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Iran: Virginity Matters! · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

IranJensy (Persian) says virginity of a girl  is  so important in Iranian society. Blogger asks  how men, who have had sex with many women can expect the girls have no sex before getting married?


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Rep. of Congo: Activists Free At Last · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Le Pangolin celebrates (FR) the liberation of human rights activists Mounzeo Christian and Brice Massoko.  But  the blogger cautions vigilance because “they are not yet completely free to go about .”    He adds: “dictators are afraid of publicity regarding their ugly ways. Since they like to act as saints, we must never hesitate to denounce their actions. We must never be quiet. Our silence turns us into accomplices.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Alice Backer


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The Lebanese Bloggers Last Week:  looking outside and building bridges · Global Voices
Mustapha

Although last week witnessed the seventh Lebanese “National Dialogue” session, Lebanese Bloggers didn’t seem to care. Apparently, many of them are resigned to the sessions being just talk shops. Raja wrote in The Lebanese Bloggers:
I can't even fathom the number of times our “leaders” have decided to leave things the way they were because they could not find it in them to arrive at a consensus regarding how to move forward.
This is why most of the Lebanese bloggers’ entries last week dealt with regional matters, like the Iranian Nuclear stalemate, the Dahab Bombings in Egypt, and, the Israeli blogosphere.
But before that, why do Lebanese politics  have to always be depressing? Rampurple asked.  So she set out to make a list of the “bright side” of Lebanese politics and laboriously squeezed out one. ( for example: “We all had something to discuss during social gatherings” and  “All Arab nationals turned into experts of Lebanese politics”).
Now away from Lebanon; the Iranian Nuclear Standoff has gotten a fair amount of commentary from the Lebanese Bloggosphere. This is mainly because of Lebanon’s Hezbollah connection with Iran.
The Lebanese Political Journal denounced  The Daily Star, Lebanon’s main English newspaper, for setting up a moral equivalence between the US and Iran. The Star had opined: “there is absolutely no hard evidence that Iran is guilty of violating its international obligations”, to which Lebanon.Profile responded:
There doesn't need to be core evidence of Iran developing a nuclear weapons program (although there is minor “evidence” coming from the IAEA) when all of the major leaders in Iran continuously claim they have a “right” to nuclear weapons. If they have a “right” to possess bombs to destroy the world, the world has the “right” to the Iranian regime building those weapons.
Mustapha in The Beirut Spring (your author) wrote about the Sunni-Shiaa conflict in the region.
Abu-Kais in From Beirut To the Beltway, brought up Iraqi’s Ayatollah Sistani’s calls to disarm the militias, since weapons should belong to the Government. Abu-Kais noted that this is exactly what the Lebanese have always asked from Hezbollah to do.
Lebanon.Profile sought to build bridges with the Israeli Bloggosphere. Of the different Israeli blogs he investigated, he speaks fondly of Israeli bloggers like Lisa Goldman (who is also Global Voices’ Israel Author) and advices the Lebanese to be more aware of “them” (the Israelis):
Not knowing about “them” is the worst crime we can commit. It invalidates them as humans, as if they don't even matter. They are Stalin's faceless enemy, the rabid dog, the evil blood suckers whom it is righteous to kill. Our papers definitely need to start covering more than major political events in Israel. We should remember their tragedies. ‘They” already have a massive internal debate going on about the Palestinians, the war in Lebanon, and the wall.
Finally, In the same objection to the “Us” versus “them” mentality, The Perpetual Refugee speaks of how the reactions of his Egyptian and Israeli colleagues to the Dahab bombings are racially or politically motivated, with complete disregard to the humanitarian aspect of the matter: 23 people have died:
Mothers, fathers, brothers, religious, secular, children. People on vacation. People making a living… Not Germans. Not Americans. Not Egyptians. People.

author: Mustapha


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· Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Yebo Gogo reports on an exchange of words between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former SA president, De Klerk….”Archbishop Desmond Tutu said South Africa's whites aren't appreciative of the actions the country's black community took after the fall of apartheid. Former apartheid president FW de Klerk said blacks need to recognize the sacrifices made by whites”

author: Sokari Ekine


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Trinidad & Tobago: Prison Island Visit · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Elspeth visits Carrera, Trinidad & Tobago's prison island and writes about it at The Pan Collective: “not that I mean to romanticise or trivialise the experience of prison on the island in any way (with all due respect to the prisoners), but arriving there on the Coast Guard boat, it felt as though we were arriving at a resort. . . .”

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Afghan Whispers: Lessons to Teach & to Learn · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

It is interesting that Afghan bloggers look at foreign countries such as Iran & Iraq and they try to learn and teach lessons for peace and happiness.
AfghanWarrior gives advice to people in Iraq to follow Afghanistan's example to encourage insurgents to put down weapons. He writes:
“The Afghan government started a peace and reconciliation program last year and offered amnesty for those Taliban and warlords who wanted to lay down their weapons and join the government. This program was very successful and for the last one year more than one thousand anti-government forces joined this program. So if the new Iraqi government starts the same program, I am sure many insurgents will lay down their weapons and join this program, and it will be for the benefit of the Iraqi people. The people of Iraq elected their government and parliament and I hope now that they work hard for their unity and forget Sunni or Shiite – they are all Muslims from one country and they are one nation and there should not be any difference between them, and if they keep their unity soon they will defeat the rebels and make a great country.”
Nikobad (Persian) talks about Ahmadinejad's decision to permit women to go to stadiums to watch football as a good example to follow. He says people want freedom but most important freedom is not about journals or media but living a free life. He adds still women do not go to cinemas or parks in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan Lord writes about mismanagement in country as a source of problems. Blogger says :
“People are all aware what is going on in this country. People aware of ANA (afghan national army) and police authorities who directly involved in poppy smuggling and mafia. The interior ministry bases and police bases are diverted to base of smuggling. The mechanism of new management and changes has made no sense in decreasing the number of victims against insurgents in the country. However they are trying to deny their inaccuracies but among the people this is not something like not hide from view. The victim increasing due to lack of an organized management and mechanism.”

author: Fred Petrossian


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Africa: Aquaponics · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Timbuktu Chronicles reports on a new aqua technology, Aquaponics…”.Aquaponics is the integration of aquaculture and hydroponics. Aquaculture, the growing of fish, hydroponics the growing of vegetables/plants in controlled conditions, utilizing specialized growing mediums and nutrients”


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African women’s blogsphere this week · Global Voices
Nish Matenjwa

African women have been blogging about the important Kenyan Sexual Offences Bill  which members of parliament are currently deliberating.  The bill seeks seeks tougher penalties against rape and has been raising heated debate both within and outside the blogsphere.
On her blog Afrofeminsta has been providing updates on the bill. On the first day the bill was read , she wrote
I and many others hope to have our eyes literally on the MPs as the debates start this afternoon, by securing a seat in the public gallery. Or if not, then keep vigil outside the house.
During this bill's proceedings, a member of parliament made a disparaging statement about women that angered women members of parliament and resulted in a walkout. In response and solidarity, an incensed au lait wrote a post entitled You make me sick!!! where she says:
We (yes we women) are not going to stand your braindead, chauvinistic disrespect for women. Y'all better look for a time travel machine and transport your sorry asses to 1729 or thereabouts.
Black Looks who has a sparkling new home also responded to the statement and said
No wonder rape has reached epidemic proportions if this is the way men think…This is so outrageous. The same song is sung everyday ” in our culture…we dont do this we dont do that but what we do do is condone abuse and take away people’s human rights”. To hell with this so called culture we have, we need to get rid of it because it is killing us and destroying our lives.
W.M. has written a moving and personal post cancer and says
… I’ve been thinking about those who are left behind. Those who do not have the disease but suffer just as much, if not more, as the one who does, whom they love…Thus, to all those who have loved and lost—the being loved part was the best…Love as hard as you can, whilst you can, because you never know when it isn’t going to be possible any more.
“Nobody knew?” asks Mama JunkYard regarding the sad story of Carol Vincent whose body was found in her flat  two years after she is thought to have died.
As I read the story I kept asking, how? How is it possible that in a city of about 7 million, not one person noticed that a neighbour, sister, cousin or friend was missing?…How can the answers to any of these questions make it any easier to accept that in spite of advancements in technology that allow us to communicate faster, easier and over longer distances so many people are living and dying alone, unnoticed and unmissed?
Rombo writes about Kenyan parliamentarians who are dithering and frustrating a motion that seeks to purchase food for those affected by the famine.
You’ve got to hand it to Members of the Ninth Parliament: at least they’re consistent. After all, they got into office on a pledge to improve the lives of Kenyans. Since they’re Kenyans themselves, and they’re once again raising their own allowances they may actually be deluding themselves into thinking that they’re keeping their pledge.
Finally, Kishawi has posted her ”Daily Gospel” which is profound quote from Dr. Julius Nyerere, late and former president of Tanzania:
“We have to be part of the society which we are changing; we have to work from within it, and not try to descend like ancient gods, do something, and disappear again. A country, or a village, or a community, cannot be developed: it can only develop itself. For real development means the development, the growth, of people.”

author: Nish Matenjwa


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Armenia: May Day · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Notes from Hareinik writes about May Day and the comeback of its celebration in Armenia.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Armenia: Notes from the Armenian Blogosphere · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian has a roundup of posts in the Armenian blogosphere.


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Bahamas: Colonial baggage · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Andrew Allen defends his belief that “colonial baggage” inhibits development in the Bahamas, arguing that while quaint colonial vestiges such as the image of the British monarch on the country's currency may appear harmless, “far more pernicious is our tendency to suppress the growth of genuine local institutions and our related tendency to stigmatise the appearance of local ideas and value systems that could support such institutions. “


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Balanced election coverage · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Journalist and academic Cherian Geoge wonders if the Singapore government is easing up on mainstream media's coverage of elections while blogger Xialanxue does not think so.

author: Preetam Rai


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Bangladesh: Corruption, Politics and Changing Bangladesh · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Rezwan links to Change Bangladesh, an online project, and provides the context for the need for such a project - “Among other things ‘Change Bangladesh’ is in the process of creating a ‘how to’ guide for voters and a tool using which all Bangladeshis connected to the web will be able to check up on certain aspects of a running candidate for national or local elections.”

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Bangladesh: May Day feature on Women · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Ahmede Hussain has a feature on women and issues they face in the workforce in Bangladesh.


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Bargaining, not just for discounts · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Dương Lam Anh at Virtual Doug observes his mom's buying habits and discovers there is more to bargaining than just to get the price reduced.


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Belarus: Wikipedia Edit Wars · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

br23 blog writes about edit wars constantly taking place at Wikipedia's Belarusian history pages: “This continuing butchering of the articles about Belarus by Russians on English Wikipedia also ruined my trust in the Wikipedia as a whole. Now, I have to confess, I don’t go to Wikipedia anymore to read about political or historical events, and only go to Wikipedia when I need to check something on natural sciences (biology, archeology, physics, math…)”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Belize: Copyright regulations · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Nyashazasha at The Global Parish reproduces an article by the president of the Belize Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (BSCAP) outlining the copyright regulations soon to come into effect in Belize. The article foresees some resistance from the public to the idea of paying licensing fees.


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Central Asia: Islamic Finance · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

neweurasia reports on Islamic finance in Central Asia.


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Chile, Panama: Earthquakes · Global Voices
David Sasaki

World Wide Help has the very latest on an earthquake that hit Northern Chile late last night. Chiriqui Chatter was also shaken awake this morning in Northern Panama.

author: David Sasaki


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China: Artists face crackdown · Global Voices
John Kennedy

In ‘We Hate Art and Like Nothing Interesting‘, Supernaut Frances D'Ath blogs on a recent ongoing crackdown on artwork at Beijing's Dashanzi art district:
“An apoplectic, insane hatred born of a class of people whose sole aim in life is promulgating a dictatorship of smallness, meanness, and a spiteful programme to rid the world of colour and life. Whatever freedom artists in China (and elsewhere) have to make the sort of work that would probably see them in prison in some other countries (like Xiaoyu's Ruan), it always exists at the pleasure of knee-jerk morality and whims of the government and other ruling classes.”

author: John Kennedy


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China: Tiananmen Mother compensation · Global Voices
John Kennedy

China Challenges posts on what might just be the Chinese authorities’ first step towards taking responsibility for 1989's Tiananmen Square massacre.


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China: Workers holiday · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Outside In blogger finds irony in what the week-long holiday surrounding International Workers Day has become in China: “The great international communist holiday has morphed into one grand frenzy of unabashed consumerism.  LONG LIVE THE WORKERS.  WHAT'S ON SALE AT IKEA?”


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Croatia: The ABCs of Spring Break · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Jeremy Jewett of  Hungarian Goulash comes up with “the ABCs of a Spring Break in Croatia”: “The stories of a spring break well-spent in the northern-half of the former Yugoslavia will be told alphabetically, chunked into a little tale or nugget of wisdom beginning with the letters A through Z.”


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Czech Republic: Child Prostitution · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Bored in Brno writes about child prostitution in the Czech Republic and how it is being ignored by the local media.


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DRC: Katanga province · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Breaking hearts in the heart of darkness reports  on a recent field trip to the Katanga province in the South East of the DRC writing that the region has received no humanitarian assistance despite large numbers of displaced people, sexual exploitation of women by militias and the Congolese army.


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DRC: Malu Malu in New York Today · Global Voices
Alice Backer

The chief of the controversial electoral commission, Rev. Malu Malu, will be in New York City today to speak about “The Future of Democracy and the Rebuilding of a Nation-State: The Democratic Republic of Congo”  at The Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, 7pm.  UDPS is organizing a protest of the event, says (FR) UDPS Liege.  (More venue details in post.)


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Egypt: Emergence law · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Zeinobia of ‘Egyptian Chronicles’ explains the motives of the Egyptian government to ask the Parliament for approval to re-new the decayed Emergence law. “…they need it to stop any attempt of the civilian organization and the judges for the Quest of a real democratic life , they need it to shut up any newspaper that exposes any corruption in the country , they need it to prison anyone they want in anytime they want for any charge they want and definitely they need it more than anything to pave the way for the Republic Monarchy where GM takes the republic crown for his old dad just like in our twin Sister Syria,” she said.

author: Haitham Sabbah


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Ethiopia: Open letter to US Ambassador · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Carpe Diem Ethiopia post an open letter from Birtukan Mideksa to the US ambassador, Vicki Huddleston. He comments “Judge Bertukan’s disgust with the U.S. Ambassador’s duplicity, however, is a searing indictment of the neocon dilemma: support for governments that repress their people but are declared allies in the U.S.-led war against terrorism. Judge Birtukan’s epistle, like Martin Luther King’s, ends with her repeated hope that a bright future awaits her followers and her nation.”


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Ethiopia: Pastoral leaders meet with the UN · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Meskel Square reports on a meeting in Ethiopia between “four pastoralist groups from as far afield as Somali region” and leaders of the main UN agencies working in the country.  “The main topics of conversation were the drought and the need for greater official recognition of all of Ethiopia's pastoralist groups. Apparently Ethiopia's last regime under Mengistu dismissed many of them as “wanderers”, (maybe in the same way that Europe currently marginalises its ‘gypsies’ and ‘travelers’). The current government was doing much better, they said. But some wanted still more – a minister of pastoralist affairs for example.”


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Georgia: Dinner Party Protest · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Susan reports on participating in a unique protest in Tbilisi.


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Guyana: An Islamic interpretation · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Guyanese Muslim blogger Qays offers an Islamic interpretation of the breakdown of the rule of law in Guyana.


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Haiti: Committee Supports Today’s Immigrant Strike · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Alterpresse published  (kreyol) a press release by GARR, a Haitian committee of support to refugees and the repatriated, which supports today's immigrant strike and boycott in the US.  “The same situation is developing in the Dominican Republic for many Haitian workers there, says GARR's Martine Dorvilas. While D.R. government representatives have met repeatedly with American officials in defense of their undocumented citizens there, that same government continues repatriating Haitian workers who have contributed to the Dominican economy for decades … GARR asks D.R.'s government to give Haitian workers who have lived in the D.R. for more than 10 years residency.”


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Haiti: Week’s Happenings · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Radio Kiskeya lists (FR) noteworthy events  taking place in Haiti this week including the following. Monday:  President-elect Rene Preval's visit to Canada; the closing of Port-au-Prince's culinary fair in honor of International Labor and Agriculture Day;  the city of Jacmel's annual celebration; a pro-Aristide march organized by the former president's supporters. Wednesday: Presses Nationales’ [National Press] re-release of 34 Haitian literary titles originally published between 1836 and 2006. Friday: proclamation of legislative election results.


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Hong Kong: A democratic future! · Global Voices
John Kennedy

n8ma blogger Nathan Madsen has no kind words for those who would downplay the importance of democracy in Hong Kong, mainland China and even America.


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Hong Kong: Subtle Chinese humor · Global Voices
John Kennedy

EastSouthWestNorth blogger Roland Soong translates a humorous post and compares political jokes in the former Soviet Union with those found in China today. The verdict: “[T]he Chinese people are not humorless.  Rather, their humor demonstrably come through in more subtle ways.”


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India: Blank Noise Audio – Women, Harassment and Violence · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

As a follow up to the Blank Noise (Against Street Harassment) Blogathon, the project presents a powerful audio piece on street violence and harassment. (Trigger: Violence, Gender Violence)


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India: Engineer killed in Afghanistan · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The killing of an Indian engineer, Suryanarayana in Afghanistan by the Taliban militia is a shocking reminder of how fragile the situation is for Indians working in the country. The Taliban had demanded that all Indians leave Afghanistan within a specified time period if Suryanarayana was to be spared. However, even before talks could start, the Taliban killed Suryanarayana before the deadline lapsed. Dilip has a post on fundamentalism and religion.
These are the guys who killed Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, Sanjoy Ghose in Assam, Ken Saro-Wiwa in Nigeria, Ehsan Jaffrey in Ahmedabad, Rupin Katyal on IC-814, Darshan Kaur's husband Ram Singh in Delhi, my friend Autar Kaw's father in Kashmir, go down the tragic list. Murderous thugs all. Nothing religious about any of them; and if religion is not involved, nothing that we should respect in their assorted causes or reasons or goals.
The Arbit Council poses questions on what India's future steps, and where the responsibilites are. Ashok, who is also an Indian working in Afghanistan comments on the work safety situation and reminding us that this is the second time in the last four months that an Indian has been killed by the Taliban.
These 2 incidents reinstate the dangers of working in the Afghan-Pakistan border provinces like Kandahar, Qalat and Zabul. Unlike the Central and North Afghanistan where I work, these southern areas come under the Pashtu speaking belt and are Taliban strong holds. These are areas where even Afghans themselves (who speak Farsi) fear to tread. Unless the work is within an army camp or some secured cantonment its suicidal to take up jobs in these areas of tribal mindset.
Jagadish thinks that the Indian Government cannot be held responsible for the safety of the individuals in Afghanistan as working there is a risky business. Shoonya comments on what seems to be increasing bloodshed in India. Indian Capitalist comments on crocodile tears shed by Indians.
So much so that if an Indian faces a tragedy outside the country his plight becomes famous across India, but even if he suffers hell in the country, no one pays heed to his trauma. Thousands of Indians get murdered every year by sundry terrorists operating within the country and our generally verbose media never comes forward to televise live the plight of their families. Naxals kill tens of people every month.
Desipundit links to blogs with posts on the issue and there is an interesting discussion in the comments space.


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India: Scian Melt · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Recursive Hypocrisy hosts the Scian Melt – All things science.


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Iran: A Wealthy Useless Journal! · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Farjami  (Persian) criticized the wealthiest journal in country, Ettelaat. He says Ettelaat with tens of buildings and hundreds of workers has a useless site and its paper journal's graphic is scandalous. Blogger adds all this public money poured in this journal is just throwing it in a well. He says some reformists back journal by saying its editor who has been a deputy in  Parliament , never got his deputy's salary. Blogger says point is not he gets a huge salary or not. Point is productivity and quality of this journal. He qualifies Ettelaat a beloved dead.


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Kenya: Going home · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Bankekele has advice on how to travel to his home town in Kenya, what you need to take with you and what to expect once you arrive…”


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Kenya: No means No not yes! · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Au Lait  writes about the recent comment by a Kenyan member of parliament during the debate  on the Sexual Offences Bill that when women say no they mean yes.….”We (yes we women) are not going to stand your braindead, chauvinistic disrespect for women. Y'all better look for a time travel machine and transport your sorry asses to 1729 or thereabouts.”


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Martinique: Aftermath of Women’s Strike · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Female  workers at clothing store Minimum Maximod won a protracted strike to improve working conditions says (FR) Bien Vu.  But their boss refuses to honor the agreement he signed during negotiations and has fled to France. “The women remain without salary or back pay,” says the blogger. “What are labor inspectors doing? What should we make of … these bureaucrats who lay low so as not make too much noise and risk getting fired?”


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Martinique: Immigration Scandal · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Certain government bureaucrats are being investigated for trafficking fake immigration papers, says (FR)  Bien Vu. “Once more a group of well-to-do people  is under scrutiny. Faced with their dishonesty,  we have to ask whether a committee  is needed to oversee certain government posts,” concludes the blogger.


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May Day rallies in South East Asia · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Martin Manurang on his Change blog has a post on May day rallies in Indonesia and other countries in the region. Protesters joined rallies in large numbers in Cambodia, The Phillipines and Thailand too.


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Mexico: Exaggerated Reaction to Mexico’s New Drug Law · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Boz comments on the exaggerated reactions to a clarification of Mexico's legal code regarding drugs. He labels the new policy a “step forward for Mexico's legal system,” but adds that “it's unlikely to have major effects on the country's drug problem.” Dr. Steven Taylor, however, argues that legalizing the possession of small amounts of some substances, “frees up police and other officials to focus on bigger time criminals and also frees up jail space (and therefore money).”


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Mexico: Star Spangled Banner en Español · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Julio Sueco, a Mexican blogger living in Sweden says that the Spanish version of the Star Spangled Banner isn't his cup of manzanilla tea.


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Mongolia: “Outer Mongolia” · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Luke Distelhorst notes that many in the media still use the term “Outer Mongolia” to refer to modern Mongolia despite the term referring to pre-1911 Chinese-controlled Mongolia.


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Nigeria:Soyinka on Darfur · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Agodi News points to an interview with Nigerian author and playright, Wole Soyinka on Democracy Now…” A Blot on the Conscience of the World.“


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North Korea: Execution carried out · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Joshua at The Korea Liberator blogs on a North Korean political prisoner who was executed this past weekend, and then two posts from James Na on the meager turnout at a North Korea Freedom Day rally held in Washington DC just three days later.


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Peru: Chavez and Morales in the Peruvian Elections · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Writing from Venezuela, both Miguel Octavio and Daniel Duquenal fear for Peru's political future. Un Lobo en Peru inspires some interesting comments with a post about the Peruvian government's decision to withdraw the ambassador to Venezuela. Maxwell Cameron of the University of British Columbia, meanwhile, says that presidential candidate Alan Garcia is framing the second round of elections as a “choice between Chavez and Peru.” Lastly, but far from least, Gran Combo Club has two (ES) phenomenal posts (ES) covering bloggers’ reactions to the creeping influence of Evo Morales and Hugo Chavez in the Peruvian elections.


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Poland: Endless Attempts at Building a Coalition · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The beatroot discusses the coalition-building process in Poland, nearly eight months after the general election: “Will this charade ever end? A coalition has just been signed, but it’s 19 votes short of a parliamentary majority. Which means, if my meager mathematics is correct, that this is no coalition at all.”


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Poland: Getting Residence Permit · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Becca of p3 compares her experience of getting registered Brussels to that of getting registered in Poland: “Brussels take note: Poland is well known for its inability to carry out the simplest procedure without metres and metres of red tape. If they can sort my paperwork for me in just a couple of brief visits with zero problems, you have no excuse.”


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Politician insults single mothers · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Brand New Malaysian is asking readers to blog and let others know about the politician who insulted single mothers by referring to them as “being horny”. He uttered this word while debating the issue of aid to single mothers in Malaysian parliament. Eventually, protests by other lawmakers attending the session forced the politician to take back the word.


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Pramoedya Ananta Toer · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Lily in Jakarta remembers Pramoedya Ananta Toer, one of Indonesia's most famous writer and political activist. The writer passed away on Sunday in Jakarta.


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Russia: Solzhenitsyn’s Controversial Views · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

David McDuff of A Step At A Time writes about Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's latest public statement, in which “his anti-Western and anti-democratic position is clearly outlined for all to see.”


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Slovenia: “A Diversity to Discover” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Michael of The Glory of Carniola writes about one drawback of Slovenia's new promo commercial to be aired on CNN: “The video is beautifully done and I tip my hat to everyone involved, with the exception of those responsible for the awkward slogan: ‘A diversity to discover.'”


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Sri Lanka: Peace Talks, Escalating Violence and Geneva · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Lanka Page recaps the rounds of discussion in Geneva so far between LTTE and the Sri Lankan government, providing the context of escalating conflict and violence.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Blogger gets job offer · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Blogging translates into a job offer for Abeni in St. Vincent, but alas–she refuses. “I don't want writing to feel like a chore,” she says.


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Sudan: Genocide in Darfur · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Sudan: The Passion of the Present reports on yesterday's demonstrations in the US against the genocide in Darfur. “They protested a civil war in which the Sudanese government and its proxies have killed about 200,000 people in Darfur, in that nation's south, and driven an estimated 2.5 million people from their homes, according to the United States government. A pro-government Arab militia, the janjaweed, have systematically raped women and killed or maimed children and destroyed villages, displacing millions.”


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The Boycott from Both Sides of the Border · Global Voices
David Sasaki

It's a public holiday for the much of the world. In fact, I'm severely disappointed if you're reading this in anything other than pajamas.
Though International Workers Day (better known as “May Day”) was first established in the United States after the Haymarket Riot, government fear of spreading socialism caused then-President Grover Cleveland to adopt the September commemoration of Labor Day as the official federal endorsement. As a result, many – if not most – Americans did not know what May Day is nor what it celebrates.
That has changed this year, however, thanks to the Great American Boycott, or in Spanish, El Gran Paro Americano. Or “El Boicot.” Or, “A Day without an Immigrant.” Or, the “Nothing Gringo Boycott.” In fact, as we shall soon see, the titles for the day are as varied as its participants. Bloggers on both sides of the border have expressed conflicted feelings about the cause, which includes an international boycott against all products of American-based companies in a show of solidarity against the bill “H.R. 4437.”
Eduardo Domínguez of Monterrey, Mexico acknowledges in his post “Boicoteando” that:
Hay cientos de razones por las cuales estar a favor o en contra del mentado boicot que se haría en México a los productos gringos este primero de mayo.
A mi gusto, es cándido pensar que Washington se intimidará por un boicot de esta naturaleza, porque, seamos honestos, nos gusta lo gringo y a lo gringos lo mexicano (toda proporción guardada) y nadie quiere cambiar eso. Give me Mcallen or give me death. Eso del boicot pareciera ser un “Hoy no compro gringo. Mañana sí”. La verdad no hay mucha ganancia por ahi.
According to my own tastes, it's simplistic to think that Washington will be intimidated by a boycott of this nature because, let's be honest, we like what's American and we like Americans. Give me McAllen [a Texas border city popular for weekend shopping trips by Northern Mexicans] or give me death. All this talk of the boycott seems to be “today I won't buy gringo, but tomorrow sure.” Honestly, there's not much won in that.
Domínguez goes on to say that if Mexicans are serious about making social change, that they should start in their own country.
Raúl Ramírez of the popular Mexico City-based design blog Isopixel, makes note of just how difficult a true boycott against American products is in our globalized world.
Muchas cadenas de emails piden apoyar a los migrantes de este lado de la frontera, no comprando productos gringos, algo complicado por la proliferación de mercancías provenientes de Estados Unidos. Además es harto complicado estar buscando de donde demonios proviene un producto para consumirlo o no. Salvo las multinacionales muy reconocidas como Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mc Donald's, Starbucks y Domino's. Mi mismo proveedor de hosting es americano, así que ni modo de no conectarme.
Desde aquí nuestra solidaridad con nuestros compatriotas indocumentados en una tierra ajena.
From here we offer our solidarity to our undocumented compatriots in a far land.
Hector Centeno says he will join the boycott, but then wonders if the sushi restaurant he plans on eating at is an American chain.
Quoting a news item from Notimex, Eduardo Arcos titles his post, “the boycott in Mexico could amount to 36 billion dollars in lost revenue.” Attempting to clarify the confusion of which companies are American and which are not, Arcos mentions that the popular convenient store chain, Oxxo belongs to Coca-Cola, but that Starbucks, Domino's, Burger King, and Popeye's “belong to Grupo Alsea, which in reality is Mexican.” But when someone suggests boycotting the internet because it was “invented by Americans,” Arcos responds that he believes that the internet belongs to everyone, concluding that, “what many simply don't understand is that this boycott is a symbolic form of supporting the boycott being carried about by the Latinos in the United States.”
Still the suggestion of boycotting the internet creates a debate in the comment thread over whether American products should just not be purchased or not be used at all. When Arcos contends that using an American product is not the same as purchasing it, “DRG” replies:
no trates de defenderte diciendo que usar no es lo mismo que comprar y por eso está bien, porque hasta vos te das cuenta que ese argumento hace agua por todos lados. para usar algo tenés que haberlo adquirido antes. o haberlo robado. como sea. es un acto de consumo igualmente. además, qué sentido tiene boicotear los productos estadounidenses donde sea *UN DÍA* si el resto de los días se vuelven a consumir (sea de la manera que sea, comprándolos, hablando positivamente de ellos -cofapplecoff- o como sea) como si fueran vitales. ni los propios latinos en EEUU van a dejar de hacerlo. peeero… es más fácil no ir a comer la hamburguesita del día y sentirse revolucionario por ello que hacer algo al respecto…
Another commenter, Karina, also says she is against the boycott.
Ayer (no recuerdo el nombre) decia que la mejor manera de apoyar el boicot es generando más empleos en México.
Femsa es una empresa mexicana por lo mismo no estoy de acuerdo en dejar de comprar productos hechos en México. Eso de boicotear a empresas que generan empleos en México como que no le veo caso.
Femsa [the bottler of Coca-Cola in Mexico] is a Mexican business, which is why I don't agree with not buying products that are made here in Mexico. All this talk of boycotting companies that create jobs in Mexico doesn't make any sense to me.
Some Latino bloggers in the United States, despite their clear solidarity, also feel conflicted about joining the school and work walkouts. Lotería Chicana, the weblog of a Mexican-American graduate student at UCLA, explains how she came to the difficult decision of participating in today's protests despite skipping out on her new job.
Although I respect decisions to go to work, I know that I had to change my mind. I thought of my grandparents who came here with several children in hopes of a better life. Although my parents and their families did not come as undocumented immigrants, I know well that I have a number of extended family members and good friends who do not have that privilege.
“Xoloitzquintle,” who describes himself as “a thirty-something freelance anthropologist and university instructor” is also conflicted. In the end he says:
It seems like this immigrant will be around on Monday. I will not buy anything and I will probably attend the rally again, but my commitment to teaching is greater than my immigrant solidarity.
This notion finds resonance with other Latino teacher-bloggers. Jennifer, a professor in Texas who recently held class at a protest against H.R. 4437, comments:
i'm also teaching on monday. i had my reseravations, but it's the last week of school, and my students are doing group presentations. i canceled class on april 10th, but we don't have any more days to “make up.” anyway. i do plan on participating in the economic boycott that day…
“MsAbcMom,” a Panamanian-American teacher in California explains her decision to hold class today:
While I support the boycott, I also support my student's need for an education. All but one of my students are either immigrants themselves or children of immigrants. The majority of the kids in my class come from very modest, humble and hard working families. Their parents value their education tremendously and have done an excellent job of instilling this value in their children … I guess you could say that I feel like I will be doing my part in participating in the boycott by coming to work and educating these immigrant children, mi gente, on that day.
Regarding the question of whether or not she'll discuss the boycott with her students:
I am a little torn on this subject too. Part of me thinks that I need to keep my personal politics out of the classroom. My students think that everything I say is what is right. While I kind of like that, I want to make sure that I don't abuse that power I have over them. It is important that I help them to be independent critical thinkers. The subject will probably come up though and we will discuss it in our circle/calendar time. If it doesn't though, I might even bring it up myself. We do discuss current events during our circle time so it isn't like it is something out of the ordinary.
It is law student César Garcia who most passionately articulates his participation in “El Gran Paro” in a post that was also published on AlterNet.
Some have noted that, historically, one-day boycotts have little lasting economic impact. Consumers simply shop a bit more the day before or the day after. Such criticism is valid of boycotts intended to bring the targeted businesses to their knees. That is not my goal, nor that of the thousands who I will join.
I do not intend to wreak economic havoc on any business. After all, their economic well-being provides jobs for immigrants. The millions of people who have taken to the streets in recent weeks have done so expressly to protect the ability of immigrant workers to work.
Instead, I will cease my economic activity on May 1 to remind our legislators that this economy functions only because immigrants carry it on their shoulders as workers and consumers.
I will join the boycott to remind our legislators that they serve me. Their distant debates are my concerns, the concerns of my family, friends, and neighbors. Yes, I am watching the discussion in Washington. And on May 1, I will remind them that I have not stopped paying attention.
But John Guzman, a native of Colombia who has lived most of his life in the United States, disagrees:
I am not boycotting anything.  In fact I urge everyone to go to work and not observe this movement.  People need to understand the issues that they are fighting for and what they are going to be able to accomplish with their efforts.  This movement is not going to help anything.  Sure it might illustrate the buying power of Hispanics in this country, or their impact on some cities with a high concentration of Hispanics.  But then what? Whose cries are going to be heard? Whose demands would be met?
I have felt like an outsider since I moved to the U.S. I am sure my position on this subject is not going to make me new friends in the community.  I am sorry but I love America, I love the dream that I fight for every single day and I wish people would try to fight just as hard instead of waiting for a favor or a handout.
This is just a small, though hopefully representative sample of what bloggers from both sides of the border have been saying about today's boycott. Of course, a thin slice of cyber-chatter cannot be taken as a measurement of overall opinion, but it does go to show that complex reactions have been inspired by a complex movement.


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United Arab Emirates: Islamic Banking · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

A Yahya challenge any bank operating out of the UAE to clearly explain in layman’s terms how their financial packages are in fact Islamic. While you all talk about investing back into the community with various schemes from saving the whales to the nationalization of your work force you still believe it is ok to lie to your customers in order to swindle them out of their money, A Yahya said.


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Voices from Zimbabwe and the Great Lakes · Global Voices
Zimpundit

As Nepal celebrated their revolution's success, envious Zimbabwean observers still trapped on the outside of democratic success couldn't hide their aspirations for the same in Zimbabwe.  Nepal's revolution got Zimpundit dreaming,
“As I sit here looking at my computer screen I’m dreaming of Nepal. I so badly want the reality they are experiencing to be mine . I want to be able cower my despot into democracy too!”
Said Eddie Cross,
“Just been watching the celebrations in Nepal following the King’s decision to give in to popular demands that he restore the democratic structures in that country. It is very moving to see this massive commitment by simple, ordinary people in a very poor country demanding that they no longer be treated as feudal slaves to a totalitarian regime but be granted the democratic right to choose their own government.”
Eddie is convinced Zimbabwe is showing signs that she is readying for a revolution of her own
Manulite has a harrowing post about his friend Simon who is,
Much shorter than me, which of course is explained by the fact that he's much much younger than me. We both live in Zimbabwe so that gives us a lot in common. But Simon practically survives on the streets. Though he doesn't necessarily sleep on the street at night, his life is a life lived on the pavements of Harare's central business district.
He concludes,
I wonder if Simon can grow up to be a doctor, or a computer geek, with all the iPods, mp3 players, blackberry enabled cellphones and all that stuff? Will he even know such things exist? Will it be his fault when he ends up a thug or in prison? How many children out there are in a situation like Simon's? Surely someone's to blame… who?
This is Zimbabwe has many interesting posts including reports that “We're back to clearing out trash,” and that the infamous riot police recently went on rampage attacking students at the University of Zimbabwe.
The Bearded Man's news round up includes reports that Zimbabwe's opposition is “ganging up,”  the government is going to print 60 trillion ZW$ to meet the bill for 300% pay hikes for civil servants despite inflation pegged at 1,000%, and that David Coltart an MDC legislator is contemplating turning independent.  Check out his blog for daily news roundups from Zimbabwe.
Agathon Rwasa  points to articles indicating that Tanzania has been denied a mediatory role in the Burundian crisis because of Dar es Salaam's “pro-FNL leanings,” and that leaders of the Great Lakes nations want sanctions imposed on rebel groups bent on destabilizing the region.
Carl of Because We're Here Boy, No One Else; Just Us recently read “Re-Inventing Order in the Congo” a book dealing with the reality of how Kinshasha's inhabitants survive on infrastructure designed to sustain 25% of the city's population.  His commentary on the book includes his experiences with the “fish pond gardens,” people,
“Cut [water] line[s] and use the water to fill up the pond. Then they put the other end of our line into the pond. We still get our water from the city water point, but via the pond. I wondered why our water is kind of brown once it settles out.
The pond is used to provide a ready source of water for all the little gardens in that vicinity of the airport.
Congogirl celebrates reports that the Catholic church might consider relaxing their rules regarding condom use in light of HIV/AIDS.  She also has a report on the conviction of some rebels over the rape  and other crimes against humanity.
Also filled with many interesting posts is Congowatch including reports that Uganda supports rebels in the DRC, the announcement of a new DRC discussion forum, and news that American filmaker and blogger Louis Abelman has unveiled a website for his documentary “The Goma Project.”  The project, according to Congogirl is,
A deeply sensitive documentary about the lives of rape survivors in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo as they work with medical staff and counsellors to regain their health and dignity.
In a piece entitled “Heart of the DRC“ Black Looks provides a summary of the political and human rights situation in the country at the moment.  She comments that the Francophone DRC blogs are written from a  political perspective but are lacking in providing a social and human rights perspective.
In the midst of all the chaos and largely ignored in any discussions by the French language DRC bloggers, thousands of children remain at risk from sexual and physical abuse, abductions and attacks on schools and recruitment as child soldiers. Outwards signs of normality especially in the capital and major cities is deceptive. The most violent area remains around the north east in Kivu along the borders of Uganda and Rwanda (see map), Goma and further south in Bukavu. The figures as most figures of abuse in the DRC are astounding – 33,000 children are estimated to have been used as child soldiers between 1998-2002 – the highest concentration of child soldiers anywhere. Minors under the age of 15 are sitting in death row with no legal representation.
Mike at Hacktivate in “Wireless toolbox for Africa,” lauds several different for wireless networking in Africa including a guide to using low cost radio communications for telecommunication.
007 in Africa a blogger based in the DRC is in Goma, Rwanda for a short work trip where he is reminded of New Orleans .  Here are some of his impressions of the country,
The country is essentially made of large hills, one rising up after the other. It is called “Le pays des Mille Collines” (“the land of the thousand hills”). Due to overcrowding, almost every square inch of land is cultivated. It resembles Peru or even Madagascar, with its stratified agricultural beds. The richer soils reside in the valley while the nutrient poor ones are on top of the hills. The water often washes crops away and strips the top soil of nutrients essential for growing crops. The poorer families own the lands on top of the hill. In addition to having to hike up the hills everyday to harvest their land, they also have poorer soil to work with…
007 also chronicles a history of the conflicts in Rwanda, and contemplates reasons for fueling the ages old conflict between Rwanda and the DRC.
In Gacaca (pronounced Gachacha), 007 in Africa meets a man who talks about the small town:
“For twelve years, we have preached the message, « we can live together ». That was the first step. Now we are in a phase of Reconciliation and Justice. Should we forget the past and build a future or punish the culprits? This is a dilemma. We should combine the two. But this has its set of challenges. Classic justice [as we know it in the West] cannot solve these conflicts. We would like to recognize the blame but also reinstate populations. We use Gacaca Justice. It’s a participatory process allowing us to talk. We are amongst ourselves, in the community. This is how we can deal.”
Jay at Jay's Idle Notes is frustrated by the addition of new districts to the country as he is trying to update his contacts lists;
Sometime last year the government decided to increase the number of Uganda’s districts from 54 to 72. The parliament approved the increase to 69 and 3 other districts are awaiting approval.
The reasoning behind creating new districts from the larger ones made sense when it had just been started in the early 90s. The argument back then was that certain districts were very large and some of the subcounties in those districts that were furthest from the district headquarters were not receiving their share of resources due to the “remoteness” but now it has become misused vote getting trick by the government and a weapon of blackmail for the electorate.
These days every time an election comes around the President promises somebody a district. Sometimes, as was the case in Tororo county last year, he was told not to bother seeking votes in the area if by election time they didn’t have a district of their own ( I forget what they called it).
It had come to a point where if you blinked you’d miss the creation of a new district.
Jay's also unimpressed by the prospects some of the new districts have of survival given that some of them have no infrastructure to house the district headquarters but,
Infrastructure problems aside, the creation of large villages and calling them districts has brought about some really petty quarrels. In Manafa, the people of Manjiya subcounty threatened not to be part of the district if Bududa subcounty is not declared the district headquarters instead of Bubulo (something to the with the fact that the people of Bubulo always seem to get the good things). In retaliation one of the subcounties made its own letterheads because it could have its official correspondence bear the address of another. Such petty quarrels plague almost all the new districts.
I will not even get into what each new district means in terms of costs. More district officials to be paid, more women parliamentarians to be overpaid etc.
Visit Jay's blog he has a lot of updated links to other Ugandan blogs.

author: Zimpundit


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What is the world cooking? · Global Voices
Melissa De León

#1: From Malaysia & UK, Yang-May Ooi's Lit Blog
Curious Legacies: My GrandMother's recipe for Soy Sauce Chicken
Grandma left us many recipes for dishes that have been in the family for years. They are old-fashioned and labor intensive, involving a lot of chopping and slicing and marinading to get just the right texture and just the right taste. In truth, I don't think I have the hours it can take to make many of them in their original form in my hectic life in London. But I can say that the most useful recipe Grandma left me is not really a dish but an attitude of mind. It's about adapting and innovating, taking what is safe and familiar and making it your own, moving with the times but on your own terms.
#2: From Jordan, Algeria, Ya Rayi Our Rai; MANSAF: The pride of Jordanian Cooking.
#3: From Panama, Venezuela and Davis-California, U.S. More on exotic fruits and farmer's markets around the world. By the way, do not forget to blog about your favorite market and let us know :)
If you are curious about how the pomarosa, maranon curazao y guava look like and what can you prepare with them? Take a look at the report and photos Elena shares from her last visit to El Valle, Panama.
Greg's Food reports on his recent visit to Davis Farmer's Market. But, that is not all. He embraces a breathtaking appreciation for Farmer's Markets, he proves that photo after photo from this fantastic photo set.
Her name is Zulmy Garcia and she lives in Caracas, Venezuela. She is a Farmer's Markets lover and her camera is always on hand. I won't call it an obsession, I would say it is a way for her to share the love she feels for the land, and specially the land were she lives and the delicious wonders that mother and father nature grant us. Her most recent posts were about Fresh cheese at the Market "El Mercadito El Cafetal," and "Mercedes: granos y sabores from El Mercadito El Cafetal too."
#4: There are others: The 7th Annual Weird Food Festival.
They may be look scrumptious to some of you, I'll pass this time…abstinence is good sometimes and this is the perfect example for moi to practice it :) I perfectly understand that its a matter of culture, traditions and how adventurous your taste buds are. Head over to their website and you will get a taste of what I mean!
But then there’s this other group. It’s a sort of kinky culinary collective who call themselves the “Weird Food Fest.” Once a year, a relatively intimate group of about seven get together to eat. Their gathering may be small but their passion for food is big. To be specific, this group is really into food that is exotic, weird, uncommon, an acquired taste, extremely foreign or highly indigenous. Whatever label you want to place on it, it’s food that you won’t soon forget.
On the buffet, silkworm pupae, laver bread, thousand year-old egg, fermented papaya, beef pizzle, lots of heart, AND other unmentionable things!
#5: From The Philippines, Market Manila makes us, seafood lovers, just really hungry with an excellent report on Camilo: Spotted Hard Shelled Crab. The photos are scrumptiously sinful. Yes, that is the exact message I've gotten from them.
Called Camilo in Batangas, the spotted crabs were from “deeper waters” and had the “sweetest meat,” she insisted. They certainly looked terrific so I decided to buy one large one to give it a try. Untied and totally fresh, this frisky fellow was difficult to get onto a scale and a plastic bag. Back home, I noticed they had given me a specimen with uneven sized claws, a sign that the crab had earlier lost one of its claws (whether by accident, in a tousle to save the honor of his crabby girlfriend, etc.) and had re-grown the limb. There was something fascinating about this which made the crab even more interesting to me. Imagine if I cut off one of my arms and it grew back but was shorter then my other arm? How bizarre would that be? Could my dress shirts and suits be altered to still look becoming? Not to mention cutting off other body parts… Head over to Market Manila and read more of this post!
#6: From Israel, My Mom's Recipes and More has a step by step guide with photos to prepare a delicious Strawberry Jam. In addition to that fabulous creation, she commemorates Israel Independence Day – Yom Ha'atzmaut 58 sharing some old food postcards and information on the food they had available way back! Interesting…
See you next weekend!

author: Melissa De León


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Africa: World Bank Malaria project · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Unilag Faces – a Nigerian blog by University of Lagos students comments on claims by the Lancet that the World Bank's malaria project was wasting money…


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Argentina: Maradona Betrayal and Worship · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Brandan compares Maradona's recent donning of a Brazilian football jersey to “Michael Jordan wearing a CCCP warm-up during the Cold War.” Meanwhile, Argentine journalism professor Julian Gallo says that blogger and author Leandro Zanoni has published a book about Diego Maradona's life in the media. In a followup post, Gallo clarifies that “the post … about the launch of the book about Maradona doesn't show any sympathy for its subject.” Then, “according to the emails I received yesterday and the comments so far, the level of fanaticism that many Argentineans have with this ex-football player is shameful.”


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Argentina, Spain, USA: Humanity over Nationality · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Martin Varsavsky, himself an Argentine immigrant living in Spain envisions “political parties made of immigrants joined by native citizens who felt that to them humanity was a stronger concept than nationalism.” In fact, he says it's already happening: “As the May 1st walkout is proving, America would suffer very badly without the hispanic participation. And when all the other immigrants join in, Asians, Eastern Europeans, Africans, it will be time for mainstream political parties that something must be done to end the tremendous unfairness of people working every day who are treated as criminals.”


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Armenia: Racist Violence in Russia · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Nessuna writes at Oneworld Multimedia about the rise in racist attacks in Russia against people with darker skin and how Armenians have reacted to the stabbing death of a 17 year old Armenian in Moscow.


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Aruba: Political education · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

With a local foundation offering seminars on issues such as taxation and the functioning of the economy, ArubaGirl is optimistic that her compatriots will eventually be able to make more informed political decisions. She's still concerned, however, that the foundation's ties with a particular political party will cause suppporters of the rival party to stay away.


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Bahrain: Press Freedom Day · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

On the eve of the Press Freedom Day, the press in this, as well as virtually the whole Middle East, are in shackles, with parliaments aiding and abetting the press and its workers’ incarceration, utilising that ever-present fillip: religion, to justify imprisoning journalists and anyone else who dares to speak their mind and challenge a preconceived notion, Mahmood said.


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Barbados: Mysterious death boat · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“Everyone seems to know someone who saw the small vessel brought into harbour on Sunday. White hull streaked with rust, baby blue deck and the sombre faces of those whose task was most unpleasant,” writes Barbados Free Press in a post about the boat found drifting off the coast of Barbados with the decomposing bodies of 11 men believed to be from West Africa on board.


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Belarus: Putin-Lukashenko Meeting · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus Blog reports on the absurdity of a recent meeting between presidents Putin and Lukashenko: “Putin advised Lukashenka, for example, to initiate broad dialogue and cooperation with all the political forces in the country. Lukashenka replied, no problem, almost all the population voted for me, including part of the opposition.”


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Bermuda: Civic values · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

The Limey's guest blogger, Stuart Hayward, outlines a program designed to instil civic values in young Bermudians.


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Bloggers Against Vandals’ Disorders on May 1 · Global Voices
Rosario Lizana

The  Workers United Centre (CUT) commemorates the first of May every year, all over the main cities of the country.  In Santiago a peaceful march on Alameda, one of the main streets of the capital, started early in the morning with all the workers. Lately the highest representative of the CUT, Arturo Martinez made a speech that focuses on “social justice and democracy” issues. All the authorities were invited. The manifestation took place in front of the Diego Portales building in the centre of the capital. The entire act was done peacefully.
When it was finished, more than 350 people – mostly wearing hoods – infiltrated the manifestation and destroyed and robbed various stores around the area.
Mi verdad, tu verdad, la verdad (ES) writes “… and the vandalism and destruction began (always they first destroy Burger Inn and McDonald’s, why?) and the TV says that the vandals always invite themselves…” Sebastián Torres (ES) has a very good title for this issue in his blog: “Worker or Delinquent Day ?????”  He also states that authorities are making legal actions against the responsible ones.
Today president Michelle Bachelet announces that all the legal power will be used to find those responsible. The vandals used flags with the anarchy symbol, wrote graffiti all over Alameda Street and moved the media attention to them.
In a more reflective viewpoint, Sociolrock (ES) writes “ I do not consider someone valiant when they hide among people to throw stones, using them as a human shield. That shows us a loss of integrity and dignity towards the other people, and demonstrates their lack of  organisational capacity, because we know that this violence doesn’t have a political motive; it's just a spontaneous act.”

author: Rosario Lizana


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Bolivia: Nationalization of Natural Gas Resources · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Eduardo Ávila has posted the entire Spanish text of Supreme Decree 28701, which explains – in nine articles – the details of Bolivia's nationalization of its natural gas resources. Alvaro Ruiz-Navajas has collected reactions from news outlets across the world. We'll have more on this story in a feature post tomorrow.


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Brazil: “Hidden Talent” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Andrew of Comings Communiqué has posted a video a talented saxophonist he encountered at a church service in Northeastern Brazil. The verdict? “Kenny G, has nothing on this guy!” I most certainly concur.


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Brazil raps about transition to digital TV · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

When we talk about TV in Brazil, we mean something big, really big. Television has ultra high penetration and influence in this country — 98% of the population watches it at least once in the week (anatel). And soon this household electronic unit will be the central icon in the national mobilization of attention to the World Cup games in Germany. As the Brazilian soccer team fights in the German fields in June to maintain global sovereignty most of the population will be glued to the TV. This is the context in which the debate about the digital TV implementation is arriving and the open network is again holding the most productive exchange of ideas and arguments on the issue.
In Brazil, the premier soccer country, when one wants to be clear and direct, it is common to use sports metaphors and analogies. That's why Mr. Helio Costa, Brazil's Minister for Communications, in a public appearance in the Chamber of Representatives in late January, “kicked off” the governmental decision process on the transition to digital TV using the best verbal resources at hand:
“I placed the ball on the penalty mark for the President. He can kick the ball strongly and score a ‘plate goal’ (a goal that deserves a memorial plate), or he can shoot softly and still score, or he can shoot out and miss the goal.”
Min. Hélio Costa – Digital TV audience in the Camara dos Deputados – in Pênalti Digital – Blog Silepse
The minister, who was previously a famous TV reporter of a big broadcast network, was very pedagogical in laying out the available choices. To implement digital TV we have to choose between the three available standards: the Japanese (ISDB), the European (DVB) and the American (ATSC). It seemed necessary that decisions on the digital TV transition be quickly taken because 2006 is not only the year of the World Cup but also the year of the Brazilian presidential election where TV plays a huge role.
“With an eye on his own immediate political support, President Lula da Silva is being directly pressed by the Globo Organizations (Brazil's largest mainstream network) to immediately choose the business model and the technological specifications that will define the ‘Brazilian’ radio and TV digital system to be adopted in the country.”
The interests, and the political, economic and technological dilemmas of digital radio and tv in Brazil – Total Alert – Blog
“There are reasons to believe that this hasty decision is a disaster. First, it will be taken based on pressures and lobbies — without a wide debate in the society and without the adoption of measures to benefit the public interest. Second, the decision will come without the needed legal structure to rule the new situation and it will infringe the archaic regulation (or absence of regulation) that reigns in the broadcasting area. Third, it will not explore the results of research coordinated by the Center of Research and Development in Telecommunications (CPqD) and carried out by teams of about 80 universities and research institutes throughout Brazil.”
Digital TV: do not kick cause it is goal against, Mr. President! – We Won't Pay For Nothing – Blog
The blogosphere managed to widen the debate, which was at first restricted to the technological discussions so unfriendly to the larger public. It was necessary to identify and to understand the broader issue — the new opportunities that would become available as a result of the new technology standards, and also discover who are the real players in this decision, and which interests are at stake.
“In rare occasions the reports on the issue touch the main question: will the digitalization of TV bring the possibility of optimizing the use of the electromagnetic spectrum for broadcasting?  Depending on the decisions taken now by the government, we may be able to have many more TV channels in a near future. This is the real opportunity to diminish the property concentration in the media sector. Today, only six private national networks dominate the market of TV in Brazil.”
Digital TV: what big media don't tell – FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) - Blog
“The TV networks are pressing the government for the Japanese standard (ISDB). This model privileges the high definition and allows the cell phones to catch the signals directly from TV antennas, bypassing the telephone infrastructure. This guarantees that the TV nets maintain the monopoly of transmission.
Digital TV – Nomad Thinking – Blog
President Lula understood the message. He saw that the subject was much more complex and important than his minister's initial speech indicated, and he invited more players to the debate. In March, the talks revolved around special credit lines offered by Japanese and European banks and the possibility of the installation of a computer chip plant in Brazil. This started to redefine the decision process. In a recent visit of Brazilian officials to Japan, it looked like the final decision was near. A “memorandum of intentions” was signed for joint Brazilian-Japanese work on the digital TV system. But now the Japanese victory is not certain as Lula's scheduled visit to Europe in May already mentions a meeting in Vienna about the issue.
“The EFE agency reported that the Japanese government was not happy with the ‘memorandum of intentions’. The Japanese press published articles mentioning the frustration with the text of the document, in which Brazil expresses only its “strong desire” to adopt the Japanese digital TV format, but doesn't affirm the adoption. Japan had the hope that the Brazilian Government would announce the final decision for the Japanese digital TV standard during the visit.”
Digital TV – Japanese are frustrated with the signed memorandum – Circuito – Blog
“The powerful lobbies of European companies interested in implementing the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) in Brazil are waving the possibility of heavily investing in Lula's electoral campaign. The French and Italians are ready to do anything in order to win the race with the Japanese for the definition of the Brazilian digital TV model and others also are waving the possibility of generous “electoral investments”.
European and Japanese lobbies on digital radio and tv are waving with help for Lula's campaign – Total Alert – Blog
In the middle of all this, the Brazilian Minister of Culture, Mr. Gilberto Gil, world famous singer and also known for his open defense of free software and the free access to culture and knowledge, keeps affirming that, ‘content is what matters‘. Recently, while leading an inaugural class in a university in Rio de Janeiro, he inadvertently created a conflict with his colleague Mr. Costa by giving an example of popular manifestations against the government's conduct in the process of transition to digital TV. Illustrating the diverse content of democratic debate, Mr. Gil chanted a ‘cordel‘ (a kind of traditional Brazilian rap) which among others things called Mr. Helio Costa an ‘ idiot entrepreneur ‘ who bets at the maintenance of the ‘private monopoly’, with a ‘ bullshit conversation’. The bloggers would not miss that:
“Amongst the creative reactions to the dictatorship in the media, in politics and in the economy, the ‘cordel’ of the Digital TV (in text, audio and video) is worthy of wide distribution for the people in general, in order to explain in a playful and simple form a subject of great complexity and relevance, allowing its comprehensibility to the 74 % of illiterates and half-illiterates in our language, as well as to the 20% of our political illiterates that are fully aware of the Portuguese language possibilities.”
SBTVD: The best from Brazil is the Brazilian!!! – Maddening of a Computologist – Blog
“The coalition of forces in government has shown to be ambiguous. The post of minister for communications has been, since the beginning of Lula's mandate, a currency of exchange with parties of the allied base… Last week the Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil, in an inaugural class in a university in Rio de Janeiro, read a ‘cordel’ from the journalist Luciana Rabelo which stresses the importance of an ample debate with society and attacks Hélio Costa.”
Digital TV – Between the democratization of communications and the maintenance of media concentration – Open Veins – Blog
“The Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil, clarifies that the text ‘Brazilians, attention! – the Digital TV ‘cordel’‘ — which he read yesterday (March 29), during the inaugural class of the Social Communication Faculty at UFRJ — does not express his opinion in the governmental debate on Digital TV. In the lesson's context, the Minister of Culture was talking about democracy and the need of the government to deal with critics in a good way, pointing to the text as an example of the diverse forms expressed from the society in a democratic state.”
Note of Clarification – Ministry of Culture – Brazil
The debate on the digital TV transition is attracting more participants every day. An Orkut community has launched a stamp (image aside: ‘I want to debate the digital TV‘) that is spreading through Brazilian sites and blogs. The new audiences already perceived that the rushed decision only benefited the ones in a rush. It is also clear that the decision on the technological model, even though very important, is only the first step toward a much wider and deeper reform which will demand the mobilization of many sectors of the society. This is a debate about the fundamental difference between the private and the public spheres in the Information Age and it is earning more visibility each day thanks to the Internet.
“The maintenance of the status quo of the media oligopoly that controls communications in Brazil is NOT guaranteed with the ‘simple’ choice of the ISDB as the modulation standard for the open digital TV in Brazil. But once the choice is made, we cannot allow the following step (the beginning of the test transmissions) without guaranteeing the approval of a General Law of Communications… The main thing needed now is a social debate on what is really involved in the digital TV issue. We've got to denounce in case the government comes to choose the ISDB officially as modulation standard of the Brazilian digital TV. We've got to hinder any attempt to create consummated facts… We've got to have a law, voted by the people representatives, defining what can and what cannot be made in this new media that is now being inaugurated. Therefore, we are far from the end of this war, with or without ISDB.”
The digital TV consummated fact – Gustavo Gindre – Hacking Catatau
What will be the future digital ecology of Brazil? We will be following closely the debates on this core Information Age issue. Stay tuned.

author: Jose Murilo


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Broadening Blogging in Africa by Radio · Global Voices
Rachel Rawlins

Some members of the audience may have been sceptical – “blogging is too complex… where is the power for the connection, the internet is still a luxury”  was the comment of one listener – but the BBC World Service Radio programme Network Africa showed that blogging in Africa is a reality – and a growing one.
Here we have two excerpts from the programme – first up our very own Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Editor, Sokari Ekine gives an overview:
Sokari gives us the low-down on blogging in Africa
In the studio with presenter Bola Mosuro as the programme was being transmitted live in the morning was a blogger who often features here on Global Voices, Mshairi.
In our second excerpt she talks about how easy and free it can be to start a blog in Africa, before her is Malawian blogger Mwai Kasamale talks about the blog he runs with his brother, Malawi Is! and the clip kicks off with the commenter to the programme I mentioned above.
Mwai Kasamale and Mshairi – bloggers on blogging
“We need more education for blogging” is the final comment in that excerpt, sent to the programme via text message from Monrovia in Liberia. The programme provided much information and many links to do just that.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS

author: Rachel Rawlins


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Cameroon: Press Freedom · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Scribbles from the Den remembers Cameroonian jounalist Pius Njawe who has been arrested 126 and served 3 prison sentences in his quest for the right to speak.   Here Scribbles publishes an article by Njawe which he wrote on the occassion of World Press Freedom Day.


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Caribbean: Regional Telecom Penetrates French DOMs · Global Voices
Alice Backer

“For 155 million dollars, Denis O'Brien's  Digicel Group just acquired Bouygues Telecom Caribbean, the second wireless network in the French Caribbean DOMs i.e. about 160,000 subscribers and 80 employees,” says (FR) Internetrapide.com. Digicel is now present in 20 Caribbean countries, explains the blogger.

author: Alice Backer


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Caribbean, US: Ripping off immigrants · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Prompted by an article appearing the New York Times on May 1, the day of country-wide pro-immigrant demonstrations in the US , Haiti-born Nightshift thinks about the hardships that immigrants endure at the hands of those purporting to help them, and expresses hope that a project being organized by one of his friends will change the lives of the New York Garifuna community.


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China: Democratic entertainment feared · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Following talk of the democratic way in which a Chinese ‘Idol’ was selected via text message in last year's wildly-popular television program Super Voice Girl, Super Voice Boy has been cancelled, reports Fon Tuinstra from China Herald. Auditions for SVG 2 began this week in cities across China.


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China: Firewall has loopholes · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Churbuck blogger has figured out a surefire way to view blogs blocked in China. But he's not telling. Sort of. (via China Herald)


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China: Music festival goes South · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Hard-up for holiday plans during this year's Golden Week in China? Skip the “now mundane and boring annual MIDI Festival in Beijing,” says Frances D'Ath Supernaut, and stop by Windflower in Guangzhou this Friday night for a Mini MIDI spinoff concert.


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Czech Republic: May Celebrations · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Bored in Brno and My Czech Republic Blog write about May's old and new dates to celebrate.


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DRC: Elections in July · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Adventures of a Retired Armchair Traveller reports that the DRC elections will take place on July 30th –

author: Sokari Ekine


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East Timor: Post riots Dili · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Dili-gence continues the coverage of riots in East Timor. The blogger visits a market and writes about the damage. Tumbleweed in Timor Lorosae rounds up the last couple of days after the riots.


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Education in India: Different Voices · Global Voices
Mridula Dwivedi

India is attracting a lot of FDI and one of the reasons given for it is the educated population. The spread of education in India is quite uneven but here is what people are saying about it.
Abhas writes at A Few Hundred Words and doesn't seem to like his second school.
Why is it that a boy must come home from school, only to find his mother forcing food in his mouth, all because he doesn't want to end up being late fore the bell rings at a second school? Hell yes, I'm talking about coaching, and while I'm at it, put in those tuitions and extra classes, too.
School is not what it used to be, or so I believe. You can't go there alone and expect to learn what you need. And what's worse is that every teacher knows it, and so does every student.
Kids decide that they'd rather not waste their time in school studying, and brush up on their facts at a nearby coaching institute. And problem two originates because teachers know this, and keeping it in mind, they also go: “what the heck…”
Chronicals of Semi-Geek Living talks about the pressure to do well in Math in India.
The average high-school goer in India is a curious mix of conflicting ambitions. He even likes (gasp!) school sometimes. This is because most of the horror stories he was told as a pre-schooler about schools being torture houses and teachers being demons (who spreads these things I wonder) have proven themselves wrong by this time. He has favourite subjects (sometimes one of them is even math), and many a time nurses fond dreams of making a career out of them.
He persevers in his pursuit of better grades in the face of an overflowing schedule (tuitions, curriculars etc). He is secretly guilty of his ineptitude with the numerical and does his best to measure up to his more gifted peers. He spends hours struggling with the well established rote system. Hours that may have proved more gainful if employed in practice of things he enjoys more. Say… literature, or drawing, or music.
Abi at Nanopolitan talks about how good are enterance tests like JEE that lead to admission in Indian Institute of Technologies (IIT) are at discovering merit?
This problem is much worse in JEE, because even the ones who get through (i.e., get a JEE rank, called the All India Rank – AIR) are people who are able to attempt only a small fraction of the questions. In the year I took it, I attempted barely 25% of the questions in chemistry, as well as in math (physics was slightly better, at about 50%!). The JEE questions continue to be brutal.
Remaining with the admission to Indian Institute of Technologies we discovered this strange motivational strategy ‘walking on fire’ by one coaching institute and Veena at Yossarian Lives comments on it.
Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, all the goats have already been slaughtered and I only get to see the rasam being cooked. I chat with the cook for sometime and then sneak off to the hot coals place. A lot of kids stand around and are hedging this other kid to walk on the coals. This poor thing, hardly 8 years old, his face pierced and painted looks at the coals and starts crying. His mother rushes in and explains to him that it wouldn't hurt and that he can go in after other kids.
…
Why did I think of all this now, you ask? Because walking on fire is apparently back in fashion. … Now if only someone had told us this sometime ago, the blogosphere would not have had to have an ugly fight about the merits and demerits of reservations. All we need to do is to get aspiring students to walk on fire.

author: Mridula Dwivedi


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Global Voices at the We Media Global Forum · Global Voices
Rachel Rawlins

Yes, we'll be there in full effect. And we hope as many bloggers and other internet inhabitants as possible will join us via the exciting live chat page which has whizzy maps and flags, and translation facilities for those commenting in a range of languages other than English.
What party am I strewing out virtual invites for? it's the second ever We Media Global Forum organised by The Media Center of the American Press Institute, it takes place this week in London on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 May, and it
…brings together the trailblazers of the connected society – the thinkers, innovators, investors, executives and activists seeking to tap the potential of digital networks connecting people everywhere…
They come together to learn from each other and to think about, explore, be inspired by and build upon the shared knowledge and the collective intelligence of the connected society. Their collective efforts spawn new ideas, information, services and businesses.
Some of the conversations have already started. Our own Salam Adil has posted on his blog a cogent critique of the “branding” image used by We Media for the conference (which you will, at the time of writing, be able to see on our sidebar), that of a veiled woman holding up an ink-stained finger indicative of having voted in the elections in Iraq. His post has in turn been blogged at the official Media Centre blog Morph.
Blogging the forum is one of the requirements of those who have been awarded fellowships to attend, including several regular contributors to Global Voices, so you should be seeing a lot more posting over the next few days. Added to which Rebecca and I are moderating panels on day two of the programme.
The theme of the forum is “trust”. The main sponsors of the event, the BBC (their blog coverage) and Reuters (their online coverage), have been running an online survey to guage “people's attitudes to the media and trust”. The survey results won't be announced officially until the first day of the Forum, but an interesting breakdown of the results so far is currently available online. Such sampling of opinion is of course unscientific, particularly when you realise that there are only eight questions each with only five answer options.
Also unscientific is my analysis of the survey itself, but I find it interesting that more than a third of the questions are in some way about blogging. And here are the results (so far), broken down by language of the respondent, to the question “There is a lot of interest in blogging. What do you use it for?” Perhaps from this we may guess at a possible “meta” question lying behind it, from the mainstream media to media consumers: “There is a lot of interest in blogging. What can we use it for?”.
Come along and help find answers to these and many other inquiries, or reframe the debate by asking different questions!


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Guinea: Refugees and prostitution · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Black Star Journal points to a piece in the Catholic Information Service which reports that refugee girls in Guinea are turning to prostitution to pay the school fees.


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Haiti: China v. Taiwan Diplomatic Brawl · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Taiwan's prime minister Su Tseng-Chang will not be attending President-elect Rene Preval's inauguration because of pressures from China, reports (FR) Radio Kiskeya. “Beijing formally urged [the Haitian government] to cancel the Taiwanese prime minister's visit, threatening to use its  Security Council  veto power next August against the renewal of MINUSTAH [UN Mission to Haiti],” reports the Haitian newsfeed.  As a result, the Taiwanese prime minister accused China of thwarting Taiwan's international relations efforts.


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Image from Martinique: Fort-de-France · Global Voices
Alice Backer

View of Fort-de-France, capital of Martinique by VuBlog.
“Calm ocean, few clouds, slight breeze, gorgeous day for a first of May” says (FR) VuBlog.


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India: Animal Rights Activist · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Entrance to the Shrine profiles Fizzah Shah an animal lover and animal rights activist.


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India: Folk singer from Himachal · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

myHimachal Blog profiles Sanjeev Dixit, a folk singer from Himachal.


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India: Tamil Blogs and English Blogs · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Even as the Tamil Blogosphere grows, Gilli has been aggregating and highlighting noteworthy posts. Kaps writes on how English and Tamil blogs can complement each other.


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Iraq: Iraqi-style backfire · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

There is a growing sense of uncertainty in dealing with the Iran issue, even among the anti-war movement itself. This is what the “catch-22 discourse” portraying the Iranian situation looks like:
Preemptive strike = an Iraqi-style backfire
But
no strike = a Nuclear Iran
Raed trying to answer the question: Is there an Iran “Dilemma”?


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Jordan: Labor and wages · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

As Khalaf closes his article describing the economical situation in Jordan: “Two things go unnoticed; the whoring of the rich and the death of the poor.”
The story is about government small raise of the minimum wages in the country, which didn't cover all labors, and the demonstration of recruit agents who recruit labors southern Asia, while Khalaf wonders how much of this workforce is actually necessary?


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Kenya: Sexual Offences Bill · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

What an African Woman Thinks also comments on the Kenyan draft Sexual Offences Bill and writes her comments in list form which leaves her “all over the place and nowhere in particular.”


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Kenya: Sexual Offences Bill · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The draft controversial Sexual Offences Bill presently being debated in Kenya is the subject of much discussion in the Kenyan blogosphere.  Gukira comes down firmly against the bill and posts his reasons.


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Kyrgyzstan: On the Brink? · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Matt Jay asks whether or not Kyrgyzstan is on the brink of political chaos in light of recent political developments and plummeting public confidence in the country's president.


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Latvia: 2nd Anniversary of EU Membership · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

All About Latvia writes about the second anniversary of Latvia's entry into the EU and its citizens’ skepticism about the membership.


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Malaysia: A taste of his own medicine · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Niknazmi  tells former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir that though he has the right as a citizen to criticise the current government's decision on scrapping the bridge, he must remember his own poor handling of criticism when he was in power.


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Mongolia: Corruption · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

neweurasia writes about corruption in Mongolia.


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Mongolia: Fleet Concerns · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Luke Distelhorst reports that Mongolia is worried about all the ships flying its flag on the high seas. Mongolia's has long been a “flag of convenience,” and the government is now concerned that the ships flying it may not be safe.


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Myanmar: Korean TV Drama fans · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Madyjune attests to the growing popularity of Korean pop-culture in Myanmar by writing a synopsis of Korean TV drama Goong.


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Nepal: What really is democratic? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Blogdai on the culture of democracy, the place of youth and younger citizens and taking to the streets – “These protests represented the interests of the 7-party alliance, not the majority. In fact, without elections, how does one know exactly where the majority opinion lies? Majorities are keepers of the democratic process– they represent and maintain the system.”


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Poland: Anti-Semitic Deputy Prime Minister · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The beatroot writes about Andrzej Lepper, Poland's new deputy prime minister, who received an honorary degree from a private Ukrainian college with a dubious reputation and is considered an anti-Semite.


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Romania: Diacritical Marks · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Andy H of Csikszereda Musings writes on how Romanians and Hungarians treat their diacritical marks differently: “A few days ago, for example, I wrote a post entitled Happy Paste. Now ‘Paste’ was the way I had seen the Romanian word for Easter written, and it amused me that it was paste. But I also knew that it was pronounced not ‘paste’ as the English word, but Pash-tay (more or less), and so it began to dawn on me that it was probably actually spelt ‘Paşte’.”


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Russia: Anti-Gay Protest in Moscow · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Vilhelm Konnander reports on a homophobic rally that took place in Moscow this past Sunday: “A gathering of skinheads and elderly women amassed outside the [gay] club entrance hindering and threatening party organisers to go through with the party.” Russia Blog and LJ user greenmih (RUS) have posted pictures of the rally and its dispersal.


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Russia: Europe and Gazprom · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

W. Shedd of The Accidental Russophile critiques a piece on Europe's relations with Gazprom by a Bloomberg.com's columnist and writes on “how economics and heavy-handed international politics are mixed in Russia.”


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Russia: May Day in Moscow · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Russia Blog reports on the May Day demonstrations in Moscow: “Zyuganov and police officials were asking the three thousand-strong crowd to refrain from carrying fascist flags, but the Russian skinheads claimed free speech and proceeded with to wave their banners and posters anyway. The crowd screamed in ecstasy ‘Christ has risen!’, ‘Risen Indeed!’, ‘Moscow, May, Gaustarbeiters – Get Out!’, ‘Russia for Russians, Moscow for Muscovites, Others – Leave Now!’, ‘Beat the Jews and the Blacks!’, ‘Death to Queers!’.


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Singapore: Election buzz in the classroom · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Election buzz makes its way inside the class. Waffle, a  student in Singapore has a short discussion with his teacher on the issue of void voties.


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Singapore: Online coverage of elections · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Kevin at theoryisthereason has an excellent roundup of elections related coverage in Singapore blogosphere.


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South Africa: Freedom Day · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Lavina Live comments on “Freedom Day” in South Africa which is a holiday….”Our freedom was indeed not free. I remembered that, the first time I went to vote in the national elections in 2004. I remember it each time a political figure is busted for corruption. I remember it each time I go to my comfortable suburban home in an area black people were not allowed to live less than 2 decades ago”


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Sri Lanka: Eelam in the UK · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The politics of Eelam and Sri Lanka in London, as Tamil candidates try to woo the electorate with Tamil Specific promises at Lanka Page.


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Sri Lanka: Theatre and Sri Lanka · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Moju in conversation with Delon Weerasinghe – “Chatting with Delon brought back memories of College drama and a renewed sense of hope for a resurgence of good English theatre in Sri Lanka through a new generation of playwrights.”


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St. Lucia: The state of things · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“Our economy was never prepared for the changes which I’m certain somebody must have seen coming,” says Matthew Hunte in his all-encompassing rant against the state of things in St. Lucia,

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Sudan: Friends of Darfur · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The Voice of Somaliland Diaspora-Ottawa – posts a statement from the “Darfur Friends Association”…Any peace agreement that only signed in order to silence the guns, can stop the war for some years, but it could never bring about a lasting peace. This only can be achieved eliminating the reasons of the war.”


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Sudan: SLA  · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Sudan Watch points to a op/ed in the Daily Trust that claims  the SLA/JEM are not serving the people  they claim to support.


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The Philippines: Da Vinci Code movie ban · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

complexvertigo argues against banning the Da Vinci Code movie. Religious leaders in Philippines are asking for the ban on the grounds that the movie offends Catholic sensibilities. The blogger says “It is thus a healthy environment to be tormented with bursts of tests on the grounds we stand in, be it in the realm of politics, religion, core beliefs, opinions, and stock knowledge. And those who are of strong faith need not fear.”


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Workers, Women, Ahmadinejad & Ayatollahs · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian blogs  have talked about 1 May demonstration in Tehran and Ahamdinejad’s decision to permit women to go to stadiums to watch football. President’s decision has been discussed on Iranian and international blogs such as BBC’s World Have Your Say.
Jomhour  says, according to ILNA (Iranian Labour News Agency) hundred thousand workers came from four corners of country to Tehran to demonstrate in front of former US embassy. Blogger says   he does not understand why they demonstrated in front of former US embassy instead of doing that in front of Ministry of Labour (Persian). Jomhour writes some of worker’s slogans, in his blog, such as Minister of Labour shame on you, year is over we do not get salary yet.
More details can be found about demonstration and how it was turned into violence in Azarmehr’s blog.
Azarmehr, a London based blogger,  says:
“Several Labour Day rallies, held by Iranian workers and students have been attacked today in Iran. Iran's bus drivers gathered outside the central bus depot in Hengam street, shouting slogans “Independent Trade Union is Our Obvious Right” as opposed to the regime's slogan, “Nuclear Energy is Our Obvious Right”. Iran's students also joined the rally shouting “Workers, Students, United we Stand”. Only a few minutes after the rally started however, the Islamic Republic Law Enforcement Forces told the workers and the students to disperse. “
Another blogger, from Iran, let’s us know about Ahmadinejad’s speech on 1 May.
Pouyashome refers to Ahmadinejad’s speech on 1 May and says according to ISNA , Iranian President said to workers that establishing syndicates is a good thing. Blogger adds that bus drivers did this good thing and we know what happened to them, workers got beaten and arrested (Persian).
Another hot issue is  about women’s right to go to stadiums to watch football and some Grand Ayatollhas opposition concerning that.
Alpar, an Iran based blogger, says he believes, contrary to many others, Ahmadinejad did not take this decision to play a complicated political game (Persian). For this blogger Ahmadinejad did this to gain popularity but he had miscalculated Grand Ayatollahs reaction. He says:
“Ahmadinejad's comments on Holocaust and criticisim of his opponents, did not make him lost many votes. Recent this decision concerning stadiums, is a real blow to his votes…. Many Moslems,who prayed for his government to be successful, now pray that God lead it on the right path. He did not believe in what he said he only wanted popularity.”
Masoud Rahbari even though shares Alpar’s point of view but thinks more positively about this decision. He says government and some of governmental journals have praised, time to time, Chinese model where you have some freedoms in social & economic life but not in political one (Persian). By giving freedom to women to go to stadiums they ( government) followed probably this mode. Blogger writes:
“Beyond Ahmadinejad’s motivation, reformists must be happy that one of their priorities which was women’s rights has found its place on President’s agenda. They can without any shame to thank him.”
An Iran based blogger, talks about religious aspect of this decision in his blog. Hojreh, a  young cleric & blogger, says he has been in touch with a Grand Ayatollah in Tehran and this religious leader was very upset with President. Hojreh asks such questions (Persian):
Why religious students do not demonstrate against government's decision? Do they make a difference between this government and previous ones? If this issue is so unimportant to protest against it why several Grand Ayatollahs talked about it? Finally why other Grand Ayatollahs are silent and do not take any position.
Sibestan has another opinion about Grand Ayatollahs. He says the imortance of religious orders of Grand Ayatollahs are limited to their own followers. He adds Iranian President has started to take in consideration public's opinion and specially women's opinion (Persian).
In Zanevesht we read that woman's right is half of freedom (Persian) and if women get any right is because of women's movement struggle and it is emerging from heart of society.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Zimbabwe: Students beaten · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

This is Zimbabwe reports on the beatings and arrest of students from the Univeristy of Zimbabwe on the 24th April…. “The beatings and arrests were informed by students campaigning for posts in the coming SEC elections.”


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Africa: Who supports the failed states? · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Akin, a Nigerian blogger comments on the newly released “Failed State Index”.  He notes that the US is less viable than France, the UK and even Chile and ” strong American allies or piles of mess feature in the Top 10 with Iraq (4), Afghanistan (9) and Nuclear Pakistan (10), barely Nuclear Iran come in at 53 excelling by not being in sharp or severe economic decline.”