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Myanmar: Damning the Dams · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Dathana at the Blog of Nyein of Chan Yar complains about the environmental damage bound to be caused by a planned series of dams on the Salween River along the Thai-Myanmar border: “Burma stupid generals just know how to get money. They do not consider how much damage will be caused by these large dams to the country. The environmental damage cannot be changed back once happened.  Once these dams are built, Burma will suffer from these dams eternally.”


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Nepal: More violence · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Nepal is struck by violence yet again – “Maoists rebels, declared terrorists by the state, killed three army men in the Monday (Feb 27) morning clash at Kavre Bhanjyang of Kavre Palanchwok district. ” United We Blog! has a chilling photo-feature of the aftermath, surveying the fear and the tension in the area.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Nigeria: Webmasters & webdesigners unite online · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Emmanuel Oluwatosin’s Thought Line reports on a new online space specifically for Nigerian webmasters and webdesigners..

author: Sokari Ekine


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North Korea: Food aid argument · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Scott Bruce of NKZone notes an essay by South Korean scholar Wonhyuk Lim on food aid to North Korea. “The end of the Cold War showed that even “an evil empire” was full of normal people and leaders who could bring about an enormous change when it was engaged with the outside world,” Lim writes.

author: Luisetta Mudie


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Octavia Butler: Science Fiction · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Ore's Notes  and Ramblings of an African Geek both mourn the passing of African American science fiction writer, Octavia Butler.


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Pakistan: Television Project · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Raheel profiles a television project Pehchaan – “She worked with writer Azra and shaped up a interesting plot and story for the serial which revolves around the lives of three Pakistani girls living and working in New York, their stories and conflicts as they relate to US-based Pakistani Diaspora in general.”


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Polish Blogosphere Update · Global Voices
Jordan & Maria Seidel

Upon news of  the arrest of 17 pedophiles in Poland, part of a worldwide Internet child porn sting started in Spain, Peter Gentle of the beatroot ponders whether looking at such images is also a crime.
Polish bloggers, while in agreement that looking at such images is perverse, are mixed on the question of whether it actually constitutes a crime. In the comments section of the beatroot, Roman says that on the one hand, simply looking at child porn is not enough to be criminal, but on the other hand:
…the problem of the “slippery slope” [rears] its ugly head. Where do we draw the line?
Peter G. suggests that we should draw the line when thought leads to behavior. He compares watching – or veiwing – porn to thinking, implying that viewing child porn is not actually a behavior we should criminalize. He continues the slippery slope argument:
…then once they have reached the bottom and the dirty little fantasies turn into behaviour, then that is when pedophilia becomes a crime. But watching something is very similar to thinking something. It all happens in their heads.
But DBN, also in a comment, adds that simply viewing might be criminal because it creates a demand for these materials in which children are exploited:
…I think the reason why looking at child pornography is illegal is the assumpsion that some children were hurt in the production of these materials.
Peter G. also challenges the stereotype or unfair association made between pedophiles and gays, indicating that most pedophiles are in fact heterosexual. The debate continues on the beatroot.
Along the legal front, the Polish government reached a compromise over data retention for telecoms. The law, introduced by the Law and Justice party, was a rather draconian response to cries from the law enforcement community that they cannot fight corruption effectively without data retention of at least 4 years. Dariusz Czuchaj at Poland – IP law news and resources  reports on the data retention compromise drafted in part to fight terrorism and corruption.
Is Poland getting a lobotomy? Gustav of Warsaw Station reports on the latest brain drain phenomenon to hit the service and professional sectors of Poland. He takes a more personal view of the issue, despite the fact that Poland “loses about 30,000 workers, many of them young and well-educated, to Britain, Ireland and Sweden”:
…the skills of the highly-trained programmers and computer technicians heading out of Poland are next to useless here – at least this gives them the chance to earn a bit more money, maybe sending some back to Poland. Who knows, maybe they'll return to Poland and start up a business in 10 or 20 years.
But his exuberance for personal choice ebbs a bit when it comes to Polish doctors leaving, since “Poland needs all the good ones [doctors] it can get.” In the end, the best case scenario for Poland, as a nation, might very well be the restrictions on worker mobility still in place throughout the EU. While individual Poles may complain that they need 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet, Poland itself may be benefitting, albeit temporarily, from labor mobility restrictions.
On the lighter, but no less passionate side, the ongoing debate over the best city in Poland continues on p3. Aaron Fowles’ recent visit to Krakow renewed his interest in Poland. A resident of the western city of Poznan, Aaron was refreshed by Krakow's cultural vibe:
This place is amazing!! They advertized a chess tournament on the radio! There are jazz clubs! Hurrah!
In a comment, the beatroot begged to differ, favoring Gdansk:  “[it] is better, cheaper and the people don't all look like middle aged ladies from Austria…”
Gustav gave a nod to Krakow but is turned off by the snobbery, preferring to live in the Polish capital, Warsaw.
That's the Poland blogopshere update! Until next time – Do widzenia!
P.S. Stay tuned for a roundup of Polish-language blogs (which number over 10 million) in future updates. We will translate the main ideas into English.

author: Jordan & Maria Seidel


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Russia: Anatoly Fomenko and his New Chronology vs David Irving · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Alex(ei) of The Russian Dilettante's Weblog writes about a respected Russian mathematician Anatoly Fomenko and his controversial “new chronology of world history” – in which, for example, “Jesus Christ and emperor Constantine were the same person.” Alex(ei) cites an anonymous LiveJournal user: “…if David Irving deserves three years in jail, Anatoly T. Fomenko deserves the firing squad.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Russia: “Buratino-the-Pooh” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Konstantin of the Russian Marketing Blog shares a really weird label: instead of a bear, there's Buratino, the Russian Pinocchio, on the cake called “Winnie-the-Pooh Cake”: “No, Russians don’t call Pinocchio Winnie. Why is this picture on the cake’s box? Call “Vega-Nord” Bakery hot line.”


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Russia: Chechen and Ingush NGOs Fear the Pressure On Them Will Increase · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

David McDuff of A Step At A Time has translated an article by Liza Osmayeva on the Chechen and Ingush NGOs’ concern about local law enforcement agencies’ increased interest in their work. Representatives of the Ingushetia-based Information Centre of the Council of Non-Governmental Organizations and the Chechen National Salvation Committee are quoted in the piece.


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Russia: Krasnaya Polyana Ski Resort · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

W. Shedd of The Accidental Russophile reads “the story of a complete ski-wimp on a trip to Krasnaya Polyana” in SKI Magazine. Krasnaya Polyana is Vladimir Putin's favorite ski resort.


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Russia: Maslyanitsa · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

W. Shedd of The Accidental Russophile writes about Maslyanitsa, a part-pagan, part-Christian holiday, celebrating the arrival of spring and the approach of the pre-Easter fast, and how it is marked in Russia nowadays.


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Russia: More On the Anniversary of Khrushchev’s Speech · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Somewhat belatedly, links to more posts by Sean Guillory's on the 50th anniversary of Nikita Khrushchev's denunciation of Stalin: Boris Kagarlitsky on “sacrificing” the dictator in order to save the system; Anne Applebaum on “authoritarian impulse” in countries new to democracy; Julian Evans on the “cult of Putin” in Russia; and Sean's musing on, among other things, “the lack of recognition of a collective responsibility about mass repression in Russia.” (Other posts related to the anniversary are mentioned here.)


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Russia: Moscow’s Suburbs and Sightseeing · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Snowsquare.com and Two-Zero visit the more remote Moscow neighborhoods – Konkovo and Tyoplyi Stan – and take pictures. Jane Keeler of From Russia With Blog has lots of stories and photos from her sightseeing trip to Moscow, too.


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Russia: Moscow’s Tverskaya Street · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Snowsquare.com writes about Moscow's central street, Tverskaya: the unique way of lighting it at night, and the final days of Hotel Minsk (22 Tverskaya), built in 1964.


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Russia: Photos From Feb. 23 Rallies in Moscow · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Marina Litvinovich links (RUS) to photos from Feb. 23 rallies and marches that took place in Moscow: here, here, here, here, here, and here. The majority of the photos are from the rally in front of Russia's Defense Ministry, where people gathered to demand the army's reform and resignation of the defense minister.


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Russia: “Salt Crisis” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Two-Zero writes about “salt crisis” in Russia – allegedly, a direct consequence of the “gas crisis” in Ukraine – and the difficult relationship between Russia and Ukraine.


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Sierra Leone: Music for reconciliation · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Soul on Ice reports on a visit by UK “emcee and dj of Original Fever on BBC 1Xtra” to Sierra Leone  “and dropped a wikid and very heartening documentary on his travels”


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Singapore, Thailand: Photoblogging Protests · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Singapore-based themediaslut is photoblogging protests in Thailand against business mogul and PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who last week dissolved parliament and called snap elections as a response to the public outcry over the tax-free millions earned from the sale of a controlling stake in his Shin Corp. to Singapore's Temasek Holdings.

author: Jose Manuel Tesoro


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South Africa: Failed habitats · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

African HOUSEIT writes on “Failed Habitats”  that is the thousands of homes that lack proper sewage systems and water supplies...”Thousands in the area have no private access to water, and hundreds of people are forced to share single taps. More than 15,000 use what is euphemistically called the “bucket system” — a household bucket used as a toilet, with slopping out in communal dumps every morning. Across South Africa almost 900,000 people are forced to use the bucket system.”


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South Africa: Mbeki Interview · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

South Africa reports on a recent newspaper interview with South African President, Thabo Mbeki in which he covered mistakes by the Government in the first five years of local government, on corrutpion and government poweres encroaching on the judiciary.


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Sudan: Sudanese officals involved in HR violations · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Passion of the Present reports on the release of the names of high ranking Sudanese officials involved in “gross human rights violations”….”The names on the U.N. sanctions list underscore how top Sudanese officials have been responsible for ongoing atrocities in Darfur,”


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The week in Kenyan Blogs · Global Voices
Juliana Rotich

Image courtesy of White African
This week has Kenyan bloggers writing about very diverse topics, let us start with  sports
White African reminisces about rugby in Kenyan High schools , generating about 20 comments, that is how passionate Kenyan's can be about rugby.
Kenya Cricket has an excellent play by play rundown of the game between Kenya and Zimbabwe.Kenya wins!
Another sport that Kenyans are passionate about – drumroll please? Soccer. habari Kenya writes about “Man U vs Arsenal vs the rest” reffering to the English premier league, that Kenyans follow quite closely.
Sadly, Memoire exits the blogging stage with a finale that discusses her thoughts on blogging, i do hope she comes back in future as does Adrian. He invites his readers to make him happy by bidding for a good cause – proceeds go towards habitat for humanity. With a starting bid of 425,000, he wishes someone would convince memoire to come back to blogging. The reason why her exit is sad is that memoire would post about shared experiences that are uniquely kenyan, and thus she will be missed greatly.
Unganisha is back after a 6 month break, with a vivid post “Kampala Endless Nights” about his trip to Kampala. This post is particularly apt as Uganda borders Kenya, and had elections this week, where Yoweri Museveni won the election.
Kikuyu Moja shares his thoughts about the challenge of harambees (fund raising) for a social project like a children's home. He considers the perceptions of Kenyans towards charity.
…Hence, the provoking allegation that I would like to make and on which I would like YOU to comment on is that there are a lot people out there – no matter what nationality – that don’t give a damn about others. And it’s not only that they don’t care, it’s also that they seem to think that OTHERS might be responsible for the fate of street/abandoned children, the environment,  politics / etc..
Charity begins at home? For them it ends at home.
Gukira posts  “On being clever”. He discusses how the Kenyan school system encourage a certain brand of ‘clever’ if you will, and how those who've gone through the system would understand how the word ‘clever misrecognizes the technical facility for intelligence’.
Kenyan Pundit live blogged the TED conference in California,  where she gives us good news about the 2007 TED conference in Africa.
The conference will be in Arusha, Tanzania from June 3-7. The theme will be Africa: The Good News. TED will be providing 100 scholarships to make it possible for (young) African thought-leaders, entrepreneurs, activists, creative souls, bloggers etc., from the continent and the diaspora.
This january post by the journalist John Kamau,  is worth a read, as he interviewed Isaiah Mathenge ‘The last governor of Rift Valley’.
There is always commentary about politics, and this past week, more to life looks at kenyan politics, and other recent news using the metaphor “The pontius pilate syndrome”, with “Government of Kenya as pontius Pilate, Raila and LDP as the pharisees, the real culprits of the Anglo leasing and Goldenberg scandals as Barrabas and the usual screaming crowds as themselves.”
You missed this gives his reasons why he thinks “…That The Current War On Corruption Is A Train Heading To A Place Called “Nowhere””
Wangu of the group blog virtually insane writes a very sane piece about the current kenyan affliction if i may call it that, of how kenyans respond to corruption and famine, and ends with an examination of the kenyan dream. She asks, “what are we waiting for?”
Nyakehu shares her thoughts  about the famine in Kenya, as does What an African Woman thinks who notes “When it is has become commonplace to vie for right of way with (emaciated) cattle in Nairobi, you know that there really is a drought and it is very serious.”
We conclude with some poetry, the piece “You” by lifemoments, and the piece “In Praise of Love” by Munaks,where he provides an english translation and historical context of the swahili poem.

author: Juliana Rotich


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Uganda: Museveni wins · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Jewels in the Jungle reports on the Ugandan elections won by Yoweri Museveni and writes “Museveni's win leaves Western donors in a dilemma. Unhappy that the constitution was changed to allow him to run for a third term, they were further infuriated by the brief detention of Besigye prior to the election on rape and treason charges, which then hampered his campaign.”


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Ukraine: Faces and Churches of Lviv · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Carpetblogger has visited the western Ukrainian city of Lviv and shares photos of local churches of various denominations and of the creatures that look at you from the buildings.


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Ukraine: Party of Putin’s Politics · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Scott W. Clark of Foreign Notes writes about some Ukrainian parties competing in this year's parliamentary race; among them is the Party of Putin's Politics (Neeka's Backlog has more on it) and the Pensioners’ Party.


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Uruguay, France: A Mix of Grapes and Cultures · Global Voices
David Sasaki

SaltShaker weighs in with some hidden World War II history between Uruguay and France and how it contributed to Uruguayan Cognac.

author: David Sasaki


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Venezuela: 17th Anniversary of Caracazo · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Oil Wars remembers the tragic massacre which took place 17 years ago today when “the government of Carlos Andres Perez sent the army into the streets to put down, with bullets, the huge popular protests against his stringent economic package which involved increasing fuel and transport prices.”


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Venezuela: 90’s Poetry and the Magic Middle · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Venepoetics links to an anthology of Venezuelan poetry from the 90's. Iria Puyosa says she is little impressed by the top 100 blogs according to Technorati (ES) and is much more a fan of the “magic middle.” She offers readers her own top 25.


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Vietnam: Memories of Hanoi · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Six Months in Hanoi, on his last night in Vietnam's capital city, shares three memories: a rain-soaked ride on the back of a motorcycle, approaching a temple altar, and waiting out a storm in an Internet cafe.


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Voices from Central Asia and the Caucasus · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Cows by Lake Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan
Welcome to the latest roundup from the Central Asian and Caucasian blogosphere brought to you bi-weekly by neweurasia. As usual, we take you through the countries alphabetically.
Armenia:
As a matter of routine, we’d like to draw your attention to the Oneworld blog where Onnik Krikorian has written up his latest roundup from the (English-speaking) Armenian blogosphere. This week, there has been little political discussion, and the bloggers focus on writing about culture. On the same blog, Nessuna summarises the Armenian-language blogosphere, containing great information on the country’s higher education system and the problem of unemployment. And, on another cultural note, Who knew Armenians could Rap wonders whether one can reconcile the fact that on the one hand young Armenian hip-hop-savvies love crosses and frequently rap about Jesus, but on the other hand hardly ever go to attend church.
Azerbaijan:
Carpetblogger, who has now firmly relocated to the Ukraine, couldn’t resist from offering his very own perspective on a recent Financial Times rating, declaring Azerbaijan’s capital Baku one of the winners in the contest “2006/2007 European City of the Future”. Despite attracting two MacDonald’s branches and, well, considerable oil-cash, he is sceptical whether the people responsible for the contest have actually ever been to Azerbaijan.
Georgia:
SueAndNotYou wonders why Georgia features a list called The 14 Most Dangerous Destinations 2006. While Sue has to admit that she had lost her wallet before and some friends tried to assassinate her with vodka, she is a bit disappointed and fears for her Georgia’s reputation. Ben of neweurasia has attended a very interesting lecture giving a critical account of the Rose Revolution in 2003.
Kazakhstan:
Kazakhstan is currently living through a full-blown political crisis that sparked off when opposition politician Sarsenbaev got killed two weeks ago. This weekend saw the first anti-government protests on Respublika Square in Almaty for years. Nathan over at Registan.net, neweurasia and Democracy Rising have been covering the story. Also at neweurasia, there is a discussion underway about who might be blamed for the murder and whether it is really that easy to simply point the finger at the government. The murder of Kazakh opposition leader has caused anger and dissent, as Petruchooo documents. A vigil held in the memory of Altynbek Sarsenbayev was broken up by the police and petruchooo features a photo and account of the events.
Kyrgyzstan:
The Golden Road to Samarqand writes about traditions in Kyrgyzstan and highlights the problem of spending far too much money on events such as funerals and weddings. Controversy over at Betsy’s The Moveable Feast: It seems she has been a little bit fed up with life in Jalalabad lately and wanted to voice her anger/confusion on her blog. However, loads of Kyrgyz people found out about the post and engaged her in a hefty discussion, coming very close to the edge of mutual verbal abuse. If taken with some grains of irony, it is, however, absolutely funny reading, both the actual post and the comments. This week, Edil Baisalov sets off for Oxford, in the United Kingdom, to attend a conference entitled “Kyrgyzstan at the Crossroads”. He promises to keep his readers updated about his conference-attending activities, which will also take him to Sweden and Finland.
Tajikistan:
James of neweurasia informs the interested reader that in Tajikistan, President Rakhmonov let’s democracy go exactly as far as he wants, and no one is surprised.
Turkmenistan:
In one of the most in-depth discussions about Turkmenistan’s unknown future after President Niyazov, Peter of neweurasia and some fellow readers exchange their points of view about what could be likely future scenarios. Courtesy of Turkmen blogger Karakum, who has also participated in the exchange, the complete discussion is now also available in Russian on his blog, where in turn some interesting comments have been published. Other newsworthy tidbits from Turkmenistan include a bird-flu scare, demolition of houses in the Caspian Sea port town Krasnovodsk (now called after the President Turkmenbashi) and the ongoing coverage of the gas row between Turkmenistan and the Ukraine.
Uzbekistan:
Bсеузный блог reports about an Uzbek musician named DG Pilgrim who became popular enough in his home country to move to Moscow to work as a producer. From there, he moved to Kazakhstan, where he is very popular to the present day. Now, he has moved back to Tashkent, and is working on a number of new projects, including two videos, and in May will hold a concert called “Pilgrim and Friends.” In a sequel to the photo shoot on footwear in Samarkand, Бозор presents a photographic tour young people’s clothing. Origuy, originally from Tashkent but now living in Sydney, marvels at the fact that foreign films on television are not dubbed. His blog charts the progress of his stay in Australia.
Regional news:
The Winter Olympics are over now, and here some favourite blog posts from the region: Alan Cordova analysed whether the opening ceremony music choice for the respective countries had a secret meaning, Tidor endorses Almaty’s bid to host the games in 2014 (wait, is there any sarcasm???) and My Wrath explains why American figure skater Sasha Cohen is not pseudo-Kazakh reporter Borat (whose real life name is Sacha Baron Cohen). On a more serious note, neweurasia has now finished its special coverage of HIV/Aids in the region and you can read the reports on Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan by clicking on the links. Meanwhile, Jessica offers her critical perspective on donor policies and priorities. A book on Turkmen history by Atamurat Kushzhonov has been published in the Uzbek town of Urgench. Paikhas gives some biographical details about the author and a brief survey of the book’s contents. He also appends an extensive bibliography on Russian-language materials about the Dashoguz region in northern Turkmenistan.

author: Ben Paarmann


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What Salvadoran bloggers are saying – politics and nostalgia · Global Voices
Tim Muth

El Salvador is in the midst of a very spirited campaign season leading to the election of mayors and National Assembly deputies on  March 12.   The  campaigning has produced a great deal of commentary in the Salvadoran blogosphere in the past two weeks.
Blogs in Spanish
Ligia at El Salvador o algo por el estilo is particularly incensed   by the political campaigning of president Tony Saca for ARENA party candidates.  She provides a rundown of recent television appearances of the president which she labels “tele-corruption” and SacaVision.  Two arguments are advanced that Saca's campaigning is illegal — one is that members of the armed forces are prohibited from partisan political activity and Saca is the commander in chief of the armed forces.  The second is a legal prohibition on government officials using their office to favor a particular political party.
At the Hunnapuh blog, they are also reacting to the coverage of Saca on television  with poetic satire noting that only television and its suit-coated announcers could believe the claims of Saca and ARENA that the FMLN is in league with gangs in the country.  Clearly no fan of Saca, the bloggers at Hunnapuh, also see an Alice in Wonderland through-the-looking-glass quality to Saca's rosy statements about El Salvador, a theme which is also picked up by blogger Rebeca.
Rebeca also describes watching political candidates debate in a forum hosted by respected Salvadoran journalist Mauricio Funes.   The debate was dominated by the ARENA and FMLN candidates throwing stones at each other.  At the end, Rebeca was left comparing the ARENA candidate's promise to have all the solutions with the record of where the country is today after many years of ARENA control of the government.
Soy Salvadoreño discusses promises he would like to see politicians of both parties make and keep, including a promise that they will not follow their individual desires, nor the desires of their party leadership, but the desires of the persons who elected them.
Bloggers are raising questions about the electoral census listing the eligible voters in El Salvador.  The bloggers at Hunnapuh point out that the list is so out-of-date and full of ineligible voters, that recently deceased FMLN chief Schafik Handal surely lives on as an eligible voter.  Meanwhile Salvador Canjura points to the movement of thousands of people changing their residence prior to the elections, to tip the balance of power from one party to the other.  Canjura also wishes that the political campaigns, which seem to have lasted for more than a year, would simply be over.
Some bloggers on the Salvadoran right have also made their appearance in the past week.   The author of Salvadoreños alrededor del Mundo, criticizes the the FMLN for resorting to marches and street protests without any legislative plan for governing the country.  In a blog simply titled “Mi país”
Away from politics, a post by Soy Salvadoreño notes with some nostaliga that Banco Salvadoreño, with its little squirrel logo, has been acquired by a Panamanian investment group.   Nostalgia is also apparent in the tribute to Kolashanpan, the uniquely Salvadoran soft drink.
Blogs in English,
Meg describes her meeting with Ruffina Amaya, the only survivor of the El Mozote massacre.
Tim expresses his view that ARENA is using the combination of fear tactics and Tony Saca's popularity as the centerpieces of its campaign, including the old threat that an FMLN victory will lead to Salvadorans in the US being deported.  Tim also reprints a commentary by Carlos X, moderator of the San Romero mailing list, who is concerned that the rhetoric of both major parties about the problem of gang violence is polarizing the country in dangerous ways.   Meanwhile Jon at the Posthegemony blog explores some reasons that the FMLN may doing better in recent pre-election polls.
Photo Blogs
There are recently uploaded photo blogs by Ms. Donna and NeoSlv.

author: Tim Muth


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Zimbabwe: Demonstrations on Mugabe’s Birthday · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

President Mugabe celebrated his birthday last Tuesday.  This is Zimbabwe reports that many citizens took to the streets in protests, demonstrations and sit-ins…“The ongoing countrywide demonstrations by students spread to Masvingo Polytechnic on Tuesday, as police briefly arrested 15 students before releasing them later in the day. The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) is leading the protests and has warned of more demonstrations to come if the government does not reverse a tenfold hike in tuition and boarding fees.”


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Zimbabwe: Mugabe birthday speech · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Zimbabwean blogger, the Bearded Man reports on Mugabe's birthday speech in which he blasts imperialism and gays and lesbians..on imperialism “in a state of readiness to fight the enemies who might dare to attack you, invade you or claim through the use of arms that a portion of Zimbabwe belongs to him. Unless you are committed to that, you are not a Zimbabwean in full.” on LGBT “Leave whites to do that.”


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Albania: Cell Phone and Electronics Market in Tirana · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Alwyn Thomson of Our Man In Tirana visits local markets selling mobile phones and electronics (many of which are either stolen or fake), doesn't buy anything, and is “thankful” for being “wealthy enough not to have to choose between going without or going illegal.”


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Albania: Dajti Mountain Cable Road · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Anna of annasblog writes about skiing in Montenegro and taking a recently installed cable road to Tirana's Dajti Mountain.


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Albania: Dogs and Garbage in Tirana · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Alwyn Thomson of Our Man In Tirana writes about the city's garbage disposal problems – and the locals’ dislike of stray dogs.


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Albania: Tirana To-Do List · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Alwyn Thomson of Our Man In Tirana posts a Tirana To-Do List: “Experience the last outpost of post-communist chaos while you still can.”


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Belarus: Elections and the Atmosphere of Fear · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Tobias Ljungvall writes about the beginning of the election campaign in Belarus, the backlash against the opposition, and the atmosphere of fear reported by Gunnel Arbin, a Swedish journalist who has recently traveled to Belarus. Among the scare techniques used by the regime is a new article in the criminal code, which makes “discrediting” Belarus in the foreign media a crime.


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Venezuela, Bolivia: Latin American Conferences in US · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Ben Dangl invites readers in Vermont to attend the “Winds of Change in the Americas” conference on Sunday, March 5th while Venezuelan, Miguel Octavio informs his readers of a talk by Professor Javier Corrales on “Chavez and the Rise of Competitive Authoritarianism,” which will take place in Boston tomorrow evening.


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Indonesia: Presidents Day · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

I'm your huckleberry feels democracy has given a better choice of presidents to Indonesia.


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Malaysia: Learning Language · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

On rosesnchaos’ Livejournal blog, she talks about how she feels her English has deteriorated because of the hodgepodge of Chinese, Malay and English she hears around her: “It's the speech of lay society, but it's just so common here in Malaysia, even among educated folks. Speaking proper English will come across as being pompous.”


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Malaysia: More Plagiarism · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Malaysian blogger Kenny Sia is experiencing tulan (read his post to see what it means): He's discovered someone named Vivian Chew submitted a photograph he took to a local newspaper and won some money. “BLOODY HELL! Who is this Vivian Chew? Makes me wanna chew Vivan Chew.”


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President Bush Goes to India and Pakistan · Global Voices
Kamla Bhatt

President Bush is visiting India and Pakistan this week.  Mr. Bush's visit comes on the heels of President Bill Clinton's private visit to India.
The Prez's upcoming visit has created quite a buzz in the media and among bloggers. I have a list here of some news links.  Apparently the non-visit of the Prez to Taj Mahal has become a topic of debate among American bloggers.  Rich says that “Incurious George Goes to India.”  Delilah Boyd asks “Would you rather be beloved or reviled?” While Morse of Media Needle comments in Travels with George that maybe the Governess will in the Prez with relevant details.
John Mather shares his pictures of the Taj, and mentions a travel guide's fond hope that Mr. Bush will visit the Taj, just as Mr. Bill Clinton did a few years ago. And here is  Royally Cranked has his take on the visit.
Jeevan from Chennai has a nice write-up about the Prez's visit, and also on why the Left Party is protesting the visit. Arun offers his set of cue cards for the President on visit to India.
The Prez's visit to Pakistan has some bloggers protesting. Arzoo says No to Mr. Bush. Ayesha discusses the new map of Kashmir that the Pakistani embassies have been floating around as reported by the Daily Times newspaper.  Tharwa Community has a post on how President Bush must urge the end of military rule in Pakistan.

author: Kamla Bhatt


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Singapore: Leap Backward · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Singaland senses in the latest government budget a step backward for Singapore: “The most telling sign is the decision to build 2-room flats for sale. The government had stopped building two- and three-room flats for sale in the 1980s as Singaporeans became well off and wanted to live in bigger flats. But in 2004 many of us lost our jobs and needed to downgrade to smaller flats, the government then started to build 3-room flats for sale. And now some of us can only afford a 2-room flat. Are we not back to the pre-1980s days?”


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Singapore: Missing Singaporeans · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Littlespeck.com wonders where are all the missing Singaporeans.  The number of new registered voters has risen slowly, despite a rising population, leading to the conclusion that many Singaporeans are going overseas to work, study or do business.


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Paraguay: “No One in Paraguay Likes Football” · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Bob is looking everywhere for a Paraguayan football-loving blogger, but so far has had no luck.


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Peru: Reliabiligy of Peruvian Polling · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Fabiola Bazo has a pdf file of the latest national poll just five weeks before Peruvians elect a new president. Un Lobo en Perú points out that “in the recent past, opinion polls have proven to be notoriously bad guides to electoral behaviour.”


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Costa Rica: Political Ethics, New Tax Bill · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Bob Glass says that the political party, PAC has clarified its ethics code. Professional blogger, gambler, and former Washington Secretary of State candidate, Jacqueline Passey is not happy with a new tax bill.


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The Balkans: Current Events and Stability In The Region · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Mat Savelli of Roma Roma and a commenter named Owen discuss implications of the impending lawsuit against Serbia and other issues relevant to the region's stability.


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Ukraine: Pre-Election Observations · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Less than a month before the election, Oleksandr of Messages From Canada assesses Ukraine's major political parties’ presense on the Web and their platforms: he's unsatisfied and bored with what he learns. LEvko at Foreign Notes discusses campaigning styles of the three major parties and predicts an increasing support for Yulia Tymoshenko's Bloc. Neeka's Backlog has photos from Tymoshenko's mega-campaigning on Kyiv's Khreshchatyk this past Sunday.


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Vietnam: Visiting Pagodas · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Our Vietnamese God describes visiting pagodas in Vietnam. “Food served at pagodas is usually good, really healthy but a wierd thing is that sometimes they make it into animal shapes, which I'm still confused about.”


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African Music Roundup #4 · Global Voices
Obi

The weather's been freezing out here in London. Multiple jumpers, a pair of thick socks, heavy jacket.  And the most important thing.  A pair of Headphones and sweet African music. Always warms the soul (and my ears).  My name is Obi and I blog as soul on ice.  Welcome to the African music roundup.  In rotation on the humble portable CD player?  The excellent “boomerang” by the Senegalese hip hop crew daara j.  A true classic.
Another French/African (Cameroon) classic is the neo-soul album “Princesses Nubiennes” by the group Les Nubians.  breath of life blog waxes lyrical on the remix of their hit song “tabou”.
“the feature track—an alternate version of Les Nubians’ French-language cover of Sade’s “Sweetest Taboo”—is subtitled ‘Roots Remix,’ but it is actually a remake. The original version appears on the album; for the new version, Les Nubians enlisted the The Roots band to provide all-new and all-live instrumentation.”
It's a brilliant remix of the original and the Roots crew live backing is incredible.  breath of life blog goes on to talk about their output to date:
“the first Les Nubians album is best experienced all at once, as an album. “Saravah” is from their 2003 release, One Step Forward, a collection that is both more scattered and more ambitious than its predecessor. It also happens to be blessed with one of my all-time favorite cover photos.”
Jon Kertzer of The Best Ambiance blog has posted his usual cracking show blessing us with some of the best music out of Africa.  Any radio show that opens with Miriam Makeba‘s  world wide hit Pata Pata (2000) gets three thumbs up.
“A real varied mix of African music on the program this week, including music from Cameroon, Tanzania, Uganda, Gabon, Angola, Congo, South Africa, Togo, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, Guinea , Zambia, and Gambia.”
As usual The Best Ambiance provides a playlisting of all the artists played.
Soul on ice brings us a very special documentary.  BBC music dj and UK emcee Rodney P travelled to Sierra Leone to see how hip hop was playing a part in rebuilding a war torn society and the result is a riveting documentary.
Soul on ice has provided a link to Rodney's website and you can listen to the interview and read his travel journal.
jazz-not-jazz blog posts an interview with one of South Africa's leading jazz artist Andile Yenana.
“Andile Yenana’s album Who’s Got The Map? is already one of my favourite jazz albums this year. If you want to discover South Africa’s jazz music of today, I guess there couldn’t be a better start.”
jazz-not-jazz blog also provides an indepth review of Who's Got The Map? With the artists such as Hugh Masakela South African has a very rich jazz tradition which is worth the exploration.
Talking of interviews, Naija Jams recently dropped a post on an interview with Nigeria's hottest talent Mode 9.  Mode 9‘s is also popular for one of his hip hop songs “419 state of mind part II“.  The song is a cautionary tale to the would-be advance fee fraud victim told over a beautiful, bouncy beat.
“You know that feeling you get when you discover something special, something rare or extraordinary? It’s the feeling of finding a sealed 1985 Dele Abiodun album in a dusty San Francisco record store. And it’s the feeling I got early last year when I first heard the music of Mode 9.”
Naija Jams has provided a few mp3s showcasing Mode 9's work.  Get sampling as they don't last long.

author: Obi


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After the Philippines’ “Coup”: Anger, Apathy and a Sense of Deja Vu  · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Last week there was an attempted coup in Manila, resulting in a declaration of emergency rule.
So what's new?
That was the reaction of some Filipino bloggers who wrote about last week's murky events. Leftists and groups opposed to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had planned protests between Feb. 22 and 24, days which happened to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the country's 1986 “People Power” revolution, a bloodless uprising that overthrew longtime dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Rebel elements of the military were to join the protest. Two senior officers in the military said as much to the armed forces chief of staff. So on the morning of Feb. 24, Arroyo issued a decree, Proclamation 1017, which placed the country under a state of national emergency.
In Manila, the city that cannot keep a secret, rumors of a coup had been circulating for days before the proclamation. On Feb. 24, caffeine sparks wrote: “When I woke up today, I knew something was up. I texted my friend Luisa “I've a feeling something's gonna happen today. There's electricity in the air.” She responded, “Is it good or bad?” I replied, “Good for some, bad for others, but exciting for all.””
Jessica Zafra only found out about it while talking on the phone with her sister in Minneapolis. She realizes she is out of groceries and decides that martial law or not, she won't go hungry. She pens a dispatch from the supermarket: “Everyone is brisk but quiet, except for the middle-aged white European in line at the checkout counter. He seems frazzled. That's what happens when you're accustomed to living in an orderly society: a little rebellion throws you into a tizzy.”
Marches and rallies did occur that day, which Torn and Frayed in Manila attended (the rallies were dispersed later that day). Manuel L. Quezon III was there, too. Professional journalist Jove Francisco, who covers the President, tells us what it was like in and around the presidential palace.
Reactions in the aftermath of Proclamation 1017 have been varied. Bangketa Republique is indignant and angry. The media worried about threats to civil liberties. Local law bloggers, such as San Juan Gossip Mills Outlet and Sassy Lawyer, discussed the legal implications of Proclamation 1017. Walk This Way declared his support for Arroyo: “Long live the midget.” Notes from the peanut gallery expressed exasperation: “Oh, please. Enough of this crap. I have better things to do. We do not understand democracy. We are political juveniles, mired forever in schoolyard agenda.”
Most of all, though, the events were eerily reminiscent of Marcos’ 1972 declaration of martial law, which cemented his rule and ended – 24 years later – in the very People Power revolution that last week's coup plotters were invoking. Writes Zafra:
The question is not “Why is this happening?” but “Why is this happening. . .again?” We are caught in a loop and forced to relive recent history at regular intervals. We are living proof of Nietzsche's theory of eternal recurrence—on speed. Or maybe we all have that neurological condition that prevents new memories from forming, and we're doomed to repeat the same day over and over and over again…
By the time Monday rolled around, caffeine sparks‘ initial excitement had been replaced by bemusement.
I can't make heads or tails of what just happened and what my own reactions are for the time being. I am neither indignant (as many middle class folks are) nor pessismistic (as many academics are). What I am is entertained…
…People power is the first in the long wave of democratization in the late 80s; appropriate time, ripe context. We showed the world how to overthrow a useless (and I say this because he failed to be developmental) authoritarian leader without a single drop of blood shed. Well and good! But let us leave it in the annals of history as a short and sweet moment of glory.
Today, EDSA People power is no longer “revolutionary.” It has become as predictable as Kris Aquino‘s lipo sessions. It has become good entertainment, excellent television.


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Angola: evictions · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Squatter sitter reports on evictions in Luanda, Angola to make way for an emerging middle class.


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Belarus: President Bush Meets Wives of “Disappeared” Public Figures · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

br23 blog wonders whether there's any real use for Belarus in George W. Bush's meeting with the wives of two Belarusian “disappeared” public figures.


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China: Happiness index · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

China Digital Times picks up on a report from the official Xinhua News Agency about the introduction of a “happiness index”, which will attempt to measure quality of life for Chinese citizens as opposed to economic growth.


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Dubai port transaction and Sami Al Hajj in the Moroccan blogosphere · Global Voices
Farah Kinani

The Moroccan bloggers covered most of the subjects that made the headlines of the news last week. They talked about   the bird flu, and gave their opinions about the Dubai port transaction.They also reacted to the bombings that badly damaged Iraq's Golden Mosque in Samarra. But it wasn't only about politics, many talked also about some social issues as being gay in Morocco or about the dilema of being Muslim nowadays. As usual, Mchicha is more into literature while Crucivore applauds the decision of Reporters without borders to, finally, remember Sami Al Hajj.
Globalization..Really?
Who else than Jawad to post about the Dubai port transaction. And he starts by expressing his disappointment at the Americans who are exercising their prejudice in opposition to a global free market transaction .
Globalization is not the sole property of American enterprise. It is called ‘globalization’ for a reason – it is why a government-owned Spanish company (AENA) is managing several airports in Mexico; why private foreign companies control some 45% of Algeria's crude oil production; and why private Indian firms are competing for major stakes in the U.S. software industry.
Karim one of the authors of ARAB OBSERVERS is writing about the horrific attack that transformed the beautiful golden dome that used to adorn Samerra‘s skyline into shambles .
An image that will remain in my memory for a long time: the one of Abdulghafour Samarrai, a sunni sheikh, leading a protest in Samarra after the explosion, weeping. Thank you sheikh. Your tears came from the heart and gave a good example of how genuine solidarity between fellow muslims across the sectarian divide expresses itself during difficult times.
Samir writes about The first case of bird flu death that has been registered in Tindouf, south Algeria, where thousands of Moroccan Sahrawis are detained by the so-called Polisario movement.
No case of bird flu has been detected in Morocco so far. A preventive policy against bird flu started in early October, as the government worked out a national action plan to avert any potential risk of the disease, imposing stricter quarantine measures on poultry farms, border posts and slaughter houses.
To be or not to be!
Fonnou is a girl who tries to understand. She also asks pretty philosophical questions. Her latest post is about the existence of  humankind in the earth, and its title is  Guilty of existing(French).
Supertimba is writing about what she calls “the identity crisis” of being Arab and/or Muslim. She feels stranger to this new mentality  that only allows the black color or the white one to prevail(French), with no space for the grey .
I'm sick of this. When I was a college student, things were really different. We could all gather and discuss or decide about a sit-in, even though we were from different background, ideologywise.
Our colours are different, Hearts alike. We love all the human beings, says Bluesman in his latest post which refers to the “Year`s Sportsmen” awards ceremony which was organised by a Turkish daily, 27 February 2006, in downtown Istanbul.
Racism again reared its ugly head in Spanish football as Samuel Eto'o  suffered sustained abuse at Real Zaragoza, 25 February.
Tribute to Elias Khoury
Crucivore is writing about different subjects(French) in his latest post. One of them is about Reporters without borders that is finally asking for the release of Sami Al hajj, the cameraman for the pan-Arab satellite TV station Al-Jazeera, who has been a prisoner in Guantanamo since 2002, after being arrested in Afghanistan in 2001.
The comments to the post are also very interesting and reflect different opinions about the crisis caused by the caricatures depicting the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
Mchicha is under the  “intellectual charm”(French) of Pascal Quignard, the French writer, and she posts aboutVilla Amalia(French), his newest novel which has just hit the stores.
Najlae is giving us a nice description of the way she felt when she met the Lebanese writer Elias Khoury. What a delight for Najlae to realise that Writing is a way to listen, and that the writer is somebody who reads the lives of the others!(French).
We killed and destroyed the Palestinians. They were seen as potential trouble and were under pressure all the time from the Arab governments
coup de coeur
To all nostalgics of the old lullabies about the prince and the Sultan's daughter, Hajitk is definitely the place to be. Its posts are all about cherished stories by many readers of Arabic or Islamic background, and I personally rememeber myself sitting on my late grand ma's knees, and listening to her stories whenever I pay a visit to this homey blog.
That's it for this week. See you next Wednesday, Inshallah.

author: Farah Kinani


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Guatemala: Ex-Soldiers’ Supplemental Police Force Debate · Global Voices
Angelo Embuldeniya

Rob Mercatante has a four part series (1, 2, 3, 4) as to why he believes former members of the Guatemalan army shouldn't be hired as a supplemental police force.

author: Angelo Embuldeniya


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Egypt’s Modern Art Goes Online, But! · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

A beautiful online gallery for Egyptian modern and contemporay artists is built to serve as a window for Egypt's modern art that is usually overlooked due to the populatrity and fame of ancient Egypt, but little information is given about this business or who is running it, Freedom for Egyptians said.

author: Haitham Sabbah


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Ethiopia: Nigerian lecturers · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

EthioBlog reports that Nigeria joins the aid business as it prepares to  to send 671 university lecturers to Ethiopia.


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India: Budget Talk · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Govindraj on the Indian Budget released yesterday, commenting that the Indian Government seems to have done little to make tax collection more efficient or wide.


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India: Why bother with the budget · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Greatbong cruises over some of the mysteries of the Indian Budget – for instance – why bother with the socialist hangover?


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Jordan Stops an Al-Qaeda Attack! · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Jordan has foiled a planned suicide bomb attack on “a vital civilian installation,” official state-run media has reported. Two Iraqis and a Libyan, believed to be members of the al-Qaeda terror network, have been arrested in connection with the plot, Petra news agency reported. Police are said to be hunting several other militants, including a Saudi Arabian and three Iraqis, Nas reported.


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Kenya: Ngunyi and Githongo · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

You Missed This comments on the relationship between the government advisor, Mutahi Ngunyi and government enemy No 1,  John Githongo.


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Kosovo: A Trip to Pristina · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Mat Savelli at Roma Roma describes his trip to Pristina, Kosovo, and shares his thoughts on the possibility of the province's change of status.


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Kurdistance: Quick Quips · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

I thought that we would begin today with a little story from Talk about the Passion:
Of course, it also can be quite an ordeal when you're trying to manage 30+ rambunctious 5th graders. The endeavor required our school's armed guards to escort us up the mountain (they must've figured the kids would eat us alive, so they came along as reinforcements). Our director lead the charge up the hill, and I covered the rear flank, making sure no one fell too far behind. For a minute or so, it actually did seem like a moment out of “Kindergarten Cop,” as Pat (a former Air Force captain) led the troops in a rousing “I don't know, but I've been told…” chant. The kids had to hear it a few times to know how to respond to the “Sound off!”
We got to the point where the gentle slope turns into a high-grade ascent up the hill, and stopped there. Some of the kids–having stuck to the trail pretty well on the way up–started to wander about in a patch of light green grass just off the beaten path. Suddenly, pandemonium seized the group as a few kids began to shout: “A bomb a bomb a bomb!!!” Kids began to run in all different directions, getting as far away from the patch of grass as they possible could.
Toasty also writes about his recent birthday celebrations and Iraqi Mountain Dew.
Kurdistan Blog Count has been working on updating links to more Kurdish blogs and information sites. Two new blogs noted this week: Michael Totten and Kurdistan News.
Michael Totten writes this week about Erbil, the Dream City of the Kurds, and about an article that he had written for another news outlet that he had wanted to title “The Utah of the Middle East” (which I find particularily funny as that is my present location and it is an interesting comparison to make), however the title was changed when it was taken to print.
Kurdistan News, written by an Iranian Kurd (it is nice to see more of these blogs coming out in English), was begun last month. Topics covered so far have included predictions of Iran's 2006 future and a report about the recent bombing at a the Sammara mosque in Iraq. However in the course of writing this particular post the site appears to be missing. This concerns me a little as the postings I mention here show on my RSS feed, but the site might have been taken down. I will try to investigate this further and give you an update next week.
From Holland to Kurdistan writes about Iranian aggression against Eastern Kurds this week, and well as an interesting piece about a Turkish club singer who recently traveled to Kurdistan to make a low-budget movie and her journey of discovery. He also included a post that included his impressions about his recent interview on Roj TV:
Azady.nl – I was surprised, that I was invited as a Dutchmen to the Kurdish tv-station Roj TV. After some interruptions I travelled to Belgium and I was given a warm welcome by Kurds from all parts of Kurdistan. After a tour into the studio's and a short view into the live show of the Kurdish singer Ferhat Tunc and some interesting conversations with Hesen Qazi, I was thinking in my bed at a hotel room how strange live can be. It all started with an assignment for school and now I am on Kurdish television.
The Is-Ought Problem writes about the Salman Rushdie of the Kurds, a female author named Mariwan Halabjayi, who group blog Roj Bash recently started a campaign in support for. Speaking of Roj Bash they have covered the following topics this week: the battle for control of oil in Kirkurk and the end of a free Kurdistan through the PKK.
Hiwa from Hiwa Hopes wrties about the Kurdistan Region Passport seal being ratified by the Iraqi government this week. He also includes a followup on Kurdish singer Darin and a new singer named Goran.
Rasti writes about reform of the Turkish Anti-Terror laws and about the recent meeting between the the prime minister of Turkey and HAMAS.
And lastly this week, Save Roj TV writes about further attempts by the Turkish government to shut their television station down and a letter of support from journalist Dr Kristiina Koivunen.

author: Deborah Ann Dilley


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Liberia: Deforestation · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

The Vision reports on the exploitation of forests in Liberia.  The new government has established a Forestry Reform Monitoring Committee which consists of local and international civil society groups.


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Muslim Madonna · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Muslim pop singer Deeyah has irked the Muslim world with her provocative new music video that shows her stripping off a burka to reveal her bikini-clad body. Mohammed AlMaskati wonders where is this going really; now the west needs to free Muslim women from the Burka’a so that they can go into bigger and “better” things.. like breast implants, eating disorders, chronic happy pill popping, marijuana and eventually fortunes being spent on psychiatry, he said.


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Nepal: Legal Eagles meet · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Legal News from Nepal reports – “The four-day national conference of legal practitioners’ in the country kicked off in the capital, Kathmandu, Wednesday calling for constitutional supremacy and rule of law.”


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Nepal: Roles of journalists · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Dinesh Wagle muses on the future of Nepal and his role in the politically sensitive situation on his birthday.


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Nigeria: HIV treatment for children · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Kid's Doc in Jos reports on the progress of their PEPFAR HIV/AIDS relief program.  The number of children they hope to have on the programme at the end of May has risen from 100 to 300.


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Nigeria: Telecoms lagging  · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Naijablog reports that the telecoms industry in Nigeria is lagging behind compared to neighbour Cameroons, Rwanda and South Africa.


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Pakistan: A page in Bush’s journal · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Olive Ream has a hilarious take on Bush's visit to India and Pakistan in the form of Dubya's Diary.


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Philippines: We Prefer Irony · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Filipino blogger and columnist Jessica Zafra suggests eight reasons why comments to her blog sometimes don't show up. For example, “1. You are earnest and literal. We prefer irony.”


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Prison mutiny · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Today a coordinated prison mutiny was staged at the Juwaida prison in southern Amman, as well as in Suwaqa (in the south) and Qafqafa (in the north). The incident led to wounding of four security personnel, and the holding of the Juwaida warden and six guards as hostages for most of the day. The crisis ended with the release of the warden and the guards, Khalaf said.


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Reflections on Blogging with Fernando Flores · Global Voices
Rosario Lizana

GV: How do you understand blogs?
FF: Blogs should be seen in two different ways: the opinions one posts and what the blog is as a whole. A blog is like a house with various rooms. With weblogs we can make ourselves useful. The blog reflection is a reflection of the first order. If you look back, you get a reflection that is different than the first one you made. This is useful because in one year, you have gained perspective of how not only your own personal view has evolved, but the world's as well. We can see which conversations are still alive and which ones are now obsolete. As an example, I’m on my 2200 post. The first time I post about Lawrence Lessig, almost no one in Chile had heard about him. Recently, Lawrence Lessig has come to Chile.  Lesig is now in Chilean conversations. There is a culture that is growing, but I have to be clear that in Chile it is a very insipient culture.
The blogosphere allows one to catch up with what is in fashion, what is currently happening, and one can begin to add their own voice to the topics. Another thing I do with my blog is to create a “bridge,” by translating topics to Spanish, so one can reinterpret what is happening on the other side of the world. I have lived 25 years in American culture, the culture of Silicon Valley, and the consultant world, which has given me the knowledge of how to interpret the relevant issues. As an example, I had given a lot of importance to Google. Latin culture still believes that Google is a simple tool. They don’t realize that it is a relevant factor to the industry, which is building a new reality, and not only a Google reality.
GV: About realities, how does that apply to the blogosphere?
FF: A lot of bloggers live in the space of bullshit all the way. Coffee shop conversations, that are no more than that, merely internet acquaintances. I believe that when you don’t post your name, the temptation of bullshit is much greater.
A lot of trolls are anonymous. When people comment anonymously, you take them out. And I have realized that a lot of serious bloggers have started taking out anonymous comments. Anonymous comments don’t help me to know my readers. The number of comments is much less than the number of readers.
On the other hand, a lot of people make things complicated by being so opinionated about others’ comments. This happens not only in blogs, but in letters in the newspapers as well. These are usually conversations from people who are not interested in building a common world. For building a common world, what matters is which actions lead to our enrichment. How can I trust you, and make sure that the actions you make will be the right contribution? If you feel moved from a place of enrichment and make a declaration of this, you’re not a bullshiter any more, you re a serious person who is seeking authentic engagement, this can be with irony, humour or what ever, but it is different from the person that is making world judgments.
GV: What are your personal motivations and commitments to enrich Chile?
FF: One of my personal motivations is in the field of digital, global publication with blogs and newspapers. Chileans have few enriching conversations, and do not realize how globalization is affecting them. That is to say, that globalization brings both opportunities and threats. Lately, for example, problems are surfacing about employment. I say “surface” because the topics don’t necessarily relate only to employment. Employment will not be solved by the government or unemployment programs. The thing they don’t see is that employment has to do with the investment that adds value to society like information, energy, biotechnology and all that. And in these, Chileans aren’t aware of what is happening.
Blogs are an example. I think that blogs are important and serious. In every post I make, I try to build an enrichment for the way of the future. You’re an example (writing for Global Voices). Chile, “Potencia Alimentaria” (Food Power) is an other good example. This idea occurred to a group of people and now they have a blog, which is also a statement of how to mobilize and lobby, as a new way of interpret the agriculture and exportation food business of Chile.
GV: How do you support blogging in Chile?
FF: The idea is to build other media, as El Morrocotudo. Some wrote for El Morrocotudo before I wrote my own blog. And I hope to help build other blogs and more newspapers, one in Rancagua other in Talca. I have thought of creating a different political blog magazine. But for that I think I'd need 4 or 5 partners, with different voices.

author: Rosario Lizana


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Russia: Communist Party Card Loss · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Laurence Jarvik retells a post-Soviet tale about the consequences of losing one's Communist Party card.


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Russia: Khodorkovsky’s Prison and Political Future · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Yuri Mamchur of Russia Blog describes the surreal conditions one of the world's richest men now lives in and analyzes Mikhail Khodorkovsky's political potential.


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Russia: Moscow Registration and Bureaucracy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lex Libertas writes about what it takes to get through the Russian bureaucracy and obtain the obligatory Moscow registration stamp, and how it feels “to live and work illegally in a foreign country.”


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Russia: Olympic Cheburashka and Russian Hockey · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sergey Belyakov of RUBLog posts a cartoon of a really sad-looking Cheburashka, Russia's Olympic team's mascot, and lists the reasons for disappointment: the performance of the Russian hockey team, step by step.


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Russia: Soviet Underwear · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sean Guillory writes about “Professor Olga Gurova from the European University in St. Petersburg,” who is researching Soviet underwear.


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Latin America: Leftist Tide? · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Christian Gomez is back after a four month recess, arguing that, “there does not exist one ‘left’ which is fueled by Chavez; rather, a moderate brand of governing demonstrated by Lagos, Lula, and Kirschner, which continues to employ economic pragmatism in setting its policy agenda. It is too easy to use Chavez as a lens from which to view the region, since his brand of autocratic populism screams for media attention and lends itself to such witty catchphrases as the recent Foreign Policy cover dubbing him ‘Hugo Boss.'”


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Somalia: Smugglers · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Coalition for Darfur points to a Reuters report on 63 Somalis who were forced overboard from smugglers boat on its way to Yemen.


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The flags are burning · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Toman Bay wonders how the west only takes notice of what's happening here when flags start burning. And it occurred to me; as I have taken liberty with deleting words from dictionaries before, why not contribute positively and add an actual idiom. Hence, “The flags are burning”! He said.


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Guatemala: Legends and Folklore on mp3 · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Leyendas de Guatemala (ES) is a new weblog with a great offer (ES). If you email Dorge Ozaeta with your name, country, and reason for wanting the recordings, he will email you mp3 versions of popular Guatemalan legends. Isa, who has a similar blog about Nicaraguan legends, thinks this is a great idea (ES).

author: Eduardo Avila


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Ukraine: Less Than A Month Before the Election · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Dan McMinn of Orange Ukraine looks at Ukraine's pre-election politics and how it relates to real life (or not).


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El Salvador, Palestine: Palestinian Connection · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Tim Muth, quoting El Salvador's ambassador to Israel, Schafik Handal, explains the country's historical ties to Palestine, noting that current president, Tony Saca is of Palestinian heritage.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Zimbabwe: Breakaway MDC · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Zimbabwean Pundit reports on the leader of the new breakaway party from the MDC, Arthur Mutambara.“Not only did Mutambara's reentry into Zimbabwean politics triger a controversy that threatened to discombobulate the faction, his entiree recruitment and ascension to leadership is predicated upon a principle that is antithetical to the very existence of the group.”

author: Sokari Ekine


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Argentina, Chile, Uruguay: Pulp Plant Spat · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Taylor Kirk of The Latin Americanist and Alfredo Sanchez of Olganza both post about a diplomatic squabble between Uruguay and Argentina over a pulp plant on the Uruguayan border which would have environmental consequences for both countries. Chile is now involved as well, according to Reuters, after Greenpeace activists prevented a boat from leaving a Chilean port with the raw materials to build the plant.


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Armenia: Prison · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Oneworld Multimedia reports on prisons in Armenia. There are accompanying photos at hetqphotoblog. Start here and work back.


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Armenia: Public Art · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Zarchka writes about mixed up priorities regarding the placement and treatment of public art in Armenia.


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Asian History Carnival · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Frog in a Well puts out a call for bloggers wishing to participate in his Asian History Carnival on Sunday March 5. “You do not have to be Asian, an historian, or a carny (you do have to be a blogger, at least once); all you have to do is blog about Asian history,” writes Jonathan Dresner.

author: Luisetta Mudie


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Azerbaijan: Aziza Mustafazadeh · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

At young azerbaijan Sheyda promotes a female Azerbaijani jazz singer so well that a number of commentors have purchased the music on iTunes.


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Bangladesh: Abdur Rahman · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

imperfect world 2006 on developments in Bangladesh – “Politicians of every hue have been lining up to condemn Shaekh Adbur Rahman after his capture this morning.”

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Belarus: Reuters Coverage of Belarusian KGB · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

br23 blog criticizes Reuters’ unbalanced coverage of a recent detainment of four NGO activists by the Belarusian KGB.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Belarus, Slovakia: Lukashenko Cartoons · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lemuel Kolkava of Deleted By Tomorrow writes about the Slovak cartoonist Martin “Shooty” Sutovec and his initiative to use cartoons “for something meaningful”: “[…] I appeal [to] all cartoonists to make cartoons on Lukashenka, the last dictator of Europe […] Such an international effort would provide a unique possibility to express solidarity with the isolated Belarusians […] Let’s make it clear: dictators have no place in Europe!”


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Bolivia: or Kollasuyu? · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Miguel Centallas brings up one senator's suggestion that Bolivia be renamed to “Tawantinsuyo” or “Kollasuyo”. Jim Shultz poetically describes his love for Cochabamba.


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Brazil: Free Stones Concert · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Ruben was at the free Rolling Stones concert in Rio de Janeiro and has this hilarious, photojournalistic report.


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Brazil: Unidos de Vila Isabel Wins Carnival in Rio · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Made in Brazi has pictures from Carnival in Rio, where “samba school Unidos de Vila Isabel was … announced the champion of Carnival in Rio with the theme “Soy loco por ti, América,” which was sponsored by Hugo Chavez and the government of Venezuela with US$1 million in donations.” [Potentially not work safe]


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Central Asia: Missionaries · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Ataman Rakin discusses the work of Christian missionaries in Central Asia and how it creates divisions and resentments in society.


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China: Duck pond discussions · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Taipei-based Peking Duck reports that its Duck Pond discussion forum has taken off, with threads running on such diverse topics as gay marriage, the viability of the Communist Party, Tibet, female infanticide and the closure of Freezing Point.


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China: Hunt for kitten killer · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

ESWN rounds up and translates Chinese media coverage of a series of photos posted on the Internet apparently showing a woman killing a kitten by stepping on it with high-heeled shoes. The story made the national television news and several major papers in Hong Kong and China, and civilian sleuths are trying to track the woman down.


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China: Press freedom conference · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Metanoiac! gives a detailed and entertaining account of a press freedom conference held in Shanghai as part of Columbia University's World Leaders Forum. “In sum, my overall impression is that elite media people are stuffy,” he concludes.


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China: Rewriting history · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television is cracking down on the ‘incorrect’ or frivolous portrayal of characters in historical TV dramas, saying they will lead viewers from the ‘truth of history’, Danwei reports.


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China: Whose domain? · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Rebecca MacKinnon at RConversations takes a closer look at China's introduction of its own top-level domain names, and what it means for the rest of the Internet.


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Colombia: Much Ado About Nothing? · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Andres Duque writes about a small story that made a big wave when a council member from Tulua, Colombia proposed a bill that would have required all Tulua male residents 14 years of age or older to carry a condom or face a $180 dollar penalty. Duque notes that, so far, the proposed bill has done little more than ruffle the feathers of the vatican.


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Cuba: Hip-Hop Documentary · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Havana Journal has posted a preview of an upcoming documentary on Cuban Hip-Hop.


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Czech Republic: Cuba Photos By Miss Czech Republic 1999 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Robert Mayer of Publius Pundit writes about Helena Houdova, Miss Czech Republic 1999, who went to Cuba to see if her charity, the Sunflower Foundation, could help local children and people with HIV/AIDS, but was arrested for a “counterrevolutionary activity” of taking pictures of the Havana slums. The exhibition of Ms. Houdova's photos opened Feb. 22 at Langhans Gallery in Prague.


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Europe: Poland vs Hungary in the EU Vodka Debate · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“Polish vodka purists” define vodka “as an alcoholic beverage derived from cereals or potatoes,” writes the Beatroot; “Hungarian producers have been taking advantage of the EU regulation that allows almost any transparent intoxicating and tasteless liquor to be sold as vodka,” counters Pestiside.hu. The EU vodka definition debate continues.


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India: Private Enterprise · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Zoo Station has an excellent post on private enterprise and a group that is working to put forward some ideas on the same – “IPEG was founded precisely to highlight these sort of issues and to promote the role of the private sector, capital markets and technology in catalyzing economic development.”


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Indonesia: Oil Concession · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Yosef Ardi updates us on the struggle between ExxonMobil and Indonesian state oil company Pertamina over rights to operate the Cepu oil and gas field. He fills in some juicy rumors, including on the Indonesian President's discomfort with the involvement of major government party machine Golkar bigwigs in the battle.

author: Jose Manuel Tesoro


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Iran: Blog for Samarra · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several religious students (clerics) in Qom have launched a blog to cover Iraq's news in English and specially Samarra.
In the blog we can read “Commenting on the terrorist bombings of the holy shrines of two Shiite Imams in the Iraqi city of Samarra last Wednesday, ‘Tehran Times‘ said the sacrilege was a result of an “unholy alliance” by the US, the Zionist regime of Israel and the terrorists operating in Iraq.”

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Sex-Based Discrimination · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Zannevesht, an Iran based blogger, says about sex-based discrimination because women can not watch football in stadiums (Persian)! Blogger says yesterday about 45 girls & women tried to enter  Azadi Stadium  to watch football but security forces did not let them in.


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Japan: OhmyNews investment · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

OhmyNews reports that it has secured a U.S.$11 million investment from Softbank, a Tokyo-based technology and Internet investment firm, to expand its international presence with the launch of a Japanese edition later this year. The funds will also be used to develop OhmyNews’ video journalism arm, writes Annie Koh from Seoul.


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Japan: World TV in English · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Mutant Frog reports that Japan's national broadcaster, NHK, may consider advertising as a way of boosting revenues for a proposed international English-language world news TV channel.


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Kenya: IDLELO/FOSS · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

LinuxChix Africa report on the 2nd IDLELO2  free and open source software conference held in Nairobi last week.


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Kenya: Press freedom · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Bankelele comments on some of the reasons why the Standard (Kenya) may have been shut down.


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Kyrgyzstan: Teenagers · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

The differences between Kyrgyz and American teenagers are discussed at The Golden Road to Samarqand.


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Kyrgyzstan: University Bribery · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

neweurasia discusses corruption in Kyrgyz higher education.


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Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome · Global Voices
Salam Adil

Given the recent events in Iraq, it may come as some surprise to find the variety of subjects in Iraqi blogs this week. There is sadness and tears and humour even when the worst happens. Read on for a selection.
First let me welcome a new blogger to the scene. Hala s. who used to guest blog at Asterism is now Madly in love with Iraq:
I thought to myself why am I going to this place? I feel so down and this meeting will only agitate and distress me more. I am not mentally prepared for it today. A diversity of Iraqis put together, almost always we end up agreeing to disagree, if we are lucky, or a fight erupts causing embarrassment to the host.
Compelling stuff.
Word from the Street:
While the media may be full of stories speculating on the likelyhood of ongoing civil war the Iraqi bloggers are generally reporting that things are returning back to normal. However this is not the general definition of ‘normal’ that I would use…
“with the exception of the local mosque being fired upon, and a corpse found at dawn three streets down, things have been relatively quiet.” says Riverbend.
Iraq the Model describes the organised way in which the demonstrations were started:
the protests were not spontaneous like clerics want us to think; in fact the only spontaneous protest was the one in Samarra itself!
I live here and I've seen the whole thing. The demonstrations in Baghdad began after the fatwa and I saw how shop keepers unwillingly closed their shops when the men in black with their arms and loudspeakers ordered them to do so “in the name of the Hawza” and I saw the sad look on the faces of people abandoning their only source of income for a time that could go indefinitely.
Konfused Kid gets an call in the middle of the night:
It was Habeeb, a neighbor friend.
‘Hey kiddo’
‘Hey Habeeb, something happened?’
‘Naw, just bored, standing outside here with my Noss Akhmaas [AK-47], wondered if you could come and join us?’
I never fired anything in my life, nor do I intend to
‘I've got nothing but my dick in my hands…plus, I gotta read, ward off the bogeymen for me’
‘Thought so’
‘Can't believe u carrying it, shoot a bullet for me’
‘Shut the f**k up’
He also gives a day by day breakdown of how the crisis developed in his area of Baghdad. Definately worth reading!
Zeyad refused to go to work today (Wednesday). He met friends and neighbours and exchanged stories. He saw some soldiers pass by:
Three Iraqi army armoured vehicles and a pickup truck flying a ragged Iraqi flag were slowly patrolling the main street, followed by a huddled trail of civilian vehicles. Storeowners and pedestrians briefly paused with whatever they were doing and gazed warily at the soldiers aboard. I stood at the door for a moment, peering into their eyes, trying to determine whether I would trust those young men with my family and neighbours’ lives. Some looked edgy and alert, and some of them appeared to be simply bored. One dark, skinny soldier returned my inquisitive look with a wan smile on his face. His AK-47 was pointing in my direction.
Fayrouz posts some emails from her friend, Queen Amidala in Basra:
They [militia men dressed in black] now control the streets at night like the real military. At night, they wear all black and cover their faces with some kind of a black mask like the one in the photographs.
Also, there's no fuel in the city. We can't buy it from the fuel stations for a while now. We always buy it from people on the streets for higher prices — black market. But, they are no where to be found for the last three days.
Add to that there isn't electricity 24/7. And now we can't let the generators work like before because of the fuel shortage. So we are back to the dark ages, only this time it's much more worse.
Shaggy is enjoying himself:
I really love day time curfews. It makes the whole city feel like an oversized park. The weather these past few days has been gorgeous too. I wish I had repaired my bike. It really sucks that I'm somewhat stuck at home.
Speculation on the crisis:
Iraq The Model is clear who was behind the mosque bombing in Samarra:
It's not a secret who was behind the attack on the shrine and I am sure that who did it were the Salafi/Wahabis whether Iraqi or foreigners and with external support from parties planning to disrupt the political process in Iraq.
Read on to find out why.
Hammorabi is blaming everyone:
The responsibility for what is going on now is not only on Al-Qaeda and its supporters among some of the political parties but all the other parties bear responsibility because of their failure to form the government. The recent unprecedented and biased statements of the US ambassador in Baghdad (Z. K. Zada) were of great push for the terrorists to commit their acts. These statements were condemned by many Iraqi writers and Intelligent as they are based on a sectarian attitude. We feel that ZKZ is a better Ambassador in Kabul. Iraq needs a healer not a high commissioner.
Free Iraqi wonders why every one blames the Sunnis:
Since the end of the war every atrocity committed in Iraq was attributed to the Sunnis, not just the Ba'athists or radical Sunnis but all Sunnis. The poor She'at and Kurds have been suffering for hundreds of years while the Sunnis were all privileged and living in a paradise called Iraq
And points out that the Shia have skeletons in their closets too:
When I served in the military I made friends with a devoted She'at Captain… This guy was very proud of his job and accomplishments. He often talked about his heroic actions against the “saboteurs”. Who were those saboteurs? … anyone who stood against Saddam during the uprising and that meant the vast majority of the She'at. Yet this Captain always refer to the She'at Imams and quote them during our conversations…
That guy was no exception for the denial most Iraqis lived in at Saddam's days and we had many officers like him in our camp… This is part of the reason, as I think, why most Iraqis especially She'at do not want Saddam's trial to take its natural long course. They don't want to remember their submission and even collaboration with the tyrant
Asterism (thats me) suggests:
The Iraqi people must take their destiny in their hands… If they do not they can only expect more Samarras and more bloodshed everytime events do not go to the liking of one gang or another.
Further we must define our own unity and national government and not leave it to other countries that only have their own selfish interests at heart. At the root of this conflict is the meddling of foreign interests in Iraq's affairs.
In other words:
Baghdad Treasure tells of the dangers of working as a reporter:
As a reporter, I’ve been at risk in Baghdad and other provinces several times. Working for an Iraqi media means something but working for US media means something else! As an Iraqi reporter working with a US media, I am considered a “spy”, “collaborator” or sometimes an “infidel” in the eyes of the insurgents who said have the “right” to kill me as I broke the rule of “true Islam” and become a “spy to the infidels”, which is nonsense. …
Since I started working, I have been so cautious in telling people where I work. No one in my neighborhood knows what I do. If so, I would be finished in a minute as I live in a very dangerous neighborhood … I have to say that I am being cautious, but the question is: is this enough?!
He also remembers  the murdered Iraqi journalist Atwar Bahjat who died in Samarra last week.
I don’t know how to explain her death in the middle of this chaos the country is going through since the latest bombing. I cannot even find a way to express my grief. Tears have almost dried. I feel I am using blood instead of ink. What kind of cruelty is this to kill an innocent journalist who sacrificed her life just to tell the truth. She was there to tell the world that what happened was a crime and what is coming is worse as if she expected her death.
and reminds us of the kidnapped Journalist Jill Carroll:
Jill’s deadline is tomorrow. It aches me and makes me feel so terrible. She was my comfort along with J. I don’t know whether she’ll be released or not. I am afraid of one thing. I am afraid that her captors will kill her like what happened to Margaret Hasan during the Falluja battle. Oh Jill!! I am sorry to all what is happening to you. I wish I could do something to help you.
Aunt Najma gets her exam results: “The first three papers brought me the worst news. I got 76 in Biology, 89 in French and 93 in Arabic, so you see I was crushed in the beginning” and those were the bad grades(!) “the only 100 in English for the whole class. I got 100 in Mathematics too, 98 in Physics, 95 in Chemistry and religion.” And why is she blogging so infrequently? “mom doesn't want me to spend much time on the net and I feel guilty if I update frequently too. I don't want to be doing well blogging and badly studying.” Someone tell Najma's Mom to give her a break – she got 100 in English and Maths!
Nibras Kazimi reports on the ‘Baghdad Sniper':
A leading terrorist ‘warrior’ who have been lionized by the jihadist propaganda machine over the last two years was himself killed by a sniper shot recently… It is interesting to see that the jihadists decided to announce his death rather than keeping the myth going.
And Finally:
Niqash Press Blogs recommends “the Iraq section of the Global Voices Online project provides a great overview of what Iraqi bloggers are saying about the current situation”. But I guess you already knew that :)
AnaRki13 tells us a shocking secret … “There is no crime in Iraq.” to explain: “I mean, yeah sure there is, but not in the same sense as Chechnya, or Bogotá, Colombia, or Beirut (Circa 1980ish…)”
He then goes on to give “Staying Alive in post-war Iraq FOR DUMMIES” instructions – in two versions. For Iraqis:
1. NEVER EVER go out when IT’S DARK; preferably lock yourself in after 6 p.m.
2. NEVER EVER stop to give help of ANYKIND to ANYONE you do not know, and even then, be careful.
3. ALWAYS give American Hummers the right of way, unless you want to be rammed or turn to Swiss-cheese. Even if your wife is giving birth in the back. ESPECIALLY that! …
And for non-Iraqis:
1. AVOID coming to Iraq in the first place. If not possible, then:
2. NEVER trust Iraqis, we are a scheming, profiteering, xenophobic lot, and we’d love nothing more than to gain a few hundred thousand dollars from an “Ajnabi” (Foreigner). Even the people who work with you in the GZ, they are vetted and scanned sure sure, but who knows what lurks in the hearts of men?
*the shadow knows…. cough cough*
…
I don't know bout hit-prices, but regarding kidnappings, it’s an established norm nowadays that the opening price is about 20’000 USD, everything is negotiable from there, it can run as low as 2000-3000 USD if you’re lucky!
As a finale he criticises oatmeal: “What is the point of Oatmeal anyway? No Color, No Taste. No Smell; Just Texture.”
Meemo, Baghdad's only Bohemian Beatnik Blogger takes a time out from his usual stream of thoughts to interview …. himself in the style of a teenage pop magazine.  Here are some selected Q&A:
Name: Meemo Abbas, Show Time, Psycho.
Birthplace: Baghdad-Great Iraq.
Tattoos: none, but will have soon.
Candy: Kit Kat.
Body Part on opposite sex: eyes, hair, smile and the shoes,
Is it part of the body, LOL.
Pepsi or Coke: Pepsi
McDonalds or Burger King: McDonalds, but I prefer Al-Sa3a
Strawberry or Watermelon: Watermelon.
Rap or Punk: Hard Rock & Heavy Metal.
Bedtime: Don't have one, I sleep whenever I want.
Best physical feature: my nose, it’s amazing, it's kinda big so you can talk with it sometimes if you want.
Do you Drink: What?? Say it again I can't hear ya, call me again later cause I can't hear ya now ;).
First Thought Waking Up: I'm still alive.
How do you want to Die: Forget to breathe.

author: Salam Adil


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Latin America: Creative Commons Music Directory · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Dialógica introduces a new, Spanish-language online directory of Creative Commons-licensed music called Jamendo.

author: David Sasaki


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Lebanon:  National Dialogue for Reconciliation Begins · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Rami says that it's quite remarkable to many of the major national figures sitting together in the same room as equals to begin a dialogue for reconciliation.


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Libya: Arab-Americans and intercultural relationships · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

The Highlander likes to share a secret with you. She had always been reluctant to marry a Libyan American or Libyan Canadian because she was not sure she would be safe as unfortunately she did not think they were capable of taking care of themselves let alone of their women abroad. At least in Libya, if the worst came to happen she's home. She can go back to her father’s house, or her brothers and cousins could go beat the Libyan guy in Libya if he mistreats her. But abroad what would happen to her if her husband decides he can’t stand up for her if he is Arab-American? would it be safer then to marry a non-Arab?


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Mongolia: Erdenet Life · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Blogolia writes about life and ethnic relations in Erdenet, Mongolia.


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Nepal: Political Future · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

More on Nepal's political future given the lastest bomb blasts at Nepali Netbook - “Pokhara's lakeside breeze has inspired a fresh round of royal consultations on Nepal's political future. Speculation is rife that King Gyanendra is looking for a prime minister.”


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Nepal: Post bomb blast · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Life limps back to normalcy after a bomb blast in Pokhara says United We Blog!


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Nigeria: China and military aid · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Africabeat reports on a Nigerian news article that claims Nigeria is seeking military assistance from China to help deal with the situation in the Niger Delta.


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Nigeria: Niger Delta.  · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Just Thinking Out Loud comments on the release of a Texan with diabetics by the Niger Delta militants. ..……..”Even the freed captor said, “I have no animosity toward them at all. “I've seen their little villages, they're dirt poor, poor as field mice.” WHYYY? Why do our leaders have to push the citizens to the wall. “


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Pakistan: Blogspot Blogs blocked in Pakistan · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Over the last two days, blogspot blogs (running on Blogger) seem to be blocked in Pakistan. More bloggers are confirming this as it appears to have been blocked by all ISPs in Pakistan. Shirazi has some ways to bypass the ISPs banning access to Blogspot. Pakistani Abysmal Ramblings writes
It is a Sad day in Pakistan as our esteemed leaders have decided to further infringe on our rights to freedom. It has come to my attention that all ISPs in Pakistan are blocking all blogger blogsites. Previously some sites deemed inapropraite were blocked, but this is utter nonsense, why do a blanket blocking of blogger, are you so scared of people power that you feel a blogsite can be so harmful to you and your power.
KO is hosting a discussion on one of the forums.  Metroblogging Lahore has links to some proxy sites that allow access and states that one of the ISPs still allows access to Blogspot. It is unclear why Blogspot Blogs have been singled out or blocked. A large number of Pakistani bloggers blog on Blogspot blogs. It's a possibility that the recent Danish cartoons controversy may have contributed to this decision by the Pakistan Government. However, the Pakistani Government doesn't seem to have made any official announcement on this issue as there is no Mainstream Media report on this.
Meanwhile some of the ways you can access blogspot blogs if you are in Pakistan are to go to this site which allows direct access to blogger even if your ISP blocks it, or use an open proxy like this. Access to Blogger even if your ISP blocks it through this link (http://www.blogger.com.nyud.net:8090) works because of the Coral Content Distribution Network.


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Palestine: The Gaza diet begins · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

The ongoing closure of the al-Mintar (aka Karni) crossing, the main route for both commercial and humanitarian supplies into Gaza, has resulted in an estimated loss of some $10.5 million, and the depletion of Gaza's main food staples. Wheat grain stocks are dwindling as a result, and flour mills in Gaza have shut down, with residents having to rely on their home supplies. In the impoverished Strip, the overwhelming majority of residents bake their own bread, Laila – A Mother for Gaza said.


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Poland: No Proof of the Existence of Polish “Gulags” Yet · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Beatroot argues that Poland isn't “the Central European equivalent of Abu Ghraib” and asks Human Rights Watch to provide some solid evidence of the existence of “gulags” for CIA prisoners in Poland and Romania.


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Pulse of the Saudi Blogosphere · Global Voices
Ahmed Al-Omran

Different topics were under the spotlight in the Saudi blogosphere during the past week; including terrorist attacks, crash of the stock market, and nationalism. So, let's get started with our roundup for this week…
Writing about the latest terrorist attack on oil refineries in Abqaiq, east of the country, Abu-Joori says he wishes that this failed attack would be the last alarm to some Saudis who kept on making apologies for the terrorists (Arabic). “We were the ones who exported this destructive ideologies, and now they are coming back to us in the ugliest form,” he added. Meanwhile, Maha was worried because the two terrorists killed were too young. “What made them do this? I was expecting older people, but now that I know they are young and my age, I started to feel sorry for them. They just wasted their lives and was it for a good cause?” she asked.
The changes in the Saudi society were the subject of a thoughtful post by Prometheus. He thinks that liberals “have been fighting gallantly for what they believe, repulsing fierce attacks of the self-proclaimed guardians of Islam who are trying hard to tame all others into their deviated teachings,” and that they should come forward and make their voices heard in order to spread the “noble ideals of tolerance, peace and coexistence.”
@rabian Rash posts on the crash of the Saudi stock market. He also writes about the beggers  that overwhelm him as he goes about his daily life. He writes:
There is an elderly gentleman who waits by the traffic lights all day, when he sees the cars stops he quickly scutters along towards them, and as he gets into ‘view’ on the road you immediately see him switch into his ‘limp mode’, this is interesting to watch as the moment the light changes, he suddenly seems to loose twenty years, and with an energetic sway scutters back to the safety of the pavement. Does no one else notice this?
Mo5 o 7ekma says the consequences of the Danish cartoons controversy are not all bad (Arabic), because this controversy has sparkled curiosity among Danes to learn more about Islam. “Now, I can say that the boycott and protests were fruitful, but the question is: are we going to see any change in Western policies regarding Islam, Muslims, and their issues?” she asked.
Mochness asks about what she calls “illiteracy illness” regarding the habit of reading in the Saudi society. She says:
What is it with people and their reading phobias? Since when has watching Star Academy been more accepted than reading books? Why is reading a “Waste of time” and “boring” and “Stupid” (see the irony of labeling reading as stupid?) Is our illiterate society going to compete with other societies with who got to vote the most for their beloved Star Academy competitor instead of who got to read [insert book name here] and [here]?!
Nzingha writes a long post on nationalism and marriage of Saudis to non Saudis, saying the concept of nationalism is one that she “will never get.” Saudi men and women have to face many problems when they want to marry non Saudis, and due to this fact, many people give up this thought.  Maryam asks a related question: “If that someone was everything you ever wanted but not a Saudi, would you give him up?” She knows the answer to this question is complicated, but it is for sure worth to be answered.
Finally, here is Aya, who thinks that Saudis are obsessed with priorities, “or to put it right, the concept of prioritizing.” She says:
To Saudis, it is the main dilemma: We shouldn’t address certain issues because of other, supposedly, more deserving ones (although they are of different nature). What is actually happening is that rather than developing the capability of solving multiple societal problems, we are becoming more one dimensional in our thinking.

author: Ahmed Al-Omran