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Iran:Ignorance and racism in Iranian chatrooms · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian Truth writes you will find more prejudice, ignorance and racism in Iranian chartrooms, like activistchat.com, than anywhere else. And yet it is perfectly permissible to be anti-Islamic, despite the fact that we all agree that it is absolutely horrendous to be anti-Semitic, anti-Bahai, or anti-Christian. One way of countering this problem is by realizing that the Iranian government is not only unrepresentative, but cannot be Islamic. Rather, that the Iranian government uses false precepts in order to justify its monopolistic hold on power.


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Japan: Precariat May Day march sparks debate · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

On April 30, among many other May Day gatherings, “MayDay for Freedom and Lives” took place in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Subtitled “Resistance of the Precariat”, over 400 people including freeters, part timers, day labourers and homeless, who live with neither security nor stability, participated in this May Day event.
Over the past two decades, the numbers of so-called freeters, freelance workers who live on earnings split between several jobs, and other temporary workers, day labourers, and so on, are increasing. Debates on the issues of wage disparity and social welfare, including health insurance and pension plans, have surfaced in recent years in response to this trend. The Precariat May Day event was organized by the “Freeters’ General Union” in order to provide an opportunity for the precariat to send a message about their situation to the larger Japanese society.
The event was covered briefly by major newspapers and TV networks. Many bloggers, having seen these articles and broadcasts, reacted very negatively to the march, criticising the laziness of the participants and accusing these workers of not being realistic.
Kaz argues that the disparity is a natural result of a capitalist society:
確かに、フリーターや契約社員が増加ししていますし、最近よく取り上げられているワーキングプアのこともふくめてかなり【格差】が表面化してきたように思います。確かに深刻な問題であると思いますし、福祉の観点からしていったいどうしたらよいのかという思いも確かにあります。
ただ、ひとつ思うのが多分これが正常な資本主義社会の仕組みなのかなという点。アメリカやイギリスを以前旅行して感じたのは圧倒的は格差社会の存在。日本では最近になってこの問題が浮上してきましたが、それは当然のこととして捕らえられているのような感じさえします。
It is true that the numbers of freeters and temp workers are increasing, and including the issue of the working poor, I think the disparity has become visible. I agree that this is a serious problem and I wonder how we should handle this in terms of social welfare.
However, I think this is a natural mechanim of capitalist systems. When I was travelling in the U.S. and Britain I could sense the existence of an overwhelming social disparity. This problem has only surfaced recently in Japan, but I have a feeling that people in these counties take it as a natural thing.
システムを正常化させるということと、国民の福祉や生活の保障を行っていくということはどこかで矛盾点をはらんでしまうのは以下仕方ないのかもしれないと思います。合理化や利益追従型だけではこうなるのはあるいみ当然の結果のように思います。
テレビで誰かが言っていましたが、身の丈に合った生活をしていかなくてはいけない。ということなのかもしれません。一億総中流という状態にあったこと自体が不自然だったのかもしれません。今後日本がどういったことを目指していくのかはよく分かりませんが、このままでは疲弊してしまうだけなのではと感じています。
I think it is unavoidable to have contradictions when normalising the system and securing social welfare and lives of the people. It seems like a natural result if you are only streamlining and maximising profits.
I saw someone on TV say that you have to live a life that is within your means. I guess that's what it means. Perhaps the situation in which all Japanese were middle-class was unnatural. I don't really know what Japan is aiming for in the future, but I have a feeling that the country will only get impoverished if this goes on.
Hiroki Tenjou, a business owner, criticizes these people for their lack of discipline and work ethic:
経費をカットする為、売上げをアップする為
経営者は毎日、頭を悩ませて生活しています。
そうなると正社員を雇うというリスクを負うよりも
適材適所に派遣などを雇う方が賢明な事は誰にも理解出来る事です。
[…]
「声を上げて訴えなければ、この社会は悪くなる一方だ」
と街を声高に徘徊する前に、する事があると思います。
In order to cut down costs and maximise profits, business owners are living everyday agonizing.
Therefore, it is a smart choice to hire temporary workers, rather than taking a risk of hiring full time employees. Anyone can understand this.
[…]
There are other things to do besides walking around the city and shouting “If you don't speak up and appeal, this society will only get worse”.
人生とはそもそも辛いものです。
生きる事は苦しい事です。
楽しい事なんてほとんどありません。
人がこれだけ増えて来る世の中です。
どんどん悪くなるのは当たり前です。
そして時代は常に動いています。
もぅ昭和の時代はやって来ません。
それを前提に自分の頭で考えて動く事から始めて欲しいものです。
街をデモで歩くよりも。
Life is difficult to begin with.
Living is painful.
There is hardly ever anything fun.
There are more and more people in this world.
It's natural that things get worse.
And time moves on.
The Showa era is gone.
Bearing that in mind, they should think for themselves and start taking action,
instead of walking around the city demonstrating.
A blogger who participated in the march countered this argument with an analogy:
もはや言論でなにかが変わることは無い、行動を起こさねばならないと考え、人生で初めてデモに参加しました。勉強になること、新しい発見、本当にたくさんいろいろあった。早速日記を書こうと思ったけど仕事も忙しく、他の皆さんの日記やブログを読むことしかできなかったんだけど、正直言って唖然としましたね。笑っちゃうほどに共感力や想像力の無い批判のオンパレード。
なぜこのデモが「自由と生存のメーデー」と言うのか、それがわかってないんだなぁと思いますね。
Talking does not make any difference, and I had to take action, so I went to a demonstration for the first time in my life. I learned and discovered so many things. I wanted to write a diary but I was very busy with my work, so I was just reading other people's diaries and blogs. I was struck speechless to be honest. One after another, there were criticisms with no sympathy or imagination. They even made me laugh. They don't even understand why the demonstration was called “MayDay for Freedom and Lives”.
たとえば、フリーターになることが１００％自由意志によって自主的に選択された行為だと考えるのはばかげています。いまや全労働者に占める非正規雇用の割合は３分の１以上を占めてます。つまり、３分の１の人間は正社員になりたくたってなれない。これは自己責任でしょうか？　最悪ホームレスになったり餓死しなければならないほどの罪・過ちなのでしょうか？
いまや大半のフリーターは週４０時間以上働いています。労働基準法に定められた労働基準をクリアしており、憲法に定める労働の義務を果たしています。
自由には義務が伴うとかしたり顔で日記書いてる人もいるけど、義務は十分果たしてますよ。
なぜちゃんと義務を果たしているのに、生活がままならない賃金で我慢したり、容易に解雇されたりしなければならないのでしょう？
For instance, I think it is ridiculous to think that the decision to become a freeter is 100% based on people's free will. More than one third of the entire working population is made up of non-full time workers. In other words, even if they wish, one third of all people cannot be employed full time. Is this self-responsibility? Is this such a serious fault that they deserve to become homeless or even starve to death?
Today most freeters work more than 40 hours a week. This satisfies the standard set by the labour standards law, and fulfills the duty of labour as defined in the Constitution. Why do these people have to put up with this kind of salary, which barely allows them to live, and be in a position to get fired easily, even they are fulfilling their duty?
[…]
日本の労働者が仮に１００人の村だったとして、３０人は非正規雇用です。１人は大学教授かな。
全員が全員がんばって才能を磨き大学教授並みの知識を得たとしても、３０人はごみ拾いや牛丼屋で働く必要があります。なぜなら大学教授は１人で十分だし、牛丼屋で働く人も必要だからです。
１００人中１人に入り込む努力は賞賛されるべきです。それなりの報酬も与えましょう。ですがこの教授に報いるために、３０人を不安定な状況に放置していいということにならないでしょう。それならば教授の報酬を減らして、３０人がちゃんと生活できるために使うのが当たり前ではないですか。だって能力的にはほとんど差が無いんだから。社会構造の需給関係で教授をやったり、牛丼盛ったりと分業してるだけの話です。
労働に貴賎は無いという言葉はもはや死語になってしまったのでしょうか？
[…]
If all Japan's workers were a village of 100 people, 30 would be non-full time workers. One person would be a university professor.
Even if all of them worked hard and improved their talents in order to gain a level of knowledge equal to the university professor, 30 people would have to collect garbage or work at a gyudon restaurant. We only need one university professor, and someone has to work at the gyudon restaurant.
Efforts made to be the one out of 100 should be rewareded. But, it does not mean that we can leave the 30 people to live insecure lives so that we can compensate the university professor. Otherwise, doesn't it make more sense to cut down the professor's salary and allocate the money so that the 30 people can live decently? There is no difference among them in terms of ability. It's just that some poeple work as professors and some serve gyudon based on the division of labour, that's all.
Has the saying “every occupation deserves respect” become a dead expression?

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Hanako Tokita


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Kenya: Bloggers’ Reactions to Plane Crash · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

This is a brief overview of what Kenyan bloggers are saying about the tragic accident involving a Kenya Airways plane, which has crashed in Southern Cameroon. The plane, Boeing 737-800, was enroute from Abidjan, Ivory Coast to Nairobi, Kenya with 114 passengers on board.
Kenya Airways is the fifth largest airline in Africa and has more transcontinental flights than any other African airline. The last time a Kenyan plane crashed was  in 2000 in West Africa.
Kumekucha starts with a bit of history for context:
There is something about Abidjan airport in Ivory Coast) and Kenya Airways. In the entire history of this very popular African airline (since inception in 1977 from the ashes of the East African Community owned East African Airways) that is today probably the busiest over African skies, it has had only two crashes. Both have been in the last 7 years and both have closely involved the Abidjan airport.
Al Kags reports from Nairobi:
Kenya Airways Managing Director, Titus Naikuni and Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua have just concluded a press conference where they gave the latest information regarding the missing Kenya Airways flight KQ 507  in Cameroon.
In the statement they said that they have been able to so far identify 3 of the 6 people whose nationalities were unidentified. They found that two of the people were from Equatorial Guinea and one from Mauritius. The reason some of the nationalities were unknown is that even though Kenya Airways has a flight manifest, the details of Nationality normally are with Cameroon immigration, from whom they are getting the information, albeit slowly.
Mr. Naikuni brought to the conference his head of engineering, who described the flight path that the plane was to have taken from Abidjan over Douala onwards. He showed that the area where a distress signal was received from the missing flight was and that is in a dense equatorial forest south of the flight path closer to Yaounde.
I think, therefore I blog reacts to the shocking news with a single sentence:
another one went down…..again….?
The situation in Nairobi:
Families of the 9 crew members are gathered at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and at the passenger crisis centre that has been set up at the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi. The general mood in Nairobi is apprehensive as memories of the catastrophic KQ crash at Abidjan in 2000 come alive and concern for the missing plane increases by the hour.
The accident has prompted discussions about the quality of aircrafts and the safety of Africa's skies. The Diary of One Black Man wonders why Africa is prone to air accidents:
This rekindles the age old debate ..How safe is it to fly in Africa?
Why is Africa prone to air accidents? I could go on and give you a laundry list of all the reasons. Here is a continent that is struggling with financial problems. These countries get these airplanes through the “throw-them-a-bone” programme by the west which happens every once a decade so that the west can be seen as doing something. The fact that these countries do not have the parts, manpower or technology to maintain these planes is almost irrelevant. The same reasons as to why road carnage is so high in Africa will apply here!
Commenting on this post, Mental Acrobatics notes that the plane that crashed was only six months old and not a “throw-them-a-bone” aircraft:
The plane that went down was collected from Boeing in October 2006 and
went into use at Kenya Airways in November 2006. That is is just six
months ago. This was not some ramshackle “th[r]ow them a bone” aircraft.
Kenya Entrepreneur is not sure about flying Kenya Airways, which used to be his first choice of African airlines:
I had already boiled down the African airlines that I would fly to two: Kenya airways was one and South African airlines was the second. Now, I don’t know if I’d want to fly Kenya Airways again. I’m sorry…..this is the second fatal accident in less than ten years and it is going to be a huge public relations dilemma for Kenya airways, which is operating under the cloud that African airlines have one of the worst safety records in the world.
And don’t tell me accidents can happen to anyone. Kenya airways does not fly that many flights compared to the larger international carriers like British airways or Lufthansa.
Nigerian Airlines is out of the question:
So, let’s say I want to fly from Nairobi to Abuja and I want to get to my destination alive. What choices do I have? If I’m suicidal, I’ll obviously fly Nigerian airlines, but if I’m not, what do I do? do I have to fly British airways and go through London, then turn around and come back to Africa? & why have both accidents occurred in West Africa?
Kenyan Analyst is not shaken. He writes:
That said, I will still fly KQ anytime, anywhere.
Mental Acrobatics fears that hysteria might take over the debate about the safety of Africa's skies. He writes a brilliant post arguing that Africa's skies is not the worst in the world:
After the tragedy this morning with the loss of Kenya Airways flight KQ507 with 114 people on board I am more or less sure that a big debate will sprout up on how safe Africa’s skies are and on how safe African airlines are. This post aims to put some facts on the ground before hysteria takes over the debate.
The plane involved in the incident today was a brand new Boeing 737-800. The plane was collected from Boeing in October 2006 and went into service in November 2006. No ramshackle plane this. These Next-Generation 737 are the newest and most technologically advanced single-aisle airplane in the business today. It flies higher, faster and farther than previous models and competitors. In addition, its flight deck features the latest liquid-crystal flat-panel displays and is designed to accommodate new communications and flight-management capabilities.
It appears that “lumping all countries into one category” is part of the “problem” with Africa's skies:
Last year the IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani said, “Africa is our biggest concern. While the continent represents just 4 percent of total air traffic worldwide, it accounts for 25 percent of the accidents.” All this following a decision by the European Commission in March 2006 to publish a “blacklist” of 92 airlines, dominated by African airlines, that it banned from European skies because of poor safety records. The “blacklist” includes 50 airlines registered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 13 from Sierra Leone, 11 from Equatorial Guinea, 6 from Swaziland and 3 from Liberia. (Yes that was FIFTY from the DRC!)…Africa is a big place. You lump all the countries into one category you are going to have problems no matter what you are talking about.
Bankelele dismisses the whole question of plane crashes in Africa…”they happen all around the world“:
The question of air crashes in Africa should not arise – they happen all around the world. Yes, there are bad airlines, but it is not an African thing. Poorly run airlines do not last for very long as passengers avoid them (unless they have no alternative) and authorities (should) step in and shut them down. The (unfortunate) passenger list produced by KQ is an endorsement of the high regard that other nations have for the airline.
This is a tragic time, as are all plane crashes when they happen. This time, it has happened to Kenya Airways (KQ), an airline with an exemplary safety level.
I flew on KQ this week and will gladly fly with them tomorrow or any other day.
Finally, Kenya Bytes remembers the families, friends, and relatives of the passengers:
I would wish to extend my condolences to the families, friends and relatives of those who perished when KQ Flight 507, bound for Nairobi with 115 people aboard, crashed shortly after it took off from Douala in Cameroon on Saturday morning. To all concerned I say pole sana.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Kenya: Why is Africa prone to air accidents? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Following reports of a Kenyan plane crashing in Cameroon, Diary of One Black Man writes: “Why is Africa prone to air accidents? I could go on and give you a laundry list of all the reasons. Here is a continent that is struggling with financial problems. These countries get these airplanes through the “throw-them-a-bone” programme by the west which happens every once a decade so that the west can be seen as doing something.”


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Saudi Arabia:  Milyani’s blog has been blocked · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

There's a thrilling debate on the Saudi blogsphere after the news of blocking Mohammed Milyani's blog by the Internet Services Unit (ISU). And even if there is a strong speculation that the block is due to a technical issue, since it is only targeting few pages and not the whole blog, Saudi bloggers are expressing their solidarity with Milyani and hoping that the block will be lifted soon.

author: sami ben gharbia


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Cambodia: Intellectual Property · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

“Cambodia have reputations of plagiarism, violation of intellectual property, unethical conduct of copy and paste, and claim the credit for other’s work” says Borin. The blogger is asking for suggestions on how to solve this problem.

author: Preetam Rai


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Cameroon: Manu Dibango’s musical tribute to New Orleans · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Scribbles from the Den writes about Manu Dibango's musical tribute to New Orleans: “50 years after Manu Dibango begins music, he comes to his first loves, the jazz music, releasing a tribute album to Sidney Bechet, native to New Orleans bayou. A tribute to the « Cousin Sidney's »forgotten music, which is revisited by Manu Dibango in collaboration with the vibes player Dany Doriz. The music is characterized by tones coming from original instruments, and by interpretations which are full of humor and poetry…”


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China: Most influential unknown person · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Late last year, Time magazine featured entertainment blogger Wang Xiaofeng in its 2006 person of the year issue, and while Wang's name is more than well known throughout the Chinese blogsphere, when 22 year-old Beijing-based blogger Zeng Jinyan (曾金燕) was chosen by the magazine this week as one of the world's most influential people, well, there aren't all that many reactions to bring you.
‘Who is she?,’ was one of the few, from Lidan at Blog-City, on May 5:
胡总刘淇之外，还有曾妈妈
这两天，各大报纸网站争先报道胡锦涛、刘淇被列入美国《时代》周刊全球100位最具影响力的人物，不过国内多数人都不知道还有一个曾金燕的姑娘被列入吧！我第一次听说这个人，简单介绍如下。。。
A search at Sina blogs: nothing.
Hexun, one home of writer-blogger Yu Shicun, who has written on Zeng several times in the past: nothing since March 12
Are Sohu bloggers more with it? Or has the provider just not put Zeng's name on the block list? Three blog posts since the 100 list came out, first from XuXiao888 on May 5:
剩下的一位曾金燕女士，所有网站没有她的消息。她被《时代》杂志列为”英雄与先驱”类别。我在博客上曾见过她的有关报道：曾金燕的丈夫胡佳是中国爱滋病人权和维权人士。曾金燕因营救因从事维权活动而失踪的丈夫胡佳，通过博客等互联网方式向大众揭露事件真相，引起了国际关注，后来他的丈夫被释放。
虽然这有一点犯忌，但我以为，已经荣登《时代》全球百大影响力人物之一的曾金燕仍然是华人的骄傲。媒体不应该集体禁声，这样做无异于”掩耳盗铃”。即使如此，也无济于事。因为，世界已经是平的了，一切人为的封锁和障碍都是力不从心的，也是不符合中国政府提倡的开放的国策的。
Better than nothing, a copy and paste job of a mainland news report at CWD's blog, also dated May 5, and a brief passing mention from Jun Wenzhang the day before. Massive corporate blog providers aside, even Bullog has only been able to come up with one post thus far, from user Jing Ran, also dated May 4: ‘The news mainland media can't report.’
Zeng Jinyan put up a brief post when she found out, at can can be seen a few comments from her foreign fans:
早上朋友告知说，《时代周刊》今天发布影响世界100人，入选的华人有胡锦涛、刘淇、马化腾（腾讯老总）以及我。
今天是五四青年节，也是陈光诚的儿子小克睿的生日，小孩还是常哭着要爸爸。去年陈光诚是与温家宝齐名位列《时代周刊》影响世界一百人，今年此时，陈光诚还在狱中。
Followed by this post, dated May 5, also translated at EastSouthWestNorth:
昨天，就我入选美国《时代》周刊”全球最具影响力100 人”之”英雄与先驱”（以下简称100人）一事，祝贺、采访和约稿的电话、电邮很多，反而让我觉得意外。面对这些问题，我简单归纳了回答，以答谢关注的朋友。
问：得知自己名列《时代》100人，有什么感受？
答：昨天早上，蔡先生通过电子邮件第一个告诉我《时代》公布的100 人里有我。
《时代》的记者和摄影师去年秋天开始和我联系，当时没有明确说明采访和拍照的目的。所以昨天确定地得知《时代》公布的100 人上有我的名字，我觉得高兴。倒是去年记者电话采访我时，我有点意外。不管是世界范围内，还是在中国国内，哪怕是在我们居住的北京，比我影响力大的人太多了。我年轻，做的是中国主流社会关注程度不高的社会工作，又是一个被警察经常绑架失踪、非法监禁的”活跃分子”的妻子，我的名字还被大陆的各个媒体封杀 ——总之社会角色很特殊，我没有想过自己会成为100 人之一。
无论如何，我觉得这是《时代》给我的一种鼓励，是对我2006 年的工作的肯定。我发手机短信把这条消息告诉我远在福建的父母、干爸干妈，又打电话给胡佳的母亲。
5 月4日 这一天是陈光诚的儿子克睿的4岁生日，之前我一直惦记着，早晨醒来我就让胡佳先给袁伟静发短消息祝福小孩子，在我心中这一天是属于小克睿的节日。因为要赶路，所以匆匆通过电子邮件把关于 100人的消息发到博客，我们按原计划出发到密云水库和朋友聚会，又因为其他一些事情，到夜里近一点才回到家，所以今天才回应。
问：你认为什么原因使你能够名列 100人？
答：我不清楚《时代》用什么准则和标准来挑选这 100人，只能做些猜想。
博客的运用可能是我入选的其中一个原因。在我们这个没有言论自由的国家，新闻媒体首先是”党的喉舌”，记者和媒体的”生杀大权”都被中宣部掌控。纵使优秀的媒体工作者能偶尔突破新闻审查，也无法长期全面深入地报道社会底层最需要关注的事件和问题。在亲身接触社会弱势群体，亲自调查一些相关的社会问题，在开始阅读具有公信力的英文报道和学术报告后，我才明白，我们中国公民生活在一个谎言社会里，中宣传部就是《 1984》” 真理部”，每日用它的语言”修改历史”、”编写事实”。并指导、命令国内新闻机构作”感人至深的正面有益的新闻报道”。为了拒绝虚假的新闻，描述真相，越来越多的中国人，在网络开办自己独立的新闻机构——博客，就算不报道国家大事，也可以如实地记叙身边的社会百态，甚至只是在博客上说些”真心”的闲话。在现实生活中，人们因为担心惹麻烦对政治性话题很冷感。在可以匿名的网络上，你会发现无数热情关注中国社会现状、抨击时政的网民。而对于主流媒体不能报道的非法软禁、逼迫失踪、维权以及公民社会运动的重要事件等话题，博客成为社会工作者、有独立思想人士的一个平台和接触公众的机会。 2006年我通过博客持续讲述胡佳的失踪、长期软禁和我被跟踪的生活，以及中国类似遭遇者的故事，引起很多朋友的关注。尤其是胡佳失踪时，博客成为一个营救平台，发挥了我事先未曾想到的作用。博客成为维权运动、公民社会工作、甚至保护家人的一个很好的工具，而只要是记录个案描写个人的真实遭遇，就注定了博客内容与众不同。唯一遗憾的是， 2006年 9月份前后，我的博客被网络警察屏蔽后，在中国大陆就再也无法直接访问了。我连自己更新博客都常常要借助电子邮件。
中国优秀的博客作者众多，无论文采、深度，我都不能算是最好的。所以写博客这一形式肯定不是入选的唯一因素。因为中国的非法拘禁、失踪事件越来越多？因为我在写博客的过程中，实践着人权教育和社会工作对我的影响？因为中国乃至世界的人民非常关注中国维权运动与弱势群体和底层人民的反抗、挣扎？因为2006 年我给联合国机构、人权组织、艾滋病和环保人士、欧盟等真正有影响力的人写了太多的报告和求助信，还号召太多的人和我一起给中国的领导人写信？因为胡佳失踪时我成功地召开了世界各国驻北京记者的招待会，让媒体朋友把我的请求传遍世界？
有些人说是因为我的勇气。我很惭愧。大家不知道我以前是多么地恐惧，又是如何地隐忍。胡佳从2004 年开始就频繁地失踪或被软禁，我寻找过他，但更多地只是等待他从警察手里回来。当国保警察找到我的大学，通过学校党委要求我”不要和胡佳继续交往”、”不要花时间在艾滋病社会工作上”，否则”小心毕业证书”时，我是多么害怕以至于常常沉默。是的，06 年的失踪和软禁事件中我开始学着反抗后，渐渐地不再恐惧了。因为我终于意识到，如果最心爱的人我都不能守护，我还有什么可以失去呢？我还害怕什么呢？如果人不能有尊严地活着，苟且隐忍又有什么意义呢？如果我总是害怕来自政权强大的看不见的黑势力，那我的工作受阻，在艾滋病村的老人、小孩、病人还有志愿者又怎么办呢？那些比我遭受更多磨难的维权人士的家属，如陈光诚的妻儿怎么办呢？相信只要心中存有正义，勇气自然而来。我的宗教信仰也给了我很大的支持，帮助我从恐惧中解脱。根本上师和佛祖的笑颜常常突然出现在我脑海中，让我充满力量。佛祖说人生终归会受各种各样的苦，那就坦然面对吧！于是我渐渐地放下恐惧，纵然时常气愤、恼怒、悲痛，但从来不失去信心。
问：名列100人会给你将来带来什么影响和改变？
答：如果不是那么多朋友和记者的祝贺与提问，我意识不到这个问题。《时代》是具有世界影响力的媒体，发布名单肯定会让更多人知道这100 人。但是这只能代表着对过去工作和贡献的肯定，很快人们就会忘了，而去看新的名单、新的事件。所以我没有意识到也没有想过名列100 人会给我的将来带来什么影响和改变。将来要做的社会工作照做，方式也不会因此而改变。一时的国际知名度可能会让我更加安全，再加上我现在怀孩子，我想07 、08年他们也许会跟踪、软禁我，但不至于把我投到监狱。可是谁知道究竟会发生什么事情呢？我们最关心的朋友，盲人赤脚律师陈光诚，去年也是《时代》 100人的英雄与先驱，受到世界媒体、政界、民间的高度关注，但是他因出色的维权工作遭到报复，至今还在监狱中。
倒是一些朋友告诉我们，当他们昨天拨打我家的电话和我的手机时，听到的答复是电话有故障或无此号码、请查实，甚至手机显示正在忙——有时我确实在接电话，有时我根本没有使用手机时它也显示忙音。后来更麻烦，因为国内的报纸在铺天盖地地报道胡锦涛和刘淇入选100 人，没有关于我的介绍，对此我早有思想准备，所以原本不想说什么，谁知家里来电话追问为什么。我怎么办呢，不解释似乎我在撒谎，详细解释原因岂不是叫家人伤心！一些网友也迷惑，问”是国内媒体封锁还是国外媒体造谣”？
问：与胡锦涛主席同列一榜，有何特别感想？
答：没有特别的感受，我们的社会角色很不相同。我国是世界人口最多的国家，经济总量排在前几位，而我们体制权大于法，党大于国。胡锦涛主席作为一个大国如此体制下的最高权力代表，毫无疑问有着巨大的影响力。入选《时代》肯定有它考虑的因素。
我和胡佳都是普通人，我在一家小公司做一点工作挣钱养家，剩下的时间做艾滋病关怀、救助和维权工作。胡佳现在是自由职业者，抑或警方所言的”城市无业人员”。
我对与胡锦涛同榜没有特别的感想，对他个人也没有抱怨。但是，中国司法部门对公民社会和维权人士的镇压，作为主席的他需要负责任。偶尔我会希望中国政府高层的”有良知的领导人”加速推动社会政治改革，以消除腐败弊端，减轻压在老百姓头上的重压，让中国社会真正进步，让人民自由而幸福。可是，随着政府出台越来越严厉的对网络和新闻审查、对民间打压的政策，绝大多数时候我不对当局抱幻想。我相信将来会更好，但是必须通过每一个的努力、挣扎和奋斗，而非等待统治者遥遥无期的” 恩赐”。

author: John Kennedy


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Ghana: Ghana Music Award winners · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Museke writes about Ghanian artists who won the 8th Ghana Music Awards: “The 8th Ghana Music Awards came off last night to great splendor, entertainment and excitement. This was the first time in years one artiste did not win more than 3 awards. I personally enjoy this fact because I cannot see how in the present day with the breadth and depth of great Ghanaian music, one musician can hold an awards ceremony hostage. Batman Samini deservedly won the artiste of the year but was King Ayisoba's I want to see you my father really the most popular song of the year?”


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Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome · Global Voices
Salam Adil

Cliques of bastards and villains are controlling the living stream in a country that was once upon a time the prophets and messengers foothold. Slim after slim sits cross-legged on the f*** seat in Baghdad in what is so called now the Green Zone (Godzilla zone) … teaching their firing and blood squads and bogeymen some bloodcurdling lessons on how to torture and behead their compatriots
This week I have a heart rending story of a kidnapping, reactions to the Wall of Adhamiya, a comparison between New Orleans and Baghdad, opposition to the new oil law, and, if you read to the end, plastic palm trees.
The previous quote is from Marshmallow26 who has had enough. She sees her country being torn apart and vents her anger at all the groups in power in Iraq today. And she does not stop there…
Why are you making the Iraqi situation as a stinky play? Some onlookers are dying from the unpleasant odor, others are using masks, sniggering inside and point at us!! … YOU who slyly ornamented your harangues with secure, brave and restful words to protect Iraq and Iraqis, but those outlaid commercials were nothing but chicken shit and easier said than done!!
Most of you were barefoot and vulgar but this war served you a lot, now you became a bunch of Global pioneers, and war-horses…you bunch of highbinders…Each one of you have a diplomatic immunity… Go back to where you came from!
Ugh!!!!! I've had enough
If you read no other blog this week read this:
What did you do last week? For a week last month Fatima continually cried for a relative who was kidnapped, held for ransom then brutally murdered. Follow her trials through her tortuous posts every day of that week.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Crying for Bilal
Today I shed my first real tears for Baghdad. Every day my heart cries for what's happening there, but today my eyes joined my heart in sadness.
Today I found out that Bilal was kidnapped from university…
his mom got a call, the call that every mother dreads, from Bilal himself. He was screaming into the phone, “they got me, they got me,” and yelling at his kidnappers at the same time. I can only guess what my dear aunt in law is living through right now, recalling that call over and over in her head.
Bilal is not only a cousin to my husband and me. He's our neighbor in Baghdad, living two doors away. He's the kid who came over all the time, and the one who we visited all the time, at his parents’ house. He played with my then one year old, carried her around with him when he went out, took videos of her entertaining the family. He came over to our house when we were out and needed someone to sit with the workers fixing the house. He's the one we sent on odd errands.
The kidnappers called his family and asked for $200,000. A few hours later, they downgraded it to $25,000.
Thursday, April 19, 2007 Crying for Bilal: Day Two
It turns out that Aunt N wasn't the one who answered her son's frantic call, but his ten year old brother, Ch. Ch picked up his mom's cell phone and heard Bilal screaming, “Wal, Ch tell mama they are taking me, they kidnapped me, leave me alone, leave me alone. Let me go!” Ten years old and having to live through this!
My hubby was telling me how tense it is in the house (he's staying at his aunt's, at Bilal's house). Everyone is screaming at each other. When my husband insisted that they stick to paying $12,000, before they had come to an agreement, his aunt yelled at him, “They'll kill Bilal.” It's scary for everyone, because they're basically bartering for their son/brother's life. Maybe their insistence on a lower sum will save them thousands of dollars, and maybe it will kill their loved one. It's kind of funny, but Iraqi families have started talking about what they would do in the case of a kidnapping. My husband told me long ago, should anything happen to him, not to ever pay more than $10,000. I always tell him, whatever, but when it comes down to it, everyone loses their minds. Bilal's brother, A, was always the smooth, smart negotiator. But when it touched him directly in his home, in his heart, he melted.
Friday, April 20, 2007 Waiting for Bilal: Day Three
They paid the ransom today, at a designated place, unspecified till they arrived in a general location. Our neighbor, (father of two sons and a son in law kidnapped more than six months ago, and still missing) insisted on taking the ransom to the evil people. I'll give you more details later. .. The family is frantic, depressed now.
Saturday, April 21, 2007 Hoping for Bilal: Day Four
My heart is heavy and I don't want to write this. I thought almost for sure that by today I would be writing good news. Bilal is still not home. The family has basically accepted his fate.
Sunday, April 22, 2007 Day Five: Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'oon: To God We Belong and To Him We Will Return
I don't feel like writing this post, but at the same time, I want to record this history down for my daughters and myself to remember.
They killed Bilal on Thursday, April 19, 2007. His body was found today, Saturday, April 21, 2007. He was shot in his arms, chest and head. He is our martyr. May God accept him.
We're worn out by our tears and sadness. But what I'm feeling is nothing compared to what his poor mother is living through now and what she will face the rest of her days.
Monday, April 23, 2007 Day Six: Bilal's Burial
‘A's friend brought Bilal's body to his family today, because its dangerous for Sunni men to pick their dead up from the city morgue. …
He has a smile on his face. Looks very serene and comfortable. Like he has rested from this world's burdens. I saw his picture. He is beautiful and shining.
His mother is holding up well. She's tough. She told us that she's patient on the outside, but her heart is burnt up on the inside, torn asunder. She told us that when she saw him, she kissed him and told him how much she missed him. She told him, “You don't have to study anymore, your finished with your college studies.” And it seemed like he smiled.
It's been six days, and the ordeal is finally over. Six hellish days. A week ago we never imagined that a week later we'd be left with broken hearts.
The Wall
News of a wall being built around the Baghdad district of Adhamiya has brought strong reactions from Iraqi bloggers.
The news brought back childhood memories in Adhamiya to Wafaa’. She writes:
This piece of news brought outrage to my feelings and caused prolonged weeping. As if my memory have been swollen for too long and at this piece of news, it exploded and began leaking. Yes, leaking childhood and teenage memories!”…
I am so worried about those who live in Al-Athamiyya. What will become of them if this UGLY WALL became a reality? Does this mean that I can not visit Athamiyya when I am in Baghdad next time? Will I need a permission or an ID to enter the area? When will this nightmare of occupation end?
Great Baghdad posts picture and maps of the wall and writes,
The Americans, and the Shiat dominated Iraqi government are claiming that this wall is a “protective security wall and Not a separation wall”… all of this is a big Piece of Crap… It is simply that the Government is not able to get there to root out the terrorism there, and at the same time they do not want terrorism to spread out to the rest of the city. The government has simply tagged the entire city of A'adhmayia with Terrorism, which is outrageous and it also shows how incompetent this government is in cracking down terrorism.
So the solution they came up with is that they just imprison the whole city there and let every one eat the other. And they stay out of it. So much for law enforcement security plan!
Riverbend is driven to write after a long absence:
The wall, of course, will protect no one. I sometimes wonder if this is how the concentration camps began in Europe. The Nazi government probably said, “Oh look- we're just going to protect the Jews with this little wall here- it will be difficult for people to get into their special area to hurt them!” And yet, it will also be difficult to get out.
The Wall is the latest effort to further break Iraqi society apart. Promoting and supporting civil war isn't enough, apparently- Iraqis have generally proven to be more tenacious and tolerant than their mullahs, ayatollahs, and Vichy leaders. It's time for America to physically divide and conquer- like Berlin before the wall came down or Palestine today. This way, they can continue chasing Sunnis out of “Shia areas” and Shia out of “Sunni areas”.
LORD gives us a historical perspective: “America already tried the wall idea in Vietnam, they called it strategic hamlets. They forced the peasants to leave their original villages, confine them all in these strategic hamlets, which is protected by barb weirs, mine fields, bamboo fields, watchtowers, and walls. … This plan backfired, because these peasants became more sympathetic with the Vietcong, because they felt no threat from them. … This is nonsense; they reached a new record of stupidity. Nobody can be that stupid, nobody. Even George bush is not that stupid. I’m beginning to think that they want it that way, that they want civil war and turmoil in Iraq, that they never want to see Iraq stable. …  Algeria, Belfast, Vietnam, the west bank, and finally Adhmiyah, they haven’t learned anything from history. They haven’t learned that these walls don’t just separate people, they separate hearts, anger, grudges, suffering will grow behind these walls no matter how noble the purpose was, if noble at all.”
24 Steps to Liberty asks:
What is this wall going to do other than provoke the Iraqis against each other more and more?
Who is going to prevent the Shiite militias from killing the Sunnis then? The victims of terrorism in Iraq are only Shiites?
You still don’t believe there is civil war in Iraq?
…
Is that what the Iraqi government promising Iraq now? Sectarian divisions?
and answers:
The U.S. administration and the Iraqi government have to know that this will be interpreted, like many other issues before, as a way to oppress the Sunnis and satisfy the Shiites. And this is in my opinion is not true, because the Shiites are getting nothing out of anything the government and the Americans are doing in Iraq. The average Sunnis and Shiites are the only losers in Iraq now. But, everything the Americans and Iraqi government are doing in Iraq now is provoking more and more sectarian divisions and civil war. It is like they insist on destroying my country.
Omar cannot see what all the fuss is about:
There are definitely downsides that come from surrounding communities with walls, mostly psychological and social. It’s sad to watch the capital of your country become the only city in the world that resembles a compartmentalized fortress where you need tall concrete walls to slightly improve the margin of safety.
But this is war and we can’t afford living in denial of the seriousness of threats. Emotions must not be allowed to disrupt taking practical steps that can save lives.
And  aNarki-13 could only respond with five letters: WTF??
Not very different from Baghdad
24 Steps to Liberty visits New Orleans and discovers similarities to his home town: “New Orleans looked like Baghdad after the war in 1991; I swear I kid you not. The devastation, empty houses, the people returning to their life in the city, the “rituals” people practice before they completely come back, the bumps in the streets and the smell of destruction [it has a distinctive smell people. Yes it does.]”
But with a difference:
In 1991, Iraq was destroyed, mainly Baghdad and other big cities like Mosul, Basra. The Americans made sure that the average Iraqis didn’t get water, electricity, or food. And they made sure to also bomb the communication buildings so the average Iraqis didn’t have a way to know about each other and what was going on. Within three months after the end of the war, most of the government building and services, including potable water, sewer system, paving bombed streets, phones and electricity. That was under the rule of Saddam Hussein, whom Bush’s administration accused of depriving his people from their share of oil revenues!
What about people in New Orleans. They don’t have a dictator to rebuild their city. They have a democracy that is fighting its way to spend 100 billion more dollars on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Who will help the people of New Orleans?
And he makes a discovery: “I got it now. I know why the invasion of Iraq was messed up and there was no planning for post-war Iraq. The same people that are messing up New Orleans were involved in Iraq. The same officials, contractors and unqualified “experts.” “
Oil, Oil Everywhere
Raed gives us the essential summary of the progress of the Iraqi Draft Oil Law. He writes:
Passing a new Iraqi oil law is not an urgent item on Iraq’s agenda. This is what Iraqi experts have been saying for the last year… More than 60 Iraqi experts and officials signed a petition against the new oil law. One of the MPs participating in the Amman-Jordan conference said that “this law must be rejected as whole, there is no way it can be enhanced or fixed”. Many Iraqi and Iraqi MPs think this is true. Another conference held in Dubai-UAE during this month, April 2007, by the Iraqi parliament included many Iraqi experts (including the three Iraqis who helped write the original version of the law) and Iraqi MPs. The majority of the participants thought the law should not be passed
Al-Ghad posts a back-room agreement to divide up Iraqi oil and concludes “What is clear is there is frenzy to grab Iraqi oil riches depriving the Iraqi people of the sources of there lives.”
And Finally…
Great Baghdad bemoans the appearance of plastic palm trees in Iraq. ” It really aches the Heart of every Iraqi who looks to this great Generous if Not sacred tree, to see Plastic palm trees Made in Iran, filing the streets of Baghdad and Najaf ( the Heart of Palm tree Land) and replacing the Ever green, Beautiful, tall and glorious trees .” He writes.
“This is the Blessed tree In Judaism, Christianity and Islam ” Shake the trunk of the palm tree towards thee: it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon thee. Eat, then, and drink, and let thine eye be gladdened!” (Qur'an 19:25-26). And that is why you see Dates on the Christmas Banquets in some Christian societies. And the Palm tree leafs is what is carried as part of a ceremony in Jerusalem. Fronds used on Palm Sunday, commemorating the entry of Jesus in Jerusalem (Lion's Gate or east entrance to Jerusalem, through which Jesus is supposed to have entered the city).”

author: Salam Adil


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Laos: Big Laotian Breakfast · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Lao cuisine has pictures of the preparation of the big breakfast that the blogger's uncle used to prepare.


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Singapore: Ikea and Plastic Bags · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Ikea in Singapore is trying to reduce plastic waste by not offering plastic bags to its customers. Rani, however is surprised that they still offer the plastic bags if you are willing to pay. “If Ikea is indeed trying to discourage the use of plastic bags, please, do not offer it to customer.”


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Swahili Blogosphere: State of education in Tanzania,  M-Pesa and Open Source Movement in Kenya · Global Voices
J. Nambiza Tungaraza

Higher education students in Tanzania are still finding it hard to adapt to the user-pay system in which they have to directly pay for the costs of university education. Under the Higher Education Sponsorship Loans Board (HESLB) arrangements, the government offers only 60 per cent scholarship to qualified students. Students are required to pay the remaining 40 per cent.
Recently, University of Dar Es Salaam students went on strike demanding 100 per cent government stipend for their studies and additional allowances. University of Dar Es Salaam (UDSM) students claim that most students are unable to pay the remaining 40 per cent of their fees.
Following that two-day strike, the University board suspended all undergraduate students and imposed conditions that all students who want to return must pay the required fee in full before resuming studies.
Chemi Che Mponda has two posts about the issue. In the first one,  like many Tanzanians outside the country and to some within the country, Chemi strongly suggests that UDSM students face ‘reality':
Ni mwaka 2007, na siyo miaka ya 1960's au 1970's na hata 1980's. Na wajue maisha ni magumu duniani pote. Hata hapa USA kama huna full scholarship utafanya kazi mbili tatu, huko unasoma ili kuweza kumudu fees. Wenye wazazi wanaoweza kuwalipia ‘full’ ni wachache sana ukilinganisha na idadi ya wanafunzi. Wanafunzi wengi wanasoma kwa mchanganyo wa mikopo, grants, scholarships na kazi.
In her follow up post, she posts her readers’ comments. Some outrightly reject students’ demands while others sympathise with them.
Muhidin Issa Michuzi documents sequence of events as they unfold at UDSM. And again, readers’ opinions vary from those who favour user-pay education system as practiced in most Western countries to those who favour full government sponsorship for higher education students as it used to be during the times of Ujamaa:
Kwa kweli nijitahidi kufikiria kama haya baadhi ya maoni humu ndani yameandikwa na Watanzania au Watanza-European, au Watanza-American, kwa kweli ni aibu kubwa sana kwa baadhi ya maoni hayo.
Hivi kwa vile ninyi mko nje au mna uwezo wa kifedha ndio mnafikiri kila mtanzania yuko hivyo? Hata hamjui world bank records zinasema vipi kuhusu average income per capita ya Tanzania ni U$350.00 (kumbuka ni kwa mwaka mzima), ambayo ina maana Mtanzania kwa wastani anaishi for less than a dollar per day?
Pamoja na kuwa na ukweli kwamba baadhi ya hawa wanafunzi wazazi na walezi wao wanaweza kulipa hiyo Tshs.800,000/-, lakini nina imani wengi tu hawana uwezo wa kulipa kiwango hicho, na sasa wanaambiwa walipe kwa muda usiozidi wiki mbili kutokea sasa, kwa kweli serikali yetu imelewa madaraka na labda huu ndio utakuwa mwanzo wa watu kuanza kuchallenge ahadi za wanasiasa, nanukuu, ” hakuna mtoto wa maskini ambaye atasimamishwa au kuachishwa masomo kwa kuwa hana fedha za kulipia ada” Jakaya Kikwete kwenye moja ya hotuba zake kuhusiana na maswala ya elimu bongo.
Kama nilivyosema hapo siku za nyuma, HUU NDIO MWANZO WA TANZANIA KUJENGA MATABAKA… Mungu ibariki Tanzania….
Even though some parents can afford to pay Tshs.800,000/- [626 USD], I believe that most of them cannot afford. And now they are asked to pay that sum in less than two weeks. Our government is drunk with power and perhaps people will start to challenge politician's promises. I quote “No child from a poor family will either be suspended or expelled because of lack of fees” said President Jakaya kikwete in one of his speeches addressing educational issues in Tanzania.
Like I said before, this is the beginning of creation of classes in Tanzania… God bless Tanzania…
Still on education, Jeff Msangi posts a photo of one primary school “classroom” in Morogoro, Tanzania in a post titled: “What Do You See?” He asks:
Huu ni mfano mmoja kati ya mingi sana nchini mwetu. Hivi ndivyo tunavyoiandaa Tanzania ya leo. Ewe raisi wa nchi,ewe waziri, ewe kiongozi,ewe mwananchi mwenzangu,unajisikiaje kuona hali kama hii? Nini thamani ya uongozi wako?…
In his follow up post, he offers a solution:
Tufanye nini? Hili ndilo swali ambalo hatuna budi kusaidiana kulijibu kwa pamoja. Jambo la kwanza ambalo naamini tunaweza kulifanya ni kutochoka kuhoji,kukemea na kusaidia kwa kutoa mchango wetu wa hali na mali. Tusiishie kuandika tu huku kwenye mitandao na wakati mwingine kutupiana lawama hata miongoni mwetu sisi wenyewe.Jambo moja ambalo ni muhimu sana ni kumuuliza mbunge kwa mfano wa jimbo hilo la Morogoro Kusini Hamza Abdallah Mwenegoha kwanini hali katika jimbo lake ni ya kukatisha tamaa na kutia aibu kwa kiwango kile? Binafsi nimeshafanya hivyo kwa kumuandikia barua pepe nikiambatanisha picha ile na kuhoji kwa kina,kulikoni? Ingawa bado sijapata majibu na pengine sitopata majibu kamwe nina uhakika kwamba ujumbe umemfikia na hivyo atatambua kwamba dunia inamtizama. Ukipenda kumtumia barua pepe pia unaweza kwa kutumia anuani ya hmwenegoha@parliament.go.tz
Usiishie kwa Mwenegoha peke yake bali pia mbunge wa jimbo lako, kule utokako au kule ilipo familia yako,asili yako nk. Kwa bahati nzuri anuani za barua-pepe,simu za nyumbani, za ofisini, za kiganjani za wabunge wetu zimeorodheshwa katika tovuti ya Bunge la Jamhuri ya Muungano Tanzania.
Do not stop there, you can also do the same to your MP. Luckily, members of parliament emails, their homes and office telephone numbers, their mobile phone numbers are all available at the parliament of United Republic of Tanzania Website.
While Jeff encourages his readers to write directly to members of parliament, Ndesanjo takes a look at digital tools for activists. He cites online media, blogging and SMS technologies as the latest weapons in the African activists’ arsenal to fight for political, economical or social change. He gives an example of Zimbabwe where one Zimbabwe's online publication Zimdaily has started a campaign of naming all of government officials children living abroad, replete with their work, college or residence addresses. The logic of the campaign being “if you hate the West that much why send your children there?”.
Ndesanjo asks his readers for their views on this particular strategy that Zimdaily is using to fight the current Zimbabwe's government. His readers have expressed divergent opinions on the matter:
… Ni kweli si vizuri kuwapakazia watoto makosa ya wazazi, lakini mzazi anapoielezea dunia kwamba hazihitaji au hazipendi nchi za magharibi ilhali anapeleka familia yake huko huko, ni unafiki uliopita kipimo.
Nadhani wananchi wa Zimbabwe wanajaribu kuwaanika viongozi na familia zao (ambao vile vile ni wala matunda ya mfumo mbovu), kuonesha kwamba “you have to mean what you say”.
While another reader does not think that this strategy will affect the targeted group:
… lakini si siasa safi kuweka picha na anuani za vijana hao kwenye tovuti. Wangeweza kuwasialiana na serikali za nchi hizo kimya kimya. Labda waneweza kuongelea hilo swala na kueleza sababu zao bila kutoa picha na anuani za watu hao. Na hata kama hao watu wakirudi Zimbabwe, hawatapata shida kabisa, wataendelea tu kula pesa hizo hizo za wizi.
… it is not fair to expose those young people's addresses. They could have consulted with the Western governments where those kids are residing. And even if those people were to be returned to Zimbabwe they would not suffer, instead they would continue to live a privileged life.
On development and mobile phones in Africa,  Ndesanjo writes:
Matumizi ya SMS na simu za kiganjani kwa ujumla kwenye harakati na hata shughuli nyingine za maendeleo kama vile kilimo, masoko, biashara, afya, na elimu yanapanuka siku hadi siku. Hakuna teknolojia ambayo ni rahisi kupatikana na kutumika kama simu za mkono kwa nchi za Afrika ambazo zina mtandao mdogo sana wa simu za nyumbani. Simu za viganjani ndio zitakuja kuwa chombo kikubwa cha watu wa kawaida kuingia kwenye zama za habari na mawasiliano. Sio kompyuta za mezani au za mapajani. Kompyuta zao zitakuwa ndani ya simu zao.
He cites M-Pesa as a good example of the use of mobile technologies for development. M-Pesa is a new service that allows members of the public to transfer money using SMS.
Maitha, who blogs at Mawazo na Mawaidha, writes about M-Pesa and open source movement in Kenya. Recently, he, used M-Pesa service. He points out an incorrect Swahili phrase used by the service and wonders why they did not consult a Swahili linguist.
He posts links to three Kenyan websites dedicated to the promotion of open source software. He believes that the websites will contribute to the growth of open source movement in Kenya.

author: J. Nambiza Tungaraza


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Thailand: Incompetent Bank of Thailand · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Bangkok Pundit links to and comments on an article written by a Thai academic. The article argues that the Bank of Thailand shows a lack of judgment in its policies and is in need of reform.


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Thailand: Thailand and YouTube · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Thailand Jumped the Shark takes Thailand's information and Communication Technology Minister to task and questioning his wisdom on trying to sue Google for some videos uploaded on Google owned site YouTube. The videos were considered offensive to the Thai King and the minister has earlier unsuccessfully tried to get them erased from YouTube. “Didn't he learn from his mistake the first time? By bringing international attention to this, he is going to make Thailand the laughingstock of the world more than it already it.”


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The Panama Canal Expansion, Labor Day Issues and Quingming · Global Voices
Melissa De León

#1: Kleph's Blog reports on the Panama Canal:
After almost 100 years of operation, the historic waterway is having a tough time adapting to the demands of the modern world. Today the canal authority – known as the ACP – operates the waterway at an estimated 90 percent capacity with more than 14,000 ships completing transit each year. The waiting line to transit can be days and, when there are maintenance closures that can stretch to weeks.
Moreover, size is a problem. Gigantic container ships are now built to fit the size of the canal’s prodigious locks exactly. But the boom in international shipping has prompted the construction of a new generation of vessels – post-panamax – that can carry almost three times as much.
Last October, Panamanians went to the polls and approved a $5.25 billion expansion to the canal that will include the construction of a new lane of traffic and locks that can accommodate these larger vessels…Read the complete post.
#2: Kleph's Kitchen reports on Panamanian Cuisine, and shares a recipe to prepare the traditional "Sancocho"
Visiting Panama I was somewhat dismayed by the disjunction between the country's larder and the apparent cusine. There were dozens of varieties of fish and fresh vegetables in abundance but finding a Peruvian restaurant was a bit of a trick.
It seems the recent boom times have played against the country's rich culinary heritage. Typically, Panamanian food is cooked in homes and street restaurants. In the very modern urban metropolis Panama City is becoming, that's seen as a bit beneath the growing number of glitterati who are seeking out high end restaurants boasting European dishes. Read more…
Photo taken by Melissa De Leòn Douglass
#3: Boquete Guide reports on Cashews in Panama: Marañon
We discovered these Maranon trees at the Decameron Resort, hence the nice label on the tree. One of the employees there found me struggeling to open a nut shell and explained it was futile that then open when roasted. We later found bagged cashews at Quesos Chela and tried them, the were unsalted, and very tasty. Another natural bounty from Panama, cashews available now from a tree in the lowlands. Get the scoop now…
#4: Chiriqui Chatter on "Labor Day in Panama "
I hope you hadn’t planned on going to the bank or many stores because today is Labor Day and you won’t find many people working.  Usually that won’t affect the stores in the Chiriquí Mall or Plaza El Terronal because the malls in Panama are open year around…I hope I can figure out something to do today that doesn’t require money. Read more…
#5: IT Buda on Quingming: Dia de los Difuntos Chino (ES)
Los chinos tenemos una forma muy peculiar de rendirle homenaje a los muertos.Las tumbas son visitadas por las familias, usualmente estas se ponen de acuerdo para ir en conjunto y repartirse el trabajo de limpiar la lápida, cortar la maleza entre otras cosas. A manera de ofrendas, se hacen rezos (en chino, obviamente) y se pide por el bienestar de los vivos.
También se ofrendan comidas, usualmente pollo sancochado, puerco, es importante incluir frutas y algun otro comestible dulce. Es importante incluir algun tipo de licor, servido en tres tazitas.Read the complete post…
Food offerings are commonly found, usually boiled chicken, pork, fruits and sweets. It is important to include some kind of alcoholic beverage, served in three little cups…
Photo taken by Juan Lee and used by permission.
#6: Stephan Schuab on The impact of roadblocks on residential tourism:
Apparently Panamanian traffic police performs license checking campaigns preferably on major holidays. That's when you can see them on all major streets, but as well as in remote locations
where you really wouldn't expect a roadblock. They make you stop want to check your drivers license. I have no problem with that and see the reasoning behind these checks.
Another new measure to improve road safety is a new law that went into effect earlier this year. Every driver is required to carry a copy
of the traffic rules in the vehicle. I guess the idea is to make people at least skim the book once in a while. Read the complete post…

author: Melissa De León


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Vietnam: Blog Anniversary · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Duong Lam Anh, author of one of the few Vietnamese blogs in English, reflects on one year of blog writing. “Where will this blog lead me to? I have no idea. But the question itself excites me. It is like you are on a new road and never know where it leads you to. I don’t know and don’t want to know. I enjoy that mystery. And that makes writing miraculous.”


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Vietnam: Marriage Customs · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Lebotuan describes how a marriage is proposed in Vietnam with the boy's family visiting the girl's family. “On the predetermined date, the boy's famile will come with some traditional offering: betel and areca and rice wine. They should be the boy's parent, his brothers or sisters, aunties and uncles. Regarding the girl's family, they have to prepare something to serve during the meeting. What they talk about is that the boy's family asks the girl's parent for the permission to marry.”


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Afghan Whispers:1 May,Kidnappings and Problems in Iran · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Õnne Pärl,a blogger and journalist from Estonia, writes about her 1 May experience in Kabul. She says,
because of the mudjahedin parade in Kabul, there are suggestions to “keep low profile”. We see helicopters flying noisily over our heads, but it is the only thing what looks different. We are watching for two days the BBC News Channel, where drunken mob pull down our capital in Estonia. What an irony.
There was an interesting event in Kabul, the agricultural fair AgFair. We heard about millions dollars being donated by some organizations in order to build up the fair place: the round exhibition ground and huge tents.
Kidnapped people
Afghan Warrior discusses kidnapped journalists and humanitarian aid workers. The blogger writes,
first they kidnapped the Italian and Afghan journalists and then they kidnapped the French male and female humanitarian aid workers along with 3 Afghan workers. Later on the French lady was released but the future of the French man along with 3 Afghans is still unknown.These civilians had nothing to do with the Afghan government. They are just servants who carry out humanitarian aid and help the poor Afghan people. And the journalists tell us the truth about the situation in the region. These journalists aren't only telling the news on behalf the Afghan and coalition forces. They also tell the news on behalf of the Taliban too.
According to media reports, Tehran has expelled tens of thousands of Afghans from Iran since mid-April in a move Iranian authorities say is aimed at repatriating 1 million unregistered Afghan refugees by March 2008. Dialogue 3 [Fa] has given the links to several Iranian blogs which talk about this issue.
A collective torture
Nakhodayeh Pir writes[Fa] that Iranian government has failed in its economic promises. According to the blogger high inflation and unemployment have put Iranian economy in a very bad situation. The blogger says now Iranian government pretends it can save unemployment problem by sending one million afghans to their own country. The blogger criticised Iranian government's policy regarding Afghans. He says many of them are born in Iran during last 30 years and they have had problems in country. He calls Iranian government's policy to expel afghans is a collective torture program.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Angola: Two Angolan Authors Awarded with International Literature Prizes · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

High Browse Online announces that Angolan journalist and author Jose Eduardo Agualusa won the 2007 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize for his novel, The Book of Chameleons. The Portuguese novel is translated into English by Daniel Hahn. Jose and Daniel will be sharing the prize of £10,000. The winner was announced on Tuesday. Another great Angolan writer, Pepetela (Artur Carlos Maurício Pestana dos Santos), won the 2007 Universal Galician Writer prize, awarded by the Galician Language Authors Association. In both cases, it is the first time Portuguese Language African authors are awarded. Pululu reports.

author: Jose Murilo


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Arabeyes: Muslim Evangelists; Somali Poets; Death on Amman’s Roads and More · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Today's round up of Arabic language blogs takes us to the United Arab Emirates, where a Muslim blogger gets an email from Africa urging him to embrace Islam and then to Somalia, where we get to learn a bit about Somalian poets. We also make stops in Jordan, where the death toll from road accidents equals the loss of life in a civil war; in Algeria, where a blogger wonders about the absence of a Moroccan blogger; and finally in Morocco, where we hear straight from the horse's mouth why he isn't ‘that’ keen on blogging any more.
Muslim Conversions
Emirates-based blogger Ben Kerishan received an email calling him to embrace true Islam. So far so good. The only catch is that the blogger is already Muslim and the call comes from the depth of Africa.
It is obvious that Ben Kerishan  isn't taking this evangelistic approach lightly and takes us through examples of how the practise is widespread in the oil rich countries in the Gulf region.
He also recalls an example he experienced himself and vents some of his feelings.
Somalia's Poets
From the UAE, we move to Somalia, where Mohammed Al Amin Mohammed Al Hadi briefs us about poetry and poets in his country.
Death on Wheels
Away from poetry and poets, we move to Jordan, where blogger Batir Wardam  laments the daily carnage on Jordan's streets.
Wardam calls for a serious clampdown on this road menace, regardless of whether those who break the rules enjoy tribal or social immunity.
Missing Blogger
From Algeria, blogger Essam Hamoud is concerned that Moroccan blogger Mohammed Saeed Hjiouij has been missing from the action in the Arabic blogosphere.
احجيوج غائب عنا منذ مدة.. والسبب انشغلات الحياة اليومية العادية..
سبب غير منطقي بالنسبة لي..
اظنه نوع من الملل والسأم من التدوين.. أو أسبابًا أخرى خارجة عن النطاق
هل توافقونني؟
Calling for Cooperation from Bloggers
Hjiouij takes the cue and makes a come back, explaining why is he away from blogging.
صحيح أن المرصد لن يكون له في الفترة القريبة أي سلطة تنفيذية، غير أن أهميته كوسيط إخباري لا يجب الاستهانة بها.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bahrain: Case Against Blogger to be Dropped  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif announces an amicable end to his feud with a local minister here. “I have met with the minister at his office this afternoon.. in which I have expressed my apology for hurting his feelings by using what could be interpreted as harsh words in my criticism in the original article. I have explained to the minister that those words were probably fueled by an over-reaction to the news report on my part and offered to change them to something more polite. The minister’s lawyer should be present in court on the 8th and officially submit the reconciliation agreement and officially withdraw the case,” he writes.


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Bahrain: Unpleasant Encounter With Landlord  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahrain-based blogger Bint Battuta  has an unpleasant encounter with her landlord. “Once again I feel totally frustrated at the problems I face just because I am a European woman in this society. It only takes a few idiots to make me feel quite overwhelmed, even though I know the majority of people – men – are very decent, and deal with me normally,” she writes.


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Bahrain: Welcome Islamist Fanatics  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahrain has opened its arms and offered the Bahraini citizenship to an Islamic preacher. Blogger emoodz isn't happy with the move. “So we evidentially had enough with Singers and Sportsmen, we should halt the naturalization of uneducated underprivileged bedouins from the deserts of Jordan and Syria. It is now officially an “honor” for the country to naturalize radical jihad instigator militant clerics that are kicked out of countries and banned from entering others for accusations relating to their connection to illegal funding of terrorist organization, and other crimes of spreading hatred and racism in addition to very tolerable fanatical Muslim thoughts,” he writes.


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Bangladesh: Islam and the Nation · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Me, Myself and Bangladesh explores the links between Islam and nationalism, especially in the context of Bangladesh. “When East Pakistan broke away from the main Western part of the country to form Bangladesh in 1971, it was in opposition to the notion that all Muslim areas of former British India should unite in one state. The Awami League, which led the struggle for independence, grew out of the Bangla language movement, and was based on Bengali nationalism, not religion. At the same time, independent, secular Bangladesh became the only country in the subcontinent with one dominant language group and very few ethnic and religious minorities.”

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Bangladesh: Laily, the first graphic novel · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

black and gray in conversation with Sharier Khan, about Bangladesh's first graphic novel. “Being the youngest of four brothers—my elder brothers used to tell me how Hanna-Barbara made cartoons. Upon learning about how different frames created the illusion of a movie, I acquired tissue papers (they seemed so ‘foreign’ back then) and tried to use the tissue paper strips as the animation cell and tried drawing figures on them. Off course that did not work. But I tried, didn’t I?”


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Barbados:  Intelligent Toilets  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press wonders if the introduction of “intelligent” toilets in Barbados was a smart move.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bolivia: Constituent Assembly Update · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Miguel Centellas, formerly of Ciao!, has started a new blog called Pronto*.  In his most recent entry, the political scientist is encouraged by negotiations between the opposition and government party around the autonomy issue, but still stands opposed to a proposal for a runoff election for president. He explains why in his update.

author: Eduardo Avila


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China: Beida Weiming Grand Hotel · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Xueyong comments on the Peking University's plan to construct a grand hotel in the university campus near the Wei-ming lake. The university tried to justify the plan by saying that it is a hotel and conference complex, however, Xueyong argued that the university should give priority to the teachers and students’ dormintory facilities and merge teaching and living space, rather than turning the campus space into grand building complex (zh).

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Fake Medicine · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

As a result of globalization, the problem of fake medicine has spread over the world, especially among the third world countries. Xueyong comments (zh) on the related report in New York Times.


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China: green Olympic Games · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Positive solution blogs about the Beijing city plan to greenify the area near the airport so that people have a good first impression.


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China: Memedia Issue 5: 10 years Blogging, Google PR, Money Craze · Global Voices
Nan Yang

Memedia Issue 5 roundup for the blogsphere, which includes 10 years anniversary of blogging, Google's PR strategy, stock market, private fund and many more.
[技术和互联网]
一个互联网媒体，可能奋斗多年都没有达到PR 6或者PR 7，为什么很多Blogger能够达到这么高的评值呢 ？blog10岁啦，如果把这些价值利用起来又是什么呢？台湾Blogger年会召开，大马网志年会也开催 啦，而且域名(MyBloggercon )看着很惹眼，看来真的要注册bloggercon.asia才对，你看连日本的小学生都开始写blog学习如何报道新闻了 ，亚洲真可能是未来最活跃的大脑群体 。所以就连草莓周刊都有人抄袭不误 ，看来草根媒体真的越来越有价值了。草媒的兴起对衡量一个人的专业水平 也带来了全新的诠释。法新社BB 允许Blogger一键免费采用他们的新闻图片 作为Blog内容，似乎也看到了传统媒体的开放延伸和草根媒体的互补。数百年来，分销往往是媒体控制的关键点，这一法则被大大小小的媒体公司所熟练应用，而现在，这一切正在终止。互联网的精神是分享，而世界上发行量最大的杂志遵循的就是这不成文的分享协议。
An Internet media may struggle for years not having achieved PR 6 or PR 7. Why have so many Bloggers achieved such high ratings? Blog is now 10 years old,  what if their value are utilized? With Taiwan Bloggers BoF being held, inaugural Malaysian Chinese blog awards on its way, and the domain name(MyBloggercon) looking fairly eye-catching, it seems to be the best if domain name bloggercon.asia were to be registered. Even the Japanese pupils are beginning to write blogs and learning how to make news reports. Maybe Asia really is the future of the most active brain groups. So the Strawberry Weekly is being plagiarized anyway: the grass-roots media is seemingly to become more worthwhile. The rise of grass-roots media has brought a whole new interpretation to assess a person's professionalism. Allowing the Bloggers  to use their news pictures free of charge with one-click, AFP BB seem to have seen the mutual complement between the opening and extension of traditional media and the grass-roots. Distribution has always been a control point for media, and it's been leveraged masterfully for centuries by media companies large and small. But now, all these have come to an end. The spirit of Internet iis sharing, and  the world's largest circulation magazine is following this unwritten sharing agreement.
社会化网络的发展 ，使得我们越来越开放 ，个人的隐私也更加暴露 ，或许某一天我们都将无处躲藏。国外也开始讨论起blog的行为规范。不管是文明还是压制 ，反正暂时很难适用于中国。因为GFW早已经是密不透风，微软这次难得证实部分共享空间的IP地址受到了GFW的屏蔽。 更有意思的是，百度日本据说已经在中国不能访问 了。连只谈技术的BXNA也会被GFWed，这是意料之外，情理之中的事情。何况即使鹦鹉学舌，也还是能够招来额外的关怀。还有粉丝的不幸，也是被和谐的目标 。等到今年年中，全国各地网站的“警警”、“察察”正式上岗 后，群众相互监督、自我揭发的革命意识可能会更加高涨。
没有了互联网，我们将会怎样？据说35.8%的人将会手足无措 。 那么没有了人类，地球将会怎样 ？据说需要20万年才能消除掉人类留下的痕迹。
[社会]
王小波这只“特立独行的猪”，在这个猪年已经是逝世十周年了，时间没有忘掉他 ，但我们还是沉默的大多数。不过今天，终于有越来越多的人 开始提出类似“自己的税到哪里去了 ”这样的问题，无论如何中国人的“自由思考 ”(Free Thinking )能力在加强，还是拜开放的互联网所赐。
Wang Xiaobo, an independent and alternative pig, it has been ten years since he died, although we never forget about him, most of us are still keeping silence. But today, finally, there are more and more people start asking questions like‘ Where has all our Tax gone? ‘ and etc. No matter how stronge Chinese ‘ Zi You Si Kao ‘ (Free Thinking) is, we have to thank the internet.
八部委日前下发《关于保护未成年人身心健康实施网络游戏防沉迷系统的通知》 ，从2007年4月15日起，在全国网络游戏中推广防沉迷系统。因为担心这套系统会令游戏产业发展过热 ，所以还要与实名注册配套 。 实名制愈演愈烈，就会有人研究一下隐身斗篷如何做 。现在什么都要证明，恐怕只有死人不用办证了，但更可怕的是，我们连死都死不起了。高天虎是否冤枉 ，倒不是说说的事情。但是崔英杰能够免死，是妥协的胜利吗 ？沈阳的运钞员枉杀无辜 ，福建运钞员抢钱 ，重庆运钞员临死不救 ，北京运钞员威胁著名作家 。运钞人员是一个特殊心理群体，但是是否整个社会都有非安全感呢？难道我们非要每天“感叹/今天/幸运/竟然/没有/被/运钞员/击毙 ”？ 妇女儿童的安全感问题太严重 ，寻找彭乐的爱心传递 开始了，请大家多多留心。是否能够建立更好的社会防范机制？不知道重庆的警察用上了装甲车 ，到底是否更有效？
厦门化工项目 遭到众多政协委员的反对，厦门人民现在却被完全蒙在鼓里（这个本地的blog 正在不断的记录着自己的所见所闻），草根媒体的声音能否影响到地方政策 呢？这实在令人拭目以待。看到菲律宾的blogger甚至影响到总统选举，我们的草媒要走的路还很长呢。要记住，公民社会不是恩赐的 。 不过今天的政府能够愈来愈领悟到NGO/NPO对善政的作用 ，也许这是社会的一个良好开端。其实政府确实有很多力所不逮的地方，如果“扶贫”不是走形式 ，应当多多开放非盈利性组织的力量。 但是只谈扶贫济困，不谈社会公正，就像往一只没有底的空杯子里倒水 。
上海的水很深，还是北京海淀区 的水更深，趟了才知道。今天世界之小，无论贪官跑到那里，都未必能够找到天堂 ，因为四海皆有中国人 ，跑得了和尚跑不了庙。
新书《辩证法随谈》面世， 李瑞环在谈到民主改革时说:防止奴才庸才掌权，但这篇新闻在雅虎搜藏竟然不能公开，很奇怪！而4月15日，是胡耀邦同志逝世18周年纪念，新闻媒体敢发布这些消息，不知道意味着什么？总理的友好访日被评如何作骚 ，政治家别忘了有民众支持 ，在外交上也才有力量。否则，很容易被“别有用心”的“闲人们”把举世瞩目的人民奥运会和苏丹问题扯在一起 ，还怂恿大导演斯皮尔伯格写信给胡主席 ，真是不应该。
[商业]
谷狗词库门事件 已经让谷歌变成了公关危机，被人笑话 ，更可能是一个道德危机。或者，谷歌已经从根本上不再有道德上的障碍。谷歌与搜狗的输入法之争愈演愈烈，从知识产权之争已经上升到了民族大义 。但是也有人认为，这和版权无关，不过是个谷歌的丑闻。虽然这是一个孤立事件，但是却是反映了谷歌中国的策略缺失和先天问题 。不过直到如今，也并没有看出Google真正尊重中国用户的建议 。此次事件，有人认为折射出了中国IT行业的肮脏 ，或说这是互联网行业的无奈 。
Google input method incident has made Google a joke, a public relation crisis, or even a moral crisis. Or, Google is fundamentally no longer bothered by any moral accusation. Elevated from intellectual property dispute to a national matter, the pinyin input method battle between Google and Sougo is getting more and more intense. But some people believe rather than something to do with copyright, it's only a scandal of Google. Although this is an isolated incident, but it is a reflection of the deficiency and congenital problems to Google's China strategy. But until now, Google has shown no sign of actual respect of Chinese customers’ advices. About this issue, some say it reflects the dark side of Chinese IT industry, or that the Internet Industry has no other choice.
在美国“悍然”发起WTO诉讼之前，上海已经开始突击反盗版 。中国反复在此问题上被美国拿捏，无法脱身。如果能够把搜狗和谷歌事件上升到政治层面 ，说不定是一杆好枪。中国的商业环境如何，真的考验不是所谓的“版权”问题，而是是否有公平合理的商业规则。“娃哈哈“事件 将是外资内资税务并轨之后第一个重大的挑战。 中国式的民族主义和愚昧主义已经让徐工成为了半牺牲品 ，是否下一个就是娃哈哈 呢？看看异军突起的Zara ，真的要我们这个服装大国要好好思考下一步的品牌和时尚问题了。
私募基金 经过10年的地下操作，终于看到了阳光。这个私募还不是真正的“私募基金”，真正的合伙人制基金或者公司基金还有漫长的道路。私募来的基金，大都是来炒股炒基的短线操作。连创业公司的老板 也不例外，但是要特别提醒股民，当那些上市公司的老板开始买大房子的时候，可能是你削他们股票的最佳时机 。
[生活]
电子艺术 已经成为我们生活的一部分，艺术家们不但在用电子设备来创造美感 ，还希望探索人类生活在电子社会中的后现代含义 。而如果Web 2.0可以真正影响人们的生活 ，让人人能够有赚钱的机会 ，那才是真正的1.0+2.0=3.0。
可爱的德国动物园小熊Knut已经成了世界的明星 。能够唤醒人们对自然和全球气候的关注 ，Knut算是值得爱护的幸运儿，不仅如此，它还帮助带动柏林动物园的股票飙升 ，真是上帝赐予人类的活宝。
Digital Arts has become part of our lives. Artists not only use electronic equipments to create aesthetics, but also explore the post-modern meaning of human life in the electronic community. Nevertheless, It can be called the real 1.0+2.0=3.0 only if Web 2.0 can actually influence people's lives and give everyone oppotunities to make money. German zoo's lovable polar bear Knut has become a world star. Knut is the lucky one worthy of love ‘N care. Not only has it awakened people's concerns to the natural and global climate, it's also helped to facilitate the Berlin Zoo stocks soaring. What a precious gift of God!
闹剧般的红楼选秀如火如荼，林妹妹一下子就从天上掉下来了16个。 埃及艳后到底美不美 ，也会有人拿出来争 。再看《300》更是一部西方健美史，居然还是主旋律的狂欢。而电影节也正在杀死电影 。现在娱乐和文化界似乎什么事情都离不开炒作，你看王朔的新书 一出就已经被炒得不亦乐乎了，我们是在娱乐还是被愚弄呢？当官方的意识形态需求和商人的金钱冲动各取所需、心照不宣地制造着文治武功、歌舞升平的气象时，观众已经不再是改良社会、创造历史的主体，而不过是可以计入“收视率” 进行市场交易的消费群体。
虽然人类的智力在分布上并没有明显差异，但是聪明药的出现 会让这种分布的均衡在后天改变吗？另一方面，似乎使用互联网的人正在变得更加聪明，而采纳Blog的人也会更加有建设性，网络也能够帮助人们达到一天48小时的能力 ，这些都是人类智力发展的进步因素。但是严肃地说我们教育的未来在哪里呢？
生活滋味多多，Sabrina 用手绘脑图 告诉你如何做啤酒鸡 ，垂涎欲滴啊。残酷无聊的五一长假又要到了，不妨想想如何打发，是背包行天下 ，走香港 去印度 ，还是在家里睡大觉 ？不过无论如何，要当心一些黑幕哦。

author: Nan Yang


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China: The Student Bloggers Down In The Coal Mine · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Five students from the Hunan Normal University's School of Literature published the blog post “Factors that influence the psychological sense of safety among Hunan coal mine workers and ways of improvement> on the Xinhua-hosted blog”. They also made an appeal to more than 100 representatives who were attending the two Congresses in Beijing. They action has caught the attention from mainstream media. And ESWN has translated some of their blog posts.


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China: Xi’an pirate TV station shut down · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Joel Martinsen from DANWEI has translated a report from China Business View on the shutting down of village run TV station. The case has openned up some discussions on new technology and village development: An expert from the [Shaanxi] provincial Academy of Social Sciences, a village-run TV stations is a novel thing in the development of the new countryside. It's an exploration, a new experiment. Although it conflicts with state policy, government departments could provide reasonable guidance to absorb it into the building of socialist spiritual civilization…


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China: Zola’s blogger path · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Chongqin Nailhouse blogger report has impacted Zola's life completely. Many people find a way to reach he and invite him to do citizen report online. Now he decides to be a full time blogger for witnessing the society. His next stop would be Zhoushan.


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Colombia: Poll Numbers Regarding Para-Political Scandal · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Bloggings by Boz links to a recent poll conducted by Semana Magazine and Ipsos, which focused mainly on questions revolving around the paramilitary scandal in Colombia and the relationship with President Alvaro Uribe.


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Colombia: Uribe’s Bittersweet Visit to Washington · Global Voices
Carlos Raúl van der Weyden Velásquez

On 2 May, Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez started a three-day visit to Washington, seeking support for Plan Colombia and the Free Trade Agreement's approval in U. S. Congress. But he wasn't really that welcomed. On the first day, Uribe came across dozens of demonstrators outside the American Center for Progress. He wanted to “discuss” issues with them… an attitude quite different than the one he holds towards the opposition in his own country. The same man, who said he’d be a “guerrilla man” and a “paramilitary” with a gun, not a mediocre one, all the same week, was called by the demonstrators an ‘assasin’, accusing him of being responsible for the deaths of around 400 union leaders in Colombia.
Tefiloca, writing in a blog called  Analisis de la interpretacion en RCN noticias [ES] devoted to criticize Colombian network RCN, (which some call the Fox News tropical equivalent), says:
Lo “mejor de todo” es que la periodista si se puede llamar así, porque ultimamente solamente aparece como presentadora, Vicky Dávila hace el comentario de que aparentemente los exiliados colombianos tienen una mala informacion de nuestro país. Dando a entender que en Colombia vivimos en un paraiso y que aquí no sucede nada.
The “best of all” is that the so-called journalist, because she’s lately appearing only as a presenter, Vicky Dávila makes this comment that apparently Colombian expatriates have bad information on our country, giving to understand that we in Colombia live in a paradise and that nothing happens.
In contrast, a blogger signing as Editorial at Con Ojos de Estudiante [ES]stands favorable to the democratically elected president:
El duro día del Presidente Uribe también incluyó una débil manifestación que ofrecieron unos cuantos mojigatos afuera del Centro Americano para Progreso. Como se acostumbra, nuestro honorable Presidente Uribe decidió enfrentarlos para ver si sus críticas tenían algo de fundamento pues alegaban la muerte de centenares de sindicalistas desde principio de la década de 1991. Al preguntársele, los infames manifestantes no tenían la menor idea de lo que estaban hablando. Parece ser que una vez más la oposición internacional habla sin fundamento. Es el deber del gobierno y del país entero, hacer saber cuál es la realidad que vive nuestro país ensangrentado por la violencia de una minoría. No es la primera vez que pasa, sucedió la semana pasada también en el fallido encuentro con el cuasipolítico-actor de Gore. Lo mismo sucede con cientos de ONG internacionales que dicen apoyar la causa ‘revolucionaria’ de las FARC y mostrar un retrato del Ché, pensando que están de acuerdo con su filosofía por que se vieron “Motorcycle Diaries”.
President’s tough day also included a weak demonstration offered by some prudes outside the American Center for Progress. As usual, our honorable President decided to face them to see if their criticisms had any basis because they were alleging responsibility in the death of hundreds of unionists since the early 1990s. When he asked (them), the infamous demonstrators had no idea of what they were talking about. It seems that again the international opposition speaks with unfounded allegations. The government and the entire country must make known about the reality in which our country lives, bloodstained by the violence of a minority.  It’s not the first time this happens, it occurred last week during the failed meeting with the quasi-politician-actor [Al] Gore. The same happens with hundreds of international ONGs who claim to support the FARC’s ‘revolutionary’ cause and show a portrait of Ché [Guevara], thinking they agree with his philosophy because they watched “Motorcycle Diaries”.
On 3 May, Uribe met U. S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic Congresspeople, trying to discuss the FTA. Instead, Ms. Pelosi asked about prosecution for military allegedly involved with paramilitaries:
It is essential that the Colombian government investigate and prosecute such officials, including those at high levels.  Those within Colombia who are calling for full disclosure about paramilitary influence should be commended for their constructive efforts to build a stronger democracy.
Journalist and blogger Felipe Zuleta writes [ES] that “in the United States the impertinent ‘arriero’ provides no results, he can go with that boastful manner of speaking to some other place” and asks his readers whether the paramilitary chiefs are going to be extradited (they haven't been extradited thanks to the Justice and Peace Law).
Meanwhile, Colombia mainstream media seems to try to minimize the negative results of Uribe's visit by publishing a poll claiming that Uribe is even more popular than before (75%), and that opposition senator Gustavo Petro's negative image actually soared. The controversy is served. Zuleta slams the media [ES] for ‘covering up’ the ‘disastrous’ Uribe's visit to Washington, says Colombian journalism. It “is a shame” and asked the citizens to access the blogs and denounce. In a comment [ES], o-lu from Sociología para novatos [ES], which has dealt with the poll issue, claiming that Gallup polls are inaccurate because they are made by phone in a country where only 54% of the homes have a telephone line, says:
El manejo de Jorge Londoño de esta encuesta confirma la impresion de que el hombre tiene un sesgo previo. En efecto, el encuestador hace coincidir la fecha de aparicion de sus resultados […] con el dia D para Uribe en el Congreso de USA, donde como bien sabemos -pese a que algunos medios de comunicacion NO informaron- le fue muy mal. Esto le da pretexto a los mismos medios para enredar la noticia de USA, que es la importante. Mientras la independencia politica de este encuestador en particular siga siendo tan cuestionable, sera dificil tomar esos resultados como datos fiables.
The way Jorge Londoño (president of pollster Invamer-Gallup) manipulates this poll confirms the impression that this man is biased. Actually, the pollster makes the results’ publishing date to match […] with Uribe's D-day in U. S. Congress, where as we all know, despite what some mainstream media DID NOT report, the visit went really poor. This gives the media a pretext to complicate the U. S. news, which is the important one. As long as this pollster's political independence remains so questionable, it will be hard to take these results as reliable data.
Camilo Galán, from leftist Colombia Hoy [ES] blog, remarks that:
Nunca en la historia reciente de Colombia habíamos visto a un Presidente de la República presentarse ante un grupo de congresistas de una potencia extranjera para dar explicaciones. La reunión con Pelosi y sus compañeros de bancada, más que un dialogo constructivo, como se quiere presentar en Colombia, fue un interrogatorio al presidente colombiano sobre la parapolítica. […] Una cosa es el lobby y otra muy diferente es pisotear la dignidad presidencial. A ese tipo de situaciones no se puede prestar un presidente. […] Una vez más Uribe nos ha demostrado que la soberanía de Colombia hoy está en otro lugar. El presidente colombiano no le da explicaciones satisfactorias a los colombianos, pero sí se las da a los congresistas de los Estados Unidos. Uribe irrespeta a la prensa colombiana, pero es diligente con la de los Estados Unidos. Uribe irrespeta a la oposición legítima de Colombia, pero es “suavecito” y genuflexo con el partido de oposición de los Estados Unidos.
Never in Colombia's recent history have we seen a President of the Republic to turn up before a foreign power's Congressional group in order to give them explanations. The meeting with Pelosi and her fellow Democrat congresspeople, which was more than a constructive dialogue, as it's being presented in Colombia, was an interrogation for the Colombian president on the parapolitical scandal. […] One thing is to lobby and it is another different thing to stomp on presidential dignity. […] Once again Uribe has shown that Colombia's sovereignity is somewhere else. Colombian president gives no satisfactory explanations to Colombian people, but he does give them to U. S. Congresspeople. Uribe is disrespectful to Colombian press, but is diligent with U. S. media. Uribe is disrespectful to legitimate opposition in Colombia, but is “soft” and knelt down with U. S. opposition party.
Julio Suárez Anturi entitles his post “Uribe [came back] with his hands empty [ES]” and tells us about a interview with CNN en Español's Ángela Patricia Janiot which was finally cancelled. The quote is from Ms. Janiot, who said that in the report on Uribe's visit. Colombia leader told [ES] journalists that he'd talk with “all 535 U. S. Congresspeople if necessary” in order to achieve FTA's approval, and he will be back in June to insist on it, in spite Bush's support.

author: Carlos Raúl van der Weyden Velásquez


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Cuba: Vive Sarkozy! · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Vive la France!”  Babalu Blog celebrates the election of Nicolas Sarkozy to the French Presidency.


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Egypt: Ambassadors Need Training  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Ambassadors should have to get training to restrain from heaping free praise to regimes that don’t deserve it,” writes Egypt-based blogger Issandr El Amrani, who links to a New York Times article on recent developments in Egypt.


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Egypt: Blogger Summoned for Criticising Gaddafi  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Libyan-Egyptian relations took a new turn over the weekend, with an Egyptian blogger summoned for questioning after writing an article criticising Colonel Muammer Gaddafi. “Eman found herself requested to go to the National State security building in Alexandria for an investigation in the charge of attacking another president by the request presented by the Libyan embassy!! The NSS decided to empty the blog from its content in order to please the angry messes of the Libyans for their beloved leader, after all the Libyan-Egyptian relations don’t need some blogger to destroy it!!,” writes blogger Zeinobia.


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Egypt: Bloggers in the Headlines  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Ibn Al Dunya links to articles about blogger Sandmonkey, who has announced he was giving up blogging, and Abdulmonem Mahmood, who has been arrested for his blogging activities.


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Estonia: ” A Big Little Country” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Itching for Eestimaa writes about a recent car trip north of Tartu: “So often I hear people talk about Estonia as if it were only Tallinn. But nothing could be farther from the truth. For a country the size of Denmark or the Netherlands, Estonia seems roomy inside. It's a big little country, if such things exist.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Estonia: On Food (and Peace) · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The buzz surrounding Tallinn's Bronze Soldier is gradually subsiding, but it is still too early to speak of peace: Estonia's police are preparing for possible unrest on May 9, pro-Kremlin youth groups are still marching in Moscow, and politicians as well as bloggers continue arguing about the situation.
While the previous Global Voices translation dealt with the violent events of April 26, below is a completely amicable entry, written on May 3 by Tallinn-based LJ user orang-m (RUS):
On food
I've been shooting at the Best Estonian Product exhibition today.
While they were all away at the conference hall, I wandered around expo tables laid with food.
We've got some very beautiful and delicious products: grilled sausages with wondrous sauces, and kholodets [jellied meat], and various meat creations, and puddings, and zephir [sweets], and cheese breads, […], and juices, and marzipans.
When I was done shooting it all, I sat down in the corner on a window sill, chewing on a sausage.
A woman in her 60s, dressed in [Estonian] national dress, came up to me: a consultant on meat products.
We chatted about various tasty recipes.
Then she heard me speaking on the phone, in Russian.
She said: “Look, I'll feed you now. Because they'll all come running here during the break, and there'll be nothing left for you.”
She spoke in Russian to me, even though we communicated in Estonian before that.
And – she filled me up with food.
It is really very tasty what we are producing here.
Why am I writing all this.
Any mess begins inside one's head.
When a person sees others as enemies – he is the one who's got problems.
And no doctor is going to help him.
Why is it that I only run into good people, huh?
And here is one of the comments to this post:
ulixes: I keep wanting to write something nice and encouraging to you these days. But it's you who ends up writing encouraging things. Thank you.
[Mir] (both peace and world [these two translations of the Russian word mir are written in English in the original]) is built on this very thing – human relations. One person's attitude toward the other and vice versa, that is :) And suddenly this [world/peace] is crashed with that huge thing called “state politics” – and one starts feeling like a helpless idiot. But then I read your posts and realize that all is okay, the [world/peace] is still there, and so are the relations between people. Take care of yourself, all of you over there.
***
LJ user kocmoc has posted photos from the Bronze Soldier's new location at Tallinn's military cemetery – here.


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Estonia: “Past the Sound Bites” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Estonian blogger Kojinshugi posts “a detailed account of what happened in Tallinn this weekend, how it happened, why it happened, and what it means. […] As much as I’m writing this to get across the true nature of events, I’m also writing it to offer insight into one Estonian mind – mine. The spirit of this, though, will be something that a great deal of Estonians would agree with.” (Four parts: one, two, three, and four.)


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Guyana: Mosquito Wars · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Paint me with citronella oil and call me Warrior-Gyal. I going on a hunt!” declares Guyana-Gyal as she and “black flocks” of mosquitoes face off.


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Hong Kong: May 4 spirit · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Last weekend, some secondary schools and youth groups in Hong Kong has organized a rally to commenorate the May 4th movement in China. Plastichk found the scene rather ironic because one could hardly find any young people in the rally know what exactly is May 4th movement, “it is just a show for fake patriotism” (zh).


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India: Donuts and Orkut for married women · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Sunny Days is puzzled by someone who scraps telling her that married women shouldn't be on Orkut. “What could I say? I pointed out that people who wished to stay anonymous really have no place in a networking site. I know a whole bunch of people who use pseudonyms, but they usually identify themselves with a pic, at least in their albums. A networking site is for keeping in touch with your friends, or so I always believed. Maybe make new ones. But I suppose a whole bunch of clowns out there sincerely believe it's a place to find women willing to participate in cybersex.”


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India: Madras and Home · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

etcetera on “home”coming. From New York to Madras. “On my first day back, a houseful of relatives encourage me to go take a ‘nap’ at 5 in the evening. I wake up a little after midnight, and for about 15 seconds, I feel how wild party animals probably feel like all the time. 15 seconds is how long it takes me to answer those vital questions: Whose bed is this? Who’s the other sleeping figure in the room? What country am I in?”


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Iraq: President Bush Invited for Orange Juice in Iraq  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi blogger LadyBird  links to a television interview with Zawahri, who invites President Bush to have orange juice with him in the Green Zone in Iraq.


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Jailed blogger Abdel-Monem went on open hunger strike · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

Jailed blogger Abdel-Monem Mahmoud along with 23 other jailed students from the Institute of Agricultural Engineering threatened to begin a hunger strike on Tuesday May 8 in protest of their harsh detention conditions. According to a hunger strike statement sent today, the detainees claimed that they were subject to sexual harassment by prisoners of common law with whom they're sharing the space.
Lawyer Islam Lotfi, a member of Abdel-Monem's defense panel,  said that the “Al Mahkom” prison where Monem is kept “is designated for the most vicious criminals” and that “several cases of TB and HIV have been detected among prisoners.”


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Jamaica: Homophobia · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Francis Wade examines the issue of “homosexual hatred” in Jamaica.


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Japan: “Parental Studies” · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

The Japanese government has recently come up with a proposal for introducing so-called “oyagaku”, or parental education, as part of its education al reform program. Japanese MP  Hosaka Nobuto  criticises this recent movement mainly supported by some conservative groups and argues that the state has no place in the nation's living rooms. [Ja]

author: Hanako Tokita


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Jordan: Burnt Chocolate · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Naseem Al Tarawneh links to a news article  which says that five trucks loaded with chocolate caught fire in the main Courtyard of Amman Customs Department.


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Kenya: a tribute site in memory of flight KQ507 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

KenyaUnlimited has set up a tribute site following the tragic accident of the Kenya Airways Flight KQ507 last week: “In memory of the Kenya Airways Flight KQ507 that crashed in Douala, Cameroon on Saturday, KenyaUnlimited has set up a KQ507 tribute site where you can leave your message of support for the families and friends of all those affected by this tragedy. These messages will be printed and delivered to Kenya Airways at an appropriate time.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Korea: The Kaesong Industrial Complex  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Jamie from Interlocals.net has written up his visit the Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea. The complex is a result of the Korean government's unification policies. It is also designed to benefit small and mid-sized Korean firms having trouble competing with low wage light manufacturing firms in China and Southeast Asia.


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Kuwait: Walkways, Development, Sports and Unknown ‘Brands’ · Global Voices
Abdullatif AlOmar

Construction cranes are seen all over Kuwait – building everything from pedestrian walkways for people to exercise in their own neighbourhoods to skyscrapers and mega malls.
Kuwaiti bloggers give us a preview of all that, plus an insight to a near disaster in a sports club, where spectators can literally fall to their doom if they focus on the game too much.
1001 Kuwaiti Nights reviews the the different pedestrian walkaways in Kuwait, which one of them is nice and the best times to walk in them.
The word “mamsha” is what Kuwaitis call a walkway usually constructed within residential areas. I think these walkways are a great idea since they allow residents to do a little exercise somewhere close to home and for free. This is my review of some of the walkways in Kuwait.
From walking in neighbourhoods, Satori takes us on a small tour of Kuwait in his blog  SWA Travel Log.
Construction cranes (yellow) are everywhere in Kuwait. “Skyscrapers”, really just tall apartment buildings, are going up everywhere.
Marzouq at zdistrict checks out the avenues the newest mall in Kuwait.
For the first time I have been to Avenues since it open, I took my mother there to check it out and see what all the fuss is about. First off its very spacious and there seems to be a lot of parking and different points to enter it. This is only Phase 1 based on what I understand but it's still pretty big and they have only opened about 60% of the shops in Phase 1 so more and more will be opening.
intlxpatr posts about something a relative of hers found.
My niece, checking on Kuwaiti Censorship, went to the Ministry on Information where she found this statement:
على الإنترنت
حتى إشعار أخر
Audio & Video Streaming is stopped
until further notice
And I just checked it, but I can’t figure out if it means they are discontinuing audio and video streaming from their site, or if they intend to discontinue audio and video streaming in Kuwait?
Hamad briefs us about his experience at a local youth soccer game.
I nearly lost my life few days ago when I went to watch a youth league soccer game. The game was in Kazma club, in field number two and its the one that the under 17 and youth games are played. Of course you may be amazed if I tell you that some of these games get more crowd attendance than the league games.
I was a bit late and when I climbed the terrace there was an attack for Kuwait Club (my favourite club). This is why I ascended the terrace while watching the field. Someone from the crowd shouted ‘WATCH OUT! WATCH OUT! DON'T FALL!’ I looked down and oh my God. It was by a miracle that I survived falling and maybe death.
A wooden terrace, built when the club was opened and broken in every place, is a catastrophe and a disaster if one fell down. In the best scenario, he will live crippled for the rest of his life.
Ladies and gentlemen, do you know who is the president of Kazma Club?
It's Mr Asa'ad Al Banwan, the chairman of MTC, one of the most biggest and most successful companies and the one with the highest stock value in the Kuwait Stock Exchange.
And Kazma Club, for those who do not know, is one of the oldest and largest clubs in Kuwait. If this is how it looks like, how would small clubs be?
This is how sports is in Kuwait –  amateur players, bad coaches, playing fields with potholes and broken terraces. And then they ask why we don't win!
(Just to note: These are photographs of small parts of the terrace. If I wanted to take photos of the whole broken terrace, 100 photos wouldn't be enough to show it.)
Qaiss Gives us a friendly advice that explains a bit of how businesses work in Kuwait.
Original Equipment Manufacturing, OEM; so what kind of products are they: they are the “WANSA, MUSHRIQ, ELECTROZAN” you know, the electronic products sold all over Kuwait that we never heard of as brands. I mean what is wansa really or Mushriq electronics or the new electorzan shop. These products are all called OEM, its when one company buys a certain technology from another manufacture and names it with his own
Last but not least, K.Thekuwaiti posts about the Kuwaiti team in Gumball 3000 race.
Kuwait finally has a team in the Gumball 3000 .. Khaled Al-Mudhaf has gone and entered his yellow LP640 in the 2007 rally (complete with a Kuwaiti flag on the roof) as Team # 054
Photo courtesy of intlxpatr.

author: Abdullatif AlOmar


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Mexico: Nude Art in Zocalo · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

EBRmx [ES] posts a picture of the recent photo shoot that drew 18,000 nude individuals to Mexico City's main square to participate in Spencer Tunick's work of art.  Veronique writes about her firsthand experience in the photo shoot in her blog Que alguien me explique [ES].


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Morocco: Linguistics, Music Videos, and the Merits of Hymenorrhaphy · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Arabic music videos became the hot topic of the week when blogger Cat in Rabat became ill and was forced to watch TV for a few days.  She wrote a fantastic critique of the Lebanese and Egyptian style of video clip entitled “How to Become a Millionaire.”
Upon discovering the videos, Cat in Rabat said “Never in my life had I witnessed such visually stunning, ground breaking works of art, each video a bare-souled musical labyrinth of complex subtleties, subtle complexities, and raw human emotion that explored the human condition as no other genre had previously attempted. Was Peter Gabriel somehow behind these?”  She then summarized the general format that all Arabic music videos seem to follow.
Blogger Cory Driver, an American who lives in Morocco, shared a secret in response: “I love Arabic music videos. we're talking more than like. LOVE. they help me learn Arabic, and it's another part of culture I can share with some of my artisans.”
Also related to languages, Everything Morocco blogged about the languages of Morocco this week in a post called “In Morocco you say what?”  The linguistic history and use of various languages is discussed, with Everything Morocco concluding:
Maybe it's their history or the way their brains work or just a need to communicate, but Moroccans seem predisposed to picking up multiple languages and using them freely. They don't harbor the language prejudices or pride so commonly seen in other cultures and are more than willing to be the one to facilitate communication. It all gives new meaning to the expression finding someone who speaks your language.
After reading a post in Marock Magazine, a popular Moroccan online forum that asked “Accepteriez vous se marier avec une meuf non vierge?” (“Would you marry a woman who is not a virgin?”) to which 74% of respondents gave a positive answer, it was surprising to find a post by Myrtus entitled “The Need to Have One's Hymen Resewn.”
Responding to a Reuters article which discusses the choice of a 19-year-old Moroccan woman to have her hymen reconstructed, Myrtus asks: “Wow, there are backroom hymen-attachment clinics in Casablanca?? And let's face it, it's youth who get this procedure done. I mean, who looks for a 40-yr. old virgin?  So now let's ask ourselves … how many options do young women and teens have?”
The Morocco Report‘s taamarbuuta agreed with Myrtus, saying, “I’m sure you can guess my opinion on this, but just in case…I find it absolutely absurd that a woman must risk her life in an illegal clinic just so that her future husband’s masculinity and ego can get a little boost when he makes love to her for the first time and finds that she has bled (but in this case, because unhygienic string sutures have been ripped from her vagina).”
Lastly, and also in the vein of the Moroccan medical profession, The View From Fez posted a heart warming article praising Moroccan doctors for their quick response and gentle care of a friend who was recently ill.  The author says, “It is worth reflecting that in a lot of so-called developed countries he could well have died while waiting for medical assistance.”

author: Jillian C. York


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Nepal: Education and a dollar a week · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Our Dream on the importance of education in Nepal, and what one could do about it. “Most of these children come from families who cannot afford two meals a day, let alone education costs for the child. The parents work in the farm all day or for some other people to earn their living. So, they are unable to send their children to school. Moreover, they expect these kids to help them in their daily household work.”