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Georgia, Russia: Interethnic Relationships · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

See Global Voices special coverage page on the South Ossetia crisis.
Tbilisi-based LJ user shupaka writes this (RUS) about what it feels like to be an ethnic Russian in Tbilisi now:
Today once again I've been asked – how do they treat Russians [in Georgia]? Won't it get them in trouble if they speak Russian in Tbilisi?
My mother is Russian and my mother-in-law is Russian. I asked them, just in case – how do they treat you here? Aren't they oppressing you? Mamas say – no, they aren't oppressing us.
They are Georgian citizens, these mamas of mine, and they are getting as many problems from the Russian leadership as all the other Georgian citizens.
It's easier for my mother-in-law – her parents live in Ukraine; to mama it's tougher – her father and sisters live in Siberia.
Mama speaks Georgian at work, in the street, in stores and on public transportation. With some accent, though, and not always without mistakes, and stranger often ask her: “Sadauri har?” That is, where are you from? Georgians love it when a non-Georgian can speak Georgian.
And my mother-in-law speaks Russian most of the time. And she also teaches Russian to children – a few times in the evening every week she reads the likes of [Korney Chukovsky] and [Nikolay Nosov] to the neighborhood kids. And the number of her students hasn't decreased – she has as many as she had before the occupation.
I've conducted an extremely silly experiment today – I was addressing people in Russian. On a bus, I was saying ‘ostanovite, pozhaluysta‘ [‘please stop here’] instead of ‘gaacheret,’ at a store I was asking for ‘butylku borzhoma‘ [‘a bottle of Borjomi mineral water] instead of ‘erti bordjomi,’ at a drugstore… well, et cetera. I haven't noticed any negative reaction.
Earlier this month, on Aug. 12, LJ user voinodel (Vadim Rechkalov, Russian war correspondent for Moskovsky Komsomolets) posted this “monologue” (RUS) by Ms. Lobzhanidze, a resident of Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia, Russia:
- My son-in-law is Ossetian. My 8-year-old grandson would be Ossetian, too – on his father's side, that is. I myself am Russian. By blood, that is. But in my passport, I'm Georgian. They've canceled [the ‘ethnicity’ line] in passports now, but my last name is Georgian, I've inherited it from my late husband. My son is Georgian in his passport, too, and by blood as well – if, of course, you look at his father's side. He's married to an Armenian. And who am I after all this – my grandson is Ossetian, while my granddaughter is Georgian – if, of course, you look at her father's side?
But I'm most concerned about my son. Anything can happen now. The [South Ossetians] will now come back from the war angry. And they'll begin… I don't even know what to expect…
I thought I was paranoid. I called [the police]. What should I do in this situation, I asked. You see, my son is Georgian. A policewoman asked: and where is he registered, what's his citizenship? I say, he's registered in Vladikavkaz, Russian citizen. He was born here, has never been to Georgia. Doesn't approve of Saakashvili's politics. But our last name is Lobzhanidze. What shall we do?
The woman listened to me carefully and said: take all precaution measures. We've been flooded by all kinds of people, she said. Try to protect him. Don't let him out in the street on his own. How old is your son? He's 30 already, I reply. How can I not let him out. And the policewoman continues: well, I understand you, the situation is tense, but we can't give every person an officer [to guard him/her]. Have there been incidents already, I ask. No, she replies, not yet…
P.S.
All the relatives of [Ms. Lobzhanidze] sit at home since Aug. 8. They don't even go to work. But that's only those who are on her husband's side. The Armenian and Russian relatives don't seem to have anything to fear. Not yet.


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Georgia, Russia, Serbia: The Use (or Abuse) of Some Historical Facts? · Global Voices
Sinisa Boljanovic

See Global Voices special coverage page on the South Ossetia crisis.
Serbian bloggers follow closely the situation in the Caucasus region. Many of them compared and analyzed the Kosovo issue and the newest opportunities in South Ossetia. Some of them were careful to express their own thoughts and mainly cited thoughts of politicians. Here is a post by Aleksandar T, a Serbian blogger who quoted in his blog some pieces of the last statements by Russia's government officials, who linked military operations in Georgia to certain historical events:
What is this, some propaganda, Western?…
“Russian operation in South Ossetia was very different in regard to American and [NATO operation against Serbia in 1999],
said [Sergey Lavrov], Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister, in an article published in American [Wall Street Journal]. According to his words, when the initiators of bombing campaign finished to attack the military targets, it turns into the attacks on bridges, television towers, passenger trains, civilian objects”, including a direct hit into China's Embassy building in Belgrade.
As far as Russia is concerned, “it has applied force in keeping with the International Law, its own right to defense and the obligations which result from agreements related to conflict in South Ossetia,” said Lavrov. “Russia could not allow that its peacekeepers quietly watch how, right before their eyes, it commits acts of genocide like Bosnian city – [Srebrenica] in 1995,” said Lavrov.
[Rogozin]: [Saakashvili] is not [Gavrilo Princip]
“Russian envoy to NATO Dmitri Rogozin compared the situation in Georgia with the positions of powerful countries before the beginning of the First World War, emphasizing that it is unavoidable that the relationships between Russia and Western countries would become colder.
“The current atmosphere reminds me of the situation in Europe from 1914, when the powerful  countries clashed because of one terrorist. I hope that Mikheil Saakashvili will not go down in history as a new Gavrilo Princip,” said Rogozin.
Here are some comments from Aleksandar T's blog.
Doctor Wu says:
It is very clear. In the quarrel with the Western countries Russia is using a concept and a clear picture which are known to them. A mention of Srebrenica is a slap to Dutchmans and Gavrilo Princip is mentioned in the context of how Englishmen think and talk about him: the fool that pulled them into an expensive and unnecessary war. Reading English reactions, this reminder is effective.
Serbia could learn very much from this access.
blackbox92:
I think that Russia proved it is not different from the West when its interest is in question. […] Just in this way Russia indirectly supports the position of the West about Kosovo.
Aleksandar T, the author of the post, also got involved in the discussion with commentators. In one of his replies he used editorial article of the Times. Unfortunately, he did not write the date of publishing of this article.
The Western countries change their foreign political priorities, it's written in the lead article of the Times. They exchange their recent struggle against terrorism for stamping out nationalism of new powerful countries such as Russia and China and their approaching to democratic ideals.
Entire editorial article is, essentially, an analysis of the foreign policy of the West, that is, the story about one more “new world system.” Among other things, the overflow of the world wealth and power from the West into the East is especially underlined and such political and economic shifts as the reflection of the competition of ideas worry much more than “conflict” nations which we could watch at the stadium “Nest” in Beijing over two last weeks, this international analysis explains.
According to the editorial writer's opinion, China, Russia and Arabic countries became rich countries because of inexpensive production of oil and its high market price. They triumph because of social inefficacy, economic instability and exaggerated foreign politics self-confidence by the West.
Such position of the world's major powers threatens the struggle for global democracy and might result in the creation of a world community which mainly defines mutual threats.
Regardless of whether the new president of for now the only world major power will be Barack Obama or John McCain, the West will have, in any case, to face the new world system, it was concluded at the end of article.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Sinisa Boljanovic


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Ghana: A traditional healer with a website · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Henry writes about a traditional healer in Ghana who is using web technology to market his business.

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Guinea-Bissau: Travel Pictures · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Attending requests, Brigida Rocha Brito [pt] publishes some pictures of Forest of Cantanhez, Tombali region in southern Guinea-Bissau, towards Guiné Conacri borders, and promises more soon. “Next there will be new series of pictures from Bissau and a third one from Cachéu, region in the north near the border with Senegal.”

author: Paula Góes


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Haiti: Homes Being Destroyed  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Cite Soleil, a shanty town in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is under siege by the UN occupying forces”: The Haitian Blogger publishes a statement by the Haitian Lawyers Leadership “condemning the wholesale expropriation and demotion being undertaken in Cite Soleil of 155 homes.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Hong Kong: Election Poll · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN writes an article discussing about the potential errors in the legco election polls.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Iraq: “Egyptians Recruited to Iraq” · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“According to Egyptian website Al-Mesryoon, last two months there was a campaign in America to recruit Egyptians as interpreters in the American forces and to be sent to Iraq. The Americans offer Green Card to Egyptians who sign a contract to work for at least six months, and the recruiters can extend the period,” reports Ladybird from Iraq.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Iraq: Selling Fuel in Baghdad  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“The gas and the fuel for cars has always been a problem for Iraqis inside Iraq, the irony that Iraq has one of the worlds largest reservoirs of oil is not lost on Iraqis,” says Alive in Baghdad, which posts a video on the situation here.


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Jamaica, Haiti: Gustav Gets Closer  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

YardFlex.com reports on the damage that Hurricane Gustav has wreaked in Haiti, even as the storm heads for the North Coast of Jamaica.


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Japan: Animal Garbage Bag · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Edo from Pink tentacle blogs about an animal garbage bag project for promoting environmental awareness.


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Japan: Ministry study on biological roots of withdrawal and rage · Global Voices
Scilla Alecci

Starting next year, a team of researchers recruited by the Japanese Ministry of Education will commit themselves to studying the connection between brain structure and sociability. Their aim will be the analysis of structures of the brain that control mechanisms such as sleep rhythm and stress tolerance, in order to prevent — and eventually cure — those disorders which affect social relations.
According to an article [ja] published by Mainichi Shinbun on August 19th, the government is promoting this research, which will cost over 1.7 billion yen, in response to the problematic increase in hikikomori [引きこもり] (i.e. individuals who isolate from the family and the rest of the world shutting themselves in their room for months or years) and “enraged youngsters” [kireru wakamono/キレる若者].
Among bloggers who commented on the article by journalist Taku Nishikawa [西川拓], many (e.g. Shigeru Kurokawa [黒川滋] in his blog Kyō mo aruku [きょうも歩く] [ja]) expressed a feeling of disappointment about the Japanese government's resolution, which seems paradoxical. Kurokawa comments that while claiming to solve sociological and cultural issues using brain science, it is left up to the Ministry of Education and not to the Ministry of Health and Welfare to find the chemical formulas that will provide answers about the phenomena of hikikomori and “enraged youngsters”.
Another blogger, Kaze no hōsen [風のほーせん], says:
記事のような研究も必要なことかもしれないが、厚生労働省ならともかく、文部科学省にはこうした研究よりも、教育学的あるいは社会学的な観点からの考察が望まれる。文部科学省には「引きこもり」や「キレる」の原因は、現在社会における人間関係のあり方や、学校教育をはじめとした教育のあり方にこそ、求めてほしい。
[…]
こうした教育現場での「キレる」原因を、こどもたちの先天的な要因に求める研究をいの一番に取り組むような姿勢は、その教育の大元締めである文部科学省の責任放棄に近い態度だと言っていい。文部科学省は、薬物治療でもって、学校現場でのいじめや暴力を解決しようとでも思っているのだろうか。
Other Japanese bloggers expressed that the claim in the Mainichi article, stressing that the Ministry research was aimed at analyzing relations between brain mechanism and “rage”, was tendentious. In particular, there was this quotation of a post left by an anonymous commenter to a 2ch thread:
3910: 大学院で脳科学を研究していますが
要は「脳が社会的な環境をどう構築して適合しているのか」についての
研究なんだが、この文を読む限り文科省がそれを無理やり「切れる」に
結び付けているように思える。
しかし実際は変体毎日が文科省の報道資料から一部文言を
ピックアップしての印象操作だと思われる。
ちゃんとした結果が得られるかどうかは別として、
研究自体は悪くないし、この研究に予算をつぎ込む事も問題ないと思う。
問題なのは変体新聞がのさばってる事。
さらに問題なのはこの脳科学委員会の委員に毎日の記者が居る事。
http://www.lifescience.mext.go.jp/files/pdf/6_111.pdf

author: Scilla Alecci


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Japan: Virtual Temple · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Martin J Frid from Kurashi highlight a local news concerning the creation of a virtual temple online.


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Jordan: Variety Show  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

7iber, from Jordan, details a cultural variety show with a difference in this post.


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Kenya: Cheers for M-PESA · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

There are reasons to cheer for M-PESA, the mobile banking system in Kenya: “Anyone with a new Safaricom sim card would have noticed two additional menus under the M-PESA section: ‘Buy Goods’ and ‘ATM Withdrawal’.”


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Kenya: Kenya in the Olympics · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kenyan Pundit congratulates Kenyan athletes for their performance in Beijing….but, “…why the hell there were more officials than athletes in the Kenyan contigent that went to Beijing?”


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Kenya: Reproductive Rights Bill Sparks Abortion Debate · Global Voices
Juhie Bhatia

A bill proposed by Kenyan women's rights groups, which would make it easier to have an abortion, has re-sparked the debate about legalizing abortion. The procedure is currently illegal in Kenya, unless the pregnant woman's life is in danger. Many religious leaders and politicians in the country have spoken out against this attempt to change the abortion law.
Women's rights groups launched a campaign earlier this year to ensure that reproductive and sexual health care in Kenya is accessible, available, and affordable. Part of this campaign is the proposed Reproductive Health and Rights Bill 2008, which was drafted by the Kenyan chapter of the Federation of Women Lawyers  and the Coalition On Violence Against Women. The bill addresses various reproductive health issues, including a push for easier access to abortions. It proposes, for instance, that a statement by a pregnant woman or any other proof that her pregnancy is due to sexual assault, rape, defilement or incest guarantee a legal abortion.
Arthur Okwemba, writing for the African Woman and Child Features Service, summarizes the abortion debate. He says:
“Abortion is still a hush-hush issue in Kenya. But despite laws, which restrict the termination of pregnancy, illegal abortion continues in this East African nation unabated. There are no easy answers to this emotive issue. On the one side, there are those who argue for the woman's right to choose to have a baby or not, while others, using religion as the base, argue for the rights of the fetus.”
Women's rights groups argue that access to abortion is a health issue too, since many women undergo unsafe abortions. Although accurate statistics are hard to obtain, since abortion is largely illegal, a national study showed that about 300,000 abortions are performed each year in Kenya, causing an estimated 20,000 women and girls to be hospitalized with related health complications. This translates into about 800 abortions a day and the death of 2,600 women every year. Another report estimates that more than 40 percent of Kenya’s maternal mortality rate is due to unsafe abortions.
To help protect women's health, morpheus revolutions points out that doctors sometimes take matters into their own hands.
“Kenyan doctors often take a very ‘liberal’ approach to the interpretation of Kenya's restrictive abortion policy, with the knowledge that if they do not, women will be forced to conduct unsafe abortions that place their lives at higher risk.”
The kenyanobserver argues that the abortion law doesn’t make sense, and that it's been written mostly by and to protect men. He says:
“Kenya has one of the most restrictive abortion laws even as the rest of the world relaxes those laws yet abortion rates are increasing and becoming more dangerous as women take greater risks to complete their abortions. A visit to ward 1D in Kenya where women end after botched abortions is a sobering evidence of this. I’m sure that there are legitimate reasons for restricting abortion. The thing I don’t understand is the hypocrisy by the government on this issue given these sobering statistics. Did you know that a person found helping to complete an abortion in Kenya can be subject to capital punishment? What about the men who forcibly rape young girls, relatives and mentally retarded women all over the country?”
MUNGA, blogging on CONTROVERSIAL, says the solution is to legalize the procedure.
“Abortion in our country Kenya is a never ending story. First you have the police going after doctors who allegedly have performed the ‘vice’ being imprisoned. However, the solution to the problem in my opinion is not to go after the doctor's, after all they are trying to get a sense of livelihood though through the wrong means. As such I would go for pro life and pro choice, let the ‘pregnant couple’ decide what to do about their situation. This will only be possible if abortion is legalised in Kenya.”
However, other bloggers agree with Kenyan politicians and religious leaders who oppose a less restrictive abortion law. John Smeaton, blogging for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, says the bill should not be passed.
“The bill, if passed, will promote and allow easy access to abortion on demand, with virtually no safeguards to protect unborn children.
Under the subtle guise of ‘reproductive rights’ language, the bill declares ‘safe and accessible abortion-related care’ as a reproductive right. Abortion can be permitted provided that ‘the continued pregnancy would pose a risk of injury to the woman’s physical or mental health.’ This will, in effect, allow abortions on demand.”
Arthur Okwemba, writing for the African Woman and Child Features Service, warns that regardless of which side of the abortion debate Kenyans support, the issue has to be dealt with — it won't just go away.
“Recently the Kenyan press sensationalized, even using pictures, the death of 15 fetuses apparently due to illegal abortions. The public shrieked and public condemnation of abortion was rife. But this response will not discourage the young women, who saw no other choice open to them, from repeating the act again.”
Photo of Positive Pregnancy Test by Amber B McN on Flickr.

author: Juhie Bhatia


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Moroccans at the Paralympics · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

The View from Fez informs us that Morocco will send 18 athletes to the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.  The delegation is comprised of 14 runners, 4 weightlifters, and 12 officials.

author: Jillian C. York


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Pakistan: Applying for NICOP · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

All Things Pakistan on the experience of applying for a NICOP (National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis) card online.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Pakistan: Women and Sports · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Degrowchyowl has an insightful post on sports and women in the context of Islam.


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Russia: Anti-War Music · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LJ user marchenk posts a collection of links (RUS) to videos of various anti-war songs in Russian, French, English, Italian, German, Hebrew, Serbian, Spanish, Polish, Arabic and other languages.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Saudi Arabia: Growing fewer dates · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Saudi Jeans tells us about date-growing in Saudi Arabia: “Growing dates has become a dying profession.”

author: Ayesha Saldanha


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South Korea: Leftwing Economist Arrested for Subversion · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Robert Koehler criticizes the South Korean government for arresting a most renowned economist for speaking out against capitalism under the excuse of violation of the National Security Law.


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South Korea: Religion Divide · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Kotaji gives some political background about the anti-president Lee Myung-Bak demonstration by thousands of Buddhist Monk.


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South Korea: Sex Offender Bracelet · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Korea Beat translated a local news about the implementation of sex offender bracelets policy: beginning on September 1st the bracelets will be able to report the movements of sex offenders 24 hours a day.


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South Ossetia: Photos From Tskhinvali · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Photos from Tskhinvali – by LJ user grend (RUS).


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South Ossetia, Russia: Photos From Tskhinvali and Vladikavkaz · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Photo reports (RUS) by LJ user photomans: from Tskhinvali – here; from a refugee camp in Vladikavkaz – here.


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Sudan: Blogger celebrates turning 22 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Drima, the 2007 Weblog Awards finalist, turns 22, “I hated the 20th, hated the 21st (which I actually didn’t even remember until I started receiving “happy birthday” wishes via text messages), but the 22nd? Oh my, I’m totally loving it.”


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Guatemala: Protection of La Danta · Global Voices
Renata Avila

One of the largest pyramids in the world by volume, Danta, is located in Guatemala in one of the few Biosphere Reserves of the Planet.  However, wildfires and a lack of community involvement are requiring urgent actions in the area. In addition, overdevelopment, rudimentary slash and burn agricultural practices, archaeological looting, and deforestation are risking the country's valuable cultural heritage.
The governor of Petén, Rudel Alvarez, is also a blogger and he describes the problems of the environmental reserves in the region, which contains about 85% of the protected areas and the Mayan Biosphere Reserve covers more than 13% of the country.
International independent reporters and bloggers visited Petén recently, with a travel grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting to sort out the scientific claims about conservation and to document the stories. Their project was called "Future of Peten. They were lucky enough to visit the Mirador Basin Project and meet the Director of the Project, and presents The view from the Top of the Maya World:
El Mirador, as head archaeologist Richard Hansen enthusiastically reminded us yesterday from the top of La Danta pyramid, is a lost city loaded with superlatives:
* The first state-level civilization in the Western Hemisphere
* The largest (by volume) pyramid in the world
* The greatest concentration of Maya sites in the world
Tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of people constructed this city over 750 years starting about 500 B.C., though occupation started hundreds of years earlier.
Sadly the reserve is facing a serious environmental and social crisis, and urgent actions must be taken.  Nadia Sussmand wrote about it on What if there were no eco to tour :
Today head archaeologist Richard Hansen continued our tour of monumental architecture, while discussing his plans for the development of ecotourism at El Mirador . Hansen is convinced that the only way to stop deforestation is to create a legally protected 810,000-acre no-cut area around the archaeological sites here, bounded by the natural borders of the Mirador Basin . He maintains that all logging – sustainable or not – will sooner or later lead to road-building, slash-and-burn farming, and the permanent destruction of the jungle.
The team was blogging from the field, from the very heart of the jungle, as Kara Andrade, another member told on Oasis :
The laboratory in the jungle is a small oasis of electricity and Wi-Fi in Peten's sea of rainforest darkness broken only by the drone of cicadas that is present all day. Every night, David Barreda and I move in with a bag of battery chargers, power strips, two laptops and a multitude of gadgets that allow us to connect with the world outside. We come in from the remotest stretch of jungle in Guatemala and upload like drought-stricken people to water. We are fiends at capturing video and photos and are at times overwhelmed with the amount of new content we're producing. Dispatches are coming slowly and we run with the rhythm of the generator.
Danta is the name of the Pyramid, but it is also an endangered specimen of tapir in the region. A collaborative group of university students organized to protect the danta, and to teach the community ways to protect it (people often eat tapir meat in Peten, a tasty exotic meat). Blogger Mesas de Diaologo tells us about the students from the Forestry and Environmental Studies from the Rural Guatemalan University and the Agro-forestry Sciences Institute collaborated in an action plan to protect the habitat of the tapir. The plan focuses on the use of education and the development of economic alternatives for the communities.
Global Heritage Fund is helping to save The Mirador Basin and has a detailed description of the area and a video.
It is complex to figure out ways to protect La Danta and dantas when people are facing extreme poverty, isolation and exclusion. Only community involvement and engagement, and providing alternatives to the peoples living near the protected areas can rescue both Danta and dantas, and build a better future.

author: Renata Avila


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Trinidad & Tobago: Battle of the Insecticides · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from Trinidad and Tobago, This Beach Called Life writes a humourous post about two well-known household insecticides: “Baygon came in a green and red can and was considered the BMW of the insecticide world with its non-suicidal spray head, sophisticated scent, and high price. BOP, on the other hand, came in two flavors, regular and citronella.”


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Tunisia: Eleven Minutes  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Another Paulo Coelho book that I've read recently and that I've been meaning to write about is ‘Eleven Minutes’. The book is pretty different from the other books I've read by Paulo Coelho, even though it is equally as great and enjoyable as a book, and inspiring in its own kind of way,” writes Subzero Blue from Tunisia.


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Turkey: YouTube Un-blocked? · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

Several Turkish bloggers are reporting the lifting of the YouTube ban in Turkey, including Internation Musings, however it may take up to 72 hours for Turkish web users to see it.

author: Deborah Ann Dilley


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Venezuela: Yukpa Indians, Chávez and land disputes · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Citizen media videos have been uploaded informing of the situation arising in Venezuela between the Yukpa Indians of the Perijá Mountains, landowners and President Chávez. This dispute over land limits is 30 years in the making, when military forces displaced the Indigenous communities of the Yukpa by force and established landowners who have cattle ranches and have been working the lands ever since.  The Yukpa Indians have attempted to reclaim the lands taken from them, and even the Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez declared 10 years ago that the problems with land ownership in the Perijá Mountains should be resolved, but nothing was done to advance solutions.
Currently the Yukpa Indians have taken over the ranches, and the landowners who live off meat and dairy production are unable to continue their work. This situation has been made more difficult due to military presence in the area which has caused a siege state, where the Indigenous groups are not allowed to walk freely on their lands or out of them and journalists are blocked from going inside the area to report of Human Rights abuses such as the alleged hiring of Colombian hit-men who have been targeting entire communities and who beat to death a 109 year old indigenous elder. Finally the Yukpa broke through the communication blocks, have gotten through to the media and have reached the community of Machique on August 26th 2008, and Hugo Chávez has declared that these lands should be given back and the indigenous community's rights should be respected. In the collective blog Voces Urgentes (Urgent Voices), they pose several questions regarding the future of this situation and its resolution:
Ahora bien ¿Por qué el cerco se rompe solo cuando Chávez se pronuncia? ¿Qué tuvo que pasar para que Chávez se enterara? ¿La represión, agresión y vulneración de los hermanos yukpa todo este tiempo no era suficiente? ¿Cuál ha sido la actuación de las autoridades ante las sucesivas demandas de los indígenas Yukpa? ¿Por qué la ministra del Poder Popular para los Asuntos Indígenas, Nicia Maldonado, recomendó a los Yukpa respetar la propiedad privada y hacer turismo en una zona aislada y árida? ¿Quiénes y con cuáles criterios se realizará el proceso de demarcación de las tierras indígenas?
So now, why is the blockage only broken when Chávez has spoken? What happened to clue Chavez into what was happening? The repression, aggression and veneration of the Yukpa brothers all through this time weren’t enough? What have been the actions of the authorities when faced with the constant demands of the Yukpa Indians? Why is the Popular Power for Indigenous Affairs minister, Nicia Maldonado, recommending that the Yukpa should respect private property and live of tourism in an isolated and arid area? By whom and with which criteria will the demarcation of indigenous lands take place?
The  following video uploaded by coritoj  is only one of dozens documenting the plight of this community and how it is just becoming known to the general public. In the video, they relate how one of the landowners told them that he could basically do what he wanted since every authority had been bribed already, and that he wasn't going to go to jail even if the went up to the President himself, because he had money to pay to get out:
This other video by ProyectoSuri  shows a humanitarian caravan led by the ANMCLA organization  trying to pass into Yukpa territory to deliver food and medication to the indigenous community, but they are blocked by military officers. Nevertheless, the same army that didn’t allow them to pass was perfectly willing to let a truck loaded with food for pigs to pass. The community organizations managed to convince the truck driver that it was unfair and unconstitutional to deliver food to animals when food for humans wasn't being let through, and he is shown to take the truck back from the picket line. Later in the video, the members of the Yukpa arrive at the border of the siege area and state that no army should control indigenous communities, but that they should be lead by community leaders chosen by them, and they should be able to invite people into their territories. However, the humanitarian caravan  wasn't allowed to pass and deliver the food and medicines due to the army's intransigence on this point, several of them were injured, and 3 were arrested. Two days later, the president recognized the Yukpa Indian's rights to reclaim their lands.
Dozens of other videos on the subject can be viewed here. (Venezuelan Flag  image by Guillermo Esteves)

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Western Sahara: Goodbye Peter Van Walsum · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Western Sahara Info reports that the mandate of Peter Van Walsum, personal envoy of the UN secretary-general for Western Sahara, has not been renewed.


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Zambia: Zambia’s Kingmakers · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Following the death of Zambian President, Levy Mwanawasa, Zambian Economist produces a list of kingmakers in the country.


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Zimbabwe: A new day for parliament? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ethan discusses the latest political events in Zimbabwe, “Once you’ve thrown an election, the preferred next step is to return matters to normalcy, dissipating the anger of those who opposed you by making your leadership appear routine and inevitable. That’s been Robert Mugabe’s plan in Zimbabwe.”


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Afghanistan: Child Sexual Abuse · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Azar Balkhi says that child sexual abuse is becoming a disturbing widespread reality in Afghanistan, where traditionally the victim is the one to take the punishment, not the rapist.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Afghanistan: More on Civilian Deaths in Shindand · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust reports on the UN investigation that has released its findings about the bombing incident in Shindand, Afghanistan.


text:
Afghanistan: The Prison Break at Kandahar · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust reviews the media coverage regarding June’s massive prison break in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and how it is effecting attitudes toward the government.


text:
Africa: The way the world sees Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Jillian posts a map of contents of Africa showing the way the rest of the world sees Africa.


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Angola: Going, going, gone! · Global Voices
Clara Onofre

Kinaxixe Square in 1969 with Kinaxixi Market at the background. Picture by Victor Santos. See his Luanda in the 70's photo gallery.
Similar to what happened to the beautiful Palace D. Ana Joaquina, the historic Kinaxixi Market was knocked down after a long wait, time in which proposals ranged from restoration to demolition. Many, like Diuska [pt], still do not believe that they saw the market being destroyed:
Esse emblemático local de Luanda, de onde a minha avó recorda os cheiros e as cores de que tanto fala. Onde ia comprar as suas frutas, antes de ir para casa no Largo Ferreira do Amaral, logo ali ao lado, está a cair de uma forma cruel. De uma forma imposta, que não era suposto ser. O Kinaxixi tem o inalienável direito de cair por si próprio!
Nunca pensei que fosse ver deuses e homens aliados numa só missão: deitar o Kinaxixi abaixo. Não sei quem engendrou este esquema, não sei quem esteve na origem desta acção, mas com certeza não me vou esquecer do boquiaberto ar dos transeuntes a olharem o pó a subir no ar.
This symbolic place in Luanda from where my grandmother recalls and tells us about smells and colors coming. Where she would go to buy fruit, before going back home to Largo Ferreira do Amaral, right next to it [the market], is falling down in such a cruel way. An imposed way, a way it was not supposed to be. Kinaxixi has the inalienable right to fall on its own! I never thought that I would see gods and men together on a single mission: knock Kinaxixi down. I don't know who plotted this, I don't know who was behind this decision, but of course I will not forget the stupefied looks of passersby  watching the dust rising in the air.
Exclusive photo taken on the day the Kinaxixi Market was being knocked down, kindly provided by  José Manuel Lima da Silva, Flickr user Kool2bBop
Up to 2003, this historic site housed Luanda's large market of groceries, but things began to change after the withdrawal and transfer of local traders to other markets. At the time, there were talks of renovation and this was what traders and the population expected to happen, but two years later the market was doomed to abandonment. It was then that the news of the sale to a private company broke.
This was followed by the first project developed by a company with Portuguese partners, which envisaged the partial destruction of the market. For whatever reason, unknown to the general public, the original project led to the plan to build a shopping mall in association with Macon group – a public transport company. The investment for the shopping center was budgeted at around 30 million dollars for a 20 year lease.
According to Anabela Quelhas [pt], who has been campaigning for the renovation of Kinaxixi since 2006, the process of demolition is almost always the same, and reflects the devaluation of heritage in the face of economic power. Not only in Angola does it happen in the following way:
Falta de manutenção
Não adaptação às novas exigências.
Conflitos intencionais com o tráfego envolvente.
Concorrência selvagem dos shopings
Fiscalização exagerada
Aceleração da degradação
Acumulação de lixo
Por os média a falar nas alternativas e a manipular a opinião publica
Dar visibilidade à degradação do espaço físico
Esquecer o que dizem meia dúzia de intelectuais
Proporcionar que o edificio seja suporte de grafittis e publicidade
Permitir a ocupação ilegal de preferência por marginais
Demolição ou incêndio
Lack of maintenance
No compliance with new regulations.
Intentional conflicts with surrounding traffic.
Wild competition with shopping centres
Exaggerated surveillance
Acceleration of degradation
Accumulation of garbage
Having the media talk about alternatives and to manipulate public opinion
Giving visibility to the degradation of physical space
Forgetting about what a handful of intellectuals say
Providing that the building is used for advertising and graffiti
Allowing illegal occupation, preferably by scoundrels
Demolition or fire
Opinions are divided. The Luandaners dissatisfaction is reflected in this text, from Mankakoso's [pt] blog:
Não sei como querem ter empreendimentos do primeiro mundo, coisas da mais alta tecnologia quando não conseguem resolver problemas da idade média como o saneamento básico. Estou já a ver o filme. À noite o shopping todo iluminado e os prédios ao redor às escuras e fedorentos. De dia os transeuntes feito um enxame de moscas à volta do shopping e as varandas dos cúbicos (casas) com os estendais prenhes de lençóis encardidos e esburacados. As zungueiras (vendedoras de rua) a venderem sacos de plásticos, biquínis, sandes de atum, chouriçadas e os miúdos da rua a lavarem os carros no parque de estacionamento do shopping Kinaxixi. As lojas do shopping sem telefones para puderem mandar faxes ou emails aos seus fornecedores no estrangeiro e não só. As casas do shopping sem água, etc. Amigos, precisamos de shopping sim senhor. Mas antes necessitamos ter água canalizada sempre, luz todos os dias e comunicações. Precisamos ter estradas asfaltadas ao invés de esburacadas para permitir maior fluidez de tráfego rodoviário de modo a que os camiões com bens para o shopping não fiquem encravados nos chamados engarrafamentos rotineiros desta cidade. Ouvi vários comentários sobre a construção do shopping Kinaxixi sobre os milhões de dólares que vão ser gastos e concluí: nós somos vaidosos. Qual é a importância deste shopping para aquele angolano sem escola, sem hospital, sem luz eléctrica e sem água corrente?
I don't know how they want to have first world [standards for] business, highest technological gadgets when they can't even solve medieval problems such as that of basic sanitation. I get the picture. At night, the whole shopping centre will be illuminated and the buildings around it will be in the dark, and smelly. In the day time, passersby will be like a swarm of flies bustling around the shopping while the cubic (houses) balconies have lines full of grimy and holey linen. Zungueiras (street vendors) selling plastic bags, bikinis, tuna  sandwiches, chorizo, and kids on the streets washing the cars at the Kinaxixi Shopping car park. The stores in the shopping centre will have no phones so that faxes or emails can be sent to their suppliers abroad and beyond. Boxes in the shopping centre with no water, etc… Friends, we need a shopping centre indeed. But first we need to have tap water, electricity every day and communication. We need paved roads instead of pot-holed ones to allow a greater flow of traffic, so that trucks with goods for the shopping centre are not stuck in the so-called routine traffic jams in this city. I heard several comments about the construction of the Kinaxixi shopping centre and the millions of dollars that will be spent and concluded: we're vain. What is the importance of this shopping centre for the Angolan who has no school, no hospital, no electricity and is without running water?
Angolan and Portuguese architects are horrified at this historic massacre and although they protested against the demolition and organized a petition [pt], their voices were not heard and they could do nothing to save the market. Manuel Correia Fernandes, Portuguese architect said to the Portuguese newspaper Público that “we can only weep tears of all sizes at this barbaric act. It was a piece of architecture with a huge amount of quality, a beautiful copy of Corbusian modernism, but with great autonomy.”
Exclusive photo taken on the day the Kinaxixi Market was being knocked down, kindly provided by  José Manuel Lima da Silva, Flickr user Kool2bBop
Kinaxixi Market was built in the 50's under Vasco Vieira da Costa's baton, Portuguese architect trained at the School of Fine Arts of Oporto, Portugal. He travelled to Paris and worked there for some time with the French architect Le Corbusier. The City Market of Luanda was his first work in the Angolan capital. Kianda [pt], who grew up going to market with her father on Saturday mornings, recalls:
É um edifício referenciado nos livros de arquitectura universal como uma referência conceptual e construtiva, o edificio reflecte os elementos base do pensamento sobre arquitectura tropical, ou seja a ventilação cruzada, o recurso ao grande pé direito, a luminosidade controlada, as protecções a poente no percurso da incidência solar, as relações espaço/ventilação, humidade/conforto térmico.
It is a building listed in the books of architecture as a universal conceptual and constructive reference, the building reflects the basic elements of thought on tropical architecture, that's to say, the ventilation across, the use of big, high ceilings, brightness control, protections from the west path of solar incidence, a space/ventilation relation, moisture/thermal comfort.
As I said in the opening lines of this text, the Angolan government did something similar about ten years ago to Ana Joaquina Palace, which had been built during the eighteenth century and classified as “Property of Public Interest” in 1951, being subject to technical appraisal by UNESCO experts some years before due to its stressed importance. Despite the protests, from historians and architecture specialists and technicians, the government carried out the destruction of the palace only to build a replica shortly after, where today the Provincial Court of Luanda is housed.
Divided opinions
Some believe that these are signs of modern times, such as OTB [pt], one of over 60 commentators on Kianda's post mentioned above:
Quanto ao Kinaxixe. Chão com ele. Os paises têm de se modernizar. Deixemo-nos de lamechiches e de prendermo-nos a antiguidades. O mundo é dinamico, a vida é dinamica. Deite-se abaixo e construa-se algo que seja util aos Angolanos. Ana Joaquina foi o inicio, Kinaxixe a seguir e outros irão abaixo para termos uma Angola Moderna e sem lembranças de um passado condescendência servil.
On the Kinaxixe. Down with it. Countries need to modernize. Let us stop the slush and sinking to antiques. The world is dynamic, life is dynamic. Down with it and build something that is useful to the Angolans. Ana Joaquina was the beginning, Kinaxixe next and others will be knocked down so that something useful to Modern Angola takes place and without memories of a condescending servile past.
Wilson Dadá [pt], on the other hand, says that one thing doesn't override the other, and with the demolition it was the rampant property speculation that won the situation:
Para quem como eu cresceu passando todos os domingos por aquele mercado em direcção a classe central da Igreja Metodista, não é fácil aceitar um tamanho atentado contra o património da nossa cidade.
Não estamos, obviamente, contra o surgimento dos shoppings nem dos arranha-céus, mas não podemos aceitar que eles nasçam destruindo tudo quanto é história e memória desta cidade, num país, onde o que mais existe é espaço de sobra o desenvolvimento de novas urbanizações, para a edificação de novas cidades.
For those who like me grew up going every Sunday to that market on the way to the Methodist Church class, it is not easy to accept a huge attack on the heritage of our city.
We are not, of course, opposed to the emergence of shopping malls or the skyscrapers, but we cannot accept that they are built destroying all the history and memory of this city, in a country where there is plenty of room for new developments, for the construction of new cities.
Exclusive photo taken on the day the Kinaxixi Market was being knocked down, kindly provided by  José Manuel Lima da Silva, Flickr user Kool2bBop
Originally written in Portuguese, translation into English by Paula Góes

author: Clara Onofre


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Armenia: Opposition Truce · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped commends the opposition in Armenia for deciding to postpone planned street protests and other political actions ahead of next week's historic football match with Turkey in Yerevan. The move is meant to contribute to the possibility for Armenian-Turkish reconcilliation.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Bangladesh: Obama and America · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Mash reacts to Obama's speech and his nomination as the Presidential candidate.


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Bangladesh: Working in the Gulf · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Reflections on migrants going to work in the Gulf, while waiting at the airport at unearthly hour at D is for Dhaka.


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Barbados: Obama’s Speech · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Underground says that Barack Obama “delivered a high impact speech” at the Democratic National Convention, while Bajan Global Report refers to a story that claims Barbados’ Prime Minister “is…the only high ranking Caribbean official invited to witness the historic first embrace of an African-American as Presidential candidate for a leading political party.”


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Bermuda, Trinidad & Tobago: Reviving the Federation?  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Vexed Bermoothes weighs in on the call by Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister for regional territories to move towards economic and political integration: “My advice to Bermuda:  stay out of it.  As a community, we treasure our cultural and family links to the Caribbean.  But there’s little benefit to us economically to get involved in Caribbean federation.”


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Chile: Trolley Bus in Valparaíso · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Contenidos Locales [es] covers the recent publication by Jacqueline Gonzalez from the Chilean city of Valparaíso, who writes about the trolley bus that has been running since the 1950s.

author: Eduardo Avila


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China: Chinese Lies · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

C. W. Hayford from Chinese History group blog goes into various literature sources for discussing the “Chinese character” in relation to “face” and “lie”. It gives some background about the various Olympic “lies” happened.


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China: The Cost of a Gold Medal · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Zhaomu re-posted a forum article which calculated the cost of a gold medal exemplified by the Olympic shooting team. It is estimated that a gold medal costs between RMB30 – 80 millions (around US4.5 – 10 million).


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Costa Rica: President Arias Asks Dalai Lama to Postpone Visit · Global Voices
Roy Rojas

Having to choose between two friends and which one to invite to a party is something awkward. This is what the Costa Rican president and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Oscar Arias Sánchez had to do recently. He asked the Dalai Lama to postpone his scheduled visit until next year, even when his visit was private in nature. Coincidentally, a month after the planned visit, the Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to arrive on an official visit.  Many were upset at the news, such as Milagro Rodríguez, Vice-President of the Tibetan-CostaRican Cultural Association, who expressed her sadness [es].
Julia Ardón [es] writes in her blog about the possible reasons for the request:
La Asociación Tibetana de Costa Rica por supuesto salta y explica lo que entiende como un desaire de claro cálculo político, ya que por esos días tendrá visita oficial el Presidente de China y se podría molestar o peor aún: decidir no venir. ( Y eso no le conviene al gobierno! No ve que los chinos nos están dando mucha plata?!)
The Tibetan Association of Costa Rica jumps up and explains it as a clear political calculation, because around those dates the President of China would be arriving on an official visit and he might be upset or even worse: decide not to come.  (That would not be convenient for the government!  Don't you see that the Chinese are giving a lot of money?!)
The Dalai Lama's visit was scheduled for September 10, however, based on Arias’ formal request the visit was cancelled.  President Arias stated that he would not be in the country.  Instead it did not appear to be a coincidence, especially with the planned visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao, especially in light of the support given to the country. Costa Rica has drawn closer to the Chinese government in recent years.  In June 8, 2007, Costa Rica broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan [es] and started formal relations with China.  Later, Arias was received by China with full honors [es] provided to friendly countries.
La Suiza Centroamericana [es] is displeased about Arias lack of outspokeness regarding human rights abuses in China.
Lo que si nos sorprende, y nos causa tremendo disgusto, es que nuestro gobierno de turno, presidido por otro Premio Nobel de la Paz, haya guardado un silencio absoluto y sepulcral ante las atrocidades cometidas por su nuevo amiguito oriental.
What did surprise us and caused us a great amount of disgust, is that our government, presided by another Nobel Peace Prize Winner, remained absolute silence regarding the atrocities committed by our new Asian friend.
Many come to the conclusion that the presidents and developing nations must make risky political calculations and not everyone will look at it in the same way, in terms of what is most convenient for Costa Rica and what is the best for the majority.  Being president and making decisions must not be easy, and even when one must say to a friend, for now it is best not to come to my house.

author: Roy Rojas


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Eritrea: African Reading Challenge 2008 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

As part of African Reading Challenge 2008, Scarlet read a book about Eritrea by Michaela Wrong, “I didn't do it for you: How the West betrayed a small African nation.” She says: “Not that much has been written by Western journalists about Eritrea. Michaela Wrong decided to write all of it.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Georgia: Armenian Opposition Leader Claims Genocide · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Archuk's blog criticizes the first president of the Republic of Armenia and radical opposition leader, Levon Ter-Petrossian, for claiming that the Russian invasion of Georgia was justifiable in order to prevent “Genocide.”


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Guyana, Bahamas: The good and bad of Carifesta X · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

Carifesta — the Caribbean Festival of Arts — was staged for the first time in 1972, hosted by the government of Guyana. Originally intended as an expression of cultural confidence by the independence-era anglophone Caribbean, and a forum for Caribbean artists to exchange ideas and share their work with colleagues, the festival has been staged ten times at irregular intervals over the last 36 years. Now on a fixed biennial schedule, Carifesta was hosted by Suriname in 2004, Trinidad and Tobago in 2006, and the most recent installment of the regional arts event is now under way in Guyana (22 to 31 August, 2008), bringing Carifesta "home" after nearly four decades.
The decision by the Guyanese government to host Carifesta X was controversial. The Bahamas were the original hosts, but the new administration that came to power in that country after elections in 2007 announced, just about a year ahead of the scheduled opening, that it was not prepared for the responsibility. Guyanese president Bharrat Jagdeo then volunteered his country as replacement host, setting off a barrage of criticism by commentators who argued that Guyana could not afford the expense of the massive week-long festival, and a semi-boycott by the opposition People's National Congress party.
In the months before the Carifesta opening, some of Guyana's politics bloggers expressed frequent disdain for the festival organisers and disbelief that the event would proceed successfully. Many took to using the disparaging term "Carifiasco". As usual, Living Guyana was the most prolifically outspoken. "Is this government really serious?" asked Living Guyana's MediaCritic in July:
Sure every country in Caricom has poverty but how could we be proud to invite visitors to this nation when we have hundreds of our fellow countrymen and women who know no home but the pavements and the streets?
How could we invite visitors to this land when poverty, hunger and hopelessness are so pervasive and overwhelming?
Living Guyana  also described Carifesta as a "deception masterstroke":
[President Jagdeo] is desperate to leave a positive legacy and his time is quickly running out (his current term is his last and it ends in 2011). He saw this as the perfect opportunity for Guyana to host the region and impress upon them that he has done well for Guyana as president….
But C.D. Valere, a US-based Guyanese literary blogger who posts at Signifyin’ Guyana , and returned to Guyana for the festival, disagreed :
Hopefully, Carifesta will be a chance for those who live in the region and those who claim belongingness to the region to (again) enjoy their commonalities and differences in a relatively relaxed and fun atmosphere.
A major planning hitch came two days before the opening ceremony, when the system for distributing free Carifesta tickets to the public broke down, leaving hundreds of people to queue for hours. Living Guyana posted photos of the crowd outside the Carifesta Secretariat. Meanwhile, Nicolette Bethel, a writer and theatre director who serves as director of culture in the Bahamas, reported on her arrival in Guyana and then the frustrating discovery that the Bahamian contingent's entire container of costumes, stage sets, artworks and artifacts had failed to leave the Bahamas. And the night before the opening, Living Guyana posted photos suggesting that construction was still incomplete at one of the main exhibition sites.
The opening ceremony itself, televised live, drew strongly mixed reactions. Living Guyana described it as a "glorious disaster … disjointed and embarrassing". "I'd love to tell you that the opening ceremony … was a show of money well spent," wrote Signifyin’ Guyana . " It was not. But I'm having so much fun otherwise, I'd rather not dwell on the negatives right now."  Press reports also described the disappointed reactions of the audience to the opening ceremony, and a "negative" story in the Guyana Times , the newest of Guyana's newspapers (launched just a few weeks ago), even got a journalist fired. Living Guyana broke the story :
It is widely known that Guyana Times is owned by the Ramroop family who have very close links to President Bharrat Jagdeo and the newspaper has taken a decidedly pro-government/pro-PPP slant and does not encourage criticisms of the government or its activities to be published.
As Carifesta unfolded over the next few days, bloggers continued to post reports on specific events and general hitches in the programme. SkinUp Guyana noted that heavy weekend rain had produced minor flooding around Georgetown , the Guyanese capital (which lies below sea level and is protected by a series of drainage canals, sluice gates, and dykes). "Didn't the government promise that drainage would be a priority during these periods?" At the same time, there was a shortage of running water at one of the main Carifesta venues, SkinUp said. Signifyin’ Guyana , on the other hand, wrote appreciatively of a symposium event featuring a panel of distinguished Caribbean writers, including Nobel laureate Derek Walcott :
It was a well-organized evening of reflection on the topic "Caribbean Culture at The Crossroads,"  and as expected, the topic generated both bright and gloomy views of the current state of the Caribbean and about its past and future.
SkinUp Guyana , however, complained that the symposium events were poorly attended, and blamed the Carifesta organisers.
Signifyin’ Guyana also posted a mini review of a play by the Caymanian writer Frank McField, and an account of an evening of literary readings. Nicolette Bethel described the highlight of her Carifesta trip: a performance of her play The Children's Teeth in the village of Anna Regina, on Guyana's Essequibo coast. And Antilles , the blog of The Caribbean Review of Books , suggested that "the best parts of big arts festivals like this are the encounters that happen informally if not spontaneously on the edges — random meetings, casual conversations, pleasing coincidences." Even MediaCritic at Living Guyana , on visiting the Carifesta "Grand Market", admitted that, despite many flaws in the displays at the venue, it was worth a second visit.
With three days still to go before Carifesta X closes, it's certain that Guyanese blogs will have much more to say about the event. What's less sure is whether the arts festival will make a great enough impact on the wider regional consciousness for other Caribbean bloggers to enter the debates raised by the event.

author: Nicholas Laughlin


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Guyana: ‘Fineman’ Killed  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Guyanese blogosphere is rejoicing over news that security forces have killed country's most feared criminal, Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins, who was wanted for a series of massacres.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Hungary: A First-Grader’s Shopping List · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum writes about how much it costs to equip a child for the first year at a Hungarian elementary school.


text:
India: On Suggestiveness · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Kafila on the random accusation of “suggestiveness” by various censors in India.


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Iran: Muslim Bloggers and election · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

The Muslim Bloggers Association, a very dynamic group of Islamist bloggers in Iran  announced[Fa] that five members of its central committee were elected. You can watch several photos of their meeting and election here.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Watch an old commercial · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Thanks to You Tube we can watch an Iranian pre-revolution commercial.


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Japan: Paper Art · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ryoko from Pingmag interviews Kanako Yaguchi, who brings the art of classic cutting paper techniques to textile and clothing designs.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Kazakhstan: Illegitimate childhood · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Marat provides some figures on the number of children that have been born outside of wedlock in Kazakhstan in recent years.


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Kenya: The making of an African activist · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Afromusing posts the video of Kenyan blogger, Ory Okolloh, at TEDGlobal 2007 in Arusha, Tanzania. Ory Okolloh is the founder of Mzalendo and co-founder of Ushahidi.


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Kenya/Tanzania: Technology in the Maasai world · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Rebecca writes about the Maasai and technology, noting that the mobile phone has made a significant difference in their community “…probably more than it has in many other communities.”


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Kyrgyzstan: Crashed Boeing Photos · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elena uploaded other photos of the Boeing-737 that crashed shortly after takeoff from Bishkek airport, leaving more than 60 people dead.


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Madagascar: Barcamp set to foster ICT collaboration.  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

The date for the first Barcamp  in Madagascar is set for October, 4th 2008 in Antananarivo. The user-generated unconference will follow in the steps of previous Barcamps organized in sub Saharan Africa (Nairobi, Kampala and Mauritius) . Other Barcamps related to ICT in Africa are also planned in Abidjan and Silicon Valley (BarcampAfrica) soon (en).

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Mongolia: Athletes return from a successful Olympics · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Bilguun says that with 2 golds and 2 silvers, the 2008 Olympics is Mongolia's most successful participation so far.


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Poland: “Polish Enigma” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

MHahn of the Women's International Perspective (WIP) writes on WIP Talk Blog about “the trials and tribulations of life in a transitioning country” – Poland: “It is full of inconsistencies, bureaucratic mazes, masked faces, false hopes, and intense pride, but also an enchanting aura wafting through the crevices, a sorrowful but angelic aria permeating the nation’s soul. In order to completely understand its mystery, one would need to spend a lifetime peeling back the layers, painstakingly deciphering its clues. Poland, I was discovering, was an enigma.”


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Russia, Georgia: The Balkan Context · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

LimbicNutrition Weblog writes about the Russian-Georgian conflict in the context of the earlier events in the Balkans.


text:
Russia: Putin on CNN · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A discussion of PM Vladimir Putin's CNN interview – at Sean's Russia Blog.


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Saudi Arabia: Independent women · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

While there are no doubt restrictions for women living in Saudi Arabia, they do not necessarily match the oppressive image that many foreigners have of the country. In this post we have advice for women wanting to visit Jeddah alone, a review of a women-only hotel in Riyadh, and a plea to those foreigners who feel they want to speak on behalf of oppressed Saudi women.
We start with Hala, currently living in the US and blogging at HALA_IN_USA, who is giving advice to a single female friend visiting Jeddah for the first time:
Women in Jeddah are dressed in an outside gown called “Abaya”, it supposed to be worn over clothes so dress lightly beneath it especially in the summer. The scarf however, is not a must for a female visitor in Jeddah but a preferred thing to wear (for safety and convenience) in traditional places.
There are a variety of places to see in Jeddah, I would suggest the Balad, the old city of Jeddah, with its historical architecture and old houses, Naseef house is a good example of one. You can purchase traditional goodies from the old shops and enjoy the aroma of Arabic perfumes like Oud and Bukhour, there’s also the traditional handcrafts like the light bulbs or fanoos [lantern], the dates, the sweets and the textiles with various colors.
Then, there’s the famous Jeddah Corniche. I suggest visiting it early in the morning or at 6pm to see the open air sculptures along the sea side, there’s also Jeddah sea-fountain, one of the highest fountains in the world. There is a variety of food choices along the corniche from fancy eating in restaurants to fast food or even small booths for biscuits and chips. The local people would sit for hours by the sea side with their children playing around and watching the passersby.
For more of Hala’s advice of what to see in Jeddah, see here.
Meanwhile American Bedu, an American living in Saudi Arabia, tells us what she thinks of a women-only hotel in Riyadh:
The Al Luthan hotel and spa is the first women only facility of its kind in Riyadh.  It is a luxurious hotel and spa for women only.  It is a full service hotel and spa offering deluxe, comfortable and safe accommodations.  Al Luthan welcomes both Saudi and non-Saudi females.  Now some women have spoken out to the media that the opening of Al Luthan is a step backwards.  According to these women, they see it as a backwards movement for the Kingdom due to the fact that there is already so much enforced segregation and women not only have few rights but promoting and endorsing a women’s only hotel and spa further diminishes women from receiving rights. Maybe I am in the minority but I take the opposite view.  Al Luthan is not unique when compared to the rest of the world.  Women hotels or women-only floors are actually common in most major cities (and some not so major) all over the world.  Back in earlier times when I was doing a lot of international travel, I enjoyed staying on a women-only floor, especially when in foreign cities which were not as accustomed to business women traveling alone.  So to me, I do not see a women’s only hotel as a step backward at all but another nice option to have for women in the Kingdom.
Riyadh blogger Sweet Anger is fed up of foreigners assuming that Saudi women are oppressed, while knowing nothing about their lives or society:
So I was googling one thing or another when I found a post about the abject horror of a reporter in Saudi who was female and was therefore not permitted to stay in the men's section of Starbucks, umm boo hoo hoo. Now what grabbed my attention wasn’t the article itself, but the comments. […] Juuuuuust so we're clear, Saudi is not a bunch of tents stuck together with roaming camels, men in turbans singing “Allah o akbar” raping women cause it’s their right and having a harem of no less then 20. Oh and we don’t circumcise our women, man that’s just nasty and wrong on too many levels. Women are not locked up at home and any who are is a matter of the family culture not the country, still with me? Good. We're not backwards you morons, we're conservative, i.e. if you want to go and mingle with the opposite sex you go to a specific place. […] Now my more important point is, since when do you get off judging people: “Close Starbucks!! They shouldn’t support them by opening families sections” – umm, excuse me? I ain’t complaining, and I need my coffee, so seriously man, GET LOST, I didn’t hire anyone to be my speaker.
For those of you who are still convinced we are an oppressed nation and us poor poor woman need to be taught how to fight back and if not well go ahead and fight for us, let me give you a little review of what a regular day in Riyadh is like. Now yesterday I wake up, make my coffee … get dressed put my abaya on (if it’s too horrific to think about this, think of it as a jacket), pick up my little angel, get in my chauffeured car a.k.a. driver included, drop my girl off, and go to work. By 1:30 I'm having lunch from Subway with the girls, then go back to work and leave at 4:30, go home, relax, take a shower, get dressed, wait for the driver to take me to the Chinese place since I invited the girls out. Get there around 9:45 and leave around 12, get home, get online, check my facebook and hotmail, then hit the sack by 2am. OH MY GOD, WHAT HORROR, HOW CAN I LIVE A LIFE SO OPPRESSED, AAAAHHHHHH!!!! […] My point is, some people have no knowledge about what goes on in our life yet they deem it their right to judge and be almighty. We're different, hell yeah, being different from what you think is right doesn’t make us bad or wrong it makes us us. Deal with it and butt out.


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Slovakia: Top 10 Castles · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia posts a list of “the top 10 castles and ruins in Slovakia” (with maps and pictures).


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South Africa: Don’t insult our national anthem · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Gwen criticizes the use of the South African national anthem in a radio ad. She writes, “Don't insult our national anthem.“


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South Africa: The final insult · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

JC writes about the final insult on the South African national rugby team: “The Springboks are expecting gracious favour from Lady Luck, God and the Highveld hoodoo but none of these intangibles will be enough to prevent another historic Australian win.”


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South Africa: Zuma in Hollywood? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zuma in Hollywood?:”There are more little Zumas popping around. The latest news out of Hollywood are that rock chick Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale named their second son Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale.” Jacob Zuma is the president of the ruling party in South Africa, the African National Congress.


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South Korea: Old City Hall · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Scribblings of the Metropolitician found it hard to believe that the South Korean government could demolish the old city hall building without much public consultation and debate.


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Tajikistan: The Host with the Most Problems? · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Patrick Frost reflects on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization 2008 summit that takes place these days in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Flood Waters  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As flooding plagues parts of Trinidad and Tobago, Jeremy Taylor says: “It’s odd that a country with a TT$45 billion budget, and a desire to become a ‘developed nation’ by 2020, can’t figure out how to fix its drains.”  Jumbie's Watch posts photos.


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Zimbabwe: Zimfest 2008 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Sokwanele blog announces a festival organized by WeZimbabwe in London: “ZimfestIt’s all about braais, music, sadza, beer etc – and raising money for Zimbabweans in need. Tickets are £20 in advance or £30 at the gate.”


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Angola: On the illegal occupation of a residential plot by a bank · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Gil Gonçalves [pt] blows the whistle on the occupation by the Millennium Bank of a residential building in Luanda, Angola. “How does the Millennium Bank and (contractor) Teixeira Duarte SA managed to illegally steal a plot of the land? With so much at ease, it can only be someone usually linked to the Republic's Presidency.”

author: Paula Góes


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Appeal of Singapore-based Burmese patriots · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Jacob's Weblog uploads a petition letter by supporters of the six Burmese activists who were denied of visa extension by Singapore's immigration authorities.

author: Mong Palatino


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Audio slide of Bangkok rallies · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Newley Purnell has uploaded an audio slide about huge anti-government rallies in Bangkok. The protesters are demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister.


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Dominican Republic: Visit by Junot Díaz to Santo Domingo · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Junot Díaz is a Dominican-American writer, who recently won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.  Joan Guerrero writes about the recent visit to Santo Domingo by the author [es].


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Egypt: Olympics Investigation · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has ordered an enquiry into why Egypt performed poorly in the Olympics, reports Tom Gara.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Egypt: Orange Ambulances  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Egyptian Health Ministry has introduced orange ambulances to replace their white ones. Zeinobia is not pleased.


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Georgia: Photographs of Tskhinvali and Gori · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Regional Reporters [RU] posts photographs from Tskhinvali, capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, and Gori, the strategic town until recently under Russian occupation, in the aftermath of the recent military conflict and war of words between Moscow and Tbilisi.


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Guatemala: Pizza and Blogs 2008 · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Javier Aroche invites Guatemalan bloggers to gather at Pizza and Blogs 2008 [es] on August 30.


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Iraq: Fascination for Language  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“I am no linguist, but as far as I can remember I have always held a strange fascination for Language,” notes Iraqi blogger Layla Anwar.


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Korea: Korean Mata Hari – North Korean Spy Scandal.  · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

While the Beijing Olympics was held, Koreans were excited about news of a series of medals. It even seemed that hot attention to political issues and arguments among the citizens since the inauguration of the new President have slowly diminished. The rate of support for the new President, which drastically decreased started rising slightly. However, once the Olympics ended, citizen activities against political and economic instability, and the government policies started again. And a spy scandal, ‘Korean Mata Hari,’ was suddenly exposed.
Once the North Korean spy scandal broke out, national security has been the priority and has concerns against North Korea have been swelling. However, netiznes have different opinions at present.
Many netizens seem not to be completely persuaded by the sudden scandal.
대한민국은 북한 공산독재 권력과 군사적으로 대립하고 있는 휴전국입니다. 말 그대로 아직 전쟁이 종료되지 않은 상황이라는겁니다. 이러한 상황에서 적대국의 기밀을 수집하고 스파이를 파견하는것은 어쩌면 당연한 일인것입니다.이는 국가의 안전을 위해서 수행하는 가장 기본적인 활동이기 때문입니다. 미국의 예를 보더라도 외국에 CIA등의 지부가 존재하며 각 나라에 공사주재원 또는 상사원으로 활동중인것으로 공공연히 알려져 있고 금세기 들어서는 산업스파이가 세계를 무대로 활동하고 있다는것은 우리가 익히 알고 있는것입니다. 우리나라에 북한 간첩이 암약하고 있다는것은 분명한 사실이며 첩보기관이 존재하는 이유도 이를 적발하고 검거하는데 있는것입니다. 어제 오늘의 일이 아닌 정부수립이후로 늘 있어온 일이라는 것입니다. 새로울것이 없다는  이야기입니다. 오히려 이러한 간첩을 검거하지 못하고 있는 첩보기관의 무능함을 지탄해야 마땅합니다. 검거발표 시점을 두고 논란이 많습니다만, 이승만정권부터 군사독재정권을 거쳐 이명박 정권까지 그 속성들을 잘 아시면서 논란을 일삼는 것은 순진해서 입니까? 정말 몰라서 입니까? 어디 한 두 번 저들이 권력을 공고히 하기위하여 이용해먹은 수법이 아니질 않습니까? 지지율이 떨어지고 혹 실수라도 하여 국민들의 원성이 커지면 딱 터뜨려서 잠재워 버리는거 수도 없이 보고 살아오시지 않으셨습니까?[…]
A netizen brings an interesting theory, ‘connection.’
어제의 이적단체라는 명목의 체포는 큰 충격을 주었다. 그 충격이 가시지도 않은 오늘은??..
간첩!!!!
국가기밀의 확대+이적단체조사+간첩사건+국가보안법 확대적용 일련의 사건들이 보여주는 쥐바기정부가 하고자 하는바와 방법론을 확실히 보여주고 드러내고 있다. “거짓도 3번이면 진실이 된다”고 했다. 이 정부의 거짓은 간첩 또는 이적단체가 아니다. 간첩이나 이적단체는 그동안의 정보와 지금의 허술한 법적용을 본다면 충분히 사실로 만들 수 있다. 그들이 노리는 것은 이것만이 아니라는 것이다. 지속적인 이적단체와 간첩사건으로 언론플레이를 통해 “아직도 한국에는 간첩과 이적단체가 있다!”라는 주장을 할 것이다. 있다 있다 있다 하면 있게 되는 것이 선전전술이다. 그렇게 국민에게 공안시국을 인식시키고 나서 쥐바기 정부의 진짜 거짓말이 나타날 것이다. 바로 간첩과 이적단체로 지명된, 적용된 그들과 촛불 또는 진보 또는 시민단체와의 “연관성”이다. 마치 미국이 이라크에 대량살상무기가 있다 있다 있다 하는 상황을 만들고 알카에다와 연관이 있다 라는 거짓 하나로 (이경우는 둘 다 거짓이었지만..) 자국민의 지지를 업고 당당히 이라크를 짖밟을 수 있었던 것과 같은 것이다.”연관성”의 거짓은 무섭다. 연관이 없어도 연관성에 대한 의심은 매우 쉽게 침투하면서도 쉽게 의심할 수 있기 때문이다. 거기에 일단 그러한 의심이 생기게 되면 연관된 모든 것은 모든 것과 연관되게 만들어진다. 즉 !!  대한민국에는 아직도 간첩과 이적단체가 존재하고!!! 간첩과 이적단체가 촛불과 연관이 있다!!!  즉 촛불들이 한 행동들은 간첩 또는 북한의 지령과 관련 또는 명령에 의한 것이다!!??????
그들의 방법론은 이미 정해졌다. 대한민국은 아직도 공안정국이 필요하다는 현실을 만들고! 쥐바기의 적들은 모두 그 상황과 연관시킨다. 그리고 자신의 적들을 매도하고 짖밟는다. 촛불이든, 진보단체든, 시민사회단체든, 학자든, 네티즌이든 모두가 간첩이 될 수 있고, 이적행위자가 될 수 있고, 공안사범이 될 수 있고, 형사범이 될 수 있는 그런 미래를 만들고자 함이다.[…]
And today when I haven’t gotten over the shock??
Secret agents!!
The expansion of the state secret + Investigating groups to benefit enemies + Secret agent scandal + the expansion of the National Security law… A series of these events clearly show what the Lee Government wants to do and what methods they will use. There is a saying that “Three times of lies become the truth.” I’m not saying that the government lies about the spy or the group to benefit enemies. Based on information and rough regulations, spies and the group to benefit enemies can be turned into the truth. However, what they target is not that simple. Constant media fabrications with these two scandals will generate the idea that “Korea still has spies and groups to benefit enemies.” If you say, there is, there is, there is, you believe it… That’s the tactic of propaganda. After hammering those ideas into the people, what the government really wants to do will be shown. The government will say the “connection” between those spies and the groups and the progressive and civilian organizations. It is like a recent story that America insisted that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq on and on and those weapons were related to al-Qaida (both of them were not true), and, based on support of the people, they could push down Iraq. The lie of “connection” is dangerous. Even though there are no connections, the suspicion of the connection is easy to be absorbed and people doubt at ease. If the suspicion starts in peoples’ minds, all things seem to be related. Therefore, there are still spies and groups to benefit enemies in Korea!!! Spies and those groups are connected to candlelight (participants of candlelight vigils)!!! In conclusion, what candlelight does is by the orders from North Korea or by spies!!!?????
The tactics of the government are already clear. Korea still needs a government which emphasizes strong security!!! All enemies of the government will be connected to those dangerous situations. And the government will step down on their enemies. Candlelight, progressive organizations, civilian organizations, NGO, scholars, and netizens all can be spies, the groups to benefit enemies, public safety offenders, and criminals in the future. […]
Not a few netizens analyze this scandal, roles of media, and the intention of the authorities.
국민적 항의를 묵사발 만든 대단한 간첩이 잡혔다! 언론장악, 종교편향, 경제실정 등에 대한 국민적 항의를 무색하게 만들 정도로 대단한 간첩이 잡혔다고 이명박 정권과 한나라당 그리고 수구언론은 우쭐하고 있다. 과연 그러한가? 한국판 마타하리란다. 전여옥 한나라당 국회의원이 언급했고 수구언론이 그렇게 묘사했다. 온 국민의 이목이 여간첩의 외모에 쏠렸다. 미스코리아급 외모를 상상했다. 결과는 160 cm가 안되는 키에 통통하며 뽀샵 처리가 가미되어 겨우 평범하게 보이는 인상이다. 북한말씨도 그대로 사용한다. 세련된 모습도 아니다.김영삼 정부 시절 국방장관과 낮뜨거운 연애편지를 주고받은 미모의 로비스트 린다 김과는 한참 동떨어진 여간첩이다. 그녀와 놀아났다는 군관계자의 최고 계급은 소령이고 그녀와 동거한다는 군인은 26살의 중위다. 이 여간첩이 린다 김처럼 국방장관과 놀아나 거대한 국방사업을 휘두르지도 못하고 겨우 얻어냈다는 것이 군 장교 명함 100장이란다. 헤깔리게도 그녀와 동거했다는 황 중위는 하룻밤 사이에 대위로 바뀌었다. 처음에 언론에는 황 중위로 언급이 많이 되었는데, 어느새 황 대위로 변했다. 대위 진급예정이라는 부가 설명이 보이는 언론도 있다. 한국판 마타하리가 겨우 포섭한 계급이 26살의 중위보다는 대위라고 묘사되는 것이 그나마 마타하리라는 표현의 체면을 차리는 일이 될게다.
어찌했든 언론에 그녀의 외모가 부풀려 포장되고 성로비 여간첩, 한국판 마타하리 등의 자극적 미사여구로 반복되며 재생산되어 알고보면 똑같은 기사들로 도배되는 이유가 무엇일까? 살펴보면 도대체 이 여간첩이 실제적으로 대단한 비중을 차지할만한 행위가 무엇인지 알 수가 없다. 온통 실패투성이의 변변찮은 간첩이다. 소령과 중국여행을 떠나는 것도 실패했고, 중위를 데리고 일본에 가려던 것도 이루지 못했고, 대북정보요원을 살해하라고 지시를 받았으나 스스로 포기한지 오래란다. 실행 도중에 잡힌 것도 아니고 이미 포기했고 오히려 자신이 살해당할까 두려워 자물쇠를 4개나 설치하고 신경안정제를 복용한 간첩이란다. 정보요원과 호텔에서 잠자리까지 해주고도 황장엽의 위치도 알아내지 못했다고 한다. 그러니 언론 전면에 등장하기 위해서는 굳이 성적 외설의 포장을 거칠 수 밖에 없는 간첩이다. 구속된 지 2달이 지나 범불교도 대회가 열리기 2시간 전에 뻥하고 터트려 국민의 눈길을 돌리기 위해서는 얼마나 국가 안보에 위험이 되는지에 대한 실체적 내용이 아니라 한국판 마타하리라는 말초신경을 자극하는 외설적 이야기를 동원해야 했다.더군다나 이 여간첩은 일반 국민의 안보의식이 약화되어 벌어진 일도 아니다. 내용을 보면 이 여간첩에 농락당하고 희롱당한 대상은 군부대이고 군장교들이다. 그녀를 탈북자로 다루며 만날 수 밖에 없는 군인들과 정보요원들이 그녀와 잠자리를 하고 간첩행위에 도움을 주었다. 또한 기무사는 2005년 내사에 들어갔다는데, 2006년에 군부대에서 강연하는 것을 허락했다고 한다. 간첩으로 내사에 들어간 지 1년이 넘은 시점에서 군부대 강연을 할 수 있도록 한 곳이 바로 기무사다. 일반 국민이 그녀에게 포섭된 것이 아니라 군장교들이 그녀와 어울렸다. 일반 국민이 그녀의 강연을 들은 것이 아니라 군부대에서 군인이 그녀의 강연을 들었으며 그 강연을 허락한 곳 조차 기무사다.
웃기게도 그녀는 자립형 간첩이란다. 돈 한 푼 제대로 지원받지 못하고 스스로 생계비를 벌며 간첩행위를 한 신종 간첩이란다. […] 결론적으로 여간첩 사건이 우리에게 시사하는 점은 일반 국민의 안보의식의 문제가 아니라 오히려 권력기관이 어떻게 악용하고 우리의 언론이 얼마나 저급한 지를 보여준다는 것이다.[…]
앞으로 얼마나 더 다른 내용이 밝혀질 지 모르지만 현상태에서 본다면 주로 탈북자를 다루는 군부대와 정보기관의 틀 속에서 벌어진 문제일 뿐이다. 언론에 삼류 외설로 대서특필 되면서까지 대한민국의 일반 국민이 심도있게 살펴보아야할 이명박 정권의 경제적 실정을 부차적 문제로 돌릴 수 있는 사건도 아니고 종교편향에 대한 국민적 항의를 호도시키는 소재로 사용될 사건도 아니다. 그나마 다행인 점은 권력기관과 수구언론이 알맹이는 없고 껍데기만 반복재생하여 국민의 시선을 현혹시키기 바빴지만 현명한 국민들이 금방 현실이 돌아가는 상황을 파악하여 휘둘리지 않는다는 것이다.
Anyway, why do the media exaggerate her appearance and use provocative terms, such as a sex lobby spy and Korean Mata Hari on and on? When you observe all these news, there is nothing about what this spy has done. If she is, she is a failed spy. She failed to go to China with the major and couldn’t succeed to go to Japan with the lieutenant. Even though she was ordered to kill North Korean informants in South Korea, she gave up long time ago. She was not caught while she was doing something. She already gave up, and had to install four locks at her house and is nervous because she has been afraid of being murdered. Even though she slept with an informant at a hotel, she even doesn’t know where Hwang Jang Yup was. http://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%99%A9%EC%9E%A5%EC%97%BD  Therefore, the media uses all provocative descriptions in order to let the news be on the front. After two months when they arrested her and before 2 hours when a meeting of the Buddhists started, they brought this story out and tried to take all attention from peoples away. In addition, this spy scandal wasn’t caused because people lack consciousness of security. According to the news, the objects that she targeted were the military and officers. The military officers and informants who had to deal with her because she was a North Korean refugee slept with her and helped her spy activities. In addition, the Special Security Command (SSC) already started investigating in 2005 and let her have a public speech at the army in 2006. After one year of the investigation, the SSC allowed her to have a public speech. It was not ordinary people who hung out with her, but the military officers.
The funny thing is that she is a self-reliant spy. She never got any financial support and had to make her own living. It’s a new kind of spy. […] In conclusion, what this scandal indicates is how the authorities misuse this news and what low taste our media have.[…] I don’t know how many stories will be exposed, but so far I observed, it is just the problem of the army that deals with North Korean refugees and intelligence services. It’s just a low graded indecent story and can’t be as important as problems we have now, such as economic situations that the Lee Government deals with and protests about the propensity of a specific religion. Fortunately, while the authorities and conservative media work hard to take the peoples’ attentions to this scandal, wise people recognized fast what’s going on and aren’t dazzled by it.
Another opinion is how it will change the status of North Korean refugees in South Korea.
요즘 한참 떠들석한 위장간첩 문제 아니 탈북자 이야기 해 볼까 합니다.뭐 특별한 내용은 아닙니다. 제가 잠시나마 보아온 탈북자 이야기 입니다.요즘 두가지 우려가 나오고 있습니다.
1. 탈북자 중 다른 위장간첩이 있다면 어떤가?(특히 주위에)
2. 선량한 탈북자들이 한국에서 더욱더 눈치 보며 살면 어떻하나?
입니다.
예전 서울 목동쪽 모마트 모아파트에 가면 탈북자 분들이 살고 있습니다.제가 알기로는 나라에서 지급하며 생활하는 것으로 알고 있습니다.어느날 아는 지인을 만나기 위해 그곳을 방문하였고 바로 이웃이 탈북자 분들이었습니다.어찌 어찌하여 그 집에 들어가게 되었고 이런 저런 이야기를 나누는데 제가 남쪽 마을
사람이란게 부끄럽게 여겨지며 오히려 죄송해지더군요.다들 아시는 내용이겠지만 그분들은 남쪽 마을에 와서 평화와 희망을 찾았다기 보다는 새로운 세상에서 어떻게 적응하여 살아가야 하는지에 대한 불안감과 공포심을 가지고 하루 하루를 살아가고 있는 듯 보였습니다.모든 탈북자 분들께 해당되는 이야기는 아니겠지만 이런 분들도 계십니다.대화를 나누던 중 탈북자 가족 한분이 뒤늦게서야 들어오셨는데 한손에는 맥주가든 봉지를 들고 있었는데 문을 열고 저를 본 순간 깜짝 놀랐는지 뒤걸음 치는 것입니다. 경계의 눈빛으로 말이죠..이야기를 들어보니 탈북 후 남쪽마을 교육장에서 어느정도 교육까지 받고 나왔지만 실생활에 도움은 전혀 안되며, 이곳에서 생활하면서도 항상 사람들을 경계한다 합니다.이렇게 힘들게 살아가고 있습니다. 이번 간첩사건을 보니 이런분들의 마음은 오죽할지 으레 상상해 봅니다.차라리 간첩의 사명감을 가지고 위장해서 들어왔다면 죽을 각오까지 했을테니, 이런쪽으로의 모욕, 불안감, 공포심등은 느끼지 않을테니 말이죠! 암튼 주위에 이런 분들 계시면 도와주니는 못해도 무조건적으로 몰아가지는 맙시다.
1. If we have more spies of the North Korean refugees around us, what will we do?
2. Do those good North Koreans have to study others’ faces more?
There were North Koreans who lived in an apartment in Seoul. As far as I knew, they lived with financial support from the government. One day, I visited there to meet my friend and the neighbors were those North Koreans. By chance, I visited their house and talked with them. I felt sorry for them and even felt guilty. Even though they live in South Korea now, they spend day by day with the feeling of uneasiness and fear rather than peace and hope. I know that all North Koreans are not like that. While we had a conversation, one of them came back home. He was carrying a grocery bag with beer and once he saw me, he was startled and stepped back. He looked at me cautiously. He said that he went through a training center that helps them to adjust to the new society. But it is not helpful in real life and he always keeps a lookout for others. After I saw the scandal, I thought about those people and how they would feel now. Anyway, it’s fine not to help those people, but don’t push them away.

author: Hyejin Kim


text:
Libya: Rain and Sewers  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“We had rain today. It rained for about five minutes. Just long enough to churn up the sewer system.
Now all of Tripoli smells like sewer gas,” writes Khadija Teri, from Libya.


text:
Peru: Views Towards the Indigenous Protests · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

On Friday 22nd, Peruvian Congress revoked both controversial legislative decrees 1015 and 1073, that brought about the country's native communities demonstrations, mainly those at the Northern rainforest. (See previous posts about this: (1,2) Nevertheless, the joy in these communities didn't last too long after they learned that the government won't enact this new regulation. Meanwhile, it was also announced that the ruling party would introduce a new bill replacing the revoked ones.
Blogs have written interesting opinions and perspectives about the matter, trying to explain it to the Limean public, because generally they are not aware of the reasons why the indigenous communities protest and they have been exposed to some sort of misinformation campaign from the government. For instance, anthropologist Alberto Chirif, as a guest at the blog Diario de IQT [es] posts a article titled: Indigenous protests: struggle against deception and arrogance, where he dismantles some of the lousy arguments given by some government members in order to justify the decrees motivating the protest:
Nunca he conocido a un indígena que se niegue al progreso, a tener más dinero y poder comprar con éste nuevos bienes. La historia de las relaciones entre las sociedades indígenas y la colonización da cuenta clara de esto desde los primeros tiempos del contacto. Las herramientas de metal, por ejemplo, no fueron una imposición externa, sino una innovación tecnológica aceptada de buen ánimo y buscada por los propios indígenas. De hecho, su interés en mantener comunicación con los europeos no fue motivado por la religión ni otro tipo de enseñanzas de origen foráneo, sino por tener acceso a las herramientas de metal que facilitaban su trabajo y lo hacían más efectivo. En este sentido, los defensores de los decretos no deben buscar argumentos absurdos para mantener su decisión y cuestionar a los indígenas y a quienes no piensan como ellos. Los indígenas no se oponen a la innovación ni a las mejoras de sus condiciones de vida, sino al despojo y a este tipo de desarrollo que en realidad los hunde porque enajena sus recursos y su capacidad de decidir libremente sobre su futuro.
He quotes racism too, and some contempt and complaisance towards natives that seems to prevail in Limean political class:
nunca se admite que los propios indígenas son capaces de expresar su opinión a procesos que son contrarios a sus intereses. ¿Por qué? Porque son indígenas, es decir, por racismo. La actitud no es nueva y me hace recordar un pasaje de las investigaciones judiciales realizadas durante el proceso del Putumayo, a inicios del siglo XX, mediante el cual se abrió juicio a los caucheros acusados de las masacres de los indígenas. Rey de Castro, cónsul peruano en Manaos, fue encargado por el gobierno peruano de informar sobre los hechos, pero en realidad asumió la defensa a rajatabla de los caucheros. Él trató de desacreditar las declaraciones de los indígenas que habían sufrido castigos y vejaciones, con el argumento de que, por ser indígenas, no tenían capacidad de afirmar una cosa así. Esto a pesar de que lo que decían se refería a maltratos sufridos en carne propia. En consecuencia, si afirmaban eso, era porque eran manipulados. En el tiempo que llevo trabajando con pueblos indígenas, nunca he sabido que ninguno de estos actos de protesta u otros menos visibles, para oponerse a decisiones del Estado o de empresas, haya sido manipulado por algún agente externo.
Laureano del Castillo, from his homonym blog, gives us a legal vision of things (he is a lawyer) and in his post Don't stir up, don't lie either refutes officialist propaganda about the decrees in question:
Hace mal el presidente García cuando dice “me parece un gravísimo error histórico derogar el Decreto Legislativo 1015 bajo la amenaza de huelgas y toma de carreteras” (aunque podamos coincidir en que las tomas de carreteras es una medida que afecta los intereses de inocentes); al Congreso le toca corregir un error que la soberbia impidió anticipar. Hace, sin embargo, peor cuando en una campaña de desinformación, que pagamos todos los peruanos, para defender el Decreto 1015 afirma que en los sindicatos las decisiones se toman con la mitad más uno de los trabajadores. La disposición de activos es un tema muy delicado y se ha recordado cómo para que en una sociedad anónima se tomen decisiones que implican la disposición de activos se requiere el voto de por lo menos 2/3 de las acciones pagadas. Siendo la tierra el principal activo de las comunidades lo menos que puede esperarse es que ese porcentaje se respete (como hiciera la Constitución de 1979).
Daniel Salas from Gran Combo Club [es], makes a historic parallel (I'm using that word since Alan García used it to refute the decrees opponents) with another well-known failure of the ruling party government, from their previous administration: the banking nationalization bill in 1987:
Ha habido muchos comentarios a favor de este resultado pero me extraña que nadie haya notado la coincidencia con el movimiento contra la estatización de la banca. Los personajes y las motivaciones son muy similares. Sólo espero que los resultados a la larga sean mejores ahora. En ambos casos, Alan García quiso socializar la propiedad privada de un grupo de ciudadanos. Se trataba de convertir en un bien público lo que era, es y debe ser un bien particular. También en ambos momentos se trató de un grupo reducido de personas afectadas. En 1987 se decía que no había que preocuparse de lo que les pasara a “cuatro banqueros”. En el 2008 se convertía a los ciudadanos de la selva en “unos pobladores pobres azuzados por los agitadores”.
En ambos casos, no lo olvidemos, se trató de imponer medidas antiliberales, de afectar los bienes de grupos privados. En ambos casos, también, estas agresiones gubernamentales abrieron viejos resentimientos sociales latentes: en un caso, se fomentó el odio a los ricos y se los culpabilizó de los males del Perú; en otro, se incentivó el desprecio a los “indígenas” y se culpó a su cultura del atraso de nuestro país. Son versiones de la misma teoría de los chivos expiatorios.
Let's not forget, in both moments antiliberal measures were imposed, and would affect the interests of private groups interests. In both moments, these agressiones from the government opened old latent social resentments: on one hand, hatred for the rich ones was encouraged and the were blamed for all evils in Perú; on the other hand, contempt towards the “natives” was promoted, and their culture was blamed for our country's backwardness. There are versions of the same theory of scapegoats.
As for Roberto Bustamante from El Blog del Morsa [es] in his post On natives and conspiracies, he also tries to refute other explanations given to motives that supposedly would be behind de natives’ protest:
cierto sector de periodistas (algunos con altos índices de credibilidad) afirman que es imposible que un grupo de nativos protesten contra algo que ni siquiera conocen bien y que debe haber más de un cerebro urbano y rojo detrás. En ciertos casos se trata de una patinada (*), en otros casos de una serie de opiniones ya sistemáticas, que ven detrás de todas las olas de protesta del país una suerte de conspiración comunista. Apelar a la teoría de la conspiración para explicar lo sucedido en la selva peruana es, a mi gusto, irresponsable, porque alimenta una seria de sentidos comunes y clichés que terminan en la justificación de actitudes persecutorias dentro del gobierno.
La segunda posición, sostiene que el problema de fondo no es ni la supuesta manipulación de las ONG’s, ni la participación de cerebros refinados en las jornadas de protesta, sino simplemente reclaman inclusión (¿no fue ese el discurso de uno de los últimos CADEs? ya no me acuerdo bien), e inclusión entendida como una educación y salud públicas dignas, acceso a justicia (frente al abuso de los colonos y extractores informales), etc. Carlos Iván Degregori va en el mismo sentido en su artículo “¡Piruanos! ¡Carajo!”, publicado en Perú21. Todo lo demás, que si la territorialidad, que si las comunidades fueron invento de Velasco es secundario, y más bien expresa un conjunto de estrategias de estos grupos subalternos por conseguir ciertos derechos, históricamente negados. En otras palabras, ni tontos que fueran, los pueblos nativos de la Amazonía van a aprovechar lo que esté a su alcance para exigir lo que consideran justo. Visto de ese modo, salimos de la teorías conspiratorias, que en el contexto actual, son francamente irresponsables.
The second position states that the in-depth problem is not the alleged manipulation from the NGOs, nor the participation of refined minds in the protests, but they are simply claiming to be included (wasn't that one of the last CADE speeches? I don't remember very well), and inclusion understood as decent public education and health services, access to justice (in face of the abuses from tenant farmers and informal extractors), etc. Carlos Iván Degregori takes the same road in his piece “Piruvians! What the heck!”, published at Perú21. Everything else, territoriality here, and there that it is secondary wheteher communities were an invention from Velasco, and expresses a set of strategies from these subordinate groups in order to get some rights, historically denied. In other words, they are not fools, the native people from the Amazonic region will take advantage of whatever they have within their means to demand what they consider fair. From that point of view, we get out from the conspiracy theories, which in the current context, are frankly irresponable.
Finally, Gerardo, a commenter from the post above, from his near experience with the natives an the way they think says:
Lo que los indígenas hacen es intentar que el Estado reconozca en la práctica lo que reconoce en la ley, que el Perú es un Estado pluricultural y que por tanto requiere políticas multiculturales y/o interculturales y si bien en eduación y salud algo se hizo antes y ahora se retrocede, en el tema más álgido de cómo se gobierna un país, la política, hay desconocimiento y poca experiencia sobre cómo tratar con la diferencia.
La idea de que desarrollo se logra mágicamente con la privatización es una idea plana, hay que repasarla, profundizarla. El temor de que los indígenas pretenden separarse, independizarse, unirse a Ecuador, tambien muestra desconocimiento, confunde la idea de nación con la de estado. Me imagino sale de la lectura de unos pocos documentos, de algunas declaraciones aisladas, es una afirmación poco rigurosa. Se origina en miedos coloniales, es etnocéntrica. Eso es comprensible, el etnocentrismo es comprensible, es universal, se combate con el diálogo y una condición para el diálogo es la igualdad, pero quienes gobiernan el país y tienen la voz en los medios de comunicación, en su mayoría tienen una procedencia étnica que los coloca desde ya en una jerarquía distinta, creen además tener la verdad pues, entre otras cosas el conocimiento moderno, científico los respalda. No reparan que la ciencia es hija soberbia del conocimiento tradicional. Si hicieron un gran esfuerzo para llegar a los puestos que tienen, ahora tienen que hacer otro gran esfuerzo para comprender lo indígena y sus diferencias.
The idea that development can be magically achieved with privatization is a plain idea, it has to be checked, studied in depth. The fear that the natives may try to separate, become independent, join Ecuador, shows ignorance as well, mixes up the idea of nation with that of state. I guess this gets out from a few documents, from some isolated statements, is a not so thorough assert. It is originated in colonial fears, it is ethnocentered. That is understandable, the ethnocentrism is understandable, it is universal, it may be fought back with dialogue and one condition for dialogue is equality, but those who rule the country and have the voice in the media, mostly have an ethnic origin which puts them in a different hierarchy. They also believe they have the truth, because modern scientific knowledgment backs them. They don't consider that science is the haughty daughter of traditional knowledgement. If they did make a big effort to get to the positions they have, now they have to do another great effort to understand the indigenous and their differences.
Obviously, there ir more written about this, but this story isn't finished yet. In a few days runs out the term for the enacting of the revoking bill and, we suppose, a new bill will be introduced, as it has been announced. Then it will be possible for the protests to be back. And we'll keep on posting about the matter.
Translation by: Gabriela García Calderon

author: Juan Arellano


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