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Bolivia: National Team Plays to the Competition · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

“Bolivia is a small team that gets bigger with the big teams and gets smaller with the small teams,” writes Jaime Galarza of Once a Once [es] a day after Bolivia's 2-1 victory over Brazil in a World Cup Qualifying Game held in La Paz, Bolivia.


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Bolivia: The Battle Over Machia Park · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Machia Park is well-known to many foreigner travelers, who often visit the animal refuge located near Villa Tunari in the Cochabamba Tropics in Central Bolivia.  Some of these travelers, even stay a bit longer as volunteers with the organization Inti Wara Yassi, where they rehabilitate monkeys that had once been kept as pets, as well as protect some of the other wildlife located in the Park.
However, some of these volunteers are now leading the charge to protect Machia Park, as there is a current roads project that cuts through the middle of the Park. This new road is being built by the local municipality, so that it would make it easier for coca-growers to transport their crop.  The conflict continues between the organization and local authorities, with critics of the plan saying that the project did not conduct the necessary Environmental Impact study, and that arrangements were not made to accommodate the displaced animals.
Photo of Monkey in Machia Park by thekjkev and used under a Creative Commons license.
Some volunteers have been appealing directly through their blog at Inti Wara Yassi, describing what areas would be at risk:
The monkey park, where several species of monkey are cared for and fed – capuchins, spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys.
Areas where tortoices, agoutis, coatis are kept.
The spider monkey park.
The enclosures for three of our felines – Leoncio, Gato and Luna
The “mirador” area, where abused and mistreated capuchin monkeys are rehabilitated.
The enclosure for the endangered Spectacled Bear.
Many of the trails which are used for walking the cats.
This is why we have concluded that no consideration has been made for the wellbeing of the animals, not to mention the fact that Parque Machia is considered an area of National Heritage, meaning no damage to the biological, genetic and ecological diversity should be allowed.
The Democracy Center blog notes that some of the volunteers have employed a “well-known Bolivian protest tactic, the road blockade, to try to stop construction of a new highway through the park.”
Gustavo Cardoso of the blog Observancia [es] credits Inti Wara Yassi for helping preserve nature in this area, which has provided direct benefits to the local municipality, which is the same entity that is building the new road.
Paradójicamente, en esta etapa donde la comunidad internacional, busca la conservación de áreas al máximo, todavía hay quienes conciben a ultranza que el desarrollo pasa por “dominar la naturaleza” tal cual se fraguaba en el siglo XIX, y que nos llevó a un estado de cosas que lamentamos hoy en día.
View of Villa Tunari from the Machia Park look-out by Nebarnix. Used under a Creative Commons license.
The blog Bolivia Bella notes that conservationist Jane Goodall is scheduled to visit the park and could provide international attention on the case.  She also sums up why the park should remain untouched:
In any case, I AM against the building of THIS road. It's not right. It's a national park and nature preserve. It's very name indicates it has been set aside to AVOID its destruction. For me, that's enough reason to not agree with it. Period.
The sad thing is, I visited Villa Tunari several times and I saw first hand how Inti Wara Yassi volunteers cared for and loved the animals back to health. I was told most of the animals rescued and received at Machía were taken from their original habitats and sold to urban dwellers who, after realizing how large they grow, how dangerous they can be, how much care and food they need, or how long they actually live, abandon them or simply lock them up in cages for the rest of their lives, or worse, abuse them.
Many of the animals have been severely abused and will not be able to live on their own in the wild – ever. Others may be re-inserted but this is a very long and gradual process. You can’t just move animals to a new place. It requires a lot of logistics and they many never be able to adapt to a new situation. In the case of some of these animals haven't they been put through enough already as it is!

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Eduardo Avila


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China: Banning foreign investment in online game · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chad Catacchio from Stir fired China comments on the Chinese government's recent ban on foreign investment in online game. The blogger believes that the policy is to do with the central government's concern about the contamination of youths’ mind.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Cuba: Yoani Sanchez Denied Visa · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Havana Times reports that Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez has been denied a visa to leave the island, even though she “continues to be allowed to publish her Generation Y page with her acrid criticisms of the Cuban government”; diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense says that shouldn't stop people from honouring her: “The dictatorship may succeed in placing an embargo on Sanchez's right to travel freely, but it cannot silence her…read her blog, and tell others to do the same.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Egypt: Coptic history wanted  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian group blog Bikaya Masr discusses Coptic history, language and education — or their lack of —  in this post.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Guatemala: Reports of the Formation of Guerrilla Group · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

There are reports that a guerrilla group has been formed in Guatemala, and is being led by a Spanish citizen, who goes by the nickname “The Monk.”  According to Guate 360 [es], this new movement has the support of 28 indigenous communities and is a response to the systematic violation of indigenous rights.


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Guatemala: The Caves of Candelaria Camposanto · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The caves of Candelaria Camposanto are a tourist attraction in Northern Guatemala, and Nelson Benjamín Pérez shares photographs of a trip inside these caves [es].


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India: Protecting Children From Sexual Abuse · Global Voices
Rezwan

53% of children in India are sexually abused. Harini Calamur urges all readers of her blog to do something to change this situation.

author: Rezwan


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Japan: No Nukes Festa In Tokyo · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Martin J Frid from Kurashi blogs about a big demonstration (with around 7000 people) against nuclear power happened last weekend in Tokyo.


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Jordan: Arab Crunch Arabic Edition Out  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Arabic readers have something to look forward to online – “the launch of “ArabCrunch Arabic Edition which
will be the first Arabic blog that focus on tech start ups, entrepreneurship, social media and mobile news and views and is based on citizen journalism,” says Arab Crunch.


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Lebanon: 2nd Arab Blogger Meeting Planned  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Arab bloggers from 19 countries will meet in Beirut from December 7 to 12. Check out the event's website for updates on the Social Arab Web: 2nd Arab Bloggers Meeting.


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Lebanon: Right to Left  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Lebanese NightS remarks: “It has always bothered me the very limited collection of RTL(right-to-left) blog templates/themes..whether it’s for Blogger, WordPress or Drupal or any other Blogging platform or CMS.”


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Mongolia: Agriculture Initiative Changes People’s Lives · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

How could Mongolian nomadic herders find a new living in capital city Ulaanbaatar? Ariungerel, citizen journalist of Nomad Green, interviewed Ms. Baytskhandai and told us her story of how she manages to change lives of poor and disabled people and be environmental-friendly by teaching them agricultural skills.

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Pakistan: The Ideology Of The Army · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ayesha Siddiqa at Pak Tea House comments on the ideology of the Pakistan army and the civil society at large: “the country’s ruling elite and the military have traditionally used a particular aspect of religion to gain strategic dividends. While they can conveniently claim to have retained their secularism and saved one organisation from turning ideological, a similar claim might not be made for society at large.”


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Puerto Rico: Ready for the National Strike · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Puerto Rico is getting ready for the national strike on Thursday, October 15. Since governor Luis Fortuño layed-off about 17,000 government employees the first week of October, there has been tremendous mobilization from different sectors of the civil society: workers and members of trade unions, women, environmentalists, students, and professors, among others. There have been multiple demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience to protest the economic policies that the government has assured are necessary due to the financial crisis. In total this year, the recently elected government has laid off around 25,000 public employees.
In the last months hostility has grown between the government and different civil society groups: eviction orders in socially and economically disadvantaged communities, police brutality, and the dismantlement of community initiatives such as the Fideicomiso del Caño Martín Peña. There have also been a string of comments from government officials considered offensive and insensitive, such as the now sadly famous “such is life”, and more recently, when the Governor's designated Chief off Staff Marcos Rodríguez Ema compared demonstrators to terrorists. This is the context of the national strike on Thursday. In response to this comment, Tito Otero has posted a video of a boy playing the violin in front of the Congress. We can hear the boy say: “I am not a terrorist. I believe in justice for my country.”
Bloggers and twitterers are getting ready for the strike which aims to paralyze the country for one day. In Cargas and descargas [ES] Edwin Vázquez has covened bloggers and citizens to use Twitter and Facebook to circulate information the day of the national strike. Already, the people at @caribnews are asking followers for hashtag suggestions, and the conversation has started under #twittericans.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Qatar: Al Jazeera Blogs  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Qatar-based Al Jazeera has launched an all-English blog which can be accessed here.


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South Korea: Korean women, sexually conservative or liberal? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Grand Narratives has an interesting post on the stereotype of Korean women being sexually conservative.


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Sri Lanka: Discrimination Runs Deep · Global Voices
Rezwan

At Groundviews Marisa de Silva points to the fact that “even post-war, discrimination runs deep in Sri Lanka.” For an insight into the post war politics in Sri Lanka read Sanjana's piece.


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Sri Lanka: Tips From A Renaissance Farmer · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rajaratarala, a farmer from Sri Lanka and a blogger, has tips on how to yield a good harvest of paddy crops.


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Suriname: Experiencing Suriname  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Paramaribo SPAN features the work of video artist Maartje Jaquet, who documents her time in Suriname via a Flickr photoset.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Following the Law  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A blatant traffic violation in Trinidad and Tobago prompts This Beach Called Life to say: “We are so accustomed to what is wrong we have no idea what is right or red.”


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Ukraine: Kyiv Market · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A few photos from a Kyiv market – at Greetings from Kyiv.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Anguilla: Construction Transparency  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Inspired by a speech from the Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago chapter of Transparency International, Corruption-free Anguilla is concerned that “fair play, transparency, and accountability will continue to be unknown in the Anguillian public sector construction sector.”


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Bahamas: Helping the Homeless  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bahama Pundit‘s Larry Smith takes a look at the problem of homelessness in New Providence: “Resettlement support alone will not be enough to help these people back into mainstream society.”


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Bangladesh: Lifelong Security · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rumi at Unheard Voice questions the need of the “father of the nation’s family members security act, 2009″, which was recently passed in Bangladesh parliament. This bill provides lifelong special forces security for the family members of the incumbent prime minister of Bangladesh.


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Barbados: Debt Rating Lowered  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Barbados’ debt woes continue to weigh on its international credit rating”: Living in Barbados and Barbados Free Press blog about the most recent downgrade.


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Bhutan: Why Do We Need A New Religion? · Global Voices
Rezwan

PaSsu Diary is irked by the organized preaching of new religions in Bhutan which can distort the tolerant culture in the country.


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China: Major Crisis at Caijing Magazine · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

C.A Yeung from Under the Jacaranda Tree blogs about the collective resignation incident at Caijing Magazine, the finance publication in China.


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China: Premier Wen Jiabao apologizes · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Eric Mu from DANWEI translates and puts together some local mainstream media report on Premier Wen Jiabao's apology on a minor mistake in a speech to middle school youth.


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China: Vist to North Korea · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Alice Liu translated Rose Luqiu Luwei (闾丘露薇)'s blog post on her trip to North Korea to report on Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit. Luqiu Luwei is an executive news editor for Hong Kong's Phoenix Satellite Television.


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Cuba: The Prague List  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense highlights a list compiled by Cuban human rights activists that identifies 307 existing political prisoners: “The list…is not meant to be inclusive, but it does provide a general idea of the scope of repression on the island…”


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East Timor: Situation of HIV-positive people   · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin blogs about the situation of homosexuals in East Timor and the lack of efforts to address the needs of HIV-positive people.

author: Mong Palatino


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Georgia: New Media Forum · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Dodie Kharkheli (aka Dodie Kissie, Dodka), Giga Paitchadze (aka Dv0rsky), Mari Talakhadze (aka Sweet), New Media Forum, Tbilisi, Georgia: Video grab © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2009
Following last year's Caucasus Bar Camp in Tbilisi, Georgia, came this week's New Media Forum supported by the Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF) and the Mtatsminda Park. With the Georgian blogosphere arguably the least developed in the region, the two-day event sought to evangelize the potential of new and social media to a specialist audience.
Around 200 journalists, students and social activists will gather in the amusement park on mount Mtatsminda to learn more about new media opportunities, blogging, social networks, citizen journalism, podcasting, Internet TV, contact management systems, and of course, social impact of new media.
Global Voices Online also presented at the event along with guest speakers from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Poland, U.K., and the U.S. The event also launched Blogroll.ge, a portal designed to aggregate, rate, rank and populize blogs in the former Soviet republic. The forum was covered by the local mainstream TV and print media as well as by bloggers.
It also gave Global Voices Online's Caucasus Editor the opportunity to interview three of Georgia's most prominent and prolific new media advocates, Dodie Kissie (http://dodka.ge and http://ni2news.ge), Dv0rsky (http://www.dgiuri.com and http://www.face.ge), and Sweet (http://www.sweet.ge).
Interview with Georgian bloggers from onewmphoto on Vimeo.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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India: High Maternal Mortality · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ben Piven at World Focus interviewed Aruna Kashyap, researcher for the Women’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch and the writer of the report on maternal health care in India titled “No Tally Of The Anguish“. In this interview Aruna discusses why the maternal mortality in India is still exceptionally high.


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India: Interviewing The TED Fellows · Global Voices
Rezwan

Renowned Indian Blogger Kiruba Shankar has launched an initiative called the ‘TED Fellows project’. The plan is to assign 15 Indian bloggers to interview the TED India Fellows with a view to know them better as there is not much information available on them.  Kiruba posts his first interview – with Satyabrata Dam, “the only Indian to have climbed Mt. Everest (twice) and reached North Pole and South Pole.”


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Jamaica: Natural Selection  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

From Jamaica, Annie Paul posts a list of “videos, blogs and articles I find totally worth recommending.”


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Laos: House for spirits shop · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Through Vientiane Daily Photos, we get to see a photo of a shop in Vientiane selling ‘house for spirits’ products.


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Laos: Relief for flood victims · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Flood victims in Laos are in need of rice, household utensils, clothes, medicines and makeshift houses, according to the government. Typhoon Ketsana hit Laos last month which caused flooding in the southern part of the country.


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Pakistan: The Kerry Lugar Bill · Global Voices
Faisal Kapadia

The Kerry Luger bill is essentially a non military aid package granted to Pakistan by the U.S in view of its precarious economic condition due to its indulgence in the war on terror as a front line allied state.
This bill grants Pakistan $1.5 billion annually for five years and comes along with stringent conditions on how to distribute and invest this money.
The conditions along with this bill come in the shape of military as well as economic checks which have instigated a lot of debate in this country and agitated its bloggers as well.
Shayan Khan at Pak Spectator writes an open letter to Mr. John Kerry:
Pakistan’s concerns over Kerry-Lugar bill are there for sure, but they are not that important. The chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has backed a bill that would triple economic assistance for Pakistan, a key US ally in the fight against terrorism, to 7.5 billion dollars over five years. But it perhaps come as a surprise for the Kerry that Pakistanis don’t really think much of any aid or such things. They want US to take them as humans like themselves and to understand that the people dying from the drone Attacks are 99% Pakistanis, and only perhaps 1% are anything to do with militancy. (The) war on terror has given Pakistan the gory gifts of suicide attacks and bomb blasts and the economic life in Pakistan has come to a grinding halt.
Adil Najam talks about the trust deficit between Pakistan and the U.S.A in relation to the aid promised by this bill:
The debate we are now seeing is one more manifestation of the deep deficits of trust that have marked all US-Pakistan relations. In the absence of trust, Pakistanis – even those who might otherwise support this Bill – simply refuse to accept that America could possibly be interested in Pakistan’s interests. For the very same reasons, Americans – even those who strongly wish to see a stronger Pakistan – simply refuse to acknowledge the intensity with which Pakistan has always sought “friends, not masters.”
Hamid Abbasi at  Chowrangi stresses on the general perception of this bill in Pakistan:
Being here nearly 10,000 miles away I and many like me have no real grudge with the amount, but it’s the conditionality of the bill which has really pinched every soul. For 8 years they have hijacked our national dream, have given us a war that wasn’t our originally, taken our sovereign right of existence and in the end they have repaid us in a manner which shouldn’t be strange to the realist, but of course we have for long turned into an idealist masses, linking false expectations and desires from an outside power.
After the announcement of this bill and its review by Pakistan's armed forces (perhaps the biggest power in this land), there were major reservations put forward to the political setup by them and these issues are being discussed with the U.S government.
Amjad Malik at Teeth Maestro comments on this issue pointing to the conditions put on Pakistan army:
This aid package may be doable or not but is quite indicative that civil rule is asked to do what it cannot deliver in 100 years, but may lose what it has got ‘the Govt’. In the past, President tried to be friend with India single-handedly but failed. Interior Ministry tried to bring (ISI) Inter Services Intelligence under its control, but in vain. Now committing to curb military and control its promotions is such a thorny issue which may cost the civilians its Govt and leaders their lives. We have seen what happened to Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif when they acted without consensus and consultation amongst political forces. One could not save his life and the other had to remain in exile for years.
Obviously the strong reaction from Pakistan has had its impact on the American citizen media as well, with commentators urging a rethink of dolling out aid without results.
Sheila Herrling at Huffington post talks about reworking the U.S aid program:
The Kerry-Lugar bill needs to make sure that the coherence of U.S. policies – how they either work in synergy or at cross-purposes — is evaluated and strengthened to get the biggest bang from our foreign assistance bucks.
Patricia Lee Sharpe takes it one comic step further by examining the bill as a Pakistani would on the  The whirled view. She notes:
Reading in my Pakistani persona, I found myself getting more and more angry.  I was in the mood to throw all 33 pages across the room—or maybe to rip them up and stomp on them. “Is nothing to be free of American meddling and dictation?” I find my Pakistani self raging. “It was fine, it was innocuous, back when the yahoos wanted to do a little project here, a little project there, a seminar, a conference, but scaled up like this!  They want to take over our whole life, beginning tomorrow!”
The blog Remember Jenkin's Ear just terms the whole bill as a major pain!
On balance, I'm inclined to wonder whether Kerry-Lugar is worth it. The Pakistanis seem to be really upset, the Indians are annoyed, and if it follows in the tradition of American foreign aid generally, it will be more helpful to Americans well placed to take advantage of the bill than to foreigners. The Pakistanis who object are correct that the conditions on this aid infringe Pakistani sovereignty. I think the Indians are also correct in suggesting that we probably cannot trust the Pakistan army. So on a practical level, this aid package is a can of worms. There is also an ethical issue. It is not obvious why Pakistanis should get the aid while Indians, who aren't tolerating groups planning terrorist attacks in the US, don't get similar aid.
With a major redraft of the irritating conditions in the Kerry Lugar bill in the offing and a military initiative in Waziristan is about to begin, it still remains to be seen who's ball will roll in who's court.

author: Faisal Kapadia


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Philippines: Disaster interactive map · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

CP-Union has put up a disaster interactive map to monitor the extent of damage caused by the recent flooding in the northern part of the Philippines


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Philippines: Potential and limitation of new media · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Twitter user Noel Colina underscores the potential and limitation of new media sites like twitter and facebook during the onslaught of typhoons Ketsana and Parma in the Philippines.


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Russia: Photos From Yaponchik’s Funeral · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user ssmirnoff posts a selection of photos and video (RUS) from the funeral of Russian mafia boss Vyacheslav Ivankov (aka Yaponchik), which took place on Oct. 13 in Moscow.


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Russia: Protest Against Voter Fraud · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user avmalgin posts footage from and writes this (RUS) about the rally against voter fraud in Moscow, following the governing party's victory in local election: “On Pushkin Sq., it turns out, someone was going to protest against something. Naive people. It's like coming out of the theater and holding a protest rally against Othello's evil deeds.” LJ user unruler interprets avmalgin‘s “laconic” post: “[…] It's absurd to protest against the election farce (the regime does know perfectly well that everyone KNOWS), but it's better to stay calm and look for rational ways of getting out of this theater of political absurd.”


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Russia: “Russian Obama” Defeated · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Asylum in Bardak – Africans in Russia reports that Joachim Crima (a Guinea-Bissau native aka “Russian Obama”) did not get elected to the post of district chief or to the local parliament of the Srednyaya Akhtuba district in Volgorgad region.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Paper Guns · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Reflecting on the crime situation, Trinidad artist Marlon Darbeau examines how “a simple sheet of copybook size page with lines that when folded makes a hand gun” – fellow blogger Tattoo comments: “That which is innocent and weak, seeks something else, but ends up being a paper gun. ”


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Bahamas: Crimes Against Tourists · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Tourists are held at gunpoint, prompting Rick Lowe at Weblog Bahamas to ask: “What will the ramifications be to our tourist industry?  How do we get this under control?  Only time will tell, and obviously we only have ourselves to blame, but what have we become?”


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Bangladesh: Article On War Criminals Censored · Global Voices
Rezwan

Following a legal complaint Guardian.co.uk has censored portion of an article by a Bangladeshi academic who wrote on the upcoming trial of war criminals in Bangladesh and an alleged war criminal currently residing in UK. Bloggers are protesting and Muktaangon (Bn) and The 3rd World View blogs have details.


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Bolivia: Diversity of its Image Abroad · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Citizen of La Paz [es] is discouraged that much of Bolivia's image abroad continues to be the Andean region and points out that there is much more diversity to be marketed.


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Botswana: African Elections Project to cover elections · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The African Elections Project (AEP) www.africanelections.org will be covering Botswana’s 10th general election, taking place on October 16 2009.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Caribbean: Celebrity Twitter · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Celebrities on Twitter; it’s the new fan mail – with direct, instant, and real-time contact”: Caribbean Public Relations has the scoop on how regional celebrities fare on the social networking site.


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China: Blocking Tor and increase of bridge users · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Tor was partially blocked in China end of September. The graphs posted at the blog of torproject show that in response to the blocking of tor, the number of bridge users has grown significantly in China.


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China: Graduate thesis or practical training? · Global Voices
Andy Yee

The purpose and function of university education has been a highly debatable topic both in the East and the West. In China, people strongly believe that education is a route to success and in the past few years, the number of university students has increased rapidly. However, as the problem of university graduate unemployment keeps elevating since the financial tsunami hit the continent early this year, there are more expectations for the universities to provide practical and vocational training rather than research skill and exploration of knowledge. This month a heated debate emerged online when the journalism department of Sichuan University decided to cancel the requirement of writing a graduate thesis, or an extensive research essay, for university students to get their degree. Instead, graduation would be conditioned on the quality of articles and commentaries published by undergraduates on newspapers.
The head of the journalism department explained the decision:
论文要求在某一领域有独到的见解。可是你想想，要一个本科生在新闻学研究或新闻学史论上有什么突破或是真知灼见，可能么？学生为了完成任务，只好大量复制、粘贴，等于把学生往剽窃上赶
Thesis writing requires having insights and findings in a particular field. But just think about it: is it realistic to expect an undergraduate to have new ideas on the theories or histories of journalism? To fulfill the requirements, students can only copy and paste; we are pushing students onto the path of plagiarism.
业界评价我们，有句非常不好听的话，说什么‘本科生知道《泰晤士报》是哪一年办的；研究生知道《泰晤士报》是哪一月办的；博士生知道《泰晤士报》是哪一天办的’—虽然很刻薄，但也反映出我们的大学教育与业界脱节，学的东西和实践完全没有联系的现象。
The journalism sector likes to mock with with this joke: “undergraduates know which year The Times was founded; masters know which month; PhDs know which date.” This sarcastic story reflects that our university education is detached from reality and not practical at all.
This decision has sparked a heated debate online.
盛大林 supported the claim that undergraduates are not equipped with the ability to write thesis:
论文，就是研究某些问题的文章。也就是说，“研究”是撰写论文的基本前提。可是，本科生能有什么“研究”呢？
A thesis is a research paper on a problem. That means “research” is the pre-condition for writing an essay. However, what “research” can an undergraduate do?
对于本科生而言，他们的任务就 是系统地学习本专业的基础知识或基本技能。可以说，本科生既不具备研究所必须的知识基础或实践经验，教学大纲中也没有研究方面的安排。既然没有“研究”， 怎么撰写“论文”？
For undergraduates, their task is to master the field’s fundamental knowledge or skills in a systematic way. We can say that undergraduates are not equipped with the knowledge or practical experience to conduct research; the curriculum has not include research method. How can a student write a “thesis” without “research”?
乐透 directly addresses the top concern facing undergraduates – securing employment – and the fact that writing a thesis is completely detached to this reality:
作为一名大四在校生，我很熟悉现在的学生都在做什么。大致可以分为几类。一类是考研的，一类是靠公务员的，还有一类是找工作的。精力旺盛的可以兼任三职。但无论归为哪一类，最终必须要迈过毕业论文这道坎才行。这条规矩已经存在并霸占了好多年，但质量或者说成效却是越来越低。
As a fourth-year undergraduate, I know what students are doing. They can be classified into several types: applying to be postgraduates, applying to be civil servants or applying for other jobs. Those strong enough can do these three together. But no matter what, all students need to produce a graduate thesis. This rule has been in place for many years, but its quality and effectiveness is declining.
真正体现大学生价值的方面不是在一篇毫无意义的论文上，需要的更多的是实践、活动、模拟场，甚至是社会的洗礼。因为只有这样，当代大学生才能觉醒。
The value of a university student would not be reflected in a meaningless thesis. They need more practice, training or even real social experience in order to develop enter the social realities.
However, 周育民 disagrees with the decision and values the training of thesis writing:
教会学生写论文，是教育的一项基本目标。简单地说，就是要让学生学会发现问题、分析问题、解决问题，并把这一思维过程通过学术论文的形式表达出来。只有具备了这种能力的学生才达到学士学位的要求。论文的水平高下不是主要的考核目标。
Teaching students to write a thesis is an educational aim in itself. It is to teach students the process of discovering, analyzing and solving a problem, and expressing this thought process in the format of an academic thesis. Only by having these abilities can a student fulfills the requirement of a bachelor’s degree. The quality of the thesis is not a major consideration.
进入信息时代以后，对于劳动者的素质要求进一步提高，这也是大学教育迅速普及的社会动因。学会运用专业知识，进行复杂思维的能力，是完成大学教育的基本目标
As we enter the information age, the requirements on the quality of our labour are increasing. This is also one of the reasons why university education is more popular. Training students the ability to think in a complex way by utilizing the knowledge acquired should be the basic aim of our higher education.
Finally, 朱四倍 criticizes the over-emphasis on the utility of education:
笔者以为，以培养应用型人才为主的专业、学校，可以取消本科毕业论文，而以培养研究型人才为主的大学及相关专业则不宜取消毕业论文的观点并不适当，甚至可以说是一种逃避。
I do not agree with the viewpoint that professional based and applied science universities can cancel the requirement of graduate thesis, while research-intensive universities can keep it. It is an excuse of being irresponsible.
大学是研究高深学问之场所，这意味着自由探究与批判精神的养成。
University is a place for advanced studies of knowledge, which means nurturing a spirit of liberal research and criticism.
但在笔者看来，与其说是“大势所趋”，不如说是显现了大学、社会和学生的过度功利化心态。
To me, rather than saying that it is an inevitable trend, it shows the utilitarian mentality of universities, students and the society.

author: Andy Yee


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Cuba: Blog Marks First Anniversary  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Havana Times blog celebrates its first anniversary – Circles Robinson reflects on the accomplishments of the past year: “Contrary to what some might think, I didn’t ask anyone for permission to put out HT, and have never had anyone from…the government directly telling me what I should or shouldn’t publish.”


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Dominican Republic: Restricted Access to the Beaches? · Global Voices
Rocio Diaz

The Constitutional Reform process continues in the Dominican Republic, and the recent approval of Article 69 has been creating controversy. This article establishes the following: “The high streams of rivers and the endemic, native, and migratory biodiversity zone are to be especially protected by the public powers to guarantee its management and preservation as fundamental property of the Nation.  The national rivers, lakes, lagoons, beaches, and coasts belong to the public domain and are to be freely accessible, always when it respects the right of private property. The law will regulate the conditions, standards and easements in which individuals will access the enjoyment or management of these areas.”
Photo by Rocío Díaz
The second part of the Article, which talks about the free access to beaches when the right to private property is respected, has been the subject of protest from the population, which believes that it is undermining their right to go to beaches where there is private investment, in other words, hotels, clubs or other infrastructure. Newspapers [es], blogs, and television programs have been interpreting it that way, turning the issue of free access to the beach into a cause for protest in this media, as well as Twitter and Facebook, where a group was created to urge to not allow the privatization of the beaches [es], as many are afraid that this decision makes it possible.
Manuel Moisés Montás of the blog Toy Jarto [es] explains the origin of this fear:
Una vez reconocidos los derechos de apropiación y explotación a título exclusivo de las playas dominicanas, es de esperarse que algunos particulares (gente con dinero) procedan a adueñarse de las que resulten más hermosas, mejor ubicadas o idóneas para la explotación turística, relegando así al grueso de la población a playas de segunda o tercera categoría que, andando el tiempo, no tardarán en deteriorarse con motivo de la afluencia masiva de personas huérfanas de recursos para ir a bañarse en las playas privatizadas.
Despite the negative reaction to Article 69, many others are reminded that the access to beaches where hotels are located have always been restricted, but now the difference is that it is established in the Constitution. Some are even defending the idea that access to these beaches should be regulated. Enedina Pereyra of the blog Bracuta [es] calls on the Dominicans that are protesting to put themselves in the shoes of the businesspersons that have developed a beach by cleaning it and transforming it into a ideal vacation spot. At the same time, Pereyra makes a graphical comparison between a private and a public beach, with an emphasis on the average poor manners from Dominicans who visit the beach.
There have been so many protests over Article 69 that the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants [es] (ASONAHORES for its initials in Spanish) has clarified one point in a public communique on September 8 in a national newspaper, when it stated that the new Article represents progress because it establishes a balance between the use of natural patrimony and the right to private property. Despite these statements, since  October 8 there have been protests, with the largest one taking place on October 9 in front of the National Congress by young people wearing beach clothing and signs saying “This is Not My Constitution,” and which is a message that has also been found on many walls in the cities of Santo Domingo, Santiago, and others.
The protests that have arisen are supported by a large part of the population, including young and old and from different social classes, including the authors from the blog Ahí e’ Que Prende [es], who see the protests as an impulsive action based on the poor interpretation of a text that only backs something that has already been taking place with beaches located at hotel complexes: restricted access for their guests. Despite this, the team from the Ahí e’ Que Prende [es] blog recognizes that there have been abuses with the current Constitutional reform.

author: Rocio Diaz


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Featured Author: Marietta Le · Global Voices
David Sasaki

As she explains in the above video, Marietta joined Global Voices after coming to the 2008 Global Voices Summit in Budapest to cover the event as a journalist for a local newspaper. A self-described technophile, Marietta likes how Global Voices uses technology to encourage dialog between distinct communities that often don't interact. Her latest posts about the Hungarian blogosphere look at recent protests against the Hungarian Guard, Budapest's gay pride parade, a law banning nightlife after 10 p.m. in Budapest's District VI, and a showdown between cyclists and drivers during a Critical Mass event.

author: David Sasaki


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Greek Posts on Blog Action Day ’09 · Global Voices
Asteris Masouras

This year's Blog Action Day was aimed at raising awareness about climate change. More than 150 Greek bloggers registered to participate, with their contributions tinged by the devastation wrought by forest fires and echoing desperation at the lack of environmental policy.
Thirdeye tried to connect the local with the global by reminding us of the fires that devastated Greece in recent years:
Στην Ελλάδα ζήσαμε πυρκαγιές τα τελευταία χρόνια που συνεισφέρουν πολλές αρνητικές συνέπειες για το κλιματικό μέλλον της χωράς. Οι εναλλακτικές πηγές ενεργείας δεν είναι αστειάκι στα πολιτικά πηγαδάκια αλλά κοινωνική ανάγκη. Όχι μόνο στην Ελλάδα αλλά σε ολόκληρο τον πλανήτη.[..]
Δεν γνωρίζω τι μπορεί να συμβεί απλά το φαντάζομαι. Επειδή όμως ονειρεύομαι ένα καλύτερο μέλλον υποστηρίζω και υπογράφω το Hopenhagen και συμμετέχω στο Blog Action Day.
Roides posited that political correctness and patriotism trump sound environmental policy in Greece and ticked off policy failures:
Γι αυτό και εμείς αφήσαμε πίσω 67 νεκρούς, κάψαμε 3 εκατομμύρια στρέμματα δασών, δασικών και γεωργικών εκτάσεων και ως πολιτική απάντηση δώσαμε/πήραμε πολύ σημαντικά μέτρα, όπως:
– διαλύσαμε την δασική υπηρεσία
– (δεν) συντάξαμε δασολόγιο
– εξαγγείλαμε στεντορείως και ευρέως το περίφημο: «ότι ήταν δάσος θα παραμείνει δάσος» [..]
Rodia railed at the environmental disconnect:
Το περιβάλλον και η προστασία του, έτσι, γενικά και αόριστα, είναι μια φόλα, μια μούφα, μια παραπλάνηση, να το γράψω και ευγενικά. Δεν μπορεί οι εταιρείες να αλωνίζουν με τις βιομηχανίες τους, τα φουγάρα τους, τα χημικά βλαβερά τους απόβλητα, δεν μπορεί οι μεγάλες χώρες να μην έχουν υπογράψει βασικές συνθήκες προστασίας του περιβάλλοντος (π.χ. ΗΠΑ, συνθήκη Κιότο) και να ζητιέται απο τα ταπεινά ανθρωπάκια, εμάς δλδ, να προσέχουμε μη πατήσουμε το χορτάρι!
… but still went on to propose local scale solutions:
Εμείς μπορούμε να κάνουμε μικρούτσικα πραγματάκια, στη κλίμακά μας, που λένε. Να φροντίζουμε για τα σκουπίδια που παράγουμε και, αναλόγως, να τα πετάμε ή να τα ανακυκλίζουμε. Να φροντίζουμε τη καθαριότητα των ακτών της χώρας μας. Να προσέχουμε τα πάρκα μας -όσα απομείναν, δλδ- μη τα κάνει γκαράζ κάνας πρόθυμος δήμαρχος. Να καταγγέλουμε όποια εταιρεία ή βιομήχανο καταστρέφει τον υδροφόρο ορίζοντα, γιατί εκείνος μπορεί να στείλει τα παιδιά του να ζήσουν στην Ελβετία ή στις Μπαχάμες, αλλά εμείς θα εξακολουθούμε να ζούμε εδώ και να χρειαζόμαστε νερό πόσιμο. Να χρησιμοποιούμε τα Μέσα Μαζικής Μεταφοράς [..] και να πιέζουμε προς τα καλύτερα και πυκνότερα δρομολόγια
Argos reposted a video he cobbled together for Blog Action Day '07 and mused despondently,
Two years ago I was part of the first blog action day which had as a theme the climate change. Two years later the issue remains the same. So my contribution remains the same.
Nothing was solved the last two years, so I won’t change anything

author: Asteris Masouras


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How the recession has affected motherhood · Global Voices
Daniel Chandranayagam

When the economies of world plummeted late last year, that “motherhood” would be a victim of the spiraling trend might not have been foremost in the minds of most. However, recent reports have indicated that mothers have ended up being as much a casualty of the recession as the stock markets.
Alternate Income
According to Associated Content:
With the extremely high cost of decent childcare in this country and the ongoing problem of women being unable to collect child support regularly, more and more single mothers are turning to prostitution in order to pay their bills and support themselves and their children.
The report states that the Internet has opened new doors for these ladies. “Holly”, aged 25, was quoted as saying:
My ex-husband was not paying child support for our four-year-old son, and I was getting desperate for money… I placed an ad on Yahoo looking for a sugar-daddy type of relationship and met a decent guy that was willing to help me out.
This has apparently become a trend in Japan. Japan Today reports:
There are 1.23 million single-mother households in Japan, Health and Labor Ministry statistics show. Their average annual income, government benefits included, is 2.11 million yen—40% of the overall household average. A revised welfare law shrank entitlements in 2002. The current recession is choking off employment opportunities. For the 28-year-old woman Suzuki calls “Ruriko Kumata,” prostitution seems her only means of survival.
Not only mothers, single women are turning to prostitution or “hostess” jobs in Japan. News from Ground Report states that more young women are turning to “club jobs”, while Nurse In Australia, a blog by a nurse in Australia, reports that nurses are leaving the profession and turning to prostitution.
In response to a report similar to these, Wandaphull World, a blog ‘is dedicated to all the “REAL” women of the world”, states:
Ladies I know time are hard and we can barely pay our rents but this is not going to last forever, so pray and have patients. These are trying times for everyone but we still have to hold strong as women and keep our hearts, homes and body intact for we will need it all following the recession. Women are so much stronger than people give us credit for and I’m pretty sure that the “real hardworking women” of today will be as disgusted by this story as I am, yet [I] feel bad for the women who feel this is [necessary.]
Thinking Twice About Motherhood
Another effect the recession has had on motherhood is that many women are reconsidering motherhood. Bester News reports from Reuters:
Worries about the economy have led many American women to think twice about having a baby, a survey released on Wednesday found, with nearly half of those surveyed saying they want to delay pregnancy or limit the number of children they have.
Leah, a blogger on Work It, Mom, writes:
New York Times Magazine, WebMd, and Work It, Mom have all featured stories about how economic recessions negatively affect birth rates and the numbers of children per household. Expanding a family–whether the old-fashioned way or through fertility treatments or adoption–is expensive no matter how you cut it, and in addition to the three major costs I was stressing about last fall–maternity leave, childcare, and health insurance–there are dozens of other financial factors that might influence a couple’s decision to have a child…or not
Erica commented to this blog post:
I’m almost 29 and had really hoped to have my 2 children by the time I was 30. But with this recession, its looking less likely to happen. I’m hoping maybe next year, maybe things will get better. My hubby is convinced we should just be happy with the child we have because he doesn’t think we’ll ever be able to afford another one.
A recent survey by the Guttmacher Institute echoes these sentiments, finding that “nearly two-thirds (64%) of US low- and middle-income women of childbearing age say they cannot afford to have a baby because of the current bad economy.”
What Birth Control?
The Guttmacher Institute also found that women are either forgoing birth control pills or else purchasing cheaper contraceptives to save on cash during this economic downturn. The Women’s Rights blog at Care2.com stated:
The problem is, affordable birth control is not yet regarded as a fundamental right in this country…  This isn't just about getting access to the pill – it's about basic women's health needs like pap smears or pelvic exams.  And when the government is considering how it can help Americans weather the recession, family planning and reproductive health need to be high priorities.
Café Kim, on the Healthy Living Buzz blog, wrote:
I found the results of this survey alarming because if these women can't afford birth control, how will they afford the cost of having a child? What can be done about this?
Octobersmom, in response to Café Kim, wrote:
[A] child is a hell of a lot more expensive than a baby! If you can't afford BC then, joy of joys, the rest of the country can pay for your baby because you couldn't keep your pants on.
Francine Huff on the Wallet Pop, struggling families are now considering giving away their babies because they cannot afford to bring the children up. In addition, Wallet Pop reports that adoption agencies claim there has been an increase in inquiries from women who are considering giving their babies up for adoption. With these as a few examples of how the recession has affected motherhood, perhaps more will be done on the way back to recovery.

author: Daniel Chandranayagam


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India: Pedal For Rights And Climate Change Awareness  · Global Voices
Rezwan

“The Green Ride is a 1400 km cycling tour taken up by an environmental network in Kerala, India”, informs Indian Climate Solutions Blog. The main focus of this tour scheduled on the 24th of October, 2009 will be to raise awareness for climate change through the way. It will also lobby for the rights of cyclists and for laws that offer protection to cyclists.


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Jamaica: Buju Meets With Gays · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As controversial dancehall artist Buju Banton meets with gays in the U.S., Jamaica Salt thinks it's a step in the right direction, but adds: “I don’t think he’s ever going to be able to turn things around…he’s too  good a target for the gay rights campaign to get attention to the very big and very real problem of homophobia in Jamaica.”


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Nepal: Bio-gas Revolution · Global Voices
Bhumika Ghimire

Biogas technology is starting a green revolution in Nepal. According to WWF firewood is the preferred energy source in the country as almost 87% of households depend on it. However, biogas is emerging as a viable alternative. A recent report by AFP divulges that Nepal is making money (almost 600,000 US$ in 2007) trading carbon emissions with the help of numerous biogas plants across the country.
A Biogas plant. Image by Flickr user Marufish. Used under a creative commons license
For a nation struggling find cheap and sustainable source of energy, biogas certainly brings good news for Nepal.
Globalwarming Arclein, a blog on how agriculture can help reduce carbon emission, says that the low tech approach of biogas makes it accessible to the majority of Nepalese people who live in villages:
“Biogas production is not high technology. It takes a cistern that can be made with a shovel and perhaps setting liner stones as is often done in a modern septic field. Capping this and drawing of the produced gas into a holding tank is simple and usage after that needs again fairly minimalist hardware that can be jury-rigged together.
The major requirement is to simply know that it can be done and that it will work. Recovery of the produced slurry later is unpleasant but no different than similar tasks attended to.It is not a convenient way to produce enough gas for household heating, but certainly sufficient to support incidental heating for cooking and producing hot water in a healthy way.”
Nepal's success in biogas could inspire its neighbors too. Nepal's closest ally India is also looking forward to develop alternative energy sources to deal with the growing demand in its rapidly industrialized states. Razib Ahmed at South Asia Blog, which focuses on the region's business and social issues, says:
“I am interested about biogas a lot because I believe that it has immense potential not only for Nepal but also for neighboring countries like India and Bangladesh. Biogas Sector Partnership Nepal (BSP-Nepal) is an NGO that is actively working for the promotion of biogas in the country. Until June 2008, 172,858 biogas plants have been made with their support.
As a result, more than 1 million people are getting the benefits. 1 million people may not sound to be that much to you but you have to remember that it is mainly the poor people living in rural areas who got benefited through this technology. Not only that, I would also like to catch your attention about the fact that Nepal imports almost 100% of its oil. So, every biogas plant made means saving some foreign currency for the country.”
And the interest in biogas is not a passing fad for Nepal. After many years of hard work and careful planning, it has been able to generate significant attention. Back in 2005, Mallika Aryal at RenewableEnergyAccess reported on Nepal's quest to generate sustainability and revenue through biogas.
“Nepal's Biogas Support Program has extended its work to 66 of the nation's 75 districts and plans to have 200,000 biogas plants installed by 2009. A plant suitable for a rural household costs US $300. Government subsidies have made the plants affordable. An individual invests only $200 and his investment is recouped in three years. A very good deal indeed!
Now the Nepali biogas plants are on their way to becoming a “good deal” for the global environment. When Kyoto Protocol, the global climate treaty, will enter into force for Nepal in December 2005, it would be eligible to start trading the carbon dioxide not emitted by using biogas and earn up to $5 million per year.”
To learn more about how biogas is helping Nepal, here is a video produced by the Nepal Project at Tokyo City University, Japan.

author: Bhumika Ghimire


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Pakistan: Attacks In Lahore · Global Voices
Rezwan

Pakfactor reports on today's coordinated multiple militant attacks in Lahore targeting Pakistan’s police forces. Hasan Mubarak at Lahore Metblogs comments: “what makes all Pakistanis proud is the sacrifice of life that our soldiers and policemen are making to fight terrorism and to protect common citizens like you and me.”


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Puerto Rico: The National Strike (update) · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Since early in the morning thousands of people flooded the main avenues and highways of the metropolitan area of San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, particularly the financial district, as part of the national strike that aimed to paralyze the country for one day. The strike was convened by the labor movement to protest Governor Luis Fortuño's decision to lay-off around 17,000 government employees (in total there have about 25,000 lay-offs) as part of his economic and financial plan for the country. Workers and members of trade unions, women, students, teachers, religious groups, political organizations, and environmentalists, among other sectors of the civil society, participated in the massive demonstration. Universities, schools, and different work places closed for the day.
A group of people created the project Cuerpo de Documentación on YouTube where they have posted videos of the strike from different points of the Island. The Puerto Rican twittersphere was extremely active. The conversation flowed under the hashtags #paropr and #twittericans. The people at @caribnews, @qiibo, and @microjuris, among many other citizen journalists, were constantly tweeting updates and news about the strike, and providing links to photos and videos.
Protesters in the national strike. Photo sent to GV by a participant.
The demonstrators converged in the immediate area surrounding Plaza Las Américas, the largest mall in the Caribbean and whose owners, the Fonalledas Family, were important contributors of the Governor's campaign. The mall was closed for the day. Organizers of the event and several media outlets have estimated that around 150,000 -200,000 people participated in the massive demonstration. While the Governor's Chief of Staff, Marcos Rodríguez Ema, stated that the strike was ineffective because the decision to lay-off employees will not be overturned. There were no major incidents, although there were moments of tension between students and the police.
Photo sent to GV by a participant.
For context about the national strike and the situation in Puerto Rico, please see previous posts “A Crisis with Many Names”, “Such is Life”, “The Battle over Public Lands,” and “Ready for the National Strike”. The people at the nonprofit Center for the New Economy have also been regularly posting in-depth analyses on the economic situation in Puerto Rico.


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Reading the world on Blog Action Day  · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

More than 9000 bloggers are devoting a post to climate change today as part of Blog Action Day, an annual initiative started by Change.org to unite the world's bloggers in reaching their millions of readers.
Register your blog to add your voice!
This is the Global Voices entry.
Over the next couple of months Global Voices is going to be following environmental and climate change issues extra closely. We're hoping to amplify unheard voices in the debate around the United Nations meetings in Copenhagen in December (COP15).
In November, on Conversations for a Better World, a blog sponsored by the UNFPA, two of our authors, Eduardo and Belen, are going to be cross-posting stories about population dynamics and climate change. I know they'll be looking towards Latin America.
Throughout October, Global Voices bloggers have been mentoring 31 young men and women from Africa and Denmark who are organizing an online campaign under the auspices of MS ActionAid in Copenhagen, Denmark. They've asked us to relay stories about ‘what developing countries need to help correct damage from climate change’. So we'll try to do that too.
Some mentor entries
For Blog Action Day, Jillian encouraged her readers to visit the blog of her mentee Edith, while Ali says his mentee Peter turned the tables on him and  inspired him to write a post on climate change.
Another mentor, Gayle, has written a longer post highlighting the situations of farmers in Ghana, Australia (her own countries) and Zimbabwe (her mentee John‘s country).
Gayle used Twitter to put the call out for farmers in Australia. To her surprise, she was re-tweeted by ABC Radio in Australia, and came directly in touch with several farmers by email. She read interviews with Ghanaian farmers online, and even spoke to one directly.
And among dozens of links and interesting sources, Gayle found information on how local communities use traditional knowledge in rural Ghana to cope with climate change.
Gayle did something that bloggers on Global Voices do all the time. She went looking for voices you rarely hear speaking for themselves in international mainstream media.
In the past week on Global Voices
Bhumika Ghimire wrote a post today about the future of bio-gas in Nepal, including a video by a Japanese university research team that shows how bio-gas is used in rural Nepal.
A landslide caused by Typhoon Ketsana in a village in Pampanga province. Photo by Flickr user susancorpuz90
Earlier this week, Mong Palatino wrote about how Filipino bloggers are drawing connections between climate change and the devastating floods in Manila that killed more than 500 people.
Saffah Farooq wrote about how citizens of the low-lying Indian Ocean island state of the Maldives, feel their fate may be decided by the success of treaties like the Kyoto Protocol.
Wildlife blogger Samuel Maina in Kenya, wrote about how Kenyans are so desperate for rain they are awaiting El Niño rains that may displace thousands with mixed feelings.
There is a constant flow of stories on Global Voices’ environment topic feed by bloggers all around the world.
Looking ahead
On this Blog Action Day, where we celebrate the collective power of bloggers to push for change, we'd like to encourage everyone not only to write about climate change but also to read what other people are saying.
Over the next many weeks, we're going to be overwhelmed by news stories by journalists quoting politicians, activists, and many others – but when the UN meetings are over and the cameras are off, the people who face the consequences of climate change immediately, will still be telling their stories on the internet in hopes of reaching people who care.
As we say at Global Voices, ‘The world is talking. Are you listening?’
For those far removed from the front lines of climate change, listening and linking is one the few ways we can succeed to make the problem feel real and in need of solutions today.
Related posts

author: Solana Larsen


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Safeguarding the world’s cultural heritage · Global Voices
Lester Bolicenni

Many organisations working to preserve global cultural heritage – both tangible and intangible – have been using online media to support their efforts.
On October 6, the World Monument Fund (WMF) published the 2010 world monument watch list plotting the dozens of villages, buildings, bridges and monuments at risk of destruction on an interactive Google map. The WMF in New York is one of many organizations, like Global Heritage Fund, World Heritage Center (part of UNESCO), financing projects to preserve world cultural heritage sites.
Becoming a heritage site
While a nomination for cultural heritage site or monument can be a useful step on the way to acquiring funds for preservation, an additional benefit can be a general rise in tourism to the sites in question. Moreover, the nomination often stimulates national or local pride.
Singaporean university lecturer Tan Wee Cheng created a Facebook group, asking for Singapore sites to be included on the World Heritage list:
As at the end of Dec 08, there are 878 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 145 countries but none in Singapore. Are there really no sites in Singapore worthy of such an honour? I have visited a few hundred WHS round the world and am convinced that certain sites in Singapore deserve to be listed, for they do posses what UNESCO calls sites with “outstanding universal value”.
Conflicts can also help influence decisions. After the violent clashes between ethnic Uighurs (Uyghurs) and Chinese Hans in Kashgar, the ancient Silk Road city, a petition had been submitted online to claim World Heritage Status for the city, threatened to be demolished.
Man is a threat
Humans themselves are almost always the source of the dangers, as this article written by Dr. Anjana Khatwa, education coordinator for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage, points out:
Threats to World Heritage Sites come in many forms: armed conflict and war, wanton destruction, natural disasters, pollution, poaching, unplanned construction and uncontrolled tourism.
This idea is shared by WMF President Bonnie Burnham in her address for the launch of the 2008 World Monuments Watch List of Most Endangered Sites:
On this list, man is indeed the real ennemy. But, just as we caused the damage in the first place, we have the power to repair it, by taking our responsibility as caretakers of the world’s cultural heritage seriously. So today we are sounding the alarm, using the World Monuments Watch List to demonstrate, through the vivid examples of beloved places around the world, the importance of working together to meet these challenges and join forces to protect our world’s shared architectural heritage.
Innovating answers
Since 2003, UNESCO has also been working to safeguard Intangible Cultural Heritage like languages, dances, and handcraft techniques. New technologies and the Internet could be a necessary breakthrough in preventing some cultural and intangible heritage from vanishing.
CyArk, a non-profit entity, is working on the “500 Challenge”. This project intends to make a digital model of cultural heritage sites by laser scanning, to create an open archive of the data.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) also has a project to preserve and protect oral and intangible heritage, Creative Heritage Project: IP Guidelines for Documenting, Recording and Digitizing Intangible Cultural Heritage:
New technologies provide communities with fresh opportunities to document and digitize expressions of their traditional cultures, meeting the strong desire of communities to preserve, promote and pass on their cultural heritage to succeeding generations.
This is a credo shared by Malian blogger Boukary Konate, in talking about African folk tales [in Bambara] on his personal blog, Fasokan:
Bi bi in na, an bɛɛ bɛ k’a kɔlɔsi sisan k’o ko ninnu bɛ ka ban dɔɔni dɔɔni. N kɛlen kɔ ka n yɛrɛ ɲininkan, ye jaabi min sɔrɔ, o de ye ka u sɛbɛen an ka kanw na, k’u bayɛlɛma kan wɛrɛw la, k’u bila ɛntɛrinɛti kan. O b’a to u tɛ tunun wa u na lakodɔn mɔgɔ wɛrɛw fɛ.

author: Lester Bolicenni


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Somalia: Is government recruiting young Kenyans for war? · Global Voices
Abdurahman Warsame

This is the first roundup of Somali blogs in 2009. Yes, it's been more than a year since I took leave a long leave from blogging but now I'm back, for good. This is the first post and expect more posts about Somali blogosphere.
Blogger Royale Somalia profiles a young female Somali doctor in Mogadishu who'd graduated last year, he writes:
In December 2008, 20 Somali students overcame huge odds and graduated from medical school in Mogadishu—the first batch to do so for almost two decades in the failed Horn of Africa state.
Dr. Hafsa Abdurrahman Mohamed, 26, was one of those receiving a diploma from the capital’s Benadir University. Upon completing her studies, she decided to work for the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), using her skills to help provide free medical care in Somalia.
The East African Philosopher comments on Somali President Sharif Ahmed's visit to US and the US government's policy shift in dealing with Sharif:
In December of 2006 Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, currently only-in-name president of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, was on the run from the Ethiopian army, the CIA, and the U.S. Rangers.
East African Philisophers continues:
This week Sheikh Sharif is in Minneapolis, MN (and the home of this crazy congresswoman) meeting with Congressmen, Governor, and city councilmen/mayor. Couple of months ago he had a meeting with Secretary Clinton in Nairobi during her Africa trip. From terrorist to president for Sheikh Sharif in just two years. That, friends, must be a first.  To me this says a lot about the U.S.’s awful foreign policy than anything else.
The Kenya Somali Blog says Somali government is recruiting Somali youth from Kenya:
Somalia's U.N.-backed government has recruited more than 170 young Kenyans and former servicemen to help it fight rebels in the failed Horn of Africa state, local leaders in eastern Kenya said.
Mohamed Gabow, the mayor of Garissa, told Reuters the enrolment of ethnic Somali Kenyans was being conducted at a home in Bulla Iftin village, on the outskirts of his town.
The recruitment is not a secret. Those involved are not worried. They are going around all the villages to announce the exercise,” Gabow said in an interview late on Thursday.

author: Abdurahman Warsame


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Sri Lanka: Anonymity For The Scribes · Global Voices
Rezwan

Going Global writes an open letter to Sri Lankan journalists asking them to break free from media oppression and get the message across by writing in blogs anonymously.

author: Rezwan


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Trinidad & Tobago: Celebrations  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

This is a busy week for Trinidad and Tobago, according to Repeating Islands, as the country celebrates both Amerindian Heritage Week and the Hindu festival of Divali.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Media & the People · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“There is a growing seed of discontent that the government of Trinidad and Tobago has planted through its actions and lack of action. There are more people…being vocal through weblogs and other social media, and it doesn't take a licensed geologist or former trade union leader or economist to know that it will continue growing”: KnowProSE.com takes heart in knowing that at least one mainstream media journalist “gets it”.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Set Up?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jumbie's Watch is “vex enough to fart fire” over developments in a court case involving the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, which he believes “was a set up designed to have the case thrown out.”


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Turks & Caicos: Hail To The Chief · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Turks and Caicos Islands has a new Chief Executive, whose appointment is “part of the much criticized British takeover of the T&C government following a corruption scandal.”  Repeating Islands has the details.


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USA: Native Americans exploitation in Sedona ‘sweat lodge’ deaths · Global Voices
Bernardo Parrella

On Thursday October 8th two people died and 19 others were taken to a hospital from the Angel Valley Retreat Center, in the Sedona area, a renowned resort in central Arizona, after spending time in a make-shift sweat lodge while attending a “Spiritual Warrior” program by self-help expert James Arthur Ray.
UPDATE: A third person died at the Flagstaff Medical Center late on Saturday October 17th.
The tragic event made national headlines in the US, with experts on sweat lodges and Native Americans criticizing the reported construction of the lodge, the number of participants, and the length of the ceremony.
James Ray
James Ray is President and CEO of James Ray International, which holds seminars on “wealth creation” where he charges up to US $ 10,000. He was also interviewed in the New Age 2006 film The Secret, appeared on Oprah Winfrey show and is the author of Harmonic Wealth, a New York Times bestseller.
As another example of the on-going exploitation of Native Americans culture, this tragic episode is being widely discussed within the US blogosphere.
In detailing her 80's sweat lodge experience conducted by a Lakota Sioux woman, Gabrielle Daniels, aka blksista, writes that she “photographed the building of the lodge until I was told not to, because it was not something to be shared with those outside of the group”,  while another lodge building is described in this YouTube video.
blksista further explains:
And when the lodge was completed, covered in hides and blankets and evergreen branches, and when the stones were heated, and we were in various stages of undress, in shorts and in bathing suits, we went in small groups at a time.  I’d say that there were about six to eight people at a time in the lodge.  And I sat and withstood the steam and heat from the stones until it was time for me to go. Compared to say, a sauna, where pine tar and eucalyptus mixed with water can be thrown on onto the heat, no scents were allowed on the stones. I was there for at least twenty minutes to half an hour. Everyone was like that. No one was forced to stay in longer than it was possible for them.  People were quietly asked if they were okay during the sweat; they simply said yes or no, or nodded. I nodded. …
And here's her conclusion:
…people in New Age religions embrace only one part of the totality of a culture or a people–like the buying masks and idols or a religion–without an understanding of what these items or these rituals really mean. Disrespect results, and then eventually, leaders can become authoritarian and cultish, people can get turned off and leave, or people can get hurt or worse, die. That’s the cruel lesson, I feel, that’s being learned regarding this tragedy. I can only hope that this time, that it’s heeded.
In a post on Beyond Growth, a collaborative blog exploring the future of personal development, Duff McDuffee tries to summarize what we can learn from this tragedy:
One thing we might conclude is that all spiritual teachers or personal development gurus are bad, and should be avoided. Or that James Arthur Ray specifically is a greedy, evil person. Or that the Law of Attraction and The Secret are total bullshit. And these would indeed be ways to read the situation that have some merit. …
One could see this disaster as “the dark side of The Secret,” which is not just “negative thinking” but even positive intentions gone horribly wrong. Thus, positive thinking and intent are not enough if they lead to negative consequences. Indeed, Ray himself emphasizes that the results one brings about in life are what are most relevant to one’s spiritual progress. …
Could it be that one spiritual purpose of this “Spiritual Warrior Event” is to give an opportunity to Mr. Ray to act with the honor of a samurai, taking 100% responsibility for not only the design of the workshop, but even for his evoking of the Warrior?
Samthor, one of the dozen people commenting on that post, writes:
the great spiritual lesson here is “no means NO”.
that you can't just take the most sacred ceremonies from another culture that you do not belong and have not paid any dues too, mix it with whatever you feel like and sell it off as a business venture.
for decades actual native americans have tried to warn the white culture about fraud ripping off and bastardizing their culture and ceremonies. no one listened opting instead for the glittery promises of the new age gurus and plastic shamans.
and as a result people are constantly being ripped off and put in danger.
He also points to a list of people (updated only through June 2008, though) that died in recent years in situations similar to the Sedona tragedy.
Please remember these victims in your prayers and don't let these deaths be forgotten. They were all human beings and none of them deserved to die like this.
For thousands and thousands of years, no one died in a sweat lodge. When people decided to sell them, seven people, that we know of, died in 28 years.
The same blog Don't Pay To Pray, “A blog about all the fakes, frauds and flim flam artists that don't pray, but prey on the gullible and the greedy”, provides a very extensive list of links to useful resources managed and/or related to Native Americans.
In an opinion letter published on The Arizona Republic website, titled “Making money off Indian culture”, Karen Ramirez writes:
I am a Dakota who finds it amusing that so many individuals feel it is necessary to make money off the traditions of my culture.
To James Ray, I suggest you discontinue a practice you have no knowledge of, which is evident by the practice of charging your followers, which is not the Native American way.
After the Sedona tragedy, James Ray posted the following  tweets:
Previously, during the same Sedona event, he also posted on Twitter these notes (since then deleted but still available through a simple search):
According to the most recent reports, “local authorities have no record of an application or permit for a temporary structure at the Angel Valley Retreat Center”, while it seems that “resort personnel specifically told Ray it was a bad idea to build the lodge, and that cramming that many people into that small a space wasn't safe.” Appearing on Tuesday at a previously scheduled seminar in California, a tearful James Ray said: “I have no idea what happened. We'll figure it out,” adding that he had hired private investigators.
The police investigation is still underway in an attempt to determine if criminal charges should be filed against James Ray and his staff.

author: Bernardo Parrella


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Bermuda: PATI Pending  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Of Bermuda's pending Public Access To Information legislation, Catch a fire says: “I don’t understand the reason for PATI only applying to information created following the enactment of PATI. It certainly leaves the government open to rumour-mongering and undermines the credibility of PATI.”


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Botswana: Monitoring Elections Using Blogs, SMS and Twitter · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Parliamentary and council representative elections are taking place in Botswana today, October 16, 2009.
A number of journalists are using new media tools to report and monitor the elections. The team attended a two-day workshop organised by African Elections Project and Media Institute of Southern Africa (Botswana Chapter) in Gaborone on 28-29 September 2009.
All African Elections Project bloggers are first time bloggers. Blogging has not yet become popular in Botswana as in other African countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Liberia and South Africa.
Filling The Gap is an interactive blog by Ephraim Keoreng, a Botswana based socio-political journalist.
His latest post is titled, Five Foreign Judges Sit On Motswaledi Appeal:
Five judges from South Africa today sat over an appeal by suspended ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) secretary general Gomolemo Motswaledi.
Motswaledi had sought the courts to seek redress over the president's decision to suspend him from the party. the 60 day suspension has made it impossible for the secretary geenral who was expected to represent the party at the Gaborone Central constituency as MP candidate, to be nominated to IEC as the deadline has since passed (whilst he was still under suspension).
Kutlwano Tina Mosime blogs at Free & Fair is Straight Up!
We believe in a free and fair electoral system and don't condone vote rigging. We are Watching: Botswana General Elections, 16 October 2009.
Kutlwano posts a press release from the Botswana Team of the African Elections Project:
The African Elections Project (AEP) www.africanelections.org will be covering Botswana’s 10th general election, taking place on October 16 2009, to elect parliamentary and council representatives. AEP in conjunction with its partners, Media Institute For Southern Africa (MISA) www.misa.org held a two-day workshop aimed at equipping journalists with cutting edge Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) skills in elections coverage in Gaborone on 28-29 September 2009.
Keeping an Eye on 2009 Botswana General Elections is written by Tshiamo Tabane:
This blog will give readers such as reseachers, analysts and other interested readers imperative information concerning, Botswana 2009 General elections. This blog will also highlight on controversial issues associated with elections.
His latest entry is about election related court cases:
The 2009 Botswana General elections are surronded by court cases including the president of the president of the ruling party Ian Khama suspending the seccretary general of the party Gomolemo Motswaledi.
Kaombona is a senior reporter with Echo Newspaper. He blogs at Talking Elections 2009.
He writes about financial problems facing local observers:
Local election observer mission Botswana Electoral Support Network (BESnet) which is made up of non governmental organisations say they are faced with financial limitations which will compel them not to observe elections in all the polling stations around the country.
The Elections Bug blog is written by Jowawa Mothusi, a 2nd year Journalism student at Limkokwing University and a freelance journalist for Mmegi Youth News as well as Inner City News.
Soldiers encouraged to vote, he writes:
The Commander of the Botswana Defence Force Army Commander General Tebogo Masire has taken to the road on an end of year mission aimed at addressing all the army officers in the country…The address to the soldiers encouraged them to go out and exercise their democratic right by voting for their preferred representatives. He however cautioned the army officers against taking any political affiliation and instead remain as neutral as they could possibly be. The soldiers are expected to be among the security eyes during and after the election process to guard against any infiltration of the Electoral Act.
Patricia Maganu blogs at The Observer 2009.
While she was attending ICT training, she wrote about the importance of using new technologies to monitor elections in Africa:
I am about to complete the course on elections using ICTs and i muct say that i appreciate what PenPlusBytes and Africa Elections Project (AEP)is doing for African countries as far as this issue is concerned. God knows for how long African countries have been missing such tools to get information as instantly as possible to the people on the ground who really need it.
Bontle Tshukudu blogs at Battle Ground Open: Elections 2009. She writes about herself and her desire to see a free and fair elections in Botswana:
My name is Bontle Tshukudu, a reporter for UB Horizon newspaper.It covers news affecting students and staff  in university of Botswana.Its a practice ground for young writers to polish their writing skills hence gain confidence.
i will be covering election process in Botswana and ensuring that they are free and fair. For the first time in history young Batswana have registered to vote in large numbers. Some may wonder what really urged them to register in large numbers? Is it the pintch of unempolyment, under or misemployment, lack of sponsership to further their studies, or is it that now they know its important to vote?
You can see the full list of bloggers expected to report and monitor the Botswana 2009 Elections here.
The bloggers are also sending text messages of what is happening in polling stations around the country. The messages are posted on African Elections Project Twitter page for Botswana.
They are also posting videos of events and incidents related to Elections 2009.


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Caribbean: Blogging About Climate Change  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

October 15 is Blog Action Day 2009 and Caribbean bloggers are adding their voices to the global conversation about climate change.
Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Phlip puts the topic in perspective by starting off his post this way:
One of the persistent myths that should have been shattered by the discoveries of Copernicus, Galileo, and Darwin is that humans have a special place in the universe and that we were somehow separate from the rest of life on the planet. Nothing could have been further from the truth. In fact, our knowledge about the cosmic accident that created an evolutionary niche for mammals to flourish should have made us more appreciative of the fragility of life and the beauty that surrounds us–especially those of us from island nations like Jamaica.
He goes on to lament “the sad fact…that sometimes we don’t act as if we live in a place of beauty”:
The implications of the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere are the resultant climate change are grave…
Now while the problem of global climate change may seem insurmountable, I’ve always believed in the words of Margaret Mead: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.’
Fellow Jamaican Labrish says:
Two stories have really stuck with me this year about how climate change is affecting the marine environment: (1) the enormous infestation of invasive lionfish into the Atlantic and the Caribbean (2) the worldwide explosion of jellyfish swarms. Welcome to the seas that are biting back.
She explains:
Lionfish are endemic to the Pacific and Indian Oceans…with venomous spines and voracious appetites, sadly, they are now eating their way through the reefs of the Caribbean and the Atlantic. Researchers state it is ‘one of the most rapid marine invasions in history. Like a plague of locusts.’
Of the jellyfish explosion, she says:
The rise in large swarms of jellyfish in many areas across the globe may be linked to ocean acidity and the heating of the oceans caused by global warming. They survive and thrive in ocean dead zones and are an indication of an ecosystem that is out of balance.
The jellyfish and lionfish infestations are just more symptoms of the serious imbalance in the marine environment. Let’s hope the United Nations Meeting on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December will result in an ambitious agenda to reduce carbon emissions and set us toward a right path.
From Barbados, Sun Rain Or… faces a predicament:
Living on a small island in the Caribbean I swing lazily, like a hammock between coconut trees, between being concerned about Climate Change on the good days and feeling indignant about having to bother about it at all on the bad ones.
She explains her conundrum of being an artist who prefers to work with natural local materials:
How the hell I supposed to make authentic local creative products if I can’t use what’s in my own backyard? And, so who tell everybody use up all the wood and t’ings in the first place!?! Now people look at you like you’re a criminal if you use the same very things they’ve been using up so likrishly for so long. How is me uh?
I tired of all those powerhungrypoliticiansandwannabefamouspeople always making a fuss to look like they care and like they know what’s really going on, telling ME I have to change my ways or my front step will meet up with Atlantis. Yeah right, we can’t even tell if it’s going to rain this afternoon.
She sums up:
And the hammock comes to rest and I reluctantly accept I know one thing for sure; I don’t know how big a role we play in climate change, no-one is absolutely certain about that, but without a doubt, unless I poke out my eye to spite myself, I can’t help but see everyday and everywhere that what you and you and you…….and I do affects the place we all live in.
So just as every piece of garbage I drop makes a home for a mosquito or suffocates a turtle, every piece I pick up, dispose of properly, or best yet, stop from existing in the first place, removes the same problem. And just as all the little eddies and flows of the natural breezes and seas add up to our planet’s climate, so, it seems to me, all our little actions add up too.
Finally, from Trinidad and Tobago, A Caribbean Garden remembers that as a child growing up in the West Indies, “almost everyone had a kitchen garden and exchanged what they grew with neighbors and family. Almost every backyard had fruit trees. People bought their supplemental fresh fruits and vegetables from roadside stands and the Sunday farmers market. Farmers from different islands would also take or send their produce on boats to sell in the Sunday market.”
These farmers markets, the blogger concludes, hold tremendous value for environmental well-being:
While farmers markets have always been around in the Caribbean, I hope the Caribbean islanders take notes and expand their offerings. I also hope more people buy directly from local farmers.  Apart from supporting local farmers and having fresher healthier and tastier food, farmers markets means less fuel is used in transportation, less pollution to the environment. And if it’s organic produce, even better.  You certainly can't get fresh like this when its trucked/flown or shipped thousands of miles…
In the words of Geoffrey Philp, “Blog Action Day is only a first step. For if we do occupy a special place in the universe, it is because of our self-consciousness—the awareness of our mortality. This alone should propel us because it is only by our collective action that InI will save ourselves.”


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China: From class struggle to marry · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translates a debate that reflects the young generation's value in present day China. The debate is on whether the Chinese communist party's model drama heroine, White Haired Girl, should marry the evil landlord.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: How old is the motherland? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Joel Martinsen from DANWEI translated several articles reacting to the propaganda that equalized the 60th anniversary of PRC to 60-year-old birthday of motherland (China).


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Cuba: Journalism Prize Winner Denied Permission to Leave Cuba · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Yoani Sánchez, Cuban blogger writing in Generacion Y blog, was once again denied permission to leave the island nation of Cuba to go receive the 2009 Maria Moors Cabot award, the oldest international award for journalism.  She recorded a video of her visit to the immigration offices where once again, the 4th time in the last couple of years, she was denied the permission to leave the island. She uploaded the video  and made it known through her twitter account:
In her post, she wrote:
Soy un poco ilusa. Hasta el minuto antes que comenzara la ceremonia del María Moors Cabot –celebrada ayer– pensé que el gobierno cubano iba a cambiar su decisión y dejarme salir. De ahí que guardé la grabación que hice en la Oficina de Inmigración y Extranjería el lunes 12 de Octubre. Hoy, al comprobar que sigo en el mismo sitio, me he decidido a publicarla, pensando especialmente en todos aquellos que están pasando por situaciones similares.
La emoción, el tener tanto que decir, me hicieron hablar a una velocidad difícil para subtitular, pero siento el alivio de haber dicho ante esos uniformes militares todo lo que pienso de ellos y de sus restricciones absurdas.
The excitement, having so much to say, made me speak at a speed difficult to caption, but I feel relief in having said in front of those military uniforms all of what I think about them and their absurd restrictions.
In the video she repeatedly asks the official behind the counter to give her the reasons why she is not allowed to travel. This is how the conversation goes:
Well, I'm coming to see if the prohibition to travel which I've had for over a year has been lifted.
-You can't travel yet
Still? And when will this ban be lifted, do you have any idea?
-Ban?
Well, if I can't get on a plane, it is a ban.
-You are not yet authorized to travel.
And what are the reasons?
-I don't know the reasons.
I don't have any legal causes pending, I am not being processed before a tribunal…
-Go to Citizen Affairs…
I've gone there many times, they know me there, but what I want to know is if this is a ban for life, if I'll be able to leave this country some day. If I should keep trying. What do I do?
-For the time being you are not allowed to travel.
You know this is a violation to my constitutional rights
You are, here, violating my rights as a citizen to be able to move, come and go from my country. This is very serious. For a military institution to deny a civilian citizen a fundamental right, that is like the right to education, to food, the right to move.
- For the time being you are not allowed to travel.
Yes I already have heard that, I know. But what I want is that whomever made the decision, who has the answer, to show their face.
-I am showing my face.
No, you are not giving me an answer, you are repeating the same thing which is written in these papers.
I want an answer to why Yoani Sanchez can't leave the country. Are they so scared of me outside of Cuba?
-For the time being you are not allowed to travel.
Why don't you want me to put a foot on the plane? What are they afraid of? That this 110 pound little person could what? Make a tsunami? Then, why don't they let me leave the country?
-I have told you…
You are embarrassing yourselves. No, but I want to repeat it. You are having the most shameful moment in your lives.
This institution, what you represent, this permission to leave will one day come to an end. My grandchildren will not live under these conditions. When I tell them the story of how the institutions in my country violated my right to move, they won't believe me. What are you going to tell your children? That you were dedicated to violate the rights of Cubans? Is that what you are going to tell them? Because honestly, I feel sorry for you, who are going to have to tell this to your children one day. Not me. I have never violated any one's rights. I just want to be able to exercise my right to behave like a free person. Why can't I? Why? Why am I systematically denied permission to leave? Who is the person making this decision?  They should stop being cowards and show their face and tell me: “Yoani Sanchez, you can't travel because of a, b and c…” But no…
-I am giving you the answer
No, you are just saying no. You are not giving me the reasons. Why? I am not being processed in tribunals, I don't have pending causes, I've never been in the military, I don't hold state secrets, I'm not even a doctor, for whom you don't allow travel for the first 5 years, they need a liberation. I am none of that. I am a person dedicated to the pen.  Why can't I leave? aaah. I do know why I can't leave, but I'm waiting for one of you to tell me.
Because you have an ideological filter. This country is a big jail, with an ideological fence. A partisan fence. And citizens here are judged by political colors. Here we have first rate, second rate and fifth rate citizens…And I don't know in which category I am, but I must be in an underground one, right?  Why? Because of an ideological filter.
But this one day will come to an end. Because this nation has nothing to do with an ideology, with a party, this nation has been and will be before and after you. And then, you will have to account for your actions of all the violations made to us Cubans. Honestly, I'm really sorry, but the future isn't with you. The future is with us. I am 34 years old, I'm going to live, I´m going to live it, and I'll be very happy when I can move freely. And the only thing you are doing is pulling the rubber band very tight. When I can put a foot outside this country, the consequences are going to be a lot greater because that's how you wanted it. That every time more people read my blog, because that's what you have caused. That more people admire me and greet me on the streets, because that's what you have provoked. With prohibitions, with authoritarianism, with police surveillance.
The only thing you have provoked is that all what I do becomes more attractive. So, if I have to thank someone, I have to thank the organisms of State Security, The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Immigration who have contributed to the phenomenon that is my blog, each time greater. Honestly. Thanks!
She also sent in a video acceptance speech to the Maria Moors Cabot award ceremony at Columbia university:
Periodismo Ciudadano (Citizen Journalism) blog also posted a full account of Yoani's situation, including several other videos regarding her current situation. One is from a Miami news channel, where Yoani is given a phone interview where she once again tells of her experience, and Martí news station who is echoeing Amnesty International's call to attention to Yoani's situation.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Global Health: Can Condoms Combat Climate Change? · Global Voices
Juhie Bhatia

As scientists and policymakers search for high-tech ways to fight climate change, a proposed low-tech solution is creating controversy — contraception.
Bloggers around the world are writing about climate change today, October 15, as part of Blog Action Day. One less obvious potential solution to climate change is related to the availability of contraceptives and reproductive health services. Many studies in the past few months have examined the relationship between population growth and climate change, some in support and others against using family planning as a method of emissions reduction and to minimize the impact of climate change. EJ, blogging on New Society Publishers in Canada, elaborates:
“This issue of who lives and who dies, who can have more children and who should have less children, is also beginning to raise its head in the climate change movement…
…Global population is a serious consideration for the future of our ecosystem. We have been debating this issue since at least 1972 when the Club of Rome published Limits to Growth, and yet solutions continue to evade us as we become embroiled in the emotional debates around reproductive choice, euthanasia and quality of life. The issue is so gnarly that some environmentalists refuse to discuss it.”
The world's population is expected to reach more than 9 billion people by 2050, with 95 percent of this growth in developing countries. Those in support of investing in reproductive health services and contraception to combat climate change argue that having fewer children means less carbon emissions and less strain on diminishing natural resources.
An editorial in the medical journal Lancet last month called attention to the links between rapid population growth and increased vulnerability to the consequences of climate change, such as food and water scarcity and environmental degradation. It suggested that by reducing unintended pregnancies, we could slow the high rates of population growth and possibly ease pressure on the environment.  The Lancet says that over 200 million women want, but currently lack, access to modern contraceptives, resulting in 76 million unintended pregnancies every year.
An economic case was made for investing in reproductive health by a recent study from the London School of Economics (LSE) and commissioned by the UK-based Optimum Population Trust. It showed that contraception is almost five times cheaper than leading green technologies, such as wind and solar power and hybrid or electric cars, to combat climate change. Specifically, the study found that each $7 (£4) spent on basic family planning over the next four decades would reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by more than a ton, but it would cost a minimum of $32 (£19) to achieve the same result with low-carbon technologies.
Matthew Yglesias, blogging on Yglesias in the United States, supports the study's finding:
“The evidence is pretty clear that in societies where women are empowered and have access to contraception, that on average they want modest-sized families. And what this study is talking about is specifically what could be accomplished by closing the gap between the level of contraception that people want to have and the level of contraception they’re actually able to maintain. There are dozens of good reasons to think closing that gap would be beneficial, the impact on the environment is one of them.”
Still, Ann, blogging on Feministing in the United States, remains wary of the study's recommendations, saying:
“The LSE report contains a prominent caveat that this is about non-coercive family planning, but using fears about climate change as a way to expand contraceptive use is eerily reminiscent of ‘population control’ policies, some of which were coercive and all of which were rooted in the idea that certain people should be having fewer babies…
…We all understand that empowering women to determine their own reproductive fates leads to other benefits — economic, societal, and yes, environmental. But given the history of population policy, to me the only acceptable international family planning policy is one that is motivated by increasing the empowerment and choices for women. Full stop.”
The New Security Beat says that countries such as India are objecting to bringing population into the climate change debate without more focus on reducing consumption in developed countries. A recent study supports this assertion. Published in the journal Environment and Urbanization, it shows there is at most a weak link between population growth and rising emissions of greenhouse gases. The study's researchers say the real issue is not the growth in the number of people, but the growth in the number of consumers and their consumption levels.
Simeon, a reader of Malawi's NyasaTimes commented on the study:
“The West needs to learn to live simply if we are ever going to cut these green house emissions. This may sound like moralising, after all Africans envy the western lifestyle and see it as a model of prosperity and happiness. We waste time connecting population growth climate change. I am happy that the study has finally exposed the lie behind this long held fallacy. President Yoweri Museveni recently at the United Nations asked a very tough question: ‘If the whole world were to have access to the western lifestyle, would the planet be able to support us?’ I see that in the years to come the concept of development needs to be seriously reviewed and changed. Maybe to develop may mean living healthily and not necessary having everything”
Ruth Limkin, a pastor blogging from Australia, says maybe we should take a different approach altogether, where people are the solution and not the problem:
“What if we invested in innovation and respected reproduction?
The inherent potential in humanity itself is stunning if ever appreciated in its breadth and depth. The genesis of a truly great, revolutionary idea for energy generation, for agricultural technology, for waste reduction or for recycling methods may lie in the person you met yesterday.
Or it may lie in the fourth child of a family in Africa or India. What if, instead of controlling population, we created opportunities for education, established cultures of creativity and encouraged responsible, careful use of the natural resources around us?”
Photo of Friendly Condoms by Alaskan Dude on Flickr, Creative Commons.

author: Juhie Bhatia