text:
Madagascar:  Series of “Prison Breaks” as Life Imitates Television · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Bloggers in Madagascar are troubled over a series of prisons breaks last week-end. On January 4th, 22 inmates escaped from the Tsiafahy prison outside the capital city of Antananarivo. In a manner reminiscent of Andy Dufresnes’ flight from prison in “The Shawshank Redemption”, the prisoners reportedly crept out of a long tunnel dug with bottles and saucepans before one was killed and four others intercepted a few kilometers away  from Antananarivo, the capital city. Among those still at large, four are facing the death penalty.
Then, on January 6th, 7 prisoners fled from the Toamasina prison, a  coastal  city  370 km east  of the capital, only to be followed by the escape of 11 detainees in Betroka,  720 km South of Antananarivo.  For those of you keeping  count, that's  40 inmates at large, from 3 different prisons, within 48 hours.
Malagasy bloggers, using sarcasm, probably as a remedy for fear, did not miss the obvious pop culture reference to the TV hit series, “Prison Break”, also quite popular in Madagascar.
The series of escapes highlights Madagascar's public security problems on the eve of the appointment of a new minister of the interior.
Jentilisa posts a sarcastic cartoon about the escapes, and wonders if they are just a coincidence (mg):
Heverina ho misy ny atidoha nikotrika ny raharaha ary olona ivelan'ny voafonja ny atidoha, satria tsy tokony hanana finday na fitaovan-tserasera hafa ireo voafonja ireo handosirana tao anatin'ny indray alina. Tarataratra ho fitadiavana hanakorontanana ny firenena amin'ny alalan'ny tsy filaminana no tanjona na fanindriana ankolaka ny olona tsy hihetsika satria hanampy isa ireo olona natao hanakorontana fotsiny (A qui profite le crime?). Hisy raharaha ity volana Janoary sy ny tohiny ity izany koa!
Andry @The Cyber Observer points out that the Tsiafahy prison is where most political prisoners from 2002 are kept (note: in 2002, riots in Madagascar broke out when the presidential elections between Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana led to a political impasse):
Most of the prisoners who are detained there, are dangerous criminals sentenced to death or to long term detentions. It is also the prison of almost all the “political” prisoners who have been convicted to crime and attempt against the security of Madagascar during the crisis of 2002
Arinaina @ Dagotiako also struggles to understand how this can happen and fears for his safety:
People are frightened (as I am) because those prisoners of Tsiafahy are very dangerous ones, only “big” criminals. But how such escape could happen? Didn’t the wardens check the inmates list before closing each room of the prison in the evening?
Andry is not only outraged at the incompetence of the prison wardens, he is even angrier at the lack of information provided by the media**:
There is a real problem of communication, as I stated earlier because starting from 10.00am to 07.00pm, no TVs, no radios reported the event.
It then means that almost everybody knew nothing about the danger till TVM (Madagascar National TV) announced it at 07.00pm.
Why such silence? Is it because of a lack of professionalism from private Malagasy journalists? Is it due to an “imposed” silence from public medias and TVs and radios which follow the political tendency of the Malagasy State?
A good journalist, as far as I know, is a person who always seek for any news, and who straightly reports them to the public. Such duty has to be done regardless of  political membership.
I have the feeling that journalists from public medias and medias which follow the governmental trend, knew the event at the same time or before me. I suspect that they all had been obliged to keep the news silent, in order to maintain the public order and to avoid any massive move of panic. If it is really the truth, I consider such decision as completely irresponsible and even criminal. Criminal because Malagasy citizens have also the right to protect themselves against any threat; how can you protect yourself and your loved ones if you do not even know the danger you face?
( **Note: a comment noted that a report on national television was issued about the first escape at 12 PM on Jan 4th.)
Lomelle notes that the political climate of the country and the economic crisis does not need additional drama (fr):
le climat politique de Madagascar est tendu et la prévision annonce une sacrée tempête. Redoutons cela car on n’a pas besoin d’une tempête de plus en cette période de crise que nous passons.
gazetyavylavitra points out the Tsiafahy prison was supposed to be the unbreakable Fort Knox of Madagascar and yet (mg):
Raha i Tsiafahy, solon’i Nosilava, lazaina fa maison de force sy isan’ny tena azo antoka indrindra amin’ny fonja, ankoatra ny ao Arivonimamo, izay natao ihany koa hametrahana ireo heverina fa fahavalom-bahoaka sy tena atahorana aza moa vaky efa ho in-telo be izao izao [amin'ny fomba mampihomehy ihany]

author: Lova Rakotomalala


text:
Palestine: “Israel targeting Medics in Gaza”  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“A Palestinian medic, traveling with two international Human Rights Activists, was shot by Israeli forces in Jabaliya, northern Gaza. He is one of over a 9 medics killed by Israel during this attack, and 11 ambulances destroyed,” reports Palestinian Laila El-Haddad, who posts Al Jazeera footage to back her claim.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Palestine: Moment of Truth for CNN  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah links to a CNN video which discusses who broke the ceasefire between Gaza and Israel first.


text:
Puerto Rico: Saving Grace  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Dondequiera examines the issues “that ultimately prevent Puerto Rico from being saved.”

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Sri Lanka: Suppression of Dissent · Global Voices
Rezwan

Lanka Dissent, a Sri Lankan Internet news site in Sinhala , Tamil and English languages has decided to close down. An excerpt from its farewell message: “In this compassionate, democratic Buddhist land enfolded with love, in wisdom and fullest freedom, media is forbidden to raise a dissenting voice. Media is forbidden to criticize the “law” of the ruling regime. The media is forbidden to speak for the people.” Details are at In Mutiny blog.

author: Rezwan


text:
Tajikistan: Emotional Return For Haj Pilgrims  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Daniel writes about the return of Haj pilgrims to the airport of Dushanbe, capital city of Tajikistan, noting that hundreds of police officers lined the airport's arrival terminal perimeter, taming an anxious crowd.

author: Adil Nurmakov


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: Boxer Laid to Rest  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Izatrini and Trinidad and Tobago News Blog report on the funeral of the late boxing champion Jizelle Saandy, while Media Watch critiques the mainstream media coverage of the event.


text:
Trinidad & Tobago: The Face of Crime  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Now that Christmas is over and Carnival is coming up, every crook will do whatever it takes to get their fete money, money for their costume and money necessary to keep up with the Joneses”: Trin recounts an unsettling incident in a Trinidad neighbourhood.


text:
Turkey: Gaza War?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Turkish Aylin Ece Cicek, writing at The Eastern Middle, discusses the “war” between Israel and Gaza, saying: “Let me elaborate because I am not comfortable with using the word war; but cannot find a more suitable phrase for the situation. The words “issue,” “problem,” or “struggle” just don't fit. It is a war; It is war between culture, heritage, understandings, religion, territory…And it is war that is humanitarianly not excusable.”


text:
China and Hong Kong: Views on Gaza Conflicts · Global Voices
Winglok Hung

After the first intense air strikes in the Gaza Strip at the end of 2008, Israel continues the attacks on the densely populated Gaza in 2009 and it is expected to cost more Palestinian lives. While there are mass demonstrations against Israel’s military actions in London, Paris, Berlin, Athens and several Muslim countries, what are the reactions in Hong Kong and China to this humanitarian crisis?
Will peace come?
Jackhomme, a Hong Kong blogger is rather cynical towards the situation and believes that we can do nothing to stop the current Gaza conflicts.
戰爭不是今天的事,沒人能保證有天會和平,我們安坐在千里之外很多事可以選擇,選擇早上吃什麼早餐,放工後去不去看場戲,約朋友去那間酒館飲酒,而在戰爭中的平民連生存的權利都沒有,連人最基本尊嚴都失去,選擇是多麼奢侈,生命就是如此輕渺,我們只好在外旁觀,看新聞把死亡當做娛樂,把戰事寫在blog上扮高深,我們沒有能力停止改變事實,一少人把世界搞亂卻要全人類陪葬.
CodeBlue, another Hong Kong blogger, also feels that it is too naive to believe that the conflicts between Israel and Palestine can come to an end.
外人無論怎樣做和事佬, 也不能完全了解他們之間的死結, 更何況又有誰能百分百可以預計以巴何時有永久停止衝突的一天呢? 世界和平? 這種想法是否過於天真?
Anti war protests and petitions
Nevertheless, some disagree to stand aside and watch. Hoidick started translating reports on the situation in Gaza at inmediahk.net and stirred up some discussions, in which fc said:
A lot of people feel that the Middle East is so far away that it's not relevant. The fact is everything in this world is related. Think of it this way: For every person killed in this Gaza attack, probably 100 terrorists were born. The net result is that the whole world (including Israel itself) has become more unstable, and there's a much increased risk of another 9/11. What the current Israeli and American administrations refuse to accept is that military force simply DOESN'T WORK.
In the facebook, a Hong Kong resident, Hong Wilson, creates a group to campaign against war in the Gaza strips on and there are 426 members up to 6 Jan 2009. They are planning to collect online petition to the Consulate General of Israel in Hong Kong and Macau. Members of the group suggested other means to express anger towards the Israeli military actions, including hanging a Palestinian scarf outside the window and deleting all the Israeli friends on their facebook accounts.  Cheuck Hang suggests to demonstrate at the Consulate General of Israel in Hong Kong.
我認為香港人至少應該要到以色列的領事館示威, 以前在youtube看過梁國雄有到海富中心示威,可惜人數很少,希望能不斷發起示威,引起香港人注視這個問題
Apart from joint signature petitions against the war in Taiwan and Hong Kong, a number of demonstrations against the war have happened this week at the Israeli Consulate General in Hong Kong and more to come in the weekend.
Tibet and Gaza, China and Israel scenario
While many in Hong Kong and Taiwan condemn Israel for invading Gaza and killing of civilians, the position and opinions in Mainland China are rather ambivalent. Most of the articles are speculations on the reason behind the military action.
Mengshaosan criticizes Western government's double standard in the Israel military action:
只有美国和英国与国际社会作出了大相径庭的反映，都拒绝了呼吁以色列停止对加沙地带的武力行动，那个自以为是世界之王的“萨狗屎”（萨科奇）和那些所谓的人权斗士也都闭上了他们的狗嘴。哈哈，想想真是好笑，想当初，在3月14日的西藏骚乱事件之后，那些所谓的斗士们纷纷张开那张狗嘴，对中国政府的正当行为强加谴责，给中国军人强加戴上了“镇压”的帽子。一时间，在西方人的眼中，中国成了一个十恶不赦的国家。然而，好笑的是，在今天，犹太人空袭了加沙，短短的三天内，三百多名无辜的平民成了战乱中的亡魂。但是那几张狗嘴却闭上了，而且，还闭得那么的严实。
Chenglong also co-relates the Israel attacks on Gaza with the Tibet issue in China by examining the Chinese government moderate position towards the military action:
中国对以色列空袭哈马斯采取冷眼旁观的态度，实际上是在暗示美国及其他国家（尤其是印度），如果境外的藏独势力（包括疆独势力）对中国进行恐怖袭击，中国将有权效仿以色列采取一切可能的行动。
Compensation on life
However, a blogpost titled as “Israel is a good nation” occupies the highest rank in the Chinese blogoshpere (via google search), in which Zhengkoupinghei  believes Israel is a good nation because of its monetary compensation on life:
我就當前以色列和巴勒斯坦沖突談談個人看法，我的第一個觀點是，在信息不對稱的情況下，不要輕易下自己的結論；第二，我個人的知識和經歷告訴我，以色列是個好國家。
The blogger's impression comes from a story told by a senior governmental officer in Fujian province.
福建省政府的高官講了這麼一個故事︰
幾年前，耶路撒路發生了一起公交車爆炸的恐怖襲擊，炸死了十來個人，其中包括兩名中國人，此兩人系偷渡客，屬于非法入境。[…]後來，以色列政府專門開了一個會，會議認為，在以色列國土上無辜死亡的人，政府都有責任對其負責，至于這個人偷渡與否，那是另外一回事。會議最後決定，對兩名死難的中國人一視同仁地按照國民待遇善後。[…]一個這樣對待它國和自己死去國民的國家，不管你怎麼說，我都堅信，這是個好國家。

author: Winglok Hung


text:
Azerbaijan: IDPs · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

“sIDe-tALKs” Azerbaijan visits Azeri refugees and IDPs displaced by the war with Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh in the early 1990s. The blog posts photographs of the visit and says that while attempts to integrate refugees and IDPs into Azerbaijani society have gained momentum, much more remains to be done.

author: Onnik Krikorian


text:
Mapping the blogosphere in Brunei · Global Voices
Senor Pablo

I was looking at ICT statistics of Brunei Darussalam. With a population of 381,371 (according to 2008 census) and a literacy rate of 94.6 percent (UNDP 2006), the IT penetration must be high.  According to local ICT indicators of 2007, there were 199,532 internet subscribers. These figures are expected to increase in current times, due to the presence of various Internet Service Providers and  more due to the popularity of blogs in the country.
Simpur Blogging Nation ( SBN), a DST web portal (one of the several ICT service providers in the country) that houses almost 1,000 registered blogs. Realising the growth of blogging a year back or so ago, Simpur created a community of bloggers.  A  portal where all of these Bruneian blogs are listed in one place with their appropriate categories. It's also a good resource for new bloggers to learn and see what they can blog about.  Everyday SBN receives at least 3 emails from  bloggers, requesting their blogs to be listed in the blogging directory. The growth is so fast and being the custodian of the directory, SBN  has noticed that the Bruneian bloggers are getting better.
The creativity in writing or design and the entrepreneurship of small business and individuals is so heart-warming. From teachers setting up unofficial blogs for their students so that they can share what they teach beyond the classroom, to families sharing their lives with their other relatives outside the country. It's amazing to see how blogs have kept people to be a close-knit community.
Blogging Nation also made blogging the in-thing . Some people realize there's quite a number of things that  you can achieve from blogging, it just needs some good planning to get something positive out of it. For example, resources such as Y.E.S. Programme is known in helping young people discover their own potentials.
With promoting blogs in mind, SBN also created The Bloggies  Award in 2008,  to acknowledge those bloggers who has made an impact in the Brunei blogging community. It was divided into Best Personal, Best Local Content, Best Photo, Best Lifestyle, Best Specialty, Wild-Card Blog, and ultimately winners of each categories are automatically eligible to be the Bruneian Blog of The Year! Through the 8 months of competition, the public was free to nominate which blogger/blogs they think should be in the running. From there on, the top 5 was up for voting again to find the winner of the category. Nominators who gave the best reasons for their blog choices were given prizes.
So, what does local bloggers think of SNB? Brunei Geek mentioned how Blogging Nation promotes local blogs:
The launching of Simpur's BN (Blogging Nation) is a proof of the fast development of Brunei's blogosphere.
Jepun 15 wrote on the impact of Blogging Nation on the locals:
The blogosphere has taken over the web, and it has certainly made an impact on Bruneians. Find out why blogging is now the craze in Brunei by checking out our featured bloggers & the ever-growing Bruneian Blogs Directory.So sit back, relax and enjoy what our local bloggers have to say..
Ipod Halo Effect wrote on how Blogging Nation provides a platform for Bruneian voices on the Internet:
Simpur has become somewhat of an Internet craze as of late, and it deserves to be. With the introduction of it’s Blogging Nation, it shows that Bruneians are ready to show the world what they think of it. The amount of blogs in the ‘Personal’ Category proves that Bruneians are no longer scared (well at least, not as scared as they were) to share their feelings and thoughts with people they don’t know. All the other (food, photoblogs, local scene, etc) categories show just creative we can be, provided we’re given easy access to the right tools, e.g. the Internet & Blogging software. Website design was cool for a moment, but it was limited to those who knew how to design. Blogging i think is the future of personal websites.
For a small nation, blogs have created netcitizens. This promotes community building. I myself  have made friends whom I have never been acquainted before.

author: Senor Pablo


text:
Cameroon: Little Bright Fuh passes away · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

The Bright Fuh Supporters blog reports that Bright Fuh, a four year old Cameroonian boy suffering from a rare orbital tumor passed away on January 8th. George Esunge Fominyen reposted in his blog a comment left at the Friends of Bright Fuh online forum pointing at the defficiencies of Cameroonian health system, that allows people with curable diseases to die. Dulce Camer, on the other hand, wrote: “Despite the tragedy of his death, Bright Fuh has ignited new hope future of health care in Cameroon”.

author: Elia Varela Serra


text:
China: 2008 in Poker · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN introduces the Chinese netizen's poker design based on major incidents of China in 2008.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
China: Antismut campaign sweeps internet. But any untold purpose? · Global Voices
Bob Chen

An internet cleansing movement, or antismut campaign launched by the Chinese authority, is sweeping across the internet in recent days. Well-known online service providers such as Google, Baidu, Tianya(where flesh search engine prospers), MSN China are on the list of crackdown, because they are thought to publish “vulgar, low and obscene content.”
China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center (中国互联网违法和不良信息举报中心), under the Internet Society of China, a nominally non-government group released a list of “immoral” websites on 5 Jan, claiming its source as public reports and complaints.
As Danwei accounted:
Each website listed is annotated with either a remark that the website had been given a notice, but didn't take effective action to clean up its content, or that it did not quickly delete newly added vulgar and low content.
On the list, Google is said to have linked to “obscene and pornographic websites”, while Baidu, the most prominent Chinese search engine, is stated to contain “large numbers of low and vulgar photographs”. Meanwhile, Sina, Sohu, Tencent and many more portal websites with a large population of users, didn't escape the harsh prosecution.
Tip: Search obscene keywords, if you know what they are, in Google, and you can get obscene stuff in return. Visit sections like “pretty girls,” “Women and men” in many portal websites, you've also chances to run into these obscene stuff. But undeniable, much content are uploaded by users rather than the website itself.
One day later, on 6, Jan, the administration took measure. Seven departments of the State Council deployed an overwhelming campaign trying to cleanse the internet. The head of the Press Office, Cai Ming-zhang, emphasized on an iron-fist crackdown:
国务院新闻办副主任蔡名照在会议上强调，对屡教不改、影响恶劣的网站，要曝光一批、处罚一批、关闭一批，绝不姑息迁就。
And he went on the censure:
一些网站钻政策法规空子，发布格调低下、内容粗俗甚至低级下流信息，严重败坏网上风气。网上低俗之风泛滥，严重危害广大青少年身心健康，殃及千家万户，祸及子孙后代。
And the war against “vulgar” digs in 9 Jan:
全国整治互联网低俗之风第二批曝光网站名单
This time, some relatively less influential websites, including MSN China, were put on the list.
The campaign has already claimed victims. Some high-ranked officials in Netease were dismissed, possibly because of putting Zhang Ziyi's Bikini pictures on headline.
Later, all the websites being criticized have posted apology letters. QQ has even shut down its chat room service, and the questioned sections in many websites are now inaccessible.
Now, the internet enterprises had stooped down, giving in to the crackdown. How netizens, who actually uploaded most of the vulgar content, would respond?
On Netease, the opinions mostly favor the crackdown. The leading comment on the new piece writes:
坚决支持国家的决定！
网络本身应当成为传播信息、增进交流、休闲娱乐的空间，
可现在多少网页，一打开就充斥着各类色情、暴力的信息，
google,作为众人向往的世界知名企业，你担负起自己的企业社会责任了吗？
百度，作为寄予厚望的知名民族企业，你对得起祖国人民对你的重托了吗？
支持[1584] 反对[968]
On the entire comment page, the voice of support takes the upper hand. However, it is not unreasonable to speculate that because Netease has been warned, it actually censured the comments, as it has done, to cater to the authority.
It is not sensible to deny that the websites concerned are influential. Then, what organization on earth is the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center, which is so boldly, that it dares to challenge all these internet giants?
The agency has its boss as China internet society (CIS) 中国互联网协会, which not long ago set 4 Sep as the Netizen Festival of China.
Though self-proclaiming to be Non-profit social group, CIS is widely accepted as an official agency, because it has members like Xinhua News, departments of State Council and quite a few telecom service companies (all state-control).
It is ironic that in fact Sohu, Netease, Sina and many other cleansed websites are actually the members of the Society. The fact more or less testifies to the core of it as official because these websites are not likely to target themselves and push the authority for regulation. The most reasonable explanation would be, the one that really speaks is none of them, but the authority.
Blogger Wei Wuhui in It Talks commented that the campaign is operated wisely.
最关键是，低俗这两个字不好定义，既然不好定义，就没有法律依据。这叫“太实”，容易造成三个不好的后果：打击面太大形成误伤、给一些具体经办人员以权谋私的空间、以及留下政府高压的不好形象。
这次政府的行为，其实，是相当聪明的。
布有低俗之风的网站名单的，是中国互联网协会，这严格意义上并非政府部门。也就是说，这是收到广大群众举报的。
这样的行为，容易得到舆论支持。
在各大网站出面道歉后，由七部委政府部门出面制定低俗标准，共一十三项。这不是法律标准，
是一项文化运动，和法律无关。政府自始自终，并未见到出手去惩治什么网站，都是企业为了塑造良好的互联网文化的自发行为。
However, not every person stands with the authority.
政治迷 in Tianya ridiculed the operation :
有人可以包几十个女人，公费吃喝，公费出国，公费赌博，公费住五星级。非常高雅。
有人自费看些网页却不行！因为太低俗。
Tit-for-tat, a list made up by netizens also shows up on the internet, pointing against CCTV, the state-control TV station.
全国网民公布第一批低俗电视频道名单：
And all the ten channel belong to CCTV are on the list.
第一名：CCAV1 一贯正确，首长领导
第二名：CCAV2 金融风暴，中国骄傲
第三名：CCAV3 港台歌曲，大行其道
第四名：CCAV4 内外新闻，形式大好
第五名：CCAV5 体育频道，外国专号
第六名：CCAV6 劣质影片，辫子军号
第七名：CCAV7 少儿军事，暴力洗脑
第八名：CCAV8 低俗剧目，又哭又闹
第九名：CCAV9 外语新闻，胡说八道
第十名：CCAV10 虚假科学，胡编乱造
移山愚公 told why Tianya, a popular online Bulletin Board System, is clouded by the so-called vulgar stuff.
不过这也不能怪天涯！关心时政的帖子不让发，天涯靠什么吸引人气? 那就只能靠低俗的帖子了。 靠那些溜须拍马的5毛帖的话，天涯早关门大吉了！！
Is this a pure campaign against immoral and polluting content? Still, many don't believe it to be so simple.
The 13 official items that define what vulgar is, contain these itmes to forbid:
表现或隐晦表现性行为、具有挑逗性或者侮辱性的内容；传播一夜情、换妻、性虐待等的有害信息；非法性药品广告和性病治疗广告等相关内容；
Apparently, it doesn't concern any bit of political content, or openly forbids anything related to “subversion”, an item usually used to prosecute against political activists. But netizens still nose out a touch of implicit intention, because even though the authority deleted the unfavored posts regardless of whether it really has vulgar stuff, nobody can complain.
李国豪， a netizen in Tianya thought:
绝大多数网友是支持天涯的，不过当官的会支持政府整顿天涯，天涯让当官的太不舒服了。全国网站都整顿顺溜了，你们就可以不用再顾及屁民们在网上的批评了，就可以高高兴兴的吃喝嫖赌了。光明正大搞腐败才是正道。这才是这次政府整顿网站的真正目的。
GFW(GREAT FIREWALL) blog predicts that 2009 would be an uneasy year for internet and media.
醉翁之意不在酒。有点新闻敏感性的人应该知道，0808年末，包括多名著名学者在内的上百位知识分子起草发布了《零八XIANZHANG》。看来，蚍蜉已经为撼树行动起来了。回顾下厦门的PX事件、山西奴工、上海反对磁悬浮列车事件、瓮安事件、杨佳案、多地出租车司机罢运、三聚氰胺、代课老师上访等等诸如此类事件，哪一件事件的背后没有网络这个助推器？
所以，接下来一定会在新闻控制上加大力度。已经被点名的网站大佬们，不要以为删删图片就完事了。09年的传媒领域一定会腥风血雨。
Now, Bullog.cn, a well-known blog service provider site famous for its bold critiques of the authority, has been shut down. Is this antismut campaign foreshadowing a more severe online cleansing?

author: Bob Chen


text:
China: Bullog.cn shut down by Net Nanny · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Alice Liu reports on the shut down of Bullog.cn by net nanny at DANWEI.


text:
China: Tibetan Plateau Meltdown · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Asia Society's China green project has a series of video on the Tibetan Plateau meltdown situation.


text:
Côte d’Ivoire: Former combattants’ life today · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Yoro has been writing about former rebel combattants in Côte d'Ivoire at Chronique Ivoirienne [Fr], with photos of Camille Millerand. In one article, he describes the life of 10 female former combattants who fought during the 5 years of wars in Côte d'Ivoire since 2003, and who are now demobilised and reintegrated into civilian life. In another article, he features Celestin, a former rebel combattant that refuses to demobilise because he is hoping to join the new national army of Côte d'Ivoire. In the meantime, he sells petrol on the side of the road.


text:
Egypt: Civil disobedience and protests over Gaza · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Since the beginning of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on December 27, and Egyptian street has been boiling with angry calls to open up the Gaza border and demanding the government to put more pressure to reach an immediate ceasefire.
Few people joined protests, others joined relief convoys or participated in collecting donations and organising campaigns, while others preferred to contributing to the ongoing war online.
On one hand, Salma Eldwardany discussed street reactions and protests in Egypt since the beginning of the  Israeli attack, where significant clashes between Egyptian security forces and protesters downtown began on December 31:
In Cairo, several thousand Egyptians marched through downtown Cairo on December 31, chanting phrases such as, “Off to Gaza we go, martyrs by the million,”  “Where is the Egyptian army?” and “Shame on you Mubarak”. […] Security forces began dispersing the crowds by force, and least 40 demonstrators were detained. Scores of others were beaten. […] Various sources confirmed that at least 300 activists were detained in Cairo on December 31, with over 160 activists arrested in train stations and cars on their way in to Egypt’s capital.
Between detained protesters to being beaten up in the streets, Egyptians didn't give up and joined the largest demonstrations, which prompted a harsher security response.
On Friday, January 2, two days after the police crackdown in Cairo, Egyptians took to the streets for the largest demo against the Israeli offensive.
The rally, organized by the Muslim Brotherhood, began near the Al Fatah Mosque in Cairo and urged the Egyptian government to open the border between Gaza and Egypt.
Special Forces units were mobilized and stationed on the street corners that led to various demonstration sites, and in the early afternoon, Egyptian police moved in to crush the dissent throughout the city. Eyewitnesses said that riot police used sticks to beat protesters in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
Egyptian police also seized three of the biggest downtown mosques before Friday prayers: Al-Fatah and Al-Azhar in Islamic Cairo, and Al-Nour Mosque in Elabbassyia district in northern Cairo. Police cordoned the downtown area with more than 200 vehicles.
Police also warned religious leaders at the Al-Fatah mosque against talking about Gaza during Friday prayers, witnesses said, also mentioning the spread of the state security laboratory on the roofs of buildings along Ramsis Street.
Still, about 5,000 protesters gathered at Al-Azhar mosque after Friday prayers, carrying placards that said, “Shame upon you, Arabs of silence.”
Central Security troops eventually entered the mosque with eyewitness accounts counting some 15-security vehicles surrounding streets around the mosque.
Police attacked the demonstrators and dozens of arrests were made including at least 40 members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood who prepared for the Friday demonstrations.
Protests were not limited only to Cairo, the capital city of Egypt, but erupted throughout Egypt all the way from Alexandria to Minya, Assiut, Sohag Fayoum, Suez, Dakahliya, Qalubia, Port Said, Kafr El-Sheikh, Aswan, Munufeya and al- Arish. Egyptian security forces have also been targeting journalists as protests have continued unabated since Israel began its attack. About 200 journalists and activists have so far been arrested while covering the mass protests.
Protests were also not limited to artists or prominent activists or Muslim brotherhood party, but students and professors anger erupted everywhere. Salma continues:
Student demonstrations have also been taking place on campuses all over Egypt. Trade unionists, professors and students held mass demonstrations to condemn what they called the “Israeli war machine” and “The silence of the Arab states.”
A series of demonstrations have been held at Cairo University, but the security presence has been heavy with Egyptian authorities worried the students would take their anger to the nearby Israeli embassy.
Some 800 Muslim Brotherhood students at Helwan University have staged a continuous demonstration in solidarity with Gaza, and at Al-Azhar University more then 4,000 students have protested over the last week despite a heavy security presence that has prevented them from hitting the streets.
Ain Shams University was also the scene of two rallies this past week, one led by Dr. Ahmed Zaki Badr, President of the University, and the second by the Muslim Brotherhood student association.
Then she concludes it all with the a glimpse at the other diverse civic reaction:
As with protests throughout the Arab world, the demonstrations in Egypt have been diverse with people from a wide range of backgrounds taking part – secularists, Islamists, leftists, university students, journalists and others
Hundreds of artists, actors and writers organized a protest in Elgiza last week condemning the Israeli aggression. Protesters demanded an immediate halt to the export of Egyptian gas to Israel and expulsion of the Israeli ambassador. Khaled Elsawy, writer Fathia Elassal and Professor Ahmed Sakhsookh were some of the artists participating in the protest.
The Bar Association and the Medical Association have also organized demonstrations, and the Egyptian Popular Committee for Solidarity signed a petition demanding that Egyptian authorities open the Rafah crossing, the expulsion of the Ambassador of Israel.
The group has also called for the cessation of all forms of normalization with Israel, and they announced they would organize a convoy of relief to be sent to Gaza.
Meanwhile, Bjorklund, a Scandinavian activist living in Egypt, took part in a solidarity convoy to Rafah along with around 100 Egyptians and foreign activists. It was organized by the Egyptian Popular Committee for Solidarity with the Palestinian People, in order to demand the complete opening of the Egyptian-Gaza border. Though the convey did not reach the borders, however with a clever use of civil disobedience the caravan almost reached el-Arish before being turned back. According to the organizers this is closer to Rafah than any solidarity convoy of this scale has reached since 2004.
He started to explain:
The group of activists managed to force three checkpoints by staging sit-ins in the street, effectively blocking traffic and causing panic among the police as trailer trucks and minibuses lined up from both directions. At the fourth checkpoint however, about halfway between the Suez canal and el-Arish, state security officers was present. After forcing the reporters of two TV-channels to turn back to Cairo – for reasons that soon became obvious – they allowed the convoy the continue with a police escort. While many of the activists at this point felt they had won the battle and were about to enter el-Arish, this soon turned out to be a trap.
10-20 kilometers before el-Arish, in the middle of the desert, the road was blocked by 4 central security trucks and a small army of police in full riot gear, including some with rifles probably loaded with rubber bullets or tear gas. With no TV cameras or witnesses present, the activists feared (and rightly so) that they would be assaulted as soon as they stepped down from the bus. Some wanted to get out anyway, but the bus driver refused to stop or open the door. Shouting “I can't, I can't” he turned the bus around, clearly horrified by the scene and knowing he was risking as much as the activists – or more – despite having nothing do to with the convoy.
While most of the participants had expected to be turned back by the police and several have plenty of experience of being arrested at demonstrations, many were chocked by this show of force, and terrified by the prospect of being surrounded by riot police and plainclothes officers in the middle of the desert. And even those who would have preferred to try and at least make a symbolic stand in front of the bus feared this would only lead to the loss of all photo and movie material taken on the trip so far.
At the end of the trip, contributors had mixed feelings. Bjorklund continues:
On the way back to Cairo the mood on the bus consisted of mixed feelings of achievement – for reaching further than previous convoys – and anger and frustration.
“The thing that makes me most angry,” leftist blogger and digital design artist Mohamed Gaber explained, “is the fact that we celebrate the return of Sinai [after the 1973 October war] as a great victory, but still it doesn't belong to the people.”
At last, in her last post another Qualm, Egy Diva sums up her feelings towards the current Egyptian situation saying:
And when I read about thousands of demonstrations going on all over Egypt, spreading outside of Cairo, to Domyat to Sohag to Alexandria, I am impressed and I think I am wondering if I am filled with hope. But then I read that the Egyptian police dispersed these demonstrations with tear gas and electric batons, they beat the demonstrations apart, I dont think of Gaza. I think what the f***? and I think did anyone just notice that? And I think it should have its own article, it should be every article in every national newspaper. No, I think, in this convulated debate, Egyptian brutality in repressing demonstrations about Gaza shouldnt be engulfed in a piece about Gaza, and again I am pressed to think: so what about Gaza…..and it keeps. spirals, and spirals away.

author: Eman AbdElRahman


text:
Georgia: U.S. Strategic Partnership Charter · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Dateline Tbilisi reports that the outgoing Bush administration in Washington has signed a strategic partnership charter with Georgia which supports its territorial integrity and aspirations towards NATO membership. Although non-binding, the blog notes that the charter reportedly marks a shift towards direct military assistance for the South Caucasus republic and that the Georgian foreign minister, Grigol Vashadze, believes such military cooperation will begin in the “very near future.” Vashadze is also quoted as saying that the document was signed with the agreement of officials from the incoming administration of president-elect Barack Obama. Georgia on my mind! posts the full text of the document.


text:
Japan: The future of Toyota · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Michi Kaifu at Tech Mom from Silicon Valley responds to news that Toyota “crown prince” Akio Toyoda is to take the company's president position in June this year. Reflecting on the future of the car maker and on rumors in the Japanese blogosphere, Kaifu writes, “if you still have some money to invest, buy Toyota share.  I am pretty sure that they are TOTALLY OK.”

author: Chris Salzberg


text:
Malaysia: Campaign to boycott US goods · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

As a form of protest against Washington’s support for Israel, some Malaysians are boycotting U.S. products. Israel has launched military offensives in Gaza which have claimed the lives of more than 800 Palestinians. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is actively supporting the boycott campaign.
More than 2,000 Muslim restaurants belonging to the Association of Muslim Restaurant Operators have stopped serving Coca-Cola products to their customers. The Malaysian Islamic Consumers Association have also identified 100 other products with brand names like Starbucks, Colgate, McDonald's, Nike, Wendy’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Gap, Dell, and Maybelline which are targets of the boycott campaign.
Opinion in the Malaysian blogosphere is divided over the campaign.
In my humble opinion lists the following criteria in selecting the US products:
1. Is the product solely manufactured in USA?
2. Is the company opposed to the war?
3. Does the company have direct relations with Israel?
Everyday Ordinariness prefers other forms of protest:
As much as I want to participate in this boycott, I have to constantly ask myself: Will it do more harm than good? It seems so easy to boycott American goods but I have to give up on a lot to do so.
When we are so used to Americanization and globalization, do you think it is easy to boycott goods, products and brands that have been part of our life for years? Who are we kidding? Look around and I am sure you have a piece of “Americanization”.
I am very sure there are other ways to express our sentiments in this issue. During Friday prayers just now, the money collected will be donated and benefit the people of Palestine. By doing so, the money will be used for daily necessities, such as food. I prefer doing donation so that it will, in one way or another, benefit the innocent victims.
My anger, it may be yours too believes the boycott would send a strong message to the West:
I don't think the point here is to bankrupt Coca Cola but to send a message that the Muslim economy is strong enough to affect the West, after all this is as much economic warfare as it is about territory
New Malaysia doubts if the boycott would be effective:
It's always easy to call for a boycott of American goods. Groups and individuals advocating such a boycott may have the best intentions but seriously, does it work? We call for a boycott of US products and have we considered the economic consequences of the US and Jewish lobbyists hitting us back?
Let's ditch the logical dismisses the protest:
Malaysian politicians think too highly of themselves. The US doesn't really care if we boycott their companies. They can see through the smoke and mirrors. Who're the big foreign investors in Malaysia? American companies!
The Artist urges student leaders to support the boycott:
It’s time for Malaysian Student Leaders to take action and follow suit on an economic boycott. This will give us a double edge benefit: helping our Malaysian industry & creating a consumer-centered business model.
Carefully select products to boycott: We wouldn’t want our industry to be in trouble don’t we? Let’s examine which products would be wise to boycott at a start and which we can live without. Then we work to boycott others from there.
Think; Think; Think emphasizes that the campaign’s success depends on the cooperation of consumers:
Its an ORDER! Boycott, Refuse, Stay Away From, Impose Sanctions, Embargo, Shun, Proscribe, Prohibit, Reject, and all other synonyms to Boycott, Israeli’s or Jewish, or any organizations or products related to them, or even supporting them. Boycott!
They maybe laughing at me, as a Muslim independent blog writer, “who are you to boycott us?”, but if we all cooperate together, boycott their product, they will feel some (if not huge) impact from our actions.
Icedlemontea does not object to the idea of boycotting Coke:
I never much favor coca-cola in the first place so I think this boycott can be done for me. Now I just have to change all my cosmetic products to local’s. That’s right, gosh.
Jaff Point enumerates various acts of protest which individuals and groups could launch to show support for Gaza:
WHAT SHALL WE DO?
1) Keep up the demonstration against Israel brutality in Gaza
2) BOYCOTT all Israel and USA goods and currency
3) Keep praying for God justice against Israel
4) Keep up the moral and financial support to Palestinians – DONATE
5) Spreads the words on Israel cruelty to the people around you and the world community
Hantulaut reminds bloggers to rethink their support for the boycott:
“Those bloggers who supported Dr Mahathir's call probably forgot they are blogging on American products. If you boycott America then you have to stop using computers, computer software and all American made blogs and not forgetting the Internet. Can you? Our former premier probably didn't realize that he himself is a blogger and very deeply involved in using American products.”

author: Mong Palatino


text:
Pakistan: Low Intensity Blasts in Lahore · Global Voices
Rezwan

Skb at Lahore Metblogs reports: “During last two hours, Lahore experienced four blasts near Alflah building on Mall Road and the recent, fifth blast is just heard near Tamaseel Theatre on Ferozpur Road.”


text:
Palestine: “How many deaths in Gaza is enough?”  · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

As the Israeli attacks on Gaza continue, in this roundup of Gaza's blogs we hear about food shortages, the frustration of being stuck at home, the humour of medical workers – and a question from a young boy: “Mama – why don't the Israeli soldiers think before they shoot people?”
Palestinian photojournalist Sameh Habeeb blogs at Gaza Strip, The Untold Story:
I have got three calls from anonymous persons stop blogging or I would be killed. Yet, I would keep on this track.
Laila El-Haddad blogs at Raising Yousuf and Noor, and she speaks to her parents in Gaza every day:
For the first time in weeks, they have a few hours of precious electricity today. And things felt “normal” for a while, as they basked in bulb-light and their fridge hummed to life. They took the opportunity to chat with me on Skype. They wanted to talk to me hour after hour, all morning my time, about nothing in particular, before they were immersed in the dark and terror once again. After speaking to his grandfather, Yousuf looked at me and asked in the inquisitive, matter-of-fact way that he usually inquires about all things small and big in this world, “Mama – why don't the Israeli soldiers think before they shoot people?”
Mohammed Ali, who works for the NGO Oxfam, writes on the Oxfam blog from his home in Gaza City:
Today, I left my neighbourhood for the first time since this waking nightmare started. As my wife and I said goodbye, I knew that we were both thinking the same thing, that this could be the last time we ever see one another. As I closed the door behind me, I heard my child sobbing uncontrollably. Just as I headed out, I heard that the Israeli government had announced a three-hour lull in fighting. I wondered what they thought we could do in three hours; banks are closed and the Israeli government is restricting money coming into Gaza, shops are shut or their shelves empty, people now have to queue for up to six hours just for a loaf of bread…or nothing… markets have very little, people cannot afford increased prices, water systems are not working, people are scared to leave their homes, roads are blocked…what real difference to people’s lives will these three hours make? […] What can we do in three hours? Bury dead bodies? No one will ever be able to bring back the lives lost during this conflict but there is still time to give those who are still living a chance for a decent life.
Prof. Said Abdelwahed, who teaches English at Al-Azhar University, writes at Moments of Gaza:
In Gaza, last night was so horrible with more than 60 air raids, added to non-stop tanks and artillery shelling to different places everywhere! No place is safe at any moment in Gaza! Words stand short from describing the horrors we have been through those days.
Canadian activist Eva Bartlett blogs at In Gaza:
After finishing a shift with the PRCS [Palestine Red Crescent Society] yesterday morning, we went to the Fakoura school, to see and to listen to the voices. Prayers were happening in the street in front of the school. I’d seen prayers in open, outdoor places in Palestine, in Egypt. But these days, when I see a mass of people praying, in front of Shifa hospital, in the streets of Jabliya, I think of the mosques that have been bombed, the loss of lives and sanctuaries. And yesterday I thought of the loss of a safe-haven. The grief was very evident, as was the indignation: “Where are we supposed to stay,” one man demanded. “How many deaths is enough? How many?” It’s the question that has resounded in my mind since the attacks on December 27th. […] Nidal, a PRCS medic, told how he was at the Fakoura school when it was shelled. His aunt and uncle living nearby, he’d been visiting friends at the school. “I was there, talking with friends, only a little away from where 2 of the missiles hit. The people standing between me and the missiles were like a shield. They were shredded. About twenty of them,” he said.
Natalie Abou Shakra, a Lebanese activist, blogs at Moments of Gaza:
Dr. As’ad just came in saying there is no bread. We officially have no bread.
Sitt [Mrs] Wafaa told me she put nail polish on. She said she was shy about it, and did it just to feel better. I tell her not to worry, and that from now on, both of us will look our best each day. I told her I shall put on my kohl in solidarity with the nail polish. […] I am fed up of this! We are in a holocaust, mass killing, devastation and destruction of human kind, death and massacring… I am running out of words in the dictionary of death and terror that the Israelis arranged for us: Lebanese and Palestinians!
They sent us bread today… it was rotten. Dr. As'ad told me that Dr. Haidar is eating rotten bread. “He said that mold is used for making penicillin. So, it must be okay.” He joked. So, we are going to heat the bread on the stove and eat, so that the moldy taste is diminished.
In another post, Natalie writes:
As Dr. As'ad comes in the house after leaving to bring in some groceries. He tells us that there are no vegetables and no cheese, no milk and no bread near us… so, we decide to write down a schedule of the quantity and quality of food to be eaten per day… […] I went out to the veranda. It was the first time since the massacring began that I had gone out on the veranda. […] The sky was clear with no clouds and the sun shined, to me, like never before… the sun became so precious, and realized I never appreciated it as much as I do now… it made my cold body warm. Abdel Aziz hugged his mother as she laid her shoulder on the wall. We looked at the sun shining on all the destruction. I wished at that moment that the whole world was with us, looking. We stayed outside for around thirty minutes, after which they bombed close in Hay [neighbourhood of] el Zaytoun (tanks are shooting extensively as I am typing). We saw the Apache as it came closer after it bombed. (Where is my bazooka?). I was wearing my pink pajamas, and was afraid that the Israelis might mistake me for Hamas. (Remember? Israelis targeting children in pajamas on the donkeys… I am staying away from donkeys, as there are many now in Gaza since there is no petrol… and the donkey proves its efficiency again in history! The donkeys in Gaza are so courageous. Now, donkeys are martyrs in Gaza). My pajamas are pink. Are there any pink Qassam rockets? Please assure me so that I stop wearing pink pajamas. I cannot jeopardize my “family's” (surrogate family?) safety.
Australian activist Sharyn Lock writes at Tales to Tell, and has been helping out at at Al Quds hospital:
There is a collective strength to these people that dumbfounds me. Medical folks are quite a comic crew; one of them last night was carefully explaining to me that he didn’t have to worry about dying of lung disease, because he was careful not to buy the brand of cigarettes that had the man dying of lung disease on the front. Later on one of the ambulance crew had thrown us all out of the operations centre and was washing the floor. It was chilly outside, so we were all lurking at the door wanting to come back in, but he was shouting the Arabic equivalent of “Keep your filthy shoes off my nice clean floor!” Finally he installed the widest paramedic to function as a guard; who took up his position outside the door with folded arms, doing an excellent imitation of a nightclub bouncer. I suggested that when the Israelis got here (the tanks are shelling from 2 km away now) we give him the task of keeping them out of the operations room. He assured us he was up to the job. These people have lost friends and family in the last days, and face the risk of death each day. But Palestinians have a sort of collective unspoken agreement – everyone has to keep going for everyone else. I don’t know what it does to their mental health; but then again I don’t know what choice they have.
Abu el Sharif writes at Shajar El Ba6a6a:
Louisa Waugh writes at New Internationalist's Gaza Blog:
It took me ages to get through to Adham at his home in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. The phone lines are down most of the time, and even when they are working, they're usually jammed by Palestinians desperately trying to contact family and friends inside Gaza. After two days I finally manage to get hold of Adham on his landline at home, and ask him if he and his family are OK.
‘We are still alive,’ he says. ‘But you would not believe what we are going through. I have never seen or heard anything like this.’
[…] When, after eight days of bombing the entire Gaza Strip, the Israeli military invaded northern Gaza on 4 January, they drove tanks and snipers into Jabaliya, and began shelling, and shooting to kill. Adham and his family remain trapped inside their home in the middle of the camp. ‘We’ve been locked inside our house for 12 days now,’ he says. ‘We can’t leave – it's too dangerous.’ He tells me he has been no further than 100 metres down his street since 27 December. […] Adham just hopes he will live to see the end of this hell.
‘In my worst moments, I wonder if I care whether I die,’ he says. ‘Because at least then I will not have to face whatever is going to happen to us next.’

author: Ayesha Saldanha


text:
Palestine: “I do not want my kids to see me torn into pieces” · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

How does it feel to be unable to protect your children? In this roundup of blogs from Gaza we hear from a mother who is wracked with guilt at seeing her children's terror: “Was I mistaken to have kids in the first place? Do I not have the right to be a mother?”
Palestinian photojournalist Sameh Habeeb blogs at Gaza Strip, The Untold Story:
Most of the Gaza Strip plunges into deep darkness since the start of this war. I find several hardships to send out this report due to power problem. Today, a rocket targeted my uncle's house. My house got several splinters and rocket shrapnel. Thanks to God, we all safe but I don't know what will happen next. I live east of Gaza, Toffah area, were artillery shells rained down every single moment.
Natalie Abou Shakra, a Lebanese activist, writes at the group blog Moments of Gaza. In her post she translates two leaflets dropped by the Israeli military asking the citizens of Gaza to provide information on the whereabouts of Hamas fighters. Natalie comments:
What really shocked me is the username they chose for their email. “Helpgaza2008″ ?!
I think this e-mail of theirs deserves to be bombed with the right kind of messages!
Nirmeen Kharma Elsarraj writes at the group blog Lamentations-Gaza:
There are things that are not well reported in the news, feelings!! I have three children, a daughter Nour who is 14, a son Adam who is 9 and another son Ali who is 3. We live in an area in Gaza city that used to be described ‘safe’. Nowhere is safe anymore. My children cannot sleep and I cannot help them. The feelings of helplessness and guilt (which always accompanies your inability to protect or at least comfort your children) are stronger than those of fear and horror. My daughter was telling a journalist on the phone yesterday that she had never got the real support she sought from me whenever there was a shelling. I was shocked!! I felt so guilty because my daughter felt my fears. But is it not normal to be scared after all?! Adam is asthmatic and he uses a ventilator. Due to the stress and the pollution resulting from rubbles, he is getting more frequent asthma attacks and there is no electricity for his ventilator. Each time he has an attack, we have to put the generator on for him and then put it off. There is no enough fuel to keep the generator on and we have no idea till when this is going to continue. Ali has no idea what this is all about. All what he does is scream in fear whenever there is a bombing and when it is over, he uses his imagination to tell stories about ‘qasef – bombing’. The kids do not sleep. We spend our days and nights in one single room with my sister in law and her daughter. You feel the stress and fear. You can see it on everyone's face.
Last night I was thinking about all this. I do not want anyone of my family to get hurt and I thought if anything should happen, I pray it happens to me and not my kids. Then I thought I do not want my kids to see me torn into pieces. The scenes on tv of people killed are so terrifying and I know what it means for children to see such thing. What I really want is for all this to end and for me and my kids to live just like anyone else in the world. I want to get rid of the feeling of guilt towards my kids. Was I mistaken to have kids in the first place? Do I not have the right to be a mother? But am I really doing a good mother's ‘job’ in being the source of comfort for my kids. I know it is not my fault but I knew also that I live in Gaza and Gaza has never been a healthy environment to raise children. Was I that selfish to think about my own feeling to want to be a mother and ignoring my expected failure to protect my kids?
Australian activist Sharyn Lock writes at Tales to Tell:
So, Thursday: the Red Cross co-ordinated evacuation into Zaytoun. Doctor Said would look good on a Red Cross poster – black sweater, shaved head, muscles enough to keep that Red Cross flag held above his head for the two hours we were behind army lines. You’d definitely invite him in for coffee to ask for his opinion on the state of the world. His colleague has more of an accountant look about him, but his job is to keep us alive – he is armed with a walkie-talkie and is negotiating our path constantly with the army as we move. With May, a small, quick woman who is the Engineer for the Red Crescent, supervising all the vehicles etc, I carry a stretcher and water. About 8 intrepid Red Crescent paramedics join us, wearing weighty bullet proof vests or not dependent on their preference for possible death or certain backache.
[…]
When I was a kid, I was very aware of war zones, but I always understood they happened in places different from my home. I would like to tell you about what I am seeing right now as I walk. I am seeing flowering vines. Bright curtains in windows. Chickens running about. This is your home, you know. This is the garden where your children play. This is your house with obscene holes blown in it, with Israeli snipers lurking in the shadows of its roof, with a dead resistance fighter sitting with his back to your wall.
Across the Arab world bloggers have been posting a song called We will not go down (Song for Gaza) by Michael Heart. Adham Khalil from Jabaliya Camp, who blogs at Free Free Palestine, is one of them:


text:
Russia-Romania: Redirecting the gas flow? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Gabriela Ionita of Power&Politics Weblog discusses Russian PM's Putin comment on redirecting its gas trade through Romania in the future by way of the projected SouthStream gas pipeline.

author: Vilhelm Konnander


text:
Sri Lanka: Endangered Media · Global Voices
Rezwan

Indi.ca asserts that the Sri Lankan Media needs security and “at some point journalists may have to just learn how to defend themselves“.


text:
Syria: Quest for Justice · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

Uramium Blog links to an article by an American-Jewish journalist on her take on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

author: Yazan Badran


text:
Zimbabwe: Interview with urban groove artist Sanii Makhilama · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Pamela Stitch interviews urban groove artist Sanii Makhilama at African Loft. She defines urban groove as “a blend of Pop, RnB, Hip Hop and Soul, infused with the notes from local indigenous musical instruments”.


text:
Egypt: Reporting Live from Rafah  · Global Voices
Nermeen Edrees

Egyptian blogger and human rights activist Nora Younis has been watching the situation in Gaza closely and reporting live from Rafah, where she spent her New Year's eve.
On the way to the border town of Rafah, a Palestinian town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border, Nora encountered a car accident which involved an Egyptian officer, who didn’t make her optimistic about the upcoming year:
“Turns out he is a high rank 3rd Army officer. I ask him where is our country heading? He says looking to sky pointing a cut finger “its all in god’s hands. It’s a mess”. I ask “even the army?”. He says “We’re approaching another 1967. The army has neither equipment nor human beings. We’re in god’s hands”
“It is now two hours into 2009. Israeli jets have been flying over our heads occasionally bombing Gaza side of the border. I can’t really say or wish for a happy new year. I only wish we come out of it on our feet.”
That being said Nora was also surprised with the New Year cheer among her friends in Palestine:
“As clock was ticking towards midnight 31 December, me on Egypt side of Rafah border, I got this SMS from my friends in Khan Yunis, Jabalia, Rafah…:
Look outside
F-16 SMILING for you
MISSILES dancing for you
ZANNANA singing for you
because I requested them ALL to wish you a *HAPPY NEW YEAR”
Nora, who is still in Rafah,  is following up on developments and updating her followers on  Jaiku, with constant updates on the number of Palestinians injured and killed since the Israeli bombardment of Gaza started on December 27. She has also posted an 8 page list of medication required for Gaza Hospital:
“I was able to capture this 8 page list of medical needs in Gaza by camera of mobile phone – which explains the quality. The list was with Mr. Khalil Alniss, activist with Justice for Gaza group”

author: Nermeen Edrees


text:
Armenia: New Year Celebrations · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

With the New Year holiday unofficially continuing until 13 January, whatever you are be a good one posts an extended entry accompanied by photographs on how the occasion is celebrated in Armenia.


text:
Brazil: Reflecting On Our Very Own Gaza Strips · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Graffiti reading:
BORN BECAUSE THEY LOVED ME
DIED BECAUSE THEY KILLED ME…
In Memory:
RENAN
GABRIEL
FELIPE
MARCELÃO
THIAGO
Rest In Peace
at Morro de Samba (Samba Hill), Rio de Janeiro, “Infamous for its heavy drug trafficking and violence, the Morro de Samba is renowned as one of the most dangerous communities in our region”, photo by carf used under a Creative Commons License
As the rest of the world, Brazilian bloggers are closely following the latest developments of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Opinions are divided, but the conflict has, nevertheless, led bloggers to reflect upon one thing: some feel that what is happening in Gaza has a parallel with the daily wars in the violence plagued shantytowns around the country – dubbed Brazil's very own Gaza Strips – where many innocent lives are claimed every day. Sérgio Vaz [pt] explains:
Aqui no Brasil, na Baixa do Sapateiro, faixa de gaza baiana, menino Matheus morreu com um tiro de Fuzil quando saía de casa para comprar pão, no mesmo momento em que a polícia invadia sua favela.
Mera coincidência, ou são sempre os mesmos que sangram nas calçadas, quer seja na faixa de Gaza brasileira ou na Faixa de Gaza Palestina? Será que a sede de sangue nunca cessa?
A Periferia debaixo de tiros, a Palestina debaixo de bombas. Será que deus foi passar o réveillon em Copacabana?
On seeing the shocking pictures of the conflict on the internet, Anderson Vieira [pt] could not help but remember the days he used to visit one of Rio de Janeiro's slums where, he says, it was normal to see strongly armed drug dealers walking side by side with kids, pregnant women and the elderly. Every now and then the police would make a disastrous appearance there:
Acontece que não foram poucas as vezes que em incursões da polícia em morros e favelas cariocas, na troca de tiros, no fogo cruzado, pessoas inocentes acabavam sendo atingidas pelas famosas balas perdidas, que de perdidas não têm absolutamente nada.
A situação da Faixa de Gaza é de certa forma parecida com a das favelas e morros cariocas. Ali em meio aos terroristas do Hamas há crianças, mulheres, homens, cidadãos palestinos inocentes e desprotegidos. À semelhança dos traficantes que se escondem em barracos e casas de moradores a fim de fugir da polícia, os terroristas do Hamas também se valem dessa estratégia no mínimo covarde e se infiltram em casas de inocentes.
Aparecido José do Rosário [pt] agrees and adds that in these cases, the end justifies the means:
Mas voltando a questão sobre o que Israel deve fazer contra esses ataques, e faço um paralelo com o problema dos morros no Rio de Janeiro. Desculpem-me mas sou um tanto radical nesse sentido. Tenho a minha opinião de que a polícia e/ou exército deve atacar os morros a todo custo. Aqueles que nada tem a ver com os traficantes, que são inocentes devem sair de lá e deixar que as forças militares façam o serviço completo, agora, aqueles que protegem tais traficantes, são cúmplices e tão criminosos quanto eles, e portanto que sofram as conseqüências. Estarei eu sendo insensível?
“27/07/2005 – Police find three bodies burned in Inhaúma. The victims may have been killed when coming into the shantytown to try to recover a vehicle stolen by drug dealers from Favela do Alemão.” Photo Andréa Farias, used under a Creative Commons License.
Sonia Fancine [pt], a young and rising politician from São Paulo, says that blaming Hamas for the death of civilians is exactly what the Brazilian police does when justifying casualties by saying they are protecting the population, and “if a child dies because of a stray bullet, it is just an undesirable side effect of a successful operation”:
As mortes “acidentais” freqüentemente são justificadas como decorrentes de “autos de resistência” (aquelas trocas de tiros que, curiosamente, só deixam marcas de um dos lados) ou como sendo de ” pessoas ligadas ao tráfico” (aí fica fácil – se mora na favela, é ligado ao tráfico, pronto). Então ficamos assim: as crianças palestinas e das favelas do Rio morreram porque tiveram a idéia de jerico de estar em um lugar cheio de terroristas/ traficantes. E ainda foram botar o corpo bem na frente dos mísseis/ fuzis… Foi mal aê. Mas da próxima vez, as vítimas que tomem mais cuidado, pô!
In a comment on the above post, a reader called Fernando [pt] feels powerless in the face of both conflicts:
E como acabar com tudo isso? Seja no Rio ou lá em Gaza é a mesma coisa: desrespeito ao comum – incompreensão do diferente! E como eu posso ajudar para acabar com tudo isso?
Alberto Ricardo Präss [pt] thinks that Brazil should help by boycotting Israeli products and remembers the situation he witnessed when he lived there for six months in 1985 concluding that Brazil is not far from it:
Não é de se espantar que homens bombas surjam sem parar naquelas bandas. É muito evidente que pessoas acuadas tendem a ter reações radicais para sobreviver. Mais ou menos como os moradores das favelas do Rio, que reagem por estar sem muita saída.
On the other hand, Mr X [pt], a supporter of Israel, believes the Israel-Palestine conflict does not deserve so much media attention or popular commotion compared with other conflicts in the world, including in Brazil:
Mata muito menos do que qualquer conflito na África hoje em dia, menos do que a cólera no Zimbabwe, menos até do que os tiroteios nas favelas do Rio de Janeiro.
Tania Celidonio [pt] says she is shocked by the daily news on the violence in the Middle East, but that violence in Rio de Janeiro has been turned into a cliche:
Motorista da ONU assassinado, trinta civis palestinos mortos num abrigo, fim da ajuda humanitária…. Juro que travei. E ainda por cima, aqui na faixa tupiniquim do Rio de Janeiro, os tiros não esperaram passar a primeira semana de 2009. Os morros da Babilônia e Chapéu Mangueira foram sacudidos por várias saraivadas. Nós, do asfalto, ficamos torcendo para que nada de muito ruim aconteça por lá. O pior são as centenas de trabalhadores que voltam para suas casas, no cair da noite, e são recebidos por esse ambiente de terror que já virou rotina nos morros da cidade.
“Old fellow, don't you think it is a bit late to be walking around Bonsucesso?” – Blog do Bonitão's charge sets the Israel-Palestine conflict in a Rio de Janeiro neighborhood which is surrounded by slums and ravaged by a high level of violence
In Pernambuco, the murder counter on the PEBodyCount [pt] blog which provides daily statistics of the rates of crime related deaths has counted, as of today, only 11 days into the new year,  81 homicides in that state alone The blog counted 4,525 homicides in 2008, in 2007 4,592 and in 2006 4,638. Numbers are decreasing, but:
“Raciocinar que 78 pessoas a menos (pelas contas do Governo, pelas nossas, foram 67) perderam a vida não quer dizer que foram salvos 78 seres humanos. Continuamos tendo mais de 4.500 assassinatos. É um patamar que coloca nosso estado entre os locais mais violentos do mundo. São poucos os países que tem tantos crimes de morte por ano. A mudança tão apregoada precisa começar de verdade.”

author: Paula Góes


text:
Cambodian leader’s collection of doctorate degrees · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Son of the Empire comments that the numerous Honorary PhDs given to Cambodian leader Hun Sen are unnecessary: “Hun Sen doesn’t need such many fake Honorary Doctorate Degrees to be recognized as an educated and competent leader to Cambodian people if he can prove himself as a REAL Leader of Cambodia.”


text:
DR Congo: Containing the Ebola Outbreak · Global Voices
Juhie Bhatia

In late December an outbreak of the highly contagious Ebola virus was confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). The outbreak is believed to have infected more than 36 people, including at least 12 deaths. DR Congo is trying to contain the outbreak, while some neighboring countries are also taking precautions.
Ebola (technically known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever) is a virus that invokes fear in many people because there is no cure, the virus is easily transmitted between people (through contact with body fluids), and it is usually fatal. Amanda Taub, posting on Wronging Rights, describes the virus:
“Ebola, for those not familiar, is basically the worst possible thing that your ‘flu-like symptoms’ could be a sign of. It starts with a headache and sore throat, accompanied by a high fever and muscle weakness. Victims then develop vomiting, diarrhea, and impaired liver and kidney function. These late-stage symptoms are often accompanied by internal and external bleeding, as white blood cell and platelet counts drop precipitously. This can include bleeding from the eyes and mouth, which gives the victims a particularly frightening appearance.”
This recent Ebola outbreak was confirmed in the Congolese district of Mweka in the country’s western Kasai province. It is suspected that one of the sources behind this outbreak are infected dead monkeys, which could have transferred the disease to hunters and women. In response, neighboring countries are taking precautions. Angola has increased border restrictions with DR Congo and Tanzania is also on Ebola alert.  A post on South African Catholic elaborates:
“Recently, Angola, closed off their border with the affected region of DRC, Congo, having placed their police and military on high alert. Ebola has spread across the border to Sudan before, and countries in the region are edgy, due to the mostly lethal, and incurable nature of the disease. The Ebola disease is named after a river in the DR Congo.”
A post on Ending Extreme Poverty in the Congo points out that there have been no travels bans to DR Congo yet, though:
“Tanzania is on alert against the Ebola outbreak.  Angola closed its borders.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has NOT advised a travel ban.  Even last year when 187 people died, a travel ban was NOT established.
If Congolese's poor were more mobile, and if it was warranted, a travel ban may be prudent.  However without good private or public transportation, it is unlikely a sick person could make it to Tanzania's border.  About 125 miles away, the Angola border is closer to outbreak area.”
This is the fourth Ebola outbreak in DR Congo since 1976; the last one happened in 2007. This Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) blog records the experiences of a doctor trying to contain the last Ebola outbreak in DR Congo. MSF has sent a team of experts to Kasai to try and contain this outbreak as well. But Viceroy, blogging on Superstrain, doesn't have high hopes:
“If the past is any indication of how things will turn out in the present, we will likely see the death toll of this outbreak rise considerably.”
Blogger JShaffer is saddened by the news of another outbreak in DR Congo, as is the blogger of this post on the Foreign Policy Association's Africa blog:
“As if circumstances are not difficult in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country has now seen a new outbreak of Ebola. The DRC is a country that never seems to catch a break and rarely makes its own good fortune.”
However, pO157, commenting on their post on Trees & Things, tries to be a little more optimistic about the Ebola situation:
“The only good thing about the situation is the relatively well isolated locations it [Ebola] keeps breaking out in. As long as the folks coming down with this ailment don't end up on a plane or something we should be okay.
Given the advances in science and medicine I think if they can hold the disease to the Congo for the next ~5-10 years then Ebola will be done.”
Photo of Ebola Graffiti by stirwise on Flickr.

author: Juhie Bhatia


text:
Ghana: Is ‘largely’ free and fair enough? · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Belle of Catalyzing Change wonders why irregularities during the recent Presidential elections in Ghana have been overlooked: “Of all the media I have seen and heard though; both African and broader international, there has been little mention of any irregularities. This bothers me because it is not as if there were none”. A few days ago, Koranteng Ofosu-Amaah of Koranteng's Toli described one of these irregularities in which his uncle who was acting as a polling agent was beaten up.


text:
Guatemala: Powerful Images of War Victims Leave Some Uncomfortable · Global Voices
Renata Avila

Capturing images on film is one way to ensure that the collective memory does not forget about a country's history. When that country's history includes gruesome events, those images can become powerful, yet uncomfortable reminders of the past.  In Guatemala, a couple of photographers have become involved in documenting and representing images from the armed conflict that took place for 36 years.
The blogger Aly of the collective blog Dorsumi [es] writes about a French photographer who published a book called “La verdad bajo la tierra. Guatemala, el genocidio silenciado” (The buried truth.  Guatemala, the silenced genocide).
En 1990, Miquel Dewever-Plana, fotógrafo francés de origen catalán, conoció en México a varios refugiados mayas guatemaltecos y decidió involucrarse a favor de los derechos humanos. Durante dos años Miquel documentó el proceso de exhumación de muchas víctimas del genocidio guatemalteco, informando así sobre un crimen contra la humanidad poco conocido: las masacres perpetradas por el Gobierno de Guatemala entre los indígenas mayas durante la década de 1980, y dar a conocer a las víctimas con nombres y apellidos, contribuyendo así a dignificarlas. Fruto de aquel reportaje se publicó este libro que acompaña la exposición con el mismo nombre que ha podido verse hasta el momento en ciudades como París, Barcelona o Palafrugell, entre otras.
In 1990, Miquel Dewever Plana, a French photographer of Catalonian roots, met several Guatemalan Mayan refugees in Mexico and he decided to become active in human rights issues. For two years, Miquel documented the exhumation process of many victims of the genocide in Guatemala, providing information of a crime against humanity that is not widely known: the masacres perpetrated by the Guatemalan Government against indigenous people during the 1980s and by doing so, provides information about the victims, with first names and last names, contributing to their dignity. As a result of that documentation, he published a book that accompanied the exhibition of the same name, which has been shown in places like Paris, Barcelona or Palafrugell, among others.
Another photographer, Daniel Hernández Salazar, also has made much effort to rescue the memory of the victims. He was recently invited to the Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland to showcase his work.  Some of the images depicted nude males representing the victims of the war, and were subsequently removed by some staff members of the United Nations Organization because they were said that they could be offensive to some groups.   However, some people, like the blogger León Aguilera Radford of the blog Klavaza [es] thinks this was nothing more than censorship:
Guatemalan photographer Daniel Hernández-Salazar  was invited to expose his photographs at the  Palais des Nations  , See of the United Nations Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Hernandez's images expose in an artistic and metaphoric way the horrors left by the civil war that devastated that Central American country during more than 30 years. One of his aims is to preserve the usually fragile memory of such events, in order to prevent its recurrence. In Guatemala, I am aware, many people would be glad to forget all that happened. However, History has the tendency to remember, like Borges Funes el Memorioso character.
It is fairly logical to imagine how difficult it must be to find a central point of agreement between the many representatives, officers, clerks, visitors, ambassadors and all such fauna, from a worldwide acquisition that conforms the UNO. But this is Art, Western Art if that matters, the same that has been a landmark of aesthetics since time immemorial. Therefore, it is impossible for me to justify UNO censorship, even after its officers accepted to expose three void spaces, to signal the missing images, and to send the visitors to this web site, where the images are in a permanent, albeit virtual, exposition. I advice to you to please visit that site, You'll enjoy it.
These images can help preserve the memory of individuals, who were victims of a tragic past.  Many photographers like Plana and Hernández-Salazar want to use their works so that others can understand history, build a future, and make the phrase “Never Again” not simply rhetoric, but a promise for the future.
Addendum: To see Daniel Hernández’ photos in question that were removed in Geneva, please visit this site.

author: Renata Avila


text:
Indonesia: Facebook users on the rise · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Budiputra reports that Facebook in Indonesia registered a growth rate of 645 percent in 2008. Indonesia has been the fastest growing country on Facebook in Southeast Asia. However, Friendster is still the most popular networking site in the country.


text:
Indonesia: Ferry capsizes with 250 people · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A passenger ferry with 250 people onboard sank in bad weather in Indonesia. Rescuers are still looking for survivors.


text:
Lessons on libel: South African blogger sued for defamation · Global Voices
Heather Ford

Update 14th of January 2009: According to a post to his Facebook support group Donn Edwards signed an out-of-court settlement agreement with Quality Vacation Club in which he agreed to remove articles about QVC from his blog and not to write about the company for the next five years .
If Quality Vacation Club (QVC) thought that by suing blogger, Donn Edwards, for defamation they would silence any criticism of their dubious marketing tactics, they were wrong. Instead, the blogger’s case has started an avalanche of attacks from sources both in the blogging and mainstream media arena. Unwilling and unable to take the case lying down, Donn Edwards initiated a campaign that has sparked the attention of bloggers throughout the country – with suggestions that the community form a permanent group to monitor blogger freedom in the country.
This is what we’ve learned:
1. Solidarity is our greatest weapon.
Donn Edwards did a great job of couching the QVC case as a case against all bloggers in South Africa rather than just a personal attack. According to Guy McLaren:
QVC’s attack on Donn was interpreted as an attack on Blogging. Now most bloggers have at least 4 readers, some have more. But facts are that blogs are a powerful medium and if you want negative publicity, attack the blogging world and I know that Bloggers know people in radio, on TV, in fact some bloggers are from the press.
Apart from the 40+ blog posts and 100s of comments supporting Edwards, a Facebook group with 300+ members was set up for people to express support for Edwards, as well as a wiki documenting the growing number of blog posts and articles dedicated to the case. With his logo entitled ‘Blogger court case’, Edwards contacted other bloggers early on, asking them to write about the case, and so start a distributed network attack that left QVC spinning. Then, instead of QVC attempting to silence what Eve Dmochowska called ‘One lonesome blog, that is mostly focused on writing about computer security, and whose audience is probably least likely to be talked into a QVC sale anyway’, they now had hundreds of people making similar statements.
The irony is that, what became a transparent, community-driven campaign will end up being settled privately out of court. This will prevent a legal precedent being set for cases that will inevitably come up against bloggers in the future.
2.	The mainstream media loves a good David and Goliath story
My ears pricked up one morning in December when I heard popular talk show host, John Robbie, interviewing Edwards about the QVC case on Johannesburg Talk Radio 702. After the interview, Robbie took calls from others who had similar complaints about the company. And so the momentum grew. The Sunday Independent also wrote about the story – and more recently Noseweek.
The lesson? The traditional media love a good David and Goliath story. But add bloggers and social media to the mix and you might just start questioning who the David is in the story.
3.	Be careful. Take some time to think about the people on the other side of our blog posts and learn about your rights and responsibilities.
Probably the first high-profile case against a local blogger, Donn Edwards’ experience has shown how important it is to recognise that, with our need to criticize, comes a need to understand our rights and responsibilities.
Paul Jacobson has a post cautioning bloggers from adopting the ‘controversial title of citizen journalists’ but the fact is that whether we call ourselves ‘citizen journalists’ or not, a number of laws are triggered when we start publishing online.
Chris M. wrote:
‘This just goes to show that these days, as bloggers, we actually need to be really careful about what we say and about who we flame, because someone might be sitting on the other end, ready to pounce and take advance of us small bloggers.’
Perhaps the most insightful comment came from Tony Lankester.
There’s a warning in his experience that all bloggers, myself included, should heed. If you’re going to play in the sandpit of journalism, learn all the rules. Even if you plan on breaking them. At least learn from the dozens of court cases that have preceded you. Just because the online world is on screen only, it doesn’t mean that the real world laws of defamation and libel don’t apply. And just because you are your own headline writer, journalist, copy editor, editor and publisher, it doesn’t mean you have latitude to ignore the basic courtesies, practices and principles of good journalism.
Blogging has really grown up in the South Africa over the past year. Eve Dmochowska believes that we've learned a great deal about giving and receiving criticism well and has a great post on what she learned in 2008.
Most importantly, though, local bloggers have learned how important it is to work together. Hopefully something will come out of the Facebook wall post that Andrew Edwards (Donn’s brother) wrote on December 29, 2008:
Donn asked that I shut down the group once the last post about the saga is made on his blog. I thought we should then start a new group with a new name and mission. Any recommendations? Like “can a leopard change his snots” (a group to monitor blogger freedom and aggressive companies)??
Photo: ‘David vs Goliath’ by maha-online on Flickr – CC BY-SA

author: Heather Ford


text:
Lithuania: Rumours of IMF-support exaggerated · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Lituanica comments on the Lithuanian government's ambivalence to turning to the International Monetary Fund for loans due to effects on the country of the international financial crisis.


text:
Living in Hanoi 20 years ago · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Caroline Finlay uploads a translated article by a Vietnamese blogger who reminisces his childhood years in Hanoi.


text:
Morocco: “Israel’s Road Map for Peace” · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

A Moroccan About the World Around Him discusses Israel's “road map for peace.”

author: Jillian C. York


text:
Palestine: A guide to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Za3tar, a Palestinian blogger from Ramallah, wrote a simple guide to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza, including clarification for few used terms, as well as elaborating on the Palestinian perspective regarding the on going war.


text:
Palestine: “I see hatred in every blast pounding Gaza” · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

In this roundup of Gaza's blogs we hear about living without electricity, ways of getting the latest news, and white phosphorus shells. And an 11-year-old girl jokes: “It's like we are a scary movie. I'm sure people eat popcorn as they watch.”
The team that brought us Alive in Baghdad has now set up Alive in Gaza, with first-hand accounts from the Gaza Strip. Mohamed Al-Jabowe reports:
The situation is not improving inside the strip, due to the constant bombing by the Israeli Army in the northern and middle areas of the strip. A battle started today between Hamas’ Marine forces and the Israeli Naval forces. The situation here is like a cage burning from the inside. […] My cousin has a Satellite TV system that works by a car battery, and what I see now in the news has nothing to do with reality, the loss of life must be more than 800. It’s very difficult to have even one hour without sounds of explosions, and this what I have to post for now. I will try to send you more information as soon as I have another chance. I have to go back and help my sister with getting milk for her baby. I hope I can make it alive back home tonight, I'll keep you posted.
Journalist Nazek Aburahma writes at AlJazeeraTalk and cross-posts to her blog:
Freelance journalist Safa Joudeh writes at the group blog Lamentations-Gaza:
Our entire lives is now one long chaotic stream of existence: waiting in line each morning to fill up containers with water from the only working tap on the ground floor of our building, baking homemade bread from the depleting supply of flour we managed to obtain a few days into the offensive, turning on the power generator for 30 to 50 minutes in the evening to charge phones and watch the news. Meanwhile, the constant in our lives has become the voice of the reporter on the small transistor radio giving reports every few seconds of the location and resulting losses from the explosion we just heard, or other attacks farther off on the Strip. This is not to mention the relentless sound of one or more of the Israeli Apache helicopters, F-16's or drones flying overhead. […] We are now unable to distinguish joy from fear. My 11-year old sister laughs as she imagines how people all over the world watch the horrific events taking place in the Gaza Strip. “It's like we are a scary movie. I'm sure people eat popcorn as they watch,” she says. My 12- and 14-year old brothers act out scenes from our reality while quoting Metal Gear Solid 4 and Guns of Patriots, their favorite video game, and we laugh hysterically at their performance. Moments later we tense up at the sound of a violent, close by earthquake-like explosion, and resume our laughter when the building stops shaking. Before returning to our building, I couldn't help but stare at it for a moment and think that our homes might not always be safe places. But, still, they give us a sense of warmth, security and protection that are worth fighting for till the very end. I also couldn't help staring at the sky. The stars were beautiful and seemed to shine brighter than ever. I could make out several constellations and I counted five Israeli warplanes.
Canadian activist, Eva Bartlett, blogs at In Gaza:
Some mornings I wake up from a new explosion and realize I’ve somehow managed to fall into a sleep despite the blasts.  Other mornings, I wake up disoriented, first wondering where I am, as I’m sleeping in some hospital waiting room or ambulance office, or the house of a driver since the Red Crescent office in eastern Jabaliya was first shelled and then made off-limits by the invading Israeli forces in the eastern Jabaliya region…and the north, the northwest, the east, the south…
[…]
3:20 am: I’ve left the bed and given up on feigning sleep.  Am watching the darkness explode with the political hatred that not only kills but silences truth.  Hatred in every blast pounding Gaza.
[…]
Hours later, after the sun finally rises. Women are walking onto the hospital premises, large towel-covered platters on their heads. A small electric stove is plugged in, and they take turns baking bread for their families: no gas, no electricity at home. They are lucky to have the flour to bake with, and I guess that a trickle of that aid that only trickles in has reached them. But it’s never enough.
Prof. Said Abdelwahed, who teaches English at Al-Azhar University, writes at Moments of Gaza:
My family and I have been surprised by the electric power for the first time after 15 days of utter darkness! It was a moment of excitement for the children. Now they are not scared though aircrafts are over us! Also, we can watch some TV channels as others are jammed. Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya are among the jammed ones. Now, a blast in the distance! My family are okay; my mother, sister, brothers and their families are safer than me though it is not safe for anyone in Gaza those days, but everything in life is relative.
Lebanese activist Natalie Abou Shakra, who blogs at Moments of Gaza, is staying with a Palestinian family, and can't bear the thought of anything happening to the young son, Abdel Aziz:
If something happens to Abdel Aziz… I do not think I shall be able to go on…
Look into your child's eyes… what would happen if he was massacred the way the Israelis are massacring our children… look at them as they sleep at night… in their beds… would it be alright if you didn't know if they would make it till the next day? Would it?
As I left, Sitt Wafaa gave me some bread to take with me to eat… I go outside, and “BOMB”… I fly… they bombed the adjacent building… I shield myself from dust… the ringing in my ears is deafening… dust covers my hair… I hear Sitt Wafaa scream my name… am I dead, I ask myself? No, I can still smell my dirty clothes… I am alive… and the smell of dirt if wonderful… I am alive…
Xen Hasan from Manchester in the UK writes at the Electronic Intifada about calling her husband's family in Gaza:
My husband managed to get hold of his sister today in a short and crackly phone call. She is fine, they are all fine, thank God. They have rice still, and they've managed to get some candles. We'll phone again tomorrow. I pray that soon we'll be able to have normal conversations again — what did you do at school today? How was work? What are you making for dinner? I dream of being able to ask these ordinary questions. How many more days do we have to keep making that nerve-wracking phone call, and wondering who those statistics represent?
Mohammad is in Ramallah in the West Bank, and he too writes about the phone calls he has been making to his family in Gaza, at the Arab-American blog KABOBfest:
I called Khan Younis next. Jasim didn't pick up. I hoped he was sleeping. Mahmoud answered though, but he sounded distracted. I could hear the radio blaring. I asked him what was happening. He told me the Israelis had showered the village of Khuza'a in the east with white phosphorous and that many buildings there had been set alight. He had been calling friends there. People were running from house to house and from street to street, trying to avoid the chemicals. He was trying to find out who was being brought in to Naser Hospital, the hospital a few blocks away where I was born. He said there were a lot of injuries because people were inhaling the chemical and the smoke. Nobody is sure how to treat it, and nobody is sure how to avoid it when it rains down from the sky. […] The scary thing about Gaza these days is that even Israel doesn't seem to know what it is trying to do. As I said at the opening of this post, the goals seem to be ever changing, always getting smaller and less ambitious. It is using chemical weapons in heavily crowded neighborhoods, F-16 missiles on homes, mosques and schools. It has left many hundreds dead, many hundreds more so wounded that few will ever be able to live a normal life again.
Australian activist Sharyn Lock, who writes at Tales to Tell, also relays accounts that phosphorus shells are being used:
Mo has just been speaking to his sister, his family were receiving the phosphorous bombs all night last night, in Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis, she said the bombs smell like sewage. She said just in their area there were 110 injuries from the phosphorous. Today they fled their house and went to relatives. We called the Ministry of Health to ask if they have analysed the substances involved, but they said that unfortunately they simply don’t have the resources to do so and have to wait on outside confirmation.
We end with an impassioned statement by Natalie Abou Shakra:
Take note; our pens do sway, in every direction. They insist, persist and spit out the bullets of your oppression.
Take note; our journals are filled with the acts of your wretched intentions, of your day-to-day crimes against our existence, of your delirious threats and excruciating torture.
Take note; our tongues will live to narrate, tales of the history of your racism, your apartheid world, and your ignorant hatred.


text:
Poland: Does Tusk deliver on his promises? · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Polandian discusses whether Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his governing party, Civic Platform, actually have delivered on any of their promises after more than a year in power.


text:
Russia-Ukraine: The middleman of gas crisis · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Robert Amsterdam discusses the role of RosUkrEnergo – the intermediary company that allegedly milks the profits out of the gas transit through Ukraine between Russian Gazprom and Ukrainian Naftogaz.


text:
Singapore: Chambermaid vs foreign maid · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Kaffein-nated from Singapore criticizes the inconsistency of a government minister who argues that it is honorable to be a chambermaid but working as a maid in other countries is a demeaning job.


text:
South Africa: Why condemning Israel is wrong · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Justin Hartman is upset about the ANC, the ruling South African party, condemning the attacks on Gaza by Israel: “…this upsets me is because our leaders are quick to jump on this political band-wagon while they’ve done absolutely nothing about the bigger problem just outside our borders – Zimbabwe. Why they’ve chosen to pick sides in this conflict and done nothing about the epidemic in Zimbabwe baffles me.”


text:
Wildlife Tragedies and Happenings at WildlifeDirect Blogs · Global Voices
Samuel Maina

Attempts to flush out Uganda's Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group's leader, Joseph Kony, have not been very successful. Instead, the civilian casualties continue to pile up. One devastating tragedy for wildlife conservation, as reported on the conservation blog Baraza, was the attack on Garamba National Park rangers by the LRA rebels on 2 January 2009.
According to a press statement issued by the authorities at Garamba National Park on 6 January and distributed by WildlifeDirect, the rebels killed 8 people including 2 rangers and 2 wives of wardens in addition to causing untold damage to property. A debate has however ensued on Baraza as to who is indeed responsible for the attack.
In Kenya, the Whale Sharks blog reports an incident in Diani Beach on Kenya's Indian Ocean coastline where a Humpback Whale was caught in a fishing net donated to the local fishermen by a development NGO. This post is actually a protest since the Whale Shark Trust that runs this blog believe that the nets are inappropriate and illegal. They have reported a similar tragic entanglement of humpback whales before in their blog and are calling for intervention.
Still in Kenya, a bizarre occurrence has been reported in Samburu where a leopard preyed on another leopard. This case of cannibalism is indeed shocking. Cannibalism among mammals is reported occasionally but it commonly involves killing and eating of young (infanticide) by male animals to eliminate competition. The Ewaso Lions blog describes this incident here.
On a brighter note, 2009 is the year of the gorilla. Gorilla Protection blog introduces readers to the actions that have already been taken to kick start the celebration of this majestic Great Ape.

author: Samuel Maina


text:
Zimbabwe: Running out of money and zeroes · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

World Bank economist and blogger Shanta Devarajan of the Africa Can blog, posted a letter sent by a friend in Zimbabwe describing the long lines at the ATM's and banks to withdraw money. On the other hand, This is Zimbabwe describes the confusion people experience with zeroes, since everything costs a few billions, trillions or zentillions?


text:
Algeria: Maghreb/Sahel blog proposal · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“I have an idea: Why not create a multi-author English-language Maghreb/Sahel blog? There are enough general MENA/Arab Middle East blogs in this vain, but stupendously few blogs that bring together English-speaking bloggers, academics and political scientists specifically about North [west] Africa,” writes Algerian blogger The Moor Next Door.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


text:
Armenia: Public Transport · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Despite being the second largest city in the country, journeying to Gyumri from the capital, Yerevan, is not for anyone other than the hardiest of travelers. The Armenian Observer recounts a recent trip and says that while minibuses might be fast and cheap, they are often overcrowded and uncomfortable.

author: Onnik Krikorian


text:
Bangladesh: Against Corruption  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Meandering Memos is impressed with the improvement of Bangladesh in the corrupted countries index and suggests ways forward.

author: Rezwan


text:
Barbados: Literary Winners  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

From Barbados, Gallimaufry blogs about the winners of the 2009 Frank Collymore Literary Award.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


text:
Cayman Islands: Gun Violence · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Mad Bull is monitoring the crime situation in the Cayman Islands.


text:
China: Censorship on Charter 08 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Uln from Chinayouren wrote on the censorship of Charter 08 within mainland China, in particular among Chinese websites.

author: Oiwan Lam


text:
China: Support National Brand · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A new website, I wall China, has been set up to support national brand. Netizens are encouraged to vote for their favorite brand. The background music is also very national.


text:
China: The Human Flesh Search Pact  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN has translated the human flesh search pact launched by digtech.cn.


text:
Cuba: Spain, Cuba & the Embargo  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuban bloggers weigh in on Spain's suggestion to the international community that “Cuba will change its ways if the world would only talk to them”. Uncommon Sense: “The Spanish government has a lot at stake with its soft-shoe approach — starting with billions of Euros invested in Cuban tourism and other trade — so it is not surprising…”; Havana Times.org confirms that “Spain is the EU country with the most investments in Cuba”, while Circles Robinson asks: “Does the Cuban government really want Barack Obama to end the half-century US blockade of the island?”


text:
Egypt: Heikal on Gaza · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

MrEgypt sheds light on the recent interview by Al Jazeera with Muhammed Hassanein Heikal, one of the most important, famous and respected journalists in the Arab world. He summed up Heikal's talk in three main points: the situation in Gaza, the Egyptian position, and the regional status.

author: Eman AbdElRahman


text:
Estonia: Aftermath of Bronze Soldier Acquittal · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

AnTyx addresses the issue of the acquittals of four people standing trial for the April 2007 Bronze Soldier riots, and praises the impartiality of the Estonian judiciary.