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Bahrain: Hollywood-Inspired Anti-Muslim Prejudices  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah links to an article by Bahrain-based Paul J Balles, who writes about Hollywood-inspired anti-Muslim prejudices.


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Bangladesh: Holiday Literary Supplements · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mahmud Rahman at cruel, crazy, beautiful world writes about the long tradition of publication of holiday special literary supplements of newspapers and magazines in Bangladesh. His post at Words Without Borders Blog reveals that these specials are a delight for both the readers and the emerging writers.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Rezwan


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Czech Republic, Ukraine: Prague vs Kyiv · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Petro's Jotter compares Kyiv to Prague.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Dubai: Accident Report  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Dubai, The Devil wears Prada got into an accident and writes about it in this post.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Ecuador: Update on the Death of Chelito the Giraffe · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Voces Lojanas [es] provides an update on the death of Chelito the Giraffe in the Loja, Ecuador zoo.  To date, no definitive conclusions have been reached and many are still awaiting answers.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Egyptian Evil Empires  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Not Green Data, from Egypt, compiles a s list of the five Egyptian evil empires. They are: the ruling National Democratic Party, Al Ahly Sporting Club, Microbus drivers, Al Ahram Newspaper and Egyptian tycoons.


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India, Pakistan: Post Colonial English Language Writers · Global Voices
Rezwan

GoatMilk discusses about the post colonial English language writers in India and Pakistan.


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Japan: Meeting Tatsuhiko Takimoto · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

id:y_arim describes [ja] meeting Japanese author Tatsuhiko Takimoto, known for his fictional work about hikikomori entitled Welcome to the N.H.K, at a bar in Akihabara.  When they met, Takimoto declared that he had just recently discovered his “true self” — the person he was when he was in elementary school, at a time when he looked down on everybody, a tendency he eventually managed to suppress. “But then,” Takimoto explained, “what happened was that I projected the me looking down on everybody onto the people around me. […] That's what's so weird. I was really looking down on everybody, but I thought that everybody was looking down on me.”

author: Chris Salzberg


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Jordan: Blognesia?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Naseem Tarawnah suffers from Blognesia. To find out what that is, click here.


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Jordan: Creative Commons Amman Date  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ahmad Humeid, from Jordan, announces: ” Creative Commons is coming to Arabia and they’re holding a lecture in Amman. Creative Commons CEO Joichi Ito will be the speaker.”


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Jordan: Qwaider Planet Celebrates  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Qwaider Planet kicks off its third year, boosting the number of blogs it aggregates posts from 250 last year to around 400 this year. The aggregator was set up by Jordanian Samer Qwaider, who is also responsible for Jordan Blogs and GirlyGator.


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Kuwait: Drunk DJ Sparks Debate · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

An allegedly drunk DJ has sparked a debate on a popular Kuwaiti blog. Click on 248am for the latest on this.


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Kuwait Suspended from FIFA  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Football governing body, FIFA has suspended Kuwait from all international matches and activities because of the government interference in the affairs of the football federation, reports Mark, from Kuwait.


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Lebanon: Saturday Security Briefs  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Blacksmiths of Lebanon updates us on the security situation in Lebanon in this post entitled Saturday Security Briefs.


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Morocco: 8th Marrakech international film festival  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“The 8th Marrakech international film festival (FIFM) will pay tribute to two world-famous actresses, American Sigoureney Weaver and Asian Michelle Yeoh. The festival runs from November 14th to 22nd,” says The View from Fez, in Morocco.


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Morocco: Tangier Experiences Massive Flooding · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

For the past few years, Morocco has been experiencing a significant drought.  Unfortunately, recent rain storms have brought little relief, as Northern Morocco experiences massive flooding, claiming the lives of at least 13 people.
The View From Fez recently reported on the floods:
Thirteen people have been killed in northern Morocco after their homes collapsed in flash flooding caused by torrential rains.
The interior ministry said 11 were swept away by the floods in Driouch, Nador province, and two in Tangiers.
Around 20 homes have collapsed as a result of the floods and many remain submerged.
A Moro in America posts videos from students at a Tangier high school, commenting:
The northern city's industrial district and other neighborhood were literally submerged by water during Thursday and Friday. Several deaths have been reported, especially amongst women and children. About a week ago, King M6 had ordered his ministers and governors to stay close to the affected cities and to be physically present at affected areas. So far, none of them have been spotted.
In the following video, students of Abdelkrim Lkhettabi High School can be seen struggling to leave to their homes with water up to their necks.
The Gulf nation of Qatar, which also recently sent flood aid to Yemen, has also supported Morocco, reports The View from Fez
In response to the Emiri directives issued by the Emir, H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar decided to send emergency aid to the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Yemen, an official source at the Foreign Ministry told The View from Fez These Emiri directives express Qatar's solidarity with Yemen and Morocco in order to help them face effects of the flood that recently hit the Hadramout Province in Yemen and Oujda city in Morocco.

author: Jillian C. York


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Palestine: Nahr el-Bared Update  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

It's been a year since the first Palestinian refugees were allowed to return to the Nahr al-Bared camp in Lebanon. Palestinian Haitham Sabbah has an update and videos in this post.


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Southeast Asia: Impact of Financial Crisis · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

What are the views of several Southeast Asian bloggers about the global financial crisis? First, an authoritative voice: Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. He points out the double standard of the US government in solving economic problems:
“We cannot forget how, in 1997-98, American hedge funds destroyed the economies of poor countries by manipulating their national currencies. (Asian) governments were told not to bail out any company or bank that was in deep trouble. The Americans claimed that these companies or banks were inefficient, and they should be allowed to go bankrupt and perish. Better still, they should be sold at fire-sale prices to American investors. Yet today, we see the U.S. government readying $700 billion to brazenly bail out banks, mortgage companies and insurance companies.”
SK Thew explains how the economic downturn is aggravating Malaysia’s domestic problems:
“Our economy is screwed up, big time. Domestic political turmoil combined with the turbulence in the US financial market is the perfect recipe for a disaster. The prospect of a messy change of government, which is the first in the history of Malaysia, is making investors very nervous.
“Interestingly, among the 10-member Asean countries, Malaysia is the only country to suffer negative flow despite the fact that this region recorded its highest ever FDI inflow, which means more Malaysians are investing abroad for fear of the uncertain political backlash or its gloomy economic outlook as a result of the previous factor.”
Gobloking comments in the blog of Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin, and believes that the worst is yet to come:
“I don't think bailing out greedy Barbarians at the Gate would solve the problem. I tend to agree with the common American people. The plan should not be done in haste. The plan should be to create max impact for the max people.
“Meanwhile in Malaysia – semua pun Ok. There seems to be little or no news of the impact of the world's economic downturn. Like I say Malaysia must be full of superheroes helming the economy which is why we are doing fine. Maybe we can have our supereconomic advisers sent to US to help them solve their problems, which in turn will solve ours!”
The housing problem in the US has become a global nightmare. For instance, Cambodia’s real estate sector is expected to decline. Vietnam’s startups and hotels are also affected. Meanwhile, Chanrithea Bun, a Cambodian student in the US, reviews the lessons of the Great Depression. Then he notes the prospect of a better future: “Increasing immigration would increase the demand for housing and raise home prices.”
The Daily Brunei Resources appeals for a simpler kind of living:
“Today, as we looked at the world economy moving up and down like a yoyo, I cannot help but think had everyone in the world been contented, we might not have such extremes. The world has been driven by expenditures.
“Sometimes we forget the simple things in life. Be thankful with what we have and I bet we won't run into financial problems. And the world will not be having this wild ride into the unknown future.”
Rogue Economist asks Brunei authorities to implement a credit rating system:
“It is high time we put a credit rating system in place. What I mean is that you can’t just allow any Tom, Dick and Harry that has a blue payslip enters into a credit contract without a thorough check on his financial background.
“Everyday in the news, we hear about ‘credit crunch’ happening globally that has even put those giant corporations down on their knees and even collapse. It all started from careless and inappropriate lending. Anyway, it probably is still a foreign term in Brunei, so let’s keep it that way.”
Singapore is the first Asian country to be hit by the global recession. There is an observation that the US bailout plan might help Singapore funds.
The economic crisis provides several challenges and opportunities for creative entrepreneurs. Simple is the Reason of My Heart from Singapore adds:
“It is an interesting time for investors and entrepreneurs because it presents not just problems, but also opportunities. You find opportunity in the midst of adversity.”
A local politician from the Philippines observes that a major city in the southern part of the country is somehow faring well during these distressing times:
“We have seen the closure of banks, financial institutions and insurance companies the past several months in the US, Europe and lately Japan as a result of the global financial crisis. The opposite, however, is occurring here in Davao. Almost a new bank branch is being opened here every month.
“Davao is not immune to the financial crisis and the impending global recession but it is faring well, according to the National Economic Development Authority.”
Reacting to the US bailout plan, a Filipino academic writes:
“No longer will brokers put up smug faces on Wall Street. [Something bizarre is actually happening: the wretched of the earth are being made to bail the rich out of their folly.]”
Then he criticizes Wall Street executives who are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses even after creating huge problems due to their bad business decisions in the past:
“Businessmen, after all, are technocrats lionized daily in the conduct of community life: they are requested to grace occasions of gross solemnity (like cutting ribbons for a food branch, or attending visual exhibits which their philistine notion of art cannot comprehend), or given some media space for a comment or two that may not even be worth a slice of melamined tofu. Money, having pushed them into the top 500 of the oligarchic world, has mantled them with erudition & finesse.
“& the cycle repeats itself – opinions clothed in technicalese are recycled like mantra to scare away the ghosts of inflation. Has it ever occurred to the public, dazzled by the honcho’s perfumed respectability, that it is heeding the counsel of psychotics whose message is an index of their secret dysfunction, or neurosis? That their “intellectualized” status is cause for the millions of suckers to linger like insects in the wings?
“For every million raked in by a financial satrap, there’s a gang of guys left out holding an empty bag.”

author: Mong Palatino


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Turkey: Blogspot.com Banned · Global Voices
Adam Klempner

In another long string of website services blocked in the Republic of Turkey, yet another blog service has been blocked: Blogspot.com. A court in Diyarbakir Turkey has banned Blogger/Blogspot.com in relation to an intellectual property infringement case. First-time Global Voices blogger, Adam Klempner, translates some of the Turkish bloggers reactions.
From Armut [tr]:
T.C. Diyarbakır 1. Sulh Ceza Mahkemesi 20.10.2008 tarih ve 2008/2761 sayılı kararı gereği günlük sayfama erişimin engellendiğini öğrendim, ne bir duruşma çağrısı, ne bir karar, ne bir tebliğ aldım, yargısız infaz edildim, sesim soluğum kesildi sansürlendim.
İki yıldır bağırıyoruz, internet sitelerini TV kanalı gibi gören bir kanun, koltuk sevdasından bu kanuna arka çıkanlar, bu kanun sayesinde Türkiye'de istediği siteyi yasaklatabileceğini bilen hainler ile bunlara maşa olan cahil vatandaşlarımız yüzünden kendi kendimizi mağdur ediyoruz.
For two years we have been shouting: because of a law that views internet websites as though they were TV channels, people who lend their support to this law to hang on to their positions, the scoundrels who know they can forbid whichever websites they want to thanks to this law and our ignorant citizens who allow themselves to be used, we are victimizing ourselves.
So what is the criteria for a website to be banned in Turkey?  Elma+Alt+Shift explains:
Blogger banned in Turkey!
Since the beginning till today…
Google groups, porn sites, slide.com, wordpress, YouTube… Blogger.com is the latest addition to this list of banned web sites in Turkey.
After the passing of the new law, web sites in Turkey can be banned without a warning for several reasons:
– Obscenity: This of course leads to a whole lot of questions like “How to define obscenity”
– Promoting drug use
– Provoking suicide: Another open-to-interpretation clause. Would a movie about a suicidal teenager be promoting suicide?
– Sexual abuse of children
– Insult to Turkishness and Ataturk
– Prostitution
– Gambling
– Providing material harmful to public health
Although the law, passed seemingly to fight child porn, when the statistics are examined, the main reason of the banning of web sites, seems to be obscenity, which is 3 times more than sites shut down for child molestation.
Besides these clauses, personal insult can lead to the banning of the web site as it happenened with Adnan Oktar vs. Richard Dawkins in which Adnan Oktar, a religious writer, claimed Richard Dawkins web site was insulting his book. Therefore. The web site of a well known scientist was shut down to Turkish users with a singfle click. Adnan Oktar seems to be the reason of many other web site bannings lately, including the web site of one of the biggest newspaper’s in Turkey (Vatan) and ateist forum.
Sites are shut down, without a single warning to the owner and instead of removing the specific harmful material in question, web servers are shut down completely leading millions of web site and blog owners frustrated. That’s what has happened with geocities.com and unfortunately with blogger.com as of today (October, 24th 2008).
Undoubtedly the banning of yet more Turkish blogger's voices has left a large web-community outraged. Protest movements of Turkish netizens are already in place from earlier website bannings, the details of the movement can be found at www.sansuresansur.org. You can trust Global Voices to keep an eye on this developing situation.

author: Adam Klempner


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Ukraine: Accident Training in Chernobyl; Virtual Pripyat · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Chernobyl and Eastern Europe writes about a recent radiological accident training at Chernobyl Power Plant, and shares a link to the English-language section of Virtual Pripyat, “a new project associated with Pripyat.com […], a site that acts as an address book/directory of Pripyat and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.”


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Ukraine: BlogCamp CEE 2008 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Oleksandr Demchenko shares some basic facts about BlogCamp CEE 2008, which was held in Kyiv a week ago.


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Armenia: Madrid Principles · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped posts details of the “Madrid Principles,” a proposed framework for future resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. The post also compares the principles with that believed to have been agreed in the late 1990s.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh, India: Things that make your children taller, stronger and sharper · Global Voices
Rezwan

Recently two advertisements of childrens food products made by Nestlé and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) aired by a Bangladeshi television channel were banned in UK. The Bangladeshi private TV channel NTV (not Nepali TV as some reports claimed) is rebroadcasted from UK to cover 58 countries in Europe and surrounding areas.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of UK has banned the adverts because they were misleading and inaccurate. The both ads are made by these multinationals for consumers across the South Asian countries including Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The generic ads are usually made for multiple countries and dubbed in several local languages to be aired by local TV channels.
In the Maggi Noodles (Nestlé) advert, a mother explains to her child: “Maggi is the best because it has essential protein and calcium that help to build strong muscles and bones.”
Watch the ad here (in Bangla):
On the other hand the Horlicks (GSK) ad in NTV claimed: “Children have become taller, stronger and sharper. The Horlicks challenge – now proven!”
Sudarshan Banerjee writes at planning-shlanning about a slightly different version of the Horlicks ad aired in Zee Bangla, an Indian regional TV channel:
“The Horlicks Ad would have been banned if it were running on a national channel. Here's how it goes. Scene outside store. Mother and adoloscent child duo – 2 pairs; one Mother's bag showing a refill pack of Complan and the other Mother's bag showing a Horlicks bottle (Both very very CLEARLY – no pixelations, no attempt to hide whatsoever).
The spot goes on with the Complan boy saying, my health drink has 23 nutrients, how much does yours have? To which the Horlicks boy's answer is 23 nutrients and also something (eludes me, at the moment).
The Complan boy goes on to say, Mine makes me ‘Taller’ with the show of measuring up the height on one's shoulder at the Complan ads, the Horlicks boy replies, mine makes me ‘Taller, Stronger & Sharper’.
The Complan boy then says, mine costs Rs.178 and the Horlicks boy replies, mine costs only Rs.124 (please pardon if the prices are off by a few rupees). The Complan boy then jubilantly says, Mummy, In this case we are higher right with the Mother making a grimace of I've-been-had kind of look.
The Ad ends with a couple of people carrying a Horlicks billboard with the 3 tenets of Taller, Stronger & Shraper clearly written in the background.”
The truth emerged after both Nestle and GlaxoSmithKline claimed that the ads had been broadcast in the UK without their knowledge or consent. Interestingly GSK said that its claims were accurate for “children in that part of the world” and they complied with the regulatory requirements of Bangladesh. A GlaxoSmithKline spokesman added that the Horlicks sold in India is a completely different formulation and product to the one in the UK.
Arif Jebtik from Bangladesh had this to say [bn]:
এ বিষয়ে নেসলে কোম্পানি নাকি একটা ব্যাখ্যাও দিয়েছে । নাহ, তারা ক্ষমা প্রার্থনা করেনি । তারা বলেছে, এসব বিজ্ঞাপন তৈরী করা হয়েছিল বাংলাদেশের মিডিয়ার জন্য, “ভুলক্রমে” যুক্তরাজ্যে প্রচারিত হয়েছে বলে তারা দূ:খিত !!
ঠিক আছে নেসলে কোম্পানি । সত্য ভাষনের জন্য আপনাদের অভিনন্দন ।
যাবতীয় ইতরামি এই তৃতীয় বিশ্বের দেশটার সাথেই সবাই করছে , আপনারাও করতে থাকুন ।
Its ok Nestle. Congratulations for telling the truth.
Everybody is doing all these evil things with this third world country. Please continue to do it.”
Himu writes in the comments section:
নেসলের কোন প্রোডাক্ট খেয়ে বুদ্ধিশুদ্ধি হলে জানায়েন তো একটু … একজনকে গিফট করবো … ।
The ASA has ruled that the the products should not be advertised in UK without adequate substantiation for the claims made for it but the reality is that the ads will continue be aired in many South Asian countries.


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Bangladesh: Photographs of Sundarbans · Global Voices
Rezwan

Desherchobi posts some lovely pictures of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh after a recent safari trip.


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Barbados, U.S.A.: Behind Barack  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground says that most Caribbean people support Barack Obama for U.S. President.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Burmese Americans and US elections · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Writers Myat Soe and May Ng discuss the views of Burmese Americans about the U.S. elections


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Chile: The 1985 Meeting Between McCain and Pinochet · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In 1985, a U.S. Congressman named John McCain traveled to Chile and met with dictator Augusto Pinochet, among other government officials. The previously unreported meeting was revealed by journalist John Dinges, who published the findings in his blog CIPER [es], as well as in the Huffington Post, where he writes about John McCain “who has harshly criticized the idea of sitting down with dictators without pre-conditions, appears to have done just that.” with “Pinochet, one of the world's most notorious violators of human rights credited with killing more than 3,000 civilians and jailing tens of thousands of others.”
Chilean blogger Juan Guillermo Tejeda writes about some of the details of the meeting [es]:
El senador estuvo media hora con nuestro monstruito, y además conversó con el almirante Merino, cuyo humor sádico conocimos tan bien… El encuentro, organizado por el entonces embajador de Chile Hernán Felipe Errázuriz, no apareció en los medios y el senador se abstuvo de realizar declaraciones.
The senator spent half an hour with our little monster, and also met with Admiral Merino, whose sadistic humor we know all too well… The meeting, organized by the then-ambassador Hernán Felipe Errázuriz, did not appear in the media and the Senator did not make any comment.
Dinges wrote about some of the context of the meeting in the Chilean blog of the Center of Journalistic Information and Investigation (CIPER for its initials in Spanish)
Al momento del encuentro, realizado la tarde del 30 de diciembre, el Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos intentaba obtener de las autoridades chilenas la extradición de tres hombres cercanos a Pinochet –el ex jefe de la DINA, Manuel Contreras, y los ex oficiales DINA Pedro Espinoza y Armando Fernández Larios- por un acto de terrorismo ocurrido en Washington DC. Un juicio en Washington determinó su procesamiento por el asesinato en 1976 del ex embajador y ex canciller Orlando Letelier y de la norteamericana Ronny Moffit, quien viajaba con él. La bomba puesta en su auto y que estalló en Sheridan Circle, fue descrita en esa época por la prensa internacional como el más flagrante acto de terrorismo internacional perpetrado en suelo estadounidense por una fuerza extranjera.
En esos mismos días en Chile, la oposición buscaba desesperadamente el apoyo de líderes democráticos de todo el mundo en su intento por presionar a Pinochet a poner fin a la dictadura que ya cumplía 12 años y permitir el retorno a la democracia. Otros congresistas visitaron Chile después de la vista de McCain e hicieron declaraciones públicas contra la dictadura y en apoyo del retorno a la democracia, convirtiéndose en el blanco de violentas demostraciones pinochetistas.
At the time of the meeting, in the late afternoon of December 30, the U.S. Justice Department was seeking the extradition of three close Pinochet associates – the ex-chief of the DINA (National Intelligence Directorate) Manuel Contreras and DINA officials Pedro Espinoza and Armando Fernández Larios -for an act of terrorism in Washington DC. A trial in Washington determined that they should be charged for the 1976 assassination of former ambassador to the U.S. and former Foreign Minister Orlando Letelier and of U.S. citizen Ronny Moffit, who accompanied Letelier. The car bombing on Sheridan Circle in the U.S. capital was widely described at the time as the most egregious act of international terrorism perpetrated on U.S. soil by a foreign power.
At the time of McCain's meeting with Pinochet, Chile's democratic opposition was desperately seeking support from democratic leaders around the world in an attempt to pressure Pinochet to allow a return to democracy and force a peaceful end to the dictatorship, already in its 12th year. Other U.S. congressional leaders who visited Chile made public statements against the dictatorship and in support of a return to democracy, at times becoming the target of violent pro-Pinochet demonstrations.
At his blog Chile From Within, Chilean-American blogger Tomás Dinges links to the articles written by “document-maven and father” and provides additional links to information, including a response from the McCain campaign that appeared in the Miami Herald's Naked Politics blog.
Many Chilean and Latin American blogs are republishing John Dinges’ articles, as a way of spreading the information.


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China: “Criminal” with Human Rights Award · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Last week (Oct 23) it was announced that the European Parliaments’ Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded to Chinese political activist Hu Jia. On the other hand, China government expressed its anger and disappointment at the European Union decision, insisting Hu was a criminal, and described the EU move as “gross interference in China's domestic affairs”.
In the Chinese internet, because of political censorship, there isn't much open discussion, but Wang haoxuan's attack on Hu Jia caught some attention:
他三十多岁了，没有工作，没有正当经济来源。还要问年迈的父母要钱。是个不折不扣的啃老族。荒唐的是，胡佳连自己都养不活，却以“环保”和“ 帮助艾滋病人”为幌子义无反顾地投身火热的“民运”事业。至于活动资金，就要靠国外那些个“民主基金会”支援了。胡佳老婆还和达赖见面，支持藏独，反对北京奥运。可见胡佳被抓一点也不冤，是罪有应得。胡佳已经肝硬化了，估计活不了多久。也许马上就要和当年的魏某一样，以保外就医的名义做为政治筹码被塞进去美国的飞机。至于他到美国以后，当然要知恩图报，为分裂中国而奋斗终身了。
胡佳，你已经沦为了一个受西方列强利用的分裂分子。中国不欢迎你，快滚吧。
Duimanpark, a Hong Kong blogger, laughs at such kind of name calling attack with a sarcastic tone:
這個世界的罪犯有很多種，例如製造三聚氰胺奶粉的，是罪犯；只是關注一下環保，說幾句意見，也可以是罪犯，分別只是，前者不會坐牢，後者不坐牢，也要軟禁。
我認為胡佳最大的罪，是蠢。他去年向法新社說：「中國整個歷史都是獨裁統治，現在我相信，我們有機會為國家五千年來首次帶來民主，所以我覺得活在當下是福份，所以我這樣做。」他竟然蠢得相信中國會有民主，實在不能饒恕。須知道，不自私不愛財不懂走位都是中國人的原罪，一眾不為錢財打滾、反為人權奔波的人士，都是愚蠢的原罪犯啊！
Devilfighter praises the European Parliament for this courageous move:
實 在 要 為 歐 洲 議 會 的 堅 持 與 勇 氣 鼓 掌 。
正 當 世 界 大 部 份 國 家 越 來 越 被 中 國 的 經 濟 實 力 嚇 倒 ， 越 來 越 被 中 國 的 迅 速 崛 起 迷 惑， 越 來 越 不 敢 開 罪 中 國 政 府 時 ， 歐 洲 議 會 仍 敢 於 堅 持 原 則 ， 仍 敢 於 開 罪 中 國 ， 毅 然決 定 把 沙 哈 洛 夫 人 權 獎 這 個 國 際 性 的 人 權 獎 項 頒 予 仍 囚 於 中 國 冤 獄 的 維 權 人 士 胡 佳先 生 。 像 這 樣 的 表 現 怎 不 讓 人 讚 賞 呢 ？
The whole world has been amazed by China's economic power and growth and refrained from intimidating the Chinese government, the European Parliament managed to insist in their principle and give the human right award to human right activist Hu Jia, who is still in jail in China. How can we not appreciated this?
除 了 讚 許 與 肯 定 外 ， 胡 佳 及 他的 家 人 更 需 要 各 方 面 特 別 是 國 際 社 會 的 支 持 。 誰 都 知 道 ， 中 國 的 異 見 分 子 及 他 們 的家 人 受 盡 政 府 不 同 部 門 的 打 壓 騷 擾 ， 連 正 常 過 生 活 的 權 利 也 被 剝 奪 ， 連 出 外 交 流 探訪 的 機 會 都 被 剝 奪 。 把 人 權 獎 頒 給 胡 佳 ， 至 少 可 以 讓 他 及 家 人 感 到 有 人 支 持 與 協 助， 至 少 讓 他 們 不 會 感 到 孤 軍 作 戰 。
China Human Rights Lawyers concern group urges the international society not to forget about other human rights activists who are still in jail:
當大家的焦點投放在胡佳身上時，請不要遺忘其他深陷囹圄的中國維權人士︰彷如人間蒸發的北京維權律師高智晟、正在獄中被剝奪與家人和律師會面權利的廣東法律維權人士郭飛雄、同樣因參與法律維權工作被囚的山東失明民間法律工作者陳光誠，還有，本月14日因探訪京城黑監獄被無理毆打的許志永。
There is still a long way to go.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Rumors and Authorities  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated an article from Southern Metropolis Daily on the relation between the spreading of rumors and the lack of trust on the authorities.


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China: To be Dead or Not? Amnesty Appeal for Cop-killer · Global Voices
Bob Chen

There are two quotes of Yang Jia, the 28-year-old man who killed 6 cops in Shanghai this year, that have been widely circulated among people. First,
“被这样的警察管理着的国家，一个遵纪守法二十几年的公民最后都会被判刑坐牢。”
And in his first trial that a death sentence was the verdict, Yangjia pointed at the judges, saying,
“这些警察之所以敢这样，都是因为他们的背后有你们”。
Yangjia was alluding to his experience in Shanghai that he was interrogated by the police for three hours, abused, yet the government has not released the complete recording to confirm his accusation. All we know is that to avenge, he broke into a police station on July 1 this year, murdering 6 cops with a knife.
He won compassion as well as commendations that praised him do something “we want to but dare not to.” In both the first and second trials he was sentenced to death, with forensic psychiatry identifying him as with sanity. But the qualification of the psychiatry agency, the absence of key witnesses and Yangjia’s mother, doubtfully abducted, raised a number of questions.
Recognizing the problems, scores of journalists, scholars, and non-professionals, including citizen reporter Zola, economist Yushi Mao, united to wrtie an appeal letter for an amnesty of Yangjia. Death sentence, they argue, is not fair for Yangjia. A brief translation followed:
关于特别赦免杨佳先生的公民建议书
今年7月发生的杨佳先生击杀上海警察案令人震惊，引起了国内外广泛和持续的关注。我们对在中国发生这样的事件感到非常难过。我们向遇难的六名警员表示哀悼！…..同时，鉴于对中国法治和文明进步的关注，我们对杨佳先生案发后至今受到的极不公正的司法待遇也深切关注。
Then , the letter listed 5 reasons that justify an amnesty.
1.鉴于联合国60年来多次通过宣言、决议要求废除死刑，或对罪犯实行特别赦免，鉴于世界上绝大多数国家已经予以执行、废纸死刑的现状；
2…….
3…..
4. 鉴于本案所面对的需要改革的存在重多问题的司法制度背景，以及国内外各界普遍存在的对该案的审判程序存在的明显的不公的质疑；
……
5……
我们提请中央政府对本案进行特别审查，依据法定程序对受到普遍同情和关注的杨佳先生实行特别赦免。
The letter then expound on the five items. In the second one, the letter traced back to a history:
1979年，在我国新疆发生了蒋爱珍女士连杀3人的重大案件，案发后人民日报和石河子法院在5个月内收到2万多封各界人士来信，要求基于蒋爱珍是义愤杀人应予轻判。后来新疆高级法院作出了不予死刑的决定。此举深得人心，对缓解当时社会矛盾起到了重要的作用。
The third reason focuses on the case itself:
三、本案存在不公正的司法制度背景及不公正的司法程序
越来越多包括二审过程中披露的事实显示，本案起因于警察严重侵害杨佳先生的身体，杨佳先生的人格亦受到严重侮辱。杨佳先生在长期经正常合法途经寻求 权利补偿不果且得不到公正司法救济的情况下，采取极端手段，导致了这场悲剧。这也是为什么杨佳先生的行为以及他遭受的遭遇招致社会各界几乎是一边倒的同情 的原因。本案到底属于什么性质，需要最高当局从司法伦理、政治伦理的高度审慎研判。这是对最高当局政治良心、政治智慧的一次考验。
案件发生后，上海地方当局拒绝公布案件全部事实真相。决定本案性质和刑期的关键证人——杨佳母亲被公然绑架，至今不见人，关键证人——七名上海警察 拒绝出庭作证。在完全违背法定程序的情况下，秘密强行一审判处杨佳死刑，二审维持原判。如果最高当局不能采取特殊的司法救济，必然给全体国民、国际社会留 下整个政权、国家机器在围剿一个受到不公正对待、血气方刚的二十多岁青年的印象。….
After the incident, Shanghai refused to reveal a complete account of the case. Key witness, Yangjia’s mother, was openly abducted,missing till today; and the 7 Shanghai police, refused to attend the trial. Against the legal procedure, the court secretly ruled a death sentence upon Yangjia, and maintained the verdict at the 2nd trial. If the high authority is not giving any special legal aid, it will certainly leave people thinking that the polity is attempting to crush on a ill-treated, full-blooded young man……
In the end, the letter says,
并以此为发端，开始在中国废除死刑的历史进程，永久确立特别赦免之文明制度，建立文明法治之现代国家。
The appeal is put online to collect more signatures,now being widely circulated. However, not everyone stands with it. Celebrated blogger Wuyuesanren五岳散人 says in his blog post
为什么没在特赦杨佳的请愿书上签名
个人以为，杨佳事件远不是提请特赦死刑、进而向废除死刑进步的好机会。杀孽过重不说，而且是对并没有对他造成直接伤害的警察进行了报复。即使中国所有的警 察都是维护这个专政机器的最忠实的走狗，也未免背离了最朴素的找对仇人再下手的江湖道义。连坐法都已经是昨日黄花了，针对某特定群体中不特定的人而施用的 暴力，即使其中有多少正义成分，也是有些问题的。
He also questioned that what the letter appealed is actually a political intervention into the legal procedure.
所以，选择这个案子提请特赦，其效果不是民间社会对法治社会的张目，而是希望权力阶层抛出来的媚眼。坚持追问此案当中不合法的程序，是最应该做的事，而且要一直一直的追问下去，在每个公众事件中追问下去。
饱醉豚 in bullog.cn echoed 五岳散人’s point.
杨佳杀人 案，大众需要呼吁或示威抗议的，是审理案子本身的程序问题。杨佳指定的证人吴钰骅等人未到场；对此案的取证至关重要的人物——杨佳的母亲，被绑架失踪；杨 佳的精神病鉴定单位和鉴定程序存在严重问题——一个应该回避的、不具备鉴定资格的单位，一天就做出结论而不是通常的一个月；该案的侦查过程中，参与者大多 是上海警方，他们是受害人的同事，本来也是应该回避的。
He concluded:
呼吁特赦杨佳，等于承认了上海法院审判的程序合法性。呼吁特赦，就是呼吁政府高层干涉司法。中国政府对杨佳类型的杀人犯进行大赦并无法律依据。

author: Bob Chen


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Climate Analysis of Rihanna’s ‘Shut up and Drive’ Video · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

Empivot is an online green media aggregator, or as its tag line says, it is the ‘Online Network for Green Video’. Members can upload video, browse channels such as Renewable Energy Business Watch, YesterMorrow – Design/Build School, Green Tv and others.
An interesting video that was posted on the Brighter Planet channel does a climate analysis of Rihannna's ‘Shut up and drive’ video. It is done in the style of VH1's pop up video, interspersing facts about cars, CO2 emissions, fuel efficiency and car use in America.

author: Juliana Rotich


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Environment: Ethiopia looks to Wind Power · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

On the Red Green and Blue Blog, Amanda reports “Ethiopia could soon have the largest wind farm in Africa after a new deal between the country and the French company Vergnet. The deal is worth $300 million and is expected to produce 120 megawatts in two and a half years…”


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Guyana: Social Services  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Increasing access to social services is among the priorities identified by indigenous women leaders in the region as key to empowerment”: The Voice of the Taino People Online reports on the Conference on Indigenous Women in the Caribbean, being held in Guyana.


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Guyana, Suriname: River Dispute  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living Guyana blogs about an escalating diplomatic dispute between Guyana and Suriname over access to the Corentyne River, while Guyana 360 suggests that a boat accident along the river in question comes at a curious time.


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India: Shooting inside a bus · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hindustaniat reports that a young man from the Indian state Bihar was involved in a shootout in a moving bus in Mumbai after he threatened to kill the MNS leader Raj Thackeray with his pistol. The incident ended when he was shot by the Police. Yardloo has photos and videos of the incident.


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India: Trekking in Sikkim · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hemant Soreng completes a journey through the Dzongri-Goecha La trek of the Kangchenjunga mountain in Sikkim, India and writes about his experience.


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Iran: Blogging from the Smallest School in the World · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Here is another story about how blogging can change lives in a positive way and attract attention to invisible parts of this world.
Abdul Mohammad She’rani, a young Iranian teacher in a very remote village in Iran, blogged about his very small school and his four students  in a small Iranian fishing village of Jamalabad Kalu near the southern port city of Bushehr.
Abdul Mohammad She’rani with his four students.
Social media did something nearly miraculous: Iranian media and even CNN reported about this village and the government helped with road construction and other facilities. UNESCO recognised the school as the smallest in the world. You can see several photos of the school here.
CNN did a story on this school, that has made the rounds in a video on YouTube.
Notes of a teacher as soldier blog (an English blog that translated some of Abdul Mohammad's posts) writes about the first experience of the teacher with this school:
On the first day I became the soldier teacher, a tiny girl with a sweet voice and that lovely southerner modesty came to meet me. She took my hand with her tiny one, encircled with a green bracelet to ward off evil, and showed me Kalou's new school; a school that had no walls and stood just a few steps away from the sea.
In his blog, Abdul Mohmmad writes that he once gave, “If I were the President” as a topic for an essay to his four students.
One of students wrote, “If I were the President I would help poor people, I would not let anyone lives in poverty… I would provide water and electricity for villages in order to help rural people live a comfortable life like urban ones… I would establish peace between different countries and I would not let powerful countries attack weak ones.”
Baz Ham Zendegi (means life again) writes [fa]:
Abdul Mohammad does not complain about the lack of facilities, difficulties and problems. But he writes about life, love of learning and teaching in any circumstances. He teaches his students that kindness is reigning here and life with all its ups and downs goes one…

author: Fred Petrossian


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Jamaica, U.S.A.: Political Differences · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Voting on Amendment 8 gets Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp thinking about “the difference between American and Jamaican politics.”


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Japan: Arrested in Shibuya just for walking? · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

id:inumash comments on news [ja] that three people heading a demo in Shibuya (Tokyo) on Oct. 26th with the intention of going to “see the home of PM Taro Aso” were arrested for not having notified police beforehand [ja]. The blogger points to an article by Amamiya Karin [雨宮処凛] [ja] in which someone from the freeter‘s labor union is quoted describing the demo organizers’ objectives, which include demands for basic income and an end to cooperation with the U.S. in war. “They weren't stopped ‘because they were going to see Aso's home’ or ‘because they were walking together as a group’,” id:inumash writes, “but ‘because their actions were clearly political’.”


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Laos and Western culture · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Lao Voices ponders about the impact of Western culture on Lao people.


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Morocco: Barça Fan Jailed for Superlative Statement · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Many bloggers were shocked last week to learn that a young Moroccan man had been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for what seemed like such a minor “crime.”  The young man, a Barça (FC Barcelona, a soccer team) fan, allegedly wrote “God, Nation, Barça” on the blackboard at his school.  Morocco's motto is “God, Nation, King.”
Although FC Barcelona has already announced [es] they will support the young man and take whatever action is possible, precious little is known about his case.
Laila Lalami offers up information:
Moroccan judges seem to be in a competition to find out who will issue the most excessive, most ridiculous, and most embarrassing ruling for the country. The latest example comes from the town of Ait Ourir in the province of Marrakech, where a high school student named Yassine Belassal was arrested, tried, and promptly sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for insult to the king because he allegedly wrote “God, Nation, Barça” on the blackboard.
Morocco’s motto is ‘God, Nation, King’; Barça is the Spanish soccer team FC Barcelona.
Belassal is in his senior year and also a national champion in karate.  He may or may not have had legal representation at his speedy trial; he may have written the motto on a wall outside or on the blackboard in class; he may have acted alone, or with a group of three friends; his last name might be Belassal or Ait Ben-Lassal—the facts of the case are somewhat unclear. What is clear, however, is that he is now in prison, serving a sentence at the Boulmharez jail, for what seems like a harmless case of football hyperbole.
Blogger Adilski takes a sharp look at the sentencing:
On a light note, a commentator on Al-Arabiya website said the teen was arrested because the king is a fan of Real Madrid. On a serious note, though, most probably the king was not aware of the incident when it took place. It must have been some angry teacher or principal who reported the incident to the Gendarmerie, who in their turn tried to “impress” and presented the kid to the court. Zealous and sycophant prosecutor and judge threw the kid in prison, hoping for few taps on the shoulder.
Moroccan blogger Ibn Kafka [fr] has questions about the case:
1- Peut-il être condamné à une peine d’emprisonnement, s’il s’avère qu’il n’est pas majeur?
2- Aurait-il été condamné s’il avait remplacé “Allah” ou “al watan” par Barça au lieu d’”al malik”?
3- La procédure pénale a-t-elle été respectée dans le cas de Yassine Belassal?
1 – Can he be sentenced to imprisonment, if it is not a major crime?
2- Would he have still been convicted if he had replaced “Allah” [God] or “Al Watan” [country] with Barça instead of “al malik” [king]?
3 – Has criminal procedure been observed in the case of Yassin Belassal?
The blogger provides an in-depth analysis of the case in French, musing on issues such as Belassal's age, the nature of his crime, and the laws surrounding it.  He concludes that if Belassal is in fact a minor (a fact which has not yet been made clear), then Morocco has violated its obligations under the 1989 Convention on the Rights of Children.
In addition to the multitude of bloggers covering the case, a Facebook group has also been set up in support of Belassal.  Stay tuned to Global Voices for more updates.


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Morocco: Habib Belkacem, Producer Extraordinaire · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Cinema and Movies talks about female Moroccan film producer Habiba Belkacem.


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Pakistan: Dealing with unwanted calls and sms · Global Voices
Rezwan

Take Back Pakistan tells: “There is a great trend in Pakistan where little kids, and I do include immature men in that category, like to call people at odd hours and ask them to ‘make friendship with them’.” The blog suggests how to deal with them.


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Russia: “Admiral” Film Review · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Eagle and the Bear writes critically about the new Russian movie “Admiral.”


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Russia: Kaliningrad’s Real and “Fake” Estate · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Copydude writes about and posts pictures of Kaliningrad's and Svetlogorsk's real estate – and “fake estate.”


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Russia: Russian Tourists · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Copydude writes about Russian tourists in St. Petersburg.


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South Korea: Homophobia  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ask a Korean! discusses the homophobic culture and reaction in South Korea.


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Sri Lanka: Challenges in a village · Global Voices
Rezwan

Rajaratarala at Dream into Reality discusses some real challenges one has to face to live in a remote village of Sri Lanka.


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Guatemala: Heavy Rains and Flooding Affecting the Poorest Communities · Global Voices
Renata Avila

Foto by Mesas de Diálogo.
The past month has been very difficult for many Guatemalans.  During tropical storms, heavy rains and flooding, a lack of public policies aimed at preventing tragedies resulted in even more damage, as agricultural crops have been ruined, houses completely destroyed and people have even been buried alive because of landslides.
Floods and storms affect many communities, but the impact is higher in communities below the poverty line. These communities are often isolated from services or shelters, like the small villages in Peten, Quiché and Zacapa. El Poptuneco [es]  reported that President Álvaro Colom flew on a helicopter to Porptun, one of the affected areas. Also, the Governor, Rudel Alvarez, on his personal blog , reported on the situation and regularly updated the weather conditions stating that it was the worst tragedy in ten years in Sayaxche , another village in Southern Peten where 288 families in extreme poverty were affected by the rains and floods.
Mesas de Dialogo blog [es]  told a real life story of the crisis:
Realizaron un sobrevuelo el día 21-10-08 por el área rural encontrándose una señora la cual desde las alturas pudieron observar que imploraba ayuda entre las inundaciones baja el helicóptero pocos segundos y ella dijo que tenía 4 días de no comer juntamente con sus hijos, perdieron su casa y sus cultivos.
They flew over the affected area on 10-21-08, and they saw a woman from a distance, so the helicopter landed. The woman said that her family had been without food for four days, and that they lost thier home and their crops.
The community was inaccessible by vehicle, so the only way to help them was via air.
Citizen Journalism blog El Zacapaneco [es] reported on the damaged infrastructure in Zacapa (Eastern Guatemala), saying that La Union, a village, suffered once again because of land slides that blocked the main highway.
But solidarity is always present, as El Portal de Peten reported , Rainforest Alliance has already expressed their solidarity. Cuban Doctors are helping people in the most affected areas, as reported by the Municipal News Blog [es]  . Caritas de Guatemala made a call for medicine, clothes and food and they can be contacted here .
It is sad to read that every year such tragedies happen, and some regions are always affected. At the same time, no public policies or measures are taken to avoid the damages. The cost is so high: human lives, homes, and harvests are all washed away with the floods, as you can see in the pictures  of Arturo Godoy.

author: Renata Avila


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Taiwan: Huge crowd at 1025 protest · Global Voices
David Reid

Several media outlets reported that 600,000 people attended the 1025 Safeguard Taiwan protest on Saturday in Taipei. A-gu live blogged on the protest tracking the news reports of several TV channels. Travels around Taiwan had a post featuring photos of some of the signs at the protest. Memories of Past Tense also has photos of the event.

author: David Reid


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Taiwan: Protest to defend Sovereignty · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Claudia Jean blogs photos of the weekend protest organized by Democratic Progressive Party against the president Ma Ying-jeou concerning his policy towards China.


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Thailand: Amulets and warfare · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Soldiers and even non-combatants are using Buddha amulets when they are on duty.


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Thailand: Dispute over Preah Vihear Temple · Global Voices
David Reid

Thai Girl has photos of Preah Vihear temple and a discussion of the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Carnival Crisis?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Perhaps, finally, the scales may be tipping in the masquerader's favour”: Discover T&T Blog examines the potential impact of the global financial crisis on Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.


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Western Sahara: Educational Success · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Western Sahara Echo remarks upon the success of the educational system in Western Sahara,


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Carbon Footprint Calculators · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

Last month, GV environment looked at Maps, online communities and carbon footprint calculators. Since then there have been more calculators released, and in this post we list some of these new tools for the public to calculate their CO2 emissions.
PEIR – Personal Environment Impact Report
PEIR is not only a carbon footprint calculator, it is a more advanced version of it, giving you a detailed and personalized report about your environmental impact and also your exposure. It uses the GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) capability and the accelerometers on the mobile phones to collect data. When speaking about the environment, particulate matter in the air (smog) and even other choices that we make about what food to eat can be influenced by what we see around. It helps the user to consider more factors than just CO2 emissions. If you were aware of the number of fast food restaurants in your area, would that affect the choices you make?
The PEIR was developed by the Center for Embedded Network Sensing at University of California, and it is currently in private beta testing.
Below is a video that gives an overview of the PEIR application.
On the Carbon Smart blog, Rory points us to another carbon footprint calculator
Carbon Diem
Carbon Diem works by utilizing the GPS information from new mobile phones. Rory described it best when he wrote:
The world's first automated carbon calculator has been developed by London-based firm Carbon Diem using software that turns your GPS-enabled mobile phone into a tracker that can figure out whether you are walking, driving or flying — and calculates your carbon impact based on the amount of travel you do using each mode. You don't have to do a thing. So will you?
He adds his thoughts on whether knowledge of ones’ carbon impact would urge people to change their lifestyles.
… The way mobile phone applications are going, there could be lots of ways in future to tie this kind of tool with incentive schemes, but for now altruism is all there is.
Do you know of other carbon footprint calculators? Would you use the tool on your phone?


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Afghanistan: President’s Family Accused of Abuse of Power · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Azar Balkhi reports that provincial opposition activist has accused Karzai’s family for illegal seizure of 20,000 acres of land in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Angola: A post dedicated to prize winner musician Paulo Flores · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Luanda born musician Paulo Flores has won the Angolan National Prize for Arts and Culture. Koluki [pt] takes the opportunity to “dedicate a post to some of his music, focusing on some duets I consider particularly well done.” Hear the selected songs on her blog.

author: Paula Góes


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Angola: On the mermaid Kianda and other mythical beings · Global Voices
Clara Onofre

Angola has several stories, legends and mythical characters which, like a breath of fresh air, feed the imagination of young ones and adults alike, giving wealth to Angolan history and culture.
Kianda, for example, is a much loved character. Goddess of water, she is traditionally venerated with offerings. Pepetela, one of the leading exponents of Angolan literature, has written a book called  “O silêncio da Kianda” [Kianda's Silence].
“Offerings to Kianda”, by Angolan artist Jorge Gumbe, a picture which illustrates many Angolan blogs
Denudado, author of A Matéria do Tempo [The Matter of Time, pt] blog, tells us a little bit about the fascination for this mermaid:
“Durante a convivência que tive em Angola com pessoas pertencentes às classes populares, foram-me contadas diversas lendas e contos tradicionais daquele país. Além de uma outra fábula com animais, a maior parte das narrativas que ouvi, envolveu a figura mítica da sereia. As gentes do povo em Angola acreditam convictamente na existência de sereias, que dizem ser dotadas de poderes sobrenaturais. Em quimbundo (uma das línguas nacionais) as sereias são chamadas ianda, no singular de Kianda. Cada meio aquático tem uma sereia, isto é, cada rio, cada lagoa, cada charco tem a sua kianda que toma o nome do rio, lagou ou cacimba. De certa forma, ela é a encarnação do próprio meio aquático.”
In the same blog as above, the author shares one of the many stories he heard about Kianda:
“As histórias de sereias que mais ouvi frequentemente relatavam o aparecimento de uma sereia a um homem pobre, a quem ela revelava a existência de um tesouro. Subitamente enriquecido, o homem passava a comportar-se de modo egoísta, gastando toda a riqueza em seu proveito pessoal e não em benefício da comunidade. Como castigo, a sereia acabava por fazer desaparecer o tesouro, ficando o homem na mais completa miséria. Por vezes o castigo era mais duro e o homem ficava para sempre encantado no fundo do rio ou da lagoa. Há histórias de sereias em que é toda a aldeia que se comporta de modo egoísta ou avarento, sendo neste caso o castigo aplicado a toda a comunidade, que fica então encantada no fundo do lago ou do rio. Há angolanos que juram mesmo, pelo “sangue de Cristo”, que ouviram o som de mulheres a pilar, de cães a ladrar ou de galos a cantar vindo de uma aldeia condenada a viver para sempre no fundo da lagoa ou do rio”.
In addition to Kianda we also have the Jacaré Bangão tale. There are several versions of the story surrounding this character, but the most popular is this: the legend says that in Caxito city, capital of Bengo province, a certain alligator decided to pay tax to the head of the office, responsible for ensuring this tax was paid. It is reported that the head of the office was such a ruthless individual to the inhabitants of this region that the alligator, on seeing his attitude, decided to go himself to pay the tax and halt the guy's     impetuosity. When he saw the great alligator out of the waters of the river Dande going to fulfill his mission, the collector was terrified and stopped dealing with the population in an impolite way. The author of the Olhar do Tempo [View of the Time, pt] tells us a different version:
“Pelo que me contaram, no tempo colonial eram todos obrigados a pagar impostos, assim a população do Caxito, reuniu todo o dinheiro dos impostos, colocando-o em seguida dentro da boca do jacaré e enviando-o ao governador para este receber os seus impsotos. Vendo tal situação o governador nem quis o dinheiro, nem exigiu mais impostos a essa população. Se é verdade ou não, boato ou lenda, sinceramente não sei, só acho que também devíamos ter jacarés em Portugal”.
Pedro Cardoso tells us in his blog, Coisas D'Angola [Angola's Things, pt] a tale from Kimbundo folklore, called “The lion is as strong as friendship”:
“Dois amigos costumavam encontrar-se todos os dias, numa das conversas um deles comentou; – Os leões estão a aparecer nas redondezas. Tem cuidado com a tua casa, para evitares um desgosto.
- O Leão não poderá entrar. Tenho espingarda e lança.
- Enganas-te, porque não pode lutar com o Leão.
- Tenho a certeza que posso.
Ambos riram e continuaram a conversar até que por fim se separaram.
Passou-se um mês desde quando o rapaz tinha avisado o amigo, arranjou um meio de se transformar em Leão e resolveu atacar o camarada rugindo ferozmente.
Arranhou-lhe a porta de casa e encontrou o amigo a dormir. Levantou-o, bateu-lhe e desfez tudo aquilo que encontrou. Deixando o amigo em má situação, retirou-se e voltou à forma de homem.
No outro dia, foi visitar o amigo que atacara e este disse-lhe;
- Pobre de mim! O Leão veio aqui e destruiu tudo!
- Porque não fizes-te fogo ou lhe metes-te a lança?
- Meu amigo o Leão é forte como a amizade!”
To bring this piece to an end, here is another popular legend, a story about the     tortoise and the deer, from the confrariadecágados [tortoise brotherhood, pt] blog:
“Certo dia, o cágado e o bambi discutiam sobre qual dos dois seria o melhor corredor. Então, o cágado propôs um desafio ao antigo amigo bambi: fariam uma corrida, marcando o seu itinerário desde o ponto de partida até ao ponto de chegada. Começariam juntos e veriam quem era capaz de chegar primeiro. O bambi, após aceitar o desafio foi dormir. O cágado, ao contrário, foi ter com seus iguais, os demais cágados. Combinou com eles que cada um se colocaria em um ponto do trajeto a espera do bambi. No outro dia, o bambi atrasou-se, mas o cágado já estava a sua espera. Na largada, o bambi saiu em vantagem, correndo em desabalada carreira. Em determinado ponto da estrada, parou e olhou para trás a fim de ver se enxergava o companheiro. Porém, um dos cágados que o aguardavam na estrada passou a sua frente, dizendo que, enquanto ele olhava para trás, ele, o cágado já havia passado havia muito tempo. Isso se repetiu várias vezes durante o trajeto, até que, extenuado, o bambi reconheceu que o cágado corria mais que ele, ao que este respondeu: — Amigo, já sou velho, tenho a escola toda!”
More legends and haunts:
This post is part of a Global Voices series about ghosts, ghouls, myths and legends to coincide with Halloween, All Saints Day, and other spooky holidays in this season. Check out our special coverage page.

author: Clara Onofre


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Bangladesh: Liberal Voices on the rise · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladeshis usually have strong political views and tend to lean towards a party of their choice. Many of them ‘religiously’ follow the dictations and deliberations of their leaders. However, An ordinary citizen reports that the voices of the liberal citizens’ groups are growing in Bangladesh.

author: Rezwan


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Barbados: MSM & Democracy  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground says that “the current fast food diet of journalism being served up by the local media” poses a threat to the country's democracy.


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BOBs: Global Videobloggers Compete for Award Part 1 · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The BOBs, Deutsche Welle's yearly contest for online products: blogs, podcasts and videoblogs has already chosen 176 nominees for the 16 different categories. In the video blogging category, participants from different parts of the world compete for the honor to be considered the best in their group, and voters will have until November 26th to choose their favorites. Following, a few of the nominees, in no particular order. Please check back to read the 2nd part of this installment.
For the last four years, Colombian video blogger Alejandro Ángel has been living in Spain, recording his experiences since February 2007 on his videoblog Armadillo TV. Following, a 4000 image recap of his last 4 years:Bebin TV is an Internet TV channel and  web show made by Iranians living in California. On the 56 episodes of Bebin Office, they have produced their own Persian version of the popular US and British TV series the Office. They also have some clips on travel, shopping and news.
Hip Hop artist DJ Jay Smooth raps on politics, economy and current events in his video blog Ill Doctrine. On the following video, he shows a collaboration between hip hop artists from different countries, rapping together in 3 different languages:Voices of Africa video citizen journalism project is also nominated. The project provides journalists in 33 different countries in the African continent mobile phones or small digital video recorders so they can follow news and upload the content via mobile and internet networks to the AfricaNews site.
Mostafa al Baqali from Morocco portrays life in his city, focusing on stories about people's lives there. The last installment shows us a bit of the challenges life presents for a Abdul Latif, a blind Moroccan:
The New Lumiere  is a transpotting trend follower: it is a Russian video blog that records train arrivals in different Russian cities.
Please check back this week as we visit the rest of the international nominees for these awards.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Bolivia: Introduction to the Language of Guaraní · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Camiri Digital [es] introduces readers to some basic words in the indigenous language of Guaraní, which is spoken by many in the Chaco region of Bolivia.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Brazil: Grandma Aggie, Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers and the Pope · Global Voices
Daniel Duende

Lou Gold, a North-American blogger and nature-person turned “brasileiro’, blogs about [En] Grandma Aggie and the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, re-telling some of the adventures of these courageous indigenous ladies and their recent efforts to get the Pope to rescind the Papal Bulls that created the “right” to take native lands.

author: Daniel Duende


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China: No Uyghurs in our Hotel · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The new dominion blogs about the systematic discrimination against Uyghurs in China, such as denied access to inns or hotels.


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China: Quiet at Melamine tainted-eggs · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

David Bandurski from China media project notices how the mainstream media in China are quiet about the melamine tainted-eggs issue even though the government stressed its determination on securing food safety.


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Frail Economy Sours Festivities in Nepal · Global Voices
Bhumika Ghimire

October 26 marked the beginning of five day “Tihar” or “Deepawali” festival in Nepal. Deepwali is when Hindus pray to the goddess of wealth and prosperity-Laxmi and ask for her blessings. The festival is also celebrated in the neighboring India.
Tihar, festival of lights in Nepal. Image by Flickr user Monkey Images used under a Creative Commons license
Pradeep Kumar Singh describers “Tihar” or “Deepawali” in Nepal as:
“Deepawali is not only the festival that falls after Dashain but also it is the main and awaited festival of Nepalese after Dashain. The celebrations last for five days. Crow, dogs, God, Cow and brothers (by their sisters) are mainly respected during the festival. Deepawali has certainly a religious significance and since it is a long festival, the religious significance is also too long. Talking about the religious significance is cliché. However, I learnt that it has a scientific significance too from my elders some few years ago. I too support the very scientific reason of celebrating Deepawali that “it promotes cleanliness”. Genuinely, Deepawali is about cleanliness more than a festival. Everything glitters and so begins the celebration of the only festival of lights, “Deepawali”.
This year, with global economy sliding and Nepal getting hit by soaring inflation rate, the country really needs some divine intervention.
United We Blog highlighted the country’s economic situation.:
“A press statement issued by Nepal Rastra Bank said that food and beverage prices shot up by 13.4 percent while non-food and service rates were up 12.7 percent.
Propelled by a remarkable rise in the prices of food and non-food commodities, the rate of inflation during the first month of the current fiscal year climbed to an alarming 13.1 percent from 6.3 percent recorded during the same period last year.”
A blogger at Writer’s Pit offers a different view of Nepalese economy.
“However this economic crisis hasn’t been too harsh with the Nepali economy. The foreign direct investment is solely responsible for keeping Nepali economy safe to some extent. The Nepali legislation is not very flexible with foreign investment which is why; the local economy hugely depends upon its own resources. The stock market is totally safe as the listed share trading institutes doesn’t include foreign share issuing companies.
To some extent Nepali economy has been affected. One of the main sources of income for Nepal is remittance which is slightly affected from the recession seen in the west. Many industrialists and business professionals have termed Nepali economy as “Insulated” in regards to the recession of the UK and the US.”
Tihar, festival of lights, a view of the New Road, Nepal. Image credit: Flickr user Rvivek used under Creative Commons
At the Nepali language blog MySansar, the scene is more festive. During Deepawali the Nepalese not only celebrate the goddess of wealth, it is also the time for them to honor nature and family. The second day of the festival is the day for dogs. Man’s best friend is honored for their loyalty.
In a post titled “How are the pet dogs of the leaders?” MySansar has pictures of dogs belonging to Nepal’s political stalwarts like former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Surya Bahadur Thapa and former minister Pashupati Shumsher Rana. There is no mention of the ongoing economic troubles in Nepal but the blogger does make an effort to show the prevailing disparity in the Nepalese society. The young man who looks after Sher Bahadur Deuba’s dogs makes about NRs. 3,000 a month (US$1=NRs.80 approx.) whereas the Deuba family spends a total of NRs. 30,000 on the dogs.
Thumbnail image: Fuljhari by Flickr user Subhakar Manandhar

author: Bhumika Ghimire


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Guyana, U.S.A.: Making History?   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“We may see in the possibility of America’s first Black president the sign of more tolerant times. We may see in the possibility of this particular Black president the sign of a more genuine concern for global affairs. And we can’t help but be caught up in the positive feel of things”: Guyana diaspora blogger C.D. Valere, blogging at baiganchoka, knows that Tuesday's Presidential election may well be an historic moment for the United States, and hopes that it will turn out to be “a remarkable moment for the Caribbean as well.”


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India: Moon mission not a waste · Global Voices
Rezwan

Thunga at Desicritics argues that India's recent mission to moon (Chandrayaan -1) is not a waste of money and resources.


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India: Solar-Powered Rickshaw · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Better India reports that a solar-powered electric cycle rickshaw had its debut in the Indian capital. “Called the Soleckshaw, it is in test run in Delhi and will be mass produced in a month if all goes well.”


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Israel: Heading Towards General Elections · Global Voices
Gilad Lotan

The leader of Israel's ruling party, Tzipi Livni,  gave up her attempts to form a governing coalition. Livni has been trying to put together a government since she replaced Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as head of the ruling Kadima party last month. In a live broadcast with president Shimon Peres, Livni said she would not give in to what she termed political blackmail, most likely coming from demands from the religious party, Shas.
Liron Tamam writes:
Livni's decision to stop the negotiation and to head towards general elections seems necessary. Even if she were to succeed in building a coalition, it would easily turn into fertile grounds for extortion and countless crises. Livni spared us from this.
So what now? We will finish with the local elections and head straight into national elections. Different campaigns will fall onto us from the skies, straight into the winter's muddy land, drowning us with promises. For the Likud, this is said to be the easiest elections. All he needs to do is display Kadima's accomplishments: the second Lebanon war, corruption, Gilad Shalit, damaging the Legal system, show Livni as Olmert #2 and the division of Jerusalem. Kadima, on the other hand, will tell everyone what Bibi wants us all to forget – the economy. Kamida will certainly remind us that they are supporting the majority of Israelis on the topic of returning all occupied territories. The Labor party? If there is anything left of it, will display Ehud Barak as the best defense minister. Who knows, maybe he is aiming only to be that, and not more.
…Will the labor party dismiss Ehud Barak? How long will it take Kadima to destroy itself? Will Haim Oron finally be able to motivate Meretz?
Earlier this week Livni had two options: 1) to be a prime minister in a weak government with Shas after surrendering to its requests, or 2) to create a minority-coalition which might just last several months. Tzipi Livni's refusal to agree not to negotiate over the separation of Jerusalem was at the core of her disagreement with Shas.
In an interview with TV channel 1, Knesset member Ariel Atias (from Shas) revealed that Tzipi Livni agreed to Shas’ request to provide 1 billion shequels on the condition that 600 million of this sum is directed at families with multiple children, and the rest to the different Shas institutions.
Hours later, Eli Yishai, chairman of Shas, comes out with an  unprecedented attack on Kadima's negotiation team -
“hypocrites, racists and arrogant, who brought out the ethnic demons”. Yishai attacked the Kadima people after they blamed Shas for extortion. He claimed that “it is interesting that the Labor party, who received 1.5 billion shequel upon reaching a coalition agreement, was not blamed for extortion…”
Elections are currently set for February 10th. I'll be trying my best to cover all angles here on Global Voices, as this story unfolds.

author: Gilad Lotan


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Jamaica, U.S.A.: Race to the White House  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Let's be real… you want him to win because he's black…”: Stories of Me thinks that “it's no coincidence that most of Jamaica supports Obama for President, and wish they could vote.  Only a fraction of those ‘supporters’ know much of Obama's policies, or fully understand the impact of an Obama presidency on the Caribbean and indeed the world…but we support him anyway.  Who can blame us?”


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Japan: Expression of surprise · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Blogger and comedian Hirokazu Fujii [藤井宏和] snaps a picture and catches an expression of surprise [ja].

author: Chris Salzberg


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Japan: Hospital system in crisis, but how can it be fixed? · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Gurikenblog takes up the story of a pregnant mother who was turned away by seven hospitals in Tokyo and eventually died of a brain hemorrhage, writing that the basic problem with the hospital system in Japan is that there is a lack of basic resources [ja]. “Certainly talk of suddenly doubling medical expenses or tripling the number of doctors being trained is unrealistic,” the blogger writes, “but my sense of the situation is that unless such drastic measures are taken, the current state of affairs will not change.”


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Japan: Net users versus mainstream media on Governor Hashimoto · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

id:Chikirin observes that lately a pattern of estrangement has developed in Japan between the tone of existing mainstream media and public opinion on the net [ja], one that can be traced to a generation gap. The blogger takes the case of Osaka Governor Tōru Hashimoto, recently in the news for his views on education [ja]. id:Chikirin explains: “For the mass media, the public relations institution of the people currently wielding the power (the baby boomer generation), the fact that a ‘youngster’ in his thirties is governor, a position that is higher than theirs, is something that they just cannot take.”


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Kyrgyzstan: Boucher Schmoozing · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Patrick Frost writes that Kyrgyzstan’s capital of Bishkek, which just last week hosted a Commonwealth of Independent States CIS summit, was the site of a meeting between US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher and President Bakiyev.


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Mongolia: A Deal to Sell Uranium to India? · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Bilguun reports that according to the article in The Hindu Business Line, India is looking at joint mining and exploration opportunities for uranium with Mongolia among a few other countries.


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New law gives tax incentives to French companies investing in Africa · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Le Pangolin discusses a new provision offering tax incentives to French companies who invest in developing countries [Fr] in particular Africa.

author: Jennifer Brea


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Afghanistan: Nuristan, in Pictures · Global Voices
Joshua Foust

We've had enough doom and gloom in Afghanistan for a while, yes? So here's a pretty picture of Aranas village in Waygal district of Nuristan.
This image comes courtesy Panoramino user JoelPac, who happens to have a lot of really beautiful photographs of Kunar and Nuristan.
Unfortunately, this being Afghanistan, it is impossible to mention an area in Afghanistan (especially, it seems, in Nuristan) without mentioning some recent tragedy. And there in Aranas, they have a particularly nasty one that was handed down by U.S. Apache attack helicopters. As RAWA retells it, in their inimitable fashion:
They were killed or wounded on Friday, July 4, 2008, on a road near Aranas village on the Waygal River in the district of Waigal (Waygal), Nuristan Province. The Province’s Governor himself, Tamim Nuristani, told various media including the AFP that 16 civilians were killed in an air strike as they were leaving an area after being told by security forces a military operation was about to occur. District governor Zia-ul-Rehman said that 22 civilians had died in the strike.
As usual, the US/NATO militaries proclaimed that the dead were “militants.” An issued statement announced that “militants had fired on the U.S. base in Bella”, then “the insurgents…entered two vehicles and began traveling away from the firing position. Ground forces called coalition (sic) attack helicopters for support….which then destroyed the two vehicles killing more than a dozen militants.” U.S. First Lt. Nathan Perry said, “These were combatants. These were people firing on us. We have no reports of noncombatant injuries.”
Where's Bella? It's just north of Aranas along the Waygal River. Panoramino user FoxTrotCharlie (who also has an incredible collection of photos) took a picture of it in 2006, when the American FOBs in Nuristan were brand new.
All of this matters because Bella and Aranas were intimately involved in the July 16, 2008 assault on the U.S. firebase at Want, in southern Waygal (but still in Nuristan!). David Tate, the “Battle Field Tourist,” has a picture of that base:
That event was, of course, something of a watershed: it was not only the deadliest insurgent attack on a U.S. base up to that point (I think the subsequent two-day assault on Salerno might have been bigger), it forced the withdrawal of the U.S. from the base—effective ceding the entire district to the insurgency. We've discussed the issues surrounding this—the attack itself, and, more worrying, the possibility that the bombing at Aranas may have played a role in the attack—but it isn't constructive to rehash those arguments.
Rather, I just wanted to take a big step back and ponder: Nuristan is, to me at least, unquestionably one of the most beautiful and alluring places on the planet. It is also one of the deadliest for a short chubby white guy (i.e. me) to go visit. The juxtaposition between the two—stunning, almost unspoiled mountain wilderness and grinding insurgency—just leaves me quiet every once in a while.
:
Ghosts of Alexander on Nuristan here and here.

author: Joshua Foust


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Obama Presidency is better for Pakistan · Global Voices
Rezwan

Yasser Latif Hamdani at Pak Tea House argues that Obama Presidency is better for Pakistan.


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Russia, France: Update on Karinna Moskalenko · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Robert Amsterdam posts an update on the situation of lawyer Karinna Moskalenko.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Russia: Kozlovsky Wins Human Rights Award 2008 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Oleg Kozlovsky writes about receiving the Human Rights Award 2008.


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Russia: Migrant Workers and the Crisis · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Moscow Through Brown Eyes writes about migrant workers in Russia and the economic crisis.


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Russia: Parking in Moscow · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Pictures of Moscow isn't happy about the way they park in Russia's capital.


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Russia, U.S.: McCain and the KGB · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Eagle and the Bear and The Ivanov Report write about John McCain's campaign – and, among other things, his “repeated references to the K.G.B.”.


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Sudan: Humanitarian Access in Darfur · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Jacky discusses humanitarian access in Darfur, Sudan: “Media reports this week cite growing concern over ‘denial of humanitarian access’ in Darfur. Although such denial certainly exists, many of the actors being denied – in the form of travel bans, visa refusals, car-jacking, etc – are not strict ‘humanitarians,’ but a loose community of NGO’s whose right to intervene is debatable.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Tax incentives to invest Africa: chance for development or more Françafrique? · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Le Pangolin [Fr] posts an excerpt from Le Journal du Dimanche on a new provision that would reduce taxes for French companies that invest in developing countries, “especially in Africa.”
According to the excerpt, one logic behind the provision would be to encourage more private investment in the hopes that it could accomplish the results that foreign aid thus far failed to realize.
It's a measure supported by many members of the UMP, France's right-leaning majority party, although some socialists have decried it as another example of Françafrique.
Musengeshi Katata, who blogs at Le Pangolin, is skeptical.  He calls the new measure “an open door” for French companies and African governments to defraud the public:
Ce que Lefèvre a proposé est déjà pratiqué et reconnu dans tout le monde riche et industrialisé. En Allemagne ou aux Etats-Unis, cet exonération d´impôt pour cause d´utilité au développement permet, moyennant quelques séjours en Afrique et des signatures africaines d´autochtones corrompus, à faire aux intéressés occidentaux des gains financiers énormes sur leurs redevances.
Des acteurs, des sociétés d´aides, et même des faussaires industriels qui envoyaient des médicaments punchés et périmés en Afrique en les déclarants sains et entiers en faisaient largement l´abus. A la fin, on se demande si on doit se laisser encore une fois tromper par des instruments prétextes qui n´avaient qu´un seul but: tromper et enfoncer l´Afrique dans un plus grand désespoir économique et financier.
Cher ami, si les occidentaux veulent investir réellement en Afrique, qu´ils y aillent et fassent exactement ce qu´ils ont fait en Chine: y transférer leur technologie et produire pour exporter et payer l´impôt en Afrique. Et croyez-moi, cela ils ne veulent pas le faire.
…Nous sommes africains, certes, et pauvres; mais pas idiots ! Vouloir tromper les gens à ce point est indécent et plus populiste qu´honnête.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Crime Watch  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Like any other country, we have a well-laid out and codified set of laws for the populace to follow. Of what good is our law however, when particularly in relation to serious and violent crime, we appear to have little success of apprehending and convicting those who break it?”: Trinbago Forever blogs about the country's crime situation.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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

Both Haveworld and Trinidad Carnival Diary wish their fellow Trinbagonians a Happy Divali!


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Uzbekistan: Karimov Comes to Town · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nathan reports on a prank by New York's Citylife blog, which sent a letter to a handful of NYC politicians claiming to be from Alisher Vohidov, Uzbekistan’s consul general to the United Nations, regarding a planned visit to the city by the Uzbek president Islom Karimov.


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Venezuela: How Children Show Their Community Through Photography · Global Voices
Laura Vidal

Ancla2 is an educational cooperative devoted to teaching photography, technology, and media skills to children from a wide variety of communities in Venezuela. According to Ancla2, when children encounter images through photography, it is a way to discover their inner self and to value their physical and interior spaces.  Thanks to Ancla2, many children from small and poor communities in Venezuela have discovered a new way to see and appreciate their own surroundings, and at the same time, have learned new life skills that will help them in many other areas.
The photography workshops have resulted in wonderful galleries made by children, and now these works can also be seen by many more because the children also maintain blogs that show life in their communities.  These blogs written by children 9-15 years old, such as this blog from the community of La Mucuy in Mérida  provide “journalistic visions” straight from the children themselves.
El Guarataro Preguntón [es] and Reporteros del 23 [es] are two examples of these blogs.  They are made by children living in two of the most poor and violent neighborhoods that surround the city of Caracas. Their main goal is to show daily life in both communities and how there is a lot more than often talked about violence inside the community.
Here is an example of one of the last posts in Reporteros del 23:
Benjamin estaba tomando fotografías en la subida que lleva al sector llamado “La Planada”. Una señoa en la puerta de su casa no dejaba de mirarlo, curiosa e integrada. El se percato y con gran gesto de agrado comenzó a mostrarle las fotografías que había tomado.
Benjamin was taking pictures on his way up to “La Planada”. A woman standing inside the doorway of her house couldn't stop curiously looking at him. He noticed it and happily showed his pictures to her.
As words of presentation, El Guarataro Preguntón [es] describes themselves:
Nosotros nacimos y vivimos en El Guarataro, el barrio más famoso de Caracas y de toda Venezuela. Es un barrio lleno de vida y de sueños, que también sufre por la violencia y por los problemas que nunca faltan. El Guarataro es famoso por algo muy bueno: aquí nació el poeta Aquiles Nazoa. Si en El Guarataro todo fuera como Aquiles Nazoa escribía y quería, viviríamos de maravilla. Eso no ha sido posible, pero nosotros hemos creado un periódico que se llama El Guarataro Preguntón, después de hacer un taller de fotografía y redacción con la Cooperativa Ancla 2 (con los que aprendimos a tomar) fotografias y a elaborar un periódico, que le hablará al país de cómo somos, de cómo vivimos, de qué cosas queremos cambiar y cada vez que nos lean y nos vean, van a tener que respondernos porque vamos a preguntar de todo.
We were born and live in El Guarataro, the most famous slum in Caracas and in all of Venezuela. This is a community full of dreams and life that also suffers from the violence and the problems that never go away. El Guarataro is famous for something very good: Aquiles Nazoa was born here. If everything in El Guarataro was like how it was in Nazoa's poetry, everything would be wonderful, but that hasn't been possible. Nevertheless, we have created a newspaper called El Guarataro Preguntón, after participating in workshops with Ancla2 (where we learned) to take pictures and make a newspaper that will tell the country about how we are and how we live, what are the things that we want to change and everytime they see us and read us they will have to answer because we will ask about everything.
In this documentary called “Voices” (video in .mov format), part of the work with the children of Mérida is seen.
All photos used with permission from Ancla2.
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author: Laura Vidal


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Zambia: What Type of President Do We Need in Zambia? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zambian blogger, Percy Mwale, asks, “What type of President do we need in Zambia and what type of parliament will ensure prosperity?” She continues: “Firstly, all MPs must be mature enough to support any progressive move or bill in parliament, to the benefit of all Zambians not just a party, individual or family tree. One way parliament can avoid being simply a rubber-stamp is by having a truly mixed parliament. The issue of a minority President must not therefore arise.”


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Zambian Bloggers Discuss Presidential Election · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zambians will go to the polls on 30 October 2008 to elect their new President following the death of the incumbent President Levy Mwananawasa.
We are going to look at voices of Zambians in the blogosphere talking about the election starting with a guest blogger at Zambian Economist Kaela Mulenga:
Thursday, October 30, 2008, is the day set aside in Zambia as a presidential ‘by-election’ date to replace the just deceased President Levy Mwanawasa (Levy). Mwanawasa had a stroke and passed away in a Paris hospital on August 19, 2008.

In the race to replace him you have – the VP, who is acting as President, Hon Rupiah Bwezani Banda for Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD); Michael Chilufya Sata (King Cobra) of Patriotic Front (PF); Hakaimbe Hichilema (HH) of United Party for National Development (UPND); and Brigadier Gen Godfrey Miyanda of Heritage Party (HP).
Mulenga goes on to analyse the candidates comparing Michael Sata of the opposition party, Patriotic Front, to the likes of Barack Obama, Winston Churchilll and Fidel Castro:
There are three things that a politician needs to be – to win in today’s volatile political climate.
1.	He must be inspirational and persuasive. These attributes are essential for swaying, say doubting Thomases and useful when raising campaign funds.
2.	A successful politician must also be imaginative, one who is able to link political talk to the solutions he/she is proposing.
3.	Finally, he must be representative across the board. A national leader, who is multi-provincial in approach. What this entails is that – whoever is to be a Zambian president must be fairly acceptable in ALL provinces. Otherwise it would be difficult for him/her to implement development programs.
When analyzing what lies behind these postulates – as regards to the first requirement: a persuasive communicator, is in another description – a charismatic speaker. This category includes people like Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, JFK, Pierre Trudeau, Malcolm X, Fidel Castro, Martin Luther King, Kenneth Kaunda, FTJ, and currently Barack Obama.

Using this as a yardstick to measure the Zambian candidates, Michael Sata seems to be best of them all. Therefore, it is no wonder he is pulling mammoth crowds wherever he goes. Sata articulates the voice of ordinary people, even though he flounders when it comes to foreign policy issues. In 2006, China/Taiwan issue and open support for Robert Mugabe, worked against him. No wonder he is more careful this time round.
Adair Zambia notes that it might take five days after the election before the official results are known:
This coming week are the elections for the next president of Zambia. Here the VP is appointed after the president is elected, so if a president dies, the VP doesn't assume the rold of president. 90 days after a president dies, there is an emergency election. This Thursday is that emergency election. Everyone is assigned to help at the polling stations, the police, the army, even the ZAWA workers! So this is the focus of the week. Thursday, nothing will happen except the elections. However, because of the system, we are anticipating the results four or five days after. We might be finding out the new presidents of both Zambia and the US on the same day!
Blogging from Kitwe, the third largest city in Zambia, Percy Mwale says that the next President should not be similar to Levy Mwanawasa:
Thirdly, the next President should not be anywhere near, or similar to Mwanawasa. No two people will perform equally in the same way that no two people's DNA are the same. It must just be someone who has the nation at heart and shall do it right – constitutionally. This means therefore that personality and character is an issue that must never be divorced from the elections. Jesus Christ once said, ‘You shall know them by their fruit’. This literary means that a person's work rate and output is determined by their character, their personality. It's the underlying passion that propels an individual to perform. Look at Barak Obama-Joe Biden and John McCain-Sarah Palin partnerships. An individuals track record speaks volumes on who a person actually is. Whatever one has achieved or failed to achieve. ‘A man is judged for what they accomplish and not for what they start’. One should only aspire for public office because they have performed well in any past public office assignment.
I rest my case!
The accusations against former Information Minister and the acting President Rupiah Banda of rigging the election are unacceptable, Zambian Watchdog reports:
Former Information Minister Vernon Mwaanga has said it is unacceptable and an abomination for the opposition PF and the UPND to be accusing him and the acting President Rupiah Banda of planning to rig the October 30 elections. And Inspector General of police said Monday that only one person can win in an election and losers should accept results
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Mr. Ephraim Mateyo appealed to all presidential candidates to put the interest of the nation first.
He however said the atmosphere in the country is relatively calm, two days before Thursday’s presidential election.
On rigging, Mr Mwaanga challenged the PF and UPND leaders to provide evidence on the allegations to Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ),the Zambia Police, election observers among them the Southern African Development Community (SADC), European Union before Thursday’s poll so that the matter can be addressed.
He said election rigging was a serious offence and warned that PF should not trivialise the matter.
Police in Livingstone had to use force to disperse thousands of residents who wanted to offload two South African trucks accused of carrying ballot papers:
Police in Livingstone Tuesday fired teargas canisters to disperse thousands of residents that had gathered at the ZRA offices to demanding that two trucks suspected of carrying ballot papers be offloaded to verify contents.
The trucks were impounded in Livingstone as they were coming South Africa on suspicion that the vehicles were carrying presidential ballot papers.
PF Livingstone District Secretary Nelly Mwamba told journalists that someone in Durban, South Africa sent a cellular phone text message to Zambia suggesting that the trucks were allegedly carrying ballot papers.
The UPND and PF cadres impounded the trucks Monday at the Livingstone Weigh Bridge after being informed that the vehicles had allegedly avoided passing through the scanning machine at Zambia Revenue Authority Port Office.
The cadres forced the trucks to be driven back from the Weigh Bridge to the ZRA Port Office where cadres kept an overnight vigil as they demanded a physical search the vehicles.
Lawrence Temfwe of Jubilee Center explains why October is a very important month for Zambians:
Zambia’s presidential by-elections are being held in October, a very important month for us Zambians. It’s in October that we celebrate our nation’s independence. Therefore, October should be a time for all Zambians to show their love for this country by pausing and reflecting on Zambia’s past toils and achievements. Independence celebrations ought to be a time to strengthen our unity as a nation and to rededicate ourselves to service.
This year we have been deprived of celebrating our nation’s independence because of the presidential election campaigns. Independence celebrations provide us with a great opportunity to teach our children and youths what we remember of the past and invite them to define their future on the basis of what we have shared with them. If we forget to pass these memories to our children and our youths, the result will be that other nations will overrun us again and we will end up in misery.
Freelance journalist Gershom Ndlovu discusses the history of electoral fraud in Zambia. He claims that unverified ballot boxes were smuggles out of the Electoral Commission of Zambia in the 2001 and 2006 elections. He then asks:
Can the same tricks be employed in this by-election or is it that the citizens have become vigilant monitoring the illegal movement of ballot boxes?
Can someone monitor Zambia Airforce (ZAF) that ferry ballot boxes from outlying polling stations in rural areas? Zambia could avoid falling into the Kenyan curse the world witnessed at the beginning of this year.
Lastly, Zambian Chronicles Zambian Chronicle conducts presidential poll on his blog.


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Bangladesh: Community blogs and unique blogger identities · Global Voices
Rezwan

Arild Klokkerhaug of the largest Bangla blog community ‘Somewhere in..blog” describes the unique characteristics of the Bangladeshi blogosphere: “I guess there is no other country in the world that has a higher % of the bloggers connected through community blogs.” He calls for synchronizing unique blogger identities among the growing number of blog communities.


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Bangladesh: Radio regains its popularity · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ronnie Siraji writes in E-Bangladesh that in recent years Radio regained its popularity in Bangladesh thanks to the three private FM radio channels and built in FM radio technology in the ubiquitous cell phones.


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Bermuda: Gambling with the Future?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As the government considers introducing internet gaming to the island, both FreshieBlog and Vexed Bermoothes think that it is a bad idea, saying that it “could taint Bermuda’s reputation as a serious business jurisdiction.”


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Blog for LGBT Filipinos · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Rainbow Bloggers Philippines is a blog dedicated to LGBT Filipino bloggers worldwide.

author: Mong Palatino


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China: Shanghainese  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated a long discussion and debate in Tianya forum on Shanghai people's attitude towards outsiders.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Dominica: State of Affairs  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Caribbean Man says that “Dominica isn't a failed state…we are a stagnant state.”


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D.R. of Congo: It is total chaos in Goma · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Samantha writes about the latest fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “It’s total chaos in Goma. I am being told, through various phone calls and text messages, that the army have now laid down their weapons at Kibumba, 12 miles north of Goma, and are fleeing the rebels. In other words they have totally given up.”


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D.R. of Congo: Ranger rescue operation a success · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A moving account of a rescue operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “The rescue operation yesterday was a success in that we were able to rescue the 12 Rangers with whom we had made contact. Eddy and I rode the motorbike about 15km north of Goma and then walked about 5km into the forest… and there they were, on top of a hill.”


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Ecuador: The Growing Problem of Cybercrime · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Cybercrime is a topic not discussed much in Ecuador, but Christian Espinosa of Cobertura Digital [es] writes about an upcoming conference to address the growing problem.


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Egypt: Swingers Use Internet to Arrange Rendezvous  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

There are secrets behind closed doors. But to say that Egypt was shell shocked as news about its first swingers club emerged would be an understatement. And there is a small technicality – the couples first met online before arranging to meet face to face in cafes.
According to Al Arabiya news site a senior civil servant and his wife were arrested for organising orgies and swinging parties as well as hosting wife swaps.
The couple advertised for their activities online, with invites to married couples only. Forty-four couples responded to the Internet ad over a three month period.
Zeinobia, from Egyptian Chronicles, goes ballistic. She notes:
The big disgraceful news made the headlines in all crime pages and sometimes front pages ,it is first time in the history of Egypt to have something like this.
The police arrested the married couple who operated that club and currently search for other 44 married couples who were members in that club.
The man is 48 years governmental official and his wife is 38 years old veiled Arabic school teacher !! Yes the wife is veiled Arabic school teacher , it was a shock to me because I understand or I know that a woman like her should have better knowledge of her religion and her culture , she is raising generations for God Sake !!
In another post, Zeinobia notes that the couples may have met on Facebook:
By the way it seems that this swingers club was a group on the facebook , yes the facebook ,already believe it or not I made a quick search and I found three swingers Arab groups , one a very private group in Egypt ,another one in KSA and the last one in Emirates. The bad use of technology ,what I can say !!??
To understand Zeinobia's dismay one only has to reflect on how online activists use the Internet and Facebook to tell the world about their troubles.
Al Masry Al Youm, an Egyptian paper, ran the story online. So far more than 250 people have commented on the article and here's a cross section of reactions.
Tarek Salaheldin comments:
Mohammed Ayoub says:
And Wael adds:
Adel Al Wardani agrees that such news should not be published:
What do you think? Should such stories be publicised or just whispered about behind closed doors?

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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El Salvador: Saca Has Not Signed Ibero-American Convention on the Rights of Youth · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Tim's El Salvador Blog writes about the refusal by the government of Tony Saca to sign the Ibero-American Convention on the Rights of Youth, which had already been signed by 18 of the 22 member states, citing that there are some conflicts with its Constitution.


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Haiti, D.R.: Rediscovering Atlantis?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Haitian Blogger is a tad sceptical about the scientific theory that Haiti might be “the site of the ‘lost Civilization’ of Atlantis.”


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How to Drive in Morocco  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Warp to Weft writes some rules on how to drive in Morocco.


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India: Mangalore violence · Global Voices
Rezwan

“It has been over a month since the riots in Mangalore but the anger has not gone away,” writes Apurva Mathad at Kafila after visiting a Monastery which was attacked in retaliation to the allegation of forced conversions. Madhat posts some pictures in his blog.


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Jamaica, Guyana: Academic Performance   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

YardFlex.com is proud that Jamaicans are among the regional high school students being honoured for their outstanding academic performance and encourages them “to continue reaching for the stars.”


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Japan: 10 rules for debating, from students in Finland · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

id:takerunba follows a trackback [ja] to an article by blogger Oika [ja] about five rules for debating apparently conceived of by 5th-year students in Finland. Oika highlights points #1 (“Don't cut in when other people are talking”) and #7 (“Listen carefully [to what people say] until they finish”). The blogger then reflects on a clash on Oct. 23rd [ja] between Osaka Governor Tōru Hashimoto and students over a plan to reduce financial assistance for students. “I thought to myself [when I read this] that Japanese children really don't know how to argue. I guess they don't learn about it in school.”


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Japan: Marriage with anime characters · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

(the) Road to the Deep East blogs about a signature campaign by a Japanese man demanding Japanese government to permit the marriage with anime characters, legally.


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Japan: Refunds from Saizeriya · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

News that Saizeriya [ja], a Japanese restaurant chain offering low-cost Italian food, is offering refunds  for people who ate pizza with melamine-tainted dough — without asking for receipts — has sparked some people who never ate any of the tainted dough to take up the restaurant's offer anyway [ja]. At a thread on 2channel [ja], someone posted a Mixi diary entry by a 19-year-old student, who reports that he and his friends got 7500 yen from Saizeriya in refunds for tainted pizza they never ate.


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Jordan: News Sites Banned in Municipality Offices  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Greater Amman Municipality staff will not be able to access news sites from their work computers, reports The Black Iris, from Jordan.