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Nigeria: Remembering an Activist, Fifteen Years After his Execution  · Global Voices
Eremipagamo Amabebe

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.
On November 10th, fifteen years ago, Ken Saro-Wiwa, a prominent activist and outspoken critic of the oil industry in Nigeria, was executed along with eight of his associates. Saro-Wiwa was known throughout the world for his nonviolent activism on behalf of the Niger Delta, a region devastated by the by the oil industry. He was a hero for many Nigerians, and his execution inflamed the international community against the notoriously authoritarian regime of Sani Abacha and the practices of Royal Dutch Shell.
Saro-Wiwa and his associates, dubbed the ‘Ogoni nine’, were accused in the murder of four chiefs, members of a rival faction in the organization that advocated for their home region, Ogoniland. Saro-Wiwa and the eight other leaders of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People were tried by a special military tribunal convened by the Abacha regime, a tribunal which was perceived as being so corrupt that nearly all the defense lawyers on the case resigned in protest (witnesses in the trial later admitted to being bribed to give false testimony). Nevertheless, the nine were convicted and sentenced to death; despite international outcry, shortly after the conviction they were hung.
Sokari at Blacklooks remembers the day Saro-Wiwa was executed:
I still remember the day, a Friday. The immediate week before the execution there was a scramble by heads of states, religious leaders, human rights organizations and individuals to try to prevent the hanging by appealing to General Abacha. Right until the very moment we all persuaded ourselves it would not happen. On the Saturday morning I remember clearly lying in bed staring at the ceiling when the phone rang. It was a call from a relative in Port Harcourt telling me what I already knew but was now confirmed. Eight members of MOSOP, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Barinem Kiobel, Fexlix Nuate, John Kpuinen, Daniel Gbokoo, Baribor Bera, Nordu Eawo, Saturday Doobe, Paul Levura had been executed.
Myrne Whitman writes of Saro-Wiwa's influence on her:
[Sara-Wiwa's writing] made references to the abuse he saw around him, as the oil companies took riches from beneath the soil of Ogoni land, and in return left them polluted and unusable. The[y] fed into my world view of how the world worked, and why I needed to tell my own story however I could.
Writing on the NigeriansTalk blog, Temie Giwa remembers Saro-Wiwa:
Ken Saro Wiwa has been my hero for as long as I can remember… I am in awe of his passion and commitment to his people. His bravery in fighting, even though he predicted his death two years before, forces me to attempt to live a life of service and to not be afraid. His commitment to literature, the exacting world of satire, and his passion for business are all concepts I hope to emulate.
He was a man that stood for his principles. He hated war but he waged it against those who exploited his people. He was a peaceful man who died for a terrible crime he did not commit. He was a product of the best that there is in the Nigerian spirit and for that I have hope for our nation.
In the wake of the November 10th execution, the families of the Ogoni nine brought a suit against Shell, the primary oil company operating in the region. They accused  the multinational of crimes against humanity, alleging Shell's complicity in torture, shootings, illegal detention and other abuses carried out by the Abacha regime. In June 2009, fourteen years after the execution, the suit was settled for $15.5 million, with Shell denying responsibility for the nine deaths. After the proceedings, the Guardian reported on classified documents which revealed Shell's PR strategy at the time of the executions: in a series of internal memos, the company outlines a plan to “create coalitions, isolate the opposition and shift the debate”, win over “middle of the road” activists to Shell's agenda, and cozy up to the press.
Visit the Remember Saro-Wiwa website to hear audio about the current situation in the Niger Delta, or visit the MOSOP website for further updates.
This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

author: Eremipagamo Amabebe


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Pakistan: The Real Culprit is the Way We Approach Religion · Global Voices
Rezwan

Raza Habib Raja at Pak Tea House comments that the general religious bigotry is rampant in the Pakistani society, “which in turn emanates from the mindset and the overall cultural set up of Pakistan”.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Rezwan


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Panama: “Previous Controls” on Public Finance Eliminated for Six Institutions · Global Voices
Ariel Moreno

The  government of Panama has eliminated the “previous control,” a control  that is responsible for monitoring how public funds are invested, for six institutions. Radio Primerísima reports:
Las autoridades panameñas dispusieron la eliminación de los  procedimientos de control previo por parte de la Contraloría sobre el  presupuesto de seis instituciones, bajo el argumento de agilizar los  trámites.
Según la Gaceta Oficial, la medida se extiende a los ministerios de   Salud, Obras Públicas y Educación, así como la Caja de Ahorros, los   Bingos Nacionales y el Tribunal Electoral.
Panamanian authorities ordered the removal of “previous control” procedures by the Comptroller on the budget of six institutions on the grounds of speeding up paperwork.
According to the Official Gazette, the measure extends to the ministries of Health, Public Works and Education, as well as to the Savings Bank, the “National Bingo” and the Electoral Tribunal.
The decision to eliminate the “previous control” has caused a stir at  all levels in Panama. $3.42 billion dollars will be at the disposal of these institutions.
Journalist Santiago Cumbrera writes in his blog Periodismo valiente [es] about his outrage at the way President Ricardo Martinelli defends his position to eliminate the “previous control”:
Todavía no salgo del asombro, al escuchar al Presidente  decir que “el control previo es algo irrelevante porque si se tiene  funcionarios que son corruptos van a robar antes o después y que no  podemos prejuzgar antes de que se cometa un delito”. Precisamente, señor  Presidente, ese es el problema porque los corruptos van a existir en  este y en todos los gobiernos. Por ende, mientras más controles existen,  es mucho mejor y más vale prevenir.
The outrage has also filled social networks like Twitter, where many Panamanians show their disagreement with the measure.
Bob Alonso (@BobAlonso), laments that the national celebrations of the month of November have been used as a backdrop for this decision:
Panama celebro su Separacion de la Gran Colombia bajo la sombra de la eliminacion del control previo…
While Pablo San Martin (@prsmv52) reminded his followers about one of the presidential campaign slogans that has not been met.
Ricardo Martinelli pregonó:”Entran limpios y salen millonarios”. ¿Promesa de campaña cumplida vía Contrataciones Directas sin Control Previo?
Publio De Gracia (@PublioDeGracia) agreed with the statements by former Mayor of Panama City Juan Carlos Navarro, and reminded the president that the country can not be handled like a business, one of the main criticisms President Martinelli has faced.
Comparto la opinión de @juancanavarro en cuanto al control previo, presidente el país no es su empresa.
It appears like the decision has been made and there is no turning back. The main concern of Panamanians is that the funds could be misused, as manifested by Omar de León (@omar2482) when he said,
con razón kieren kitar el control previo, van hacer y deshacer con la plata de nosotros

author: Ariel Moreno


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Puerto Rico: Artist Retires Paintings from Supreme Court · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

In Fractal [es], Karla Marie Ostoloza offers a poignant critique of Puerto Rican artist Antonio Martorell's decision to retire his paintings from the Supreme Count as an act of protest against the government's increase of the number of judges.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Puerto Rico: Feminist Activist and Lawyer Awarded in US · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Verónica RT celebrates the award [es] that Puerto Rican feminist activist and lawyer Josefina Pantoja just received  from the National Legal Aid and Defender Association in the US for a life dedicated to defending the poor.


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South Africa: Afropolis: City, Media, Art · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Africa is a Country posts a photo by the young Johannesburg photographer Sabelo Mlangeni, which is included in the exhibit: “Afropolis. City, Media, Art: Urbanization Africa, now showing through March 11 at the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne, Germany.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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South Korea: An Indie Band’s Death and the ‘Acorn’ Controversy · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Following the death of indie band member Lee Jin-won, Korean bloggers and Twitterers are boiling mad over the music industry's unfair distribution system. Lee Jin-won, the one-man indie band of ‘Moonlight Fairy The Grand Slam Homer'(:달빛요정역전만루홈런), who died of a stroke last week, is reported to have lived near poverty line, even after his album made minor successes. What shocked most Koreans is a rumor that Lee had been paid in ‘Acorns’, one internet site's virtual money, which has no value in the offline world.
Korean songs are becoming huge hits in Asian countries to such a degree that a second Hallyu (:Korean wave) around the world is developing in popularity. But behind its glamorous facade, most of struggling musicians are unable to make ends meet. After Lee's death, a theory that Lee had been paid in Dotori (‘Acorn’ in English), Cyworld’s virtual money, has been widely circulated online. Acorns can be used only within the Cyworld site (Korean version of Facebook) to purchase virtual goods like the mini blog’s background music, wallpapers and décor. The SK communication which owns Cyworld strongly denies such claims as malicious rumors.
Captured image of Lee singing, Video by Hang Ji-hoon, Used with Permission.
Despite SK Com's denial, several music industry experts predicted that in certain instances Lee had indeed received ‘Acorns’ before being properly compensated for his music. They assumed that the online music store would have paid Lee after his album surpassed a break-even point. Lee's own song, ‘Dotori(:Acorns)’, is strengthening this argument. The lyrics from the song ‘Acorns’ strongly insinuates that the musician had been given the Acorns which are of no use to him.
“이건 먹을 수도 없는데
이걸로 뭘하란 말야.
쓰레기 같은 노래지만
무겁고 안 예쁘니까.
이슬만 먹고 살수는 없어.
일주일에 단 하루만 고기 반찬 줘, 도토리 싫어.”
Blogger Glassyouri, who cited the aforementioned verses lashed hard at the unfair distribution system for driving the singer to his death.
BGM 으로 얻어진 수입에서 3-4원이 가수에게 지급된다고 한다… 일하고 한창 돈 못 받을 때, 요정님의 ‘입금하라'라는 노래를 들으면서 심하게 공감했는데…아티스트의 창적물을 날로 먹으려는 쓰레기 같은 집단들은 정말 망해도 싸다.
Defending itself from mounting criticism, Cyworld's public relations director posted an explanatory article dispelling the rumor, claiming that they have neither made any direct transaction with the musicians nor compensated them using Acorns. A minority of netizens have sided with the SK Communications, but more of them are not buying it. The article later clarified that 35 percent of profits go to the artist.
@ keeping7 : 또한번..무분별한 확대 재생산의 폐해사례가 나왔군요. 애꿎은SK컴즈 이미지만 바닥으로.
@ aip209: 50%이상을 음원 유통사가 가져가는게 폭리요 착취아닌가 @wikitree
도토리 받는 뮤지션들을 위한 아고라 서명운동 시작 http://i.wik.im/23263 무한알튀 부탁함다
Online music stores is where most albums are traded nowadays. While an idol star with an established entertainment agency may have various means to earn money, like starring in a soaps, films or commercials, an indie band depends almost entirely on its album sales, especially online music sales which have become their primary income source. According to Hankyoreh report, compare to the iTune's case, songs are sold at half price in Korea and a smaller proportion of profits goes to musicians. On Mellon and MNet Korea, two online music warehouses in Korea similar to iTunes,  a song can be purchased for 500 Won (slightly little less than US 50 cents) on average, about half of the price of iTune’s per song price of USD 0.99.
From this discounted price, the online music stores take 45 percent of revenue and a large majority of the remaining profits goes to the copyright associations and distribution agency. The musician is left with less than 200 won (less than 20 cents). iTunes, on the contrary, takes only 30 percent of revenue and the distribution agency takes 70 percent. Then the agency divides the rest in half between the production company and the musician, who can get around 40 percent of the total revenue.
What aggravates the already hostile situation is the comprehensive package deal, which offers almost free downloads at a fixed rate. The limitless streaming services is given at less than 3 dollars a month and for the comprehensive package deal, the consumer can download 40 songs for 5 dollars and 150 songs a month for only 9 dollars. These two packages are where 70 percent of online music sales are made and from these deals, only few pennies goes to the musician.
Beside the huge proportion of profits taken by middlemen, the most serious issue is the transparency in distribution system. No one, even the musicians, has a clear idea of the exact amount of sales and profits, as Chanhee tweeted:
Chanhee (@schbard) RT @eaeon (5) 저작권 협회와 음원 유통사가 담합하면 시장 규모 자체를 얼마든지 축소 은폐할 수 있는 구조다. 뮤지션과 창작자들에게 돌아가야할 수익의 대체 얼마만큼이 눈 먼 돈으로 사라지는지 짐작할 수 조차 없다.
Blogger Qkrgusdl 95, a longtime fan of Lee, defined his music, ‘a hauntingly beautiful and sorrowful music that only someone who had gone through true agony can create’ and indirectly criticized netizens who are ready to burst with rage on any issue without sincere sympathy toward Lee.
처음에는 앨범을 사려 했는데 제가 다니는 앨범가게 중 어느 곳에서도 파는 데가 없어서 소리 바다 정액권을 이용해 다운 받게 되었습니다….달빛요정역전만루홈런, 이진원씨가 돌아가신 후에야 알게 되신 분들이 더 많은 거에요. 죽고 나서야 검색어에 오르다니. 이건 기뻐할 수도 없지요. 많은 누리꾼들이 특히 트위터- 음원료 대신에 도토리를 받았다는 말에 ‘부글부글'하고 있던데 그 사람들 중 몇이 이진원씨의 음악을 들어본 적 있을까 궁금하네요…가난은 예술의 아버지라지만, 그에게는 유독 가혹했던 것 같습니다.
Several people have blamed Korean net users who casually distribute songs online. Many bloggers are still sending requests to other bloggers to hand them illegally copied songs, never buying the songs through proper means. Great songs are ready and the online market system has been installed. Ethical market players are the only missing piece in this zero-sum game.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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Bangladesh: Not Everyone Can Fly · Global Voices
Rezwan

Bangladesh Corporate Blog criticizes the ailing airlines industry in Bangladesh comparing with the service and growth of Air Asia.


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Bangladesh: The Missing Flight · Global Voices
Rezwan

Shahidul Alam shares the bitter experience of waking up early and going to airport to catch a flight of a Bangladeshi airlines- only to find out that the flight shown in the ticket has been closed for a few months.


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Egypt: Vodafone Egypt Advertisement Stirs Controversy · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

A new advertisement for Vodafone Egypt has stirred controversy on the Egyptian blogosphere. The advert for a new internet USB bundle, is thought to be mocking a Muslim scientist who attempted to fly using a set of wings – Abbas Ibn Firnas (810–887 AD).
In the advert, Ibn Firnas is portrayed as a crazy man who insists on flying, and three men – who are famous for acting in the Egyptian version of “Back to the Future” film – trying to convince him to browse the internet first to see how his trial was going to fail, but he refused to listen to them.
Zeinobia explains in her post “Learn From Google Egypt, Vodafone Egypt !!”:
Vodafone Egypt  has aired its a new ad for its new internet bundle whatever it is using both humor and celebrity […]
Now that supposedly “funny'” is making fun about the failed attempt of Abbas Ibn Firnas to fly !! The ad is making fun of a scientist who got great contributions in the history of science instead of reminding the public with him and his other great achievements !!
The ad, which was uploaded on to YouTube, has since been removed.
Immediately after airing the advert, many angry messages spread like fire on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking platforms. One of these messages sent by @MostafaMourad, he for instance asks people to change their mobile operator if Vodafone did not stop airing its advertisement:
Call 888 to complain and give them one week. Ad not removed. convert ur number to another operator
In her blog post Think twice before going public, Amira Salah, a 25-year-old female, asks:
What are we trying to tell the new generations?!!
What are we trying to shout out to the whole world about how we respect our great pioneers?!!
How do we ask others to respect us while we don't know how to respect our culture?!!
How come we don't know what we can/can't make fun of?!!
Amira adds that companies should think twice before releasing public campaigns.
In the social media world, you have to revisit your choices many times before going public. People are now more active and positive, thanks to the social media channels who made expressing your opinions so easy. Vodafone Egypt has fallen into the trap of social media when they broadcasted their Abbas Ebn Fernas Ad.
On the other hand, she says people can use the same social media to launch an anti-campaign:
What messages were they trying to deliver by such a shallow ad?!! No one knows till now because they ignored the mass comments who complained and were against the ad. Moreover, instead of responding, they deleted some comments and only then people shouted out loud with the hashtag, #VodaFly
After word spread that comments on the advertisement on YouTube were deleted, @aymanrb said:
Glad @vodafoneEgypt with their smart team won't b able to delete all those tweets about the #vodaFly Ad like they did on fb & youtube #fail
Some people clarified they are particularly angry because of being a Muslim scientist, like @anas3qeel
But that was followed by a question from @ShadySamir asking:
Why is support to Abbas Ebn Firnas going back and forth between him being Muslim or Arab? #VodaFly
Many people, including Zeinobia, thought that Vodafone is wrong, and that an apology is required:
Now I think Vodafone Egypt owes us an apology to the educated who knew that that man was truly a scientist and the uneducated viewers who need to know who that man was.
The barrage of blog posts and tweets made in response to the advertisement meanwhile continued on social networks.
Some Twitter users were angry:
On the other hand, other netizens maintained their cool. Gemyhood  [Ar], for instance, had a different point of view, which was seconded by a handful of other Twitter users. Gemyhood suggested that the whole issue did not deserve the buzz it created, and was most likely part of the campaign, quoting an article that was published in a European newspaper, at the time of the Danish cartoons:
Echoing Gemyhood, @Moftasa tweeted:
I hope people taking vodafone's ad seriously aren't serious.
And @Bluefish80 adds:
You can follow the rest of the on going conversation through the hashtag #VodaFly on Twitter.

author: Eman AbdElRahman


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Iran: Mehdi Khazali, jailed blogger was released · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several news sites reported that Mehdi Khazali, jailed blogger and physician was released on 200000 dollars bail.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Japan: “100 English Dreams” by Christiana Aretta · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

100 English Dreams is a visual storytelling project by Christiana Aretta in support of the JET program, in which she asked her Japanese elementary school students, “Do you think you will use English in the future and why?”.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Japan: “Investigations in Suburban Tokyo” · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Chris Berthelsen from a-small-lab posted his slides for a workshop titled “Transforming Neighbourhoods – Tokyo/Berlin“, where he investigates the city of Tokyo for hints of “usable cities”.


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Myanmar: Suu Kyi is free at last · Global Voices
tan

She has been in prison for 15 years in the past 21 years, but now she is free at last. Burmese pro-democracy icon and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released from detention by the military-backed government of Myanmar Saturday afternoon, a week after the holding of a nationwide election which was dominated by pro-administration candidates.
The Democratic Voice of Burma was able to document the first few minutes of her release. This video shows Suu Kyi waving to supporters in front of her lakeside house.
AUNG SAN SUU KYI RELEASED from DVBTV English on Vimeo.
News spread out last Thursday that Suu Kyi will be freed this weekend on the date of expiration of her house arrest sentence. It was reported that she has signed the paper for her release around 12pm on that day. Even members of the National League for Democracy (NLD),  Suu Kyi's party, started cleaning the headquarter's secretariat office in anticipation of her release.  On Friday, there was a crowd of 500 or more people gathering in front of the NLD office in Yangon, all waiting for “Aunty Su's” release. A banner in front of the headquarters reads “Today's the Day of Her Release“.
More than 100 NLD members and supporters also donated blood at a local hospital to draw attention to her release.
Suu Kyi's impending freedom was later doubted when the Burmese top court rejected her final appeal against her house arrest this Friday, making the people anxious whether she will be released or not.
Meanwhile, Kim Aris, Aung San Su Kyi's son reportedly has gotten his visa approved to visit Myanmar.
Now that Suu Kyi is free at last, independent media site The Irrawaddy urges its readers to submit suggestions and other ideas to Suu Kyi
The world rejoiced when Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was freed from house arrest. Twitter users used the hashtag #aungsansuukyi as they joined the global conversation in celebrating Suu Kyi's freedom.

author: tan


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North Korea: A Closer Look At North Korea, By A Russian Web Designer · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Photos of North Korea taken by a Russian web designer, has been retweeted by @chakanangma, @demoon84 and many other South Korean Twitterers.


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Philippines: Pacquaio boxing victory dominates twitter · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Fans tweeting the Pacquaio-Margarito boxing match have dominated the twitter trending topics. The popular hashtags are #pacquiao, #margarito, Mayweather, FILIPINO PRIDE, Congrats Manny, and Pacquiao-Margarito

author: Mong Palatino


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Singapore General Election Portal · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

This portal contains manifestos, media releases, statements, and blogposts about the social, economic and political issues that will be raised in the next general election in Singapore next year.


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Singapore: Human Rights Film Festival · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

FreedomFilmFest 2010 in Singapore is the first ever human rights film festival to be held in Singapore. The films to be screened are from Malaysia.


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Singapore: Lee Kuan Yew to become Prime Minister again? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Singapore's Minister Mentor and former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew is rumored to be running again in the coming general elections. Kuan Yew is 87 years old.


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Singapore: Rising Gang Violence · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Twitter hashtags #slashing and #369 became trending topics a few days ago. They refer to the slashing incidents in Singapore involving a youth gang called 3-6-9. Netizens are worried and angry over the rising cases of gangster violence in recent weeks.
Dozens of young Singaporeans, aged 14-20, have been victims already of slashing attacks which prompted authorities to beef up security measures. The suspects are youth gangsters belonging to a group called 3-6-9. What does 369 signify?
Salakau, which literally means ‘369’ in Hokkien, also known as “Sah Lak Kau”, is a street gang or secret society based in Singapore. The numbers 3, 6 and 9 add up to 18, which was the name of an older gang; the number signified the 18 lohans (principal disciples) of Shaolin
Bloggers are now starting to write about the secret societies based in Singapore. Ng E-Jay, writing for The Online Citizen, points out that the “rise in gangsterism is indicative of deeper social problems”
…the alarming resurgence of disorganized youth gangs and increase in gang-related violence could point to a resurgence of the old social problems that allowed the criminal gangs of Singapore’s yesteryears to flourish.
Are our youths getting enough opportunities in the job market and in education? Are our schools keeping a close tab on problem children and teenagers? What has happened to the state of our education system, which has seemingly failed to address these issues? These are urgent questions that must be answered.
If our youths feel they are being forced out of the job market due to the large influx of low wage foreigners, could they turn to gangs as a means of support?
The authorities have placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of dysfunctional families and poor parenting. It must now be asked: What has caused so many dysfunctional families to arise? Isn’t the proliferation of dysfunctional families itself indicative that there are some deeper social problems that must be tacked?
It seems that youth gangs which proliferated in Singapore in the 1960s and 1970s are back again. Jufrie comments on the failure to prevent the formation of gangs
While we busy ourselves and get preoccupied with anti terrorist measures we have failed to detect the underlying problems afflicting our kids.
While it is commendable to guard ourselves against the unseen enemy it is no less important to ensure our kids are protected against the enemy within.
Partnership Education links lack of parental attention to the rise in gangsteerism
The root problem can be traced to lack of parental attention on kids. Modern Singapore parents are better skilled & trained so they take up higher responsibilities in office. Their success in career deprived time on their kids who wanted constant attention. Without attention from parents, they joined street gangs.
Can’t blame the school because education is about partnership with parents. It is good reminder to parents to spend more time with their kids.
Techgoondu analyzes the twitter posts about the issue
If I were to describe the tonality of the 300-odd posts on twitter since yesterday, I would say they were mostly angry, tinged with a little fear.
The first reaction is about safety. There is a significant amount of posts lamenting about Singapore’s safety and checking up on friends and family
Then there are the Singaporeans who are angry at these idiots and wondering why the hell this is happening in Singapore
One last main theme is for our police to catch these folks and whack these idiots. Practically no one was sympathetic to the gangsters
Here are some twitter posts using the #369 hashtag
karrot22: Ah beng: OI , YOU FROM #369? Me: No , I from 257. AH BENG: GOT THIS GANG MEH? Me: I tot you asking for my block number….* RUN* #Singapore
lianglin: Gang slashing innocent bystanders? That's so lame. It's 2010 leh. all you #369 wannabes please grow up. You are no longer(never) cool. #fb
adriiannaletch: @tanshengwei excuse me. Stop saying 369 all the time. They want the public attention, by encouraging them they won't rest ! Use brain abit
ykteng: Wassup with all the gang kids hanging around nowadays. A few chopping incidents and suddenly they grow balls
EdisonLiang: Former gang member on today's gangsters: ‘They are like untrained dogs’
AngryBirdz: Dear Singaporeans, because of the recent slashing incidents, please wear iron chainmail suits when you go out for safety reasons.
dinnie: With all the slashing cases going on, I wish the government would allow us to import butterfly knives. For self-defense. Hehe.
buckONtop: RT @OthnielGaijin: Singapore is a country of trends. First, bubble tea, then doughnuts, now, SLASHING!
Snippets thinks preventive actions should have been enforced by the police
I'm just wondering why we always have to wait for tragedy to happen before we take preventive actions. I feel that enough has not been done to curb street gangs – BEFORE the occurences of the two recent incidents. Wasn't it a common sight to see big groups of wayward youths hanging out – smoking/ staring etc (even in the wee hours) all these while? Aren't the police supposed to foot-patrol and check on these kids from time to time? Why aren't these kids being asked to go home or detained in a police station for the night? I don't know, these are just my burning questions in mind.


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Africa: Mobile data costs in East Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Erik analyses mobile data costs in East Africa: “Mobile data access charges have fallen drastically in the last several years in East Africa, in large part to the SEACOM undersea cable arriving and increased competition between operator.”


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Africa: On the status of African women · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Gregory Simpkins discusses the status of African women: “The status of women in Africa is a series of paradoxes. On the one hand, women have an exalted role as mothers and nurturers of their families. On the other hand, they are not accorded many of the economic rights women have in other parts of the world…”


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Africa: Why fair skin is the hope for African women · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Is fair skin the hope for African women?: A friend once said to me. “Whites want to be black by tanning and Blacks and Browns want to be light by bleaching. Nobody wants to be in their own skin”.


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Arab World: Tweeting the Hajj Experience  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Among the 1.8 million Muslims on pilgrimage, or Hajj, to the holy city of Mecca are a few stealing moments to send 140-character messages to the world. Here are snippets from the conversation on the Twittersphere.
The Hajj, which should be performed by every Muslim with the means to do so at least once in a lifetime, culminates with Eid Al Adha tomorrow (Tuesday).
Twitter users from across the region share their experience in the following tweets.
Bahraini Hassan Zainal writes:
Taking a break before starting another round of prayers.People are
enjoying the moments despite the difficulties.Bahraini people are
awesome
And he advices:
A lot of old people r here as well & we as young people keep
complaining about how difficult Haj is.Go while you are young.Lifetime
journey.
Khalid Al Mutari, from Saudi Arabia, shares a series of tweets with photographs illustrating his pilgrimage.
Here he shows us tickets for Mecca Metro, a $2 billion new train service, which ferries pilgrims to different holy sites.
Mecca Metro tickets
The train service, which is reserved for Saudis and other Gulf nationals this year, came under fire by pilgrims from other countries, who were not allowed to use the service. The Gulf Cooperation Council is made up of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
From Qatar, Shabina asks:
What about the little ppl at Hajj? RT @omarc The Mecca Metro launches today for Saudis & Gulf nationals http://bit.ly/d4YaVP
mmbilal, also from Doha, Qatar, is on a mission. She is there to cover the Hajj for Al Jazeera English. She tweets:
Just landed in jeddah – hassle free – to cover #hajj2010 for @ajenglish! Slight hiccup in doha involving exit permits, but all is well now.
She also shares photographs in her tweets. This photograph is described as follows:
Women pilgrims
since most ppl stay 2 far from Kaaba to come to evry prayer, thousands camp outside the mosque and nxt door mall #hajj http://img.mu/XBbWNK
And the caption for the following  photograph reads:
The Holy Kaaba
view of the kaaba and masjid al haram from the al jazeera arabic studio at #hajj http://img.mu/er75DC
Another tweep on Hajj is Egyptian Mohamed, who shares his observations here.  In this tweet he spots a young boy with other worldly concerns:
6-year old in e7raam outfit walking around the tent and trying to find a plug to recharge his PSP. #loveit #hajj #arafat
And here he mocks social networking site Foursquare fans:
Hey @foursquare, i just made it to a meetup with 3 million buddies. That's gotta deserve an awesome new badge! #hajj #arafat #eidmubarak!
And finally Tareq Fares, from the UAE, shares this photograph from Mount Arafat:
Pilgrims at Mount Arafat
For more Hajj tweets, check out #Hajj here.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Brazil: digital culture forum kicks off in São Paulo · Global Voices
Marta Cooper

The second annual Fórum da Cultura Digital Brasileira (Brazilian Digital Culture Forum) [pt] has begun in São Paulo. Due to run until 17th November, the forum aims to bring together cultural initiatives and communications-related organisations “in order to promote the development of public policies for the digital age” [pt].

author: Marta Cooper


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Brazil: more criticism of media regulation · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

André Kenji, from the blog Dissidência, compares [pt] media regulation in Brazil and the USA, saying that public TV licenses cannot be treated as the private property of media owners. Meanwhile, Jorge Seadi at Sul21 comments [pt] that UNESCO has also proposed more independent control over the media in Brazil.

author: Raphael Tsavkko Garcia


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China: fire ravages Shanghai apartment block · Global Voices
Marta Cooper

A high-rise apartment block in downtown Shanghai became engulfed by flames at around 2pm this afternoon. Early reports say firefighters are trying to rescue residents and construction workers still trapped inside the building. Photos from the scene are available here [zh] and here.


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China: Perception on national power · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Maryannodonnell translated a series of mobile messages about Chinese people's perception of national power and world order.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Sino-India relation · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Peter Martin from Sinocentric comments on the two Chinese diplomatic trips to India for persuading India away from Japan and the US’ strategy in encircling China.


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Colombia: Twitter Users Report On Clashes Between Armed Groups in Medellín · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

Iglesia of Manrique, Medellín. Photo from flickr user laloking97, used under Generic Creative Commons License 2.0 Attribute-ShareAlike
On the night of November 9th, in the Manrique Santa Inés sector [es] of Medellín, Colombia, some explosions were heard that the majority of inhabitants associated with gun shots. Quickly Twitter messages appeared, including messages from the mayor of Medellin Alonso Salazar's official Twitter account; other tweets mentioned gunfire in other parts of the city as well.
César Serna (@augustoserna) said:
En Manrique Santa Ines se escuchan bastantes tiros hace varios minutos, como q la cosa esta grave! #Medellin
Andrés Felipe (@ecoandres) asked:
Que esta pasando en Medellín, que es esa cantidad de explosiones que se siente en la parte alta de Manrique?
Meanwhile Sergio D. Barrera (@SergioDBarrera) reported on the event:
@internautismo reportando desde el lugar de la noticia… aproximadamente fueron 14 minutos de rafagas de fuego en la comuna 3-4 de Medellin
Zombgle (@Idontownmusic) mentions gunfire being heard in another location of the city:
@federicorios No solo hubo bala en Manrique sino en el sector de Velódromo y Estadio. Que habrá pasado? #Medellin
Through the official twitter account of the mayor of Medellín Alonso Salazar (@alonsosalazarj), it was possible to read an ongoing conversation between one citizen and the mayor that recognized their recent work on the problems generated by the rainy season in the city, and in its time raised the issue of the difficulty of maintaining public order:
Camilo Pérez (@Kperezr):
@alonsosalazarj […] y qué se va a hacer para evitar que se repita lo que pasó anoche en manrique?
Alonso Salazar (@alonsosalazarj):
@Kperezr anoche como a las diez de la noche la banda de la terraza y la del desierto hicieron disparos al aire para provocar.
@alonsosalazarj […] and what are you going to do in order to avoid repeating what happened last night in Manrique?
Alonso Salazar (@alonsosalazarj):
@Kperezr last night at around 10pm the La Terraza and El Desierto gangs fired shots in the air to provoke a response.
Finally, through the latest publication from the Mayor's Twitter account, a “neutralization” of the events has been reported. Alonso Salazar (@alonsosalazarj) said:
@Kperezr me informa el C. Martinez que el goes se hizo presente y neutralizó. La dificultad: disparan desde terrazas y no se puede allanar.
After the events a feeling of uncertainty was felt, owing to a lack of media coverage on the shootings. Artessano (@arttesano) declared:
@ColoresMari me gustaria seber que cuentan los twitteros de la #balacera en #medellin , les créo mas a ellos que a los ¨medios¨
Marcela Pérez García @Marcelita_P88) asked on Twitter:
Qué se sabe sobre la balacera en #Medellin Los medios reportan la noticia???
Carlos Peña (@penasalgado) said:
Vamos a ver que sale en medios sobre la balacera de anoche en #medellin y confirmamos la leyenda del “pacto” de Alonso con los medios.
Juan David Escobar (@ElReticente) criticized,
Los periodistas no dicen ni mú sobre la guerra en los barrios, porque no viven allá, y porque Medellin es imparable.

author: Cati Restrepo


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Costa Rica: Protecting your Data · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

On twitter, Tecnología Sí CR shares with us Protect your Data, the winning video for their 2009 contest.

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Czech Republic: Russian Presence in Karlovy Vary · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Czech Daily Word writes about Karlovy Vary, a famous Czech resort town popular with tourists from the former Soviet states: “And one can see the Russian presence on almost every main street in downtown Karlovy Vary, where even hair salons, post offices, hardware stores etc. have signs in four languages…”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Ecuador: The Government and Social Networking · Global Voices
Paulina Aguilera Muñoz

Use of the Internet and social networks by the government of Ecuador is rapidly increasing. Is this an attempt to increase government transparency, a new media strategy or alternatively, is this the government's way of bypassing the media silence?
Based at the International Centre of Higher Studies in Communication for Latin America (@ciespal) [es], Alexandra Ayala is carrying out research [es] into the online presence of the Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa.
El portal oficial de la Presidencia de la República (www.presidencia.gob.ec), es multimedia e interactivo, permiten a sus visitantes enlaces directos con una serie de canales y redes sociales como: El Ciudadano, periódico digital oficial del Gobierno; facebook; twitter; youtube; vimeo; flickr; livestream; canal de distribución de audios; canal de distribución de PDF; canal de distribución de power point; sitio streaming en vivo; ministerios, entre otros
The International Centre of Higher Studies in Communication for Latin America has posted [es] various tweets [es] in relation to their findings:
#ciberactivismo El monitoreo arroja como resultado que la actividad del presidente en redes sociales es alta
#ciberactivismo Rafael Correa fue el primer presidente latinoamericano que tuvo un blog. Eso se le reconoce a internacionalmente
The Facebook [es] page, “Presidencia de la República de Ecuador” (the Presidency of Ecuador) has more than 9000 fans and the Twitter account, “Presidencia de Ecuador” (@Presidencia_Ec) [es], has 27,866 followers.
Discussing national politics on social networks is not a new phenomenon, however the online presence of the Government of Ecuador is somewhat unique. Referring to a police strike that took place on September 30, Edward Gonzalez   writes,
EN ECUADOR el lider de la policia nacional y el presidente ya no son amigos.. por lo menos eso dice sus cuentas en facebook jiji..
This is not a small issue neither. Five years ago, Ecuadorians were talking about the ineffeciency displayed by their government, the political processes and the judiciary in addressing the issues of the internet and the use of new technologies by those in the Andean subregion.
As the online newspaper Juventud Rebelde highlighted [es],
Facebook ha devenido una vía de información y de movilización alternativa, donde los simpatizantes del presidente ecuatoriano suben videos y fotos, enlaces con publicaciones de diarios y televisoras y comentan la situación del país en el grupo El grupo llamado «No al golpe de Estado en Ecuador».
On Facebook, “Marcha por la decencia nacional” [es] (March for national decency) and “Verde Esperanza” [es] (Green Hope) are online initiatives taking place on social networks in Ecuador in support of President Correa.
ALT1040 [es] tries to explain the use of social networks by the government of Ecuador due to a backdrop of opposition from the national media.
En mi último viaje a Ecuador noté como algunas acciones hechas por el presidente Rafael Correa están siendo extrañamente ignoradas por los medios masivos ecuatorianos, mi ejemplo favorito es el pago de la deuda al Fondo Monetario Internacional, una gran y positiva noticia que casualmente no aparece en ningún lado de la página principal de El Universo, supuestamente el diario más serio de ese país, aunque sí tienen un artículo al respecto, pero que es sumamente pequeño y una simple reproducción de un cable de Reuters;
Other countries are also realising the importance of social networking in Ecuador and several other accounts are now popping up covering the affairs of the country – accounts such as those belonging to Centro Knight UT [es] (@centroknightut), Gerardo Albarrán (@saladeprensa) [es], @twitvenezuela [es] as well as other Twitter accounts [es] that tweeted about the police strike on September 30 in Ecuador.
The reliance upon social networks and the Internet has opened up other opportunities. On one occasion, the official website of the Presidency of Ecuador was hacked and forced offline. LaPatilla [es] covered this story underlining how this incident resulted in the “sexy” side of the President being shown.
El presidente de Ecuador, Rafael Correa, también tiene su Facebook. En él se retratan varias de sus facetas durante su mandato en ese país. Allí Correa muestra su lado más “pícaro y sexy”, además de sus habilidades musicales…
B10, an online portal for discussing what's happening in Ecuador, posted an article relating to the Facebook [es] account belonging to the former President of Ecuador, and the man President Correa blamed for the police uprising of September 30, Lucio Gutiérrez. This illustrates that social networks, politics and information can all come together in one place resulting in transparency and the involvement of the public.

author: Paulina Aguilera Muñoz


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Estonia: Pensioners’ “Relative Wealth” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

AnTyx does some “number-crunching” and concludes that “on average, British pensioners are 76% better off than Estonian ones.”


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Fiber To The Home Services in Pakistan · Global Voices
Ammar Faheem

An Infrastructure uplift, perhaps? Pakistan was the first in South Asia to launch an FTTH service. This article in Telecomistan  reviews the industry and the challenges faced in Pakistan.

author: Ammar Faheem


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Haiti: Interview with Aristide · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Haitianalysis.com republishes excerpts from an interview with former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Haiti: Will Elections Proceed?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Wadner Pierre says that as “Haiti prepares to hold controversial elections, natural disasters and disease may force the Haitians authorities to reschedule…”


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India: An Appeal To The Delhi Metro Rail Authority  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Raja Basu, a regular commuter of the Delhi Metro, points out to some anomalies in the rail services.

author: Rezwan


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Japan: On the two new art festivals · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

Realtokyo editor-in-chief Tetsuya Ozaki offers his view on the two international art festivals that launched in Japan this year.


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Kenya: New Kenyan classifieds website · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A Nairobian's Perspective writes about a new Kenyan classifieds website: “DealFish.co.ke is a brand new Kenyan classifieds website.The DealFish site makes it easy for members within a community to buy, sell, rent and find products and services as part of a like-minded community.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Pakistan: Bulldozing Over Civilization · Global Voices
Halima Khan

Bomb Blast In Karachi. Painting uploaded by Flickr user Dr. S Ali Wasif. CC BY-NC-ND.
Pakistanis were shocked by the news that over 1,000 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack that killed 19 people in Karachi a few days ago.
Allegedly this lethal bomb attack in Karachi's high-security Red Zone was carried out by the Pakistani Taliban. This bomb aimed to target the Criminal Investigation Department police quarters near the Sindh’s provisional chief minister's seat opposite the Sheraton hotel in the south of the city.
Among the 115 people injured in the blast were some high profile militants being help at the CID quarters. They have now been moved to an undisclosed location.
S. Raza Hassan in a public report at Dawn News narrates what an eye witness to the incident saw:
‘The blast left a crater over 15 feet deep and 30 feet across. “I ran for safety inside the offices after hearing what appeared to be a shootout between two sides. It lasted 10 to 15 minutes, during which a small explosion also took place, and was followed by a massive blast”.
The destruction caused by the explosives is massive. It shook buildings, shattered glasses and people’s sense of security. The sad fact is that this has become a routine Pakistanis are being forced to live with.
Imran Khan, a Doha based corespondent writes at Al-Jazeera blog:
“The scene was a gruesome reminder that Pakistan teeters on the edge of collapse, perhaps saved only by the extraordinary resilience of its citizens.
Resilience that seems to be turning to acceptance. Acceptance that bombings are now part of the country's every day.”
Kalsoom at Chup: Changing Up Pakistan adds a personal thought that forces us to think beyond what we have been hearing in news:
‘Again, if the CID conducted arrests of high-profile militants yesterday, we have to think that the logistics that would go into such an attack in a highly fortified area would be pretty extensive, if it was indeed motivated by those arrests. Therefore, the attacks were either connected indirectly to the arrests and/or had been planned beforehand, OR the Taliban wasn’t directly responsible for the logistics, but it relied on groups… who have more extensive networks in urban areas, to carry it out.’
The resilience shown by the Karachi locals is commendable. These people are still recovering from the gang wars and the target killings of recent times and yet they go on with their lives like it is just another day.

author: Halima Khan


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Pakistan: The Truth About Balochistan · Global Voices
Rezwan

“Balochistan needs to be healed — within Pakistan’s federal framework,” comments Ejaz Haider at Pak Tea House.


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Puerto Rico: Indie Rockers Inspired by Internet Culture  · Global Voices
Alfredo Richner

Since entering Puerto Rico's buoyant independent music scene in late 2008, Los Niños Estelares (“The Star Kids”) have been known for their unique brand of socially-conscious, self-referential folk-pop sing-a-longs both online and off. The group's incisive (yet hilarious) lyrics and well-cultivated image have found success through Youtube, where the group's videos have received over 200,000 views to date. Calling to mind other famous comedic rock-duos such as Tenacious D and Flight of the Concords, Fernando Castro Álvarez and Darío Constaín Reyes imbue Los Niños Estelares's songs with a social conscience that is all their own.
Their newest video, which you can see above, is for the song “Pari Bus” (slang for Party Bus) off the upcoming album titled “Tragedias y esperanzas en tiempos de Internet”, which translates to “Tragedies and Hope in Times of Internet.” That record is due by the end of the year and will be available online as a free download via the band's website.
“Pari Bus” has been viewed over 10,000 times since it was uploaded to Youtube on October 25, making it an instant success for the band. The clip, directed by René Pedrosa and “Niño Estelar” Fernando Castro Álvarez comically casts the band as outcasts inside their own Party Bus. Extras for the video were solicited through the band's Facebook support group – which goes to show Los Niños Estelares's dedication to fully exploiting the Internet for their music. Also making an appearance throughout the video are some of Puerto Rico's most celebrated (yet still obscure) Internet characters, such as the “Vampiro Industrial” [es] (Industrial Vampire), Chovi “the crying boy from Patillas,” and Fico Fronte, an extreme version of the local drug-dealer/gang-member with illusions of grandeur created by the comedic duo of ESOEZ TV [NSFW].
Photo by Eliud Echevarría courtesy of Los Niños Estelares
When asked to share his thoughts about Puerto Rico's online community and the local “memes” created through social services and the blogosphere, Fernando had this to say:
Creo que la comunidad creativa online puertorriqueña está naciendo poco a poco. Ya la televisión puertorriqueña está muerta. La gente está buscando material audiovisual puertorriqueño de calidad y está acudiendo al Internet para encontrarlo.
As slick and funny as the video came out, Fernando is adamant about its message and its relevance in Puerto Rico's current cultural climate.
Creo que la canción es muy buena y la razón por la cual es muy buena es porque tiene algo MUY importante que decir que casi nadie expresa en Puerto Rico. El mensaje principal de la canción es el siguiente: Dile NO a esta cultura perniciosa de alcoholismo y de pari sin sentido, al abuso de sustancias psicotrópicas y en sí, a la economía subterránea que esclaviza y destruye lentamente a nuestro archipiélago del encanto.
So who is really behind the wheel of this Party Bus?
For those willing to take the plunge: I had the pleasure of interviewing Fernando Castro Álvarez of Los Niños Estelares and co-director René Pedrosa about the making of the “Pari Bus” video for PuertoRicoIndie.com [es].
For the uninitiated: There's a great side-by-side comparison of the Internet character cameos found in the “Pari Bus” video with their original sources of inspiration over at ESOEZ [es].

author: Alfredo Richner


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Puerto Rico: Prensa Comunitaria, A Project of Media Activism · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

Prensa Comunitaria [es] (Community Press) was founded in 2004 with the objective to empower the Puerto Rican communities through the creation of media. In its beginnings, it created a net of community newspapers, and then developed alternative radio and television shows and, more recently, produced a series of shorts for a community movie forum. Prensa Comunitaria is one of the most important projects of citizen journalism in a country where traditional media establish the daily news agenda and direct public opinion.
This video, produced by Prensa Comunitaria (and published in their YouTube page), presents the demolition of houses in the Vietnam barrio, in the city of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico: Demolition of houses in the Vietnam community.
The board president of Prensa Comunitaria, Samuel Rosario, talked with Global Voices about the birth of the project, its work in the communities, the importance of citizen journalism, and the relationships with traditional media.
Global Voices (GV)- With what objective was Prensa Comunitaria conceived? Why and what for?
Samuel Rosario (SR)- Prensa Comunitaria is a direct response to the indignation towards how the national media construes us. It became revolting that only the criminality in our communities was pointed out. In a way, the initial intention was proof that ‘not all of us are criminals, that there are also good and working people.’ But, early on in the editorial discussions, it also became clear that to occupy a supervising role of the government and of education among our people were inherent responsibilities of the handling of information.
GV- How is the relationship between the communities and the commercial press in Puerto Rico? How is the coverage?
SR-There is an almost universal resentment in our communities with the national press. No one who lives in our barrios, housing projects, and special communities around Puerto Rico misses the fact that in order to invisibilize our development work  and the almost exclusive coverage of our ills, we stand out in front of the public as a homogeneous group of scoundrels and criminals. Even though in recent years a mild change has occurred in the media, this hardly makes up for the damage inflicted upon us for so many decades; the image and public perception has already been set up. The national press does not have a reparation project with us in mind. They do not even know how necessary this is for the construction of a country.
"Cineforo Comunitario." Photo courtesy Prensa Comunitaria.
GV- How does community media contribute to the development of a community? How does it empower the people of this community?
SR-The benefit of community media for the country, not only for the communities themselves, is multidimensional. One of the most dramatics effects, based on the premise of a press with real penetration, is a less biased full public discussion. A discussion that, among other things, unpacks the ill-founded generalized belief that we are poor because we want to be poor.
The institutionalization of a vigorous community press is also the demystification of media in general. In a way a feeling of equality begins to grow among our people related to more privilege social groups. Another great benefit of community development is that the groups, mostly the leaders who are responsible of content production, almost invariably, begin to modify their perspectives as a result of the rigorous process of making social journalism. They become more critical and deepen their analysis.
GV- How has the incursion of the project in the Internet been?
SR-In terms of content, the biggest difference between the use of the Internet and the rest of the media, at least for now, is that it has to be exclusively directed to people outside of our communities. The little penetration of the Internet in our communities does not allow us to direct our efforts completely to our community. But, at least for me, the actual work on the site is in transition. The technological advances and the behavior of users, foretells, for the next years, the merging of television and the internet. And we, like the rest of the industry, are trying to anticipate how this new information websites will look like.
Another matter here is the identification of economic resources to sustain the website. In Puerto Rico, still, advertisement investment in the Internet is not enough, neither is the subscription model. How the communities will integrate with the Internet depends largely on how we resolve these issues.
GV- What have been some of the reactions of the participants of your projects?
SR-If we consider the development process to be linear and that the first phase is to help the groups respect themselves, then one of the most significant experiences has to be the day the first edition of the alternative newspaper Raíces circulated in Guarico, a remote neighborhood of Corozal. A lot of people gathered around the newsstand…They had been waiting for the papers since the previous day. Doña Gladys, the leader of the community and owner of the house where we were, dropped the package, and began, one by one, to share them… When they picked the paper, they began to read quietly and with great concentration…Later their astonished faces became eloquent expressions of the magic of moment… “This is us”… “The whole newspaper is about us”… The phrase I'll never forget was uttered by Doña Gladys to Pablo, a man with alcohol problems that made ends meet cleaning patios and whose poetry was published: “You see Piolín, we are important…We have worth.”

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


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Russia: Changing Time Zone in Primorsky Krai · Global Voices
Masha

Russia Time by Wikimedia Commons
A year ago Russian President Dmitry Medvedev brought up the idea of changing time zones in the regions of Russia. In his annual address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation he particularly stated [RUS] that by doing so a convenient co-existence of different regions and the capital would be achieved. Messages on this topic  sprung up on news portals of Primorsky Krai several days ago.
In the meantime this is not entirely a novel idea. A year ago Gennadiy Lazarev, a member of the regional Legislative Assembly, provoked the same sort of discussion on the web. He suggested changing the time zone with the expectation of  reducing the difference with Moscow from seven to four hours. These ideas did not get very far and nothing was changed. User NNN argued [RUS] that the protests of December 2008 – January 2009 [RUS] in Vladivostok became the reason for this proposal. The people went on the streets with Japanese flags [RUS] protesting against the ban on the right-sided steering wheel. When it all happened Moscow was still asleep and the governmental reaction was late.
On 17 November 2010, members of the Legislative Assembly of Primorsky Krai will discuss an initiative to change the time zone of the region, thus making it one hour closer to Moscow. It is particularly planned to prepare a proposal for Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister.
As news portal VL.ru reported [RUS], regional GovernorSergey Darkin [RUS] became an initiator of this idea. In the meantime netizens of Primorsky Krai were highly concerned about this decision as well as the fact that  public opinion has been neglected.
Drom.ru, Far East automobile portal, became a useful platform for netizens not only to discuss the car-related issues but social and political ones as well. Global Voices has written about one of its successful campaigns.
This time Drom community did not ignore the issue of changing time zones either. User Jokky particularly pointed out [RUS] that the session of the Legislative Assembly would not take place in the usual location where everyone could come, but in a small room on the eighth floor where the public would not be allowed. In the meantime the official website of the Legislative Assembly refuted [RUS] the information, announcing that the session would take place in the assembly hall open for everyone. Other users suggested canceling winter or making the day longer since the Moscow decision-makers are all-mighty and local politicians are following their every move.
Information agency Deita.ru mentioned various advantages of this initiative. It would be comfortable for those doing shopping in bordering China. The time difference with this country and Primorsky Krai is three hours in Summer and two in Winter. China has only one time-zone and Deita.ru has expressed suspicion that soon the region will minimize its time difference with Moscow to four hours instead of the existing seven-hour difference. They suggest that the Chinese are not complaining and it would be much easier for the Kremlin to rule the country with this improvement.
User Seryi pointed out [RUS] the following:
Я сам уже не первый год являюсь представителем чиновничества. Должен сказать, что взаимодействие с центром совсем незначительно коррелирует с разницей в часовых поясах. Не часто, но случается получать утром такие указания из центрального ведомства, которые должны были быть выполнены еще вчера вечером или ночью. Но это случается так редко, что не может значительно дезорганизовать общую работу. С другой стороны, если центру очень нужно, то они всегда найдут и выдернут на работу любого чиновника, где- бы он не находился, но у нас на работе я могу припомнить только один такой случай за 10 лет. Так- что на мой взгляд проблема часовых поясов совершенно искуственно раздута.
Indeed, many local companies adapt to the Moscow time zone and stay extra hours at work. It has not been a big problem before, even during the time of the Soviet Union. User Ученик 5 класса [5th grade student] claimed[RUS] that all officials have failed geography at school and think that the earth is still flat. He suggested determining  noon time by the sun and live by daylight time, like ancient people did.
User Алексей [Alexei] exclaimed [RUS]:
Блин, было бы смешно, если не было бы так грустно! У нас реально страна идиотов? ? ? Нет, всех я не считаю такими, но у инициаторов такой идеи и их приверженцев явно что- то с головой. Не устраивает время работы с Москвой – перенесите свой рабочий день на пару часов. Зачем всех мучить? […] Летом после работы можно было успеть на пляж, а теперь […] отработал летом и быстрее домой (пока не стемнело). Почему депутаты руководствуются не логикой и просьбами народа (они же, типа, ” народные депутаты” ), а меркантильными интересами чиновников?
Probably these questions will be left unanswered. The online petition [RUS] against this measure has received more than 250 signatures so far. Nevertheless this amount of signatures is not enough, even though the activists are asking to hold a referendum regarding the time zone change.

author: Masha


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S.Korea:A Boy Band’s Innovative Word Describing His Roots Made To Trending List · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korea's boy band, U-Kiss's member, Alexander has placed #Korean American and #Xandernese at Twitter's top trending list. The word ‘Xandernese’, which Alexander invented while describing his origin, is getting Twitterer's approval who had a hard time describing their multiple roots. read more on GoKPop.

author: Lee Yoo Eun


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S.Korea:Korea’s Human Rights Watchdog On the Verge of Collapse · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korea's National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) is rapidly falling apart due to severe internal conflicts initially caused by the elegibility of the new head of the watchdog group who has no proven track record of defending human rights.  57 peoples from the Commission offered to resigned today, Korea's @WikiTree [ko] tweeted.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Election Date Set  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Abeni announces: “It's official…Vincentians will vote on December 13th.”


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Sudan: Forum on Rural ICT connectivity in Southern Sudan · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), in conjunction with the government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), will be organising a two-day international forum on rural ICT connectivity from 23rd to 24th November 2010 in the GoSS city of Juba, Brenda reports.


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Tanzania: Dar Sketches: From Blog to Book · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Dar Sketches is a blog of drawings and creative writing inspired by ‘street level” Dar es Salaam. The blog will ultimately be turned into a book.
The Project background:
The project started with an interest in the older buildings of Dar es Salaam city centre, and a desire to capture some of their essence before they are all too rapidly demolished. As an artist and illustrator, I believe drawings can capture a different and sometimes more vibrant image than photographs. While the architecture creates the context, the vibrancy of Dar street life is a wonderful, rich and quirky realm all to itself. So the drawings have developed to include whole street scenes as well as portraits of street vendors, daladala’s, overloaded bicycles, sign art and much more.
‘Street level’ would like to be a forum for creative writing about Dar es Salaam. Short stories, poems, musings, even two line thoughts and interesting facts would be very gratefully received for consideration. Pieces could be inspired by the artwork or vice versa.
About the blogger:
Sarah Markes trained at Central St. Martins in London as an illustrator and graphic designer. She has lived in Dar es Salaam for the last seven years, working on an array of educational and creative projects.
The writers
‘Street level’ will feature a selection of contemporary creative writing by Tanzanian and international authors who live and work in the city. 15 writers have already expressed an interest in the project with several others contemplating it!
The book will be divided into eight sections:
The content
1. KARIBU BONGO: Welcome to Dar
2. STREET SCENE: Urban space and the architecture of Dar
3. STREET LIFE: The people of Dar
4. STREET TRADE: Vendors galore and more
5. STREET CUISINE: Tanzanian tastes
6. STREET TRANSPORT: People and goods on the move
7. STREET GREEN: The natural environment of Dar
8. STREET STYLE: Dar heritage at risk
A sample of sketches appearing on the blog:
In praise of street vendors:
In Praise of Street Vendors by Sarah Markes
Some grumble about the space taken up by assorted vendors on Dar’s crumbling pavements or the apparent disarray of the city’s myriad street stalls, but how can you not be grateful for all the goods and services that are at your fingertips in every part of the city? Whether it’s an icy cold bottle of water thrust through your window in traffic, that Arsenal sticker you have always wanted or your bicycle tyre repaired in minutes, Dar’s thriving street trade can provide.
I am Machinga [a street vendor in Swahili slang]:
The sweet, sticky heat makes my clothes stick to my skin. I am damp to the touch, dripping with the unavoidable refuse of my art. Yes, I am an artist my friend, although you may not think so. How else can you explain what I do? I walk the town like a vagabond of the vanguard, a viscous fluid in the arteries of Bongo streets, providing for your every need.
All it takes is a single look, you know the one, while you inch along in the snaking foleni [queue] hoping for some form of respite, and you pleadingly glance out your half-rolled down window, I see the yearning in your eyes. Before you even know what it is that you desire, I will be there, with karanga na maji [groundnuts and water] and perhaps a cigarette or two. I will provide. You take what I offer with subtle contempt, annoyed that I know you better than yourself, but alas, what is an artist to do?
Excerpt from ‘I am machinga’ by Hafiz Juma
Light Corner:
Light Corner by Sarah Markes
“Dar’s street scenes tell a story of the city’s history, its people and their livelihoods – of the original inhabitants of Mzizima, the Sultans from Oman, the Germans, the British, the Indians, waves of immigrants from rural Tanzania and its surrounds.
Reheman Building:
Reheman Building in Dar Es Salaam by Sarah Markes
Do you have a favourite building or place in Dar es Salaam that you think i should draw? If so, do let me know…
Wouldn’t this building make a wonderful studio, coffee shop, book shop, lounge bar… oh dreamy on…
Green Oranges:
Green Oranges by Sarah Markes
Juice dribbles slowly down his chin as he grins at me. Otherwise motionless, he carefully sucks every last piece of the fruit without breaking his smiling gaze. Sparkly eyes above a sun faded yellow football shirt. The dark ‘Fly Emirates’ slogan yells silently from his chest.
Casting the skin aside he finally turns and rearranges the baskets on his bicycle, crammed full with sweet green oranges to sell in town.
‘Fly Emirates’ is emblazoned across his back as well. This sinew limbed cyclist farmer, advertising one of the richest airlines in the world. His shirt has already travelled thousands of miles more than he ever will. I doubt he even has a passport, let alone anything more tangible than distant dreams of flight.
Normalhaueser:
Normalhaueser by Sarah Markes
Built between 1891 and 1893 and originally called the ‘Normalhaueser’ this elegant building currently houses the commercial High Court.
(Info from ‘A Catalogue of the Protected Buildings in Dar es Salaam’ prepared by Sustainable Cities: PLUS Network Africa Program.)
Shopping in traffic:
Shopping in traffic by Sarah Markes
One of the only redeeming features of Dar traffic, as far as i can tell, is the chance to peruse and haggle over all sort of wares… sunglasses, bandannas, stickers, towels, phone chargers, perfume, electric fans, maps, newspapers, cashew nuts, car polish, car jacks, wheel spanners, bags of apples and my all time favourite – nodding dogs… though i havn’t seen those for a while alas.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Global Africa Project  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Alice Yard is taking part in The Global Africa Project, “documenting the physical and critical spaces of the Yard and its creative network” – watch the video, here.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Illegal Spying  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trin joins “in the national outrage and wait[s] for action” as more details come to light about illegal wiretapping of citizens by the former government.


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Zambia: A Coalition for Windfall Tax · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zambian Economist update on the call for government to reintroduce the windfall tax in Zambia: “As the momentum gathers, with many pushing for this to be an electoral issue, we shall keep this post regularly updated.”


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Australia: Same-Sex Marriage a Step Closer? · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Australia’s parliament is currently debating a private members bill about same-sex marriage. (Private members bills are proposed laws that are not introduced by the government. Individual parliamentarians may free to vote according to their conscience depending on their party’s policy on the issue.)
This one is not to change the law, merely to consult with the public about the issue:
The ALP government does not support legalisation but is under pressure to change its stance:
Labor agreed at its last national conference in 2009 not to support gay marriage, and Prime Minister Julia Gillard has ruled out a conscience vote on the issue.
But Labor will now support a Greens motion which calls for all MPs to speak to their constituents about gay marriage.
Labor backs talks on gay marriage
Many in the Oz blogosphere have strong views. The Conscience Vote, “Politics for the human’, examines the issue in detail, arguing for its importance and urgency:
As long as the government enshrines this discrimination, the tireless work of those who give their time, money and – sometimes, horribly – their lives to build trust, rapport and respect between all Australians regardless of their sexuality will continue to be undermined.
Same-sex marriage – yes, it’s that important
Iain Hall gives his thoughts from his Sandpit:
If the likes of Adam Brandt are so sure that the community supports their position why are they not advocating that this be put to a popular vote at a referendum? Well it probably has something to do with the fact that although a lot of people support the right for anyone to fuck any other consenting adult and for anyone to set up whatever sort of household they please they are actually quite content with the definition of marriage in the current marriage act and they see no reason to change it.
The claim that the push for “Gay” marriage is all about “love” is just utter bollocks
In a post for Menzies House, a ‘community for conservative, centre-right and libertarian thinkers and activists’, Mark Sharma attacks Greens leader Bob Brown:
…the Greens are relentlessly bringing up gay marriage and attacking Australian families. Why is Senator Brown doing all this? The only assumption one can make is that the Greens want to weaken our economy with a carbon tax and destroy our social fabric with gay marriage. A weakened nation would serve as a perfect launch pad for communism.
Threats to Australia
At Work, Love & Play, ‘discussion of the politics and culture of same-sex parented families’, Jennifer Power’s discussion starts with opinion polling:
Poll after poll shows a majority of the Australian public supports gay marriage. However, a recent Roy Morgan poll indicates that opinions on homosexuality vary quite dramatically across the country. Not surprisingly, inner-city electorates hold the most positive attitudes toward homosexuality, while negative attitudes tend to be congregated in rural areas…
To be or not to be
At STRONG SILENT TYPES—STUFF ABOUT MEN, Ultimo167 also sees a particular problem in rural electorates:
The current gay marriage debate hints at why homophobia blazes afresh in the bush…
..life can be tough for any fag living outside of big city Australia…
The resistance by our two major political parties to support gay marriage is driven, almost exclusively by number counting in those homophobic electorates ‘out there’.
.. I say, how can it be that pandering to bigotry should ever trump defending human rights?
Patterns of Gay Hatred Across Australia
All Australian’s Philip Maguire makes his viewpoint clear in the opening sentence:
The debate over the non-entity of gay marriage is with us again.
He views marriage as a heterosexual union for the raising of children:
…the denigration of the reproductive aspects of marriage by gays and others has been enormously detrimental. The “me” generation is more concerned with the rights of individuals than the collective rights of children to a decent home and family life.
“Marriage” debate is on again.
At still life with cat, Kerryn Goldsworthy takes up the connection between marriage and procreation, apparently also raised by parliamentarian Philip Ruddock:
So: does Ruddock think that not just gays and lesbians, but no women past childbearing age, and nobody of either sex who was born or has been rendered infertile, should be allowed to get married? And to take his remark to its logical conclusion, does he think that any existing marriage in which either partner has become unable to ‘procreate’ should be dissolved?
This can't be right, can it? Or can it?
William Kostakis, author of the novel Loathing Lola, has both experience and strong feelings to draw on, at his self-titled blog:
If you have two parents, be they opposite genders, or ‘gays’, and they love and support you, and they nurture you, then you know what? That’s what matters in the end. See, the funny thing is, my two female parents, they taught me to respect, and embrace, difference. My male parent taught me to hide my money in my new wife’s name so that I can avoid my parental obligations.
Dearest Douchebag
If change is coming, it is certainly moving slowly. It will be interesting to find out what the electors tell their representatives. Or will it be a case of hearing what you believe?

author: Kevin Rennie


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Bolivia: When ancestors return, celebrating the ñatitas · Global Voices
Cristina Quisbert

Chacha-Warmi. Together forever. Photo by Cristina Quisbert, author.
Homemade shrines; boxes of glass or wood, wicker baskets and even cardboard boxes are used to carry the ñatita or the little skull to the main cemetery of the Bolivian capital, La Paz, on November 8 every year. Human skulls of all ages, from children to the elderly, are used in this ancient ceremony. Even before those carrying the skulls enter the gates of the cemetery, people start to gather round asking them questions, “What’s its name?” they ask someone with a ñatita in their arms. The names, like the age of the skull, vary: Cipriano, Sebastian, Cirilo, Gonzalo, José, Felipe, Juanita, Teresa.
The ñatita ceremony is celebrated throughout Bolivia with some areas enjoying large- scale parties. The ritual is an ancient tradition but has not always been popular, especially during periods when icons were prohibited. As Julia Sonco in her blog, Julita, [es] states,
Del origen de las ñatitas no se tiene un dato exacto, pero se conoce que datan de la época precolombina, dato que el amauta paceño, Sabino López, confirma con su relato de que antes que los conquistadores españoles pisaran tierra americana se veneraban a las “Chullpas”, que son los restos mortuorios de los curacas fallecidos, mismas que eran extraídas de sus mausoleos en los días de los difuntos y se les ofrecía la celebración.
But why take the skulls? Sabino López in Julita [es] says,
…el cráneo está relacionado con el “ajayu” (Palabra aymara que significa ánima, alma o espírtu). De acuerdo a la concepción andina que él tiene sobre el ritual de las ñatitas, la muerte del cuerpo no implica la muerte del ajayu al que se celebra con una K'oachada [una ceremonia ritual para las ñatitas] el día ocho del mes de noviembre.
In various places around the cemetery, at the foot of the skulls, are placed small ceramic incense burners where coal and incense are burnt as an offering. A table for the ritual is often specially prepared.
The blog, Religión [es], provides this information from an online radio [es] about the role skulls play in this celebration,
Las ñatitas son cráneos que representan deidades andinas a las que se les solicitan favores, algunas llevan nombres por la procedencia que tienen y otras son dotadas de seudónimos por las personas que la adoran.
“It’s called Teodorita,” says Mrs Pilar when asked about the name of the ñatita she is carrying. “It’s a girl,” she adds. “I have had her for seven years, she was a present,” she states.
Crown of flowers. Photo by Cristina Quisbert, author.
In the blog, Fanbot, [es] the author quotes El Globo [es] to describe an event in the cemetery on November 8.
Una multitud de cráneos humanos adornados con flores eran  bendecidos el lunes por un cura en un templo católico en un largo  ritual ancestral que cada año cobra más vigor y cierra la festividad del  Día  de los Difuntos en este país de fuerte tradición andina.
On arriving to the cemetery in La Paz, many make straight for the chapel while others prefer to hold the ceremony in the grounds. Belief in the power of the ñatita to grant wishes leads to offerings being left to the skulls. Crowns of flowers, petals, candles, coca leaves and cigarettes are left by visitors to each shrine in the hope that their requests will be listened to.
Receiving requests. Photo by Cristina Quisbert, author.

author: Cristina Quisbert


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Brazil: Eradicating the Indigenous Guarani Kaiowa · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.
For  as long as they can remember, the Guarani have been searching –  searching for a place revealed to them by their ancestors where people  live free from pain and suffering, which they call ‘the land without  evil’.
The movie Birdwatchers raised international awareness for the Guarani
But the evil, violence and human rights abuses is what the Guaraní have found in Brazil. They represent one of the most numerous indigenous people in the country (46,000 out of aprox. 734.000), but they continue to be the target of constant attacks and victims of an alarming rash of suicides. The NGO Survival International adds
Today, this manifests itself in a more tragic way: profoundly affected by the  loss of almost all their land in the last century, the Guarani suffer a  wave of suicide unequalled in South America.
The  problems are especially acute in Mato Grosso do Sul where the Guarani once occupied a homeland of forests and plains totaling some 350,000  square kilometers.
This area was inhabited by the Guarani Kaiowá, one of three groups descended from the original Guarani, who inhabited much of the southern Brazilian coast and the forest region of Brazil’s border with Paraguay. They  were among the first people to have contact with Europeans on their arrival to South America 500 years ago and, according to the blogger Duda, from blog al-azurd, the Kaiowá lived in peace with the “white man” until the late nineteenth century. By then, however, the situation changed.
foi a [Guerra do Paraguai] que maculou os índios, abrindo as portas para os jesuítas demoníacos  com seus sentimentos de culpa e vergonha. ainda assim, os kaiowá se  recusaram a participar dessas missões evangelizadoras e preservaram sua  profunda espiritualidade.
[…]
a  partir de 1880, eles foram incorporados como mão-de-obra no cultivo e  extração da erva-mate, explorada em grande intensidade na região. com o  tempo, o governo tornou a exploração muito intensa e os territórios  indígenas foram invadidos.
[…]
enquanto  eram necessários como mão-de-obra, os kaiowá tinham permissão para  permanecer em suas aldeias. depois, foram expulsos de suas terras  ancestrais engolidas pela carranca dos brancos, que as desmataram e  construíram fazendas.
They have since suffered from the almost total loss of their territory. In a text of 2003 [pt], journalist Carlos Dutra explains the agrarian conflict between the Indians and the farmers
Pelo  que se tem observado dos acontecimentos, há mais de 50 anos esse povo  vem tentando recuperar uma parte do antigo território que aos poucos foi  sendo engolido pela mão branca do latifúndio. Cansados de lutar contra  um Direito excessivamente regulador da propriedade privada, liderados  pelo velho cacique, em 1997 a comunidade fez a retomada de seu  território ancestral. Tão-logo entrou na área, como é de costume de todo  povo ligado a terra, ele começam a construir suas casas e iniciar o  plantio de suas roças, sem as quais suas famílias não poderiam  subsistir. Mas logo o fazendeiro, dito proprietário, recorre ao  Pretório, e um juiz e sua lei positiva, rapidamente ordena a expulsão  dos indígenas do lugar.
The old chief mentioned above, Marcos Véron, is a symbol of the indigenous struggle for ancestral lands. He was brutally murdered in January 2003. Veron's killers were freed in 2007. The trial scheduled for May this year ended up being cancelled and postponed again to February 2011.
Egon Heck, a member of the Conselho Missionário Indigenista [Indigenous Missionary Council] (CIMI), in an article reproduced by the blog Global Ethics, presents a panorama of desolation [pt] and describes the persecution of the Guarani Kaiowá as a genocide:
Conforme  os relatórios de violência do Cimi (Conselho Indigenista Missionário), nos últimos cinco anos, foram mais de 200 assassinatos e mais de 150  suicídios; mais de 100 crianças morreram de desnutrição; cerca de 200  índios presos e mais de 90% das famílias vivendo da cesta básica e  outros benefícios do governo. Isso dá uma pequena dimensão da dramática  situação a que está submetido esse povo. Antropólogos e outros  cientistas têm qualificado semelhante situação como de etnocídio e  genocídio.
"Denouncement: Massacre of Indigenous Guarani Kaiowá in Mato Grosso!", from Blog Forum Educação (be aware of shocking images)
More alarming statistics on the living conditions of the Guaraní Kaiowá can be found on the Repórter Brasil website. Emerson Guarani, in his blog, confirms that “violence in Mato Grosso do Sul not only continues but it has also increased” and describes cases of missing Indians who never returned to the village.
The exemption of the judiciary that should investigate and act on the persecution of Kaiowá has been called into question . According to Adital, Frei Tito Information Agency for Latin America,
a urgente conclusão da identificação e demarcação de todas as terras  Guarani Kaiowá, do Mato Grosso do Sul; que dentro dos próximos 80 dias, a  FUNAI tome providências necessárias para o reconhecimento e permanência  da comunidade Kurusu Ambá em suas terras, ressaltando que o grupo de  trabalho de identificação da FUNAI está paralisado; que  ocorra a punição dos responsáveis pelos assassinatos de todos os  Guarani Kaiowá, nos últimos anos, na luta por seus direitos; que  aconteça o julgamento imediato, dos acusados do assassinato da liderança  Guarani Marcos Verón; que haja o empenho da Polícia Federal para a  localização do corpo do professor Olindo Vera, desaparecido há mais de 6  meses e a punição dos assassinos do professor Genivaldo Vera; que se  faça o julgamento imediato da Terra Indígena Nhanderu Marangatu, pelo  Supremo Tribunal Federal; e, a urgente solução para a dramática situação  em que se encontra a comunidade Laranjeira Nhanderu, despejada na beira  da BR-163, em setembro de 2009, encontrando-se em situação de extrema  insalubridade, violência e miséria.
However, to the date they are “systematically encouraging farmers and people related to agribusiness” and the voices of those who claim on the human rights of the Guaraní Kaiowá seem not to be sufficiently strong as the economic interests of large corporations such as Shell and Cosan focus on exploration of the sacred land, as NGO Survival International reports, calling to action to help the Guarani.
This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

author: Sara Moreira


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Chile: Three Chilean Pop Bands Reviewed · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Music blogger Roberto Carreño [es] reviews three Chilean pop bands: Portugal [es], Denver [es] and Oddo [es].

author: Silvia Viñas


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China: Shanghai fire claims 53, local coverage criticised · Global Voices
Marta Cooper

53 lives were claimed and 43 others remain missing as a result of the tragic fire that ripped through a high-rise apartment block in Shanghai yesterday afternoon. The 28-storey building was undergoing renovations when welding sparks caused the scaffolding to catch fire, eventually spreading to the building itself. City blog Shanghaiist provided much of the breaking news, as well as survivor stories. Danwei also provided original reporting, while Shanghai Monthly has criticised local media coverage of the event.

author: Marta Cooper


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Cuba: Before & After  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Translating Cuba blogs about the two most over-used words in the country, adding: “There is a third reality that belies the stubborn reality: both Before and After contain everything.”


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Cuba: Prisoners Still in Jail  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Sin Evasion says of the missed deadline to release the remaining prisoners of conscience: “Once again, the government has proven that it doesn’t know how to honor its commitments.”


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East Timor: A Foreigner’s Impressions on the celebration of Massacre anniversary · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Rory Hoipkemier, from blog At His behest in Timor Leste, writes about the “First Introductions” that most impressed and inspired her in the first days as a volunteer in Dili. She describes the “solemn and collective” 19th anniversary celebration of the Santa Cruz Massacre that took place on November 12.


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Ecuador: Short Film About Migration Available Online · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Forced Migration Online shares a link to a short film by Simon James called “Ecuador: Migration and Remittances”: “This short video offers a general overview of current Ecuadorian migration to Europe and the United States. The work touches on relationships between migrant and employer and the impact on the Ecuadorian family unit, both abroad and at home.”


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Haiti: Cholera & Protests  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Mediahacker reports on the cholera outbreak in Haiti and anti-UN protests that have ensued as a result.


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Jamaica: Call to End Discrimination  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Globewriter takes interest in a Jamaican mainstream media article, which calls for an end to discrimination against blacks and gays: “Even having the column published is astounding. I am not sure if it…is a sign that Jamaican society is becoming less bigoted or…simply…that the writer and the paper are fearlessly showing what a free press is all about.”


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Japan: In memory of a courageous prosecutor · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Journalist and yakuza expert Jake Adelstein pays his last respects [en] to Toshiro Igari [ja], a prosecutor who was found dead in Manila  (Philippines) in August.
Igari-san was the author of many books  [ja] on the organized crime and in the last months he was investigating the collusion of the Japanese mafia and the sports world.
Some believe he didn't commit suicide.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Japan: Inspired by Tokyo’s Yamanote Line · Global Voices
Tomomi Sasaki

The Yamanote Line is a 34.5 km train loop that connects many of Tokyo’s major urban areas and subway lines. Its trains come every several minutes to the 29 stations, both clockwise and anti-clockwise. (Explore this interactive map.)
Yamanote Line, from Wikipedia
This recent Global Voices link to the Yamanote Loop project spurred feedback from readers on other projects that were inspired by the Line.
Steve from the Fwdmovement site has kicked off a photography project called Yamanote Loop. The project will cover each of the 29 stations in Tokyo's JR Yamanote Line, starting with Mejiro Station.
This post introduces several personal projects that were published online in English and Japanese. To my knowledge, all of the online photography projects are by non-Japanese living in Tokyo, while native Tokyoites favored chronicling walking projects on their blogs.
160yen – A Day on Tokyo's Yamanote Line
This is a series of black and white photographs by Fabrizio Quagliuso (a.k.a. fabuchan) in April 2010, now available as a book.
I started this project because I was fascinated by the idea that by being always on the same line and going round and round in the loop, as the day progressed I would have been able to see the whole range of Tokyo life just passing in front of me.
Alexandre Gervais
Alexandre Gervais has two projects, Girls of the Yamanote and Surroundings of the Yamanote.
Since I first came to Tokyo in 2007, I always found that the Yamanote line was, in my opinion, one of the most significant landmarks in Tokyo while never being recognize as such. You will always hear about the Tokyo Tower, Shibuya Crossing and others but if there’s one thing that’s omnipresent in everyone’s life in Tokyo, it’s the Yamanote.
Ghosts of Tokyo
A photography project by Olivier Théreaux in 2003, which he calls a “a visual haiku, a photographic poem telling a story of ghosts in the City”.
This book started as a project to document the “other” face of Tokyo, by walking around the Yamanote, the ultra-busy circular train line often thought of as the heart (or more appropriately, the crown) of the city, and taking pictures of the areas between the stations, when the common images were too often close to the stations.
A highspeed video of riding the Yamanote Line.
And more
Some bloggers use the Line as a way to explore Tokyo, such as the Traveling Tales blog, the Soul Sauce blog, and My Year in Japan blog. Wataru Fujiki has beautiful illustrations [ja].
In Yamanote Line Sounds, Rick Benedict collected Japanese and English on-train announcement for each station. They are offered online and as ringtones. There are alarm clocks and piggy banks, too.
A look into the Japanese blogosphere brought forth many entries of people walking around the entire line. For example, Mari from the Watashi to Tokyo blog completed the walk in 14 hours, starting at 7:00 in the morning at Shinjuku Station.  The blogger at WADA-blog posted [ja] walked it in 11 hours and 20 minutes, excluding meals and breaks, taking 64,755 steps over 42.73 kilometers. Remember, sitting through a complete loop of the Yamanote Line takes around an hour.
Besides the slew of noteworthy projects, the Yamanote Line has inspired other things in a Tokyoite’s daily life. There’s a drinking game called the Yamanote Line Game and some might fondly recall going on a Yamanote Line Date [ja] during their high school years.

author: Tomomi Sasaki


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Latvia: The Kristovskis Scandal · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

All About Latvia covers the xenophobia scandal that involves Latvia's new foreign minister Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis – here, here, and here.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Macedonia: Angelina Jolie and Lustration · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Razvigor :-) writes mockingly about the connection between the screening of “Salt” and the issue of lustration in Macedonia.


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Mexico: More than 400 “Narco Refugees” Leave Ciudad Mier · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Tim Johnson from Mexico Unmasked reports on “Narco refugees,” people who are trying to escape violence caused by drug gangs: “More than 400 residents have fled Ciudad Mier for a larger nearby city, Miguel Aleman, where they have packed into a Lion’s Club auditorium. City Hall is giving them food and providing other basic necessities.”


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Collaboration against Corruption: Upcoming Events · Global Voices
Renata Avila

Networked citizens around the world have today a unique opportunity to create a global front against corruption by embracing and adopting free culture freedoms. Applying free culture principles in the fight against corruption, increases its effectiveness and enables better informed policies and a coordinated effort across national boundaries and areas of interests.
As the recent 14th International Conference Against Corruption in Thailand stated, to foster the transparency agenda it is necessary to restore people’s trust and rebuild the credibility of institutions.  Those who fight against corruption should go beyond expressions of political will to concrete action. Also, it is crucial to engage youth, as pointed out by Bunga Manggiasih, one of the international young journalists who collaborated to cover the event. One of the best bridges to connect and engage youth in the use — and the invention — of technology to fight corruption is to organize efforts to connect different communities and take action. Several of these events are taking place this week:
Open Gov Data Catalogues available to any UK citizen offer an unprecedented opportunity to achieve more open, accountable, responsive and efficient approach against corruption and the culture of secrecy that prevailed in the past.  OpenGov Data Camp will take place November 18-19, 2010, with representatives from different countries attending and holding discussions around around key legal, technical, and policy issues related to opening up government information.  The camp will also offer a space for for developers and hackers to make things, learning from each other and from their mistakes.  You will be able to follow on Twitter (#ogdcamp) and via live notes/discussions on the OKF Etherpad site.
As you can see in on the Technology for Transparency Network map, Latin America is one of the most vibrant regions in the World, where initiatives to engage citizens, promote transparency and fight corruption are flourishing and connecting their numerous digital natives, creating a bridge for them to better understand how their governments work, why transparent elections and the funding behind political parties matter, and why they should care about their parliaments, among other issues. On November 18 -19, 2010, @PDFLatAm will take place in Santiago, Chile. Latin American leaders and activists will share the new developments in the region and will learn from peers at projects based in the US, Africa and Europe, including Rising Voices former Director  David Sasaki and Ushahidi co-founder Patrick Meier.  A group of Global Voices authors and translators will be there and will share their event insights with you.  The Technology for Transparency Network will also be live-tweeting in Spanish during the event at @transparentech.
Citizens who “do instead of talk” are at the core of any efficient and sustainable initiative involving technology and actions against corruption. Following such principles and engaging leaders from different countries to share their experiences, 150 people with different backgrounds will attend Polska Transparency Camp in Warsaw, Poland. Citizens together with a variety of speakers from different countries and backgrounds, connected by the Internet, will work together to connect different sectors, brainstorm ideas, and define the path to a more transparent and accountable society in Poland. You can watch the live event online and follow Technology for Transparency researcher Sylwia Presley on Twitter at @presleysylwia for updates.
The global Open Data Day Hackathon offers a unique opportunity to gather people around the world to act for transparency by developing applications using the open public data available in their country.  The idea is to invite developers, designers, librarians, statisticians, and citizens of all kinds to spend one day working together. The event will take place on December 4, 2010, and it's not to late to join the global effort in your community.
All of these events offer ways for citizens to get involved in technology-based efforts to promote transparency and accountability, encouraging more active, engaged, effective digital activism against corruption.   If you're able to get involved, we encourage you to do so — even though the Technology for Transparency Network operates mostly online, face to face contact with communities interested in a more open and transparent world is often crucial to making these efforts successful.

author: Renata Avila


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Poland: Henryk Gorecki Dies · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

the POLSKI blog writes about the Polish composer Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki, who died on Nov. 12 at the age of 76.


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Poland: Mapping Geo-Tagged Warsaw and Krakow Photos · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Polandian writes about “maps of Warsaw and Krakow superimposed with visualizations of where people take photos,” created by Eric Fischer.


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Russia: Anti-Corruption Blogger Claims Officials Stole 4 Billion Dollars · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Alexey Navalny‘s website navalny.ru is down after publishing materials on Transneft, Russian oil pipeline operator. The compromising materials claiming that top officials were involved in stealing over 4 billion dollars from the government budget, however, are available at his LiveJournal account [RUS] and several mirror websites (here and here).

author: Alexey Sidorenko


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Russia: Pictures of Eid al-Adha Holiday in Moscow · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Bloggers Drugoi [RUS] and Ottenki_serogo [RUS] share photos from the Qurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha) religious holiday. After Moscow accepted tens of thousands of guest workers from Central Asia, Muslim holidays are gathering more and more people. Aleshru contributes an interesting example [RUS] of “mixture of religions.”


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Russia: Pro-Kremlin Youth Movement’s Programm Resembles Nazi · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

Bloggers compare the programme of pro-Kremlin youth movement “Stal” (Steel) with Goebbels‘ “Ten National-Socialist Commandments.” The programme of the local branch of the movement includes such slogans as “Russia's enemies are your enemies” and “Have faith in the future” and looks like a carbon copy of the Nazi document. More comments at The Moscow Times.


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Russia: The Kushchevskaya Massacre · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Natalia Antonova writes about the Nov. 4 massacre in the village of Kushchevskaya.