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Zimbabwe: Massive discrepancies in medical costs · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A detailed story about massive discrepancies in medical costs in Zimbabwe from Sokwanele's subscriber.


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Zimbabwe: Robert Mugabe in a bullet-proof vest · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Denford Magora reports that Mugabe put on a bullet-proof vest to visit Morgan Tsvangirai at the Avenues clinic, “If you go back to the footage of Mugabe visiting with Tsvangirai, now armed with this new insight, you will notice that Mugabe's suit bulges out and is straighter than normal, almost as if a cushion of air is sewn into its lining. That is the bullet-proof vest at work.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Argentina: Xenophobia in the Football Stands · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Rivalries in Argentine football can become quite heated.  The battles on the field often spill over into the stands, as club supporters clash with one another in various sections of the stadium.  With nearly half of the 20 teams in the Argentine first division league located in the greater Buenos Aires area, it is quite easy for fans to follow their club even when playing as visitors.  Even with precautions to keep fans away from one another, there are frequent clashes.
It is not always physical violence that marks the conflict between supporter groups often known as “hinchas” or “barra bravas.”  Chants, songs, and signs can be directed at the opposing team and the opposing supporter groups. In some cases, these messages contain racist or xenophobic overtones, as it recently happened between a match between the club teams Independiente and Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires. Fans representing Independiente waved Paraguayan and Bolivian flags with the number 12 written on them. The number 12 has traditionally been used to symbolize the fans of Boca Juniors, which is one of the most popular clubs on the continent and boasts a large number of immigrant supporters living in Argentina.  The fans used the flags and chants to mock the Boca Juniors supporters for having these large immigrant groups as part of their fan base.
Bloggers from both countries also reacted to the incident. Paraguayan Arturo Zarratea Herreros of Vida de Perros [es] would like the fans from Independiente to recall Arsenio Erico, who is the leading goal scorer of all time in the history of the Argentine league wearing the #9 shirt for the club Independiente and who also happened to be Paraguayan.  Zarratea adds that the fans had honored Erico in the past and even a part of the stadium is even named after him. However, he writes:
Nadie es más ni menos por haber nacido en un país, así como nadie tiene derecho a discriminar por ese hecho. Recomiendo a los hinchas de Independiente, que portaron el domingo las banderas paraguayas, que lean la historia de su club y tomen lecciones de educación cívica para realizar estas “originales” burlas.
No one is more or less for being born in a country, just as no one has the right to discriminate for that fact. I recommend to the fans of Independiente, who held the Paraguayan flags, to read the history of their club and take lessons in civic education to (not) take part in this “original” mocking.
The incident caused an outrage by the diplomatic mission of Bolivia in Buenos Aires, which called for severe sanctions and a condemnation from the Argentine Football Association (AFA), which is something that the AFA President Julio Grondona promised to do [es].  Some fans in Bolivia and Paraguay also reacted to the incident in a very heated manner.
However, Bolivian football blogger Jaime Galarza of Once a Once [es] writes that the reaction should be measured and rational:
Hay que tener cuidado en cómo se reacciona en estos temas. Las protestas no tienen por qué seguir el camino de los intolerantes de las banderas y los cánticos ofensivos y despectivos, o sea, los anti xenofobia no deben terminar convertidos en xenófobos.
Lo de la barra brava de Independiente es lamentable, más si utilizaron símbolos oficiales que merecen respeto como las banderas de Bolivia y Paraguay. Pero no por lo ocurrido en una cancha de fútbol se tiene que ir contra un país. No se puede involucrar a “los argentinos” por un grupo de inadaptados. No caigamos en la intolerancia.
One must be careful with the reaction to these issues. The protests do not need to follow the same path of the intolerance of the flags or offensive and derogatory songs, in other words, the anti-xenophobics must not become the xenophobic.
What happened in the barra brava of Independiente is unfortunate, even more when they used official symbols that deserve respect like the Bolivian and Paraguayan flags. But what happened on the field should not be used against an entire country. One can't blame “Argentines” for the acts of a group of maladjusted.  Let's not be a part of the intolerance.
Racism in football is a problem affecting many countries across the world, and Argentina is no different.  Bolivian writer Edmundo Paz Soldán writes about his time spent studying International Relations at a university in Buenos Aires in the mid 1980s and his experiences attending Boca Juniors football matches where the Bolivian Milton Melgar had played on the squad [es]. He recalls a match against arch rivals River Plate, which his visiting brother also attended with him:
Salieron los equipos a la cancha, ví a Melgar y me emocioné. Siguieron los cánticos. Parecía una competencia para ver cuál hinchada era más creativa en la ofensa; un estribillo ingenioso era respondido por otro estribillo aun más creativo.
De pronto, la hinchada de River comenzó a corear: “¡Bolivianos, bolivianos, bolivianos!” La reacción de los hinchas de Boca en torno nuestro me impactó; decían cosas del tipo: “Nos jodieron estos gallinas. Y ahora, ¿cómo les respondemos?” No, no había forma. Para los hinchas de Boca, el peor insulto que se les podía decir era “bolivianos”. Por suerte, mi hermano no entendió lo que pasaba; cuando me preguntó por qué los gritos de “bolivianos”, le dije, procurando disimular mi rabia, que era la forma en que la hinchada de River reconocía el talento de Melgar.
The teams came out on the field, I saw Melgar and became excited. The songs continued. It appeared to be a competition to see which supporter group could be the most creatively offensive; a clever refrain was responded to by a more clever refrain.
Soon, the fans of River (Plate) started to sing: “Bolivians, Bolivians, Bolivians!” The reaction by the fans of Boca around me impacted me; they would say: “Those chickens (nickname for the fans of River Plate) messed with us, and now how do we respond?” No, there was no way to. For the fans of Boca, the worst insult was being called “Bolivians.” Fortunately, my brother did not understand what was happening; when he asked me why they yelling “Bolivians,” I told him, trying to hide my anger, that it was the way the River fans acknowledged Melgar's talent.
These incidents are not always limited to the fans, even the referees have been known to utilize some racist language. Paz Soldán continues in his blog post by describing the incident that took place in 2008 between the clubs Argentinos Juniors and Gimnasia y Esgrima in the northern city of Jujuy. The referee Saúl Laverni had made a bad call and the players from the local side started to protest and plead with Leverni, who told the players, “stop bothering me, Bolivians.”  The president of Gimnasia Raúl Ulloa resigned and said [es], “He called us Bolivians, and after 20 years in football, is something that I won't tolerate.”
Sanctions against clubs can be monetary in nature, suspension of stadium privileges and in some cases, criminal action against the offending parties.  No penalty has been announced against the club Independiente. During last weekend's match [es], the players of the club Independiente came out of the locker room with a banner with the flags of Paraguay and Bolivia next to the Independiente shield and the words, “No to the Discrimination of our Brother Countries: Bolivia and Paraguay.”

author: Eduardo Avila


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Azerbaijan: Voting · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines details voting in today's referendum to amend the constitution in Azerbaijan. Although most consider the result a foregone conclusion, the blogger explains why she decided to vote.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bahamas: To the Mothers… · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bahamian blogger Womanish Words missed International Women's Day and pays a late but meaningful tribute to the mothers of the world “who are most at risk globally, because of poverty, war and victimization”.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bangladesh: Non-profit Wonder · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Have you ever heard of an international organization that self finances 80% of its work? Want to know how they do it?” Read BRAC Blog for details. Based in Bangladesh, BRAC is one of the world's largest non-governmental development organizations.

author: Rezwan


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Barbados, Montserrat: Mountain Chickens  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from Barbados, Gallimaufry is concerned about the fate of the Montserrat mountain chicken.


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Bolivia: Documentary About Emigrants · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Miguel Esquirol of El Forastero [es] reviews the new documentary “One More Day” about Bolivian emigrants who have left their country in search for greener pastures.


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China: A Visit to Chen Guangcheng’s Family · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated Wang Keqin's report on his attempt to visit human rights activist Chen Guangcheng's family, and how Wang had been chased out of the village.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Goodbye Grass Mud Horse · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Last week the story of Grass Mud Horse has traveled to the U.S.A via the New York Times and re-imported back to China with new ideas for reproduction, such as the marriage of two legendary creatures: Grass Mud Horse and FaKe Squid into FaKe Mud Horse.
As imagethief pointed out, the New York Times may have over-interpreted the Grass Mud Horse for criticizing the repressive censorship mechanism. Instead of mechanical blocking, there are some other soft tactics (summarized by “The Seven Possible Fates Of An Internet Post”), and the Chinese censor team is ready to show how with its latest notice about “Grass Mud Horse”.
The administration's notice to forum managers has been tweeted and re-tweeted many times in twitter:
草泥马相关内容不得进行任何推荐，不得炒作（包括××神兽、河蟹），点名批评猫扑。目前该事件已上升到政治高度，境外媒体炒作该事件为网民与政府对抗。
I searched through Baidu, and found two forums posted the administration body's notice. MaJia One put up a a post in lehu BBS:
和我告别吧~~真理部最新通知：封杀草泥马
Master Lao Ke posted the notice in mop.com's game BBS and warned others:
别的地我管不了,骑士区让我看到类似字眼一律XHW一天.
各位都是良民,对吧?
There are a number of comments:
大魏镇西将军郝昭：政治高度了。。。真是防民之口，甚于防川 啊。。。
拯救三俗位面的八戒：杀马了
成步堂·龙一: 主要是标题里不要出现太多不和谐内容，我会重点照顾一下标题党
威风堂堂：我一直良民，可是咱们这里有禁令意义不大啊。9C都不管，频道里经常有出来吧XX马，带我去XX戈壁。
索性直接添加到过滤名单里吧？~！MOP后台有这个功能没？’
commando8489：我现在每天晚上睡觉如果睡不着都是数羊驼~
6912214: 内部矛盾遇到外部矛盾自然要让步，再怎么也不能让那些境外媒体利用了
超级机战饭: …文字狱就是这样的
巴鲁巴托斯: 悲剧。。。唉。。。难道要政治镇压=。=？搞文革？
It may be true that the Grass Mud Horse has been politicized in the past two months, but such politicization is made possible by mass participation of netizens, intellectual, new and old media workers, both from within and outside China. And the most crucial role is played by the Chinese censor / river crab, without which the Grass Mud Horse is nothing more than a dirty joke.


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Dominican Republic: The State of the Blogosphere · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Testigo Uno [es] writes that the Dominican blogosphere now stinks and its quality has gone down due to “manipulative experts and reputation assassins..”


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El Salvador: More Blogger Reflections on the Election of Funes · Global Voices
Tim Muth

Salvadoran voters elected their first leftist president in elections on Sunday, March 15.  Mauricio Funes, a former television journalist, succeeded as the candidate of the FMLN, the former guerrilla faction in the country's 12 year civil war.   His victory came 17 years after the signing of the peace accords which ended that war and turned the former combatants into political parties.  Here are more reactions from local bloggers.
David Mejia was part of live coverage [es] given to the elections and the tallying of the votes by the Salvadoran blogosphere.  He reflected on the importance [es] of the internet and the election results:
Esta vez me atrevo a decir con propiedad, el internet ha sido muy importante esta vez en las elecciones, debido a que el público joven, lo ha utilizado en vez de los medios tradicionales, y quiero felicitar a los partidos políticos por habernos tomado en cuenta en muchas ocasiones.
No hay que olvidar que El Salvador esta vez tiene que estar más unido, dejar las diferencias, aferrarse a Dios para poder tener un mejor país, ya que todos unidos lo podremos lograr, y así poder lograr el verdadero CAMBIO, no solo cambio de gobierno, sino cambio de actitud.
This time I dare say with propriety, the internet has been very important in the election this time because the young audience used the internet instead of the traditional media, and I congratulate the parties for having taken that into account on many occasions.
Do not forget that this time El Salvador has to be more united, leaving behind the differences, clinging to God in order to have a better country, because all together we will be able to achieve and can achieve real change, not just a change of government but change of attitude.
Juan Martel, active in Salvadoran politics and a writer at the Hunnapuh blog [es] found that the day had gone according to a fabulous script:
A las 5 PM terminó la votación en todo el país, votaron los que ya estaban en las filas, luego se comenzó a contar los votos y a llenar las actas de JRV. Millones de salvadoreños vimos a través de la Televisión como se contaban nuestros votos, lo hacían con eficiencia y mucho respeto, hubo algunas discusiones sobre la valides de algún voto, pero al final arreglaron. ¡Todo de película!…
El FMLN ganaba 17 años después de firmada la paz, el objetivo de los acuerdos de paz se cumplen por fin, el pueblo hizo posible esta victoria. ¡De película!
Los salvadoreños, nos ganamos varios Oscares por nuestra actuación este día.
At 5 PM the voting ended across the country, those who were in line voted, then the votes began to be counted and the reports of each voting table completed. Millions of Salvadorans saw on television as our votes are counted, it was done efficiently and with much respect, there was some discussion on the validity of a vote, but ultimately it was resolved. As great as a movie! …
The FMLN won 17 years after signing of the peace, the goal of peace agreements are fulfilled at last, the people made this victory possible. What a movie!
Salvadoreans, we won several Oscars for our performance today.
The dean of Salvadoran bloggers, Ernesto Rivas-Gallont, a former ambassador from El Salvador to the United States during its civil war, looked towards the future:
Estamos frente a un cambio profundo no solo de estilo de gobierno sino que de política gubernamental. Solo esperamos que el cambio no sacuda la estructura fundamental del país y que se respete la institucionalidad. La gobernabilidad debe ser la primera prioridad del gobierno de Mauricio Funes.
Por nuestra parte le reiteramos al presidente electo nuestras felicitaciones y le deseamos éxito en la difícil tarea que tiene por delante.
We are facing a profound change not only in style of government but of government policy. We only hope that the change will not shake the fundamental structure of the country and that institutions are respected. Governance should be the first priority of the government of Mauricio Funes.
For our part, we reiterate our congratulations to President-elect and wish him success in the difficult task ahead.
A group of bloggers at the spirited-leftist blog El Trompudo [es] reflected on what the moment meant for them:
No es momento de revanchismos políticos. Momentos difíciles se avecinan. El cielo es sombrío, amenazador. Momentos difíciles esperan al mundo, y en particular a países frágiles como el nuestro. Felizmente, hay un rayo de luz que ilumina nuestra patria. Finalmente, después de casi dos siglos de sometimiento del pueblo.
Presidente Funes gobernará para todos. Seamos humildes en la victoria, ponderados, amistosos, conciliantes. A El Salvador no lo podemos salvar la mitad más uno. No. Lo salvaremos TODOS!
Emociones fuertes impiden que seamos ponderados y, quizá, hasta equilibrados en estos momentos. Hasta ahí dejaremos nuestra reflexión. Iremos a celebrar este triunfo con todas las fuerzas de nuestros corazones. Lo merecemos. Y celebraremos en nombre de nosotros, de nuestros hijos y de todos aquellos salvadorenos que ya no están con nosotros : los que murieron y los que partieron para huir sufrimientos y persecusiones.
This is no time for political revenge. Difficult times lie ahead. The sky is dark, threatening. Difficult times await the world, particularly fragile countries like ours. Fortunately, there is a ray of light that illuminates our homeland. Finally, after nearly two centuries of subjugation of the people.
President Funes will govern for all. Let us be humble in victory, high-minded, friendly, conciliatory. In El Salvador, we can not save just one half plus one.  No, we will save all!
Strong emotions prevent us from being high-minded and perhaps even balanced at the moment. So we are going to leave off on our reflections. We're going to celebrate this victory with all the forces in our hearts.  We deserve it. And we will celebrate on behalf of ourselves, our children and all those Salvadorans who are no longer with us: those who died and those who left to escape suffering and persecution.
The journalist blogger Solava looked for constructive engagement from those who participate in the blogosphere [es] and elsewhere as the new government moves forward and not blind party loyalty:
El papel del ciudadano en una sociedad democrática no encuentra su mejor expresión en la participación militante en un partido, sino en una interacción crítica hacia el gobierno, incluso si ese gobierno es del partido por el que se votó. Lo que un ciudadano no debe olvidar nunca es que las personas electas para una posición pública son servidores públicos. Están ahí, en sus puestos, para obedecer a la ciudadanía y no al revés.
The role of the citizen in a democratic society is not best expressed in the participation of the party militant, but in interaction critical towards the government, even if that government is from the party for which they voted. What a citizen should not forget is that people elected to a public office are public servants. They are there, at their posts, to obey the public and not vice versa.

author: Tim Muth


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Falling standards at Fiji’s resorts · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

Commenting on a local report regarding the falling service standards at some of Fiji's well-known resorts, Oceanic: User Experiences from the South Pacific argues that ‘service complacency’ is more dangerous to the viability of Fiji's large-scale tourism industry than any worries over ‘political instability.’

author: John Liebhardt


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Global: Bubbles, Bailouts and Stimulus Plans · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Identifying the economic woes of the United States is crucial. But we should also understand that other countries are also grappling with bankrupt companies and shrinking economies. Many countries are also implementing their own stimulus plans. What are some of the examples used by bloggers around the world when they discuss the bubble economies, bailout of banks and stimulus plans of their countries?
Bubbles
The global effect of the bursting of the bubble economies in the developed world was sudden and devastating. For example, Jamaica’s dollar-earning bauxite industry has shed hundreds of jobs already because of the downturn in US car production.
In Bangladesh, the housing bubble is tied to the reliance of the country to the remittances sent by overseas workers. Now that migrant workers are returning home because of mass layoffs in Europe and US, the property boom in Bangladesh has come to an end:
The diaspora Bangladeshis have sent remittance of almost 6.5 billion US dollars in 2007. There is no doubt that remittances are good for a country's economy.  But it is the sad truth that most of these remittances are used in investing in unproductive assets like lands and apartments. Because liquidity chases assets, those diaspora workers will certainly want to invest in a secured asset.
A huge sum of money is going after a tiny piece of land among limited land resources. So we have created our own bubble (like dotcom bubble). Everybody knows how the prices of lands and apartments shot up. The remittances are responsible for it.
Cambodia is also experiencing a property bubble. South Koreans are Cambodia’s biggest investors. Since South Korean businesses have been badly hit by the financial crisis, many of them have already pulled off their real estate investments in Cambodia.
Meanwhile, the Caribbean financial crisis originated in part from the sharp drop in methanol and real estate prices. In Antigua, the face of bank fraud is U.S. billionaire Allen Stanford who has been charged with investment fraud. Stanford has considerable investments in the Caribbean.
For many months, the Brazilian government has claimed that the local impact of the economic crisis is only minimal. But recent reports have shown that Brazil is now the second most affected country by the crisis. Blogger Luiz explains why Brazil’s economy is vulnerable:
Sim, o Brasil tem um mercado interno, mas não vive só dele. Vive, também, da exportação de seus produtos. A crise atingiu não apenas os Estados Unidos, mas também a União Européia. Dois grandes mercados brasileiros. Reduziu o crescimento na China, outro mercado importante.
Romania’s lending bubble is familiar because it is almost the same credit bubble which burst in other rich nations.
Political Cartoon by Sacrava from Cambodia
Bailouts
Many companies which asked for a bailout from governments were financial institutions. The response of some governments was to nationalize these money-losing firms. Bank nationalization schemes have been enforced in some countries like Iceland and Kazakhstan. Trinidad and Tobago banks were rescued not just by their government but also by governments from neighboring countries.
Is nationalization a wise economic decision? Should bankrupt companies receive government assistance? The opinion of bloggers is divided:
Barbados Free Press criticizes the lack of transparency concerning the decision to bailout the banks in the region:
How much will Barbadian taxpayers eventually be on the hook for? Good luck finding out the truth because the amount of taxpayer money and concessions being given by Trinidad, Barbados and other countries is being kept secret from the taxpayers.
Barbados Underground, reacting to the renewed government involvement in the financial sector, notes that this unorthodox thinking should generate a healthy debate:
If in fact, “national financial institutions,” enhance the capacity of a national government to respond to crises in the financial services sector, the question may well be, not whether a country can afford a “national financial institution,” but whether it can afford not to have one. Such a perspective goes against my many years of training, but economic orthodoxy has been found so sorely lacking in this crisis that I am open to new ideas. New answers often require new questions and a willingness to engage in fresh open minded debate.
Streetwise Professor from Russia disagrees that failing banks should be revived by the government:
These are companies that should have been euthanized.  No, let me correct that.  They should have been terminated with extreme prejudice.  Instead they are being revived, and pushed into doing the kinds of things that created the financial crisis in the first place.
This politicization of these large financial institutions makes their continued reliance on the government inevitable.  Soft budget constraints are addictive.  More bad loans will pile up, making these firms even less able to survive in the marketplace without government assistance.
Even poet dergachew from Kazakhstan is afraid that the nationalization of business enterprises will be counterproductive:
I am not a politician, but nothing positive will eventually happen in result of nationalization of big business that takes place in our country now. Sure, the government remains the only capable market player because it accumulates income from extraction of minerals, but a priori it is well-known fact that business people run a business better, than the government.
In Jamaica, blogger Jamaica Salt suggests a bailout for the country’s rum industry because of declining tourism activities:
It is indeed a sorry state of affairs.  Usually in times of downturn, alcohol sales increase as people look to drown their sorrows!  But I imagine that the dent in tourism to Jamaica is largely to blame for the decreasing sales figures of rum.
Political Cartoon by Sacrava. A Big Fat Cat, AIG
Stimulus plans
To assure the public that something is being planned or done to revive the economy, governments around the world are drafting various economic stimulus packages.
Hungary will implement a tax reform. Taiwan has signed a controversial trade agreement with China and several Southeast Asian nations. Hiring street sweepers is part of the Philippine stimulus plan. Mongolia has unveiled a 1.5 trillion tugrik stimulus plan (USD 980 million) – but critics claim the program is only intended to cover the budget deficit. Malaysia has recently launched its second stimulus program. Named as mini budget, this stimulus plan has generated a lot of discussion and also criticism in the country.
Sean's Russia Blog notes that Russia is relying on “gunpowder economics” for its version of a stimulus plan:
Feeling the pains of economic crisis? Can’t find a suitable place for expanding market share?  Don’t fret.  There is one sure fire way to keep those exports up.  Sell more weapons.
China’s central government has announced a four trillion yuan stimulus package (USD 570 billion dollars). Below is the coverage of the stimulus plan:
The four trillion yuan is going to be spent on 10 categories, among them welfare investment such as housing for low-income, health-care system and education, also infrastructure-building such as new railways, roads and airports. Specially, aid to post-earthquake reconstruction in Si-chuan is mentioned in the agenda. Equally notable is the subsidy for farmers and an explicit announcement to increase the price of state food purchase from farmers.
But some bloggers are worried that corruption and poor infrastructure projects will cause the failure of the stimulus plan.
In Cambodia, it is the opposition which is suggesting a stimulus package. Predictably, the government rejected it. The stimulus hopes to realize the following:
- Setting up mechanisms to support and stabilize agricultural prices in order to protect farmers’ revenue and living conditions
– Investing in human resources by increasing spending on education, training and health
– Building infrastructure that Cambodia lacks most (roads, railways, water-control and irrigation systems, housing for the poor)
– Works to protect the environment and to restore the ecological system that has been disrupted nationwide, including replanting trees and dredging lakes and rivers
– tax cuts and reduction in fees for the use of public services including road tolls and the electricity price
– Special social allowances for the poorest segment of the population
– Loans with reduced interest rates for small domestic entrepreneurs and the needy.
Adolfo from Brazil, enumerates his stimulus proposal:
O Brasil tambem tem anunciado seu pacote, eu vou fazer a minha parte e sugerir um pacote tambem: que tal o governo brasileiro diminuir o imposto de renda? Operacionalmente o procedimento eh bem simples, basta devolver R$ 1.000 para cada contribuinte. Que tal esse pacote? Ele pelo menos tem o merito de devolver o dinheiro para quem ja pagou muito mais, e em nada distorce os incentives futuros em relacao ao risco.
There are bloggers who reject the wisdom of “stimulucrats”. John Quiggin from Australia shares this negative view on implementing a stimulus:
If you believe that the economy is like a swimming pool, and that no matter how big a splash some shock (such as the collapse of the financial system) might make, the water in it will rapidly find its own level, then you will agree that there is no need for, or possible benefit from, the stimulus package.
Adolfo from Brazil believes the government intervention in the economy is more dangerous:
Para a economia brasileira mais perigoso que a crise internacional são as recentes medidas anunciadas pelo governo. Os recentes anúncios de aumento do gasto público podem perfeitamente fazer estragos na economia. Ou seja, se o governo brasileiro ficasse calado e nada fizesse estaríamos a salvo. O problema é que o governo insiste em querer intervir na economia.
He explains why a bigger public spending will hurt the taxpayers:
Da próxima vez que você ouvir alguém pedindo por um aumento do gasto público lembre-se que isso implica em menos dinheiro no seu bolso, isso implica em menos dinheiro para as empresas investirem, implica que cada vez mais você dependerá dos favores do governo, e cada vez menos de seu próprio esforço e habilidade.
The quote from Bangladesh was an English translation provided by GV Editor Rezwan. The Portuguese translation was provided by GV Editor Paula.

author: Mong Palatino


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Guyana: On the Road · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Man can’t stop roaming. So you can imagine what happen when Guyanese discover open borders between here and the rest o’ South America”: Guyana-Gyal ruminates on the probabilities.


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India: Pata Chitra · Global Voices
Rezwan

Tanay Behera at Desicritics writes about ‘Pata Chitra’, a popular Indian art form using rich vegetable colors. ‘Pata’ in Sanskrit means piece of cloth and ‘Chitra’ means painting or picture.


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Iran: Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, jailed blogger died · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, who had been sentenced to 30 months prison for insulting Islamic Republic Leaders last month, died in prsion today.Human Rights Activists in Iran site says[fa] the reason for his death has not been announced but he was in very bad psychological condition.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:”anti religion network destroyed” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to [fa] several Iran based sites and blogs, Iranian Revolutionary Guards claims that it has destroyed anti religion active networks on the internet. Revolutionary Guards says these networks got supported by foreign countries.


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Israel: Israeli Innovations Light the Way in Africa · Global Voices
Maya Norton

A Jewish Heart for Africa is providing Israeli technology in the form of solar power and drip irrigation to needy communities in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda. “We are pumping 20,000 liters of water per day — it’s changed the entire economics of the village and the peoples’ health,” says founder Sivan Achor-Borowich. In its first year of operation, A Jewish Heart for Africa has improved the lives of an estimated 30,000 people.

author: Maya Norton


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Israel: “No Such Thing as Peace Now” · Global Voices
Maya Norton

“There is no such thing as ‘peace now’,” reflects JC of Israel Stories. “Immediate peace would involve hurried diplomacy, painful Israeli concessions, total withdrawal from land, and the transfer of thousands of Israeli citizens. Hang on a second. Now I may have a short memory, but didn't Israel do that?”


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Israel: Oboe Player Wins Seat in YouTube Orchestra · Global Voices
Maya Norton

Israeli musician Nir Gavrieli has won a coveted seat in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra for his oboe rendition of Rossini's “La Scala di Seta.” Israelity reports that 3,000 people video-auditioned for 90 spaces in the orchestra. Finalists were voted on by 13 million YouTube viewers. The orchestra will perform in New York's Carnegie Hall on April 15th.


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Israel: Plant to Farmer – “I’m Thirsty, Water Me” · Global Voices
Maya Norton

“Come on, admit it, sometimes you just have to love Israel,” urges Jewlicious. Israeli researchers have developed sensors for plants that will send text messages to farmers when their water levels get low. Developed for commercial use, the devices are intended to decrease agricultural water costs by 50 percent.


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Israel: Renovations Transform Yaffo (Jaffa) · Global Voices
Maya Norton

“Every few weeks I take a bike ride through Yaffo (or Jaffa or Yafa) Tel Aviv's much older and much neglected sister, to watch it is changing before my eyes,” writes Tel Aviv Rooftop. Visit the blog to see photos and read descriptions of the city's renovation.


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Israel: Use Clean Technology to Create Economic Growth · Global Voices
Maya Norton

Venture capitalist Tali Aben hopes that Israel's new government will be inspired by President Obama in using clean technologies to create new job opportunities and spur economic growth.


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Jamaica, U.S.A.: Eye of God  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The folks at AIG are proceeding as if it’s business as usual, paying out, and accepting, large bonuses, and that from public monies…how is it that some people…can’t grasp that we are…between the Devil and the deep blue sea?”: Jamaican blogger Pamela Mordecai says that the Eye of God image (as depicted in the Hubble polyglot photo) may have “nothing at all” to do with the AIG bonuses, but she knows that God does not sleep.


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Japan: I wanna know America! · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Koichi (耕一), a webdesigner living in Oregon (U.S.A.), tells about American culture, people, food, language and much more at his personal website Koichiben: Amerika ga shiritai (コウイチ弁、アメリカが知りたい　lit. Koichi dialect: I wanna know America). Writing and video-blogging in Japanese, he proposes every time a new interesting topic with the aim of introducing America to the Japanese public and, at the same time, improving his knowledge of Japanese.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Japan: Sri Lanka, Somalia, us? The government? · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Ryutaro Yanagawa (柳川龍太郎) in his podcast program  Nekura Nomikon Onvoice (ネクラのみ来ん on voice) [ja] reflects upon issues related to Japanese foreign politics. In the last episode, the podcaster invites us to not forget those areas of the world, such as Darfur or Sri Lanka, that too rarely are the centre of media attention. He also expresses worry over the role of Japan abroad, particularly in Somalia, where recently the Maritime Self-Defence Forces (自衛隊, Jieitai) have been dispatched to collaborate in an anti-piracy mission.


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Japan: The work of art in the age of digital reproduction  · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

A cross-generational debate over the value of art, and culture in general, has arisen among users of the social bookmarking service Hatena. The debate, originated by an anonymous entry titled: ehm… Isn`t it weird the idea that we have to pay money for music?, has brought many bloggers to ask themselves questions about the necessity of paying for what is considered to be an artistic product (a song, an image, a video etc.), especially now that free services like Youtube or the Japanese Niko Niko Dōga are available.
えーと。音楽にお金を払わなきゃいけないっておかしくない？
まあだってさ、ニコニコとかyoutubeとかちょっと見ただけでもオリジナル曲をタダで配っている人がいるわけ。
理解できないくらいそりゃあもういっぱいいるわけ。
タダで良いよって音楽が多数なのに、コンビニとかテレビとかでさんざん聴かされる音楽に金払えとかおかしくない？
あ、こういうこと言うとさ、「音楽家が生活できない」とか言う人が必ず出てくるんだけどさ。
良く考えると「音楽で生活できる」のがそもそも異常だったんじゃないの？
[…]
理想がどうとか言う前にさ、音楽でお金儲けしようって発想がさ、もう根本的におかしいんだよ。
iPod Shuffle 512MB. By flickr user purprin.
These words roused the indignation of another anonymous blogger, who, apparently belonging to an older generation, still believes in the “art for art's sake” ideal.
http://anond.hatelabo.jp/20090305221614
を読んで、高校生の妹に聞いてみたところ、完全に同意していてやばいなーと思った。
[…]
違うよ！と反論してみたのだが、よくわからない様子。
わかりやすくするためにいろいろ例えを出したのだが、それもだめだった。
・バレエ、歌舞伎、舞台、オペラなんかはどうなるのか→別にいらない。
・そうなると美術と芸術とか文化的なものがすたれていくよね？→衰退すればいいんじゃない？
と言っていた。
これからを担う若者たちがみんなこういう考えだったらマジで日本終わるなーと思った。
自分たちは何も文化を創り出さないくせに、文化を殺す方向にしか考えがいかず
その理由は、別に見てもしょうがない、という『必要でなければいらない』という発想。
何故文化的なものにお金を払うことに対して積極的ではないのだろう？
不況もあるとは思うが、そんなこといってたら不況ならば文化は廃れて当然なのか、というお話になってしまう。
なんでだろう？
More optimistic viewsc ome from another commentator.
バレエ、歌舞伎、舞台、オペラを初めとする文化的なものが、
今日を生きるのに精一杯でリストラされないか心配している大衆に理解できるわけがない。
理解できなくて良い、それでも文化は廃れない。
昔も今も、タダでも、わずかな金額でも、それなりの音楽や絵画などの文化は見れたり手に入ったりする。
本当に良いものが見たいと思う人はそれなりのお金を払うだろう。
Lastly, blogger he-na-he-na wonders if the worsening of economic conditions will cause a cultural gap, besides the social one, already very wide in most of the countries.
金払ってでも自分の教養を高めようとする層と金払わずに楽な方に流れる層とに分離して、新しい格差が生まれるんではないかと思った
[…]
これから先、自分の興味ないものにお金を払わない・興味があってもお金を払わない層が「ネオ富裕層・ネオ知識層」として政治・経済・文化をリードしていくようになるのならば、「それが時代の流れです」と言い切っていいだろうし、お金を払うのは一部の物好きな道楽者という扱いになっていくのも仕方のないことだと思う。
[…]
でも、今までと同じように「お金を持っている者こそ教養に対して積極的にお金を払うべき」という考えの人たちが世の中を引っ張っていくのなら、お金を払わない人は流れに沿わない異端者であり、知識階級の最下層として白い目で見られてもおかしくはない。
[…]
[…]
どちらにせよ、ネットが普及して文化のあり方・著作権のあり方が問われるようになったことで、どちらの流れに傾くか決まる分岐点がすぐそばにまで近づいているのは間違いないと思う。


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Kazakhstan: Filtering of the blogs expands · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Blogs on mail.ru – popular Russian information, entertainment and mail portal – have become the second victim of blockage campaign in Kazakhstan after LiveJournal. Access via national telecom operator is denied only to blogs, all other services of the portal work fine. Access to the blogs section is possible via anonymizers.
Livejournal (Kazakhtelecom has never admitted filtering of this website) is widely believed to be a victim of political battles between the authorities and Rakhat Aliev, a runaway former presidential son-in-law and media tycoon, sentenced to 40 years in prison for kidnapping and preparation of a coup. The man has a couple of blogs on Livejournal.
But the reasons for filtering blogs.mail.ru is much harder to be perceived. They ususally have low-profile content and are assigned to every owner of a mailbox automatically. There is no dissent, and – as believed – there was no Aliev's blog there. Why it was necessary to block it then? Is it a policy of protectionism in favor of the much more obedient domestic blog platforms? Nobody knows.
Interestingly, on the first day of the blockage of blogs.mail.ru somebody tried to register an account rakhataliev on the Kazakhstani blog platform called yvision.kz. In an hour or two, the account was deleted. Although, hardly it was Aliev himself or his confidants.
“This is the right way, comrades!!!”, megakhuimyak quotes Vladimir Lenin  [ru]:
“Paranoia of the Agency for Informatization and Commiunication will lead to enormous popularity of Mr Aliev – and to enormous shame on the country and its leadership. The whole staff of the Agency should be resigned forever. When the country has such “friends”, it doesn't even need any enemies”.
Eev has a bitter irony in her anxiety that soon Internet might be issued on points – like sugar during perestroika. Cyber-gorynych has a said joke that if the tendency persists, it would be possible to access only information about weather from Kazakhstan: “You enter open the online search engine, send your request and the returned result suggests: “Sorry, nothing has been found. Did you mean weather?” [ru].
Programmila also draws parallels with Livejournal [ru]:
The picture is the same… It stinks like idiotism. Seriously, when people debate the issues of idiocy and Agency for Informatization and Communication, I don't even argue… I now think about installing a tiny DNS server at home…
It is indicative that in the case of Livejournal the whole portal was blocked, not a separate “problematic” URL. This time, the censors managed to filter only blogs.mail.ru. According to the experts, it is because the filtering in Kazkahstan is excercised in a very unsophisticated way – by the server's IP number. The portal of mail.ru has several channels and physical machines – blogs are powered by a separate server.
Also posted on neweurasia

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Maldives: Dissident And Anti-Islamic Sites Blocked · Global Voices
Rezwan

Several dissident and alleged anti-Islamic websites were filtered recently in Maldives. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs ordered the Telecommunication Authority of Maldives (TAM) to block access to those websites.
Maldives Dissent informs:
A week after President Anni announced his intention of turning the Maldives into a sanctuary for oppressed writers, his government has blocked a dissident website. The telecommunications authority has blocked the raajjeislam.com website on the order of the Islamic ministry.
[..] The website was blocked a day after an audio clip by Foakaidhoo Imam Mohamed Shakeeb alleged that the state minister of Islamic affairs Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed had threatened him.
In a followup post Maldives Dissent reports:
The list of websites banned by Anni's government is growing, all of them on the orders of the Ministry of Islam. According to Haveeru, eight websites have been blocked so far for allegedly publishing anti-Islamic and pro-Christianity content in the Dhivehi, the Maldivian language.
One of the banned websites, randomreflexions.com, an English language one, was reportedly targeted because it evoked debates and discussions around Islam. And, at least one of the banned websites, raajjeislam.com, may have been targeted for political reasons since it exposed tyranny by a state minister at the Islamic ministry.
A few months ago reports came out that The Ministry of Islamic Affairs is planning to block websites promoting Christianity aimed at Maldivians.
Jawish Hameed lists the blocked sites and predicts the possible reasons for the ban:
Seedhaahithun.com, sidahitun.com and gospelgo.com were apparently blocked for “promoting Christianity”.  [..] The feydhooschool.info site was apparently blocked upon request from a “senior person” at the Feydhoo School. I seriously doubt the MoIA has the authorization to block any website under such flimsy pretense.
The blogger also informs that a mass blocking was used as all the domains under the IP adress of the targeted sites were also blocked:
That means there would be a total 909 unintended victim sites that fell prey to the mindless blocking of just these few site IP addresses! This has been confirmed been both on Dhiraagu and ROL connections.
Many Maldives bloggers like Al Mode condemned the ban. Breaking Tweets posts a roundup of Tweeter users of Maldives noting protests from the Maldivians:
@sofwath (Male, Maldives): You have not converted a man because you have silenced him
Ali Naafix indicates that there are political motives behind the ban:
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, controlled by Adhaalath party ( Opposition party- The Justice Party) is doing whatever they will and whatever they want.
The MDP menifesto clearly states that there will be a free scholarly body consisting of Sunni-Muslim scholars. However, Adhaalath has once again plotted to invade this free body. Instead of forming a free scholarly body, we have seen the formation and inauguration of the Fiqh Academy, headed by Dr. Abdul Majeed Abdul Baaree and consisting of mostly Adhaalath members or its supporters.
I condemn the act of Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Anni for showing a blind eye to it. I wish I can continue blogging.
Maldives Dissent has this message for the government:
Before the Maldives can become a safe haven for the dissidents of the world, it first needs to establish an environment for the freedom of expression of its own writers to flourish.


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Martinique: Moving Memorial  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands’ Blog introduces us to the Anse Cafard Memorial in Southern Martinique – “a deeply moving monument to the losses imposed on African peoples through the slave trade.”


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Mexico: Reviews of Radiohead Concerts in Mexico City · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

British band Radiohead recently played two concerts in Mexico City to a crowd of 55,000 on each night. Miguel of We Shall be Free [es] reviews both shows.


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Pakistan: Sari Makes A Comeback To Fashion · Global Voices
Rezwan

The trademark dress of the women in the Indian Subcontinent is called Sari. During the 80s it started disappearing in Pakistan after it was declared un-Islamic by then president Zia-ul-Haq . Pak Tea House reports that Saris are making a comeback in Pakistani fashion.


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Palestine: Author Alice Walker Visits Gaza  · Global Voices
Maya Norton

Author Alice Walker visited Gaza with a delegation of activists last week to witness the devastation caused by the recent war with Israel. Walker says she hopes to speak with President Barack Obama upon her return to the United States.


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Sri Lanka: Thoughts on Lasantha Murder Case · Global Voices
Rezwan

ViceUnVersa discusses the possible reasons why Sri Lankan journalist and former editor-in-chief of the The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge was murdered.


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Azerbaijan: Bloggers react to controversial referendum · Global Voices
Ali S. Novruzov

Yesterday, Azerbaijan went to the polls to vote on amendments to the country's constitution less than six months after its president, Ilham Aliyev, won re-election to a second term in office.
Overwhelmingly passed from the votes counted so far, the changes — and especially one lifting the two-term limit on the presidency — stirred up controversy from the very beginning.
Critics, as well as blogs such as Democracy Digest, warned that the referendum was not only paving the way for Aliyev to consolidate power, but also to retain the presidency indefinitely.
On polling day, Thoughts on the road called the referendum a predictable step backwards for democracy.
Today citizens of Azerbaijan can vote on the proposal to amend the nation's constitution. This change is being done to give the citizens more freedom – the freedom to provide their unlimited support for the current president – Ilham Aliyev. (This is how the president himself has characterized the initiative!)
[…]
[…] As in the presidential election, everyone knew the vote that was desired by the president and his ruling party – and it would be really amazing if the electorate did not provide this vote.
One way or another.
Rushed through at the end of last year, plans for the referendum were also accompanied by a ban on foreign radio broadcasts in the country. Last month, Fikir Şəraiti Tikir! [AZ] commented on how quickly the referendum was arranged.
Qanunların qəbulu isə çox mürəkkəb prosesdir. Parlamentdə bu proses üç oxunuşdan ibarətdir. Bəzən layihənin müzakirəsi bir neçə il davam edir. Referendumda isə xalqdan çox qısa zamanda mürəkkəb hüquqi müddəalar barəsində qərar vermək tələb olunur. Hüquqşünasların belə çox vaxt ortaq məxrəcə gələ bilmədikləri məsələlərə dair xalq necə ciddi qərar verə bilər axı? […]
“YAP-ın” Konstitusiya düzəlişləri haqqında təşəbbüsü neft qiymətlərinin kəskin və davamlı enməsindən təlaşa düşmüş Rusiyada və Venessuellada prezidentlik müddətlərinin uzadılmasına dair konstitusiya dəyişiklikləri ilə eyni vaxta təsadüf etdi. Görünən bu, yəni. Fon olaraq, çox xoşagəlməz mənzərə yaranır. Fonu xoş olmayan prosesin sonu xoş olacağına inanmaq olarmı?
This initiative by YAP [the ruling New Azerbaijan Party] to amend the constitution coincides with a period when, anxious about falling oil prices, Russia and Venezuela initiate similar constitutional amendments regarding presidential term limits. This is what we actually witness. And it creates not a favorable background. Can a process with an unfavorable background lead to a favorable results?
Two days before the vote, and despite attempts by civil society and the opposition to unite, Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines despaired at the lack of internal resistance to the changes.
[…] as I go through the pages of “Ali&Nino” I cannot help but ponder where did the noble Azerbaijan go?
Or hundreds of Azerbaijani men and women demanding Mutallibov's resignation in front of the National Parliament?
Gone?
Or lost amid what Thomas Goltz called in his description of Azerbaijan in early 90s crocodiles “a dangerous and even vicious group of people, determined to survive”. […]
Having just visited Azerbaijan to conduct some seminars, however, Spread the Woord perhaps provides at least one possible answer to that question.
[…] during my visits to different NGO centers (where I held my trainings), local NGO representatives were complaining that the authorities were becoming more and more intolerant of their work. Its like someone is slowly sucking the oxygen out of the Azerbaijani air. I have met the most wonderful people in Azerbaijan and I’m adamant about going back in 1,5 week, but there is no doubt that the country has just taken another step back.
On the day of the referendum itself, and while Tabula Rasa [RU] noted the silence which typified many polling stations, Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines detailed the considerations she weighed up when deciding whether or not to vote.
- If I vote, will it make any difference or change anything- after all, given the fact there were around 20 questions, and the average time voters were spending was around 1min (Radio Azadliq observed this morning), and it took me about 10 minutes to go through the whole thing, how many people spent as much time as I did? Actually reading each proposed amendment and marking “yes” or “no” boxes? (And I am sure that not everyone knew each constitutional article as a whole to even know what the amendments made were all about).
- If I don't vote, will my vote be used- from my past experience I have seen personally how my father's name would be left uncrossed (as well as mine when I wasn't here during 2005 parliamentary elections), despite the fact me or my mother telling “people in charge” that he wasn't living in Azerbaijan- all proved with official papers (I was prepared to start an argument today at the poling station where I was casting my ballot if my father's name was on the list again, fortunately there was no drama as his name wasn't there).
JournalEAST [AZ], however, decided not to vote.
Artiq  referendum keçərli sayılır. Mən isə getmədim.  Nə üçün? Çünki əvvəlki təcrübəmdən hər  şeyin qabaqcadan həll olunduğunu bilirəm.   2002-ci ildəki referendumda mən kameraman kimi iştirak etmişdim.
Həmin gün nələr görmədim ki! Referendum qutulara  möhür vurulmazdan qabaq  imzalı vərəqlərin atılması ilə başlamışdı həmin gün. Daha sonra müşahidəçilər gəlmişdi. Əksəriyyəti müxalifət partiyalarından idi. Bir istədim ki, yaxınlaşıb baş verənləri onlara danışım, nədənsə ürək eləmədim. 11-ci sinifdə oxuyurdum o zaman. Həm də direktorun adamı məni izləyirdi. […]
[…] Bir xeyli keçəndən sonra  dəqiqləşdirdim ki, səs verənlərin bir qismi yenə də gəlib təzədən səs verirdi. Bunu da istədim müşahidəçilərə deyimç amma yenə imkan tapmadım.  Lakin müşahidəçilər də saxtakarları görmüşdü.  Narazılıq elədilər, amma onları da razı salan oldu. Beş on günlük çörək pulu üçün susdular.
Nəysə, bu mənzərədən sonra  heç bir seçkiyə getməmişəm. […]
What I saw on that day! The referendum started with the casting of ballots already filled in into unsealed ballot boxes. Then the observers arrived. They were from opposition. I tried to inform them, but they didn't dare [do anything]. I was studying at 11th grade at school, and besides, the director's man was watching me. […]
[…] After a while, I noticed that some people came and voted again. I tried to inform the observers, but failed. However, they also noticed that. They tried to protest, but they were “silenced”. They shut up for the cost of 5-10 days bread.
After that day I haven't voted again. […]
Writing on In Mutatione Fortitudo, I also described my experience voting in the referendum.
The polling station was completely empty except for Precinct Election Commission members. Even election “observers” were outside chatting, smoking and joking. The lists where voters put their signatures after receiving their ballots were completely empty, except for some random signatures. What drew my attention was the contrast between the completely empty lists and three boxes completely full with ballots. The boxes were so full that I hardly could cast my ballot into one of them. I looked at time – it was 15:45 – empty lists, empty station, full boxes.
Blogs soon started to post evidence of such violations online with journalists from RFE/RL's Azeri service, for example, posting a video of an unknown woman casting multiple ballots at one polling station. Don Quixote from the Land of the Blind even photographed a precinct election commission member filling in a ballot.
The same blogger also made another post in which she equated the removal of presidential term limits to the end of republican rule. However, Ilgar Mammadov [AZ/RU], one of the founders of the opposition Republican Alternative Movement, doesn't agree.
Orda-burda eşidirsən ki, bəs nə bilim “bu gün Respublikanın son günüdür”, “Allah rəhmət eləsin”, “Bu gün monarxiya başlayır” və s.
Panika yaymayın. Azərbaycan Respublikasının bayrağına sadiq adamlar Respublikanı qorumaq üçün himnimizdə deyilən hər bir əmələ hazır olmalıdırlar, siz isə indidən, heç o əməllərin vaxtı belə çatmamış – və çalışaq çatmasın da, – başlamısız ağlaşmaya.
[…] Respublika uğrunda əsl, real mübarizə indi başlayır.
Do not panic. Those loyal to the flag of Azerbaijan Republic must be ready for everything written in our national anthem, but you are crying even before these things happen. (And let's try to prevent those things from happening.)
[…] The real struggle for the Republic starts only now.

author: Ali S. Novruzov


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Azerbaijan: Referendum results · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines says that the votes from yesterday's controversial referendum in Azerbaijan have now been counted. The blog sarcastically remarks on the high turnout and approval rate for the changes to the constitution and says that friends advise being patient for change to come. However, the blogger notes, everything has its limits.


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Bangladesh: Lacking In Disaster Management · Global Voices
Rezwan

An Ordinary Citizen opines that the fire in Bashundhara City Shopping Complex exposes the inadequacy of disaster management system in Bangladesh.


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Barbados: Attack Victim Succumbs to Injuries · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Earlier this month, Barbadians awoke to the disturbing news that two Canadian visitors were viciously attacked while walking along one of the island's beaches.  Bloggers were immediately on top of the story – Barbados Free Press apologized to the victims’ families on behalf of a shocked nation, prompting a mainstream media newspaper in Ottawa to declare the blog “the only outlet to speak out for Schwarzfeld”, who had been in a coma since the beating.  (Her daughter-in-law regained consciousness shortly after the attack).  The crime of assault has now become murder: Terry Schwarzfeld passed away yesterday at an Ottawa hospital as a result of her injuries.  Bloggers continue to be outraged that such a crime could happen in their country.
No doubt, one of the considerations has been the possible impact on Barbados‘ international reputation as a preferred tourism destination – the economy is heavily tourist-reliant, and the current global economic crisis has made its position somewhat tenuous.  Some relief may have come in the form of Canadian Foreign Affairs officials declaring that they would not alter travel advisories for the island in the wake of the attack, but it does not make Ms. Schwarzfeld's death any easier for bloggers to bear.
On hearing the sad news, Barbados Free Press simply posts a photo of a smiling Ms. Schwarzfeld with the words:
Our prayers go out for Terry’s family and friends.
Bajan Dream Diary and Living in Barbados also extend their sympathy, while Cheese-on-bread! adds:
This is beyond sad. The police have issued a reward for any information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator of the crime, and we can only hope that someone comes forward soon.
There are incentives being put in place to encourage just that – Bajan Dream Diary asks readers to take action if they know anything about the perpetrators of the crime, providing a link to Crime Stoppers.  The blog also reports that Barbados’ Commissioner of Police has promised a $10,000 reward for information on Terry Schwarzfeld’s attacker, in addition to unveiling a plan to stop crime against tourists.  But is this enough?  Bajan Dream Diary considers the situation and says there are lessons to be learned:
All crime is regrettable and the cases of Kathy Fischer and Terry Schwarzfeld are heartbreaking for all Barbadians. The falloff in visitor confidence if these cases are badly handled is even more so. The rarity of crime against tourists should not be an excuse to use old methods of diplomacy at a time when anyone with a computer can script Barbados’ media relations for it, if Barbados does not do it for itself. Now is the time for Government to respond to the fears being stirred in the external media, and clearly name the ‘no go’ areas in Barbados, even if it means admitting that this paradise is not perfect.


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Bermuda: Answers and Questions  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Vexed Bermoothes finally gets some answers about the government's plans “to protect Bermuda’s interests amidst the tax-haven scapegoating going on amongst global leaders”, but maintains that it “must begin some concerted steps to mend bridges with the international business community here.”


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Brazil: Controversial demarcation of indigenous land confirmed · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Five indigenous tribes of Brazil have won a 30-year battle to reclaim 1.7 million hectares of their ancestral land in Roraima in the Amazon on the border to Venezuela and Guyana. On March 19, the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) ruled on the integrity of the Raposa Serra do Sol indigenous land, keeping its size and borders intact as a continuous area, disappointing ranchers and rice farmers who coveted the land.
The court deliberations began in August 2008, but the trial was suspended twice. In December, one of the 11 judges hearing the case, Marco Aurélio Mello, requested the case to be adjourned for further investigations, even though 8 judges had already cast their votes in favour of the current demarcation. Voting resumed on Wednesday, March 18, and despite the fact that there were only 3 judges left to cast their votes, a decision was not reached by end of day as expected.
Aurélio Mello was the first to speak yesterday, reading a 120-page ruling over six hours. He voted against the current demarcation of Raposa Serra do Sol because, “errors committed during the process should invalidate the demarcation,” and argued that the  integrity of the reserve as it is now may put Brazilian national sovereignty at risk. He suggested a new demarcation process.
Mércio Gomes [pt] laments his vote:
Foi péssimo. Trata-se de um longo e caudaloso pronunciamento em que o ministro considera processo viciado pela falta de diversas ações, depoimentos, deslocamento da parte passiva, etc. O voto parcial do ministro Marco Aurélio requer que todo o processo seja “sanado”, o que exigiria uma série de providências que adiaria para as calendas gregas a decisão sobre o processo.
Some bloggers, on the other hand, congratulated Marco Aurélio de Melo for having cast the first vote against the demarcation. Among them, José Leite Mesquita [pt] thought the judge made a very lucid decision:
O voto do ministro será resgatado pela história quando o Brasil deixar de ser um Estado Federativo, e tiver se transformado, conforme estará sacramentado pela maioria de votos favoráveis, num Estado de Nações, por conta do surrealismo que manterá a demarcação contínua das terras indígenas na Reserva Raposa Serra do Sol.
Assistimos espantados, e temerosos, pouco mais de 200 mil indivíduos, alguns já aculturados, ter a posse permanente de 13% do território brasileiro.
A Constituição é clara: a terra é da união. Os índios tem a posse permanente.
This judge will be redeemed by history when Brazil ceases to be a federal state and becomes a state of [indigenous] nations to be formalized by the majority of votes [in favour of the demarcation] because of the surrealism that maintains the indigenous lands in Raposa Serra do Sol as a single reservation. We have watched, amazed and afraid, just over 200 thousand individuals, some of whom already acculturated, having permanent possession of 13% of the Brazilian territory. The Constitution is clear: the land belongs to the federation. The Indians have its permanent possession.
It was early evening on Wednesday when judge Marco Aurélio Mello finished his long speech, and only one more judge had time to vote. This judge, Celso de Mello, did not need much time to vote in favour of the indigenous people. The final vote, by the court president judge Gilmar Mendes, was postponed to Thursday afternoon. Watching live on a video stream provided by Povos Indigenas, people posted remarks on Twitter from throughout the country. After nearly two hours, @povosindigenas announced [pt]:
#raposa Placar 10X1 a favor da demarcação contínua….
Over 3,000 indigenous people gathered to watch the court proceedings either in Brasília, where the trial took place, in the state capital's Boa Vista or in Raposa Serra do Sol. Because of tensions between tribes and local farmers in the past, the national guard were stationed on the land to contain any eventual violence after the verdict.
Luiz Valerio Silva [pt] is covering the ruling from the Surumú community where 200 people awaits the result. He says the decision days went over peacefully there:
Os índios favoráveis à homologação contínua da reserva índigena Raposa Serra do Sol dançam a parixara e a arerúnia desde as primeiras horas da manhã. Eles estão certos da vitória. Creem que a demarcação pernamecerá em área contínua. (…)
A vila Surumú comporta neste momento, entre moradores e indígenas que vieram de fora para comemorar o resultado do julgamento, algo em torno de 400 pessoas. Ao todo, cinquenta famílias moram na vila. A  estimativa é que cerca de 200 índios foram trazido para cá pelo Conselho Indígena de Roraima (CIR). Antes, falava-se em cerca de 3.000 mil índios. (…)
Entre os que esperam com ansiedade pela voto dos três ministros do STF que ainda falta se manifestar sobre o assunto, já há preparativos para uma intensa noite de forró em comemoração à confirmação da demarcação contínua da reserva. Sob um sol de mais de 40 graus, índios se movimentam nas ruas empoeiradas do Surrumu, aguardando a decisão.
Among those waiting anxiously for the three last ministers to vote, preparations are underway for an intense evening of forró dancing to celebrate the confirmation of the full demarcation of the reserve. Beneath a 40-degree sun, the Indians move around in the dusty streets of Surumú, awaiting the decision.
After confirming the integrity of the reserve, the court discussed canceling farmers’ deeds, conditions and deadlines for the remaining farmers to leave the area, and the 18 additional measures that the Indians will have to abide by.  Most ranchers and some rice farmers had already left the territory in exchange for compensation from the government, but a small group of rice farmers refused. These farmers, many of whom have been there for over two decades and were backed by powerful regional political and economic interests, are now expected to leave immediately (with a deadline up to May) or be evicted by police.
An estimated 18,000 indigenous peoples from the Macuxi, Wapixana, Ingaricó, Taurepangs and Patamona tribes live in the area known as Serra Raposa do Sol, a reserve created by the Brazilian government in 2005.

author: Paula Góes


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China: 10 handy tools to bypass GFW · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ya, I Yee has translated Essential Blog's post on 10 handy tools to bypass GFW.


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Cuba: Six Years After “Black Spring”  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

March 18-20 marks the sixth anniversary of the Cuban Black Spring.  Cuban bloggers remember…
On the eve of the anniversary, Along the Malecón posts a tribute to Las Damas de Blanco (the Ladies in White), honouring their strength and courage in continuing to lobby for the release of their jailed loved ones:
I interviewed the group's leader, Laura Pollan, above left, during my last trip to Cuba. She and other members of the group say their lives changed when their loved ones were arrested and jailed in 2003. The women lost their fear. They began to march every Sunday despite the risk of arrest. Many say they have nothing to lose. And they vow not to give up until their relatives are freed.
Havana Times republishes an Inter Press Service story on Las Damas‘ most recent protests in Havana, while Along the Malecón continues her analysis:
For most Cubans, fighting the socialist government remains too painful, too risky. Many dissidents are shunned. They're routinely detained for questioning. Some are jailed. Others lose their jobs. They're put under surveillance. Their sons and daughters are harassed.
All this allows the government to contain the opposition.
Cuban officials contend that the vast majority of people support the socialist regime. They accuse the United States of financing what they describe as a ‘manufactured’ opposition.
Her words seem to have special significance in the context of reports that “on the eve of the the 6th anniversary of Cuba's Black Spring, 15 opponents of the Castro regime were arrested in Santa Clara.”  Blog for Cuba says:
Their crime?  Demanding that Cuba respect Human Rights conventions the Castro regime has previously agreed to on paper.  Cuba has signed the Human Rights Conventions, when will they implement them?  Didn't Raul Castro promise change?
The blogger also believes that six years after the Black Spring, there are still no human rights in Cuba:
All the media hype about change in Cuba notwithstanding, none of the 75 political prisoners have been released for any reason other than poor health or having finished serving their sentence, and 55 remain incarcerated under horrific inhumane conditions.  There has been no easing of the harsh repression of dissent in Cuba.
The Cuban Triangle makes his position on the issue very clear:
There’s debate in Cuba, and I have heard some of it in the United States too, about the 75 and their activities, and there are allegations that they were acting as agents of a foreign power. I'm no fan of the Bush policy, which I think was counterproductive in almost every respect – but I don’t buy it, and I certainly don’t buy that such a charge could be brought and satisfactorily proved in the very brief time it took to arrest, try, and sentence these people. They deserve release.
Another diaspora blogger, A Cuban in London, provides his own perspective:
Although this blog is not overtly political, it is my belief that writers, artists, performers and journalists should be allowed to express their views on contemporary issues without any fear of backlash.
Of the more than 70 Cuban intellectuals arrested six years ago in what has become known as Cuba's Black Spring, more than twenty still remain in Cuban jails in sub-human conditions. They have been tortured and their human rights have been trampled upon. That is why tonight I, along with other bloggers join forces to demand that the Cuban government free all political prisoners that it still keeps in its jails and that it open the way to democracy by allowing its people to form and vote for political parties whose political manifesto is different from the official party line. Only by holding a mirror to itself can a society advance, become more independent and succeed. At present, alas, that is not the case in my country.
Uncommon Sense takes the opportunity to focus on the “hundreds, if not thousands more political prisoners jailed in Cuba because of their opposition to tyranny and dedication to freedom…”:
Their suffering is no less that that experienced by those arrested during the “black spring,” and they are no less deserving of your prayers and solidarity.
But the Group of 75 — which now stands at 55, after a series of medical paroles and Reinaldo Labrada Peña completing his sentence — is deserving of special consideration because they were at the front lines of the struggle to bring real change to Cuba, to bring nothing less than real democracy, freedom and human rights, whether they were activists gathering signatures for the Varela Project or journalists telling the story of Cuba, the real Cuba, for the world to know.
Both Uncommon Sense and Cuba Independiente (ES) post photos of the remaining “Group of 55″, while El Tono de la Voz (ES) says:
Seis años son muchos para cualquiera –hágase el ejercicio de recordar
todo lo que cada uno de nosotros ha hecho con su vida desde entonces.
Piénsese entonces en lo que significan para inocentes que fueron a
parar a cárceles infectas y cuyas vidas cambiaron de golpe entre el 18
y el 20 de marzo de 2003.
Cincuenta y cuatro de aquellos hombres continúan tras las rejas y de
ellos ni saben ni quieren saber sus compatriotas. Las movilizaciones
en Cuba con motivo de este funesto aniversario no involucrarán a más
personas que a los familiares de los presos -las ejemplares Damas de
Blanco- y poco más. Tampoco la diáspora cubana hará mucho más que
articular protestas que seguirán unos pocos.
Fifty four men continue behind bars and their compatriots neither know, nor want to know about them. The mobilizations in Cuba related to this terrible anniversary won't involve anyone except for the prisoners’ families – the exemplary Women in White – and a few more.  The Cuban diaspora will not do much to articulate these protests.
The diaspora, though, appears to be doing what it can.  Uncommon Sense, whose Black Spring post will remain on the blog's front page until the end of the week, says:
Fidel Castro's action in 2003 was not just an attack on Cuban liberty, it was an assault of freedom everywhere. As long as a single Cuban is jailed because of something he wrote or because he believed every Cuban should have a real vote, we are all less free.
He continues with a call to action:
That's why it is incumbent we all do something on behalf of the Group of 55:
Tell someone why the embargo should remain in place.
Tell someone that Raul Castro is no different than his big brother.
Tell someone Oscar Biscet's story. And those of his fellow prisoners.
Say a prayer.
Do something. Your freedom, our freedom, the freedom of the Group of 55, depends on it.


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Dominica: Imitation as Flattery?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“At a time when Twitter is beginning to make serious inroads into the social networking sphere…Facebook comes up with a ‘redesign’ that places more emphasis on the Twitter-like 140-character stream-of-consciousness…”: Steve's Dominica blogs about imitation as opposed to innovation.


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Egypt: Azazeel Wins Arab Booker Prize · Global Voices
Nermeen Edrees

Egyptian Blogger Zeinobia  reports that Dr Youssef Zidan's controversial novel Azazeel has won the Arab Booker Prize for 2009.  This is the second year in a row for an Egyptian to win this prestigious prize.  Last year's winner was Bahaa Taher's Sunset Oasis.

author: Nermeen Edrees


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Egypt: Waves of Workers’ Strikes · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Like in 2008, this year is witnessing waves of strikes and demonstrations by Egyptian workers in various sectors and organizations. Students, pharmacists, lawyers [Ar], railway drivers, media people and even Microbus drivers and Egyptian street cleaners are all demanding more just rights, protesting against their decreasing incentives or trying to rebel against their poor economic status.
And as usual, Egyptian bloggers are working around the clock to cover almost all demonstrations taking place, through their blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr accounts, and by giving those workers a voice.
Going through the post titles in just two Egyptian blogs specialized in covering strikes happening in Egypt – Egyptian Workers by Kareem El Behery  andTadamon Masr (or Egyptian Solidarity) – we can outline a chronology of the strikes.
In January:
* 900 workers on strike in Nile cotton company in El Mehalla
* 500 workers in strike, protesting against reducing their incentives
* for the first time, railway workers on strike
* failure of Telemasr workers’ negotiations with management, and the owner threats to stop their wages
* a sit-in for Cleaning agency workers, protesting the non-payment of holiday bonus
In February:
* Abu Radi workshop workers in a sit in
* Suez Canal workers appeal to officials
* Abu El Eneen Ceramic factory workers in a sit-in
* 50 workers in a strike in Shebeen El kom
* Education administrators in strike in El Mehalla
* “Masr pharmacy” workers in strike today and in a hunger strike next week
* Pictures for Tora cement workers sit-in
* Pharmacists strike and the syndicate decisions
In March:
* Asek company workers in strike calling for increasing their annual allowance
* Cotton Ginning workers in El Menya in strike protesting non-payment of their salaries
* Hebei Pharm workers in strike
* 3,000 workers in Daitex in strike in Alexandria, protesting the non-payment of their incentives and labor day grant
* Sit-in for 240 workers in Betroid protesting the company's demand to sign collective resignations
* 400 workers in the «spinning equipment» on strike Monday protesting against the stop of promotions and incentives reduction
* Strike and sit-in for Ghazl Shebeen el kom workers
And that's not everything. You can also check El Mahalla, Flour mills workers, Arabawy and other blogs covering more strikes.
Some strikes were aborted, but others ended in victory like the recent one in Shebeen el Kom, which initially started in February with 50 workers protesting the non-payment of their incentives. The action snowballed and on March 16, 4,200 workers decided to end the strike because the owning company agreed to their demands.
Sara Carr, who was the first to announce the news on Jaiku, visited the scene with Per Bjorklund and they both wrote detailed analysis and reports here, here and here.
[Photos from Shebeen el kom stike can be found on Flickr sets by Per Bjorklund and Sara Carr. Also videos can be found on Arabawy‘s blog.]
Via Per Bjorklund
On a different note, Per Bjorklund took the Shebeen el kom strike as an example of how to tackle a new dimension in the conflict, reflecting on the connection of the ongoing strikes to the international economic crisis. He questioned  “what if the owning company, Indorama, is cutting wages on propose? what if its a play to push people for early retirement and hire fresh employees with lower wages instead?”
Zeinobia also highlighted another important point. She mentioned that the culture of strikes has been absent for some time in Egypt, but it is returning back and strongly spreading not only between the educated or workers, but also between different lower classes in the Egyptian society.
Strikes happen all over the world even in the most capitalistic countries, it is a right as long as you do not give your employee his basic right
[…]
The big surprise to me was the strike of the Microbuses drivers in Giza in the last 2 days . About 300 microbuses drivers were on strike objecting the treatment of Police !! Again it is a surprise because usually the microbuses drivers are from a segment that does not understand this strike culture.
One excerpt, Per Bjorklund translated, from a statistics report on El Badeel daily newspaper says:
El-Badeel today published some statistics from the Land Center from Human Rights: During 2008 a total of 609 industrial actions occurred in Egypt, including 122 strikes. This is slightly less than 2007 but still far more than previous years. The true number of protests might be higher, since these numbers are based mainly on protests actually reported by media.
Everybody believes that something is going on. It has become the norm to hear news of a new strike or sit-in here or there and on a daily basis. Add to the above, the new calls [Ar] for a second general strike, like last year's April 6th strike. So how far will the story go?  We will not need to wait too long for the answer.
[For continuous updates, you can follow Egyptian workers diigo group, created by Hossam El Hamalawy; along with a post asking to collect all photos taken by Egyptian activists for workers.]

author: Eman AbdElRahman


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Guatemala: A Violin in Silence After Murder of Youth · Global Voices
Renata Avila

The latest victims to violence in a situation that Amnesty International describes as “Millions of Guatemalans are now living under the threat of violence and poverty,” are a young violinist, Hans Castro and his two companions Andrea Robledo and Edwin Urrea.  The murders took place in the outskirts of Guatemala City and their bodies were found in an area called La Quebradita of the village of Valle de la Cruz [es].
Bloggers are mourning the loss of Castro, who was a member of the Symphonic Orchestra Conservatory, had been playing the violin for the 11 of his 18 years. The news hit Sakis González of Una Hoja de Papel [es] especially close to home because Castro was his sister's best friend as he writes in his post “The Orchestra Mourns a Violin, My Sister Mourns a Friend”:
La casa de estudios musicales de Hans se llenó de familiares, conocidos, amigos y compañeros de Orquesta tras el funeral. Interprentando una melancólica pieza, prorrumpieron en llanto aquellos que con un rostro cansado de tan gran sollozo, frotaron sus arcos y soplaron con el alma una hermosa melodía proveniente más que de sus instrumentos, del corazón, dedicada a quien en vida fue un joven ejemplar.
The Music School which Hans used to attend was crowded with family members, friends and their orchestra mates following the funeral. They played a melancholic piece, and people started to weep with their faces reflecting their tearful suffering, they placed their fingers on the strings and played a beautiful melody, which did not come from the musical instruments, but from their hearts dedicated to an exemplary young man.
Letras de Mariomarch [es] confesed that it was difficult to write about the topic, but it was also an obligation to say something for the memory of Hans Castro in the post  “A Murdered Violin”:
Escribo éstas lineas, que seguramente no leerán sus familiares, para expresar y lamentar que lo que ha sucedido. ¿qué esperanza podemos tener en un pais en donde se asesina a jovenes artistas? ¿que podemos hacer para consolar a la patria, a nuestra sociedad, a la orquesta del conservatorio? ¿acaso hay algo que podamos decir a su padre el Maestro Castro, a su madre, a sus amigos y familia? Es vergonzoso, un joven que se dedica a tratar de ser diferente -todo artista lo es- ve truncada su vida por un asesino, mientras la mayoria lee la noticia y lamentablemente como es normal y usual, es simplemente una nota roja mas; y no es que la vida del joven Castro sea mas valiosa que la de otro joven, ni mucho menos; pero sin duda su muerte debe ser el ejemplo mas claro de la estupidez humana en éste país en los últimos tiempos. El violín asesinado debe estar interpretando una sonata de dolor y de decepción, esa que todos escuchamos todos los días en este ingrato pais.
I am writing this lines, which probably none of his family members will ever read, but I want to express and regret the situation. Is there still any hope for a country where young artists are murdered?  What can we do to express our condolences to a nation, our society, to our National Orchestra? Is there any possible word to say to his father, to his mother, to friends and family? It is a real shame, a teenager that tries to be special – all artists are special – and their life is shattered by a murder, while the people read the news, and regrettably, it is the normal attitude of people, for them is just another violent piece of news. I am not saying that Castro's life is more valuable than the life of other young people, but I have no doubt that his murder is the clearest example of human stupidity of our country in our times. The murdered violin must now be playing a sonata of pain and dissapointment, the sonata we Guatemalans listen to every day in this ungrateful country.
In the midst of the ongoing violence, which ended the lives of Robledo, Tobar and Castro, the Guatemalan Congress is debating a new gun bill, and the United Nations’ International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG for its initials in Spanish) is currently underway to help the country investigate and dismantle, “violent criminal organizations believed to be responsible for widespread crime and the paralysis in the country's justice system.”
However, the country lost a very promising young musician. As the philosopher Victor Hugo said, “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”

author: Renata Avila


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Hong Kong: Ng-hao big-naug or you are dead! · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

On Tuesday, March 18, a local police shot at a Nepali homeless man twice at close range and one of the bullets end up in the head, leading to the man's death.
The police report soon after the shooting said that the police officer went to check out the hillside in Ho Man Tin　（何文田） after receiving nuisance complaint from local resident and that the Nepali failed to show his identity card and attacked the police with a wooden chair. Police source claimed that the officer had used up his pepper spray, dropped his baton and warned the Nepali before he opened fire.
Before the police confirmed the Nepali's identity as a Hong Kong citizen the next day, police source told the reporters that the Nepali was suspected to be an illegal immigrant, crazy and dangerous. And that the police officer had followed through all the procedures concerning open fire. However, did the homeless really pose a threat to the police with a wooden chair? (And it seems that the Nepali hadn't even tried to get hold of the police dropped baton.) More questions were raised after a citizen upload an eye-witness video to youtube as all the warnings given to the suspect were in Cantonese instead of English.
Ng-hao big-naug, Don't force me!
In the video clip, one can see the police officer was confronting with the suspect, yelling all in Cantonese: Fong-dea Muo-hei, Ng-hao Yuk, Ng-hao big-naug. Meaning: drop the weapon, don't move, don't force me. But we cannot see how the police dropped his baton, nor the distance between the police officer and Nepali when the shooting took place.
Upon seeing the video, Matthewdaily wonders:
點解佢唔係對果位南亞裔人仕講:”FREEZE!” 或者 “STOP!”
而係選擇對佢講廣東話架呢 ……?
又, 唔知一支胡椒噴霧有幾大容量.
噴晒成支都無效, 會唔會係過左有效期……?
The animal is dead!
Hungonebean doesn't want to debate about whether or not the police violence was justified as she considers him an agent of “Keep Hong Kong Clean” ideology.
Keep Hong Kong Clean的方法，較人道的︰把subject投進到收容所或瘋人院，由社工／醫生進行再教育。當然更便捷 (也合乎成本效益)的方法，就是把「它」徹底處理掉，正如我們這種城市人，只有把擅闖民居的曱甴徹底幹掉，才得安枕無憂。否則，誰知道「牠」會做出什麼事來？﹗萬一出了什麼意外，責任(法律上與賠償上的)你來負嗎？﹗一句扔過來，如天廷聖旨，還誰有個屁放。
露宿於山，是自絕於城市、自絕於人，冠一個「野」字，人也果真成了獸。獸性既發，擊斃即可。
啊。拜託。我們是在談論奪去一個活生生的人的性命。生而人，死同獸。
Oh, please, we are talking a living man's life. Who lived as a man and then died as an animal.
The dead cannot speak
On the other hand, spacehole said that now the so-called truth is all one-sided from the police and is very unfair to the dead:
但各種矛盾都被重重的論述埋葬，對於「無話可說」的死者極為不利。對於真相，我們好像已經死無對證。案發現場的山路，除了一段紀錄到後半情況的含糊影片外，知道發生過程的只有死者與警員兩者。但是，當天即時的報導及立日的新聞，卻引述了很多「在場消息」的透露，描述了整個案件2-3分鐘的過程。其實探 本究源，那些襲警、發狂的消息是否就是來自警方公共關係科?
更甚者，立日更有親政府傳媒還要把明明被射殺的露宿者轉移為討論「人蛇炸彈損害治安」，並在身份還是置疑說他們來港「都為求財」，某報更形容為「勇警兩槍轟斃山霸」，報導手法可恥。只有明報及經濟日報引述一名日常晨運客的資料，說並不覺死者會傷害別人，亦指死者「懂簡單廣東話，曾向人展示一本疑似護照，又會問他們索煙仔，大家一直相安無事。」
Discrimination towards homeless
The blogger also comments on the cleaning-up ideology in Hong Kong:
一種對露宿者的誤解及歧視，並非是一朝一夕產生的，我們都經歷過一場都市化進程。回想我們50、60年代的光境，根據一些灣仔街坊的訪問，當露宿者在 冬天睡進了他們唐樓的樓梯，居民不僅不會趕走他們，並會提供綿被保暖。70年代的新市鎮工程，香港全面引入理性規劃，建立了一種住歸住、工作歸工作、休閒 歸休閒的空間使用想像，露宿者這種在公眾地方居住生活的形態開始受到排斥。配之以80年代的「城市清潔運動」，全城都以趕走露宿者為己任，正式確立一種對 露宿者空間上的排斥。直到今天，我們連一些遠距離的「視覺污染」也需要消滅，透過向區議員投訴，由其他人趕走他，總之眼不見為乾淨。可是，有沒有想過被你 投訴後，他們會被趕到哪裡去? 趕走他到不在你視線範圍以內後，問題就是否解決? 整個都市化的過程，除了環境的確淨潔外，有否耗盡了我們對空間使用的容忍與氣量?
Next time, when Hong Kong police officers yell at you: Ng-hao big-naug! Be aware!
Of course this is a joke, the whole issue is related with racial stereotype of South Asian and discrimination against homeless and poor. If you are a lighter color foreigner or Chinese, or for darker skin people, with proper clothing, no one will treat you like an animal even if you are crazy, drunk and aggressive.


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India: The Menace of Ragging · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sam's Lodge [chai-coffee] describes how the trend of ragging is becoming severely violent in India. The blog comments: “a clear distinction must be made between ragging and bullying. When ragging becomes bullying, it crosses all lines of decency.”


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Iran: Omid Reza Mir Sayafi talked about New Year · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Omid Reza Mir Sayafi,Iranian blogger and journalist who died in prison yesterday, talked about Iranian new year in his blog,Rooz Negar, 3 years ago. He invited [fa] people to lay flowers on the tomb of Iranian war martyrs.


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Long awaited victory for Baha’is in Egypt · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

After many years of being denied the right to legal documentation, Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court removed any grounds for preventing Baha'is from receiving proper official identity documents.
SandMonkey commented on the court ruling saying:
This will mean that they will be able to lead a more normal and humane lifestyle, as opposed to the daily humiliation they would receive in order to get any paperwork done with the Egyptian government- from getting birth certificates, to applying to school and colleges to getting IDs passports, and death certificates.
Then he wonders if other Egyptians, in the aftermath of this verdict will
start demanding to get their religious status removed as well, even if they are not Baha'i? Would that be possible? Is that a step in the direction of abolishing the religion category from the Egyptian ID forever? One hopes, but that's still too far away. Too many people are clinging to it for reasons that simply do not make sense to me. So, if you are one of those people, and you are against removing it, please ask yourself, what good, exactly, does it do? And if you have an answer, let me know. I am intrigued!
Wa7da Masrya commented saying:
Voice of Egypt commended the Egyptian judiciary system saying:
And speaking of religion, The Traveller Within, shared Gallup Survey announcing that Egypt is the most religious country in the world
Interestingly, 7 out of the top 10 most religious countries are majority Muslim countries. And 8 out of 10 are in Sub-Saharan African or East Asia.
The link between underdevelopment and religiosity (not religion: religiosity) is one I'd be keen to explore…

author: Marwa Rakha


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Madagascar: Fear of More Strife After President’s Resignation · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

And then there was one.
The power struggle that has plagued Madagascar since January may have come to an end.  Yesterday, after attempts by Andry Rajoelina supporters to remove President Marc Ravalomanana from office, the army, which has now sided with Rajoelina,  took control of the presidential palace in Ambotsirohatra.
A few hours later, Ravalomanana officially resigned  and transferred power to a military committee (mg/fr) composed of four army generals loyal to him. Rajoelina refused to accept the handover, and the generals were arrested by soldiers loyal to Rajoelina, along with a pastor assisting with the mediation (mg). The pastor was also later found beaten by civilians.
Footage of the abusive treatment of the army generals by former mutineers were a reminder  that  violence might still be erupting in a divided country.
There were many celebrations in the streets of Antananarivo following the news that Ravalomanana resigned.
However, Ravalomanana supporters are said to plan be planning a rally for Wednesday in Mahamasina stadium to protest what they consider a “coup d'etat”.
Malagasy soldiers in Antananarivo
[Photo credit to Foko-Madagascar on Foko-Madagascar on Flickr]
Desepite this major turning point, the simmering  tension and division among Malagasy bloggers who are afraid of what tomorrow may bring, was palpable.
Journalist/Blogger Mialy Randriamampianina  talked to Voice of America about what the people fear:
There is great confusion among the people because up to now we don't really have any information about what the rally is going to be about and what they are going to do. And again, we are worried about trouble in terms of clashes between supporters of Marc Ravalomanana and the supporters of Andry Rajoelina. There was an event just over a week ago where there were some confrontations and violence between the two camps. So, that kind of rally always creates trouble and we are worried about violence in this country
Blogger Lomelle echoes that statement in her interview with Le Monde even though she is “glad” Ravalomanana resigned (fr):
…on ne sait pas vraiment ce que veut faire l'opposition. Je crains le pire. Rajoelina n'a pas l'étoffe d'un président. Il est trop jeune et manque d'expérience. Je doute de sa capacité à mener le pays
Madagate is thrilled that Ravaloamana is out and that Rajoelina is in charge of the HAT (the transition government) (fr):
Marc Ravalomanana, le petit laitier d’Imerikasinina, a été renié par ceux à qui il venait de remettre les pleins pouvoirs. Ils n’ont pas voulu vendre leur âme au diable. Les carottes sont cuites pour ce président qui a montré son véritable visage. A force de jouer avec le feu et les idoles, on se brûle. Ce fut vraiment le combat de la lumière et des ténèbres.
Jentilisa has a different take (mg):
Manahy dia manahy aho raha ny zavatra hita androany no ijerena ny ampitso fa dia tena faneriterena tsy misy toy izany no hihatra amin'ny tsirairay hanatanterahana ny sitrapon'ny mpitondra vaovaon'ny firenena izay lazaiko sahady fa tsy ekeko satria an-terisetra no nanaovany ny zavatra rehetra.
Hery thinks that peace still won't  settle soon in Madagascar despite this change (mg):
Tsy resy lahatra aho amin'ny hilaminan'ny politika ao Madagasikara ao anatin'ny 2 taona farafahakeliny raha mandray fitondrana ny TGV [..] Hafa ny mitolona, ary hafa ny mitondra firenena.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Malawi: Identity of visa-ban minister revealed · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kumekucha blog reveals the identity of the Kenyan minister banned from traveling to the United States of America.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Malawi: Official Campaign Period Begins · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Malawi's electoral body said on Tuesday it had opened a 2-month official campaign period, setting the stage for the country's fourth general multi-party poll scheduled for May 19.


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Martinique, Dominica: Mount Pelee  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands’ Blog takes us to Martinique's Mont Pelée volcano and also offers a glimpse into the work of the Dominican/Martinican poet “whose verses…commemorated the tragedy of Mont Pelée…when the town of St. Pierre was destroyed by the 1902 eruption.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Morocco: Cutting Ties With Iran · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Early last week, it was reported that Rabat had chosen to sever ties with Tehran, after a diplomatic spat between  Bahrain and Iran over a statement by an Iranian official questioning Bahrain's sovereignty. Additionally, Morocco expressed resentment at Iran's alleged attempts to influence Moroccans in Europe toward Shi'a Islam.
Ibn Kafka, who also covered the story on his French-language blog, wrote a piece in the new Maghreb affairs blog Maghreb Politics Review, assessing the situation and offering this excellent timeline of events:
The turns and twists of the Morocco-Iran spat deserve a proper timeline. Here are the main events, as far as I have been able to track them:
February 11: Nouri makes his comments on Bahrain, causing widespread condemnation – Morocco joins the chorus.
February 20: Iran summons Morocco’s chargé d’affaires in Teheran, Mohamed Darif, over “the stances taken by the Moroccan king“. In a message to his Bahraini counterpart, Mohammed VI had described Nouri’s declarations as “abject” as well as “absurd“: «Ces déclarations abjectes à l’endroit d’un pays arabe frère et membre actif dans son environnement régional et au sein de la communauté internationale ont suscité notre fort étonnement et notre profonde inquiétude (…) Nous considérons de même que ces déclarations absurdes sont en contradiction flagrante avec les principes et les règles du droit international, ainsi qu’avec les valeurs de coexistence et de bon voisinage auxquelles incite Notre religion islamique tolérante». The Moroccan chargé d’affaires allegedly took a low profile during that meeting, replying that “Morocco is interested in expanding relations with Iran, which he called a regional power with an ancient civilization“. A communiqué by the official Iranian press agency IRNA is allegedly published (I haven’t found it though), evoking that call-up and criticising Morocco for its reaction.
February 22: Morocco’s foreign minister, Taïeb Fassi Fihri, travels to Bahrain to convey a personal message from King Mohammed VI to King Hamad Ibn Aissa Al Khalifa, a gesture widely publicised in Moroccan media as well as on the Moroccan foreign ministry’s website.
February 23: Taïeb Fassi Fihri meets with Bahraini prime minister Sheikh Khalifa Ben Salman Al-Khalifa.
February 25: On his return from Bahrain, Taïeb Fassi Fihri summons Iranian ambassador to Morocco, Vahid Ahmadi, to convey him Morocco’s displeasure at Iran’s call-up of Morocco’s chargé d’affaires and strong rejection of the wording of the IRNA communiqué  mentioned earlier. Morocco’s chargé d’affaires is called back for consultations in Rabat for one week on the same day.
February 26: Taïeb Fassi Fihri reiterates Morocco’s “astonishment” at being allegedly singled out by Iran over its support for Bahrain’s territorial integrity – Morocco’s chargé d’affaires would apparently have been the only foreign head of mission to have been summoned to the Iranian ministry of foreign affairsover the issue, despite the many other Arab and non-Arab countries taking a similar stance – at least if we are to believe Morocco’s MAEC.
March 6: Morocco decides to break off diplomatic relations with Iran – if the diplomatic spat over the Bahrain affair is still mentioned, the sectarian aspect is given much larger proeminence – Iran’s embassy is accused of having meddled in internal Moroccan affairs by proselytising – claims that had never been raised previously on an official level. The spat has continued thereafter, with Iran chiding Morocco over its decision, and Morocco asserting its sovereign right to break off diplomatic relations with whomever it wants.
Some remarks are in order: while Iran initiated this diplomatic tit-for-tat, Morocco upped the ante considerably by recalling its chargé d’affaires – a step no other Arab country (1) has taken over this dispute, not even Bahrain. This is quite an escalade in diplomatic terms. It may be recalled that Morocco undertook the same step – recalling its ambassador – when Spain’s Juan Carlos made an official visit in November 2007 to the Spanish enclaves in Morocco, Sebta and Mlilia, over which Morocco claims sovereignty. Bahrain’s territorial integrity – if one accepts that Nouri’s statements could reasonably be perceived as a threat – would thus appear as equally worthy of diplomatic action as Sebta and Mlilia, which might come as news to Morocco’s public – not that anyone bothered to consult them over this issue…
In an excellent post, Adilski of A Moro in America asks the tough question “Was Rabat's decision justified?”  The blogger muses:
Because of Iran's rising popularity in the Arab and Islamic world for its support to Hamas and Hizballah against Israel, any hostile gesture from a Muslim country towards it would be unpopular and unacceptable; and so was Morocco when it decided to cut ties.
What is more surprising and suspicious to many people is that the arguments being used by the Moroccan diplomacy are too weak at worst and contradictory at best. While Mr. Fassi Fihri, the Moroccan FM, said the decision was prompted by Iran's singling out of Morocco regarding the Bahrain comments, spokesman of the Moroccan government, Mr Nasiri, claimed Iran has been engaging in a campaign to spread Shi'ism among Moroccans in Europe and inside the kingdom itself.
These dissonant official statements not only reveal the weakness of Rabat's arguments, but also reveal the defensive posture of the Moroccan diplomacy after realizing it was indeed an unpopular decision both domestically and regionally.
While the Bahrain story does not hold much ground in justifying the decision, there are other possible explanations that make more sense, though they are not disclosed officially, for obvious reasons.
Morocco maintains good relations with two U.S. allies in the Middle East, namely, Israel and Saudi Arabia, which also happened to be sworn enemies of Iran for ideological and political reasons. Those two nations are more likely to be behind the Moroccan-Iranian diplomatic crisis than any other factor.

author: Jillian C. York


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Nepal: On Individualism · Global Voices
Rezwan

Thinking About Nepal believes that: “if Nepali parents are able to indoctrinate in their children a sense of individualism along with respect for community and elders, Nepal will have a citizenry that will able to deal with most challenges faced today and in the future.”

author: Rezwan


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Nigeria: BarCamp Nigeria 2009 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Oluniyi writes about BarCamp Nigeria, which will take place next month. Justin Hartman, the co-founder of Afrigator is one of the speakers.