text:
Qatar: Down with Mubarak, residents say · Global Voices
Shabina Khatri

Down with Mubarak.
That is the popular sentiment in the tiny Gulf Arab country of Qatar, whose residents have been furiously filling the Internet with support for Egyptian protesters, criticisms of Mubarak and statements of pride for Doha-based Al Jazeera for its no-holds-barred reporting of the week's events.
The peaceful peninsula has even experienced two protests in the past week, the most political activism Qatar has seen since the 2009 War in Gaza.
During the first protest against embattled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, which took place on Friday after jum'aa prayers, Qatari police intervened quickly, saying the event was “mamnua” – prohibited.
Protesters gather near the Egyptian embassy in Doha on Tuesday, calling for Mubarak to step down (Photos by Miko Mayer)
Freelance journalist Omar Chatriwala reported about the event on his blog, Synthetic Jungle:
Around 100 people gathered in Qatar to protest against the Mubarak government of Egypt, in a sign that the Gulf nation is not completely isolated from the unrest witnessed in other parts of the Middle East.
The crowd – decked out in Egyptian flags and wielding signs – assembled after Friday prayers in the capital Doha, a block from Egypt's embassy, which had been cordoned off by police. Authorities, meanwhile, sought to deter onlookers from joining the protest, saying it was a banned assembly.
After chanting slogans calling for democracy and an end to President Hosni Mubarak's rule, protesters held janazah (funeral) prayers on the street for those killed during recent demonstrations in Egypt…
Less than an hour after the gathering began – and at police urging – the demonstrators began to disperse, chanting a thank you to Qatar for allowing them to have their voices heard.
On Tuesday, a much bigger crowd – reportedly around 500 people – gathered near the Egyptian embassy. Police blocked off the area again, but this time seemed to allow protesters to have their say.
Al Jazeera English assistant news editor Malika Bilal, who was at the scene, tweeted about the events.
@mmbilal said:
Ppl of all ages gathering in doha for #egypt solidarity rally. #tahrir square http://yfrog.com/h3v5rlj
And then:
‘Ya mubarak sa7 al nowm, alnaharda akhir youm’ – the #doha crowd's fav chant #egypt #tahrir http://yfrog.com/gzvs2jj
@hussdajani chimed in:
HUGE march for #Cairo #Egypt #Jan25 in West Bay area in #doha #qatar ! Down with #mubarak http://yfrog.com/gye9znoj
When asked about the growing police presence, @mmbilal said:
the #qatar police are staying a considerable distance away from the crowd, so no, no arrests! #egypt #tahrir
And finally:
Last of the close to 3-500 ppl leaving #egypt solidarity rally in #doha as rain starts to fall. http://yfrog.com/h8guzytj
Not everyone has been excited about Qatar getting in on the protest action.
On Twitter, @DohaBen said:
Hope Qatar doesn't get too involved in protests like that…don't need any bad publicity.
Still, even in academia, support for recent events around the Middle East persists.
On Wednesday, Northwestern University in Qatar released an open letter signed by 18 faculty members (myself included), pieces of which were blogged by Al Jazeera English.
It reads:
Over the last few weeks throughout the Arab World, hundreds of thousands of people of all social backgrounds have felt a surge of freedom to express themselves to one another out in the open, a fundamental human impulse. They are neighbors gathering in cities, bloggers and tweeters getting word to one another, and journalists covering what matters …
We at Northwestern University in Qatar are a small part of the whole world that is watching, and we appeal to Arab governments to remove barriers to free expression. Let your people speak.

author: Shabina Khatri


text:
Russia: Wikileaks Reveals Russian Game in Tajikistan · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

Russia oppositional weekly Novaya Gazeta that also serves as an official partner of Wikileaks in the country reported on diplomatic cables from Tajikistan outlining a dirty geopolitical game that Russia allegedly plays in that post-Soviet republic.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Vadim Isakov


text:
Russia: Woman Sentenced For Hacking Social Network Accounts · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

A businesswoman who worked for one of Russian tourist firms has been sentenced to probationary ten months of imprisonment for hacking the accounts of several users of popular Russian social network Vkontakte.ru, news portal Lenta.ru reported.


text:
Southeast Asia: Reactions to Egypt protests · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Using the #egypt hashtag, let’s read what twitter users in several Southeast Asian countries have been tweeting in reaction to the ongoing Egypt protests.
Bangkok, Thailand
StSatire: Are those soldiers on tanks mummies? How could they stay so still during the clash between 2 sides? #Egypt
fatibee: How world leaders can call themselves leaders watching #Egypt unravel is unbelievable!
vahncitis: Real protesters: Are peaceful, Carry no weapons, Do not ride horses or camels, Don't attack journalists, Don't carry police IDs.#Egypt
Snowiigist: RT @Thai_Talk: To bed. My thoughts are with the brave people of #Egypt fighting for liberty and freedom. Strength, safety and victory to you.
freakingcat: In awe about the bravery of the Egyptian Pro Democracy demonstrators who still hold out on Tahir Square #egypt
This picture compares the Egypt protests and the Red Shirt protests in Thailand. The Red Shirts are anti-government protesters who are demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister
Photo from Facebook
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
red1Oon: learn this from #Egypt. Do not allow your govt to rule you up to 30 years
syanzuhri: It started from #Tunisia , followed by #Beirut and #Egypt and now #Yemen. Spreading like cancer.
isodera: #Egypt: Why is everyone asking why the army is not doing anything to stop the agents provocateurs? REMEMBER WHO IS THEIR COMMANDER IN CHIEF?
otosamajohan: I think US should stop meddling in other countries affairs. #egypt
red1Oon: it is no longer up to #USA, it is all up to you now dear #Egypt. Stand your ground with compassion and love for justice, you shall prevail.
MsXyda: RT @htgamal I can't wait to see what's going to happen in a few hours in Tahrir sq. How much longer will the world wait to do sth?! #egypt
IAmIzmir: Events unfolding in #Egypt are making me angry. So called ‘pro-Mubarak’ forces are killing & getting violent with anti-Government people.
hazri: Admire d courage of d democracy ppl in #Egypt. Would we hv d courage & strength when we hv 2 stand 4 our rights & principals in Malaysia?
fauzishaffie: @JShahryar Cannot describe how agonizing it is to hear women and children being fired upon by Government people. #Egypt #jan25 #Obama
From former Prime Minister and popular blogger Mahathir Mohamad:
Should these revolutions succeed there would be new Governments. But it is worthwhile to remember that change is not always for the better. It is incumbent upon those bent on effecting change to have some idea about the kind of Governments they want. Otherwise they may get the same kind of Governments that they try so hard to be rid off. This is because most leaders upon achieving power would change and would forget the struggles and sacrifices which enabled them to be in power. Power corrupts as we all know.
Jakarta, Indonesia
Some twitter users are comparing the situation in Egypt to the 1998 protests in Indonesia which eventually led to the resignation of President Suharto who ruled the country for three decades.
richardbera: Watching the situation deteriorating in #Egypt. Clashes btwn pro n anti #Mubarak groups. People are dying. Very sad. #PrayForEgypt
deprithazoraya: Deepest condolences for all the innocent people who were killed in #egypt :(
ke2mesr: RT @natalixia: RT @unspun: Why are Indonesian tuips so strangely silent about #Egypt? You'd think there'd be much empathy given what we went thru in 1998
JihanJi: RT @MarissaAnita: The attack on anti-govt protesters in #Egypt may well remind us of the final attempt to regain power by Soeharto in '98.
L_lidya: Where is the military when the weary civilians needs safety and peace??? #Egypt #Cairo #Mubarak
n_zanki: @khadijapatel One Indonesian woman has been killed in #Tahrir clashes. This is a call for Jihad, #Egypt !
DonnySaputro: RT @Jnoubiyeh: The courage and determination of the oppressed will triumph over the iron fist of a dictator. #Egypt #Jan25 #Mubarak
Alveta Rorio reacts
I've been watching Al Jazeera coverage of events unraveling in Egypt for several days now. I have very little knowledge of  the nation's history nor the earlier breakout in Tunis that seemed to trigger this extraordinary revolution. Nonetheless, the courage and determination of the people there is amazing. They stand up together against guns, tanks, fighter jets.
Yet, it's also baffling that the government has been so stubborn. How is it possible to maintain the status quo after such movement?
Manila, Philippines
Manila netizens are describing the Egypt protests as similar to the People Power Revolution in 1986 which toppled the Marcos dictatorship. Filipinos are celebrating the 25th anniversary of this historic event this month.
majoro64: army plays role in PH 1986 revolt. #egypt army must do the same NOW for democracy! Long Live Democracy #jan25 #tahrir
zenhernandez: Images from #Egypt are just both shocking and sad. It's as if they no longer have a government. No authorities to stop the violence.
checachecs: I hope nothing happens to the pyramids in #Egypt ☹☹☹ to visit the pyramids of Giza is in my #bucketlist ✈
findingjemo: RT @kdpsuarez: If u love someone, let go. Same applies to ur “love” of #Egypt, Mubarak. Let go of ur hold on power n save ur country. Cut and cut cleanly.
ra_quinones: Stop throwing molotov to the Museum, lets preserve history. OMG what is happening to the people in #egypt
inbetweencabs: RT @DominicKavakeb: It's so vital that world understands this is not a divided #Egypt. This is the state attacking the people. #jan2
migsbassig: Restraint is a beautiful word. But don't counsel that to people who are ready to die. #Egypt
Suman Latik writes about the Egypt protests and the Philippines’ EDSA Revolution
Is it a coincidence that nearly 25 years ago, it was the Philippines in the news working peacefully to throw out a dictator and here we are today following the March of Millions in Egypt as they call for President Hosni Mubarak to step down from power after three decades of rule?
How time flies, but life remains a cycle.  Did Egyptians learn from Filipinos? There have been several other peaceful uprisings in the name of democracy since the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. It is interesting to see if those efforts have not been in vain.

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Sudan: Sudan Radio Service’s use of mobile phones · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Anneryan looks at how Sudan Radio Service uses mobile technology into its work to both monitor the reach of its broadcasts and to solicit reader feedback.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: Watching Egypt  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Globewriter is “gripped” by the unfolding situation in Egypt, saying: “It is analogous  to numerous other  struggles going on within countries by groups of people who demand the right to be heard”, while Antilles reaches for the poems of Martin Carter: “Their ferocity seems recharged by the images and stories from Cairo…but also their moral imperative, and their hope.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Vietnam: Bringing Facebook back · Global Voices
Duy Hoang

The Mubarak government this week pulled the plug on Egypt’s internet connections to the outside world in a desperate effort to stop popular opposition from boiling over. While the role of social media in catalyzing civic resistance is widely debated, most would agree that Facebook, Twitter and YouTube empowered activists in Egypt, Tunisia and beyond.
Avatar of the Facebook group “A million signatures to protest Vietnamese ISPs blocking FB”
In Vietnam, has the government unwittingly prompted civil disobedience by ordering Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block Facebook? While protest movements in Vietnam have been growing, participation has generally been limited to a few thousand pioneers attending sit-ins or backing online petitions against bauxite mining.
Since the renewed restrictions on Facebook in December 2010, unprecedented numbers of Vietnamese netizens have banded together.
A Facebook group called “A million signatures to protest Vietnamese ISPs blocking FB” has attracted nearly 50,000 members. The group proclaims:
“Everybody has the right to choose the social networks that they want to use. Join us in supporting Vietnam’s Facebook community!”
Another group with around 4,500 members takes the name “If you elders block FB, we youths will climb over the walls and create cracks to enter.” The comments posted on this group’s discussion board contain indignation and tips on circumvention.
According to a local participant with the alias Losgi Athenford:
“Keep on blocking Facebook and more people will want the pleasure of circumventing the block.”
Interestingly, one group called “The Association of 1 million signatures opposing the Facebook block” has incorporated the word “association” in its name. This represents a blurring of cyberspace and offline Vietnamese society where freedom of association is still strictly curtailed. This web association currently has 35,000 members. They insist that “if FB is blocked entirely, we pledge not to use the government-run social networks.”
A cursory examination of the profile pictures of people belonging to Facebook protest groups in Vietnam indicates a very youthful demographic. This is not surprising given Vietnam’s young population in general and the typical age of social network aficionados.
Facebookers in Vietnam have generated a lot of witty cartoons and graphics. Many have displayed Facebook protest art as their own profile picture.
According to Trinh Nguyen, an editor of the No Firewall Blog which promotes circumvention techniques and digital security:
“The Vietnamese authorities are setting themselves up for failure by restricting social networking sites. Such restrictions will only encourage a new generation of political dissidents. Many people who believe they have a right to chat with their friends are really upset by government censorship and will do everything possible to jump the firewall.”
A YouTube video, created shortly after the Facebook block in Vietnam first went into affect in November 2009, encourages Vietnamese to demand their ISPs bring Facebook back. This video, featuring overseas Vietnamese celebrities, has gone viral.
By filtering access to Facebook, it appears the Vietnamese government has confirmed the law of unintended consequences: Tens of thousands of Vietnamese have gathered in public squares online to demonstrate against government censorship.

author: Duy Hoang


text:
Vietnam: Building child protection systems · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Cross-Border Programme blogs about the efforts in Mong Cai, Vietnam to build child protection systems, in particular, addressing the issue of child trafficking.


text:
Yemen: Thousands Protest on Day of Rage  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.
Yemen's Day of Rage protests have started, and the scramble in on for online resources and people on the ground to tell us their story in their own words.
On Twitter, reports are circulating of ‘hundreds of thousands” of protesters calling for an end of president Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime, despite concessions made over the last few days.
Brian Whitaker has decided to dedicate his day to blogging about Yemen, and his blog will be featuring up-to-the minute developments.
He writes:
Today has been declared a “day of          rage” in Yemen and a demonstration is about to start in  Sanaa as I write. This follows a series of protests in the capital last  month (here and          here) in which several thousands took part. The organisers are hoping for a much bigger turnout today – but that remains to be seen.
Jane Novak, who blogs about Yemen, says the protest has been switched at the last minute from Tahrir Square  (like Cairo, Sanaa has one too) to the new university roundabout due to  “regime thugs camped out in Tahrir Square with car loads of guns”.
The interior ministry announced yesterday that it has set up roadblocks around Sanaa and stepped up its security forces – supposedly to stop people smuggling weapons into the  city.
Meanwhile some (but not all) of the government websites have
gone          down, including the websites of the president and parliament. It is possible they have been attacked by the Anonymous hacking group.
A Yemeni website, https://yemenportal.net/protests, with a mirror site at          http://crowdvoice.org/yemen, is covering the events in Arabic, but Twitter and Facebook are not playing much of a part in the Yemeni protests.          Internet penetration in the country is less than 2%, compared with 21% in Egypt and 34% in Tunisia.
With Internet penetration being so low, the hunt is on for people on the ground, tweeting the developments.
Here's part of the conversation on Twitter:
@wsaqaf: Hundreds of thousands protesting in #Yemen calling for end of Saleh's regime. http://goo.gl/7HVti (Arabic live updates) #feb3
@Brian_Whit: Internet users in Yemen are less than 2% of population. Egypt 21%, Tunisia 34%. #yemen #feb3 #jr_yemen
@Brian_Whit: Plenty of others covering Egypt. I will be tweeting mainly on Yemen today. #yemen #feb3 #jr_yemen
@muadshibani: #Yemen #Feb3 about thousandths of protesters demonstrate in Aden
@al3ini: more than 100 thousand demonstrators in front of city sports stadium in Ebb #Yemen #feb3 #jr_Yemen #hood
@al3ini: Elements of the ruling party, handing out pictures of the president in opposition demonstration in Hajja #Yemen #hood #feb3 #jr_yemen
@al3ini: The supporters of president are throwing his pictures over the oppositions from the roofs of the building #Yemen #feb3 #jr_yemen
@YemenPeaceNews: via @ionacraig Soldiers on the roof next door to the university protesters, but looks peaceful so far. #yemen #feb3
@clemtan: Another long day/night w/ #Yemen looking to have joined #Egypt and #Tunisia in this roulette game of revolt against dictatorial regimes.
@al3ini: First pictures for the demonstration in Sanaa #yemen #feb3 #Egypt #hood #jan25 #jr_yemen http://yfrog.com/h2tiaij
@al3ini: Experts estimate the number of opposition protesters in Sanaa, one hundred and fifty thousand #Yemen #feb3 (cont) http://tl.gd/8ipgpt
@YemenPeaceNews: via @ibiibrahim only 1.2 miles between the 10,000+ protesters in Sana’ University and the 20,000+ pro-Saleh in Tahrir square #yemen #feb3
@umairh: Youth unemployment: #Yemen 49%, #Palestine 38%, #Morocco 35%, #Egypt 33%, #Tunisia 26%. Staggering? Try: Europe: 30-50%, USA: 25-50%.
@khairolnizam: yemen's next eh
@_x4o: GREAT YEMEN RESOURCE: MidEast Youth Launches Crowdvoice for Yemeni Day of Rage http://ow.ly/3Pp22 #feb3 #jr_yemen #yemen #cables #wikileaks
@giantpandinha: People in Yemen to follow @WomanfromYemen @ionacraig @JebBoone @nefermaat @alaalsam via @avinunu's list http://bit.ly/gSrnvE #Feb3
@Snemyllas: @ionacraig @Nefermaat and @TomFinn_ are reporters online live from Sana'a today #Feb3 #JR_Yemen
@giantpandinha: Today is Yemen's day #Feb3. Follow @Brian_Whit of Guardian. Still looking for people tweeting on the ground. Only 2% have net access there!
@Snemyllas: @cheisback @pascaluccelli @avinunu Use #JR_Yemen or #Feb3 pls on #Yemen's #ArabRev. #Feb11 on Aden's demo next week
@3beee: Reminder: Hashtag dates already being planned for Arab world- Sudan #Jan30 Yemen #Feb3 Syria #Feb5 Algeria #Feb12 Bahrain #Feb14 #fb
@hippodamos: report any human rights violations during the rallies on #Feb3 in #Yemen at either 777367213 or 714498956
This post is part of our special coverage Yemen Protests 2011.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Africa: The fate of political vultures · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zimbabwean blogger Chris Kabwato discusses the fate of political vultures: “Dictators are pseudo-intellectuals who have to invent some type of nationalism. They disguise their acts under the guise of sense of preserving tradition or returning to some African roots.”


text:
An Egyptian Activist’s Letter Reached to S.Koreans · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

An Egyptian activist's touching letter explaining the reason of the protest and the fact that protesters are falsely accused as mobs was translated into Korean by Nanum Munhwa, a non-profit social organization promoting peace for global community. It is spreading via Wiki Tree site[ko], a South Korea's citizem media.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


text:
Angola: National languages in some schools · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

The Government of Angola announced [pt] the introduction of seven national languages in the curricula of  basic education in 2011, “to bridge the learning gap of children whose  mother tongue is not Portuguese”. Meanwhile, more and more schools “which dispense references to Angola” are openning, according to BWE Angolano's blog [pt].

author: Sara Moreira


text:
Belarus, Ukraine: Photographer Blogs About Chernobyl Exclusion Zone · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Documentary photographer Michael Forster Rothbart is guest-blogging about the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone at Chernobyl Children International.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Caribbean: Looking at Cairo · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Caribbean bloggers have their eyes on Cairo. From Bermuda, Wishful Thinking republishes an image that offers “hope for humanity”; Cuba's Yoani Sanchez says: “The insinuation is clear: five decades of authoritarianism here at home has exceeded its expiration date” and Trinidad-based Globewriter adds: “When you target journalists and shut down the internet you show only that you operate best in darkness.”


text:
China: Internet service as a social contract · Global Voices
John Kennedy

A big chunk of China was disconnected from the Internet for nearly a year not that long ago, but as some have pointed out, this wasn't quite on scale with the Egyptian government recently taking the entire country offline for a week.
Nor were there any riots in China when an earthquake disrupted Internet service for a few weeks back in 2006; but what if that were to happen now? And with the staggering costs inflicted by Egypt's downtime this week, how likely is the Chinese government to ever pull their own Internet kill switch in an attempt to stifle political unrest?
Somewhere roughly between that and the idea that news from Egypt might spark a political movement in China is the discussion below from Ruan Yifeng's tech blog, on his post, Egypt shut down the Internet.
(Alternately, try your hand at some of the pro-disconnection logic below.)
埃及政府这样做，到底想干什么？
难道真的相信，没有了互联网就可以平息局势？……要是果真如此，以后解决社会难题，都不需要政府了，只要关闭互联网就行了。
由此推测，埃及政府里有些人，根本不把人民放在眼里。你向他反映政府工作的不足之处，他不反思哪里做错了，而是痛恨你怎么把这种事情说出来了。所有人都看不到，不就等于不存在吗？互联网上那么多流言蜚语，蛊惑人心，看它干嘛，关了多好！
如果埃及政府真的这么想，真的以为关闭互联网可以解决社会问题。那么，它的结局就是下面这句话。
Did they honestly believe that without the Internet the situation would calm down…? If that were the case, we wouldn't need governments when it comes to resolving social unrest, we could just turn the Internet off.
Thus, we can infer that some people within the Egyptian government simply just don't think much of their people. We see people pointing out to the government its shortcomings, and instead of any reflection over mistakes it might have made, it starts hating on people for even daring to speak of such things. So if people can't see such discussions, they must not be taking place, is that it? With all that gossip flying around the Internet messing with people's heads, why would anyone want to see that? The Internet's better off shut down!
So if that's how the Egyptian government is truly thinking, if they honestly think that shutting down the Internet can resolve social problems, then the conclusion has to be something like this:
‘V for Vendetta’ imagery is also quite popular among Chinese geeks.
And comments from Ruan's post:
lode 说：
当我们在谈埃及断网 ，其实在谈神马!
lalala 说：
关键的人家达到目的了：
这样就不能通过网络组织抗议活动
而”所有人都看不到了”，那就是没有了
穆巴拉克的对象是埃及国内，又不是国外，外面再怎么吵和里面没关系
tartar 说：
切得好，把本来宅在家的网虫逼上街了。
popoer 说：
又是从我朝学的，记得一个做淘宝的新疆店主要跑到敦煌才能上网的……
希锐亚 说：
把互联网切了是引暴网民的最快方法，埃及的科技实力还是不行
野草博客 说：
嘿嘿，埃及怎么没有引进兲朝的功夫王呢？
xubing 说：
确实如此
发生社会动乱后政府不应该干涉民众的联系渠道，应该让动乱分子自由发挥，提早暴露，彻底解决问题
上回新疆七五事件的时候我们也不该切断新疆的互联网以及手机联系，否则疆独分子就能组织起更大的暴乱活动，才会死伤更多的无辜群众，才能激起更大的民愤，彻底打击疆独的基础，尽早恢复和平生活
总之原则就是社会不稳定，发生群体动乱的时候，任何人都不应该切断人们的联系渠道，虽然有打杀有损失，但是值得
上次我也这么讲的，可惜那个论坛把我的留言删了，今天看看这里会不会删掉
In short, the point is that when society is not stable, when mass riots take place, nobody should cut anybody's means of communication, even if there will be deaths or damage as a result…
true0758 说：
不能上网就上街
ssdt 说：
中国人民的好日子快到了
腐败分子和利益集团的末日很快就要来临
作威作福能到几日？
奥巴黑马 说：
我们这个文明古国跟那个文明古国何其的相似~~~
tristan 说：
卫星上网可以加快进程了，看哪个政府还能完全切断互联网！
hupu 说：
网络对于民意的影响还是比较大。记得以前看过一遍文章，说网络对革命的影响不大，名字叫small change，现在看来网络的影响是不能小视的。
雨人 说：
埃人民成功了。也告诉某些国家，切断通信时极其愚蠢的做法。
贵国P客 说：
埃政府终于徒弟赶过师傅了。
师傅下次不要shutdown新疆网这末小气了，有本事就跟徒弟学一回。
爱国教主 说：
埃及把网络切了关中国什么事，阮一峰特别说这件事他的目的本身就值得怀疑。每个国家都有每个国家的情况，不是所有的国家都可以像美国一样随便上网。埃及现在不太稳定，有很多问题需要解决，很多人靠着国外的支持兴风作浪，把互联网断了虽然不能直接解决问题，但是或许可以让问题解决的更快一点。再说互联网原来就是政府自己建立的，政府切断自己的互联网也没有什么，别人不应该说三道四，哪有自己花钱别人管的道理。全世界五分之四的人都没有上网，断网只是少数人受影响，很多非洲的穷人没有钱上网，不知道为什么阮一峰不为他们说话。总之现在埃及的局势很复杂，大家不要胡乱猜测，要防止阮一峰一类的人利用这件事情含沙射影的表达一些其他的意思。现在社会上有一种对政府不满的情绪，说政府这不好那不好，其实很多都是自己不思进取。还有很多像阮一峰一类的人经常不请自来“为民请命”，干扰国家的决策。我们应该提高警惕，不要被他们自私的目的给利用了。
天朝小民 说：
前面有些论调荒唐至极。自由通信是人民的基本权利，国家是人民的而不是政府的，政府也必须被人民授权，一个不称职的政府就应该下台，通过游行示威把这样的独裁腐败政府轰下台是人民天经地义就具有的权利。请弄清楚这些作为共和国公民的基本常识。
埃及的混乱不是人民造成的，恰好相反，是赖在上面不走的独裁者造成的，你看看民主国家4年一换政府，哪里乱了？只有独裁国家才会乱，才会流血来更替政府。
民主化浪潮是挡不住，人民都有做人而不是做奴才的愿望，穆巴拉克们可以阻挡一时，但阻挡不了一世，独裁者迟早会被清算。
The chaos in Egypt now was not created by the people, rather quite the opposite, it was created by those dictators clinging to the top refusing to go. Where do you see this kind of chaos in democratic countries where the government changes every four years? Only dictatorships are truly chaotic, where blood has to be shed to replace the government.
The wave of democratization cannot be stopped; people wish to live as people and not as slaves. Mubarak can hold it off for now, but he can't hold it off forever. All dictators face their reckoning sooner or later.
dot 说：
爱国教主是五毛么
中国版突尼斯 说：
这个世界上有三个版本的突尼斯：第一是过去式突尼斯版的突尼斯；第二是现在式埃及版的突尼斯；第三是中-国-共-产-党统治下的中国，不久的将来时。
Timesand 说：
切得好，叫你们整天宅在家里面不出门！这下该上街逛逛了吧。埃及的网瘾青少年因祸得福
天朝小民 说：
凡是害怕别人说话的，一定是自己心里有鬼。如果一个政府会因为老百姓自由沟通而倒台，那么这个政府一定早该倒台，一定早该滚蛋了。
九幽 说：
看到了典型的犬儒主義者——爱国教主。
“现在社会上有一种对政府不满的情绪，说政府这不好那不好，其实很多都是自己不思进取。”
如果你妹被推坐，你爸被躲貓貓，你老婆被潛規則，你兒子被大頭，你家被強拆。你還表示對政府不滿，你就是個不思進取的傢伙。
所以，愛國教主教給我們的是，我們應該做這個體制的既得利益者，不要做屁民。
So really what Patriotic bishop is telling us is that we should be stakeholders in the system, and not just shitizens.
otcc 说：
这不过是基地版的‘颜色革命’罢了，阿拉伯世界下层民众普遍反美，民主的结果就是又一个‘哈马斯’。老美居然要打中东最民主的伊朗，不懂啊
‘The Egyptian people demand President Mubarak step down’, from Flickr user traveller.within

author: John Kennedy


text:
Cote d’Ivoire: Ivorian Charity Hope · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nicole Ndamiba blogs about Ivorian Hope Charity, which focuses its efforts in the rural villages in the western region of Cote d'Ivoire because it was the most devasted region during the initial civil war.


text:
Cuba: Pacheco Blogs From Exile  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Cubans, undeniably, have to find a path. We must keep one thing very present: only love can save us from human misery”: Pablo Pacheco, one of the prisoners of Cuba’s Black Spring, blogs about some of his experiences while in confinement.


text:
East Jerusalem: Sheikh Jarrah is renamed Tahrir Square by activists · Global Voices
Carmel L. Vaisman

The weekly solidarity march of Palestinian and Israeli activists in the East Jerusalem Neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah this morning, was marked by a solidarity protest with the people of Egypt. Protesters carried an Egyptian flag and changed the name of Shaikh Jarrah garden to Tahrir Square.  Click for photo

author: Carmel L. Vaisman


text:
Egypt: Chants getting Louder in Tahrir Square · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Egyptians from all walks of life have been chanting for an end of the Mubarak regime, as Egypt braces itself for the 11th day of massive protests.
Today is being dubbed as Departure Friday or Final Friday, and millions are being roused to march to the streets to bring down Mubarak's regime after the noon Friday prayers. People are already in Tahrir Square, Cairo, and the chants have never been louder.
The drama continues to unfold on our television screens and social media, despite attempts by a desperate government to muzzle free voices around the world. Yesterday saw unprecedented attacks by the government on political activists, human rights defenders and the international media, drawing an international outcry. In the dark of the night, we held our breath expecting the worse from a regime which has shown us all that it would stoop to the lowest most despicable levels to terrorise Egyptians calling for change and aspiring to better lives. Stories of government-paid thugs wrecking havoc continued to dominate our time lines, as the death toll and injuries continued to pile up.
Back in Tahrir, the mood seems jubilant, with Mubarak's thugs at bay.
Ayman Mohyeldin tweets:
Festive and Celebratory atmosphere that marked the days of the protest b4 Pro-mubarak peeps attacked is back in
Journalist Abbas Al Lawati, who's travelled from Dubai, UAE, is in the midst of the crowds and tweets:
Just got to Tahrir sq. 3 chains of defence. Was checked for ID six times, patted down 4 times
And activist and blogger Malek, announced on his Twitter account that he would be is live streaming the protests from Tahrir Square on bambuser.
Here's another scene from the protests from YouTube:
Translation via Adam:
“Alaa Mubarak, who demands royalties on every business he commissions, And they say he repented but he's stuffing his face with meat (kebab), Guess It's his daddy's money. Money does what it wants, While people became dirty poor, No to Mubarak No to Sulieman, To hell with tyranny. We want a civil state, Not for sect or religious ideology (x2), Not for sects or for bandits!”
Others are taking a short break and returning to Tahrir after the Friday prayers:
going to sleep for 2 hrs , then heading to Tahrir ISA after el Gom3ah [Friday] prayer
Raafat continues:
People from all over are heading to #Tahrir . Alexandria on the other hand will rock today #egypt #jan25
And support continues to mount. From Bahrain, Eyad Al Malood is adding an Egypt Uprising Twibbon to show his solidarity.
Stay tuned for more coverage from Egypt, where the time now is just past 11am.
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.


text:
Egypt: Inside Tahrir Square · Global Voices
Nermeen Edrees

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Over the past 10 days the way to Tahrir (Liberation) Square, in downtown Cairo, has always been the most dangerous of all (literally and figuratively). However inside the “field”, things were different. In spite of the gun shots, regime-sponsored thugs, and fire bombs, the square's sanctuary seemed to be the safest place in the world for all freedom seekers inside it.
Merry is an eye witness, who describes her feelings once she steps inside the field:
Despite the ruins, and the massive injuries, I had a very soothing sense that I was in heaven… for the first time in my life the sight of blood did not turn my stomach, for the first time in my life the the smell of horse pee (near the entrances) or that coming out from public restrooms did not make me gasp for air or feel sick!!!!
she continues:
I was among ANGELS, not human beings… I was surrounded by people with a spirit higher than the sky, THANKING ME, ME!!!!!!!! I did all I can to smile at them, and thank them, and pray for them when all I wanted to do was weep and hide in their arms, and kneel to kiss their feet for making me feel so safe in a place so ruined and destroyed, for making my tense muscles relax after a long night of hysteric crying!!
It is no secret that the country was on the verge of falling into the sectarian trap a few weeks after the  Alexandria church bombing.  Yet inside the field no one asked about religion, no one cared. All Egyptians…all protecting, all united.
Christians protecting Muslims praying in Tahrir
One of the prominent things that came to the surface is the confidence in the military forces surrounding the area and protecting the protesters from the thugs and police forces.
After the massacre committed by the pro-regime thugs against the peaceful protesters in the square over the previous two days, doctors rushed to volunteer and help the injured.. and practically an on-field hospital has been established.  3arabawy documents this
hospital in this video:
As for the martyrs who fell over the past few days, they will never be forgotten.  Egyptians in the Liberation Square vowed to get their Egypt back (even if they lost one of their eyes)..
The poster carried by the protester above reads:
I can see with one eye, and the other I sacrifice for the martyrs.
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

author: Nermeen Edrees


text:
Egypt: Rapping the Revolution  · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Mideast Tunes brings us a group of Egyptian rappers which under the name Arabian Knightz wish to spread their perspective on the recent events shaking their country. From the site:
In the midst of Revolution, Egyptian rap group, Arabian Knightz, releases the first song to come out of Egypt since the revolution and complete internet/communications blackout. The song titled, “Rebel”, is produced by, Iron Curtain, and features a sample of Lauryn Hill on the hook. “Rebel” was recorded right in the middle of the Revolution and subsequently is being released on the first day of restored internet services
image from http://mideastunes.com/arabianknightz/
Thumbs up for Mideast Tunes website for  featuring Middle Eastern musicians who wish to incite social change. Particularly now that social change is taking place throughout the region. Just last month, right before the Tunisia revolt which managed to remove the President, a musician known as The General was arrested. The motive?  His song President, Your People Are Dying.
You can listen to Rebel, by the Arabian Knightz through the player displayed at the end of this post. According to their page, the song is free to download, stream, play and distribute; it is available on the Mideast Tunes page.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


text:
Egypt: The Day of (Almost) Departure  · Global Voices
Carmel L. Vaisman

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
After two days of clashes, in which pro-democracy demonstrators were attacked by pro-Mubarak crowds, Friday – labelled as the “Day of Departure” saw increasing numbers of people pouring into Tahrir Square, down town, Cairo, where the images of peaceful celebrations returned.
Shortly after 5pm in Cairo, the crowd in Tahrir was roaring and tweets were flying around guessing the reason: Al Jazeera's live feed was showing soldiers mounting people into what seemed as a bus,  and some people on Twitter assumed the protesters are marching to the presidential palace. Apparently they have debated on it. However, a fellow tweep from Heliopolis warned against such a move saying that presidential guard will surly shoot them all if they attempt to.
In the course of the next few minutes the reason for the roar was found: it seems that the announcer in the square did not choose his words carefully, causing the protesters to think Mubarak has announced his resignation.
The confusion raised as Egypt's state TV seemed to have changed its narrative in those same minutes, showing the protesters in the square and talking on the phone with one of them, on air. Ten minutes later journalists confirmed the rumor untrue and Egyptian hopeful tweeps stood corrected: announcer did say it but it wasn't confirmed information, more like wishful thinking probably.
At the same time, the anonymous protester on state TV said they were trained by Americans and Jews and everyone understood rapidly that unfortunately, nothing has changed. In addition, VP Suleiman spoke on TV, portraying the protesters as non serious youth and asking their parents to call them home. @ramahkudaimi answers on Twitter: too bad the parents and grandparents are in the street with them.
Among those who joined the protesters today were priests and nuns from the Coptic church of Egypt. A larger number of Egyptians are now breaking curfew by holding the Friday prayers in Tahrir, alongside the Christian prayers, as a united crowd of millions. Protesters are joined today by similar crowds across Egypt, estimating 4 million Egyptians are on the streets today.
As Egypt swings between beautiful unity and brutal clashes this week, it is time to make a plan beyond holding the square: Sarah Zaaimi, until recently a resident of Alexandria, calls upon the Egyptians to ignore recent conspiracy theories and be pragmatic:
Now that you know all this what should you do?
1.    Hold on Mubarak and risk that when he will die the masters will not do a ‘’PEACEFUL TRANSITION’’ anymore and you will join the Iraq Club
2.    Continue fighting like puppets and ending up with a more democratic president but with the same framework which don’t serve the interests of the Egyptian people.
3.    Being pragmatic while dealing with this conspiracy and getting rid of Mooby, but asking for the maximum you can get and involving as much new elites in the conspiracy as you can have.
Personally, I support option number 3. If you cooperate now you can have a prosperity phase where you can prepare for a more genuine revolution within less than 5 years with a more mature political elite (thing that you lack now), that would have emerged from January 25th Youth. And the good news for everyone is that; we would all have taken revenge from the black days of the current regime and sacrifice another pharaoh from the dynasty.
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.


text:
Egypt: The View from Jordan · Global Voices
Nadine Toukan

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Jordan is not a regional domino in political terms since our general discontent is with our government, policies and a broken system, and not about HM King Abdullah II; even if we don't agree with all his decisions. We do have a lot of work to do to address big internal challenges and failed reform attempts, something that is slowly evolving into a sincere and open conversation, and that's the work ahead for us inside Jordan. Jordan prefers chess to dominoes.
On the other hand, sentiments are generally high on the Jordanian street in support of the uprising in Egypt. People are tuned into the news and events, there is Egypt related chatter at various socio-economic, cultural and political levels, and some are taking to the streets to voice this support. The Jordanian community active on social networks continues to cheer on, engage with and amplify the voices of pro democracy Egyptians. What is indeed felt and acted on in Jordan is about a desired Arab sentiment. Arab pride. Egypt today is hugely symbolic of that. Jordanians, like others, want to belong to a new and proud Arab world of freedom and human dignity.
Protests have been taking place in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Amman, with one to two hundred passionate people from various walks of life determined to support the stand of Egyptians at Tahrir Square in Cairo and in other locations around Egypt, come rain or shine. These crowds include Egyptians, part of an approximate 500,000 living and working in Jordan and an integral part of our work force. Egyptians who are proudly voicing their solidarity with their own back at home.
Dina, an architecture student, blogged about one of the local protests she joined in Amman:
“…The people also chanted in support of Tunisia, Yemen, Iraq, Palestine as well as Sudan, communicating the importance of a popular revolt and how it is the way to the reform the entire region needs.”
Here are some of Dina's pictures:
Egypt, Egypt free. Mubarak get out.
Egypt, Jordan is with you.
Yesterday we were Tunisians. Today we are Egyptians. Tomorrow we will be free.
Aramram shares the  video below from one of the protests, along with popular chants, some messages here are recorded from Jordanians to Egyptians:
The signs read, in order of appearance:
“Take note, I'm Arab”
“Enough lying promises”
“Rise up Arabs, Egypt has risen”
“United with the free youth of Egypt”
And the messages from Jordanians to Egyptian protesters are as follows:
“We salute the great Egyptian people. They have always been revolutionary since Gamal Abdel Naser days. We salute you and hope to overcome the Mubarak regime. The people of Egypt have been oppressed and have long tolerated a corrupt system. They lost billions and lived in poverty and unemployment and we hope they emerge victorious, God willing.”
“We support the Egyptian people, and we are all one. We feel with everything every Egyptian is going through. We have similar unemployment here, and all dictatorships must fall, and that is the domino effect.”
“Congratulations to the people of Egypt who bring back the days of Abdel Naser.”
“They deserve it and we are with them.”
“Keep going until they bring down the Mubarak regime. We in Jordan are with them all the way. The Egyptian people don't need support, we are with them. Egyptians are the leaders of the Arabs.”
“We are with you, keep going, don't stop. We're with you till the end.”
“I salute them and say continue with your revolt. God willing you emerge victorious and achieve what you want.”
And then the UN umbrella came up, only as shelter from the rain.
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

author: Nadine Toukan


text:
Egypt: “The West Faces Another Bosnia Moment” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Greater Surbiton writes that “in the Egyptian crisis today, Western leaders face another Bosnia moment.”


text:
Egypt: Wael Abbas, Arrested by Army, then Released  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Prominent Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas, who has been instrumental in uncovering police torture and brutality, was held for about an hour today – raising the concern of netizens around the world. Among those held yesterday were blogger Sandmonkey, who was on his way to deliver medical aid to Tahrir Square.
Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas. Image by Hossam el-Hamalawy (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
His tweet “arrested by the army” was quickly picked by people left, right, and centre, throwing friends on the ground in a frenzy.
Abbas has since been released, but is flustered that he is being stopped “at every single checkpoint,” because he and his friends are suspected of being foreigners. The Egyptian regime has upped its warfare against journalists, with a concentrated crackdown yesterday on political and human rights activists, and the international press, to leave protesters without a leadership on the one hand and muzzle the Press, on the other. Like all its plots so far, this plan has fired back too, and the mood was jubilant today as millions rallied all day calling for Mubarak to leave.
Like many digital activists, Abbas continued to live stream today's protests on bambuser. His videos can be found here.
Here some of the reactions on Twitter, after Abbas was reported arrested:
@OuiamY: Youth protest leader Wael Abbas and Michael Nabil arrested. Is this the freedom that Mubaraks regime promised? #jan25 #tahrir
@RamyYaacoub: Breaking News: It seems that blogger Wael Abbas (@waelabbas) has been arrested by the army #Egypt #Jan25
@ahmed: Wael Abbas (@waelabbas) just tweeted that he was arrested by the army! #Egypt #Jan25
As the clock ticked, more tweets continued to pour:
@ghazamfar: #Egypt: Arrested Blogger Wael Abbas OK — 5 Others With him — May Be In Military Police Custody http://tinyurl.com/6egmefh #Jan25
And then came good news:
@weddady: Can someone confirm please that he is free? RT @aonahrawy: @waelabbas just released now from custody @monaeltahawy @3arabawy @ShawkattRaghib
Questions were also asked on promises made against attacks on journalists and protesters:
@bencnn: #Egypt press ctr denies official policy targetting journalists. “Acts of violence against journalists unacceptable, media always welcome”
@Indiffirent: Then where's Wael Ghonim & Y Was Wael Abbas arrested RT@AlArabiya_Eng Egypt's PM: the government vows not to crackdown of protesters #Jan25
Meanwhile, the hunt continues for Google executive Wael Ghonim, who has been missing since January 25.
@monasosh: Search for @Ghonim continues, if you have ANY info email infoaboutwael@google.com or call +44 20 7031 3008. Let's get our friend back #Jan25
And @ircpresident shares a list containing the names of people arrested since the protests started on January 25:
Photo credit: Hossam ElHamalawy
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.


text:
Egypt: When Pictures Speak Louder than Words  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
Up to a million people are already chanting in Tahrir (Liberation) Square, Cairo, calling on Mubarak to leave. Anti-Mubarak protests have been held across Egypt for the 11th day in a row and today's is being dubbed as the Departure or Final Friday.
Here are some pictures tweeted by people on the ground, showing the masses marching to the square, as they get vetted at checkpoints set up to protect the peaceful demonstrators from government-paid thugs:
@monasosh: Egy revolution rocks! #Jan25 :) http://yfrog.com/h7tl5bj
@beleidy: At qasr El nil bridge checkpoint #jan25 egypt http://twitpic.com/3wckhq
@monasosh: Amazing no and a long line of ppl waiting to enter from kasr el nile bridge #Jan25 http://yfrog.com/h0efpmmj
I hate you Mubarak
@ElFoulio: Erm take the hint already, its pretty explicit #Tahrir #Jan25 http://twitpic.com/3wcjp2
@nohaHMsafar: One of the protester's signs, liked it a lot! 7asbi allah 3alek ya Mubarak! #egypt #jan25 http://yfrog.com/gz25tlqj
@norashalaby: Long lines to get into tahrir #Jan25 http://yfrog.com/gyuhzqwj
@mideastmedia: PIC: Graffiti in Tahrir painted over worries TV coverage of Egypt situation is, or will be, diminished http://yfrog.com/gzjq7anj #jan25
@Gsquare86: Kasr El Nile entrance got really organized and intensely secured http://yfrog.com/h4enlpxj
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.


text:
Gabon: The Invisible Revolt · Global Voices
Julie Owono

This post is part of our special coverage on Gabon Unrest 2011
Protests in Gabon have failed to make a dent in the international news cycle as all eyes are still turned towards the Egyptian crisis. Mohamed Keita of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)  was wondering if “fake news wasn't drawing real censorship” in Gabon, as he discussed  the closing of the first private Gabonese TV channel, TV+.
According to Keita, the overreaction by the Ali Bongo's government is a sign of a deeper concern: what was considered ridiculous by Ali Bongo and his partisans before seems to have created subtantial political turmoil in this little West African nation.
The rhetorical strategy of Bongo's camp seems to consist of the total denial of the opposition party, National Union.
Sekou Oumar Doumbia, a Bongo partisan, writes on Ali Bongo's Facebook page:
Continuez de travailler et laissez les ridicules rêver.
Nevertheless, the situation appears more complicated. In the last five days, the country has witnessed civil unrest. But IQ4News, a columnist style magazine website dedicated to African related issues, noticed that protests in Gabon “have gone largely unnoticed by the media because of the focus on Egypt”.
Mass Protests in Libreville and the UNDP Building Attack
Thanks to locally based activists, there has a been some coverage of protests; they have also been advertised through different social networks.
Last Saturday 29 January, 2011, a demonstration was organised at Carrefour Rio in Libreville, Gabon's capital city. More than 2,000 of opposition leader Mba Obame's partisans went to protest against Ali Bongo's government and faced public security forces.
Demonstration, Carrefour Rio in Libreville, 29 January, 2011
This demonstration was followed by violent clashes between Mba Obame's partisans and Ali Bongo's Police forces, who were trapped by groups of demonstrators in slums near the place where the demonstration started.
The same day, military forces were ordained to attack the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP) building in Libreville, where Mba Obame and his Government sought asylum. Camarade, a Gabonese activist, posted on his blog [fr] pictures showing some victims of the attack:
Opposition protestor after UNDP attack on 29 January, 2011 (c) Camarade on LePost
Voice of the Gabonese People (La voix du Peuple Gabonais LVDPG) reports on its website [fr] that 2,000 further people demonstrated in Bitam [fr], in the north of the country on Monday 31 January, 2011. On the same site, it is said that riots occured in many districts [fr] of Libreville on 2nd February. In Atong Abè, one policeman was wounded.
Franklin explains on Twitter :
Gabon: Crise politique:Soulèvements populaires en cours; quartiers pauvres de Nkembo, Cocotiers, Gare-routière, Atong Abè. Un blessé grave.
Meyo-Kye, North Gabon, 2 February, 2011. Banner reads: "In Tunisia, Ben Ali left. In Gabon, Ali Ben out."
Cars burnt in Atong Abè, Libreville, after riots on 2 February, 2011.
Wave of Arrests
A dozen of executives and sympathisers of the National Union (NU) main opposition party, have been arrested during the last five days. Koaci.com published a press release by President of NU:
A 5 heures du matin plusieurs compatriotes ont été arrêtés, brutalisés et transférés au camp Aïssa (caserne du Bataillon des parachutistes gabonais), puis au camp de gendarmerie de Gros-Bouquet, avant d’être finalement gardés à vue, à partir du 28 janvier, dans les sous-sols de la Direction générale des Recherches de la Gendarmerie Nationale et ce, au mépris de la loi qui interdit toute garde à vue au-delà de 72h.”
The opposition party's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Ben Moubamba, tweeted this morning about the kidnapping of the son of a Gabonese MP, Alexis Bengone:
Organized Repression & Brutality in Gabon. Former Prime minister’ Son kidnapped by hooded men. #revogab#egypt #tunisia #civ2010
Some assume that his arrest is related to his online activism. He manages the Gabao Res Publica social network and may have tried to inspire youth uprisings with his article, ‘Gabon: A generation in quest of democratic sense’.
This post is part of our special coverage on Gabon Unrest 2011

author: Julie Owono


text:
Israel: Jews should be banned from learning Arabic · Global Voices
Carmel L. Vaisman

Arab-Israeli author and Journalist Sayed Kashua wrote a humorous yet sharp column targeting the Israeli narrow view point on the events in Egypt: “I used to think one of the troubles with this place, where people are always buzzing about humanism and accepting others, was the lack of knowledge of Arabic. After listening to our Arab affairs analysts, I reached the conclusion that it would be better not to teach Arabic at all here. In fact, Yisrael Beiteinu should get a law passed banning Jews from learning Arabic, if the result is going to be analysts like Guy Bechor.” Read more


text:
Israel: Why this Israeli is so invested in Egypt? · Global Voices
Carmel L. Vaisman

Emily L. Hauser writes memories from Cairo as she prays for the Egyptian people: “I know that the Egyptians don’t love the peace that Sadat signed with us. I know that they hate the occupation, distrust Israel and the US because of it, are prone to believing mildly (and not-so-mildly) anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. I know that the Magen David, the Star of David, the symbol of my faith, is often used by them as a symbol of evil. I know these things. But in my heart, they are my people, too.”Read more


text:
Jamaica: The Role of Social Media  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“They add a different dimension to reporting of events, but to put them at the core of social movements is too strong”: Grasshopper Eyes The Potomac comments on the role of social media in events like the Egypt protests.


text:
Jordan: Demonstrations for Egypt, against PM · Global Voices
Betsy Fisher

Two separate demonstrations, held in Amman, Jordan, on Friday, February 4th, ended peacefully.  This week saw King Abdullah II dismissing Prime Minister Samir Rifai, champion of economic liberalization, in favor of former Prime Minister Maarouf Bakhit.  Bakhit is of Jordanian origin and from a military background.  His appointment has been interpreted as a display of the King's desire to consolidate Jordan's loyalists and mollify those angry with rising food and energy costs.  Bakhit's appointment was not, however, met without complaint, with Islamists in particular charging that Bakhit is not capable of carrying out political reform.
After Bakhit's appointment, the King further attempted to stave off Islamist criticism by meeting with Islamist opposition leaders.  After these actions, two separate protests were held the afternoon of Friday, February 4th.  The first was held downtown, the site of ongoing protests against (now former) PM Rifai.  This week, the protests were against the appointment of new PM Bakhit and in solidarity with the Egyptian people.
At 12:30 pm Amman time, Mahmoud al-Hamawi  reported the events of the protest minute-by-minute, tweeting a series of slogans being chanted and displayed at the downtown protest:
ما بدنا نغير حكومات … بدنا نغير سياسات Downtown , amman now AngryJordan #ReformJO
He continued for the next half hour, updating every couple of minutes with slogans both against the new prime minister and in solidarity with Egypt.  Around 1 pm, Tololy tweeted that pro-regime demonstrators had appeared:
Ten people carrying king's pictures clash with protesters in #Amman #JO #ReformJO #ArabProtest
But just ten minutes later, she updated:
Police intervene to break up clash in #Amman but don't stop the protest #JO #ReformJO via @AmmanNet
Also at around 12:30, Samih Toukan tweeted vague information about a demonstration in front of the Prime Minister's Office in Amman:
Its raining in Amman but I can hear chants of people in demo in front of priministry not sure how big and what r they chanting #ReformJo
This protest started at the Prime Ministry before marching to the Egyptian Embassy, located a short distance away.  By 1:30, Ali Abu-Nimah tweeted:
Estimate a couple thousand outside Egypt embassy in Amman despite heavy rain. Will post video later. #jan25
This number seems wildly inflated from other independent reports.  Thoraya tweeted her disappointment with the protest:
#JO protest quite Islamic. Leader quite uncharismatic. Boring. Time to go home #NoJOReformhere
She added:
Protest in front of #Egypt embassy in #JO seems very staged & scripted by authorities to ensure ‘acceptable’ msg #JOReform #Fail #BS
Despite minor clashes at the downtown protest, both demonstrations ended peacefully, perhaps curtailed by rain throughout the capital.

author: Betsy Fisher


text:
Kenya: Meet Sisterpreneur Wawi Amasha · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Meet Sisterpreneur Wawi Amasha is the woman behind ‘Mami Afrika’ designs. Mami Afrika is a brand of products, (clothes, jewelry and wearable art), that reflect my love for African cultures.


text:
Kenya: To protest or not to protest?’ · Global Voices
Collins Mbalo

Following role the social media site Twitter played in the Tunisian and Egyptian protests, Kenyans are discussing on Twitter whether to emulate these  protests or not. Trending on Twitter are the hashtags #KenyaFeb28 and #ChoosePeace. Apparently, the former being a marshaling call for protests on 28 February 2011.
Antoneosoul states some of  the issues surrounding the February 28 protest calls:
on #kenya28feb we hoot at 7am, 1 and5:30pm, we hoot that we havent forgotten about IDPS (Internally Displaces Persons), HAGUE(apparently referring to the Kenyans named by the ICC as persons bearing most responsibility for the post election violence witnessed in the Country after the disputed 2008 Presidential Elections), CORRUPTION, JUSTICE, UNEMPLOYMENT! seriously!
IamGecci believes that Kenyans should not just copy Egypt:
“copy Egypt?  Please don't be stupid. We're still dealing with those PEV(2008 Post Election Violence) vibes”
AlindiG in response states:
No one wants to copy Egypt, just wanna [want to]express [to the]top the elite that we are watching their actions, nothing violent
To counter the call for protests, other Kenyans are Tweeting on the hashtag #ChoosePeace . Among those going for #ChoosePeace is David Mugo a father of two, who states:
I am David Mugo, @raidarmax a father of 2 daughters who need a peaceful Kenya. #ChoosePeace over #Kenya28Feb
Blogger Marvin Tumbo of Socialite Media Kenya, however, analyzes the issue of whether Kenyans can engage in political protests such as the ones witnessed in Egypt and Tunisia. In his opinion at the blog he states:
Generally looking at what Kenyans have posted on Facebook, Twitter, and  on blogs, Tribalism is emerging as a leading hindrance to any form of  revolution in Kenya. The others are Police Brutality especially in  memory of the 2008 post election violence, a largely conservative middle  class that would rather tweet than walk the streets …. and our love for Tea  Breaks . Most countries are too  divided internally that the consensus to revolt against a Government is  never a cause for worry to most of these leaders.
At the Nairobian Perspective the writer makes an interesting observation perhaps querying whether the growing trend will result in greater Governmental scrutiny of Social Media sites such as Twitter, Facebook ..etc:
This trending development is of interest to many pundits as it impacts on the role of social media in voicing discontent, mobilization of mass protests in real time , freedom of expression and whether Governments should take an increasing role in policing , monitoring and or regulation of social media.Will  perhaps the present developments result in greater Government scrutiny of Social media?
Kachwanya concludes that #KenyaFeb28 has failed. He comes up with 10 reasons:
5. Kenya is tribal nation, whether you want to accept it or not. That does not mean people are stupid, it is just the way they are. So before you tell people to go to the streets you have to explain to them who  you are targeting. At the corner there you might look at Kibaki as bad leader or failed leader but people from his tribe will not see that. You might consider Raila a populist but people from his tribe have different opinion. You might look at Kalonzo as “kaloser” withuot any concrete position on anything, relying on the divine intervention but people from his tribe see  a different picture. You might not want to associate with Ruto and Uhuru because of their shoddy past but to some of their tribesmen and women, it is a political witch hunt. So be careful
6.  Twitter and Facebook in Kenya are places for the middle class, well educated lot and kids from well off backgrounds.  These are people who are somehow comfortable on their skins and value stability over chaos.  They may support the idea but in reality they will not take to the streets. If you want people to go to the street, get a way to communicate with guys in Kibera , Mathare, Kawangware, else Good Luck
Whether the call for peaceful protests on Twitter will amount to something remains to be seen.

author: Collins Mbalo


text:
Mexico: Reactions to “Racist” Remarks on BBC’s Top Gear · Global Voices
Andrea Arzaba

On Sunday January 30, Richard Hammond, one of the presenters on the BBC’s popular car show Top Gear, made these comments while talking about the Mexican designed car Mastretta: “Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent,  overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a  blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat.” These and other comments during the show have become a big topic of discussion in the national blogosphere.
Top Gear. Image by Flickr user mikkelz, used under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license
Blogger Alejandro Ortiz Sotomayor from Vivir Mexico [es] explained the situation:
El hecho fue que en dicho programa en vez de analizar al vehículo como tal, solamente se dedicaron a criticar al pueblo mexicano a base de estereotipos ignorantes y mal fundados, llegando incluso a ofender al embajador de nuestro país en Inglaterra.
The fact is that in the program, rather than analyze the vehicle as such, the presenters devoted their time to criticizing Mexican people based on ignorant and ill-founded stereotypes, even offending the ambassador of our country in England.
Jeremy Clarkson, another of the show's presenters, said:  “We  won't get any complaints about this because the  Mexican   ambassador's  going to be sitting there with a remote control  like   this.” Mexican  Ambassador to the UK, Eduardo Medina-Mora, has  written to the  BBC asking for an apology.
Blogger “El Enigma” expressed his thoughts on the matter:
¿A quién le dolió y porque las palabras que dijeron en el programa ingles Top Gear?
A MI SI. Pero que quede claro que no estoy siendo patriotero buscando el ser el líder de una noche de los cuchillos con antorchas y demás en contra de los británicos.
A mí me molesta el que sigan los estereotipos encasillando a los mexicanos en el mundo
Who got hurt –and why– with the words they said in the English program Top Gear?
I DID. But let me be clear that I am not being patriotic trying to be the leader of a [revolt] with torches, knives and other things against the British.
It bothers me that they keep stereotyping Mexicans in the world
Later in the post he writes [es]:
Así que si en verdad reviso el cumulo de tonterías que dijeron en TopGear me queda claro que a) el conductor es inútil torpe que no sabe ni siquiera de que habla, b) no puedo darle el título de conocedor si basa su criterio al hablar de autos pro el país de donde vienen y por ultimo c) ni siquiera tiene los pantalones en twitter para dar la cara sino que cierra la cuenta y se va.
Apoyo la queja interpuesta por el embajador Eduardo Medina Mora por esta manera tan absurda e irresponsable de hablar de un “conocedor” pero con el tacto y el criterio de un hipopótamo al tocar el piano.
So if I actually review the bunch of nonsense they said in TopGear, it is clear to me that a) the presenter is useless and dumb and doesn't even know what he is talking about, b) I cannot give him the title of an expert if he bases his approach to discussing cars according to the country they come from and finally c) the presenter does not even have the pants to come forward on Twitter and instead closes the account and leaves.
I support the complaint filed by Ambassador Eduardo Medina Mora, for this absurd and irresponsible way of speaking by someone that is “knowledgeable” but has the tact and judgment of a hippopotamus playing the piano.
In the blog Agencia Sinarquista de Noticia, the opinion of writer David Valdez has a different tone [es]:
Lo más sorprende de todo es que esto  suceda en un país que se precia de reírse hasta de sus muertos con un  humor sabrosón, y sin embargo ahora refunfuña porque alguien le dijo  cositas feas similares a las que dicen los niños de primaria.
No  deja de llamar la atención que andemos requete indignados ahora que los  british nos sacaron la lengua, cuando en los programas de humor de  Estados Unidos somos blanco de burlas todos los días, como los son los  negros, y los judíos, y los irlandeses, y los white trash… se trata de  humor y nada más, no pasa nada.
Como ayer dijo alguien en Twitter: si por cada chiste en el que nos  burlamos de otras razas hubiera una reacción como la de México, ya  estaríamos fuera de la ONU.
The most surprising thing is that this happens in a country that prides itself on laughing even about their dead with a great sense of humor, and yet now [the country] grumbles because someone said mean little things similar to those that schoolchildren say.
It doesn't cease to call my attention that we are super angry now that the British stuck their tongue out at us, when in comedy programs from the Untied States we are teased every day, as are blacks, and Jews, and the Irish, and “white trash”… it's humor and nothing more, it's not a big deal.
As someone said on Twitter yesterday: if for every joke in which we make  fun of other races there was a reaction like Mexico's, we would be out  the UN.
Tim Johnson in Mexico Unmasked wrote a post where he reports on the different reactions the comments caused:
Apparently many Mexican internet users didn’t take the kind of offense at the show that the ambassador did, if the remarks posted on the El Universal website are any indication. Many showed the refined sense of irony that I personally find refreshing in Mexicans.
“Why such a scandal?” one poster asked. “How insecure people are to be offended so easily.”
Another said: “This stereotype of the lazy Mexican is so out of date. To make the joke more current, instead of calling the car a ‘tortilla’ it should be called a ‘hit man.’ Instead of ‘lazy’ it should show a high-caliber weapon.”
A Mexican student in London accused Top Gear of racism and asked lawyers “to bring a test case against the show,” as reported by The Telegraph.
The BBC issued a formal apology to Mexico. Here is a part of their statement:
The Executive Producer for Top Gear has written to the Mexican  Ambassador and apologised for the comments made about him during the  show. On the broader issue of comments about Mexicans as people, the  show has explained they were making comic use of a stereotype; a  practice with which regular viewers of Top Gear will be familiar.
“We are sorry if we have offended some people, but jokes centred  on national stereotyping are a part of Top Gear’s humour, and indeed a  robust part of our national humour. Our own comedians make jokes about  the British being terrible cooks and terrible romantics, and we in turn  make jokes about the Italians being disorganised and over dramatic; the  French being arrogant and the Germans being over organised. When we do  it, we are being rude, yes, and mischievous, but there is no  vindictiveness behind the comments.

author: Andrea Arzaba


text:
Palestine: Anger At Palestine Papers · Global Voices
Mays Dagher

Al Jazeera’s release of the Palestine Papers, hundreds of documents related to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, has provoked strong reactions throughout the Palestinian blogosphere. In this post we hear from bloggers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, who have expressed their opinions both about the papers, and Al Jazeera’s role in releasing them.
In Gaza Seeran Nofal attacks the news channel in a post entitled “Stop It, Al Jazeera”. She alludes to the (Arabic-language) channel's alleged Islamist leanings and support of Hamas, saying:
أعتقد بأن الوقت ليس مُناسباً لبث مثل هذه الوثائق حتى لو كانت تتمتع بالمصداقية ، فنحن نعاني من “فسخ” بين أكبر فصيلين ، تأتي هذه القناة لتعزز الإنقسام بنشرها لهذه الوثائق؟ أعتقد أن الجزيرة لعبت وما تزال دوراً في ترسيخ الإنقسام بين الفلسطينين
Mahmoud Abbas. Photo courtesy of Olivier Pacteau under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
However, Mohammed Abu Allan shows a photo of a big signboard in one street in Ramallah on which is written “Al Jazeera is not Arab, Al Jazeera is Zionist”, and comments:
We move on to reactions to the content of the papers, and hear from Amal in Gaza:
Surprisingly, what these papers expose is relatively not shocking, for we all simply knew something wrong was happening. We just chose not to believe, or I would rather say convinced ourselves we were wrong. […] What the “Palestine papers” expose in brief is, ‘Hundreds of people died for nothing, hundreds of lands were simply given away, and negotiations were held for us to give not to take back what once was ours.’ So in a briefer brief, we have been living a web of lies. […] Anyway, I have come to a conclusion that, watching these exposés is like watching a lousy play that you wish the curtains to fall any time soon, but at the same time you don’t want to leave because you don’t want to miss the ending.
Laila El-Haddad, who is from Gaza but lives in the United States, has spoken to friends and family in Gaza about the papers:
More than anything, the details in the Palestine papers show just how out of touch with this reality the negotiators were, and how they chose to ignore this reality. It is this revelation – or reminder – that has most angered and distressed many Palestinians. […] In a bitter irony, and a stark reminder of the conditions many Palestinians in Gaza continue to live under, some cousins and friends there were not yet even aware of the revelations when I spoke with them, because they had no electricity.
Another Gaza blogger, Mohammed Rabah Suliman, has no patience for Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator:
The disparity between a state and a country is sadly indistinct to Erekat who has been overwhelmingly trying to create it for the past 18 years but failed. All I’ve got to tell him, being a Palestinian living in the besieged Gaza Strip, “I’d rather be stateless all my life than give up one meter of my country.”

author: Mays Dagher


text:
Peru: New Strain of Dengue Spreads in the Amazon · Global Voices
Isabel Guerra

This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.
A dengue outbreak that emerged in the Peruvian Amazon region of Loreto has easily spread through several neighbouring regions [es]. On the 1st of February, four confirmed cases had been officially reported in Lima, the Peruvian capital, causing great alarm because according to medical reports, this is a new strain in the region [es], which with its great virulence has already caused havoc in neighbouring countries like Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina [es].
Slum dwellers of Puerto Belén, Iquitos (Photo: Jean-Pierre Jeannin/Flickr, under licenceCC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
In Iquitos, capital of the Loreto region, official figures report thus far more than 6,000 suspected cases of this disease which is transmitted by the bite of the mosquito Aedes Aegypti, and 11 deaths in the month of January alone. It is expected that these figures could increase in February [es]. Meanwhile, the city's hospitals have declared they are swamped [es] and some groups [es] are already asking that a health emergency be declared [es], a measure that has not been adopted by the regional authorities yet, claiming “a lack of technical and legal reports.” [es]
The blog CienciasMedicasNews [es] since the beginning of the year warned about the severity of this strain of dengue, as indicated by publishing information provided by doctors at the Regional Hospital of Loreto, in Iquitos:
En Iquitos ya han circulado todos los serotipos del dengue (1-4), sin embargo solo se reportaron casos leves y casos esporádicos de dengue hemorrágico (FHD I-II). No obstante, en este brote se está observando una inusual cantidad de casos con signos de alarma y ya se reportó el primer caso de una muerte por dengue… Se piensa que se debe a la introducción del Dengue-2 genotipo III Asiático/Americano, que en el Brasil ya se asoció a una gran cantidad de casos graves y mortalidad aumentada.
Aedes aeypti, transmitter of dengue (Photo: Sanofi Pasteur/Flickr, under license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The loretano blog De la Selva su Web On [es] commented from the middle of January:
Desde diciembre del año pasado se han ido presentando casos de dengue en Iquitos, sin embargo ninguna autoridad dio algún paso adelante… por ahorrar costos nadie le dio importancia. … aunque el gobierno diga que sólo han muerto 8, diariamente se está muriendo la gente. Los hospitales están llenos de pacientes, no hay camas y faltan médicos y enfermeros, se han puesto camas en los patios.
Paco Bardales, from the blog Diario de IQT [es], points out:
Entre el 25 de diciembre  y el 25 de enero, según cifras oficiales (refrendadas por el diario La República) indican que los casos de dengue llegan casi a 8 mil. Lo increíble es que en 5 días la cifra de 3,493 caso aumento dos veces y medio más… Entre los años 2004 y 2010 se presentaron 59 casos de dengue hemorrágico, 48 confirmados y 11 probables. En resumen, en un mes hemos tenido más dengue hemorrágico que en 6 años.
Molderinv, from Problemas a Mis Soluciones [es] comments:
Estoy en Lima, pero ya tiemblo ante la idea de una diseminación pronta. La aviación hace posible que en menos de 24 horas tengamos una enfermedad de África u Oceanía al costado de nuestras casas.
And indeed, the disease is already in Lima, although the Minister of Health states [es] that “they are imported cases from the Loreto region” and that the infection by mosquito bite “did not occur here.”
Meanwhile, the President of the jungle region Madre de Dios (where the total infected, registered during 2010, reached 30,000) directly accuses the previous administration of allowing the pandemic to advance, pointing out that there were no efforts of prevention [es] nor did it release the actual number of cases.
This does not appear to be the only case of lack of foresight. Cybernauts comment on news sites that despite the seriousness of the epidemic, local authorities not only failed to take appropriate measures but would be concentrating their attention on minimizing the situation (presumably in order to not affect the flow of tourists [es]) and on celebrating the carnival in style.
Again the blogger Paco Bardales states in Diario de IQT:
La verdad es simple: se ha descuidado clamorosamente la prevención. Pero aún más, se ha ignorado una posible alerta que ya tenía un tiempo siendo analizada. Ayer, el ministro de Salud (que se ha mantenido alarmantemente callado durante la epidemia) ha señalado que el serotipo habría ingresado al Perú desde Manaos-Brasil, donde frecuentemente se producen este tipo de casos. Aunque es difícil precisar la exactitud total de esta afirmación, no es descabellado creer que sí. En la ciudad  brasileña de Barretos, el dengue mató 530 personas durante el 2010, así como 35 en lo que va del presente año.
The reactions among Twitter users are numerous and dominated by anger and fear.
Omar Rojas (@xDente) demands:
Ya llegó el #dengue a Lima… ya declarán en emergencia a Loreto?
Armando Canchaya (@gatorouge) asks:
Ya hay cuatro casos de dengue en lima! Y ahora, ministro?
César (@zerojuls) expresses his fears in the same way:
Y llego el dengue a lima … espero ahora si no nos dejen morir, como en varios lugares de la selva …
Laura Rodríguez (@Lala_RodYar), Medical student, warns:
Dengue! LORETO EN ALERTA ROJA! MEDICINA Y AYUDA!!  Olvidense un momento  de las elecciones POLITICOS! y hagan algo que la  gente esta muriendo!
Alexis Puicón (@threefishing) warns from the Peruvian jungle:
@Capital967 @capital967 Desde Iquitos. El dengue nos esta matando. Ayuda YA!!!
José Manuyama (@josiquitos) also warns:
Aumentan las cifras de muerte por dengue. Autoridades se duermen y hacen muy poco en Iquitos
Verónica García (@veronica_garc9) mentions that politicians are focused on the electoral debate about same sex marriages and are not paying attention to what happens in Loreto:
Aquí se discute si naces o no gay  y en Loreto la medicina se encarece, el dengue avanza…
Lupe Muñoz (@Lupemunz) criticizes the slowness of the government response to the situation:
La transferencia de los más de dos millones de soles para  abastecer a  los hospitales de Iquitos para combatir el dengue sigue en  “proceso”.
And on the local authorities’ plans to celebrate the carnivals, Beatriz López (@bialopez_peru), Jorge Carrillo (@Reporteropro) and Darwin Arévalo (@Dar_0) from Iquitos comment:
@bialopez_peru [la provincia de] Maynas quiere traer a Los Yaipen para el Carnaval en #iquitos, a 45 mil soles [alrededor de 16,200 dólares]. El #dengue no existe para algunas autoridades…
@reporteropro En tiempos de lluvia fácil se juega carnaval en la calle Putumayo no se necesita 337 mil [alrededor de 122,00 dólares] para divertirse #Iquitos
@Dar_0 Si la ciudad no estaría sufriendo la epidemia del Dengue quizá podría pasar, pero de todas formas es una exageración. http://bit.ly/fIsyDT
@bialopez_peru [the province of] Maynas wants to bring Los Yaipen to the Carnival for to 45,000 Soles (around 16,200 US Dollars). #dengue does not exist for some authorities…
@reporteropro In times of rain the Putumayo street carnival does not need 337,000 Soles (around 122,000 US Dollars) for it to be enjoyable.
@Dar_0 If the city wasn't suffering from the dengue epidemic perhaps it would be alright, but in any case [asking for 337,000 Soles] is an exaggeration.  http://bit.ly/fIsyDT
The news blog Mirando Puntos de Vista [es] post a text from the Amazonian expert Roger Rumrill, titled “You have to spray the corruption also” in which he accuses the authorities:
La epidemia de dengue en Iquitos, transmitida por el zancudo “Aedes aegypti”, que ya ha producido decenas de muertes y más de 7 mil infectados por el virus, es otra clamorosa consecuencia de la imprevisión y la corrupción… Desde el 3 de enero el gobierno central tenía un informe concluyente de que había un crecimiento de la curva del dengue de la Cepa 2 proveniente del Brasil y que ésta se extendía sin control en Iquitos. El 13 de este mes desde el hospital “Iquitos” se lanzó un pedido solicitando suero y unidades de sangre incluso a nivel internacional. El 20, la vice ministra de salud, Zarela Solís Vásquez, declaró irresponsablemente en Iquitos que “la situación está controlada” y a continuación, el impasible ministro de salud, Óscar Ugarte, se negó a declarar el estado de emergencia.
At the end of writing this post (February 2nd) the Minister of Health not only announced a new campaign in order to inform Peruvians how to protect themselves from this disease [es], but informed the Mayor of Maynas that in 2010 they gave 14 million Soles (more than 5million US Dollars) to the regional Government of Loreto, intended for the campaigns for the prevention of dengue [es], suggesting that the responsibility remains in the hands of the regional Government, to which Mayor Charles Zevallos commented: “Since last year they have not sprayed Iquitos. As they haven't sprayed, the money should be there. You have to act decisively and effectively.”
In the meantime, some leaders are already starting to request that they cancel carnival festivities [es] since the priority should be dengue [es], because as Grover Vasquez (@Grovervas) comments:
Vamos un mes y el dengue no se detiene.
NOTE: At the end of writing this post (February 2) the Loreto region had just declared [es] an emergency [es] and waits for the transfer of funds to the Iquitos hospitals, specifically aimed at combating the pandemic.
This post is part of our special coverage Forest Focus: Amazon.

author: Isabel Guerra


text:
Portugal: A journey blog to Antarctica · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

On the blog Permantar-2 [pt] you can follow Gonçalo Vieira's scientific journey to the Antarctic Peninsula. The Portuguese researcher – who is part of an international study about the permafrost and the consequences of climate change on it – invites all readers [pt] to send questions related to the campaign.


text:
Qatar: Al Jazeera Cairo Office Burnt by Thugs, Arabic Website Hacked  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.
UPDATE:  Al Jazeera reported that their office in Cairo has been stormed by “gangs of thugs” today.  The office has been burned along with the equipment inside it. In the last week its bureau was forcibly closed, all its journalists had press credentials revoked, and nine journalists were detained at various stages. Al Jazeera has also faced unprecedented levels of interference in its broadcast signal as well as persistent and repeated attempts to bring down its websites, said a Press statement released by the network.
Qatar-based Al Jazeera's Arabic news website was reportedly hacked earlier today, by what the news network described as “opponents of the pro-democracy movement in Egypt.”
A Medecins Sans Frontieres advertisement was replaced with an image which showed a picture of president Hosni Mubarak, with the message: “Together we will bring Egypt down.”
According to a Press release sent to Global Voices Online, the network said:
For two hours this morning (from 6:30am – 8:30am Doha time), a banner advertisement was taken over and replaced with a slogan of “Together for the collapse of Egypt” which linked to a page criticizing Al Jazeera.
A spokesman for Al Jazeera said that their engineers moved quickly to solve the problem.
The hacking follows an open battle between Al Jazeera, which has been instrumental in covering the protests of Egyptians against the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak and his regime, and the Egyptian government, which has been trying to take it off the air since the protests started on January 25.
An adamant Al Jazeera vowed to continue its work on the ground, and cover the protests, despite the targeted warfare waged by the Egyptian regime, which included the closing of its Cairo bureau, interference with its broadcast signal, taking it off the air, booting it out of the Nilesat satellite, and the harassment and arrest of its journalists, and the confiscation of its equipment.
The story was quickly picked up by netizens around the world, some of whom expressed outrage at the attack.
Iraqi blogger Raed Jarrar has posted screen shots of the hacked advertisement, and the message it was replaced with by the hackers.
Tweeting from the UAE, Sultan Al Qassemi quotes Al Jazeera saying that the “website AlJazeera.net was hacked by those unhappy with its coverage of the events in Egypt.”
Deena Adel adds:
Al Jazeera website has been hacked – an attempt to tarnish the network's image and obstruct the coverage of #Egypt's #Jan25 protests.
And Sunny Singh notes:
Overnight regime hacked activists, bloggers, protester's accounts. Even Al Jazeera. Apparently they havent figure out how to tweet. #jan25
Meanwhile, others are enjoying the face-off between Al Jazeera and Egypt.
Love this online war. Al jazeera website got hacked for awhile. #Egypt #jan25
This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.


text:
Russia: Bloggers React To Threatened University Stipends · Global Voices
Ashley Cleek

After an aid to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said [RUS] on January 19 that Russia should do away with stipends for university students, bloggers, parents, and university rectors began furiously posting appeals for the government not to cut back on university funding.
The aid, Arkady Dvorkovich, who is often described as “Medvedev’s right hand” is now claiming that his words were taken out of context.
That's what Dvorkovich said in an interview with Russian news site Gazeta.ru:
Если мы все считаем, что всего нужно добиваться своим трудом, что работать должно стать модным, нужно отменить стандартные стипендии у студентов, потому что это неправильный сигнал, что ты за сам факт своей учебы получаешь компенсации […]
His comments spurred a debate: should Russian universities pay stipends? Can students actually live on a monthly allowance? What is the status of “paid” students versus those who receive scholarships? Who should be paid and how much?
Currently, Russia's most expensive universities are in Moscow. The most expensive schools, according to Russian information agency RIA Novosti [RUS], one year ago were Moscow State University’s department of Economics and Management, which cost from $6,700 to $10,000 a year, and Moscow State Institute for International Relations, which was around $10,000 a year. Of course, many universities are much more affordable, around $1,000 to $3,360 a year. The average monthly income in Moscow is around $1,440.
Blogger Kichanova, who describes herself as a “libertarian,” takes a Rousseauan argument that by canceling the stipends the government would in effect be reneging on its “social contract” with Russian citizens.
С одной стороны, государство не должно заниматься перераспределением благ, потому что это, как ни крути, сводится к воровству. С другой – если оно собирает налоги и берет на себя какие-то социальные обязательства, имеет смысл требовать с него исполнения этих обязательств как своей части социального контракта. Да, так называемый “общественный договор” – обман, потому что навязан гражданам государством, то есть договором ну никак не является. Но именно граждане имеют моральное право либо не соблюдать свою часть этого якобы контракта, либо требовать от государства выполнения своей части (а не наоборот). Поэтому предлагаю рассматривать две позиции: либо человек отказывается платить налоги и что-либо получать от государства, либо платит и, соответственно, имеет право получать.
Tatyana Tolstaya, a well-known Russian writer, noted that the actual stipend given to students, just like in her day, is hardly enough to cover the costs of studying and living.
Неприятный цинизм проявил Дворкович. Конечно, нынешние “стипендии” – курам на смех: что такое, в самом деле, 1100 р. в мес.? Обычный совок: помню, когда я поступил в МГУ, у меня на первом курсе была стипендия 40 р. в мес. – деньги, прожить на которые в позднем совке было невозможно, как мы шутили, “на 1-2 часа”. И вот нынешние 1100 р. – тоже на 1-2 ч.
Moscow State University, photo by Bastien Vaucher
Dvorkovich's main argument – that students should work while in university to gain practical skills – has been attacked by critics who say that students should not distract themselves from the pursuit of an education with concerns about making money. In an editorial in a Russian newspaper ‘Rosbalt,” Ivan Preobrazhensky, an analyst and political consultant, argues that stipends should be re-distributed, not as a mandatory allocation to all Russian students, but in the form of a merit scholarship for students who excel in sports or studies.
Blogger “Denvnik Neprod,” a 51-year-old mother of three, all of whom have been through university, acknowledges that while some students are “supported by mama and papa,” families like hers have greatly relied on government's help.
Конечно, я не против того, чтобы молодые люди во время учебы подрабатывали (если смогут найти такую подработку, не слишком мешающую учёбе). Но лишать студента всякой помощи со стороны государства, даже такой мизерной? Лишать всякого стимула хорошо учиться? Ведь стипендию платят только хорошистам и отличникам (в большинстве вузов).
Ясно, что некоторым “деткам” такая стипендия ни к чему. Им мама с папой любые денежки отвалят, только попроси. Поэтому они и на учёбе не напрягаются, и работать не спешат. Так я не о них.
Of course I am not against young people working a little during university (if they can managed to find that kind of work that doesn’t interrupt their studies). But to deprive students of all help from the government, even such miserly [help]? To take away all stimulus to study hard? I mean, stipends are paid to those who study well and are the best (at the majority of universities).
Of course, some “kiddies” don’t need any stipend. Their momma and poppa throw money their way when they ask. And therefore, they are not bothered by studying and aren’t in any rush to work. I’m not talking about them.
“Devnik Neprod” explains that the average students – citing the amounts each of her children received and how her family managed to pay for college – cannot afford school and getting rid of stipends may threaten many students’ ability to study at all.
While Dvorkovich seems to make the argument that students attending universities in order to get a stipend is hurting the university system, Tolstaya counters [RUS] that the real problem is coming from this system of “paid students” who get into schools not because of their test grades, but simply because they can pay the tuition.
Мне вообще кажется, что “платность” окончательно убивает наше высшее образование, попросту лишая его смысла. Дело в том, что на практике студент-“платник” чувствует некий “иммунитет”: он может учиться через пень-колоду – никто и никогда его не отчислит и “двойку” не поставит, так как для ВУЗа он – источник дохода. А что за образование, если ты знаешь, что тебя, как бы ты ни учился, никогда не отчислят? Это профанация. Наши ВУЗы бессмысленны уже хотя бы потому, что 70% учащихся в них лишь “отбывают номер”…
A few days later, Dvorkovich stepped back into the maelstrom [RUS] to defend his position. He stressed that his words had been taken out of context and that he was not pushing for doing away with stipends altogether. Instead, he argued, the system should be restructured to orient students towards finding careers and not just “sitting in lectures and seminars for 10 hours a day.” His rhetoric was markedly softer than the previous remarks.
Стипендии нужно платить тем, кто делает все это. Либо гранты. Можно называть это по-разному. Главное, чтобы они были не за факт нахождения в вузе и даже не за получение просто хороших оценок, а за серьезную работу, которая включает в себя и учебу, и практическую деятельность.
As the debate continues and the proposed increase of the stipend is discussed, or dropped, in the Duma (Russian parliament), one can be sure that Russian bloggers will continue to post and repost the dialogue. Though, as blogger Ilya Zhuravlev puts it [RUS], no decision will likely be made until after the 2012 presidential elections.
Идея с отменой стипендий – пробный шаг, надо ведь посмотреть – как “отреагирует пипл”. Убежден, в период выборных кампаний 2011-2012 годов подобные нововведения приниматься не будут. Почему? Я думаю понятно всем. Выборы.

author: Ashley Cleek


text:
Russia: The Law on the Police · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A detailed analysis of Russia's Law on the Police – at A Good Treaty: “The law’s opponents sometimes downplay it as nothing more than a change of two letters (from militsiia to politsiia) […].” LJ user tapirr‘s take on the renaming (RUS): “A man named Vasya lived in a small Russian town. He used to kill and rob people in [dark alleys]. He often just maimed people, raped them. He was a thief, too. He got caught and was forced to to change his name to Kolya.”


text:
Syria: No-Show for ‘Day of Anger’ · Global Voices
Betsy Fisher

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
Speculation is rampant from international media that Syria may follow in spreading unrest from Tunisia and Egypt.  Internet groups had called for Syrians to join the region-wide protests in Egypt, Yemen and Jordan, on February 4th and 5th, 2011.  Today began with rumors that Syria had shut down internet, fueled by BBC and CNN reports.  In answering concerned tweets from around the world, Syrians indignantly replied that their internet was fully functional.  Mirar Roumeah tweeted:
internet is better than ever in #syria @syria!!! CNN is lying!!
Abdul Salam Haykal refuted numerous tweets reporting internet cutoffs:
False! @akhbaralarab: قطع الانترنت في سوريا بشكل كامل في يوم الغضب السوري http://bit.ly/ff5Ejs” #Syria cuts of Internet for day of Anger
By the end of the day, these protests had failed to materialize – but calls remain for ‘Day of Anger’ protests in February 5th.
Tweeters posted about the quietness on the streets.  AbdulSalam Haykal tweeted:
Just took a drive around town. As peaceful as Friday could be. No unusual security on the streets. Yet rainy & foggy. #Syria #Damascus #fb
Dona wrote:
Just went for another walk in Damascus.Nothing.Streets are empty even Rawda caffe is almost empty.protests are only on FB #Syria #feb5
And Sate Hamza tweeted:
@yazanbadran must be causing a “Day of Rage” in the homes of the FB organizers homes. Pathetic how much the media gave them coverage #Syria
Tweets and human rights groups reported that a small vigil supporting Egypt was violently dispersed by security forces.  Syria Revolution tweeted:
Peaceful demonstration happened today in Damascus #Syria dispersed violently by police in the section of Kassaa #Feb4 #Feb5.
Meer was disappointed that these events were not covered by media, which were too busy covering Egypt:
#AJEnglish and #Israeli media both covered #Egypt rallies and ignored events in #Syria. #Hama massacre #Feb5
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.


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

Trinidad Carnival Diary has been trawling through Twitter to find out which celebrities are coming for Carnival 2011.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Ukraine: 3 Million New Internet Users in 2010 · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

A study cited [UKR] by Korrespondent.net shows that the number of Internet users in Ukraine has increased by 29%, or by 3 million people, in 2010. Ukraine's current Internet audience is 11.3 million people, with 88% of users accessing the net daily, 10% – several times a week, 1% – once a week, and the remaining 1% – several times a month. Nearly 90% have Internet access at home. While 59% of the users come from cities with population of over 500,000 people, only 9% live in rural areas. The largest age group of Internet users is made up of people aged 14-24 (36%), the second largest – users who are 25-34 years old (29%), and only 4% are older than 55.

author: Tetyana Bohdanova