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Israel: Sudanese Refugees – like Darfur, as Auschwitz · Global Voices
Gilad Lotan

Over the past several months, a growing number of Sudanese refugees have been crossing into Israeli territory through the Egyptian desert. The Israeli government has reacted by placing many in detention camps, and is currently considering their fate. Israeli bloggers are questioning their government's actions, comparing the situation to that of the mid-1930's, when the world did not accept Jewish refugees fleeing from the Nazi regime. Many claim that a country like Israel, which was created on the virtue – ‘remember and never forget‘, is already forgetting the apathy its’ founding fathers faced in the not so distant past.
Refugees have been fleeing from the horrors of the genocide and ethnic cleansing taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan. A growing number make their way into Israel in hope that the democratic state will be more forgiving than its Egyptian neighbor, where refugees are shot upon approaching the border. However, they cross the border to find that the same country which came to life in the shadow of its’ own people's genocide, is restricting refugees from entering, and keeping those who succeeded far from sight in detention camps. IDF forces are planning not to allow any more refugees from crossing the border into Israel, claiming that their constant flow may flood the country. This decision conflicts directly with the values and beliefs from which this young country eloped, and places Israel in the same coalition as all the countries who did not accept Jewish refugees who fled antisematic Europe in the 1930s.
Many bloggers have been asking the government to reflect back at its not so distant past, and realize that its actions are similar to what was presented to their Jewish ancestors.
In her blog post on, kipa.co.il , Mor Goldkleng writes:
מדינת ישראל היא מדינת היהודים. היא צריכה להראות את הפנים היהודיות שלה… דווקא אנחנו, צריכים להראות, לתת דוגמא, לקבל ולשלב את הפליטים בתוכנו. בואו לא נהיה קפיטליסטים ונחשוב רק במונחים של רווח והפסד. בואו נחשוב אנושיות.לפני כחודש הייתה הפגנה מול הקיריה. בהפגנה הדליקו 300 נרות כהזדהות עם 300 הפליטים שהגיעו לארץ ואחיהם הקורבנות. בואו אנחנו נדליק את הנר הגדול הזה, הזוהר של החמלה והרחמים.
לשואת העם שלי העולם שתק. לסבתא שלי היו אדישים. אני לא מוכנה להיות אדישה לאחרים. “לא תעמוד על דם רעך”. זהו ציווי מוסרי חשוב ביותר שתורתנו הורתה לנו.
Israel is the State of the Jewish people. It should show its Jewish face… It is especially critical for us to set an example, accept and integrate the refugees within us. Let us not be capitalistic and only think in terms of monetary gain and loss. Let us think of humanity. A month ago there was a rally in front of the Kirya in Tel Aviv. In the rally, 300 candles were lit to empathize with the 300 Sudanese refugees in Israel. Let us light this greater candle, that of compassion and mercy. During the genocide of my people the world was silent. My grandmother received apathy. I am not willing to be apathetic to others. “Thou shall not stand idly by the blood of your fellow” – (Leviticus 19:16) That is an extremely important ethical duty, passed to us through the bible (and also a state law in Israel).
The following excerpt was taken from a letter addressed to Knesset leaders, published in the blacklabor blog:
למדינת ישראל יש משאבים ויכולת לתת מקלט מדיני והומאני לפליטים. יותר מזה – למדינת ישראל יש מחויבות היסטורית ומוסרית לפתוח את שעריה בפני כל פליט ונרדף, ללא הבדל דת, מין וגזע.מנהיגי ישראל מצהירים בכל הזדמנות על ייחודנו כמדינת היהודים. זו ההזדמנות שלכם להפוך מילים למעשה. עתה עלינו ללמוד מיהודי ארה”ב המובילים בארצם את המאבק להתערבות בינלאומית בנעשה בסודאן, ומשתתפים באופן פעיל (ולא רק בתרומת כספים להרגעת המצפון) בתוכניות הסיוע.
The State of Israel is capable of giving shelter and providing political-humanitarian asylum to those refugees who have already crossed into its territory. Above all, Israel has a historical and moral commitment to open its gates towards any refugee, regardless of religious, sexual or racial differences. Our leaders frequently mention the unique character of this country of the Jews. This is your opportunity to turn words into actions. We need to learn from Jewish organizations in the United States, who are actively leading the struggle for international action in Sudan.
dovblog describes a Knesset discussion by Dov Hanin which took place at the end of May, on this topic:
אנחנו מדברים על בין 450 ל-500 אזרחים סודנים שנמצאים בישראל היום ומבקשים מקלט בה. אבל לפי סעיף 6 של נוהל הסדרת הטיפול במבקשי מקלט, אותם פליטים מנועים מלקבל אשרות שהייה או להיקלט בישראל, מכיוון שברמה הפורמלית הם נתינים של מדינת אויב.
המצב הזה עומד בסתירה מוחלטת לאמנה בדבר מעמדם של הפליטים משנת 1951, אותה אמנה שבה האו”ם הניח את אבני הבסיס למערכת שלמה של מנגנונים בין-לאומיים שנועדו להגן על הפליטים. מדינת ישראל נטלה חלק מהותי בניסוח האמנה הזאת ובחיזוק ההגנות הנתונות לפליטים, וזה, כמובן, מובן לכולנו נוכח העובדה שהאמנה אושרה כמה שנים אחרי מלחמת העולם השנייה, שבה בני עמנו, היהודים, היו פליטים, ורבים מהם ערב מלחמת העולם השנייה התדפקו על דלתות סגורות של מדינות שלא היו מוכנות לקלוט אותם.
אגב, מדינת ישראל גם אשררה את האמנה הזאת בשנת 1954, ולכן ההתחייבויות של הממשלה בתחום הזה הן, לדעתנו, גם התחייבויות משפטיות, ולא רק התחייבויות מוסריות.
בכל זאת, מה קורה בשטח? חלק גדול מהפליטים שנמצאים בישראל, נמצאים במעצר. אנחנו מדברים על כ-150 פליטים שנמצאים במעצר בבתי-כלא שונים. מתוך 450 הפליטים, אגב, 80 הם ילדים וכ-110 הן נשים. הדרישות שלנו מהממשלה בתחום הזה הן שממשלת ישראל, ראשית, תבדוק בדיקה עניינית כל בקשה של מבקש מקלט ותחליט החלטה עניינית על סמך פרטי הבקשה בדבר זכאותו של האדם להגנה כפליט. אנחנו דורשים מהממשלה לשחרר ממעצר את כל הפליטים מדרפור שנמצאים בישראל. לא הגיוני, לא סביר, לא צודק ולא מוסרי להחזיק במעצר פליטים שברחו מרצח עם ומטבח כמו שמתנהל בדרפור.
There are currently between 450 to 500 Sudanese citizens who are seeking asylum in Israel. According to article 6 of the asylum seekers amendment, these refugees are prevented from receiving an approval to stay in Israel because they belong to an enemy country. This situation contradicts the basic agreement on refugee status from 1951, the same agreement which served as the basis the UN worldwide amendment to protect refugee status worldwide. The State of Israel took an essential role in the creation of this agreement in 1954, therefore I think the obligation of our government is not only a moral one, but also legal.
What is happening in reality? Out of the 450 refugees in Israel, around 150 have been placed in detention. 80 of them are children and 110 are women. We request that the Israeli government be accurate in examining every request of political asylum, and consider accepting them according to their entitlement for protection as refugees. We ask the government to release all those held in detention. It is not reasonable, nor ethical to hold these refugees, who escaped from the horrors or Darfur.
From a Yellow Plebean's Hebrew blog:
בשנת 1937 הגיעה סבתא שלי לארה”ב. היא הייתה ילדה קטנה, והאחרונה מהמשפחה שלה שהצליחה לצאת מאירופה. אחותה הגדולה, לה היו שישה ילדים, לא השיגה וויזה ונשארה בצ`כוסלובקיה. כולם נספו בשואה. אתם מבינים, המשפחה שלי דווקא הבינה מה קורה וניסתה לברוח, אבל הקצב של הוויזות היה איטי מדי. העולם היה נורא טרוד בבעיות אחרות, ופליטים שיציפו מדינות שיש להן בעיות משלהם ועניים משלהם נראו כמו מטרד מיותר. ועוד שחורים. אה, סליחה, יהודים. אז גירשו אותם בחזרה, ומנעו מהם להכנס למדינות אחרות, ולמעט כמה צדיקים, העולם פשוט התעלם.
כן, אני מדבר עכשיו על שואה של אחרים. על פליטים מדארפור, שבורחים מהמדינה שלהם, חוצים את מדבריות מצרים ומנסים להגיע למדינה שמחויבת לסטנדרטים בינלאומיים. מדינה שאסור לה לגרש פליטים שבורחים מרצח עם.
In 1937 my grandmother arrived to the United States. She was a little girl, the last of her family who managed to escape Europe. Her bigger sister, who had six children, did not receive a visa, and stayed in Czechoslovakia. All those who stayed were wiped out during the holocaust. You understand, my family realized what is happening and tried to escape. But the visa process was too slow. The world was busy with other problems, and refugees that would flood countries who had enough problems of their own, seemed like an unnecessary annoyance. As they were not allowed to enter any other country, they were sent back. And apart for some saints, the world simply ignored. Now I am talking about other people's holocaust. Refugees from Darfur who flee from their land, cross the Egyptian desert and try to reach a country committed to international standards. A country which should not allow to banish refugees fleeing from a genocide.
בשיעורי אזרחות מלמדים על זכותנו המוסרית למדינה ועל איך השואה הייתה נמנעת לו הייתה לנו מדינה בשנות ה-30 של המאה הקודמת. אני חושב שזה נכון, הנאצים רצו להפטר מהיהודים בהתחלה, ולו הייתה מדינת ישראל היא בטח הייתה קולטת את הקרובים שלנו. אבל זה כנראה נכון רק לקרובים שלנו. בסופו של דבר גם אנחנו עוצמים עין לבעיות של אחרים. חייבים לשנות את זה, לא תיאורטית פעם, אלא עכשיו, כשביבשת השכנה מתחולל רצח עם ומעט פליטים מגיעים גם אלינו.
אני לא יודע איך, אני מנסה את הדרך הפשוטה של לדבר על זה, להציע לאחרים לדבר על זה, לתמוך בפעילות ציבורית, כשתקום. אני באמת לא יודע מה יכול אזרח לעשות כאן כשהמדינה שלו מתנכרת לחובה. אבל דבר אחד ברור: לו “העם” היה מרגיש אחרת, לו האזרחים היו מתקוממים, גם אולמרט היה מבין שצריך לטפל בזה אחרת. הלוואי.
In school we were taught that we have a moral right for a country of our own, and that the holocaust could have been prevented if we had a country of our own in the 1930s. I think that is true. The Nazis wanted to get rid of the Jews from the beginning. Had the state of Israel been formed earlier, it probably would have received our fleeing ancestors. But that is true only for our ancestors. At the end of the day, even we close our eyes to other people's problems. This must change. Not in the theoretical future, but now, when a genocide is taking place in our neighboring continent, and a small amount of refugees are reaching our territory. I don't know how. I am trying the simple way of talking about it, offering others to join in the conversation, and supporting some form of future public activism. I really don't know what a single citizen can actually do here when his country ignores its duty. But one thing is clear: if the people felt differently, or if citizens protest, even Olmert would realize that we need to take care of this situation differently.
I wish.
However, there has been a wide spectrum of reactions from different bodies and groups in Israel. Kibbutzes around the country have been accepting Sudanese refugees. So far, 7 kibbutzes  have already accepted 60 refugees, while 12 more kibbutzes have expressed their interest in helping integrate refugees within their communities. Mishtara.org have been involved with a number of events aimed at raising public awareness to this growing problem in Israel.
אנחנו שואלים את אזרחי ישראל ואת נבחריה, האם הפכנו גסי לב עד כדי כך ? האם כל יכולתנו, כוחנו וגאוותנו הן בבניית מערכות גירוש ? האם אין באמת אלטרנטיבות אחרות ? לנו התשובות ברורות, ישנן אלטרנטיבות. נציגי מדינת ישראל טוענים כי הם דואגים לעתידה של מדינת ישראל, אנחנו מסכימים איתם לחלוטין. אנחנו דואגים לעתידה של המדינה לא פחות מהם. מה יהיה עתידה של מדינת ישראל אם היא מתנערת כליל מאחריותה המוסרית? כיצד מדינת ישראל יכולה להצדיק את החלטתה לא לקלוט פליטים שכל ‘פשעם’ הוא רצונם לחיות ?
ביום ראשון 15.7, נצטרף לפליטים שנמצאים בגן הוורדים בירושלים, ונעמוד איתם. נעמוד כדי להזכיר את מה שרבים מבקשים להשכיח. נעמוד כדי לאפשר לתקווה להתקיים.
אנחנו קוראים לאזרחי המדינה להראות שהאלטרנטיבה קיימת. שאנו מסוגלים וצריכים לעזור לפליטים המגיעים לארץ.
We ask the citizens of Israel if we've become so coarse-hearted? Is our ability, power or pride in building systems of banishment? Is there no other alternatives? For us, the answers are clear – there are alternatives. Israeli representatives state that they worry for the future of the state of Israel. We agree with them completely. We also worry for the future of this country. What will the future of Israel look like if it shakes off its’ moral responsibility? How can Israel justify its decision not to accept refugees who's sole ‘crime’ is having a will to live?
On Sunday, July 15th, we will join refugees in Gan Havradim, Jerusalem, and we will stand with them. We will stand remind what most ask to forget. We will stand in order to allow for hope to exist. We ask citizens of the country to show that an alternative exists. That we can and must help refugees who come to our country.
The following images were taken by Oren Ziv at the rally in Jerusalem earlier this month:
More can be seen on the following page.

author: Gilad Lotan


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Jamaica: Lorna Goodison  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Geoffrey Philp pays tribute to Jamaican poet Lorna Goodison on her birthday.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Korea: Don’t Make Me Older! · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

In Korea, there are two ways to calculate your age: the Korean way and the western way. Officially, the Korean method is the way to calculate your age in Korea. As soon as you are born, you are age one. No matter when you are born (like 31st of Demember), you will be two the next calendar year (Jan. 1). The Korean way of calculating age didn’t cause problems or bring about complaints from Koreans until recently. The more chances Koreans have to meet people from other places, the more confused they are to answer about their age. And they recognize that they are regarded older than other non-Koreans with the same age. In addition, due to this difference from the age calculation and misunderstanding, the statements of Comfort Women were recently almost regarded as false testimony.
And of course nobody wants to get old faster. A netizen appealed to unify the age calculation system to the western method in a portal site, ‘Netizen Appeal.’ The appeal has gotten many responses.
얼마전부터 법정 계량단위가 사회적으로도 공연히 이용되게 되었는데, 나이에 대해서도 우리나이보다는 국제적인 시류에 맞는 나이체계를 가졌으면 하는 바램입니다…
안 그래도 우리나라 남자들은 군대 갔다 오면 2년이 날아가는데 거기에 우리나이까지 더해서…..몇 살은 더 공까먹는 느낌입니다..)
Most netizens are happy to agree with this appeal. Living abroad, having chances to meet people from other countries, and having the desire to be younger, all kinds of opinions have emerged abut why it should be changed.
Girl Nina writes,
외국 살면서 만으로 계산 하다보니, 한국사람이 나이 물어보면 가끔 난감하더라구요.
But there are dissidents as well.
Bomdol said,
반대합니다. 자꾸 우리의 것을 버리려고 하는데 결코 좋지 않은 일입니다.
MC7L said,
생명존중사상, 윤리적 도적적으로 우리식 나이계산법이 매우 바람직합니다… 이것은 우리가 고칠게 아니라 외국이 고쳐야 한다고 생각하네요… 우리식 나이를 세계 표준 나이 계산법으로~~~
Haneul Woomul shows how age is important in Korea. (The Korean language requires knowing the relative age of people in dialogue. In the first meeting with a stranger, asking the age is one of the first steps. After that, they can decide what to call each other).
난 지금이 좋은데?ㅋ 우리만의 나이를 세는 문화자나요 뭐하러 통일? 글구 나이 별로 안중요함 세계적으로 나갈수록…;; 별로 공개도 안하고 사는 외국인들…

author: Hyejin Kim


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Kyrgyzstan: Bread prices up, people’s mood down · Global Voices
Asel

The unexpected price increases for bread have sparked hot discussions among Kyrgyzstani bloggers. Along with the prices for gas, electricity and transportation, the cost of bread is the most important economic issue for each normal citizen. Bread is a traditional and essential food in our daily lives. If a loaf used to cost 6 soms (15 cents), now the price went up to 7 soms.
Advocat expresses his opinion regarding the issue on Diesel forum (RU):
During [former President] Akaev’s tenure, the price for bread never increased, but now when everyone says that the lives of the people improve, the prices are going up. Perhaps a price increase is a sign of life improvement for our new government?
Mantank does not think that the government has something to do with the price:
The government cannot regulate market prices, so it is not really its fault.
Yesterday XnifgRon felt the price difference from his own experience:
Everyday I go for lunch to the same café. Today the waitress has brought us unbelievably thin slices of bread (3 times thinner than usual) and explained that it is due to price increase. I felt really sorry that from now we have to order three times as much bread.
On neweurasia Mirsulzhan gives (KYR) some reasons why bread is more expensive now.
People are also concerned very much about the new restriction the government is likely to set on entering the capital Bishkek during SCO summit from 4 till 19 August.
Asel posts an article (ENG) which says that the authorities are going to control the movement to Bishkek by checking all cars and probably limiting the flow of people coming to Bishkek. Unfortunately, no one from the authority can really address this issue and give concrete information on how the process is going to actually work.
This causes so much uncertainty and inconvenience among ordinary people who have no access to reliable information. For example, S@ilor says:
I have talked to the drivers of local minibuses or ‘marshrutkas’ about the regulation and what they know about it. Nobody knows anything. Looks like again we will find out about it last minute, and people will suffer from it.
Well, let me finish on a more positive note. Today, 1 August, is the Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev’s birthday. He is now 58 years old. The blogger morrire has conducted a small survey to find out what bloggers think would be the best present for our President. 30 bloggers took part in the survey and the results show the following:
41,4% – no present at all
37.9% – Chinese tractor
17.2% – head of sheep
13.8%-  noodle
10.3%-  air ticket to Moscow
You can view the full version  (RU) of the survey here.
Funny choice of presents, huh?

author: Asel


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Laos: New Mall and New Food Court · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The blogger at Lao Cuisine is looking forward to the next trip to Lao in order to check out a new shopping mall and a food court. Lao was one of the more recent South East Asian economies to open up.

author: Preetam Rai


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Malaysia: Commiting a Blog Suicide · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Wuching says the best way to kill your own blog is to start writing paid posts.


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Malaysia: RM100k a month for Blogging  · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Suanie is asking bloggers who earn RM 100K a month to stand up and teach her their blogging tricks. This is after a Malaysian ruling party's information chief accused some bloggers of taking large amount of cash from foreign organisations and writing critical posts about the government.


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Malaysia: Welcoming Blogger’s Political Move · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Unspun welcome blogger Jeff Ooi taking an active role in politics by joining an opposition party in Malaysia. “It will be instructive to see, however, whether he can translate his skills as an outspoken blogger into those of a politician’s. The two skill sets are worlds apart and on can only wish Jeff well.”


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Myanmar: Saving Colonial Buildings · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Fifty Viss says an international effort is needed to save Myanmar's colonial buildings.


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Nepal: Wireless man of Myagdi · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

United We Blog! on Mahabir Pun winning the Magsaysay – calling him the wireless man of Myagdi.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Pakistan: Counterfeit · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Pakistani Spectator on counterfeit currency, despite the change in currency notes last year.


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Peru: Celebrating Independence Day · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

July 28 was the 186 anniversary of Peru's independence from Spain, and Peruvian bloggers took time to post about this celebration. On this occasion, I am going to share posts from blogs I hadn't visited before, and I hope that beyond these posts, you discover other blogs you normally don't read.
A common theme among most of these posts is a sense of humor. At first glance, it may appear people in Peru don't take the National Holiday seriously. I don't think so. I think bloggers are happy to celebrate Peru's birthday but feel they don't want to become bitter with the contradictions and injustice there exists in our country, as does in many other countries in this world.
Let's begin with Muriel, the blogger behind Pequeños Laberintos [ES], who in her July 28 post, gives us her Reasons why MY Peru is super…:
1. Acá viven las personas más queridas de mi vida, llámense familia y amigos.
2. Tiene un mar de 200 millas, lleno de peces diversos y ¡ricos!
3. Se puede pescar en Caballitos de Totora.
4. El cebiche es un plato riquísimo.
5. Como el Tiradito ninguno.
6. Encontramos de todo, desde sol, calor, arena, playa, pasando por nevados, punas, frío, y terminando en climas tropicales.
7. Donde quiera que vayamos encontramos gente sincera y dispuesta a ayudar.
8. Tenemos mil y un danzas coloridas, cada una con su propio significado.
9. Las fiestas religiosas son especiales en cada pueblo, y diferentes también.
10. Chan-Chan, Kuelap y Machu Picchu, son apenas una pequeña muestra de lo que podemos encontrar.
1. This is where the most beloved people in life live, my family and friends.
2. Peru has a 200-mile wide ocean, full of diverse and delicious fish!
3. You can fish using the ‘caballitos de totora’ (traditional reed boats).
4. Peruvian ceviche is delicious.
5. There is nothing like a delicious tiradito.
6. We can find everything here, sunshine, heat, sand, beaches, glaciers, mountains, cold, and tropical climates.
7. Wherever you go, you find sincere people, eager to help.
8. We have a thousand and one colorful dances, each with its\nown significance.
9. The religious festivals in each town are special and
10. Chan Chan, Kuelap, and Machu Picchu are just some of the things we find in Peru.
Another young blogger, carmendelly, of the blog Escribiendo sólo para mi [ES], is full of patriotic feelings as she makes a list of her promises to her country in the post titled, I am from Peru, ladies and gentlemen! I AM FROM PERU! These are some of her promises:
2. Prometo informarme bien cuando vengan las próximas elecciones electorales, municipales o presidenciales, para no votar por un ratero de mela, que luego no haga nada y se gaste la plata en son de la democracia.. que se pudra…
5. Prometo empezar por lo más mínimo, no arrojaré basura a la calle, no me quedaré callada cuando asalten a alguien, trataré al extranjero con amabilidad, no ensuciaré el mar…
7. Prometo comer y dar a conocer tu comida, tus costumbres, tus bailes, tus colores, tus aromas, tus calles, tus playas, tus parques, tus provincias, tu gente, nos lagos, ríos, cerros, etc etc.
2. I promise to be highly informed when the next municipal, regional, or presidential elections come around, so I don't end up voting for a crook who doesn't do anything, and spends our money all the time mouthing the word ‘democracy'… Let them rot…
5. I promise to begin with the smallest act, I will not litter the street, I will not remain silent when someone is getting mugged, I will treat foreigners in a friendly manner, I will not pollute the ocean…
7. I promise to eat and let others know about our cuisine, customs, dances, colors, scents, streets, beaches, parks, provinces, hills, etc., etc….
A few days ago, El Tonto de la Colina [ES] posted a sarcastic list of things that, according to him, should give him Pride in being peruvian. I chose a couple of them for your enjoyment:
1.- Los peruanos tenemos fé. No importa cuantas veces los políticos nos engañen, cuantas veces nuestra selección quede en último lugar, o cuantas veces nos hagan el carrusel con nuestro dinero, los peruanos seguimos creyendo en el futuro. En otros paises han hecho revoluciones por menos de eso. Pero aquí la fé nos mantiene vivos.
4.- El peruano nunca se aburre. Siempre la vida cambia día a día en el Perú. Nuevas leyes, disposiciones, trabas, hacen que nos mantengamos alertas. La ruta a mi trabajo cambia cada semana debido a obras, construcciones, marchas, huelgas o al simple afán del chofer de la combi en ganarle la carrera al otro, por lo tanto, el paisaje nunca es el mismo. Del mismo modo, siempre hay un escándalo del que hablar, ya sea político, deportivo o chisme del espectáculo (las fronteras entre estos temas se hacen cada vez más difusas, dicho sea de paso), que nos mantiene entretenidos. Por eso los peruanos en otros países se aburren tanto que prefieren trabajar. Gracias a eso los peruanos tienen una fama ganada como gente trabajadora en otros países.
1. Peruvians have faith. No matter how many times politicians trick us, how many times our national football team ends up in last place, or how many times [politicians] play around with our money, Peruvians still believe in the future. In other countries, revolutions have occurred for less than that. But here, faith keeps us alive.
4. Peruvians are never bored. Life is always changing in Peru. New laws, new initiatives, new hurdles, keep us on our toes. The route to my job changes weekly because of public works, construction, marches, strikes, or simply, the desire of the bus driver to beat the other ones in their [daily] race. So, the landscape is never the same. By the same token, there is always a scandal to talk about and keep us entertained, whether it be political, in sports, or from the Peruvian entertainment world (although, may I add, the boundaries between these three areas are becoming increasingly blurred). Peruvians who live in other countries become so bored they prefer to work. That's why Peruvians have the reputation as hard-working people in other countries.
El Pensieve de Dinorider [ES] in his brief post, “It's cool to be a ‘cholo'! Happy 28th!” shares a video of a beloved character from commercials, and also comments on the small earthquake that hit on at 9 a.m. on July 28
Para discursos de 28 de julio me quedo con el de Abuela Rina … A propósito de lo que dice la abuela, eso del himno es cierto, el que actualmente suena no es el que debía ser. … ¡Felíz Día de la Independencia del Perú!
P.D. Alguien sintió el temblor en La Ciudad de los Reyes? Yo estaba en duda si eran los animales jugando o si era temblor en verdad.
As far as July 28 speeches, I prefer the one by Grandma Rina. … By the way, according to what the grandmother says, that national anthem is the right one, the one we use currently is not the one we should have. …Happy Peruvian Independence Day!
P.S Did anyone feel the earthquake in Lima? I wasn't sure if it was the animals\nplaying around or if it really was an earthquake.
Frenopático, in his diary-like blog, Desde mi Habitación en el Larco Herrera [ES] (Larco Herrera is Lima's main psychiatric hospital) expresses his desires for his fellow citizens in his post Day 233 – Happy 28th of July!!!:
Feliz 28 de julio pe… a todos… Felices Fiesta Patrias!!!!
Coman su anticuchos y una buena porcion de Picarones
Tomen su chocolate con paneton!!…
Vayan al chifita Cuchitril o al Basuron
o pasen por donde la tia Haydeee para
que prueben su rica razon!!!
no se olviden de su Chelita y el cebichito
o un pan con chicharrron
Happy 28 of July, yeah … to everyone… Happy Independence Day!!!!
Eat your ‘anticuchos’ (Peruvian brochettes) and a good portion of ‘picarones’ (pumpkin fritters)
Drink hot chocolate and eat panettone
Head out to a chifa (Chinese-Peruvian restaurant) or any hole in the wall,
or to Aunt Haydee's house to sample her homemade cooking.
Don't forget the beer and ceviche
or a pork sandwich.
Turning serious for a moment, the folks at Educando Perú [ES] in their post Happy Day Peru, Happy Day Friends, reflect on what Peruvian is and what it means to be Peruvian. To do so, they recall the time when what we call the Peruvian nation was formed:
Nosotros los peruanos empezamos a formarnos como una sola nación cuando nació el primer mestizo, hijo de español e india. El primer mestizo destacado fue el Inca Garcilazo de la Vega. Él se creía español porque admiraba a su padre y los indios lo veían como tal, pero se sintió indio cuando estuvo entre los españoles porque lo despreciban. Eso somos los peruanos: una fusión de culturas, somos mestizos por la cultura, más que por raza.
Desde el inca Garcilaso estamos forjando nación: El Perú. Ya no somos españoles, ya no somos indígenas. Nuestros nombres y apellidos quechuas y españoles se mezclan libremente y forman nuestra personalidad histórica. Eso somos.
We Peruvians began to form one single people when the first mixed-race child was born, the child born of a Spanish man and an Indian woman. The first mixed-race person of note was Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. He believed himself to be Spanish because he admired his father and because the Indians saw him as such; but, he also felt himself to be Indian when he was with Spaniards because they rejected him. That is what we Peruvians are: a fusion of cultures, a mix of our culture, more than our race.
Since Inca Garcilaso, we have been creating a nation: Peru. We are no longer Spanish, we are no longer Indians. Our names and surnames, which are both Quechua and Spanish, are mixed freely and create our historic personality. That is who we are.
Nonetheless, not everyone feels so patriotic. Pipo, after saying that a country is mostly the people who comprise it, later complains about the people who surround him in his post Patriotism? in which he publishes a list of the excuses young people use in order to… do nothing:
Mentalidad de la gente ociosa y mediocre:
– Fin de semana hay tono, no puedo faltar
– Mi flaca(o) me llama, voas pasar todo el bendito dia con el(la)
– Enero, uy, no estudio, recien comienza el año pe`
– Febrero, ah no! carnavales!, mes de diversiòn y yapla
– Marzo, pucha, que acabe el verano todavia
– Mayo, oh no! dia de la virgencita, mes de reflexion ps
– Junio, dia del campesino, voa la serrania a acompañar a los peruanos trabajadores
– Julio, mes de la patria compare, mi patria antes que todo
– Agosto, cometa ps
– Octubre, me preparo pa hallowen obviamenteee, y pa la cancion criolla ;)
– Noviembre nooo ps, dia de los muertos… solemnidad
– Diciembre, navidad pe, jesusito y los regalos primero
The mentality of mediocre and lazy people:
– There's a party this weekend and I can't miss it.
– My girl/boyfriend calls me to spend all the blessed day with her/him.
– January, yikes, I'm not studying, the school year is just beginning, man.
– February, no way, it's Carnival month, full of fun and beach.
– March, heck, let the summer end first.
– May, oh no! it's the Day of the Virgin, it's a month for reflection, dude.
– June, it's the Day of the Farmers, I have to go to the mountains to accompany the Peruvian peasants.
– July, it's the month of Peru …. my country above all else.
– August, it's for flying kites, bro.
– October, obviously I have to get ready for Halloween and the Day of the Creole Song ;)
– November, nooo way, Day of the Dead… we have to be solemn.
– December, Christmas of course, Jesus and presents come first.
As a counterpoint, El Entrometido [ES] has no problem saying, Excuse me if I am a patriotic, and offers us some of the verses of his work, from which I have taken these lines:
Por tu gente —que es mi gente—,
por tu pueblo —que es el mío—,
por la fuerza de tu río
que atraviesa el continente.
Por cada mujer valiente
que resiste como tú,
por el chamán, el gurú,
el pisco y la marinera,
por tu blanca cordillera,
grito: ¡Qué viva el Perú!
For your people —who are my people—,
for your country —that is mine—,
for the power of your river
that crosses the continent.
For every courageous woman.
who stands as strong as you do,
for the shaman, the guru,
pisco and marinera,
for your snow-clad mountains,
I shout: Viva Peru!
Finally, and for those who ask themselves why so much ballyhoo about Peru and being Peruvian, I am going to leave you with three posts. The first one from marcayuq- crónicas desde un avispero [ES] features some Peruvian beauties in the post titled Peruvian babes!!! (They're all pretty fine!!!) (a post inspired, I think, in the one titled: Peruanazos, an interesting photographic report on everyday Peruvians, by the blogger at menoscanas [ES]). Then, Sad-Bastard-Music [ES] has a post titled Our musical mix for the National Holidays…, which has an excellent compilation of Peruvian rock. (You can also visit pop amor … el problema no eres tu, somos nosotros [ES] to hear cuts from We Are Peruvian Rockers). Finally, Alejandro of Peru Food [EN], in July 28: Happy Peruvian Independence Day!, posts a wonderful video titled Perú Land of the Inkas, which I recommend seeing to those who don't know much about my country. Personally, I can say I have had the good fortune to travel quite a bit within Peru, and I've been to most of the places seen in the video. However, there is still much for me to visit. From Peru, Happy July 28 to all!!!
The photographs used in this post are from the stage set up in Lima's main square, the Plaza de Armas, for the parade held on July 25 in honor of Peruvian Independence Day. I took one in the morning when they were still setting up; and, another in the evening, once the event was over.
Traducido por Alejandro García.

author: Juan Arellano


text:
Singapore: Battle of the Classifieds · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Rana looks at the recent history of two biggest media companies in Singapore and how classified ads forms the latest battleground for the two companies.


text:
South Africa: Afrigator is best non-U.S site to watch · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Afrigator is featured on Business 2.0 Magazine‘s best non-U.S. sites to watch: “So did Justin remind me today that Afrigator was featured in Business 2.0 Magazine! Feels good, I must admit… Good job Mark, Mike & JH!”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


text:
Taiwan: From music to rice–the people and the earth · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

Due to the big music market and the hot music industry, Taiwanese love and are familiar with pop songs and different kinds of music.
In Yun-Ru Shih's article, based on Miao-Ru Chien's research:
台灣流行音樂產業的崛起起始自七零年代的民歌運動，到了八零年代末、九零年代初迅速成長到五十億台幣，1996年破百億後，1997年更達到歷來最高的123億台幣，在全球唱片市場排名由第21位竄升至第13位，在亞洲排名第二（僅次於日本）。（簡妙如,2002）
Oldlady talked about the recent 18th Golden Melody Award (6/16/2007) and an unexpected interlude in the award ceremony:
客語歌手林生祥（參考生祥與樂團網站）連續拒領兩個獎項，他說：「金曲獎應該用音樂類型來分類，而不是用族群，我覺得金曲獎太不合時宜，我參加過很多國外音樂祭，都被歸類在世界音樂或民謠，我建議金曲獎放開心胸，大膽改變，廢除這個獎項，因為這個獎項，使得用客家母語的歌手失去了良善競爭的眾多對手，也使客家歌曲被邊緣化。」然後把兩獎共25萬的獎金，捐給包括美濃自發性種樹團體、月光山雜誌、青芽兒雜誌和白米炸彈客楊儒門４個團體及個人。
About the categories made based on language, Sabinasun talked about the history of this award：
1987年台灣才解嚴，1988年媒體界才開始有新聞自由和改革。「金曲獎」其實是為了提倡與擴張台灣地區的音樂市場而在1988年由新聞局設立的音樂獎項。早期獎項也以「國語歌曲」作為最高榮譽，是響應威權時代「國語政策」的文化策略。九十年代以來，台灣本土意識越來越強，音樂界又有「新台語搖滾」和後來的「台客搖滾」流行市場。遲到2003年，金曲獎才開始增設「台語」，「客語」和「原住民」等所謂「少數族群」的獎項，以反應新的多元文化社會的現實。
這個多元文化的立意本來是好的，但問題是金曲獎設立初期以族群語言來分類音樂和優越化「國語歌曲」，本身就是一個「操弄族群」的產物，如今不去質疑這個前提，而只是增加「其他的」語言獎項，仍然難以擺脫操弄的嫌疑。況且，企圖選出不同族群的「代言人」，對文化創作來說，是一個過於老舊的文化治理概念，尤其像是音樂這種相當容易「跨界」與「混種化」的文化生產。
Sheng-Hsiang Lin from Meinung is a Hakka social activist and a musician who was involved in anti-Meinung Dam movement.  In southern Taiwan, Meinung is a Hakka community whose economy is mainly based on agriculture.  After the anti-Meinung Dam movement, Sheng-Hsiang Lin continues to care about the farmers.
However, the message about the music categorization is submerged fast because of another topic raised and attracted most media's attention: President Shiu-Bian Chen said he would pardon Ju-Men Yang on 6/19/2007, three days after Sheng-Hsiang Lin's speech in the Golden Melody Award and donating part of the prize to Ju-Men Yang.
Ju-Men Yang was sentenced seven-and-a-half years in jail in 2005 because he planted 17 bombs in public areas in 2003 and 2004.  Two of the bombs did explode without injuries.  He is called ‘rice bomber’ because some rice was mixed with the explosives.  He turned himself in later and claimed that his work was intended to evoke public attention toward the farmers.  Even in jail, he tried to use hunger strike to evoke public attention during the WTO meeting in 2005.
Because of setting bombs, although he tried to help the farmers, people have different opinions toward his case.  In an cosigning activity to support Yang, Pei-Hui Tsai said,
針對楊儒門放置十七次炸彈，所涉及對公共安全的影響，我們在同情楊儒門之餘，尊重司法機關的處置。
問題的關鍵在於，政府加入WTO的苦果正由窮苦農民默默承受，壓力已達臨界點，楊儒門不過是點燃引信的那個人。如果，楊儒門的所做所為，讓政府、讓農委會震驚，恐怕不是因為楊儒門製造問題，而是他恰如其份的點出了台灣基層農村的問題。
Both Sheng-Hsiang Lin and  Ju-Men Yang are from agriculture communities.  After many trading policies promoted by WTO, they saw the changes in the agriculture communities, and they hope the high-tech industry-oriented Taiwanese can also see the problems in our agriculture communities, and how these problems will become all Taiwanese’ problems.
Unlike the big agribusiness corporations in United States, in Taiwan, most farmers only own small farms with some specific crops.  Because the market prefers beautiful products, farmers are forced to spray pesticides by themselves.  Hopemarket discuss the news that a farmer died when spraying pesticide:
其實這早已不是「新聞」了，我開始接觸這個部分以後，去產地拜訪，詢問農友為什麼會轉作有機或者是無農藥殘留的耕作方式，只要是本來務農的農人，有一半以 上，是因為農藥中毒，才驚覺農藥原來是這麼可怕的東西，不僅傷害農人自己本身，也傷害土地，更別說是作物殘留農藥吃了對人體的危害
When these farmers start to do the organic farming, they always have a very hard time.  Hopemarket said,
有機農人不能使用殺菌劑或其他保花保果的資材，因此遇到狂風暴雨，只能讓果實自然掉落。 而蔬菜農友更慘，因為天氣炎熱，很多作物有溫度障礙，例如花椰菜與萵苣喜歡比較涼冷的生長氣候，夏天就會過熱而長不起來；番茄與苦瓜在夏季容易有疫病，一場大雨下來，農友的心血全部都泡在水裡，沒有東西收成。
In addition to the pesticides and organic farming, farmers are worried about the low price of their crops.  The problem of price is not limited in Taiwan.  The policies WTO tries to promote cause unfair trading and give the farmers an extremely hard time to live.   About this problem, Iron said,
當西方國家不斷鼓吹自由貿易時，卻一方面鉅額補貼國內農業出口，使其能以低價大量傾銷到第三世界；另一方面，卻透過雙邊談判或國際經濟組織要求第三世界國 家取消關稅、減低對其他產業的政策補貼，及開放市場。這是不公平的貿易。數以百萬的發展中國家小農因為西方的 農業傾銷而被迫賤賣農產品，甚至被推離市場。
Nowadays WTO has gigantic impact on the agriculture system in numerous countries.  To respond to the impact, Taiwan's government also have subsidies for ‘farmers that do not do farming.’  However, this policy makes many farming areas be ignored, abandoned, damaged, and over-priced.  Turtle said,
台灣的休耕政策只重「休耕補貼」，卻忽視更重要的環境管理，農村文化景觀就這樣逐漸凋零；歐洲國家的休耕政策則強調「環境補貼」，凡是有利於環境生態就可領取補助。如何呼應世界趨勢與進步觀念，已是當前檢討休耕政策重要方向。
On the other hand, when we think about agriculture, we can have another perspective in addition to trade and politics (voting power).  laches said,
農業不只是商品貿易，而是一種土地和人之間的關係。
Talking about the relationship between the earth and human beings, how about singing the song ‘Planting trees’ (lyrics by Yung-Feng Chung and music  Sheng-Hsiang Lin):
種給離鄉的人
種給太寬的路面
種給歸不得的心情
種給留鄉的人
種給落難的童年
種給出不去的心情
Planting trees for the roads that are too broad
Planting trees for not being able to go back
Planting trees for the people who stay
Planting trees for the disastrous childhood
Planting trees for not being able to leave

author: I-fan Lin


text:
Tajikistan/Afghanistan: The Wakhan valley · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Ian of Beyond the River has just come back from the Wakhan Corridor, which separates Afghanistan and Tajikistan (photos).

author: Ben Paarmann


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Tanzania: Lessons on building a virtual blogging community · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

With a growing number of English and Swahili blogs covering all sorts of topics such as the environment, food, sports, fashion, politics, interior design, and technology, the Tanzanian blogosphere is becoming one of the most vibrant and dynamic blogospheres in Africa. Following this growth, Tanzanian bloggers decided to establish a formal organization. Jumuiya ya Wanablogu Tanzania (Jumuwata) was born.
The Tanzanian experience in building Jumuwata offers important practical and theoretical lessons to bloggers and citizen media activitsts on how to build a collaborative and democratic blogging community.
When Tanzanian bloggers decided to form their organization, they wanted the process to be as open and collaborative as possible. The process started with planning for a virtual conference, which took place on November 18th, 2006:
Tanzanian bloggers held their first virtual conference on November 18th, 2006. The aim of the conference was to discuss various steps to be taken to make the community more effective and expand its reach. Most bloggers feel that there is an opportunity for blogs to be a tool for critical national dialogue and social development. And that, in order for revolution in citizen media to take roots in Tanzania, the blogging community needs take the lead, starting with establishing its own goals and vision.
The conference was organized collaboratively using Doodle and wiki. Because Tanzanian bloggers live in different times zones, Doodle was used to vote for proposed dates and time of the event. Discussions concerning conference agendas and the nomination of the conference moderator took place on the wiki. Selected agendas were announced on the wiki by the conference modetator, Ramadhani Msangi.
Discussions and conference announcements were also taking place on members’ blogs.  Majira, a local Swahili paper in Tanzania carried an article about the conference and Mwananchi, another Swahili newspaper, had one feature article before the conference and another one after the conference.
Where will the conference take place?
The main challenge at this stage was the appropriate tool to be used to conduct the conference. Since almost all bloggers living in Tanzania use public Internet access, it became clear that the conference had to take place on a webbased platform. Most Internet cafes in Tanzania do not allow visitors to download any software. Following an advice from Ethan Zuckerman, the webbased IRC@Work became the conference platform. Channel #blogubongo was set up and log in instructions were posted on the conference wiki and on members’ blogs.
During the conference, decisions were reached by voting. It was decided, among other things, that November 18th will be the National Blog Day in Tanzania and that an interim committee had to be formed before the end of the conference. Its responsibility was to collect opinions and ideas from bloggers about how to establish a formal organizational structure. The interim committee was made up of bloggers Da’ Mija (the Netherlands), Jeff Msangi (Canada), Ndesanjo Macha (USA), and Ramadhani Msangi (Tanzania).
It was also decided that the organization will establish its presence online through its own website and an aggregator. While aggregators from other African countries have been set up by a group of committed individuals, Tanzanian bloggers decided that its aggregator has to be owned by the community through Jumuwata.
After the conference, a new blog, BloguTanzania, was set up by the interim committee. Through open discussions on the blog, Tanzanian bloggers dealt with issues such as leadership structure, the name of the organization and its abreviation, the name of the aggregator, constitutional matters and catergories for blog awards (to be given on the National Blog Day).
Graphic designers were asked to submit logos to be voted for on the blog. The winner was Gerald Shuma whose logo became the official logo of Jumuwata.
The interim committee announced three leadership positions (namely Chairperson, General Sectretary, and Treasurer) and called on interested bloggers to submit their profiles and start campaigning. There were eight candidates for the three positions. Their photos were displayed prominently on the right hand side of the blog before the election.
Virtual Election: How will we vote?
The main question at this stage was, “How will we vote?”  After intense discussions and a lot of thinking, the interim committee decided that voting was to take place on the comment section of the community blog (as if one is leaving a comment). And in order to prevent rigging, only bloggers were allowed to vote. Anonymous comments were not allowed on the voting day. Comments were moderated on that day to prevent potential voters from being influenced by voting patterns.
The virtual election took place on June 30th, 2007:
It is official, Tanzania bloggers are going to hold a virtual election on June 30, 2007. There are eight candidates for different positions listed on the Jumuiya ya Wanablogu Tanzania (the community of Tanzanian bloggers) blog.
Ramadhani Msangi (Tanzania) became the Chairman, Simon Kitururu (Finland) the General Secretary and Da Mija (the Netherlands) the Treasurer. Two weeks ago, the three of them and two other invited bloggers met online for their first official meeting.
They are currently working on a draft constitution, which will be debated publicly before it is adopted and writing emails to specific bloggers asking them to form various committees (Activism, Media Law and Ethics, Technology, etc).


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Thailand: No to Coups · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Siam Sentinel comments on the news that Thailand's new draft charter is making coups unconstitutional. The blogger finds the news amusing as the current government came into power after a coup.


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Thailand: The Phallus Shrine · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Richard Barrow takes to yet another off-the-beaten-track shrine. This particular shrine holds a collection of giant wooden penises that have been left as offerings by devotees.


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Uzbekistan: Uzbeks abroad · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Jamiyat collects some media mentions of Uzbeks abroad and finds that almost all of them are highly negative.


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Afghanistan: Serving alcohol · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Afghan Lord is shocked to learn that he as an Afghan cannot order alcohol in a foreign restaurant in Kabul anymore.


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Afghanistan: The verdict on the king · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Mohammad Fahim Khairy says that the recently deceased Afghan King Mohammad Zahir Shah has not achieved anything in his fourty years of rule, but further cemented societal divisions and inequalities.


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Algeria: US Policies in the Middle East  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Nouri from the Algeria sheds light on US policy in the Middle East in this post.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Armenia: Demography · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Observer notes that Armenia's rather positive demographic data might deteriorate due to negative population growth rates and large-scale out-migration.


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Armenia: Smoking · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Zarchka voices her disgust over smoking and how entrenched it is in Armenian society.


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Bahrain: Birth Dates Fuss · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bint Battuta, in Bahrain, discusses the relevance and irrelevance of birthdays in this post.


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Bahrain: New Unlimited Internet Packages Available · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Mahmood Al Yousif, from Bahrain, reports that new unlimited internet packages are now available in the country.


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Bahrain Wins Miss Arab World Title · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahrain won the Miss Arab World title, reports Aqoul.


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Bangladesh: Military regime and rights · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Mash on a letter written by Human Rights Watch to Bangladesh’s military regime protesting its record of human rights violations including its torture of Tasneem Khalil, a journalist and blogger.


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Barbados: More Road Fatalities  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

On the heels of the Joe's River bus crash in Barbados comes another tragic road accident.  Barbados Free Press reports that four people are dead as a result of a collision on Emancipation Day.


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Bolivia: Blogs de Bolivia Unveils New Site · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Blogs Bolivia [ES], the community blog site, unveils its new design and announces new collaborators.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Bolivia: Indigenous Organization Breaks Ties · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Miguel Centellas of *Pronto takes a look at MAS and its fractured coalition, now that one powerful indigenous group has officially broken ties.


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Campaign to Unblock Kurdish Blogs in the Middle East · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Mideast Youth is spearheading a campaign to stop censorship against the Kurdish blogs and websites in the Middle East.


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China: A new way to send money · Global Voices
John Kennedy

The American blogger at China Challenges posts a house ad: a new way of sending money to China.

author: John Kennedy


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China: Literary review blog back · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Staff writer at the Chinese media news blog Danwei Joel Martinsen is back from beyond the great firewall of China with Twelve Hours Later, the latest location of Martinsen's ongoing translation and review of Chinese science fiction, fantasy and mainstream fiction.


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China: Photos from a Chinese factory · Global Voices
John Kennedy

The Responsible China blogger Erica Schlaikjer links to a “wonderful collection of photos and videos depicting the 24/7 lives of Chinese factory workers” in ‘Life in a Chinese factory‘.


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China: Why not marry an Army man? · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Bill Belew at PanAsiaBiz takes a look at the top five reasons China Youth Daily says two-thirds of Chinese women want to marry military men, the results of a survey taken to coincide with yesterday's Army Day in China: “My experience from when I was in the military is that the faithful military husband is a myth…or was it just the Navy gobs?”


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Cuba: View from a Visitor · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Before I visited, I held the usual Western leftie yes-it's-not-perfect-but-the-blame-lies-with-the USA point of view.
After spending a month there, however, my opinions have radically changed.”  Kate, a UK-based blogger, shares her impressions of Cuba.


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Czech Republic: Politics · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

NvB: Bored in Brno? writes about the politics surrounding the anti-missile bases to be built in the Czech Republic and Poland – and about Czech politics in general: “The Czech political elite generally believes that decisions should not be left to the majority to decide.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Egypt: Death of a Teenager in Police Station · Global Voices
Freedom For Egyptians

Summer does not give life in general a slow motion tempo but also to the life on the blogosphere. However despite the heat and humidity in Cairo and busy beaches on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea in Egypt, bloggers keep us entertained with their amusing and interesting blog posts. In this week's round up from Egypt, Zeinobia is commenting on two stories hitting the headlines in Egypt these days about the Egyptian Judges Club disagreements with the Minister of Justice and the horrific death of a teenager in a police station. Justice for All is reacting to today's collapse of Minnesota Bridge. Missing Egypt who is on a visit to Cairo has an interesting social blog post about Egyptian family traditions. Free Kareem is reporting Reporters without Borders’ request to French President Nicolas Sarkozy regarding imprisoned blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman. Finally, Tark3at Keyboard is telling us about the new decision on internet subscription that angered Egyptians.
The Egyptian Judges’ Club and the Minister of Justice Row: Egyptian Chronicles in her blog post “When Amina Razek turns in to Nadia El-Genndy” she is taking the time to review the dilemma of the Egyptian Judges Club with the Minister of Justice. It is a problem that has been heightened with some press statements.  Zeinobia in her elaborate post is not only describing the current relationship between the judges and the minister but also analyzing the problem.
New Nazis’ in Egypt’s Siwa Oasis: Zeinobia is also commenting on another horrific torture case that happen in a police station in the Northern coast of Egypt that led to the death of a teenager.
Minnesota Bridge collapse: Justice for All is expressing his shock to the collapse of Minnesota Bridge. He says “I couldn't help stop my tears from falling couldn't help stop my tears from falling.” He considers Minnesota his home as he lived there for sometime. He is in Cairo now but he is waiting for his friends to send him back when they read his blog post to assure him. Read more about his reaction to the collapse of the bridge here.
Egyptian Family Traditions: Missing Egypt is describing in a blog post Egyptian family traditions through her own personal experience. She has just returned from the United Kingdom for a visit to Cairo. In an interesting post, she is relating a very typical family scene that projects on the Egyptian culture.
France urged to link cooperation with Egypt to better respect human rights: Free Kareem is reporting that Reporters without Borders wrote to French President Nicolas Sarkozy asking him to intercede on behalf of imprisoned blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman and imprisoned journalist Abd al-Munim Gamal al Din Abd al-Munim when he receives a visit from his Egyptian counterpart, Hosni Mubarak, on 2 August.
Tark3at keyboard blog is reviewing and commenting on the new decision for DSL internet subscription in Egypt. “New Internet Subscription System Angers  Egyptians” is the title of his blog post.
And with this blog post from Tark3at keyboard blog, I end this weekly round-up from Cairo. You all take care!

author: Freedom For Egyptians


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Egypt: Freedom of Expression Stifled · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Hossam Al Hamalawy from Egypt reports that freedom of expression in his country received another slap in the face here.


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Egypt: Police-Sinai Bedouins Clash  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian police clashed with Sinai Bedouins, reports Hossam Al Hamalawy.


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Hong Kong: Queen’s Pier protesters carried off · Global Voices
John Kennedy

More than twenty-four hours after the hour the Hong Kong government was slated to begin destruction of the Queen's Pier in downtown Hong Kong, writes Sina blogger and Phoenix TV journalist Rose Luqiu Liuwei, did police finally move in at ten a.m. yesterday morning, first sealing off the scene and then spending the entire day carefully trying to remove protesters [zh]. She has posted several photos here, and English-language reporting from one of the protesters involved can be found here.


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India: Film, stereotypes and the media · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Noah's Ark Broken observes that a blogpost on CNN-IBN is offensive and perpetuates stereotypes about South Indians.


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Iraq: Absolute Poverty · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ladybird from Iraq posts a video highlighting poverty in Iraq.


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Iraq: Google Censorship Slammed · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ladybird from Iraq accuses Google of censorship after her YouTube videos were deemed unpublishable.


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Israel: Blog Day on August 31 · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ouriel Ohayon, from Israel, reminds us that Blog Day is on August 31. “On this day every blogger will post a recommendation of 5 new blogs. This way, all blog readers will find themselves leaping around and discovering new, previously unknown blogs.”


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Israel: Child Slaves · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Yudit from Israel writes about child slavery in the country here. “Who are those children? Whose children are they?” asks the blogger.


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Israel: Condolences to Minnesota Bridge Collapse Victims  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Snoopy the Goon from Israel sends his heartfelt condolences to the people of Minnesota, following the collapse of a bridge.


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Jamaica: Right to Vote  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jermaine Evans of The Jamaica Elections Blog speaks to a cross section of Jamaicans about exercising their right to vote.


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Jordan: Municipality Elections · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Khalaf from Jordan writes about the Municipality elections in Jordan.


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Jordanian Elections  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Lina Ejeilat from Jordan writes about Jordanian elections.


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Korea: Netizens’ Opinions ≠ Citizens’ Opinions · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

As the longer Afghanistan hostage situation continues, there has been increasing divergence in treatment of these issues between main stream media and netizens. Netizens complain that their opinions are not taken as citizens’ opinions.
Minoci writes,
이번 아프간 피랍사태에는 두 개의 여론이 존재한다.
대다수 저널들에서 쏟아내는, 의미없는 관습적 수사로서의 ‘국민'이 만들어내는 ‘천사표 여론'(A)이 그 하나다. 나머지 하나는  네티즌 찌질이들, 그러니까 나와 같은 ‘막가파'들이 만들어내는 ‘악마표 여론'(B) 이렇게 두 개다.물론 나는 이런 이분법적인 관점과 태도 그 자체가 정말 폭력이면서, 야만이라고 나는 생각한다.
소위 대부분의 메이저 언론사들은 그저 피랍된 동포, 내나라 국민 걱정하는 (또 다른) 국민의 목소리를 그저 ‘관념적으로’ 조직해냈을 뿐이고, 이전의 관습과 관성에 의해 ‘그려려니'하면서 ‘추리'했을 뿐이다.
적어도 네티즌은 그 자체로 국민의 여론을 대표하는 최소한의 상징성을 갖는다고 추론해야 하고, 그것이 국민 여론 따로, 네티즌 여론 따로라고 생각해야 할 하등의 논리적 근거는 없다고 생각한다. 그런데 주요 언론들에서 다루는 네티즌들은 극소수의 ‘증오신자'들로 대표될 뿐이며…
Most major media conventionally assumed and formed how citizens are worried about those hostages as the compatriots…
At least, netizens’ opinions should be treated as representing citizens’ opinions. Citizens’ opinions and netizens’ opinions don’t have to be separate. But netizens are described as a few ‘anti-Christians’ by major media…
A question whether netizens’ opinions are citizens’ opinions has brought about more arguments about how to deal with netizens’ opinions.
오프라인으로 하는 시위나 파업은 ‘더’ 중요하고, 온라인으로 글을 통해 의견을 피력하는 것은 그에 미치지 못한다 하는 입장은 오프라인과 온라인을 무리하게 구분짓게 되는 결과일 수 있을 것입니다. 출퇴근때 길막고 남들에게 피해를 주고 목소리를 크게 내고 tv나 언론에 나와야지 영향력이 있다는 것은 옳지 않다고 봅니다…
대다수가 그렇듯이 저도 온라인과 오프라인에서 의견과 주장이 일치합니다. 그런데 같은 의견이더라도 온라인에서 말하면 ‘네티즌'이라 하고, 오프라인에서는 ‘국민'이라고 하더군요. 대한민국이 온라인과 오프라인 두 개로 있습니까? 그들은 온라인을 완전히 다른 세계처럼 인식하는 것인지 궁금합니다. 만약, 그렇다면 이미, 그들에게는 안타깝게도, 현세대는 온라인과 오프라인이 vs.관계가 아니라 and.관계라는 것을 안내하고 싶습니다…
핵심은, ‘네티즌'과 ‘국민'은 동일하며, ‘네티즌의 의견'은 ‘국민의 의견'입니다. 또한, 따라서 ‘악플/악성글'은 ‘온라인'에도 있지만 ‘오프라인'에도 있습니다…
Like most people, my opinions and insistence are the same on on-line and off-line. Regardless of the same opinion, if I say it on line, it's regarded as the ‘netizen’s’ and if I say it off line, it's regarded as the ‘citizen’s.’ Is this country divided into online and offline? It seems that online is taken as a different world. If it is, we, the current generation, want to speak out that online and offline are not ‘vs. relations’ and ‘and. relations.’
My main point is that ‘netizen’ and ‘citizens’ are same. ‘Netizens’ opinions’ are ‘citizens’ opinions.’ Therefore ‘bad opinions/bad writings’ do not just exist ‘online,’ but ‘offline.’
Yong responds,
네티즌들은 정확히 말해 넷상에 접속하는 국민입니다
여기에는 넷상에 접속하는 기독교인도 응당 포함되며
그리고 네티즌을 자꾸 싸잡아 도마위에 올리는 언론인들도 포함됩니다…
넷상에 접속을 안하며 오로지 방송과 신문 언론에만 정보를 의지하는 사람들이 진실에 가까이 접근 할까요?
아니면 온오프 모든 정보에 두루 통달하는 사람들이 진실에 가까이 접근 할까요?
저도 몇년전까지는 신문 방송이랑 포탈 메인뉴스만 훓어보고 판단했었는데 그후 게시판 유저들의 토론에 참여하며 그동안 제가 주류 언론사의 정보에만 의존하며 진실이라 믿었던 정보들이 얼마나 의도적으로 왜곡 되었는지 깨닫게 되었습니다
물론 넷상에서 일반 유저들을 통해 알게된 정보들이 무조건적으로 신뢰할 만 하다는 뜻은 당연히 아닙니다
충분한 근거와 검증을 거치고 상식과 이치를 따져 분별해내야 하겠지요…
Or are people who go through information online and offline approaching the truth closer?
Just several years before, I went through the major media and main portal news. I have participated in panels on the internet and recognized how much information I had believed true from major media were distorted.
Of course information I get from some internet users is not always trustable. We should classify which one is sensible and reasonable…
The age of netizens is regarded as an important issue for this argument.
저도 네티즌이 국민이라고 생각하는데요..
문제는 네티즌의 여론을 주도 하는 세력이..
10대부터 20대 초반 이라는 거죠..
경제력이 있고 사회경험이 있는 20대 후반 부터는..
넷상에서 그렇게 강력하게 자기 의견을 피력하지는 않는 것 같아요..
왜냐하면 최소한 그 정도 나이의 사람들은 사회경험으로 인해..
상대방의 의견을 수렴하려는 태도를 가지고 있음에도 불구하고..
오히려 무차별적 자기 주장만 하는 몇몇 사람들로 인해 질려버린거죠..
인터넷에서의 대화가 실생활에서 직접 사람을 대하듯 하지 않는다면..
네티즌은 네티즌일뿐 국민이 될 수는 없을 듯 보입니다..
Netizens’ opinions are not taken as ‘opinions,’ as in this argument:
인터넷에서 적극적으로 활동하는 사람은 10~30대이고 특히 토론방 같은 경우에는 정말 사용하는 사람이 매일 사용하는 것을 쉽게 볼 수 있어요. 특히, 이 토론방도 10대에서 20대 초반이 엄청 많습니다.
이런 곳에서 나오는 글만 보고서 그것이 국민여론이네, 언론이 여론을 숨기네 그러는건 너무 웃기죠.
제가 볼 때 네티즌은 그냥 한무리의 집단입니다^^
It’s funny to hear that opinions from these kinds of rooms are citizens’ opinions and the mass media is covering up citizens’ opinions.
In my opinions, netizens are just a group.
As long as the perception that internet users are equal to the young generation does not change, netizens opinions seem not to be taken as serious as ‘opinions,’ as we can see in the opinion below.
잘생각해보세요
어떻게 네티즌여론이 국민여론?
인터넷에 글쓰는 주 연령층이 10대 후반에서 30대 중후반입니다
물론 언론에서 일방적인 보도를 할수 있으나
얼마전까지만 해도 k본부 m본부 s본부 기독교 비리 밝혀내기에 바빴던 언론입니다
그런데 지금 왜이렇게 비판여론을 무시하고 일방적 보도할까요?
일단
네티즌여론이 대다수 국민이 생각하는 여론이 아니기때문이고
방송매체에서까지 인터넷에서 떠도는 말로 기사쓰면 종교분쟁 일어납니다
First, netizens’ opinions cannot be opinions that most citizens have and if the media deals with these Internet opinions, religious battles will start.


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Latvia: Aivars Lembergs · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

All About Latvia writes about a politician who remains popular “in spite of his corruption.”


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Lebanon: Elections, Socio-political Theories, Relief and Blogging · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

The Lebanese government decided to hold by–elections on August 5. These elections are to fill the parliamentary seats that became vacant due to the despicable assassinations of the past months. This decision, the nominees and the campaigns are the subject of discussions of many blogs in the Lebanese blogosphere. Other topics also discussed this week include: the Lebanese middle–class, Lebanese architecture, language and social consciousness, and why dictatorship may be the best solution for Lebanon. In addition to these, there are posts about activities taking place during summer, the border town of Ayta Shaab a year after the July war and about blogging and netizens. This week's weblog include the aforementioned and posts that request and discuss aid given to the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Enjoy:
By–elections:
Jamal’s Propaganda tackles the issue of the by–election by discussing the curricula–vitae of the candidates in a very sarcastic post that he begins by saying:
An election is the process through which the people hire a parliamentary representative to work for them. It is imperative in any hiring process to thoroughly evaluate the candidates for the job. A one on one interview with the candidates would be ideal. Some might argue that it would be exhausting for the candidates to answer to thousands of citizens, but isn’t that the job description of the Member of Parliament? Anyways, in a more practical world a town hall meeting style debate should be the minimum required interaction between the candidates and the decision makers, but even that is absent in our democracy since that might be considered a form of accountability which is officially a sin in all 18 religions of Lebanon. This leaves the people only one way of judging the candidates which is by looking at their curricula vitae.
Lebanon Update contends that it is very difficult to stay neutral in Lebanon. He explains his position and goes on to discuss the elections:
these days you have to have an opinion in Lebanon. It seems that these are not the times for neutrality: you are either with March 8 or March 14. In that sense, Lebanon starts to resemble a two party state, similar to the USA. There is one huge difference, though: in America, the winner takes it all, the loser’s standing small…and the losers are OK with that. Not so in Lebanon. In a suffocating way, the Lebanese political scene does not allow the winner to take anything unless all losers agree.
Jeha’s Nail also discusses the elections and introduces his analysis by saying:
We Lebanese wear our emotions on our sleeves, and we often tend to overreact with passion. Doing so, we can greedily focus far too much on the potential Rewards, and forget about the Risks associated with our actions. The Elections in Metn and Beirut 2nd District are a case in point.
Middle class, language difference, Ayta Shaab, dictatorship etc.
Remarkz posted some socio–political analysis of some aspects of the Lebanese society. In one of these articles he states that difference of the language of broadcast in the local Lebanese radio stations is a symptom of the difference in the social consciousness of the Lebanese and he gives examples to explain:
Let's take the events of Nahr el Bared and the political deadlock as an initial environment from which media derive statements about modes of conduct.
One conclusion of all this is that there are no French media outlet (written, spoken, visualized), none whatsoever, that dedicates its program to real social issues. So no wonder that you have a francophone population that is mainly unaware or oblivious of such issues but very much vociferous about hazy concepts of “independence” and “rule of law” tainted sometimes by mild racism..
Social and economic issues are indeed debated in Lebanon but mostly in Arabic. To some extent, you can find some voiced in English. This is why I would argue that the English-speaking community is already more aware of things. So some English-French speakers but most importantly readers, may be more in touch with what's going on (Daily Star has some good stuff being written from time to time, although this hits a very narrow portion of English speakers, not those who don't read obviously). There is no fully fledged English language radio station. I think radio is a very important media outlet especially among the average working class.
Remarkz also visited the southern border village of Ayta Shaab and wrote about his first impressions in the village that was bombed heavily during the July war last year.
Arz el Jabal sees that Lebanon has lost its future and is retrogressing because it has lost its middle class:
Many countries have marked their stability by the size of their middle class. American democracy and power was spurred by growth in the middle class. Even in Communist China the new burgeoning middle class of 200 million wants more stability and rule of law. To quote Ayn Rand, “upper classes are a nation's past; the middle class is its future.” However, in Lebanon a middle class is almost nonexistent. Beirut is a have or have not world; if Rand was correct, the Lebanese are definitely retrogressing.
Arz el Jabal also posts a conversation with a Georgetown doctorate degree holder who believes that the best solution for the Lebanese problems is a dictatorship:
a woman who had lived through the Civil War, and has a doctorate from Georgetown say, “the only way to fix Lebanon is with a dictator. Get a dictator who stops the sectarianism, makes us a nation, and gets some order.” While she was fervently anti-Syrian, she must have noticed how Syria had grand gardens, clean streets, working traffic lights. Laws were observed and there was a semblance and order about the place. This is all completely lacking in Lebanon. Lebanon looks like a tribal mishmash.
If you are interested in restored 1798 houses built in accordance with traditional Lebanese architecture then go to Kadmous.
Independence 05 mentions some of the activities that are or will take place during summer in Lebanon:
Lebanon this summer, it turns out that some festivals are still on-going such as Byblos Festivals. Smalla concerts and gigs are taking place in several pubs and restaurants. And unlike what a lot predicted for Lebanon's summer to be dead and boring, night-life in Gemmayze street (Beirut) is back, and wild hot beach days are getting hotter and hotter. Several local radion stations are hosting the music in several resorts, creating an environment of strong dancing on house and electro music.
Help and donations
Body on the Line posts about requests for donations needed for the relief work with displaced Palestinian refugees from Nahr el Bared, in addition to donation requests for other crises affecting indigenous populations in the United states.
Ya-Ashrafe-nnas gives an account of a 20 yr old activist who is working with the relief volunteers who are helping the displaced Palestinians in the north of Lebanon and discusses what it means to be a pro–Palestinian:
When I meet foreigners who say that they are pro Palestinians I am not impressed, for to be a pro Palestinian one need to understand the hardship of being a Palestinian, or you're an “academic” “theorist” pro Palestinian who doesn't really know how does it feel to be a refugee or under occupation.
books can teach you the truth, but you can only live the truth right here among us.
Blogging
Finally, what is blogging, who blogs, citizen journalism versus professionalism, the business of blogging, are among the issues discussed in this article at Pierre Tristam’s Candide’s Notebook:
Netizens are non-professionals who take the floor and intervene in discussions otherwise open only to experts. Who make themselves heard even if they have not studied rhetoric, are not PR consultants, and do not hold shares in the media industry, which would guarantee a certain degree of attention for their opinions. People who castigate the brainwashing, deceit and exploitation, the whole swindle of the State in the late capitalist age, who no longer simply accept the business world, which is also in the throes of its late capitalist stages, and who write, write, write whenever it is particularly painful. And they certainly do not mince their words when they write, not even when the opposite number that has provoked them to such an extent is the most powerful newspaper in the land. On the contrary, the more powerful the adversary, the greater the motivation to demonstrate one's capacities as a critic.
that citizen journalism works particularly well when it is produced by journalists for journalists or would-be journalists. To that extent, “this blogging business” as such should be thoroughly called into question once again.
See you next week.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Lithuania: Euro · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lituanica writes about the views of Lithuanians on the euro.


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Lithuania, Poland: Belarus Broadcast · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lituanica writes about a joint Lithuanian-Polish TV broadcasting project aimed at Belarus.


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Nepal: Media and Politics · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Kathmandu Speaks on the state of media in Nepal.


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Nepal: Unifying through Marriages · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

United We Blog! on unifying Nepal through marriages – between people of the two communities in conflict – Madhesi and Pahadi.


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Nepali Student Tells of ‘Nightmare Experience in the Gulf” · Global Voices
Mohamed Nanabhay

Tulsi Bhandari, a Nepali student returning from the US relates his “Nightmare Experience in the Gulf” where he was verbally abused, detained and fined in Bahrain after asking airline staff to treat Nepali workers returing home from Qatar with some respect. He says “The experience that I have gone through made me think hard if an educated person like me had to go through such a terrible treatment what the other poor Nepalis who are forced to leave the country might be going through…we are treated like animals.”

author: Mohamed Nanabhay


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Palestine: Remembering Naji Al Ali  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian Haitham Sabbah celebrates the cartoons of Naji Al Ali, 20 years after his assassination.


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Puerto Rico, Jamaica: History of Slaves · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Voice of the Taino People Online reports on the findings of a Caribbean archaeological conference, which suggest that many slaves were wealthy during slavery: “Their wealth came not from handouts from planters but from their work in the grounds, their trading and their farms in the hills.”


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Rising Voices Outreach Projects Get Straight to Work · Global Voices
David Sasaki

It was less than a month ago that we announced the first round of Rising Voices outreach projects but already those first five projects have made incredible progress. Let's make a quick dash around the world to see what a little hard work and a lot of collaboration can achieve.
First stop, Colombia. Álvaro Ramirez, Jorge Montoya, and Juliana Rincón originally submitted two separate project proposals both focused on working class neighborhoods in Medellín and both with the same objectives. They are now all working together and have formed an organization called HiperBarrio with the tagline Historias Locales, audiencia global, or “Local Stories, global audience.” They have already registered a domain and the website is under currently construction.
Just one week after receiving confirmation of their Rising Voices outreach grant, Álvaro Ramirez and Mauricio Múnera organized a video blogging workshop at the public library of the poor and often violent neighborhood of La Loma San Javier. Álvaro documented the first three workshops with a series of photographs taken by the young participants themselves. Here is a description of their first experience with video blogging:
Luego subimos a la sala de computadores y lectura de la Biblioteca del barrio y en grupitos de dos y tres se sentaron a aprender a manejar el Movie Maker, a crear un juguete audiovisal de 30 segundos de duración con fotos tomadas de internet para luego subirlas a YouTube.
Trabajaron con rapidez y mucho entusiasmo asistidos en la parte técnica por Juan Diego, Mauricio, Diego y mi persona. En la parte estética y de contenido no necesitaron mayor ayuda. La creatividad demostrada fue impresionante y fácilmente se ponían de acuerdo en la forma como querían armar sus pequeñas experimentos.
They worked quickly and with a lot of enthusiasm and were assisted with some technical help from Juan Diego, Mauricio, Diego, and myself. In regards to aesthetic and content, they didn't need any help at all. The creativity they demonstrated was impressive and they easily discovered how they wanted to go about each of their small projects.
Juan Diego showing HiperBarrio participants how to use Windows Movie Maker.
You can see all of the videos that the students have made so far on YouTube. Here is just one example which was produced by Sebastian, Jessica, and Susana. It is titled “Susana's Super Skates.”
The text reads:
The new roller skates.
Are practical and comfortable.
And at low prices.
Try them out.
Barbie roller skates.
As you can see, these three already have a bright future in marketing. Here is another video, this time produced by Guillermo Alvarez and Ivan Dario Merchan. It is called “Colombia, Land of Scenery and Contrasts.”
The text reads:
Colombia, land of images.
There is a lot of talk about war in Colombia
Life and scenery
Dance, joy, and entertainment
… culture, faith, and hope
… We are also
You'll hear much more about the HiperBarrio project in Colombia in next week's introductory podcast. But for now let's move on to Bangladesh and the Nari Jibon project. Just about the same time that HiperBarrio was starting to give videoblogging workshops in Medellín, Nari Jibon organized its first blogging workshop with professional Bangladeshi blogger Razib Ahmed who heads both SouthAsiaBiz.com and IndiaRaj.com.
Apparently the workshop was inspiring as Nari Jibon bloggers have been publishing posts at a prolific rate. Of particular note is a five-part story about a young Bangladeshi girl who was forced into sex work. Both Taslima Akter and Animesh Chandra Bain have been instrumental in integrating blogging into Nari Jibon's existing classes for young women from Dhaka.
The next three projects are still in their planning phases, but even their planning has been impressive. From Bolivia, Hugo Miranda has described the difficulties that he, Mario, and Eduardo have been having in finding an ideal cyber cafe to hold their outreach workshops [ES] in El Alto:
Esta situación se repite en la mayoría de los Cafés Internet, ahora si bien se encuentran también cafés Internets de entre 40 y 50 maquinas, el estado en que las maquinas se encuentran es también es lamentable, me encontré hasta con equipos Pentium I y Pentium II que utilizaban XP FENIX (Sistema liviano de XP para equipos de 300 Mhz con 64 MB en RAM ), que obviamente no permitiran un buen desarrollo del Taller.
From Kolkata, India, Bishan Samaddar has eloquently described the goals of Neighbourhood Diaries which will kick off sometime in October. Likewise, Vickie Remoe-Doherty is hard at work in Freetown, Sierra Leone despite the madness of election season and the deteriorating health of her grandmother.
If you haven't already, don't forget to check out the introductory podcast to the Nari Jibon project. Early next week we'll be bringing you the first part of the introductory podcast to HiperBarrio in Colombia.

author: David Sasaki


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Russia: Defending Estonia at “Nashi” Camp · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Latvian Abroad reports on a group of Estonian ethnic Russians who are defending Estonia at the summer camp of the pro-Putin youth movement Nashi.


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Saudi Arabia: Girls of Riyadh Speak Up · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi novel Girls of Riyadh paved the way for more women to make their voices heard in Saudi Arabia, explains Rasha.


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Serbia: “The Rolling Devils” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Anegdote writes about the Serbian Orthodox Church's unfavorable view of the Rolling Stones.


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Sri Lanka: Ethnic conflict and the missing · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Transcurrents has photographs from the second public meeting for “Expression of grief of the families and friends of the disappeared” in Colombo.


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Syria: Hariri Assassins Aren’t Syrian  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Sasa from Syria says the assassins of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri  weren't from his country here.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Mango Season  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

It's mango season in Trinidad and Tobago and TriniGourmet.com goes all out to celebrate, posting pictures, recipes and yes, even audio…

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Tunisia: Resentment Vs Coexistence · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Tunisia, Eman discusses resentment versus coexistence.


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Turkey: Stray Bullet Killers · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Shame on anyone who fires a pistol as an expression of joy,” writes Amerikan Turk, following the death of people from stray bullets during celebrations in Iraq, which clinched the Asian Football Championship.


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UAE: Iraqi Anthem Shame  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

D B Shobrawy, from Egypt, discusses  the embarrassment caused after the victorious Iraqi national football team was welcomed in the UAE to the tunes of the old Iraqi national anthem – and how some players walked off in protest.


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Uzbekistan: Swiss banker · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Craig Murray is not surprised to see a photo of Uzbek president Karimov's daughter and Nathaniel Rothschild, whose family's Swiss banking branch allegedly harbours much of the Uzbek first family's wealth.


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Afghanistan: Hostage crisis background · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Carl Robichaud publishes the answers he gave to a South Korean reporter covering some of the backgrounds to the current hostage crisis.


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Bahamas: Energy Policy  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“So in the absence of an official Bahamian policy, what can WE do to promote energy security?”  Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit thinks that “a little common sense will go a long way.”


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Bahrain: Atlas Experience 2007 · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini Esra'a is off to Canada, where she will be discussing whether technology can set us free at the Atlas Experience 2007.


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Bangladesh: Floods and Rain · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

With the monsoon in full swing, many cities and areas in South Asia find themselves dealing with heavy rain and floods. Rezwan on the situation in Bangladesh.


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Barbados: Price Fixing Scandal · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Virgin Atlantic and British Airways ILLEGALLY got together and decided to squeeze more money out of travelers to and from Barbados – and in so doing hurt our travel industry.”  Barbados Free Press wonders, “What do you think that Barbados will do about it?”


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Bulgaria: More on the Tripoli Six Release · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Petya of bighead notes the overwhelming difference between reactions of Bulgarian and non-Bulgarian media on the release of the Tripoli Six. Declan Bultler guestblogs on “Liberty, Justice, HIV and Libya” over at Charkin Blog, and posts a Nature editorial “calling for Libya to go beyond the welcome political solution found to have them released, and at last face up to the facts. Exonerate the medics, is the message.”


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Cambodia: Net commentators react to Kem Sokha’s new Human Rights Party · Global Voices
Geoffrey Cain

Cambodian activist Kem Sokha kicked off his new Human Rights Party (HRP) last week with its first annual convention, promising a series of reforms for underrepresented and impoverished Cambodians. Over 10,000 supporters—driven in from all over the countryside—rallied behind the famed activist at the event. And, clad in yellow party t-shirts and waving their flags in allegiance to Sokha, the fan turnout exceeded the capacity of Phnom Penh’s colossal Olympic Stadium—a pleasant surprise in the Party’s expectations.
The convention, nonetheless, was quite a hit. In the following days, Sokha began calling the shots in The Cambodia Daily when he demanded political opposition leader Sam Rainsy prescribe to a new set of party standards. Most prominent on this list was a two-term limit for the Sam Rainsy Party’s (SRP’s) president, a flagship safeguard already institutionalized at the HRP and mimicking the U.S. system of presidency.
The demands have not gone without controversy, however, but have sparked a passionate debate between human rights guru Sokha and seasoned reform advocate Rainsy. While Sokha cited the convention’s vast turnout to establish leverage, Rainsy noted that he could easily topple such an event with his grassroots backing. And while Nguon Nhel of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) boasted his lack of concern over the HRP, Sokha and Rainsy—perhaps the splintered opposition—continued their sparring match without regard to the CPP’s established dominance.
Sokha gained international recognition when he was arrested for defaming the Hun Sen regime at a protest in 2005. Shortly thereafter, he was released following a wave of condemnation from the international community. In 2007, he announced his intentions to reenter politics while president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), an organization he founded.
Despite his platform of curtailing corruption and establishing better human rights standards, Sokha has been a controversial figure throughout the Cambodian blogosphere (which is, quite possibly, dominated by the SRP‘s educated urban demographic, whereas the HRP holds a stake in poorer rural areas). Popular Cambodian cartoonist Sacrava criticized Kem Sokha for supposedly helping Hun Sen at Cambodian Discussion (CAMDISC).
I’m sorry to say that Lauk Kem Sokha is just another new prop for Hun Sen’s background of its fake democracy. Drop your ego and your illution dream [sic] to win the election by your own team.
Sacrava’s statement mirrors the general sentiments of Cambodia’s small wired population, that Kem Sokha’s third party may divide the opposition even more and thus legitimize the CPP incumbency.  Internet commentator James Sok soon replied to Sacrava, expanding this criticism to Cambodia’s general lineup of opposition forerunners.
Current Khmer politicians do not believe in national priority. They cannot win the election because: selfish leadership, narrow vision, poor organization, lacking real ideology, no trained membership, no supporting grassroots, lacking diplomatic support.
Less than two weeks after this exchange of commentary, Sokha and Rainsy fell into their beleaguered struggle. But one commentator on KI Media observed an earlier sibling-like relationship between Sokha and Rainsy and urged the two parties to stop fighting.
I was lucky to be invited by a friend to join a dinner with Sokha. I am the outsider and less interested in politics. However, I wanted to see Sokha in person.  So I went. During the dinner Sokha got a phone call. Guess who? Rainsy called Sokha.  They talked like brothers.
Now I don’t understand. They both exchanged words. And also you all here at KI comment exchanged words too. Please you all, both sides, get to know your boss a little more and you may find out something. I think they both play some kind of game here.
Blogging newcomer Scott from Scott in Cambodia notes some worry about the upcoming 2008 elections and the current political situation. While there is always bickering between parties like the HRP and SRP, he notes, Cambodians have historically resorted to violence in furthering their political agendas. And, regardless of the continuous political rhetoric pervading Cambodia, a country with such a tumultuous history has little chance of creating change through ballots thanks to the institutionalized corruption of Cambodian politics.
Most everything looks and seems okay. There are political parties – the CPP is the ruling party with Hun Sen as the Prime Minister, and Funcinpec is its main rival. Than at a distance there is the Sam Rainsy Party and the new Human Rights Party. There is usual and typical bickering between parties like live shells tossed back and forth. But this is a country whose political strife has usually been settled with violence.
The coming 2008 elections may be a turning point as to whether the HRP will help to further cement the CPP’s power or challenge it.

author: Geoffrey Cain


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Central Asia: Carrying money · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Joshua Kucera describes that with the highest denominations being worth less than a dollar, men have to wear fancy leather purses for carrying their money throughout Central Asia.


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China: $100 laptops made here, just not sold · Global Voices
John Kennedy

The US $100 laptops are being made in China, writes Shanghaiist‘s Mathew Seigal, and two hundred million people in this country earn less than one US dollar a day, so why hasn't the Chinese government gotten with the program? “It looks like Chinese children will only be able to get hold of the XO-1s by buying it if it goes on sale at Christmas for $350 or $525. Profits will be used to buy laptops for children in countries that have signed up for the programme. We'd like to get our hands on this laptop.”


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China: Are aluminum prices fixed? · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Lou Schwartz at the Asia Business Intelligence blog manages a very detailed and clear analysis of the fluctuations in aluminum prices over the last fifty years in ‘Price-Fixing in China? Case-in-point: the Aluminum Industry‘.


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China: Bad time to invest West · Global Voices
John Kennedy

“Timing is everything, seasoned investors tell us,” and EngagingChina blogger Geoff Nairn writes in ‘Bad Timing‘, “and the Chinese government's much-publicised recent decision to start investing directly in western companies has proved to be particularly badly timed.”


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China: Baidu rolls out 1GB blogs · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Chinese search engine Baidu has announced its Baidu Space bloggers now have 1GB of server space to work with, writes China Tech Stories blogger Mao Xianjia, making “hi.baidu one of the largest personal album service on the web.“


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China: Motorbikes banned in Dongguan · Global Voices
John Kennedy

“Today is the last first day of a month that motorcycles can legally ride the streets of Dongguan,” wrote manufacturing executive and blogger A. Bryson on August first. “Come September 1 they are banned.”


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China: Net buzz trends for first half of 2007 · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Sam Flemming of the China Internet Word of Mouth blog has posted the first bi-annual review for 2007 from the consulting firm of the same name, noting a focus on three new areas: L+K+P IWOM Philosophy, Online Video Gains Foothold, and Netizens’ Online Collaboration.


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China: Nokia’s Creative Commons infringement? · Global Voices
John Kennedy

“Everybody can freely use my Flickr pictures under the Creative Commons license, and because of that they end up on many websites,” writes Shanghai-based blogger Marc van der Chris in ‘Nokia copyright infringement?,’ where he writes of finding one his photographs on the cellphone company's Europe site: “And amazingly they even dare to put Copyright Nokia 2007 next to it. So now they suddenly own the copyright to this picture? That's turning the world upside down Nokia!”


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Cuba: The Church’s Role  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Uncommon Sense finds it “disheartening that the church in Cuba has not used its moral authority to advocate more forcefully for the cause of freedom.”


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Egypt: Cairo University among the World’s Top 500 · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Zeinobia from Egypt reports that Cairo University was the only Arab university among the world's top 500 institutes of higher education.


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Egypt: Don’t Vote for Obama · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Shobrawy from Egypt posts another reason not to vote for Barack Obama here.


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Haiti: Simple Technology  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The teenagers in Haiti with rheumatic heart disease break our hearts when we examine their broken hearts.”  Dr. John Carroll quotes The New England Journal of Medicine to support his view that simple technology can work wonders in resource-poor countries like Haiti.


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Iran: A Photo Exposition · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Mohammad Kheyrkhah informs us that he organised his new photo exposition in Tehran:Iranian Woman.You can see one of his photos here.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Get me out of Here · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Omid Memarian talks about jailed American-Iranian scholar,Hale Esfandiari. Recent just a few days after Haleh Esfandiari, in solitary confinement for three months without any contact with her attorney or family, appeared gaunt and frail on television, analyzing “velvet revolutions,” Shirin Ebadi,her lawyer, told me that when Ms. Esfandiari called her mother on the telephone the next day, she told her she was tired and didn’t know what else to do. Esfandiari told her 93-year old mother: “Get me out of here.”


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Iran:no tears for criminals · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kourosh Ziabari says[Fa] he got surprised to see that some people are sorry for “criminals” or “thugs” who got executed recently.He says they were not political prisoners to be sorry for!


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Iran:Workers support jailed worker activists · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Kaargar says[Fa] that there will be several demonstrations, from 9th to 11th of August, in different countries, to ask for freedom of two jailed woker activists:Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi.Kaargar adds Iranian government continues its repression against workers.


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Iraq: Warning to Arab Ambassadors · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ladybird from Iraq writes about problems which could happen when Arab countries send Ambassadors to Iraq.


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Jamaica: Less is More  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Sometimes, less is more.  Geoffrey Philp explains.


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Kazakhstan: Chairing OSCE · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Joshua Foust disagrees with an Economist article which argues that handing over the OSCE chairmanship to Kazakhstan would be an “ugly trade”.


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Nepal: A Belgian Traveler · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Kathmandu Speaks on a Belgian traveler who had a bad experience in Nepal.


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Pakistan: A changing skyline · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Metroblogging Islamabad on the changing skyline in the city.


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Pakistan: Obscenity and Technology · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Pakistani Spectator on the “recent disgusting surge in the publishing of immoral, obscene and outright nude video clips and pictures of Pakistani girls and boys on the sites like Youtube, FaceBook, Orkut and many other sites.”.


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Palestine: Saudi Artist in Europe · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Amal A from Palestine posts a picture of a Saudi make up artist and her models at a Europe show here.


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Russia: Ethnic and Religious Miscellanea · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Window on Eurasia reports on the following subjects: Russia's Muslims’ support for Kosovo independence; Chechen youth choosing to study at Chechen universities; the Chuvash discovery of America and other myths presented as history; Islamic marriages in Tatarstan; and secessionist aspirations at Russia's ethnically Russian regions.


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Russia: New Beslan Video · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Mark MacKinnon writes on the newly-released video of the 2004 Beslan school siege, which “appears to show that the bloody climax was sparked not by an explosion inside the school, as the Kremlin has always claimed, but by shooting that originated outside the school.”


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Russia: “Sex For the Motherland” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Edward Lucas posts his Daily Mail piece on the summer camp of the pro-Putin youth movement Nashi – and receives 62 comments. The title of the piece: “Sex for the motherland: Russian youths encouraged to procreate at camp.”


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Russia: “The Race for the Arctic” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Mark MacKinnon writes on what looks like Russia's plan “to annex most of the Arctic.”


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Serbia: More on Srebrenica Anniversary · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belatedly, a link to Jasmina Tesanovic's piece on the heat in Serbia, and, very belatedly, a link to her text on the 12th anniversary of Srebrenica tragedy (both hosted by Boing Boing), as well as Bruce Sterling's set of photos from the ceremony that took place at the Srebrenica graveyard on July 11, 2007.


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Slovenia: “Reaching Out to Roma” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Romantic reports on a Ljubljana seminar “dedicated to increasing the level of acceptance of the Roma as a minority group.”


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Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados: Cozier Blasts ICC · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

West Indies Cricket Blog links to Tony Cozier's comments about the International Cricket Council's “inclination to bandit Allen Stanford’s money away from the struggling and desperate WICB and towards the ICC’s obscure and farcical tournaments.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Good Books  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

In the mood for a good page-turner?  Trinidad-based blogger Jeremy Taylor shares a list of his “recent reads”.


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Tunisian Journalists Repressed · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Issandr El Amrani , in Egypt, updates us on the latest repressions against journalists in Tunisia.


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Turkmenistan: Kingmakers · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Bonnie Boyd reports that the new Turkmen president Berdymukhamedov has put into prison the very secret police official who facilitated his rise to the helm of the Central Asian country.


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Turkmenistan: Share your forecasts · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

Abdulgamid invites his readers to share their prognoses about what Turkmenistan will be like in 2021.


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A Harry Potter addict suffers in Martinique · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

le blog de moi, a self-described Harry Potter addict (Fr), paid 43 euros to get her hands on the Deathly Hallows in Martinique; and finished the 607-page book in less than 24 hours.

author: Jennifer Brea


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Africa: African music meets China · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

African music meets China, via Museke: “A couple of years ago, a friend showed me a video of a Chinese man singing Makossa songs. Zhen Ping Liu, popularly known as Liu de Karmer to his fans was the first ever and lone Chinese Makossa singer.
The name of the song is Assiko chinois, pretty good :-). Some friends joked that he probably wasn't him singing the song and someone else was doing voice over, but who really does that these days?”


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Africa: “Hippo behavior” in non-profit sector · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Szavanna joins the discussions about the cheetah and the hippo generation in Africa: “It is many times shocking what is going on in these non-profit organizations, there is a real “hippo behaviour” present amongst all of those people running the show and I feel many times I see no difference between government and non-profit politics – they make a big noise about issues – just like the Live Earth event – but no real change – as Femi Kuti says.”


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Africa: The next area of financing for SMEs · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nubian Cheetah discusses the flaws in the current micro-financing initiatives in Africa: “However, there is a flaw is micro-finance. Micro-finance as the name suggest, is about utilizing small amounts of financing usually $50 to $500 or start a small business. But what if your a farmer in rural Mali, Sudan, Zambia, or Kenya who has hundreds of plots of land and you need heavy machinery to till, or sow your land? Where do you get financing to purchase a Kubato, John Deere, or Caterpillar equipment? Micro-financing is simply not the solution in this case, farming equipment on average costs about $30,000 to $500,000.”


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Africa: Will technology solve Africa’s problems? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ishtar asks, “Will technology solve Africa's problems?“: On May 17th however, I stopped by a blog written by Erik Hersman (aka Hash aka White African), a Western TCK who was blogging about technology in Africa. He proudly presented his favorite post The Dark Continent: It’s Still Dark which was about Africa not being developed enough.