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Russia: Closure of Torrents.ru Makes People Suspicious of .Ru Zone · Global Voices
Gregory Asmolov

The major Russian domain provider RU-Center has recently frozen the domain of the biggest Russian torrent trackers service Torrents.ru. The investigation committee explained that it was done due to the site's violation of copyright law and illegal distribution of software that was developed by”1С” and Autodesk firms. The Web site has moved to a new location in the .org domain zone.
The decision to close Torrents.ru is certainly controversial and became one of the major discussion topics in the country. On one hand, many people claimed that it provided unique content that couldn't be found anywhere else and that content exchange is a new cultural phenomenon that should be recognized as evolution of information society.  Some bloggers claimed that Torrents.ru is not responsible for the violations since it only provided tracks and didn't distribute the content by itself.
Other bloggers argued that Torrents.ru was distributing content illegally and those who oppose its closure just want to continue enjoying free and illegal access to information protected by the copyright law.
One of the main topics that were raised was not the fact that Torrents.ru was closed, but the way the Russian authorities went about the closure. Lenta.ru news agency pointed out [RUS] that according to the law, RU-Center provider should have given Torrents.ru one month to resolve the issue. However, it decided to close the Web site almost immediately because of the agreement that had been previously reached between the provider and investigation committee.
The owner of Torrents.ru said in an interview to “Echo Moskvy” radio station:
Абсолютно неправовые. Оспаривать будем, но в данном случае это уже не так важно. Прецедент уже создан, и если вы являетесь владельцем домена в зоне ру – знайте – он в любой момент может быть заблокирован из-за предписания следователя.
Blogger serj-nickel wrote [RUS] a post that became one of the most popular ones regarding this issue and was re-posted by many other bloggers:
Во-первых, что это за “приостановление делегирования”? Я что-то не пойму – там что, есть решение суда?! Я не юрист, но с позиции здравого смысла мне кажется, что в столь экстренном порядке что-то закрывать можно лишь в том случае, когда это реально угрожает чьей-то безопасности. А здесь что происходит? 16 февраля накатали какую-то там бумагу – и через два дня уже всё готово, всё закрыто? Ну допустим, в России плохой суд, нечестный и коррупционный, но здесь-то не было никакого суда!
In addition, serj-nickel claimed that Torrents.ru was the most loyal Russian track torrent service in regard to copyright laws, since it promised to delete any track to content that violates copyright if the creator of content submits a request. Later, a public petition to the president, prime minister and the general prosecutor was placed on a petitions Web site. On behalf of Russian Internet-community, the author of petition wrote that the investigation committee went beyond its authority:
Действующее уголовно-процессуальное законодательство не предусматривает такой меры уголовно-процессуального принуждения, как приостановление делегирование домена, в нем содержится исключительный пречень таковых мер, не подлежащий расширительному толкованию.Следовательно, следователи, вынесшие данное произвольное решение, явно вышли за пределы своих полномочий, чем причинили ущерб более чем 4 млн. пользователей трекера.
So far, the petition was signed by more than 10,000 people.
The story of torrents.ru initiated a broader discussion if the domain .RU can be trusted by Internet users. LJ user kouzdra wrote [RUS]:
История с torrents.ru в очередной раз вызвала вопрос – а на зачем вообще пользоваться услугами российских регистраторов и доменом .ru? Потому что то эта хня, то паспорта проверять начинают – то еще какую куйню выдумают. Не то, что это все ужос – но возникает вопрос – нафиг эти приключения нужны?
The argument that the .ru domain zone wasn't the place where Internet users could feel confident was expressed by Oleg Rodin, a journalist from Sochi, on a Web site of “Echo Moskvy” radio station.  In a blog post titled “‘Olympic sprint’ or ‘stealing the domain,'” he wrote [RUS]:
Интернет кипит негодованием по поводу изоляции по решению прокурорских органов торрент-портала, благодаря которому пользователи могли обмениваться своими файлами с музыкой, фильмами или компьютерными программами. А вот ликвидация адреса sochi.ru прошла куда тише, без глобального кипения страстей и массовых возмущений.
Взяли и убрали этот адрес вообще, а при попытках зайти на сайт с этим именем происходит автоматическая переадресация на портал sochi2014.ru, где размещаются материалы, имеющие отношение к Зимней Олимпиаде 2014 года, запланированной в Сочи.
The story that Rodin mentioned took place at the end of August, 2009. Sochi.ru was, indeed, a popular Web portal for the city of Sochi. It provided various kinds of services including news, forums and e-mail. At the end of summer, the Russian Olympic Committee has decided that the expression “Sochi.ru” would be a part of a symbol of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. As a result, the ownership to Sochi.ru was transferred to the Russian Olympic Committee in just a few days. The city portal has been moved to Sochi.com and many people lost their Sochi.ru e-mail accounts.
The full story behind the ownership of Sochi.ru remains unclear. The administration of the Web site published a comment on its forum that said:
Сообщаем, что никакого “отбирания собственности” и т.п. действий, противоречащих законодательству РФ, не происходило. Как жители города Сочи, мы действительно пошли на просьбу коллег из Олимпийского комитета и желаем продвижения бренда “Олимпиада Сочи 2014″ в России и на мировом уровне!
However, no official clarification about the nature of the deal has been made. Some people claimed that the owners were paid by the Russian government. The majority of Internet users thought that the Sochi.ru administration was forced to satisfy “voluntary” the request of Russian authorities.
Andrey Vorobiev, head of PR department of RU-Center, clarified [RUS] the situation to Cnews.ru. He explained that according to the law of Sochi Olympic Games that was approved in 2007, all the symbols related to 2014 Olympic Games, including domain names, automatically belong to the Olympic Committee.
“Maybe the owner of the Web site [Sochi.ru – G.A.] was offered some compensation, but this option wasn’t included in the law,” Vorobiev said.
Most of Sochi.ru users believe that the Web site has been actually expropriated by the government. They concluded [RUS]:
Что цари решили, то мы холопы должны исполнить. Скоро крепостное право снова введут. И города с холопами отписывать друг другу будут…
Мы в России господа!!!, не смотря на то что все кричат вокруг какие мы стали хорошие, интеллигентные, на деле оказывается, что все осталось на прежнем уровне. Одним словом БЕСПРЕДЕЛ и законы существуют для всех, кроме тех, кто эти самые законы выдумывает!

author: Gregory Asmolov


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Trinidad & Tobago: New Opposition Leader  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Kamla Persad-Bissessar will take her seat today in the Red House in Port-of-Spain as Trinidad & Tobago’s first female Oppostion Leader”: Islandista and Trinidad and Tobago News Blog weigh in.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Azerbaijan: Oil Academy corruption allegations · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

ANTV, a citizen journalism site recently awarded for its contribution to freedom of the press in Azerbaijan, posts a YouTube video [AZ/EN] interview with Elmin Badalaov, a fourth year student at Baku's Oil Academy expelled allegedly because of his investigation into corruption at the prestigious institute.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Chile: Powerful 8.8-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Country · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

At 3:34 a.m. local time, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 struck off the coast of the Maule region in Chile. The earthquake was felt in the capital city of Santiago located 325km from the epicenter. Extensive damage has been reported throughout the country, and the number of casualties continues to go up. Throughout the day, aftershocks have also been felt in the region.
A blog Terremoto Chile [es] (Earthquake Chile) was quickly created by Francisco soon after the earthquake hit. In addition to posting recommendations on what citizens should do following the earthquake [es], he has been collecting and linking to various Twitpic pictures.
Photo of damage to Nuestra Señora de la Divina Providencia Church in Santiago. Taken by Julio Costa Zambelli and used under a Creative Commons license.
Near the epicenter, Robinson Esparza of the citizen newspaper El aMaule [es], part of the Diarios Ciudadanos [es] network has been updating a post with the latest regional and national news [es].  Many comments have been worrying about family members in areas outside the capital, and this lack of communication has continued to be an issue for relatives trying to contact family and friends in places where electricity and phone lines have been affected. Ign. Rodríguez de R. (@micronauta) writes about this frustration:
tratando horas d comunicarme con familia en Valparaíso, la red fija telefónica VTR es desastrosa, no se les debería permitir dar servicio :@
Those who have been posting on the Terremoto Chile blog have also created a Twitter account called Ayuda Chile [es] (Help Chile) in which information from other Twitter users who are looking for family members are collected and re-tweeted. Some Twitter users such as Pablo González Carcey have also offered to call relatives [es] for those such as Daniela Alvarado who was unable to reach her brother in Chile. He follows up:
@DaniAlvaradoA hice los llamados y tu familia esta bien! Abrazos
After daybreak, more images of the damage soon appearing online. Claudio Olivares went on a walking tour of Santiago to survey the damage and uploaded the photos on Owly, as did Costanza Campos, who took some photos of the damage to some of Santiago's churches.
YouTube user Franciso Vivallo Sainz took the following video of the collapse of a platform in the Bilbao Towers in Las Condes neighborhood of Santiago:
There are already tsunami warnings issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for locations bordering the Pacific Ocean.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Ghana: Ghana Music Awards 2010  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Chale writes about nominees for Ghana Music Awards 2010: “Sarkodie, Ayigbe Edem, Wutah, 4×4, Bradez, Becca, Ohemaa Mercy and Obrafour lead the number of nominations for the Ghana Music Awards slated for April 10.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Hungary: Students Have Had Enough of Bomb Alerts · Global Voices
Marietta Le

The second semester started three weeks ago at Hungarian universities. It's not an easy thing going to school again after a capricious period full of exams, and now it has even become annoying for some. Students of Corvinus University of Budapest have already experienced three bomb alerts so far in this semester. After the third one, this week they started to campaign against the unknown person blocking the university's life with calls reporting a bomb was placed somewhere on the campus.
The students of Corvinus considered the act totally incomprehensible and uncomfortable. Tymi of Szappanopera blog wrote a post (HUN) titled “Bomb Alert? Oh… just the usual!” on Wednesday:
A bomb alert is usual for whom? Of course for BRFK [Budapest Police Headquarters] and the bomb squad. At Corvinus University there have already been three bomb alerts in this very semester, and none of them were training exercises.
The first one happened in the first week of the term, on Wednesday. Those who came by 8 AM, couldn't enter the main building. From the new “Yellow Monster” [a new building] they bundled out the students half an hour later. Those who heard the news about the main building, weren't surprised. It was assumed that they would check the other building, too. Then it was “fun,” we were happy to have some extra free time. We didn't feel like we were missing something, since in the first week teachers only rush through the syllabus, if it's needed we create groups for the tasks of the semester, and then everybody leaves. It's not a big loss for the students. The annoying thing was that we had to wake up early to reach the lecture/seminar beginning at 8 o'clock. The timing of the threat was a bit strange. In the first week there are no exams, no tests, no guest speakers, no minister nor top dog visiting. Okay then…
A week goes by calmly, and in the third week of the semester on Monday the campus on the Pest side was evacuated again. Most of the students don't have classes on Monday, so the timing is foolish again! Who the heck is such a loser that he can't even disturb some important event, but the calmness of those working there? However the bomb alert expanded to all the three buildings of the campus. I could say the caller improved so. Most of us were smiling, and shaking their heads.
Then in the same week, today, there's a bomb alert again. When I got off the tram in the very dawn (at 7:30am) and saw two policemen standing in front of the main entrance, I assumed that there was something happening again. A girl getting off the tram at the same time expressed the same opinion as mine with a loud “dammit”. Why did I wake up so early again for nothing?! […] It was okay in the first week that there was no school, but now the students don't feel like having fun either, since classes that are held only in every second week are cancelled this way. We have to make up for these some time, but presumably on very inconvenient dates. […]
However the events raised awareness among students to use social networks and micro-blogging sites more frequently to be informed in time. Corvinyusz of Corvinull blog blamed the communication of the university in her  post (HUN). She also started a poll (HUN) about what kind of medium would the students prefer for instant communication from the university.
[…] And what is missing on behalf of the university? THE COMMUNICATION! From where did I get to know all the three dates in time? From Twitter and e-mail, and then I googled it up and found it online, too, then I called up my friends, who didn't know anything yet. All this happened between 9 and 10 every time. But the one of today, I couldn't find it on the net, so I picked up the phone to verify it (the seventh number did answer…) […]
Gesa and Laura are two exchange students at Corvinus, they also published their Facebook activity on their blog to demonstrate how the bomb alert made them upset:
Today we had bomb threat number 3 in 3 weeks so far. We are not sure what's going on in this city and with this school, but we are getting a little annoyed. If random students call in all the time, can they not call in 5 days in the row. Then we could at least go on vacation for one week! […]
Lauras Status: Laura Baum Bomb threat number 3! I'm here for 3 weeks now. Means 1 bomb threat every week. Where the hell are we?!?! […]
Corvinus students tweeted information about the bomb alert by the hashtags Corvinus and bombariadó (‘bomb alert’), and started Facebook groups dealing with the topic. For example against the one who distracts them from studying: Legyen bombariadó a Corvinuson bombariadót csináló lakásában!!! (HUN) (“Make a bomb alert in the apartment of the one who makes bomb alert at Corvinus!!!”). Another one is Bombariadó van? Haha,dejó.//Megint?? Najo,visszafekszem.//MEGINT??? F*szom demonstrates the levels the students have gone through from having fun of extra free time for sleeping to being totally annoyed. And another group promotes online communication among students: I check my e-mail before going to school, to make sure there's no bomb alert.

author: Marietta Le


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Morocco: Maghreb Bloggers Search for Common Ground · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

A three-day workshop for bloggers from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco was held from 15 to 17 February 2010 in the Moroccan capital Rabat. The meeting was funded by Search for Common Ground (SFCG), a non-governmental organization based in Washington DC, promoting collaborative approaches in dealing with conflicts. Participating bloggers who reported the event on their own blogs and live-tweeted it under the #mab10 hashtag, shared their blogging experiences, engaged in lively debates openly confronting their views on contentious issues and were encouraged to reflect on ways to find grounds for mutual understanding.
Leena El-Ali and Laurna Strikwerda, respectively Director and Program Assistant with SFCG's Partners in Humanity programme, together with the organization's local team and a group of distinguished trainers conducted and moderated the debates.
Magda Abu-Fadil is director of the Journalism Training Program at the American University of Beirut (AUB). She's also blogger for the Huffington Post and former foreign correspondent and editor with major international news organizations. She insisted among other things on the ethics of journalism and (by extension) blogging, exploring the legal and political difficulties facing bloggers in the region and ways to confront them.
Mohamed Daadaoui is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Oklahoma City University. He writes on Maghreb Blogs where he comments on issues related to the Maghreb region. Mohamed's intervention focused on the perceived limits of freedom of speech online and the impact bloggers think they have on ongoing local or regional conflicts.
Rachid Jankari is a media savvy Moroccan journalist, blogger and founder of MIT Media. His energetic intervention covered a wide range of tools for online activism and advocacy, cataloging and offering an invaluable tutoring of some of the most effective websites and services online.
When asked about the top conflicts bloggers have to deal with in the region, most recurrent themes were socioeconomic, cultural and political issues. Some stressed the need for a more “common ground” approach, as opposed to either a biased or neutral kind of media, so as to highlight mutual values, contextualizing and exploring roots of conflicts. Others protested that bloggers are “opinion providers” and are not supposed to follow unwieldy rules in their writings as opposed to professional journalists.
In an interesting free writing exercise, bloggers were asked to push their limits and try to come up with texts they deem unpublishable in their own blogs for fear of being censored. Bloggers were then invited to edit their texts adopting a more common ground style so as to make their text less censurable but still be able get their messages across.
Hind is a Moroccan blogger present at the workshop. She writes [Ar]:
Sarra Grira, a Tunisian blogger, journalist and author for cross-regional online news magazine e-Marrakech [Fr], attended the workshop. Regarding freedom of speech in the region, she writes [Fr]:
Si j'étais dans un monde libre et démocratique, je n'aurais pas à parler de la censure qui nous assomme tous les jours et qui s'incruste tant et si bien dans nos vies qu'elle devient de l'auto-censure. Je n'aurais pas à en parler parce que, dans ce monde-là, toutes les personnes pourraient s'exprimer librement.
After three days of intense interactive training, bloggers embarked on a final brainstorming session, trying to think big and come up with novel ideas based on what they've learned. Three groups came up with three different projects, participants say they will try to materialize in the future:
- A cross-posting day throughout the Maghreb of “words that upset” so as to overwhelm governments’ censorship capabilities.
– Creating a visual, “wordfree” system using exclusively icons and colors to benefit the large illiterate and disenfranchised population, with the ambition of providing interfaces for the most useful and popular tools on the Web.
– Creating an online group of reporters throughout North Africa, focusing on Common Ground journalism, monitoring  blogs and giving help and advise.
In the following picture a whiteboard displays notes left by bloggers at the end of their three-day interactive workshop. It reads: “Partnership, Neutrality, Sharing, Convergence, Objectivity, Mutual Respect, Understanding, Responsability, Be Yourself…”
The following video shows interviews [Ar, Fr] with some bloggers and journalists present at the workshop:

author: Hisham Almiraat


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Nigeria: Acting President yet to have access to classified information · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“Nigeria's Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, is yet to have access to the cateory “A” classified Information vault located in the inner chamber of the President's office,” from Chidi Opara Reports.


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Nigeria: Has God answered our prayers? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

On Yar'Adua: Has God answered our prayers? Nigerian blogger Imnakoya asks in a post about the health of the Nigerian President: “First, the prayer is not for the president to just return, but be able to function fully as the president.”


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Nigeria: Is Mrs Yar’Adua running the country? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Loomnie tries to answer controversial questions surrounding Nigeria's presidency:”…is Mrs Turai Yar’Adua, the wife of the president, really the one running the country? Did she make them release that press release in order to cover up the fact that her husband is very sick?”


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Qatar: Artist MF Husain trades Indian passport for Qatari one · Global Voices
Shabina Khatri

The Internet is abuzz with news that controversial Indian artist MF Husain, 95, has accepted a rare offer of citizenship from Qatar, a tiny conservative country in the Arabian Gulf.
“I, the Indian origin painter M.F. Husain at 95, have been honoured by Qatar nationality,” the artist wrote in a sketch published by the widely read English-language Indian daily The Hindu, which broke the news.
Husain, arguably one of India’s greatest painters, has been working in Qatar on a project involving the history of Arab civilization at the behest of the country’s first lady, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Misned.
The conferment of citizenship has surprised many as Husain faces numerous obscenity charges in his home country, which he left in 2006 after nude paintings of Hindu deities he produced in the 1970s were brought to light, spurring protests, vandalism and threats.
On Twitter, @Iveegee said:
This is bizarre news. What does Qatar stand to gain from giving him citizenship?
N. Ram, a journalist for The Hindu, called the development “an honour to Mr. Husain, to his artistic genius, and to the India-rooted civilisational values he represents. Nevertheless, it is a sad day for India.
On the popular online forum Qatar Living, the news generated 116 comments before the site was shut down for maintenance over the weekend.
Some applauded Qatar, a Muslim monarchy's support of artistic freedom, while others wondered where India, a secular democracy, went wrong.
Commenter Landcruiser_Qatar said:
Very talented person and crappy countrymen running hate campaign. Hats off to MF Hussain.
Thoufy said:
is this democracy….?????? is this democracy….?????? Very Shame to our country…
Husain's exile from India is admittedly self-imposed, and Indian politicians are saying he is free to come and go as he pleases.
However, as dual citizenship is not possible in his home country, Husain will have to give up his Indian passport to become a Qatari.
In India, Twitterati have been responding to the news with a steady stream of messages, ranging from penitent to petulant.
@gurgaonharyana said:
m f hussain accepts qatar citizenship.big loss for india.we r such jerks.
@gulpanag said:
So Hussein accepts Qatar citizenship.Well,if his country of origin cannot guarantee his safety/wellbeing,he does have a case.
@rajizm said:
if he so couregeous let him paint some muslim painting in qatar nude and u will see he is dead next moment
What kind of freedom of expression Husain will be afforded in Qatar remains to be seen.
Qatar Living commenter heero_yuy2 said:
I hope he won't have a hard time florishing his artistry here if we still even have some trouble on media freedom around here.
And svelte_saggi said:
Anytime that religion has been represented as art in a derogatory manner,it has ended in chaos.

author: Shabina Khatri


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Rare Disease Day: “Alone we are rare. Together we are strong.” · Global Voices
Norma Lelli

On February 28, 2010, Rare Disease Day will be marked with a variety of events and activities all over the world – as well as with plenty of citizen media and online participation. The goal is to raise awareness about so-called rare or orphan diseases. These are diseases that affect only a relatively small number of people in any given country (definitions vary). But the numbers add up. Worldwide, it is estimated that there are 6,000 to 8,000 rare diseases.
In Europe alone, 30 million people have rare diseases, according to a Eurordis report (pdf) from 2005.
For the most part, rare-disease patients and their families have to cope with an enormous sense of solitude, fear and vulnerability because there is a general lack of information about their diseases. There are usually also limited funds for scientific and medical research or special treatment centers.
A Rare Disease Day channel on YouTube features dozens of videos, ranging from personal accounts to information concerning specific syndromes, to this video about dolphin therapy. This cartoon in Italian by artist Bruno Bozzetto was created to help raise awareness about rare diseases.
From strength to strength
Some patients are able to turn their deep sense of frustration into strength and determination to do more. One woman, Samantha Mina, affected by an extremely rare disease, explains in a letter to a Facebook Group called Superior Mesenteric Artery (SMA) Syndrome Awareness & Support:
After […] receiving a life-expectancy estimate of six weeks at one point, I decided I wanted every second of my own suffering to count by making widespread “rare disease awareness” a personal mission of mine. I was stunned by the ignorance and neglect I found in the medical community as a result of having an “orphan disorder,” and even fell victim to some very serious malpractice at the hands of a deceitful surgery professor who essentially wanted to use me as a guinea pig for his research.
After that, I decided that no one else should have to endure what I did, and that public education through networking and online media is a great way to make that happen. That is why I made a YouTube video of my story for the profile of the “World Rare Disease Day” Organization, started the FAQ thread here (see the “Discussions” tab), and authored the Wikipedia article on SMA Syndrome (I was actually stunned the entry didn't exist as of 2008).
Access to adequate health is a major problem for many families, and many have joined, and often founded, organizations dedicated to raising funds for buying medical equipment. They create networks and spread information particularly about the crucial connections between education and health. They can also inform citizens about their patient rights.
On the Rare Disease Support website, Nora tells her story:
My son was diagnosed with a rare disease two years ago. He has had twenty surgeries, countless doctors appointments and has been robbed of his voice. As a result I have willingly and aggressively plunged into the field of public health. I sit in classes these days where the people are talking in a language that sounds similar, but different. But I have realized that helping families with children who have rare diseases is my passion right now. […] as you live life with your child’s rare and unpredictable disease, you experience moments of crisis and despair, but also clarity and purpose. I found my mind making connections between the experience I was having with the health care system and my passion for improving the educational system. […] I again come to the proposition of a community response. A tipping point where people connect with others and help them meet their needs, be those needs educational, health related, or other.
Preventive measures
Early diagnosis is something that can make a huge difference for many rare disease patients, and many patient advocates push for life-saving detection measures. For instance, some severe errors of metabolism could be diagnosed through screening of new born babies. With just a drop of blood sampled from a baby's heel, you could potentially make a difference between a normal life and a severely damaged one.
The story of one family in the United States on Rarediseases.org helps illustrate what a huge difference early detection can make. Jana Monaco's son Stephen is severely brain damaged as a result of not having been tested at birth and diagnosed for an enzyme deficiency called isovaleric acidemia. His younger sister leads an entirely different life, because she did.
In Italy, the non-profit AISMME Association, among others, was founded in 2005 to promote awareness on a new born screening technique for early diagnose on some metabolic diseases, and its website provides hundreds of links to additional resources and centers across the world related to the hereditary metabolic disease field.
The importance of hope
Epasen is a teenager in Finland who writes a moving blog titled Living with sclero – My Life with Localized Juvenile Scleroderma, a rare chronic autoimmune disease. She writes about the importance of never losing hope:
So one day, I decided that it had to come to an end: I'm not a quitter. I can not give up all of my dreams for reasons I can not affect. All these years I've been thinking “I can not do this, I have scleroderma.” But now I've grown to see that it just ain't so: I want to at least try. I have chances just like everyone else, I have motivation and a lot of mental strength. Why wouldn't I make it? […] All those tears I had cried for losing my chances, all those sleepless nights and stressful days […] I cannot compare my situation to anyone else's since I'm not them. I don't know what healthy really is. But I do know, that I work out six times a week just that I'd be able to complete my [military] service with great statements, beat the guys or at least be as good as them. As able as everyone else.
In this video, a young boy named Jeff wins a speech competition by telling the story of how he was diagnosed with a rare metabolic disease, known as Methylmalonic Acidemia when he was only one month old. He gives a proud smile at the end of his difficult speech— and says: “Thank you ladies and gentlemen for listening…”
Anyone can help raise awareness by becoming a “Friend of Rare Disease Day” through this online form. Another option to show support, is to download and feature this “jeans ribbon” from the Global Genes Project on your blog.

author: Norma Lelli


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Voices of the Wives of China’s Prisoners of Conscience · Global Voices
Andy Yee

This month, on the occasion of the Spring Festival (the Chinese New Year), the most important time for family reunion in China, Duting (杜婷) interviewed the wives of China’s prisoners of conscience. They are Liu Xia, Ceng Jinyan, Wang Qinghua and Ceng Li, respectively the wives of Liu Xiaobo, Hu Jia, Tan Zuoren and Huang Qi.
Liu Xiaobo, an intellectual known for initiating Charter 08, calling for greater freedom, human rights and elections, was sentenced to 11 years in December 2009. Hu Jia, whose work focused on China’s democratization, environmentalist movement and AIDS advocacy, was sentenced to 3.5 years in April 2008. Tan Zuoren, an environmentalist and writer known for his investigation into shoddy schools following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, was sentenced to 5 years in February 2010. Huang Qi, a webmaster and human rights activist known for setting up the Tianwang Center for Missing Persons, was most recently sentenced to 3 years in November 2009.
Below are translated extracts and quotes from Duting’s interview report.
Liu Xia: when the thought that I cannot touch him for 11 years strikes me, my heart collapses
This was her twitter comment after Liu Xiaobo’s trial of second instance, on charges of ‘inciting subversion of state power.’
A few days after the verdict, Duting tried to have a chat with Liu Xia, who agreed to do so but later prefer to write down her feelings:
两个人这些年风风雨雨走过来，那么多的事情一 时很难用语言表达清楚，与其有一句没一句地说，还不如我自己零敲碎打地写出来。我这个人嘴挺笨的，一向不善于口头表达，这也不是我的风格，还是文字比较适 合我。
The two of us came from these stormy years, and it’s difficult to express all these matters clearly in words. Rather than saying it sentence by sentence, I prefer to write it down, in piecemeal scripts. I am ineloquent, not good at expressing with my mouth, which is not my style. Written words suit me better.
Ceng Jinyan: there are just too few people at the reunion dinner. I look forward to preparing a real reunion dinner some day
She made this comment on the eve of the Chinese New Year while preparing the traditional family reunion dinner. Ceng was married to Hu Jia in 2006. Hu was detained since 2007, and sentenced to three and a half year in April 2008 on charges of ‘inciting subversion of state power.’ This is the third time Ceng spent the Spring Festival without her husband.
Taking care of their two-year old daughter was her major task. Hu was detained one month after the baby was born. Though it was painful and sad, Jinyan tried to control her emotion, creating a safe and warm home for their daughter:
我把我和胡佳的合影贴在床头，告诉宝宝这是爸爸，去探望胡佳的时候也都尽量带她去，现在她已经知道怎么去监狱，坐什么车了。每次见到胡佳宝宝都很开心，又唱又跳的，把平时我和她做的游戏做给胡佳看。
I put my photo with Hu Jia on the bedside and tell the baby that this is his father. I will also bring her with me when visiting Hu Jia. She now knows which bus to take to go to the prison. Every time she sees her father, she would be very happy. She will jump and sing, and show the games that I play with her to Hu Jia.
When she was young, Jinyan had serious Myocarditis, which would have prevented her from taking the university entrance exam. But she took medicines to cover up the symptoms, and successfully entered the China  Renmin University to study economics. Because of her first hand experience, she knows a person’s smallness and helplessness when facing sickness and death. She therefore became a volunteer for an NGO tackling AIDS problem, and met Hu Jia there. At the time, Hu Jia has long been involved in AIDS and environmental issues, and was a ‘politically sensitive person’ in the authority’s eyes. The public security told her to cut the relationship with Hu, but:
也许是因为身体的缘故所以我看得比较开吧。人总要经历各种苦，有些人终其一生都无法遇到自己爱的人，我很幸运遇到胡佳。虽然选择和他在一 起就注定不会有稳定的生活，但这是我必须承受的。
Perhaps it’s because of my experience of sickness, I’m not easily upset. People have to endure different kinds of pain. Some are destined not to find their other half, but I am lucky to meet Hu Jia. Although choosing him means that a stable life would be a luxury, I am prepared to endure it.
Jinyan said that 2005 and 2006 were the difficult years, when Hu Jia was always missing. When the 2008 verdict was out, she was angry and sad, but at least it was a certainty. Commenting on the fact that 26 June 2011 would be his day of release:
最糟的时候已经过去了，胡佳现在比较平静，我的焦虑感也就随之降低了。但我也知道他回来之后的生活会是一个巨大的挑战。之前胡佳每次 失踪回来后的头几天对我和他来讲都非常痛苦，他潜意识中会把对抗的情绪带回家，把我当做反抗的对象，虽然他并不想如此。阿兰牧师曾说过『对于一个囚犯而言，真正的监狱是在他走出监狱的那一天才开始的。』
The most difficult moment has passed. Hu Jia is now calmer, and I’m less worried. But I know that when he returns, there would be challenges for us. In the past, every time he returns after missing for a few days, he would tell me that he feels miserable, and he brings a sense of antagonism back home, treating me as a target, though this was not his intention. Pastor A Lan said, ‘to a prisoner, the real jail starts on the day he walks out of the prison.’
Wang Qinghua: I am his comrade. We are on the same boat
A few days before the Spring Festival, Wang’s husband Tan Zuoren was sentenced to five years. Wang said
已经是第2个春节不在一起过了，去年的时候他去灾区，其实那个时候更担心他，怕他出事。现在他在看守所，至少人是安全的。
This is the second Spring Festival that we could not be together. Last year he was in the [Sichuan] earthquake zone. Actually, I was more worried about his safety back then. Now, at least he is safe in the detention center.
When Wang met Tan, he was working as an anesthetist in a hospital.
他当时在华西医科大学附属医院，是成都很好的一家医院。后来离开是因为六四。六四时他去了北京，回来后知道 肯定没办法再在医院工作下去，就辞职了。
At the time, he was working at the Western China Medical University Affiliated Hospital, a very good hospital in Chengdu. He left because of the 1989 Tiananmen Incident. He went to Beijing during the incident, and knew afterwards that it would be impossible to continue his career there.
He ran a business for several years in Shenzhen. A friend of his persuaded him to get involved in environmental protection, which was his interest. Tan then returned to Chengdu, setting up the NGO ‘Green Rivers’, ‘visiting every corner of Chengdu’s countryside, writing articles and providing suggestions to the government whenever he sees a problem.’ These years, Tan did not have a stable income, and the family’s livelihood depended on Wang:
他总和朋友们说对不起我，我就很生气。我和他讲『这个家也是我的家，我不觉得一定要男人来 养家。我们分工不同，你做的事情我做不了，那我来养家好了。
He always told friends that he did not treat me well. I would be very angry. I told him, ‘this family is also mine; I don’t think that a family must be supported by a man. We do different things. I cannot do what you do, so let me support the family.
Though Tan thinks that his works are not risky, he had a premonition of what eventually happened:
国保经常找他谈话，软的硬的，那时候他就感觉到可能要出事。他和我谈过几次，当时他就说 如果做这些事都能被抓那就让他们抓吧。所以那时开始我们就常和两个女儿讲，爸爸做的事情是对的，但可能会有危险，让她们也有个心理准备。我是没什麽想不开 的，我一直是个挺洒脱的人。之前他正常做事的时候我是他的妻子，我支持他。他一旦有了危险，那我就是他的战友，我们早就在一条船上了。
The state security always had discussions, hard and soft, with him. This made him felt that something might happen. He talked to me several times, and said that if doing only these things would still result in an arrest, so be it. From that time onwards, we told our two daughters that their father’s works are correct, but dangerous. This prepared them psychologically. I’m not easily upset by minor things. When he did these things, I was his wife and I supported him. When he is in danger, I’m his comrade, and we are on the same boat.
之前我不太关心他做的那些事，我只是和他一样是个见到不公平的事就要站出来说话的人。现在他被抓，那我就要代他去参加这些活动，然后，等他出来。
In the past, I did not care that much what he did. We are only of similar personalities, speaking up against unfairness. Now that he is arrested, I will continue his works, and wait for his release.
Ceng Li: I am only doing what I think is right. I though it was correct. I now still think it is correct.
Ceng said she is already used to Spring Festivals without her husband. In 2000, Huang Qi was arrested on charge of ‘inciting subversion of state power’, and, 3 years later, was sentenced to a 5-year term. He was released in 2005, but was arrested again in 2008 on charge of ‘illegally possessing state secret documents.’
之前黄琦做生意，我在机关工作，那时候我什麽心都不操，一点压力都没有。这些年就完全不一样了，所有的事情都要一个人来承担。05年黄琦出来的时候说『你怎么完全变成了另外一个人』，他希望我还是之前那个无忧无虑，什么事都依赖他的小女人。
In the past, he was a businessman and I worked in the government. I did not need to worry about anything. These years, it is totally different. I have to endure everything by myself. When Huang was released in 2005, he asked me, ‘why have you become a totally different person?’ He still hoped that I was the carefree little woman of the past.
In 1998, Ceng and Wang used their fortunes from business to start the ‘Tianwang Center for Missing Persons’, helping parents to find their lost children.
有政府支持，有媒体宣传，一切都挺顺利。后来在做的过程中渐渐接触到许多上访者，许多弱势群体，就想尽量帮帮他们，于是我们99年就做了网站，希望能提供一个平台。
With official support and propaganda, everything went smoothly. Later on, we got in touch with some petitioners and disadvantaged groups, and wanted to help them. In 1999, we started a website and hoped to provide a platform for them.
Apart from people search contents, there were some political commentaries on the website concerning Falun Gong and Rabiye [Xinjiang businesswoman and dissident], which got them into troubles.
最初完全没有想到做这个会有风险，只是觉得顶多是往里贴钱，偶尔也会因为经济上的问题和黄琦抱怨。但那种不快很快就会被看到父母找到失踪儿童后一家人团聚的 喜悦所取代，那种幸福感和满足感很难用语言去表达，就是你实实在在帮到了别人，别人从中受益，这是一种很难得的体验。
At the beginning, we don’t think that it is risky at all, at most needing to pour some money into it. We argued a little bit on economic issues. But when seeing parents finding their lost children, complaints would be washed away by happiness which could not be described in words. This is helping people realistically, which is a very precious experience.
After Wang was released in 2005, he restarted the website, this time turning it into a human rights website.
他更坚定了，也没有了之前的顾虑，还能怎么样呢？大不了再进去吧。但这一次他就不让我参与了，和之前不同这次他知道风险性，再说总要有个人打工挣钱，孩子要读书，大人要吃饭。
He was more determined, and without previous worries. What else can happen? The worst is to be imprisoned again. But he did not allow me to participate this time. He knew it is risky. After all, one person needs to earn a living to pay for children’s education and feed the adults.
After Wang’s second arrest, Ceng resigned from her job in Beijing to take care of their parents and children.
难是难，但也挺坦然的，我只是做了我认为正确的事情，当时我觉得那是对的，现在我依然这么认为。
It is difficult, but I’m undisturbed. I am only doing what I think is right. I though it was correct. I now still think it is correct.
Reading these stories of wives, mothers and freedom, and of resistance, wait and hope, Lan Xiaohuan (兰小欢) quoted Pulitzer-winning American author Annie Dillard on what could possibly keep them going:
Dedicate (donate, give all) your life to something larger than yourself and pleasure to the largest thing you can: to God, to relieving suffering, to contributing to knowledge, to adding to literature, or something else. Happiness lies this way, and it beats pleasure hollow.

author: Andy Yee


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Zimbabwe: Top African songs from Power FM · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Top African songs played on Power FM in Zimbabwe: “Museke brings you a list of African songs that have been getting major airplay in Zimbabwe this year.”


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Armenia: Chance meeting · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped: Gay Armenia visits the Yuri Mechitov photo exhibit at the National Theatre in London as part of an festival of events honoring Armenian film director Sergei Parajanov and runs into the photographer. The blog posts photographs from the visit and encounter.


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Armenia: Diplomatic Academy · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Armenia: Higher Education & Sciences reports that a Diplomatic Academy supported by the EU, OSCE and UN has been opened in Yerevan with the purpose of creating future career diplomats. The blog notes that several among the first intake were women.


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Azerbaijan: Khojali anniversary · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Sheki, Azerbaijan marks the anniversary of a massacre taking place during the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. The blog laments the loss of life during war and hopes that the victims rest in peace.


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Azerbaijan: Water Tuesday · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

As was the case last year, Sheki, Azerbaijan introduces its readers to the start of events leading to the holiday of Novruz with Water Tuesday. The blog also says that February is considered the toughest month of Winter, but says that it also marks the beginning of Spring.


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Chile: The Legacy of the 1960 Earthquake in Valdivia · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Fifty years ago, the strongest earthquake ever recorded in history rocked the city of Valdivia, Chile.  On May 22, 1960, the 9.5 magnitude earthquake struck the epicenter near the city of Cañete. However, Valdivia was the hardest hit locality with nearly 40% of its building destroyed and leaving close to 20,000 homeless.
Many current users of citizen media are too young to have experienced the 1960 quake, but some like Mauro Barrientos (@maurobarrientos) talked with someone who was there fifty years ago:
Mi awela dijo este terremoto ni se compara al del terremoto de valdivia en 1960
However, the legacy that the earthquake has had on Chile's history was on the minds of many around the country.  Yondaime Andres (@EomerElessar) writes:
a toodos se les aparece el fantasma del 60 por eso el temor
From the city of Valdivia, Betsabé Sandoval (@_Nahra) has been uploading various vintage photos at Twitpic of the destruction from the 1960 earthquake, including this photo of the damage to the Valdivia Cathedral. In total, she has uploaded 10 different photographs.
Photo of Valdivia post-quake uploaded by _Nahra
There are many Twitter users who currently live in the city of Valdivia. Throughout the day, they have been reacting to the developments of the 2010 earthquake and how their fellow residents were affected.  The Twitter user @tapeks writes about the current mood of the city:
Se ve el temor en la gente, todos andan intranquilos y las calles se ven desoladas, se ve tan raro #Valdivia
With the approach of nightfall on the first night after the earthquake, Evelyn Arriagada (@evelynarriaga) and Daniela Contreras (@dcontrerasl) both remark how things are a little calmer, but everyone is heading to bed with a little bit of fear.
Nevertheless, not only is the damage caused by the 1960 earthquake on the minds of many, but also the reaction by the Chilean people 50 years ago.  Pancho Ballesteros (@Pancho_B) writes:
Si hace 50 años nuestra patria se puso de pie despues de lo de Valdivia, hoy es el momento de volver a hacerlo…


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Chile: Tsunami Scare on Easter Island · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Easter Island is well-known for its Polynesian monumental statues that draw tourists from around the globe. This Chilean territory, also known by its native name of Rapa Nui, lies 3500 km west of the South American continent and has a permanent population of close to 5,000. During the aftermath of the February 27 earthquake, there was also great concern for local residents and visiting tourists because of the tsunami warning.
Mexican José Alberto Castro (@elgueromex) was visiting Easter Island when the earthquake struck and when the tsunami warning was issued. He used Twitter to access information on what has happening back on the mainland and to inform friends about the current situation.
Parece ser que nos van a evacuar están esperando olas muy grandes hay les aviso
Residents and tourists were ordered to evacuate coastal areas and were moved to higher ground. When the tsunami warning had expired without any serious damage, he took this photograph of the full moon over the island and writes, “today, after so much uncertainty, Rapa Nui gives us this moon.”
The brother of José Luis Tapia (@cuatrodjspro) was on Easter Island when the earthquake hit. Tapia opened his Twitter account during the earthquake repercussions to exchange information regarding the situation on Easter Island. After phoning his brother, he shared the information that he gathered:
acabo de hablar cn mi hermano en isla de pascua y esta todo normal, segun ellos no habra vuelos en los proximos 5 dias
en isla de pascua hubo un tsunami de caracter leve en el sector de tongariki alrededor de las 9 de la mañana ningun daño ni heridos
Alejandro Tucki (@JanoTC) also opened a Twitter account post-earthquake. He took the following photo on Easter Island that shows a stone wall that was damaged by the waves in an unpopulated area:
Photo of damaged stone wall on Easter Island by Alejandro Tucki
Another Chilean who was on the island when the tsunami warning was announced, Daniel Sovino (@dsavino) also writes that everything is fine, but not without alarm:
todo bien por aca, aparte del susto de despertar con evacuacion de tsunami, la sacamos mas barata que el continente….


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Georgia: Eurovision National Competition · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

With Armenia having already chosen its entry for this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, Norway, now comes the turn of Georgia. The Oikotimes reviews the six songs presented to the Georgian public by Sopho Nizharadze.  Crazyescfan's blog describes the winning entry, Shine, as a strong and emotional song by a talented and beautiful artist. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan will choose its entry early next week.


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Global: The Tiger’s Year And Tiger Farming · Global Voices
Sonam Ongmo

Wildlife activists and organizations around the world are determined to make sure that this is really “The year of the Tiger”. They have seized this opportunity to step up their activities and bring global attention to this majestic, yet severely endangered species in the ever diminishing animal kingdom.
According to WWF only 3,200 tigers exist in the wild in Asia – which comprises the largest habitat for these animals – but this number is also at serious risk because of poaching, illegal trafficking and habitat loss.
It seems like the idea to embrace the year to spread awareness is being taken very seriously.
WWF launched the “Year of the Tiger campaign” by releasing “Top Ten Trouble Spots” in the world where the animal is suffering a serious crisis. They cover places like China, India, Siberia, South-east Asia, Bangladesh and even the U.S, where more Tigers are kept in captivity than are left in the wild.  According to WWF, an estimated 3000 tigers or more are in captivity in the United States.
At a Tiger Farm near Pattaya, Thailand. Image by Flickr user Narisa. Used under a Creative Commons License
This number is truly alarming and it makes you wonder, is this any different from the Tiger Farms in China?  The Tiger Farms in China are truly an embarrassment for human beings today and what we are capable of doing to these majestic beasts.
Tigers have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, and now even wine. It looks like that trade is not going to stop very easily in the near future because a battle is raging out there about whether legalizing the sale of tiger bones and body parts will help stop poaching of the wild ones.
According to Michael who blogs about cats (mainly):
The only long term answer is to educate and change attitudes and that will require the agreement of the Chinese government. To get their agreement there has to be a financial reward. The loss of the tiger in the wild is a world problem. The tiger belongs to the world and the world must find a way to save this animal.
Sciblogs, a blog from New Zealand which “brings the best science bloggers from the country on one website….”, said China has put forth the argument that farms are a healthy alternative to preventing and reducing poaching of these animals in the wild. Organizations like WWF and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) have come up against a tough fight with the Giant.
One of the important outcomes of the Kathmandu World Tiger Workshop, was the inability of some NGOs and governments to persuade China to give up tiger farming. The pressure has continued after the meeting. WWF has contributed a youtube video claiming that tiger farms are a ‘ticket to extinction’ (threat to wild tigers). The Chinese stance has been pretty consistent over the last few years.
…..the Chinese no longer believe that demand for tiger parts can be driven low enough to deter poaching. They might have believed this was possible in the mid-1990s, but acceleration in tiger poaching after they introduced their domestic ban has made them skeptics. An important point is that there are other conservationists who are also skeptics. Not everyone believes that the domestic ban has helped.
And China may be winning this argument because many conservationists who are left with no solution are now wondering whether flooding the market with Tiger bones and parts from the farms might really reduce attacks on wild tigers.
Michael, who has been outraged with this argument, countered it with graphic and lurid pictures from Tiger Farms in China:
What you are looking at is the  most popular wild animal in the world reduced to trash and meat, chilled flesh and bone, bereft of dignity. The owner of this farm was keeping what was left of the tiger bodies (you can see one has been skinned) until it becomes legal to trade in body parts. And CITES had asked, formally, China to investigate illegal sales of tiger meat at the Guilin farm. What is CITES doing asking China to investigate? This is preposterous. It is like asking the police to investigate an assault perpetrated by an officer on duty. Do we ever get a result from such an investigation? No.
So does legalizing sale of Tiger parts and Tiger Farming reduce the plight of the Tiger? Far from it, it seems. According to WWF a study conducted by the World Bank and the International Tiger Coalition both have debunked that argument saying that :
Given the unpredictability of the market environment along with the fact that there are only 3,500 tigers in the wild, there is no room for experimentation,” said Varma to the ITC. “Commercial trading in tiger parts and its derivatives is not in the interest of wild tiger conservation.”
While many organizations, and individuals who care, are doing all they can to spread the word about the plight of the Tiger, a blogger going by the name of Tatanoo correctly pointed out flaws about the current methods by activists to generate awareness and solicit support for this cause:
Save the Tiger – www.saveourtigers.com, in my honest and unwanted opinion, is a very poorly executed social initiative. I am not sure if this has brought any mileage to Aircel but apart from creating some buzz, the initiative hardly does anything worthwhile. It lacks the soul and resolve that a social initiative requires. It applies armchair activism to an issue where its effect is debatable and the extent of change that can be brought is extremely limited. Let’s do a quick post-mortem of the initiative,”
he says and goes on to list the lame initiatives adopted by them.
Nevertheless, something might be better than nothing. Many of us who celebrate the Lunar New Year may not even have thought about the Tiger apart from just seeing its picture on the calendar, but thanks to the armchair activism and the internet calls for action, we are spurred to awareness.

author: Sonam Ongmo


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Iran: Webcomic about a young protester · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Zahra's paradise ,a graphic novel, is the fictional story of the search for Mehdi, a young protestor who has disappeared in the Islamic Republic’s gulags.”

author: Fred Petrossian


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Italy: “Tangerines and olives don’t fall from the sky” · Global Voices
Davide Galati

The first strike of immigrant workers in Italy's history will take place on Monday March 1st.  Similar peaceful protests are also planned in France, Spain and Greece on the same day.
In Italy, the organizing Primo Marzo (March 1st) committee (a mix of entrepreneurs, journalists and grassroots activists) has been making active use of online media since November, with a related blog and several regional groups on Facebook. This is how they introduce the event:
Cosa succederebbe se i quattro milioni e mezzo di immigrati che vivono in Italia decidessero di incrociare le braccia per un giorno? E se a sostenere la loro azione ci fossero anche i milioni di italiani stanchi del razzismo?
Primo marzo 2010 si propone di organizzare una grande manifestazione non violenta per far capire all'opinione pubblica italiana quanto sia determinante l'apporto dei migranti alla tenuta e al funzionamento della nostra società.
Questo movimento nasce meticcio ed è orgoglioso di riunire al proprio interno italiani, stranieri, seconde generazioni, e chiunque condivida il rifiuto del razzismo e delle discriminazioni verso i più deboli.
Il colore di riferimento di Primo marzo 2010 è il giallo. Lo abbiamo scelto perché è considerato il colore del cambiamento e per la sua neutralità politica: il giallo non rimanda infatti ad alcuno schieramento in particolare.
What would happen if the 4.5 million immigrants now living in Italy decided to go on strike for one day? And what if also millions of Italians tired of racism will support them?
The ‘Primo marzo 2010′ committee is organizing a major nonviolent protest to let the public opinion understand the decisive role of migrants to help our society good functioning.
This movement was born of mixed race and is proud to bring together Italians, foreigners, second generations, and whoever shares the rejection of racism and discrimination against less lucky people.
We chose yellow as our march color, because it is considered the color of change and for its political neutrality: in fact, yellow doesn't refer to any political line-up.
Worsened relations
Particularly over the past year, the living conditions of migrants have worsened, both for those residing in Italy and those who have made attempts to enter the country. There have been several contentious events. In May, authorities refused to accept 227 African citizens who were trying to cross the Sicily Channel by boat to reach Lampedusa island, the southernmost part of Italy. And in July, a national security law that makes undocumented immigration a criminal offense, was approved by the parliament.
About the public perception of immigrants in Italy, Mauro Biancaniello wrote on Facebook:
L'Istat conferma dei dati di cui molti di noi erano già convinti: l'immigrato non è il criminale che lo si dipinge, ovvero che, come abbiamo visto, il reato principalmente commesso è la violazione sulla legge dell'immigrazione. […] L'immigrato (regolare o non), non è un santo. Ebbene sorpresa: nemmeno l'italiano è pronto per la beatificazione
The most controversial recent event was probably the so-called Rosarno revolt in Calabria, in early January 2010. Three African farm workers were assaulted by unidentified people, and several immigrants started a street riot with a violent retaliation by local residents. Some sources refer to the involvement of the powerful crime syndicate ‘Ndrangheta, while the government of Egypt presented an official complaint [fr] to the Italian government.
Here is a Rosarno: il tempo delle arance, a documentary by Nicola Angrisano about the entire incident [it]:
Giuseppe Civati, a blogger and politician, shares a detailed infographics map that shows the degree of dependence on immigrants in Northern Italy to help illustrate what many people are asking: Can we imagine an Italy without immigrant workers?
Citizens unite
Musicians have been invited to create a collaborative soundtrack for March 1st. The band Reagenti Limitanti have a new music video on YouTube and many other artists have promised live performances.
In Rome, an open discussion on the ‘geography of exclusion’ during the economic crisis will take place in front of the parliament, called “Lessons of illegality”:
Fare della nostra clandestinità la nostra ricchezza, rivendicare la nostra eccedenza e mettere in comune le nostre esperienze e i nostri saperi [per] renderci visibili e prendere parola contro le politiche e le retoriche razziste, contro lo svilimento del mondo della formazione, contro la precarizzazione delle vite.
A documentary film by the weekly magazine Carta, called In Between, is being widely distributed in advance of the day. It stars six young people  from different European countries who describe their everyday lives negotiating the differences between the culture they live in, and the one from which their families come from.
Nove città europee di sei differenti Paesi. In ognuna di queste città, alcuni giovani, figli di migranti, raccontano le proprie esperienze, le proprie sensazioni e ricordi, il loro modo di percepirsi e di essere percepiti, la loro quotidianità e le sue sfide. Italia, Francia, Germania, Olanda, Portogallo, Spagna. Nonostante le diversità, tutti i protagonisti del video si raccontano in una situazione che li accomuna: persone che si trovano nel mezzo, portatori di un’identità di confine che li colloca fra il paese da cui provengono i loro parenti e quello dove vivono, seconde e poi terze e poi enne-esime generazioni, sempre ri-conosciuti solo a partire dalla loro provenienza.
Activists and netizens are busy in preparation for the major protest on Monday. Small and large events are expected throughout the country. This Google map by the Primo Marzo 2010 organizing committee shows many locations, while a Web-TV will host a special 24-hour programming on the event.
Terre Libere, an online outlet devoted to minorities and current events, shares an appeal from immigrants in Rosarno:
Non siamo venuti in Italia per fare i turisti. Il nostro lavoro e il nostro sudore serve all’Italia come serve alle nostre famiglie che hanno riposto in noi molte speranze. I mandarini, le olive, le arance non cadono dal cielo. Sono delle mani che li raccolgono.

author: Davide Galati


text:
Japan: Blogging from a locked room · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

What if you found yourself trapped in a room of your house with the door lock broken and few tools with you? This is what happened to Fumiko Fumio.
Equipped with a camera and his faithful laptop the blogger diarized his adventure as he lived it. Asking advices on twitter  (collected here) and reading the comments on his blog, he managed to find a way of escape.
1月16日17時半。14時半から実家の書斎にとじこめられている。外出間際に物音がしたので書斎に入ったら、そのままドアが 壊れて外に出られなくなった…。書斎代わりにつかっている小さな部屋でカラダが抜けられる窓はない。六畳間で南にドア（壊れてあかない）、北に窓（鉄格子 があってでられない）、東が壁、西にクローゼット。 携帯は部屋の外、電源と繋がっていないノートPC（バッテリー残一時間半／無線LANでインターネット接続は可能ですが電波が微妙）、デジカメ（バッテリー微妙）、プラスドライバー、仕事で使っている部屋なので定規やペン、紙といった一式の筆記用具が手元にあります。いい脱出方法はありますか？寒い。
18時追記。パソコンから現状を家族の携帯にメール。「家族で中華街で夕食会だから帰りは早くて22時くらいになる」とのこと。近隣在住の親族は中華街で食事をしている模様。僕はどうやら家族に含まれていないようだ。自力で脱出しなければならない。男の意地だ。
ドライバーで、ドアノブを、外してみました。
さっきまで若干動いていたドアのなかの金具がまったく動かなくなりました。
18時20分追記。見取り図を書いた。
南にドア。ドアの前には廊下。東は壁。壁の向こうは台所。西はクローゼット。北には窓。鉄格子あり。窓の外は庭。その先の垣根の向こうに隣家のイトウさんの家は灯かりが点いていない。留守のようだ。
東。壁。僕が描いた絵がかけられているだけ。
西。クローゼット。スーツやコートを収納。
北。 窓。ブラインドでわかりにくいけど、泥棒対策の鉄枠が外側に取り付けられている。外は庭で、垣根の隙間からイトウさんの家がわずかに覗ける。窓をあけて大 声を出してみたけど反応はなし。通りとは逆側にある部屋なので人通りは期待できない。使える道具はドライバー、定規、財布くらいかな。さて、どうやって脱 出しようか。
19時20分追記。道具をならべてみた。
左上から時計まわりに、財布（各種カードもはいっている）、小銭入れ（百円玉、十円玉が三枚ずつ）、ドライバー（プラス、マイナス）、綾波レイ（リボルテック）、消しゴム、鉛筆、ボールペン、化粧水、竹の定規、ｉpod。画像をみてもらえるとわかるようにドライバーの柄（？）の部分が短くて使い勝手が悪い。なにかアイデアありますか？
[…]
20時20分追記。ブコメ参照した。
ゲームじゃないので壁に掛けられた絵の裏には隠しスイッチはなかった。クローゼットは上下二段に分かれていて、下段のほうからは脱出できそうもない。上段 から天井に抜けられるかもしれないけど、上段の間口が高いところにあるのと、長いあいだ（数年）開けていないせいか引き戸が固まっていて開けられず中の様 子がわからない。今、上段と下段のあいだを突破しようとトライしたが柱と梁？と衣服をひっかけるパイプが密集していて抜けられず断念したところ。クロー ゼットの中にあった母親のコートを重ね着して寒さ対策。トラ柄のコートなんていつごろ着ていたのだろう。この格好では死ねない。寒い。そして、激しい尿意が！
[…]
22時25分追記。ブコメ、トラバで示された方法は試してみた。PCの電源コードを引き出しから発見。あとお隣のイトウさんが帰ってきた（声を出したが聞こえなかったようだ）。家族からのメール。「カラオケ一時間延長した。お土産の肉まん楽しみにしてて」。…。
カー ド類をＬ字型に加工する方法は試してみたが、隙間が狭くて手持ちのカードでは紙製のものしか入らず断念した。蝶番も外れない。クローゼットの上段から天井 に抜ける方法が無難だと判断した。机を移動してその上に椅子を置けば届くと思う。がそれを行うには尿意を処理しなければならない。窓からダイレクトに放尿 するのが手っ取り早いが、僕の声を聞いたイトウさんが窓側から接近する可能性があり別の事件に発展しかねないので却下。というわけで制汗スプレーの容器と ビニール袋を利用して、
尿瓶を 作成した。これに放尿して、窓から廃棄。それから先ほど発見したウエットティッシュで手を拭いた。僕は、過酷な状況下で人間の尊厳と健康と衛生をついに 守ったのだ！（画像は使用前です）。なんとかなると油断して昔のアルバムを眺めているうちに昼寝しちゃったのがよくなかったな…。ひと休みしたら机を動か して僕は、天井界へ、抜ける。
[…]
１月17日0時10分追記。日がかわってしまった。もう十時間もここにいる。家族からのメール。「カラオケのあと〆のラーメン食べているから～」
イトウさんは眠ってしまったようだ。ラジカセをオフ。窓をしめて体力を温存中。予想外の事態。机と椅子で台をつくりクローゼットの上段の引き戸を開けることには成功したが、そこには
お びただしい数のエロビデオ（言葉どおりの「ビデオ」だ）とエロ本。あ、圧倒的じゃないか。で、考えている。腰痛をこらえてこれらを床におろし、クローゼッ トから天井に潜入したところで本当に脱出できるのだろうか。一階と二階のあいだに隙間があるとしてその先に出口はあるのか。最悪は天井裏でさまよっている ときに家族（母、弟）が帰宅、部屋をあけたときにこの、大量のエロビデオとエロ本を目撃することだ。もしかしたら他の親族も駆けつけるかもしれない。その 場合、僕の地位は、夕食会に誘われない現時点よりも、墜ちる。それはいやだ。それなら天井裏で餓死したほうがいい。
で、考えた手順がこれだ→1.エロ本とエロビデオを床に降ろす。2.天井への血路をひらく。3.天井裏に場所を確保したのち、床からエロ本とエロビデオを天井裏へ輸送する。4.手順3の繰り返しで天井裏にエロ本とエロビデオを隠蔽。これならお釈迦様も気付かないだろう。さいわい、愚かな家族たちは遊びほうけているから時間的な余裕は十分ある。というわけで今から作業にとりかかるとする。いくぜ。
[…]
3時30分追記。ブコメとtwitterは読んでるよ。ありがとう！家族からメール「疲れたから横須賀のおばさんの家に泊まるかもしれない～うっそで～す」酔ってやがる…。
ラジコンのアンテナでドアの金具を動かそうとしたが、まったく動かない。ドアノブを外すときに強引にやったのが悪かったのかもしれない。バキって音がしたし…。母は泥酔しているようだから助けは期待できない。現状を説明すると、
こんな感じで手詰まり。あと経路あるかな？新聞配達のバイクの音がするので、近づいたら部屋の電源を点滅させてみたりしている。
4時30分追記。ブコメとtwitterとトラバは全部読んでるよ。ありがとう！30分ほど前に弟の車と思われる音がしました。
車が走り去る音がしたあとで直後に鍵を開ける音。直後にスリッパの足音。助かった。と思いきやこの部屋に足音は向かってこなかった。おそらく、
泥 酔した母親は、この赤い矢印のように直線的な軌道で寝室に向かったと思われる。完全に僕は忘れられているらしい。ドアを叩き、大声を出してから、様子を伺 うと激しいイビキが遠雷のように聞こえる…。駄目だこりゃ。疲れたし冷えてきたのでクローゼットのなかから衣服を取り出して羽織り、マシュマロマン状態に なった。今からカーペットを布団にして眠ろうと思う。床が冷たいのであまり眠れないとは思うけどすこし休んだらまた動くよ。おやすみなさい。
7時55分追記。起きた。ブコメとtwitterを見終えたところ。底冷えで寝てられない。デジカメの電池切れで画像はないよ。
カーペットを布団がわりにしたら、床に、収納スペースがあるのをみつけた。引き出し式の取っ手がひとつは外れて紛失、残っている一方は錆びていて動かないので、ドライバーでがりがりやっているところ。こんなのあったんだ…。母親はまだ寝ているようだ。
8時25分追記。物音がする母親が起きたようだ。携帯を持ち歩いていないせいか、メールが返ってこなくなった。
床の蓋はあいて、床下に降りられたけど、脱出路にはなりそうになかった。今から、天井を母親の部屋まで這っていって、僕の存在を思い出させようと思う。密室からの脱出じゃなくて、家族の絆を回復するために。では。
9 時30分追記。状況は一変した。道具はノートパソコンとドライバー一本に制限された。母親とはコンタクト取れた。策を講じた。密室に閉じ込められているの を悟られないように、扉を開けさせればいいのだ。手順はこうだ→1．母親とコンタクトをとり外側から扉をあけさせる。2．床に開いた収納スペースに身を潜 めて母親が書斎から消えるのを待つ。3．母親に発見されないように書斎から脱出。やれそうだ。
天井を這ってリビングにいる母親と 会話することに成功。「もしもし俺だけど」「あんた何やってるの」「大掃除、天井裏やらなかったから今やっているんだ」「どうしたの急に」「大人だから ね。ところでさ」「何よ」「書斎の扉が建てつけ悪いからちょっと開けてみてよ。たぶんカードか何かで隙間をいじれば開くと思う」「銀行のカードしかない わ。カード入れ車のなかに忘れたみたい」「銀行のカードと孝行息子の言葉はどちらが大事よ？」「銀行のカード」…。というやりとりを経て、僕は天井から床 の収納へ身を潜めたのだ。いつ扉が開くかわからないのでパソコンを持って。
あっさりと扉はひらいた、らしい。足音が頭上まで来 た。なにかゴソゴソと物音がしてそれから足音が書斎が離れるのを確認。よし、と収納から脱出と思ったら、蓋があかない。正確にいうと、少しは押しあがるの だけど、なにか圧力がかかってそこから上にあがらない。机を元の位置に戻すような物音はしなかったから、どうやらカーペットを上にかけられたようだ。今、 僕は床下に閉じ込められている。足下が寒いけど、母親のセーターで足首を包んでビニールをかぶせた特製靴下があるからまあ大丈夫。
[…]
11時10分追記。脱出に成功した。完結篇はちょっとだけ待って。コーヒー飲んで一服させて。
[…]
10時30分過ぎ、床下の収納に
閉じ込められた僕は、軒下の穴の 近くを捜索して局面を打開しようと思ったが、かなわず、収納スペースへの撤退を余儀なくされた。
[…]
蓋をクソ力で持ち上げるとカーペットを掴むことに成功。便が漏れないように、腹痛に耐えながら、慎重に、ゆっくりとカーペットをずらしていった。蓋の辺の半分ほどまでズラしたところで
便 が漏れないように細心の注意を払いながら、蓋を押し上げると、開いた！速攻で、穴から飛び出し、書斎を離脱、トイレに突撃した。こんなに真剣に物事に取り 組んだのは初めてだ。さいわい、母親は二階で洗濯物を干していて僕の一連の行動に気付かなかったらしく、僕の消息がどうなったのか気にならないってのは親 としてどーよ、とか思ったけれど、命に別状はなかったし、エロ本とエロビデオは天井に隠蔽できたし、ま、いいか。さすがに、「お土産の肉まんチンして食べ なって」言われたときは脱力したけどさ。
[…]
で、あれこれシャワーを浴びたりして書斎のドアがどういう状況なのか確かめようと書斎にいくと、母親によってドアは
いいかげんな修理がされていた。オカン、ノブの付け方が逆だよ！
僕はロックだけれど、ロックされないように生きていきたい。そう、強く思った。

author: Scilla Alecci


text:
Morocco: The Death of a Newspaper · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Jamal Elabiad writes of the possible demise of Morocco's only English-language newspaper, The Casablanca Analyst.

author: Jillian C. York


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Nepal: Photos Of Old Kathmandu · Global Voices
Rezwan

Going Global posts some pictures of the old town of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

author: Rezwan


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Nepal: World’s Shortest Man · Global Voices
Rezwan

XNepali reports that Khagendra Thapa Magar from Nepal has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the shortest man in the world. Khagendra (18) is 56 cm tall and weighs just five kilograms.


text:
Palestine: Sleepless in Gaza  · Global Voices
Katharine Ganly

The premier episode of a 90 part series, Sleepless in Gaza…and Jerusalem will be launched on YouTube on March 1st. The series will be a video diary about four young Palestinian women, Muslim and Christian, two living in Gaza and two in Arab Jerusalem/West Bank. The series will show how these young women live their daily lives, and will be broadcast six days a week here.

author: Katharine Ganly


text:
Poland: Eccentric Protest Against Theatre Director · Global Voices
Magda Pilat

Last week Joanna Szczepkowska, a well-known Polish actress, made a rather unconventional protest against the style of work used by Krystian Lupa, a director she worked with. During a stage performance at the Dramatic Theatre in Warsaw, Szczepkowska showed the audience her naked buttocks. The gesture was widely commented on in the Polish media and blogosphere.
Ms Szczepkowska said that government funds supporting the theatre are constantly wasted, and so is the actors’ time, as many plays never make it to the stage, despite months of rehearsals. ‘The protest was not just against the director himself – she says – it was against the theatre methods of work as a whole.’
The actress, now in her late fifties, is often perceived as controversial and a provocateur of the Polish art world. She was in the centre of media attention in 1989, when she publicly announced that ‘the communism era was now over’ during a live TV appearance and again in 2004 when her dispute with another well-known actress, Krystyna Janda, made Ms Janda leave the Dramatic Theatre and open her own playhouse.
The news, posted on all major Polish portals, generated hundreds of comments and forum threads, some of them very negative. The protest was seen by many as a marketing tool meant to bring media attention to the play. Many bloggers said the protest was inappropriate, bearing in mind the actress’s age and reputation.
Omnia says [PL]:
If she hadn’t showed her buttocks, no one would even know about the play. She knows how to advertise and get attention. You’d need to ask the audience, whether they liked what they saw […]. I think that she went too far.
Marek sums up a forum discussion [PL]:
If you have nothing else to show, you show your buttocks […].
Some bloggers, however, agree with Ms Szczepkowska and compliment on her fearlessness and the all-or-nothing attitude. A musician Jarek Szubrycht says on his blog [PL]:
I haven’t been there and haven’t seen her buttocks but I wanted to praise her lioness-like courage. Not every woman of her age – as, let’s face it, she’s not a teen anymore – would be brave enough to show her bum cheeks.
Jerzy Ogrodnicki, a theatre actor, shares his view on one of the forums discussing the protest [PL]:
I really appreciate your courage and desperation. You’ve managed to show that even respected directors can be narrow-minded.  You have possibly just opened a new chapter in the Polish theatre. With best wishes.
An anonymous comment was also left on the film news website [PL]:
Ms Szczepkowska did the right thing protesting against the way the theatre works these days. It exists mainly for the artists, not for the audience (…)
Last Thursday the actress received a letter from Krystian Lupa saying that she will no longer be part of his team as she doesn’t put her heart into the character she plays. The actress announced that she was disappointed with the letter as it didn’t mention the protest. She believes that it was her buttocks that got her fired, not the lack of spirit or enthusiasm for the play.

author: Magda Pilat


text:
Poland: Real-Time Reactions to Kowalczyk’s Gold in Vancouver · Global Voices
Sylwia Presley

As the world is carefully keeping an eye on tsunami threat in Hawaii, Poles are uniting in opposite emotions – celebrating their golden medal won tonight by Justyna Kowalczyk in women's cross country 30km in Vancouver. Polish microblogging platform Blip.pl delivered updates on real-time reactions of the Polish viewers throughout the competition.
Viewers like dulak posted [PL] their plans to watch the broadcast:
dulak:  Off to watch the 30km race. I hope for a medal.
Desire expressed [PL] the support for Kowalczyk:
desire:  I cheer on justyna kowalczyk;-) #olimpiada
Maluminse [PL] fed continuous updates on developments:
#vancouver change of skis by Justyna. for second time already
#VANCOUVER and only Bjoergen and Kowalczyk will fight for victory. Is Justyna going to lose for 3rd time? Half of Poland counts on a medal, other half for gold
#vancouver 700 meters to finish
#VANCOUVER and on the stadium already. Historic moment after 38 years.
#VANCOUVER 80meters
Dulak's blip [PL] expressed emotions of the viewers…
I cannot stand it, it's an incredibly tight fight #vancouver
…finally sharing [PL] the good news:
WE HAVE GOLD!!!!
Desire added [PL]:
wonderful Justyna! what an emotional finish!!!!my throat is hurting!!!!wonderfulwonderful!!#olimpiada
Cobrrra joined others in cheering, sharing a picture of the TV screen with the word ‘GOLD!!!’ all over it:
#VANCOUVER JUSTYNA HAS GOLD!!!!
At this stage viewers shared their impressions too. PWNZOR expressed disbelief [PL]:
#vancouver za [blip]: ZOMG, WTF, LOL!!!!!1111 seriously, I did not expect that any of us would get gold:D
Structus admitted [PL] that his entire neighbourhood was cheering the great news:
What emotions!! Wonderful ending, shouts all over the estate and gold for Kowalczyk #olimpiada
Muszi even mentioned [PL] the fireworks:
The neighbour out of joy did a small fireworks show for us :D Well done Justyna! [#olimpiada]
And afterwards we have received another blip [PL] on a bronze medal won by Polish speed skaters:
Another medal at #Vancouver! What an evening – speed skaters in team run win bronze! What a wonderful run!
What a night for Poland! For more updates in Polish, go to two hashtags on Blip.pl: #vancouver and #olimpiada. Video from the finish is available here [PL].

author: Sylwia Presley


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Sri Lanka: Best Of The Blogosphere In 2009 · Global Voices
Rezwan

London, Lanka and Drums announces the best of Sri Lankan blogs in 2009.


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Video: Chile Earthquake through Citizen’s Eyes · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Santiago After the Earthquake by pviojo CC-By
As the day comes to a close,  more videos crop up of the devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Chile at 3:30 am. The earthquake, which not only affected the mainland through the ground movements, also generated tsunami waves that set out an alarm throughout the Pacific as different nations prepared for the waves to hit their shores.
Some videos were made during the earthquake itself, as this amateur video found on YouTube. It starts with a shot of a computer in a room, and as the earth moves the rumble of the earth can be heard, then the lights go out and we are left in the dark, hearing only the voices of a woman and a man we assume to be the  one holding the camera trying to calm her down.
(Video has since been removed from YouTube due to a Copyright claim made by Jonathan Munizaga)
This next one was recorded by YouTube user ikonsento during one of the aftershocks:
Ikonsento has been reporting since minutes after the first earthquake, when he uploaded this video showing how his house fared: the way furniture slid on the floor and toppled over bearing witness to the earthquake's strength:
This video was made minutes after the quake, as this next one where two men who had just arrived in Chile experience the quake and then decide to leave their building and stand outside for a bit. As lights come back on their building, they walk back and the building's inhabitants are all milling in the lobby, and as they return to the building, the assess the damage: broken water pipes and cracked concrete.
As daylight came, more people went out to the streets and recorded the damage they observed:
Netprox drove through the highway, and had to squeeze under a fallen bridge to get through.
Rafael Vial also went out to the streets and recorded a collapsed bridge in Llaillay, Chile, which he streamed through his mobile phone on Qik.
Communications in many areas of Chile are down and it gets harder to get in touch with loved ones to make sure they are all right. This couple of girls took advantage of YouTube and recorded their video, where they tell friends and family they are OK, and narrate a bit of what they've seen and heard regarding the earthquake:
And others, in their need to help are spreading valuable information regarding what to do to maximize the possibility of staying alive in a collapsed building. Such is the case with this video which is being passed after the quake. The Life Triangle theory basically states that the safest place to hide in an earthquake is not under furniture, but besides a strong piece of furniture: that way, if the piece of furniture is crushed by falling materials, it will not collapse on the person hiding under it. Instead, the person will be safe in the pocket created on the object's side. This promotional video  which was adapted and translated into Spanish, explains why hiding under desks or under doorways is just not going to allow you to survive.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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South Africa: Is FIFA 2010 an opportunity for nation building? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Rajesh wonders whether the FIFA World Cup 2010 will be an opportunity for nation building in South Africa.


text:
Africa: Who is your daddy? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

As two neighbouring countries, South Africa and Zimbabwe, celebrated two very contrasting “Fathers” – Mr. Nelson Mandela and Mr. Robert Mugabe, Chris Kabwato discusses the politics of father-figure in Zimbabwe.


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Bangladesh: Bubble In Dhaka Stock Exchange · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Is there a bubble in Dhaka stock exchange?” J. Rahman at Mukti analyzes the recent spike in the indexes.


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Barbados, Haiti: Being Prepared · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“What is clear is the changing climatic conditions affecting the world, the Caribbean included”: On the heels of two major earthquakes in the region, Barbados Underground wonders “what can we do to mitigate the damage to property and threat to life and limb” as another hurricane season approaches.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, St. Vincent: Water!  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Water (or the lack of it!) is on the tips of Caribbean bloggers’ tongues.


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Bermuda: Term Limits · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Vexed Bermoothes and The Devil Island maintain that the “term limiting out” of a particular journalist “is a bad and self-defeating move:  he’s the best known business journalist associated with Bermuda, and his coverage of Bermuda’s international sector has contributed significantly to the island’s reputation and growth.”


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Brazil: The Trees-per-Tweet Reforestation Campaign · Global Voices
Diego Casaes

Environmental blogger Vivo Verde [pt] highlights a campaign by Brazil's major telecom VIVO promising to reforest one square meter of native forest for every tweet answering the question: “What would you do with lots of SMS messages?” and with the hashtag #oquevcfaria (#whatwouldyoudo) up to March 10th.

author: Diego Casaes


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Chile: Architectural Structures Damaged by Earthquake · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Many buildings around Chile were damaged by the earthquake. David Basulto of the architecture blog Plataforma Arquitectura [es] collects news and photos of these structures.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Chile: Chaos in the Province of Curicó · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

“Chaotic continues to the situation that province of Curicó faces,” writes Luis Alberto Cabello of the blog Vivimos la Noticia [es]  written from the Chilean province that was one of the hardest hit. He also adds photos of the scenes from the streets.


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Chile: Earthquake Effects in Maule · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The citizen newspaper Maulee [es] based in Maule, the epicenter region of the Chilean earthquake provides updates on how the region was affected, including fatalities, road conditions, and recommendations from authorities.


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Chile: More videos recorded during the Earthquake · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Costa Rican journalist Cristian Cambronero has made an excellent roundup of more videos recorded during the Chile 8.8 Earthquake  early on Saturday morning.


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Chile: Praise for Earthquake Preparedness · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

The force exerted by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that rattled Chile in the early morning hours of February 27 has shocked a country that is used to the earth shaking underneath their feet. Quakes are commonplace in Chile; since 1906 and counting this most recent earthquake, Chile has experienced 28 earthquakes [es]—without counting the smaller in magnitude but still frequent seismic activity that is often felt around the country.  The three biggest earthquakes that many Chileans can still remember left 30,000 dead in 1939, 3,000 in 1960, and 177 in 1985.
The international community together with Chileans living abroad have praised Chile’s preparedness in front of this devastating situation, which could have had an even higher casualty total.
Cory Hunt in the blog Better Now than Never wrote a post on February 28 about the earthquake in Chile. The post begins by saying:
I have been following the events that have taken place in Chile today, as well as the subsequent tsunami warnings that have spread across the Pacific. The Chilean government, society, and people should be praised for their readiness in dealing with such a catastrophic natural disaster…as of this writing, Chile has still not appealed for international help even though the death toll has topped 300.
Destruction in Santiago, Chile after earthquake. Picture uploaded by flick user Ignacio Nuñez C. and used under a Creative Commons license.
El Pollo from the blog De Cualquier Vaina [es] lived in Santiago for six months in 1998 and felt three earthquakes while he was there. He describes what he saw during one of them and the importance of the building structures for safety:
En mi estadía sentí 3 y en uno de ellos vi, -mientras estaba despertándome en mi cama-, como por la ventana de mi apartamento en Apoquindo, se asomaban los edificios que tenía enfrente y el mío se mecía como un columpio. Estaba impresionado con las edificaciones ya que estaban en su mayoría construídos bajo estrictos códigos para mantenerse en pie ante los movimientos telúricos. Los chilenos dicen que en cada década había un terremoto fuerte que dejaba “la escoba”. Es decir, que volvía un desastre las ciudades.
The Puerto Rican blog Puerto Space [es] compared Chile´s experience to that of Haiti during their recent earthquake, and wonders how such an event would affect Puerto Rico:
Pero, por que al ser el terremoto de Chile mas grande que el de Haiti, hubieron menos muertes? Todo se trata de la preparación del país para manejar la situación. Chile es un país en la costa pacifica de América del Sur, con una economía solida en América del Sur y una gran historia con los sismos. No es la primera vez que un gran terremoto extremece a Chile, pues este es el tercer terremoto de sobre 8.7 en Chile. Haiti es un país mas pobre, y no estaba preparado para un gran sismo como Chile. Las autoridades de Haiti estiman los muertos en los 220,000 mientras que en Chile son en los cientos. Ahora la pregunta que nos preguntamos en Puerto Rico todos los días. Estaremos preparados para un gran terremoto?
Damage after earthquake. Picture uploaded by flickr user todosnuestrosmuertos and used under a Creative Commons license.
In the midst of devastating news from around the world regarding other natural disasters, Chile’s preparedness stands as an example, showing that –despite the casualties and physical damage it has suffered—a much worse scenario was avoided thanks to infrastructure built to withstand earthquakes and a well-established government prepared to answer to disaster.
Felipe Vallejos, a Chilean living in the Dominican Republic, pointed out on his blog El Rincón del Chileno [es] that even with Chile’s physical preparation, the emotional damage is something no one is ever prepared for. He finishes with high hopes that his country will rebuild itself like it has so many other times:
Aunque siempre se destacó la preparación que Chile tiene para este tipo de fenómenos naturales, nadie puede ser preparado para perder la vida, nadie puede ser preparado para apurar la despedida, ni nadie será preparado para vivir la impotencia en los ojos de una señora que no pudo salvar a su hija, en la desesperación de saber que debajo de los escombros hay vidas que pueden ser salvadas, o en vivir en la incertidumbre más desoladora de la que se tenga memoria.
Chile se ha recuperado antes, pero el dolor ha sido irreparable. La naturaleza se ha ensañado una vez más con uno de los países más sísmicos del mundo, pero la fuerza de su gente, la energía positiva y todo el cariño de la comunidad internacional, harán que el pueblo chileno pueda sanarse, aunque para ello, necesite tiempo, esfuerzo y amor propio por su tierra.
Although Chile's preparation for this type of natural phenomenon has stood out, no one can be prepared to lose their life, no one can be prepared to hasten goodbyes, and no one will ever be prepared to experience the helplessness in the eyes of a woman who couldn't save her daughter, the desperation of knowing that under the rubble there are lives that can be saved, or living under the worst uncertainty anyone can remember.
Chile has recuperated before, but the pain has been irreparable. The force of nature has shown itself one more time in one of the most seismic countries of the world, but the strength of its people, the positive energy, and the affection from the international community, will make the Chilean people heal, even though it will take time, effort, and love for their country.

author: Silvia Viñas


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Chile: Tsunami Strikes Juan Fernández Islands · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Another Chilean island territory, the Juan Fernández Islands located closer to the Chilean coast at a distance of 667 km, was not spared from the effects of the waves caused by the powerful earthquake. Due to their closer proximity, there are confirmed reports of destruction and deaths caused by a tsunami. Many are reporting that residents were not warned with ample enough time and as a result were unable to evacuate to higher ground.
Many Twitter users who had friends and family on the islands were once again desperately searching for information on Twitter [es] for their whereabouts. Once some of them were able to get in contact with the person they were looking for, they shared their information on Twitter.
The brother of Pedro Huichalaf (@Huichalaf) had been on the island with his girlfriend. Huichalaf was finally able to get in touch [es] with him after many uncertain moments [es]:
me comuniqué con mi hermano que está en Isla de Juan Fernández . Dijo que tsunami fue avisado muy tarde
Mi hermano q está en Isla Juan Fernández dijo q alarma de tsunami fue tocada cuando ola se acercaba
He also shared the phone number where individuals could call to get in touch with family and friends using the phone at the Civil Aeronautic station on the island, where they took turns to receive and make phone calls [es].
When word did get out about the names of the confirmed dead, many Twitter users like Mauricio Almazan (@mauro009) acknowledged the passing of a friend who was studying on the island [es], as did Francisca Ulloa (@franuyeah) who also lost a friend [es], who was working as a marine biologist on one of the islands.  Hector Zamora (@melonzamora) lost a relative [es]:
la ola de juan fernandez se llevo a mi primo :( y aparecieron alrrededor de 20 cuerpo no identificados
Zamora also had a list of those confirmed dead [es], as many other Twitter users had been asking him for information [es]:
tengo una lista de 7 muertos y varios desaparecidos pero no entiendo bien la letra de mi mama que esta llorando por mi primo
However, his sadness turned nearly 15 hours later, when he received the news that they found his cousin alive [es]. The waves had carried him to other side of the island, and which was very good news for his family after the initial news that he had passed away.
When word got out about the tsunami and the damage and death caused by the waves, many like Felipe Parra (@Kaosrq) were left asking on Twitter [es], “Anybody know why the people of Juan Fernández and Talcahuano (another affected area) were unable to be warned?” The National Office of Emergency (ONEMI) placed the blame on the Chilean Navy [es], who in turn, said that it was not part of their responsibilities to provide warnings. The Navy said it only transmits information about sea levels. However ONEMI said that some of the Naval instruments had failed that day and provided faulty data [es].
Regardless as who is to blame, many Chileans on the mainland lament the loss of life and that they were unable to be warned in time.  Juan Pablo Mena (@Somosmarketing) writes:
no me explico como los hab de Juan Fernandez se sienten chilenos, si no fuimos capaces de alertarlos del riesgo de maremoto


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Chile: U.S. Citizen’s Account of Earthquake · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Cathy Dean, a U.S. citizen living in Santiago, Chile, provides her account on her blog of the recent earthquake the hit on February 27, 2010.


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China: 10 seconds to hijack gmail password · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Li Tie points out that in China hijacking a gmail account password only takes 10 seconds if the user has connected his/her account with mobile phone. Once the password recovery was sent to the mobile, the security police can get hold of the account information.

author: Oiwan Lam