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Kazakhstan: History, Culture and Internet · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

While Ukraine is taking a principle stand towards its history and calling Holodomor (famine of the 1930s) genocide of the nation, undertaken by the communist regime, Kazakhstani authorities are very quiet on the comparable disaster of the Stalin era, when more than 30 percent of the Kazakhs died. Schriftsteller says [ru]:
Famine in Kazakhstan was not simply genocide, but also ethnocide, because it left significant changes in the Kazakh culture: the type of economy, settling , habitation and clothing changed dramatically. The previous complex of Kazakh nomadic culture, which was present in 1920s was eliminated during the years of famine.
Alim-atenbek looks at the development of Kazakhstani cinematography. One of the recent Kazakh film, “The Gift to Stalin” opened the South Korean film festival, while another movie, “The Tulip”, has taken the CNN APSA Viewers Choice Award [ru]:
3 movies that I saw recently in the cinema were Kazakh ones… Next year, KazakhFilm studio plans to make 15 movies, and if half of them would be of comparable quality, it would be possible to speak about resurrection of the domestic cinematograph.
While Russian blogosphere discusses theft of money at creation of secondary schools’ websites, Megakhuimyak suggests taking a glance at how state funds are spent in the sphere of e-government [ru]:
51 billion tenge, which makes up 425 million dollars were spent for this e-government portal (http://www.e.gov.kz/wps/portal)
Cheerful-husky continues the Internet-related debate and finds out that most of the Kazakhstn-related Google ads lead to the religious websites [ru]:
Link “I hate my life” always grabs your attention. Apparently, it brings you to some Studentstan website, which appears to be a Christian organization. Love.kz has nothing to do with dating – it’s also a mission and love they speak about is the God’s one.
Also posted on neweurasia


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Madagascar: Fighting complacency on World AIDS Day · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

On world AIDS day, Malagasy bloggers reminded their readers that despite the progress made in the field of AIDS therapy and HIV prevention, one cannot afford to be complacent about preventing the disease. During his weekly address to the nation, the president of Madagascar Marc Ravalomanana reminded his fellow citizens that there is no development without health care and encouraged nonprofit organizations and faith-based associations to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Sipagasy reminds us that requesting one's partner to use protection during sexual activity is an act of love (mg):
Mahagaga tokoa mantsy fa araka ny hita @izy ireny dia misy ny mieritreritra fa dia hoe mahamenatra hono ny manontany ‘fimailo’ @ ilay olona miaraka aminy!! amiko anisan’ny porofom-pitiavana izany, satria miaro azy sy miaro ny tenanao ianao
Ikala  asks her readers whether they are absolutely positive about their HIV status. She invites her readers to get tested and quotes a telling statistic (fr):
Selon les derniers chiffres rendus publics par l’InVS, 6 500 personnes ont découvert leur séropositivité en 2007. Presque une personne sur trois vivant avec le VIH ignore encore sa séropositivité. Le sida existe toujours, malgré les progrès récents qui permettent de mieux soigner cette maladie et d’améliorer la qualité de vie des séropositifs
Pati assesses how much progress were actually made .  She acknowledges a widespread awareness of HIV but wonders whether we are keeping our promises(fr):
Pendant que d’autres refusent de se faire dépistés et de connaître leur situation par rapport au VIH/SIDA, des ateliers ne s’arrêtent d’être organisés […] Même jusqu’aux zones les plus enclavées de l’île, on en parle,on fait des sensibilisations sur mais la même question se pose, où en sommes nous?! […] je ne vais pas faire de sensibilisation car je crois que ce n’est plus la peine de répéter tout le temps ce que tout le monde connaît par cœur […] Mais je pense que ce qui reste à faire c’est de rappeler à tout le monde que par rapport à ce qu’ils savent, ils ont leur devoirs.
Tomavana wants everyone to remember that discrimination against HIV + people is still strong:
don’t pick the wrong fight:  exclude AIDS, not  HIV-positive people.
With respect to fighting for the right of HIV-positive people, the FIMIZORE association for the protection of the rights of sex workers and homosexuals in Madagascar created a new blog to document their actions.
For more information, please visit Global Voices’ special coverage page for World AIDS Day 2008.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Mexico: Federal Police Officer Evaluation · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

More than 50% of Mexican federal police officers failed an evaluation measuring their “trustworthiness” writes Tome Chango Su Banana.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Mexico: International Book Fair in Guadalajara · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Hache writes about the events featured at the International Book Fair in Guadalajara, Mexico [es].


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Pakistan: Bloggers Meetup in Lahore · Global Voices
Muhammad Farhan

On November 23, 2008 more than 100 Pakistani bloggers gathered in Lahore in a meetup, the first of its kind in the city. The event was organized by LUMS IEEE Students Chapter (in collaboration with CIO Pakistan and Google Pakistan). The idea was to get the bloggers together to discuss about the blogging scene in Pakistan and promote this medium. The bloggers exchanged their views and shared success stories.
Initially this was planned to be an informal meeting for the twenty odd Lahore based bloggers. The only source of information on this meet up was an event posted at Facebook by Badar Khushnood (Country Consultant, Google). Quite unexpectedly more people showed interest and the number of probable attendees kept on increasing. The event organizers could succeed in collaborating with CIO Pakistan and RedBull, and the event turned into a mega bloggers meet where bloggers from across the country could participate.
Here's what Rabia Garib (editor CIO Pakistan) wrote about this phenomenon:
What started off as a really small 20 person event at LUMS has grown into something more than 100 attendees overnight… literally!
I also attended there as a blogger and am happy to cover this event for Global Voices. In my opinion the event was more like a seminar to encourage the beginners. Badar Khushnood explained the importance of blogging in today's world.
The key points discussed in the Meetup were:
You can find the details of the event here at my blog or at the official coverage page at CIO Pakistan website.
All photos by Farhan Janjua

author: Muhammad Farhan


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Philippines: Christmas Caroling · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

My Cebu Photo Blog shares photos and a video of a grandfather and grandson duo Christmas caroling with an improvised xylophone attached to a bicycle in downtown Cebu City, Philippines.

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Puerto Rico: Citizen Journalism Not Yet Welcomed by Traditional Media · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Citizen journalism in Puerto Rico has a long way to go writes Michael Castro of Poder 5 [es], who thinks that the traditional media has yet to open its doors.


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Serbia: More Belgrade Trivia · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

JFK's gift to Tito on display at The House of Flowers in Belgrade; a post on life and work of Serbian writer Branislav Nušić; a picture of an eccentric-looking roller-skater – at A Yankee-in-Belgrade.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Serbia: Trivia · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A story of a chimpanzee that managed to escape from the Belgrade Zoo twice; a history of Disney's Mickey Mouse in Serbia; a list of what an average Serbian salary (386 Euros a month) can buy – at Belgraded. An anti-ode to Belgrade – at Zukointheworld: “Belgrade is raffish and roguish, artistic, under-employed, ill-advised, scruffy, defeated, bleak and romantic.  Belgrade is pretty much punk rock.”


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Singapore: Country Specific Creative Commons Licences Online · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Singapore based content creaters can now use  Singapore versions of the Creative Commons licenses according to the Creative Commons Singapore blog.

author: Preetam Rai


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Taiwan: Flawed advice from abroad · Global Voices
David Reid

Michael Turton analyses some views of Taiwan from the US establishment. The Far-Eastern Sweet Potato criticises the advice of the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei.

author: David Reid


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Taiwan: HIV+ Bloggers’ Love for Life · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

For most of the bloggers in Taiwan and around the globe, Dec 1st is World AIDS Day, but for HIV+ bloggers everywhere, everyday is AIDS day.
Two days ago I yelled on my personal twitter: “Does anyone know any HIV Positive bloggers?” Soon I received lanhenry88's reply. Following the links he gave me I found a whole lot of bloggers who blog about their life with HIV. Initially, I was really shocked to know there are so many blogs kept by HIV-positive bloggers in Taiwan,  but later, after I read them blog by blog, post by post, I was deeply moved by the way they blog and live. Below are only a few of them I would like to introduce.
Name: 傑(Jay)
Blog: 傑的祕密花園(Jay's secret garden)(zh)
Location: Taiwan
Description: Discovered he was infected by HIV on Jan. 10, 2008. Jay wrote his first blog post  “Twilight 2008″ 3 months later. In another post “Fearless”, he described his experience when diagnosed as HIV-positive in the hospital. He told his mother that he was gay and infected, he felt deeply sorry to her and to his family, but she warmly accepted it. He said: “Thinking of my mother's love, I become fearless to face death, because I have had everything.”
Name: 原之人生 (Yuan's life)
Blog:原之人生HIV+ (zh)
Location:Taipei, Taiwan
Description:Discovered infection by HIV on Feb. 16, 2007. He encourages people like him in a post by saying: “Lift up your head, don't let the tears drop.”
Name:Eddy
Blog: 這是給感染hiv,還不須服藥者的新聞台 (This is a blog for people who are HIV-positive, but haven't got the need of taking medicines)(zh)
Location: Taiwan
Description:Discovered he has HIV in Apr, 2006. Eddy is energetic and vigorous. He started his blog to help people fight against the virus. He publishes news, methods, and personal experiences to encourage other HIV-positive persons. According to his blog, his heath siruation is getting even better than before. He suggests people (who are infected or not) keep a regular life and try “Qigong.” One more thing: He says that thanks to Taiwan's heath care, it is almost free to get medicine against HIV.
Name: Wilson
Blog: HIV你好（Hello, HIV）(zh)
Location: Taiwan
Description: Wilson learned that he was infected on July,10, 2007, and started this blog 2 months later. He is somehow more afraid and according to his blog, he sometimes told lies to protect himself and pretend everything is fine, even to his friends who are also infected. However, he has changed his mindset and no longer hates the man who infected him. He says: “If this (HIV) had not happened to me, I would never be able to know so many volunteers, friends, leaders, who are cute, kindhearted, and willing to explore the true meaning of life enthusiastically.”
Name: 冠德 (Guan De)
Blog: 有了愛滋~還能擁有愛嗎? (Can I still have love even when I have AIDS?) (zh)
Location: Taichung, Taiwan
Description: For 3 years, Guan De has posted and shared his HIV-positive life with love stories on his blog. He is very brave and optimistic toward his situation. He still desires to love and to be loved.
Name: 崇慕思 (Chung Mu Si)
Blog: 等待HIV的奇蹟 (Waiting for the miracle of HIV) (zh)
Location: Taiwan
Description: Even though he started this blog to record his life with HIV for more than 2 years, Chung keeps his blog funny, informative and welcoming. His blog contains various topics, from love, politics, to gay news critics and hospital experiences.
Name: 祈寬 (Qi Kuan)
Blog: ♥我與HIV生活的日子♥ (Everyday living with HIV) (zh)
Location: Taiwan
Description: On his blog he says: “I knew HIV, and started to date with “him” back in 2002. HIV is my boyfriend and lives in my blood, though I don't want him be my boyfriend, he still loves me relentlessly and all I can do is keep dating with him with my strongest determination.”
Name: 小底底 (Little Kid)
Blog: 底底18歲的生日禮物 H I V (My 18th birthday gift: HIV) (zh)
Location: Taiwan
Description: A young victim of HIV, his heath situation is not good, but he gets a lot of encouragement via other more experienced HIV-positive bloggers.
For more information, please visit Global Voices’ special coverage page for World AIDS Day 2008.
Photo above of Tapei 101 tower in Taiwan was taken by Flickr user Music Changes Everything in 2007.

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Thailand: How will the airport chaos end? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Some bit of not so bad news: Thailand’s tourism authorities have issued a list of hotels offering accommodation for stranded passengers. A special flight was arranged for Thai Muslim pilgrims to their annual Haj pilgrimage to Mecca. Foreign governments are making extra efforts to help their citizens.
As of this writing, the airport crisis is still not over. Dozens of empty planes were allowed to leave Bangkok, but protesters still control the two major airports in Thailand.
There are three protest centers in Thailand: The two airports and the Government House. The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the organizer of the protests, has decided to leave the Government House after a grenade blast inside the complex injured scores of protesters last Saturday. PAD will now focus in maintaining its control of the airports. Will police allow PAD members to join their comrades in the two airports?
What is the solution to the crisis? A human rights group asks Parliament to convene an emergency session. There are rumors that a court will issue a decision which would not be favorable to the ruling party.
Oak Monster's Den also heard this rumor:
“Rumors abound that tomorrow (Tuesday) the court will dissolve the current majority political party and therefore sack the PM.  Then a coup will follow to mop up the mess, disperse the airport crowd.  Then an interim governement. Then election.  The Red Shirts aren’t going to like it but that’s the only way to solve the stand off, in my opinion.”
Tourists are able to leave the country through U-tapao airport. This is very far from Bangkok. The situation there is chaotic:
“U-tapao is packed. Traffic is backed up. Tourists are spilled all over the parking lot, lugging their luggage in from the streets. This 1960-built former U.S. airforce base during Vietnam War has only one luggage scanner. A Thai-blog reader contacted me to said that he tried to “drop in” on U-tapao and it was a total nightmare. Anyone heading out should allow themselves a LOT of time to get there and to go through the maze of lines and put up with lots of characters.”
Portable toilet in U-Tapao airport. See the crowded room inside the airport. Photos from Falling Into You
What is the situation inside the airport blockade? Apparently, passports are no longer needed to enter the airport. Individuals only need to bring a yellow scarf (the color of protest) or a PAD clapper (see video below this article). There was an American tourist who spoke in the PAD program.
Protesters are preparing for a final showdown with the police. They claim they will use human shields to block the police. Bangkok Pundit reports:
“I should note that there is a large number of children at the rallies. What responsible parent would bring their children to a rally knowing there is a possibility of violence? Money is certainly one reason.”
Pro-government rallies are also being held in central Bangkok. Red is the chosen color of government supporters. ~Meaw & More~ visited the pro-government rally and observes:
1. Music, was not as good as PAD
2. I have not seen anyone offered anyone’s money in return. We have been offered a meal in plastic bag, which was not bad, some red banner.
Note
1. The crowd as we saw today are, according to external appearance and some chat, mainly Bangkokians middle class. Some even bother to dress as Santa.
2. Foreign photographers and journalists did not wear bullet proof vests like at PAD.
PAD is vilified by almost everybody outside Thailand. Here is a different opinion on PAD:
“I can say that in all my visits to the PAD rallies, they are not a mob but a predominantly peaceful and respectful group that wants to see a new dimension in Thai politics. While visiting red shirt rallies, while most were genuine, I was approached twice by thugs carrying machetes and steel pipes threatening to beat me if I take pictures.”
An Englishman reminds media to review the kind of democracy which exists in Thailand:
“Just don’t be too hasty to pass judgement on the PAD when the Western media states they are against democracy, because, Thailand's democracy works differently to ours.”
The Prime Minister is trapped in northeast Thailand. Frogblog Thaidings witnessed a government rally in that part of the country”
“Spend a few hours in their presence and you soon end up with a completely different impression. These are people that are genuinely worried about the possibility of their democratic right to vote being taken away.
“They are disgusted by PAD's antics in Bangkok, and the occupation of the airports there in particular. They appreciate the damage being done both to Thailand's reputation and to its economy. Many of them live in borderline poverty, so the slightest set-back can leave them struggling to survive on a day-to-day basis. They feel insulted and degraded by the suggestion that they are simply too stupid and lacking in education to vote for the right reasons.”
He was referring to the proposal of PAD to modify the method of choosing the country’s leaders since they think the poor do not vote wisely during elections.
Photo from Frogblogger
The airport crisis in Thailand is affecting other countries too. A tourist decided to enter Thailand by traveling from Singapore by land. Bangkok Dazed adds:
“Obviously the Bangkok Airport situation is affecting other countries in the region as well. If any tourists want to travel to Myanmar, for example, the Bangkok airport is the main gateway. Over in Siem Reap, Cambodia, several of my friends have sent e-mails this week; concerned about my safety in Bangkok, and also worried about a dropoff in tourism over there. My friend Rong works at the airport in Siem Reap and tells me there hasn’t been much to do all week.”

author: Mong Palatino


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The Balkans: Yugo · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkan File and Eternal Remont are saying good-bye to the Yugo cars; the latter posts this joke: “Q: So, what do you call the shock absorbers inside a Yugo? A: Passengers.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: 500 & Counting  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Heartiest congratulations to national security minister Martin Joseph on achieving this historic milestone: 500 murders in Trinidad and Tobago this year, as of yesterday”: Nicholas Laughlin thinks that Minister Joseph should be rewarded in a special way for his efforts.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Video: Eliminating Violence against Women · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women took place on November 25th, and that date also marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence which ends on December 10th. The November 25th date was chosen to commemorate the assassination of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic in the 1960s who were murdered during the Trujillo dictatorship. Their story is told in the documentary Code Name: Butterflies, and you can see the subtitled trailer for the movie in the following clip:
Witness’ The Hub has also joined the 16 days of Activism Against Gender Violence and have featured the following video produced by the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. It is titled Rise, and portrays the “lives of Afghans following the recent American-led military campaign”.
The Hub will be posting more related videos throughout the week.
On this video from Colombia, Compromiso Medios interviews several women who speak about their stories regarding gender based violence. They speak about being displaced and losing all of their belongings, of losing family due to violence, of heading homes and working in  unequal conditions and domestic violence. One of the women explains how she lived for 17 years in an abusive relationship, and before the laws against domestic violence were passed she was unable to press charges since she needed witnesses willing to publicly denounce the aggressor. After the law was passed she was able to present physical evidence in the form of the bruises and injuries and part from her partner to rear her 3 children on her own. The video is in Spanish:
People express their support for this global initiative to stop the violence against women in many different ways. In Mexico, for example, a bike ride during the evening was organized as a way to raise awareness on the Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women:
In Paraguay, women held a candle lit vigil for the Paraguayan justice system which gave a 7 year prison sentence to 23 year old medical school student Zully Samudio for killing an alleged rapist in her apartment back in 2007, due to the inability to prove that the rape would take place and that the weapon was the attacker's or the victim's.
However as of now, she has been released so that she can appeal and retrial in liberty. In an interview[es] after the sentence, she bitterly stated that women should just let themselves be raped, because the year and 2 months she had to spend in prison during the trial process where worse than rape, she also commented that she believes the trial was arranged, since the deceased was the son of a former police chief and people mentioned that the results were already known even before the trial.
Another important date coming up is the World AIDS Day, and in the following video, Mariama Banda from Women Won't Wait Coalition in Zambia speaks about the relation between Violence Against Women and HIV & AIDS.
For more information on the World AIDS Day, we have a Special Coverage page with articles on the subject as well as a map where we point out towards bloggers around the world who are writing about living with HIV/AIDS.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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“Why I blog about Africa” · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

(See Part 2 on why anglophone bloggers blog about Africa here)
A few days ago, Théophile Kouamouo [Fr], a blogger based in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), started a meme asking bloggers to reflect on why blog about Africa:
Bloguons nous pour la diaspora et le vaste monde, coupé de nos contemporains sur le continent ? Blogue-t-on sur l'Afrique comme on blogue sur l'Europe ou l'Asie ? La blogosphère afro-orientée a-t-elle quelque chose de spécifique à offrir au concert de l'universel version 2.0 ?
After tagging a few fellow African bloggers, Téophile offered his own answer to the question:
Je blogue sur l'Afrique avec joie parce que je crois que c'est de nos voix individuelles et mêlées que naîtra la renaissance africaine qui arrivera aussi sûrement que le rêve de Martin Luther King est devenu réalité quarante années plus tard. Je lis les blogs afro-orientés avec bonheur parce qu'ils me donnent une image moins monolithique et moins catastrophiste du continent et de ses habitants.
Amongst the many Francophone bloggers that participated in the meme and gave some thinking to Téophile's question, here is a selection of their answers.
Hilaire Kouakou [Fr], also from Côte d'Ivoire:
… parce que l'Afrique ne peut se soustraire du monde. Ensuite bloguer sur l'Afrique, est la preuve que ce continent a une vie, existe, a des voies.
Claudus [Fr]:
Je voudrais pour nos petites sœurs, nos petits frères et nos enfants une Afrique respectée dans le monde car devenue digne et sure d’elle.
Ramata Sore from Burkina Faso, commenting on l'Atelier des Médias [Fr] of Radio France Internationale:
Parce que l'Afrique, fait partie du monde,
Parce que ce chaleureux Continent fait toujours l'actualite
c'est le Continent aussi dechire par le cri de ses Enfants
[…]
Parce que c'est un Continent qui existe tout simple
Et parceque c'est Nous l'Afrique.
[…]
Because it is a continent that exists, that's all
And because We are Africa
Africa 2.0 [Fr]:
*      Essayer de gommer la mauvaise image qui colle à ce continent à mon niveau
*      Rencontrer d’autres personnes ayant le même idéal
*      Informer les autres peuples sur les réalités africaines
*      Faire bouger les choses
*      Participer au débat planétaire
*      Faire entendre la voix de l’Afrique
*      Discuter de nos problèmes et essayer d’y apporter des solutions
Maintikely [Fr] from Madagascar collects a list of common stereotypes about Africa before describing how different she can be from them:
…l'Afrique n'est pas seulement la couleur noire, elle n'est pas seulement synonyme de SIDA, ni de guerre civile à tout bout de champ. Elle n'est ni la malnutrition, ni la pauvreté ni la misère, ni la mortalité infantile. Elle n'est pas la corruption, les pirates, le braconnage, la lutte pour le pouvoir, les dettes, les safaris, les pyramides, ni les paysages exotiques, ni le Sahara, ni Mugabe et compagnie, ni les lions et les éléphants etc…
L'Afrique c'est aussi le berceau de l'humanité, le berceau de toute civilisation, le sourire de sa population, son sens de l'accueil et de l'hospitalité, l'amitié, sa population, son diaspora, l'espoir d'un jour meilleur, le soukouss, la diversité de ses habitants, la diversité du paysage, l'esprit de famille et les valeurs familiales, le maghreb, l'accent qui caractérise tant un africain mais qui vous rend nostalgique loin de votre pays, kouakou, les couleurs vives , sa culture diversifiée etc…
Africa is also the cradle of humanity, the cradle of all civilisation, the smile of her population, the hospitality and welcoming sense, the friendship, its population, its diaspora, the hope for a better day, the soukous, the diversity of her inhabitants , the diversity of landscapes, the family spirit and family values, the Maghreb, the characteristic accent of an African that makes you nostalgic for your country, kouakou, bright colours, her diverse culture…
And finally she answers the question of why she blogs about Africa:
[…] parce que je suis africaine, et fière de l'être. Une africaine qui connaît mal l'Afrique mais qui l'aime et qui souhaite qu'on jette un regard nouveau sur ce continent, un regard qui transcende les clichés qui lui sont associés, un regard au delà de l'opinion touristique, et des maux de l'Afrique pour voir aussi l'autre côté de la médaille.
(Map of Africa tagged by participants of Barcamp Africa last October, from the Maneno Flickr photostream)

author: Elia Varela Serra


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Egypt: Online Journalism in the Arab World  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Lebanese journalist Bassam Twaini presented a talk entitled The State of Online Journalism in the Arab World, at a conference in Cairo, Egypt, reports Saudi blogger Yaser Al Ghaslan [Ar], who was present at the event.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Armenia: World AIDS Day Observed · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Yesterday marked the 20th World AIDS Day, and although the event was marked on a small scale in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, it was nevertheless observed in a country where such subjects as sexual health and alternative sub-cultures are considered somewhat taboo. Pink Armenia posted the schedule for the day which also included a concert by three local bands.
December 1st, at 4pm we will gather near the Vardan Mamikonyan statue and start our march till Republic Square, and after all will go to Pushkin street, Avangard folk-club (Pushkin 3a) to start the main event at 5pm, which includes punk underground rock concert, presentations, films and live shows. During the event we'll distribute different information materials on HIV issues and condoms.
Perhaps the most popular and ground-breaking Armenian LGBT blog, Unzipped: Gay Armenia summed up the day as well as posting a retrospective on the year since the last World AIDS Day as it pertained to HIV/AIDS in Armenia.
Meanwhile, Armenia: Higher Education & Sciences provides a background to the extent of known HIV infection in the country and comments on a media report casting doubts over a drug developed locally to combat the symptoms of the disease.
The first HIV infection in Armenia was reported in 1988. Since then 150 people have perished according to Armenia’s AIDS Prevention Centre; 128 of them were men and 22 were women. According to the same report, 649 people are currently HIV+. UNAIDS, however, puts the total number at 2,400, of which 610 are women. There are no estimates of the number of Armenian AIDS/HIV+s who have left the country in search of easier, cheaper and more confidential access to treatment.
[…]
The two most common transmission causes are unprotected/high risk heterosexual intercourse (49 percent) and sharing infected needles by intravenous drug users (44 percent). Other causes such as unsafe homosexual intercourse and mother-to-child (perinatal) transmission constitute the remaining 7 percent.
[…]
2008 is also the 10th anniversary of Armenicum, the so-called wonder drug. For years people have been told about the wonders of this Armenian formula with curative powers over the HIV virus.
[…]
The article says that what most Armenians probably do not know is that their tax money is paying for Armenicum, which is more than triple the cost of the world’s only proven treatment for HIV, antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. They probably also are not aware that in a few months Armenicum may be the only choice available in Armenia for future HIV-infected patients. […]
Photos: © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008, licensed under Creative Commons

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Azerbaijan: Seven Beauties · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Sheki, Azerbaijan says that a recent performance of Seven Beauties by Qara Qarayev managed to convey the richness of the Soviet-era Azerbaijani composer's work. The blogger adds that attending the ballet was one of those “moments in life when a person feels proud of belonging to this or other country/nation.”


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Bangladesh: Bangla Town in New York · Global Voices
Rezwan

Farid at Bangla in Use Globally posts some pictures of the Bangla Town in New York, USA.

author: Rezwan


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Barbados: Appearances Matter  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press believes “that judges should not mix socially with politicians for the simple yet profound reason that to do so takes away from the appearance that the judiciary is independent from the political branch of government.”


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Bolivia: Néstor Taboada Terán Wins National Prize for Culture · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Néstor Taboada Terán, historian and journalist, won the Bolivian National Prize for Culture [es] of 2008 writes Dario Manuel.


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Cameroon’s rich and powerful · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

“It all started with a list off 44 billionaires the US ambassador to Cameroon gave the President…”
Le blog du Prési… [Fr] lists Cameroon's wealthiest and most powerful men.  The average profile: an octogenarian currently or formerly in government, who is likely to have seen the inside of a prison cell.
Je dois dire que, ne pouvant vérifier cette info, je la prends sans aucun étonnement, tant on connait la vitesse et l'ampleur de l'enrichissement de certaines personnes au Cameroun, surtout dans certaines fonctions. Et c'est amusant de voir le classement, puisque ces personnes auraient été classées par ordre décroissant de quantité de milliards. Et quand je vois troner en tête de ce classement le vertueux ex-Directeur des Impots, aujourd'hui MINEFI et la densité des hauts responsables anciens et actuels du même MINEFI, je me dis que Cameroun sait pourquoi il est pauvre, voire PPTE (Pays Pauvre Très Endetté).
Some of Cameroon's billionaires (in CFA):
And the list goes on…
On the advice of a reader, Prési…, also posts the ages of some of Cameroon's high-ranking officials.
On trouverait quelques jeunes sexagenaires qui viendraient abaisser la moyenne. Quand on vous dit que le Cameroun est un pays plein d'avenir. C'est Sarko qui va être content, lui qui veut faire travailler jusqu'à 70ans. Qu'il change de pays le gars; au Cameroun c'est déjà le cas!
Les gardiens du temple

author: Jennifer Brea


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China: Creative mind of Chinese peasant · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Mutant palm posted a video produced by Microwavefest on a barefoot robot designer, peasant Wu Yulu.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Cote d’Ivoire: Ivorian blogger wins BOB · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Congratulations Blog de Yoro[Fr], winner of the 2008 BOB award for Best Francophone Blog.


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Cuba: Castro Attends Beatification  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Havana Times and Yohandry’s Weblog (ES) blog about the beatification ceremony of Cuban Friar Jose Olallo Valdes.


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Cuba: Journalist of the Year?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense reports that “imprisoned Cuban independent journalist Ricardo González Alfonso is a finalist for Reporters Without Borders’ Journalist of the Year awards.”


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Cuba: Latin American Film Festival in Havana · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The 30th Annual Latin American Film Festival featuring 114 films in all, begins in Havana, Cuba according to Jorge García Sosa of Alo Cubano [es].


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Dominica: Regulation Laws  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Some political analysts speculate that the spending for the 2010 campaign will be the most expensive…ever.  Hell would probably have to freeze over before any political party in Dominica publishes its source of funding”: Dominica Weekly thinks that laws are needed to “regulate the political corruption culture.”


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D.R. Congo: Journalist’s murder highlights fragile democracy · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

While fighting continues in the North Kivu province of the DR Congo in spite of a well-publicised ceasefire, in the relatively peaceful neighboring province of South Kivu yet another journalist has been murdered. On the 21st of November Didace Namujimbo, who worked for the UN-backed Radio Okapi, was shot in the head when he was returning to his home in the evening.
Spanish journalist Hernán Zin met Namujimbo in his office when he traveled to Bukavu last summer to report on sexual violence as a weapon of war. He described him in his blog Viaje a la guerra [Es] (Journey into war):
Un hombre alto, de buena presencia, que hablaba un francés impoluto. El primer rostro amigo que encontré en el Congo.
And he added [Es]:
Además de una honda tristeza, me vuelven recuerdos de las conversaciones que mantuvimos sobre la muerte de su compañero Serge Maheshe, el 13 de junio de 2007. Hablamos sobre quiénes podrían ser los culpables, pues yo tenía la intención de incluir su historia en la sección de este blog Morir para contar.
Radio Okapi news editor Serge Maheshe had been shot in the head on the evening of the 13th of June 2007 when he was returning home, in the exact same way as his colleague and friend Didace Namujimbo a year and a half later. A year after Maheshe's murder, former Kinshasa Radio Okapi journalist Cédric Kalonji wrote [Fr] about the impunity for such crimes in the DRC:
Je constate amèrement que la justice, pilier de l’autorité de l’État qui est le fondement même de la démocratie ne fonctionne pas au Congo. Quand aurons-nous, et qui rétablira une justice efficace et indépendante dans ce pays?
Now Cédric Kalonji wonders [Fr] again about the state of democracy in his country:
En apprenant cette nouvelle, je suis partagé entre douleur, tristesse et colère. Je me demande comment la démocratie s’installera durablement dans un pays où on est visiblement allergique aux journalistes indépendants et professionnels. Devons-nous laisser le Congo entre les seules mains des hommes forts, ceux qui sont armés?
Kalire [Fr] thinks that Didace Namujimbo's murder represents many others:
Comme Didace, ils sont nombreux à se faire tuer dans le Kivu.
Se faire tuer par «des inconnus», par on ne sait même pas qui: des «rebelles»? des militaires congolais? des bandes de pillards? des voisins jaloux?
Comme Didace, ils sont des centaines à se faire tuer, violer par des «inconnus».
Mais Didace est… était journaliste.
C’est pourquoi sa mort peut parler pour celle des autres.
Freddy Mulongo [Fr] at the Radio Revéil FM blog, remembers the six media professionals that have been murdered in similar circumstances during the last three years, including Didace Namujimbo and Serge Maheshe. In his post, he summarizes what all those cases have in common:
Les scénarios sont les mêmes: tous les journalistes congolais sont tués la nuit, à proximité de leur domicile, on retrouve sur eux l'argent mais leur appareils téléphoniques… Et après on arrête des “innocents” que l'on présente comme des assassins. On organise une mascarade de procès souvent dans un auditorat militaire, il arrive parfois que les présumés assassins se rebiffent, pendant ce temps les vrais commanditaires courent toujours et jouissent de l'impunité.
For Freddy Mulongo, the situation of media professionals in the DRC is grim:
Ils sont journalistes et professionnels des médias en danger car comme le dit si bien l'adage des Peuls dans l'extrême Nord du Cameroun: “Si on rase ton camarade. Mouille-toi la tête, ton tour arrive!” A qui le tour? Qui sera le prochain victime?
Colette Braeckman [Fr] , a Belgian journalist and author expert in Central Africa, upon learning about Didace Namujimbo's murder wondered:
Comment concilier ces assassinats, qui semblent être d’origine mafieuse ou politique, avec l’état de droit dont les élections de 2006 auraient du marquer la naissance, avec « la fin de la récréation » solennellement annoncée par le président le jour de son investiture?
Also this week Human Rights Watch has released a new report titled “We will crush you“, on the restriction of political space in the DRC in which as Colette Braeckman notes “they pass a very hard judgement on the two years following the elections”. In the summary of the report they wrote:
Government agents have also threatened, arrested, tortured, and otherwise harassed journalists and members of civil society who were linked to political opponents or who protested abuses against them.
The summary concludes:
Elections themselves cannot bring democracy. Congolese and international actors must work to establish an independent judiciary and a vibrant parliament with an effective opposition to improve human rights, hold the executive to account for its actions, and counterbalance the restriction of political space. Failure to establish such counterweights will endanger Congo’s young democracy.
(Photo of Didace Namujimbo in his Radio Okapi office in Bukavu, taken last May by Elia Varela Serra)


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DRC: Cartoons satirize Congolese politics · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

It's been just one month since Congolese President Joseph Kabila named a new government in an effort to quell mounting criticism over his inability to quell rebel violence in the east, and many bloggers remain skeptical about the country's future.
A lot has been written about Congo's precarious situation (see posts by GV author Elia Varela Serra, who has closely followed recent developments), but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.
Alex Engwete posts this cartoon, produced by Human Rights Watch, which satirizes Kabila's shutting out of civil society and opposition voices and the tacit support of foreign donors.
(Image by Barly Baruti)
Journalist Cedric Kalonji posts these political cartoons on his Flickr photostream:
(Article 14 mandates equal gender representation at all levels, national, provincial and local.)


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Egyptian Bloggers and their Lost Blogs · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Several Egyptian bloggers lost their blogs whether to hackers or to web hosting services. Are those blogs being deliberately suspended by web hosting services or are there invisible hands at play behind the scenes?
Last October, Egyptian blogger Epitaph lost her blog. A few day later, blogger Mohamed Al Gohary, or IRC President, along with more than 20 Egyptian bloggers who followed her blog sent the following plea to Blogger, which hosted the site, saying:
We are a group of Egyptian bloggers really bothered by the blockage of the two-year-old blog “Epitaph_87″ ( http://www.epitaph-87.blogspot.com/) along her gmail account (epitaph87@gmail.com), since October, 4th , 2008. She has sent you her problem and requests on Google Help Center and Blogger Support, but in vain. We wish that you'd help us retrieve that blog and account and answer the requests of our fellow blogress, sending you from (epitaph_1987@hotmail.com), and hopefully ASAP!
Thank you
On November 16, Tarek Amr of Global Voices Online wrote about another lost blog:
It seems that it is not only third world regimes who block people's blogs. Apparently, Google's Blogspot has decided to join the bandwagon, and has blocked Nawara Negm's Blog (Tahyees [Ar]), without specifying any reasons.
Now, Ahmed El Sabbagh writes a post about yet another blog that has vanished:
وبعد شوية لقيت مدونة وينكى اتحذفت تماماُ. موقف مؤسف جداً أصبح من الوارد أن نتعرض له فى أى لحظة. أعلم إن حذف المدونة ليس نهاية العالم وأن وينكى .. بروحها الجميلة تستطيع أن تنشئ مدونة أجمل لكن الموضوع أصبح مؤلم وسئ جدا. أحمد البوهى إقترح ان نرسل جميعا رسالة الى بلوجر يوم 10 ديمسبر
Winky's blog was deleted. We are very likely to face the same unfortunate situation. I know that deleting a blog is not the end of the world and that Winky, with her lovely spirit, could create a new and a better blog but still it is not the best of situations. Ahmed El Boohy suggested that we all send the following message to Blogger on December 10:
We are Egyptian bloggers. Please stop blocking the Egyptian blogs without cause and intervention in the published materials without violation terms of use. Please do not take the position of unjustified supervisor with our blogs. WE WAIT FOR REPLY
He also posted a special note on precautionary measures and on how to keep a copy of your blog on your PC
:
يمكنك حفظ نسخة من مدونتك فى صورة ملف واعادة تحميلها فى حالة حدوث مشكلة مع مدونتك
الخطوات
ادخل على بلوجر درافت هيفتح لك صفحة الداشبورد هتلاقى فوق على اليمين الإختيار ده
Make Blogger in my Default dashboard
علم علي الاختيار ده .. كما بالشكل وبعدين إدخل صفحة الإعدادات هيظهر لك تلات اختيارات
Import Blog – Export Blog – Delete Blog
اختار إكسبورت أو تصدير لعمل ملف وحفظة على جهازك والان تستطيع اعادة مدونتك لبلوجر فى حالة حدوث مشكلة عن طريق امبورت – استيراد الملف
Now you can keep a copy of your blog in the form of a file on your PC and you can reload it in case you have trouble with your blog. The steps are:
Open Blogger Draft and when it opens the dashboard you will find a link that says “Make Blogger in my default dashboard”
Choose that option then go into settings, you will have three options: Import Blog – Export Blog – Delete Blog
Choose Export Blog to create the file on your PC and when you have a problem, you can use the Import option to return your blog.
Bella also shared with us the secret behind the disappearance of blogs:

author: Marwa Rakha


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El Salvador: HIV and AIDS Statistics · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Tim Muth publishes the latest statistics on HIV and AIDS in El Salvador.

author: Eduardo Avila


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India: Mumbai Limps Back To Life · Global Voices
Rezwan

IdeaSmith at Desicritics travels across Mumbai and finds that the city is slowly coming back to life after the trauma of the Mumbai terror attacks. The blogger also posts pictures of different parts of the city.


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Iran: Five million dollars for filtering · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to several news site including Roozonline, Mahmoud Salarkia,a senior Iranian justice official, said that five million dollars (five billion tomans) are invested to develop new tools for filtering in Iran.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iraq: No Classes Before Eid  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A Star from Mosul, in Iraq, writes about the cancellation of classes a week before Eid. Read her post to find out why.


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Israel: Aids Day Reminder  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Molly, from The Big Felalfel, in Israel, notes that World Aids Day serves as a reminder that there is still no cure for the disease.


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Israel: Hollywood in Israel and Iran · Global Voices
Maya Norton

There is surprising news in the Israeli blogosphere of connections between Jews, movies, and Israel.
The Israeli blockbuster “Yossi and Jagger,” a love story between two gay men in the army, has been named to “Entertainment Weekly” magazine's list of the top 50 sexiest movies of all time, Isrealli reports.
In addition, Iran's 27th Fajr International Film Festival will honor Jewish actor Paul Newman, who died this year, notes Israellycool. In Israel, Newman's best known work is “Exodus,” the story of the State's founding, in which he plays Ari Ben Canaan, an independence fighter who smuggles Jewish refugees into British-occupied Palestine after World War II.
Israelli also remarks that “Hollywood Stars Love Israel,” citing recent visits from Zach Braff (“Garden State”), as well as Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, and Jada Pinkett Smith, who star in the recently released movie “Madagascar II.”

author: Maya Norton


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Israel: On World Aids Day  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jewlicious, from Israel, marks the World Aids Day by attending an event at a bar in Jerusalem.


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Japan: Japanese man living in Mexico City Int’l Airport · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Blogger que es que, a Japanese living in Guadalajara (Mexico), commented on news concerning Hiroshi Nohara [en], a Japanese man who has been living for months in the Benito Juarez International Airport of Mexico City. The blogger writes that they would like one day to experience Nohara's free style of living.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Japan: World AIDS Day Series and the Red Walk · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

As a part of wAds (World Aids Day Series) [jp], the HIV/AIDS prevention and education campaign taking place between October and December, many people this year have again participated in the Red Walk in Tokyo. As blogger Koji describes at Koji no Shiiteki Nikki [Kojiの恣意的日記], on the 30th of November [jp], hundreds of young people dressed in red gathered in the morning at Yoyogi Park to walk around the whole Shibuya Ward until the afternoon, in order to stimulate public debate on the AIDS issue.


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Jordan: Bush Bloopers  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Jordan, Jazarah posts this video featuring funny bloopers by US President George W Bush.


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Middle East: Saddened by Mumbai Attacks  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Amid the sadness and shock at the Mumbai attacks, bloggers across the Arab world are posing many questions.
Bahraini Hasan Hujairi is very saddened by the news. He writes:
I’ve been very saddened by the news of the recent terrorist attacks in the city of Mumbai. I cannot imagine any reason that would justify carrying out such a terrible and mindless act.
My heart goes out to those affected both directly and indirectly by this tragedy.
From Dubai, UAE, Seabee poses a lot of questions and here are some of them:
I simply don't understand anything to do with the obscene killings in Mumbai.
I don't understand the mentality of people who randomly take innocent lives. The vast majority of the dead and injured are Indians, hotel workers, train travellers, people simply going about their daily business.
We're told that Americans and British tourists were specifically singled out in some instances. Yet many of them may well have opposed their governments’ policies, so what does the simple fact of citizenship have to do with anything?
I don't understand how a country which has had so many terrorist attacks over recent years can have been so unprepared.
Rantings of an Arab Chick too is annoyed and writes:
It goes without saying that my heart goes out to the victims of the terror attacks in Mumbai, those who made it and those who didn't. I don't believe that justice is always meted out and that punishment always falls upon those who deserve it, but I can sure as hell wish for it.
Egyptian blogger Zeinobia wonders:
In any hostage situation there should be hostages , kidnappers, negotiators and demands where as in the latest Mumbai terrible terrorist acts there were hostages,Kidnappers and forces but no negotiators or demands !!??
What were the kidnappers demands ?? They did not take that big number of hostages for nothing !!?? The demands will indicate the identity of the kidnappers so why the Indian government does not announce these demands now !!??
There is something I don’t understand and Please Pardon my question but how on earth 10 people only cause all that destruction in Mumbai in one day or rather three days or even how 10 people can control a hotel in the size of Tag Mahal for three days !!?? This is what the authorities in India said !!??
An Egyptian [Ar] is appalled with the lack of interest among bloggers from Egypt and the rest of the Arab world. He notes:
Still in Egypt, ~W~, who writes at I Wanna Hold Your Hand, posts a discussion she had with her neighbour on the attacks. Here's the beginning of the discussion:
Me (pointing to the newspaper on her coffee table): Terrible events. I am so upset. I do not know what these terrorists are thinking when they kill innocent people in the name of Islam.
AS : They think they are fighting in the name of God, and they may have a point.
Follow the link above to read the rest of it.
At the online forum, Omania2.net one reader writes:
Another commentator, Ibn Al Rahbi, said he sent cables and letters of condolences to all his Indian friends and acquaintances.
Writing on American-Palestinian Kabobfest, Will, links to the following Al Jazeera report, and says:
The violent ideology behind such senseless attacks belies the emptiness of the group's claims to be defending Muslims. While they are correct that western media and publics are generally blind to and complicit in Muslim suffering, such tactics are unjustifiable in religious, moral and political terms.
And in Kuwait, which had eight women taken as hostages at the Oberoi, bloggers breathe a sigh of relief when their hostages returned home safe.
DiLLi O MiLLi posts a newspaper clipping showing the women being recieved by officials and family at the Kuwait airport. Q8ia Mamloo7a too shares the news on her blog saying:


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North Korea in Blogs · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Stray Blog has written about his visit to North Korea's Kaesong City.  His was one of the last tours before North Korea put a stop to cross-border travel.   Stray Blog writes that the North Korean are disadvantaging themselves by this action.
My visit to Kaesong City, North Korea last weekend was timely. This week, relations between North and South Korea took a turn for the worse, and the North responded by canceling any cross-border movement. The unfortunate aspect of this decision is that the overpriced tours made a great deal of revenue for the people of the North. Canceling them is really just a further punishment on North Koreans themselves, who are already struggling to combat a debilitating food shortage. I was fortunate to be able to take one of the last tours of the North for potentially a long time.
Visitors to the country are struck by the lack of advertisement banners and colour as Stray blog observes.
- absence of colour: all of the buildings are very drab, and the people were clothed in primarily dull brown and black jackets. Only some of the children were dressed brightly – usually bright red jackets
Flickr user Kernbeisser has posted images of  his earlier journey along the Pyongyang-Hyangsan motorway.
This motorway was planned to connect the capital with the city of Huichon in Jagang Province but the last section was never completed. The completed part which was opened to traffic in 1995 ends rather abruptly in Hyangsan at the entrance to the Myohyang Mountains. So the original “Pyongyang-Huichon Motorway” ended up as “Pyongyang-Hyangsan Tourist Motorway”.
North Korea Economy Watch announces the launch of the website of the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (website link). On the website the founder Dr. james Chin-Kyung Kim writes about the motivation behind the institution.
PUST is an experiment to determine if it is possible to train generations of North Korean students-who have been shielded from many international influences-in the technical skills and knowledge required to make positive contributions to a global community undergoing rapid and constant change. PUST will also encourage the students to become aware of the cultural influences that create the differences in international thinking.
In North Korea, you will find people wearning pins (badges) featuring Kim jong Il and Kim Il Sung. These pins are coveted by foreign tourists and hard to get if you are not a North Korean citizen. the bloggers Lianlian Films managed to get one while in North Korea.  They describe how they hold the pin in reverence even when they are abroad.
At the Pyongyang Restaurant in Kathmandu, a North Korean waitresses squealed when shown The Pin – they don't normally wear one in Nepal. The young lady picked it up very carefully, whipped out a piece of tissue and polished the little disc to a shine. Then she took out another piece of tissue and wrapped it up before giving it back. All throughout, she barely spoke a word but the message was clear – The Pin is sacred. Treat with care.
Talking about the North Korean restaurants, there are several of these across East Asia and are official North Korean investments.  In addition to the food, a big attraction of these restaurants are the singing and dancing North Korean staff.
Here is a clip from one such restaurant in the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh.

author: Preetam Rai


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Pakistan: Karachi Riots in Media · Global Voices
Rezwan

Adil Najam at All Things Pakistan compiles media reports on the recent Karachi riots and comments: “We see Pakistani kill Pakistani in the name of Pakistan. We sit afraid. Very afraid.”


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Pakistan: Preemptive Assumptions · Global Voices
Rezwan

CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan follows the conversations in the international media pointing fingers at Pakistan for the terror attacks in Mumbai and comments: “..it is still not yet clear who perpetrated the Mumbai attacks. Until that fact has been ascertained, officials on either side should not act preemptively or jump start an unnecessary war.”


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Pakistan: Riots in Karachi continues · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dr. Awab at Teeth Maestro is following the recent ethnic riots in Karachi which is being downplayed by media. An entry from his Tweeter account on December 1: “2 individuals shot dead around bait-ul-mukarram mosque area in Gulshan in a case of random shooting.#Karachi”.


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Palestine: Gaza Concert Podcast  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Mideast Youth‘s Esra'a interviews Palestinian Sameh Habeeb about the Gaza Concert, one of many efforts which bring peace and end the siege in Gaza, in this podcast.


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Panama: Province of Chiriquí · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The province of Chiriquí en Panama enjoys a great reputation for its mild climate, interesting architecture and for its coffee plantations. Rob Rivera provides more information.


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Russia: Quantum of Solace/Mercy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A “review of the Russian version of ‘Quantum of Solace’” that doesn't “go any further than the title” – at Eagle and the Bear.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Saudi Arabia: Visiting the Kuwait Book Fair  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi blogger Pen [Ar] travels to Kuwait, where he visits the Kuwait Book Fair and buys a few books.


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Serbia: Belgrade Photos · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A few Belgrade and Serbia photo links: Balkan File shows “what Belgrade looks like off the tourist path” and writes about the city's stray dogs; A Yankee-in-Belgrade also posts a picture of two neighborhood strays; Belgraded links to Serbia and Belgrade sets by Flickr users tanjica, tigric, and 314dzi, as well as to photos of Belgrade on a Sunday morning by Shtikla.


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Tanzania: Obama fabrics · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Louder than Swahili posts a picture of an Obama kanga, a traditional East-African cotton fabric with writing printed on the sides. It says “Hongera Brack Obama. Upendo na amani ametujalia mungu”, which in Kiswahili means something like “Congratulations Barack Obama. Love and peace have been given us by God”.


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Thailand: Airport crisis hurting ordinary persons · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Anti-government protesters are still occupying Bangkok’s two major airports. Thailand’s tourism officials have estimated that 240,000 passengers are still stranded in the country.
Initial flight schedules have been released for stranded passengers. Tourists who want to leave Thailand are embarking on a bus trip towards Malaysia even if they will have to pass Thailand’s southern provinces, where an insurgency exists.
As expected, Thailand’s highest Court found the ruling party guilty of electoral fraud. What is the implication of the order? The ruling party is disbanded, the Prime Minister could no longer hold public office, and other party leaders are barred from holding a public office for five years. A caretaker Cabinet is now in charge of Thailand, led by Deputy Prime Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul. Out of 34 cabinet ministers, only 12 have been banned from holding public offices. The remaining 22 can continue to govern until a new Cabinet is ready.
Deputy Prime Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul. Photo credit: Thai Photoblogs
Since the Prime Minister has stepped down already, will the protesters finally leave the airports? No. They do not want to recognize the authority of the caretaker Cabinet. So they remain in control of the airports. The protests continue.
It is clear by now that the airport siege orchestrated by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) is supported by Bangkok’s business elite and the military. There is no shortage of food for the more or less 15,000 PAD members in the airports. It was also reported that 5,000 blankets were donated to PAD a few days ago.
Even the police forces are not too determined to disperse the protesters. They seem contented to drop fliers from helicopters onto the Bangkok airports ordering PAD to leave the premises.
In his final message as Thailand’s leader, the ex-Prime Minister declared: “I did my best to administer the country.” Thailand Crisis reacts:
“By traveling to Peru for one week, in full national crisis, to attend a totally useless APEC meeting? By hidding in Chiang Mai, afraid of his own shadow, afraid of the army? Sure he did his very best. Thaksin’s brother-in-law will remain one of the dullest Thai Prime Minister ever.”
While the Court was delivering its decision, government supporters were outside the building. The crowd did not like the Court’s decision. Nirmal Ghosh observes:
“Disbelief, disappointment as dissolution handed down on PPP (People Power Party). Some people are boo-ing. The verdict is photocopied and distributed. One woman snatches it from another and crumples it, throws it on the ground & stamps on it. There is a sense of deflation in the crowd; they seem rudderless.”
The airport chaos is hurting Thailand’s tourism industry, even the economy of its neighbors. But it must be pointed out that ordinary persons, Thais and foreigners, are suffering more. Tourists are stranded; Bangkok residents are losing their jobs, especially those who are working in the airports. Thai Tales had a conversation with a travel agent:
“Today I walked past my travel agent on the way to lunch. She said that she would be paid half her salary this month and that the travel agency could close if the situation continued. But, she said, her plan was to sell iced coffee from a cart if she was no longer a travel agent.
“The fallout may indeed be incalculable, but when it’s people you know, people who make your life a bit easier by being good at their jobs and a bit more pleasant by just being in it, the costs suddenly become measurable and terrible.”
Nomadic Matt, who works in the airport, has lost his job:
“The damage is done though. There will be no high season this year and an expected 1 million people will be out of work because of the drop in tourism numbers (including me as I work at the airport!!!!).  No one is going to want to come visit now. Most tourists are canceling their vacations and many that are interviewed just want to leave and never come back.”
To avoid being beaten by partisans, Richard Barrow could not wear red or yellow T-shirts outside his house. Red is the color of government supporters; and yellow is PAD’s color:
“I had to pop out just now in the car to go and run an errand in town. I forgot I was wearing a yellow shirt as today is Monday. I hadn't change after coming back from school. My neighbor was really scared for me and told me that I should go back and change first. Things are getting scary on the streets. Hardly anyone wears yellow these days. And if they do, then only on Mondays. Hardly any teacher at my school wears yellow in case they are associated with the PAD. Some parents told me that they told their children not to wear red or yellow when they go out any more. What my neighbor said to me is true. In particular if I go out late at night. This is how bad it is getting on the streets these days.”
Political cartoons by Sacravatoons
Traffic around the airport has deteriorated. Dreaming of Hanoi writes:
“My day-to-day life has not been affected. Work is normal, as is my social life…Our school is nearer to the airport, and it seemed like there was a mass exodus into Bangkok from that direction. The highway was clogged. We had to hop out of the taxi and walk all the way to Sukhumvit. We then took motorcycles home. This trip usually takes 30 mins, but on Friday night it took over an hour; I’m sure it took even longer for those who chose to sit and wait in the traffic.”
Recognizing that ordinary persons are suffering, Brit in Bangkok criticizes the elite:
“The ones who I feel sorry for though are the ‘average’ Thais and not the wealthy Thais that are destroying this country and trying to take democracy away from normal people.  Meanwhile, I'm making sure that all my purchases from now on will be from market stalls as much as possible, in an attempt to support every day Thais and not these wealthy as*holes that run this country.  The less money these jokers have the better and, from now on, I'm going to make sure they get none of mine.”
Andrew Biggs has a message for both the politcians and protesters:
“What has happened to my beloved Thailand? If you truly love Thailand, you should not be wearing yellow or red. We are past that. It was cute six months ago but it is deadly now. It doesn’t matter if you hate or support the government. Let’s stop this madness. Somchai, resign. PAD, get out of the airport.”
Via Twitter, Bangkok residents are reacting to the latest updates:
Secadra: Protesters still there and the pro-gov aren't happy with the decision. Not much happens in a rush
Charlespulaski: Thai court orders ruling party dissolved What kind of Mickey Mouse Democracy is this? Can they even do that?
Nomadicmatt: Well, once they open up that damn airport, I'll be moving….where should i go?
Badtzrawks: excitement?!?! man, it doesnt seem that PAD will return us our airports loey ah’ no sign!!
Noobam: I'm a PAD too but I don't agree with the strike at the airport at all. Esp. with bullshit govt like this


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Thailand: PAD to Stop Airport Blockade · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The Bangkok airport blockade by Thai opposition supporters might come to an end in the next couple of hours.


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Proof is in the Pastelle · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Originally a meat dish that was introduced by the locals of ‘Spanish’ heritage it is now popular throughout the country and is synonymous with the Christmas season”: Simply Trini Cooking blogs about the cornmeal pastelle, a Trinidad and Tobago seasonal staple.


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Cuba: police summon blogger · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez of Generación Y — who just a few days ago won the Best of Blogs award for best weblog in the world — reports [ES] that she has been summoned by the police for questioning today.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Barbados: a simple story · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Living in Barbados tells "a simple story of a woman, whom we will call M", who despite many disadvantages and a lack of formal education managed to raise two accomplished daughters and lifted her family out of the cycle of poverty.


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Guyana: stop “vehicular homicide” · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Living Guyana urges political leaders to overcome their differences and cooperate to solve the problem of "vehicular homicide": "there is a prevailing sense of madness on our roads and efforts need to be made to reduce it."


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Trinidad and Tobago: bridges and barriers · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Trinidadian artist Marlon Darbeau posts a series of ironic graphics (1 , 2 , 3 ) commenting on "bridges and barriers" to development — taken from an upcoming exhibition .


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Armenia: Referendum for Peace or War? · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped comments on news that the Armenian government is considering polling citizens on policy issues, with much speculation that the initiative is linked to ongoing negotiations with Azerbaijan to resolve the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh. The blog believes such a development is fraught with dangers and says that if such a referendum is intended to work for peace, it could also achieve the opposite.


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Armenia: Sex Education · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on reported changes to legislation concerning HIV/AIDS in Armenia. In particular, the blog notes, this looks likely to include mandatory sex education classes in Armenian schools.


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Bahrain: King Invites Jews to Return · Global Voices
Maya Norton

The king of Bahrain has invited Jews to return to his country. “This sounds like the man really likes the Jews, and it sounds as if he is so magnanimous!” Michelle Nevada of Israel Jewish News blogs. “The truth couldn't be farther from what you think.”


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Belarus: Tanya Kazyra Returns Home · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Tanya Kazyra, a participant in a summer program for children from Belarus’ Chernobyl-affected areas, has finally returned home, and now there is some hope that the governmental ban on travel outside the country for all “Chernobyl Children” might be lifted, Chernobyl and Eastern Europe Blog reports.


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Chile: The Retirement of Marcelo Salas from Football · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Marcelo “El Matador” Salas recently announced his retirement from football.  El Pollo Juan of La Pollera [es] bids farewell to the Chilean legend.


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China: Punishes France and EU · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A letter to editor at the Fool's Mountain commenting on the cancellation of China-EU summit in France.


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Croatia: Threats to Journalist Drago Hedl · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

From the Frontline writes about the “testing times for Croatian journalists”: “In October Ivo Pukanić, the editor of the Nacional Magazine, and a colleague were both killed in a car bomb explosion in central Zagreb. The assassination shocked the nation, yet the situation has not improved. Well-known journalist Drago Hedl continues to receive threats to his life for his investigation of a high level Croatian politician in the killing of Croatian Serbs in the town of Osijek during the 1991-1995 war.”


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Cuba: government opposes bloggers meet-up · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Cuban blogger (and 2008 Best of Blogs winner) Yoani Sanchez of Generación Y reports [ES] on her meeting with two interior ministry officials, after she was summoned to a police station. When they told her to cancel a planned bloggers’ meet-up, she asked for the order in writing. Babalu Blog commends her courage.


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Czech Republic: Politics and Culture · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Czech roundup: Central Europe Activ writes on the upcoming Czech EU presidency; The Reference Frame writes on president Václav Klaus and the Czech stance on the Lisbon Treaty; Peter Martinovic voices his support for the U.S. missile shield; The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks writes on the National Museum of Puppets and Marionettes; CzechFolks.com covers the 150th anniversary of the Czech Parliamentary Library and Vaclav Havel's newest play being staged in Slovakia.


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Ecuador: New Minimum Wage in January 2009 · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The government of Ecuador will announce the newest minimum wage starting in January 2009, and Cambiemos Ecuador [es] writes about some of the challenges to present a higher wage for citizens.


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Egypt: American Books · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Egyptian blogger Asmaa Yasser – Dawn –  writes here about her experience at the Mubarak Public Library:

author: Tarek Amr


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Estonia: Online Voting for Tallinn’s Theater vs Cultural Center · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Cafebabel – Tallinn writes about Tallinn government's initiative of an online vote on “whether the new city theatre’s building or the new cultural centre Kultuurikatel should be built before the other.”


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Estonia: Pärnu · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Itching for Eestimaa writes about a trip to Pärnu – “pop. 44,000, is the fifth largest city in Estonia, located on the country's southwest coast. It's also the ‘summer capital’ of Estonia, which made our choice of visiting during the first major blizzard of the year somewhat unique.”


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Former Soviet Union: Lines and Civil Society · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes that the Soviet citizens’ “experience with Soviet lines blocks rise of civil society today.”


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French Guiana: The Unheard Blackout · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

For more than a week now, French Guiana has been in turmoil. The population is protesting against the skyrocketing price of gas by blocking roads, closing schools, and businesses. The cost of gas is currently €1,77 per liter (US$ 2,25), in contrast to the price of oil, which has been going as low as US$ 50,00 per barrel in the past weeks. The French Guianese blogosphere echoes this massive mobilization.
In a post on November 28, Le Blog Guyane [fr] explained the economic, political and social interests at stake, which justify this great popular and political rallying.
“Déjà que la vie est chère ici, mais avec l'essence à 1,77 euros ça devient plus gérable pour beaucoup de gens. Du coup blocage total des transports, voiture, avion, déchargement des bateaux. Petit probleme, certains bleds isolés dépendent de l'essence pour l’ électricité, la filtration de l'eau étant électrique, plus d'eau potable en début de semaine prochaine (le fleuve est pollué au mercure des chercheurs d’ or), plus d'électricté pour les dispensaires, etc….. “
He also focuses on the fact that this great general blackout has largely not been covered by international media, although the problem has aroused a rarely-seen-before commitment from the Guyanese population and politicians to act.
“Eh oui, des barrages partout, plus d'écoles ni de magasins ouverts,plus d'essence, il reste l’ hopital et la police…..  Bon vu qu’ apparement la Guyane n’ interesse pas trop les médias ni notre cher président, ni même beaucoup le secrétaire d’ etat à l’ outre mer…”
A post on the blog Dom et Steph en Guyane [fr] highlights the necessity for the population and the authorities to start a great debate on the question of greener energies.
“Espérons aussi qu'un débat de fond sur les alternatives à la consommation de pétrole soit initié.”

author: Fabienne Flessel


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Germany: Israel is Greatest Threat to World Peace · Global Voices
Maya Norton

“According to a poll conducted by the European Union recently, in 2005, 65% of Germans consider Israel to be the greatest threat to world peace, ahead of Iran and North Korea,” Svetov writes on Jewcy. He adds: “Germany is the by far biggest European exporter to Achmadinejad's Iran. It is the largest European exporter of technology and machines to the Iranian mullahs.”


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Guatemala: Stricter Gun Laws and Narcotrafficking Groups · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Luis Figueroa of Carpe Diem [es] writes about recent shootouts between narcotrafficking group sin Huehuetenango, Guatemala.  He also looks at some of the arguments for more stricter gun control laws, but says that they would not prevent such crimes.


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Guatemala: The Negative Side to Falling Gas Prices · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The failing gasoline prices in Guatemala means that fuel is more affordable for more people, however, there are also some negative aspects to the lower prices, as Mr. Man of Arte [es] writes, such as that there will be more vehicles on the streets and highways.


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Guatemala: Typical Dish of Pepián · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Rudy Girón introduces the Guatemalan dish of Pepián, which is easily ordered at a local diner in the city of Antigua.


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HIV & AIDS: Creative awareness raising campaigns · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

AIDS Day 2008 took place this past December 1st, and it is usually a day for marches and activities to promote AIDS awareness and provide information. Raising awareness for HIV & AIDS requires heavy doses of honesty and creativity to make sure the message is received, accepted and acted upon by very diverse audiences from vastly different backgrounds. Here we bring you a Christian Church that raps in Spanish against Drugs and AIDS, correct male condom usage in El Salvador, a Peruvian campaign using modified Tarot cards to tell “clients” about their future regarding love and sexuality, a Venezuelan calendar that brings nude artists together against AIDS, an African network show about living with HIV/AIDS and an HIV+ Argentinean who shows through video what his life is like.
The Christian Church La Palabra shows a musical drama scene where the victim is sung to by a character playing Drugs in white, and another one playing AIDS in red. They rap a well rhymed rhythm about how the way out of drugs and risky behaviours is to accept Christ, and to listen to the testimony of those who have managed to break free of vice and drugs through religion:
In El Salvador, a young woman asks a member of the audience to show what is the correct way to use a male condom, and he proves that he knows the theoretical and practical aspects of it:
Although the following video can't be embedded, we invite you to view the video on their YouTube page. The Red Juvenil (Youth Network) in Peru came up with a different way to get people involved with knowledge regarding love and sexuality in a somewhat private environment. They set up a divination tent where a “fortune-teller” would read them their future on modified cards that had different concepts like love, friends, self-esteem and as they read them their future, they would tell them about relationships, safer sex behaviours and how to protect themselves.
In Venezuela, Accion Solidaria, an NGO who works with AIDS and HIV has put out its fourth annual calendar, this time featuring Venezuelan starlets and tv personalities giving out the message that if AIDS affects even one of us, the it is a problem for all of us. The hook to get people to purchase this calendar? The starlets are in the nude, with strategically placed props and scenery to avoid getting an R rating for the calendar. Their promotional video showing behind-the-scenes footage of the calendar making process is up on YouTube:
From South Africa, Siyayinqoba Beat It! is a TV show geared towards people living with HIV/AIDS as well as their caretakers, family and friends. They started in 1998, and for this year they  have included Community Journalists who interview people in four rural communities discussing their experiences with the disease, stigma, treatment and safe sex issues among others. Their YouTube channel is a great way for all of us living outside the country to see what they are up to and what is being discussed. Following, one of the interviews in a community, discussing disclosure in a community in Lusikisiki:
From Argentina, Hector Toscano is an HIV positive photographer and blogger who is also uploading videos showing an introspective view of life with AIDS, his frustrations, successes and fears. In the following video, we see a vignette of his evening routine taking his daily pills:
See more about this topic on our AIDS&HIV coverage page which includes an embeddable map with HIV Positive bloggers from all over the world.
Also, there will be a Live Chat about HIV/AIDS on December 3, 2008
Please join us in a live chat with bloggers and activists on how to use citizen media to promote awareness of HIV/AIDS, it will be facilitated by Kenyan bloggers Serina Kalande and Daudi Were (3pm Nairobi time). See more information, here.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Hong Kong: 1938, a Gateway to China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Charles mok posted a documentary video, A gateway to China, on Hong Kong in 1938 via youtube.


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Hong Kong: Murphy’s Law · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Erynnyes from Those were the days said that the SAR government in Hong Kong is under the spell of Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Any issue, small as evacuating tourists from Thailand, has gone wrong [zh].


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Hungary: Catching Up · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes about “Hungary's place in Eastern Europe.”


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India: Do the Islamic Terrorists Care for Muslims?  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sumankumar comments on the motives of the Islamic terrorists who attacked Mumbai: “These cowards merely want to spread terror. They are not really bothered about Muslims or Hindus. Their motives are political and far removed from a religious cause. Muslims form approximately 15% of the civilian causalities.”


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India: Twitter vs. MSM · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dina Mehta discusses Twitter's role during the recent terror attacks in Mumbai and explains that it complemented the efforts of the mainstream media.


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Iran: A Nation of Bloggers · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

The short video essay below, “Iran: a Nation of Bloggers” was created by students at Vancouver Film School (VFS). Aaron Chiesa, Toru Kageyama, Hendy Sukarya, and Lisa Temes created this video as part of their work for the VFS Digital Design program.
In the Vancouver Film School blog one of the designers, Lisa Temes, describes the team’s process in approaching this piece:
Our goal for this project as motion designers was to complement an informative and powerful script by using subtle yet engaging imagery. Although we took inspiration from sources such as the recent animated film Persepolis, we created all of our assets by photographing live subjects and tracing them in illustrator, so we were able to achieve the exact look we were aiming for.”


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Iraq: “Let us live in peace”  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Baghdad Dentist, from Iraq, fills us in on the situation at work and in Iraq, ending his post with: “i just like to forget and not hear or read explosions,bombs,terrorists,devastation and live in peace.”


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Iraq: Political Developments  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Iraq, The Mesopotamian shares his feelings on political developments in his country in this post.


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Iraq: Withdrawal of US Troops Blueprint · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Raed in the Middle, from Iraq, provides us with a ‘rough’ translation of an agreement between Iraq and US on the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.


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Iraqis react to new pact on withdrawal of US troops  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Inside Iraq, a blog maintained by Iraqi journalists, provides us with live reactions to what Iraqis said when they read about the Parliament passing a pact which will end the presence of US troops in their country.


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Is Litter Destroying Coral Reef at Aqaba Beach In Jordan? · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

The Green Prophet asks Will the Coral Reef at Aqaba Beach Be Destroyed By Litter?: “The lush marine habitat by Aqaba Beach in Jordan is among the richest in the world, attracting thousands of visitors per year. But the popularity of the beach is also its downfall: In just 20 minutes, divers recovered more than 150 kilos of garbage from the waters of the reef, including plastic…”

author: Juliana Rotich


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Israel: Challenges Facing Arab Businesswomen · Global Voices
Maya Norton

There is a “double barrier facing Arab women – both gender and coming from a minority,” Ruth Ludlam of Reality and Fiction writes. “Thus, Arab women seeking employment are held back first by their own society's traditional attitudes and later by the discrimination against Arabs in Israeli society. However, there seems to be some progress, with half of the Arab university students in Israel now being female.”


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Israel: Feathers Fly in Tel Aviv · Global Voices
Maya Norton

OneJerusalem announces a “mass pillow fight” tonight in the heart of Tel Aviv. “Entering stealth mode. Gathering fluffy things,” he writes.


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Israel: “Live Like the Israelis” · Global Voices
Maya Norton

The Patriot Missive blog advises how to live with terrorism. “So take note from Israelis who are surrounded by enemies on three corners…  Do you know what they do?  They go eat at a nice restaurant.  Or have coffee with friends…  In all honesty, Israelis have it a lot worse than we do but they’ve learned an important lesson about fighting terrorism:  Don’t be afraid to live.”


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Jamaica: death penalty “savagery” · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Idle Yout Speeks weighs in on the death penalty debate in Jamaica: "just beneath the surface we all hold a level of primal savagery that we keep under wraps under the premise of civilized behavior."


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Japan: Decorated trains  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Edo from Pink Tentacle collects a series of photos on decorated trains in Japan.


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Japan: Spoofing Aso · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Englishman posted a few photos spoofing Japan's prime minister Taro Aso's wit in his speech.


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Kabobfest: On Opposing Symbols  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Writing at American-Palestinian Kabobfest, Will notes: “A facebook group opposing the new Apple Store in New York city is growing…They are peeved it strongly resembles the kaaba, the cloth-covered, cubic shrine in Mecca, which marks the direction of Muslim prayer and the site of pilgrimage.”

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Kenya: Landmark Ruling on Case Involving Elephant Attack  · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

The Wildlife Direct team reacts to news that a tourist has been awarded 1 million dollars in a case involving injury from an elephant. Contrasting this award with the amount Kenyans hurt by wildlife attacks get:$500. More discussion on the landmark ruling here.


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Libya: Thanksgiving away from home  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Libya, American Khadija Teri celebrates Thanksgiving away from home saying: “I wish I was back home… eating turkey with my family…. relaxing in front of the TV….. and of course there would be shopping to do tomorrow….”


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Lithuania: Election Results · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lituanica writes about the parliamentary election results and re-posts a letter to the editors of the German Times regarding the publication's election coverage.


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Macedonia, Greece: ICJ Lawsuit · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Marko Bucik and Say: Macedonia write about the lawsuit filed by Macedonia against Greece in the International Court of Justice.


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Malaysia: Alternative Energy · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Mahaguru wonders why Malaysia in not exploiting the abundant sun and wind as a form of energy.


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Mideast Youth: MEFaith is Ours · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahrain-based Mideast Youth‘s Esra'a is fuming that a US-based organisation is claiming ownership of a website, MEFaith.com, which is “created, designed, developed and continues to be maintained by the Mideast Youth team.” To prevent confusion, the website's new home is now MideastFaith.org.


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Moldova: Human Trafficking · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A selection of links on human trafficking in Moldova – at Scraps of Moscow.


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Myanmar: Humanitarian aid for AIDS victims · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Yu Yu Din writes that two cousins of hers have died of AIDS. She also notes that Myanmar is receiving very little humanitarian aid to treat people with AIDS.

author: Mong Palatino


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Namibia: A case study of a successful country · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Toivo Asheeke of African Development/Unity writes about his home country of Namibia, as an example of a successful African nation.

author: Elia Varela Serra


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New Zealand: Pro-choice and Pro-abortion · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Hand Mirror from New Zealand explains why being pro-choice is very different from being pro-abortion.


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Nigeria: Best food and drink in Lagos · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Saymama starts a “Best in the city” series about places in Lagos where to find, for instance, the best croissant or the best plantain chips.


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Pakistan: Let Commonsense and Intelligence Prevail · Global Voices
Rezwan

Shaheryar Azhar at Pak Tea House writes on the growing tension between India and Pakistan after the terror attacks in Mumbai: “In steadfastly refusing to allow a healthy debate from the start about our own vulnerability and their real motives we have continued to strengthen our enemies and weaken ourselves, and our allies.”

author: Rezwan


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Philippines: Anonymous Blog Exposes Controversy · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

In a country where government budgetary allocation for education is steadily decreasing every year, shortages of classrooms, school tables, chairs, among others are the stuff of news every opening of classes. To cope with the lack of educational facilities, public schools often rely on donations.
Such was the case with the Sangat National High School of San Fernando, Cebu when a foundation headed by a former town resident now based in the U.S. donated books and computers to the school earlier this year.
Sadly, the beneficiary students of the southern Philippine municipality never got to benefit from the donations. What happened?
Photos uncovering the fate of the donations appeared online in the anonymous blog, Taga San Fernando[fil].
Taga San Fernando explains:
Gi-donate ang maong mga computer, mga accessories, ug mga libro sa Bless of Mind Foundation nga gipangulohan sa taga San Fernando nga si Racquel Kristina Enad. Kini iyang gipadala alang sa Sangat National High School.
Kahinumdoman, ang maong mga computer, mga computer parts, ug mga libro miabot sa Cebu International Port (CIP) sa miaging May 15, 2008 gikan sa USA ug ang consignee mao ang Sangat National High School. Gisulod kini og tulo ka mga 40-footer nga mga container van.
Gipaguwa kini ginamit ang mga kontak ni Nonoy Reluya, ang bana ni Mayor Neneth Reluya sa San Fernando.
Ang nakaapan kay imbes i-turnover pagdiretso sa Sangat National High School, gidiretso kini sa pagdala as munisipyo ug gipilian sa mayor.
Dihang nireklamo ang principal sa Sangat National High School nga si Glenna Plarisan ug naabot sa media ang maong anomaliya, nasuko ang mayor ug iyang gipadala ang mga gipanghimulbulan nga mga donated items sakay sa mga dump truck ug igo lang giambak sa grounds sa maong high school.
The blog invited furious reactions with more than 400 comments posted. According to the blog owner, the deluge of responses resulted to the site's reaching its limits which led him to move his coverage of the issue to a second blog[en].
A case against the mayor is now pending at the Ombudsman Office. Meanwhile, a commenter posted the text of an email from one of the donors to Mayor Reluya's husband that defended the mayor. However, this only  raised more questions:
* Why was there no proper turnover of the items to the schools in San Fernando?
* Your defenders say the pictures are exaggerated. Are they saying these were doctored? Are you denying that your people dumped the books on the ground? Are those not the town dump trucks that carried the computers that were obviously dis-assembled? For what? usable parts?
* Is this the way you turnover donated items to their beneficiaries?
For Mr. Steve Enad, don't you feel insulted by how the donations were handled when it arrived?
The pictures say more than a million words … please look at them closely.

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Philippines: Remembering the Teachers · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The blogger at Village Idiot Savant remembers the teachers who impacted the blogger the most.


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Poland, U.K.: “Do you have a return PLan?” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

the POLSKI blog writes that “the Polish government has launched a special site, where Poles living in the UK can get advice regarding moving their lives back to Poland.”


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Poland, Ukraine: Euro 2012 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The 8th Circle notes that Euro 2012 will be moved elsewhere if the stadiums in Kyiv and Warsaw are not built in time.


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Pressure for Fiji · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A visiting European Union delegation concludes that there is no reason why Fiji should not continue with the elections next year. There is also a need for more domestic pressure to implement political reforms in Fiji.


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Russia: A Church in Saudi Arabia? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia reports: “The king of Saudi Arabia has announced that he is ready to support the construction of a mosque and Islamic cultural center in Moscow, a city with only four mosques for its more than two million Muslims. In response and probably to block this, Orthodox Christians in Russia have called for opening a church in Saudi Arabia.”


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Russia: A “Dying Country” or a World Leader? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Streetwise Professor is wondering about Russia's future: “First, how is it objectively possible for a country with a rapidly shrinking population to assume world leadership […]? Second, subjectively, how can large numbers of people believe that a dying country can achieve such status?”


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Russia: An Icon of Stalin · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia writes about a controversy involving an Orthodox priest in a town near St. Petersburg who put up “an icon showing the figure of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, with some believers and Communists viewing this as simple justice and others as an indication that many Russians have lost any sense of proportion or truth.”


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Russia: “Autopsy of an Opposition Party” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At Robert Amsterdam's blog, Oleg Kozlovsky writes about the deal between leaders of “one of the two remaining democratic parties in Russia” and the Kremlin.


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Russia: Beslan Terrorists Were Federal Agents? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Step At A Time translates an item on the allegations that “Beslan terrorists were Russian federal agents.”


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Russia: Koporye · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Eagle and the Bear writes about a trip to the fortress of Koporye.


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Russia: Mikhail Lomonosov · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Reference Frame writes about the great Russian polymath, scientist and writer Mikhail Lomonosov.


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Russia: Nord Stream · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

White Sun of the Desert writes about the “Russian threat to scrap the controversial Nord Stream pipeline project, which would supply Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea, bypassing the Baltic states.”


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Russia: “Political Mathematics” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about the math factor of this year's constitutional changes in Russia and the politicians’ “most stupid explanations for their controversial decisions”: “Is it that me and Grigori Perelman are the only Russians who understand that the only way to ‘ensure a difference in time between the elections’ is to make the terms equal?”


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Russia: Putin’s Crude Remark; Paul Klebnikov’s Fund Event · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sean Guillory of Sean's Russia Blog posts a graphic illustration for yet another one of PM Putin's crude remarks and writes about the Paul Klebnikov Fund’s event: “What is Russia Thinking? The Word from the Last of the Independent Media.”


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Russia: “Renat+Ainara=Love” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

IZO translates from Russian LJ user avmalgin‘s observation (RUS) on Moscow's changing ethnic composition:
The benches on Tsvetnoi Boulevard are covered with inscriptions: “I love you, Rustamchik. Gyuzel.” “Renat+Ainara=Love”, everything in the same vein. Not a single Russian name. I went through them all, from one end to the other. Early on a Sunday morning the place was empty, but in the evenings it's a real Central Asian settlement. Why there? Or is it the same everywhere?
Below are a few responses (RUS) from LJ user avmalgin‘s readers.
LJ user dmitrivrubel:
Normal assimilation. Please note that everything is written in Russian, and Renat and Gyuzel are writing about their love for one another rather than declaring their faithfulness to Allah. It will get alarming when inscriptions in Arabic appear, which will feature quotes from the Quran or fatwas of Khomeini or Nasrallah.
LJ user ja_mayka:
Three weeks ago, also on Tsvetnoi Boulevard, I caught myself thinking that they were building Moscow on weekdays and spending their time off there on weekends )
LJ user sted_ats_02:
Perhaps not everything is as straightforward, though there's definitely a tendency. And Moscow, of course, isn't just the Russian people's capital, but also the capital of an empire (the former and the present one), with all the consequences inherent in this status.
LJ user avdoshin:
I think it's a totally normal situation for a multi-million city, whose government and business are acutely interested in the influx of cheap labor. It would be worse if all our gastarbeiters lived in some reservations and ghettos, as in New York or Paris. […]


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Slovenia: Business News · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Slovenian business news – at Sleeping With Pengovsky.


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Soviet History: Nikolay Nosov · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about Nikolay Nosov, a popular Soviet children's writer.


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Sri Lanka: State of the Blogosphere · Global Voices
Rezwan

Cerno reviews the state of the Sri Lankan blogosphere in 2008 and comments: “The Sri Lankan blogosphere seems to have lost its feel of a political battle ground. On the positive side, there is a growing number of Sinhala language blogs.”


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Sudan: Arabic language colonization · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Kizzie of the blog I have no tribe, I'm Sudanese writes about what she calls the “Arabic linguistic colonization of Sudan”, a country where 142 other languages are spoken.


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Sweden: Immigration · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Certain Ideas of Europe writes: “Not all of those Polish plumbers leaving Britain and Ireland as the economies slow are necessarily going straight home. Sweden has seen immigration surge to record levels this year.”


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Syria: On Shaking Hands  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Syria, Sarah writes about how a woman used an excuse a man had used on her before – to stop him from shaking her hands.


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Syria: Photos from Banqusa  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Hovic, from Syria Looks, posts photographs from Banqusa, which feature the ruins of ancient churches from the Byzantine era.