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Kuwait: Order Pirated DVDs Online · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

You can order pirated DVDs online in Kuwait and have them delivered to your doorstep, according to Lebanese blogger Mark, who lives in Kuwait.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Nepal: Where have all the Sherpas gone? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Deepak's Diary on sherpas. “Nepal has always been exoticized as a country of brave Gurkha soldiers and adventurous Sherpa mountaineers. Both of these myths are under deconstruction now. Tenzing Norgay, the famous Nepali son was later snatched away by India and now another relentless mountaineer Appa Sherpa is in the process of becoming American citizen.
“

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Nigeria: audio comments about election results · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Greenlight Nigeria collects audio comments about state elections in Nigeria: “I posted this idea – of people using Evoca and this site to respond to the election result, to a few of the Nigerian sites worldwide – early this morning. And here’s our first message”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Nigeria: test of fairness · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Grandiose Parlor on Nigeria state elections: “Reports suggest the presidency and state government have manipulated the result in favor of the PDP. Hence the reason for delaying the results in the state. Which I’ve been told has been suspended indefinitely because of fraud.
But it appears the PDP has underestimated the people they have ruled for 4 years, and certainly has forgotten history as well.”


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Pakistan: Praying and Playing · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Pakistani Spectator doesn't take very kindly to comments made by the Pakistani Cricket Team's manager about the connection between Namaz (the ritual of prayer) and playing. “But its shocking that in an Islamic country people are blaming Namaz and religious activities for the defeat. Namza differentiates between a Muslim and non-muslim. Namaz is mandatory. But what sort of Muslims these are who are making Namaz controversial.”


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Palestine: Christian Bookshop Bombed · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Firas links to news reports about the bombing of a Christian bookshop in Gaza, Palestine.


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Palestine: Israel Torturing Child Prisoners · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah links to an article which claims that Israel is torturing Palestinian child prisoners.


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Poland: Splitting Parties · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“… Splitting tendency has been evident in Polish politics ever since the fall of communism. It even happened to the Beer Drinkers Party,” the beatroot reports.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Russia: Coverage of the Rallies · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Two roundups of coverage of this weekend's opposition rallies in Russia – at Scraps of Moscow, here and here.


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Russia, Latvia: April 16 in History · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

April 16 in history – at De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis: a failed attempt to kill the Russian emperor in 1866; the first Russian trade union is created in 1905; the museum of the red Latvian riflemen opened in Riga in 1970.


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Russia: Talking With “Dissenters” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Following the Dissenters’ March in Moscow this past Saturday, Robert Amsterdam talks on the phone with Eduard Limonov, Garry Kasparov and Karinna Moskalenko, and other friends in Russia. More – here and here.


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South Korea: Potential of UCC · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Michael Hurt has written a long post on the development of user created content (UCC) in South Korea. He felt that the creativity is behind the technology development.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Sri Lanka: Loans, the economy and lenders · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

One One Things on donor conditionality in Sri Lanka. “The first is that loan conditionality has evolved over the last decade or so. In the 80’s and 90’s the World Bank and the IMF notoriously imposed loan conditionalities that have been at loggerheads with the interests of developing countries. I think their main fault was to assume that market imperfections in developing countries are much the same as those which affect developed countries. But there seems to have been a shift, which culminated in the Paris Declaration a couple of years ago.”


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Syrian Blogsphere on Pelosi, Liz Cheyney, Parliamentary Elections, and Nargileh · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

In the last couple of weeks very important developments have taken place on the Syrian political arena. One was the controversial visit of the US speaker of parliament Nancy Pelosi to Damascus.
The visit had sparked hundreds of articles in the world's media, pro and against. And the Syrian blogsphere itself held very different views on the issue. Ammar Abdulhamid of Amarji was very offended by the way Pelosi's handling or lack thereof of the Human Rights conditions in Syria. As it seemed to be her last concern, he writes…
Friendship? Hope? For whom exactly? My dissident colleagues, that is, the few who were granted an audience with her Congressional Highness, felt completely snubbed by her, their entire encounter did not last but for a few icy minutes, I am told. Mrs. Pelosi’s friendship and hope seem reserved to the corrupt and oppressive bunch
George Ajjan, “an American Republican of Syrian extraction” as he describes himself, downplayed the real importance of this visit, and felt that its only another “domestic power play”…
I think the high profile of the Speaker of the House conducting such a visit, and the fact that she's the first woman to hold the post, has made this whole visit much larger than what it is. This is Syria, not Iran, not North Korea. Congressional delegations of both parties have been camping out in Damascus for ages, and the US, despite having withdrawn its ambassador Margaret Scobey after the (former Lebanese PM Rafik) Hariri assassination, still operates an Embassy in Damascus. Compare that to Tehran, which has had no formal diplomatic ties with the US in almost 30 years.
Apart from the political impact, Pelosi's visit to the shrine of St. Paul the Baptist inside the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus with a headscarf had also sparked a whole different circle of controversy. Rime Allaf was infuriarated by this…
Against my better judgement, I browsed some popular right wing blogs discussing the issue; the comments alone about Pelosi wearing a scarf as she visited Omayyad Mosque would scare the living daylights out of any normal person. When several level-headed and knowledgeable people mentioned that it was only a sign of respect, just as women wear a head cover to meet with the Pope, or as one would wear appropriate attire to enter a church or a synagogue, they would be chastised with the admonition that there is no moral equivalence between those and a mosque! To read these disparaging comments and the sheer ignorance, hatred and aggressiveness about all things Islamic, Arab and female was truly an eye opener, even for someone who follows media as closely as I do.
On a different issue, Liz Cheney [the daughter of the US Vice President Dick Cheney] published earlier this week another controversial article in the Washington Post titled “The Truth About Syria” sparked yet another round of controversy…
The article used very strong language against Syria, Rime Allaf had this reply for it…
Two particular sentences cracked me up in this so-called opinion piece which doesn’t burden itself with trivial matters like facts. The first funny sentence is “Arab leaders should stop receiving Bashar al-Assad.” Because …? Because they’re not as “outlaw” as the Syrian regime? Because they themselves don't interfere or have interests in the region? Because they are beacons of democracy and freedom? Because they were actually elected to their positions? Because they are big on feminism, freedom of speech and freedom of worship? Because they apply the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
The second really hilarious sentence is “The Security Council should also hold Syria accountable for its ongoing violations of existing resolutions.” Can’t argue with that … if only it read “every country” instead. Of course, the country currently in violation of the highest number of resolutions is Israel (which I believe is flouting 68 resolutions at last count).
Syrian Economy also had his reply to Cheney's arguments…
What ongoing violations of existing resolutions is she speaking of. And, how about throwing in the violation of long standing resolution by another nation in the neighborhood. Empowering the Syrian opposition: Ms. Cheney should know by now that the current administration empowerment of opposition is a kiss of death. She recommends the Europeans should demonstrate that they value justice over profit; taking her advice, it would seem the Europeans should also place financial and travel sanctions on US leaders, Saudi leaders, Egyptian leaders, Turkish leaders, …
On to local politics, Syria is holding its Parliamentary elections soon, and the campaigns have started on the ground, Abu fares, though, is not that interested…
What about the titles that precede their names? Industrialist, Artist, Media Personality, Business Man, Ex-Football Player, Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer, Haj. Isn’t anybody a nobody anymore? They are all dressed in suits and look fat and comfortable. It’s no longer in vogue to be a simple farmer or worker to run for the parliamentary elections. The majority are “appointed’ parrots from the “Front” and most of the rest are a bunch of fat cats. What about me? Of the dozens of ugly faces polluting my vision, who ever asked me what I want or what I need? Who dare say, he or she represents me?
Abu Kareem from Levantine Dreamhouse leaves us with very intense flashbacks of his first hand experience of the Lebanese Civil War…
# The endless nights huddled in the stairwell of the apartment building where I lived.
# My blue VW golf turned into a sieve from the shrapnel of a mortar shell.
# The smell of blood, sweat and explosives that permeated the AUH emergency room on a bad day.
# The stunned look of a young girl, not older than six, with a superficial shrapnel wound on her delicate cheek, as I carried her into the emergency room.
# All the different permutations of militias that at one time or another clashed with each other.
# The eerie quiet of a bright spring Beirut morning following a night of horrifying bombardment, when all you could hear was the chirping of birds.
And to rap it off with something less serious, but not that much less controversial. Ihsan, happened to buy tobacco for his Nargileh (hubble bubble) over the internet. But guess what, it was shipped from Israel…
A friend of mine told me to throw them away, well that's, they already got my money and now I should just be throwing my stuff!!! Not so clever I'd day! Another friend told me that since I paid and there is no return policy, I should smoke my  off to the fullest since what's done is done.

author: Yazan Badran


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Taiwan: Independent reporter threaten by police · Global Voices
Pipper Lee

Ms. Chui-Yung Chang (張翠容), an independent reporter from Hong Kong,  was threaten by Taiwan local police when she spoke for the public in a demonstration. The administration claimed that foreigners can only perform the task listed on the application, or they will be deported. More details can be reached via the article in coolloud.org.tw [zh].

author: Pipper Lee


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Touring Libyan Blogs: Bloggers on Spring Break! · Global Voices
Fozia Mohamed

I am not sure, but I have the general feeling that the Libyan blogosphere has been a little quiet lately, except for the usual couple of blogs who regularly update. Maybe it is because of academic exams ? Or perhaps it's spring and people are tired ?
Anyway the topics were varied as they are always, but simply not many have been blogging.
Interestingly, if you want to penetrate or invade a country it might be easier  and more pleasant to do so economically than through warfare. This is the meaning in my opinion of foreign investment in the so called third word countries. A example of this type of peaceful invasion is highlighted by Abughilan and the story of how Banco di Roma became active in Libya.
“In its first year, the bank opened another agency in Benghazi and several others in Khoms, Zletin, Misurata, Zawara and Derna. The bank had some admirers in the local community –Libyans, Jewish and Maltese- who promoted its activity and preached its virtues and were paid handsomely for their services. The bank offered loans with a very acceptable interest rate, only up to 9 %, and encouraged its customers to obtain loans against land mortgage, and when they failed to pay back, the bank acquired the land. The bank had also a scheme of buying lands through agents for prospective Italian colonials coming to Libya at a later stage.”
Nowadays this effect is achieved by globalization, which has engulfed most of the world as we know it.
A_Akak has gone on a virtual picnic to the Lake District.
“i was unable to come up to newcastle last weekend so i decided to send a representative for me, and that rep was my Digital Camera,”
However what is more interesting than his post are the lively  commenters, who described previous picnics and how Libyans embrace the experience.
‘[..]  love it, i would wander away somewhere and make friends with the sheep.
later i would come back to the cabin to find that most of the libyan kids had nearly drowned in the mud, broken a bone, had some sort of injury or other or was lost and everyone was franticly looking for them.[…]”.
Libyano on the other hand takes us this time on Part II of his journey from Tripoli to Egypt, namely Alexandria.
“At night we decided to take a round in the streets of Alexandria with my car but we got lost, we asked for the directions to the Corniche but we found ourselves being more and more lost until we realized that some of the people we asked were giving us wrong directions and I think it was intentionally, we got into narrow streets where I was thinking this is it now they are gonna make us stop and steal the car and everything else, I drove non stop in the narrow streets and tried to use my sense of directions but we got ourselves more lost until we found ourselves going in a street full of people and their wooden carriages selling all these kind of things you see in any Egyptian movie fil 7ara (in the neighbourhood).”
The Lost -Libyano ( another Libyano) is wondering and feels indignation at  why is it that when the Western press reports a crime against some Muslim victim it never mentions the religion of a criminal, but if the criminal was Muslim we would be sure to hear about it.
“The 33-year-old woman was pushing her son in his pram through the Yoker area of the city when a group of young men threw stones at them and kicked the woman” ( note their is no mention of the men's ethnicity or religion).
I've actually wondered about this myself several times and I still have not found a convincing answer.
The 15th of April commemorates the date of the US bombing of Libyan cities exactly 21 years ago (1986). I ‘ve scoured over 60 Libyan blogs to look for any mention of that event  but the only one who brought the subject up was Besheshentra. She mentioned it in conjunction with another tragedy which took place also on the 15 of April : the Titanic!
“two tragedies happened at night in this day ..
they are related to each other only by their date
but still …
they both hold , death , fear , dark and sad memories ..
15 April : the titanic sinking 1912
15 April : American air strike on Libya 1986
So , let us just
remember …”
On this occasion I think Highlander's old post would be suitable when describing a child's view of her city under attack.
“Have you ever been in a disaster area, just before something terrible is about to take place? If you have then you would know what I’m talking about, this sense of total silence, impending doom, emptiness inside and all your body hair standing up. This eerie silence is what woke me up, and I was hearing in my head a distant thudding.”
But also for turning the page …
“In order to survive, we put behind those sad memories and try to become pragmatic about this , maybe we even follow the proverb which says wisely “when you can’t beat them ..join them”. “

author: Fozia Mohamed


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Trinidad & Tobago: Why Blog?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Can Cook, Must Cook recently had a discussion with three other Caribbean food bloggers – the happy outcome was that “it’s become more and more obvious that there are several reasons why my fellow bloggers and I must continue doing this.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Ukraine: Family History · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Wu Wei resumes writing about her father's life: “No wonder his nationality was not so clear. And no wonder he could apparently speak Polish, Romanian, Hungarian and Ukrainian when he arrived in Brussels.”


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Ukraine: Orthodox Easter Photos · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Michael Forster Rothbart posts photos from an Orthodox Christian Easter service held at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.


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Zimbabwe: Stock market gains, a peaceful prayer meeting, and economic opportunism · Global Voices
Zimpundit

As the poor get poorer, the rich are only going to get richer in Zimbabwe.  In this post, Mugabe Makaipa describes how Zimbabwe's stock market has grown 12,000% over last year as it has become chief among the few safe places that people can hedge against inflation.  With inflation skyrocketing, unemployment reaching 80%, the local bourse has simultaneously become a boon to the capitalist intentions of the few that are willing to make the risky investment in Zimbabwean stock too.  Sadly, the economically elite are the only beneficiaries of the reeling economy that is in Zimbabwe.  In Zimbabwe, they are very few and far between.
Therefore, all of the rich people, government officials, and banks are putting their money into stocks so that it doesn't lose value. Demand is high, so the price is too.
The everyday people of Zimbabwe don't see any benefit to this, though. Their masters may not see it for much longer either. Stock prices on the index are obviously inflated and unsustainable. It's only a matter of time before it comes crashing down, taking down many in its spiral.
Still on the subject of the select few in Zimbabwe, Zimpundit is conflicted about whether Zimbabweans in the diaspora should support calls for the deportation of the children of government officials who are living affluent lives on college campuses and in cities in the west.  It goes without saying that most if not all of these children are direct or indirect beneficiaries of the torrid situation faced by struggling tax paying Zimbabweans.  The fact that the Zimbabwean government has been openly public with their anti-west rhetoric doesn't help the situation much.  Zimpundit wants to know:
Should this be thing that we as Zimbabweans be working at? Or do we have better things invest our energies into?
Just weeks after one of the bloodiest weekends in the history of Zimbabwe, the Save Zimbabwe coalition shifted their attention to Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, this last weekend.  Save Zimbabwe, the umbrella body of civic organizations in Zimbabwe, is the same group that was behind the fateful Highfield prayer meeting which was brutally quashed by the Zimbabwe Republic Police.  This is Zimbabwe has been following developments surrounding the prayer meeting.  Ever the skeptic, The Bearded Man comments thus on relative tranquility surrounding the Bulawayo prayer meeting,
Wonders will never cease!
It makes such a difference to hear that a prayer meeting was allowed to proceed and that the situation did not deteriorate into violence, beating, arrests and a repeat of the orgy of oppression we saw last month.
This does not mean that the ruling party have done with the beatings etc, but that for some reason they saw reason and long may that continue
Finally, Dennis Nyandoro at Kubatana Blogs chronicles how some opportunists are exploiting the hyper inflationary environment to gauge people who are suspected to have money
Yesterday I went to the shops together with my wife, and when we were checking in different shops and comparing prices I met my young brother with his wife also doing the same thing. Most people think we are twins but we are not, the only difference is that I wear spectacles and my young brother doesn’t.
Anyway the four of us holding our plastic bags walked around the shop buildings rubbing shoulders with vendors displaying their wares of tomatoes, onions, potatoes etc.
My young brother had bought a packet of Chimombe fresh milk for Z$5,000 from a vendor who had packs under his little table – one that is easy to carry when being chased by the police. As I approached the vendor he greeted me with a loud voice: “Aah murungu auya” meaning someone with money. All because of the spectacles.
Then I asked how much a packet of Chimombe was, and guess what? “Only Z$6,000!” he said smiling. But before I handed over the money my young brother quickly asked the vendor why he was charging me more than what he had sold it to him for. The vendor looked at my young brother with bloodshot eyes trying to stop him from telling me the right price.

author: Zimpundit


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Afghanistan: Buzkashi in the Panjsher Valley · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Kabul Diary reports on a visit to Afghanistan's Panjsher Valley to see a game of the traditional Central Asian game of buzkashi.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Africa: Africa plays on · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Annansi Chronicles on Puma and soccer in Africa: “Along with their sponsorship last year, Puma launched a targeted campaign in support of African football which included a huge press event with notable African personalities including Akon, a book “The African Game” by Nigerian photographer Andrew Dosunmu, a music CD, “Africa Plays On”, featuring music from various artists including Akon, John Legend, Amadou & Mariam, Cheikh Lô, and Daara J, and the related Puma Charity Collection.”


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Al Jazeera Pleasing US Too Much · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Qatari-based Al Jazeera goes out of its way to show its objectivity to the US, claims blogger Asad Abu Khalil. “(F)rom Sep. 11 until two years ago: Aljazeera aired 11 hours of Bin Laden tapes and some 500 hours of Bush's tapes. The network now goes out of its way to cover any utterances (even sneezes and yawns as I once said on Aljazeera) by US officials just to prove its “objectivity” to the US administration,” he notes.


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Algeria: The Status of Fouad Ajami · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Algerian blogger Nouri  sums up his opinion on whether John Hopkins professor Fouad Ajami is more of a Shia or a nationalist when it comes to discussing the developments in Iraq.


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Argentina: Citizen Media Coverage of Fuentealba Protests in Neuquen · Global Voices
David Sasaki

“Tens of thousands of people marched throughout Argentina on April 9 as part of a general strike called to protest the death of a teacher, Carlos Fuentealba, who died on April 5 in the southwestern province of Neuquen after being shot at close range with a tear gas canister,” writes the World War 4 Report with a nod to the Weekly News Update on the Americas. Mariano Amartino points to Pensamientos Despeinados [ES], where three young men from Neuquen are providing constant coverage of the protests including photographs and video.

author: David Sasaki


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Argentina: Launch of Google Argentina · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Mariano Amartino pens his impressions from the official launch [ES] of Google Argentina in Puerto Madero: “beyond just the event itself, I was surprised by the presence of Google's CEO and a couple very interesting details: first the size of the operation: the Argentina office is going to be the third largest regional headquarters in all of the world after California and Ireland. Second, the reach of it, because not only with the Argentina offices operate Google here, but also the operations for Latin America and “some of the operations of Spain”: a great “defense” of the quality of technological education in Argentina.


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Argentina, Urugyay: Across the Charco · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Across the Charco [ES] is an artistic exchange between Argentine and Uruguayan artists and musicians. Fernando Casale lists the four musical events by Uruguayan artists that will take place at the Centro Cultural Ricardo Rojas over the next two weeks.


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Armenia: Armenians & Trees · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Notes from Hareinik says that Armenians must not like trees considering the way they treat them.


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Bahrain: Ambassador Attends Passover Dinner · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Silver reports  that his country's Ambassador attended a Jewish Seder dinner to mark Passover in Washington DC, US. He wonders what this gesture means. “(S)o is this building bridges? or going against our core beliefs ? anyone cares to comment,” he writes.


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Bahrain: Blogger’s Hearing Postponed · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The hearing of a libel case against Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif  has been deferred until May 8 because the judge's mother passed away. Al Yousif is being sued for describing a minister as an imbecile.


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Bangladesh: Khaleda and her hair · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Biting wit at imperfect world 2007 on a politician being expelled from the country. “Well the big news is that the country is going to expel Khaleda. The main reason is that no one can stand her coiffure anymore, and she is being asked to go to a country where her bouffant will need to be encased in a hijab or some such.”


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Bermuda: Private Clinic, Public Interest?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

In the context of the Bermudan Premier's power to influence public health care policy coupled with his alleged financial interest in a private medical clinic, Politics.bm writes, “In mature democracies, the elected leader of the Government, and other public officials, are required to not only declare their private interests, but also resign any active involvement they hold in private businesses…”


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China and Hong Kong: You won’t understand my sorrow · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN has translated an in-depth investigative report by Yuan Lei at Southern Weekend on the case of Andy Lau fan Yang Lijuan, whose father had committed suicide.


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China: Crisis in Humanities · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Xueyong blogs about the crisis of the faculty of humanities in universities in as a result of the students’ pragmaticism in choosing major subject. He suggests the only way out is general education [zh].


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China: New Slang · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Joel Martinsen from Danwei translated two articles (one from YWeekend and another from Wu Fei's blog) discussing about new slang in China, the latter was worried about the impact of hooliganish language on the society.


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China: Orchid crime · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Zeng-ying blogs about a homocide case in Cheng-du. The murderer has killed 4 people and assaulted 2. Behind this cold blood murder is the Orchid market (zh). The price of some rare orchids has increased 10 of thousand times in the past few years.


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China:Three Stories about Old Aged Internet Users · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Virtual China has a post, written by Nan Yang, on stories about senior internet users in China: woman English teacher, a photography fan and a retired old man.


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Colombia: “From Chocó to Chicó” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

“How unexpected: Colombia’s northwest department (province) of Chocó is suddenly en vogue. After the scandalous death of 49 children from hunger in the last three months—adding to countless others we’ve never heard about—everyone seems to have an opinion about Chocó,” writes César Rodríguez on the weblog of the North American Congress on Latin America.


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Cuba: Political Balance Por Favor · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The publicly-funded STV network in Sweden last year broadcast a four-hour show in honour of Fidel Castro's 80th birthday.  Child of the Revolution has discovered that “19 formal complaints were lodged with the Swedish Broadcasting Commission…The regulator concluded that the ‘theme evening’ had breached a requirement that television productions be ‘politically balanced'”.


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Ecuador: Constitutional Assembly to be Formed · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Responding to the apparent confirmation of a constitutional assembly in Ecuador on Sunday, Bloggings by Boz calls the passage of the referendum “a big win for Correa.” Prior to voting day, Professor Matthew Søberg Shugart asked readers “Has any executive ever summoned the people to the polls to vote on a proposal to replace the constitution and been denied?” EcuadorElige [ES] is back with a collection of mainstream and citizen reporting about the referendum. Finally, building on his newfound support, the presidency of Rafael Correa recently announced an official YouTube channel [ES].


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Egypt: Inheriting Presidencies? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Following the success of former Syrian president Hafez Al Assad of handing down power to his son Bashar, who now rules Syria, Egyptian blogger Zeinobia argues that the inheritance of presidencies is contagious in the Arab region and is spreading across Egypt, Libya and even Yemen.


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Egypt: Remembrance Day for PoWs · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia calls for commemorating the lives of Egyptian PoWs in the 1967 war with Israel just like the Israelis mark April 16 as Yom HaShoah or The Remembrance Day for the Holocaust and Heroism.


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Ethiopia: March to protest violence against women.   · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

A march was organized on April, 14th at Merkel square, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This march wanted to show that women were still at risk of random acts of violence and that more needed to be done from a legal point of view to protect their well-being. The march was organized by the Ethiopian Wowen Lawyers Association, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) , United Nations Funds for Population (UNFPA) and the support of the Ministry of Justice and The Ministry of Women. It all started whem Kamilat  Mehdi walked home after dark with her two sisters when a man stepped out of the shadows and threw sulphuric acid in her face. The Reuters article  says: “Though an isolated case, the attack has horrified Ethiopia's reserved and conservative society and cast a searing light on a hidden culture of violence against women”.
Below is a video of the demonstration to increase awareness on this issue of women's legal protection against violence.  The posters are written in Ahmaric and advocates firmer laws on violence and sexual harrasment:

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Hungary: Euro-2012 Bid · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar and Pestcentric look at the chances that Hungary/Croatia's bid has in tomorrow's Euro-2012 vote in Cardiff.


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India: The Abusers · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

sthreeling on dealing with abusers. “However, sexual abuse doesn’t require genital gymnastics. In fact, it does not even require for a child to be touched physically. Rape is only one form of abuse. What about child pornography on the internet? What about voyeurism (where the abuser gets sexual pleasure out of looking at children when they are in the bathroom, changing clothes etc.)?”


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Interview with Digital Kalashinkov, Journalist and Blogger · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

In Digital Kalashinkov we find interesting stories, photos, and reflections on society and politics. In one of his recent posts, author Bahman Hedyati compared photographs of the various shop windows in Tehran, observing that even mannequins in Iran's capital are surreally covered up.
Please introduce yourself and your blog
My name is Bahman Hedyati from Tehran. I started to write Digital Kalashinkov four years ago. Of course it is a blog and a photoblog at the same time. I have taken almost all of the photos myself. The style of photography focuses on subjects and things that the official media is not interested in covering. I chose Digital Kalaeshinkov as a name because I feel many times what I am doing is like shooting with a Kalashinkov. There is a similarity between shooting, hunting and taking photos, especially in Iran where photographers face danger.
Of course Kalashinkov was the Red Army's favorite weapon, but please do not think I am a Communist. I really do not like them. My political leaning is to the right.
What is the added value of a weblog for journalists?
When journalists write their own blogs they realise the dimensions and consequences of their work because they become the owner of their own media. Direct contact without any intermediary with you audience, explaining marginalized news, untold stories of journalism, having the possibility to defend his/her own ideas are among the added values that a journalist can enjoy by authoring a blog. In other words, in general, a deep breath full of the feeling of liberty.
How you see the evolution of Iranian blogs in recent years?
Blogs, little by little, are stablising their position as a source of news and analysis. The Internet in Iran is no longer considered just an entertainment instrument, but its specialised aspects are becoming more visible. The political blogs in Iran has, at times, exceeded the expected effect on the political sphere. Some political leaders such as Ahmadinejad, aware that people are tired of official media, and tried their luck with blogs. Some blogs such as Mohammad Ali Abtahi's Webneveshteha have become a source of political information.
When we enter in your blog we hear the audio of a military march.
As you know Saddam Hussein attacked Iran in 1980 and he began a terrible 8 year war with us. I was born two days before the war broke out. For my generation, this war has always been a very nostalgic and eternal event. One of my interests is about the social, cultural, and political dimensions of wars such as the Iran-Iraq war, Vietnam War and World War II. The military march is a German military march that Iranian radio used to broadcast during military victories in the Iran-Iraq war. It is just a nostaligic feeling, do not take it seriously.
What is place of weblogs in our society?
Blogs are the most free media in Iran and have found their own place in society. The blogs have pushed the boundaries … Reformist politicians have given importance to bloggers. And conservative politicians, little by little, have disocovered the importance of being part of this new media. Of course they have a lot of enemies too.
Do you have any other ideas to share with us?
I think if different bloggers from all over the world discuss a common issue, it can communicate different bloggers’ concerns and ideas to each other. It will be great if the world listens to the voice of bloggers. The blogosphere has a very interesting and complex nature and it can become the source of important change in the 21st century and become one of components of soft power in our world.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Watch how a student activist was kidnapped in 35 seconds · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

You can watch in 35 seconds how Bijan Sabagh,a student activist in Babol university in Iran was kidnapped by security forces.Persian words in film are: Do not push..he is a student.


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Jamaica: Decolonization of the Mind · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Further to his post on Frances-Anne Solomon, who called creation “a form of terror, particularly when you come from a colonial context”, Geoffrey Philp examines fellow Jamaican Olive Senior's poem Colonial Girls School, which grapples with decolonization of the mind.


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Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Bombastic?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica have been baring their teeth at each other recently over two major issues.  The first is that Trinidad Cement Limited acquired a 43.5% stake in Jamaica's Carib Cement, a move that has not sat well with many Jamaicans, especially following last year’s debacle over cement quality, which resulted in the company having to face an estimated $60 million in damage control costs.  In addition to having booming corporate and manufacturing sectors that see regional expansion as a legitimate means of growing business and increasing profit, T&T is perhaps the most resource-rich member of CARICOM – which makes the second issue that much harder for Jamaicans to swallow: Trinidad and Tobago's reneging on a promise to supply Liquefied Natural Gas to Jamaica, which will have a negative impact upon Jamaica's plans to expand the infrastructure for its bauxite production.
In a region that is generally regarded by outsiders to be a monolith, each Caribbean island is quite different from the other, despite shared history and commonalities of language.  That said, the Caribbean, as a region, manages to operate quite well when it comes to endeavours like The University of the West Indies and West Indies Cricket (recent events concerning the latter notwithstanding).
The Trinidad Guardian‘s Business Editor, Anthony Wilson, wrote at length about the impasse between the two countries, noting that “The LNG would lower Alcoa’s cost of production at its alumina refinery in Clarendon and as a result of the cogeneration of electricity, some of the LNG will be passed through to Jamaica’s electricity grid, lowering the cost of production in the wider economy.  So I do understand Jamaica’s position on this issue.  What I do not understand is…the Jamaicans who are commenting on this issue in the newspapers and on radio stations appear not to understand some of the basics of the LNG business.”
But no commentary on the issue has caused as much ire in the blogosphere than a vitriolic piece by Jamaican columnist Dawn Ritch entitled “Bombastic Trinidadians”, published recently in the Jamaica Gleaner. Trinidad Carnival Diary shared her views in a post titled “Bombastic Jamaican”:
I find it quite ironic that a Jamaican is writing about the murder rates in Trinidad and Tobago when theirs is the highest in the region.
Bloggers also seemed insulted at Ms. Ritch's characterisation of the indigenous people of Trinidad and Tobago: “What the Jamaican Government must now have realised are baleful consequences of the Amerindian heritage of Trinidad. They are not Taino but Carib, and those were cannibals. We were not, and it's not part of our make-up. Murderous today, but still not cannibal. The only thing to do with cannibals is drive them out with prosperity. That way we will have the economic independence to buy back that which they have gloatingly captured here on the cheap.”
Roi Kwabena, a self-declared “student of our indigenous heritage”, declares:
I wish to hereby express my disgust for this unsavory commentary by this obviously IGNORANT writer who needs to learn more of the true heritage of our ancestors.  The Jamaican Gleaner has woefully proven their inability to promote tolerance in the region.
Blogger Attlilah Springer wrote about Ms. Ritch's article in her own newspaper column, calling it a “crassly racist diatribe…that borders on what I can only think to describe as neo-colonial jingoism”.
Others, including Jamaican Francis Wade, after linking to the Gleaner article, and the fiery discussions that preceded it, have tried to find ways to mend the fences.  He has even put forward the idea of forming a Trinidad/Jamaica Business Club.


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Japan: Adult Woman · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

It is funny that the beauty of adult woman has to be reminded in a society: With nine-year old girls in thong bikinis currently leading the march of eroticism in Japan (or at least grabbing the most real estate in der Zeitgeist), refined culture magazine for urban professionals Brutus has decided to come out and remind its readers that “adult” women can also be beautiful — more from Neomarxisme


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Japan and China: Tea · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Alexpappas in Japundit blogs a news report about Japanese merchants in taking tea back to China as it is the biggest potential market: Affluent Chinese are paying as much as 6,000-7,000 yen for 100 grams for the finest-grade longjing tea, often bought as gifts…


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Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome · Global Voices
Salam Adil

The day I lost my hair
mother had dragged me out to shop
the wait for lulls in incessant crossfire
had not come to a stop
and the children were hungry
for more than just candy
check points where faces
had traces of
trashed deaths
dying answers in stillborn questions
struggling to extract
the last breath of a meaning
for the wait
it was then that the shots hailed
into the skull of a walking doll
and life stopped
right there in the remaining footprints
of the once skipping child
it was right there
that her hair came down
with a thud
on the dirt
And I walked home…
Without my mother
Who was still shopping, not stopping
and I sheared my head
and shred the tresses
into the waiting mirror…
Thikra who was once Iraq's # 1 ballerina still lives in Iraq with her mother. This is what happened when they shot a child at a checkpoint ‘by accident’ in front of her…
poem by ZZ in The Words That Come Out
If you read no other post this week read this one:
Gligamesh goes for a night out in Dubai and finds the people empty:
The demographics were plenty, people from all races, lots of Brits and Arabs though, and it was amazing how many Arabs were congregated in one place, I don’t experience that much often, but nightclub guys I do not know why, all look the same, most of them have the same look, either in Canada or UAE, its almost I try the impossible to read how stupidly from their faces, but I do not see books, I am judging, but they do look like that, they look vain, empty, pleasure worshiping creatures, I figured out at one instance, if we people try as much as we try to be happy, try to help my country or other countires, it would have been that way, if we tried to study political thought process, and its applications, the world would have been a different place, but we all commercial, and all the people who do come to these commercial hubs, do what they have to do, and they are the ones who do things, who make the planet go forward not really as in forward probably forward in emitting CO2, all those people do things, but the people who really advent politics, people who made and are making political theories are only in books I read, the rest are politicians with agendas killing my country.
Just like we have money poverty, we have intellectual poverty, we have activism poverty, all those people who do philanthropy in politics are so small in number to people who do philanthropy and good will to entertain their penises, veginas, excuse my acute vulgarity but I felt he world is vulgar, insensitive, and superficial, it makes people who love and are couples smart, really smart! It makes married couples for a long time, geniuses.
Explosions and explosions
When your country has been torn apart and the world turned upside down beneath your feet, it is the familiar that you cling on to. A bridge in Baghdad destroyed by an explosion raised widespread mourning from Iraqi bloggers yet other exlospions barely raise a few eyebrows.
Iraq the Model explains: “This was an attack on both a vital infrastructure of the city and our morale, let alone the innocent lives that were lost in this vicious attack. What we lost today was not just a bridge, it was a piece of the Baghdad history.”  Zappy adds: “This really was a blow to each Baghdadi, they managed to break our Hearts by blowing up the oldest bridge in Baghdad the Sarafiyah Bridge also named “Al jisr al-Hadedee” the Iron Bridge.
Many people had been effected emotionally as another Major feature of Baghdad has been destroyed.”
Konfused Kid now understands how Shia felt after the Al-Askari shrine was bombed. He writes:
a friend came and told me about Sarafiya Bridge – and as I saw the picture of that great structure on which I tread upon many days of my life, I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm really afraid of what might happen if structures I really care such as Imam Ali in Najaf or Abu Haneefa in Adhamiya are destroyed, now I can understand how Shiites felt when al-Askari was destroyed, it's horrible, just horrible i tell you, I pictured myself wearing the same armed belt, the same grenades and going around here to find where … does that sick … Harith al-Dhari lives so I can just give him the taste of his medicine once and FOR ALL. What use is us? All we do is just sit around and do nothing as our country is destroyed by those pigs, those monkeys, those apes, Remember why I was so pissed off about that Star Academy bimbo? Because when al-Askari shrine happened I was really optimistic about the Sunnis and Shiite finally proving to the world that it doesn't matter … So when I watched those 7 million asses voting and lauding it as some big deal I get a serene sense of Deja Vu… I'm beyond hate, beyond insanity now, beyond everything.
A&EIraq feels the same about the bridge and those behind its bombing: “I don’t know what to say, it was not only a bridge; it’s a symbol. Symbol for Baghdad, for love and for the ancient days. It was just a nice thing we had and yet, we lost. To everyone who likes to defend whatever he calls it; resistance, Jihad or what else, I really wish you loosing everything, I wish you suffer forever, I wish you see whatever dear to your hearts being destroyed while you’re helpless.”
aNarki-13 feels nothing for the people blown up in parliament but more for the bridge:
Three politicians wasted, So What?
Three dozen are already lined up to replace them.
I feel more hurt by a big pile of rusty steel falling in the river Tigris, than by the death of flesh-and-blood human beings, “elected” to govern us.
Why? because i FEEL MORE CONNECTION WITH THAT LUMP OF STEEL THAN WITH THOSE DEAD F***S…
LET THOSE (….) FEEL WHAT THE REST OF IRAQ IS GETTING…
all said and done, God have mercy on the dead.
And Baghdad Treasure is haunted by the image of those that died that day:
I kept thinking about how did the people who were on al-Sarrafiya bridge feel when they found their bodies riddled with shrapnel… Driving, going to work or school, thinking of death while driving and then Boom! Everything is gone, the bridge and themselves. Images of people’s bodies falling in the Tigris haunted me. What were these poor people saying to themselves in the distance between the river and the destroyed bridge as they were falling? …
When is this madness going to stop? Oh Baghdad, my heart breaks for you with every brick falling, with every blood dropping, with every tear flowing, with every Iraqi dying.
There is News and There is News
Some times you cannot be sure who to believe and you realise that the mainstream media is just one source like any other.
The report of demonstrations against the US presence by the Sadrist movement vary widely from one source to another. Omar at Iraqi the Model watches the demonstrations on television and calls them “pitiful”. He writes: “His aides were hoping to gather a million marchers for yesterday but all they could manage were less than ten thousands, that's even when they bussed people from Baghdad and Basra.”
On the other hand Zeyad has taken a different impression from photos on his IraqSlogger site.
And then there is the bombing at the Iraqi parliament cafe where the media reported eight dead including two MP's. Yet Baghdad Connect a blog not known for exaggerated reports gives an eyewitness report that conflicts widely:
38 people have been killed and 18 have been wounded including 8 Americans in the blast of what appears to be a suicide bomber. Amongst the instantly killed are 8 nos Sadrists, 3 nos. of the Mr. Mutlaq’s list including Mr. Mohd. Awad and 4 MPs from El Tawafuq (including Al Jabouri and Al Jumayli). Other bodies were taken folded from the bombing site.
And as for the reason behind the bombing of the parliament the mainstream media only gives vague answers. Raed fills in the picture by actually bothering to ask the MP's themselves:
The official spokesman of a secular group that lost an MP in the explosion announced that the attack was aimed at silencing “nationalist MPs who are against splitting iraq and against the oil law”. Looking at who was killed and injured in the attack, it seems like they were ALL nationalists. Also, considering that the parliament was just about to begin debating the oil law this week, the timing of the attack was very convenient
Now there is an original concept.. actually quoting the targets of the bombing as part of the news report. Mainstream media please take note.
And Finally…
You get a call from your aunt to help set up her new computer. As any self-respecting blogger knows it is their duty to help out even if the rewards are just a ‘Thank you’ and a sandwich. aNarki-13 gets that call but things are not quite as they seem…
A13: “its no problem, everything is color coded, blue into blue and green and so on..”
B: “What colors? there are no colors!”
at this point i'm thinking that the mouse and keyboard have black connectors, and henceforth the trouble in “putting the pc together”
B: … i saw FULL PC prices and they were so expensive, 700$s and more, the one i bought cost me much less than half that.. i bought it from Company X..”
at first my eye-brows attempted to leave my face, then came back with her explanation, i thought: she didn't buy a Brand-Name system, the guys at Company X (which is very famous and very reliable around here) must have custom-built it.. at least she seems smart enough to buy cheap..
i put the monitor on the desk (a nice LCD -17″ish?- she got it for like 200$.. one day i'll get one of those, they look and display nice) connect the cables and route them thru the back of the desk, then i put the keyboard and mouse in place, speakers as well, then i ask for the case itself so i can connect everything and leave early..
her little daughter (age 12) comes in, carrying the case single-handedly, as if carrying a cellphone or something similar of weight (i'm in shock for like 3 seconds, this girl is half my age, yet she's already carrying cases in ONE HAND?? Scary little girl!) .. in her other hand, a power supply.
i realize the case is empty…
At which point things start to go downhill.

author: Salam Adil


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Lebanon: Two Lebanese Students Killed in Virginia Tech Massacre  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Two Lebanese students were among the 32 killed in the Virginia Tech massacre, according to bloggers Nadia Gerges and Rima Abdelkader. “Two of our own died today.
Reema Samaha and Ross Alameddine, of Lebanese decent, were brutally murdered by Virginia Tech killer Cho Seung-Hui on Monday, April 17th. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said Samaha, a Virginia resident, and Alameddine, a Massachusetts resident, were both 19,” they wrote.


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Mexico: AP Fires Oaxaca Correspondent · Global Voices
David Sasaki

John Gibler of Narco News reports that “the Associated Press fired Oaxaca state correspondent Rebeca Romero due to pro-government bias in her coverage of a six-month-long protest movement that sought to oust the state governor, Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, according to AP reporters familiar with the agency’s work in Mexico.” Colin Brayton adds his own thoughts.


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Mexico: Why Twitter May Matter in a Huge Way · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Grace Davis gives a rundown of how Twitter and live video streaming enables a new kind of disaster coverage following Mexico City's earthquake last week.


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Nepal: The Elections · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

United We Blog! on the deferral of the Constituent Assembly elections. “What is the primary objective of the CA Elections? Are political leaders clear about it? If so, have they made it clear to their party cadres and their supporters in general public?”


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Nigeria: post-election video · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

State elections in Nigeria last Saturday were marred by chaos, violence, and irregularities. Greenlight Nigeria posts a post-election video on YouTube.


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Nigeria: whither democracy? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Black Looks on Nigerian elections: “Nigeria went to the polls on Saturday for the first leg of the elections – the second leg voting for the President and national assembly is next Saturday. Today the Supreme Court ruled null and void the INEC’s (Electorial Commission) disqualification of Vice President Atiku Abubakar and at least 6 other governors. Nigeriaworld’s choice of headlines “Democracy Rules” is way off mark as violence, rigging and general thuggery seemed to have ruled the day.”


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Palestinian Captures Virginia Tech Shooting on Cell Phone · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Blogger Rima Abdelkader reports  that a Palestinian student captured the massacre that took place at Virginia Tech
“One Virginia Tech student became a citizen journalist today by capturing some of the shooting through his cell phone.  With a Nokia N70 camera phone in hand and a lot of courage, Virginia Tech student, Jamal Albarghouti, of Palestinian descent from the West Bank in Palestine, recorded the shooting of an unidentified gunman, downloaded it and then sent it to CNN i-Report, where everyday people get the chance to become citizen journalists by posting video of events affecting them and their communities,” she writes.


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Puerto Rico: Gli Gli Sails Again  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Voice of the Taino People is excited about The Gli-Gli (or Carib Canoe) sailing expedition in celebration of the 10th anniversary of its first voyage to relink the indigenous Carib communities of the region.


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Qatari PM jokes about throwing a party when AlJazeera is closed · Global Voices
Mohamed Nanabhay

jane01 is uneasy about the Qatari Prime Minister's recent “joke” about throwing a party when AlJazeera is closed down because of the headache it has caused him as Foreign Minister. She says that “…the closing down (or even reining in) of AlJazeera would be a travesty for freedom of the press, free speech and democratic values of the region. It would also be the biggest PR mistake that Qatar could make. It is currently known as progressive and principled. God knows what the world would think if it stifled one of the most important global journalistic institutions over a couple of barrels of oils and a few unhappy diplomats.”

author: Mohamed Nanabhay


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Russia: Dissenters’ March in Moscow (1) · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The volume of blog coverage of the weekend's rallies in Moscow and St. Petersburg is truly overwhelming – as overwhelming, perhaps, as the number of riot police (OMON) deployed from all over Russia to disperse the opposition's Dissenters’ March. But nowhere near as shocking.
Below is the first installment of links, accompanied with snippets of text translated from Russian. (Please note that many entries – arranged in no particular order – link to bandwidth-intensive content.)
- LJ user mnog (photos):
Don't feel like writing.
Photos (more than 50 (about 6 MB) )
- LJ user insie (other bloggers’ photos, text):
[…] In the backyards near Tverskaya, I was surprised to discover little streams of people, who chose this path as the best, just like I did. In the backyards closer to Pushkinskaya, I saw trucks with OMON, police officers giving threatening orders via walkie-talkies, fire trucks and an ambulance. People walking nearby were on their cell phones, saying something like this: “See you later, unless I get detained.” Made me feel uncomfortable. […]
- LJ user serni (photos, video, text):
Disclaimer: I was present at the Dissenters’ March out of curiousity only.
[…] When people moved forward, trying to break through, yelling, “There are more of us,” the regime's forces produced sticks right away and started beating everyone who was in their way. It was the first time that I saw the enraged OMON fighters, walking towards me with sticks in front of them, beating everyone left and right. By miracle, I avoided the blows. It felt like a parachute dive. […]
- LJ user dolboeb (photos, text):
Some OMON fighters, in the Ninja Turtles’ outfits, looked appropriately intimidating and photogenic, but the pointlessness of their being there, their walking back and forth, seemed to tire both them and the audience. […] As background for portrait shooting, the police looked great, I think.
- LJ user plushev (photos, text):
[…] We only got there at the very end of the rally, when they were no longer detaining or beating anyone – all were polite and respectful. The main and, basically, the only impression that I had the time to get was that they send A LOT OF young [police] women to work at rallies. Students of the police school, that is. Many were very beautiful, even in their ugly uniforms. Didn't manage to get a close shot of anyone – [my camera is too slow], and the girls were shy, they were turning away and asking not to photograph them.
- LJ user m_gaidar (text):
When they were taking me away, I called 02 [an equivalent of 911] and told them that I and a group of 20 people have been unlawfully kidnapped by people in uniform. The girl [operator] got very frightened and asked: “Where are you?” In a bus near Pushkinskaya, I replied, and the girl just hung up on me. I called again and asked her to introduce herself and register my call, because people in camouflage were taking us all in an unknown direction. She asked again where we were detained. I said, on Pushkinskaya, and she sign with evident relief and said: “Well… you know… here… We are just having a special operation there! Nothing to be scared of.” A special operation against whom – against me?!!!!!! And what do you mean it's nothing to be scared of – for whom nothing scary? For you or for whom?!!! The girl was definitely feeling uncomfortable… said, please call the boss [starshiy]. “What boss?” I asked. “The one in camouflage,” she replied. Okay, I see, you are all together in it, I said and hung up on her myself this time.
Anyway, I've now got a phone call from the prosecutor's office and they invited me to come tomorrow at noon to 19 Petrovka, to Boluchevskiy Sergei Anatolyevich and answer questions about my phone call. I said I'd come with journalists and a lawyer. They replied: “Yes, sure! Come with whoever you want…” Anyway, if anyone want to come along – write me. […]
[A RIA-Novosti photo of m_gaidar‘s detention is here.]
- LJ user okalman (text):
I'm going to the March tomorrow… For many reasons. I disagree with the Other Russia, too, among other things, but I'm still going. […] I don't like Kasyanov, nor do I like Kasparov, and even less so do I like Limonov. But if in the 1990s everyone wisely concluded that Yeltsin was a [Communist] party official and why would I go to the White House “for Yeltsin”? – then we'd still be living under Communists. […]


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Russia: Dissenters’ March Photos by Dmitry Shubin · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Forty-eight pages of photographs from the Dissenters’ March in St. Petersburg this past Sunday – in a .pdf album (available for download here) created by LJ user studio204 (St. Petersburg-based Russian photographer Dmitry Shubin).


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Russia: Letter to Putin · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

La Russophobe‘s guest-translator translates a Novaya Gazeta story about a man who wrote a letter to president Putin and, instead of receiving a reply, was summoned to a psychiatric clinic.


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Saudi Arabia: The 1,000km Thank You · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A 73-year-old Saudi man walked 1,000km to thank the Saudi King, reports the Angry Arab News Service.


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Serbia: Peter Handke · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At Belgrade 2.0, a discussion of writer Peter Handke's relationship with Serbia.


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South Africa: Amatomu #1 referrer in South African blogosphere · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nicharalambous blogs about Amatomu, South Africa's new blog aggregator: “Amatomu.com, as well as a string of other paths from Amatomu, has officially become the #1 referrer on the SA Rocks blog.”


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Syria: Israel Ready for Peace · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian blogger Sasa links to an article which says that Israel is ready to negotiate peace with Syria.


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Taiwan: Mainstream media distortion · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ilya blogs about the distortion by the mainstream media, especially from T.V channels on the recent Losheng parada.
Michael Turton also posted photos of a demonstration in April 14 protesting against the fabrication of the gangster video by the Chinese-owned news station TVBS.


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Taiwan: Presentation on English Bloggers in Taiwan · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Michael Turton posted his presentation on Taiwan English Bloggers of the Taipei Blogging Conference.


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Taiwan: Transport what to where? · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

In the essay on outdoor recreation, ‘Conservation Esthetic,’ Professor Leopold wrote, ‘Recreational development is a job not of building roads into the lovely country, but of building receptivity into the still unlovely human mind.’
The total area of Taiwan is about 36,000 sq. km, and mountains account for 30% of the surface area. The Central Mountain Range has been an important barrier stretching from north to south. It stops typhoons approaching from Pacific Ocean going to the western plains and stops western invaders from going to the eastern areas. Ever since Taiwan was colonized by China and Japan, transportation between the east and the west has played a critical role in the local community development, government control, and natural resource depredation.
For example, after the Mudanshe Incident in 1871, Chinese government implemented the ‘Kai Shan Fu Fan’ policy, to go into the mountains and the east. After Japan took over Taiwan in 1895, Japanese government built not only railways in the western plains but also roads and railways to the eastern areas. After world war II, Kuomintang took over the regime from Japan, and three cross-island highways were built and a circular railway around Taiwan was finished.
These days, Taiwanese have been discussing three important transportation projects: Taiwan High Speed Rail (finished), Taipei-Yilan Freeway (finished), and Yilan-Hualian freeway (decision not final yet).
For decades, Taiwan's economic growth mainly focuses on the western plains, and there has been pressure to have more efficient transportation from western plains to eastern areas for a long time. And, nowadays, people ask not only ‘highway’, but ‘super-highway’ or ‘high-speed rail,’ so that Taiwanese can travel back and forth to anywhere in Taiwan in one day.
Blackcat said,
台灣交通變得更快速便利後，心中的那張台灣地圖似乎也跟著縮小不少。
Chieftain also said,
我以後應該會經常使用高鐵吧，以我所處地區來看，坐高鐵是比搭飛機更好的選擇。而且搭飛機的話，要從松山出來，我倒不如在火車站出來還比較省錢、方便一些。
Thanks to the modern technology, our dreams have chance to come true. For example, Taiwan's Hsuehshan tunnel, world's fifth longest tunnel, probably one of the top most difficult projects to complete in the world. It penetrates into Hseuhshan, the largest mountain in northern Taiwan; the project took 15 years, one tunnel boring machine, and (based on Veterans affairs commission) thirteen workers’ life (seven Thai people and six Taiwanese), and resulted in severe injury of three Taiwanese workers.  Discovery produced a movie about the story: Man made marvels.  Taiwan's Hsuehshan tunnel.
Wisely said,
在以往開車，大概要花費約兩個半小時，而現今只要40分鐘便可到達。這個對滿多在台北工作的人，或是想到宜蘭去觀光遊憩的外縣市遊客來說，真的相當地方便。畢竟對於離鄉在外工作的我們，這條高速公路還是充滿的便利性！我在未來購車之後，可以更常回宜蘭探望父母，也不需要配合火車的時間通勤。
Children's mind said,
要是講”人定勝天”太武斷了。這似乎小看了天地自然的力量。但是人所展現的智慧毅力以及堅忍不拔，造就了雪山隧道的誕生。
Although many people embrace the efficient transportation happily, more and more Taiwanese question the necessity of building roads, especially when the disturbance to the environment is obvious.
When Hsuehshan tunnel was under construction, lots of water inside the geology structure was lost, which increased the difficulty in constructing the tunnel. After the tunnel is open, there is still water loss everyday. Based on Ministry of transportation and communications Taiwan area national expressway engineering bureau, 36 m3 water is lost every minute. Although based on the same bureau, the amount lost is not particular significant compared to the tunnels in Japan. More, based on Chun-Hung Huang's report, the water lost is not related to the amount of water flowing into the reservoirs. Even so, people are still worried about the possibility of the water resource shortage as a result of tunnel construction in the future.
Ke-Hsiang Liu said,
大量流失的地下水，到底從何而來。失去這些水後，包括大尾山在內，周遭山林是否仍能跟過去一樣，足以積蓄豐富的水源。整個微區域的雨量，能否經年正常。這些或那些不可預測的嚴重結果，以目前的科學知識，都沒有人敢掛保證，未來恐怕也難有明確的答案。
Momoge discussed about the mindset of people making decision for these constructions:
如果公共工程的思維是站在發展工商那一面，就會有蘇花高，改天還會有花東高。站在自然那一面，就不會有蘇花高，而是強化現有交通，避免進一步破壞，甚至想辦法復原以往的破壞。
現在蘇花高提出來了，表示「政府就是這樣想」，這很糟糕，因為「內部已經定案了」，不過還沒蓋，還有扭轉的可能。
一封花蓮孩子的公開信：
A letter from people in Hualian：
過去的開發建設或許讓我們經濟起飛，但也讓我們經歷了許多大自然回報的慘痛代價，更何況要以高速公路帶動經濟的方式已經過於老舊，也有許多實例證明高速公路不等於經濟發展；另外一些人認為花蓮需要方便的交通，但我們認為高速公路絕對不是唯一的方式，科技進步，有更多元的方式可以 增加來到花蓮的便捷性，別讓大公路主義貫徹整個台灣。最重要的，蘇花高這樣的建設具有不可恢復性，當開工後，所造成的破壞將無法彌補回來，縱使再厲害的生態工法，還是要開隧道、建馬路，沒有人可以預估對土地造成多大的傷害。
When many people cosign to fight against the freeway constructions, Yenwen has different point of view:
人權、環保意識逐漸抬頭，很多人開始支持公益議題，或許他們覺得支持這些議題才是正義、有道德、人民素質提升的表現，但我不禁要問：
當你在連署這些公益議題時，對於他們的論述，你有能力辨別真偽嗎？
你瞭解政府的政策嗎？
台灣是否已先進到，足以接受「文化、環保高於經濟發展」？
你能提出更好的政策嗎？
Well, these are tough questions. But maybe Taiwan Railway Administration tries to answer the last one. There will be Taroko Train running between Taipei and Hualian starting May of 2007. Based on Introductions of trains in Taiwan, the reason to use this kind of trains is to solve the problems for the curves in the railways between Taipei and Yilan, and to minimize the commute to be within 2 hours.
To get to the bottom of the questions, we still want to ask, ‘transport what to where?’ If we have a lot of roads, what do we plan to do next? Leopold said, we should open our heart, to be closer to the nature. Then, if we have a lot of money, what do we want to do next? Perhaps, we want to live a more meaningful and happier life, and then our offsprings can live a happier and more meaningful life.
Mentioned in 2:30AM's blog, Tzu Chi's leader, Dharma Master Cheng Yen said in a TV show,
台灣也沒多大，高速公路一條又一條，像我們這個地方，這樣到底山要破壞多少？樹要砍伐多少？水資源要壟斷多少？都不知道！…我只能呼籲大家克己復禮！如果要救地球，要多種樹，不要再破壞了！要開的路，也已經夠多了。

author: I-fan Lin


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The Balkans: Journalists · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Bosnia Vault reports on BBC journalist Martin Bell's return to Bosnia and on the attack on Serbian journalist Dejan Anastasijevic.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Salt Fish  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Thebookmann takes a detour from his Caribbean Fruit theme to photograph saltfish (salted cod), a popular regional dish that has also been the subject of double entendre in some of Trinidad and Tobago's most entertaining calypsoes.


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Turkey: Comparable Tragedies · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Turkey and My Foreign Perspectives compares two recent school-related tragedies: the killing of 30 at Virginia-Tech University and the death of 33 elementary school students in a bus accident in Izmir. “Here in Turkey, this bus accident is the one of the worst in its history and one that citizens will remember in their hearts for years to come. In America, it is the worst school shooting of all times. Not likely to be forgotten with the media moguls documenting it play by play.”

author: Deborah Ann Dilley


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Turkey is Typing…Presidential Protests · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

As the Turkish Presidential race begins to gear up, the Republic of Turkey once again finds itself torn between the ideals of a secularist or Islamist state.  This week was marked by protests and editorial after editorial of speculation about the future of Turkey and whether the ideals of democracy will survive the next election.
Let's begin with the presidential calendar given to us by Erkan's Field Diary:
Candidacy applications started today. The presidential calendar:
April 16: Candidacy applications begin.
April 17: PM Erdoğan meets political party leaders, convenes his cabinet.
April 18: AKP's Central Executive Board (MKYK) convenes.
April 25: deadline for candidacy applications.
April 26: Parliament Speaker Arınç proposes two alternative dates for election tours. According to the first alternative the first tour will start on April 26. According to the constitution the second tour is scheduled for May 1, third tour May 8 and final tour May 15.
May 3:  The second alternative is to start on May 3 followed by the second tour on May 7, third tour on May 11 and the final tour on May 15. In these first two rounds of voting, in order to be elected president a candidate must receive support of at least three-fifths of the total 550 seats of the unicameral legislation, 367 votes.
May 16: Presiden Sezer completes his seven year term. The hand over ceremony takes place.
It is generally accepted that PM Tayyip Erdogan will run for the presidency, and with him a new wave of Islamist government will control the Republic of Turkey. Even though presidential speculation is nothing new to those familiar with Turkish politics, the heated discussion of secularism vs. Islam has come to a head.  Founded on the principles of Kemalism which stressed a secular state, modern Turkey's history has plagued with the issue of Islamic rule.  In fact the Turkish military has intervened in the form of a coup on more than one occasion to keep to the tenets of Kemalism.  The White Path sums up the debate well:
First one needs to understand where this debate comes from. Anyone who follows Turkish politics will note that there are circles within Turkey who think that secularism is the outmost principle and democracy can well be sacrificed for its sake. This means that, for example, if people elect a parliament and government that is not secular enough, the Turkish Armed Forces can stage a coup. Or softer measures can be used, such as the usurpation of political power by the judiciary and other bureaucratic institutions. (And when I say “not secular enough,” I don't mean an Islamism such as that of the Taliban; in Turkey a wife with a headscarf is simply enough of a heresy according to the standards of official illiberal secularism.)
However there are other proponents of secularism in Turkey, including myself, who think that secularism is only meaningful when it is supplemented by democracy. These people also note that it is not a danger to secularism if people with deeply rooted religious beliefs come to power. This view is generally referred to as the “liberal secularism,” whose adherents generally don't see any problem with Prime Minister Erdoğan and his government with respect to the “principles of the republic.”
On the 14th of April, the debate came to a physical manifestation–a pro-secular protest staged in the country's capital of Ankara.  Spooky Sense by Garfucius explains:
there was a huge rally protesting the premier's rather inarticulate desire and ambition to become president this weekend in the capital. according to reports, the tandoğan square in ankara, just a stone's throw from atatürk's mausoleum, the anıtkabir, turned into a “sea of flags” while hundreds of thousands declared fealty to the republican ideal of secularism.
the moderate and hardline pro-islamic pro-government front contended, rather than through counter-rallies, by verbally denouncing and decrying the secularists’ assembly and hanging posters, banners etc. that urged national will as reflected in parliament to prevail in electing the head of state.
Estimates of the crowd at the protest in Ankara are 300,000 to 1 million, but it would be foolish to predict that an Islamist government would not take control of Turkey judging just by the numbers of protesters.  Even so, optimism is high, as demonstrated by Ignore Me If You Can, who says that she lives in a country that…
Stands up for its beliefs. Where thousands of people from all over Turkey gather to become one, to make sure that their voice is heard. To make sure that the message is sent all around the world; “Turkey is a secular country and will stay secular, thanks to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk”. We will not let religious zealots take that away from us. 14th of April was a historical day for this nation. I am proud to be part of this country.
Needless to say, Turkey is in for a wild ride in the next month.
*Thumbnail photo credit to ckindel.


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Uzbekistan: Wolfowitz’s Impact · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

At neweurasia, Nick reports how embattled World Bank head Paul Wolfowitz has impacted Uzbekistan during his tenure by sticking to his anticorruption beliefs and refusing to release funds.


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Visiting the Peruvian Blog Village · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

“Plaza de Armas with the Church of Santo Domingo in the background” by Juan Arellano
This time around we'll visit some blogs that we haven't seen before. Blogs of another type; the sort that perhaps do not catch you attention at first glace if your interests lie in politics or cyber-activism, but blogs that have their place and their followers just the same.  We must always walk with a careful eye; sometimes the diamonds are where we least expected. So let's explore a little.
Without a doubt, Lima is the biggest Latin American city that borders the Pacific Ocean. Like most other similar metropolises, the public transit system is chaotic at certain times and in certain places. Many people blame the combis as the cause of this and they certainly have their point, but in general the government planning dedicated to public transportation leaves much to be desired. If you have any doubts, then take a look at the photos published at Personalmente… Juan de Dios in the post “Where are the wheels?” Fortunately, there were no injuries to lament.
And since we have already mentioned combis and their infamy, I can't help but point out a post published by Sutiyqa Mariam a few weeks ago: “Polyglot Combi,” an anecdote that causes us to think that not everything is so bad and that there is always room for improvement.
What is, in fact, really bad is Peruvian soccer. Not because of the quality of the players, but the league administrators do have much to do with this crisis. Check out the report in De Media Cancha (“At Half Field”) titled “The night has fallen: Peruvian soccer is K.O.'d.”
Como se sabe Ancash fue inhabilitado de seguir participando debido a que una resolución lo declaraba con cuatro puntos perdidos por lo que le correspondía bajar de categoría y dar paso al Jose Galvez de Chimbote. Es más los 11 clubes restantes se habrían reunido y acordado dejar participar a este club en el clausura. Pero las grandes decisiones del Directorio de la FPF dejaron sin efecto este hecho, lo que viene causando una grave molestia en los clubes profesionales. ¿Porque tanto interés que permanezca Ancash – presidido por Jose Malqui quien pertenece a la comisión mundialista-en la división de honor, acaso será cierto que se esta protegiendo un voto para que el señor Julio Vasquez Giacarini siga al frente de la ADFP?
The blog A boca de jarro reflects a little on the consequences of this shady conduct by the leaders of Peruvian soccer in the post “Peruvian Federation of Soccer: A corrupt organization.”
Osea, si mañana nos enteramos que alguien compró árbitros, si nos enteramos que un dirigente sobornó a jugadores de otro equipo para que se “echen”, lo que Usted se imaginé, el delito deportivo que usted escoja… no se preocupe, si usted es un redomado adulón, un hombre sin alma y de barro, cualquier cosa, la FPF tiene la solución a su problemas…”la anmistía”
Better times are already on their way for Peruvian soccer, or at least we hope. As the saying goes, “nothing bad lasts one hundred years nor does any body resist it.” Everything passes, that's life. And about life, with a dose of philosophy, Comentarios de un Peregrino  posts “MAF – a Master at Failure.”
Soy un master en fracasos, absolutamente si, no me queda la menor duda, pero eso no me hace menos, de hecho creo que da la capacidad de entender mas cosas, de saber que el éxito es relativo y que dura mucho menos que los fracasos, me ha permitido colocarme en los zapatos de los demás e intentar entender sus propias vidas y mas importante aún me ha permitido ser quien soy hoy día; … me hace acordar que tengo el tiempo prestado y que nada es tan serio.
On the other hand, “Rain” of Puerto Asterix poetically writes in the short post “Fugacidad” (“Fleetingness”):
Todo se evapora en un segundo, en diez años, en un día o en lo que dura, el abrir los ojos en las mañanas.
There are those things that you never know how long they will last, even though we wish that they were eternal. Mu, of Just MU It, knows this clearly and describes it in his post “Y tú por qué escribes?” (“And you, why do you write?”):
Yo escribo porque a veces pienso cosas tan irrelevantes que si se las contara a alguien de seguro haría una pausa, un silencio incómodo de 10 segundos y luego diría “anyway…” previo a un cambio de tema.
Otras veces escribo para escribir entre líneas. Decir dentro de una historia lo que siento en una línea, decirte que te quiero por ejemplo, eso me encanta.
Y porque le temo a la muerte, escribo para inmortalizarme.
Other times I write to write between the lines. To say, within a story, what I feel in a single line. To say that I care about you, for example, enchants me.
And because I fear death, I write for immortality.
Irrelevant mutterings, love, desire, fear. These are things that are found in blogs. And which are among the reasons they are so widely read. But that's not it, of course; we also find literature, fiction mixed with reality and with personal twists of tales:
En el intermedio la gorda se acerca a mí como una lapa, no puedo quitármela de encima. ¿Sabes que son los blogs?- me vuelve a interrogar. No tengo ni puta idea- le respondo con una mirada que merece más su conmiseración que la reacción de rabia que yo esperaba. La gorda no se siente mal por mi respuesta, todo lo contrario, trata de explicarme que la comunidad blogger es lo mejor que hay para conocer gente culta. En este momento la gorda no cabe en su emoción: Acaba de ver en mí, a otra incauta a quien vender la idea de que ser blogger es como cambiar de religión, pues te garantiza el paraíso prometido de las relaciones sociales en èsta ciudad.
The narration is called, almost inevitably, “The Fat Woman” and is in the blog “Lima: Crónicas de un Transeúnte.” (“Lima: Chronicles of a Passer-by”). It is also the blog with which we end this small journey that I hope you have enjoyed.
Translated from Spanish by David Sasaki

author: Juan Arellano


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Armenia: Alignment · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

At Blogrel, Harmick worries that too close of a relationship with Russia puts Armenia at risk of political stagnation.


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Armenia: Parliamentary Election Monitor · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian says that whispers of revolution are in the air in Armenia, and his latest parliamentary election monitor takes a look at the likelihood of such a revolution and the rest of the latest developments in Armenia's parliamentary election campaign.


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Asia: Start Drawing · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

startdrawing.org is a web resource portal for Asia's artists and drawings. This site was started with the aim of showcasing and sharing drawings from talented artists in Asia, and in the process, promote the joys of drawing — via Dan Washburn from Shanghaiist.


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Bahrain: Transporting Humans? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif is enraged that labourers in his country are transported in the back of open trucks, in defiance of an existing law which protects them from being ferried like cattle.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Barbados: The Meaning of Being Caribbean · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbadian blogger Gallimaufry links to BBCCaribbean.com as West Indians the world over answer the question, “What does it mean to be Caribbean?”


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China and U.S: Shooter Online Report · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Graham Webster from Transpacific Triangle noticed that the online journalistic story about Virginia Tech Shooter has been edited with the same URL without mentioning their previous mistake: The papers apparently have used the same URL for their online story on the shooting, continually editing it. In this case, the Times has removed any mention of its previous statement regarding a Chinese suspect…
Roland also translated a Chinese post, What Did They Say That The Virginia Tech Shooter Was Chinese?, by Luqiu Luwei discussing about the racial report of “Chinese shooter” in the Virginia Tech news


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China: Community embraces orphan · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Late last month, a husband-wife migrant laborer couple from China's poverty-stricken Henan province working in Beijing killed themselves, leaving two teenage children to fend for themselves. Last week, Beijing-based Sohu blogger Li Yuanyuan took her camera and went to the younger child's school to see how the community has reacted. In less than a week, the post has already received over 1,200 comments and been viewed over 48,000 times.
“我长大后要把自己的爱心送给需要帮助的人，就像大家今天把爱心送给我一样。”面脸泪水的龚京红站在红色的募捐箱旁边，向在场的1500余人深深地鞠了一躬，在场的很多人流着眼泪鼓起了热烈的掌声。
——这是今天中午3点钟发生在昌平区东小口镇东小口村的振华打工子弟学校的一幕。
父母不堪贫穷 共同服毒弃命舍下10岁幼女
“我想要个家，一个不需要多大的地方，当我受伤的时候，我会想到它……”当我走到振华学校的大门口时，听到了这首歌，心情霎那间感到一阵阵酸楚。
我知道，这首歌是特意为今天的募捐活动准备的，我也是特意为这次募捐来到这里的，被资助的是10岁的小女孩龚京红，河南省驻马店市上蔡县塔桥乡人，3月 28日晚上，也就是半个月前，龚京红47的父亲和39岁的母亲一起服下敌敌畏撒手人寰，丢下龚京红和16岁的哥哥。
龚京红的父母10年前来到北京打工，龚京红就出生在北京，几年前，父亲龚小颜得了脑溢血半身瘫痪，不能劳作挣钱养家，一家四口人的生活重担落在了龚京红的母亲身上，靠着蹬黑摩的养活一家人，每天晚上要拉活到凌晨12点，但是收入极为有限，每天最多也就能挣10多块钱，再加上城管打击没收黑摩的，一家四口人连最起码的生存都成了问题，由于生活所迫，龚京红的哥哥早早辍学去了一家电动自行车修理店做了学徒工，龚京红因为年纪小还不能干什么活，再加上学习成绩也好便一直在振华打工子弟学校上学，今年读小学4年级。
“阿姨好，您请坐。”一个面相看上去很善良的女孩在我刚进办公室的时候，站起来给我让座，我道谢之后问校长万俊杰：“龚京红在哪里？”
“这就是”万校长指着给我让座的小女孩说，眼前镇定、听话、懂事的龚京红让我感到非常的意外，我当时很难把一夜之间突然失去父母的10岁小女孩和眼前这个坚强的小女孩联系在一起，我突然不知道该说什么，我怕我的问话刺伤她受伤后的幼小心灵。
图一：龚京红给我让座后，静静地站在一边。
Photo one: Gong Jinghong has just given me her seat, standing quietly to one side.
“这是孩子的叔叔”万校长给我介绍坐在龚京红旁边的一位中年男人，龚京红的叔叔龚喜颜冲着我勉强地笑了笑，我走上去伸出手与他握手，龚喜颜想站起来和我握手，但是站得很艰难，这时候，我才发现他是一位半身不遂的患者。
图二：坐在龚京红旁边的是她的叔叔龚喜颜，龚喜颜为半身瘫痪患者。
Photo two: sitting next Gong Jinghong is her uncle, Gong Xiyan. Gong Xiyan is a hemiplegic.
我想向龚喜颜了解龚小颜夫妇自杀的情况，因为，我不想问龚京红太多的话，面对这个小女孩，我不忍心问一些触及她伤痛的事情。
“龚京红的父母走了以后，最早是谁发现的？”我问龚喜颜。
“是她”龚喜颜指着龚京红说。无奈，我还是需要面对这个10岁的小女孩。
“能告诉我，当时你是怎么发现的吗？”我小心翼翼的问龚京红。
“我早上起床后，像往常一样向我爸爸要五毛钱到学校买粥喝，我叫他们，他们面对面躺着，谁也不理我，我就推了他们一下，他们还是不理我……，我就爬到床上去看，我妈妈的鼻子、嘴边全部都是血，被子上也是血，墙上也有，我就大声叫他们……，推他们……，他们谁也不理我，我就非常害怕……，然后就骑着自行车去找我哥……。后来，我和我哥回来以后，我们叫他们，他们还不理我们，我哥就报案了……”
龚京红断断续续告诉我这些话的时候，一会看着我说，一会低着头说，一会保持沉默，但是没有流泪。
“他们在这之前，有没有和你说过什么？”
“说过。”
“说什么？”
“我妈妈前段时间对我说，要我好好学习，将来一定要考上大学，我现在特别想我妈妈……”说到这里，龚京红说不下去了，开始哭了起来，但是没有出声，用手和袖子不停的擦着眼泪。
站在一旁的一位老师告诉我：“龚小颜自杀的当天，来过学校看过女儿三次。龚小颜夫妇并没有给一双儿女留下任何的遗言和遗书。”
接着，龚京红又哭着给我讲述了28日夜里的一些情况：“那天晚上我9点多睡的，半夜里，我听见我爸爸的哭声，然后我就醒了，发现我妈妈站在我们睡的大床上，爸爸跪在妈妈身前，不知道发生了什么事，我也没问，随后她又睡着了。”
图三：龚京红流着眼泪向我叙述事发后的情况。
Photo three: Gong Jinghong cries as she recounts to me the details after the fact.
图四：龚京红用手擦着眼泪。
Photo four: Gong Jinghong wipes her tears with her hand.
望着眼前这位10岁的擦着眼泪、失去父母的小女孩，我没有继续问下去的勇气了。但是，我也不知道该怎么安慰她，我什么也没再说，走上去抱抱了她的肩膀。
坐在一旁的龚喜颜这时也开始掉眼泪：“我哥和我嫂子就是觉得活不下去了，才走了这步路……”
图五：龚喜颜说到哥哥、嫂子对生活绝望的时候，流下了眼泪。
Photo five: Gong Xiyan cries as he speaks of his brother and sister-in-law's desperation in life.
校长告诉我，3月28日龚小颜夫妇服毒自杀后，因为没有钱火化，一直等到4月9日，龚京红的伯伯从河南老家赶过来交了钱之后，夫妇俩的尸体才被火化，10 日，龚京红的哥哥、姑姑、大伯护送夫妇俩的骨灰回了老家。龚京红和叔叔龚喜颜因为学校要进行募捐留在了北京。
学校不忍放弃 组织师生捐款救助弱小女童
The school can't bear to give up, organizes teachers and students to raise money to save the poor little girl.
“只要人人都献出一点爱，世界将变成美好的人间……”当我和父女俩交流结束，走出办公室的时候，校院里的歌声换成了韦唯的这首《让世界充满爱》。
图六：校院募捐现场（一）：
Photo six: at the school fundraiser (1).
“这孩子很聪明，每次考试都排在前五名，所以，我们不想让她辍学，才搞起了这次募捐活动。”万校长对我说。
这时的校院里上千名学生整齐的坐着，校院的西边一面五星红旗迎风飘着，红旗下面是两辆校车，校车的旁边摆着几张学生上课用的课桌，上面铺着红布，算作主席台了，主席台的周围有来自北大、北师大等等高校的学生以及几家慈善机构的人员，校园墙根处站满了学生的家长和一些来京打工者，再加上为此事忙碌的本校老师一共有1500多人，不大的校院显得非常拥挤。
图七：募捐现场（二）
Photo seven: at the school fundraiser (2).
图八：募捐现场（三） 振华学校校长万俊杰作发言：
Photo eight: at the school fundraiser (3) Zhenhua elementary school Principal Wan Junjie gives a speech.
图九：募捐现场（四） 振华学校副校长胡老师作发言
Photo nine: at the school fundraiser (4) Zhenhua Vice-Principal Hu gives a speech.
图十：募捐现场（五） 龚京红和叔叔龚喜颜在募捐现场，父女俩听到老师的呼吁求助之后留下了眼泪。
Photo ten: at the school fundraiser (5) Gong Jinghong and her uncle Gong Xiyan at the school, both began crying after hearing the teachers calling for people's support.
图十一：募捐现场（六） 整齐的坐在一起的学生为募捐活动鼓掌。
Photo eleven: at the school fundraiser (6) The neatly-seated students applaud for the fundraiser.
图十二：募捐现场（七） 学生的家长和来京打工者也来到学校参加募捐活动。
Photo twelve: at the school fundraiser (7) Students’ parents and migrant laborers working in Beijing also came to the school to take part in the activity.
图十三：募捐现场（八） 学校校长第一个带头捐款。
Photo thirteen: at the school fundraiser (8) The school Principal takes the lead in making a donation.
募捐开始了，首先捐款的是学校的正副校长，接着是老师，再接着是来自高校和一些慈善机构的人，最后是学生们，一个个年级的学生排好队一个个把自己的零花钱投入了捐款箱。
图十四：募捐现场（九） 来自社会慈善机构的人员和老师在捐款。
Photo fourteen: at the school fundraiser (9) Staff from social charity groups and teachers donate.
图十五：募捐现场（十） 来自高校的人员在捐款。
Photo fifteen: at the school fundraiser (10) People from the universities donate.
图：幼儿班的老师，把孩子捐的钱和名单递了上来。
Photo: the primary teacher brings money and a list of names of children who made donations.
图十六：募捐现场（十） 学生开始捐款
Photo sixteen: at the school fundraiser (10) Students begin making donations.
图十七：募捐现场（十一） 学生开始捐款
Photo seventeen: at the school fundraiser (11) Students begin making donations.
图十八：募捐现场（十二） 学生开始捐款
Photo eighteen: at the school fundraiser (12) Students begin making donations.
图十九：募捐现场（十三） 学生开始捐款
Photo nineteen: at the school fundraiser (13) Students begin making donations.
捐款程序结束后，龚京红走在主席台前面，先后向大家鞠了三次躬:
图二十：募捐现场（十三） 龚京红向大家鞠躬表示感谢。
Photo twenty: at the school fundraiser (13) Gong Jinghong bows to the everyone in a display of gratitude.
图二十一：募捐现场（十四） 龚京红向大家道谢。
Photo twenty-one: at the school fundraiser (14) Gong Jinghong thanks everyone.
“在一夜之间，我失去了爸爸妈妈双亲，一夜之间，家没有了，一夜之间，我成了孤苦伶仃的孤儿……”
“残酷的现实，让我痛不欲生，无法面对，眼泪哭干了，我脑海一片空白……”
“我会永远记住你们这些好心人，记住今天这个特殊的日子，在我长大之后，我也要向你们一样去爱别人，帮助别人，献上我的爱心……”
龚京红哭着说完了这段感谢的话，这也让在场的每一个人都感到难受，很多人都流下了眼泪。
图二十二：募捐现场（十五） 听着龚京红的对大家说的感谢话，校长悄悄抹着眼泪。
Photo twenty-two: at the school fundraiser (15) Listening to Gong Jinghong thank everyone, the Principal quietly wipes a tear.
图二十三：募捐现场（十六） 副校长从龚京红上主席台的那一刻就开始就低着头，悄悄抹眼泪。
Photo twenty-three: at the school fundraiser (16) The minute Gong Jinghong came up on stage, the Vice-Principal hung his head and quietly wiped away his tears.
图二十四：募捐现场（十七） 很多人在龚京红鞠躬的那一瞬间都流下了眼泪。
Photo twenty-four: at the school fundraiser (17) At the moment Gong Jinghong gave her bows, many people began to cry.
图二十五：募捐现场（十八）
Photo twenty-five: at the school fundraiser (18)
图二十六：募捐现场（十九） 很多学生也在悄悄擦眼泪。
Photo twenty-six: at the school fundraiser (19) Many students also silently wiped at tears.
图二十六：募捐现场（十九） 望着主席台上流着泪致词的龚京红，这位男生泪流满面。
Photo twenty-six: at the school fundraiser (19) Seeing Gong Jinghong crying as she speaks on stage, this boy teared up.
图二十七：募捐现场（二十）龚喜颜在一旁听到侄女的所说的话，控制不住失声痛哭。
Photo twenty-seven: at the school fundraiser (20) Gong Xiyan can't hold back from bursting into sobs as he listens to what his niece says.
图二十八：募捐现场（二十一）龚喜颜控制不住失声痛哭。
Photo twenty-eight: at the school fundraiser (21) Gong Xiyan can't stop from choking up.
图二十九、 三十：募捐现场（二十二、二十三）龚京红致完感谢辞之后，一些学生的家长和来京打工者纷纷拿出钱走到了捐款箱前。
Photos twenty-nine, thirty: at the school fundraiser (22,23) After Gong Jinghong finished speaking, some students, parents and migrant manual laborers one after the other go up to the donation box and put in some money.
一些学生除了捐款之外，还送给龚京红一些贺卡、书籍。有一位记者，买了一些零食送给龚京红，龚京红拿出了一盒果冻打开分给了站在她身边的小孩。我静静的看着龚京红，她出奇的冷静，懂事，让我感到更加的难受。
图三十一：有一位记者，买了一些零食送给龚京红。
Photo thirty-one: one reporter bought some snacks for Gong Jinghong.
图三十二：龚京红不说话，默默地把记者送给她的“好吃的”分给她身边的小孩吃。
Photo thirty-two: Jinghong doesn't speak, just silently hands out “the goodies” the reporter gave her to the kids around her.
图三十三、三十四：龚京红身边的小孩手里拿着龚京红送给他们的果冻。这些孩子都和龚京红一样，来自外地，跟随在北京打工的父母一期生活在北京的郊区农村。
Photos thirty-three, thirty-four: the children around Jinghong hold the jellies she's just given them. These kids, like Jinghong, come from afar, coming with their mothers and fathers who came to the rural outskirts of Beijing to seek work.
女童仍留北京 做保洁的姑妈收养小京红
Jinghong remains in Beijing, raised by her trash-collector aunt.
校长告诉我，他们希望龚京红以后还能在他们学校读书，他们会给予这个孩子最大的照顾和帮助，现在，龚京红将和她的姑姑一家人生活在一起，龚京红的姑姑和姑父都在北京做保洁，两个人一个月有1200元的收入，两个孩子，大的和龚京红同岁。
龚喜颜本想收留侄女，但他半身不遂，勉强能走路，不能照顾10岁的龚京红，不过，他从1999年得了半身不遂到现在8年一直坚持一个人在北京生活，靠捡破烂为生。
“我老婆和两个孩子都在老家，她要种地照顾孩子。”
“你为什么不回去？”
“回去在农村捡不到破烂，在这里还能捡一些破烂。除了自己的开销，每年还能给家里1000多元钱。孩子要上学，她在农村种地也挣不了多少钱。”龚喜颜告诉我。
快要离开学校的时候，我走到龚京红身边，再一次注视这个10岁的小女孩，这个时候，她静静的坐在一张凳子上，小心翼翼德打开一个学生送给她的贺卡，我看见上面写着：“龚京红祝你生日快乐，开心每一天，快乐到永远！”
原来，今天是龚京红的生日，同时也是她父母在老家下葬的日子。
图三十五，龚京红手里拿着一些学生送给她的贺卡和书籍。
Photo thirty-five: in Gong Jinghong's hands is a card given to her by some students.
图三十六：贺卡上面写着：祝你生日快乐，永远快乐，原来今天是龚京红的生日，同时，也是她父母在老家下葬的日子。
Photo thirty-six: The card reads: ‘Happy birthday to you, happiness forever,’ it turns out today is Jinghong's birthday, at the same time the day her parents are being laid to rest in her hometown.
刚才学校的副校长给我打来电话，今天1500余师生和社会各界人士共为小京红捐款8228元。期望以后有更多的人关注帮助她。

author: John Kennedy


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Cuba: Vitral Closed Due to Lack of Resources · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Further to media speculation that the Catholic magazine Vitral was closed because of pressure from the Cuban government, Uncommon Sense links to a Catholic News Agency statement that attributes the closure to a lack of resources.


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Czech Rebublic: Political Parties · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Dr Sean's Diary offers his views on the Czech Republic's political parties.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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East Timor: Run-off Elections Confirmed · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Diligence has the latest figures from East Timor's elections that confirm the need for a run-off elections between the two leading candidates.

author: Preetam Rai


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Eastern & Central Europe: Roma and Gipsy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Romantic explains that “not all of Gipsies are Roma, there also exist Kale (Kalos), Sinti, Mugat (Luli), Travellers and some others. They all are Gipsies but they are not Roma, they mind being called Roma. […] And, sorry for my French, go to a long erotic tour everybody who think that ‘Gipsy’ is a bad word. It is a word for my nation, so for me, for a Gipsy woman, that’s a good word. I’m proud to be Gipsy!”


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Election Ploy: Sarkozy Plans to Add Toussaint Louverture to the Pantheon · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

Alain Mabanckou reposts an article by Haitian radio station Kiskeya discussing French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy's promise to add the names of Toussaint Louverture and Léopold Sédar Senghor to the Pantheon (Fr) in Paris, resting place of French luminaries like Volatire, Marie Curie and Napoleon, if elected.  The addition of Louverture, one of the fathers of the Haitian Revolution, struck many of Mabanckou's readers as especially bizarre–and disrespectful–election ploy.  It was against Napoleon's armies that Louverture waged his revolution for independence from France and on Napoleon's orders that he was captured and sent to the French prison where he later died.

author: Jennifer Brea


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Fiji: Blogger’s Meet · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The blogger at Digital Fiji invites bloggers living in Fijian capital Suva to a bloggers meetup and discusses the state of Fijian blogosphere. “It would not be going too far to call 2007 The Year of the Blog in Fiji. Although, it may be more accurate to call it The Year of the Anonymous Blog. For the first time, blog has become a household word and politically vocal blogs authored by pseudonymed individuals are regularly mentioned in international media reports.”


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France: A War of Memory · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

French Congolese poet Alain Mabanckou posts some reflections by Abdourahman Waberi (Fr), a French Djiboutian writer, on the upcoming French presidential elections.  Waberi had thought France had “finally woken up” to the concerns of its non-white citizens, but that from the banlieues to the overseas departments rage and resentment remain unadressed.  “It is not surprising that many of the inhabitants of these places consider themselves (post)colonial subjects, culturally “Frenchified,” but oppressed by the dominant French culture,” Waberi says.  “The risk of a war of memory is more real than ever.  The body politic seems to be breaking into pieces: memory of those repatriated in Africa, memory of the loyalist Algerian soldier, memory of the Holocaust, memory of the sons and daughters of the descendants of slaves.  A litany of past crimes.”


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Guyana: Parent-Child Relationship · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Everyday, in between silly mother-daughter struggles, we insist on taking care of one another…sometimes we appreciate, sometimes resent because it feel so over-protective; other times, we take it for granted.”  Guyana-Gyal examines the parent-child relationship.


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Indian Bloggers on Virginia Tech: Stunned, sad and a million questions · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The tragedy at Virginia Tech has shocked people around the world.  SAJA Forum says “Bloody Monday will darken and bruise Virginia Tech forever, and at this point in time, early in the development of the story of the horrific massacre that consumed the lives of 33 people, there is only the numbness from shock that this “monumental” tragedy has induced, and there is the chatter of television in the background.”
Two things strike us moving through the blogosphere. The overwhelming sadness for the thirty three people who were killed (of which two – Minal Panchal and GV Loganathan were Indians) and the identity of the person who committed the crime.
Like Duck To Water isn't very happy with the media's coverage, and talks about the grief of parents.
Two people, one a professor and the other a student of Indian origin passed away in this incident (yesterday according to an Indian newspaper, no Indians died and hence this is an update..). Its even more difficult for the parents of international students. First of all, most of these students are on fnancial aid, so their parents may not be that strong financially. Moreover there are hassles of visa. Though there is an emergency visa available, imagine going to the consulate for visa stamping at a time when your child is dead on the other side of the world!
Mitesh points out that journalists have also scrapped Minal Panchal's Orkut profile, asking people to respond to their queries. Scout expresses deep anguish.
Some of the victims’ myspace and facebook pages were made available and I couldn't stop crying when I read messages asking them to call back friends to assure them that they're okay. How much more shit can the world take? Why is it so easy to buy a gun? Why should it be so easy, in the first place? Shouldn't someone learn something from the last ten years?
A brief note by Arzan, who was Minal's senior. Vrushali Lad writes a moving piece. They were classmates once
Minal will always remain in my mind from now on…she who loved Frank Lloyd Wright and hence The Fountainhead…she who always spoke her mind impartially, about anyone…she who liked all things weird. I don't know if I'm more sorry for the mother who would grieve for her younger daughter in a foreign country, or the scores of friends who have been scrapping her incessantly for news of her whereabouts. Her phone is unreachable, she's still on the missing persons list, but everyone knows she's gone.
Amardeep Singh has an interesting post in the light of the fact that the gunman's teacher had complained to the university about the content of his creative writing. He suggests that the current “hands off” academic culture may have to be questioned. Sepia Mutiny has a brief obituary for GV Loganathan, and highlights one lovely line by a student – “He is God of his subjects”. The Renegade of Junk provides a set of perspectives from various players with striking and dark sarcasm. Sepia Mutiny‘s post with eight updates on the massacre leads to over 250 comments.
Stylestation asks a question that has been more relevant – why is access to guns so easy?
Did Cho Seung-Hui even realize that he was taking real lives? Killing, real, breathing people?  He came loaded with ammunition. Why and how can a 23 year old have access to it? I'm helpless and puzzled — I just need to understand, how is this possible.
There are no words, and yet words are my only escape. My prayers are with the victim's families and friends and also Cho Seung-Hui's family who I hope will be mericfully forgiven for not knowing what was to come.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Jamaica: Elegy for Virginia Tech · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“What happened…goes beyond what the mind can fathom, the heart can bear, the soul can possess”: Jamaican Geoffrey Philp posts an Elegy for Virginia Tech.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Japan: US$900 bid scandal · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Gyaku has translated some news and documents on a huge scandal of Japanese government in contracting out a new biometric immigration system  (finger print identification system) to Accenture Japan Ltd. The bid for this contract was awarded at a price of only 100,000 yen (maintenance services: 90,000 yen, product development expenses: 10,000 yen). The bid covers at most 1% of the actual expenses expected to be incurred in the project. So how could that happen? Very detailed report at gyaku.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Kazakhstan: Big Numbers · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Ben Paarmann breaks down economic goals for 2015 from Kazakhstan's government, and finds them quite ambitious.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Kazakhstan: Kokpar · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

It's variously alled buzkashi some places, ulak in others, and “goat polo” to foreigners grasping to understand the sport. In southern Kazakhstan, they call this sport, which involves teams on horseback trying to get a goat carcass into goal or across a goal line, “kokpar.” Michael Hancock describes a match


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Kenya: issues that will bring government down · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Gerald Baraza comments on Kenya's government decision to stop advertising with the media house, Standard Group Limited: “This is obviously the case in Kenya today when a section of Government withdraws advertising from the Standard Group Limited on the spurious grounds that the media house is adversarial to it. The harm intended is financial incapacitation — a scheme that is doomed to fail.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha