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Azerbaijan: Youth activist, prominent blogger imprisoned after trial behind closed doors · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

In what might be the first case of a prominent blogger being assaulted and detained in the South Caucasus, two youth activists were yesterday imprisoned for two months pre-trial investigative detention in what many consider to be a travesty of justice.
Denied access to the trial held behind closed doors, one Facebook status line update reported that the German Human Rights Ombudsperson, coincidentally in Baku at the time, considered its conduct to be in violation of Azerbaijan's international commitments.
The evening Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada were assaulted and later detained by police, Global Voices Online Azerbaijan author Ali S. Novruzov informed readers of the case. Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) also reported on the incident.
Emin Milli is known as a critic of the government who is very active in social networks like Facebook. Hajizada is one of the founders of the OL Youth group, which highlights the social problems of young people with popular videos shared on Youtube and social networking sites.
Human rights activist Leyla Yunus said the way the activists were attacked and then arrested leads her to conclude the whole incident could've been planned by the special services and police. She cited the case of Qanimat Zahid, editor in chief of the “Azadliq” newspaper, who was sentenced to four years in prison on hooliganism charges after being attacked by an unknown person.
The U.S., German, and Norwegian embassies have expressed concern and hope that the government will punish those who attacked the activists and release Milli and Hajizada.
Considered by many to be two of the most prominent youth movements, both OL! and the AN Network have been prolific in their use of new media tools such as blogs, social networking sites and YouTube to promote non-violence, modernity, tolerance and democracy in Azerbaijan.
We believe that to ensure a healthy future, Azerbaijan needs independently thinking, well educated and capable youth. The youth should also carry the responsibility for the future of the state and statehood. […] “OL!” Movement is a movement of the youth who, regardless of their nationality, language, religion and gender, strive for the sustainable and comprehensive development of Azerbaijan.
The young activists and their friends had already appeared on the radar screen with a protest demonstration dispersed by police in May during which Mili had also been detained along with several others. Indeed, on the day of the trial, RFE/RL wondered if it wasn't some of this work which attracted the attention of the authorities.
We wrote yesterday about the arrests of two Azerbaijani youth activists. The video above, produced and distributed by the OL and AN youth movements, is the type of thing that likely got them into hot water.
The head of OL, Adnan Hajizade, is one of the two arrested.
In the video, members of OL are making fun of the government for its “waste” of oil money. After local media reported that Azerbaijan had imported two donkeys from abroad each for a price of $41,000, one of the donkeys holds a press conference:
Reaction was quick to appear online. Utilizing Facebook and Twitter, updates on their detention and later trial appeared on the Internet.
Personal reflections on the incident also appeared on blogs. Fighting windmills? Take a pill. was particularly upset.
Two days ago I was hanging out at the roof party hosted by our friend, drinking wine, chatting with my friends, enjoying weather and life in general. “I love Baku in summer”, I said. And really felt happy about living in this city once, for a long time.
Today everything seems different. Weather is annoying, trees are too green, people are meaningless and two close friends of mine are beaten up, detained and pressed charges in something so obviously set up.
Seven hours in front of the police stations, three hours of sleep hugging laptop and anger, screaming inside of me.
[…]
Four years ago I would get shocked hearing similar stories about injustices in Turkmenistan from a friend of mine. Today I'm living my worst nightmares, fighting for the freedom of two of the best Azerbaijanis, I'm proud to be friends with.
I'm exhausted, worried and angry.
Ask me if I love Baku in summer now.
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines was similarly distressed, and especially when sentence was passed down. The blogger, however, also notes the effect the case has had on many young people in Azerbaijan.
This post doesn't have a title. This post doesn't have a theme. This post is simply about my frustration and disappointment. This post is about a let- down and everything else that is negative and that I can't explain in words, because, sometimes words are not enough! And finally this post is about outrage and anger about what happened today! Adnan and Emin were sentenced to two months of imprisonment based on charges of hooliganism!!!
[…]
What happened to my country? Why Azerbaijan has become this place where people lie, where there is no trust, where there is so much corruption, that when you get in line, you automatically start thinking that you ought to pay for the line to actually move?! Why there is no more justice?!
[…]
Now I am just checking the facebook and the updates I missed on during these few hours that I didn't have connection to the internet. I see sadness, I see rage, but most importantly I see no hope! Some of the posts are full of anger, others hatred, while some are words of support for Emin and Adnan!
A Facebook page has been set up in support of Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada. There is also a petition which can be signed online here. OL! has a YouTube channel here. Updates on the case can also be found on the OL! blog.


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Bolivia: The Implementation of a Biometric Voter Registration · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The race is on to implement a biometric voter registration for the December 6 general elections in Bolivia writes Miguel Buitrago of MABB.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Eduardo Avila


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Bolivia: The Return of Luis Arce Gómez · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Former Bolivian military officer Luis Arce Gómez, who was part of the dictatorship of Luis García Meza in the early 1980s, returned to the country after finishing his sentence in the United States. Alberto Medrano of Letras Alteñas [es] writes that he was sent directly to the maximum security prison called Chonchocoro.


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Brazil: Digital mob demands the Senate President’s resignation · Global Voices
Thiana Biondo

"Get Out, Sarney", the Twitter version by Lactobacilo Morto blog
Overnight, the #forasarney Twitter hashtag became one of the hottest on the social media network, making it to the trend topics on June 30th. At first glance, it seemed that the Internet was again being used as a potential political instrument for many people to voice their own opinions. Not only has the Twitter profile Fora Sarney [Get out, Sarney, pt] gained over 5,000 followers, but the newly created Fora Sarney [Get out, Sarney, pt] blog has already amassed 14,000 comments – through these tools, calls to march against the three times elected Senator José Sarney because of his nepotistic style have been made.
The Brazilian streets have gathered hundreds of people protesting in Brasília, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. In the capital, Brasília, an example of the fun poking and mockery of the politician can be seen in the video below, uploaded by thyede, where most people claim to have heard about the demonstration through blogs or Twitter, although only a small percentage of those protesting online showed up for the live action:
From Macapá,  Alipio Júnior [pt] also reports that a protest took place in the northern Brazilian state that elected Sarney:
Cerca de 200 pessoas foram as ruas para pedir o afastamento de José Sarney da presidência do senado na capital do Amapá. Tudo foi organizado via internet através de blogs e pelo Twitter, movimento que também sensibilizou pessoas de outras cidades importantes como Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo e Brasília. Um carro de som estava a disposição dos cidadãos revoltados e envergonhados com a atitude do senador Maranhense mas eleito pelo Amapá.
However, nepotism is not a novelty in Sarney's political history – he is well known for keeping power within his family and employing relatives or staff from the family under the Senate’s payroll. The fact that has raised much other discussion on the blogosphere is why only now people have started to demand that Jose Sarney (PMDB) step down as the Brazilian Senate’s President. As the Dona Farta [pt] blog points out, the unlikely and surprising element in the mobilization is that, even though Sarney has been accused of many wrong doings over the years, it is only now that people have realized he is not a politician to be trusted:
(…) Porque tá rolando essa mobilização toda aí, né, por conta do Sarney, e coisa e tal. Todo mundo gritando “Fora, Sarney”, todo mundo querendo queimar o velho em praça pública, como se tivessem descoberto assim, do dia pra noite, que, “Oh, meu Deus, ele não presta!”
(…)
O que eu disse lá no Twitter, que provocou todo o mimimi, foi que eu estava (como de fato estou) de saco bem cheio desse carnaval “Fora Sarney”. E que as pessoas deviam lembrar de dizer FORA para qualquer político na hora de elegê-los, naquele processo democrático pelo qual passamos periodicamente chamado ELEIÇÕES.
Scared, Senator José Sarney has said that he is not leaving and nobody is going to oust him from the Senate Presidency. Photo: Geraldo Magela/Agência Senado
Although supporting the point of view above that most people protest but only know very little about underling issues, the memecarbono [pt] blog says that the protest is worthwhile. The blog also recalls  Sarney's other recent wrong doings.
Mas…
Porque fora Sarney?
A maioria não sabe e repete simplesmente porque é o que todos, embalados por @rafinhabastos, estão repetindo desde o dia 16/07/2009 e pensam que é pelas recentes denúncias envolvendo o senador José Sarney, mas há razões mais antigas para a escolha deste político para um dos primeiros gritos por um governo limpo.
O primeiro movimento “Fora Sarney” foi em 2006 quando ele utilizou a justiça para tirar do ar o blog da jornalista Alcineia que o criticava. A propósito, agora Alcinea Cavalcante mantém seu blog no Blogger.
Desde então o atual senador faz parte do imaginário do Internauta cidadão como um símbolo do cerceamento da liberdade de expressão.
Vários cidadãos mais atentos tem observado como o @inagaki que essa “mobilização” está para o exercício da cidadania na mesma proporção dos álbuns de Vanilla Ice para o hip hop.”
Many more diligent citizens like @inagaki have noticed that “what this mob means for civic exercise is the same as that of Vanilla Ice records for hip hop”.
On Fora Sarney blog [pt], it is possible to get a flavour of Sarney’s biography:
Ex-presidente da República e atual senador pelo Amapá (onde raramente põe os pés, registre-se), Sarney representa o que mais de atrasado e deletério existe na política brasileira. Construiu sua carreira pública sempre aninhado ao lado das forças mais reacionárias da sociedade.
Começou embalado nos braços da extinta e golpista UDN (União Democrática Nacional), aconchegou-se no colo arbitrário da ARENA (Aliança Renovadora Nacional) – tentáculo civil da ditadura militar, a quem ingratamente abandonou quando os ventos mudaram de lado. Carreirista exemplar, foi bafejado com a sorte dos oportunistas e alçou-se à Presidência da República com a morte de Tancredo Neves, de quem era vice na chapa eleita pelo Colégio Eleitoral em1985.
Os feitos mais relevantes do seu mandato foram afundar a economia numa inflação estratosférica (80% ao mês, quando deixou o poder) e popularizar o uso de jaquetões e tinturas capilares em tons cajus.
À sombra reconfortante e providencial da atividade política, o prócer maranhense construiu um sólido patrimônio pessoal, formado, entre outros bens, por inúmeras fazendas e uma poderosa rede de comunicação (jornais, emissoras de rádio e televisão), obtida por meio de concessões do governo, que garante a influência e a eternização do clã Sarney no cenário político maranhense.
The most relevant achievements during his term were to shrink the economy to bleak inflation (by 80% per month, when he left office) and to make fashionable big blazers and dying hair in cashew nut shades.
Shadowed by comforting and convenient political activity,  the Maranhão‘s chief has built up a huge personal property portfolio, having, among other assets, a number of farms and a powerful broadcast network company (including newspapers, radio and TV), acquired through government's broadcast license, which guarantees the  Sarney clan a lifelong influence over the political scene of Maranhão.
Right now, as in the past, the accusation against Sarney is nepotism: he has employed numerous members of his family in many public jobs in the Congress. For decades the same family has governed Maranhão, one of the most culturally wealthy and beautiful of the Brazilian states, but also one of the most miserable in the nation. According to Mello [pt], it is a place “where nepotism and self-exaltation reign shamelessly”. He believes the political moment should be analyzed a little bit more deeply, to show that there is only one reason why only now there is pressure against Sarney:
Já fiz duas postagens aqui sobre a intensa pressão em cima do senador José Sarney (que só Deus e a justiça amapaense sabem como conseguiu se reeleger batendo a valente Cristina Almeida (PSB)…). Nas duas, perguntava: coincidência ou Serra? E recebi vários questionamentos, como se eu estivesse defendendo Sarney e não, ao contrário – e era o foco das postagens – denunciando a utilização de antigas e manjadíssimas acusações contra o ex-presidente, logo agora que ele foi escolhido presidente do Senado, é aliado de Lula e inimigo declarado do presidente eleito pela mídia José Serra. Daí a pergunta: coincidência ou Serra?
Porque acusações contra o senador Sarney vêm do tempo em que ele ainda nem usava bigodes. Quem procurar na caixa de pesquisas aqui do blog vai encontrá-las aos montões.(…)
Because accusations against Senator Sarney date back to the times in which he didn't even have a moustache. Those who look for them here in the blog's search box will find a lot of accusations against him. […]
The criticism against Sarney can be followed on many blogs such as Nova Corja [pt] in which the official picture of Sarney as the President has been given a caption claiming he had nothing to do with the Senate crisis, one of the statements José Sarney used in his defense when one crisis broke out after another in the House:
In quotes: "The crisis is the Senate's one, it is not mine" And underneath: "Handsome". Official picture of 31st Brazilian President José Sarney. Agência Senado/modified by Nova Corja
Não é preciso escrever nada sobre o papelão que José Sarney (PMDB/AP-MA) faz como presidente do Senado. Mas sempre teremos sua galhardia literária para entreter os imortais na Academia Brasileira de Letras.
Posted by the Nova Corja blog and Fora Sarney website, below is  a video made by Glauber Rocha showing the poverty of the Maranhão state. The voice over is of a Sarney speech, when he took up local government office in 1966.
Glauber Rocha/Youtube
Nevertheless, in a post entitled the Weimar Republic, Oleo do Diabo [pt] discusses what would happen if Sarney leaves his position in the Senate nowadays, analyzing the current political scenario:
O que está em jogo, afinal, não é o destino de Sarney, mas a cadeira de presidente do Senado num momento em que a oposição, com apoio obstinado e histérico da mídia, se prepara para iniciar a CPI da Petrobrás. A mídia está louca para trocar Sarney por outro menos comprometido com a governabilidade. Fale-se o que quiser de Sarney, mas ele tem prestado um importante apoio ao presidente Lula.
O Senado é o calcanhar de aquiles do governo Lula. É onde a oposição é mais forte. Por isso, a mídia se ocupa tanto do Senado, porque sabe que é ali que pode surgir um ataque efetivo ao presidente Lula. O Senado pode votar um pedido de impeachment. Pode atrasar indefinidamente a liberação de um orçamento. Pode destruir, através de uma CPI bem orientada, a reputação de uma candidata…
The Senate is the Achilles’ heel of the Lula government. It is the place where the opposition is strongest. Therefore, the media invest so much time reporting on the Senate, because they know that an effective attack against President Lula can break out there. The Senate can vote a request for [the president's] impeachment, it can delay the liberation of public budgets indefinitely. It can undermine the reputation of a [presidential] candidate too, using a well-guided parliamentary investigation…
President Lula is publicly backing Sarney. Photo: Jane Araújo/Agência Senado
Not as popular at the moment as #ForaSarney, here is also the hashtag and blog #ficasarney [Don't go, Sarney, pt]. These have been popularized by those who think there is no better alternative than Sarney at the moment. If he steps down, the Senator to take over his place is the opposition PSDB Senator Marconi Perillo, accused of irregularities in the 2006 elections. If this happens, President Lula might be in a lot of trouble when the time comes for the Senate to vote and decide provisory measures and other decisions involving legislative and executive power. Nevertheless, it seems that the Senate is always going to be in the news headlines and debates on the blogosphere, now that they have voted for the redistribution of land in the Amazon forest (to be signed or vetoed by Lula) and they are about to investigate the national oil giant Petrobras.

author: Thiana Biondo


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Colombia: Where to Find the Best Buñuelo · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The buñuelo is a typical Colombian snack that can elicit hunger pangs with the mere mention of the word. That is what recently happened with a group of Colombian twitterers, who chose to discuss their favorite places to buy the buñuelo, as well as some of their favorite aspects of the typical snack.
Made from flour and cheese, then formed into balls, the buñuelo is typically fried and can be purchased by street vendors or other shops that sell to hungry customers.  Although the buñuelo can vary among Latin American countries, the Colombian buñuelo is typically consumed during the holiday season, but is also eaten year-round.
Buñuelo by MundoNeko and used under a Creative Commons license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/36303292@N00/212493296/
Camilo García of the blog Hyperconectado [es] collected responses to the question posed to his fellow twitterers in the capital city of Bogotá. Where can one find the best buñuelo? He writes:
El buñuelo es rico. Punto. Tostadito y esponjadito, grande o chiquito, no importa… es simplemente rico. Por esta razón y gracias a la colaboración de Twitters colombianos se crea La Ruta del Buñuelo en Bogotá que busca ubicar y destacar los mejores buñuelos de la ciudad.
Many twitterers such as Catalina Alba, Victor Solano and Hector Linares responded to the call. They referred to specific points in the city where one can find the best buñuelo.
The online discussion regarding where to find the best version led into tips how to best eat a buñuelo and the sharing of anecdotes. José Carlos García R writes:
Como comer #buñuelo: Yo lo muerdo a la redonda, lo dejo como manzana mordida de caricatura y luego me como los polos.
Photo of frying buñuelos in Colombia by Cirofono and used under a Creative Commons license: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciroduran/83584367/
He also remembers a curious story:
Recuerdo una noticia de una imagen de la virgen que apareció en un #buñuelo Orad antes de morder tu #buñuelo, hermanos. Josecarlos 2:12
All the talk about the buñuelo led some to rush out to buy the snack to munch on, but it also led to some messy consequences. In Bogotá, @Mkorsario wrote:
hay boronas de #buñuelo en el teclado……. todo por culpa de twitter


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Communicating via missed calls · Global Voices
Aparna Ray

Uber Desi on the recent ICT research conducted by Lirneasia.net across 6 Asian countries. The findings indicate that communicating via ‘missed call’ signals is a common way for people to save on calling costs.

author: Aparna Ray


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Estonia: Comparing 1989 with 2009 · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Gedanken über Estland presents [GER] a number of statistical figures comparing Estonia in 1989 and 2009, against the background of financial crisis, showing a decline in almost every sector of society.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Georgia: An Interview with DvOrsky · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Giga Paitchadze (center on right), Caucasus BarCamp, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian
Giga Paitchadze, better known online as DvOrsky, is no stranger to the Caucasus section of Global Voices Online. In June last year, Paitchadze spoke about the Caucasus BarCamp held in Tbilisi, and a few months later about the role of new media during the August war with Russia.
In the second of a series of audio interviews with bloggers in or dealing with the South Caucasus, Paitchadze updates Global Voices Online on the development of new media in Georgia in the aftermath of the conflict as well as the recent opposition protests in April.
Unfortunately, the Skype connection was not the best and one part plagued with clicks making it inaudible had to be edited out. However, most of the interview is available to listen to or download below. Paitchadze's blog is at http://www.dgiuri.com [GE].
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Ghana: Obama Speech in Ghana · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Benin Epilogue posts full transcript of speech delivered by Barack Obama in Ghana.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Japan: Beng Mealea Temple and Miyazaki’s Laputa · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Karapaia shares some pictures of the ruins of Beng Mealea Temple, Cambodia, which, the blogger says, inspired the architecture of the floating island in the anime Laputa: Castle in the Sky (original title 天空の城ラピュタ, Tenku no Shiro Lapyuta), by Miyazaki.

author: Scilla Alecci


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Kazakhstan: A Kazakh from China wins hearts of London · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Adam writes about Mamer, a musician and ethnic Kazakh from Xinjiang, who has already become a celebrity in China and Europe, but remains totally unknown in Kazakhstan.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kazakhstan: Kaznet under fire · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Publicist wonders how would Kazakhstani Internet market develop after the restrictive legislative amendments are adopted, and reviews the research into possible economic consequences of the amendments.


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Kazakhstan: Rock wave from Kazakhstan hits Russia · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Juldyz writes about the Kazakhstani rock band that has managed to get through selection process and perform on the prestigious international rock-fest.


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Kyrgyzstan: Games around Manas Air Base · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Katya Fisher Yoffe reflects on the Kyrgyzstan’s decision to permit US troops to use Manas Air Base in an apparent game to balance interests of Washington and Moscow.


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Malawi: Malawi Who Is Who · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nyirenda writes about a plan by the Malawi Government to come up with a list of professionally qualified Malawians who are based abroad to comprise a Malawi Government Publication to be known as Malawi WHO IS WHO.


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Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is charged with sodomising a 23-year old male aide. Anwar believes the charge is politically-motivated. His supporters and partymates accuse the government of fabricating the crime. The sodomy trial, which has been postponed several times, is scheduled to resume next week.
This is the second time that Anwar was charged with sodomy. The first time was in 1998 which led to the imprisonment of Anwar. Kenny Gan, Suara Keadilan highlights the impact of the 1998 trial on Malaysian society
…the political, social and legal turmoil caused by the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim and his subsequent sham trials will forever be etched into our national consciousness with deep scars of shame and regret that will not easily heal.
Malaysian Mirror writes about the relationship of the internet and the Malaysian judiciary in relation to the Anwar trial
Given the vibrant liberated space of the Internet, all Malaysian judges are now working under the added pressure of the public gaze. Not giving a written judgement in any controversial case is ground for much uproar in cyberspace. Any written judgement is also swiftly posted on the Internet and dissected by one expert or another into smithereens.
You could say that, in this new age of digital instant communication, the judges presiding over Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy case are themselves on trial in the virtual court of public opinions, no matter how much they resent it.
linasoo for Sarawak believes that if Anwar is jailed, he will become a “celebrated martyr”
If he is found guilty and jailed, he would just go on to become a celebrated martyr for his cause…
He has proven to be a political leader extraordinaire, attracting a wide array of different but talented individuals to join in his political struggle, while whipping up mega crowds to feverish frenzy with his mesmerising oratory.
Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan asks if Malaysia can survive a second Anwar prosecution
The question is, can we, as a nation, go through a second Anwar prosecution?
The whole prosecution (1998) was a disgrace. I remember someone saying then that the trial robbed this country’s citizens, in particular our children, of their innocence, as we had a daily fare of sodomy, semen-stained mattresses and the like.
…it is my opinion that what we are doing to Anwar Ibrahim is starkly similar to what is happening to Aung San Suu Kyi. I ask, show me the difference between the two. I ask, how can we condemn the latter and do the former?
I call on the government to immediately review the Anwar prosecution in the public interest and because it is the right thing to do. If the government takes this step, it will certainly regain some credibility.
Farish Noor urges politicians to remove antiquated sex laws
Apart from civil society groups that have struggled for gender equality, hardly any of the country's mainstream political parties have ever bothered to highlight that some laws in Malaysia governing sexual difference and activities are antiquated. They do not, and perhaps never did, reflect the reality of sexual life in Malaysia.
So, while Anwar supporters come to his defence, no politician of note has had the courage to state bluntly that Malaysia has outdated laws in a country where a healthy degree of oral and anal sex is taking place, and has always taken place.
Are we to accept this prevalent attitude among our politicians who can cry “sodomy!” only when it suits their interests, but who would otherwise be quite content to allow the prevailing status quo to remain unchallenged?
Photographer Huey Mei was present during the Anwar trial last July 8. Check out the pictures of the trial. A sample of twitter reactions on Anwar’s sodomy trial
cabbageben: “So Anwar f**ked some a** GET OVER IT ALREADY! Fill our newspapers with something of more substance!”
ziadrazak: RT @tunfaisal: Anwar lost support of d rakyat? :) 150 turnout instd of 5k; all mobilised by bus? … may b they r off 4 sightseeing :)
mprakash98: Sodomy 2: PKR calls for 5,000 ppl in black shirts to turn up but only 15 turned up. March fizzles out.

author: Mong Palatino


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Peru: Crazy Combi Facebook Game · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Carlos del Carpio of Gran Combo Club [es] writes about a popular Peruvian game called Crazy Combi on Facebook. Its popularity has apparently lowered productivity in the workplace due to the hundreds of thousands of users who play it on the job.

author: Juan Arellano


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Philippines: Bomb scare grips the country · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Several Philippine cities have been hit by bomb blasts in the past week. Bombs exploded in Jolo, Iligan City, Kauswagan, Cotabato City and Datu Piang. In Metro Manila a plot to bomb the office of the Ombudsman, Department of Agriculture and in Katipunan, Quezon City was discovered by authorities. More than 60 bomb attacks have been reported this year in the country.
Who is responsible for the recent bomb explosions? The government accuses separatist rebels of masterminding the attacks. Government critics believe the bombings were the handiwork of the military. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the bomb attacks.
The Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society urges all groups of all faiths in the southern Mindanao island to be “more vigilant and strengthen their unity and solidarity in the face of these bleak incidents.” The group adds:
This is NOT a Muslim-Christian conflict. Let us clear our minds and fortify our greatest resolve not to allow these dastardly acts to successfully sow suspicion and animosity that could lead to conflict
Mindanao Peoples Caucus asks whether the bombings are linked to the forthcoming presidential elections:
Who is doing this and what are their motives? Is there a grand design that is spinning a desired political scenario? Are we already witnessing before our eyes and at the expense of our people a build up scenario for 2010 (elections)?
Luis Teodoro reminds readers to learn from the lessons of history:
…the Marcos (former Philippine president) military orchestrated a series of bombing incidents and bomb threats to convince the middle classes of the need for the government to take drastic measures in the face of the threat not only to the daily routines but also to the very lives of the populace.
Rep. Teddy Casino suspects that the bombings were meant to distract the attention of the people from “real issues and the threat of emergency rule”:
The lack of conclusive information on the motives and perpetrators of the bombings reinforces the suspicion that either there is a failure of intelligence or the obfuscation is deliberately orchestrated to divert the public's attention from the real issues and the threat of emergency rule. (President Gloria) Arroyo remains as the sole beneficiary of what's going on.
Noel Colina warns that
The bombing of a church in Cotabato is a terrorist act! It prepares the ground for declaring military rule and benefits the hawks in gov't.
The bombings are affecting the behavior of many people. A bomb scare is gripping the country, especially Metro Manila, the nation’s political and economic capital. The Construct shares how many establishments are getting paranoid over the bombings
I visited a bank and they were locked down like the Armageddon is coming. The security guards were frisking everyone…They had to open the door and lift security shutters before letting anyone in.
Letters to Mindanao is disappointed over the government response to the bombings
Government’s response to the incidents is dismal to say the least.  All they did was to pass the buck and blame the incident to a convenient target.  It does not help at all, in fact it builds more animosity between and among the peoples of Mindanao.
Please, no more bombing.
No more blaming.
Spirituality Page notes that the mysterious bombs exploded a few weeks before the president is about to deliver her last State of the Nation Address
Now my question is, why the series of bombing before Arroyo's SONA (State of the Nation Address) where she will dictate the Congress to convene as constituent assembly and declare a martial law simply to extend her term in office? Hmmmm, sorry I have speculatedly answered my question in the way I phrased it. Well, who else will not speculate about these mysterious bombs?
Blame ‘em.
Twitter reactions on the bomb blasts
shylahbabe24: I'm bored. The weather is so hot! I am at the internet cafe. Our work was suspended. There's a bomb threat in our building.
chie2287: already in cagayan de oro via bukidnon. heard abt a bombing in sm davao this morning. was just there yesterday! gahd! scary!
Normankonrad: Unlike the purported QC bomb attempts, the Mindanao bombings had to be deadly to lend credence that there is real and present danger.
ilipam: my heart goes to the victims of the recent bombings in Cotabato City…
francesgm: Now tell me, are these blasts (and bomb threats) a prelude to declaration of martial law? I dont know too. Nothing is impossible in this …
lenytl: There's no need to bomb the front of the Church and hurt the innocent if you want to be heard down south in Mindanao.
ercg: what satisfaction do people get when they set off a bomb in the midst of a busy establishment, thus kill innocent people?
bongmontesa: The oldst trick in the playbk: bomb a xtian church so dat muslms bcom suspects. Bomb a mosque so dat xtians bcom suspects. Dont b fooled.
Twitter users from Cotabato and Iligan where bombs exploded a few days ago
nina_charisse: paranoid about the bombing here in cotabato,a lot of people were dead… if people want to be safe,then they should trust in God & stay home
hellojogsy: trying to focus on my work despite of the bombing incident in the city and being burglarized in our store..


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Taiwan: Call for Reduced Sentence of a Chinese Worker · Global Voices
Portnoy Zheng

TIWA starts a petition for reduced sentence of an injured Chinese worker Liu Hanghuang who stabbed to of his Taiwanese employers after he failed to commit suicide.

author: Portnoy Zheng


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Tajikistan: Protests in Iran are a lesson for Tajiks · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Botur says that Tajiks were carefully following events in Iran, a country with strong linguistic and cultural ties with Tajikistan, and reflects on how these developments may influence Tajik society.


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Uzbekistan: Failed state or private enterprise? · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Pravdin reviews the Uzbekistan's performance on the “The Failed States Index 2009”, released recently by the Fund for Peace.


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Africa: BarCamp Africa moves to Maneno blogging platform · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

BarCamp Africa has moved to Maneno blogging platform: “We at Maneno are very excited to announce that BarcampAfrica.com has now been moved over to the Maneno platform. With this partnership, Barcamp Africa takes on a new form where the website becomes a hub for all Africa-related BarCamps on the continent as well as globally.”


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Bangladesh: Through The Eyes Of Expatriates · Global Voices
Rezwan

There is a vibrant expatriate community in Bangladesh and many of them work as volunteers or are employed in numerous non-government organizations. Some of them are also blogging and are sharing their experiences and these are generally true and more authentic than what is reported by the international media about Bangladesh. These views are extremely useful for those who are coming to visit Bangladesh and for Bangladeshis too. In the first post of this series I will highlight some of these expat bloggers and what they are talking about.
Nikkibomb at Amar Bangla Na travels to the Chittagong Hill Tracts and writes:
The Chittagong Hill Tracts are unrelentingly green. Everywhere you look, it's that lush color that Bangladeshis love to wear.
Estelle Visagie was also in the Hill tracts in Rangamati where she found three lady Buddhist monks and was given a Chakma name.
Sara, who is studying and researching under a Fulbright scholarship posts plenty of pictures and her experiences of mingling with the Bangladeshis.
Nature in Bangladesh; Durgapur, Netrokona, By Ariful Haque Bhuiyan (http://www.flickr.com/photos/arifbd111/3401682813/), used under a Creative Commons license
Amy Moyer escaped from the frantic life of the capital and writes:
We ended the trip with a visit to the village where Jamdani cloth is hand woven. Jamdani is incredibly fine, light weight muslin that is a specialty of Bangladesh. Legend has it that a Jamdani sari, comprising approximately 13 yards of fabric, can be folded into the size of a matchbox. The people were so friendly and eager to let us try our hand at the weaving process. It was priceless and ironically they didn't take Visa.
Meandering Memos visits a handicrafts project in Narayanganj, near Dhaka where 26000 women are employed and writes:
Sari printing – I had no idea all the designs were all hand-stamped!  What time-intensive work.  The dyes they use are all from natural products.
Jacob and Sanna's blog praises the contemporary Bengali band ‘Bangla':
This band is different — they tastefully blend quality Western guitar & bass rhythms with a drum and folk tunes modified by their lead singer Anusheh's amazing voice.
Valerie at from Spa-Ha to Bangla is in the country for two months to visit her husband. She spends a day as a real house wife in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka and notices:
This was one of my cheapest days I’ve spent anywhere, ever. The total cost of spa treatments was 600 taka, less than $10. We generously overpay both driver and housekeeper to the point of being told we’re fools, and they earn $4.30 and $7 a day respectively. Tennis court time is $1/hour. Food costs are so minimal that it’s silly to even add up the cents.
Sonargaon, old capital of Bengal. Image by Flickr user Shubho Salateen (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shubho/242268273/) used under a creative commons license
Bernie Allen at Life and Work in Dhaka city visited Sonargaon, one of the oldest one time capitals of Bengal. She writes:
The Folklore Museum, that I was here to visit, houses artifacts from every cultural trait of the country, and its grounds are truly beautiful.
She was also out on the Buriganga River, which runs beside Dhaka. She finds that the river is threatened by pollution and “is only marginally less crowded and hectic than the busy city streets themselves!”
Heather at A Bangladesh Adventure posts some pictures of different vehicles in Dhaka city.
And last but not the least Caroline at Burkhas, Bibles and Bangladesh lists 20 things you may or may not have known about Bangladesh.

author: Rezwan


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Bangladesh: Who was corrupt? · Global Voices
Rezwan

Syed ABM Ashrafuzzaman notes with concern that some members of the ruling party detained on charges of corruption are getting bails. He thinks that the time will come when the question will arise, “then who was corrupt in Bangladesh ?”


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Ecuador: The Passing of Writer Jorge Enrique Adoum · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

It is not often when the media and bloggers write about the same topic of national interest in Ecuador. That recently happened with the passing of a man often considered to be one of the greatest poets in Latin America. Ecuadorians are mourning the death of Jorge Enrique Adoum, who at age 19 had the privilege of being the personal secretary of the recognized poet, Pablo Neruda. Adoum also worked at the United Nations and the International Labor Organization as a translator, and won the prestigious Xavier Villaurrutia Award [es], issued only for Mexican residents.
Blogger Alfredo Vera  makes a point to remind us of how Adoum was called among his friends and relatives. They used to call him, “Jorgenrique” or simply “Turquito.”
One of his most famous works was created in collaboration with two other writers Jorge Carrera Andrade [es], Hugo Alemán [es], and painter Jaime Valencia [es]. They created what is often considered to be the cultural anthem of Ecuadorians, the Vasija de Barro [es] (The Mud Vessel).  Here one can see the audio and video interpreted by duet Benitez and Valencia. The following is the final verse of this composition:
De ti nací y a ti vuelvo
arcilla vaso de barro
con mi muerte vuelvo a ti
a tu polvo enamorado.
I was born from you and I return to you
clay vessel of mud
with my death I return to you
in love to your dust
We won't refer to all of Adoum's many contribution to Ecuadorian literature, for that information you just have to Google his name. We will refer to some of the extracts of one of his top writings: Entre Marx y Una Mujer Desnuda (Between Marx and a Nude Woman) which is said to be created on the history of the Ecuadorian Communist Party [es] and one of the most important novels in Ecuador, according to writer Bruno Sáenz [es]. The editor of Lunas Azules [es] had the opportunity to meet Adoum, and she says that he will live on every time she picks up one of his books. She also relates some of the most important episodes from Entre Marx y Una Mujer Desnuda.
Ruben Darío Buitron [es] is a journalist by trade and had the opportunity to interview Adoum last year. He presents a very humanistic, bold, and clear profile of the writer. Adoum told how by being an ‘Ambateño’ (originating from the Ecuadorian city of Ambato), that he fell in love with the capital Quito, and its way of life, its people and all of his experiences during his time as student. Even though he spent half of his life living between France, Chile, and his own country, he always held a special place in his heart for Quito. Here is what ‘Jorgenrique’ thought of his fellow Ecuadorians:
Los ecuatorianos estrechamos la mano del ser superior, casi temblando, casi temerosos, cómo nos agachamos ante el extranjero, cómo damos rodeos para decir sí o no, cómo bajamos la mirada cuando alguien nos conmina o desafía. Y entonces cuando intentamos sacarnos la camisa de ese complejo nos volvemos agresivos, arrogantes, violentos. No, nada de eso es ser quiteño.
Adoum was already in poor health before his sad passing. While his last poetic anthology, Claudicación Intermitente [es] was being presented in the Benjamin Carrión House in Quito, he said: “I should criticize and regret myself of having believed that I have few friends. That almost everyone who is hear filling the room has touched me deeply. I promise not to say that I have few friends”.
People in Ecuador learned about him while attending school, many teachers required their students to read any of his writings. That's how he earned respect, even when some recognized not to have ever read one of his books.  Raul Farias [es] , for example, thinks he likes Adoum because he dreamed of a better country and fought to promote cultural values, especially in the arts. Farias says that Adoum also fought to eliminate discrimination and inequities, trying always to answer the question: “What is an Ecuadorian?”
As mentioned earlier, it is rare when many bloggers want to comment on the same particular topic. Rafael Mendez [es] makes a good selection of YouTube videos where Jorge Enrique reads his own poems and writings. Maria Paula Romo republishes a beautiful poem from the author, I Believe in my Country [es] and for those interested in social networks there is also a Facebook page  where one can read commentaries about Jorge Enrique Adoum's passing.

author: Milton Ramirez


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Ghana: Bloggers React to Obama’s Speech · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

President Barack Obama made his first visit to Sub-Saharan Africa and delivered a speech in Accra, Ghana on July 11. The speech has drawn reactions from bloggers around Africa and abroad. Here are some discussions in the blogosphere about the message he had for Africa. For a full transcript of his speech, visit Rafiki Kenya. Chiume has a link to the Swahili version of his speech on his twitter page.
Ghana Pundit says that the speech was a straightforward message to all the people but especially to African leaders:
President Obama in his first trip to Africa South of the Sahara delivered a straightforward speech to all the people but especially to the leaders who for the past fifty years have been in control and whose policies have brought untold economic hardship and misery to the people
“Much of what President Obama had to say we already know as African’s,” writes Moses Kemibaro. He adds, ” He has articulated many issues that are familiar but what is different is the actions he proposes that deviate from his predecessors.”:
Much of what President Obama had to say we already know as African’s. He has delivered a speech that encapsulates the negative and positive aspects that we know about Africa, ranging from corruption to peaceful elections, from war to peace, from tribalism to entrepreneurship.
In a nutshell, President Obama is well appraised on what is going on throughout the African continent as his speech clearly demonstrates. He has articulated many issues that are familiar but what is different is the actions he proposes that deviate from his predecessors. This is what Africa has been waiting for from the leader of the free world – a new direction and attitude from the US on Africa.
He is asking us, as Africans, to take responsibility for our destinies as individuals and communities. He is asking Africans to finally do the right thing and live up to their full potential and greatness. Indeed, is such a thing possible? Can we do the right thing as he has asked? I certainly hope so! YES WE CAN fellow Africans! Its time for new beginnings and time for a new Africa!
The Provocateur considers his speech in Ghana as one of Obama's best speeches, “…President Obama spoke much like Bill Cosby does to the African American community,”:
This was one of the best speeches that President Obama has given in my opinion. There was none of the moral equivalencies, America bashing, and straw man arguments that President Obama has grown far too fond of using in other speeches.
Throughout the speech, I thought that President Obama spoke much like Bill Cosby does to the African American community. Just as Cosby says that it's time for African Americans to stop using prior wrongs as an excuse to live life poorly, so too did President Obama say that prior wrongs done on the continent by outsiders are no excuse for what is happening now in the continent.
Africa has a long and terrible history of oppression, slavery, and colonialism. That history has lead drawing lines of sovereignty that have a lot less to do with history and relationships and lot more to do with the naive randomness that outside colonials dreamed up in their heads. While President Obama acknowledged this terrible history and its weight on current African society, he said firmly that this was no excuse for corruption, tyranny, and the broken societies that this leads to.
However, his speech was short and vague on solutions:
While the president did an excellent job of laying out the problems, he was short and vague on solutions. Of course, that's natural. The solutions can't possibly be summed up in any reasonable way in a speech that was about a half hour. The solutions can be laid out in a speech but it will take hard work, not yet seen, to resolve them. So, while I commend the president on an excellent speech that identifies many of the problems on the continent, and lays out in broad strokes the solutions. It will be, as the president himself pointed out, up to the African continent to follow through and lift itself up. We can only be there to support those that support freedom, democracy and good governance. (something the president also said)
Selasi Ackom's conclusion from the speech is that no amount of money can solve Africa's problems:
My personal conclusion; No amount of money can solve Africa’s problems! African can be self-sufficient by the kind help of the western countries. It would start from when Africa is giving the bargaining power on their exports, when Africa is giving a fair share of its investment and resources, when Africa is involved in international policy taking, when African resources are giving to their own natives to manage and also when African leaders think about the continent rather than their selfish interest. The just past world BOSS, the UN secretary General was a Ghanaian and by his kind involvement in some few international decisions, we could all realized the impact it made on the continent with aid and investment. He was single and could do just a little. If such opportunity is giving to Africa, it will make a big difference! There should be a plateform for all African Humanitarian Organisation and NGO’s to raise mega funds for humanitarian crisis. They know their own people and their needs, no one knows African needs better than Africans themselves. We need a total libration for a United Continent. Pan-Africa is a common festival for all African-Diasporrian and its here again. Maybe, we can meet there to share some common thoughts.
Long Live Ghana, Long Live Africa and Long Live the USA!
Edwin Okongo writes, “African Blood’ Saved Obama From Scrutiny in Ghana.” He argues that Africa exempted Obama from tough questions because of his African blood:
During his visit to Ghana, President Barack Obama laid out a U.S. policy that wasn’t any different from that of his predecessors. But because Obama’s father hailed from my home country of Kenya, and because blood –- African blood, especially -– is thicker than water, Africans exempted their son’s plan for the continent from the tough questions it warranted.

To understand how important blood lines are in Africa, we have to go back to May, when Obama announced his plans to visit Ghana. Euphoria gripped the continent so tightly that instead of talking about what kind of relationship Africa should have with the United States, we went after each other. We wondered why he chose Ghana. Kenyans –- who thought they had an inalienable right to Obama’s first visit as president –- complained that they had been snubbed. Nigeria wondered why Obama didn’t include the African giant in his itinerary. And, if you were Obama, wouldn’t you automatically pick the land that gave the world Nelson Mandela?

In sheer American fashion, Obama explained boldly that he picked Ghana because of the West African nation’s “democratic commitment.”

While Kenyans, Nigerians, South Africans and others were searching their souls, Ghanaians were preparing to do what we Africans do best: dress in colorful attire, sing, dance and chant in praise of presidents.

Although other African countries found their souls very quickly -– “democratic commitment” is such a clear message –- they couldn’t do so in time for Obama to add them to his itinerary. So they joined Ghana and made this “our visit” –- a visit to sub-Saharan Africa. After all, isn’t it blood that binds us, and doesn’t an African son belong to the village?

By the time Obama landed in Ghana, we were so unified by this son of Africa that we did not ask him to tell us what the real purpose of his visit to Ghana was, and how his new plan was different from that of his predecessors.
Why is Obama pushing for the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)?:
“Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at war,” Obama said, yet the son of Africa continues to push for the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) –- the same policy of militarization we rejected under Bush. Why did his administration boost funding –- from $8.3 million in 2009 to $25.6 million in 2010 –- for sale of weapons to some of the same corrupt countries he avoided on his trip? The figure seems meager, but $25.6 million can put at least 25,000 M16 rifles in the hands of some of the corrupt countries. Also, according to Washington, D.C.-based African Security Research Project, the U.S. military is training several African countries including Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, under a program called International Military Education and Training (IMET). Obama has also proposed new IMET programs in Somalia, Equatorial Guinea, and Zimbabwe.
Edwin continues with his tough questions for Obama, “It takes more than a couple of brief visits to Africa to understand the continent”:
Because he has African blood, we were afraid to tell him that it takes more than a couple of brief visits to Africa to understand the continent. We agreed with him that, “Yes, a colonial map that made little sense helped to breed conflict.” But we failed to explain to him that many of the Africans who bring up colonialism do not do so to blame the West. That we have never denied that in Africa corruption exists in endemic proportions; that we mention colonialism for the sake of practicality; that we want the West to understand that a continent brutalized and looted for centuries cannot turn around in 50 years.

We want the United States to look at where it was 50 years after its independence. Were the African slaves free? Could women vote? Had the civil war even happened? Wasn’t corruption rampant in the new, free nation?

But rather than ask this son of Africa to look at history, we let him spit the same Western rhetoric that implies that any African who utters the word “colonialism” wants Africa to wait 200 years for a strong “democratic commitment.” Because Obama is of our blood, we let him continue to push the same flawed, condescending idea that every African is in dire need of water, food and medicine. “And that's why,” he said, “my administration has committed $63 billion to meet these challenges.”
Why did we cheer when he said that America will put more resources in the hands of those who need it?:
We cheered when we heard Obama say that America “will put more resources in the hands of those who need it,” even though we know that most of that aid will end up in the hands of our not-so-democratically-committed African-born sons. We applauded when Obama said, “Wealthy nations must open our doors to goods and services from Africa in a meaningful way,” although it’s no secret that even if the entire world opened its market to Africa, most of us would have nothing to sell.
“More talk than action on Africa,” writes Paxallels:
Basically the Obamas are more comfortable interfacing in the palaces and salons of the world rather the poverty stricken continent of Africa where he never spent much time in his life – but talked a lot about.
Agendaa Aloysius has a piece of advice for Obama:
That is certainly true because Africa’s current colonial administrators are just was bad as the colonial masters were. However, when we look as the fiscal heavens created by corrupt leaders and supported by wealthy but corrupt nations too, which have in a great way impoverished developing nations, then, there are several unanswered questions. When you examine the dysfunctionalities, there is so much questioning.
Areas like Jersey, Monaco, Geneva, Munich, London, Delaware etc are among the top ranking places where illicit funds are kept and banking transactions made in almost no respect with basic legal and moral banking principles like not accepting money from doubtful sources.
President Obama should make it possible for his country to sign agreements with other African countries so that bank accounts and assets of all Africans especially those holding positions of responsibility or who have held positions of responsibility to be tracked at anytime.
For some time now, rich but corrupt countries holding stolen funds have always refused to collaborate with countries from where the funds have been stolen on the pretext of complicated legislations.
The answer simple: The host countries always want to own the money and other real estates gotten from embezzlers. That is why funds belonging to thieves like Mobuto, Abacha, Bongo etc have been virtually owned by host countries.
For some time now, rich but corrupt countries holding stolen funds have always refused to collaborate with countries from where the funds have been stolen on the pretext of complicated legislations.
The answer simple: The host countries always want to own the money and other real estates gotten from embezzlers. That is why funds belonging to thieves like Mobuto, Abacha, Bongo etc have been virtually owned by host countries.
On Fair Trade:
It is our wish to see Mr. Obama use his influence and that of his country to suggest modifications on the imperialist policies of institutions like the UN Security Council, World Trade Organisation the Breton woods etc. Africa needs fair trades not financial aide, which have greatly damage the continent
Edwin Okong'o has a similar point of view. He points out that plundered resources from Africa do not end up in the hands of Africans:
“There are wars over land and wars over resources,” Obama said. But his African blood prevented us from asking him whether most of those resources (diamonds) end up in the hands of Africans. What about that other resource that has caused so much havoc in the Niger Delta? Is it because in Nigeria, “the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery?” Do the multinationals that give these bribes have any role in this war over resources? And, is there any likelihood that a newfound resource (oil) off Ghana’s coast pushed the country higher on the American chart of “democratic commitment?”
On the same topic, a reader at Post Newsline writes:
Right now, the West makes it easy for idiots to steal money and hide it. That is at the bottom of our problems. I know that these rogues find other places, for example Mugabe is hiding money in Hongkong. People like the late Nyerere or Mandela who did not steal money were quite comfortable living in their countries after handing over power. Also, if a president goes abroad for treatment, it should be given a lot of shame and publicity, or denied all together. If they cannot do this, they can make it possible for us to sue the relatives and estates of African rulers and freeze their accounts until good governance is restored. If these things happen we can begin to have accountable government.
Obama, there is a bank in Washington called Riggs Bank where a lot of these presidents and their friends hide stolen money. This is published information. The tyrant of equatorial guinea hides money there.
If Obama's words are to mean anything thieves must be challenged.
Other bloggers are discussing the reasoning behind his choice of Ghana. It is because of discovery of oil in Ghana, argues Agendia Aloysius:
I understand the choice of Ghana was certainly motivated by the country’s democratic rule, stability and progress but again due to the discovery of oil and the need to sign juicy contracts with the now oil rich nation.
His trip to Ghana is part of America's new oil strategy on the African continent:
Are we doing the dirty work for the USA while they clean up their dirty oil mess at home? Have we become the new guinee pig of USA? We should be careful about dealing with a country that helped our decline when they helped in dethroning our first president Kwame Nkrumah.”A word to the wise is enough.”
If Obama's choice was about democracy, Ghana would not have been the best choice. “Couldn’t a better choice have been Tanzania -– where three presidents have left office voluntarily, and equal numbers of Muslims, Christians and indigenous believers have learned to coexist peacefully?,” Edwin asks:
Because Obama is of African blood, no one stood up to tell him that “democratic commitment” is an American buzz phrase we have heard many times, and that, if indeed this was about democracy, Ghana wouldn’t have been the best choice. Doesn’t Ghana have a long history of coups? And didn’t products of those coups rule the country until as recently as 2001?

Couldn’t a better choice have been Tanzania -– where three presidents have left office voluntarily, and equal numbers of Muslims, Christians and indigenous believers have learned to coexist peacefully? (According to the CIA World Factbook, Tanzania’s economy grew by 7.1 percent in 2008.) Does the fact that a single party has mostly ruled Tanzania make it less of a democracy?

What about Zambia, where Frederick Chiluba -– a former president -– is facing charges for allegedly stealing taxpayers’ money? Yes, President Obama, a court in that supposedly corruption-ridden continent of great suffering has put a former president on trial.

And, by avoiding other African countries, isn’t Obama continuing America’s “old” policies of pitting nations against each other? Isn’t he contradicting the pledge he made on his inauguration day to open dialogue? Even George W. Bush, of “axis of evil” fame, visited five African countries. And, isn’t it stereotypical to slap the “corrupt” label on all African leaders?


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Iran: Protesters defy Islamic regime again · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Thousands of demonstrators chanted “down with the dictator” and “Allaho Akbar (God is Great)” slogans in Tehran on Thursday defying a government warning against protests about the disputed June 12 presidential election results.
The demonstration also commemorated the 10th anniversary of the student revolt against the the Islamic Republic where at least one person was killed and several were injured and arrested.
Iranian citizens once more provided the world with videos and photos, such as one above.
In this video, people in Tehran are chanting “Alaho Akbar“.
Here, people chanted slogans against Ayathollah Ali Khamenei‘s son Mojtaba Khamanei. According to some reports, he has been controlling paramilitary Basij forces that have struck down hard on protesters in recent weeks.
And here, one protestor chants the Iranian opposition leader, Mir Hussein Mousavi's name.
Blogger Akharozaman writes that security forces fired tear gas in a bus in Vali Asar street.
Several bloggers such The god that failed criticized [fa] BBC Persian TV for failing to cover the demonstration in Tehran.
My.Opera says [fa] that BBC and other mainstream media cannot help the Iranian protest movement because they look with one eye at Iranian protesters, and with the other on the promises of the Iranian stateD

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Sohrab Arabi, a protester, died in prison · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several news sites and blogs such as Ardavan reported that Sohrab Arabi, a 19 years old protester died in prison in Tehran. Watch Arabi's photos here.


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Iran:”China is the new Israel”  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kourosh Alyani has published several photos of the Muslim Uighur minority riots in China. The post's title is ” Yellow Israel or unimportant photos that you may not see”.


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Iran:Iranian Christians hesitant to get involved in protests · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Persecuted Church blog reports that World Magazine posted an excellent article on the response of Iranian Christians to the recent electoral unrest in Iran. Accroding to this blog Iranian Christians hesitant to get involved in protests.


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Japan: Tokyo prefectural election results · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Adamu at Mutantfrog liveblogged  [en] the election results for Adachi Ward (Tokyo).


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Lithuania: Protest against anti-gay legislation · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Dr. Sean's Diary comments on a Lithuanian legislative bill proposing criminalization of propagating homosexuality and posts a press-release from the Lithuanian Gay League protesting the bill.


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Mexico: Street Tour of Cuauhtemoc Neighborhood · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Lesley Téllez of the Mija Chronicles takes her readers on a street food tour with photos around her Cuauhtemoc neighborhood of Mexico City.


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Morocco: Ahmed Marzouki tops search results  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Moroccan Laila Lalami writes: “I was somewhat surprised to discover recently that one of the most
common search terms that lead readers to this blog is ‘Ahmed Marzouki.’  Marzouki is a former political prisoner who spent 18 years and 3 months of his life in the infamous Tazmamart jail.” The prisoner is also interviewed in Neil MacFarquhar’s new book, The Media Relations Department of Hizbollah Wishes You A Happy Birthday: Unexpected Encounters in the Changing Middle East.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Nicaragua: The Typical Dish of Vajo · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Vajo is a typical dish from Nicaragua that is cooked through a steaming process, and is wrapped in the leaves of a maguey planet. Los Hijos de Septiembre [es] writes more about the history of this food.


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Palestine: A Campaign Like Never Before · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

A campaign was launched earlier this year, at the time of the Israeli attacks on Gaza, to promote the concept of taking pride in Palestinian resistance, and to focus on Palestinian rights not victimhood. Called the Never Before Campaign, it is based in Beirut, Lebanon, and has produced a series of videos to convey its message. Global Voices Online has interviewed the Never Before Campaign to find out more.
How did the Never Before Campaign start? Who is involved?
The Never Before Campaign is really a group of individuals from various backgrounds (media, business, sociology experts, civil society activists) in Lebanon who came together for a number of causes, locally in Lebanon and the Arab world in general. We haven’t disclosed our names because we prefer that focus remains on the campaign itself as well as on the causes we support. We have seen so many good movements turning bad after becoming personified…
The idea for the Never Before Campaign had been brewing for some time when the war on Gaza started last December. It was then we realized that we should launch the campaign. The term Never Before came about after lengthy discussions (prior to the Gaza war) over whether it would be better to draw parallelism between the Palestinian cause and the South Africa struggle, or with other past causes around the world. The conclusion was: It is true that severe injustice has befallen peoples around the world throughout history, but never before was it over such a long period of time, and so blatant and so cruel and met with such indifference. At the same time, never before has a people resisted and struggled for so long, with the odds being against them and faced so many betrayals. Finally, support for the Palestinian people against the injustice they face, is becoming stronger as never before.
What makes the campaign different to other campaigns in support of Palestinian rights?
We do not claim that our campaign is drastically different. Advocating the Palestinian cause has been going on since the 1948 if not even before that. We are part of this movement. What we noticed is that campaigning for Palestine in the more than a decade or so, particularly in the West, has been confined to garnering sympathy on a humanitarian basis. We believe that what is needed is respect for the Palestinian people rather than empathy or a guilt driven sentiment. Our view is that justice shall prevail in Palestine, our duty is to make this come sooner, and that we are inviting every decent human being to be part of this day when it comes.
Does the campaign focus on producing videos, or are there other ways in which you aim to get your message across?
We are all working people, with no resources allocated for the campaign. So, we are sticking with the videos for now. Many people have already joined us physically and virtually, so we hope to start expanding our activities as soon as it is feasible.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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Palestine: Blogs Versus Forums And Facebook · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Zaytonatona asks, “What's the difference between a blogger, a forum member, and someone on Facebook?” [Ar]


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Palestine: Famous Musicians · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Ruba Anabtawi profiles two famous musicians in Palestinian history, Wasif Jawhariyah and Amin Nasser [Ar].


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Palestine: Human Rights and Democracy  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Writing at Mideast Youth, Palestinian blogger Sami, the Bedouin, describes how ‘human rights’ and ‘democracy’ are abused in his country.


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Peru: New Incan Road Discovery · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In Peru, new Incan Road has been discovered by Project Ukhupacha, which has been working near the Machu Picchu location writes Isabel Guerra of Living in Peru.


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Poland: Intolerance against gays · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Polandian writes about a new survey showing that 75% of Poles are opposed to same-sex marriage and 87% are against gay adoption.


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Saudi Arabia: Protecting Rights Abroad and at Home · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi Arabia is warning its citizens to take certain precautions to safeguard their rights while travelling abroad this summer. Saudi Jeans notes: “The guidelines advise Saudis involved in legal cases to only speak in the presence of a lawyer and ensure attendance at court hearings to avoid in absentia rulings. […] Unfortunately, little has been done to promote these rights among
citizens. I believe that the government is responsible for protecting their citizens abroad and home alike.”


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Syria: Is Bashar Al Assad on Facebook?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian Raye7 Mish Raj3 (Leaving and not returning) has stumbled across a Facebook account for Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. Although he can't verify its authenticity, he poises a few questions to the President in this post.  “I want to ask him at first; how he succeeded to bypass the Internet censorship in Syria and access to Facebook,” he writes.


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UAE: Marwa’s Mainstream Media Fail  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Dubai's Fake Plastic Souks describes the coverage following the murder of Egyptian Marwa El Sherbiny in a German courthouse as a “mainstream media fail.” “So, once again, we have news that travelled around Twitter, Facebook and blogs, the social media I talk so much about, but that was not considered newsworthy by the newspapers and TV channels that form ‘mainstream media’,” he writes.


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UAE: What does Google know about Dubai?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

What does Google know about Dubai? Grapeshisha has the story in this post.


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Yemen: Intricate Windows  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Yemeni blogger Omar Barsawad photographs and writes about the intricate windows of Yemen: “I don't know of any where else, where so much care is taken to build such very elaborate, complex windows as in Yemen. Especially around Sana'a,” he notes.


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Yemen: Nonstop coverage for airplane crashes  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Yemeni blogger Omar Barsawad comments on the recent Yemenia plane crash, off the Comoros Islands. “Whenever an airplane crashes, media coverage is instant and nonstop. Governments and elected officials, even though there are many more
people dying due to other causes, react immediately to plane crashes – offering condolences and promising action,” he writes.


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Africa: Vote for Pambazuka News · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sokari urges readers to vote for Pambazuka News, the source of authentic voices of Africa’s social activists and analysts : “For the fifth year running, Pambazuka News has been selected as one of 25 finalist nominations in the ‘Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics’ competition.”


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Argentina: Contracting the AH1N1 Virus · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In Argentina, Leandro Zanoni of E-Blog [es] writes about his experience of being diagnosed with the AH1N1 virus and provides tips to his readers how to prevent contraction.


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Argentina: Digital Cumbia in Buenos Aires · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Digital Cumbia is one of the latest musical genres that is taking off in Buenos Aires, Argentina thanks to the music club Zizek. Good Airs writes more about why this type of music has become popular.


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Armenia: Flag display · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

517 Design [RU] posts a photograph of a billboard made up of the flags of those countries which will be entering films into the Golden Apricot festival in Yerevan. The blog notes the inclusion of flags from Azerbaijan and Turkey, countries with no formal diplomatic relations with Armenia because of conflict with the former and unresolved historical grievances in the case of the latter.


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Azerbaijan: Citizen media in defense of detained activists, bloggers · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Although most activity can be found on Facebook  where users continue to update each other on the case of video blogger Adnan Hajizade and youth activist Emin Milli, detained last week and sentenced to two months pre-trial detention, less activity might be visible in the mainstream media, but the situation is changing. Nevertheless, citizen media remains the main source of information.
In a personal post from the heart, Fighting windmills? Take a pill. remembers her friends now sitting in prison on what most consider to be a politically-motivated charges.
I have a new desktop picture – Emin waving Azerbaijani flag in front of the UN building in New York. The flag of the country he has been working and living for, the one he dreams to be liberated of corruption and dishonest politicians, the one he came back from New York for, the one, he and Adnan will spend at least two months of their lives in jail for..
[…]
“Being a dissident is an honor” said one of my Georgian friends, when I told him the whole story. That's pretty much what Emin would say, I thought. And then, imagined what he would do if one of us would get detained.
[…]
They say “You can imprison my body, but not my soul”. Indeed, they can take away Emin and Adnan but the love we have for each other will never fade away, no matter what. The purest, unconditional, can't-buy-for-oil-money love, that makes my friends wait for me to become an aunt and make sure I get home safely, the one that made 50 people sing Azerbaijani anthem in front of the Sabail Court. The kind of love, that encourages people all around the world forget about the fear and fight for the freedom of our friends no matter what.
[…]
United we stand!
Humay, another friend of Hajizade, also posted a personal note on her Facebook page to mark his birthday.
Now pompous words would sound bitter, but it’s true that it was a privilege to know Adnan so closely. He is indeed of a rare kind. In a conformist land as ours is, Adnan lived according to his own truths, defining himself over and over again with frustrations at a time, but never afraid of challenging himself or others. […]
[…]
Adnan, ezizim, you are 26 today. You are celebrating this day behind the bars. Or my guess is you are not celebrating it. But we are celebrating. I am glad that you came into this world and into our lives. I am glad you showed me how much a person can do just by himself. I am glad you proved that one man with beliefs is worth of thousand with interests. I am glad that you dared to dream and took us on a journey too. Please keep on dreaming. I don’t want a requiem for a dream. And please come back. We miss you here.
Meanwhile, Media Helping Media, a non-profit organization which assists journalists and activists in countries such as Azerbaijan, says that blogs and Twitter were crucial in getting word out of Hajizade and Milli's arrest long before the traditional media did.
It took the traditional news wires at least 24 hours to catch up with the coverage of the arrest of two youth movement leaders in Azerbaijan. By that time dozens of blogs had been updated and probably thousands of tweets sent. The news was everywhere; everywhere except on the mainstream media. When the news wires arrived they were reminders of yesterday's news. Probably not too late for the media that feeds off and reproduces the wires, but too late for those who want news as it happens.
[…]
That was all going on during Friday and Saturday. I couldn't find a word about the story on traditional mainstream media.
Almost 24 hours later the wires caught up. First AFP filed a piece ‘Bloggers held on hooliganism charges in Azerbaijan: rights group’ and then Reuters ‘Azeri blogger detained, oil major presses case’.
Granted, Reuters added an interesting new angle; that BP, who employed one of the arrested men, was pushing for his release.
Both good pieces again re-tweeted and spread virally and quickly, but 24-hours behind.
Glad I didn't wait for the wires or traditional, mainstream media to catch up. If I had, 24 hours would have been lost and I would have been reading yesterday's news.
Incidentally, as today is Adnan Hajizade's birthday, Global Voices Online readers can leave any messages on either the OL! blog, or one now online to support the detained activists. A Facebook page has been set up in support of Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada. There is also a petition which can be signed online here.


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Azerbaijan: “Hooliganism” · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

A Fistful of Euros comments on the arrest of Emin Milli and video blogger Adnan Hajizade last week in Baku, Azerbaijan. The blog says that charges of “hooliganism” are a Soviet-era tactic used by authoritarian regimes to silence dissent and have no place in a country seeking closer ties with the Europe. The Frontline Club also examines the practice which has become modus operandi for governments in the region.


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Azerbaijan: Last tweet before arrest · Global Voices
Ali S. Novruzov

Emin Milli, one of two youth and civil society activists severly beaten and jailed for two months for hooliganism in Baku last week, sent a tweet back on 24th June. Not only was it the last before his arrest, but it was also particularly poignant.
“Qurbansız azadlıq olmaz. Ona görə də bu gün mən və mənim kimi adamlar həbs olunmalıdır.” Əbülfəz Elçibəy, 1974
Quoted person is Azerbaijan's ex-President Abulfaz Elchibey who was arrested for his dissident activities during Soviet period. The day of Emin's tweet was Elchibey's 71th anniversary.

author: Ali S. Novruzov


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Bahamas: Strong Institutions · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Our whole political campaign in 2007 was an exercise in time-wasting; because I believe with all my heart that, like Africa, what The Bahamas needs is not strong men, but strong institutions”: Nicolette Bethel explains.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bahrain: Livestock Dying · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini Khalid [Ar] comments on the death of livestock in Bahrain this summer. “There are sheep that die, goats that die and cows that die of the heat and thirst; from the overcrowding in the pens; livestock are suffering from physical exhaustion and heat exhaustion; there are sick animals and old ones; there are pregnant animals and animal rights which are being broken!!” he adds.


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Bangladesh: Replica Of Taj Mahal · Global Voices
Rezwan

Taslima Akter at Bangladesh From Our View posts some pictures of the replica of Taj Mahal located 18 miles northeast of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.


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Bolivia: The Return of the “Minister of Cocaine” · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

During the military dictatorship of Luis García Meza that ruled Bolivia in the early 1980s, his right-hand man and Minister of the Interior Luis Arce Gómez had a bit of advice for dissidents thinking about speaking out against the government. He told them “to walk around with their written will under their arms.”  Wilfredo Jordán posts an audio clip [es] (in Spanish) of Arce Gómez saying these words.
So began a reign of terror that saw an estimated 1,000 killed at the hands of the brutal government. Two of the high profile murders were Spanish Jesuit priest Luis Espinal [es] and Congressman Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz, who was abducted, tortured, and subsequently killed. His body has never been found.
The García Meza government was heavily involved with drug trafficking, and Arce Gómez was considered to be the main link. He was often dubbed the “Minister of Cocaine.” Richard Sánchez of La Mala Palabra [es] highlights some of these actions, such as taxes on the coca leaf sold to narcotraffickers and the business of air taxis to transport the drugs.  As a result Arce Gómez was extradited to the United States to serve his sentence. After completing his time, he was returned to Bolivia on July 9, where he would be sent to the maximum prison in La Paz to serve out the sentence without pardon handed down by the Bolivian courts.
Many bloggers were quite young during this dark time in Bolivian history. However, some older people were surprised to see how much Arce Gómez had aged. José Vasquez of Vasquez Press [es] writes:
Algunos compatriotas han sido conmovidos por la apariencia del ex dictador, al que en la televisión se lo ve como un anciano que apenas camina con bastón o en silla de ruedas, que padece varias enfermedades (próstata, diabetes y que tuvo derrame cerebral).
Many Bolivians hope that his return will mean that there will finally be answers to the some of the questions asked long ago [es]. The family of Quiroga Santa Cruz is hoping that finally his remains will be located.
The poor state of health that former military officer is in has some speculating that he may ask for a more lenient sentence, in exchange for perhaps, information on the disappearance of Quiroga Santa Cruz and others. However, Vasquez does not see why the Bolivian justice system should be humane with him, when the dictatorship did not show any “humanitarian behavior” to others.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Cameroon: Bloggers Discuss Obama’s Ghana Speech · Global Voices
George Esunge Fominyen

U.S. President Barack Obama gave a speech in Ghana which could be considered as his Africa policy speech. Cameroonians at home and in the diaspora have been reacting to the words pronounced by the American leader with African roots via the blogosphere.
The speech was published in its entirety on Up Station Mount Club which is fledgling one-stop-shop of Anglophone Cameroonian blogging. The comments give the impressions of a people appreciative of the bright speech but wary of rhetoric.
Augustine S, a Cameroonian based in Canada seems pleased with the speech's direct attack on corruption and bad governance but wants more:
Speech well delivered. It was above expectations. He struck on corruption and good governance, what i wanted to hear. African leaders are stifling the progress of their own nations. I wish his administration goes a long way to exposing corrupt African leaders, punish them by freezing their assets and issuing traveling bans on them and their families. Obama is the kind of leader we need in this world.
Still on the issue of tackling corruption and embezzlement by African leaders Oyez has some advice to western leaders like Obama:
Just two more things are required, and it will go a long way:
1) Deny African rulers, their families and their lieutenants the right to foreign bank accounts and foreign property of any kind.
2) Deny African rulers any kind of medical care outside of Africa.
Those are the only two things we ask the West to do, and we will take care of the rest.
A comment left by Nnokko Johnson brings the Obama speech to Cameroon's door-steps by reminding the country's President, Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982 and in 2008 oversaw the amendment of the constitution to cancel limitation of presidential terms:
Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.
MR Biya please take note of this phrase and learn,we dont want u out,but we need strong institutions,please please…
However, reading from many of the comments posted one may come out with the view that Cameroonians see Obama's speech as “good talking” that cannot solve their problems. Emmanuel says:
Home run. Talk, talk, talk, all of it old crap, and ghoulish, to boot.
It does take two to tango. And, Africans are silly to listen to lectures on corruption from the leader of the hegemon of financial, moral and political corruption; it took two to tango with the slave trade, colonialism, and now the era of “partnership.”
Look, this talk of “partnership” is a lie. Only subststantive, not notional equals, can enter into partnerships.
Reex adds:
The same rhetoric… I wonder when people stop believing and start acting… We don't need speeches on hope and pledges -they serve to anesthetize the population, that their problems shall be solved -they should hope for the solutions. When the financial crisis hit the US, the President said something similar about the responsibility of Americans to take the charge…Well contri pipo, most Americans are not even in control of their financial lives, lest responsible for the financial collapse, which were created by a greedy clique of bankers….
Well, Obama's speeches are well-written by an impressive staff to do a formidable job. What else do we expect from him? Speeches from his heart about the realities of our current world?
The trend of thought seems to be that, it is for Africans to solve their own problems. As Reex says,
…let us Africans work out our solutions. We may afterward invite Obama to share roasted corn and groundnuts at the fire side and discuss the politics on the ground – neither Ivy League stuff nor the usual double-talk demonstrated by the Western World, those speeches could be reserved to later occasions, when every hungry stomach in Africa has been filled!
A comment from a visitor called Isat is less diplomatic:
What we should really keep as a reminder are these words:”Africa's future is up to Africans.”
And take note: Obama is not African. His grand-father who cooked for the Brits and his father were Africans. He is American and his country's interests rule supreme – no matter how many songs we sing in his praise.
Man wey yi get ear make yi hear.[In Cameroonian pidgin this means: A word to a wise is sufficient]
The Up Station Mountain Club, collective blog also carries a post – Barack Obama in Africa: “Beyond Yes We Can”, yes we must, from Cameroonian blogger Aloysius Agendia in which he exhorts Africans to make a change:
Yes, Africa can revolt against current misleading leadership and their shady deals that have impoverished the continent. Beyond the yes, we can, yes, we must implement the said changes to move forward
This blog also gives a rythmic flavour to this visit as the video of a Cameroonian musician hailing Barack Obama on his election is posted there. The song was released by Tata Kingue just before Obama's inauguration in January 2009 and Gef's Outlook had done a small translation at the time.
Barack Obama Cameroon Song

author: George Esunge Fominyen


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China: How did a protest become mass murder? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Black and white cat urges more investigation on how the student protest in Urumqi suddenly turned into a mass murder on July 5?

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Xinjiang Info-War · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Rebecca MacKinnon from Rconversation looks into the Chinese government's strategy in information control over the Xinjiang riot.


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Congo Brazzaville: Disappointment at Presidential election · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

On Sunday July 12th, people in the Republic of the Congo voted in an election which opposition leaders boycotted over allegations it would be neither free nor fair. Denis Sassou N’Guesso, who has ruled the Congo for about 25 years as head of state, is seeking another seven year term in power.
Despite protests from the opposition, election observers said the voting was peaceful, and that voter turnout was low. According to the main opposition, “90 per cent” of the country’s electorate did not go to the polls. Outgoing President Denis Sassou N’Guesso and his Rassemblement de la majorité présidentielle (RMP) is widely tipped to win the elections as the country’s electoral commission prepares to announce the results anytime from Monday evening.
A BBC correspondent reportedly witnessed “money being handed out at a polling station in the south of the capital, to people who later said they had been asked to vote for Mr Sassou-Nguesso.”
One election observer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Agence France Presse, “There are more observers than voters.”
At the French news site France 24, a few commenters from Congo have expressed their opinions on the election. Below is a selection of a few of them:
Maloumbi on voter intimidation:
Dans certain villages et districts, les populations ont vote sassou nguesso suite aux intimidations. mon frere Jean Ibinga dans le district de Nyanga a reçu 1.000.000 Cfa de la part de membre de RMP pour convaincre aux vielles personne d'aller vote moyenant une somme de 2500 cfa. Les elections ne ce sont pas passees d'une maniere convenable et certains prefets, deputes ont intimider la population de voter leur maitre Sassou. Pour moi c'est une election qui avait ete deja jouee a l'avance. Je demande a la communaute internationale d'anuler les elections du 12 juillet et oblige a sassou de faire un gouvernement national pouvant debattre les affaires du pays sinon il y'aurait une guerre dans le futur. l'opposition actuellement se prepare pour une eventuelle guerre.
Yoka from Pointe Noire on the low turnout:
je suis congolais et je réside à pointe noire (capitale économique du congo et deuxième ville du pays). Je peux vous dire que les bureaux de vote sont restés vide du matin jusqu’ au soir . les habitants de pointe noire sont fatigués, des promesses de mr sassou, alors que de cette ville qu’ est tiré le pétrole qui constitue la première richesse du pays. Plus de 95% des congolais n’ ont pas voté. c’ est une réalité que le régime brutal et absurde de brazza doit reconnaitre. Du coup son régime est illégitime. les congolais du nord, du sud, de l’ est et de l’ ouest ont dit NON à sassou.
An anonymous commenter from Kinshasa, in the other Congo, wondered:
Peut on frauder avec seulement 15% d'électeurs qui, si nous suivons les différentes interventions, ne seraient que les partisans du Candidat Sassou, les autres ayant opté pour le boycot de l'éléction?
L'Africaniste:
Oui tout n'est parfait ! Oui Sasou garde le pouvoir , Oui , il n'a pas fait du congo un paradis ! Mais qu'a fait l'opposition ? Quel projet ou proposition l'opposition congolaise a t’ elle soumis au peuple ? rien sauf le boycott ! qui n'est rien d'autre qu'une ouverture à Sassou pour gagner . Alors merci messieurs les opposants d'avoir aider Sassou à gagner sans difficultés . Arrêtez des bruits pour rien sauf pour distraire le peuple !
brazza-brazza on the peaceful election:
Élection bidon, mais nous avons la paix. La paix des miséreux.
Comme Bongo, Sassou sera au pouvoir pour plus de deux générations. C'est normal; nous avons la paix. La paix des soumis.
Sassou pille le Congo. Mais nous avons la paix. La paix des affamés.
Nous vivons dans le caca. Mais nous avons la paix. La paix a plus de valeur que la dignité.
Vous a l'étranger vous ne savez pas ce que la paix vaut.
Je suis d'accord avec vous que la paix permet a Sassou de piller. Et alors? C'est normal qu'il nous pille. Il es africain et il est dictateur qui fait des élections bidon pour rester dictateur.
At the Libération website Yanice 18 brought up Obama's recent speech in Ghana:
A peine hier, Obama a tenu un très bon discours sur la bonne gouvernance et la démocratie, aujourd'hui un autre autocrate africain se prépare à renouveler son bail au pouvoir pour 7 ans encore malgré ses déboires judiciaires relatifs à ses biens immobiliers en France. A voir la longévité au pouvoir, 25 ans, de ce président tout laisse à penser qu'Obama a prêché dans le désert.
And Saboun added:
Ré-election de Sassou Nguesso, aucune surprise. Je ne sais pas si vous avez remarqué, Obama n'a évoqué aucun pays d'Afrique francophone dans son discours, pure coincidence? J'en doute.

author: Elia Varela Serra


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Czech Republic-Slovakia: Fraternal friction in Euroland · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Czechmatediary comments on a New York Times article reporting how Slovakia benefits from the introduction of Euro, whereas the Czech Republic seems to lag behind without the EU-currency.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


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Dominica: New Carib Chief Elected  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Dominica has a new Carib Chief – Repeating Islands reports.


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East Timor: Illegal government contract?  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Tempo Semanal in East Timor uploads a signed government contract involving a company partly owned by the daughter of the country's Prime Minister. Many are asking if it is illegal for the company to receive government contracts.


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East Timor: View from above · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Radio Nomad saw a different East Timor during his first helicopter ride.


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Eastern and Central Europe ranking on the Failed States Index · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Eternal Remont comments the ranking of states in Eastern and Central Europe on Foreign Policy's Failed States Index.


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Egypt: Doctors without masks  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian Leftist [Ar] describes the paranoia gripping people over swine flu or H1N1 and bird flu. The blogger, who has been to three hospitals, notes: “Despite the horror spread in the country over swine and bird flu, none of the doctors I saw was wearing a mask or gloves.”


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Guyana: Blogging as Social Networking  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Diaspora blogger Signifyin’ Guyana thinks that blogging just may be “a cut above the rest” when it comes to avenues of social networking.


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Indonesia: Presidential election results · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia wins the first round of the presidential elections based on quick count results.


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Jamaica: KOTE ’09 · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Annie Paul reviews Kingston on the Edge 2009 – Jamaica's up-and-coming urban art festival.


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Jordan: Swine Flu Reactions “Funny”  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Osama Romoh [Ar] is surprised with the mania surrounding swine flu (H1N1) in this part of the world. “The reaction of people towards swine flu or any other epidemic may be logical, but in most cases it is really funny,” he explains.


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Kazkahstan: Public administration discussed by bloggers · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The bloggers are trying to understand what is happening in the country and how adequate is the public administration in Kazakhstan.
Megakhuimyak thinks over the future of the local political elite by tracing the trends in the their education [ru]:
In the beginning of the 20th century and in the end of the 1970s, the elite of Kazakhstan studied in Russia, particularly in Moscow.  Then, in the early 1990s, youngsters studied in Turkey.  Starting from 1998, it became popular to study in Europe or the US. I expect that in 5-10 years only Harvard and other Western universities’  graduates will be in the top league of the officials in Kazakhstan, which eventually will have its effect later on.
Thousand-pa looks back and notices [ru]:
After 19 years of the rule of president Nazarbayev, it can be concluded that he was quite successful in establishing the class of large capitalists. The situation with middle class is far more complicated. As for poverty, it still exists as it did 19 years ago. In the big cities the poverty level has decreased, but in the smaller towns and rural areas it, probably, has grown even more than it used to be [at the dawn of independence].
Sadenova is surprised that the governmental system is still stable despite its poor-quality administration bureaucracy [ru]:
Our country is so amazing. It is a country of non-professionals. Wherever you go you find terrifying “human resources”. Such country technically is supposed to fail, but it doesn’t for some reason…
[While the world economists warn that the second phase of crisis is possibly coming] the officials in Kazakhstan are already discussing post-crisis “innovative development”. Most likely, in Kazakhstan even the crisis has specific national features! But a friend of mine roughly explains what does this optimism come from: “The oil price has grown up a little, and these people felt more relaxed, loosened their ties and had a shot of whiskey”.
Also posted on neweurasia.


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Latvia: EU and IMF rift on Baltic economy · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Latvia Economy Watch reports of increasing divergences between the EU and IMF on addressing the financial crisis in Latvia.


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Lithuania: Russian charter challenges loyalty · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Lituanica comments on news that a Russian NGO is starting to issue so called Russian charters – a certificate of allegiance to Moscow – to ethnic Russians outside of the country and sees it as a potential threat that state citizens of other countries may declare loyalty to Moscow.


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Moldova: Review of the Twitter revolution · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Nouvelle Europe reviews [FR] the April 2009 Twitter revolution in Moldova and puts it into greater perspective as for the country's relations with neighbouring Romania.


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Morocco: Buying and Selling Blogs  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Moroccan Mohamed Saeed Hjiouij [Ar] writes about selling and buying blogs in this informative post.


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Nabucco: Chorus of the energy slaves · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Gabriela Ionita of Power&PoliticsWeblog discusses the recent agreement in Ankara on the construction of the western financed Nabucco gas pipeline and competition with Russia over Caucasian and Central Asian gas supplies and deliveries to Europe.