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Pakistan: Crack Down On Militants · Global Voices
Rezwan

CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan reports: “On Thursday, Pakistan moved to ban the Jamat-ud-Dawa, the Islamic charity organization that has been linked to Lashkar-e-Toiba, the militant group that many believe were responsible for November’s attacks in Mumbai.”


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Senior citizens in Cambodia · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Chanroeun uploads an article which tackles how Cambodians are treating their senior citizens

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Mong Palatino


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Serbia: Facebook Group of Serbian Nationalists  · Global Voices
Sinisa Boljanovic

“Knife, Wire, Srebrenica!” (Nož, Žica, Srebrenica!) is one of the favorite slogans of Serbian nationalists; it alludes to the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
A while ago, there appeared a Facebook group (SRP) with the same name and 1,045 members – as well as a counter-group (SRP, ENG), whose 10,584 members are appealing to Facebook administrators to close the NOŽ ŽICA SREBRENICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! group because it “glorifies the acts of genocide that took place in Srebrenica, where 8,000 men and boys were murdered”:
[…] Furthermore, this group propagates hatred to all muslims according to its description “za sve koje mrze Muslimane” which means “for all those who hate Muslims.” […]
Serbian blogger Nikola Knežević was angry and reacted strongly on his blog, linking to both Facebook groups. Among other things, he wrote (SRP):
[…] A normal person is ashamed of the thing that makes a fool proud. After everything… After the loathsome footage of the Scorpions liquidating Muslims, it is not clear to me how some young people can be imbued with so much hatred towards other people who are different from them… […]
The blogger has received over 270 comments to this post. Here are some of them:
Zazito:
As far as the ban's concerned… hmm, it is not a bad idea but I don't like any kind of censorship… tomorrow you will react the same way if someone creates a group advocating traditional values… I think it will be better to become a member of this group and explain to the young people that what they are doing is wrong…
Vracarac92:
Racism, homophobia and any kind of hatred mainly originate from not knowing of facts, as well as from a fear of the unknown things.
Piro001:
People are unsatisfied due to poverty and misfortune and uncertain future, and some fools abuse it…

author: Sinisa Boljanovic


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Southeast Asia: Citizen media events and Twitter · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

GV author Preetam lists the Twitter users in Southeast Asia who are reliable sources on citizen media events in the region.


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Syria: Remembering Henry Gustav Molaison · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The name Henry Gustav Molaison rings a bell? Find out more about him in this post by Syrian blogger Abu Kareem, from the Levantine Dreamhouse.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Thailand: Flights cancelled because of ‘political conditions’ · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

How did airline companies explain the cancelled flights in Thailand two weeks ago? Instead of citing weather conditions, they blamed “political conditions”. These words were stamped in the passengers’ tickets.


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Trinidad and Tobago: Prime Minister’s Health · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

On Thursday 11 December, Trinidad and Tobago ‘s Prime Minister Patrick Manning shocked the nation with news that his doctors had found a malignant tumour in one of his kidneys. He made the announcement at a press conference after informing his Cabinet. That same evening Manning left Trinidad for Cuba , where surgery to remove the affected kidney is scheduled for next week. He said he plans to return to Trinidad in early January. The revelation comes at a time when the Manning administration is facing widespread criticism of its measures for dealing with the global financial crisis , and the prime minister himself was recently accused of interfering with press freedom . Poll results published on 7 December suggested that Manning's approval rating is now just 17 per cent.
Surprisingly, in the 24 hours since the news broke, there have been very few public comments from Trinidadian bloggers. Jumbie's Watch,  who writes frequently on politics, responded with what can only be described as gloating:
This could be a ploy to garner sympathy at a time when his government is at the lowest ever in terms of popularity…. I can't help but think the bigger the risk of the surgery, the better it is for the country. Should he die on the operating table, then the country may have a glimmer of hope in moving forward….
Coffeewallah was far more circumspect . "I will not discuss the forbidden subject lest I piss someone off," she wrote, then went on to discuss her lack of faith in Trinidad and Tobago's health system. "Clearly, I am not the only one," she said, in a thinly veiled reference to Manning's decision to have his surgery done abroad.
The satirical Secret Blog of Patrick "Patos" Manning  , which parodies the prime minister, was silent today, but its anonymous blogger did post updates at Twitter and Facebook. "Why Cuba?" asked "Patrick Manning". "Because no Cuban doctor would secretly try to replace my kidney with a jackass kidney."
Commentors at the Manning blogger's Facebook page left scathing remarks. "He has cut the hospitals funding here, but its OK for him as he heads off to Cuba," wrote one of them.
Though public online forums have been relatively silent on the consequences of Manning's health situation, behind Facebook ‘s closed doors a discussion is raging among Trinidadians and Tobagonians. One note posted on Facebook last night, for example, criticised the response of reporters at the press conference where the prime minister announced his news, asking why they failed to ask penetrating questions. Senior journalist Lennox Grant (quoted with permission) replied:
Somebody, senior or junior, should have fumbled, faltered, stammered or otherwise signalled and encouraged follow-up questions on what may be the biggest story of our time.
Some Trinidadian Facebook users are asking why Manning is not having his surgery at home. Others suggest this illness is somehow a form of comeuppance for what they see as his bad governance. But there are relatively few expressions of sympathy — a striking sign of the prime minister's personal unpopularity. And not many are yet discussing what Manning's short- or long-term incapacitation could mean for the present government, and Trinidad and Tobago's politics.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Tunisia: Stop Kissing Our Children! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

An infuriated Subzero Blue from Tunisia writes: “What is it with people who give themselves the right to kiss other people’s children without their permission? It’s very common here in Tunisia, and I don’t know what screwed up logic these people are following that says they can kiss a child without even asking their parents first?”


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Turkey: All About Barbarossa  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

With news of pirates grabbing news headlines, Talk Turkey gives us a valuable lesson in history in this post on Ottoman era admiral Barbarossa (Redbeard) and asks: “Will the next wars be fought on the high seas again?”


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Where is Hossein Derakhshan? · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Bangla blogger Jajabor Aronnyok writes about the detention/disappearance of well-known Iranian blogger Hossein Derakhshan aka Hoder. A supporter of freedom of expression, Aronnyok wants justice and freedom for Hoder.

author: Aparna Ray


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Iran:Religion and Human Rights · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohmmad Ali Abtahi, former vice president and blogger, wrote about “relation between religion or religious leaders with human rights”.

author: Fred Petrossian


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A Kenyan experience in Cuba · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Diana Kimani writes at the African Path about her impressions of Cuba as a Kenyan.

author: Elia Varela Serra


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Armenia: Musical Prime Minister · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped posts a summary in English of an informal meeting between some local bloggers and the new prime minister of Armenia. The blog notes that the posts by Alkhimik and 517design reveal the prime minister plays guitar and enjoys art-house films. All three blogs post photographs.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Brazilian Police Literally Gets Away with Murder · Global Voices
Paula Góes

At the moment that the world was celebrating Human Rights Day, Brazilian bloggers were crying out against yet another death caused by the disastrous approach of the police going unpunished in Rio de Janeiro.
Last July, a 3 year old boy was killed by two State Military Police officers who took the car his mother was driving for a stolen one they had been chasing. The family car received 17 shots, three of which hit João Roberto. William de Paula, one of the policeman, was acquitted of charges of  doubly qualified murder by 4 to 3 votes at a jury last Thursday. He was sentenced to seven months community work for small injuries against João's mother, Alessandra Amorim Soares and his brother Vinicius Amorim, at the time 9 months old.
The acquittal, as well as the fact that the jury found that the policeman had acted in accordance with what is expected of him, shocked not only the boy's family: but the majority of bloggers also considered this sentence too lenient, a sign of impunity. They join the family in calling for justice.
The blogger at My little corner of the world [pt] shows her disgust at the decision and mentions the mother's desperate gesture on realizing that there were guns pointed at the car – she threw a baby's bag through the windows to show that kids were inside the vehicle:
Mais um caso de impunidade, mais uma vez vamos ver uma criança pagando pela barbaridade adulta, uma vida interrompida, uma vida de sonhos, NÃO acredito na inocência desse policial! Acredito na inocência dessa mãe que lutou num gesto inocente mostar que haviam crianças dentro do carro, francamente todos sabemos que vivemos numa sociedade sangrenta, poderia ser sim o bandido que eles estavam perseguindo, mais será que se fossem os tais bandidos os direitos humanos não teriam condenado esse policial? E agora? Aonde fica o MEU direito? A coisa mais inútil no Brasil é esse tal de “direitos humanos” quem tem de fato direito a isso? Aquele que rouba, mata, comete crimes bárbaros contra crianças! Esses sim são as meninas dos olhos da sociedade, no entanto essa criança que tinha planos, sonhos e acima de tudo INOCÊNCIA teve sua vida brutalmente interrompida e seus pais a quem restou dor e lembranças não verão a justiça ser feita, minha revolta como disse anteriormente é sabe que se o bandido tivesse morrido esse senhor morreria na cadeia, no entando como foi com mais um…vira estatística não é mesmo?
Fernanda Freitas [pt] says knowing that Willian de Paula is free is painful. “What will become of us?”, she asks:
A família do acusado, segundo os jornais desta manhã, compareceu ao julgamento usando camisetas onde se lia: “Só quem te conhece sabe o ser humano que tu és”. A avaliar pela declaração do cabo na sessão onde admitia que havia confundido os carros (eles perseguiam bandidos em um outro carro preto, momentos antes da execução do menino) na rua escura e que poderia ter sido pior, posso imaginar que tipo de pessoa Willian de Paula é: um delinqüente. Sim, poderia ter sido pior. Com 17 tiros ele poderia ter matado a família inteira. E só executou uma criança inocente, vejam vocês como ele é generoso! Minha gente, não é exigido dos Policiais Militares que matem, que ameacem, que ponham em risco a vida de nós, cidadãos. Cabe a eles sim, nos proteger, garantir a segurança. Não poderia ter sido pior não, viu ser humano fantástico! A obrigação dos policiais, na incerteza é de não atirar: cercar, abordar, averiguar. Não somos baratas, e o que será de nós com essa polícia falha e cheia de corporativismo? O que será de nós depois desse pano quente do Júri. A acusação promete recorrer, mas essa primeira absolvição absurda já será motivo suficiente para que os corpos de outras vítimas caiam no chão diante da impunidade.
Another blogger called Fernanda, from Esse meu Palco [pt], picks up on the fact that the first big mistake the police officers made was to mix up two different types of cars, a Fiat Palio and a Fiat Stilo:
Vem cá, tem uma clara e viva diferença entre um Palio e um Estilo…não tem?!”Eles estavam cumprindo o dever.” Até quando vamos ficar na linha de risco de policiais que ao cumprirem seu “dever” colocam vidas em risco? (…) Vale lembrar que a decisão foi tomada pelo júri popular,isso quer dizer que as pessoas não fazem noção do quanto o julgamento vale,da importância e do peso que isso tem. O que aconteceu para que ele fosse absolvido? O que as pessoas estavam pensando?
Renato Vargens [pt] says that Rio de Janeiro's population is facing one of its most dark moments for at least 40 years, considering that murders and crime – and impunity – have become the banal norm. That is why the jurors decided on the police officer's acquittal:
A impressão que temos é que a morte de João Roberto não teve nenhuma importância para sociedade carioca. Infelizmente, na visão dos quatro jurados que votaram pela absolvição, o policial estava cumprindo seu dever.
Maurício Baccarin [pt] delves further into the question of what might have been going on in the jurors’ minds and reaches a different conclusion:
Porque, segundo o promotor de justiça Paulo Rangel “os jurados não entenderam a votação. Um deles pediu para o juiz repetir a pergunta porque não estava entendendo e acho que continuou sem entender, mas ficou com vergonha de ser o único que não entendeu. Se é que foi realmente o único”. Rangel lamentou também a estrutura do julgamento e desqualificou os jurados, dizendo que alguns dormiram durante o julgamento. São pessoas sem qualquer compromisso com a ética”, disse o promotor.
Reinaldo Cintra [pt] remembers that this is not the first time that the police force goes unpunished for killing innocent people this year, and he blames professional self-interest for that. And on a such important anniversary:
No dia do aniversário da Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos, a decisão do júri soa como um tapa na cara de todos os que ainda desejam que ela não se limite a ser uma simples carta de boas intenções.
Na Boca Mole [pt] blog publishes a video showing the couple who lost their son in such a tragic way after they learnt the news, and also with scenes of the moment of the shooting, filmed by CCTV. He asks:
Aonde vai parar essa tamanha irresponsabilidade em colocar um policial despreparado na rua?
Paulino [pt] follows the same line of thought:
A absolvição do PM Wiliam de Paula não legitima a execução de pessoas inocentes nas ruas das cidades brasileiras, mas sim, legitima a continuidade da falha e ineficiente Política de Segurança Pública, desde a garimpagem no seio social de pessoas inaptas para a função de Polícia, até o seu enfardamento e despojo nas ruas, para consumar o que já começa errado. Isto está legitimado com a nossa falta de consciência de cidadão, de democracia e de política.
Among the bloggers that celebrated the result of the trial, there were other police officers, like Aderivaldo Martins Cardoso [pt], who says he saw justice being done in Brazil:
DEVEMOS COMBATER A VIOLÊNCIA POLICIAL EM NOSSO PAÍS, mas devemos perceber que todos nós estamos passíveis de cometermos erros em nossa profissão. São vários os exemplos de como alguns segundos podem fazer a diferença em nossas vidas. São inúmeras as vezes em que um erro de um profissional, seja ele médico ou policial, mudou o destino de pessoas, acabando com a vida ou matando sonhos. Tanto o médico como o policial salvam vidas diariamente, mas quando ERRAM podem levá-las para sempre. E NÓS SERES HUMANOS NÃO SOMOS PERFEITOS, SOMOS PASSÍVEIS DE ERROS A QUALQUER MOMENTO.
Mônica [pt], another police officer, says this unlikely trial result proves God exists. She criticizes the Police command who condemned the disastrous operation by quoting them:
“-Os policiais não agiram de acordo com o manual da corporação, que determina que os policiais só devem atirar em legítima defesa”. Mais uma vez a PM se isenta de qualquer culpa de seus homens serem tão mal treinados, mal preparados e remunerados.
And Eduardo Ritter [pt] compares the situation in Brazil, a country that has grown accustomed to a police approach which shoots first and then asks questions, with that of Greece, where a similar situation has brought the whole country to protest. He says that in Brazil the main problem is that the police force is so badly paid, which leads the population to ask, when “earning R$ 600 [approximately US$ 250] to sustain a family, which policeman will not be corrupt?”:
Agora, na Grécia o negócio funciona ao contrário. O sujeito paga imposto, o policial ganha bem, e se ele matar um civil, a briga não é contra a pessoa do policial, mas sim contra todo o sistema, que ganha bem e falhou! Uma revolução está acontecendo por conta de um homicídio cometido por um policial. A polícia, lá, tem moral. E aqui, que a polícia virou chacota da dança da periquita, praticamente todos os âncoras dos jornais das grandes emissoras deram a notícia dos manifestantes da Grécia como se dissessem: “fazer toda essa baderna SÓ porque um policial matou um civil? Francamente”.
Police violence is one of the most internationally recognized human rights violations in Brazil. According to Human Rights Watch, the unofficial estimates show there are over 3,000 deaths annually from police violence in the country.

author: Paula Góes


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Fiji: Democracies’ double standards  · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

A few members of Fiji’s blogosphere have begun to lash out at what they see as double standards from the international organizations and countries preaching democracy to the Pacific Island nation that has been ruled by military leaders for the past two years.
Since the beginning of December, two separate governmental delegations have arrived in Fiji to assess the political situation and try to prod Commodore Voreqe “Frank” Bainimarama into holding elections as once promised.
First, the European Union made a push for a return to electoral democracy by repeating that economic sanctions (and the suspension of sugar subsidies) will remain in place until an election is set. Then came the US ambassador’s reminder that American sanctions will also remain in place until further notice.
Most recently, a delegation of foreign ministers representing the Pacific Islands Forum met with Fiji’s leaders expecting a definite timetable for elections. The ministers reminded Fiji’s leaders if no election promises were forthcoming they will meet next month to discuss Fiji’s possible suspension from the body.
Bainimarama, who assumed power in a December 2006 coup, has long stressed his government’s commitment to parliamentary democracy, but maintains that no elections will be held until it changes the country’s race-based electoral system.
Stuck in Fiji M.U.D. wondered how the US ambassador could question Fiji’s commitment to human rights when his country has such a poor track record with basic rights and freedoms.
The new US Ambassador, Steve McGann has been recently vocal about the status of democracy and in a Fiji Daily Post article said that Fiji was becoming increasingly isolated from the international community…
What is at question, is the integrity of McGann to comment about human rights issues, being a representative of a state that is presently, abusing International Law…
One should be reminded of the disastrous US track record of democracy and the rule of law, in the context of extraordinary rendition.
National Public Radio (NPR) web article describes one interesting case, that will be heard in a Federal Appeals court in New York, outlines the depravity and multitude of offenses carried out by the US Government agencies under the auspice of ‘national security’.
…Sadly, it is now accepted worldwide that these egalitarian nations, who frequently preach about democratic principles are often the greatest abusers. Perhap's McGann's comment was selective to ignore US role in rendition and their subsequent isolation and ridicule for grand hypocrisy.
Raw Fiji News would like to hold the United Nations accountable for failing to prevent Fiji’s soldiers from taking part in peace keeping missions in Iraq while military leaders continue to subvert democracy at home.
What’s up with the United Nations in continuing to accept Fiji soldiers to serve under their UN mission in Iraq? A group of them was received by Fiji’s coupmaker, Frank Bainimarama a few hours ago, while another group is ready to fly off to the war-torn Babylon.
Why is the UN still entertaining the thugged Fijian soldiers who have overpowered democracy and committed genocide in their own land?  Majority of Fiji’s law abiding citizens do not agree with the pathetic stand taken by the United Nations. It only serves to confirm two things. One, that the UN is a hypocritical beast that supports Fiji’s coup and two, that it is taking advantage of Fijian soldiers to do their dirty work in Iraq.
In a different post, Raw Fiji News has words for the European Union for financially supporting Akuila Yabaki’s   Citizens Constitutional Forum,  known for “flip flop behavior when it comes to their support” of the current regime.
It’ll serve EU well if their spokesperson explain their decision as to why they are promoting pro-2006 coup activists like CCF. Why are they allocating such large sums to a one-man runned pro-Frank office like the CCF instead of reaching out to the real sufferers of the coup, the commoners. Surely, there must be other better ways of allocating those funds to help the law-abiding poor instead of enriching just Akuila Yabaki who has the mandate of only 11 people out of the 800,000, or 0.00001% of the total population of Fiji.
One of the regular posters at Fiji Board Exiles has a different take on this issue. real jack points out that by funding the CCF, which supports electoral reform before elections, perhaps the European Union (and other bodies) understand the Bainimarama administration will hold firm on this issue.
its good that they are funding the CCF – which CCF is moving for electoral reforms before elections.
the EU should now come around and stop masquerading – tell it like it is – electoral reforms before elections.
at least the US is making their position clear – everytime the Ambassador speaks on democracy he always qualifies it with the need for implementing measures to ensure transparency and control – implicit recognition of whats happeneing here.
the State department and the Pentagon don;t usually see things the same away all the time – but it seems that both are on the same page here.
they recognise the need for reforms – and also elections.
which is good.
its about time the EU got of its show horse antics and played ball – and its doing so now, albeit reluctantly but nevertheless doing so.
This post written by Wendy at Babasiga references World Human Rights Day, but it also may be a response to a call by the European Union delegate for the people of Fiji to apply pressure against the military government.
Are we tired, are we pragmatic?
It is 60 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but as time goes by we become despondent, perhaps shrug and just take the injustices. We get tired of being passionate and speaking up, and then of course, we become pragmatic, wanting to feed families, no matter what happens in the top tiers of society. Is that how some of us feel about Fiji and human rights today? Surely we still need to be vigilant, to actively work for justice and what is a fair go to the weakest people in society. Hey, what about today's Human Rights march in Suva, and guess who was leading the march. The military and police guys!

author: John Liebhardt


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Guinea: ‘African Music Treasures’ first anniversary · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

To mark its first birthday, the blog African Music Treasures about African music rarities of the Voice of America music archive, features some of the more famous recordings in their collection of Guinean music.


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Iran: “Filtering does not work” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

FreeKeybord , an Iranian blogger, writes[fa] that filtering is really stupid. He adds that his blog was filtered two months ago but he gets more visitors now than before. He has published his blog's statistics too.


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Iran: Saipa unveils new Iranian car  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian automaker Saipa has unveiled its newly-designed domestically-manufactured new car. Kosoof,a leading Iranian photo blogger, has published several photos of this new car.


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Japan: “Change”, the ideogram of 2008 · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Every year on the 12th of December, the Japanese Kanji Proficiency Society announces the Kanji of the year [en]. This year the kanji is 変 (hen), the ideogram representing “change”. Miki Tansho (丹所美紀 comments on the choice, writing that to many Japanese 変 by itself recalls the meaning “change for the worse”, as it is commonly used with the nuance “strange” or “something wrong”. This misunderstanding is highlighted this year, she writes, because many “strange things” actually happened: “the out-of-the-blue resignation of the PM, the million gaffes of the new PM, strange crimes, the changes [for the worse] inside the world of a martial art as sumo, in the world economy and in the activity of companies”.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Malawi: First Web Awards & Presidential Facebookers · Global Voices
Steve Sharra

For the first time ever, Malawians will be casting votes for what has been named “The 2008 Malawi Web Awards“. Awards will be given in categories ranging from web entrepreneurs, online broadcasting, music videos, social interactive media, online magazines, bloggers,  journalists, web artists.  There are also categories for achievements not based on the Internet, including Best Malawian Personality and Leaders of Tomorrow. In the words of the organizers:
The Malawi Web Awards were conceived to acknowledge contributions that Malawians have made throughout the past year. The Malawi Web Awards mainly recognize individuals who helped in publicizing Malawi and raising awareness of issues affecting the population of the Warm Heart of Africa. This year the nominees raised awareness of Malawi in various areas (political, cultural, entertainment).
The announcement has been released via three formats: on Caleb Phiri's blog called Malawi Current News, on an event created on the social networking website Facebook, and on the video sharing website Youtube.
Amongst the tens of people nominated for various awards are Hazel Warren, a Malawian woman who this year became the runner-up in the Big Brother Africa 3 reality TV show, bloggers William Kamkwamba and Victor Kaonga, coach of the Malawi national football team, Kinnah Phiri, several TV and radio personalities, and music artists such as Lawrence Mbenjere featured in the video below:
There is time to vote in each category until Friday December 19th 2008 at 22:00 PM GMT. The results will then be announced on Monday December 22, 2008, on the Malawi Current News blog.
The news of Malawi's first ever web awards comes in the wake of an announcement earlier in the week that Malawi's former president, Dr. Bakili Muluzi, has created a Facebook profile, with the aim of connecting with young Malawians around the world. In addition to having a Facebook profile, Dr. Muluzi has also created a Facebook group for his supporters.
The current president of Malawi, Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, also has a Facebook fan group, which has existed since May 2008.

author: Steve Sharra


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Uruguay: Casa Filgueira Wines · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Vinos del Uruguay [es] is a blog devoted to the wines of the company Casa Filgueira in Uruguay.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Angola: A country with huge, untapped tourism potential · Global Voices
Clara Onofre

Angola, as everyone knows, is a beautiful country. With around 1,246,700 km2, Angola retains the most diverse landscapes, from Benguela‘s naturally warm water beaches to the dense and rich Maiombe forest in Cabinda or the legendary Namibe desert, the only place in the world where the special welwitschia mirabilis grows.
Welwitschia Mirabilis, photo by flickr user calips96 used under a Creative Commons license.
Despite having these postcard lanscapes, Angola is yet to flourish as a tourist destination. There is little infrastructure to  properly accommodate those who want to come just to visit the country. However, it is easy to see  the accelerated reconstruction everywhere, which indicates that the development in tourism is on its way. According to the Hospitality and Tourism Minister, Jorge Valentim Alicerces, “after achieving  peace, Angola will become a tourist destination par excellence thanks to the country’s potential for eco-tourism, the richness of its traditional culture, beautiful warm water beaches, vast open plains, mountains that scrape the skies of Africa. Angolan's current atmosphere of security turns it into a region where foreign investors come with great enthusiasm, because they hope to find investment opportunities in construction, transport, public works, health, communication, in the hotel and tourist sectors and in several areas of service.”
Meanwhile, Angolans and foreigners enjoy the dazzling natural beauty that the country offers. Brazilian blogger Spindola [pt] writes at his amazement at visiting Huíla province:
“A Huíla é com certeza, entre as províncias que visitei, a que tem melhor estrutura. Além disso o Lubango é uma cidade linda, conhecida pelos seus moradores como a Europa de África. O frio durante o dia e principalmente à noite, dá o ar aconchegante a esse lugar. O Lubango é famoso não só pelo seu clima como também pela serra da Leba. Faltam-me palavras para descrever tamanha beleza. É com certeza dos lugares mais lindos que tive a oportunidade de conhecer. A estrada da serra visa ligar o Namibe à Huíla. Dizem que antes da estrada era necessário dar um contorno muito grande. A obra foi realizada por uma mulher, uma inglesa. Fico imaginando como deve ter sido essa aventura. Como se não bastasse a estrada que é uma beleza estonteante, no mesmo local uma cachoeira maravilhosa. O barulho das águas preenche aquele lugar como se fosse uma música. Um frio gostoso da serra dá um ar todo romântico. As nuvens que se formam no local ficam abaixo do seu olhar, parece que estamos acima do céu. Por trás das nuvens de fim de tarde, o sol projectava uma luz. Não consigo achar definição melhor para essa luz que “ a imagem de Deus”. Todo visitante ou morador de Angola deveria conhecer o Lubango. Realmente vale muito a pena o passeio”.
“Lubango, the European Africa”, photo by Spindola
“Leba Hills”, photo by Spindola
Travelling around this mysterious Angola full of baobabs and covered in the Crimson Acacia‘s red bloom is, indeed, wonderful, but as mentioned above, the country is not ready to host tourists. The roads are damaged by holes, and the lack of good hotels or lodgings and restaurants in small cities makes everything more complicated. Travelling to some cities sometimes becomes a headache. Peter, from the Hotel Luanda blog, described a trip through the Malange territory on the way to the awesome Kalandula falls:
“Deixamos cedo a cidade de Malange rumo às Quedas de Kalandula. O percurso fez-se em constante deslumbramento por entre buracos de estrada e muitas paragens para contemplar e gravar tantas imagens de rara e enorme beleza. O enorme capim cortado pelas águas de um rio que serpenteia pela planície e que sob ela passa várias várias vezes e pelas sanzalas junto à estrada, onde nascem mais olhares de crianças por cada carro que passa. Chegamos enfim a Kalandula, uma pequena e acolhedora povoação situada no alto de um planalto, imponente como uma rainha que do seu trono observa suas terras ao longe. Conserva ainda algumas marcas do colonialismo nas casas, igrejas e costumes da terra que tem simpatia como sinónimo. Chegamos logo depois às Quedas de Kalandula. As segundas maiores quedas de água de todo o continente africano, com cerca de 100 metros de vertiginosa altura. Vistámos também Pungo Andongo. Uma povoação escondida no seio das pedras altas que nos faz logo pensar que foram as próprias rochas que nasceram em sua volta, como uma muralha para a proteger do resto do mundo. Três ou quatro casas, uma igreja em ruínas, um posto médico e uma escola renovada…quase como uma miragem impossível…como é possível existir vida ali? Mas existe. Compreendi que ainda se pode encontrar em Angola a harmonia entre o homem e a natureza”.
Kalandula Waterfall, photo by Hotel Luanda blog
According to África Minha [Africa of Mine, pt] blog, a luxury hotel enterprise with 28 rooms, 4 executive and 4 presidential suites as well as a swimming pool was opened in the province of Malange this year. It is the first hotel of its kind in this part of the country. Malanje was “rewarded” with a luxury hotel, but other provinces will have the same privilege, with the construction of resorts, residential hotels and other similar investments.
Because it is an untapped field, tourism in Angola attracts the attention of foreign businessmen, including Portuguese investors. But the well publicised difficulties in obtaining visas makes these building projects a difficult task to complete. Feliciano J. R. Cangue [pt] interestingly analyses the situation on his blog:
“Em todo o mundo o turismo é um sector da economia que se devidamente explorado, pode gerar novos postos de trabalho e assumir uma grande participação na renda nacional. O nosso país que hoje possui cerca de 80% da sua mão de obra activa na informalidade, pode atrair esse fluxo para o país. Para tal, o mercado turístico precisa desenvolver projectos que o impulsionem e potencializem o mercado turístico. Isso pode resultar em desenvolvimento económico e postos de trabalho. O turismo em muitas situações, ajuda a fixar o homem no campo, principalmente no momento em que presenciamos o êxodo rural. No nosso caso específico, sempre que ouço falar de turismo, fala-se normalmente da construção de hotéis. É verdade que a situação é crítica nessa área devido à guerra que o país passou. Precisamos investir de forma intensa na divulgação e fidelização do cliente. Isso envolve um bom atendimento ao turista. Para tal, pessoas que moram em locais turísticos precisam ser treinadas para desenvolvam espírito hospitaleiro recebendo os turistas com o máximo de boa vontade, presteza e simpatia e porque não aprender os principais termos que lhes permitam estabelecer a comunicação com turistas. Além disso, precisam preservar (livrar do mal) e conservar (manter) os locais turísticos como: as nossas florestas tropicais, formações rochosas extraordinárias, rios, lagos, quedas de água, parques nacionais, montanhas, grutas, praias, etc. Os profissionais da área precisam agir de uma forma inovadora, não deixando que apenas o ministro do turismo se debata sozinho. O sector precisa oferecer a prestação de serviços e atendimento de alta qualidade aos turistas. As embaixadas e consulados precisam também facilitar a concessão de vistos de turista. Precisamos sair do amadorismo. Temos tudo para sermos o maior paraíso turístico africano”.
Angolan tourism has been growing positively, as shown by results achieved and statistical data. Angola Xyami [pt] brings together the stats for the last decade's development, and hopes that “tourism in Angola reaches new prospects and exceeds the 87,400 tourists received in 2007″:
O ano de 1999 registou um movimento de 45,5 mil turistas, em 2000 de 50,7 mil e em 2001 de 67,4 mil. Em termos relativos, esta evolução revela um aumento de 11,42% entre 1999 e 2000 e 32,9% de 2000 a 2001, mas entre 2002 e 2006, o movimento chegou a mais de 55 por cento. Do ponto de vista das principais regiões emissoras de turistas para Angola, a Europa continua a ser a maior com um total de 30,8 mil turistas em 2000, representando 61% do total geral das chegadas às fronteiras. Em 2001, passou para 38,2 mil turistas, representando 76,4%, dados que sofreram alteração de mais 10% até Setembro de 2007.
For more information on tourism in Angola, please visit the Embassy of the Republic of Angola in Washington, DC website. For photos, a great blog to visit is Angola em Fotos [Angola in Photos, pt].

author: Clara Onofre


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Bangladesh: Issues That Threaten The Election · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bdfacts compiles a list of things that could derail Bangladesh’s impending election.

author: Rezwan


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Bolivia: National Electoral Court Under Exeni · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Miguel Centellas of Pronto* examines the National Electoral Court under the leadership of José Luís Exeni, which”has become one of the most institutionalized instruments of the legal framework of Bolivia’s democracy.”


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Brazil: Introducing the Offline Twitter · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Lúcia Malla [pt] and a group of friends – all of whom have twitter accounts – show what happens when twitter addicts meet in a bar: they keep twiterring offline. See the pictures. “Experiment's general conclusion: the more difficult thing on the offline twitter is to design your avatar. ;)  (and calligraphy books for everyone as Christmas gift …: D: D)”


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Brunei: The ‘Ali Baba’ syndrome · Global Voices
Noor Hidayah

Businesses are consistently popping up at different corners of Brunei. Before you know it, we’d be getting a new restaurant, a new cupcake business, a new singer, or a new shopping mall, to name a few. In addition, a significant number of these businesses are owned by the Malay Bruneians – the dominant ethnic group in the country. This just proves to show that the Malays are not lacking in financial resources to start up a business, nor the capabilities to become entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, despite the favourable rise in the local businesses set up by the Malays, a majority of them are not run by the owners. Rouge economist referred this as the ‘Ali Baba’ syndrome:
Take the ‘Ali Baba’ syndrome in the business sector for example. We want to be rich easily and quickly. Instead of genuinely running a business, we sell or rent out our permits and licenses to foreigners. As a result, the number of Brunei malays who have become true entrepreneurs that we can be proud is less than the ten fingers in our hands as compared to the number of business establishments (especially ‘kedai runcit’, barbershops and tailor shops). [‘Kedai runcit’ is a name for convenient store]
Photo by Anak Brunei
The Brunei government is actively making incentives to diversify its economy, and in developing its human capital. However, incentives, plans and ideas will not lead to advancement if the human capital fail to progress. A possible cause for this resistance to further development in the economy is the Bruneian culture itself. Rouge Economist used the example of the work attitude of the Bruneian Malays at the workplace:
Another example relates to the work attitude of the Brunei malays. The five-tea-break-a-day routine becomes the culture in the government sector. The attitude of ‘karang tah’ [translation: “Maybe later”, or “I’ll do it later.”] has lost the government millions of dollars in terms of productivity and even revenue-generation. As a result, the government sector, which is the first employment choice of any Brunei malay, is slow, inefficient and backward so much so that it can take weeks to send a letter within one tiny district, and months for the results of a few applications. (Come on! What is our population again?)
Therefore, it is important for Brunei to focus on creating an effective environment that could induce productivity amongst the Malays, and the Bruneian workforce in general. As development will only be a distant dream if the people behind these economic entities fail to progress.

author: Noor Hidayah


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Burkina Faso: 10th Anniversary of journalist Norbert Zongo’s Murder · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Ten years ago, on the 13th of December 1998, the bullet-ridden bodies of journalist Norbert Zongo and three friends were found in a burned-out car on the road to Sapouy, about 100km from the capital. Norbert Zongo, editor of the weekly L'Indépendant and one of the best known journalists in Burkina Faso, was assassinated while investigating the biggest story at the time: a murder at the presidential palace and criminal allegations against the President's brother.
Mohammed Keita wrote in the blog of the Committee to Protect Journalists:
Zongo was just one of 24 journalists killed in the line of duty in 1998. He is among the 70 percent of journalists and media workers around the world who die not in crossfire but because they are deliberately targeted for what they have written or aired.
[…] Murder is the ultimate form of censorship: The killing of a prominent journalist like Zongo casts an invisible chill on the media's ability to probe issues of public interest. Worse, an unsolved journalist's murder sends the message that the enemies of the press enjoy total impunity. CPJ research has found that in nations worldwide where journalists are murdered, there is justice in less than 15 percent of the cases.
Although the 10th anniversary of Zongo's unsolved assassination passed with his killers still at large (a judge dismissed charges in 2006 against the half a dozen suspect in the case) Zongo's widow, colleagues, and human rights activists are using the occasion to demand justice. A website called Norbert Zongo: 10 ans d'impunité (Norbert Zongo: 10 years of impunity) was set up to campaign for the remembrance of Norbert Zongo, and a a petition has been launched to collect signatures and force the Burkinabé government to reopen the case:
For 10 years, the media as well as hundreds of thousands of peoples have mobilised to have light shed on the assassination of this great journalist. Let us refuse impunity through the cancelling of the case. Join us to carry on the struggle in order to discover the murderers and their silent partners. Sign the petition for the reopening of the case. Get involved in the strong desire of the Burkinabe to find out truth and render justice properly.
Several burkinabé bloggers, such as Ramata Sore [Fr], have urged their readers to sign this petition for the reopening of the case.
Among the many recent musical hommages to Norbert Zongo, Augustin Scalbert in a press roundup about the anniversary at the news portal Rue89 [Fr] chose a song by ivorian reggae singer Tiken Jah Fakoly, who considers Zongo one of the “martyrs” of the continent. The lyrics say:
Ils ont oublié Norbert Zongo… oublié
[…] Mais le sorcier oublie toujours, les parents de la victime n'oublient jamais c'est pourquoi c'est pourquoi nous pouvons pardonner mais jamais oublier nous allons pardonner mais jamais oublier.
[…] But the sorcerer always forgets, the parents of the victims never forget, that's why, that's why
we cannot forgive but we can never forget, we are going to forgive but never forget.
The 10th anniversary blog also gives an overview [Fr] of the unconclusive investigation of Norbert Zongo's murder that was closed in July 2006. L'Observateur Paalga [Fr]  also wonders about what happened to the initial half a dozen suspects of the murders. In a different article at L'Observateur Paalga [Fr] Boureima Diallo writes:
Norbert, sans conteste, devrait être fier qu’à cause de lui, ou grâce à lui d’importantes réformes institutionnelles aient été opérées au sein du paysage politico-administratif burkinabè.
[…] Rarement un meurtre aura été autant médiatisé au Burkina. Et pourtant, il était loin d’être le premier assassinat qualifié de « politique » dans notre pays. Mais à ce jour, soit 10 ans après ce quadruple meurtre, ce dossier n’en finit pas de piétiner en faisant du surplace.
[…] Seldom a murder has been so widely covered in the media in Burkina. And yet it was far from being the first assassination qualified as “political” in our country. But today, 10 years after the quadruple murder, this case is still on a standstill.
Mohammed Keita of the blog of the Committee to Protect Journalistswrites about the silence surrounding the case:
The Zongo case remains a sensitive topic for probing journalists and taboo in government circles. Infomercials advocating for the reopening of the case have been running on two private television channels, Canal 3 and Sport-Music TV, but not the government-controlled national broadcaster RTB […]. No government representative was expected to take part in the activities, according to local journalists.
Last year, on the 9th anniversary of the murders the blog Africa Flak wondered:
How many years can people commemorate the same death? How many years can calls for justice go out regarding the same murders?
[Fr] Today, the streets of downtown Ouagadougou will be once again full of people with their signs and cries for justice. It’s the ninth time they’ve done this. But silence is the only response they will get.
Nabi Youssfou [Fr] gives a possible answer:
La justice est fatiguée de chercher mais les Burkinabè ne sont toujours pas fatigués de rappeler qu’il y a eu quadruple assassinat le 13 décembre 1998. Ils le feront encore le 13 décembre 2008. Ils le font parce que ce crime est d’une « historicité jamais égalée ». De par sa cruauté. Il a eu lieu sous le régime de Blaise Compaoré. Juste un peu d’histoire. On ne racontera pas l’histoire du Burkina et de ce régime en occultant ces crimes.


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DR Congo: Aid worker killed in Bukavu · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Kakaluigi [Fr] reports that a Congolese aid worker with the NGO International Rescue Committee (IRC) was shot on Thursday night by his home in the center of Bukavu. It's the third person that has been murdered in a similar way in Bukavu in the last couple of weeks.


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Furor Over Tunisian Blog Awards Censorship · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

The Tunisian blogosphere is up in arms over this year's annual Tunisian Blog Awards.  They accuse organizers of soliciting the participation of corporate sponsors Topnet and l'ATB, at the price of free speech.
Subzero Blue writes first about how fast the Tunisian blogosphere has grown and the progress it has made:
Just a few years ago, Tunisian bloggers could be counted on the fingers of one hand; now we have hundreds of active bloggers who are writing about everything, and voicing their opinions and thoughts about any issue that comes to mind. Day after day, the Tunisian blogosphere is representing the Tunisian society more and more, but in a more open and free way, and that can only be great, and I can only be proud that I’ve been there to witness it all from the beginning.
Many bloggers posted earlier this month about looking forward to the blog contest. The furor started when it emerged that many of their favorite blogs, along with, perhaps, their own, would not be eligible given the competition's rules:
Les blogs à caractère haineux ,  racistes, religieux ou diffusant des idées contre les   bonnes mœurs, l’ordre public, les lois et réglementations en vigueur, les droits d’autrui ne seront pas validés dans la compétition.
Subzero Blue:
Well it seems it’s because the organizers are trying to make a bigger deal out of this one, bringing sponsors on board, thereby making it commercial, and because of it having to run a “clean”, “friendly” and well, let’s just say it as it is, censored event.
And that’s totally wrong, the blogosphere is a whole, it’s not a selection of friendly neutral blogs, as great as those might be, it’s everything, it’s a mirror of the Tunisian society, and should be taken as such.
Boukornine [Fr] describes how he was unable to even register for the competition.  He tried to submit his blog to tunisiablogawards.com, but without success.  “At first I thought it was a technical error,” he writes.  He later received this email from the organizers:
“Tous les blogs non conformes au règlementhttp://www.tunisiablogawards.com/regles ne sont pas admis dans la compétition. Merci de bien lire le règlement avant de nommer des blogs. “
Donc chers lecteurs faîtes attention vous êtes, parait-il sur un blog “hors la loi”…
Stupeur! [Fr] was also banned from competition, along with Jolanare,  Sam's World and others.  On Stupeur! a reader describes how he tried to nominate DEBATunisie, a political blog, three times but to no avail.  Moreover, Stupeur! reports that since December 11th, tn-blogs, a Tunisian blog aggregator, no longer aggregates his posts. “The bloggers are not sabotaging the Tunisian blogosphere; the Tunisian Blog Awards are segregating Tunisian bloggers,” Stupeur! writes.  [Edited after publication (see comments below)]
In response to the firestorm of criticism, the organizers even reportedly shut down the wall on their Facebook group.
Subzero Blue:
That last point is unexplainable to me, I mean what were they thinking? These are bloggers you’re dealing with, and you’re shutting down a group wall? They’ll just run to their blogs and open fire on you!  If anything it shows ignorance to what bloggers and blogging is all about: freedom, expression, conversations and opinions
Tunisian bloggers have organized their own Facebook group [Fr], calling on Tunisian Blog Awards sponsors ATB and TOPNET to “stop financing censorship.”
Some readers called for an “anti-blog awards,” some for putting pressure on the sponsors, others for dialogue.  Winners of the Tunisa Blog Awards will be announced in late January.
In response to Boukornine‘s post, a reader, riadh, wonders why anyone is surprised.  “Topnet's sponsorship of prizes for blogs is a scam!  Topnet participates in the censorship of Dailymotion and YouTube,” he charges.  Kiffe Grave [Fr] writes, “Sure, it stinks, but it's so typical!”
Zizou from Djerba [Fr] writes that he “was and remains a supporter of the concept of the Tunisia Blog Awards,” but criticizes the organizers for their “disrespectful” lack of communication since the fallout.  “They may have been under some restrictions, but that doesn't explain their disrespectful lack of communication with the blogosphere.”
Stupeur! [Fr] has launched a badge for those bloggers unable to register for the competition.  It reads, “Blog purged from the Tunisia Blog Awards”:
Not everyone understood what the big fuss was about.
A reader called Arschloch, writing on Stupeur!:
Honnetement les gars…Je suis un lecteur passionné de vos blogs , presque tous …Mais j’ai été surpis par cette action … la question principale est pkoi vous vouliez participer a cette action des le debut ? s ke vous attendiez des applaudissements et une reconnaissance se symbolisant d’un trophé de klk1 ???!! votre trophé à vous ces “nous” , les lecteurs … nos visites , nos commentaires et notre echange d’idée … ske si toi stupeur par exemple si t’as été accepté dans ce concours à la con , ske t’aurais manifesté ta colere pour le refus des autres??
Similarly, a reader on Sam's World:
Je suis néophyte dans le petit microcosme de la blogosphère mais la profusion de posts concernant cette cérémonie des awards n’est rien d’autre que de la masturbation intellectuelle à deux balles.
So much effort and reflection for something so trivial…
Stupeur! reflects on the blog awards controversy in a post that supports the idea of an alternative awards, but subtly calls for unity and urges bloggers to move on and focus on more important things:
Comme ce qui s’est passé pour ces Tunisian Blog Awards, où on a montré que nous pouvions changer les choses même à petite échelle. Parce qu’on a refusé la censure, parce que nous avons exprimé notre envie de casser les barreaux qui nous étouffent, notre vrai combat nous le vivons tous les jours et demeure notre première priorité.
Que vive la blogosphère.

author: Jennifer Brea


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Gambia: Kankourang masquerade tradition · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Emma of África en el mundo [Es] describes a masquerade dance called kankourang that is traditionally performed by the mandinka ethnic group in Gambia during the circumcision ritual. The post includes a video about the dance.


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India: The Terrorist’s Last Victim · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sepia Mutiny analyzes the media reports on the family of the detained terrorist of the Mumbai terror attack and comments: “His own mother is often a terrorist’s last victim.”


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Japan: Controversy over Imperial Succession · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

On the 1st of December, the seventh birthday of Princess Aiko (official title: 敬宮愛子内親王殿下, Toshi no miya Aiko naishinnō denka) [en], while the mainstream media in Japan were busy reporting that the princess had a cold and could not attend a birthday party organized in her honour, some bloggers were writing instead about the succession controversy [en].
After Princess Aiko was born in 2001, the question of a possible Empress and the acceptance of a cognatic primogeniture[en] were thoroughly debated by politicians, opinion-leaders and ordinary people. The possibility of a revision to the Imperial Household Law, which since 1947 has disallowed women from becoming Empress, was even discussed by then-PM Koizumi, attracting criticism from many in the country. Although the issue was on the verge of bringing a change to — or at least spark debate about — the outdated Imperial system, however, it has almost completely disappeared from the media and public debate since the birth of a boy in the Imperial Family. Prince Hisahito(悠仁親王, Hisahito shinnō), son of the Crown Prince's younger brother Akishino, was born in 2006. Despite being taken for granted by many that Hisahito-sama is the only likely candidate to succeed to the Imperial Throne, however, the fact that some Japanese bloggers decided to take up this question demonstrates that the issue may not be so clear-cut after all.
Blogger Nôzan (ノーザン) at Nôzan no chotto shita hanashi (ノーザンのちょっとした話) describes the political debate concerning revision to the Imperial Household Law and the cultural background necessary to understand why so many people were against it.
愛子さまが誕生されてからは愛子さまが将来は皇室を継ぐものと私は考えていた。
しかしそこには男尊女卑の時代に作られた皇室典範や古くから（いにしえの時代）からある頭の堅い慣習が立ちふさがった。
実際、小泉政権時に郵政民営化とともに女性への皇位継承を認めるため皇室典範の改正についても議論がされていた。
郵政民営化の際に野田聖子氏等一部の国会議員や特定郵便局に関係ある人間が反対を唱えたが皇室典範の改正は郵政民営化とは比較にならないほどの反対運動があった。平沼赳夫氏をはじめとする女性への皇位継承に反対する超党派の勢力があった他、国民の中にも女性への皇位継承に反対という姿勢の人間がいた。
[…]
ただ悠仁さまが誕生した事により下手をすれば国家を二分し兼ねない皇室典範の改正論議に一度ピリオドが打たれた事だけは確かである。ただこれで問題の根本は解決していない。なぜなら今後産まれてくる皇族の方が男子とは限らないからである。
[…]
現状のままであれば40年から50年後に愛子さまか悠仁さまが天皇に即位されるであろう。しかしその後の皇室のためにも皇室典範の改正論議は急ぐべき事案であると考える。
私は皇室は長兄の子女である愛子様が皇族を継ぐべきであると考えている。
[…]
ただ日本は古来より男尊女卑が強いお国柄、国技相撲も女子は汚らわしき者として未だに土俵入りを禁じている。また同じように宮内庁等の日本の官僚・役人も頭が堅いのであろう。日本国憲法が制定され60年が経過するが未だに一つも改正されていない。時代のニーズに合わせた物が必要であるというのに固定観念から離れることができない。
Among the Japanese bloggers who are against the matrilineal Imperial succession, many claim the genetic matter as being the main reason why the same genealogy should be maintained by choosing only male heirs. id:shirusu (シルス), for example, wrote about how she changed her mind from being pro a possible Empress to becoming contrary to this eventuality.
悠仁親王殿下の誕生で、一時期出ていた女系天皇議論はおさまって
いますね。私も実はその議論が出た当時は「それもいいじゃないか、過去にも
女性の天皇いたでしょう？」ぐらいに思っていたのです。若い頃は（当時すでに
全然若くないけど＾＾；）天皇家の大切さがよくわかっていなかったのです。
今後、もしまたその議論がもし出てきたなら、それは絶対だめ！！！！と反対
しますね。朝から晩までFAXメール送りまくり作戦です（笑）
万世一系で累々と続いてきた天皇家を私たちの一存で変更しまうことは
絶対してはいけないことだと思います。[…] 2000年も一つの家系の王をいただいている国は世界中探してもないの
ですから・・・。フェミニズムで論じる輩もいるのですが（かつての私もそうだった）
フェミニズムはまったく関係ないのです。遺伝子の問題ですから(;´Д｀)
総理大臣なら女性であろうとなんら問題はありませんが。
Similarly, blogger Take （テイク）at Metaltake, claiming that today's Japanese Imperial Family members descend from a genetically uninterrupted dynasty, writes about the importance of perpetuating the imperial genealogy.
某週刊誌でこの話題を取り上げていて全く見当違いな事を言う論客ばっか取り上げていた。
その中で一番多い意見が「女性天皇を認めないのは女性差別だ」という意見。
俺も以前はそんな意見言ってましたが・・・・。
[…]
天皇家の重みと血の繋がりと歴史を軽く考えてたのかもしれない。
まず天皇家の歴史ですが、紀元前660年2月11日に神武天皇が初代天皇として即位している。
それから２６６８年経った現在、ずっと男系天皇を守り、それが１２５代続いている。
その歴史の中で何度か女性天皇は誕生しています。
しかしその女性天皇の子供が天皇になる事はなかった。
何故かと言えばですが、昔で言えば伝統ある血統を天皇家以外の男の血で変える事を許さなかったなどがある。
今で言えば、愛子様が天皇になってお子様が生まれても次の天皇はそのお子様に継がせることはなく、秋篠宮悠仁親王が天皇になられるという事ですね。
ところで。Ｙ染色体というのを御存知だろうか。
要するにＹ染色体とは男しか持っておらず、天皇家は長い間この染色体を維持してきた事になる。
そしてこのＹ染色体というのは、何万年経とうが引き継がれる限り変わる事はありません。
[…]
そこでもし愛子様が天皇になった場合はどうなるでしょう。
将来御結婚なされて御子息が生まれた場合。男が生まれようが女が生まれようが、Ｙ染色体が神武天皇のものから全く違う男性のＹ染色体に取って代わられてしまいます。
ここで何千年と続いていた天皇家の血筋は途絶えてしまう事になります。
これが「女“系”天皇」反対の理由です。
「女性天皇」は良いでしょう。
反対はしません。
しかしその後の天皇はどうするのかという議論がされていない。
天皇家の血筋と歴史を継続させるのか、はたまた断絶させて「天皇」という地位と称号だけ残すのか。
これは建国以来諸外国にはない世界で一番古い歴史を持つ日本の象徴の存続に関わる大問題だ。
On the other hand, blogger yoko davis, in the entry “Betraying history…?” [歴史を裏切る。。。？] posted a few months ago, expresses her opinion about the claim of uninterrupted descent and the necessity to change the system in accordance with the needs of the time.
この問題は、愛子さまの誕生、雅子さまの流産・適応障害から発生し、多くの日本人に天皇家とは何かと問いかけはじめたと思う。
残念ながら悠仁さまが産まれてから（どうあがいても当時の小泉首相の皇室典範の改正への計らいとしかいえないが）、世間からはこの問題を直視する機会が減ってきていると思う。メディアが取り上げなくなったからであろう。
しかし、日本人が見つめなければいけない問題は、メディアが騒ごうが騒ぐまいが存在する。
[…]
女系天皇に対し始めは反対だった私も、悠仁さまが生まれてから、変わった。なぜ40歳にもなった紀子様が男子を生んだのか。しかも小泉前首相が皇室典範に手を加えることを認可しようとしている真っ只中に。そして国民の誰もが、まだ生まれていない子供が男児であることを確信したはずである。でなければ、紀子様があの時期に子供を産む理由など、どこにもありはしないからだ。推測は証拠で証明されない限り推測に過ぎないのだろうが、私の推測に反対する人がいれば、その人はあまりに単純すぎる。
天皇家は1500年（神道に基づき、日本国が誕生してから現在まで）の歴史があるという。しかしその間、どのようにして男系が保たれてきたかは、誰にもわか らない。判りようがないのである。それを一夫一婦の時代になっても保とうというのは、あまりにも無理があり過ぎないか？平成天皇から初めて民間からの皇后 選びとなって、天皇家は血の保存という概念を変えてきた。美智子様の時代から、多くの古典的な天皇家の子供たちの教育の仕方も変わってきた（乳母制度の廃 止など）。
日本の皇室は、それに見合った速度で変化してきているのであろう。その歴史から閉鎖的な部分がぬぐえないが、それも日本の皇室を位置づけるものとして存在しても良いと思う。ただ、歴史に翻弄される子供や女性は、文明国日本でこれから生まれてはいけないと思う。悠仁さまや紀子様で十分だろう。
彼の誕生で私たちは自分たちに問いかけなければならない。
私は女系天皇に賛成する。


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Japan: Dr. Shochi’s trip around the world · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Follow the adventures of Dr. Shochi Saburo (曻地三郎), a 102 year-old Japanese Doctor of Literature, Doctor of Medicine, Honorary Doctor of Philosophy and Poet who came up with the Parent and Child Toymaking Class [en], a program that “brings out children’s sensitivity and intelligence, improves communication and the bond between parent and child”. Dr. Shochi has dedicated his whole life to providing educational facilities for mentally handicapped children and, among other things, in 1954 opened the Shiinomi Gakuen [しいのみ学園], Japan’s first school for mentally challenged children.


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Madagascar: French Authorities Censor Play on Historic Independence Battle · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Plans for a theater performance to commemorate a historical date in Madagascar's battle for independence have been cancelled without explanation by French authorities.
The play, co-produced by CulturesFrance, was to supposed to be performed in Alliance Française cultural centers in Comoros, Mauritius, Reunion and elsewhere, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since withdrawn from the agreement.
March 29, 1947 brings back traumatic memories to many older Malagasy citizens. It is the day the French army violently crushed one of the first struggles for independence in their former colonial empire. The uprising resulted in the death of 30,000 to 100,000 people (the actual number of casualties is still being discussed among historians).
Despite recognition of the massacre as a war crime in 1951 and of unacceptable repression in 2005 by the French government, the 1947 events are still relatively unknown both in Madagascar and internationally. To shed more light on the tragedy, a renowned Malagasy writer, Jean-Luc Raharimanana and a French director, Thierry Bedard,  came together to produce a play entitled “47” (fr) that reenacts the unfolding of the events, and discusses the complex relation between colonial rulers and the indigenous population.
Below is a short clip from the play:
After a few performances in two French metropolitan cities, further performances in the southern Africa and the Indian Ocean have been cancelled (fr) by the French Department of Foreign Affairs and Development.
The creator of the play, Jean-Luc Raharimanana, reacts strongly to the decision on the Rue89 blog (fr):
Silence pèse sur la mémoire. Les langues se délient. Des hommes et des femmes voudront comprendre. Dans ce désir, réel cette fois-ci, de vivre ensemble[..] Pourquoi en 47, deux ans après le carnage, deux ans après le « plus jamais ça», pourquoi à Madagascar s’est perpétré l’un des plus grands massacres coloniaux ? [..] C’est ce silence qu’explore le spectacle “47”. Une histoire commune. Violente. Sensible. Un théâtre qui nous ramène dans ce désir de vivre ensemble, de comprendre ce qui a déchiré, les corps malmenés et torturés, les paroles étouffés et les non-dits qui corrompent les âmes.[..] Mais ainsi en a décidé le “bureau politique” de la DGCID1. Censure sur le spectacle. Interdiction d’emmener cette parole dans les centres culturels africains et alliances françaises. [..] Mais la mémoire se moque bien de la censure même si c’est une censure d’Etat. Le désir est profond de comprendre d’autant plus que nous avons maintenant le recul nécessaire pour tout entendre, pour enfin échanger.
A few bloggers reported news of the ban on their blogs. Reactions in the comment section of the entry by Raharimanana vary between indifference and outrage.
A few, do not see the need to rehash the past. Mechante Langue asks (fr):
Ne jouez pas les faux martyrs. Sinon serieusement vous croyez vraiment que la chose la plus importante à denoncer a Madagascar aujourd hui , ce sont les massacres de 47 ..sérieusement ?
To which Monsieur Lambda replies (fr):
Il vous échappe manifestement que ces massacres sont, dans une large mesure, fondateurs de la conscience nationale des Malgaches et qu’ils occupent, du point de vue de la mythologie nationale, une place comparable à celle de la prise de la Bastille pour les Français.
Juan Pablo de Tagéna thinks that Malagasy people may rethink whether the colonial struggle was worth it (fr):
Aujourd’hui les Malgaches ne demanderaient pas leur indépendance: ils seraient à 99% pour le maintien dans la Communauté Française.
On  facebook, a private conversation thread that discusses the ban, Soaray Rabarimampianina (quoted with permission) thinks that there is still much to be done for that part of history to be discussed openly.
Il y a bien du chemin à parcourir avant que la France accepte cette partie de son histoire qu'est la colonisation.
In the same thread, Tsilavina Ralaindimby points out that when discussing the colonial period, one should never forget the soldiers form the colony who fought for France in both world wars (fr):
C'est un documentaire sur les Tirailleurs Malagaches qui sont venus pour se battre au nomb de la France en 14/18 et dont beaucoup sont morts là-bas. A Menton [..] il y a là-bas un cimetière avec toute une rangée de tombes de soldats malgaches.
Jentilisa contributed links and references for this post.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Paraguay: Community Radio Stations Operating Under Pirate Frequencies · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Many community radio stations in Paraguay have to operate with pirate frequencies due to the unavailability of space writes Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es].


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Peru: Defense Team of Fujimori Completes Presentation of Documentation Evidence · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The defense team of Alberto Fujimori has completed its presentation of document evidence in the trial of the former Peruvian president for human rights violations, writes Fujimori on Trial.


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Peru: Iron Maiden in Lima Set for March 2009 · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Now that the visit of British heavy metal band Iron Maiden has been confirmed for Lima on March 26, 2009, bloggers, who are big fans like Slayer_X [es] and Idioteca [es] are buzzing about it. Javier Lishner from Rock Around the Blog [es] rounds up a series of opinions of intolerant fans against other styles of music and their followers, like “Chicheros” and “Salseros.”

author: Juan Arellano


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Politician bloggers in the Philippines · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Filipino internet users are increasing every year. Majority of those who use the internet are reading blogs. It is not surprising that politicians and political parties are now bringing their campaigns in the internet. But sad to say, there are few elected Filipino politicians who are blogging.
It seems Congressman Ruffy Biazon from Muntinlupa (south of Metro Manila) is the most consistent politician blogger in the Philippines. His blog posts are readable and he interacts with readers and constituents. In a blog entry, he writes about the value of answering the emails sent by concerned citizens:
“I have just concluded answering my e-mail and reading the blogs of various personalities, capping a four-hour straight marathon in front of my computer.
“A question that comes to my mind after all that mental exercise is, is there a point to answering all these emails? Am I just wasting my time giving a detailed response to each and every email to me? Actually, I can simply send back an acknowledgment (” thank you for writing, I will ponder on what you said…”) and therefore disqualify any comment that I don’t respond to messages sent to me.
“But that would be a disservice to the public. As a public official, I do have that obligation to respond. And respond substantially. The public deserves, and it actually it's their right, to be answered by government officials.”
Senator Antonio Trillanes maximized the internet to win in last year’s elections. The former rebel soldier was in detention during the campaign period. Since he couldn’t travel his team created a blog to reach out to voters. His Friendster account became very popular. Friendster is the number one social networking site in the Philippines.
Trillanes is still in jail. A few months ago, he published his accomplishment report in the internet:
“Inside a jail cell, you are not witness to the state of the country with your own eyes: the rising cost of living in unequal proportion with a failing economic order. You are unable to hear the sentiments of our people first-hand: pervasive cries for justice and accountability against perpetrators of political violence and corruption. You appear insulated from what others endure outside these walls: the disillusionment of a people in the government that blatantly betrays its own obligation to serve them.
“But out of duty and desire, I refuse not to see, listen and feel. Transcending the challenge of circumstance, I answer to your collective call to action as duly elected Senator of this country.”
Senator Mar Roxas invites netizens to add him as a friend in Facebook. In launching his blog, he asked the youth to join a virtual rally against the Value Added Taxes imposed by the government. He was the keynote speaker in the 2008 Philippine Blog Awards. In his speech, he reflects on his blogging experience:
“I’ve been engaged in a little bit of blogging over a period of time, and always I’m amazed at how such a public activity, such an engagement with a multitude of nameless, faceless people whom you don’t know, are out there and who may peruse, go over what you write, can at the same time feel very, very private.
“As you sit in front of your keyboard and compose your thoughts, as you reflect on some of the ideas that course through your mind, and go through what it is that you would like to communicate, it is in a very introspective activity, at least I find that for myself. And as I reflect upon it, I think that on one hand, it’s so introspective, it’s so solitary in fact. And at the same time, you really are communicating with multitudes all over the world.”
Early this month, Senator Chiz Escudero, through his blog, admitted that he dreams of becoming the next president of the country:
“Dahil sa mga naglalabasang surveys na kasali ako sa top 5 ng mga presidentiables, marami ang nagtatanong kung nangangarap daw ba akong maging presidente ng Pilipinas sa 2010. Ang masasabi ko lang ay oo. May pangarap ako tulad ng sinumang pulitiko siguro ngayon na humawak ng mas mataas na puwesto. Ang maganda sa pangarap, ito ay libre at hindi kinakailangang bayaran. Subalit ang mahalaga sa akin ay hindi kung ano ang gusto ko. Ang mahalaga, ano ba ang gusto ng ating mga kababayan na tatakbuhan ko o kung gusto ba nila akong tumakbo sa darating na halalan.”
Governor Among Ed Panlilio, a Catholic priest who defeated wealthy candidates and traditional politicians, became a blogger last June. His first post was written in front of supporters and other bloggers in the provincial capitol:
“The amonged.org blogsite allows for that imagination to come through and be expressed in a new form. It also allows for a healthy dialogue with the elders, with which I confess to belong. In a movie that was filmed long before you were born, a protagonist remarked, “what we have here is a failure to communicate.” Indeed, when everyone talks at the same time, there is no moment left to listen. Putting our thoughts, opinions, perceptions and perspectives in a written form allows for more time to reflect on what each of us really wants to say, and allows further for a more sober and contemplated response.
“I am excited to hear your voice, most specifically your take on how governance and politics should proceed in this country. I am equally excited to hear the reactions of other people on your positions. We are thankful that the internet has allowed this to happen, enabling us to listen, as it were, to what other people have to say, notably those from other countries who have their own templates of experience, and from whom we can also learn so much.”
Mayor Jesse Robredo, recipient of numerous awards on leadership, is blogging through Oddball. In one of his posts, he discussed the importance of civil society participation in the governance process:
“Elected officials come and go. If there is one thing that is permanent in a locality, it is the constituency. A broad network of civil society organizations that represents the different sectors in the community can very well mirror the sentiments, hopes and dreams of the Nagueno.”
“I have often emphasized that at the end of the day, NGOs should draw their strength from their own selves. The political realities require that they must have the numbers, significant enough, so as not to be ignored by the important political players. Otherwise, they have to rely on the “benevolence” of an enlightened leadership to allow them to exert their influence in the governance process.”
Congressman Pablo John Garcia of Cebu province advises politicians to blog their replies against  offensive media reports. Councilor Peter Lavina of Davao City (southern Philippines) is disappointed that only few politicians are blogging:
“Last week, I reiterated my frustrations over the lack of interest among public officials to blog and use this new tool to reach out to their constituents. For the past year and a half, I have been promoting blogging as tool for participatory governance but I got little support.
“There are now an estimated 200,000 bloggers in the country. Yet, we can only count a few public officials among them. I dream of the day when we can reach 100, then 1000 elected officials blogging in the country. That way, I am sure we can make a big difference in this, sadly, indifferent world.”
The blog, Opposite of Apathy, is maintained by several young and promising leaders who might be running for the Senate in 2010. Mayor JV Estrada, son of a former Philippine president, is one of the members of this group blog. A few months ago, he wrote his thoughts on public service:
“Ang inyong lingkod ay sinuwerte sa dahilang hindi ko hanap-buhay ang pulitika. Nagkataong ako ay isa ng matagumpay na negosyante bago sumabak sa pulitika. Sa madaling salita, hindi ko kailangan ang pulitika upang mabuhay, sapagka’t ako po ay may pinagkakakitaan sa aking mga negosyo.
“Nagkaroon ng pagkakataon ang inyong lingkod na matikman kung paano ang mabuhay na parang prinsipe sa loob ng palasyo, at natikman ko na rin kung ano ang pakiramdam ng nilait at inapi matapos na mapatalsik sa palasyo.”
“Your humble servant had the opportunity to taste the life of a prince inside the palace, and I also tasted the feeling of having been insulted and oppressed after being ousted from the palace.”
Councilor Doray Delarmente made history by being the first elected doctor – politician in Quezon City; first Independent candidate that won in the district; and the first relative of a former incumbent councilor that won in the elections. She is also perhaps the first Filipino blogger to become a politician. She uploaded a campaign video:
The Batasan 6 blog was set-up to record the views and experience of five leftist solons who sought sanctuary inside the Parliament building after the government accused them of rebellion.
Senator Kiko Pangilinan launched ktube – campaign videos of his provincial sorties during the election campaign last year. A sample of ktube video:
A youtube video of Congressman Raul Gonzalez Jr. of Iloilo City (central Philippines), bungee jumping in Macau Tower.
GV author Karlo Mongaya contributed notes in writing this article.

author: Mong Palatino


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Russia, China: Slang Dictionary · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

IZO links to LJ user du-jingli (RUS), who has scanned four pages from the 916-page Russian-Chinese Slang Dictionary and has so far received nearly 500 comments. (Warning: the post contains obscenities, in Russian and in Chinese.)

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Taiwan: Support for Greece Student/Anarchist Movement · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

Em, a devoted Taiwanese female anarchist and civil media journalist expresses her support for Greece students. She remarks that Greece students are the most active and influential among global anarchists(zh).

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Uruguay: MEC Center Allows User to Choose Between Software · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Education and Culture Ministry of Uruguay recently opened a Center in Montevideo, where residents can take workshops on the use of internet.  Fernando da Rosa writes that users can choose between using Free Software or Private Software [es].


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Zambia: Labia stretching is not mutilation · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Manena discusses the Zambian tradition of elongating the labia minora, which is often classified as a type of female genital mutilation. She explains why she thinks this classification is wrong.


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Afghanistan: Blogger Wins International Journalism Award · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nasim Fekrat tells his readers about the Award for the freedom of expression by ISF (Information Safety and Freedom), which he was given lately in Siena, Italy.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: Female Voice Banned From Radio  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Azar Balkhi reports that the authorities of Ghazni province in Afghanistan has put a ban on female voice on Radio and other entertainment shows for the “religious reasons”.


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Armenia: Opposition Trial · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped comments on news that seven prominent opposition member including one former foreign minister and three MPs are due to go on trial in Yerevan later this week charged with attempting to violently overthrow the government after the presidential election held earlier this year. The blog says that all signs are that the international community is keeping a watchful eye on proceedings and that in a country where the independence of the judiciary is questionable to say the least, notes that the opposition have set up their own blog to monitor the trial.


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Australia: Reflections from ‘No Clean Feed’ rallies · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

Australians in seven cities demonstrated on Saturday, December 13 against the Rudd government’s plan to require Internet Service Providers to block access to websites publishing child pornography and other unsuitable and illegal content.
The scheme, referred to as the Clean Feed, has largely been attended by Telecommunications Minister Stephen Conroy and a $70 million cyber plan that will “block” approximately 10,000 websites banned by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Because of an exemption in the Freedom of Information Act, these blacklists will not be made available to the public.
“The government has stated that banning child porn is the motivation behind this filter, this is a noble goal,” Sam Clifford told protesters in Brisbane (and uploaded the text of his speech on the Public Polity Blog)
If we’ve got to have an internet filtering system at the ISP level it should be entirely voluntary, it should be opt-in. It is ludicrous to punish the rest of the nation with slow internet speeds and an ineffective filter in order to try and stop this threat…The Rudd government claims that the uptake of home based internet filtering sotware hasn’t been high enough to justify continued support of the program. Why not spend a fraction of the cost of the new mandatory filter on advertising the existing software?
As Twitter user irldexter points out, pornography is often traded outside websites outside the purview of the Clean Feed:
how does one stop paedophiles swap/meet ‘in game’ in virtual worlds? Also, this is trial run for MPAA/Cop yright infringement!
However, supporters of the Clean Feed, like the child protection charity Child Wise, argue that even though child pornography is illegal it remains one of the fastest growing online industries, making ISPs the key in stopping its distribution.
From the Twitter feeds, blog posts and mainstream media coverage of the protests, somewhere between 200 and 300 people participated at each event, where some braved scalding summer heat while others were drenched in rain.
Natalie Perkins posts a video collage of the Brisbane event
Brisbane nocleanfeed rally from Natalie Perkins on Vimeo.
Internet professional Jim Stewart speaks at the Melbourne rally:
Also in Melbourne, Colin Jacobs from Electronic Frontiers Australia, the group who helped organize the protests.
divabat wrote her reflections of the rally at the Brisneyland forum, leveraging her knowledge of censorship in Malaysia:
Today I was at the rally against the proposed Clean Feed (Internet filter), which is being implemented by the Aussie government under the guise of “stopping child porn”. (If you were there: I was the Malaysian speaker in black with the “Do Not Want” sign)
Never mind that this doesn't actually stop child porn – they'll just go underground. Find other ways to distribute their rubbish. It's not like there's going to be extra funding being given to the groups actually responsible for prosecuting child pornographers anyway.
The rally mainly concentrated on geeky things, very lefty things – pro-marijuana decriminalisation, anti-government sites, etc. They're definitely at risk of the filter; however, saying that those sites will be affected won't help our cause. The rest of the world doesn't care about our LOLcats….
It happens in Malaysia – the land where an upside down JPG of a flag is a “threat to national security”. This is why the filter idea pisses me off; I've seen how it goes back home, seen the danger. Ironically the Internet isn't actually censored in Malaysia – they just arrest those that speak out and scare the others into submission. Fun.
And what if some old auntie got hit by spyware because she thought she was opening an e-card by her niece? Spyware that dials up child porn? The logs would point to her and she'll get in trouble – but the spyware people go free. My aunts and uncles have computers FULL of spyware because they don't know well enough not to click on “You won this today!” or “Free icons!”.
On Twitter, a few people discussed apathy towards the issue among Australians and the mainstream media.
Kieran Salsone, tweeting as websinthe felt:
#nocleanfeed pipped by christmas lights. I hate t he media.
Derek Jenkins, tweeting as ozdj replies:
@websinthe #nocleanfeed protest pipped by apathy and a distinct l ack of interest.
As does Ben Grubb:
You won't get a lot of media coverage when you don't even get the numbers of a weekl y Falun Gong protest.
joffaboy says the Clean Feed will kill Stephen Conroy's political career:
#nocleanfeed We don't want a stupid solution to an imagined problem! Conroy is killing his career by letting his name e qual dumb initiative
In the “progressive and left-wing” Strange Times blog, a debate took place on the tactics at the various protest rallies.
Here's one from youngmarxist
The reasons I think a rally was worth it this time was that about 200 people turned up, and I’d bet that 80% of them aren’t the “usual suspects” who’ll go to any rally that’s happening. When you get people out to an event who are doing something different, I think that’s a sign you are tapping into a movement that has real power.   I don’t have any reports from the other rallies yet, but at the Brisbane rally we very deliberately didn’t go in for the usual “Hey Hey! Ho Ho! Mindless Chantings! Got to Go!”.
…
After I spoke, I wandered through the crowd handing out some pamphlets we had printed up which re-inforced the message about strategy. That meant I was able to talk, to a majority of the people who turned up, thank them for coming out in such hot weather, and hand them a pamphlet. I think that sort of personal mingling is very important for a successful rally – it’s not _just_ an opportunity for speakers to lecture the crowd, it’s about getting people talking with you and with each other, helping them to realise that we have power and we are collectively smart enough to use it and beat this censorship.
From Arthur, who attended the Melbourne rally:
Melbourne rally had a reasonable turnout with crowd staying despite light rain (will leave estimation of numbers to others).Included usual suspects but not dominated by them. I got the impression it was organized by ISPs as there were several speakers from ISP background….
Speeches aimed at reinforcing convictionswith which the speaker is quite certain the audience already agrees, are absolutely pointless (and therefore a hallmark of the pseudoleft).At the least, speeches at rallies should aim to provide advice and ammunition for the people attending, on how to convince and organize others. Better still, is to be actually organizing those who turn up directly.
Some of that was happening, but it was obviously embryonic and had not got to the stage of openly debating how best to organize and what line would win the campaign.
Several speakers and posters referred to internet “filtering”.
That, like the “no cleanfeed” campaign name, reflects success of the enemiy’s slick marketing strategy which has involved spending millions to spread the concept of “internet safety” – and similar doublespeak.


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Azerbaijan: Destruction of Ancient Cemetery Commemorated · Global Voices
Simon Maghakyan

This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.
Three years after a cemetery dating back to the 9th Century was deliberately destroyed in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan, bloggers recall an ancient culture annihilated and condemn the world for closing its eyes to what many consider to be an official attempt to rewrite history.
NoThingfjord, a Turkish blog, writes:
Today is the commemoration of the 3rd anniversary of Djulfa's destruction. …This [is] not only a crime against Armenian culture, but against our collective cultural heritage as humankind. Don't let it go unnoticed.
Between 10-16 December 2005 over a hundred uniformed men were videotaped destroying the Djulfa cemetery using sledgehammers, cranes, and trucks. The video was taken from across the border in Iran.
More than just a loss to global culture, Ivan Kondratiev [RU] says that Djulfa's destruction was meant to change the story of Nakhichevan's indigenous heritage.
Азербайджанские власти на протяжении всего советского периода старались уничтожить этот некрополь, поскольку для них он был всего лишь свидетельством о том, что именно армяне были хозяевами этой территории на протяжении веков, вопреки тому, что говорилось в азербайджанских советских мифах о собственной “древности”… Это кладбище, вполне достойное названия чуда, было даже не внесено в реестр архитектурных памятников Азербайджана… После распада СССР, во время карабахского конфликта, продолжалось разорение кладбища, и, наконец, оно было окончательно уничтожено….
An Iranian blogger also argues that Djulfa was undesirable evidence of an inconvenient past.
آنان از سنگ قبر ارامنه هم نگذشته اند و با تخریب دوازده هزار قبر با سنگ قبر هایی منحصر به فرد که متعلق به چند قرن پیش بوده و جزئی از میراث فرهنگی ارامنه به حساب می آمد، هیچ اثری از ارمنی نشین بودن آنجا، بجا نگذاشته اند.
iArarat, remembers Djulfa by discussing Robert Bevan’s The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War, a book that was “part of a class I teach at a Texas university on nationalism and ethno-political conflicts.”
[…]
While reading Bevan’s book I was inevitably reminded of the destruction of the medieval Armenian cemetery in Jugha, presently in Azerbaijan. Azeri soldiers at the command of their superiors without as much as blinking an eye would embark at destroying and erasing the last vestige of the Armenian civilization in that territory as if the Armenians had never as much as existed there, as if Armenians had never as much as created anything, something to celebrate their faith and commemorate their dead…
The Stiletto, an award-winning blog posts a well-researched account of Djulfa's destruction and attempts by Azerbaijan to deny it ever existed.
Adding insult to injury, earlier this month Baku, Azerbaijan hosted a little-noticed two-day conference of Council of Europe culture ministers to discuss “Intercultural dialogue as the basis for peace and sustainable development in Europe and its neighboring regions.” In his opening remarks to the attendees Azeri president Ilham Aliyev, astonishingly claimed:
“Azerbaijan has rich history and the cultural monuments here are duly preserved, and a lot is being done in this direction…”
Meanwhile, nrbakert_tashuk [Ru] asks whether one should laugh or cry at attempts to represent other indigenous Armenian monuments as Turkish or Azerbaijani. However, Kornelij [RU] says Armenia is also to blame for not participating in a conference held early this month in the Azerbaijan capital, Baku.
Unzipped agrees.
[T]he Armenian Ministry of Culture failed to deliver a message by boycotting the conference. They either should have properly boycotted the conference by making an appropriate statement explaining the reasons for non-participation, or they should have participated there to raise the all important issues of destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Azerbaijan, as well as protecting and restoring the multinational cultural heritage in all three South Caucasus countries [Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan].
old-dilettante [RU], says that Djulfa's destruction was the last stage of Azerbaijan's attempt to eradicate Nakhichevan's Armenian heritage. Commenting on a post about churches in Georgia, she writes:
Теперь там не найдется ни одной армянской церкви, несмотря на фотографии и книги, изданные всего ничего – лет 20 тому назад. Все церкви уничтожены. Все могилы. Все хачкары.
И кто через 20 лет скажет, что там вообще жили армяне? … А ведь мой дед был “местным жителем”.
And who will say in 20 years that Armenians ever lived there? … It wasn’t that long ago that my own grandfather was a “local” there.
Also recalling family history, Washington-based Armenian journalist Emil Sanamyan, a native of Azerbaijan's capital Baku, commemorates the destruction of Djulfa.
In Baku Armenian cemeteries with less historical but more immediate sentimental value to many (including my family whose three generations made their home in Baku for nearly a century) were paved over for roads or new construction. That does not justify the disrespect they were afforded but makes some remote sense.
In the case of Jugha khachkars stood in the middle of nowhere and were simply crushed, dismembered, thrown into the river. They were targeted and wiped out as the last remaining Armenian outpost.
Sarcastically, the journalist-blogger considers how other Armenian monuments on Azerbaijani territory could be protected.
Now I am thinking, perhaps Armenians should disassemble the remaining Azeri mosques and gravestones on their territory and exchange them for the khachkars and other Armenian heritage items of value?
Certainly some of the Azeri items have cultural value for Armenia and I would rather not see them go. But what other options are there?
Reacting to a comment on his above-mentioned post, Ivan Kondratiev [RU] also says that if Azerbaijanis wanted to cleanse their territory of Armenian heritage, they could have at least given the monuments to Armenia even if such a transfer would amount to acknowledging Djulfa's Armenian history.
Is the world willing to confront deliberate destruction of historic monuments? In her long post on Djulfa's destruction, The Stiletto sees hope in an Obama administration.
[T]here is reason to be optimistic that [Barack Obama's] foreign policy team will… have a very different response to the ongoing stonewalling by the Azeris than [current US Secretary of State] Rice’s utter disinterest [about Djulfa's destruction], which is rooted in the Bush administration’s pro-Azerbaijani, pro-Turkey foreign policy.
In addition to secretary of state nominee Hillary Clinton […] prospective U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice has a particular interest in genocide and is an advocate of military action to stop mass killings, rather than ineffective “dialogue” as slaughters continue apace. And Harvard professor Samantha Power, author of “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide” (2002), has been quietly advising Obama behind the scenes […].
Given that past is prologue, with these women’s combined emphasis on championing human rights and genocide prevention, it will not be easy for the Obama administration to ignore or overlook the genocide that preceeded – and encouraged – all others in the 20th and 21st centuries, or the ongoing “cultural genocides” in Azerbaijan and Turkey against the archeological remains of a once-thriving, centuries-old Armenian population that is no more.
More photographs of the cemetery, before and after its destruction, are available at www.djulfa.com.
This post is part of our special coverage Caucasus Conflict Voices.

author: Simon Maghakyan


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Bahamas: Sour Santa · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Simon, blogging at Bahama Pundit, is convinced that Santa Claus is vex.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bahrain: A Near Death Experience · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

“When I felt sand splatter on me I remember thinking that this was more serious than just a tip to the side. This was it. I was gone. I was going to go. I was definitely dying. Wasn't there something I was meant to say before dying?” writes Evil Odd in narrating a recent near-death experience.

author: Deborah Ann Dilley


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Bangladesh: Bloggers unearth the fake Taj Mahal scam · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

If you cannot visit the Taj Mahal at Agra (India) then the Taj Mahal will have to visit you in your hometown.
For the last few days, we have been reading a curious and interesting piece of news from Bangladesh. Apparently, it was first reported by AFP and then quickly picked up by the MSM in Bangladesh, India, and International markets (links 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 to name a few).
The news is this: a wealthy film producer in Bangladesh has constructed ‘an exact copy’ of Agra's legendary Taj Mahal in  Sonargaon, a small town 30km outside the capital Dhaka. Apparently the wealthy gentleman Ahsanullah Moni fell in love with the historic monument on his visits to Agra and decided to construct an exact replica of it in his country, to give his fellowmen a taste of the original, without having to make an expensive journey all the way to Agra.
According to what Mr. Moni has reported to the media (played back religiously by the media, in turn), it has taken him just over 5years (the original had taken over 20years to build) to create this life-size replica and that it has been built at a cost of 58mn USD. The MSM also reported that hundreds of workers and designers were used for this project (the original needed about 20,000 people) and as a mark of precise attention to detail, a team had actually gone to Agra and measured the original structure inch by inch. There were reports that in order to recreate the dazzling original, 160kg (353lb) of bronze, marble and granite was imported from Italy, and diamonds were flown in from Belgium to be used in its construction.
The lavishness of the description immediately created a buzz among the people and soon the replica drew the attention of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, who expressed their irritation at having to deal with a ‘fake’ Taj created right under their nose. Interestingly, at a time when tension between neighbors is running high, the MSM soon ran hyped-up reports about this reaction with strong lines such as ” Tensions between Bangladesh and India have escalated after it emerged a film director is constructing a life-size copy of the Taj Mahal”.  There were write-ups about the “diplomatic fracas”, India's “anger” so on and so forth. These articles in turn drew comments from a section of Bangladeshi officialdom who felt that if they indeed did re-create the Taj, India had no right to create a storm as they felt that historic monuments could not be copyrighted. Only a few in the media, later reported that the Indian High Commission, after investigating the incident, had stated that it was unlikely that visitors would mistake one for the other and that the replica was unlikely to detract from the magnificence of the original.
While the MSM was having a field day, people in Bangladesh thronged in hundreds to have a look at this new wonder that had been brought to their doorstep. Some Bangla bloggers too visited the site to check out what this brouhaha was all about. It was then that it was discovered that this entire hype was perhaps just a gimmick, a money-making scam in the name of the Taj.
Blogger Jhorohaowa writes about his experience [bn]:
মদনপুর বাসস্টান্ড নেমে দেখি টেমপুওয়ালারা ’তাজমহল’ বলে চিল্লাইতেছে। কেউ ভাড়া চাচ্ছে ৩০/- টাকা, কেউ ৪০/- টাকা। আধঘন্টা টেম্পু দিয়ে চলার পর একগ্রামে এসে থামলাম। সামনে বিশাল জ্যাম আর হাজার হাজার মানুষ। সবাই তাজমহল দেখতে আসছে। অপেক্ষা না করে নেমে হাটা দিলাম। প্রায় দুই কিলো হাটার পর তাজমহল কম্পাউন্ডে আসলাম, প্রবেশ মুল্য ৫০/- টাকা। কোন ব্যাপার না, আগ্রা গেলে আরো খরচ হইতো। তাড়াতাড়ি টিকেট কেটে ভিড় ঠেলে ভিতরে প্রবেশ করলাম।তাজমহলের চেহারা দেইখা মুখটা অটোমেটিক হা হয়ে ’শালা’ শব্দটা যে কেমনে বের হয়ে আসলো বুঝবার পারি নাই। আমার ঢাকাইয়া বন্ধুটি মুখ আর আটকাইয়া রাখা গেলো না। সে গাইল শুরু করলো- (গালি)রা টয়লেটের টাইলস লাগাইছে, মালিক পক্ষের সব (গালি)’রা ভাগছে, একটারে ডাইকা আইনা যে পাবলিক গাইলাইবো সেই উপায় নাই, (গালি)রা এই ঈদের দিনে পাবলিকরে ’বাকরা’ টুপি লাগায় দিলো … ইত্যাদি ইত্যাদি।
Jhorohaowa also writes that by inaugurating an incomplete, poorly designed construction with such media hypes the promoters of the project clearly betrayed their intention of making a quick buck during the Eid season.
Bibortonbadi, another blogger who visited the site was also very upset at falling prey to yellow journalism; he wrote in his blog [bn]:
কিছুই না দেখবার মত। শুভ্র তাজমহলের সোকলড রেপ্লিকা বানিয়েছে সাদার মাঝে নানা রঙ্গের টাইলস দিয়ে। সংবাদপত্রে কত কিছুই না পড়লাম। খরচ ৪০০ কোটি টাকা, ইতালি থেকে আনা মুল্যবান পাথর ও টাইলস্, বেলজিয়াম থেকে আনা ১৭২ টি হীরক খন্ড, গম্বুজের উপরে চারমন ওজনের ব্রোঞ্জ, কোথায় এসব??? ৪০০ কোটি টাকা কি পান্তা ভাত নাকি! নরমাল ইট-সিমেন্টের একটা স্ট্রাকচারের উপরে দেশী টাইলস্ (আমার বন্ধু বাড়ির কাজকর্ম ভাল বোঝে, তার মতে টাইলস গুলো দেশী) বসানো। এমন কি টাইলসের কাটাও ঠিক মত হয় নাই, আনাড়ি হাতের কাজ। এখনও ফিনিশিং সম্পূর্ণ হয় নাই। ইতালির পাথর যদি পরে বসাবার ইচ্ছাও থাকে তবে কোথায় বসাবে? দর্শনার্থিরা সবাই বিরক্ত এবং নিজেদের প্রতারিত ভাবছেন…প্রায় ১০ মিনিট দেখবার পরেই বুঝতে পারলাম আমাদের জন্য ভেতরে আর কিছুই নেই। বেরিয়ে হাটা ধরলাম। পথে অনান্য দর্শনার্থিদের সাথে কথা হল, সবার একই উত্তর “ভূয়া”।
The blogger posts a video which shows people flocking to see the Taj and uttering their disappointment:
Prothom Bangla reflects the sentiments of the visitors describing Ahsanullah Moni’s effort [bn]:
পাগল হিন্দি সিনেমা নকল করতে করতে, মাথা আওলাইয়া গেছে। দেখছে। ভাল আয় রোজগার। এখন তাজ মহল নির্মান করছে।
পাঁজি যে টাকা খরচ করেচে, সেই টাকা যদি দেশের হত-দরিদ্র মানুষের উন্নয়নে কাজে লাগাত তাহলে হত গরীবের উপকার ।
“This guy has lost his head by producing copycat Hindi cinemas. He has seen that this brings good money. So he has built this (copycat) Taj Mahal.
If he would spend the millions he spent here in poor peoples cause that could bring good for the country.”
Bibortonbadi goes on to question the role of the MSM in aiding this scam with their hyped-up reporting. He says [bn]:
অবাক লাগল এই যে দেশের শীর্ষ স্থানীয় পত্রিকা গুলো কিভাবে কোন রকম খোজ খবর ছাড়াই ৪০০ কোটি টাকার বিনিয়োগ, ১৭২ টি হীরক খন্ড, ইতালির টাইলস/পাথরের ভূয়া খবর ছাপালেন। ৪০০ কোটি টাকা কি কম? এত টাকার বিনিয়োগে, একটি বিখ্যাত স্থাপনার রেপ্লিকা তৈরি ব্যাপারে তারা কি সরোজমিনে একবারও ঘুরে দেখে আসবার সময় করতে পারলেননা। ঢাকা থেকে নারায়নগঞ্জের, সোনারগাঁয়ের পেরাবো গ্রামে যেতে বড়জোর এক দেড় ঘন্টাই লাগত!! এই দেশে কি খবরের অভাব আছে? নাকি টাকা দিলেই খবর ছাপানো যায়। খুব বেশী হলে এই স্থাপনাতে ৩/৪ কোটি টাকার মত খরচ হয়েছে।
Blogger Raihan called up the newsdesk of a leading Bangla daily Prothom Alo, who had also published the “Taj” article complete with details of lavishness,  and questioned them whether their reporter had physically visited the site before publishing the article and if not, how they could publish an article without first verifying the facts themselves. He says that in response the news desk informed him that they had merely reported the AFP article. After he alerted the person on the line about the facts, he was told that they would surely send a reporter to visit the site and write another article on the same.
With Bangladeshi bloggers uploading their first-hand experience of visiting the site through posts, pictures, and videos, it is only now we are getting the real picture of the “fake Taj” story.

author: Aparna Ray


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Bermuda: High Food Prices  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

21 Square offers a few tangible solutions for curbing high food prices in Bermuda.


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Bhutan: A Member Of Parliament Blogs · Global Voices
Rezwan

Tshering Tobgay, a Member of Parliament of Bhutan and the leader of the opposition party, writes about the Folk Life Festival in Punakha in his blog.