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Greece: Riots and Police Brutality Commemorate Teenager’s Death · Global Voices
Asteris Masouras

Riots broke out in Athens and Thessaloniki on December 5-6, during memorial gatherings for a 15-year old named Alexandros Grigoropoulos who was shot dead by police on December 6 last year. Immediately after his death in 2008, Athens was consumed by riots and public protests that lasted for several days.
This year, mostly peaceful protest rallies devolved into incidents of police brutality and misconduct – as shown by citizen media – forcing the Greek government to respond with new promises of police reform for the second time in only two months.
Prior to the rallies, blogger and podcaster mikroanalogo haphazardly and movingly catalogued the memories from protests of 2008:
Οι μνήμες μου έρχονται μία μία σαν ριπές, εκεί που δεν το περιμένω. Μια εικόνα, ένα πάτημα του κλείστρου της φωτογραφικής μηχανής, ένα σύνθημα, ένα χτύπημα, μια φωνή… η μυρωδιά του χημικού και του καμμένου πλαστικού στον αέρα, το τσούξημο στα μάτια και στο δέρμα, η αγωνία και η αγανάκτιση, η αδρεναλίνη, ο φόβος, η ντροπή αλλά και η υπερηφάνια, η κούραση, το ξενύχτι και το άκουσμα μαρτυριών, οι εκκλήσεις των συλληφθέντων, το ξύλο, το αίμα, τα μαυρισμένα αγάλματα και οι κατεστραμένες περιουσίες, οι αντιδράσεις των “σοφών” και η συμπαράσταση των γονιών [..]  ο ξερός ήχος του γκλομπ πάνω στα κόκκαλα [..] το δίκιο που σε πνίγει περισσότερο και από τα δακρυγόνα [..] τα νεαρά πρόσωπα πίσω από τις αντισφυξιογόνες μάσκες και τις στολές [..] την κούραση και την αγωνία της διασταύρωσης και συγκέντρωσης πληροφοριών, την δημοσιογραφία των πολιτών
Blogger and web designer Cyberela observed that justice has still not been done, commenting on the Supreme Court's decision to postpone the trial another year, and away from Athens, for reasons of public safety:
Να σημειώσουμε πως η φοβερότερη τρομοκρατική οργάνωση στα χρονικά της ελληνικής ιστορίας η 17Ν δικάστηκε στην Αθήνα. Δηλαδή ο Αλέξης είναι πιο “επικίνδυνος” από την 17Ν; Το παιδί είναι νεκρό κύριοι.
One year later, more trouble in the streets
Fears and expectations were raised early on about widespread rioting by mainstream media. Journalist and blogger Andreas Panagopoulos decreed:
το πέρσι δεν είναι ίδιο με το φέτος. [..]  οι εξεγέρσεις δεν γίνονται με προγραμματισμένα ραντεβού. Σαν να πηγαίνεις στον οδοντίατρο.
As protest rallies to commemorate Grigoropoulos and denounce police violence went on, mostly young citizen photojournalists ventured out to cover them, some using Twitter and Twitpic to provide minute-by-minute reports. A great number uploaded photo sets to the Demotix photo agency,  which eventually created a dedicated newshub for it's reporters covering the unrest.
For 3 days, photography student Stathis posted hastily written, terse realtime reports and photos on Twitter from the rallies and riots in Athens:
http://twitpic.com/sj4x7 – μπροστα απο τη βιβλιοθηκη. διαδηλωτες λενε συνθηματα. μπλε μπροστα τους.
Photo by Stathisgr, republished with permission
Meanwhile, 16-year old Apostolos did the same in Thessaloniki in English:
@apas: “In thessaloniki cops started too early attack. Anarchists responded quick” [sic]
Photo by apas
Online testimonies of police brutality
Veteran citizen photojournalist and English teacher Craig Wherlock was injured in the leg during a kettling action by police squads in Thessaloniki. His was one of the first of many testimonies of police brutality:
In the general mayhem the marchers, who are nearly always organised in blocks according to political affiliation, soon scattered and mixed and that is how I ended up with about two hundred others just below the ex-ministry of Macedonia and Thrace surrounded by riot squads who fired tear gas rounds into the group and beat anyone who tried to move away from the area.
Even after it was clear that they had control of the area, officers continued to club and kick those on the ground and refused medical help to the injured.
Besides reporting on local rallies, Craig also confronted the minister of Citizen Protection on Twitter (@teacherdude):
@chrisochoidis When was it police policy to fire canisters of tear gas into a packed mass of people from 10m away? 4 injured like that.
… and translated news of police brutality and misconduct recorded on citizen media:
Greek police caught on camera framing innocent by-stander during last Sunday's demo #griots http://tiny.cc/8doTS
Ιn one of the most damning incidents of police misconduct brought to light by citizen media, the chief of police in Chania, Crete admitted that “hoodies” filmed on amateur video standing side by side with police were, in fact, disguised police officers:
Ministerial promises on Twitter
The minister of Citizen Protection, overwhelmed by citizen complaints and demands, responded on Twitter, with promises of reform:
Θα καταργήσουμε τα χημικά. Όλοι θα φέρουν διακριτικά. Θα τα ξαναδούμε όλα απ’ την αρχή: κλούβες, ΜΑΤ, κάθε αστυνομική επιχειρησιακή τακτική
… and issued repeated reassurances that all incidents of police misconduct will be investigated:
…Δουλεύουμε σκληρά. H Ρώμη δεν χτίστηκε σε μια μέρα. Σε κανένα μέτωπο.
However, local citizen journalist Tom Tziros noted parallels on the similarities of police tactics during this year's protests and the 2003 Thessaloniki European Union Summit riots, and commented on the minister's previous record:
στις 21 Ιουνίου εκείνης της χρονιάς αστυνομικοί συλλαμβάνουν τον βρετανό υπήκοο Σάιμον Τσάπμαν και τον κατηγορούν ότι είχε μολότωφ και σακίδιο με βόμβες μολότωφ και σφυριά. Για καλή του τύχη, βίντεο της ΕΤ3 απέδειξε πέραν πάσης αμφιβολίας ότι το σακίδιο δεν ήταν δικό του. Ένα χρόνο μετά αθωώθηκε αλλά δεν τιμωρήθηκε κανένας αστυνομικός.
Στην ίδια πόλη [προχθές], αστυνομικοί συλλάβανε έναν άνθρωπο που κατέβηκε με τις πυτζάμες του να πετάξει τα σκουπίδια και προσπαθήσανε να του”φυτέψουνε” και αυτουνού σακίδιο. Ευτυχώς βίντεο διαδηλωτή τον αθώωσε. Πάλι δεν τιμωρήθηκε κανένας αστυνομικός. Το κοινό στοιχείο, εκτός της πόλης, των δυο ιστοριών; Μα απλά και μόνο ο υπουργός, τότε [..] και τώρα.
Veteran blogger Mihalis Panagiotakis, wryly commented on the minister's new communication strategy, and his controversial statement defending mass preemptive detentions:
επειδή σύμφωνα με τις νέες εξαγγελίες του κ. Υπουργού όλοι είμαστε υπό προσαγωγή [..], θα μπορούμε να στέλνουμε μαζικά sms tweets από τα κρατητήρια στον Υπουργό κάθε φορά που θα μας έχουν μπουζουριάσει αδίκως. Κάτι σαν αντίστροφο flashmobbing. Σκοπεύω, μάλιστα, να προτείνω στον κ. Χρυσοχοΐδη να δημιουργήσει και αποθετήριο MMS σε ιστοχώρο του Υπουργείου του, όπου θα μπορούν τα θύματα των δυνάμεων καταστολής να αναρτούν αυτόματα τα αποδεικτικά στοιχεία της αυθαιρεσίας των οργάνων της τάξης. Αυτό θα ήταν μια πραγματικά χρήσιμη προσφορά προς τον Έλληνα πολίτη.
Aptly summing up the general frustration with the unending cycle violence, film director Constantin Pilavios – a resident of the troubled Exarchia district of Athens, who last year sent out the first reported tweet about the murder of Grigoropoulos tweeted (and was re-tweeted repeatedly):
Πέτρες, φωτιές, μπάτσοι δακρυγόνα… Φαύλος κύκλος. Η επανάσταση πρέπει να γίνει πρώτα μέσα μας και μετά στους δρόμους #griots

author: Asteris Masouras


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Guatemala: Stories and Artisan Crafts from The Ixil Triangle · Global Voices
Renata Avila

The Ixil Triangle's uniqueness and exciting cultural richness have made it one of the favorite destinations of hikers in Guatemala. The Triangle is located north of the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes. Lying just below the Peten rainforest, the Triangle is formed by three small towns and their surrounding villages: Santa María Nebaj, San Juan Cotzal and San Gaspar Chajul.
Mountains, Ixil Triangle, photo by Renata Avila
On his travel blog, Jay Nichvolodov described his experience in Santa María Nebaj:
Nebaj's quite a stunning place, really. It's just cradled between mountains. Really, I don't know if I can describe it, it's just like the city's in the middle of cupped mountain hands. Mist rolls through the vividly green hills, shrouding everything around Nebaj. It's an unusual place (like most places in Guatemala) culturally too, because the women (or many, at least) continue a dress tradition where a strange little pom-pom rope is winded through their hair. The colours are different in Nebaj too, with lots of greens.
Traditional blouse, Chajul, photo by Renata Avila
To understand better the Ixil women, it is necessary to take a look of their traditional clothing. Their blouses communicate their personal identity, their heritage, and their beliefs. Linda traveled to one of the Ixil Triangle villages, Chajul, and she was especially touched by the clothing:
You can hardly imagine the mountains of one-of-a-kind backstrap-woven huipil (blouses) that we encountered in the markets. Or the weavers we met who invited us into their homes and offered us fresh, hand-formed tortillas from their meager stores. Each community had a distinctive style, yet each textile was as fresh as the imagination of its weaver… This little video is a snapshot of our experience in the village of Chajul.
Photo by Amareto CR. Used following a Creative Commons License: http://www.flickr.com/photos/amarethos/2489306689/
The Ixil Triangle is home to the Alol o’tlayol, the community storytellers, who are the keepers of myths and legends of the region. The blog Guatezona  shares one of their stories [es]:
En Nebaj se cuenta que Tznxelal Almika -Corazón del Cielo- era muy cercano a los ixiles, pero éstos comenzaron a espiarlo. Debido a ello, dispuso castigarlos con una lluvia de fuego. A los sobrevivientes se les asignó la tarea de cuidar a los hombres y son conocidos como “Señores de los Cerros”.
The Nebaj village of Hacienda San Antonio [es] in Acul is known for a particular product: cheese. Blogger La Casa k-d1  shares the story of Don Giuseppe Azzari [es], an Italian cheese farmer who arrived in 1932 and made his dream a reality in the Ixil Triangle:
Azzari, un italiano quesero artesanal, vivió en la frontera con los Alpes Suisos, ahora las nuevas generaciones ofrecen a usted el delicioso queso artesanal que conserva la receta original. “Il Formaggio di Chancol” es un excelente producto único en Guatemala.
The Ixil Triangle was an area billed as the hotbed of Guatemala's armed conflict. The three towns sit up in the Northern region of the department of Quiché where, according to the UN-sponsored truth commission, over 300 separate massacres took place during the war (map). Today, ixiles share the uniqueness of a community of less than 70,000 inhabitants [es].

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Renata Avila


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ICT4D: Past mistakes, future wisdom · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

While there has been great excitement and buzz around various ICT4D projects in recent years, it is also true that many projects started with a bang and later died with a whimper. In short, they have not been scalable or sustainable in the long run.
What makes an ICT4D project fizzle? What are the common mistakes that donors, planners and implementers make when trying to run an ICT4D project?
The problems of a top-down approach to ICT4D
In a 2004 paper, “Using ICT to place Indigenous Knowledge Systems at the heart of Education for Sustainable Development” [pdf] Arvind Ranganathan, an independent consultant, who was then an Associate Professor at the Asian College of Journalism  in India, argued that:
Much as the definition of ICT has grown to be more inclusive of ‘low-tech’ devices, existing implementations of ICT are still largely top-down in their structure of information. They are based on the assumption that flow of information must be predominantly one way: that the developing world needs information of and from the developed world to reduce poverty and to improve its standard of living. There is acknowledgement of the importance of local knowledge and the need to tailor information to be culturally sensitive and context-specific. However, in this scheme, local knowledge is to be incorporated, implying that the mainstream information will be that which flows from the developed world.
According to Ranganathan this top-down approach is a recipe for failure. Instead, he suggests building “circles of knowledge” through a bottom-up approach based on the model of community sharing.
Likewise, in a post on South African website, Tech Leader in August, Kirstin Krauss pointed out that when an outsider tries to impose ICT based solutions on a community, it is more likely to fail than succeed. The recipe for avoiding disaster – according to him – lies in ‘identifying cultural interpreters and community champions’ and making them an integral part of the process.
Prof. Pradoshnath from the National Institute of Science Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS) in New Delhi, recently gave a presentation at Centre for Internet and Society in Bangalore on ICT, transaction cost and development: The flip side. His main observation is that connectivity matters only if it connects the right way. If connectivity is not used to enable economic and social gains, he says a marginalized population can run the risk of falling prey to new dynamics of exploitation.
A public chat between ICT4D critics and enthusiasts
In an interesting, free-wheeling Twitter Chat [#failday] that was facilitated by Inveneo's @ICT_works on December 11, participants associated with the field of ICT4D discussed common mistakes pertaining to ICT4D, their probable underlying causes, and learnings for the future. Some of the learnings shared at this highly participative chat session were as follows:
@ ICT_Works: I see gadget lust taking people in the wrong directions: I want to use shiny, flashy hammer so find me a nail…
@downeym: I think too many ICT4D design a big, complex system, without understanding actual needs – then it gets tossed out the window. :)
@theresac: flip-side: too many people heedless of failure execute poorly thought out ideas, at enormous cost
@HannaHellquist: Lack of ICT competency on donor side might lead to investments in systems that do not meet actual needs
@ ICT_Works: I also see under-funding of technology: costs $1000? Then here's $500 and get volunteers instead of full investment
@partners4cd: Techno-flash design un-buttressed by social feasibility and sustainability.
@joncamfield: Don't forget buzzword compliance pushing new tech instead of reliable, tested tech (e.g. cloud computing??)
@giantpandinha: … biggest mistake is not providing space for mistakes –> innovation. (Institutional donors not helping.)
@ithorpe: Moving onto the next project without taking a little time to reflect on what we learned from the current one
@communicc8: in general, lack of transparency causes failure: when people can't ask/answer simple Q, “WHY are we using this?”
@mobileactive: end users and techies are not speaking the same language and need time and trust to understand each other
@mobileactive: Open source is critical but also not easy. Tech is messy, social development is messy, together failure is high. Understand that.
@africastrategy: We tend to look at the technology not the objective. Often solution is more simple and closer to home than we think
What is the way forward then? There are several answers hidden in the observations above. Here are some additional suggestions that the #failday chat participants had for future ICT4D projects.
@sanng: creating a platform for non-dev world AND dev world ICT4D folks to collaborate (is must engage dev world in these discussions)
@joncamfield: Publishing donor-friendly best practice reports with data from a variety of ICT4D projects will help to push back on bad requests
@mobileactive: nobody has talked here yet about agile design practices in ICT4D. Essential to at least reduce likelihood of failure.
@joncamfield: Also, taking risks with new disruptive ideas is important to break out of molds.
@downeym: Open-sourcing a “failed” project turns it into a success – or at least helps others’ chances at being one.
partners4cd: We need core Monitoring & Evaluation standards to heighten donor confidence in tech-assisted solutions to socio-economic development issues
You can read the entire transcript of the [#failday] Twitter Chat here.

author: Aparna Ray


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India: Being selective about feedback · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Cartoonist Anshul Maheshwari at Brainstuck.com takes a good-humored dig at the possibilities of selective perception when collecting data or feedback through crowdsourcing.


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India: Will its myriad applications lead to Twitter’s demise? · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Writing in Trak.in, Rabi Gupta – founder of iDubba.com, wonders if the myriad Twitter applications will ultimately kill Twitter itself.


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Kenya: Photos of Maasai Mara · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Beautiful photos of the Maasai Mara in Kenya at Stood in the Maasai Mara.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Nepal: When Politicians milk death threats · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Maila Baje of Nepali Netbook is frustrated on seeing political leaders in Nepal, such as the Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal, gain mileage by harping time and gain on the possible threat to their lives.


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Russia: Government News Agency Reporter Detained by Police  · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

A photo correspondent of RIA-Novosty, Russian government news agency, was detained by the police [RUS] when he was covering a recent opposition rally in Moscow.

author: Vadim Isakov


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Sierra Leone: Money, ATMS, financial institutions in Sierra Leone · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The 2010 Sweet Sierra Leone list of money, ATMs and financial institutions in Sierra Leone.


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South Korea: An Open Letter to Steve Jobs on Iphone · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Metropolitician wrote an open letter to Steve Jobs addressing the situation that foreign residents could not register for I-phone because of local foreign resident policy.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Sri Lanka: On making choices · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Sri Lankan blogger Mindwind ponders on the philosophical questions surrounding choice and predetermination


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St. Lucia: Considering the Blind · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As new technology makes e-books accessible for the blind, St. Lucia's Caribbean Book Blog says: “It remains to be seen how the Caribbean will be able to justify the blind among us being left behind in the global quest for economic empowerment and basic human dignity.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Tunisia: Student Jailed for Media Interview · Global Voices
Lina Ben Mhenni

Tunisian student Mohamed Soudani, 24, disappeared on October 22, 2009, in Tunisia after giving interviews to Radio Monte Carlo International and Radio France International.
Soudani was missing for 18 days until Tunisia’s police contacted his family inform them that he is detained in the Murnaguiya prison about 15km away from the capital Tunis.
According to sources, the police also informed Soudani’s family that he was put on trial and convicted for “disorderly conduct” during his detention without legal counsel and was sentenced to four months in prison. They also learned that he had since appealed his sentence.
During his court appearance on December 6, Soudani denied the charges filed against him and stated that he was tortured aggressively during his extrajudicial detention. His lawyers asked for a recess to study the case and his release on bail. The release request was denied while his trial was adjourned to December 14, 2009.
Soudani was interviewed about his past activities as a student leader in the General Union of the Students of Tunisia. He was involved last year in a 56-day hunger strike with another four students demanding their right to go back to school. They have also blogged about their hunger strike experience day by day on a blog which had been censored in Tunisia.
A Facebook group and a blog have been created to support Mohamed Soudani in the hardships he is experiencing.

author: Lina Ben Mhenni


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Algeria: The Revolution and the Jews · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Houwari, at Algerian Review, writes about the Algerian Revolution and the role of the Jewish community.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Algerian Jews  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Alle, at the Maghreb Politics Review, discusses Algerian Jews from a historical perspective in this post.


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Armenia: Music Awards · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Ianyan covers the 10th annual Armenian Music Awards in Los Angeles. The blog also live tweeted the event on her Twitter account.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh: Independent media and Bangla blogs · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Muktangan starts off an interesting freewheeling discussion about the role of Bangla blogs and why it is still not at par with some of the leading blog platforms around the world that have created equity for themselves as independent media.


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Cuba, U.S.A.: American Arrested in Havana · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Cuban Triangle comments on press reports that “an American citizen working on a USAID contract was arrested in Cuba” for allegedly “distributing ‘cell phones, laptops, and other communications equipment’.”


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Egypt: And this one goes to Djamila Bouhired · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Algeria's 75-year-old activist and revolutionist Djamila Bouhired, is ill and is beseeching her country and countrymen to finance her medical treatment. The news has infuriated many Egyptian bloggers who see her as an Arab icon and a hero.
Writing at Egyptian Chronicles, Zeinobia believes that we as Arabs are good at destroying national heros:
Djamila Bouhired has sent an open letter to the Algerian State and people to help her in her illness. The famous Arab nationalist heroine of 1960s who became a symbol of independence in the whole Arab world is begging from the Algerian government !! The woman is asking the government to help her especially as a woman of national pride and dignity she refused aids from the Gulf :(
Djamila's situation reminded Zeinobia of our own Egyptian war veterans:
she has brothers in Egypt from 1973 Suez resistance veterans whose pension is disgrace forcing them to work as drivers on micro-buses in Suez. Those veterans stood against Sharon for weeks defending our dignity !! In fact she has brothers and sisters across the Arab world , those who did not think too long when they gave their lives to the nation but the nation is thinking too long to give them back what they do deserve.
Instead of football wars, Zeinobia wished that:
our relations would have been in better condition , it would be great if we send to Djamila the best of our physicians or invite her to Cairo again as she has been always a welcomed guest.
Nawara Negm posted two videos on her blog; the first video is a message from the Algerian Kommondoss Team welcoming her among them and offering to pay her medical expenses. The second is a video of an Algerian explaining to the whole world who Djamila Bouhired is and how the Arab world has let her down!
Nawara commented saying:
Tarek Ez ElDen posted her letter to the Algerian President Bouteflika; Djamila's  letter says:

author: Marwa Rakha


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Egypt: Majd Al Assad Dies  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia  comments on the death of Majd Al Assad, the younger brother of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.


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Egypt: Synagogue Gone … Synagone · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

In 2008, Moftasa stumbled upon an old synagogue that was turned into an office for the National Democratic Party (Egypt's ruling party). It is amazing how the very same Egyptians who were infuriated over Switzerland's decision to ban building minarets are the same people who demolished the Magen Abraham synagogue in Egypt.
Moftasa's story started as follows [pictures within the post]:
In April 2008, in Hadayeq el Qobba I stumbled  upon this synagogue which was turned into a public affairs office, NDP office, a  nursery and a small mosque.
Taking photos is strictly prohibited. But I  managed to snap some shots while claiming that I am studying architecture and  interested in the building style.
He goes on to describe the state of the synagogue  saying:
the wooden floors are in a horrible shape, cables coming and going everywhere,  horrible neon lights, overstuffed filing cabinets piled over each other rusting,  broken window panes replaced with cardboard and the whole sanctity of the place,  that was once there and can be vaguely felt radiating from the large dome and  the star of David windows, is replaced with a grim dark grey Mogama3 feel.
Sarah Carr posted Traveller Within‘s photos of the synagogue and Max Strasser loved how she played on the gone synagogue and came up with synagone!
Lina Attalah and Mohamed  El Dahshan [ photos here] of Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper followed up on Moftasa's earlier post about the Magen Abraham synagogue and as he wrote in his second post
“This temple was built by the Adda family,”  says Carmen Weinstein, president of the Egyptian Jewish Community Council  (JCC).
“The Adda's were a Jewish Egyptian family of  industrialists and bankers, who contributed to the growth of the Egyptian  economy in the 1940s. I wish the state would preserve this temple, which is  unique in this part of the city.” For Jewish communities in Egypt before 1952 it  was customary to erect neighborhood synagogues. “In each neighborhood, the local  Jewish collectivity built a synagogue,” says Weinstein, who also points out that  while 29 synagogues once existed in Cairo, only 13 remain.
When contacted for more information about  the building, Cairo Governorate officials expressed surprise with respect to the  building's unusual status
According to one governorate employee who wanted to remain anonymous, the  building is recognized in the district's files, but has no licenses or ownership  documents.
“This means that no measures of demolition,  or restoration, have been taken with respect to the building. Nevertheless, the  Hadayeq el-Qubba district headquarters believe the construction to be stable and  safe,” he says. “Since there has been no ownership documents for the synagogue,  the government has put its hand on it.”


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El Salvador: Pixels Animation Awards · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In El Salvador, the winners of the Pixels 2009 animation awards were recently awarded and Dulce Limón Partido [es] features the winners.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Featured Author: Lina Ben Mhenni · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Lina Ben Mhenni is a Tunisian blogger [ar] and activist, and has been writing about the Tunisian blogosphere for Global Voices since October 2008.
Through the creation of a Facebook group and a blog [fe], she has led awareness campaigns about the recent case of a Tunisian student, Mohamed Soudani, who has been jailed for giving media interview.
Recently, Lina was a part of the Second Arab Bloggers Meeting that was held in Beirut, Lebanon.


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Guatemala: Preserving Atitlán Lake · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The blogger S@kis of Una Hoja de Papel [es] describes a hypothetical conversation with his future granddaughter who wants to know what the Atitlán Lake in Guatemala was like, and why it is no longer that way. He answers because Guatemalans did nothing to preserve it.


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Honduras: Recent Findings in Latinobarometro Study · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Aaron Ortiz of Pensieve looks at the recent findings regarding Honduras in the most recent Latinobarometro study.


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India: Let’s not confuse social respectability with legality · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Countering arguments advanced by an MSM article as to why prostitution in India should not be legalized, Nitin at The Acorn points out that we should not confuse social respectability with legality


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India: Recipe – chicken noodle soup · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

For some of us a bowl of hot chicken soup on a cold winter evening is the ultimate comfort food. Meena Agarwal at Hooked on Heat shares her mouth-watering recipe of  ‘make-your-own chicken noodle soup’.  Loved her idea of allowing guests to personalize their own share of the soup.


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Iraq: A Business Perspective  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi Pundit notes: “There are so many different ways to explain Iraq. But whichever explanation makes the most sense, it must include oil.”


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Iraq: An Iraqi Prayer  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Writing at Mideast Youth, Iraqi Wamith Al-Kassab says: “After the last explosions in Baghdad on the 8th of December where two cars exploded in Baghdad and killed more than 127 person with about 330 wounded, I did not find any energy to write … I just posted the story on my Facebook, a prayer that God, Allah, [to] give the Iraqi people a break.”


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Iraq: Iraqi Prisons and Iraqis  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi Layla Anwar is “overwhelmed with sadness.” Click here to find out why.


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Iraq: Smelling Danger  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Alaa, The Mesopotamian, from Iraq, smells danger in the air. “Nowadays, I have this premonition of danger. I am compelled to spell out my fears,” he writes.


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Israel: Blogging for the Environment in Jordan  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Environmentalists and writers from Palestine, Jordan and Israel will meet in Madaba, Jordan this month for a 2-day workshop: “Blogging for the Environment” on December 20-21,” writes Israeli Green Prophet, at Mideast Youth.


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Jamaica: Buju Arrested  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Regional bloggers react to news that dancehall star Buju Banton has been arrested on cocaine possession charges.


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Jamaica, St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Police Boots  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican Annie Paul and Abeni from St. Vincent and the Grenadines blog about police brutality in their respective islands.


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Japan and South Korea: Prostitution  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Robert Koehler from The Marmot's Hole blogs about sexual service in South Korea that targets at Japanese male.


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Japan’s Companies CSR Reports  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Martin J Frid discusses about corporate social responsibility commitment of Japan's companies in reducing CO2 emission and environmental protection.


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Jordan: Facebook Moments  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Posted something too quickly on Facebook? Jordanian Hareega shares some embarrassing moments from the social networking site.


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Montserrat: Level 4 · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands reports that Montserrat's volcanic activity has been raised to Level 4.


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Poland: Blogs Demand Payment for Content  · Global Voices
Jakub Górnicki

Today, readers of leading Polish blogs might have been surprised to see a new welcome screen on one of their favourite websites: it announced that, beginning Dec. 14, 2009, access to this blog was no longer free of charge.
The new intro gave readers three options:
The whole thing, which is one big surprise for Polish users, is almost solved after readers make up their minds and make their decision known by clicking on either of the three buttons. A second screen appears then, thanking readers for… taking part in a special survey, and promising to post the results shortly. Rumour is that interactive agency Autentika is behind this.
But many people decided to leave the website before making any click, which led to negative comments on Polish microblogging websites such as Blip.
Despite the probable commercial aspect behind all of this, it's the first time when one institution managed to unite for action so many important and well-read bloggers (we have counted six of them).
Global Voices will monitor this interesting commercial/advertising case and publish the results of the survey, too, as soon as they appear.

author: Jakub Górnicki


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Russia: Google Bus Stop Ads Hacked  · Global Voices
Vadim Isakov

While Russia and the U.S. were holding meetings on cyber warfare [ENG], Russian activists took the process of hacking from virtual space to real bus stops in Moscow where they slightly altered original Google ads.
A group of online activists with obscure-sounding Web site Ovoscham.net that can be translated from Russian as “No to Vegetables” changed several Google ads on Moscow bus stops with the ones that looked exactly the same but had not-so-subtle political messages. A post on Ovoscham.net titled “The Action 3″ briefly describes [RUS]  the process of hacking Google in real life:
В Москве были заменены рекламные плакаты Google. Так как визуально плакаты мало отличались от оригиналов, владелец рекламных площадей компания Wall не заметила подмены и плакаты провисели три недели и сняли их, когда настоящая рекламная кампания Googlе закончилась.
Для простоты приобрели комплект спецодежды за 700 рублей и еще за 500 нанесли на них логотип владельца рекламных площадей. Суммарная стоимость плакатов составила 3000 рублей. Все сделано на личные средства.
An original Google ad looked like this:
It listed search queries like “accepting foreigners into the Russian Army,” “Jacobin ideology,” “If my girlfriend is older that I” by different historical characters and book and fairy tale heroes. The original ad encouraged people to find out who could have made those queries by going to Google.ru.
Russian activists slipped some reality into the Google campaign by coming up with this:
The changed ad had different search queries: “Road police without bribes,” “Government for citizens,” “Construction without kickbacks,” “Alternative during elections,””Fun without alcohol,””Active civic position” and “Television without lies.” Sentences under the queries read: “You can find it on the Web. But can you find it in your country? It's up to you!“
Ovoscham.net also privided a video of “The Action 3″:
The reaction of Russian blogosphere was largerly positive but did not go beyond general and slightly distant praises. Comments on Ovoscham.net mainly consisted of cheers like “Well done!” and few suggestions to help with money.
Many users also questioned the effectiveness of the action. A blog post on Roem.ru, for example, pointed out [RUS] a “traditional long distance” between people and those “who like to express their opinion.”
Впрочем, ажиотажа у вывешенных плакатов не наблюдалось, что показало традиционную даль “желающих высказаться” от народа, хотя щит и был размещен рядом с популярной площадкой на Воробьевых горах. При этом и надписи были весьма мелкими, поэтому даже стоящим рядом в пробках автолюбителям, наслаждение высоким искусстовом было недоступно.
Comments on the forum Yaplakal.com [RUS], although approving the work done, were also pessimistic about any real effect of the action:
толку не много, население не поймет. что за унылый подход. нужно шатнуть людей! EshiK28
толку от этого просто 0. все это знают, но делать никто ничего не собирается. потому что смысла в этом нет. slavyano
идея хорошая, теме крест. поймут конечно многие, только отношение такое же как у большинства – “это хорошо, конечно ребята придумали, но я лучше пройду мимо”GoldFly
This reaction is pretty typical for the majority of blog posts that mentioned the hacked Google ads and comments that those posts generated. This example may show how Russian online activism can go real-life but it seems like an impact of the real-life action in the country is still as small as a couple of bus stops lost in a big megapolis.


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Syria: At the Second Arab Bloggers Meet  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Italian Donatella Della Ratta, who lives in Syria, attended the Second Arab Bloggers meeting, which just ended in Beirut, and here are her observations.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Baby Face · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Of a Danish study which suggests that “baby-faced people live longer”, B.C. Pires says: “Any Trini could have told the world that…it have a reason ogly people does look ogly: because they miserable; and them so bound to die faster than good-looking people who everybody like and want to have around them.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Twitter’s the Thing · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The man came across as feeling he was a celebrity, shouting for the whole stationery store to hear that he was ‘on Facebook and Twitter’. Better yet that the woman didn't know what Twitter was”: From Trinidad, Now Is Wow Too finally gives in to her resistance to the micro-blogging service.


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Twitter in Japan · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Fumi Yamazaki tells her readers how Twitter is quickly increasing its presence in Japan nowadays.


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Uganda: Ugandan Bloggers Happy Hour · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Walkonby blogs about Ugandan Bloggers Happy Hour this Friday: “May I nkow whether you’re going to show up? Say Ay, if you are. Would you mind carrying your own drink, I can organize a couple of mixers. And the kitchen lovers, would you mind agreing who’ll prepare what?”


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Africa: Obesity in Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bunmi writes about obesity in Africa: “In response to my uninformed comment to a recent report about the increasing obesity rates among Africa's urban poor–up 35% in the last decade–Ãœber fabulous and wise Nneoma :-), who blogs at pyoo wata, schools me to the facts.”


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ASEAN Joint Postal Stamp · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations issued a joint postal stamp featuring a building from member countries

author: Mong Palatino


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Bangladesh: South Asian Union By 2030 · Global Voices
Rezwan

An Ordinary Citizen comments on the vision of Bangladesh Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus for a South Asian Union by the year 2030.

author: Rezwan


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Barbados, Guyana: Christmas! · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados’ Notes From A Small Rock and Signifyin’ Guyana are catching the Christmas fever.


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Barbados: Irritated by Insects  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Over in Barbados, B.C. Pires is dealing with the “Axis of Annnoyance” created by frogs, mosquitoes and other flying insects.


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Belarus: New Plans For Internet Control · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

“Nasha Niva”online portal in Belarus published [Google Translation – ENG] a draft of the President's decree “On Measures to Improve the National Segment of the Internet.” The decree will  significantly limit the Internet freedom and introduce new measures of online censorship.

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Bermuda: Tackling Crime · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Bermuda Longtail and Catch a fire are concerned about the island's crime problem.


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Colombia: National Radio Celebrates 80th Anniversary · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Colombian National Radio celebrates its 80th anniversary on the airwaves and Colombia Passport looks back at its history.


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Cuba: Growing Blogosphere · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Generation Y is encouraged by the fact that “the alternative Cuban blogosphere continues to propagate itself.”


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Dominica: Being Transparent · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Dominica Weekly supports transparency and accountability in public life: “If the people have to dig out the truth, all trust is gone and aggression will step to the fore. Then who knows what can very well happen.”


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Hong Kong: Undemocratic Legco set to approve the world’s most costly express train · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Legislative Council (Legco) in Hong Kong is about to approve the funding for the world's most expensive Express Rail Link (ERL)'s construction plan on the coming Friday (Dec 18). According to the government budget plan announced in November 2009, the 26 km ERL will cost HKD67 billions (USD8.9 billions). In a polity without democracy, oppositional voices could only be heard in street protests and the Internet.
Background
Back in 2006, the Hong Kong government opted for a shared rail line system (by using the pre-existing west rail) to connect with the National Express Rail Link system. According to the plan, it takes one hour to travel from Hong Kong terminus to Guangzhou station. However, in order to save an extra 12 minutes, the Legco in 2007 voted for a separate rail line system and authorized the Mass Transit Railway Corporation Limited (MTRCL) to proceed with further planning and design of the Hong Kong Section, without aware of the implication on the construction cost. The MTRCL came up with a plan in 2008 with an estimation of construction cost at HKD39.5 billions. Moreover, a natural village, Choi Yuen Village, in Northern New Territories will be demolished for the construction of a supporting train station. However, the budget announced in October 2009 rocketed to HKD65.2 billions, and in November the new estimation was further increased to HKD66.9 billion, excluding the extra highway reconstruction cost in West Kowloon for accommodating the rail terminus.
Obviously the ERL will never be able to cover its construction cost. The Government decides to adopt a concession approach to fund the whole construction cost, and upon completion, the MTRCL will be granted a service concession for subsequent operation and pay the Government annually for the concession (as if it is going to make profit).
With less than 3 month discussion about the rocketed budget, the Legco Public Works Subcommittee, dominated by functional constituency (representatives of corporate and professional interest) and pro-establishment political parties, passed the funding on 13 of December.
Citizens have been campaigning against the construction plan in the streets and on the Internet since early February this year. While the mainstream media are dominated by government's information and propaganda, a number of citizen reporters from inmediahk.net started a series of reports on Choi Yuen Village and the unjust planning of the ERL.
Unjust planning
Ip Iam-chong pointed out that the one-stop only design of the ERL has further marginalized the population in New Territories:
像廣深港高速鐵路，香港段只有西九站，接著便是深圳的福田與龍華，經過東莞的虎門，另一端的終站是廣州的石壁。以香港段為例，鐵路經過也跨過了新界西，但 沒有一個站，如果新界西居民將來要享用鐵路，則要反方向往南，到西九站才行。很明顯，人口增長最快、基層人口比例高的新界西是被排斥的。
Citizen groups from Western N.T started demonstrating in June and demanded the terminus to be built in Yuen Long to help the development of Western N.T and also to save the Choi Yuen village from demolition. (Yip Po Lam's citizen report)
Campaign against the development myth
However, most of the Hong Kong people are unaware of the implications of the ERL. Hoidick highlighted an university survey showing that when the construction fee for the ERL increased from HK39.5 billions to HKD 63 billion in June 2009, more than half of the local population was not aware of the budget plan, but at the same time, more than 70% supported the construction. The public tends to believe that grand construction plan can help the local economy without aware of the social and environmental cost.
Moreover, the mainstream media were flooded with government information, which are often misleading, for example the fact that the Guangzhou (GZ) ERL station will be located in Panyu, which is far away from the GZ downtown. Hoidick visited the Guangzhou (GZ) ERL construction site in Shibi to indicate the misleading message that the ERL traveling time between HK-GZ is 48 minutes. It actually takes another 20 mins to travel from Shibi station to downtown GZ via local metro line.
In order to raise the public awareness on the environmental impact, a group of environmental activists organized a 26 kilometer demonstration along the ERL route.
26 km ERL route
A better alternative neglected
A group of professionals put forward an alternative ERL plan in early October 2009. The new plan sets the terminus in Northwest N.T, connects the ERL with the western railway and airport express, reduces the construction cost by more than 50% and avoids the demolition of Choi Yuen Village. However, the government refused to prolong its consultation with the professional group and the public.
On 19 of October 2009, a few hundred people gathered in Choi Yuen Village to will their support to the villagers against the ERL construction. But the action could not stop the Executive Council from passing the construction plan on 20 of October.
Undemocratic Legco dominated by vested interests
More than 2000 people took to the street on 29 of November demanding the Legco to review the design and reject the funding. Knowing that the budget will be eventually passed in the undemocratic Legco, Tse Kwundong wrote a reflection on his experience in Legco public hearing after the demonstration:
為了高鐵一事，我出 席了一些會議，並明白了其運作，才了解到問題的根源。9月23日立法會鐵路事宜小組委員會邀請公眾發表意見，每人三分鐘，當天早上我也前往，希望用我的理 據來說服委員會成員，尤其民建聯和功能界別議員（參看 阿東在立法會．三分鐘反高鐵講稿）。 可是，民建聯的劉江華坐了一會就走了，至於功能界別如何鍾泰等，是中國建築的董事，有份承接地鐵工程，你怎能說服到他放棄利益？… 然而因立法會的選舉機制，選出的建制派和功能界別議員已佔了 大半數，幾乎一定會通過，其中不少功能界別議員因商業或政治利益所在，根本肯定全心全意投贊成票，公理根本不存，我們的聲音和理據再壯，在立法會也沒有代 表性，這才是立法會的問題…
1218 Siege the Legco
As predicted, despite the fact that all the pan democrats vote against the ERL finance plan, it was passed on 3 of December. In order to raise public awareness towards the unjust planning and undemocratic system, a post-80 young activist group started touring around HK last Saturday and Sunday. Today (December 16), they have started a 3-day march around the Legco building to prepare for the mobilization on December 18. Below is excerpted from their press release (via inmediahk.net):
我們是一班80後年輕人。我們反對立法會倉卒審批廣深港高速鐵路香港段669億撥款。高鐵濫用公帑，破壞家園，漠 視市民的參與權；我們一直以各種方法反對都不被理會，如今撥款在即，我們決定以一項和平而持久的行動再次表明心志。我們將於星期三 (2009年12月16日) 下午四時開始圍繞立法會苦行，直到星期五(2009年12月18日)立法會高鐵撥款議決為止，藉此呼籲市民當日前來包圍立法會，並盡最後努力呼籲支持政府 方案的議員懸崖勒馬。
The facebook has become a most important platform for individuals to aggregate and coordinate petitions and protest actions against the ERL. So far more than 650 people have signed up for the 1218 siege the Legco event and the largest anti-ERL group has more than 42,000 members. Below are photos and videos created by members of the group for the 1218 mobilization:


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Kenya: Resource to understand Kenya’s draft constitution · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Resource to help Kenyans to understand their draft constitution: “CRECO and others have helped together this helpful breakdown of what’s contained in the draft constitution – changes, principles behind the changes etc.”


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Laos: 25th SEA Games Opening Ceremony · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Youtube video clips were uploaded showing the opening ceremonies of the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos


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Laos: 25th SEA Games updates · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Sao Darly shares links related to the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos.


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Laos: First gold medal in 25th SEA Games · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Sao Darly praises Soukthavy Panyasit, the first gold medalist for Laos at the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos.


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Lebanon: Queer Parenting  · Global Voices
Katharine Ganly

Lily, a guest writer at queer Arab magazine bekhsoos explores queer parenting in Lebanon.

author: Katharine Ganly


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Mexico: Gourmet Food Fair · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Lesley Téllez of the Mija Chronicles visits a gourmet food fair in Mexico City.


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Russia: Two Stories of Space Blogging · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Blogging from and about space gains popularity and recognition among professional space travelers and regular bloggers. Russia is no exception. While the latest fashion for NASA astronauts is space twittering [ENG], more and more space explorers are going full-text. And the fact that one wouldn't necessarily call those blogs par excellence doesn't make them less interesting.
Maxim Suraev is the first Russian astronaut to start a blog. His first post appeared on October 14 at the Web site of the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) [RUS]. The English translation of Maxim's online diary “The Orbital Log” [ENG] later appeared on the Web site of Russia Today and quickly gained popularity among international audience. The Wired magazine called Suraev's blog the “Best Cosmonaut Blog Ever” [ENG] and noticed that it covered a much different array of topics than one could usually see in NASA press releases or Twitter feeds.
The Wired correspondent Alexis Madrigal wrote:
We tend to receive our vision of space exploration through the American lens, so it’s great to get some outside perspective on what’s going on up there. And Suraev’s site really feels like someone’s blog.
According to the Russian Space Agency, Suraev regularly sends his blog posts via e-mail to the Web site administrators and they publish it for general audience. Then the blog is translated in English. Although Suraev's posts are not very elaborate and technically perfect but they are full of pictures and interesting observations.
Maxim Suraev at ISS
The posts mostly describe space routine: how people live at ISS, dress, cook, play sports, deal with trash, meet new astronauts arriving to the station, etc. In fact, there are probably more pictures than words. The blog is full of humor and sometimes rebellious actions. Suraev recollects in one of his blog posts how he “smuggled” seeds of wheat to the ISS  and planted then as an experiment. When Earth-based scientists ordered to eliminate the grass, he refused [ENG].
Regular readers of my blog must recall how I “smuggled” wheat here (see pp. 15, 16, 27 – editor).
After that, the scientists from the Earth urged me to pull it out.
I am so sorry, my fellow scientists, but I just could not do that. It is growing so marvelously.
See yourself: huge ears! I only hope they will be tastier than Roman's salad! :-)
Some of the pics by Suraev are extremely funny, some are interesting, others are simply impossible to take anywhere else. Did you see the Moon like this?
Interestingly enough, Maxim's first space flight was with Guy Laliberte – a space tourist, blogger and founder of Cirque Du Soleil. Who knows, maybe it's Guy who suggested Maxim to start a blog.
Guy's blog has 201 entries covering each day of training and flight and is available in Russian, English and French (see GVO coverage of  his space trip [ENG]). Since most of the entries on the blog are original observations written by Guy, they lack a little imperfection we all like about blogs. Nevertheless, some of the Guy's confessions [ENG] are breathtaking:
If I had to describe to you how I felt as the spacecraft went upward, I would have to say that the feelings were more emotional and spiritual than physical.
During the last separation stage, we distinctly heard the disconnection and, quite unexpectedly, our little stuffed animal began to fly! Our limbs felt light all of a sudden—we were weightless! We looked at each other and did a high-five! :) I quickly looked out the window and saw a marvellous and very round ball: WOW, what a magnificent site! The sky is not the limit.
After a few minutes, I saw the Earth and an almost full Moon, and we began our orbit. We stayed in our seats for a few more hours then moved over to our cabin on the other side. We removed our flight suits and, at that moment, I lived my first period of adaptation—the hardest one for me up until then—and threw up what I had eaten and drank. This lasted a few seconds then I felt different, and everything went well after that.
Guy's trip to the outer limits became a significant event in the Russian online community mainly because the space trip was organized by the Russian Space Agency. Guy has become the 7th space tourist in the world's history. The previous departure (on March 26, 2009) of 6th space tourist Charles Simonyi [ENG], head of Microsoft software group, was photo-documented [RUS] by an LJ-user chat-de-mer.
Guy Laliberte and Maxim Suraev with other members of the ISS crew (Photo from the Last Drop Web site)
List of other space blogs:


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Rwanda: Move by parliament to criminalise LGBTI people · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“The latest move to criminalise LGBTI people comes from Rwanda,” Sokari reports.


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Singapore: ‘No To Rape’ campaign · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

In Singapore, raping your wife is not treated as rape.
But it should be.
This is the main message of the ‘No To Rape’ campaign published in the Facebook page of the group. The organizers aim to abolish the marital rape immunity law in Singapore.
The ‘No To Rape’ campaign advocates one simple idea: sexual violence by any person, against any person, is criminal violence. Consequently, non-consensual sexual penetration, regardless of whether the victim and perpetrator are married to each other, should be treated as rape
The group has already gathered more than 3,000 signatures for the petition which will be delivered to the Prime Minister
We would like to thank everyone who has given his or her support to the No To Rape petition to abolish marital rape immunity in Singapore. Twenty minutes ago, our petition has officially come to a close with over 3,600 signatures.
Over the next few days, we will be putting together the data collected before presenting it to our Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, by email and in hard copy.
Barnyard Chorus observes that “Rape culture in Singapore is a phenomenon that has really caught us by surprise and disturbed us when it finally reared its unabashedly ugly, misogynistic andabhorrent head.”
Syinc is supportive of the ‘No to Rape’ campaign
Let's just look at one facet of how maddeningly awful this is.
When a strange man rapes a stranger, it's highly unlikely that they'll ever have to face each otehr again.
When a husband rapes a wife, they'll be seeing each other everyday. In fact, the abuse is more than likely to keep going on. Perhaps, everyday.
When someone who promised to love and protect you through thick and thin commits such a horrific act – this leaves indelible scars deep within a person's psyche.
The Temasek Review explains why the cause involves everyone
This campaign brings together women and men, the young and the old, people from different races, believers in various faiths and those of no faith at all.  Whatever your background, all of us have a shared interest in this.  Everyone deserves the protection of the law from violence, no matter who commits it.  Rape is a beating, a form of abuse, that just happens to be carried out using a sexual organ instead of a fist.
The ‘No To Rape’ campaign has produced several ads urging Singaporeans to support the petition drive
Bu some netizens are not supportive of the campaign. Toolang comments at The Online Citizen blog
The poor response shows that if every couple supports the campaign to make marital rape into law, the Police would be kept very busy throughout the year and have no time to keep Singapore safe and secure from crimes and terrorism except to investigate what thousands of couple do every night on bed, to assess whether excessive force was used on the partner. If excessive force was indeed used and tantamount to marital rape, the Police may take months to investigate. In the meantime, the couple reconciles and settles another round of pleasure on bed to resolve the dispute and do not want to pursue further. All the Police efforts go down the drain. I would suggest the researchers go down to the High and Family Courts and understand the family and domestic problems thoroughly first before embarking on this campaign.
Btan believes the organizers failed to gather enough signatures because it lacks genuine public support
Petitioners are still in denial. The lack of signature is not because of lack of publicity or drive but because most people know this petition is silly and nonsensical.
The petitioners insult the people, especially women, by assuming they cannot take care of themselves when they have the full weight of the law behind them.
It is better they direct their energies to more worthy cause, like establishing a genuine two-party system in Singapore where our citizens are not whipped like slaves and foreigners entering en mass diluting our national spirit.
The house is burning and they are worrying about a bad hair day?
Get your priorities right.
The ‘No To Rape” campaign also has a Twitter account.


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Uganda: Updates on the pending anti-gay bill · Global Voices
Haute Haiku

The impending anti- gay bill 2009 in Uganda that plans on criminalizing homosexuality and locking gays in prison or killing them has raised concerns all over the world. Chances that the bill will pass are very high.
A few amendments on the bill by the legislators and supporters of the bill like dropping the death penalty and life imprisonment and by February 2010 the bill will be passed (see below) and be part of the law. The bill that has terms like “aggravated homosexuality” and “promotion of homosexuality”  and provisions on attempt to commit, aiding and abetting, conspiracy to commit, using threats, detention with intent to commit are on the penal code.
After the slight amendments the only change on the bill will be to provide counseling for the gays,  according to Bloomberg.com:
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) — Uganda will drop the death penalty and life imprisonment for gays in a refined version of an anti- gay bill expected to be ready for presentation to Parliament in two weeks, James Nsaba Buturo, the minister of ethics and integrity, said.
The draft bill, which is under consideration by a parliamentary committee, will drop the two punishments to attract the support of religious leaders who are opposed to these penalties, Buturo said today in a phone interview from the capital, Kampala.
Ugandan lawmaker David Bahati presented a private member’s bill on Oct. 14 which sought the death penalty and life imprisonment for gay people in the country. The Ugandan government supports the bill because homosexuality and lesbianism are “repugnant to the Ugandan culture,” Buturo said. Still, it favors a more refined set of punishments, he said.
In addition to formulating punishments for the gay people, the bill will also promote counseling to help “attract errant people to acceptable sexual orientation,” said Buturo.
Barely a month ago, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni spoke out against gays and was advising the youth not to be recruited by Europeans:
President Museveni has joined the anti-gay crusade, saying he had received reports suggesting that “European homosexuals” had launched a recruitment drive in Africa.
He urged the youth to reject the advances. Expressing his homophobia, Mr Museveni said the youth must stand firm and abhor the divergent sexual orientation.
“I hear European homosexuals are recruiting in Africa,” said Mr Museveni on Saturday, to an audience of mainly youth at the Kampala Serena Hotel that homosexuality is un-natural.
“We used to have very few homosexuals traditionally. They were not persecuted but were not encouraged either because it was clear that is not how God arranged things to be.”
In a post titled “Spreading Homophobia” Sokari Ekine writes:
Yesterday was human rights day and the day chosen to hold the second protest against the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Unfortunately considering the implications for LGBTI people the turn out was disappointingly low. However the Bill is still being reported in the mainstream media and blogging community though not always in a positive way. This article from the Gwaker “Ask an Expert” by one Andrew Rice who lived in Uganda for a couple of years. His claims of expertise are clearly over rated, as he seems to think that the death penalty will be dropped and like most Ugandan legislation will be “rarely and haphazardly enforced “. For these he gives the examples of smoking in public places, driving recklessly, stealing public funds and prostitution. With the exception of sex workers, there is no national stigma and religious zealousness behind any of these laws.
According to Gay Uganda blog, this weekend Martin Ssempa who had strong ties with Rick Warren (who has finally spoken out about the bill) was going around Uganda advising the locals to support the bill fully. The pastor who has been described as charismatic and can easily influence people has been holding workshops in Uganda telling the masses that  homosexuals want to take over Uganda, whoever doesn't support the Anti- gay bill must be a homosexual himself.
He has been threatening the leaders who plan on speaking against the bill.  He says people should join social networks and campaign for the bill to pass:
The latest reaching me is yesterday Sempa in church said the bill will be passed in Feb 2010 and that they had amended it.
He asked how many people had laptops and in the whole church there were 13 people and he asked if they had access to internet and they put hands down, then he asked those who had desk top computers the majority raised hands with access to internet none, He then went ahead and told them that all of us (LGBTI) have Laptops with internet.
He strengthened by saying next year (2010) Jan Campus (Makerere University) will have wireless internet so he advised them to sign up on Facebook  and campaign for the bill to pass. Come Jan they are going to have billboards and posters all over the country campaigning fo rthe bill to pass. He told them if they dont have internet let them spend 500 shs (about quarter a USD) to access the (internet) cafe's and campaign.
The sole purpose of the bill is to is to protect family values, religion and the African culture and in turn kill the gays in Uganda. Nsaba Butoro the Minister of Ethics and integrity says that they have to protect their identity and uses that as his main tool of oppression New Vision one of Uganda's leading Newspaper quotes him:
Adamant Buturo
Ethics and integrity minister Dr. Nsaba Buturo has no kind words for Western countries regarding the issue of homosexuality. Addressing Christians during a recent Workplace Fellowships Network retreat at Parliament, Buturo last week, Buturo said: “If I told you how many foreign diplomats keep coming to me over the homosexuality Bill you would be shocked. But I keep telling them that the integrity of our country and our values are more important than their aid. We shall not allow those people from the Western to define our identity and destiny. In their countries Christ no longer matters. It is our responsibility to define our identity and defend it.”
A Zambian reverend, Reverend Kapya Kaoma has been discussing on how the homophobic attitudes in Africa are fueled by US groups exporting homophobia, Anengiyefa posts the meeting United Nations: Landmark Meeting Denounces Rights Abuse Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity:
The meeting included discussion of discriminatory and draconian “anti-homosexuality” legislation currently before the Ugandan parliament, and of the role of American religious groups in promoting repression across Africa. In a groundbreaking move, a representative of the Holy See in the audience read a statement strongly condemning the criminalisation of homosexual conduct […]Also at the panel discussion, the Reverend Kapya Kaoma, an Anglican priest from Zambia who is project director for Political Research Associates (PRA) in Massachusetts, presented the group's new report, Globalising the Culture Wars: U.S. Conservatives, African Churches, and Homophobia. Kaoma said that many anti-LGBT attitudes across Africa are fueled by US groups actively exporting homophobia. He called on US religious figures who have been promoting hatred and fear of homosexuality in Africa to denounce the Uganda bill unequivocally, and support the human rights of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Citing their moral responsibility to prevent violence, he also urged them to make such declarations in Africa, not just before US audiences.
The Gay Ugandan held a conversation with one of the legislators on his blog, Rt Honourable Benson Obua Ogwal. (UPC) Member of Parliament for Moroto. On a post called Conversation with a Ugandan Legislator:
Dear Anonymous Gay, And you think this will deter us? There are a very few aspects of the Bill that we can concede on like the Death Penalty and Extra-territorail Jurisdiction, but Gays won't have a field day in this country, try as the would. It is not about any of those Anti-Gya activists being attacked in the media. It is about Uganda. If only Gays could do it behind closed doors and not try to lure the innocent poor youth, it would be a different matter. But they are becoming bolder and bolder. Benson.
Hey Gay Pervert, How about this one coming from all religious leaders across board right here at home?: www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Church_leaders_back_govt_on_anti- gay_Bill_95758.shtml We love gays, but hate homosexuality which has no place here. Forget about the Bill being withdrawn, for it will be passed in due time. Benson.   Hi Honourable MP, gug
Yes, I have noted the perjoratory term you have used.
Personally, I think it shows some very fine defects in your intellect. But, I cannot say so. I am the pervert, arent I?
You, sir, and all the ones you have copied this letter, are shaming my beautiful country. Yes, I am gay. and Ugandan. And, you are shaming my country, before the whole world.
Rick Warren has denied Ssempa, and come out against the Bill. So will the rest of the world. The Catholic Church is going to come out against the bill. And, you will continue calling me a pervert, dear honourable MP.
Dont think it takes much intelligence to work out who will be the dishonourable person and who will not.
Thanks for your nice comments, dear esteemed honourable
Follow the rest of the conversation and comments here.

author: Haute Haiku


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Uganda/Kenya: Kenya’s embarrassing loss to Uganda · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Chemosit writes about Uganda's cricket victory over Kenya: “For Kenyan fans hoping that their side would bounce back from an embarrassing first up loss to Uganda, the second 20-20 match held yesterday proved to be a disappointment.”


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Africa: RSS feeds from Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Passion of the Present posts a list of RSS feeds from Africa.


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Bangladesh: Celebrating Victory Day · Global Voices
Rezwan

Saad Hammadi at Of Diaries And Experiences writes about the joy of celebrating the victory day of Bangladesh.


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Bangladesh: Media And Politics · Global Voices
Rezwan

Asif Saleh and Mridul Chowdhury writes in Drishtipat Writers’ Collective on the politicized media of Bangladesh.


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Barbados: British Airways Strike · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Living in Barbados says that “the news that British Airways unions are threatening a strike to happen over the Christmas period” is worse news for a Caribbean island than the threat of hurricanes or volcanoes.


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Bermuda: Of Crime & Injunctions · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As the spate of violence continues in Bermuda, bloggers are further troubled by news of the government taking out an injunction against a newspaper, allegedly to prevent the publication of a news story.


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China: Development’s Toll on Laborers · Global Voices
Don Weinland

A second wave of pneumoconiosis cases has been reported among drilling and blasting workers in the southern city of Shenzhen.
An article in Beijing Youth Daily reports 119 suspected pneumoconiosis cases among migrant workers from Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province who had engaged in drilling and blasting work in Shenzhen, Guangdong.  This is the second such case this year in Shenzhen among migrant workers from Hunan, province.  In May 100 drilling and blasting workers were suspected to be suffering from the illness.
Pneumoconiosis is a terminal illness contracted through the inhalation of dust particles such as iron, coal, asbestos, or carbon dust.  It’s known as an occupational lung disease due to the frequency of cases found among construction and mining workers.
Beijing Youth Daily reports that 26 of the 119 workers were recognized by their employer as having a “work relationship” with the company and received medical examinations.  Of the 26, four were confirmed to be suffering from pneumoconiosis; four were diagnosed as being in the initial stages of the disease.
As for the remaining 93 employees who are thought to be suffering from the disease, a report on China Broadcasting Network concludes many workers receive no health care benefits because they are refused formal contracts with their employers.
深圳一部分农民工，从上世纪90年代开始便在深圳的各大建筑工地从事孔洞爆破工作，至今已有10多年。由于常期吸入大量粉尘，多人经普通医院检查被疑患有尘肺病，但职业病医院却拒绝给他们做进一步检查和治疗。原因是，这些工人没有劳动合同，用人单位也不给他们出具职业病检查委托书。
A portion of migrant workers in Shenzhen have been doing blasting work at construction sites around the city since the beginning of the 1990s.  Due to long term inhalation of dust particles, many people are thought to be suffering from pneumoconiosis after receiving routine health examinations, yet they have been denied further examination or treatment.  The reason for this is some workers don’t have labor contracts and employers won’t grant them a letter a referral for occupational disease examinations.
A report at Sina.com gives an account of these migrant workers and the development of their trade and subsequent illness in Shenzhen.
维权代表钟家泉、向杰等人说，他们从上世纪90年代就在深圳打钻搞爆破，这种工作收入较其他工种高、技术要求低，所以他们通过老乡介绍结伴而来。由于当时防护措施不到位，很多人患上尘肺病而没有觉察，近几年陆续发病，已经有3人死亡。
Zhong Jiaquan and Xiang Jie—representatives for maintaining legal rights—said they have engaged in drilling an blasting work in Shenzhen since the 1990s, which was higher in pay and less technically demanding.  They have been coming in groups [to Shenzhen] through hometown connections.  Due to the lack of thoroughness in safety measures, many unknowingly contracted pneumoconiosis and have been continuously falling ill.  Three people have died already.
An article at 21CN.com gives a direct account of working conditions as a drilling and blasting worker in Shenzhen.
炮工们说，这份工作诱惑力太大，一天能赚一两百块钱，但工作环境却十分恶劣：“这基本上都是拿命换的钱。到了8米、9米、10米以下的深孔，能见度很低，没有排风系统，灰完全排不上来。我们一般要工作将近10个小时左右，等孔中的炮眼全部打好以后，下面的石粉至少有十厘米厚。”在井下十多米的深度干活，人上来以后，感觉鼻孔、耳朵里面都被灰硬硬地塞住了，咳嗽咳出来的痰都带着灰、泥土。
Explosive workers say the work, which earns 100-200 RMB per day, is too appealing.  But the working conditions are appalling: ‘This is basically cashing in your life for money.  Upon reaching eight to ten meters underground, visibility is very low, there is no ventilation system, there is no way around the dust.  We usually work for around ten hours, until all the blasting is complete and a layer of rock dust at least ten centimeters thick has settled below us.’  After working ten meters below the earth, they come up feeling as if their nose and ears have been packed tightly with dust.  They cough up sputum laced with dust and dirt.
The Chinese Labor Contract Law of 2007 requires employers to sign contracts with employees within one month of hiring or else pay double the monthly wage.  Whether or not the workers denied “occupational disease examinations” were paid double wages was not reported.
An article in the Worker’s Daily analyzes the current situation of such migrant workers in Shenzhen.
如今，用人单位处于强势地位，相当多的劳动者无法冒着失掉工作的风险，要求用人单位与自己签订劳动合同，而用人单位拒签劳动合同则是为了逃避法律责任。从深圳的这起事件中我们可以看到，尽管有了劳动法、劳动合同法，但在一些无良用人单位的面前，由于法律没有得到严格执行，劳动者是多么的无奈。
Today employers have the upper hand.  A relatively large number of laborers have no method of escaping danger on the job and request their employers to sign contracts.  The employers refuse to sign contracts in order to shrink their legal responsibility.  We can see from this case in Shenzhen that although there are labor laws and labor contract laws, due to these laws not beening strictly carried out, the laborer is quite helpless before the non-wholesome employer.
In an article in Southern Weekend, Liang Wendao discusses the circumstances surrounding pneumoconiosis among poverty stricken migrant workers.  He writes that the burden of the disease exceeds the physical ailments and takes a hefty psychological toll on its victims.
这么痛苦的过程如果用财务的角度来理解的话，就是“欠债”二字。得了肺尘病的工人最担心的通常不是自己还能活多久，而是死后家人的负担有多重。有些人考虑过自我了结，可是一想到已经累下的欠债，念及寡女自此之后工作只为还债，幼儿交不出学费上学，他就不能安心寻死了。怎么办？他们一次又一次地上访，希望政府出面协助。假如政府爱莫能助，他们就只好回到那个死不成但也活不了的困境了。
Understanding such a painful process from a financial perspective can be done with one word: debt.  Workers who have contracted pneumoconiosis are not always most worried about how much longer they will live, but about the weight of burden on family members after they die.  Some consider taking their own lives but as soon as they think about their accumulating [medical] debt, the repaying of the debt by their widows, the inability of their children to pay school fees, they cannot take their lives without worry.  What can they do?  They make one appeal after another hoping the government will come to their aid.  Supposing the government has its hands tied, they have no choice but to return to a situation where they can neither live nor die.
Liang finds the word “mortal price” to be thrown around too easily by those with no intention of paying it.  He asks who it is that determines the “price of development” and why it is the migrant worker pays this price when they in fact reap so few of the fruits of development.
曾有一位政府工作人员对着聚集上访的工人说：“这是历史的欠账，是发展的必然代价。”这是所有报道里头最刺痛我的一句话，虽然我对这种说法十分熟悉。这么多年以来，我们一而再、再而三地听到有人把枯竭的水源、污染了的土地，乃至于贫富差距的恶化形容为“发展的代价”；但我还是第一回听见官员将一群待死之人也说成是“发展的代价”。
A government employee once said to a gathering crowd of laborers: ‘This is history’s debt.  This is the inevitable price of development.’  Although extremely familiar with this sort of wording, this report stung me more than any other.  For so many years we’ve heard the drying of our water resources, the polluting of our earth, even the widening of the gap between rich and poor, used to describe the ‘price of development.’  But this was the first time I had heard an official call a crowd—who were waiting to die—the price of development.
Although Shenzhen has been a global hotspot for construction over the past thirty years, drilling and blasting work has been commonplace in mid to large scale cities across China.  Construction companies can only hope that similar cases of pneumoconiosis don’t develop throughout the country as China moves into a forth decade of rapid development.

author: Don Weinland


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China: No more individual domain name registration · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Masaru IKEDA from Asiajin blogs about the recent ban on individual domain name registration in China.


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Egypt: The Capital of Hell on Earth · Global Voices
Marwa Rakha

Many Egyptian bloggers and activists have been detained by State Security on various occasions and for various reasons – real or fake – Wa7da Masreya interviewed several bloggers and posted a detailed post on torture techniques and psychological tricks those bloggers have been subjected to in State Security headquarters in the district of Nasr City.
In her post, Wa7da Masreya wrote describing the headquarters:
هو مبنى مباحث امن الدولة الرئيسي في صحراء القاهرة بمدينة نصر الحي السادس و بالقرب من المدينة الجامعية بجامعة الأزهر ,هذا المبنى المخيف ذو الأسوار العالية المحصنة التي شهدت تصفية و تعذيب و أنتهاك لحقوق الإنسان
She goes on saying:
و ينتفل إلى هذا المقر” الإسلاميين” او من لهم علاقة بقضايا تتعلق بالإسلاميين و قضايا الإرهاب و أيضا كل المعتقلين في أمور تتعلق بغزة و حماس
The first interview was with Abdel Moneim Mahmoud – a Muslim Brotherhood Blogger:
The second was with blogger Mohamed Adel - who was detained earlier this year:
Then she talked about Abou Omar Al Masry:
Abou Omar is an Egyptian cleric who used to live in Italy until the CIA and the Italian Intelligence kidnapped him and deported him to Egypt to snatch confessions out of him.
Diaa El Din Gad is another blogger who was detained:
As for the investigating officers:
At the end of her post she wondered in awe:
“حقوق الأنسان : هي أن يعيش الإنسان , أمنا ,سالما , لا تمس كرامتة ,يسعى للسعادة
“Human Rights: to lead a safe secure peaceful dignified life aspiring to prosperity.”


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Fiji: History syllabus that should be history · Global Voices
Michael Hartsell

Wendy, from the blog Babasiga, hopes that the history syllabus taught in Fiji's schools is not really from 1960. “Sobosobo, that was colonial! Before Independence, before coup culture!,” she writes.

author: Michael Hartsell


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India: Federalism · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hari at India First-Hand comments on the proposal of the Indian government to separate Telangana region from Andhra Pradesh and form a new state: “the answer definitely is not forming more states and thereby increasing the overhead.”


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India: Indibloggies 2008 Winners · Global Voices
Rezwan

The winners of the Indibloggies 2008 awards have been announced. Over 150 Indian blogs were nominated across 16 varied categories and here is the statistics showing the final votes for each category. Go check out the blogs.


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Indonesia: Climbing Mountains · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Gunung Bagging site provides a comprehensive list and classification of prominent mountains in Indonesia


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Indonesia: Mall Suicides · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Metro Mad is intrigued with some Indonesians choosing shopping malls to commit suicide.


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Jamaica: The Good and the Bad · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The good and the bad: The Phoenix in a Gas House reports that dancehall artist Buju Banton has been officially indicted for cocaine possession, while Letter From Jamaica is pleased that Usain Bolt is a runner-up in TIME magazine's Person of the Year.


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Japan: A short documentary on Japanese Social Media · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

On the occasion of Medifes, an event where some of the Japanese social media representatives gather every year, Global Voices interviewed some of the participants with the aim of giving an overview of the local scene through the eyes and voices of those who try to make a difference in the media landscape of Japan.
Social Media in Japan – Part One
Social Media in Japan – Part Two
Here is the complete transcript:
Part one
As one of the most “virtually” connected people in the world, over 70% of Japanese are estimated to regularly use the internet, and access it especially on their mobile phones.
Most of them utilize the web for their shopping or rely on it to read their daily dose of news, but this does not necessarily mean any use of the internet for involvement in human rights or climate change causes, or political issues as in the so called citizen media. We asked Hajime SHIRAISHI, the director of OurPlanet-Tv, an independent Television company , what are the characteristics of the Japanese social media.
Almost 100% of video cameras are made by Japanese companies
Canon, Sony, Panasonic… they're all Japanese manufacturers
and most TV stations around the world use Japanese equipment.
Plus, the Internet in Japan is both widespread and inexpensive
However, that doesn't necessarily mean that citizens make their voices heard…
Of course, legally speaking, the level of freedom of speech is very high
but we can`t say that any wide range of individuals within society are trying to express their voice
The Japanese people are extremely passive
Average time spent watching TV is the highest in the world
We spend 4 hours a day watching TV
And the older you are, the longer you watch
Maybe 7-8 hours a day, which means 1/3 of the day!
I think it's normal for us to be passive with mass media
No matter how advanced the tools are
and no matter how developed the environment is
it seems difficult for that to connect to social movement or
to solve local issues using these tools.
Obviously, this is different in countries with less developed tools and stronger restrictions
Perhaps, the more restricted people are, the more they'll object!
It's not entirely a bad thing, but for Japan
maybe the environment is too good…
Although there are many, many people who are suffering
or have objections towards society, it doesn't really rise to the surface
I would say that's a characteristic of Japan
SNS like MIXI, GREE or the popular bulletin board 2CHANNEL rapidly spread among the younger generations but membership is still low compared to other countries.
Blogging in Japan on the other hand is very common to the extent that the blogs in Japanese exceed in number those in English, as tells us the author of an article on the social media in Japan Tadahisa HAMADA [director of Jcafe].
Japanese people really blog a lot and use the Internet for communication.
and Japan has the highest broadband penetration rate in the world.
In that sense, Japan is at an advantage as to how we use the Internet, the new media.
It's a promising situation.
I hope that we can leverage this environment and tie it into new activities.
Part Two
The most followed blogs are those of celebrities, or of people such as essayists, commentators or professors who already have, per se, their audience and acclaimed popular or intellectual authority. While generally, blogs here are often seen as mere diaries where to jot down daily life events, some have become another way to share thoughts or hobbies similar to commonly shared diaries.
Global Voices Japan interviewed some students on this issue..
Global Voices Japan: What kind of blogs do you usually read?
Student 1: Mostly blogs by celebrities
GVJ: How often?
S1: When I remember to.
GVJ: Do you write your own blog?
S1: Sometime I write my diary on Mixi
Student 2: I also read blogs by celebrities.
GVJ: Do you have your own blog or write on Mixi?
S2: I usually ready my friends’ diaries on Mixi and I write mine as well
Student 3: Usually, I read blogs by university professors
Despite being a minority, however, activists and bloggers with a mission for reporting on issues usually not covered or forgotten by major media do exist. One of these is Minori OKUDA whose most popular post was on the almost forgotten Minamata disease issue.
I write for magazines,
mostly for the so-called “alternative media” or independent magazines.
Also, apart from work, I post my thoughts on my blog everyday.
Why did I start blogging?
A writing job has space limitations for output
because a magazine only has so many pages and there's an editor to oversee it all.
There would be stories I wanted to tell but couldn't write
or I would hear of an amazing episode that wasn't right for that particular article.
All kinds of material that didn't have the opportunity to be read, right in front of me.
I thought it was a real shame just to have it in my head.
I wanted to share this material with everyone so I started blogging.
So it all started as an outlet for my reporting
but now, I blog whenever I see ideas or people that might change society,
It was particularly prominent when I  topped the ranking for for environment blogs
At that time, I was focusing on the Special Measures Law for Minamata Disease
The law is supposed to be for the patient’s relief but in reality it’s  not like that at all
I was extremely angry at the situation and I wrote about that
These entries received the most feedback -
e-mails, higher rankings, and lots of trackbacks and links.
Blogging doesn't make money, right?
You want to write, and that's it!
The satisfaction that I get out of writing
and to accomplish the objective of telling the story…
these are my motivations for writing each day.
If people are passionate about this, I think they'll blog.
There are lots of stories that don't make it into articles
and many movies and books that I want to introduce.
Independent movies don't really make it into movie reviews in magazines, do they?
So when I encounter these things,
I can't stop myself from blogging because I am passionate about sharing the story.
Like Okuda san, people with the same passion for blogging and citizen media every year gather at Medifes. Kenichi SHIMOMURA, one of the organizers, tells what it is about.
Every year, citizen media groups from all over Japan get together.
If you have the program, you can see this long list of citizen media groups in Japan
There are so many!
And these are only the ones that we are in contact with.
There are so many more out there.
So we get all get together to share our plans and problems
and see each other face to face.
Medifes is a place to exchange information.
Because so few people used their real names in the Internet
they became easy targets for criticism.
But if many people start using their real names and faces…
Voices that are speaking out get abused – but this is really ridiculous, right?
It's saying that we should be a society where people should just shut up.
I think this will change a lot as the “target” disperses.
So, I think anonymity is a transient phenomenon.
It's still uncommon to speak out on the web.
Even in Japan, perhaps in the future, we'll look back and say “Remember in the early days?”

author: Scilla Alecci


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Myanmar supertitions · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

speaking out loud shares a few examples of Burmese superstitions.


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Namibia: First step victory in forced sterilisation case · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The forced sterilisation case in Namibia has achieved its first victory: “The High Court today agreed with the Legal Assistance Centre that the Public Service Act does not apply to the forced sterilisation cases, in which the LAC is representing several women suing the Government of Namibia for damages.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Pakistan: Soul Searching For 1971 · Global Voices
Rezwan

Raza Rumi at All Things Pakistan remembers the end of the nine month long liberation war of Bangladesh (freedom of Bangladeshis) and the fall of East Pakistan on 16th of December, 1971. The blogger comments: “we, simply, are reluctant to learn from the fiasco of 1971.”


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Philippine Revolutionary Theatre · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

TatayK posts photos, complete accompaniment music, and audio snippets from Makata’y Mandirigma, Mandirigma’y Makata, a play based on the life of Prof. Jose Maria Sison, a Filipino poet and revolutionary leader.

author: Karlo Mongaya


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Philippines: At The Barricades · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

A university professor shares a humorous account of her participation in a protest action against last week's planned visit of the Philippine president at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.


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Philippines: Learning Hiligaynon · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

Tuon ‘Ta Hiligaynon is a tutorial blog on simplified Hiligaynon, one of the main languages in the Philippines.


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Philippines: Names of murdered journalists · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Alleba Politics lists the names of 30 journalists who were among those murdered last month in Maguindanao Province, located in the southern part of the Philippines.


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Philippines: Poll body rejects election bid of “immoral” LGBT group · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

For promoting same sex relationship which is contrary to religious beliefs, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has rejected the petition of gay group Ang Ladlad to be recognized as a party that can run in the 2010 Philippine elections. As expected, the Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender (LGBT) community is not happy over this ruling.
The 2010 presidential elections will be held on May. Ang Ladlad will participate in the elections through the partylist system. According to the Philippine Constitution, 20 percent of members of Congress should come from partylist groups which represent the country's underrepresented and marginalized sectors.
The Ang Ladlad group is surprised that the government body used religious texts instead of legal documents to justify the ruling:
We are very unhappy with COMELEC’s decision to deny accreditation to Ang Ladlad. We feel that COMELEC did not perform its responsibility to promulgate electoral policy because its decision was based not on legal documents, but entirely on religious texts (i.e. the Bible and the Koran).
Ang Ladlad, along with the entire LGBT community, does not promote a doctrine of immorality; COMELEC has no business calling Ang Ladlad immoral without legal basis. Also, calling Ang Ladlad a threat to the youth is unsubstatiated, thus, it cannot be supported in a legal document like the COMELEC decision.
Sampaloc TOC believes the poll pody should not have used religious documents in considering the case of the LGBT group
I think fundamentally, the error in judgment from Comelec comes from the hubris that it can determine ecclesiastical law. These are not men of the cloth but of the law. The constitution does not vest Comelec with the ecclesiastical jurisdiction. It is an organ of the government of the Philippine republic. Comelec cannot consider the Bible or the Qu'ran procedurely.
The poll body also accused the LGBT group of promoting immorality. Karen Jane Ang advises public authorities to stop acting as morality cops
COMELEC should stop acting as our morality police. It is not part of their duties and responsibilities. We already have religious groups who tell us what we must or must not do, who to emulate or abhor, and which candidates to support or abandon. We do not need another group who does the same.
RP2010.com urges the poll body officials not to discriminate against the LGBT sector
The assertion by Ferrer, along with co-commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph, that gay people are an immoral group is nothing but a clear indication of their personal discrimination against the LGBT community. Government, by its very reason for being, must not be allowed to discriminate against any sector of society.
The “3 Stooges” — as Ferrer & co. have been nicknamed — also claim that LGBT Filipinos are already “over-represented” in Congress. Are jibes such as that really necessary?
Apples Daily challenges the poll body to disqualify all corrupt and immoral politicians
The COMELEC surmised that simply being homosexual/ bisexual/ transexual is immoral. If they’re all about morality, then maybe they should not let politicians, who are or have been involved in crimes, corruptions and other mundane scandals, to run in the 2010 elections. Why don’t they go ask every religious person to file for candidacy, since it looks like there won’t be anyone left to run in 2010… but then, even these religious people might not pass their morality test.


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Puerto Rico Online Map Collection · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Mapas de Puerto Rico links to dozens of online, interactive maps of Puerto Rico with different topological, political, historic, and touristic themes.

author: Solana Larsen


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Russian Programmer Community Hacks Super-Earth Name Vote · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

After The Wired magazine opened a vote [ENG] to name a newly discovered “most Earth-like” planet, Russian Habrahabr-user khekkly started a flashmob[Google Translation – ENG] urging Russian programmers to name it “Siberia.” This name currently leads the chart.


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Saudi Arabia: The Jeddah Floodings on Video  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

People are still talking about the Jeddah floods and their aftermath, almost three weeks after torrential rain and flooding brought life to a standstill in the western Saudi Arabian city. Internet users are exchanging links to YouTube, showing the extent of the damage, via email.
Bobo6699tariq posts this video, showing cars being washed off on a road which turned into a river:
He explains:
MsAbuRayan shows another scene from the flooding here:
She writes:
Maher, at Maherex, takes this video, which shows more damage:
Maher also posts this video, which shows a large number of damaged cars:


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Singapore: What to do if you’re raped · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Barnyard Chorus advises women on steps to take if they are raped in Singapore


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South Africa: Blogger becomes first soldier to receive new Air Assault Badge · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Soldier of Africa receives new Air Assault Badge in South Africa: “After four years of waiting I was today the first person in the SANDF to be awarded the new Air Assault Badge, which I also designed.”


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Sri Lanka: Politics Of Boycotts · Global Voices
Rezwan

Devanesan Nesiah at Groundviews criticizes the suicidal Tamil politics, which is considering to boycott the coming elections in Sri Lanka. The blogger opines that participation in national politics is absolutely essential for the minority parties.


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Sudan/Lebanon: Sudanese blogger’s impression of Lebanon · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sudanese Thinker writes about his impression of Lebanon where he is attending 2nd Arab Bloggers Summit: “I arrived in Beirut yesterday with a crapload of misconceptions about Lebanon and its people, but I’m glad to say that I’ve been largely very, very wrong. It’s been a lot of fun so far”


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Uganda: Could Pastor Warren stop anti-gay legislation in Uganda? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Could Rick Warren be the man to stop pending anti-gay legislation in Uganda?, asks Ethan Zuckerman after Pastor Warren has released a video condemning the Ugandan anti-gay legislation.


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Yaoi in the Philippines · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

The View from the Fence blogs about the popularity of Yaoi, “female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships,” among the Filipino youth.


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Zambia: The case for Social Enterprise · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Campbell makes the case for social enterprise in Zambia: “I have really been thinking of how Zambians can change Zambia. Social entrepreneurship is something that is foreign to our nation and has not been given the attention it deserves. For profit enterprises are the most common.”


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Bangladesh: Ideal Man & Woman · Global Voices
Rezwan

Opshori lists the main stereotypes of ideal Bangladeshi men & women.


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Bhutan: Salary Increase For MPs Is Wrong · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bhutanese blogger at Whatever Matters! thinks that the decision to raise salaries of Bhutanese parliamentarians is wrong; especially in these dire times.


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Decisive Period For South Asia · Global Voices
Rezwan

Jay at Desicritics explains that 2010-2011 will be a crucial Period for South Asia.