above, is the focus of a documentary currently being filmed by Beijing or Bust blogger Wu Hao, who was detained by Chinese police in late February. Despite concerted efforts by Wu's family to secure his release, his whereabouts remain unknown to this day. Up-to-date information on Wu's situation can be found here.

author: John Kennedy


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Colombia: Bus Bombings · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Western Hemisphere Policy Watch reports on two bus bombings in the Colombian capital of Bogota, noting that “had these attacks taken place in Baghdad, Bali, or Tel Aviv, the ‘mainstream’ U.S. media would have plastered images all over the news …”


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Colombia: FARC and Uribe · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Why are Colomabia's leftist rebels helping their conservative President in the upcoming elections? Adam Isacson explains the contradiction of last week's violence.


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Colombia, Venezuela: Targeting Chavez · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Oil Wars translates an article from the Colombian news weekly Semana, in which an ex-employee of the Colombian Department of Security Administration (DAS) claims that “plans that were hatched to assassinate various Venezuelan government officials, among whom were the Venezuelan president.”


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DRC: Western Media, Foreign Meddlers and Elections · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Heavy-Handed Transition Partners
Several bloggers resent the involvement of foreign transition partners  and other neighboring countries  whom they find heavy-handed in the electoral process.  Le Blog du Congolais posted a UDPS declaration to that effect:
Le processus électoral, financé et piloté par la communauté internationale a cessé d’être une affaire des congolais pour devenir un moyen par lequel certains pays […]justifient leur immixtion dans les affaires congolaises en s’arrogeant le droit de décider dans tous les domaines de gestion de l’Etat congolais.
Renouveau Congolais published an interview with Etienne Kabila, political party head, opponent to and estranged brother of Interim President Joseph Kabila in which he too complained about a heavy-handed foreign presence:
Dans mes précédentes déclarations publiées sur le web, j’ai eu à dénoncer le plan machiavélique de Mr Joseph Hyppolite KANAMBE et ses compatriotes Rwandais soutenus par des puissances étrangères pour mater davantage le peuple Congolais afin de bien piller les ressources du sous-sol et du sol congolais. […]J’ai un idéal : le Congo, mon pays, doit être dirigé par un Congolais
UDPS Liege  criticized the President of the electoral Commission, Rev.  Malu-Malu,  for his actions during a trip to Belgium:
Comme d’habitude l’homme de Dieu a toujours de compte à rendre aux Belges, aux rwandais et aux burundais et jamais aux congolais […].
A Doomed, Already Decided Election?
Some, like Le Blog du Congolais,  assumed that foreign transition partners had already decided the outcome of the election:
[…] tout est mis en place pour ne pas faire ombrage à un gagnant désigné d’avance dans les laboratoires méditerranéens, selon les critères de la main qui donne.
Renouveau Congolais interviewee Etienne Kabila shared in the pessimism:
Devons-nous aller aux élections ou pas? Pour légitimer les criminels de guerre? Pour légitimer les étrangers qui dirigent notre pays? Est ce que ces élections seront libres, transparentes et démocratiques?[…] Il est impossible d’organiser les élections démocratiques dans un Etat sans liberté d’expression où règne la répression, la torture, l’intimidation et j’en passe… C’est pourquoi mon parti politique la Mouvance des Nationalistes Patriotes pour le Renouveau ne sera pas partie prenante à ces elections.
Western Media and Tshisekedi
Le Blog du Congolais and UDPS Liege  suggest there is as  a trend in certain Western media to demonize opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi.
Le Blog posted a UDPS declaration stating:
Un plan de diabolisation de l’UDPS, relayé par quelques médias étrangers est en cours d’exécution. Ce plan consiste à attribuer à l’UDPS les perturbations violentes qui seraient en préparation et alimenteraient les contestations naturelles consécutives à l’échec du processus électoral. C’est ainsi que les journaux New York Time du 26 mars 2006 sous le titre « Congo, with Iraq in mind » de Marc Lacey et le Soir du 4 avril 2006, présentent déjà l’UDPS comme « une bande de personnes violentes ayant à leur tête Etienne Tshisekedi ». La prochaine étape dans cette cabale sera celle de l’étiquette « parti terroriste » et la boucle sera bouclée.
UDPS Liege echoed the analysis:
Les médias Belges n’ont cessé de féliciter clairement le président de la CEI du bon déroulement du processus et font sourd d’oreille à une quelconque revendication allant à l’encontre de ce scénario. Tout va bien au Congo ! Affirment-t-ils.
[…]Marie France Cros sur digital Congo.net  […]traitant notre leader national Mr Tshisekedi wa Mulumba d’un grognard capricieux.


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Eastern Europe: Shteyngart’s “Absurdistan” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Krzysztof of Respublica Somniorum reviews Gary Shteyngart's new novel, “Absurdistan”: “In the end, it matters less where Shteyngart goes than how he gets there and the sights along the way. These include, non-inclusively: an anti-Semitic dog, an ethnic conflict over Christ’s footrest, a vodka-drenched circumcision in the “mitzvah mobile,” a Holocaust museum in the shape of broken matzo and a “titanium-clad lamb shank (hint: Frank Ghery),” and the Russian diminutives for SSRIs (Zoloftushka, Prozakchik).”


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English for Journalism contraversy · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Bhojman points to an article which talks about a Myanmar(Burmese) state owned newspaper accusing the American Centre in Yangoon of  harming “young Myanmar brains”. The U.S.-Embassy-run centre offers language courses. It is the “English for Journalism” course that is causing the trouble – probably by encouraging the journalists to think more freely in a censorship-ridden media atmosphere.


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Ethiopia: Online military recruitment · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Weblog Ethiopia writes on a worrying developing in the Eritrea/Ethiopian relationship.  “A group of Ethiopian opponents supported by Eritrea and in favour of armed struggle has embarked on an advertising campaign using the Internet.”


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Garden Projects · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Timbukutu Chronicle writes on the a group of projects called “Garden Africa”.  The projects “promote practical solutions emphasising the importance of integrating traditional systems of land management and food production as a means of addressing vulnerability and stimulating localised economic development”


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Guyana: Prez Wants Kids · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo is ready to make some babies. But Guyana360 explains that he's waiting until after the elections.


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Hungary: Electoral System · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Pestiside.hu cites the crystal ball predictions for the general election that took place in Hungary this past weekend, and explains the Hungarian electoral system.


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India: Caste and Reservations · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The issue of extending reservations in certain educational institutions in India has got the Indian blogosphere debating with great passion the issues of reservation, caste and education. Evenstar blogrolls some of the posts emerging on the issue.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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India: Painting Hindu Gods · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Blowin’ in the wind attempts to understand MF Hussain's creative urges and motives when it comes to potrayal of Hindu gods and godesses in his art.


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Iran: Poet & Gravestone · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kosoof (Persian), Iran based blogger & journalist, has reported that Ahmad Shamlou's,  most famous Iranian contemporary poet,  gravestone has been broken for third time. Kosoof has posted photos of broken gravestone.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Israel: Planes, Trains and Automobiles · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

She envy her son innocence, and she marvel at all he does not yet know about the world outside his door. She imagine a world where the worst things that can happen are not getting another cookie or having a toy taken away, and where both are soon forgotten by Mommy holding him close, stroking his hair while whispering softly in his ear.

author: Haitham Sabbah


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Jamaica: Lemon-Red Mix Series · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Wayne of wayne&wax is “pretty psyched” to have contributed to the latest Riddim Method “Lemon-Red Mix Series” which is available for download.


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Jordan: Fuel rises again · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Starting from yesterday, fuel prices were raised again. The extent of the rise is what is shocking to most people, with the cost of diesel and kerosene going up by 43%. There were also hefty raises in the cost of gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas. Khalaf writes that this price rise will have serious effects on the cost of living for most people, despite the compensations which the government has set aside for lower income individuals.


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Kazakhstan: A Triumph for Russia · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Vilhelm Konnander says that the deal that Kazakhstan recently signed to increase oil exports to Russia is a tremendous geopolitical triumph for Moscow.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Kazakhstan: EU Relations · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

James of neweurasia writes on Kazakhstan and the EU forging closer ties and says that the West should not ignore Kazakhstan's shortcomings. More importantly though, it should be careful not to do anything that hurt's Kazakhstan's opportunity to create rapid economic growth.


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Kenya: Bilingual condom  campaign · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Video Journalists working from Kenya comments on the usefulness of bi-lingual posters in learning languages – in this case the poster is part of a campaign to use condoms.

author: Sokari Ekine


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Kenya: Business news · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Bankelele posts some more business news and  tips on investments and banking in Kenya…


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Kenya: solo computers · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Kikuyumoja’s realm provides some answers to the questions raised by AfroMusings in her post on “solo computers”  AfroMusing


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Kenyan Sphere this week · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

The kenyan blogosphere has grown by leaps and bounds, it is very vibrant and thus this roundup is just but a glimpse of what is going on. An aggregator similar to BlogAfrica was launched to make tracking the kenyan sphere easier, and you can check it out here.
This roundup will focus on posts that in one way or another highlight ideas or thoughts not covered/highlighted  in the mainstream Kenyan Press. That will be the theme for today, and thus the short post. At the end of this post is a link to the clippings of other posts that might be of interest.
Deno points to an article that is blatantly pro-Kibaki, the current embattled president of Kenya who has had to deal with scandal after scandal and declining credibility especially in the fight against corruption. He wonders whether the journalist Kwanchetsi Makokha was paid to write the piece, stating
I think we need a new means to hold each author accountable for each article they publish..good or bad…
Whispering Inn rails against the complacency of Kenyans in the face of gross misuse of power by the likes of John Michuki (The govt official who ordered the raid on the standard newspaper), saying
The Gikuyu have a saying.
“Ngoma iturikagio ni guthinjirwo”
If you excuse reprehensible behaviour, you embolden the perpetrators.
Gikuyu is one of the tribes in Kenya.
You missed this ponders …Kenyan Politics since independence noting
With the general elections looming it is clear that for the first time candidates will be facing some very angry and skeptical voters who already feel that they were cheated in 2002. This sets the stage for voters to vote in a totally new generation of politicians. Already there is talk doing the rounds in Nairobi that this time voters should make a point of not voting for anybody who has been in parliament before. Bold move indeed, and a golden opportunity for the generation born around the time of independence and immediately after to move their influence from just the corporate world into mainstream politics.
Ziwani wonders about Kenya's lack of disaster preparedness, urging kenyans to volunteer at their local emergency service or form their own emergency response team.
Recently i read a book by the usual disillusioned foreign correspondents that claimed “Nairobi is the East African centre of Everything and the centre of Nothing at the same time”.
Having now visited many western capitals it is hard to defend this point .
One thing close to my heart and of major concern that needs urgent attention is the lack of emergency response services of not only Kisumu but all Kenyan cities. Kisumu as an example boasts only 1 run down fire station with one engine for its entire half a million inhabitants.The glaring inadequecies of our emergency response is exhibited for all and sundry everytime their is a minor or major disaster to deal with. The recent disaster that killed kenyans after the collapse of the building is one example.
Kenyan Pundit says its about time Kenyan courts had stenographic services.
Kenyan Villager writes about the challenge of getting online in Nyahururu, a town in Kenya, and the unhelpful attitudes of the staff at the cybercafes.
Kikuyu Moja suggests that “someone should run a list of GoK websites that work and of those that are “temporarily” offline or “under construction”, and points to a case where he found the information he was seeking and in other cases where the sites are purpotedly “under construction”
White African writes about ‘Mobile Technology Success in Africa’
Jikomboe, GV's swahili's bridge blogger  points to the blog of the President of Benin, which is written in french and you can have a look here.
Miscellenious - These posts did not fit neatly into a category.
Unganisha shares a beatiful picture of the rift valley and a great story too.
Curious writes on The case for adaptive economics in an evolving world.
Ziwani points out an interesting aspect of Kenyan life, the assigning of Aliases or AKA's to everything to places and people too.
A new blog called Kenyan Soccer is  “All about Kenyan soccer: this site is meant to culture the Kenyan soccer passion; to fill our stadiums; to love our game”
RSS Feed Link to Clippings, turns out the post wasnt as short as i thought it would be…
The Kenyan blogosphere will be recognizing its bloggers in the first Kenyan blog Awards. Click on the button below for more detail.

author: Juliana Rotich


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Lesotho: HIV campaign · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Msansi Afrika comments on the “Know your Status” HIV/AIDS campaign launched by the government of Lesotho…”The ‘Know Your Status’ campaign will not succeed without your willing participation. Get tested, and encourage your friends to get tested, too.”


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Levels of stupidity · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Taiwanese politician and talk show host Li Ao is not a popular guy in Singapore at the moment. Li Ao had remarked last year that Singaporeans are stupider than Taiwan and Hong Kong people. Last week, on his talk show he finally explained that reason he had labelled Singaporeans as stupid was because he could not find many outstanding individuals while the country itself was very successful. Bloggers at Disgruntled Singaporeans do not agree with Li Ao's  choice of words but dig deeper to find context to his remarks.