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Romania: NATO Summit · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Andy of Csíkszereda Musings writes about the NATO Summit in Bucharest: “Bucharest is being flooded with loads of violent, aggressive and corrupt criminals. Any sane immigration policy would have kept these people out of the country and turned them back at the airport, but Romania instead is welcoming them and even cleaning up the city before them to make their stay a happier one.”


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Singapore: Improving public transportation · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Ian on the red dot is asking how the people of Singapore can improve the public transport system.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Mong Palatino


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South Africa: Dancing to keep out of trouble · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A video of a project using recreation to keep kids of the streets: “This video was filmed at the Egazini Outreach Project in Joza Township in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Egazini is a place where children from the area can express and develop their different artistic talents. The video features a dance group made up of three young girls who create and perform their own dances as a way to express themselves.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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South Africa: Skewed media coverage · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Afrodissent writes about skewed media coverage of victims of intolerance: “Ultimately, though, media coverage of this tragedy has been pitiful. That the story has not received widespread coverage almost implies that such a crime is perceived by media gatekeepers as insignificant – simply not worth column inches or airtime. Where is the anger, the outrage, the debate that was catalysed by the UFS video? There is just deafening, hypocritical silence.”


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Sri Lanka: On Discrimination · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Generation Y Consultant takes a somewhat controversial stand on discrimination.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Sri Lanka: Websites at risk · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

ICT4Peace on launching a new blog – Websites at Risk – to “archive information and knowledge produced on the web in Sri Lanka on human rights, peacebuilding and democratic governance.”


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Thailand’s first snowfall in history · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Residents in a moo baan in tambon Pa Bong, Saraphi district, Chiang Mai, were treated to Thailand’s first snowfall in history. Meteorologists suspect that the snow is the result of global warming.


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Thailand: Getting a driver license · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Blogger Isaan Style writes about getting a driver's license in Thailand.


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Ukraine: Bush and NATO · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Leopolis cites media reports on Bush's visit to Kyiv and quotes a colleague's forecast: “If Ukraine takes any serious steps towards NATO in Bucharest, the scenario for serious civil conflict in summer and fall is ready. If serious measures are postponed, then something else will appear.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Ukraine: Bush in Kyiv; NATO Aspirations · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Taras of Ukrainiana posts a comprehensive overview of George W. Bush's visit to Ukraine, complete with photos and video of the anti-NATO protest that took place in Kyiv. The issue of NATO featured prominently not only on the local level: “What followed was an otherwise boring press conference, except for one question that injected intrigue into the canned atmosphere. A Western reporter asked President Bush whether getting Russia to agree to missile defense deployments involved a certain trade-off — the soft-pedaling of Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. Bush replied that he will seek MAP for Ukraine, but the weight of the question did sink in.”


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Ukraine: Customs Ordeal · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

MoldovAnn spent over two months waiting for a package to get delivered to her in Ukraine. Then, the Ukrainian customs demanded that she pay “$53 in taxes for $100 worth of clothes.” She writes about her ordeal and inquires: “Anybody know what the heck is going on at customs? Can anybody explain to me who thinks 50% custom taxes are a good thing and why?”


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Ukraine: Kerch Churches · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Photos and background on a few Kerch churches – at The Gaws.


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Ukraine: Olechko’s Exhibition · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Olechko is holding an exhibition of her work on April 2-4; her portfolio is here.


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Uruguay: Where to Find Free Wi-Fi in Montevideo · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Martin Balao writes and publishes a Googlemaps mashup of where one can find free wi-fi in Montevideo, Uruguay [es].

author: Eduardo Avila


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Vietnam: Internet speed · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Blogger Saigonnezumi is happy to report that internet connection and internet speed in Vietnam is about to improve.


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Zimbabwe: Elections 2008 in pictures · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

My Zimbabwe Today posts photos of Zimbabwe Elections 2008.


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Zimbabwe: Is Tsvangirai the new president? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Hope writes about the latest press conference by the main opposition in Zimbabwe: “The press conference went on and basically confirmed the MDC’s position that Morgan Tsvangirai was the new President of the country, citing the figures we provided in the PVT table in our previous post.”


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Zimbabwe: Results from 189 constituencies · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Latest Zimbabwe election results from This is Zimbabwe: “The ZEC has now announced a total of 189 constituencies. Zanu PF have 93 seats, and are in the lead by two seats. MDC Tsvangirai have a total of 91, and MDC Mutambara still has 5 seats.”


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Zimbabwe: Still counting… · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Latest information about presidential results in Zimbabwe: “Zimbabwe state broadcasting says that the government is still collecting presidential ballots from across the country. Yeah right, pull the other one. I know we do things slowly in Zimbabwe but this is ridiculous. Never mind water torture, try listening to Zimbabwe state radio and television day in and day out whilst waiting for the drip feed election results.”


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Zimbabwe: Struggling to keep results at bay · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zapiro cartoon posted at Kubatana blog: “It’s hard work keeping those pesky results at bay.”


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Zimbabwe: Zanu PF loses House of Assembly · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zanu PF loses the House of Assembly: “Latest news is that the ZEC have announced that the MDC have control of the House of Assembly!. This is a momentous political development.”


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Algeria: The White Man and Arab Americans · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Algerian Nouri the Moor takes on the Angry Arab News Service‘s Dr Assad Abu Khalil and his references to the White Man. “When the Angry Arab repeatedly rails against the White Man and those who seek to please this White Man, he tells us something about Arab Americans,” he writes.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Armenia: Young, Gay & Depressed · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Armenian Gay & Lesbian Association of New York (AGLA) responds to an email from a LGBT person in Armenia requesting information on immigration and asylum procedures in the U.S. The blog responds, but also offers its assistance in helping LGBT people in Armenia find others in order to feel less isolated and vulnerable.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Australian blogger now a celebrity in the Philippines · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The blog of Australian Brian Gorrell is among the most popular blogs in the Philippines today. Even mainstream media is interested in Gorrell’s blog.


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Bahrain: Call to Parliament to Resign · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif calls upon his country's 40-member parliament to resign.


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Bangladesh: No country for young men · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

A deep disconnect between policy and the people's aspiration explored at Unheard Voices in a post aptly titled “No country for young men”.


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Barbados: “Chefette” Sells · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press, Barbados Underground and Keltruth Corp. blog about the pros and cons of a multi-million dollar land deal.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Grim Anniversary” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Srebrenica Genocide Blog marks a “grim anniversary”: “five years since the first Srebrenica genocide victims were buried” in the village of Potočari.


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Caucasus: Geopolitical Railroads · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Window on Eurasia says that while oil and gas pipelines through the region attract more attention, railroads might have more geopolitical significance. In particular, the blog examines what plans for a new railroad linking Iran and Azerbaijan might mean, and not least on Russian and NATO interests in Eurasia as well as the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh.


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China: Xinhua Commentaries · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chris O'Brien explained the production of Xinhua commentaries, in particular the case of Tibet riot.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Colombia: Movie Based on the Book “Killing Pablo” · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

A movie about the life and times of Colombian drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar based on the book “Killing Pablo” has received the green light.  Good Times in Medellín, Colombia writes that the director Joe Carnahan received permission from Escobar's son to go through with the film.


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Cuba: Role of Religion · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from Havana, Circles Robinson Online says that religion in Cuba is “not what you think”.


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Czech Republic: Paris Hilton in Prague · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Czech Daily Word writes about Paris Hilton's visit to Prague – here and here.


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Egypt: Al Arabiya ‘Not Biased’ · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Egypt, Sandmonkey comments on Al Arabiya's coverage of the Arab Summit in Syria.


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Egypt: Defections and Splinter Groups · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Egypt, Elijah Zarwan updates us with news from the political scene in Cairo. They include defections from the main political party, the creation of a splinter group of the Muslim Brotherhood, the release and possibly more detentions of Muslim Brotherhood members and more.


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Egyptian Shia Blogs · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian Arima introduces us to the Shia blogs of Egypt.


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“Fitna” angers many Indonesians · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Geert Wilders’s film, Fitna, has provoked rallies in Indonesia. Many Indonesians were offended by the anti-Islam message of the film.


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Guam: Dangers of US military presence · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The blog, Peace and Justice for Guam and the Pacific, aims “to provide information about the US military in Guam, with the hope of steering policy away from a dangerous unilateralist course to more sustainable notions of regional development and a strengthening international solidarity.”


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Guyana: Tree Mystery  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana-Gyal solves the mystery of the walking tree.


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Haiti: The Hunger Problem · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“A large amount of investment and political will is needed if the hunger problem alone is to be solved”: Wadner Pierre at HaitiAnalysis.com explains.


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Hungary: More on the Crisis; SZDSZ · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Hungarian Spectrum offers more analysis of the current political crisis and writes about SZDSZ, the Alliance of Free Democrats – the Hungarian Liberal Party, “a deeply divided party.”


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India: Missing daughters · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

HelloJi writes on the concept of son preference, still prevalent in India and how it contributes to the phenomenon of “missing women”.


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India, Pakistan: Conflict within · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Five Rupees has an interesting take on the nature of intra-state conflict management in India and Pakistan.


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Iran: A leading worker activist is in danger · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Socialist Students in Shiraz University has published[Fa] a letter in its blog and warned about the danger that Mahmoud Salehi,a leading wroker activist,faces in prison in Iran.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Haji Firouz,the traditional herald of the Norouz · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Hamid Saidi, an Iranian photo blogger, has published a photo of Haji Firouz,the traditional herald of Norouz.


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Iran:New York City’s Persian parade · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian.com has published several photos from Persian/Iranian parade in NewYork in last Sunday.


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Jamaica: Explosive Material  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“In this post 9/11 world it is hard to brush off any incident,” says Can a Jamaican take Cali? as blogs about the alleged Jamaican bomb-maker.


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Japan: Bottle Tea  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ad Blankestijn from Japan Navigator wrote about the bottle tea business.


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Japan: Otaku Research #1 · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

Matt Alt at Neojaponisme translates a 1983 article by Japanese essayist Nakamori Akio, the first part of the “Otaku Research” series entitled “The City is Full of Otaku”, referring to the “obsessive” subculture in Japan associated with manga and anime.

author: Chris Salzberg


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Jordan: Blog Day Harvest  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Scores of Jordanian bloggers marked Jordan Day with posts celebrating their country and its achievements. Qwaider provides links to the posts here. “This day, wasn't supposed to be so emotional, but emotions were pouring, the day was full of heart and heart felt articles and wonderful comments by amazing people… It was an amazing festival of light, sharing, loving and selfless promotion. I caught my self many times, speechless,” he writes.


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Kazakhstan: Celebrating Nauryz · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nauryz, a Central Asian non-religious celebration of the spring equinox, symbolizes a renewal of the nature. Originating from ancient Mesopotamia, the holiday’s name derives from the Persian, where – just like in Tajik language – Novruz is translated as a “new day”. In Soviet times Nauryz was declared ideologically inconsistent and was curtailed. It came back only with the republic’s independence. For nearly a decade it has been hardly understandable for the people – economic crisis and lack of tradition of the holiday’s celebration made all festivities come down to public open-air fete with shashlyks [kebabs] and yurts [felt tents]. Actually, all other “new holidays” – Independence, Republic and Constitution days – were celebrated in pretty much the same way. But as the wealth of the nation began to swell up after the oil prices went up in early 2000s, the celebrations’ scale and creativity grew prominently. Obvoiously, you think more of the way to salute the holiday when you have money to make a decent festivity.
Last week I asked the bloggers to speak out their thoughts about and attitude towards Nauryz, being both a traditional and an instilled-by-the-state new holiday. ehot opines that Nauryz is historically much more substantial and sensible holiday than New Year, because it has material substrate, which is equinox, while New Year is rooted in administrative system of the Roman empire. bireherz objects: “Nauryz is not accepted; a pagan holiday, just a day-off for me” [ru].
pacifisttt is also skeptical: “I never celebrated it and I don’t put in much sense in it. When I was in school, faculty forced us to do something for Nauryz. Obligations were no fun at all”. whitewomen does not apprehend the holiday either, although she admits that all other holidays don’t provoke too much of her excitement too. “I know that Nauryz marks out beginning of real spring, and I always wait for these days. Not for the holiday, but for the warm weather” [ru].
However, the survey revealed that vast majority of bloggers like Nauryz. razglaz says it brings him joy, because “it is associated with the rebirth and renewal”, and considers that it closely relates to physiology – a hormones’ spring festival.  ia_robot likes the idea of the holiday and also refers to its wonderful season: “holidays can’t be joyless – organism wakes up…”  slavoyara from Pavlodar, traditionally a “less Kazakh” region on the border with Russia, adores Nauryz also: “I literally feel that it’s a frontier; after Nauryz spring rushes in” [ru].
dolphin_kz and pulemetchizza believe it is the first spring holiday, omitting March 8th, International Women’s Day which is widely celebrated in CIS states by the Soviet tradition. “This a really spring holiday, positively different from March 8 – you don’t have to make presents to women or whoever else – just gladly congratulate anybody and everybody with Nauryz. Nice!”, writes pulemetchizza [ru].
Many people use this holiday to make the first outing to the countryside or to the mountains for a picnic. cray_t3d wonders how this holiday can be of no joy: “Spring mood, turning point from winter to the warm season, hot pilaff in the cauldron, trout in the river or delicious grill in the mountains – what can be better than that after dull winter!?”  katena7 and  lulu_razzi also celebrate the holiday with the families by going out of town and stipulate – the holiday is settled down in the society already [ru].
lamanzh adds: “I love this holiday, even though it was introduced officially. It has become our family holiday – and since our family is multi-ethnic, we equally celebrate both Nauryz and Easter!” altynai_star has warm recollections about the holiday, as she belongs to the generation who had Nauryz since childhood: “Everything was coming back to life, and festivities with horses, yurts, delicatessen etc. Now I wait it to meet my whole huge family… Interesting – Nauryz is a holiday that came back”, she concludes [ru].
zhuldyz from Aktobe, Western Kazakhstan, doubts that Nauryz has really settled down in Kazakhstan – perhaps, people have just got used to it, she supposes. whlevart is even more downcast because of the mania for showcasing that local authorities seem to have: “I think the mess gets worse – they even installed fur tree for Nauryz! In previous years, it was possible to enter any yurt on the main square and try delicacies and stuff. This year’s celebration was a complete tinsel show” [ru].
Perhaps, the main reason why multi-ethnic population of Kazakhstan tends to be more positive about Nauryz is the spring season indeed, but also a fact that the holiday is fully non-political. Neither of other new holidays can boast such love of the people so far.

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kazkahstan: Ethno-Rock Band Tours USA · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nyura reports that Kazakhstan's first “experimental neo-traditional ethno-rock” band, Roksonaki, is finishing up their Nauryz 2008 tour in the Washington D. C. area, where they have done 3-4 day residencies at several different universities, visited schools, and most of the concerts have been free.


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Kenya: Digital Villages Project · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Al Kags writes about digital villages project: “The project to launch digital villages across the Kenya has kicked of with the Kenya ICT Board calling for applications for entrepreneurs who would like to run digital villages to apply for the training support, which is phase 1 of the Digital Villages project.”


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Macedonia, Greece: Name Dispute and NATO · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A roundup on the Macedonia-Greece name dispute: Balkan Baby writes that posters in the capital of Macedonia “featuring a customised version of the Greek flag in which the cross […] was replaced with a swastika” did “nothing but shoot Macedonia in the foot”; A Fistful of Euros examines “one of those perfect Balkan storms where you have obnoxious and stupid behavior that leads to even more obnoxious and stupid behavior”; Say: Macedonia pledges to call Greece “‘the Former Macedonian Province of Greece’, or FMPG for short” from now on; Greater Surbiton mocks the Greek Foreign Minister; The Board, a blog written by the New York Times editorial board, notes that “tiny Macedonia doesn’t threaten Greece under any name.”


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Mexico: Raise in Bus Fare In Accordance with Inflation · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Vivir México [es] writes that the Mexico City government is considering raising public bus fare in accordance with inflation, but wonders why the government does not consider improving service at the same time.


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Nepal: Pro-Tibet protest · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Feringhee has photographs of the Pro-Tibet protest outside the Embassy of China in Nepal.


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Nicaragua: Suspending Elections Due to Hurricane Felix · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Alfredo Rivas of the Nicaraguan Report states that President Daniel Ortega is proposing to suspend local elections in order to allow regions to recover from Hurricane Felix.  However, Rivas believes that Ortega may disenfranchise voters because their potential results would be unfavorable to his party.


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Palau: A plane for the president · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Reacting to a news report that the Palau president was stranded in a Philippine airport, a reader of okedyulabeluu’s blog suggests that it's time to purchase a plane for the president.


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Palau President stranded at Philippine airport · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Blogger preMEDitated is embarrassed and ashamed over the decision of an airline to frisk the Palau President in a Philippine airport


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Palestine: Rice’s Visit ‘Disingenuous’  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“As prospects of true peace in Palestine look as bleak as ever, mainly because of Israeli intransigence and American complicity with the Zionist state, peace-loving people in the Middle East and around the world are once again affronted by yet another disingenuous visit to the region by US Secretary of State,” writes Khaled Amayreh, from Palestine.


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Paraguay: Reactions to Racist Article Against Indigenous · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Margarida C. collects reactions to the “Most Racist Article of the Year” award given to the newspaper La Nación of Paraguay, which had “compared Paraguaya Indians to a ‘dangerous cancer’ and described them as ‘filthy’.”


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Peru: The Nomadas Film Project · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Cinencuentro [es] writes about the Nomadas project, a traveling film company that is currently located in the Southern part of Peru.  Its objective is to promote Peruvian cinema and participates in health campaigns through the use of audiovisual tools.


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Saudi Arabia:  Fouad al-Farhan’s blog and Freefouad blocked · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

The blog of the detained Saudi blogger Fouad al-Farhan has been blocked today in Saudi Arabia, along with Freefouad blog.

author: sami ben gharbia


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Serbia, Kosovo: Credibility of a B92’s Report · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Fistful of Euros questions the credibility of B92's report on “Kosovo as the ‘heart of [the] Balkan drug route’.”


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South Korea: Economic Policy · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

James from Two Koreas compared the economic policy of former and present South Korea President Roh and Lee.


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Turkey: Assimilation · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Blogian posts some fascinating photographs of Armenian women who were kidnapped from their families during the 1915 Genocide and assimilated into Turkish and Kurdish families. Eventually married off, the women in the photographs bear various tattoos as custom dictated. However, the blog says, despite outrage at what it considers to be an early form of human trafficking, the Armenian government does nothing to stop the trade today.


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Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan: At the NATO Summit · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Patrick Frost opines on the participation of two important Central Asian guests, Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov and Turkmenistan’s leader, President Berdymukhammedov, in the NATO Summit in Bucharest.


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Ukraine: “No Go from NATO” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A roundup on Ukraine and NATO: A Fistful of Euros reads Yushchenko's address and isn't surprised “other NATO countries are balking”; Mark MacKinnon writes that granting membership to Ukraine might lead to “further internal strife”; Eternal Remont highlights the Communists’ “sophisticated and highly nuanced policy position”; Ukrainiana posts a video of another Ukrainian political group greeting Bush; Orange Ukraine posts a note on the four years of NATO's words and deeds regarding Ukraine's membership, writes about the “craven capitulation of Germany and France to Russia,” and reports on this year's pathetic April Fool's Day in Odesa, followed by an anti-NATO rally: “Since Odesa has been dragged down into the leaden stupidity of politics, the citizens can't muster the light wittiness that made the city so unique.”


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“Uplifting” the women of Fiji · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Blogger Babasiga reports about a project that collects bras for the women in rural areas of Fiji.


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Uruguay: The World’s Largest BBQ · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Over 12,000 kg of meat is set to be on the barbeque, when Uruguayans aim to enter into the Guinness Book of World Records [es] at an event that will take place on April 13.  They hope to top the previous record set by Mexican BBQ aficinados who grilled over 8,000 kg of meat, writes Martin Balao.


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Uzbekistan: Blogging fosters freedom of speech · Global Voices
Tolkun

Recently, the U.S. State Department has ranked Uzbekistan among “top ten” of the most authoritarian countries in the world. During almost two decades of his reign, president I. Karimov and his clan have taken control of all spheres of life in the country – political, economic and social. Civil society, which emerged and was developing in the country after the collapse of Soviet Union, has felt the severe pressure of Karimov's regime, especially after the Andijon events in 2005 that resulted in international sanctions on Uzbekistan. The state has full power over mainstream media in the country. Even though Karimov glorifies democratic values in his public speeches, there is no freedom of speech in the country. However, today, voices are breaking through via new media – blogs.
One of such cyber-activists is Gerchik, discussing sociopolitical problems in the country in his blog. In his most recent post, Gerchik writes about the reasons why people may leave Uzbekistan and lists vital social problems that his community is suffering from [ru]:
1. Electricity cut-offs in the cities for two and more weeks, even on holidays. Reason: disorganized work of the State Electricity Department staff, which collects payment for electricity. Moreover, they take bribes by “rewinding” the electricity meter back.
2. Electricity supply is limited to 4 hours a day in rural areas;
3. There is a great shortage of natural gas in public use, despite the fact that we the country is rich in natural gas;
4. An average Uzbek can't feed family doing his job in Uzbekistan, so people are forced to become migrant workers;
5. An average Uzbek family is not able to pay for utilities;
6. The state officials are impudent enough to publicly lie that an average Uzbek citizen earns 200 USD per month;
7. And these state officials are re-elected to the third term!
The post, which reflects reality in most parts of Uzbekistan, has generated lots of comments from other people, who suffer from the same problems. One such comment reads [ru]:
I live in the suburb of Tashkent [capital city]. Cuts of hot water and gas were regular during the whole winter. Electricity was cuting off repeatedly during a day… My parents live in Syrdarya. They didn't have gas for the whole winter. Even now its supply is very low. People don't have access to drinking water in their houses and are to go a long way round for it.
In another post, Gerchik opines on the politics in Uzbekistan and asks readers a question that was raised by one of his friends, who apparently tried to justify the current regime's actions [ru]:
Imagine a situation: you have been making your way up in your career for very long time. Finally, you become a president. What will you do? Will you try to make your life better by gaining enormous fortunes and taking your nation's wealth – big luxurious houses, top brand cars, yacht, house on the seashore and big businesses – or, will you try to change the situation in the country for the better by spending all the money for, say, development of education in the country?
This post provoked a heated discussion among readers. Each of them gave their own view on the situation.
It is hard to answer this question. Why? First, I will never become a president. Second, the problem is not only in the president. But if I became a president, I would first take care of myself. Who would do the opposite? I guess no one.
Khorezm writes about the recent rally of several hundreds of women in the center of Urgench. They were complaining about relocation of the city market to the suburbs and about the distribution of sales outlets on a new place. As Khoresm reports, the protesters wanted a dialogue with the governor. However, when they approached Hokimiyat [city administration building] they were stopped by a chain of policemen [ru]:
The crowd was stopped by a chain of Special Squad… Even though women had no arms, the policemen were wearing helmets and body armours… As a result, the crowd jamme up the traffic… The atmosphere was tense. A rumor that the policemen had allegedly beat up one of the demonstrators made the situation worse… There was a mobile headquarters of Special Squad nearby, which, if the situation went worse, could give orders for more drastic measures… However, police managed to split the protesters into groups and finally disperse the crowd by the noon… Demonstrators decided to address their problem to the local TV channels or to RFE/RL reporters.
Also posted on Global Voices Online.

author: Tolkun


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Video and mobile video contests for global citizen journalists. · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Three different video contests open for video bloggers from around the world to participate in, either especifically geared for citizen  journalists or with a category for them. One for mobile movies, one to promote causes you care for and the last to report news through online video. So bring out your cameras and read on to discover how to participate.
From Spain, ElPais.com brings us the Movil Film Fest, an online mobile 1 minute video contest. Although it is geared primarily to locally made movies, which they call “national”, there are no restrictions regarding nationality of the producers, although only the local films will compete for the main awards, videos from outside Spain will have their own category.  All the videos have to be less than 1 minute long and have been shot with cell phones or PDAs, what they call mobile communication terminals. There is time until April 21st 2008 to submit a video.
The novelty is that this year they will have an award for Best Citizen Journalism piece, although they haven´t yet mentioned what the prize will be. There will also be a honourable mention for the best foreign film and the best “made 4 mobile” film. Judges will vote for the main categories and viewers will get to vote for their favorite for a final viewer´s choice category. Last year voting took place through SMS messages, but this year they eliminated that and opened it to online vote. Last year´s submitted videos can be found following this link.
The second contest is a worldwide contest based on myspace.com social networking site. They are requesting for youth between 14 and 24 years of age from all around the world to “Film your issue” in more than 30 seconds but less than 2 minutes. Prizes include internships at different organizations such as USA Today, The United Nations and the Humane Society, however there are citizenship restrictions and mostly the winners will have to pay for their tickets, lodging and meals during their internships, and the $5000 USD College scholarship is only valid for US citizens, making the prizes themselves less attractive for international participants. However, the winning videos would be broadcast on different networks, TV stations and websites, making street cred and bragging rights the likelier reward for the foreign participants. Already some videos have been uploaded for this contest, and participants have time until April 14th to participate in any of the several issue categories.
Last year's International Jury Selection winner was Dolly Ovadia Nahon from Haifa, Israel, who wrote:
“I chose woman trafficking because it feels to me that its a subject that has fallen out of the social agenda, prostitutes are stigmatized and that makes there freedom less viable.
800,000-900,000 women and children are trafficked and prostituted against their will worldwide each year. This is the story of one of them. Modern Slavery must be Stoped!!!”
Here are three contests open for citizens of any nationality: do you know of any other contests for citizen media videos in your country or region? We would love it if you shared this information in the comments!

author: Juliana Rincón Parra


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Yemen: Free Yemen Portal Launched · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“The anti-website censorship website freeyemenportal.org was officially launched today by Mideast Youth and YemenPortal.net as part of an ongoing campaign to free yemenportal.net from a two-month long ban imposed by the Yemeni government,”  reports Mideast Youth. Global Voices Advocacy has previously reported on the block here.


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Zimbabwe: Is global media biased?  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Dumisani is critical of global media coverage of Zimbabwe elections: “It is shocking how the media in South Africa and that emanating mainly from countries in Europe and North America has gone ahead and made bold declarations about Zimbabwe’s recent election without paying much attention to the legal proceedings that dictate the unfolding of events here.”


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Zimbabwe: Political jokes · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Comrade Fatso writes about political jokes in Zimbabwe: “Anyone know someone with a truck? There's a guy wanting to move all his stuff from State House to Zvimba. The jokes spread as text messages refer to our aged dictator relocating to his rural home. People really do believe this is a general election – because our generals decide who gets elected. Another joke walking the streets of Harare is that the only difference between an election and an erection is that you can't rig the latter.”


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Zimbabwe: The post-voting electoral process · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Dumisani explains why election results in Zimbabwe are not coming in fast: “The mistake most people are making is that they see the result outside one polling station, take that as the overall result and then cry “that results are out. Why are they not being announced” and are completely ignorant of the process that must be taken to ensure that all parties involved at that local level are satisfied.”


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Zimbabwe: The Rumour Capital · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Harara is the rumour capital of Zimbabwe: “Our only non-state daily newspaper was bombed so the people’s paper is the people’s stories, nyayas that circulate like a whisper at a bottle store. Mugabe has fled to Malaysia. Morgan has 68% of the presidential vote. Mujuru has lost her seat. Morgan’s win is being broadcast live on TV. A people starved of truth begin to manufacture their own.”


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Zimbabwe: What Zimbabweans want · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kubatana blog publishes views of ordinary Zimbabweans: “Here is more of what ordinary Zimbabweans want to see change in a free Zimbabwe. This information comes from feedback from a Kubatana.net email newsletter in which we asked for ideas . . . “


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Afghanistan: Talking to the Enemy · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Joshua Foust looks at the political parties in Afghanistan, particularly at the the United National Front, whose nature and course seems to be deeply worrisome for Afghanistan’s future.


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Afghanistan: Two Young Men Stoned to Death · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Mohammad Fahim reports that two young lovers were stoned to death in the southern province of Afghanistan after they decided to leave their village and start new life, but were caught by the Taliban fighters, who found them guilty of adultery and sentenced them to death.


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Angola: Celebrating the peace anniversary · Global Voices
Paula Góes

In a post called ‘Peace’, PValente [pt] celebrates peace in Angola after the end of the civil war, in 04/04/2002, and publishes his pictures of the commemorative T-shirt to “mark the 6th anniversary of the day of peace and national reconciliation in Angola.”

author: Paula Góes


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Armenia: Diary of an Opposition Activist · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

After a reader sent Unzipped the scanned pages of a diary written during the recent opposition protests in Yerevan by French-Armenian Karabakh war veteran Sargis Hatspanian, the Armenaker Kamilion posts the first installment of an English translation.


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Armenia: Union With Russia · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped reports that the Vice Speaker of the Russian Duma has suggested that “Russia and Armenia should form a union state.” The blog says it is shocked by such calls and seems interested in starting a discussion on the matter.


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Armenia: Water Ownership · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Water Law Blog examines the situation of Armenia's domestic water supply and sewer services following the collapse of the former Soviet Union. In particular, the blog looks at privatization of water facilities in the country which it concludes simply means handing over control to the French. However, the blog says, there are public concerns about the cost to the consumer as a result.


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B-razi-loggers Rage and Roll Against ISO Approval of Microsoft Standard · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

April fool's day this year has brought a bitter taste to the Brazilian open source community. The announcement of the approval of Microsoft's Open XML Format (OOXML) as an ISO/IEC International Standard was, at first, seen as some kind of joke. After all, OOXML had lost a vote on its adoption at ISO in September 2007. The voting members had requested hundreds of adjustments to the standard however it is widely known that today the majority have remained unimplemented. But let's check out why such a drab debate over technical standards has caught the attention of so many bloggers in Brazil.
The open source movement in Brazil, with all its successes and failures,  has somehow turned into a cultural trend. In this context, Microsoft's Office suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.) and its proprietary files’ format became the very symbol of the monopolistic obstacle against the freedom pursued by free software activists, and also the main target of government agencies’ official substitution policies. Where the Linux operating system was still not ready to reign, at least OpenOffice — with it's ISO approved ODF file format standard — could help breaking Microsoft's cultural hegemony. And it worked!
In fact, it seems that the strategy has worked too well. Microsoft started to see its multi-billion dollar Office business model menaced by the rising trend of governments giving preference to open standards in their decisions on software acquisition. The tactical reaction of Microsoft in defense of their monopoly position was to blitz for the sanction of their incompatible alternative format Open XML as a second ISO standard. Bloggers decried that the strategy used to carry OOXML through the ISO fast-track process has damaged the standard's credibility and created serious consequences for the whole concept of open standards. Indeed, Microsoft tactics can bring forth an intense rage among those Brazilians who have worked so long and so hard for open standards, and it is not surprising to see MS portrayed not merely as a monopolist but as a monster.
Deixando-se penetrar por um processo que, embora tenha seguido (ainda mal-e-mal) a letra da norma, foi corrompido por trás dos panos por uma série de questionamentos, irregulariedades, lobbies e afins, a ISO perdeu (ou ao menos manchou) sua credibilidade. Se tal aprovação viesse de um consenso, seja por Fast-Track ou não, a ISO manteria sua credibilidade. Porém, ao aceitar as pressões de Redmond e não questionar como as coisas ocorreram nos países, aceitando passivamente isso, ela deixou essa credibilidade ser maculada (de maneira permanente, potencialmente) e, desse modo, colocou em xeque TODOS os padrões ISO.
OOXML = ISO 29500 – Microsoft Ganha, todos perdemos – Linux… e mais coisas
The novel twist is this case seems to be that being open has brought a commercial advantage to open source initiatives based on the ODF standard, and Microsoft was forced to adapt to the new situation. As deep-seated rivals, Microsoft and Brazilian officials who were dedicated to open source were not entirely ready to face each other in an open exchange at first.
E para piorar um pouco as coisas, a Microsoft, do alto de sua “auto-atribuída” superioridade, e fazendo uso mais uma vez de sua notória arrogância, chegou a afirmar, em janeiro, quando da ocorrência do “Grupo de Trabalho 2” na CE-21:034.00“, na ABNT, grupo este que tinha por objetivo “analisar as respostas da ECMA ao grupo de comentários enviados ao ISO/IEC DIS 29500“, que “o Brasil não deveria opinar se não conseguisse concluir as análises“. Ora, só de comentários brasileiros eram mais de 2000: seria este um número pouco expressivo?
O OOXML foi infelizmente aprovado pela ISO – Open2Tech
It must have been the first time that so many countries have engaged in the debate over a technical standard. From the open source side, the communities are proud of their ODF/ISO-26300 standard, which aroused the giant Microsoft to wage a global war only to make their spec match ODF's status. From the other side, huge commercial interests are at stake when Microsoft-based third-party vendors around the world are at risk of being excluded from contracts because the company has no ISO approved format. National delegations were in charge of the vote, and bloggers are decrying that ‘non-technical’ issues have influenced the decision.
Quando lemos em blogs e na mídia especializada o que aconteceu em diversos países, onde grupos técnicos foram contra a aprovação, mas o staff do NB local optou pelo voto SIM ou se absteve, devemos reconhecer e aplaudir a lisura e excelência do trabalho efetuado no Brasil pela ABNT, que foi, sem sombra de dúvidas, um exemplo de comportamento que deveria ser copiado pelos NBs do mundo todo!
OpenXML foi aprovado…e agora? – Movimento Software Livre Paraná
Na ISO vimos muitos países, covardes e/ou incompetentes, não votaram, tais como os nossos vizinhos: Chile e Argentina e outros “importantes” países: Holanda, Austrália, Bélgica, França, Itália, Rússia, Espanha, Luxemburgo, Malásia, Siri Lanka, Turquia, Vietnã, Zimbaue e Quênia. Todos esses abstiveram-se. Terrível!!! agora os softwares suites de escritórios ficarão como carregadores de celular, bivolts (com ODF e OpenXML).
(Comentário de Movimento Software Livre Paraná em Open XML: Eles realmente ganharam?)
O Vitorio falou desses países, foi realmente triste. mas o pior é ter constatado distorção em votos importantes como o da Noruega, que chegou a pedir publicamente a mudança de seu voto para Não – digamos que 24 votaram Não, 2 Sim e o voto da Noruega passou como Sim… triste! Fora outras várias irregulariedades como na *Itália*, Portugal, França, Alemanha, Polônia, *Holanda*, Suíça, Suécia e vários outros, incluindo os EUA. Realmente, aquela frase deles “Money Talks” é verdadeira. E imagino como envergonhados muitos técnicos ligados as esses países ondem houve distorção estão. Eles estudam, investigam e concluem que não presta como padrão. Votam contra. E seu voto passa como Sim ou “Absteve”.
(Comment from Movimento Software Livre Paraná at Open XML: Eles realmente ganharam?)
A prominent name of this debate is Jomar Silva, General Director of the Brazilian Chapter of the ODF Alliance and member of the Brazilian delegation, who is blogging in Portuguese and in English. His reports are providing an inside perspective on the debate.
Segundo o post do Jomar que esteve no BRM da ISO, um cidadão chegou nele num intervalo e sutilmente pediu para que não levantasse uma questão importante no processo do OOXML da Microsoft virar ou não um padrão ISO: a inexistência do mapeamento entre o formato legado (ex: .doc) e o formato novo (ex: .docx)… Se esse mapeamento não fizer parte da especificação OOXML, seu objetivo primordial é inválido. A especificação é inválida. E a delegação brasileira queria levantar essa bola: cadê o mapeamento ? Mas o barraco aqui é outro. Um cidadão pedir pra ele não levantar essa bola é uma coisa… O que me escapa o entendimento é por que a ISO não deixou o Brasil apresentar esse questionamento ? Só sei que a blogosfera vai desabar sobre esse assunto nos próximos dias e vou acompanhar de perto os blogs do Rob Weir, Bob Sutor, Andy Updegrove, Groklaw e a quantidade de reações que o post traduzido do Jomar recebe. Muitos desses blogs já estão descendo a lenha.
Está rolando um barraco na ISO – Avi Alkalay
It is worth mentioning that even Jomar Silva, a fiery ODF standard advocate, is among the commenters able to find positive perspectives brought by the whole process. Obviously, Microsoft's retreat from proprietary file formats to open and XML-based (easier to manipulate, produce and consume) file formats is good news. And their commitment to work on translators to support ODF as native file formats in MS Office is something we would not have expected only a few years ago. In the long run, ODF supporters must be in favor of extoling its features and urging the widest use of it as possible and this would not be accomplished by maintaining a fundamentalist anti-OpenXML position in ISO.
Nós, Brasileiros, ganhamos por ter entrado em uma batalha dessas e ter saído por cima (sem dedo no olho e nem golpe baixo). Jogamos segundo as regras do jogo, ainda que alguns interessados tivessem tentado dar a “sua versão” das regras do jogo o tempo todo. Ganhamos ainda, pois saimos fortalecidos. Nunca fomos tão respeitados no mercado internacional de TI e nunca uma discussão sobre padrões abertos fez tanto parte da agenda de tantas pessoas no mundo e portanto, nunca pudemos falar com tanta propriedade a um público tão seleto. Ganhamos por ter unido nessa discussão gregos e troianos e por termos descoberto que empresas rivais no mercado conseguem sentar, discutir e construir juntas. Este é para mim um novo paradigma, que vai logo logo dar frutos a todos os envolvidos.
Open XML: Eles realmente ganharam? – Jomar Silva @ Void Life (Void)
All things considered, it does seem senseless to close anyone's path to openness, and we all must be ready to adapt to new environments.

author: Jose Murilo


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Bangladesh: A role model for youth · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Unheard Voices asks if Dr Yunus is a good role model for the youth in Bangladesh.


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Barbados: Eye on Zimbabwe · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The handwriting is  on  the wall for sure”: Bajan Global Report is keeping an eye on developments in Zimbabwe.


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Bulgaria: What Can Force a Minister to Resign? · Global Voices
Yavor Mihaylov

On March 18, Ivan Ivanov, deputy director of Bulgaria's special division for combating organized crime (GDBOP), was arrested on charges of corruption and contacts with organized crime groups. The affair flaired up following a hearing of the former GDBOP director Vanyo Tanov before the parliamentary Commission of Internal security and Public Order.
In the course of the hearing it emerged that the minister of the interior Rumen Petkov had also had “unregulated meetings” with alleged members of criminal groups. Minister Petkov dismissed Tanov’s statements as “a bunch of lies.” Later on it became clear, however, that such meetings had indeed taken place.
The inadequate and rude behavior of the minister of the interior at a news conference on March 19 caused widespread indignation. The national TV stations did not air the outrageous footage from the news conference, but it was uploaded on YouTube.com by a journalist who had attended the event.
It was also published on Ivan Bedrov’s blog. The renowned journalist and blogger Bedrov wonders (BUL) whether the minister could have been “high” at the conference.
The public was shocked by the disclosures. Calls on the minister to resign spread on the internet, but for the time being he refuses to tender his resignation.
In this relation, Yovko Lambrev asks (BUL) what else has to happen in the Ministry of Interior and in Bulgaria before we “start kicking out the bad eggs, bad cops and bad governments where they belong …over the board…”
Julian Popov writes (BUL):
One could start a funny business in this country. One could open offices and start taking bets whether Rumen Petkov will go or stay. Whether he will be sacked or not. Whether he will be transfered to a new job or not. Or one could take bets on what is still to happen will actually happen. In a week, month, six months or a year? It is clear to everybody that Rumen Petkov is a grave liability both in the balances of his cabinet and his party [the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party]. However, it is exciting to place bets on when something which is obvious to everybody will become a real denouement. When he actually resigns, work on the definition of a “Petkov quotient” could start. This quotient will measure the time taken to admit in public a truth that is obvious to everybody.
Peyo Popov writes (BUL):
Lately I’ve been feeling like my days are empty if there weren’t a recorded news conference of Rumen Petkov. When I am lucky I watch and laugh in frenzy at taglines like “your bloodthirstiness does not inspire me.” But it is not the vulgarity of the minister that amazes me.”
The blogger admits there is a question he cannot figure out for himself:
What has to happen so that we could see a minister tender his resignation?
This difficult question, still unanswered, inspired Peyo to launch (BUL) a literary contest in the hope that “there should exist in Bulgaria a mind capable in their ingenuity to perceive a series of … events (leading to such a resignation), should it not?”
The participants in the contest are required to write a short story, describing events leading to a minister tendering his/her resignation and to send the text file or a link to the story. The blogger is fundraising for an award for the winner in the contest.
It may seem incredible, but numerous bloggers have already contributed to the award fund and the renowned local blogger Bogomil Shopov has promised that he will make a movie based on the winning story. Nineteen short stories have already been submitted and more are likely to come before the deadline on April 8, while the public is discussing who the winner will be and whether some of the scenarios could come true.

author: Yavor Mihaylov


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Cambodia: Ban on foreign marriages · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Cambodia has stopped processing documents for the marriage of its citizens to foreigners in a move to minimize the possibility of human trafficking.

author: Mong Palatino


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China and Tibet: Post-March 14-Lhasa · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated a Lhasa Han citizen account of the city atmosphere after the riot.


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China: Create Your Own Facebook · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

yangzhiping taught readers how to create their own social network site with open source [zh]. Zoula followed the advice and created his own facebook.


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China: Money Talk · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Zhang Yi-fang from mindmeters reposted two emails that explained the stock market performance in China and the U.S.


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China: Nude Chat a Crime? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Liu Xiaoyuan commented on a recent conviction of a nude chat case by Zhejiang provincial court. The convicted were charged with “distributing obscene object for making profit”. The blogger argued that internet nude chat is a body performance, not an object that can be distributed [zh].


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China: Price Control Can’t Help · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Kaie argued that the Chinese government's policy on the price control won't be able to help the poor as the biggest consumer group is the middle upper class. The government should find ways to improve the the income and social security of the lower class [zh] for relieving the burden of the poor.


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China: Sichuan Aba Riot · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Woser posted an eye-witness account on the Aba (in Sichuan province) Riot in March 16. The article pointed out that on 11 of March, the local police demanded temples to hang the national flag which violated their original religion practice. On 16 of March, some Tibetans attacked a Han shop, and police opened to the protesters [zh].


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China: The Brainwashed Germans and the Demonized China · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated a BBS post on a Chinese’ experience in encountering with Germans, in particular on the issue of Tibet riot.


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China: Wikipedia Unblocked · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

williamlong said that the English wikipedia has been unblocked and the Chinese version can be visited with https [zh]. More websites are expected to unblocked before the Olympics.


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Corruption in Indonesia · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Blogger Hardship Posting reacts to a survey report which shows the Indonesian government as one of the most corrupt in the world.


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Costa Rica: New Recycling Program in Playa Tamarindo · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Sandcruiser writes about a new recycling program in Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica, which will be very good news for the local environment.


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Cuba: Tuning In  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Not only are Cubans now allowed to window shop for flat screen televisions, DVDs and computers but they are about to get a brand new television channel”: Child of the Revolution reports.


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Egypt: Shobrawy’s Notes on Fitna  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian D B Shobrawy discusses his views on the 15-minute movie, Fitna.


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India: Media and the Politicians · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Sacred Media Cow on media management tactics of politicians in India.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Iran:Prostitues’ Photos · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Sibiltala remembers Kaveh Golestan, a leading Iranian photographer, who was killed at the age of 51 as a result of stepping on a landmine in Iraq in 2003. The blogger likes[Fa] Kaveh's photos from Iranian prostitues before Islamic Revolution.


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Iran:Shia News was filtered · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Bahraini says[Fa] that Iranian Shia News site ( a center for Shiite news) was filtered by authorities and nobody explained any reason for this action.The blogger adds the site's managers decided to stop their activities. Watch some photos of Shia News inauguration day.


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Iraq: Women’s Rights Slipping · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Hayder Kamal, at Alive in Baghdad, interviews an activist for women’s rights who discusses her work improving women’s knowledge of their rights.


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Jamaica, U.S.A.: MLK 40 years Later · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican blog Abeng News Magazine honours Martin Luther King by sharing people's recollections of April 4, 1968, while Something Extra remembers when Dr. King visited Jamaica.


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Jordan: Married Men  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Somehow, the fact that a guy got married, and got a kid makes him suddenly a guru, and on anything and everything, including things that are in your area of expertise,” writes Jordanian Qwaider about married men.


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Kazakhstan: Olympic Torch in Almaty · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Adam reports on the Olympic Torch Relay in Almaty, which has become the first city on the Beijing Olympiad’s flame, and shows some video from the event.


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Kazakhstan: Waiting for the Torch · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Kamneed posts some pictures from the streets of Almaty, largest city and former capital of Kazakhstan, showing the citizens’ preparations and expectation of the Olympic torch relay.


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Kosovo: Ramush Haradinaj Acquitted · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Fistful of Euros comments on the acquittal of former Kosovo PM Ramush Haradinaj at the Hague: “Testifying against a popular KLA commander-turned-popular politician: not so easy.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Kuwait: Do Opposites Really Attract? · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Big Pearls from Kuwait asks: “Do opposites really attract?”


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Kyrgyzstan: President’s Visit to Kazakhstan · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Elena reviews politicians’ and analysts’ opinions about the significance of the Kyrgyzstani President’s forthcoming state visit to Kazakhstan.


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Lithuania: Divided Over Kosovo · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lituanica reports that the Lithuanian parliament failed to recognize Kosovo's independence on April Fool's Day.


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Malaysia: Next youth chief · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Who could be the next youth leader of Malaysia's major political party, Johanna's Blog tackles this issue.


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Malaysia: Racial division · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Blogger mahaguru58 writes why Malaysians must liberate themselves from racist mindsets.


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Mexico: Emo Youth Become Targets of Attacks · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

A comment left on an article written by blogger Daniel Hernandez of Intersections wondered, “Is this the Onion?  This is too surreal.”  The Onion is a popular U.S. satirical newspaper that is best known for providing “fake-news” and the individual must have thought that the news found on Hernandez’ blog was taken straight from that periodical.  The news story in question revolved around incidents that took place in Mexico, where “emo” youth were the victims of attacks by groups that specifically targeted them.
In addition to being a genre of music, “emo” can also be considered a lifestyle or a form of self-identity.  La Plaza, the blog from the LA Times writes:
Suddenly, emos are the talk of the town in Mexico City. For the uninitiated, emos are a category of black-clad teenager known for their marked emotionalism—thus the name—and a sexually ambiguous fashion style that combines the dark look of Goth with childlike touches of pink and other bright colors (think Tim Burton meets Hello Kitty.)
In addition, Wikipedia describes some of the fashion:
Emo is also often associated with a certain fashion. The term “emo” is sometimes stereotyped with tight jeans on males and females alike, long fringe (bangs) brushed to one side of the face or over one or both eyes, dyed black, straight hair, tight t-shirts (sometimes with short-sleves) which often bear the names of rock bands (or other designed shirts), studded belts, belt buckles, canvas sneakers or skate shoes or other black shoes (often old and beaten up) and thick, black horn-rimmed glasses. Emo fashion has changed with time. Early trends included straight, unparted hair, tightly fitting sweaters, button-down shirts, and work jackets.
Photo by Daniel Hernandez and used with permission.
Hernandez followed the news story from the very beginning on his blog and in at the LA Weekly, and has even been interviewed on numerous occasions by the international media interested in this “surreal” news story.  How did it all start? Hernandez points to some comments from a popular Mexican TV personality:
In Mexico, emo culture is a butt of many jokes. It is either despised intensely or generally ignored. But it's only the despising sentiment that lately has been getting wide airply. In the above clip, a Televisa on-air personality named Kristoff expresses a serious dose of anti-emo rhetoric and switches to English to say, on network television, “Fucking bullshit” to the emo movement. Some emos I've interviewed point to the Kristoff clip as a defining provocation of the current wave of anti-emo violence. Now check out this clip from another Televisa program where three emos are interviewed about the attacks. At the end, the kid on the left asks if he can say more thing: he directly accuses Kristoff of spreading anti-emo hate.
He also writes about some of the specific early incidents:
The spark came first in Queretaro on March 7. An estimated 800 young people poured into the city's Centro Historico hunting for emos to beat the crap out of. They found some. The next weekend it spread to Mexico City, where emos faced off against punks and rockabillies at the Glorieta de Insurgents, the epicenter of emo social space in the capital. There's also been reports of anti-emo violence in Durango, Colima, and elsewhere.
The incidents led many of the emo youth to become pro-active:
A week ago on Wednesday, emos and their supporters in Mexico City demonstrated in front of the headquarters of the municipal justice department. The action was organized by a Mexico City gay-rights organization, highlighting the contention of some that the anti-emo movement is homophobic, among other undercurrents…
These conflicts have also been drawing a lot more media attention.  The LA Times blog La Plaza also covered the story in conjunction with Mexico Reporter and interviewed one of the youth.  The video can be found on their blog.  Hernandez also writes:
The much-maligned emos of Mexico are now enjoying the world's attention and an outpouring of pity and good vibes from the local government, local rights groups, and the global media. And even D.F.'s well-organized punk movement? Possibly. One rumor I heard today said that on Saturday pro-peace and tolerance punks will rumble with anti-emo punks, once and for all. Could there be a backlash to the backlash?
The Saturday rally ended without violence, as the emos marched under police protection.  Beam TV [es] has photos of the groups that assembled to beat up the emos.
However, in the end, Jessica of Vivir México [es] writes about what this shows about her country:
Esto solo es el reflejo de la intoleracia en Mexico y las autoridades tienen que tomar cartas en el asunto antes de que pase a mayores…
This is just a reflection of the intolerance in Mexico and the authorities must take action before something more serious happens….

author: Eduardo Avila


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Moldova: Mrs. Zinaida Greceanii, the New PM · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Public Policy Watch – Politici Publice in Moldova writes about the new Prime Minister, Mrs. Zinaida Greceanii, and makes “a (wish)list against which I will evaluate her performance until the end of her mandate.”


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Nepal: No alcohol during elections! · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

United We Blog! reports that the sale of alcohol has been banned in Kathmandu during the election period.


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Pakistan: Films and Diplomacy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Changing Up Pakistan! on the film diplomacy in the subcontinent between India and Pakistan.


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Poland: Taxes and Charity · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Polandian writes
about the Polish taxation system: “There is only one thing that makes the whole system bearable. You can donate 1% of what you pay to a charity. This year we’re sending our 1% to the Fundacja Spełnionych Marzeń.”


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Qatar: US Military Aircrafts Crash Lands · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Emgee at Qatar Living links to an Al Jazeera story which says: “A US military aircraft has crash landed at the al-Udeid military base in Qatar. The B1 bomber reportedly suffered technical difficulties and exploded as it attempted to land at the base about 35km from the capital Doha late on Friday.”

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Russia: “A Prescription for Europe, Part 1” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Robert Amsterdam posts Part 1 of “a series of short policy papers […] outlining some recommendations for the European Union to reduce dependency on Russian natural gas, increase competition, and deepen energy security.”


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Russia: More on Litvinenko’s Poisoning · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sean's Russia Blog “revisits” Aleksandr Litvinenko's poisoning case and, among other things, recommends reading a piece the New York Sun by Edward Jay Epstein: “The article’s value is in his questioning of the accepted and unchallenged assumptions about the British investigation, the chain of events, Litvinenko’s movement around London, the role of Berezovsky, and why no one seems to be concerned about finding out where exactly the polonium came from, especially given the global concern for possible nuclear terrorism.” (Epstein's blog is here.)


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Russia: Relations With NATO · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Streetwise Professor writes about the relationship between NATO and Russia: “If NATO expansion does not threaten Russian territory in the slightest, it does sharply constrain Russian freedom of action in Ukraine and Georgia.”


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Russia, U.S.: NATO Summit · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Scraps of Moscow writes about various aspects of the NATO Summit in Bucharest and the coverage it is receiving in the U.S. and Russian media.


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Russia, U.S.: Response to Opinion Piece on Russophobia · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A detailed response to an opinion piece by Andrei Tsygankov, associate professor of international relations at San Francisco State University, who claims that “the U.S. presidential candidates are increasingly playing the Russophobia card in their campaigns” – at Scraps of Moscow.


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Somalia: Mapping pirate activities · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

White Africa writes about a map showing pirate activities in Somalia: “UNOSAT has released the following map of pirate activity off the coast of Somalia in 2007. Fascinating map.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Sri Lanka: Politics and the Village · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Perceptions explains the dynamics of politics and power at the village level in Sri Lanka.


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago: Crime Summit · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Abeni is “very interested in what comes out of the Summit on Crime” which opens today in Trinidad and Tobago.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Suriname, Guyana: Plane Crash Kills 19 · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Airline World says that 20 are feared dead in a plane crash in Suriname, while Guyana Providence Stadium links to a mainstream media report on the tragedy.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Cost of Living · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The extent of the food price inflation is shocking, and I’m not just talking about the fact that $1 will only get you two pholourie these days”: The Liming House wonders whether he can afford to live in Trinidad and Tobago.


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Trinidad & Tobago: Naipaul Revealed · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidadian blogger Sharon Millar explains why she cannot wait to “rush out and buy” The World Is What It Is – The Authorized Biography of V.S. Naipaul.


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UAE: The World’s First Self-Making Bed  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

UAE blogger Fahad Al Mahmood introduces us to the world's first ‘self-making’ bed.


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Zimbabwe: Media wrong on Mugabe · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Is the media wrong on Mugabe?: “Sorry guys, I haven't seen any signs that Robert Mugabe is about to step down. So I also don't know where the press got the idea to trumpet their wish-it-comes-true headlines. Is this hard reporting? Personally I am shocked that we are still capable of such naivete (after the war in Iraq media shambles to name but one example).”


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Zimbabwe: Senate seat results · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Senate seat results in Zimbabwe: “Well, here’s the first batch of Senate seats announced by the ZEC. It’s more of the same ZEC strategy: information being tortuously drip-fed with results being released in neck and neck stages. We know, from David Coltart’s website, that he has not only won his seat but was sworn in on Sunday last weekend; this ZEC we’ll-tell-you-when-we-feel-like-it system is really beginning to bug me.”


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Zimbabwe: Text your dreams · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Kubatana collects dreams for a new Zimbabwe: “In addition to inviting email contributions, we also asked our many SMS subscribers what a new Zimbabwe looks like to them. Read some of their ideas below, and text your dreams for a new Zimbabwe to +263912452201″


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Zimbabwe: Why we are not celebrating · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Comrade Fatso explains why Zimbabweans are not celebrating: “We didn't erupt into celebration yesterday. Foreign journalists and activists expected us to be jubilant, drunk with joy. But for us it's not over until this entire house is demolished, brick by brick. Today the forex dealers are smiling at the fleamarkets. The township activists have a bounce in their step as they trod potholed streets. The waiters talk faster, confident in their banter. But we are not ecstatic. We are Zimbabwean. And we know we haven't won it all yet.”


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Zimbabwe: Zanu PF meeting has just ended · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Zanu PF meeting has just ended, Hope reports from Zimbabwe: I have just received an sms to say that the politbureau meeting – the one which the media is telling us has discussions focussed on the what to do about the Bob problem – has just ended. Nothing more than that at this stage.


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Angola: Miss Landmine Crowned · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Miss Landmine has been crowned: “Augusta Urica is the winner of Miss Landmine beauty pageant in Angola. The pageant was organized for survivors of landmine explosions in the country. Eighteen women competed in the controversial event organized to raise awareness about the ongoing situation with landmines in Angola.”


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Armenia: Spring Didn’t Come – Part 2 · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

The Armenaker Kamilion posts the second installment of pages from a diary chronicling the recent opposition protests in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, written by French-Armenian Karabakh war veteran Sargis Hatspanian.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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China: Taiwan election stirs mainland blogsphere · Global Voices
Bob Chen

The 22 March presidential election in Taiwan has not only influenced the island, but also renderred an unexpected impact on mainland China —- and it's a political one.  As the new president-elect Ma Ying-jeou suggested in his speech after the victory,
几千年来的华人社会，只有台湾能够在这么小的地方，却走的这么远。
In our Chinese society with a thousands-of-years history, nowhere but Taiwan has gone so far on the way of democracy”, the breakaway island of China, as an politics avant-garde, stirred the mind of numerous Chinese .
Due to the last 8-year media propaganda on mainland, Taiwan has been an example of how bad democracy is and that Chinese are not suitable for the western democracy, which means suffrage, votes, multi-party system and justice independence. News about congress delegates slashed and punched each others during sessions has been prevalent on mainland papers and TV, as evidence that democracy brings chaos. Also, the continuous reports on the controversies between the two Taiwan parties created an image of group tension rampant on the island.   And the president Chen shui-bian, who won the re-election in 2004 but pestered by rumors of corruption and bribe, was also thought to be a product of democracy.  But after 22 March, this kind of points is greatly challenged. Just one day after the election of the new Taiwan president, a post by 南熏殿行走 named “After 2.33, no mainlander dares to jeer the democracy in Taiwan is just a farce” appeared on Tianya.com, which incurred it 5 pages of comments.
政府开明了，开明到让我们可以坐在电视机前全程观看台湾大选，开明到我们可以到网络上发表各种政治言论，我们享受到了改革开放前根本不敢想象的自由，但 是我们又是苦涩的，因为我们只能眼睁睁的看着一水之隔，同文同种的同胞享受民主的权利，享受自由的选择。而我们，号称人民民主专政的我们，只能在可怜的村 一级实行直选，而且是极端混乱的直选。 　　 　　台湾的民主，就像一个蹒跚学步的孩子，时常会跌倒，但是毕竟是在努力学着像个人一样站立着 行走，而且越来越成熟，越来越稳健，但是对岸的某些人，死死抓住选举中某些负面的情况，说：看，这就是所谓的民主，不就是闹剧吗？他们所忽略的是，我们连 起码的站立的权利都没有，就像一个高位截瘫的病人，却还摊倒在地上嘲笑刚学会走路的孩子。
The government is going more open, so open that we can watch the presidential election of Taiwan, so open that we can make every kind of political comments online, and enjoy what we could never expect of before the 1980 reform. But on the other hand we suffer from a bitter taste, because we can just WATCH our countrymen across the strait enjoying the democratic rights and the freedom of choice, while our country, which is called “People’s Democratic Dictatorship”, could only have suffrage on the village level, and still a mess.  The democracy in Taiwan is like a toddling child who tumbled at times. But at least, he is learning hard how to walk on feet and going more mature and steady. Some people here, however, stick to a few negative aspects of the vote, saying that the so-called democracy is nothing but a farce. Nevertheless, what they ignore is that we don’t even have the right to stand staright. It’s like a paraplegic laughing at a kid just learning how to walk.
The author further slapped back a prevalent idea in China that Chinese are not cut out for democracy,
如果我们承认这一点，那我们就该为台湾的民主进程感到高兴，甚至自豪。长期有一种言论，认为中国人经历了几千年的专制，不适合也不可能搞民主，即使经济发 达的新加坡，港澳这些华人地区，也谈不上什么民主，但是台湾用它这几天堪称伟大的表现历史性的戳破了这一理论，他证明了中华民族是伟大的民族，不仅在长期 的古代历史中创造了辉煌的文明，不仅在西方列强的宰割中浴血重生，再次掌握自身命运。而且还能反省自身，鼎故革新，走上人类文明现代化的主流道路，这一 切，如果台湾能做到，那理论上已经没有任何障碍证明大陆人不能做到了。
If we concede to this (Taiwanese don’t 100% accept mainlanders), then we should be glad, and even proud of the democratic progress in Taiwan. There is a long-stand point that the Chinese who have been through thousands of years of autarchy are not fitting for and also impossible to have democracy. And even the places like Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau don’t pretty enjoy democracy. However, Taiwan contradicted such a theory with her historic performance in these few days, indicating that Chinese people are great —- we have not only created a splendid civilization in history and resurrected even after the western exploitation, but also self-questioned and refreshed ourselves so as to step on a main avenue of human civilization. As Taiwanese has fulfilled all of this, then theoretically, mainlanders have no problem to be able to do so as well.
And he commented that the “expected” conflict didn’t show up.
败者谢长廷，坦然认输，风度仍在，虽然花招耍尽，但在大局已定的情况下承认失败，接受“人民的决定”，并且激励绿党检讨自身，再图后来，这就是民主政治的 真髓，失败者要输的起，大家虽然政治立场对立，有明有暗各种龌龊斗争，但都承认一个共识：不论胜败，社会的和平稳定和人民的利益才是第一位的。
The loser Xie faced his failure in a decent manner…. This is the nature of democracy, that the losers concede to the fact of failure. Though their political stands might be in conflict, sparring on and under the table going on, but they agree to one point: no matter victory or loss, the social stability and people’s benefit should be at the first place.
整个选举，秩序井然，平稳进行，没有出现某些人预料中的混乱场面，在结果产生后，双方立刻承认现实，将非法性纷争的可能降低到零。虽然有差距过大的因素， 但不得不承认，今时今日的台湾政治制度，确实已经从陈水扁时代的混乱不堪逐步过渡到成熟稳健的民主政治，就像马英九自己说的，“民主国家的政党轮替是一种 常态”
The whole election is going smooth, without the confusion anticipated by some people. And after the result is out, the two sides soon submit to the reality and take out any chance of chaos. Though it is possibly due to the overwhelming margin, we have to admit that the political system in Taiwan today has shifted from the messy one in Chen Shui-bian times to a more mature politics. As president-elect Ma said,’ it’s common to have party alternation in democratic nations.’
台湾已经走上了正轨国民党必将不再是那个黑金独裁政党，民进党接受这次惨痛教训后，也必将不再是那个只会挑逗族群斗争玩弄选举花招的激进意识形态团体，这当然是台湾之福。但对于我们13亿大陆人民来说，却是千般滋味，皆在心头。
Taiwan has changed. National Party is no longer the party of bribe and autarchy, and the Democratic Progressive Party will also not be the aggressive group that just understands how to provoke group hatred and play tricks. This is of course the blessing of Taiwan. But for us 1.3 billion Chinese, we envy, feel bitter, and get lost.
牙齿闪亮 gave a sincere response,
顶一个,最烦那些说中国人不适合民主的贱人\骗子,自己犯贱就行了,还要代表中国人.民主也是需要一个进程的,但我相信中国人绝对配得上民主。
Up! I hate most those liars/mean guys who say Chinese aren't suitable for democracy. You don’t have to allege to stand for all of Chinese if you are so willing to be low-priced（servile). We need time to go for democracy. However, I believe Chinese absolutely deserve it.
为完成said,
非常好！ 　　我得承认，我昨天一方面看的牙痒痒，一方面看得心痒痒……
Excellent! I have to confess I was so itching for it when watching yesterday…
新非典型病人 said he felt like bursting into tears when hearing the Chinese ideal of democracy finally blossoms on an oversea island, after decades of pursuit.  The most frequent quote inside the thread is what the National Party chairman Wu Bo-xiong said,
吴伯雄，“人民最大！只有人民手上的选票最大，没有一个政党比人民大！”
The priority belongs to people! The most powerful are people’s votes, and not a single party is superior to people!
wertyu84 commented on this,
我觉得说的非常好！大陆选主席能让咱们普通的老百姓也投上自己的一票么？ 虚伪的人大！
I think the saying is great! Could common people on mainland have votes in the president election? The People’s Congress is just deceptive.
Under political pressure, irony is always a good way. That’s why 黑心地主 “complaint” on the quote by Wu,
太TMD反动了
So damn counterrevolutionary!
Taiwan people, let’s first put down the controversy across the strait. Here is the echo from mainland that concerns the future relationship between the two areas.   At the point, mainlanders feel their country overshadowed.
我爱啤酒花 希望台湾搞得好点，也算是中国人的一块实验田。
I hope Taiwan will be better, so that it could be a testing field for Chinese.
And a very “seditious” comment by 178676465
台湾统一大陆好像也挺好的。为啥非是大陆统一台湾。
It seems good for Taiwan to unify mainland. Why does it have to be the mainland to unify Taiwan?
xgw000001
而我们，号称人民民主专政的我们，只能在可怜的村一级实行直选，而且是极端混乱的直选。
But we in comparison, could only have suffrage at the village level, a nevertheless super messy suffrage.
Finally, let’s talk about this post. It appeared on Tianya.com, a crowded net café that is famous for users’ insight and care for the society. But after all, it’s supervised by the authority. Therefore the posters all worried about the fate of this post, in which many comments have crossed the line.  A user said
此贴能够存在我就承认中国的民主还是有希望的！
If this post stays alive I agree that the democracy in China is still promising!
Today, I came to the post again. It disappeared.    (I have downloaded the thread as I thought it would be removed soon. Though it later held on to accommodate 5 pages of comments, it is still gone finally.)

author: Bob Chen


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Egypt: Dictatorship for Dummies · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Ahmad Sherif strikes back with a series of designs entitled Dictatorship for Dummies.


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Egypt Gears Up for a General Strike Sunday  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

An online campaign calling for a general strike across Egypt on Sunday has been gaining momentum, with thousands promising to stop work for the day in protest against low salaries and increasing prices. This prompted the government to issue a stern warning against those planning to take part in the event. Arrests have been reported in Cairo, with one blogger already detained Saturday, for his alleged role in calling for the strike.
Calls for the strike were mass circulated via text messages and emails as well as the social networking platform, Facebook, where a group calling itself 6 April – The Day of Anger, managed to attract more than 65,000 members since it was set up last week.
Blogger Baheyya sheds light on the strike saying:
A broad coalition of blue- and white-collar national forces has called a general strike for tomorrow 6 April to demand decent living conditions and protest all the man-made ills afflicting our society: corruption, nepotism, inflation, torture, poverty, police brutality. The plan is to stay home and not report to work or school, or alternatively to join others in street processions converging on main city squares.
The general strike is the brainchild of the Ghazl a-Mahalla workers, later joined by Kafr al-Dawwar labourers. Kifaya, al-Wasat, al-Karama, the 9 March Movement for University Autonomy and a slew of other collectives have also signed on.
Baheyya continues:
Of course, the government and all its institutions have been mobilising for days to obstruct and ridicule the very notion of a strike. Today, the ever-informative Al-Ahram quoted a judge who reminded citizens that Article 124 of the Penal Code punishes all those who shirk their work obligations with a prison sentence of 3 months to one year, and double that for all those who incite others to strike. Civil servants, teachers, police officers and many others have been given strict instructions to report for work tomorrow, and amn al-dawla has been busy alternately threatening and cajoling workers to abandon or abort the strike effort.
Malek, the first on the blogger casualty list, has been arrested, allegedly for encouraging the public to take part in the strike. His arrest was first reported by bloggers via Twitter, with veteran blogger Ala'a Abdelfattah breaking the story with this message:
MaLek arrested and is now in masr el qadima police station.
Minutes later a post appeared on Malek's blog, confirming the arrest. The post (Ar) said:
مالك دا الوقت في قسم مصر القديمة. كانوا بيوزعوا ورق و بيكلموا الناس عن إضراب بكرة. المحامين حاليا مع مالك في القسم
Malek is at the Masr Kadima (Old Cairo) Police station. He was distributing leaflets and talking to people about tomorrow's strike. The lawyers are currently with Malek at the police station.
Human rights activist Hossam El Hamalawy adds:
A number of Labor Party activists are also held in the same station (Ar) … Several bloggers and activists are on the run, after they were chased by the pigs in the streets of downtown Cairo today while distributing leaflets in solidarity with the strike…
Mustafa Khalil, from Kifaya – the Egyptian Movement for Change, has also been arrested, according to Haraka Masriya (Ar), while shopping in a fabrics shop. The site says:
قامت قوات  الامن بإختطاف مصطفى خليل الناشط بحركة كفايه بالمنصورة  ، مصطفى تم اختطافه من محل لبيع الاقمشة بتهمة انه “ينوى كتابه لافتات لاضراب يوم 6 ابريل  على هذا القماش  !!
حركة كفايه تحذر اعضاءها ومحبيها وكافة المواطنين المصريين من شراء اى قماش  او ملابس حتى تزول هذه الايام السوداء !!
The security forces have kidnapped Kifaya activist Mustafa Khalil in Al Mansoura. Mustafa was kidnapped from a fabrics shop and charged with wanting to purchase fabric to write banners for the April 6 strike. Kefaya warns it members, supporters and all Egyptians to refrain from purchasing fabrics and all clothes until those black days are over!!
Meanwhile, Wa7da Masriya (An Egyptian Girl) has issued the following guidelines for Egyptians to follow on the day of the strike. Among them are:
تعليق علم مصر فى البلكونات
2- ارتداء ملابس سوداء و يفضل مطبوع عليها اى شعار للإضراب لوامكن مع حمل شاره او اى اعلان عن “إنى مضرب إحتجاجا على الأسعار
3- الإضراب عن شراء أى سلعه لتمثل وسيلة تهديد للحكومه التى لا تعيرنا اى انتباه و لا تحترم وجودنا ولا تحس بمعاناتنا و كذلك الاضراب عن شراء السلع يعتبر تهديد لاى تاجر يرفع الاسعار اننا يمكن ان نتحد لمواجهتهعند حدوث حالة شلل فى هذا اليوم سيفكر الجشعون الاف المرات امام هذا الشعب الواعى
1. Hang the Egyptian flag from your balconies
2. Wear black clothes, with any of the strike slogans printed on them if possible, such as the strike's logo or statement saying “I am on strike in protest against the increase in prices”
3. Stop buying any products which will threaten the government which doesn't pay any attention to us, or respect us, of feel our suffering. Also stop buying any product which will threaten merchants to stop increasing prices. We can unite against them and create a paralysis in the country on this say so that those greedy people think thousands of times when they deal with our conscious people.
And because Egyptians are renowned for their sense of humour, Jar Al Qamar shares with us the following story:
عم واحد صاحبي بيروح شغله كموظف كبير في الحكومة كل يوم بتاكسي مخصوص .. النهاردة الراجل نازل الشغل فسواق  التاكسي اللي اسمه عم علاء و قليل الكلام في العادة بلغه ان بكره مش حايقدر يجي ياخده من البيت , عشان الإضراب بتاع بكره  .. و بمزيد من الاستفسار ( مع حبة شك في وطنية و انتماء و معرفة عم علاء اصلا بموضوع الإضراب ) تبين ان عم علاء سمع ان الحكومه حاتنظم اضراب بكره , احتجاجا على الفيلم بتاع هولندا اللي بيشتموا فيه الرسول  .. و ان الداخليه وزعت بيان تحذر فيه الناس من الشغل او النزول للشارع زي يوم كسوف الشمس كده.. و ان العساكر حاتنزل بكره تكسر المحلات و تلم العربيات اللي شغاله , و الناس اللي ماشية في الشارع عشان اللي يشتغل اليوم ده يبقى متضامن مع الكفرة بتوع هولندا
One of my friend's uncles does to work as a top official everyday in a private taxi. Today, as he was on his way to work, the taxi driver, whose name is Uncle Alaa, and who usually doesn't talk much, informed him that he will not be able to give him a ride tomorrow, because of the strike. After some questioning, with a little suspicion in Uncle Alaa's sense of loyalty and belonging to the nation and his knowledge about the strike to begin with, it became evident that Uncle Alaa had heard that the government would organise a strike tomorrow, against the Dutch film, in which they curse the Prophet, and that the Ministry of Interior, issued a statement warning people against going to work, or leaving their homes, just like on the days there is a solar eclipse… and that guards will be set lose on the streets, breaking the shutters of shops and impounding any cars on the streets.. and that all those who will leave their homes on that day would do so in solidarity with the infidels of Holland.
For more on the strike, Amnesiac will be in the eye of the storm. She writes:
I will be in Mahalla tomorrow covering the strike in the Ghazl el-Mahalla textiles factory, the 3rd strike since December 2006. I’m super excited about going, mostly because it will mean meeting workers who not only won two previous strikes, but succeeded in getting rid of the company chairman and board of directors, i.e. heroes. In addition I find the atmosphere at even small scale sit-ins and protests electrifying so 20,000 men and women standing up to their management, the government, the state security army and their own bloody union (!) should be amazing.
Stay tuned to Global Voices Online for more updates.
Photo credit: Hossam El Hamalawy


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Free Speech Roundup: Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Yemen · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

In this roundup: () Indonesia blocks YouTube over “Fitna” the movie. () Saudi Arabia: Fouad Alfarhan's blog and Freefouad blocked. () Slide blocked in Turkey. () Yemen blocks Maktoob blogging platform.
The Indonesian government has ordered the country’s internet service providers to block YouTube for publishing the 15-minute anti-Muslim film “Fitna”, made by Dutch MP Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration Freedom Party (PVV). Some of the country's ISPs followed the block order, but “Fitna” could still be viewed through other providers.
“A letter was sent to Internet providers asking them to block any site or blog posting the film Fitna (…) Not only YouTube has uploaded the film, so it is up to the ISPs’ discretion to block these sites,” a Communications and Information Ministry Official is quoted as saying.
Earlier this week, Indonesia had threatened to block YouTube unless the video-sharing web site removed the aforementioned movie.
The blog of the detained Saudi blogger Fouad Alfarhan was blocked today in Saudi Arabia, along with the Free Fouad website, which is dedicated to Alfarhan's case, and the pro-reformist blog Freedoms. Users trying to access these blogs from Saudi Arabia were met with a notice saying “Blocked URL. Dear User, Sorry, the requested page is unavailable. If you believe the requested page should not be blocked please click here. For more information about internet service in Saudi Arabia, please click here: www.internet.gov.sa“.
115 days after his arrest, on 10 December 2007, Fouad Alfarhan remains jailed for unspecified “violation of non-security regulations.” On March 11th, 2008, Alfarhan's nine-year old daughter, Raghad, released a YouTube video message for her father saying: “Daddy I miss you. When are you coming back home?”
A Turkish court banned access to Slide, the maker of social networking widgets, for “harboring pictures and articles that are considered to be insulting to Ataturk.”
In a note to Slide users in Turkey, Slide announced that it has contacted the Turkish government in the hope of resolving the issue via that route:
If you use Slide in Turkey, you've probably noticed that you are no longer able to access the Slide website or our applications (you may not even be able to access this post). The Turkish government has accused Slide of “harboring pictures and articles that are considered to be insulting to Ataturk,” founder of the republic.
We have contacted the government of Turkey in an effort to resolve this situation and will keep you updated on any changes. In the meantime, we're trying our best to enable Turkish citizens to access our website and applications again.
According to Slide statistics, Slide widgets are being viewed by more than 143 million unique viewers every month in more than 200 countries on websites like Facebook, MySpace, Hi5, Orkut, and Blogger.
Maktoobblog.com, one of the most popular Arab blogging platform, was recently blocked in Yemen, cutting off Yemeni Internet users from the more than 46,960 blogs the service hosts. According to MaktoobBlog, there are currently 1,226 Yemeni blogs hosted by the service. All of them disappeared from the Yemeni Internet.
On the pan-Arabic Al Hayat newspaper, Mr. Yasser Al-Eimad, from the Public Telecommunication Corporation, denied that Maktoobblog.com was blocked. But the OpenNet Initiative testing confirmed yesterday, after technical investigation, that the blog hosting service was blocked by Yemennet ISP, a service of the government's Public Telecommunication Corporation (PTC):
ONI technical investigation verified that the service has been blocked by Yemennet, Yemen’s government-run ISP. Access is blocked to the entire domain maktoobblog.com, effectively to every blog hosted by the service. Interestingly, users who attempt to access the site receive a network error message instead of the standard blockpage, which is served when users attempt to access sexual content.
This significant blocking is expected to hinder Internet users in Yemen from blogging and reading blogs because maktoobblog.com is home of one of the largest blogging communities in the Middle East and North Africa.


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Israel: Israeli Startup Falsely Accused of Rigging Zimbabwe’s Elections · Global Voices
Gilad Lotan

On Friday, March 28th, an online newspaper called “Zimbabwe Online” published an article accusing Cogniview, an Israeli startup company, of helping Robert Mugabe rig the Zimbabwean elections. Tendai Biti, secretary general of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, told journalists in Harare that Cogniview was offering technical support and that “Mugabe and his cronies intend to steal this election through the use of sophisticated software provided by the Israeli company with Mossad (Israeli intelligence agency) connections.”
A lengthy response was published on Cogniview's blog, denouncing the story as blatantly false, and proposing a possible scenario of how their Open Source PDF converter was linked to Zimbabwe's elections. Below are two excerpts from Yoav Ezer's response, From Programmer to Puppet-Master: How I didn't Rig the Zimbabwean Elections with a PDF Converter:
The article continues to claim that my company has secret ties to the Israeli Mossad, and that the accusations came directly from the General Secretary of the MDC, Zimbabwe’s largest opposition party.
Before I go on with the details of the story, here’s my official response … this story is NOT TRUE. In fact it could have only been more fictional if we were accused of using alien technology. Here are some more facts:
* We have no ties with Robert Mugabe’s party. We have never met or dealt in any way with him or any of his people.
* We have no connections to the Israeli Mossad.
* No Cogniview employee has ever been to Zimbabwe.
He continues to write how he thinks his company got caught up in this story:
About a year ago we developed an Open-Source PDF converter called CC PDF converter. This converter (which is available for download for anyone that has an internet connection) allows one to convert anything printable into PDF. It also allows adding a Creative Commons license as the last page of the document. And at the very end of this page there is a link to Cogniview’s website.
I also learned (from the people that called to chastise us) that the voter-roles that were provided to the MDC by Zimbabwean officials were in PDF format and had a link to Cogniview’s website.
My guess is that the people at the MDC wanted to get the voter data in a format they could easily handle (like Excel) and instead got it in a PDF file (that was produced by our converter). They got (justifiably) angry and concocted a story about the Israeli Mossad and my company (this part isn’t justifiable).
Thanks Denis for the link!

author: Gilad Lotan


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Laos: Act of charity · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Laotian Teacher reminds the public that “an act of charity is not just giving of things or monetary donations; it is also an act of caring for others with our words and deeds.”


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Lebanon: Hezbollah Since Mughnieh’s Assassination · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“Hizbullah members and people around the party are avid readers of Israeli politics and society,” states Bech in this analysis about Hezbollah since Mughnieh's Assassination.

author: Moussa Bashir


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Lebanon: Mughnieh’s Billboards  · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“We came up with a stencil of him so that people can remember him like they do Che Guevara,” said the “creative director” responsible for Mughnieh's billboard design, as quoted by Sursock.


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Lebanon: Polygamy and the End of Empires · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Jeha writes about different points of view to polygamy and small stuff that ends empires.


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Lebanon: Presidents’ Faces on Currency · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Jamal's satire on which of the Lebanese presidents’ face should go on each of the Lebanese  currency bills.


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Lebanon: Teachers’ Strike · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

Lebanese teachers went on strike (April 3) to protest low wages,  high cost of living and inflation, as reported by Sursock.