text:
East Timor: Abe Barreto Soares’ Poetry for Nation Building · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

"The role of a writer is to collect the fossils of reality scattered around, then ornament them on the wall of our history"
In the previous post of this series, while celebrating the 10th anniversary of the referendum in East Timor, we presented the way in which the international community stood up in support of the freedom of the Timorese people. In this piece we interview Timorese writer Abe Barreto Soares in order to disseminate Timorese Nationalism seen through the Eyes of its Poets, the essay that he has recently published [tet, pt].
As a blogger since 2007, Abe (or his cyber-pseudonym, Jenuvem Eurito, as he was called by his friends in his youth) shares his words and thoughts in four languages often analysing literary work relevant for the self determination of his country. Moreover, Abe discusses thoroughly the construction of a national conscience after the fight for independence.
Taking advantage of the benefits of blogs to foster global connections and distance conversations in original ways, he describes his blogs as “sweet words, caring words, in a venue for people to talk to each other, sharing with each other on “what” and “how”  life goes in the world”.
But Abe's words and actions have not always been this free, as he stated during the Indonesian occupation of Timorese territory.
I felt like my hands and mouth were tied. I couldn't say what I felt about East Timor.
Global Voices Online (GVO): Where were you 10 years ago? Can you tell us a bit about your life?
Abe Barreto Soares (ABS): During the time of the referendum, I was overseas. I happened to be in Portugal at the time. Along with other Timorese compatriots, I cast my vote in Lisbon.
I left Timor-Leste in 1985 to pursue my university studies, taking English as my major at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Then, I left for Canada to take part in a cultural exchange program in early September 1991. On November 12 1991 the  [Santa Cruz] massacre occurred when I was about to finish my program. Being concerned for my personal safety if I was to return to Indonesia, I finally decided to stay in Canada, and seek political asylum. I spent 7 years in Canada, campaigning for a free and independent Timor-Leste through diplomacy and cultural activities (using music as a tool to alert the outside world to what was really going on in the country). I had the chance to spend a year and a half in Portugal from Spring 1998 until the Fall of 1999. Then, I went to Macau for journalistic training with a Portuguese news agency, Lusa, for six months (October 1999 until March 2000). I returned to Timor-Leste in July 2000. Since then, I have been working in UN missions in Timor-Leste both as an information assistant and a translator/ interpreter.
Abe Barreto Soares' testimony in Stephen Marshall's documentary "Blackout East Timor" (8' | 1997) on the lack of mainstream media coverage on East Timor during the Indonesian occupation. Click on the picture to see the video.
GVO: How did you have access to Timorese literature during the Indonesian times?
ABS: During the Indonesian times, while doing my studies in Yogyakarta, I came across books on Timor-Leste such as “EasTimor: Nationalism and Colonialism” by Jill Jollife, a fellow journalist, from Australia. From this book I discovered the late Timorese  poet, Francisco Borja da Costa. One of the lines of his poetry appearing in the book: “smother my revolts/ with the point of your bayonet/ torture my body/in the chains of your empire/ subjugate my soul/ in the faith of your religion…/” really fired the sense of nationalism within me. And through the book “Funu: The Unfinished Saga of East Timor” by José Ramos-Horta (current President of the Republic of Timor-Leste) I discovered Fernando Sylvan.
Pedem-me um minuto de silencio pelos mortos mauberes.
Respondo que nem por um minuto me calarei.
Fernando Sylvan
Fernando Sylvan
GVO: You often quote Timorese poet Fernando Sylvan. In what ways do you take advantage of poetry in order not to shut up, as he recommends in the above poem?
ABS: A poet is a spokesperson of his or her era. He or she should break the silence when it comes to oppression. Living on this planet, we are in a constant battle between the dark and the light. A poet should be at the forefront, carrying the torch. He or she is the “warrior of the light”. (I borrow this concept from Paulo Coelho, the Brazilian writer).
As an artist I have to be ready any time to engage in the spiritual war. Words are my swords. Hopefully, my words will provoke people so that they can be in tune with themselves all the time in creating harmony in this wonderful planet.
Notes from a Musafir 48
GVO: Do your blogs in four different languages reflect the way people communicate in Timor?
ABS: Timorese like me have to be creative in taking advantage of the ‘blessing’ of colonialism and globalization. Aside from using my own mother tongue, Tetum and my father’s mother tongue, Galole which I am good at, I also use English and Indonesian in my literary carrier. I am proud of using them to communicate what I think and feel.  I would love, someday soon, to create a Portuguese blog as well.
Abe (on the right) at Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (2007) – photo used with theunspunblog.com's permission.
GVO: Why have you created a Korespondensia Literaria (Literary Correspondence, tet) category on one of your blogs?
ABS: I created the “korrespondensia literaria” entry on my Tetum blog in an attempt to convey to the outside readers the correspondence I have had with my fellow literary friends through SMS. Practically speaking, transferring them onto a blog can be considered as a way to save those messages. As a man of letters I need to engage in a constant communication with friends the world over. I want to learn a lot from them. I want to commune the philosophy of Greenpeace, “think globally, and act locally”.
[SMS:] ITA-BOOT NIA BATINA/ha’u moras todan: ha’u klamar terus/fó lisensa mai ha’u-ata atu kaer Ita-Boot nia batina/fakar mós Ita-Boot nia mina oliveira domin nian mai ha’u-ata/ hodi nune’e ha’u bele di’ak filafali ho lalais// [21:51:11//11-2-2009]
Resposta sira:
1.R. D. = “Se mak bulak ida ne’e?” [maisumenus tuku 10 kalan]
2.Suzana TP = “Diak pois há’u haruka ba suli hanesan tasi” [22:08:53//11-2-2009]
3.Atoi R. = “Obrigado maibé ha’u la kompriende” [22:18:00//11-2-2009]
4. Pe. Olá = “Sajak ne’e tau nia titulu, Jesus. Bele atrai liu” [11:55:12//12-2-2009]
5.F.Nascimento = “We matan mos, we liman diak, halo suli mai, fakar mos mai, ami iha lerek susar no terus laran. Tan Ita Boot, ami Nain deit. Laran luak tebes no kmanek wain basuk.”[12:56:05//12-2-2009]
Sonhos dos Poetas Loucos
Lia-na’in sira-nia mehi hatutan no lolo liman ba malu
Lia-na’in sira-nia mehi bidu no tebe hadulas mundu rai klaran
ho haksolok
Lia-na’in sira-nia mehi fanun ha’u,
no ema lubun maka sei toba dukur
–
Fevereiru 2009
The dreams of poets wake me up
As well as the crowd who are still soundly sleeping
–
Feb 2009
* dance performed by men
** dance performed by both men and women holding hands in circle
Blogs by Abe Barreto Soares:
Dadolin-Poetry from the Land of Lafaek-Crocodile: A Space for Poetic Mind and Poetic Feeling. In English, Tetum, Bahasa Indonesia and Galole.
This post is the second of a series to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the popular referendum in East Timor,   which led to the territory's internationally recognized independence. In the first post we highlighted the support of the international community for the freedom of  East Timor. In this post, we interview Abe Barreto Soares who is one of the organizers of  the celebration events for solidarity taking place in East Timor in August and September 2009.

author: Sara Moreira


text:
Ghana: Ghanaians wont be chewing their chicken bones · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ghanaians will not be chewing their chicken bones!: “It turns out the Ghanaian parliament and U.S. Congress are working on passing a Bill known as the “Biosafety Act” which will allow the introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into Ghana's food chain.”

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Ghana: Should Ghana consider space travel? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Should Ghana consider space travel?: “It is absolute wishful thinking. Travel to space to do what in the first place? Honestly, given even 50 years from today, I bet we are not and never going to get anywhere near there.”


text:
India: We Are Also Indians · Global Voices
Rezwan

Partha Pratim writes an open letter to fellow Indians venting frustrations that the people of the seven states in the north-eastern part of India and their issues are often ignored and overlooked by the majority Indians.

author: Rezwan


text:
Jamaica: Now What?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Girl With a Purpose wonders “what's next for Jamaica's athletic program” following the team's success at the recent World Championships: “What a fitting tribute it would be…for [our athletes] to have world-class training equipment and facilities…”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Japan: Marines and Okinawa · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Peter Ennis at NBR Forum explains [en] the “role” of the U.S. Marines in Okinawa. “The US Marines are so heavily based on Okinawa for one reason:Budget. Japan picks up most of the bill. War plans for the Korean Peninsula virtually do not include the US Marines.” [via Tobias Harris, ja]

author: Scilla Alecci


text:
Japan: Robot nurse bear · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Pink Tentacle featured a new machine – robot nurse bear which is designed to assist nurses by lifting patients in and out of their beds and wheelchairs.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
Jordan: Congrats Maktoob  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Qwaider addresses Arab blogging portal Maktoob, which has just signed a deal with Yahoo! saying: “Well done my friends. Not only because someone like Yahoo recognized you. But because you have actually made it.”

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Jordan: Who supports the wife beaters? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Do 85 per cent of Jordanians support the beating of wives by their husbands? Qwaider tackles this issue in this post.


text:
Jordan: Yahoo! Maktoob in New Deal · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Naseem Tarawnah comments on the recent Maktoob-Yahoo! deal.


text:
Morocco: Death on a Plane  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The View from Fez reports on a mystery death on board a flight from Morocco.


text:
Nepal: Taking Oath In Hindi · Global Voices
Rezwan

Parmananda Jha, the new Vice President (VP) of Nepal  stirred controversy when he took his oath in Hindi language. According to a latest court order “Mr. Jha has still some days to correct himself by retaking oath in Nepali or resign if he can not speak Nepali in front of the Nepali people,” informs krishnabhusal.


text:
Pakistan: Sex Education Row · Global Voices
Rezwan

Faisal K. at Deadpan Thoughts is outraged by a controversy in a Pakistan school where some parents are demanding that the principal should step down because she introduced a grade 7 biology book in the curriculum which has a few pages on human reproduction system.


text:
Pakistan: Sugar Crisis Turns Ramadan Bitter · Global Voices
Faisal Kapadia

Every year during the month of Ramadan there is usually a shortage in the food commodities market In Pakistan due to excessive demand. This year the shortfall in supply is particularly acute in the sugar market. To combat this the government plans to increase the volume of sales of sugar through utility stores  (subsidized government outlets) from 40,000 tons to 100,000 tons. However just driving past any of these stores is proof enough to convince a person that sufficient supply of sugar is not available.
As per a report in The Dawn, which cites the supply condition in Karachi, the stores are getting less supplies of sugar than usual and are unable to cater the growing demands of the consumers. The sugar price in the open market rose to Rs 55-58 per kg (when available) whereas the official selling price of sugar is Rs 38 per kg.
Hassan Khan remarks on the political angle to this crises on his blog:
Pakistan has approximately 80 sugar mills. Most of them owned by investors and politicians. Level of hypocrisy is that before ramzan, they have started stocking sugar and its price from Rs 38 per kg jumped to Rs 54. It always looks bad when you switch to Pakistani news channels but worst when such crises is on its peak and a minister is briefing press that due to increase in international prices of sugar, sugar prices are increasing in the Pakistan.
Sugar Cane Production In Pakistan. Image by Flickr User Omer Wazir
Sana Saleem says that the sugar shortage is due to a reduced crop production this year:
The farmers have reportedly blamed the mill owners of not providing adequate payments. Records state that the payments to the growers were delayed for more than eight to ten months. This discouraged farmers from sowing sugar cane and (they) opt(ed) for growing wheat instead to avail attractive incentives. Now comes time for manipulations by the mill owners. Not only are the mill owners accused of delaying payments causing a decrease in supply of about 15 to 20 percent as compared to last year, they have also hoarded large amounts of supplies. These supplies have been hoarded (conveniently) in order to create an artificial shortage in the market.
Bilquis, a consultant from Lahore, provides expert analysis on this issue at CHUP:
The current year saw a natural decrease in sugar production. In general, farmers, like others, only produce crops that give them maximum profit. In 2008-09, the current government increased the wheat (purchasing) price to Rs 950 (minimum price) to encourage farmers to grow wheat. This was an attractive incentive and resulted in attracting non growers to grow wheat (as it is profitable).  As a result, sugarcane farmers switched to wheat production which resulted in a drop in sugarcane production.
Moreover, over the past decade, sugar cane production has declined because of the naturally difficult/negative constitution of the sugar market. Numerous specialists state that farmers have decreased the total area under production due to water shortage, behavior of the mill’s management, late payments, increased input cost, and diseases and rodent attack. They especially blame mill owners for late and/or no payments to farmers and limited irrigation water that make the farmers reluctant to grow the crop. Hence, these two factors have naturally reduced the supply of sugar by 15 to 20 percent compared to last year.
Right now, the Pakistan government is thinking of importing sugar from abroad to meet this shortfall. However, foreign traders of sugar such as Brazil and India have also raised their prices. So the price will not be coming down anytime soon. What happens in the next few days is critical as people are ready to come out on the streets to protest the sugar crisis.

author: Faisal Kapadia


text:
Puerto Rico: “Such is Life” · Global Voices
Firuzeh Shokooh Valle

The executive director of the government project Portal del Futuro (created to organize the redevelopment plans for lands of the former Roosevelt Roads US Naval Base in Ceiba, in the eastern zone of Puerto Rico) defended the construction of the luxury mega-resort Riviera del Caribe in an area of those lands by telling residents of neighboring communities that they had to realize they would not have access to this kind of project because “such is life.”  Jaime González made the statements in a forum with residents last month, (most of these residents live in socially and economically disadvantaged communities) but they have recently garnered much attention, to the point where a video about it is now posted on YouTube:
González said his words were taken out of context, but also recognized that he may have been offensive and insensitive towards the residents of the eastern zone of the island. The governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, has fired González, even though he first said he would not.  To get a sense of what Puerto Rican bloggers are reacting to, here are excerpts of González's remarks:
Vamos a hacer unas tiendas, que algunas de las tiendas tendrán productos que no los van a poder comprar, pues ‘such is life’. No todo el mundo ha sido tan agraciado. Pero no hay exclusión aquí de nadie (…) Y el que no tiene ni siquiera 50 chavos pa’ comprarse un límber por lo menos puede disfrutar de caminar libre de costo por esos paseos peatonales frente al mar y ver los cruceros llegar y ver a los pasajeros, los pasajeros con chavos, bajarse del crucero y verlos meterse en las tiendas y verlos comprando cosas caras y al que le cree eso complejo, pues lo siento mucho por ustedes, porque la vida es así, no todo el mundo nació tan agraciado…
Erika Fontánez writes in Poder, Espacio y Ambiente [ES]:
Estas comunidades han estado batallando para que los terrenos de Ceiba respondan a aliviar el abandono que han tenido por décadas, a propiciar verdaderos proyectos de desarrollo para lograr mejorar su calidad de vida y atender sus necesidades. Después de todo, estas comunidades han sido las que han sufrido por décadas la falta de recursos, como por ejemplo el agua, y la pobreza producto de que su territorio ha respondido a fines militares. Ahora con el cierre de la base, luego de que los movimientos civiles lograran desmilitarizar el área, ven una ventana para que se les haga justicia, pero el gobierno, tanto el central como el municipal tienen otros planes: el llamado “Plan del Portal”que dirige quien vergonzozamente les habló. Nuevamente se les da la espalda. Este funcionario les dice que si son pobres…pues, “Such is life”.
These communities have been struggling so the development of the lands of Ceiba alleviate the abandonment in which they have been for decades, to promote real development projects that respond to their needs so they can have better lives.  After all, these are the communities that have suffered during decades of a lack of resources, like water, and have lived in poverty, caused by the military use of their lands.  After the base was closed, and the civil movement achieved the demilitarization of the area, they finally see a window of opportunity that may bring them justice, but the government, the central and municipal, have other plans: the so-called ‘Portal Plan’ directed by the person who has spoken to them so shamelessly.  Again, they have been abandoned.  This government employee has told them that if they are poor…well, such is life.
In Tinta Digital [ES], Eugenio Martínez Rodríguez comments:
Lástima que este nuevo gobierno con el ñe ñe né venga a desarticular la única propuesta social que pienso que tiene potencial en la actualidad: los movimientos de autogestión comunitaria que han logrado combinar esfuerzos de líderes de base, intelectuales de la academia y hasta grandes empresas privadas. Primero Río Piedras, después el Caño, ahora Ceiba. La tendencia es clara.
It is a shame that with its ‘ñe ñe ñe’ (baby talk) the newly elected government has dismantled the only social projects that I believe have the most potential in these times: self-reliant grassroots movements that have been able to combine efforts of community leaders, academics, and even the private sector. First, Río Piedras, then el Caño, now Ceiba. The pattern is clear.
Blogger Angelica Giselle says [ES] she felt ashamed:
Me apena, me da verguenza y me siento sumamente indignada por estas expresiones. Cómo es posible que entre nosotros mismos, los puertoriqueños, nos aplastemos mutuamente??? Es una falta de respeto hacia los recidentes de Ceiba y hacia la comunidad pobre de este país lo que el Sr.González dijo. Aunque más tarde pidió disculpas por sus expresiones me molesta. Me molesta que hablemos así y que nos despreciemos de esa manera. Yo como puertoriqueña no puedo quedarme callada y dejar de informarle a las personas lo que este gobierno quiere hacer poco a poco. Quieren ir privatizando todo y cada vez ir echando a los pobres a un lado. Porque en vez de crear cosas para los millonarios, no se ponen a crear centros públicos para que la comunidad pobre tenga sitios de entretenimiento gratuito??
These expressions have made me feel sad, ashamed and extremely indignant. How is it possible that we, Puerto Ricans, squash each other like this? What Mr. González said is disrespectful towards the residents of Ceiba and the poor communities of this country, even though he later said he was sorry. It bothers me that we speak to each other like this and despise each other. As a Puerto Rican I cannot remain silent by not informing people what this government wants to do little-by-little. They want to privatize everything and marginalize the poor. Why don’t they create public spaces for poor communities so they can have places of free leisure instead of creating things for millionaires?
In Blogueando [ES], the journalist Julio Rivera Saniel also had an opinion about the incident:
Las declaraciones de González han abierto de par en par las puertas a las ideas que son la raíz misma de las actuaciones de estos funcionarios. Los pobres son prescindibles si sus terrenos son necesarios para promover capital privado. Y como esa parece ser la máxima del gobierno, la disculpa es solo un tiro al aire para desviar la atención.
The declarations made by González have opened the doors to the ideas that are the foundation of the actions of these officials. The poor are dispensable if their lands are necessary to promote private capital. And, since that seems to be the objective of the government, his apology is just a bullet in the air to deviate the public’s attention.
Perhaps adding fuel to the fire is that Jaime González made his remarks during a period of difficult times for the island.  The secretary of economic development, José Pérez Riera, publicly stated recently  that the private sector “owns Puerto Rico.”  There is also a pending eviction order to remove 200 families from the Villas del Sol community in Toa Baja. The government dismantled the innovative collective land ownership project  Fideicomiso de Tierras del Caño Martín Peña designed by the community (the case is in court). And, most recently, there were riots in the streets of Río Piedras (where the main campus of the University of Puerto Rico is located) when a specialized police force arrived after midnight to remove a student who was illegally drinking on the street. The police tear-gassed  the students, who responded by shouting and throwing objects at them.

author: Firuzeh Shokooh Valle


text:
Qatar reflects on spirit, practice of Ramadan · Global Voices
Shabina Khatri

Ramadan in Souq Wagif, a view of the Islamic cultural center
Daytime in Doha, Qatar has become much quieter this week, as residents in this Muslim country acclimate to Ramadan, which began last Saturday.
As it is the holiest month for Muslims, Ramadan should be a time for reflection, writes Qatari K Saleh:
You’re supposed to be kind, gentle, pure, and appreciate the fact that you are lucky in life to have food and to think more about those who have less in life in order to be giving.
But in reality, Ramadan takes on a different significance for most in Doha, as it is commonly associated with (government-mandated) shorter workdays, sumptuous feasts and socializing late into the night.
Mohana of A Day in Doha explains a common criticism.
Many speak critically of the lavishness of the modern day meals post the breaking of fast iftar, or footor, as it's know in the Gulf. After the dates and laban to ease the empty palate, there is a spread of food that seems far from the poverty and poor that Ramadan calls people to reflect upon.
She also shares the non-Muslim perspective. For some, she writes, Ramadan is about a lack.
All the restaurants, eateries, and entertainment outlets such as movies and bowling alleys are closed in solidarity with the community. No alcohol is served in the country, even at the hotels which normally function as evening waterholes.
Even eating or drinking in public is prohibited, with offenders facing a hefty fine and possible jail time.
That rule has been especially hard to follow this month, as Doha experiences record-breaking heat and humidity.
On the forum Qatar Living, commentators debated the merit of the restrictions.
Tallg writes:
It is a very weak person who can't resist the temptation to eat just because they see someone else doing it. Muslims in the UK have to fast for much longer hours than here (during the summer) and see people eating all around them… to force us not to eat against our will is inhumane.
Commentator Mandilular adds:
I do love Ramadan but I prefer to be in the US for the holy month. There's just something incongruous about a spiritual time of prayer and family and fasting that threatens non-observers with three months in prison.
Fluffy123 counters:
I'm from the states I would rather [be] here than there for Ramadan. Yes people eating in front of you shouldn't stop your fast. But it will make your fast a lot easier if people weren't chowing down on some food right in front of you. And secondly for people who are not fasting it's not that big of deal to not be able to eat in public. No one is telling you not to eating during the day they are just saying don't eat in public.
More on the discussion can be found at Qatar Living.
Though adjusting to the month can be hard at times, many non-Muslims have found the experience to be instructive.
Meredith at Hack the Bone says she will use Ramadan as a month to detox and catch up on blogging. She writes:
My Muslim colleagues told me to enjoy Ramadan as a “vacation” but I’m trying to fast while in the office, out of respect for those around me. It’s tough (it’s been one day, I suck) but weirdly satisfying. I didn’t know what to expect for my first Ramadan, but the city feels peaceful.
Mohana at A Day in Doha shares how her perspective on the month evolved, from seeing it as an inconvenience to taking it as an opportunity.
She says she will take advantage of the shorter workday by spending her extra free time
“catching up with friends who are otherwise too busy in the course of the year to stop and chat, or writing, exercising, or any number of things I put off because I'm too busy.”
Some expats are also spending Ramadan trying to learn more about the Muslim faith.
Intlexpatr, who has written a Ramadan Guide at Here There and Everywhere, says:
Most Westerners don’t understand Ramadan…the season is as holy to them as our Lent and Easter are to us. Ramadan was the month when The Qur’an was transmitted to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel.
During church services in Doha, she adds:
Our priest asked the congregation if any of us had literature explaining why the Muslim God was not the same as the Christian God. We all looked at him in shock. Not one person raised his or her hands. Then he smiled, a great big broad grin and said “Good! There is only one God, and our Moslem brothers and sisters worship the same one-God we do.”

author: Shabina Khatri


text:
South Africa: Health Advisory for Highway Africa participants · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

For those of you traveling from abroad to South Africa for the Highway Africa conference, here’s a health advisory on the pandemic Influenza A/H1N1 2009, commonly known as swine flu, that we recommend you to read.


text:
Sudan: Promoting peace in Sudan · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Laura discusses peace efforts in Sudan: “In the three days since the Sudan Now initiative launched, we’ve seen a number of bloggers and journalists qualify their reports of activist frustration by noting that the Obama administration has indeed been active in trying to address the multiple crises in Sudan”


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: Barbadine Punch  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Here in Trinidad and Tobago we have two uses for the giant granadilla when making drinks; we use it for juices or, in today's case, in a punch”: Simply Trini Cooking shares a barbadine recipe that packs a punch!


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: Paper Vs. Blogger  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A battle appears to be brewing between a Trinidad and Tobago blogger and a local newspaper: the latter says that it will “exercise all its available legal options” unless kid5rivers apologizes for this post, in which he airs his opinion that the paper has become “a media house that no longer can be trusted to bark out the truth.”


text:
Albania: Honey · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Stepping Stones describes an accidental stopover at a honey-processing place located on a beautiful lake in southern Albania.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Arab World: Young People Gather to Learn Social Media Tools · Global Voices
Mohammad Azraq

Last May, I took part in a program called ‘the Young Leaders Visitors Program (YLVP)‘, organized by the Swedish Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The program brought together young people from eight Arab countries and Sweden to learn certain leadership and organizational skills, and focused on how to use the tools of social media to advance social change. The participants will all meet again for a follow-up event in Paris, France, this November.
A few participants reflected on this experience, and shared some ideas on their blogs:
Jasmine Elnadeem from Egypt, wrote:
It was just only by chance…. I applied for the Young Leaders Visiting Programme (YLVP) 2009, which was organized by the Swedish institute.
The Swedish Institute Young Leaders Visitors Program (YLVP) is an intercultural leadership program with focus on social media as a tool for positive change. The program invites young opinion-makers from Sweden and selected countries in the MENA region who are actively working for social change in their respective contexts.
People nowadays are starting to say that social media is going to change the world; nothing could be farther from the truth.
Yes, for most of us, social media has changed our lives in some meaningful way, but social media can’t change the world, people do through social media, it’s a tool.
Nothing in this world is going to change unless we make it change. The responsibility for change does not fall onto technology but onto people. We can have all the greatest tools and gadgets in the world but if we don’t use them for change then guess what, change isn’t going to happen.
Let’s remember that social media and technology gives us the ability to make changes happen, but it’s ultimately up to us to use these abilities to make change happen.
Writing for Menassat, a regional news website based in Beirut, Lebanon, Alexandra Sandels from Sweden wrote:
The YLVP 2009 invited what the Swedish institute described as “young opinion-makers from Sweden and selected countries in the MENA region who are actively working for social change in their respective contexts.”
The program itself focused in large part on leadership and teamwork with a special component of training in social media tools. The first week was spent in Grisslehamn and the remaining two in Stockholm where participants attended lectures and worked on group projects at the digital media school Hyper Island.
In addition to the Arab participants, five Swedish journalists took part in the program.
“YLVP is designed to give you innovative tools to shape public opinion in cutting-edge media while strengthening your intercultural and leadership skills. You will be part of an exclusive network that will boost creativity and support your personal and professional development, while also laying the platform for a more connected future,” said the Swedish Institute in a statement describing the program.
At the beginning of the program, participants were divided into groups of 4-5 people and given the task to develop an idea for an innovative project using social media tools. A stream of initiatives was presented, ranging from web portals for alternative musicians in the Middle East to an online graffiti network, and a web-based recruitment agency for volunteers interested in working in human rights organizations in the Arab world.
And finally, Jordanian Rami AbdelRahman, who lives in Sweden, had this to say about the program:
To this extent, the Swedish institute arranged for an opinion building program, entitled “Young Leaders Visitors Program” targeting opinion builders in the MENA and Sweden, to work on their skills within social media, intercultural group work, leadership… etc. The course started in a very relaxed spa hotel in Grisslehamn, about an hours’ drive north of Stockholm, right on the Baltic sea.
The idea was simple: work our brains out trying to find creative solutions in very stressful schedules. It turned out we were not creative enough: we were tasked with finding impossible things that could happen, we mentioned living underwater, living on mars, world peace, etc, and it turns out that 80% of our choices were predicted by our creativity lecturer.

author: Mohammad Azraq


text:
Azerbaijan: Washington DC protest for detained activist bloggers (updated) · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Washington DC, USA © Azeri Report
With detained video bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli now facing an additional charge in their native Azerbaijan, The Collegian says that support for the two imprisoned youth activists yesterday transcended the digital world and spilled out thousands of miles away onto the streets of Washington DC.
Elmar Chakhtakhtinski, organizer of “Rally in support of Adnan Hajizada and Emin Milli” and member of Azerbaijani-Americans for Democracy (AZAD) led a group of roughly 30 protesters, mostly native Azerbaijanis, as they advocated from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the youths’ release, pleading the prisoners’ right to a fair trial and touting an overall message that called for the end of suppression of free speech in Azerbaijan.
Chants of “Free Adnan and Milli,” “Hey, ho, let them go,” “Stop injustice” and “Long live Democracy” filled the street as drivers-by honked in response to a sign that read “Honk for freedom.” Protesters waved Azeri and American flags, wore T-shirts that read “Freedom of Assembly” and “Freedom of Speech” while they held signs portraying Adnan and Milli.
Azeri Report posts many photographs of the action held outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in the U.S. capital. Another action was held recently in Baku, Azerbaijan, a country where demonstrations, regardless of size, are rarely tolerated.
Meanwhile, the blog of the OL! Azerbaijani Youth Movement which Hajizade founded says that one U.S. Congressman believes neither detainee will receive a fair trial when their case is considered starting from 4 September.
US Congressman James Moran of Virginia, a member of the powerful house appropriations committee, has sent a letter to the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, regarding the case of the arrested Azerbaijani bloggers Hajizada and Milli. In the letter Congressman Moran expresses suspicion that the arrest of the bloggers was motivated by their political views, and raises concerns that they will not receive a fair trial in Azerbaijan.
Global Voices Online's continuing coverage of the case against Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli can be found in the Azerbaijan section of this site while updates on Twitter can be found at #EminAdnan.
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Washington DC, USA © Azeri Report

author: Onnik Krikorian


text:
Blogging About Poverty And Development In The Arab World · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Two in five Arabs live in poverty, according to a recently released UN report [pdf]. The Arab Human Development Report 2009 says that in some Arab countries, more than half of the population lives in hunger and want. In this post we hear from bloggers writing about poverty and development around the Arab world.
Lebanon
Last year Rami Zurayk wrote a post about the poorest area of Lebanon:
Akkar is the poorest district of Lebanon: a recent UNDP report found that 63% of the families are deprived and face serious poverty. Located in the extreme north of the country, Akkar is an agricultural district, with an estimated rural population of 80%, the highest in Lebanon. […] Akkar was under quasi-feudal rule till recent times, and the current social and economic relations are still heavily impregnated with this history. […] This has resulted in tremendous social and economic inequality: Akkar has, according to the UNDP, the highest level of inequality in Lebanon. The Lebanese state bears much responsibility for this situation: public investments in basic infrastructure and services such as health and education but also in agricultural development and small industries have been minimal. Poverty and inequality lead to extremism and to political violence. Major investments are immediately required in the basic sectors, such as health and education, but also in the productive sectors, such as agriculture, in order to help the poor construct sustainable livelihoods.
Bahrain
Poverty does not come to mind when one thinks of the Gulf countries, but in some there are huge differences in living standards amongst citizens. Khalid writes from Bahrain:
Morocco
Duncan is a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, and at the beginning of this year he wrote about his impressions of poverty in the region he is working in:
Different communities and groups of people have different ideas about what it means to be poor. In the United States, the poverty line is something like $18,000 per year, which works out to about $50 a day. Worldwide, a person is considered impoverished if he/she lives on $1 per day or less. Here in my community, the people are mostly somewhere in between those two figures. It’s harder to measure people’s wealth here, as most are self-employed farmers whose product is not sold, but consumed within the house. Some men work outside of the community in bigger cities and have a salary, but not much of that money makes it back here. The main source of income generation is herding sheep and goats and selling them when they get big. […] In my communities, no one (that I’ve seen) is dying of hunger. It may just be bread, but I believe that people can always feed themselves. There are some health problems due to malnutrition, but not severe. Water borne illnesses are a problem, but nothing like other parts of the third world. Living in a mountainous, sparsely populated place means that most water is coming from springs without facing too much threat of contamination. As there is little access (and people don’t take advantage of what is available to them) to health care, infant and maternal health is a problem, but I don’t believe that infant/maternal mortality rates are as high as other places. What I’m trying to say is that life in my community is hard and people are impoverished, but there are other parts of the world where it’s much worse. Getting by on subsistence agriculture and herding doesn’t provide a lot of surplus, but people do have enough to get by.
However, in a post earlier this year, Cabalamuse expressed a more pessimistic view:
While frolicking tourists sunbathe on beaches and dine in swanky resorts, while a few thousand elite Moroccans are living high on the hog, millions of malnourished, destitute, and sallow Moroccans in remote rural areas scratch the dirt for survival and take shelter in dwellings so sparsely furnished and poorly built that they look like caves. In this post-apocalyptic diorama, they sleep swallowed in whatever clothes and blankets they own to avoid freezing to death; they cook in tin cans; their women bleed to death giving birth; their children die of diseases the modern world thought eradicated; their men are despondent; weather permitting, they trek over xeric dirt roads and down jarring mountain slopes for countless hours and miles to reach a paved road. They share this country with us, but they live a different reality. The only sign of a government they see in their regions is a tattered flag whipped by the wind.
For more on poverty in Morocco see this post.
Egypt
Nevertheless, the development initiatives that are taking place around the region give hope to some. In Egypt, Lozah recently visited some youth centres in Aswan that are participating in an initiative encouraging girls and women to utilise traditionally male-dominated spaces:
As the taxi was speeding down the incredibly bumpy alley, I looked around me trying to picture the youth centre that would eventually appear among all this rubble. One flat tire later, we finally made it to the centre, which was really just a very run-down two-story building. I stepped into the centre to be enthusiastically greeted by a group of girls and women, and the director of the centre Hagg Sayed. They proceeded to tell me about the work they’d been doing to get girls more involved in centre activities, and to get women more involved in centre governance. […] These youth centres offer children a much-needed safe space to just be kids, a place where they can run around and play and engage in constructive activities. But these centres have long been non-inclusive of girls, largely due to societal perceptions. The idea of the youth centre as a place unsuitable for girls is deeply entrenched in the community (and probably across the country) and many parents were worried about their daughters’ reputations if they were to become involved in centre activities. That’s why prior to implementing the initiative itself, it was important to first build trust with the local community. […] Gradually, opinions and perceptions changed.
The next step was to get the girls involved in sports. […] Today girls are credited with winning numerous trophies in soccer, weight-lifting, and table tennis among others. Furthermore, the once sceptical male members of the centre today attend all the girls’ tournaments, enthusiastically cheering them from the sidelines. Talking to the girls, it was impossible not to notice how proud they were. […] To see firsthand the changes that have occurred in these communities was truly inspiring. This isn’t to say that everything is now perfect there. Keep in mind that these are some of the poorest villages in Aswan, some of the poorest in Egypt. These villages face a whole host of problems related to poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, lack of healthcare, lack of clean water, pollution, and other problems that are common to most Egyptian villages. These children are deprived of a lot of things and so many of their rights are violated. But this initiative has managed to make things a little bit better by fulfilling a very important right: at least now, these girls aren’t deprived of their right to a childhood.
This post discusses women's role in Egypt's development.

author: Ayesha Saldanha


text:
Palestine: Waiting for the Iftar Cannon in Gaza · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iftar Cannon
The war on Gaza has made many traditions a distant memory. Palestinian blogger Hazem [ar] laments the end of a Ramadan ritual, which his grandfather remembers and which is no more.
It is a tradition marked in many Muslim countries, where  cannons, which signal the breaking the fast at sunset (Iftar), and which are no longer fired in Gaza. He writes:
Oh my grandson, if only the Iftar cannon would return. It will bring happiness to every home and room. We used to gather in your grandmother's house, all of us, sitting around the fire ovens, celebrating the nights of Ramadan.
On life in Gaza during Ramadan, the old man recalls:
We used to visit our relatives and neighbours, and everyone had a smile on his face. We used to stay up at night and tell each others stories and secrets, about a knight, a lion and an adventurer.
Returning back to the modern day, the grandfather laments:
Hazem then continues:


text:
Guinea : Remembering Aug. 27, 1977 · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

32 years ago, on August 27, 1977, the people of Guinea first rose up against the abuses of Sékou Touré's regime. Oumar, blogging (Fr) for Konngol Afirik at maneno.org, explains the background and speaks up for the duty of memory.

author: Suzanne Lehn


text:
Hong Kong: Parents, don’t get fooled by CCTVB! · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Libertines Pub comments on a local T.V's (TVB Jade Channel) news report regarding the public consultation on review of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. The writer pointed out that the news was manipulated to create panic among our parents. The T.V company has been spoofed by netizen as CCTVB resembling the CCTV in mainland China.


text:
Russia: Satellite Pics of Traffic Jam Caused by Officials · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user travel_hunter (RUS) re-posts images of Yandex.ru maps showing an impressive amount of cars forced to wait until some high-ranking Russian officials pass an intersection in Moscow. LJ user dolboeb posts these images, too, and writes (RUS): “When you just get stuck in traffic caused by the passing of the Big Bosses between Rublyovka and the Kremlin, it's hard to imagine the actual scale of the jam. Well, you've lost 40 minutes. Well, an hour… But, as the poet [Sergei Yesenin] said, “All bigger things are clearer from a distance.”


text:
Russia: Two Photos of Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user drugoi visits Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric dam, posts two photos and writes (RUS) about the colossal damage done to the facility on Aug. 17: “It seems that it's easier to build a new power plant than to clear up the huge amount of deformed metal and restore the turbine hall.”


text:
Spain, USA : Artists (Dis)cover the Veil · Global Voices
Suzanne Lehn

Two recent events highlighting how artists look at the hijab issue inspired bloggers. Swiss motsd'images enthuses (Fr) about a beautiful outdoor photo exhibition of African women in Seville, Spain; and updateslive gives a thorough account of “The Seen and the Hidden, (Dis)covering the Veil,” an exhibition held in New York City featuring 15 artists, 13 of them women.  All are muslims, and explore the intersection of Islam, the West, and identity.


text:
Afghanistan: Voting Day in Photos · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Millions of Afghans voted on Thursday, August 20, in the country's second-ever presidential election. According to The Associated Press, the results won't be announced until late September after allegations of fraud have been investigated.
Several bloggers have already shared their election day feelings, experiences, concerns and hopes. Photo bloggers also immortalized the day by publishing photos displaying heavy security presence, voter enthusiasm and concern (all photos were republished with permission).
Fardin Waezi in Thruafghaneyes has published several photos displaying men and women voting in Kabul:
… and a member of the military voting:
HeratZemin‘s photos demonstrate a heavy military presence:
And voter enthusiasm:
Mostafa Kia shows in Motvaled Mizan that an inked finger may have been cleaned easily in at least in one voting center.

author: Fred Petrossian


text:
Arab World: Welcoming Ramadan  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The holy month of Ramadan is an important month in the Muslim calendar. During the month, aimed to teach believers spirituality and feeling the suffering of those less fortunate than themselves, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activities from dawn to sunset, as well as dedicate themselves to prayer and asking God for forgiveness for their past sins. Bloggers writing in Arabic celebrate the month, already in its first week, in this post, where we share some of the artistic creations used to greet their readers on the month.
From Egypt, Ahmed El Gamil posts this drawing, where he wishes his readers a blessed month:
Kuwaitism, meanwhile, celebrates the month by posting this photograph, showing expatriate workers in Kuwait:
He then writes:
And in Bahrain, Ba7rani87 celebrates Ramadan by posting this calligraphic work, which says Allah, or God:
Allah


text:
Bahrain: One Ramadan and One Eid  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The beginning of the holy month of Ramadan depends on the actual sighting of the new moon, resulting in different dates for its start among the various Muslim sects. This year Sunnis and Shi'ites in Bahrain kicked off the month on the same day – and one blogger celebrates this rare unity.
At Green Oasis, Ba7rani87 [ar] writes:
On the agreement between the Sunnis and Shi'ites, Ba7rani writes:
Commenting on the post Ali Al Halwachi writes:


text:
Bangladesh: The Traditional Iftar Market At Chawkbazar · Global Voices
Rezwan

Desher Chobi posts some ravishing pictures of the traditional Iftar market at Chawkbazar in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Microsoft Bing has highlighted a photo of this market on their main page a few days ago.


text:
Chile: Technology Platform of Candidate Sebastian Piñera · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Luis Ramirez writes about the technology platform of Chilean Presidential candidate Sebastian Piñera [es] and notes that his proposals include funding for a computer and broadband internet in every household.

author: Eduardo Avila


text:
Colombia: Another Massacre of the Awá Indigenous Community · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Plan Colombia and Beyond writes about the report from the National Organization of Indigenous People about another massacre of members of the Awá indigenous community by an unidentified armed group in the department of Nariño.


text:
Costa Rica: Manuel Mora Valverde Founder of Communist Party · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Marco of ¡Que Clío nos guarde! [es] commemorates the 100 year anniversary of the birth of Manuel Mora Valverde, who was the founder and leader of the Communist Party in Costa Rica.


text:
Costa Rica: The Passing of Felipe Granados · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Costa Rican writer Felipe Granados recently passed away at the age of 33.  Fusil de Chispas [es] is saddened by the loss of the author, who penned such books as Soundtrack.


text:
East Timor: “Happy Day” of freedom vote · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

Timorese bloggers have celebrated the 10th anniversary of the popular referendum which led to the territory's formal independence. Alf@ Montenegro wrote [Tet]
Ohin loron , loron ALEGRIA nian ba timor oan hotu. iha loron ida ne'e ita sei hanoin fila fali tinan sanulu liuba (30 de Agosto de 1999) nebe ita hotu decidi atu liberta ita nia nação husi ocupação indonésio. ALEGRIA nebe ita hetan iha tinan 10 liu ba ne ALEGRIA ida BOOT tebes ba ita timor oan hotu(mas iha 21,5%triste). Ita hotu expressa ita nia alegria ida ne liu husi haklalak, hakilar, hananu e tanis. Mesmo too agora ALEGRIA ida ne ita sei sente nafatin maibe, durante tinan 10 nia laran ne susar no terus sedauk sés husi ita (caso boot liu mak iha tinan 2006). Ema barak (balun husi rai leur) hare ba caso 2006 ho 2008 (11 de fevereiro) dehan katak “ESTADO FALHADO” maibe sira nia teoria ida ne sala boot.
photo by Rusty Stewart
Aquarius Vinte Três wrote that for him things started the moment Indonesian President B. J. Habibie suggested the popular referendum [Tet]
Lia fuan ” MATE ka MORIS DUNI BAPA SAI” mosu ho Espontánia iha tinan 1999 baihira Prezidente Indonésia B.J.Habibie hasai opsaun rua maka hanesan: Simu autonomia no Rejeita Autonomia (dua opsi:Menerima Otonomi dan menolak otonomi) iha loron 27 Janeiru 1999. Durante manifestasaun pro-independénsia ruma iha Dili laran, joven sira uza liafuan ida-ne’e ” MATE ka MORIS DUNI BAPA SAI”, hodi hamánas liutan ita-nia espíritu nasionalizmu to'o didi'ak ‘Konsulta Popular’ iha fulan agostu '99.
photo by Rusty Stewart
Others used the opportunity to lament the lack of unity and vision of Timorese people, like Abel Pires da Silva, who wrote on the RENETIL blog [Tet]
Fulan Agostu iha tinan 10 liu ba, povu Timor maioria fiar metin katak Timor-Leste ukun rasik an sei diak liu fali Timor Leste ne’ebé hamutuk ho Indonezia. Iha tempu rezisténsia, ita iha inimigu KOMUN, ne’ebé halo ita hamutuk kumu liman kontra inimigu ne’e. Iha tempu ukun rasik an, ita lakon inimigu komun ne’ebé halo ita hamutuk nu’udar forsa nasaun. Hanesan konsekuensia husi situasaun ne’e, entidade barak iha nasaun Timor-Leste ida-idak hakarak buka atu hetan sira nia interese rasik. Grupu barak mak komesa reklama sira nia “kontribuisaun” no ezizi estadu atu “tau matan”. Moras ezizi estadu atu “tau matan” ne’e mos kontinua akontese
On a lighter note, the band Outravez, made up of Timorese students based in Indonesia, proudly announced the release of their new album, with a song dedicated to the referendum day [Tet], and shared they would play at today's concert in front of the government palace in Dili.
The best window into the concert and the mood in front of the Palace today was from the tweet of the CJITL – Centru Jornalista Investigativu Timor Leste (Investigative Journalist Center of Timor Leste). The main attraction was clearly Indonesian pop star Krisdayanti. Quoting a selection of Twitter posts from Gil @CJITL:
9:11 AM Aug 30th: populasaun kuaze nain rihun sanulu halibur an ohin kalan iha palacio governu, iha konsertu bo'ot n'e
9:16 AM Aug 30th: Bonoite dili, ida ne'e mak liafuan primeiru husi krisdayanti nia ibun bainhira kanta muzika Rai dili rai cidade
9:54 AM Aug 30th: tuir mai distritu 13 sei hato'o nia mensajen ho dialeitu idak idak nian..kris deskanca oitoann
10:06 AM Aug 30th: Ramos Horta hateten”loron ohin ne'e importante tebes, ita tenki halo reflesaun ba sira ne'ebe mate hodi fo liberdade ba ita”
This post is the third of a series to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the popular referendum in East Timor, which led to the territory's internationally recognized independence. In the first post we highlighted the support of the international community for the freedom of East Timor. In the second, we interviewed Abe Barreto Soares who is one of the organizers of the celebration events for solidarity taking place in East Timor in August and September 2009.

author: Janet Gunter


text:
Ecuador: All Aboard the Trolley Bus · Global Voices
Milton Ramirez

Ecuador is not immune from the Latin American trend of urban development, where it is estimated that 80% of the population lives in urban areas [es]. In the country, most of its people reside in the city of Guayaquil and in the capital city of Quito. With that population concentration, comes the usual array of urban problems, including traffic congestion, which often keeps parts of Quito at a standstill.
That is why October 24, 1995 became a historical date for Quito because the first 14 trolley bus prototypes arrived and were enthusiastically received by the people. That is how the Trolley Quito Co. [es] (CTQSA for its initials in Spanish) started to alleviate the north-south traffic congestion.  By 1996, the system had been moving an average of 50 to 90 thousand people per day, and now, the 113 trolley buses in operation are helping to cut down on pollution, noise and at the same time, speed up traffic through downtown.
Trolley service through Guayaquil St in Quito, nearby the Plaza Grande.  Photo credit to Wikimedia Commons
Quito's trolley buses have become an integral part of the city's urban landscape and prompted one journalist, Susana Morán, to launch a reporting project called “So We Travel on the Trolley Bus.” This project invited Ecuadorian twitterers to publish their experiences using the trolley bus in Quito, and to use the hashtag #troleq in order to collect the information.
She also conducted several online chats with Ecuadorians to collect anecdotes and opinions of the transport system. The transcripts can be found on her blog [es], and one participant, 24 year-old Pablo Vayas described one of his experiences:
Hay muy pocas unidades en horas pico. Una anécdota: un día no tuve dinero y traté de usar mi tarjeta del trole. Ésta no funcionó pues la banda magnética se había dañado. Empezó a llover y tenía que tomar el trole si o sí. Un señor me vio y sin hablar me dio 25 centavos y le dije que “gracias, me salvó.”
There are very few buses during peak hours. An anecdote: One day I had no money and tried to use my trolley bus card. It did not work because the magnetic strip was damaged. It started to rain and I had no choice, but to take the trolley bus. A man saw me and without word gave me 25 cents. I told him “thanks, you saved me.”
There were several active and enthusiastic twitterers, who participated.  The tweets ranged from complaints about the system, but also recommendations on how to improve the overall experience. Diego Cevallos [es], also known as @diegocevallosn, complained about the trolley bus schedule because certain routes only operate until 8 or 9 pm [es].  He also had a bad experience as a victim of a robbery:
Recuerdo hac 1año al bajar del trole descubri mi maleta abierta y sin ipod q “profesionales” pensé -notese la ironía- no sentí nada #troleq
The problem with security on the trolley bus is reoccurring theme and the overall mood of the ride. Estéfano Dávila or @ferrimankenobi on Twitter wrote:
Pero todos siempre nos hacemos los locos, no saludamos nunca. Hay bastante desconfianza por la delincuencia
However, it is also concern about safety because the actions of the driver, as Dávila writes:
uuuu, me toco un chofer q va en carrera consigo mismo. Acelera full, y trata de rebasar como sea y por donde sea #troleq
Even when CTQSA launched a campaign Somos un Transporte, Amable, Solidario e Incluyente (We are a friendly service of transportation, supportive and inclusive), Alex Llumiquinga [es] who goes by @patrikalex thinks that there are still issues with the onboard experience.
#troleq abran una ventanita por dios… parada sto domingo
#troleq el sr d seguridad ha desarrollado una capacidad increible para meter gente
the Security guys have developed an incredible ability to make room for more people
Diego Granda [es] @diegogranda. almost never rides the trolley, but for the activity, he wanted to join his fellow tweeters. Moreover, he still believes that if tweets were made with image and video, then the project would have been better, something that Paul Barahona [es] (@palulo) did by posting videos on his Qik account [es].
Finally, Christian Espinosa of  Cobertura Digital [es] provides an overview of the project and sees the potential for future journalistic activities. He writes that in the past, journalists did not even dream of live coverage and now projects like this are enabling the addition of new sources to the news.

author: Milton Ramirez


text:
Hungary: St. Stephen · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes: “Because there are so many references to St. Stephen nowadays in Hungary I thought I ought to write a post on what ‘Hungary’ looked liked in his days.”


text:
India: Blogging Tips From An Award Winning Blogger · Global Voices
Rezwan

Amit Varma, one of the most popular Indian bloggers who won many awards in blogging, posts some tips on how to write a successful blog.

author: Rezwan


text:
Israel: Hollywood in the Holy Land · Global Voices
Maya Norton

September is a major month for Hollywood in the Holy Land. Israel will welcome Madonna, Leonard Cohen, Faith No More, Julio Iglesias, MGMT, and Dinosaur Jr. Both Madonna and Cohen's shows have sold out their 45,000+ seats. Israelity has the scoop.

author: Maya Norton


text:
Israel: Social Media Advances Jewish Identity · Global Voices
Maya Norton

How can social media enhance identity?  eJewishPhilanthropy  reports: “For a people who have fretted over a loss of identity for generation after generation… innovations like Twitter and Facebook are nothing less than, dare we say, a godsend.”


text:
Israel: When Translations Go Wrong · Global Voices
Maya Norton

Literal translations aren't always your best bet when moving between Hebrew and English, explains How to Be Israeli. She writes that the movie title “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” which is Biblical in tone in the native English, is translated in Hebrew as “Achi, Efo Atah?” which sounds a lot more like the colloquial, “Hey Bro, where you at?”


text:
Japan: We will not forget Hiroshima and Nagasaki · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

64 years ago, on the 6th and the 9th of August, atomic bombs were dropped by the U.S. forces on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over 200,000 people died and every year, ceremonies are held to commemorate those victims and to remind  humanity of the horrors of war and of the use of nuclear weapons.
Some Japanese bloggers reflect on their history and the meaning of this anniversary.
Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima. By Flickr user kamoda.
touhen 03, from Hiroshima, tells us the story of the building (pictured above) now become the symbol of the A-bombing and of his memories  related to it.
戦前の産業奨励館は大正１５年に建てられた、とてもお洒落な建物だったようです。原爆ドームと呼ばれるようになった今でも、よく見ると美しい装飾が、あちこちに残っています。
今年も８月６日がやってきました。広島に原爆が落とされた日です。当時、広島市の周辺部、矢野町に住んでいた母は小学生で、校庭で朝礼中でした。大地が一瞬白く透けて見え、町内の自宅近くに爆弾が落ちたと思ったそうです。祖母は同じ町内の海岸で塩作りをしていました。すぐ近くに敵機が来たと思い、曾祖母と手を取り合って夢中で逃げたそうです。そのうち広島市内と隣接した安芸郡府中町の東洋工業（現在のマツダ株式会社）に爆弾が落ちたという噂が流れ、それなら親戚を助けに行かなければという話をしているうちに、東洋工業ではない、広島市内は火の海だという情報が入り、被爆した人達が次々と運ばれて来るようになり、祖母は看護にかり出されたといいます。
あの日、８月６日の午前中数時間の経緯を私は繰り返し聞いて育ちました。バスに乗れば、「もうこのあたりだと、大部分の人が死んだ」とか、あの日のことを祖母から聞いたものです。爆心地へ向かうバスの中で聞くと印象が強くて、私は子供の頃ずっと、市内へ向かうバスに乗るたび、生きて帰れない範囲に入ったなと頭の隅で思いましたし、帰りは府中町を通過する頃から微かにホッとする妙な感覚を持っていました。身近な被爆体験、あるいはその周辺の体験はざらにありましたし、学校では昼休みに原爆の体験記が校内放送されていました。昭和４０～５０年代、広島では原爆が昨日のことのように存在していました。
Blogger at ocntoday recalls [ja] one of the most popular works that tells of that tragic event: Hadashi no Gen [Barefoot Gen] by Keiji Nakazawa (Here is the cartoon version [en])
On Atomic Bombing Anniversary Day, Japanese singer Masaharu Fukuyama (福山 雅治), during his radio program, publicly admitted, for the first time, to being the son of two A-bomb survivors.
This made many reflect on the social discrimination that for years the victims of the bomb (被爆者 hibakusha) and their relatives had suffered and which prevented many second generations hibakusha from telling the truth about their family's past.
Here is a blogger's witness.
また、被爆2世、被爆3世であることをずっと言えなかった人もいるだろう。ただし私もそうだったのだが、この発言が大きく報じられたことに違和感を感じたのもある。被爆した方への差別があるという認識はこの広島都市圏には今はないし、少なくとも広島市近傍ではそのような選別は無意味であると考える。今、もしあればそれはただひたすらに悲しい。ただし、被爆が元で健康を害された方が結果的に被爆による健康被害を元に社会から疎んじられたと言うことは正直あるのだろう。被爆者への偏見や、同じ日本人の中でも感じ方に温度差があるなら残念である。
核爆弾による被曝では、直接的な外傷のみならず、深刻な外傷が見られなくても脱毛、出血、下痢や嘔吐、慢性白血病、甲状腺がんなど発症する割合が高くなるといわれ、これを原爆症という。被爆者の子は「被爆2世」、その孫は「被爆3世」と呼ばれるが、遺伝的健康障害が現れやすいと言われているもののでも科学的な立証はされていないし、追跡調査も実施中じょうたいらしい。そもそも、これ以前に症例があったとは思えず、原爆症によるメカニズムがわからない時代は、相当これらの誤解などは在ったと思う。
The Maiden of Peace, in Nagasaki. By Flickr user Kamoda.
Mindful of the atomic bombing experience, many in Japan support the anti-nuclear policies of the country. Recently, however, the news that in the past Japan had secretly allowed the transit of American nukes in the country aroused the indignation of those who still value the triple non-nuclear principle adopted as a resolution in the 1960s.
Blogger at Canada de Nihongo points her finger at some politicians ambivalent attitude towards Japan's position as a non-nuclear armed country.
日本には非核三原則があり、核兵器を「持たず、作らず、持ち込ませず」と決められている。現在の日本は核兵器を保有していないと信じられているが、法制化されていないため、１年以内に保持国になるのではないかとも言われている。過去、空母ミッドウェーなどの米軍の艦隊によって日本国内の米軍基地の港に持ち込まれたとの疑惑もある。秘密裏に米軍による核の持ち込みを日本政府が許可しているという噂も絶えない。
非核三原則についての考え方も、麻生バカ太郎首相と鳩山代表の間には大きな違いがある。麻生は外務大臣のときにも、日本は核を持つべきだと発言した中川昭一の発言を擁護して、野党から外相としての不信任決議案を提出されたことがある。つまり、非核三原則については否定的な考えを持っているように思える。
Also regarding the anti-nuclear principle, there is a huge difference in beliefs between PM Idio-Taro Aso and the opposition's leader Hatoyama. When he was the Foreign Minister Aso defended Shoichi Nakagawa's position when he stated that ‘Japan should have nuclear weapons’. That is why the opposition party passed a vote of no confidence in him as Minister of Foreign Affairs. In other words, he seems not to appreciate the significance of the triple anti-nuclear principle.
As Hiroseto reports, in this year's Peace Declaration [ja] Mr. Akiba,  Mayor of Hiroshima, declared his support for Obama, referring to the U.S. President's discourse when, in April, he stated that the United States would “take concrete steps towards a world without nuclear weapons.”
These are the last lines of that Declaration. (On Chugoku Shimbun website the entire translated version)
We have the power. We have the responsibility. And we are the Obamajority.
Together, we can abolish nuclear weapons. Yes, we can.
With the aim to “achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world” by 2020, Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 2008 became the promoters of the joint Hiroshima Nagasaki Protocol [en, pdf], complementary to the Non Proliferation Treaty.

author: Scilla Alecci


text:
Anguilla: The Fly  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Corruption-free Anguilla says that a fly infestation at a particular garbage dump “results from a failure to deal with the garbage correctly”, adding: “The culprit is one of our biggest hotel developments.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Bahamas: Living Off Art · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Nicolette Bethel continues to follow Ward Minnis‘ posts on the viability of making a living off of art in the Bahamas, commenting: “In order for this viability really to exist, though, the society as a whole has to buy into the idea of supporting Bahamian culture with more than their lips, but also with their pockets.”


text:
Bangladesh: Justice Denied · Global Voices
Rezwan

The Online Citizen, a citizen media outlet of Singapore reports on a Bangladeshi labor, who was physically abused repeatedly by his Singaporean employer and denied 5 months salary. He held on to Singapore’s justice system, but the justice he got was deportation from the country and the employer got away with a warning.


text:
Bolivia: MAS Strategy in Next General Elections · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Miguel Buitrago of MABB [es]  runs down the strategy of Evo Morales’ MAS party in the upcoming general elections.


text:
Cambodia: Advice to expats · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Khmerbird gives a few pointers for expats on how to make friends in Cambodia

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Caucasus: Peace Corps blogs on Twitter · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

With most bloggers located in the capitals of the three South Caucasus republics, U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) have been indispensible in posting entries from the regions of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. However, with old PCVs being replaced by new ones when their service ends, it's often been difficult to keep track of their blogs. Thanks to Twitter, however, that is now a thing of the past with @pcjarmenia, @pcjazerbaijan, and @pcjgeorgia.


text:
Chile: The Chile + Cultura Festival 2009 · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Chile + Cultura 2009 Festival is set for September 6 in Curicó, which will feature free regional and national musical acts writes Manuel Herrera Díaz of Maulee.cl [es]


text:
China and Taiwan: Dalai Lama’s visit, inevitably political · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Yesterday Dalai Lama arrived in Taiwan on a visit that has been denounced by China. The trip, requested by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to President Ma Ying-jeou, aimed at comforting victims of Typhoon Morakot. Dalai Lama explained in the airport that “I'm a monk. I was asked to say prayers for peace…There is no politics. This is humanitarian in nature”.
Although Dalai Lama tried very hard to keep his trip a humanitarian one and adjusted his schedule accordingly, the debates, protests and discussions concerning this trip have been pointing towards the other direction.
Taiwanderful posted Dalai Lama's schedule with a note complaining that:
This schedule may be subject to last minute changes. It seems the government gives with one hand and takes with the other. They let the Dalai Lama come here, but they are reluctant to let him do anything.
From the very beginning, those who opposed Dalai Lama's visit believed that the whole trip was a political show directed by DDP. For example, ROCgood from udn.com said:
明明故意消費88水災災民的死亡及苦難，搞落井下石的突襲，卑鄙政治手段，暗戳兩岸敏感神經，趁火打劫，發政治國難財，企圖破壞兩岸和平。卻又如此倒打一耙，假惺惺作態，偽託「人道撫慰」之名，說別人不要有「政治邏輯思考」，真的讓人噁心作嘔！
According to Lin Pohua, a blogger and a columnist, there are three main arguments against Dalai Lama's visit, including: 1. Dalai Lama is a political figure and all his action has political purpose; 2. local religious figure can also give comfort to victims; 3. DPP takes Dalai Lama's visit as a political show. Upon listing out the above arguments, Lin defences:
達賴喇嘛本來就是宗教領袖，如果說，他後來被逼沾上政治，也是因為共產黨對西藏文化與宗教的滅族迫害
葉小文一句“不一定遠方來的和尚才會念經”，是有意挑動台灣宗教界與達賴喇嘛，以及台灣宗教界之間的關係。
共產黨大肆誣蔑民進黨，那是因為這口自己找來的惡氣不便出在不爭氣的馬英九身上，只能找民進黨來亂罵了。
Weichen points out that Dalai Lama had visited Taiwan twice in 1997 and 2001. In both incidents Ma Ying Jeou welcomed Dalai Lama warm-heartedly. The blogger predicts that Ma Ying Jeou and KMT's leader would not dare to meet Dalai Lama this time due to Beijing's political pressure.
Cigam looks at Dalai Lama's visit as a political match among DPP, Kuomingtang (KMT) and CCP:
是的，能把KMT轟到台灣來的共產黨果然不是省油的燈！
一方面示意區長可以放達賴喇嘛通關，另一方面擺出強硬態勢：你他X的馬區長不聽話！甚至還放了一隻奴才來台灣大聲亂吠！ 一招轉守為攻、連消代打，幫馬區長洗掉了部分「親中」的嫌疑（是嫌疑嗎？），順便再幫馬區長塑造出有擔當、有氣魄的形象！好了，雙方你來我往，如果發展到這裡，其實看起來好像是DPP做球給KMT跟支那來打，讓他們博得美名
Across the Strait in Mainland China, Dalai Lama's visit has become a forbidden topics in all forums and blog hosting websites.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
East Timor: Tour de Timor · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Tour de Timor has 300 registered competitors, 50 International volunteers and thousands of Timorese volunteers. The race was organized to promote peace.


text:
Georgia: Bicycle Trip from Poti to Batumi · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user jhwe posts over 130 photos (RUS) taken during an 85-kilometer bicycle journey from Poti to Batumi, Georgia.


text:
Ghana: A gun made in Ghana · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nana posts a photo of a Ghanaian comedian holding KK 47, a gun made in Ghana.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Ghana: Busta Rhymes in Accra · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Abena writes about Busta Rhymes trip to Accra, Ghana: “It is official: one of New York's finest sons, the hip-hop veteran Busta Rhymes will be performing in Ghana on September 12th.”


text:
Ghana: Top 10 Ghanaians songs of 2009 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Mighy African's top 10 Ghanaians songs of 2009: “Ghanaian music is at a crisis. People feel we are sounding too much like Western artistes.”


text:
Global Voices seeks staff for new project: “Interpreting RuNet” · Global Voices
Ivan Sigal

Global Voices (GV) is seeking a part-time project editor and a contributing editor to staff a new initiative, titled “Interpreting RuNet.” The purpose of the initiative is to deepen our coverage and analysis of Russian-language blogospheres, online speech and social networks.
Over the period of a year, the project will seek to present comprehensive and deep reporting on and analyses of the Russian-language online community. GV will concentrate on increasing coverage on globalvoicesonline.org of the Russian online world. We will:
The primary focus of our coverage and analysis will be Russian-language online writing from and about the Russian Federation. Secondary content may also include Russian-language content from the former Soviet Union, as it relates to the Russian Federation. GV will seek to ensure that the content receives broad recognition and publicity, both on our sites, and in other contexts and languages. As with all our projects we seek publicity, interviews, and re-publication in other media to further amplify the content.
Global Voices is seeking to staff two part-time positions,  a Project Editor and a Contributing Editor.
The Project Editor will direct the project, manage project content on Global Voices sites, and coordinate staff and volunteer contributions. The individual will produce and/or edit several in-depth stories per week, as well as shorter posts linking and pointing to important topics, events, and writing as it occurs. The work will involve extensive translation, analysis, and further original research and reporting when appropriate, in order to elucidate and identify trends, ideas, and social and political currents within RuNet. Analysis will also examine how content in the Russian language space relates to other online communities, languages, and cultures, and offline Russian conversation, journalism, and social and political movements.
The Project Editor will also:
The Contributing Editor will work with the Project Editor. The individual will assist in producing and editing content for the project, including regular output of stories, translation, and networking. The work will involve extensive translation, analysis, and further original research and reporting when appropriate
Successful applicants will have the following qualifications:
We will be seeking the right mix of skills and experience for these two positions. We will also have opportunities for more occasional research and analysis by other contributors The final make-up of the editorial team will depend on the interests and availability of applicants.
Interested candidates please send CV and Letter of Interest explaining why you'd be a good candidate for the job to: editor AT globalvoicesonline DOT org
Interpreting RuNet is funded by a grant from the Open Society Institute.

author: Ivan Sigal


text:
India: Ladli Scheme · Global Voices
Rezwan

Mr. Singh at Kudimaari blog analyzes the good bad and ugly sides of the positive change in the sex-ratio in Delhi. The turnaround is believed to be a fruit of the local government’s incentive program for girl child called the Ladli scheme.


text:
India: Mobile Value Added Services For Rural People · Global Voices
Rezwan

Dina Mehta writes about an innovative value added service from mobile operator(s) which can empower people in rural areas in India with minimum cost.


text:
Iran: Protest in Second Life · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Max Burns wrote an article on the Iranian opposition's presence in Second Life.


text:
Iran: “United for Baha’i Human Rights” · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

The Muslim Network for Bahai's Rights share with us a short animation video about Bahais’ problems in Iran since 1979.


text:
Israel: Advocating Breastfeeding in Public · Global Voices
Maya Norton

A Mother in Israel weighs in on breastfeeding in public. “The idea that public breastfeeding should be prohibited because it makes people uncomfortable is as absurd as keeping pregnant women in the house because people might think about how they got that way.”


text:
Israel: Celebrating 25 Years of Immigration · Global Voices
Maya Norton

Consummate blogger Jacob Richman celebrates 25 years in Israel with a reflective timeline.


text:
Israel: Church Photos of Jerusalem · Global Voices
Maya Norton

Poet and professor Karen Alkalay-Gut of Tel Aviv Diary features a photographic look at the churches of Jerusalem.


text:
Israel: For the Love of Food · Global Voices
Maya Norton

With the Jewish High Holidays approaching, food seems to be on everyone's minds. The Jewish blogosphere is ripe with sumptuous tidbits and contemplations about the cultural implications of food, food and identity, and the history and culture of our favorite culinary delights.
In his blog What War Zone??? Benji Lovitt amorously describes Israeli cuisine and the rude awakening of eating American food on a recent visit to his native United States.
I love Israeli food. LOVE IT. It's healthy, it's delicious, and have I mentioned the vegetables? Holy falafel balls, I ate SO MUCH GOOD CRAP my last few weeks in the States and finished every other meal with some combination of regret (“What have I done???”) and hangover (“Whooooooooooaaaaaaaa (hand on stomach)…..I am NEVER doing that again.”)
Ashley of I Googled Israel picks up Lovitt's conversational thread in a blog post entitled, “Felafel: The Legend, the Myth… the Chickpeas.”
[Photo: Sourced from I Googled Israel
Felafel, he opines:
Doesn’t sound or even look like much, but if Israel has adopted a national food, this is it, the mighty falafel. The fish and chips of the Mediterranean, the tapas of the Middle East.
Along with providing tips on where to find felafel, and how to eat it when you get there, Ashely lends insight into the food's trans-border migration to Israel.
He explains:
Falafel, despite its strong connection with Israel, actually originates from Egypt, and was originally made from faba beans. Its roots can be traced right back to the Christian Copts of Egypt who were forbidden from eating meat during certain holidays and came up with a falafel-like alternative.
Felafel eventually evolved from street food status into a ubiquitous “national icon.”
But maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves. Jewminicana's Aliza Hausman asks us to stop and reflect on what we mean by our labels and whose and what types of food are included when we talk about “Jewish food.”
She reports:
Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about “Jewish food.” The phrase seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue. The phrase troubles me because when people talk about “Jewish food,” I've noticed they seem to only be talking about Ashkenazi (Eastern European) food.
Relating a conversation with a friend, Hausman shares:
When I asked a Ashkenazi Jewish friend about this phenomena of equating “Jewish food” with only “Eastern European food,” he said, “I think that it is a symptom of a much more widespread phenomenon…where Eastern European everything is considered ‘the Jewish way'…even in halacha (Jewish law), minhagim (customs), prayers….”
He added, “Although, I would not speak about its as though it's the worst thing in the world, it does hurt and it makes people doubt their own narratives and backgrounds, which is not good…causing ever greater homogenization in Jewish life.”
If you'd like to learn more about the differences between Jewish foods from different regional cultures, Wikipedia's article on “Jewish Cuisine” may be of interest.
If you're not hungry yet, Collective Thoughts of a Ginrod leaves us with this mouthwatering photograph of “Breakfast in Tel Aviv.”
As we say in Israel, “Betayavon!” Enjoy your meal.


text:
Israel: Influence of Hippies on Israeli Culture · Global Voices
Maya Norton

“Israel's always had a little more than its share of hippie tendencies,” writes My Urban Kvetch's Esther Kustanowitz, “From communal living arrangements (kibbutzim, moshavim, the army) to sandals and other footwear… Plus, unkempt beards, long hair, songs about peace.”


text:
Jamaica: Bereft of Leadership? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trevor Dawes, blogging at Abeng News Magazine, says that “Jamaica is bankrupt” and suggests that “it is as a result of the poor to non-existent leadership from either of the two major political parties.”


text:
Japan: Voting for Change · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Diary of A Singaporean Mind comments on the Japanese election result that ended the LDP 54 years of continuous rule. The blogger pointed out that Japanese people had voted for change even though the future remains uncertain.


text:
Malaysia: Muslims can’t watch “immoral” concerts · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

To protect the morals of society, the youth arm of Pan Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS Youth) wants to ban the forthcoming Michael Learns to Rock reunion concert in Malaysia. This is the same group which banned the concerts of music stars Beyonce, Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani in Malaysia.
PAS Youth issued this statement in their website, the excerpts of which were translated by myAsylum
This concert is a big insult to Malaysia, and to Muslims that are observing the holy month of Ramadhan.
Firstly, Muslims are facing a month of religious observance, full of dignity and blessings. It should not be contaminated by a concert like this, that brings in a foreign group artiste who definitely has no sensitivity whatsoever towards the local community. Surely, this concert will make the community idle and careless, in fact damage their morals and character.
These types of concerts will not help motivate the people to become good citizens, with high morals and competitiveness, but instead will weaken their morals and mental strength, and at the same time will drag them down to drown in the turbulence of lust.
Jonathan Ong attacks the religious bigotry of PAS Youth
I urge my fellow Malaysians not to attack the religion but the religious bigotry of PAS Youth.
If PAS Youth feels that the concert is not suitable for Muslims, then the most reasonable and practical thing to do is to advise Muslims to simply not attend the event. They should be considerate that there are also other Malaysians who do not observe the Ramadhan and would love to see their favourite band live. Has PAS Youth forgotten that Malaysia is not 100% Muslim?
Niki Cheong admits having “sinned” for watching concerts in the past
Forgive me, for I have sinned.
I have two confessions. The first is worst than the second, in my eyes at least. PAS doesn’t seem to agree.
1. I actually like Michael Learns to Rock. I grew up listening to 25 Minutes, The Actor and Paint My Love. I even have their CDs. I know, I know … judge me now.
2. I’ve actually even gone to their concerts. Twice.
Well, if PAS Youth is right, then my #2 confession means that I have sinned. They have called for a ban of Michael Learns to Rock’s Eternity Tour 2009 in Genting Highlands
Then again, I’m not a Muslim but I am a Malaysian. It would appear that their contention is that the concert, if held, would be a major insult to Malaysia and Muslims observing Ramadhan.
Klews believes the concert is less insulting because it will be staged after fasting hours:
What makes it strange and inadequate was that instead of asking for a postponement of the concert, they are threatening to prevent the whole event by any means necessary.
True, they may stake a claim that it was inappropriate to have such an event during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. But it would do little harm, much less an insult, as the concert would be held after fasting hour
Prissy's Evil Lair disagrees with PAS Youth:
How the hell is MLTR threatening Muslim's dignity!? Wow. DUMB.
Twitter reactions to the proposed concert ban:
vernadium1: PAS Youth calls for ban on MLTR concert. Thank you for shoving our country back to the dinosaur age. Fucking pathetic.
meeshly: Why #PAS Youth hates #MLTR #2 – they're Danish, there4 they're evil… like butter cookies
Malaysian Muslims can’t also watch the Black Eyed Peas concert because the show is sponsored by an alcohol company. The concert promotion website asks visitors
“Are you a non-Muslim aged 18 years and above?” and if the response is no, access is not allowed.
Wong Chun Wai notes that the decision to ban Muslims from attending concerts is unprecedented in Malaysia
Black Eyed Peas is performing but wait – it's only for non-Muslims and naturally Muslim fans are fuming. The no Muslim decision is reportedly imposed by the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry.
Muslims, too, want to be there to enjoy the concert but that does not mean that they have to drink. They just want to have a good time, that's all. But the corporate world is playing safe now. Such”non-Muslims only” restriction is usually placed at Christian functions and meetings, especially for faith-healing sessions, but never for a concert. It's unprecedented but that's what the authorities want.
Coffee Conversations writes about the state of freedom in Malaysia
Here’s to our forefathers and the freedom fighters. We might be independent, but we are yet to be free.
The simplest form of joy, music is restricted to us. Numerous artistes surely had refused offers to perform in our country in frustration over the silly decency rule. Muslims are banned from attending certain concerts just because the sponsors happened to be in the alcohol industry.
A little mention of concert sends them into a berserk, no matter that the band is harmless Michael Learns to Rock.


text:
Myanmar: Cooking oil ban removed · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

According to The Irrawaddy News, seven brands of cooking oil that had been banned for health reasons in Myanmar are now on sale again in Yangon after government authorities recommended their sale in the market.


text:
Myanmar: Tension in the Sino-Burmese border · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN collects news reports on the military conflict between the Burmese government and the Kokang Ceasefire Group near the Sino-Burmese border. The situation has been getting worse in the past few days and thousands of Burmese refugees fled to China. Last Friday, a bomb fired across the border killed one person and injured several in Yunnan Province of China.


text:
Online Campaigns To Combat Spread Of HIV/AIDS · Global Voices
Rezwan

All across the world stigma and discrimination against those who carry the HIV virus is rampant. In many countries cultural practices and social norms hinder people from discussing these issues. To combat the spread of AIDS, and to make people aware of the disease and protective measures, many organizations and activists worldwide are engaged with innovative and localized campaigns and initiatives that use internet and citizen media tools to augment their cause.
Kenya:
Repacted was formed in 2001 by young theater artists from the Nakuru Players Theater Club in Kenya and deals with behavioral changes among Kenyan youths on social issues like reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. The project employs magnet theater, their forum theater initiative, to have a forum to discuss issues that people will not have discussed in their day to day life, not even with family because of taboo and cultural practices. Here is a video depicting their mobilization exercises:
Repacted – Mobilization from eduardo ávila on Vimeo.
With the help of a Rising Voices micro-grant the Repacted members are also being trained to blog to share their issues with the world. Here is what some of the members are discussing:
MCCJEX discusses about the practices in Kenyan schools:
(The practice of) sex in school is high that now-a-days its more played than any other games in the field. Youths between 7 to 20 years know it better than any other person.[…] No single girl or boy is found without relationship. Towards this, I think condom should be distributed in schools.
Repacted Members. Image Courtesy Repacted/Rising Voices
Collins Otieno Sailas also thinks that teaching the use of condom in school will reduce HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
However the solution is not so simple. Stigma and discrimination are among the many challenges the project faces and tries to overcome:
Stigma and discrimination needs a creative approach because it is affecting the fight against HIV from all angles. Giving out condoms in public is still a problem. During the outreaches young people take condoms in secrecy they don’t want to be seen by the community because the community will associate them with sexual intercourse.
Republic of Congo:
Currently 79,000 people (or 3.5 percent of all adults) are living with HIV in Congo, and 6,400 people died of AIDS. AZUR Development organization carried out a project in 2006 in Pointe-Noire, the capital of the Republic of Congo concentrating on the psychological and social supports for 100 people with HIV. According to Juhie Bhatia, Public Health Editor at Rising Voices:
The organization is now taking things a step further, by documenting the stigma and discrimination faced by people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in Congo. They are training communication officers and leaders of local HIV and AIDS organizations, members of their AIDS Network Africa initiative, in digital story telling (including video and photography), podcasting, and blogging. Each communication officer will then use this technology to share stories of how HIV/AIDS is affecting the local community where he or she works.
Training is going on. Image courtesy Azur Development/Rising Voices
You can read the stories of HIV positive people in their blog Aids Right Congo. This post describes how the stigma can be fatal to a pregnant women:
An HIV-positive woman lost her baby during childbirth at a hospital in Pointe-Noire because she was HIV positive and no midwife wanted to touch her. Many of them after treatment with PMTCT [Program for Prevention of Mother to Child] are abandoned… Another HIV-positive pregnant woman was saved by a midwife trainee, although her child died after birth; again in this case the midwife feared infection.
…Rejection, reluctance, and the abandonment of women infected with HIV continues.
This post shares a story of ignorance and discrimination:
At Pointe-Noire, Congo, a HIV-positive married man and father was released from prison when the police became aware of his HIV status. The deep meaning of his story must be analyzed. [..] He was released because the policemen feared that he would infect other prisoners.
The project is also using community radios to combat the stigma and raise awareness of issues related to HIV/AIDS:
We often hear that parents don’t want to spend their money on an HIV-positive person, since the person is regarded as ‘dying’ and therefore there's no need to waste their time. These radio programmes therefore are aimed at educating families about the fact that living with HIV is not a crime and everyone should be loved. Solidarity should be shown for people living with HIV.
Ukraine
Ukraine has an estimated 323,000-425,000 injecting drug users and one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in Europe. Pavel Kutsev of the Ukrainian foundation for drug users and HIV positive people, Drop-in-Center, uses blog posts, photos, podcasts, and online video to share his experiences working at a harm reduction facility based in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Members of Drop In Center. Image Courtesy Drop In Center/Rising Voices
Pavel advocates for substitution therapy:
Substitution therapy is one of the most effective tools to stop the epidemic of HIV/AIDS and it is legal — this is the message we should deliver to society. If we succeed, we would significantly improve the lives of those living with HIV and drug addictions.


text:
Pakistan: Ex President’s Trial – Treason Or Revenge? · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation on the 18th of August, 2008. The much anticipated resignation came amid speculations of an impeachment move against him.
Now a year after the resignation the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif) (PML-N), a leading political party, insists on putting Musharraf on trial for treason. Continuous demands have been made from the PML-N which are met with side-stepping from the Government considering the risk of a political fallout.
The dodgy tactics by the Government seem to invite more political unrest than avoiding it. Moreover the recent decisions from the Judiciary also reflect their reluctance in proceeding with the case.  Ahsan at Five Rupees discusses various reasons  why the Judiciary is backing off from charging the former president.
Faisal Kapadia at Deadpan Thoughts questions whether the trial is even necessary.
However the political parties and Judiciary continue to tag this as an important issue rather than revenge. The issue is portrayed to be of great concern to people across Pakistan. The Blog PkPolitics writes about a recent survey conducted by Gallup showing 71% people are in favor of the trial. The survey was conducted among 2926 men and women.
The Frontier Post reports that the survey findings also show that while there are no significant differences in views on punishing General Musharraf across gender and age, there are notable differences across political affiliations.
In an interesting comparison Owais Ehsan at Pro-Pakistan talks about a popular poll on Facebook:
The interesting fact is that more than 11,000 people have voted in just 3 days (if numbers provided by the poll are correct). ..So far the verdict is in favour of a trial by 53% supporting and 45% not supporting. It comes as a big surprise as I had this feeling the whole Pakistan wants to see him in court.
Considering the current state of affairs in Pakistan gaining the interest of majority towards a trial seems difficult. On my own blog I talked about the dodgy politics involved and how the trial appears to be a political revenge rather than a call for justice.
Pakistan is currently fighting terrorism, economic recession, abject poverty and the threat of increasing insurgency. The country is also recovering from the largest exodus after partition, and in process of launching various full fledged operations against the Taliban. In situations such as these putting one’s energy into prosecuting an Ex-President doesn’t seem to be a significant addition to the state’s priority list.

author: Sana Saleem


text:
Paraguay: Pessimism in the Region · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Paraguayans are the most pessimistic in the entire region writes Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es] commenting on a recent study.


text:
Peru: Alberto Pizango Wanted by Interpol · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Peruvian indigenous leader, Alberto Pizango, is accused by the government as an instigator of violence for the events in Bagua, and is now wanted by Interpol according to J. Francisco Canaza of Apuntes Peruanos [es].


text:
Russia: Photos and Drawings of Opposition Rally · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Photos from the Aug. 31 opposition rally in Moscow – by LJ user mnog (RUS); drawings and an observation – by LJ user pshevelev (RUS): “A few people are chanting ‘Shame!’ and are being seized [by the police], and the other 60 are taking photos and keeping silent. If you're silent, they won't touch you. As soon as you open your mouth, they'll grab you. Very unpleasant and scary.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


text:
Sri Lanka: Let The IDPs Go · Global Voices
Rezwan

Indrajit Samarajiva at Indi.ca visits a Sri Lankan IDP camp and shares his observations: “Everyone just wants to go home, or at least to stay with relatives. They don’t need charity anymore, they need the freedom to rebuild their lives with dignity.


text:
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Tackling Domestic Violence  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I am still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that yet another woman has been the victim of appalling domestic violence,” writes Abeni, adding: “I can only hope that Debbie's biggest impact will be to mobilise Vincentian women into meaningful action…we simply cannot afford to pay lip service to this latest murder and then go back to business as usual.”


text:
Thailand: Economy is recovering? · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

After reviewing the country's recent economic statistics, News in Bangkok observes that Thailand's economy remains under recession.


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: Are We Really Independent?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Today is the forty-seventh anniversary of Independence in Trinidad and Tobago, but some bloggers wonder whether citizens of the twin island republic truly understand what sovereignty is all about…
Keith Francis shares an experience at a membership bulk shopping club, where a female patron demanded to see a supervisor because she was “prevented” from parking at a particular spot in the car park and the man in question let “a negro” park in front of her.  Keith, stunned by the entire exchange, asks:
1. What the France did race have to do with the situation?  Would it have been any different had someone of a “different kind” taken the park that she wanted?
2. How far was she going to carry her ignorance?  Was she going to repeat what she said so emphatically, possibly emboldened by my own inability to respond?
3. How many people were going to be silently agreeing with her as she ranted on Pricesmart's floor?
4. How many people would she have incited to responding to her with equal and greater crudeness?
5. What in heaven's name was she teaching her little child?
My girlfriend put forward that the woman was definitely just one person, and that there would be some many more in the country who were not that obtuse.  But the fact that the woman felt comfortable enough to behave thus and that brazenly is not a good sign, that she feels brave enough to say such things loudly without fear of reproach and rebuke.
He continues:
Forty-seven years on and this shameful, stinking attitude still exists in a society that we have marketed as cosmopolitan and callaloo and beautiful… Forty-seven years after the same race-based nonsense is reputed to have threatened to divide the country, splitting it into two physical territories… Almost thirty years after the same mode of thinking called for a rehash of that separatist cry… Even more recently, we have people shouting loudly ‘Race!’ instead of ‘Blasted criminal!’ and ‘Incompetent!’ and ‘Yuh wrong and have no foot to stand on!’
Perhaps I did miss my own opportunity to put her in her place, to explain to her that her utterance was more than just contemptible and bordered on obscene.  But why should I have to, in this day and age, upbraid a woman who looked to be a reasonably intelligent and otherwise respectable member of the country's upper middle class?  Certainly that kind of correction isn't necessary today in an enlightened populace where education and opportunity are at least in theory available to all…One would hope, yes?
Mauvais Langue, meanwhile, is saddened that:
We have so much to offer to the world, yet we are over shadowed by crime, a corrupted government, and an incompetent Prime Minister.
…while Woman of Colour decides that:
I could make a comment about ALL of the challenges the society faces but I won't… We have opposition politicians and self important radio show hosts to do that..
Today I'm going to celebrate a momentous occasion in our history and I invite you to do the same. Even if you're not a Trini.
KnowProSE.com, on the other hand, who resorted to using an expletive after a frustrating few hours in a traffic jam and was admonished to “cool himself”, blogs about the experience in his “Independence Day Message”:
At some point, you're supposed to get angry. At some point, you're supposed to say that something is stupid. At some point, you shouldn't be cool.  But all too often, people just accept things as they are.  From the poorly designed Republic Bank branch with only one way in and out to people exiting an entrance and blocking traffic, or stopping in the middle of the road to chat or pick up someone (instead of pulling over), there are so many tiers of idiocy that someone has to say something.
If not you, who? If not now, when? ‘Cool yuhself'? With things as they are in this country, I think that people need to get angry. That attitude spawned a government that can't handle crime but seems intent on managing how it is perceived. That attitude allows murders, rapes, kidnappings and much more to go unchallenged by the authorities. And the authorities themselves? They, too, are ‘cooling themselves’ at the expense of the citizens that they allegedly work for.
Keith Francis has the last word:
Have we grown since those heady days of 1962?  Are we really and truly independent, or…are [we] still not ready for self-determination?
Happy 47th, Trinidad and Tobago.