text:
Venezuela: Left in the Dark · Global Voices
Luis Carlos Diaz

More than 13 states and the most important cities of Venezuela were affected by a power outage last Tuesday, leaving many without electricity for several hours [es].  The subway system of the capital city of Caracas collapsed and left thousands of people having to walk through city streets already crowded with vehicles (photos). In spite of the difficulties, some bloggers were able to record some thoughts on the day's events through Twitter and their blogs, even though internet service remained slow in those places that still had electricity.  Even cell phone service was unable to meet the demand throughout the emergency.
Photo by Benitex and used with permission
The power outage has yet to be explained by the authorities, and during the past weeks there has been a series of protests over the power outages in the western and southern part of the country. The fluctuation of voltage has affected electrical appliances, television sets and refrigerators in those houses without surge protection.  As seen in this news article [es], a protestor asks, “now, who will pay for my television?”  Venezuela contains a giant network of hydroelectricity that provides energy to the entire country via companies that have been recently criticized by the government.  The process of “state-ization” of those services that the government considers “strategic” for national soverignty has also been criticized because neither the quality of the service, nor the maintenance of the service has been guaranteed. The country is going through a national phenomenon that points things in that direction, and it reveals the system's capacity to control emergencies.
Álvaro Rafael of Planeta en Fuego [es] indigently analyzes the responsibildiad about the power outage and the political discourse:
Si este apagón hubiera ocurrido estando las empresas eléctricas en manos de empresas privadas ¿no habría sido «suficiente motivo» para que el Gobierno nacional haya pedido la expulsión de sus dueños privados en beneficio de una supuesta «recuperación nacional»? El apagón ocurrió estando las empresas eléctricas en manos del Estado, ¿no es motivo para que nosotros, los ciudadanos afectados, pidamos la expulsión de quienes nos desgobiernan de tales empresas (y hasta de la administración del Estado)?
If this power outage would have happened when the electric companies were in the hands of private companies, wouldn't it have been enough for the national government to ask for the expulsion of the private owners for a supposed national recuperation? The power outage happened when the electric companies were in hands of the State.  Isn't it enough for us, the affected citizens, to ask for the expulsion of those who poorly manage those companies (and even the state administration)?
On the other hand, Carlos García of Carlos Zombie [es] narrates and photographs his experience in his attempt to leave Caracas and get home. Like others, he had to not only deal with the failure of the Caracas metro system, but also had to walk several kilometers to reach one of the bus terminals to take a bus to one of the satellite cities because the electric train was also closed:
al llegar a la hoyada vi que mucha, pero mucha, mucha gente habia tenido la misma idea que yo y llego caminando, por lo que la multitud se incremento a niveles apocalipticos, la falta del tren hace que la hoyada viva momentos de pelicula de zombies. al final me monte en una camioneta a coñazo limpio y fue cuando pude venirme a casa, no sin antes calarme una mamarra cola para salir de ccs.
Reaching the station of La Hoyada, I saw many, many people that had the same idea that I did and arrived walking. The amount of people increased to apocalyptic levels. The lack of trains made the station of La Hoyada look like a zombie movie. At the end, I boarded a truck after pushing and shoving and that is how I made it home, not without standing in a long line to leave the Ccs
JuanCPovE [es] provides a long chronicle of how he had to descend 26 flights without elevator and how he found out about the national situation without radio or TV.
De tanto marcar mi celular logré comunicarme con mi primo ya que en la empresa donde el trabaja mantiene contacto con varias oficinas a lo largo del país y me confirmó que el apagón no sólo había ocurrido en Caracas (¡Rayos!, yo creía que era sólo en una zona de la capital), sino que en otras ciudades del país, posiblemente en toda Venezuela.
After repeatedly dialing my cell phone, I was able to communicate with my cousin. In the company where he works, he is constantly in contact with various offices throughout the country and confirmed that the power outage did not only take place in Caracas.  (My goodness! I thought it was only in the capital city), but also in other cities of the country, and possibly all of Venezuela.
In addition to the long hours of standing in traffic, violence in the streets, traffic accidentss, and the general desperation to make it home, other episodes were part of the daily humor when one lives in relaxed socities.
The Twitterosphere had some interesting dialogues between those that followed along via cell phone or on unaffected electric networks:
Jeanfreddy: I am going over to Facebook, where there is light.
Anibal: It is very funny to see an ad of “Motherland, socialismo or death” connected to the system of emergency lights
Juliana B: I am annoyed. How did people live before? I am picking up candles.
Finally, the flickr user MaLu did not let the power outage get in her way of her beauty routine (used with permission):

author: Luis Carlos Diaz


text:
Armenia: Balloon Festival · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

A new blog from Armenia, Lifelines, posts photographs of the first ever balloon festival held in the country. The blog says that the event was a resounding success and enjoyed by all.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Onnik Krikorian


text:
Armenia: Decriminalization of Drug Use · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on news that drug use might be decriminalized in Armenia. The blog welcomes the proposed amendment to the criminal code albeit with some reservations.


text:
Bahrain: Lebanese singer causes political storm · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Earlier this week the provocative Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe performed in Bahrain, but not before Bahrain's MPs protested and tried to ban her concert.
Mahmood gives us a taste of Haifa Wehbe's music in a vlog:
He adds:
So what’s so special about this lady then, that would make her so damnably dangerous that they’re all frothing at the mouth to bar her from performing in Bahrain?
Well my friends, I hope this vlog will demonstrate that there is really nothing unusual about her, other than being a beautiful lady who can’t sing! But those qualities could hardly be held against her, she is not the first and most certainly not the last person to use what Allah has given her to her advantage.
Munther was offended by the high price of tickets – for a concert which happened to be on International Workers’ Day:
Oh and bringing Haifa Wahbi to celebrate the day is the biggest insult to the working class especially with tickets starting from BD 50 ($132.642) – who are you kidding?
What's Up Bahrain is also shocked by the ticket prices:
WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD PAY 200 DINARS TO SEE A TALENTLESS WOMAN SING ON STAGE !!!!!!!! Seriously what's up with those ticket prices, if you're willing to charge that much for a hayfa wehbe concert why not get someone who deserves it.
Nevertheless, the concert sold out – and Mahmood has a theory why:
In spite of the ‘severe’ objections from Islamist MPs, Hayfa sang last night at the Gulf Hotel and thrilled the audience who filled the hall with all tickets sold! What does this demonstrate? Does it demonstrate that the MPs have no authority whatsoever, or is it that the government chose – in its wisdom – to simply stall and ignore them completely and do nothing to let the concert go on? To me, I think it clearly demonstrates that at the very least the MPs did not choose their battle wisely, they rushed things, polarised opinions, stepped on multiple toes and in the end, the lady sang despite all their objections, resolutely poking her fingers in their wandering eyes while thanking them, even subliminally, for making her show a memorable sellout concert. Hang on, maybe it was that in the first place, both Hayfa and the MPs were in cahoots. It was a planned PR and marketing exercise to ensure that the tickets – even the expensive ones – sell out completely! Smart! Those MPs are very very smart!
Ammaro looks at the bigger picture:
I wasn't even going to go into the whole Haifa Wahbi issue, since I believed the whole fuss raised about her was, to say the least, ludicrous. But when I … just mentioned the fact that I thought our MPs were being really, very silly by trying to ban the concert, I get our dear Mr. Anon arguing at how he didn't like what I said. Well, the truth is, the are unfortunately a number of people who are with our MPs on this, and who believe banning a singer was the right thing to do. This isn't a reply to you, Anon, but it's a reply to all Islamists who believe our country should turn into a mini Saudi Arabia, all those who believe our MPs have a job to enforce their religious extremist beliefs on us, and is a direct message to all our MPs to stop their stupid antics and do the job they were hired to do. Anon, you mentioned that Bahrain is supposed to be an ‘Islamic Country’. Well allow me to say that really has no relevance; countries don't go to heaven or hell, countries don't get judged under of the eyes of God. People do. It doesn't matter how ‘Islamic’ you try to make a country, it won't affect the people in it; the good people will be good, and the bad people will be bad, regardless of where they live. … Now let's jump back to our MPs. Trying to ban a singer? Bahrain has ISSUES, guys! From unemployment problems, to housing, to corruption, to figuring out who stole what from where.. We didn't hire you to do religion, we hired you to do politics. But you guys focus on a bloody singer, and you're giving me Islam as an excuse? Islam is about behaviour, actions, and what's inside your heart first before anything else. Things banned are only a small part of it, but you've turned it into a HUGE issue. When you guys sit in a parliament session swearing at each other, that's not Islamic. When you guys skip a session to fulfil your own agendas while the people who trusted and elected you wait, that's not Islamic. Hell, when you try to do a job you're unqualified for, sitting on your butts earning a salary that you don't deserve, that's not Islamic. So get off our backs and start doing your jobs, or resign and let someone whose qualified to create progress do them.
And in a follow-up post, Ammaro has some disappointing news for the MPs:
Here's to our MPs and everyone else trying to ban Haifa Wahbi thinking THAT will solve all our morality issues. A big slap in the face for you, Manama has been ranked as the NUMBER EIGHT sin city in the world.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


text:
Bangladesh: Bangla Blogs remember May Day · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

This week, the Bangla blog world buzzed with essays and analysis regarding May 1st,  remembered the world over as International Workers’ Day or Labor Day.
There was disappointment amongst many of the bloggers who felt that the day, over time, had perhaps lost its true meaning and was seen as just another holiday. According to Zukrufa, many employers were paying lip service to the memory of May Day by organizing seminars, sports and magazine articles on the issue and showing the workers a lush dream of what their life could be like. However, those same employers were not actually making any changes in the way workers were exploited by the system and thereby denied their well-deserved rights.
Syed Amiruzzaman sees this as a ploy to keep the working class deluded so that they can be exploited, not only by the employers, but also by political parties and trade union leaders. In Amader Kotha (Our stories), a Bangla blog which is part of Narijibon project in Bangladesh (a Rising Voices grantee), Aysha Khatun writes how even today the workers in Bangladesh's garment industry are very much exploited and have to put in minimum 12 hours labor to get paid 8 hours’ worth. Also, these workers, she tells us, are made to work through holidays and probably were working even on May Day.
Kowshik Ahmed points out the plight of workers in various fields and raises a question about their rights and ‘job security’. Blogger Suman Chowdhury however sees hope and says that just as there is exploitation on the one hand, on the other hand there is the indomitable spirit of the labor class and the will to protest and get their rights. He calls for unity among the workers across the globe.

author: Aparna Ray


text:
Brunei’s blog of the year · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Turquoise and Roses congratulates Brunei's blog of the year: Kurapak & Crew

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Central Asia: U.S. State Department on the State of Relations with Central Asia · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Patrick Frost reports that U.S. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Pamela Spratlen recently made diplomatic visits to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, outlining the ongoing relations with Central Asia.

author: Adil Nurmakov


text:
Egypt: No Freedom of Speech for Journalists  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Egypt has a funny way of celebrating May 3, World Press Freedom Day. Last year it marked the occasion by sentencing Al-Jazeera journalist Huwaida Taha to six months in prison for a documentary she made about torture in Egypt. This year press freedom watchdogs fear it will mark the occasion by upholding 1-year prison sentences condemning editors of four opposition newspapers,” writes Elijah Zarwan, from Cairo, Egypt.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Indonesia: History revision · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Greenstump writes that teaching of history in Indonesia could at best be called perverse, especially if it deals with East Timor


text:
Iran: Inflation and Untouchable Tomatoes · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

The Iranian government has often denied the existence of inflation, even suggesting it is an invention of foreigners and the media. However, in recent months inflation has risen stronger and faster than ever in Iran. It is partly due to the rise in food prices on the international market, but many people also consider failed economic policies to be a main factor. Several bloggers shared their ideas and feelings on inflation in daily life.
Helpless farmers and “careless leaders”
Eghtesaddaneh writes [Fa] that Iranian farmers are unprotected and unrepresented by officials. The blogger adds that:
The Ministry of Agriculture represents the middle class and employees, rather than farmers. The farmers are the silent class. Have you ever heard them protest? Have you ever heard the Minister of Agriculture protest against obstacles to free trade?
He adds that there is “no help for farmers after natural disasters, contrary to in most industrialized and Latin American countries. In my city Kashan, the pomegranate gardens have almost all been destroyed by the cold.”
Athalolah Mohajerani, the former reformist Minister of Culture, says that contrary to what an influential cleric, Mahdavi Kani says, inflation has nothing to do with people's lack of consumption. The blogger writes that the government does not listen to qualified experts, and that its populism and slogan-oriented policies are the reason for inflation.
Soweyda writes [Fa] that Hadad Adel, the President of the Iranian parliament, said there may be inflation in the country, but at least there is security. The blogger speculates that he probably meant that Iran is more safe than its neighbours, but writes that inflation and economic difficulties can also threaten security.
Broken promises
Dehyari says [Fa] that inflation cannot be solved by speeches. The blogger writes:
When Ahmadinejad first denied there was inflation in Iran two years ago, he said it was the lowest in the last 40 years. Then only six months ago he promised a better future, but all these statements were false.
The blogger says society can not tolerate such rising inflation anymore. Dehyari considers that Ahmadinejad’s decisions are not based on expertise nor rationale.
According to [Fa] AmirKhosro 10 MPs warned Ahmadinejad and three ministers about inflation.
The Islamic Association of Shahr Kurd Students blog reports[Fa] that Mehdi Karoubi, the former president of the parliament recently criticized Ahmadinejad, and invited him to think about problems of housing and subsistence, rather than trying to run the world.
Untouchable tomatoes
Azarmoghan says [Fa] with irony that tomato prices are getting so high that we can proudly have our photos taken with them. It has already replaced the banana as the most precious fruit.
Parse dar Bozorgrah writes [Fa] that last year Ahmadinejad said that in his neighbourhood tomato prices are low and people can buy them, but it seems this year everybody accepted the high price. In some sandwiches, tomatoes have disappeared.
Shagard says [Fa] tomatoes cost about 2 Euros per kilogram, while a worker only earns 80 Euros per month!
Photos from Flickr:
* Pomegranate in snowy Iran, by Varahran.
* Tomatoes in a Hamadan market by Mary Loosemore.

author: Fred Petrossian


text:
Jordan: Gearing Up for Strike  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordan is gearing up for a strike on May 4, according to bloggers. Just like in Egypt, the message to strike was posted on Facebook, and later picked up by blogs, in protest against increasing prices and calling for better living conditions.
Jordanian Issues  [Ar] says the strike will coincide with a similar event in Egypt on the same day. According to the post:
فيه دعوة متداولة على “الفيس بوك” لإضراب عام في الاردن يوم 4 ايار. منه اعتراض على الوضع في البلاد ومنه عموما تضامن مع اضراب مماثل يجري في مصر في نفس اليوم. وانا اعتبرها صرخة شجاعة ومبادرة ضرورية. الا انني لا اعرف من وراء هذه الدعوة، وما هي نقاط ارتكازها. انا ايضا مع روح التضامن مع الشعب المصري وتوطيد التناغم الشعبي في المنطقة العربية عموما، لكن ليس بالضرورة ان ينسحب الوضع في مصر مكانيكيا على الاردن، لذلك رأيت ان انوه لبعض الاشكالات المرافقة لدعوة على هذا المستوى بالاردن، رغم تعاطفي المبدأي مع اي مبادرة ديمقراطية وسلمية كهذه.
There is an invite being circulated on Facebook for a general strike in Jordan on May 4. It is a protest against the situation in the country in general and in solidarity with a similar strike being held in Egypt on the same day. I consider it a brave and essential move. However, I don't know who is behind the strike and what is it aiming for. I am also supportive of the spirit of solidarity with the people of Egypt and solidifying the relations between people in Arab countries in general. But it isn't necessary for the situation in Jordan to mechanically synchronise with that in Egypt. This is why I would like to draw attention to the problems associated with this call in Jordan, despite my sympathy with any democratic and peaceful initiative.
From Amman, Ibrahim Safa [Ar] writes on Al Jazeera Talk :
كانت المفاجأة عندما رأيت مجموعة على الموقع المشهور فايس بوك (Facebook) مجموعة عنوانها “إضراب النشامى والرجالة”، “التغيير القادم من الشرق: مصري فلسطيني أردني، وهذا الإضراب بحسب ما يقولون ” لعيون الأردن، ولعيون مصر … تضامناً مع أنفسنا ومع أشقائنا المضربين في مصر … دعونا نضرب في الأردن يوم 4 / 5 / 2008م إضراب عام عن العمل وعن الخروج من المنازل حتى الساعة 11:00 صباحا لا حزبية ولا سياسية…شعبية شعبية شعبية” بل وأيضا” .
ويبدو أن الإضراب التضامني بين الشعبين المصري والأردني انضم إليه أيضا إضراب فلسطيني وبالتالي قد أصبح عبارة عن سلسلة إضرابات في المنطقة من أجل كما قلنا الغلاء الذي يتفشى في العالم العربي.
I was surprised to see a group on Facebook entitled The Strike of Men: Change is coming from the East: Egyptian, Palestinian and Jordanian. This strike is as they say, for the eyes of Jordan and Egypt… in solidarity with ourselves and our brothers in Egypt. Let us strike in Jordan on May 4, 2008. It will be a general strike from work and from leaving our homes until 11am. It isn't a political or party call but a public one. It seems that the solidarity strike between the Jordanians and the Egyptians, has attracted the Palestinians, and has triggered a call for strikes across the region against increasing prices in the Arab world.
ما سبب الإضراب؟
سبب الإضراب هو إيصال رسالة بأن الشعب الأردني لم يعد قادرا على تحمل المزيد.
What is the reason for the strike?
The reason is to send a message that the people of Jordan are not able to withstand more.
From Egypt, which is also gearing up for a strike on May 4, Zeinobia writes:
To my dear Jordanian friends is that true that there is a call for strike in Jordan in the Facebook on the 4th of May 2008 because of the increase in prices ??
wow our President Mubarak's birthday will be a regional one , if this happens it will be a real historical strike in two countries.
I do not know much about the internal affairs of Jordan but I know one thing Egypt is really the leader of the Arab world.
Update : Here is the URL of the Jordanian Facebook group that is calling for a strike
Their demands are :
* The Government put limit for the increase in Prices.
* Fixing the prices of Electricity and Gas.
* To end privatisation of public properties .
* To raise the salaries in the private sector.
As you see there are some similarities between the Egyptian Strike and the Jordanian strike , the main similarity is the economic factor.
They are not calling for protests , just stay at home
It is not Egypt is changing but the rest of the Arab world too


text:
Lao opens historic Vietnam War cave · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A vast cave city used during the Vietnam War was opened to the public in northern Laos


text:
Macau: Wild cheers as the Olympic Torch is paraded · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Photo from Tori birdie~'s Flickr photostream
Unlike in other countries on the route, the Olympic Torch met only with smiles today in Macau, its last leg before Mainland China. Runners have already finished carrying the torch through the city with not a single disruption from protesters. On the contrary, it was greatly cheered by flag-waving spectators who could barely contain their excitement as the flame toured the former Portuguese colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1999. Leocardo [pt] fully reports:
Photo from Tori birdie~'s Flickr photostream
Passavam 44 minutos das 15 horas quando o Chefe do Executivo Edmund Ho entregou a tocha olímpica ao primeiro transportador; Leong Hong Man, atleta de Wushu, era o primeiro a transportar a chama olímpica em Macau. Ainda na Doca dos Pescadores entrgou-a ao bilionário Stanley Ho, que apesar de ter dado apenas alguns passos, mostrou-se extremamente bem disposto e cheio de fervor patriótico, e afirmou que pelo seu país transportaria a tocha “até ao fim do mundo”.
It was 44 minutes past 3 pm when the Chief Executive Edmund Ho delivered the Olympic torch to the first runner; Leong Hong Man, a Wushu athlete, was the first to carry the torch in Macau. Still at the Doca dos Pescadores‘ wharf, he passed it to billionaire Stanley Ho, who despite having walked only a few steps, proved to be extremely well prepared and full of patriotic fervor, and said that for his country he would carry the torch “to the end of the world”.
Photo from Tori birdie~'s Flickr photostream
Entre as personalidades convidadas para transportar a tocha destacaram-se Costa Antunes, director dos Serviços de Turismo, Jorge Neto Valente, presidente da Associação dos Advogados de Macau ou Paula Carion, atleta de judo medalhada nos últimos Jogos Asiáticos. A cantora de Hong Kong Miriam Yeung, que esteve na base de uma polémica que levou ao afastamento do deputado José Pereira Coutinho, usou os seus 30 segundos para gritar “yeah! yeah!” enquanto sacudia o punho esquerdo.
Among the celebrities invited to carry the torch, the highlights were Costa Antunes, the Tourist Office's director, Jorge Neto Valente, Association of Macao Lawyers’ president, or Paula Carion, prized judo athlete in the last Asian Games. Hong Kong singer Miriam Yeung, who was on the bottom of a controversy that led to the expulsion of Mr Jose Pereira Coutinho, used her 30 seconds to yell “yeah! Yeah!” while shaking her left fist.
Photo from H.L.Tam Flickr photostream
Foi um lugar comum. Todos sorriam para ficar bem na fotografia e mandavam adeuzinhos enquanto seguravam na tocha. O ar mais grave terá sido o de Leong Heng Teng, que levou a tocha de volta à Doca dos Pescadores e terminou a relay de Macau. Devido a uns atrasos “à portuguesa” (herança cultural?) a tocha nunca chegou a passar pelo Leal Senado. Não se sabe se desta vez os comerciantes da Av. Almeida Ribeiro alegaram transtorno para o comércio (sou tão mauzinho, não sou?) para que se dispensasse a passagem pela principal artéria do território.
It was commonplace. Everyone was laughing to look good in the pictures and waving bye-byes while holding the torch. The most serious air was Leong Heng Teng's, who led the torch back to the Doca dos Pescadores‘ wharf and finished Macau's relay. Due to some delays “a la Portuguese” (cultural heritage?), the torch never passed by the Leal Senado (Loyal Senate) building. It is not known whether this time Almeida Ribeiro Avenue traders claiming an inconvenience to business (I'm not that bad, am I?) meant the torch not passing through the main arterial road.
Photo from H.L.Tam Flickr photostream
Milhares de residentes saíram à rua, juntando-se a eles os turistas, muitos deles vindos da China Continental. A generalidade – mesmo os ocidentais – parece concordar com a ideia de que as reivindicações dos manifestantes deviam ser feita em sede própria, e longe, portanto, do evento da passagem da tocha olímpica. Um grupo de cristãos filipinos (Jesus Rocks?) juntou-se à festa para “abençoar os Jogos”, segundo eles.
Thousands of residents took to the streets, joined by tourists, many of them coming from Mainland China. The general public – even the Westerners – seems to agree with the idea that the demonstrators’ demands should be made in their own places and, therefore, far away from the Olympic torch event. A group of Filipino Christians (Jesus Rocks?) joined the party to “bless the Games”, according to them.
Photo from H.L.Tam Flickr photostream
A tocha olímpica passou hoje por Macau pela primeira vez na História, e provavelmente a última, pelo menos em muitos anos. A passagem foi pacífica e sem qualquer tipo de incidentes semelhantes aos que aconteceram noutras etapas da passagem do fogo Olímpico, o que leva a questionar o tremendo aparato de segurança que se verificou. Aparentemente Macau não está na agenda dos apoiantes da causa tibetana, e os activistas de sofá ficaram em casa a ver pela TV.
The Olympic torch passed today through Macau for the first time in history, and probably for the last at least in many years. The transition was peaceful and without any incidents similar to those that occurred on the other Olympic torch legs, which leads us to question the tremendous security apparatus that was put in place. Apparently Macau is not on the agenda of the Tibetan cause supporters, and couch activists were at home watching it on television.
Photo from H.L.Tam Flickr photostream
The torch has now returned to Mainland China, where the relay continues on its way to Beijing for the Olympic Games from August 8-24.

author: Paula Góes


text:
No more telegraph service in Thailand · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Thailand has discontinued use of its telegraph service. Newley Purnell says this reflects “things slipping into extinction.”


text:
Qatar: Jailed AL Jazeera Cameraman Free  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Our colleague Sami Al Hajj, who was detained in Guantanamo for more than six years has been released. His plane has just landed in Khartoum airport. Like many others, Sami Al Hajj was never charged. His only crime was practicing journalism and telling the stories of the voiceless in Afghanistan and elsewhere that his captors – the US government – didn't want to be told,” writes Abdulrahman Warsame, from Doha, Qatar.


text:
Qatar: Sami Al Hajj Free  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Qatar Living reports the realise of Qatar-based Al Jazeera cameraman Sami Al Hajj, who has been held at Guantanamo Bay for six years without charges.


text:
Russia: “Putinisms” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Scraps of Moscow writes about “Putinisms” (and “Bushisms”).

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Russia: Visa Problems for British Fans · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

White Sun of the Desert writes about Russian visa problems for British football fans planning to attend the Champions League final in Moscow on May 21 – here and here.


text:
Slum village in Cambodia · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Carnation, an NGO worker, describes a slum area which she visited in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.


text:
Tajikistan: Electricity in Exchange of Salaries  · Global Voices
Vadim Sadonshoev

The mayor of Dushanbe and Chairman of the Tajik Parliament's Upper Chamber Mamadsaid Ubaidulloev proposed a strange way to raise funds for construction of Rogun hydropower station – one of the biggest energy projects in Tajikistan. He calculated all salaries of the Dushanbe residents and drew a conclusion that if all of the working people in the city give up half of their wages in May and June, it will constitute about $10 million. The power plant reportedly requires about $1 billion more, but in fact nobody knows the real amount of money necessary for completion of the construction.
The mayor's appeal was a response to the president Rahmon's recent his annual speech in the parliament. He emphasized the importance of Rogun hydropower station as an asset for energy independence of the state. Khurshed quotes [rus] the president:
“Here I take the opportunity to appeal to each citizen of the country who loves his motherland — and especially to professional constructors and engineers — to take active part in construction and contribute to energy independence of the country”.
People hope that it will not turn into “voluntary-compulsory” campaign. However, not surprisingly, all members of the parliament and those who work in the mayor’s office have already gave up their salaries in a contribution to Rogun.
This raises a fair question: How these people are going to live and feed their families in the next month? Corruption is, probably, the answer. The average monthly salary does not exceed $50 – so it is not a big deal to lose one salary but retain a post, which may bring you several times more money. Perahps, the level of corruption is going to spike in the nearest months.
Khorsheed Bakhshayesh thinks that all other governmental agencies will follow this example:
Observers say that Dushanbe has made such an appeal with a view that the past winter [energy] crisis is still fresh in people's memory and could trigger their active participation. Nevertheless, with 60% of the nation living below the poverty line, the government’s optimism may face lack of enthusiasm among masses.
Khorsheed also gives an interesting fact:
It is not the first government’s appeal to the nation for charity. In 1990s many citizens of Tajikistan contributed to the Sangtuda-1 dam construction, but the concrete figures were never revealed. 75 % of the construction is now funded by the Russian monopoly RAO-UES.
Just to remind — the construction of Sangtuda-1 is still not completed. Only one turbine was launched this winter, as others are expected to be launched by the end of this year.
Darvish is ironic about the mayor's initiative and says that it would be better if the officials sacrifice money from their bank accounts rather than beg for $10 mln from the poor people. However he is afraid that the people will not say “no”:
The people of Tajikistan are friendly; they never say “no” if someone asks them for something. Tajikistan is a heaven for beggars. How can they turn this one out of doors?
Also posted on neweurasia.

author: Vadim Sadonshoev


text:
Turkmenistan: The pride of Turkmenistan · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Maciula tells readers about  Akhal Teke horses and their role in history of Turkmen nation.


text:
Vietnam: Wasteful public spending · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

International experts completed a report showing that the Vietnamese government is often investing public money for non-economic reasons.


text:
Zimbabwe: Harare International Festival of the Arts · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Natasha writes about Poetry Café  in Harare, Zimbabwe: “At the HIVOS Poetry Café on May Day poetry lovers were fed with combinations of humor, political satire and protest music and poetry.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Afghanistan: Release of Kidnapped Pakistani Ambassador · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Sanjar deliberates on the Taliban's implication in kidnapping of the Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizuddin in February this year.


text:
Armenia: Post-Election Political Dialogue · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped comments on the recent congress held by those opposition forces supporting Levon Ter-Petrossian. The blog says that the former president clearly indicated a “readiness for dialogue” with the authorities, but says that there are certain requirements which need to be met first.


text:
Benin: Election results, if Benin were the United Nations · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Babilown  [Fr] puts Benin's local election results in perspective: “[it's as if] the opposition won China, Russia, Brazil and Mexico, while the ruling party snatched up Belgium and even Canada, but also Crete, Malta, the Cayman Islands, the Vatican, Albania, Haiti, Barbados, Cap Verde, Estonia, Lithuania, Israel, Jordan, Rwandan, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Serbia, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, all the members of the United Nations, and other more or less imaginary countries like the Kingdom of the Sahara and the Freedland Republic…or the Kingdom of Redonda.”

author: Jennifer Brea


text:
Blogger of the Week: Laura Vidal · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Project Lingua, in addition to bringing valuable information from Global Voices Online in more than a dozen languages, has also attracted talented translators from around the world.  As the community grows closer together, the potential for increased crossover continues to build.  One of the Lingua translators from Global Voices in Spanish, Laura Vidal, enjoyed her experience so much, that she wanted to become more involved and try her hand at writing about blogs in her native country of Venezuela.  Her recent work has helped showcase much of what Venezuelan bloggers have to offer, and many of her subject matter goes beyond the polarized politics that usually comes to mind.
Laura started translating in June of 2007 after learning about the project from fellow Global Voices author Luis Carlos Díaz.  From there, she was hooked and it fit in nicely since she was studying languages at the university.
The experience was beautiful.  There was a time when I interrupted my work in order to translate for Lingua :)  I enjoyed taking posts from apparentely faraway countries and making them accessible for those that read in Spanish.  While I translated, I learned..and that was the best of all.
As she became more involved with Lingua and more familiar with the Global Voices Online community, she thought it would be interesting to write summary posts of Venezuelan blogs. She is a big fan of the mission behind GVO and thinks that has a powerful and long lasting effect.
From a cultural point of view, I think (GVO) represents a way to exchange and encounter others from the point of view of the people. It is a way to express an interest in the defense of human rights, of showing life in communities and in countries, of collaborating with tolerance, vision, and sensitivity of others. When I write for Global Voices, I feel like I contribute so that the culture of my country is known, the way people see things from the point of view of bloggers, and through their perceptions they give a vision distinct from what one normally seen.
Writing about Venezuela bloggers is not the easiest task in the world.  Much of what is seen in the mainstream media revolves around the country's well-known president, Hugo Chávez.  As a result, much of what Venezuelan bloggers write about has to do with this topic.
I discussed this with Luis Carlos and we arrived at the conclusion that politics and polarization dominates our daily life so much, that the people blog to be able to breathe.  Nevertheless, political topics are present and the polarization is felt in the Venezuelan blogosphere.  When I post for GV, I look for the greatest variety of opinions, but I always seem to always find many blogs that are contrary to the government, while those that support the government seem to copy and paste the news from digital newspapers.  On the other hand, some blogs are written too passionately to quote them in a post, which tries to give a view from the center. In all of the cases, one scrutinizes and looks, but it is difficult.
Many of Laura's articles for Global Voices is proof that Venezuela is much more than Chávez and polarized politics. She has written about famous authors and musicians, as well as education issues. It is no surprise that she writes about these issues, as Laura has a deep-rooted passion for literature and the arts.  She graduated with a degree in Modern Languages, specifically in English and French, which has helped with the discovery of literature from other countries.  Her personal blog is called Sacando La Lengua [es] (Sticking Out the Tongue) and originally started as way to point out errors of incorrect language around the city, but not in a way to scold others or make others feel bad.  In general, her blog became a place “to laugh at the curiosities of language.”
The blog also opened the door for other opportunities to write.  She was given the opportunity to write a weekly column called “Blogopodium,” at the weekly magazine Tal Cual [es],  largely because of the magazine's editors liked what they saw in her blog.  The topics are open, but hthey mainly deal with blogs and culture.  However, Laura says finding topics ona  weekly basis is much harder than it looks, but it is well worth it.
It is fun because my friends and my parents call me after reading my column and make recommenations. The name of the column was recommended to me by my father because at that time we were watching the Roma series and it was humorous to see the podium where they gave the news..and as I was going to announce what the blogs say about culture, then “Blogopodium” came.  It is good publicity for well-written blogs and I like it because I can highlight topics about literature, art, activism, community and of other cultures, especially of what is not published in the newspapers.

author: Eduardo Avila


text:
Bolivia: Autonomy Referendum Raises Questions · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Santa Cruz, Bolivia will head to the polls today in a department-wide referendum on a controversial autonomic statute, which would grant more administrative and economic powers to the state government. Not every Cruceño (resident of the department) will participate, however, as many share the opinion of the central government that the referendum is illegal and unconstitutional.  The department electoral court is pushing forward with the referendum, without the backing of the national electoral court, and brings into question the legitmacy of the results, even though the referendum is expected to pass.
The leaders of the referendum, primarily comprised of the departmental governor, members of the civic committee, and businessmen, with the support of a large percentage of the population say that the referendum is necessary.  It is the response to the government's unwillingness to incorporate autonomy in the new Constitution.  An earlier referendum two years ago overwhelmingly passed where Santa Cruz and three other departments voted “yes” on autonomy. However, the results of what that referendum actually meant were vague and open to interpretation and should have theoretically been part of the Constitutent Assembly.  The proposed new Constitution does not go far enough with these demands according to civic leaders and opened the door to push forward on their own terms.
Photo of campaign for “yes” vote in the referendum taken by Aka_Lusi and used under a Creative Commons license
Critics claim that the new referendum on autonomy is a way for the rich and powerful to gain increased control and increased revenues from the natural resources. In addition, the statute would help resist further land redistribution, as many of the referendum leaders are large landowners.  Others point out that the statute does not recognize or include many indigenous immigrates who have played a large role in the department's development.  Finally, others point to words from the departmental governor, Ruben Costas, who said that the referendum will “give birth to a new republic.”
These two contrary positions raises fears that supporters of the national government and backers of the autonomic statute may clash during referendum day.  However, bloggers are hoping for peace no matter where they stand on the issue.
Miguel Centellas of Pronto* provides some thoughts on the Referendum, as well as a bit of history on the issue at hand. Carlos Gustavo Machicado of Guccio's [es] prefers not to use the word “autonomy” because it reminds him of university autonomy, which “the only thing that has done is foment inefficiency, bureaucracy and corruption within the public places of higher education.”
However, there are plenty of bloggers who are supporting and openly demonstrating their intention to vote “Yes.” Andres Pucci is in favor of some of the decentralization aspects [es] of the autonomic statute.
Si un sindicato quiere personería jurídica, debe enviar a La Paz todo; si una empresa quiere aprobar su reglamento interno, debe enviar a La Paz todo; si un estudiante quiere defender su tesis, debe enviar a La Paz todo y esperar mas de 6 meses con la tesis aprobada por los revisores; si un profesional quiere sacar su título debe viajar a La Paz, pagar mas de 4 salarios mínimos, esperar 6 meses y volver a viajar para recogerlo.
If a union wants to receive legal representation, they must send everything to La Paz; if a business wants to approve their internal regulations, they must sent everything to La Paz; if a student wants to defend their thesis, they must send everything to La Paz and wait six months for the thesis to be approved by the reviewers; if a professional wants to get their diploma, they must travel to La Paz, pay the equivalent of 4 months of minimum salary, wait 6 months and return to pick it up.
One of the arguments against the autonomic statute is that it will cause a division within the country and that it could cause secession.  Sebastian Molina of Plan B [es] categorically denies this argument and points to a recent inteview on CNN with President Evo Morales.  Molina points to when “Patricia Janiot (CNN anchor) asked him what proof he had to show that there were separatist intentions in Santa Cruz, the president said that he had them but it would be best not to talk about that.  The interview ended there, he had no arguments.”
Even though it is expected that the “Yes” vote will win in Santa Cruz, many bloggers from Santa Cruz are criticizing the process and attitudes of some of the referendum's leaders.  Andrea from Lo Digo Yo [es] is not too pleased with the words of the president of the Civic Committee, Branko Marinkovic, who told the mothers from Santa Cruz that they will let the blood flow from their sons in a “responsible manner.”  Others see fundamental aspects wrong with the autonomic statute, such as the omission of recognizing Quechua and Aymara indigenous that have migrated to Santa Cruz and who have played a big part in the region's development. Comunidad Espartaco Boliviana [es] writes:
Todas las culturas y los grupos sociales tienen sus símbolos ¿Qué sentido tiene una ley que reconozca unos símbolos y otros no? Quedando de este modo excluidos los pueblos quechua y aymara, que si bien no forman parte de las mismas familias de cruceños e indígenas cruceñizados, vienen trabajando y desarrollando sus actividades desde la inmigración masiva fomentada por la revolución de 1952.
All cultures and social groups have their symbols.  What is the point of having a law that recognizes some symbols and not recognizing others? In this manner, the Quechua and Aymara peoples would be excluded, who have formed part of the same Cruceño families and Cruceño indigenous, who have worked and taken part in activities ever since massive immigration fomented by the revolution of 1952.
Few know what will take place on May 4 or even on May 5, the day after the Referendum. Hugo Miranda writes [es]:
Que pasara el 4 de Mayo? Que pasara el 5 de Mayo? Mucha gente se pregunta eso o diría mas bien los hacen preguntarse eso. En este país donde la política, el chisme y la confrontación son los temas de moda y por lo tanto hacen que la productividad de todos disminuya considerablemente, la televisión, los politólogos y hasta intelectuales, llenan miles de hojas en los periódicos y varias horas en los espacios televisivos, preguntándose analizando que sera del dia después.
What will happen on May 4?  What will happen on May 5? Many people ask or instead they are asked that.  In this country, politics, gossip and confrontation are in fashion, which makes productivity considerably decreased, television, political analysts and even the intellectuals, fill thousands of pages in the newspaper and various hours on television, asking themselves what will happen the day after.
Columba of Guayaramerín Analitica [es] thinks that the expected “yes” vote will allow for other departments, particularly Bení, Pando and Tarija to follow suit with their own referenda.
Finally, the blogger María Escándalo thinks that the day after will be just like any other day for the thousands of people trying to survive.
pues es para decir que después del 4 de Mayo… es decir el 5 ni el 6 o el 7… esos días, al menos para mí, no serán la excepción y por supuesto para los pobres de este pueblo los que andan a pie, los carretilleros de los mercados y los del interior que ilusionados buscan mejores días en estas zonas… seguirán creyendo en lo único que vale la pena creer: Su propio trabajo.
After May 4…meaning the 5th, 6th or 7th…during those days, at least for me, it will not be the execption and surely for the poor of this city that walk, those pushing the carts in the markets, those from the interior of the country that came looking for better days in this area… they will continue to believe in the only thing worth believing in: their own work.


text:
Congo’s other natural resource · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Congolese blogger Cédric Kalonji [Fr] writes about a weekend visit to the Zongo waterfalls: “Even if the trip was exhausting, this little weekend getaway did me good and helped me realize once again that my country is very beautiful, and beyond minerals, its tourist potential constitutes a whole other resource for Congo.”


text:
Georgia: Election Time Tensions with Russia · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

TOL Georgia says that whenever elections are planned, a scandal involving Russia always occurs. The comment comes after the recent apparent downing of a Georgian drone by a Russian MiG-29 and threats from Russia regarding the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.


text:
Georgia: Soviet Archives Opened · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Social Science in the Caucasus reports on the opening of Communist party archives to researchers in Georgia. The blog says that a working group is even releasing archival bulletins in Georgian and English. It considers the material stored in the archive of extreme interest as well as importance.


text:
Iran: 3 million dollars for Lebanon · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

In Shatot, we read[Fa] that Mayor's Office in Tehran has contributed about 3 million dollars to help Shi'ites in Lebanon. The blogger protests against such act and says with all the misery that we have in Iran why we should send money to Lebanon!


text:
Iran: International Book Fair · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohmmad Ali Abtahi, former vice president and blogger, visited [Fa] Internatioal Book Fair in Tehran. He says there were many visitors. He adds that government's policy has made cultural activities such as publishing books difficult.


text:
Iran: Nuclear Fashion · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Thanks to Hamed Noori, we can watch a  young Iranian woman models an Islamic covering with atoms in the shape of a nuclear logo used as part of the design in Tehran.


text:
Iran:Ballet Afsaneh · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Aref-Adib an Iranian creative blogger has published a video film of Ballet Afsaneh performing at British Museum. Ballet Afsaneh presents classical dances of Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and India.


text:
Iran:Press in danger · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Schrr reports[Fa] that in one year 25 magazines and newspapers are banned and 47 sites and blogs are filtered in Iran.


text:
Malawi: Reactions to former president political comeback · Global Voices
Victor Kaonga

Recently, the United Democratic Front (UDF) of Malawi's former president Bakili Muluzi had a convention and elected him as their presidential candidate in next year's election. His only challenger was Malawi's vice president Dr Cassim Chilumpha who is answering treason charges. Lilongwe-based blogger Austin Madinga  says he Muluzi's comeback is for wrong reasons. Madinga introduces his post by saying that he heard Muluzi in a BBC in an interview:
When asked why he would like to return as Malawi's president he said because Bingu wa Mutharika (Muluzi's successor) had dumped the party after he was elected president and as such he needed to return the UDF to power! This type of reasoning to me is not only gravely flawed but also defied all logic. Mr Muluzi needs to be reminded that people do not ascend to power to simply punish others or for the sake of being a ruling party. They are placed in positions of authority to serve the people and going by Muluzi's past record, that is not likely to feature high on his agenda.
A prominent Malawian political science commentator and University of Malawi lecturer Boniface Dulani started blogging a few weeks with the sole purpose of sharing his views on politics in Malawi. His recent post is titled On the UDF Convention and Why Muluzi will not get my vote. He critically looks at Muluzi's candidature and the UDF convention which he describes as a joke since its delegates were themselves not democratically chosen:
Even if I was to be persuaded to believe that Muluzi did a wonderful job in his first ten years in office (and it would not be a mean achievement to convince me), I just cannot accept that the UDF does not have any other individuals from within their ranks that are capable of leading the party into the next elections. The only way we know Muluzi has the potential to be President is because he was given the chance to serve in the first place. This only goes to show that what the country, and the UDF, lack is not people with leadership potential, but opportunities to serve. If Muluzi is so important to the UDF, he can serve an important advisory role to a different UDF nominee instead of clinging on to the candidacy himself.
Now to something different about Malawi. The Botswana-based blogger Bennet Kankuzi launched a bog titled I Love Malawi with the primary purpose of sharing photos about Malawi fondly called the Warm Heart of Africa. So if one someone wants to follow the beauty of Malawi, here is the blog to give you some relief from the politics and economy. Below is one of the pictures showing the tea plantations of Southern Malawi:

author: Victor Kaonga


text:
Tajikistan: Emomali’s Legal Team · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Ian opines on the level of competence and integrity of the Tajikistan's government, as he learns that the Tajik president has spent more than 5% of the country’s entire GDP on legal fees against former partners in Tajikistan’s aluminum projects.


text:
Zimbabwe: The presidential poll numbers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zimbabwe presidential poll numbers: “Here are the total counts per presidential candidate, according to The Herald. We were hoping to see the breakdown by constituency… but not yet it seems…”


text:
Afghanistan: Juvenile Delinquency Law Rejected  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nasim Fekrat reviews the current controversy over the Juvenile Delinquency law, which, in his opinion, illustrates the conflicts within the Afghan legal system and governance.


text:
Arabeyes: Freedom for Fouad Al Farhan  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi blogger Fouad Al Farhan is now a free man, after spending 137 days in detention in Jeddah. While bloggers have all along speculated why he has been held by the authorities for this long, Arab bloggers are unanimously excited over his release. And they also share their hopes for the release of other jailed bloggers.
According to Global Voices Advocacy, Al Farhan was arrested on 10 December 2007 for unspecified “violation of non-security regulations.”
Saudi Arabia:
For Saudi Jeans, Al Farhan's release was a good way to start his day. He writes:
I woke up around 5:30 this morning on the beeping of my iPhone which received a short message from the wife of my friend and fellow blogger Fouad al-Farhan telling me that Fouad has been released and that he is back home with his family now. That’s great news and this is just how I wanted to start my morning!
Al Farhan's fellow blogger, Mashi 97 (Ar), from Saudi Arabia, received more than 140 congratulatory comments when he made this announcement:
قبل دقائق قليلة فقط
رجع المدون السعودي فؤاد أحمد الفرحان لمنزله بعد خروجه من السجن .
الحمدلله الحمدلله الحمدلله
A few minutes ago only
Saudi blogger Fouad Ahmed Al Farhan has returned home after being released from prison.
Thank Allah, Thank Allah, Thank Allah.
Another Saudi blogger Ibrahim (Ar) wants an explanation to why Al Farhan was arrested. He writes:
في الأمس كنا فرحين بالإفراج عن فؤاد الفرحان
ولازلنا فرحين
ولكن سؤالي .. ماذا بعد الإفراج عن فؤاد؟
أربعة أشهر قضاها الأخ فؤاد في سجن أو توقيف ( مانختلف ) تحت الإستجواب
وكان السبب في كل هذا هو ” تهمة غير أمنيه” و ” إختراق لبعض اللوائح ”
وأستغرب من هذه الكلمات الفضفاضه
أنا كمدون أحب أن أعرف ماهي اللوائح التي تم اختراقها , ليتم تفاديها
أو ماهي التهم الغير أمنيه ليتم تفاديها أيضاً
هذا في حال أنها تستحق هذا المسمى (اختراق للوائح) فكلنا يجب أن يعرف ماهي اللوائح المخترقه
Yesterday were were happy for Fouad Al Farhan's release.
And we are still happy.
But my question is .. what after Fouad's release?
He spent four months in prison or custody (we won't differ on this), where he was interrogated.
The reason given was “a non-security related accusation” and “breaking some laws.”
I am surprised at those vague words.
As a blogger, I want to know what are the laws he has broken so that we don't commit them and what are the non-security related offences, so that we can overcome them. In case they deserve to be labelled as “breaking laws,” we all need to know what are the laws which have been broken.
Rasheed Abou-Alsamh too has questions in his head and writes:
Fouad was arrested in Jeddah on Dec. 10, 2007, and was held in a detention center for for more than four months because of the various entries on his blog that called for less corruption and more accountability in Saudi Arabia.
Will he continue blogging now that he has been released? That is a question that only Fouad can answer. I'm sure we will find out soon enough. For now, Fouad probably just wants to forget his ordeal and bond with is family.
Egypt:
From Egypt, Al Anany is also excited about Al Farhan's release and shares the following wish:
اليوم فرحة المدونين العرب وبالخصوص السعوديين منهم لا توصف بعد الإفراج اليوم عن المدون السعودي فؤاد الفرحان ..  ومن هنا ، من سيناء نهنئ أنفسنا وكل من آزر فؤاد الفرحان بخروجه من السجن وعودته الي منزله ، ونتمنى من الله عز وجل أن يتم الإفراج عن كل المدونين العرب ، وعن مسعد أبو فجر ابن سيناء وصاحب مدونة ودنا نعيش
Today is a happy day for Arab bloggers, and in particular the Saudis, whose happiness cannot be measured after the release of Saudi blogger Fouad Al Farhan. From here, from Sinai, we congratulate ourselves and all those who stood by Fouad until his release from prison and his return home. We ask Allah for the release of all Arab bloggers, especially Musad Abu Fajr, the son of Sinai, who runs the blog, We Want to Live.
Still in Egypt, Zeinobia awaits the news of the release of another blogger – this time in Syria. She writes:
Congratulations for Fouad and his family.
Hopefully all the other bloggers detained in the Arab world will be free soon and return to other families especially Tarek from Syria.
Bahrain:
Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif is still scratching his head. He writes:
We don’t know the details of his release and what he had to give up or sign for the authorities to finally let him go, I suspect we will hear his stories quite soon – I hope.
In any case, I am very happy indeed for his release.
Welcome home Fouad!
Bahraini Esra'a wonders if Al Farhan will continue blogging after his release. She writes:
We are really happy to see him safe and free, however I wonder if he will continue blogging after what had happened. Let’s hope that he will never endure what he has gone through these past few months.
Sudan:
The Sudanese Thinker makes the following announcement:
Saudi blogger Fuad alFarhan has finally been released after spending 137 days in jail for simply speaking his mind politely and eloquently. Meanwhile, the Saudi government has no problem whatsoever allowing the shouts and rants of many preachers of death.
Lovely!
Meanwhile, The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (Ar) demands the lifting of the ban on Al Farhan's blog in Saudi Arabia. It says:
من الجيد التراجع عن استمرار اعتقال فؤاد الفرحان ، ولكن رغم سعادتنا بالإفراج عنه ، فنحن ننتظر أن تعلن الحكومة السعودية بوضوح أسباب اعتقاله ، ومن كان صاحب قرار اعتقاله ، و أن يرفع الحجب عن مدونته فورا”.
It is good that Fouad Al Farhan is no longer arrested, but despite our happiness with his release, we are waiting for the Saudi government to announce clearly why he was arrested and who ordered his arrest. We also call for the immediate lift of the ban on his blog.


text:
Bahamas, Haiti: Seeing for the First Time  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Nicolette Bethel links to a video series “on the statelessness of children of Haitian parentage growing up in The Bahamas” and says that “every Bahamian should watch them — especially those Bahamians who view their society through the lenses of ‘Us’ and ‘Them’.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Bangladesh: Beauty of summer · Global Voices
Rezwan

Ahmed Sharif posts some beautiful pictures of the nature of Bangladesh during summer in his photo blog Desher Chobi (Images of Homeland).

author: Rezwan


text:
Cape Verde: Internet should be free · Global Voices
Paula Góes

João Branco [pt] quotes an Universal McCanns global research into the impact of social media that advocates that Internet should be free and reflects the situation in Cape Verde: “This is why I believe that in Cape Verde we still have a long way to go to get a decent Emerging and Developing Economies country index. And move to a radical drop in prices for access the Internet content would be a first (and crucial) step to get there.”


text:
China and Hong Kong: Torch Relay · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Kuangfeng came to Hong Kong to see the Olympic torch relay and wrote a detailed account of his day [zh].

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
China and South Korea: Nationalism VS. Nationalism · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Hecaitou comments on the clash between Chinese students and South Korean protesters during the Olympic torch relay demonstration. The blogger pointed out that the Chinese government could provide legal support for the Chinese student, but shouldn't alleviate the issue to the international level [zh].


text:
China: Anti-Chemical Factory Free Walking · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A few hundred Chengdu citizens did a collective free walking action against the construction of chemical factory at Pangzhou. To the edge puts up a few video clips on the action [zh].


text:
China: Police Invitation for Tea · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A blogger in Guangzhou blogs his experience of having a tea time with police. The police reminded him that his blogging affected the image of government, nation, etc.[zh]


text:
China: Shenzhen’s Culture · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

maryannodonnell from Shenzhen field notes explained why people had an impression that Shenzhen does have culture.


text:
Cuba: Hunger Strike · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuban blogger Uncommon Sense says that one member of Las Damas de Blanco “will end a hunger strike only when she is allowed to visit her son.”


text:
East Timor: Where does hope live? · Global Voices
Paula Góes

On May 5th 1999, Portugal and Indonesia signed a document agreeing to hold a UN-supervised referendum. Ângela Carrascalão [pt] reminds the date: “We all believed our destiny would be brilliant! Was it a long time ago? Not really. There have been only 9 years. And yet, although a historic day, who still remembers it in these troubled days in which we live? Who gets relieved in the goodwill spirit that back then cheered the leaders of the Timorese Resistance? And hope, where does it live?”


text:
Georgia: Election Video Blogging · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Vlog Europe says that it will soon be visiting Georgia to conduct a seminar on video blogging as well as covering this month's parliamentary election there through the Danish SILBA organization. Writing on his own blog, Raymond Kristiansen provides more more details about the exercise and also solicits suggestions and feedback.

author: Onnik Krikorian


text:
Guyana: Loving It · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

How do you know when it's love?  Guyana-Gyal has the answer.


text:
Guyana: McAndrew Goes Home · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Signifyin’ Guyana attends the “home-going celebration” for the late Guyanese creative artist Wordsworth McAndrew.


text:
Haiti: finding relief for hunger in children · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

The international food shortage and crisis is doing its rounds on the blogosphere, and videos are no exception. From Haiti: people eating dirt to survive, and a plan to help feed the hungry Haitian children. Haiti is the poorest country in the American continent, and hunger for them has been an important issue since before this crisis took to the headlines.
In YouTube, toddgsapp shows us a video of the process by which a family makes mud cakes, not only to eat themselves, but also to sell. These dirt cookies or mud cakes are made out of dirt, shortening and salt, and is sometimes their only means of sustenance.
Food for thought, isn't it?
However, it seems that most seem aware of the problem, but there is precious few that we can do to help out.  lovinitwithhim uploaded a video on the Haitian Food crisis for Kids Against Hunger you can see here.
With the following Current TV video by robhill_productions for Meds and Food for Kids (MFK)  in Haiti we are given an insight into an NGO seeking and testing a possible solution for malnutrition in children, based on a high energy peanut butter product that is ready to use and to be given to the children. This boosted peanut butter is said to contain peanuts, powdered milk, sugar, oil, vitamins and minerals and is produced locally using Haitian peanuts harvested from local farmers and all the other supplements are purchased locally as well, helping the economy.  According to MFK, it costs $68 for a full dosage of the ready to use therapeutic food, or Medikal Mamba as it is known locally, to be given to a child and bring them back to life.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


text:
Hong Kong: Missing in Freedom of Press · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

On the world's freedom of expression day, speakers were missing from the talk on freedom of speech and the press in Hong Kong. More from Taai Tou Laam Diary.


text:
India: cause of global food crisis · Global Voices
Rezwan

Aparna Ray replies to US President Geoge Bush's remark that the growing prosperity of India's large middle class is contributing to rising food prices around the world, with an apt limerick:
“It seems we have hurled,
The rest of the world,
Into crisis by not chewing grass!“


text:
Jamaica: Casino Royale?   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Antonn Brown of Abeng News Magazine shares his views about the introduction of casinos in Jamaica.


text:
Jamaica: Children of the Matrix · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican Geoffrey Philp blogs about the “The Millennial Generation”:  “It will…be interesting to see if Jamaican/ Caribbean Millennials, who have grown up in a time when as Chris Blackwell said, ‘technology makes a joke of geography,’ will have the same attitudes towards nationalism as my generation had.”


text:
Japan and Burma: Free Burma Hip-hop · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Adamu translated a hip-hop song by a famous Japanese rapper in a free Burma gathering.


text:
Japan: Fashion Webservice · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Serkantoto from Asiajin blogs a new webservice for ordering fashion online.


text:
Jordan: Speed Kills  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Speed kills, so does culture, says Jordanian blogger Naseem Tarawnah in this post about speeding.


text:
Kazakhstan: Chaplin in Kostanai · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nurgeldy writes that a monument to Charlie Chaplin has appeared in Kostanai last week, which is a pretty ironic sign, as the only movie theatre in the city was demolished in 2007.


text:
Kazakhstan: What mayor knows · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Arman writes about strange news piece released lately about the suggestions of the new mayor of Almaty, Kazakhstan's biggest city. Among them was a proposition on how to resolve the problem of frozen construction sites — but no further details were covered.


text:
Myanmar: Cyclone Nargis  · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

mmhan informs of a place in Singapore where one can make a donation to help out in the aftermath of cyclone Nagris that hit Myanmar.

author: Preetam Rai


text:
Myanmar: The perfect storm · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

More than 4,000 people are dead after cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar last weekend. Cyclone Nargis, a Category 3 storm packed winds of 190 km (120 mile) per hour. It was the world’s deadliest storm in ten years. In 1999 a cyclone in South Asia killed more than 10,000 people.
Initial estimates put the casualty to only 350 people dead and 20,000 homes destroyed. But Myanmar’s state media reported that 4,000 people are already confirmed as dead. Almost 100,000 homes were destroyed. American Buddhist Net quotes Myanmar's foreign minister who said that the death toll could reach 10,000. Channel News Asia added 2,100 people are missing and that tens of thousands more could have perished in other regions.
The numbers could still go up. Art of Patience writes:
“With the Burmese junta's tradition of secrecy and control over the media, observers said the death toll could be higher and the government's announcement could be an under-estimate.”
Pictures and video clips of Myanmar’s devastated cities were uploaded in the following blogs: Fear from freedom, Myat Thura, Democratic Voice of Burma, and Rule of Lords.
Foreign aid is already arriving in Myanmar. But there are administrative problems. Please help Burma explains: “Teams of foreign aid workers who are trying to assess the damage are encountering difficulties because of military restrictions. Roads are also not accessible.” Muddy Notebook says “The junta’s secretiveness and wariness of outsiders may take an even bigger toll on the Burmese people.”
Burma News describes the situation in Myanmar a day before cyclone Nargis ripped through the country:
A local resident of Sittwe in Burma's coastal state of Arakan, said the weather in Sittwe is normal. He said there are no signs as of yet that the cyclone is approaching.
Situation in Ranong
A local resident in Ranong town on the Thai-Burmese border said, “At about 1 a.m. heavy storm and rain struck causing big waves in the sea. A few fishing boats sank and could not be found. Now it is 11 a.m. and the rain is still continuing.
Situation in Ngwe Saung beach
An official at the Rangoon head office of a toursit resort in Ngwe Saung said all telephone lines have been disconnected in the resort. An official at the Burmese Department of Meteorology and Hydrology said, “It is expected that the cyclone will cross the Higyi Island in north Irrawaddy division shortly. So, now it's almost noon and the cyclone must have passed by now. It is also predicted that slight rain will occur in Rangoon.”
Situation in Chaungthar
A worker at the Khaing Chaungthar resort in Chuangthar beach said, “So far, this morning the storm has not reached our place. We heard that it storm has hit Higyi Island. But as a precaution, we are not accepting any guests.
After information that a strong cyclone was approaching the Military Divisional Commander had ordered all resorts not to accept any guests.
Mizzima News gathers ground reports on the day cyclone Nargis was passing through Myanmar:
3 May 2008 16:30 – Burma Standard Time
As the devastating impact of Cyclone Nagris continues to mount, houses in Rangoon's Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township are reportedly collapsing.
A Local resident of Mingalar Taung Nyunt told Mizzima via telephone, “The wind was blowing heavily until about 10 a.m. this morning. Phone lines, including the GSM (mobile phones), were still working until about 9 a.m. this morning. But now everything is cut-off. We don't know the number of casualties as yet, and I think we will only find out later, maybe tomorrow. As the electricity is also out, we can't even watch the news on TV. We cannot listen to the radio or tune to MRTV.”
In the aftermath of the storm, as the rain has subsided, the momentous task of cleaning-up is reportedly being done by civilians without help from the government.
“Rangoon has been totally devastated.”
Update: 3 May 2008 14:10 – Burma Standard Time
People are running helter skelter with whatever belongings they can carry and stopping vehicles they see,” a resident told Mizzima.
“Rangoon has been totally devastated”, he said repeatedly.
One citizen journalist who attempted to travel outside of Rangoon was forced to turn around after a short distance. “I have never seen such devastation in my life,” he said
Reports reaching Rangoon further suggest there is extensive damage and devastation in Kyauk Tan Township.
State of Emergency declared in parts of Burma
Update: 3 May 2008 12:55 – Burma Standard Time
The Burmese government has announced a ‘State of Emergency’ in many parts of the country after cyclone Nagirs lashed Burma late on Friday night. The state-owned media declared that Rangoon Division, Pegu Division, Mon State, Karen State and Irrawaddy Division have been brought under a ‘state of emergency’. The announcement was made by the Secretary of State Peace and Development Council Lit-Gen Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo a few minutes ago.
Situation in Hle Dan, Rangoon
Strong winds continue to sweep the city and window panes of apartments have cracked or broken. The electricity supply has been cut off, a resident of Hle Dan in Rangoon told Mizzima.
“There are no civic workers in sight to clear the streets of debris. The rain has slackened now,” she said. The first reports of casualty have come in from Da La Township in Rangoon division with three women having drowned when the ferry they were travelling, in while crossing the river towards Da La, sank. The authorities have stopped ferry crossings since yesterday evening.
Heavy Rains in Pha An, Karen State
Update: 3 May 2008 12:00 – Burma Standard Time
Due to cyclone Nargis, there have been heavy rains and stongs winds in Pha An in Karen State of Burma. “People dare not to go out on the streets”, said a resident.
A Rangoon resident:
Update: 3 May 2008 10:30 – Burma Standard Time
“I think all the TV satellite receivers have been destroyed. Zinc roofs are scattered on the streets”
“No one is on the streets. Even no dog”
“Rains were pouring horizontally and it was like steam coming off the hot boiling water pot”
“Since roofs were ripped off, people have to stay inside their houses with doors locked and chained”
“We did not expect this much bad. So, we did not store food and now we are having problems with food”
Trees uprooted, electric poles flattened in Rangoon
Update: 3 May 2008 09:029 – Burma Standard Time
Reports of damages due to cyclone Nargis have been slowly emerging from Rangoon. Trees near Han Thar Wa Di circle in the city are uprooted and lying on the streets. Hoardings and sign boards are destroyed. “The strong winds are still there. I dare not to go out. The municipal department cannot still do anything”, a Rangoon resident told Mizzima.
In several places, roofs of houses were ripped off and electricity poles were uprooted.
Nargis hit Rangoon
Update: 3 May 2008 09:00 – Burma Standard Time
The Nargis cyclone has hit Burma's Rangoon since last mid night and reports coming from Rangoon suggest that the cyclone is still in full strength in and around former Capital. The telephone lines and electricity in Rangoon are cut. A resident that Mizzima was able to contact said he thinks this is the severest cyclone in the country's history. There have been loud noises in the city and zinc roof tiles crisscrossed the city and trees uprooted, he added.
A resident in Sanchaung township said “the sky is read” now and “roof sheets were flying”
Bangkok Pundit posts important questions:
“Will the referendum be delayed? That people have no food or water is surely not a great enough impediment for the Burmese government to be concerned about? What will this do to the rice price?”
The constitutional referendum he was referring to is scheduled to take place in a few days. Before the arrival of the cyclone, the referendum was the most talked-about issue in Myanmar.  Agam's Gecko believes the referendum will be postponed:
“The severe cyclone that just plowed through Rangoon is showing up the complete ineptitude of Burma's military rulers. The junta appears to be totally paralyzed. The disaster comes only a few days before their sham constitutional referendum. Will it go ahead, in the wake of all this death and destruction? State-run media says yes; I doubt it. In a country run by a deeply superstitious old loon like Than Shwe, Cyclone Nargis is the worst possible bad omen. It's almost as if the gods have sent it to stop their folly, since nothing else is working.”
Jotman on the impact of the cyclone on the global food crisis:
Cyclone Nagris devastated the major rice-producing region of Burma, the Irrawaddy Delta, home to 3.5 million people…This disaster could not have come at a worse time for Burma and the world; the effects of Cyclone Nagris may be felt far beyond the shores of Burma. Because if the Burmese people are to be fed, the food may have to come from somewhere else. It is conceivable that the cyclone will drive up rice and food prices worldwide, and exacerbate global shortages.”

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Nepal: One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Laptops distributed · Global Voices
Rezwan

Jwalanta Shrestha of OLPC Nepal Blog writes about the first ever pilot distribution of OLPC laptops in Nepal, codenamed “Sunrise” and posts photographs.


text:
Pakistan: Lahore Book Fair · Global Voices
Rezwan

Atif’s blogworld visits Lahore Book Fair and comments that this is probably Pakistan’s largest book fair to be held this year.


text:
Puerto Rico: Cease Fire?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Gil the Jenius says that Puerto Rico needs to “put up a better effort” against crime.


text:
South Korea: No to U.S. Beef · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Martin J Frid from Kurashi blogs the local news about anti-U.S beef candlelight rally.


text:
Sri Lanka: Micro-blogging election violence and malpractices · Global Voices
Rezwan

ICT for Peacebuilding Blog points us to Vikalpa, a citizen journalism initiative in Sri Lanka, where “reports via SMS from citizens at the grassroots are being used to provide perspectives from the Eastern Province in the lead up to and on the day of the elections (10th May 2008).” Check their micro-blogging site on twitter which displays election violence and malpractices reports sent by the citizen journalists.


text:
Taiwan: What can a baseball do? · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

There are some Taiwanese playing in Major League Baseball: Chin-Feng Chen in Dodgers from 2002-2005, Chin-Lung Hu in Dodgers, Hong-Chih Kuo in Dodgers, Chin-Hui Tsao in Royals, and Chien-Ming Wang in Yankees.  Although they are loved by Taiwanese, these baseball stars are not the focus of this article.  Here are stories about how baseballs change the life of challenged people and students in remote elementary schools.
Photo courtesy of Haomei.
The first story starts when a screen writer, an actor, and a director, Nien-Jen Wu left a message in Haomei's blog about the Sacred Heart Home for the challenged people.  Fr. Franz Burkhardt founded the Sacred Heart Home in Chia-Yi, Taiwan, in 1980, and he planned to build a larger building to help more challenged people.  Although the Reverend Franz Burkhardt, a recipient of presidential and papal honors for his services to Taiwan over almost half a century, died in 2002, his colleagues keep working on this project.  Due to the funding shortage, Haomei started to blog about the Sacred Heart Home and helps raise money and invite people to visit the Sacred Heart Home.
An episode for these fund-raising activities is about baseballs.
Chensumi talked about how Tai-Yuan Kuo signed baseballs for a fund-raising auction:
我跟郭泰源總教練提到聖心募款的事情，他聽得很仔細，也很豪爽答應簽名[…]我在一旁小心打探，「多簽一些可以嗎？」[…]郭總說，「可以啊，愛心的事情，當然沒問題！」
This auction raised 182100 NTD for the Sacred Heart Home, and this success inspired some baseball lovers to contribute their baseball-related souvenirs to the second auction.  The second auction raised 281861 NTD for the Sacred Heart Home.  The result is not only satisfactory for the Sacred Heart Home but also for the baseball players and  lovers–
以前只要提到金錢和棒球掛勾，大家都會想到簽賭，沒想到這次金錢跟棒球掛勾，居然成就這麼動人的好事。
The second story is about helping some baseball teams in the remote elementary schools.  Chensumi reported:
堅果團購夢想計畫已經募到新台幣72000元。[…]我們也將委請藍文成教練幫忙遴選最需要幫助的球隊，在賽後這段期間，儘快將球具送達學校，給那些有夢想的棒球孩子，充滿溫暖的禮物。同時感謝球魂網站好友林言熹與楊榮健的協助，取得球具配備最划算合理的估價單。[…]預估我們所募得的金額，將有機會補助三支以上的偏遠部落少棒隊。
Chien-Kuo Group's plan is based on the love for the children and baseball:
我們也許讓未來有機會站上大聯盟投手丘與打擊區的小孩們，未來要扛下國家隊第四棒或職棒中心打線的小選手們，可以有新手套，可以不必擔心練習用球不見，同時 讓他們知道，這段辛苦的棒球路，不是那麼寂寞，因為我們相信，在棒球起步的階段，曾經受過幫助的人，會一輩子都懂得感恩，不會愧對棒球之神賦予他們的使命。」
Redyellow described what they saw when sending the equipments to one of the elementary schools:
這一天我回來後，心底帶著暖暖的滿足。意外變成先發登板的我，帶著大家的愛心來到汐止國小，看著天真活潑的小球員，心裏彷彿被純淨的水流洗淨一般。到底是我 幫助了他們，還是他們幫助了我，讓我找回心中久違的感動。[…]替這些勇敢追夢的孩子們吶 喊加油吧！因為這也是為我們自己加油啊！
終於我覺得自己是個棒球迷了。但是今天不當球迷。

author: I-fan Lin


text:
Afghanistan: Crime Against Children · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The Rumi reports on a shocking case of a 7-year-old Afghani girl tossed under truck for smuggling wheat by Pakistan border police officers.

author: Adil Nurmakov


text:
Angola: On the reform of the Portuguese language · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Gociante Patissa [pt] invites readers to debate the proposed reform of the Portuguese language. Talking about language, the blogger is also responsible for the first ever blog in Umbundu language, language spoken by the Ovimbundu people in the central highlands of Angola.


text:
Armenia: Book Review · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Armenian Odar Reads takes a second look at Penelope by Goar Markosyan-Kasper. The literary blog based in Armenia says that on first reading the book in Dutch it wasn't impressed, but that since living in the country it makes a lot more sense. Although it concludes that the book is let down by the writing and the characters, it still provides a good image of what life was like in the country in the mid-1990s and, to a lesser extent, today.


text:
Bangladesh: No appeals for Burma? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

imperfect world 2008 wonders why no charity appeals are being made for the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Burma.

author: Neha Viswanathan


text:
Bermuda: Public Spaces  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Vexed Bermoothes says: “With the urbanisation of Bermuda, we need more public spaces for children to play and people to exercise and build community.”


text:
Brazil: WordPress amends T&Cs and avoids blanket ban · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Renata Solano [pt] welcomes the news that the blogging platform WordPress has made a change on its Terms and Conditions in order to avoid a blanket ban in Brazil. The new line added in the 2nd section covers the court decision by banning blog clones: By making Content available, you represent and warrant that […] your blog is not named in a manner that misleads your readers into thinking that you are another person or company.

author: Paula Góes