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Brazil: A view from slum dwellers on Rio’s drugs war  · Global Voices
Diego Casaes

Last week, images of a war between drug traffickers and dealers in Rio de Janeiro spread across the world. Clashes between gangs from the hills Morro São João and Morro dos Macacos on October 17th frightened the population. Hundreds of state police deployed in an effort to subdue rival gangs did not help: the conflict between drug dealers and police resulted in a downed police helicopter killing three police officers, and claimed the lives of over 30 other people, among them suspected gang members and bystanders.
The moment the helicopter exploded. Photo by Taiane Oliveira On Twitpic.
The Censurado [pt] blog criticizes the governors’ attitude toward this crisis, after hearing news suggesting that the police didn't know anything about the invasion:
Vocês viram as cenas na televisão este fim de semana? Helicóptero caindo, policial morrendo queimado, inocente metralhado nas ruas e traficante invadindo a favela do outro em plena luz do dia, uma verdadeira cena de filme de guerra. Dizem no Rio que até o serviço secreto israelense sabia que um morro atacaria o outro, mas mesmo assim o governador Sérgio Cabral diz que a policia carioca não sabia de nada? Acho que ele anda passando muito tempo com o Lula. Só isso explica essa ‘ignorância’ sobre o tema.
Blogger Ana Maria [pt] points out that shooting a helicopter down is not an easy task highlighting that this might be just the beginning. She says [pt]:
Mas os senhores do tráfico, donos dos morros cariocas possuem não apenas as armas capazes disso, possuem indivíduos capazes de manuseá-las e causar um desastre como o do sábado.
Isso vai ficar marcado para sempre na memória da PM e do cidadão de bem, morador do estado do Rio de Janeiro.
Se eles podem fazer isso com um helicóptero da polícia tripulado por homens treinados, que dão a vida pela segurança pública, o que podem fazer com o cidadão comum?
Não vou “tapar o sol com peneira”.
As coisas podem piorar.
Dwellers’ accounts of the drug war
A woman carrying a child walks unconcerned past police officers patrolling  Morro dos Macacos.
The citizen media project Viva Favela [pt] gives some dwellers’ eyewitness accounts of this conflict. Their citizen journalists – all of whom live at the frontier of the cross fire – have gathered comments from residents of the slums and photos of the day on which the drug war began in Rio de Janeiro.
The first person heard by Viva Favela was Hugo Mattos, who lives on the street that gives access to the slum in which all the events took place (Morro dos Macacos). He said that the dealers used high-caliber weapons and added that there is a kind of collective fear that if the police retake territory occupied by the traffickers, there will be a violent reaction from the faction that controls Morro dos Macacos:
O tiroteio começou por volta das duas da manhã e só terminou às oito horas, quando a policia chegou. Muita gente teve que dormir fora de casa nesse dia.
As pessoas dizem que ninguém deve sair de casa depois das 10 horas, porque algo pode acontecer.
According to Viva Favela, information like this comes all the time from the neighborhood dwellers, unable to react. On the evening of Tuesday October 20th, residents of Morro São João took to the streets afraid of a possible retaliation invasion, a fear which was classified as unfounded by the General-Chief of the police corporation, Colonel Mário Sérgio Duarte. Nevertheless, fear had already struck the population. Another resident of Morro dos Macacos, Karen Carolina Nascimento says that the shooting between dealers and the police has actually been happening for two months. She fears a new conflict:
Já era praticamente uma rotina, mas no último sábado foi diferente. O confronto aconteceu por causa de uma tentativa de invasão e não foi a primeira vez que os traficantes do Morro São João tentam. O comentário que se escuta no morro é que a facção rival deu uma ordem para tomar o Morro dos Macacos até dezembro e que esses bandidos tiveram ajuda de policiais para tentar invadir.
O policiamento não está reforçado e os moradores estão muito apreensivos com medo de uma outra invasão. Eu trabalho no pé do Morro São João e vou para a minha casa andando. Ontem só havia um único carro com dois policiais dentro parado em uma esquina. Em cima do morro não existe policiamento nenhum. Uma vez ou outra um carro blindado sobe e faz uma ronda. Estamos com muito medo porque com certeza a facção rival vai tentar tomar novamente.
Viva Favela [pt] also offers the opinion of Wagner da Silva de Barros, a 29-year-old resident of Vila Pinheiro from Complexo da Maré, saying that the repercussions of the conflict in Morro dos Macacos have only reached this far because of the downed helicopter and adds that this war will spread to many other communities:
A queda do helicóptero e a morte dos três policiais chocou parte da população, mas na Maré, durante cinco meses, nós vivemos um confronto entre facções que matou muita gente, inclusive moradores que nada tinham a ver com o tráfico, e não teve nem metade da divulgação que esse tiroteio dos Macacos está tendo.
Esses tiroteios reforçam de que na favela só existe bandido e violência, mas o que muitas pessoas ignoram é que trabalhadores morrem durante os conflitos e são logo identificados como traficantes pela polícia.
According to Viva Favela [pt] , in the case of Morro dos Macacos, three innocent shot down young men were included on the list of deceased bandits. The secretary of Security José Mariano Beltrame stepped back and apologized to the families of Marcelo Costa Gomes, 26, Leonardo Fernandes Paulino, 27, and Francisco Haílton Vieira Silva, 24. The men were going back home from a party at the time of the invasion. A fourth man, waiter Francisco Alaílton Vieira da Silva, 22, was saved by residents but is now hospitalized in intensive care. His girlfriend is 3-months pregnant.
Walter Mesquista from Viva Favela also provides photos of the conflict taken by the photographer Guillermo Planel during the day to which people are referring as “Drugs War”.
There are around 6,000 homicides a year in the whole state of Rio, which has a population of 14 million. A police ‘pacification’ operation with permanent patrols has been underway for a year in five slums. With their increased presence in the slums, the police force gangs to fight over other areas.
Viva Favela is a citizen media project that works with special bloggers and photographers who live in the shantytowns of Rio de Janeiro. The project is under the guidance of Content Editor Rodrigo Nogueira. You may find more information on their official Twitter account [pt] and in their Orkut community [pt].

author: Diego Casaes


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Egypt: Two Trains, a Buffalo, and a Minister · Global Voices
Tarek Amr

Two trains collided with each other in south Cairo, Egypt, killing at least 18 people. What followed was a cry for the Minister of Transportation to resign.  Bloggers reaction to the crash and the minister's resignation.
At Egyptian Chronicles, Zeinobia wrote here:
She then updated her post adding the following notes:
After the accident, it was obvious for the Egyptians that the Minister of Transportation has to resign. And even the governmental newspapers asked him to resign. Ahmed Shaltout writes:
He then wrote about the public service adverts that took place in Ramadan, and kept on attacking the Egyptian citizens as they are the ones who are careless, and destroy the Egyptian Railways Authority's assets.
People in blogs and Twitter too asked the Minister of Transportation – who is also known as Mansour Chevrolet, as he owns a company that is a Chevrolet importer and distributor – to resign:
Some even made fun of the buffalo's involvement:
While some others, asked if the minister is one to accuse or is it someone else.
And at the end the minister decided to resign as expected. And some bloggers believed that the Egyptian train accidents doesn't harm the trains passengers only, but also the Egyptian Transportation ministers are victims of their railways:
The resignation itself caused mixed reactions as some believed that he was forced to resign:
And that's why some others saw it as a charade:

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Tarek Amr


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Indonesia: Obama “snub” no reason to be disappointed · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Indonesia Anonymus insists that the exclusion of Indonesia in US President Barack Obama's Asian Tour is not enough reason to feel disappointed.

author: Mong Palatino


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Indonesia: Politicians caught sleeping on the job · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Jakarta Post uploaded a picture of new members of the Regional Representatives Council who are caught sleeping while attending a session. This elicited strong reactions in Indonesia.


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Leptospirosis outbreak in the Philippines · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

“We have also already sent an SOS to the international community because this is the one of the biggest outbreaks not just in the Philippines but in the world…”
This was the statement of Philippine Heath Secretary Francisco Duque III who announced a Leptospirosis outbreak in the flood-affected areas of the Philippines. More than 30 towns are still submerged in floodwaters one month after two strong typhoons hit the country’s capital and nearby provinces.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection affecting both humans and animals. It is acquired through direct contact with the urine of infected animals or by contact with a urine-contaminated environment such as floodwater, soil, and plants. The bacteria enter the body through broken skins, eyes, nose or mouth.
As of October 26, the Department of Health (DOH) has recorded a total of 2,158 cases including 167 deaths. Leptospirosis cases in Metro Manila have increased by as much as 174 percent since last year. Leptospirosis cases reached its peak from October 14 to 19, with hospitals reporting up to 350 cases a day.
Health authorities believe that more than one million people in the provinces south of Metro Manila are at risk of exposure to Leptospirosis, while 700,000 people are vulnerable in Metro Manila.
The government has drafted and distributed the “Interim Guidelines on the Prevention of Leptospirosis through the Use of Prophylaxis in Areas affected by Floods” to guide hospitals in areas vulnerable to Leptospirosis. Bloggers have started reposting relevant articles to inform readers about detecting symptoms of Leptospirosis.
Achieving Happiness warns that aside from Leptospirosis, other diseases are spreading in flooded communities and even in evacuation centers.
Imagine wading and swimming through polluted water. Then imagine your own children doing the same. It’s  horrible. It’s dangerous. And now people are sick.
Besides leptospirosis, there’s cholera and the whole gamut of respiratory diseases because of the terrible living conditions in the evacuation centers. Skin diseases also proliferate.
The D Spot hits the delayed information drive of the government about the danger of Leptospirosis. The blogger also emphasizes that Leptospirosis is more dangerous than AH1N1
A large number of patients that consulted and continue to consult the hospitals’ emergency rooms have already developed grave complications—liver, kidney and lung failure. And what does this signify? The illness is already in its late stage.
These complications of Leptospirosis are mostly preventable had these patients been advised properly to take prophylaxis or seek early consult. The sad part is that we have not seen any massive information from DOH or the local government when clearly, Leptospirosis is more deadly than AH1N1, not until lately when the newspapers and television have picked up the stories.
Unlike AH1N1 which made too much noise and controversy, Leptospirosis is an illness which nobody is treating seriously, especially here in the Philippines, probably because it is an old case.
People have suffered enough, losing kith and kin, damage to properties, leaving the scars of Ondoy and Pepeng for the rest of their lives. They should not lose their lives now and those of their remaining loved ones just because of poor information campaign.
Surviving LUPUS observes that Leptospirosis cases went up because residents were forced to walk on flooded streets last month
During the wrath of these two typhoons everyone is focused on saving properties and lives that they have ignored the possibility of getting sick through flood waters. But what choice do you have at that moment, right? Flood water kept rising up, if you don’t move then you’ll get trap for days in your home with a short supply of potable water and food. So now as an aftermath a lot of people are in the hospital because of this disease.
The Paradoxic Ley Line blames the garbage of Manila for the Leptospirosis outbreak
After the flood, the plague came to wreak havoc to the people affected by Typhoon Ondoy.  The plague came by the name of leptospirosis.
The back to back attack of the flood and leptospirosis is the end result of the waste mismanagement and blatant throwing of garbage to the streets and waterways. The flood is partly caused by the drainage system rendered useless by garbage. On the other hand, leptospirosis is caused by rats that live on garbage.
The sudden rise of leptospirosis cases and deaths only points to one thing and that is our continued wasteful lifestyle
Allena hopes the government will provide health insurance to flood victims
I really feel sorry about my fellowmen. For sure they do not have enough money for the medication and the hospital bill. I hope they have low cost health insurance to help them pay the medical bills. But it would be much better if the Philippine government would help them.
The Zen of Zero Expectations identifies measures to prevent the spread of Leptospirosis
As for leptospirosis, avoiding flooded areas is key.
Wear protective clothing, gloves and footwear if you have an occupational or recreational risk for exposure to contaminated soil or water. Cover wounds with waterproof dressings.
In general, practice good general sanitation to control the rat population. Remove brush and trash from areas of human habitation and don’t leave food out, especially in parks. Avoid water that may be contaminated with animal urine as this is the primary means of transmitting Leptospira to humans.
Most of us are just being reactive now, but it pays if we practise preventive measures in the days to come.


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Malaysia: Use of national language · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Niki Cheong form Malaysia reacts to the statement of a government minister who appeals for a wider usage of the Bahasa Malaysia national language


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Syria: Economic Woes · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

Ehsani, an economist and contributor to Joshua Landis‘ Syria Comment, elaborates on the divisions between Syria's top economy decision makers. The Commission for State Planning published a rare report criticizing Abdulla Dardari's, Deputy PM for Economic Affairs, liberal economic policies.

author: Yazan Badran


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Syria: Sea Side Story · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

An English literature professor from the little Mediterranean city of Tartous and a Syrian-Canadian writer on a trip to her mother country exchange glances at a cafe called Sea Breeze. That's how Mariyah and Abu Fares chose to start their adventure, and their readers’ new addiction.
A low rumble in my stomach broke into my daydream as a waft of spices and seafood drifted enticingly by me. I felt as though I hadn’t eaten in days. I looked back through the window and spotted the waitress, resting casually near what appeared to be the kitchen door. She had been immersed in a book but as though she had a sixth sense, she caught my gaze within seconds of it falling on her. She smiled knowingly and approached my table.
“Hungry?”
“Oh, yes! Do you have a menu?”
“Not here. But I’ll tell you what’s being made fresh today.”
“Oh heaven.” I thought to myself and smiled back at her, enthusiastically awaiting her description of dinner.
The story starts out as simple as that. The two writers, who are switching places every week, went from there. We learn about Yasmina, Prof. Youssef's former student and the waitress at Sea Breeze, and Yazan, the nonchalant chef, all to the backdrop of Tartous’ marvelous sea side, and Abu Fares‘ and Mariyah‘s exquisite writing.
When Yasmina was introducing herself my eyes were distracted by the other woman. With delicate fingers, she picked a small hot fish by the tail, dipped it slightly in a bowl of sauce, brought it close to her lips, blew on it to cool it down then swallowed it all, head, bones and tail like a true gourmet. She closed her eyes and swam in her own pool of ecstasy. Then… then with her other hand, she pulled at a lock of hair which went astray in front of her face and shepherded it to join the others behind her ear. It was precisely the way she pulled at her hair that made me utterly defenseless.
We are at Part 16 at the moment, but be sure to catch it from the beginning.


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Syria: Tahini Pumpkin · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

A Syrian Foodie in London gives us a Halloween special with a Syrian twist to it, Tahini Pumpkin.


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Taiwan: LGBT Pride on parade · Global Voices
David Reid

The annual Taiwan LGBT Pride event was held in Taipei on Saturday with an estimated crowd of 25,000 people. Poagao writes about joining the parade for the first time. shuflies has a report and photos. The event's official photographers also have photos at flickr.

author: David Reid


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Thailand: Media and internet · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Sarinee Achavanuntakul delivered a speech about the relationship of traditional media and internet in Thailand.


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TV documentary stirs debate on Thailand tourism · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Tourism is a big industry in Thailand. In fact, it contributes more than 12 percent to Thailand’s GDP.  However, the tourism sector has been severely affected by political instability in recent years. The airport blockade by anti-government protesters last December damaged the international reputation of Thailand as a tourist destination.
In the past months, numerous news stories exposing the different scams experienced by tourists in Thailand further eroded the image of Thailand. Last September, the TV documentary entitled “Big Trouble in Thailand” aired on a British television channel. This show, which featured the bad behavior of foreign tourists and locals in Thailand, generated a heated debate in the cyberspace.
Here is the description of the show from the Bravo channel website:
Bravo’s cameras go beyond the idyllic beaches and tropical island life to capture a rare and fascinating insight into British holidaymakers as they party in paradise and discover the horrors that can happen when things go drastically wrong.
From adrenaline fuelled drug busts, organised tourist scams, scorned lady-boys, violent brothel disputes, bar room brawls, brutal murders, street robberies and sexual assaults, the series is filmed in the popular tourist hotspots of Koh Samui, Phuket, Bangkok, Pattaya and Chang Mai.
Oneditorial, a Thai citizen, sees nothing wrong with the program
Personally, I see nothing wrong with the programme. Given the title of the programme it is guaranteed to feature scenes depicting the bad behaviour of some tourists and locals. To my surprise, many people have been making a big fuss about it.
Johnny is not happy that it portrays Thailand in a negative way:
The problem with this clearly that it paints Thailand in a less than flattering picture. Sure Thailand as corruption, drinking, sleaze, drugs and other nasties shown but there is more to Thailand than this.
Another issue is the alleged staging of events to over dramatise the series. If it is true, as evidence suggests, then this makes the documentary all the more worse for fabricating events, one of which involved a Pattaya-based gangster.
Monsicha Hoonsuwan, another Thai citizen, does not want the international community to view Thailand as a “gangster” country
I have watched a little bit of the show on Bangkok Diaries, and in deed I found it very interesting. Of course, it was outrageous. As a Thai, I do not want other people to perceive Thailand as a “gangster” country, like the way some countries are perceived. And if there are staged circumstances to dramatize the series, it definite would not gain my approval.
My problem with the series, though, isn’t the fact that they show the “real” Thailand. My problem is I don’t understand the intention of the creator of this series. Portraying a country in a different angle – that I can understand. But why Thailand specifically? Don’t the problems in the series exist universally – in every state? That kind of gets me thinking.
Bangkok Diaries uploads the episodes of the documentary. The blogger agrees that the issues tackled by the show are indeed genuine but doubts if they are often experienced by tourists:
On one level it does seem somewhat sensationalized which is to be expected of anything you watch on television but on another level this stuff does happen. The jetski rental guys are crooks. Dumb ass tourists take drugs in Thailand despite the ample warnings everywhere. Idiot drunks get themselves in trouble and get the crap kicked out of them by locals. So on that level, all of this stuff happens. The big question is whether it happens as frequently as portrayed in the program.
Thailand, Land of Smiles thinks the documentary is a fraud and that some scenes were staged
I think Big Trouble in Thailand is much more than a waste of time…I feel it’s a fraud meant to paint Thailand in a negative light. The journalism was so one sided and leaned towards sympathetic to all of the British nationals involved. I truly believe that parts of this documentary were staged.
The controversial documentary has caught the attention of Thai authorities. Some are angry over it while some promised to act on the tourist scams featured in the show
One good thing that has come of this is that Thai authorities seem to be cracking down on the jet ski operators and the scams they perpetrate on the tourist community
Leosia criticizes the reactions of the Thai police to the airing of the documentary
This is a fairly typical response from the police. Whenever there is a problem, it must have been “staged” or someone is being “vindictive” or there is a plot against national security. Lots of bland statements repeated ad nauseum.
The Police LT is of course speaking from experience, but he’s making the mistake of thinking that foreigners have the same motivations as the Thai police force. That is, the staging of cover-ups, falsifications and filming video evidence of the suspect “pointing” at the scene of the crime.
The producer/director of TV documentary replies to critics of the show.


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Ukraine: Updates on Flu · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Updates on the flu situation in Ukraine, at Greetings From Kyiv – here and here, and at Ukrainiana – here.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Albania: A Travel Blog · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Nevada Yankee in King Zog's Court links to the “blog/diary of Mykel's Italian-Albanian trip.”


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Bangladesh: Practical Solutions For Traffic Jams · Global Voices
Rezwan

Habib Siddiqui discusses some practical solutions to minimize traffic jams in the mega-city Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

author: Rezwan


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Barbados: Do The Right Thing · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Even as we speak – the West Indies Cricket Board is planning its next step in the destruction of West Indies cricket”: From Barbados, B.C. Pires weighs in on the debate over who should lead the Windies cricket team.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Belarus: “Prison Universities” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Young protesters whom I met in Belarus in recent years, account for more days spent in jail between them, than for the number of years they have lived,” writes Yuri Zarakhovich at Jamestown Foundation Blog.


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Bermuda: To Tax Or Not  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bermuda's 21 Square is not keen on the UK government's recommendation “that territories and crown dependencies should raise taxes to wean themselves out of the recession” – instead, he says “what we should be doing is cutting expenditure.”


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Bolivia: Water Shortages Due to Melting Glaciers · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Chacaltaya mountain range contains some of the most symbolic peaks in Bolivia's Andes Mountains. As it once was one of the only places to snow ski in this mountainous country, these mountains are well-known to those in the Department of La Paz, as well as foreign adventurers. The mountains have also hosted charity football matches in which Bolivian President Evo Morales participated, seeking to prove that the sport can be played at high altitudes.
However, Chacaltaya's glacier has been receding at a worrisome and rapid pace. The effects of climate change on this glacier and others in the region have been part of the investigation by Higher University of San Andrés professor Edson Ramírez, who concludes a direct connection [es] between global warming and the disappearance of the glacier.
Ramírez and his team have also been studying another nearby glacier that is undergoing similar changes and about the effect on the local population. The Tuni Condoriri glacier is melting at a rapid pace, affecting alpine enthusiasts, but also affecting a vulnerable migrant population that depends on it for drinking water and agricultural activities.
The reservoir that collects the water from the glacier provides 80% of the drinking water to the city of El Alto and the outskirts of La Paz. According to the most recent census, El Alto has a population of 827,000 people [es], which is increasing every year at a rate of 5.1% per year. According to journalist and blogger Mónica Oblitas, this rate is more than double the national average [es].  Experts are predicting water shortages and a premium for water, with some people predicting that water rationing is imminent [es]. The team from Observador Global [es] (Global Observer) created a 6-part video series about the effects of future water shortages in this region.
The city is home to migrants from the Aymara indigenous communities on the Bolivian Altiplano, who settle in El Alto, often in impoverished conditions.  Bolivian blogger Cristina Quisbert of the blog Indigenous Bolivia describes the situation that many residents face in terms of suitable drinking water:
Additional conditions difficult access to water. A lot of people arrive from rural area to El Alto and establish wherever they can. Because of lack of money, they live in neighborhoods where there is neither drinkable water nor sewer system. Some of them dig a hole which should be about three metres deep until they find water. More or less in November, it starts rainy time and it is other possibility for neighbors to collect water. At the end, lack of water added to existent levels of poverty many times result in illnesses.
There is an heterogeneity of situations. I have water at home but some of my neighbors don't. This is a serious problem for the families. In my case, I share water with other family. Basilio and Juana have four children. They are renters. The house where they live doesn't have drinkable water. Whenever they need, they use a hose to collect water from my house and at end of the month we divide the cost of water invoice to pay.
However, the Tuni Condoriri, not only provides drinking water to the city, but it also provides valuable water for agricultural activities on the Altiplano. If sustainable agricultural activities decrease because of the lack of water, many more rural residents may seek opportunities in El Alto, where they may face similar water shortages, while raising demand.
350.org activists climb to the Chacaltaya glacier in Bolivia in preparation for a major event on October 24.  Photo used under a Creative Commons license.
It is the high-profile image of the Chacaltaya glacier that is drawing attention from local government official and other activist groups to the problem of climate change in the Bolivian Occident. A recent local event associated with the 350.org campaign was advertised on Facebook [es], inviting Bolivians to take an excursion to the Chacaltaya glacier to see for themselves the effects.
Finally, Oblitas concludes with the following questions [es]:
Chacaltaya ya no está y pronto dejarán de existir otros glaciares, ¿está el país preparado para esas pérdidas?, ¿somos conscientes de la importancia de tomar un rol activo e inmediato contra el calentamiento? Para muchos, el cambio climático no es un fenómeno global y no creen sentirse afectados, pero lo cierto es que absolutamente todos estamos en riesgo y no todos podemos enfrentarlo en las mismas condiciones. La lucha continúa, aunque ya sea tarde para lugares como Chacaltaya.

author: Eduardo Avila


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CEE: A Travel Roundup · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A selection of travel posts – Belgraded: travel from Belgrade to Sarajevo by train for the first time in 17 years, ‘Red Star’ stadium possibly to be renamed ‘Gazprom Arena’, the Avala TV Tower rebuilt; Croatia-Expert.com: travel to Trogir; MoldovAnn: Ukrainian village museums; The Czech Daily Word: industrial architecture and decay in Brno; The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks: travel to Břeclav and to Třeboň; The Foreigner's Guide to Slovakia: “Slovak Impressions of America.”


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China: Electoral Reform · Global Voices
Andy Yee

China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress, has started discussion on a draft amendment to the Electoral Law, which will ensure voters in the countryside have as much influence as voters in the cities. The draft amendment tabled for first reading at the bimonthly legislative session of the 11th NPC Standing Committee last week, requires “both rural and urban areas to adopt the same ratio of deputies to the represented population in the election of people's congress deputies”.
Under existing law, each rural deputy represents a population four times than in urban areas. That means that one rural NPC deputy represents 960,000 rural people, while each urban NPC deputy represents 240,000 urban people. Legal scholars said the amendment reflects the transition of China’s urban and rural society. The current imbalance started in 1953 when the first Electoral Law was passed. At the time, rural population greatly outnumbered urban citizens. The rule was to ensure that urban deputies would not be greatly outnumbered.
While China’s state media carries headlines such as “China's rule by law boosted by equal political rights and equal life compensation in urban and rural areas” and “One step nearer equality”, netizens’ responses are more skeptical.
Netizens from nfdaily.cn question the credibility and limited public participation of elections in China:
1 # 网友 2009-10-28 10:18:40: 当某一权利仅仅是纸面权利，而不被坐实时，大家都不重视它就在所难免。而不重视的结果是，让这一权利更加流于形式. 这么多年在外面遇见很多黎民百姓，问过很多人，结果都和我一样从来不曾有用过一次选举权的事。一切还是务实点好。许多空话对百姓又有什么意义。
While a right merely exists on paper but not in practice, people will not attach importance to it. The result is that this right will only become a formality. These years, I’ve asked a lot of people. Many, me included, simply haven’t ever exercised the right to vote. Be more pragmatic. These are just empty words to common people.
6 # 网友 2009-10-29 23:47:33: 选举制度无论怎样改，内定人选早就安排好了
No matter how you reform it, the preferred candidates are arranged in advance.
Earlier in September, a Southern Metropolitan Weekend article on the reform attracted similar comments:
Mameng 2009-09-17: 其实现在就算这四分之一的选举权都没有充分的给农民行使啊.很多农民这一辈子都没亲眼见过“人大代表”为何方神圣
In fact, farmers didn’t even have the chance to exercise their “one quarter” election right in the past. Many simply haven’t seen an NPC delegate in their lifetime.
One also questions the need for adjustment based on the urban/rural population ratio in the first place:
foxhtj 2009-09-18: 如果构成人民的主体是农民，为什么人代会不能成为农民大会，何况是在没有农会的情况下，难道仅仅是因为按马教教义，工人阶级是统治阶级，高人一等？那又何必上山下乡呢
If farmers make up the bulk of the population, why couldn’t they form the bulk of the People’s Congress? Is it just because Marxism-Leninism stresses that the working class should be the ruling class? If so, what’s the need of the “Down to the Countryside” Movement?
Obviously, more far-reaching issues lie beyond the reform. 孫嘉業 of Hong Kong’s Mingpao provides an analysis:
不過，雖然近幾屆全國人大農村代表比例增加，但真正的農民代表人數與毛澤東時代相較卻不增反減。在3000多名代表中，真正的農民僅百名左右，很多農村人大代表是鄉鎮幹部。即使在毛澤東時代，農村選出的人大代表又能在多大程度上代表農民利益，頗成疑問。在國家工業化的進程中，農民的利益總是最先被犧牲掉的。
Although the proportion of rural delegates has increased recently, their absolute number has declined compared with the Mao’s era. Among the 3,000 NPC delegates, only around a hundred are real farmers. Many rural delegates are village officials. Even back in Mao’s era, the extent to which rural delegates represented farmers’ interest was also questionable. In the ongoing industrialization, the farmers are always the first to sacrifice.
真正增加農民在國家政治生活中的話語權，單靠增加農民選出的人大代表的數量是不足夠的。正如現今的工人代表亦未能充分代表工人利益一樣，要徹底改革人大代表産生方法，就應落實人民的選舉權和被選舉權，擴大選舉競爭性，打破身分職業的界限，做實地域代表制，如此，「幾分之一」的困擾，亦隨之化為無形。
To really increase farmers’ representation in national politics, it is not enough to increase the number of delegates elected by farmers. Similarly, workers’ rights in today’s China are not sufficiently reflected by workers’ representatives. To completely reform the formation of NPC delegates, China needs to implement people’s rights to elect and be elected, increase the competitiveness of elections, abolish restrictions based on occupation and identity, and ensure equitable geographical representation. If so, the debate on “fractional” voting rights would be solved.

author: Andy Yee


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Egypt: El Koshary launched  · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Zeinobia, Tarek Shalaby and Hossam El Hamalawy wrote in their blogs about the launch of Egypt's “most reliable news service” –  “El Koshary Today.” This is how the El Koshary team likes to describe their new website. It is an English news website that uses sarcasm and imagination to raise awareness of some of the serious (and not so serious) issues plaguing Egyptians. A team of young Egyptians is working behind El Koshary and each person putting in a lot of effort, and bringing a different perspective to the table. They also prefer to remain anonymous for now.
The site also warns readers:
Unfortunately, we predict that some of our readers will take offensive to some of our material. To them, we apologize, but we would politely ask them lighten up. For in the words of one great philosopher, “If we can’t laugh at ourselves, then we are lost.” (Actually, we just made that quote up, but it’s true!)
Also, if you happen to be a celebrity or a figure of authority that has come under the (at times) biting El Koshary sarcasm, we would kindly ask you to keep lawsuits and death threats to a minimum. For one thing, our mothers would not be happy at all with that.
El Koshary logo.
Koshary is a popular traditional Egyptian national dish, which consists of a base of rice, brown lentils, chickpeas, macaroni, and a topping of garlic and vinegar, and spicy tomato sauce. To top this combination of staple foods off, caramelised onions are added as a garnish.
Shalaby explains:
Inspired by Koshary, the main traditional dish that gains its popularity from it’s economical value, yet strong and engaging taste, the writers aim at springing off what is typically Egyptian and reaching out to the world. It is an approach to analyze and constructively criticize the difference aspects of the culture that gave birth to the revolutionary Koshary.

author: Eman AbdElRahman


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French Caribbean: “La Toussaint”  · Global Voices
Fabienne Flessel

In the French-speaking Caribbean, celebrating “La Toussaint”, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, are as much an opportunity for family reunions as the Christmas season is. Here is a review of what the blogosphere says about it this year [all links are in French]:
Toussaint 2009, by Fabienne Flessel
In Guadeloupe, blogger Mycho has decided to resume her blogging activity for the occasion. Her short post highlights two important aspects of this celebration of the lost ones, which are the tradition and the family dimension:
Comme d'habitude, les Guadeloupéens vont illuminer les tombes. C'est toujours une occasion de se souvenir de ceux qui ne sont plus là, mais aussi de revoir ceux qui sont bien présents, mais que l'on n'a pas l'occasion de croiser bien souvent. Un moment de tristesse et de joie mêlées.
Traditionally, the “Toussaint” season is an opportunity to do some grave maintenance as families clean, repaint and flower their graves. Domactu explains that when a grave presents none of these enhancements, it is a synonym of family disfunction and the issue sounds important enough for the local authorities to devote some money to fill in for missing families:
Toussaint 2009 in Le Moule, by Fabienne Flessel
La collectivité régionale participe à l'opération à hauteur de 20 000 euros.
This is the presentation of the above-mentioned professional integration project:
Depuis samedi [1 novembre 2009], cinquante deux jeunes procèdent au nettoyage des tombes à l'abandon dans le Sud Basse-Terre et en Côte-sous-le-vent.
Domactu also posted about the traditional celebration of “la Toussaint” in Martinique:
Un moment qui rassemble toutes les générations pour honorer la mémoire de leurs morts.
However, in this post, we also learn that the tradition has changed gradually, since families tend to discharge the maintenance of their graves:
Mais c'est aussi l'occasion pour certains de se faire un peu d'argent. Tous les services sont donc bons à prendre.
Nettoyage de tombe, peinture, embellissement des caveaux sont autant de jobs que se partagent petits et grands…
Grave cleaning, painting, burial vault ornamentation are the casual jobs that young and even older handymen share…
For her part, Martinican blogger Imaniyé has decided to honor her ancestors by taking part in “An mémwa, Véyé Kont pour lézansèt” (Creole for “In memory of the ancestors, a storytelling evening”). Here  is what she says about this cultural, historical and religious event:
En ces jours de Toussaint et de Fête des morts, pour la première fois, Amérindiens autochtones et Africains déportés sont honorés au cours de la même cérémonie. C’est très important. Pour les Amérindiens exterminés en 1658, comme pour les esclaves dont la dépouille git dans des cimetières inconnus, partout en Martinique. J’y participe. Je vous y invite.
In this very informative and well-documented post, Pyepimanla explores the celebration of “la Toussaint” among the descendants of the Indian immigrants in Guadeloupe as well as the impact of the recent trend of celebrating Halloween in the French West Indies. This last topic is fiercely debated in a post and comments on Bondamanjak.
From French Guiana, blogger Nuguet expresses his surprise at the fact that a guided tour of the cemetery of Cayenne on All Saints’ Day is actually a historical account of immigration and politics in French Guiana. He also had a chance to discover the almost festive spirit of this family celebration.
Finally, blogger Espas Ayisyen Toulouse, a Haitian expatriate in France, republishes a post about the dual celebration of “Toussaint” and “the Guédés” in Haiti:
Le premier jour de novembre est consacré à la fête de La Toussaint. Les fidèles catholiques vénèrent en cette occasion leurs saints et entretiennent la mémoire d’un membre cher de leur famille décédé.
[…]
La fête des Guédés, commémorée le 2 novembre, est typique de la religion vaudou en Haïti. Dans la mythologie du vaudou, les Guédés représentent les esprits de la Mort.
The bloggers from HN2000 also explain the dual celebration, but emphasize the fact that it is not unanimously accepted in Haiti:
En fait, encore une fois les fidèles catholiques et les vaudouisants vont pouvoir rendre nouvellement un hommage ou une nouvelle visite à leurs proches disparus. D’autre en plus, ils vont glorifier leurs dieux, un comportement sévèrement jugé par les protestants.

author: Fabienne Flessel


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Guyana: Outrage at Police Torture Allegations · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

The Kaieteur News, one of Guyana's daily newspapers, is notorious for publishing explicit front-page photographs of crime scenes and murder victims, an editorial policy that has roused controversy in the past. But the gruesome photo and accompanying report that led the paper's edition of Saturday 31 October, 2009, triggered widespread outrage not at the Kaieteur News editors but at the Guyana Police Force:
In what may be one of the worst cases of police brutality, ranks from the Leonora Police Station have been accused of setting a 14-year-old boy’s genitals alight while questioning him about the murder of former Region Three Vice Chairman, Ramnauth Bisram.
Kaieteur News confirmed the report yesterday after obtaining graphic photographs of the severely burnt lad.
The teen has been in custody since Tuesday and his parents, Doodnauth Jaikarran and Shirley Thomas, allege that ranks had them going from one police station to the next without disclosing his whereabouts….
It is unclear whether the teen is still being considered a suspect or whether he has received any medical treatment for what appeared to be severe burns to his genitals, midriff and upper thighs.
The photograph of the teenager's injuries was reproduced at several blogs and websites, including Propaganda Press [warning: this link leads to a graphic image that some readers may find disturbing].
Many Guyanese citizens, including bloggers, reacted with shock and anger. Attorney Gino Persaud reported in his blog Freedom Under the Law that he was one of two dozen lawyers at a “spontaneous gathering” who issued a public statement “to register their outrage at this latest atrocity”. After quoting relevant sections of the Guyana constitution, the attorneys stated:
We the undersigned wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms the torture of a minor and for a matter of fact any other person while in custody by members of the Guyana Police Force.
We wish to record our unreserved condemnation of the Guyana Police Force of their refusal to permit the minor access to a legal advisor of his choice after his detention by the Guyana Police Force.
Journalist Imran Khan also posted the lawyers’ statement on his blog, and proposed that concerned Guyanese use Twitter and Facebook “to keep the torture issue on the front burner”. On 1 November via Twitter (username: mediaimran), he issued this plea:
Please GYnese tweeters, keep #GuyanaPoliceTorture on the agenda. Post once per day with your thoughts.views
Other Guyanese used Twitter to share breaking news about the case, and information about other police brutality cases, introducing the #TortureInGuyana hashtag. On the afternoon of 31 October, Demerara Waves (username: demwaves) reported: “police call beating of man and setting ablaze genitals of 14 yr old ‘excessive use of force’. two investigating ranks arrested for offence.” Imran Khan noted that “This is not the first time a child has been allegedly tortured by police”, linking to a post at the Thoughts of a Minibus Traveller blog which stated:
This is the second report of a child being tortured while in police custody. There was another report in Region 6 of another child who had been brutalised in police custody and his lawyer had made several attempts to seek justice.
The condemnations of police brutality seem not to work when sections of the society believe that it is okay for the police to behave this way.
Following the Kaieteur News report, the teenager was released from police custody and taken to hospital for treatment. An article published in the Stabroek News on 1 November gathered dozens of readers’ comments. Sand Hurst First wrote:
The government continues to say they do not condone torture yet still the citizens are crying out constantly of being tortured by either ranks of the Guyana Defense Force or the Police Force and nothing is and will be done to stop it.
YouTube user arinton99 assembled press photographs to create a video montage called Torture of Teenager in Guyana [warning: this link leads to graphic images], which includes a statement condemning Guyanese president Bharrat Jagdeo:
The president of Guyana has always been silent on these issues. He calls it “ruffing up”. As you can see its more than that. Its called inhumane human right abuse. Jagdeo please stop the dictatorship of your rule
On the morning of Monday 2 November, journalist Nazima Raghubir used Twitter (username: nazrag) to report a press conference held by police commissioner Henry Greene. She began: “Greene says that the entire Force is being castigated for what a few ranks did. (torture of boy)”; followed by “Commissioner Greene says police must have ‘good and sufficient reason’ to use violence against a prisoner.” Lloyda Garrett (username: craziebutiful) responded: “Ask the commissioner if there have been other cases that can fit into #TortureInGuyana and give him an example…see what he says”. Michael Leonard (username: xcessi) also weighed in: “we need more than scapegoats…we need a reform of the entire police force.” He added: “these seemingly isolated incidents are part of a general breakdown of the structure and integrity of the force.”
Meanwhile, as news of the incident spread internationally, the Barbados Underground blog posted a report which elicited this comment from reader Dictionary:
Horrible, and requiring serious intervention, serious enough that the government of Guyana should be called to publicly answer before the full Caricom heads of Government and/or the Caribbean Court of Justice…
Guyana’s police need to be publicly investigated and reformed from top to bottom, similar to Jamaica’s [and maybe others too]. A full formal regional commission needs to be empanelled to do this — the police systems in the region are similar enough that if there is that big of a hole in the Guyana system, we had better be concerned from Belize to Trinidad as well.
The power of the sword is given to government to defend the public civil peace with justice, not to torture 14 yo boys like this.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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GV French Translator Boukary Konate featured in “Le Monde” Blog · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

GVO in French translator and Mali-based Bambara blogger Boukary Konate, who blogs at Fasokan,  is featured [Fr] in Africascopie, a blog of the French daily Le Monde.  They call him “the unrepentant blogger”, and you can listen to a podcast of a “smashing” interview.  In an earlier entry of the “collaborative report”, he talks about new media as a great way out of the crisis and to raise awareness, “if we go to the trouble of translating them into our national languages” and can bring cheaper and more efficient internet access in African countries.

author: Suzanne Lehn


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India: A Pashmina Embroiderer · Global Voices
Rezwan

My Marrakesh visits the Kashmir region in India and shares the tale of a Pashmina embroider along with pictures.


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Iran: Free Hossein Derakhshan · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

November 1, 2009 was the one-year anniversary of the arrest of the Iranian blogger, Hossein “Hoder” Derakhshan.
Cyrus Farivar, a US-based blogger and journalist, reports that he has been in touch with Derakhshan's brother Hamed, who informed him that:
His parents recently had a meeting with the new district attorney, who allowed them to have dinner in Evin Prison with their son, Hossein Derakhshan, on Thursday, October 29, 2009. This confirms that Hossein is being held in Evin Prison, however the family does not know the next time they will be allowed to see him.
Iranian blogger Jooya, writes that Derakhshan is still in section No. 325 in the Revolutionary Guards’ prison. According to human rights activists, Jooya adds, he has has been in solitary confinement for about a year.
A group of Iranian bloggers decided to add “Free Hossein Derakhshan” to the names of their blog for one week. Fanous Azad says (fa):
I also added “free Hossein Derakhshan” to the name of my blog.
He adds:
. . . when Hossein started accusing others I stopped reading his blog, but now I defend his rights without thinking who he is. . . . Hossein like other human beings should have right for  freedom of thought and speech.
Parsanevesht asks bloggers to act collectively in order to have maximum impact.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica: Cat Among Pigeons · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Although public discourse in Jamaica might lead you to believe that at the root of the country's problems are the ‘irresponsible’ lyrics emanating from its dancehalls, reality suggests otherwise”: Annie Paul delves into “the case of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, wanted by the Americans for a number of drug-related crimes. Their demand for his extradition to the United States to stand trial for his offences has literally thrown a cat among the pigeons here…”


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Jamaica: Island Beauty · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Stunner's Afflictions makes a road trip to the center of Jamaica and posts beautiful photos to prove it!


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Jordan: Videos for Social Change! · Global Voices
Mohammad Azraq

In the last few years, and due to the relative freedom on the internet in Jordan, a number of online social initiatives have risen to the surface. Ikbis.com, 7iber.com, and Watwet are just some examples of what young Jordanians have developed to find better and more effective ways to express themselves freely and without restrictions. Of all these brilliant initiatives, one that stands out for using the cutting-edge technologies of the 21st century to provoke a dialogue on social, political, economic, and environmental issues that concern the Jordanian public is Aramram.
In video segments of three to five minutes, Aramram highlights various phenomena that exist in Jordan. Amahl Khouri and I decided to do an interview with Aramram for the second phase of the Young Leaders Visitors Program being held in Paris later this month,  and find out more specifically about their work on the dialogue between the subcultures and ethnicities that a live in Jordan:
In addition to their work in Jordan, Aramram hopes to expand and do similar projects in other Arab country to encourage young people to embrace the information age and utilize the internet to its full potential.

author: Mohammad Azraq


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Lebanon: “Ain’t No Smoking Tonight” A Failure · Global Voices
Layal Al Khatib

“Ain't No Smoking 2nite” was an  event organized by Rotaract which took place in Gemmayzeh pubs in Beirut on the 28th of October. This was in an attempt to spread awareness about the dangers of smoking and to encourage decision makers to promote non-smoking policies in Lebanon. Lebanese bloggers covered the event saying it was a failure.
At first, the participation seemed impressive even before the start of the event. Thirty-five pubs in Gemmayzeh street announced their participation and the campaign sounded promising.
Maya Zankoul, a Lebanese blogger at “Maya's Amalgam“, a graphic designer and one of the campaign sponsors designed the poster and saw how it was all over the streets:
But talking is cheap, and when the day came, almost none of the pubs had a smoking-free night.
Maya wrote about how bad it was and said it was a joke:
It was quite a disappointment that we failed to achieve the relatively simple task of having dinner in a non-smoking environment – on a night consecrated to non-smoking! It showed a major lack of determination in the pubs’ policy, and showed that the reason they agreed to support the cause is probably for the free publicity they got.
Not only did the pubs not participate, but some actually posted “Smoking Friendly” signs on their doors. Samer Karam from “Blogging Beirut” was there and took the photo below. He added:
Times have changed in Beirut – Smoking Friendly Environment must be Explicit! Check photo
Liliane, a Lebanese blogger at “My Lebanon is being burned into ashes” and a non-smoking advocate was angry at the failure of the initiative and wrote:
Congratulations fellow Lebanese on one of your other lousy sense of humanity, logic and respect. Kudos! Ya3tikoun el 3afieh. I am glad I didn't go to Gemmayze because if I did and had found people smoking, I would've probably caused a scene.
[…]
Sign Petition to pass an electoral law to ban smoking in public places here.
Meanwhile, Syria has recently issued a decree that bans smoking in public places. Can we see this happening in Lebanon anytime soon? Or will it be a failure as well?

author: Layal Al Khatib


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Lithuania: National Identities · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Everyone is a historian here, everyone is preoccupied arguing who Vilnius belonged to in the past, whose it should be now, and whether true Lithuanians were of Slavic or Baltic origin. It almost seems as if Lithuanian modernity was nonexistent,” writes Andrei Khrapavitski about online and offline debates in Lithuania. “I don’t know what the cure could be from nationalistic rhetoric, as it is so deeply rooted in our national identities.”


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Malawi: Another School Drop-Out Engineering Genius · Global Voices
Steve Sharra

As William Kamkwamba was last week winding down his extraordinary, high profile US book tour to promote the publication of his newly released autobiography, co-authored with Bryan Mealer, a story bearing striking semblances to Kamkwamba's genius was heating up in Malawi. Only this time, the story was uncovered because of an arrest and a jail sentence that ended up reflecting rather poorly on Malawi's otherwise well-regarded judicial system and communications regulatory authority body.
On October 14th the Malawi Police Service arrested 21 year-old Gabriel Kondesi for owning and operating a radio station in Soza Village in the southern district of Mulanje, without a licence from the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA). On Friday October 16th Mulanje Second Grade Magistrate Aristotle Lameck Mkwapatira ordered Kondesi to pay a MK50,000 fine ($357), or serve a 10-month imprisonment sentence, according to an October 20th story by journalist Lucas Bottoman in the print edition of The Daily Times. Unable to pay the fine, Kondesi was sent to jail, and a media frenzy erupted.
Kondesi interviewed. Photo by Jack Mcbrams.
The story stunned Malawians both online and offline, who expressed their shock and anger on blogs, listservs, chat forums and other social media forums such as facebook. By Monday October 19th Kondesi was released after his family and well-wishers in his village raised the money and paid the fine. His family sold their television set, a DVD Player, bags of cement, and also borrowed money from other members of the community, according to Nyasatimes, The Nation and The Sunday Times. Details about the story have since been emerging, and a facebook group has been created, by Daud Suleman, to express support for Kondesi, and raise awareness about “what African youths can achieve through applicable necessary technologies.” The group had 380 members as of Friday (Oct. 30).
Thus far it has emerged that Kondesi dropped out of school in the 7th grade, and has since been operating his Pachikweza Radio Station, made out of crude gadgets that included “an old cassette player, a Nokia 1110, capacitors, two aerials and transistors,” according to Clifton Kawanga in The Sunday Times. Kawanga writes that Kondesi was employing up to ten other young people, whom he paid whenever he had the money. Listeners in the community were paying MK20 (approx. $0.007) to have letters read, and MK50 (approx. $0.003) for letters advertising business. Kawanga adds that MACRA charge $150 for community radio licences.
Malawian papers differ on which frequency Pachikweza was broadcasting, with one paper saying it was on 98.5FM, and another paper saying it was on 105.1FM. The radio station could be heard well beyond his village, crossing the national border into Mozambican territory.
It has also transpired that Kondesi did visit the offices of MACRA in 2007, but no one there helped him. “I travelled to Blantyre two years ago and the people at Macra said they would communicate with me through the Mulanje District Commissioner but I have got nothing up to now,” The Nation quoted him as saying.
Immediately the story broke out, blogger Clement Nthambazale Nyirenda wrote on his blog:
This guy is a genius! Why condemn him to prison when he did not know that what he was doing was wrong? A suspended sentence would have been better.
I, therefore, would like to call for his immediate release from prison. These are the kind of guys whom we should sponsor to ensure that their spirit of innovation is well nurtured for the good of the country and the world at large.
Also reacting to the story and calling Kondesi a genius was Joe Mlenga, writing on his blog:
I'm glad to learn that well-wishers and his family have managed to pay the 50-thousand Kwacha fine imposed by a court for the unlicensed radio. I appeal to the broadcasting community and business fraternity to help this young man achieve his dream of operating a radio station. Who knows what innovation Gabriel will come up with next given proper resources.
Other Malawians have expressed their support in various ways, including Gospel Kazako, Managing Director of Zodiak Broadcasting Station, who contributed money to reimburse the family for the loss they incurred in trying to find the money to pay Kondesi's fine. Kazako was quoted by Nyasatimes as saying: “As broadcasters, we need to support fellow broadcasters whenever they are in trouble. I don’t actually understand when courts should grant suspended sentences but, as a radio man, I am here to appreciate that this boy is a genius.”
And according to the facebook group “in support of Pachikweza Radio Station“, more support from other Malawians has been pouring in already, with several people drawing inspiration from the success story of William Kamkwamba, who also had to drop out of school before his genius could unleash itself. Eddie Mombera has written on the group's page that Kaphuka Private Secondary School, one of Malawi's elite private secondary schools, has offered Kondesi “a scholarship for all his secondary education,” promising to support him through to the University of Malawi's Polytechnic, Malawi's premier engineering school. An article by Lucas Bottoman in The Daily Times of Friday October 30th quotes both Kondesi's father, Jonas Kondesi, and the Managing Director of Kaphuka Private Schools, Mr. Jackson Kaphuka, as confirming the scholarship.
Mombera later added on the facebook page:
There is a small grouping of people running SMEs accross the country which i belong to. We had a summit in Btown this week and we were so moved by the boys arrest such that we contributed over a Mk100,000 [approx. $714] for his release but when we heard that he was… out, we decided to run a fund for him so that he can go back to school.
On Wednesday October 28 Caroline Kandiero reported in The Daily Times that MACRA had since given Kondesi a free licence, and had also promised to fund the radio station for up to MK10 million (approx. $71,500) in equipment and infrastructure. The article quotes MACRA's Acting Director General Mike Kuntiya as saying, “We do not expect to spend more than K10 million, but we also need to visit the place and conduct surveys to see what will be needed.” And on the facebook page started to support Kondesi, McDevis Kamende, who once taught secondary school mathematics and geography, and now works as a micro-finance banker, has offered to help Kondesi with school lessons to enable him study toward Malawi's secondary school exit examinations: “I will donate 40 hours of part time education -Maths & Geography to Gabriel so that he sits for MSCE in three years time.”

author: Steve Sharra


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Nepal: Kathmandu In Trouble · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Kathmandu is officially dead,” declares Blogdai out of frustrations due to the increasing problems in the capital of Nepal. Read the post for details.


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Nepal: Maoist Protests Begin · Global Voices
Rezwan

Members of the UCPN (Maoist) and their supporters have started protests in Nepal to fulfill their demands  including establishment of a Maoist led government and integration of the Maoist Army into the Nepal Army. Neil’s Nepal reports along with pictures on the lockdown of government offices in Kathmandu, torch rally, and the impending airport blockade by the Maoists.


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Nigeria: Bloggers debate Nigeria’s negative image · Global Voices
Eremipagamo Amabebe

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It's well known that Nigeria has an image problem – 419 Internet scams, corruption, oil piracy in the Delta region – for many people, these are the associations that come to mind when Africa's most populous country is mentioned. However, the last year has been especially hard on Nigeria's reputation abroad: over the past few months, a series of events depicting Nigeria in a questionable light have triggered discussions throughout the blogosphere.
In September, Sony released an ad for Playstation 3 which included the line, “You can't believe everything you read on the Internet – otherwise, I'd be a Nigerian millionaire by now.” The ad was met with consternation from many Nigerians, and the Federal Government requested that Sony make a formal apology (Sony did apologize and later withdrew the ad).
Around the same time came the release of District 9 – a sci-fi blockbuster which was critically well-received but irksome to many Nigerians. The Nigerian government took offense at the film's depiction of Nigerians as criminals and cannibals, banning the film within Nigeria and asking the Censor's Board to confiscate it from theaters. Online, the movie provoked varied reactions, with some taking the view that the film presents a racist view of Nigerians, while others defended it as a fictional representation with little bearing on reality.
Adamu Waziri at EVCL points out that often Nigerian depictions of Nigerians are equally unflattering:
Nollywood, our indigenous movie industry, has portrayed us in a much harsher light to both national and international audiences. There was a time where you couldn’t get Nollywood movie that didn’t include one of the following or a combination of them; fraud, juju/witchcraft, armed robbery, incest, adultery, cannibalism and of course our favourite, corruption. Nollywood has been pumping out thousands of movies with these themes for years with no real opposition from the general public or any Ministry.
… Banning films sets the wrong precedent; in fact it can be dangerous. Let us the public debate the issue. We are mature enough to do so. In fact our Minister has succeeded in giving the movie more publicity which I’m sure she didn’t intend to do.
Nicole Stamp comments on race in District 9:
The thing that really upsets me is that most people who see this movie won’t question, or even notice, this incredibly racist portrayal….  Why can’t the Nigerians just be people with logical motives like money and weapons? Why do they have to go out of their way to be ooga-booga savages? ….it is impossible to disregard the charged portrayal of Nigerians which when viewed in a larger context, is beyond damaging or defamatory but is dangerous.
Read more on the debate at Nigerianstalk.org or google “district 9 race”.
More recently, Time magazine published a slide show by the South African photographer Pieter Hugo which featured scenes from Nigeria's “Nollywood” movie industry.  Though not so controversial as  District 9 or the Playstation commercial, the photographs nonetheless prompted debate in the blogosphere,  with discussions over whether such depictions of Nigeria fall under the category of artistic freedom or  cultural bias.
Solomon Sydelle at Nigerian Curiosity writes:
I definitely understand the need to push the envelope, after all that desire has led to some of the most creative masterpieces and accomplishments of all time. However, with these pictures, I struggle to develop an appreciation of them and/or what they represent and believe that they unnecessarily relied on biases that will only confirm certain stereotypes for Hugo's mainly Western audience.
These events are especially ill-timed as they correspond to a new initiative launched earlier this year to “Re-brand Nigeria.” The initiative is sponsored by Dr. Dora Akunyili, Nigerian Minister of Information and Communication,  and has been met with both praise and criticism (see here for the discussion at Global Voices).
Bunmi Oloruntoba at  A Bombastic Element discusses the re-branding campaign in the context of a recent BBC discussion on the subject:
The minister has a good case when she argues that Nigeria is overlooking a lot of positives, has not been telling her stories and is making the mistake of letting the world define her image based on its notoriety alone. And she has some good examples of the positives. But the BBC sought out a few PR and branding experts who counter by saying, if the country wants to rebrand itself, it needs to give any PR team a lot more to build on. Those interviewed said, consistent power supply and an end to a diesel generator economy will make rebranding Nigeria “effortless.” And to prove their point, 13:40 mins into the program… well, you don't need to be a Nigerian to figure out what happened.
A bright spot in the discussion of Nigeria's image was a widely circulated video of Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie speaking on “The danger of a single story.” Adichie comments on the pitfalls of a monolithic image of Africa as a site of catastrophe; she cautions that limiting ourselves to a “single story” flattens experience and creates stereotypes. For many bloggers, Adichie's remarks resonated with their frustration at the depictions of Nigeria prevalent outside the country.
Shade NonConformist  writes of the connection between Adichie's speech and Nigeria's image:
I believe this is what Chimamada Adichie meant about The Danger of a Single Story lecture she gave at TED. It becomes a problem when the only portrayal of Africa that we see is one involving dead animals, poverty, disaster, death, corruption, celebrity adoptions…you know the whole nine yards. Now I'm not saying Africa does not have these issues. We can all agree that we do. I'm arguing that these issues are not specific to African countries.
… I/We will never stop criticizing depictions of Africa that are unbalanced and prejudiced. Presenting a balance depiction of Africa is crucial. As Africans we also need to act as vessels who are willing to be instrumental in the change we want to see (and will see) in our beloved continent.

author: Eremipagamo Amabebe


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Pakistan: Operation In South Waziristan · Global Voices
Faisal Kapadia

South Waziristan. Image via Wikipedia.
Operation Rah e Nijat (path to deliverance in Urdu) is the latest attempt of Pakistan army to inflict a final blow upon the Tehrik i Taliban in Pakistan, the group which has terrorized Pakistan. The buildup for this operation started when the Pakistan army recovered the Swat Valley area from the Taliban militants back in June 2009. On 19th of June Pak army started the gathering of forces on the border of South Waziristan. After three months of blockade and minor skirmishes with the Taliban eventually the army launched a full scale ground assault on the 19th of October 2009. The Pakistan army has a total of 28000 troops and 500 special commandos on their side while the Taliban have 10 to 15,000 troops and 1500 foreign fighters. The fighting is intense and arduous and each day brings reports of the Pakistan army inching forward another few steps deep into a very difficult and dangerous terrain.
Ahsan Waheed at Pakistanpal gives credence to the difficult terrains of South Waziristan:
We could see in the distance the regions where al-Qaeda has taken refuge. It’s an almost lunar landscape of dry, trackless peaks with a sparse stubble of trees along the ridges. If you were looking for a place to hide, so rugged and inhospitable that outsiders would tremble at entering, Waziristan would be it. In the days of the Raj, maps of Waziristan were mostly blank; even the intrepid British explorers usually stayed away.
Great Satans Girlfriend gives importance to mobilizing the masses for this operation:
“The death of hope must never be allowed to cast its shadow, and that will only be prevented if the state pools all its resources to energize the masses against terrorism.”
Abdullah Saad believes that the foreign militants in the Tehrik i Taliban (TTP) have run out of places to disappear:
My take though is that there is too much at stake in Waziristan. Principally, TTP cadres may be able to trickle into settled areas to avoid a traumatic fate or to live for another day … but that luxury is not available to their “guests”. The Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs etc will have to fight it out because if they are caught, they’ll be sent home on the first available flight and in a country like Uzbekistan, they’ll be sent straight to a firing squad.
Mustufa Qadri at Newmatilda  feels that Pakistan is impossible to defend against militants:
The inconvenient truths of this narrative make for sobering reading. A spate of terrorist attacks in Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar have reminded us that while it is very difficult to protect every square inch of a country beset by an insurgency, it is next to impossible to do so in Pakistan, where disposable young men with explosives strapped to their chest are all too readily recruited.
The above statement is all too true as fallout from operation Rahe-e-Nijat has been direct counterattacks on civil society aka suicide bombing as well as the spread of fear and panic in the whole country. This lead to the closure of all education institutes and putting in place heightened security all over the streets of this country. We wake up daily to reports of not just war on the Waziristan front but shocking details of how it is being fought out on our very streets as well.
Brig (r) Junaid Zaman at “Pakistan Spectator” writes about the futility of closing schools in Pakistan:
We need not to panic and we need not to make our children coward and fearful. We need to talk to our girls and boys, let them know about the threat, ask them to keep vigil, make them understand the danger our country is in and about the menace of terrorism. Make them strong and bold and make them learn to live in the tough times. When they will emerge from these times, they will be far ahead to face the life as compared to other kids of this world.
On Taragana Zarrar khan speaks of a part of public perception that blames other players for these attacks on civilians:
Many students did not accept that militants were responsible for the attack and instead blamed shadowy forces out to discredit Islam or weaken Pakistan — variations of conspiracy theories that are often heard here after bombings.
Glenda at Berry picker reflects on the will of a society still carrying on in spite of the terror citing an example from a concert in Islamabad:
They didn't have to stop Thursday night. For at least one hour, Arieb Azhar and his band of four asserted the power of music's universality, diversity and tolerance in a city that only four days before had once again felt the power of terror to subdue the human will to fight for what is true and beautiful in life.
Bilquis puts it all in perspective at CHUP (Changing Up Pakistan):
Many scholars and politicians, particularly Imran Khan, have argued that the people in these areas have lived in traditionally lawless societies  for centuries. Given this ground reality, they say, we must respect their traditions and work within this context. I disagree. As T.S Elliot aptly noted, “A tradition without intelligence is not worth having.” These traditions ignore issues that have allowed a zealous ideology to mushroom all across Pakistan, especially in rural Punjab. Take the the young girl who was flogged by the Taliban in Swat, for example. Do we want these traditions? Do we want men/women/girls being bartered to resolve disputes? Do we want our people to see a continuously distorted narrow vision of what the world is? I certainly don’t.
So here we are, hopeful but terror stricken, our schools closed and our future uncertain but we will not give up. We have to fight not just the menace on the ground with our army but the silent infestation of the Taliban ideology among our societies. I just hope the world is behind us, because if we fail its your turn next.

author: Faisal Kapadia


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Russia: Census 2010 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia and Russia Blog write that it now looks like the 2010 census in Russia is not going to be delayed to 2013.


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Russia: Maksharip Aushev’s Murder · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Robert Amsterdam's Blog – here, here, and here – and Window on Eurasia write about the murder of Ingush opposition activist Maksharip Aushev; Sean's Russia Blog writes about the murder of a businessman and United Russia deputy Grigory Nosikov in a town outside Moscow.


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Russia: More on Oct. 31 Opposition Rally · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Oleg Kozlovsky writes about this past Saturday's opposition rally in Moscow: “I was arrested while trying to tweet what I saw. Apparently, one of the officers recognized me. Along with some 20 more people in the bus I was taken to a police station where we were charged with… lighting flares, chanting slogans and throwing leaflets–the ones that Putinyouth were throwing.”


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Russia: Opposition Rally · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user drugoi writes about (RUS) and posts photos from an opposition rally that took place in Moscow on Saturday. Some 50 people were detained by the police during the rally, and, according to LJ user nl (RUS), among them was a U.S. embassy employee whose last name, when transliterated into Russian, is Bond.


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Russia: Pumpkins · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

IZO writes: “Sales of pumpkins are up in the Moscow markets (KP, in Russian). But in general, Russians are not interested in Halloween (Interfax). That is prob because Russian women are allowed to dress sexy all the time.”


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St. Lucia: Mobile Ecomomy? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

St. Lucia's Caribbean Book Blog thinks that mobile banking might just be “that glimmer of hope” that helps bridge the economic gap in the region.


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Syria: Studies and books about blogging · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Syrian blogger Marcell provided links [Ar], in her blog, to a number of studies and books that discuss blogging in Syria and the Arab countries in general.


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The Balkans: Another Open Letter To Amnesty International · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Another open letter to Noam Chomsky and Amnesty International – at Americans For Bosnia, Greater Surbiton, and Srebrenica Genocide Blog.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Death Penalty · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

More discussion on the death penalty from KnowTnT.com, here and here.


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Ukraine: Army Draft · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user drugoi re-posts a photo story (RUS) by REUTERS/Gleb Garanich on the fall 2009 draft into Ukrainian army, which has now been suspended due to flu outbreak.


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Ukraine: Flu Updates · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Updates on the flu situation in Ukraine – at What's Up, Ukraine?, MoldovAnn, Greetings from Kyiv and Scenes from the Sidewalk.


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Azerbaijan: Virginity · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Emotions on Air, Mind Mute ponders societal expectations that women remain virgins until they marry. Although based in Azerbaijan, the blog notes the same value system throughout the entire Caucasus and speaks out about such patriarchal concepts and practices.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh: Beggars Can Be Choosers · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh Corporate Blog analyzes the decision of Bangladesh government to establish separate begging zones in the capital Dhaka.


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Bosnia & Herzegovina: Banja Luka · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Bosnia Blog writes about travel to Banja Luka.


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China: The worker struggle · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The China study has an in-depth report on the rise of semi-autonomous worker struggle through collective actions in China..

author: Oiwan Lam


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Eritrea: Happy Anniversay Asmarino! · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Asmarino website celebrates its 12th anniversary: “Twelve years is a lifetime for a website. As in an individual’s personal growth, Asmarino’s development went through various phases without altering the basic values it holds dear…”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Europe: International Black Sea Action Day · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At Th!nk About It, Adela writes about International Black Sea Action Day.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Europe: The Berlin Wall · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Leopolis celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.


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Georgia: Orthodox scandal · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

In the most religious country of the South Caucasus where the Orthodox Church's Patriarch can even encourage a baby boom, criticizing the clergy is still somewhat taboo. Lampooning them, however, is even worse and fraught with danger, as This is Tbilisi Calling reports.
The Georgian police are reported to have tracked down the thought criminals responsible for “indecent and insulting” satirical videos which targeted the head of the Orthodox Church and caused a nationwide scandal in this fervently religious country. A statement from the Interior Ministry identified the culprits as a school pupil and a student. […]
Evolutsia, examines the larger issue as it relates to the power of the Church and freedom of speech. In an op-ed piece on the newly launched English-language news blog, Inge Snip sounds the alarm bells.
One of the most fundamental freedoms is, I believe, the freedom of speech. Freedom of speech enables a country to show to every citizen that their opinion is allowed to be heard, no matter the content. In addition, a true democracy allows the mocking of important figures in society, and by doing so, it shows its maturity.
[…]
To conclude, there is no grounds for investigating this issue, nor should there be; however, the law enforcement agencies did the opposite, because there is some kind of popular demand. As a student of law, this is easily one of the most ridiculous grounds for any judicial investigation I have ever heard.


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India: Plagiarism? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Photoblogger Anil is surprised to find that a photograph taken by him of the main building of Bishop Cotton School in Shimla was used for a commemorative postage stamp published by the Indian postal Service.

author: Rezwan


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Indonesia: Criminalizing the graft fighters · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

Last Thursday two commissioners of the Corruption Eradication Committee (KPK), Chandra M. Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto, were arrested for abusing their powers and accepting bribes.
In response to the arrest of the KPK officials, President Yudhoyono said that the arrest is not extrordinary and that he will not intervene with the work of the National Police (Polri).
Yusro, wrote an article [id] in Politikana that highlights an odd argument made by Inspector General Dikdik Mulyana Arif Mansur, the Deputy in Chief of the Criminal Division of the Indonesian National Police:
Alasan penahanan antara lain karena ancaman hukuman atas pelanggaran hukum kedua petinggi KPK nonaktif itu di atas 5 tahun selain itu, ya, klasik. Polri khawatir, Bibit dan Chandra akan melarikan diri, menghilangkan barang bukti, dan mengulangi tindak pidana yang sama, sebagaimana tercantum dalam KUHAP.
Tapi yang lebih mengejutkan, adalah alasan lainnya yaitu: Bibit dan Chandra bisa jumpa pers. “Setidak-tidaknya faktanya sekarang kami kesulitan karena sudah dihakimi dengan cerita-cerita dan tuduhan kriminalisasi. Tersangka bisa jumpa pers, itu indikasi dia bisa mempengaruhi opini,” ujar Dikdik.
However, the more surprising excuse was: (If they're free) Bibit and Chandra can hold press conferences. “We're now in fact being prosecuted through (public) rumors and incriminating accusations. These suspects can hold press conferences, that indicates that they can influence public opinion,” said Dikdik.
The chronology of Bibit-Chandra's arrest, which appeared on Pesatnews.com, suggests that the two non active commissioners were framed because they were leading an investigation that could involve one of Polri's big wigs.
23 JuniI 2009
KPK menyatakan Direktur PT Masaro Radiokom Anggoro Widjojo ditetapkan sebagai tersangka korupsi pengadaan alat komunikasi terpadu Departemen Kehutanan pada 2007.
30 Juni 2009
Kepala Badan Reserse Kriminal Kepolisian RI Susno Duadji, yang sedang menangani kasus Bank Century, menyatakan teleponnya disadap. Belakangan, KPK mengatakan memang sedang menyelidiki dugaan suap kepada petinggi kepolisian berinisial SD dalam kaitan dengan kasus Bank Century.
10 Juli 2009
Susno menemui Anggoro, yang jadi buron KPK, di Singapura.
KPK declared Anggoro Widjojo, the director of Masaro Radiocom, Ltd. as a corruption suspect in the communication device procurement for the  Ministry of Forestry back in 2007.
30 June 2009
Head of Criminal Division of Indonesian National Police Rusno Duadji, who was handling the case of Bank Century at that time, claimed that his phone call was intercepted. Afterwards, KPK admitted that it was investigating a bribery case against one of the national police's executives with the initials SD, who's linked to the Century case.
10 July 2009
Rusno met Anggoro, the KPK's suspect, in Singapore.
To many Indonesian officials, KPK is a strong institution that could change the course of the traditional system. There are high hopes that KPK could be the master solution to a systematic corruption eradication.
Rob Baiton, who blogs at RAB Experience, said that the president's decision not to interfere with the case is rather bizarre as the case unfolds:
The fact that the president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or SBY, gave a press conference indicating that he would not be interfering in the process. Strange because he has already imposed himself on the process when he issued an interim law to appoint three new, albeit temporary, commissioners to the KPK. So, to say he would not interfere seems a little strange.
A few days before the arrest, a transcript of a wiretapped phone call, between the corruption suspects and other unnamed persons, circulated on the internet. At one point the name of the president and two other first echelon officials were mentioned. The phone conversation suggests the arrest was staged and there's a plan to bring down the KPK as a graft fighting institution.
Baiton elaborates:
The president is also smarting because a transcript of an alleged wiretap highlighting that the police and the office of the attorney general conspired to frame Chandra and Bibit has surfaced. Why is he smarting? Maybe because his name came up as being aware of the frame.
Although the president has said he will not interfere in the process, he has nevertheless instructed the Chief of Police to take all necessary steps to uncover the wiretapper and bring them to justice. Sounds a little like closing the barn door once the horse has bolted. But, Mr. President, it is time to clean this mess up, isn't it?
As closure, Baiton highlighted what could Yudhoyono's legacy be:
Ultimately, these shenanigans are going to be a “legacy crusher” for SBY. He will be remembered as the president that talked a good game on anti-corruption but could never deliver the goods. In fact, he will be remembered for presiding over the demise of one of the few success stories in the fight against corruption in Indonesia.
On Sunday, President Yudhoyono invited four experts, one from Transparency International Indonesia and the rest are professors from big universities, to discuss about KPK situation and options.
Brett McGuire, an Intellectual Property Right expert based in Jakarta  wonders why the president consulted these four experts before consulting the Constitutional Court or the Administrative Court, blogged on Spruiked:
The fact that the President consulted with three universities is telling. It shows just how complex he considers the issue to be.
[…]
There might be a legal-constitutional reason why the President has not spoken to the judiciary  (assuming that he hasn't).
[…]
The Constitutional Court has wasted no time criticizing the President for his ill-advised actions, particularly the ridiculous PERPPU. Given the President's sensitivities (remember he said he had been “awfully hurt”), it could well be that the President can't see beyond his own personal issues.
The KPK, according to McGuire, is the institution that helped Yudhoyono won his second term. It's his duty not to see it crumbled:
What can we learn from this? The President can no longer sit back and let things happen — not when they are of national importance, and most certainly not when they have a direct impact on his credibility. He won the election because of the KPK. He has shamelessly ridden on the coat-tails of their success. He must protect them.
He owes it to the people who elected him.
Concerned Indonesian citizens are showing their support online and offline.
More than 400, 380 facebookers joined a group called A Million Facebookers Supporting Chandra Hamzah and Bibit Samad Riyanto.
Twitterers use hastag #dukungkpk or support KPK to show their support and voice opinions.
Offline, a group of people started a black shirt campaign. Last Monday, Indonesians were encouraged to wear black ribbon as a sign of mourning for the death of truth and justice and to show support for the release of the two men who represent the nation's fight against corruption.
In Indonesia, corruption is seen as vicious cycle that hampers the economy and rusting the people's trust of justice institutions such as the police and the  court. According to a survey released in 2009 by Transparency International Indonesia, the Polri is named the most corrupt institution in the country by respondents, who are mainly businessmen.

author: Juke Carolina


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Introducing Threatened Voices · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

Never before have so many people been threatened or imprisoned for what the words they write on the internet.
As activists and ordinary citizens have increasingly made use of the internet to express their opinions and connect with others, many governments have also increased surveillance, filtering, legal actions and harassment. The harshest consequence for many has been the politically motivated arrest of bloggers and online writers for their online and/or offline activities, in some tragic cases even leading to death. Online journalists and bloggers now represent 45% of all media workers in prison worldwide.
Today, Global Voices Advocacy is launching a new website called Threatened Voices to help track suppression of free speech online. It features a world map and an interactive timeline that help visualize the story of threats and arrests against bloggers worldwide, and it is a central platform to gather information from the most dedicated organisations and activists, including Committee to Protect Bloggers, The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, Reporters without Borders, Human Rights Watch, CyberLaw Blog, Amnesty International, Committee to Protect Journalists, Global Voices Advocacy.
What blogger, where?
Finding accurate information about arrested and threatened bloggers and online writers is difficult for several reasons.
First, the secrecy surrounding online censorship and repression makes it extra difficult to be accurate. Not a single week passes without stories of arrests of yet another online journalist or activist in countries like Egypt or Iran, but the details and reasons are often shrouded in mystery.
Second, there is still some confusion about the definition of a “blogger”. Professional journalists are increasingly migrating to online media and blogs in pursuit of more freedom, blurring the old lines of definition. And many so-called cyber-dissidents in China, Tunisia, Vietnam, or Iran, do not have personal blogs. Other times, bloggers are arrested for their offline activity, rather than for what they have published online.
This confusion has sometimes made it hard for online free speech advocates to come up with a good strategies and partnerships to defend bloggers and online activists, but it has never been more important to try.
Let's work together
At Global Voices we engage a community of authors, editors, and translators, who help keep us all informed of free speech and human rights abuses. With Threatened Voices we aim to open the process of reporting up even further to any person who has information.
We're calling on those whose friends, relatives, colleagues, or compatriots, have been threatened to help create and update the profiles of those missing or under arrest, so we can seek additional sources, verify, and link to online campaigns dedicated to freeing them.
In the process, we are hoping to learn more about when, where, and to what extent bloggers are being subjected to abuse in different countries, so we can share that information widely with journalists, researchers, and activists, and work towards creating an internet where everyone can exercise their right to speak freely, and where bloggers in prison are not forgotten.
Help spread the word. Tweet, blog and update your facebook status about Threatened Voices!

author: sami ben gharbia


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Jamaica: Bleak Outlook · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Liming House says that the resignation of the Central Bank governor, coupled with Standard & Poor's downgrading of the country's rating, ” is…a serious blow to Jamaica.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Jamaica: Of Patties & Personalities · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Francis Wade thinks that Jamaicans and Trinidadians can learn a lot from each other.


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Japan: Anti fur demo · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Damoncoulter, at Demotix, uploaded photos of the anti fur demo that took place in Tokyo on October, 25. According to Damoncoulter “The campaign hoped to raise awareness of the cruelty in the production of fur clothing which has become fashionable again for Japanese youth.”

author: Scilla Alecci


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Japan: GM labeling  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Martin J Frid from Kurashi blogs about the actual [lack of] practice of GM labeling in Japanese food industry.


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Japan: Halloween night · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

James from Japan Probe reports on two Halloween parties one with anti-foreigner protest and  one with full community support.


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Kenya: Bloggers discuss first Kenyan gay marriage · Global Voices
Haute Haiku

A Kenyan gay couple caused an outrage when they decided to be joined in a civil union, the whole nation cried “foul, that's not right.” Charles and Daniel legalized their union on October17, in London. The country went in an uproar and expressed their disgust and engaged in a heated debate for the whole week. The Daily Nation, a Kenyan leading newspaper published the story the very next day together with the pictures:
Two Kenyan men on Saturday became the first gay couple to wed in London. Charles Ngengi, 40 and his bride, Daniel Chege Gichia, 39, became civil partners under the controversial Civil Partnership Act which came into effect in the UK in 2005 allowing couples of the same sex to have legal recognition of their relationship.
The couple tied the knot at a civil partnership ceremony at Islington Town Hall in North London at 11.30 a.m. UK time. According to the Act, a civil partnership is defined as a legal marriage between gay and lesbian couples, and any couples who enter into a civil partnership obtain the new legal status of civil partners, instead of the traditional husband and wife status.
Tamaku, a blogger on The Diary of a Gay Kenyan was the first to publish a post expressing his excitement in the transition Kenya is going through and the story hitting the stands:
I am overjoyed that a gay wedding of Kenyans in London has made the news of the national press. We wish the lucky couple all the best in this new chapter of their lives together. George and I are thinking of the same, to deepen our commitment to one another – even though these unions are not recognised here. It's early days yet but we are determined to have a ceremony to exchange rings and vows witnessed by close friends and family. I'll wear white of course, don't even think to mutter but Tamaku's been around the block a few times unless you are a nun yourself. lol!
We hope you'll accept our invitation when the time comes. Tonight we are just both so happy to raise a glass or two to the newlyweds.
Donn, a gay photo blogger says he knows and has heard of a lot of Kenyan gay couples legalizing their union and he is wondering what the outburst is for, he says gay couples have wed in different countries where gay marriage is legal:
The two gay men above, who got married in the UK last Saturday….was really an eye opener for many Kenyans.The news of the marriage was on the airwaves throughout the weekend…I am sure now every corner of this country knows about it…since it was a hot topic in almost every radio station.Well to me they are not the 1st…there are other many Kenyan gay couple i know who got married in Spain, Canada, South Africa, and UK as well, but the
Most bloggers were not happy with the way the story was handled, the journalists have been described as lopsided; hungry-for-story; fame, self benefit and monetary pay. The journalists tracked down the home of the family members of the newly wed and camped outside the compound waiting for a comment from the parents on what they think of their son marrying a man. The family have been tormented as visitors always coming to the homestead just to witness:
Everyone in Kenya is hungry for something, now adding to the pack is journalists, this people are hungry-for-story, they wait for the slightest twitch to hit their headlines. If you think Mohamed Ali from KTN was the only journalist in Murang'a waiting to interview the parents of the newly wed couple, you are wrong, he is not. Well, apparently journalists are actually camping outside his home town, is it Charles, the supposed “bride”, waiting to interview the mother on what she thinks about her son being in a sexual relationship with a man. They went with the wedding pictures to show the parents and the mother was shocked beyond words, she has gone mute, she doesn't talk or eat. The father is since drinking his life away and hasn't gone sober since, but he was heard saying he is waiting for the bride
According to the website misterseed, the newly wed had a telephone interview and they were not pleased in how the Kenya media have portrayed them,  they feel journalists had crossed their boundaries, they ask why they had to drag the family into “this”, but they still still remain hopeful that the laws in Kenya are changing and they will have a second wedding back home:
Mr. Seed telephone conversation with Mr. Chege and Ngengi the gay couple who married in London on Saturday 17th October, 2009. “Good morning Ngengi, how are you doing.” Mr. Seed asked on Thursday afternoon (22nd October). “I am fine Mr. Seed although disappointed that the Kenyan media has gone beyond the limits by visiting our parents in Murang'a to interview them. We understand that the KTN and Nation screened the story on Wednesday evening. How can they visit our parents because of our case. The parents and family has nothing to do with our case. We have not committed murder. The law allows this in the UK. Tell them to concentrate on taking the killers to Hague than concentrating with us. We are innocent people. Furthermore we are on honeymoon and they should not try to spoil our honeymoon. You know what Mr. Seed, the law in Kenya is changing soon and we might even decide to go and do another wedding down there.” Mr. Ngengi concluded with a light touch while laughing.
Radio disc jockeys engaged listeners in the debate igniting the rage and callers called in to call the union unafrican, uncultured and sinful:
Interesting, today morning this was a topic of discussion at Kiss 100 and the guy hired to be a comedian a fake ass one said, ” unethical, unpalatable, uncouth and unafrican.” He went further to say that he would throw his brother from a fourth floor flat if he came out to him and said that he was gay. He also said that gays should be burnt. Really! gays have got no place, some callers went on to say not in our culture and again “unafrican” What's that? J

author: Haute Haiku


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Kenya: Blogging the first open map of Kibera · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

An initiative aimed at creating the first open map of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya: “And yesterday we spent the whole day at MS ActionAid Kenya, where the Danish students were introduced to mapping techniques along with several others from organizations as diverse as Ushahidi, UNICEF, Umande Trust, and World Bike.”


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Kenya: Nairobi Christmas Tourism Expo · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bankelele writes about Christmas Tourism Expo in Nairobi, Kenya: “The annual Christmas tourism expo (Getaway ’09 fair) fair was held at Sarit center last weekend. About 75 exhibitors were offering holiday packages for Christmas and the New Year in addition to 2010 rates.”


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Latvia: Politics Update · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Baltic writes on the political situation in Latvia – here and here.


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Madagascar: Economic Update · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Is the economy going down in Madagascar?: “If recent trends persisted during September, three new developments seem to indicate a deterioration in public finance and economic activities: (i)  the Government borrowed on the domestic financial market (about half of its monthly expenditures) for the first time since the beginning of the crisis…”


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Pakistan: At War · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mohammad Malick comments on the recent terror attack in Peshawar's market area for lower and middle class people: “(it) showed that it is a war with terrorists standing on one side of the blood line, and we the people on the other.”


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Palestine: A Cartoonist’s Visit · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

American political cartoonist Daryl Cagle shares his recent visit to Palestine on his blog, also sharing the work of Palestinian cartoonists he met there.

author: Jillian C. York