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Lebanon: Bloggers Snub Hariri Rally · Global Voices
Antoun Issa

Inspired by uprisings across the Arab world, former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri held a rally in Beirut on Sunday calling for the disarming of the powerful Shi'ite Hezballah movement.
Hezballah – Lebanon's largest political party and only faction to have retained its weapons – ousted Hariri and his pro-Western March 14 coalition from government in January following the defection of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt to the Hezballah camp.
Despite attracting thousands of supporters to the rally, Hariri failed to make an impact online as the Lebanese blogosphere largely snubbed his demonstration.
Scattered coverage of the Hariri rally can be found amongst Lebanese blogs, which is a significant contrast from the major role social media has played in the Arab uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Bahrain.
In a time of increasing debate on the role of social media in popular unrest, one must wonder whether a revolution is possible without the assistance of social media. Such an argument appears to have merit in Lebanon at least.
Indeed, Lebanon's circumstances are unique in the Arab world, where the majority of the region continues to live under the iron fist of an autocratic ruler. Lebanon, conversely, is a quasi-democracy constrained by the sectarian nature of its political system that pits the country's confessions against each other in a struggle for power.
The Lebanese blogosphere has, however, largely moved beyond the sectarianism that defines Lebanon's politics, and thus offer an alternative voice on Lebanese affairs and life that is not subject to a factional allegiance. That the blogosphere has snubbed the Hariri rally is an important indication of the failure of Hariri to woo neutral Lebanese to his cause.
Nevertheless, one prominent Lebanese blogger – Beirut Spring – offered his views on the Sunday protest:
Right before Mr. Hariri spoke, a large poster of King Abduallah of  Saudi Arabia was erected on one of the walls of Virgin and became a  backdrop for Mr. Hariri’s speech.
I was very dismayed when I saw it, as it contradicts much of what March 14 stands for. To mention only two things: The rejection of foreign  intervention in Lebanon and the embracing of liberal values like  freedom, democracy and multiculturalism (all of which are absent in  Saudi Arabia).
It’s telling that the king’s poster was erected right before Mr.  Hariri’s speech. This means that those handling the logistics know that  such a backdrop would have been political suicide for Christian speakers  like Mr. Samir Geagea and Amin el Gemayel.
But why even erect that poster in the first place? The best answer I  could think of is this: This is a loud  message to Mr. Najib Mikati and  to the rest of the world that whatever Mr. Hariri is about to say is  approved by the Saudi King. In other words, Mr. Mikati has received  “official” Sunni ostracism.
A mocking video of Hariri removing his jacket was circulated on YouTube:
A supporter, Elie Fares, gave his reasons for attending the rally on his blog A Separate State of Mind:
1. I’m participating to let the old senile man, accusing me of not existing anymore, know that I am here to stay.
2. I’m participating to let the whole world know that I am not to be taken for granted.
3. I’m participating because I need to bring my country back to where I chose it to go in 2009.
4. I’m participating because people seem to have forgotten how horrible it was when Syrians had control on the country.
5. I’m participating because my view of the best Lebanon does not  include armed militias that can do whatever they want, whenever they  want and expect you not to do anything about it.
6. I’m participating because I do not approve of political hypocrisy – one that has become all too common today.
7. I’m participating because I refuse the notion that having an opinion in Lebanon makes you part of the “herd.”
8. I’m participating because I don’t want my future to be one  involving being stranded on doors of embassies and getting a colonoscopy  in airports where my country is blacklisted.
9. I’m participating because while we were the “angels” in this  country, it’s high time we be its devils (in a peaceful and organized  way, of course)
10. I’m participating because our martyrs, who died to keep this country free and sovereign, should not be forgotten.
11. I’m participating because in a world that is bleak, the concept of justice is one that will keep a light on.
12. I’m participating because I believe it’s high time we take a stand with what we believe in.
13. I’m participating because I want to.
Although Hariri may own a large number of Lebanese mainstream media outlets, he appears to have little sway over a major independent voice in the country: social media.

author: Antoun Issa


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Palestine: Protests for National Unity · Global Voices
Betsy Fisher

Independent youth in Palestine called for protests in Gaza and the West Bank on March 15, 2011, showing their loyalty to Palestine rather than to Hamas and Fatah. Organized through Facebook, thousands gathered in al-Katibah Square in Gaza City.
It was notable that only Palestinian flags flew – flags of Hamas were reportedly absent. Later, Hamas forces broke up the protests with force, and several people were hospitalized.
Omar Ghraeib wrote about his experiences at Katibah Square in Gaza:
Today was epic, protesters gathered at al katibah and created a human chain and then moved to al jundi l majhool square and everything was fine till Hamas supporters showed up.  They wanted to take over by gathering at al jundi al majhool square holding Hamas flags, protesters resented that and tried to let them understand that #March15 movement is purely youth without any political background or political preference.
Light clashes occured between both groups, they exchanged throwing rocks at each other and some verbal profanities till the youth decided to leave al jundi sqaure and head back to al katibah because they arent looking for trouble.  The atmosphere was buzzing and amazing there, many youth joined and many were coming every minute. Every one chanting, dancing and singing. The weather was awesome.
I left to upload the pics and video I took because I lost my connection at al katiba, minutes later i heard that Hamas was warning everybody to leave alkatibah before 5 pm so as to not to risk epmtying al katibah by force.  People ignored the warning and started flowing to al katibah and planned a sit-in and a sleep-in.
at 7 pm something weird was happening, I started hearing sirens then gunshots then people screaming and running in all directions. (I live near al katibah)  Things got ugly and Hamas ended up emptying al katibah by force, many protesters were injured.
Youtube vid before the attacks:
Abuel Sharif reflected on the protests:
the situation in Palestine isn’t natural, division isn’t natural, having my own brother as an enemy isn’t natural, it saddens me to say that the days were Israel was occupying Palestine were the normal ones, if no, we didn’t live in a normal situation ever !
Omar Ghraeib also uploaded a series of photos:
Gaza revolts 2011, day 2! Youth moved 2 al katiba! Posted by Twitpic user Omar_Gaza.
On March 15, Ghonaim uploaded a video of protesters in Katiba being dispersed:
Thousands returned to the streets on Wednesday, March 16. Tweeps reported that these protests were again met with violence from Hamas supporters.
Omar tweeted:
@Omar_Gaza: Protesters (both genders) sieged at al azhar university r being attacked and beaten up! allah ma3ko
Laila Abu Dahi similarly tweeted:
@LailaDahi: #video Hamas forces attacking female students in Al-Azhar uni. while male students tryin to protect them http://bit.ly/dY5eOB #Mar15
@AmoonaE uploaded this video on March 16, showing Al-Azhar students being hit by attackers armed with bats:
Palestinians in Ramallah also joined in demonstrations for national unity on March 15, demonstrating independence from Fatah. Twitter user @Palestinevoiced provided ongoing updates:
@Palestinevoiced: over 2,000 protesters on Manara Square of Ramallah right now. #Palestine #mar15
Shortly adding, in reference to Fatah's yellow flags:
Fateh rolls in with protesters 30 minutes ago. (no yellow falgs [flags] at least). #Palestine #mar15
Followed by:
Fatah supporters attempt to break sit down by independent youth groups #Palestine #mar15
Protests continued on to March 16 and by 8pm were still ongoing according to @Palestinevoiced:
Around 200 hundred protesters in Ramallah! #Palestine #mar15
Demonstrations on the night of the 16 March appear to be peaceful:
Police distribute food and drinks to protesters in Ramallah NOW. Its obvious they want to play along. #Palestine #mar15
@NalanSarraj, @Omar_Gaza, @LailaDahi, and @nazek88 are tweeting live from Gaza.  @Palestinevoiced and @Palestine15Mar are tweeting from Ramallah, and @AmoonaE is compiling tweets and media from other tweeps across Palestine.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Betsy Fisher


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Philippines: Bloggers Dispel Japan Nuclear Scare Hoax · Global Voices
Julius Rocas

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
As Japanese authorities are scrambling to contain the on-going nuclear crisis in the quake and tsunami hit Fukushima, governments in its neighboring countries are fighting to control the spread of something equally dangerous – hoax messages that sow unfounded fear and panic in the public about Japan's nuclear problems.
In the Philippines, it all started with a hoax message which circulated via SMS warning the public to stay indoors, swab iodine on their necks and avoid getting caught in the acid rain that was allegedly caused by radioactive material that leaked from Japan's damaged nuclear power plants.
The hoax message soon leaked into social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. However, bloggers were quick in coming out to prove that the messages were false and expose it as such.
Rungitom dissects the message point-by-point to prove it's a hoax:
Why is it a hoax again? Here are the reasons:
Ralph at Trunk Locker joins the chorus of bloggers appealing to everyone not to simply forward messages via SMS without taking time to check on the facts or veracity of the information:
And please if you received the text message, don’t spread it and might as well tell the person who passed it to you that it wasn’t true.  In times of crisis, we Filipinos must learn from the Japanese… they were bombarded with calamities… first was the earthquake, then the tsunami and now the impending danger of radiation exposure due to damaged nuclear power plant… but they remained calm… they remained disciplined.  It was said in the news that they were waiting in line for their turn to receive relief goods and there were no reported robbing in shops and grocery stores.  All praises to them.
However, some like Tiffany Ann Amores-Amortizado, may have doubted the message after doing her own search on the Internet, but still chose to err on the side of caution:
As a mother of 3 young children, I am a known worrier. And to take necessary or UNnecessary precautions, I WILL PLAY IT SAFE and stay indoors for at least 24 hours.
Still on the other hand Blogged Philippines argues that playing safe isn't really safe:
Some may argue that they just followed what the SMS said because its better to be safe. Yes, that saying is absolutely true if the definition of “safe” is clear. In the case of the Fukushima radiation hoax, how many of us is sure that putting an iodine solution in our thyroid will protect us against radiation? Whether it will help or not, I don't know. What I know is that I'm not sure about it. What if the opposite is true, and putting an iodine solution in your necks will even worsen the case? The point is, before making a decision, make sure that you have FACTS.
In the case of the Fukushima Radiation Hoax, the damage is not big. That's something we should be thankful for. It only resulted to people staying at home, suspended classes, and an increase in the sale of “betadine” solution. :-). But think about this: What if the message instead requires a more drastic action? Will you do it?
In an effort to genuinely help out, Korhz shared some tips on how to be prepared when one gets caught in disasters like an earthquake or a nuclear event.
Juan Republic dug deeper into the hoax message, illustrating how Filipino culture with its penchant for gossip have contributed to how it got so viral:
It all started with a chismis – an unconfirmed text message that was repeatedly forwarded because of fear. Whoever was the one behind this fiasco, he succeeded. He induced fear and changed the normal routine of some of the Filipinos. He created an instant talk-of-the town. Or if he did it for fun, for sure, he laughed his ass out.
It’s just so disappointing that some idiots grab the opportunity of a disaster to create something stupid and for self-gratification.
Should our chismis culture be blamed? Our love for showbiz-oriented shows and tabloid-liked stories may be a factor.
…
Unfortunately, they passed the wrong message.
And the rest was an infamous story.
With today’s technology, news and information can be delivered faster. But technology doesn’t give us accuracy or veracity instantly.
Then there's this satirical piece on Mosquito Press hitting back at Filipinos, sharply pointing out that being easily affected by hoaxes is due to their ‘exceptional gullibility.’
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Julius Rocas


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Philippines signs Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Lawyer Harry Roque was a witness when the Philippine president signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court last week.

author: Mong Palatino


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Russia: 80 Million of Russians to Go Online by 2014 · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

Given current online trends in Russia, the Internet penetration in the country in 2014 will be as high as 71 percent with 80 million of Russians using the Web, the latest report [RUS] of the Public Opinion Foundation said.

author: Vadim Isakov


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Russia: An Alternative Rating of Russian Bloggers · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

LJ-user Ognenna have compiled an alternative rating of Russian LiveJournal bloggers based on the citation of their names in wordstat.yandex.ru. According to the rating, the most cited bloggers are: Artemiy Lebedev (graphic designer), Boris Nemtsov (opposition politician), Anastasia Volochkova (rowdy ballet dancer).

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: New Website Fights Corruption in Moscow University  · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

New website MGIMOleaks.com is designed to fight corruption at prestigious Moscow State University of International Relations. People are urged to inform the site administration about any cases of bribery, scams, abuse of powers, etc. The information will then be published on the site and given anonymously to the police.


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Russia: Tweets From State Duma “Internet Law” Hearing · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Inna Smbatyan, analyst at “Social Networks” Agency, tweets [ru] from the Russian State Duma “Internet Law” hearing. The draft of the law that would regulate online activity in Russia can be found here [ru].


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Senegal: March 19, National Day of Action · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

The winds of revolt are blowing across the Maghreb and the Middle East. Many opponents have been inspired to protest in Gabon and Cameroon as well.
Political opponents in Senegal are also getting in on the action by expressing their discontent at their government's misguided ways. March 19, 2011, has been chosen as the date to organize demonstrations in the country.
Winds of revolution
Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal. Image by Flickr user World Economic Forum (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Basile on I blog, therefore I am announced [fr] an initiative called: “We are fed up!” For March 19 at independence square”:
Le vent de la révolution venant des pays « Arabes» va souffler au Sénégal. En effet le patron du Groupe de presse Walfadjri vient de donner le coup d’envoi. En conférence de presse ce jeudi, Sidy Lamine Niasse a appelé tous les Sénégalais  à une grande marche de protestation ce 19 mars prochain – date d’anniversaire de l’alternance politique au Sénégal – pour dénoncer l’injustice qui règne dans le pays. Le sit in aura pour cadre la place de Protêt ou place de l’indépendance, rebaptisée par Sidy Lamine Niasse, « place Tahrir » du nom ce haut lieu symbolique en Egypte.
@basileniane announced the beginning of the #19mars (March 19) [fr] hashtag on Twitter:
Chers blogueurs Sénégalais et de la diaspora c'est parti pour le hashtag #19mars en attendant #kebetu de #sunu2012
Screenshot of the Facebook page "Senegalese Revolution".
@basileniane also announced [fr] the creation of a Facebook page:
Révolution Sénégalaise : La page facebook qui sonne la révolte: Les Sénégalais sont entrés dans la danse d… http://bit.ly/i4 in Pb.
The page only has about 100 [update 15/03/11: 250] fans for now, but many web users have started their own “revolution”.
A post on the website Afrik.com on how the movement “We are fed up” is shaking the governing power [fr], informs us that the rap group Keur Gui was arrested after denouncing the Senegalese government's misguided ways and failures. The post ends with:
À un an des Présidentielles, le mouvement « Y en a marre » n’a sans doute pas fini de faire parler de lui.
Prior to the rap group Keur Gui, a young traveling salesman had expressed his discontent [fr] with the current governing power. Others like activist Ansoumana Dione [fr] are wishing for a peace committee for the nation [fr]. Others, such as the PIT (Party of Independence and Labor) are recommending [fr] President Abdoulaye Wade's immediate departure.
However, Wade does not only have opponents, for example, in a post titled “My name is Sidy Lamine Niasse – Yes! What's it got to do with you?“, Walid Faye warns against Niasse's rallying calls:
Devons-nous tout simplement faire la révolution parce que Sidy Lamine Niasse, un patron de télé, qui doit de l'argent à l'état le demande ?
Reasons behind the anger
The reasons for the anger? This non-exhaustive list of articles details the complaints of the regime's opponents:

author: Anna Gueye


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South Korea: Old Feuds Forgotten as Koreans React to Japan Quake · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
As Japan faces the growing possibility of radiation leaks from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, damaged by the earthquake on March 11, 2011, fears grow in its closest neighboring country, South Korea. Among the 910,000 South Koreans who live in Japan, two have been confirmed dead although many more went missing during the quake.
Forgetting old feuds between the two countries, South Korean bloggers and tweeps have expressed both deep concern and support for Japan in its time of crisis. Harsh criticisms meanwhile have been leveled at Korean media for aggravating the already grave situation.
Google Earth Image showing Japan and Korea. Fukushima nuclear power plant location is marked 'A'.
Fear and rumors
There are about 1,300 kilometers between the Fukushima plant to South Korean capital Seoul. Local and international experts have speculated that a catastrophic meltdown at the plant might affect adjacent countries including South Korea, China and Taiwan.
Reflecting public fears of possible radiation leaks, a tweet briefly circulated on March 16, warning that the radiation fallout would reach the Korean peninsula by 4 pm. This was later proven to be a false report, with some even speculating [ko] that the rumor was intentionally spread by financial companies wishing to gain profits by sudden shifts in the stock markets.
Tweeps quickly corrected the bogus message. Kim Jin Seop (@ohappyda) tweeted [ko]:
[…]기상청 이름으로 “4시 이후 외출 자제”라는 문자가 발송되고 있다고 합니다.근거없는 소문이며,기상청에서는 문자를 발송하지 않았습니다.주변분들에게 전달 부탁드립니다. 무한RT!!!”
Between March 12-13, Koreans were speculating on a rumor claiming that “foreigners” were looting stores in Japan (referring to Koreans, in some cases). This brought back unpleasant recollections of the 1923 Kanto earthquake in Japan, whereby malicious rumors and news reporting led to Koreans being falsely accused of poisoning wells and committing arson and robbery. Nearly 7,000 Koreans were slaughtered as a result and many were raped, around Tokyo and Yokohama.
Old feuds forgotten
Poster encouraging donations by KFHI (Korea Food for Hungry International).
Besides official donations made by organizations such as Red Cross Korea, numerous voluntary donations have been made online by South Koreans in support of Japan. A donation page on the Daum Agora website has already raised around 80 million Korean won (about USD 70,000).
The page states that, “though the emotional distance between Japan and Korea is quite far”, it is still “so painful to watch that these people's lives collapsed into rubbles in fleeting seconds and we can feel their fear when we saw the tsunami rushing over to their villages.”
A student living in Urayasu, in Japan's Chiba prefecture for four years, shared his experience [ko] of the quake and tried to persuade fellow Koreans set aside the old feud between the two countries. His post was viewed more than 50,000 times within just a few days.
When it was also posted [ko] on Nate Pann, another popular Korean public forum, young people wrote down their phone numbers and real names to request to volunteer to help:
정말 이럴때야 말로 “죽지 않고 꼭 살아돌아갈께요” 라는 약속을 드리고 싶네요. […] 이 일본땅에사는 선량한 시민들이 너무나도 많이 죽었습니다. 제 여자친구의 시누이 가족도 연락두절 상태입니다. 한국에서 인터넷에 댓글 남기시는거 이곳에 여러분 일본이 과거에 많은 만행을 저지르고,독도영해권 등 많은 잘못을 저질렀지만 아직도 일본이 나쁜도시만은 아닙니다. 저도 2년간 살았지만 정말 좋은도시입니다. 사람들도 따뜻한 사람들이였구요.[…] 저도 오늘 오후 4시 쯤 도쿄에서 차를타고 이바라키 – 오아라이 쪽으로 이동하며 피난민 및 사망자 넋을 기리기 위하여 자원봉사를 떠날 예정입니다. 그 이후로 후쿠시마,센다이 미야기 쪽으로 이동하려고 합니다. 이 카페에서도 많은 일본거주 유저분들이 있는것으로 압니다. 그분들에게도 힘내시라는 말씀 하나 전해드리고싶습니다.
Besides the legacy of crimes – sex slave practices, experiments on human, torture and massacres – committed during the Japanese military rule, the Dokdo island issue has also fueled endless rifts and tensions between the two countries. Choi Min Jun, a student interested in the Dokdo issue, publicly asked respected South Korean singer Kim Jang Hoon, who spearheads the anti-Japan Dokdo campaign, about his stance on the 2011 earthquake disaster.
Choi said that some net users had called him a ‘pro-Japanese traitor’ when he criticized some comments that saying Japan had deserved the disaster. Kim, after rebuking those insensitive comments as “something that should not be happening in real world”, posted [ko] an article on his Cyworld page entitled ‘Pray for the Japanese People':
제가 독도를 사랑하고 동해를 주장한다고 해서 일본을 싫어하지도 일본사람을 미워하지도 않습니다. 그 일에 대해 우리는 다른 길을 가고 있을뿐. 합리적으로,순리적으로 역사적으로,그 일을 해결하면 되는것이지. 무턱대고 사람이 사람을 미워하는건 아니라고 생각하구요.  저 또한 일본의 지진피해 소식을 듣고 맘이 너무 너무 아팠습니다. 내가 무언가 할수 없나..도 생각해보았구요..진지하게. […] 한국과 일본은, 급변하고 요동치는 세계사회에서 결국은 함께 손을 잡고 헤쳐 나아가야하는 이웃나라이자 동반자가 아닌가..하는 생각에서입니다.  호사카교수님도 말씀하셨지만, 한일이 그렇게 되기 위한 관계에서 독도문제는 가시입니다. 그 가시를 빨리 뽑고 함께 친구처럼 지냈으면 하는 바람입니다.
Korean media criticized
An engineering professor and Twitter user @funguypph published [ko] one of his pupil's tweets, which openly criticized the Korean mainstream media's reporting style, while praising the calm and reassuring tone of Japanese reports. The pupil was near Tokyo when the earthquake hit:
슬퍼서 당장 죽을 상황이 아니라 앞으로 헤쳐나갑시다. 우리 모두 하나입니다 라는 방송이 너무 부럽네요. 끔찍한 생방송은 모두 보여주면서도 끝까지 국민들을 안심시키려는 자상함은 정치가 개인이 아닌 나라에서 느껴졌습니다. 우리나라 뉴스에서는 마치 SF영화를 보는듯한 긴박감이 느껴지는 배경음악과 지나친 줌인 화면으로 자극시키는 반면, 여기는 책임자가 밤샘 잠도 안자고 정기적으로 나와 발표를 하고 있습니다. 정말 그 책임자의 건강이 걱정이 될 정도입니다. 겨우 한국구조대 5 명과 개 2 마리를 보내놓고 전세계에서 가장 빨리 보냈다고 으시대는 한국언론이 밉기만 합니다.
Korean media, especially mainstream conservative media outlets, are infamous for their over-dramatization of events. When North Korea shelled South Korea's Yeonpyeong island back in November 2010, they published extremely provocative headlines along with heavily photoshopped images to make the situation look worse than it was.
On March 12 and 13, some Korean television stations rather insensitively reported that the quake would affect Hallyu (Korean wave) showbusiness through a slowdown in Japanese consumption. This sparked mass criticism from South Koreans and even led some people to encourage a boycott of the media companies’ sponsors.
Celebrity supporters
Many South Korean movie and music stars who have gained huge popularity in Japan have made generous donations to the quake relief efforts. South Korean actor Bae Yong-jun pledged 1 billion won (USD 900,000) to a relief organization in Japan, whilst Kim Hyun-joong, a young actor/singer donated 100 million won (USD 90,000).
Actors Lee Byung-hun, Ryu Si-won and Song Seung-hun also made donations and KARA, a girl group who recently had a hit in Japan, posted hand-written letters (both in Japanese and Korean) on their official website. Korean boy band JYJ, popular in Japan, have posted a video of support.
Ordinary Koreans, though they cannot afford such huge donations, are looking for practical ways to help Japan, and are desperately praying for the Fukushima plant employees working around the clock to minimize radiation leaks for the sake of people across East Asia.
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Taiwan: Country’s Nuclear Power Plants Are High Risk · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

The explosion of reactors and failure of cooling systems at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant after the biggest earthquake in the country's recorded history, has alerted the world how risky nuclear power is.
In Germany, tens of thousand environmentalists took to the street on March 12, 2011, the day after the quake struck in Japan, demanding the government to shift from atomic energy to clean energy. Yet, the threat Germany faces falls far behind Japan and Taiwan; the country is not located in the active earthquake zone, whereas its Asian counterparts are in the Pacific tectonic ‘ring of fire.’
Beach near Kenting nuclear plant, Taiwan. Image by Flickr user impaulsive photography (CC BY 2.0).
Currently Japan has 17 nuclear power plants in its 378,000 square-kilometer territory and three more will be in operation by 2018. Taiwan covers an area of just 36,000 square kilometers, yet has three nuclear power plants and is building a fourth. The density of nuclear power plants is therefore much higher in Taiwan than in Japan, so you can image how Taiwanese feel when they see the disaster unfolding at Fukushima.
High risk
Indeed, the risk of nuclear power plants hit by an earthquake in Taiwan is very high, as 朱淑娟 (Shu-Chuan Chu) points out:
核電廠距離經過金山海岸的「山腳斷層」只有5到7公里。核四廠址5公里內就有6條「非活動斷層」，且貢寮核四廠址的半徑80公里海域內，有70幾座海底火山，其中的11座更處於活火山的狀態。
核一廠耐震設計是0.3g，核二、核三、核四為0.4g，遠不如日本核電廠原本的耐震設計0.6g（g為重力加速度）。日本核電廠為了因應強震，已開始進行耐震強度提昇工程到1.0g，但台灣卻仍無視於地震的威脅。
Because of the geographical similarities, 菊地洋一 (Yoichi Kikuchi), a Japanese expert in nuclear power plants, warns that nuclear power plants in Taiwan may have similar structure-related problems as those observed in Japan:
台灣的核一、核二廠所用的反應爐與日本都是屬於同一型，而且兩國都是多地震國家，所以在日本發生的問題，台灣不可能會沒有問題。最近的 BWR 型屬使用最高品質的 SUS316L 製造 (材料的質地較軟，因此較不容易產生裂痕的現象) ；各電力公司一再強調，這種材料絕對不會發生裂痕問題。可是實際上它還是發生了，這次日本東京電力公司隱瞞事件(註: 2002年)中也發現，其它的部分同樣也有裂痕。
To summarize, the nuclear power plants in Taiwan are not immune to the natural forces that destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The Fourth Taiwan Nuclear Power Plant. Image by Flickr user Hao-Zhong Wang
Nuclear plant opens in 2011
In spite of all the worries and questions raised by concerned citizens and experts, the Taiwanese government planned to have the fourth nuclear power plant in operation by 2011, as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Republic of China. The running of this nuclear power plant was claimed to be delayed after amid calls for a temporary suspension after the Fukushima incident. Nevertheless, a new schedule with safety measures was not revealed, and the construction of this nuclear power plant was not suspended.
In an exchange gathering between Japanese and Taiwanese green activists back in August 2010, some participants alerted [zh] that rushed nuclear construction might lead to future disaster:
台灣只因行政院長一聲令下，就被迫必須趕在明年完工的核四，與發生人類史上最慘烈核安事故的前蘇聯車諾比核電廠，竟然有許多相似之處。
1983 年車諾比核電廠已有3座原子機組運轉，而正在興建中的四號機工程進度卻大幅落後，核電廠廠長普力烏哈諾夫不敢表明工程延誤的事實，且適逢12月22日核能工業紀念日，蘇聯政府希望機組能趕在這個國家紀念日完工。於是電廠不計一切手段，變更原本設計及材料，終於趕在當日完工。接下來，竟又省略許多必須的安全測試，趕在隔年3月27日商業運轉。事後，廠長及大半主管獲得表揚及獎金…1986年4月26日，車諾比電廠4號機在機組測試中失控爆炸。
曾經在2008年爆發擅自變更設計、控制室也曾經被颱風滅頂，如今事故頻傳，卻一樣背負著「上級命令」趕工運轉的核四，真的可以啟動嗎？

author: I-fan Lin


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Taiwan: Problems with Chinese-language pedagogy · Global Voices
David Reid

Lao Ren Cha discusses problems with the pedagogy of teaching Mandarin in Taiwan. She wants to see a mutiny that will result in an overhaul in how Mandarin is taught.

author: David Reid


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Thailand: Cleaning Pattaya Beach · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Talen blogs about the clean-up drive in Pattaya Beach, Thailand.


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Thailand: Who will dominate this year’s elections? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Dan Waites, writing for Siam Voices, analyzes the chances of Thailand's political parties which will participate in this year's elections


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Ukraine: Comparing Fukushima to Chernobyl? · Global Voices
Tetyana Bohdanova

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
The devastating earthquake and the resulting tsunami that hit Japan on Friday caused significant damage to Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, where the shut-down of the cooling system has triggered an unfortunate chain of events resulting in several blasts, a fire and temperature rises at the plant’s nuclear reactors.
As events unfolded, the media increasingly presented the situation at Fukushima as the world’s worst nuclear accident since the Soviet-era disaster of Chernobyl. This news has hit home in Ukraine, where the Chernobyl nuclear plant is located and where memories of the terrible events of 25 years ago are still very much alive.
Abandoned schoolroom near Chernobyl. Image by Vlad Sokhin, copyright Demotix (04/04/08).
Ukrainian bloggers and twitterers have closely followed and commented on the situation in Fukushima. Kyiv-based LJ user nadiya55 wrote this [ru]:
Электричество – это хорошо, удобно, привычно. Ядерная энергетика – удобно и выгодно. Но это опасная игрушка в руках невежественного существа – человека, не умеющего предусмотреть и обезопасить в форс-мажоре.
Чернобыль, ещё чернобыли..???
Electricity is good, convenient and routine. Nuclear power is convenient and profitable. But it is a dangerous toy in the hands of such an ignorant creature as a human being, which is unable to foresee and protect [itself from] force majeure.
Chernobyl, more chernobyls…???
Kharkiv-based LJ user slobozhanyn wrote this [uk]:
Ясності що саме сталося немає… Воно й ясно. Ніхто в умовах, коли Японія зазнала катастрофічного лиха внаслідок землетрусу та цунамі нічого не скаже, бо це просто підніме паніку. А так – народ там дисциплінований, тому зайвого кіпішу не буде.
І ось останні повідомлення, що аварія подібна до того, що сталося на Трі-Майл-Айленді у 1979-му… Тобто “вибухнула мусорна бомба”, але не наружу, як в Чорнобилі, а в середину…
[…]
Зараз повідомили, що аварії на даний момент надали 4-й рівень з 7-ми за класифікацією МАГАТЕ. До слова, 5-й у Трі-Майл-Айленд'а, а 7-й … не будемо про погане…
[…] It is unclear what has actually happened [at Fukushima-1]… But it is understood. In the situation when Japan has just been devastated by an earthquake and a tsunami nobody would tell something [openly], because it would only cause panic. Well, the people there are disciplined, so there would not be unnecessary [upset].
And the last reports are about the accident being similar to the one on the Three Mile Island in 1979… Which means that “a waste bomb blew up”, although not outwards, like in Chernobyl, but inwards…
[…]
Now it has been reported that the incident is currently rated at 4 on a 0 to 7 scale [International Nuclear Event Scale]. By the way, [level] 5 – on the Three Mile Island, and 7… but let’s not talk about the bad stuff [the Chernobyl accident was the only one classified as level 7].
LJ user astarot-reload posted maps, pictures and links to news reports about Fukushima-1 and wrote this [uk]:
[…] Таки є там радіаційне зараження зі слів Японської влади. […]в країні землетрусів 55 реакторів…
повернемось до новин: новини пагані – системи охолодження на деяких реакторах вийшли з ладу, інженери качають в ті реактори морську воду.. тобто варто очікувати більш серьозних викідів радіації..[…] Землетрус – Цунамі – ядерне зараження.. кожний раз здавалось куди вже щє. […]
[…] So there is radiological contamination, according to the Japanese authorities.  […] In the country of earthquakes there are 55 reactors…
But let’s get back to the news: the news is [bad] –  cooling systems on some reactors have failed, engineers are pumping sea water in… this means more serious radiation leaks are to be expected… […] Earthquake, tsunami, radiation contamination… Every time it seems things could not get any worse. […]
Many Twitter users have noted that the hashtag #Chernobyl was trending and commented about the speculations on similarities between the incidents:
@Misterio_SS tweeted this [uk]:
Чорнобиль в трендi. Невже в #Japan справдi все так погано?
@2X_ tweeted this [uk]:
@spotko всі так перелякались землетрусу, цунамі і апокаліпсу що вже і Чорнобиль згадали #Ukraine #Japan #Chernobyl
@antiolya tweeted this [uk]:
Привіт японський “чорнобиль”. В СРСР спочатку теж казали, що нічого серйозного у вибусі АЕС не буде.
@serg_lukyan tweeted this [uk]:
@dvrnd Цілком може бути, що для ядерної енергетики японські події стануть ударом, страшнішим за Чорнобиль. В сенсі громадських настроїв.
Ukraine's ex-prime minister and current opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko (@Yulia Tymoshenko) tweeted this [uk]:
@kino4ka Я стежу за ситуацією в Японії.Ми знаємо, яка це велика біда (Чорнобиль).Слава Богу, реактор цілий. До Токіо всього [200] км.
A journalist and blogger Kyrylo Lukerenko posted this [uk]:
За 25 років після Чорнобиля ми встигли звикнути до виключності нашого нещастя. Пережите лихо в очах багатьох навіть певною мірою виправдовувало довгі роки наших економічних труднощів і безбарвний побут багатьох наших співвітчизників.
Тепер у нас все менше підстав вважати наше горе унікальними, таким що і надалі заслуговує на співчуття цілого світу.
Крім того, ми просто звикли до Чорнобиля, а події у Японії знову нагадують усім нам про його небезпеку: зокрема і про те, що через 25 років після катастрофи на ЧАЕС над зруйнованим реактором не існує надійного укриття, яке б убезпечило витоки радіації назовні. […]
До чого я веду – як воно буде далі невідомо, але якщо зведення нового саркофага над ЧАЕС дійсно настільки потрібне, як нас переконують, то ставитися до нього треба навіть з більшим ентузіазмом, ніж до підготовки до Євро-2012.
During the 25 years since Chernobyl we have gotten used to the exclusivity of our misfortune. In the eyes of some, the tragedy we went through even justified the long years of economic hardship and the bleak everyday life of many of our fellow countrymen.
Now we no longer have the right to consider our grief unique, such that still deserves sympathy of the whole world.
Moreover, we have simply grown accustomed to Chernobyl, and the events in Japan again remind us all of its dangers: in particular, of the fact that 25 years after the [Chernobyl] disaster there is still no reliable cover that would safeguard against radiation leaks. […]
What I’m trying to say is this – how things would develop remains unclear, but if the construction of the [new sarcophagus around Chernobyl] is as important as they are trying to convince us, we should treat it with even bigger enthusiasm than our preparations for Euro-2012 [UEFA European Football Championship].
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Tetyana Bohdanova


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USA: Science Bloggers Explain Earthquakes and Tsunamis · Global Voices
David Wescott

As Japan and the rest of the world struggle to make sense of the devastating earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear scare, science bloggers are sharing facts to help explain what happened. Where science bloggers excel is not only understanding what happens, but knowing how to explain it so anyone can understand.
The Earth deformed
Theoretical astrophysicist Ethan Siegel of Scienceblogs.com's Starts With A Bang! provides a basic explanation:
The Earth is built like a giant, spherical layer cake. The inner core — made up of mostly iron and nickel — is the densest of all the layers, while the lithosphere — the Earth's crust — is the least dense… if we want the most stable Earth possible, it would be a perfect “onion”, with the densest, heaviest elements being concentrated at the center, and then — with each outer layer — a progressively lower and lower density. And it wants to be like that, packed as tightly as possible, the same way that a stone sinks in water, an iceberg floats on an ocean, or a helium balloon rises in air… unfortunately, the Earth is not in its most stable possible configuration right now. But, over time, gravity is doing everything it can to help it get there. How? By bringing denser, more massive chunks closer to the center, and uplifting lighter, less dense pieces… And that's what happens — energy-wise — every time we have an earthquake!
Meanwhile, Chris Rowan, a geologist in Chicago, provides a great primer of what happened in Japan his blog, Highly Allochthonous.
Friday's earthquake strongly registered on seismometers around the world, with seismic waves rippling across the North America and maxing out instruments as far away as the United Kingdom. By combining data from the whole global network of seismometers, a picture of how the earth deformed in the earthquake, represented by a beachball-like focal mechanism, can be calculated. The focal mechanism for this earthquake, shown below, indicates compression, along either a shallowly west-dipping or a steeply east-dipping fault.
Focal mechanism for the main shock, and cross-sections of the two possible fault orientations. Source: Chris Rowan, Highly Allochthonous
Interestingly, Siegel and many other scientists (such as Irene Klotz at Discovery News) say that by bringing more dense material closer to the earth's core the earth's rotation speed actually increased – shortening our day by a very small fraction of a second. The principle is similar to what one sees when a figure skater or dancer spins and then speeds up by folding in her or his arms.
Sadly, John Horgan at Scientific American's Cross Check blog says science is not at the point where we can accurately predict earthquakes, though it's not from lack of trying. The most obvious tactic – trying to predict earthquakes by examining previous earthquake data and looking for patterns or precursory events – hasn't worked. Further:
Many other prediction methods have been proposed and in some cases tested. These involve detection of such alleged quake precursors as surges in ground water; emissions of the radioactive gas radon; fractoluminescence, or flashes of light emitted by compressed rock; unusual tidal activity; low-frequency electromagnetic waves; and unusual animal behavior. One long-running experiment in Japan involves monitoring catfish, which are supposedly sensitive to electromagnetic activity that precedes quakes. None of these approaches has proven reliable.
However, this isn't to say that science hasn't saved many lives from earthquakes. For example, thanks to tremendous advances in the fields of engineering.
Tsunamis in slow motion
By now everyone has seen the surreal videos of a seemingly unstoppable wave of debris crashing on shore, engulfing cities and farmland, even dragging burning buildings in its wake. As people begin to ask what could possibly have caused such a thing, science bloggers are stepping in to answer.
On GeoMika, physicist and geophysicist Mika McKinnon, provides an exhaustive primer on tsunamis, and shows how they differ from tidal waves or wind waves.
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute posted a video on YouTube last year (shared by GrrlScientist at Guardian's Punctuated Equilibrium) that shows how water flows during a tsunami.
New Zealand blogger Grant Jacobs also provides a wealth of resources from the US Government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other sources on forecasting and warning systems, including an interactive map of buoys the US government places to track tsunamis.

author: David Wescott


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Venezuela’s Hip-hop Schools (Video) · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Caracazo Media shares their short documentary featuring interviews (with English subtitles) and performances of students from an EPATU (Popular School for the Arts and Urban Traditions) hip-hop school in the “overcrowded barrio of La Vega in the hillsides of Caracas, Venezuela.” The film incorporates video filmed by the youth.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Africa: Blog by African feminist artists · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nyangoma is a blog managed by a collective of African feminist artists. The idea was born at the first African Feminist Forum in Accra, Ghana in October 2006. A group of photographers, painters, filmmakers, writers and publishers came together to discuss the role of art in our feminist work.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Angola: Preemptive Maneuver Cancels “Revolution” · Global Voices
Clara Onofre

A week after the date of the revolution supposed to “dethrone” Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos and his royal court, the situation in the country appears calm. As if there had never even been a call for revolution.
The actions of the State contributed greatly to this. A preemptive manoeuvre which involved putting troops at the ready and convened pro-MPLA (Movimento Popular  de Libertação de Angola) [Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola – the ruling party] rallies from Cabinda to Cunene [Pt].
Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos. Image by Ricardo Stuckert/PR for Agência Brasil (Creative Commons License Attribution 2.5 Brazil)).
Protesters silenced… before the protest
According to reports that reached Human Rights Watch [en] the government rally promoting peace was made possible by intimidation.
From the blog Página Um (Page One) [Pt]:
O partido no poder convocou uma “marcha da paz” pró-governo em Luanda e várias cidades provinciais a 5 de março. A Human Rights Watch recebeu vários relatos credíveis de que funcionários do governo e do partido no poder obrigaram professores e funcionários públicos em Luanda e várias capitais provinciais a participar. Os professores foram ameaçados com despedimentos ou cortes salariais e obrigados a pressionar os seus alunos a participarem, ameaçando-os com “problemas” caso ficassem em casa.
Residentes de Luanda contaram à Human Rights Watch que o partido no poder utilizou autocarros e comboios públicos para transportar pessoas da periferia de Luanda para a marcha de 5 de Março no centro da cidade.
The party in power convened a pro-Government “peace march” in Luanda and in various provincial cities on March 5. Human Rights Watch received various credible reports that civil servants of the government and the party in power forced teachers and civil servants in Luanda and various provincial capitals to participate. The teachers were threatened with losing their jobs and salary cuts and forced to pressure their students to participate, threatening them with “problems” if they stayed at home.
Residents in Luanda told Human Rights Watch that the party in power used public buses and trains to transport people from the outskirts of Luanda for the march on March 5th in the center of the city.
As Global Voices reported, in the early morning of March 7th, the police arrested seventeen people who had gathered in the 1st of May Square in Luanda.
The protesters, the majority of whom were musicians and poets, were taken by the police to the police stations, without exception. Also some journalists who were on location to cover the protest were taken in to give statements. All were released that same day.
The blog Esquerda.Net (Left.net) [pt] makes reference to the oppression by the Angolan State.
Os manifestantes detidos pela polícia angolana esta madrugada, incluindo os quatro jornalistas do Novo Jornal e o rapper Luaty Beirão, conhecido por Brigadeiro Mata Frakuxz, foram libertados na manhã desta segunda-feira.
It is worth remembering here that Brigadeiro Mata Frakuxz [Pt] is known in the country for his open opposition to the Government, having performed days before being arrested, appealing for the masses to show up on March 7. Beyond this concert, which can be seen on the blog  Hip Hop de Angola [Pt], Mata Frakuxz had written a statement appealing for revolution that can be read on Esquerda.Net [Pt]. Here is an excerpt:
Queria apenas salientar alguns pontos que considero ser cruciais para que esta manifestação possa ser bem sucedida e gostaria de partilhá-los convosco, não sendo no entanto o meu desejo que isto seja interpretado como uma imposição ou um desejo de assumir liderança de um movimento que eu quero que continue a ser popular e sem rosto, pois ao contrário de muitos, eu não acho que o povo precise de um rosto para seguir, o povo segue-se a si próprio e a sua consciência que estamos a querer tornar colectiva.
“Angola is Angola”
The famous Angolan writer José Eduardo Agualusa, raised his voices and joined the protests for a democratic Angola, through a letter directed to José Eduardo dos Santos that can be read on the blog Reflectindo sobre Moçambique (Relecting on Mozambique) [Pt]. In the letter, Agualusa starts by calling attention to the events in North Africa:
Senhor Presidente,
África vive um momento de viragem na sua História, só comparável ao levantamento que libertou o continente do domínio colonial. A revolução agora é pela liberdade e pela democracia.
Os cidadãos angolanos abaixo-assinados vêm por este meio pedir ao Senhor Presidente da República que tenha em atenção os últimos acontecimentos na Tunísia, Egipto e Líbia, reinicie de forma séria o processo de democratização, formalmente começado de maneira sinuosa em 1992, mas, definitivamente interrompido em 2010 com a aprovação da nova constituição e que ao mesmo tempo se retire da Presidência da República e da presidência do MPLA o mais depressa possível, sem prejuízo da estabilidade e continuidade das instituições. Os abaixo assinados acreditam que ainda é possível que o Senhor Presidente abandone o poder de forma digna e honrosa, preservando a integridade da nação.
Mr. President,
Africa lives a turning point moment in its history, only comparable to the uprising that freed the continent from colonial domination. The revolution now is for liberty and for democracy.
The below-signed citizens ask Mr President of the Republic, that you pay attention to the latest events in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, reinitiate in a serious way the democratization process, formally begun in 1992 in a sinuous way but definitively interrupted in 2010 with the approval of the new constitution, and at the same time that you withdraw from the Presidency of the Republic and the Presidency of the MPLA in the fastest possible way, without prejudicing the stability and continuity of state institutions. The below-signed believe that it is still possible that you Mr President leave power in a dignified and honorable way, preserving the integrity of the nation.
Cardoso Jr. (@SuperCjr) wrote on Twitter [Pt]:
Manifestantes em Angola tentaram marchar e foram presos. Angola não é Tunísia, muito menos Egipto, Angola é Angola. #TRISTE!
Helena Ferro de Gouveia, on the blog Domadora de Camaleões, summarizes [Pt] an article by Vasco Martins of IPRIS (Instituto Português de Relações Internacionais e Segurança) [The Portuguese Institute of Foreign Relations and Security], that says that “Angola's time has yet to come“. In the article the differences between the countries are quite clear:
Há explicações várias para a não inscrição no protesto. Os angolanos calam-se porque são frescas e escritas a sangue as memórias da guerra civil. É uma estratégia de sobrevivência, não destabilizar a vida que têm. Miserável, mas vida. Deter o olhar sobre os números também ajuda a entender o silêncio. Apenas vinte por cento dos homens e trinta e cinco por cento das mulheres sabe ler e escrever. Quantos saberão usar o twitter ou colocar status no Facebook?
In spite of the call to revolution not having the hoped response, many believe the episode served to sound out the anxieties of the people and to measure the “tension” level of the government. Rafael Marques, journalist and anti-corruption activist, attests to just this [Pt]:
A reacção do MPLA vale mais do que a própria convocatória, acaba por demonstrar a fraqueza do próprio regime, não havia necessidade de responder a uma convocatória anónima.

author: Clara Onofre


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Bangladeshi Workers Evacuated From Libya Faces Uncertain Future · Global Voices
Rezwan

Tasfiyah Jalil at BRAC Blog reports about the plights of the Bangladeshi workers evacuated from Libya, who had supposedly escaped death and endured weeks of near-starvation and now find themselves in native soil empty handed and people owing them money they borrowed to go abroad.

author: Rezwan


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Bhutan: The Prime Minister Speaks · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Bhutanese Prime Minister arranged an impromptu press conference to get his government’s views across on proceedings regarding the Supreme Court’s controversial verdict against the government on tax raise. I Am Drukpa has details.


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Brazil: Great Fishing Against Belo Monte Dam · Global Voices
João Miguel Lima

Traditional populations of the Brazilian Amazon forest ran the “Great Fishing Action” from March 11 to March 14. The campaign, which urged against the Belo Monte Dam while calling for the protection of the Xingu river, gathered around 600 fishermen in the city of Altamira . The Xingu Vivo Committee published some photos of the event.

author: João Miguel Lima


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China: Day two of salt-buying panic · Global Voices
John Kennedy

With supermarkets in many Chinese cities now out of salt, Roland Soong at EastSouthWestNorth has published a second post on the panicky salt buying spree, comparing discussion of the frenzy on Twitter and domestic microblog Sina Weibo. “To summarize Chinese reactions to the Japan earthquake: hoard salt, create rumors, scare themselves.”

author: John Kennedy


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Côte d’Ivoire: When Ethnic Hate Shadows Politics · Global Voices
Julie Owono

This post is part of our special coverage Côte d'Ivoire Unrest 2011
On the morning of Sunday March 13, 2011, a young merchant from the north of Côte d'Ivoire was visiting his relatives in the economic capital, Abidjan, on the south coast. The amulets he wore around his neck were characteristic clothing of the Dioulas, an ethnic group from the north of the country.
Sadly, these talismans lost him his life. According to a gang of youths, all supporters of Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, they were fatal evidence that he belonged to an opposition “army of rebels”. They tortured and stoned him to death. The incident took place in Yopougon, a district of Abidjan, and was filmed. The video was posted by YouTube user AfricaWeWish on March 15.
On the video you can see a crowd gathered around the young man on the ground. He has been covered in tree branches. After hearing that the man is from a Northern city of Côte d'Ivoire, people start throwing bricks at his face. An Ivorian blogger has confirmed that the man killed in the video was from the north.
At 00:44 minutes the assailant asks, “You were just passing by? Where did you come from?”. The man on the ground replies at 00:55 minutes, “I'm a trader in Séguéla (in the north of the country)” and at 01:20 minutes they start throwing stones at him. This corresponds with the version of the story shared on the Twitter hashtag #civ2010. This is the link to the video, but please be warned these are extremely graphic images.
A city divided
Abobo and Yopougon are two districts in Abidjan, the economic capital city of Côte d'Ivoire. One of West Africa's largest urban centres, it is a city divided.
Abobo has around 1.5 million residents and is mainly a Muslim district. As a result, it is a natural electoral base for supporters of Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognised president after the December 2010 election who is from the Muslim north.
Map of Abidjan showing Abobo to the north and Yopougon to the south
Yopougon meanwhile, with around 1.1 million residents, is the city's stronghold of Laurent Gbagbo supporters. Gbagbo, president since 2000, is widely believed to have been defeated by Ouattara in the public vote, but so far has refused to stand down despite international pressure. Since the election, violent clashes have been reported between supporters from both sides.
In both districts, different religious and ethnic groups had mixed peacefully until the beginning of the recent Ivorian political crisis. For the last ten days however, both Abobo and Yopougon have witnessed incidents of ethnically motivated violence, further crystallising the political dispute and the threat of civil war.
Since February 25, 2011, around 20-30,000 people have fled Abobo; on February 23, dozens of soldiers [fr] from Gbagbo's Security and Defense Forces were killed in the district by pro-Ouattara ‘Invisible Commando’ forces. YouTube user 2baz1 posted this video of people fleeing Abobo on February 27, 2011:
Théophile Kouamouo explains the background to the violence in an article [fr] on website Jeune Afrique:
On y trouve un cocktail politiquement explosif : une forte concentration de populations musulmanes originaires du nord du pays, vivier naturel de la cause « ouattariste », à laquelle s’ajoute une terrible désespérance sociale, conséquence d’une insécurité galopante, mais aussi de taux records de chômage et de séroprévalence.
In the meantime, in Yopougon where the Muslim community is the minority, a mosque was vandalised by young Gbagbo supporters. On March 14, 2011, two men were burnt [fr] on suspicion of being members of Ouattara's ‘Invisible Commandos’.
Escalation of hatred
How did the country get to this point ?
The question of religious identity resurfaced on December 3, 2010, when the Ivorian Constitutional Council, in opposition to Electoral Commission's results,  declared Laurent Gbagbo president by invalidating the votes of some 600,000 people in the northern, mostly Muslim, regions of the country.
Laurent Gbagbo and his wife, Simone, are both declared born-again Christians who are not shy about sharing their faith in a political context.  On Simone Gbagbo's website [fr], religion is said to have an important place in the former first lady's life and political commitment:
CONVAINCUE QUE LE SANG DE JESUS QUI A COULE A LA CROIX EST PUISSANT ET PEUT SAUVER QUICONQUE CROIT, LA 1ERE DAME PENSE QUE PAR CE SANG NOUS SOMMES LAVES ET PURIFIES ET RENDUS CAPABLES D'OPERER DANS LA MEME DIMENSION QUE NOTRE SEIGNEUR AFIN DE TRANSFORMER NOS COMMUNAUTES ET POURQUOI PAS NOTRE NATION (JEAN 14: 12).
One Ivorian native netizen posted a message on American politician Sarah Palin's Facebook page in December 2010, in which he urged American Christians not to let US President Obama standby without supporting the Gbagbos:
Will Americans idly sit on the side and watch their President humiliate Laurent Gbagbo and Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, a Born-again Evangelical Christian couple and throw them out of office or watch some Muslim rebels invade their palace and kill them with the conspiracy of the international community?
Sacha Project, a blogger [fr] who resides mainly in Abidjan, wrote a post on March 11, 2011, refering to French daily Le Monde‘s editorial of the same day entitled, “The future of Africa is playing out in Côte d'Ivoire” [fr], in which the author compares Côte d'Ivoire to the Spain of 1936 under Franco. Sacha Project believes that the comparison has a lot of merit:
Comme dans l’Espagne de 1936, un État se trouve menacé par une minorité armée refusant un pouvoir légitimement élu, (…).Gbagbo n’est pas Franco, Gbagbo n’est pas fasciste. Pourtant les idées du FPI le sont. Franco ne se disait pas fasciste mais se voulait « nationaliste ». Gbagbo se veut « patriote ». Le nationalisme xénophobe à outrance, l’ivoirité et ses chantres, les techniques de manipulations médiatiques, le discours religieux de Simone Gbagbo tenant le pouvoir de son mari pour un pouvoir quasi divin, sont les éléments en quelque sorte, d’un fascisme à l’ivoirienne.
Proof of the recent escalation of ethnic and religious antagonism in Ivorian society is more than visible on the web. Global Voices author Anna Gueye, demonstrated in a recent article examples of Facebook users who are spreading hate speech against Ouattara's supporters.
In fact, Facebook is filled with commentary and hate speech on the Ivorian crisis.  Ebony Côte d'Ivoire shared on March 4, 2011, a video of a hatred-inciting song comparing opponents of the Gbagbo government to “Mossi” (mosquitoes) who should be killed with “Baygon” (insecticide):
The song literally says:
Little Mossi will die, we will pump Baygon
Youtube user AfricaWeWish posted a video of people singing and dancing to this song, the user showing their obvious distaste through the title given to the video: “Slogan for a future Genocide? We will pump Baygon”.
“Mossi” also has another meaning, as explained by @Belligiani on Twitter:
Mossi c'est une ethnie du burkina faso, mais les Ivoiriens ont tendance a appeler Tout ce qui vient du burkina “mossi”!
He continues:
Mais mossi est utilise comme une injure pr les diminués!
According to a local source interviewed via web chat, this song is popularly sung in popular pro-Gbagbo areas of Abidjan, like Yopougon.  On Twitter, a user called @MossiDramane who seems to relish the strife and provocation, wrote on March 7 about Ouattara supporters mainly from the Muslim north:
Vos tueries selon sont autorisé par le coran.#civ2010
He also writes in Dioula, a regional Ivorian northern language:
Les djoulas gawa lá on a ramené l'o et le courant.dansez un peu kè!!pidi pandan!!goumé+sipa tchié AGBANAN dèh!! #civ2010
According to a source living in Abidjan, who translated the quote, those words are clearly inciting hatred towards ethnic Dioulas:
Violence in the streets
In Yopougon, where a minority Muslim population is settled in the Wassakra neighbourhood, a witch hunt was organised against the Muslim population. On March 6, 2011, the Facebook group called “Ivorians on Facebook for ADO” (Alassane Dramane Ouattara) posted a video, in which young men can be seen being burnt, with tyres being placed on them.
The video (Warning: Graphic content) was also put on YouTube by user SAGEZELE on March 6 also, and has been viewed by more than 17,000 people.
The France 24 Observers website posted a comprehensive article describing what happened on that day, based on the testimony of an inhabitant:
The whole neighbourhood was talking about it, so I went to see. The two charred bodies were still in the middle of the tyres opposite the Siporex pharmacy, close to the Dabon Yopougon train station. All of the shops were closed.  Whilst I was there people explained to me what happened, but it is difficult to verify their version of events because by the time I got there, there were only militia and pro-Gbagbo activists around. According to them, at around 5 or 6am, two men were stopped by the militia, who asked to check their ID. The men did not have their papers with them. They were taken to be pro-Ouattara rebels and the situation got out of hand.
An Ivorian politician, Seth Koko, who used to work with Laurent Gbagbo, posted on his self-titled blog on March 7, another description [fr] of the scene. An Anti Riot Brigade (BAE) car can be seen in the beginning of the video, which led Koko to conclude that the BAE, loyal to Gbagbo, was involved with the incident. He explains that at several times during the video, one can hear people shouting “BAE”:
A 1mn 20 secondes, nous voyons un homme en tenue militaire, arme à la main, qui attise le feu sous les encouragements d’un assistant qui crie : « BAE !! »
@sroukoudazoa explains on Twitter:
le supplice du pneu en feu les miliciens bébégbagbos l'appellent article 125 : pétrole 100 1 boîte d'allumette 25
Ebony Côte d'Ivoire, commenting in one of her Facebook posts, confirms that pro-Gbagbo supporters have used tyres to burn those they call “rebels” [Ouattara supporters]:
Humans are not the only ones to have been burnt in Yopougon. In the following video posted on the video sharing site Afrobox.net, by user Abidjanais, a minivan is destroyed by fire:
Gbaka van in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Image from lgbagbo.blogspot.com
These minivans are called ‘Gbakas’, and are perceived to be mainly owned by the Dioula ethnic group from the north. The burnings are explained in this article [fr] published on February 27, on the website Connection Ivoirienne after the first occurrence:
Des ‘jeunes patriotes’ qui chaque matin, depuis le déclenchement de la crise postélectorale, font des footings à pas rythmés et encadrés par des hommes en tenue militaire, armes au poing, s’attaquent immédiatement à plusieurs minibus communément appelés ‘gbakas’ et susceptibles d’appartenir à des ‘Dioulas’, communauté ethnique dont est issu Alassane Ouattara.
D, an Ivorian who lives in Abidjan and who wishes to remain anonymous, when interviewed via webchat said:
On n'est pas loin de la derive genocidaire
This post is part of our special coverage Côte d'Ivoire Unrest 2011

author: Julie Owono


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Cuba: Linares to be Released  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Havana Times reports on the imminent release of political prisoner Ricardo Librado Linares “with which only two of the 75 Cuban dissidents sentenced in 2003 will remain in prison”; Uncommon Sense explains why his release is both “personal” and “a big deal”.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Cuba: The Malecón  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Territory of lovers. Rest-stop of Bohemians, drunks and nighthawks”: Iván's File Cabinet blogs about the Malecón.


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Haiti: Aristide’s Return · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Many believe that he still has the power to control the masses and disturb the current electoral process”: From New York City to Haiti thinks that “things just got a bit interesting.”


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Haiti: Election Violence Escalates  · Global Voices
Flora Thomas

As Haitian presidential candidate and legal scholar Mirlande Manigat set out to begin a campaign rally in Mirebalais on Tuesday 15 March, 2011, her convoy was stoned [fr] by alleged supporters of opposing electoral candidate Michel Martelly, leading to a scuffle that resulted in gunshots and wounds.
Madame Manigat, as her fans and legions of former students call her, tweeted the attack shortly thereafter:
@mirlandemanigat: Aujourd'hui, on a encore attaque notre camp au Plateau Central.
As did Miami Herald’s Jacquie Charles:
@jacquiecharles: #Manigat campaign says her convoy was attacked as she attempted to hold meeting in Mirebalais She was removed from scene. #elections #Haiti
Wounded Barikad Crew technician. Image courtesy Sitwayen Pou Mirlande @Zogrann.
Manigat, a centrist and author of a volume on the history of Haitian women’s rights since 1804,  had to be removed from the scene [fr] and the rally disbanded before its start. A technician for popular rap band Barikad Crew was injured (see right).
Barikad Crew is touring the country with Manigat to help her woo younger Haitians who make up the majority of the electorate.
Shortly after the incident, Mirlande Manigat spoke live [fr] to Haitian capital Port-au-Prince based Radio Kiskeya:
Mirlande Manigat a dénoncé les “attaques systématiques” des partisans de son rival dans ses différents déplacements électoraux. Une situation qu’elle qualifie d’inadmissible en soulignant qu’à Mirebalais des hurleurs ont causé un vacarme insupportable pendant trois quarts d’heure. Elle s’est, par ailleurs, plainte de la passivité de la police qui n’aurait rien fait contre les agresseurs. La candidate entend aller jusqu’au bout de sa campagne après avoir effectué une tournée globalement satisfaisante dans le département du Centre qui l’a aussi conduite à Hinche, Cerca Carvajal et Boucan Carré.
On Twitter, Manigat [fr] revisited all of the attacks incurred by her supporters since campaigning against second round opponent Michel Martelly, beginning on February 17, 2011: a young man was killed in Cité Soleil shortly before she arrived there for a rally, three people responsible for posting her bills were tortured and killed, stones were thrown on a rally in Bel-Air, and two supporters were hospitalized after being beaten at a large Cap-Haïtien rally last Thursday.
But as if the toll of casualties was not intidimidating enough to potential voters, Haitians woke up this morning to news that politician Michel St-Obin from the OPL platform who had endorsed Manigat was shot and killed last night.
Jean-Junior Joseph, Mirlande Manigat press attaché, confirmed the news on Twitter:
@jeanjuniorj: Michel Saint-Obin, a Mirlande MANIGAT's supporter shot dead in Port-de-Paix yesterday.
Despite this unsettling development, Manigat received an endorsement from former Lavalas Senator Rudy Herivaux, who called on Lavalas supporters to vote for her en masse. (Lavalas is Aristide's party.)
Policemen linked to the violence
In her interview to Radio Kiskeya, Madame Manigat specifically mentioned police inaction in Mirebalais.  She may have been trying to highlight the elephant in the room: the role of policemen in  the violence so far. Indeed, the seven men arrested and detained for the killing of the three Manigat billposters last week were all police officers, as confirmed by the Miami Herald’s Jacquie Charles:
@jacquiecharles: 7 police officers have been arrested in the deaths of three #Manigatsupporters found dead w/bullet wounds after arrest. #elections #haiti
Last Saturday, pundits on popular radio talk show Ranmase [fr] linked policemen to each incident, noting that the head of Martelly’s campaign in the North East is a member of the national police and that police allegedly instigated the troubles at the Thursday rally in Le Cap where several Manigat supporters were wounded [fr].
Tweeps react
Though not much has been said about police infiltration in the written media and on twitter, Haitian tweepshad plenty to say about Tuesday’s Mirebalais attack.
TwitJako, a popular tweet-comedian with 28,000 followers who has made fun of both candidates so far, eventually broke his neutrality:
@twitjako: m'ta renmen mande Staff Tet Kale an fe yon ti pase men nan tet misye, .. twop vyolans mezanmi, neg yo ap chire foto, kraze meeting..BE COOL!
@Sonoude, who dons the signature pink Martelly Twibbon, seemed incredulous:
@Sonoude: Jan Ayisien bon nan tire roch. M kwe si yo te anvi lage madan manigat ate vre yo tap fe li. Tchuip.
@SeTawTaw, a Manigat supporter, was  (kr) not surprised about the virulence of the Mirebalais blockade  against Manigat because, said the tweeter,  “the area is a Duvalierist stronghold” and “they feel threatened”:
@SeTawTaw: Mibalais se zone makout! Sa pa etonem ke yap sipote #martelly et ke yap fe vyolans sou #manigat! Yo santi yo menace! #election #haiti
Others, such as @ZoGrann, wondered about the connections between the violence and recent Martelly allegations that the election will be won “in the streets”:
@ZoGrann: Put 2+2 2gether: Michel François Martelly camp unraveling/ talking abt streets more imp't than ballots/ 3 Manigat supporters dead. #Haiti
Meanwhile, echoing the sentiments of Mirlande Manigat and of many Haitians, Radio France International (RFI) correspondent Amelie Baron tweeted:
@ameliebaron: @mirlandemanigat warning ” a pink milice (Martelly's color) is in formation & that's how a dictatorship starts, with a youth brigade” #haiti
Martelly failed to show up at what was supposed to be a second debate yesterday, after having threatened two members of the press who had asked about his unpaid Miami debts at the first one held March 9, 2011. The threats were condemned by Haitian journalist associations.
Many are wondering whether a novelist could have come up with a better plot for Haiti’s election, scheduled for Sunday. Former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier returned to Haiti earlier this year for the first time since 1986.
Former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a left-wing populist, is reportedly on a plane back to Haiti after seven years of exile in South Africa, following a coup in which Martelly, a cross-dressing popular singer associated with Duvalier and the right, is widely believed to have played a role.

author: Flora Thomas


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Haiti: Winds of Change?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It is not contentment that changes a nation, or a culture, or the history of the world; it is dissatisfaction with the status quo”: Throwing Down the Water thinks that change just might be possible.


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India: How To Avoid Writer’s Block · Global Voices
Rezwan

Blogadda has some practical tips on how to avoid a writer's block.


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Japan: Anime Explains Current Nuclear Crisis  · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.
Media artist Kazuhiko Hachiya (八谷和彦) realized an animated video to explain the situation at the nuclear plant of Fukushima.
The main character is Genpatsu-kun (i.e. Mr. Nuclear power station ) who has a stomach ache caused by the earthquake. Doctors (i.e. nuclear experts) go and cure him with cold water and boric acid to prevent him to “poo” (i.e. to release radiations). At the moment, Genpatsu-kun's stomach ache doesn't stop but his health condition is constantly monitored and so far, only repeated “poopees” (i.e. smoke emissions) have been reported.
The anime also explains how, even in the worst scenario, Mr. Genpatsu (i.e. Fukushima plant) is different from Mr. Chernobyl, as he is wearing a nappy. However, in case Mr. Genpatsu had to poo (i.e. the nuclear plant exploded), the effects on the health of the people living in the area would be very serious for decades.
This post is part of our special coverage Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Japan: Citizen Videos of the Earthquake · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.
One has to admire a person with the wits to keep a video camera turned on while the ground is shaking beneath them. Citizen videos recorded Friday, March 11 during the earthquake and tsunami that caused mass devastation in many parts of Japan are all over YouTube. Among the many shared online, here are just a few.
The day of the big quake
Staffers at a supermarket in Tokyo hold up the shelves during a quake that lasted longer than a minute.
As the earthquake shakes a house, the people inside rush to the street.
These people watch a tsunami engulf Iioka Port in Chiba Prefecture from higher ground.
At Shinjuku station in Tokyo, on March 11, these were people who couldn't get home after the quake.
Two days later
After the quake, a man surveyed the damage in Iioka, Chiba Prefecture on March 13th and said: “It's like the wave passed through town.”
This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Solana Larsen


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Japan: Crisis Management PR Lessons from Cabinet Secretary Edano · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.
The nation has been tuning in several times a day for Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano's live press conferences.
PR professional Takashi Kurosawa appreciates the man's style, detailing what Edano is doing right in the blog post “10 Things We can Learn from Cabinet Secretary Edano from the Perspective of Crisis Management PR” (枝野官房長官から学べる10のこと：危機管理広報の視点から). Kurosawa writes about communication, advertising and branding at his blog “the Public Returns“.
This post was translated in its entirety with permission from the blogger.
Twitpic user shiba36ms conveys his appreciation for Edano's work
In the midst of such a situation, there is one man who’s attracting much attention: Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano. His repeated appearances on the media without, we suspect, getting any sleep since the quake, have prompted not only the hashtag “#edano_nero [sleep_edano]” to become a global trending topic on Twitter, but also an article on The Wall Street Journal entitled “Tireless Edano Earns Twitter Respect” to be written.
One important factor in the field of PR is risk management communications during an emergency situation. This is because a mishandling of the situation would lead to antagonizing not only the customers but also society as a whole. Edano’s attitude has been exemplary from this perspective, and I have listed below the reasons why that is so.
2. Doesn’t read out from a script and speaks in his own words instead.
3. When pointing to a journalist to ask a question, he answers looking at him/her straight in the eye.
4. Doesn’t deny possibilities (such as that of leakage of radiation) and accepts them as “possible”.
5. For factors that require expert knowledge, he first explains so but also voices his own opinion.
6. Repeatedly goes over points that might lead to misunderstanding. (The beginning of the video above taken on the 12th, or the explanation he gave about the 4th reactor -around 10:00 in the video below- are cases in point)
7. Clearly articulates the issues that are of the greatest interest to the audience, namely the possible impacts of radiation on the human body. (Not only in terms of figures, but also about the fact that the time of exposure influences the overall impact.)
8. Doesn’t give evasive answers and instead answers as well as possible within the scope of the available facts.
9. Always appears as the spokesman.
10. Gives concrete examples for what each citizen can do to contribute to the situation (conserve energy, don’t send out chain e-mails, don’t hoard, etc.)
I would like to express my deepest sympathy to those who were afflicted by the earthquake.
This post is part of our special coverage on the Japan Earthquake 2011.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Japan: TV Ads Instead of Earthquake Warning · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Boing Boing blog points us towards a video that shows us the programming in 6 main TV channels in Japan during the Earthquake: sadly, most channels didn't even bother to noticeably show the earthquake warning, opting instead for continuing with the advertisements. TimeOutTokyo commented: “This is why we watch NHK.”

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Latin America: Getting Ready for President Obama’s Trip  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Mike in Central American Politics lists several links to blogs and other sources (in English) discussing President Obama's upcoming trip to Latin America. President Obama will travel to El Salvador, Chile and Brazil at the end of March 2011.


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Libya: All Eyes on Benghazi (Video)  · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

This post is part of our special coverage Libya Uprising 2011.
The Libyan people's uprising against Colonel Muammar Al Gaddafi may or may not have begun in Benghazi, but the country's second-largest city is the political heart and rebellious soul of the movement. It is home to the country's first anti-Gaddafi newspaper and the anti-Gaddafi transitional government. With once fast-charging rebel forces now under considerable attacks by Gaddafi forces, however,  Benghazi could become a last stand for Libyan freedom.
On Wednesday, March 17, Benghazi saw more attacks by the air from forces loyal to the Gaddafi regime. Gaddafi himself and his son Saif predicted the city would fall within 48 hours.
‘Born in Tunisia, grew up in Egypt…now I'm sacrificing myself in Libya…my name is freedom’ – Benghazi graffiti, from Twit Pic.
Here's a few Twitter reports from people on the ground or in contact with those in Benghazi.
@bungdan: Definitely two booms +- 1 hour ago in benghazi, smoke over residential neighborhood. I have to file, but a friend should call soon. #libya
@NahlahAyed: Bombing begins in Benghazi.#libya
@iyad_elbaghdadi: So far, four waves of airstrikes on Benghazi, Benina airbase and a military base/ammo depot. Spokesperson reports little damage. #Libya
Reports came across that pro-Gaddafi planes had been shot down:
@feilefey: @ChangeInLibya my aunt in Benghazi said that one plane was shot down and two captured.
@NahlahAyed: Patrick Graham in Benghazi: people honking in celebration over downed planes. Lking forward to the UNSC vote with cautious enthusiasm.#libya
@ChangeInLibya: A total of 3-4 jets tried to bomb Benghazi today and all of them missed and were shot down. No damage at all. #libya #feb17
Here is a video, uploaded by Feb 17, 2011, that claims to show a plane shot down in a Benghazi suburb.
There's also a report of a counter-attack by anti-Gaddafi forces.
@NahlahAyed: Reports say pro-democracy fighters attacked regime forces with planes and helicopters they'd seized previously.#libya
No one dares think what Gaddafi forces will do if Benghazi falls. Ali, a young man, took part in early days of protests and was arrested on February 17. While in prison, he says, government agents severally beat him and others (including using electric shock) and eventually left the group for dead. Ali remains in a wheelchair. But the 25 other people he was arrested with — including at least one man in his 70s — all perished.
The US-based human rights organization Human Rights Watch warned that the Gaddafi regime could carry out great atrocities if Benghazi is retaken. The group, along with members of Amnesty International, the Red Cross and Medecins Sans Fronteirers, pulled its staff out of the city.
People have also been moving desperately across the border:
@malaikamakena: 1200 #Libya ns fled into #Egypt yesterday, many families scared Benghazi to b bombed. v @melissarfleming (via @Refugees – UN Refugee Agency)
However, the city appears to be better defended than other rebel positions. Fred Abrahams, a special adviser to Human Rights Watch said:
“We know that the rebels in Benghazi are better armed and more professional, not like the other young men who ran to the front. We know the people who started this will stay until the end, but people are deeply afraid. They know Gaddafi and they know this kind of rebellion can only end in victory or defeat.”
Some commentators also claim all is not lost for Libyan freedom. From Libya watcher Fat Belly Man:
Pronouncements from Saif Gaddafi that the uprising will be over by the end of the week are repeated without analysis or criticism. Three things are becoming clear though:
* Saif Gaddafi is engaged in a psychological war against the revolutionaries and their supporters. This part of the battle has assumed huge importance for the regime and is making an impact in the West. Some politicians, especially Neo conservatives, are also using this propaganda to persue their own agenda
* The Libyan regime is engaged in subtle goading of the West. A military attack would be a tonic for the Gaddafis, it would galvanise their demoralised support and bring the indecisive back into their fold. Saif in particular understands that that total victory for either side in the uprising would be problematic for the West and is playing on those fears.
* When a sober assessment is conducted, one sees that the military situation on the ground does not bear any relation to that claimed by the Gaddafis or the media. The battle in the East has been confined within the same strip of land for days. It also has to be borne in mind that superior weapons are all well and good but it needs boots on the ground to hold territory and the regime does not seem to have the numbers needed.
This psychological war waged by the Gaddafi family is creating a feeling of helplessness amongst outside countries, Fat Belly Man argues.
Commentators in the West risk being seduced by the psychological war waged by the Gaddafi regime and losing perspective. Their calls for No Fly Zones and other forms of military intervention could result in the opposite of their good intentions and play into Col Gaddafi's han
Here's some more Twitter reports on the general defenses of Benghazi.
@GinaMombo: Law professor from Benghazi #Lybia: We are a brave people and we will fight. But we will also lose without the help of the rest of the world
@iyad_elbaghdadi:
#Libya revolution's envoy to the UN: We are in a good position strategically and militarily, despite the imbalance of firepower.
One Tweep asks where the defected Libyan forces?
@yqxo: @iyad_elbaghdadi Where are the “defected” military? Are they all sipping lattes in Malta? We keep seeing only untrained rebels.
@iyad_elbaghdadi: @yqxo There's an 8000-man strong elite special forces unit with the revolution, but they don't advertise their moves.
While the United Nations Security Council and NATO members debate the possibility of instituting a no-fly zone, there are some members of the rebellion who do not want to see forces in Libya.
@iyad_elbaghdadi: @bugpopper Libyans don't want any soldiers whatsoever on their soil, except of course Arabs or Muslims.

author: John Liebhardt


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Nigeria: StandUp Naija 2011 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nigerian presidential election will be held on 9 April 2011. What are the expectations of Nigerian voters? StandUp Naija is a series of impactful videos highlighting the expectations of average Nigerians and policy areas the 2011 elections should address. StandUp Naija is a project run by The Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI).
Employment:
Education:
Electricity:
Health:


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Pakistan: Sharia Law Saves CIA Agent · Global Voices
Rezwan

Adil Najam at All Things Pakistan has this question to ask to the US citizens and tax-payers: “Will the man who sometimes goes by the name of Raymond Davis reimburse the US taxpayers for the reportedly over US$2.25 million paid under Sharia law to save his skin?”


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Pakistani vs. Indian Pressure Cookers · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Life And Times Of Two Indians In Pakistan compares Indian and Pakistani pressure cookers and guess which is the winner.


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Paraguay: One Laptop for Every Child · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

In Camino al Paraguay [es], Juan Carlos Rodríguez posts a video and a slideshow presenting a project led by the Ministry of Education and Culture to give a laptop computer to every child in Paraguayan public schools.


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Peru: Civic-Mindedness During Election Year · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Global Voices author and translator Gabriela García Calderón blogs [es] about civic-mindedness during this year's presidential elections in Peru. She argues that voting and working at polling stations shouldn't be considered a burden, but rather a way to fulfill a civic duty and play an active role in improving the country's situation.


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Russia: Reaching Out to the President · Global Voices
Marina Litvinovich

On July 1, 2009, a law came into force in Russia according to which the activities of casinos and arcade halls are banned. Several special ‘gambling’ zones on the territory of Russia have been allocated for those activities. In all other places, the activities of such gambling institutions should cease. It is clear that, in fact, not everyone wanted to close these profitable business; so in almost every city in Russia – from megapolises to small towns – underground premises have appeared where the casinos operate and slot machines still work. Such places usually do not have signs or exist under the names “entertainment club,” “Internet Club” or something similar.
At the end of 2010, a new website Gdecasino.ru [ru] (its slogan is “Find and Destroy”) has been created with the aim of gathering and publishing information about underground gambling houses in different cities of Russia.  At the moment, there are over 1,000 addresses provided there. The site also tracks the information on closing down the gambling premises: if this happens, the relevant information is posted on the site. The creator and developer of the platform is Anton Kheystver, an IT student from Russian city Saratov; however, the site is currently maintained by a group of volunteers from different cities.
The list of cities mentioned in the project gdecasino.ru, screen shot of the site
On March  14, 2011, the site had its “finest hour.”  During a meeting with the Prosecutor General Yury Chaika, the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev loaded the website on his iPad and showed the prosecutor that illegal gambling business does not only exist, but each address of the premises is known. Medvedev said [ru]:
I looked and there is even a special website called “Where is casino.” And, you understand, it is simply amazing, the website contains a huge list of our cities with casinos, there are several casinos in every city. I am not talking about such cities as Moscow and Saint Petersburg, there are hundreds of illegal casinos in small cities with addresses.  For example, let’s take Saint Petersburg; closed game club without a signboard : 22 Stremyannaya Street or 5 Marat Street, “RusLoto” on Lenya Golikov Street and so on [two addresses marked in gdecasino.ru as hosting illegal gambling sites – GV].
Medvedev especially noted that
We should encourage this kind of social activity and the attention of or citizens toward following the law. I want you to order the prosecutors to verify all information provided on the website, to check it out in every city.
The Prosecutor-General Chaika promised Medvedev to inspect all the addresses identified on the website. He also said that his office knows about this site and has already used its data. It is difficult to find out if it is true or not. But the case with Gdecasino.ru demonstrates one important thing: society can collect any information (on illegal casinos, potholes and other problems) as long as possible, but if this information is not used by the authorities and does not promote fixing the mentioned problems, then these sites are pointless.
Many projects have been recently created in Russia on the basis of crowdsourcing (or user-generated content (UGC)), when information on any particular topic is collected by internet users. Almost each one of these projects signalizes about a problem. For instance, the «Rospil.info» project collects information on corrupt and shady state purchases.  The association “Voice” runs the  “Emergency line” [ru] project  that gathers information on violation of rules during elections. The project «Map of problems in Vladimir city» [ru] collects information on all city problems. The project “Map of assistance during cold times,” developed by the same team as the site “Map of help to victims of fires,” collects data about people freezing due to the lack of heating. The project “Map of potholes” monitors the condition of the Russian roads and encourages people to send precise coordinates of the road pits. Many other projects can be mentioned here. Among them is also the site Gdecasino.ru.
The matter of principle for these projects is not only collecting, checking and publishing information from users on the existing problems, but also bringing the information to the state organs, which are obliged to solve these problems.
How are these problems solved? There are several options that can be used:
The fourth option was demonstrated by President Medvedev when he attracted the prosecutor’s attention to the site Gdecasino.ru. However, we can hardly hope that President Medvedev will thereby promote every similar project by giving instructions to relevant organs to respond to the information.
It would be ideal if monitoring projects developed by independent volunteer groups cooperated with every relevant ministry or other state organ.  If you monitor the problems of a region, you should try to achieve cooperation with the regional authorities. If you monitor issues of violence against younger conscripts in the army and harassment among servicemen, you should cooperate with the Ministry of Defense.  And so on. The most important in such situation for a project of social monitoring is to be independent from the relevant state organ and authorities as a whole. Under no circumstances should a project be funded by the state organ itself.
Open-minded authorities, who aim to improve people’s life, should be interested in the projects of independent monitoring and fixing the problems, which society is signalizing about. This kind of cooperation between the social projects and authorities seem to be needed and promising.

author: Marina Litvinovich


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Sri Lanka: The Lives In The North · Global Voices
Rezwan

Valkyrie at Groundviews has a detailed update on the state of affairs of the people living in the North of Sri Lanka, especially Jaffna and Vanni. A foreigner's entry is still restricted with required permission, militarization is taking place in complex ways, at multiple levels – these are a few facts from the details.


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Syria: Protests for Release of Political Prisoners, 38 Detained · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.
On March 16, following a “day of rage” in Syria, a group of around 150 protesters gathered outside of the Interior Ministry in Damascus, demanding the release of political prisoners.  According to the BBC, at least 35 of those protesters were arrested.  Among those detained were human rights activist Suhair Atassi.  According to @assuss:
#Syria Update: Earlier today Syrian security detained famed human rights activist Suheir Atasi after her interview with #Aljazeera #March15
On Twitter, Syrians reported arrests of others who took part in the protests. @razaniyat tweeted:
Wissam Tarif: Nasreen Al Housien is also detained. She is a student at Damascus University, Faculty of Medicine, fifth Year. #Syria
@wissamtarif noted:
Hasiba Abed Al Rahman aprominent #humanrights defender and writer is also detained. #Syria #March15
Some protesters were quickly released.  On Wednesday evening, @razaniyat confirmed:
Confirmed: Mazen Darwish, detained today at the sit-in, was released few minutes ago. #Syria
Confirmed: Mymouna Al Ammar was released a few minutes ago as well. So far two detainees were released. #Syria
On Facebook, a group is keeping a running tally of those who have been detained, as well as those who have since been released.  Detainees number 38, with only the two above confirmed to be released thus far.
Photo of sit-in at Damascus’ Marjeh Square, by @razaniyat
One angry Syrian blogger, Khaled Akbik of Middle Eastern Poles likens the Syrian government's treatment of its citizens to Israel's treatment of Palestinians, writing:
To us, you’re no different than our arch-enemy Israel. You do to us everyday what Israel does to the Palestinians everyday. You abused your powers, enslaved your people and stole from them for more than 40 years. You were given a very long chance to make things better and you failed, now your time is up. Now the Syrian people are saying enough. Go back to where you came from because you have clearly failed to rule a nation in every single aspect. Go home while you still can.
Egyptian blogger Zeinobia of the Egyptian Chronicles shared her own thoughts on the small Syrian protests:
The March 15 in Syria can be our January 25 , do not underestimate it. If our dear Syrian brothers and sisters managed to protest till Friday , till the Friday prayers it will be a great triumph. Yesterday sources in Syria speak that not less 300 were arrested during and after the protests.
Still despite these arrests the activists did not give up and decided to protest earlier today in front of the ministry of interior itself , yes the ministry of interior demanding the release of the detainees in a very daring step. The families of the detainees joined them already and that means we are speaking about old ladies , young ladies and children.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

author: Jillian C. York


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The Plights of Pakistani Workers in Bahrain Protests · Global Voices
Rezwan

Faisal Kapadia at Deadpan Thoughts reports on xenophobic attacks on Pakistani workers in Salmaniya Medical Complex, Bahrain, by protesters who had laid siege to this complex.


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Trinidad & Tobago: What Mothers Do  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“For each decision I had to puzzle through on my own, I give them the tools and advice to make the best choices they can. I want them to be independent and powerful women, but I don’t think they need to learn those skills the hard way, as I did”: Lisa Allen-Agostini blogs about the mother-daughter relationship.


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Africa: African food in the US · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Khadidjha visits a Senegalese restaurant in Boston, USA: “I ordered Attieke which is a dish that is native to the country of Cote D’ivoire. Attieke is a dish make out of skinned and grounded cassava. The cassava is broken up to make it look like a grain. Its always eaten with some sort of fish either fried or in this case baked.”