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Climate Change in Africa: Voices From Kenya and Diaspora · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

Part of the discussion about Climate change in Africa has been covered by The Economist, NPR and other publications. On this inaugural post of environment news we read and hear from two voices, one on the continent of Africa through the blog ‘Kenvironews’, and the voice of Dr. Pius Kamau, a physician in Denver. Through these voices we are transported to Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically Kenya, where climate change is shown to have an effect on farming and health.
The Kenya Environmental and Politics blog looks at the debate centering around the connection between an increase in temperatures in the once cooler climes of Nairobi, and a resurgence of malaria.
The third assessment report, published in 2001, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, paid special attention to highland malaria. The report states that due to the life-cycle of the mosquito and its role as host of the malaria parasite, “at low temperatures, a small increase in temperature can greatly increase the risk of malaria transmission” and “future climate change may increase transmission in some highland regions, such as in East Africa”.
The resurgence of ‘highland malaria’ in several African countries has become controversial issues in debates about health and climate change.
However, the IPCC report continues, “there are insufficient historical data on malaria distribution and activity to determine the role of warming, if any, in the recent resurgence of malaria in the highlands of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia”.
The opinions of Doctors from the Kibera slum (pictured below) in Nairobi are included, giving an invaluable, culturally contextual ‘on the ground’ perspective on the debate.
Whatever the causes, and the scientific wrangles, medical staff working in Kibera are having to tackle malaria. “Malaria is the leading disease we face,” says George Gecheo, clinical officer in Kibera’s Ushirika clinic. Nurse Dorah Nyanja, who works in Senye Medical Clinic in the slum’s Soweto Market, adds: “I am treating more people per day for malaria than any other condition.”
The post concludes with a mention of the ways the Ministry of Health is dealing with malaria prevention and treatment.
On NPR's  Morning Edition radio show, Dr. Pius Kamau, a diaspora Kenyan based in Denver talks about the effects of climate change on his family's small coffee farm in Kenya. You can listen to audio of the commentary ‘When the Drought Came, a Kenyan Farm Died’. Dr. Kamau's commentary draws a full circle connection from the habits of modern life in the developed world — piping hot Starbucks coffee, fuel-guzzling SUV's — and the effect of these habits on global climate change to the deterioration of his family's farm in Kenya. It is a gripping commentary that examines the question of the Diaspora's choices in the developed world, their resulting carbon emissions and what this means to their home countries. He points out that it is also imperative for the Diaspora to take steps in conservation and reduction of their carbon footprints.

author: Juliana Rotich


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Hezbollah video game lets players take on Israel · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Hezbollah has come out with a video game (Fr) about the Lebanese resistance called “Special Force 2: Tale of the Truthful Pledge,” Tunisien Doctor announces.  Players go head to head with enemy Merkava tanks and fight in battles based on Israel's July 2006 invasion of Lebanon.  Can be played in Arabic, English, French or Farsi.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Jennifer Brea


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Iran:Bloggers at Prayer · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Khabarnegar Mosalman (means Moslem Reporter) says[Fa] that about 10 days ago, several bloggers came together at Kahfo Al Shohada, a place where five unknown war martyrs are buried, to pray with some Iranian officials and remember the martyrs.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Too Sexy Photos? · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kamangir says that Fars News site removed a set of pictures taken at a women’s sports event. Apparently, they were too sexy for them.Recently Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,Iranian president, said Fars News is his favorite site.You can watch photos here.


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Korea: Coming Out about Academic Degrees · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

A hot topic in Korea now is the continual coming out of fake academic degree holders. Some of the most respected figures in many fields have been revealed to have fabricated their academic qualifications. A famous theatre actress in Korea was discovered, partly through confession and partly through expose, to have lied about holding a degree from the presitigious Ehwa Women's University. In addition, a famous professor and motivational speaker has also been revealed to have only a high school degree, not a Ph.D. as she supposedly had. Crying in her car during an interview, she told a reporter that she didn't have any intention to lie. The publisher of her book and mass media thought that marketing would be better if she was known to have a degree.
There have been split opinions about this issue among Koreans. Some netizens argue that their behavior is justified and criticize society instead. Others criticize the fake degree holders for their moral problems while acknowledging the problem in Korean society of so much emphasis on academic background. The significance of college name value for social success is also not just a Korean problem.
Some bloggers sympathize with these celebrities and are more cynical about society.
동국대 교수 신정아,
영어강사 이지영,
만화가 이현세,
영화감독 심형래,
동숭아트센터 대표 김옥랑,
인테리아 디자이너 이창하,
그리고 연극배우 윤석화…
누가 저들을 욕하랴.
이들도 학력사회 대한민국의 엄연한 피해자인 것을.
죄가 있다면, 실력보다 학력으로 먹고 사는 허울좋은 이 나라에서
거짓말 버무려 적당히 살아가는 요령을 남보다 더 빨리 터득한 것 뿐…
욕하는 자들이여, 입에 거품 물고 흥분하는 자들이여.
도대체 무엇 때문에 그리 화가 난 것인가?
저들의 거짓말? 우리는 거짓말 안 하고 사는가?
그래도 저 정도까지는 아니라고? 혹?여건이 주어지지 않아서 그런 것 아닌가?
솔직해지자.
실은 우리보다 가방끈 짧은 저들이 우리보다 더 성공해서 비위가 상한 것 아닌가?
실력과 학력은 비례하지 않는다는 걸 보여준 저들의 성공 앞에서
알량한 졸업장 하나 밖에 내세울 것 없는 우리의 빈곤이 쪽팔려서 기분 나쁜 건 아닌가?
아서라. 내겐 이 사람들의 구멍난 도덕성보다도
뽀록난 대한민국의 실체가 더 걱정스럽다.
가짜가 진짜 노릇해도 끄떡없는….
그 이전에 가짜와 진짜의 구별조차 무의미한….
A different opinion is from netizens focusing on social morality.
…혹자는 그들이 학력을 위조할 수 밖에 없는
사회풍조를 탓하기도 하나,,
학벌위조 없이도 당당하게 사는 사람들
얼마든지 있습니다.
그들은 단지 노력조차하지않고
다른 사람은 피땀흘려 얻는 성과를
도둑질한것이나 다름 없습니다.
실력이 정당하게 평가되지 못하고
단지 학벌로만 이득보는 사람과 피해보는 사람이
생긴다면 이는 굉장히 억울한 처사겠죠.
뿌리깊은 학벌사회의 병폐
우리사회가 고쳐나가야 할 문제중 하나입니다.
그러나
이번 학력위조사건을
이러한 학벌사회의 풍토에 적용하는 일은
매우 부적절한 발상같습니다.
별개의 문제입니다.
학력위조가 비판받아야 하는것은
노력해서 학위를 딴 사람들과
학위가 없어도 묵묵히 열심히 살아가는 사람들을
기만하는 행위이기 때문입니다.
굳이 학벌사회의 희생자인양
그들의 범죄행위를
옹호할 필요는 없다고 생각합니다.
Dangunee takes a different view and tries to elaborate through examples.
… 1. 길거리에 뭔 중형차는 그리도 많은지, 차는 곧 신분이다.
좁은 길에서 서로 엉키면 우선
큰 차, 외제차는 그냥 버티고 게긴다. 곧 신분이므로.
다 좋은데 빵빵 거리지는 말지 그래.
2. 대학교수는 술 마시러 가서도 교수고,
블로그 운영하면서도 OO교수의 블로그라고 꼭 달아둔다
근데 블로그 보는 사람도 교수님 수강생인가요??…
4. 그러다 보니 사장은 집에서도 사장, 골프쳐도 사장, 음식점에서도 사장…
그냥 개인적으로 -씨 라고 붙이면 난리난다. 사람 무시하냐고.
‘아니 근데 내가 그 회사 직원이냐고요…;;;
5. 시멘트 덩어리인 아파트 평수와 브랜드로 그 사람을 판단한다.
6. 자, 그리고 마지막
일단 학력, 재산, 지위 이런게 비슷하면 이제 마지막으로 나오는게
바로….'민증 까봐'다.
나이로 뭉개는 거다.
나이만큼 확실한 보증 있냐. 먼저 태어났고, 내가 네 형이자 언니이자 선배라는데
까라면 까야지 나이도 어린노무시끼가…
이러니 빽없고, 재산 없고, 능력없으면 위조라도 해서 뭐라도 하나 어깨에 차야지 쌈질이라도 하고 맞짱이라도 한판 뜨지 않겠냐.
사회적 지위가 되었든, 통장 잔고가 되었든, 아파트 평수가 되었든 차의 크기가 되었든…
* 그렇다고 학력위조를 한 사람들을 일방적으로 옹호하는 것은 절대 아니며, 누구를 무조건 욕하기 앞서 우리가 살아가는 사회를 한번쯤 되돌아보는 계기가 되었으면 좋겠습니다.
Not a few netizens, like let_live, are concerned about ‘lying’ and its influence on society.
학력을 속이는 것 (의도적으로 거짓말하는 것)
학력을 감추는 것 (다른 허위 사실을 그냥 묵인 하는 것)
학력을 과장하는 것
무언가 학력이 너무 중요한 사회라는 것이 문제라면 문제다.
하지만 “거짓말을 하는 것”은 절대로 용서하면 않된다.
그 거짓말로 먹고 사는 것은 정말 더더욱 않된다.
한국사회가 거짓말을 해도 대충 넘어갈수 있다고 생각할 수 있는 여지를 조금이라도 남기는 것은
우리사회의 미래를 위해서도 절대로 좋지 않다.
내가 기억하기로 거짓말을 하는 것은 서구사회에서는 매장당 할 일이다.
이번 일로 윤석화씨가 면죄부를 받는 일이 없기 바란다.
정직한 사회를 만들기 위해 과거사를 청산하는 일도 있겠지만
현실적이고 우리가 진정으로 생각해야 할 일은
앞으로 이영자나 윤석화 같은 윤리적으로 문제있는 사람을
후대를 위한 교육을 위해서라도 경각심을 불러일으켜야 한다는 것이다.
거짓말은 우리사회가 막아야 한다.
Below might be a concise sentence that captures this scandal.
‘저, 이대나온 여자거든요..’
작년에 히트한 영화 ‘타짜'에서 김혜수가 말한 대사이다. 이번 윤석화의 학력조작을 한문장으로 정리하면 이 문장이 아닐까 한다.
내가 느끼는 윤석화의 거짓말은 생존을 위한 어쩔 수 없이 한 거짓말 이라기 보다는..가진자가 자신이 안가지고 있는것을 더 취하는 욕심으로 보인다. 돈이 많은것으로 만족못하고 권력과 명예를 추구하는 졸부처럼…

author: Hyejin Kim


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Mali: Sand storms in Timbuktu · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Rives du Niger posts photographs of sand storms in Timbuktu, where “winds of sands looks like clouds.”


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Mauritania criminalizes slavery · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Mauritania has made slavery a criminal offense, but Vive la Francophonie wonders if slavery can be abolished by laws alone (Fr).  “Slavery is a mental attitude as old as humanity…The problem of slavery is in large part psychological,” Francophonie writes.  “Mauritania, like the rest of the world, should fight against slavery on the psychological level by affirming the value of the human spirit.”


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Morocco: An Introduction to Peace Corps Bloggers · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Morocco is home to a rather diverse group of English-language bloggers, as I'm sure you have observed.  While many are native Moroccans utilizing their English skills and still others are expatriate teachers or workers, there is another unique group obvious from the tagline which their organization requires they post on their blogs: “Any written message or photo provided on this blog site does not represent the views or opinions of the U.S. Peace Corps or any other institution.”
The Peace Corps, a government organization set up in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, enables American volunteers to spend two years working in various sectors in 73 countries around the world.  Morocco, currently home to 197 volunteers, has programs in environment, health, small business development, and youth development.  Over the years, the country has hosted over 3,500 such volunteers and continues to run a strong program.
But as anyone familiar with the Peace Corps knows, the volunteers (or PCVs, as they call themselves) do much more than work in those sectors – their task is akin to that of an ambassador as they become fluent in the local language, spend time with local families, and help in other areas.  Here is an introduction to some of Peace Corps Morocco's prolific bloggers:
Cory Driver of 32n5w, who has been quoted on Global Voices before, is finishing up his stint as a PCV.  In his most recent post, he shares beautiful photographs of Moroccan locales.  This one is from Essaouira and the ruins are rumored to have inspired Jimi Hendrix's “Castles in the Sand:”
Rachel Beach of Musings from Morocco is another volunteer nearing the end of her term.  She recently climbed Jebel Toubkal, Morocco's highest peak at 4,167.8 m (13,665 ft).  Here's the start of a poem:
As if climbing Jbel Toubkal once was not enough for me …
The mind, in ebullient anticipation seemed to forget pain and misery …
The rest of the poem was just as beautiful.  She also shared a series of photographs; here's one from the mountain:
Out of Control is written by someone who calls himself “El Hombre Negrito,” who wrote recently on the Peace Corps experience:
So much of the Peace Corps experience is spent in isolation so it's really strange when we all get together for an extended period of time. Sometimes the social dynamic is the same and other times it is entirely different. In any case, in the past few weeks, I've been lucky enough to see the other volunteers quite frequently and I think it has helped to maintain my sanity.
27monthswithoutbaseball also touched on the experience of a PCV, saying:
I’ve also been struggling with issues of belonging and acceptance – again, issues identified by the career coach as something important to me in my career search. I don’t feel that I don’t belong in the Peace Corps – I still feel it was a great choice for me at this point in my life – and I don’t feel I don’t belong in Azrou; I feel quite welcomed – but I am still dealing with the issue of my relationships with other volunteers. This is something I didn’t expect to have as an issue – something they don’t tell you about in training!
Shwiya b shwiya, whose name means “little by little” in darija (Moroccan Arabic), is one very readworthy blog from a new PCV that gives great insight into what life is really like for volunteers in Morocco.  Recently, the blogger wrote:
It’s only in moments such as those that it hits me. I am in the Peace Corps. I am living in Morocco. I’ve become so accustomed to it that it doesn’t seem strange anymore. It seems normal here, even though I don’t know the language and am living in a mud house. It’s pretty unremarkable. Sometimes I wonder what in the world I’m doing here, but really, I forget where I am. Or I don’t forget; I don’t think I’m in the United States, obviously, but it just is unimportant. I don’t know how much sense this makes, but it’s really sort of strange when about once a week, it hits me that I live here and that I am a PCV. It’s a really bizarre feeling: sometimes it feels like a little panic attack, and sometimes it makes me giddy with joy and I just laugh out loud.
As you have seen, Morocco PCVs are a diverse group and one worth watching.  I will continue to share their stories with you alongside others, and introduce more PCVs as I come across them.

author: Jillian C. York


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Palestine: Boycotting Israel, Excluding Handala and More · Global Voices
Shaden Abdulrahman

Photo Credit: a bLoGgEr FrOm GaZa
This week in the Palestinian blogosphere, bloggers tackled serious issues such as the academical boycott of Israel, checkpoints and Edward Said’s mural in San Francisco as well as lighter topics such as a Palestinian swimmer participating in a regional competition in Beit Sahour and other personal stories.
Politics politics:
Umkhalil expressed disappointment with San Francisco's State University's General Union of Palestine Students for reaching a compromise with the Jewish community and agreeing to exclude Handala and his key (the key of return) from Edward Said‘s mural:
Dear Members of SFGUPS:
I strongly disagree with the compromise you've reached with the Jewish community which means that Handala with the house key is excluded from the mural. Evidently, in order to appease the Zionists, GUPS has foolishly agreed to a mural which is useless since the heart and soul of Palestine, the sacred and inalienable right to return, symbolized by Handala holding a key, will not be depicted on the mural. Instead of compromising, I wish that GUPS had carefully explained that the Palestinians’ right of return is part of international law, as stated in Article 13, Section 2, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
From Occupied Palestine, With Love talks about a day at Beit Furik checkpoint:
Today, after many had been waiting for over four and a half hours, a group of men ran through the crossing, and did not turn back when the soldiers saw them. As punishment, the soldiers completely closed the crossing to the remaining four hundred people. Because we argued with them, called the Israeli authorities in control of the area and other such things they had to reopen. By the time we left, a few Palestinians took over our job, locating those who needed to cross quickly, and advocating for them with the soldiers. We are growing….
The Fanonite writes about a new campaign by the Israel Lobby to destroy the career of an academic:
Is it not amusing that the same people who have been stifling free speech of academics even mildly critical of the US should cry ‘censorship’ when British academics propose a highly nuanced boycott of Israel? Only months after the disgraced charlatan Alan Dershowitz who has been accused of plagiarism both on the Left and the Right, leading a campaign to deny tenure to Norman Finkelstein, we have a new campaign by the Israel Lobby to destroy the career of another academic, Nadia Abu El-Haj, who was unwise enough to write research critical of Israel.
Layla from Raising Yousuf, Unplugged, wrote about her personal/political dilemma as a Palestinian:
I'm not sure what it will take anymore for people to realize the absurdity of it all. I mean, sanctioning an occupied people for God's sake? Demanding an end to “violence” by those occupied people all while the US shells out another $30 billion in military aid to the world's third strongest army?
And I'm not talking about the US only here. I'm talking about our very own Arab governments who, from day one, bowed in submission to US commands to freeze financial transactions to Hamas. Yes, the world, including the Arab world, has been complicit in the destruction of a society.
…and more politics
KABOBfest‘s Will wrote an article about the boycott movement targeting Israel:
When does a citizen-led boycott of a state become morally justified?
That question is raised by an expanding academic, cultural and economic boycott of Israel. The movement joins churches, unions, professional societies and other groups based in the United States, Canada, Europe and South Africa. It has elicited dramatic reactions from Israel ‘s supporters. U.S. labor leaders have condemned British unions, representing millions of workers, for supporting the Israel boycott. American academics have been frantically gathering signatures against the boycott, and have mounted a prominent advertising campaign in American newspapers – unwittingly elevating the controversy further in the public eye.
Others:
From KABOBfest, a post about moderate Muslim voices:
A common refrain in the media, and a question among some of my friends, is where are the moderate Muslim voices? I hope it does not surprise anyone, but just because you don't see it in English does not mean it does not exist (MEMRI is shall we say, a tad selective).
Arabesque Rhapsody wrote about the recent Jordanian-Iraqi condition in the Arabian blogosphere:
I kind of came to a conclusion, well it's more of a thought actually.
People, human beings, the living have something in them. I guess its what's called an instinct and that is that whenever you get attacked you get defensive and throw sentences that might not really “commit to reality” but is a kind of “reflex”…
Soul Blossom wrote about the deceased The Palestinian journalist, author, and artist Ghassan Kanafani:
I love how Kanafani summed the hardships all Palestinians endeavor -not only physically, but emotionally for the most part- and the fate awaiting everyone who fought against Israel. It makes you shed tears as you feel the events taking place.
The Fanonite wrote about his meeting with travel writer Sven Lindqvist:
On Tuesday I had the pleasure of meeting Sven Lindqvist at the Edinburgh Book Festival. Described by George Monbiot as a ‘world changing’ author, Lindqvist is an author of many books which chronicle the murderous history of European colonialism, the intellectual impostures that accompanied it, and its enduring effects on the various parts of the world he has visited. A self-proclaimed travel writer, Lindqvist’s journeys effortlessly traverse the geographical as well as the temporal dimension of travel.

author: Shaden Abdulrahman


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Peru: Post-Quake Chaos · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The recent devasting earthquake that struck Peru brought out a wave of activity among Peruvian bloggers.  Some wrote and documented what they felt when the seismic activity struck, while others sought to inform fellow Peruvians protecting them from false information.  However, many more responded by calling for solidarity through information campaigns regarding ways to help.
Now that several days have passed, these same bloggers reflect upon the government response and some of the worrisome occurrences in their country.
Pueblo Vruto [ES] is troubled by the actions of some, who have tried to advantage during this time of crisis.
Es triste ver que ciertas personas buscan aprovecharse del dolor ajeno. No hablemos de los comerciantes o empresarios inescrupulosos que suben exageradamente sus precios … Hablemos de los “anónimos” (porque suelen usar nombres falsos) que se hacen pasar por funcionarios del gobierno, o miembros o “colaboradores” de instituciones como Defensa Civil, la Cruz Roja, la iglesia, etc., para pedir aportes monetarios. No solamente aprovechan los “tiempos de calma” montando colectas falsas o fingiendo ser mendigos, sino que aprovechan los llamados a la solidaridad para pescar en río revuelto.
It is sad to see certain individuals that look to take advantage of the pain of others.  We are not talking about the vendors or unscrupulous businesspersons that drastically raise prices …We are talking about the “anonymous” (because they often use false names) that pass themselves off as government officials, or members or “collaborators” of institutions like the Civil Defense, the Red Cross, the Church, etc. to ask for monetary contributions.  Not only do they take advantage during “times of calm” by falsely asking for donations or acting as beggars, but they also take advantage of the calls of solidarity by working during these troubled times.
Gran Combo Club [ES] writes about some news received from a friend from a relative in the affected city of Ica.
Me acaba de llamar una amiga y me dijo que la llamó un pariente de Ica, en donde la situación es terrible. Todavía no tienen agua ni luz y que temprano cierran todo, hasta las farmacias. Además le contó que cuando fue Alan llevaron carpas al estadio y cuando se fue las carpas ya no estaban. Parece que las van paseando de un lado al otro.
A friend of mine called and told me that she received a call from a relative in Ica, where the situation is terrible.  They still do not have neither water, nor electricity and that they close everything early, even the pharmacies.  The relative also told her that (President) Alan (Garcia) took tents to the stadium, and that when he went back they were no longer there.  It appears that they are taking them from one place to another.
C.J. Schexnayder of Andean Currents writes that there reports of looting in the cities most affected and that the government sought to respond:
Government officials were scrambling to restore order as hungry survivors and street criminals ransacked markets and aid trucks. President Alan Garcia ordered thousands of solders into the region to restore order in the city and along the highway from Lima.
Tan sólo unas burbujas [ES] writes about the looting that took place.
Cuando escribí este post aún no empezaban los saqueos de mercados y camiones que hemos visto hoy en las zonas del desastre: gente desesperada porque ve que llega ayuda internacional en aviones y ellos siguen sin agua ni ayuda. Cierto que ciertos malos elementos se aprovechan, pero no creo que toooooda esa gente sean pandilleros, como insinuó alguien por allí.
When I wrote this post, the looting of the markets and trucks had not yet taken place.  We have seen in the disaster zone: desperate people that see international aid arriving in planes, yet they still remain without water or help.  Certainly there exist groups that take advantage of the situation, but I don't think that all of those people are gangmembers, such as some have insinuated.
Finally, Pospost [ES] returns with some hopeful news amidst the stories of disorganization and chaos.
La vida se ha abierto paso en Pisco. Dos días después del violento terremoto que azotó esa ciudad y dejó cientos de muertos, acaba de nacer el primer niño devolviendo con ello la esperanza a la ciudad.
Life has made way in Pisco.  Two days after the violent earthquake that shook that city and left hundreds dead, the first baby was born, giving hope back to the city.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Senegal: Foreign investment in biofuel · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Blog politique au Senegal writes that India, Brazil and Spain have been working with the Senegalese to produce biofuel.


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Syria: On Lebanon and Motorcycles · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

To kick off this week, we'll start with another heated debate, and the issue is of course, Palestinians in Lebanon.
Joseph from Arab Democracy, posted an article about a new Palestinian youth movement that adopted the slogan, “We want to live, But not in Lebanon”, which is a twist from the Lebanese pro-government campaign's “We Love Life”.
I personally found it refreshing to hear of Palestinians as individuals with feelings, desires, aspirations beyond the symbolism of their national plight. A change from the usual over inflated patriotic zeal of Abbas Zaki and other PLO officials. This discourse is not isolated and echoes in part the cry of fellow Palestinians in the occupied territories through the lyrics of the excellent West Bank rap Group’ Ramallah Underground’. In essence: resistance is good but what about the basic requirements for a decent life. The situation of the refugees in Lebanon is untenable and the Lebanese authorities cannot continue to ignore the social disaster brewing slowly on national soil under the lame excuse that they oppose forced settlement. Qatari money might clear the rubble and rebuild the camp but 60 years of personal and commercial relations between the inhabitants and local villagers have been damaged possibly irreversibly.
The article sparked a heated debate in the comment section with Wassim. Followed by harsh post on Maysaloun criticizing what he found as a “Lebanonese” racism towards others…
An “I love lifer” is allowed a moderate amount of criticism and even a slight recognition of the “national plight” of the Palestinians in Lebanon – I repeat – moderate criticism. Ignored is the “Lebanonese” racism against the Palestinians, Syrians, Muslims and Arabs. They are “Phoenician” after all, according to a French historian who told them so during France's brief ‘visit’ to Lebanon.
Sasa, from The Syria News Wire, spots a very interesting paradox from the news lineup on BBC News website.
Our smaller neighbor, Lebanon, was again present this week. Golaniya, from Decentering Damascus, writes about the country she's been living in for a while… her favorite places, memories, away from the wars and dirty politics.
If you're going to Hamra, there are some westernized places, typically westernized that is, like De Prague , and there are simpler places with atmosphere, like Barometre and Ta2 Marbuta. You want to see the living Barometr? Go on Friday, you'll see the living Lebanon there. And go on Thursdays to Ta2 Marbuta, there's always a band singing. You can play Tawleh in Ta2 Marbuta..or see some playing. And there you'll see the activists in Lebanon, the ones who helped in the late July war, people who work in NGOs, leftists, and the like.
The Syrian Brit, writes about his two weeks holiday back home. In his post, he runs through the many changes that swept the country through the last two years…
On one of our excursions around the City, a friend of mine pointed out the open-air market known as ‘Souk el-7haramieh’ , where ‘second-hand’ goods are bought and sold openly.. (for ‘second-hand’, read ‘stolen’).. Now I ask you, how many cities around the World can boast having a whole market known as The Thieves’ Market?!…
We turn to Tartous, where Abu Fares compiles a wonderful post about his passionate history with motorcycles.
On the back roads of southwestern Louisiana I got my first chance to meet face to face with the beast. A Harley-Davidson in its native environment is probably the most harmonious machine ever built by man. As I look back toward those happy years I feel disturbed when a Harley is taken out of its context. Riding a Harley anywhere else in the world is sacrilegious. God and man meant it to roam freely in the USA and nowhere else. No biking experience ever comes close to riding a Harley on America’s open highways and I had the privilege of riding in Lousiana, Texas, Arizona, California and Arkansas.
And we wrap up with Abd‘s new photo post from Aleppo, rounding up some of the most impressive start-of-the-century buildings in Aleppo.

author: Yazan Badran


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Africa: Is East Africa a literary desert? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Are there writers in East Africa?: “For many years we were made to believe that East Africa was a literary desert. Taban lo Liyong said it and regional publishers vindicated him. And they kept him vindicated for many years but we all knew it was an excuse to invest solely on text books.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Albania: Poetic Grammar · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Wu Wei attempts to study some Albanian grammar and concludes that Albanians “must spend a lot of time dreaming or writing poetry.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Argentina: Mommyblogs · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

For BlogHer, Liz Henry provides an update of “mommyblogs” in Argentina.


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Armenia: Pan-Armenian Games · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Onnik Krikorian visited the opening ceremony of the 4th Pan-Armenian Games, in which 2,500 competitors from communities in Armenia and the Diaspora compete (more photos here).

author: Ben Paarmann


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Aruba: After Dean  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Despite her love of waves, Arubagirl says: “I think I join everybody living in the Caribbean when I hope that the hurricane season will PLEASE be over soon.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bahamas: Self-Publishing  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bahamian Nicolette Bethel posts a great piece on self-publishing.


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Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago: Ian Ali Passes On  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Ringplay Productions and Now is Wow acknowledge the passing of television personality, artist and educator, Ian Ali.


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Bahrain: Camels DO NOT Make Good Pets · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Mahmood Al Yousif from Bahrain links to a story from Australia which shows why camels do not make good pets.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bangladesh: Floating Classrooms · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Voice of South on children learning on boats. “From a single boat in 2002, that provided very basic education to girls who had never been to school before, the project now has about 35 boats where both boys and girls can study up to the third grade.”

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Bangladesh: On Inflation · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Unheard Voices on rising prices and an explanatory note on food inflation.


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Barbados, Jamaica: The Politics of Dean  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground thinks that Jamaica's political landscape could be affected in the aftermath of Hurricane Dean: “It will call for collaboration between the PNP anf JLP at a time when emotions are close to flash point.”


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Barbados, Cuba: Castro Rumours · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

According to Barbados Free Press, the blogosphere is “going wild on ‘Castro Dead’ rumour”, while Blog For Cuba says, “If you want us to believe he's alive, prove it.”


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Barbados, Jamaica, Cayman Islands: Dean Update · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Even as the storm heads towards the Cayman Islands, My Barbados Blog has a comprehensive updates on Hurricane Dean and its impact on Jamaica, while Notes from the Margin estimates the closest approach of the storm.


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Barbados, Jamaica: One Love  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Gallimaufry reports that “The Anglican Church in Jamaica is proposing the addition of songs by Bob Marley and Peter Tosh to its hymnal.”


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Be in Oman · Global Voices
Riyadh Al Balushi

Al Mawaali recently moved his blog about Oman to a new domain.

author: Riyadh Al Balushi


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Caribbean: Indigenous Percentage · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I would hate to be a 12 percent American Indian in a debate about indigenous issues with a 13 percent American Indian,” writes Maximilian C. Forte of The CAC Review, as he tackles the issue of DNA testing to determine indigenous cultural identity.


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China: 172 Workers Disappeared in A Shandong Mine · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Tan Wei Shan blogs some pictures from a disaster in Shandong, where 172 workers was disappeared in the flooded Mine (zh). The news was banned and he could not carry on the reporting.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Bridge Disaster News Report Banned  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The collapse of bridge near Phoenix (Fenghuang) town (a touristic site in Southern China) has leaded to the death of 47 rural workers. It is believed that the disaster was deal to the corruption of local authority. News report has been banned. AHQ Weekly is spoofing the story to protest against the ban: haven't the government and party leaders come to rescue? The 47 rural workers asked for their own deaths! Stop saying anything on this! (zh)
ESWN has translated an article from Tianya on about reporters got assaulted from the Bridge collapse coverage.


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China: Cold Water Over the Hot Market · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Recently Shenzhen's stock market’ value has reached RMB20,000 billions. Mr zhang pointed out that within 2 years, the market has increased 6 times and last year China's GDP was just RMB21,000 billions. All the figures are pointing to an overheated market. Worse still, the market is comprised of only 30% individual stock holders, which means a large amount of stocks are concentrated in the hand of institutions (zh).


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China: Independent Films · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Mary Ann O'Donnell blogs a weekend party among independent films makers in Shenzhen. There were six independent films presented in the “old man party“.


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China: New Web Vocabularies · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Josie Liu from China in Transition blogs about the documentation of new web vocabularies by Ministry of Education. However, many netizens found themselves nearly illiterate in front of a list of new vocabulary.


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China: Olympic Stadium Designer Boycotts Opening  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Designer of Olympic Stadium (so called Bird nest), Ai Wei Wei, announced that he won't attend the Beijing Olympic Opening because the Olympic has turned into a political propaganda (zh). – more from Chen Lei gang.


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Dominica: Dean Aftermath  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living Dominica, seeds of a madness flower and Steve's Dominica all blog about the aftermath of Hurricane Dean in the nature isle.


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Dubai: Home Away from Home · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Dubai-based Seabee gives us a list of who's who, who have made Dubai their homes in recent years.


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Egypt: Life in Luxor  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Big Pharaoh, from Egypt, gives us a sneak preview of his life in Luxor.


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Egypt: Update on Police Torture Death · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian Zeinobia updates us on the case of a 12-year-old boy, allegedly tortured by police to death.


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El Salvador: Female Stereotypes in Media · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Qué Joder [ES] is upset at the female stereotypes portrayed in La Prensa Gráfica newspaper and provides examples of other alternative female profiles that might be used instead.


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Georgia: Offensive · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

After the alleged Russian attack on one of its radio stations, Georgia seems determined to move the case up to the UN, reports Joshua Foust at Registan.net.


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Guatemala: Music in Election Campaigns · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Music from many different genres is being used for campaign purposes and Elecciones Guatemala [ES] provides some examples of song lyrics.


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Hong Kong: Construction Workers’ Strike · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

In 1997, the daily salary of metal workers in construction site is HKD1,200 (USD150), today it is less that HKD600. Workers from Southeast Asia are even less. More than a thousand metal workers have been striking for 13 days to demand for an increase of daily salary to HKD950. Citizen reporter, Mandy from inmediahk.net did some interviews in one of the protest strikes (zh).


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Hong Kong: Right to Sunshine · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ben ng criticized the design of Screen-style buildings in Hong Kong from the view point of right to Sunshine. In recent years, Taiwan and China have passed law to protect such right (zh).


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Indonesia: Teen Virginity Tests · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Indonesia Matters reports on a unsuccessful plan by a local government to give virginity tests to teenagers after several sex videos that had high school students in them started surfacing.

author: Preetam Rai


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Iran: We haven’t tortured them yet !  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Khorshidkhanoum writes that Said Mortazavi, Tehran’s Chief Prosecutor, called the families of Ehsan Mansouri, Ahmad Ghasaban, and Majid Tavakolli, the three imprisoned Amir Kabir University students, and told them angrily and authoritatively: “We warned you several times not to speak anywhere, not to interview, not to distribute the news about inside ward 209 of Evin prison, and not to meet anyone, but you didn’t listen and did your own work. Now I have transferred your children to solitary confinement again, and unless you change your approach, you won’t be able to visit them or talk to them on the phone… We haven’t tortured them yet to make you understand what torture means!”


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Iran:A homeless family · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Faryadeh Sabz (means Green Cry) has published several photos of a homeless family in Tehran.The blogger asks other bloggers to talk about this story and find a solution for them.They have been in street for about ten days.


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Iran:Award winner writer in trouble · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Khabgard reminds[Fa] us that Yaghoub Yadali, an award winner writer, is going to be judged in court because of his novel “The behavior of unrest”. This story was published two years ago with permission of Iranian authorities and won a couple of awards.It seems some people complained against some sentences in this book.The blogger says it was the first time in Iranian history that such a thing happened and it will have negative consquences for country's writers.Yadali had already been in jail, for the same reason, for 40 days.


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Iran:Expulsion of Afghan refugees  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Hooghoghe Bashar (means human rights) blog says[Fa] that mass expulsion of Afghan refugees is not a solution for Iranian high unemployment.The blog explains that Afghans always did very difficult jobs and were underpaid.According to this blog many educated Iranians are jobless and they are not going to replace Afghans.


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Iran:One year prison for a Doctor · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Hesam Firouzi,medical Doctor and human right activist, writes[Fa] “I was condemned to one year prison.”He was accused of “impeding national security”.One of his charges was informing media about bad conditions of political prisoners.He was behind bars for 18 days in January 2007.Global Voices has already published one part of his prison experience.The blogger was given a one-year suspended prison sentence.


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Iraq: Missing College · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Aunt Najma from Iraq writes about how much she misses college in this post.


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Israel: Firefox and Israeli Blogs · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ouriel Ohayon wonders why  Israeli blogs “are not working well or not working at all with Firefox.”


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Jamaica: Relief for Dean Victims  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Geoffrey Philp's Blogspot reports that Jamaicans living in South Florida are preparing to “rush donations and other relief to the island” in the wake of Hurricane Dean.


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Kazakhstan: No surprises · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

KZBlog reports that the ruling Nur-Otan party of President Nazarbayev has reason to celebrate their landslide in Kazakhstan's parliamentary elections while the opposition is refuting the poll result.


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Kuwait: Blogger Bashar Al-Sayegh Arrested · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwait yesterday joined the ranks of countries with jailed bloggers, following the arrest of Bashar Al-Sayegh.
According to K the Kuwaiti, Al-Sayegh  was arrested for comments published by an anonymous commenter on his forum (Ar):
Bashar Al-Sayegh was arrested and beaten yesterday by the Kuwaiti Secret Police for an anonymous comment on Bashar’s forum regarding the Amir (which was deleted). Jasim Al-Qames (Al-Jarida Journalist) was also arrested and beaten by the Kuwaiti Secret Police for taking picture; and was forced to sign a unread document. Jasim has been released; Bashar is still in custody by the Secret Police, There was a press conference held today at Al-Tahaluf calling for the release of Bashar. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bashar and his Family.
Fellow-blogger Bibi Nasser Al-Sabah adds:
A very unfortunate event happened yesterday, A young Kuwaiti who started the website http://www.alommah.org/home/ has been taken in by the secret police along with Jassim Al Qames who has nothing to do with the website but Both guys work for ‘Al-Jareeda Newspaper’. Al-Sayegh was escorted by secret police from ‘Al-Jareda’ headquarters and Jassem was doing his journalistic duties by taking photographs of the detaining, he was then attacked and dragged with Bashar. Bashar was detained because of a comment written about the Amir of Kuwait, Shaikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, on his website's forum by an annonymous person, it was deleted by Bashar because of its inappropriateness but he was 15 minutes late deleting it, the police held him accountable even after it was deleted. As for Jassim he was released but beaten severely and blind folded and forced to use his fingerprint as signature to a document he couldn't read because of the blindfolds.
I refuse to think of our government and its civilized constitution as a police state, especially with many mistakes made in the 30s and 70s and 80s! and especially after the absolutely incredible support received during the invasion of Kuwait by the people…. but they make it hard not to think of them that way.
I, Bibi Nasser Al-Sabah am against the detaining and torchering of Jassim Al Qames and Bashar Al-Sayegh.
Forza Kuwait, meanwhile, provides the above banner on his site to rally support for the jailed blogger. The banner (Ar) says:
Free Bashar Al-Sayegh
Article 31
No person shall be arrested, detained, searched or compelled to reside in a specified place, nor shall the residence of any person or his liberty to choose his place of residence or his liberty of movement be restricted, except in accordance with the provisions of law.
No person shall be subjected to torture or humiliation
According to Amer:
Yesterday was an ominous, dark day for Kuwait, its people and its Constitution…Writers and Bloggers are responsible for the content of their work. They should not and cannot be held responsible 24/7 for anonymous comments, however inflammatory or distasteful. Nevertheless, the issue is bigger than that, it is an arrest of a Blogger and his continued imprisonment, as well as any physical attacks that may have occurred on the Blogger and on the Al Jarida Journalist, clear violations of their individual and human rights, rights that should be guaranteed and protected by the Constitution…
The Kuwaiti Constitution guarantees our rights. It is the fabric that protects the community and its people, it is the fabric that guarantees basic human rights, individual rights and freedom of the press and it was the document that caused a peaceful transition of power last year from one ruler to the next. All of the Constitution must be respected and abided by at all times.
We are not a police state. We are not a violent country. What occurred should have never happened: two young Kuwaitis attacked and detained by State Security, with their families unaware of their surroundings, a horrible instance of deja-vu reminiscent of barbaric incidents during the Iraqi invasion, not the way Kuwait should be.
This is not an Islamist issue, this is not a Liberal issue, this is not a pro or anti-government issue. This is an issue that affects our rights as Kuwaiti citizens, our identity as Kuwaitis and our way of life.
We hope Mr. Sayegh returns to his family safe and sound.
The arrest of the Kuwaiti blogger has also been blogged about regionally. From the UAE, Secret Dubai writes:
This is disgusting behaviour by the Kuwait authorities and brings disgrace on all of Kuwait.
In Bahrain, Silly Bahraini Girl rants:
Had it been Egypt, I would have swallowed it – especially since Egypt and cyber-repression have become synonyms!
But Kuwait – I just can't stomach it!
…
for God's sake..it was a public forum.. so anyone could have posted that comment.. Why create this uproar? Why arrest the forum administrator when the comment has already been deleted and the ‘insult’ contained? Why add injury to an insult and drag the reputation of a country that has for long guarded its Freedom of Expression down the drain?
…
I don't know Bashar Al Sayegh and I haven't seen the insult. But what I know for a fact is that Kuwait has today etched a place of pride for itself among nations which have prided themselves as being the enemies of freedom of speech.
Way to go our Arab brethren! I just wonder which country will be next?
Mideast Youth also weighs in, with its editor Esra'a  commenting:
It seems as though Kuwait is following Egypt’s model of curbing free speech by arresting bloggers…
Should imprisonment be the price to pay for bloggers in this region? Especially if it’s against our constitutions? Egypt has similar articles promising freedom, none of which are ever applied.
Stay tuned for more updates on Al-Sayegh's arrest.


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Kyrgyzstan: Post-SCO reflections · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Mirsulzhan Namazaliev shares some of his thoughts on the SCO summit which took place in Kyrgyzstan last week.


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Let Hoder Speak! · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

Following the suspension of Hossein Derakhshan’s blog (aka Hoder) by the U.S. based hosting company, Hosting Matters, an online petition has been launched by The Eyeranian in support of  Hoder’s right to freedom of speech: “Hoder, like all of us, has a right to express his opinion. Opinions expressed in a personal weblog are just that; the writer’s personal opinions. Limiting such right without due process is unethical, and even illegal. We should all fight for his right to speak, since it is also about our own right to speak,” the initiator of Let Hoder Speak! petition said.

author: sami ben gharbia


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Libya, Bulgaria: Torture of the Tripoli Six · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Balkan Yankee awaits the world's reaction to Libya's acknowledgment of torture of the recently-released Bulgarian medics.


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Macedonia, Canada: Film Festival · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Macedonian Tendency links to the site of the Second Annual Macedonian Film Festival to be held in Toronto on Oct. 13-14.


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Malaysia: Malaysian Youtube Rapper · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Cowboycaleb comments on a rap video that a Malaysian student in Taiwan uploaded on youtube. The video has the Malaysian national flag as the backdrop. Malaysian police are contemplating charging the student under the country's sedition charge.


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Malaysia: Talking Politics with Kids harder than talking about Sex · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

5Xmom says its harder to talk about politics with kids compared to talking about sex. The blogger offers some suggestions to the parents on balancing their kid's independent thinking and political correctness.


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Montenegro: Tips for Travellers · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgrade 2.0 offers a few tips on how to have a good time in Montenegro.


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Nepal: Building a House · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Wagle Street Journal on building houses in Kathmandu, and on observing “unskilled” labour.


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Pakistan: Lal Masjid and after · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Metroblogging Islamabad on the impact of the Lal Masjid fiasco on the younger generation.


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Peru: Bloggers From Ica · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Editor's Note: The city of Ica was particularly hit hard by the recent Peruvian earthquake. Many of the updates and calls for solidarity came from bloggers based in the metropolis of Lima. GV Author, Juan Arellano made it a point to look for bloggers from the city of Ica and found these blogs.
Melancólico al despertar's [ES] Oliver or “DRMAD” describes himself as a “geek, dreamer, 100% Linux fan, rough, somewhat lazy, but a very nice guy :).” His blog, which had previously focused on technology, online gaming and other related issues, instantly turned serious when the recent earthquake hit his hometown of Ica. His recent entries contain photographs that show the destruction to some of the local churches and the cityscape.
One especially interesting post highlights the way that the residents of Ica are trying to remain resourceful.
Photos by DRMAD and used under a Creative Commons license.
El ingenio del peruano no tiene límites :) Minutos después del terremoto, yo veía en las manos de los transeúntes únicamente celulares. Al día siguiente empezaron a aparecer carretillas con baterías, para cargar el celular :) S/. 2,00 por una hora de carga. Algunos grifos también han estado dando sus tomacorrientes para la carga de celulares gratuitamente.
Peruvian ingenuity has no limits :) Minutes after the earthquake, I saw cell phones in the hands of passersby. Small carts with batteries appeared the next day. They were charging 2 soles/hour to charge cell phones. Some gas stations also were using their energy to charge cell phones free of charge.
He also writes a note of thank and lists what his fellow Ica residents need the most:
Gracias a todos los que se han preocupado por nosotros. Miles de gracias a todos los Clubes Leos que están prestando su ayuda. Si Uds. desean enviar ayuda, las zonas afectadas están muy necesitadas de:
* Frazadas y abrigos (Anoche llovió en Chincha)
* Colchones y/o camas
* Alimentos no perecibles
* Agua. Mucha agua
* Pilas, baterias, linternas.
Thank you to all that have worried about us. Many thanks to the Lion's Club, which has provided us with assistance. If you wish to send help, the areas most affected need:
* Blankets and Coats (it rained last night in Chincha)
* Mattresses and/or beds
* Non-perishable food
* Water, a lot of water
* Batteries and flashlights
Diavolo [ES] is a blogger from Ica, but lives in Lima. He wrote the post, “Help, Earthquake!“
¿Hay alguien que no este molesto con telefónica?, yo lo estoy, aunque soy un felíz usuario de claro, anoche luego de haber hecho la primera llamada (a otro cel. de claro) a Ica todavía no podía hacerlo a un movistar. Ahora salen diciendo que solo realicen llamadas de emergencia ¿en estos momentos alguien lo hace para otra cosa?
Hoy en la mañana, mientras desayunaba, la cifra de muertos ascendió a 350 muertos la mayoría se registró en mi región (Ica). se fugaron los reos del penal “Tambo de Mora – Chincha”, mas de 60% de la ciudad de Ica se encuentra en escombros, en conclusión Ica, esta en un completo caos.
Mientras que algunos que se encuentran en Ica terminaron de revisar si por ahí faltaba algun familiar, yo tengo a media familia completa (espero completarla ahora mismo).
Is there someone that is not upset with Telefonica? I am, even thought I am a content client of Claro after making the first call (to another cell phone with Claro) to Ica. I still cannot make a call to a cell phone with Movistar. Now they tell us that it should only be used for emergency calls. At times like this, does anyone make calls other than emergency
Today in the morning, while I ate breakfast, the deathtoll rose to 350, of which the majority took place in my area (Ica). The prisoners of the “Tambo de Mora – Chincha” prison fled, more than 60% of the city if Ica is in rubble, and in conclusion, Ica is in complete chaos.
While others in Ica look to see if a relative remains, I have a half-family (I hope to find the other half right now).
Sueños de Azul [ES] is a blog written by Jaime G. Wong Chacaltana, is a self-professed Christian that resides in Ica. He publishes information that he had been updating from his cellular phone.
Actualizando periódicamente desde mi celu vía gprs
Sábado
08.06 – Uno ya ni sabe qué día es. Feliz cumpleaños a mi Mami y mi hermana.
07.32 – Más miedo que las réplicas dan los asaltos. Anoche se escuchaba las balas y vino serenazgo. Por Santo Domingo estuvieron saqueando. Creo que el mercado y bodegas. Por San Martín nos dijeron que también. Necesitamos luz cuanto antes. Esto se está degenerando rápidamente. Si no se apresuran se va a volver un caos. Por un lado salimos por la fuerte réplica, para luego meternos por los saqueadores.
Viernes
19.53 – No llega la luz, batería escasa. Hasta el momento ningún creyente grave. Algunos han perdido sus casas o partes de ella, pero están bien. Malentendido sobre La Mar: no se ha destruido, está peligroso para ser usado. Paredes con peligro de caerse. No luz ni agua. Ya empieza a escasear los recursos. Hay gente que sigue necesitando ayuda. En resumen: más afectados Pisco, Cañete e Ica, en ese orden. Vienen hermanos de Lima para ayudarnos. Gracias por sus oraciones, el Señor nos ha protegido. Muchas personas no entienden como esto puede venir de Dios. Su plan es demasiado grande para nuestras mentes. Todo tiene un propósito y una razón, finanente planificada para cada uno. Para ver el arco iris, hay que sentir la lluvia primero.
11.24 – Visitando creyentes. Comatrana bastante afectado, varias casas caídas, falta más ayuda. Seguimos sin agua ni luz. Vi los camiones y ayuda llegar desde la Panamericana, es mi impresión que no están distribuyendo bien. Difícil juzgar cuando lo ves desde fuera. Se que hacen un esfuerzo enorme. Gracias a todos por su ayuda. Necesitamos más.
La casa de don Julio Coello es de adobe y no se cayó gracias a Dios. Está muy debilitada, peligroso seguir allí.
Hasta el momento todos los creyentes ok. No tengo nada de noticias de Cañete. Más afectados Pisco y Comatrana. Ica en menor medida. No agua ni luz. Siguen réplicas. Ya están comenzando a escasear recursos.
Periodically updating from my cell phone via gprs
Saturday
8:06 – One doesn't even know what day it is. Happy birthday to my mom and to my sister.
7:32 – The robberies are scarier than the aftershocks. Last night, you could hear the bullets and the police. In Santo Domingo by markets and shops, there was looting. In San Martin, they told us the same. We need electricity as soon as possible. This is DEGENERANDO quickly. If they don't hurry, it will soon be chaos. On on hand, we escaped a strong aftershock, to later face the looters.
Friday
19:53 – Electricity does not arrive, and the batteries are running out. Until now, not a single believer hurt badly. Some have lost their houses or part of their houses, but they are alright. Misunderstood about “La Mar”, it wasn't destroyed, but it is dangerous to be used. Walls that in danger of falling. No electricity or water. The resources are running out. There are people that still need help. In summary: the most affected are Pisco, Cañete, and Ica in that order. Brothers and sisters from Lima are arriving to help us. Thank you for your prayers, God has protected us. Many people do not understand how this could come from God. His plan is too great for our minds. Everything has a purpose and a reason, planned for each one of us. To see the rainbow, one must first feel the rain.
11:24-Visiting believers. Comatrana drastically affected, many houses have fallen, help is still needed. We are still without electricity and water. I saw trucks arriving from the Panamerican (Highway) and it is my impression that they are not distributing the goods very well. It is difficult to judge watching from a distance. I know that they are making a large effort. Thanks to everyone for their help. We need more. Julio Coello's house is made of adobe and thanks to God, it did not fall. It is very weak, dangerous to remain.
Up until now, all of the believers are okay. I don't have any news from Cañete. Pisco and Comatrana are the most affected. Ica a little less. There is no electricity or water. Aftershocks continue. Resources are starting to run out.
Sol Negro [ES] is a blog written by Paul Guillén, a poet from Ica. There is an image on his site that states “Sol Negro is in mourning,” which contains information on how to help and lists contact information for Transparencia, IDL and the Peruvian Red Cross.
Translation and contribution from Eduardo Avila

author: Juan Arellano


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Peru: Collection of Goods in Lima · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Juan Arellano of Globalizado [ES] took a stroll down to the Plaza de Armas in Lima and snapped these photos of Lima residents collecting goods for the earthquake victims.


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Peru: Fragile Tourist Destinations · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Touristic patrimony is often fragile, writes Jorge Gobbi of Blog de Viajes [ES] in reference to the destruction of some of the natural formations in Paracas, Peru.


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Peru: Lost Cultural Treasures · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Pospost [ES] writes about lost cultural treasures due to the Peruvian earthquake, such as damaged churches and destroyed museum collections.


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Serbia: Aerial Views of Kosovo · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Prishtine: Independence and Kanun posts several aerial views of Kosovo.


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Serbia, Russia: Parliamentary Football · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Anegdote writes about a football game that the team of Serbian parliament members lost to the team of Russian Duma deputies.


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Serbia: SMS Templates · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Anegdote shares a joke on the default SMS templates localized for Serbia; here's one item: “Turn on the news, a war is starting.”


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Singapore: North Korean Trip · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Singaporean blogger Oikono meets a North Korean tour guide who shares the blogger's interest in Economics.


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Slovenia: Genealogy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Glory of Carniola writes about the Slovenes’ indifference towards genealogy.


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Sri Lanka: Cops and Privacy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Indi.ca on cops visiting at early morning hours and privacy.


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Tajikistan: Discussing Russian xenophobia · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Vadim and his readers at neweurasia discuss the racist murder video which appeared on Russian websites last week (GV reported).


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Tanzania: The making of the movie, Bongoland II · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

If you can make a movie in Dar es Salaam, then you can make a movie anywhere: “First there are production and logistical issues. The production issues were easily resolved because we had anticipated those and planned for them. What we did not anticipate are the issues beyond our control…traffic jam in dar, cons whose main intentions were to make sure we spend all our money to the ground so that they can blog that the production “run out money”. We were overcharged most of the times whether we were renting a place to shoot or buying water for the day…”


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The Balkans: Youth Activism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkanizer believes that in the Balkans, “it is the youth that should be at the vanguard of social revival and instead they are the most passive part of the society.”


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The Global Voices Show #5 · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

[display_podcast]
Finally, episode 5 of the Global Voices Show! In this edition we feature excerpts from the following podcasts:
Gastronautics – Maldives
PodMasti – India
J.U.M.P. Radio – Kenya
Mideast Youth – Saudi Arabia
Budacast – Hungary
Africa Files: The Pulse – Zimbabwe
The Kimchi Girls – Korea
Also featured on this show are the following music tracks: “Black Heart” by Kou Chou Ching and “In Development” by Gordon's Suitcase, both remixed by Moshang and appearing on the collection “Asian Variations“.
This episode of The Global Voices Show is available in the following formats:
– MP3 (16:50 min; 15.5 MB)
– Enhanced AAC (16:50 min; 16.6 MB) – with embedded images and links. For iTunes and owners of later model iPods.
Or subscribe to this podcast using any of the following links:
MP3 (all Global Voices podcasts) – RSS | iTunes (podcast page) | iTunes (direct subscription link) | Odeo
AAC (Global Voices Show) – RSS | iTunes (podcast page) | iTunes (direct subscription link)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS

author: Georgia Popplewell


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The US Accuses Oman of Trafficking in Persons · Global Voices
Riyadh Al Balushi

Sama Oman wonders about what gives the US the right to accuse Oman of trafficking in persons.


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Tunisia: On Democracy · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Arabist links to an article on Tunisian democracy here.


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Uzbekistan: Against Tajik plans · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Uzbekistan stands out to loose most if Tajikistan was to go ahead with the construction of new hydro-power plants. The two rivers in question, Syr Darya and Amu Darya, provide most of the water for Uzbekistan's cotton sector. Jamiyat wonders about the potential consequences.


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Zambia: challenges and solutions for independent broadcasters · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Vincent Maher is live-blogging from Africa Media Leadership Conference 2007: “Daka, telling the personal narrative of his radio station, emphasizes that audience research is the most important thing in starting a new radio station. In the rural areas, he jokes, if a man doesn’t own a radio and a bicycle he won’t find a partner for marriage. The research they did in the beginning helped developed the business plan.”


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· Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Le blog de [moi] [fr]narrates the devastation caused by Hurricane Dean in Martinique and the anguish of not knowing her parents’ whereabouts during the ordeal.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Afghanistan: Situation in Herat deteriorating · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Barnett R. Rubin retells a conversation he had with Homa Sorouri, a student from Western Afghanistan. According to Sorouri, the situation in Herat is deteriorating, and close family friends are affected.


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African writers criticize Sarkozy in open letter · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Jean-Luc Raharimanana, a Malagasy writer famous for his influential works on French colonialism, recently authored an open letter to French president Nicolas Sarkozy in response to the now infamous message to Africa and Africans he delivered in Dakar, Senegal.
Nearly a month has passed since Sarkozy's speech, but its effects are still reverberating through the francophone blogosphere.  From his policy on illegal immigration to his apparent friendliness with African dictators to his controversial statements about French minorities, Sarkozy seems to draw passionate reactions from the francophone bloggers. His Dakar speech  surely didn't do much to change this perception.
Raharimanana's letter was co-signed by several African writers and bloggers and published in the newspaper “Liberation”. The letter was also re-posted on Congolese writer Alain Manbanckou's blog and two other Malagasy blogs, Mialy  and Za Gasy.
Mialy  introduces the letter to Sarkozy as follows:
“Plusieurs écrivains africains se joignent à Raharimanana pour répondre à la petite “leçon de français” du président Sarkozy, à Dakar”
“Several African writers join Raharimanana to respond to the little “French lesson” by president Sarkozy in Dakar”
Alain Manbanckou pushes the humor envelop a little further as he illustrates the open letter with a cartoon in which Sarkozy is depicted as telling an african child:
“La France tu l'aimes  mais tu vas la quitter quand meme”
“France, you may like it but you still have to leave it”
Harinjaka also reacted in jest to Sarkozy's patronizing speech.
Here are some highlights from the open letter to Sarkozy:
“[…] Car quand vous dites que l’homme africain n’est pas assez entré dans l’histoire, vous avez tort. Nous étions au cœur de l’histoire quand l’esclavage a changé la face du monde. Nous étions au cœur de l’histoire quand l’Europe s’est partagé notre continent. Nous étions au cœur de l’histoire quand la colonisation a dessiné la configuration actuelle du monde. Le monde moderne doit tout au sort de l’Afrique, et quand je dis monde moderne, je n’en exclus pas l’homme africain que vous semblez reléguer dans les traditions et je ne sais quel autre mythe et contemplation béate de la nature. Qu’entendez-vous par histoire ? N’y comptent que ceux qui y sont entrés comme vainqueurs ? Laissez-nous vous raconter un peu cette histoire que vous semblez fort mal connaître. Nos pères, par leurs luttes sont entrés dans l’histoire en résistant à l’esclavage, nos pères par leurs révoltes, ont contraint les pays esclavagistes à ratifier l’abolition de l’esclavage, nos pères par leurs insurrections — connaissez-vous Sétif 1945, connaissez-vous Madagascar 1947 ? ont poussé les pays colonialistes à abandonner la colonisation…[…] Vous avez tort de mettre sur le même pied d’égalité la responsabilité des Africains et les crimes de l’esclavage et de la colonisation, car s’il y avait des complices de notre côté, ils ne sont que les émanations de ces entreprises totalitaires initiées par l’Europe, depuis quand les systèmes totalitaires n’ont-ils pas leurs collaborateurs locaux ? Car oui, l’esclavage et la colonisation sont des systèmes totalitaires, et vous avez tort de tenter de les justifier en évoquant nos responsabilités et ce bon côté de la colonisation. Vous appelez à une «renaissance africaine», venez d’abord parler à vos véritables interlocuteurs, de ceux qui veulent sincèrement et franchement cette renaissance, nous la jeunesse africaine, savons qu’ils ne se nomment pas Omar Bongo, Muammar al-Kadhafi, Denis Sassou Nguesso, Ravalomanana ou bien d’autres chefs d’Etat autoproclamés démocrates.
Nous vous invitons au débat, nous vous invitons à l’échange. Par cette lettre ouverte, nous vous prenons au mot, cessez donc de côtoyer les fossoyeurs de nos espérances et venez parler avec nous[..]
Sincèrement et franchement à vous.
Antananarivo, le 3 août 2007
Raharimanana et les écrivains
Boubacar Boris Diop (Sénégal),
Abderrahman Beggar (Maroc, Canada),
Patrice Nganang (Cameroun, Etats-Unis) Koulsy Lamko (Tchad),
Kangni Alem (université de Lomé),
et l’éditrice Jutta Hepke (Vents d’ailleurs).”
…indeed, when you assert that the African man/woman did not sufficiently “enter History”, you are wrong. We were right in the middle of History when slavery changed the face of the world. We were right in the middle of History when Europe divided our continent. We were right in the middle of History when colonization drew the current configuration of the world. The modern world owes everything to the fate of Africa, and when I say modern world, I do not exclude the African man/woman who you seem to relegate to his/her traditions or whatever other myth of him/her satisfied with contemplating  nature. What do you mean by History ? Or only the history reported  by the winners ? Let us tell you a little bit about this History that you seem to not know at all. Our fathers entered History with their fights to resist slavery; our fathers, thanks to their battles, forced the abolition of slavery; our fathers by their insurrections – Have you ever heard of the insurrections in Sétif in 1945 or Madagascar  in 1947?- pushed countries to abandon colonization… […] You are wrong to put on an equal footing the faults of Africans and the crimes of slavery and colonization. Because if there were accomplices on our side, they were only the results of these totalitarian enterprises initiated in Europe. Indeed since when do totalitarian system not have their local collaborators? Indeed, slavery and colonization are totalitarian systems, and you are wrong to try to justify them by evoking our responsibilities and the good side of colonization. You call for an “African rebirth”; you should come  speak with your true interlocutors first,  those who sincerely want this  rebirth, the African youth, we know they do not include Omar Bongo, Muammar Al-Kadhafi, Denis Sassou Nguesso, Ravalomanana or  other auto-proclaimed democratic heads of State.
We invite you to a debate, we invite you to an exchange. With this open letter, we take you to your word, quit hanging around the grave-diggers of our hopes and come to speak to us [.]Sincerely, frankly yours.
Antananarivo, on August 3, 2007
Raharimanana and authors,
Boubacar Boris Diop (Senegal),
Abderrahman Beggar (Morocco, Canada),
Patrice Nganang (Cameroon, United States) Koulsy Lamko (Chad),
Kangni Alem (University dof Lomé),
and editor Jutta Hepke (Vents d’ailleurs)
The letter in its entirety is available here.
A commenter on Mabanckou’ s post  appreciates the author's anger:
” Ce que j’aime bien chez Raharimanana, c’est la colère. Il y en a que le sort de l’Afrique n’empêche pas de dormir. Lui, on sent souvent chez lui la meurtrissure, le tourment que lui cause les vicissitudes connotées au sort de l’Afrique.”
What I like about Raharimanana is his anger. There are still people who cannot sleep thinking about Africa's fate. With him, one feels the hurt, the torment that the misery that is Africa's fate inflict upon him.
Sarkozy's  speech about France's relationship with the African continent was discussed in the newspaper Le monde:
“il a rappelé son refus d'entrer dans un exercice de repentance, parce que “nul ne peut demander aux fils de se repentir des fautes de leurs pères”.Certes, le président n'a “pas nié les fautes ni les crimes, car il y a eu des fautes et il y a eu des crimes”. Avec des mots plus forts que jamais, il a qualifié “la traite négrière et l'esclavage” de “crimes contre l'homme, crimes contre l'humanité.
Pour le président français, c'est au sein même de l'identité africaine qu'il semble falloir chercher les freins au développement du continent : “Le drame de l'Afrique, c'est que l'homme africain n'est pas assez entré dans l'Histoire (…). Jamais il ne s'élance vers l'avenir (…). Dans cet univers où la nature commande tout, l'homme reste immobile au milieu d'un ordre immuable où tout est écrit d'avance. (…) Il n'y a de place ni pour l'aventure humaine, ni pour l'idée de progrès.”
He reiterated his refusal to start an exercise in repentance, because “no one cannot ask sons to apologize for the faults of their fathers”. Admittedly, the president “did not deny the faults nor the crimes, because indeed there were faults and there were crimes”. With words stronger than ever, he qualified “ the negro trade and slavery” of “crimes against mankind, crimes against humanity.
For the French president, it is within the African identity that one ought to look for the barriers to the development of the continent: “The tragedy in Africa is that the African man did not sufficiently enter History (…). He never ran towards his future (…). In this universe where nature orders all, the man remains motionless in the middle of an immutable order where all is written in advance. (…) There is of place neither for the human adventure, nor for the idea of progress.”


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Armenia: Sport fights · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Both Zarchka and Onnik Krikorian originally expected to see exciting basketball games when they went to see the matches Glendale-Istanbul and Yerevan-Cairo respectively: But unfortunately, both games, which are part of the 4th Pan-Armenian Games, were the scene of fist fights between the opposing teams, casting a negative shadow on a sports event that is actually supposed to bring together Armenians from around the world in peace.


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Azerbaijan: Soviet Funk · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

English Russia posts a vintage video of famous Soviet-era singer Muslim Magomaev. The clip, besides showcasing a great example of Soviet funk music, also features a lot of footage of Azerbaijan's capital Baku made during these times.


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Bahamas, Haiti: Illegal Immmigration  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Rick Lowe, writing at WeblogBahamas.com, features an article by the late Dr. Julian Simon to make a point about what should be done regarding the Bahamas’ illegal immigration issue.


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Bahamas: The Value of Culture  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

An international take on a Bahamian song leads Nicolette Bethel to muse about “the general dismissal of culture in general (and, by extension, of our culture in particular)”, stating; “most of us…are missing the point when it comes to cultural discussions.”


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Bahrain: Importing Terrorists  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger emoodz  wonders how an alleged terror suspect was welcomed to Bahrain, despite earlier terrorism charges made against him in Saudi Arabia.


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Bahrain: Online Prostitution  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini Esra'a draws attention to a new campaign to uncover those responsible for online prostitution rackets in Bahrain.


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Bahrain: Why Blame America? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Why do we always have the tendency to blame America for everything that we can’t sort out?” writes Captain Arab's from Bahrain.


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Bangladesh: Aftermath of Flood  · Global Voices
Rezwan

(The extent of flood in Bangladesh : Satellite Photo taken on August 3, 2007 courtesy Cegisbd)
This year's floods have claimed 587 lives in Bangladesh so far. The floods have receded in most parts but fresh floods in many areas have disrupted affected people from going back to their homes.
How can you portray the reality of flood? A submerged house, a boat on a highway, people wading in water? Renowned photo journalist and Blogger Shahidul Alam depicts with his photos how it has affected the lives of many Bangladeshis. He observes:
…The floods are with us again. They are a part of our natural agricultural cycle. They irrigate the land, replenish the topsoil, remove the toxins. But deforestation in the mountains, illegal constructions, ill planned roads and ill caring leaders make floods take on a violent form. The waters get angry.
There are flood aid collection efforts in every walks of the society. Many salaried persons contributed their one-day salary and deposited it to the Chief of Caretaker (Interim) Government's Fund. The Bangladeshi Bloggers are also active towards this cause. There are fund raising initiatives carried out by some bloggers namely:
Bangladesh Real Estates Updates blog lists some more fund raising efforts. However Bangladesh Corporate Blogs is critic of use of fund raising initiatives as publicity of some commercial enterprises. For an example, slogans like “for every bag of cement sold Taka one will be deposited to the flood relief fund” have different objectives. The Blog reminds that prevention is better than cure and says:
I am sure in the coming days you might see the event management firms of Bangladesh making best use of the ‘event’ (floods) when they will arrange charity concerts, fashion shows, dinner etc……just to aid the poor and flooded of Bangladesh. I wonder why these mushrooming event management firms don't arrange awareness, health safety events in villages, other city centers when there is no flood. Where is their sense of charity when our grounds are dry?
After the Flood:
The first blow of floods was to make people homeless. There are many dangers immediately after the recess of flood water. An ordinary citizen discusses the threat of a diarrhoea epidemic and looks for ways to prevent it.
The Blogger also lists the steps the Government should take to face the challenge of rehabilitating the displaced people.
Ershad Ahmed of Dhaka, a Photo Blog posts pictures of the receding flood in Dhaka city.

author: Rezwan


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Bangladesh: Dhaka University · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Rezwan points to blog reactions on the trouble in Dhaka University, sparked by “comments passed by an armed forces personnel during a soccer match on the university gymnasium ground where an army camp is situated.”.


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Barbados: What Blogging is About · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Blogs tend to respond quite fast to events as they develop…they seem to…fill a number of gaps in supplying information.  I was fascinated to see what has happened to this site over the past week, as the hurricane season got a full head of steam.”  Dennis Jones at Living in Barbados explores the many sides of blogging.


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Belarus: Students and KGB · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus translates a blog entry written by a Belarusian student who was summoned to the KGB and questioned on his studies and life in Lithuania.


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Belize: Dean Causes Evacuation  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Belize-y Livin’ reports that residents of Belize City are evacuating in anticipation of Hurricane Dean, while Belizean says that the country “is beginning to feel the first effects of Category 5 Hurricane Dean as the storm nears landfall…”


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Bermuda: The Politics of Facebook  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Thanks to Facebook, Paradise Found is “friends with the two most politically influential people in Bemuda” and shares his thoughts on this new political tool.


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Bhutan: A brand called Democracy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

For A Democracy takes a closer look at the brand of “democracy” where powerful families appear to hold on to their power, and comments on what democracy in Bhutan might end up being.


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Bolivia: Following the Swiss Example · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Carlos Gustavo Machicado of Guccio's [ES] comments on a recent speech by President Evo Morales, who stated his desire for Bolivia to follow the example set by Switzerland. Machiado writes, “The reactions have been favorable because it is good that we want to be like Switzerland, and not like Venezuela or Cuba.”


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Bulgaria: “Roma Vendetta” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Eternal Remont writes about Roma violence in Sofia: “Two Words I NEVER Wanted to See in a Headline Together […] Roma Vendetta.”


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Caribbean: Hurricane Dean & Tourism  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

MACO Caribbean Living blogs about the impact of Hurricane Dean on Caribbean tourism.


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Central Asia: Which port to choose? · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

As a landlocked region, Central Asia is reliant on other countries’ maritime infrastructure to integrate with world markets. On Registan.net, Kayumars Turkistani evaluates two potential seaports, Gwadar in Pakistan and Chabahar in Iran.


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Egypt: Oldest Footprint? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Big Pharaoh from Egypt reports  a new archaeological find – that of a footprint which could be older than Lucy's.


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Egypt: Widespread Torture  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Elijah Zarwan links to a human rights report on widespread torture in Egypt.


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Europe: European Bloggers (Un)Conference · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Accidental Russophile links to the site of the European Bloggers (Un)Conference, to be held in Amsterdam on Sept. 27-28.


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Georgia: Special Economic Zones · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Social Science in the Caucasus agrees with a columnist that Georgia does not need Free Economic Zones.


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Guatemala: Children Caught in the Middle of Adoption Debate · Global Voices
Renata Avila

In Guatemala City, one can see one of the approximately 2,500 children working in the streets, some without shoes or a clean face  The situation is no different in rural areas, and some say that investment or strong interest in protecting them are not priorities. Even those with a roof under their heads have to face the violence inside and outside their homes every day. And things are getting even more complicated with the lobbying in favor of implementing the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and cooperation in respecting inter-country adoption.  Almost 5,000 Guatemalan kids are adopted by couples from other countries each year, since the procedure is relatively easy. The requirements include hiring a Notary to follow the steps, along with a social analysis to approve it, without the Hague Convention in force.  Some bloggers are totally against the system, others are in favor:
Principios [ES] blog stated on Vidas Robadas:
Urgen adopciones, no legislación que las entorpezca, sea o no avalada por expertos del Buró de La Haya.
It is urgent to have adoptions, not laws to interfere with them, supported or not by the bureuacratic experts of the Hague.
Her opinion rejecting the new requirements that the law will provide is supported also by Jorge Jacobs who said on his post “Is it a business?“
Por supuesto que sería mejor que todos los niños nacieran y crecieran en hogares modelo, pero la cruda realidad es muy distinta, y la adopción les permite, por lo menos a algunos miles de guatemaltecos, aspirar a un muchísimo mejor futuro del que se le presenta a la gran mayoría de los otros 13 millones de guatemaltecos.
Of course it would be better if all the children will be born and raised in perfect homes, put the crude reality is very different and adoption allows, at least for few thousand Guatemalans, to have a better future than the majority of the other 13 million of them.
But there is not always a happy ending, as Guatemala Daily Photo said in his post “Guatemala Adoptions could be mixed blessings“
There could be complications and contradictions when you take an adopted child away from his birth country, culture and society. Guatemalan adoptions are not as easy as you might have been inclined to believe.
There was also concerns raised regarding a foster home and the origin of the children inside. Some are referring to the children as “stolen kids” as Inner Diablog said on his post “Stash of stolen kids in Antigua“
46 children, including several new-borns, were rescued this weekend from an illegal foster home in Antigua, apparently run by one Clifford Phillips from Florida. Neighbours called the police after observing a succession of foreigners turn up and then leave with children.
He also reports “Ireland suspends guatemalan adoptions” where he adds:
Whether or not this operation is technically legal under current Guatemalan law, there seems to be substantial investment behind it, which leads me to suspect that it represents a violation of the spirit of the Hague Convention which requires that inter-country adoptions may take place only where it is in the best interests of the child and where no profit is made.
Misleading information is an issue, specially in areas like Sayaxché, where was few weeks ago huge chaos resulted when some individuals suspected of abducting children to be sold were almost lynched by the community [ES]. The issue of media information is also discussed by Guatemala Adoptions Blog:
If these children were taken forcibly from their birth parent(s), they should be returned immediately and the owners and lawyers punished severely for all the pain and suffering they have caused…. Stop sensationalizing every little bit of information you get on Guatemalan adoptions. Stick to objective reporting and do whatever you can to get to the truth behind the stories you are publishing. You owe it to the country of Guatemala, the adoptive parents, and especially to the children.
Child hunger is a problem, but social concerns only arise when someone mentions it, as El Charakotel [ES] writes about a hunger crisis in Tzununá, where small children are starving in his post
En estas y otras comunidades vecinas de “el lago más bello del mundo”, la pobreza extrema es solo otra carga que el campesino engancha al mecapal de la vida. “Así ha sido siempre” le dijeron sus padres y eso replica a sus hijos cuando estos le increpan sobre el porqué de la lapidante realidad.
In this and in other communities surrounding “the most beautiful lake in the world”, extreme poverty is just another weight carried by peasants on his “mecapal” (backpack) of life. “This is the way it has always been,” said his parents and it will be repeated to their kids, when asking about their reality.
In a country where complex problems authorities concerns are worth to be examinated. Un chapín en Japón [ES] said in his three posts analyzing Guatemala:
El problema de la pobreza y desnutrición van a persistir en Guatemala, mientras no sean prioridades para las autoridades, haya desconocimiento de la situación, exista apatía por la población y muchas otras causas. Quiero resaltar el comentario del actual presidente de Guatemala cuando aseguraba que no había ningún aumento a los precios de la canasta básica. El comentario lo copio textual del articulo de el periódico “La Hora”
Berger aseguró que el precio internacional del petróleo golpea las diferentes actividades del país, no obstante mencionó que afortunadamente el incremento no era muy importante.
The problem of poverty and malnutrition will remain in Guatemala, as long as the authorities do not consider these issues as prioirities. The unknown situation will persist because of apathy by the people and other reasons. I want to highlight the comment of the President of Guatemala, when he asserted that the prices of the basic goods will not rise, in the Newspaper La Hora:Berger asserted that the international price of oil affects the different activities of the country, but he mentioned that fortunately the increase in the price was not so important for us.
I will like to close with the remarks of blogger Oscar Mendizabal, regarding child labor, said on his blog ESCAPARATE [ES]:
Hay que pasar de la teoría a la práctica y así superar la alarmante situación de riesgo, pobreza, marginación y abandono en que viven millares de niños, niñas y adolescentes en el mundo.
Todos estamos entendidos que la mejor inversión que un país puede hacer, es en capital humano y sobre la base de esta premisa, la niñez nunca debe dejar de ser una prioridad mundial.
We have to go from theory to practice and overcome the alarming situation of risk, poverty, marginalization and abandonment in which millions of children and teenagers around the world live. We all know that the best investment that a country can do is in human resources, under such premise, childhood has to be a global priority.

author: Renata Avila


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India: Food names and sexual harassment · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Blank Noise Project has a list of food names that women get called by street harassers.


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India: Wedding Rituals · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Doing Jalsa and Showing Jilpa has a wonderfully flippant and thought provoking post – on challenging rituals and traditions that go into a wedding.


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Indonesia: Beauty · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Fatih Sayud in Indonesia writes how his perception of beauty has changed as he has grown older. The blogger asks readers for their criteria of how they would define a person pretty or charming.


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Iran:A Young Filmmaker got Electroshocked · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mostafa Karimi, a young filmmaker, was electroshocked and lost his two hands when he was filming a scene.It seems security measures were not respected.A blog was created to support him.Help Karimi[Fa] blog updates news about him and his needs.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Iranian nature · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohammad Darvish, a leading environmental blogger,shows us great photos of country's nature in his photoblog.


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Iraq: Sectarian Policies · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi Pundit criticises  President Nouri Al Malki's policies and brands them as ‘sectarian.’


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Iraq: Witness to a Car Explosion · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi blogger Sunshine was terrified by a car bomb which rocked her neighbourhood, shattering the windows of her house, hours before a scheduled fishing trip for the family.


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Jamaica, Cayman Islands: After Hurricane Dean · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Residents of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands spent last weekend bracing for the impact of Hurricane Dean. The first hurricane of the 2007 season passed through the Lesser Antilles on Friday 17 August, damaging infrastructure and crops in St Lucia, Martinique and Dominica, before continuing north-west across the Caribbean Sea, apparently making a beeline for Jamaica. Most Jamaican bloggers were probably busy boarding up their houses, buying emergency supplies, and anxiously remembering the catastrophic damage wrought by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, but a handful found time to post reports online.
Yamfoot found herself flying back to Jamaica from Grenada on Saturday, just in time to help her family with their preparations (she also managed to make a quck trip to the hairdresser, because “who knows what Monday will be like”).
A friend called me from Grenada tonight. He asked me if I was crazy to have left Grenada to come here, knowing Big Dean was approaching. He wasn't the only one…. They don't understand the concept that for me, it's better to be with my family, knowing what is happening with them, than me being safe far away.
At noon on Saturday, Moving Back to Jamaica reported, the Kingston sky was cloudless and blue: “perfect beach weather”. But:
Flights are filled with people escaping what winds, rains and destruction that is heading this way.
We are fully expecting to lose power, internet, phones and water and that roads will be closed until they are cleared of debris, and until the inevitable looting stops.
By Sunday morning, as Dean closed in on the island, Moving Back wrote that a 48-hour curfew was in effect in Kingston, and he expected to lose power shortly, as the authorities planned to shut down the national power grid as a precautionary measure. “So you might not be hearing from this part of the world in a few minutes, for what could be a while.” Not all bloggers were able to ride out the hurricane at home. Stunner's Afflictions was “forcibly drafted” into his employer's “hurricane team”.
I guess some of us have to make sure vital services like communication remains up during such a critical time. I would rather not be at work and at home to somehow protect my property… or at least feel like I am… somehow!
And USAID officer Robert Birkenes stayed at his office in New Kingston. He posted a series of photos taken from his office window, showing palm trees being tossed by the hurricane winds, signs ripped from buildings and flying through the air, and a foolhardy man standing out in the street in the middle of the storm.
Meanwhile, over in the Cayman Islands (north-west of Jamaica, and the next inhabited territory in Dean's path), Jamaican Mad Bull described  his own preparations — “I think we are looking pretty good, all things considered” — and announced that he'd managed to fly his young son off the island in the nick of time.
Suppose you see people at the airport! It was mad, it was sick! And then all the flights were delayed for hours, and check in took FOREVER!
In the end, both Jamaica and the Caymans were spared a direct hit, as Dean skirted south of both countries, and damage, though significant, was not as severe as most had feared. “Bye Bye Dean”, Stunner's Afflictions cheerfully said this morning, reporting that his neighbourhood in Kingston still had running water in the mains. Bonita Jamaica posted a Flickr set showing fallen trees and blown-off roofs in some areas of the city. Charlene Collins posted images of a downed lightpole on Constant Spring Road, Kingston residents cleaning up debris, and the giant cargo cranes at the port of Kingston “still standing”. Don Giovanni's Dean Flickr set incuded dramatic images of a zinc roof wrapped around a lightpole in Meadowbrook and a small landslide in a residential neighbourhood in the hills. And from Grand Cayman, DocJelly uploaded post-hurricane images that showed grey skies and stormy seas, but little obvious damage.
But the worst of Dean may be yet to come. By the time it makes landfall on the coast of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo tomorrow, the hurricane is forecast to have picked up enough strength to be classified as category five.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Jamaica: Entertainers Talk About Dean  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Wondering what Jamaican entertainers thought of Hurricane Dean?  Yardflex.com asks them…


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Jordan: First Jordanian Blogger to be Fined for Smoking  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jad claims he is the first Jordanian blogger to be fined .. for smoking!


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Jordan: Food Prices On Fire! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Food prices are on the increase in Jordan, reports blogger Ahmad Al Ghashmary.


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Kazakhstan: Sham elections · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Arthur concludes that Kazakhstan's parliamentary elections which took place this weekend were seriously flawed, both because of irregularities on voting day itself and, equally important, because of skewed media coverage of the poll's contestants. Plus: Bonnie Boyd writes a great backgrounder on the elections.


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Korea: How Much Should One Ethnicity be Emphasized?  · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

The emphasis on one ethnicity (danil minjok) in Korea society has become a problematic issue in international society. A news clip is below.
A United Nations committee has urged Korea to recognize the diversity of its society and overcome its obsession with racial homogeneity. The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recommended that Seoul promote awareness of human rights and embracing different races and ethnic groups through instruction at public schools. The committee in a report also urged special education on the matter for judicial workers such as police officers, lawyers, prosecutors and judges. The report also proposed the overhaul and introduction of systems and laws banning discrimination against foreigners, migrant workers and mixed-race people.
There are a lot of bloggers who have had the same opinions and support the suggestion.
기회가 되어 해외를 떠돌아 다녀보니…우리나라가 단일 민족이란 것이 언젠가 세계로 나가는데 큰 장애가 될 것이라는 느낌을 받았다. 우리나라에서는 외국인이 지나가면 되게 신기한거다. 어느 나라? 여행 왔나? 출장 왔나? 외국인 노동자? 불법체류? 온갖 상상의 나래를 펴게 된다.
그러나 외국 특히 미국의 경우에는 내가 출장을 가서 지나가도 누구 하나 내게 관심을 갖지 않는다. 나 또한 잠시 머무르는 사람이 아닌 그냥 그 사회의 일원 같은 편안한 느낌이 든다. 하지만 아르헨티나 갔을 때는 동양인이란 이유 때문에 굉장히 낯선 느낌을 받았다. 그야말로 내가 거리를 지나가면 주변에 있는 아르헨티나 사람들이 신기해하는 눈치다. 어느 나라? 여행 왔나? 출장 왔나? 외국인 노동자? 불법체류? 아마 이런걸 생각했으리라…
더군다나 요즘 혼혈이 많아지고 있는 추세이다. 또한 외국인 노동자도 많아지고 있다. 슬슬 준비해야한다.지하철에 외국인이 앉아있으면 보통 옆자리는 비워져있다. 특히 흑인이거나 동남아 사람이면 더욱 그러하다.
이건 정상적인 사회의 모습이 아닌다.
여태까지는 단일 민족이란 것이 긍정적인 효과였으나 세계화를 앞둔 이 시점에서는 부정적인 효과인 것 같다.
국민 모두 넓은 시각을 가지고 바라봐야 할 것이다.
On the other hand, not a few bloggers ask why the UN takes negative perspective on one ethnicity.
1. 단일민족=순수한혈통=좋은것->우리민족 우수한 민족……
이런 해석부터 정말 피해의식에 쪄들었다고 밖에는 볼 수가 없어요. 이건 어떻습니까?
2. 단일민족=우리 가족을 사랑함=그 만큼 다른 민족 인정=세계평화
남에 나라 밟은 적 없는 대한민국이라면 2번 논리쪽이 더 어울리는 거 아닐런지?
There are many opinions against what the UN suggested, insisting on one ethnicity.
UN에서 한국이 단일민족의 정체성을 유지하는 것에 대해 간섭하는 것에 대해 몇마디 적습니다.
민족이라는 것은 오랜 시간동안 형성된 문화적 공동체 이며, 우리 민족은 수천년에 걸쳐 한반도에서 비슷한 혈통의 바탕위에 문화적 공동체를 만들어왔다. 물론 중국,만주,일본 등에서 이주해오는 사람들의 피가 유입되긴 했지만, 우리의 문화적 공동체에 동화되어 우리민족의 일부로 흡수되었기 때문에 문제가 없었다.
하지만, 지금 처럼 수만,수십만의 단위로 외국인들이 유입되어 자신들의 정착촌을 건설하고 자기네 문화공동체를 만들어 우리와 대립하고 우리나라 안에서 자신들의 세력을 구축하려 한다면…. 이는 결코 작은 문제가 아니다.
수만, 수십만 나아가 수백만명의 세력을 결성한 외국이주민들이 한국정부에 한국을 다민족국가로 규정하라고 압력을 넣고 나아가 자기네 조상들의 역사도 한국사에 편입시킬 것을 요구한다면 어떡게 할텐가.
미국은 처음부터 원주민을 말살한 땅위에 여러 국가,민족이 섞여만든 다민족,다인종 국가였지만 한국이 미국과 같은가? 우리 조상들이 외세의 침략을 이겨내어 한반도 라는 공간을 물려줬고 중국에 동화되지 않고 우리 고유의 문화적 정체성을 지켜내어 조선민족,한민족이라는 문화적 정체성을 물려주지 않았는가…
이민자를 받지 말자는 것이 아니다. 그들이 소수로 들어와 우리의 문화적공동체에 동화되고 편입된다면 무엇이 문제인가. 하지만, 지금처럼 수만, 수십만의 유입을 방치해 그들이 미국내의 차이나타운, 재팬타운, 코리아타운 같은 자기네만의 문화적 공동체를 우리나라안에 만들어 세력화하고, 끝내는 자신들이 이 땅의 주인인양 행세하는 것은 막아야 한다는 것이다.
초국적자본은 세계가 단 한개의 경제질서,문화로 통일되는 것이 이윤추구에 적합하므로 국가,민족 이라는 개념이 없어지기를 바란다. FTA를 통해 상품,자본,노동인구의 자유로운 이동을 촉진시켜 한국같은 민족, 문화공동체를 다민족화 시켜 소멸시키려는 것이다. ..
But tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands for foreigners rush into Korea and establish their own towns. Then, it would not be just a small problem if their own cultural communities are against ours and intend to build up their own authority. If these people give pressure to the Korean government to change Korea to a multi-ethnic nation and request their ancestors’ history be put into Korean history, what will we do?
While America is a multi-ethnic and multi-racial nation after they massacred aboriginals, Korea has a different story. Our ancestors retained the land against many attacks from the outside and didn’t assimilate into China. They left cultural identity, Chosun people and Korea people, for us…
I am not saying we should not accept immigrants. If they come here and assimilate into our cultural community, it’s not going to be a problem. But we should block several ten thousands and hundred thousands from coming and establishing China Town, Japan Town, and Korea Town like the US, and behave like they’re the owners of this land.
Multi-national capital prefers that all countries unify with one economic order and one culture due to better profit. They want to abolish the concepts of the nation and ethnicity. Through FTAs, they would like to facilitate easy movements of products, capital, and labor population, and, therefore, they would like to abolish one ethnic and cultural community, like in Korea, through multi-ethnicities.
Other netizens think that one ethnicity does not cause discrimination, but that the problem comes from capitalism.
헌데 제 생각과는 조금 틀리네요.단일민족 이라서 인종차별 하는것이 아니랍니다.다만 없는사람 없는 민족을 차별하는것 이죠.제가느낀 한국인은 인종도,민족도 상관 안합니다.오직 잘사냐 못사냐로 차별합니다.외국계 라도 일단 백인들은 한수접고요,같은민족 이라도 없으면 무시하고 차별합니다.
Interestingly not a few bloggers link the importance of one ethnicity to unification between North and South Korea.
단일민족은 북한과의 통일을 위한 큰 힘이다.
한국이 다민족 국가가 되면 북한이 과연 우릴 같은민족으로 봐주지 않을것이며
통일은 더욱더 힘들어진다.
유엔의 말도 안되는 민족말살정책에 순진하게 놀아나면 안된다.
Here is another opinion.
딱 하나만 묻자.
진보들이 목숨거는 통일에 대해서 한번이라도 생각하고 이런 글 쓰는거냐?
남북이 통일을 이끌어내려고 할때 훼방을 놓으려는 시도에 대해서 반박할 수 있는 가장 큰 명분이 뭐냐?
바로 같은 ‘한민족'이라는 단일민족이라는 명분이다.
일제 강점기에 들어서기 직전에 원래 조선이 하나였다고 주장하는 명분보다 더 확실한 명분을 버리겠다니 ㄲㄲㄲ
지금 남과 북이 유엔에 동시에 가입된 상황에서 말발이 먹힐 유일한 명분이 단일민족이야.
미국놈들처럼 잡탕국가로 만든 다음에 북쪽하고 통일하겠다고 찌질대면 먹혀들거 같냐?
또한 이리저리 잡탕 사회로 된 상태에서 다른 인종의 한국국적자 애들이 통일 하는데 열렬한 지지를 보낼까? 걔들이 통일과정에서 필연적으로 따라올 어느 정도의 희생을 감수하려고 할까? …

author: Hyejin Kim


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Kuwait: Where is the Oil Money? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Zed from Kuwait wonders where all the oil money made by Arab countries is spent, when there is only one Arab university among the world's top 500 institutes of higher education.


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Kuwaiti blogger Bashar Al-Sayegh released! · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

It has been reported that Bashar Al-Sayegh, the Kuwaiti blogger who has been arrested earlier this week for comment posted by an anonymous on his forum, has been released.


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Mideast Youth: Unblock WordPress in Turkey · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Mideast Youth has just launched a petition calling for the unblocking of WordPress in Turkey.


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Nicaragua: Photos of August Festivities in Granada · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Nicaragua y Su Blog [ES] snaps some photographs during the August festivities in the city of Granada.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Pakistan: Arms Race · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Pakistani Spectator on the Arms Race, and what Saudi Arabia's strategy should be.


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Palestine: Child Beggars in Israel · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Issandr El Amrani takes a different look at Palestinian child beggars in Israel.


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Peru: Slideshow of Destruction in Pisco · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

C.J. Schexnayder posts images and a special slideshow on his blog Andean Currents documenting the destruction in the city of Pisco.