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African Music #9 · Global Voices
Obi

There is nothing like a local library that truly caters for the community.  Wandering around my local library I came across a CD “Africa Remix (Ah Freak Iya)” and the tracklisting was a delight.  It was released to compliment the Africa Remix '05 exhibition, one of which i had the pleasure of attending summer last year.  The cream of African music is well represented here from Awilo Longomba to Oumou Sangare. With a nice inlay booklet profiling the exhibition and artists it really is a well put together compilation.  With my headphones on, inspiring myself, I welcome you to the African music roundup #9.
Anandkumar Arumugasamy of My XPerience as me blog talks on the inclusion of music in computer games and highlights an in-game song, “Baba Yetu” (The Lord's Prayer in Swahili), featured in the game Civilization 4:
“The first track, “Baba yetu”, is like THE perfect song and made quite an impression the first time I heard it. It's an awesome intro song for an awesome game. The song itself is in Swahili (an African tongue) and features bold drums, a great voice and a soothing chorus. You wouldn't understand a word of it of course, but if you care to know, the song's supposed to be a famous christian prayer called ‘The Lord's Prayer'”
The song was recorded by the Standford University music group Talisman A Cappella specifically for the game.  Anandkumar goes on to list the top in-game songs from other popular games.  An mp3 file of the song “Baba Yetu” can be downloaded here.  Amen.
FAOAfrican drops a short post highlighting the ban of misogynistic songs by the Central African Republic government:
“Central African Republic has ordered radio and television stations to stop broadcasting songs which encourage men to dump their wives, saying such music is a hindrance to the country’s development.”
More details of this ban can be found on the bbc website.  Rightly so as music should uplift and not encourage discrimination in any form. Well done.
Mentalacrobatics blogs on an interview on the bbc about the lack of access to the UK market by African Artists.
“I was listening to an interview on the radio a while ago on the BBC where an African music promoter was complaining about the lack of access African artists and African promoters have to the UK. He complained that governments and venues would fall over each other to host concerts like Live8 where they are raising money for us, but those same governments and venues will never assist African promoters in generating wealth for Africa through bringing African artist to the perform in the west.”
Mentalacrobatics goes on to throw open questions on the intentions of the Live8 organisers.  Contentious issue.
Fly blog highlights the website africanhiphopradio.com:
“It’s still early days but the site is slick and full of information. The most recent programme was put out in Feb 2006 and features interviews with emcees and discussions focusing on issues facing African hip hop and of course music from all over the continent – all the compass points are covered.”
africanhiphopradio.com, run by the hardworking J4, has hours upon hours of quality African hiphop and informative commentary.  Shows are by regions with everything from Egyptian to hip hop by the way of Cape Verde.  A sister site, africanhiphop.com, also exists and complements the radio site with very active forums and news articles.  Essential bookmark.
dj earball of SoundRoots posts an interesting review of the album “Abayudaya: Music from the Jewish People of Uganda.“
“The rich liner notes give a great background to the 600-strong community of people near Mbale in eastern Uganda who are practicing Jews, keeping kosher, celebrating Jewish holidays, praying in Hebrew. The community was founded by Semei Kakugulu, whose literal reading of the Bible eventually led him, and his followers, to Judaism.”
earball provides links for further information.  Talk about cultural juxtapositions!
Matt of matsuli music blog posts on “The Franco of East Africa”, talking about a popular sixties group The Morogoro Jazz band:
“The Morogoro Hotel, Tanzania, early evening some time in the late sixties. The open-air make-shift band-stand hosts a new band born in the spirit of independence and African authenticity. Hired to keep the punters drinking and honing their skills from dusk til the early hours. The band is known as the Morogoro Jazz band and amongst its members are Mbaraka Mwinshehe and Salim Abdallah, both of whom were to go on to become legendary musical figures in seventies East Africa.”
Matt talks about Mbaraka and provides some mp3s to showcase his sound.
afrogasm blogs on Yoruba music, providing information on the rare album “The Yoruba/Dahomean Collection – Orishas Across the Ocean“:
“The music is compiled from Library of Congress archives and comprises recordings made by several researchers between 1939 and 1957 in Haiti, Brazil, Cuba, and Trinidad; Mickey Hart is one of the producers and editors. This time, I'm going to take the time to read the whole booklet ‘cuz there's some fascinating historical and cultural information there; but first, I'm just going to listen because the music is really wonderful.”
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author: Obi


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Arabisc: Update on Detained Egyptian Bloggers · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

It's been more than two weeks since the detention of Alaa along with many other bloggers and activists. Today we came to know about some good news related to some other detained Egyptian bloggers.
Two bloggers were released…
Malek and Mohammed; the two bloggers who were arrested and detained a month ago during a peaceful protest in support of two senior judges, Mahmoud Mekki and Hisham Bastawisi, are now free, or so it appears.
Gharbeia blog reports:
On the other hand, speaking of the political reform in Egypt and the judges case, last week, Judge Mekki was declared innocent, Judge Bastawisi got a repremeditation, but will still have his job. The disciplinary panel was a result for speaking out against election irregularities.
According to Zamakan blog, it seems that some bloggers now feel that the disciplinary panel and the whole case was faked and it was a planed setup between the Government and Judges:
Zamakan don't agree with these claims:
Back to the detained bloggers, most of the Egyptian bloggers are publishing the attached banner on their sidebar, which lists the names of all the detainees, including bloggers (names followed with asterisk). The title of the banners reads:
One of the other remarkable notes is the published letters of the detainees. Following the first letter from inside the prison by Alaa, Manalaa blog has dedicated a page for these letter. So did Kefaya Heros blog in publishing letter from a lot other detainees beside many news and poems in support for all the detainees.
Keeping in mind that among Alaa group of detainees was, Asma'a, a young female blogger. wa7da_masrya published what seems to be a letter from Asma'a, Rasha and Nada. They describe the horror moments of there detention, interrogation and life inside a ‘criminal’ prison:
We hope to hear some (more) good news soon!

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Haitham Sabbah


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Argentina: “The Take” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Jon of Posthegemony reviews Avi Lewis's and Naomi Klein's film “The Take” about the Argentine movement to take over and recuperate abandoned factories and argues that “Lewis and KIein are blithely unconcerned by the fact that the justification for the factory takeovers is presented very much in line with neoliberal rationality itself.” Follow-up thoughts here.

author: David Sasaki


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Bahamas: Diplomatic ties with Cuba · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

It is “irresponsible politics” for Bahamas opposition leader Hubert Ingraham to say that if his party came to power he would downgrade the Bahamian embassy in Havana to a consular office, says Andrew Allen at Bahama Pundit. “Myriad Bahamian interests deserve representation above the consular level.”

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Bangladesh: Textile Workers Protest · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Textile works in Bangladesh are protesting. Drishtipat covers the protest – “And now as I am writing Dhaka, Savar, Tongi and Gazipur are riot-zones. Thousands of ready-made garments workers are now on the street burning factories, cars and pelting stones at what to them are icons of endless repression they are suffering for years.”

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Barbados: Internet penetration · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Barbados has the highest Internet penetration rate in the Caribbean? Titilayo is surprised.


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Cambodia: Phnom Penh Alleyways · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Mythicaldude wanders into the alleyways of Phnom Penh, the Cambodian Capital city. “These long and sometimes winding alleys host entire communities that are normally invisible from the main streets and from traffic. You gotta go there to see what's up.”

author: Preetam Rai


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Cambodia: What caused Angkor’s Fall? · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Curzon at cominganarchy.com has a discussion on the latest thinking behind the collapse of the civilisation that built the Angkor monuments in Cambodia.


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Cartoon, Insecurity & Media · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to news Iran's government has suspended a state-controlled newspaper after it published a cartoon that provoked riots among the country's minority Azeri community. The cartoon shows  that a cockroach says in Azeri :” Namana” which means “What?” It is very interesting to see that even Turkish speaking ( Azeri) bloggers do not share same idea about this cartoon.
Anger & Protest
Shalakhte reports that many Azeri students have demonstrated at different universities ( Persian) including Tehran , Tabriz & Amir Kabir. According to the blogger in a few cities such as Khoy, there has been confrontation between demonstrators and security forces. The blogger says:
“Iran (name of newspaper) in its kid's section has published an article with the following title: What we do that cockroaches do not make us a cockroach? Then there is a cartoon in the article where a cockroach says a word in Turkish (Namana means what). The blogger adds that while some Persian speaking people who are used to humiliating Turkish speaking ethnic groups consider this word funny or a joke but for free thinking countrymen this cannot be accepted… The movement that wants to impose pan-Persianism on us does not have a sound understanding of ethnic minorities. These ethnic minorities do not have elementary rights such as the right to read and write in their mother tongue. Because of this continuous humiliation of ethnic groups the country is sitting on an explosive.”
Harfaye Khodemonie Man, a blogger from Azeri community, reports that  Iran newspaper office in Urmia was set on fire and its office in Zanjan was stoned. The blogger says
“I do not approve of violent acts. These are some opportunists who want to take advantage of the situation.” Finally, he adds that the Minister of Culture is going to investigate this case. Thanks to the pressure of Turkish speaking people including students, government and Parliament has made them break silence and talk about this issue, but for it is just for a cooling down period.”
Blogger adds we should continue our struggle to get our own rights (Persian).
A Big Deal or Not?
Alpar says he got upset when he learned that the cartoonist has lost his job (Persian). The blogger says
“It is was not only the naive attitude of Turkish speaking students that got the cartoonist fired for a minor mistake, but they also gave a helpful hand to fundamentalists that will use this event for their own purposes. He adds how many times have these Turkish speaking people tried to write an article and analyse anti Arab and anti Azeri concepts and words in the Persian language? Have they tried to bridge this gap which separates Persian speaking and Turkish speaking people? Instead from time to time they find a case to protest and then they forget about it until the next case.”
Separatist Groups
Azadibayan, a journalist & blogger based in Urmia, has published the cartoon on his blog. Blogger says the cartoon made him upset but even giants such as BBC or CNN make mistakes too. Blogger adds Iran newspaper apologised Azeri people and we got what we wanted. He warns that they are separatists groups and people who can use this event for their own purposes (Persian).
Yadshtayi Baraye Mokhatebe Ehtemali says cockroach said one word in Azeri/Turkish language and in the rest of pages it talks in Persian. Can we consider it as an insult to Persian speaking people in Iran? Blogger says as his Turkish speaking friend say there are several Turkish words which are used by Persian speaking people. Blogger adds there are separatist groups’ tries to seize opportunity in this story for their own goal (Persian).
Another hot topic is the story of gunmen who have shot dead 12 people on a road in a remote part of south-eastern Iran. The government blamed Jundallah, a Sunnite group, for this act and it seems this group has claimed responsibility for this killing. Bloggers discuss the reasons for insecurity, Sunnite minority and military action.
Sunnite Minority or Sunnite Majority
Janeazad explains several reasons for this conflict situation (Persian) in region:
1. There were always problems between Sunnites and Shi'ites in Sistan and Balouchestan province. Previous governments chose a Shiite governor from other provinces but with approval of Abodlhamid Molavi, Sunnite leader in region. Ahmadinejad's government appointed a hardliner Shiite from Sistan Balouchestan.
2. Anti Sunnite books were presented in a book fair in this province where 60% are Sunnites. The book fair ended after confrontation.
3. The Sunnite leader (Mufti) has always been invited when officials came from Tehran . No more under the new government. The blogger concludes that all these events created a situation where Jundullah emerged. He asks why the present government does not follow previous government's footsteps to calm ethnic conflicts.
Military Action:Productive or Counter Productive
Fahm says this group is criminal and government should act with support of local population (Persian). Blogger writes Jundallah pretends to defend Balouch population & fights for its rights. Now imagine army forces attack villages & suspected people without having reliable information about them. This act not only does not destroy this group but fortify their presence and support among local population. Government has acted in a wrong way in border line provinces and their problems have not been taken in consideration.
Alattash a progovernment blogger reports according to news anti terrorist attacks started (Persian) and several terrorists got killed but none got arrested so far. Progress because of difficult geographical situation is slow.
Security & Fear
Kavirnameh says in his opinion this act is not related to drug deals that are very active in this region (Persian). According to blogger, in the last two decades they never acted like this. The blogger says :
“Here we have a new phenomenon and like each social and political phenomenon you can not solve all problems by military action. The blogger writes that with slogans we can not create security. This is a new phenomenon and all experts should be asked to help to analyse it. Government's argument that we have long desert borders and it is difficult to control them is baseless. These borders have not been created yesterday!”
Gheseye Ma says he is not going to take a trip to Kirman or Sistan Balochistan provinces (regions where killing happened) and he does not let others go there to become “martyr” (Persian). He quotes Elham, government speaker: “This criminal act has not any operational or technical importance. Don't imagine something big happened. Our security forces are strongly present and have always fired back strongly.”  blogger ironically says then it is our (people's) weakness?
Our final topic is about media and their influence. A National Post article  said   a law envisages separate dress codes for religious minorities who will have to adopt distinct colour schemes to make them identifiable in public. Shortly after this article, in another article of the same newspaper we could read ” Experts say report of badges for Jews in Iran is untrue“. Bloggers discuss these articles.
Conspiracy?
Kroushe Alyani says it is very difficult to believe that this news was a mistake (Persian). The blogger says he does not know the writer but there are people who have no shame and lie. They do their best to say to the world that Irani and Iranian is evil and can not understand any other language than war. If we don't wake up and do not act quickly these people will do their best to create war.
Midnights Notes does not understand  why people got surprised by this news. According to this blogger  this State has imposed islamic veil for 27 years to women, then same can be happended to religious minorities (Persian).
International Media & Blogs
Zharf says A few hours that first article was published, almost each minute one English blog wrote about this issue without checking to know if the news is reliable or not (Persian).
Amnesiac says one of Italian channels quoted Canadian newspaper and journalist considered news horrible (Persian).

author: Fred Petrossian


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Chile, Mexico: Valentina Palma’s Letter and Video · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Eduardo Arcos has posted another letter from Chilean anthropologist Valentina Palma [ES] who was detained by Mexican police in the violence that erupted outside Mexico City earlier this month. Al Giordano has posted a video of Palma being led away by police armed with firearms (contradicting earlier official claims).


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Chilean Bloggers Update · Global Voices
Rosario Lizana

Normally, Chilean bloggers have common concerns in their blogs, but this week coordination just didn’t happen. So, this is a cocktail of news.
Leo Prieto (ES) , posts about his interview with the Sub-Secretary of Government  Telecommunications to promote broadband internet access in Chile. The initiative carried the support of the online community, Atina Chile (ES). Most politicians have touched on these concerns in their speeches, but they don’t put them into action. As a result of this, everyday users are introducing the subject into the political sphere.
“Donde Fuego Hubo” (ES) posts about Chilean bloggers that have had bad experiences with mainstream media outlets using their photos without any author attribution. He writes his personal experience with El Morrocotudo (ES) that used his photo without mentioning him. He also posts about two more cases. Unfortunately in Chile, Creative Commons Licences are still in the twilight zone.
The newspaper El Mercurio (ES), made a sports blog (ES) especially for the world football cup. This also is a good strategy for newspapers to start using blogs.

author: Rosario Lizana


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China: Discoveries in the desert · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Haven't had time to follow the news out of northwestern China's muslim-dominated Xinjiang province over the past three months? Davesgonechina at Musing Under The Tenement Palm rounds up the relevant stories, including two discoveries in the desert; one of a 2,200 year-old peach-shaped city and a 26 year-old mummy, the corpse of renowned naturalist Peng Jiamu.

author: John Kennedy


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China: Rights news roundup · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Celia in her China Activist Weekly news roundup this week looks at Kofi Annan's recent visit to China, the media ban on coverage of the fortieth anniversary of the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, another mine collapse trapping at least forty miners and the upcoming release of civil rights lawyer Zheng Enchong:
“His family suffers constant harassment from authorities, including constant monitoring and being blocked from travelling…Even if Zheng is released on schedule, harassment and constant monitoring of his whereabouts and activities will doubtlessly continue.”


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Cote d’Ivoire: Preparing for the World Cup · Global Voices
Alice Backer

An article posted by Rewmi Abidjan says (Fr) Cote d'Ivoire is preparing for the Soccer World Cup. The team will be recouping from the African Cup during its first week of training, says its trainer Henri Michel. The team will then prepare for a friendly match against Switzerland to take place on May 27 which its trainer calls a “test”.

author: Alice Backer


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East Timor: People Whisperer · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Tumbleweed has found the solution for recurring strife in East Timor. “Remember that Robert Redford movie “The Horse Whisperer” about a guy who tamed wild horses by connecting with them and gaining their trust? Perhaps we now need a few “People whisperer” here in this country – not the police, not the military, not peacekeeping forces.”


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Edible Blog Report · Global Voices
Melissa De León

#1: A food blogger's reunion in Pistoia, Italy: Kishko and Lucullian Delights tell the story in their blogs. The photos are stunning. It makes me want to go there!
Then we bought some chocolate and loitered around, looking at the main sights but as I am a lousy guide and obviously forgot to bring the guide of Pistoia, it wasn't any serious sight-seeing. But maybe next time because she is coming back as we bought tickets to Bob Dylan concert that is part of the Pistoia Blues Festival in July, so there will be at least two food bloggers in the audience, anyone else coming? But we will meet before that because I'm going to Florence so that we can make a survey of the food markets there as well and then there is that pasticceria…
#2: CaDs from Panama, on Eating Chinese in Panama! Yum Dim Sum!
#3: Besides Tacos and Fajitas, Mexico has also a Vegetarian Cuisine, is a very interesting historical review by Ya Rayi Our Rai.
It is said that Montezuma, the last Aztec ruler, selected his daily meals from some 300 exotically prepared foods and, no doubt, from among these were a good number of vegetarian dishes.  In fact, the central core of the indigenous kitchen included, besides chillies and tomatoes, corn, beans and squash – called by some food writers `the holy threesome’.  Even though, in our times, most Mexican foods are served with meat, there are numerous delightful vegetable dishes in that country, with roots that go back to pre-Columbian times.  Some still carry their Indian names like mole, a series of well-known sauces , deriving their name from the Aztec molli…(read the complete article)
#4:  Elena visits Malaysia, and gives a complete report on the "Gourmand World Media Awards 2005 – Kuala Lumpur," and tours the Hindu market in Penang. Gorgeous photos!
#5:  Canadian Blogging by Post #1, hosted by Sweet Pleasure!
Curious to see what Canadian food bloggers sent each other in the first Canadian Blogging By Post (CBBP) event? If so, click on the word "package" in the list below to see the amazing treats each blogger received. Some packages haven't arrived, but as soon as they are posted I will add them. You may also want to look back at the recipe round-up for CBBP #1 to see the fabulous chocolate desserts that bloggers made.
#6: Cooking with Chopsticks , shares from Kyoto, Japan detailed information on how to prepare Takenono.
...I never imagined it looked like this in real life. It’s a bamboo shoot. They’re in season now, and being a Kyoto specialty, Nishiki market’s shops have mounds and mounds of them for outrageous prices. Why the high prices? Because they are most tender and have to be dug up while still underground before they reach the sunlight in the early early morning, and bamboo can grow a meter in one day. I never thought I could afford one…
#7: Chef Vic Cherikoff from Australia writes about "Anzac biscuits on Anzac Day"
We are now seeing what a foolish effort the attack on Gallipoli really was from a military standpoint and in order to shift blame from the generals who should be despised and publicly damned. Instead, we applaud the heroics of those soldiers they condemned to certain death and of those lucky enough to have survived. To me, it's just twisted that our government promotes a cute recipe for Anzac biscuits in honor and remembrance of those that died and legislates that the recipe can't be changed.
Head over to his blog and continue reading this revealing post!
#8: Cook Sister: I'm Racing for Life!
Those of you who know me well are also familiar with my aversion to strenuous exercise, so it may come as somewhat of a surprise to you that I have agreed to take part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life in Maidstone on 4 June 2006, a fundraising run to raise money for funding cancer research. My friend Lesley and I will be running/walking/crawling for 5km around the park and we would really welcome your support.
No, I'm not expecting you to join us on our little outing, although you are more than welcome to (!!). But what you can do is to take a moment to sponsor us. It's really easy – you can donate online by credit or debit card at the following address (free access to gorgeous pic of me & Lesley! How can you say no!)…Continue  reading!
#9: Melissa's Banlieue has an incredible easy-tasty looking recipe to prepare Goats Cheese & Speck stuffed Croissants. Oh they sure look scrumptious!
But 9:00 a.m., the sun was shining and I was thinking already about a little lunch on the patio! I had bought some speck ham stuffed with goats cheese, this comes in tubs from Monoprix, plus I had some Salami and Edam on hand…….Are you getting hungry yet? Get the recipe NOW!
# 10: From Sushi Otaku: Sushi Tips – How to eat Sushi, a complete guide or "expected etiquette" for the sushi lovers. Next you will find an excerpt of the post, for the complete guide visit her website!
Ordering:
• If you are seated at the sushi bar, only ask the itamae for sushi. Drinks, soup, and other non-sushi (or sashimi) items are handled only by the waiter/waitress.
• Ask the itamae what he would recommend, never ‘is that fresh?” as it is insulting to imply that something may not be. If you think it may not be fresh, you shouldn’t be eating there.
• Respect the itamae, he is often quite busy. But feel free to engage him in conversation if he is able. This is also a good way to build a rapport with him and you may reap the rewards later as a regular (I really have with one particular itamae at one of my favourite places).
• Keep your palate in mind and order accordingly. It is impolite to leave food on your plate after your meal or act as though a particular item is ‘gross’ if you don’t like it.
See you next week!

author: Melissa De León


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Guyana: Report on International Day Against Homophobia · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Wednesday 17 May was International Day Against Homophobia. Guyana's Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) reports on its programme of commemorative activities: a film screening, a radio discussion, and an interactive forum at the National Library.


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Haiti: Among 10 Highest Producers of Mangos · Global Voices
Alice Backer

“The place occupied by the Haitian mango is threatened on the international market given the demands of foreign consumers looking for a quality product,” says (Fr) Haitian newsfeed Alterpresse. “Ranked among the 10 highest worldwide producers of mangos, Haiti needs to do everything to better exploit this niche. A study by LAREHDO [Laboratory of Haitiano-Dominican Relations] reveals that this niche represents 20% of mango consumption in the Dominican Republic,” continues the newsfeed.


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Haiti: New Blog CollectifHaitideProvence · Global Voices
Alice Backer

CollectifHaitideProvence  [Haitian Collective of Provence, France] is the name of a new French and Creole language blog launched by a Haitian organization of the same name made up of nine organizations that seem to be based in either France, Haiti or both. Their first entry posted yesterday explains (Fr & Kr): “This entity which took birth after the floods of Spring 2004 that affected (…) the border (…) between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, encompasses a group of interested associations, attracted and touched by Haitian issues (…) This is neither yet another personal page nor an attempt to embrace ‘blogomania’.” The blog plans to expand into a full fledged site over time.


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Haitian Diaspora: Franco-Haitian Solidarity Meeting · Global Voices
Alice Backer

CollectifHaitideProvence announces (Fr) they received an invitation by Collectif Haitien de France [Haitian Collective of France] to participate in a series of meetings taking place June 3 and 4. The main themes of the meetings will be humanitarian solidarity and education, development, the problems of Haitian migrants in France, and partnering with Haitian organizations. The blogger deplores that issues of double nationality for the Haitian diaspora are not on the agenda but calls the meeting ” very important and  promising for a more efficient help of Haiti and Haitians.”


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Hong Kong: Literary history · Global Voices
John Kennedy

On the latest episode of Danwei TV we see EastSouthWestNorth blogger Roland Soong take Danwei‘s Jeremy Goldkorn around Hong Kong in search of landmarks featured in Eileen Chang‘s (张爱铃) novel Love in a Fallen City (顷城之恋).


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India: Collaborative Spaces · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

How does one effectively use a collaborative space? Wicked Angel has some thoughts on some collaborative spaces being used for personal agendas – “Do we have a right to use this space to further ones political views? I am not sure, in my view No we don't. If there really is a need to write about the issue because its affecting the city, I only think its fair that the readers get to hear the opposing view too.”


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India: How India Got Its E-Porn · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Great Bong recycles an older post on how porn can drive technology, and the demise of a once famous desi (South Asian) porn site.


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Indonesia: Jakarta Biennale 2006 · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Juliana has pictures from the Opening of Jakarta Biennale 2006.


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Iran: Leader’s Advisor is Blogging · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Dr. Ali Akbar Velayati, Leader's advisor and former Foreign Affairs Minister, started his blog. Concerning Iran-US negotiation about Iraq or other issues, Dr.Velayati says Iran has never had such a  strong influence in Iraq & Palestine like today. He adds we have the best advantages to bargain now (Persian).


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Jamaica: Ghetto tourism? · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Francis Wade remembers taking tours of “slum” areas in South Africa and Brazil, and the lessons he learned from these experiences. “It would be powerful if we in Jamaica could get over our embarrassment long enough to realize that we are the ones in the way of giving structured tours of places like Trench Town (which is more famous than Montego Bay) to thousands of visitors with an interest in learning more about the forces that shaped the great Bob Marley.”


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Jamaica: Mango season · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

It's mango season in Jamaica (and the rest of the Caribbean), and Geoffrey Philp rhapsodises his four favourite mango varieties: Bombay, Number 11, East Indian, and Julie. He even writes a mango poem.


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Japan: Korean terrorists interested · Global Voices
John Kennedy

I am the Japanese rightist blogger yellowpeep continues her series of posts this month exposing religious and right-wing terrorist groups in Japan with a story that shows the various roles Koreans expats play in the organizations and violence.


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Latin America: World Cup Weblogs · Global Voices
David Sasaki

José Luis Orihuel has posted a compilation of all the Spanish-language weblogs devoted exclusively to this year's World Cup. “El Expatriado” says that Argentina is getting ready and Franco Giménez notes that the Argentinean company Neyra Hermanos has launched a World Cup blog.


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Lithuania: Eurovision Mania · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Andy H of Csikszereda Musings writes about the Eurovision Song Contest, which he watched in Lithuania this year: “Lithuania got maximum points from Ireland, in what I thought was testament to the Irish love of a good joke, but was told today that it’s because there are loads of Lithuanians in Ireland.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Malaysia: Tution Classes · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Nik Nazmi takes on the Malaysian obsession with tutions – the extra classes that students attend to get better scores in exams. “The reason the tuition culture is so much part of our society is easy to comprehend: our exam oriented system and the lackluster pay of being a teacher is a potent combination that fosters this trend.”


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Mexico: Unfortunate Name · Global Voices
David Sasaki

In a post titled “unfortunate name Eduardo Arcos says that the Policy Interpretation Network on Children’s Health and Environment (AKA “PINCHE Project”) will need to change it's name if it ever comes to Mexico. In a related item, León Felipe Sánchez has posted a photograph of an attention-grabbing, if not mysterious, election campaign billboard.


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Moldova: Internet Connectivity · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Peter Myers of Doi Ani de Zile: Adventures in Moldova has examined internet connectivity data for Moldova and other former Soviet republics and is eager to share his findings: “So best of luck to anyone who wants to play around with this data. Whatever you do with it, keep me posted via e-mail; because I'm in Moldova and not Liberia (three users per 10,000 people), I'm 300 times more likely to receive your e-mails.”


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Muscovites in Kyiv: Pizza Delivery Fiasco · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

On weekends, Kyiv teems with tourists from Moscow. Train tickets for overnight Friday and Sunday rides between the two capitals have to be ordered well in advance. The number of Muscovites settling in Kyiv permanently to do business is growing, too.
To make the new migrants’ lives easier, a special Russian-language LJ community has been created: moscow_in_kiev (aka Muscovites in Kiev, aka The Capital Express).
Below is the translation of an entry (RUS) on pizza delivery, an art outrageously underdeveloped in the Ukrainian capital, written by the community's moderator, LJ user yhn (aka Your Humble Narrator, who has been working in Kyiv since mid-July 2005 and started the community two months after his arrival from Moscow):
Pizza Delivery in Kyiv
In Kyiv, pizza delivery service is absolutely undeveloped. For many reasons familiar to most office workers, pizza is the only way to survive till dinnertime. Judging by my experience, many people in Kyiv fail to survive…
I'm pretty conservative in my preferences. To say more, I'm an ideal victim of a professional marketologist: I'm completely loyal to the brand if I'm satisfied with the quality and promptness of service. Price isn't a decisive factor. And so I tried pizza from three different companies and chose one – “Mamamia!”. Good, tasty pizza. Especially with the cheesy edge. It would've been good and tasty, if it hadn't been for their receptionists and delivery:
1) March 17. I intend to sit at work till very late. At noon I order pizza for 3 pm. At 3:30 pm, it's still not there and I call the company: “So, where is my pizza?” – “Oy, we tried to call you but didn't get through.” – “How come?” – “Here, we're calling you at this very moment and no one's answering.” After a long discussion – with the manager by then – it turned out the receptionist just hadn't noticed that they had my cell phone number written down and were calling a regular city number instead. A 10% discount for the delay.
2) March 22. I'm planning to work till around 9 pm, so at 4 pm I order dinner for 6 pm. Fifteen minutes later, a delivery person calls: “I can't find your building on the map.” I explain to him how to get here and then ask: “Do you know that I've ordered delivery for 6 pm?” A pause. ” Yes, I know.” Five minutes later, a call from the receptionist: “Oy, we've made your pizza now by mistake. Maybe you'll take it?” A 20% discount for the mistake.
3) April 7, today. I'm ordering online. No one calls me back within 20 minutes. I remember my past experiences and call the pizza place myself: “I've ordered pizza on your site but am not sure whether my order has gone through.” – “What street?” – “Gospitalnaya.” – “Yes, we have your order. But you haven't confirmed it.” – “But you haven't called me back.” – “No, we called you but they told us…” What follows is a story at the end of which I realize that they called the ground floor of our office. I ask where they got the phone number (I listed my cell on the order). I'm amazed to hear the answer: “via a reference book.” To a totally logical question on why they didn't call me on my cell – an amazing response: “We aren't allowed to call cell phone numbers.” But I'm here and am ready to confirm my order. But the female receptionist is trying to prove to me that I'm not entitled to a free Coke because I'm making a order on the phone, and [the free Coke] option is available only to those who order online. I lose patience: “I don't need anything anymore!”
No pizza this time. And, I guess, no more pizza at all. Losers…


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North Korea: Comfort women escape · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Two questions from reading posts from Joshua and James J. Na today at The Korea Liberator: Do comfort women still exist in North Korea today? Does Kimchi cause cancer?


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Peru: A Game of Sapo · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Don Ball Carbajal explains the infamous Latin American game of sapo.


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Philippines: Naughty Advertising  · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The Sassy Lawyer spots a footwear ad where the model's pose and attire overshadows the actual object meant to be advertised. The blogger asks “will they remember the woman, the plunging neckline and her spread legs and exposed thigh?”


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Romania: Mailbox Photos · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Romerican posts an amazing collection of mailbox pictures from Braşov, Romania.


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Russia: Law on National Flag · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Oleksa writes about a strange law regulating the way Russia's national flag can be displayed: “t’s illegal in Russia to have the national tricolor displayed permanently unless it’s a government institution. Apparently, one can do it freely only during national holidays. Or, translated from the bureaucratic lingo, the national flag belongs to the state, period. One can’t find a better metaphor to describe in what direction Russia is headed.”


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Serbia & Montenegro: Karadzic’s Hiding Place · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Balkan Ghost of Finding Karadzic writes that Montenegrin politicians have succeeded in convincing the world and the world media “that Karadzic was Serbia's problem and not theirs”: “Today, newly independent Montenegro is seen by the world as the “next Croatia,” a country that will quickly become prosperous and European through its tourism industry and beaches. Though this newest country does have great beaches, world perception is undeservedly rosy. In reality, Montenegro remains a lawless smuggling cartel run by Russian biznizmen, and an uncontested safe haven for Radovan Karadzic.”


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Slovakia: Hungarian Detained for Sightseeing · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian tourists were detained by the Slovak police for violating the law that states that “all sightseers in Bratislava must use the guides of the Bratislava Cultural and Information Service,” writes Paul of Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar.


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Sri Lanka: Creative Commons for Sri Lanka · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Some self-confessed geeks like Geek with an Attitude in Sri Lanka have taken quite a liking for Lawrence Lessig's style as he was in the country launching Creative Commons Sri Lanka.


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Sri Lanka: NGOs Attacked · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Moju has statements issued by “two NGOs, Non-violent Peace Force and ZOA, who have been attacked in Trincomalee on Sunday.“


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Ukraine: Books on Crimean Tatars · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Otto Pohl posts a list of English-language publications on Crimean Tatars.


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West Indies: Cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan comes of age · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Today the West Indies cricket team won its third One Day International match in the current series against India, in which Guyanese batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan scored 115 runs not out. “He’s coming of age before our eyes,” says the West Indies Cricket Blog. Ri at Revolution Island reminds us that “during a very threatening innings by India, Rammy also got a wicket bowled. I'd never seen him bowl before … I was in paradise.” He adds: “I believe West Indies will win this series.”


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Argentina: More on Borges · Global Voices
David Sasaki

The 20th anniversary of the death of Jorge Luis Borges continues to leave its mark in Argentina-based weblogs. Roberto Bobrow cites an allusion made to Borges by Italian intellectual Umberto Eco. Jeff Barry, meanwhile, is already on day five of an ambitious series called “30 Days with Borges.” It seems useful to those as of yet unacquainted with the Argentine literary giant as well as those who would like to dig deeper into Borges’ life, works, and impact.


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Armenia: The First Republic · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Nessuna writes about an event presenting the Armenian-language publication of the first volume of Richard Hovannisian's history of the first year of the first Armenian Republic, and notes that the book restores historical truths locked away during Soviet times.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Bahamas: Consultation & Arawak names · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

“The old colonial idea advocated by one resident that the government can just hand things down from on high is no longer acceptable in the Bahamas,” says Sir Arthur Foulkes in his appeal for the development of a “culture of consultation” in the Bahamas. In the same post Sir Arthur suggests that the Bahamas explore the idea of re-christening some of the “family islands” with their Arawak names: “Some of the Family Island names reflect this history and beauty, including Bimini, Exuma, Eleuthera, San Salvador, Inagua and Mayaguana. But two of the most beautiful islands in the chain have the most unflattering names – Cat and Crooked.”

author: Georgia Popplewell


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Bangladesh: Update on Labour Strike · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Drishtipat provides an update on the ongoing labour strike in Bangladesh by the textile workers.


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Barbados: Florida sheriff corruption investigation · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

In light of the revelation that a Florida sheriff being investigated for corruption had business dealings with the Barbados Police Force, Barbados Free Press is demanding answers to several questions.


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Barbados: 20,000 cruise ship passengers? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Cruise ships will land whopping 20,000 passengers in Barbados on the day of the Cricket World Cup final in April 2007. “While this will obviously provide taxi drivers, shops, island vendors and restaurants with an considerable increase in business,” writes Linda Thompkins, “one also has to wonder if 20,000+ cruise passengers arriving on the same day can actually be serviced.” Also being prepared in time for the Cricket World Cup is a medical facility at Barbados's newly renovated international airport. While acknowleding the facility's necessity, Thompkins remarks that “This will add to the cost of the multi-million dollar renovation that has been plagued by delays and cost over runs.”


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Bermuda: iPoliticians · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's podcast may not be gripping, but according to the Limey, “what's remarkable is that he's doing this at all.” In Bermuda, he adds, “. . . no politician has yet seen the need to have his own blog. The idea that any of them would take the time to produce a weekly podcast responding to residents’ questions is laughable.”


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Bolivia: Morales Wants the Possibility of Reelection · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Miguel Centallas, Briegel Busch, and Alvaro Ruiz-Navajas are all concerned by the announcement that Evo Morales will seek a new constitution that allows for reelection of the president and vice-president. Centallas reminds readers that “historically, other Latin American executives have used constitutional changes to stay in power beyond their original mandate. The names Fujimori & Chavez come immediately to mind.” But then adds that “Peru & Venezuela are not models to imitate.” Busch says [ES] that “it's not a question relevant only to Bolivia but for all the neighboring countries and the region in general.” Ruiz-Navajas is even more critical: “Future generations of Bolivians, when [the Movement to Socialism party] is (hopefully) long gone, will judge us and unanimously agree our stupidity. After all, we have had all possible warnings. We have seen what happened in Venezuela and we can be sure Evo is nothing but a puppet.”


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Cayman Islands: Gay cruise song · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

With another gay-themed cruise ship about to berth at Grand Cayman, Cayman Bobby is amused by the lyrics of a new song by local artist Barefoot Man recounting Caymanians’ attitudes to the last gay cruise to land on the island and points to some local double standards. Cayblogger disagrees, however, about the quality of the song, which he calls “an abortion of music and lyrics set to the Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B” in which barefoot tries to poke fun at the gay cruise ship situation in Cayman – a topic which, by the way, has grown quite old.”


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Central Asia & Caucasus: Nationality · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Stavros explains how one determines nationality in the former Soviet Union.


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Chile: Demanding Better Cell Phone Service · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Following a campaign for universal broadband internet access, the web community Atina Chile is now demanding better cell phone service from Chilean service providers.


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Chile: New RSS Aggregator · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Rsschile.com is a new aggregator of all things Chilean. There is also an English-language section.


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China: Biggest bank’s IPO · Global Voices
John Kennedy

The Bank of China went public this week, blogs Jeremy Goldkorn at Danwei, and brought in $9.7 billion with its long-anticipated IPO.
“Despite the fact that everyone knows China's state-owned banks are wobbly and burdened with numerous non-performing loans,” Goldkorn writes, “it seems that investors have confidence in the Bank of China.
“With good reason: the Chinese government would probably give Taiwan away sooner than let the Bank of China collapse. A possibility that seems more remote now that their coffers have swelled by an amount of money greater than the GDP of a small country.”


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China: Gays have it better · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Laowiseass‘ Lalaoshi looks back on his former life as a columnist for China's English-language weekly 21st Century and being banned then from mentioning homosexuality.
“Over the past year,” he writes, “other columns in the same paper have mentioned the topic. It looks like the letter writers and the columnists can say whatever they want about homosexuality. I will try the same with the next relevant letter I get.
“When I met with a Chinese friend, about 25 years old, along with three of her friends earlier this month, we talked about gay rights in China. My friend's comment: ‘I want a gay friend. It's in style.’


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China: Hi-tech weapons trade · Global Voices
John Kennedy

A significant amount of research went into the AngryChineseBlogger blogger's lengthy post looking at Israeli aviation technology company and defense contractor Emit's recently-uncovered selling of hi-tech equipment to China, which concluded with company executives being arrested Monday.


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China: Piracy taken on · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Software piracy in China, blogs China Law Blog‘s Dan Harris, is on the decline:
“A few days before Chinese President Hu Jintao dined at the Gates’ Mansion across the lake from Seattle, the Chinese government  announced all Chinese governmental agencies would be required to use only legal software.  It will be interesting to see what effect this mandate will have on China's software piracy figures for this year.”


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China: Relations with Germans · Global Voices
John Kennedy

A lengthy and thorough post from China Matters‘ China Hand looks at cooling Sino-German relations and the global role the two countries now play, set against German Chancellor Angela Merkel's recent visit to China:
“So China—the world's most populous and vibrant economic power, which hasn't engaged in military aggression since its disastrous border dispute with Vietnam 25 years ago—must still content itself with second-class world citizenship; listen to the self-serving lectures about responsible global citizenship from the same group of nations whose sins of commission and omission created the geopolitical and human disaster in Iraq; and accept that the White Nations’ Club + Japan denies China has the right to arm itself and chart its military and foreign policy destiny without outside interference as befits a world power and Asian empire.”


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China: Three gorges dam · Global Voices
John Kennedy

“They might have moved 1.3 million people, flooded archeological wonders and more,” says Simon at Simon World with a post on and a link to photos of the recently-completed Three Gorges Dam, “but it's quite an achievement.”


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China: Typhoon preparation · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Photos of China's People's Liberation Army preparing for last week's typhoon Chanchu which swept through the south-eastern corner of the country in The PLA Blows at myrick's Asiapundit. (via We Make Money Not Art)


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Colombia: “Friendly fire or foul play?” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Adam Isacson has a thorough review of the controversial incident on Monday, which has been officially described as “friendly fire” and mistaken identity between units of Colombia's army and police.


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Cote d’Ivoire: Census and Disarmament · Global Voices
Alice Backer

“Some experiments in census taking started last thursday in six towns of Cote d'Ivoire, where disarmament of the loyalist army and of the rebellion forces that was to happen simultaneously did not take place,” says  (Fr) Remwi Abidjan.  However, both are prerequisites for elections due to take place on October 31.


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Cuba: Accomodating Cuba · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

What approach should nations adopt in relation to Cuba? Pondblog crafts an argument from the following ingredients: an article by the director of the Council for Hemispheric Relations (COHA), a US State Department report on state sponsors of terrorism, and a quotation from former Czech leader Vaclav Havel.


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East Timor: Foreign Peace Force · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Dili-gence reports that East Timor's President has requested for external help in dealing with the recurring violence in the country. The blogger also analyzes the various parties involved in the conflict.


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The Global Voices Show #1 · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Global Voices is pleased to announce the first of our new magazine-style podcasts, which aim to do for online audio what the Global Voices web site does for text blogs — introduce listeners to some of the exciting offerings from podcasters around the world.
In this episode we feature the following podcasts:
Toast Fantastic Podcast (South Africa)
Dixo – Eduardo Arcos (Mexico) – See also Global Voices Regional Editor David Sasaki’s article, “9 Questions for Eduardo Arcos”.
Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot (Jamaica) – See also Global Voices author Nicholas Laughlin’s article , “West Indian literature online”
Rabble Podcast Network (Israel/Palestine)
Kazahkstan Stories (Kazakhstan)
Oon Yeoh (Malaysia) – See also Global Voices Regional Editor Preetam Rai’s article , “Malaysian Bloggers Protest Banning of Documentary”.
Radio Free Harvard Cubao (Philippines) – See also Preetam Rai’s article “The Movie ‘Da Vinci Code’ in South East Asia”
Mr. Brown (Singapore)
Also featured on this show are two music tracks from Magnatune – “Kubrick’s Tube” by Michael Masley, and “Too Tight” by Falik. Both can be purchased through the Magantune web site.
You can listen to this podcast by clicking here on the “Audio MP3″ icon at the end of this post.
Subscription links for this podcast:
RSS | iTunes | Odeo
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS


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Honduras: Blog of Juan Almendares · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Dr Juan Almendares Bonilla, executive director of the Centre for the Prevention, Rehabilitation and Treatment of Victims of Torture in Honduras now has his own weblog [ES]. Several months ago, Bolivia-based blogger Jim Shultz described “serious threats being launched against” Almendares.


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India: The Musical Bloggers · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Collaborative blogging and now collaborative music. Blogswara bring out music in three languages where “Everything is done by the bloggers themselves. Lyrics, Music, Orchestration, Vocals, Recording and Mixing. Everything is done online. Everybody works from their own place that is in different parts of the world.” The songs can be heard and downloaded here.


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India: Through Goa by train · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Windy Skies takes a trip on Konkan Rail through Goa and has a lot to share on things seen and felt through the journey.


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Iran: Licence for Blogs? · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

ITIran blogger talks about what he heard in a meeting in Ministry of Information concerning blogs. This blogger says it seems government is discussing a project to oblige people to ask licence from Ministry of Islamic Guidance before launching blog or site (Persian)!


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Iran: Riots in Tehran University · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Shahram Kholdi reports about riots in Tehran University. He says riots at Tehran University were in response to the forced resignation of five  Professors who resigned under the pressure of the university officials. According to this blogger about 800 to 1000 students are conducting a sit-in in front of the Faculty of Law of the Tehran University today.


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Iraq: New Oil Policy · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Mohammed writes about the new oil policy and opening the door for investments from countries that “stood with Iraq”.


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Kazakhstan: A Kazakh-American Hero · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

News From The Caravan writes about a Kazakh-American hero who saved the lives of two young boys in a small American town in the 1950s. The story is certainly a must-read if for nothing else but the image of a 60 year old Kazakh woman charging through a crowd on a comandeered police horse.


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Kurdistance: What’s Montenegro Got to Do With It? · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

And yes, there was the Tina Turner song “What's love got to do with it?” floating in my head in the background when I wrote that title.  While the world watched the vote creating an independent Montenegro, the Kurds were watching the same events with mixed feelings.
Hiwa from Hiwa Hopes writes with hope for the new country but in shame as the Kurds have not been able to do the same for themselves:
Montenegro, the lovely coast with 700000 polulation which is less than the population of Slemani is now independent from Serbia, they together were about 10 Million only! Well you could argue its not quantity but quality which makes up a nation and I will definitely agree with you!
Its our fault, its our mistake, its our problem, its our duty, its our need, its our fate, its our laziness, its our cowardness, its our love of mony, love of posts, love of the illusion created by the brits to be called Iraq, its our fear of losing palaces in Slemani, Qala chwalan and Sari Rash, our people are followers like cows the first one to be ME and ancestors.
I feel disgraced and ashamed of myself!
From Holland to Kurdistan, spoke a little more hopefully about the subject:
This case is very important for would-be states like the Kurds. It shows the ambivalent position of the international community towards the formation of new stations.
In 2005 the Kurds voted with 98.8% for independence in South-Kurdistan (Iraqi). The results of this vote were presented to the UN. But they didn’t recognize the importance of this referendum organized by the Kurdish Referendum Movement.
One Kurd said angrily:” I support them too [Montenegro]. To hell with the UN, why doesn't the right of self-determination apply to our 40 million Kurds in our nation?”
The results of this referendum vote weren’t used by the Kurdish parties, who prefer to stay in Iraq. The Kurdish parties say that a Kurdish dream for independence is unrealistic. The current president of Iraq, Jalal Talabani repeatedly called an independent Kurdistan a dream. “No Kurdish officials in Iraq are working for an independent Kurdistan. We are only trying to do something that is possible and reachable,” he said before.
Rasti weighs in on the issue of the recent shootings of Turkish judges by Islamist militants, a subject discussed in last week's Turkey is Typing…
Both Rasti and Hiwa comment on this video of Turkish violence against the Kurds–the video is graphic and shows several Turkish men beating up a lone Kurdish man in broad daylight.  Mizgin from Rasti states the following:
Let's not be naive here and fall for the lies. Turkish, Syrian and Iranian “democrats” are dead set against extending “democracy” to the Kurdish people. Even Iraq has continued to insist on its “Arab character,” thus, once again, disenfranchising the 4 to 5 million Kurds who are trapped within its borders. All of these “democrats” wax eloquent on the subject of “democracy” and “equality” and “brotherhood” within their respective regimes, but mention the K-word and the fantasies they attempt to pass off to ignorant Westerners vanish like smoke on a windy day.
Wrap your brain around all of that and then come and tell me who the terrorists are.
In other news, Pearls of Iraq has posted new photos of Kurdistan here and here.  And Save RojTV mentioned me! Thanks guys!

author: Deborah Ann Dilley


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Kyrgyzstan: Press Freedom · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Yulia writes about freedom of the press in Kyrgyzstan and discusses ways to achieve journalistic independence for the media.


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Kyrgyzstan: Rumor Mill · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Amira has a report on what's being said in the Kyrgyz political rumor mill.


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Malaysia: Finding the Banned Movie · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Brand New Malaysian finds that one can actually find the video CDs of the banned movie “Lelaki Komunis Terakhir”. The blogger also links to another post that has background information on Chin Peng. The movie features some of the places where Chin Peng lived in and operated from.


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Mongolia: California Trade · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Luke Distelhorst notes that Mongolia is set to boost trade with California.


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Mongolia: Ivanhoe Press Conference · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Luke Distelhorst reports on a press conference held by Ivanhoe Mines about its operations in Mongolia, which are the subject of controversy at the moment.


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Nepal: Maoists and Monarchy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Nepali Netbook comments on the seeming tough times for the Maoists and their stand on Monarchy. “The thing to measure in the days and weeks ahead, therefore, will be Prachanda’s malleability in his references to the monarchy.”


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Nepal: What now for the Maoists? · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

What are the Maoists upto in Nepal? What outcomes do they desire? United We Blog! comments “While the country is readying itself for the first round of peace talks with the Maoists, the rebels are continuing the activities, some say, they are best known for: extortion, intimidation and abductions.”


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Pakistan: Blog-o-Aggregator · Global Voices
Omer Alvie

As the readers of some of my posts are well aware, I have complained often about the tedious process of sourcing interesting blog posts to highlight here on GV. One has to spend days, weeks and even months (slight exaggeration) to search for new bloggers to bring into the mix of experienced Pakistani bloggers. I've been choking on the fumes of my trusted rickshaw because I have been riding around so much on the net highways and byways looking for uniquely relevant posts.
In the words of Eddie Izzard, “I am not active researcher. I am a passive researcher, where you let the research come to you”. In order to address my passive research disposition, I had to come up with a solution and quick. It took me eight months to come up with the answer, mainly because my procrastinating nature is evidently much stronger than my passive research side. The solution was a Pakistani Blog Aggregator; a one-stop shop to exhibit all the disparate, active voices in the Pakistani blogosphere.
This concept and the resulting site was developed in partnership with a very dear (blogger) friend, Dr. Awab Alvi (of Teeth Maestro fame) who also recognized the need for such a web site, not because he is passive researcher but because he is an active blogging enthusiast and expert at adapting new blogging techniques, in addition to being a qualified dentist (absolutely true).
So without much further ado, I present to you BLOGGERS.PAKISTAN. It will now finally make it easier for me to peruse the wares of Pakistani Bloggers from around the globe, and highlight the best posts here on GV.
For this week, I bring you a short collection of interesting posts, sourced directly from Bloggers.Pakistan. Windmill warns not to help Amy Bruce; The Glasshouse highlights the rise of an ambitious banker; Fountainhead screams out loud; Tears comments on the members of Pakistan's national assembly; The World highlights Allam Iqbal's commentary on Neitzsche; and finally I break the Da Vinci Code.
Motivated by the launch of Bloggers.Pakistan, I am now ready to take on further challenges in life, like how to procrastinate for much longer periods without anyone noticing.

author: Omer Alvie


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Palestine: Land Grab · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Olmert plans to remove the smaller settlements and puts it in such a way as if he’s doing the Palestinians a favour! Bush says he accepts the larger settlements (which are illegal under international law) since he considers them “facts on the ground”. So basically the criteria for making a land grab legal is take as much of it as possible so that it becomes a “fact on the ground”, Nas said.


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Peru: Debate, Human Rights, and Food · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Alvaro Ruiz-Navajas has a helpful collection of links about last weekend's presidential debate. Jorge Bazo Escudero writes [ES] that Amnesty International “has condemned the blatant ignorance of both presidential candidates with respect to human rights issues.” And, away from politics, Peru Food has fresh content with a translation of an article about eating well in Lima's port city, “el Callao.”


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Philippines: Portraits of young musicians · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Sidney Snoeck has portraits of young “kalutang” musicians. The “kalutang” is a folk musical instrument made of two pieces of wood and originates from Marinduque province of Philippines.


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Russia: A River “Walk” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Raffi Aftandelian of maaskva: nashimi glazami took a “river tram” down the Moskva River, part of the Moscow Cultural Walks initiative, and wrote about it both in English and in Russian: “The boat was just spilling with interesting people. I met a post-production sound man, psychologists, journalists, some delightfully out-there kids, photographers, social workers. A full house! The tram played an excursion developed by a Moscow State University psychologist over a speaker system. The title: “The History of Moscow in Color.” As we “walked” down the Moscow River, we listened to how color, history, and architecture are connected.”


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Russia: Krasnodar Encounters · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Brigid of Laughter in the Dark writes about the well-meaning but racist director of Krasnodar’s archive; a Krasnodar woman whose dream is to move to the United States; and a Kuban State University historian who would really love to have a map of the world made in the United States. Brigid also posts a few photos of Krasnodar's makeshift open-air markets and of people waiting for a tram.


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Russia: Pensioners Get Young TV Stars Drafted · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Yuri Mamchur of Russia Blog writes that four participants of a Russian reality show might get drafted because of a letter to the Russian minister of defense from a group of angry elderly women: “Mrs. Vrubel has a 17 year old grandson who is due for his mandatory army service next year. The pensioners wrote to Ivanov asking him why the reality TV stars were not doing their duty. […] The pensioners are very satisfied with the Defense Ministry response. ‘They read our letters and care about the nation’s opinion’ – said Mrs. Vrubel.”


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Russia:  “Russophiles and Reality” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Megan Case muses on what it's like to be a female Russophile living in Russia.


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Russia: Translating Joseph Brodsky · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

David McDuff of A Step At A Time has posted an interview with himself, in which he talks about what it was like to work with Joseph Brodsky on his poetry and prose translations: “I think it needs to be remembered that for Joseph the process of translating his own poems was in many ways not ‘translation’ in the usual sense at all. He used to talk of ‘throwing away the original, as it’s not important now’. The idea was to create a new poem in English – and that was going to involve reliving some of the same existential tensions that had led to the writing of the Russian version.”


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Russia, Ukraine: Misspelled Name & Border-Crossing · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Stephan of Everybody I Love You writes about his “extreme Russia” adventure: dacha, banya – and problems at the Russian-Ukrainian border caused by a misspelled name on his Russian entry visa.


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Russia: Zhirinovsky Tea · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Konstantin Dlutskiy of Russian Marketing Blog post a photo of a curious item he stumbled on recently: Zhirinovsky Tea – named after and made for one of the most notorious Russian politicians, Vladimir Zhirinovsky.


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Saudi Arabia: Saudi-American Media · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

News Corp. founder Rupert Murdoch and Saudi-Lebanese Rotana founder Prince Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz are moving even closer together, lebanon.profile said.


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Senegal: Forum on Cheikh Anta Diop · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Semett announces (Fr) an upcoming forum taking place from May 25 to May 28 in Dakar entitled “20 years Later: the Intellectual and Scientific Legacy of Cheikh Anta Diop and the Challenge of the Building of Africa in the 21st Century.”


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Tajikistan: Dushanbe Transport · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Elizabeth explains the role of the marshrutka (route taxi) in Dushanbe's public transportation and reports on tremendously bad legislation that puts the vehicles at risk.


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The Week That Was – Bolivian Blogs · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Este artículo también está disponible en español en el sitio Blogs de Bolivia.
Much of Bolivia’s most fertile land lies in the eastern part or Orient of the country.  Without a doubt, most of the economic growth has centered around this part of the country, especially in the agricultural sector of Santa Cruz.  As is the case in many Latin American countries, the majority of land is often controlled by a minority of people, families and companies.   In order to allow more people to become small landowners, President Evo Morales’ government announced a decree that would distribute up to 4.5 million hectares of land, with the majority of this land located in the Orient.  Such a move would require a modficiation to the existing National Institute of Agrarian Reform (INRA for its initials in Spanish) law No. 1715.  Even though this new move would look to redistribute land that is not fulfilling a social or economic function, or in other words, land that is not being productive, there are a lot of questions regarding who will exactly benefit and what consequences such an act would bring.
Alvaro Ruiz Navajas wonders in his blog Off Topic, whether the specification that the indigenous populations will have preference and priority to these new lands will leave other non-indigenous, but otherwise poor Bolivians on the outside looking in.  President Morales is also looking to add social movements to the list of recipients, which would bring about a new group of landowners, union leaders.  There is also a concern regarding the state that will begin to set the price for the land, as it has with interdepartmental transport.  In his renamed blog, Business and Politics in Bolivia, Jonathan Olguin provides two aerial images taken 15 years apart, which clearly shows the population expansion in the lowlands of Santa Cruz.  This land redistribution will spur even more internal migration and could lead to greater deforestation and possible food shortages.
No week can escape talk of the repercussions of the nationalization of the hydrocarbons earlier this month.  Each day, a new development seems to surface.  It was reported that some of the gas sold to Argentina has been turned around and sold to Chile, which places the government in a unique predicament.  Bolivia Eclipse’s [ES] Briegel Busch recalls the famous line of former President Carlos Mesa, who vowed that “not a single molecule” of Bolivian gas will reach Chile.  The proposed sale of gas to and through Chile was one of the factors in the October 2003 social unrest, which led to the resignation of Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.  In order to make the policy clear cut, the topic was even introduced as a question in the 2004 Hydrocarbons Referendum, in which the Bolivian people clearly decided that the sale of gas to Chile would only be based on gaining a sovereign access to the sea. However, as it was discovered, more than a single molecule is reaching Chile through Argentina, Sergio Molina Monasterios presents three scenarios in which the Bolivian government can take in respect to this contradictory occurrence.  He writes in his blog La Columna Robada [ES], that Bolivia could continue to sell gas to Argentina at the higher renegotiated price, but at the same time, turn a blind eye to this resale to Chile.  It could also suspend any sale to Argentina, which would mean a loss of a huge market.  Finally, the third scenario and the one he describes as “the most rational, simple, but very improbable” would be for Bolivia to sell directly to Chile and bypassing Argentina’s price markup.
Finally, with the 2006 World Cup fast approaching and for the third straight tournament that Bolivia did not qualify, the blogger called Angel Caido (Fallen Angel) may have come across some reasons why Bolivia is home again.  In his new blog called Poco Comun [ES] , he draws attention to the mini-scandals in which Bolivian footballers have been caught farreando (drinking), yet seem to show up in the starting lineup anyway, as if nothing had happened.  Many of the cases seem to be very unbelievable, such as the case of the manager of the club “The Strongest” who criticized many of the players for adopting such behavior, but in the end, it was the coach who was let go from the team, and not the players.  However, some of the clubs has started to become stricter with such public displays of intoxication, but it may come a little too late in creating discipline among the football players in Bolivia.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Togo: National Treasures in German Hands? · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Blogger Kangni Alem contends that (Fr) “no national treasures (…) were taken from Togo by the Germans” but rather that “what colonization generally speaking stole from the Togolese is their soul.”  Nevertheless, he plans to tour German museums this summer to test his theory and cautions “do not count on me to bring back the Kokomba arrows.”


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“Twas an  action-packed week for Indian bloggers: financial meltdown, reservation quota and the Da Vinci Code controversy etc. etc. · Global Voices
Kamla Bhatt

It has been an interesting and exhausting week for bloggers, and news hounds in India and elsewhere. We had a whole range of subject vying for our attention: the stock market meltdown, the reservation quota issue, and the Da Vinci Code controversy. To relieve the stress, many bloggers penned their thoughts on other subjects like food, books and travel and these posts provide the much needed welcome relief.
If you missed it, you can catch up here about the great Indian stock market meltdown. The markets tanked "big time," and police was put on suicide alert…there was real fear that some stock brokers and investors might harm themselves (commit suicide) after this brutal blood bath. First, here is an analysis from Anand, who sits away far away from India…in UK. Perhaps distance provides some objectivity. Read and discover for yourself. And, Dead Presidents wonders if there is a foreign angle to this stock market crash. Animesh offers his take on the crash, and also offers an interesting piece of advice – preserve a copy of the Times of India for it could end up being a collector's edition. That is how big and nasty this stock market crash was and people are still reeling from the shock.
There has been no dearth of posts about the thorny reservation quota issue. The Indian government will implement a 27% quota reservation from 2007. Here is a sample of what bloggers had say. Hari the Hadron says that the word reservation is a misused one. Read his short post to find out why he subscribes to that view. Arun is not happy with the government's decision and says he has to learn to take it with a pinch of salt. Soumyadip of Cutting the Chai has an interesting take on the subject, and a whole series of pictures that give you a visual image on this quota issue.
India too has seen a fair share of action with reference to Ron Howard's Da Vinci Code. The film was released with an "A" certificate. The Konkani Catholics Blog has reproduced a copy of the letter written by the Bangalore Archbishop. And here is Vijay's take about the controversy surrounding the film, who says: The comedy or irony is that even the most dominant catholic countries didn't had   any such objections. If not for the publicity, the film would have been viewed   as just another movie by the people here.
After that exhausting week, I found some solace in reading reviews of Indian restaurants in Manhattan, an Indian blogger's take on Mr. Homes and about Cunningham Road in Bangalore. It was great re-living my experience in a vicarious fashion.
FatMixx  has a review of Vatan, a Gujarati restaurant in Manhattan by Sujal, an Indian-American. Vatan is not too far from Empire State Building and Penn Station. The restaurant does make for a memorable experience, but you need to walk quite a bit after that heavy dinner. This is what he had to say about Vatan:
It’s not your typical Indian food and it’s not your typical Indian restaurant.   That alone makes it a must-try for anyone that loves Indian food.
Finally, the British may have left India almost 60 years ago, but they left behind their literary legacy: Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, PG Wodehouse etc. Here  is an interesting post about the Baker Street detective, you guessed it right Sherlock Holmes, but with an Indian twist. Surely, you must have guessed by now that the post was inspired by Google's homage to  Mr. Holmes. Remember the clue on their page?
The Thinking Thinker's Think Tank has a short post about Cunningham Road in Bangalore and here is a tip why you too should stop by here if you happen to be in this neck of the wood.

author: Kamla Bhatt


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Ukraine: President’s Son Misbehaving Again · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Andriy Yushchenko, president Yushchenko's son, seems to be making trouble again: this time, he, allegedly, almost caused a car crash, verbally abused a high-ranking law enforcement official and didn't prevent his bodyguard from shooting the man in the leg with a rubber bullet. LEvko of Foreign Notes reports on this and comments on the president's reaction to his son's behavior last year: “Last time Andriy made a fool of himself, the Pres. called the journalist from ‘Ukrainska Pravda’, who ran the story, ‘a hired killer.'” Scott W. Clark points out that “anybody with connections or money will do the same thing. Life is cheap here and any consequences for risking it or taking it can disappear through the magic of money or of the right contacts. Get to the right person and pay the right fee and it will be as though it never happened.”


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Ukraine: Village Life Videos · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainian-American blogger Stefan of Dykun now has a vlog, but he'll be cross-posting Ukraine-related entries to his blog. The first two videos – both shot in Sept. 2005 – have to do with West Ukrainian farming and village life: an old woman feeding fowl in Ternopil region and villagers gathering harvest.


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United Arab Emirates: Car accidents in Dubai · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Are people leaving Dubai because of the risk of death on the roads? Find out at One Big Construction Site.

author: Haitham Sabbah


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Uzbekistan: CAFE Convictions · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Registan.net discusses Western missionaries in Uzbekistan in the wake of convictions of employees of an aid organization for proselytizing, a crime in Uzbekistan.


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Vietnam:  A gift from Flickr · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Our Man in Hanoi gets a surprise gift from the popular photosharing website Flickr.


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Yerevan: Destroying the Past · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Christian Garbis continues his reporting on the destruction of Yerevan's pre-Soviet buildings to make way for new construction.


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Africa Day: 25th May 2006 · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Kenyan blogger, Au Lait is one of the few African bloggers to remember today is Africa Day – 25th May 2006.

author: Sokari Ekine


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Africa: News Map and Zangu News · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

White African has found yet another use of google and maps – this time its a map of Africa that you can click on and get updated news.   He also announces the start up of Zangu News – News for Africans


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Africa: World Cup 2006 · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

MentalAcrobatics comments on the African players and teams that will be participating in this year's World Cup next month…..”My predictions are optimistic. I have two African teams going through to the second round. Most people predict a complete blow out with not a single African team making the knock out stages. Angola v Iran and Tunisia v Saudi Arabia being the only two games Africa has even a small chance of winning.”


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Argentina: Music and Misinformation · Global Voices
Jorge Gobbi

This week, Argentinean newspapers informed readers that some Internet users had reached an agreement with CAPIF, the company that represents record companies in Argentina, to pay an amount of money as a compensation for the songs they had illegally downloaded from the Internet. The news coverage shows clear differences between media outlets, and how commercial interests affect informative coverage.
The newspaper Infobae is an interesting case. The same group, managed by Daniel Hadad, owns 10Musica, a music download site. Obviously, they were the ones who dedicated the most space to the topic. But as Zona Indie states, the newspaper informs in an “imprecise” -let's use this word, just to be kind – way. For instance, they say “the argentinean justice condemned users”, when in fact what took place was a series of extrajudicial agreements. At Denken Uber, Mariano Amartino analyzes the same problem of misinformation on this issue.
At Señales de Humo, Patricio Cañete analyzes many of the problems about coverage on the topic. Among the facts he points out, I'll cite three very interesting ones:
-There's no concrete reference to the infractors, no names or last names, nor information about the companies. It doesn't state how many got fined, where they were located (Buenos Aires, other important cities, etc.), how they were identified, etc.
-Nor does it state which authority applied the fine: administrative or judicial instance, of local, provincial or national jurisdiction, etc.
-Much less does it say anything about what process has been applied to the corresponding fines, what law, resolution or process prescribes a sanction of such dimensions.
There are also opinions on this topic at Diario de un viaje a Misiones [ES], Blog de Efra [ES], Juan en los medios [ES], Los Bits [ES] (which proposes a Google Bombing that links the word “delincuentes” -delinquents- to CAPIF's website) and Nivel 13 [ES].
The intention of some media outlest is, clearly, not to inform, but to frighten users and make them stop downloading music. This way, they promote “legal music download” businesses, that attempt to sell us songs that we can only listen to – because of a “digital rights” management – on certain devices. We have to deal with the fact that the value of things are defined in a supply and demand dynamic. And many people in Argentina don't believe an album is worth 35 pesos (about 12 US dollars) or more. There's simply not much they can do about that. Why don't they try a new, renovated business model instead of criminalizing their own consumers?

author: Jorge Gobbi


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Argentina: “Northern soul, boobs, and comics” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Liz Henry introduces the Argentine feminist blog Pescado Rabioso [ES].

author: David Sasaki


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Armenia & Azerbaijan: Momentum for Peace · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian says that momentum for peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Karabakh continues.


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Bangladesh: Labour issues continue · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

An update on the textile workers strike in Bangladesh, along with a recommended letter to the Bangladesh Ambassador or High Commissioner in your country at imperfect world 2006.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Belarus: Dzerzhinsky Monument Opens, Airspace Closes · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Iryna of TOL's Belarus Blog writes about tomorrow's opening of a monument to Felix Dzerzhinsky at the Military Academy in Minsk: “Throughout his 12 years in power, Lukashenka has paid homage to “the best” that the Soviet Union had to offer. He does it to feed the nostalgia for Soviet times which his core supporters—older, less educated, rural voters—feel. That is why the KGB is still called the KGB and the leading state newspaper is still ‘Soviet Belarus’.” Also, Aleksandr Lukashenko has announced his plans to close Belarusian airspace to U.S. and Canadian planes. TOL's Belarus Blog examines what this move might cost Belarus.


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Bolivia: “Reelection is not an Official Position” · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Responding to the pervasive worry that Evo Morales is trying to change the constitution in order to stay in power, Eduardo Ávila responds that while “some of the social movements and other MAS congressmen have publicly come out in favor of changing the Constitution so that a president can be reelected for a consecutive term … Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera and the offical MAS stance does not support this proposal.”


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Botswana: Blogs for  Bikes for AIDS · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Kona Bike Town Africa is a new blog that blogs about the progress of a new design of Kona bikes especially made for health workers treating HIV/AIDS patients in Botswana.


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Brazil: Manifesto of the PCC · Global Voices
David Sasaki

David Lee Wilson has translated the manifesto of the PCC, which reads more like a Marxist declaration than a street gang handbook. Indeed, Wilson wonders who the manifesto was written for.


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Cambodia: Plea to ban 3G Phones · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Vutha in Cambodia writes about this women's group that is trying get 3G phones banned. The group claims that such phones would harm the morals of the people. “We are all very concerned that bad people will use modern communication and information technology in the wrong direction and it will make a serious negative effect on morality and social welfare.”

author: Preetam Rai


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Caribbean: WI cricket resurrection? · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

He's afraid of blighting them with his positive words, but Jeremy Taylor at the Caribbean Beat Blog has been more than pleased to see the West Indies cricket team show some of their old mettle in their recent encounters with India: “. . . in the last week some real fight has emerged. If the WI can win the one-day series against India in Trinidad this weekend (Friday and Sunday), it will be a big boost for them. But if they can get some of the old Caribbean style and spirit back into their game on a consistent basis, especially in the Test series that follows, that will be even better.”


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Chile, Argentina, and Latin America’s Two Lefts · Global Voices
David Sasaki

After years in the shadows – and only referenced for its Cold War legacy – Latin America is back in the limelight. The world over, economic liberalization has been the call of the day. But recent elections throughout Latin America have inspired commentators to call the region a notable ideological exception: “Populism versus the Washington Consensus” according to some and “Latin America's socialist democratic left versus a caudillo populist left” according to others. The most common caricature now portrays Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Cuba's Fidel Castro, buoyed by Bolivia's new president Evo Morales, on one side of the boxing ring with the moderate presidents of Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil huddled together in the opposite corner. Argentina's Kirchner is somewhere in the middle they say, while excluded entirely from the equation are Ecuador, Colombia, and Paraguay, not to mention all of Central America.
Argentine native and Spanish citizen, Martin Varsavsky believes that there are indeed two leftist models at work in Latin America:
He recibido muchas criticas a mi postura de que el socialismo chileno, y no el populismo venezolano imitado por Evo Morales, es el modelo de desarrollo ejemplar para Latinoamérica. Las he leído con cuidado, pero no he cambiado de opinión. Sigo pensando que Evo Morales es un “gasodictador” y que ha comenzado muy mal su gestion. Sigo sosteniendo que hay otro modelo para defender los intereses nacionales y lograr el desarrollo y el modelo es simplemente Chile.
Primero la crítica a Evo Morales:
– Que le elijan Presidente no quiere decir que tenga el poder legislativo y judicial, sólo quiere decir que tiene poder ejecutivo con sus limitaciones.
– Es muy común en algunos nuevos líderes sudamericanos no aceptar estas limitaciones y querer acumular todos los poderes. Esto lo hacen poniendo jueces que no son realmente independientes y pasando decretos o saltándose directamente al poder Legislativo. Comportarse de esta manera no es democrático. Hay una gran correlación entre la inseguridad jurídica y el retraso económico y social. Evo Morales está transitando por ese camino al comenzar encarcelando ejecutivos y enviando al ejército a ocupar yacimientos y gasolineras.
– Evo Morales tiene todo el derecho de usar su limitado poder para tratar de que Bolivia consiga explotar sus recursos naturales en mejores condiciones que hasta ahora, pero optó por abusar del mismo. Bolivia puede y debe mejorar su situación, pero en el marco de sus leyes y el diálogo.
El pueblo boliviano es muy pobre y vive en condiciones muy tristes. Su situación es de las peores de Latinoamérica. Sin embargo, sabemos que el socialismo que ha funcionado en España y en Chile, el socialismo que yo apoyo, es el socialismo de mercado en el que el gobierno interviene como regulador y como redistribuidor del ingreso. El socialismo que no ha funcionado nunca es el socialismo/comunismo en el que el Estado se transforma en el productor principal de bienes y servicios y un dictador, o similar, controla el principal recurso exportador.
Al verme acusado de ser tan de derechas por apoyar el modelo chileno, sentí que muchos en Latinoamérica no conocen modelos exitosos y caen en extremos. Estos críticos sólo conocen la ultraderecha del neoliberalismo corrupto y ahora han decidido experimentar con el otro extremo, saltándose el modelo ganador que es el que está en el medio, el modelo que yo apoyo, el de Chile y que similar al del país donde vivo, España.
Varsavsky then goes on to explain his own experience of starting his Educar project both in Chile and Argentina and claims the difference between the two countries is that in Chile, “the officials that love their country and build its future are the rule while in Argentina they are the exception.”
La Argentina de Kirchner puede optar por el modelo chileno o por el venezolano. Parece tener ministros de las dos tendencias. Espero de todo corazón que opte por el modelo chileno. Todos los latinoamericanos que crean que la opción es el neoliberalismo corrupto o las pseudodemocracias populistas se equivocan, porque hay otra opción, que se llama Chile, y que no fue construida por Pinochet como dijo alguno en un comentario, fue construida por Allende y su equipo, que volvió al poder con gente como Fernando Flores y segundas generaciones como Michelle Bachelet.
Cuando tenía 13 años fuí a gritar “arriba la izquierda, viva Chile mierda” a la embajada chilena luego del golpe de Pinochet. Hoy leyendo las críticas en mi blog lo vuelvo a gritar. Allende era un demócrata socialista que murió luchando por los intereses de su país. Allende, Lagos, Bachelet, inclusive el uruguayo Tabaré Vazquez, son modelos a seguir. Morales, Ollanta y Chávez son modelos a evitar. ¿Y Kirchner? Como comentó uno, Kirchner da en el palo (expresión argentina que quiere decir que no es gol, pero casi).
When I was 13-years-old I went to yell “power to the Left, long live Chile” in front of the Chilean embassy after Pinochet's coup. Today, reading the criticisms on my blog, I will yell out again. Allende was a socialist democrat who dies fighting for the interests of his country. Allende, Lagos, Bachelet, as well as the Uruguayan, Tabaré Vazquez, are models to follow. Morales, Ollanta, and Chávez are models to avoid. And Kirchner? Like one person commented, Kirchner hits the pole (an Argentine expression which means that it's not a goal, but almost).
The post generated a strong response, both in the comments section and in a continuing conversation around other blogs throughout Latin America. Jordi, a Spaniard living in Venezuela comments:
soy español y resido en CAracas desde hace casi un año. Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con tus post relativos a la izquierda en latinoamérica. Entre esgolpistas [sic], dictadores energéticos… el continente está bien mal. Espero que todo cambie, pero te aseguro que por aquí las cosas están bien feas.
Diego Giol, an Argentine from the Northern city of Mendoza now working for the UN in Switzerland also leaves a comment in support of Varsavsky's position. And then continues on his own blog:
Ayer di con un video de Hugo Chávez que se emitió en la televisión Argentina que me hizo reflexionar mucho sobre algunos de los líderes en nuestra región. Yo creo que de verborragia, latinoamérica ya ha tenido demasiado. Me da mucha lástima ver la pobreza que crece al ritmo de los agravios. Me apasiona la política, el desarrollo y la economía (por ello estoy en las Naciones Unidas ) y cosas así me dan impotencia. Pero por otro lado veo la otra izquierda, la Chile, la de Bachelet y veo cómo ese país sigue creciendo, reduciendo su pobreza, invirtiendo en infraestructura y haciendo acuerdos estratégicos con países importantísimos como China y Estados Unidos entre otros. Verdaderamente espero que el crecimiento y la coherencia se expandan por la región y desplacen al populismo que tanto mal nos ha hecho en el pasado.
But not everyone is so eager for advice from Europe. An anonymous commenter on Varsavksy's post says:
Yo habiendo vivido en America latina puedo decir que lo mejor es que los pueblos debemos ir buscando nuestro camino, que cometeremos errores, asi es, pero por favor dejenos cometer nuestros errores. Afortunadamente los paises no son como las empresas, donde una sola persona decide todo. Un pais debe ser conducido por el pueblo, asi esta diseñada la Democracia, la cual desgraciadamente es lenta. El Banco Mundial trato de dirigir como un gran dictador las economias de estos paises con los errores que ya todos conocemos. No creo que nadie tenga la formula secreta para que cada pais avance de la noche a la mañana hacia el exito total, yo creo que es un proceso.
Antonio is much more aggressive in his criticism:
Realmente me asombra lo que decis Martin. Yo amo la democracia, la libertad y la Paz, pero debo decirte que no estoy de acuerdo con lo que decis. Mi opinion es que Evo Morales como indigena demostro a los seudoeuropeos Argentinos, Chilenos, Brasileños ETC, como se deben defender los recursos naturales de un Pais y por eso no es un DICTADOR, simplemente no deja que le sigan ROBANDO como lo vienen haciendo desde hace 500 años los Europeos especialmente España y desde hace 150 años EEUU.
Corsaria maintains that Bolivia's situation cannot be compared to Chile's or Argentina's:
Evo Morales es la respuesta a un modelo económico fallido en Bolivia. Hay que proponer modelos que redistribuyan la riqueza y no solo se limiten a crearla. El caso de Bolivia no es comparable al de Chile ni muchísimo menos al de España. El socialismo importado de Europa no puede funcionar en sudamerica. Y eso es algo que muchos no entienden. De hecho las políticas que funcionan en Chile no tienen porqué funcionar en paises cercanos. Son casos distintos al margen de su situación geográfica. Evo no es el problema, sino el modelo económico que este hereda. La nacionalizacion es posible que no sea la mejor solución pero no he visto alternativas que no sean… liberalizar, liberalizar y liberalizar. Esta receta ha fallado.. asi que hay que dejar de incidir en ellas.
In all, Varsavsky's post attracted more than 60 comments, many of them disagreeing with his comparison of Salvador Allende to the leadership of Ricardo Lagos and Michelle Bachelet. Others were in support of his praise of Chile's political and economic model, while a few called for each country to follow its own path without following any “model” at all. Yet still others disagreed violently, arguing instead that Chávez and Morales were exactly what Latin America's poor need to recover the resources stolen from them by colonization and then Neoliberalism.
In fact, a few days later – after meeting with Mariano Amartino and Alejandro Piscitelli –  Varsavsky remarked:
Hablamos sobre Chile y yo comenté que al apoyar el modelo chileno y no el venezolano en mi blog había recibido comentarios a favor, pero muchos en contra y algunos que no publiqué en el que me insultaban muy fuertemente. Mariano comentó que el dejó de escribir sobre política porque le llegaron a rayar el auto. Alejandro dijo que el mío era más difícil que me lo vinieran a rayar aquí…Yo pensé que mejor que te rayen el auto y no que te rompan la cabeza como le hicieron a mi padre en la noche de los bastones largos o que directamente que te maten como lo asesinaron a mi primo.
Varsavsky also has a blog in English, though it tends to focus on his company rather than Latin American issues.


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China: Blogger beauty pageant · Global Voices
John Kennedy

The winner of a recent blogger beauty pageant which wrapped up in Beijing earlier this month walked away with $10,000 in prizes and all the fans she could ever want.
“[T]he girls were judged on number of votes they received online, the quality (creativity, originality) of their blog posts, blog traffic and blog comments.  Sounds reasonable, writes Virtual China‘s Lyn Jeffrey. “The top 20 contestants were then brought to Beijing to receive two days of make-overs, photos shoots, and etiquette classes.  In the final staged, live competition they were somehow scored on appearance, body (evening wear, swimwear? I don't know) and talent.