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Jamaica: Where De Lizard?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

What's “thick and long and fat…and just big enough to keep a few thousand Jamaicans from ever moving home permanently”?  Francis Wade spills the beans.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Japan:  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

David Marx from neojanponisme blogs about a list of 100 greatest Japanese rock albums of all time, which reflects on local rock history.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Oiwan Lam


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Japan: Ramen Research · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ampontan introduced a website on Japan instant food industry, which has most detailed information about the history of instant ramen starting from 1958.


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Japan: Savings Bomb · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Edward Chmura from Japundit introduces a new toy called “savings bomb” bank. It is designed to “explode” and scatter its contents all over the place if it is not fed coins over some preset interval.


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Japan: Stop Fingerprinting Non-Japanese · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Arudou Debito announced an action on November 20 at the Justice Ministry against the policy on fingerprinting of non-Japanese.


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Jordan: Elections and Cheating · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Khalaf offers us his views on the upcoming Jordanian parliamentary elections and cheating in this post.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Jordan: Not a Homophobe · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Moey tells us what happens when his friend admits to him that he is gay in this post.


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Jordan Remembers Amman Bombings · Global Voices
Naseem Tarawnah

It's been two years since over 60 people were taken from their families. The Amman bombings of November 9th 2005, is a memory etched in the minds of all Jordanians. In a country that is perceived to be calm, safe and stable, the bombings were a disturbing reminder that no nation is immune to the evils of terrorism. Two years ago, Global Voices kept the world up to date in the minutes and hours following the bombings, even when media giants like CNN couldn't. Yesterday, Jordanian bloggers remembered, finding it difficult at times to find the right words.
Eman, who lives in Tunisia said: “Today is one of those days in which you find yourself speechless. Being away, remembering all those we watched get awfully killed from a distance, I can’t even imagine how others, who are in Amman, and even worse, those, who lost loved ones, are feeling right this moment!”
The blast that haunts most Jordanians today, was the one that targeted a wedding at the Radisson SAS. Over 30 people were killed including the fathers of both the bride and groom. Um Zaid attended a wedding, and it was a sudden reminder of how times have changed:
“So two years later, it is normal to enter a hotel in ‘Amman by going through the same security that you face at an American airport. It is normal to have your bag searched to go to the mall. To walk through a metal detector to get your groceries. I see more soldiers and police on the streets than I did 5 years ago…Two years ago, the smoke in the ballroom came from bulky bombs strapped around people’s bodies. Tonight, the smoke in the ballroom was from dry ice timed to release as a chubby smiling groom twirled his blushing bride in front of a nonchalant crowd.”
Yazan remembers being at a Spanish musical concert at the Le Meredian hotel at the time of the bombings:
“After the break [intermission] finished, we went back inside the hall, and the event started again. After a while, we noticed this high rank military officer entering and approaching princess Sumaya, who was a guest at the event, they went outside for a while, and she entered again with a frown face. After that, a number of people started getting phone calls and storming out of the room…I went to my apartment with my friends. We gathered mesmerized on the television screen watching what is happening. It was strange, as we never thought that something like this could happen in Amman.”
Kinzi was in Austria at the time, far from her family and home when the dreadful news broke. News was hard to come by and Jordanian bloggers tried to fill the void:
“Unable to sleep, I spent the next three hours on-line with Jordan Planet, in tears as I switched back and forth from Natasha, Lina, Roba, Nas trying to get more info. They had the news, not CNN. Soon other bloggers posted that they were ok. No one I knew was lost, at that point. But many other families were devastated, and that grieved my heart. Amman’s innocence was robbed.”
Lastly, Hend Fayez offers a poem of remembrance:
“When walls start raining blood
And grooms bury their dead,
Pretty brides blush no more
Their gowns are stained by flesh,
Too white for a black day.”

author: Naseem Tarawnah


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Jordan: When Qwaider gets Married · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Qwaider entertains us with what is expected to happen to his blog if he were to get married.


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Kyrgyzstan: Fraudulent Elections Will Echo Back in Spring · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Almaz reports that former Prime-Minister of Kyrgyzstan Felix Kulov, who now stands in opposition to the incumbent, President Bakiev, has come out with the statement saying that if the upcoming December parliamentary elections are falsified, it may cause unrest in the region.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Libya:Poor immigrants · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mr.Behi, an Iranian blogger, writes about  difficult conditions of illegal immigrants in Libya.He says that there is a man from Burkina Faso and speaks three languages (French, English and Arabic) but he washes cars for only five Libyan dinars!

author: Fred Petrossian


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Madagascar: Diaspora and Development.  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

The Malagasy blogosphere was abuzz with discussions regarding the role of the diaspora in the development of Madagascar. This is a recurrent theme in the Malagasy blogosphere and in African development think-tank  in general.
Sipakv wrote (Fr) :
“Deja a l’epoque, le role de la diaspora se discutait ferme, et le contenu ne differait guere de ce qui se dit en ce moment, meme si les participants ont change. Il y a toujours les enthousiastes, les cyniques, les indifferents, les Malagasy restes au pays qui refusent carrement a la diaspora tout apport au developpement, au vu de leur absence au pays et de leur ignorance supposee quant aux conditions et aux besoins locaux. Et il y a aussi, ceux qui reprochent a la diaspora, a tort ou a raison, une approche arrogante.”
Many bloggers went to task when it came to concretely contribute to the development of ITC in Madagascar. The nonprofit organization Foko-madagascar created a monthly blog club meeting to promote citizen journalism in Madagascar and encourage people to share their stories on the web.
Other organizations such as namana serasera have had a long outstanding record for helping develop ITC in schools among other socially-driven actions. Their initiatives are strongly supported by Malagasy bloggers at home and abroad.
Similar type of collaborations between Malagasy continents apart  have fueled the growth of Global Voices in Malagasy which has posted 178 posts in 2 ½ months and gained a substantial  readership despite the hurdles of being one of the less spoken languages in the world.
Yet, the question remains, is the Malagasy diaspora doing enough for their homeland ?
Vaomiera’s take on the role of the diaspora (Fr):
“je pense que la diaspora a beaucoup plus de role à jouer en apportant sa competence (dans differents domaines) au sein d’entreprises existantes, en soutenant les nouvelles entreprises, en recherchant des financements, en financant des projets de developpement, […]
La force et la raison d’existence d’une diaspora sont resumées ainsi: “regard” tourné vers le pays”
Thenonrequired relates a telling story of the hurdles that the diaspora sometimes faces when it comes to returning home and contributing (Fr):
“Première tentative pour rentrer à Schgeumland. Envoi de CVs. Réaction d’un des DG des entreprises ciblées: “Mais qu’est-ce-qu’il a à rentrer à Madagascar? Il n’y a pas de job ici pour ses compétences. Il ferait mieux de rester où il est…”.Deuxième tentative (4 ans plus tard) pour rentrer à Schgeumland. Envoi d’un CV. Réaction du recruiteur: “Mais il est surdiplômé ! Il est sur-qualifié ! Qu’est-ce-qu’il veut? Il n’y a pas de job pour lui ici.”
Rajiosy wonders why he feels like the obligation to give back is heavier on the African diaspora than on others (Fr):
“Il semblerait que l’obligation de “développer” son pays d’origine ne soit imposée qu’aux ressortissants d’Afrique […]J’aurai tendance à croire que tout malgache ayant fait le choix de vivre ailleurs, travaille en premier lieu à la richesse de son lieu de résidence/pays d’adoption. […]De là à dire qu’il contribue également à la richesse globale des malgaches (du monde entier) par lui-même, par ses enfants, par sa communauté bref par son histoire. C’est le pas que je franchis allègrement…”
Whether through conversations or direct actions, it seems that the blogosphere is  abounding with bloggers with a will to contribute to the development of their homeland or at least, a will to understand the need for giving back.
Harnessing this goodwill was the topic of conversation during a meeting with the founder of the Ubuntu Institute.
To encourage bloggers to continue the conversation online on various topics, a “Best of Malagasy blogs Awards” has been  planned for launching in the coming weeks.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi Agrees to Talk · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

May is happy that Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has agreed to talk to the Junta.

author: Preetam Rai


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Myanmar: Burmese Safe House Visit · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Jotman visits a Burmese safe house and discusses the recent events with Burmese dissidents.


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Oman: Expat Overview · Global Voices
Riyadh Al Balushi

Flotaz, a French blogger in Oman, creates a comprehensive list about everything he has seen in Oman.

author: Riyadh Al Balushi


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Oman: Interview with Omani Photographer · Global Voices
Riyadh Al Balushi

Oman3D interviews Hani Macki, an Omani documentary photographer.


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Oman: Rewarding Innovation · Global Voices
Riyadh Al Balushi

The Knowledge Mine and Ernst and Young have chosen the winner of their Big Business Idea Competition for the creation of new technology-related businesses by young students and employees.


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Oman: Shura Council · Global Voices
Riyadh Al Balushi

Omani blogger Muscati talks about the recent elections in the Oman public advisory board (Shura Council), how no women got elected, and how ethnicity played a role in voting.


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Pakistan: Emergency 2007 Wiki · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

A wiki – Emergency 2007 has been set up for “Documenting political developments starting on November 3, 2007 and the social, economic, and other ramifications.” in Pakistan.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Pakistan: Student Protests update · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

An update on student protests at LUMS in Lahore at Naitazi.com.


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Palestine: Challenging Nephew · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian Iman writes about how her five-year-old nephew now thinks she is illiterate.


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Palestine: Trees Destroyed · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Aquacool, from Tunisia, posts a picture from Palestine, showing destruction of huge amounts of trees on the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.


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Puerto Rico: Outside the Box · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As a major pharmaceutical company closes its operations on the island, Gil the Jenius recommends that Puerto Rico “think outside the box, for a welcome change”.


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Qatar: Hotel Hunting · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Ahmad Humeid landed in Doha, Qatar, without a hotel reservation. Read this post to see where he ended up.


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Russia: Aleksei Pichugin’s Trial Blogger Nominated for the BOBs · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

For the second year in a row, LJ user sivilia-1 (Russian journalist Vera Vasilieva) is competing for Deutsche Welle's Best of the Blogs Awards (the BOBs). Last year, she was nominated in the Reporters Without Borders category; this year, she is shortlisted for the Best Weblog Russian.
Her blog (RUS) – http://sivilia-1.livejournal.com/ – is devoted to coverage of the case of Aleksei Pichugin, former security chief of former oil giant Yukos, sentenced to life in prison for involvement in at least three murders (not to be confused with Aleksandr Pichushkin, recently sentenced to life in prison for at least 48 murders). Pichugin's arrest in 2003 marked the beginning of the Kremlin's attack against Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
In the post translated from Russian below, sivilia-1 explains to her critics the choice of her blogging subject matter:
There's an ongoing discussion in the blogosphere of the 2007 Best of the Blogs competition, in which I am taking part. I've read comments of some of the readers who claim that I'm “on the payroll” and am not really voicing my opinion, because I simply do not have one. Like, the content of my web journal can be summarized in one phrase: “Putin is bad” (and some also add: “Berezovsky is good”). And they also claim that it's not surprising that I've made it into the final cut – after all, the competition is organized by a Western radio station.
It was very interesting to read the discussion of my blog. Criticism is great! But it's a pity that those commenting are guilty of what they are accusing me of – something that can be summarized in one phrase: “Vera Vasilieva is bad, she works for money rather than expressing her personal point of view!”
This ain't so. Apparently, those who write this have not familiarized themselves with my blog. Because I have explained more than once the reasons for my principal subject matter and why I've picked my blog as the medium for it.
Well, okay, I'll explain it once more – to those who are willing to listen.
You are free to disagree with my point of view – [that's up to you]. But to claim that I don't have one is totally wrong. As is the assertion that I'm doing it for the money I've been paid.
The main topic of my blog is the trial of Aleksei Pichugin, the former Yukos employee. I started blogging about it because this topic deeply affected me after my first visit to courtroom, and I couldn't find the objective coverage of the trial in the mass media. My intention has been to have the minimum of personal commentary, I've been placing the emphasis on what was taking place, on the facts, regardless of my personal attitude to them. And I was doing it all absolutely for free. I worked at an IT publication then. By the way, because of my blog reports on the trial, I was forced to leave this publication. Just as I had to leave another job, which I landed after the dismissal. Then I was invited to the Human Rights in Russia portal, where I've met wonderful people, friends who share my views.
Yes, this is where I work as a correspondent now, for a salary. But, dear readers, aren't you getting paid for the work you do?! I'm not selling my position, my views. I write about what I think and I'm earning my money honestly. You are free to hate my point of view. But do not distort the facts.
Thank you for your attention.
Here are some of the comments to this post:
red_andr:
Ignore them. When there are no arguments of substance, they start these attacks, claim that [you are] corrupt, on the CIA's payroll, and a spy for the Western intelligence in general.
ivansim:
Oy, they understand it all perfectly well :) But they'll never admit that they are writing all their “exposé” simply because this is their job and not because this is what they really mean :)
[…]
crazy_lusinoid
Your hobby is the same as your job – it doesn't happen often, but it does happen ;))) For example, astronomers often sell telescopes, booklovers sell books, and good cooks work in restaurants. ))) […]
[…]
alogic:
Vera, you are one of those rare journalists who are actually doing what their profession obliges them to do – you are uncovering the facts despite the unfavorable conditions. There was no one but you at the trial. An honest critic would agree with it, while the dishonest ones aren't worth paying attention to. Wishing you victory in the competition – and recognition.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Saudi Arabia: Italian Restaurants · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi blogger Ahmed Al Omran is looking for Italian restaurants in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.


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South Africa: Wikipedia Academies · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Heather blogs about Wikipedia Academies, which will take place this week in Johannersburg: “Jimmy is in the country to launch the African Wikipedia Academies – a series of Wikipedia sprints, workshops and boot camps to encourage the local celebration of Wikipedia as an amazing tool for education, culture and enterprise in Africa.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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South Korea: Ancestral Worship · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Matt gives more background on the politics of ancestral graves.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Antigua: Caribbean Film · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Abeni blogs about The Sweetest Mango, “a film made and produced in Antigua”.


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Taiwan: South Korea’s Experience in China Trade · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Michael Turton comments on The European Chamber of Commerce's criticism over Taiwan's trade policy. The Chamber chair suggested Taiwan to learn from South Korea's experience while the blogger wondered what exactly Taiwan should learn.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Light Over Darkness · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Now is Wow is celebrating the Hindu festival of Divali.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Not Ad-ing Up · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“How do users get anything back from the wanton sale of their interests?’ asks KnowProSE.com, as he blogs about the “new era of advertising”.


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Turkey: Insulting Turkishness · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A man from the Aegean resort town of Bodrum is facing charges of “insulting the spirit of Turkishness” after being taken into custody by the police Monday for dressing his dog in a t-shirt that said “Turk,” reports Hans A.H.C. de Wit from Istanbul.


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Uzbekistan: A Great Loss for the Nation · Global Voices
Tolkun

A great loss for the whole nation: such was the reaction of Central Asian – especially Uzbek – blogosphere to the assassination of Alisher Saipov, a prominent journalist from Osh, southern city in Kyrgyzstan that borders with Uzbekistan. As he was an ethnic Uzbek and lived in a border area, Alisher Saipov, 26, very often covered issues neglected not only by Kyrgyz media but also media in Uzbekistan that is heavily controlled by the government.
During his short but active life, Alisher Saipov collaborated with News Agency Ferghana.ru, Voice of America Uzbek Service, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Uznew.net. Moreover, Alisher Saipov had found the Siyosat [Politics] newspaper in Uzbek language that was published in Osh city and often smuggled into the territory of Uzbeksitan. The newspaper was devoted to cover mainly religious, human rights and political issues on both sides of the border. Alisher Saipov had also launched the online version of the newspaper which has not been updated after his death.
Libertad in neweursia was one of the first to report on the assassination of the journalist. Libertad believes that it is a great loss that such a great person was murdered.
He was well-know not only in Kyrgyzstan, but in whole Central Asia for his excellent work as a journalist. Alisher Saipov was a great journalist, a wonderful person and a cool chap, who was always happy to help people, especially friends, and who never gave up in the face of obstacles. He always stayed loyal to his principles. And his principles were truth, honesty, honor and courage.
Craig Murray, a former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, whose blog was recently shut down [now on] because of his posts that accused Alisher Usmanov, a Russian billionaire with Uzbek origins, for being corrupted, writes that for those who speak freely in Uzbekistan [and its near abouts] the situation is getting really dangerous. Craig Murray, as a person who knew Alisher Saipov personally, mourns his death:
I cannot believe Alisher Saipov is dead. When last I saw him he can only have been 23 years old, and was so brimming with energy, life and optimism. Now at 26 he is dead, just the latest dissident to be murdered by the Karimov regime.
The blog Azamat Report publishes press release of the Committee to Protect Journalists about the murder of Alisher Saipov and generates discussion about Andijan events and Alisher Saipov's contribution to cover the massacre.
Daagini wrote in the blog Confessions of ‘Innocent’ Mind it always said to hear such news and though he/she did not know Alisher Saipov and have never heard of him, he/she mourns his death.
Isn't it strange that no matter where you are… who you are… what you are… things happening in a land far far away stir emotions in you, you never would have thought possible. Its streams through your mind like a motion picture… and stems thoughts which wouldn't have been there otherwise.
Joshua Foust in Registan.net wrote a post in honor of murdered Alisher Saipov. The post mainly discusses about how dangerous it is to be a journalist in post soviet countries. Since the fall of Soviet Union, there had been many cases of journalists murder, and, as Joshua writes, the majority of crimes are still a mystery. The reason is that ‘[former soviet] countries run by the KGB, or by the same old Soviet officials and chieftans behave like… the KGB, or the old Soviet system’.
In the same post in Registan.net, Joshua gives a list of journalists from former Soviet countries murdered after 2000. Joshua does not give any names for Uzbekistan, and the reason is obvious – journalists in Uzbekistan just disappear and no one can confirm if they are alive or not.
Kyrgyz law enforcement bodies immediately launched investigation of the crime, though this did not bring awaited results. In the report of Ministry of Internal Affairs, it says that the reasons of the murder of Alisher Saipov was his links with Hizb-ut-Tahrir, a religious organization banned both in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Libertad commented about the report of officials saying:
The general impression about the investigation is that Kyrgyz law enforcement organizations searched for the information that would prove that there were no any traces of Uzbek secret services in the murder of the journalist, but it was Alisher Saipov’s connections to different extremist organizations that eventually led to assassination.

author: Tolkun


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Uzbekistan: Signs of Campaign · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Bboyd opines on the news coming from Uzbekistan concerning the upcoming no-choice presidential elections, in which the incumbent, President Karimov, is running for an unconstitutional third term.


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Africa: Searching for Africa at the New York Times · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Do people have fun in Africa?: “Using a simple search method at the New York Times, the terms “AIDS” + “Africa” brought back 250 stories published in the past year. What I didn’t say was that searching the terms “Africa” + “fun” returned 91 hits.”


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Armenia: Fugitive Minister · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Blogian reminds its readers of the former Minister of Interior, Vano Siradeghian. Wanted by Interpol for masterminding numerous assassinations in Armenia under the former president, the fugitive still remains at large and Blogian wonders if he would be pardoned if Levon Ter Petrosian returned to power.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Armenia: Presidential Candidate · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Armenia Election Monitor 2008 reports that as expected, the ruling Republican party has nominated the prime minister as their candidate for the presidential election to be held on 19 February 2008 in Armenia.


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Bahrain: Flaunting your wealth – and accounting for it · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

What are bloggers talking about in Bahrain this week? Financial accountability, the reasons for blogging, a childhood addiction to books, how to encourage creativity – and looking after appearances.
Show us the money!
We start this week with Mahmood, who gives his opinion on a new law requiring government officials, parliament deputies, and Shura and municipal councillors to declare their personal finances:
I didn’t see the draft law yet, but like everyone else concerned with accountability in Bahrain, I am anxious to see its contents; particularly the exceptions – if present – and what the actual penalties are and if they are sufficient for deterring corrupt officials from continuing to abuse their positions. Will this law, for instance, only limit the declarations of wealth to be “correct and acceptable” from the time it is issued, or will it have any provision to force officials to show how they got their current wealth? What is to happen to that wealth should it be considered ill-begotten? All this remains to be seen. I am not very enthusiastic as what has been reported as fines and sentences in the papers is a pittance when compared to the wealth amassed by various officials in this country. […] It is important; therefore, to understand how the law defines corruption, as when it was last attempted, the result was quite varied and officials suggested that concept is quite elastic; thus, rendering the definition and the law toothless.
Ease the pain
Panadol Extra is a new blogger who explains what got him interested in blogging:
Bookworm
Eyad tells us that he is an obsessive person, who has had a number of addictions over the years. In the first of a series which will describe each in turn, he describes his early addiction to reading:
My first addiction was long before High school, it started with reading, I was three or four years old when my parents started feeding me with books, I didn’t read about politics and rocket science when I was 4 but I had tons and tons of the baby books, then when I started to read properly my father begun to surprise me with new books every month, until the day came and discovered my aunts stash of every issue of “Majalat Majed”, Majed Magazine , at the time I didn’t start going to formal school, I use to go to Al-Bahrain Day time Nursery, and had a goal set of reading all the magazines before I go to school, I wasn’t that ambitious as a kid for the record, I was just a stubborn child who wants to proof to his youngest aunt who was 5 years older than me, that I can read as many magazines as she did in 2 years, hahah I think it was the best challenge I ever had.
I had daily access to the wooden shack in the back yard where the dusty boxes of Majalt Majed were stored, in the beginning it took me a whole day to read the magazine, and my day was from 1 am until the sun sets, in a few weeks I was eating those pages like an African wood worm, and I decided to read the weekly magazine every Wednesday so she doesn’t get an edge on me, it was a very informative year, Majalat Majed back in the day was amazing, it had topics ranging from coloring, short stories, series stories, history, 101 politics to Islam and general information, and for a kid, it looked like a game, the more I did it, the better I got.
Look – and touch
Shaima Al Watani writes about creative thinking, and the shortcomings of teaching theories with no practical work included. She refers to a story about an Egyptian graduate who despite his knowledge of physics could not assemble a simple electrical circuit:
وللأسف فإن نقطة فضول الطفل وشغفه للمس مسألة مهملة وغير مستغلة في عالمنا العربي أبداً، رغم أن جميع الدراسات التي أجريت لحياة العلماء والعباقرة تؤكد أن ابداعهم لم يكن ليظهر لولا فضول اللمس وتحريك الأصابع، فالعالم داروين على سبيل المثال كان يقضي الوقت الطويل متنقلاً بين المروج ليصطاد الحشرات ويتابع الطيور ولولا الطبيعة الحرة التي قامت بتغذية خياله لما ظهر لنا كتابه ”أصل الأنواع”.
Unfortunately a child’s curiosity and his or her passion for exploring is a disregarded matter, and is not utilised at all in the Arab world. This is despite the fact that all the studies that have been conducted on the lives of educated and creative people confirm that creativity only shows itself when there is the curiosity to touch and to use the fingers. The scholar Darwin is an example, he spent a long time travelling over the waves to catch insects and follow birds, and if it weren’t for the free nature that nurtured his imagination then ‘The Origin of Species’ wouldn’t have appeared.
All for appearance
I'll Have One of Those has something to say about materialistic thinking:
Today, I have chosen to write on the phenomenon that is the superficiality of the Arab. Those who may or may not have the means to practice what I call art of “showing off”. Why does the average gulf Arab feel the need to prove him/herself via materialism? I don't think I will ever be able to understand this. This feature is one thing Arabs have in common with rich African Americans; the need to flaunt your wealth for all to see, using yourself and any form of everyday item as a billboard or testament to your wealth. […] The other day, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine.
She said, “I just have to have this bag!”…and I said, “but that costs $3000″
“Yeah, I don't care, it was in vogue, and there's a picture of Lindsay Lohan carrying it in Hello”
At this point, all I could think was “How very sad you are darling, very sad indeed”….But if it weren't for people like her, designers would starve just like any other artist….
Farah Mattar is certainly taking care of her appearance:
I went to the salon the other day to get a long overdue color and haircut session. My hair had become sadly mop-like. Not the kind of mop leaning against your kitchen wall, but the kind that was tossed out with yesterday’s dinner, and had been chewed on diligently by cats. While my misshapen head was busy with the work-gym-home routine, I had forgotten about a woman’s need to maintain her hair, and the wonders that it does for the soul. It’s true. It really brings you back to life.
To read Farah's hilarious impressions of the other customers in the salon, see here.
More from Bahrain next week…

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Brazil: 70th anniversary of the military coup · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Lúcia Hipólito [pt] amasses dozens of comments in a post to remember the anniversary the Brazilian coup d'etat: “In November 10, 1937, exactly 70 years ago, the President Getúlio Vargas, came to power via a coup d'etat, supported by the Army, and established in Brazil one of the saddest chapters of its history:  the fascist Estado Novo dictatorship, which lasted from from 1937 to 1945″.

author: Paula Góes


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China: The Controversial Low Poverty Rate  · Global Voices
Meng Zhang

To display the remarkable progress and improvement that the authorities has made in poverty reduction, Liu Fuhe, the spokesman of China State Council Leading Group of Poverty Alleviation and Development, declared that China had already realized the goal that the proportion of people living under the poverty line was reduced by half ahead of time. According to China Development Report 2007 compiled by China Development Research Foundation, from 1981 to 2004 the poverty rate of China has been sharply declined from 64% to 10%. Besides, “by end-2006 the poverty rate in rural areas has been decreased from 30.7% in 1978 to 2.3%,” reported by Xinhua News Agency, the biggest state-run media in China.
On the other hand, the Human Rights Record of the U.S. in 2006 which is published by China State Council Information Office on March 8 criticized that in U.S. there were “37 million people living in poverty in 2005, accounting for 12.6% of total U.S. population” and “one out of eight Americans was living in poverty”.
It seemed that Chinese government was trying to show its tremendous achievement in poverty alleviation especially compared to U.S. which is considered as the richest country in the world. However, did the incredible and dazzling accomplishments totally satisfy or hearten the Chinese people themselves?
An article written by Liu Yu (刘瑜）, a post Doctor in Fairbank Center for East Asian Research, was popularly copied and spread in the Chinese blogsphere for in it Dr. Liu gave another side of the U.S. Poverty compared to the Chinese government's propaganda and exposed some misunderstanding with China's low poverty rate:
…
各国的贫困标准线不一，按照美国的标准，美国有12％的贫困人口，按照中国的标准，中国才8％左右的贫困人口。不过如果按照世界银行统一的日均购买力标准，05年中国有16.6%的人口日均购买力低于1美元， 46.7%低于2美元，相比之下，美国及其他发达国家的日均购买力低于2美元的人口比例少于2％。当然，中国人口多，起步晚，贫困现象难以避免，不应该以此否定中国改革开放的巨大成就和发展潜力。但是，理解是一码事，盲目得意则是另一码事。一个46%人口日均购买力不足2美元的国家，去嘲讽一个同类人口不到2％的国家的“贫困”问题，是不是有点“看到他人眼中的刺，却看不到自己眼中的梁木”呢？
…
Different countries set their different poverty lines. By the U.S. official poverty threshold, there is 12% of the Americans are living in poverty while by China's, only about 8% of Chinese are poor people. But if according to the World Bank's unified average daily purchasing power standard, there is 16.6% of Chinese living under 1 dollar a day and 46.7% under 2 dollars in 2005, compared to U.S. and other developed countries, in which less than 2% of their population are living beneath 2 dollars a day. Of course, with a large population and developing process that is late started, it's impossible for China to avoid the poverty phenomenon and it's improper for that reason to deny the great achievements of China's reform and opening and developing potential. However, to fully understand is much different from to be conceited blindly. A country   in which 46% of the population can't reach a 2-dollar daily life, sneers at the “poverty” problem of another country in which less than 2% of its people are living in the same situation; is it a little “look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own”?
A blogger named Chen Jiaqing copied Liu's article and told his own views in the blog:
看了这篇文章之后，深有感触，所以把它放在了自己的博客里。在这里，我也谈谈自己的一些看法：有人说中国的制度比美国好，中国的制度代表了最广大的人民的利益。事实真的是这样吗？别的不说，先看看中国的福利制度就好，广大的老百姓的养老保险得不法律的强有力的保障，社保基金被挪用是常有的事，“陈良宇一案”至今想来仍触目惊心。中国有养儿防老的现象，其中也多多少少体现中国的养老不是靠政府的福利，而是主要通过家族式养老，可以看出中国的福利是一个怎样的状况。…
I'm deeply vibrated by seeing this article, so I put it in my blog. Here I also want to talk about some of my personal opinions: Someone says China's system is better than U.S. and China's system represents the most people's interests. Is that true? Putting other things aside, firstly look at China's social welfare system that the pension insurances of the public are not strongly guaranteed by the law and misappropriating the social security funds is frequently happening. Even today we are still stricken by “the case of Chen Liangyu (陈良宇)”. We may clearly see the conditions of the social welfare through a Chinese phenomenon that the parents would raise the  sons to secure their sunset life. That tells us a stable retired life is more or less not relied on the government welfare but the family cares. …
More netizens gave their comments on Liu Yu's article and the poverty conditions of China in bokee:
作者：游客
我们国家的有些人想的是保持和发展自己的特权，他们为人民想过吗?没有！可以说是根本没想过！一点诚信都没有，这就是先进与落后的差别。
Author: guest
In our country, there are some people that only want to keep and expand their own privileges. Have they ever thought about the public? No! They never did that! Sincerity and credibility are not available at all and that's the difference between the advanced and the backward.
作者：东北风
我们的国家真正需要的是：我们的政府不要掩耳盗铃，自欺欺人。
Author: Northeast Wind
What our country really needs is: Our government does not bury its head in the sand and deceive themselves.
作者：游客
我觉得楼主发表这篇文章是别有用心的.你所说的事情根本就是断章取义!!中国之所以发表美国人权报告,是因为美国每年都会发表一个世界人权报告,在这份报告里,美国列举了世界其他国家的种种罪行,当中特别针对中国.我承认中国的人权确实有很多问题,但是我觉得还轮不到你美国来管我们的事!最主要的是,美国在报告里从来都不会说美国人权的问题. 众所周知的,美国一直从各个方面阻止中国的发展.为了回报美国,中国每年都会帮美国补上他们忘记在报告里说的”美国人权”.
看到楼上很多人支持楼主,我真的觉得中国人很多都很无知,往往听了别人的随便报道,就轻易相信,根本就不知道事情的全部!
Author: guest
I think the author wrote this article with ulterior motives. What you said is totally garble of the context!! Every year America would publish a World Human rights Record in which they list a variety of sins of other countries and especially against China. That's why China published the Human Rights Record of the U.S. I do admit that there are lots of problems of China human rights, but I think it's none of America's business! The point is the U.S. never mentioned its own problems of human rights.  As everyone knows, the U.S. is trying to prevent China's developing. To requite the U.S., China would help America to cover the “U.S. Human Rights” which they forget to write in the report every year.
Having seen many people support the author (Liu Yu), I really feel that a lot of Chinese are uninformed. They always easily believe others’ reports and do not know the whole things at all.
作者：游客
按美国的标准，90%是贫困人口了。
拒绝接受别人的批评，是我们的优良传统。所以，我们光荣、伟大、正确啊。这是世界上最为成功的社会制度了。估计美国是嫉妒我们。
Author: guest
According to America's standard, 90% (of Chinese) would be poor people.
To refuse other's criticism is our good tradition. So we are glorious, great and right. This is the most successful social system in the world. I suppose America is just jealous of us.
作者：游客
他们说：中国的人权就是“生存权”，美国的人权不如中国，但却拼命地把子女与利用公权力敛来的财富送到美国，因为谁都知道会有彻底清算的那一天。
Author: guest
They (the government officials) said: The human rights of China is “the rights to exist” and China's human rights are better than America's, but they desperately send their sons and daughters to U.S. by the treasure which is gathered by their official power, because everyone knows there will be a day to completely liquidate what they've done.
作者: 游客
刘先生说的是真的吗？真叫人无法相信。我国政府发表文件从来都是有理有据的，不会搞出这种被人耻笑的东西来的吧。我们还是坚信我们的政府不会有错。
Author:guest
Is what Mr. Liu said true? It's unable for people to believe. The documents that our government published are based on the fact and truth all the time. I don't think our government would make such a  ridiculous thing. We must strongly believe that our government will never make mistake.
作者：游客
我是自己开公司的,平时和政府官员接触比较多点,我印象中几次和他们闲聊现在社会现状时,有听到他们说就是中国政府自己对现在的社会也很担心,就象楼主说的贫富问题,象美国是富裕10%,中产阶级80%,贫困10%,就象橄榄型的,而中国是三角型的,20%的富人掌握全国80%的财富,而80%的其他人才掌握20%的财富.
…
不过有一点就是我们沿海地区发展是很好的,不比外国差,如果是沿海的朋友看到,觉的楼主说的断章取义的话,请多多关注内地一些贫困地区,他们还在为温饱问题和生存在努力着, 政府不因该把这些隐瞒起来.
I'm running a company by myself so I have more chances to meet the government officials. In my impressions, sometimes when I talk about the social conditions with them, they said even the Chinese government itself is worrying about the present social conditions like the rich and poverty problems which the Author (Liu Yu) mentioned. The U.S. society structure is like a olive that the country is formed by 10% rich people, 80% middle class and 10% poor people while China's society is like a triangle that 20% people hold the 80% treasure of the whole country and the left 80% people just have 20% of the nation's treasure.
…
But it's a point that we costal areas are developing as well as the foreign countries. If the friends from the costal areas think what the author (Liu Yu) wrote is garbled, please pay more attention to the poor areas in the inland where people are still struggling for basic living necessities. The government should not hide those facts.
Xiao Zhuoji, the professor of Peking University, advised that the Chinese government should raise the present poverty line which was 688 RMB (about 92.88 US dollars) a year for a person to 1000 RMB (about 135 US dollars). In that case, the government would input 30 billion RMB (about 4.05 billion dollars) more each year to poverty alleviation, but Xiao thought the government was not able to shoulder that now.

author: Meng Zhang


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China:The return of PetroChina · Global Voices
Bob Chen

PetroChina, the oil company with the title “the most profitable enterprise in Asia”, finally returned to the stock market of mainland China (A-market) 7 years after its overseas exchange in New York and Hong Kong since 2000. People called it “the return of the king”, a landmark of the flourishing financial market of China.
On 5th, November, PetroChina debuted on the A-market. Before that, it had all but drained the  market capital because nearly 3.3 trillion RMB swarmed to bid for the share. PetroChina soon hit the price of RMB48.60/share with its total market capitalization reaching over $1 trillion, nearly the 1/4 of the whole market. This IPO brought PetroChina the greatest market value in the world, surpassing the total amount of Mobil and General Electric that followed it. Moreover, it’s also a one-hundred-percent success of the state-owned company itself, which raised a record-breaking US$8.9 billion from the listing.
Experts suggested this giant would definitely further affected China stock market, which since 2006 has entered the age of bull market. The flourishing market has attracted millions more of Chinese people into the fanatic wealth-pursuit game. The number of stock investors might be over 80 million. Now, every stock holder in China can feel the uncertainty of the market’s next step since the index has reached its very high point after a year’s surging. Therefore, the IPO of the giant at the time invited numerous discussions.
Blogger Shuipi(水皮）felt pessimistic with PetroChina’s future performance and warned:
就目前市场这种言必称中石油的狂热，就3.3万亿资金打中石油新股的疯 狂，就人人都恨不得割肉去炒中石油的神经，中石油的股票等你能买上的时候，一定是套你的时候，或许中石油的开盘价就是最高价。
The market is now crazy about the PetroChina. Everyone talks about PetroChina;3.3 trillion RMB competed for PetroChina; people can't help but sell themselves to buy the share —— the day you manage to buy its share is the day you get bogged. Maybe the initial price is the highest price it can have.
Mengsheng(萌生）‘s comment has a touch of worry
蓝筹泡沫的破裂也是早晚的事，A股市场的平均市盈率70倍是难以支持接近6000点位置，只有下跌了风险降低了投资价值才能日益显现，再进一步的说下跌也是讲个方式的，不象某些评论家或者经济界的权威人士那样，动不动A股市场要崩溃了如何，这都是些极端的说法，再者说了管理层也不愿意看到这种情况，这就是一个度的问题了，回落到4000点完全是一个正常的股市阶段性调整，完了之后再继续牛市之路有何不可，罗马不是一天建成的
The bubble of blue chip is sure to break, later or sooner. The P/E ratio that is over 70 can hardly support the index nearly 6000. Not until the index fall can the real value of the stocks be seen and the risk be lowered. However, the index won’t fall in a way of crash so extremely as some predicted. The men in authority are not willing to see so, either. To go back to 4000 is absolutely acceptable as a periodic adjustment. And why not resuming the bull market again after that? Rome was not built in a day.
Xue Hanbo(薛汉波) thought  those so-called experts are scratching their heads about the future as well:
有些股评专家认为中国的股票不算贵，认为 中国股市不存在泡沫(或者说泡沫不严重)，他们认为不能用正常的经济规律和财务分析来评判中国的股市，因为中国的股市具有中国特色，所以外国的专家是预测 不准的，好像世界上的经济学家对中国股市的分析和判断都是错误的，都是对中国有敌意的。他们可是市场经济的推动者，为什么到了关键时刻却又否认了市场经济 的正常规律。
Some experts suggested the shares in China are not expensive and there is no bubble (or not serious). They think people can’t employ the normal economics and financial methods to analyze Chinese economy because it has “Chinese characteristic”. It seems that all other foreign economists make the wrong judgments and have enmity. Though they impel the market economy, they deny the rule of it.
Besides the uncertainty shrouding the market, another focus is on that whether PetroChina is worth its great value on the paper and how it can maintain the prosperity. Is it gaining the wealth fairly?
Here is an excerption from Wikipedia:
“Although PetroChina is the most profitable company in Asia, this success is not the result of corporate management, but due to its duopoly on the wholesale and retail business of oil products with Sinopec in China.”
There is the same kind of voice from Chinese. Huashan Kanhai(华山看海）said:
中国石油的业绩靠的是中国大众的消费,油价的提升带动股价的提升,以得到自己市值炫耀,可悲!热钱进入,赚走谁的钱,中国股民? 巴菲特跑了,散户还这么不冷静.可见中石油不仅是虎,而且是个带有狐狸心机的漂亮的母虎.
PetroChina gained its profit by the benefit from Chinese citizens’ mass consumption and the rising oil price, so that it can flaunt the market value. Sigh! The hot money flowing into China has earned so much. From who? Chinese stock-holders ! Buffett has run away. Why don’t those retail investors calm down? PetroChina is not only a tiger but also a foxy and charming female tiger.
A netizen thought there is a conspiracy behind:
回想当年，我们看到有那么多股民被上市公司玩弄于掌股之上，痛苦挣扎在没有诚信，市盈率高企的国内股市。哪一只股票不是高溢价发行！在这痛苦的时候，我国的决策者们却将大批优质国企，甚至具有战略地位的垄断国企的股票（如中石油），以净资产价（1.28港元）卖给外国人。就我所知，当时凡是知道的中国股民无不痛心疾首，徒唤奈何！现在这种卖国，将使我国经济成长的成果长期持续大量瓜分外流，人民不能合理获得劳动财富，享受改革成果。这也是社会越来越不和谐的重要原因之一。这些决策者和主流经济学家们是国家的罪人.
For so many years many Chinese investors are toyed with by listed companies. No credibility, high P/E ratio and high premium. Though we have been being afflicted by these, the country nevertheless sold high-quality state-owned companies OVERSEAS, including PetroChina, the monopoly with strategic position. It is sold at the price of net assets (HKD 1.28) to the foreigners. As far as I know, every domestic investor is heart-struck then. The quislism like this makes our fruit of development outflow. That’s one of the reasons we can reach harmony——people can’t really enjoy the fruit of their effort. …… those who made decisions and those “main-stream” economists are criminals of our country!
Fu Yong(傅勇) kept a sense of crisis:
目前，埃克森美孚营业收入是中石油的四倍，而利润率只有中石油的1/2；显然，我们很难将中石油的这种盈利优势归结为其竞争力的体现。垄断通常与低效率相伴随，中石油在服务质量、社会形象、定价机制上尚有很多不尽如人意的地方。中石油“市值第一”的名号应该激起高度警觉和担忧，而不是弹冠相庆！
Presently, the Mobil earned 4 times more than PetroChina……we can’t attribute PetroChina’s advantage to its competence. ……monopoly comes with low efficiency. It has still more to improve on service, social reputation and price-deciding mechanism. The title “greatest market value” should bring us alert and anxiety, not a celebration!
The discussions around the “lord of the market” will go on. Up till now, PetroChina has finished its first week in A-market. After the high point of its debut, price of PetroChina immediately fell until Wednesday at 40 RMB. Then, it had a transient ascending, but soon fell again. Finally, it stayed at RMB38.18 on Friday, about 80 % of its initial price.
Where is and how is the future of Chinese financial market? Millions of investors are attentively staring at the computer screens and waiting anxiously for the next Monday. Can PetroChina give the answer?

author: Bob Chen


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Georgia: Accusations · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Resistance Georgia points the finger at the Deputy Chair of Parliamentary Defence Committee for masterminding last week's suppression and violent dispersal of an opposition protest in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Incidentally, the anti-Saakashvili blog by human rights lawyer Anna Dolidze has also been quoted by the New York Times.


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Georgia: Ambassador Resigns · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Resistance Georgia and TOL Georgia report that Levan Mikeladze has resigned as Georgian Ambassador to Switzerland in protest at last week's police crackdown in Tbilisi. TOL Georgia applauds the diplomat for his courage while Resistance Georgia reproduces his letter explaining why.


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Georgia: Democracy in Crisis · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

TOL Georgia reports that democracy is in crisis in Georgia and says that it is obvious that Saakashvili will do anything in order to avoid the fate of his predecessor who he was responsible for removing from power in 2003.


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Georgia: Non-violent Resistance · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Via TOL Georgia and Unzipped, the former President of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association, Anna Dolidze, has set up a blog dedicated to “non-violent resistance to Saakashvili's dictatorial regime in Georgia.”


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Georgia: Protestor Dies · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Quoting news sources, TOL Georgia says that one protestor has died as a result of last week's clash between opposition supporters and Georgian police in Tbilisi.


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Japan: Pulling the Strings · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Politics in Japan is not without its drama, as events of the last week [ja] amply demonstrate.
The ruckus started on Friday, when Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) met with Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ozawa Ichiro to discuss ways to resolve differences over Diet proceedings, deadlocked since the recent Upper House elections. The temptation to find common cause in a difficult political situation led party leaders to propose the formation of an LDP/DJP “grand coalition“, an idea which Ozawa's party — and, as it turns out, a majority of the general public — would have none of. The plan was thus scrapped, prompting Ozawa, in the spirit of his nickname and to the great consternation of the party faithful, to offer his resignation, taking the opportunity in the process to trash his own party. Turmoil followed, some contemplating the end of an era, but eventually Ozawa was back in the seat again, eating his words, and talk of a grand coalition returned to the backrooms [ja].
Not quite as widely covered (at least in English) as the aftermath of the coalition negotiations was the story of the mediator in the deal-to-be, Yomiuri Shimbun editor-in-chief Watanabe Tsuneo (a.k.a Nabetsune), head of the newspaper with the largest circulation in the world and recipient of this year's Media Person of the Year Award. While he celebrated his award, some bloggers wondered about what Japan's largest media baron was doing facilitating a backroom deal [ja] between the country's two largest political parties. Was it just a coincidence that coverage differed so much between major newspapers?
Blogger pgn62934 reflects on the need for neutrality in news coverage:
今回の小沢騒動で一番驚いたのが、大連立を仕掛けた張本人があのナベツネだったことである。ほろ酔い機嫌で記者団に囲まれて、フロ野球に苦言を呈していたナベツネさんが政界にも影響力を持っていたことである。政界の人材不足露呈した形だが、連携した政界人が大勲位の中曽根元首相や自称キングメーカーの森元首相だったことも、政界の老害を示した。
ナヘツネが現役の主筆を勤める読売新聞は世界一の発行部数を誇っているが、押し込み販売などの世間の評価は高くない。ナベツネは今でも社説の骨子を書いていると言われ、社内では独裁体制を取っている。８０才代のロートルに社内を牛耳られているのは、余程読売には人材がいないようだ。今テレビで活躍しているコメンテーターに１人も読売出身者がいないのは偶然だろうか
メディアの中立性が要求される今、メディア内部から批判の声が挙がらないのは異様である。
Blogger JJ8KGZ, meanwhile, complains about the one-sided coverage of Yomiuri Shimbun:
一番嫌いな新聞は読売新聞。　今回の事で国民に、読者に謝罪しなければならない事があるんじゃないのかな〜。　ナベツネさんはもうそろそろ引っ込んで欲しいな。元共産党員の辣腕ジャーナリストが何であんな強欲爺さんになっちゃったんだろ？　ニッポン放送も今回の件で御用メディア振りを大いに発揮してくれた。読売テレビの解説員の辛坊治郎の顔はもう見たくもない。フジテレビもあれだけ民主党を非難しておいて、小沢氏が抗議したら翌日の「トクダネ」で、解説者が見苦しい言い訳をしていた。30分番組の内の15分がコマーシャルっていうのもフジテレビの特徴。今度ストップウォッチを手にして図ってみてください。
Blogger Blue Journal, finally, discusses more generally the place of media in society:
取材する側と取材される側には一定の距離が必要である。それは互いの守備範囲の違いもあるが、そもそも意識が違う。どっちがどうというのではない。取材する側が本当に相手にしているのは、目の前にいる誰かではなくて、自分の後ろにいる誰かだからだ。顔がどっちを向いているのかはともかく、心は後ろを向いているべきだ。自分の後ろにいる大勢の大衆こそ、ジャーナリズムが向き合わなければならないターゲットである。
ボクがどうして取材特権のようなものを持ち、新車に早く触れることができ、メーカーのクルマを乗っていられるのか？　それはボクの後ろにいる人たちを代表しているからに他ならない。そもそも何の国家資格があるわけでもなく、免許を持っているわけでもない。
[…]
ナベツネという人、読売新聞の渡辺恒雄という人が、政治家だったというのはだれもが知っていることだろうと思う。ただ彼は議員バッチを付けるわけでもなく、議員のカバン持ちをするわけでもない。新聞社という会社の中に言論人＝ジャーナリストとしての立場で、しかし政治家的意識を持って取り組んできたのだ。だから現在のような政治状況を憂い、大連立と呼ばれるようなウルトラＣを作り上げようというプランを押し進めようというのは、よくわかる。
わかるのではあるが、しかしそれは本来のジャーナリズムの方向性ではない。ジャーナリズムとは大衆の代わりに、代表して取材していく。その情報を当然流すわけだが、最終的な判断は大衆がするべきものだ。あくまで大衆の１代表でありつづけるべきであって、意識してアジテートしたりするべきではない。ましてや、その取材対象自体をコントロールしたりするのは、完全に違う。

author: Chris Salzberg


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Kenya: YouTube video on call centers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kenyan Pundit links to a video on YouTube about call centers in Kenya: “Bitange Ndemo and Nesbitt of Kencall are featured. Click here to watch”


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Korea: Conflicts over Subway Seats · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

Young people respect old people. Old people take care of young people. That is one of the major traditional philosophies in East Asia. Regarding this perspective, excessive behavior is now bringing up questions about what the extent of the mannger between the elderly and young should be. Especially if you have a chance to use the subway in Korea, conflicts between young and old people toward seats that are not rare could be one representative example.
오늘 있었던 일입니다. 우선 상황은 제가 오늘 다리를 다쳐서 걸을 때마다 아프고 가만히 있을 때도 아려와서 한자리가 비어있었던 노약자석에 앉았습니다.
물론 다른 일반석은 자리가 없었던 상태이고 그냥 서서 한정거장정도 갔는데 아파서 할 수 없이 앉고 노약자분이 오시면 비키자는 생각에 앉았습니다.
옆의 두자리에는 여성 두 분이 앉아 계셨고 저는 노래를 들으면서 앉았는데 그 때 맞은 편에 서 있던 한 아저씨께서 “거기 왜 앉아? 으이구 영악하게 생겨가지고” 라며 말하는 것을 들었습니다. 처음에는 저한테 한 소리인지 노래를 듣고 있었던지라 잘 몰라서 이어폰을 빼고 보니 저에게 노약자석에 앉았다며 거긴 너 자리가 아닌데 왜 앉으냐면서 뭐라고 하셨던 겁니다. 그래서 저는 지금 여기는 비어있는 상태이고, 나도 다리를 다쳐서 아파서 앉은 것이며 노약자분이 오시면 당연히 비켜드릴 거라고 말했습니다. 그런데도 아저씨께서는 너가 거기를 왜 앉으냐며 거기는 너자리가 아니라고, 지금 여기 힘들고 아픈 사람이 한 둘이냐, 나도 아파서 병원갔다왔다며 저에게 계속 따지셨습니다…. ! 그리고 아저씨가 이런 말도 했었죠. 너가 임산부냐, 임신하고 와서 앉아라.
저도 예전에는 아무리 힘들어도 노약자석에는 절대 앉지 않았습니다(노약자는 젊은 사람이 아니라 생각했고, 예전에 박카스CF의 영향으로) 하지만 지금은 힘들면 앉고 노약자분들이 오시면 당연히 비키는 것이 융통성 있는 행동이라고 생각합니다. 왜냐하면 노약자석은 나이와 상관없이 자신보다 약자인 노인분들과 임산부, 몸이 불편한 장애인들을 위한 자리이지 젊은 사람들은 절대 앉아서는 안될 자리가 아니기 때문입니다.
제가 이렇게 생각하는 것이 잘못된건가요?
I never sat on the seat for the elderly before, but now I think if you feel tired, you can sit. When the elderly come, you can give the seat to her (or him). The seats for the elderly and weak mean those for the elderly, pregnant women, and handicapped. They don’t mean the seats that young people shouldn’t sit in.
Am I wrong?
Anyone who has taken the subway in Seoul understands these conflicts. It’s no surprise, then, that a lively debate has formed around the issue of the special seats. One netizen questions the meaning of the noyakja-seok (seats for the elderly and weak).
‘노약자석’ 의 문제로 이런 저런 글들이 많이 올라오고 있기에 찬찬히 읽어보았습니다.그런데 과연 ‘노약자석'이 필요한 걸까요? 저는 글들을 읽고 이런 생각이 들었습니다.제가 생각하고 있는 ‘노약자석'의 이용자의 폭은 아주 넓습니다.
老 노인 노
弱 약할 약
者席 사람 자, 자리 석
말그대로 나이드신 분과 약한 사람들을 위한 자리입니다. 흔히 생각하는 할아버지 할머니들의 자리만이 아니라, 아직은 모든 것이 신기할 때인 어린아이들도 그 대상에 당연히 들어갑니다. 그 아이들도 아직 부모의 힘 없이는 살 수 없는 이 사회의 ‘약자'들이니까요. 그리고 또한 환자들 또한 그 대상에 들어갑니다. 예외적으로는 여성들의 경우도 임산부가 거기에 들어가겠지요. 하지만, 많은 사람들이 이러한 생각은 가지고 있습니다. 노약자석은 어른들만을 위한 자석이라 젊은 것들이 앉아서는 안된다. 그건 용납할 수 없는 일이다! 이렇게 생각하는 모양입니다.
그러나 제가 생각하는 문제는 여기가 끝이 아닙니다. 일반석까지 위협당하고 있습니다.나이가 지위라도 되는 듯, 버스자리는 무조건 양보받아야된다 생각하시는 분들이 계시는 것을 보면 말입니다.
자랑은 아니지만 저도 많은 자리들은 양보해보았습니다. 학생이니까 대중교통을 많이 이용해 본 사람은 다 그렇겠지요, 노약자석은 앉지는 않지만 버스나 지하철을 이용할 때가 많으니 적어도 수십번 정도는 일반석을 양보했을 거라고 생각합니다. 거의다 노인분들이었지만, 아기를 업은 아주머니한테 양보한 적도 있었고, 자리에 앉은 동생을 빤히 보고 있는 꼬마애한테 양보하기도 하고 다리다친 어떤 오빠한테도 양보하기도 하고 짐이 많은 어른에게 양보한 적도 있고, 내릴 차례가 멀지 않았으면 그냥 일어나서 젊은 아주머니에게도 양보한 적도 적지 않습니다. 하지만 양보하고도 불쾌한 일이 한 두번이 아니었습니다. 그래도 아주머니나 젊은 분들은 양보를 하면 “아이구 미안해서 어쩌지..” 하면서 미안하다는 듯이 앉지만, 나이 드는 할머니, 할아버지들 중 3분에 1이상은 그 것이 당연하다는 듯한 태도였습니다. “자리 앉으세요” 이 말이 떨어지기가 무섭게 자리에 앉아서 “학생 고마워” 이 말 한마디 없이 할머니들끼리 수다에 열중합니다. 더군다나 제가 앉은 자리는 노약자석도 아닌 일반석 기분은 좀 상하지만 그래도 연장자니까 참은 적이 한 두번이 아닙니다. 양보는 의무가 아니라 ‘성의'인데 말입니다…
물론 대중교통을 타다보면 젊은 사람이 양보를 안하는 경우도 있고, 양보하라고 윽박지르는 사람도 있습니다. 하지만, 조금은 반대로 생각해 보는 것이 어떤가요? 양보를 많이 하는 사람도 많이 있고, 그 사람들도 아플 수도 있습니다. 버스좌석은 어른들만의 개인석이 아닙니다. 편의를 위해 만들어진 그저 그런 의자일 뿐입니다. 그 곳엔 누구나 앉을 수 있는 겁니다. 건방진 소년이 앉을 수 있고, 착한 여자애가 앉을 수도 있고, 다리 아픈 청년이 앉을 수도 있고, 산모가 앉을 수도 있고, 할머니가 앉을 수도 있는 거지요. 제가 앉아서 갈 수 있는 그런 거 보단 조금씩은 서로를 이해하고 자진해서 양보를 할 수 있고, 아픈 사람이 편하게 이용할 수 있는 곳이 되었으면 좋겠습니다.
It literally means the seats for the elderly and weak. It’s not just for grandfathers and grandmothers, but children can be included as well because they are ‘the weak’ who need parents’ helps. Patients and pregnant women will be included. But a lot of people think like this. The seats for the elderly and weak are for adults, not for young people. It’s not acceptable! They think like like this.
But it is not the end of the problem. General seats are even threatened. Like age is status, there are people who get seats without any conditions.
I offered my seats so many times. I don’t sit in the section for the elderly and the weak. When I sit down in the general seat, I concede to old people, women having babies, children, a man hurting a leg, adults having lots of carriages, and even to a young married woman. But after doing this kindness, there are many times to be not happy. Some people reply, “Oh… I apologize for it” and sit down. More then one third of old people treat it as normal. Once I say, “Please sit here,” they just sit without saying “thanks” and do their own jobs. Concession is not a duty, but sincerity….
Of course if you use public transportation, you will see young people who don’t offer the seats and people who shout at being offered the seat. But what do you think of the opposite way? There are many people who offer the seats and there are people who are sick. Seats are not just for adults. They are made for the convenience. Anyone can sit there. Arrogant boys, nice girls, young people having a painful leg, pregnant women, and old ladies can sit. I hope that sick people can conveniently use those seats, and people can understand each other and are willing to offer up their seats.
A netizen has a different opinion compared to others.
우선 님의 글에서 노약자 석에 앉아 있다가 노약자 분이 오시면 비켜드리는 융통성에 대해 말씀하셨는데 저는 그렇게 생각하지 않습니다
버스의 노약자석과 달리 지하철은 노약자 전용 좌석을 구분지어서 만들어놨습니다.원칙적으로 노약자들만 앉게 하자는 일종의 규약이죠. 그곳에 노약자가 아닌 사람이 앉아있다가 비켜줘도 무방하지 않느냐란 의견도 일견 타당해 보이지만, 제가 동의하지 않는 이유는 다음과 같습니다.
올해 30인 제가 어렸을 때만 해도 할머니 할아버지께 자리를 양보해 드리는 건 당연한 것으로 여겼었는데.. 해가 갈 수록 사람들이 바쁘고 피곤하게 살게 되면서 잘 지켜지지 않는 경우가 많아지더군요.
사람의 마음이 간사한 것이(물론 다 그렇다는 것은 아닙니다) 앉게 되면 그 편안함에 취해 막상 노인 분이 내 시야에 들어와도 선뜻 양보하기가 쉽지 않게 될 수 있습니다. 또한 양보하는 젊은이들을 별로 본 적 없는 노인은 오히려 노약자석에 젊은 사람이 앉아있는 것을 보고 으레히 양보하지 않겠구나 생각할 가능성도 있습니다. 제가 섣불리 판단하는 것이라 생각하시는 분이 있을 수 있겠지만,저는 노약자석에는 원칙적으로 앉지 않는 것이 옳바르다고 생각합니다.
Compared to the seats for the elderly and weak in the bus, the subway has a special section for them separately. Logically, it is the regulation that those people should sit in those seats.
Of course what you said makes sense, but there are reasons why I don’t agree.
I’m 30 now. When I was young, it was so natural to offer the seats to the elderly. But now people are busier and more tired, the attitude is getting weaker.
As you know, humans are cunning (I’m not saying everyone is like that). Enjoying feeling comfortable, when the elderly walks toward me, it’s not easy to give up the seat. Or, the elderly who haven’t seen a lot of young men who don’t offer the seats might think that the youngsters don’t intend to give up the seat.
Some people might think that I judge way too carelessly. But I think that not using the seat for the elderly and weak is right…
A netizen suggests a bigger hope that both sides can understand each other.
모두가 더불어 살아가는 삶이다 보니 이런일 저런일이 일어나는것 같다.조금씩 양보하고,또 이해하면서,그렇게 살아갓어면.나이가 들어간다는 것은 삶의 이용을 더더욱 많이하여 젊은이보다 아는 것이 더 많다는 증거인데,어른답지 못한 행동을 하는 간혹 몇몇의 노병들이 우리를 슬프게 하고,때론 혈기가 넘치는 젊은이들이 또한 우리를 슬프게 하는것 같다….나도 예전에 첫아이를 임신하고 버스를 탓는데,어떤 사람이 일어나라 하여 일어낫더니,나의 배를 보고 깜짝 놀라면 다시 앉어라 햇지만,결국은 자리를 양보햇다.젊다는 이유로 ,,,그런데 지금도 나는 대중차를 이용하면 자리를 잘 비껴 준다,노인들이 타면,빤히 보고 안일어나는 젊은이도 그렇지만,비껴줘도 목례도 없이 당연한듯 앉는 사람들도 좀 얌체같아 보인다.,이것 역시 자기들의 역활은 하지않고,자기들의 편의만 좇는 사람들의 이기심이 아닐까싶다. ….우리 다같이 역지사지의 마음으로 이해하면서 그렇게 살아가는 사회가 되엇어면 합니다.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Philippines: Bloggers react to shocking suicide by girl, 12 · Global Voices
Tonyo Cruz

Postcard Headlines has a roundup of bloggers’ thoughts on the shocking suicide by a poor 12-year old girl in southern Philippines and her lamentations about her family's poverty right before she took her own life.

author: Tonyo Cruz


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Philippines: CokskiBlue leads Filipinos in vlogging · Global Voices
Tonyo Cruz

CokskiBlue is a whiff of fresh air in the Philippine blogosphere, and features videos, vlogs and vodcasts.
Here's the very first vlog post:


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Qatar: Filipina Accuses Lebanese Boss of Rape · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Filipina Gabriela_nilapa narrates how she was repeatedly raped by her Lebanese boss in a Qatar office in this post on Qatar Living.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Slovenia: Another “Self-Absorbed Bike Lane-Parking Moron” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Piran Café buys a car but continues to post pictures of Ljubljana's “self-absorbed bike lane-parking morons.”


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Slovenia: “Children of Petriček Hill” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Jennifer Dorroh writes about the Children of Petriček Hill documentary: “During the months after Germany surrendered in WWII, the Yugoslav government separated more than 90 children from their mothers and fathers at camps in northeastern Slovenia. While the children were detained at one camp, many of their parents were executed as enemies of the state at another one nearby. Sixty-two years later, a dozen of these survivors speak out […].”


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Slovenia: More on Lipizzaner Horses · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Dr. Filomena writes about “a particular source of Slovenian pride and joy,” “the equine version of ballet dancers” – the Lipizzaner horses.


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Slovenia: October Snow · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belatedly, a post and photos of October snow in Slovenia at The Glory of Carniola.


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Slovenia: Presidential Election, Round 2 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sleeping With Pengovsky reports on the second round of the presidential elections this coming Sunday: here and here.


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Slovenia: Student Work · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sleeping With Pengovsky writes on Slovenia's “two parallel labour markets. The “regular” one and another one, reserved solely for students.”


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Slovenia, U.K.: Borut Peterlin’s Work · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Jennifer Dorroh writes about the work of Slovenian photojournalist Borut Peterlin, currently on exhibit in London.


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South Africa: News24.com first website to reach 1 million  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

News24.com has become the first South African website with one million users per month: “My marketing team at 24.com are going to think that I am naughty to scoop our own press release but I could not resist. It is such a proud moment. NEWS24.com last week became the FIRST EVER South African website to achieve 1 000 000 South African unique browsers in a calendar month.”


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Tanzania: Making a call while getting your shoes cleaned · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

While you are getting your shoes cleaned in Tanzania, you may as well make a phone call: “The telecommunication leader in Tanzania Vodacom, is leveraging the network of professional shoe shiners dispatched throughout the city.”


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The Mobile Web and Compulsory HIV Test for Malawi · Global Voices
Victor Kaonga

Malawi's Internet users have this year been experiencing new trends as now they can access and browse from their mobile phones and homes. This is an initiative by the fixed line service provider (Malawi Telecommunications Limited) and two mobile phone service operators, Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) and Celtel Malawi. The introduction of mobile data services in the form of mobile Internet and multimedia messaging, popularly known as MMS is bringing excitement to Malawians.
Mzuzu-based blogger known as mile has welcomed this initiative with a post titled ICT Development in Malawi.
I wrote once on my first personal website that I wanna be able to browse the  internet from my home village in Mzimba. Thanks to Celtel I am able to do that  now on my phone though I am still limited to checking a few pages and emails  only. Still I wanna browse everything and be able to download software on my  laptop when I am there so that my software development isn't limited to  location. High Cost of ICT Services. I  wonder why something that somewhere else is very cheap could cost so much her.
Compulsory HIV test???
Sub Saharan Africa is home to about 25 million persons living with HIV. While in many countries voluntary counselling was promoted to help check infection, new Malawian blogger Benett Kankuzi feels it is time testing for HIV became compulsory. Based in Botswana which has HIV prevalence rates, he says there are many reasons why compulsory HIV test should be pursued:
At the same time, a health journalist Kondwani Muthali updates his blog with the latest HIV and AIDS acronoyms. You might think I made a mistake above when  I wrote persons living with HIV. The word ‘A’ is dropped and Kondwani gives more instructions:
UNAIDS has revised the acronyms once again, so now people living with HIV are  called PLHIV, and young people living with HIV are implicitly called YPLHIV. Old  acronyms were PLWHA, PLWA, PLWH, PWH and YPLWH, YLWH, YLWH….With reference to those living with HIV, it is preferable to avoid certain  terms: AIDS patient should only be used in amedical context (most of the time, a  person with AIDS is not in the role of patient); the term AIDS victim or AIDS  sufferer implies that the individual in question is powerless, with no control  over his or her life. It is preferable to use ‘people living with HIV’  (PLHIV), since this reflects the fact that an infected person may continue to  live well and productively for many years.
Another health-related issue in this round-up has to do with the impact lack of running water has on education for pupils in Malawi. It is reported that many girls drop out as soon they reach adolescence as  they cannot bear the inconvenience and embarrassment of having to do without  water.  Pilirani Semu Banda quotes Government statistics in Malawi that 10.5 percent of girls drop  out of school each year as compared to 8.4 percent of boys. In addition to this,  around 22 percent of primary school age girls do not attend school at all, while  60 percent of those enrolled do not attend regularly.
Blogging under the title Lack of Running Water Puts Girls’ Education at  Risk, the lady journalist writes about the challenges that girls especially face when there isn't any running water at school.
The hard-working, resolute 13-year-old attends a primary school that has no  running water. All 350 pupils at Rita’s school have only two pit-latrines to  share, and there is no tap where they can wash their hands after using the  toilet.
Rita says she and other adolescent girls find these poor  sanitation conditions even more awkward when it is time for their monthly  periods: “It’s so difficult to concentrate in class when you know there is no  water to clean up with at break time. I usually prefer staying home every time  my menses come.”

author: Victor Kaonga


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Africa: A Western journalist experiencing Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Arjen Westra writes about his experiences in Togo and Nigeria: “My first visit to Nigeria years ago, I did not get the AK47 roadblocks every 200 meters that people prepared me for. I neglected the advice of friends (who had never been to Africa), asking me if a story is worth my life. I went and I met a crazy country, but not the roadblocks.”


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Azerbaijan: Halloween Bayram! · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

More Peace Corps Volunteers post an account of preparing for Halloween and introducing the event to schoolchildren in Azerbaijan. This time, albeit belatedly, is the turn of Carolyn & Jesse's Azerbaijan Peace Corps Blog.


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Brazil: 40 years of Tropicalia · Global Voices
Paula Góes

The most revolutionary movement in Brazilian music and culture has been celebrating its 40 years since October. Sancho's Panza has a brief background of Tropicalia e publishes some videos. He says: “The tropicália movement was to produce some of the most memorable careers in the pantheon of world music, and reshape the relationship between U.S. pop and local music genres the world over. It also launched two of the most successful and globe-spanning music careers in Brazilian history, those of Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil”.


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Brazil: Morality, homophobia, ethics or hipocrisy? · Global Voices
Paula Góes

After a popular tour throughout the country, everything was ready for the opening of the photo exhibition Heróis (Heroes) by Luiz Garrido, in Brasília, capital of Brazil. This time, the 24 black and white pictures of famous Brazilians were to be shown at the Chamber of Deputies, as part of Festival FOTO ARTE 2007 [pt], the biggest photographic event in the country.
Heróis showcases, among others, portraits of the President Lula, the congressman Fernando Gabeira, the sociologist Betinho, the internationally acclaimed architect Oscar Niemeyer and the transsexual actress Rogéria, an icon of LGBT rights in Brazil. That was where the problem started: some members of the parliament deemed her picture, a semi nude artistic photo where the actress is dressed only in a shirt-tie-socks-trainers outfit, to be offensive to children and inappropriate for a public exhibition.
After much discussion among curators and hosts, the photo was then hidden behind a screen for the opening night. A note placed by the curators next to it let visitors know the reasons: “By a decision of the Deputy Chamber, this section holds Rogéria's photography, whose public exhibition has not been allowed”. Of course, this only added insult to injury and resulted in the Chamber of Deputies deciding to cancel the exhibition overnight and taking all the photos down, without consulting the curators, the festival organizers or the photographer.
Pictures by Jorge Diehl
Bloggers quickly picked up the story and spread the polemic photo more publicly than ever. Most of them published it, regardless of being for or against the decision, with arguments evolving around the legality of the decision, censorship, homophobia, morality of politicians and society's hypocrisy.
The controversial photo labeled as “frontal nude”, Rogéria, actress, by Luiz Garrido
Mesquita finds the decision a little bit contraditory [pt]:
Parece até que não estamos no país do carnaval, das bundas e dos peitos. Fica a impressão, que a bancada evangélica na Câmara formou fileira junto aos parlamentares homófobos, na, aprentemente nada sutil, exteriorização de preconceito contra os homossexuais ou, pela arcaica e medieval vergonha ante a nudez – aliás, no caso, nem tão explícita assim.
It even seems that we are not in the ‘Country of Carnival’, of bottoms and bosoms. It leaves the impression that the Chamber's Evangelic clique queued up with the homophobic members of parliament in an apparently open demonstration of prejudice against homosexuals, or was it because of the archaic and medieval embarrassment in the face of a nude – which, in this case, wasn't even that explicit.
Hebert de Souza, Sociologist, by Luiz Garrido
afinsophia thinks that the Chamber's position was beyond homophobia [pt]:
Com a censura a Câmara deixou vazar seu ranço homofóbico: o olhar alucinado. O pecado para a fenomenologia é não conseguir abstrair objeto, o senso comum da percepção visual, o olhar embotado, cristalizado.
With this censorship, the Chamber let out its homophobic rancidity: the hallucinated view. According to phenomenology, sinning is not being able to abstract oneself from the object, the common sense of visual perception, the dull, crystallized glance.
Rachel Dionizio remembers a Playboy magazine featuring a senator's lover [pt] going around parliament:
Argumento: isso atingiria os bons constumes da família brasileira. ..”e a putaria que rola naquela casa com aqueles senhores eleitos por nós…não atinge não ??? e os comentários que rolaram naquela casa sobre a nudez de uma certa jornalista…até deputado na internet vendo as fotos rolou…e ai ?? “
Argument: this would be an affront to good moral conduct of Brazilian families. …”what about all the obscenity that goes on in that House, among those sirs who were elected by us… isn't it an affront too? what about the comments that went on in the same house about a certain journalist's nude… there were even congressmen looking at the pictures on the Internet… so what? “
Darcy Ribeiro, Antrophologist, by Luiz Garrido
Gilson, from defenestrado  leaves a message for the country's polititians [pt]:
Senhores deputados, afronta a moral e aos bons costumes da família brasileira é a péssima educação nas escolas, o atendimento desumanos nos hospitais públicos, o salário miserável do brasileiro, a falta de segurança em qualquer lugar do território nacional, a perpetuação da CPMF e todo o dinheiro que Vossas Excelências roubam de projetos e obras que deveriam beneficiar a população. Pensem nisso.
Dear parliamentarians, it is the low level of education in the schools, the inhuman treatment in the public hospitals, the Brazilian people's miserable salary, the lack of security in any part of the Brazilian territory, the continuation of CPMF [Provisional Contribution on Financial Activities] and all the money that your right honorablenesses steal from projects and works that should benefit the population that are, indeed, an insult to the Brazilian family's ethics and moralistic principles. Think about it.
Lula, current president of Brazil, by Luiz Garrido
Tales Faria also publishes the polemic picture, but he thinks that the congressman might have had a point [pt]:
Agora me diga: você acha que em algum Congresso do mundo iam deixar essa foto exposta?
Now, tell me: do you think that any Parliament in the world would let this photo be exposed?
Also backing the Congress, Luiz Eduardo believes [pt] that the censorship came in good time:
O fotógrafo Garrido insiste que a foto foi vetada por causa do homossexualismo de Rogéria. Não é o caso. O Congresso Nacional é diariamente visitado por crianças em excursões escolares. Não se pode mostrar tudo. Imagens eróticas não devem ser exibidas mesmo.
Garrido, the photographer, insists that the photo was vetted because of Rogéria's homosexuality. This was not the case. The National Congress is visited daily by children on school trips. Not everything can be shown. Erotic images should not be displayed at all.
Fernando Collor, former president of Brazil, by Luiz Garrido
Regarding this point, here is a question [pt] by Isabela, from Punctum, a blog about photography:
Uma questão: como se pode argumentar a favor da criança e do adolescente, afirmando que a dita foto fere seus Direitos, se é justamente nesta Casa em que um futuro decente para o país – e dessas mesmas crianças – é completamente fulminado????
Just a question: how can one argument in favor of children and teenagers, stating that the said photo offends their rights, if this is just this same House in which a decent future for this country – and consequently for its children – is completely destroyed????
João Prado finds another explanation for the censorship [pt]:
Aí vai uma teoria conspiratória (faz parte): será que não é essa a intenção dos deputados, de desviar a atenção de todos para assuntos menos importantes? ou será que não tem nada mais importante mesmo? Tipo crianças brasileiras em situação de tratamento desumano, violento, aterrorizante, vexatório, constrangedor…
Here (as always) comes a conspiracy theory: What if this was just the congressmen's intention, to divert everyone's attention onto less important issues? Or is it the case that there is nothing important at all going on? Things like Brazilian children suffering inhuman, violent, nasty, coercing treatment…
Fernanda Montenegro, actress, by Luiz Garrido
Márcio Pascoal provides a full stop for the discussion [pt]:
E Rogéria e os protetores da moral nacional precisam saber que se a turma de Brasília inventar de sair censurando o que pode nos envergonhar e às criancinhas, não sobrará pedra sobre pedra na capital. Toda a corja para trás do biombo, já.
And what Rogéria and the national moral protectors need to know is whether Brasília's troupe will start to go promoting censorship of everything that may offend us and the little ones, because then there will be no stone left unturned in the capital. All the political riffraff must go to behind the same screen now.
The pictures in this feature have been kindly provided by FOTO ARTE 2007


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Brazil: The Internet Governance Forum and the USA dominance · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Gizmodo on the Internet Governance Forum 2007 that takes place in Rio de Janeiro, from 12 through 15 November. The international meeting is meant to cover topics including spam, free speech and cheaper access to the Internet. “However, it seems that American dominance in the governing of the Internet is more likely to be the unofficial topic for debate”. Check out the heated debate in the comments section.


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Brazil: The oil discovery and the biased media · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Mr. Trend from Alterdestiny analyzes the biased media responses to the announcement that Brazil had discovered a major deep-sea oil field off its coast. “Randy does a great job condemning the idiotic “journalistic” treatment that the Wall Street Journal gave.  However, idiotic responses did not exist just in the U.S”.


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D.R. of Congo: This is the sound of suprise · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Extra Extra's observations after returning to Congo: “I’m still reeling from returning to Congo to find Kinshasa flooded (for want of a bookshelf our library was lost), our neighbourhood hit by up to four power-cuts a day (candle sales are booming; my laptop battery is foutou), and a series of mind-boggling news reports…”


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East Timor: Weather Forcasting in Dili · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

” When it comes to predicting rain, Dili is a bit of a forecasters nightmare” says Diligence.


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Georgia: Discontent · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Social Science in the Caucasus, the blog of the Caucasus Resource Research Center, takes the opportunity after last week's unrest in Tbilisi to analyze data collected since 2004 on the level of discontent in Georgian society.


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Georgia: Media Concerns · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Resistance Georgia says that unless Imedia TV returns to the air, the 5 January presidential election can hardly be considered “in any way democratic.”


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Iran: A photo from Autumn in country · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kosoof, a leading photo blogger, has published a photo from Iranian nature in Autumn.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Government suspended sentence for woman activist · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Pargas says[Fa] that government suspended sentence for Delaram Ali,woman activist. She had been sentenced to 2 years and 10 months prison term and 10 lashes, for her participation in a peaceful protest.


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Iran:Photos from a destroyed Sufi Center · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

A Sufi Center was destroyed by governmental forces in Iran. Majzob has published several photos from destroyed religious center and says that in Iran,there is a real “Religious Apartheid”.


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Iran:Several Sufi Muslims Arrested  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to [Fa]Gonabadi blog,security forces attacked Sufi Muslims (dervishes) in Borujerd in Lorestan province and arrested more than 200 of them. The blogger says about 50 of these Sufi Muslims were beaten up and got injured.International media reports this event too.


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Iran:”Voting for Ahmadinejad” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Nasleh Bidar invites[Fa] people to vote for Ahmadinejad on Time magazine site and choose him as “Time's Person of the Year 2007″.


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Japan: Am I a Blogger? · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Kikko, one of the most popular bloggers in Japan, questions whether what she writes is really a “blog” [ja]. When she was selected as one of Japan's “Alpha Bloggers” [ja] in 2005, she was asked what she thought of Web 2.0, to which she replied: “Web 2.0? What's that?”  Is someone a blogger, she asks, if they don't use trackbacks or comments, or do all the other things that “bloggers” do?


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Malaysia: Street Protest for Fair Elections · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Jeff Ooi has images and videos from the protest organised by the opposition parties and NGOs. The protests called for free and fair elections.

author: Preetam Rai


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Thailand: Southern Voilence · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The Thai Army makes bold claims of the death throes of terrorism in Southern Thailand.


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Turkey: Anti-Armenian Music Video · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped reports that musicians in Turkey are currently on trial for uploading a music clip to YouTube glorifying the murder in Istanbul earlier this year of ethnic Armenian newspaper editor and journalist, Hrant Dink. Prosecutors are demanding up to 7.5 years imprisonment for the accused.


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Access Denied Map: Mapping Web 2.0 Censorship · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

[Video] Access Denied Map
The recent explosion in new information and communications technology and the proliferation of easy-to-use, often free, software and low-cost methods of self-publishing ranging blogging to multimedia-sharing web applications, have turned Internet users into prosumers, propelling them to a position of potential competition with the mainstream media. Even more importantly, it has transformed them into citizen watchdogs tackling sensitive human rights issues and often serving as an unofficial media outlet for dissenting voices.
The blurring of the lines between citizen and professional journalism has also resulted in the former's increasing ability to sustain the work of human rights defenders and NGO’s through first-hand reporting of breaking news exposing human rights violations, torture and harassment. The recent success of this army of citizen journalists and citizen watchdogs in Pakistan, Burma, Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco, have confirmed once again the enormous potential of user-generated content as an advocacy tool and as an alternative and independent source of news. The common characteristic of all these cases is that they have made efficient use of web 2.0 technologies in exposing abuses and injustice.
But despite the potential of web 2.0, in regions ridden with censorship and where the state holds the monopoly on information dissemination, open access to the Internet is often a tough goal to achieve considering the “authoritarian reflex” that is activated each time the repressive regimes feel threatened. Governments who already excel at muzzling the traditional media have been turning their efforts lately to the Internet, doing all they can to tighten their grip on this last refuge of communication. The rise of user-generated content is perceived as a threat by a growing number of countries who are seeking to block and control its dissemination by legal and technical means. Rarely does a week pass by without news about yet another major website being blocked by repressive states. Multimedia-sharing websites, social networking communities, mapping tools and popular web 2.0 websites are becoming a primary target of state censorship in more and more countries.
Over the last half-year, governments in China, Tunisia, Syria, Turkey, Burma, Thailand and Morocco have all cut off access to video-sharing websites. In the space of two months, between September 3rd and November 2nd, 2007, Tunisia has blocked access to two popular video-sharing websites, Dailymotion and Youtube, preventing Tunisian Internet users from both viewing and posting videos. Both websites remain blocked in Tunisia. Access to the Flickr photo-sharing site was recently restored in China, but it remains blocked in Iran and in the United Arab Emirates. Metacafe and Photobucket are also banned in few Middle Eastern countries such as Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Blogging services are being targeted as well. Over the last three months, Turkey, Thailand and China have banned wordpress.com, while Blogspot is over-blocked in Syria and Pakistan and only recently restored in China. The Livejournal blogging service is blocked in Morocco and in Iran and it has been reported to be also blocked in China. Other popular services like Technorati, Blogrolling, Xanga, Movable Type, Typepad, Feedburner and Blogsome have been blocked on and off for the past couple of years in countries such as China and Iran.
Social networking websites like Orkut, Hi5, MySpace, Friendster, ZillR, Multiply, Facebook, Meetup, Digg and My Opera  are banned or threatened in a number of countries. Even Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, have been blocked from time to time in China, in Tunisia and in Iran where the popular online retailer Amazon.com is reported to be blocked. Google Earth was blocked in Bahrain for a couple of days and remains inaccessible in Morocco.
[Video] Graphs Web 2.0 Censorship
Fortunately, against this substantial and highly restrictive filtering system targeting web 2.0 tools being deployed by various countries worldwide, is resistance from numerous anti-Internet filtering movements. In almost every country where state censorship prevails is a corresponding anti-censorship initiative led by citizens. And in addition to rallying to protest censorship, local activists are also continuously working on new ways of bypassing the blocks, advocating to keep the web open and interacting with each other across linguistic and cultural borders and barriers.
In order to shed light on the battle being waged between state censorship and anti-censorship groups, I’ve created the Access Denied Map, an interactive Google Maps mashup that provides information about the censorship efforts targeting various online social networking communities and web-based applications. Each marker on the map highlights the situation in a specific country that is barring access to major websites. Clicking on the marker opens an information window containing text, images or video describing the nature of censorship and the efforts to combat it.
The Map does not aim to index all kinds of web filtering, but rather to provide an overview of online censorship efforts related to the social web and major web 2.0 websites. This project will also track and explore the relationships between anti-censorship groups in different parts of the world who are collaborating to defend the right to access web 2.0 tools and websites.
The Access Denied Map will try to contextualize and situate that battle by focusing on two areas:
The Access Denied Map will lead interested readers to content that enables them to support anti-censorship movements and keeps readers abreast of the filtering situation in various parts of the world. It will also facilitate collaboration between activists, allowing them to find each other, share tactics and strategies and experiences.
The Map was created using data from the Open Net Initiative (ONI), Global Voices and the Global Voices Advocacy section. The Access Denied Map does not pretend to be exhaustive. Help expand and improve it by adding information about the filtering of web 2.0 applications either via the Advocacy Wiki site or by e-mail through the contact page.
Show your support by posting this badge on your blog!
You can simply grab the HTML code from here!

author: sami ben gharbia


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Afghanistan: Operations in Baluchi Valley · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Peter Marton reviews the developments in the northern Baluchi Valley of Afghanistan, where the operation to clear the area of insurgents and to eliminate weapons caches is under way.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: Thinking about Alternative Livelihoods · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust reflects on the suggested plans to legalize and cultivate marijuana in Aghanistan in an attempt to eradicate opium production. In the Afghan situation – with a weak central government, widespread anarchy, and an active insurgency with international support – this idea is probably a bit too audacious to be practical, he says.


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Albania: Religions · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Living in Shkoder, Albania writes about the country's three major religions: “Although there is no recent survey to show the statistics, it is believed that it is approximately 70% Islam, 20% Albanian Orthodox, and 10% Roman Catholic.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Argentina: 20 Questions for Cristina Kirchner · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Once president-elect Cristina Kirchner takes office, the site 20 Palabras [es] will request an interview with the new head of state.  The site is asking its readers for suggestions for questions in 20 words or less.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Argentina: Reactions from WordCamp · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

An event for users of WordPress called WordCamp Argentina was recently held in Buenos Aires.  Mariano Amartino of Denken Über [es] collects a list of links of those in attendance.


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Armenia: Cheating Passengers · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Life in Armenia accuses airlines flying to and from Armenia of cheating customers now that they've started quoting their prices in Euros instead of Dollars. Despite the difference in exchange rates, a $900 ticket is now charged at €900 — an increase of 47 percent.


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Armenia: Election Play · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Armenian Patchwork reports and posts photos on a series of theatrical plays which form part of civil society's preparations for the February presidential election in Armenia.


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Armenia: Rehumanizing the “Enemy” · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Blogian quotes from a Turkish newspaper calling for the “‘rehumanization’ of Armenians by Turks and vice verse.” In particular, the Armenian blogger recounts how his Great Grandmother was saved during the Armenian Genocide by a Turkish woman and wonders why there isn't a section for those Turks that saved Armenians in the Genocide museum in Yerevan.


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Azerbaijan: Islam and Iran · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Paul Goble's Window on Eurasia looks at the reported rise of radical Islam in Azerbaijan as well as the geopolitical and regional implications of relations between Iran and Azerbaijan.


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Azerbaijan: Pollution & Religious Freedom  · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Leigh's new adventures in Azerbaijan posts links to two articles on pollution and religious freedom in the country. In the first, the blog says that the article explains why infant mortality is twice as high as the national average in Sumgait because of pollution, while the second is to a  report on religious freedom published by Forum 18.


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Bangladesh, Pakistan: Military and Challanges in South Asia · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers on why the current political crisis in Pakistan indicates the greater challenges in South Asia.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Barbados: Veterans’ Day · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cheese-on-bread “salutes all those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can live as free citizens.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bermuda: Vote – Or Else · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Politics.bm posts video of an ad designed to encourage Bermudan citizens to register to vote: “The exact same ad, paired with a very uplifting audio track, could have been more appropriate and effective; encouraging participation rather than suggesting that the Anti-Christ will arrive if you don't vote.”


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Brasil: Blogging from the classroom · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Pollyana Ferrari, from Remix Narrativo [pt], publishes a link for one of five blogs written by her students of journalism. “It was a huge work to make corrections, to help them with stories and try, together with these youngsters who were born in 1989/1990, to find the best journalist practice on the blogosphere”. The first blog to be featured is aPUCultura [pt]. There will be a different link every day.


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Brazil: Fireworks over narcobattalion case · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Colin Brayton translated the colorful details of a piece of news on the latest developments of the case of police troopers charged with drug trafficking in Rio de Janeiro. Disappointed that this information had been given little attention, he decides: “I am going to stop reading the G1 [the Globo] news portal regularly, I think. It is pretty obvious that someone noticed they were doing real journalism over there and moved to put a stop to that sort of thing”.


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Cameroon: 25 years of presidency · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Dibussi Tande analyses 25 years of the Cameroonian's President, Paul Biya: ” When Paul Biya became president on November 6, 1982, he  seemed determined to  break away from, and put an end to the clientelist policies of the Ahidjo era….”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Chile: Former Pinochet Intelligence Agent HIred · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Chileno writes about a former Pinochet intelligence agent, who was the latest hire by the grocery store chain Santa Isabel to lead their security.


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Chile: Strategy for OLPC · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Luis Ramirez of OLPC Chile explains at One Laptop Per Child News about their project's strategy to “achieve free and permanent access to computers for at least 1 million Chilean children living in poverty before our bicentennial (2010)”


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Cuba: Shut Up!  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Both Child of the Revolution and Babalu Blog turn their attention to the happenings at the recently-held Ibero-American summit.


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East Timor: Remembering the fight for independence · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Timor Online [pt] writes an open letter to the leaders of European Parliament, European Commission and European Union to remind them that today is the anniversary of the Santa Cruz (or Dili) Massacre of 1991 in East Timor. Protesters in the Santa Cruz cemetery in the capital, Dili, were massacred by Indonesian forces 16 years ago. “It is not enough to help East Timor to be an independent country. We have the obligation to keep it an independent, sovereign and democratic rule-of-law state”.

author: Paula Góes


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Ecuador: Correa’s Popularity in Latin America · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Cronica Cero [ES] comments on a recent survey that found Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa to be the most popular in all of Latin America with a favorable rating of 72%


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Georgia: Internet Coverage · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Although not a blog, The Georgian Times has published an article on the role the Internet played in covering last week's disturbances in Tbilisi, Georgia. In particular, along with mention of Flickr and YouTube, TOL Georgia and Global Voices were mentioned.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Georgia: Media Doubts · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Casting doubts over the reliability of the media in the South Caucasus, TOL Georgia says that an earlier report about one protester dying as a result of the clash in Tbilisi last week has been removed from the pro-opposition news source. During the April 2004 crackdown on opposition protests in Armenia, the pro-opposition A1 Plus outlet also reported that there were deaths, but did not issue a correction when it turned out there were actually none.


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Ghana: Enviromental problems getting worse · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Leanne writes about a crappy problem in Ghana: “You know I love Ghana, and especially Ghanaians, and god knows America is not a world leader in environmental issues, but the problem here is bad and getting worse…”


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Ghana: Outsourcing for Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Big Change blog writes about the Ghanaian businesswoman Estelle Akofio-Sowah: “The Internet-provider business that she launched in Accra in 2001 has gone on to become one of Africa’s most important “incubators” of new web-based companies in both Ghana and beyond, helping create badly needed jobs and promoting development.”


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Hong Kong and China: Blogger interviews · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Sidekick from outblaze has put up two video clips on Tangos Chan and Jeremy Goldkorn's interviews.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Hong Kong: Batman and Foreign Power · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

While Martin Lee was criticized as traitor because of his article in Wall Street Journal, diumanpark pointed out that Hong Kong people always welcomed foreign power, and in fact the government has been actively invited foreign power to enter Hong Kong, such as Disneyland and Batman (zh).


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Hong Kong: Inflation · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wong On-yin took out the toothpaste and milk powder he bought one year ago and compared with the present price. The picture showed that the inflation is 10% within one year, however, the salary of the poor hasn't increased in the past 10 years (zh).


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Iran:Open Net Initative talks about filtering · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Open Net Initative has published very interesting information about filtering and censorship in Iran.