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People with disabilities and the promise of ICTs · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

“I MAY be 100% blind but the internet has taken away 50% of my disability,” Silatul Rahim Dahman told Cindy Tham of the Nut Graph, an independent Malaysian news site.
During my recent visit to his office in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, he chats with ease on Skype with another blind friend attending a conference in Los Angeles. When he opens an e-mail, the JAWS screen-reading software installed on his Lenovo laptop reads out the content in a robotic voice, which he seems quite accustomed to. When told that The Nut Graph is in the midst of incorporating disabled-friendly features into its website, he goes to the website to find out how accessible it is to his screen reader and keyboard navigation, and provides some helpful feedback.
Rahim relies on the internet for e-mail, to chat with friends and contacts on Yahoo! Messenger and Skype — which is much cheaper than on telephone — and to find out what's happening in the rest of the nation and world. He is also planning to develop a website to promote his family's body massage and foot reflexology centre, run by the blind, in Penang.
The World Health Organization estimates 600 million people live with disabilities — accounting for one in ten people on the planet. The World Bank claims three-out-of-four disabled people live in the developing world.  In any corner of the globe, poverty and disability are often interrelated. For instance, more than 18 percent of disabled adults in the United States live below the poverty line. In Canada, the unemployment rate among persons living with disabilities recently jumped to nearly 15 percent.
Because technologies and communication devices help reduce physical barriers, ICTs provide a model to allow disabled people to better integrate socially and economically into their communities, argues Deepak Bhatia of the World Bank. Another promise of ICTs is they provide access to knowledge, the ability to organize and network. Perhaps most importantly, the education sector is being slowly transformed by technology, providing greater access to a variety of learning materials.
Human development and ICT use were discussed in general terms at a recent Harvard University conference. At the upcoming ITU Telecom World 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland, UNESCO will showcase flourishing ICT applications for people with disabilities.
Yam TW is an automotive engineer from Malaysia who lost his vision last year. At his blog, My Blind Sight, he writes about the importance of technical advances to help people living with disabilities.
Malaysia O Malaysia.. The rapid technological advances today have changed and impacted the lives of so many people, particularly the disabled. For the blind and the visually impaired, medical scientists and researchers, particularly from the west, are excited about the vast opportunities that can be explored and tapped in helping the blind to restore some level of sight. While it is important to create awareness in preventing sight loss among the rakyat(citizens), it is equally important too that more research work to be done in helping those already inflicted, blind due to various medical illness and causes. It is good to have modern assistive, both physical and ICT tools,  which undoubtedly will enhance the independence of those concerned in their daily lives.
A few more examples of appropriate technology come from the blog Public dreams of a blind ICT user:
Sometimes dreams become reality, but first they must be dreamed. Hopefully I can find other active eInclusion dreamers in Europe.
I am dreaming of a fully accessible and usable Wikipedia for all. I am working for an accessibility project at the German Wikipedia and for example, on a Wikipedia help page for blind users. Wikipedia is an important part of the information society and should be supported:
http://www.epractice.eu/blog/154
I am dreaming of an independent and multi-lingual Blind Wiki with optimized user interface for blind readers and contributors:
http://blind.wikia.com/wiki/Blind_Wiki:About
I am dreaming of an accessible and affordable mobile ICT device for the needs of blind persons. In the last 8 months, I have written hundreds of direct mails and posted lots of blog comments to inform disseminators and decision makers about the topic but it's a hard and sometimes demotivating work:
http://blind.wikia.com/wiki/Open_Letter_Initiative
The list goes on.
From the United States, Wheel Chair Kamikaze explains the importance of voice recognition tools to help him type and blog.
Multiple Sclerosis is a thief. It is indiscriminate in its larceny, robbing its victims of both the profound and the trivial. The disease has stolen from me elements that were once the very foundations of my life (my career, a large part of my social life, the expectation that I would one day learn to juggle), and things that by comparison might seem somewhat slight, like the ability to type.
Since my right hand now has about as much strength and dexterity as a latke, typing has become a strictly one-handed affair. I was never that great a typist to begin with…
When MS robbed me of the use of my right hand, it made typing, which had always been an arduous two fingered affair anyway, into a one fingered nightmare. My ability to communicate via the QWERTY keyboard was virtually eliminated, a major handicap in this day of Internet bulletin boards, e-mail, and instant messaging. How then, the astute reader may ask, am I able to compose the drivel that I post to this blog?
The answer comes in the form of an amazing piece of technology, a voice recognition software program called Dragon NaturallySpeaking. This wonder allows me to simply speak my thoughts, and see them magically transcribed onto my computer screen. It's like something out of Harry Potter, but without all of the crazy protesters claiming that it promotes Satan.
Without Dragon, I would have been rendered mute to the world of the Internet, and instead would have been left only to rant at Melvin, the giant Kleenex who is my invisible friend. The program has relieved me entirely of the need to type, and if I were to wake up 100% healthy tomorrow, I'd continue using it.
Deaf communities in most developing countries face similar problems, writes Lourdes Pietrosemoli.  “One of them is the lack of programmes specifically designed for the local Sign Languages of their communities.”
In Venezuela for example, although the Constitution states the right of linguistic minorities (and the deaf community is globally regarded as such) to receive education in their own language, in practice this is rarely accomplished because, on the one hand, there are no professionals who appropriately handle the two languages involved: Spanish and Venezuelan Sign Language (LSV) and, on the other hand, there are no curricula tailored to the needs of the deaf.
However, Pietrosemoli describes how six deaf participants took part in a IT Essentials training by the Cisco Networking Academy in Merida, Venezuela.  It went so well, Pietrosemoli says the idea could be exported abroad.
This course was a milestone for the deaf in our city, who not only acquired basic tools for their individual development, but also the mechanisms to transmit the acquired knowledge to other deaf people in the community.
At the time of this report, the certified deaf students are highly committed to the project of transmitting knowledge to others in the deaf community and a training course to acquire the necessary tools to teach IT Essentials in the community has already been scheduled. With this last step, the potential future problems with (hearing) interpreters are circumvented. Moreover, researchers from the Impairment and Communication project have planned a training workshop on the use of the voice synthesis software which will take place next week. In short, this experience has represented what real human networking is about. More than a happy ending, it is an excellent start.
Maureen de la Cruz, who blogs at Law and ICT reports how common it is now for people living with disabilities to become acquainted with technology, making it easier to bridge the digital divide.
My friends Jay and Rene are quintessential geeks, with one interesting difference: they surf the Internet, use computers and access all their features through a special text-to-speech software. With their virtuoso touch-typing skills and sometimes with the monitor turned off (they don't need it anyway!), they have become expert programmers and have even experimented with web design and adapting compatible open-source software for use with text-to-speech programs. Jay is the first totally blind Computer Science graduate in the Philippines and works from home as a web content writer, and Rene now instructs other low-vision students as a member of ATRIEV's [Adaptive Technology for the Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired] staff. Both of them have attended and given training sessions and specialized courses on adaptive technology locally and abroad.
…Schools and companies often think they have to buy expensive equipment or make extensive technical and logistical adjustments to accommodate PWDs [Persons with disabilities]. As pointed out by blind architect Jaime Silva, buildings and public transportation facilities do not even comply with basic legal requirements such as providing wheelchair ramps or granting discounted fares to people with disabilities. Technology, however, is constantly opening up new doors for people like my cool, talented visually impaired friends. I certainly hope that the digital divide may yet be bridged not just for the economically disadvantaged, but that ICT may help to break down the barriers caused by physical limitations as well.
From the ICTDev Dot Org blog comes a story about Dipendra Manocha, a software developer who created open-source screen reading software in Hindi and other South East Asian languages.
Based on the premise that computer technology was not meant only for the wealthy, Dipendra has changed the way people with print disability read and write. Accessible multimedia is ideal for people with disabilities as well as for the general public to share information and knowledge world wide. The technology is now being introduced in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal as well as India, which provides the exciting challenge of working in 22 languages as well as amongst vast geographical and cultural diversities. Dipendra is deeply dedicated to continue using technology as a catalyst to support the global sharing of human knowledge in the information society, and because of his focus on low-cost and open source technology, his work is highly replicable.
For all the anecdotes and blog posts on the role ICTs play in providing disabled people more access to technologies, I failed to find any statistics detailing the penetration of ICTs into this global community. Participants of the Harvard conference debated the merits of private enterprise pushing and governments and international organizations pulling the development of ICTs forward. Yet we still don’t know what’s driving ICTs into this field or their efficacy in increasing the scale of human and economic development for people living with disabilities. If you do, we’d like to hear from you.

author: John Liebhardt


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Suriname: Photographic Art  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Paramaribo SPAN shines the spotlight on Dutch artist Risk Hazekamp, who shares her thoughts on thoughts “on one of the works inspired by her residency in Suriname in 2008.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Thinking & Drinking  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidadian blogger Andre Bagoo republishes an article he wrote in which he “began to think in earnest about the reasons why I drink.”


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Uganda: Tried and true recycling program · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A link to a Flickr photo of Kampala's tried and true recycling program posted at Citizen Uganda blog.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Bahrain: Life Changing Decisions  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini Mariam had to plan her next three years in a matter of hours. Find out why in this post.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bahrain: Observations from Dubai  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bint Battuta in Bahrain travels to Dubai and here are her observations.


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Bangladesh: The State Of Women · Global Voices
Rezwan

“What is keeping Bangladeshi women from emancipation when their country is ruled by one of their own? How is their situation now? What are their most urgent needs; which rights are they fighting for? And how does society perceive them?” these are some of the queries of a project of Pulitzer Center titled “Bangladesh: The (Un) Power of Women.” Read student fellow Stine Eckert's dispatches from Bangladesh to learn more.

author: Rezwan


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Barbados: First H1N1 Death  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press reports on the island's first death from the H1N1 Virus.


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Bermuda: Green Party  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Catch a fire welcomes Bermuda's newest political party and “the contribution that they may be able to offer to our political discourse.”


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CEE: History, Nationalism and Identity · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Marietta Le of Remainder of Budapest writes about issues of history, nationalism and identity in Hungary and other states of Central and Eastern Europe.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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China: When will the sunshine come? · Global Voices
Andy Yee

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the agency responsible for fighting against corruption in mainland China, announced on September 19 that all officials will be required to report their assests pertaining to housing and investments as well as children and spouse employment. This “Sunshine Act” is part of the larger anti-corruption campaign recently put forward by the Communist Party.
However, the majority of government officials resists against the Act. Southern Weekend reported that 97% of officials opposed the policy in a sample survey. Conversely, 90% of the public hoped that the policy could be introduced as early as possible.
Faced with the reality that only 3% of the surveyed officials support the anti-corruption policy, Southern Weekend askes if the public and the officials could make a compromise? There are three possible ways for implementing the Sunshine Act.
The article goes on to explore three possibilities (quoted from the English version of the Southern weekend article):
The first is an iron-fisted method favored by those who have endured corruption for a long time.  From the highest officials at the center to the lowest public servant, everyone must make public a full account of one’s property down to the last cent within one day’s time.  Those who have committed crimes will be punished accordingly.  Those not accused of anything will receive due praise and those not suspected of any wrongdoing will be promoted.
The second method is fairly ridiculous … that if any member of the public would like to publicly declare their financial situation that is up to them, but they will pass.
The third is for those officials who have not completely lost their consciences…They can declare their financials and whatever they have illicitly squirreled away will go into the State Treasury.  This is under the conditions that there will be no punishment and they will be able to continue to work for the Party and country.
The first two options represent the public and the officials’ positions respectively, while the third one is considered a compromise. The article concludes by raising a question:
Whether there is amnesty for those with illegal assets and income or we just put aside this knotty problem, it is going to be a complex political process …  If the public has already seen the big picture and does not insist on using an iron fisted method, then are officials ready from this moment to begin to govern honestly?
In the comment section, some agree to compromise:
wunanwunan 28-9-2009: 我很愿意妥协,希望将来的官是清官.我们不必亡党，更不会亡国.问题是民众能妥协的标准是什么,如何知道民众那一天已经能妥协了,然后党中央开始实施阳光法.要不然就说民众一直不能妥协,阳光法也一直不必实施了!
ruolanhuakai 26-9-2009: 为了国家的前途命运着想我支持妥协方案,我们老百姓宁愿再作出一次巨大的牺牲!只是我们作出这个巨大牺牲之后真的就能换来财产公示制度的建立吗???
But it seems that there are more opinions supporting the iron hand policy:
hualinplant 26-9-2009: 不敢对贪污腐败讲认真，是对历史的不负责。旧中国都能改造成新中国，贪官问题就大的很吗？
tanzi2287216 25-9-2009: “反腐，亡党；不反腐，亡国”这话说得太对了，那么，是亡党恐怖，还是亡国恐怖。
yippee 25-9-2009: 现在正是考验我们党的政治智慧的时候啊。我支持铁腕方案。因为这是民意。中国共产裆一直以来的宗旨就是为人民服务，如果主子要求了，人民公仆又凭什么不同意，又怎么好意思不同意，以后还敢说“为人民服务”这五个字吗
buyongzhenmingz 25-9-2009: 共 产 党要抓紧治疗自己身上的毒瘤了，不然我们只能面临再次亡国。
Apart from choosing between compromise and iron hand policy, some raised more fundamental issue of institutional reform:
tiger7428 25-9-2009: …我敢断言，没有真正的政治民主，既便实施，所谓的官员财产申报就只能像其它反贪招数一样是个花瓶。道理很简单“申报、公示、监督、问责这四个重要环节，最终都要靠官员来执行”，仍然是左手打右手。指望这样的一个技术性招数就能治疗“贪腐”，不过是异想天开。而官员在没有外在民众监督的情况下，在不需要向民众负责的前提下，铁腕执行，不过是回到“包青天”时代的政治理想，而这一点，历史上的“明君”已经多次证明了它的失败！
919938075 25-9-2009: 古代皇帝为了让江山永固，靠多生儿子。中共为了维持执政地位，靠党员数量多。如果说党内的民主程度都不高，整个国家的民主程度会有多高？没有民主为基础，再好的想法，也只能是一厢情愿的梦话。官员们不愿为人民服务，因为人民对官员没有制约力；官员们喜欢选择性地听党的话，因为作为“家法”的党纪常常会网开一面。而在现实中，党纪比国法更全能些。所以要纠正戴志勇的说法，民众一直都在妥协，何来愿意、不愿意的选择？
These opinions echo with the comment made by Chinese public intellectual Ran Yun Fei:
但最重要的问题是，权力的来源、构架与运营、官员的筛选机制以及他们的权力受监督的问题，如何真正得到良好的解决。如果不能实现民众对官员真正的选举，实行民主自由的制度，那么任何官员与民众达成的妥协，都是治标不治本的暂时策略，无助于整个社会朝向可以期待的良性的发展。

author: Andy Yee


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Denmark: International bloggers meet up to think about climate change · Global Voices
Deborah Goldemberg

Last week, Copenhagen hosted the launch event of the European Blogging Competition TH!NK ABOUT IT – Round #2: Climate Change. The competition brought together 92 bloggers from all over Europe, and special guests from Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa and the USA.
The competition aims to raise awareness about climate change and discuss the consequences of climate change in different countries, points of view all over the world, and how local media and the public approach the subject. Organized by the EJC (European Journalism Centre), the launch event was split over two days, the first featuring a series of lectures from experts on climate change, and the second devoted to a visit to the Danish eco-village of Dyssekilde, in the north of the country.
The launch event kicked off with a welcome lecture by Wilfried Rütten, Director of the EJC, followed by a talk by Svend Olling, Head of Department, COP15 Logistics. Mr. Olling gave a presentation on the work that the Danish government has done for the competition and the expectations surrounding the COP15 conference.
Journalists from many parts of the world joined a round-table discussion moderated by Raymond Frenken from EUX-TV. Names such as Tasha Eichenseher, a National Geographic science producer and editor, Gerald Traufetter, a science and technology correspondent for Der Spiegel, Asbjørn Jørgensen, from the Århus School of Media and Journalism in Denmark, and Ramesh Jaura, Regional Director of IPS Europe, discussed how the media covers issue relating to climate change and the environment.
François Roudié, the European Commission Policy Coordinator, gave a rundown on the EU's response to climate change. A counterpoint to this was provided by Andreas Barkman from the European Environmental Agency, and Head of the Group for Climate Change Mitigation, who highlighted the problematic aspects of the negotiations that are going to be held at COP15.
Greenpeace Nordic Executive Director Mads Christensen also underlined what bloggers can do to encourage climate change discussion and voiced Greenpeace's expectations for a possible agreement resulting from COP15. In his talk, he expressed the view that, taking into account current negotiations and the speeches of national leaders all over the world, a huge cut in CO2 emissions and an idealistic agreement are unlikely to take place.
Probably the most eagerly anticipated lecture of the day was given by Søren Hermansen. Søren was one of the Heroes of the Environment named by TIME magazine in 2008, and he gave a presentation on the Samso experiment before the audience of bloggers. This experiment aims to introduce alternative energy resources to local environments. In this case, wind energy is responsible for meeting all the villagers’ energy demands. Readers can check out some of the Samso experiment photos in this Flickr pool by Phil Lacombe.
On the second day of the event, bloggers visited the eco-village of Dyssekilde in the north of the country. The village has 70 households and a population of 130 adults and 50 children. It was created more than 20 years ago, and its inhabitants share an environmental approach, feeling the urge to act as pioneers of a lifestyle that allows a more ecologically friendly, sustainable community. Like the Samso experiment, Dyssekilde also depends on wind energy to meet the villagers’ energy demands, and since they don't use much of the energy, what is left over is sold to a Danish energy company.
A Dyssekilde household.
Dyssekilde houses have a peculiar appearance. Villagers build their own homes, and many of them have solar panels attached in order to encourage the use of clean energy. Houses also have south-facing windows, so that they can make as much use of the solar energy and natural light as possible, and reduce the use of internal lights and heating units during the day.
Another great example of sustainable living in Dyssekilde is the non-chemical waste water cleaning system. The villagers created the system based on natural cleaning, which uses 30.000 willows to cleanse the water thoroughly, without chemicals or other products. Even though their current system reached its maximum capacity in 2006, they are now planning to build the biggest non-chemical waste water cleaning system in the world.
Who are these bloggers anyway?
“Would you like to participate in an international blogging competition about Climate Change in Copenhagen?” Some ninety people from all over the world said YES to the above question and have just spent three days in Denmark, attending the launch event of the TH!NK ABOUT IT blogging competition. But who are those people? And why did they decide to engage in environmental cyberactivism?
Most participants came from Europe, but the novelty of this second edition of TH!NK ABOUT IT was the participation of people from various developing countries, such as Brazil, India, Mexico, China and South Africa. Many participants came from Eastern Europe, but Western Europe was also well represented, with many British and Italian bloggers. The nature of their blogs and their motives for participating in the event were as diverse as their countries of origin.
Journalist Charles Nisz Lourenço from Brazil
Many professional journalists also took part in the competition, showing that blogging can add to a profession that already deals with reporting and expressing one's views of the world. Charles Nisz Lourenço, from Brazil, works as a journalist and is about to start a PhD in Economics, and is quite new to blogging. He only started his personal blog, Fragmentos da Realidade Cotidiana [Fragments of Daily Reality, pt] in February this year, and has covered political, financial and environmental issues; he also blogs for the Lixo Eletrônico blog, which was behind the Electronic Waste Manifesto.
Maltese journalist Keith Demicoli has his own TV program about politics in “the happiest place on Earth”, as he described his country of origin, and is participating in the TH!NK ABOUT IT competition for the second time.
Maltese Journalist Keith Demicoli
Chinese-Spanish language translator Ding Dawei, also known by his Spanish name, “Diego”, works as a professional journalist for the Chinese People's Daily [en], but is a newcomer to blogging, through which he wishes to look more closely at Climate Change issues and expand his horizons.
Ding Dawei. Chinese Journalist and newcomer blogger.
Non-journalists were, however, in the majority. A friendly pair of bloggers from Pilani in India, brother Abhishek Nayak and his sister Anindita Nayak, enjoyed the launch event for the competition. She is only 18 years old, but already blogs for the AoC Initiative, a youth delegation to the UN Negotiations on Climate Change. He was coy about his blog, which he says is “full of very ironic comments”, but with a little pushing we got the URL. He has been blogging since 2006 about politics and Indian issues, as well as sharing his photos and news about events he attends.
Anindita Nayak and Abhishek Nayak, participants from India
Lucy Setian [bg], from Bulgaria, works as a journalist, but has an online dream-come-true literary project with her boyfriend called Azcheta.com [bg], where they write book reviews and organize literary events in Sofia, and have gained fame with events such as “Coffee goes with books, not cigarettes”. Blogging about the environment allows her to address her political aspirations, too.
Lucy Setian
American Devin McIntire, from California, USA, has just set up the blog The Green Cadet, hoping to disseminate green business opportunities online and, who knows, maybe one day make them happen in reality. He believes that the solutions for environmental problems will come not from politicians, but rather from local eco-entrepreneurial initiatives.
Devin McIntire from the USA
Some bloggers were notably more high-tech than the others, like the Italian Frederico Pistono, who participates in no fewer than 12 blogs! A movie maker, from the beginning of the launch event he was filming the bloggers (at lectures, on the metro, etc), and is bound to have some interesting video clips of the competition. Here are some other blogs where you can check out his work: AsianCineBlog [it] and Activism [it].
Frederico Pistono from Italy
Other video bloggers were present at the competition. The British drama student Matthew Turner maintains a YouTube account where he “takes the piss out of himself” online – in typical British style, he aims to treat serious issues with humor.
Matthew Turner from the UK
Radka Lankasova has a personal blog and is also a contributor to the number one blog in the Czech Republic, but her main motivation is to make friends and travel through blogging opportunities like TH!NK ABOUT IT.
Radka Lankasova from Czech Republic
Some bloggers taking part in the competition were still crawling in the blogosphere or experimenting with it for various reasons, but the EJC (European Journalism Commission) hopes to encourage them to start blogging about the environment, too. From 23rd September to 16th December 2009 bloggers will discuss climate change on the official competition platform. Although there are prizes, one of them being an environmentalist's dream – to attend the COP15 conference for two weeks in Copenhagen with all expenses paid by the EJC – there is a sense of community rather than rivalry amongst the bloggers. As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to blog about the environment!

author: Deborah Goldemberg


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Georgia: An Azeri Wedding · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Writing on my Frontline Club blog, I also post a video interview and photo report with regional blogger Arzu Geybullayeva on our recent visit to an ethnic Azeri village in the regions of the Republic of Georgia.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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India: 100th Podcast At Indicast · Global Voices
Rezwan

Nerve Endings Firing Away informs that Aditya and Abhishek have published their 100th podcast at IndiCast.


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Indonesia: Strong earthquake hit West Sumatra · Global Voices
Juke Carolina

A strong earthquake hit Padang, West Sumatra around 5 PM local time Wednesday.
A video clip posted by  a YouTube user in Padang:
The undersea quake measuring 7.6 on Richter Scale has caused massive building damage and casualties, mainly around Pariaman, a coastal area of Padang.
An international tsunami warning [id] has been issued for Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and India, but was lifted about an hour later.
Indonesian news agency Antara reported that the death toll has reached 75, but may surge since there are still victims buried under the rubble, while many still choose to stay outside [id] of their houses fearing further tremors would strike.
According to First Secretary Purnomo Sidik of  the National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) in Antara, the BNPB headquarters in Jakarta haven't received detailed information from the field due to communications disruptions in West Sumatra.
Fifty percent of the city has sustained damage and inbound flights to Padang were cancelled following damage to the runways at  Minangkabau Airport.
The Indonesian twittersphere is filled with sympathy messages, updates to and from relatives, and relief reports.
henzter: just received reply to my sms, from an acquaintance @ sumbar: still looking for brother. *am praying*
martimanurung: South and North Sumatra Provinces will help West Sumatra Province for quake relief.
The Vice President, Jusuf Kalla, shortened the swearing in of  new parliament members and sent six ministers to the location to assess the damage.
aulia: We voted for you. Our first official request is for you to donate your pocket money to the quake victims. They need it more than you.
Around 11:45 PM local time darlingalih says:
Minister for Social Welfare Abu Rizal Bakrie said that infrastructural devastation caused by the recent earthquake could be as massive as that which occurred during the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake.

author: Juke Carolina


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Iraq: Ready for January elections? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraq is gearing itself for the January presidential elections. Iraqi Pundit shares his views in this post.


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Israel: Losing Patience with Obama  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“We are losing patience with Obama as well, and so are many of the American people,” writes Israeli Goyisherebbe, at Shiloh Musings.


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Jamaica: Blogging About Climate Change   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“On October 15, 2009, I plan to blog about climate change and Jamaica”: Diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp promotes the upcoming Blog Action Day.


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Jamaica: Children & Violence  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As the government signs a UN agreement aimed at protecting children from being recruited by armed forces, Letter From Jamaica wonders: “But what about children at home?  Children don't just hide guns for gunmen, increasingly they are the gunmen.”


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Japan: Anime Character ‘Masuo-san’ on Twitter · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Sazae-san, a comedy chronicling the lives of the fictional Isono family, is one of Japan's longest-running and oldest comic strips and animations. The animated series first aired in 1969 and is broadcast every Sunday from 6:30 to 7:00. It's not much of an exaggeration to say that at some point in our lives, all Japanese, either as a child or when raising children, will follow the tradition of having Sunday dinner with the family while watching Sazae-san (and finishing up with Chibi Maruko-chan, which airs from 7:00-7:30).
Recently, a seemingly unofficial Twitter account for Masuo Fuguta, the agreeable husband of the main character Sazae-san, popped up. He already has close to 7,000 followers after 100+ tweets.
Masuo-san makes announcements about air dates, with a unique spin. The Twitter story is set up describing the Isono family as having television crews come in to film their daily lives.
He gives us a bit of insight to his home life.
He also gets the chance to tell his side of the story. Masuo-san often takes a backseat to his outgoing and sometimes pushy wife and her immediate family, so it's refreshing to hear his voice.
There are clever tie-ins with social trends. The Taspo Card is an identity card required to buy cigarettes from the vending machine. Convenience stores enjoyed a bump in business for a while when people who hadn't applied for their cards yet went to the stores instead.
And of course, he answers questions about the other characters on the show.
Blogger yurikawa appreciates the humor.
そこで、今日の放送と同時に、彼の実況解説が行われていたのだ。
一番笑ったのは、マスオさんが波平さんと歩いているシーンの後ページを読み込むと、「すみません。午前中実はパチンコ行ってました。」の書き込み。確かにそのシーンのマスオさんは紙袋を抱えていた。見事なアドリブだ。
本来、私は二次創作等が好きじゃないのだが、これは許せた。
きっとマスオさん（なりきり）のセンスが素晴らしいんだと思う。
Generally, I don't like secondary works but this is very acceptable. It must be that Masuo-san (or rather, the person behind the Twitter account) has a wonderful sense of humor.
Yamaq is also enjoying the ride.
フィクションのキャラクターがリアルでバーチャルなコミュニケーションに参加するのがおもしろくて、さっそくフォローしてみました。そうしたら一日経ったらマスオさんからもフォローされました。なんだかメジャーなひとにフォローされてドキドキします（笑）
つぶやきの内容がマスオさんのキャラクターっぽい部分と、声優さんなのかリアルな世界の部分があったりして、とても新鮮な感じです。このやり方って一歩踏み損ねると完全に宣伝調になるので、つぶやく側のセンスが問われる部分です。
最近面白かった与謝野代議士の秘書の方のつぶやきにつぐ、おもしろいキャラクターです。あっそうだ、今日サザエさんの日だ。
It's amazing how the tweets reflect both Masuo-san's character and the real world. If you go too far, it can sound like a promotional gimmick, so tweeting requires just the right touch.
This is the most interesting character among my recent finds, after the secretary of Kaoru Yosano. Hey, Sazae-san is on today!

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Kuwait: Blogging under the Spotlight · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Kuwaiti blogging came under the spotlight during a workshop organised by IREX entitled The Role of Blogging in Kuwait. Global Voices’ Kuwait author Abdullatif AlOmar, who was a panelist at the event, has more.


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Lebanon: How Lebanese is Hummous?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Are Tabbouleh, Hummus and Falafel Lebanese? Beirut Spring jumps straight into the medley.


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Nepal: Towards A More Humane Dashain Festival · Global Voices
Bhumika Ghimire

Nepal's biggest religious festival Dashain will bid farewell for this year on October 3rd, Saturday. The day which celebrates the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, is also known as Kojagrat Purnima. It marks the end of the fifteen day long festivities.
Hindupad, a blog on Hinduism, explains the significance of various days of Dashain:
“On the first day of Dashain, Ghatasthapana puja is observed and ‘Dashain Ghar’ or a special puja room is decorated. During Dasain, Saptamatrikas (7 divine Mothers), Ashtamatrikas (8 tantrik Goddesses) and Nava Durga Goddesses (9 aspects of Durga) are worshiped. Barley or paddy is sowed on earthen pots (ghata) and after ten days the seeds get sprouted. It marks the good harvest. All non-resident Nepalese return to their country to celebrate the festival of Dashain.”
During the final five days of the festival, people receive the sprouts called jamara from elders as goddess Durga's blessings along with tika (rice grains mixed with vermilion power and yogurt).
Jamara planted for Dashain, Photo by Bhumika Ghimire
A Sanskrit hymn is chanted when elders give the jamara and tika. For men the hymn is “‘Aayu Drona Sute” and for women it is “Jayanti mangala kali” .
Nepaleselaw explains the meaning of the first line of “Aaayn Drona Sute”:
“The actual meaning of ‘Aayu Drona Sute’ means May you have a long life like Son of Drona. The Son of Drona is called Asosthama, which is considered to be one of the Aastha Chiranjivi (Aastha Chiranjivi means those eight people who never die as per Hindu epics). Therefore, when our parents bless us saying ‘Aayu Drona Sute’, that means let my children have long life like Asosthama………that means you never die”
The hymn also wishes for prosperity, destruction of enemies and fame. Jayanti mangala kali, on the other hand, praises the goddess but makes no worldly wish.
For the Nepalese diaspora Dashian is especially a poignant time. Missing home, family and friends they try to organize celebrations in diaspora. The occasion provides them a chance to meet other Nepalese, procrastinate about home and have some good time together.
Bhumika, after receiving tika and jamara
RangeenChara, a Nepalese diaspora blog, describes Dashain celebrations outside Nepal. Dashain is also a festival with its own “theme tune”. Malshri tune is played during the festival, which is considered as auspicious.
Here is the Nepalese musical group Sur-Sudha with the piece Malshri.
This year's Dashain in Nepal was a bit controversial, with animal rights activists calling for an end to the tradition of animal sacrifice during the festival. Goats, sheep, buffaloes and even chickens are ritually sacrificed as an offering to the goddess.
AnimalRightsNepal calls for a more humane Dashain:
“Hindu religious book speaks for preserving planet and all living creature for better world so stop killing animals and sacrificing animals name of God. Celebrate Dashain without blood and meat. Save animals, save ecosystem.”
Various groups, including those promoting a more peaceful Nepal, have banded together to ban animal sacrifice in the country. So far, the public's reaction has been positive but there have been no official statement on the issue.
Even with controversies, different religious persuasion or difficult political and economic situation in Nepal, Dashain is celebrated as a joyous occasion and continues to be a festival that brings people together.

author: Bhumika Ghimire


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Oman: Lost in The Lost Symbol  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Omanizer was away from blogging for a few days and she has an excuse. She couldn't put Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol down.


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Pakistan: Banned drug available at pharmacies · Global Voices
Rezwan

Hina Safdar at Chowrangi informs that a banned drug called Metamizole is readily available at pharmacies in Pakistan.


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Pakistan: Who Is Running The Country? · Global Voices
Rezwan

The US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson’s recent statement on Quetta shura raised a controversy in Pakistan. Teeth Maestro poses the question in reaction: “Who’s actually running Pakistan? The Americans or Pakistanis?”


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Poland: Sexual Crimes and Roman Polanski · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Polandian writes about Poland's plans to legalize chemical castration for those who commit sexual crimes against minors – and about the arrest of Roman Polanski in Switzerland and the Polish foreign minister's intention to ask the U.S. president to pardon the film director: “Now, if the 1977 charge had been for shoplifting, one might just about argue that Poland has the right to go asking for a pardon for this famous son, however, the charge was for the rape of a 13 year old girl when Polanski was 44.”


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Romania: “20 Years After the Revolution” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

David Sasaki/El Oso writes about his trip to Romania and the country's recent history, and posts a video interview with the executive director of Casa Sperantei hospice.


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Russia: “Afro Plus” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Adventures in Wheelville expresses solidarity with Moscow's African residents: “While Obama is busy making buddy with Medvyedev, scores of black folks on Moscow streets are looking over their shoulder every two seconds in fear. It's horribly ironic.”


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Serbia: The Death of a French Football Fan · Global Voices
Sinisa Boljanovic

Brice Taton, a 28-year-old French citizen and a fan of the Toulouse football team, was brutally beaten by fans of the Partizan football team in downtown Belgrade on Sept. 17, before the Partizan vs Toulouse game. He died in a Belgrade hospital on Sept. 29. The terrible news prompted bloggers’ reactions.
Srdjan Mitrovic wrote:
I am ashamed of this city, these politicians and this country.
Marko Jevtic created a Facebook group – “Stop Violence” – and, on his blog, invited readers to join it. He also wrote:
I am a Partizan fan. I was born and grew up in Belgrade… but I am ashamed.
REST IN PEACE BRIS
Srecko Sekeljic wrote:
Announcements and acts of violence, why the Gay Pride Parade has been forbidden in the capital’s center, why many people have been beaten, why Brice Taton has died tragically, why citizens can’t walk the streets of cities safely – all this shows very clearly the strong need for organizing a wide front against violence. The first step is for the citizens to take over the streets from groups and individuals who are spreading hatred and sowing fear and death. The next step is for the institutions to initiate and successfully bring criminal charges against individuals, groups and organizations that propagate and carry out the violence.
Serbian officials expressed their condolences to Brice’s family and said that Serbia would never forget him. Web site RTV Studio B published this statement by Ivica Dacic, the Interior Minister:
“On behalf of the Serbian Interior Ministry, I express my deepest condolences over the death of your son. Until the last moment we hoped that Brice and his youth would win. The news of his death, that the Serbian citizens received with great sorrow, is all the more tragic.”
According to ”Studio B”, the Human Rights Ministry State Secretary Marko Karadžić called on citizens to gather at Belgrade's central square at 11:30 CET on Wednesday to pay tribute to the victim with flowers and candles. He said:
It is horrible news that a French citizen lost his life this way in Belgrade. I want to call on all people in Belgrade to come to the Trg Republike square as a human gesture, light candles and leave flowers to show that there are many people in Serbia who are against violence and that Serbia will never forget French citizen Brice Taton, nor will it allow a similar thing to happen again.
President Tadic also reacted:
“Serbia will react with the highest level of seriousness, and with very strict principles. […]”
He added that this was a warning “to all groups that have been promoting violence over the last days.”

author: Sinisa Boljanovic


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South Korea: Kids Lack Sleep · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Korea beat translated a local news report on a survey about Korean kids’ sleeping time, which is the shortest among the 6 surveyed countries.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Sri Lanka: Testimonies Of Detained IDPs · Global Voices
Rezwan

GroundViews posts two short testimonies on the plight of IDPs released from Menik Camp. The testimonies highlight “significant challenges facing reconciliation and resettlement in post-war Sri Lanka and the urgent need for psycho-social counseling”.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Digging a Hole · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It’s like a jamette woman in a rumshop shouting she does go to chuch!”: B.C. Pires blogs about issues of governance in the Trinidad & Tobago government.


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UAE: Dubai Metro Pride  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

This month's opening of Dubai Metro has attracted a lot of commentary on UAE blogs. Buj Al Arab notes: “Such a fantastic project for Dubai, the UAE, and the Arab World to be proud of. One of the fastest rates of construction.”


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UK: Przemek Wajerowicz’s “From the Upper Deck” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

the POLSKI blog highlights Przemek Wajerowicz's London street photography project: From the Upper Deck.


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Ukraine: Political Rivalry and Journalism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreign Notes writes about a popular Ukrainian political talk show that was to feature “a battery of eminent journalists” posing questions to PM Yulia Tymoshenko this past Friday, but which evolved into yet another political battle when a group of Tymoshenko's rivals showed up in the studio, seemingly uninvited.


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Ukraine: “The Ghosts of Chernobyl”/Destination Truth · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Chernobyl and Eastern Europe writes about a Destination Truth episode about the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – “The Ghosts of Chernobyl” – which is scheduled to air on Wednesday, Sept. 30, on cable's SyFy channel.


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USA: Immigrant Students in National Day of Action · Global Voices
Hoa Quach

On Sept. 23, 2009, dreamers across the country raised their voices in a national back-to-school day of action at university campuses across the United States and asked lawmakers for the passage of the DREAM Act.
The DREAM Act is a piece of proposed legislation that has been in limbo for years in the United States. It would create an avenue through which undocumented immigrant students who came to the United States as children could obtain conditional legal residence. While American lawmakers continue to debate whether the act should be passed, thousands upon thousands of students continue to struggle to obtain higher education without knowing whether they will ever be permitted to work in their home country legally.
The National Dream Act Day of Action was initiated by the United We DREAM Coalition and was supported by dozens of organizations across the nation's campuses last week. The day of action was planned to remind government how many thousands of students are affected as they wait for lawmakers to take action.
In a press release from the National Immigration Forum, executive director Ali Noorani said in support of the campaign:
The plight of thousands of students who are culturally American, caught in the limbo of our laws, and who cannot fully integrate into our society remind us of what is at stake in the DREAM Act. Each year that passes by with Congress failing to act on immigration, America looses a vital asset: an educated class of promising immigrant students who have demonstrated a commitment to hard work and a strong desire to be contributing members of our society.
Mainstream media coverage
And if lawmakers weren't paying attention, the dozens of events across the country at least attracted the attention of mainstream media who covered the campaign extensively.
In New Mexico, a campus saw “dozens” of groups join forces to gather signatures for its petition calling lawmakers to support the DREAM Act. In Orlando, Florida, students held posters stating, “What crime did we commit?” and “There are no illegal aliens, only undocumented humans.” And in Wisconsin, one state leader told a media outlet Congress should pass the Act.
The story of Ernestina
Blogger Teresa Puente from Chicanisma wrote about one young woman, who's life is currently on hold because of failure to pass the DREAM Act.
Ernestina came to the United States from Mexico when she was 3 years old.
Her parents brought her here and they overstayed a visa and became undocumented immigrants.
Now she is 19 and has lived in Chicago all her life. She was the valedictorian of her high school class. She is a sophomore at a state university and aspires to become a graphic designer.
But her dream may never come true. Her only chance to become a legal resident is if Congress passes the DREAM Act.
Status of Jorge-Alonso Chehade
Peruvian-American Alonso is currently being threatened with deportation and may be forced to leave the U.S. However, there may still be hope for the 22-year-old, who recently graduated from University of Washington. Alonso was originally scheduled to leave the country last week, but with the assistance of over 3,400 Americans who signed petitions and telephoned officials — his deportation has been delayed. He writes at DreamActivist:
During these difficult times and this endless campaign, it is the support of all you that keeps me running and optimistic. I don’t even know how to thank you enough for co-signing and writing those letters, and making those calls on my behalf. I am still in the country because you cared and did something about it.
But the work isn't over yet for Chehade and his supporters. He's asking Dreamers to turn up the pressure on senators and allow for him to stay in the country he's known for the majority of his adult life.
I humbly ask you to keep making those calls. Keep urging Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to introduce a private bill that will stop my deportation for the long term.
See Global Voices special coverage page about the DREAM Act

author: Hoa Quach


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Bangladesh: The Need For A Spiritual Guide  · Global Voices
Rezwan

“We accept teachers and masters in our life – at school, college, karate classes, even for driving lessons. But for the most important thing – the spiritual journey of our life – we believe we can do without a guide…” comments Sadiq Alam at Inspirations And Creative Thoughts.


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Bhutan: Premier Women’s Magazine · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bhutanese journalist and blogger Dipika celebrates the launch of Bhutan's first women's magazine.


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Colombia: “Ojo al Sancocho” Community Film Festival · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

The International Film and Alternative and Community Video Festival called “Ojo al Sancocho [es]” was recently organized by the company Sueños Film Colombia (Dream Films) and its second edition took place September 18-25, 2009 in Ciudad Bolívar in Southern Bogotá. During the week, Colombian audiovisual projects gathered to talk about topics, such as Latin American and local identity, and Web 2.0, as a way to create practical communities.
Sancocho is a traditional soup that can be found throughout Colombia and made with many ingredients. Festival organizers used the analogy of the soup to show how the week attracted many different individuals and organizations all contributing their own ideas to the event.
Photo of Festival workshop by Yuliana Paniagua of Convergentes and used with permission.
Cuba was the special invited guest, and representatives from the Festival of Cine Pobre [es] in Cuba spoke with admiration about the activities taking place in Colombia. There was also reflection on different topics, aesthetics, and creativity. Community and alternative groups also displayed their productions with the shared objective to create images that differ from those shown by traditional media. The festival's official blog [es] has additional information about the presenters, as well as the calendar of activities throughout the week.
The blog from Tal TV [es] writes that this community initiative was created from “the need to democratize the audiovisual culture in Colombia” and summarizes the philosophy behind the Festival that attracted participants from Colombia, as well as Spain, Cuba, and Argentina:
El festival Ojo al Sancocho, promueve nuevos realizadores y productores audiovisuales de Ciudad Bolívar, de Bogotá, de Colombia y de Latinoamérica, comprometidos con un audiovisual educativo-cultural, informativo y estimulante, que promuevan la identidad latinoamericana, pluriculturalidad y los valores de libertad, solidaridad, paz y justicia.
The blog Idealistas [es] writes about the background of the company Sueños Films Colombia, the event organizer:
Sueños Films ha editado alrededor de 40 documentales y 4 largometrajes, entre los que se encuentran “Corazón de Ciudad Bolívar” de Felipe Ávila, ganador del premio al Mejor Argumental Local 2008, emitido por Caracol Televisión, y “El Alma de los Sueños”, producido por los niños que integran los talleres de EKO, la escuela audiovisual de la fundación.
Participants in the Ojo al Sancocho festival took part in a wide variety of programming and were well-received by the residents of Ciudad Bolívar. After the final activity, the basic conclusion revolved around the need to construct a solid network in which all of the local initiatives that are being created converge in order to strengthen the audiovisual processes that are taking place around the country.

author: Cati Restrepo


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Cova Lima, East Timor: Political conflict can lead to consitutional crisis · Global Voices
Keta Haluha

The isolated district of Cova Lima, Timor-Leste has produced two remarkable stories in the last month.  Both involving Timorese men with a violent political background supporting Indonesia's invasion, occupation and subsequent integration of Timor-Leste in 1975.  Both stories, set in the present, involve President Jose Ramos-Horta.  While one is headline news in the English and Tetun speaking press, the other has received little attention beyond Tetun print and web media.
On 23 September 2009 a prominent former pro-autonomy leader from the Timorese southern coastal district of Cova Lima made a stunning revelation in Dili District court during the trial of those accused of shooting President Jose Ramos-Horta, and attacking Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao on 8 February 2008.  Rui Teixeira Lopes admitted to providing now deceased, rebel leader Major Reinado, and the man that lead the attack on Horta, with uniforms procured in Indonesia.
As the increasingly active Centru Jornalista Investigativu Timor Leste (CJITL), [Centre for Investigative Journalism Timor-Leste] reported in a Dili Flash news segment on 25 September 2009 states:
“Rui Texeira Lopes ne’ebe kolega diak grupu Alfredo nian mak sosa husi Indonezia.” [Tet.]
The report quotes Lopes as saying,
“ Farda Militar nebe Alfredo ho nia grupo hatais ne’e hau mak sosa husi Marina Amerika iha Indonezia” dehan Rui Lopes ba Tribunal.”
Lopes further stated:
“Maibe osan ne'e laos hau nian tanba montante osan ne’e Salsinha intrega mai hau hafoin hau ba sosa farda mai fahe ba sira iha subar fatin. Hau deklara buat ne’ebe los ba tribunal mais kuandu ida ne'e mak hau sala karik ohin kedas hau prontu ba tur hamutuk ho maluk arguidu sira ne’e” Rui Lopes hatutan.
Who is Rui Lopes?
In addition to being a former colleague of many wanted war criminals – he is the former Bupati (Indonesian term of District Head) of Cova Lima District, an honourary member of the Indonesian special forces unit Kopassus, and a successful businessman with interests in cross border trade, trucking and is known for breeding racing horses.  In 1999 he supported the pro-autonomy option until the last moment, and then turned on his Indonesian general masters and told the world about TNI plans and actions to “torch” Timor in the wake of a vote for independence. In June 2006 he lead a anti-FRETILIN protest convoy to Dili as part of the effort to oust then Prime Minister Alkatiri.  He was caught on film claiming he was “prontu atu mate – ready to die”.  As blogged by FRETILIN leaning blogger Tatoli, and posted on You Tube.
Rui Lopes Leads Anti-FRETILIN protest convoy near Dili June 2006
Meanwhile the international press, Timorese websites, blogs and newslists are flooded with stories, gossip and commentary on the Bere Case. The domestic print media has literally used up a valuable forest on the issue.
Who is Bere?
Maternus Bere, was a  subcommander of the infamous pro-Indonesia Laksaur militia, organised, funded and directed by the Indonesian military, and based in Cova Lima district on the south west border with Indonesia.  Laksaur was an extension of the pro-autonomy apparatus funded by the Indonesian military and lead by Rui Lopes and others in Cova Lima.  Laksaur, and Bere, were responsible among other crimes, for the Suai Church Massacre on 6 September 1999, in which over 200 people were killed for their support of the Independence option in the 30 August 1999 UN run Popular Consultation.  Bere was subsquently indicted by the United Nations Special Panel on Serious Crimes, along with numerous other members of Laksaur for the Suai Church Massacre along with other human rights violations.
In summary Bere, a minor government offical in Indonesia and a wanted man for the last decade, crossed the border from Indonesia into Cova Lima district in August 2009. Critically, Tempo Semanal has obtained a copy of Bere's passport, showing it was issued in July 2009 by the Indonesian government, and that he was provided a visa by Timorese police on 5 August, three days before his arrest in Suai.  Bere was arrested by local people on 8 August, handed over the police, and subsequently released on 30 August 2009 by President Ramos-Horta, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, and Minister of Justice.  Bere is currently believed to be in the Indonesian Embassy in Dili
Maternus Bere – subcommander Laksaur Militia, 1999 – Tempo Semanal
Civil society reaction has been overwhelmingly negative.  On 25 September the leading weekly newspaper Tempo Semanal, blogged a video taken from the National Commission for Victims of Human Rights Congress meeting in early September, capturing the feelings of civil society – being frustration and anger.
The leading Opposition party, FRETILIN has introduced a motion to censure the Government, and is suggesting it will quit Parliament if the vote goes in support of the Government.
FRETILIN argues that the release is grossly unconstitutional, and is the last straw after a series of allegedly illegal actions by the Government and its Ministers over the last 2 years.  These actions include but are not limited to corrupt activities by the Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, the husband of the Minister of Justice and the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, to but a few.  Tempo Semanal has published dozens of corruption stories in the last year.
Additionally, Tempo Semanal obtained a copy of dispatch by Claudio Ximenes suggesting that the release of Bere was unconstituional and thus illegal, even going so far as to indicate that the President, Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, if found in breach of the law face jail terms of 2-6 years.  Prime Minister Gusmao responded by stating. ““I know where Becora prison is so as soon as a court sentence I will go there my self.”
Indeed the grand old man of Timorese politics, the country's first President, and the Proklamador (Proclaimer) of independence on 28 November 1975, Fransisco Xavier Amaral has declared that President Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao “La Iha Klamar – Have no Soul”.
The politico-legal witch's brew emanating from Cova Lima is threatening to engulf the country in a constitutional crisis, once again.  The events of 1975, 1999, and 2006 reverberate in 2009.  And to think, the Government wants investors to join it in pumping hundreds of million of dollars into major oil and gas infrastructure projects in Cova Lima and other south coast areas.
About CJITL
Centru Jornalista Investigativu Timor Leste (Centre for Investigative Journalism Timor-Leste) – CJITL
CJITL has been online for a year or so, but is proving to be a powerful new media outlet in Timor-Leste.
CJITL Screenshot
Written almost entirely in Tetun, an obscure language to those outside of Timor-Leste, and even to most foreigners inside Timor-Leste, CJITL is a daily online publication.  It compliments the groundbreaking work that weekly Tempo Semanal is doing.  Indeed, the CJITL see Tempo Semanal as something of an inspiration.
A little known fact about CJITL is that its webmaster is a Timorese working in the IT section of a major UN peackeeping mission in Africa – he learned his trade working for the UN in Dili.  Probably one of the UN's more successful acts of capacity building, even if by accident.

author: Keta Haluha


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Dominican Republic: Constitution Bans Abortion in All Cases · Global Voices
Rocio Diaz

After an intense debate, in which doctors, sociologists, representatives of the Catholic Church, international health organizations, and politicians participated, legislators from the Dominican Republic ratified an article within the Constitutional Reform that makes it illegal for a woman to terminate her pregnancy under any circumstance.
This decision, in which many say the influence of the Catholic Church and the proximity of upcoming Congressional elections played a large role, places the Dominican Republic among a small group of countries that Constitutionally prohibits abortion, including in health-related cases where the pregnancy places the fetus or the mother at risk. Females who have been victims of incest or rape also are banned from obtaining an abortion.
Abortion opposition banner outside the Cathedral in Santo Domingo by Duarte 101 and used with permission.
The article in question, currently known as Article 30, states: “the right to life is inviolable from conception until death. The death penalty cannot be established, decided, or applied in any case.”
Since its preliminary approval in April, protests have been constant [es]. Sociologist Rosario Espinal writes that women will now be deprived of a healthy and dignified life [es], adding that the doctors who performed illegal abortions will charge more money because of the higher risks.
Many believe that there will be an increase in clandestine abortions as a result of this decision, as well as higher rates of maternal mortality. However, the way that the Article was approved is also a subject for many bloggers.
Luis José López of Ahí e’ que Prende [es] highlights that the Article 30 has been the most controversial Article debated in this Constitutional Reform, and notes that even the human rights organization Amnesty International has come out against the decision [es]. According to López, the definition of a person's life merits a profound and sincere debate in which all interests are represented, and that is something that did not take place in the Dominican Republic:
El tema del aborto es un tabú en RD demasiado influenciado por las iglesias y las religiones. Mencionar la palabra es inclusive mal visto por muchos. Quienes se atreven a cuestionar el status quo, quienes se atreven a decir: “detengámonos a pensar” son inmediatamente censurados y condenados por el debate público.
With nearly 89% of the population identifying themselves as Roman Catholic, the Church has strong influence in all facets of society. However despite this strong faith, some bloggers like José Rafael Sosa, who is also Roman Catholic, does not agree that this personal decision should be regulated by the Constitution:
Respeto mi Iglesia pero ello no me impide analizar el dificil tema con mi optica. El espacio legal para enfrentar lo que se llama “Aborto Criminal”, no es la Constitución. Nadie en su sano juicio, puede apoyar que se aborte una criatura ya formada, genéticamente hablando, siempre que el embarazo sea producto de una decisión de la madre, no de una violación o que intervengan otras circunstancias clínicas. En primer lugar, el tema debió haber sido decididopor quienes traen hijos al mundo, no por puros hombres buscando votos de fe. En segundo lugar, no se buscaba consagrar constitucionalmente el derecho caprichoso a abortar. El aborto es una realidad social que no se gobierna con la dinámica de aprobación de leyes o artículos constitucionales. El aborto es una realidad social que ahora provocará un aumento de la mortalidad de las mujeres que tambien tienen una vida que ser preservada. Los culpables acaban de votar publicamente por esa posibilidad. Y eso es un crimen.
In the end, some bloggers feel like the legislators arrived at the decision based on their political interests.  In this manner, María Isabel Soldevila believes that Congress “turned their backs on the people. [es]”  María de Jesús, a reader of Diario Libre [es] sums up her disgust:
Sarta de hipocritas y a los que se creen que se votó por la vida, cuando una mujer tiene que abortar porque su vida esta en peligro y no lo hace SE MUEREN LA MUJER Y EL FETO! Balsa de ignorantes! La muerte va a tener un dos por uno en Republica Dominicana. Que vergüenza ser dominicana de ahora en adelante.

author: Rocio Diaz


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Global Health: HIV Vaccine Breakthrough? · Global Voices
Juhie Bhatia

For the first time, an experimental HIV vaccine has been shown to protect against the deadly virus, creating media buzz and giving the public health and HIV/AIDS communities hope.
The results of the largest-ever HIV vaccine trial, which was conducted in Thailand, were announced last week in a press release. Known as RV144, the study tested a combination of two older HIV vaccines on more than 16,000 Thai volunteers. The regimen was not only found to be safe, it was also 31 percent effective in preventing HIV infections. The trial was performed by the Thai Ministry of Public Health and sponsored by the U.S. Army Surgeon General.
Almost 5,500 people die due to AIDS every day and an estimated 32 million people have died from the disease since it surfaced in the early 1980s. The trial's results have been called modestly effective and a small step towards finding a safe and highly effective vaccine to help fight the disease. A post on the Asia Health Care Blog elaborates on this cautious optimism.
“Many public health experts, even ones with close links to the project, have been cautious about getting too excited about these results, particularly experts in countries where HIV/AIDS has become a pandemic, like in India.  Some have called it a base hit as opposed to a home run, and everyone is saying that just because this trial may have had some success, a ‘cure’ is still many years away.   In fact, experts do not even know how the vaccine mechanism works.”
Still, organizations such as UNAIDS are hailing the findings, saying it has instilled new hope in the 20-plus year search for a vaccine, which so far has seen few successes. Many bloggers, such as Brandon Lacy Campos, were also optimistic, despite recognizing the study's limitations. Blogging on My Feet Only Walk Forward, he says:
“Let the joyous news be spread the Red Ribbon Witch May One Day Be Dead!
Even though the study found that the vaccine only reduces the risk by 31% (which is way fucking better than 0%).
Even though the study was only done in Thailand with the strain of HIV most prevalent in Asia.
Even though the U.S. Army was the main funder of the vaccine trial.
I am still tickled red by this news.
Never before has any HIV vaccine been proven to be effective in preventing the spread of the infection. But some brilliant doctor in Thailand combined two previously ineffective vaccines and came up with a vaccine that, in fact, prevented, completely, HIV infection in a number of patients… So do not begrudge me my joy. I understand the limitations and boundaries of that joy, but hope breeds faith, and faith has been known to change the world if we let it.”
Beachlover, commenting on a post on Sawatdee Gay Thailand, is also not giving up  hope that a vaccine may be found. He says:
“A vaccine is likely a long way off. But it may happen eventually… they've only been going for 20 years and there's plenty of vaccines, which have taken decades to research.”
Other bloggers remain less optimistic, pointing out the study's potential flaws and questioning whether the results are actually statistically significant. The vaccine was tested on HIV-negative adult men and women, half of who received the vaccine while the rest were given inactive placebo shots. Over the course of three years, 74 of 8,198 people who received placebo shots became infected with HIV compared with 51 of the 8,197 who got the vaccine. The difference was found to be statistically significant, but PinoyPoz, blogging on Back In The Closet from the Philippines, expresses skepticism over the results. He says:
“I apologize, but really, I was skeptical to begin with. I’d never read about any even minute developments towards a vaccine against HIV. It was just too out of the blue and too sudden to be a success, I thought. I know, my pessimism got ahead of me. I just needed to read all about it myself….
… With the “vaccine”, approximately 6 in every 1,000 people got infected. But even without the “vaccine”, the chances of getting infected were still small. Just 9 in every 1,000 people. The difference? For me, minute.”
Martin, blogging in the U.K. on The Lay Scientist, also expresses much skepticism. He says:
“We have a result that is barely statistically significant, using a vaccine comprised of two components previously shown not to work, a methodology heavily criticised by a galaxy of experts in a joint letter to Science, and quirks in the results which would be consistent with the vaccine not working.
I'm not going to stick my neck out and call this trial a failure, but no self-respecting skeptic can look at this results and declare them to be anything other than tenuous.”
Some bloggers speculate that regardless of whether or not the trial results are a reason to celebrate, people may use it as an excuse to stop practicing safer sex. Jimbo, blogging from Malaysia on In My Father's Footsteps, says:
“We cannot deny the possibility of  a ‘rebound’ effect, in which people are lured into a false sense of security and let down their guard, like in the early days of HIV/AIDS where gay men returned to unsafe sex when AZT, the first anti-HIV medicine produced and marketed, was made available. They thought a cure for HIV has been found! In fact, Jimbo would think that it would be foolhardy to think that such a rebound effect would not occur.”
Other bloggers hope that more questions about the trial and the vaccine's true potential will be answered when the research paper is presented at the AIDS Vaccine Conference 2009. The conference will take place from October 19 to 22 in Paris, France.
Photo of Solo Needle by stevendepolo on Flickr, Creative Commons.

author: Juhie Bhatia


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Haiti: Thoughts on Dessalines  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands republishes blogger Ezili Danto's perspective on “that most maligned of Haitian Revolution leaders, Jean Jacques Dessalines.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Jamaica: Hard Times  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Stunner's Afflictions says that economic times are hard in Jamaica, while Iriegal remembers “the late 70's and 80's, when Jamaica was borrowing every 5 minutes from the IMF and the poor people were getting poorer”, adding: “I heard that they are much kinder and gentler now; I hope to God it is true.”


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Jamaica: Racist Cartoons?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Letter From Jamaica takes a visit to Kingston's National Gallery and posts photos of cartoons drawn in the early 1800s that “look kind of racist”.


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Nepal: Indian Currency Is Accepted · Global Voices
Rezwan

Paritosh Chakma informs that: “In Nepal, Indian Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes are not accepted. So, Indians have to carry Rs 100-notes which make your purse looks thicker. Everywhere you can pay in Indian Currency. The exchange is as follows: IC 100= NC 160.”


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Philippines: 2.5 million persons affected by flooding · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Photo from blog of Francesca in France
The number of flood casualties continues to rise in the Philippines: Almost 300 dead bodies. More than half a million individuals living in evacuation centers. And at least 2.5 million Filipinos affected by the flooding caused by Typhoon Ondoy which hit Metro Manila and nearby provinces last Saturday.
The latest disaster update from the government:
As of October 1, 2009, a total of 512,092 families or 2.5 million persons have been affected by Typhoon Ondoy. About 135,471 families or 686,000 persons are now staying in 726 evacuation centers. The total number of casualties is 324: 277 dead, 5 injured, 42 missing.
4,644 houses were damaged. There are 266 school buildings used as evacuation centers.
This video summarizes the deadly impact of Typhoon Ondoy in Metro Manila and nearby provinces
Bloggers are sharing their stories on how they survived Typhoon Ondoy. From SingleShutter.com:
What happened to our house was just unimaginable. It has never flooded in our subdivision, but today was a disaster. Started to flood in the street at 4pm. Soon water was coming out of the drains and the toilet! So the maid started moving the electronics to the 2nd floor. The computers, the camera equipment, the LCD TV, she caried them all by herself. The water continued to rise so she and our dog Yoshi went to the neighbor's house. They crossed the road while the water was chest deep. Yoshi was crying as they were crossing the street/river swimming.
Marikina Travel Buddy writes that many city hall employees of Marikina City were trapped in the government building
I passed by Marikina City Hall and it wasn’t spared from nature’s wrath. I remembered my friend who works at the City Hall texted me earlier saying that they are trapped at the second floor. Flood waters have occupied half of the first floor. A lot of important documents were affected and even the computers and servers that the City Hall was using are now under water.
Whiteboard mentions that cars were dragged away during the storm:
So there I was, no tv, no computer, my phone’s battery low signal blinking every 2 seconds. I learned from people who live nearby that villages in Marikina and Cainta are already under several feet of water. People were already on their rooftops waiting to be rescued. A relative who lives in Greenland said that they just parked the car a few minutes as they fetched their children in their home, a few minutes later they realized that the car has been dragged by the heavy water current and they had no idea where it went.
Anna was having lunch when floodwaters began to rise:
In Parañaque, half our village was submerged in murky water. In only a few minutes, water was already waist deep outside our gate! The water rose faster than we had imagined that we had to abruptly stop in the middle of our lunch to start lifting furniture and other equipments to higher spots.  Thankfully, both our houses were spared with the flood only reaching our garage and stopping a mere three inches below our front door.
This video shows that even a popular shopping mall was flooded last weekend:
Like many flood victims, Pinoy Buzz is now focused on removing the mud and cleaning the house
Since Monday, my wife, her siblings, and a couple of friends have been hauling mud out of the house. Along with the mud, we had to haul out all of the books that had been turned into pulp, shoes that are now unuseable, electric gadgets filled with mud, and a host of other things which are now unrecognizable.
Dennis Villegas criticizes the slow response of government agencies to distress calls:
Typhoon Ondoy is a disaster that exposed many hidden weaknesses in the government's preparedness for a calamity of this magnitude. Hundreds of people were trapped on the roofs of their homes as the flood heightened to drown them. They hoped in their heart of hearts that a rescue team will somehow emerge from the total darkness and bring them safely to a safe ground. But no one came. While people sent messages of help in their soaked and dying cellphones pleading for help, the Arroyo government went on closed-door meetings and media interviews, where a single second may have been significant in saving lives…In this kind of disaster, every second lost and may mean lost lives.
Hundreds of people were trapped, but very few rubber boats arrived for rescue. Many died, and those who survived had to be sobered by the fact that a few more hours of rain would have certainly killed them, had not the rain somehow diminished in the night. They had to wait in the morning to be rescued, spending the night cold, wet, hungry—but alive.
This video shows a flooded Manila underpass:
Twitter users continue to inform rescuers about the assistance required by flood victims
elvinuy: Santolan Pasig littered w/ debris, #Ondoy rescue vehicles unable to pass, MMDA pls help clear roads.
Bigenya: RT @bratinella: Help for Theresa Teano and family – 30 sampaguita st town and country exec. village, antipolo rizal.
elvinuy: RT @cheng_carreon: Pls help. Firetrucks needed in Provident to help hose houses. If u know any fire stations that can help, pls reply
And various perspectives on the recent storm and flood tragedies are pouring in:
momtintinbabao: RT @imnickmendoza: we can be more pro-active this time.let's gather ideas about proper waste disposal so we can prevent flooding again..
miriamq: When adversity comes knocking on the door or calamities occur, some people immediately think they have done something wrong..
WomenVote_2010: Residents of Tumana, Marikina using the garbage left by #Ondoy to make money by selling them in junk shops.
Reflection of a flood victim survivor:
Times like this, one may say that “I lost everything.” In our case, WE REGAINED SOMETHING.
We regained the love and respect for and from each member of our family. We regained moments with each other, which we have frequently taken for granted…And because they are now living with us, we are now together as one family every single day, instead of twice or thrice a week. We’re even sharing wi-fi access at home and accessing FB all at the same time.
My Ate says her biggest realization is that she didn’t possess anything. Except for some valuables, she’s almost ready to get rid of everything in their house

author: Mong Palatino


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‘Samoa will remember this day in her heart for ever’ · Global Voices
John Liebhardt

Bloggers and citizen journalists are reacting to the massive earthquake and subsequent Tsunami that struck both Samoa and American Samoa, destroying crops, property and killing an estimated 150 people.
Shortly before 7 am local time Wednesday, September 30, an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale hit 120 miles off Apia, Samoa’s capital. Almost immediately giant waves at least twenty feet high hit both countries.
The shockwaves immediately spread across the Pacific, where governments and media scrambled to warn citizens – especially those who work on the water or those attending school or living in low-lying areas. Because of the nature of tsunamis (they can travel about 500 miles — 800 km — per hour), and the great distances in the Pacific, some people had to wait nearly three hours anticipating tsunami-like waves.
However, nothing measuring the damage in Samoa or American Samoa was reported. Eastern islands in the Fiji group reported waves over one-foot high just 30 minutes after the earthquake. New Zealand, some 1800 miles from the epicenter, reported waves at 40 cm, or 15 inches.
From footage by a cameraman named Rayner W, who took a walking tour of the damage in Leone, American Samoa.
Erica Wales, a Peace Corps volunteer in Salesatele, Samoa, is lucky to be alive.
From the blog Peace Corps Adventures in Samoa:
I was sleeping when the 8.0 earthquake hit. My house started shaking and things were falling off shelves. Books fell down, the phone mounted on my wall fell down, cans of food fell…I’m smart enough to know when things start falling it is probably wise to get out. So grabbed my phone and left my room. The shaking lasted a long time too, at least a minute. I texted a good friend here with the message of “shit that was big” when it was over. She agreed. About that time I got a call from the Peace Corps medical officer that I should probably move inland because the possibility of a tsunami. So I grabbed an ie and left.
I was walking on the road which parallels the beach when I noticed something wasn’t right. I could see structures like rocks and coral which I have never seen above water, not even at the lowest of low tides. This didn’t bode well. Then I noticed the really odd wave action, something just wasn’t right. I had just turned the corner of the road and was now headed inland, versus parallel to the beach as I had been just one minute before, when the waves hit the beach and surged up the road. At this point I started running, as did my village. As I was running I could hear the water surging up the river, tearing trees down.
I got up to the main road where most everyone was. The matai were directing everyone to head to Siuniu, the village inland. I could see the look of panic and worry as parents asked where their kids were, for they were headed to the primary school which is near me. The matai were organized and knew where to direct the parents to in order to find their kids. I went up to Siuniu and waited with my village. At this point we were getting reports of a school in Poutasi (a few villages to the west) collapsing and killing three kids. Everyone was on phones, calling relatives and friends in neighboring villages, trying to find out what was going on. Reports came that 50 people in Poutasi were dead, buried in the sand. A boy in neighboring Salani died. And 15 in Aleipata were dead. As far as I know at this point, no one in my village died. We are lucky.
Then, she adds, almost in passing:
Then I got a report that my house and another were destroyed. I wanted to go and see if this was true, but I knew to stay. I waited a few hours then went to see what the damage was. Sure enough, my house was flattened. The tsunami ripped the house from its foundation and deposited it 10 feet in front of the house, collapsed beyond repair. I could see all of my stuff waterlogged and muddy. I’m not sure what can be salvaged. I’m going back tomorrow to find out what I can still use, but I know most things will be trashed.
Matt, another Peace Corps volunteer, was posting throughout the day. He takes us through the hurry-up-and-wait reality that often goes along with a natural disaster.
From Matt’s Samoa Blog:
About 8 minutes ago, we just had a big earthquake. Big. No information yet on the exact magnitude, but it was quite long and certainly big enough to knock over stuff around my house. I'm guessing it was at least a 6.0 on account of the stuff flying about. About 40 seconds in, I grabbed my laptop because I was afraid the cinderblock shelf was going to fall on top of it. The quake went on and on and on to the point it felt like it was continuously shaking into the aftershock phase. And we've had a couple aftershocks already.
…
Most of Apia evacuated to higher ground. Uphill roads became one-way highways for cars and buses, but most of us just walked. Tsunami sirens blared across Apia. Church bells rang. My school rang its bell. The Peace Corps sent out mass text messages, which they followed up with phone calls to make sure everyone was heading inland.
I walked with a couple girls from my 11.3 class and held an impromptu geology lesson.
There was much confusion as to where we were supposed t go and where we could stop. Students asked me where we were going, and I could only tell them we were going “Up.” A couple teachers also asked me. “I was following you,” I said.
Eventually I setup camp with a bunch of year 13s where we had plain sight of the ocean. We hung out in the shade, and my cell phone got passed around.
After about an hour some people started heading back downhill, but most of us stayed in place. I wanted to get clear word from the Peace Corps before I left. And then I did.
…
News is sketchy. It sounds like the south, and particularly the southeast, parts of Upolu were most affected. It's difficult to know whether the damage was caused by the quake itself or the subsequent rising water levels. I've also heard the number of fatalities is 14, although it was unclear if that was for Samoa or American Samoa.
Then, Matt provides an inventory of damage to his friends’ houses.
I just talked to Asolima and she said Fausaga is okay. They have a marshy inlet that separates the village from the ocean, so it was able to blunt the effects of the rising tide. Nonetheless, many of the families have retreated inland to the more elevated maumaga. As I was on the phone with Asolima, she said the radio was broadcasting new tsunami warnings and they would probably head up the mountain once more. She added they'd probably sleep there.
Much of Fausaga's neighboring village, Tafitoala, sits along the ocean and was badly hit. Much of the Tafitoala Beach Fales have been wiped out as well as a bunch of the other houses along the beach. Neighboring beach resorts, including Sinalei and Coconuts, were also badly hit.
Koa is fine. He lives on the north side of the island and everything in his village is mostly back to normal. Supy evacuated with Dan and Paul and spent the morning drinking niu. He said the water level rose, but his village came through unharmed. Phil lives right on the water, but said the water didn't come onto land. Paul and Dan's village suffered minor damage, and a woman reportedly died from a heart attack.
I've heard Erin's village may have seen a 20-foot wave. That estimate is based on boats lying 200 meters inland. The secondary school in her village collapsed.
Another Peace Corps volunteer returns to her work the day after and learns some bad news. From the blog See Reeves:
I was up at 6 am as usual and saw the neighbors returning home (the entire family had mysteriously packed up and left the house at 10 pm last night). I went over to ask if their family was ok. The neighbor also happens to be the director of the school board, so I asked if school was still on for today. He said yes. So I responded to the numerous emails filling my inbox, took a shower and went to school.
I knew right away that there were not going to be classes. The student population, usually more than 600, had dropped to less than 100 students. Every student and teacher I passed on the walk up the school drive, I asked if their families were ok. Moleli, the P.E. instructor, had lost three members of his extended family. Every one expressed their happiness to see me and their concern for me yesterday. I had hightailed it out of town the minute we got the Peace Corps evacuate message, which was before I had ever made it to school that day. The other teachers had worried about me.
When the evacuation order had come, the school principal and three of the teachers had filled vehicles with students to drive them inland. While they were up the hill a parent of a Year 9 girl student had arrived in a van and picked up nine students to drive inland. On the way up the hill something happened with the van, it lost power and all breaks. The car began to roll down the hill backwards. The driver turned the wheel, thinking he should be facing the way the van was rolling. This sent the van flipping side over side down the hill. All nine students were taken to the hospital and one student, the driver of the van's own daughter, was killed in the accident.
Moleli had transported the students to the hospital himself and sat with them for hours, refusing medical attention for an injury to his head until every student had been seen. He was extremely touched by the concern of visiting medical volunteers, Germaine and Imogen (possibly from Ireland or Scotland). Reaching into his pocket he produced the scrap of paper that contained their cell phone number. He told me he had called them later that night and had spoken with them for nearly two hours.
Talking to the teachers I could sense the raw emotion just under the surface. They were tired and frayed around the edges. Samoa had just experienced the most devastating natural disaster in recent history. Even the cyclones of the early 90's had not claimed as many lives (death toll numbers still vary widely).
“Samoa will remember this day in her heart for ever,” said Moleli.

author: John Liebhardt


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Trinidad & Tobago: Law or Ethics?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I tend to come at things from an ethical standpoint whereas most seem to come from a legal standpoint”: Trinidad-based KnowProSE.com examines the law as opposed to ethics and politics versus real issues.


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Energy of Money  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

From Trinidad and Tobago, Now is Wow Too shares her perspective on money.


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USA: Mapping DREAM Act Online Youth Movements · Global Voices
Marisol Ramos

Immigrant high school and university students in the United States have used the internet effectively in building activist networks to support the passing of a law called the DREAM act.
A law that would offer hope
I have been living in the U.S. for most of my life and now that i have graduated high school i can't continue my life like i wanted to. If this act is passed i can go to school and study for a great career. I hope congress can make this happen, so thousands of people in my same situation can fufill their dreams. -Yoammy Cifuentes
More than 19,900 signatures and personal pleas like the one above have been posted so far on the DreamAct2009.com petition website urging the U.S. lawmakers to support a proposed bill called the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act). If passed, the new law would offer a 6-year path to legalization for undocumented youth who came to the United States before their 16th birthday, graduated from high-school, and have been enrolled in college or the military for more than 2 years.
Different versions of the bill have been up for discussion since 2001 (it was last rejected in 2007), but the Dream Act was re-introduced for review in both chambers of congress on March 26, 2009.
The fight for the Dream Act over the past five years has produced a steadily growing stream of immigrant youth activists, who have become politically engaged either through high school and campus organizations, national coalitions, internet and blogs, and youth projects within immigrant rights organizations. Since the re-introduction of the bill, thousands of undocumented youth and their allies have become re-energized in their efforts and a number of new online initiatives have appeared.
The young people in question are sons and daughters of immigrants who entered the United States without papers. Often they arrive too young to even recall their home countries. They attend school and are raised in American culture, only to find as they leave high school that their opportunities for higher education and employment are stunted by their legal status. As they come of age, they must hide in the shadows of American life in isolation and fear of deportation.
A report (PDF) by the Migration Policy Institute from 2006 estimated that at least 360,000 undocumented youth between the ages of 18-24 would be eligible for citizenship under the Dream Act. Today, that number may be significantly higher.
Online youth activism
This map identifies some of the scope of this organizing across the national landscape. Immigrant youth-led projects have thrived and matured, within a variety of organizational models.
Immigrant youth organizing is not limited to cities like Miami, New York City and Los Angeles, but also appears in regions of the South and Midwest, which have seen immigration increase rapidly in recent years. Youth organizing around the Dream Act appears to have provided a stepping stone for immigrant youth to become more politically active by gaining exposure to different streams of social justice work, and sharing responsibility for building a movement based on principles of social inclusion and justice.
The colors indicate the following:
Yellow = Online Based organizations
Red = State Based Immigrant Rights organizations
Green = Policy organizations
Blue = Student organizations
Here are a few of the leading youth groups online:
DreamActivist.org is the online clearinghouse and blog network for the United We Dream coalition. It was co-founded by a group of undocumented youth who met via the Dream Act Portal, an online forum. DreamActivist.org provides information and resources to undocumented youth via a toll-free number and daily blog posts. The youth have also created an online petition website at www.dreamact2009.com and actively blog at Change.org.
Underground Undergrads is a project of the UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education. Students of the “Immigrant Rights, Labor, and Higher Education” course compiled a series of written and video interviews with undocumented fellow students at UCLA. The students maintain a blog documenting their advocacy in favor of the Dream Act. Underground Undergrads arose from the student group IDEAS at UCLA, a student led support project for undocumented students at UCLA. Students fundraise for scholarships as well as conduct outreach and informational workshops about access to higher education and the Dream Act.
The Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles has helped anchor the California Dream Network, a student network encompassing 24 college campuses throughout the state and a coalition of eight high school chapters known as WISE UP!. Together, the network targets over 600 members connected monthly via email and convened in person at least twice a year.
Voces de la Frontera’s youth organizing project, Students United for Immigrant Rights (SUFRIR), has over 200 members in high schools in Racine, Madison and Milwaukee. SUFRIR has also spurred the creation of Students United in the Struggle (S.U.I.T), an African American counterpart; they work closely together on expanding access to higher education and youth voter education projects.
New York State Youth Leadership Council is a network of young advocates representing high schools, colleges,communities of faith and community-based organizations committed to promoting the advancement of immigrant youth through leadership development, organizing and advocacy. The NYSYLC currently runs an immigrant youth civics program and a scholarship program for undocumented youth.
The Latino/a Youth Collective of Indiana began as a high school dropout prevention program called El Puente Project. El Puente was initiated in 2000 in Indianapolis, Indiana as a university-based initiative of the School of Education at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). El Puente helps inform and organize students in support of the Dream Act.
National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC)  coordinates three Asian-Pacific American youth projects named ORANGE, FYSH and MIST in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York respectively. As the voices of the API youth in the Dream Act movement, the groups have produced YouTube videos, launched a national postcard campaign, and started a Dream Scholarship Fund. In New York, MIST has trained youth to engage other citizen youth to register to vote and helped register over 5,000 young voters.
Student Immigrant Movement was founded in 2005 by a group of immigrant students from Boston, Massachusetts; who were faced with the challenge of not having equal access to higher education as their classmates because of their Immigration status. Currently, Student Immigrant Movement is working for passage of in-state tuition in Massachusetts. The parent organization Massachusetts Neighbor to Neighbor hosts the youth project.
Padres and Jovenes Unidos (Parents and Youth United) is a Denver, Colorado based inter-generational and multi-issue organization that has fought for educational equity, student rights and justice for immigrants. Jovenes Unidos has emerged as the youth initiative of Padres Unidos. It is a steering member of the Higher Education Access Alliance, and together with the The Bell Policy Center; the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition; the Colorado Progressive Coalition; Metro Organizations for People and Padres they have recently fought for in-state tuition in Colorado.
Students Working for Equal Rights, the youth organizing project of the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC), now has four chapters in South and Central Florida and sponsored a Statewide Student Summit. Based largely on community college and university campuses, it has been active in national and state Dream Act mobilizations. SWER has also developed internet campaigns against INS deportations, as in the case of Juan Gomez.
National battleground
Youth activism around the Dream Act is reaching a new peak in 2009, particularly because of the renewed interest in the Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) and a significant change in the political landscape since the election of President Obama.
The map above demonstrates a shift in the political landscape from 2007 to 2009. The Dream Act has always had a life of its own, considered by many to be the least controversial of immigrant reform measures, even among some conservatives. But while there has been a growing web of local and state based groups fighting for the federal Dream Act–alongside a number of state versions of the bill that would provide access to public university systems–the national infrastructure for the campaign has been very thin.
The United We Dream Network currently housed at the National Immigration Law Center (NILC)  in Washington DC has attempted to centralize organizing and advocacy efforts on behalf of the bill. By providing trainings, weekly organizing conference calls, up-to-date knowledge about the state of the bill and opportunities to convene, the United We Dream Network has been helpful in connecting organizing groups. Its major event, in the summer of 2009, was to stage a mock graduation/advocacy day session in Washinton D.C. with over 500 youth attending from across the country. This year, on September 23, United We Dream activists organized hundreds of Back to School Day Actions in more than 20 states.
See Global Voices special coverage page about the DREAM Act

author: Marisol Ramos


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Armenia: Weddings · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Running around Armenia post photographs and a comprehensive account of a wedding in the South Caucasus country. The blog says that in some ways an Armenian wedding is similar to those in the West, but in other ways not.