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Jamaica: Latest Updates · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Twitter has been buzzing with the latest developments regarding Jamaica's state of emergency.  Things began to look “much better” late yesterday: wanted men were turning themselves in, one international mainstream television station was reportedly going to “apologise for [its] ‘inaccurate report'” (although some tweeple were of the opinion that “an apology [was] not enough”) and all seemed quiet in areas that had previously been fierce battlegrounds.
Then came news that people were “throwing grenades at a house on East Kirkland in Red Hills”, (apparently an affluent area), to which @anniepaul commented:
They mus think Dudus deh deh RT @bigblackbarry: @anniepaul multi story, very affluent street.
@endzoftheearth: @anniepaul red hills gun battle. Not hearing anything any more – so look like it has ended. Heard abt tivoli flareup lastnite as well
@AvahTaylor confirmed that the “raid in West Kirkland Heights (Red Hills) earlier this morning was in search of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke”, providing this link along with her tweet.  She later added:
UPDATE: At least 1 reported to be dead as a result of 5 hr long standoff in Kirkland Heights http://wp.me/pOV83-dH
But to her, the math was off:
“60” dead, 4 guns recovered, 500 detained, 0 Dudus ? Wha kinda Maths that?
It appears, however, that security forces may be closer to capturing the man at the center of the standoff.  Journalist Laura Redpath linked to a story which provided details on the Red Hills search in this tweet and rumours swirled that ‘Dudus’ may have been among a group of people recently taken into custody; those reports are still unconfirmed.  Chez Hsia sums it up well:
Meanwhile, Dudus is nowhere to be found. The wrath that rained down on Tivoli was for naught; rumors are swirling that Dudus escaped in the heat of battle, slipping past the soldiers, that he has already handed himself over to the US, that he is in Venezuela, kicking it with Hugo Chavez. His legend grows by the hour.


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Jamaica: Resetting the Clock · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Jamaica's bizarre socio-economic clock cannot turn back but it can be reset”: Living in Barbados suggest the current situation “may be the spur to find ways to start dealing with that process.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Jamaica: Situation Improving?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Four days into the state of emergency imposed on the Jamaican capital, the situation is becoming clearer – not simply in terms of statistics – but in understanding the chain of events that led to the current impasse.
Diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp was taken right back to 1979 when he left Jamaica because “because [his] mother was worried about the rising level of violence in Jamaica and the close ties between gun-men and politicians”:
If only she could see us now.
The same conditions that led to the undeclared civil war in the seventies have come full circle. The origins of current crisis begin in Jamaica with a mixture of urban poverty and political ambition and extend America's hunger for drugs. The capture of one “don-dadda” or the replacement of a politician will only be a quick fix to a larger problem that only Jamaicans can solve. For Jamaica.
As Brother Bob challenged us in “Exodus”: “Open your eyes and look within/ Are you satisfied with the life you're living?”
We need to answer that question. Now.
Tivoli Gardens, Kingston Jamaica. By bbcworldservice, used under a Creative Commons Licence.
As of yesterday, the city was still too embroiled in its predicament to be introspective.  Stunner reported:
It is the third day since the State of Emergency was called for the city of Kingston and St. Andrew and since then, the violence, tension and battle between the security forces and gunmen has only escalated with casualties. The joint police and military forces made their way into the fortified and well defended garrison of Tivoli Gardens on Monday and was greeted by the expected heavy gunfire from those defending the Dudus stronghold, now termed by some as the Repuplic of Tivoli. However, the gun battles were not limited to just the Tivoli area, as it seemed that the entire Kingston was yesterday engulfed into this war between criminals and the security forces.
As the battle rages on and the security forces fight to regain control from these highly armed criminals, stability is still a goal to be achieved and normalcy a dream being pursued. It is a harsh reality, but at this rate more blood will be shed and more tears will fall in this battle for control and the apprehension of the wanted Tivoli ‘president’ Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke. We can only hope that this will end shortly and that the city can once again bustle with life and that some good will come out of this battle between our security forces and the many criminal elements that grip our capital.
Jamaica's PM, Bruce Golding. By bbcworldservice, used under a Creative Commons Licence.
International mainstream media have been issuing reports which point to alleged connections between key political figures and ‘Dudus'; Tweeple were retweeting them and linking to local mainstream media videos on YouTube asking:
@KyleMacpherson_: http://bit.ly/9vIC8x The Gleaner's Vox Pop: How to separate crime and politics? #jamaica #kingston #voxpop
Some were not entirely convinced it could be done:
@JustSherman: @MisterHarding  bredren how can u talk about crime and not focus on the politicians. dats like talking about diabetes & not talking bout diet
@JustSherman: what we are talking about, the root cause is the political party and we living in denial if we dont know that yet
@afflictedyard: RT @bigblackbarry: @afflictedyard  an the rats will always come back if the holes arent patched and the kitchen remains dirty. < Agree
The government has responded by calling the claims libelous.  Meanwhile, the death toll has been rising.  @j007li asked @anniepaul on Twitter:
are things getting worse?
…to which Annie replied:
RT @j007li: @anniepaul are things getting worse? no but they're not abating either, most ppl not going to work, school etc @PHAS44
Shortly after, @j007li posted another question, which @anniepaul addressed:
wait n see, 2 soon 2 say RT @j007li: @anniepaul i've volunteered in kingston for 13 years, and scheduled to return in june, any advice?
It may indeed be too soon to say, but Jamaicans are trying their best to return to some level of normalcy.  This tweet confirms that the Calabash International Literary Festival, which is celebrating its tenth year, will proceed as usual:
@JustSherman: @anniepaul spoke to Channer last night, Calabash still on
@anniepaul: Gr8! Hopefully war will subside by then RT @JustSherman: @anniepaul spoke to Channer last night, Calabash still on
The barricades outside Tivoli Gardens. By bbcworldservice, used under a Creative Commons Licence.
There have been more signs today of things getting back to normal.  The sitting of CXC examinations are to proceed as scheduled, roadblocks are being cleared and the Kingston airport is once again operational.  The Office of the Prime Minister has been tweeting updates which offer assurances that things are under control; journalists are also reporting encouraging news:
@lauraredpath: More than 500 arrested #Tivoli #Jamaica
@jamaicaobserver: 12 wanted men surrender same day http://tinyurl.com/3yv7qgk
@ChrysalisCEO: Hi @alizaevybes look at my last 10 or so tweets. Criminals turning themselves in; overall conflict down; state dept refutes ABC report re PM
Of course, there are reminders that the capital is still under a state of emergency.  @jamaicaobserver appealed to citizens to donate blood:
Donate! Blood supplies still critically low http://bit.ly/aD2kKz
but @lauraredpath noted that:
Kingston Public Hospital's atmosphere is eerily quiet according to sources. No shots heard so far #Tivoli #Jamaica
@ChrysalisCEO also posted news that suggested Kingston was beginning to function again:
Everything in Kingston seemed fine to me today; I've heard nothing new re Spanish Town though. Any word out of Tivoil or Denham Town?
Those areas at the core of the conflict undoubtedly hold the answer to when Jamaica will actually return to business as usual – but according to Chez Hsia, who has provided some of the most comprehensive commentary on the situation, “what was clear from the outset: this is war. War between the garrisons and the government”:
From the jump, this has been a tragedy of Shakespearean measure, each of the protagonists moving unheedingly to their doom. Once the US cast the die, there has been no choice for anyone involved: every actor, from the innocent and hard-working citizen who lives in Tivoli to the Prime Minister himself, is acting almost in a predestined way. Dudus will die: it’s just a question of when and where – in Tivoli, guns blazing, or in a Jamaican jail, awaiting extradition, on orders of the government who he would implicate as criminals were he to talk. Bruce Golding will resign, tainted by scandal and the bungling of the entire Dudus affair. The innocent civilian in Tivoli, who could not leave his community to escape the violence, for fear of being labeled a traitor or a coward, will likely lose their job, and stay mired in a vicious cycle of poverty. Many gunmen will die, and their children will grow with vengeance and bitterness burning in their hearts, ready to die to avenge the deaths of the family and friends who went before. An entire country will be destabilized, and yet the world will keep spinning…


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Jordan: A Day with a Grave Digger  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Jordan, Karabeeb (Ar) interviews a grave digger – and discusses his profession.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Kenya: No need for unnecessary ICT regulations · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Erik discusses ICT regulations in Kenya: “Maybe, instead of adding unnecessary regulations, governments should look to truly and strongly punishing unfair and dirty practices that are already on the books.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Lebanon: Elections Vs Football  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

What's overshadowing the Lebanese municipal elections? Free Thinking Lebanon blames football for stealing its thunder.


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Maldives: Divehi Language Or Islamic Studies · Global Voices
Rezwan

We Show The Facts. You Know The Rest blog discusses the plan of the Maldives government to make study of Dhivehi language and Islamic studies as optional in A Level.

author: Rezwan


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Mauritania: Spotlight on Tunisian Cyberactivism  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Mauritanian blogger Nasser Weddady sheds light on cyberactivism in Tunisia with this insightful post, dedicated to the memory of Tunisian dissident and internet activist Zouhair Yahyahoui.


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MENA: 15m Facebook Users  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

As of May 2010, Facebook has 15 million users from the Middle East and North Africa (excluding Iran, Israel and Turkey), reports Spot On. Seventy per cent of the users are in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.


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Qatar: The Al Jazeera Initiative for Internet Freedom Launched  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Qatar-based Al Jazeera Network has announced The Al Jazeera Initiative for Internet Freedom. For more information, click here.


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[Report] Technology for Transparency · Global Voices
David Sasaki

This report is the culmination of four months of research examining the objectives, challenges, successes, and effects of online technology projects that aim to promote transparency, political accountability, and civic engagement in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, China, and Central & Eastern Europe. A team of eight regional researchers documented a total of 37 case studies of relevant technology projects. Though this report contains only executive summaries of each case study, full interviews including audio podcasts and related documents, are available on our website. In addition to the in-depth case studies, we have also documented over 30 project listings, which provide basic descriptive information and context about related projects.
This report is structured in three sections. The introduction examines the differing aspects between traditional watchdog journalism and online media that rely on raw data sources, often directly from government websites. The introduction also aims to contextualize the benefits of transparency, accountability, and civic engagement from a grassroots, networked perspective. The second section of the report consists of regional overviews authored by each of our eight researchers. These overviews document the history of the good governance movement in each region, the role of technology in promoting transparency and accountability, and summaries of the case studies they documented. The concluding section groups case studies thematically in order draw out trends, conclusions, and recommendations that apply across a number of projects.
Here's a teaser:
The birth of the World Wide Web as we know it today dates back to March 1989 when Tim Berners Lee, then a research fellow at European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, wrote a proposal for an Internet framework that would allow online documents to link to one another. Eight months later in neighboring Germany protesters brought down the Berlin Wall, and with it fell more than half a century of Communist rule in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. The next decade would also see an end to the repressive era of military dictatorships in Latin America, the birth of multiparty democracy in much of Sub- Saharan Africa, and a financial crisis in Southeast Asia that led to calls for greater governance and improved accountability. The World Wide Web and the movement for transparency and accountability in government have grown up together over the past two decades, though often in parallel, and with little research evaluating the role and potential of online technologies to bring about greater transparency, accountability, and civic engagement.

author: David Sasaki


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Russia: “Circassian Nationalism and the Internet” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At OpenDemocracy.net, Zeynel Abidin Besleney writes about “the role played by the internet as a lifeline linking otherwise isolated activists and communities and reinforcing the Circassian nationalist cause.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Russia: Coalmine Disaster Victims’ Families vs Thugs? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Vadim Nikitin comments on “this week’s unprecedented measure to provide each widow of the [May 9] mine explosion victims with police protection to ward off attacks from organised criminals after their compensation payouts.”


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Russia: Last Day of Classes in Moscow · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ users zyalt, medar, martin-sqare and alex-i1 (RUS) team up to photograph Moscow high school seniors celebrating the last day of classes on May 25. MoscowMom posts this observation: “Most Russian eleventh graders wear Soviet school uniforms (with the skirts MUCH shorter than they ever would have been prior to 1991) today… With the requisite big white bows in their hair! […] Most Russian girls wear SPIKED high heels with their dresses and aprons, creating an awfully bizarre image…”


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Russia: Taking Children as a New Method of Pressure on Journalists  · Global Voices
Gregory Asmolov

Children of Galina Dmitrieva, an oppositionary journalist and activist, were taken by Russian police after she published an investigation about Russian car manufacturer Avtovaz [EN], Anatoliy Baranov reported [RUS]. After instant blog-campaign her children were returned. Blogger Marina Litvinovich suggests [RUS] this method was used before against at least one oppositionary journalist.

author: Gregory Asmolov


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South Africa: FEEFA 2.010 Whirled Cup Sowth Afrika! · Global Voices
Prisha Bhoola

The game began in the early part of 2009. Eastwood Tavern in Pretoria, South Africa, erected a sign that read “World Cup 2010” along with banners that included the flags of many football playing countries and the words “Twenty Ten South Africa”. FIFA responded to what it termed ambush marketing by lodging an application at the Pretoria High Court under section 15A of the South African Merchandise Marks Act. FIFA obtained the judgment with costs against Eastwood Tavern on the grounds that the pub infringed on its registered trademarks World Cup 2010, South Africa 2010 and Twenty Ten South Africa.
www.managingip.com
Roll forward to February 2010. Similar game but slightly different players – this time FIFA and Kulula, a budget airline from South Africa. The airline, who is not an official sponsor of the World Cup, produced an advertisement in a local newspaper with the tag line “Unofficial National Carrier of the You-Know-What”. This again sparked legal action by FIFA, who objected to the fact that Kulula featured vuvuzelas and the South African National flag.
World Cup blog stated plainly:
First of all, can I assume I’m not alone in finding that ad absolutely hilarious? Rather than straightforward trying to cash in on the World Cup in a cheap and nasty way, Kulula have instead made a clever and defiant gag at the expense of FIFA’s heavy-handed copyright and licensing laws.
Not to be outdone, Kulula went a step further with this ad:
marklives.com
South Africans lapped up every inch of the David and Goliath battle. In Chris Moerdyk’s opinion:
This extremely amusing bit of how's-your-father between FIFA and Kulula is demonstrating all sorts of wonderful marketing things. The first being that FIFA is playing right into Kulula's hands by so anally applying its draconian rules and, secondly, that there are definitely two sides to the ambush marketing issue.
He goes further:
What General Blatter and his Swiss Guards just don't seem to get is that the more they huff and puff and blow the Kulula ads out of the sky, the more Kulula will like every minute of it. Right now, Kulula has won the first prize of advertising. It has gotten everyone's attention. It is also, I'm told, selling airline seats as a result.
The game did not end there. Soccerway.com reported on 11 May 2010:
Numerous South Africans have expressed frustration with the rules FIFA has imposed on the host country, and feel deprived of their World Cup, which starts on June 11.The global football body has opened 451 cases of ambush marketing, aiming to protect its official partners who have spent fortunes to win exclusive rights to the brand.
and
Any advertising in certain areas is basically prohibited, unless you get a special permission of city council. It's an extremely broad prohibition,” said constitutional lawyer Pierre de Vos.
“If the rules are strictly enforced, there are going to be freedom of expression problems,” he said. “These restrictions are quite draconian.”
“There are very severe restriction on trading, not only immediately outside the stadium but also in the vicinity of the stadium, around fan parks,” he said. “They seem to me to be quite excessive.”
“Many of the rules are here to protect financial interests of FIFA. It has nothing to do with the successful hosting of the World Cup.”
Enter the strikers, hayibo who emphatically call on South Africans to
Join the Resistance and help remind a certain Swiss megalomaniac that South Africa is still a free country
with the sale of this T-shirt:
www.hayibo.com
Time will tell how this game plays out but as DR4AWARD tweeted:
Not an official marketing partner of FIFA? Likely to get soccer's version of red card

author: Prisha Bhoola


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Sri Lanka: Unique Perspectives On The End Of War · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sanjana Hattotuwa at ICT for Peacebuilding (ICT4Peace) informs that GroundViews, the Sri Lankan citizen media platform, has published a special edition on the end of the war against LTTE.


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St. Lucia: Gun Violence  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Sun, Rain, Or… is saddened by the recent spate of gun violence in St. Lucia, the “up close and personal shootings…”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Offering Advice  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Raymond Ramcharitar has some advice for the People's National Movement, the political party that now moves from government into opposition.


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Zimbabwe: Members of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe tortured · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The two staff members of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) who were arrested on Friday have been tortured by the police in their holding cells, Amanda Atwood reports.


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Zimbabwe: Police raid house of Director of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

After the arrest of two employees of the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) on the 21st May 2010, the police have gone further to search the house of Chesterfield Samba, the Director of GALZ, Sokwanele reports.


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Algeria ,France: Film “Of Gods and Men” Sparks Conversation about  Spirituality, Terrorism · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

Algeria stood out once again  at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival when Xavier Beauvois’ French film “Des Hommes et des Dieux” (“Of Gods and Men“) won the Grand Prix du Jury. The film, set in Algeria in 1996, depicts real events, when seven French monks of Tibhirine monastery were taken hostage by Islamic fundamentalists, and later murdered  in what might have been, according to  French secret service documents, an accidental killing by the Algerian military during  a rescue attempt. However, the film does not aim at shedding light on the facts, instead it is, as described in The Irish Times, a “thoughtful, unhurried meditation on the virtues and dangers of religious faith”, focusing on the spiritual path of these men when, facing gut-churning threats, they had to decide whether to stay or flee, and then carried on until martyrdom.
Bloggers are no exception in the general chorus of praises :
Lucy in the sky writes on le ciné d'anna (Fr):
L’histoire du film est parfaitement mise en contexte, sans pourtant se trouver délestée de sa dimension universelle. Des hommes et des dieux parle de foi, de doute, de parole, de résistance, de convictions, de fraternité, de courage, d‘engagement, de morale. Les moines de Beauvois sont des résistants, des gens intègres et généreux, des gens bien en somme, mais jamais le film ne se montre complaisant envers eux. La sobriété et la rigueur de la mise en scène laisse toute liberté au spectateur pour partager les interrogations et les doutes des personnages. Cela passe aussi par une interprétation, une incarnation, qui frôle la perfection.
Benoît Thévenin, from Laterna Magica, shares her enthusiasm (Fr):
Xavier Beauvois sait être subtil et en l’occurrence, si Des Hommes et des Dieux est une si franche réussite, c’est parce que le cinéaste décrit progressivement, avec beaucoup de délicatesse, tous les cheminements de pensées qui vont conduire les moines à se laisser tuer pour une cause qui n’est pas la leur mais qu’ils semblent comprendre.
Off Cannes blog, on Rue 89, asks (Fr):
Tibhirine, un sanctuaire de sagesse catholique en sauvage terre musulmane?
Beauvois ne mange bien sûr pas de cette hostie-là. Le film abrite tout le monde en son église, ne cherche à évangéliser personne et met en scène des sentiments à vif, une foi dans la vie, envers et contre toutes les horreurs. Même les plus athées peuvent succomber à cette grâce qui ne porte qu'un nom : le cinéma.
Accross the Mediterranean, reactions were however somewhat mixed.
From Senegal, Ndongo Camara is happy with both Algerian-related films (Fr):
mais mention spéciale à tous les fims à polémique ayant comme fonds commun l'algérie “Hors la loi” et “Des hommes et des Dieux”.
Jeune Afrique online magazine regrets that the film does not show much of the country and people of Algeria (Fr):
À force de représenter une Algérie désincarnée, ne servant que de simple décor à une quête spirituelle dont elle était pourtant la raison d’être, les dieux comme les hommes semblent étrangement absents de ce territoire.
Algerian bloggers also weigh in:
Jazairia, blogging on Forum Algérie, wrote under the title “An other kind of evangelization” (Fr):
Sans entrer dans la responsabilité de ces assassinats, le film fait partager au spectateur la vie de ces hommes et le place au coeur de leur choix éthique.
Sobre et épuré, “Des hommes et des dieux” bouleverse le spectateur en lui faisant vivre avec intensité le choix moral de ces hommes et leur sacrifice motivé par l'amour de Dieu, mais aussi de leurs frères musulmans.
The post  so far has generated 36 comments, in a heated discussion ranging from relations between christianity and islam to theological issues about the trinity.
Let's conclude with young French script-writer and ardent film buff Sandra M., blogging at In the mood for Cannes (Fr):
C'est en effet un appel à la tolérance, à l'harmonie entre les peuples et les religions, une dénonciation de l'obscurantisme sous de fallacieux prétexte religieux, une ode au courage qui touche autant les croyants que les athées et les agnostiques.
The film is due to open in theatres on Sept. 8.  and the trailer is here.

author: Suzanne Lehn


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Bahrain: On German Freedom  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif attended a 10-day programme organised by the German Federal Foreign Office. His conclusion: “Germany is not that free after all!”


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Bangladesh: FIFA World Cup, Memories From The Past · Global Voices
Bijoy

Football or soccer, as is it called in some parts of the world, is undoubtedly the greatest game mankind has ever invented. The FIFA World Cup is the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world. Bangladesh is one rare country where during the World Cup people actively identify with and support a country that they otherwise have no connection to. And their favorites? ‘Argentina’ or ‘Brazil’ and you will see flags of those countries hoisted by the supporters on their rooftops.
Within a couple of weeks 2010 FIFA word cup will start in South Africa and the Bangladeshi bloggers are discussing about this mega event. The storm in a teacup is the supporters’ analysis of whether their team will be winning the world cup or not. In addition, a few blogger are also reminiscing about the memorable moments of the previous World Cups.
In Bangla (Bengali) blogging platform Somewherein, Mamu shares his memories of the 1982 World Cup :
১৯৮২ সালে বাংলাদেশ টেলিভিশন প্রথম ভূউপগ্রহ কেন্দ্রের মাধ্যমে বিশ্বকাপের খেলা সরাসরি প্রচার করে।আমি তখন একেবারে শিশু কিন্তু আমার দেখা প্রথম সরাসরি বিশ্বকাপের কথা ষ্পষ্ট মনে আছে। গভীর রাতে খেলা শুরু হত। পড়ার ছেলেরা দলবেঁধে খেলা দেখতে আসত। বাসার উঠানে টিভিটাকে নিয়ে আসা হত, দর্শকেরা দুটি দলে বিভক্ত হয়ে যেত। জয়ী দল নাচতে নাচতে পরাজিতরা বিমর্ষ বদনে বাড়ী ফিরত।
He also added:
আমাদের টেলিভিশন ছিল সাদাকালো। কিন্তু আমার দৃষ্টিতে সেই বিশ্বকাপ ছিল সবচেয়ে রঙ্গীন।
Playing soccer in the rain. Image By Flickr user Vipez. CC BY-NC-ND
The Bangladeshi fans are very crazy. Mamu also shares a story of the 1990 World Cup:
এই বিশ্বকাপের ফাইনালে আর্জেন্টিনা জার্মানীর কাছে পরাজিত হয়। ফাইনালের রেফারিং নিয়ে বেশ সমালোচনা হয়েছিল। বিষয়টি বাংলাদেশের আর্জেন্টাইন ভক্তদের মোটেও ভালো লাগেনি। এদের একজন রেফারি কোডেসালের বিরুদ্ধে বাংলাদেশের আদালতে মামলা করে দেয়।
Mamu informed us that religion also created supporters: Italian player Roberto Baggio is a Buddhist, that is why the Buddhist of Bangladesh supported Italy in the 1994 world cup:
১৯৯৪ সালের বিশ্বকাপ বাংলাদেশের জন্য এক ভিন্ন মাত্রা যোগ করে। যদিও বাংলাদেশের জনগণ ব্রাজিল বা আর্জেন্টিনাকে সমর্থণ করে, তারপরে বাংলাদেশের পাবর্ত্য চট্টগ্রামের বাস করা বৌদ্ধরা ইতালিকে সমর্থন করে। এর কারণ রবার্তো ব্যাজিও। তিনি ছিলেন ইতালির মধ্যমাঠের সেরা খেলোয়াড়। ব্যাজিও ছিল বৌদ্ধ ধর্মের অনুসারী। ব্যাজিও কক্সবাজারের এক বৌদ্ধ মন্দিরের সংস্কার কাজে অর্থ দান করেছিলেন।
Not only religion but also one other factor gathered support for Italy:
তবে কেবল বৌদ্ধরা ব্যাজিও ইতালিকে সমর্থন করেনি। এই বিশ্বকাপে বাংলাদেশের অন্যতম এক নায়িকা ইতালিকে সমর্থন করে। তার সমর্থণের কারণ, ইতালির ফুটবলাররা ছিলেন সুদর্শণ। (ভিভা ইতালিয়া):
Alas! all their prayers and wishes did not materialize, as Brazil beat Italy in the final. Baggio missed a crucial penalty and Italy lost the cup.
In that blog post Nasiruddin Hojja commented with this title, ‘how world cup football created impact in our country’s profession and politics’:
১৯৮২ সালের বিশ্বকাপ সম্বন্ধে একটা স্মৃতি আমার মনে আছে। আমাদের মফস্বল শহরে যে পাড়ায় আমি বাস করতাম, তার কাছে একটা বস্তি ছিল। সেখানে অনেক গরীব লোক বাস করত। যাদের অনেকের পেশা ছিল চুরি করা। ফুটবল বিশ্বকাপের কারণে সেবার মানুষ রাত জেগে খেলা দেখতে শুরু করে। এর ফলে চোরদের চুরি করতে সমস্যা দেখা দেয়। একদিন স্কুল থেকে ফেরার সময় দেখি তারা সরকারের বিরুদ্ধে স্লোগান দিচ্ছে, রাত জেগে খেলা দেখানো বন্ধ কর।
চোরদের জন্য বিষয়টি বেদনাদায়ক হলেও পুলিশের জন্য বিশ্বকাপ আর্শীবাদ স্বরূপ, বিশেষ করে বিশ্বকাপের খেলা যদি গভীর রাতে অনুষ্ঠিত হয়।
Though World Cup was a bad omen for the thieves of Bangladesh, it was a blessing for the police, especially as the matches were telecast after midnight.
The Word Cup and its superstars were also used by politicians, adds Nasiruddin:
তবে বিশ্বকাপ ফুটবলের সেরা তারকা রাজনীতির হাতিয়ার হিসেবে ব্যবহার করতে দেখেছি বিশ্বকাপের পর পরই। ১৯৯০ বিশ্বকাপে আর্জেন্টিনা ফাইনালে জার্মানীর কাছে হেরে যায়। ফাইনালের এই পরাজয় ম্যারাডোনা মেনে নিতে পারেনি। মাঠে সে কান্নায় ভেঙ্গে পড়ে। তার সাথে কেঁদে উঠে হাজার হাজার বাংলাদেশি। বাংলাদেশীদের মাঝে ম্যারাডোনার জনপ্রিয়তাকে পূঁজি করে সে সময় স্বৈরশাসকের একজন উপ-রাষ্ট্রপতি ঘোষণা দেয় যে, তারা বাংলাদেশে ম্যারাডোনাকে নিয়ে আসছে। কিন্তু যখন একজন বাংলাদেশী সাংবাদিক এই  তার সম্ভাব্য বাংলাদেশ যাত্রা নিয়ে প্রশ্ন করে তখন ম্যারাডোনা জানাতে চায় বাংলাদেশ কোথায়? পুরো সংবাদটি ছিল রাজনৈতিক জনপ্রিয়তা অর্জনের জন্য এক মিথ্যাচার।
Nadia Chowdhury Dina remembers her experience:
১৯৮৬ এর বিশ্বকাপের সময় যখন আমি খুবই ছোট আব্বা আমাদের রাতে ডেকে তুলত খেলা দেখার জন্য। তখন খেলার কিছুই বুঝিনা শুধু আববা যখন গোল বলে চিৎকার দিত আমরা ভাইবোন মিলে সেই সাথে চিৎকার দিতাম । তখন ঘুম ভেঙ্গে খেলা দেখতে ওঠার অন্যতম কারন ছিল সকালে স্কুলে যেয়ে বলতে পারব আমি রাত জেগে খেলা দেখেছি যদিও উঠে একটু পরেই আবার ঠুস হয়ে যেতাম ঘুমে।

author: Bijoy


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Caucasus: Social media, cleavage, and rare unity in Eurovision · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.
Although last night's second semi-final for this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, Norway, has been and gone, Twitter was nonetheless alive with commentary and updates throughout. The annual international competition, noted more for its often kitsch and glitzy entries than for its music, is viewed by well over 100 million people worldwide. Its presence online is nowhere near as large, of course, but is increasingly becoming an important consideration.
Eurovision blogs have particularly become a crucial part of the competition, but just as last night's semi-final was arguably dominated by the three acts from the South Caucasus, so too perhaps was Twitter. Already setting the example for the use of social media in the competition, entries from Azerbaijan and Georgia were particularly visible online. In particular, Eurovision pundits in the region were fortunate enough to have fly-on-the-wall live-tweeting on all of the acts in the competition from the account of jazz singer Ulviyya Rahimova, also a member of the Azerbaijani national team delegation at the event.
Tensions, of course, can run high even in a competition many consider trival and especially with Armenia and Azerbaijan still locked into conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. Last year, for example, not only were there scandals in Eurovision involving Russia and Georgia, but also between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But, at a time when many countries are questioning how much is spent for their involvement in Eurovision, the possibility for buying a place in the international spotlight is not one to be missed by any of the three countries in the region.
With two bloggers in jail, there have been attempts to link a vote for Safura directly to the authorities in Baku on some Armenian Facebook pages, but the competition has largely been conducted free of the antics which negatively affected last year's competition. The attempt to associate Safura with politics was anyway remarkably similar to Armenia's 2008 entry by Sirusho, now married to the son of the former president who ordered police and troops to use excessive force in the post-election clashes which left 10 dead following a bitterly disputed presidential election, a few months earlier.
Then, the singer was blacklisted by government critics and the opposition urged a boycott of the competition. As in that case, few seem to support such an approach and the two estranged neighbors appear to be keeping in with the intended spirit of the competition.
Even otherwise outspoken critics of the authorities in Baku put politics aside.
Indeed, the competition mainly overshadowed criticism of unconfirmed Russian media reports that Azerbaijan spent significantly more on entering than their competitors, or officials in Armenia calling for ethnic Armenians living in the Diaspora to vote for their entry. For once, most commentary was refreshingly on the actual competition instead. Of course, this being Eurovision which is as much watched for fun as for any musical talent, Eurovision pundits in the Caucasus were fortunate enough to have Scary Azeri, along with many others, tweeting a more irreverent account of the semi-final.
The cleavage displayed by Armenia's Eva Rivas, singing Apricot Stone, as well as attempts to promote her as an Angelina Jolie lookalike, were particularly noted.
With the final due to take place tomorrow, most Eurovision commentators appear to agree that the three countries making up the Caucasus dominated the second semi-final. Moreover, Azerbaijan's Safura arguably remains one of two clear favorites to win alongside Germany's Lena. Nevertheless, there also exists strong support for Armenia's Eva Rivas and Georgia's Sofia Nizharadze particularly impressed many by offering arguably one of the best vocal performance of the evening.
Alongside Safura Alizadeh, she is also using social media well and immediately sent out a thank you message to her supporters via Twitter and YouTube.
More importantly, perhaps, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia were largely able to keep their differences apart. A rare occurrence indeed, regional analysts would note, but one which fits in with the intended spirit of Eurovision. Global Voices wishes all three contestants luck in tomorrow's final. Below are also videos of their performances last night.
This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Caucasus: Eurovision Semi-final roundup · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped: Gay Armenia offers its opinion on last night's semi-final in this year's Eurovision Song Festival, and especially the entries from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The blog, which has become a mainstay for covering the competition in the Caucasus region, also regularly tweets on it at @unzippedblog.


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Eritrea: Exiled editor reunites with family · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Mohammed Keita reports that the exiled Eritrea editor, Aaron Berhane, has reunited with his family.


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Guatemala: Pacaya Volcano Causes State of National Calamity · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

CC BY Teufelgt
Regions in Guatemala are  in a “state of calamity” as declared by President Colom after the Pacaya volcano, 25 miles south of Guatemala City, increased its activity.  (All links lead to articles in Spanish unless marked otherwise)
Yesterday the The Pacaya[en] volcano increased its activity after a small earthquake;  the arrival of a tropical storm on top of that generated a dangerous combination of  falling water, ashes  and stones. Today the situation is much more serious as the two small earthquakes,  the tropical storm and the erupting volcano take their toll on the  population. More than 30 different traffic accidents have been caused by  the ash the low visibility and rain, 3 people are missing and one  has been reported dead: the body of Anibal Arcila,   a cameraman who was hit on  the head by falling debris from the volcano while reporting on the  explosion,  was found while  netizens tuned into online streaming channels.  Twenty others have  been reported as injured, towns are being evacuated.
Discussion of the developing events have taken place in blogs,  twitter,  identi.ca accounts (using hashtag #Pacaya), and even a rock music forum .  Ash falling from the sky is not uncommon in Guatemala, but it's a first for Guatemala City.  The airport was closed until the 31st, due to the rocky muck on the ground and ash in the air, possibly reminding people of the ash cloud generated by Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano which interrupted air travel in Europe last month.
Pacaya Volcano is a popular touristic destination[en] and people walk next to lava flows, roast marshmallows and hike the area. So what does this increased activity look like? Vivo en Guatemala reported:
Actualmente se producen explosiones cada segundo y alcanzan hasta 500 metros de altura sobre el cráter. Las columnas de ceniza llegan hasta 1 mil 500 metros de altura y se dispersan hacia el Oeste y Sur-Oeste sobre las aldeas El Rodeo y El Patrocinio. También se reporta caída de ceniza en Amatitán, San Francisco de Sales, Calderas, Los Pocitos y San Vicente Pacaya.
The Guatemalan Firemen Squad report on their blog that many highly populated suburbs including Amatitlan, Villa Nueva and San Miguel Petapa are severely affected by the sand. Blogger Chitiore provides  pictures of the black sand falling from the sky videos and useful links to keep yourself informed about this developing situation.
Up until yesterday, the ash that fell over the city was something of an amusing event, although not completely uncommon in Guatemala,  as can be seen in the following video where a young man stands outside while dry ash hisses as it hits the roofs and other surfaces.
In this next video a sedate Tessy Caspine shows the ash that falls in her yard and covers everything in a coal black slush.  In some areas of the city it has reached 2 or 3 inches deep and has caused car crashes.
You can follow the unfolding events hrough online streaming video of  this Guatemalan TV news channel. Also through CONRED, the Guatemalan National Disaster Prevention Commission,  as it is constantly updating  their  Facebook page and Twitter account with information, including  a map of the communities affected by the emergency.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Hungary: Facebook vs iWiW · Global Voices
Marietta Le

It's not exaggeration to say that the debate running mostly by the title “Facebook vs iWiW” started a long time ago, with the registration of the first user from Hungary on the social networking site founded by Mark Zuckerberg. According to Facebakers.com, the number of Facebook users in Hungary is already 1,313,020 (with an online penetration of 22.15 %).
The Hungarian social networking site called iWiW (HUN), an abbreviation for International Who is Who, was launched in 2002, as Focus.com‘s timeline shows below.
In 2006, Hungarian Telecom purchased iWiW, and by 2009, the site had 4 million registered users in a country of ten million.
As in every “new” country where the popularity of Facebook started to grow, the number of Hungarian users is increasing, too. Hírbehozó of Webisztán blog (HUN) reported (HUN) in March that the number of Hungarian users has reached one million:
[…] The reach of the psychological line in the case of a social networking service is not only a psychological advantage: it comes by the characteristics of these sites that they can move circles of acquaintances easily.
For this the number of users it needs to reach a critical mass when everybody has acquaintances who use the service actively.
Facebook has arrived to this level among Hungarian users. As it shows up from the data, by now there are some hundred thousand signing up in Hungary per month. And if this tendency didn't get better for some reason, still it would be very likely that at least by the end of the year almost every active Hungarian net user would be in touch with Facebook. […]
The blogger of Webisztán admitted that Facebook is still not on the very top of the country's top 100 ranking. According to Alexa.com the first is the Hungarian page of Google search, the second is YouTube and the third is still a Hungarian social networking site, iWiW.hu (HUN). Facebook's ranking is only #5.
[…] Not that it was such a problem in capitalism. But by all means it can lead to interesting realignments, motions in the market. From this point of view, Hungarian web has arrived to the termination of a period…
Doransky, who's dealing with online marketing, highlighted (HUN) the power of iWiW that makes it different from Facebook:
[…] Is there any web service in which there's a competitive edge of a cultural code? If there is, then the service which is based on the value of social connections could be that. Since the budget is similarly low. Facebook makes a drastic conversion almost every two months, which derives from the fact that 700 people are working on the system. It's the number of employees at the customer service in any European country, but not a whole company running with minimal customer relations.
The power of iWiW is still in the fact that you can find everyone and their uncle there from the web, it has a good friend search and it's good for exchanging information among people, which is totally enough for the majority.
Unlike a search engine, this network can't be conquered so simply because it's comprised mostly of the people who feel the local specialties and they got used to iWiW.
In another post (HUN), he added how it is important for iWiW to start facing Faceboook:
[…] If they do not accelerate, they will slowly suffer the fate of those services that were killed by Facebook. This happens so frequently nowadays that after the founder Zuckerberg people started to use his name as a verb: Zucked!
Konrád Berényi, a consultant in online marketing, published a post (HUN) titled “Harakiwiw,” criticizing Telekom, the owner of iWiW, not supporting their service in the competition for the Hungarian market of social networking sites:
[…] But I can draw it more harshly: T-Mobile doesn't give a hoot about the competition going on at home in the social media market, it follows the international trends and supports Facebook, either doesn't care about anything else or doesn't want to. And this won't take a turn for the better. If iWiW came out with an offer from tomorrow on, it could only be a silent follower. Facebook is the star, everybody wants its shine, while iWiW is the poor orphan: be-quiet, go-sit-in-the-corner, you-can-get-some-leftover.

author: Marietta Le


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India: Second Class Rail Travel · Global Voices
Rezwan

Lazy Pineapple at Desicritics shares how second class rail travel in India is like.


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Iran: Two Bloggers and Student Leader on Hunger Strike in Prison · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

This poster appears on many blogs. It says Majid Tavakoli is brave in the fight against despotism.
Two bloggers and one leading student activist – deprived of their pen and blogs in an Iranian prison – are now using a hunger strike to protest prison conditions and defend their rights.
The student is Majid Tavakoli, a leading human rights activist, and the two bloggers are Hussein Ronagh Melki, and Koohyar Godarzi.
Hussein Rongah Melki (also known as “Babak Khoramdin”) was one of the key cyberactivists behind Iran Proxy against web filtering. He used to blog about [fa] about human rights and civil society.
When Tavakoli was arrested in December, he was photographed in women's clothing by the authorities as an attempt to humiliate him. As an expression of support, countless Iranians photographed themselves dressed in hijab and replaced their Facebook profile photos.
The last post in Kouhyar Godarzi's blog in April 2008 calls on readers to help stop an execution.
After the contested Iranian presidential election in June last year, the Iranian government quelled protests and arrested hundreds of political and civil society leaders, including human rights activists, bloggers and journalists.
Majid and Hussein began their hunger strikes on May 23 from solitary confinement. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, news of Majid Tavakoli's hunger strike has caused human rights activists and intellectuals in Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia, to announce their own solidarity hunger-strikes.
Iranian blogger Sight writes [Fa]:
Stop your hunger strike Majid. I am not deserving of you to sacrifice your life for me. If you would not be here, I do not want the Spring. Stay with us Majid, stay.
Marjan Tehran writes [Fa]:
Majid should not be forgotten. From the moment he came to the university until he was arrested, he struggled {for freedom] now it's his friends and campaigners’ turn to do their best and not to forget him.
Iranian authorities have jailed several bloggers in recent years, including Hossien Derakhshan  who also still remains in prison.
Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, a 29-year old Iranian blogger and journalist died in Evin Prison in Tehran on March 18, 2009.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Israel: The Freedom Flotilla – PR Stunt or Humanitarian Act? · Global Voices
Gilad Lotan

Nine ships sailing from various destinations, including Ireland, Turkey and Greece, are headed towards the Gaza Strip with the goal of breaking the Israeli maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip. The so-called Freedom Flotilla is carrying around 750 activists, including diplomats and journalists, as well as about 10,000 tons of supplies. If they don't turn back, IDF navy commandos plan to block the ships. Israel has vowed to prevent the ships from docking in Gaza, offering instead to send the aid through its own crossings after carrying-out security checks.
Carlos Latuff's cartoon on Israel's blockade of Gaza
I will attempt to break down the reactions and posts I've seen coming from the Hebrew blogosphere into what seem to be three main arguments:
1. There is no humanitarian problem in the Gaza Strip
2. The flotilla is a provocative trick to capture media around the world
3. The flotilla includes questionable participants (“terrorists”?)
I will also describe some of Israel's formal and informal reactions to this event. As the matter is complex from many angles, if you have more insight to offer, please don't hesitate to add it to the comments section at the bottom of this post.
In a recent interview Col. Moshe Levy (IDF) said “the humanitarian situation in Gaza is stable – there is no lack in food or any other items, except those that fuel the terrorist movement and strengthens Hamas.” Since the beginning of the year, Israel transferred 260,000 tons of humanitarian aid – Every day some 100 trucks enter Gaza with vital materials. Israel let some 6,000 Palestinians into Israel to receive medical treatments in Israel and Jordan. There is no taxation on food or medicine. Additionally, Israel is enabling the UNRWA bring in cement for construction projects that they oversee.
Here is some information on humanitarian aid to Gaza over the past year and a half, posted by the MFA. And from the IDF blog, an overview of the regulations on what is allowed in and out of the Gaza strip.
Alternatively, here's a snarky piece by Larry Derfner focusing on the Israeli Foreign Ministry statements about the nonexistent humanitarian crisis in Gaza and questions the idyllic image that they have been trying to paint.
The Gaza Gateway blog questions the Israeli claim about the “magnificent” situation in Gaza:
if there is such prosperity, then how exactly is the closure policy promoting Israel’s goal to weaken the Hamas government? For example, if the economic situation in Gaza is so magnificent, as stated in the cynical message distributed by the Government Press Office yesterday – why does another public statement by the State of Israel proudly declare that 738,000 tons of humanitarian aid were transferred to the Gaza Strip last year? How, the reader might also ask, are these statements of prosperity compatible with the contradictory information frequently released by international organizations ?
Is it not true that 80% of Gaza’s population is supported by international aid organizations? Is it not true that the unemployment rate in Gaza is around 35%? And, how is the decisive statement that “Israel has taken measures to support trade and commerce” consistent with the sweeping ban imposed by Israel for the past three years on the entry of raw materials to industrial plants and factories in the Gaza Strip? Indeed, the ban is perpetuating a situation in which over 90% of industrial establishments are closed or are operating at less than 10% of capacity. Does the fact that Israel prevents the entry of margarine in large containers designed for the production of foodstuffs in Gaza, while it allows the entry of margarine in small packages (made in Israel) promote the economy in Gaza?
In a recent blog post, Ido Landau wonders if there are still Israelis who truly believe that the siege will help release Gilad Shalit:
I'd like to know if there exists an Israeli citizen that doesn't know a three year old piece of information – that the price to release Gilad Shalit is the price that was initially set; a price that will not change even after the fourth, fifth or sixth year? That the solution against qassam missiles and the terrorist attack attempts is, simply, opening the borders?
The Israeli siege on Gaza, caused a 60% deterioration in nutritional insecurity for senior homes. Almost half of the agricultural land in the Gaza strip cannot be used as a result from the destruction of operation “cast lead” or from being within the security belt. The fishing industry is paralyzed due to the ban on entering deep sea (the Gazans smuggle fish via tunnels). This means the collapse of the agricultural sector in the Gaza strip.
If you're interested to read about the humanitarian situation, I recommend you read the following report (published by OCHA). Otherwise, all that we know comes from IDF via ynet.
A video interview posted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs outlines the reasons why a naval blockade exists, and claims its legitimacy under international law:
The reason why there is a naval blockade is the Hamas regime – weapons are smuggled into Gaza by various means. One of these routes is the sea. Under international law, a maritime blockade is recognized as a legitimate tool be used at a time of international conflict. Israel is in a state of arms conflict with Hamas. Israel has hoped that the disengagement plan would form as a springboard to the creation of a dialog. Unfortunately we know that hasn't been the case. In response to attacks on its civilians, Israel imposed economic sanctions on the regime
under international humanitarian laws a state that is imposing economic sanctions does not need to provide non vital goods; goods that will give Hamas military or economic advantage are not transferred. For example, concrete is no allowed to be transferred. Israel supplies on a daily basis vital humanitarian goods – baby formula, meat, dairy products. Million tons of goods have been transferred to the Gaza strip.
Israeli supreme court constantly reviews the transport of humanitarian goods into Gaza and makes sure that Israel is meeting its obligations under international law.
The flotilla is carrying goods including cement. The building materials are meant to be used for the construction of some 20 homes which were destroyed in the war Israel-Gaza war of January 2009. The “free gaza” movement argues that even though many countries agreed to help rebuild and can provide 4 billion dollars, this hasn't happened since Israel is set on blocking the entrance of building materials into the Gaza strip.
The notion that the “freedom flotilla” is a publicity stunt is widely adopted within Israeli media (and probably even within the activists themselves). An interesting perspective is Turkey's role in the evolution of this story. Turkey, whose relations with Israel have soured since the Gaza invasion in 2008-2009, has played a key role in the flotilla campaign, organized by IHH, a Turkish humanitarian organization, among others.
In his post, Ze'ev Kam claims that Palestinian aid that doesn't include a public humiliation of Israel doesn't interest anyone, and is especially angered at the Turkish government for supporting this move:
אתם יודעים מה, אמרו בישראל. יאללה. ניגש מתאם הפעולות בשטחים לשגריר הטורקי בישראל והציע לו שישראל תעביר בעצמה את כל הציוד ההומניטרי לרצועה. רק בלי משט. בדרך הרגילה. במילים אחרות, בואו נשאיר בצד את מסע היח”צנות ואת מנועי הקיטור של האוניות ופשוט נדאג שהסיוע יגיע לעזה. ואפילו בדרך מהירה יותר. הטורקים אמרו לא.
You know what? Israel said – Yalla. The Israel chief coordinator for operations in the territories approached the Turkish ambassador to Israel and proposed that Israel will transfer all the humanitarian materials into the Gaza strip. Just not through water. In the usual route. In other words, leaving the PR-ified journey and the steam engines aside, and simply making sure that the goods reach Gaza. Even faster.
The Turkish said no.
On their public facing blog, Israeli Defense Forces claim that top level Islamic extremists are linked to the Gaza flotilla:
According to a report by the Intelligence & Terrorism Information Center, senior Islamic extremists attended the launching ceremony in Istanbul of a boat participating in the flotilla. Among the participants were Mahmad Tzoalha and Sahar Albirawi, both top Hamas terrorists who today operate in Great Britain, and Hamam Said, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan.
Bolant Yilderim, the chairman of the IHH, a Turkish based pro-Palestinian organization that is spearheading the Gaza flotilla, delivered a radical speech at the ceremony to the applause of Turkish politicians and radical Islamic activists. “Israel behaves like Hitler did towards the Jews. Hitler built concentration camps in Germany, and today the Zionist entity is building concentration camps in Palestine,” said Chairman Yilderim.
Here's an excerpt from a post published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs titled “Maritime Huzpa in Memory of Rachel Corrie” about the ISM's (International Solidarity Movement) operation:
ISM is an organization that approves the Palestinian right for “legitimate armed resistance”. Their “successes” include the prevention of IDF from destroying factories that produce bombs, and tunnels used for smuggling weapons, in addition to helping, encouraging and protecting terrorists. In addition to their support of terrorists, ISM encourages uncautious confrontational resistance for its international crew of volunteers. In 2002, in the midst of a violent takeover on the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem by Palestinian terrorists, ISM members joined in as human shields. In the same year, Rachel Corrie found her death, and Mike's place – a popular Tel Aviv bar – was bombed by two suicide attackers who “sipped tea” with ISM members just 5 days prior to the attack.
ISM's behavior is typical to that of such extreme activists. While they claim that they support human rights, they often show little to no sensitivity to human life. ISM was more interested in protecting illegal structures than the lives of its international volunteers. The volunteers on the boats are all political instruments, in FGM's (Free Gaza Movement) control. How can we provide legitimacy to NGO's that do not respect their volunteer's lives?
I'm still trying to find out more information on Mahmad Tzoalha and Saha Albirawi. If you see something out there, please post here.
1. Apparently a large group of Israelis led by Guy Bechor are set to embark on a counter-journey to intercept the Flotilla crew. Following is an extract from Moti Sagron's post describing of what their agenda should be:
Even with Hamas's actions, we were offering peace. Israel's problem is not with the Gaza residents, but with Hamas. Therefore, if you identify with the residents, and not Hamas, we will help you transport all wanted humanitarian material. Israel already does this routinely. The residents of Gaza receive hundreds of supply trucks every week, in addition to fuel and electricity. However, as long as Hamas is a racist organization, fascist and antisemite, resisting peace and calling for a Jihad towards building an Islamist dictatorship, and as long as Hamas controls the Gaza strip, there is no solution other than fighting them.
2. Gilad Shalit's family offered to support the international flotilla to Gaza if its participants would demand that Hamas permit various organizations to visit the kidnapped Israeli soldier and allow him to receive packages. Members of the campaign for Shalit's release said the organizers of the international aid mission to Gaza declined the offer.
3. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been apparently hounding people on Twitter, says Sherine Tadros:
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been spreading the fact that the Flotilla is invited to unload its cargo in the Ashdod port:
Again, this is a complex story, with a whole slew of perspectives. I tried to represent some of the Israeli opinions which you would typically not see or hear. Please let me know if there are any important or unique voices that I've missed.
We'll certainly be watching the events as they unfold here at Global Voices Online.

author: Gilad Lotan


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Nepal: Financial Fraud · Global Voices
Bhumika Ghimire

Muse Nepal discusses about Nepal's largest financial fraud, where Unity Life International is accused of swindling billions of Nepali rupees through illegal ponzi-scheme.

author: Bhumika Ghimire


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Pakistan: Attacks in Lahore at Ahmadi Mosques · Global Voices
Rezwan

Amardeep at Sepia Mutiny writes about the “terrible pair of attacks on Ahmadi mosques in Lahore, by gunman armed with grenades and automatic weapons”.


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Pakistan: Minorities At Peril · Global Voices
Rezwan

“The thirty years of state sponsored “true” Islam is showing its colors. In Pakistan all the minorities are constantly harassed and state’s protection has often proved completely ineffective when a serious attack occurs,” comments Raza Habib Raja at Pak Tea House while discussing the attacks on the religious sites of Ahmedis in Lahore.


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Russia: Blogger and Activist Arrested for Viral Video · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Leonid Nikolaev (aka LJ-user nikolaevleo) the main actor in the recent viral video against cars using emergency vehicle lighting had been arrested, lj-user halfaman reported. The blogger suggests the arrest is provoked by the video Leonid took part in.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Zimbabwe: Outlawed newspaper coming back · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zimbabwe’s leading newspaper that was outlawed seven years ago, The Daily News, is coming back.


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Africa: A blog to promote African literature · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

ImageNation is a blog by Ghanaian blogger Nana Fredua-Agyeman promoting literature in Africa.


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Angola: Similarities between Cabinda and East Timor · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Orlando Castro discloses [pt] the similarities between the Angolan enclave of Cabinda and the recent history of East Timor, criticizing the positions of the Portuguese and Timorese leaders for failing to recognize the self determination of a province that produces 70% of domestic oil.

author: Sara Moreira


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Brazil: Rapper assaulted by Police Peacemaker Unit · Global Voices
Debora Baldelli

MC Fiell, who recently launched a booklet about police approach at ‘favela‘ (slum) Santa Marta, was the target of a violent assault by members of the Police Peacemaker Unit (UPP). In his blog [pt], he describes the event and claims having been beaten when he tried to dialogue besides being threatened with arrest for ‘contempt of authority’. The twitosphere immediately showed great sense of  solidarity [pt] in support of the rapper and asked for clarification.

author: Debora Baldelli


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Colombia: Tweeting the May 30 Presidential Elections · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

Although politics have been the main talk of the day on social networks in Colombia in the last few months, with the March 14 and the upcoming May 30 elections, activity intensifies in the mornings, when radio networks interview the candidates or the politicians who support them, looking for ‘interesting’ remarks, or when a debate is being broadcast on television or streamed online.
Juan Manuel Santos and Antanas Mockus are the front-runners, but analysts and some people agree that the best performers on debates are centre-right Germán Vargas Lleras, liberal Rafael Pardo and left-wing Gustavo Petro (coincidentally or not, the three have been or are Congressmen). Unfortunately for them, televised debates have little influence [es] in voters’ decision, as opinion polls show. This view is also shared by some on Twitter (most of the context of this post can be found on our May 26 piece on Colombian elections), despite some criticism [es].
Here is a sampling of tweets by Colombians, which cover a wide range of election subjects:
Cesar Mejia (@Kareq):
Da tristeza que  los 3 candidatos mas inteligentes vayan tan quedados, maldita democracia  de exitos heredados y candidatos hypeados
Paula Vejarano (@Asmodeo_):
Pardo, Vargas Lleras y Petro tienen claro el asunto. Hicieron una buena exposición de sus ideas, y no están tan pifiados.
@egolaxista
Petro no debería hacer campaña sino debate permanente. Ganaría en primera vuelta.
Maria Velasco (@AzulesMarinos):
Los 3 serios hablan de temas serios, propuesta programáticas y hacen buen debate. Ninguno de ellos ganara.
On Mockus alleged “atheism”:
Ivan Andrade (@IvanLecter):
Que creer o no en Dios sea un argumento para escoger candidato demuestra que seguimos en la Edad Media.
Fidel Cano (@fidelcanoco):
¿y en qué puede afectar la capacidad para gobernar un país que alguien crea o no en algún dios?
Mauricio Londono (@MauroLondono):
si el no cree en el ser que creo el universo,como pretende ser lider del pais del sagrado corazon?pasandose a Dios por la….?
Camilo Andrés García (@hyperconectado)
¿Y ahora que Mockus dijo que era Católico los ateos que lo siguen no votarán por él?. Cambió de religión en menos de dos semanas. :O
On Santos’ confession of having smoked marijuana in college:
@elchiflamicas
Santos dijo que había fumado marihuana en la universidad para que le creamos que fue a la universidad.
Mónica Echeverría (@monicaeche)
En los consejos de redacción de El Tiempo y El Espectador, se deben fumar varios porros, prueba de ello es la importancia q le dan al tema.
Lanark (@donAlvar):
Chichipatos. Yo voto por el que se inyecte heroína.
Most twitterers bashed Conservative Party candidate Noemí Sanín for her poor performance in debates:
Sylvia J. Rojas (@Polexia):
Votar Noemí por q es mujer, es cometer el error de los americanos al votar Obama por negro…o los bolivianos al votar por Evo por indígena
Paula Vejarano (@Asmodeo_):
¿cuándo será el día que ‘ser mujer’ no sea el ‘valor’ a destacar en una mujer dedicada a la política?
On Mockus remarks and constant clarifications on his mis-statements:
Ivan Andrade (@IvanLecter):
Claro que uno puede retract[a]rse y rectificar. El lío es que eso quita credibilidad.
Cristina Vélez (@CristinaVelezV):
[¿]Cuándo se podrán hacer chistes sobre Mockus sin que la gente lo mire a uno feo?
On the “green wave” and the “dirty politics”:
Norman (@Jormanks)”
No mas #olaverde en twitter. Transladenla a las calles. A la proxima que, novena?
Pablo Abitbol (@Pabloabitbol):
Muy interesante ver cómo un partido que fundamenta su plataforma política en la razón apela constantemente a lo sagrado como argumento.
@Tefa_
Paradójicamente, son más respetuosos los santistas y mucho menos intensos que la gente de la ola verde
Daniel Arango (@stultaviro):
He tenido la oportunidad de ver en primera fila el derrumbe del mito Obama y pienso que algo similar ocurrirá con la ola verde.
Of course, other concerns would appear:
Sebastian Fajardo (@elcondorherido):
#yovotaria por alguien que entienda que un campesino es social y económicamente tan importante como un PhD
Adrian Lanzziano (@dobleZZeta):
Cual será el Presidente de Colombia que hará algo por el Chocó?. Todos la visitan en época electoral, se maravillan, pero nunca hacen nada..
Strong criticism to the Colombian democracy [es], media coverage of the debates [es] (the family of Juan Manuel Santos is stockholder of Colombia's main newspaper) or the forced absence in the debates of minor candidates [es] also were voiced. Some users were outed for their tireless proselytism, such as pro-Santos @Felibertino or pro-Mockus @laurigarzon.
Finally, an article on a decree (Decreto 1800 de 2010) by the Interior Ministry on security measures for the election day was panned by journalists [es] —which called it “censorship”— and twitterers (even mocking and challenging minister Fabio Valencia Cossio). The article 9 of the decree states that only public order information “confirmed by official sources” can be reproduced by the media, which may tamper with the impact of initiatives such as Ushahidi-powered Elecciones Transparentes or simple denouncements of vote-buying and other irregularities on election day by people in Twitter or Facebook.

author: Julián Ortega Martínez


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Ecuador: Tungurahua Volcano Erupts and Spreads Ash · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

The Mama Tungurahua volcano again registered large activity on May 28. Two eruptions were felt at 8:47 and 11:00 AM, and provoked a great outpouring of ash that reached the provinces of Guayas, Los Rios, Chimborazo and Bolivar, as well as affecting cities like Baños, Penipe, Guayaquil and Babahoyo in Sierra and Costa. The Tungurahua began its activity in 1994 and had hit Baños in 1999.
Baños sits in the shadows of a huge mountain bluff, from which rises Volcan Tungurahua.  Photo by ‘dnevill’ in Flickr and used under a CC license.
Guayaquil airport suspended its activities on the day after its mayor, Jaime Nebot called a ‘Code Red’, meaning no landings were allowed in or out the Jose Joaquin de Olmedo Intenational Aiport in Guayaquil until Saturday 29. School classes were also suspended  until further notice in three provinces, Tungurahua, Los Rios and Guayas.  Hugo Yepes, the Director of the Geophysics Institute  of Polytechnical School in Quito, the major authority on this matters in Ecuador, has said that even though the volcano activities diminished that afternoon at 2:30 PM,  it is expected to continue to spread ash for at least 5 more days.
Blogger Max Souffriau of Necatpace [es] is always on the move y loves photography, he snapped a series of pictures of what it looked like the streets in Guayaquil.  He asks drivers to try not to be on the street,  the ground is slippery, he writes, and he warns that if ash gets passes by the air filters into the motor of your car, it may get damaged.
Photo of ash on the cars in Guayaquil by Max Souffriau and used under a CC license.
Columns of volcanic residuals reached 10 Km high and drifted in a southwest direction due to the wind currents. That is why for the very first time, the people in Guayaquil, in its north region, had to use masks. In Guayaquil  most troubles were cantons: Jujan, Yaguachi, Balsar, El Empalme y Samborondón.
Luz Gabriela Rodriguez witnessed the fall of ash while driving. In her blog Entre El, Nosotros y Ella [es] she asks whether  we are being witnesses of our lasts days. She quotes the Bible and remembers catastrophes and earthquakes will be our end, according to the Bible. She also compares Tungurahua's situation with Pacaya's eruption in Guatemala:
El poder anuncia su presencia. Las nubes de cenizas volcánicas viajan con  rapidez ayudadas por los vientos.  La lluvia de arena se siente. Y es que los fluidos del interior del volcán se pronuncian, las rocas incandescentes son expulsadas de manera amenazantes y por supuesto, cobran victimas.
In his blog [es], Luis Párraga Galarza also comments that he was on the street when ash was falling from sky. He and his niece felt firsthand the consequences, stinging eyes, and burning throats, he wrote:
Eran las 1:30 pm y salgo de mi casa para ir a ver a mi sobrina a su colegio, el día esta bastante oscuro, le dije a mi madre, que pasará. Viajabamos por la Francisco de Orellana y me decia a mi mismo, que pasa parece neblina. Más adelante veiamos a los vendedores ambulantes con sus ojos llorosos, ya la cosa pasaba de claro a oscuro, pero comenzabamos a sentir una picazón en la garganta, la radio anunciaba la erupción del Volcan Tungurahua, increible lo que hacia sombrio el dia era ceniza volcanica, primera vez que pasa en esta ciudad.
The Ecuadorian twitter community [es] was following incidents, as well. Alejandra Coral (@laaaflakaaa) confirms what Ecuadorian media is saying about evacuation of  localities known as Pondoa, Juive Chico, Juive Grande, Puntzán, Runtún, La Pampa, in the province of Tungurahua. She posted [es]:
Baños está siendo evacuada. La actividad del volcán, pese a que es menor que en la mañana, sí incrementó en estos momentos.
While Carlos Nuñez  (@Charlie_Nunez_) does not let the opportunity go away to criticize those who consume cigars. He writes: “Ash does not kill … what it kills is the cigarettes.” However, this opinion runs contrary to what Enlace Ecuador [es] stresses on the danger of ashes to the human health.
To the people living in the area, the ‘Mama Tungurahua’ volcano activity is familiar, even though the eruption on May 28 was the second most strongest felt since the beginning of its volcanic activity. Paul Barahona (@palulo) lives in the surroundings, in one of the tweets he sent, described what he felt and how domestic animals reacted. He wrote, “the  Tungurahua continues with his bellowing, the windows vibrate and the cat escaped into the street.”

author: Milton Ramirez


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France : A Legal Review of the Burqa Ban Bill · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

A lawyers blog Mieux connaître vos droits en Europe ponders the legal aspects of the French burqa ban bill (fr). Earlier,  the blog also  posted the main points of the bill and a survey of reactions from officials (fr).


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France: Questions and Controversy about ICC · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

EU-LOGOS blog explains why France was questioned by an Amnesty International report about its implementation in internal criminal law of the 1998 International Criminal Court status (fr). An impending bill seems to require a condition of  the “usual country of residence” to be France for legal proceedings to take place.


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Ghana: Ghana National Media Commission has failed · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Donald argues that Ghana National Media Commission has failed to do its work: “Is the Natonal Media Commission really doing their work for real?”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Guatemala: Cleaning Up the Ash from Pacaya Volcano · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Gustavo Reyes posts this Twitpic of workers cleaning the ash from the Pacaya volcano eruption in Guatemala.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Guinea : Waiting for Presidential Elections · Global Voices
Mialy Andriamananjara

An anxiety echoed on Guinee50 where doubts are not about the military's willingness to relinquish power but on the electoral process (fr):

author: Mialy Andriamananjara


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India: Video Giving A Voice To Marginalised Communities  · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Video Volunteers aims to empower the world’s poorest citizens to participate in the community media movement and make their voices heard. On May 3, World Press Freedom Day, Video Volunteers launched IndiaUnheard, an initiative involving a network of Community Correspondents around India who will produce video stories about life in their community, and the issues ignored by mainstream media.
The Community Correspondents represent some of India's most marginalised communities, such as Dalits, tribal people, and members of religious, linguistic and sexual minorities, and they will report on issues that are important to these communities but are not reported by the mainstream media. Brian Conley, Programme Director of IndiaUnheard, explained in an interview with Global Voices:
IndiaUnheard is a program to enable local people to spread the issues of their community to the wider world. Fundamentally we hope that by increasing the reach of local voices in some of the most rural and marginalized areas of India, we can increase the visibility of local problems to the Indian government and the international community. The hope is that by leveraging social media and a variety of new technology, we can build an audience for the type of journalism that has never before existed in India. We also hope to create a space where the audience may interact directly with our correspondents, creating conduits from outside India into some of the least accessible areas.
We have chosen 30 Community Correspondents from all over India; our goal was to select individuals from some of the most marginalized areas of the country, and by and large we have been successful with that. Many of these Community Correspondents have had no formal media training previously to this program and a few had never even held a camera.
This video introduces IndiaUnheard:
Before the project was officially launched the Community Correspondents met in Ahmedabad, Gujarat for two weeks of training in video production and journalism. You can see some photos of the training here. The videos they are now making are available on the IndiaUnheard website, where they are categorised according to topic and region.
Community Correspondent Pratibha Rolta tells the story of children missing out on an education:
Mahima Kaul of IndiaUnheard writes on her blog about what she believes the initiative can achieve:
Along with the basic needs of food, water, infrastructure that communities need, there is a crucial need for creation of a media outlet which can both educate and offer a platform for carrying voices. All too often small communities are fed information from bigger cities, and to that end, this information often has no local resonance. To train local community members to become journalists helps them identity their problems and address them in constructive ways. There is a feeling in the community that ‘someone is listening to us’ which further leads to the confidence that they are too included in the democratic process (beyond election time). For individual members of community media, who are often from the most neglected parts of society – so-called lower castes, women, religious and sexual minorities – it is both a voice and also a paradigm shift in terms of professions available to them. The tag of ‘journalist’ allows their social status to rise and in turn they can help raise the profile of their community.
In another video, Devidas Gaonkar talks about environmental problems in the popular tourist destination of Goa:

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Mexico: 165 Mexicans Die Each Day Due to Smoking · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The blog Vivir México [es] notes that 165 Mexicans die each day due to smoking-related illnesses and reflects on that statistic as the World Day Without Tobacco is upcoming on May 31.


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Nigeria: Exclusive interview with Nigerian soul artist · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

KenyaChristian blog has an exclusive interview with Nigerian soul artist Nneka Egbuna.


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Oil spill disaster in Singapore · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Facebook photo by Joseph Chun
Last week a Malaysian-registered tanker collided with a bulk carrier in the Singapore Strait causing some 2,000 tonnes of crude oil to spill into the sea. The oil slick has affected the marine life in the coastal areas of Singapore.
A facebook page was created – Singapore Changi East Oil Spill – to monitor and document the disaster and to call for volunteers in the cleanup drive. Lim Wei Ling posts this status update on her facebook page about what she witnessed in one of the affected beaches of Singapore
Was at Tanah Merah with a friend yesterday. The impact area is actually quite large. Also, some globules of oil have already sunken and rolling on the sea floor. Marine creatures there were lethargic due to the lack of oxygen in the waters. Dead and struggling creatures were also seen…sad. However, we saw plenty of sand stars…they seem to beholding up better =)
Musings from the Lion City thought the “strange smell” in Singapore last week came from a forest fire
Yesterday at around 1pm, I smelled something strange. It smelled like something between drying paint and something burning. Since it was a very hot day yesterday, I thought it was a forest fire somewhere.
With our busy waterways and all the ships docked at our ports due to the economic slowdown, I fear this may not be the last time I smell this.
Wild Shores of Singapore asks netizens to document the threatened marine life of Singapore
A sense of deep helpless outrage is what I feel as the oil spill affects the marinelife on our shores. I just heard that the spill has hit Chek Jawa as well as Changi beach between Carpark 6 and Carpark 7.
It's impossible to save all the creatures. What should a shore lover do about the situation?
It is wonderful to see large numbers of volunteers wanting to do something about the situation.
But ‘cleaning’ sea creatures is almost impossible to do without stressing them. And once the oil clogs gills, the animals are probably doomed even if the oil is cleaned off externally. And if we want to ‘clean’ marine life, we need to use seawater.
The most beautiful and delicate of marine creatures are impossible to wash or relocate quickly: hard corals, sea anemones, sea fans. Some animals that don't seem worthy of ‘saving’ such as worms, are actually among the important elements of the shore ecosystem, forming the base of the food chain.
So what is a shore lover to do?
In my opinion, we should document as much as we can. Focusing not just on the distress and death to marine life, but also the amazing diversity life on our shores (from worms to fishes, corals to seagrass) and how the spill is affecting them.
Colourful Clouds took pictures of dead marine creatures in the affected coastal areas
As we reached the shore, the pungent gas fumes fill the air! Making it a bit hard to breathe. I came prepared with a mask and tied a piece of towel around. It was much better but still a fade amount of the fumes can be smelled!
On the high shores, we see signs of the oil stains on the sand.
Sigh…..it is just heartbreaking seeing so many dead marine creatures! Hopefully the oil spill can be cleared soon and that the shores can recover once again!
KCK reports that the oil sludge has reached the shores of Singapore
The oil spill has apparently hit our shores despite earlier comments that it might vaporise before reaching land. The argument was being a light crude, the spill could vaporise easily
Pictures of the disaster are available on Facebook, the Flickr page of il_mare77, Wild Shores, and Mantamola. Oil spill disasters in the Singapore Strait also took place in 1997, 2000, 2004. Maybe marine authorities have to answer what blogger Singapore Life and Times is asking
…what were the people manning the sea traffic doing, or more more pertinently, NOT doing to prevent this collision? Like the people manning the Control Tower in an airport, the people manning the seaport have just as heavy a responsibility to make sure things like this do not happen.
Twitter reactions from Singapore about the oil spill
beermanDD: Went to see the beach at east coast and its full of crude oil..
dekick: RT @stcom Fewer people are flocking to the beach despite the long weekend because of the oil spill
watzzup80: A beautiful day to be at the beach, sadly its fill with oil..sigh
earthyelement: wonder if there are any threats to the sea habitats for the recent oil spills..
Facebook photo by Hang Chong

author: Mong Palatino


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Philippines: Destroying another landmark · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Torn and Frayed in Manila blogs about the impending destruction of another historical landmark in Manila – Sta Ana Racetrack.


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South Africa: Rugby Playing Its Part in Transformation · Global Voices
Prisha Bhoola

Sport is still largely split along racial lines in South Africa. Football is considered a non-white sport and rugby is considered by many to be a game played by white South Africans. There have been many attempts at transforming these attitudes, but this year’s rugby Super 14 has proved to be the most significant step in nation building that South Africans have witnessed for a long while.
Bulls Fans in Soweto at the home of Orlando Pirates football club.
Photo source:pessimistincarnate.blogspot.com
The Super 14, which started in 1996, is the largest rugby championship in the southern hemisphere, consisting of teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The fourteen sides all play against one another for fourteen weeks. Then, the teams in the top four places on the log enter a knockout phase. Two semi-finals are contested to decide the two finalists, which is played at the highest ranked winner’s home ground.
Loftus Versfeld is the home of the Bulls rugby team from Pretoria. This stadium is one of the official stadiums to be used at this year’s World Cup. One problem though: the Bulls have pulverized their way to the final rounds of the Super 14 and found themselves in a predicament. They could not use their own home ground for their semi final match against the Crusaders from New Zealand and the final against Cape Town’s Stomers. What did they do?
As I’ve explained in my own blog, At Random, before the semi final on 22 May 2010:
My family took a mini bus taxi to Soweto.
Photo source: Prisha Bhoola's family photo
The Bulls could have chosen any rugby stadium in Gauteng – but they chose Orlando stadium in Soweto. This is the home of Orlando Pirates and what is considered in South Africa as a traditional football (and mainly “black”) stronghold. And herein lays the tremendous significance. For many Bulls supporters, this will be their first visit to Soweto. Yes, sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Soweto is just an hour away from Pretoria but it is still considered a no-go area by many.
Pessimistincarnate reported on the semi final last week:
Renier and Ronnie Botha, from Centurion, said: “It has been a great experience and hopefully it will not be the last time the Bulls come here. It was our first time in Soweto and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. The park-and-ride was good and well organised. No complaints.”
Tshepo Moeti from Pimville, Soweto, said: “I usually watch rugby on TV. It was my first time at the stadium. It was really exciting and the fans were great.”
Piet van Zyl, who parked his car in Centurion, said: “I am very satisfied with the system and the stadium was brilliant.
Mhambi blogged:
While the Bulls may have found that Orlando is as intimidating as Loftus, if not more so, the players have now been invited to become part of the people of Soweto by struggle icon and former wife of Nelson Mandela, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
The ANC also came to the party with the following comments reported by the Mail&Gaurdian :
Congratulating the Stormers and the Bulls for making it to the final of the international competition, to be played at Orlando Stadium, the party said this would give Soweto residents another taste of the rugby experience, and white fans the chance to learn about the country's diversity.
ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, treasurer general Mathews Phosa and national executive committee member Winnie Madikizela-Mandela planned to attend.
“The ANC leadership hails the decision by the rugby sport leadership in scheduling this activity in Soweto. This gesture will go a long way in breaking the racial barriers that exist in the country and will heighten reconciliation and nation-building.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was also excited,
The decision by the powers that be at the Bulls, when their home ground became unavailable, to shift the match to Soweto rather than another more traditional rugby venue, should be applauded by all South Africans,
Perhaps Basha Pillay   best sums up the current mood amongst South Africans:
Rainbow Nation.
Photo source: http://mhambi.com
5 years ago would you have believed that we would have seen a Super 14 semi final being played in Soweto in a sea of blue and hundreds of Vuvuzelas being blown? Makes me proud to be South African!!!

author: Prisha Bhoola


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Vietnam: Eating “Op la” in Saigon · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Eating Asia blogs about Saigon's op la dish (fried eggs cooked with various sausages).


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Vietnam: Report on online censorship · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Viet Tan has published a comprehensive report about online censorship and cyberattacks in Vietnam.


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Zimbabwe: Is it a crime to be white in Zimbabwe? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Chris Kabwato discusses the question of race in Zimbabwe's politics: “In Zimbabwe there is a person who cannot be sworn in as a minister of state, not because of any crime he committed, but he is simply the wrong colour. He is white.”


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Bangladesh: Facebook Temporarily Blocked · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh has become the second country in Asia after Pakistan to block the entire Facebook domain in recent times. On 28th May, 2010 Friday at around 8:30 the ban was executed on charges of malicious propaganda against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and hurting religious feelings, reports [bn] blogger and journalist Biplob Rahman at MuktoMona blogging platform. However the site was still accessible via mobile (m.facebook.com).
Newspapers soon confirmed quoting high officials of Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) that Facebook was temporarily blocked.
Earlier, the BTRC had directed internet data service handlers Mango Telecom and Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd to find a way to block antisocial contents posted by Facebookers.
But the two companies failed to fix the problem, which prompted the government to block the entire site, said the official, asking not to be named.
The Daily Star
According to Facebook there are around 900,000 Facebook users in Bangladesh and 60% of them are aged between 18-24 years. Many netizens, like Sukanta Rai at Prothom Alo Blog had this question in mind:
ফেসবুক কি দোষ করল কেউ কি আমারে বলবা?
S. M. Mahbub Morshed at Sachalayatan informs:
বাংলাদেশের দ্বিতীয় জনপ্রিয় সাইট ফেইসবুকে হাসিনা-খালেদার ব্যাঙ্গাত্মক ছবি প্রকাশের পর মাহাবুব আলম রডিনকে গ্রেপ্তার করে র‍্যাব। এর কিছুক্ষণ পরেই বাংলাদেশ থেকে ফেইসবুক এক্সেস না করার খবর আসতে শুরু করে।
Chitpotang at Unheard Voices blog wonders whether a threat from some religious parties prompted the government to take this decision:
That’s the “official” eyewash. What’s the real reason? Hmm, could it have something to do with  Naya Diganta and Khatme Nabuwwat, Amini, et al’s return in the form  of exporting Pakistan’s Facebook ban for the Mohammed Cartoon Contest? The threats to hold a rally the day after BNP’s June rally that will be even bigger? As usual AL (Awami League) responds in only way it knows to an Islamist/Rightist threat, cave in immediately.
However Aminul Islam Sajib at Life with technology opines:
Although the BTRC is saying that the site has been blocked for hosting anti-religious and pornographic contents, I feel that the site is blocked mainly for the reason that caricatures of two political leaders were shared on the site. The government could take necessary steps to remove those contents. Instead they are blocking us for their own interest and trying to make us understand that the reason is something else (anti-religious stuffs). Don’t they know that there are over hundreds of proxies such as hidemyass.com, redfish.tk (giving you the links so that you can still access the network) to gain access to Facebook. So, why ban Facebook? Banning Facebook does not block  people’s access to the site. It’s like a showdown that we have banned Facebook on grounds of being abused.
The Bangladeshi netizens are astonished and outraged by all these drama. Bloggers like and https Shahriar at Cadet College Blog are explaining how to easily circumvent the ban by using https and other web proxies. However, Aranya Anam at Amar Blog warns [bn] netizens  to be cautious about using proxy sites and provides some useful links.
Haseeb at Sachalayatan names the ban [bn] as “commerce of sentiments”.
Arup Rahee at Somewherein comments:
ফেসবুক বন্ধ করা কোন সমাধান না। কেউ কোন বিষয়ে কোনখানে মতামত, সমালোচনা, ব্যঙ্গ-বিদ্রুপ ইত্যাদি করলে সেই মাধ্যমটাকেই বন্ধ করা খুব একটা কাজে যে আসে না, তা ইতিহাস বারবার প্রমান করতেছে।
Samir Kumar Ghosh says:
আমার মতে এই উদ্যোগ টি নেয়ার আগে সরকারের একটু ভাবা উচিৎ ছিলো। সরকার যদি এসব করার ব্যাপারে সবাইকে সতর্ক করে দিতেন বা আইনের ভয় দেখাতেন তাহলে হয়তো এর চেয়ে বেশি ফল দিতো।
However there were some opinions supporting the ban. Guru Bhai at Somewherein says:
যেসময় ওদের খেলার মাঠে বন্ধুদেরকে নিয়া খেলার কথা অথবা হোমওয়ার্ক করার কথা ,সেইসময় মোবাইল বা কম্পিউটার নিয়ে সোশ্যাল নেটওয়ারকিং এর নামে পরকীয়ায় বা ভার্চুয়াল ডেটিংয়ে (কিংবা অন্য কিছুতে) ব্যস্ত ,যা একটি স্বাধীন সার্বভৌম রাষ্ট্রের জন্য অত্যন্ত লজ্জাজনক
Twitter users are also expressing their reactions:
taslimanasreen: Is banning contagious !! Pakistan banned facebook ! Now Bangladesh !
julu_vai: govt. in bangladesh, by closing facebook for their own personal anger, are causing needless pain to millions. Where is my Freedom of speech?
kowsheek: Finally govt realised that facebook is injurious for pm's health. #bangladesh
DarthShayan: People from #Bangladesh need to make a stand. We always let the political ppl dominate us. Is Bangladesh not a democracy with freedom?
A Facebook group named Withdraw the ban on Facebook in Bangladesh has been created. Kajal Abdullah at Somewherein reports that offline protests are also materializing:
অলরেডী প্রতিবাদ শুরু হয়ে গেছে। ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের শিক্ষার্থীরা আজ রাত ১২ টায় রাজু ভাস্কর্যের সামনে ফেসবুক বন্ধের প্রতিবাদে ব্যাপক প্রতিবাদ কর্মসূচী পালন করেছেন। এবং হুশিয়ারি দিয়েছেন অবিলম্বে ফেসবুক চালু না করে দিলে আগামী কাল থেকেই ঢাবি শিক্ষার্থীরা মানববন্ধনসহ নানা আন্দোলনে যাবে।
Nazrul Islam at Sachalayatan says:
আমরা প্রথমত একটা গণতান্ত্রিক সরকার চাই। যেই সরকার সবাইকে কথা বলার সুযোগ দিবে। সবার মত প্রকাশের সুযোগ দিবে।
ডিজিটাল বাংলাদেশ গড়ার স্বপ্ন দেখিয়ে বর্তমান সরকার ক্ষমতা নিলো। কিন্তু আমরা দেখলাম এই সরকার ডিজিটের কিছুই জানে না।
আমাদের সরকার জানেই না, যে এসব নিষেধাজ্ঞা কোনো কাজের কথা না। বর্তমান দুনিয়ায় নিষেধাজ্ঞার চেয়ে হাস্যকর কিছু নাই আসলে। যার দেখার সে ফেসবুক কেন, দুনিয়ার সবকিছু দেখতে পারবে। তবু সরকার নিষেধাজ্ঞা জারী করে। [..]
এই নিষেধাজ্ঞা হয়তো কয়েকদিন পরই তুলে নিতে হবে। কিন্তু এই সরকারের ইতিহাসে তা আজীবন রয়ে যাবে।
Our government does not know that these bans are not effective – there is nothing sillier than these in today's world. If anybody wants he/she can access Facebook or everything on the internet. Still the government goes for another ban.
They will perhaps be forced to withdraw this ban within a few days. But this will remain as a bad mark in the government's tenure.

author: Rezwan


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Bangladesh: The Reason For The Facebook Ban · Global Voices
Rezwan

Shada Kalo discusses about the recent ban on Facebook in Bangladesh – and how it gave a kid a ton of publicity.


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Chez Gangoueus: A brilliant blog about African literature in French · Global Voices
Claire Ulrich

Réassi Ouabonzi
The Best of blog Awards 2010 shone light on a slew of fascinating blogs in 11 languages. A close runner-up for the Best blog in French award is Chez Gangoueus (fr). Réassi Ouabonzi blogs about  African and diaspora literature in French from a reader's perspective since 2007, one book at a time. With time, Chez Gangoueus has developed into a unique online  guide to African and diaspora writers.
GV : Why did you open a blog about books in the first place?
I was an avid reader as a teen, I devoured  every book available in the French cultural center in Brazzaville (Congo), where I lived. I was born in France of Congolese parents, I spent 18 years  in each country, and now live in France. Reading is time consuming, I dropped it during my  studies in physics. Then, one day, I saw Beloved, a film by Jonathan Demme based on the book written by Nobel Prize Toni Morrison. It gave me such a jolt  I decided to read all of  one her books. She brought me back to reading.
- Why do you concentrate on black literature in French ?
It was a deliberate process. I'm interested in reading how black people see themselves and are represented. I opened a blog to document my readings, and let's  face it, also because it's quite a violent reality, not to find any resources about African or black literature on the Francophone web, save for the online magazine Cultures Sud.
"Les écailles du ciel" by Tierno Monenembo
- What are the current trends in Francophone African literature?
-  I review authors from any African countries, French West Indies or in diasporas, black literature at large. But let me think: in Congo, a new generation of writers is budding, inspired by award-wining writer and intellectual Alain Mabanckou. In Sénégal, I'm struck by the current emergence (empowering) of women writers, in the wake of  best selling author Marie Ndiaye. I notice writers from Cameroon write with the same “in your face” directness and energy that they are are famous for. I must confess that I am in awe of Nigerian writers,  like the great Chinua Achebe. Among francophone writers, I could mention so many: Abdourahman A.Waberi from Djibouti,  Jimi Yuma from Congo, Patrice Nganang and Leonora Miano from Cameroon… they're all in my blogroll.
"Saisons sauvages" by Kettly Mars (Haiti)
- African authors now regularly win French literary awards, but most of your finds are totally unknown, invisible in French bookstores
- Black literature in French has trouble  finding a publisher, but also a  readership. In francophone Africa, books are difficult to publish, expensive and hard to find. But the problem is elsewhere. We  West Africans can write and publish our own perspectives, but we should read  them, too. Somehow, Africans have trouble reading books about themselves. They look elsewhere for references. My blog offers authors  some coverage:  I get a   thousand visitors per  month,  50% come from Metropolitan France, 30%   from West Africa..
- You sometimes stray to review Japanese or South American books on your blog, but never French “white” literature.
"Le passé devant soi" by Gilbert Gatore
French literature is too navel-orientated. We're not on this earth for long. Let's get going. And French white writers are still totally blind to the true challenges in France, the plight of black or Arab youths disenfranchised  in poor suburbs.
"Trois femmes puissantes", the award wining book and best-seller in France, by French-Senegalese author Marie Ndiaye
Why did you pick this name for your blog, “Chez Gangoueus”?
Ngangoué is my second Congolese given name.  I consider myself  of African and Western background and culture, I looked for a handle that would reflect this, and added the us suffix, in reference to latin culture, names like Brutus, Octavius or Britannicus. Gangouéus  reflects my dual identity.
You alway take a picture of the book you are reading and most of the time, in public transports.
Because that's where I read! Work is work, family is family. Time spent commuting to and from work in Paris became my reading time!
"Les phalènes" by Tchicaya U Tam'Si

author: Claire Ulrich


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Georgia: Election reporting in ethnic Azeri region · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Writing on Eyes on Georgia, and also tweeting at @AliResh, Azerbaijani journalism student Resh Ali posts a brief account of voting in a largely ethnic Azeri-populated region of Georgia in today's local elections. While noting some improvements, the blog says that there are problems with the vote and shortcomings in its conduct that still need to be addressed.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Georgia: Online local election mapping · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Transparency International Georgia, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association, the National Democratic Institute and the Caucasus Resource Research Center have set up an online mapping system for monitoring today's local election in the former Soviet republic. The vote is considered particularly important as a test to assess the level of democratization in the country and especially regarding the election of a Mayor in the capital, Tbilisi. The site is at http://elections.transparency.ge.


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Jamaica: Mapping the state of emergency · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Citiizen media initiative On The Ground News Reports creates a Google maps-based “situation map” to record incidents related to the state of emergency in Jamaica.

author: Georgia Popplewell